1 comments about New Hampshire: A Living Landscape.

1. Peter Randall is a New Hampshire native whose gift for capturing his local surroundings on film are only enhanced by his use of a panoramic camera. Using a special camera which records onto a 2.5 by 6.5 inch film, the author has collected images of the local scene which stop the casual browser and command close reading of the details within his compositions of farm, forest, and ordinary town scenes. This is a book to spend a quiet evening examining and exploring what someone with love of place and skill with camera can do

5 comments about The Love You Make: An Insider's Story of the Beatles.

1. This was the most amazing journey through the lives of the young Beatles, their experiences and their growth. Also a great social commentary on the sub culture, politics and fashion that the Beatles inspired. Even if you're not a great fan of the Beatles, this is a fantastic read! Best book I've read in ages!



2. Peter Brown is one of those Lennon named as pissed at The Beatles because their breakup meant the end of the gravy train for such as Brown, who was a late-comer as it was.
   
   This was originally rushed into print shortly after Lennon was murdere (as were so many others intending to capitalize) -- and, "coincidentally," no longer able to respond to the dirt Brown peddles against him. (How did Peter Brown manage to be in the room with John and Yoko when they were doing drugs, eh?) Brown was one of the "suits" who, as Peter McCabe points out ("Apple to the Core"), mostly took two-hour martini lunches.



3. This is one of my favorite Beatles books. Call it guilty pleasure, if you will. It was the first one I read that told the Beatles' story like a movie, where you could actually "see" what was happening to them. I read it when it had just been published. I couldn't put it down and I've read it more than once. I also remember the angry reactions it got from the most faithful fans. More than 20 years have gone by and most of the revelations contained here have been confirmed by other insiders. Even some names that the authors chose to change have been revealed (like the dentist who turned the Beatles on to LSD). Interestingly, Pattie Boyd has only kind words for Peter Brown in her recently published book "Wonderful Tonight". She never even mentions Brown's book, which Paul and Linda chose to burn without reading (and Linda "photographed it as it burned page by page", as she told Playboy).
   
   Why did Peter Brown choose to break his code of silence? Greed? Something personal? The ironic thing is that this book may have been the reason why Albert Gouldman went too far in his book about John Lennon. Someone had beat him to the real thing, so he had to "embellish" some stories to make them more scandalous. And the outcome was that he lost his credibility as a writer.
   
   If you feel that, as a Beatles fan, you should remain loyal to your idols, don't buy this book. But you will miss one of the best narrations of their story as it really happened.



4. The Love You Make: An Insider's Story of the Beatles
   
   This book was first published in 1984 which is when I first heard of it. I picked it up in 1988 and read it through so often and thoroughly, I began calling it the Gospel According to Beatles, because it was like a religious book to me. That should tell you how entertainingly Peter Brown and (I'm sure mostly) Steve Gaines relate Peter's story of the Beatles.
   
   Sadly, so much of it is simply made up details based on some actual facts. Even worse, Peter Brown ends up (in my opinion) equating the "order" of the Beatles (John, Paul, George, and Ringo) with their worth as human beings and/or entertainers, John winning out even if it's only because Brown trashes him least.
   
   One of the butts of this book is Ringo, and who knows what the most friendly and fun loving of the Beatles ever did to Brown. I'll just say here that except on the songs where Beatles fans KNOW Paul played the drums, Ringo pounded the skins on every lick, and he was quite capable of coming up with great drums parts for some of the greatest rock songs ever written, thank you. Was he the greatest rock drummer ever? No, but he was a great drummer for the greatest rock band ever, and that says a LOT! At one point in the book "The Beatles Recording Sessions", author Mark Lewisohn stops to acknowledge that Ringo's flubs were SO rare in the recording studio, the other members would rib him loudly because he would occassionally fall to their level.
   
   The other butt is George. Religious zealots are easy targets because we're all imperfect, and it's hard to hold back when one of them doesn't live up to his own standards. Because of this (and because I don't believe George's religion anyway), I cut him a lot of slack where Brown tears him down. And again, George was not the best lead guitarist in the world. Far from it, but he was the lead guitarist in the best band in the world, and he came up with lines and solos that sound like they were composed perfectly for the compositions they fit into. That says a LOT!
   
