This book wasn't the first book of Arthurian legend that I have read, but it was the one that made my mouth water for more. The book, although mostly about Arthur, describes in detail the passionate relationship between Guinevere and Lancelot. It has been awhile since I actually read it, but i've been looking for it since. I think it was the greatest book. This fantastic novel is a must-read for any Camelot fan.

Excalibur is one of those books that stay with you your entire life. It's beauty and fully realised characterizations have influenced me greatly for over 20 years since I read it in high school in the late 70's. I have been intrigued with King Arthur lore and tales of knights ever since. I'm even a professional jousting knight now at the New york Renaissance festival. However, Amazon.com lists this book as being published in '85. This can't be, because as I have stated, I read it in the late 70's. Regardless, if you love Arthurian tales, you must try to find this book. I've read nearly all of the Arthurian adaptations and this one, the first one, is still one of my favorites.

Arthur lives again in this excellent interpretion of the M'orte d' Arthur. From conception to death, Arthur's life is beatifully chronicled. This is one of the best books I have ever read!

I found Book 6 of The Kent Family Chronicles-" The Warriors", to be the best so far.The Civil War is in its closing months and Jeremiah Kent, second son of Jephta, walks hundreds of miles to Georgia, following his promise to his dying commander,Captain Rose who is worried about the fates of his wife and daughter when the Union Army seizes his plantation.Serena Rose, the captains daughter, is an evil vindictive young woman who drives Jeremiah to such a state of madness that she virtually forces him to shoot her to save his life.Realising that this act has put him beyond the pale, he changes his name and joins forces with an Indian.The pair become buffalo hunters and eventually outlaws. Michael Boyle, former protege of Amanda Kent, joins the crew of a company building the Union Pacific railway, where he meets Hannah, the daughter of a whisky selling pedlar. They marry,move to her home state and proceed to build a successful business. Gideon, blinded in one eye, works in a railway yard but soon sees the injustices perpetrated on the workers who are frequently injured and is determined to begin a union. Loius Kent is heavily involved in fraudulent stockmarket manipulations and comes to his just desserts.

keep going, they get even better....

John Jakes continues the series with another great one. Rich characters, great dialogue, and an interesting history lesson. He is consistently excellent.

Are you wondering what to give someone as a very special gift? THIS is the answer, or Ms Kiefer's other books on Christmas traditions, songs, poems, cartoons, recipes, with super-de-luxe photos that make you remember a visit there or just dream and really enjoy.

As a personal friend of the author I have seen the proofs of this beautiful book which ranks right up there with Ms. Kiefer's "A North Carolina Christmas" A great birthday or Christmas gift for ANYONE

In his historical series the Kent Chronicles author John Jakes wrote about the Battle of the Alamo (in "The Furies" I believe) from the perspective of a fictional woman who survives, but is lost to history. In "Susanna of the Alamo: A True Story" he revisits this story in fictional form again, but this time telling the story of Susanna Dickinson, the wife of Alamo defender Almeron Dickinson, who actually did survive the battle along with their 15-month-old daughter Elizabeth. The story Jakes tells spends as much time on the aftermath of the battle and what happened to the Dickinsons, which is significant because usually the story most students read in juvenile histories about the Alamo skip to the victory at the Battle of San Jacinto where San Houston's troop yelled "Remember the Alamo!" Jakes tries to avoid the legends that still exist about the story of the Alamo and stay faithful to the historical record, but admits gaps exist and some "facts" exist in different versions. Jakes tells of Susanna Dickinson's recovery in the hospital, her meeting with Santa Anna and the message he had her carry to Sam Houston in Gonzales. She tells the leader of the Texan army what happened to her husband and the other defenders of the Alamo. It is from that conversation that Jakes crafts a compelling idea that Susanna Dickinson played an important role in the quest for Texas independence. The book is designed and illustrated by Paul Bacon, whose pen and watercolor pictures capture the times and tenor of the tale. This is not the first book a student should read if they want to know about the Alamo, but once they have learned the basic history of these events they will find this version by John Jakes adds something to their understanding. Furthermore, I would suggest that adults interested in the Alamo would find this book of great interest as well. Susanna Dickinson remarried and never spoke of the Alamo again until late in her life and lived until 1883. In his talent hands, Jakes makes this woman more than a footnote to history. This book is what we would call a grace note.

