"The Tale of the Firebird" told and illustrated by Gennady Spirin is adapted from three Russian fairy tales: "Ivan-Tsarevitch and Gray Wolf," "Baba Yaga," and "Koshchei the Immortal." The result is an original story about Ivan-Tsarevitch, the youngest son of the Tsar, who goes on a magical quest when his father declares he must have the Firebird. The reward will be half of his father's kingdom. With Gray Wolf as his companion, Ivan-Tsarevitch travels to different exotic countries when they encounter great evil as well as beauty and love beyond compare as they complete the series of tasks that will allow them to obtain the Firebird. Flying on the talking wolf, our hero confronts the wicked Baba Yaga and rescues the princess Yelena the Beautiful from Koshcehi the Immortal. The way Spirin weaves together these various folk tales is well done, but the strength of this book lies in the delicate and luminous illustrations, which were done in watercolor on Arches watercolor paper. It is from reading glorious picture books like "The Tale of the Firebird" that I have gotten a much better appreciation of what marvelous work can be done with watercolors. This is an exquisite little gem of a book.

This book is absolutely unputdownable. A thrilling read from start to finish and very well constructed. The portion that deals with the author's journey at the very end of Word War II with her husband from their beautiful haven-like estate in Czechoslovakia to their bombed out estate on the Rhine is gripping.

This delightful book shows a remarkable panorama of circumstances in which the author found herself, and she shows amazing courage and fortitude each time, and appears to be an amzingly adaptable human being. There is also a certain amount of wry humour in the Princess's writing style which is delightful.

A wonderful book by a beautiful lady.

This is the translation that I first read (years after it was published) and loved. The novel has been around a long time but its attraction can be won or lost according to the translation. Another, later translation irked me so much that I didn't want to finish reading it. Now that I've found my favorite translation -- which I think is more poetic and does better justice to the style and mood of the Russian original -- I'm buying a copy for myself and one for a gift to someone in high school.

"Hostage to War" gives a great understanding of the conditions that the prisions of forced labor camps and concentration camps went through. It is the true story of Tatjana Wassiljewa, who was 13 years old when the Germans separated her from her mother and younger sister. She was sent off to a forced labor camp where she suffered horribly under Hitler's vicious rule. She experienced things that are just mind boggling. Starvation, illness, and so much more. It shows how hard it was to grow up during World War II and survive. Tatjana was a true survivor and went on to become a teacher during her twentys. It was an interesting book if you would like to learn more about World War II.

Never have we read a book filled with so much bravery, adventure, wickedness, love, and hard time. This book combines them all into a true story of a girl named Tatjana Wassiljewa. Hostage to War, a true story translated from Russian to English, is a wonderful action packed adventure story. The story starts out when a young girl around the age of 13, and her mother, father, (who has ulcers), and her 2 year old sister, Olja leave from their rented dacha in Wyritza to escape bomb attacks. They have nothing left except their love. Their dacha has been smashed, but Tatjana still has her important journal. Tatjana kept a diary first called, "A Diary of Happy Days." In the end, it starts telling everything. If WW II interests you, this book may be a start to learning more. Even though Tatjana and her family aren't Jewish, the story entails the life of other Jewish people Tatjana met. The Diary of a Young girl, Anne Frank, takes place in about the same time period, but deals with a Jewish girl. We enjoyed the entries in the Hostage to War more than this book. Another book, The Devils Arithmetic is a story about a girl who opens the door for Elohim, and is transformed into Chaya, a Jewish girl from the past. That book explains the life of Jews in an exciting, realistic, fictional way. Both stories are riviting. Tatjana is a persistent, strong, young woman that caught our attention. Her story will interest the minds of others as well. J.D.L. and A.B.

I liked this book so much. Tatjiana was so brave. I don't think I saw anyone that brave before like the time when she went to go ask for food. I learned that I am pretty lucky because I read about how she had lived her life when she was young. For example,she had stravd. Another thing is she worked so hard,how she would steal her food for her mom did not even know if she was still alive, still another thing is how she met that boy that was so very much nice to her. We are or should I say most of us live are lives well. I learned that you don't have to always be so scared in your life, try to be brave. You will live proudly if you are brave. I think this is the best book I have read so far.

We tried three 2-star hotels from this book on a recent vacation, and were very pleased with the character, staff, and value at each. That was enough to easily justify the purchase price. The maps and indices make it very easy to find options at various price-points in any region. The descriptions and photos of each hotel were helpful and accurate. But I should also say that our "workhorse" for planning the trip was Rick Steves' France guide, where we found most of our lodging. I'd purchase Rick's guide first, then purchase "Hotels and Country Inns..." to add some variety.