   Those points said, don't bother with this book or most other bios. Watch The Beatles Anthology, read The Beatles Anthology, read the Beatles personal interviews and discover these men for yourself! They spoke well for themselves, but they were imperfect humans, so don't expect anything more. Anyway, it's the music that they made which makes us love them! The works still stand tall! Enjoy them and admire the imperfect people who made them as great at what they did! Then go write a song of your own and see how hard they worked!



5. Peter Brown was one of the few guys who managed to make it out at the other end of the Beatles Blitzkrieg reasonably intact. In this book he shares his experiences and observations in a very matter of fact style. He takes on the whole Beatles madness in one felled swoop.
   
   The hard-core fan who has read everything out there on the Beatles might not find a whole lot of new information here, but for a beginning fan (or someone who has a moderate knowledge of the Beatles) Brown's book is one of the better historical assessments of the band. This is partly because Brown is not an ego-maniac or embellisher: in fact, the writing in this book is far from flowery. It is also partly due to the fact that Brown had such a long-time working relationship with the Beatles (he was witness at both John's marriage to Yoko and Paul's to Linda, and is one of the few people immortalized by name in a Beatles' song.)
   
   Brown essentially took over a lot of managerial duties after Epstien died and became a bigwig at Apple. In fact, he was so well respected by the Beatles that he was one of the few people to have survived Allen Klien's purges (at the Beatles request.)
   
   But enough about his credibility.
   
   This book provides an insider's look at the Beatles phenomenon. Brown has an intimate perspective on each of the four because he worked so close with them over the years and he is able to tap this wealth of nostalgia to give the reader a great overview of those fab years. He has co-written this book with another fellow, Steven Gaines, who does a decent job of holding the narrative together. I am always a little wary of books that are co-authored by someone (seems kind of wrong to me, like co-sex or co-taking a dump) but I suppose I can cut some slack to Brown seeing as he is not a writer by trade. Plus, it is hardly uncommon.
   
   A unique thing about this book, also, is that its author had a close relationship with Brian Epstien. What this book is able to offer, in addition to the regular biographical stuff on the Beatles, is a fair amount of insight into what made their manager tick. This aspect of the book reminds the reader what an important factor Epstien was in the success of the Beatles.
   
   So there it is. A little less snazzy of a read that Hunter's book, but a more thorough and well-rounded job. The right balance of detail and readability.

5 comments about Every Living Thing.

1. I read this book many years ago, I enjoy animal stories, I loved books by James Herriot, I read all of his books, the one perchased recently was a gift for my grandaughter who likes animal stories.



2. I read his books as a teen and loved them. Bought the whole set for my grandsons, [teens]. They laughed until they cried. [so did I].



3. This is my fifth review of a James Herriot title, and if you've missed my first four reviews because you live in a cave, I presume you've heard of the TV series called All Creatures Great And Small. That was based on the first collection of wonderful tales from a Yorkshire veterinarian, or possibly the first few. More than a decade passed between this book and the one before it, and I believe this was his last original book. At first there is a dip in the quality we've come to expect, but once he gets back into his groove, it's every bit as entertaining as its predecessors, and I hated that it ended. It's well worth reading and I enjoyed it immensely.



4. I have just finished this book after having read the other books in the series many years ago. The magic is still there. I would not ordinarily be attracted to a book of animal stories but the animals in Dr. Herriot's practice are a stage for something more. The author gives the reader a slice of life from a different time and a different place (Yorkshire). I was quickly enamored with the characters and the telling. This book is really about gentle spirits, kind humor, unpretentious people, dedicated lives. Reading it makes the heart glad.



5. Looking for a quick fix for your animal-loving heart? This is it! Each chapter can be read in a sitting and each has a different story about Mr.. Herriot's life as a country vet. Each story builds the lives and area around him, but each chapter has a beautiful and loving story about this wonderful man and his never-ending love for all creatures!

5 comments about Saving the Queen.

1. Saving the Queen is the best of the Blackford Oakes spy novels. It's the only one that is light hearted and totaly unlike Buckley's columns. Blacky is at his best in this fun and exciting spy caper. What a shame this delightful book is out of print.



