I use to go on travel with my motorcycle just one or two times a year. I'm really busy and I haven't too much time to plan these travels so I bought this book thinking it could help me to plan a travel by the Alps. But it was a surprise!!! All the travel was perfectly planned in this book! Hotels, Restaurants, special places, roads, etc. Just a little deception: the pictures are black and white!

I took John's first edition of this book and a map and rode the Alps and the Dolemites for ten days. We reviewed the routes and stops each morning and evening. This is a great resource if you are traveling in the area. I brought three other books on this topic and left them behind at hotels as the trip progressed, as I realized I did not need any other resources. Use this and an internet translator site (like Babelfish)and you can make your reservations in some of the same hotels that Edelweiss and other formal tour groups use.This new edition expands on the first by adding Corsica and updating the Alps/Dolemite section. It is a great read. John is the recognized authority on this area for those of us that don't speak other languages well, and don't live there.He is also correct in stating that the riding in this region is addictive.

Don't leave home without it! No one should go to the Alps or Corsica without this 2nd revision in hand. It contains a wealth of additional information and is virtually a complete rewrite of the first edition. It should rightly be called "Journeys Through the Alps & Corsica" because it is indispensible for all travelers regardless of mode of transportation. Traveling the recommended routes by motorcycle may be more fun but every piece of information is invaluable whether you're traveling by car, van, truck or bus. Following the recommended routes will put you in touch with the real Alps & real Corsica as well a provide an enormous amount of cultural and historical background. Highly recommended for all travelers.

Sasse is important not only because he is a famous Lutheran theologian who was around during Nazi Germany. More important, as this book demonstrates, the residual influence this man had upon his students and their students with the adapt theology of this great Christian.

Sasse was such an astute man of the history of the Christian church, and at the same time, an excellent exegete. His thought process is profound and succinct. Almost at times like the apostle John, appearing simple in sentence structure and vocabulary, yet profound when you begin to unpack each word with its depth and richness of meaning.

In this volume are the speeches of the Sasse conference by his students, i.e. Nagel, Feuerhahan, Kleinig, Marquart, Hardt. Also, other contributors influenced by Sasse contribute to this volume.

The contents are rich and vibrant with the substance of theology. Besides commentary of Sasse's life and writings, articles include: his relationship with the Third Reich, on worship, the confessing apostolic and catholic church, his reaction and interaction with Barth and natural theology, the mystery of sacred scripture, and his relationship with Rome.

From Sasse's own words come this admonition to the church: "When does the church exert its greatest influence in the world? When it is the church, wholly church and nothing else! When it brings its message which is alien to this world, to a world which wants to know nothing of it."

This collection of Sasse's essay written between 1927-1939 are thus particularly fascinating and enlightening as the context of the Nazi regime and intro to American Christianity way heavy on the author.

Here one will discover what it truly means to confess one's faith in light of pressure and temptation. Thus, the lonely way.

Confessional words from this studied church historian and exegete and ecumenist pour forth on observation of his own ecclesiastical scene as well as ours here in the States.

The opening essay is fascinating, since it entails Sasse's initial visit to America. His comments are penetrating and analytical, e.g. "This churchliness of life has a down side to be sure: the secularization of the church. ... Tkhey have opened their doors in part to modern civilization, which has endangered the purity and depth of the faith. Here is the reason for that superficiality of American church life which repulses us Germans." "The consequence of this, along with the concurrent leveling effect of American life, is an elimination of confessional anthitheses. .... All this has created a common religious atmosphere, in which the confessional lines are blurred. Thus fighting has been replaced by cooperation, one of the great American catchwords."

Delivered in 1928, an essay on the church as body of Christ is yet another of Sasse's confessional themes, strongly confessing the Lutheran substance of sacramental presence of Christ: "The church is the body of Christ, is identical with the body of Christ, which is really present in the Lord's Supper. The participation in the body and blood of Christ present in the Lord's Supper is synonymous with membership in his body."

Instructive thoughts and admonitions which provide more than ample reflective thought of their adaptation and input to current theological issues and ponderings.

A valuable resource for the church of the Reformation and those interested in listening in on this timeless saint of the Lord's literary output.

This is an outstanding guide to the best riding roads in the world. I recently took an organized motorcycle tour of the Alps. Good thing I took this book with me, as it quickly became my guide. Others on the tour were wondering how I found all the great roads!! If you are going to tour the Alps, buy this book now! Rates all the passes, with a short recap on each one.

