Writing a "book" review on a play that one has not read may seem a bit presumptuous. However, my wife and I saw the US premier of this play at Houston's Stages Theater a few weeks ago and can attest that it is some of the finest entertainment we have seen in many a day. I hope that many people will read it, that college English classes will study it, and, most importantly, that numerous theater groups will stage it.

Historical. Hilarious. Poignant. An exhaustive list of appropriate adjectives would exceed Amazon's page limitations.

The play has a large cast of memorable characters including a semi-blind theater seamstress and a bear. The scene is a barn in England in 1601, and Queen Elizabeth seeks diversion from the impending beheading of her lover in the company of William Shakespeare and his band of actors. The dialogue is both scholarly and witty, with many echoes from Shakespeare's plays.

But the driving force for the drama is the point/counterpoint exchanges between "King" Elizabeth, who feels compelled to shirk her womanly feelings for the good of her country and the actor Ned, a 17th century drag-Queen. More than that I will not tell.

See it if you can, but, until it plays in your area, read the book.

In 1601, Queen Elizabeth I was forced by duty to condemn to death a man widely believed to be her former lover. On the night before the execution, she demanded that William Shakespeare's acting troup, The Lord Chamberlain's Men, perform a play to distract her from the heartbreak that would occur in the morning. This much is truth. Timothy Findley takes these historical facts, blends in a few "what if's?" and creates a powerhouse play about men, women, fantasy, death, and ultimately, love.

After a performance of Much Ado About Nothing, Queen Elizabeth goes backstage to talk with the actors, and finds them all mourning the iminent death of the Beatrice of the evening, their terminally ill leading "lady," Ned. Ned has lived all his life as a woman, and does not know how to face his upcoming death with the courage of a man. Elizabeth, by contrast, has had to destroy her feminine side in order to rule England successfully. Realising this, the two strike a bargain: Ned will teach Elizabeth how to be a woman, if she can teach him how to be a man. What follows is a heartbreaking journey of self-discovery in which Elizabeth learns how to mourn, Ned learns how to die with grace and how to live with love, and William Shakespeare finds the greatest play never written.

This is an excellent choice for any Shakespeare fan, and for any lover of theatre. Powerful, enlightening, heartbreaking and uplifting, Elizabeth Rex is an exquisite journey for the heart, with beautiful dialogue, strong characters, and fascinating arguments. A must-read.

I just don't like the red colour. :) This review is from the perspective of a Vampire gamer.

Very good book. I think they finally addressed the complaints about the previous "Laws of the Hunt" and brought a bunch of things up to date. Different organisations are well-described. We now finally have the trait maxima (attributes, willpower, humanity and influence) in one neat section. Ghoul creation rules are finally in concord with "Laws of the Night," and there is a section in the back that describes very neatly how mortals undergo various transformations. For me the parts "Mortal to Ghoul" and "Ghoul to Vampire" were *very* gratifying. The only thing that is lacking are the rules on blood storage for Ghouls - 2 blood traits or more? I want to know! Overall, a very good Revised Edition.

This is my all time favorite book! As soon as i started it, I couldn't put it down. The mixture of romance, comedy, and realism makes for a good read for cuddling up by the fireplace on a snowy eve.

The Search For Peter Hunt by Lynn C. Van Dine is an adventurous fictionalized biography about a dynamic twentieth-century artist. Born in 1896 in Jersey City, Peter Hunt reinvented his life and work as he matured through such experiences as serving in World War I, falling in love, and experimenting with numerous different styles and artistic talents. A fresh and vibrantly told narrative story, The Search For Peter Hunt is a very highly recommended and deftly written novel from beginning to end.

There aren't a lot of books by former naval avaitors about flying and fighting during Desert Storm. This book is also rarer since the platform he flew, the A-6 Intruder, has been retired despite several advantages over its replacement, the F/A-18. The book describes the working up period prior to deploying to the Arabian Gulf, shipboard life, as well as the buildup and actual fighting done during Desert Storm from his carrier. The wrting isn't as gripping as a professional writer would do, but nonetheless is an authentic account from a unique source. Overall, I was gald to have had the opportunity to learn more about what makes combat and naval aviation so much more different than what land-based forces go through. As a book to throw in your bag for a weekend reading source, this will be fine.

