This slender book appears to be the published version of a thesis. It covers in brief but reasonably complete form the several aspects of Saudi Arabia, its history, the governing family, the economy, politics, the oil story, the Hajj and security. Its prognostications for the future seem reasonable. I was forced to question its accuracy in every category when I found the date of Abdul Aziz's decease given as 1950. Many have followed the leader in stating that he was born in 1880, as does Long, but it is was in fact the year 1876, probably in October or November, that he first saw light and he died in 1953.. The photographs are reproduced on the text stock, thus reducing their intrinsic value.I find the book overpriced. Its page total is 154, which is less than the total given in the blurb.

A high level writing I have ever meet. I hope every people will introduce with this book to acquire knowledge about SAUDI ARABIA.

I high level writing I have ever meet. I hope every people will introduce with this book to acquire knowledge about SAUDI ARABIA.

I am glad I bought this book. There is nothing new here for the reader well versed in the history of India. However, the language and presentation model is quite brisk and makes for a easy read. The material is fairly encompassing given that the purpose of the book is for the general reader. I found the narrative both interesting and fast moving. A good start for someone desiring to know present day India.

Given that so much has been written on the movement towards independence already in the last few years, I came with skepticism to this book, given that neither of the authors had significant experience in Indian history before. This becomes clear in their research and writing, which at times seems to borrow too extensively from prior works and in effect surveys previous surveys. Nonetheless, The Proudest Day accomplishes one singular feat: it paints a coherent story of more than 60 years of struggle, full of coloured yet flawed personalities such as Jinnah and Gahndi and momentous occasions, from the Amritsar Massacre to the endgame hysteria after WWII. It gives form to what more than anything was a series of stop and goes over a half a century.

Much of the author's criticism of the main protagonists is not new. The myth of Gahndi's pacifism is debunked. In Nehru's uncompromising idealism, the authors lay the blame for eventual partition. Jinnah is the consumate lawyer, manipulating and playing with legal vagueries. But it is for Mountbatten and the Congress hard-liners that the harshest criticism is reserved. Partition comes down to one missed chance in the summer of 1946. Whether or not in the emotional-charged atmosphere of Indian-Pakistan history you accept this proposition, the authors succeed in leaving that bitter feeling in the reader's mind- that partition, the holocaust that ensued after August 1947 in Punjab, and years of ensuing conflict could have all been avoided even after 50+ years of heated struggle if only in that last instance, the main protagonists laid aside their prior histories, showed their courage and seized the moment.

An exellent book delaing with the Indian independence movement.
It starts with the British massacre of hundreds of Indians attending a peaceful meeting in Jallianwallah Bagh, which tuned the tide and ends with division of of the subcontinent into Muslin Pakistan and more secular India and the loss of millions of lives on both sides of the devide during the ensuing riots, and the birth of the the Indepenedent Inida and Pakistan. The book colorfully portrays the charecters involved in the drama-the likes of Jinnah the father of modern Pakistan, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawahrlal Nehru and Mountabatten and their arrogance and vanity, Gandhi's apparent dislike of Jinnah from the very begining and his non-democratic management of the congress party. Jinnah was a secular muslim and in the begining it was not his intention to carve a seperate Islamic Pakistan from the Indian subcontinent. The dogmatic refusal to accept the Cripps Mission, whose offer of the dominion status would have saved the division of the subcontinent and subsequent loss of millions of lives. The initial arrogance and later withdrawl of the British in a hurry without a great deal of thought resulting not only the worst religiously motivated riots and massive loss of lives and boarder problems between India and Pakistan. Only the common people of India emerge as the heroes in this book. It is a well researched thoughtfully written book and it should be read by any with an interest in the subcontinent.

The year is 2262 and Londo has just become Emperor of Centauri Prime. But what might have been his best chance to help his people and make up for his past becomes an exercise in frustration for him, as he must submit to the will of the Drakh Entire. Watched over by his keeper, he is only fully able to do what they desire. Meanwhile, Vir suspects something might be wrong with his friend. But can he find out what is really happening in the palace?

Peter David has done a wonderful job with this book. Londo becomes a truly sympathetic character. The climax is almost painful it's so well written and leaves the reader anxious to pick up the next book. Mr. David has captured each character exactly as they appear in the series. It's very easy to "hear" the actors deliver the lines and picture the settings from the series. He also works in references to several pivotal and obscure moments in the show, making this seem to fit perfectly in the Babylon 5 universe. The new characters are fully developed and help advance the story. Interesting, two of Londo's wives, from an episode of the show that Mr. David wrote, also play important parts in the story.

There is one small detraction for fans of the series. The book plays a little loosely with the timeline of season 5. However, I find the timeline presented here to be a little more realistic and something only worth noting in passing.

Fans of Babylon 5 who haven't read this book are in for a real treat. People who haven't seen the show will enjoy this book as well, but might be confused by a few things mentioned in passing. Personally, I had trouble putting this book down and can't wait to read the next book in the trilogy. A truly top notch read.

Londo was often considered the favorite character on the show, mainly because of his many facts. You could love, hate, cheer for, and want to strangle him--often within the same episode. That same feeling is evoked in this book.

We already know the outcome, so it is like warching a train wreck you know you can't stop as the Drahk use Centauri Prime for their plan to destroy the Interstellar Alliance and President Sheridan. This first novel in the trilogy speeds us along this tragic path.

Peter David's trademark style and humor are evident here, so fans of his comic book and Star Trek work should check it this entire trilogy. For B5 fans, it's a must.

I really enjoyed this book, and can't wait to read the rest of the trilogy. I was disappointed in the final season of B5, particularly because it left so many unanswered questions. Like other reviewers, I found myself playing the book out as a really good episode of the series. I have always enjoyed Peter David's writing, his blending of seriousness and humor.

Londo's story is very tragic because he ever understood the consequences of his actions. He never thought beyond what felt right to him at the moment. Asking the Shadows to destroy G'Kar and the Narn, he didn't know the evil he was unleashing into the universe, or how he was destroying his own people in the process. There were always hints of this tragedy in the series, but none so clear as the events described in this book. You can feel sorry for Londo, and this is due to the great accomplishment of the author. These books help to wrap up a wonderful series that changed the way we want to watch TV. Very few shows have a beginning, a middle and an end in mind even before the show begins. Congratulations to Peter David for helping to tell this compelling story.

Now that Crosby's "2nd Family" is featured on Rolling Stone--& CSNY are back----on music concert tour-->title will be re-issued soon,just as "DeJavu' is now digitally remastered CD.

I have repeatedly encouraged young readers who desire to "step into" the reality of the 70's to read this book. It should be a prerequisite for anyone seeking a career in drugs, sex, and rock n roll, or anyone who questions what they missed being born later. David Crosby is an incredible talent and an incredible survivor. This book approaches very closely doing that justice.

This is one of the best autobiography's I've read. Deals so well with Alcoholism, Drug addiction, etc. I was once a rock and roll musician and can attest the fact that this is the way it was in the 70's.

As an individual who does not traditionally read Christian literature, I found David Ryan Long's _Quinlin's Estate_, a wonderful exception to the rule. The characters are fully alive with human motivations and reasoning. They make mistakes, struggle and misinterpret events around them. They carry emotional baggage and yet, they are still endearing in all their humanity that we identify with instead of looking down upon with disdain.

The plot, written in the romance-mystery genre, does not have the traditional scenes and caricatures one sees churned out so often in the Christian form of the style. There is no saccharin conversion scene, no histrionics, no simple faith, but the story of Eve who, in her struggle to save Quinlin's estate, must come to terms with her past, her motivations and her self-definition. In her quest, she resurrects a past some wish would stay quiet in its grave. She also confronts complex issues of belief and the nature of God.

Most unique of all is that one of Long's main characters is Quinlin's Estate itself. Though other authors are happy to keep a house as a setting and backdrop, Quinlin's Estate, with its mish-mash of architectural styles becomes a character all its own from its tall tower to its meandering labyrinthine maze. Yet it doesn't represent a place of fear and desolation as some stories in the gothic genre, but a place that has come to represent a common and comforting past for the residents of Lowerton, Pennsylvania.

Your journey through the tale of Quinlin's Estate and its unexpected and bittersweet ending is memorable enough to stay with you long after you've put the book down. And that in itself is a good testimony for any novel.

I sped through Long's last book, the Christy-award winning "Ezekiel's Shadow." This follow-up is an entirely different sort of story. It's a slower-paced historical whodunit, an unraveling of time and place, a trek through facts and figures to discover life and meaning.

