Hello,
My name is Scott Neely and I liked the spot illustrations that I drew for this book. It has an X-Files feel to it and is a great supplement to the role-playing game. Enjoy!
Scott

The Conspiracy X rpg is one of the coolest around, and the Aegis organisation definitely needed a source book of its own. And here it is. It has loads more stuff on Aegis, including some cool new skils 'n professions. The stuff on Aegis rocks, and the advice on operations and tactics has helped my players get further into character. All in all, an invaluable addition to any Con X player's/GM's library.

...this books writting styles are in no match with any other book that i have read pure genious.

This book -- billed as "a portable George Garrett" is just that. It includes samples of his work from many years and shows how he can master almost any form. The stories of his family and of his academic career are especially engaging. But the volume contains one section from his magnificent stories of the Tudor period. This is a book by an author who has not received his due of acclaim.

As a novice gardener, I have found many instructional books to be overwhelming; their scope is often too wide for my purposes. The Garden Project Workbook Series, however, provides clear instructions for a variety of creative yet practical designs.

With help from "Beds and Borders" I was able to implement my own design for a small border in my tiny front yard, a step that I would not have been able to accomplish on my own.

All of the books in this series are topical and very worthwhile. I highly recommend them.

This is a good book for the beginning gardner in need of ideas for planting a garden. It illustrates 21 planting schemes and provides brief how-to-do guidelines. Generally included in the instructions are: the latin name of all plants needed and he number of plants needed; special tools and equipment when indicated; designing, spacing, and planting the bed; care and maintenance as well as alternative planting schemes.

Richard Platt has written books on a number of subjects as varied as photography, ornithology and smuggling. In this exciting collection of adventure stories, he dramatically recounts the true-life exploits of outstandingly brave individuals who pushed themselves to the limits of endurance.

There are three sections:

Discovery, Conquest and Loot
Dangerous Times in Wild Lands
To the Ends of the Earth and Beyond

Many of the stories are about the restless urge to wander, while others focus on desires to be famous or rich. For some adventurers, the hunger for excitement for life itself is what spurs them on to new territories and challenges.

"In 1963, scientists dug up 1,000-year-old Viking objects in Newfoundland, Canada.This suggests that Vikings-perhaps even "Lucky" Leif Eriksson-really did visit America five centuries before Christopher Columbus." -pg. 7

Adventurers include: Hannibal, Leif Eriksson, Marco Polo, Ibn Battuta, Christopher Columbus, Vasco da Gama, Hernan Cortes, Benvenuto Cellini, Miguel de Cerbantes, Moll Cutpurse, Claude Duval, Alexander Selkirk, Blackbeard, James Cook, Alexander von Humboldt, Lewis and Clark, Davy Crockett, Rene Caillie, Lakshmi Bai, Burke and Wills, Ned Kelly, Mary Kingsley, Amundsen and Scott, Manfred von Richthofen, Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart, Thor Heyerdahl, Hillary and Tenzing, Yuri Gagarin and Armstrong and Aldrin.

Some of the most interesting stories:

Voyage around the Cape - where it is said Vasco da Gama threw the charts and navigational instruments into the sea and declared he did not need a navigator because God alone was the master and pilot. Days later, they rounded the Cape and turned northward, up Africa's east coast. Having stood at the top of Table Mountain and almost drowned in the ocean in Cape Town, I can say his adventure must have been truly harrowing. The ocean there is wild! After that vacation, we decided to head to safer waters.

The Real Robinson Crusoe - "I am cast upon a horrible desolate island, void of all hope of recovery." -Robinson Crusoe He scanned the horizon for ships until he finally saw the mastheads of two British sailing ships. To his horror, the ship disappeared into the darkness, but he was finally rescued days later.

An African Adventure - Where Mary feels sorry for a leopard and tries to release it. Once the leopard was freed it moved close to her and for a moment she was terrified. After commanding the leopard to go home, it obediently turned and slunk away. A hunter hiding in a tree thought she must be a goddess to command obedience from such a dangerous animal.

