I would recommend this book to anyone. It is fun and fantastic, the illustrations are terrific, and the poems resonate well with children and adults.

The Alligator Pie series filled my childhood with fun and whimsy. I'm pregnant now and I want to buy a whole new collection so that my child will remember "Peter was a pilot, who flew a jumbo jet, who crashed in Lake Ontario and got his bottom wet." Silly and fun.

This classic Canadian kid's book crosses the continent with fun poems and stories from north of the border. There are a number of nonsense rhymes, and many others which follow a typical child's line of thought to those surprise and imaginative conclusions that make children such a delight! Once in a while, a good map of Canada will add an extra dimension of enjoyment, introducing the young audience/reader to another country and to the world of maps. It is, however, the whimsical and imaginative poems which will hold the attention of both child and adult. Soon, the whole family will be chanting, "Alligator pie, alligator pie, if I don't get some......"

I can easily tell you that Angela's Ashes is my favorite book. I read over parts sometimes, because Frank McCourt's style of writing and his story intrigue me. Frank deserves praise for his survival through little to no means and for of course and excellent book. FIVE STARS!

One of my favourite books. Mr. McCourt brings tenderness and humor out of the dark and challenge of life. Tis' is essentially the story of an immigrant and his new life in New York City. Beginning with his voyage to America, the autobiographical story follows his struggle to make it in a country that isn't always accepting of strangers. Don't be mistaken to think of this as an extension of the dark tone of Angela's Ashes (which I also liked). I found this book much lighter in tone and more optimistic. McCourt finds his way to the promised land and has to deal with the realities of American society. It's full of the irony of everyday life and his struggles for education, happiness, love, and acceptance. Yes Mr. McCourt is an Irish immigrant, but it's not soley about his being Irish in America. If anything, it's about his struggle to be an American.

Speaking to the heart of things Irish, the works of Frank McCourt will touch your soul. I have actually read both works twice, and laughed and cried again with each read.. From the eyes of young Frankie McCourt we see every human emotion, from love to fear to loathing , to the light in a child's eyes when he discovers reading and the power of words and an education. One can only wonder how anyone survived such poverty and emotional scars as the McCourts surely must have felt being raised by their parents. The language of these wonderful works is unmistakenly Irish, and is a classic example of what the Irish do best!!!

Being a professional artist, and a mondo horror fan, I was craving to get my pencil smudged paws on this book. Over 700 pages of lavishly illustrated science fiction and horror history. Art of Imagaination brings to attention the works of the great artists who have worked in this field for over a century. Anyone with even a minor interest in thsi subject would find this text a true page turner. Highly Recommended.

This book is a must have for anyone who is creative. If you've lost your sense of wonder, this book will bring it back. You cannot help but be inspired by this fine tribute to the illustrators and art directors of fantastic art. You will not be disappointed buying this book. No cheap black & white stroll through memory lane here. It's a full color journey spotlighting the creative talent of imaginative artists from days gone by to today. High quality paper and binding are the icing on the cake. A tip of the hat to the authors and publisher for such an authoritative volume on a thinly treated subject.

First of all: a disclaimer. I edited one of the three books incorporated in this single volume as well as an overall introduction. But I'm not shilling for the book--I don't have to. Included in this one volume are "Science Fiction of the 20th Century," "Horror of the 20th Century," and "Fantasy of the 20th Century." An illustrative history of the three genres--in one volume. Bought separately, they would have run you $... The same plates were used in this volume, the same paper--in many cases, the reproduction is even better than in the original volumes. NOT available in most bookstores. This is probably the biggest, single, hardbound volume of 4-color illustrations ever published in the United States. If you looked at the single books in the series and passed because of price, take a look at this one. Not just for the pretty pictures--the written historical sumamries are also worth the price. End of commercial--nobody's paying me to write this and any royalties as such have been prepaid. Fellow editor/authors Robert Weinberg and Randy Broecker know their stuff. Reason for this screed: I'm damned proud of the book.

