The Complete New Yorker: Eighty Years of the Nation's Greatest Magazine (Book & 8 DVD-ROMs)

Amazon.com

Fans of The New Yorker will be dazzled by The Complete New Yorker, a collection that includes every page of every issue, from full-color covers to spot drawings, from poetry to Profiles, from cartoons to advertisements--all on 8 searchable DVDs. No need to save old issues, with this package, you'll have every article, cartoon, illustration, and advertisement, as it appeared in print, at your fingertips. The Complete New Yorker covers the magazine's entire history, from February 1925 to February 2005, providing a detailed yet panoramic history of the life of the city, the nation, and the world.

With The Complete New Yorker, you'll be able to:

Browse by Cover (click to zoom):

Search by Keyword (click to zoom):

View Entire Articles (click to zoom):

Search the archives for your favorite articles, cartoons, covers, and see them exactly as they appeared in print:

(October 13, 1934):

(August 31, 1946)

(September 23, 1961):

(July 22, 1974):

(September 10, 2001):

Book Description

EVERY PAGE OF EVERY ISSUE
ON 8 DVD-ROMS, WITH A COMPANION BOOK OF HIGHLIGHTS.

A cultural monument, a journalistic gold mine, an essential research tool, an amazing time machine.

What has the New Yorker said about Prohibition, Duke Ellington, the Second World War, Bette Davis, boxing, Winston Churchill, Citizen Kane, the invention of television, the Cold War, baseball, the lunar landing, Willem de Kooning, Madonna, the internet, and 9/11?

Eighty years of The New Yorker offers a detailed, entertaining history of the life of the city, the nation, and the world since 1925.

Every article, every cartoon, every illustration, every advertisement, exactly as it appeared on the printed page, in full color. Flip through full spreads of the magazine to browse headlines, art work, ads, and cartoons, or zoom in on a single page, for closer viewing. Print any pages or covers you choose, or bookmark pages with your own notes.

Our powerful search environment allows you to home in on the pieces you want to see. Our entire history is catalogued by date, contributor, department, and subject.

4, 109 ISSUES. HALF A MILLION PAGES. YOURS TO SEARCH AND SAVOR.

Customer Reviews:

this version is outdated!.......2007-09-16

Buy the 9 DVD set directly from the New Yorker at half the price. I discovered this AFTER I bought from Amazon and when I pointed this out, they were of no help. Amazon basically told me it was my problem - caveat emptor!

6 stars for content; 1 star for presentation.......2007-08-12

To have finger-tip access to the complete contents of the New Yorker magazine throughout its entire publication history, even with the inconvenience of swapping discs, is a dream come true. One cannot have any criticism that the content of this product is an incredible value--the asking price is entirely fair.

The proprietary client that users are forced to access the contents through, however, is among the worst pieces of software design I have ever seen. The various panes, for example, cannot be resized, so that the abstract view, in most cases, is cut off. The `Article Abstract' pane is always 756 pixels wide and 88 pixels high, no matter how long the abstract is. Only by clicking in the abstract pane and using the up and down arrows can one view the full text of the abstract.

The client was designed by Bondi Digital Publications, whose slick website proudly claims credit for it. Bondi's developers should be forced to crawl on their knees from Manhattan to Murray Hill to beg forgiveness for their programming sins. I purchased and installed the 1.1 DVD, but the client remains the same DOS 5.1-era obscenity it was before.

The index is also less than trustworthy. Touted by its developer, Innodata Isogen, as "99.995% accurate," it has, in fact, some gaping flaws. From a fairly thorough browse through most of 1933's issues, for example, I found that no material beyond page 40 of most issues was actually captured by the indexing engine. So, despite the fact that virtually every issue included a "Books" section, according to the index, only four 1933 issues contained this section (and only one in 1932 and only nine in 1931). Clifton Fadiman wrote most of the main reviews in the "Books" section in 1934, yet there is a gap from the 17 Feb to the 9 June issue where no author is credited. Such omissions mean that serious researchers should think twice before relying on the search tool. I suspect the true accuracy figure is under 95%, which is pretty poor by today's standards.

It's a real shame that the management of the New Yorker didn't put this product into the hands of a technical team of the caliber of the one that implemented their website. The net result of their poor choice of subcontractors is akin to taking the Hope Diamond and wrapping it up in a used Big Mac wrapper.

Wow! A Great Gift for any New Yorker Fan!.......2007-05-24

First, I applaud the guys at the New Yorker for bringing this remarkable gift of the last 80 years on 8 CDs. You can reprint or print as often and as much as you want. I have to say that I didn't care for the book included. But this is truly a complete New Yorker with ads, indexes, authors, dates, subjects, etc. I have to say since I'm a big fan of Janet Flanner's who wrote Letters from Paris from 1925 to 1975. Fortunately, I don't have to spend a fortune seeking New Yorker magazines for a lot more money. It's easy to install and easier to use all the time. I love it. It's the perfect gift for anybody who loves to read, for any New Yorker fan, or anybody who has acquired the New Yorker Taste. It's not for everybody but it's for me.

I have to say that was the main purpose behind this purchase was the opportunity to have the magazine without collecting too much dust and space as magazines have been known to do. As a fan of Janet Flanner for the last couple of years, this complete New Yorker edition on dvd and book is fabulous and quite a bargain. I'm so glad that I got it and now I can print as much without having to go elsewhere to get the magazine editions. Janet Flanner was one of the most important voices of the last century and more so was that she was the voice of Paris from the American point of view from 1925 to 1975. Her name was synomous with New Yorker and the Letters from Paris edition. I am so happy to receive this wonderful item at a fraction of the price and be able to use it on my computer. I wonder what Janet would say about today's technology, the smoking ban everywhere but home, and the state of Paris, London, Rome, and New York City today. I won't say that Janet was a New Yorker because her heart was truly in Paris where she spent most of her life. We were very lucky to have her there reporting from 1925 until 1975. She was there between two World Wars. I think some of her finest writing came about during World War II and afterwards until she was no longer to write. I have to say that I think Paris changed after World War II. It wasn't so much about the lost generation of American expatriates like Flanner, her partner Solita Solano, Natalie Clifford Barney, Gertrude Stein, Alice B. Toklas, Ernest Hemingway, Sylvia Beach etc. who relocated. Sure the hardcore expatriates like Flanner stayed behind but the change in Paris was obvious after the war. Nothing after the war was ever the same. In a way, all of Europe lost it's innocence during World War II and even Janet probably fondly remembered days before the war that ripped everybody apart. Nothing is for sure, nothing can last forever, maybe that's what Genet would say today.

Anyway, the product is excellent. There are a couple of pages missing in old issues but the quality is adequate. You get 80 years of print on 8 compact discs which I found accessible and easy to use on my computer. The first disc is to install the information which includes by author, subject, title, year, etc. This index is invaluable tool. It would also be a great addition to the schools for students to research. They have a wide variety of literature like cartoons, poems, short stories, non-fiction, profiles, reporter at large series etc. It would be a terrible shame not take the opportunity to buy this treasure.

20th century in a box!.......2007-05-13

Name a subject and the Complete New Yorker addresses it ...and probably from many perspectives and in every decade! This collection is a goldmine of research and personal library of literature.

how about it mac users?.......2007-05-01

all of the problems listed in all of the, amazon, reviews dealing with computer problems seem to be software conflict with various hardware suppliers. all of the, mac, users seem happy with the product. is this true mac users?

