A story of mans struggle with himself, and an oppressive society. The book has it all repression, discrimination, Love. The persuit of Val jean by the relentless Javert. I have read the book many times over, and still get the same joy from reading it. Do not be put of by the size, it is an eminately readable book.

Having previously only read the very beginning of Victor Hugo's Les Misérables, I wasn't very interest in the story, but then I went to New York and saw the show performed on Braodway, and that was enough to send me back reading. All in all, I think that if it is possible for you to read and understand in French, this book is the way to go, because it is Hugo's original words. You may also find it useful (as I have) to purchase the English translation in order to better understand the story. This also gives you a chance to nitpick the translator. This is definately a masterful story.

This book is one of the greatest books that has ever been written, if not the best. It is very long, but the intricacies of the characters and the plot are incredible. Hugo is a master at tackling issues of life, war, love, and God with insight and humor. If you are possibly able to sit down and read ths many pages...do it (and the abridged version does not cut it).

As a beginning violin student, I feel the need for lots of information presented in simple terms. This book does just that. It seems like every time I have a question about the violin, this book is able to answer it accurately and concisely.

Books like these are treasures. I can't think of a single topic the author left out: the history, the major names, how the viola differs, how the violin works, how it's made (even how the trees are cut!)...and on and on. The pictures are skillfully drawn, too, though the prose hardly needs them. And yes, the prose! I'd say buy the book even if violins hold no interest to you. When you have writer's block, pick up this little gem and read a chapter or two. The beautiful prose alone will get your own words flowing again. Throughout the book are wonderful little anecdotes as well. Somehow, this book says so much in scant few pages. The author clearly knows his subject and how to communicate it. I wish he'd written my calculus textbook!

This is an excellent book for the beginner! The following chapters are included: The Violin and Viola, A Quick Tour, Learning To Play, Buying Or Renting, A Good Violin, Good Strings, A Good Bow, Accessories, Tuning, Violin Maintenance, Back In Time, The Family, How They're Made, The Makers. Also included is a glossary, index, extra sources, and pages to write down your own information on your violin and strings. The book is very straightforward and teaches all the concepts well. Of major bonus is the fact that it emphasises that all violins sound different with different types of equipment -- it doesn't say, "this is the best violin" or "this is the best string". The illustrations are clear and help explain a lot of the concepts. This book teaches you all the basic (and some more advanced) ideas of the violin and its accessories.

The story of "Father's Day" is one of persistence, survival and stubborness. Vihlen is a very brave man--Korean fighter jock, airline pilot, and TWO-time, record-setting trans-atlantic sailor in a "miniboat." Very interesting to get into this guy's head during his long ordeal. A good read...not just a trip's diary.

This book was the best read I have had in quite a while. One does not need to be a sailor at all to enjoy this TRUE tale of adventure on the North Atlantic. The "rollercoaster of emotions" was well documented; to such an extent that I would recommend it to anyone! Good Luck in 2002 Hugo!

I am by no means the sailing type, as I wont go into any water unless it is crystal clear and I can see what is swimming around me. So, this book is not just for the ocean savvy! This is a true story of a man who sails the smallest sail boat EVER accross the North Atlantic Ocean. His boat is under 6 feet long. After spending over 2 months at sea, he finally docks in England. This book is the sailors actual journal logs from his long trip.. The emotions go from excited to depressed, to almost hallucianite. This is one of the best books I have ever read, and would highly suggest it to anyone who likes REAL LIFE stories. If anyone knows the author, please have him email me at my address! WOW! What a book!

Finally, an accurate account of the drug situation that took place around Miami, Bahamas and originating in Columbia. Interesting to read of the stand the Bahamian government played in all the dealings. An excellent read!

While reading the book you feel like you are there. Excellent book

Hugo Pratt (1927-1995) attended the Venice Academy of Fine Arts in the late-40's. His career in comics began immediately after graduation, however in 1950 he emigrated to Argentina where he created a number of comic strips including popular cowboy hero Sgt. Kirk. In the '60's after a brief period in London he moved to Milan.

Interest in westerns began to ebb in the '60's and in 1967 Pratt introduced the sea captain Corto Maltese in "Una Ballata del Mare Salato". "The Ballad of the Salt Sea" was about two teenage castaways who fall into the hands of pirates and mercenaries in Melanesia in the early years of WWI. Captain Maltese appears as a mysterious rogue who soon comes to dominate the adventure. The classic Corto traits develop in this story. He is a romantic, with a macho code of honour. His laconic 'cool' disguises an identification with the underdog. Supporting characters are well-developed and villians are motivated by tragic compulsions - with the possible exception of the maniacal Rasputin! Although 'good' triumphs in the end it is with great loss and there is a pervading sense of mystery and tragedy.