Frank R. Westie waited a long time to write his novel roughly based on his 8th Air Force experience as a B17 pilot in WWII. It must have been time well spent, however, because this is a mature,yet vividly detailed and realistic statement on the ultimate price of war. It sharply throws the reader back there to 1945. It tells a compelling,two-tiered love story, both of a romance with a mysterious,aristocratic Englishwoman,and of the bond that existed between gruff,seasoned airmen who have tested their friendship and mutual respect over way too many missions to Germany. It depicts the inner turmoil of a man, the pilot protagonist, not normally prone to self-reflection. Combat fatigue is the overt cause,and the descriptions of air combat in this book are among the most bracingly precise that you will ever read. No small accomplishment if you know what's out there. I have always suspected that survivors of WWII air combat never really completely came home. Part of them, perhaps the best part, is still up there, back there, flying, fighting, trying to ransome the dead and somehow, save us all. Author Westie's ghostly clarion call proves the point elegantly. An unforgettable book about an unforgettable time, of Flying Fortresses and Liberators, and the flesh and blood that powered them to victory, at no small cost. May it reprint soon.

Frank Robert Westie tells an indepth tale from his experiences during WWII. A beautiful love story is woven through a thoughtful account of American B-17 flights over Nazi held Europe. He probes the question, "Just what should a war hero do when he is ordered to do something clearly against his conscience." It is certainly one of the best aviation stories I have read and ranks with those of Nevil Shute Norway & Ernest Gann. Pilots and non-pilots who want vivid accounts of that great air war will cherish this book.

Mr. Westie through his words gave me vivid recall of events I had long forgotten. Recommended to all who have an interest in"being there" during our days and nights.

I'm a teen, and finding YA (young adult) novels that are mature and up-to-par with the adult novels I read alongside them is very difficult. Hillary Frank has brought a realistic, detailed view of an older teen's (I hate this term, but it suits) 'coming-of-age' in a new city with a new perspective on life. Frank's use of language evokes a feeling of closeness to the main character, Ellie. THe reader is drawn into her first love affair, first college course at art school, and her ex-hippie parents who never cease to embarass and confuse her. Ellie's struggles become the reader's, and I know that I was so absorbed in this novel that I finished it in less than two days. Many, many authors have tried and failed at evoking the kind of college-age teen feelings and relationships, but Hillary Frank shows her youth and maturity at the same time in this novel. I highly recommend it.

I am usually a bit hesitant to read teen books, being not a teen, and having read teen lit, as a teen. However, someone suggested this book for a lit circle I am running online, and I figured i'd give it a try.
What I found was that I was instantly drawn into Ellie's world. Some books just captivate you and this is one. I couldn't put it down! The whole art school thing is nicely balanced with her "romantic" life as the story flickers back and forth between the various things she does and spurts ahead in increments of time.
The author is very capable and uses words well to convey her ideas. I like that the author seems to be only about 25 years old. She is likely writing with a freshness and insight that can be directly linked to her experiences not so long ago as a young college student.
Nate turns out to be quite the gameplayer. But, hey, I think it would have been corny and very unrealistic to think that Ellie, as a naive freshman, changes this unruly, experienced man, he commits to her and they live happily ever after. So, big points for hitting the core reality of early college relationships!
Also, I was a bit perturbed at first when Sam had another girlfriend after Ellie sort of became interested. Then, I came to the conclusion that it's a good thing, because she wasn't truly interested in him anyway.

Overall, a deep and somewhat profound read. As a 23 year old soon -to- be teacher I didn't relate to much more than the humanity of it all, and that was powerful enough to make it work!

I usually only buy books that I really really love and this the best book I have read in a really long time! I really identified with Ellie, an art student with a lousy boyfriend. I felt like Hilary Frank wrote about MY freshman year at college. I highly recommend this story if you're an art student, a girl or had a crummy no-good boyfriend and didn't know how to deal with it!

This book is great for reading to Toddlers, and self reading elementary school students up to at least 9 years old. Longer than you think it would be, it gives you an example of the daily routine of a fireman. Lots of fun and educational too. The fireman is full of personality due to great writing and wonderful detailed illustrations!

I agree with the other reviews. My 2 year old will be getting many years enjoyment out of this book. I especially like it because it keeps his rapt interest for much longer than most 'pre-school' aged books, but is simple enough for a toddler. But my absolute favorite part, is the fact that Our Hero, Fireman Frank, has lunch and a nap as part of the book. With an active toddler, you need all the reinforcement you can get for those sticky areas!! :-) Great role model!

