A relative "turned me on" to this book. Yes, it is out of print. But if you haven't read it - go find it. I found a copy through Amazon, and what a value ...! Brown takes his readers into the bowels of espionage, counter-espionage, and a host of "immaculate deceptions" concocted by those who became responsible for the success of Allied efforts during WWII. Beyond the riveting stories of mystery and mayhem created by MI-5, MI-6, the OSS, and even Churchill himself who loved this sort of thing, Brown explains WWII politics, including the cement-head of Charles DeGaulle, and the political implications of the post WWII era that were being considered in all quarters well before the end of the war. Not to mention an in-depth study of the "Shawarz Kapelle," the conspiracy within Germany to do away with Hitler.

The success of D-Day, the effects of D-Day not only on the soldiers who fought but also and especially upon those who planned the operation, the successes and failures of many deceptions designed to keep the Axis guessing, are all described in detail. D-Day was the culmination of the games, ruses and set-ups that had been going on for almost four years.

If you haven't read this book, don't let the 1976 pub. date deter you. This is a must-read for anyone interested in WWII, WWII politics and post WWII politics, and anyone interested in learning about the lengths nations would go to in order to achieve deception.

I had to stop by and read the reviews on "Bodyguard of Lies". Wow,of 8 reviews, 7 gave it 5 stars and 1 gave it 4. The 4 star review, submitted in 1996, griped that the book was "historically inaccurate" because it did not consult "recently released" material.

If that is the worst thing you can say about this book, then I'll take it. "Bodyguard..." was written in 1976 only a few years after the disclosure of ULTRA and other previously, highly classified secrets that did not come to light until decades after the war. In its humble defense, "Bodyguard of Lies" is not only the best book I have ever read on WWII or spies, but one of the best books I have ever read, period. I highly recommend this book to anyone with the slightest interest in not only WWII or espionage, but history and great writing; Brown is a writer and storyteller of the finest kind. Extremely well-documented and suspensefull, this book is far more gripping and compelling than anything Hollywood could ever come up with, and the best part is that the book is true, and "historically accurate". Read this book, then you too can write a rave review.

A relative "turned me on" to this book. Yes, it is out of print. But if you haven't read it - go find it. I found a copy through Amazon, and what a value ...! Brown takes his readers into the bowels of espionage, counter-espionage, and a host of "immaculate deceptions" concocted by those who became responsible for the success of Allied efforts during WWII. Beyond the riveting stories of mystery and mayhem created by MI-5, MI-6, the OSS, and even Churchill himself who loved this sort of thing, Brown explains WWII politics, including the cement-head of Charles DeGaulle, and the political implications of the post WWII era that were being considered in all quarters well before the end of the war. Not to mention an in-depth study of the "Shawarz Kapelle," the conspiracy within Germany to do away with Hitler.

The success of D-Day, the effects of D-Day not only on the soldiers who fought but also and especially upon those who planned the operation, the successes and failures of many deceptions designed to keep the Axis guessing, are all described in detail. D-Day was the culmination of the games, ruses and set-ups that had been going on for almost four years.

If you haven't read this book, don't let the 1976 pub. date deter you. This is a must-read for anyone interested in WWII, WWII politics and post WWII politics, and anyone interested in learning about the lengths nations would go to in order to achieve deception.

This is really Piers Anthony's best book (although the Omnivore trilogy is great too.) A much different tone than his Xanth series. (Lacks the tongue in cheek playfulness that was fun for the first several Xanth books but began to cloy somewhere along the way.) A must read for Fantasy fans.

Battle Circle is a trilogy of Books - Sos the Rope, Var the stick and Neq the sword, available as a set in one volume. The story follows the life of a wandering warrior in a land of nomadic fighting tribes, and charts his adventures, and the changing fortunes of his empire. The book is perhapst he best work, and yet one of the least well known by this great author. The plot is watertight, and gripping, and the characters draw you into this wonderful work of storytelling. Excellent.