2. I liked this book; it is informative and funny, but the ending is overpathetic.



3. Appreciation for William Buckley's rich vocabulary and operatic metaphors is required to enjoy this book. And it will help if you are a fan of "alternate" historical fiction: imagine there was an English Queen named Caroline after World War II . . .
   
   This is for when the mood is definitely not for John le Carre, I suspect this was written with a strong dose of Buckley's "tongue-in-cheek". Give it a try, might be just the thing to relax with after an evening at the Metropolitan.



4. William F. Buckley Jr. showed he had a talent for fiction, as well as non-fiction writing, with this enjoyable espionage novel, the first of his Blackford Oakes adventures. Buckley unashamedly brings his old-boy background to bear in creating an Oakes who plausibly finds his way from Yale to Windsor Castle within a few months. Buckley, who served as his fictional Oakes does in the CIA of the early 1950s, has me now wondering how much of this is autobiographical.
   
   A World War II ace graduating from Yale in the early 1950s, Oakes joins the CIA. He establishes a deep cover identity as a wealthy American postgrad doing engineering research in London, where his mother and English stepfather live. The Americans suspect secret hydrogen bomb research is leaking to the Russians from a source embarrassingly close to the fictional Queen Caroline. It is so close that the affair must never be known beyond a tiny and non-English group. The CIA finds Oakes its best option, and orders him to climb socially and root out the palace spy.
   
   Buckley's detail on life among the British royals is one strong suit of the book. . You get the feeling he himself has probably been a royal guest at one time or another. (All in the name of literary research!) He delightfully characterizes Caroline - beautiful, married, lively and suddenly acceding to the throne in one of those accidental-death scenarios political novelists rely upon. Caroline is more of a Di than an Elizabeth. Oakes, of course, is merely serving his country in, uh, getting as close to her as his mission requires.
   
   With Buckley's own spook background you don't know what he's making up. His allusions to the mysterious Rufus, the veteran spy called in to fix the leak, are tantalizing enough to make me wonder if such a character truly existed. His backstory here includes having been charged with deceiving the Germans that the D-Day invasion would take place at Calais rather than Normandy. Was there a man to whom Eisenhower actually gave his own dog tags in gratitude? And who wouldn't take calls from Ike or Winston Churchill?
   
   Buckley's climax is a bit over the top but his resolution of the main characters' moral dilemmas, flies.



5. This is the first of a fantastic series of novels featuring Blackford Oakes, a CIA operative during the Cold War.
   
   With hardly a wasted word, William F. Buckley, Jr., deftly moves through the early years of Oakes, which sets him on the dangerous trail of rescuing the English monarchy from a fellow traveler - a British war hero - who manipulates his royal connections to gain vital information for his Soviet handler on the manufacturing of the hydrogen bomb.
   
   Oakes ultimately is snarled in this secret war, where heroes may be seen as villains and the scoundrels as victims in the eyes of the public. With pointed commentary on world politics of the early 1950s and the bumbling inside The Beltway during the post-Watergate era, Buckley, Jr., sets a solid foundation for what became a classic hero in spy fiction.

5 comments about Double Deuce.

1. As a calculated contrast to life in the gang-infested DOUBLE DEUCE housing complex, scenes of daily doings in Susan's home provided prime parlay between Spenser and his lady, resulting in poignant posing in the DD bailiwick broken up by hearty humor in the SS Titanic. What a cartoon-funny difference (no black-tongued-grins from "THE WAR OF THE ROSES" there) Parker painted between Susan's fronted femaleness and Spenser's gangling guy-ness. As Parker obviously planned, the light-hearted clashes in SS roommate rambles became an "Accidental Family" foil to the heartbreaking reality-overwhelm of the gang members' no-relief lifestyle boring holes of terror into their "straight" neighbors.
   
   In DOUBLE DEUCE Parker created another classic "pair" of new female characters, providing them with reverse personalities and reverse first letters in their names:
   
   "E. M." was for Erin Macklin who drank her whiskey easy as she held the glass with both hands (contemplate why Parker repeated more than thrice how Macklin held her amber-filled glass, with the caring gesture of duel palms).
   
