I was expecting to be disappointed with these stories since I knew I would be comparing them to the Sherlock Holmes stories. But I enjoyed them as much as I enjoyed the Holmes stories and when I had finished the book I found myself wishing that Doyle had written more stories about the Brigadier Gerard. Gerard is a very different character than Holmes but the characterization is just as brilliant. I highly recommend this book.

Brigadier Gerard is everything that a Briton of Conan Doyle's time thought was an exemplar of the Napoleonic officer - and to a certain extent a charicature of the French themselves. Hopelessly and ridiculously brave, completely lacking in appreciation of the fine British virtues of sportsmanship, a devotion to L'Empereur, rather dim, obsessed with his honor and the honor of La France, and yet rather admirable too in his prickly way.

In this fine book the Brigadier regales us with stories of his youth, when most of Europe was part of the French Empire and opportunities abounded for young men who looked good in cavalry uniform. Gerard tells the story with no irony, but the reader laughs a good deal at the absurdities of the hero. When attempting to shoot the ash off a cigar he destroys the whole cigar instead to the dismay of its smoker who is smoking it at the time. Clearly, Gerard maintains, the pistol is at fault. On a few occasions he succeeds when all expect him to fail and as a result his success is actually a failure. The stories encompass many of the great events of the Napoleonic wars: the horrors of partisan fighting in Spain, the invasion of Russia, war in the German states and Prussia, even capture by the British. Always the stories are superbly told with a very fine eye for realistic detail and they are often quite gripping. Again this is one of those books I am amazed has never been made into a film or a TV series.

George MacDonald Fraser has taken a good deal of the Gerard style for his Flashman series, although of course the two characters are poles apart in morality.

I recommend this book to all lovers of history novels and also to anyone who just likes to read superb stories in the grand old manner, where manly men are engaged in "honest" combat, and where evil enemies, treacherous peasants, and duplicitous politicos usually meet their doom under Gerard's cavalry saber.

For those who only know Conan Doyle via his Sherlock Holmes tales, his second most popular fictional creation may come as quite a revelation. With the eighteen "Brigadier Gerard" tales collected here, he created an affectionately mocking portrait of a swashbuckling French cavalry officer of the Napoleonic era. Gerard is a wonderful comic character, in his own not so humble opinion the foremost rider and swordsmen in all the Grand Armeé, he's also a favorite of the ladies, a stickler on points of honor, first volunteer for hazardous missions-and unbeknownst to him, marvelously thickheaded.

His "exploits and adventures" are presented as reminisces by the old grizzled officer, long into his dotage. Since he doesn't tell these in chronological order, this can be momentarily disconcerting, but only momentarily. Each episode runs approximately 20 to 30 pages and generally concerns some individual adventure he's assigned to or stumbles into. These are uniformly entertaining old-fashioned adventures in which Gerard sometimes triumphs, sometimes fails, but always upholds the honor and glory of the Emperor. He makes an interesting counterpart to Bernard Cornwell's gritty and equally heroic fictional British veteran of the Napoleonic wars, Richard Sharpe.

This new edition is to be commended, but it could have been further improved with the addition of a few maps, a general chronology of the Napoleonic era, and a glossary of the frequently used military terms of the era. Still, these are quibbles, and anyone with more than a passing familiarity with Napoleonic history will have no problems enjoying Gerard's tales.

When I saw this well-priced Book which was originally published in two volumes, at higher cost with a slip cover, I had to have it. I am a collector of Dali Books and was hoping that this Book would be the Catalogue Raisonne of Dali's paintings I had been looking for for so long. In this respect the Book was no disappointment with a total of 1,648 illustrations, but a closer look at the book revealed some serious faults.

The worst fault by far is that the printing of the paintings is consistently too dark. Three examples: The blue colors of: "Myself at the age of Ten when I was a Grasshopper Child" (p.202) are much too dark. It is even worse with: "Ghost of Vermeer of Delft which can also be used as a Table" (p.222) Here the figure of Vermeer is in points indistinguishable from the backround and the sky is much too orange, instead of yellowish. The worst example is that of "The Last Supper" (p.488) where the apostles on the extreme left and right of the painting can barely be distinguished. There are many other examples of this. I made this comparison using several other books and exhibition catalogues, and have also seen the three paintings I mentioned as examples in person more than once.

A close examination also reveals that both paper and binding are not of high quality. I have a feeling this book will not stand the test of time. One way to tell a good Art Books when the paper is a higher weight. Judging from the paper, I have a feeling it will yellow in a few years. This is, incidentally, true for other Books that I own published by Taschen. Also, a book this heavy should really have a stronger binding.

