Hogg's book was one of many 'Gothic' doppelganger novels produced at the time, as editor Cuddon makes clear in his introduction. What sets 'Sinner' apart is the fierce, unforgiving, saturnine, phlegmatic, terse, Biblical, paganistic, ugly beauty of the vocabulary and phraseology (Hogg was a shepherd and a poet), suited to a narrative lashed with hate, murder, bigotry and terror, whose sheer violence connects it with another shocking Gothic one-off, Lautreamont's 'Maldoror'; the way the 'double' theme of the novel is embedded not just in the plot, but in the rich formal patterning, from character groupings to the religiously and politically divided Scotland of its setting; and the wide literary adventurousness as a whole which, in its proliferation of stories, framing devices, and self-reflexivity create a labyrinthine, elusive, very modern text.

Hogg's novel is about 150 years ahead of its time. Published in 1824, the work has everything readers of post-modern novels could ask for, including clustered narratives, self-reflexive point-of-view, unreliable narrators, unsympathetic-protagonist, etc. Hogg is engaging in a highly playful exercise, yet at the same time the novel can be read as an entirely chilling depiction of what may happen to the human psyche when it is given absolutely free-reign. The story takes place in Scotland in the early 18th century, a time of political and religious foment. It chiefly concerns the religious "progress" of Robert Wingham. Robert's mother is a religious enthusiast who has left the household of her husband, George Colwan, laird of Dalcastle, because he does not meet her stringent standards of pious behavior. Before she leaves, she delivers a son, whom Colwan names after him and names him his sole heir. A year after she has left she delivers another son, Robert, whom the editor-narrator who first tells the story is too polite to say is illegitimate, but it's evident by all appearances and intimations that Robert is the son of Lady Colwan and the Reverend Wringhim, a dour, intolerant, "self-conceited pedagogue," who is the polar opposite of the easy-going laird. Reverend Wingham undertakes the instruction of young Robert and eventually adopts him. Robert, like his father, is a cold fish, who abhors the presence of women and anything else that he thinks will lead him to sin. Young George, on the other hand is naturally open and fun-loving, engaging in the "normal" activities young men of the time preferred. This attitude piques the ire of Robert, who sees any activity that is not directly related to religion as frivolous. He starts showing up uninvited whenever and wherever George and his friends get together. When they try to play tennis, Robert stands in George's way and interferes with the game. The same thing happens when they play a rugby-like game on a field outside Edinburgh. Even after George loses patience and punches Robert , the younger brother keeps on insinuating himself, uninvited, every time George and his friends meet. When the Reverend Wingham learns that his precious boy has been roughed up, he incites his conservative faction to retaliate against the liberals with which George and his friends are in league. A full scale riot ensues, reminiscent of the opening scene of Romeo and Juliet. Neither the editor nor Wingham ever give full assent to the fantastic elements in the story. Events are depicted in as realistic a light as possible, which lends weight to the storyline and keeps things from drifting off into never-never land.

Everything about this novel "works." The editor's framing narrative subverts Wingham's "confession" narrative at just the right points, so the subversion actually adds to the solidity and texture of the work as a whole and adds to its plausibility. The comic characters are wonderfully depicted (including Hogg himself, who puts in an appearance as an unhelpful clod who's too busy observing sheep at a local fair to assist the editor and his party when they want to dig up Wingham's grave). Wingham's descent into fanaticism and his subsequent psychological disintegration is handled as well as it possibly could be. It is also a perfectly drawn cautionary tale about the pitfalls of antinomian religious beliefs. Hogg describes for the reader a splendid representation of just where the path of predestination can lead a susceptible mind. That's where the comparison's to Crime and Punishment evolve. Wringhim, like Roskolnikov, considers himself above the common rung of humanity. Unlike Rodyan, however, Robert never does discover the full import of his megalomaniacal doctrine until it is entirely too late. Readers might be interested to note that Hogg's novel had a direct influence on Stephenson' s Jekyll and Hyde and on Wilde's Picture of Dorian Gray. Hogg was considered by his contemporaries to be something of a rustic genius, and the poetic successor to Robert Burns. He was known as the Ettrick Shepherd, because he did earn his livelihood from raising sheep and was entirely self taught. He was a friend of Sir Walter Scott. He's still highly revered in his home country. If more readers become familiar with this one-of-a-kind book, he will be revered more universally. It really is that brilliant a novel.

