A fascinating account, if only to give us a flavor of how far the science of archaeology has come since the 1920's. Weigall makes fantastic leaps of logic better suited to fiction, and discards anything like the objectivity that would be required today before discussing an ancient historical figure. The author takes for granted that Christianity is the preferred religion of the ages and superior to all others, uses outdated notions of racial types that would get you a lawsuit today, and makes statements based on the now discredited "science" of phrenology. Things that we simply cannot ever know, such as the king's personality, mental health, motivation, and many other interior states of mind, are stated baldly as fact. Much that Weigall writes is now simply wrong, thanks to years of study since this book was written. For example, we know that Akhenaton was married to at least one lesser wife, and therefore does not qualify as monogamous. However, this is an interesting book and should be read as an influential piece of Victoriana. Don't make it your only reference on the subject of Akhenaton, however.

This is one of the first books dedicated to this extraordinary historical character, and I believe it to be the definitive one. All the others issued afterwards either dispute it or confirm it. None of them brings out Amarna's Prophet in such a lively, verisimilar and poetic way; none has inspired so many great works in literature, in movies and even in music. Freud's most polemical book, "Moses and Monotheism", in which he recognizes Akhenaton as the true founder of the Israelite religion, came after the reading of Weigall's work. So did "The Egyptian", by Mika Waltari, and the movie based on it, and Philip Glass' opera, and so on.

In a simple, straight and hearty style, Weigall gives us a coherent portrait of the young and revolutionary pharaoh, not in the least prejudiced against his biographee like Cyril Aldred's ludicrous set of incest theories or Donald Redford's distempered rubbish. Besides, Weigall's conclusion that Akhenaton's new art canons were a kind of renaissance - a return to the classical period of archaic days - is brilliant and elucidative.

It must be said that after this book was written, some excavations at Amarna brought to light many minor facts unknown to Weigall, such as the existence of an older brother, dead before Akhenaton's ascension to the throne, a possible co-regency with his father Amenophis III, a secondary wife named Kiya, things like that. And there is, of course, the issue of the mummy fervently acknowledged as Akhenaton's by Weigall, although not by most Egyptologists nowadays. But what of it? These are mere details about Akhenaton's life; Weigall captured his soul, and that, unlike evidences infered from ancient stone fragments and crumbling papyrus scraps, is going to last forever.

Published first in 1910, this book' s price had jumped 5 times when it was republished in 1922. It was the necessary inspiration for Sigmund Freud's classic "Moses and monotheism". This is its first reedition in the 21 century. The author was at the time of writing Inspector-General of the Antiquities of Upper Egypt for the British Government, and was first-hand witness to the discoveries of the tombs of Pharao Akhnaton, of his grandparents, parents end children. The American Theodore Davis paid for the actual excavations in Tell El-Amarna et al., and published as their nominal director annual volumes about the finds. (It would be interesting to see these also reappear.) Most of the finds where brought to the Cairo Museum, except for the statue of his nice wife Nefertiti that was in Berlin in 1922. Written in a systematic, chronological but breath-taking style we follow Akhnaton's grandparents and parents, his birth and youth, his mysticism as Son of the rising-and-setting Sun, his foundation of Tell El-Amarna, his next 7 years, his death and the restauration of the old religious order under Tutankhamon, and his grave desecrated to rob his remains of his name. Special attention is given to his formulation as the chosen "High Priest of Aton" of the first universal, monotheistic and pure religion - "teaching" in Akhnaton's words - in the West, where the sun's warm caressing hands witness of God's love for his creation. His God asks only for sacrifices of vegetables - fruit and flowers, not of animals or humans. All is open, nothing occult. No ascetism, no mortification of the flesh, but enjoyment of all the goods of creation, in simplicity. We all can take an example of his family life as husband and father of 7 daughters, his love for beauty, for health and for plenty, for freedom of artistic expression. His beautiful and very poetic hymn to Aton was inspiration for Psalm 104. Under his rule the most beautiful and perfect art of Egypt was produced, close to human "truth", in daily life also condition for human happiness. In strong contrast Akhnaton had build his grave in a very gruesome place, but he was not laid to rest there. Akhnaton is today an example for peace-loving rulers, who refuse to rule a world empire with the sword. He was condemned as "criminal" by the later Pharao's for losing Syria as part of the Empire, but the love of his people lasted long after his death. He was one of the most loved rulers of history, ant thanks to this book he lives on as a beautiful and lovely man.

