This book is excellent. I used Curtis' hitchhiking strategies while backpacking in Polynesia, and got rides right away! Definitely buy this book if they have any left, but don't quit if they don't have it!

I had the pleasure of having Richard Curtis as my Prep School Creative Writing and Journalism teacher in 1981 & 1982. This book gave wings to my imagination during my last year at prep school and has fueled almost twenty years of peripatetic wandering around the globe. It is a must read, and someday I hope to be in a position to republish it. In 1976 I was rummaging through an antique store in the wilds of central Missouri while on my way to the Rainbow Gathering, when I stumbled across a copy in prestine condition. I bestowed it upon the love in my life at the Burning Man festival in Gerlach, Nevada. A suitably crazy and out of the way place to begin reading this primer for the adventure traveler.

This book is a pleasure to read and is full of adventure. For the down-to-earth traveler on a budget or just with the spirit of adventure. It has a plethera of tips and ideas for any level of travel. If you have ever traveled without the creature comforts of hotels and the like, this book will provide a framework for really seeing the world from the ground up. In the spirit of classic explorers this book lets you in on the adventure of traveling by your wits and truly living life in a simple, exhilirating way. Not everyone would travel this way, but I think everyone should give it a try! As Homer said, "The journey is the goal."

this book, which i bought, is a very great book for all Mr. Bean Fans. I collect all Mr. Bean videos, various books from and about him. This book is a very great bonus to the bean cinema-film, especially the chapter of the outtakes from the film, is very recommended and neccesarry for all real Mr. Bean fans.

Rowan Atkinson's Mr. Bean is one of the most engaging characters to come along. His bumbling, innocent, ignorant goodness is hard to resist. This book chronicles the process of bringing Mr. Bean from the telly to the movie screen. It includes: film stills, dialogue and blocking from the film, a forward by director Mel Smith, and behind the scenes tidbits. A must have for Bean-a-philes and anyone who wants to delve into the wacky and wild world of Mr. Bean.

I like the book because I am a huge Mr Bean fan!! I love the movie and the videos and the book was an extra bonus! And I really like it.

Whether you're an author pursuing a deal with a major publisher or trying to decide if self-publishing is for you, This Business of Publishing is essential to understanding how the publishing world works. Curtis examines everything from the method used to sell books to the effects of mergers on editors, writers and agents as well as publishers and bookstores to the effects of technology on all aspects of the industry. This Business of Publishing will aid established authors, aspiring writers, and self-published authors in understanding the business of the book industry therefore helping them plan their career strategy.

Mr. Curtis has been around the publishing business for many years and his commentary shows it. He provides searingly honest information that illuminates "warts and all." At the same time, his love of the industry comes through. And the last chapter is laugh out loud funny - and very telling.

Although this book bears the legend 'The Rise And Fall Of The KKK In Middle America' it's really the story of the rise and fall of charismatic Grand Dragon David Stephanson and the Klan of Indiana. Of course, that is not a bad thing, because the story is quite fascinating, and as the author deftly points out, still relevant today.
Stephenson, something of a near do well, finds success and almost unlimited power through the newly reborn KKK of the twenties. Although he seemed to have little use for the philosophy that drove the organization he still was able to use it to propel him to a position of prominence similar to political bosses like Tweed or like minded populists like Huey Long. He even dreamed of one day becoming President, and according to some accounts, a strong man in the style of Mussolini.
The Klan of the twenties had little relation to either its predecessors or it's ancestors of today, except for the ceremonies, the hood and the hatred. In fact, they had more in common with Christian right groups like The Moral Majority. The Klan of the twenties, modern sympathizers may want to note, was more concerned with the dangers of papists than of blacks. Indeed, the anti-catholic nature of the Klan was the probably the predominate feature of the organization, and one of the reasons they opposed Democratic President aspirant Al Smith. The other reason of course was 'demon rum'. We tend to forget the importance of wets and drys in the era of prohibition, but the KKK of the 20s were as much about moral crusading and nationalism as Catholic bashing. Made up of WASPs of the fundamentalist persuasion, they attempted to impose their moral values on everyone, much like right wingers today, and much like right wing groups today, their leader failed to live up to the diktat's he wished to impose on others.
Stephenson, himself a drunk and slut, fell from grace after causing the demise of a young girl whom he desired. He kidnapped her, he raped her, he bit her viciously and did not bother to get her help when she took poison in response to his amorous attentions. Stephenson's minions mostly abandoned him at this point, except those that denied it ever took place. Indeed, despite his overt threats, even the politicians that he owned were willing to be exposed rather than defend him. One might think that moral crusaders of our own time could learn a lesson from this true-life parable, but that is perhaps asking too much.