Angles of Attack: An A-6 Intruder Pilot's War; Peter Hunt; Ballantine Books, New York, N.Y., 2002; softcover, 368 pages, illustrated. ....
This newest Gulf War memoir is excellent; it really does put the reader in the cockpit. Like the A-7 Corsair, its stablemate in the Navy's attack community, the A-6 Intruder flew its final combat sorties in the six-week action that ousted the invading Iraqis from Kuwait. Intruder squadrons flew from all six carriers deployed during Desert Storm (as well as two Marine Corps shore-based squadrons), and one A-6 aviator tells a story that covers the buildup of Desert Shield and the nightly launches that devastated Iraqi naval and land assets.
Peter Hunt's enthusiastic account is one of the best of the type this reviewer has read in recent years. The focal point of the book is, of course, his experience flying 45 combat missions with VA-145 and the close bond with his bombardier-navigator (BN). The descriptions of the prewar activities as the squadron, air wing and carrier prepare to deploy give a fine insider's view of carrier aviation. The work ups are described in detail that might at times slow the story, but Hunt carries the story well with the result that these portions are well worth the reader's time. Hunt tells what it was like flying combat from one of the Navy's oldest carriers, USS Ranger (CV-61).
Peripheral areas like a port call in the Philippines, the loneliness of Christmas Eve at sea ' he decides to sort out his personal survival items ' and thoughts of family so far away are some of the most appealing aspects of Hunt's work..
The author and his BN participated in the Battle of Bubiyan, which saw the destruction of several Iraqi navy PT boats that eliminated that threat. They also flew during the last major attack on Iraqi units along the so-called 'highway of death' as the invaders torched the Kuwaiti capital and tried to flee.
Though a rather large paperback, the writing flows well and the author has a nice, personal style. Unfortunately, the book concludes on a sour note because of his dissatisfaction with the post-war Navy, the impact of the Tailhook scandal and the resulting 'rot from within.' Family separation also plays a hand in his decision to leave, as does the demise of the A-6 community, with no replacement after the A-12 debacle. Nonetheless, Angles of Attack is a fine effort that tells the story of one of the Navy's stalwart aviation communities during its last combat deployment.
Peter Mersky

Title of this review says it all. The only reason I wanted to post another review of this book is to just add another 5 stars-it's that good.

This book should become a classic-alas, I fear it will be overlooked by most, and that will definately be their loss.

I kid you not-I've read most of the first person accounts of aerial combat, from all periods, and this one is right at the top of the list.

An excellent compendium of places and locations that have played a part in both Bond Books and Bond Films. The detail and descriptions are impecable and Gary's research has definately paid-off.

Particular note goes out to the two introductory writers, Peter Hunt and Christopher Lee, who both offer excellent background and depth.

One downside is that a map would have been quite effective to achieve the sense of geography and distance to these locations. As only a one-time visitor (so far!) to London, I don't quite know the relationships to the districts and locales, etc. In this case a map would have been quite helpful.

James Bond and London, the capital of Britain, go hand in hand. A James Bond adventure, whether it is cinematic or literary, would hardly be complete without some form of patriotism towards Mother England and off hand I can only think of a few adventures (mainly short stories) where no scenes talk place in Britain. This simple fact, coupled with the fact that every man wishes to be like James Bond, gives good reason for a book such as James Bond's London to be written.
Gary Giblin took up the challenge of writing such a book in January 1998. I shall not go into full details here as they're covered in Jordan Charter's interview located here. However, what started as a book entitled James Bond's Britain eventually had to be subdivided into two books. As a result of a lot or hard work James Bond's London was published in December 2001.

To begin with, James Bond's London isn't your average book, nor is it what I originally envisaged it would be; but that's not a bad thing, quite the opposite actually. What Giblin has presented is a travel guide to the world of James Bond in London. Quite simply, the book is the most useful source for anyone who wants to travel in the footsteps of James Bond, something, which could easily seem a mammoth undertaking.

Giblin has been very particular in the material that he has covered. By his own admission in an interview with CommanderBond.Net he has omitted literary material not written by Ian Fleming; of course indicating he is a purist to the work. Giblin has also omitted non-EON Productions cinematic material; again a sign of purity as there is only one true James Bond film series.