James Hogg's "Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner" is a claustrophobic, terrifying spectacle of a novel. First published anonymously in 1824, the novel centers around the manuscript of an obscure Scottish Laird who lived in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Robert Wringhim is a well-educated, but illegitimate child of the Laird of Dalcastle. He leaves the estate to live with his mother, also estranged from the estate. Raised by his adopted father, a zealous Calvinist preacher, Robert grows to despise his biological family. When, on his 18th birthday, God reveals through the preacher, that Robert is one of the elect, the true action of the novel begins.

The novel has an unusual and provocative structure: an editorial recounting of the story envelops the text of Robert Wringhim's actual 'memoirs and confessions'. The novel's temporal structure hinges on the 1707 Act of Union which annexed Scotland to England, forming Great Britain. With the editorial apparatus (and its debt to an oral tradition), and Robert's first person manuscript, Hogg seems to question the methods by which history is written and passed down. Several versions of Robert's story, from himself, his contemporaries, and the 'editor' who lives over 100 years after the events gives a startling, disturbingly incoherent vision of history.

This novel is great for its wranglings with the problems of reconciling money with morality, and religion with the law. Hogg's primary concern is with the religious issue of antinomianism - the notion that God's elect are free from the dictates of human law. Robert's election and subsequent relationship with the wildly mysterious, fantastically rendered Gil-Martin put antinomianism to the harshest test.

"The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner" is a rather short novel which I recommend highly. It is an entertaining historical, religious, psychological rollercoaster. Its blend of sublimely dark humor and social comment is a high achievement in any century.

How closed did David Crockett come to being presidient of the United States? Closer than you might think.  That's one of the many interesting issues covered in "Three Roads to the Alamo" This book is deep and well researched.  The foot notes were as interesting as the book itself.  Most Bubba Texas history buffs never considered Crockett, Bowie and Travis until they bite the big bullet.  We sometimes forget that Davy Crockett was not much more than a tourist.   He had just lost an election and  made one campaign promise that he kept.   He said, "If I lose this election I'll either go to hell or Texas." He chose Texas.  His travels led him to San Antonio at a time that coincided with the defense of the Alamo. James Bowie was a land swindler that forged a lot of Spanish land grants in Louisiana and did a poor job of that.  He was kind of hiding out from creditors and enjoying his new squeeze, a pretty local girl from a influential San Antonio family.  She died of typhus that rampaged the area and Jim went into a depression that kept him from a timely exit from San Antonio. William Travis was thriving in Texas with a law practice.   Only after he had sneaked out of Alabama leaving a family and lots of debt.  This book does a great job of explaining how these three men came together and rose above their short comings to lead a brave defense of the Alamo.

This may be the best history book I have ever read. It is in the same league as "The Guns of August" and "The Face of Battle". Davis illuminates the lives of three of the greatest American heroes--heroes whose lives were previously shrouded in their own glory. We all know the Davy Crockett played by Fess Parker--the King of the Wild Frontier. Our images of Jim Bowie and William B. Travis come to us from John Wayne's Alamo rendition. But these men have no flaws--they are not human. Davis brings us back to reality by showing that they were simply men of their times.

The parallel biography is an excellent vehicle for driving this story, especially, as Davis points out, since the three men in the story represent the three levels of civilization. You have Crockett, the trail blazer, Bowie, the speculator, and Travis, the settler. Each has his own unique qualities, and adds a dimension to this tale of Jacksonian America.

It is apparent that Davis was bound and determined to correct the myths around these three men, and for the most part he succeeds. He seems to come down unduly hard on Crockett, but then again, Crockett's image needed the most redressing. However, he does not totally undo the Crockett myth, with his much more heroic description of Davy at the Alamo. Bowie and Travis are also cut down, but to lesser degrees. In fact, Davis almost plays down Bowie's land schemes and he is obviously the author's favorite.

As for the book itself, it is very readable if somewhat long. But once you pick it up, you will not want to put it down as Davis brings these men alive, and in the end, you truly feel their loss. It is a unique story, because as it progresses, it seems these men are invincible--giants in their own age, but we all know how the story ends, and yet still find ourselves wishing something will happen and history will change. Not many books can accomplish that kind of involvement. "Three Roads to the Alamo" does.

