Book Description
Did you know that you are more closely related to a mushroom than to a daisy? That crocodiles are closer to birds than to lizards? That dinosaurs are still among us? That the terms "fish," "reptiles," and "invertebrates" do not indicate scientific groupings? All this is the result of major changes in classification, whose methods have been totally revisited over the last thirty years.
Modern classification, based on phylogeny, no longer places humans at the center of nature. Groups of organisms are no longer defined by their general appearance, but by their different individual characteristics. Phylogeny, therefore, by showing common ancestry, outlines a tree of evolutionary relationships from which one can retrace the history of life.
This book diagrams the tree of life according to the most recent methods of classification. By showing how life forms arose and developed and how they are related, The Tree of Life presents a key to the living world in all its dazzling variety.
Customer Reviews:
Thorough phylogenetic classification of life on Earth.......2007-09-07
"The Tree of Life" is a thorough modern phylogenetic classification of life on this planet. This book is great for anyone interested in how different organisms are really related, from single-celled organisms up to humans and our close relatives. Anyone who has ever thought it strange that we should group turtles, crocodilians and dinosaurs together as "reptiles", but exclude birds (and mammals), will likely be interested in this book. The book is comprehensive, detailed, and well illustrated, and remarkably well-priced.
This book covers the whole range of life on Earth, though primates and other mammalian groups are given far more thorough treatment than bacteria and archaeans. Each section provides a description of the distinguishing features of the relevant group, with examples of some of the members, information on the fossil record, and plenty of illustrations.
The main drawback with such a work is, of course, that the field is changing rapidly and it is close to impossible to ever be fully up-to-date. Another minor, but slightly annoying, problem is that a number of errors have crept into the English translation, so, for example, "Pliocene" appears as "Pilocene" in many places in the book.*
Nonetheless, the scope of "The Tree of Life", the detailed description and the abundant illustrations make this an invaluable reference work for those interested in biological classification.
*Note: I assume that these errors are absent from the original French text.
Awesome reference.......2006-12-18
This book is truly a work of art in layout, design and presentation of line drawings and scientific content. It is one of the best scientific presentations I have seen and anyone remotely interested in this subject needs to check this excellent reference.
Average customer rating:
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Nutrition and Feeding of Fish and Crustaceans (Springer Praxis Books / Food Sciences)
Jean Guillaume ,
Sadasivam Kaushik ,
Pierre Bergot , and
Robert Metailler
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Fish Nutrition
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Ringtailed Lemur Biology: Lemur catta in Madagascar (Developments in Primatology: Progress and Prospects)
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Disease in Wild Animals: Investigation and Management
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Primate Anti-Predator Strategies (Developments in Primatology: Progress and Prospects)
ASIN: 1852332417 |
Book Description
Drawing on laboratory and farm studies, the book reviews in detail the current state-of-the-art scientific research knowledge of fish and crustacean nutrition, from larvae to juvenile fish, through to the final stages of harvesting. Topics covered include issues surrounding the formulation, manufacture and delivery of feedstuffs to fish farms and the text provides a dual focus on fish and shrimp feeding requirements addressing practical applications as appropriate for the European aqualculture industry.
Book Description
Portrays the cultural bohemia of turn-of-the-century Paris who carried the arts into a period of renewal and accomplishment, who laid the ground-work for Dadaism and Surrealism.
Customer Reviews:
A Feast for the Soul.......2006-09-15
Shattuck's book is astounding, lyrically written and effectively framed with detailed discussions of the Parisian political and social scene around the Belle Epoque to give perspective. All of the profiles are well crafted and "Death By Hallucination" is the most insightful discussion of monstre sacre Jarry that I have read.
Anyone who reads any portion of this book is instantly at least 10% more interesting and intelligent than they were the moment before. It will clear your skin, lift your spirit and make you more attractive. Read it. NOW.
The Life of the Absurd..........2004-09-15
Around the turn of the last century there was an unsettled fringe to "Art". There was the mainstream - formal just-so predictable and safe. The framework and structure of being an artist was beginning to fray however - the idea that "Art" should continue to evolve into something else to grow beyond the rigid box that artists and society were so comfortable with.
It is hard to put into words exactly what these four artists attempted to do to their perspective fields, painting, music and writing - they strove to both make "Art" plastic (malleable) and new - to create "Art" beyond "Art" as it were. Even the knowledgeable at the time struggled to define as they themselves exactly what they were doing...