The illustrations bring the adventures to life. Each story is filled with gripping accounts of danger, dramatic full-color illustrations and color photographs of people, places and objects that put the stories in historical context.

The Illustrated Book of Great Adventures by George Sharp features a full-color jacket with drawings, paintings and photographs of great adventures. Inside it presents the activities and accomplishments of great adventurers throughout history, including the Viking explorer, Leif Erikson, and astronaut Neil Armstrong. It is very interesting with lots of full-color realistic drawings and paintings on every page to satisfy the most hungry young adventurer. A great picture book!

This is a fabulous book for children interested in animals. It is very detailed and has beautiful photos. Our young child refers to it as "The Great Big Book of Everything," as in the Disney Channel's "Stanley" cartoon. It really does seem to have everything inside.

At first I was hesitant to order this book, with no picture of the cover on Amazon and no review to judge the book I took a chance and I am very glad I did. I bought this book as a bargain book, price-wise and content-wise I couldn't have made a better choice. I am very impressed and for me it has turned out to be a great buy since my kids love learning about animals.
This book is HUGE and heavy ,almost ten pounds! It concentrates on the four major groups: Mammals,birds,reptiles and amphibians. In-depth and comprehensive text with superb photographs and illustrations. Very good research material.

This book, compiled by one of the greatest lieder performers of our time, is an extensive anthology of lieder texts from mid-18th century (Haydn, Gluck) to the first half of the 20th (Shoeck, Hindemith), with the vast majority placed in the heart of Fisher-Dieskau expertise - the romantic lieder: over 150 of Schubert's songs, most of Schumann's, and then Loewe, Cornelius, Brahms and many more. Important cycles by Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Wolff, Mahler etc. are given in their entirety. The translation, even though it does not preserve the rhyme, does preserve the line structure and serves its purpose to the fullest. English texts (W. Scott, W. Shakespeare etc.) used by composers in their German translation, are "back-translated" to English, rather than presented in their original form. The texts are alphabetically organised, and in addition to the poet's (or translator's) name, the names of (in most cases) all composers who wrote music to the text are given. There are 3 useful indices - one by author, one by composer and one general index. In the interesting introduction to the book, Fischer-Dieskau briefly sketches the history of the artistic song from his own very interesting point of view. And here one has to realise that this is indeed a personal anthology made by a great performer of the German Lied. Most of the texts, with very few exceptions, are originally in German, or used by the composers in their German translation. If the text is not in German, as in the case of Carpani's "In Questa Tomba Oscura", it is there since it is set to music by Beethoven, or Tchaikowski's setting for the Scottish ballad "Edward" is in the book probably just because he used the German translation... This book can not replace much needed books that are not available, such as the entire corpus of Schubert's song texts, in the way that Norton's anthology of English literature can not replace the complete writings of the authors that appear in the collection. The texts are not annotated, something that would be welcome in a more reference-type book. However, for whoever is interested in the German lied, this is an essential and extensive anthology, accompanied by very good translations and very well organised. PS - now someone should come up with a French equivalent...

offers english (poetic not literal) translations of many german lieder texts neglected in other resources such as "word by word translations of songs and arias." indespensible resource for singers, pianists, and others interested in lieder who do not speak german. includes the greater portion of texts set by Schubert, Wolf, Schumann, etc. also includes texts set by more modern or obscure composers, e.g. Peter Cornelius, Clara Schumann, etc. a book that needed to be written.

For more than 20 years, I relied on Schickel for guidance when determining which films to see; also, for gaining a better understanding of the films I had seen. In this volume, he provides interviews with eight great directors: Hitchcock, Capra, Minimill, Cukor, Hawks, Wellman, Vidor, and Walsh. In recent weeks, I have also read Robert J. Emery's two The Directors (Take One and Take Two) and Bogdanovich's Who the Devil Made It which also offer interviews and conversations with various great directors. Don't worry about duplications; that is, what Cukor, Hawks, Hitchcock, Walsh, and Wellman have to say. Bogdanovich, Emery, and Schickel have different questions to ask, different nuances of film making to explore, and approach the directors from quite different perspectives. The responses they obtain from the same directors differ. For that reason, I strongly urge fellow film buffs to purchase all of these volumes. The order in which they are read is unimportant.

