Average customer rating:
- Great Story/ Pencil & Ink Work are lacking
- Graphic SF Reader
- Frustrating
- Great story, outstanding drawing
- The best of the best of the best
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Ronin
Frank Miller
Manufacturer: DC Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Similar Items:
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300
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Watchmen
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Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
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V for Vendetta
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Batman: Year One
ASIN: 0930289218 |
Customer Reviews:
Great Story/ Pencil & Ink Work are lacking.......2007-09-06
This is a well written piece by Frank Miller and I enjoyed the story. Considering it is fiction that he created rather than the more famous "300" based on a historical event, it is a great story. In fact I can foresee another big production movies coming out of Ronin.
However, the pencil work and inking are lacking making some of the frames incoherent and unrecognizable which distracts from the experience of this graphic novel. Additionally, I don't particularly care for the lack of skill in anatomy and perspective drawing. These two skills were not constantly bad but there are some distractingly bad frames.
So although his graphic novel "300" was fantastic and made into a movie base on the artwork, Ronin will never be employed in the same fashion. I think reading "300" first set the bar pretty high.
Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-03
Here we see some of the evolution of Frank Miller's style.
A samurai demon fighter is reborn into the far future, at least as far as we are concerned. It is also the future as far as the modern reader knows, too.
The conflict is fated to happen again, but will the outcome be different?
Frustrating.......2007-05-27
A very difficult book to review, and not only for the reason that I am forced to review a book very much trail-blazing for the eighties, and approach it from a modern context and expectation. This was Frank Miller's breakthrough solo book, so its naturally treasured (often fanatically) by a lot of fans. That said, it has a LOT of faults.
The plot premise starts off simple but not particularly original: A Ronin (a disgraced masterless Samurai) is transported into the future to inhabit the body of a limbless machine-arm tester, to do battle against his Demon opponent. The plot plods along with some okay battle sequences, and just when things start to get a bit dull, Miller starts to reveal that the Ronin may not be what he seems... The twist is actually fairly unexpected, a pleasing suprise and quite original. What the story is ACTUALLY about turns out to be a LOT more interesting than its initial 'Ronin in the future' premise.
The stoic hero doesn't get to speak much, which is an advantage given the typically terrible and macho dialogue Frank Miller has always given his lead men. The character is obviously inspired by the silent Lone Wolf from the Lone Wolf and Cub comic (Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima), which simply put is a better Samurai story than Miller's... Of course, this crude pop-samurai is intentional and ties into the twist.
Now, moving onto my main problem with this book. The artwork, simply put, is terrible. I should explain. I usually like Miller's artwork. His Sin-City designs are incredible, as is his Dark Knight Returns and 300.... If you're a fan of those works, chances are you WON'T like his art here. Its messy, and uncertain, and all over the place... Gone are the bold direct inks of his later works, here replaced with a kind of amateur scribbly 'pubic-hair' inking style. His character designs are nice, and some of the backgrounds show a lot of promise (for those familiar with the work of groups like Archigram, you'll recognise a lot of the source of the Architecture), but without some control excercised by a talented inker, it all falls apart. For Miller's later book 'Dark Knight Returns' Klaus Janson took over inking duties, best presenting Miller's unique pencilling style, but in this book, with Miller inking his own pencils, the lack of quality shows. Lynn Varley's colors are nasty, a far cry from her exquisite work on 300 or even her solid effort on Dark Knight Returns... this book's coloring is more in line with Dark Knight Strikes Again, which had some of the most garish and outright revolting coloring of any modern comic book to date.
With all of the criticism I've levelled at this book, I have to point out that it has its strong points. Some sequences are excellent, including one later where the lights slowly return over several pages to the giant plastic-organic facility after a blackout. There are some story-telling devices which were quite novel at the time of its publication in terms of panel sequence etc, which have since become a standard in comics today.
This book came at an important time and gave Miller the popularity and profile to later move onto better projects. It is considered a 'classic', but it has clearly not aged well, any originality or novelty it once had has worn off, and it now simply comes across as a simple/crude story with an excellent twist but some horrible artwork. The books strength is that it inspired so much to come later, but it no longer holds up as a very good read.
I would have given this book 2 1/2 stars. It is an average read at best, worth it if you want to see Miller's evolution as an artist and storyteller, but otherwise not really worth your time.
I should note, I ordered this book through Amazon, and cover is different to the one shown on this Amazon page (it looks more like something from the Dark Knight Strikes Again style: putrid high-lighter green with a crude drawing of a Samurai which doesn't look anything like the character in the story... ugh)
Great story, outstanding drawing.......2007-05-18
Ok, granted that the story is not at the level of The Dark Knight Returns, few comics are anyway whether written by Frank Miller or not, yet I found the story highly addictive and interesting from the very beggining, it develops brilliantly into a climax ending in which all the misteries encountered during the story get unveiled. For my liking, certainly better than Sin City.
As for the drawing and painting... I think this comic is simply a masterpice, Frank and Lynn at their very best! Great reproduction of a post-apocaliptical NY, great characters, you just have to love how the Ronin evolves along the story, Casey's face and her untamable determination, Mr. Taggart/Agat duality and his crazy futuristic outfits resembling that of a Roman emperor, the flashbacks to medieval Japan are beatiful, etc, etc...
I kind of think that Ronin was something of an experiment for Miller's drawings, he just wanted to see how far he could go and thought of a story to give some sense to it, and thus Ronin was Born, what may had been simply an experiment gone awry, became an excellent story and an even better drawing work worthy of being placed among the best.
The best of the best of the best.......2007-03-29
After seeing that Frank Miller made Sin City a movie I was amped!! I thought "Great, next. he'll do Ronin" but nooooo, he did 300. That MUST mean Ronin is the next Miller movie, I hope. This is by far the best graphic novel ever. Its exciting, funny, and builds suspence like M. Night Shamalan only wishes he could do. If you have never even seen a comic book, I know that you could still enjoy this book.
