Patrick Curry has given Tolkien readers (both admirers and critics alike) something to celebrate and much to chew over in writing this book. The book, though short, is actually an outgrowth of a paper he wrote for a Centenary Conference on Tolkien in 1992. This tome is a fairly complex read and is rather ambitious in its scope. Curry aims to answer bedeviling questions such as why is Tolkien such a modern day success when his books have nothing to do with modern day preoccupations such as sex, murders, money,or lawyers? More to the point, in Curry's own words he asks us,"What are millions of readers from all over the world getting out of reading these books?" I have to hand it to you, Mr. Curry, this is a very interesting question to ask.

Curry's book is divided into a lengthy introduction, four chapters,and a modest ending of roughly 15 pages. The focus of Curry's analysis on Tolkien's popularity centers on Lord of the Rings, since both LOTR and The Hobbit are the two stories that the world has responded to best.

Early on in his introduction, Curry confronts academic / literary snobbery towards Tolkien head on. Most of this criticism is based on the attitude that Tolkien's work is irrelevant in our world because it is seen as nothing more than juvenile escapism that does not deal with any of the problems that plague (or have plagued) our modern day world. Meanwhile Curry tells readers that he intends to look for help in explaining Tolkien's popularity through post-modernist ideas which may in fact refute the very criticisms made by the intelligentsia. He also tackles other criticisms of Tolkien, such as alleged racism,class,oversimplification of good verses evil, etc. An incomplete laundry list of other topics that Curry covers in the book includes: reviewing Middle Earth (especially LOTR)as potentially great literature, exploring LOTR's Christian and Pagan aspects,its spirituality,nature and ecology,comparing magic verses enchantment in Middle Earth,social aspects of The Shire,the idea of wonder and how to invoke more of it in our world,and looking at Tolkien's hope to make a mythology for England.

Since the part title of the book announces that Curry wants to deal with the subject of Tolkien and "Modernity", it would help to give potential readers who may not be familiar with the idea of Modernism a brief synopsis of what Modernism actually is. Actually Curry's definition, that Modernism is

"a world - view that began in late seventeenth-century Europe,became self-conscious in the eighteenth-century Enlightenment, and was exported all over the world with supreme self-confidence, in the nineteenth (century).It (Modernism) culminated in the massive attempts at material and social engineering of our own day. Modernity is thus characterized by the combination of modern science, a global capitalist economy, and the political power of the nation-state."

provides a sufficient explanation, although his idea neglects the notion that various interests in the world may not always be so neatly aligned. However, potential readers do need to understand this idea in order to judge whether they should bother reading this book.

Making my own "world-view" judgment, I do not agree with Curry's pessimism regarding what Modernism has brought us or what it will bring us in the future. However,his use of modernist / post-modernist arguments in trying to explain Tolkien's popularity are both thoughtful and keen.Readers may argue on how solid Curry's arguments are, but I would recommend reading them anyway.

Curry ends his work by speaking of Tolkien's offer of hope without guarantees. Curry invites that reader to think that this statement means that Modernity should be fought by those who are disillusioned with it. But Curry clearly states that Middle Earth offers a vision of peace between peoples, with nature, and with the unknown. Is this book a polemic on behalf of post - modernist leftism? Good question.But ah Mr. Curry, does not the Road ever go on?

At first I thought this book was going to be one of thosecorny, ( ) informative type books. NOT SO! I found it nice, neat, andconsise, with more info than I thought I would find. I highly recomind it to any intrested in Tolkien, for even an old fan like me discoverd things I did not know. Have fun.

This compilation by editor John Patrick of man-to-man sex is so hot that it sizzles! Nearly 600 pages of explicit, no-holds-bar sexual escapades have just about anything to cater to any taste, and the reader certainly won't put the book down unsatisfied. The eroticism is graphically descriptive, and the limitlessness of the imagination can offer images that no video can. More than same-sex physical contact, though, some of the shorts describe the reassurance of a simple human touch, especially if any human touch has been a long time coming. The sex is non-stop and certainly erotic, but the subtle descriptions of man-to-man emotional contact lifts most stories above the level of carnal lust. "Bus Stop" and "Big and Beautiful" are two especially worthy entries. In sum, the stories contained in the book take the reader as far as the imagination wants to go, and the images evoked by the descriptive words of the steamy passages make the trip one of the most erotic ever.

