Soble and Johnson are both reporters for the Los Angeles Times. The latter fact shines through in this book, which is nothing more than an extended newspaper article on the tragic and wildly infamous Menendez murders. There is no new information here: it was all dragged out at the trial, which was covered in it's entirety by Court TV ("Gavel to Gavel coverage" is, after all, their motto). What's more, the menendez trial was one of the first truly sensational ones COURT TV ever covered. It is clear that almost all of the information, from the beginning to the end of the book, was taken from the trial transcript. All of the background information on the Menendez family, the anecdotes including the Menendez children and Jose Menendez's much publicized infidelities are all a result of a careful reading of the trial transcript. The only significant background information provided is that of Jose's rise to the top of his business (whichever it may have been: car rentals, music publishing or video sales) and a detailed accounting of the Menendez's boys travels through the ranks of competitive tennis (as well as the fact that Kitty was "Miss Oak Lawn"). For people who did not follow the trial and are hungry for Menendez information, this can be a good book to read, because it is a fuller portrait of the trial and the family than, say, "Bad Blood" by Don Davis. But do not expect an original analysis of the boy's motivation. This book is purely reporting: facts, facts, facts. The only scenarios you will get here are those that were presented at the trial and surfaced during the police investigation (which is also amply covered): both of which were interesting enough in the first place to keep this book afloat. Don't get me wrong, I am sure that most fans of the true crime genre will appreciate this book, but it will be more out of a desire to learn more about the case and because of the dynamics of this genre, than out of an intensity for the story developed by the book.

Good, more information then 'Bad Blood: The true story behind the Menendez killings'. Informative if looking for more of an inside view of the first trial and Jose Menendezes' rise to the top. But, like another reviewer stated, its just a drawn out version of the trial transcript. Leaves you with enough facts to decide for yourself if you believe these boys defense. When you read it, it sounds like a script version of the movie, 'Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills'. If you saw Court TV's live coverage of the trial, and the movie's they made you'll basically have read the book.

Soble & Johnson are fabulous writers, leaving one "chilled" after a brief read of the Preface alone. In addition to their powerful prose, the authors provide a very equalized, thorough discussion of Erik and Lyle Menendez and the events leading up to their parents' slaying. Though one gets the feeling that they harbored little sympathy for the brothers, the authors' portrayal of "both sides of the story" -- from Erik's recounted sexual abuse to Lyle's statement that it was not about "manslaughter or life sentences" but about "winning or losing" -- allows the reader to do what in the end 3 juries had to do: decide just which story one believes.

These are the same arguments that have been around to demonize anything from the Wizard of Oz to Superman cartoon. As the argument goes, the kids can't tell the difference between kids who drive and crash flying cars and reality. So, you have to protect them from anything with that wicked imagination in it.

Given that the classical stories of Ali Baba and the Seven Thieves, Wizard of Oz, or Sinbad, or Cinderella have the exact same wonderful "what if" imaginative world of make believe principles; why not ban all children's books except those that are bible stories? Would such a sterile harsh world be happy?

As a Christian artist who enjoys reading fantasy literature, I was a bit skeptical of FANTASY AND YOUR FAMILY before I read it. I had listened to arguments against the THE LORD OF THE RINGS and HARRY POTTER and quite frankly, none of them impressed me or caused me to think. However, I was rather surprised with Richard Abanes book. The book is well researched, documented, and supported.

The book is divided into four parts. The first section examines fantasy literature in general. The second section discusses J.R.R. Tolkien and THE LORD OF THE RINGS. The third part deals with Harry Potter and the fourth section deconstructs the arguments both for and against Harry Potter.

As mentioned earlier, I was surprised at how well documented and supported this book is. Even though I have enjoyed reading the Harry Potter novels and will probably continue to do so, FANTASY AND YOUR FAMILY helped make me aware of just how large the occult has influenced the writings of J.K. Rowling. For example, I had no idea that many of the characters refered to in the Harry Potter books (not main characters, but people mentioned in history, etc.) were actual occult leaders.

This is a great book for any thinking Christian or any parent to read.

