This is the third Spenser book I've read and I imagine I'm hooked now and will be reading every Spenser book I get hold of.

A lot of readers compare the Spenser books to Dashell Hammett's, Raymond Chandler's and Ross McDonald's books, but I see, in addition, some of John D. McDonald's Travis McGee in the character of Spenser.

Whatever, this book is the best of the three I've read so far...they get progressively better, it seems. I imagine though that I'm close to the point where the stories start evening out. Anyway, this one has Spenser working for a man who suffered the horrible loss of his family and of the proper use of his body in a terrorist attack in England. The job is to find each of the nine terrorists involved and bring them in, dead or alive. The title comes from Spenser's plan to use one member of the group to catch the others and this does come about although in a somewhat unexpected manner.

The story has twists and turns enough to delight any mystery fan, along with the developing characters of Susan and Hawk. Most importantly, it has some food for deeper thought along with the action.

The first of the books to give Hawk real prominence in the story-line, this book really shines. Post 11 SEP this books also hold a resonance that it hadn't since it came out: Spenser and Hawk battle a group of nasty, deadly and fanatical terrorists bent of death and destruction.

With pithy prose and sparkling dialogue, the story also gives the extreme violence in the book a moral context that raises it above the usual actioner into the realm of literature.

A must read for the Spenser fan.

The Spenser series is one of my favorite detective fiction series, and this is my favorite Spenser novel. You've got to love Spenser. As hard boiled and cynical as he is, there's still the occasional glimpse into the regular guy aspects of his persona.

Spenser travels to London to track down the killers of a rich Boston industrialist's family. They were killed in a terrorist bombing while vacationing in England.

In London, Spenser discovers that this is not exactly the group of amateurs he thought he was dealing with and summons Hawk for help. Spenser and Hawk track down and deal with the group in an odyssey that covers much of Europe and ends up in Montreal during the summer Olympics. The guy's have discovered that the group they are dealing with is just a splinter organization of a much more serious group determined to disrupt the Olympics--and Spenser and Hawk are just as determined to stop them.

Full of energy, violence and the usual Spenser philosophizing, this is the most action packed and absorbing book in the Spenser series.

The authors' second collaboration of historical photos of Boston (the first was Boston Then and Now from 1982) came out ten years after the original, and shows a Boston I'm more familiar with. Much of the blight that Boston seemed to have been drowning in as late as the late 80s is gone in the new pictures in this book, and more of it is shown. The architectural finesses -- buildings with added floors, the defacement of buildings such as the former Fiske building on State St, before-and-afters of Quincy Market -- are given great attention in this book, and Campbell, the author of the text, is not happy with much of it. Especially poignant, towards the end, is a huge bit of graffiti along Columbus Ave from the 60s protesting the impending construction of I-95 through Boston; in 1992, however, the highway never having been built, it is now a park serving people from the South End all the way down to Jamaica Plain.

This book is actually a readable book, more so than the first which was all about the pictures, and much of Campbell's ideas on urban planning are on display here. Campbell, one gathers, would not be happy with the current plans to build open space over the Big Dig, yet he applauds the demolition of an old parking garage that converted Post Office Square from a desolate, confusing high-rise commercial ghetto into at least a more presentable area where the architecture of the surrounding buildings can be enjoyed from street level. Campbell's obsession with urban density comes off as being a bit agoraphobic, but it's easy to see what he means when he describes useless open space as being as much a blight as overhead highways or slums.

To those of you who might live in or regularly visit Boston, but have never seen, can't remember, or simply can't imagine downtown without the dust and construction that the Big Dig and its related projects have brought on, this book is a record of Boston just before they started tearing everything apart. It's also a valuable historical record of the evolution of a city.

With text by Robert Campbell and photographs (primarily) by Peter Vanderwarker, this book is not only a wonderful volume documenting the history of Boston, but a general and gentle instruction in the rise and fall and rise and fall cycles of many cities, focusing in particular on the "built environment". All photographs are in black-and-white, but this makes the comparison between old and new cityscapes easier. Within each of seven chapters there are a series of two-page pieces featuring photographs and an essay on such topics as: Murdering Another Street, A Waterfront Workplace Becomes a Playpen, A Landmark on Top of a Landmark, A Building That Floats, etc. The text is informative and interesting. Maps are used to supplement the material, and a good index follows. If only all history and architecture books could be this well done!

Exceptional work, highly recommended.

My sister in law gave us this book a couple years ago when we moved to Boston. I grew up in the burbs and my wife in the Midwest so we had plenty to explore. The book sat idle for over a year, but when I pulled it down, I was amazed that I hadn't opened it sooner. This book is wonderful.

This is a city that revels in its history, and, to an outsider, Boston sometimes seems a bit mired in its parochial and seemingly unchanging ways. You can end up assuming, "Gosh, it must always have been this way with it's cobblestones and colonial landmarks." This book shattered my assumptions about the static nature of this city.

