The second novel of the John Paul Jones Trilogy by Nicholas Nicastro, Between Two Fires continues the saga of America's first naval hero. An historical fiction, Between Two Fires offers the reader a riveting 18th Century odyssey of bravery, battle, tragedy, and loss on the high seas, exciting and tautly written. Also very highly recommended is the first novel of this outstanding trilogy, The Eighteenth Captain...

There are no easy blacks and whites in Nicholas Nicastro's wonderfully written tales of the American Revolution. Forget about the flag-waving pabulum that your ninth grade textbook passed off as American History. Nicastro portrays John Paul Jones as a Napoleonic .... who alternates his barks with his bites as the never-say-die commander of the Bonhomme Richard. The monomaniac runs many of his men and his ship into extinction while defeating the British Serapis.

The even more engrossing parallel tale in "Between Two Fires" revolves around conscience-stricken Captain Severance, who watches his Colonial comrades barbarically commit genocide against the Iroquois Nation. Nicastro takes Lechterian delight in describing the atrocities perpetrated under General Sullivan's command--officers parade around in flesh cut from the hides of Native Americans while burning and desecrating village after village. Yes the Indians do commit their share of torture, but theirs, as described by Nicastro, is a far more noble form of sadism.

Should David Lynch ever decide to direct an 18th Century war picture, this book is filled with a wonderful cache of quirky historical curiosities. A female character aboard Jones's ship dedicates her life to capturing the ideal physical traits of people she meets in her sketchbook. Her goal is to create a composite which would match the image of Jesus Christ. I won't betray the macabre manner in which she locates the preeminent nose. Joseph, the noble Native American hero aboard the Richard, has his teeth knocked out halfway through the saga and speaks the remainder in a humorous lisp. George Washington is a self-conscious poser, pretending to act as a great commander should act-- the Ronald Reagan of his day.

The book does have a few narrative flaws. Would an eighteenth century officer really write letters describing all the grotesqueries of war, not missing a morbid detail, to his bride-to-be? Would he also write extensively about his obvious attraction for a headstrong Native American woman?

But minor exceptions aside, this is a novel not to be ignored--certainly for fans of seafaring novels but more broadly for anyone hungering for sharply written historical ficition, fiction with a harsher, less propagandistic view of the era.

The worst thing about reading great trilogies is the wait. I re-read the first book, "The Eighteenth Captain", just prior to the release of "Between Two Fires"; as I often do with a much anticipated release. If you haven't read the first book...do yourself a favor and grab a copy.

"Between Two Fires" provided some of the best historical fiction writing I've had the pleasure to page-turn. You don't need to be a history, war or nautical buff to truly enjoy the well-developed, fascinating characters in Nicastro's follow-up book. He has a way of writing dialogue that makes you feel a part of the conversation...as if you might be standing next to the characters. No easy task.

This book has everything I enjoy...action, compelling characters, period atmosphere that draws me into the time, and a great story. Please get the third book out a bit quicker.

This is the sort of autobiography you would expect from The Brigadier. Solid, dependable, traditional...but Nicholas Courtney isn't the Brigadier, and this also tells the story of his off-screen life, and life before Doctor Who stardom.

The first part of the book tells the story of the actor's early life, his parent's separation. Then follows the customary section on National Service, weekly rep, meeting Donald Wolfit and John Geilgud. It's good to hear Nick tell the familiar "actor's autobiography", because his style is friendly, humorous, and honest. This makes the book so enjoyable that the pages zoom by. We learn about the author's successes with the ladies, and, to his credit, his failures, and the breakdown of his marriage is dealt with in what seems to be a very honest manner.

The section on his Doctor Who work is well-written, and leaves out a lot of familiar material. This could be due to the work of Courtney's editor, John Nathan-Turner. For whatever reason, this remains fresh and exciting even thirty years after the fact.

The last part of the book details the post-Doctor Who work, and it is remarkable to see that since Courtney stopped being a Doctor Who regular in 1974 he has played the Brig no fewer than seven times. His work continues of course on the Doctor Who audio adventures, but this book was written before they had been established.

The large format suits his story well, allowing space for many rare and well-researched photographs. There are a few too many blank spaces for my liking, and some unnecessary tributes from those who have worked with him. He could also have cut down the number of references to Equity, the actors' union. Other than that, this is a first class read, and tells a more interesting story than the well-worn convention anecdotes, or sections in general Doctor Who books.