This is, without a dought, the most amazing piece of literature I have ever read. It is three books in one: Sos the rope, Var the sticks, and Neq the sword. Anthony intertwines them masterfully. He creates his own world that you will sucked into and accually start wishing our world was similar. The dimensions of this book are astounding. You will want to read it over and over

Anthony delivers yet another exciting and hilarious Xanth book! But I enjoyed this book more than I thought! The characters were notably desirable and great, as were the puns, as usual!

Gloha the Goblin-Harpy crossbreed is a very cool character! And swiftmud is great too! All people who love the Xanth series will absolutely enjoy this book to the highest degree! Enjoy!

Anything Piers Anthony writes is wonderful and this is true for this book also. His play on words is great and they make you think. The ending to the book was perfect. And I love finding out about new characters, while still seening some of the old. This is a book you can pick up and start reading with no need for background information from the other books in the series. I would recommand any Xanth novels.

If you love fantasy then get ready to be blown away. Action, romance, and mystery, are the only words you have to use to discribe this well written book. I did not like fantasy before I read this book, but now I realize that I was very wrong. So even if you dont think you like fantasy, just read this book and I bet you will change your mind.

The re-release of the legendary 1972 recording of Die Zauberflöte, conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch, is a great blessing to all who know and love this great work. Edda Moser's interpretation of the Queen of the Night is justly celebrated, achieving not only transcendently perfect delivery, but also a chilling portrait of pure evil. All of the other cast members are excellent. The spoken role of Papageno is particularly striking, sounding sufficiently pungent to remind us that the role was originally played by Emanuel Schickaneder himself. The tempi are, for the most part remarkably well-chosen. In addition, the Masonic gravity of the subject matter is constantly respected. The chorus of the armed men is properly alarming, the cantus firmus stridently insistent above the counterpoint of the strings. Even more uncommon is the treatment of the secondary scenes of Act II, especially the chorus Welche Wonne, in which the evocation of the candidate's future "new life" is infused with the trepidation inevitably attendant upon any trial of life and death. All too often, this work, which is gravely serious in its intent, is presented as a fairy tale. This recording successfully conveys the philosophical context, and does justice to Mozart's attachment to Masonry. [The only flaw which I could detect is the inclusion of a very questionable musical fragment, inserted into Act II, Scene 11 ("Pamina, wo bist du?"). I could locate no reference to this anywhere in my extensive library on the subject, and can only speculate that it might be some unacknowledged retention from one of the infamous "reworkings" of the opera which occurred after Mozart's death....At any rate, it requires an explanation....]

In view of this, it is sad to see this beautiful recording issued in association with a perfectly vile and disrespectful book about the opera. The author has the temerity to liken this work to "a Broadway musical", "a rollicking entertainment for the common man" simply because it was composed as a Singspiel, or German opera with spoken dialogue. This is equivalent to likening one of Shakespeare's comedies to a street farce. The book also suggests that Zauberflöte was composed for purposes of pure entertainment, unless it is, perchance, a "work of profound insight" dressed up in the trappings of a "cartoon". Obviously, the writer is ignorant of the significance of the Egyptian setting in the time of Mozart, when it was a clear symbol for rational ideas and liberal politics. The details of the setting delineate the struggle which was then taking place in Europe, over the true nature of Masonry, philosophy and music, and which soon came to a terrible end, for that time at least, with the banning of Freemasonry in Austria, and the loss of much of the learning about ancient philosophy which had been so laboriously gathered in circles such as that frequented by Mozart. It is largely on account of Zauberflöte, which alludes with precision to much of that learning, that it was not entirely annihilated in the chaos of the revolutionary and Napoleonic periods. Rather than misrepresenting this vitally important work, those who have the privilege of coming into contact with it should do all in their power to contribute to the very difficult, vital, and continuing attempt to understand it. While the availability of this recording is of great value, it is scandalous to see it associated with a contribution to the generally prevailing ignorance about this extremely important, and very difficult, work.

