as a student of conducting i think this is an excellent book describing all their is to know about the craft.

This fascinating little book started life as a newspaper article titled "Uber das Dirigiren" in 1869. Wagner directed it at instrumentalists and vocalists, rather than conductors.

It is a practical record of Wagner's experience as a conductor. Besides being a composer, Wagner was a kapellmeister of considerable experience. During his lifetime, the job of conductor was undergoing tremendous change. It is quite interesting to read Wagner's thoughts on the subject.

Highly recommended.

I bought this translation after I bought Wolfgang Sawallisch's excellent live Ring on EMI-- which, obviously, did not include a libretto. I did not realize until I read the introduction that Andrew Porter's translation was for an English version of The Ring staged some years back. I would only want to hear The Ring in the original German, but I must say Porter does a fabulous job in capturing both the sense and the rhythms of Wagner's language. He is forced to give up some of the alliterative quality in order to be more literal, but what makes this book so intriguing is that one can follow along with the music and practically hear the English text in each note, syllable by syllable. That's because Porter did the impossible by pretty much matching the meaning of each word (and each part of a word) with the intended note, setting it apart from those clumsy German translations of Mozart's Da Ponte operas, and so forth. However, I did feel like I was missing out on some of Wagner's meaning, and so I sought out a more literal (and less poetic) translation. I found that in Barry Millington's text-- in hardcover, and therefore more expensive, but with excellent notes and a few essays (as well as photos of older productions). So, unless one wants to know how Wagner might sound in English (and the Chandos cycle on CD does just that), I suggest finding another translation for listening purposes.

Andrew Porter's English translation of the 'Ring' was written to be sung. It has been used in performances of the 'Ring' cycle at English National Opera and elsewhere. When reading this translation, and perhaps using it to follow a recording or broadcast of any of these operas in the original German, you should keep in mind that it is not a *literal* translation. Porter has taken some liberties with the meaning of the original text, in order to match the rhythms of his English as closely as possible to those of Wagner's archaic German. The translator has also attempted to capture some of the alliteration that is characteristic of Wagner's *stabreim*.

It is clear that Andrew Porter understands the text of the 'Ring' well enough that he was able to make this "poetic" translation without distorting the meaning of the original text. For a literal, accurate translation, the only one currently available is by Stewart Spencer (Wagner's Ring of the Nibelung: The full German text with a new translation and commentaries, Thames and Hudson, 1993). You might also be able to find in a library or for sale used, the William Mann translation (Centurion Press Ltd, 1964).

If you collect audio "Ring" CDs, throw out all the libretti that may have come with your CDs and buy porter's book! The nice thing about this translation is that it (a) is understandable, and (b) is easy to follow along to an audio performance because it matches the singing syllable to syllable. Care was also taken in the translation so that the english words occur in the appropriate places where the motif occurs in the music. Also, proper names match up one for one with the German. So, for example when someone refers to "Siegmund", on a recording, the English text at that point is "Siegmund"! Awesome synchronization!

I found this book useful on many accounts when first enjoying the Ring, but I don't think it transcends the basic much in the way that it would appeal to a veteran of the Ring. It contains a scene by scene synopsis of the operas, but this is hardly adequate compared to a libretto. The character analysis, however, is helpful in that it details possible sources for each of the characters. In the end, I'm not sure if I would be as knowledgable in the Ring if I had never read this book, but I find I haven't used it very often as of late, which tells me it is not a very enduring read, though I still listen to the cycle itself regularly and dig up new topics and controversies when I can. Speaking of controversy, a testament to the book's lack of advanced Wagnerite materials is that it contains no essays or analysis of controversial material (such as the age-old controversy around why Siegmund sings the Renunciation of Love motif when he does). One of the best features of this book, however, is the section detailing each recording of the Ring. It contains a very indepth chart, for each recording supplying what each opera times in at, who is singing each part, and a small review for each of them. But then, this isn't entirely revolutionary when we have Amazon.com. In the end, I must confess that this is an excellent gift to give someone who is beginning to delve into the Ring (I graciously received this and the Solti Ring as a gift one Christmas), but not necessary for an advanced Wagnerite.