But from primitivism in art to ubu to monotonal music to surrealism to painted neckties, these artists redefined the role of artist to their art. It would be easier to say that Satie or especially Jarry were art themselves their very state of being being "Art". Art as life or life as art or a witch's brew of the two blurred the line between being and performance (Truman Capote, Andy Warhol would have fit right into these guys as well as Timothy Leary and his LSD visionaries).
Cubism and Dadaism - modern art as we understand it today - owes a great debt to these men. Destitute, literally either one step from starvation or madness (or both), their vision of their "Art" and their willingness to bear the cost of bring that "Art" out (there were riots at performances of Satie and Jarry, Apollinaire was jailed and Rousseau was delittled)paved the way for Picasso and Dali.
This book is not a particularly easy read, it wanders between the dryness of a college textbook and an almost lyrical prose at times. And the author seems to expect some knowledge of art and the period from the beginning, a little more background would have been helpful. But I learned a lot for the effort so I would recommend the book to the interested student of the period.
If you like this sort of thing this is something you'll like.......2004-04-21
Roger Shattuck, presents a picture of avant-garde France in the period 1880-1915 as seen through the lives of four of its most prominent artists.
The belle époque, was the time before the first World War when new forms of art and philosophy were beginning to emerge. Artists began to break away from traditional concepts and to invent new ways to express themselves. For those in the avant-garde, art was not simply an object or a composition that was conceived, begun and finished. Rather they embraced the idea of being their own best works.
The institutions which had defined their society were in disarray. The social order of the past, depended on a large population of rural farmers supporting an elite few in the urban centers, was being turned upside down.
Technology was causing great disruptions in the old order as well. Events began to move faster and increasingly people began to be enslaved by the office clock and the factory whistle. To many people, the simple solutions of the past offered by the church and the government and their local community no longer seemed relevant to the contemporary world. Shattuck identifies four traits common to these artists
They all embraced childhood and a childish simplicity. Jarry's most famous work was a play, Ubu Roi, begun in elementary school. Satie wondered what kind of music a one-year old would create. All four emulated the innocence and naivety found in childhood during their adulthood.
Another characteristic was a strong sense of humor and of the absurd in the work and lives of the avant-garde artists of the time. Jarry and Apollionaire would each paint neckties on paper and wear the results to formal restaurants. Satie would annotate his musical compositions with absurd instructions to the musician and dire warnings as to the consequences if the orders were disobeyed. In their actions and their art we see them returning to the tradition of the court jester, able to speak the truth but only as a joke.
Thirdly, in questioning all that was traditional and real, these artists sought to create a dreamlike experience in the waking world.
Lastly, there was theme of ambiguity and equivocalness. They spurned the notion that art could have only one correct interpretation even their own works.
Henri Rousseau retired from being a customs inspector to move to Paris and start life anew as an artist at the age of 40. He was completely self-taught in his subject area and his work defied the style of his day.
Erik Satie was an innovative composer and musician who also served as a mentor for younger composers. Satie's compositions are filled with non-traditional instruments such as rattles and typewriters and unusual names such as "vexations". His eccentricities were well known among his contemporaries most notably that he never allowed anyone to visit the apartment where he lived the last quarter century of his life.
Alfred Jarry was a schoolboy when he got the inspiration for his greatest play. A crude unpopular teacher was the butt of school yard pranks and the subject of underground student plays. Later in Paris, Jarry would expand on those plays to create the character of Ubu a cruel and greedy man who plots to become King of Poland only to end up deposed and exiled to Paris. Ubu was the character Jarry created to comment on the human condition. Ubu's insights into his own situation echo Jarry's insight into the world. Jarry adopted much from his fictional character and over time he and Ubu become synonymous with the citizens of Paris.
Guillaume Apollionaire came to Paris at the age of twenty from Rome. He quickly was able to make a mark for himself within the bohemian cliques and in café society. Apollionaire was able to fund much of his literary work with his semi-pornographic novels. He founded a literary magazine and served as a columnist and editor on other periodicals. As a reviewer of modern art he was able to bring artists such as Henri Rousseau to the attention of a wider audience. Sensitive to his position as a foreigner, Apollionaire sought naturalization and enlisted in the French Army during the World War. He was wounded in the head and invalided out of the service in 1916 and died from the worldwide influenza epidemic in 1918.