This book is an essential tool for parents and teachers who would like a better understanding of children's fantasy and see comparisons between various popular books labeled as fantasy. Despite the fact that Tolkien did not write for children and the Harry Potter books are marketed to ages 9-12, comparisons between the Harry Potter books and Tolkien's books inevitably come up. This book thoroughly reviews Harry Potter and Tolkien and shows the vast differences between them. The book also delineates the parallels between some of the occult practices Harry learns and real occultism, such as astrology, divination, numerology, and others. As a former professional astrologer and teacher of astrology who also practiced other forms of divination as well as spirit contact, I certainly have recognized in Harry Potter an endorsement of the practice of the occult and magick, even if it is presented in a make-believe context. In the back of the book, Abanes answers every objection made to the valid criticisms of the Harry Potter books and shows the flaws of the most popular defenses of the Harry Potter series, as well as responding to statements made by people such as author Connie Neal. This section reveals that arguments made against the critics of Harry Potter are usually sraw men arguments or are based on faulty reasoning and assumptions, not on the facts. This book is a great handbook for responding to the Harry Potter propaganda machine which has ignored scholarly and knowledgeable criticism of the Harry Potter books.

Being a lyricist (ck. home.earthlink.net/~paulkruger), I've been using Wood's Unabridged Rhyming Dictionary for so many years the book has begun to fall aprt. (Never realized till a few weeks ago, the edition I have was published in 1943.) It was time to replace it. Or so I thought.
Clement Wood's genius was to divide each section so that you could see at a glance words which have the same sound (e.g., approved, improved, reproved, etc.) and, therefore, were not true rhymes. So what does this appallingly dreadful edition do? They list all words alphabetically regardless of sound!
No wonder one of the editors is named Bogus.

For pedants and poets. Songwriters should skip it and look for something a little more intuitive and easier to understand.

Most people can come up with several words that rhyme with any given other word. This book gives you the words you thought of, plus ALL THE OTHERS! Not only does this rhyming dictionary list all of the rhyming sounds and sylables imaginable, but there are phonetic rules (rhyme and reason!) stated, which make the entire matter completely logical. -- This publication is a fantastic tool for song writers. I've used this book for years, it has a prominent eye-level place on my shelf. Highly recommended!

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about the man behind the LOTR, The Hobbit, and the Silmarillion. Largely based on Tolkien's own letters, as well as perspectives from critics, friends and family, Pearce's book offers a fresh and insightful perspective of Christianity's influence on Tolkien's philosophy and use of myth. I have seen no other work that provides such an articulate and well documented linkage between the man's faith and his works. Pearce succinctly and effectively dismantles claims that Tolkien is either reactionary or escapist, while furthering the case that the creative genius is one of the most important and influential authors of this century. As a Christian, I am inspired by Pearce's description of Tolkien's Theocentric approach to life and to his work. Traveling in Christian "fundamentalist" circles, I too often see Tolkien's name associated with occult and New Age activity. Of all criticisms leveled at the man and his works, I'm sure that these unfair allegations would hurt this devout Christian more than all others. Only a profound misunderstanding of the man and his myth ( and Myth, in general ) could lead to such a confused opinion. T:M&M also educated me as to the profound impact Tolkien had on his fellow Inkling, C.S. Lewis, the renowned Christian apologist, whose own works, including the Narnia tales ( which were heavily influenced by Tolkien), are staples in every Christian bookstore. And yet Tolkien's name is often pronounced with contempt in Christian circles. Again, this book may help to silence this kind of calumny. Furthermore, Pearce's book has prompted me to read the works of G.K. Chesterton ( another noted apologist ) , as well as more of the letters, essays, and unfinished tales of Tolkien himself. T:M&M reminded me of my early days as a born again Christian. Having discovered Tolkien two years before I "discovered" Christ, I now recall the odd sense of familiarity and recognition when I read the Bible for the first time. At the time I simply attributed this to a primitive recognition of the Truth which is hardwired into the hearts of all men. I still believe that, but I also recognize that I was "remembering" my previous experience with Tolkien. His myths were just as he had intended them - a variation on the theme of the "True Myth" of Christ Jesus. Thanks to Mr. Pearce for helping me recognize this.