I am a Texan who has grown up with the Alamo story. When I was younger, it was the ultimate hero story to me. In my later, supoosedly-wiser years, I saw it as a silly, overblown, pointless, jingoistic tale about some ne'er-do-wells who foolishly got themselves killed for no good reason. After reading Three Roads to the Alamo, I think both versions are true.

The book constitutes three long, thick, thorough biographies of David Crockett, James Bowie, and William Barret Travis. Most Americans have heard of "Davy" Crockett and most have heard of the "Bowie Knife." All Texans have heard of James Bowie and William Travis. I live in Travis County, which contains Austin, the capital of Texas, and I live down the street from James Bowie High School. But other than knowing that Travis and Bowie were commanders at the Alamo, I knew very little about them, and most of what I "knew" about them turns out to be untrue myth, as convincingly demonstrated throughout Three Roads to the Alamo.

William C. Davis sticks to the facts in his narrative and disposes of myths in the footnotes, which are vital reading. The facts of Crockett's life are fairly well-known but still interesting. Davis shows Crockett as a Perot-esque plain speaker, trapped late in his career by his own mythology, tirelessly repeating his tired complaints against Andrew Jackson. Finally voted out of office, he goes to Texas and joins the small band of Texians defending the Alamo against Mexican invasion and is killed with the rest.

A prior reviewer gives this book only 2 stars for the sole reason that Davis rejects one version of Crockett's death, which appears in a Mexican soldier's diary, that has him surrendering and being bayonetted by Mexican soldiers. When this diary became publicized a few years ago, there was a small furor because surely the great Crockett would never have surrendered. The diary had to be a forgery or a lie. This furor demostrates the powerful hold that the Alamo myth has over Texans. Crockett HAD to go down fighting, not surrendering. Davis's book is refreshing because he looks at such things objectively, always putting forward provable facts over made-up myths. He convincingly shows that the diary is hearsay and that similar stories were told about Crockett and others, and ultimately concludes that it is impossible to tell how Crockett died from the sources. I find this honesty refreshing.

However, very little is actually about the Alamo. It is mostly about the interesting lives of Crockett, Bowie, and Travis. Bowie's tale in particular is fascinating. I wanted to strangle him throughout most of the book. This guy started out with an ingenious but disgusting slave-laudering scheme, smuggling slaves through Mexican-owned Texas. Then he blatantly and poorly forged hundreds of fake Spanish documents purporting to give him ownership and thousands of acres of Louisiana and Arkansas. The false claims screwed up title in both states for decades after Bowie died at the Alamo. He also obtained a fraudulent "debt" that the federal government supposedly owed $42,000 on. Bowie never acknowledged that the claims were false, instead trying to bully federal officials in the South and Washington into officially recognizing his claims. Even the Bowie Knife turns out to have been made by his brother and used by Bowie only once.

Crockett came to Texas to escape debt, abandoning his pregnant wife and daughter. He did not come to Texas because he had to kill a man for shaming his wife, as I had heard before. He was basically nothing but a coward.

But then the rogues end up fighting the Texas Revolution, and suddenly the hero in them comes out. I forgave all their faults.

Davis shows that the truth is stranger and more interesting than fictional myth. I drove by Bowie High School the other day before getting to the part where Bowie turns into a hero. I wanted to scream out my window for the school to change its name. Now that I have finished the book, I say let Bowie have his school. Maybe that just shows that I am impressionable. I don't know. All I know is that I loved this book.

This book contains an essay discussing each of the men to hold the office of President of the United States (up through and including Bill Clinton). Because each essay is written by a different historian -- presumably an historian who is an expert on the particular person in question -- there is not much in the way of narrative thread throughout the book. Each President is viewed from an angle particular to his own circumstances, and the reviews are generally positive in almost every case.

Despite this shortcoming, it's an enjoyable read. Each essay illuminates a little something of interest, even of the most well-known figures, and the essays manage to convey a number of trends as well as key events, despite the fact that they are rather short.

After the collection of essays, the book contains the inaugural speeches of each of the *elected* Presidents (I know that not every man to inherit the job gave an inauguration speech, but some did -- it's too bad those aren't included), which is *fascinating* reading.

There are a few disappointments -- such as the consistently incorrect reference to the "Democrat" party as the "Democratic" party in the second half of the book -- which sometimes make this book seem more like the poorly assembled high school texts many of us grew up with than the more pulitzer-prize worthy text it clearly aspires (and fails) to be.

