"It was a dark and stormy night." Thus begins this tale of murder on Old Highway 66, down Sapulpa way. In my book, William Sanders is one of The Great American Writers. He even makes that taboo (according to English lit majors) intro shine!

In this series, Taggart Roper, potential writer of The Great American Novel, moonlights as a Private Investigator to keep his pot boiling. This time out, Roper is reluctantly assisting his former '60's music idol, Hondo Loomis - who can't play as well as he used to due to losing an arm in an accident. Hondo now owns The Flying Tiger Club - complete with the John Wayne Movie Poster and that old World War II plane relic Up On the Roof - out on Old 66. Is someone attempting blackmail? Why? The pacing and characterizations are grabbing and the writing sublime. Come away with him, Lucille!
Reviewed by TundraVision

I have chosen this book as one of the texts for an introductory course in archaeology that has a World Wide Web component. If you would like to see how the text is being used, the URL is http://www.cc.ukans.edu/~hoopes/anth110.html. Auditors are welcome. One of the nice aspects of this text is that is was prepared in conjunction with an eight-part television/video series that is available for classroom use.

If you want to make the big bucks sueing the deep pockets because there are a lot of stupid people in this country then this is the book and class for you! However, if you subscribe to the outmoded idea that personal responsibility for you actions is a value worth having then I would skip this subject.

Billy Badwater is one of the most appealing fictional characters I've ever met. In fact, all of the characters in THE BALLAD OF BILLY BADASS AND THE ROSE OF TURKESTAN are so fully realized that the book is replete with major characters and rich lives that continue well beyond the page. There are almost no minor characters because any character that comes under Sanders' skillful pen for a couple of sentences springs to life by such adept description and wise choice of detail as to defy understanding of quite how the hell Sanders manages to invest so much in each character time after time.

The book wove the seriousness of its subject matter brilliantly with generous, laugh-out-loud humor. Grandfather has to be the sweetest dead curmudgeon in all of literature. I'll never look at a crow again without wishing that Grandfather would suddenly say something insulting from the crow's beak and ride on my shoulder for a few sarcastic miles.

A wonderful romance takes place in the midst of intense action that keeps gathering momentum and doesn't let go of its grip on the reader as the story avalanches down an unearthly mountain of terror and something eerily vulnerable and wholly of this world while being altogether unworldly rises to battle the threat of chaos with the frailest and most potent of powers.

Best of all, even better than the fabulous characters, the heartwarming romance, a dead grandfather anyone would love to posthumously adopt, and a kickass plot, best of all is the overall sustained level of incredibly terrific writing. It would be a disservice to merely call William Sanders a great writer because he surely deserves the appellation of one of the world's greatest living writers. Grandfather, if looking over my shoulder, would dryly remark "One of the greatest, dead or alive, for that matter." And Grandfather knows his stuff.

I have read most of William Sanders books, and have enjoyed them all. The Ballad of Billy Badass and the Rose of Turkestan did not disappoint me one bit. This book should be on everyone's bookshelf, and in every public library.

No one writes about American Indians better than William Sanders--and that's because he is one, yes, yet it's also a credit to the power of his talent. Sanders proves that again with THE BALLAD OF BILLY BADASS AND THE ROSE OF TURKESTAN, a remarkable novel that effortlessly blends mystery, romance, humor, suspense and bone-chilling, supernatural horror.

Billy Badwater and Janna Turanova are the most unique and intriguing pair of lovers I've ever had the pleasure to spend time with. Life has been hard for both Billy and Janna; but no matter what life has been for any of the people in this story, all paths lead to the Nevada drylands, and the terror that has awakened there--and none who walk away will be untouched or unchanged, including those who read this novel.

Who are these people who must save the world, and therefore, save you and me? A Cherokee man of no ambition, recently discharged from the more shadowy regions of the U.S. Army, with a passion for big motorcycles and small, beautiful women; and a highly-educated, independent-minded, sweetly desperate woman already at war with the faceless governments who have poisoned the earth and victimized us all, regardless of where you live and who you believe you are.