Wagner's Ring, written and compiled by J.K. Holman, is an exhaustive listener's companion to the Wagnerian cycle of operas, intended to specifically delineate the subtle nuances of the musical plot. From mythological sources of the Ring operas to a full English translation of each character's lines to a close look at how the opera is stage, Wagner's Ring takes the reader through every possible aspect of the opera short of actually listening to it and seeing it performed. An excellent reference for broadening one's understanding of a timeless classic, Wagner's Ring is a strongly recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library operatic music history and reference collections.

The Ring is such a vast and complext work of art, it is impossible to say everything there is to be said in just one book. Novices to the Ring need a no-nonsense, down-to-earth introduction to help them pull together the various elements and get the most enjoyment of this tetralogy. Mr. Holman does an excellent job of explaining the important myths, motifs, elements without going into heavy jargon that could intimidate readers. He takes one of many many themes -- Woman's Worth -- and shows how Wagner uses music and drama and symbols to express this theme. I especially valued the concordance to the Ring. Mr. Holman's book is well-documented and researched. It has been valuable in my own research on the Ring.

American humorist Mark Twain wryly obeserved, "Wagner's operas are not as bad as they sound!" With wit, warmth, expertise and instructions on rest room breaks this book will enterain you! Berger is a musician and linguist who is able to explain the byzantinian plots of Wagnerian opera with simplicyh, conciseness and humor. As an opera fan with a general knowledge of Wagner I found the book useful. Useful because:
1. He has a good plot synopsis of each major Wagner opera
2. He gives a brief but adequate sketch of the life of the titatnic German anti-semtic genius.
3. Berger includes the best books, CD's and videos for the neophyte as well as the experienced fan of a titanic but flawed genius. Relish Berger's witty style as you learn more about a great artist. Highly recommended.

It was with some reluctance and trepidation that I approached William Berger's book, "Wagner without Fear." From the title alone, I erroneously thought that this was another of the poorly written books flooding the market that reduce Wagner to generalities, and which ill-serve both newcomers to Wagner's music and seasoned Wagner enthusiasts, like me, who collect multiple recordings of his music and attend every possible performance of the operas. The book, however, is excellent; in fact, I found it one of the most useful and well-written books on Wagner that one could buy. Mr. Berger writes superlative pages on what opera is, and on the background of Wagner's life, with perceptive pages on the composer's time in Munich and Bayreuth. He writes a brilliant and witty summary - the best I have read - on each of the mature operas from "Der fliegende Holländer" to "Parsifal" Mr. Berger provides helpful pronunciation tips, backgrounds and analyses of characters, discussion of motifs, and comments, in italics, after each section of the summary. The book concludes with "Wagner Issues," a particularly useful discussion of Wagner's anti-Semitism, his bizarre beliefs, the Nazi abuse of his music, and various other material that is accurate and fascinating. Having been a pilgrim to Bayreuth, I was interested in what he had to say about the Wagnerian shrine and how to survive in the town during the annual Festspiele. Wagnerians constantly battle about the "best" CD performances of the operas, but it is difficult to find fault with Mr. Berger's recommendations. Finally, he includes a commendable discussion on The Ring Cycle, including engaging information on the problems of staging it. There is a helpful annotated bibliography and a lucid glossary. I have not given the book the rating of Five Stars because there is a bit of rather gratuitous humor sprinkled throughout the book that probably amused Mr. Berger but which becomes a bit annoying. For example, he constantly suggests the times in which to go to the restroom during performances of Wagner's operas. There are also bits of sophomoric humor that will please some readers and irritate others. I highly recommend this book to the beginner as the best book on the market to approach Wagner; and to the experienced Wagnerian for its clear and perceptive insights into the music of a complex composer. Indeed, I am indebted to Mr. Berger for teaching me some things I did not know, and for elucidating some ideas so I could better understand them.

This book delivers on its promise - it takes the fear out of listening to Wagner. Having used it to prepare for the Washington Opera's Parsifal, I found that the nearly five hour opera (which I had worried would be confusing and hence boring) flew by enjoyably. Esp. interesting is his discussion of the different ways these operas have been staged. Esp. USEFUL is his advice on when to eat, etc. and the other mechanics of actually attending these operas, which are among the longest. The book does not cover ALL of Wagner's operas, but the ones omitted (e.g. Rienzi) are minor and I prefer the book's approach to giving more space to the biggies. I'm sure that some die hard Wagnerians will find this too elementary, but for most of us, it's a great place to start.