But, while falling short of its aspirations, it is nonetheless a fun read and a decent introduction to the history of the United States as measured in terms of the man commanding the Oval Office. I recommend it as an introductory book on the subject, with many better biographies dedicated to specific Presidents available for those whose appetites are whetted.

Most of us, even history buffs, know little about many of the Presidents who have served our country. This book will help you remedy that. Each President's administration is discussed in a short three or four page essay by a distinguished historian. What really makes this book extra nice is that, like all books from the Doring Kindersley publishing house, it is profusely illustrated with paintings and photographs. It also has little sidebars that give bits of intrigueing information about each president that is not generally known. For instance: Warren G. Harding was so vain about his appearance and had so many clothes that new closets had to be built in the White House to hold them all. Or: Calvin Coolidge had an electrically operated horse (similar to the bull-riding machines you used to see in cowboy bars) that he used to ride while in the White House.

As others have noted, the second half of the book tells about each campaign and has the text for each inaugural address.

A very good book. I recommend it highly.

A fascinating book. Divided into two parts, this is the most comprehensive anecdotal history of the Presidents i've ever seen ~ or could imagine. The first part tells the story of each president with a nice amount of detail, in four or five pages. There is less information than, say, a World Book Encyclopaedia article, but it is far better organised, and delightfully readable in every case (there isn't a poorly written article in the bunch). The second part of the book is a very brief (a half dozen paragraphs) explanation of each of the quadrennial elections, followed by the text of the President's inaugural speech. I will confess, i have not read all of these speeches; i have read all of some, however, and some of many ~ enough to get a feel for the way the men spoke, and for the changing tastes in speeches over the past two centuries. If for no other reason than this latter point, the inaugural speeches ought to be required reading for students. To our ears a speech such as Washington's or the first Adams's is long, tedious, overly convoluted and, perhaps, irresponsibly difficult to follow. On the other hand, those of, for example, Clinton or Reagan are, by contrast, simple, if not simplistic, and not especially effective as oratory. The meat of the book, though, is definitely the fortyone essays by thirtytwo historians. I who, though not American, thought i had, through constant and varied reading, gained a fair amount of knowledge about the country's history, have learned an immense amount. And so i repeat, a fascinating book.

After taking eight Microsoft exams, Win98 is the hardest that I have found and I am very thankful to have had this book to help me through it. The Exam Cram series has been wonderful and this installation is no exception. Of all the study guides that I used for the Win98 exam, this one was by far the best. I would suggest supplimenting it with the Windows 98 Resource Kit.

The Windows 98 exam is one of the toughest - it proved that way for me out of the four MCP exams I have taken so far. Don't think you know Windows 98 for the exam just because you have been using it for years and know how to use the contol panel. The Exam goes heavy into the networking end of using Windows 98, particularly as a client in an Windows NT4.0 or Novell domain. There is lots on the test having to do with Novell integration, TCP/IP configuration and troubleshooting, file utilities, user and hardware profiles, the registry, dial up networking, troubleshooting, boot sequence, system policies, mutimedia capablilities, and security/sharing. The exam has lots of scenario and simulation problems. Exam Cram is a great book to use as a supplement to a full study guide - I used Sam's Teach Yourself MCSE Windows 98 in 14 Days and was very happy with it. A lot of hands on using your computer with Windows 98 to try doing things as you learn them is very helpful. Even though you might not be able to use Windows 98 on a network you can still install and configure most everything you need to do to pass the exam. Exam Cram will help reinforce what you have learned and if you feel unsure about an area of study then you can refer to your main study guide to bone up on that area. The book has a very good focus of what is important to learn for the exam. Exam Cram also has a couple of hundred practice questions - some at the end of each chapter and a 59 question practice exam at the end. The practice exam is tough and the answer section is done in such a way as to explain why a particluar answer is right and why the others are wrong, which will help you learn. I also recommend the book to anyone who just wants to learn the full capablilies of Windows 98. I read a few general purpose Windows 98 books that did not cover ANY of the more advanced topics that you will find in a MCSE type book. Exam Cram MCSE Windows 98 is well worth the money!

As is the case for all the Exam Cram books I've used, this is the best study guide on the market. It is packed full of the information you'll need in order to pass the exam. I thought I was ready to pass, until I picked up this book and learned quite a few little nuances of Windows 98 that I hadn't used before and/or wasn't familiar with. It also provides many study tips and exam taking tips for those who are new to the certification exams. Highly recommended!

