This book is wonderful both for its content and ability to describe the Coast's landscape and lifestyle perfectly. I travel to the Coast regularly, and Owen's descriptions are right on target. I read the book in about three days, it was so good. Not only are the books descriptions of the Coast spectacular, the story is great too. I thoroughly enjoyed every character, plot twist, surprise, and shock. He also inserted enough interesting facts to the work that I actually learned something as I read.

A wonderfully warm, human, and quirky cast of characters populate these pages. The plot is full of twists, surprises, and moments of sublime, perfect absurdity that will have you laughing out loud. Highly recommended.

I live just a few miles from Gulfport and have spent a great deal of time there. I work and used to live in New Orleans. I was really impressed with Mr. Owen's ability to describe the area and to catch the essence of these places.

Rory, his main character, is both interesting and funny. How Mr. Owen knows all the stuff he knows is amazing. I kept thinking when I read it how great a movie this would be. It has it all-humor, mystery, suspense, romance and surprises. In fact, I liked all his characters. I am going to buy another couple of books to give to friends as gifts. I am hoping that there will be more of his books in the future.

As Siskel and Ebert would have said, 2 thumbs up. It's a great book to learn about the "shores" of Alaska. WTG Dr.Mason

2 thumbs up....... A book worth it's wait in gold, its a must for readers who want to learn the truth about the "shores" of Alaska.........WTG Dr. Mason

2 thumbs up....... A book worth its wait in gold, its a must for readers who want to learn the truth about the "shores" of Alaska.........

I believe William A. Owens is all too often overlooked as one of Americas greatest authors and this book just proves my point. It is a great piece of work and an inspiration to all that read it.

My one line summary says it all. I am sure I was there. I anticipate each chapter anxiously waiting to see what funny, tragic desperate event is next and admiring the author for the practical and inventive mechanisms he has in place to keep his education going. I would like to know more about him in his later life.

I first read This Stubborn Soil 8 years ago and I can still recall images conjured up by this books beautiful writing. I consider this book to be a classic. It is written in a simple, straight forward manner which fits the story perfectly. The characters are vivid and you can almost feel the dust blowing and the rain drenching you. The hardships endured by Mr. Owens family and the story of his success are truly inspirational. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to feel real emotions being brought out by a piece of literature. When I read it I cried

I was given the original hard back by my father Richard W. Walton Sr. (Great Grandson of Col. J.B. Walton, Commander in Chief of the Washington Artillery). Once I started reading the book, I could not put it down, finished it in the same afternoon. I would have enjoyed reading it over and over through the years, but could not due to the age and condition of the original (copyright, 1885) I have read everything that I could get my hands on involving the American Civil War. After reading this book, I feel that I owe thanks to William Miller Owen for taking me back in time. I felt the experience as if I were there. As I came to know the men of the Battalion from day one upon their depature from New Orleans enroute to Richmond VA., I felt remorse in reading of the death of so many of them.

Very well written account of the Washington Artllery's engagements during the Civil War. Describes all major actions from the First Battle of Bull Run to the final surrender at Appomatox. You feel so close to the lives of the troops; makes you marvel at all the struggles and hardships that were endured. A must read for all Civil War buffs. First published in 1885 by Ticknor and Company of Boston. Reissued in a limited edition that is an exact reproduction of the original, with a few additions (an Introduction by Kenneth Urquhart, three additional illustrations, and the list of present-day officers) by The Pelican Publishing Company of New Orleans, June 1964.

Autopsy of a Merger (subtitled, Trans Union: The Deal That Rocked the Corporate World) is the inside story of one of the most controversial mergers in corporate history.

This case study of a megamerger in the age of mergermania should be read by everyone interested in mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, corporate governance, directors' and officers' liability, the social trauma of takeovers, and the impact of the media on major corporate transactions.

The subject is the 1981 acquisition of Trans Union Corporation by the billionaire Pritzker family of Chicago. Trans Union, then a New York Stock Exchange listed company that last ranked no. 278 of the Fortune 500, was a billion-dollar company with a hundred-year history.

The deal was struck shortly before a gala opening night party commemorating the 26th season of Chicago's Lyric Opera. What followed was an opera of another sort -- a montage of drama, intrigue, tragedy, comedy, hope, despair, broken dreams and new opportunities with a real-life cast of characters more captivating than one would find on any ordinary state. It was, some would say later, stranger than fiction.

Four years later, in a landmark 1985 decision that shocked the corporate world, a bitterly-divided Supreme Court of Delaware held that the former Trans Union board of directors had been "grossly negligent in that it failed to act with informed reasonable deliberation in agreeing to the Pritzker merger." The Court's astounding 3-2 decision, which is included in an appendix to the book, would transform the ground rules for corporate takeovers.

