The author is not one who has gone this way before and is therefore giving a somewhat innocent view of Byzantine monuments in Turkey. I found in the book interesting dialogue and some helpful suggestions for visiting those same sights in May '98.

this is a wonderful book. Ash is an attentive and descriptive writer who weaves anecdote, history and travel writing into an unusually gifted book. Perfect beach or travel reading. As one who is Greek and originally from Asia Minor, I find his insights to be keen, especially as to cultural matters and the tug of war between Greek and Turk, between Christian and Moslem, which animates the history of Asia Minor and Constantinople, Smyrna, Nicaea and Nicomedia to this day.

Ash is a great writer. He makes Byzantine history come alive and captures life in modern Turkey. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the region and its history.

World War II historical fiction brought to life with powerful images, well developed characters, and thought-provoking situations. Real people facing extreme circumstances with the full varity of human triumphs and failures. Well worth the read.

THIS BOOK TIED HISTORY AND FICTION TOGETHER VERY WELL. THERE WERE SECTIONS WHICH WOULD SEEM IMPROBABLE, BUT GIVEN THE FICTIONAL NATURE OF THE BOOK, WORKED WELL. HOWEVER, THE EDITING WAS VERY POOR. MISSPELLED WORDS, LACK OF OR NO PUNCTUATION, AND POORLY CONSTRUCTED SENTENCES MADE IT DIFFICULT TO READ. ONE HAS TO BACK UP AND REREAD MANY SECTIONS TO DISCERN THE MEANING OF THE AUTHORS

This book is EXACTLY the same as the first two parts, but centers on one of the more interesting characters (like another reader already stated), Rebecca, and is therefore a little bit more readable. The structure of this serial reminded me of the early works of James Herbert (SPOILER AHEAD!): Someone gets introduced - and killed off. After that, someone gets introduced... - you get the point

Once again, the basic plot line in "The Dragon's Flame" is almost identical to the first two installments. The main character is Rebecca, a quiet, friendly young woman who lives her strict aunt. When Rebecca's rebellious cousin comes home, chaos mounts. This extremely dysfunctional family makes the story very interesting, and difficult to put down.

I have read the entire installment of the Blackstone chronicles but this one stands out the most. Sweet simple minded Rebecca is pleased when her cousin has decided to return to live with her fanatical mother. A well-meaning Rebecca buys her a fancy lighter at a flea market, but like the other objects from the Asylum it carries a deadly curse. The whole series pulls you and gets you involved it is reminiscent of the old series Friday the 13th, definately one you won't want to miss

Well researched, lively and accurate, but really just a traditional account of Millais' career, telling us little new about the paintings. Ash stumbles on reviews which could have suggested a radical re-evaluation of Millais's late work, but he ignores the evidence. Nevertheless, it's wonderful to have reproductions of such neglected marvels as 'Caller Herrin' and the 'Ornithologist'. The reproductions are the thing here.

Let the buyer beware! I should have recalled this adage and examined my purchase more carefully.

I am now the owner of writings by the new John Milton, a politically correct John Milton, a John Milton that rejects manhood for adulthood and rejects man for person. This new Milton embraces the humanist pronouns hu and hus and hum, non-sexist third person pronouns. He, his and him and she, her and hers are no more.

Milton's quotation of Euripides is likewise changed. Euripides now says' "And hu who can and will, deserves high praise". Euripides stands corrected.

Milton's use of archaic English has also been modernized. Milton has cast aside much of his seventeenth century English. This Bandanna Books version of John Milton is no longer John Milton, but an altered, censored revision.

Ironically, in the essay Areopagitica John Milton is arguing to the Parliament of England for freedom of the press, specifically for the liberty of unlicensed printing. Would John Milton have approved this modern, secular, nonsexist version of his essay?

Milton would have agreed that Bandanna Books had a right to publish, but I suspect that he would have argued that that Bandanna Books had a moral obligation to label the book cover to indicate that Milton's essay had been significantly altered to fit a peculiar nonsexist standard.

Bandanna Books in Santa Barbara, California offers other humanist works including Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass, Plato's Apology and Crito, and commentaries by Confucius. Unless you find comfort in hu, hus, and hum, I suggest that the traditional Whitman, Plato, and Confucius might be adequate and that you look elsewhere. Let the buyer beware!

"Hu", "hus", "hum"? Ho hum.

John Leonar

Prospective buyers of this edition should be aware that it is edited; some of Milton's words have been changed, either to modernize or to "humanize" (that is, eliminate sexist usages by the replacement of he/she, him/her, etc. with bizarre "hu", "hum," etc. This is not a worthy edition of Milton's great text!