In 1970 Pratt started a series of Corto Maltese adventures for the French comic magazine "Pif-Gadget": these were later republished as 11 collections, some of which are not available in English (and European versions are slightly different.) There are: "The Brazilian Eagle" (originally titled 'Tango', 1987), in which Corto meets the mysterious Gold Mouth during Latin American intrigues; "Banana Conga" ('Sous la Signe du Capricorne'), in which further intrigues take him from South America into the Caribbean; there the adventures continue in "Voodoo for the President"('Corto toujours un peu plus loin', 1975); "Corto Maltese in Africa" ('Les Ethiopiques', 1973) finds him in the midst of the struggles of the colonial powers in Africa during WWI; "Corto Maltese - the early Years" ('La Juenesse', 1981) is mostly concerned with the early career of crazy 'Captain' Rasputin; 'Corto Maltese et la Maison d'oree du Samarkand' (1980, No English version) has him travelling to central Asia to rescue Rasputin and find a lost treasure. "Corto Maltese in Siberia" (1980) starts in Shanghai but soon Corto and Rasputin are roaming China and northern Asia in pursuit of a shipment of Czarist gold. "A Midsummer Morning's Dream" ('Les Celtiques', 1971) takes Corto to Ireland, Wales, and Brittany in 4 stories set in the last year of WWI. I know of no English translation for 'Les Helvetiques' (1987), a mystical tale in which Corto meets the expatriate German author Hermann Hesse in Switzerland. "Fable of Venice" (1977) is a tale of intrigue and hermeticism in the early years of Italian Fascism. The last Corto tale published before Pratt's death of cancer in Lausanne was the as-yet untranslated 'Mu' (1988), another mystical story in which Corto discovers the lost Pacific continent. I am informed that there is a story set in the 1936 - 40 Spanish Civil War, but have no information about it.

Pratt's work is defined by character and ideas and contrasts frames full of thoughtful exposition with action sequences devoid of words. His inspiration was Milton Caniff, whose comic strip, "Terry and the Pirates", began as a contemporary (1934) adventure story set in the South Pacific. Caniff was a master of black and white and his signature image was a powerful contrast defined by negative space. Pratt imitated this as well as Caniff's use of broad, powerful brushstrokes. Equally important were Caniff's complex and often tragic characters, his use of pathos, ongoing sub-plots, mysterious and powerful femme-fatales etc. Pratt authored or co-authored many comix besides Corto and it's well worth reading "Indian Summer" and "El Gaucho", historical adventures written by Pratt but with art by Milo Manara.

It's interesting to me to contrast the development of Pratt's Corto and Caniff's Terry, both children of their times. Following his South Seas adventures Terry joins the U.S. Air Force; in continuous syndication until fairly recently he fought in WWII, Korea and Vietnam. Terry is the heroic policeman, a child of the depression sharing his author's disapproval of Communism and disappointment with the '60's generation. Corto is the child of the '60's. Always a free agent, occasionally taking up arms but usually only in self-defense, he is skeptical of 'the establishment': a ronin maintaining a cool pose but compelled by a belief in fair play to take on causes not his own. Always more interested in place and personality than mere loot, Corto's adventures gradually turn into a mystical quest for something greater than wordly treasure.

Complex characters, lush atmosphere and subtle plots give the Corto Maltese books far more heft than other "graphic novels." Set during World War I, they tell the adventures of a freebooter and adventurer. Want to know what the Amazon is really like?

What a wonderful graphic novel this is. The cast of characters is nothing short of stellar and there are enough accurate historical references in here to delight anyone who prefers a little historical salt in their fiction. The story is set in Siberia and Manchuria during the Russian Civil War and two historical figures feature prominently: Ataman Semenov (whom Pratt seems to have modeled mistakenly on another Ataman, Ataman Kalmykov), and Baron von Ungern-Sternberg, the "Mad Baron." The latter, amazingly, is depicted true to life. Pratt seemed to do his best work when the setting was Russia or Ethiopia, and along with "Early years" and "The Golden House of Samarkand", this is one of the finest examples of his work, both in writing and artwork. An excellent place to start reading the Corto Maltese stories.