Annoying also is that there is no alphabetic index of the paintings. Unless you know the year a painting was created, as they are in chronological order, there is no way to find it except by paging around.

Despite these complaints, I still like the Book because it includes paintings I have never seen before. If however, you want to see the paintings of Dali as they really look, get "Dali: The Work, the Man" instead. It suffers from none of the faults I have descibed, but is not as comprehensive. It's worth the extra money. In collecting Art Books I have found that higher quality Books stand the test of time.

Being the owner of many books based on the works of Salvador Dali, which includes "Dali The Work, The Man", I admit to being somewhat skeptical about yet another "complete" edition; that it would probably have pretty much the same information and reproductions of his art as my other books. I now admit to being incorrect, because this is a well made edition with a truly fantastic bargain price. I have paid well over a hundred dollars for what I'd hoped was a book containing all of Dali's paintings with detailed biographical information, when I found that this is the book with all of that for around ($).
You will not be disappointed with this book and I think you'll agree that the quality is excellent, with a solid binding and beautiful reproductions of all of his paintings in chronological order. There are also a great deal of photographs (and paintings) that I've never seen before, and I thought I was a huge fan of Salvador Dali.
"Dali, The Work The Man" is also a very well-made book, which may be printed on a slightly heavier grade paper, at the most. However, the Taschen book is far more detailed and also excellent quality. "Dali, The Work The Man" costs ten times as much and only has half the content.
I truly thought there must have been some mistake when I ordered it.I still question the price as being far too low, so I advise you to hurry up and get this before the publisher realizes their huge mistake. Perhaps we are dealing with a publisher who really isn't greedy at all--that's my impression here.
I couldn't be happier with my purchase of this book and highly recommend it.

This book is awesome! Dali is no doubt one of the greatest artists of the 20th century! Smoked some bud too no doubt!! hehe

This is alot better than the tv show!! Red is alot smarter than Ash!!!!I just wish they had the new pkmn in it.....

This is the first one that I have read. It's really, really great. Instead of the usual Ash, Gary, Misty and Brock from the anime this book gives a whole new twist. The the hero being Red and his rival being Blue. In my opinion it's a whole lot than the anime. This manga is more non-childish and give the Pokemon world a whole new twist. Instead of like the anime where Ash gets a Pikachu, Red starts with a Poliwag which is actually a Poliwhirl. Red is more mature and so is Blue. The rivalry is actually intense. Blue actually has something to prove and his ego isn't that bad. The artwork is pretty good and so is the storyline. Instead of the slow moving pace in the anime, this book has a more quickened pace making you want more. All and all this is great. I would recommand everyone to buy it.

This comic book has many engaging adventures, some of which any kid can relate to--like having money problems! The pictures are drawn with skill and appealing style, while they don't look too much like the orginal Ash and Pikachu. In fact, if you're getting tired of them, you'll enjoy this book! The characters and plot are mainly from the Red Pokemon Gameboy game, so if you enjoyed playing that, you really should read this graphic novel!

. . . to really achieve its full potential, this play needs to be acted out on stage. Still, highly excellent, involving twins, cross-dressing, love tangles, sword-fighting, secret marriages, music, disguises, mistaken identities, high speech, and lowbrow humour.

The entire play takes place in Illyria. In the main plot, Orsino is in love with Olivia, who unfortunately does not return his feelings. Viola is shipwrecked on the Illyrian coast, and dressed as a boy, comes to serve in Orsino's court, where she of course falls in love with Orsino. Meanwhile, in Olivia's court, some of her courtiers plan a cruel--but funny--practical joke against her pompous steward Malvolio. There is also a third plot later on involving Viola's twin brother Sebastian, who has been shipwrecked likewise. Naturally things get quite confusing, but, true to Shakespeare's comedic style, everything gets worked out in the end.

This is an enjoyable book to read, and the notes are very helpful. However, it is still better as a performance.

