Damien Hirst by Gordon Burn

‘On the Way to Work’ is many things.
It is a collection of conversations between Burn and Hirst. The conversations range from Hirst’s love for Francis Bacon, to grumblings on his dealings with the media.
But perhaps most importantly, ‘On the Way to Work’ is Hirst’s manifesto. It is an insight into how he views his own art.
This book is a great buy. If you are interested in Hirst, this book is essential.

(For those looking for a book that showcases Hirst’s art, I would recommend the fantastic: ‘I want to spend the rest of my life everywhere…’ )

I Want to Spend the Rest of My Life Everywhere, with Everyone, One to One, Always, Forever, Now by Damien Hirst

What a tour de force! This is one of the most beautifully designed books money can buy. Jonathan Barnbrook created (together with Damien Hirst) a timeless masterpiece of book design. If you want to see what is possible in this medium, you want to own this book. It is hauntingly beautiful, filled with amazing interactive pieces bringing you as close to Hirst’s thinking and work as printed matter can get you.

What you are about to experience is a superbly intelligent visual introduction ot Hirst’s process united with breathtaking depictions of the results.

A tiny note for the “practical book-user”: This book is a work of Damien Hirst’s. In such a publication one should not be surprised to find “safety guidlines” on how to successfully “deal with one’s own life” - by using a gun. Gun owners might think twice before showing this book to their loved ones. Yet that’s another story. Or maybe not, from Hirst’s point of view? :*)

Superstition by Damien Hirst

Damien Hirst is one of the most creative and influential contemporary artists. This is a wonderful book that examines the whole of Damien Hirst’s career and all of his beautifully shcoking ideas. This book itself is an amazing work of art. It contains not only many wonderful full color panels, but it has all kinds of extremely interesting interactive pages that mimic some of Hirst’s work. I highly suggest this wonderful book that does justice to this incredible artist.

For the Love of God: The Making of the Diamond Skull by Damien Hirst

I was fascinated by photos I’d see of the skull and bought this book because it was supposed to describe the creation of the incredible work of art.

This book spends a majority of it’s time on the age, shape, condition, teeth, and place of origin… OF THE REAL SKULL… not the jeweled creation. The discussion of diamonds is basically some drawn diagrams that explores the atom structure of diamonds. Who cares about atom structure?

There are a few great photos of the final creation, but nothing about the actual work that took place to create a platinum skull, setting the diamonds, etc.

Sorry to say this, but I recommend that you pass on this book.

From the Cradle to the Grave: Selected Drawings by Damien Hirst

The drawings are complemented by a selection of thumbnail photographs of finished sculptures and paintings. Accompanying essays by well-known writers Annuska Shani and A. A. Gill help the reader make connections between the drawings and Hirst’s other works of art. Exquisitely produced using a six-color printing process, From the Cradle to the Grave illuminates how Hirst’s compelling drawings were conceived and shows us the vitality behind their creation. AUTHOR BIO: Damien Hirst was born in Bristol and studied fine art at Goldsmiths College in London. In 1995, he won the prestigious Turner Prize. He has had recent solo exhibitions at the White Cube, London; the Marble Palace, Russia; Saatchi Gallery, London; Gagosian Gallery, New York; and Tate Gallery, London.

Blimey!: From Bohemia to Britpop : The London Artworld from Francis Bacon to Damien Hirst by Matthew Collings and Matthew Collins

I recommend this for the photos, almost completely. And I do not mean the cover photo where the author, Matthew Collings, has chosen to put a huge picture of himself with an eye-trapping bullseye painting behind his head. This mystified me, till I read the incredibly disorganized, ungrammatical account Collings writes, really more of a reminiscence than a history. Along the way he attacks the brilliant R.B. Kitaj and the rest of the School of London(including those such as Bacon and Freud) as “a bunch of oldsters exhibiting their charcoal life drawings and stuff.” Incisive commentary that. Collings must make Robert Hughes tremble. Basically this is one huge self-promotional book, but generously illustrated with works of Damien Hirst, Chris Ofili, Tracey Emin and others from the infamous and brilliant SENSATION show, and contains, in spite of its obnoxiously chatty style, many interesting anecdotes about the London art world. One can almost piece it together despite the annoying narrator. The current London art scene is beautifully dangerous and the SENSATION Show(and I hope its catalog goes into print in the US soon)may be, in the end, as influential as the 1913 Armory Show, so it deserves study. Art needed back some kind of edge. The book is an OK intro to the subject and the photos alone justify purchase.