Book Description
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (WFRP or WHFRP) is a roleplaying system created by Games Workshop. It is set in the Old World, which bears some resemblance to late medieval / renaissance Europe. The world is threatened by the forces of Chaos. The major power in the Old World is the Empire, in which most of the adventures are located. The Empire itself is a country full of intrigue, conspiracies, and dark plots. This is the core set of rules that everyone needs in order to play the RPG. BL Publishing is the publishing wing of the world famous Games Workshop group of companies. As well as its new Black Industries imprint, the division is also home to the Black Library, which has been producing best-selling and award-winning novels, comics and artbooks set in the worlds of Warhammer since 1997. It also includes the Black Flame fiction imprint for non-Warhammer titles, and Warhammer Historical Wargames. Warhammer Fantasy Battle was originally published in 1986 and subsequently licensed to Hogshead Publishing. This is the second edition of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay.
Customer Reviews:
Other Books.......2007-09-03
A Fantasy role playing game from those whacky guys that made Warhammer 40K. As a consequence, this is much grimmer, nastier and dirtier than some of the fantasy roleplaying games out there, so if that is not your thing, and you want a more lighthearted high fantasy type of approach, then do not get this game, you likely will not enjoy it at all.
Angry Roleplaying and the Break from Anglo-French Fantasy.......2007-05-15
Warhammer Fantasy is an angry game. The setting is bleak and forlorn and the system is very lethal making the lives of characters nasty brutish and quite short. Characters are as likely to die of disease or mishap as they are of a sword in the chest and dying of old age (anything over 30) is practically unheard of. Instead of strong kings and a centralized government the Empire, such as it is, is a patchwork of independent kingdoms with a weak emperor chosen by each of the electors. Religion, unlike many other fantasy roleplaying games that skirt the issue, is a very powerful force in the kingdom that is at the same time one of the most unifying and dividing forces in the Empire.
Gods and demons, or at least demons, are as real to the backwards, superstitious denizens of Warhammer Fantasy as they were to the backwards, superstitious people of the 14th century. Magic, while legal under license from the Empire, is hunted down and exterminated as heresy and chaos corruption.
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay has one of the best system-setting matches. Everything is based off of a percentage or D10 roll, armor provides damage reduction instead of making you harder to hit. Landing a good solid blow can lop off an arm, leg or outright kill. Magic is very powerful and consequently very dangerous - spells are only slightly more likely to work than they are to backfire with disastrous consequences.
The book itself is mostly mechanics - there is only a chapter or two of setting information provided. While this might seem to short shrift the setting the concentration of rules here makes later books more able to focus on the setting rather than simply serving to add only more rules to the game.
WFRP is historically inspired fantasy at its finest - hard-bitten, dark, depressing and violent. Hero is a relative descriptor even in the face of villains that are absolutes. WFRP is a much needed injection of bile in a hobby choked near to death with stale heroics.
Great book, great system.......2007-03-19
I've started running WFRP now, and have purchased a lot of the books. We've had a blast in my group playing the game again, in its 2nd edition form. The book is fairly well laid out and you can create characters and learn the rules very quickly. My only real problem with this book (and Sigmar's Heir - the book about the empire) is that I'd REALLY like to see more maps.
As a GM, WFRP seems pretty deadly for basic career characters. Definitely run your group through a few mock combats before creating your module's encounters so you can get a feel for how fast they'll die. Otherwise, you'll have to do a lot of adjustments on the fly. Oh, and get the GM screen - otherwise you'll be flipping to the critical hits charts a LOT.
Best PnP RPG on the market?.......2007-03-09
The world is exactly as described: grim and perilous. You roll up your "dooming" at character creation, and spend the game trudging through the peril toward insanity. Of course it depends on your GM, but within the first six games of our first Warhammer campaign, three characters were dead, two were amputees, and one had lost an eye. This might not sound like much fun if you're used to playing essentially indestructible heroes in other games, but trust me, everyone loves it!
The percentile-based system is far easier to deal with than the mechanics of other games we've played; rather than an arbitrary target number assigned by the GM, you need to roll under the number on your sheet (with possible modifiers in degrees of plus or minus ten), so you immediately know whether you succeed or fail. The optional rules for drunkenness, insanity, and disease are often a combination of hilarious and disgusting. Not exactly adults-only, but definitely in the PG-13 range. This is the best pen-and-paper RPG I've played.
Not all is grim in this world........2007-02-22
The mood of the world in the new edition may still be dark, danky and disheartening but the game system revision is far from being grim, on the contrary it is quite resplandecent.
For the newcomer to The Old World:
If you have never played it (or any other RPG) this game is a very good start.
Rules are nice, easy and maleable, the setting is very enticing and detailed plus the whole world information is contained in one book. Action resolutions are figured out with 10-sided dice only, and in most cases, via percentage rolls. Magic is powerful and for that reason it is dangerous to use, and the system is entertaining and complex but not complicated.
All characters come from the same stock races as most games (Elves, Humans, Halflings and Dwarves).
Antagonists are the usual Orcs, Trolls, Dragons and other fantasy favorites plus a few other WHRP-specific creatures.
The greatest difference and what makes Warhammer truly unique is the use of careers to mark the progress and development of a character. You must select one of these to learn skills and acquire trappings and then, when you are done with that one, move on to a related occupation to keep up your life's progression.
It is set in a world resembling ours circa the 14 or 15 hundreds (somewhere between the late dark ages and the renaissance).
For the Warhammer veteran:
It is in essence the same game you played before with the radical exception of the magic use. This new approach seems to have made many a player very happy. I never disliked the old system but it appears that most people did. Well, the new one is actually truly good. It is vaguely reminiscent of the Ars Magica system where you must roll a difficulty number with a certain number of d10 dice (avoiding rolls of the same number) in order to cast a successful spell. And if not done correctly there will be dire consequences. Ingredients are optional to enhance the magic use and there are no more Magic Points. Magical schools make their appearance and if you have read novels you will see that they are those mentioned in some of the books, such as the Bright Wizards. Quite a bit of the world story and background has been modified to fit into the setting that the novels have created.
The occupational groups (Rangers, Warriors, Academics, etc.) have disappeared, as some of the details of creating a character such as age and hight. Free Skills are now given to only 2 races, and Fate Points are generated differently.
