Saving the Queen is the best of the Blackford Oakes spy novels. It's the only one that is light hearted and totaly unlike Buckley's columns. Blacky is at his best in this fun and exciting spy caper. What a shame this delightful book is out of print.

Blackford Oakes, CIA operative, is sent to Great Britian to track down a spy who is passing nuclear secrets to the Soviets. It's his first mission, and it's definitely an unusual one (OK, all of Blacky's missions are unusual). I've read all of Buckley's Blackford Oakes series and each is fun and entertaining. Each details an interesting theory/fantasy into a particular piece of history; each seems fairly plausible. I recommend all of WFB's spy novels. Read one and you'll find that you're hooked.

This is, without a doubt, one of the best spy novels (and series) that one can and will ever read. Mr. Buckley creates Blackford, a most wonderfully swave and gorgeous character, who makes the book a joy to read. I am a big James Bond fan, but I found that while the movies are great, the books are mostly dull. If a Blackford Oakes book is this great, I can only speculate how spectacular a movie would be. I have now finished all the books in the series, and would definately recomend them, regardless Democrat or Republican. I actually cried after reading one (The Story of Henri Todd), but please, dear reader, wait and read them in order, they are even more enjoyable that way.

I've just received this book today and must admit that there are a lot of jigs in there. This is no router initiation book that teaches bit maintenance and such but focuses on jigs to make the work easier. Although certain jigs are a bit more complicated than others, I find that I could easily build any of the jigs (except the turning table) in a weekend. I think that the person who wrote a review saying that this book is complicated must really be under confident. This book contains plans and instructions to build every possible jig for a router! I recommend it!

The router table plans are worth the price of admission. Simple design, instructions and operation. And, just to show us all that no one's perfect, he included a photograph of some "pot metal" he broke while tapping an existing hole in a router base. The technique for assembling the router table also serves as an excellent instrucional guide on how to build a counter top and apply and properly trim laminate. It won't make you an expert overnight, but when you're done with the router table, you'll feel more confident about building and laminating countertops. Lot's of other small gems throughout the book. Highly recommend to beginners and intermediate woodworkers.

Bill Hylton's first router book, "Woodworking with the Router", is a tough act to follow, apparently even for the original author. Where the "Woodworking with..." book is a discussion of routers, routing, woodworking, and problem solving using the router, this edition is, as its title suggests, a collection of the jigs and fixtures discussed and illustrated throughout the earlier collection. The emphasis here is answering your question of "how can I build a flumfungwoozle to do XYZ?"; it presumes you already perceived the need for the flumfungwoozle. The first volume starts on the other side of the problem: "How can I do XYZ?", and presents the flumfungwoozle along with other ways it can be done. (I hope that makes sense.) Given this difference in organization, the "Router Magic..." book is more suited to the advanced woodworker, while "Woodworking with...", I think, is suitable for all levels.

I own both. I read "Woodworking with..." for fun and for inspiration, and then maybe refer to "Router Magic..." to see other variants of how else something might be done. I would recommend both, but "Woodworking with..." gets the nod if you only intend to get one or the other. In either case, beginners should start there, instead of here, for the basic why's, what's, how's and everything else.

This book is not for advanced users wanting to learn more about V8 or its working as it deals very sparingly with V8.The book should rather be called "Outside Microstation V8 Looking In"

I pre-ordered this book since this is about the only V8 book out there. When I recieved it, the name was different than advertised but the ISBN number is correct. Apparently this is not a new book but an update to the old one. What a waste. Someone should fire the editor of the book because many of the things that have been updated like pictures do not match the text or vice versa. This book glances over all of the new V8 items instead of going into them in depth. This book is good for beginers using J (v7) but I don't recomend it for someone using v8. I have been using v8 since it came out and I must say this book taught me almost nothing that I didn't already know. There are many customization things I would like to know how to do and this book doesn't even mention this. Like another reviewer said, this isn't a cover all bases book like the many books available for Autocad. Most of those book are also twice as thick.
I had high hopes for this book since Frank Conforti works for or with Bentley and he has answered many questions on the bentley newsgroups. Apparently neither him nor anyone else has time to fully explain all of the added functionality of V8.