"The Lord of the Rings is of course a fundamentally religious and Catholic work" (Tolkien, in a letter to Robert Murray)

These words might not be to the liking of many Tolkien critics, analysts or pseudo-writers that have been trying to unravel the Tolkien Myth. I believe that many of them have been at least partially unsuccessful due to the simple fact that they underestimated or totally overlooked the main essence of Tolkien's life which was his spiritual faith as a Catholic.

Of course, this is by no means popular for a writer. Indeed , being a Catholic can mean instant "unpopularity" in certain cases; a paradox considering that Tolkien is by all means an extremely popular personality. Probably popularity has been helped by misunderstanding the man as a consequence of so many superfluous opinions by wrongly called "Tolkien experts".

It is thus with great enthusiasm that I read this essay by Joseph Pearce. It is a well documented and objective work that reaches on to the very deep roots of Tolkien's motivations and perceptions of the world which were based on his Christian beliefs and his life as a convinced Catholic.

The essay begins with a lively description of the turbulence caused when several reader polls established Tolkien as "The Author of the Century". Although this is an interesting (even fun) part, the most valuable comes from the rest of the book where we discover a proper view of Tolkien as essentially a Catholic author. Pearce , convincingly achieves this through an impartial presentation of documents, facts and original testimonials that permits us to glimpse the "Real Tolkien".
Written in an agile and practical style, it permits a clear and pleasant reading without falling into the usual dull academicism of many essays.

I consider this, along with "The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien" a most illuminating source to enjoy and truly understand the creator of such beauty as "The Lord of the Rings". Regarding beauty, let me end quoting Tolkien again: "...Our Lady, upon which all my own small perception of beauty both in majesty and simplicity is founded"

J.R.R. Tolkien's work and life have been misconstrued by critics who never understood a modern man's devotion to faith. He was misconstrued even by his "authorized" biographer. Pearce pierces through the crusts of insult and mischaracterization of Tolkien (the first chapter reprints some of the fiercest critical comments by those who lack the imagination to see past the mundane in literature and who write "Lord of the Rings" off as a childish fantasy), and his study is an excellant overview of Professor Tolkien's life and works. Though Pearce's book can be read in a day, it has sufficient grounding and insight to explain why Middle-Earth is so full and satisfying when so many other very-well-thought-out subsequent fantasy worlds appear hollow. This book is must for Tolkien's fans and for anyone interested in the intertwining of faith and literature; and a quick, fun, and enlightening read for anyone interested in twentieth-century literature, who is undogmatic about what that literature must be. Those who brand religious faith (particularly Tolkien's devout Christianity) as irrelevant and/or literature as nothing more than a tool mirroring their own Nihilistic mindset will not understand this book at all. "The Lord of the Rings" will probably be read into the Fourth Millenium, and this fine study of its author dispenses with the patronizing and pseudo-Freudian claptrap that so often surrounds Tolkien and his sub-creation like a dreary fog, directing sunshine into areas many critics and academics wish were left foggy.

I find it interesting that the editor of this college textbook (source book)about my campaigns and the politics of race in the South went out of his way not to ask me for an essay on the subject. Is this book supposed to be an unbiased academic survey of my impact on the politics of race in the South, when every article is hostile toward me and my ideology? Would it not be appropriate to include an analysis by the man at the very center of the controversy? I am sick of the so-called academic community, which is supposed to support diversity of opnion and open-mindedness, repeatedly preventing students from getting all sides of important issues. How can students taking a course where this textbook is used, obtain a balanced view of these important issues when they purposely are prevented from hearing from the person at the very center of the controversy.

I don't blame students from having a negative opinion about me and my political methods and ideology when they are not allowed to hear my side of the story.

Those that are interested in hearing my position articulated in detail can order my book, My Awakening from Amazon. Only then can you truly make a fair assessment of myself and the vital issues which propelled my candidacy.