Weapon damage and armor absorption now goes up to 10. There has been a slight rearrangement of the profile, where Initiative and Cool have been deleted, and Insanity and Fate points included in it. Skills have been divided into Skills and Talents.
In comparison to the old edition:
HIGHS: The magic system is very entertaining to use and very detailed. Skills and Talents are very easy to memorize since they all work under the same principles so they quickly become intuitive. Skills allow you to perform actions and Talents support and enhance the use of some of those skills. Critical charts are now generic so missile and melee weapons use the same ones and the results can be read in both kinds of damage. And for the superficial of us, the presentation of all the books made by Green Ronin is superbly done.
LOWS: The Bestiary is quite stingy. Only a very diminished number of creatures appear in the one included in the rules book. If you would want to populate your world with mean critters you would probably need the Bestiary sourcebook (or a bit of time to convert the ones from the first version). In general this case is a constant low, many features that where included in the first edition now are modular, and only appear in the detail that they did in the original tome in several different companion books.
A note for all: Typos and errata are rampant in the edition I have (the first), so all you have read about it until now is totally true.
Book Description
In a grim world of perilous adventures you need to be well prepared or you will face certain death. This supplement is a complete inventory of everything an adventurer needs to equip himself to survive and also a few other choice items as well.
Customer Reviews:
One of the Weakest in the Series.......2007-05-25
Old World Armoury is by far one of the weakest books in the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay series. The book itself adds very little setting or flavor to the game and focuses mostly on toys for players and GMs alike. There are some interesting tidbits about medicine in the Warhammer Fantasy setting and some equipment details that are interesting reading but the information and additional rules are mostly superfluous. The optional custom weapons and armour rules are the main focus of the book and allow players and GMs who want to make their own weapons to do so but they are just that - more rules to worry about and not necessary in any way to the game.
Overall Old World Armoury adds little to the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay game that a little bit of cosmetic dressing on the hands of inventive players or GMs couldn't do.
Only so so .......2006-04-15
I can't help, but think that most of this rather short book should have just been part of the main book. Don't by this book if you're expecting stats for various weapons. (Some weapons have slightly different stats for good quality items, but that's it.) It does have a fairly large section on hiring various professions. I'd only buy this book if you have cash to spare, and your group likes the official word on how much to pay for goods, and services. Otherwise buy Bestiary, get the magic book, or buy Sigmar's Heirs.
For those interested in things OTHER than hack n' slash.......2006-02-03
The crb for Warhammer has always been lacking in information on everyday items. This is a very useful tool at remedying it. The chapters on General Equipment, Special Equipment, Property & Business, and Treasures give excellent descriptions, pricing, and encumberance for things that adventurers and artisans might want to have to earn an income. From textile pricing to purchasing a bed frame, it is all in here. This book is a major improvement in the realistic aspect of the game and should be picked up by anyone looking to have a game that includes commerce and livelihood.
Mostly More Of The Same.......2005-11-22
This book has chapters on currency, trade, arms, armour, equipment, transport and hirelings. Most of the chapters are expansions on material from the core rulebook. In some cases rules from the core rulebook are published here again. While convenient it adds to the page count and takes up space that could be used for more new material.
The chapter "Currency & Trade" was useful and interesting. The chapters on arms and armour were just more detailed descriptions of weapons fantasy RPG players already know and can read about in the core book.
The production quality of the book is high but the number of typos in the book make it look like it was rushed to production (something that I didn't notice in the core rulebook).
Overall, it should make a good reference for the gamemaster who wants a few more unique items in the game and some pregenerated nonplayer characters.
Book Description
Japan underwent tumultuous changes in the eighteenth century. The merchant class was rising in power, and the privileges of the professional warriors, or "samurai", were disappearing.
The 47 Ronin Story is the classic story of Lord Asano of Ako and one of the bloodiest vendettas in Japan's feudal history. In 1701 in Edo, Japan, Lord Asano of Ako lashed out at a corrupt court official and set in motion a chain of events that shocked the country and brought the Shogun himself to a legal and moral impasse. When it was over, there emerged the most unlikely set of heroes-the forty-seven ronin, or "ex-samurai", of Ako.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Read.......2006-11-04
This was an excellent book. I finished it in a weekend! Highly recomend.
Honor and Determination.......2006-09-06
The 47 Ronin Story is a story of honor and determination. In the tale, the Lord Asano is visiting the Shogun's court and is affronted by Kira, the Shogun's Master of Ceremonies. In response, Lord Asano attacks Kira, wounding him but violating the law of not attacking another in the Shogun's keep. Because of this, the Shogun ordered Lord Asano to commit seppuku in response for his affront and confiscated his lands and holdings. At this point, the story of the 47 Ronin truly begins.
The samurai serving Lord Asano learn of the affront to their lord and his being forced to commit seppuku and having to decide whether to obey the Shogun's decree, fight, or commit seppuku. Oishi, the leader of Lord Asano's samurai decides to order the Ako to obey the Shogun's decree but to look to taking vengeance on Kira. To do this, Oishi orders the Ako samurai to disperse, some of whom are to learn what they can of Kira. While the samurai (now ronin since they no longer have a lord) are following Kira though, Kira's supporters are following Oishi to determine if the Ako Ronin are attempting revenge. Taking their time, and moving quietly, Oishi and the Ako Ronin lay plans for vengeance...
While the story of The 47 Ronin is arguably the greatest story to come from Japan, my feeling is that Mr. Allyn failed in capturing the story. Mr. Allyn's telling is to western in it's telling. While Mr. Allyn describes the honor and dedication Oishi and the Ako samurai/ronin had, it's thru the eye's of a westerner and with their dialog. To me, this is like reading a modern telling of the Iliad rather than the classical telling. While the 47 Ronin Story is a classic and worthy of 5 stars, I have say that John Allyn's telling is only worthy of 3 stars.
An OK read.......2006-07-30
I managed to pick up John Allyn's "47 Ronin Story" for a discount price, and recently finished my reading of it. It went pretty fast, and it was somewhat entertaining, but all in all, I was a bit disappointed.
