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Book reviews for "Powell,_James" sorted by average review score:

Colin Powell: A Biography
Published in Paperback by Scholastic (1997)
Authors: Jim Haskins and James Haskins
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My Review
A biography of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff discusses Powell's college years in ROTC, his service in Vietnam, and his later career under George Bush. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.


The Haunted Queen Mary, Long Beach, California
Published in Paperback by G-HOST PUBLISHING (01 January, 2000)
Authors: Robert James Wlodarski and Anne Powell Wlodarski
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Ghosts take a holiday
A GUIDE TO THE HAUNTED QUEEN MARY has a wealth of information on a single haunted site. Authors Robert Wlodarski, Anne Nathan-Wlodarski, and Richard Senate are active psychic researchers who have heavily studied this aspect of the ship and relay a lot of intriguing information; however, produced by small publishing house, this book's presentation is rather crude.

This 1995 edition provides a brief history of the QUEEN MARY, including incidents that occurred aboard many believe led to some of its hauntings; primary accounts by people who witnessed its phenomena; the transcript of a séance; photos; and diagrams and sketches to illustrate some of its accounts. This book also has appendixes listing references, selected ghost movies, and "what to do if you see a ghost."

At the ship's pool side, "a young, attractive woman in a miniskirt, is sometimes viewed walking down the stairs leading to the pool, and then vanishing behind a pillar." One employee claims to feel cold spots in the kitchen where there are no drafts or ventilation and another sees a plate fly across the cafeteria. While stopping in the captain's cabin, one tour guest starts feeling seasick--as if the ship is at sea--a sensation that passes as soon as she leaves the room.

Hauntings of major traveling vessels are fairly common. Long voyages and major journeys are frequently stressful to travelers and strong emotions are usually what brings the dead back. Another ship, also permanently docked (but in the docks of the San Francisco Bay Area), where ghosts have been sighted is the USS HORNET. When Flight 401 crashed killing 101 people, Eastern Airlines salvaged undamaged parts of the plane as is the custom in the industry. Apparently, some of the crew's spirits embedded on those parts later reused and have alerted their living counterparts to dangers that helped them save lives.

The number of uncanny encounters on the QUEEN MARY are almost expected when one considers its long years of passenger service were also interrupted for military use during World War II. It transported many enemy POWs during the conflict. Water also affects psychic energy. Learning of the cases in detail is compelling for anyone intrigued by the subject.

The worst criticism this reviewer can make against this book is its poor graphic design and the way it organizes its text. While some publishing traditions become obsolete with modern technology, there are some conventions that confuse the conveying of information when violated. For instance, serif typefaces are more comfortable for long-term reading and recto pages should have odd page numbers. Author biographies and selling info for other books the house sells are usually found at the back of the volume so they don't break the flow of content in the front.

Although this volume is slim, a table of contents would be helpful. It also tends to awkwardly parcel its data. Instead of reporting a fatal incident and all the phenomena that related to it in one place, it separates and classifies the tidbits by on-board deaths and "identified" spirits, verbatim primary accounts from visitors on the ship, then the employee accounts. Although this collection of facts come from different primary sources, sometimes it's a bit repetitive and disorientating bouncing back and forth between the different cases.

For anyone interested in a intensive study on the hauntings aboard the QUEEN MARY, overlook this book's clumsy presentation. A GUIDE TO THE HAUNTED QUEEN MARY is otherwise a fine, in-depth study of a magnificent historical monument's paranormal activity.