Susanna of the Alamo is an excellent book that enables children to place themselves within a historical event. Susanna of the Alamo focuses on the only survivor of the tragic Alamo fight, Susanna Dickinson and her infant daughter. THe story is told from her point of view which gives the children today the ability to understand the fight as it was unfolding. I teach 5th graders and every year the book has brouight a tear to an eye and a solemn calm to my room. The children are able to place themselves in theat time period through Jakes work and not only understand what the Texas settlers felt but how they felt also. It is an excellent book with which to teach about the Alamo- I couldn't do it without it!

This book is going to explode a lot of misconceptions some people hold about those who write westerns. For one, the stories, written by some of the best and well-known writers in this genre, are chock full of character.

Take the opening story, by L'Amour. The dynamic person here is Angie Lowe, a woman who stands up in defense of her family to the Apache chief Cochise. If your expectations were for old fashioned cowboy and Indian yarns, this story and the others in the book will give you a lively time while they help set you straight.

All of the thirty stories in this anthology are loaded with emotion and tension, as well as authentic detail. After all, their periods of time and rough settings sit right on the hinge of change for America.

Not only will the reader get to sample the benchmark works of Owen Wister, Jack London, Max Brand, Luke Short, and Zane Grey, but, more importantly, there's the chance to meet the new torch-bearers of this alive and well genre: Elmer Kelton, Marcia Muller, Loren Estleman, Ed Gorman, John Jakes, and Peggy Simson Curry.

Many of the names of the living artists here should be familiar as masters in the mystery genre. They bring to their western writing the skills and focus that made their other fiction stand out in the crowd. Their works have action, dynamic conflict, and heros and heroines able to keep you turning the pages.

Take Ed Gorman's "Wolf Man," for instance. Here his established ability to write intense tales showcases live wolves, and he makes the reader not only care, but keep turning the pages to the gripping conclusion of his tale.

The short story is an American invention that traces its origin back to Poe. The best of them function as mini-novels, with character development and fully-developed stories. These stories ARE the very best of their kind. Add to that the dynamic growing pains America had during the era of these stories and you have the makings for spell-binding reading. Get this book for yourself, your library, or for those who think they have a handle on westernwritings -- watch that bubble pop to the reader's delight.

I'll be honest; John Jakes is the draw for me here. I found that this book introduced me to other authors that have a style I can get used to! the easy-read stories show a different view from top authors' typical writing, but without loosing their ability to draw from history. History comes alive, especially from these sad stories of lost souls. It has created a further interest on a subject that I have often overlooked.

This book features some of the most prominent authors born and bred in NorthWestern Ontario. I myself found the book intriguing, being from NW Ontario myself, because it references landmarks, sights, and sounds, common in Thunder Bay and surrounding areas. Nancy Bjorgo's story is without a doubt the one that stands out most in my mind in this incredible collection. I had no idea such talent resided in NorthWestern Ontario, the stories are powerful! If short fiction is your passion, pick this book up!

This book when first opened looked long and daunting, but one you get started there is no way to put it down! It chronicals two families, the Hazards and the Mains, through the build up to the Civil War. The Hazards are from the North while the Mains call the South home, and that often threats to break their friendship apart. It follows generations of the two families through the turblent Civil War, and even has correct historical references. It keeps the reader entertained through all 800 pages, and is worth reading for anyone interested in history, or just wanting to read a good book. I can often not read books longer than 400 pages without getting bored, but this one transended those boundaries and made me want to read it till the last page, and then i was disappointed it was over.