All of Pratt's work is wonderful but this has to be his masterpiece, an adroit interplay of history and fantasy, ranging across China and Siberia in the ruin of empires following the first world war. As usual Pratt creates compelling minor characters playing out tragic roles on a vast canvas of historical events. The villainous Cossack ataman Semenov is superb, although in fact Pratt was obviously unaware that the real man was more eastern-European than Oriental in appearance. Pratt as usual uses historical detail brilliantly and fascinates us with the details of history. I could wish that not every pistol was a Nambu (except for the American's .45) but that is a mere quibble. Strongly recommended.

In preparation for a trip, I checked out several book and tape courses in Greek. The Hugo course struck the right balance between total immersion on the one hand, and just learning select phrases on the other. This series will give you a quick grounding in the language though it is not as complete as the Barron Foreign Service Institute tape set. The Hugo audio quality is much better than Barron's, and the speakers are quite a bit friendlier. (The Barron series sounded like it was recorded in a garage and the speaker was about as friendly as a police interrogator).

After working with these tapes for about two months I went to Athens. I'm pleased to say they worked. People could understand me without trouble. However, one gentleman asked me where I learned Greek. I sounded like I was stuck in the 1950s. Perhaps it is the difference between Katheravousa ("official") and Demotic ("popular") Greek. So, I may have sounded a little stiff, but most everyone understood me.

The bottom line: this is the best Greek tape and book course I found for someone looking to learn a lot of useful Greek in a short time. Highly recommended.

I have searched for a book/audio course that would teach me the language rather than help me memorize phrases. All the packages at the library were for travelers so they could make sure they "get a room with a bathroom." I wanted to learn the language to be fluent. This book/audio teaches you the language! It includes exercises, both written and oral, as well as an essential grammar section. The four accompanying tapes are very well done, easy to understand, and follow the 290+ page book. If you're looking to learn the language, you can't beat this course for the price!

Hugo Friedhofer, one of the great Hollywood film composers, was more than the consumate musician. His wit and his loving personality are shown in this engaging book. His analysis of music, composers, producers, films, actors and actresses is captivating. Hugo worked with George Gerswhin, was close friends with Oscar Levant and had Bud Powell play piano in his living room!

In his interview for the Film Music Archive, Hugo Friedhofer tells it like it is, and the book shows that he is not fake, but was a real giant in the Hollywood that used to be littered with talent and quality. Even if you know little about film music, this book is great history of the Hollywood of yesterday.

It's so satisfying to learn about the life of the film composer who wrote the score to such movies as "The Best Years of Our Lives," "The Adventures of Marco Polo" and "The Young Lions" - some of my favorite Hollywood film scores. Much of this book contains the story of Hugo Friedhofer as told by himself through interviews and his own personal correspondence. With droll and witty comments and a collection of truly wonderful photos Ms. Danly has truly presented a well-thought-out book. Hugo was well-respected by everyone in Hollywood (he had a photographic memory and a reputation for knowing the classical literature to a fault) and now with this biography we know why.

This book saves you the discomfort of a trip deep into the African Jungle: I have never read such a detailed description of the real 'Circle of Life' in Africa. Mr. Daems tells us the story of Kianza's life, starting with the first encounter of Kianza's father with white people, up to the independence of Congo. Tales of slavery, intiation rites, secret societies, local politics and economics, all these subjects are demystified in this book by Kianza himself. Kianza is not just a first row spectator but a participant himself. The arrival of white man however disrupted the existing fragile social structures which had evolved out of several thousands of years of trying to live in harmony with nature. "Kianza however did not oppose progress blindly, but it was blind progress that he opposed."

Kianza's Congo is the inside story of black life in the Congo. Written by a man who lived 10 years with the tribes. He spoke their language, witnessed their customs, and learned of secret rituals.

The life of Chief Kianza is told in Kianza's own words and translated by his confidant Mr. Daems. The book includes suspense, sex, politics, power, and even an experience of slavery. To be accepted in the male elite clan you must pass tough rituals, or die trying. These and more are described in this excellent book. This is REAL AFRICAN LIFE.

Richard Hugo is one of the masters of the meter in American poetry, and no work better displays this than his collected poems. It is truly a life's work, as some poems seem also repetitive, but you can tell from the repetition that the source is something very dear to the poet. Perfect nature reading!

In the last years of Hugo's life he taught writting at the University of Montana. His classes were popular, but not crowded. He loved sharing stories with his students, and he listened at least as well as he spoke. Richard's poetry is like this too: sounds come from reading these words of a lifetime, sounds that are passed to you by the gift of a great writer and great listener. These are poems about the fringes of boom-towns, failed mining hopes, loneliness, seattle, Missoula, drinking, lost love, found love, lost friends, found friends, life alone and together, and fishing. Hugo loved to fish for trout. Fish for what is great in this book, you wont be dissapointed.