As a web developer, I found this book invaluable. The author covers such topics as interbrowser compatibility, the document object model, LiveWire and more. It is divided into well defined chapters with clear and easy to follow examples. This is NOT a book for persons looking for "I don't care how it works, gimme code I can slap on my web site". It is geared towards developers entering into web based development.

This has to be the best JavaScript refrence available. All the JavaScript is compatiable with version 3.x browsers to help you learn how to write for all web browsers. Also the Electronic library that is included with this title is very helpful. Recomended to ALL web developers who are using JavaScript.

Unlike the first 3 reviewers, I am a software engineer who LIKES TO PROGRAM. My complaint with other Javascript books is that they are too lightweight and there is not enough information besides how to make cute web pages. I consulted this book frequently during the development of a large project, and it never let me down. There was information on every topic I needed, and examples with enough substance that I could take it from there. This book spans the simple to the complicated, so you get a lot of value out of this book - this book will remain useful as your skills grow.

This is the kind of book which would have some appeal to devotees of the typical 'feminist spirituality'. Unfortunately, her appeals to the 'ancient matriarchy' are ahistorical, and her analysis of the Ring itself simple. A book does not need to be intensely musical, but the opera itself is rather neglected. The story can be made to fit into the Jungian paradigm, but only by a very selective reading of the poetry, which neglects the richness of the Ring. If you have to go Jungian, go with Donington. Better yet, go with Deryck Cooke for an introduction.

I won't launch into an academic review or a precise of the story. Suffice to say that this is a wonderful book. For 30 - something women, particularly who identify with a patriarchal 'Wotan' figure and his defiant daughter (Brunnhilde) who forsakes wealth and power for love, this is a journey with which you will be familiar. And a wonderfully warm insight into what can be acheived by such women should they take some risks and act from their hearts! Many books have been written on the suppression of the feminine in society but this multi faceted gem allows a glimpse of so many layers of understanding in such an accessible way that it is irresistible. A peek at Carl Jung, an introduction to the genius of Wagner, the insights of the mythologies and the interpretation and storytelling genius of Jean Shinoda Bolen. If nothing else, this book is good value! So much in one package - a rare find these days indeed!

Certainly one of Bolen's most essential works. Ring Of Power provides a valuable guide to Wagner's classic Ring Cycle, yet it is Bolen's grasp of the archetypal basis for the mythology that gives the book its power.

All creation comes from an archetypal base, and in The Ring, it is the symbolic sacrificing of the Sacred Feminine that drives the entire story. This principle is fundamental to many pieces, including Faust, the Grail legends and even Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.

In each case, only the restoration of that which has been sacrificed in a Faustian pact can make healing occur. Bolen's genius is never clearer than in this book, and it was pivotal to the concluding sections of my own book, Sirius Moonlight: The Origins Of The Suppression Of The Feminine.

I would strongly recommend Ring Of Power, and indeed all of Bolen's works - especially her autobiographical Crossing To Avalon. People who doubt the importance of Thinking Person's Feminism might consider this... 84 years ago Jean Shinoda Bolen would not have been able to vote, own her own house or inherit property from her father. Like every other woman in the highly civilized English-speaking world.

My own book is dedicated to the nine million women who were murdered by the Church during the Inquisition, for such heinous crimes as being midwives and healers. Lest we forget. If the patriarchal Valhalla is now burning, all I can say is pass the gasoline. Good job, Jean.

This book is an exercise in frustration. It gives sketchy (or no) descriptions of object's properties and methods, it lets you know what the properties and methods are but (about 90% of the time) doesn't tell you how to use them. It has very little code, and what it does have is useless snippets which show you nothing practical (unless you are writing a book). It includes numerous methods and functions that IE6 doesn't recognize (neither did my HTML editor). This book is a big, thick waste of money.

I started programming JavaScript using this book as a reference about a year ago and it's gotten me through a variety of coding situations. This book has a lot of applicable examples to explain the material. I'd highly recommend it as a "must-have" book for people who are just starting out with JavaScript and looking for a book that has working examples.

Alan Wyke's revised, expanded and updated, JavaScript Unleashed, Third Edition continues to serve as an effective and reliable reference to the JavaScript language for the high-end programmer as well as a guide for developing JavaScript applications from the ground up. The topics most important to the intermediate to advanced Javascript programmer are informatively covered, including Web security, integrating JavaScript with Java, and forms and data validation. Intermediate - Advanced, 1100 pages.