Firstly, the presentation itself is lacking in character. While this may be (and probably is) a deliberate attempt to muster some of the feel of Japanese works, he seems to miss the basic essence of some of those simplified presentations, and the result is a very stacatto feel to events and descriptions of the story. Are we supposed to understand/sympathize with Oishi, the leader of the band, who sacrifices everything for the sake of his lord? It is difficult with the material present. Years seem to pass by in days, and one never really gets a feel for how long these men waited to exact revenge for the death of their lord.
Moreover, there is a distinctive Western feel to the story, particularly the romance between Oishi and his geisha (whose name escapes me). For example, at one point, she passionately throwing the covers off her naked body, she pins him down in the bed pleading with him to give up his thoughts of revenge. It seems very contrived, particularly considering the behavior to which she is accustomed (I apologize if one finds this to be a major plot spoiler, although IMHO, if a book can be spoiled by giving one or two plot lines, it isn't worth it's salt). While Allyn tells us that his story is indeed a fictional interpretation of events whose details are obscured, at best, some scenes simply feel out of place in his own rendition (no other woman in the book acts in this way, e.g.).
However, as I mentioned, the book goes fast (it took me about 3 hours to read it), and it certainly serves as a good diversion (e.g. on a plane flight), but I like my books to have a bit more meat.
A Nice Overview.......2005-12-30
While not hugely detailed, "The Forty-Seven Ronin Story" is a good introduction to one of the central icons of Japanese history. The 47 Ronin have become the embodiment of duty, sacrifice and honour, and deservedly so. This book, while not without its faults, presents non-Japanese readers with a good introduction to the tale.
Essentially, the book stays true to the major details of the 47 Ronin story. It is not detailed, as it is not all that long, but it covers the main points and adds some flesh to the story along the way.
For those not familiar with Japanese manners and courtesy of the Edo Period, the book has no major issues. However, those familiar with these points, will find places where Allyn has taken some liberties and changed aspects of the story. One such point is the attack on the Shogun's courtier and the place where it happened. While not fatal to the story itself, it is noticeable to those with a familiarity with the history surrounding the 47 Ronin.
For a fast, light read, "The Forty-Seven Ronin Story" is a great book that is a great introduction to a fantastic episode in Japanese history. However, for history buffs who have already gained a fair amount of knowledge on this specific episode, you might want to find something else.
For those who want more about the history itself, there is a good selection of contemporary and nearly so sources translated in Hiroaki Sato's Legends of the Samurai. Some of these sources even criticise the 47 Ronin for various reasons.
Great book.......2005-11-29
This is an awesome book. It arrived in great condition, although the book arrived only a day before the maximum time allowed for transactions. I would reccommend both seller and book.
Book Description
Born on February 18, 1965 to a sixteen-year-old single mom, Andre Young, AKA Dr. Dre, co-founded the notorious rap group N.W.A. The group was one of the most successful hip-hop groups of the late 1980s and, most importantly, started what the media quickly dubbed Gangsta Rap. His departure from N.W.A. was a story right out of a pulp fiction novel. His new mentor, Suge Knight, allegedly used guns, baseball bats and a kidnap threat to get Dr. Dre released from his contract. Dre and Knight went on to build Death Row Records and turned it into a multi-billlion dollar company. Yet despite its unprecedented success with stars such as Snoop Doggy Dogg and Tupac Shakur, the company quickly unraveled in a firestorm of rivalries, greed, violence, and scrutiny by both the government and the media.
Not one to fade into the background, Dr. Dre's next move was to start his own record company, Aftermath Entertainment. As CEO, he discovered and created new stars like Eminem, 50 Cent, The Game, and Eve. In this essential addition to any music section, award-winning author Ronin Ro details the rise, fall, and resurrection of one of the biggest names in rap music.
Customer Reviews:
For Those Who Look Beyond The Music.......2007-08-24
This book is a chronicle of Andre Young's life, better known as Dr. Dre. It is a book written to inform and tell a story, rather than just re-count the life of a hip-hop legend. I recommend this book to anyone who looks beyond the music to the motives and the characteristics that make a Producer create music the way they do, or where they get their inspiration from. The book follows Dr. Dre through his life, beginning with a little background about his troubled life through high school, and ending with the current status of his record label, Aftermath Records. It gives a glimpse into the very personal life of this amazing producer, which is rare for any producer in music as to the nature of their work is in the studio for most of their days. It talks about his affiliations with record labels, the hardships he faced with the women, labels, friends, enemies, and death of his younger brother. This book is a must read for any Dr. Dre fan and is a must for any aspiring producer or current producer who looks beyond the music.
Nothin' But A G Thang..........2007-07-28
DR. DRE is the life story of the rise of a prolific hip hop producer and his struggles to succeed in the ever changing music industry. Ro attempts to share with readers Andre Young aka Dr. Dre's life from birth until now.
Born on February 18, 1965 to teenage parents, Dr. Dre's life was not an easy one living in California. However, his mom and stepfather provided a safe environment, but could not truly motivate Dr. Dre with his education. They purchased him his first mixer and found music was his motivation. From his early days as a DJ until his becoming a Grammy awarding winning producer, Dr. Dre has had to deal with change in the industry standards and even the violence he rapped about as part of NWA. He also dealt with tragedies such as the death of his brother Tyrell. Included in this biography are bits and pieces of a more personal Dr. Dre including his numerous children and the change his marriage made in how he viewed music. Impressive was the ability to chronicle how Dr. Dre rapped about life in the streets when he wasn't from the streets in the sense of being a gang banger or dealer, as well as how the hip hop changed from gangster rap to lyrics of excess and a lot less shocking in its nature.
Ro's biography of Dr. Dre seems inclusive, but at times stiff and jagged in its delivery. The life story seems to be based on information already reported in different mediums with little coming from Dr. Dre or others involved in his life. I would have liked to have seen a smoother flow of the biography where it didn't seem years overlapped and clarity of when some things took place. Although some readers will appreciate the dissection of the lyrics, I was more interested in learning something new about this producer who has produced the likes of hip hop legends and some of the new generation of hip hop. Even though I learned Dr. Dre had to deal with a lot of malcontent in the music industry, I wanted a more personal read about the man and what truly made him successful. This is a good showcase of the history of hip hop.