The authors peel off layer after layer from the city and as the landmarks come and go the authors reflect, educate and entertain as to how these physical changes are linked to history of the city. Some changes are success stories of planning, others fortunate twists of fate, and yet others, unmitigated urban planning disasters. All fascinating illustrations that help the reader understand the city on a more meaningful level.

I must admit that I love cities and am enthralled by the idea of so many people sharing a limited space comfortably and enjoyably. Cities, to me, have an energy that speaks to the miracle of civilization where people can grow personally by sharing in the diversity of those around them. It nevers goes perfectly, because after all we are human, but it is nonetheless comforting to frame your current surroundings in the context of those who have come before you.

Mr. Samito's work is a careful examination of a tumultuous period in American history, and a compelling human drama. Would make a great movie- better than Braveheart or The Patriot!!

This compelling book truly transported me to the nineteenth century. Mr. Samito eloquently presented the words of this little known figure in a truly remarkable fashion. The history community is truly in debt to Mr. Samito for uncovering these long lost treasures of the nations past. Any history "Buff" worth their salt needs to read this book. I only hope Mr. Samito continues to produce works of this quality for some time to come. Ken Cooper

I don't normally read historical books, especialy ones about little known Civil War generals, but this one came highly recommended by a friend so I gave it a shot. I was won over immediately! As it turned out, the life of Patrick Guiney was remarkable and compelling. His letters to his wife were eloquent and heartwarming, and his courage in the face of what must have been a very painful injury was inspiring. Samito's editing was never intrusive, and elucidated the more ambiguous aspects of the text. I found his explication of the Boston cultural and political scene of the time to be particularly insightful. Overall, a surprisingly good read! Nick Cavuoto

If you're like me and you don't like to read, read this book. It will give you chills, and nightmares. The books that I enjoy are the scary ones like this great book. Hey, belive me, you will love this book.

This book is one of those books where no matter how many times you open it, you will always find something new. The photos in it are first rate and aren't mere roster shots of locomotives. The photos really tell a story of what was going on The Minuteman Route during the 1940's, 50's and 60's. The writing is not a dry history of the B&M. It tells a very entertaining story that includes the authors own experiences observing the railroad during his youth. It makes for an fun read. I highly recommend it!

Bob Cushing has crammed a boatload of information into Discover Boston's seventy pages. History, tidbits, and other interesting facts galore. In fact, there is so much to read in Discover Boston that, even given its short length, it is not a quick read. But then this is not a book you settle down with in front of a fire. It is an informational and educational book; a practical book; a book with a lot to digest. In fact, it is probably the most useful book a traveller to Boston interested in the city's past could purchase.

Cushing covers all the major areas of Boston starting with an overview of the city and going alphabetically from Back Bay to the Waterfront. Along the way he gives the reader the history behind such famous landmarks as the Old North Church, the Haymarket, the Boston Massacre and Boston Tea Party, and the misconceptions behind Bunker Hill. He also covers such modern icons as the Citgo sign, Filene's Basement, and Macy's Department Store, making sure not to leave out important items like South Station and the MBTA.

Discover Boston is such a fountain of information, in easy capsule form, that I can only touch the surface here. The subjects are categorized by area but there is also a helpful index in case you can't remember what part of town was affected by the Molasses Tragedy, or who exactly Thomas Child was.

It's inexpensive, conveniently sized to fit easily into a tote bag or backpack--thus perfect for those who like the city's famous walking tours--and is especially useful for history or trivia buffs. Buy Discover Boston and learn all of "Beantown's Untold Stories."

Robert McCloskey's classic children's book, Make Way for Ducklings is just as delightful in the year 2002 as it was back when it was first published in 1941. The timeless story of Mr. and Mrs. Mallard and their eight adorable ducklings is still a fun read for children and parents alike. The story begins as the prospective parents search for a new home suitable for raising their young ones. Mrs. Mallard is clearly the expert in this endeavor and Mr. Mallard is quite relieved when she finally settles on a spot that is not too dangerous or noisy for their young family. The couple make themselves quite at home on a little island in the Charles River of Boston, a quiet oasis within the busy city. Soon the ducklings hatch and Mrs. Mallard sets about teaching them all they need to know in order to live in the city. By now they have made good friends with some of their human neighbors, especially Michael, the policeman. When the family makes its first trip into the city, Michael calls for backup and literally stops traffic all along their path. The people the Mallards encounter are just as pleased to see the ducks as the Mallards are to be there. The reader leaves the family settling comfortably for the night after a day of happily following the Swan boats in the park and eating the peanunts tossed their way. The charm of this book lies in both the heartwarming story and th realistic but idyllic illustrations. McCloskey is quite gifted at portraying the natural world to children in a way that is authentic and familiar. Most children have seen duck families in a nearby pond and witnessed the way the ducklings learn about the world by waddling along after their parents. The sketched illustrations add to the natural feeling of the book. The depiction of the ducks is terrific because they are visually expressive but still look like ducks. Another engaging facet of the story is the positive interaction between animals and humans. The Mallards find a way to live comfortably within a city full of people and their human neighbors are welcoming and accommodating. Overall, this a warm and timeless book. It is just perfect for a parent and child to read together or for a teacher to read to a classroom of younger kids. This is a good selection for children aged 3 to 7.

