If I am not wrong, this book has been previously released under the title "Famous Mozart Operas. An analytical guide for the opera-goer and armchair listener", that's at least the title of the second edition I now have in front of me. For the readers acquainted with it, this new title may be a little misleading and suggesting a new revised edition. Equally misleading may be the double authorship: the Amazon.com database gives both Spike Hughes and Patrick Cairns Hughes as the book's authors, but this is simply a confusion resulting from the fact that Spike Hughes's real name - Patrick Cairns - has been used for copyrights. Hughes's book is a wonderful guide for anybody interested in Mozart operas - beginners will find here expert guidance through the operas' complicated plots, advanced Mozartians - a series of delightfully written essays highlighting many important points too often taken for granted. In the author's words, the book is meant to "serve as a supplement to those programmes found in most opera houses or to the analytical notes on the picturesque "sleeves" of L.P. records (I imagine that the new edition has "CD" here) which tell the story in more or less intelligible terms but do not always explain why the tenor should suddenly want to burst into a song, nor what he is singing about when he does". The guide contains 343 musical illustrations usually no longer than 5-6 bars, designed, according to the author, with the student of orchestration in mind, but this shouldn't set off anybody without a reading knowledge of music. Even without it, one is able to follow and enjoy Hughes's musical arguments easily - his language is simple and devoid of heavy specialistic jargon, though readers with no theoretical knowledge of music may sometimes need to consult a little dictionary of musical terms. I can't help thinking how wonderful it would be if such a delightful book - one of its kind - could be re-edited in our CD-room era with these musical illustrations actually played - or, even easier, supplemented by references to certain milestone recordings (just little notes on the margin referring to tracks and timing - nothing more simple in the CD era!). The book is divided into 5 chapters, each devoted to one opera ("Entfuehrung aus dem Serail; the three Da Ponte operas; Die Zauberfloete). Musical illustrations are inserted along the text and, where necessary, shortly discussed. These illustrations together with Hughes's insightful comments are the high points of the book and it would be difficult to find a popular introduction to Mozart's operas done with more charm combined with expertise. The guide is also very helpful in following stage productions of Mozart's operas either in the theater or on video. We have to remember that Mozart's stage instructions are very often skimpy and most of the important staging hints can be found in the libretti themselves (this seems to be of no importance to some opera directors today). Hughes's book offers its readers a vivid description of an "ideal" production, taking into considerations even the smallest of Mozart's stage directions. It also highlights certain difficult points, easily unnoticed, but important for the dramatic action. It is so easy to get lost in some of the plots - "Marriage of Figaro" being the best example - and Hughes does everything to make them as clear as possible, often borrowing helpful hints from literary works or other operas (here Beaumarchais's original play and Rossini's "Barbiere"). How many times did you wonder about the relation between Rossini's and Mozart's characters? If you are not eager to read Beaumarchais, this guide will answer all your questions. Here and there the author makes some mysterious statements that make you feel like a bad student who didn't do his homework. In the chapter on "The Magic Flute", page 200, description of Tamino's encounter with Papageno, brings a surprising piece of information about Papageno's past (supposedly told by Papageno himself): his "mother had been in the service of the ". I was really surprised, since the libretto - at last in the form I know it - never says anything about Papageno's mother, even more - the bird-catcher, asked by Tamino about his parents, declares that he knows nothing about them. Everything he knows, he continues, is that he has his straw hut nearby, which protects him "from the rain and cold". I don't know where the idea of Papageno's mother comes from, but before I suggest a mistake I would like to hear from more experienced Mozart opera lovers. The other strange statement appears in "Cosi fan tutte", when Despina, laughing at the two "Albanian" visitors' appearances, says - in Hughes translation: "What clothes! What faces! What moustaches! Are they Poles or Turks or what?" I am Polish and I was very surprised to find an allusion to Poles in no less than one of the Mozart's masterpieces, while the whole operatic literature contains maybe two or three. Despina, however, doesn't say Poles, she says "Vallacchi", what - if you listen to the opera without following the printed text - can easily be taken for "Polacchi". But Poland was hardly exotic in Mozart's times (in fact, it never was because of generally Western character of its culture) and making Guglielmo and Ferrando look like Poles wouldn't help create an exotic aura around them. "Vallacchi" are simply Wallachians or Rumanians, if we want to use a more familiar term, Wal(l)achia being a province of Rumania. These are, however, minor complaints about the book that cannot be praised enough for its charm, general expertise and beautiful language - the world of Mozart's operas as seen through it is now even more delightful (if it were possible). Indispensable!

This is a great book for young Hockey fans. It doesn't just focus on winning but on everything, the Ups and downs of playing the position of goalie. The book is filled with great pictures of Patrick in action. It is also easy enough to read for the younger fans.

Amazon has obviously not yet found this book for me. I suppose it's hard to find. If you know where I can get a copy of this book, please e-mail me: finkel@hawk.ucc.edu. To the person who e-mailed me concerning this book: if you have any information on the public school system in San Diego, please e-mail that to me. I've still got some space here... uh...uh..I'd like to thank so many people for bringing me to this point. Firstly, I'd like to thank God. Secondly I'd like to thank Mamie Eisenhower, Richard Speck and the Pied Piper of Hamlin. Gooo Piedy

I owned this book many years ago. I leant the book years ago and have missed it since. It is a wryly concocted compendium of much in life that is paradoxical in math, art, literature, music, movies and the world around us. Reading this book is like chasing your tail with the desired hope of never catching it. If you catch your tail, you might as well throw the book away! It is tough to classify this one on the bookstore shelf:art, mathematics, logic or humor. They all fit the bill. One of the great, mind opening, fun books to cherish and share. I guess this means I have to buy a new one from Amazon Books

I have reviewed Thomas Hughes' Dictionary of Islam, and I have found that, despite being written by an Englishman clergyman over 100 years ago, it presents a fairly comprehensive view of the Islamic faith, based essentially on the orthodoxy of the Hanifite (madhab)-- School of Islam Law.

Most of the scriptural information contained therein come from traditional Islamic texts (such as Mishkat al Masabih, Hidaya, etc.), but several biographical sketches and translations of the Qur'anic Surahs are based on the works of Western orientalists, containing inherent biases. By and large, the traditions and rules are universal and not subject to polemics.

The lexicon undoubtedly contain vast amount of information that can only be found in other voluminous texts and encyclopedias, such as the New Encyclopedia of Islam, still under production.

This dictionary will be of great value to the lay Muslim (wanting to know more about Islam) as well as the serious student of the faith. It contains far more historic information than the Concise Encylopedia of Islam by Cyril Glass, even though I put the latter a step ahead because it prepared by a man of the faith and it is more up to date.

Nonetheless, this book would be a good addition to anyone's library. I use it all the time for quick references, especially on 'far out' topics or questions including those that may be considered 'esoteric.'

I have no hesitation in recommending this book, if only because there is no other out there (produced from Muslim sources) that is available in a comprehensive format to the lay Muslim, outside that of Cyril Glass'.

This book, written by a Christian Missionary wandering in the Indian Sub-continent in the 1800's is a very copmprehensive work on the Islamic doctrines, beliefs and practices. It practically has a definition for every Islamic term or concept that you ever wanted to know. Apart from these it also contains informative articles on the lifestyles of Muslims in the 1800's on ceremonies like marriage, birth, death and other festivals and rites. Its many illustrations and easy to read format will prove invaluable to any one who wants to learn about Islam and Muslims and will be a great gift for non-muslim friends.