Reviewed by Cashana Seals
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers
Great book.........2007-07-01
First of all I'd like to say i love this book and that i have followed dre's career since the days of NWA.. I know a lot about his career but this book focused on his personal life before music and behind the scenes while he was making hits. It goes into his creative process for making hits and what his session players do. When a new character is introduced, that person gets the spotlight put on them with a little mini biography as well.. Warren G(dre's little step brother) plays a part here as well. This book also goes into detail about why Rakim and King Tee's albums were shelved.. The only problem i had with the book was a few facts were twisted as well as quotes. For example, Suge Knight's exact quote on stage at the 1995 Source Awards was misquoted and Daz's part in the making of DOGGYSTYLE wasn't included.. I wouldn't take a star away from the book for those reasons.. I recommend this book to any dre fan or music fan.. You will definately look at him different after reading this. For better or worse.
Rap Music Producer King.......2007-06-04
this Book is a Good Chop on Dr.Dre's career as the Best Producer in Rap Music History period. Dr.Dre has often been a Mysterious and often a quite figure despite all the controversy that has often been associated with him,but make no mistakes about it, Dr.Dre is as close to a forrest Gump figure in Rap Music history as you can get. He started out with World class Wreckin crew,but His first real claim to fame was with NWA. NWA were the Sex Pistols of Rap Music and any other Musical figure that was considered a Outlaw Bad Boy type. NWA changed the whole landscape of Rap Music forever with there debut Album 'Straight outta compton". there impact and effect is still felt on Rap Music to this day. Dre's Beats and trademark Synth Grooves with the Low string vibes are part of his formula along with catchy past Hooks and grooves of yesteryear that have made him the Quincy Jones of Rap Music. and as a talent scout He is the Man who Put Snoop Dogg and Eminem truly on the Map with his touch. Ronin Ro does a really good job at chopping and creating a Book that flows really well. Dr.Dre is One of the Most Important Musical Figures over the past 25 years. also add in the fact that He was part of Ruthless Records which was Owned by the Late Eazy E,and then Dre Help Form Death Row Records and then his own Aftermath Records. either as a Artist,producer, CEO and conceptionalist Dr.Dre has had a strong hand in creating so much that has taken Rap Music to the next level and that makes the Man a Trail-Blazer of his time this Book covers his personal losses,his drama with Ruthless,Death Row and Sug Knight also his battles within the Politics of the Music Industry and being a Black Man. a Good read.
A Journalistic Re-Mix.......2007-03-11
Ronin Ro is probably perferct for hip-hop journalism since his style of writing seems to borrow the sampling technique found in most rap music. If you've followed Dre's press career, no matter how sparse, you'll quickly realize that most, if not all the quotes in this book, are "samples" from other magazines. Like an expert hip-hop producer, Ro chops up all the press and then brilliantly re-arranges it all into a coherent and remarkably seamless story. While a lot of biographies do this, they don't pull it off to the extent that Ro does.
I am grateful that this book brings all of those previously disparate pieces under the same roof. Having the puzzle finally put together reveals a man who really had to fight uphill to become the Producer that he is today. In a lot of ways, according to this book, Dre's rise to fame seem destined, but destiny sometimes seems to have taken the rockiest road.
If you haven't followed Dre's career closely, or if you simply don't remember the reportage of Dre over the years, than this book will feel fresh or, at the least, a re-fresher on the years spanning the life of hip hop's most noted producer. And in someways that's the danger of this book: because it pulls so heavily from pre-existing interviews, there's nothing really new to be presented here. But that's hardly the fault of the author, since Dre, being press shy, probably will never give a biographer any new material to work with. And maybe all that there is to say about Dre's past has been said before, and the most we can expect than is a creative narrative and Re-mix of those words.
Book Description
This supplement delves even further into the background of the Empire as laid out in the main rulebook. Useful for both players and Game Masters. The supplement contains a detailed geography, expanded history and in depth explanation of the politics and new empire centric careers.
Customer Reviews:
Perfect tool for GM.......2007-08-13
This book is one of the best products by Warhammer I have ever seen.
As a GM I use it as often as "Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay: A Grim World of Perilous Adventure" or PH (Player's Handbook). ))
You have lots of useful information on history, politics, society etc of the Empire.
Very Informative.......2007-08-03
This book helps with the background, history, beliefs, people breakdowns, and other useful informationon the Empire. the map could be a little more expansiveas some things in descriptions are not shown onthe map, but otherwise it is quite interesting and one of the first books a Gamemaster should get if running in the Empire.
A Great Sourcebook.......2007-05-14
Too many roleplaying games release expansions that are little more than addenda to the rules comprising of pages upon pages of extra classes, feats and the like with setting information getting a few paragraphs here and there. Sigmar's Heirs reverses this trend - mechanics and rules take a backseat to the exploration of the Empire. All of the Imperial provinces are covered in detail, including local sites of interest, personalities and the like. The Empire itself is also covered including religion, politics and history. The core rulebook isn't required to derive use from this book, it's great for pleasure reading or as an idea mine for your game.
A great resource.......2006-04-21
This is a great resource for those people who aren't as familiar with the setting. It also brings those familiar to the setting form older books up to date with the current time line. While I'd have like to see a little more for the price it's invaluable for the GM. As well as a fun read for the player with a bit of extra cash who wants to understand the setting better.
Great Information Book for WFRP.......2006-03-14
I was very please with SH and the background material it provided. Not having many supplements from WFB or from v1, SH provided excellent history on the provinces of the empire. Additionally it talked about the current state of the provinces after the Storm of Chaos.
The one thing I was hoping to have in the book it a bit more maps, paticular of each province.
For new players, this book will be a very good addition to the core rules. Longtime players of v1 and WFB will like the updates for the SoC stuff and consolodated information, but it is not a must buy.