The Banquet Years is by no means an easy read. Readers who do not posses a working knowledge of Paris in this period or of the Avant-Garde artistic movement of the time will find it difficult to enjoy this comprehensive view of the period. Places and names are often mentioned without any explanation that would assist in placing them in context. While the book provides insights into the lives and works of some artists whose influence persists down to modern times, this is not an ideal introduction to the times, but rather is best appreciated by those who already have a basic understanding of the period and its theories of art and philosophy.
Placing the review and appreciation of the artist at the conclusion of the biography would make sense in a biography for more conventional figures. However, these four attempted to direct their lives with the same inspiration that they did their art. Thus it can be difficult to understand the facts of the live of Jarry without a guide to the work that so consumed him. Shattuck possesses such an easy familiarity with the works of his subjects that he does occasionally forget to fill the reader in on the importance of the piece in question.
Shattuck has created a book which can be read on different levels by those with different interests. Art, History, and Philosophy are all equally present in this work. While it can be appreciated simply as a story of four remarkable men and four remarkable lives, to fully appreciate it, the reader must come to the book prepared to work hard for the insights it offers.
Hard to put down.......2003-08-31
I agree with other reviewers that the section on Alfred Jarry is especially strong, but the whole thing is great. Shattuck is a brilliant scholar, and a very lively writer. Presenting history from the viewpoint of a group of eccentrics results in surprises on every page. I bought this book as a fan of Shattuck's work on Proust (who gets only a brief mention in this book), and as a fan of Erik Satie (Contrary to the second-last reviewer, Satie's work is widely available, and it's well worth a listen), but now I think I'm a fan of Alfred Jarry as well; I've just placed an order for Jarry's Ubu Roi.
The Pleasures of Art and Pataphysics.......2003-01-15
Since encountering this wonderful and fascinating book during my first year in college, I have felt its influence in many parts of my life. My nickname shows the influence of Alfred Jarry and his Dr. Faustroll, even though I often identify more with the character Panmuphle. Just for introducing and explaining Jarry, Roger Shattuck's book is worth a good look. Yet another phenomenon that is more complex than its surface first suggests -- the painting of Henri Rousseau -- becomes better understood and more deeply appreciated through Shattuck's chapters on art in Paris at the turn of the 20th century. He certainly educated and influenced my own artistic preferences. And there is more, on poetry and music, but enough said. This is a book of enduring value.
Book Description
Professor Guillaume's translation of the Sira of Ibn Ishaq is now reissued. The translator used Ibn Hisham's abridgement and also included many additions and variants found in the writings of early authors. The book thus presents in English practically all that is known of the life of the Prophet. In the introduction, the translator discusses the character of the Sira in the light of the opinion of early Arabian scholars, noting especially the difficulties of the poetry. As the earliest monument of Arabian prose literature, the Sira remains a work of the first importance.
Customer Reviews:
If you want to know the truth about Muhammed.........2007-09-24
Read this book as this is considered authentic and most revealing about Muhammed and his cruelty!! Excellent resource for debunking and exposing Islam and Muhammed! I highly recommend this tome!!
Probably the best resource out there .......2007-08-30
Ibn Ishaq was the earliest, and probably the most thorough, of Islam's historians. He never claimed that everything he heard was the perfect, absolute fact; rather, he very frankly writes "so-and-so said this, but so-and-so said that." Most of the discrepancies he cites are minor, and the vast majority of the incidents he cites are surprisingly consistent with what other Muslim historians say.
Later, Ibn Hisham produced a "rescinded" version of Ibn Ishaq's work, including in his work an introduction that explains frankly that he cut parts that others might find offensive. It is actually this work that survives -- to date no complete copy of Ibn Ishaq's orginial work has been found.
Meanwhile, however, other Muslim historians commented on Ibn Ishaq's work (before it was rescinded and lost) and quoted from it extensively. Guilliaume has taken these pieces and added them back in, and has indicated clearly what has been added, diligently citing the source of the addition in each case.
While this book is not exactly light reading, it is fascinating, and essential for understanding the context of the Quran. The Quran and the Life of Muhammad should be read side by side to really get an understanding of how Islam developed over the course of Muhammad's life.
Don't be put off by the extremely thorough names -- clan and lineage was an integral part of life in sixth-century Arabia so a person's name often is listed as "A son of B son of C son of D son of E of the clan F." It's even worse when they list four or five people that way, taking up two-thirds of a paragraph before getting to a verb, but just skip over this and read the great stories. This is a fascinating read and a fabulous academic resource.