David James Duncan is one of those rare writers that leaves you forever changed after encountering their work. I know I will gratefully never be the same after reading this book. I walked into it one person, and upon completing it, was another. His perceptions of the world are so rare that the fact he can write them down with such fathomless talent, passion and care, verges on unbelievable. I only come across writing this powerful once every five to ten years and count it a true blessing when it happens.
The portion titled "A Prayer for the Salmon's Second Coming" should be read by every single American period. In another chapter called "When Birdwatching Is a Blood Sport" he writes, "When wild elk, to remain alive, are forced to wipe out wild salmon, it is time, in my book, to get sad".
This book woke me up to many things I'd slept through. If you are more fortunate than I, and already awake, the words in this book will make your own words even more powerful. Buy it, read it, treasure it, share it. You'll never regret it.

Once again, David James Duncan captures most eloquently the inherent spirituality of nature. This collection of essays, speeches, and 1 song has moved me just as much as "The River Why", perhaps even more so, as this book is set in beautiful, raw, besieged reality. I dare you to read this book and not be inspired to make your corner of the world a little better, and a little more hospitable to every living thing. Duncan writes that he "became a nonfiction writer--after no apprenticeship whatever--at the age of 40. I did so not out of a sense of calling, but out of a sense of betrayal, out of rage over natural systems violated, out of grief for a loved world raped, and out of a craving for justice." This is the passion that forms this book, a book created in love for the rivers his writing sings for, and anger for the desecration of those same rivers. BUY THIS BOOK!

My Story as Told by Water covers a varied terrain ranging from environmental activism to the virtues of fly-fishing without a hired guide. The book is really a collection of essays (many published in other books and periodicals) about rivers in the Northwestern United States. Duncan shares much of his early life growing up in neighborhoods just beyond the growing tentacles of Portland, Oregon. He writes openly about this family, including his bitter confrontation over the war in Vietnam with his dad, and the loss of his brother. Given such a backdrop, it's easy to understand how Duncan turned to the solitude of fishing local streams to deal with the pain of his youth.

Later in the book, Duncan finds his stride writing about the not-so-bright outlook facing wild salmon along the Columbia and Snake Rivers. You can almost feel the tears welling up in his eyes as he describes their near exit from his world. He sums up the disaster of the salmon run on the Snake River this way: "The babble of 'salmon management' rhetoric has taken a river of prayful human yearning, diverted it into a thousand word-filled ditches, and run it over alkali. When migratory creatures are prevented from migrating, they are no longer migratory creatures: they're kidnap victims. The name of the living vessel in which wild salmon evolved and still thrive is not 'fish bypass system,' 'smolt-deflecting diversionary strobe light,' or 'barge.' It is River."

Duncan opens his heart to the connections he has to rivers and wild fish. But more importantly, he gives us inspiration for making our own connections to those wild places.

This first of the Sherlock Holmes stories, A Study in Scarlet introduces Watson and Holmes and narrates the beginning of their ongoing partnership. Holmes' genius and his theory of deductive reasoning, which he presents in an article ambitiously titled "The Book of Life," is proven effective when he solves the case of a murder whose links extend as far as the Mormons in Utah. Detective connoisseurs will enjoy Holmes' humorously arrogant references to the fictional detectives of Poe and Gaboriau, among the first authors in the genre and influential for the Holmes stories. Though Doyle pitches some of the morbidity and philosophical profundity in his inheritance from authors like Poe, the reader who enjoys a good story - detective or not - will be pleased to find surprises, intrigue, and a little art jargon in the unraveling of the scarlet thread that runs through life and underlies the mysteries of the human mind.

I didn't like to read any books before, but after I have read this book , I become more and more interested in reading. I started to have motivation to read as many books as in my life.
" A Study in Scarlet " ( written by Conan Doyle ) is the first full-length novel appearance of Sherlock Holmes. And I know Sherlock Holmes is very famous detective in fiction. Therefore, I choose this book.I like Holmes's deduction the most. He has great power in observation and understanding in all types of crime. He is full of knowledge that can help him to solve the problem and he likes violin and opera. If his brain contains anything apart from these , he must try to forget them all as quick as possible.

I am quite interested in mystery. If you don't know which book is good to read , try to read the story about Sherlock Holmes . You must like it .