New Food of Life: Ancient Persian and Modern Iranian Cooking and Ceremonies

Average customer rating:

A must have
Brilliant book on how to make the best food in the world !
A visual treat
This is my favorite of all Cookbooks
A visual as well as culinary treat

New Food of Life: Ancient Persian and Modern Iranian Cooking and Ceremonies
Najmieh Batmanglij
Manufacturer: Mage Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

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Reference | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Middle Eastern | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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Persian Cooking for a Healthy Kitchen
Silk Road Cooking: A Vegetarian Journey
A Taste of Persia
From Persia to Napa: Wine at the Persian Table
Persian Cooking: A Table of Exotic Delights

ASIN: 0934211345

Customer Reviews:

A must have.......2007-08-04

As a Persian who loves to cook (and eat), I enjoyed this book so much. I have been a fan of cooking and consuming Persian delicacies my whole life, whether in the US or Iran. Batmanglij provides authentic recipes that are not too complex for the novice in a Persian kitchen. Her descriptions of Persian customs and their deep and intricate meanings are very helpful and insightful for those wishing to broaden their knowledge of a fascinating culture. I especially enjoyed her wedding description, because it is still done that way! The pictures are really a work of art; anyone who has ate Persian food knows presentation is everything and the layout Batmanglij displays is simply breathtaking. What I loved most about this book is that it is a great conversation starter! I discovered dishes I have never heard of and wound up asking my relatives in Iran about them. I have used this book not only for cooking, but referenced it for research papers, and given it to many people as gifts. If you buy this book, it will be the only book you need in your kitchen to create a true Persian feast. Noosh e Joon!

Brilliant book on how to make the best food in the world !.......2007-03-10

This book is well written, recipes are well documented, and easy to cater for and follow. This cuisine is indeed timeconsuming but ever so rewarding, results are always VERY impressive ! Lots and lots of compliments to the chef, which, of course translate to compliments to the authors of this amzingly useful, practical, informative and also beautiful book.
Having tasted it a few times at a friends' place, I decided that this must be the best and most beautiful cuisine in the world. Since I have no Iranian roots or relationships the cultural references and poetry are a nice addition. And now, I can also add that there is intense pleasure in taking lots of time for the preparation of these gorgeous dishes.

A visual treat.......2007-02-06

This book is visually stunning....and the recipes produce delicious dishes. Any serious cook must have a copy.

This is my favorite of all Cookbooks.......2007-01-11

I love this book. After using it for two years I bought one for each of my sisters, and for a few friends. Everyone loves it. The food is always healthy, the flavors are distinct and the recipes are very easy to follow. Nush-e-jan! -liese

A visual as well as culinary treat.......2007-01-09

Not only is this book filled with beautiful photographs and illustrations from historical sources, but the recipes are easy to follow and absolutely delicious. I own a copy of this book for myself, and have given copies as gifts. Just a stunning addition to my cookbook shelf, however it is frequently found on my coffee table as well.

The Kings of New York: A Year Among the Geeks, Oddballs, and Genuises Who Make Up America's Top HighSchool Chess Team

Average customer rating:

He Knows Them So Well
Great reviews, mediocre read
A King among writers
Interested in the New York chess scene?
"Their lives have already been made much better"

The Kings of New York: A Year Among the Geeks, Oddballs, and Genuises Who Make Up America's Top HighSchool Chess Team
Michael Weinreb
Manufacturer: Gotham
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

High School | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

All Deals | Blowout Books | Stores | Books

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Silman's Complete Endgame Course: From Beginner To Master
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ASIN: 1592402615
Release Date: 2007-03-01

Book Description

An award-winning sportswriter takes you inside a year with the nation's top high school chess team.

With strict admission standards and a progressive curriculum, Brooklyn's Edward R. Murrow High School has long been one of New York's public-education success stories, serving a diverse neighborhood of immigrants and minorities and ranking among the nation's best high schools. At Murrow, there are no sports teams, and the closest thing to jocks are found on the school's powerhouse chess team, which annually competes for the national championship.

In The Kings of New York sportswriter Michael Weinreb follows the members of the Murrow chess team through an entire season, from cash games in Washington Square Park to city and state tournaments to the SuperNationals in Nashville, where this eclectic bunch competes against private schoolers and suburbanites. Along the way, Weinreb brings to life a number of colorful characters: the Yale-educated calculus teacher (and former semipro hockey player) who guides the savants while struggling to find funding for his team; an aspiring rapper and tournament hustler who plays with cutthroat instinct; the team's lone girl, a shy Ukrainian immigrant; the Puerto Rican teen from the rough neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant who plays an ingenious opening gambit named the Orangutan; and the Lithuanian immigrant and team star whose chess rating is climbing toward grandmaster status.

In the bestselling tradition of such books as Word Freak and Friday Night Lights, The Kings of New York is a riveting look inside the world of competitive chess and an inspiring profile of young genius.

Customer Reviews:

He Knows Them So Well.......2007-09-14

Like many other guys I got into chess via the smash Broadsway musical written by Tim Rice and the two fellows from ABBA.

The musical, for those of us lucky enough to see it several times, glamorized the international world of high stakes chess championships, and posed chess as a way to resolve international Cold War tensions between grand masters of warring nations, spawning such monster hits as "One Night in Bangkok" and "I Know Him So Well." In Harold Prince's innovative direction, the stage became a living chessboard, the rooks, knights and pawns constantly alert and on the move at the drop of a baton. Now along comes Michael Weinreb, a top New York-based sportswriter, who focuses in on the Brooklyn high school that does for chess what FAME did for the performing arts.

The results? Not so glamorous, but compelling. Weinrib examines the ways in which few native-born Americans are drawn to chess, while the newly immigrant and the poor see in the sport a parallel to the nomadism of their existences, shuttled from state to state like bishops being moved two spaces one way, one space to the side. The main boys he profiles come from a wide variety of foreign countries, and once they're here, they do their best to go American, wearing baggy jeans, oversized T-shirts, FUBU underwear and the like. Their teacher, himself a chess expert, is not above employing Murrow's own strategies (Edward R. Murrow, after whom the school is named, was himself not a bad amateur chess player) to allow his boys (and one girl) a liberal amount of freedom regarding their academic commitments that would be unheard of at most schools.

As Weinrib reports, some of them fall apart, and some of them manage to keep their eye on the prize. Not since Frances Parkinson Keyes' 1960 novel THE CHESS PLAYERS, which examined the sorry, doomed life of American grand master Paul Morphy (possibly the greatest chess player who ever lived) (19th century, New Orleans), have we been shown in such detail the uncensored lives of the teens obsessed with the sport--the gateway to the kingdom.

In some way, his book will disappoint those of us who know how to play chess, for it is more about what our lives look like from the outside. But in others, it's a wake up call. I don't consider myself a geek, an oddball, or a genius, but now I know what the world thinks of men like me, men who, inspired by a dream (with music by ABBA), got into something I don't have any control of any more. Those who go to Hurrow in furture generations (like actress Marisa Tomei and director Darren Aronofsky--cited by Weinrib as two prominent graduates of Murrow's equally impressive theater program for kids) will be tempted to join the chess club just to travel the world! With their concentration on musical theater and chess, it's a wonder Murrow has not apparently put on a student production of the famous chess musical! They could star the the beloved chess graduates profiled in this book, Sal, Oscar Santana, Willy, Alex and Ilya. Hey, give it a chance! Weinrib quotes an approving chess source, who says, "The word dynasty does not completely describe Edward R. Murrow High School's pre-eminence in high school chess: complete hegemony is more accurate."

Great reviews, mediocre read.......2007-08-31

I read this on a long train ride, if I'd had anything else, I'd have read it.
I was just interested enough to keep reading and just bored enough to wish it would get more interesting.