An irate Mozartian

The re-release of the legendary 1972 recording of Die Zauberflote, conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch, is a great blessing to all who know and love this great work. Edda Moser's interpretation of the Queen of the Night is justly celebrated, achieving not only transcendently perfect delivery, but also a chilling portrait of pure evil. All of the other cast members are excellent. The spoken role of Papageno is particularly striking, sounding sufficiently pungent to remind us that the role was originally played by Emanuel Schickaneder himself. The tempi are, for the most part remarkably well-chosen. In addition, the Masonic gravity of the subject matter is constantly respected. The chorus of the armed men is properly alarming, the cantus firmus stridently insistent above the counterpoint of the strings. Even more uncommon is the treatment of the secondary scenes of Act II, especially the chorus Welche Wonne, in which the evocation of the candidate's future "new life" is infused with the trepidation inevitably attendant upon any trial of life and death. All too often, this work, which is gravely serious in its intent, is presented as a fairy tale. This recording successfully conveys the philosophical context, and does justice to Mozart's attachment to Masonry. [The only flaw which I could detect is the inclusion of a very questionable musical fragment, inserted into Act II, Scene 11 {"Pamina, wo bist du?"). I could locate no reference to this anywhere in my extensive library on the subject, and can only speculate that it might be some unacknowledged retention from one of the infamous "reworkings" of the opera which occurred after Mozart's death....At any rate, it requires an explanation....]

In view of this, it is sad to see this beautiful recording issued in association with a perfectly vile and disrespectful book about the opera. The author has the temerity to liken this work to "a Broadway musical", "a rollicking entertainment for the common man" simply because it was composed as a Singspiel, or German opera with spoken dialogue. This is equivalent to likening one of Shakespeare's comedies to a street farce. The book also suggests that Zauberflöte was composed for purposes of pure entertainment, unless it is, perchance, a "work of profound insight" dressed up in the trappings of a "cartoon". Obviously, the writer is ignorant of the significance of the Egyptian setting in the time of Mozart, when it was a clear symbol for rational ideas and liberal politics. The details of the setting delineate the struggle which was then taking place in Europe, over the true nature of Masonry, philosophy and music, and which soon came to a terrible end, for that time at least, with the banning of Freemasonry in Austria, and the loss of much of the learning about ancient philosophy which had been so laboriously gathered in circles such as that frequented by Mozart. It is largely on account of Zauberflöte, which alludes with precision to much of that learning, that it was not entirely annihilated in the chaos of the revolutionary and Napoleonic periods. Rather than misrepresenting this vitally important work, those who have the privilege of coming into contact with it should do all in their power to contribute to the very difficult, vital, and continuing attempt to understand it. While the availability of this recording is of great value, it is scandalous to see it associated with a contribution to the generally prevailing ignorance about this extremely important, and very difficult, work.

An irate Mozartian

The Black Dog Opera Library Series had outdone themselves once again. In this 1972 recording of Mozart's last opera, we are treated to a fine performance by fine singers, a fully illustrated book with liner notes and commentary, as well as information useful in biographies on the composer and his time. Mozart was close to his death bed at the time he composed The Magid Flute. He made an opera that could be enjoyed at many levels. At one level, it is a comic, brilliant fairy tale for children, at another level, it is deeply symbolic and layed with Masonic ideals of universal brotherhood and love. Mozart and his librettist were both Freemasons, a religous "sect" that was under hot water in 18th century Vienna for its pagan origins and its advocation of ideas of the Enlightenment. The story is about Tamino, a prince who is lost in a strange land (originally, a mystic Egypt), who is rescued from a serpent by three mysterious women and promised the hand of the daughter of the Queen of the Night if he saves her from the wizard Sarastro. Together with the help of the comic bird-catcher, Papageno, he sets out on his adventure. But halfway through the opera, he discovers that he has been deceived. The Queen of the Night is the true villain and Sarastro is really a holy man. After many trials, the forces of evil are defeated and the opera ends blissfully with a victory.