"Twelfth Night" is one of the famous romantic comedy written by William Shakespeare. Many critics said, "Twelfth Night" is the masterpiece among his comedy because his fully developed style and insight are in the "Twelfth Night", so it has special value and attractiveness.
There are four main characters in "Twelfth Night" ; Duke Orsino, Olivia, Viola, and
Sebastian. Duke Orsino who lives in Illyria loves Olivia, so every day he send one of
his servant to Olivia's house for proposal of marriage. However, every time Olivia
refuses his proposal for the reason that she lost her brother before long, so she is now
in big sorrow and can not love anyone. One day, Viola comes into Illyria. She and her
twin brother Sebastian are separated in a shipwreck and they are rescued by two
different people in two different place, so they think the other one is dead each other.
Viola disguise as a man and become a servant of Duke Orsino, and then she fall in
love with Duke Orsino. But, Duke Orsino loves Olivia and he send Viola whose new
name as a man is "Cesario" to Olivia for proposal. Unexpectedly, Olivia fall in love with
Cesario!! Therefore, love triangle is formed. In the latter scene, Sebastian also come into
Illyria, so the confusion getting worse. However, in the end, all misunderstandings are
solved and Cesario become Viola, so the four main characters find their love.
There are also four supporting characters in "Twelfth Night" ; Clown, Sir Toby Belch,
Malvolio, and Sir Andrew Aguecheek. They make the readers laugh through their funny
behaviors and comments in subplot.
"Twelfth Night" is very funny story and enjoyable book, so I recommend you.

I didn't read this particular version of Twelfth Night, so I'm rating the plot, not the editing. This book was the first play by Shakespeare that I read, and I loved it! It starts when Viola and her brother, Sebastian, are seperated in a shipwreck. Viola decides to disguise herself as a boy and work for Orsino, the duke. Orsino sends Viola to tell Olivia that he loves her. Viola does what he says, but she wishes she didn't have to, because she has fallen in love with Orsino! Then Olivia falls in love with Viola, thinking that she is a boy. While all this is going on, Andrew Aguecheek is wooing Olivia, who scorns him. Also, Maria, the maid, Sir Toby Belch, Olivia's uncle, and another servant write a letter and put it where Malvolio, a servant, will see it. The letter says that Olivia is in love with Malvolio. Malvolio immediately starts trying to woo Olivia. Maria and Sir Toby pretend to think that he's mad, and lock him up. Meanwhile, Sebastian comes to town with Antonio, the man who saved him from the shipwreck. Antonio gives him his purse and says that he must stay away from the city because he fought against the duke in a war. A few minutes later, Antonio realizes that he needs money for lodgings and goes to find Sebastian. In the city, Viola is being forced to fight Andrew Aguecheek for the right to marry Olivia. Antonio sees the fight and hurries to intervene. Orsino recognizes him and has him arrested. Antonio asks Viola for his purse so that he can pay bail, thinking that she is Sebastian. Viola denies having had a purse. Then Sebastian comes up. Olivia had found him and married him on the spot, and he, deliriously happy, had gone away to give Antonio his purse. On the way, he met Sir Toby and Andrew Aguecheek. When they try to force him to fight, he punches them and goes on. They come up too, bitterly accusing Viola. (No one has seen Sebastian yet.) Then Olivia comes up and speaks to Viola, who denies being her wife. Orsino becomes angry with her, thinking that she has married Olivia, and accuses her of treachery. Just as things are looking bad for Viola, Sebastian reveals himself. Then everyone is happy (since Orsino falls in love with Viola on the spot) except Andrew Aguecheek and Malvolio, who is later set free. The plot of this book is a little hard to understand, but it is halariously funny and makes for happy reading.

Dr. sandra Grabowski (the author of the book) is my anatomy teacher at Purdue University. Although the book does have some excellent graphics and visual enhancements in all of the crucial areas of anatomy, the actual explanation of the material is rather weak and ambiguous. There isn't much clinical or experimental information, aside from simple definitions of disorders. I believe that the book would be better served by more elaborate explanations of key concepts in the text as opposed to filling the book cover to cover with pretty pictures. In my opinion, this makes the book ineligible to be a trusty reference. The blanks need to be filled in by the authors, and this would be an excellent improvement for the ninth edition.

This is the finest of all available books on Anatomy and physiology. The text is clear and easy to understand. The pictures easy on the eye and help to simplify the complex subjects covered. Scattered throughout the book are 'clinical correlates' which relate chapter information to 'real life' medical problems. These correlates help to integrate the information presented. The book contains clear histology slides and occasional pictures of cadaver dissections. The treatment of subjects is thorough including, for example, dysrhythmias in the chapter on cardiac anatomy and physiology. Accompanying the book is an atlas of the skeleton. Bright colors are used in all of the pictures and flow charts. The table of contents is thorough, clearly dividing up each chapter. I would Reccomend Tortora and Grabowski's A&P textbook for a two semester course in anatomy and physiology.