I am an art teacher and the father of a four year old little boy who has fallen in love with this book. Not just because it is about big fire trucks, but because it is a wonderfully illustrated synopsis of an admirable man doing his job well along with a team of firefighters that represent other cultures and genders without making it seem forced (unlike public education). This is one of the finest children's books we have purchased and it is because of the wonderful detail of the illustrations and how they compliment the writing. This book could stand on it's own without the writing (Good Dog Carl) just because of the illustrations, but it is wonderful to see art and text compliment each other so well n children's books. Buy this book now if your boy (or girl) loves trucks, pictures, and a story that weaves the two together in a magical way. You'll see!

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Between 1910 and 1940, when Frank Buck, the big jungle man, did most of his work, cruelty toward wild animals was generally condoned in the name of "hunting" or "sport."

That his trademark motto, "Bring 'em back alive," made him famous, however, indicates that even in his day human consciousness was high enough to appreciate his respect for animals. Today this consciousness is so widespread that no one could become a hero of his stature by trapping jungle animals for profit.

But he understood animals and respected them, even displayed toward them the care of a mother for her child. When they were injured or sick, he personally tended them, a risky business. A 600-pound tapir he was treating almost killed him. A python saw him as a meal, and a cobra spewed deadly venom in his eyes. Attacked by another cobra, he threw his coat over the snake and pounced on it. He held it beneath him as it wriggled to get free until aides could get a grip on its head and pull it out, like a bird extracting a worm from the ground. The python that had him in its grip was one of the very few he had to kill. He managed to get one arm free enough to reach his sidearm; then he put three rounds in the giant reptile's brain.

From his headquarters at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore, he operated a collecting network that spanned the lush jungles of Malaya, Borneo, Sumatra and India. Over the years, he brought back hundreds of thousands of birds and animals of all kinds for sale to zoos, circuses and private collectors. In 1922, he provided Dallas with an entire zoo of more than 500 specimens. In 1948, he returned to his hometown of Gainesville, Texas, to dedicate the Frank Buck Zoo and the Frank Buck Zoological Society.

From Mr. Buck's eight books, Steven Lehrer has selected the "best" of the material. He has fine sensibilities as an editor. However, the books are so full of good, old-fashioned, movie-serial-type adventures in wild, exotic settings, that Mr. Lehrer could have closed his eyes and picked 19 chapters that would make a good collection. The surprising thing is that, until now, no one else has.

What few could have done better, however, is write the illuminating introduction summarizing Mr. Buck's early interest in animals and birds as a boy in Plano and along Turtle Creek, and his brief dalliance with crime, marriage and other enterprises before setting out on his lifelong search for "the source of the wind, the mouth of the river, the oceans to which the fish swam, and the far lands to which the birds flew."

Free-lance writer and reviewer Tom Dodge lives in Midlothian; his new book is Tom Dodge Talks About Texas.

November 2000, p 554 History of Science & Technology

38-1532 QL61 99-86898 CIP

Buck, Frank. Bring 'Em Back Alive: The Best of Frank Buck, ed. by Steven Lehrer. Texas Tech, 2000. 248p bibl index afp ISBN 0-89672-430-1, $28.95

In many ways, this is a delightful book. Buck was a familiar and heroic figure to many growing up in the 1930s and 1940s; the numerous illustrations recapture those days. The great zoos of the day owed much to him, partly for the specimens he obtained for them but even more for the publicity he generated and shared. His exploits could not and should not be repeated today, but that should not detract from the sense of adventure his stories evoke. His persona was mirrored in the white hunter in King Kong (the Fay Wray version), but his real life adventures were even more thrilling. The comments by Lehrer (Mount Sinai School of Medicine) are interesting and useful, and his choices of episodes from various of Buck's books are well done. All in all, this is an extremely entertaining book, illustrating a different time and written in a way that brings that time to life. General readers. -F W. Yow, emeritus, Kenyon College

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The author does and excptional job on cleaning up some of the objectionable language, and brings to the readers a truly enjoyable book on early "African safari" type activities. Something that young readers as well as old can enjoy.