Musically and dramatically, it is Mozart's greatest opera. From the striking Overture to the use of dark strings, trumpet and soaring flute passages, the individual arias which express intense emotions to the neverending theme that good triumphs over evil, the Magic Flute stands out as a great opera to begin with for newcomers and a favorite for old time opera fans.

In this recording, conductor Wolfgang Sawallisch leads the Bavarian State Orchestra in a highly effective, thoroughly dramatic and sentimental, full interpretation of Mozart's score. Tenor Peter Schreir as Tamino is exceptional, passionate in his aria "Dies Bildnis" (This portrait), and again as he plays his flute in "Wie Stark ist Nicht dein Zauberton" (How powerful is your music, magic flute), his individual lines in the ensembles and his duet with Pamina as they undergo the final trial of fire. Annelise Rothenberger, a sublime German lyric soprano, is moving in her portrayal of Pamina. She has her moments in this recording. Note how her high, melodic voice seems to come from nowhere as she confronts Sarastro and Tamino for the first time "Herr! Ich bin zwar Verbrecherin ! (Sir! I am the transgressor). Her aria "Ach Ich Fuhls" (O, I feel that happy days have passed) is the finest interpretation, full of pathos and a kind of melancholic madness, as well as her lines in her suicide attempt, finally, she is sublime as a strong woman ready to face trials with Tamino, especially striking when she sings the line "Tamino!".

Kurt Moll's Sarastro is without question the best. His voice is suited for God. So divine and sonorous and full of grace, his voice is especially noticeable in the aria "O Isis and Osiris " and "In deisen Heilen Hallen"( In these holy halls). Finally, and not to be missed, is Edda Moser's incredible interpretation of the Queen of the Night. You have not heard the true Queen of the Night, until you've heard Edda Moser. She has a Wagnerian intensity and neurosis in her lines, apt and effective for the role of a Queen bent on deception and the murder of her rival, Sarastro. Her aria "O Zittre Nicht, Mein Lieber Son" (O tremble not, beloved son" is full of lyric dramatic passages and coloratura at the end. The vengeance aria "Der Holle Rache Kocht Meine Herzen "(Hell's Anger Burns Within My Heart) is full of fire. The way she attacks the dramatic, powerful lines is out of this world and the high F's she escalates are unsurpassed.

The conceit of this book is that the governors of a futuristic, terribly overcrowded world will do anything to discourage procreation. The book was written in 1962, when birth control pills were just around the corner and vasectomies were certainly heard of...so why, one might ask, postulate a society that encourages homosexuality as a means of controlling the population (as far as I know, AB had no axe to grind in this department)? There are several instances of Burgess' science being a bit off the mark, but one quickly realizes that's beside the point. Burgess was clearly less concerned with science than with his own form of speculative social anthropology. His characters are well-defined but essentially artificial, meant to propel his thoughtful social theories and populate some wryly chilling suppositions about the direction modern life might be taking. Still, to those who admire him, Burgess is a unique and brilliant wordsmith, a man who loves and knows language so well that he can twist and reinvent it for his own purposes (no one who's read "A Clockwork Orange" needs to be told that). There are funnier and more down-to-earth Burgess books, to be sure. However, if you are amused by pure wordplay and don't mind keeping a dictionary handy when you read...you'll enjoy Burgess as a whole and this book in particular. p.s.: A Burgess must-read is "Nothing Like the Sun", Mr. B's mini-biography of Shakespeare

Your bookstore is stocked full of novels predicting mankind's future, but none quite like this. With the Wanting Seed, Anthony Burgess turns the typical dystopian novel on its ear. Instead of a methodical, technorganic world, Mr. Burgess presents a smelly, macrobiotic mess of overpopulation and disharmony. Instead of a more stringent emphasis on rightwing ideals, the aforementioned overpopulation has caused an enthusiastic governmental endorsement of homosexuality and opposition to typical family ideals. Instead of a grim, foreboding atmosphere, Mr. Burgess employs a lighthearted, quirky tone, allowing readers to smirk at the ridiculousness and incongruity to which the world of the Wanting Seed has been driven. It is obvious that Mr. Burgess, the same literary practical joker who filled his best-know book, A Clockwork Orange, with make-up slang, meant to poke some well-needed fun at the dismal 1984/Brave New World genre.