A King among writers.......2007-08-23

embraces today's youth - now in chess!
so easy to read - thoughtful - hard to put down.
Thank you M. Weinreb

Interested in the New York chess scene?.......2007-08-11

If you are a chess player or someone new to chess, you may be interested in what is going on in the New York chess scene.New York is by far the biggest and most productive chess center in the USA.New York youth chess programs set the standard and produce many junior chess champions.In this book you will be following the journey of one such junior chess team on their road to the championships,this is a very well written book.The critism I have is this- I don't like the author calling chess players geeks and oddballs. Michael Weinreb the author is clearly a novice chess player at best,by his many annoying errors of chess terms and concepts.He sometimes writes about meaningless details which I found annoying, like giving small details about the environments and the details of what his characters are wearing ,hence why I took off one star.I appreciated the fact that this author took at least a year or more following a group of high school chess players around the country and giving us a glimpse into why chess is so popular in New York.I hope this trend spreads throughout the USA and to California, where I am from.Overall this book is helpful in spreading the popularity of chess, the game which I love, to more and more people throughout the USA.For that I am grateful.The book does a great job in expressing the emotions and trials of this group of young players.I will never forget the characters in this book. It was a fascinating read, and I took me only 3 days to finish it.I really enjoyed reading it ,and highly recommend this great book! This would be a great book for a high school teacher to read with thier students.

"Their lives have already been made much better".......2007-08-09

It is not often that I come across a book that has some great characteristics that make it excellent and others that seriously affect my enjoyment of the experience. This is one of those odd cases, because the portrayal of the kids and the gusto with which the author tells their personal stories is commendable. I can even risk going as far as saying that he comes close to the level of the best chess journalist I know, Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam. But then when Weinreb starts talking about the games and chess concepts, everything comes tumbling down in a never ending spiral of mistakes and confusion. This gave me an odd feeling, because I started reading and thinking that it was a pretty good read and that it probably deserved between 4 and 5 stars. Then the chess parts started and I downgraded it to 2 to 3. Next I came across another good part, involving the description of coaches and masters, and I thought that it was on the right track again, only to be beaten down once more. Finally, I had to settle for 3.5 stars.

Lets start with the good part. The story focuses on the chess team of Edward R. Murrow High School, which is an institution in Brooklyn that implemented an experimental program giving the students considerably freedom to choose how to approach their education. In this setting, Eliot Weiss decided to start a chess team. This team attracted kids with different personalities, all of which have characteristics that give the author enough material to display his narrative skills. We are presented with the personal stories of the kids, which includes two master level players and a bunch of good club players, as well as some rookies. It is enlightening to see how chess affects their lives, and how their personalities differ from the stereotype most people have about how a chess player behaves and lives. We also get a tour through some of the most important factors that affected chess in the US and its introduction in schools. Finally, the book delivers great information on some of the most relevant coaches and masters in the game, such as Bruce Pandolfini and Bobby Fischer.

If the author, who clearly is not a chess player, had decided to stop there the result would have been excellent. He could have even asked a master for help in presenting the games and some of the chess concepts used in the book. Sadly, this was not the case, and starting with a convoluted explanation of what a pin is, the missteps accumulate and detract from the overall quality of the book. The problem is that the explanations do not help those that are already familiar with the concepts and are not clear enough for a newcomer to understand them. On top of that, we have the mistakes: positions that are wrong, illegal opening moves (on several occasions) and butchering the name of an opening, to name a few. And finally, to make it even worse, there is the narration of some of the games, which is so poor that it is impossible to follow. There are so many references to queen sacrifices that it is hard to believe these are accurate.

Those that are interested in the story of these oddballs and do not care about the chess portions will have a most pleasant experience with this book. However, if you are looking forward to following the development of the games through the narration, you will find yourself extremely disappointed.

The Historical Atlas of New York City: A Visual Celebration of 400 Years of New York City's History

Average customer rating:

Wonderful
Almost Great

The Historical Atlas of New York City: A Visual Celebration of 400 Years of New York City's History
Eric Homberger
Manufacturer: Holt Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

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Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898 (The History of New York City)
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ASIN: 0805078428
Release Date: 2005-06-16

Book Description

he Historical Atlas of New York City, second edition, takes us, neighborhood by neighborhood, through four hundred years of Gotham's rich past, describing such crucial events as the city's initial settlement of 270 people in thirty log houses; John Jacob Astor's meteoric rise from humble fur trader to the richest, most powerful man in the city; and the fascinating ethnic mixture that is modern Queens. The full-color maps, charts, photographs, drawings, and mini-essays of this encyclopedic volume also trace the historical development and cultural relevance of such iconic New York thoroughfares as Fifth Avenue, Wall Street, Park Avenue, and Broadway. This thoroughly updated edition brings the Atlas up to the present, including three all-new two-page spreads on Rudolph Giuliani's New York, the revival of Forty-second Street, and the rebuilding of Ground Zero. A fascinating chronicle of the life of a metropolis, the handsome second edition of The Historical Atlas of New York City provides a vivid and unique perspective on the nation's cultural capital.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful.......2006-07-05

This is simply one of the best NYC historical reference work available. The book is divided into periods and will display numerous maps , photos and drawings of the buildings and landscape of the city at that time in history. Plenty of history is included to make certain you are keyed in to the era, and how the buildings fit in. Just a beautiful book. Great binding and very sturdy.
Strong buy

Almost Great.......2006-01-16

This book includes many really nice maps of early New York. Much of the historical information included in the maps is uniquely presented here and lacking in many other publications. However, there are many editorial mistakes and misspellings that I have observed, which makes me wonder about the accuracy of the rest of the information. Additionally, the narrative text is simple, limited and sometimes disjointed and difficult to follow. Buy this book simply for its beautiful graphics and depictions of the city as it used to be. Some periods of the city's history could be greatly expanded, especially the city's role in the revolution and the siege of Fort Washington. Anyone with knowledge of the city will find it of limited value beyond the maps and illustrations. A little polishing of this book and some additional material for some historical periods in a future edition would make this book an outstanding work. For now, I would call it good but lacking in important areas.

Life: The Platinum Anniversary Collection: 70 Years of Extraordinary Photography

Average customer rating:

Excellent Photo's and Stories of Our History
Too much of America.
the image of a century
A reminder of how great the original Life Magazine was and what photojournalism should be
Life: The Platinum Anniversary Collection

Life: The Platinum Anniversary Collection: 70 Years of Extraordinary Photography
Editors of Life Magazine
Manufacturer: Life
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Collections, Catalogues & Exhibitions | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Photojournalism | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Life: 100 Events That Shook Our World : A History in Pictures from the Last 100 Years
100 Photographs That Changed the World
Through the Lens: National Geographic's Greatest Photographs
Life: Heaven on Earth: 100 Places to See in Your Lifetime (Life)
Work: The World in Photographs

ASIN: 1933405171

Book Description

For seven decades, Life has been thrilling the world with its unrivaled presentation of the very best photography to be found. Here, the editors have assembled the crme de la crme from the magazines vast collection of images.Because Life has always dealt with matters of every sort, the entire spectrum of society is represented in these pages. One after another, there are unforgettable photos from Hollywoods greatest stars, from the wonders of small-town America, from the terrible wars, as well as from the zestful years of childhood. Life has always represented the apex in photojournalism and its roster of great photographers is unequaled.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Photo's and Stories of Our History.......2007-07-18

This booked turned out to be a prized gift for a history buff friend of ours. Absolutely LOVED IT and wants to share it with his grandkids. Interesting reading, in a beautiful format.

Too much of America........2007-04-15

I picked up this book and "The Great LIFE Photographers" off the shelf of an art bookstore last night. Great books, a lot of emotion, great photography. Although, I wouldn't recommend buying these two books together. A lot of the photos are repeated, so one should be enough.

When I was going through this book, I was slightly annoyed by how "American" it is. I'm sure the Americans did a lot of great things. But about half a dozen of photos of baseball games/players?

Between those two books, I recommend "The Great LIFE Photographers" as it is smaller, more compact, and puts less emphasis on the US.

the image of a century.......2007-04-11

the life of each day all over the world.
The life of men and woman , in peace and at war.
To have, absolutely.