Southern Fried Spirits
Published in Paperback by Republic of Texas Pr (2000)
Authors: Anne Wlodarski, Anne Powell Wlodarski, and Robert James Wlodarski
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Rooms With A Boo
Ghosts, goblins, specters, and apparitions have always fascinated. Now, for those who might enjoy bedding down by a phantom or supping with a spook here is a guide to many of the South's supposedly haunted spots. Which state leads in the number of addresses for the adventuresome? Why, Texas, of course! San Antonio's Alamo Street Restaurant, which was the Alamo Methodist Church until 1976, has a dining area and kitchen on the first floor while the second floor is home to live theater, concerts, and weddings. That's not all its home to - the owners boast "friendly spirits" who make their presence known by moving dishes around, pushing cooks into the refrigerator, and turning lights on and off. Does the staff mind? Not at all. Every once in a while a waiter will holler, "Now you just stop that!" Spring, Texas, a bit North of Houston, also has its share of unexplainable happenings at the Wunsche Bros. Café & Saloon. This two-story turn-of-the-century building has been turned into a country style eatery. Evidently, Charlie Wunsche, a former owner, likes the arrangement because it is said that he visits frequently - making ghostly appearances in linen closets and wandering the second floor. Austin's Driskill Hotel not only has registered guests but registered ghosts. Colonel Jesse Driskill, the builder makes his presence known by smoking cigars in guests' room and playing with their bathroom lights. Mrs. Bridges, a former employee, returns to the front desk near the witching hour clothed in a Victorian dress. Regrettably, not all of these spirits are affable as some current guests have complained about being awakened in the middle of the night "to the sensation of someone pushing them out of bed." Waxahachie, South of Dallas, also reports eerie events perpetrated by a trio at the Catfish Plantation Restaurant. It seems that when the house that now contains the restaurant was built in 1895 the owner had a daughter, Elizabeth. According to reports, she was throttled in the house on her wedding day by either or lover or groom. A second woman died in the house in 1970, and a third ghostly visitor is "believed to be a farmer named Will, who lived in the house during the Depression and died in the 1930s." Management, guests, journalists and psychics give the threesome credit for flying coffee cups, refrigerator doors opening and closing, and coffee brewed by non-human hands. The Country Spirit, a two story restaurant in Boerne, serves spirits and hosts a few, too. Evidently, these phantoms like to party as the beer spigot has been known to operate at the touch of unseen hands, and laughter has been heard coming from downstairs when it is unoccupied. Add to this list the LaBorde House Inn in Port Aransas which has a few invisible guests, the Grey Moss Inn near Helotes which has mathematically inclined specters who operate the adding machine, and Houston's La Carafe with exploding glasses and a painting that flew off the wall. According to Southern Fried Spirits, Texas has a surplus of the supernatural!


Spike & Dru (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Published in Paperback by Titan Books (20 June, 2001)
Authors: James Marsters, Christopher Golden, Ryan Sook, and Eric Powell
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A must have for Spike and James Marsters fans!
Because I'm a huge fan of Spike, I knew that I had to find a copy of this rare graphic. I'm very glad that I did. It contains 3 reprinted stories, and 1 original story.

ALL'S FAIR- takes place during the World's Fair of 1933. The story follows Spike and Dru as they maim. Slash, and slay their way through the glitter and lights of the Fair. They also encounter hideous demons from another dimension and highly skilled assassins out for blood.

THE QUEEN OF HEARTS- As the pair travel to Sunnydale to be near the Hellmouth, the star-crossed lovers stop in St. Louis to do a bit of gambling and cause major mayhem on a riverboat casino. But, their blissful vacation is cut short by river demons.

PAINT THE TOWN RED- this story takes place shortly after Spike and Dru leave Sunnydale at the end of Buffy's second season. Dru's renewed love for Angel drives a wedge between the lovers. The end result is both of them trying to hurt the other as much as possible- which is a whole lot! With James Marsters helping with the writing, and Ryan Sook's artwork, this is by far the best story of all four.

WHO MADE WHO- tells the tale of Spike and Dru's final break up in Brazil. This is an epilog to Buffy's season three episode " Lover's Walk".

The only downside to this graphic is the artwork. Highly stylized, it's a deterant to fans who like Spike for his rugged good looks.

Still, if you like Buffy, Dru, or Spike and can find a copy of this graphic, than by all means buy it!


A Texas Guide to Haunted Restaurants, Taverns and Inns
Published in Paperback by Republic of Texas Pr (2001)
Authors: Robert Wlokarski, Anne Powell Wlokarski, Robert James Wlodarski, and Anne Powell Wlodarski
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Great Fun
A friend and I planned a trip to Houston around this book. The whole weekend was devoted to haunted places--so why eat in a regular, non-haunted restaurant? You get a nice history of the building and its previous uses (if any), the folks who used it while in the flesh, and those (in spirit) who are purported to inhabit it now.

If you enjoy this kind of thing (and I do), use this very handy book to add some interest and variety to a trip or just find new ''haunts'' in your own city. Most haunted places are also historic or older buildings, so you get an extra treat in seeing some unique architecture. So even if haunted isn't your thing, but historic is, this is a great book.

Be sure to call first to verify hours and if the building is still standing. Unfortunately, one highly haunted tavern in Houston was bulldozed to make room for a modern bookstore. When traveling to any city in Texas, I will always consult this book for unique and special places to enjoy food or a beer.


Direct Investment and Joint Ventures in China
Published in Hardcover by Quorum Books (30 August, 1991)
Authors: James E. Shapiro, Jack N. Behrman, William A. Fischer, and Simon G. Powell
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Poor read and not factual.
I spent many years living in China and found too many flaws with this book.

Intelligence breathes thru the pages
Shapiro obviously has had years of experience negotiating. He writes clearly and it would be a beneficial book for anyone, students or those already in the field, to read. If I were to teach a course on joint ventures, this would be the text of choice.