As were all of Tristan Jones' books, this book too was an inspiration that gave me the fortitude to continue building my own boat and then to sail the south Pacific and Asian waters. I paid tribute to Tristan by devoting a chapter to him in my book "At Home In Asia," and I wrote about him again in my last book "The Last Voyage: the Story of Schooner Third Sea." I was fortunate to have known Tristan and I think of him often. He was an incredible man. Tristan did add a comment to my last book when he heard of my own person loss before he died. Harold Stephens. http://northcoast.com/!wolfen

If you like this movie, you'll love this screenplay with many lovely pictures. Also, appendices of Richard Curtis are as funny as the movie itself. For example, he jokes about how he tried to use less slangs to sell this movie to the US in one appendice. His sense of humor is so great that you cannot help laughing. There are posters of many countries which show us interesting cultural differences, too. It's a hilarious book to read.

Even if you are NOT a die-hard fan of The Black Adder--you WILL be after reading this book. It consists of all the scripts from the television show and reads very well. In fact, for those who have never even seen the television show, this book is easy to follow, extremely witty, and absolutely hilarious and will make you want to run out and buy the series on video!!! It translates very well in book format--I can hardly say enough good things. Profits from the sale go to Comic Relief--also, as an added bonus, the book features Black Adder's "greatest insults" and lots of other "fun stuff" from the Dark Ages, including most effective torture devices, best cures for skin diseases and deformities, etc. etc. very tongue-in-cheek. Loved it! Go out and buy this book! Highly recommend and you will laugh out loud!!

Keywords: English, Bloody Funny!!!

'Blackadder' was a BBC English television series staring Rowan Atkinson. It ran for four series (and at least one special).

The four series ran through 450 years of English History, with the same characters reincarnating /reappearing over that time.

It is bloody funny.

Series One has Blackadder as Prince Edmund, the Black Adder under his father (who hated him) Richard IV set in the late 1400's.

Series Two has Lord Edmund Blackadder, a favorite of Elizabeth I.

Series Three has Edmund Blackadder, Butler to the Prince Regent, Prince George (the son of Mad George III).

Series Four has Captain Edmund Blackadder in the trenches of World War One France in 1917.

Always with his dogsbody Baldrick and always descending the social ladder, Blackadder is a revisit on history that is well worth a visit.

The scripts, the primary content of this book, are extremely well written. The authors are Atkinson himself, Ben Elton and Richard Curtis. Other fillers in the book are original and funny.

If you've seen the programs, you will buy the book anyway. If you don't know Blackadder, get the videos from Amazon.com and then buy the book. It is excellent.

To the Creators of Blackadder, thank you and isn't it time for another series?

This compendium of scripts from the four Black Adder series is the perfect instant mood enhancer. Carry it to work, on the train, and best of all, to the in-laws for emergency bathroom reading. Tension and anxiety are sure to melt away after the howls of laughter induced by reading some roaring, spiffing exchanges, especially, Blackadder's hyperbolic similies.

Even for an inveterate brooder like me, it's virtually impossible to stay in a snit after a glance or two of these cunning and subtle transcripts of one of the world's most hilarious and brilliant sitcoms.

As other reviewers have noted, the dialogue translates well into print, thanks to editorial asides and stage directions. Some of the material is even funnier read than viewed. For those who haven't seen the Black Adder series, be aware that a few pages of this book can instigate quite an addiction, leading to stronger stuff like the complete series and specials on VHS. Hurrah!

really ignites a kid's imagination. i got this for my nephew and he loves it!

This Star Wars Cross-sections book is a must-have for Star Wars fans. The detailed renderings of all the main vehicles in AOTC is as impressive as the companion for The Phantom Menace. The writer, Curtis Saxon, has obviously done a great deal of investigation for everything, with so many detailed drawings and fascinating notes. For curios of the inner workings of all the speeders and starships, this is indespensible. Great stuff.