This has to be the biggest collection yet of gay erotic tales. I thought "Huge" (the first collection) was big, but this new collection edited by John Patrick proves that "size does matter." There are almost 600 pages here of hot, sexy, sizzling stories of man on man sex. Plus there are two bonus novellas included that will certainly keep you busy. Yes, these are good stories, but the sex is also non-stop and very erotic. This book contains a multitude of erotic tales that John Patrick has gathered together here for every taste. I especially enjoyed "Bus Stop" by Peter Eros, "A Storm Hits New Orleans" by Sean Storm, and "Big & Beautiful" by John Patrick.

If the stories aren't hot enough just wait till you see the hot and sexy photos on the cover and inside. I think this is perhaps one of the best collections he has put together yet. If you enjoy this book you should definitely check out one of his many other collections, for example: "Heat Wave", "Boys on the Prowl", and "Pleasures of the Flesh." I definitely recommend this collection and I look forward to his next release.

Why is John Patrick Shanley so irrespresibly delicious to both read and perform? Perhaps it is Mr. Shanley's ubiquitous humor that insidiously weaves through a fabric of raw human cruelty and even harsher reality. Mr. Shanley beautifully and painfully reminds us that life and relationships are often as lonely and unbearable as they are hysterically funny and sweet. Although no *Danny and the Deep Blue Sea* or *Savage in Limbo*, with *Italian American Reconciliation* Mr. Shanley once again delivers his usual cinematic, almost visual dialogue, only to be filled out with mercifully humane and sometimes brutally real characters. For the actor, Shanley's words, characters, and stories are like undiscovered treasure just waiting to be shared; for the reader, we are given the promise and description of the treasure, with the reclamation of the motherload waiting only for our imagination to take us there!

Shanley nailed this play, a tale about a forlorn man who misses his bad-influence wife and so leaves his girlfriend to make a play to get her back. His best friend is stuck in the middle. A dark comedy of sorts, but mostly a lesson in getting over lost love. A must for any hopeless romantic.

Personally, I read the special 600pp edition of this book, available through the publisher, but I imagine this one is similar, and that the extended version is just that, extended. This is a great book because it stresses the most important factor in gambling, money management. There is no way, no matter what anyone says, no matter which system you play, to gain an edge on the house in craps. The best you can achieve is close to but not exactly 50-50. This book is the best I have read, in terms of money management. Some people may not like to hear the reality of gambling(IT WILL NOT MAKE YOU RICH! )but John Patrick's book is exactly that, REALITY! If you want a get rich quick scheme, don't buy ANY gambling books! If you want to minimize your losses and maybe come home a small winner, then this is a great book for you. What I like about John Patrick is that he doesn't preach a system, he simply gives you ideas, and states that any systems or variation is fine, as long as you know how to manage your money. This book is great for those who want to know about the reality of gambling. By far the best book on craps I have ever read!

I knew nothing about craps before I read this book and viewed the videos by Patrick. I wanted to play craps but was too intimidated to try to learn in the casino. I now know that at the table training would have been a costly mistake.I felt confident in my first craps game after reading the book and even got compliments from a dealer on the discipline I showed. John gives a realistic vision of what to expect and how to handle your money whether you win or lose.

I have read other books on craps and most of them spout the same methods. Patrick tells you other ways of betting while attempting to reduce your overall cash risk.
It is written in a humorous manner.
His mathematics are a little off but his ideas on how to play the game are good.
I highly recommend this book

I've been catching up on Wells' work lately, and up to this point, I've been fairly impressed. His best work, written at the turn of the century, holds up fairly well: it's entertaining and thought-provoking (The Time Machine, War of the Worlds).

I wasn't very impressed with this book, however. It doesn't read like his other works. The story probably could have been told in 20 or so pages, definitely a short-story candidate. I was amazed that Wells stretched this out to its present length, as the middle 40-odd pages were quite dull and really didn't go anywhere.