As a new user of Microstation (but already familiar with AutoCAD), I've found the book presented in logical order and in an understandable fashion. It has a simple step-by-step approach for studying. As I go through page-by-page, I'm gaining compentence in the use of this program.

This is Shakespeare's 2nd last play. Yet, nothing indicates that he was running out of steam. The images are beautiful. Stephano, Caliban, and Trinculo are memorable as the bumbling conspirators. Miranda and Ferdinand are fine as the two young lovers. Ariel is striking as Prospero's loyal servant. Prospero is a magnificent creation. Not only does he offer several beautiful and memorable passages, but he is well drawn as a character who was unfairly forced into exile. He also makes his prison his paradise. In addition, he is a fine representation of Shakespeare himself: "Knowing I loved my books, he furnished me / From mine own library with volumes that / I prize above my dukedom" (1.2.166-168). His speeches in 4.1 and 5.1 also reflect how Shakespeare himself was contemplating the end of his career. The story itself is very well drawn. Shakespeare grabs our attention with a storm at sea. He offers us a reflection of himself, comical touches, beautiful images, profound passages, beautiful language, young lovers, comical villains, and deep messages. If you like this, be sure to read his final play "Henry VIII."

Yes, there is once again murder brewing in the play of Shakespeare but only in a comical way. Not able to claim to be a Shakespeare expert, I have only read four of his other plays. However, it is in my opinion that this be the best one, most likely because it is a comedy and is much lighter that his other plays. This classic play tells the story of the former Duke of Milan who was wrongly dethrowned by his brother. Using his magical power that originally expelled him from Milan, he is able to bring the King (Alonso), Alonso's brother (Sebastian),his own brother (Antonio) and other servants to the his mostly vacant island. Ordering about the spirit Ariel, he manipulates his way into an interesting and funny situation. There is much to gain from reading this wonderful play which is one of Shakespeares last. I recommend this book to Shakespeare lovers and even more so, to variety readers such as myself. You won't be dissapointed by the plays light mood which is much better than Shakespeares serious murder stories.

Compared to some other works of William Shakespeare, "The Tempest" may be the deepest in meaning. To Shakespeare's credit, this play is also, unlike many of his others, largely original and of his creation. The characters are bloody well developed and the interloping themes bring you into the play. It is also amazing to follow the metaphorical parallelisms in the character of Prospero that reflect on Shakespeare himself. Essentially, Shakespeare announces the end to his writing days in this play. Read how Shakespeare went out like a champ! "The Tempest" is a universal story and its ideals can be placed in our contemporary society and culture.

Vathek is another work in an endless series with the Faust myth as its backbone. Except here, instead of being set in Germany, the setting is the ancient middle east in which genies and devils inhabit the land.

Vathek is a caliph who is loved but also feared by his people. In fact, if he really loses his temper, just the sight of his gaze can cause death. His court makes The Satyricon look like a sunday school with its voluptuousness and excess. There are even five wings of his palace, with each one dedicated to a sense with names such as "The Delight of the Eyes" and "The Palace of Perfumes". Oh, the decadence! Of course someone as attached to physical gratification as Vathek is sure to stomp on the moral and religious boundaries of Allah and get in trouble.

Much like God and Yahweh in the Book of Job, Allah allows Vathek to be tempted and tried by demons as a bizarre test of his faith. Actually, maybe in both cases it was a test of God's faith in man. The faith that man will do the right thing in the end. That he will turn away from evil. That he will have an epiphany which will redeem him. Vathek isn't so lucky.

An evil being in the disguise of a man, called the Gaiour, comes to Vathek's court with all sorts of magical artifacts which seem to give their bearer otherworldy powers. Vathek becomes entranced by the thought of having powers over spirits and other men and begins to follow a direct line to eternal hell. In order to court evil spirits, Vathek becomes a mass murderer, a blasphemer, a betrayer, a killer of his own people. He is helped in this by his mother, Carathis, who hasn't even heard the word goodness. She constructs a tower much like the Tower of Babel, in order to reach to the gods and to serve as storage for her arcane items.

