Oz-story #6 is the annual anthology of stories, comics and verse generated by L. Frank Baum's legendary "Land of Oz" books. This wonderful, large format collection features contributions by L. Frank Baum, Eloise Jarvis McGraw, Harlan Ellison, Philip Jose Farmer, Ruth Plumly Thompson, Glenn Ingersoll, Eric Shanower and others. Oz-story #6 is profusely and charmingly illustrated by the work of John R. Neil, Eric Shanower, Anna-Maria Cool, Marge, and others. There are comic panels by Walt Spouse, Steve Lieber, Tommy Kovac, Steven Weisman, W.W. Denslow and others. The center piece is perhaps L. Frank Baum's "Annabel", his least known children's novel which was originally published in 1906 and presents a rags-to-riches story of a young boy who finally wins the girl! With its flawless and pains-taking production values, Oz-story #6 is a "must" for all Oz enthusiasts of all ages.

On March 31, 1621, Philip III, third Habsburg ruler of Spain, met a premature death, reportedly clutching in panic at the same crucifix his father and grandfather had held on their deathbeds generations before. His son and heir, the sixteen-year-old Philip IV, succeeded to what is now known collectively as the Spanish Empire - a vast conglomeration of lands and people whose progressive decline as a political entity has long remained a basic assumption amongst twentieth century historians and yet whose cultural vitality has given its period the title of "The Golden Age of Spanish Art." The accession of Philip IV seemed to inaugurate a new era of reform after the previous regime's mindless inactivity and self-interested grandee domination. As the contemporary playwright Tirso de Molina remarked, "New architects acceded with the new king."

This premise serves as the central metaphor in A Palace for a King. Elliott, a historian, and Brown, an art historian, examine both the literal and political architecture of the reign, charting the complicated, often surprising interrelation between art and politics. The palace of the title is the Buen Retiro - an intended recreational center built for Philip IV with astonishing speed during the years 1630-33, left largely in neglect after the 1640's, and finally decimated by French and English troops during the Napoleonic wars. In reconstructing the circumstances surrounding its construction and initial occupation, Brown and Elliott attempt to furnish the reader with a "total" history of the Spanish Habsburg court during its penultimate representative's first twenty years of rule.

The scope of the book is immense. In a prose that is precise and elegant, if at times monotonous, it describes the political and economic issues of the day as well as the relationship between the continuously vacillating king and his powerful minister, the Count-Duke of Olivares, who until 1643 held the true control over Spanish government. It then goes on to analyze the palace of the Buen Retiro itself, exploring the process of palace-building and the symbolism of the palace as a repository of the values of the ruling class. Simultaneously, it looks at Spanish baroque painting, theater, and architecture and their inextricable connection to the court at Madrid, which, itself, was in so many ways like a giant theater. Elliott's inquiry and interpretation of the troubles besetting the institution that was then called the monarquía española and of the role played by Olivares makes for particularly rewarding reading.

The book appears to be extremely well-researched and provides an abundance of evidence from primary sources as varied as confidential memoranda, secret expense accounts and drawings of architectural plans; the endnotes alone constitute twenty of its almost three hundred pages. However, it is its very wealth of references and information that also lies at the core of its greatest weakness. Too often, the text becomes bogged down in statistics, where apparently meaningless figures about who paid whom and whose plot of land was where replace any real insights. The authors seem to become trapped in unneeded details, losing track of the larger picture that they originally intended to convey. As a result, in certain chapters, more attention than necessary is devoted to the actual logistics of building the palace and, consequently, not enough to the palace's political, social, and economic implications.

Still, aside from these slightly irritating flaws, Brown and Elliott's work remains a highly absorptive and very informative look at subject that has thus far remained sadly underrepresented amongst the scientific community. The sheer extent of the information to be found makes this book a valuable resource for anyone interested in the period, while the distressing lack of similar studies makes it absolutely essential for those at all curious about Spain's architectural history. It is, in my mind, a fascinating complement and worthy companion to R.A. Stradling's landmark Philip IV and the Government of Spain.

A must read for anyone curious about the bible or the religious who want to know more!

Please excuse my spelling, it's terrible This book is terrific. I started reading this book and couldn't put it down. It is a fine collection of stories ranging from the great soilbank days when Kansas alone had 4 million birds to the Royal hunts in Europe where an average daily bag mesaures in the thousands, It has stories more like mine where the average hunt ends with tired dogs and few birds. The book through it's many differant authors also explores the ethics associated with hunting. This book is for the bird hunter who's cleaning his gun for the third time this week when hunting season isn;t for 6 months. It's for the guy who can't stop dreaming of how his new pup will do his first time out. It's for the guy who spends more time with his dogs than with his wife. All hunters will enjoy this book, but the true bird hunter won;t be able to put it down.

I loved this book! It was a hilarious approach to a sensitive problem. The perfect book for the upcoming holidays. I bought one for all of my grandchildren and my children! Carl is a character to die for. I recommend for you to try this book out, you'll love it! My new favorite book. This new author, John Paulits ,is truly amazing. I wonder if this will be a new series becuase I'll be the first to place my order!

John is my step dad, and he can write really well. This book he told me, was to prevent lawsuits to engineers. I read some of it and thought it was an excellent read. I think that all engineers should own a copy. I also love, John!

This is a must for all small business owners, the clarity and conciseness of the writing inspirational and motivating. For years my cohort and I hesitated to open a small business, but after reading the advice provided by Birkeland about tax law, we were well prepapared and knowledgeable. Watch out Uncle Sam.

Kukathas and Petit are extremly succesful in this book. Their analysis about Rawls' theory of justice is essential for those who want to understand the theory. The best moment of the book is the final chapter,in which the reader is able to compare Rawls'positions through the years.A must for Law and Philosophy students.

Real Ghosts is the best ghostbook I have ever read! It has stories that are hard not to belive. With pictures and explanations of real taken pictures. I just love this book!

Philip H. Melanson is a professor of political science and a specialist in the study of political violence. This book is an authoritative expose of brazen official manipulation of the legal process used to cover-up the conspiracy to kill RFK. The numerous glaring and unanswered questions in this case, with the simplistic official solution, caused the author to research for additional unexamined evidence. He spent many years investigating the facts, interviewed dozens of witnesses, law enforcement officials and other sources, and analyzed hundreds of LAPD and FBI files released by 1991.

Philip H. Melanson provides evidence that Sirhan did not act alone, and, the official investigation authorities (LAPD, FBI) covered up evidence that suggested conspiracy (p.4). He was the first author to have access to most of the existing LAPD files on the case. He and his team found that the LAPD had altered, suppressed, and destroyed vital evidence in the case (p.6).

The investigation assumed a "lone gunman" immediately. The trial was only concerned with Sirhan's state of mind (pp.24-25). The number of shots fired, the bullets matched to the wrong gun, were all skipped over. The LAPD's conclusions, its methods and its competence were not tested in an adversarial proceeding. The tapes of Sirhan's interrogations were never released to the defense. The profound discrepancies and conflicts in the evidence were suppressed or ignored by the LAPD and were never addressed by the judicial process.

What made this case so hot that the 1997 Congressional Investigation wouldn't touch it? Will the assassination of RFK ever be reinvestigated by a Congressional Committee? We've also learned a lot since 1991 about the LAPD and the FBI: the Trial of OJ Simpson, and the Inspector General's report on the FBI. (Read "Tainting Evidence: Inside the FBI Crime Lab Scandals" by Kelly and Wearnes.)