My only other complaint is the constant recurrence of those completely nightmarish perversions of conceptual art, the “living sculptures”(or charlatans, as I like to call them) Gilbert and George, laced oddly throughout the book for no apparent reason. What do they do? In a nutshell, they go about and place themselves in context, in photos or live. Why they think they’re interesting wherever they’re placed, or make a place interesting by their presence, is beyond me, but they’ve apparently made a great deal of loot from this. Go figure. John Roberson

How to Repair Briggs and Stratton Engines, 4th Ed. by Paul Stephen Dempsey

Tinkering with old Briggs engines is fun and I’ve saved dozens from the dump over the years. This book is better than some I have read, but it’s no substitute for the factory manuals for a specific engine or engine series. It does have some information the factory books don’t, such as ways to get around needing some of the tools-although Briggs tools are not terribly expensive and are readily available.

This book is best used in addition rather than as a substitute for the factory data. Judging from other TAB titles, it could definitely been worse.

I believe that this book will be a great book. I am having trouble with my engine and i would like to read this and figure out my problems. I can’t wait to get it.

Small Engine Care & Repair: A step-by-step guide to maintaining your small engine (Briggs & Stratton) by Briggs & Stratton and Daniel London

This is a great reference for care and servicing of small B&S lawn mower engines. Contains countless photos with illustrations and some tables, but mostly a lot of color photos. Contains chapters entitled “Maintenance”, “Basic Repair”, and “Advanced Repair”. “Maintenance” includes servicing spark plugs and air cleaners. “Basic Repair” includes troubleshooting, adjusting the carburetor, and replacing the rewind. “Advanced Repair” includes overhauling the carburetor, replacing the ignition, removing cylinder head carbon deposits, servicing the valves, and servicing the engine brake. The book does not cover overhauling the engine, but is a great reference for lawn mower owners who want to do their own maintenance.

The Legend of Briggs & Stratton by Jeffrey L. Rodengen

This book is very interesting if you have any interest at all in the history and the making of Briggs and Stratton. The book has a lot of coverage of the pre-war engines as well as new.

Flywheel by Eric Wilson and Alex Kendrick and Stephen Kendrick

Jay Austin is a master used car salesman and knows every trick in the book when it comes to overselling and cheating customers. He has made a career out of deception and has even taught his employees the art of the deal. However, things begin to change when Jay buys a 1958 Triumph TR3A and begins to work on it. It seems the Triumph needs a new flywheel in order for the engine to run. Without the crucial part, the car is going nowhere.

As things begin to unravel in Jay’s personal life he starts to wonder where it all went wrong. His relationship with his son is lacking at best. He and his wife Judy are expecting their second child, yet it seems the spark in their marriage has gone out. To top it all off, his dealership is going under and no amount of dishonest deals will be able to save it. As Jay steps back and looks closely at his life he realizes that like the Triumph, he too needs a major renovation inside. For far too long he has done things his way and has ended up nowhere. With determination in his gut and a new found faith in his heart, Jay decides once and for all to give all areas of his life fully to God. What happens next will forever change Jay and impact not only his family, but his community as well.

Eric Wilson and the Kendrick Brothers have teamed up once again to create an inspiring story that will resonate with readers long after the last line. Alex and Stephen Kendrick are best known for their movie Facing The Giants, a successful Christian film about a high school football team that decides to let God lead their season. Flywheel was the first movie they made, and just like with Facing The Giants, Eric Wilson was later brought on board to write the novelization. Something tells me Alex and Stephen couldn’t be happier with this genius move.

Eric Wilson is certainly known more for his edgy suspenseful thrillers, but with Facing the Giants and Flywheel he has revealed another side to his writing that is every bit as enjoyable. Jay Austin is a flawed, yet endearing character that I was rooting for from page one. Many fathers will find themselves relating to the numerous struggles and spiritual triumphs he faces throughout the novel. Wilson treats us not only with strong characters, but a tight storyline that never loses steam or direction. We are beautifully reminded that God wants to be involved in every aspect of our lives: family, relationships, and even business. When we do truly live for Him, He will work in ways we could never have imagined.

It was recently announced that Eric Wilson will be writing the novel for the upcoming Kendrick Brothers film, Fireproof. No doubt this will be another amazing collaboration effort. Eric Wilson consistently churns out riveting fiction and finally more and more people are starting to notice. Very few writers have the ability to keep you glued to your seat while at the same time opening your eyes to spiritual truth in such an effective manor. There is no better time than now to discover this incredible writing talent. After the upcoming Jerusalem’s Undead Trilogy many will be asking themselves why they’ve never read this guy before. Do yourself a favor and don’t be late to the party.