I read this book a long time ago, and thought it was okay, althought the first, blade of the posioner was better.

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone knew if there was a third book in the series? I still have a lot of questions...

One thing I didn't like: EVERY OTHER CHARACTER'S NAME WAS AN ATROCIOUS PUN IN LATIN!!! I mean, minor deities with names translating to "rainbow," villains with names translating to "darkness," "destruction," or "stinker..."(no, wait, the villain whose name meant "stinker" was in the first book. My mistake.)

When I first read this, I got the feel of increasing energy as the book moved along, building up to a feverish pitch at the end where all hell breaks loose. The result was me hammering my fists to the floor in exhultation!

...reponding to the comment about Latin puns: I had no idea! However this does not annoy me. It actually increases my repect of Hill. I did not expect any type of hidden meaning in a book intended for young adults. Bravo!

On the one hand, Mr. Hailey's artistic brilliance is impossible to deny. He's one of the most skilled writers around, if not the best. His stories are realistic, thrilling, touching, funny - in that sense, they are likely to exceed your expectations. This book, too, contains plot lines, scenes and characters that are just fabulous.

On the other hand, this book has one really annoying flaw: Mr. Hailey makes a very strong political statement in support of value-destroyers. By those, I mean incapable people who attempt to destroy other people's productive achievements by making them feel guilty for no legitimate reason. Productive and selfish people are described very negatively in this book. If you tend to the Socialist/PC way of thinking, you'll just love the book. If you are a supporter of freedom and free enterprise, you might find this book more or less disturbing.

If you haven't read any of Mr. Hailey's works before, you better choose Airport. That's a true masterpiece, uncomparable with Moneychangers. If you are, however, a fan of Mr. Hailey and familiar with most of his works, there's no reason why you shouldn't read this book as well.

What did I know about banks before? A little! But since I read this book, I knew more about banks and the dillemas they face amidst the ordinary revolution of this naive world. It offers a view of a collapsing realm of economy, that which holds the blood line of society. Good!

This book is one of Arthur Hailey's best books and well worth reading, both for insights into another industry (which Hailey always does well) and for well-constructed characters.

I wasn't really that interested in solving the puzzles of the game. I actually dislike adventure games. But I am a huge fan of the Rama series of books and I bought the game so I could explore Rama myself. After getting frustrated from getting stuck, I bought the book to help me get through the puzzles and get through the rest of the game. The book is easy to follow, descriptive, and shows helpful screen shots. The trouble is, I still get stuck, even when I follow the book to the letter. At a certain point, if you supposedly have done everything right, a certain event is supposed to happen in the game, after many tries, it never happens and I can't get any further.

I picked up a copy of this excellent guide through the game out of desperation, when technical problems (not related to the game itself) caused me to have to reinstall Rama and start over. At the time, I had made my way through about 85% of the game's plot line and puzzles, over the course of several months of casual game play. The walkthrough format is very easy to follow, and it allows you to decide how much help you use, because it is broken down according to the various areas within the game that you must explore and solve your way through. A word of caution--the walkthrough is so concise, you may find it hard to put down, and rely on your own skills. If used sparingly, you will enjoy all of the rewards that Rama offers, without getting hopelessly stuck in some of the more difficult areas of the game.

The RAMA game is an excellent game for anyone who enjoys the plot-and-puzzle game type. If Arthur Clarke is already an author on your shelf, you will additionally enjoy taking a tour of his RAMA spaceship and the diverse life forms encountered therein. You are a replacement astronaut on a mission to explore the RAMA spaceship and assess whether it compromises earth's security. The original commander died mysteriously before you arrived. You must explore the ship from end to end, solving puzzles and collecting everything in sight, to find out whether RAMA is a marvel or a menace and to unravel the intrigues whirling around you as you interact with the rest of the crew.

