An interesting book that uses wide horizons. Gysin filled it with allusion, hints and tricks. It's words seem to be carefully placed. It was designed, apparently, to read the reader. It might be more than a novel or it might not. The Process is stylish, clever and possibly very important. I felt that the haze created was frustrating and entertaining, I wanted more details.

Wherein of antres vast and deserts idle, Rough quarries, rocks and hills whose heads touch heaven, It was my hint to speak, such was the process... -Shakespeare.

This quote (partial) above is by way of Gysin's introduction to THE PROCESS---like all Gysin's works, greatly underrated, unacknowledged, and ignored, perhaps because of their metaphysical Occult ("hidden and rejected knowledge") origins periously perched as they are on the edge of an exquisitely unique literary absurdity difficult to comprehend without submitting to detailed, in-depth investigation. In other words, he deceptively appears an only half-sincere, sarcastic author writing pulp aimed at comic entertainment alone, when in fact his works (entire) upon further investigation reveal profound esoteric depths much like a Franz Kafka or Philip K. Dick. For a long while I have hoped for what will really be a first time proper evaluation of his masterful works; I can think of no author more deserving of a much-needed critical biography, and probably many will soon be produced. Of the brilliant novel THE PROCESS: The protagonist is Gysin himself, who appears in different colored skin due to the fact Brion suffered from what he called: "bad packaging!" It takes a lifetime to cross the desert and a childhood to do so at its narrowest point, explains one of the many mystical charcaters inhabiting the novel, whose names, like the lady "MAYA" ( literally sanskrit for "illusion") oftentimes reveal their signifigance. Gysin knew the sahara well, spending a good deal of his life in it, centered around expatriate Tangiers, where he owned and operated a resturant well reputed called "The 1001 Nights". The house musicians were none other than THE MASTER MUSICIANS OF JAJOUKA, whom Brion discovered in the "land of the little people" tucked far into the hills, and whom WSB called a "2000year old rock-n-roll band!" The 1001 Nights closed down directly due, Gysin feels (with firm evidence/proof) of Black Magic of a typically North African cursive.

Celebrated in THE PROCESS in a masterful narrative sequence is the yearly Ritual celebration involving the Great God Pan in the form of a man placed inside the actual skin of a recently sacraficed goat, who chases the Moroccan women about in a rite dating back to antiquity recalling the bacchanalia and Dionysian Rites and all Pagan fertility rites, still practised yearly with great festivity in Morocco.

The novel is, as WSB said of his own work, and's wholly applicable also to Gysin's ( whose influence and sway over WSB is immense, as WSB enthusiastically acknowledges)one where: "EVERY LINE IS AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL FACT AND EVERY LINE IS BULLS**T!" "WRITING IS SUCCESSFUL WHEN IT MAKES THINGS HAPPEN!"---According to both Brion Gysin and William Seward Burroughs, this is the The supreme definition of "successful writing" as well as of "Magick". THE PROCESS, Brion Gysin's novel published first in 1969 was long involved in the "great work" of "writing itself"; for according to Gysin it's: A NOVEL IN THE PROCESS OF WRITING AND READING ITSELF! To a miraculous degree this cannot be properly communicated except by reading the novel yourself, which most of its readers agree they have done so several times; WSBurroughs rightly states besides being an esoteric masterpiece it is also "first-class entertainment", and like all Gysin's completely original works is absolutely hilarious! Noone, and I mean noone writes like he does, nor paints---for he was an early practitioner of surrealist techniques developed by Max Ernst, and Gysin exhibited his works with the surrealists, but was kicked out by Breton at his first exhibition, no doubt due more to his eccentric personality than to his artistic stylizations...he would go on to establish his own unique painterly style consisting of calligraphical overlain symbols resembling magical sigils and Chinese characters placed in grids reminiscent of the likewise magical origins found in the "Sacred Magic of Abra-Melin The Mage" which so influenced other Artists and Mages like Crowley and Mathers and Pessoa. And Like his painting, Gysin's literary origins likewise have their genesis and inspiration in Occultism, so permeating Gysin's life as to be essential in any contemplation aimed at an understanding of his works and life. His experiments and investigations are now legendary, especially those taken place at the Beat Hotel in Paris circa 1960 with Burroughs, Norse, Corso, sommerville, and a host of others where Gysin Established a quite scientific system for all literary history to applaude as the "Cut-Up technique", coined by WSBurroughs.