Book Description
In the dark of the night the Vampire rules supreme. Masters of dark necromantic acts, terrible treachery and violent combat the Vampires of the Old World make ideal antagonists for would be heroes. Within this tome is contained all manner of truth and lies about these powerful beings. Learn of their bloody origins, murderous wars and secret plans for the Old World. Packed with information about the Vampire bloodlines, their culture, necromantic powers and deadly weaknesses, this book is a must for any player hoping to hunt these masters of undead. Gm¿s too, will find dark delight in this detailed sourcebook, for contained within is information on Vampires as enemies, allies and patrons, as well as a disturbing adventure in the region of Sylvania.
Book Description
A detailed account of Chaos in the world of WFRP that alerts the player to the secrets of heretical cults and details on the four Chaos gods -- their ways, spells and servants. Allows the player to identify traits of taint and to create your own daemon prince!
Customer Reviews:
Great Setting Material.......2007-05-14
Tome of Corruption is all about flavor. The book is long on setting material and mercifully short on rules and even those still amount to flavor and setting material. Running a long-term game with many of the rules included would be difficult or downright impossible. The amount of raw power that is available to the players and GMs is huge. Some of the more powerful features, in an effort to reflect their abilities in the tabletop version of Warhammer, would slaughter an entire army of PCs. Many of the careers are also ridiculously powerful.
Gamemasters are going to want to be extremely careful in what they allow players to take from the book, but for anyone who wants to run a high-powered epic game the Tome of Corruption provides everything and more.
The Tome of Corruption is also a great read. For those who don?t like rules the mechanics are presented in such a manner as to be almost totally separated from the setting material. Unlike many supplements the point of the book is not just to create more rules but to add to the setting.
If you can't use it in a WFRP game then it is a great idea mine for other games or for pleasure reading.
The stuff of Chaos.......2007-01-12
A good supplement for GM's to expand their roster of enemies (or perhaps allies) of their player characters. An entertaining read as well.
Chaos can be fun.......2007-01-11
This is an exceptional book, like all of the new WHFRP books I have gotten so far. It covers many topics that a GM would need to use the forces of the Old Night in a game. The book has extensive rules for mutations, greatly expanding on the rules found in the core book (as well as organizing them by which of the chaos powers would likely grant them). The book also greatly expands on the rules for the various followers of Chaos. Rules for beastmen and marauders/chaos warriors (including careeres) are found within this book, as are rules for many other chaos creatures (like the chaos dragon and the shaggoth). There is more as well... such as rules for chaos weapons, and the stats for various daemons up to the Greater Daemons themselves!
Great book for GMs.......2006-11-02
This book is a must have for GMs. If you buy more than the main book this should be your 2nd, or 3rd book. (Unless you aren't planning on Chaos types being a major bad guy.) That said like all WFRP books it's short, but unlike some of the other books it's packed with good info. My favorite is the D1000 mutation chart that spans 2 pages. (Plus the following chapter of mutations.) Also the info on chaos champions is great. It's kind of light on generic stats for enmies, but if gives you the info you need to create demons, chaos warrior, chaos champions, cultist, beastmen... Also the same info can be used for a campaign with PCs on the other side.
WOW!!!! Indespensible resource!!!.......2006-10-29
Tome of Corruption is the most useful WFRP book to date... Not only is it a good read, it has far more game mechanics and rules than previous releases (so many mutations!!!). All you need for a chaos campaign is the core book and this one. Forget the bestiary unless you need goblin/orc stats... Or you just enjoy reading these books like I do!
Book Description
Realms of Sorcery (ROS) will delve deeply into the background of magic and the social/human side of its consequences.
Core aims of ROS:
" To place Warhammer magic in a cultural context
" To expand and detail new areas of the background
" To provide new rules and depth for WFRP players and GM's
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (WFRP or WHFRP) is a roleplaying system created by Games Workshop. It is set in the Old World, which bears some resemblance to late medieval / renaissance Europe. The world is threatened by the forces of Chaos. The major power in the Old World is the Empire, in which most of the adventures are located. The Empire itself is a country full of intrigue, conspiracies, and dark plots.
BL Publishing is the publishing wing of the world famous Games Workshop group of companies. As well as its new Black Industries imprint, the division is also home to the Black Library, which has been producing best-selling and award-winning novels, comics and artbooks set in the worlds of Warhammer since 1997. It also includes the Black Flame fiction imprint for non-Warhammer titles, and Warhammer Historical Wargames.
Warhammer Fantasy Battle was originally published in 1986 and subsequently licensed to Hogshead Publishing. This is the second edition of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay.
Customer Reviews:
A flat 3 stars.......2007-01-17
Needed for the sheer number of spells added. Spells, Runesmith careers, expanded Chaos Manifestation tables, Arcane marks, familiars give the book a 3.
Cons:
- Font is too large. C'mon.. The font and spacing of material reminds me of a padded research paper by a junior in high school. Actual page count is WAY lower (less than 200 pages), if you put this in context.
- too much fluff. I like fluff as much as the next guy, but it gets a little "thick" at times. It's not that bad, but some of it seems contrived at times.
- the adventure included. I'm not saying it's bad, I'm just saying it doesn't belong here. It's taking up space that could have been used for more content. Put 30 page adventures (yes it's that long) in a new book akin to The Restless Dead. Please.
Not Bad, but...........2006-07-21
Well here is Green Ronin's source book for magic in the Warhammer world. It definitely adds to the material covered in the basic WFRP players guide but I was a bit disappointed. I have often felt that WFRP v. 1 needed some good "role-play" spells. Small spells that can make a Wizard far more useful but not devastating, like the old D&D cantrips. They're not here. Magic has, of course, become unpredictable because of the "winds of magic", so spells have become more powerful. (Like Warhammer wizards needed more powerful spells.) GM's beware; you may be snapping pencils trying to match your player group with adversaries. If your wizard makes his roles he may decimate your monsters quickly, and if he doesn't your group may be spending a lot of fate points. Still, there is some good background and a nice diversity of spells. A good addition to this vastly improved roleplay system. WFRP v.2 is far superior to ANY of the editions of D&D. Play it and you'll love it.