The puzzles are challenging and it's easy to get stuck. That's why the strategy guide is a great companion to the game. Use it judiciously to extend the play and surprise of the game, or follow it step-by-step as a walk-through, this book will provide the clues, answers, and order of events required to complete the game.

I did not find this book as helpfull as wished, as the problem depth was only formula manipulation, i.e. level one, deep. Should you require a manual which will challenge you in problem solving, calculus, formula arranging, etc., this book will be insufficient.

About every topic you had in physics are here in this book. The topics range from a review of mathematics and vectors to nuclear physics, and from simple machines (like the lever and inclined plane) to thermodynamics (engine efficiency and refrigeration). Each is explained and demonstrated before you test your knowledge.

In this book, the author gives you the supplementary problems, then gives you the answers on the next page. I found this very helpful

I would recommend this book if you are taking a physics class and need some additional practice.

An excellent source book for applied physics concepts and study tips.A book that opens up one's mind in the world of physics.A truely good book for any body having interest in the subject of physics.Clarity of concepts and their proper and common applications is what makes this book a nice addition to any collection of physics books.

If you're into a stream of interesting facts, get this book. If, instead, you want something pleasurable to read -- try elsewhere.

Mr. UCLA (the reviewer who gave the book 1 star) was probably a student of the writer, who is a teacher in UCLA. He didn't seem to enjoy his class too much.

Anyway, I bought the book because I was working on my so-called "education reform", but realized that I didn't know anything about education. The book helped out a lot. It writes about the full history of American Higher education with an emphasis on later eras. Colonial, Emergent nattion, university transformation, mass higher education, and contemporary are the five stage of Higher Education's development. He wrote about the major trends and characteristics of each era, some trends lasting for several eras, like the continuous expansion of the system, never ending diversification, and constant cries for access. One chapter is for one era, and all chapters are subdivided into eight sections to fully illustrate the details of each generation: societal context, institutions, students, faculty, curriculum and instruction, governance and administration, finance, and research and outcomes. The book is very well researched, and has a tremendous amount of data and charts, which were put together very nicely by the author. But that does not mean the book is boring! Though for most of the parts the author tried to be impartial, there were still many spalkling moments when you could feel the author's passion beaming out from the pages, especially as the book go into more modern eras. I know so much more about the history of US education now, and this whole process of developments is very amazing. With this understanding of history, I also gained a far better good grip on current issues, issues not only relating to higher education, but education as a whole. Don't hesitate, you will learn much!

This book provides an insightful and thorough account of the history of higher education.

As another reviwer has already stated, this book will not definitively answer the question that so many lovers of Rimbaud ask. To wit, "Why did he stop writing?"-But the book is a well-researched and well-written account of Rimmbaud as "un autre," somebody else than a poet...But it's all so grindingly depressing. Yes, Rimbaud had incredible endurance and will and courage. But he had no business acumen as the accounts of his many endeavors in the world of commerce amply illustrate. The book is essentially a tale of his slow degeneration in body, if not spirit.-I used to have a friend who loved Rimbaud more than I do who would call me in the middle of the night drunkenly, tearfully asking me why he quit. Well, there was nothing I could say at 3 A. M. that he would remember the next morning.-But what I feel is that the answer lies in Rimbaud's most famous poem, "Le Bateau Ivre." At the end of the poem, he says that, after all the exhilarating and mystical insights, after all the rapturous visions amidst the mad seastorms, there is nothing he would like better now then to return to being a litle boat being pushed across a placid pond by a little boy. Rimbaud had been through more hell in his life by the end of his teens than would fit in the lives of many a tortured soul.-It's really not so remarkable when you consider it that, his poetry unrecognized, his soul tortured by the relationship with Verlaine and the other atrocities and privations he endured that the young man would flee the literary world that had given him nothing but anguish in the end.-Unfortunately , the world to which he fled offered little in the way of compensation, as this book sadly chronicles. I recommend this book to those who, like myself, had no clear idea of exactly what Rimbaud DID after he stopped writing besides vague ideas of his being a gun-runner, slave-trader and amputee (This book, by the way, casts serious doubts over whether he was ever either of the former two, except perhaps when forced to do so by bad luck and necessity).-So, all in all, a sad but informative work.-I still think the last lines of "Le Bateau Ivre" are the key to why he stopped writing. But, as is commmonplace, you can't go home again, as those last lines express a yearning for. This book is an excellent chronicle of the alternative Rimbaud was forced to accept.