The science behind the story (while iffy, of course), is fascinating. Griffin is a great character, but more could have been done with him, besides his spending so much time having to convince people that he IS, in fact, invisible ("I am invisible. I really am an invisible man", etc, etc). It gets mind-numbing after a while. I guess the biggest let-down of the book is the fact that the title gives everything away. Once you've seen the cover, you pretty much have it; no real surprises. Yep, he's invisible, and there ya go.

What a great idea to assemble scifi icons from Star Trek to perform various H.G. Wells's classics! Of the works they've performed are: The Invisible Man, The Time Machine, The First Men in the Moon, and Journey to the Center of the Earth.

This audio recording of The Invisible Man was easy listening, and fun too. It's definitely worth a listen. I'm going to have to check out the others!

One side note, obviously the original work was abridged and adapted for audio drama. You'll still want to read the classic.

Okay, so Wells didn't load the book with the violence seen in the recent movie Hollow Man. Consider when the book was written, and what was comparable at the time. I, for one, was engrossed in the book and read it in about three sittings.

Wells excellently portrayed Griffin (Invisible Man) as a man crossing back and forth from sanity to madness. You may catch yourself considering how you would overcome his difficulties, or how you might abuse his power.

What really stood out for me was the tongue-in-cheek undertones Wells incorporated into the story, such as the cockney dialect and rustic behavior of the people of Iping. Also, consider Wells' narration during intense moments, such as the fight between Griffin and the people of Iping...
"...[Huxter's] shin was caught in some mysterious fashion, and he was no longer running, but flying with inconceivable rapidity through the air. He saw the ground suddenly close to his face. The world seemed to splash into a million whirling specks of light, and subsequent proceedings interested him no more."
Later elaboration of the events included the terrifying realization that Griffin was "smiting and overthrowing, for the mere satisfaction of hurting."

If you find the book difficult to follow, try the version adapted by Malvina Vogel, complete with illustrations by Pablo Marcos. It's not as powerful, but easier to understand.

If you're the kind of person who finds joy in reading about language and colloquialisms of the past, this is a great book. It also contains a fair amount of background on many of the historical (real) characters from the Aubrey/Maturin books, as well as many geographic locations visited from the novels. A brief chronology of the wars during the age of sail (Napoleonic, War of 1812, etc) is quite useful. I'm also fairly impressed with its completeness with the obviously strange ones - "Drowned Baby", for instance. (It's a dessert.) You don't need it to understand the language of O'Brian's books, but you'll probably have more fun if you bring "A Sea of Words" along for the ride.

This book is a great reference for all interested in the age of fighting sail, or readers of nautical fiction. The heart of the book is an immense lexicon or dictionary of nautical terms and (British) naval history and leaders during the times of the French Revolution and Napoleonic world war about A.D 1800. Specifically geared to the Patrick O'Brian novels about Captain Aubrey and his surgeon-spy Maturin, this can be read with benefit also to understanding any other authors in the genre. The lexicon is prefaced with Hattendorf's chapter on the organization of the British Navy from top to bottom. It specifies the career ladder from landman to Admiral of the Red, basic British vs. French battle tactics, and overviews the War of the French Revolution (1793-1803) and the Napoleonic Wars (1805-1815). A time line of these wars is appended. Another chapter by Estes discusses the state of contemporary medicine. Perhaps most immediately useful is a brief section illustrating the standing and running rigging of square-rigged ships, and their sail plans, the most confusing part of all for a lubber. In light of Maturin's cover as a naturalist, a chapter on the state of naturalist studies before Darwin would be a useful addition to a future edition (as would a section about the competition to determine longitude accurately).

If you are new to nautical matters, and begin the Forester, Kent or Woodman series of novels with the start of the hero's career, I suggest you not consult this work until later so that you taste the same initial confusion as any raw young midshipman. This is a useful rite of passage for anyone falling in love with nautical fiction: if you care enough to learn the challengingly obscure terms you will be hooked. You will also learn the origins of many slang expressions, like scuttlebutt, three sheets to the wind, bye and large, bitter end, squared away, cut and run, scuttled, doldrums, son of a gun, at liberty, etc. The geographical companion book, Harbors and High Seas, could be acquired anytime, but I don't consider it as useful as this book. (Note: my review is based on a 2nd edition [green cover], which did not contain the error Desiree mentions in her review.)