A Study in Scarlet is a good detective story, but certainly not Doyle's greatest. But it bears the distinction of being the novel which introduced the world to the legendary Sherlock Holmes. First appearing in 1887, it was not to be the greatest story about Sherlock Holmes, but it was the first. Doyle first introduces us to John H. Watson, a medical doctor recovering from duty in Afghanistan. Watson needs a room-mate, and a mutual acquaintance introduces both him and us to Holmes. So we come to know both Holmes, Watson, and the memorable 221B Baker Street.

Watson's first impressions of Holmes are merely that he is a man enshrouded in mystery and eccentricity, and Watson politely restrains his curiosity by avoiding asking too many intrusive questions, despite the parade of strange individuals that come to their apartment to consult Holmes, and despite his bemusement at Holmes' passion for playing the violin and his egotism. Watson's perplexation at Holmes' character and profession is slowly unravelled in the second chapter which Doyle appropriately titles 'The Science of Deduction'. Watson observes that 'his zeal for certain studies was remarkable, and within eccentric limits his knowledge was so extraordinarily ample and minute that his observations have fairly astounded me 'His ignorance was as remarkable as his knowledge. Of contemporary literature, philosophy and politics he appeared to know next to nothing ' That any civilized human being in this nineteenth century should not be aware that the earth travelled round the sun appeared to me to be such an extraordinary fact that I could hardly realize it.'(p11). Holmes apparently is brilliant at identifying a stain on your trousers, but completely ignorant about the most elementary contemporary political events.

Ironically, Watson's inability to deduce Holmes' profession proves that he lacks the very ability that he is seeking to uncover in Holmes: deduction. For Holmes doesn't just excel in specialized knowledge, but especially in the science of deduction and logic. By utilizing the skills of observation and analysis Holmes asserts that logic could solve all virtually all problems. In his words: 'From a drop of water, a logician could infer the possibility of an Atlantic or a Niagara without having seen or heard of one or the other. So all life is a great chain, the nature of which is known whenever we are shown a single link of it. Like all other arts, the Science of Deduction and Analysis is one which can only be acquired by long and patient study, nor is life long enough to allow any mortal to attain the highest possible perfection in it. Before turning to those moral and mental aspects of the matter which present the greatest difficulties, let the inquirer begin by mastering more elementary problems. Let him, on meeting a fellow-mortal, learn at a glance to distinguish the history of the man, and the trade or profession to which he belongs. Puerile as such an exercise may seem, it sharpens the faculties of observation, and teaches on where to look and what to look for. By a mans' finger-nails, by his coat-sleeve, by his boots, by his trouser-knees, by the callosities of his forefinger and thumb, by his expression, by his shirtcuffs ' by each of these things a man's calling is plainly revealed. That all united should fail to enlighten the competent inquirer in any case is almost inconceivable.' (p14-15). Watson calls this science of deduction 'ineffable twaddle', but as we know, this is the vintage Holmes we love and the very core of his being. Not only does he prove it to Watson by remarkably deducing that Watson had served duty in Afghanistan, but by collaring the criminal in a murder case.

The story itself consists in two parts: the first part introduces us to Holmes and Watson, and describes the murder of Enoch Drebber and his secretary Joseph Stangerson, and several failed attempts of Scotland Yard detectives to solve it, concluding with Holmes unmasking the real perpetrator, to the complete astonishment of all present. The second part is a flashback, explaining the background and motives for the murder, as finally Holmes relates the observations and deductions that led him to solving it. In short, 'the crime was the result of an old-standing and romantic feud, in which love and Mormonism bore a part.' (p103)

But what is fascinating about 'A Study in Scarlet' is not so much the mystery, but the man: Holmes himself. Doyle would later learn to eliminate some of the excess baggage present in this story (such as the extended flashback) and focus on Holmes and his deductions. The characterization of Holmes as an eccentric man driven by logic is wonderfully created for the first time in this novel. Already here is the foundation of the Sherlock Holmes that would become so successful in all of Doyle's later stories. A few quotes illustrate how the tone of the deductive Holmes is set: 'In solving a problem of this sort, the grand thing is to be able to reason backward. That is a very useful accomplishment, and a very easy one, but people do not practise it much.' (p99-100) 'There is no branch of detective science which is so important and so much neglected as the art of tracing footsteps.' (p100) 'You see, the whole thing is a chain of logical sequences without a break or flaw.' (p102)

Here the successful formula is already established: Scotland Yard is baffled, so is his foil the bumbling doctor Watson, and so are we the readers. Holmes has long solved the mystery before we have even begun identifying red herrings, and it is when he sits by the fire and explains to Watson the process of deduction that we curl up in delight. The partnership between the super-sleuth Holmes and his beloved side-kick Watson all starts here, and if you love Sherlock Holmes, you won't want to miss it!

