from the reviews ofHENRY JAMES AND HOMO-EROTIC DESIREEdited by John R. BradleyBradley declares at the outset that the contributors to Henry James and Homo-Erotic Desire make no attempt to identify James as a gay novelist, much less claim him as a gay icon for our time. Rather, they attempt to explore homo-eroticism in both his life and works as a legitimate area of inquiry, one that has not yet been sufficiently examined by Jamesean critics . . . . Certainly the book appears at a time when the image of James as a repressed, asexual author living only for his art seems untenable, and a new image is taking its place . . . . These essays mark an important paradigm shift in James studies and reveal a rich dimension to James¹s life and writing that has too long been ignored.Mark Eaton, THE BOSTON BOOK REVIEW (12/98)Until recently, Henry James's homo-eroticism was regarded as mainly a fantasy ideal ­ nothing nastily physical to disturb the dignity of literature. In reaction, queer critics have tended to presume the obverse of that: James was tormented and therefore secretive about a love which he couldn¹t properly express, in his life or his writing. John R. Bradley, introducing Henry James and Homo-Erotic Desire, proposes a third account: James loved boys sexually and sometimes physically, but, like any conservative Victorian gentleman, believed it was not the kind of thing one talked about. . . . For Bradley, this amounts to a welcome opportunity to retrieve James¹s self-composure, together with scholarship and common sense. For myself, I¹ve always found James¹s fastidious prose hard to get on with: this book makes him more approachable and engaging.Alan Sinfield, GAY TIMES (4/99)Bradley is right to sacrifice consistency to variety, to allow each argument to stand or fall on the merits . . . . The contributors to Henry James and Homo-Erotic Desireopt . . . for conservative methods, relying on biography, homosexual codes and common good sense to substantiate James¹s same-sex yearnings.Wendy Graham, THE HENRY JAMES REVIEW (3/99)Few writers have put the closet to better literary uses than Henry James. . . . The contributors to the volume agree that James¹s writing is premised on the rejection of compulsory heterosexuality. They observe that James also attempts to define lesbianism and male homosexuality as minority sexual identities ­ a process ongoing through the course of his career.Richard Dellamora, 19TH-CENTURY LITERATURE (3/99)

Edited by Lawerence Durrell, The Henry Miller Reader encapsulates some of the very best of Miller's writings. It includes sections from the Tropic books, Black Spring, and Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch. I have the 1956 New Directions edition of the book, and I don't know whether it has been re-edited since that point, but any erotic, or sexual content had to be strained out for the censors. What is left is pure genius. There is a wonderful section on Alfred Perles...otherwise known as "Joey," to those familar with Miller's work. His insights on the writings of Anais Nin hold a certain poignancy in light of their twenty year relationship which both writers had to withold from their readers; Ms. Nin was married still to Hugh Guiller. I would highly recommend this book be purchased along with The Tropic of Cancer, or any other of his works.

The 22nd Massachusetts Infantry was raised through the efforts of Republican senator Henry Wilson. It met its first trial by fire at Yorktown. Later, the regiment suffered tremendous casualties at Gaines' Mill. The regiment, part of the Fifth Corps, was engaged at Malvern Hill, Shepherdstown, Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. At Gettysburg, the 22nd Massachusetts and the 2nd Company Massachusetts Sharpshooters, which was attached to the regiment, were engaged in the wheatfield, near the Rose woods. In 1864, the regiment served in the Wilderness and Spotsylvania battles, losing a large portion of its rank and file. Due to its heavy losses throughout the war, the 22nd Massachusetts Infantry earned the distinction of being one of Fox's "Fighting 300" Union regiments. Included is information about the 2nd Company of Massachusetts Sharpshooters and the 3rd Light Battery, both of which were attached to the 22nd Massachusetts.