Arthur Rimbaud was one of the most brilliant poets the human race has ever seen. He belongs in the company of Callimachus, Sappho and Catullus, the spoiled child from the north whose frank and erotic poems scandalized Rome: odi et amo, Catullus had written. I hate you and I love you. That says it all. About Rimbaud as well.

Rimbaud was an illusion, a ghost, someone we conjure up and then spend the rest of out lives trying to shake off. Dead for more than a hundred years now, Arthur Rimbaud wrote poetry for a few brief years, while he was still in his teens, from about 1870 to 1873. He could never have imagined the extraordinary influence his slim collection of poems would have over the following century. Rimbaud. however, abandoned the world of literature at a very young age. When he was nineteen, he gave in to a mixture of rage and pride, and threw his marvelous talent onto a bonfire, along with his manuscripts. By the time his anger had eaten its way through his soul, he could not speak of poetry without contempt. He lived another eighteen years, wandering from one end of Europe to the other and as far afield as the East Indies. He joined the Dutch Colonial Army and was sent to Java, but deserted and returned to France. He got work in Cyprus, as an overseer of a stone quarry, but his temper got the better of him, "I have had some quarrels with the workmen," he wrote, "and I've had to request some weapons." He collapsed with typhoid and hurriedly returned home.

In March 1880, when he was twenty-five, he left France for the last time. He found work in Cyprus again, as foreman of a construction gang in the mountains. He got involved in another quarrel and, it seems, threw a stone which hit a local worker and killed him. Rimbaud fled, traveling through the Red Sea, ending up in the British port of Aden, a sun-baked volcanic crater perched at the gateway to the Indian Ocean on the coast of Yemen. He spent the next eleven years in exile, working as a trader in Aden and Abyssinia.

Charles Nicholl's book is chiefly the story of those years, from the time Rimbaud disembarks at Aden in 1880 to his death in Marseilles in 1891, at the age of thirty-seven, from the cancer which had started in his right leg. It is very stylish, thoroughly researched, and shows a great deal of insight into the character of this angry and bitter man. Arthur Rimbaud's adolescent rebellion was so brief and the flowering of his talent so violent and astonishing that it has overshadowed his essential character. His life is often seen through a romantic blur, and the astringent view of his career that Nicholl presents in this book is a useful corrective.

Rimbaud was born in the northern French town of Charleville in October 1854, the son of an army captain and a farmer's daughter. There were two younger sisters and an older brother. The father, who had spent some years in Algeria and in different parts of France, found provincial life stifling and family life difficult. He was often absent. Rimbaud was six when his father left for the last time, never to return.

His mother was a dour, hard-working woman of peasant stock, impatient with her husband's fecklessness, and embittered by his final desertion. For most of his life Rimbaud was like his mother--devoted to hard work. As a child he was obedient, studious and even rather prim. In his final school examinations he swept the board, winning all the prizes in his form except for two.

In his sixteenth year, everything changed. Two catastrophic public events shook France, and a private calamity changed Rimbaud forever. The French emperor Napoleon the Third declared war on Prussia in July 1870. The German armies swept through north-eastern France, the countryside where Rimbaud had grown up, and within six months the French had been defeated.

In the aftermath of the Armistice in January 1871, the people of Paris, republican to the core and disgusted with their government, set up a Commune. Eventually French government troops put it down, killing twenty thousand French men and women in the streets of Paris in a single week in May. Rimbaud had run away from home to join the Commune, though it's unlikely he was there during that week of horror.

Rimbaud though, had his own, personal nightmare to live through. At some time during this visit to Paris he was raped, perhaps gang-raped, probably by a group of soldiers at the Babylone barracks. The evidence is indirect but, as Charles Nicholl says, and most biographers agree with him, it is persuasive. Rimbaud went home to Charleville in a state of profound shock and confusion. He sent batches of his poems to important poets in the capital, Banville and Paul Verlaine among them. Verlaine summoned him to Paris and to his fate. It was September 1871 and Rimbaud was sixteen; Verlaine twenty-eight. The two men--rather, the man and the schoolboy--became lovers. The older poet Banville lent Rimabud an attic flat for a while as a favor to Verlaine. Rimbaud became friends with the musician Ernest Cabaner, who also put him up for a while, the novelist Jules Claretie, and the poets Charles Cros and Germaine Nouveau. These bohemians were scandalizing the bourgeoisie with their sexual indiscretions, their immodest writings and their indulgence in absinthe and hashish and opium. Rimbaud outdid them in every respect.

