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The illustrations add to this masterpiece. The interviews by people who knew George Harrison personally are what makes this book so effective in reaching its intended audience. Each individual's voice rings clear and pure; one gets a sense of each person and how they were touched and influenced by George Harrison.
To the editors' credit, this book does not languish during the Beatle years; instead, it picks up speed immediately and maintains an even keel throughout the late artist's life. I like the way the songs are discussed and the influences that guided and created them.
This book is a sterling work. I highly and heartily recommend it.
The book is finely illustrated with many rare pictures; I was delighted that it didn't gloss over George's neglected solo career. Another particular delight is the introduction penned by Mrs. Harrison. Like her husband, Mrs. Harrison is a very dignified, articulate person and I wish her the very best. Pictures of George's son (who looks just like him, by the way) are also included. Thank you for the music, George.
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with 'Sandkings' being one OF them. This in NO WAY dimishes how utterly original this story is, though. I'm telling you the last written line of 'Sandkings' is worth the price of the book alone...but please, please do NOT spoil the surprise by skipping ahead and doing so. The main character is flawed in that he loves to be sadistic with these tiny adaptable creatures that learn to revere him as deity. But what happens along the way is horrific...and amazing. Spend an hour or two and read this short story and get to know one of the best novelists of the past 20 years. George R.R. Martin is fast becoming one of THE prominant names in the fantasy field (just check out his 'Song of Ice & Fire' series beginning with 'A Game of Thrones') but he was first a sci-fi author...he's not just good at both, he's fantastic...
A few months later, I found the back issue of Omni magazine and rushed home to read it. After assimilating the last glorious line of "Sandkings," I decided right then and there that it was my favorite short story of all time.
Nearly twenty years later, it remains my favorite short story.
Admittedly, I'm more of a horror fan than sci fi or fantasy fan, so Sandkings is closer to my heart that his other works. However, if sci fi and fantasy is YOUR cup of tea, you'll also enjoy the other very well written stories in this collection (including "Way of Cross and Dragon" and "In the House of the Worm.")
But I can honestly say that "Sandkings" is worth the price of admission alone. It's a true modern masterpiece.
Bitterblooms was a cool little story with Vampires, a Girl Trying to get through the dark woods, and a mysterious house in the middle of nowhere....
Star Lady is basically the story of a girl and an alien boy with golden skin who land on a planet and are made slaves by a pimp. its got a really cool ending...
Buy this book if you can find it in a used book store.
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The preliminary chapters allow the reader to become more deaply familiar to the general aspects of the hobby. Things like basic model rocket components and construction as well as how to get started in order to eventually become deaply involved in the hobby are covered in these sections. You'll find that much of the information in this section is, most likely, stuff you may already be familiar with if you're a more experienced novice.
The book then procedes to more detailed and more technical aspects of rocketry. From chapters 5 and on, more technical information is presented, however, in a format that makes understanding easy. Rocket motors, ingnition systems, stabilty, rocket aerodynamics and altitude determination are some of the many aspects covered.
Another great feature of this book is that BASIC type computer programs that simulate and caculate crucial values and overall rocket performance can be found in the books's appendix already written. All you have to do is re-write the code in a BASIC computer program compiler and you're ready to make complex mathematical calculations for your rocket design in a matter of seconds.
All in all, a great reference that any model rocket enthusiast will want to cherish forever. I also find that this book is great in terms of further inspiring young rocketeers, like myself, to persue a career in the field of rocketry and aerospace. It sure has for me!
Thankyou Mr. Stine!
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This superb work by two noted historians tells the entire tale of the Revolution, interpersed with myriad first hand accounts from those who marched and fought the breadth of a continent and defeated the greatest military power in the world at the time, albeit 'with a little help from out friends.'
I have found this volume extremely helpful in doing my own historical research, and have recommended it many times to my students. It is clear and concise, informative, and is an excellent read. It is one of the best books in print on the American Revolution, and is easily also one of the most accurate representations of the period that has ever been written. Accurate, compelling, with a definite epic story to tell, it is invaluable for all students of the period and will stand the test of time, as it already has.
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Unintentionally, Flashman gets involved in two battles and crosses a large stretch of the Asian continent in between. Especially, after the current doubt regarding the justification of the war on Iraq, Fraser's analysis of the political process preceding the Crimean war shows you that times and situations may change, but that Nietzsche's "eternal return of the same" still is history's greatest lesson. Undoubtedly due to Fraser's personal battle experience, his description of both battle scenes puts the reader in the middle of the action in a way few movies have been able to match.
To someone uninitiated to the history of the Asian continent during the 19th century it was really interesting to read to what extent current political skirmishes find their origin in British and Russian colonialism. Especially the final part of the book teaches some important lessons of how deeply rooted the idea of Jihad is in parts of central Asia.