This book has it all and more! With over 10 ships drawn in amazing detail. Each ship (or vehicle) has cut away views that show power sources, shields, gravity technology, cargo space and more! The vehicles all have a Data File that tell you the manufactuar, the make, dimensions, speed, power, armament , crew, and all the data is thourgh and organized. This book is must have for any fan who want to know more than what is shown in the movie.

Having read the "Sword and the Shield" thoroughly, I feel that it begs as many questions as it seeks to answer. The book is a worthy undertaking at the outset, but it's poorly edited and far too long to hold the interest of anyone other than the avid student of Kremlinology or espionage fanatics looking for an encyclopedic chronology series of events in Soviet history.

There are many problems and oversights within the book's content. Nowhere does Mitrokhin even explain what the acronym "KGB" actually stands for! The same phrase "one of the most successful (il)legals ... X" keeps cropping up repeatedly. There is no analysis of why, immediately after the war, defections suddenly (if Mitrokhin is right) started on a grand scale. Why were there no defections up to this point given that the NKVD (forerunner to the MGB/KGB) knew the reality of Stalinist USSR long before the war?

The credibility of some of the information is clearly suspect. Mitrokhin constantly refers to Soviet conspiracy theory and paranoia about Western countries' (especially the UK's) intentions towards the USSR coloring the judgment of the Centre and Politburo's decisions. If this is the case, and it was as widespread as he claims, then surely it is reasonable to suggest that his own views and interpretations, drawn from official archives, must be colored by this ideological "fog" too. There is no corroboration of a lot of his claims, made even more worrying by snide remarks about the failings of "communism", Soviet ideology and their frequently "absurd" claims. Frankly, Mitrokhin can hardly be taken as completely subjective in this regard and does not come to the argument with clean hands. He is, after all, a traitor in some people's eyes, with a political and personal ax to grind, and some of his arguments do not follow through. For example, on the Soviet dissident's trials, he dismisses the Centre's paranoia of a Zionist plot and Western agitprop being behind much of the refusniks motives - yet fails to note that key refusnik, Sharanksy, once emigrated to Israel, subsequently became of the leading Zionist propagandists with very harsh views on the Palestinians.

In all, it's an interesting read, but buy the paperback and read it within the context of a possibly embittered man making claims than cannot be verified completely. Given the developments in post-Perestroika CIS/Russia, whether a lot of what he claimed is now really nothing more than speculation hardly matters.

This book is probably the most popular book on the KGB now. I got it from my local library and read it. Like the previous reviewer said, don't let this be your first book or for that matter the only book you read on the topic of the KGB. It is a multi-faceted book that doesn't have to be read cover-to-cover to follow. I skipped around a lot. It is engrossing and a page turner at times, yet dry and boring on some matters. While V. Mitrokhin makes light of Soviet disinformation, deception, and lies, I don't quite go along with his perspectives (which is obviously somewhat influence by disinformation) on a few minor points... Mitrokin's revelations are however interesting. All in all, the Sword and the Shield is an intriguing book worth a read (assuming your interested in the the KGB Soviet police state.)

I recommend those interested in the KGB consider reading The State Within a State: The KGB and Its Hold on Russia--Past, Present, and Future by Yevgenia Albats.

the two "piles" of communism were RED TERROR(theorized and legislated by a decree on 5th september of 1918 against the "enemies of the people" - we should read its OWN people!)and the LIE( propaganda and desinformation in the western public opinion,and totalitarian control of the information behind the "iron curtain").
this book is about the second pile. It shows what was already known(but forgotten): that the degree of infiltration and colaborationism between soviet communism and many western institutions(like some "pacifist" organizatins, "ecological"parties, several european left parties, and several newspapers and magazines)were Very Frequent (and shameful).
Some of the book's material gave origin to judicial and criminal investigations in many countries, and ultimately lead to inprisonment of some people in two nations: USA and BRITAIN, for treachry to its own country.
this is not only a brilliant book written by a brilliant scholar(Dr.C.Andrew is Director of the History's faculty of Cambridge(UK),and former visitant Teacher of Harvard). this is a book that should be read by all who worry abouth TRUTH.