A reminder of how great the original Life Magazine was and what photojournalism should be.......2007-04-01

Before television - an era that well over half the population never experienced - there was Life Magazine, which brought the world into people's homes. The magazine's editors hired the world's best photographers who in turn became some of the world's greatest photojournalists. Life also never said no to great photography from any source. Life was, indeed, a window into life for many millions.

Alas, society moved on and rising costs and television ultimately killed off Life, Saturday Evening Post, Look and many other wonderful magazines.

This book is actually a little bit disappointing in that it is only 304 pages, 251 of them being given to pictures from Life Magazine. The book could have - and, in my opinion, should have - been two, three or even four times the size. Life Magazine represented the epitome of photojournalism for much of its history and I think people would pay handsomely to have the "complete" Life photo collection. Perhaps someday, like the New Yorker did with its cartoons and articles, all of Life's photos will be available for browsing on DVD.

In the meantime, for any student of popular culture, 20th Century History, photojournalism or photography, this book is essential. It does contain a wonderful treasure of Life photography, which in turn gives a mirror into the world as it was.

Perhaps the best part of the book are the tiny reproductions of every Life cover. These provide a true summary of the fleeting nature of fame (many Life cover subjects are entirely forgotten today), the restless world with its wars, famines and other upheavals - and reaffirmation that nothing ever changes.

For the money, this is a wonderful value - a great browsing and viewing experience.

Jerry

Life: The Platinum Anniversary Collection.......2007-01-27

If you want a coffeetable book that has decades of images which have enthralled all of us, this is the perfect choice. Also, photographers can learn what makes a compelling image.

BOMB SQUAD: A YEAR INSIDE THE NATION'S MOST EXCLUSIVE POLICE UNIT

Average customer rating:

A must read for those interested in EOD.
Boring, Boring, Boring
day to day
I purchased this as a gift for my son.
A "must read" that's as important as it is informative

BOMB SQUAD: A YEAR INSIDE THE NATION'S MOST EXCLUSIVE POLICE UNIT
Richard Esposito , and Ted Gerstein
Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Law Enforcement | Criminal Law | Law | Subjects | Books

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Bomb Squad Specialist (High Interest Books)
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ASIN: 1401301525

Book Description

An unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at the men who protect us from the most frightening prospect of life in the age of terrorism

"In my mind it's all business; I don't worry about my family, I don't worry about a function that I'm doing after work, I just worry about what's at hand. And what's at hand is that package." --Detective First Grade Joe Putkowski, NYPD Bomb Squad

The New York City Police Department Bomb Squad is the oldest such squad in the nation, founded in 1903. Each year its thirty-three members make more than two hundred stress-filled "bomb runs," in which they check suspicious briefcases, defuse hand grenades, and even respond to "art" projects constructed with real explosives. The public rarely sees these men -- and when they do, it's usually from a distance, telephoto pictures of helmeted figures in ninety-pound suits of Kevlar armor.

Starting on December 31, 2003, in the heart of the New Year's Eve action in Times Square, journalists Richard Esposito and Ted Gerstein had exclusive access to the nation's most elite police unit for an entire year. Their often chilling, never-before-told tales from the front line provide an extraordinary view of the domestic war on terrorism.

Customer Reviews:

A must read for those interested in EOD........2007-09-11

As a military Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician, I recommend BOMB SQUAD. The authors spent a year in the field with the NYPD BOMB SQUAD. The result is a narrative that strikes the right balance between history, human interest, and blowing stuff up. By the time I finished BOMB SQUAD I understood what it means to be a disposaleer in the Big Apple. I am particularly impressed and amazed with the number of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that New York's Finest face on a regular basis. This book is a must read for anyone interested in EOD, police work, and homeland security. Thank you, Messrs. Esposito and Gerstein.

Boring, Boring, Boring.......2007-06-18

Mr. Gerstein should keep to writing for television. I was completely disappointed in this book. The character development was so minimal you really didn't care what happened to them. Each chapter jumps to a different era making a dry read that much harder. The writer was so constrained by the NYPD to NOT go into any details about bombs or methods to diffuse them the reader was left totally in the dark. While this book may have some minimal value to someone who is either obsessed with bomb squads or is directly connected to this one, for the rest of us this book is a bore. I had to consciously will myself each time to pick it up, hardly a page turner.

To make matters worse, the writer's political leanings are strongly to the right as he obviously is a big fan of the Patriot Act and has strong animosity towards former president Clinton. If you are a Fox News fan, you may enjoy this book.

day to day.......2007-04-11

great book as an emergency first responder in a haz mat specialty position I really enjoyed the story and could identify with the team in many ways.

I purchased this as a gift for my son........2007-04-06

I will wait until he reads the book. Therefore, I can't review it at this time.

A "must read" that's as important as it is informative.......2007-03-21

I knew this book was going to be a good read but I must admit I was greatly surprised to realize how important this book is. Not only is it a great history and peak inside the daily working of the NYPD Bomb Squad, but the fact, figures and observations of the many bomb technicians interviewed make you see the terrorism that has engulfed us for so long with fresh eyes. It's more informative than any Congressional hearing and I would wager that anyone reading this book is not only going to have an exciting read - my heart was racing - but is going to feel that reading this book was time and money well spent. I wish there were more books and authors like "Bomb Squad" and Richard Esposito and Ted Gerstein.

The Butter Battle Book: (New York Times Notable Book of the Year) (Classic Seuss)

Average customer rating:

Not appropriate for young children
The Butter Battle Book
disappointd
Another great allegory from the undisputed champion of children's writing
The first world (U.S./capitalism) The second world (USSR/communism)

The Butter Battle Book: (New York Times Notable Book of the Year) (Classic Seuss)
Dr. Seuss , and Theodor Seuss Geisel
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0394865804
Release Date: 1984-01-12

Amazon.com

A cautionary Cold War tale (first told by Dr. Seuss back in 1984), The Butter Battle Book still has a lot to teach about intolerance and how tit-for-tat violence can quickly get out of hand. Explaining the very serious differences between the Zooks and the Yooks, a Zook grandpa tells his grandchild the unspeakable truth: "It's high time that you knew of the terribly horrible thing that Zooks do. In every Zook house and every Zook town every Zook eats his bread with the butter side down!" He then recalls his days with the Zook-Watching Border Patrol, as he gave any Zook who dared come close "a twitch with my tough-tufted prickley Snick-Berry Switch." But when the Zooks fought back, the switches gave way to Triple-Sling Jiggers, then Jigger-Rock Snatchems--even a Kick-a-Poo Kid that was "loaded with powerful Poo-a-Doo Powder and ants' eggs and bees' legs and dried-fried clam chowder."

With lots of fun and more-than-fair digs at the runaway spending and one-upmanship of U.S.-Soviet days, The Butter Battle Book makes a chuckle-filled read whether you're old enough to get the historical references or not. (And with all the Bitsy Big-Boy Boomeroos still in service, this book's message is far from obsolete.) (Ages 4 to 8) --Paul Hughes

Book Description

Illus. in full color.

Customer Reviews:

Not appropriate for young children.......2007-09-27

This is not appropriate book for young children. It's a bit violent with too much political undercurrents. The rhythm and rhyme are off as well. Choose another Seuss book.

The Butter Battle Book.......2007-09-22

Dr Seuss reaks of fun. I have never read a Dr Seuss book I didn't like!!

disappointd.......2007-07-31

I bought this Seuss because it was rated as a number one with NewYork. I thought it was over the top Cold warish and it simplified the problem in a very trivial way. I would not recommend it to anyone and was quit disappionted in the strong political nature of this book. Thumbs down ):

Another great allegory from the undisputed champion of children's writing.......2007-02-15

This book was written years after the Lorax, but it certainly has a lot in common with Suess' most controversial and perhaps powerful book. The book is essentially an allegory of the cold war. With two different ideologies battling it out in secret rooms with weapons that are never used.