Unfortunately for Mr. Duke, it appears that he is headed for Federal Prison for a few months. Hopefully, he'll take the time to actually read our book so he can provide us with a more informed review that is constructive, rather than just self-aggrandizing. We'd enjoying hearing his informed thoughts, which could be quite interesting. Maybe, just maybe, then I'll read "My Awakening" and review it for Mr. Duke.

I thought this was a good and comprehensive volume on the whole "politics of race in the South" motif, and have found it useful in my research. The fact that Duke apparently thinks it should have been about lionizing himself and his pseudo-intellectualized racism (e.g. his amazon.com review) isn't surprising, but it's a solid point in favor of this book, if you ask me. Good social science and interesting perspective in most of these chapters, backed by reasoned analysis of the larger picture-- the rebirth of race as a divisive issue in regional (and national?) politics. Funny how this title is now 5 years old, but still speaks to things like the current confederate flag controversy in South Carolina. Emphasis on electoral phenomena, but enough to keep a public policy-oriented type interested as well.

While the quality of the book seems good, the organization is unusual for a history book. It should be emphasized that this is a reference book set up like an encyclopedia on people, battles, and wars (listed alphabetically). It is NOT set up chronologically!

This book is NOT a chronological book of American military history, but rather an encyclopedic reference with thousands of entries. No pictures- ... It covers topics including: all the major wars, battles, bios on military leaders, warfare methods, a survey of combat weapons and military hardware, political acts by Congress and treaties, overviews of the military structure and services. It features contributions by notaries like Stephen E. Ambrose and John Keegan... its coverage priorities are odd. The political-correctness bent comes out every now and then in this book...

The Oxford Companion to American Military History has been awarded the Distinguished Reference Book Award by the Society for Military History in 2001. It has been the subject of several long and highly favorable reviews including those by Russell Weigley in the January 2001 issue of the "Journal of Military History," by Hew Strachan in the February 16, 2001 issue of "TLS, the London Times Literary Supplement," and by Vince Rinehart in April 9, 2000 issue of "The Washington Post's Book World."

Some wonderful and successful writers gather their thoughts in this book to bear light on the magic of Tolkien's writing. Being a fan myself, I enjoyed the individual tales of discovering "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" for the first time. I related to the same sense of awe and dread, of wonder and inspiration. Surely, Tolkien has inspired many.

Unfortunately, the praise gets to be redundant and--may I say it?--almost hollow, without the balance of some thoughtful criticism. Personally, I wouldn't have much negative to say regarding Tolkien's work, but I found very little that was genuinely fresh or enlightening in this collection of "meditations." I did discover an interest in some of the authors included (not a bad reason for their involvement in the project) and in earlier 20th century writers that I have never familiarized myself with. Lord Dunsany, E.R. Eddison, Fritz Leiber, and Mervyn Peake are only a few of the old standbys mentioned repeatedly.

Although interesting, a quick read, and well-written, this collection might best serve those curious in unearthing the inspiration beneath some of their favorite authors. I was hoping for something with more vitality, but overall I'd recommend the book.

MEDITATIONS ON MIDDLE EARTH is a collection of essays focusing on J.R.R. Tolkien's works, especially the Middle Earth saga. Some of the more renowned fantasy authors of today evaluate the series that made fantasy a household name. Surprisingly, though everyone agrees that Professor Tolkien opened up the genre to the middle class, not all of the contributors are fans of the actual novels. Insightful and entertaining, each essay is well written with the writer's particular spin. However, this anthology will be loved by those readers analyzing the various cultures in a way that cultural anthropologists would envy or by those fans who cherish Beowulf, which Tolkien felt is the forefather of the genre.

Harriet Klausner

I borrowed this book from the library and enjoyed it so much I asked for it for Christmas (and got it). The different authors writing about the influence LOTR had on their lives reminded me of the first time I read the story and the effect it had on me. The drawings that illustrated the book were very well done. I think this should be in every fan's collection and is a must for anyone contemplating following in Tolkien's footsteps and writing a fantasy novel.

