Velo Press during the Tour de France runs an on-line ticker for each stage, which is quite good for those who do not have access to live television coverage. This book consists mostly of snippets of that on-line ticker and gives a very fragmented feel to the reader. After a while it grows tiresome to read of Mr. Noname making a break or covering a break. There is just a whole lot more to the Tour than an endless recitation of obscure names as they jockey for position throughout a six hour stage. A far more interesting angle would be to explain how so-called domestiques do so well in so many of the stages. What are differences between them and the favorites?

I would have expected an insiders book on the Tour de France to supply the reader with far more technical information as well as explanations of the rigors, demands and behaviors affecting the participants. What are typical meals? How can so many calories be consumed without causing complications? How is hydration maintained? How can a rider survive over 2,000 miles on a bike in three weeks? What special measures are taken. How does a rider not feel good on a ride yet continue at a level that would amaze even a good amateur cyclist? What does it mean to "have good legs"? What are the riding styles - in saddle or out? What gearing is used? What manufacturers equipment is used? There was a brief section on time-trial bikes in the book. How can a cyclist scream down mountain stages at 60-70 mph? Most good cyclists would not survive even one such descent.

Few books are written on professional bicycling racing, but the Tour de France does pique general interest. Here is a chance to explain the real world of cycling: its difficulties, complications, and requirements. Put the race coverage in the context of a broader view. Did the winners somehow cope with all of that better or is there another explanation? This book seems to have been written exclusively for the small world of elite cyclists who know all about professional cycling if not the actual participants. If that is the objective, label the next book "For elite cyclists only."

In Osprey's Campaign #119 Marston Moor 1644, John Tincey summarizes one of the more decisive battles of the English Civil War that lost northern England for the King Charles I. This summary is more interesting than the previous volume on First Newbury, and while the author tends to digress on issues of historiography, he does provide a relatively clean campaign narrative.

In standard Osprey campaign series format, Marston Moor 1644 begins with short sections on the background to the campaign and opposing commanders. The section on opposing armies is unusually long at 22 pages (plus two more pages for the actual order of battle), and includes subsections on deployment and fighting tactics. Unfortunately, much of this space devoted to opposing armies is spent discussing and comparing various modern theories about unknown or controversial aspects of the campaign. Most readers will probably find this section tedious and distracting from the campaign narrative. The author then spends 14 pages on the early stages of the campaign, particularly the relief of York, and then covers the battle itself in 26 pages. The campaign narrative is supported by five 2-D maps (the opening campaigns of 1644, the siege of York, Rupert's march north, the relief of York, and the aftermath of Marston Moor) as well as three 3-D Birds Eye View maps of the battle itself. The three battle scenes by Graham Turner (probably Osprey's best contract artist) are excellent: the relief of York, Cromwell's Ironsides charging and the last stand of the Whitecoats.

Most of the military actions of the English Civil War appear confusing to modern American readers and herein lies the value of studying such conflicts. Unlike our own Civil War, which was fairly linear in nature, the English Civil War was set in a more fluid and non-linear environment. From the King's perspective, the enemy lay in the southeast, southwest and northeast. This non-linear combat environment and low force density resulted in very mobile operational methods and control of population centers (with attendant tax resources) became the decisive terrain. One such piece of decisive terrain was the city of York in the northeast; the Parliamentarians besieged it and the King sent Prince Rupert's army to lift the siege. Rupert's relief of York is probably the best part of this volume and should be studied carefully by military professionals. The Parliamentarian army occupied a favorable blocking position on key terrain overlooking the most obvious direct route into the city and awaited Rupert's advance. Boldly, Rupert fixed the enemy's attention with a small feint and then marched the bulk of his army across an undefended bridge far to the north and then slipped into York without firing a shot.