Music In The Works Of Broch, Mann, And Kafka by John A. Hargraves is a serious, exhaustively researched studies of great literary works such as "The Death of Virgil," "The Sleepwalkers," and "Doctor Faustus" and the role music plays within the depths of the written words. Erudite, persuasively written and adhering to the rigorous demands of scholarship, Music In The Works Of Broch, Mann, And Kafka is a college-level and highly recommended literary study that lends a deepening appreciation to the subtle nuances of three great writers in German literature, music, linguistics, and culture.

This is a carefully thought-through way to change the way you relate to food. It's based on the simple idea that you're not going to change your habits overnight, so you're asked to make changes over the course of time. You lose weight by paying more attention to what you're eating, and not eating too much of it -- it's not a typical diet program.

Independent of the book, the program is also offered on the web at changeone.com -- which may be a unique tie-in with a book of this kind. They're offering a free trial week there now.

I bought ChangeOne by John Hastings almost a month ago and it has been a lifesaver! I poured through the book section looking for something that would help me to permanently take off the extra weight I have been carrying for years. Every book out there, had a gimmick. Protein diets, the Hawaii diet, Sugar Busters, Atkins, etc. I wanted to skip the diet and go straight to maintenance so that I could change my lifestyle to become healthier and thinner. ChangeOne contains the basic information that you need to learn about eating healthier, portion control and how to deal with eating out, family pressure and social gatherings. They have meal suggestions and calorie guidelines. Everything in this book makes sense. Eat healthy. Watch your portions. Exercise. The weight comes off slowly, but surely. I have lost almost 30 lbs in 13 weeks, which is not slow, but I went on the "Fast Track" by incorporating the entire program during the first week instead of one meal at a time. When you understand what size portions you should be eating and begin to follow that routine, you will feel satisfied after eating. I love the website that supports the book changeone.com and I have had no problems accessing any part of the website. I have 20 more pounds to lose and I'm looking forward to losing it and maintening it with ChangeOne!

Change One is a breath of fresh air. Finally, I've found a diet book that is not based on bogus science or the fad du jour. It's based on common sense. It's based on eating a balanced diet and mixing in a little exercise. The problem with any diet is sticking to it, and it seems that the whole point here is that Change One gives me the tools to make necessary changes in my own life patterns to eat well and keep unwanted weight off. With the kind of balanced approach described by Change One, I've been able to get my weight down to a trim 167 pounds for the first time in many years. I recommend the Change One approach to anyone serious about health and weight loss.

Daniel H. Adler, MD
Weston, Connecticut

I picked this up out of curiosity, without reading the "Books of Magic" first (I am doing so now) as I don't normally read comic books. I found the initial first pages confusing, but the pages following that caught me up.

The story begins amid the ending panels of "Summonings", then proceeds back in time several centuries to a tiny girl named Rose, who stumbles into the Queen of the Faerie. Rosebud quickly becomes a favorite of the Queen - and as she grows into adulthood, is also a "favorite" of the King (if you take my meaning). When Queen Dymphna mysteriously vanishes, the King marries Rosebud - who takes on the name of Titania. (Starting to sound familiar?) The new queen also sort of morphs into a fairy.

More familiar characters resurface as the king dies, and his nephew Auberon takes over the throne and marries the queen. But during a venture to Earth, Titania meets and falls in love with a man named Tam Lin. Her love affair with him is cut short when she becomes pregnant and gives birth to an apparently-human baby, who vanishes along with a nursemaid. Thus starts the life of Timothy Hunter...

Even if you're not familiar with the Books of Magic, this is diverting and entertaining, especially if you know about the legend of Tam Lin. The artwork is so so--often it looks like the artist put a sketch instead of a finished panel (like when Dymphna cries out "My torque!") and Titania's facial shape sometimes looks plain silly.

Overall, a very enjoyable comic. I also recommend the sequel, "Auberon's Tale" (tell me, am I alone in finding him VERY sexy?)

I've been reading through the Books of Magic series of graphic-novel compilations, and getting them in an odd order occasionally (based on what I can find when). Reading this volume made much of one particular volume of the Books of Magic make incredible amounts of sense - it's the backstory, the story that happens between the volumes. It also, however, stands on its own quite well. If you like Neil Gaiman, Emma Bull, or modern fantasy and fairy tales at all, I highly recommend this. A lovely fey tale, full of magic, betrayal, and secrets.