Flywheel, Shyster and Flywheel by Mike Barson

My proposal for a better world: make a package of this book together with Gideons’Bible and stick it onto hotel drawers everywhere in the planet! No wonder this is the surviving marxism, the ideology and enchantment of insulting boredom and its favorite characters. The book’s a gem, a nugget. No wonder, too, it is rare and shaped to match the conoisseurs. Waldorf Tecumseh Flywheel and Emmanuel Ravelli are but the finest profiles of the western finest comedy tradition, navigating from naïve and deliciously childish circumstances up to blasting chaotic humor inferno. This is a book to taste like the best wines: one entire case at the time and with no hang overs…never ever! Groucho and Ravelli are stowaways as the ship arrives in New York. They were caught by the Captain but are confounded with a famous adventurer, Sir Roderick by an unaware airheaded socialite (they’ve had stollen Roderick’s luggage and his name was printed on the tags). As the captain wanted to apologyse he says:

Cap - Pardon me…. Groucho - Now what are you going to beef about, captain? Cap - I want to apologyze, sir. I had no idea you were Sir Roderick Mortimer, the explorer. Groucho - Well, it came as a surprise to me, too.

Build Your Own Electric Vehicle by Bob Brant

No matter if you just want to learn a little more about EV technology or consideting to build your own Electric Car, this book will give you a wealth of information on all sorts of EV related topics. The book starts with EV history, then goes into EV practicality, then onto currently (well in 80’s) available off the shelf technology, vehicle design, physics and aero dynamic principles and finally you get a walk through an actual EV conversion process. I like this book for the way it’s formed and the way it flows. The author writes in plain language with plenty of advise and tips. Everything is simple, just like an EV is such a simple machine at it’s core. After reading this book, you will get a clear picture where technology stands with EVs, why Internal combustion engine dominated our means of transport and finally how to desing and construct your own EV. Overall great book. One drawback however, this book is written in 80′ and has a lot of hopes in it, which is sad to read at times. Like when author talks about newly developed prototype of GM Impact (later renamed EV1) the author puts high hopes for this progect, yet we all know what happened to this effort. You will want to read “Convert it” by Michael Brown after reading this book.

Machinery’s Handbook Toolbox Edition (Machinery’s Handbook) by Oberg, Jones, Horton, and and Ryffel

it’s all you need, the best in it’s class. There is a little bit of everything inside…bible of engineering

Best Damn Garage in Town: My Life & Adventures by Smokey Yunick

Being a longtime fan of racing and interested in the history of the sport, I expected this book to give readers a glimpse behind the scenes from one of it’s most legendary and colorful characters. It exceeded any of my expectations. As noted in other reviews, the story is told first hand as if you were sitting and talking to Smokey, language and all. Not a drawback in my opinion but consider yourself warned.

The book begins from Smokey’s childhood and moves quickly through his bomber runs in WWII. Some of the most insightful war stories I’ve ever read! Then it’s of to Daytona Beach and the establishment of the Best Damn Garage in Town. During this timeframe Smokey gets involved with NASCAR, the France family and the car manufacturers. It’s refreshing to finally read stories about NASCAR that have not been censored in any way and are being told by somebody who was actually there. Smokey was very opinionated but 99% of the time he’s right. Especially in aspects relating to safety.

One very interesting chapter is devoted to the 50 or so drivers who drove for him, both in NASCAR and Indy. These included some of the biggest names in racing during this timeframe. A tremendous amount of information is passed along about the drivers, some good and some I’m sure they wished Smokey would have kept quiet about. All in all a great chapter.

From there it’s on to the Indy 500. This was during the glory days of the Indy 500 when creativity and a skinny rule book led to some of the most interesting racecars Indy has ever seen. Obviously, this was right up Smokey’s alley. Let’s just say that Smokey’s Indy exploits, both on and off the track, could have comprised an entire second book. I especially enjoyed his thoughts on returning Indy to it’s previous glory.

The final section is devoted to his inventions. You’d better be fairly technical to understand it but the stories still carry it.

One ongoing theme throughout the book is Smokey’s relationship with the auto manufacturers. Not just with low end engineers, he was rubbing elbows with the heads of GM and Ford. A pleasant surprise was the insight into the auto industry as it existed during the time.

All in all a very good book. Yes, it tends to be repetitve at times and Smokey’s style takes some getting used to but the content more than makes up for it.

Racing’s history is slowly disappearing as the old timers leave us but at least one of them put his thoughts down on paper before he passed on. Racing lost one of it’s most colorul characters in 2001 but his legacy lives on in this book.

Miniature Internal Combustion Engines by Malcolm Stride

Miniature Internal Combustion Engines is as good as I expected. The author combines basic information about ICE engines that would make the book useful for a newcomer (maybe a young adult with an interest in engines) with clear descriptions and instructions for constructing them. That is, it is useful for someone who is a fair way down the track in model engineering. It assumes a reasonable knowledge of workshop practice, but that’s fair enough for its target market. It deals with an old fashioned hobby, but doesn’t ignore the possubility of using new technology (CAD design and CNC milling). Altogether a great little book that I have found hard to put down.