This is a review of the 8th edition

In response to the last review, any text book titled "Principles of Anatomy & Physiology" was never meant to be exhaustive. This textbook merely endeavors to skim the surface and provide a basic understanding of a very broad discipline. (Read the Preface). No book can plumb the depths of every human physiological system AND its clinical applications in 1000 pages. (But if one exists, I'd sure like to know about it!) In terms of presenting the introductory information I think the authors have done a great job. I admire the excellent design layout and the numerous visuals. I don't think there can be too many visuals in a book that attempts to introduce complex concepts to those who would be unfamiliar with them. And as a reference book, these make it pretty easy to locate information.

This book about Kevin and Sadie could be about some of my friends!One of the best books I`ve ever read. The story captures you in it`s own way, and describes how life in Northern Ireland goes, and how it is to grow up in the rough streets of Belfast. Go, Joan!!!!!

what are you on about? This book is brilliant. And why didn't you admit your country? I think everyone with any interest in Ireland should read this book.

I think "Across the barricades" is a very good and exiting book about two young people with big problems. Sometimes you can't imagine that only the religion could be such a big problem. You also won't believe, that there are people who don't like this friendship and that they use weapons against it. It's not only a story - it's true and that's very sad. And it is fantastic that they have the power to go through it. I also like that there are people who have no problems with this relationship and that they help them in these hard times. It's a pitty that this friendly people have to die ... only because one person doesn't like a friendship between a Catholic and a Protestant. But finaly it's a happy ending but you don't know if they will have the chance to live a better life in an other city. I'm glad that my english-teacher had offered me the chance to read this wonderful book in his very interesting english-lessons.

I would give this book a ten (10) rating were it not for the fact that it is not a pretty book to look at in the closed position. Face it, the cover is a bland white background with black lettering. But...(and this is a BIG "BUT") the insides of the book are fantastic. It is between the covers that you'll find many useful drum patterns written out in two bar measures. There are standard beats and some great funk and rock patterns that the author seems to have created. I like my ugly little copy of the "Hip-Pocket Guide to Basic Drum Beats" and I bring it along on all my gigs. If you don't own a copy, borrow one or buy one. You'll be glad you did.

The Hip-Pocket Guide to Basic Drum beats fits in my rear hip pocket as advertised. The beats are numerous and cover many different styles. I like it. This guide gets an 8 out of 10 rating from me.ÀV(

My parents pay $20 per drum lesson and I've been taking lessons each week for three years. I've learnt a lot over that time from my teachers and I have no regrets. Last month I used some of my allowance to buy a copy of The Hip-Pocket Guide to Basic Drum Beats and was really pleased when I looked at the beats contained between the two plain looking covers. For the cost of about half of a single drum lesson I had an instant collection of drum beats which are organized and presented in a handy little guide. I wish I came across this little book earlier. My advise to drummers: Get a copy...it's worth it.

SELLING 'EM BY THE SACK can be perceived and read for any one or more of several reasons. As an informal textbook on business management, or maybe marketing. As a social commentary on the rise of fast food, or possibly what defines America to the rest of the world. Or, as just a history of the hamburger from a culinary standpoint.

The author, David Hogan, effectively makes the case that White Castle and its founders, Billy Ingram and Walt Anderson (especially the former), were the originators of the fast food "carryout" concept, and that they established the humble hamburger as the distinctive ethnic cuisine of the USA. The evolutionary history of White Castle from the early part of the 20th century to the present is described, from its founding in Wichita in 1921, through the Depression and two wars (W.W.II and Korea), to the era of the big chains (like McDonald's and Burger King), which, miraculously, have not brought about its demise. Along the way, Billy Ingram and his successors have successfully coped with an endless series of challenges, the first of which was to make the hamburger perceived as a sanitary and healthy food at all. Then came standardization of the product, national expansion, gaining credibility with and acceptance from the middle class, coping with war rationing, the hiring of women, surviving the rise of the superchains, adapting to suburbanization of the cities, defending against rising urban crime, facing increasing government regulations, and answering the health-conscious critics' attacks on the fast food lifestyle.

Today, White Castle survives as a barely medium-sized chain in the north-central and northeast regions of the United States. It has kept alive the guiding principles of its founders, has acquired a fanatical following, and remains profitable at a time when even larger chains, like Burger Chef and White Tower, have since disappeared from the American landscape.

SELLING 'EM BY THE SACK is not a "thriller", offers no high drama, is written with no humor whatsoever, and is actually a little dry. Had it been about a brand of toothpaste or bread, I wouldn't have bothered. But, it's about hamburgers. (Oddly enough, cheeseburgers are never mentioned in any context.) So, I read it, was entertained, and learned a lot.