Janet Rizvi described the book as follows: A "monumental work of co-operative scholarship by a team of 17 scholars from a dozen different disciplines. Although largely focussed on Zanskar, (...) where most of the fieldwork was done, most of it in the early 1980s before the road over the Pensi-la had brought many changes, the findings resonate in almost every department of Ladakh studies." Detailed descriptions of most parts of Ladakhi/Zanskari life are given from the viewpoints of social anthropology, history, ecology, economy, religion, spirituality, sociology, geology, medicine, etc. Some chapters are quite dry, while others, like James Crowden's account of his winter journey along the Zanskar river, or James Crook's chapter on Ladakhi yogins, are enjoyable to read, in addition to being informative. It's a very thick, well researched and well written book, and a must for any student/ scholar working on Ladakh or Zanskar.

This is THE book for those who wish to identify wasps, sawflies, and related insects to family level. It is not yet outdated, and it contains highly reliable information for all of the superfamilies and families of Hymenotpera then recognized. Each chapter is written by one of the foremost experts of the group in question. The keys are among the best ever designed, as they contain valuable comparative information presented in an easy-to-read outline format. Almost every couplet in every key in the book is accompanied by an appropriate diagram -- a rarity in most expert-level identification references. An essential reference for Hymenoptera taxonomy.

This book brings alive a period of British history in which pamphlet wars--not unusual in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century London--are used by the author to elucidate how Tories and Whigs work to undermine each other. I recommend this book highly to anyone with an interest in British history, English literature, politics, and culture. The author knows how to write a sentence, but more important, he knows how to write a thrilling book that goes beyond academic interest and would make anyone who is interested in history enjoy it.

The films 'Room With a View' and 'Wings of the Dove' make one wonder about the Italy reflected in classical paintings executed before the destruction of WWII. My curiousity was heightened in an art history class when the instructor showed a photo slide of the Ponte Vecchio and told the amazing story of the Nazi pilot who disobeyed orders to destroy the last bridge the allies could cross on their advance north.

This beautiful book brings to mind the saying, "The Past is a Foreign Country." Italy of the 19th Century is a place none of us can know except through records left by one who witnessed it. The book consists of essays James wrote on his travels to various places in Italy including Venice, Rome, and Florence. He visited some places several times and the text reflects the changes he observed on revisits.

He records an Italy whose poverty for a time prevented the intrusion of developers, who later made many changes perhaps for the worse. James was not a worshipper of old buildings, he appreciated them, but he was also aware of the suffering of the Italians, many of whom existed in dire poverty. His reflections on various cathedrals, churches and other objects of artistic interest are humanized by his comments about the individuals he encounters. He muses on the morality of travel, "whether it has been worthwhile to leave his home [and] encounter new forms of human suffering." His awareness of the Italians themselves makes his writing a bit like that of Paul Theroux, a travler and writer in our times. James differs from Theroux however. My sense is that James is a little less likely to criticize and a little more willing to overlook unpleasantness. Perhaps that makes him less of a realist, or perhaps Italy was a more pleasant place in the 19th Century.

A brilliant and informative book written by my great-great grandfather and great-grandmother - buy it!

When I first heard about this book I thought, "there's no way this book is about the legendary steel driver". The title is what threw me off "JOHN HENRY A Bio-Bibliography". How could you write a "bio-bibliography" about an imaginary guy?

It turns out that in the early 1900 two professors, Guy Johnson and Louis Chappell, decided to track down the origions of the John Henry ballad and folktale. They were shocked to find people who actually claimed to know the Steel Driver. They knew what he looked like, where he worked (C&O railroad in W. Virginia), and even the name and location of the tunnel where he raced the steam drill and died. Incredible!

I orginally was hooked on the John Henry folktale as a kid when I read the children's book by Ezra Keats. As an adult it is wonderful to read that he actually might have existed. John Henry a Bio-bibliography is a wonderful book full of great history and intrigue.

The man whom James Joyce considered the greatest prose stylist in the language is also the most persuasive of apologists. Christianity--and the Roman Catholic Church in particular--has received routinely bad press. Newman is its most eloquent, passionate defender.