An excellent book by the only man who has really seen the series from the very beginning. He is the only actor to have worked with all the actors to have played the Doctor. Thanks to the Big Finish audios he has appeared with the 6th Doctor and will be appearing with the 8th when Paul McGann returns to the roll next year. He rarely does conventions any more and, when he does, refuses to tell some of the stories he's famous for.

All of my life, I have been a no-nonsense man, who knows nothing but work. In 1986, I began to watch Dr. Who, just as a whim in a miltary barracks, on a TV set in the barrack day room that was chained to the floor so no one would steal it. At first it seemed rather cheesy, but then I found that I could not miss a single episode and if I had to miss it, I would record it. Once, I brought a VHS out to a live fire gunnery tank range, where we were to fire all day and all night for two nights.

In one of the tents where the crews were de-briefed and rested, I set up a small TV and the VHS and powered it up by using a military 15kw gas generator. We and the tank crews of my battalion watched Dr. Who.

My first experience with Dr. Who were the Pertwee years and the Brigadier played a large roll. I enjoyed these immensley and bought each one for my collection...and I am still watching them today..(In fact "Planet of Spiders" parts three and four are on tap this weekend).

In short, buy this book. By any book associated with any character who played in this marvelous series.

Thank you Brigadier for your part in allowing an ordinary man,for a few moments anyway,to escape the inescapable life of medocrity.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this anthology, but I found myself enthralled from beginning to end. Nnedi Okorafor's "Crossroads", Seth Lindberg's "Atropos", and James Dorr's "Madness" were special delights.

A great mix of chilling, horrifying, and otherwise entertaining stories.

This is a great compilation of magic, madness, culture and creativity. All of the stories were pretty satisfying, some of them terrifying! There are some writers here that are going to go places. Watch for the authors of the two longest pieces, Nnedi Okorafor (her story is called Crossroads) and James S. Dorr (he wrote a story called Madness).

John Dryden's 1677 tragedy "All For Love" or "The World Well Lost" was based on William Shakespeare's "Antony and Cleopatra." This would be a minority opinion, but I really think this Restoration Drama is comparable to the Shakespeare version in many regards. Of course "borrowing" from Shakespeare cannot be considered much of a crime when the Bard of Avon appropriated so many plots from other dramatists as well. Shakespeare's play covers ten years in settings scattered across the eastern Mediterranean, while Dryden confines all of his events to one day in the Temple of Isis. For me the dramatic highpoint of the Dryden version is the ugly confrontation between Cleopatra and Octavia, Roman wife of Mark Antony, but I also like the final death scenes better than what we find in Shakespeare. Just do not ask me to explain how "All for Love" reflects Restoration sensibilities rather than the Elizabethan values of "Antony and Cleopatra." I first read this play and decided to use it as the final play in a mini-trilogy of one-act that used Shaw's "Caesar and Cleopatra" and Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar," and had no problem given Dryden the anchor position. Certainly classes studying English drama can benefit by having students read both the Shakespeare and Dryden versions with an eye out towards better understanding the works of both playwrights. If you are only going to read one play by Dryden, then the only other choices besides this one would be "Aureng-Zebe," his last and best example of the heroic genre or his comedy masterpiece "Marriage a-la-mode." But I would still pick "All For Love."

Dryden's reworking of Shakespeare's "Antony and Cleopatra" is a great read, especially if you didn't fully comprehend Shakespeare's work. Dryden's language is concise, and his portrayal of historical characters is excellent; especially considering that he had to follow Shakespeare's lead.

I would like very much to review this book. I was promised a delivery date of NLT 25 April 2002; now I have been alerted that the delivery date is postponed a month. Dr. Henry Purcell, April 23rd, 2002

classification of progressive muscular dyatroph

"The House of Special Purpose" is compiled from the papers of Charles Sydney Gibbes (or Gibbs), English tutor to the children of Tsar Nicholas II. J. C. Trewin did an excellent job of going through Gibbs' papers and combining them with published sources to form a fascinating narrative. The photographs, too, are well-chosen. The Russian revolution happens a third of the way through the book; however, Gibbs was with the family in their captivity in Siberia, and has interesting anecdotes and dimensions to add. One complaint is the lack of a proper bibliography. While "House of Special Purpose" was mostly based on unpublished sources, it would be nice to know at a glance what other sources Trewin consulted. (Sometimes sources are given in footnotes at the bottom of the page; other times they are not.) Similarly, an index might have been nice. However, these are both stylistic complaints. This is an interesting book, highly recommended for anyone with an interest in the last tsar. It is, as other reviewers have said, a shame that it is out of print and hard to find.