I've never eaten a White Castle. Where I live, in Southern California, the brand is represented only by its frozen burgers that one can buy in the supermarkets. I've seen them in packages of a dozen. They seem ridiculously small when compared with McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, Jack-In-the-Box, Carl's, or In-'n'-Out. I think I'll buy a "sack".

Before there was the fast food hamburger shops of today, there was White Castle. And before White Castle, the lowely hamburger was not a respected food. Selling 'Em By the Sack describes the history of the hamburger in American culture and why White Castle started in Wichita, KS. Not only a history lesson about White Castle but a social history of American eating habits in the 20th century. So forget about those other hamburger joints and read where it all got started.

This is a great book. It very nicely documents the rise of the hamburger and White Castle in 1920's America. Hogan follows White Castle through the early times, when a man could work there and make enough to support a family, through the depression, the rough war years, and more recent competition with the fast food giants. I'm not sure why he waited until the last two pages to tell readers what makes White Castle special and has enabled it to persist for so long....but this is a minor complaint. Excellent!

This is by far one of the best, most-entertaining books I've read on pregnancy and childbirth. Dr. DiLeo offers an abundance of helpful information, yet does it with great style. I laughed at many points throughout this book, and really felt I was getting my information from a friend -- someone who is very knowledgable about the field of obstetrics yet sensitive to a woman's needs.

To those saying he is all about episiotomies and the like, I disagree. He is very clear about saying he does not do automatic episiotomies, his patients have a right to refuse them if they wish, and that he certainly wouldn't do one if a patient didn't seem like she was going to tear.

Additionally, I saw NOTHING in the book discussing the low-cost of home birth versus caring for a vegetable (as mentioned in another review). DiLeo is honest in saying that when life threatening complications occur, the best situation for mother and child is to be in a hospital. I have a friend who had extremely little to no intervention during birth yet ran into complications so dire she and her daughter would have died without the care of the hospital staff. Maybe this is a rare situation, but I think this is what DiLeo is addressing -- that IF there is a problem, the hospital is the place to be. Hard to argue with that. I'd hate to see somebody not read this wonderful book simply because they disagree on this one point. There is much more to pregnancy than where a woman gives birth.

As a first time expectant mother living far from friends and family, I have had to rely on many a resource book to guide me through the many questions that come to mind during pregnancy. Many books on the market read like stereo instructions. However, I found Dr. Dileo's book simple to understand and an absolute joy to read. What I enjoyed most about this book was the simple fact that not only does Dr. DiLeo provide the reader with the most useful and honest information available, but he presnts the information in a straight foward, often hilarious approach. I highly reccomend this book as a "must read" for both expectant mothers and fathers, as Dr. DiLeo's "Rules for Husbands" provides a hilarious, yet wise guide for the dad to be.

As a husband and first-time prospective father, I'm so sick of books written by women for only women and by men trying to write for women that I was pleasantly surprised to finally read a book by someone who knows what they're talking about and who has written a book for the prospective mother AND father. My wife read it, loved it, and then insisted I do the same. The gender card isn't played as it is in a lot of the other books, but there's just straightforward information. In fact, the only time gender is used to advantage is the great tongue-in-cheek humor that every couple experiences between them. This book is not the bore many others are. And it cuts through all the [poop] and gives a clear understanding of pregnancy and all of its variations, options, and choices--and where they fit in for each individual. Bravo to Dr. Dileo for The Anxious Parent's Guide to Pregnancy. I feel like I'm ready for my Pregnancy 101 final, which, by the way, is in 4 1/2 months.

I have read a lot of bodybuilding books. This book is the most complete and cover very detailed information on bodybuilding. It is more scientific than these arnoid and weider's books. This book includes a lot of different ideas rather than only one person's experience. The content of training and nutrition is excellent and the final chapter of 'question and answer' impresses me. It provides reference to overcome the commonest problem that many bodybuilders encounter.But I disappoint that this book do not describle the content of periodization. Anyway, the book is a essential reference in your library.

After reading many books on Bodybuilding I rank this at the top. I have never read such a complete book,nor such a easy to follow book. I am quit pleased to see how the is broken down into mini books and then chapters. I would recomend this book to any male or female advanced to beginning bodybuilder it has been a great help to me !

The new generation Bodybuilder!!

:Miguel

An easy to follow guide for excellent gains in the gym. This book provides an extensive reference for any beginner looking to improve their muscle mass. If you are new to bodybuilding, I would definitely recommend this book.