Prevents joint venture mistakes
Anyone considering negotiating any joint venture would benefit from the checklists and other considerations raised by Shapiro who actually negotiated the showcase Xerox-Shanghai joint venture


Others (Macmillan UK Audio Books)
Published in Audio Cassette by Trafalgar Square (2000)
Authors: James Herbert and Robert Powell
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"OTHERS" has character!
Quite an enjoyable read. I have to say that I couldn't wait to finish the book to see what other reviewer's had said. I waited though, as I did not want the ending to be revealed before I had finished it. Surprisingly, I found the reviews to be quite mixed. Not necessarily someone who would classify themselves as a "reader", I eagerly looked forward to reading the next chapter or page (a few mornings making myself a few minutes late for work!). The driving force behind my interest was the strong development of main character, Nick Dismas. Dismas seems so real and endearing, you wish you could have a drink with him at his favorite pub. I do have to agree with quite a few reviewers here and elsewhere though that the book is not scary in the least. At times, it can be rather intense or sad, but never frightening like I had hoped. With that said, I enjoyed the book very much and look forward to reading other books by Herbert. Some of his earlier novels have received much more praise than "Others", but since I enjoyed this book so much, I imagine I will be more than pleasantly surprised by other Herbert works.

Beyond Creepy
At 500-pages long, OTHERS is the story that most horror novelists only wish they could write. Sure, James Herbert has a tendency to repeat himself a couple times throughout the book (and still has me wonder how much of his story is based on fact!), but his style and character development skills are above anything recent by Koontz (or King, for that matter!). OTHERS takes it's time to lure you into the world of a gum-shoe detective before exploding into the horror novel you'd expect, delicately increasing the suspense with each chapter. James Herbert has succeeded in creating a world filled with the grotesque, misfortunate and mysterious in his latest, OTHERS. He also managed to give birth to one of the most interesting protagonists: Nick Dismas, a deformed PI and reincarnation of an evil Hollywood star. I'm just sorry we had to see him put to rest so soon!

forceful and compelling
this book was scary. the possibilities of what happens to deformed children who are not wanted or are left to die are examined in fiction by james herbert. scary, in your face and compelling, no thought is left undone. a man (who has intelligence) but is deformed in a physical sense has been reborn as such to redeem himself from a life before that was amoral and filled with depravity. so our hero is put on this earth to redeem himself and make do with the scorn of "normal" people. it is not easy to read this book and think of all the times we have judged the disabled as less than us. to take for granted in a physical sense what we have. in a very descriptive way by herbert, he articulates how the abuse is internalized. this is not a happy book. there are few brief moments of joy and love. our hero finds a rest home that is the secret jail of others like him, who are worse off than him. Of course he was put on earth for a purpose, for himself (the redemption) and for others (to save). i do not agree that he writes (as the flap bragged) that he is like stephen king - who has a tendency to be more subtle and there with kings books there is always a conclusive ending. herbert wrote in his brief and last chapter that this was taken from actual and true events and that he hoped the reader was disturbed. this is a thinking person's book - despite the fiction and horror of it all, you cannot finish reading it without giving a nod to the reality of what if and hope that there are people who are in position with presence of mind to use their powers appropriately.


Medieval Studies: An Introduction
Published in Hardcover by Syracuse University Press (1992)
Author: James M. Powell
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A lot of Pages that say nothing
If you are looking for a reference book that tells you to go somewhere else to learn something, this book is for you. The only chapter that is useful is the chapter on Archaeology. The rest of them start out with something similar to "it is impossible to cover this topic in the pages provided..." The only rewarding quality of this book are the bibliographies provided at the end of each chapter.

The chapters are written by different people that supposedly have specialized in the chapter's area. There is little effort to make the chapters even remotely interesting. Instead they write in such a way to either bore or confuse their reader. They do nothing to make someone want to look up the books listed in the bibliographies.

indispensable handbook for the profession
Highly recommended for anyone who is thinking of pursuing a higher degree in medieval studies, or anyone who simply wants a glimpse into the various aspects of the profession. (Apparently the other reviewer does not quite understand the meaning of "Introduction"...or "medieval studies." ) Nowhere else will one find a collection of introductions to such a broad array of specialized medieval disciplines: paleography, diplomatics, numismatics, prosopography, computer-assisted analysis of statistical documents of medieval society, medieval chronology, medieval English literature, Latin philosophies, medieval art, and medieval music. If you're looking for a synthetic narrative about the middle ages, browse elsewhere. If you want to know what professional medievalists do--or even embark your own training as one--this is the book for you.


Aircraft Radio Systems
Published in Textbook Binding by Pitman Pub Ltd (1981)
Author: James, Powell
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Html Plus!
Published in Paperback by Wadsworth Publishing (1996)
Author: James E. Powell
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