The book, much like Dante's Inferno, becomes a little much at times. I mean, how many deeds of evil can we experience before we go, "ok, he's going to Hell now!" Sometimes you sense that some of this is intentional and tongue in cheek. At other times, you're horrified at the evil that most of the characters do. Any characters that are good are trampled upon by the evil. The last couple of pages are truly disturbing. I liked this book and would recommend it to anyone that keeps an open mind about fantasy or who is interested in the question of how much knowledge is too much knowledge.

Those are the three categories that I've seen this story put in. Vathek tells the tale about a man with an exceedingly high tower. This man named Vathek is very greedy. The reading can be a little rough at times, which is why I took off one star, but there are some very memorable scenes. Two that really stick out in my mind are: When the stranger in the dungeon escapes. And when Vathek ascends his tall tower, thinking how tall he stands over his minions--then he looks up at the stars and grimaces, because the stars are still the same distance away. Both of these scenes are towards the beginning, which I think is the best part of the book. The middle details Vathek's journey to some far off place. But then it picks up again towards the end. I don't normally read Gothics--if this IS a Gothic, opinions vary--but it is a very good book and definitely one I plan on adding to my permanent collection. Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges gave enthusiastic mention to this book in one of his works.

Leaving aside the question of whether this book is a 'gothic' novel or not, it is a dark fantasy. It shares with its more conventionally gothic brethren a tale of dark deeds in an exotic setting, where an alien and exciting religion is practised.

In the standard Gothic tale, allusions to Roman Catholicism, thought of by respectable Englishmen as a dark, oppressive, and half-pagan faith, were part of the conventional apparatus. Beckford chose instead to imagine the world of Islam, an even more exotic milieu that added some flashes of bright colours to the dark and sorcerous background of his book. His choice of an even more exotic setting allowed him greater freedom in portraying characters who defied social convention and fell into exotic habits of mind.

My understanding is that it is a matter of some debate to what extent the English text of -Vathek- is a translation from the French, or an original English composition. I do not have the French text in front of me, but it has been represented to me that Beckford's "original" French is rather like the French of Oscar Wilde's -Salome-, and needed extensive editing to be acceptable to a French readership.

At any rate, -Vathek- is a prime example of early dark fantasy. The description, of course, will be richer than you are used to, but Beckford's prose actually seems to move quite quickly. Fans of H. P. Lovecraft or Clark Ashton Smith will find that it is quite easy to slip into. And the tale is indeed a vivid one, right up to the exceptional ending when Vathek and Carathis are damned to the halls of Eblis, their hearts seared with unquenchable fire.

This is a good edition of the story, and the notes and maps are helpful.

This is 2001. What you get is a book that is not up to date on cannabis growing techniques and procedures. So make sure that you know this before you buy this book. But it gets worse......let me think back to 1990 when I got this book. I can tell you that it was not even up to date back then. This is a PROBLEM will Mel Frank's books. They are old and dated and not followed up on. Because cannabis growing was somewhat new to these people and because of laws banning cannabis production in the U.S, you can guess that these guys did not have a lot of information to play around with. What you get is the best that they could offer at the time, but unfortunately I would really have to invite you to consider the fact that this writer is just a writer and not a good grower. That is probably the reality of the situation too. Maybe he does a great deal of research or maybe he has tried to do his best, but his words do not work out in practice. This book, much like his other works, contains information that is not correct, not factual and will not help you grow a good plant. What you will get is some very basic information on growing that will cause you to make mistakes. Learning comes through experience but at the same time when people try to sell you information like this, they should at least try to get the basics right. They have not done this and even worse, the book's growing advice is not good.

If you ask the cannabis growing community about writers like Mel Frank they will tell you that they got the book, read it, tried it and then went to seek help from someone who knew what to do. This has been the backbone for major complaints that the growing community has had about this book. That it seems to have been written by somebody who does not grow, or does not grow well and that is the bottom line about this book.

When you read reviews from people who are praising this book and other Mel Frank books you might consider the fact that they have never actually applied his words to practice or have seen what proper well produced cannabis plants look like in reality. Mel Frank is very popular among 16 year olds who show this book to their friends, and really that is the books market. It is for teenagers who like to read books about pot. If you want to learn how to grow cannabis and are serious about growing a nice plant or two in your garden or indoors, then find something else other than this book. This book will not give you a proper grounding in basic cannabis growing.

