Frankly, I didn't have very high expectations for this twelfth installment in the saga of Capt. Jack Aubrey and Dr. Stephen Maturin; turning the Surprise into a privateer seemed to be merely scrambling for a plot twist. But, however (as they say), I was mistaken. O'Brian takes the opportunity to point up the significant social and operational differences between the national and private man-of-war, the superior attitudes of the "real" navy toward those not in blue and gold uniform, and the real advantages sometimes enjoyed by the privately financed operation. And he sensitively explores Jack's deep depression at being separated from the service. Moreover, we all know Jack's estrangement, the result of his engineered conviction on trumped-up charges of rigging the stock market, cannot last. And, indeed, his sobriquet of "Lucky Jack" comes to the fore as his first cruise, intended only as a two-week shakedown exercise in preparation for a surreptitiously government-backed diplomatic and intelligence-gathering expedition to the Pacific coast of South America, quickly turns into a triumphant procession of Franco-American prizes back to Plymouth. There are also several interesting sub-plots, including Stephen's reconciliation with his departed wife, Diana, and his gradual but unintentional weaning from his extreme opium habit via his Irish servant. I'm pleased to recommend this yarn as one of the best in the mid-part of this series. (But if you haven't read the previous four or five, you'll have no idea of what's going on.)

Stephen Maturin once noted that Aristotle's definition of tragedy encompassed not only a great man being brought down but also the redemption and raising up of a man who had been laid low. Fortunes can reverse in many ways, and Aristotle recognized the literary and moral value of each.

In the twelfth of Patrick O'Brian's wonderful series of twenty naval adventures, a combination of luck, adherence to honor, and determination turn Jack Aubrey's fortunes. The HMS Surprise is sold out of the service - to Maturin, whose intelligence activities continue in Britain and promise a voyage to South America. First, though, Aubrey undertakes two voyages as a privateer, under a "letter of marque", which combined with Maturin's unmasking of a spy, restore his reputation. Maturin's private reputation has similarly suffered from false gossip about his doings in Malta (in "Treason's Harbour"), and he must similarly seek redemption in a typically private way. So, Maturin travels to Sweden to reconcile with his wife. This gives occasion for the reappearance of the Blue Peter diamond, and further exploration of Maturin's complicated relationship with Diana.

"The Letter of Marque" closes the book on many of setbacks that Aubrey and Maturin suffered recently, leaving them reunited, restored, and with their decks otherwise cleared for action in succeeding volumes. As always, O'Brian's writing is intelligent, informed, and full of wonderful historical nuance.

The Letter of Marque (the entire series for that matter) goes so far beyond the swashbuckling cliche as to make the comparison irrelevant. O'Brian's ability to evoke a place, an era, an age is to my mind unprecedented. The series is actually so many chapters of one great work that will hook you completey, and leave you in awe of the mind that contained them.

A fascinating and easy to read history of the Penn State Blue Band. There are some truly amazing photographs. I highly recommend this book!

This book really captures the spirit and essence of what is the Penn State Blue Band. I've marched in the band for 3 seasons and have, at times, tried to describe the exhiliration of the pregame show, or the dedication and pride I felt when I donned the uniform. This book does that perfectly. As years pass, and my memories fade of my experiences in The Blue Band, I will have this book to call upon, and help relive some of thos moments.

This compilation of critical essays by Dr. Patrick Smith is the first full-length text to thoroughly examine the scope of Harrison's fiction. Smith's writing is clear and concise and offers itself as an intellectually rich and beautifully written companion to the work of a truly incredible contemporary writer. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates the fiction of Jim Harrison. Thank you Dr. Smith!

If you care at all about Jim Harrison's peerless work and the timeless craft of writing, you will devour the emerging talents of Patrick Smith as he leads you through the rich world of Mr. Harrison's work.
Insightful analysis, thought-provoking attitudes and fresh reasoning pour forth from the new and credible voice of Dr. Smith, who demonstrates complete mastery of his subject matter. I applaud this long-overdue look at one of the great voices in fiction, by a new and worthy writer.
Bravo, Dr. Smith!

Covering all the essentials of who is what, where and what their background, the Who's Who of Southern Africa is a timely new addition to the all-too-small stock of books about the key personalities currently driving news and development (both in politics and in business) across the sub-region today. The book, unlike previous reference-type studies on African current affairs, eschews a straightforward so-and-so did this in such and such a year approach in favour of a look at the characters behind the names. Wittily written, insightful, sharp in judgement, and always keeping a weather eye out for what each person's next step might be, the book covers five key countries: Angola, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Sure to become an invaluable source of information for all doing business with the continent - or for those who are simply curious about Africa today.

This book, like its predecessors (The Almanac of American Politics and the Almanac of British Politics) contains information on every federal riding (district) in Canada, including a wealth of political and demographic data. True political junkies will love it as well serious students of Canadian politics. This isn't a book you read -- you flip it open and dive in

As a classroom teacher, interested in time efficient assessments, I am impressed with this handbook. This form of assessment is especially useful in communicating student growth in a meaningful manner to parents and it provides information which informs my instructional methods. I'm anxiously awaiting the development of a Spelling Profile Scale.

A colleague had this book and we all used it on a regular basis because, as engineers, our job requires us to present everything with data. Therefore, we need to understand the statistics behind the data. This book is very easy to read and understand for those of us that have some statistical background but are not experts. It was a great reference for our group. Now that that colleague has left, we needed to get another copy!!

Patrick J. Smith's analysis of the problems facing the Network Marketing (MLM) industry is insightful. It is really spooky that Philip Kern's book and Smith's book, written 20 years apart, are in many ways so similar. I've been waiting for years for someone to have the courage to reprint Kern's book (it's worth all "5 Stars" just to buy this for this section alone). Some people may be "put off" by the Bible quotes at the end of each chapter, but the core analysis and tools that he gives the reader are more than worth it, especially the "30 Questions" section that arms the novice with the right questions to ask any potential "sponsor." Really, really good. "MLM-ers" will probably hate this book.

This is one book on ancient Israel that actually delivers what its title promises. In "The Early History of God" Mark Smith systematically sifts through archaelogical and literary data from Bronze and Iron Age Palestine, the Mediterranean, and Mesopotamia to find the earliest evidence for YHWH, his cult, and his context. Chapters include discussions of YHWH and El, YHWH and Baal, Asherah and asherahs, cultic practices, such as communication with the dead and child sacrifice, at the sites where YHWH was worshiped, as well as a brief discussion of the beginnings of monotheism during the late monarchy. Refreshingly for me, Smith frames his argument on available evidence, not on wishful thinking, and the result is provocative and stimulating. The long introduction to this new edition covers the debate that has gone on since the book was originally published over ten years ago, and the extensive footnotes are a wealth of information on every side of the discussion. This is the kind of book that helps keep scholarship in good repute. Don't wait to read it!

Este libro es fantastico,fotografías espectaculares, el diseño gráfico es ingenioso, este libro contiene una excelente recopilación de fotos de fashion muy buena (sobre todo las fotos realizadas por Jean-Baptiste Mondino), además se nota que el criterio de selección de fotos es netamente artistico y no comercial como suele suceder con los libros de fotografías cuyo tema central es la moda que no son nada artisticos ni de buen gusto solo lo hacen por vender mas una cierta marca de ropa....Este libro resumen en imagenes gran parte de la apertura visual y el rompimiento de esquemas de la moda.... Imagenes muy bellas y ademas imagenes bien heavy/hardcore de las modelos... si lo consiguen comprenlo... if you find it buy it! it's great... buy it!