Like the Lorax, this book is great for children and adults alike, because it discusses such an important subject in such an accessible and colorful way. Adults will see the parallel between the book and the conflict of the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. and children will see an allegory for themes such as racism , and other thoughtless ignorances.

This is a powerful book, and in my belief an essential part of anyone's libary. If you are the mother or father of a young child, my reccomendation goes much deeper. Use this book as a way to start a discussion on any conflict that doesn't make sense to the child. I highly recommend this book to anyone, especially as a teaching aid.

The first world (U.S./capitalism) The second world (USSR/communism).......2007-02-07

This is the truth of the situation. Adults should have to read this, starting with W.

Average customer rating:

Nice walk down memory lane
Run Away!
Please follow up with a "Best of Spy" book!
Spy this!
SPY: More Influential Than Ever

SPY: THE FUNNY YEARS
Graydon Carter , George Kalogerakis , and Kurt Andersen
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1401352391

Book Description

Just in time for the 20th anniversary of Spys creation comes the definitive anthology, inside story, and scrapbook. Spy: The Funny Years will remind the magazines million readers why they loved and depended on Spy, and bring to a new generation the jewels of its reporting and writing, photography, illustration, design, and world-class mischief-making. It will demonstrate Spys singular niche in American magazine and cultural history. But mainly it is intended to be enjoyed on its own: one beautiful, comprehensive volume containing Spys funniest and most creative work, along with the ultimate insiders account of how it all came to be. All the best of it is here: Separated at Birth?, Naked City, The Fine Print, Log-Rolling in Our Time, the Blurb-o-Mat, those hilarious (and now ubiquitous) charts, the inside stories on the New York Times and Hollywood by J.J. Hunsecker and Celia Brady, the covers, investigative features, and the hilarious stories on pretty much everyone who was anyone during the late 80s and early 90s. Not to mention the often grisly but always entertaining regular cast of characters from Spys pagesthe churlish dwarf billionaires, beaver-faced moguls, bull-whip-wielding uber-agents, knobby-kneed socialites and, of course, short-fingered vulgarians. During its heyday, from 1986 through 1993, Spy broke important ground in journalism and design, defining smartness for its generation. It was a once-in-a-lifetime creation that shaped the zeitgeist and succeeded (for a while) against all odds. Spy: The Funny Years will be the fun, stylish, hilarious holiday gift of the year.

Customer Reviews:

Nice walk down memory lane.......2007-09-24

It was really great when one day my wife & I were at the Jersey shore on a rainy summer afternoon and lo & behold what did appear before my very eyes??? SPY: The funny years! I had to flip through this book and see if any of my contributions (although minor) did appear here (I was an intern in the design dept. during the heyday of SPY) WOW! did that book bring back some really great memories for me. I was even impressed by the fact that every person who ever worked there was listed in the book! I was able to use this to have a little fun with my wife, I called her over and said to her "hey babe, look they published my name in this book!" my wife not realizing I was serious replied "oh wow! Theres a guy with the exact same name as yours!" I laughed and explained that it was really me and told her all about my long internship at SPY. I really miss my friends from SPY and was really saddened to hear about B.W. Honeycutt whom I worked for and held a great respect & admiration (he passed in 1994) but I think I will have to look up a few of my old aquaintances and see "where are they now?"

Run Away!.......2007-03-30

I thoroughly enjoyed this magazine when it was published. I assumed I would enjoy this book! No. I expected a recap of witty stories, fun articles, and the mirth and humor I used to enjoy.
This book is primarily behind the scenes information. I really was not interested in the goings on of people I did not know, and do not care to meet. I suppose if you were a fanatic 'Spy' fan this book might be for you.
On the plus side, it looks nice in it's hardbound cover.

Please follow up with a "Best of Spy" book!.......2007-02-08

How glorious to revisit the magnificent "Checks to Cheapskates" caper! Whereby Spy sent checks for 13 cents to Adnan Koshoggi and Donald Trump, who cashed them. (Cher, Bill Blass, Faye Dunaway, Rupert Murdoch, Mort Zuckerman and others cashed $1.11 checks.)

Most huge fans of Spy will want more reprints of classic articles (and in bigger, more readable type) than appear here. Still, it's wonderful to revisit the definitive article, "It's Yuppie Porn, and we can't help ourselves," as well as pieces on washed-up celebrities after-hours wanderings through the Big Apple, "Separated at Birth," "Logrolling in our Time," "Blurb-o-Matic" and "Celebrity Math."

We also have oddball gems such as "Meet the Nobelists: This month's question: What's the best way to eat an Oreo cookie?"

"Spy: The Funny Years" is a 50-50 split between being a narrative about the founding and history of the 1980s' funniest magazine and excerpts from the more infamous articles.

This book will leave you wanting to rush to eBay for some back issues, or wanting to beg Miramax, the publisher of "The Funny Years," to also bring out a "Best of Spy" compilation of the original articles.

I found myself enjoying the narrative of how Spy came to be, a narrative which may create envy in many a journalist in the stuffy mainstream media, reading about the vastly underpaid minions working at Spy to create its hilarious, information-rich visuals that presaged the Web. Spy also presaged "South Park's" evisceration of pompous celebrities (and Saturday Night Live's "Hollywood Minute").

Spy's founders managed to create articles that were hilarious, visually inspired, tough yet accurate, requiring top-notch lawyering. Will we ever see something comparable for our era?

Spy this!.......2007-01-24

If you ever read one or more of the great ol' Spy magazines - and miss them passionately - like me . . . getting, perusing & drooling delightfully over this book is a gotta! It's a tasty treat!

SPY: More Influential Than Ever.......2007-01-16

I have several piles of old SPY magazine back issues around my house, so I suppose I am part of the ideal audience for this book, "SPY: The Funny Years." It contains a generous sampling of classic SPY articles that I recognized, as well as a few that I missed from the first few issues when I guess it wasn't very available outside New York City. The book also features a detailed history of the magazine written by former editor George Kalogerakis with notes and commentary by co-founders Graydon Carter and Kurt Andersen.

You ask, "why should I buy a big, sort of expensive book about a magazine from twenty years ago?" Well, first because this book is funny as hell. Two of the first pitches of SPY were "The New Yorker crossed with the National Enquirer and David Letterman", or "MAD Magazine for grown-ups", and those are pretty good descriptions. The famous article about the Bohemian Grove is reprinted here in full, as well as Paul Rudnick and Kurt Andersen's "The Irony Epidemic" (perhaps the quintessential SPY piece), and Joe Eszterhas' flame-thrower letter to Mike Ovitz (with annotations.) The best SPY articles produced belly-laughs and cool investigative journalism at the same time.

The history of the magazine included in this volume might seem a little inside to those who aren't already fans, but if you read it you will learn why SPY was probably the most influential magazine of the last twenty years, certainly since the heyday of the National Lampoon. SPY was reviewing other reviewers before blogs were even thought of, and its brand of radical skepticism towards all things media has been ripped off by VH1, E!, and every other pop culture outfit you can name. Only SPY was smart. I think I got a post-graduate education of sorts from my reading of erudite pieces like the satiric explanation of post-modernism reprinted here. (SPY was the first place I had ever heard of post-modernism, which tells you either how smart it was or how sheltered I was at the time.) Each issue demanded a lot from the reader, which is probably why it wasn't long for this world. (In a just universe, SPY would still be going strong and be universally recognized for inventing "reality" entertainment, for good and ill.)