How to Restore Your Harley-Davidson Motorcycle (Motorbooks Workshop) by Bruce Palmer

Palmer’s book has revolutionized Harley-Davidson restoration. Information that was once the province of a few real experts and many would be experts, obfuscated by lots of opinions, myths, and flawed memory masquerading as facts, is now available to anyone who buys the book. Palmer did a good job of using available resources to assemble, in excruciating detail, the data necessary to build these motorcycles as the consensus of the sources he consulted says they were supposed to be when they rolled off the factory’s assembly line. That consensus was not always easy to reach, because, for example, the manufacturer itself used retouched photos of older models to introduce new models, and followed various other practices such as running changes, recalls, and using parts inventory from one model year into the next, that make it difficult to know, today, what was “correct” in 1938. Palmer takes us into the world defined by that level of “correctness” that demands that this manufactured product from days gone by be exactly as it was at the point of origin. We can now “know,” through his book, what is “correct.” More of us can be knowledgeable about the number of cooling fins on a UL cylinder, or the color, width, and placement of pinstriping, or the fact that fender trim for a particular year is polished stainless, not chrome. This is a book about building your bike to original factory specs, and it is the best available for that purpose.

Of course, if you follow this book to its logical conclusion and build a correct motorcycle, don’t expect to ride it. It will have decades old tires both too valuable and too aged to ride. You won’t want to run it on pump gas, because it needs lead. Taking it out on the road might ding the paint, blue the exhaust, or demonstrate that your assembly procedures weren’t quite up to snuff by identifying all of the points where oil can escape. Palmer’s approach to the topic seems to hold that these old bikes are artifacts, not transportation. He has affirmed and strengthened a subculture within motorcycling that elevates the machine over the ride. It will be interesting to see if others, such as Kirk Perry’s “Mechanics & Owners Guide to 1941-1959 Harley-Davidson O.H.V. Big Twins” will reinforce the ranks of folks who actually want to ride these old hogs.

1983 Knight Rider KITT diecast model car 1:18 scale die cast by Ertl by Ertl

If you are a fan of the Knight Rider tv series back in the 80s, you will know what this car is… I have been waiting for it to come in this scale (1/18) for 10 years.. It has finally been produced!!! Got it back in November last year when it was first released..And boy was I happy when it arrived at my doorstep…

This model is very detailed except fot the wrong coloured orange foglights on the front.. They are suppose to be white like the rest.. Other than that, this model is the best to represent KITT.. Detailed dashboards, removable t-tops, working scanner light, ejector seat and a working grappling hook on the front. Be careful though not to overpull it as it could get jammed.. Also comes with opening doors, hood and trunk..

Highly recommended only for serious collectors and fans of the series!!!

This is likely the best book i’ve read in the last several years. One of those books where you are outraged, depressed, crying, screaming and laughing at the same time, one of those books you wait for all day until you can sit down with it again. At least the first half of the book… the second half wasn’t quite as powerful for me, but still wonderful. I understand how someone might think this view of compassion “wimpy” and “same old same old” But it really is a way beyond despair and rage, a way of protesting evil without letting it consume you. It’s not about forgiveness, It’s about power and action.

The author attempts to confront her rape, beating, and abuse by men in her life but she avoids her own anger and rage about the male violence perpetrated onto her. She remains the “good girl” and subsumes her anger into a semantic term “fierce” compassion. The title of the book is rather “nice girl forgives once again”. Except now she learned from her male roshies that growing up to womanhood means we no longer need to be silent provided we forgive. And since we are not compassionate enough to kill all violent males, we cannot do much more than laugh at our own anger. What’s so fierce or compassionate about that!

Olga Kurylenko is new Bond girl

Miss Kurylenko, recently seen opposite Timothy Olyphant in video game spin-off Hitman, will star as the ‘dangerously alluring’ Camille

I am never had a problem with nudity, if they want strip me for Bond, thats fine said Olga Kyrelenko for Maxim

audiobookss.com

I usually like Carla Neggers books, but this one was really a disappointment.
When Quinn Harlowe’s friend Alicia Miller comes to her to talk, she makes no sense. Thinking she is having a breakdown, Quinn is worried when Alicia runs away and disappears.
Returning to Breakwater and to her cottage that Quinn lets Alicia use for the weekends, she finds Alicia dead.
Enter Huck McCabe, undercover agent working for Breakwater Securities, he hears Quinn scream and goes to her to find her standing over her dead friend.
Thinking Huck is a decent guy she lets him help her, but then she finds out is working for a security company that may be Violent vigilantes.
Trying to find the reason her friend is dead and also not caring that she is insulting the people at Breakwater securities, her life becomes in danger.
I read 300 pages in this book before anything really exciting starts to happen, and there are only 376 pages in the book.
I found myself skipping paragraphs, skimming pages just to get through the book.
There were too many references to Breakwater may be doing something illegal, what could it be. What happened to her friend, and why.
It took the author until the end of the book to even bring out any action, and then the story was over.
The cover of the book was really deceiving, after you read the contents.
I am glad I did not pay full price for this book, it was boring and drug out too much.