Seamless prose, detailing so intricate it takes your breath away, and original, memorable characters are only some of the hallmarks of this wonderful book. I will especially never forget the craziest, zaniest, loveliest wedding; and THE best grandfather, either living or dead, whether a blue jay or a crow.

Let William Sanders take you on this extraordinary journey. He is a writer so gifted, wise, honest and brilliant it's a road you will always remember traveling.

Nasgi nusdi, as the Cherokee say: That's how it is.

Here, in this relatively obscure work, Thackeray is at his ironic and satiric best. Modern critics lightly dismiss the book as a piece of journalistic hack work, but it is much more than that. Redmond Barry, later Barry Lyndon, chronicles in a fairly sophistocated and always lighthearted manner his rise from a poor Irish country boy to the astral heights of polite English society from 1750-1820. Mr. Barry is always Machievellian in his way, and is quick and efficient with his sword. He is Odysseus, Holden Caulfield, Don Juan, and Nabokov's Humbert Humbert merged. In a word, he is very, very entertaining and very, very good. The book's only glaring flaw is it's belabored and uninspired ending. But it is much worth reading to watch Redmond Barry when young

When one is about to take the big plunge and give oneself the trouble of making what is always -in our age of lighter reading, of course - the strenuous effort of reading a XIXth. Century novelist, one - at least me - must make the following question: What was this author's particular attitude, as a man (or woman) of the most bourgeois of all centuries, towards his/her preceding century, the most aristocratic and un-bourgeois XVIIIth. Century? If s/he scorns the XVIIIth. Century, or is indifferent to it, it's quite likely that the author in question is a bourgeois philistine regarding Victorian times as the undisputed acme of human civilization. If s/he is an admirer, than s/he is obviously starting out of a clear sense of alienation from his/her own society, and one should expect at least for this XIXth. Century _avis rara_, genuine sense of humor. Thackeray was one of such Victorians who realized the philisteism of his own society;Eça de Queiroz, his Portuguese disciple (who seems to have learned a lot from reading him) was another. Therefore: Read this book, QED.

Having seen the movie "Barry Lyndon" by Stanley Kubrick years ago, I was taken aback by this book which is so markedly different than the 1975 film. In the book, Lord Bullingdon is actually the hero, where Kubrick presented him merely as a cowardly cad. Redmond Barry (later as Barry Lyndon)deserves all the evils that befall him and his first person narrative is quite humorous especially when blaming everyone for his own shortcomings. Unfortunately, the ending leaves one a bit unsatisfied, quite like the dismal end of Mr. Lyndon himself. This novel is not on the level of Thackeray's "Vanity Fair", but fun to read nonetheless.

Wonderful pictures with explanations put in simple language that is easy to understand.

This book is good for me.I'm a veterinary student,so this book enables to understnd a hematology easily.Especially,contrast a nomal state with an abnomal state is usaful.

This is another fine example of the output from ISU Press. Geared towared professionals, this exhaustive atlas is aided by a very professional index.

"Cowards die many times before their deaths. The valiant never taste of death but once." - Caesar

Just one of the many brilliant quotes from this powerful and enduring tragedy, which happens to be amongst my very favorite Shakespeare. How could anyone not enjoy Marc Antony swaying the weak-minded and feeble-minded plebians with his vibrant and rousing speech? Julius Caesar is unquestionably quintessential Shakespeare, a monumental work that perhaps is surpassed only by Hamlet and rivaled by Othello, Macbeth, Romeo & Juliet, & King Lear.

Julius Caesar teaches us about the dangers and pitfalls of ambition, jealousy, power, as well as the sacrifice for the greater good - even if it is another's life. Amongst the bood-thirsty traiotors, only Brutus genuinely believes in the assassination of Caesar for the greater good of the Republic. Julius Caesar galvanizes the brain and awakens the spirit from within with scenes such as when Marc Antony proclaims, "Cry Havoc and let slip the dogs of war."
Countless amounts of quotes and passages throughout the play rank among my favorite Shakespeare. Needless to say, this book should be on the bookshelf of any and all with any semblance of intellect and enough cultivation to appreciate such superb literature.