Good starting point but could be better........2006-03-14
The new RoS by Black Library I would rate a 3.5 (okay round to 4) stars. It provides some nice information on magic in the empire and the general feeling of common folk. I enjoyed the information of a college apprentice and how they progress to a Magister. Loved the new careers provide to the Hedge Mage (witch/warlock) making that a viable option. Also Happy that the spell list were expanded a bit. Was happy to see new rules on Creating Potions and Familiars.
Was sort of happy with information on creating ritual magic and the dwarf runesmiths (including the careers).
I was very disappointed in the lack of rituals and even more disappointed in the complete lack of lesser spells. As of now the only official lesser magic spells are those found in the core rulebook.
I was hoping for some information on High Magic (since they had runesmiths), and the possibility of creating magic items and a longer magic items list. After all, there are two wizard careers (Master and Lord) that require the PC to obtain magic items. You'd think that if they don't do much magic items they would put in how one can go about making them (aside from the weapon/armor of runesmith).
Instead of this informaiton, there is an adventure printed at the end of the book. I was a bit angry at this as the adventure took up very needed space on magic rules.
Overall, I do recommend this book and if you plan to do any magic in V2 is a must have along the core rulebook.
It's good...but.......2006-02-11
This is a very good book...in fact how anyone could run a Warhammer FRP campaign without it is a very good question I have to say,but despite it's exhaustive covering of sorcery and how it is seen in the Old World it has one very large glaring fault...
The book repeats itself...alot...it will change the wording,but there is only so many times that one can read that people in the Old World view sorcery as evil in so many different words before it has become redundant.
I truly feel that much of the room within the book could have been devoted to more spells,more information on how the various factions within the Old World view elves and other magic-users that moved about them,and far more information upon the individual colleges.
Beyond this the book is quite good...the layout is good and like all other Warhmmer FRP books that have come about so far it's a treat to read it.
Amazon.com
No one more epitomized the world of gangsta rap than Suge Knight, the often brutal CEO of Death Row Records. Author Ronin Ro shows courage in detailing the frightening means used by Knight to corner the market on the most hard-core of urban music. It's a tale that reads like it was written by the bastard offspring of Horatio Alger and Quentin Tarantino. Knight's forceful style and legal entanglements have been the stuff of legend for years. Most music reporters, coming face to face with the thugs who enforced the rules at Death Row, have been afraid to tell the story. With Knight safely behind bars and Death Row in disrepair, Ronin Ro finally has the chance to put this violent soap opera in print.
Book Description
Death Row Records is one of the most successful music labels of all time. From its inception in 1992, it exploded on the rap music scene with sales climbing to the $125 million mark in just four years. Even more noticeable than the label's financial success is the effect it had on American youth culture, making gangsta rap more popular with suburban white youth and MTV viewers than traditional rock groups. But under the guidance of six-foot-four-inch, 300-pound CEO Marion "Suge" Knight, Death Row also became the most controversial record label in history--a place where violence, gang feuds, threats, intimidation, and brushes with death were business as usual.
Have Gun Will Travel details the spectacular rise and violent fall of a music label that had at its heart a ferocious criminal enterprise cloaked behind corporate facades that gave it a guise of legitimacy. With inside access no other writer can claim, Ronin Ro, the country's preeminent rap journalist, exposes the facts everyone else is afraid to divulge--from the initial bankrolling of Death Row by a leader of L.A.'s notorious Bloods gang, to links with New York's Genovese crime family. Have Gun Will Travel lays bare the full story behind this influential label, including the still-unsolved murders of Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G., as well as Suge Knight's rise to power, his fight with East Coast rap titans such as Sean "Puffy" Combs, and his eventual imprisonment.
Although it has been all over the news--from The Wall Street Journal to Rolling Stone--this is a timeless story about an empire built on greed, corruption, murder, and exploitation. With exclusive interviews and bloodcurdling eyewitness accounts, Have Gun Will Travel combines the behind-the-scenes fascination of books like Hit Men and Hit and Run with the violence and dramatic sweep of The Godfather, in a brilliant and blistering document of contemporary culture.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
Violently Entertaining and Informative.......2006-07-27
Before I start this review, I'd like to defend Ronin Ro for his writing. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the way this book was written: the author carefully weaved in each character who was essential in the Death Row scandal. I saw no editorial mistakes and it was organized sufficiently. If a reader does not like the experiences in the book, that's one thing; but to insult the writer is ridiculous, especially since this was such an interesting and well-researched book.
On to the book:
I'm not quite sure how the topic of Suge Knight came up between a friend and I, but we were both shaking our heads about the man being shot in the leg. With all the rumored hits out on him, we were thinking "How could the shooter have such bad aim?" She told me about this book and I am so glad she did. I knew Suge Knight was an alleged dangerous man, and from an interview I saw of him challenging a journalist on a Tupac documentary, it was pretty obvious that he liked to intimidate people. But I was not expecting it to be this dramatic.
Death Row had everything from gun fights, gangs, rape, holding people out of balconies, locked doors to hear desperate screams, drugs, disgruntled rappers, terrified employees, scared delivery people, Crips, Bloods, women being beaten, boyfriend/girlfriend relationships, boyfriend/boyfriend relationships, East Coast artists being forced into West Coast artists, "thugs" turning into grown men, grown men trying to figure out how to connect to the streets but be peaceful, business conflict, etc. Anything that could possibly go wrong in a business happened at Death Row. I didn't grow up in the safest neighborhood, so about half of this didn't even make me flinch, but when the story got into beating up women; jailhouse rapes; balcony scenes, etc., I was like "Okay, enough is enough."
Although it is commendable that Suge Knight gave back to his community with food and money to the homeless/lower income, it does not justify all of the things he DID do. Honestly, I'm extremely surprised he's alive today, and definitely understand why he rolled with such a thick crew. Had he not, he'd have been dead long ago.