Co-founders Carter and Andersen have gone on to become solid members of the media establishment (and some would say that "Vanity Fair" editor Carter has become what he once mocked.) Old issues of SPY are avidly sought after on eBay. And "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" try to emulate SPY, not realizing that the old magazine didn't have a political agenda: it made fun of everybody. This book is a valuable keepsake for admirers of the magazine and a good introduction for those who are yet unfamiliar but are curious about the legend. Man, I sure do miss it.

The Thirty Years War (New York Review Books Classics)

Average customer rating:

One of the great books of the 20th century
A Panoramic and Poltically Sophisticated History
Machiavellian machinations
Outstanding
A Clear Presentation of a Tragic Historical Era

The Thirty Years War (New York Review Books Classics)
C. V. Wedgwood
Manufacturer: NYRB Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

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The Thirty Years' War 1618-1648
The Reformation

ASIN: 1590171462
Release Date: 2005-06-30

Book Description

Europe in 1618 was riven between Protestants and Catholics, Bourbon and Hapsburg--as well as empires, kingdoms, and countless principalities. After angry Protestants tossed three representatives of the Holy Roman Empire out the window of the royal castle in Prague, world war spread from Bohemia with relentless abandon, drawing powers from Spain to Sweden into a nightmarish world of famine, disease, and seemingly unstoppable destruction.

Customer Reviews:

One of the great books of the 20th century.......2007-06-26

I have had this book high on my reading list for over 40 years now, ever since a took a course in German Baroque literature as an undergraduate. It is far better than I had imagined, both in style and content. My only regret is that I didn't get around to reading it 40 years ago.

A Panoramic and Poltically Sophisticated History.......2007-04-20

For the English-language reader Wedgwood's book, which has been in print for over sixty years, is still an excellent introduction and synoptic narrative of this lengthy and turbulent period of European history. It gives brief and judicious biographical sketches of the major political and military actors of three generations: The principal antagonists at the outset -- Ferdinand II of Austria and Frederick V, Elector Palatine; the condottieri-style generals - Spinola, von Mansfeld, Tilly, Wallenstein, Piccolomini, Christian of Halberstadt, Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar, the duc d'Enghien (Conde); the contentious minor rulers -- Maximilian V of Bavaria, Johann Georg of Saxony; the northern monarchs -- Christian IV of Denmark and Gustavus Adophus of Sweden (and his daughter Christina and prime minister, Oxenstierna); the "spoiler", Cardinal Richelieu; the new Emperor Ferdinand III and his cousin, the warlord Cardinal-Infant Ferdinand of Spain; and many others. This book is written in a traditional English historian's prose style that is clear, eloquent and totally lacking the jargon of concurrent and later social and economic histories, while still covering these aspects of the period. In spite of some reviewers' claims of a "Protestant bias" in her interpretation, the author seems extremely fair when assessing responsibility for the long-running disaster of the war, taking the position that it was the self-serving political interests of the participants (dynasties, rulers, generals and paymasters) that kept the war going at the expense of the social and economic welfare of the vast majority of inhabitants of Germany and Bohemia.

Although I am not familiar with this new edition (and Grafton's introduction) I emphasize that any reissuing of this book should have a brief scholarly introduction which supplies more details on the constitutional arrangements and crises of the Holy Roman Empire during the sixteenth century, with a special emphasis on the composition of the Bohemian estates and the conflicts between the estates and the Habsburg king-emperors. The extent and internal organization of "the Bohemian crown lands" should also be outlined. A succinct review of the political status of Lutheranism, Calvinism, the Bohemian Brethren, and other Protestant confessions throughout all of Europe around the year 1600 and a note on how their status had altered by 1700 would also be useful in "setting the stage" for the events of 1618 and understanding the relgious-denomination consequences of the war.

The author supplies sufficient details on the major battles, but this is not a work of military history. As Wedgwood knows, battles were only significant in the larger view as a result of their political consequences. And it is in the elucidation of the underlying politics of the war (including how political prospects shifted with the waxing and waning of military fortunes) that Wedgwood excels. In her analysis of the general European situation at the outset of the war she proposes that there were three sets of forces which underlay and drove contemporary events. Each was a source of conflict and each might cross-cut the others, complicating the declared interests and objectives of the dynasties and nations involved. In brief, the forces were: (a) Religion, with three major competing factions (Catholic, Lutheran, Calvinist; she notes that the conflict between the latter two forms of Protestantism was often as extreme as it was between each of them and the Roman Catholic Church). (b) Nationalism (French, German, Czech, etc.), which was a new force on the scene, crystallizing the idea that political entities might be defined by nationality (which here equals some combination of ethnicity and native language) rather than conceived of as polyglot territorial agglomerations brought about by dynastic interests. (c) Monarchic-constitutional issues, which were especially complicated and ambiguous within the "constitutional" grouping of major and minor powers known as The Holy Roman Empire (HRE).

The constitutional problem was twofold. Within the small arenas of developing nation states and the yet smaller ones of traditional rulerships throughout Europe (duchies, counties, "free-city" areas ruled by town councils and mayors) contests over the basis and extent of the rulers' powers and privileges were taking place. Aristocrats, oligarchs and merchants had traditional corporate bodies (estates) reluctant to cede their own powers (taxation, the organization of military service) to a central authority. The same conflict was also being played out on the larger scale of the Hly Roman Epire, that loose grouping of special obligations and exemptions which was the final residue of an earlier system of vassalage binding together the elected Emperor (who had been a Habsburg for several centuries) and the smaller rulerships of Central Europe. The religious reforms, rebellions and wars of the sixteenth century had produced a system that appeared to resolve some of the potential problems through the won privilege of cujus regio, eius religio ("whoever rules, his religion [is the religion of the ruled area]"). In the year of the war's inception, 1618, this new balance was very fragile, comprising four Catholic and three Protestant imperial Electors. In Germany the special arrangements regulating relationships between the Emperor (resident in Vienna or Prague) and local rulers and guaranteeing a great deal of political autonomy to the locals, especially the Protestant Electors, had been somewhat codified by the Augsburg Treaty of 1555, and were known as the "German Liberties". These would prove to be especially important to the three Protestant Electors at the outset of the war.

In the developing continental war one could be pro- or anti-Habsburg based on any one of the above factors or any combination of two or three of them. For example, a Catholic ruler (including the papacy) might seek Protestant allies in order to combat Habsburg territorial expansion in his direction or to combat constitutional changes in the Empire which affected his position adversely. Or a Protestant power might accept the Habsburg "program" in any given case because it did not wish to disturb constitutional arrangements that were to its advantage (this characterization is apt for Saxony and Brandenburg during the first twelve years of the war.)

As Wedgwood notes, all three considerations (religion, nationality, constitutional relations) could be and were used cynically to advance the positions and interests of individual rulers and factions. From the point of view of rationality or predictability, political choices and commitments were often self-contradictory (e.g., a Catholic power supporting a Protestant venture; a German Liberties party accepting occupation by the army of a foreign power, etc.) or temporary expedients that made the overall European situation more chaotic. The war began locally in Bohemia, but its complications and consequences radiated outward as far west as Spain and England (even farther, to the Caribbean naval theater), as far north as Sweden and northeast to Poland, as far south as Italy and southeast as Transylvania; in other words, it was a European continental war with global impact.

When the war broke out in 1618 it was over the Habsburg violation of a "constitutional guarantee" of religious freedom in Bohemia (the concessions stated in Rudolf II's Letter of Majesty). And here is where individual personalities and beliefs played an important role. Ferdinand II, who had knowingly violated the terms of the Letter soon after being selected by the Bohemian Diet as King (and therefore the first in precedence of the HRE Electors) was determined not only to expand the political powers of the Habsburg dynasty in Bohemia and elsewhere, he was firmly committed to the goals of the Catholic Counter-Reformation (i.e., re-Catholicizing all of the areas within the HRE which had become Protestant during the last one hundred years). When he was deposed by a special convention of the Bohemian estates (the defenestration of his deputies in Prague being the signal event of this deposition), the crown of Bohemia was offered to the Elector of the (Rhineland) Palatinate, Frederick V, who considered himself a champion of the Protestant cause. The religious zeal of these two antagonists led to extreme fixed positions at the very outset of the war.