   "M. E." was for Marge Eagen, who pumped and primped her preen until Spenser crimped her lack of style. (For an opposite styled Marge character, a genuine, real-life article of bull dog class, see Coal & Coca-Cola)
   
   As a Parker fan would anticipate, the scenes in which these two women seared the social brine with Spenser were intriguing, engrossing, and effortlessly entertaining.
   
   Hawk was featured in his best ebony sheen in DOUBLE DEUCE, as his image, which had preceded him into gangland territory, was developed through interactions with the gang members, all of which were fascinating, and felt to be on target with the tang and sizzle of those subcultures. Another side of Hawk's image was uncovered here, through his intimate study of black-lady Jackie, and her jigsaw-ed break-down of Hawk's heart hung low to capture her song.
   
   The continuation of Pearl-the-wonder-dog's character (she was introduced with pizzazz in PASTIME, # 18 Spenser) provided a welcome warm spot in this plot. I couldn't help but wonder if Parker might use the heart-healing-dog to get through to the gangs, as he used the 3 mongrels rescued in STARDUST (used them to help coax Jill's soul to return for another round of participation in life).
   
   In the first part of Chapter 37 an exquisite scene of an easy-dance-step, multi-manoeuver training seminar set itself up around mangy machinations (no hair lost on the dog) of Susan, Spenser, pancakes, and Pearl:
   
   >> I (Spenser) left my pancakes and went to the bedroom and put on a shirt (training from Susan). When I came back Pearl was still sitting gazing at my plate, but the plate was empty and clean. I looked at her. She looked back clear eyed and guilt free, alert for another opportunity.
   
   >> "Ah yes," I said, "a hunting dog." <<
   
   Contemplate that in reference to Hawk's name, which clarified in DOUBLE DEUCE's chapter 37, especially in reference to Jackie's complaints that she couldn't "get to him."
   
   Having endured decades mired within a nurtured angst of ethical determinations, as humans trod toward the core of the Apple from "The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil" ... might they sometimes long for a temporary release from the moral gauntlet; might they long for a cease of constantly pushed cerebral convolutions defining every dot quantum on the eternal line between Right and Wrong ... might they wish for a few moments to experience the easy, non-complex mind, set into the nature of a hunting dog, or a Hawk ... might they sometimes long to be:
   
   "Clear eyed and guilt free"?
   
   In addition to primal concepts, prime setting descriptions were applied here, as only Parker could accomplish, in bringing to pose on paper the essence of ghetto life.
   
   Get a dog's life?
   
   The concluding scene in DOUBLE DEUCE catered a surprising twist to Susan and Spenser's attempts at traditional homemaking. The close was as refreshing to the double S as a storm-brought rainbow. The choice carried in DD's final chapter surfaced in silent style into the thematic structure of PAPER DOLL, # 20 in the Spenser series.
   
   A prolific author successfully carries a ranging style through time and time and time, until the heart says, "Take to the sky on the wings of a hawk."
   
   Linda Shelnutt



2. I just read this book 2 days ago,so I still remember it clearly. This must be a kids book like Nancy Drew or something to merit anything over 2 stars. Firstly, the whole story is entirely cliche. We have two tough guy detectives who dont talk much cause they dont need to "we dont think, it just happens" or something stupid like that which they actually say in the book. The whole young gangster and power hungry minister(oh wow thats creative) are the basic characters as well. The very first chapter is the closest this book gets to exiting, they pretty much drag the story with a bunch of nonsense filler. Just like the reporter lady "doesnt know anything about the streets" neither does the author who pretty much uses basic sterotypes, and situations. I for one was very dissapointed, i will not read any more of his generic garbage. One thing I did get out of this book is the confidence for writing my own novels since I know that at worst my book would still be better than this one and some people are giving it pretty good ratings (WTF???)I would've like to have had the option of a negative 5. Thanks for your time whoever you are do not make the same mistake I did!



3. When 14-year-old Devona Jefferson and her three-month-old baby Crystal are shot down near the projects at 22 Hobart St (thus called Double Deuce), a committee of the residents comprised of women, old men and the reverend Orestes Tillis contact Hawk and ask him to help weed out the gangs who have taken over the neighborhood. Hawk agrees to help and brings in Spenser. Understandably suspicious of Spenser, many of the residents outright state that they do not want him there - the most outspoken being Tillis, who calls Spenser the White Satan and says that he will not support Spenser being there. Hawk says that Spenser is there with him and if anyone has a problem with that, then both he and Spenser will be on their way.
   