That said, the amount of material Giblin has included is still amazing. There a literally hundreds of locations that can be found in the novels and in the films. What is most amazing about the film locations is how many of them were used for non-British locations in the films. For instance the car park from Tomorrow Never Dies is actually in London and not Hamburg. Also, aside from locations that we read of and watch are locations where significant events of the Bond world took place. For instance, the birthplace of Ian Fleming or the former offices of EON Productions. If it's Bond related and it's in London you'll find it in "James Bond's London".

Thankfully, for those of us not well versed in travelling around London Giblin has an explanation of how to get to each location. Not only does he include the standard address, suburb and postcode but also details for getting there via the London Underground. As a part of this he's mentioned the platforms and the stations one should use and once leaving the station which streets one should follow.

The locations in the book are also well categorised. Rather than organising the locations by film, novel or perhaps relation Giblin has taken the initiative of organising them by location. So one could simply spend a day in a certain part of London and visit several Bond related locations. The guide makes it that simple.

As for the detail on each location Giblin has included quite a lot. To describe each location Giblin has used icons to begin with; for instance a clapperboard icon represents a film related location. As a part of the textual description for each location Giblin has not only included Bond related information but information on the locations non-Bond history. Readers will not only learn a great deal about Bond but a great deal about London too.

In passing good comments about the work that Giblin has done one must also highlight downfalls to "James Bond's London" - something that is not an easy task let me assure you. While I can find no fault in the material that Giblin has presented I must say that I was disappointed to find that the book was not offered in a hardback edition. However, in saying that one can definitely appreciate the fact that Giblin and the Daleon, whom published the book, made all attempts to keep the prices low. My only other complain is about one of the icons in the book; the skull and cross bone. The icon is disproportionate and according to Giblin this is a problem that occurred at the printers.

All in all James Bond's London is a must have for any Bond fan of any calibre. Gary Giblin has researched extensively into all aspects of the locations and the films and help from Bond legends such as Peter Lamont have made this a completely unique and factual reference guide.

Giblin leaps to the forefront of Fleming/Bond reads,and joins the short list of the best,Pearson, Benson and Lycett.

Immerse yourself in this one!

Swallowdale refers to a story the children and Captain Flint wrote over the winter... this is it, which accounts for the more fantastical elements some of the other reviewers mentioned! (Missee Lee -- pirates in the South China Sea -- is a story in a similar vein.) Great fun although I do slightly prefer the more "realistic" books in the series. But the whole series is great -- I first read Swallows and Amazons at the age of 9 and return to it often.

"It was enough to make anybody happy, just to be afloat and sailing, to see the green shores racing past, to see the bubbling wake slipping away astern, to see all the sails drawing, to hear now and then a gentle, low thrumming in the shrouds, to see the sunlight sparkle in the spray thrown out to leeward by the bows of the little schooner." - Arthur Ransome

Though listed as the third volume in Arthur Ransome's *Swallows and Amazons* series, *Peter Duck* is chronologically the second adventure of this group of four plus two children, taking place in the Winter of 1930/31, a few months after the events narrated in *Swallows and Amazons*.

As its subtitle indicates - "A Treasure Hunt in the Caribbees" - *Peter Duck* is a book of much greater geographical scope than the first volume: instead of merely pretending to be explorers and pirates, the six children, accompanied by the Amazons' uncle, Captain Flint, and a benevolent sea dog, Peter Duck, cross the Atlantic in search of a real treasure really buried by real pirates.

Every single event in the first book seems to be reproduced here, but on a much greater scale: the ships are now full-sized, the lake is drowned in an ocean, the island can no longer be swimmed around, the petty thieves have turned into murdering thugs, and England's summer rains are drenched by a tropical storm.

Even though the plot is more contrived and far-fatched, with the elements playing a rather providential - and therefore improbable - role, the tone is generally more realistic, as the children are no longer shielded from the more dangerous forces at work in the world. They even befriend a young, abused pauper, Bill, whom Ransome, in a Dickensian vein, portrays more lovingly than any of the recurring characters. And quite significantly, instead of referring to such novels as *Robinson Crusoe* or *Treasure Island*, the children (and especially the one I identify with the most, Titty) are now enthralled by Hakluyt's and Columbus's accounts of their voyages.