Brion Gysin will show you how THE PROCESS works, in the very process of "MAKING IT HAPPEN"! Such a magical feat before your very eyes without recourse to simply deeming such astounding miracles an "illusion" will if nothing else boggle your mind a good long while, and make you question the very fabric of the absolutely magical universe we live in. For the literary thrill-seeker as much as the mystically-minded, for the occult practitioner as for the philosophical scholar, THE PROCESS is one that is already a classic, and Gysin's works I feel are destined to outlive many other more famous works of its time; their endurance is miraculous in itself and they are essentially timeless. Aleister Crowley was correct in delineating a classic as defined by its ability to adapt and survive, and is in a sense: "a living being". THE PROCESS shows how such phenonema operate, as well as how it can also be, as everything is, Manipulated---whether to the writer's or the occultist's advantage; and regardless whether such things are called "Black Magick" or "Literature" is besides the point. Gysin often makes his point with a joke at humanity's expense, and it should be borne in mind that he is a great misanthrope; and as for his reputed misongyny goes, he truly believed women were a biological mistake---the irony is that a good many of his closest friend were women!

Brion Gysin is an enigma representative of NO race, religion, color, or creed. He truly is one of the Originals of the human species!

Mektoub - It is written, and written well.

a journey - thee desert thee initiation of thee soul are one • • • thru thee long dry desert ov this that some would call life and others a death, and yet others still would say is just a rotten place to pass right on through. I came with nothing, and that is how I will leave. (except for maybe my clay pipe)

thee beauty in these words is enough to inspire a soul...enough to not dip hir fingers into thee river lethe..at least, for a while. Let's not be tooooo hopeful.

This is a rarity on many levels...even delving into personal information about cult-addict and famous dietician from Theta - L. Ron Hubbard...not to mention •secrets• of thee Dietician Church magickal system. A veritable treasure trove of History & thee Present mixing into a psychedelic cocktail.

buy it!

93 93/93

True this is a tough book to finnish reading. It's rather dry but is packed with a vast amount of wonderful information. As a primary textbook for an AP European History class it benifited me greatly, after I re-read each page at least twice. For you teachers of the class out there, I'd make it a supplement, not the primary source for information at the high school level. College professors well you can make your students suffer through it. It's not too bad!

This classic is a must for everyone who appreciates well-written history books. Palmer and Colton's gargantuan "History of the Modern World" conveys a vast amount of knowledge in an interesting manner (although at times close to unbearably dense)and its ideas and perspectives are always relevant, new and enlightening. This is a great supplementary text for every European history course you may be taking or teaching. It is also a treasure chest of historic personalities, events and a panoply of culure through the ages. And a look at the enormous Bibliography will convince you that this book was indeed written by two first-rate scholars. Don't let the price scare you, it is a tremendous read, wonderfully presented, perfectly readable, and it's about as much fun as 800 pages of history can be!

Yes, yes, i know the size, density, and weight of Palmers book may be discouraging at first, but trust me, after your initial reading, Palmarian soon becomes as fluent as English (well with the help of a good dictonary near by.) Palmer usually avoids complex and confusing sentences, in attempts to explain to the reader, as simply as possible, people, places, and events dating back to the end of the medieval times. I used Palmer for my AP european history class in 10th grade, and i gotta admit, its long, and at times boring, but all in all its great b/c it not only explains the actually events, but its also divided up in sections so u understand (somewhat) what youre reading. Palmer often draws parelles to other personalities or events in history in order to reinforce the concepts. PS- as mentioned above, the book should come w/ a warning label: DO NOT READ AFTER 1:00 AM.