But just because the Wanting Seed is a work of playful parody and dark comedy does not mean there is nothing profound about it. In fact if I had to pick the one dystopian novel towards which our society is most surely leaning, it would be this one (which is pretty amazing considering it was written in 1962). As counties like China and India are regulating procreation and instituting their own versions of Mr. Burgess' "population police" and the value of human life wilts ever downward, I wonder how close we are to vision of the Wanting Seed. The novel stands as a warning that repressing man's natural urges and diminishing his worth is not the answer to the problem. Your bookstore is stocked full of novels predicting mankind's future, but few as startling and important as this.

I first read this book when I was 14. I was doomed to dread the future from the start. In the back of my mind these words hold true more often than not. In my eyes this is one of his finest works.

Macroscope was definetily the best science fiction book I ever read! This book had me thinking all the way through as to who Schon was and why the macroscope in the story was destroying the minds of earths greatest scientists. This book is filled with adventure and the way Mr.Anthony lets you know what is going on in side the minds of the characters shows how talented he is at writing. I seriously recomend science fiction readers everywhere to read this one you will not be disappointed!

without a doubt the best book written by piers anthony as far as the depth of character and total telling of the story. i have read this book several times and will continue to read it again and again. while the masses may enjoy mr. anthony's other types of story (fantasy),myself being among them - this book is the one that will make the author stand out as one of the best writers of pure science fiction the world has known.

What planet are we from? Literally hundreds of books by PA here on Amazon and the greatest work, well certainly one of the greatest works, in SF is out of print! What is going on here? I am 45 years old and have been an avid reader since the age of 12. I've read most of the classic SF and even some schlock. This book ranks right up among the top 5 SF books and is a strong contender for the top slot. Think about this...I first read this book when I was in high school (1972) and I can still recall the absolute awe I felt as I read it. No other...make that few other...book(s) have the power to stick in your mind for that many years. If you only read ONE science fiction book (other than DUNE) in your life, pick up this one. You will not be disappointed. And a word to the publishers...BRING THIS BOOK BACK!

This is an awesome book! The authors obviously know their audience and offer great suggestions on ways to reduce debt. The section on dealing with credit card companies is invaluable. I took their advice and have already had the APR's on all my accounts dropped to below 8%. Both writers make it clear that becoming debt-free is not going to happen overnight, but their practical tips are things that you can do immediately to see a difference. Never are they preachy or condescending, but rather amusing, as they definitely make it clear that they've "been there, done that."
I highly recommend this book for any person who is aware of their impending financial doom and who wants to do something about it, but doesn't know quite where to begin.
I hope you find this book as inspiring as my husband and I have!

This is a really good book with lots of helpful sources included. I think it gives hope to everyone in debt...which seems like everyone everywhere!!! Not boring and doesn't just tell you what you already know. Really gives straightforward advice. To the authors: congrats on your book it's excellent!

Like Anthony and Cluck, I too entered my 20-something years being clueless about the hidden costs of debt. As I graduated from college and entered grad school, I realized that my increased cash flow from teaching was being eaten alive... and that this WASN'T what I expected from twice the money!!! My advice to you, dear 20-somethings (or 30 or 40 or 50): read this book. It will help you become competent and AWARE of your financial past, present, and future! After reading this book, I started talking to my friends about money issues. We all began a huge dialogue, sharing hints, tips, and pooling information. The only reason we hadn't been talking cash before was because we all thought it was a taboo subject. Now, we're all on the way to saving for our investments and our bright(er) futures!