In thirty exciting chapters, the book takes the reader through every step of an extraordinary corporate takeover, from the opening night at the opera to the Court's history-making decision.

Autopsy of a Merger cuts the deal to the bone. The "ins" and "outs" of the merger negotiations, the battle of wits and nerves, the financing arrangements, the legal entanglements, the much-ignored human consequences of corporate takeovers -- all of these, and more, are laid bare in this unusual, behind-the-scenes book. As an added bonus, the book includes one of the most comprehensive bibliographies on leveraged buyouts ever assembled.

Here is what some reviewers said about the book when it was first published:

CRAIN'S CHICAGO BUSINESS: "What Mr. Owen did was spin the story in one fascinating narrative. And that's what makes the book so interesting. For those of us who enjoy reading about business as a form of recreation, the Trans Union saga makes for great entertainment."

CHICAGO TRIBUNE: "Delves deeply into the merger negotiations . . . worth the book's $19.95 price. . . Perhaps an even greater contribution of the book, however, is Owen's description of the merger aftermarth and its effects on employees . . ."

INVESTOR RELATIONS MEWSLETTER: "Closely examines the business drama and human pathos involved in the most controversial merger in corporate history. Must reading."

One of the undisputed classic reference works for the old-time radio enthusiast, first published during the original wave of nostalgia over 25 years ago, "The Big Broadcast" lists many network and syndicated radio shows that ran in the timeframe of the 1920's-50s, more commonly referred to as "the golden age of radio". A great source for cast lists (if you can't put a name to a voice) with informative articles on genres and more technical matters (sound effects, "independent" networks, etc.). This type of thorough reference work is usually frustratingly hard to find for the old-time radio. This book has been out of print for years, and when you found a copy of the first edition, you could expect to pay premium prices, especially if the seller knew what he had. The introduction, by radio comedian Henry Morgan (not to be confused with the guy who played Colonel Potter on "MASH"), is a beauty.

When I finished this book, I got up and left the room in search of a tissue...and I'm not often moved to tears by a book! While Sybill is initially a difficult character to warm up to, in the end -- and thanks to Nora Roberts skill -- we not only understand her, we've come to care for her, just as we have all the wonderful characters in this series. INNER HARBOR is moving, quite funny in parts (Anna is in rare form again), full of surprises, and altogether too excellent to miss. But be sure to read its predecessors first!

I really enjoyed this book and am starting to re-read it. But, first I had to read the first two books of this trilogy. For some reason, wasn't previously interested in these books, but decided to try this last one when it came out, and after I read it ran out and bought the others. I loved reading about all three adult Quinn brothers (and the women they met) - maybe some day there will be a book about Seth so we can find out how they all turned out. (I just wonder, tho, how children could really live the way the Quinns did when they were boys. I would hope such child abuse would be discovered.) But, still, thank you, Nora Roberts for writing these interesting books!

A superbly sensitive book full of love, hope, and humour. Phillip Quinn's reaction to his deceased father's ghost was perfect and gave him a chance for closure. The book accurately shows that money can not buy happiness or love. Dr. Sybill Griffin is wonderful as the latest of the Quinn women. She is perfect for Phillip. The revelation of Seth's true relationship to raymond Quinn was great. It would have been so easy to bungle it and make it look silly but Nora Roberts comes through again. With her talent for vivid characters and fabulous story, I eagerly await her next novel. Jennifer Thrower

One of my patients-one of the very few who are actually able to converse with me in ICU-and I had a discussion of our mutually held enjoyment of classic style murder mysteries. We found that we had read many of the same novels, but one author she mentioned was new to me. Candace Robb and her Owen Archer mysteries were among her favorites, and as she described them, I felt that they might appeal to me as well. At the lady's suggestion, The Cross-Legged Knight was my first introduction to Ms Robb's work.

At first I was uncertain that I would like the author's style. I find that some writers of historical fiction, of which this is a form, are somewhat pedantic in their efforts to get their readers up to speed with respect to their chosen period. Whether this is to lend verisimilitude to their work, or because they can't bear to waste even a scrap of their hard won research, I can't say. I needn't have worried, though. Most of the author's descriptions of the medieval environment, of the various occupations, of clothing and speech were smoothly introduced, and the meanings of unfamiliar words were easily taken from their context. In checking Ms Robb's vita, I discovered that she had prepared for a PhD dissertation in medieval history and literature. Having done thesis for at least Master's level in two different areas myself, I can honestly say that one lives with these hard won scraps of information day in and day out until they become part of one. For Ms Robb, the 14th Century is "home," and it shows!