I ordered this book after savoring the experience of the PBS series. This book keeps it with me and expands it. Far out! I was so happy that this series was playing on TV while I was writing my novel "Forever Retro Blues" because it touched on so much I was writing about. Oh happy days when I found out there was a book it was based on.

An intriguing archaeological dig down to the murky muddy roots of rock 'n' roll -- sifting through race politics and dogma back to pre-war gospel, blues and jazz, to the Caribbean, to Africa.

Robert Palmer was one of the best rock 'n' roll writers and historians. This is the basis for the PBS TV series ROCK 'N' ROLL, which,unfortunately, did not have nearly the depth of this (it quickly dispensed with rock's roots and showed only Elvis and other latecomers in its first episode). Sadly, Palmer died before he could flesh out this work, which remains a blueprint for future writers to follow on researching rock 'n' roll's roots. Go for it!

I had to write this to offer a different opinion to the one-star review below. Robert Palmer was one of this country's best music writers and a man who died way too young. This book is not his best (that'd be DEEP BLUES), but he does an excellent job of capturing the broad history of rock 'n' roll. He discusses what led up to that crucial moment at Sun Studios in 1954 (I don't think he's trying to say that the music sprang full-grown from Elvis) and where the music traveled from there.

Bear in mind, however, that this book also served as a companion to a PBS special. That it's able to stand alone without the visuals attests to its worth. It badly deserves to be back in print.

This book was required reading for a class that I recently completed. The title seems a little misleading, as I had very little networking experience prior to taking this class, and considered all but two chapters as introductory. Despite errors in some of the diagrams (DCE and PAD mislabelled on p. 73, missing EIFO hub on p. 135 and missing CSU/DSU on p. 139), this book was an excellent read (Had these diagrams been correct, I would have rated this book five stars!). Overall, a solid foundation of topologies, protocols, network design, security and troubleshooting. The end result of this book was an A is the course and a strong interest in persuing network certifications (MCSE+I, CNE, CCIE). A must read for anyone wishing to gain an understanding of networking concepts.

This concise and clear book is a summary of French social history during the Napoleonic period. Bergeron covers the structure of government administration under Napoleon, economic life, class structure, and elements of intellectual life. The underlying theme is distinguishing what elements in French society changed as a result of the revolution and what elements exhibit continuity. There is also a good and concise discussion of how the Napoleonic period set the stage for the social structure of Restoration France.

The best part about this scholarly book is Palmer's development of the somewhat constricted literary language of Classical Latin out of the wider context of the dialects and varying usages of Latium and its environs. Readers should be aware that this is a historical survey of Latin, not a reference grammar or a book to learn the language from. Prior knowledge of the basics of Latin grammar is assumed.

In tracing the history of the language, the book necessarily gives a history of Roman literary styles, from the age of Cato and Ennius to the Christian period. While this is not a comprehensive treatment of Latin literature, it is informative.

The extensive etymological and comparative information in this book, on the other hand, is somewhat dated, since it was written in a period before the laryngeal theory had thoroughly penetrated Indo-European studies. Its treatment of Latin among the Italic dialects fares somewhat better.