Other reviewers have commented that the portrayal of Flashman as "the toad that shagged me" may help sell the book, but detracts from the excellent history writing. I beg to differ. By keeping his "hero" a flawed but very likable survivor and having him participate in and comment upon the British colonial wars, Fraser really turns history into a first person experience. Since I think it is unlikely to be included in any military history of post-second-world-war Europe, I may add that the largest brothel I ever saw in my life was in Wiesbaden, Germany, right next door to a major American military base. Thus, these "distracting" aspects of Flashman's personal life may also be dead on. Moreover, following the Flashman character chronologically, Fraser gives this larger than life character his own brand of character development into a fully three-dimensional person.
In all, another solid 5-star read, too bad there are only four more volumes left, but who knows, Fraser may still serve us with an encore
Another reviewer hits on the only problem in this book: the number of locales strains against the bonds of credulity. Flashman, dispatched to fight in the Crimean War, is basically involved in an entirely different story by the end of the book. I really would've liked to see a little more of the Charge of the Light Brigade and less of Russia.
But Fraser does such a great job of painting these historical scenes and Flashy is just so entertaining, that I can't give this book any less than 4 1/2 stars. Since Amazon doesn't offer that feature, there's really no problem in rounding up to 5.
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She was born into a wealthy old family that had a history of instability. Her father, also breathtakingly beautiful, had crushing psychological problems. Two of her brothers committed suicide. Her mother was ineffectual with her large brood. She was raised on an isolated ranch with her seven siblings with almost no contact with the outside world. When she hit Cambridge at 18, she was pathetically ill equipped to be in the larger world.
I couldn't agree more that she found herself in the midst of horribly decadent people. Andy Warhol gets a particularly bad rap in this book, but to me, he was no better nor worse than his hangers-on, just a shade more self-absorbed. What really saddened me was that I don't think it really mattered who Edie took up with. She was destined to spin out of control. She had no focus, no inner strength, and was dangerously self-centered and delusionary.
"Edie" is compelling reading whether or not you have experienced the '60's. It is good to keep in mind that Edie herself and the contributors to the book all were a part of a very small stratum that whistled through this confusing decade. They were no more representative of the rank and file than Emmerin is representative of this decade.
Such a lovely child, such a terrible waste.
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Pollock's narrative of Lucas's life begins with George's childhood, then proceeds into his rebellious teen years--which was the inspiration for American Graffiti--then straight onto Lucas' student filmmaker years and finally to his highly successful movie career. The latter of which is when Star Wars and its sequels were produced and established Lucas as one of the most influential filmmakers in the history of the medium.
The book offers a balanced, journalistic account of Lucas' life, with very little opinion injected into the book. Some places Pollock seems to praise Lucas too much, but it's nothing too extreme.
The only real problem is that the book was written during the production of Return of the Jedi, when Skywalker Ranch wasn't finished, George was still married to first wife Marcia, and before the flops Willow and Howard the Duck. I read the revised edition which has an intro mentioning these things, but the book's main narrative is about what's happened to Lucas up to 1983.
I'd recommend this book to any fan of Star Wars, and anyone else curious about Lucas himself.
The book is peppered with many quotes from Lucas himself as well as Spielberg, Coppola, Milius and others which lends it a feeling of legitimacy which I believe is probably lacking from other, less sympathetic biographies. Lucas himself is quite forthcoming about his feelings on his own work and what he sees as his limitations as a director. His comments on Hollywood were amusing if understandably bitter, especially for someone who has worked there in the past.
If one omits his earliest film shorts such as the student version of THX 1138 and the documentary Filmmaker, Lucas has only directed three films in his career, THX 1138, American Grafitti and Star Wars. His function since that last mega-smash has primarily been as producer and head of the state-of-the-art Skywalker Ranch production facilities up in scenic Northern California. He has also helped finance a number of less "mainstream" works such as Kurosawa's Kagemusha. It's unfortunately probably true that Lucas has never been taken seriously by many critics ever since Star Wars because that film was so consciously intended as a "kids movie". Despite the fact that it was embraced by popular culture around the world due to its quality and mythic resonance it does tend to overwhelm his early, more adult-oriented films. Lucas himself is quite skeptical of some of the intellectual critical analysis that has been produced on what was intended to be an innocent hommage to 30's style action movie serials and not a "think piece". It's also surprising that so many people continue to consider the Star Wars films science-fiction when they really fall much more into the fantasy genre despite all the high-tech trappings.
Of course this book includes reams of trivia on the films, from the origin of all of the characters names in Star Wars to the details behind preview screenings and loads of very funny anecdotes that could only have been provided by an industry as crazy and high-stakes as Hollywood. Mostly however this is the story of a man from modest origins who managed to beat Hollywood at it's own game and achieve financial independence from "the system" through a combination of very savvy business choices, luck and a personal vision that happened to coincide with what a large number of the paying public wanted to see on screen.
This review refers to the original 1983 hardcover release of this book.
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