   Spenser and Hawk spend a lot of time around the Double Deuce, trying to work out who runs the Hobarts (the local gang) as well as who spiked (shot) Devona and her baby. As they investigate, connections to their old "friend" Tony Marcus pops up - it seems that Marcus has been using the Hobarts to run drugs through the area.
   
   In many ways, this was a very difficult book to read - not to say I did not enjoy it, but it was full of uncomfortable truths about the disenfranchised who surround us every day. It paints a very bleak picture of life in the projects. I would recommend this book to just about anyone - read it and think about it.



4. DOUBLE DEUCE is an okay Spenser novel. In this book, Spenser and Hawk deal with a gang killing of a fourteen year old girl and her baby daughter. As they do so, they are forced to deal with the stark day-to-day realities of the black underclass in Boston, and how many of its children are alienated and disenfranchised from society.
   
   I respect what Parker tried to do here -- DOUBLE DEUCE is a gritty read, designed to provokes thought about racial and class division in America. It is not, however, that great of a story. The plotline is way too short and stale, and largely boils down to a lot of macho posturing between Hawk and the main gang leader. The resolution of the plot is also quite predictable.
   
   That being said, DOUBLE DEUCE is highly readable, and I enjoyed it enough to finish. There are much better Spenser novels out there, but if you enjoy Robert Parker's writing style, you should find this one entertaining enough to spend a few hours on.



5. When a teenage girl and her baby are killed in a drive-by shooting at the Double Deuce housing project, a group of the residents hire Hawk to solve their murders and to drive the gang out of the project. Hawk, naturally, asks Spenser to join him.
   
   The story is a study in contrasts. While Hawk and Spenser are spending their days in the poverty-stricken, crime-ridden ghetto, Spenser's taking a stab at living with Susan in clean, comfortable relative luxury, and Hawk is dating a beautiful television reporter. The contrasts build up as Hawk and Spencer's showdown with the gang escalates, until the reporter is taken hostage and the two worlds collide.
   
   There's also a wonderful contrast between the reporter's view of how to help the people of the Double Deuce--a well-meaning but unworkable plan that comes from a privileged point of view--and the limited but real help provided by an ex-nun who knows and understands the environment.
   
   The eventual outcome is never really in any doubt, but this is one of those cases where it's not where you're going that's important, but how you get there. The relationships--between Hawk & Spenser and between Spenser & Susan--are intense and solid, even if Spenser and Susan's relationship is a work in progress. And the dialogue is unsurpassed. I absolutely love the dialogue.
   
   It's a feel-good, good guys vs. bad guys story, and on one level, it's like a Steven Seagal movie, which I'll confess I have a weakness for, but its excellence is in the execution. The pacing: in particular, the elegant meshing of the two main plot threads; the characters; the action...it's all done so precisely that the work is invisible, and the story is real.
   
   It's a first-person story, like the rest of the series, and it's very dependent on the personality of Spenser. I love the character, so I love the books. But if the character grates on you--and I can see how he could--I imagine that the whole book will, too.

No comments about Vermont, New Hampshire, & Maine (Best Hikes With Kids).

No comments about Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm.

1 comments about Bridgeport (CT) (Postcard History Series).

1. Bridgeport native Pehanick shows close to 200 postcards of the Connecticut city (from his collection of about 3,000) from the years 1900 to 1940. During these years, Bridgeport was a bustling city with businesses of all kinds and a vacation destination for the well-to-do from New York City and nearby areas. The postcards show the factories, restaurants, mansions, shopping districts, amusements, and parks and seasides which made Bridgeport an outstanding regional city during the early decades of the 1900s. Bridgeport's P. T. Barnum and the famous Pleasure Beach amusement park are also included in the period postcards. Pehanick's postcard collection shows buildings and scenes that are now gone; and it can be used as a guide for the enjoyable pastime of comparing locations then and now.