Children naturally are interested in understanding a parent's perspective on the family. Mr. and Mrs. Mallard's search for a safe home for their future family makes a wonderful story for children and parents to explore and understand more about parental love. Although the book has a 4-8 age reading level, younger children enjoy having it read to them (based on the experiences of my four children). The illustrations are terrific and draw the child's interest very easily. Older children like to reread the story because of its comfortable connection to their more youthful years and reinforcement of their sense of being wanted, loved, and belonging.

To me, the best part of the book is that the locations are actually easy to find in Boston. So if you live in the Boston area or ever come here, you can also take your children to experience the story. I know my younger daughter thought that her first Swan boat ride in the Public Garden was the ultimate moment in her life (up to that point). She kept wanting to know which duck was Mrs. Mallard, and which one was Mr. Mallard. Then she wanted to spot Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack (my favorite name in the book), Pack, and Quack. I had a ball! There are also statues of Mrs. Mallard and her 8 offspring that the children can touch. There's also an annual parade that you can participate in.

If you don't know the story, here's a summary: Mr. and Mrs. Mallard were looking for a place to live where they could raise a family safely. Whenever Mr. Mallard found someplace he liked, Mrs. Mallard worried about foxes and turtles. Finally they got to the pond in the Public Garden in Boston, and were too tired to go on. So they spent the night on the little island there. The next morning they could not find much food, until the people on the Swan boats began to throw them peanuts. But the Mallards were almost run over by a bicycle, so they felt they needed a safer place. They tried several, but each had a drawback. Finally, they found an island in the Charles River not far from the Public Garden that met all their requirements. Michael, the policeman, fed them peanuts. Soon, Mrs. Mallard laid 8 eggs, and stayed to hatch them. After the ducklings were born, they learned to swim and walk single file behind their Mother. One day, she walked them towards the Public Garden. But they could not get across the highway. Michael spotted them and stopped the traffic so they could cross. He called Clancy at the station and told him to send a car to help Mrs. Mallard and the ducklings cross at the Public Garden. When in the pond there, they met Mr. Mallard on the little island. They decided to live there, and followed the Swan boats for peanuts after that.

I have enjoyed reading this story and reading it to children for almost 30 years. I look forward to reading it to my grandchildren when the time comes. It has also been my favorite book to give as a gift to new parents.

Enjoy the wonderful gift of warm family feeling in this book, and leave your stalled thinking about your cares and worries behind. It will remind you what is really important in your life!

This is a loving tribute to Robert McCloskey, the author and illustrator of the best loved children's books, 'Make Way for Ducklings,' 'Homer Price' and 'Blueberries for Sal.' McCloskey passed away June 30, 2003 at the age of 88 at his home in Deer Isle near Portland, Maine. His books focused on family experiences, small-town life, his island home in Maine and Boston. Boston was the setting for his 1941 book, 'Make Way for Ducklings.' It's about a father and mother duck who leads their eight ducklings thorugh the busy streets of the big city. McCloskey a native of Hamilton, Ohio went to Boston in 1932 to study art when he watched some ducklings waddling through traffic. The book won a Caldecott Medal for best American children's picture book. There is also a bronze sculpture of the mother duck and her eight ducklings as a popular tourist attraction in Boston. McCloskey and his family spent summers on Scott Island in Maine, where he wrote 'Blueberries for Sal,' 'One Morning in Maine' and 'Time of Wonder.' 'Time of Wonder' won a second Caldecott Medal. McCloskey has left behind a rich legacy of stories that woven around American living and families, like those of E.B. White and A.A. Milne. This is one of the best children's classics I'd recommend to any parent.

This is my first Spenser novel and my first Robert B. Parker novel. Parker's writing style is sparse, quick and fun. It's an easy read and so far, thoroughly enjoyable. Last night A&E aired Thin Air, a made for TV Spencer movie. I was going from watching spencer to reading spencer. Robert B. Parker now ranks up there with my other favorite authors, Trevanian, Conor Creggan and Donald E. Westlake. I'm glad that I discovered Parker so late as there is so many old books I can back and read!

Most 'serious' reviewers of Robert Parker's Spenser books will argue that "A Catskill Eagle" is the best of the series. I won't disagree that it's very, very good, but I think Spenser (and by extension, Parker) is at his best in "Early Autumn".