If you read Ramarom's review, you might notice that it is overly critical and does not offer any alternative works to support his/her viewpoints. You can also click on Ramarom's link to read his/her other reviews. They are uniformly critical. They all maintain that the books are out of date and would not be used by a sensible grower. However, Ramarom does nothing to inform the reader of how to find quality books. Rest assured, Mel Frank's books are fine, his methods sound. I don't know what Ramarom's agenda is, but it does not appear to be to help growers.

A more apt title would be the marijuana grower's bible. You would imagine that a weed would lend itself to cultivation, even by the most stoned and inept among us, but its not so simple. Mel Frank, God bless him, has laid it all out for you, so you can start and produce quickly, avoiding the pitfalls that any novice would make. If the subject interests you, then this book will enthrall you.

This is not Curved Air's best disc, but it certainly deserved more respect, and a better fate on the charts, when first released. The band went through various personnel changes--several fine musicians came and went--but, let's face it, most people who were, and are, Curved Air fans are people like me who enjoy the artistry and unique voice of Sonja Kristina !

There is something mystical and dream-like about her singing, and ( for me ) the outstanding tracks here, " Broken Lady", "Juno" and the epic " Moonshine " are a tribute to Sonja's vocal talent.
The bonus track here is "Baby Please Don't Go", the old blues standard that is fun, but not really suited to Curved Air--Them featuring Van Morrison had the last word on this one !
On the whole though, if you are unfamiliar with the band, this disc should not be your first choice--but if you are hooked on Curved Air, and Ms. Kristina, you will find much to enjoy.

Being slightly disappointed by "Lovechild" and "Second album", I wondered if I should buy another Curved Air record. Finally, I decided to get this one. Well, I have to say that this is a very good album, equally fine as their debut "Air conditioning". "Airborne" continues with the jazz-rock of "Midnight wire", but on a more melodic and less pretentious note. The playing of the band (once again featuring drummer Stewart Copeland who also co-wrote some songs) is tighter and more engaged. Without getting trite, the music flows like a well-oiled machine. The delicate pop song "Desiree" leaves you wallking on air for the rest of the day. Other standout tracks are "Kids to blame", "Hot and bothered", and "Baby please..", but everything here is good, even the 11-minute megawork "Moonshine". Unfortunately, this album failed to chart and Curved Air soon disbanded after its release.

I just had to comment on this book. I have had it for a while and have been readking it slowly, piecemeal, for some time and am not yet finished. However, it, ( and other things) have already had the effect of my ordering other books on my faith, Roman Catholcism, in order to inform myself and prepare myself for my return to The Church in the not too distant future. I read the reviews here today, and i thought that the review specifically complaining about the author's having enlisted the help of Clare Booth Luce, Malcolm Muggeridge and Fr. Niehaus as members of his "Forum" was a customer review. I went to check the book on this point of fact : the first two of these were both dead before the author could ask them to particpate and so of course they did not. When I came back to this page, I discovered that the review in which this error had occurred was NOT a customer review, it was a professional review. The error was made by the reviewer for the Kirkus Review. Even if this is a minor point relative to what he was trying to say, I think that he should have been more accurate. Also that's not all that's wrong with that review, and other similar criticisms: there wasn't a thing wrong with the idea of his "Forum", nor with its content and presention, nor with his presentation of the opinions of others. Had either or both or Clare Booth Luce and Malcolm Muggeridge been alive and able to join his "Forum" so much the better. Also, I have yet to read "Experiencing Lourdes" but I seriously doubt that any of the criticisms of the chapter are valid. Further, I do not accept (thought I will have to live with) the abolition of the Latin Mass, nor do I think it had the intended effect or a desirable one. I attended, from 1st to 6th grade, a Roman Catholic day school that was also a convent in Ohio. We had Low Mass in Latin every day of the week before classes except Friday, and we had High Mass, which of course the whole school (1-12) sang in Latin, every Friday. We did NOT sound bad! No one was "reserved". It was the most natural thing in the world. I'm sure I wasn't the only one that loved it. I am sure I'm not the only one that misses it. The paert(s) of the book devoted to the current state of affairs in the preparatory schools dicussed was not boring, irrelevant or unimportant. For part of high school I attended a prep school in Massachusetts which has long since ceased to exist probably because their first headmistress, who had been there for years when I got there, was considered to be irrepaceable. She was a converted Catholic, and many of the teachers were Catholic. Attendance at a Christian church every Sunday was mandatory for all students and we were all taken to our respective churches on the schools buses. When I complained to one of the teachers and the headmistress that I was losing my faith, they got a priest to come and talk to me for an hour on a regular basis which helped at the time. So these things do matter. I count this book and this author among the helpful influences which are resulting (and will have resulted relatively soon, I'm sure) in my permanent return to The Church. I am thankful for these.