I enjoyed reading Frodo's Quest, and I am, in fact, re-reading it again to get a deeper appreciation of the depth of Tolkien's insight in Lord of the Rings (Lord). I have (only) read Lord three times. I first read Lord in college, next some years later and again last year before the first movie came out. At each of these times, at different stages in my life, Tolkien never failed to catch me up in the story and depth of his characters. I know that I am not alone in this, for its not unusual to meet someone who confesses that he or she has read it many more times than that. But I have often wondered why the book appealed to me so much.
Dr. Robert Ellwood who, according to his web page, is both a priest, retired college professor, and a teacher / scholar of world religions, helped me understand just why Tolkien's Lord moves its loyal readers so. Ellwood, with insightful extracts from Tolkien's other works, shows that Tolkien wove into his story the universal themes of mankind's spiritual quest. After reading Frodo's Quest, one can never again see Lord as a mere fantasy story, for Ellwood demonstrates its appeal is that, at its core, it is about our own personal spiritual search. Frodo's Quest makes use of references and quotes from psychological and religious sources to establish that Lord is a quest story in the highest spiritual meaning of that term. In this sense, Frodo's Quest will ring true to readers familiar with the works and viewpoints of Joseph Campbell or Carl Jung. The reader of Frodo's Quest, like Frodo himself, will come to realize, like we all must sooner or later, that we all live in a world that is much more than just that which can be seen or touched. More importantly, we all have a role in the eternal drama of life
But Frodo's Quest is not for everyone. It unabashedly presumes that its audience both knows the Lord books and also has a the insight / spiritual discernment to understand exactly what a universal myth is, and what it does, so it is going to put off some people of a more rigid religious outlook. But if that is the price of such insights, so be it. Frankly, I don't find the exercises at the end of chapters especially useful to most people, but they don't detract from the main message of the book. Frodo's Quest has shown us Tolkien's grand vision of mankind and revealed that Lord of the Rings' appeal is that it speaks to the Frodo within each of us, ala Campbell or Jung. Frodo's Quest is a book well worth reading over and over again.

Frodo's Quest takes the reader deep into the world of Middle Earth. It explores themes in The Lord of the Rings such as faithfulness and betrayal, hope and despair, and this world and other worlds, with great depth and provocative insight. For example, it examines the characters of Merry and Pippin, Frodo, and Bilbo as providing insight into the human stages of youth, middle-age, and old-age. Yet in so doing, it also asks the reader to compare aspects of the story with the various stages of his or her own life.
Robert Ellwood does not present an allegorical interpretation of The Lord of the Rings, but stays true to Tolkien's vision: Tolkien protested against his stories being taken strictly as allegories, but rather wanted them to be appreciated as stories in their own right. He preferred to say that they could have applicability to our lives. Ellwood guides the reader in doing just that. As a Christian, I found Frodo's Quest to be educational and inspiring, but it has been written with sensitivity to anyone on a spiritual quest, and is respectful of all faiths. Frodo's Quest is a refreshing gift for Tolkien enthusiasts, as well as anyone open to spiritual growth.

Frodo's Quest is a brilliant exposition of The Lord of the Rings myth from a spiritual and mystical point of view. The author, an Emeritus Professor of Religion from the University of Southern California and a longtime Tolkien enthusiast, is eminently qualified to interpret LOTR in a fresh new way as a universal myth that speaks to readers all over the world, regardless of their cultural background or religious convictions. Frodo's Quest is presented here as every person's quest for personal transformation and discovery. The book, stunningly illustrated, is an "application" (as Tolkien called it) of The Lord of the Rings for the open-minded reader and as a guidebook for one's own quest to destroy the Ring of dominance and sectarian limitation and to find the Undying West of peace and understanding among all peoples.

This is a simplified version of the Official Movie Guide, made especially for children. The cover is very handsome. It's a fairly small book, but it doesn't talk down to the kids. It's clearly written for a British audience but most American kids should be able to handle it. It gives a brief but good background on the movie, the characters, and the original book. Nice.