Dean King has done all lovers of naval history novels a great service with this book. Aimed specifically at the Aubrey/Maturin series, it nevertheless provides an invaluable wealth of detailed information about the whole of the period around the turn of the 19th Century.

Not only does it translate obscure Naval terms, it also explains obsolete Georgian phraseology; describes major naval battles; eminent naval personalities & statesmen; Latin & French phrases common during the period; explanations of classical references; medical & natural history terminology - in short, all that you need as a companion to naval literature.

I got this book after reading all the Aubrey/Maturin series - if only I'd had this at the time, I could have saved myself hours of searching through multiple reference books.

A MUST for all naval history buffs.

Congo opens on a grizzly gorilla attack on a group of explorers. Crichton goes on in telling how the search and or rescue party gets there and the horrific things they experience. With the company of Amy the most advanced ape in the sense of sign language, they learn many things about gorilla life and their past. From Chrichton I've also read Airframe, Sphere, Jurassic Park and The Lost World; personally this is my least favorite of the books. I admit the first few pages grab you with quick and intense action, but the main part of the book, I thought, was extremely boring, no action what so ever not even flared emotions. Written in 1980 it is expected to have out dated technology information, in fact some of things they mention weren't even fathomable then, but now are a part of everyday life and I made a note of that in the back of my mind, but while reading it seemed as though it was in bold print and it simply got annoying. Don't get me wrong it is a well writen book, it's just that I feel is other books are definately more worth reading. The ending as in all books is the most exciting part of the book, overflowing with action that almost makes up for the eye drying middle; almost.

This novel kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time I read. Michael Crichton does a good job displaying realism in this realistic science fiction novel. He creates a story in the darkest region of the Congo, near the Lost City of Zinj,where an eight-person expedition dies brutally in a matter of seconds. At the home base back in Houston, supervisors watch a gruesome video transmission of the ill-fated team: dead bodies, tents crushed, and a blurred dark moving image. A new expedition is sent to the Congo. Some are in search for diamonds while a primatologist is taking his gorilla Amy, who knows sign language, back to her home in the Congo. During the expedition they encounter trouble with the native tribes and man-eating gorillas. Many people die and there is a lot of action in this thriller. Life threatening creatures and jungle weather creates a setting which makes this book so entertaining. This book can be compared to "Jurassic Park." Both display great action scenes and interesting stories by the same author. I recommend this book greatly if you are either a science-fiction or suspense thriller fan.

A Review by Brendan

Michael Crichton has done it again, he wrote a bestselling book once more. If you liked Jurassic park 1+2 you'll love Congo.in the depths of the jungle in Africa, people have been mysteriously killed by some unknown animal. When one scientist discovers and ape is having bad and unnormal dreams he decides to find out what they are. This book is full of adventure and excitement. If you want to know the rest pick up a copy at your local library.

There are so many things Michael Crichton did perfect in this book, but there were a few he could of left out. About 1/3 of the story talks about things we didn't know existed, like all that scientific junk. Do we really care about that? We want the blood and gore{well a lot of us do}.
What he did do well on is the detail and explaining the confusing points. This was a good book and very interesting.

I would recommend this book to readers that like blood and gore. I would also recommend this book to people that like science and mathematics. This book is very good and there are always part that include all readers.