This is a wonderful book that describes the last days of Czar Nicholas II and his family. The emphasis is on the children --- son Alexis and daughters Anastasia, Maria, Tatyana, and Olga.

The book is based on the recollections of the children's tutor, Pierre Gilliard, who accompanied them in exile for a time. It is filled with photographs, letters, and other memorobilia from Monsieur Gilliard's collection. These provide a delightful side to the tragic story of the last days of the Romanovs.

It is a pity that this wonderful book is out of print.

THE JEWELS OF THE DUCHESS OF WINDSOR 1st edition,is a lush vicarious view of the golden age of royalty. The illustrations are breathtaking, done by some of the world's most famous photographers including Lord Snowdon..a marvelous addition to any collection.

I adore this book! It's an oversize publication which increases the beauty of the photography. The photos of the Duchess'jewelry are breathtaking, and it also provides a full account of the famed auction, including the amounts paid for the jewelry. There are great pictures of celebrities who purchased some of the pieces. There's even a stunning photo of Liz Taylor wearing the Prince of Wales Plume Pin for which she paid over $500,000. It also recounts the story of their lives along with pictures, including copies of newspaper clippings during the abdication. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Duke and Duchess or the forthcoming auction of the Windsor's household possessions at Sothebys. This book is the jewel in my collection of royal books!

I neglected to mention one thing about this book. Jolley sees himself not just as a student of what Locke said but as if he is in philosophical interaction with Locke and his critics. He presents many common criticisms of Locke and responds to them. He also leaves Locke stranded in places where he really seems to have gotten himself into trouble. This book does a great job not just approaching the issues but also in trying to clarify them in the terms of contemporary philosophers and in defending Locke against the all-too-quick criticisms he often receives.

Nicholas Jolley has produced a great resource for students first encountering Locke or for those who are familiar with Locke but would like to get more into the details of his philosophical views. This book is intended as an introduction to his thought and is directed at advanced undergraduates and beginning graduate students. It gives enough details to begin work on any of the diverse topics covered in it, with references to direct the reader elsewhere for further discussion. Unlike most books on Locke by philosophers, this one also includes his political theory and shows its relation to Locke's other views by tying together threads of his thought from one topic to the next. I thoroughly enjoyed working through it in a graduate seminar taught by the author, but I can see that it would be quite valuable just as a resource or as an accompaniment to someone's trying to approach Locke's thought in detail but without much background.

I came home from a very trying day at work and found this book had arrived. I began reading it immediately and found it so interesting.

You must read the text between the recipes to get the full impact. What a story. One can't imagine the life and times of these people, but Marta gives you a good idea.

The recipes aren't that difficult and I'll be trying some soon. They are very healthy sounding.

What is sad is to see all of the family pictures and to realize that so many of them are gone.

They had a magical life with "Madam". Grand Jackie fits her best.

This book is a delight for the loyal Jackie-ite, as well as for those that don't follow her. Marta Sgubin, long-time housekeeper at 1040 (Mrs. Onassis' Fifth Avenue address) writes a warm book full of antecdotes, recipes and great snapshots. Pictures of Jackie on Christmas morning or of John Jr strumming his guitar or Caroline blowing out candles on her birthday cake, make you feel like you were there. What is especially intriguing is that this book was sanctioned by Mrs. Onassis' two children, with John even writing the foreward. Obviously they want this more personal side of their very private mother to be known by the general public. Now, if only Nancy Tuckerman would write her memoirs (are you listening Tucky?), the ordinary side of an ordinary woman who happened to have lived an extraordinary life will be almost complete.

I loved this book! In addition to providing delicious recipes, the author recounts family stories which pay tribute to the Jackie branch of the Kennedy family. Marta's recollections read like an episode of "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous," yet throughout, the family always seems warm and down to earth. Also included are many family photos of John, Jr.

