Beisdes being an incredible tract on falconry (modern ornithology has yet to surpass it, really. Doubly impressive, considering Frederick was writing some three centuries before the scientific revolution). This book is a cross-section of one of the most profound minds in all of Western history. Frederick the Second was the most magnificient of all the latter day emperors. From nothing he raised the throne of the Roman Empire to transcendant limits, defied both God and the Church, and brought in the fabled "third age" for the superstitious people of medieval Europe, who believed that he was either the bringer of Peace before the apocalypse or the Anti-Christ himself. His memorable utterance "...I am tired of being the anvil. Now I shall be the hammer!" was the inspiration behind Nietszche's work 600 years later. The Empire died with the next brilliant generation of the Hohenstaufen.

In light of all this, his book of falconry is indespensible. It shows us Frederick the Renaissance man, engaging in Scientific method in an era of revealed truths, and it shows us Frederick the hunter: shrewd, catching every detail, and always for the love of the chase. This book will amaze you to no ends!

As a practical guide to modern falconry, I don't believe this book would be as helpful as some on the market, but as a primary source from the middle ages it is first rate. The intricacies and details of the hunt, the housing, the care given to the birds, hounds, etc. . . . for this, the book is priceless. If you are looking for summaries of the hunting practices in the middle ages, Marcelle Thiebeaux and Anne Rooney are among the best authors to seek. If you want the actual details of the way it was by someone living at the time it was practiced, there is no better source than Frederick II's book (and few even close).

This is the perfect book for whoever wants to learn about what falconry was like a long time ago. However, I would not reccommend it to anyone who wants to learn about present day falconry. After you get your license, I would reccommend it. The reason I say this is because it can confuse the apprentice. It confused me. It does teach a lot though, and can give insight to diff. ways of training hawks. Belongs in every falconers library!

This work is very descriptive in both word and picture of architectural detail. It demonstrates methods of calculating the plan or measuring the details to permit you to lay out elegant but traditional carving projects. It has been a wonderful source of learning for me and a guide to several carving motifs. The author is publishing a second book that I am anxious to see.

Has there ever been a more perfect marriage between character and actor? As ever, discussing any of the Morse books is impossible without discussing the actor who portrays him. The two are linked (in my mind, at least) forever. In this title, Morse is his quintessential self and calls to mind Jonathan Thaw. As usual, the mystery is good, Morse's ego is exquisite, and the writing is engaging. Here is one series where watching the videos does not detract from the source material. In fact, knowing John Thaw's Morse serves to heighten enjoyment of reading the books.

The history of the mystery is replete with examples of detectives who tread a fine line between the amusingly eccentric and the downright boorish (Sherlock Holmes being the archetype; Poirot, Nero Wolfe, and others following in his footsteps). Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse fits squarely and delightfully in this tradition. If you've never seen the TV series on PBS and A&E, or better yet read one of the books, you're really missing out on something special.

Morse, whose first name wasn't revealed for years, is an Oxford-educated, beer-drinking, Opera-loving, vintage Jaguar-driving, Crossword puzzle maven and also one of the biggest curmudgeons in all of literature. He does not suffer fools gladly, other than his much put upon but continually bemused partner Lewis. His superiors are forced to tolerate his idiosyncrasies and his bibliousness because he also has a uniquely intuitive mind and a knack for solving the most puzzling crimes. In an interesting symbiosis, John Thaw's television portrayal of Morse bled over into the novels and took some of the harsher edges off of the character and Kevin Whatley's Lewis helped to make the character less of a dolt and more of a naïf in the books too.

In this Gold Dagger winning installment in the series, Morse is on an unwelcome holiday when he gets drawn into the case of a year old disappearance of a Swedish girl who is assumed to have been murdered and ditched in the local woods. The largely moribund investigation is reinvigorated when The Times receives a cryptic letter with tantalizing but ambiguous literary clues to the dead girl's whereabouts. As the story unfolds Morse finds himself in the midst of a murder investigation that includes everything from pornography to ornithology. As always, the book offers both a satisfying mystery and the great pleasure of watching Morse and Lewis interact with one another and with suspects, superiors and the various ladies who inevitably tweak Morse's heartstrings.

After a highly successful run of 13 novels, Dexter killed Morse off earlier this year in The Remorseful Day. On the one hand, it's nice to see an author finish a series while he still has his fastball, but Morse and Lewis will be missed. Try one of the books and keep an eye peeled for the show, both are outstanding.

GRADE: A+

A very well crafted book. Superb plotting as one would expect from this author. This book continues the Morse mystique (he is still able to attract women half his age) but gives Lewis a little more assertiveness. Quite unputdownable.

This is a gloomy collection of stories about difficult relationships. Most of the stories are written in the first person, and are to do with infidelities, disappointments and betrayal. There are a few odd themes: sump pumps, wells. The author is at his most touching when writing about dogs: shades of JM Coetzee. There is not a trace of humor in this sour book. Many of the stories are located in upstate New York, a part of the country I will now never visit.

Yes, there is an eerie quality to these stories, the kind that lies just past the happily-ever-after of so many fairy tales. It is with beautiful prose, a clear eye, and often affecting poignance that Busch expresses the small and large cruelties his characters inflict upon each other, sometimes in the name of love, and sometimes not. Busch masters the complex emotions in these stories without sentimentality or cynicism. This is a wonderful and necessary piece for any literary fiction collection.

It has been quite some time since I read this book, but I do remember how powerful the writing is. References to fairy tales are woven throughout these stories, and, as you know, fairy tales can be rather frightening. Giving this book only one star demonstrates one of two things: the reader should be reading only feel-good books, or the reader completely missed the point.