The modern perspective following the text enlightens and should be read by anyone seeking more knowledge about this amazing tragedy and time in history. An irrepressible 5 stars.

Julius Caesar is probably one of the better plays written by Shakespeare. This play if full of intrigue, action, betrayal, and emotion. This play is not very long (5 acts), which makes it a quick and exciting read. The characters are built nicely, and what is nice about this version of the book, is that it is easy to read, and any words that may be unfamiliar are defined on the opposite page, making it easy to look them up, and understand Shakespeare's difficult writing style. This is definately a play worth checking out. It's a fun read, and with plenty of helpful tools built in to help along the way.

Shakespeare gives a whole new face to history, transforming Caesar's assassination into a conspiracy, in which the conspirators have some reluctancy to join in. Brutus, for example, is deeply tormented, as Caesar is his friend and trusts him, but he is manipulated by Cassius, who makes Brutus believe that his duty to the people of Rome should be greater than friendship, and that the Romans want Caesar dead. The book is an exploration into the human psyche, and changing characters. I find it interesting that, though the play is called "Julius Caesar", its central character is Brutus, who has to deal with the guilt of betrayal versus what he feels is a duty to the people versus his love of Caesar. Intense, breathtaking, dramatic.

I read this book many years ago, and have been looking to read it again for quite some time.

The author tells a wonderful story, and has created an excellent alternate history in which the Confederacy won the Civil War and became a separate nation.

I recommend this book to any and all that are interested in alternate history.

Amos Ninekiller is from the semi-independent Native American nation in a North America in which the Confederacy won its independence. He is an aviator during World War I.

The novel never goes deeply into the alternate history (a strength), and is entertaining. At times it's funny. If only as a view of early aviation, it's a worthwhile read.

A classic work of alternate history by award winning author William Sanders is back in print.

THE WILD BLUE AND THE GRAY follows Amos Ninekiller of the Cherokee Flying Corps through his experiences with the Confederate Expeditionary Force in France, 1916. As always with Sanders the historical and technical background is impeccable and the story is told with a sense of humor that never quite goes away even as the war becomes more hard fought and grim. WBG brings you back to the early days of aerial combat, when men fought each other in planes that were insanely dangerous to fly even under the best conditions, and shows the toll that war took on the men who fought it.

WBG is a great read as a straight ahead adventure, and is also a strong story of culture clash and the changing face of warfare and society in an alternate WWI. Anyone who is interested in alternate history, what it was like to fly and fight in an open cockpit plane, or just a damn good story should give THE WILD BLUE AND THE GRAY a read.

Shakespeare's Othello is an interesting and dramatic tragedy. If you like imagery and irony, you will like Othello. Shakespeare uses the power of imagery skillfully to develop themes throughout the play. For example, recurring animal imagery is used to sharpen the contrast between people and beasts, showing how Iago and Othello begin to act more like beasts than human beings. Irony also adds much to the plot of Othello to make it interesting and exciting for the reader. Much of the irony used is dramatic irony because the reader knows of Iago's plot, while the characters in the play have no idea what is about to unfold. The relationship between men and women in Othello is another aspect of the play that makes it interesting to read. Iago's wife Emilia, for example, is very cynical towards men, probably from years of living with Iago. Othello and Desdemona's relationship is also intriguing. In the beginning of the play, Othello and Desdemona are seemingly deeply in love with each other. Othello, however, is rather easily convinced that his wife is cheating on him and becomes angry to the point where he cannot forgive Desdemona. He decides to kill her. As she is being murdered, Desdemona tries to protect her husband's innocence in her own murder. Another interesting aspect of the play which makes it stand out from other Shakespearean plays is the race of the main character. Othello is black and a Moor, or Muslim. This fact brings up issues to be explored in the play. Shakespeare shows the characters being separated not only by status and rank but also by their place of origin and their religion. Overall, Shakespeare's Othello is dramatic, well-written, and thoroughly explores how evil a human being can become.