Before reading this book, I loved Darwin, disliked Marx and hated Wagner (how could you not!). After this book, nothings changed except that I actually found myself defending all three against Barzun's onslaught.

This book can read two ways. First as a biographical synopsis of the three writers and their cultural backdrop, and second, as an outdated diatribe. The reader should ignore Barzun's polemic (?) and read it as a history. This, of course, is Barzun's strength and he does not fail to meet high expectations.

The polemic is of course outdated. The whine over materialism taking the magic and mystery out of life has been rehashed too many times. He is especially hard on Darwin, who he seems to think can be blamed for Herbert Spencer.

Read the book anyway. Not only is the writing superb, the point of view is interesting and if anything it will challenge you. Though not an easy one, it's terser than most authors could do given the subjects.

I picked up "Darwin, Marx, Wagner" at a used book store while in the middle of Barzun's latest tome "Dawn to Decadence." In "Darwin" a much younger Barzun argues with passion against the arrogant materialism prevalent at the turn of the century. "Nature is a sieve, and it works"--this is Barzun's pithy summary of Darwin, Marx and Wagner. For Darwin the sieve is kill-or-be-killed survival of the fittest, and "it works": humanity is the pinnacle of evolution (and not just the human species, but the most powerful of humanity). For Marx the sieve is an inevitable class struggle, which "works" when it produces a utopia for the working class. For Wagner the sieve will sift out all previous art forms in favor of his own pure self-important music drama. Read this book and consider the philosophical implications of realistic materialism and its cruel might-makes-right vision of progress--in science, politics and art.

Jacques Barzun's book was first published first in 1941, which is almost the moment the Neo-Darwinian Synthesis came into being and made the expression of Darwin doubts or criticism such as are manifest here virtually impossible in a university humanist. And yet sixty years later, at a time when Ernst Mayr, one of the original 'synthesizers' can unrepentantly produce his "What Evolution Is", Barzun's critique reads as insultingly fresh as the day it was written, with a putdownish suggestion that Darwin wasn't too swift. The Darwin propaganda machine has almost made thinking obtuse here, and Creationist red-herrings can be as reprehensible. The Darwin debate has left everyone befuddled, and this essay on Darwin (and Marx), agree or not, shows a clarity that is unusual.
His work seems out of place now for a man who was prominent in a major university, but if one reads Bowler's The Eclipse of Darwinism, describing the waning of Darwinism at the turn of the century, it will perhaps evoke the perspective that Barzun still reflects in this book. (In fact, the same can be said of the Marx essay, which reflects the Marx debate, perspectives almost forgotten after the Bolshevik revolution). In fact, even by the late 1860's Darwin himself knew he was in trouble with natural selection.
It is noteworthy how little science Barzun discusses, which makes the book suspect for some, or certainly open to challenge. But in reality it bespeaks a certain clarity that has been lost, and which was clearly present in the decades of the appearance of Darwin's book, when even many of Darwin's supporters, even Huxley, realized they had a hypothesis to deal with, not a certain dogma.
The quote below is as cogent for the current Darwin debate as it was originally. Note how little anything changes.

"Some obviously feared that ifnatural selection were discarded evolution would be endangered. They thought the twotheories inseparable and foresaw a rebirth of superstition. But dropping natural selectionleaves the evidence for evolution untouched. It was not even a question of droppingnatural selection, for natural selection is an observed fact. It was a question of seeing--as Darwin came to see--that selection occurs after the useful change has come into being... "

I'm afraid the reviewer below is overly generous. The late Kane was an artist of extraordinary talent and intellect who unfortunately rarely showed his full potential. Thomas, too, is a fine writer, especially when one considers that he was a protoge of Stan "The Man" Lee. I don't know how the two of them came to collaborate on this project, but, whereas one might think they would have really gone to town (being freed from the absurd constraints of the technicolor long-johns genre), Kane's art is only pretty-good at best, and downright shoddy at worst. Thomas, too, seems to lose steam halfway through, and the excellent writing of the first issues gives way to writing which is merely adequate. Most disturbing in the art is the Barbie-and-Ken-type depiction of the gods and goddesses. The "monsters" seem drawn with much more passion and care. Perhaps Kane intended this ironically, since the gods and goddesses are largely contemptible, whereas the monsters have a certain sympathetic appeal. Having said all that, I still think this is far better than the huge majority of comics, and it is a must-have for anyone who is an admirer of either Kane or Thomas.