Primarily, through the books, Spenser has deep relationships only with Susan, and to a lesser extent, Hawk. We really don't know much about him beyond the front he puts up for his clients and his opponents. "Autumn" is the exception to that; we see him treat Paul in much the same way he must have been treated as a child and the same way he would have treated a child of his own, if he'd had one -- with respect and decency. He drags the 'real' Paul out of the shell Paul had constructed to protect himself from his parents and the world and provides him with a sense of worth, teaching him, as Spenser says himself, "what [he] knows" -- boxing, running, carpentering and standing up for something.

The end of the book always gets me. I've always been glad, too, that Paul makes further appearances in other books: Widening Gyre and Playmates, among others. It's interesting to see the relationship between Spenser and Paul grow and develop. It deepens Spenser as a character and gives us one more reason to like him.

This is one of my two favorite Spenser books (The other is A Savage Place.) Early Autumn was the first Parker book I ever read and also the first suspense/mystery. My parents and brothers all read Spenser but I shunned them, preferring scifi. I was desparate for a read one summer night and my mother pressed this on me, saying "You'll like this if you just give it a chance" I was 15 and I read it that night, reporting back to her bedroom and saying, "Next Book! More! More!"

This book is about Spenser's surrogate fathering of a lost 15 year old boy named Paul who is a pawn in his own life. It is sort of a coming of age novel, but really not because it is told from Spenser's perspective like all the Spenser books.

This is one of my favorite books of all time. I highly recommend it to any Spenser fan or to any one who remembers 15 and that lost in your own life feeling.

The first two novels in the series are entertaining but this is where we see Parker's potential for the first time. Spenser has become more complex than his predecessors like Spade or Marlowe, as we see here. His moral dilemma is the kind of character crisis i enjoy reading and Parker writes very well. The scene where he lures the bad guys into the woods is unforgettable. Hard to believe I was only a few years old when this book came out. I first read it at 12 or 13 years old.

This is the second Spenser book I've read, and it's definitely a home run.

Spenser's hired to find out if the Boston Red Sox' leading pitcher is on the take or not, gets involved with a few nice folks and quite a few who aren't as nice. The characters and their interplay with Spenser help make this a superior P. I. story. The pitcher and his wife, the madame of a New York bordello, a flashy pimp, a flamboyant sports announcer and his bubblegum chewing martial arts expert assistant, an on-the-edge mob boss and his hit man, a knowing and not altogether unsympathetic cop, Brenda from the first novel, and Susan from the second each provide good scenes moving the story along.

What lifts this novel above the average Spenser novel and the basic tough detective genre is Spenser's personal code, the set of principles that he lives by, and the struggle he faces when the only way to bring about a satisfactory resolution to the situation is to violate one of those principles.

This is, on one hand, a fast, enjoyable read and also, on the other hand, a satisfying look at what makes the main character tick.

Very highly recommended to casual P. I. readers as well as serious ones.

This early Spenser is essential if one is to understand the series hero. The value system that makes him different from those he pursues, and often even the cops, is spelled out here in both word and deed. It also helps us understand what draws him to and keeps him with the sometimes-exasperating Susan Silverman.

Even if you aren't a big fan of the series and are just looking for a read to get through a winter's day, this is a good choice. The mystery is a good one, with things of real value at stake (pardon the pun). Spenser takes us along every step of the way as he gets to the bottom of it, so the reader never feels cheated by the detective having information that we don't. (I must admit that perhaps the snow made me enjoy this book more than I ordinarily might have. Reading about Spenser watching baseball, eating hotdogs and peanuts and drinking beer in a great old ballpark is enough to make this girl downright misty-eyed as I dream of summers spent in my beloved Wrigley Field.)

This Eyewithness book is up-to-date and very practical. It contains a lot of pictures which is extremely usefull if you are planning a trip. When planning the trip it makes the book in a way easier to use than for example the Lonely Planet of Boston since you got a clear picture of the surroundings.

I live in New England and this is another of my favorite books from this region of the country. DK has always published quality books in their Eyewitness Travel Guides and they have done an excellent job with this volume on Boston. Unless you visit Boston on a frequent basis it is easy to get disoriented. I really found this book quite useful and the colorful layout of this book with maps, illustrations, photographs and text really inspired me to delve into its pages and check out one of New England's premier cities. The historical information on Boston was invaluable. I never realized some of the things I used to walk past. I think it is also very informative, not only from a historical perspective, but also as a point of reference for sightseeing, travel and enjoyment.

The Eyewitness Travel Guide to Boston was recommended to me in a bookstore and it was perfect for a recent 5-day trip to Boston. The guide is laid out by area, so you really get a feel for what else is around you when you are at a particular destination. The overall maps are very good and well detailed and the book is chock full of great photos. It also includes great history and background info. My Boston friend kept asking me "how do you know all this stuff?"