http://rapidshare.com/files/143392236/Bre__akw_-_ater.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/143400604/Bre__akw_-_ater.part2.rar
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http://rapidshare.com/files/143435322/Bre__akw_-_ater.part6.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/143435779/Bre__akw_-_ater.part7.rar

Password:MJAG23

Bird Songs: 250 North American Birds in Song by Les Beletsky and Jon L. Dunn

Instructions for the digital player are located in the back of the book. Push the “play” button to turn the player on, then scroll forward or backward to locate the number of the call you seek. Push “play” to hear the vocalization. The call or song will repeat 3 times. You have to scroll through the numbers to reach the one you want, but it goes quickly if you hold the back/forward button down. One song or call is featured for each bird. I might have preferred that the book cover less ground but include several vocalizations for each bird, as the one it features is seldom the one I hear. There are 7 levels of volume adjustment. You’ll want one of the lower levels. The player automatically turns off if it hasn’t been used in 30 seconds, to extend battery life. It requires 3 AAA batteries, which are included.

The index is a frustrating fault. Birds are listed alphabetically by common name, not organized or cross-referenced by family. So in order to find a chickadee, for example, you have to look for “Black-capped Chickadee” or “Boreal Chickadee”. You must know the precise common name of the bird in order to find it. The index is in small, wispy font that is difficult to read. And it only provides page numbers, not song numbers, so you must go to the page to get the song number, necessitating a lot of flipping back and forth. I see no reason why the birds could not also be listed by family and the song numbers included. “Bird Songs” is a reference book, so its usefulness depends a lot upon the reader’s ability to locate information easily. Unfortunately, that’s where this book falls down.

Attracting Birds to Your Backyard: 536 Ways to Create a Haven for Your Favorite Birds by Sally Roth

I just bought a home in the winter and have since become VERY interested not only in the birds that inhabit the woods in my back yard, but in attracting more birds through the use of feeders, baths, and gardening techniques. I picked this book up on a whim in Cracker Barrel and I’m SO glad I did! This publication offers great pictures and diagrams, specific (both complicated and extremely easy) garden designs for attracting birds, tips for providing nutrition for your visiting birds on a seasonal basis, notes on habitats and flight patterns, even tips for keeping the little guys & gals from bashing into sliding doors and large windows! Ms. Roth also offers personal and very interesting anecdotes from people in all stages of gardening/birding.

Roth’s Book would make a fantastic gift for a beginning or avid gardener/birder of nearly any age! If you live at home, close home, or if you call your Mom every day to tell her about your birdie friends, as I do, consider giving this book to Mom as a “something we can enjoy together” gift!

Birds of Northern South America: An Identification Guide, Volume 2: Plates and Maps by Robin Restall, Clemencia Rodner, and Miguel Lentino

This work is an exemplary achievement. Seldom have I seen such a beautifully illustrated guide that makes me want to jump up and down with enthusiasm. Not only are all the birds illustrated hansomely and meticulously illustrated, but multiple plumage variations are depicted full scale along side and juvenile plumages are also depicted. Also migrants from North America are given equal standing with the residents, and not shunted to the back of the book or illustrated in black and white. One of my biggest criticisms of many other guides is that they employ multiple illustrators with varying degrees of competency. Having one illustrator is an advantage, and one like Robin Redstall who knows and loves the birds he depicts is the best kind. This book is the next best thing to having private access to a great research collection!

Little John tricked the Sheriff of Nottingham into coming to dinner with Robin Hood. Before he left, they made him swear an oath never to harm them. In this story, the Sheriff decides to send Robin an invitation he cannot refuse. He holds an archery contest - and the prize is a golden arrow. He feels certain that the outlaw will not be able to resist taking part.

http://media.libsyn.com/media/blogrelations/goldenarrow.mp3

I’ve told you before how Robin Hood once tricked the Sheriff of Nottingham into coming to dinner with him in Greenwood. At the end of the Dinner Robin forced the Sheriff to swear an oath never to harm Robin or his men. In this story, we shall hear if the Sheriff was true to his word.

The Sheriff of Nottingham did not forget how Robin Hood had invited him to dinner under the trees of Greenwood.

Some time after that memorable dinner, the Sheriff was drinking ale with his friend the Abbott. .

‘Let no one say that I am an ill-mannered man, he mused. ‘One favour deserves another. It is time for me to return an invitation to Robin Hood and pay his hospitality back in kind.’

The Abbott shook his head:

‘The outlaw has not remained at large for so long by being a simpleton. I do not think that he will walk so easily into your hospitable trap.’