While I was reading this book, I couldn't stop giggling thinking about the "Gangstalicious" episode of the "Boondocks." So much of what I thought was a mocking of 50 Cent seemed more like it related to Tupac, and the guy chasing Gangstalicous reminded me of Suge. Although there were definitely humorous scenes throughout the story (from my own morbid mind) and it was definitely an entertaining read, it was extremely disturbing to see so many grown men acting like teenagers. When is it time to decide to stand on your own two, fight your own battles ALONE, stop killing your own race, and bullying people every time you don't get your way? It's one thing to want to be a grown man; it's another to be a grown bully. I ponder over whether many of these people actually enjoy the lifestyle; or is it just a matter of survival in the ghettoes? I know so many young men who were BEATEN into gangs, and then forced to participate to show their loyalty. But how can you show loyalty to a group that you NEVER wanted to be a part of? Why would someone be so happy to get out of jail, if they were just going to return to the jail lifestyle regardless of the bars?
If anything, this book definitely relates to the streets and brings up excellent questions. It also brings more information to cases that were only browsed over (i.e. how Tupac became a part of Death Row, the REAL relationship between Tupac and Dr. Dre, the murder trial for Snoop Doggy Dogg, Puffy's relationship with Suge Knight, Biggie's murder, Biggie's relationship with Tupac, the incidents of Tupac's being shot, robbed, and killed, etc.) Ro touches on SO many topics that the news glossed over or magazines didn't pay enough attention to.
I was very impressed with this book and think he did a great job for research--and is one brave guy for putting all this information out there. Be safe, Ro!
The Best Book For Any True Rap Fan!!!!!.......2005-12-05
This book gives you an inside look at one of the most powerfull companies in history. Its not just contracts and courtrooms, its murder, shooting and violence. It keeps your interest from start to finish. You see what a true gangsta Suge Knight was, doing anything to get what he wanted. It covers Dr. Dre, Suge Knight, N.W.A., the DOC, Tupac, Snoop Dogg, and many more. Ronin Ro puts direct quotes and doesnt altar or change anything, its raw, real, true. The language is definatly for 16+ but its great regarless. Go behind the scenes of the biggest indusry in music, and go inside the East Vs. West Coast Rap Battle. Once it arrives you will never put it down.
"Have Gun Will Travel" Review.......2005-09-14
Ronin Ro's "Have Gun Will Travel" is probably one of the most entertaining books ever written on the subject of Suge Knight's Death Row Records. However, a good deal of the information in this book should be taken with a grain of salt. Ro paints Knight as a thuggish bully who used violent tactics to extort his way into the music industry and helped create a feared "gang presence" behind the scenes at Death Row. It explores his partnership with Dr. Dre, a talented music producer who Knight pulled from rival Ruthless Records only to knock out of the picture when he was able to acquire an even-larger artist, Tupac Shakur. It goes into detail about the reported beatings of Dre production assistant, Sam Sneed and the infamous boat party where Warren G and his crew were assaulted. Ro tends to have a personal vendetta with some rappers, most noteably Tupac Shakur and DJ Quik. Shakur is written as a loud-mouthed, arrogant gangsta rapper who was falsely praised as a "revolutionary" because of his mother's fabricated past as a member of the Black Panthers. Quik is also written about in a less flattering way as Ro takes a biased look at his feud with MC Eiht, accussing him of hiding behind gang tactics and using violent threats while Eiht attempted to reconcile the problem. It fails to mention that Quik's diss record was a lyrical retaliation to a series of diss tracks called "Def Wish" where Eiht verbally punked Quik or that following the death of Biggie, Quik began recording positive anti-gang records including "You'z A Gangsta" where he made a call to end his problems with Eiht. Still, the star of the show, Suge Knight, takes the brunt of the beating in an editorial assault that makes Michael Moore's portrait of George W. Bush in "Farenheit 9/11" look kind in comparison. When he's not being accussed of assaulting record executives, promoting violence within the recording industry, or setting up rappers to be murdered, Knight's sexuality is also questioned as Ro explores a "supposed" homosexual relationship between Suge and his label's R&B crooner, Danny Boy, who is also his adopted son. If you were even a slight fan of West Coast rap music in the 90's, "Have Gun Will Travel" is one hell of an entertaining read, though most of its information is more "National Enquirer" than LA Times.
Major disappointment.......2003-06-07
What should have been a fascinating book, at the very least as a voyeuristic experience, fails to deliver largely due to its poorly written pages. The text stumbles along from incomprehensible link to allusive derailment, making the mistake of huge chunks of repetitive material which inevitably detract from the fascinating subject matter. Perhaps more of an editng disaster than an author's failure.....at the heart of which lies a story deserving a more coherent telling.
A Poor Attempt at Journalism.......2002-08-20
What should have been a tremendous book about the astonishing rise and fall of Death Row, ended up being nothing more than heresay and curse words. How on earth anyone could like Mr. Ro's writing style is totally beyond me - maybe it works in magazines - but clearly not in a 300 page book. He jumps from topic to topic, he introduces WAY too many characters with barely any flow at all and most of his info is either taken from sources who refuse to be identified or from other prewritten accounts. He repeats himself in at least 15% of the book. I had really high expectations on this book - and it fell flat on it's face. Out of the 50 or so business books I've read over the years - this one rates dead last. If you've followed Death Row over the years - you've already read at least half of this book.........
Books:
- Ronin
- School Is Hell
- Smoke Your Firefighter Interview
- Summer Promise/A Whisper and a Wish/Yours Forever (The Christy Miller Series 1-3) (Christy Miller Collection, Volume 1)
- Tales of the Slayers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
- Tenshi Ja Nai!! (I'm No Angel) Volume 7 (Tenshi Ja Nai (I'm No Angel) (Graphic Novels))
- Tenshi Ja Nai!! (I'm No Angel) Volume 7 (Tenshi Ja Nai (I'm No Angel) (Graphic Novels))
- The Adventures of Tintin: The Broken Ear / The Black Island / King Ottokar's Sceptre (3 Complete Adventures in 1 Volume, Vol. 2)
- The Ascent of Man
- The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream
Books Index
Books Home
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