The re-release of the legendary 1972 recording of Die Zauberflöte, conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch, is a great blessing to all who know and love this great work. Edda Moser's interpretation of the Queen of the Night is justly celebrated, achieving not only transcendently perfect delivery, but also a chilling portrait of pure evil. All of the other cast members are excellent. The spoken role of Papageno is particularly striking, sounding sufficiently pungent to remind us that the role was originally played by Emanuel Schickaneder himself. The tempi are, for the most part remarkably well-chosen. In addition, the Masonic gravity of the subject matter is constantly respected. The chorus of the armed men is properly alarming, the cantus firmus stridently insistent above the counterpoint of the strings. Even more uncommon is the treatment of the secondary scenes of Act II, especially the chorus Welche Wonne, in which the evocation of the candidate's future "new life" is infused with the trepidation inevitably attendant upon any trial of life and death. All too often, this work, which is gravely serious in its intent, is presented as a fairy tale. This recording successfully conveys the philosophical context, and does justice to Mozart's attachment to Masonry. [The only flaw which I could detect is the inclusion of a very questionable musical fragment, inserted into Act II, Scene 11 ("Pamina, wo bist du?"). I could locate no reference to this anywhere in my extensive library on the subject, and can only speculate that it might be some unacknowledged retention from one of the infamous "reworkings" of the opera which occurred after Mozart's death....At any rate, it requires an explanation....]

In view of this, it is sad to see this beautiful recording issued in association with a perfectly vile and disrespectful book about the opera. The author has the temerity to liken this work to "a Broadway musical", "a rollicking entertainment for the common man" simply because it was composed as a Singspiel, or German opera with spoken dialogue. This is equivalent to likening one of Shakespeare's comedies to a street farce. The book also suggests that Zauberflöte was composed for purposes of pure entertainment, unless it is, perchance, a "work of profound insight" dressed up in the trappings of a "cartoon". Obviously, the writer is ignorant of the significance of the Egyptian setting in the time of Mozart, when it was a clear symbol for rational ideas and liberal politics. The details of the setting delineate the struggle which was then taking place in Europe, over the true nature of Masonry, philosophy and music, and which soon came to a terrible end, for that time at least, with the banning of Freemasonry in Austria, and the loss of much of the learning about ancient philosophy which had been so laboriously gathered in circles such as that frequented by Mozart. It is largely on account of Zauberflöte, which alludes with precision to much of that learning, that it was not entirely annihilated in the chaos of the revolutionary and Napoleonic periods. Rather than misrepresenting this vitally important work, those who have the privilege of coming into contact with it should do all in their power to contribute to the very difficult, vital, and continuing attempt to understand it. While the availability of this recording is of great value, it is scandalous to see it associated with a contribution to the generally prevailing ignorance about this extremely important, and very difficult, work.

An irate Mozartian

The re-release of the legendary 1972 recording of Die Zauberflote, conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch, is a great blessing to all who know and love this great work. Edda Moser's interpretation of the Queen of the Night is justly celebrated, achieving not only transcendently perfect delivery, but also a chilling portrait of pure evil. All of the other cast members are excellent. The spoken role of Papageno is particularly striking, sounding sufficiently pungent to remind us that the role was originally played by Emanuel Schickaneder himself. The tempi are, for the most part remarkably well-chosen. In addition, the Masonic gravity of the subject matter is constantly respected. The chorus of the armed men is properly alarming, the cantus firmus stridently insistent above the counterpoint of the strings. Even more uncommon is the treatment of the secondary scenes of Act II, especially the chorus Welche Wonne, in which the evocation of the candidate's future "new life" is infused with the trepidation inevitably attendant upon any trial of life and death. All too often, this work, which is gravely serious in its intent, is presented as a fairy tale. This recording successfully conveys the philosophical context, and does justice to Mozart's attachment to Masonry. [The only flaw which I could detect is the inclusion of a very questionable musical fragment, inserted into Act II, Scene 11 {"Pamina, wo bist du?"). I could locate no reference to this anywhere in my extensive library on the subject, and can only speculate that it might be some unacknowledged retention from one of the infamous "reworkings" of the opera which occurred after Mozart's death....At any rate, it requires an explanation....]