I just had to put my two cents worth in about this book. I have been reading it slowly, and piecemeal, over some time, and have some rereading to do and a way to go. However, it has already happened that I am getting other books on the subject of my faith, Roman Catholicism, --now--knowing that this is going to result in my return to The Church--after many, many years of absence--in the not too distant future. What I had to comment on is perhaps a minor point, but I really must. I read the reveiws of this book here today, and I thought that the reveiw that complained about, specifically, the author's having enlisted the help of Clare Booth Luce, Malcolm Muggeridge, and Fr. Niehaus as members of his "Forum" was a customer review. I went to check the book on this point o fact: the first two were both dead before the author could ask them to particpatein his "Forum"-so of course they did not. I came back to this page only to dicover that the review in which this error had been made was not a customer review at all--the reviewer for the Kirkus Review made this error. I think he should at least get his facts correct, even if perhaps this is small point relative to what he was trying to say. Also that is not all that's wrong with that reveiw. In the first place, there is noithing wrong with the author's having had his "Forum"--and had either or both of Clare Booth Luce and Malcolm Muggeridge been able to join it--so much the better. Not only was there nothing wrong with it--it was a good thing. I have yet to read "Experiencing Lourdes" but I seriously doubt that the criticisms of it--whether by any professionals or customers-- are valid. Further, I am absolutely unaccepting (though I will have to live with it) of the fact that the Latin Mass has been abolished--and I don't happen to feel that the change has had the intended effect, or a positive one. I attended a private Roman Catholic day school in Ohio from 1st to 6th grade which was also a convent--and we had Low Mass (in Latin) every morning before classes except Fridays when we had High Mass which of course the entire school (1-12) sang in Latin. No one had a problem singing. No one was "reserved". It was the most natural thing in the world and I loved it, and I'm sure I wasn't the only one. Also, we dod NOT sound bad! Further, I don't think that the part of the part(s) of the book devoted to the deveolpement of the current situations and states of affairs in the preparatory schools dicussed was irrelevant, boring, or anything of the kind. I hadn't heard of his prep school--and he may never have heard of mine which was in Massachusetts and has long since ceased to exist, probably becuase the first headmistress, who had been there for years when I got there, was irreplacable. The headmistress was a converted Catholic, and other teachers werre Catholic. Attendance in a Christian church every Sunday was mandatory. When I complained to one teacher and the headmistress that I was losing my faith, they got a Catholic priest to come and talk to me on a regular basis which helped for as long as I was there, at least. So these things do matter. I count this book (and its author) among the helpful influences which are resulting in (and will have resulted in, I'm sure) my return to The Church.

This was the book that drove some important decisions in my life. Mr. Buckley has gathered from his own experience some deeply personal relections on Roman Catholic faith. I cherish his effort in writing about his life and knowledge of the church in a manner that is spiritual and reflective of a deep sense of grace. Chapter 8 on Christ's Crucifixion and Chapter 9 about St. Bernadette's experience at Lourdes were stunning to me. I was quite struck by the personal honesty displayed for public view, but I got a sense that Mr. Buckley might someday return to the subject for a sequel. Hopefully he will continue to explain Catholicism in his interesting, witty and challenging manner. Although this book was a tremendous joy to read, it is at times challenging in it's vocabulary and depth of intellectual thought. Well worth the effort for the appreciative reader searching for some of the toughest theological questions. Casual readers will probably find the slog of the first few chapters more difficult that easier digested works. A Five Star Feast for faithful inquirer's of Roman Catholicism.

