Author presents the astronomy side of astro-archaelogy very well. Reader is advised to have firm understanding of solar and moon mechanics. The author gives considerable details regarding origin and cultural history of Stonehenge and other sarcens. Different historians are quoted throughout book and examined in context of present archaelogy. Debate still exists over ceremonial/religious usage of Stonehenge. Author presents past ideas of a Mycenaean influence, pre-Roman conquest, and Egyptian influence.

Very enjoyable overview of archaeo-astronomy. Brown neatly debunks the lunatic fringe, reveals some of the unsung heroes of the field, and provides a clear summary of current ideas for the lay person.

Brown figured out where Tchaikovsky's musical ideas came from, and how he wrote music. Also, authors like Brown, Poznansky and others mention Tchaikovsky's homosexuality, but don't explain or stress why. My thoughts here are about Tchaikovsky and his sexuality. Some people may misunderstand it or simply not know what caused it. You may not find this interesting, but I do. If Tchaikovsky's sexuality is mentioned, authors should at least try to figure out and stress why. I've read different sources on Tchaikovsky and psychology. Why isn't this psychology stressed and emphasized by Tchaikovsky's authors? So, like Brown, I don't think Tchaikovsky's authors tried to emphasize why Tchaikovsky was homosexual, and I think they should have.

Just to clarify for readers who may be confused by the review below (as am I): Brown, like most modern Tchaik biographers and critics, cites Tchaikovsky's sexuality often in his analyses precisely because Tchaikovsky's life is inseperable from his music. They are one and the same, you cannot understand Tchaik's music without understanding his life, and his inner torment. Furthermore, if you seek to further understand Tchaik's music by understanding Tchaik as a person, David Brown's comprehensive insights are among the best out there. He gives thorough account of his life, history, etc, as well as his psychological mindset. With this, he goes into extensive analysis of his works as they were written- genesis, reception, and then in hindsight. As for the confused review above, Brown covers Tchaikovsky in whole much more completely and eloquently than many authors. These books are great resourcs, and if you do not own them, at least go to the library check it out for some minimal study. It is great fun, and very enlightening.

Yes, much of this biography has information covered in other books, but this book pulls ALL of that information together into ONE book. Plus,it adds interviews with those who knew Elvis to give a balanced perspective of the King. No, he wasn't an angel, but he wasn't as bad as Albert Goldman's (1980) sensationized bio made him out to be. If you're a fanatical Elvis fan, you will have probably already read most of the books this bio uses. However, if you are just starting out as a "casual" Elvis fan, this is THE book to read to get started knowing about the life of King, from superstar and philanthropist to a poor boy from a dysfunctional family, warts and all. It's a fast, easy read and a book I consider a MUST for all Elvis collectors. The book doesn't hide from Elvis' bizarre side, but also takes a balanced view of his life as the one and only KING of Rock and Roll.

This book was for me, unputdownable. Partly because I really didn't know that much about Elvis in detail, and was glad to find a recent book with all the updated information on his life and death. This book covers everything, although it seemed that it wanted to show negative things more than positive. I came to the conclusion that it was balanced, but perhaps just a little toward the negative. In the end he was really just a poor kid who didn't know what had hit him when he became an icon and his life a public feeding frenzy. It's revealed that Elvis died of a genetic heart condition, but it really seems more like Colonal Tom Parker killed Elvis by acting as though Elvis was a money making machine. I drew my own conclusions about Elvis a long time ago, however this book helped to understand the man behind the phenomenon and legend that is and always will be, Elvis the King.

Others have been disappointed that this book doesn't discuss Elvis' music as much as his private life. But note the title! Taken this way, it is one of the best chronologies of his life. I have read. It was interesting to read it after having just read Guralnick's 2 tomes. In fact I was sorry Guralnick didn't have the latest info on Elvis' autopsy and cause of death. It is a great book for "beginners".

Superficial at best, this book is not worth the entry fee. Unless you have a burning desire to sample the writing style of the famous Ms. Weinman's sibling or learn how to use Sausage Software Java utilities, look elsewhere

I can't believe this book is out of print now! Rarely do you find the expertise and clear writing that is found here. I found it easy to read, easy to follow, and brimming with information.

If you are able to get your hands on this book, it's definitely worth your time. If nothing else, as an example of coding whiz Ms. Brown's fine editorial efforts.

Peter Brown is a prolific historian who focuses primarily on the textbook market, a needed professional in a field where many look down on doing such "lay" work. Well written the reader with not be bored. However, the book is so short and not really organized as a textbook so it makes it difficult to grasp how late antiquity differs from the earlier periods or the medieval world.