I was startled when I finished reading Joyce Carol Oates Black Water. What I found so astonishing was that I remained completely captivated, my eyes literally glued to a book that focused on one brief scene for almost its entirety. The book never became mundane or repetitious even though the reader is continually thrust into the front seat of a car being devoured by the water of a lake. Every scene that brought me back to the doomed wrecked Honda became more and more thrilling, all through Oates' talented writing. My suspense continued even after I learned the fate of the characters, because I wanted there to be more. The story of Black Water is a fictionalized rendition of the Chappaquiddick story, following Kelly Keheller, an American, politically active, sexually attractive young woman who becomes enthralled with the political actions of a Senator whom she has the honor of meeting at a friend's party. Keheller takes the opportunity and becomes acquainted with the man who could possibly offer her political leverage; however, her strife for political success leads her into the passenger side of a Honda that will soon be on a collision course. I think this novel is one of the best examples of how any story can become captivating and beautiful simply through a writer's talent. Though this story is in itself intriguing, Oates' talent with language exemplifies it. Kelly Keheller comes to life through simply snatches of conversation between herself and the Senator, or her friends, and brief memories of past lovers or family get-togethers. Also, in this small but extremely dense novel, are the readers presented with the struggles of a woman who chooses to be active in political parties in America. Her continual determination and idealism made me want to fight for her while I read. I also felt a continual frustration with the earnestness behind Kelly's struggles and her continual feelings of failure. The strength of this novel is its compactness. Oates says in so few words what could take other authors 400 pages to explain. Every description and scene is crucial to the understanding of Kelly as a character. Even as scenes tend to repeat themselves, Oates finds a way to make each scene new and continually awe-inspiring. I can honestly say I've never read an entire novel before with so many reoccurring scenes that continued to interest me. I highly recommend this novel. Not only is it a fairly short read, but the writing is genuinely wonderful. The plot is engaging and Oates finds a way to make even an "American Myth" new and interesting. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a short yet enthralling read, as well as any avid writers, who want to learn how to make something new. Even within the first few chapters, all of which are short yet fascinating, can you see Oates' beautiful talent in taking one scene and recreating it for her readers over and over again until they understand every aspect, emotional and dramatically, yet without letting it lose its intensity.

She was an American girl. This is how Joyce Carol Oates characterizes Kelly Kelleher. Kelly is the supposed embodiement of a "normal" American girl. She is concerned with her appearance, rebels against yet loves her parents,has unfulfilling affairs, and the highest of ideals. Drawn rather obviously form an true story, this work of fiction digs deeper than a news story or a non-fiction novel. The story of Kelly is a short and sad one. She seems to have led a pretty average life, not to say that she isn't supposed to be a special person. In a short period of time the reader comes to know her on an intimate level. We learn her political views, her sexual history, even about the disease she was born with. These details are Oates's most careful dramatic and plot choices as far expressing the themes. Oates seeks to explore the character of Kelly, and to an extent, that of The Senator, who drives Kelly in to the water. Oates prooves what we already know- the people in the news or public eye are more than the flat characters flitting across the screen. Kelly Kelleher was a real person. The Senator was and is, a real person. While at times I think Oates unintentionally made Kelly in to a bit of a stereotype, this was effective as far as this story went because it was important that Kelly be something the reader could easily recognize. This narrative opens the past and present of a woman who has no future. The book is a literal representation of Kelly's life flashing before her eyes. It displays her terror at being left behind in the flooded car, along with what led her to that moment. This is the most effective plot tool used by Oates. By letting us in to the past and present of Kelly's life, while the actual time span of the novel is actually only a short time, the effect of experiencing Kelly's whole life is captured perfectly. The character of The Senator was perhaps a bit more difficult to write because the person he is based on is still alive and for the most part,went unpunished for what became of the young lady who was driven in to the water on a night of drinking. I think Oates managed to paint him as realistically and sympathetically as possible considering what she is telling us he did. Oates uses unmistakably powerful language to draw the reader in to the whirlwind ride that ends as we know it will. As always her plot, her characters, her language make a story come to life.

The novel "Black Water" by Joyce Carol Oates is about a young idealistic woman, who is attracted to "The Senator", an older successful politician, in whom she sees a chance to fulfil her yearning for adventures. She accepts his invitation for a night in his motel-room and joins him in his car which ends in a terrible accident where her entire personality is put to a new challenge- she questions the sense of her being, of her life she has lived so far, and doubts if her longing has been fulfilled in the way she had in mind.
Through the literary means of a brilliantly woven narrative, which is the typical feature of the novel, Oates produces a certain picture of Kelly's thoughts and feelings which is determined for the effect the book has on the reader: The whole story is written in a very captivating and sensitive way.
In our opinion the book is very worth to read.Kelly, in her special nature shows other women that no matter what happens one should never loose his/her belief in something and gives them the strength to keep their faith and their hope.
As it is based on a real incident, Joyce Carol Oates gives through her narration the forgotten and silent become mistress of Edward Moore Kennedy a voice and with it a human soul.