"Chosen By Fate..." is a quick (less than 200 pages) and understandable read. However, that doesn't make it a great book. McKinley Lee goes to great lengths to paint himself, Suge Knight and the entire Death Row label as "victims" of a corrupt system and rampant jealousy. Lee makes no effort to provide an unbiased account, as his loyalty to the label that employed him as Snoop Dogg's bodyguard is evident on every page. The end result is a book that lacks the bite, depth and inside dirt of Ronin Ro's Death Row Records-themed work "Have Gun, Will Travel..." Lee chooses to cover the major hitmakers on the label (Tupac, Snoop, Dre, Suge) with others (Daz, Kurupt, Rage, etc.) receiving barely a mention. In addition, the bulk of the text revolves around Lee and Snoop's highly publicized murder case. Considering Lee was the trigger man (and pleaded 'self-defense') he doesn't provide much more than "I was just doing my job" as an explanation. Lee talks about the feeling of taking another man's life in one paragraph, while a few pages later it's evident that he has no remorse. By the end, the book has the feel of someone trying to cash in on Death Row's (fading) popularity.

This book really let's you know how it was in the midst of the Death Row project. I was really amazed on the life of McKinley Malik Lee, Jr. Buy the book. You will not be disappointed . I hear he is recording great music now (gospel rap) that should be released at the beginning of the year (2000). Wouldn't it be awesome to hear somthing with him and Snoop Doggy Dogg? Platinum baby!!!!! God Bless!!!!!!

Ok well Tupac Shakur is the best rapper that ever liver and no one will ever top him. It is a same what happened to him he was very talented and i wish he was still here. I have ever cd he ever maede and he is mostly all i listen to.. I think all the books writen about him are good as long as they say the good points about him to and how sweet lhe was.Tupac Amuru Shakur R.I.P.

The novelist can sometimes unfold truth before a reader's eyes in ways that a historian cannot. This is well known: Dickens' "Bleak House" was perhaps as much a critique of classical economics (a la Mill) as a novel, for example. Buckley's latest work is in that tradition. Rehabilitating Senator Joe McCarthy is a long-overdue labor. This novel painted a compelling picture of a three-dimensional hero, warts included, who lived a quintessinal American success story, until his fall. There is no doubt in my mind that certain elements in our society will view with disfavor a novel that seeks to humanize one of the all-time bogeymen of the Left. The objective reader will have to give careful thought to the thesis of this book, however. That thesis is that there was organized Communist penetration of our government, that their intentions were treasonous, and that McCarthy did right and good in exposing them. He went to excess, but his sins pale next to those of the Establishment types who ignored the threat, and who probably viewed it with sympathy. (Class haterd seeps from many of the characters in the book, both historical and fictional, for the upstart chicken farmer from Wisconsin who shook up their little world.) Political considerations aside, I read it in one day, staying up until the wee hours to finish it. This is a classic yarn, and a compelling page-turner. -Lloyd A. Conway

This is a wonderfully written account of a great but flawed American Hero. Bill Buckley still writes better then anyone. Even though, most are aware of the trials and tribulations of Senator McCarthy - this book is un-put downable. I never thought Mr. Buckley could top his Blackie Oakes stories, till I read "The Redhunter". Regardless of what you may think of the late senator - this is a great read. The book explains the early 1950's and the very real threat from Stalin led Russia in a way that not only entertains but teaches as well. I give this book five stars!

Fiction can sometimes be more revealing than a bare recital of fact. (One need only think of Dickens' novels and how he described 19th century England to see how this can be so.) Buckley's book accomplishes this with his portrait of Senator Joe McCarthy. The novel's subplot, involving the fictional Harry Boncteau (sp?), is compelling, and is woven nicely into the overall story. The McCarthy Buckley describes is ambitious, blind to some aspects of human nature, and prone to excess, but basically good, and, as we now know, right in his basic thesis: Communists had systematically penetrated American institutions, with subvursive intent. Art imitates life in Buckley's portrayal of the seething class hatred for McCarthy on the part of the Left/Establishment. It was/is part and parcel of their animus toward anyone who dared to expose the truth: Nixon, Chambers, and sepecially McCarthy. This novel, which I read in one sitting, finishing in the wee hours, is both compelling literature and thought-provoking in terms of it's ideas. Hopefully, with Soviet archives open and their records validating much of what he said, this book will become the basis for a reexamination of a controversial American life. -Lloyd A. Conway