*Peter Duck* may lack the simplicity and freshness of the first volume, as well as the feeling that nothing serious could happen to the children, but it is a wonderful adventure story which I wish I had read (or been read) as a child. And for those who don't know Jack about sailing, it is also very didactic, containing several explanatory illustrations and footnotes by Captain Nancy herself.

It's the best book i've ever read! Everyone must read it!

My Old french teacher gave me this book to read when i was about 14. He was of the opinion that reading helped improve concentration - he was right. The book, i do not think, would appeal to the average reader today, it is very long and heavey going - but not taking anything away from the writer - it is exquisitly written. However, there is a part in the book, i think it is a father telling a son a story, or something like that and it will go with me to my grave. It's about an adventurer who, once he has summeted one mountain, moves on to the next and when he has traversed one desert looks for another, and so on. He is never content unless he is moving, seeing new things and having new exoeriences, but then he runs out of mountains to climb and forrests to explore. I will not give anymore away except to say that i would read the book again - just for that one little story.

Shortly before Richard Jefferies first became ill he wrote two children's books, Wood Magic and Bevis, published in 1881 and 1882. The latter has been widely regarded as a classic boys' book and, based on Jefferies' own childhood at Coate, it follows the adventures of two boys, Bevis and Mark. They first 'discover' a large lake close to their home which they imagine to be a vast inland sea surrounded by a jungle inhabited by savages and wild beasts. After re-fighting the Battle of Pharsalia (between Julius Caesar and Pompey) with their friends, Bevis and Mark build a raft and cross to an island in the lake. Equipped with a few provisions and their own home-made shotgun, they live among nature for several days, learning the arts of survival and much about themselves in the process. Bevis is a celebration of the vigour and freedom of a childhood spent in the countryside, 'where there was magic in everything, blades of grass and stars, the sun and the stones upon the ground'.

I have found this play very exciting to read, but the getting in was a little bit difficult. But I admire the variety of the vocabulary that Shaffer made use of. He handled a couple of topics, which are very interesting: I.e. the existence of god, different cultures and their organisation, religion and a motive that goes through the whole story: The word. Shaffer encourages the reader to make his own opinion about questions like: «Is it justified to break the word if you act in consciousness and for the good of your crew?»

Pizarro's problem as an illegitimate son and his existential questions are not discussed. Something that makes this play very special is the fact that Old Martin occurs time after time and tells about his experiences and the happenings, when he had been in Peru.

In short: + Interesting play with a demanding vocabulary - Hard to get in

A great play about the slaughter of the Incas, idealism lost, compromise and corruption. Excellent characterizations. Interesting subtext covers the pitfalls of imperialism. both Incan and Spanish.

Caveat: Longman Literature version (Editor: Graham-Adriani and Series Editor Blatchford, ISBN 0-582-06014-1) should be avoided. Vital and if not merely enriching stage directions are not included in this publication/edition.

Royal Hunt Of The Sun contains three tragedies: One of destruction of the great Inca empire; the tragedy of Pizarro, who destroys something for which he has been searching all his life, and the tragedy of Martin Ruiz, whose youthful idealism is destroyed by his experience in Peru. The main theme of this play which concerns the search for religion. All through the play Shaffer contrasts the beauty and high values of the Incas and the greed and ugliness of the Spanish.

I bought this to read to my 9 year old son. The language used in this book was very advanced. I found the difficulty level to be just a notch below the actual plays. I found a book called "Stories from Shakespeare" by Geraldine McCaughrean which was much better and my son is enjoying reading "Shakespeare".

Edith Nesbit is a wonderful writer, who keeps the integrity of the Shakespeare plays, and makes them understandable to young readers.

I read these stories to my boys, who love to hear all the tales of sword fights, king and queens, difficult lives, funny situations, and times of long ago.

For me, it has been a great overview of famous Shakespeare plays that seem to complicated to read through in their original form. This book gives you the core of the stories, so that later on , one could then read the original stories by the Bard of Avon.