Given the other major conflict hovering in the background -- the Spanish Habsburg determination to recover the now Protestant area of the Netherlands which had become the successful and defiant (Dutch) United Provinces - the war soon became international. While the entry of France and then Denmark followed by Sweden, into the war during the 1620's changed its nature and extended its duration, Wedgwood concentrates much of her analysis on the behavior of the two Protestant Electors, Johann Georg of Saxony and Georg Wilhelm of Brandenburg and one Catholic ruler, Maximilian of Bavaria. It is her contention throughout the book that Johann Georg and Maximilian in particular could have prevented the war's spread and forced Ferdinand into a compromise very early in the course of events that acquired their own dynamism once they got out of hand. Despite their religious differences these two were always strong "German Liberties" proponents, and each had the same view of the Austrian Habsburg rulers: they should be kept for the broader protections they offered, but kept in place with respect to encroachments on the traditional rights of local rulers. In the end both of these rulers survived the lengthy war in spite of numerous diplomatic and military reversals (Saxony switched sides and joined the Swedes for several years, while Maximilian's position was constantly and secretly supported by his nominal enemies, the French, as their potential foot in the Habsburg camp.) Wedgwood believes that the price of their survival was far too costly for the rest of Germany.

Wedgwood's gloss on the changing nature of the conflict is that by the year 1635 the war had become one of great-power politics, and that the earlier religious and ideological causes were losing their ability to motivate the antagonists. Her summary of the changes emphasizes the following:

(a) Religion had discredited itself as a plausible source of political programs and a legitimate cause for war. Religion was becoming more interiorized and private, and losing ground philosophically and ethically to the new prestige of empirical and applied science (this was the era of Galileo and Kepler, with Descartes, Harvey, Hook, Newton, Huygens, etc. on the near horizon; a time of laboratory science and scientific societies.) As the basis of a political program religion was viewed cynically by those who saw the devastation it had brought about.

(b) For thinking men, nationalism began to fill the emotional void in public life left by the withdrawal of religion as the underlying motive for political and cultural action. This was very obvious in France, but even true of Ferdinand III, for whom the new main cause was the construction of an Austrian-based hereditary monarchy whose additional obligations as the Holy Roman Imperial protector of far-flung German Catholics were no longer perceived as worthwhile. In the minds of both Germans and Austrian Habsburgs the Holy Roman Empire was becoming an honorific entity with ambiguous and weak political commitments in Germany. The Elbe-North German-Pomeranian ideal empire of Wallenstein was never again revived as a dynastic program. Austria began to move south and east (toward Italy, Croatia, and Hungary) in its expansionist aims.

(c) The control of immense polyglot, multi-religious, mercenary armies and their huge camp followings had become a pressing matter of concern for all of the political authorities that hired them - they were neither religious nor national in their motives and aims and were in fact independent "mobile states" unto themselves, cynical and rapacious and often as dangerous to their paymasters as to their foes; whenever their immediate prospects for pay and maintenance looked bad, they changed sides. The most successful mercenary generals had become mini-sovereigns. Officers were all "out for themselves" and for their troops (rather than for the cause or nation of their paymaster), since without troop loyalty they had no means of personal advancement -- the most famous commanders, Ernst von Mansfeld, Wallenstein, Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar, the Swedish general Wrangel, all expected (and some received) grants of territory and titles of nobility as their rewards for service. The "national" armies of conscripts that came to the fore in the 18th century was the answer to this problem.

The pace of the war wound down during its last five years (although there were several major battles fought even then), which was a period of extended negotiatons in Münster and Osnabrück, with the "final treaty" being signed late in 1648. For the next five years a series of conferences met at Nürnberg to implement and enforce the peace treaty and to deal with difficult problems raised by demobilizing huge armies. Many of the loans of this period, which were raised to cover the demobilization costs, were not paid off for a century. Individual rulers such as Charles of Lorraine and the Duke of Savoy (who got nothing from the treaty) refused to vacate various fortresses for five or six years, but the war did not break out again. France and Spain continued at war with each other, but not in Germany. Numerous soldiers, especially officers, went into mercenary service all over Europe. Others took to the hills as professional bandits - for the next 20 years merchants traveled through certain parts of Germany and Bohemia in armed caravans.

Wedgwood accepts the more recent (1900-1930's) historical estimate that the population of the Imperial German lands (excluding Alsace and the Netherlands) dropped from about 21 million in 1618 to 13 million in 1648. The number of dislocated people was also substantial. While she acknowledges that the number of towns and villages destroyed and other "infrastructural" and economic losses were very large, she feels that all contemporary sources (e.g., the pamphlet literature of the next 100 years) exaggerated local losses, since all parties in the war continued to seek indemnities and restitution. The free peasantry benefited briefly, since landowners were desperate for manpower to restore their estates - prices fell while wages rose for a number of years, which increased the standard of living of peasants and artisans. But within a decade of the peace treaty the landowning gentry was pleading with Imperial, royal and local rulers to impose legal restrictions which would re-create bonded, serf-like conditions for peasants. Town councils now became pawns and bureaucrats of the dynastic courts of their rulers and also implemented restrictive legislations on peasants (e.g., prohibitions against mobility, domestic industry, and household craft production -- a trend which later historians refer to as "neo-serfdom"). Class stratification was as rigid as it was before the war started. There was a new, large class of mobile petty nobles and gentry seeking court-backed military and bureaucratic appointments, at the expense of town and peasant taxpayers.

Germany and the Austrian-based monarchy and empire were totally excluded from the international competition to establish overseas colonies and from the developing "Atlantic trade". For a number of years the outlets of Germany's major rivers (Rhine, Elbe, Oder, and for Brandenburg-Prussia, Vistula) were controlled by foreign powers, reducing Germany's commercial strength. Hamburg was the exception, becoming the major maritime merchant city of the North Sea coast, at the expense of the other Hanseatic cities and the Scandinavian powers. The only medium-sized German state to emerge with positive prospects was Brandenburg, soon to become the administratively efficient and militarily powerful Prussia. The peace, while ending the "wars of religion", set the stage for a long series of "nationalistic" wars that subsumed dynastic and religious sources of conflict. France replaced the Habsburg Spanish-Austrian coalition as the menacing and tyrannical continental power willing to disturb the peace. Austria turned to the south and east and Spain lost its great power status and became an economic and cultural backwater. There was no politically or culturally unified Germany within the boundaries of the old Empire (French culture began to reign supreme) and the cosmopolitanism (its openness to outside influences) of this area during the 18th century, instead of being a source of pride over its achievements, became a source of lament for later cultural and ethnic purists of revived German nationalism.

Author's Judgment and Conclusions: In terms of responsibility for the overall disaster, Wedgwood points to the futility and self-destructiveness of sincere religious zeal in the cases of Ferdinand II and the Elector Palatine. But, from the point of view of failures of practical (and ethical) politics, she highlights the behavior of Maximilian and Johann Georg, who could have prevented the spread of the conflict in 1620 and could have brought the war to an early end in 1635 if they had agreed to work together on a "unified German program" which would have forced Imperial compromises and concessions had they both stood behind it. Between these two she sees the Saxon as the greater victim of military circumstances (pressed by the Swedish juggernaut) and therefore less culpable for the mess, while she judges the Bavarian as too subtle and too ambitious in pursuit of his own dynastic and territorial ambitions at the expense of a general settlement good for his fellow Germans, thus identifying him as the more culpable.