The Sheriff smiled over the top of his tankard of frothy brown ale and the Abbott realised by the self-satisfied curl of his friend’s upper lip that the sheriff was confident of his plan.

‘My dear Abbott,’ said the Sherrif. ‘You are right to say that we are facing no straight-forward villain. I do not have in mind a polite note addressed to Robin Hood in his robber’s layer in Greenwood. I have a more subtle plan. But he shall prove unable to resist my invitation to the gallows - all the more because I shall send it indirectly.’

The Sheriff’s plan came quite naturally to him. Like most men, he loved to watch a good sporting contest. And in those days the most popular sport in England was archery. Everyone knew that the title for the finest archer in all the North of England belonged by right to Robin Hood. The Sheriff decided to give the outlaw a chance to claim his title. He ordered that on a certain day an archery contest would be held on the field outside the city walls. The trophy was to be a arrow, the like of which had not been seen in England. Its shaft was made of white gold, and it was tipped and feathered with yellow gold.

When Robin heard news of the contest, he thought what a fine thing it would be to claim the prize from the hand of the Sheriff himself. The very idea made him chuckle, for all the people of Nottingham would see how their chief law keeper was powerless to arrest the county’s most notorious outlaw.

Robin blew his horn to call his followers to meet around the oldest Yew Tree in Greenwood. He spoke to his faithful outlaws like this:

‘Men. In a week’s time we shall go to Nottingham and take part in the Sheriff’s own shooting match, for I crave to bring the golden arrow back to Greenwood.’

The outlaws were far from over-joyed to hear this plan, for in their hearts, they thought it was perhaps a little too bold.

‘Have no fear,’ said Robin, ‘For the Sheriff stood under this very Yew Tree and swore an oath by St. Mary that he would never do us any harm.’

To this, Little John added: ‘Aye that he did, and in a week’s time we shall discover if the Sheriff is a man of his word.’

On the day of the contest Robin and over 100 of his men gathered on the field of the contest. Robin ordered that just he and the five best shots in his band would take part in the match. The others were to crowd round them, so that Robin would not be recognised until he stepped forward to aim at the target. For more disguise, he wore a hood over his head.

Little John, Much the Miller’s Son, and Will Scarlet each stepped forward in turn to aim their long bows. Their aims were good and true. Then it was the turn of Robin. The Sheriff was watching from his chair, and he recognised the villain right away, not from his face which he could not see, but from the way he walked. He said to himself:

‘Soon Robin Hood will take his prize, and I shall have mine.’

Posts driven into a mounds of earth served as the targets, and Robin split furthest post with his arrow. Nobody else could strike true from such a great distance.

At the end of the contest, Robin approached the sheriff to claim his prize. He accepted the golden arrow and held it above his head. The word had got round that the victor was none other than the most notorious outlaw in the North of England. Some people in the crowd cheered, others jeered, and still more kept quite, for they did not dare to show their support or opposition for the Sheriff’s deadliest enemy.

While Robin was still holding up the prize, a horn sounded and the sheriff’s men began to rush at Robin. The outlaws of Greenwood were ready for treachery such as this, and held their long bows bent and ready to fire. They shot their into the sheriff’s men, and many of them fell dead. Then arrows began to fly in both directions and most of the crowd - those who did not care to join in the fight on either side - ran for the city gates.

A great many arrows were let loose, a great many tunics were split, and a great many men received wounds. An arrow struck Little John in the knee, and he was unable to stay standing.

‘Robin,’ he called out. ‘If I have served you well and true, do not let me fall into the hands of the sheriff while I am still breathing. Take my broad sword and strike me on the head. Cut me deep and wide until no life is left in me.’

But Robin replied: ‘I would not let you be slain for all the gold in England, even though it were laid out before me.’

And Much the Miller’s son added’ ‘God Forbid that we shall be parted’. And he took Little John up on his back, and walked with him a mile, although he put him down every now and then to loose some arrows from his bow. All Robin Hood’s men were retreating now. They fought their way to the Castle of the good knight whom Robin had helped when he was down on his luck. It was a strong building, with a double moat and high walls. Once the whole band of outlaws were inside, the Knight ordered his guards to rise the draw bridge and shut all the gates.

The Sheriff’s men surrounded the Castle, but they were not strong enough to break their way in, and the Knight welcomed his old friend.

‘Dear Robin. Of all the men in the world, I love you most. You shall stay safe in my castle and let the Sheriff lay siege to us if he wishes. We have enough food and drink not just to survive for 40 days, but to feast upon.’

After a while the Sheriff himself came up the gate carrying the white flag of truce, for he wished to negotiate. The knight stood on the walls to hear what he had to say:

‘Good Knight,:’ he called out, ‘Do you wish to be a traitor to your king? For you are keeping his enemy safe against the law.’