Othello relects the true meaning of a tragedy both in its content and its structure.Tragedy is 'a story of exceptional calamity produced by human actions, leading to the death of a man in high estate.'The downfall of Othello is caused by his own actions, rather than by his character, or rather the two work in unison to create the stage for his downfall.
This is what captured my attention when I read this play.It is very profound to realize the fact that Shakespeare uses Iago to set this stage on which Othello is a mere player.
I love the character of Iago. His total confidence, the superiority that he feels when psychoanalysing human nature, his rational thinking and intellectualism sways the reader to think: 'Wow, this is a compelling and sophisticated man we're dealing with here!'
However, my admiration of Iago does not in anyway undermine my love of Othello. His poetic and calm demeanor makes the reader feel the pity and terror for him when he falls from grace (catharsis). Yet, we are made to understand that the reason why he is made to appear a gullible and ignorant fool to some readers is that he does not have any knowledge of a delicate, domesticated life. Venetian women were foreign to him. This tragic flaw in Othello added to the circumstances used by Iago to destroy him.
The meaning, and hence the tragedy of the play is conveyed through the use of Shakespeare's language, style, literary devices and imagery. Without these dramatic effects, readers would never be able to enjoy the play as much, although the dialogue is at times difficult to decipher.
I thoroughly enjoyed Othello and it is my hope that more people find it enticing as I have. I would be delighted to contribute more of my reviews to that effect.

As a play, "Othello" encompasses many things but more than anything else it is a study of pure evil. Although Othello is an accomplished professional soldier and a hero of sorts, he is also a minority and an outcast in many ways. As a Black man and a Moor (which means he's a Moslem), Othello has at least two qualities, which make him stand out in the Elizabethan world. He is also married to a Caucasian woman named Desdemona, which creates an undercurrent of hostility as evidenced by the derogatory remark "the ram hath topped the ewe".

Othello's problems begin when he promotes one of his soldiers, Michael Cassio as his lieutenant. This arouses the jealousy and hatred of one of his other soldiers, Iago who hatches a plot to destroy Othello and Michael Cassio. When Cassio injures an opponent in a fight he is rebuked, punished, and subsequently ignored by Othello who must discipline him and teach him a lesson. Iago convinces Desdemona to intervene on Cassio's behalf and then begins to convince Othello that Desdemona is in love with Cassio.

This is actually one of the most difficult Shakespeare plays to watch because the audience sees the plot begin to unfold and is tormented by Othello's gradual decent into Iago's trap. As with other Shakespeare plays, the critical components of this one are revealed by language. When Othello is eventually convinced of Cassio's treachery, he condemns him and promotes Iago in his place. When Othello tells Iago that he has made him his lieutenant, Iago responds with the chilling line, "I am thine forever". To Othello this is a simple affirmation of loyalty, but to the audience, this phrase contains a double meaning. With these words, Iago indicates that the promotion does not provide him with sufficient satisfaction and that he will continue to torment and destroy Othello. It is his murderous intentions, not his loyal service that will be with Othello forever.

Iago's promotion provides him with closer proximity to Othello and provides him with more of his victim's trust. From here Iago is easily able to persuade Othello of Desdemona's purported infidelity. Soon Othello begins to confront Desdemona who naturally protests her innocence. In another revealing statement, Othello demands that Desdemona give him "the ocular proof". Like Iago's earlier statement, this one contains a double meaning that is not apparent to the recipient but that is very clear to the audience who understands the true origin of Othello's jealousy. Othello's jealousy is an invisible enemy and it is also based on events that never took place. How can Desdemona give Othello visual evidence of her innocence if her guilt is predicated on accusations that have no true shape or form? She can't. Othello is asking Desdemona to do the impossible, which means that her subsequent murder is only a matter of course.

I know that to a lot of young people this play must seem dreadfully boring and meaningless. One thing you can keep in mind is that the audience in Shakespeare's time did not have the benefit of cool things such as movies, and videos. The downside of this is that Shakespeare's plays are not visually stimulating to an audience accustomed to today's entertainment media. But the upside is that since Shakespeare had to tell a complex story with simple tools, he relied heavily on an imaginative use of language and symbols. Think of what it meant to an all White audience in a very prejudiced time to have a Black man at the center of a play. That character really stood out-almost like an island. He was vulnerable and exposed to attitudes that he could not perceive directly but which he must have sensed in some way.