Beautiful in its style and concision, Wedgwood's final summary is also gloomy (as one might expect of a work completed in 1939, on the verge of World War II):

"As there was no compulsion towards a conflict which, in despite of the apparent bitterness of the parties, took so long to engage and needed so much assiduous blowing to fan the flame, so no right was vindicated by its ragged end. The war solved no problem. Its effects, both immediate and indirect, were either negative or disastrous. Morally subversive, economically destructive, socially degrading, confused in its causes, devious in its course, futile in its result, it is the outstanding example in European history of meaningless conflict."

Machiavellian machinations.......2007-04-09

This is the best single-volume account of the Thirty Years War
(1618-1648). The war was very complex but Wedgwood provides singular
clarity. Other interpretations are possible, but her vision is strong
and memorable. The Machiavellian machinations are head-spinning, one has
to read carefully, the reward is a solid understanding of not only
17th C dynastic politics but how Medieval politics operated
before the rise of the nation state.

Wedgwood is an old-fashioned historian like Gibbon, retelling the events
in highly-readable prose, focused on the "great men". This can be
problematic, the Thirty Years War was more than just the decisions made
by a few elites - social, economic and other forces were at work. Her
sources are almost all 19th century. There are no new insights on the
war, it is a retelling of established views. As a political narrative it
is not only a great work of history but also literature.

Outstanding.......2007-02-22

Among the very best histories I have ever read. At the end you can actually make sense (???) of the 30 Years War

A Clear Presentation of a Tragic Historical Era.......2006-12-09

C.V. Wedgewood wrote a good historical account of a complex historical episode. Her book, titled THE THIRTY YEARS WAR, is a "classic", and those who are interested in the Thirty Years War or diplomatic history will benefit from this book. In other words, the book is "timeless."

Miss Wedgewood begins THE THIRTY YEARS WAR with a careful account of Germany during and immediately after the Reformation. This historical phase is important if readers are to understand the complexities of the Thirty years War. Of particular note is the Peace of Augsburg which the Germans agreed to in 1555. Miss Wedgewood's assesssment of these prior events is crucial to comprehending her book as well as the Thirty Years War(1618-1648). Readers should be aware the the Germans were not politically united, and historians could easily refer to Germany as the Germanies. Miss Wedgewood emphasizes this point very effectively.

Miss Wedgewood examines the political and religious status of the Germans in the early 17th. century(early 1600s). The religious and political tensions were serious, and the religious divisions between the Catholics and various Protestant sects, especially the Lutherans and Calvinists, were dangerous to say the least. Miss Wedgewood clearly informs the readers "who the players were."

The above mentioned tensions are important to further understand why "The Definistration of Prague", which occured in 1618, was such a serious diplomatic incident. The "incident" was the reason for the beginning of the Thirty Years War. In other words, this was the spark for a European and especially a German tragedy.

Readers may know that the Thrity Years War gradually began as a series of conflicts which could have ended the eventual destructive nature of this war. For example, The Happsburgs, the German Cattholics, defeated the Czech Protestants at the Battle of White Mountain in 1620 which could have ended the conflict. However, the German Lutherans joined the war in 1625 only to be defeated. The Danes entered the war in 1629, and they were also defeated. The tragedy that had been incubating exploded.

In 1631, the Swedes under their king, Gustavus Adolphus (1611-1632) joined the war with devestating consequences. Gustavus Adolphus was the one true religious zealot, and his religious enthusiasm only made the bloodshed far worse. He lost his life in 1632, and the Swedes lost their ruler.

Some readers may be perplexed that the French under the leadership of Louis XIII (1610)-1643)and Cardinal Richleau (1585-1642) ended the Thirdy Wars Year on the "Protestant" side. The French saw this war as a dynastic war, and their fears of powerful Hapsburgs in their eastern and southern borders (German and Spain) posed a diplomatic threat. In other words, Louis XIII and Cardinal Richleau did not see the war as religious conflict. Miss Wedgewood handles these diplomatic complexities very well. One should not that the Catholic French financed the Swedish intervention until the French declared war on the Hapsburgs in 1635.

Miss Wedgewood treats events after 1635 very well. The war was a stalemate which caused disaster for the Germans. Neither side could pay their mercenary troops who vented their frustrations on innocent civilians commiting rape, looting, mass murder, etc. This in turn resulted in the destruction of agriculture which caused considerable famine. Miss Wedgewood's detailed examination clearly reveals the excesses of all this tragedy which could not prevented until both sides exhausted themselves.

The fact that the French used this war to exhuast their Hapsburg rivals is clear for any who reads this book. The fact that the war ended as a "quitters' peace" is also made clear. Miss Wedgewood makes a good case that the end of the Thirty Years War and Peace of Westphalia may have saved European Civilization. One should note that Peace of Westphalia (1648) was actually a series of treaties of the parties involved.

With some exceptions, the Thirty Years War was the last modern war in which the Europeans fought each other and thereafter tried to avoid civilian casualties. There were exceptions of course, and the fact is ironic that this book was published just before World War II erupted in 1939.

Miss Wedgewood's THE THIRTY YEARS WAR is not dated. Her thesis regarding this tragic war could be applied to most total wars. The fact that the 20th century was history's bloodiest century so far makes this book quite relevant. Her prose makes this book readable and useful. She has done detailed research, and her writing style clarifies a complex era. Her book should be on every serious history student's reading list.

Month-By-Month Gardening in New York: What to Do Each Month to Have a Beautiful Garden All Year (Month-By-Month Gardening in New York)

Average customer rating:

Cheater's guide! Help yourself and your plants.
Helpful reference book I'll use time and time again

Month-By-Month Gardening in New York: What to Do Each Month to Have a Beautiful Garden All Year (Month-By-Month Gardening in New York)
Andre Viette , Mark Viette , and Jacqueline Heriteau
Manufacturer: Cool Springs Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

New York Gardener's Guide : Revised Edition
Northeast (SmartGarden Regional Guides)
Tri-state Gardener's Guide New York, New Jersey, Connecticut
Northeastern Garden Book
Native Plants of the Northeast: A Guide for Gardening and Conservation

ASIN: 159186111X

Book Description

Includes the major gardening categories, from annuals and perennials to trees and shrubs, including lawns and vegetables.

The Month-by-Month series provides credible information on maintaining plants throughout the year in a specific state. These books contain monthly advice on what to do in the garden and when to do it, along with the author's personal recommendations on specific plants that perform well in the state.

Gardening is now the favorite leisure pastime in America. More homeowners are enjoying the beauty and satisfaction they derive from improving their home landscape.

Customer Reviews:

Cheater's guide! Help yourself and your plants........2005-09-03

I guess I didn't expect to really like this book, and I'm not entirely sure why. Perhaps I have bad associations with month-by-month instructionals. At anyrate, I was completely won over. This book is handy, handy, handy. If you live in NY or a similar climate with the extreme winter and tropical summer, this is a helpful reminder. I garden professionally and still rely on it as a task list just to remind myself when my brain's on overload. Plant categories are covered separately month-by-month which was a little confusing at first glance--why not have all plants listed in monthly sections, but no matter. The categories are: Annuals and Biennials; Bulbs, Corms, Rhizomes, and Tubers; Herbs and Vegetables; Houseplants; Lawns; Perennials; Roses; Shrubs; Trees; Vines, Ground Covers, and Ornamental Grasses; and Water and Bog Plants. Pretty comprehensive. Buy it and make your gardening a little easier!

Helpful reference book I'll use time and time again.......2005-08-08

Clear, concise format -- a little redundant in spots (did we really need to be reminded in every section that January is the month to get our 'wish list' together?) but I expect this expenditure to pay for itself several times over. Thanks!

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