I enjoy the work of Ellis Peters and her Brother Cadfael series very much. Spending time with her delightful characters is a satisfying way to "get away from it all." In fact, I find that when I read fiction-when I read it at all-I do so at least as much for the company of the characters as for the story. Creating this type of ambiance is a difficult task, so I expected to find myself unimpressed with Robb's sense of character and personal history. Again I was mistaken. She peoples her 14th Century city of York with individuals with whom the reader is pleased to spend time. Owen Archer and his wife, the apothecary Lucie Wilton, are wonderful people, and their household is a delight to visit. Owen's "boss" the Archbishop of York, with whom Owen has an uneasy relationship, is a complex and interesting person. The other families have at least as much of a history as the central characters, giving the book an ambiance similar in many ways to the charming Barsetshire stories of Angela Thirkell.

The mystery itself was well penned. It begins almost at once with an attack on Wykeham, the new Bishop of Winchester, and progresses to the murder of a midwife, keeping the reader guessing at every paragraph. Like Colin Dexter and the Morse mysteries, The Cross-Legged Knight takes several twists before the guilty individual is brought to justice.

I enjoyed the book enough to look for all the others.

It's the eight episode for Candace Robb's quintessential medieval spy Owen Archer and
neither the author nor the character seems to be slowing down.

Archer, the trusted one-eyed spy for the Archbishop of York, is once again thrust into the
maelstrom of deadly struggles between the Lancasters and the Church. What is a spy,
married to York's only female apothecary, to do?

Whatever direction he choose, he's bound to find a puzzle. For one, the Bishop of
Winchester has created a situation that could plunge the country into a civil war. Through
the bishop's apparent bungling, a trusted friend to King Edward III and knight of the
realm has been captured by the French and before a ransom could be negotiated, he dies in
prison. His widow, the Lady Pagnell, holds the bishop fully responsible and wishes to
extract her own pound of flesh (to borrow from Shakespeare some two hundred years
later).

While in York to try to smooth things over with the Pagnell family, the bishop finds his
own life in danger. Coupled with what appears to be attempts to assassinate him, murder
is discovered when a fire goes up in flames, leaving the victim inside. Thus, Owen Archer's
sleuthing skills are called in. Owen's wife Lucy, the co-protagonists of Robb's series, has
recently had a miscarriage and her recovery, both mentally and physically, is taking its toll
on the Archer household. The woman murdered had been responsible for helping Lucy in
her recovery and both Lucy and Owen feel driven to find her murderer.

And, of course, the hunt is afoot and with Robb's usual good skill, York is eventually given
the solution. But before the murderer is revealed, Robb has a story to tell and, once again,
she does it with exciting readability. Weaving quite effectively history with fiction, the
Robb stories appeal to both historians and whodunit readers. Her ability to capture the
landscape and atmosphere of 14th century England is noteworthy and her plot designs well
worth the time.

Owen Archer is back in York, after a long sojourn in Wales. His apothocary wife, Lucy, has just lost a baby and is mourning its death. In York the Archbishop Wykeham has the ire of the Duke of Gaunt on his head and he fears that the powerful Lancasterian is trying to kill him. Archer finds himself in the midst of the feud and must rely on his friends to help him but make sure that no harm comes to them.
It is a pleasure to have Owen back in York with Lucy by his side. The mystery is serpentine and clues are there for the careful reader. Robb brings medieval York to life with intriguing characters and multi-layered plot.

Richard Rorty is set up as the strawman in this book and this is unfortunate. Apart from this the book is an interesting read that Rorty would have little problem with. Indeed this is the case (see Rorty's review of the book).

I think Williams in this book is saying much the same thing as Dan Dennett and is on the same critical wave length with Dan in his criticism's of Rorty. Which seem to me to be quite "Rortyian" in style i.e the critiques are politically motivated.

From a meta-philosophical perspective I believe there is little "practical" difference between Rorty, Williams and Dennett - not to mention Putnam (see his new book).

Therefore as a political (and hence usefull or something we should care about) work this is a good book.
The most interesting move in this book is the use of Nietzsche.
Very Rortyian indeed.

I found Williams' treatment of truth to be an important contribution. I thought well enough of it that I'm coming our of retirement to do a graduate course on the book in the Fall. Non-philosophers will find it tough going, but well worth the effort. I think this is an important book and everyone I've recommended it to has agreed with that judgment.

Williams is one of the wisest and more learned of philosophers working in English, a man of capacious intelligence and brilliant insight, and a man gracious enough to have learned how to write lucid, enjoyable prose. I share Michael Colson's enthusiasm, although I share none of his worries or dislikes. His "Enemies List" is not mine. And I think it should not be Williams's. I remain unpersuaded that the account of what we mean by true discourse given by the bogeymen of postmodernity amounts to a denial that anything's true or that in matters of the mind "anything goes." Williams is on the right track but turns off a little too soon--in what amounts to a failure of attentiveness. But the second part of the book easily compensates for the occasional disappointments of the first part. One can feel he is not entirely fair to some of his philosophical contemporaries, and still feel a great deal of gratitude for the pleasure of his company.