If you want to read about Jack Kennedy and his dad, with a little more information about Joe Jr., then this is a book for you. Mr. Leamer never delivers the promise his title suggests. This is not to say the book fails to be interesting, but it paints a rather incomplete picture of the Kennedy history. He spends a great deal of time on Joe Sr, and goes through a fairly deep analysis of the relationship between Joe Jr. and John, but we se only fleeting glimpses of Ted as he runs for senate. We only see detail on Bobby when he becomes his brothers AG. We never see the depth of information on Bobby, who played such a significant part in JFK's life.

The book also fails to give a complete picture of any of the men by failing to explaing the relationship that occurred with Rose. We are shown that she tolerated her husband's indiscretions, but we see hardly any interplay with her sons at all. Any decent psychologist will tell you that you can't understand a man without understanding his relationship with his mother. We never see it at all.

Although I found the information delivered to be interesting, I also found it to be quite one-sided, as though it had been written by a strong fan. It gave a good amount of information into the events the Kennedy men lived (and died) through, yet left out much of the day to day information that would have filled out the image. Bottom line; interesting read, but not a detailed analysis...not by a long shot.

I read The Kennedy Women a few years ago and found it to be one of the most impressive biographical works that I had ever encountered. I was most impressed with Leamer's ability to fully chart the lives of so many diverdse characters.

I eagerly awaited the Kennedy Men. If I had not read his previous work, this probably would have seemed better. I felt that the Kennedy Women had a broader scope dealing with a longer (and earlier!) time frame and more individuals. This started, really with Joe Kennedy and didn't focus on too many others. A very minor complaint, is that the Kennedy women had a comrehensive time line in the beginning. It would have been useful to include one here as well.

Otherwise, this is an extaordinarily well rearched volume. What I enjoyed most was the conversational approach taken by Leamer. It is a pleasure to read. I wish that the final chapter "Requiem for a President" was slightly more detailed, but this was a chance to learn not about invididuals, but about complex family relationships and bonds.

I am glad that I read it and look forward to volume 2!

The Kennedy Men: 1901-1963 By Laurence Leamer has been an appendage of mine since its release in mid-October. I literally could not put it down and when I finished, I lamented its ending. It was personal, like a friend, a wonderful place to go when I read it. I wanted more -- yes, even after reading 700-something pages.

Leamer put this family into context with grit and courage. The book does not mince words. He did not just give us the bad and the ugly; he also gave us the good. And even the bad and the ugly are in a context where the actions are understandable, unlike the Seymour Hirsch book, "The Dark Side of Camelot," where it was all seamy and skewed.

When Joe Kennedy had the lobotomy done on his daughter, Rosemary, one could understand his motives, even the hubris that made him do it. In his own way, he was being protective of her, but his suffering after the disastrous results that left her a mere shadow of her former self -- was some of Leamer's finest writing.

It was as if the author were inside Joe Kennedy's head and had become omnipotent. That is the part of the book that was the most tragic and deeply sorrowful. The fact that he never spoke of her again, and the rest of the family followed suit -- all parched by their unspeakable grief at her loss -- gave more insight into the human condition than I have ever seen in a book, bar none. I believe the lamentation today is still borne by the Kennedy family and that is the demon that drove Eunice to work so hard for the handicapped; she was doing penance for the entire family. This one section could be pulled out alone and made into a morality play; Albert Camus and the existentialists have nothing on Leamer here.

The dossier of facts in this book will stay with the reader, who will not be the same after reading the book. Your heart breaks for this family, what they suffered through -- even if much of the catastrophic consequences they endured were their fault. One can clearly see the motives.

Leamer is sans judgmental hostility. He doesn't lean on the Kennedys for their faults -- rather he puts them into this a historical frame of reference without blue-sky illusions.

Who knew how much John F. Kennedy suffered his entire life? His transition to adulthood was inevitably painful emotionally but also physically. He bore upon his frail shoulders the burden of his older brother's death. His drug habit, scary as it appeared, could also be understood in this book's context. Leamer neither softens nor sentimentalizes it. Kennedy's lifetime of pain makes the reader wince with a lump in their throat. One leaves the book admiring what he accomplished rather than judging him harshly. He was trying to find an even keel for himself. He was looking for an even playing field. One must remember, he was taking the injections wearing 1960s glasses. No one knew the dangers of amphetamines back then. They were the "smart" drug of the day.