If you want something a little easier to read, get Martin Lings' book: Muhammad, His Life Based on the Earliest Sources. A work of impeccable scholarship, this book is shorter, easier to read, and, while it is largely based on Ibn Ishaq, it also includes some other sources considered authentic by Islamic scholars. Lings won awards in Pakistan and Egypt for the book, which is in its third printing and is sold all over the Muslim world.
Again, the frustrating thing about any book on the life of Muhammad will be keeping track of who's who -- there are so many characters and many of them share the same name, so you have to make an effort to keep track of which Abdullah and which Sa'd they are talking about. (For example, at one point both of Muhammad's personal bodyguards were named Sa'd.) To add further confusion, the most polite way to address someone in Arabic is "Father of so-and-so" or "Mother of so-and-so" but Martin Lings is pretty good about using one form or the other consistently throughout the book. Also, there is a helpful index in the back of both Guillaume's and Lings' book for when you can't remember who's who.
Either of these books is essential reading if you are studying the Quran or Islam.
An extremely important primary source.......2007-05-31
If you really want to learn more about the early years of Islam and its founder, this book is superior to almost all modern interpretations of Islam, which are invariably tainted with pcism. This is the oldest "sira" (biography) of Mohammad and, as such, is very authoritative amongst Muslims. As for the comments made by some reviewers that the translation is "tainted," this is a false assertion. Regarding the issue of the Satanic Verses, the reason it's included in Ishaq's book is because it is found in the great historian, al-Tabari's volumes. And as Guiliame (sp?) makes clear in his intro, the original biography of Ibn Ishaq's is no longer extant and exists only in recessions, al-Tabari's being one of them. So Guilliame makes it a point to include al-Tabari's excerpts, with, if I rightly recall, an asterisk and in parantheses. That's what's called "scholarship"; the whining made by the (apparently mostly Muslim) reviewers are called "smokescreens."
Essential Analytical Resource.......2006-10-30
Ibn Ishaq wrote the Sirat Rasul Allah and the original of that work no longer exists.
Apparently Ishaq provided an unvarnished view of Mohammad and early Islamic practices and history. Those original works were edited by Ibn Hisham (and translated by Guillaume) who censored Ishaq in an early form of "political correctness." For example, Hisham states that he intentionally omitted portions that did not address Mohammad and "about which the Quran says nothing, ..., things which are disgraceful to discuss; matters which would distress certain people; and such reports as al-Bakka'a told me he could not accept as trustworthy (p. 691). Hisham's censorship appears consistent with Sharia law practices and rulings which may be found in "Reliance of the Traveller: A Classic Manual of Islamic Sacred Law", Book R (Holding One's Tongue), Chapter 2, (Slander), Section 2; and 6, Chapter 23 (Asking About Another's Mistakes) Section 1; Chapter 8 (Lying) Section 2: Chapter 10, (Giving A Misleading Impression) Section 1; Chapter 20, (Picking Apart Another's Words), Section 2 (Giving a Positive Interpretation to Others Seeming Mistakes).; Chapter 24, (Searching Out A Person's Faults); Chapter 36, (Revealing a Secret) Section 1.
However, according to the publishers, in this translation, Guillaume also incorporated a number of additions and variants found in the writings of early authors and what we have, according to the publishers, "may represent in English most of what is known of the life of" Mohammad.
The book is divided into three parts. Part 1 is The Genealogy of Muhammad; Traditions from the Pre-Islamic Era; Muhammad's Childhood and Early Manhood. Part 2 is Muhammad's Call and Preaching in Mecca. Part 3 is Muhammad's Migration to Medina, His Wars, Triumph, and Death.
Part 3 is relevant to the modern researcher in that it contains a comprehensive list of attacks against Non Muslims. These attacks are the result of Mohammad's contention that Allah ordered him to fight non-Muslims and the background for that "revelation" begins on page 212 (Allah orders Muhammad to Fight.)