While most American Civil War historians are familiar with John Singleton Mosby and the antics of his clandestine group of Rangers of the Confederacy, this particular account is taken from the viewpoint of one Ranger, Sam Chapman. Chapman is not a household word in the lexicons of American history, but through the author's reconstruction his life story - derived from letters and historical documents - emerges a graphic descriptions of nineteenth century Virginia. It is a documentary on how the war been the states impacted the lives of ordinary citizens in the rural towns and villages and gives vivid remembrances of encounters between Mosby's Rangers and Federal troop and supply trains. The author allows the reader to experience military strategy executed on a scale much smaller than that of major battles. The reader ponders with Mosby and Chapman on how to capture a Union supply train, attack the rear of a Federal army division, and retreat into the landscape of bucolic Virginia to escape capture.

Readers with a familiarity with the geography of Virginia will find it fascinating as many locales are linked with strategic events of the war. All will realize the impact that a ground war has on local citizens.

The authors start out the first chapter by explaining in detail exactly how sleazy and scummy the principal players on the "anti-gun" side are. Most of these lawyers would have to get an integrity transplant just to work their way up to scumballs. They are professional ambulance chasers, in the words of the authors!!

Chapter Two tells us how political opportunists in Chicago tried to blame others for their inability to regulate the most regulated industry in America. Instead of stopping criminal behavior, they merely document it for the evening news, while blaming "profit seeking manufacturers" for not doing a job specifically charged to the Federal and State governments.

The rest of the book is more of the same. Any honest and fair reading will realize that it is mostly a weak-minded liberal whining catharsis, where they even try to blame their failure not on their wrong thinking and philosophy, but on someone else (in this case the NRA).

As much as anything else, this book is a prime example of what is wrong with education in America today. Arguments are weakly presented, poorly thought out, and make no attempt at inciting discussion. Instead, the authors make use of the time-honored methodology of demonizing their critics and name-calling worthy of a six year old child.

Perhaps what we really need is a book about how America is being held hostage by lawyers, who have brought the threat of litigation to a point where innovation is stifled, hiring is inhibited, medical care is about to collapse, and hot coffee is just a memory.

--scuzzball ambulance chasers,flush with success after the tobacco "victory" go for guns. Disappointingly, they find a much smaller pot of money is available but go ahead anyway--I am sure expecting another win on their way to suing fast food for "obesity" and and then on to car manufacturers for selling cars that can be traced to drunk and incompetent drivers--enough there to keep another generation of lawyers in the upper income class.

Unfortunately, they ran into a speedbump on the way--four million NRA members.

This book is a largely a repeat of Handgun Control, Inc., misinformation, lies, embellished with the personalities of the ambulance chasers, big-city machine politicians and slams at NRA personnel--full of technical errors--Glock "revolvers", etc--

The authors of this book have a very strange idea about how things are supposed to work in the United States of America. According to our Constitution there are three branches of government and the people, under the First Amendment, are free to petition those branches as they chose. The NRA is a member-supported organization of gun owners who want to protect their right to keep and bear arms, as specified in the Second Amendment. As such it has a right to lobby and petition in their behalf. Charges that they have "undue influence" are ridiculous. They have exactly as much influence as the members are willing to pay for, just as any anti-gun organization would have. It just happens that there are more people who are willing to speak with their wallets in behalf of their rights than there are people willing to support legislation and litigation that would undermine those rights. The NRA does have one advantage: their position is supported by the Constitution.

The authors posit a new "branch of the government" that is not supported by the Constitution: trial lawyers. This "branch", which has made billions of dollars effectively writing law outside normal channels, now wants to attack the Second Amendment on behalf of the relatively small group of people who think that private citizens aren't bright enough to handle firearms and that they don't need them to protect themselves against criminals. This is despite the fact, as documented by Dr. John Lott, that crime rates are lower in areas where it is easier for private citizens to own guns, and even lower in jurisdictions where they are allowed to carry concealed firearms for self-protection. Since the anti-gun crowd knows it will never get a Constitutional amendment and serious anti-gun laws would be found unconstitutional, it is trying to sneak its gun control position under the door by harassing legitimate businesses with endless lawsuits.

If you are desperate for support for your anti-gun sentiments, this is the book for you. If you want the truth, look elsewhere.

this book, if you can call it one, does come close to covering what you need to know. the author's style is condescending and trite. there are much better books out there!