As for the Battle of Marston Moor, Tincey does a decent job describing the battle, although it is not always clear from his account why one side or the other prevailed in certain engagements. Clearly, the fact that Rupert's army did not expect battle to begin so late in the day and was surprised by the enemy's sudden attack was a major factor (similar to the Roman disaster at Adrianople in 378). Tincey argues that discipline was also a factor, in that the superior Royalist cavalry was difficult to reign in after one charge, while Cromwell's Ironsides were capable of reforming quickly. However, one could argue that it really was an issue of managing reserves, and both armies suffered from poor command and control after the initial action began at Marston Moor. Although both sides had light cannon at Marston Moor, there is virtually no mention of their participation. Tincey is also vague on casualties, relying instead only on a 17th Century source (no mention of modern diggings on the battlefield).

This is a charming story about a green tree frog who is bored. He wants to be different. So he gets his wish and falls into a jar of jelly beans and turns all the different colors of the jelly beans. The rest of the story is how the frog tries to change back to the way he was. It is a great story for children under 6 years. It shows a child that it is ok to be yourself.

Graham white has collected a fine Scottish edition of Muir's mountaineering essays along with appreciative essays on muir as a mountaineer by Arthur W. Ewart, Francis P. Farquhar, Ken Crocket, Samuel hall Young, and Aubrey haines. This edition serves the needs of readers in the British Isles since my own edition of Muir's Mountaineering essays was not readily available on the other side of the Atlantic. In his introduction, White explains that "it is equally clear that in the boldness of all Muir's solitary ascents, it was not the mountain which was conquered, but the limitations of self which were transcended. White expresses grave concern about the trashing of mountains by countless hordes of people in the late twentieth century whose sole purpose is to "bag another peak." He admonishes us with a forceful statement: "If we are to sustain the world's fragile mountain environments through another century of recreation and tourism development, the challenge is for the climbing, and hill-walking community to emulate John Muir's example by adopting a far deeper ethos." Though some of the essays White collects are a bit duplicative, overall Graham White's new collection makes for a very good read.

This tale of Sherlock Holmes investigating the disappearance of some bonds, prior to their issue, in the vaults of the Bank of England and in high society is an odd mixture.

On the one hand, the mystery is well constructed and its investigation, including the slow piecing together of disparate pieces of information to create a sensible whole is excellent.

On the other, the story is related in such a clinical and passionless fashion that it fails to excite the interest of the reader, if appealing to the intellect.

Probably on par with some of the lower-average Holmes stories from the pen of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Not a great book, but it's the only book I've found on Solaris 2.x internals.

Writing is only fair, and the text is full of spelling errors and other aggravating typos. Author does a pretty good job of explaining the differences between Solaris 2.x and other versions of UNIX.

This book does contain nuggets of good advice but they are buried under tons of self-involved verbiage.

The author's obvious knowledge of cruise travel is bogged down with overly verbose language that makes reading it a chore rather than a pleasure. On a more positive note the photographs are interesting and the title catches the eye.

The book is not helpful to first-time cruisers or those looking for an easy read.

IS THE AUTHORS INTENTION TO INFORM US OR SHOW US HOW LARGE HIS VOCABULARY IS??? FOR THE AVERAGE "JOE" GOING ON THE 1ST CRUISE THEY CAN EASILY BE SCARED AWAY BY MR MAXTONE-GRAHAMS' USE OF EXTENSIVE VERBAL DIARRHEA. HIS VERBIAGE GIVES AN AIR OF PRETENTIOUSNESS..... REQUIRING IMMODIUM NOT DRAMAMINE..

I don't understand why anyone -- even an "average joe" -- would consider this a difficult read. It's true that Mr. Maxtone-Graham's diction is a bit more formal than is usual nowadays, but I found this to be one of the book's greatest charms. I also enjoyed the personal tone, and did not find it overly self-indulgent. That may be a matter of taste. What worries me is that anyone with a normal IQ would find this book hard to understand. And you don't have to be familiar with every word to understand a book.


I found "Cruise Savvy" to be a refreshingly different kind of travel guide, and it sold me on the idea of cruises. We booked our first shortly after I read it, and found the advice we'd taken with us from the book to be as helpful and appropriate as that found in more conventional travel guides. Not as comprehensive, perhaps -- but it made up for that in providing an enjoyable reading experience and in evoking a "cruise mood." In short, "Cruise Savvy" combines helpful information with reading pleasure. It is perhaps best read along with a laundry-list kind of guide, for maximum preparedness.