Shakespeare set this play in two locations, Italy and Cypress. To an Elizabethan audience, Italy represented an exotic place that was the crossroads of many different civilizations. It was the one place where a Black man could conceivably hold a position of authority. Remember that Othello is a mercenary leader. He doesn't command a standing army and doesn't belong to any country. He is referred to as "the Moor" which means he could be from any part of the Arab world from Southern Spain to Indonesia. He has no institutional or national identity but is almost referred to as a phenomenon. (For all the criticism he has received in this department, Shakespeare was extrordinarlily attuned to racism and in this sense he was well ahead of his time.) Othello's subsequent commission as the Military Governor of Cypress dispatches him to an even more remote and isolated location. The man who stands out like an island is sent to an island. His exposure and vulnerability are doubled just as a jealous and murderous psychopath decides to destroy him.

Iago is probably the only one of Shakespeare's villains who is evil in a clinical sense rather than a human one. In Kind Lear, Edmund the bastard hatches a murderous plot out of jealousy that is similar to Iago's. But unlike Iago, he expresses remorse and attempts some form of restitution at the end of the play. In the Histories, characters like Richard III behave in a murderous fashion, but within the extreme, political environment in which they operate, we can understand their motives even if we don't agree with them. Iago, however, is a different animal. His motives are understandable up to the point in which he destroys Michael Cassio but then they spin off into an inexplicable orbit of their own. Some have suggested that Iago is sexually attracted to Othello, which (if its true) adds another meaning to the phrase "I am thine forever". But even if we buy the argument that Iago is a murderous homosexual, this still doesn't explain why he must destroy Othello. Oscar Wilde once wrote very beautifully of the destructive impact a person can willfully or unwittingly have on a lover ("for each man kills the things he loves") but this is not born out in the play. Instead, Shakespeare introduces us to a new literary character-a person motivated by inexplicable evil that is an entity in itself. One of the great ironies of this play is that Othello is a character of tragically visible proportions while Iago is one with lethally invisible ones.

I thought that this was a great book and I like Sander's approach to the topic. The last few chapters I enjoyed the most as you learn how to integrate JavaScript with back end code and also Flash, showing how JavaScript integrates with larger projects.

The downside is that I will probably have to read it again to really undestand parts of the book. The pace is kind of odd, one minute it is dragging and the next your head is spinning.

Overall I think this is one of the better books covering JavaScript. I would like to see another one that goes into more depth on ways of integrating backend and front end code.

What's really nice about this book is how everything builds upon previous chapters. The book walks you through each aspect of Javascript with a combination of code and dialogue that keeps you both engaged and actively learning. I have in fact just completed a course that built upon the foundations of HTML and Javascript and I felt after reading this book certain concepts I did not understand from the class, now make much more sense. Sanders does in this book what he does best and that is educate. Some may feel that this is similar to course notes but to be real honest, this book is about one thing, and that is gaining a true understanding of programming language Javascript. A real treat comes in the third part of the book that incorporates Javascript with other backend programming languages such as ASP and PHP. Many times as a web designer you are caught in situations that requires a form being verified, data being sent to a database, etc etc, and this book demonstrates the ease of incorporating Javascript with backend languages. If you want to really learn Javascript for practical use then this is the book to get!

Excellent book for now-a-days,it covers all kind of language with JavaScript.The book starts with basics of Javascript that is jump start,dealing with data, variables, operators, expressions, functions.And chapter by chapter it deeps into more and more detail, like Javascript OOP and DOM, Frames, Event Handlers, Forms, DHTML, Cookie. And finally it deals with other languages like PHP,ASP,CGI,Perl,XML,Flash and Applet.
Book is nicely organized, easy to read and understand, colorfull code and body, and has lots of examples.
I will sure recommend this book for web master, developer, designer.