Jack Cray, the American assassin sent deep into Germany during the The Third Reich's final days, is the focus point of this gripping WWII thriller. There is romance, and action, and suspense abounding. Though several of the plot twists can be forseen by regular readers of this genre, it does not make the story any less fascinating in the telling. If you liked Daniel Silva's The Unlikely Spy or John Lee's The Ninth Man, you will enjoy this exciting tale of an indomitable American's spy mission to infiltrate the German high command. This page-turner is peopled with just the right mix of sinister Nazis who are always just a breath away from capturing the good guys who are working to save the free world. It was also interesting to read the unsettling descriptions of German civilan life during the closing days of the war, to see how the Nazi's war machine had so adversely affected the average German's life in so many ways. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys WWII spy thrillers. A good one.

Five Past Midnight is an extremely suspenseful and dramatic fictional story about the Nazi powerhouse in World War II. The author, James Thayer, draws a captivating picture of what might have happened had Adolf Hitler's assassination attempt been successful. The American assassin, Jack Cray, escapes a POW camp and takes the reader on a journey of clever sniper tactics and cold- blooded killing, and he will not stop until he completes his mission. Cray gets aid from a few important characters along the way. Katrina von Tornitz is a young and widowed spy for the allies, adding a perfect dose of romantic spin to the tale. Otto Dietrich is brought back into the world after being imprisoned by the Gestapo to track down the well-known and feared American killer, adding suspense to the story. Thayer makes the characters very real. I could almost hear their voices while reading. The way he described Hitler through the characters emotions and thoughts was remarkable. The bunker scene, where Hitler was residing toward the end of the book, was particularly amazing. I recommend the book to any one with a taste for suspense, and those who enjoy history or war related topics.

An excellent, thrilling and believable story set toward the end of WWII in Berlin. Commando Jack Cray is assigned by Pres. Roosevelt to bring an end to the war with Germany by assassinating Adolf Hitler. The SS and Gestapo learn of the plot and free Otto Dietrich, an inventive police detective to find Cray and kill him before he can complete his mission. Cray is a likeable hero with an extremely high pain threshold. He befriends Katrina von Tornitz, a spy working for the allies, who helps him. The dialogue between them is realistic and entertaining.

This story held my interest throughout. The realism is unforgetable, especially war-torn Berlin, the memorable characters Cray meets, and the dogged pursuit of Dietrich, who finds himself in a life altering position in the end.

This story is very well done! The best advertisement for an author's books is the quality of the one you've just completed. In James Thayer's case Pursuit and White Star are on my "to read" list.

Brunner tells of a future -- the 1970's -- filled with environmental horrors, the reemergence of obscure diseases, and a vast eco conspiracy. Change the date to 2050 or so and the Sheep world can be real. Interesting that the Cape Cod fisheries are about dead; "dead" diseases such as TB have re-emerged as antibiotic resistant! Not to mention newer viruses such as ebola, marburg, rift valley, HIV, etc. The book is still relevant. Although the US focus on the environment during the last 30 years or so has helped slow down its destruction, there aren't many other countries doing the same.

Publishers have shown some intelligence by keeping both Stand on Zanzibar and The Shockwave Rider still in print but still show odd lapses of judgement by keeping this book relegated to used book stores instead of reissuing it for all to read. This is definitely better than Shockwave Rider, and more focused than Zanzibar (though not better). It is probably one of the grimmer books to emerge from any genre, I thought On the Beach was depressing, this is even more so. Brunner takes threads and weaves them together to show you a world where the ecology is falling apart, the people who have the money to fix it also have the money to keep themselves above it while the normal people just live with it and can't think that anything will be better. There is a plot, per se, involved with environmental leader Austin Train and his emergence from hiding but mostly the novel is concerned with showing the slow inexorable decline of the world into a polluted and chaotic mess. If you keep reading it looking for some last minute save, some ray of hope, you might as well stop reading because that isn't the point. Brunner isn't showing us how to get out of it (other than an ironic comment made by a character at the very end) but showing us what he thought would happen if we didn't change things. Giving it a specific date dilutes the impact of the book but his message is still as strong as ever and even though we've taken steps to prevent that future, there's still a way to go. Brunner isn't with us anymore and his voice is surely missed, moreso when we read about an oil spill or a forest being cut down for development. Reading his books keeps that voice alive today.