In view of this, it is sad to see this beautiful recording issued in association with a perfectly vile and disrespectful book about the opera. The author has the temerity to liken this work to "a Broadway musical", "a rollicking entertainment for the common man" simply because it was composed as a Singspiel, or German opera with spoken dialogue. This is equivalent to likening one of Shakespeare's comedies to a street farce. The book also suggests that Zauberflöte was composed for purposes of pure entertainment, unless it is, perchance, a "work of profound insight" dressed up in the trappings of a "cartoon". Obviously, the writer is ignorant of the significance of the Egyptian setting in the time of Mozart, when it was a clear symbol for rational ideas and liberal politics. The details of the setting delineate the struggle which was then taking place in Europe, over the true nature of Masonry, philosophy and music, and which soon came to a terrible end, for that time at least, with the banning of Freemasonry in Austria, and the loss of much of the learning about ancient philosophy which had been so laboriously gathered in circles such as that frequented by Mozart. It is largely on account of Zauberflöte, which alludes with precision to much of that learning, that it was not entirely annihilated in the chaos of the revolutionary and Napoleonic periods. Rather than misrepresenting this vitally important work, those who have the privilege of coming into contact with it should do all in their power to contribute to the very difficult, vital, and continuing attempt to understand it. While the availability of this recording is of great value, it is scandalous to see it associated with a contribution to the generally prevailing ignorance about this extremely important, and very difficult, work.

An irate Mozartian

The Black Dog Opera Library Series had outdone themselves once again. In this 1972 recording of Mozart's last opera, we are treated to a fine performance by fine singers, a fully illustrated book with liner notes and commentary, as well as information useful in biographies on the composer and his time. Mozart was close to his death bed at the time he composed The Magid Flute. He made an opera that could be enjoyed at many levels. At one level, it is a comic, brilliant fairy tale for children, at another level, it is deeply symbolic and layed with Masonic ideals of universal brotherhood and love. Mozart and his librettist were both Freemasons, a religous "sect" that was under hot water in 18th century Vienna for its pagan origins and its advocation of ideas of the Enlightenment. The story is about Tamino, a prince who is lost in a strange land (originally, a mystic Egypt), who is rescued from a serpent by three mysterious women and promised the hand of the daughter of the Queen of the Night if he saves her from the wizard Sarastro. Together with the help of the comic bird-catcher, Papageno, he sets out on his adventure. But halfway through the opera, he discovers that he has been deceived. The Queen of the Night is the true villain and Sarastro is really a holy man. After many trials, the forces of evil are defeated and the opera ends blissfully with a victory.

Musically and dramatically, it is Mozart's greatest opera. From the striking Overture to the use of dark strings, trumpet and soaring flute passages, the individual arias which express intense emotions to the neverending theme that good triumphs over evil, the Magic Flute stands out as a great opera to begin with for newcomers and a favorite for old time opera fans.

In this recording, conductor Wolfgang Sawallisch leads the Bavarian State Orchestra in a highly effective, thoroughly dramatic and sentimental, full interpretation of Mozart's score. Tenor Peter Schreir as Tamino is exceptional, passionate in his aria "Dies Bildnis" (This portrait), and again as he plays his flute in "Wie Stark ist Nicht dein Zauberton" (How powerful is your music, magic flute), his individual lines in the ensembles and his duet with Pamina as they undergo the final trial of fire. Annelise Rothenberger, a sublime German lyric soprano, is moving in her portrayal of Pamina. She has her moments in this recording. Note how her high, melodic voice seems to come from nowhere as she confronts Sarastro and Tamino for the first time "Herr! Ich bin zwar Verbrecherin ! (Sir! I am the transgressor). Her aria "Ach Ich Fuhls" (O, I feel that happy days have passed) is the finest interpretation, full of pathos and a kind of melancholic madness, as well as her lines in her suicide attempt, finally, she is sublime as a strong woman ready to face trials with Tamino, especially striking when she sings the line "Tamino!".

Kurt Moll's Sarastro is without question the best. His voice is suited for God. So divine and sonorous and full of grace, his voice is especially noticeable in the aria "O Isis and Osiris " and "In deisen Heilen Hallen"( In these holy halls). Finally, and not to be missed, is Edda Moser's incredible interpretation of the Queen of the Night. You have not heard the true Queen of the Night, until you've heard Edda Moser. She has a Wagnerian intensity and neurosis in her lines, apt and effective for the role of a Queen bent on deception and the murder of her rival, Sarastro. Her aria "O Zittre Nicht, Mein Lieber Son" (O tremble not, beloved son" is full of lyric dramatic passages and coloratura at the end. The vengeance aria "Der Holle Rache Kocht Meine Herzen "(Hell's Anger Burns Within My Heart) is full of fire. The way she attacks the dramatic, powerful lines is out of this world and the high F's she escalates are unsurpassed.