Peter Brears intersperses a thorough examination of Henry VIII's kitchens at Hampton Court with recipes drawn from period sources.

The palace kitchens at Hampton Court were a large-scale industrial enterprise that fed 600-1200 people every day - everyone from the lowliest servant to the King himself. The author does a grand job of describing how the system procured, stored, and prepared immense amounts of raw materials each day.

Interspersed with the description are recipes drawn from contemporary sources that are similiar to what might have been served at the palace. The author also covers Tudor table manners, etiquette, and the ceremony involved in feeding the monarch.

The background of the story is based on the true-life romance between Bertie, Prince of Wales and the beautiful Lady Daisy Brooke, Countess of Warwick. The setting is a country-house weekend at the estate of the latter, to which our sleuths have also been invited. Two murders occur, first that of a young servant and then that of a gentleman guest. Dark hints are dropped that many of the characters have secret motives for the fell deeds, ranging from blackmail to jealousy to anarchism. Sheridan focusses on the men, while Kate questions the women and servants of the house to get to the bottom of the mess

there was never a dull moment reading this. inspired by countless tape recordings brashler made with cool papa bell and satchel paige, this books puts you into the lives of back baseball players in the 1930's as they travel through the midwest, often encountering prejudice, con-men, loneliness and self-doubt but sticking to their guns and rising about the drama. the language brashler uses to tell the tale makes it authentic and warm. a perfect companion to the movie...

Around the turn of the previous century in San Francisco, Jack London ekes out a living writing and selling occasional articles to magazines. He feeds himself each night with the free food in the local bars. He also supplements his meager income doing odd jobs for the police.

The SFPD hires Jack to join Officer Healey on a stakeout that night. They notice two men and get into a tumble, with Healey recognizing his combatant as master safecracker Lou Kandel, a recent escapee from San Quentin. Both criminals escape and the next day Healey is murdered. SFPD brass asks Jack, who identifies the other thug from mug shots as Manny Thurston, to stay on the case because they believe that master criminal Glass plans to steal the Rajah's Ruby from the visiting "Belle of Broadway, Belle Conquest.

DEAD MAN'S COAST, the latest Jack London mystery, is an exciting historical tale that brings to life a bygone era. Albeit, a police procedural, the plot is more of a period piece that uses interesting tidbits to enhance the story line. Though the mystery is fun, it takes a back seat to Jack and other real persona and the intriguing facts of the turn of the previous century in the bay area. Peter King has written a story that historical fiction lovers will fully enjoy.

Harriet Klausner

If you like champagne or sparkling wines, you'll LOVE this book. Champagne is my favorite drink, so I was very glad to purchase this book. Alice King has successfully written a very comprehensive, and reader friendly study of this special beverage. I found the taste notes paricular useful when purchasing sparkling wine. This book exceed all my expectations!

The pictures are just great and I really appreciate the ideas of what kinds of foods to pair champagne with. I look forward to trying out the recipes at some point.

This work is the study of a society as reflected in the life of Frederick the Great. The subject of interest is not so much the man per se but rather his interactions with the society he did so much to shape. Ritter's treatment allows the reader to learn about Frederick but not to know him as a man. In fact, the work serves largely to sublimate Frederick the man to the Prussian state. The reader sees Frederick as having succeeded not through divine placement but by luck, reason, and a commitment to the state above all personal and worldly considerations. But despite all Frederick's realism, as revealed by Ritter, he remains an enigma. Indeed, as Paret alludes to in his introduction, certain events of European history and aspects of Frederick's life are not explored in Ritter's European-oriented presentation. Certainly my own lack of understanding of the complicated alliance patterns of early modern Europe detract from my understanding of the book.

Frederick's reign seems to have marked a crucial turning point in history-- one toward the development of the modern European nation-state. Frederick utilized the French designs of emerging nationality to bring to life a state whose purpose was to further the good of all its inhabitants rather than to serve as an instrument of the prince's vainglory. From the mediaeval throes of dynamism was born the modern state. To a large degree, Frederick the Great was Prussia; he raised her to a level of power that would not long outlive him. This is what makes Ritter's biography history.