And the Knight replied:

‘I swear by all my lands that I am indeed keeping Robin Hood safe and I will never betray him for he is my truest friend.’

When the Sheriff heard this, he called out that he would depart for London to speak with the King himself. And in this case, he kept his word for straight to London he went. When he reached court, he was granted an Audience with King Richard, just returned for the wars in the Holy Lands. The King heard the story of how the notorious outlaws were being protected by one of his own knights and he said to the Sheriff:

‘Go home proud Sheriff and gather the best archers you can find. I shall be in Nottingham within two weeks, and then I shall take this errant knight for he is a traitor to both his King and to the law of the land. And as for Robin Hood - never have I heard of such a popular criminal. And I am curious to know how one man can break so many laws in a single lifetime. It is my royal intention to look this extraordinary outlaw in the eye before he meets his just deserts.’

And that’s the story of Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow - and Bertie says that one day soon we shall hear about how Robin Hood met King Richard The Lion Heart.

Being a fan of adventure fiction, I could not ignore this truly vintage tale. This is the story of many of the adventures of Robin Hood and his merry men. I must say, as usual, the movies can’t hold a candle to the book. Hollywood has also chosen to ignore Robin Hood’s attitude toward the church and clergy, which were important issues in his day. Written in the 18th century, it takes a little getting used to the language, but it quickly becomes part of the ambience as Robin Hood, Little John, Friar Tuck, and the scores of merry men began to charm me.

Like all good storytellers, Pyle pulls us in with glamour first, making us fall for Robin Hood and his good, stout yeomen for their light spirits and good deeds, before showing us their darker side, taking us along while they rob the rich, after first seducing us with the laughter and free-flowing ale after the fact. The story reads like a fairy tale, with Robin Hood and the merry men doing a lot of lying around in the grass waxing merry when they aren’t feasting and sucking down mass quantities of ale and good, stout March beer. Of course, given the times, everyone drank beer, ale, or wine nearly all the time. Why not? They walked everywhere.

Naturally, Hollywood has also played up the romance angle between Robin Hood and Maid Marian, but in this book, Robin’s lady love gets barely a mention. Females aren’t totally left out, Queen Eleanor being an especially engaging character, but mostly these are stories of battles and games of skill played out by men, done with good humor that even had me laughing out loud.

This book has stood the test of time and deserves respect for that, but it is also engaging even today. It was easy to transport myself to the English woods of the thirteenth century when life was simple and one could avoid the law simply by changing his clothes and adopting an alias. With some enigmatic actors and a script that stayed true to the book, this would make a wonderful movie to outshine all those other namby-pamby Robin Hoods. It would be fun to see these stories on the big screen with some quality talent. I guess, though, I will have to be content, as others have for centuries, with my imagination to see the vivid characters in this wonderful book in action.

Genocide has recently become an issue again in current events. The Yugoslavians are having at the Albanians. Africans have and are decimating Africans. Germans have reduced Jewish and Roman Catholic numbers efficiently and effectively. Spanish, French, Scandanavian and English swacked the native Americans and their cultures from Alaska to the southern most end of South America. It’s an old story. The English are not alone in their chapters. In fact, they still pompously and righteously perpetuate their own form of genocide at the hands of the native Irish, as they have with South Africans and Indians.

Seumas MacManus allows this to be perfectly clear, not as a biased self appointed judge, but as a historian making available in print information previously unavailable to me and others of Irish descent who have lost their roots because they’ve been hacked away from them by shame.

It seems once again unjust that a work which salutes the dignity, power and grace of a people is left to die its own death and is no longer published. I was looking for a copy to purchase so I could leave it for my children and their children. I know of no shenachies to continue the tales. Another positive cultural influence destroyed by the insecure British. Just think of what could have been if the British weren’t so afraid of the people they didn’t understand and therefor massacred and worked with them toward their mutual benefit. We’ll never know.

Zip file of the entire book (88 MB)

I read this book several times when I was a child and am now reading it to my 9 year old. Being written in 1875, the wording is at sometimes difficult to read out-loud and can be hard for a 9 year old to understand. However, it is well worth it! The author invites conversation by asking how the reader would feel if they were in the little lame princes place. My son can’t stand to stop reading at the end of the night and asks first thing in the morning when we can start the book again! What greater testimony than that? A classic fairy tale with refreshing twists and turns.

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It is however a rather interesting story of the dual coming of age of a woman and a society in a time of dramatic social change. This book provides the missing link between Jane Austen’s era where the notion of an independent woman encompassed little more than a woman who did not automatically marry the first man of means who proposed to her and our modern era where we fully accept the notion of a “man-equal” female character like Heinlein’s Friday. And the transformation is a most interesting, exciting, and at times enlightening one. As Ann Veronica wanders through the political and social landscape of Victorian England we are exposed to the rather startling sentiments of the time and the rather harrowing and bold adventures she undertakes in her journey to freedom, as well as to a panoply of interesting characters (like the man hating Mrs. Miniver and the absolute cad Mr. Ramage).