When I started this book it seemed to me that the author was relying on gossip and hearsay a lot, but in regard to Florence Kling's early years this is probably necessary. But the book is actually meticulously researched and very copiously footnoted and it is full of detail I had either forgotten or not heard. It was clear back on July 4, 1969, that I finshed reading The Shadow of Blooming Grove / Warren G. Harding in His Times, by Francis Russell, and I liked that book a lot, but yet some of the revelations as to Harding in this book seemed new to me. As one who suffered thru the media's exhaustive coverage of our present President's sins, I wished that the press of Harding's time had been as aciduous in telling the truth about Harding. Maybe the disastrous Republican hegemony of the Twenties would have been alleviated some. This book by Carl Anthony is well worth your time if you have any interest in political history. And it does say good things about its subject, tho it is hard to find anything admirable about her very weak and sinning husband.

In this biography of Florence Harding, Carl Anthony portrays an unfogettable cast of colorful and shady individuals who continued to influence American politics long after the Hardings' brief tenure. What a treat to read a page-turner that is also impeccably researched, richly annotated, and painstakingly attributed! The characters, especially the Hardings and their intimates, are deeply drawn with both compassion and accuracy, leaving the reader to form his own judgments. The machinations of politics are described in chilling detail. Anthony takes advantage of newly available material to answer mysteries which have long shadowed the Harding legacy, in a way no previous author could have done. The book is not without its shortcomings. In some places, the verbiage is thickly entangled, with absurd grammatical errors ("Late into the warm spring night poker games, illuminated by strings of tiny white bulbs, the popular songs of Tin Pan Alley and racing pieces in the new jazz sound wafted as far out as Evalyn's new greenhouses as she cranked the Victrola.") Anthony's descriptions of Mrs. Harding's medical problems make little sense in terms of today's knowledge. Also, I feel he employs an exaggerated sense of melodrama in relating the circumstances of Harding's death. However, compared to the other Harding literature I've read, this is far away the best-researched and most objective. Overall--one of the best books I've read on politics, the Jazz Age, and the hypocrises of public life.

I came to this book knowing little about the Harding administration except for its scandals and babbitry and knowing virtually nothing about Harding's wife Florence. This is an absolutely captivating piece of writing, both vividly portraying an era and brimming with human interest stories. Florence Harding was at least as much a modern First Lady as Eleanor Roosevelt--outspoken, a strong feminist, a woman with a major voice in her husband's administration. Her life was filled with tragedy--an out-of-wedlock child to a drunken, shiftless man before she met Warren; a domineering German-American father who was both unloving and bigoted; a philandering husband the equal of Bill Clinton at his worst; and an espousal of "causes" like animal rights and veterans' welfare that had a way of backfiring on her. Florence was very much the ambition behind Warren, who probably would not have made it further than being a small town Ohio newspaper editor without her; yet he showed considerable resentment toward her outspokenness over the years--perhaps the root of some of his womanizing. Florence's life provides a very apt prism through which to view Harding's rise to power, his demise, and his mysterious death, upon which the author sheds some new and interesting light. This is a book filled with memorable characters, including Florence's wealthy and bohemian friend, Evelyn Walsh McLean, owner of the Hope diamond, and the vitriolic Alice Roosevelt Longworth. As countless other reviewers have noted, it is hard to put down, too. A great book for a summer escape, with the redeeming virtue of shedding light on an understudied piece of American history.

"1001 Java Programmer's Tips" is the absolute best book on Java I have seen yet! I have about 5 Java books and this is the one I always reach for first. It has saved me zillions of hours of head scratching!

This book is just excellent, i've been programming JAVA, and i was always trying to find such a book. When i got it I just began reading it and the more i read the more successful code i could produce, This book is *PERFECT* just look at the reviews to figure it out. Buy it if you have heard about "Java language" !

This book covers a lot of "small" topics and useful examples. I recommende it as a reference book for the biginner.