There was a certain ambivalence evidenced in Frederick's conception of warfare. He only pursued war to further the state, and he learned from war--especially his initial invasion of Silesia. Always, Prussia in the end seemed to prosper from her ruler's military actions. Central in Frederick's conception of the state was the need for a vigilant standing army. To oversee this grand army, Frederick developed a program for proto-modern statehood--in all aspects to be overseen by him personally. In his state, he sought to utilize the nobility in a paternalistic system. Patriotism was his goal; his military leaders were not to fight for him but for Prussia. Frederick was deeply involved in military strategy; as a soldier-king he demanded discipline and controlled aggression among his men. Significantly, over time he came to see the value of statecraft over military action; after his Silesian invasion, his wars seemed more defensive in nature; often no decisive victor emerged from battle. He came to realize that warfare was constrained by the state's national resources. As Ritter describes it, Frederician warfare was defined by maneuverability and limited aggression. It is the birth of patriotism in the form of Frederician absolutism that lies at the heart of Ritter's study. Compelled by the rise to power of Naziism, Ritter seeks to show how such German nationalism had originally been born.

Do you know who Rudy Bukich is? If so, you're the type of hard-core football fan who will love Peter King's Greatest Quarterbacks. If you're a football fan and the name of Mr. Bukich doesn't ring a bell, you'll learn a lot from this excellent book.

Sports Illustrated's Peter King is (in my humble opinion) tied with his colleague Paul Zimmerman for the title of America's No. 1 football writer. King provides a historical perspective that allows a comparison of great old-timers like Otto Graham and Sammy Baugh with today's stars like Brett Favre and Troy Aikman. King ranks the Top 50 quarterbacks in the history of the game and offers clear explanations for his selections.

I would also be remiss if I didn't mention the wealth of photographs provided in this book, which makes it a great gift idea for children who might not read the whole thing now but will surely treasure it for years to come. (I might just get an extra copy for my nephew.)

No football fan's bookshelf is complete without Peter King's Greatest Quarterbacks, the best football book to come along in years. As for the identity of Mr. Bukich, I wouldn't dream of giving it away here. You'll just have to buy the book.

This alternative history mystery is as charming as page turning. Taking place in the present, a different royal family (Prince Edward Victor didn't die in the 1890's and leave his fiance free to marry his brother George to later become George V and Mary)is presented with a problem. Someone is killing courtiers and knows a long hidden royal secret. The tale, told by the kings' daughter, is a clever story of celebrity. love, and danger. This is thorougly recommended. It is followed by a sequeal.

Peter Wohlfelder is a Bible scholar, missionary, exercise enthusiasts, husband and father. As a child he had a speech impediment making it difficult for him to speak. As a youth he was healed from a life-threatening illness. He served as an overseas missionary with the Island Missionary Society, working and living among the poor and needy, seeing the lives of many touched by the hand of God. When he conducted an in-depth study on the Bible in relationship to exercise he made a startling discovery -- there was an exercise that biblical kings knew and spent time doing. But this form of exercise had been lost in the mists of antiquity. In King Solomon Skipped, Wohlfelder shares his research discovery, an exercise that is a gift from God to enhance human health, profoundly benefiting and improving intellectual capability and mental alertness, as well as brighten emotions. And, as with most things God provides his people, profoundly simple and one which comes naturally to any child. King Solomon Skipped is uniquely recommended to a Christian readership in search of good health and one of the joys and blessings of life.

Martin Luther King Day provides children with a wonderful introduction to the life and times of Martin Luther King. This small book covers a lot of ground, by providing an overview of the history of how the holiday came to be and suggestions on how to celebrate it. More importantly, it sheds life on the man behind the holiday; a brief overview of King's life. Children will read about King's childhood, education, his exposure to Ghandi, his participation in the Civil Rights Movement, his assassination and much more. While the illustrations are not particularly elaborate, they mesh well with the story and add to the overall experience of the book. Reading this book as a family on Martin Luther King Day could be a fantastic new tradition and will help children learn that the holiday is more than a day off from school.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay
The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers