if you do or dont know robert frank, you should still pick up this book. if you own a copy, buy another for a friend, its that good. not only does it show us all the goodies, it shows a lot of the baddies, too. the stuff from the end of the mans life doesnt strike my fancy, but it shows how he evolved.

i guess this reads like a biography if your not into page turning and picture glimpsing. but thats allright.

things to recommend for fans of this book: pull my daisy the movie by frank mention numerous times the lines of my hands published beforehand but includes plenty more goodies not included in this package

for fans of the above listed, check out this veritable omnibus, you wont be disappointed.

ryan maclean, 99

This book was great I thought! I just love the use of Black and White and color photography within the same space...I think Frank has done this with much beauty.

I am actually doing a project at the moment on photography and painting and the two concepts combined. If anyone out there can suggest more books and artists - please e-mail me!

I have always enjoyed Mr Ludlum's books "The Holcroft Convenant" was the first discovered when in hospital having my first son. These book have made me very cynical about the Establishment - so you can imagine my surprise whe half way thru the Matarese Countdown when the Asian stockmarkets took a nose dive and there was general global unrest; This was followed by the renewal in interest of the alleged sex shenanegans going on in the White House. what is a girl to think? Where does Mr Ludlum get his inside information? Does this prove the conspiracy theory of world politics in which Fox Mulder has become entangled? Keep up the writing Mr Ludlum. I also LOVED the book about the Pope taking an unscheduled break. Hope you are fully fit and well, and I would love to have a wee message from Mr Ludlum...

A Mature and aging 50's would say that having read every book published, the Matarese Countdown struck me as a "goodbye". I don't quite understand it, but let me tell you that the books produced by Ludlum have taken me from the lows that this earth can throw to you to the highs of anticipation. Having been through the ropes more than once on a world wide level, it is scary to say the least, that the consolidated minds of humans, allow someone within that range, to affect a regrouping of its thoughts and put itself back into reality. In all due respect, I call you Mr. Ludlum, and if I would be able to contribute what you have to mankind, I would have solace within myself. You have touched the "botton" once again. You have drawn me from the depths of hell, back to the ordinary, no matter what the inners tell you your duty is in this world. Touching on the abstract, which you know to be true, but unverifiable, allows you to enjoy human nature among its ! splendid scenery and the decency of human abilities. Thank YOU.

Everyone knows Robert Louis Stevenson; everyone has at least one of the myriad books of his poetry. There are some stunningly illustrated collections of his poetry out now, notably two by Thomas Kincaide, among others. But how many of us have actually read all or most of his work? I'm guilty as charged.

This smaller, quieter version of Stevenson's poetry helped me finally, actually read all the Garden poetry. True, the illustrations are spare, but delightfully accurate. My children (7 and 10) were not as mesmerized by this book as they are by others with fanciful graphics, illustrations and larger type to accompany the poetry.

Still, this small book found its way into my purse to be used for waiting moments, e.g. at the orthodontist, doctor, and also to my bedside, where it's shear diminutive size did not dissuade me from reading "for only a minute or two." And within Stevenson's words and language lie the ferment of creative pictures. I liked to have my children close their eyes while I read short poems to 'force' them to use only their mind's eye.

I thoroughly enjoyed the adventures, moods, and images Stevenson conjures and at long last can understand why his poetry remains so classic.

Most everyone knows that Robert Louis Stevenson was sickly, both as a child and as an adult, and the happy result for the reading public was his nearly feverish flights of imagination. Here, in an edition of his classic "A Child's Garden of Verses," that fever is complemented in spades by the fantastical illustrations of English artist Joanna Isles.

Isles uses an arsenal of utterly frivolous flowers, borders, insects, birds, kings and queens, fairies, and more to expand upon the imagination exhibited in Stevenson's poems. The children in these pictures are depicted as being in charge, being at one with their environment, and being delighted to be alive.

Some of the illustrations hint at the influence of artists more famed than Isles (Henri Rousseau appears to be a special favorite of hers--see the illustration for "The Unseen Playmate," in which a boy lies down in weeds that might have sprung from the edge of Rousseau's painting "The Dream"). Using both primary colors and pastels, Isles creates a world within the world of Stevenson's verse. The marriage of the two is a happy one.

When I was younger, well 5 actually, I had the chicken pox. This was one of my mom's favorite books. The words in the poetry just soothed me. It seemed like the author, Robert Louis Stevenson, knew exactly what I was going through.

You can't forget about the little toy soldiers (a poem) at your feet because when you are sick for days, you can imagine all kinds of things in your mind. The curtains billow like sails, the bedpost is your anchor. I sat there in bed and just floated away with the fun of having someone to share my illness. It seemed like a had a friend right there with me.

I loved the pictures too. The little kids are old fashioned and it made me laugh because the boys wore silly clothes, but they fit the time period, my mom said.

I love this book and keep it by my bed when I need to be relaxed.

Hayley Cohen

Kenneth Clark gives an unpropogating look at Da Vinci. All too often Leonardo's name has been attached to support a variety of causes of this or that nature. Being, seemingly, irreligious and unphilosophic while being the quintessential Renassaince Man. His name is often used as a mascot to justify the ideals of this or that group of whatever. He was clearly an animal rights lover, possibly a closet Franciscan, in all probability a homosexual (although not much of an activist). Leonardo was into his thoughts and had little patience for something that was already complete in his mind. He left scores of unfinished works, and minons of angry patrons - contrary to Bornstin's book that Leonardo was in constant search of patrons - Clark says he had many unhappy patrons. Leonardo was an animal lover who hated violence (although he designed armaments of various sorts). His depth of religious devotion could be argued, but he was not irreverant, as some have claimed. Leonardo was rather Franciscan and had a fondness for animals and individuality. He was free and valued his own individualism. Other than Da Vinci's notebooks nothing much authentic comes down to us. Every other work of Leonardo has been severally retouched or destroyed, what there is left of Leonardo's work is highly speculative - what bit is in his hand ect. Clark gives a healthy, vibrant, nonproselytizing look at a genius - something anyone might find interesting.

Kenneth Clark's book is probably the best available introduction to Leonardo da Vinci. It is both a good biography and an insightful analysis of Leonardo's art and artistic career. The text is appropriate for both laymen and students of art history. Clark's writing is concise and extremely engaging (to the point where I would recommend reading this book for fun), but it is also intelligent and very informative, with a clear thesis that ties the vast body of matieral covered together into an easily comprehensible package. This book is slightly out of date now, but Martin Kemp's introduction and revision help to ammend for that. I particularly recommend this most recent edition as it is well-illustrated.

This is the best book available in English on Leonardo da Vinci. True, the book was first published several decades ago, but the art historian Martin Kemp has added footnotes that bring the text up to date. Kenneth Clark made a tremendous contribution to the study of Leonardo da Vinci with this book - Science and Technology Museum notwithstanding!!!!

This version of legends is divided into three parts, if you search for Robert Silverberg you can find it in one volume for about the same price, so that you get all three parts together for about a third of the price
As to the book,I can only review the second part (I made the mistake of ordering legends 2 thinking that it was all 11 stories, but it was really just three.) The three stories that were in it were:Debt of Bones by Terry Goodkind
The Hedge Knight by George R.R. Martin
and Runner of Pern, by Anne McCaffrey
Of the three I read, The Hedge Knight was definitely the best, it has alot of action and the grimly real, but exciting story that only Martin can provide. It is set in the Seven Kingdoms of Martin's excellent series, A Song of Ice and Fire.
Debt of Bones was good, and it showed me what type of a writer Goodkind is,(I haven't read anything by him but that, but it got me interested and I bought the first book in his series, The Sword Of Truth.
Runner of Pern was probably the one I least liked, I knew nothing about Anne McCaffrey, and it was okay, but not nearly as good as The Hedge Knight.
Be sure to buy the edition with all 11 stories, I have just ordered the full edition, Most all of the writers in the 11 stories, I have read before and it is interesting to have a short work to read by them, about a different part of their world. This will also help you get aquainted with writers you havn't read before, see their writing style, and decide if you want to read more of them.

I read Legends in one piece, so please bear with me reviewing here. Legends (and Far Horizons) as well, were a brilliant move. Short stories about the worlds you know and love, in one book with yet unexplored worlds... it's awesome, both from the fan's and the publisher's point of view.

The quality of the stories was high. King's story was beautiful and enchanting, I am not a great fan of Pratchett, though, Feist and Goodkind's stories were entertaining enough, if not a little predictable.

I felt myself also highly attracted to Williams' story for some reason. And I havent even read the series. Still gotta find the first book somewhere. :)
Jordan's story, as a WOT fan, was nice enough. It was nice to be back in the WOT world again (this was during the wait for book 9). For me, it grabbed hold and didnt let go. Although I agree that it might be a little vague and incomprehensible for the people who are not familiar with the Wheel of Time.
The big thing about Legends though, has got to be the Hedge Knight. It got me to reading Martin's work, and it had got me to favoring Martin above Jordan as soon as I was done with the series.

Legends did what it was made for - introduce fans into worlds they havent explored yet, and show them a little bit more of the worlds they know and love. So yes, Legends was brilliant.

Wow.

My dad got me this as a gift a few years ago, and i have been consistently re-reading it since. All of the stories are masterpieces, even more so in that they are all less than a few hundred pages, yet still present a rich, textured world, unique to each story. This book has led me to 5 different series, 3of which i have completed again and again (I just can't seem to find the rest of the other 2). All of the stories are exquisite.

New Spring, by Robert Jordan, last story in the book, has affected me the most. It was one of the last stories I read, not just for being last, but I have read the 7000+ page series again and again in the last few years.

I have not read the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series, but the story by Tad Williams is very complex; it took me a few readings to get the full plot. A great older read.

The Earthsea story isn't really connected to the other books, but they are good. And Ms. Le Guin has also written a few kids books.

The Hedge Knight, by George R.R. Martin, is most likely my favorite story. I haven't gotten around to reading the series yet, but it's on my list. Wonderful storytelling and action.

King, as always, is absolutely stunning. Leaving no violence or sex out, this serves as a wonderful intro or stand-alone. The Little Sisters of Eluria is a #1 first story choice.

The Feist story was a bit wierd, and kind of unfufilled. The Seventh Shrine was the last story I read. I think i was a bit put off by its length. It was worth the time, and i still have yet to pick up a book of the series.

And I won't settle for subliminal messages: BUY AND READ THE BOOK! NOW!!

Oops, I seem to have left out the Card story. It is funny, and linked to a wonderful series whose depth so far is rarely equaled in my reprtoire. The Ender series, also by the same author, is much more famous, and about par, on a totally different subject. a very funny yarn, when the rest of the series is slightly more somber.

Most of this book is Ludlum at his best. It is action packed with two capable heroes. There is very little of the character development, which Ludlum does poorly, to get in the way of the action. The plot is a your basic B-grade spy movie plot of the international cadre trying to manipulate the world. Fortunately that doesn't detract too much from the story telling. The ending is a real letdown and is an action movie cliche. The KGB partner is killed while saving the American hero, but with his dying breath urges the hero to leave him and go get the bad guys. The American hero then puts an end to the story by machine gunning down all the bad guys. It is an easy, no-brainer conclusion.

This man can write! And his imagination is a force to be reckoned with! It is true that the ending is a little cliche, but this book is well worth it! I haven't read The Matarese Countdown, but this book makes me want to. This is a classic Ludlum page turner, even though it is a little predictable at times. Ludlum draws his readers in and then takes them on quite a ride. Read it, if only to say you have read all of Ludlum's.

Although this was written some time back, this classic RobertLudlum thriller kept my attention from beginning til end and wasextremely hard to put down - even missing my station on the London Underground whilst working and commuting down there! The story concerns a CIA agent, Brandon Scofield whose wife was murdered by the KGB some years back. He must join forces with the KGB agent who killed his wife to defeat a resurgence of the Matarese Corsican Brotherhood who are infiltrating governments around the world in a covert takeover bid. Along the way there's plenty of action and surprise twists. Ludlum is a superb writer who obviously researches his locations - having been to Amsterdam and Moscow I could relate to these parts well. Fast-paced and hard to fault!

Let me first echo the sentiments expressed by others and comment on what a beautiful edition the Univ of Nebraska Press has produced. The margins are indeed wide and the type very readable. This edition is easily held, the illustrations nicely complement the text and the binding is quite durable. The introduction by Joyce Carol Oates is helpful albeit pedantic. Also, those who've read the Univ of Calif Press edition of Frankenstein will notice some overlap between this introduction and the one that Ms. Oates wrote for that particular edition. Nonetheless, the introduction is valuable.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is one of those stories, like Frankenstein and Dracula, that seemingly everyone has heard of and believes they understand("mythopoetic " in the language of Joyce Carol Oates). Much like the aforementioned works, the actual details of the story may come as a surprise to those who assume they know the story based solely on the popular understanding. For that reason alone I think the book is worth reading.

Dr. Jekyll is a respected if somewhat reclusive London doctor who has, through the course of years of experimentation, managed to create a solution which brings to the fore his evil alter-ego. Unlike many gothic literary villains, Hyde is not imbued with superhuman strength or exceptional gifts of any kind. In fact he is of a smaller and less imposing stature than most men. What he does possess however is a complete lack of compunction with regards to others. Hyde for example ruthlessly runs down a small child who gets in his way. As is the case with Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll creates something that he can't control and which eventually destroys its creator.

The inhumanity that the fictional Hyde displays can be seen in the non-fictious world on a daily basis. As such, there is a realism to the story which is missing from many horror stories past and present. The fact that such a short and captivating work exists in an attractively packaged edition makes this one classic that will be a joy to read for all.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a clasic so, naturaly, I had high expectations. I certainly was not let down. It has a totally unique style with much detail and extensive writing. Yet, this novel is a very quickly read novel, unlike other excessively detailed books like Dracula. This book is not boring. This book is fun. It doesn't ruin the plot with too much detail like other books. Other fantasy books are usually not even close to realistic. Whereas Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is close to being conceived realistic. This book has a general morbid feeling to it where other fantasies are sometimes cheerful and happy. Robert Louis Stevenson is a realy good writer in my opinion.
He uses a very wide range of vocabulary. Stevenson uses many 19th Century terms that seem weird and different to me.
One thing bad about his writing is his punctuation. He uses way too many semicolons and comas. He makes one sentence out of six or seven sentences.
This book was not the best book I ever read, but was not the worst either. it was mediocre. however It was miles ahead of Dracula. Dracula is boring, whereas Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is fast paced, quick, and fun to read. its pritty morbid which is kind of a down side, but Since it is very short it is a good book on my list.

The University of Nebraska Press edition of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is beautiful! The illustrations by Barry Moser, woodcuts that progress chronologically through Dr. Jekyll's life as it is described in hints throughout Robert Louis Stevenson's story, are atmospheric and evocative; a picture of a boy being guided by his father, for example, echoes Dr. Jekyll's comments that he has a "fatherly" interest in his alter-ego, Hyde, while Hyde has a son's "indifference" to the father; the cover illustration is a portrait of Dr. Jekyll's father destroyed by Mr. Hyde on a rampage.

Joyce Carol Oates's introduction is worthwhile, especially for those readers who know the story, as most English-speaking people do, in its basic framework, but who have not yet actually traveled the dark road with Dr. Jekyll and his friends.

It is a pleasure to read a classic book in such a carefully crafted edition. Too often books such as this are printed in cheap editions with narrow margins and lousy type; this one fits comfortably in the hand and is easy on the eye as the reader is drawn into this allegorical nightmare.

This review refers to the University of Nebraska Press edition only.

Martin Meredith's "Our Votes, Our Guns" is a particlarly depressing work of jouralism covering the descent of post-Rhodesia Zimbabwe into a barbarous authoritarian kleptocracy thoroughly dominated by a corrupt leader who turned his back on ever principle he supposedly had before obtaining power. The world's attention (such as it is) has been focussed on the forcible removal of white farmers from their land with the explict support of the government. But as Meredith demonstrates, President Mugabe's racist policies toward whites is just one of many evils he has perpetrated on his country.

Meredith starts out by setting the historical stage, including telling about the horrific brutality of white rule in what was then Rhodesia before the 1979 "revolution" that brought Mugabe to power. Certainly, Zimbabwe's violent release from colonialism has a lot to do with the country's current situation.

Meredith then goes on to show the early promise that Mugabe showed as president, so willing for reconcilliation that he met with the last white Prime Minister, Ian Smith on numerous occasions to ask adbvice in the early years. Meredith then shows how as Mugabe became increasingly paranoid and obsessed with power his cronys became more and more corrupt. Anyone who believes that third world debts ought to be forgiven should read this book. Zimbabwe is in a state of financial collapse because its president and his associates bled the country dry, not because of IMF or World Bank financial imperialism. If anything, Western aid has helped serve as an enabler for Mugabe's destruction of Zimbabwe.

The book's main drawback is a lack of first hand reporting by Meredith. There is no indication in the narrative that the author has ever visited Zimbabwe and he seems to have relied mostly on second had accounts. Nevertheless, he is an excellent researcherr, and despite this flaw this is still a compelling read for those with an interest in current events beyond the headlines.

"Our Votes, Our Guns: Robert Mugabe and the Tragedy of Zimbabwe" is journalist Martin Meredith's report on the absolute mess that a once vibrant country has become. The cause of this mess can mostly be attributed to Zimbabwe's president Robert Mugabe.

In the 1970s Mugabe was a guerrilla warrior fighting for the right of majority rule in Rhodesia. Even during his guerrilla days, the lust for absolute power that would characterize Mugabe's presidential rule was apparent. Mugabe ruthlessly ensured that he was the leader of not only his movement but of all the Rhodesian independence movements.

Throughout all stages of his political career the main hallmark of Mugabe has been the use and initiation of violence as a means of terrorizing his opponents. Even when his opponents have mostly agreed with him, he has suppressed them to ensure that only he can rule.

The shame of all this is that Mugabe inherited a country that was at one time the bright spot of Africa. Zimbabwe had a private economic sector surpassed only by South Africa. The hope of Mugabe's rule was that he could peacefully integrate the disenfranchised black Zimbabweans into both the country's governing structure and its economic one. That hope quickly faded as Mugabe showed he did not care at all for any one who did not actively and vociferously sing his praises. Instead of integrating the people he had fought to liberate, he consolidated his power base and used his office as a means of rewarding his sychophantic cronies.

In "Our Votes, Our Guns" Meredith brings to light even more acts of violence and barbarism, committed by Mugabe's lieutenants, than I had previously known about. It seems the press focused on the farm invasions to the exclusion of other acts of terrorism that Mugabe's hench men carried out, such as invading urban businesses and extorting large sums of money, bankrupting state-owned businesses and stashing the cash in overseas bank accounts, acting as a terror network directing the 'war veterans' where and when to attack, and, the most egregious sin of all, terrorizing what was once an independent judiciary into nothing more than the ruling party's lap dog.

Zimbabwe is a country of great potential. The longer Mugabe rules, the less likely it will ever be that Zimbabwe fulfills that potential. Not only is he destroying what economic infrastructure Zimbabwe once had; but, he is legitimating state terrorism as the method of governing the country. Every day that Mugabe rules is another little bit that Zimbabwe dies.

At last, a novel which exposes the evil, racist practices of Robert Mugabe's dictatorship. After all the lies and platitudes, those who emigrated in the early eighties have been proven wise. Meredith clearly has an excellent understanding of events in Zimbabwe and is not deceived by the leftist propaganda engine.
Those who find themselves shocked by events in Zimbabwe should not be, the ZANU PF never embraced democracy as it is envisioned in the West.Populist majoritarian, rule with no minority protection, was always the order of the day in the new Zimbabwe (as in the new South Africa).
Readers should take a warning from this novel and compare the events depicted thein to what is currently happening in South Africa, Zimbabwe's sister state, a country where blantant racial engineering is being excercised at the expense of individual human rights.
It is only a mater of time before history repeats itself.

I am a huge fan of fantasy and have read dozens of books from many authors but after reading the same cliched plots time after time, I gave up on the genre for a long time--until I discovered Ruin Mist. I was immediately enchanted by the fantastic world and its characters. The world isn't filled with archectypical characters (ie boy wonders, missing heirs, heroes trudging off against a dark lord) and definitely doesn't follow the formulaic/cliched/overworked standard fantasy plotlines.

WHY READ RUIN MIST CHRONICLES:

1. THIS ISN'T YOUNG CHILD GROWS TO GOOD GUY BEATS DARK LORD AND MARRIES BEAUTIFUL PRINCESS. In the typical fantasy, that's what happens and all the good guys live while defeating hords of enemies. I may be exaggerating a bit BUT you get the idea. After reading this type of story over and over that plot cliche gets old.

2. YOU ARE TIRED OF HEROES WHO WALK ON WATER AND CAN'T DIE EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE IN CONSTANT DANGER. Hey in real life, heroes die and magic DOESN'T bring them back either. So why do all the heroes live forever? Heroes in real life have failings/bad habbits and so do Stanek's characters.

3. MYSTERY AND INTRIGUE. You are tired of the entrenched lines of good guys and bad guys with stupid villains. You are tired of ONE SIDED bad guys who are PURE EVIL. Life isn't that way, often the nicest people are the worst and the people who seem bad are really good. You want a bit of mystery in your fantasy and Robert Stanek definitely DELIVERS!

4. MULTIPLE VIEWPOINTS. Hey, what one person thinks is bad may be quite the contrary to another. So why shouldn't it be this way in fantasy? If characters have different backgrounds, religions and beliefs they may see good and evil in very different ways. Robert has even created an alternate reality for his alternate reality.

5. LEGENDS OF YORE. Why should the best characters be the ones that are in the here and now? Why can't some of the best characters be in the past? History and legends give the story texture and make it real and exciting!

6. PLOTS & LAYERS Books that end tidily with all plotlines carefully tidied up aren't very realistic, so why do most fantasy books end this way? Real life doesn't end when the fireman saves the child from the burning building--it only begins. RUIN MIST has many plots and subplots, and lots of layers that make it a wildly interesting place to visit. And best of all, you don't always get closure at the end of every book. Some stories are resolved. Some are evolving.

7. CHARACTERIZATION. No matter how rich the fantasy setting, its the characters that we ultimately fall in love with. But in most fantasies characters follow specific archetypes that are easy to read. It like there's this big dividing line between the good guys and the bad guys. Stanek's characters aren't like that, they're gritty, deep, dark and we learn many different things that help us see characters in new/different light.

8. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. I could go on and on but in the end, you'll have to make the decision. I believe it is worthwhile.

A very good book, and it can be so difficult to find a good quality fantasy. Stanek is telling powerful epic fantasy complete with a large cast of characters, extensive backstory, great world setting, terrific action. I noticed that reviewers seem to give either 5 stars or 1 stars. I have read several books recently with stellar reviews that were absolutely terrible: spelling errors, grammar problems, no plot, etc. This is not one of them. The book has no editing or grammar mistakes and the author's writing style is truly exceptional.

How deep you get hooked will depend on how much you like the characters, and care about their lives. Stanek has a rotating point-of-view where each section is told through different characters. It works really well. Each chapter gives you a peice of the story, everything starts to come together. The events are masterfully done. Most of the characters are compelling, some aren't so likeable but still genuine. Adrina - the heart-broken princess. Seth, the clever elf. Vilmos the troubled boy with a dark past, deeply conflicted.

Keeper Martin's Tal largely concerns the power plays between King Jarom, the king of a southern kingdom, and Alder family, the ruling family of Great Kingdom. The king, Andrew Alder is old, not in as great a favor as he once was. The death of the queen changed everything, including the lives of everyone in his family. As you might expect, it all ends up in a war, but it's all well-crafted and meaningful.

I have not read the other books in the series yet, however, I plan to. It's a series I want to read to the end. It seems there are much worse dangers ahead: The dark lord who's returned to the elvish lands, the breaking of the alliance, the whole issue of elves and men being mortal enemies.

My kids are the ones who got me reading these books. I went in not expecting much and got about 1000 times more than I expected in my wildest dream. Why? It's a fun read, a very, very fun read. Other reviewers have been right on saying it has a lot of action, intrigue and mystery.

WHAT DID I LIKE MOST? The characters are great! If you let them the people in this book will become your new best friends. I loved Vilmos! He's got a lot of spunk like my own children. Adrina, Emel and Seth are other strong characters.

HOW IS THE PLOT? I enjoyed the book's plot twists. Don't let the straightforward, easy to read prose fool you. There's a lot going on in this story.

IS IT TOLKIEN? I would liken the experience to Tolkien's The Hobbit more than Lord of the Rings. Its an epic quest with 3 bands of heroes who eventually come together to battle a great evil. As a first in a series, it's a strong start, and a good start on what may be a wonderful fantasy series for readers of all ages.

IS IT THE STAR WARS OF FANTASY? My kids call it this, their friends do to. It has to do with the amount of action scenes and the good pacing. The book has plenty of battles and action for the patient reader. I like the fact that there are separate adult and children's versions. My sons have rarely finished books but they finished The Kingdoms & The Elves of the Reaches books 1 and 2 in a few days.

DO I RECOMMEND THIS? Yes, very much so. But everyone has different tastes. If you don't like it your kids or someone else you know surely will. I also find it wonderful that this book is from a small press. The little guy gets squashed too often by big corporate publishers, so it is great to see the little guy get a leg up. Great to see a BIG book from a small press.

I found this book in a church Library and fell in love with it. the more I read the more I realize Short's Excelent perception on human nature and Christianity. I was especially fond of the titles of the chapters including: "The Wages of Sin is "Aaaughh"", and "Good Grief". These Titles and the titles of the book however are going to be offencive to some Fundimentalist Christians. That is a shame because if they read this book they would see how good of an evangelical tool it could be. I hope anyone struggling with their own faith could read this book. It really Pokes fun at human nature.

It is, surely, a matter of basic courtesy to an author to read his or her book before reviewing it. The pseudonymous "lexo-2" (see below, six reviews down) knows his Peanuts and his Preachers, and his verdict on Short is "Wrong, wrong, wrong." Well, six months after reading that review I have at last got around to finishing my used-bookstore copy of "The Gospel," and I find myself feeling so annoyed that I simply must respond.

"Whether or not Schulz is a devout Christian I could not say," writes lexo-2. If he had taken the trouble to actually read Short's book, however, he would have found numerous quotations from Schulz himself concerning his religious views. Speaking of a Bible-study group he attended shortly after his return from the Second World War, Schulz says, "The more I thought about it during those study times, the more I realized that I really loved God" (quoted on p. 70). Or again, "I don't even like the expression 'take communion.' You cannot 'take' communion. You are a part of the communion. You are communing with Christ; you are a part of the community of saints" (p. 80). The rhetoric, complete with its anti-Catholic bias against the notion of "taking" communion, is clearly that of a born-again evangelical (in Schulz's case, Church of God). And lest there be any doubt of Schulz's authorial intentions, he is quoted in the very first chapter as saying, "I have a message that I want to present, but I would rather bend a little to put over a point than to have the whole strip dropped because it is too obvious. As a result . . . all sorts of people in religious work have written to thank me for preaching in my own way through the strips. That is one of the things that keeps me going" (p. 20).

Schulz was worried about being too obvious. Clearly he wasn't obvious enough.

Short's book is cogent and well argued; it certainly is not a collection of "homilies." Contrary to what lexo-2 implies, Short does not ignore the darker side of the Peanuts world. Indeed, of lexo- 2's "three phrases," Short uses two or them in chapter titles: "The Wages of Sin Is 'Aaaugh!'" and "Good Grief!" Good grief! Read before you review!

Yes, lexo-2 is quite right that the world of Peanuts is a "sunlit hell, in which the characters never grow, never change, etc." Where he goes wrong is in assuming that Short--a Ph.D. in literature and theology, a man who had taken the trouble to study the cartoon in depth and even write a book about it--couldn't see that for himself. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Short's whole point is that we all live in a "sunlit hell," suffering "unimaginable fears" and "wreaking appalling cruelties on each other," and that we will never escape that hell unless we can find . . . (you guessed it!) the saving grace of Jesus Christ. The salvationist message does not come across too strongly in the cartoon (Schulz did not want to be "obvious") but it just as surely is there, between the lines, in the occasional epiphanies of love and reconciliation that illuminate the otherwise bleak moral landscape of Peanutopia.

You can agree or disagree with the Short-Schulz analysis of the human predicament. Personally, I disagree strongly. But in a world in which evangelical and fundamentalist Christianity have so much influence and power, it simply will not do to be idly dismissive. Indeed, I particularly recommend Short's book to freethinkers of every stripe, if only that they may remind themselves just how subtle and persuasive evangelical discourse can be. There is more, much more, to Short's little book than "pious ramblings" and that is precisely what makes it, depending on your point of view, so inspiring or so insidious.

This is the first book of theology that I ever read - and what a great introduction to theology! Short pulls out the theology of love and grace, the very human-ness of Christian faith (rightly understood), from the cartoon Peanuts, written by the unique Charles Schultz. This is actually the best introduction to real Christian theology that is available. Tillich, Kierkegaard, Niebuhr, Luther, Kafka, T. S. Eliot, and Karl Barth are only of the people you'll encounter in this splendid summary of essential Christian thought. I have valued this book for years, from when I first read it in high school to when I gave it as a gift to a lay minister in the diocese that I serve when I was consecrated as a bishop. Of all the dull and boring books of theology out there, this one is fun, and one of the best ever!