If you want to see the best of France, just arm yourself with your Michelin atlas, Michelin Red Guide, a Blue or Green Guide, this book, a rental car, and your appetite for great food and wine.

Any inn that appears in both the Red Guide and this guide will be a memorable experience. All inns in the Red Guide have professional service and great food. Inns listed in both guides will also be unique and charming. Coupled with the data provided by the Red Guide, the pictures in this guide are very useful.

Best of all are the places in the countryside. Easy parking, phenomenal food, great wine, and usually a great setting. This is not a budget guide, but there are some great deals to be found. The cheapest place I stayed was an isolated Auberge in the Vosges mountains that charged only $50 per person for half board. This included a very small room, great 3 course dinner, buffet breakfast, and all tax and service.

"This series has long been respected as one of the best of its kind. Each book contains detailed color maps and a listing of accommodations by area. They include color photographs, the address and phone number, a star rating, amenities, price, and a brief paragraph describing the property. Newly revised and updated, these excellent guides to accommodations in Europe are highly recommended for all libraries." Library Journal

This book although perhaps slightly out of date is an excellent way to get started in this field. Tania Proskouriokoff is one of the most influential archaeologists ever to work in the feild of Maya history. She was a great scientist and researched this book well and with great regard for the imperfections of the study of the Mayan history.

A very nice and useful book.Throughout 29 plates Tania covers from Early Classic to Postclassic,from Uaxactun to Chichen-Itzá, showing many buildings and structures.According to her time,this Proskouriakoff's masterpiece displays highly accurated B&W drawings, plenty of details and suggestive forms, bringing to light Maya history not only from the jungle, but also from the obscurity of past. As the back cover says, her work combines "the imagination of an artist and the precision of a scientist". A great book by a great mayanist.

this book means so much to me. vastly intriguing, this book is like a black hole: i was immediately sucked in! incredible!

This is one of the most extraordinary books ever produced. It is so extraordinary that one must remember it is a book. Single-hair-brush architectural renderings commissioned by tsars done in brilliantine watercolor, faithfully and art-fully reproduced with beyond-perfect accomplishment. Lovely to hold and get lost in. It takes one very far away.

This book will keep you on the edge of your seat, a real page turner! Can't wait for the sequel!

I try a lot of new authors and unfortunately, I'm often disappointed. Not this time. Greg Anderson has written a captivating, page-turner that you won't want to put down. I'm thrilled that this is the first in a series of five books. I look forward to many more great "rides." A great read... you won't be disappointed.

Greg Anderson describes the attitudes of Amsterdam and Europe brilliantly. The action and plot are (and I quote from the book itself) "intricate without being overly complicated, and in a lot of ways just plain clever" I thoroughly enjoyed this debut and look forward to reading Laria (the sequel.) By the way this book is being made into a film and the author is currently working on a medical thriller Duplicity. Keep your eyes open for these!

I selected this book because it was well reviewed and I wanted to "get to know" Costa Rica before I visited there. Unlike other historical novels I have read about other places before I travelled there, this one failed to give me a sense of place. In fact, I could not finish it.

This is an interesting book; limited to one view of one episode in the development of this unusual part of the world; and a one-dimensional perspective on the Conquistadores; an already badrapped bunch at worst not too much fiercer than what they replaced; there's so few virgins in the world today, if the sacrificial practices in place prior to the Spanish occupation had survived into the present it would impose a critical crimp.

Which is not to overlook the Spaniards' own assassination rites in the form of the Inquisition -

so maybe it all balances out.

Paradise is under assault by Europeans again - and likewise Asians - ravaging the landscape under jungles of honeycomb hutch highrise, and loggers' seeming unending decimation of the rainforests. History repeating? Ongoing examples of human nature the spoiler, down through the ages...

It's likely that ASSAULT ON PARADISE accomplished a heightened focus of attention on Costa Rica. Perhaps A CAT'S FULL NINE, in its fusing of past and present - and its fantasy/fictional Perfect Crime gimmmick - will enlarge upon this effort.

Tatiana Lobo's Assault on Paradise is a deftly crafted exploration of colonial Costa Rica. From Juan de las Alas, who defies the Church and gravity, to Pedro and the child Catarina, the characters have depth and personality. In a story that is engrossing and entertaining, the author sheds light not only on a forgotten corner of colonial Latin America but also on the place of women, Indians, and heretics within it.

The book is clear and simple. People with few knowledge about the former Soviet Union and the changes after the communist era will find this book quite interesting and easy to follow, while readers with a wider knowledge on the topic will still find it a helpful and useful source for reference. The reason I give it four and not five stars is that it hasn't been updated and important things have happened after the events mentioned in the book. However it covers the basics and its contents can be used as solid background reference for further investigation on most recent events.