I was rather surprised that Rose was as cavalier as she was toward the end, after Joe's stroke -- with cruel indulgence, showing him gowns she would wear to parties she attended without him. She appeared to enjoy her "last-laugh" status her continued health gave her.

Even more surprisingly, Rose was rather cruel to the children as they grew. She wrote letters to their schools but she never visited. She expected the children to be "little men" and "little women" from the time they were babies, another fragment in the mosaic of their shattered lives. To justify this shoddy behavior, she opined that she thought it was best if the children were not dependent on her.

This was one of the big surprises for me of the book: Rose's distance from the children. You were either with her or you were gone. Witness what happened to eldest daughter Kathleen, who died in a plane crash in Europe. She wasn't even brought back for burial, rather, she was buried in England. That fact will stick in one's craw. "Kick," as she was called, was divorced and having an affair, so she was banished, even in death.

Of course, affairs were de rigueur for the Kennedy men. I'm looking forward to Leamer's next volume and hope he explores the relationship of Bobby Kennedy with Jackie after Jack's death when both were .

Would I recommend this book? Absolutely. It's one of the truly great books I have ever read. Henry Kissinger once said of an argument, "It had the added advantage of being true." That is The Kennedy Men.

I am very disappointed with Dean King's efforts here. Where is this great prodigy of maps that the book seems to promise? Much of the book is taken up with summaries of PO'B's novels. If I want to know what happened in the books I will read them, I don't need to pay 21 American dollars for that. And most of the content that is not summary is written descriptions entitled 'Here and There'. Can Mr. King possibly think his accounts will succeed in enabling we hopeless lubbers to comprehend intricate harbors and locations where the great O'Brian's have not? In the Post Captain chapter, do we find a map of Chaulieu where Aubrey fights the Polychrest until she sinks under him? No we do not. This book should be filled cover to cover with detailed charts and maps. It falls far and sadly short of expectations. I urge anyone not having been duped into purchasing it already to refrain from doing so.

Harbors and High Seas gets more use from me than the lexicon reference to the Aubrey Maturin series, A Sea of Words. I skimmed through Harbors and High Seas after each O'Brian book the last time through; leaving alone the clearer geographical detail, this really adds depth to O'Brian's already convincing world.

I would recommend this highly to fans of the series who feel bereft at its close and long to return, to poke around a little themselves. Harbors and High Seas is full of taking off points, tangents to the stories that the curious reader can follow up on. A print of the decrepit Temple, reproduced here, might spark you to pursue some detail or other about Napoleon's Paris. The discussion of the many Desolation Islands has lots of little sides to it that could reward some curiosity. Like the stories, this is a sort of open-ended invitation into the historical setting, you might say.

Harbors and High Seas is a "companion" to the series, a complement to it, not just a reference to be consulted when you're muddled. Don't just refer to it -- read it for fun.

I'm now on book 7 of the Aubrey-Maturin series, and have only had my Companion for the last 2...how much it adds to the joy and the education. The best part of the companion is the maps, with clearly marked routes taken by Lucky Jack's vessels. O'Brian's description of Aubrey passing by Elsinore while Jack describes his role in Hamlet as a young midshipman comes alive with both the map and the picture of Elsinore. As well, eliminating the frustration of trying to determine what is fiction (Grimsholm) from what is not (Admiral Suamarez) greatly adds to the historical learnings.

The only downside to having this companion is the irresistable temptation to read ahead...the plot lines of the first 17 books are all given in general outline. As O'Brian readers know, however, much of the joy is as much in the characterization and writing as in the plot line. So, even if you do look ahead, it in all likelihood only will increase your desire to move on to the next book....I personally can hardly wait to get to Treason's Harbour and the mood that O'Brian will create around historic Malta.

If you love maps, though, and have always used them to add a visual learning dimension and reference to the words, you can't possibly read the books without it.

In closing, I guess I should add the warning that as addictive as these books are, they become even more addictive with the companion.

Beware!