He made many enemies. Verlaine's future biographer Lepelletier disapproved of his influence on his old friend Verlaine, and Rimbaud responded by calling him an obscenity. When Lepelletier told Rimbaud to shut up, the boy threatened him with a table knife. He called poor Banville yet another obscenity, he stabbed the photographer Carjat with a sword-stick, he repaid the hospitality of Cabaner by going into Cabaner's room when he wasn't there and committing an unspeakable act. In short, Rimbaud was as arrogant and bad-tempered as one could get.

In July 1873, less than two years after they had first met, Verlaine shot Rimbaud in a fit of drunken jealousy. The boy was wounded in the wrist, and Verlaine burst into tears and begged his forgiveness. The next evening while they were out walking in the street Verlaine turned ugly again and pulled the revolver from his pocket. This time Rimbaud called out to a passing policeman. They were in Brussels; the police discovered evidence of their homosexual relationship, and incriminating letters. Rimbaud tried to take back the charges, but it was too late. Verlaine was sentenced to two years' hard labour in a Belgian jail.

Odi et amo. It is a phrase that sums up, not only Rimbaud's work but his life as well.

I have been influenced by Rimbaud since I was about 15. I learned of him through reading "No One Here Gets Out Alive", the biography of Jim Morrison. That led to Rimbaud which was a huge turning point in my life. It was when I decided to become a poet. The Rimbaud influence retains its lustre two decades later. One thing I always had a hard time dealing with was his renunciation of literature. It always seemed inexplicable to me that someone with that kind of gift could just suddenly turn his back on the muse. It is a dilemma that always conflicted with my reverence for Rimbaud's writing. This is what piqued my curiosity for this book. I immediately placed it on my 'to read' list. I wondered if it could shed some light on this startling decision. I ordered my copy and devoured it once it came in. This book is an enthralling read. It is a fascinating tale of travel and adventure. Rimbaud was certainly living on the edge during these years. His caravans through East Africa are truly the stuff of legend. His ventures from Aden to Harar and Dhibouti et al are amazing. It is interesting to learn how he mastered languages and became like a native. His business savvy is also intriguing. Who would expect the same infidel who spent a season in hell could possess such a degree of business acumen. I was surprised when I learned that he developed an interest in photography during his stay in Africa. It is a shame that he did not get to develop his photography skill before his illness. It reveals that perhaps some interest in the arts still beat in his heart. This interest does suggest that he might have ultimately returned to literature had he not fallen ill and died prematurely. It is tragic that he wasn't able to live longer. This book was an eye opener in a lot of ways. Charles Nicholl did an outstanding job writing this book. I still do not fully understand his renunciation of literature but this book did illuminate many points on his quest for adventure and his desire to become somebody else. This book is a great adventure story and an essential read for anyone who wishes to learn more about Rimbaud.

I'm getting tired of contemporary young Americans (I'm 29)being bashed constantly and portrayed as these evil losers. Anyone who came after the "Baby Boomer" generation (modern teens, college students and young adults) are often the objects of irrational hate. Anything our generation does wrong is hyped in the media and in preachy books like this one; even though statistics show that crime has been rapidly *decreasing* ever since Generation X came of age. We drink more espresso than liquor for goodness sake; and most drugs are pretty much out of style as far as long term use is concerned. A pretty tame bunch compared to the old hippie crowd. And the idea of today's young Americans as rich and spoiled is truly absurd. I have to wonder what planet the author is living on! No generation has worked so hard for so little. This is a time period when getting a nice little apartment for yourself is more like a far out fantasy than a realistic goal. Work hard and live paycheck to paycheck--then come home to your dingy little hole in the wall to listen to the media elite talk about how spoiled and weak you are and blame you for the Columbine massacre just because you own a few black clothes!