This book is not for everyone, but it is a very worthwhile and entertaining read if you can get into it.

Zip file of the entire book - 298MB

I really enjoyed reading this book and learned a few things about what it would be like to have asthma to boot. I felt The Magic Scales had all the elements of a good fantasy…adventure, magic, excitement, and interesting characters. I’d recommend this book to the 8 and up crowd, and especially anyone who’s interested in stories that take place in other parts of the world (this takes place in Scotland and it has some pretty cool Scottish sayings to learn, like “ye numpty!”). I believe this is going to be a series, so I look forward to the next book!

Fitzgerald’s farce or satire on upper crust New Yorkers can only be described as being realty becoming greater than fiction. Proclaiming the story “was all true”, Fitzgerald intimated that this book was something akin to a kiss-and-tell novel about what had happened within America’s richest crowd during the time of World War I.

“Anthony, Maury, and Dick sent in their applications for officers’ training-camps and the two latter went about feeling strangely exalted and reproachless; they chattered to each other, like college boys, of war’s being the one excuse for, and justification of, the aristocrat, and conjured up an impossible caste of officers, to be composed, it appeared, chiefly of the more attractive alumni of three or four eastern colleges.”

Princetonian Fitzgerald created a Harvard protagonist Anthony Patch whose birth right is basically his only strong characteristic - at least so at the end of the novel. During his venerable youth, he locks eyes onto friend Rick’s cousin, beautiful Gloria, whose unique spirit and vivaciousness make the self-described bachelor become betrothed.

The book follows the couple for a period of just less than a decade, during which time they fall into numerous elations, and depressions. This see-saw bipolar personality/lifestyle depiction is all-too-common in Fitzgerald’s novels. Such was well accentuated in Fitzgerald’s doctor and patient relationship in “Tender is the Night” as the patient is ultimately cured and the doctor falls into a deep feeling of desultory depression — dipsomania. Another of Fitzgerald’s common themes is of men chasing after beautiful women who make the boys feel blushing discomfiture. Well depicted here with Gloria as well as in “This Side of Paradise” and its Amory Blaine who constantly trips in his whirlwind attempts to conquer beautiful Rosalind (whose personality and looks mirror those of Gloria).

As the book progresses, you see the self esteem of Anthony deflate, while his wife amazingly awaits him to recover, by miracle or otherwise, and be the man she grew to love at the tender age of 22. Like “Tender is the Night”, alcohol interferes with the person and with his relationships — Anthony becomes a drunken “bore.”

There are points of this book you have to think - is this a hypothetical autobiography. Had “Tender is the Night” bombed instead of won critical acclaim, would not Fitzgerald have fallen into the liquor bottle like Anthony? I am sure he wondered as such.

But, as sad as the book can be, Fitzgerald had times of folly and humor. Even a self-deprecating humor. He writes, in one discourse where the people talk disapprovingly about the new novels: “You know these new novels make me tired. My God! Everywhere I go some silly girl asks me if I’ve read `This Side of Paradise.’ Are our girls really like that?”

Amazingly well written, and even more astonishing in that Fitzgerald was 25 years old when he wrote this novel, this book deserves its acclaim and infamy.

Zip file of the entire book (373 MB)

Zip file of the entire book (116MB)

Note: I made some Mormon reader angry over my negative reviews of books written by Mormons out to prove the Book of Mormon, and they have been slamming my reviews as soon as they are posted. Oh, well.

Your “helpful” votes are appreciated. Thanks.

This book is worth it for one story alone–the “Willows,” by Algernon Blackwood. Just imagine camping on a willowy island in the Danube River. I hope the following first lines will make you feel that my little review was worth reading.

“After leaving Vienna, and long before you come to Budapest, the Danube enters a region of singular loneliness and desolation, where its waters spread away on all sides regardless of a main channel, and the country becomes a swamp for miles upon miles, covered by a vast sea of low willow bushes.”

A great collection of other stories, too.

When an author has a name like “Algernon Blackwood,” you know the story has to be good.

I enjoyed most of the stories because like the “Willows,” they set up a mood of mystery. A great collection for a rainy day read.

This book is so, so funny! Beginnig with a wedding that never happens, thanks to the ingenious plans of a mother, down to the pains taken by an attentive young man to prove his love. Very ‘G’ rated and ever so funny! Recommended to everyone for a bunch of good laughs!

It was utterly hilarious, a marvelous read when you are in the mood for somehing light and frothy.

http://www.archive.org/details/three_men_maid_0809_librivox