I've read these books slightly out of order, so getting to know the woman whom Molly O'Reilly referred to as "the green bitch" was a rare treat. This lovely, touching collection shows the origins of the girl who would become Titania, as well as introducing Tamlin the falconer at his first appearance in Faerie. Titania and Auberon meet for the first time, and we gain an understanding of their complex and difficult relationship. This book also sheds some light on the birth of Timothy Hunter. Really, I can't recommend this series highly enough.

John Jakes has done it again with another great historical epic. The writing and images put the reader in that era. I felt like a part of the Crown family. It was a long book, but I could not put it down!

This is the first work of John Jakes that I have read and will definately look for his others.

I have read similar novels abour immigrants and the turn of the century, but this one was of higher quality. Jales told a really good story with excellent character development. It is also the story of America in the 1890s and all the changes of that era.

The characters are well drawn and interesting. I also liked that historical figures (Edison, Teddy Roosevelt, Clara Barton, Jane Addams) also wander in and out.

The story is mostly the experiences of new German immigrant, Paul Crown. Paul is a truly interesting character and he really grows throughout the story.

I look forward to reading the sequel becuase I was sorry when Homeland eneded......

Does picking up a book that is 1200 pages long discourage you in any way? It didn't discourage me because it was John Jakes who wrote it. Before picking this up to read it, I see he says this is his best so far. As for being his best, I can't really say that because it wouldn't be fair on his other works, I will simply say this: It is a FANTASTIC read. Full of action, suspense, romance, intrigue, and of course, richly layered with accurate and precise historical information in a way that only John Jakes can. An absolute must for anyone who likes historical novels.

.......but that is just about it, I couldn't even follow what was going on, and what they were doing, even with the pictures. The best part of this comic book (and they didn't mention that it was a comic book when I bought it, so I was very surprized) was the last few end pages, when I finally figured out what it all meant. The last pages were the BEST of the whole comic-book.

Then this book is for you. This is a good follow up to the first trade paperback in the series, but can also stand on its own. The artwork is very good overall and detailed, consistent with Sandman and Books of Magic.

I have been captivated by the world of Faerie ever since I encountered it in the "Sandman" books by Neil Gaiman. This book in the spinoff series "The Books of Faerie" gives a glimpse of (my personal favorite character) Auberon as a child, before he became King. It's fascinating to see the that Auberon used to be.

There are other familiar characters here as well, such as Dymphna, Obrey and even the Amadan. As with all the books in these series, the art is beautiful and the stories are well-written and engaging. There is even a Timothy Hunter story at the end, "Dark As Day, My Lady, Bright As Night."

I highly recommend the "Sandman" books and all of their related series to my friends and fellow booklovers, and "Auberon's Tale" upholds the high standards already set. A lovely and entertaining read.

As an avid reader of everything John Jakes writes, and having been entranced by "Homeland", I waited, with great anticipation, the second installment of "The Crown Family Chronicles" as this story could be known. Unfortunately, this tome was not up to the standard which Jakes has previously established. While the interactions of the various members of the Crown family with famous personages from the period were eagerly expected, the plot was uninspired and seemed contrived only to place the characters in juxtaposition with the historical figures. Where "Homelands" plot and subplots were interwoven to create a "quiltlike" illustration of life in 19th century Chicago, the subplots in "American Dreams" were lineal and entirely predictable. As the novel approaches its conclusion, the story becomes more inventive, but the overall impression it leaves is not the thrill experienced at the conclusion of other Jakes's works. Similarly, unlike the volumes of "The Kent Family Chronicles", there is no denouement. Rather, in "American Dreams", the story simply stops. Conversely, this does create a sense of anticipation for the third volume of what was originally to be a trilogy. Another volume IS needed for a sense of conclusion to the story. While I have enthusiastically recommended Jakes in the past, I am left with mixed emotions after reading "American Dreams". Please, Mr. Jakes, find your muse and give your fans another "Homeland".

John Jakes has done it again. Starting with "Homeland", he continues the Crown family saga. This time, the background is set in the first quarter of the 20th Century, with the beginning of the pictures, aviation, racing, etc.

Through the different paths the Crown children have followed, we learn of how hard and exciting life was during those years. Be it movie making, or racing or even aviation, grounds were being broken in every field thanks to new inventions and daring men and women.

Again, the author has used his master storytelling to present to us the characters, their ideals and struggles and how the each strived to live their life at their fullest.

Great writing and storytelling, great book!