The story of William Palmer is at once comic and tragic, for it is the story of a seemingly good man - a country doctor in nineteenth century England - who also just happens to be a forger, philanderer, fixer of horse races and common thief. But the law did not ultimately punish Dr. Palmer for any of these crimes; he is instead condemned by history as one of England's most notorious serial killers, a poisoner suspected in the deaths of his mother-in-law, wife, brother, children and his best friend. I recognized this tale from an adaptation on the PBS series MYSTERY from a few years ago; Palmer was portrayed as a cold-blooded sociopath who used his knowledge of science to serve his own narcissistic ends. So let us then thank Robert Graves for presenting the other side of the story, one supported by the facts and in the same mold as his other great historical fictions "I, Claudius" and "Claudius the God - Graves purports to show what really happened in that small village of Rugeley and the miscarriage of justice that occured at Palmer's trial. The author suggests that Dr. Palmer's most egregious fault was to run afoul of the "combined might of the Police, the insurance companies and the Jockey Club" - especially the latter, whom Graves smirks "would feel a hundred times less aggrieved with a man who garotted a fellow-criminal, an unwanted child, or an ailing relative, than with one who poisoned race-horses." There is little doubt that Palmer stole from friends and family alike or that he attempted to profit from the life insurance policies of those not long for this world; one of the book's most hilarious scenes has Palmer convincing his drunkard brother Walter to insure the remainer of his miserable life: "What about selling your life, Watty? You know it can't be a long one, not above ten years at the rate you're going . . . If you last beyond eight years, I'll be the loser, yet I don't mind taking the risk, if you promise to play fair. What do you say, Watty, old chum? It's easy money, like pledging your skeleton to a hospital." The genius of Graves is that he is able to contrast these moments of high comedy against the overwhelming conclusion that Palmer died a man innocent of the charges against him, namely, the murder of his friend John Parsons Cook. Justice was only a tool here, not the result, it was used to condemn a crook for his notorious life - Palmer was to become an example to all cheaters and deadbeats. I recommend this story to the reader who is able to draw his own conclusions about history - and one who enjoys a good laugh along the way.

I'm a big fan of both Osprey and Robert Rush, who are an outstanding publisher and historian respectively. The approach of this books is innovative and interesting. We follow a fictional soldier, Michael, from his enlistment in a New York National Guard regiment in 1938 through his discharge from military service in 1945. Along the way, we learn about his clothing, equipment, tactics and training. The writing is excellent.

Unfortunately, the execution is not up to Osprey's usual high standard. There are too many typographical errors, the maps are mediocre and difficult to correlate with the text, and the color plates are also mediocre.

Palmer, Palmer, Palmer! How's the weather in La-La Land? When I read your work I was excited because the subject seemed to be original and it was a study that somebody needed to undertake. What I read was a substandard attempt to defame Robert E. Lee at the cost of logic, any basic understanding of what happened from 1861-1865, or a grasp of the discipline of writing history. In short, this book is a farce. I'll end with a plea for someone to write a full-length and competent history of Bristoe Station.

Having read several books on Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia, and having a very high opinion of General Lee, I decided I should try and be objective by reading some books that were critical of General Lee. But I was very disappointed in Palmer's work. I was hoping to read some well researched criticism. What I got was a joke. Most of Palmer's arguments have serious flaws to them, any some don't make any sence at all. Don't waste your time with this one.

Understanding the military campaigns of the numerically weaker side is one of the more challenging issue in history. Unfortunately, Mr Palmer displays a thorough lack of historical perspective in this very weak presentation.

Palmer's protrait of Robert E Lee as lacking all the necessary mental capacities when it comes to undertaking offensive warfare is completely devoid of historical understanding of the campaigns involving generals such as Hannibal, Caesar, Frederick the Great, Napoleon and many others who commanded numerically inferior armies. And of course, Palmer offers absolutely no supporting evidence to prop up his claims because in this book the outcome of the campaign is proof enough.

I agree with another reviewer here that this piece is very agenda-driven, simply because of the thin presentation, no supporting evidence, which could only come from a lack of understanding of the campaigns involving the Great Captains.

I am an immense fan of the great Robert Palmer. I bought this book not because I can play music but for a better idea of what the lyrics were to his songs. I was listening to my CD's of his and reading along in the book and to my astonishment, the lyrics did not make sense. They definitely conflicted with what I thought he was saying but, I figured this book must be correct. About a month later I purchased two more of Robert Palmer's CD's and was happy to find that they both came with lyrics. Many of the songs were the one's listed in the book. Much to my surprise, the lyrics differed. The book's lyrics seem to have been written by someone who was just writing what he or she heard. The sound of the words to Mr. Palmer's music and the lyrics that came with the CD's flowed verbatum. The words in the book are somewhat correct. They almost sound right but do not make sense. I was very disappointed. However, the actual music (notes) is accurate and it does have nice pictures of Robert Palmer. There was very little effort exerted into making sure the lyrics were accurate. That is why I give this book 2 stars. My concern is, was this book authorized and if so, by whom?