Unfortunately, one of the negative aftershocks that usually accompanies a towering, controversial work-of-art is the sheer amount of pretentious [stuff] written about it. Considering that Der Ring des Nibelungen is quite possibly the most stupendous artistic achievement ever devised by one single individual, please feel free to multiply the previous statement by twelve.

Here, however, we something refreshingly straightforward. The Ring's four operas are well-represented by Thomas' & Kane's comic-book format. The graphics are mostly well-done and the writing appropriately archaic-sounding.

Alberich, Mime, Fasolt & Fafner (giant version) are all drawn to be exceedingly gross, yet strangely sympathetic (this is especially true of Mime). Wotan looks like the most convincing 80-year-old bodybuilder you've ever seen, while Hagen & Hunding look truly menacing. Donner is a hybrid of Hercules & Thor, the Rhinemaidens seem to have lost their clothing somewhere downstream, and Brunnhilde is exquisite. Siegmund & Siegfried are regrettably a little too "Masters of the Universe," but Fafner (dragon version) is brilliant!

There's also an introduction written by the editor of "Opera News" basically giving the intellectual "all clear" for enjoying this format. Aside from the graphics, the book's primary appeal is making the somewhat convoluted story of the Ring accessible in one gulp. Therein lies the value of this volume: instead of daunting the reader with hundreds of pages of musical analysis & the presumed hidden meanings of the Ring, it unassumingly invites the reader to experience one of the greatest journeys in Western music.

In a major departure of theme, Comix Art God, Gil Kane took on no less than The Ring Cycle from Alberecht's theft of the Ring of Power all the way through The Immolation and downfall of The Gods. Only an artist as confident as Kane could have ever gotten away with such a gutsy move. He is aided by a fairly tight and concise rendering of the story by Roy Thomas, no slouch himself. The magic of this pairing is that Thomas clearly knows when to leave certain elements of the story to Kane and his visual mastery. Every panel is kinetic with movement and the art is far more mature as it ought to be. Below there are reviews with silly warnings about the nudity in these books as if you would give your five year old a story about a Hero (sigfried)having passionate relations with his sister(brunhilde)! Laughable. The Ring Cycle is a very adult story by nature and Kane/Thomas treat it with the respect that a story for thinking individuals deserves. If you were expecting GOODNIGHT MOON, you are on the wrong page pal. However, I think any kid old enough to watch Discovery Channel unsupervised could be trusted with this material. In fact, this rendering of the RING is far more comprehensible than a Cliff Notes version they will inevitably buy in Highschool and far more entertaining.

Sadly, with Kane's death a year ago, we will not be treated to any more of his insightful and original treatments of timeless material. If you only know his Superhero stuff, you really need this book and you must also track down a used copy of the now out of print BLACKMARK. Kane's THE RING is simply a treasure for the art, the way the art tells the story and the succinct summary of a complex and lengthy Literature Classic. Too bad he couldn't have also done WAR & PEACE since his version would have been much more interesting.

Pretty, superficial treatment. I agree with another reviewer's question about why purple drawings on a light purple background? It's amazing and sad how many of the spacecraft detailed have already been cancelled or deferred.

In a book where the centerpiece should be the graphics, why oh why did they choose to print the diagrams in a muddy purple on a light purple background? I guess to make them look somewhat like blueprints, but I would have preferred clarity!

This book provides a summary of all the current and planned space exploration projects, both manned and unmanned and at the time of publication it was fairly up to date. The timetable presented for the International Space Station is outdated, but the expected launch dates for the planetary missions are correct. The book also provides a summary of many of the commercial space adventures which I have not seen anywhere else.

There are no photos anywhere in this book, but each section contains several drawings or more of each piece of hardware. The drawings are intended to look like the old blueprint drawings (hence the subtitle name), however, as an engineer who works for NASA, we don't use blueprints anymore.

On a sad note, due to the recent budgetary cutbacks associated with the new Bush Administration, many of the projects presented in this book have been canceled or deferred, so this new and exciting book is unfortunately already out of date. Get it anyway; it's still a good book and the drawings are top notch.