As most people of my acquaintance know, in my eyes, John Jakes is king. His characters never fail to intrigue; his seamless insertion of historical facts never cease to amaze, and his intermingling of fictional characters and real-life personages is his unequaled specialty. The eight-book series, "The Kent Family Chronicles," along with the "North & South Trilogy," remain my all-time favorites in the genre of historical fiction. These are the very books that inspired me to try my hand at novel writing. For that alone, Mr. Jakes has my undying gratitude and admiration.

Needless to say, any and all new offerings by this extraordinary talent are eagerly anticipated. And how I eagerly anticipated "American Dreams," which begins where the marvelous "Homeland" ended, albeit a few years later.

I will admit, I experienced mild disappointment when first I began reading. Oh, not that the characters, storyline, and historical details are anything but typical Jakes magic, but I was expecting the novel to feature Paul Crown, the young man who (in "Homeland") immigrated from Germany to Chicago in the late 1800s to make a new life for himself as a moving-picture camera operator during the Spanish/American war. Since Paul had proven himself a worthy lead character, I was hoping this sequel would dwell on his further adventures. Certainly, Paul does make an appearance, but in "American Dreams" he has been relegated to more of a minor role. Mr. Jakes, instead, has opted to feature Paul's cousins from Homeland, Fritzi Crown, and, to a lesser degree, her brother Carl.

My disappointment, thankfully, was short-lived. It soon becomes clear that Fritzi Crown is worthy of the starring role she is given. Though not a standard beauty, with her skinny legs, flat chest, and shock of wiry and unmanageable blonde hair, this tomboy does have a "certain something," a uniqueness that makes her unforgettable to the many persons she will meet as the story progresses.

Fritzi immediately charmed me. In the opening chapter, while thwarting a possible rape beside the waters of Lake Michigan, and without the aid of her trusty weapon of choice-a sharp hat pin-Fritzi relies on her natural-born gift for imitation.

"Don't let the long hair fool you, bub," she says to her would-be attacker in a replica of his manly baritone. "You've got the wrong fellow."

The tramp's vast shock gives her the seconds needed to make good her escape. This talent, along with her quick thinking and unwavering determination, will eventually make her a star. With dreams of a stage career (much to her father's dismay), Fritzi soon heads for New York City.

Her road, however, proves difficult, and at times, perilous. We follow Fritzi's less-than-meteoric rise to stardom, from her days as a starving thespian seeking that ever-elusive noteworthy role, to her steady gain in popularity by becoming, in her desperation, an actress in silent pictures, a medium she rather detests.

As with all of his previous historical work, Mr. Jakes comes through in spades, placing the reader smack dab in the center of the early motion-picture industry, from the hills of New Jersey to a one-horse town called Hollywood. While forging friendships with the likes of Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, and Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, Fritzi makes a name for herself in one- and two-reelers. Her comedic timing, unconventional appearance, and chameleon-like expressions prove a powerful box-office draw. Still, despite her healthy income and growing success, Fritzi yearns to return to the stage. She doesn't want to be labeled a "film" actress, but a "serious" actress. Can she make the split with Hollywood and return to New York City, especially after she loses her heart to a movie extra?

Along with Fritzi's story, we also spend some time with her brother. Obsessed with all forms of transportation, the young Carl Crown heads for Detroit. There, he makes friends with Henry Ford, works on the racing circuit for Barney Oldfield, and forsakes love and marriage to a beautiful heiress, all for his dream to become an aviator.

In England, Paul Crown continues his career as a camera operator. Married and with a growing family, he finds himself in the company of people like Winston Churchill, filming often-violent suffragette movements in London, and capturing on newsreel footage the darker moments in human history, especially with the outbreak of the first World War.

The bottom line? Knowing how I feel about the author, do I even need to spell it out? Well, perhaps I should, in order to make it abundantly clear...

Throughout these 500 pages, Mr. Jakes delivers the goods. I daresay, out of all Mr. Jakes's female characters, Fritzi Crown came extremely close to beating out "North & South's" Madeline Main as my favorite. And believe me, that says a lot. In my humble opinion, though "American Dreams" might not be the best book Mr. Jakes has ever written, I still believe it outshines 99% of all other historicals on offer. Like all commendable historical novels, the characters in are enchanting, complicated, and utterly human. The history is detailed, convincing, and absolutely flawless. The story is occasionally amusing, ofttimes poignant, and always gripping. For anyone who has an interest in the days leading up to World War I, early auto racing and manufacturing, or the film industry in its infancy, this book is a must-read.

There, now, I've said it. And is anyone truly surprised?

Long live the king!

Trace Edward Zaber, Owner/Editor - Of Ages Past Magazine