What differentiates Schickel from Bogdanovich and Emery is the fact that, for many years, he wrote film reviews for Time magazine and thus had an immense audience with which to share his opinions about more than a thousand films. Also, he is the author of more than 20 books about film making which include biographies of Marlon Brando, Cary Brando, and James Cagney. Over the years, he has earned and richly deserves his reputation as one of the most thoughtful and knowledgeable of film authorities. In this volume, he interacts with eight of the greatest film directors. At no time does he seem intimidated by them nor does he ever disrupt the flow of information exchanged with self-serving observations. He guides each director into subject areas which are probably of great interest to most film buffs but he also allows each director to ramble, digress, etc. when reminiscing or when sharing specific opinions about films and actors with whom they were associated. Sure, there is some delicious gossip. And yes, some insights not otherwise available. However, for the most part, Schickel sets up various subjects and then allows each director (many of them a personal friend) to proceed wherever he may wish, at whatever pace he may prefer. His brilliant orchestration of responses ensures their scope and depth. That is to say, he did not merely turn on the recorder and then let each of the eight take it from there. On his reader's behalf, Schickel remains actively involved, indeed engaged in the exchange of information but at no time is intrusive. Within its genre, this is indeed a "classic."

This film critic's survey of eight of Hollywood's finest directors and their works uses the interview process to explore the work of American filmmakers over the last decades. Hitchcock, Capra, Cuckor and others share their achievements in a revealing set of interviews covering special challenges and observations.

I just received this book, and have skimmed to locate items in my particular field of interest -- I am a military historian for fun and (very little) profit.

As I peruse favorite topics, I find it quite impressive. It's pretty comprehensive considering it has to include some trendy topics such as gender and war, as well as more traditional subjects such as battles, campaigns & leaders. There are a number of surprisingly complete and helpful articles on more obscure battles (most run about 300-600 words) and good overviews on campaigns and wars. The length of each essay, or blurb seems appopriate to the complexity or importance of the particular topic.

Comparisons with other compendia are appropriate. Brassey's published a two-volume encyclopedia of military knowledge in the mid-90s, each containing about 1200 pages, the first covering biography and history, the second military theory, concepts and weapons systems. The Trevor Dupuy "Encyclopedia of Military History", whose fourth edition appeared in 1993, is set up in a chronological and geographical scheme and runs over 1600 pages. At 1048 pages the Oxford Companion embraces the themes contained in all those volumes plus sociological matters, literature, journalism, humor, and pop cultural topics.

An impressive group of contributors, all prominent in their specialties, provide ample information both for the novice and the professional wishing to jog his or her memory. Sidebar treatments (some running several pages) on Artillery, armored warfare, airpower, seapower,uniforms, rank and insignia, signals, etc. are very handy reviews of these topics.

I have a few quibbles with the suggestions for further reading. Perhaps some out of print classics focusing narrowly on their subject might have been more appropriate than the suggested recent books that covered the person, battle or campaign as a minor part of a general history; but this is a very minor drawback.

Thhis is a very handy reference indeed, and most importantly, a pleasure to browse.

As a writer, I am often interested in selecting a military example for a point I am making about business. Invariably, I have a hard time locating the facts to see if the examples I have in mind work for my purposes. Weeks of fruitless research have often followed from wanting a fairly minor example. Then, in editing, much rewriting occurs because the details were slightly off in the draft. With the Oxford Companion to Military History, those problems are now all behind me.