Short on dialogue, heavy on historical sketches and vignettes, this is not a fast-paced read. However, it is a fascinating story, full of rewards for the patient ones. Long asks that you set aside other distractions and focus on the story of Eve Lawson as she tries to save the threatened property of Quinlin's Estate. Set in Lowerton, Pennsylvania, the novel follows Eve and her handful of helpers as they tackle this seemingly impossible task. We see the pieces of the town's and estate's history fall piece by piece into Long's protracted puzzle. Like a puzzle with no apparent focus, this book might be difficult for those with short attention spans--fair warning!--but, as Long deftly places the darker pieces of his characters' lives into place, the intrigue builds undeniably. Halfway through, I was hooked, no question.

The final third of the book is full of rewards. Long brings the story to a satisfactory ending that is short on romanticism and heavy on metaphor and mystery. The transformation of Eve Lawson is masterfully portrayed. "Quinlin's Estate," like Long's first novel, is rich in spiritual depth without preaching. Long lets us see through Lawson's eyes the power of finding a purpose and a place to fit in. Through the enduring picture of the tower at Quinlin's Estate, we find that there's no such thing as a lost cause.

Eve Lawson's twenty-seven years have been lived in the small town of Lowerton, PA. Most of Eve's life has been a roller coaster, but the one constant has been the looming gothic mansion on the hill overlooking the town, also known as Quinlin's Estate.

The mansion has been the silent observer that oversees the lives of the people in Lowerton. Legend has it that people who live directly in the shadow of the mansion are somehow luckier than those who lives are lived outside its shadow. But the mansion is about to fall victim to the wrecking ball and sixty years of mystery and secrets, including a death within the walls will be silenced forever.

Eve decides to temporarily leave graduate school and begin a quest to save the old estate. The crusade forces Eve to confront past hurts by her father, Glen Lawson. He is a man who spent his entire life searching the estate for an elusive treasure that cost him his daughter.

She also searches for a way to punish her father's girlfriend, Meryl, for ruining her relationship with her father. Eve's quest and the information she discovers forces her to reevaluate everything she has believed about her past and the people who shared it with her.

Fitting the pieces of the past into the puzzle of the present is painful and becomes even more important than the struggle to save the estate. These truths allow Eve to see the future more clearly.

Ghosts from the past come to life on the pages of Eve's journal. The multi-layered plot line makes the book a real page-turner. Eve's journal takes readers through the history of the estate and the people who may hold the keys to the mysteries that lie within the walls. The first-person narrative is very effective in revealing the characters and Eve's spiritual and emotional journey.

To his credit, Marc, an erstwhile literary scholar, doesn't delve into the pseudo-academic question of whether television is or isn't a cornerstone of contemporary American culture. Instead, he examines what actually has transpired in the US -- the wholesale acceptance (and enjoyment) of the medium -- and describes its impact on the ever changing landscape of the Republic. With an oftentimes acerbic wit, Marc, lifts the curtain on the great Oz, allowing us to see who we are and what we've become, intellectually and culturally, whether we want to admit it or not. Ample notes let the reader discover further musings on the effects of this commonplace appliance. Overall, a brilliant -- if not disquieting -- social critique of Americans and our often reviled, often beloved boob tube.

I am a doctoral student in English and I teach multiple sections of Freshman Composition. This is the first book this presents a recognizable picture of the contemporary classroom: a place where literacy is taught as a specialist's skill to students immersed in television culture. If you are interested in the future of reading and writing, I recommend this book highly. It is also hilariously funny.

The Long Night... Mind's Eye Theatre... Vampire... The Dark Ages... has to be good right? Well, it is. Some of the flaws of Laws of the night are corrected within. It is fairly well written. The only complaint is that at times it seems to muddle the Table-top with the LARP, which can be mildly confusing (especially to those with no experience with the Table-top). On the whole though definitely a good buy.

The Long Night is the live-action version of Vampire:the Dark Ages. It is about the world of vampires in the year 1197. This book has corrected one of the major flaws(in my opinion) of Laws of the Night(the modern day live-action Vampire game) by bringing back the ten step system of roads, codes of conduct which each person follows. With new and improved Disciplines(powers), this book and game is a must for any live-action player, and might even convince tabletop players to try a live-action game or two.

A lot of photography books are poorly written, but not so this one. Paterson's prose is up to par with his images, which are absolutely gorgeous. Seeing Skye in all four seasons through Paterson's photographs helped me get a much better sense of this wonderful island (I've only visited once). I'm desperate to return--and I'll definitely take this book with me when I do. The routes seem well-planned and thoroughly researched.