It seems presumptuous to be definitive in the area of literature. But every now and then there is a book, such as Earthly Powers, that compells one to reach for superlatives. This is a masterful example of the literary novel, one that frequently makes its appearance on the 'top-ten' lists of 'all time greats' as compiled by those who have made it their business to read as much as possible.Burgess lavished effort on this, setting out to create a masterpiece, and he succeeded without ever forgetting the novelist's duty to perform, above all, as a storyteller for his audience.And what a story he tells!This is in essence a trip through the Twentieth Century that encompasses as many aspects as possible of what defined the era. All is seen through the eyes of an intelligent, sensitive, and sometimes bitterly confused man, Kenneth Twomey. As such, the story is his, and spans some eighty odd years.Burgess is careful to weave his tale as engagingly as he can. Despite verdant vocabulary - always contextually perfect - the pages flick past at great speed. We are not subjected to many of the more conventional literary devices utilised to pull readers in. Instead we are involved through the sheer pathos and variety of the world and age that Kenneth, Oddysean-like, must navigate.We are introduced to dozens of countries and a veritable mob of characters, none of whom ever blur or become confused in our mind, because they are drawn with such easy clarity - I have encountered very few personalities in contemporary fiction as well-realised as these.The themes that run through the book are many; love, God, war, identity, suffering, the creative impulse, guilt, peversion, philosophy, nobility and evil. Only a few of these are made obvious - the book, after all, is meant to reflect life. The rest are perched delicately for us to discern between the lines. We do not find ourselves subjected to the author shoving his own particular brand of morality down our throats; a trait rarely avoided even by luminaries within the fiction field. Burgess is far too modest to think that he should discern for our benefit the differences between right and wrong on the grand scale - that is left entirely to us. With this in mind, he is at pains to create a mood of ubiquitous evil hanging over large portions of the novel, an evil which is hard to define specifically, and it is the reader who must try to make sense of it, as themes and plots grow and elaborate over decades and continents. He does this with consummate skill.If I have been vague it is because it is impossibly difficult to get into the fabric of Earthly Powers in such a short space. It takes on far too much to lend itself to summarisation. One can only keep repeating, 'This is a masterpiece; truly a masterpiece.' Why it never received the critical acclaim it so assuredly deserved will forever remain a dreadful inditement of a literary establishment jealous of possibly its most talented virtuoso. So many critics have such petty and venal motivations. By the way, the opening line is considered by many to be one of the greatest ever written. "It was the morning of my eighty first birthday and I was in bed with my . . ." Buy it and read for yourself. This one will stay with you for years. Unless of a most violently parochial and small-minded disposition, I cannot envisage anyone failing to be thrilled and awed by a book so gigantic in theme and substance.

Burgess's 1980 EARTHLY POWERS, like Styron's SOPHIE'S CHOICE(published around the same time), hearkens back to the grand 19th century novels of Dickens, Balzac, and Galdos. It is a novel the reader enters and inhabits, a world of its own.

Kenneth Toomey, supposedly modeled on Somerset Maugham, is a middling range popular novelist who finds himself in the midst of some of the great literary and social maelstroms of the twentieth century. He knows everyone - Churchill, James Joyce, John Maynard Keynes; you name them, Toomey has sipped tea with them - and gets involved with everything - censorship trials and ancient voodoo, for instance; he even has a brush with the Jim Jones cult through one of his nieces.

Critics carped at the book for its lack of focus, but it has a definite focus: the twentieth century. Toomey's not a great artist, but he is a great observer, and through him Burgess gives us the full sweep of the twentieth century, its follies and its glories (but more folly than glory). In the past, English literature has had an Age of Shakespeare and an Age of Johnson. In the future critics and historians will judge the late twentieth century as the Age of Burgess. EARTHLY POWERS will help solidify that certainty.

Read it.

This novel, Earthly Powers, by Anthony Burgess from 1980 strips bare the twentienth century and turns its skeleton into a wonderful narrative stream inhabited by two beautifully realized characters, Kenneth Toomey, novelist, and Don Carlo, eventually the Pope. Everyone and everything of importance in the last century becomes a part of the mix without ever clogging the story, which remains clearly focused with the clever use of the fictional creations. This book is an epic that truly deserves that title and it will give the reader many hours to reading pleasure. A wonderful reading experience.