Many years ago, I becme the owner of Frank's Etched in Purple followed by The Wyandot. The latest "Beneath the Snows of Stlingrad" still exceeds the early books.

Having had the experience of combat in winter conditions, I marvel at the detail Frank writes. He also had combat experience in winter conditions and it is evident in his book.
The detail he picks up is the greatest. One can feel the total despair of the fighting men. He underlines the old statement the "war is hell".

Frank also brought out the conditions on the home front where those left to do the farming were old men and women.

The love story had to be a story that was often repeated in those times.

I highly recommend this book as a history lesson.

This novel held my interest from cover to cover. I strongly urge any veteran of WWII to latch on to this story as it will bring you up to date on a piece of history that happened while we were "tied up" in other areas. On D-Day the author landed on the shores of Normandy and spent the balance of his time in the European theater. He knows from experience what WAR is and how it effects a fighting man's "guts."

After the war, Dr. Irgang (the author) travelled extensively through Eastern Europe and the USSR (Russia) to become well acquainted and informed about the Germans battle for Stalingrad. His personal experiences in combat gave him an advantage over other would be authors who might have tackled the story of the greatest military disaster in our time

Not only does Irgang tell a wonderful story but he tells it with a touch of warmth in relating the human side of the Germans and true grit when discussing the Russian tactics and concerns. His command of the English language makes it possible for one to read and understand a completely foreign story.

For a great book for either personal use or as a gift to any veteran of WWII I strongly recommend "Beneath the Snows of Stalingrad".

Having read both of Frank Irgang's previous books, I was eager to read his latest release, called "Beneath the Snows of Stalingrad". Irgang landed on D-Day and fought his way across Europe and into Germany. In the process, he saw some of the worst fighting of the European war. He told the story brilliantly in his first-hand account "Etched in Purple", which to my mind is the best WWII novel I have yet read. What distinguishes Mr. Irgang from other writers is his ability to restrain himself from moralizing or influencing the judgements of his readers. He simply tells the story, simply, eloquently and graphically, and allows the reader to draw his or her own conclusions about war and what it does to human beings.

In his latest novel, "Beneath the Snows of Stalingrad", Mr. Irgang tells the story of World War II from the German point of view. Told through the experiences of three young Germans, this novel is particularly effective in drawing the reader into the inner workings of his characters. By the time the novel ends, the reader has lived their lives and seen the horrors of war through these three young people. The characters are wonderfully drawn, with great depth. The situations are plausible and emotionally taut. Mr. Irgang tells of their daily lives, their hopes and fears, not just about the days when the bullets fly, and so the reader gets the feel for the rhythms of their lives. This only serves to heighten the drama near the end of the book, when they are participating in, and witnessing, the final collapse of Hitler's Reich. Mr. Irgang traveled to the sites in his novel, and conducted a great deal of research. As such, it has a great deal of importance as a historical novel. He writes of war as only a man who has seen a lot of it can. His meticulous details of battlefields and patrols and death put the reader there as very few books can.

The theme, that an entire generation of young men and women are betrayed by fate and robbed of their futures, is one we would do well to heed today. How many vibrant young souls still lie under the snows of Stalingrad today, in unmarked mass graves, because of the madness of the Nazi regime? I recommend this book very highly. More now than ever, it is important for people to read about the human consequences of war, and to pray for peace.

The book is written by a retired Miami-Dade area detective turned author. His story is very entertaining and at the same time educational for someone interested in the law enforcement career. Analysis of the inside workings of the police force is very strong and knowledgable thanks to his own experiences. The book is excellent reading for all interested in crime stories.

As a retired Miami Dade Officer I couldn't put this book down. I never have bothered with fiction but because I knew Marshall when he was with Miami Dade I bought "Beyond The Call." It was great. There was suspense, excitement and enough reality to keep me going. I finished it off in two days and I believe I worked with all the officers of this great fictious Novel.Are you on the job? If you are, read, "Beyond The Call."

This is one of the best books I ever read, my wife and I both were very impressed with the story. It was fascinating to read about what really goes on in a metropolitan police department and after reading a few chapters we couldn't put the book down. We are both looking forward to reading another book by the same author.