No comments about Burlington Firefighting (Images of America: Massachusetts).

5 comments about Journey Around Boston From A to Z (Journey Series).

1. It seems a bit strange to use an alphabet book format for middle schoolers, but the idea is well-executed in this nicely illustrated guide to Boston. The book begins with an undetailed map of the Boston vicinity, continues with a paragraph of introduction, and then moves on to the alphabet. Each letter gets a full page and has an alliterative title with a few explanatory sentences and some related factoids. For example, "M" is entitled "Minutemen made ready at a moment's notice"; text describes the events in Lexington and Concord on April 18, 1775; watercolor pictures show the Minuteman statue in Lexington and the Old North Bridge in Concord; factoids tell us that British soldiers were called "regulars" and that the midnight riders (Paul Revere, William Dawes and Samuel Prescott) called out "The regulars are out! The regulars are out!" as they rode through the night. End pages depict an alphabet of objects other than those seen in the book, such as Magnolia for "M".

   With nice art and layout, this book imparts quite a few interesting facts about Boston, though one thinks it might have benefitted from an overarching coherence with which to motivate the more sophisticated young readers at which it is purportedly aimed.




2. JOURNEY AROUND BOSTON is another title in the series created by author, artist and one time teacher Martha Zschock. Zschock was a third grade teacher at the time she wrote the book. As a teacher she has the respects both the natural curiosity and intelligence of children. A mallard, a duck often associated with the city thanks to Robert McCloskey's immortal MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS, leads visitors on a tour of Boston and the vicinity. Her book includes the familiar tourist attractions as well as lesser known and perhaps even ignored places in Boston. It serves as a wonderful introduction to Boston and its illustrious history.

   This book is a must for any family with young visitors coming to the city of Boston. It will also be of interest to the children of Boston who wish to learn a bit about the city and its history.




3. I discovered this book while doing a search for travel guides
   to Boston. I was surprised when this book popped up 2nd in the
   list, but since I collect children's illustrated books, I had to
   take a look, and found it to be absolutely wonderful. I do have
   to admit that it certainly would be for the very top end of the
   picture book gang, not those just learning their ABC's. But so
   what. It is wonderfully informative with beautiful illustrations.
   
   Whenever I run into an ABC book, I first look to the X's to see
   how the author handles that. I am pleased that this author
   did not feel compelled to use X's in the beginning of the words.
   Her X's became "Extraordinary Exhibits excite viewers." That is
   so much better than yet another xylophone.
   
   Perhaps my favorite page was "Y": Yarns have been spun at Ye Olde Union Oyster House for Years". The page was so compelling, I made special effort to get to the Oyster House though it wasn't
   on my original agenda.
   
   Besides a very attractive architectural illustration of the Oyster House, there is an insert that shows some of regional foods such as Boston Baked Beans and Boston Cream Pie. Below the
   pictures is a short paragraph about the pictures. In this case
   there is information about baked beans and why they were so popular with the Pilgrims. Below that is a wavy line (as there is on each page) with another bit of information, this time about
   lobster which is usually available in the waters close by.
   
   In September I am going to Cape Code and her A to Z book on
   Cape Cod will be part of my planning. I hope she keeps this
   wonderful series going, and if she branches out into Europe -
   so much the better! If you are reading this, Martha, I am going
   to London in the Spring next year and Venice in the fall, just
   in case you are looking for your next subject.
   
   Highly recommended.



4. A wonderful book to see Boston and find out about Boston. I would recommend this to anyone (adults and children) about to visit Boston. I am looking forward to buying more books by this author and illustrator.



5. I love Boston. I really do. This beautiful, progressive city known for being an academic, cultural and historical mecca is brilliantly presented in this delightful book.
   
   This book will take readers alphabetically through the city that has long established itself as the Cradle of Amerian History. The alphabet format is good and effective as readers will more easily remember the sites in and around Boston. The map of the Boston area is also a good idea and an excellent added touch.
   
   Using alliterative sentences is another good mnemonic device; readers will readily make associations with the places they are reading about in this delightful book about Boston. Readers also get text with chronicled detailed history about the places and historical events that took place in the Boston area. The lovely illustrations and rich history will delight readers of all ages. I highly recommend this one.