All my travel adventures start with a good book. This is definitely The Book for the Isle of Skye. I don't think you have to physically follow David Paterson's 8-day-long path from Armadale (south) to Duntulm (north) to come away with a delicious sense of having been there. The photographs are stunning. But unlike cheesy tourist photography books, A Long Walk is beautifully written, engaging, and memorable. I haven't reread the book yet, but still often think of one of his gloomiest (and windiest) hikes uphill, when in the midst of a good sulk he is surprised by a lark that was guarding a perfect, cozy nest of eggs. I loved this book because Paterson obviously relishes serendipitous moments like that one, as well as the details and history of a fascinating place, good maps, and of course, excellent photography.

Even if Amazon.com doesn't have it in stock, it's worth the wait... or just get yourself to Scotland and buy one there.

In one book, you can see through Kahn's famous works, like Salk Institute of Biography Reaserch and Yale Center for British Art. Nice photos and descriptions. This book can be the beginning step for approaching Kahn's philosophy of architecture. He say, "Existence will determines the every nature of things". He used the simple forms to establish a fine-art-class architecture style. Kahn's works could be said as "Simple in FORM, but not simple in MIND."

A beautiful book...It's filled with so much information about Kahn's major projects. Interesting, well-written text and dozens of sketches and model photos accompany each major project. I'd never heard of Grant Mudford, but his big, color photos are beautiful. There's a list of all of Kahn's projects and buildings from the 1920s until his death in 1974, and a section of Kahn's travel sketches and artwork. The pages are large, the print quality is impressive, and the impeccable graphic design, by Massimo Vignelli with Abigail Sturges, suits Kahn's style perfectly. And it's a good buy, too.

Gee for this good of an indepth book it's missing some of Mr. Wrights art glass work. It appears to the author SLOAN of the book that Mr. Wright's executed art glass ended in 1924. HOW UNTRUE. What about the artglass in the Southern Florida University chapel? Or what about the Greek church in Madison Wisconsin? or what about the 1954 Beth Sholom Synagogue in Elkins Park, PA....the artglass above the pulpit?????? GEE GOOD research on the rest of it though.....lots of detail but she didn't do a good job on the rest of it.....by the way a sketch in Wright's drawings was done for the Greek Church in Madison, Wisc. originally to be christian "figurines"...the only sketch by Wright in artglass that was realistic other than his unexecuted "waterlilies" artglass that is known of and printed in color form today on rugs and prints. And gee I didn't even spend time to research this data, it was all known to me as an architect, & enthusiast. I'm also a member of the FLLW conservancy, FLLW Home & studio, Taliesin Fellows, and Taliesin Associates member. For non-architects who do books....CLUE: next time do thorough research since it makes your efforts and detailed work look shabby for so lengthy of detailed data excerted in your book. Good luck next time and PLEASE add a GOOD redone 2nd edition.

This is a very well researched, well presented analysis of FLW's windows. It speaks for itself. The pictures are well chosen and do a very good job of illustrating the books themes and analysis.

The "cover" image shown with this book is flipped 180 degrees from its actual orientation. To see the book in its actual design, go to www.lightscreens.com ... both the hardcover catalog to the exhibition and what I call the "Big Book" (the slipcased 400-pager) are there. (The paperback catalog is available only in the museums where the exhibition is mounted.)

Others have referred to the photographs as "bland." Well, I'd have to agree where the museums that own Wright windows are concerned; Wright intended to "bring the outside in," but museums for some reason insist on photographing his windows against a white background. Since I took most of the photographs in these books, let me tell you that I always photographed them with their backgrounds - the landscapes in the middle and long distance - integral to the windows themselves, as Wright intended.

The drawings are smaller than Wright made them because any 9x12 book is smaller than Wright's drawings. And as for "came" vs. "leaded," the latter term is a commonly used generalization to describe any glass held in a metal matrix ... Wright usually used copper or brass came, but not exclusively.

Since the book is in print after 20 years of research, the fact that its designer didn't meet the first reviewer's expectations or desires is beside the point. Until now there's been no definitive overview of Wright's stained glass. We should rejoice that this books exists ... and I do. Why do I rejoice? Beause I took most of the photos in the book (I'm the ALL of ALL/JLS in the credits) and I know how difficult it was to gain access to the [lived-in] homes of Wright homeowners, so I celebrate the fact that the author's been able to share this work with the world. It would otherwise be inaccessible.