Another dire warning from Brunner. Sheep is grimmer than Stand on Zanzibar. Set in a future much closer to our own time than the scenario painted in Stand on Zanzibar, the world described in Sheep is less fantastic and more familiar. The story is bitterly satirical, but the goal of the satire isn't humor, it's shock. Brunner's portrait of a corrupt, polluted world on the verge of ecological implosion is startlingly plausible and terrifyingly recognizable. You can feel the walls closing in as you read - the inertia of events feels inevitable; the end is nigh. The rich and powerful, in order to preserve their cache - even if only the illusion of it - will destroy everything that threatens it. By logical extension, the U.S. is the richest, most powerful country in the world - what will we destroy to preserve our way of life?

Let me save you some time with this book: the author says you need more sleep. 10 hours in fact. If you fall asleep when your head hits the pillow, you are likely sleep deprived and you need more time sleeping. If you are in this category (as am I) this book won't help much, beyond some good tips on napping.

If you cannot fall asleep easily, or wake often, this book has lots of detailed advice, from how to decorate your bedroom and what to do there, to when to eat dinner, what not to drink, watch on TV, and so on. This is probably a useful book for those who cannot sleep. Me? I should have skipped it and caught an extra hour.

Is my forgetfullness the result of low REM? Is my snoring a symptom of life-threatening sleep apnea or life-threatening spousal abuse, if I continue to keep her awake. God, we are all sleep deprived!

POWER SLEEP by Dr. James Maas, (the same guy who taught us to manage by the minute), is informative, chocked full of sleep trivia, and it has an appendix that will blur your tired old eyes. In fact the 20% of the book are footnotes, forms, EMAIL addresses and glossaries. I guess the rest could fit in Readers Digest, (new chapter - water closet rest).

I never dreamed such a book could hold my attention and actually impact my sleeping habits. I recommend others wait for the paperback version. $25.00 will by a lot of Nytol in the meantime.

I never got more thatn 5 hours of sleep per night. Now that I have read POWER SLEEP I get the rest I need to get up because I have a full day a head of me!!!! If you need sleep read this book!!!

This is a useful reference and particularly good for people who prefer detailed observation of objects. For people like me who prefer quantity over quality (i.e. if you don't spend an hour looking at the same object), I'd recommend Kepple's Night Sky Observers guide. Kepple's guides offer a combination of the most useful and comprehensive guides I've seen for intermediate and advanced observational astronomers.

The hardback format of this book isn't particularly good for the field, even though I've seen people referencing beaten-up copies with their red flashlights. It has good quality paper stock.

In sum, this is a standard work on the Messier objects and has substantial value despite its somewhat high price. However, I could think of other books I'd buy first -- Nightwatch for beginners, Kepple's set for more advanced users.

This book is an interesting change from the stereo-typcial astronomy guide which so often tends to be technical to the point of dryness. O'Meara lets fly with some artistic hyperbolae and isn't afraid to let the imagination loose. The result is a refreshingly different perspective on sky viewing. His descriptions of the Messier objects have caused me to look differntly at what I thought were familiar friends until now. The book is best appreciated if delved into - trying to read it cover to cover is not recommended.

I am new to the hobby of astronomy and have been reading every book I can get my hands on. While I have come across several books that filled me in on planatary and lunar observations, these books were lacking in their descriptions of the Messier objects. Oh, I knew I should take a look at these celestial treasures. But which ones? And what would they really look like? Thank God for O'Meara's book! It was an unfortunate discovery for me that the pictures I see of various nebulas and galaxies are not the same views I will encounter in my 8-inch Newtonian reflector. (The cameras bring out more detail or the pictures are taken on bigger scopes.) However, what O'Meara does is describe each member of Charles Messier's 18th century catalogue, enclose a black and white photo, and then a detailed sketch of what he saw through a 4-inch telescope. The book is in numerical order so finding the various objects is very easy. When I am planning a night of observing, I simply leaf through the book, find some interesting objects and then check to see if they will be out that night. I can then study his descriptions so that I will know what I am looking for. Fantastic! This is essential for any beginning astronomer and I dare say it would be an interesting read for non-observers as well.