This book is apparently intended to be the equivalent for young readers of the "Lord of the Rings Official Movie Guide," which is also written by Brian Sibley (who was also the co-writer of the script for the BBC's excellent radio adaptation of "The Lord of the Rings," starring Ian Holm as Frodo). In many ways this children's version, although shorter and less detailed, is more interesting than the adult version. The "Insiders' Guide" contains some information not included in the "Movie Guide," such as the "Loom!" story mentioned by another reviewer below. Indeed, in general the emphasis of the "Insiders' Guide" seems to be a bit less on the production design of the movie, and more on the process of filming it and the experience of being on the set, than that of the "Movie Guide."

One interesting feature of Sibley's text as compared to that of the "Movie Guide" is that the chapters of the "Insiders' Guide" tend to begin with especially intriguing sentences intended to grab the reader's attention. Perhaps Sibley thinks this is more necessary when writing for children than for adults; I consider it a good technique when writing for any audience. ("Apollo 13," formerly called "Lost Moon," by James Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger, is an excellent example of the use of this technique in a non-fiction book for adults.)

Tolkien fans, and those moviegoers who have fallen in love with Peter Jackson's film, may well want to collect all four movie tie-in books: this "Insiders' Guide" and the "Photo Guide" (both intended for children) along with the "Movie Guide" and the "Visual Companion" (both intended for adults). Young readers seeking paperback books about the movie will find both the "Insiders' Guide" and the "Photo Guide" fairly good choices; the "Insiders' Guide" provides information about the movie's production and the background behind it, while the "Photo Guide" is the better bet for images from the film.

I loved it! I didn't really knew J R R Tolkiens work with his books, so I hadn't really read LOTR. That's why this book was so amazing and helped me to get to know the story behind it so I realized that wow, this was something increadible and big.

I got this book to support West Point's bicentennial. Now that I have actually looked at it (and I put it that way because it is mostly pictures and not much text), I find it disappointing. The text, though properly written and edited, is quite boring. Many of the pictures are amateurishly blown up to the extent that they are washed out. The book, or glorified brochure, or whatever you want to call it, has the feel of being hastily put together to get out in time to make money for all concerned. To me, that takes from what should have been a noble purpose. I don't think it succeeded in achieving that noble purpose. In fact, now that the Party is over, I wouldn't recommend it.

I admit I didn't watch the PBS program to which this book is 'companion,' but I have no doubt that the pretty pictures on TV matched the pretty pictures in this book. In fact, that's probably the biggest impression I carry away from this book: it's very ... colorful. The text gives an adequate history of the US Military Academy, hitting on all the requisite high points: Thayer, Lee, Flipper, MacArthur, Eisenhower, Hollen, and so on. The images -- portraits, old maps, memorabilia from the USMA museum, etc -- decently illustrate the text (though the contemporary photos mixed in with the historic ones are sometimes rather *non sequitur* to what's being discussed). Among the great piles of books and videos that have been produced to observe West Point's bicentennial, I'm sure this picture book will be very popular. But I suspect it will mean more to people who didn't themselves actually attend the school. Those who did will find little that's new -- and despite the Academy's official cooperation with this production, may find the book too, well, glossy for their tastes.

Partly because I grew up as an Army brat, I've always been fascinated by the military and naval academies, as far back as the 1950s TV series "The Long Grey Line." This coffee table book is a companion to a special on PBS marking the 200th anniversary of President Jefferson's founding of a military educational institution at West Point, up the Hudson from New York. It's a gorgeous piece of work, with as much attention given to the text as to the pictures, tracing the Academy from its floundering first few years, to the sixteen-year reign of Superintendent Sylvanus Thayer (the true father of the school), through the classes that supplied most of the leaders on both sides of the Civil War (who all had served together in the War with Mexico), through the long years leading up to World War I. Fifty-nine of the cadets in the Class of 1915 ("the Class the Stars Fell On") became general officers, and one became president. During the later days of the Vietnam War, cadets seldom left the school, they were so badly treated by civilians their own age, and there were several major cheating scandals -- the author doesn?t whitewash any of that stuff -- but the Academy, having revised itself almost continuously for two centuries -- seems to be coming back. This is a beautiful book.