Jakes combines romance and history in this tale of two families, one Northern and one Southern, tied by friendship but almost torn apart by the turmoil the US experiences prior to the Civil War. I admire Jakes for beginning this book in the 1840s and tackling the pre-war era that is so important for fully understanding the war. So many historical fiction writers begin their works just as the war begins and the background is not properly set. Jakes' charcters, especially those of Orry, George, Charles, Madeline, Ashton, Brett and Billy are well drawn and capture the reader's sympathies. The television mini-series didn't do this book justice; it is an excellent read.

North and South is the story of the Hazard and Main families. George Hazard and Orry Main meet on the way to West Point. The two form a strong bond and become lifelong friends. In fact, the families become quite close. The bond and friendship of the families are tested by the events of the world and by family members. North and South tells us the events leading up to the Civil War and the impact they have on the two families.

This book is very well written. Mr. Jakes conveys many emotions during the 800+ pages. There is humor, sorrow, pity, anger, confusion, and love just to name a few. I couldn't help but feel sorry for the families and all they went through. Reading this book I think I got a great understanding of what the country must have been like during this time. There is a lot of detail put into the story. It makes it very interesting to read.

North and South is a book definitely worth reading. It will put you on the edge of your seat and keep you turning the pages to find out what will happen next. It doesn't matter if you're a history fanatic or not, this book is excellent. Definitely worth the time reading it.

I find The Joker to be a fascinating fictional character, and this collection of short stories definitely manages (at least for the most part) to get at what I feel is the true character of The Clown Prince of Crime. This little overlooked book is probably the best portrayal of The Joker this side of Alan Moore's The Killing Joke.

The quality of the stories is uneven, ranging from brilliant to forgettable. Unfortunately, the very best stories are all weighted toward the first part of the book and sets you up thinking that ALL of the stories will be that good. My favorites are "The Man Who Laughs" and "On a Beautiful Summer's Day, He Was." The latter, while being the least "Joker"-y of the lot, is also the most disturbing. "On the Wire" is also excellent, and although "Jangletown" falls into the average group, it's memorable for its description of the Joker (which brought shadows of Grant Morrison's Arkham Asylum) and the hints at pederasty. Most of the others are average but still entertaining and full of dark, disturbing moments (Bruce Wayne's punchline in "Dying is Easy, Comedy is Hard," the opening of "Bone," and the patricide in "Best of All"). The only story I flat out didn't like was "The Joker's Christmas."

I thought it was an excellent decision to use horror writers for the most part to bring The Joker to life...I can't imagine a genre he more belongs at home in.

Do yourself a favor a grab a copy of this book. It's truly unsettling.

This book consists of several short stories, each written by a different author, and all of them about the Joker. The stories are too short for me to tell you much about them, and besides, part of what makes this book great is the different angles taken on the Joker. Each story focus on the Joker, but each shows a different part of the whole Joker.
I would recomend this to any Batman fan, any comic fan, or anyone looking for good short stories.

To me, this book defines The Joker; A mean-spirited, incredibly intelligent, completely psychotic mass murderer with a way beyond warped sense of humor. I first read this book in High School. Once I picked it up, it was so amazing/disturbing I couldn't put it down until I'd read the whole thing. I wrote a paper on it that got me into AP English. Now 10+ years later, it was so good I'm searching for it again. This book is a KEEPER. Be careful who you loan it to, they might think so too.

I can't believe this book has gone out of print. I read it 25 years ago and I can still vividly recall many scenes. I wanted to get it for my teenage sons. There are characters that show the best in human nature, and the very worst. But most important are the characters, like Jaimie's father and the wagon train guide, that are a combination of faults and virtues. They show what character is when they face-or avoid-the difficulties that their shortcomings have caused.

I remember so vividly reading this book when I was in the 5th grade. While hiking with my 9 year old I was talking about this book and he can't wait to read it... if only we could find it. Help!

This is a touching, funny epic story of a boy's travels across the Wild West. It has remained on my personal list of favorite books since I first read it nearly 20 years ago. I promise I will buy the first fifty reissued copies to give as gifts.....men, women, young and old would love it. But don't take my word for it; it won a Pulitzer!