I began my investigation of the book by checking out every military history question I could ever remember having had for my writing. Sure enough, this volume contained enough information to have answered each and every one of my questions more than adquately. That was very impressive to me, and it made me decide to add this volume to my reference library. One of the many nice features of this book is that each listing also refers to the best full-length works on that subject, for those who want to get a lot of detail.

The book has more than 1300 entries, written by more than 150 specialists in these military subjects. The subjects are elaborated on by more than 70 detailed maps and 15 pages of diagrams. Each entry is in alphabetical order, with cross-references to more general and more specific topics.

The book focuses on land warfare, so air and naval warfare are in the book primarily to round out the picture on land. So you will find Billy Mitchell, but not the air raids on Ploesti during World War II.

As the editor points out, "There are dictionaries of battles, of military leaders, and even of military history. This is none of those things, although, in its way, it subsumes them all." The purpose is to provide "dependable information and thoughtful assessment for intelligent readers of many kinds . . . ." The book is also designed to be a "reliable and quick reference for scholars . . . ." The limit is that "no companion can claim to be comprehensive."

The subjects include battles, individuals, campaigns, wars, military concepts, weapons, uniforms, equipment, and wider issues (like the military in politics, gender in war, and casualties). I was impressed with the fineness of the detail for many fairly obscure references. Anyone but a military historian would rapidly add new knowledge from just scanning the listings.

Here are some sample listings I found while searching for answers to my old questions: Gulf War, battle of Thermopylae, Alexander the Great, essay on Strategy, Clausewitz, battle of Shiloh, battle of Stalingrad (with maps), Mau Mau uprising, Hundred Years War, siege of the Alamo, and diagrams of how to construct nuclear devices.

After you have a chance to become familiar with this important reference work, I suggest that you think about questions that we should ask about what humanity has learned from warfare. What lessons can be drawn from military examples?

Turn the history of swords into visions of better plowshares!

Without a doubt this author clearly and simply states techniques invaluable to anyone pursuing the path of energy work. My studies involve Reiki/Shamballa and laying of hands. What I've been slowly learning from session to session this woman had already discovered 26 years ago. This book belongs under your pillow! :)

This is a terrific book and a gold mine of info for anyone wanting to know more about Energy, especially how to experience it. I am a professional masseuse and this is a must-have book for all healers!

THE SOUTHERN TRADITION AT BAY was Weaver's doctoral dissertation but did not see publication until after his early death in 1963. Not a few critics regard it as his best book, surpassing even his classic and influential IDEAS HAVE CONSEQUENCES.

Here Weaver surveys the literature of the South from the postbellum era and shows how a variety of writers, from soldiers,journalists, and lady diarists to poets, novelists, and scholars, regarded the traditions of civility, gentility, piety, natural order and individualistic self-sufficiency the South so valiantly defended in the War Between the States. Weaver, though he expresses a discernible point of view in this matter, does not let partisanship hamper his responsibilties as an honest scholar. If he sees some logical fissure in the thinking of one of his featured writers, he notes such unflinchingly. He also permits the voices of dissent from the prevailing orthodoxy in his study, most notably those of Walter Hines Page, George Washington Cable, and Henry Grady, among others, who would, to one extent or another, qualify as Southern liberals. Yet Weaver concludes that even these apostates found much to commend and preserve in the Southern tradition and thus did not denounce it totally.

This is a fascinating study, eminently and surprisingly readable, exhaustive but never exhausting, and well worth the time and attention of anyone truly and seriously interested in the "mind of the South."

Richard Weaver was one of the best philosopher/writers of this century. This book is far-reaching in scope and theme starting with his first section, The Heritage, which encompasses - The Feudal System, the Code of Chivalry, the Education of the Gentleman and the Older Religiousness - to describe how the world view of the old South came to be.

He illuminates the Southern literary renaissance better than any of the poor attempts I've read by others.

Using a vast amount of material, published and unpublished, he presents in a very well organized fashion the South's own portrait of itself, as accurately as it has ever been presented.