Goff and Fleischer have put succinctly into words an answer to the question, "What's wrong with America?" In the midst of prosperity and plenty for virtually all Americans, why does it appear that contemporary society is falling apart? Why are there Columbine High Schools and other, equally horrific, events occurring with frightening regularity? On a daily level we see shattered families, young girls raising babies and other disturbing events. The authors argue, persuasively, that it is primarily because we are so prosperous that we are having these ills. One reviewer missed the point entirely-in America, unlike the rest of the world all he has to worry about is getting an apartment, doubtless wonderfully made, fully equipped with all the conveniences and a huge number of true luxuries-cable tv, dvd players, etc. He drives to work in an air conditioned car and works in a pleasant environment. Hello! In this book, they make the point that even the "poverty level" family in America has access to things that are only a dream to the rest of the world. We do not work and slave just to get a mouthful of food for our family, use an open air latrine and sleep in a hovel. This is not about Gen X bashing, it's about the fact that we are spoiled and don't even know it. The great question is-what will we do about it? Get this book.

Messrs Goff and Fleisher eschew the easy answers in analysing the distopia America has created with the unprecedented wealth which currently exists there. Instead, this work overturns the conventional 'wisdom' of politicians and media and asks and answers a series of questions which will become increasingly vital in C21 USA. If you've ever laughed at the idea that money doesn't buy happiness, here is the proof that it really doesn't. SimonF

I was eagerly anticipating reading Lennig's bio of von Stroheim. After the first chapter my joy turned sour. Very little is revealed that was'nt already discussed in Richard Kosyarski's The Man You Love To Hate, and Weinberg's Stroheim: A Pictorial Review Of His nine Films. Both of these books are out of print but I beseech you to try to find at your local library or through Amazon's out-of-print service. Lennig prose is rather dry, the subject rarely comes to life, and when he does offer insights Stroheim the man seems sad forever the outsider, a two bit Viennese hustler with visions too great for his talent as a director. I was entranced by Stroheim when I was barely in my teens more than twenty years ago. I know about his losing battles against the studio heads, his public freaks and failures. It is the real man behind films like the breathtaking Greed, the unfinished Queen Kelly and the oftimes painfully erotic Foolish Wives that I wanted brought to life. Perhaps I'm only wishing that he could be brought back to life.

What can I add to all the glowing reviews of this book except for my own enthusiasm for it! Arthur Lennig has done a spendid job recounting the life and work of Erich von Stroheim, presenting him as the man and genius he was while also debunking a lot of the myths. Not only is it THE definitive Stroheim biography, it's also highly entertaining reading! A must-read for all film lovers.

Few Hollywood notables have been the object of more distorted,misinformed,or outright fabricated profiles than Erich Von Stroheim.Now that Arthur Lennig has come forward with his long-awaited biography,we are finally given the amazing truth of a maverick star/director who bit every hand that tried to feed him.Lennig has made a serious study of Stroheim for over fifty years---he restored "Foolish Wives" back in the sixties---he traveled to Austria to uncover the real story of Stroheim's humble beginnings---in short,Lennig,who prevously gave us the first and still best of the Bela Lugosi bios,has done it again with "Stroheim"---in fact,he has surpassed himself,and that's saying plenty considering the fact that Arthur Lennig is one of the most well-informed and reliable of all the pioneer film historians.Has there ever been a more fascinating(and ultimatly tragic) figure in the whole history of Hollywood than Erich Von Stroheim?Here's a guy that took on every front office in town---gambled it all for creative control that he invariably lost---but kept returning to the Hollywood arena again and again until they finally broke him.Yes,he took on the system and the system won---or did it?Stroheim's incredible films,even in their truncated latter-day forms,are here to give evidence that this was a director generations ahead of his time---already it's 2000 and we still haven't caught up with him.Read this book and get the dope on how "Greed","The Wedding March",and all the rest came to be. It's riveting.They should give AFI awards for books this good----it's from University Of Kentucky Press,so I don't know how big the print run is,but I suspect it would be a good idea to grab a copy(or two)quick,because this one's going to end up being a collector's item.