The lists of attacks, about 45 or so, and a couple of defensive operations, are identified:
The first raid: on Waddan.(p. 281)
Hamza's raid to the coast (p. 283)
Raid on Buwat (p. 285)
Raid on al-Ushayra (p. 285)
Raid on al-Kharrar (p. 286)
Raid on Safawan (p. 286)
Battle of Badr (p. 289)
Raid on B. Sulaym (p.360)
Raid called al-Sawig (p. 361)
Raid on Dhu Amarr (p. 362)
Raid on al- Furu (p. 362)
Attack on B. Qaynuqa (p. 363)
Raid on al-Qarada (p. 364)
Battle of Uhud (p. 370)
Raid of Dhatu'l Riqa (p. 445)
Last Expedition to Badr (p. 447)
Raid on Dumatu'l-Jandal (p. 449)
Battle of the Ditch (p. 456) (a defensive operation)
Attack on B. Qurayza (p. 461)
Attack on B. Lihyan (p. 485)
Attack on Dhu Qarad (p. 486)
Attack on B.al-Mustaliq (p. 490)
Expedition to Kharbar (p. 510)
Raid on Muta (p. 531)
Khalid destroys al-Uzza (p. 565)
Battle of Hunayn (p. 566)
Capture of al-Ta'if (p. 587
Raid on Tabuk (p. 602)
Destruction of al-Lat (p. 615)
Usama's expedition to Palestine (p. 652)
Ghalib's raid on B. al-Mulawwah (p. 660)
Zayd's raid on Judham (p. 662)
Zayd' raid on B.Fazara and the death of Umm Qirfa (p. 664)
Abdullah b. Rawaha's raid to kill al-Yusayr (p. 665)
Abdullah b. Unays's raid to kill Khalid b. Sufyan (p. 666)
Uyayna's raid on B, al-Anbar (p. 667)
Ghalib's raid on B.Murra (p. 667)
Amr b. al-'As's raid on Dhatu'l Salasil (p. 668)
Ibn Abu Hadrad's raid on Idam (p. 669)
His (Ibn Abu Hadrad) raid on Ghaba (p. 671)
Abdu'l Rahman's raid on Dumatu'l-Jandal (p. 672)
Abu Ubayda's raid to the coast (p. 673)
Salim b. Umayr's raid to kill Abu `Afak (p. 673)
Umayr b. Adiy's raid to kill Asma (p. 675)
Alqama's raid (p. 677)
Kurz's raid on the Bajilis (p. 677)
Ali's raid on the Yaman (p. 678)
Ishaq gives "A Summary of Muhammad's raids and expeditions" (p. 659) recounting that Muhammad personally led 27 raids and actually fought in nine (9) engagements: Badr; Uhud, al-Kandaq; Qurayza; al-Mustaliq; Khubar; the occupation; Hunayn and al-Ta-if.. (p. 660).
Ishaq provides details identifying names of both Muslims and Non-Muslims in multiple engagements, sequencing and phasing of the fighting characterizing various attacks, description, background and narratives of specifically targeted assassination raids, and of the murders of other raid and expedition survivors. For example, the attack on B.Fazara resulted in the capture of Umm Qirfa Fatima d. Rabi'a b. Badr. "She was a very old woman, wife of Malik." And she was murdered "by putting a rope to her two legs and to two camels and driving until they rent her in two (p. 665). Muhammad's piecemeal, leisurely, butchery of between 600 - 900 survivors of the raid on B. Qurayza is described on page 464 and the parceling of the Qurayza property, women and (36) horses among the Muslims is described on page 466.
Contained in each of these descriptions are examples of the planning, execution, discipline and tactics that should be of interest to modern day analysts who are confronted by actors modeling themselves on the examples of Mohammad and his followers.
Whether one is evaluating Mohammad as a self proclaimed prophet, military or diplomatic leader, this particular book is an essential source for analysts and researchers who need the best practical historical record.
Correct misconceptions.......2006-09-12
Hadith, which means tradition is a report of the Prophet's words, deeds, and attitude made by one of his contemporaries. Accepted collections of Hadith are referred to as Sunnah--Muhammad's speeches, sayings, deeds, and actions--are considered to be inspired by Allah. Sunnah is based on works compiled in the eight to tenth centuries, from which all accounts of the revelations of the Qur'an and early years of Islam are derived.
"Sunnah is primarily the work of five Islamic authors whose works are universally accepted to have profoundly influenced Muslim custom, worship, and law.
"Ibn Ishaq's Sira, the Biography of Muhammad, entitled Sirat Rasul Allah, 750 CE, is the earliest record of Muhammad's life and the formation of Islam. It's a collection of Hadith--oral reports--of Muhammad's and his companion's words, deeds, and attitudes. There is no earlier or more accurate source. The Sira is arranged in chronological order, which provides a method for placing the jumbled surahs found in the Qur'an' in proper order.
There is no surviving copy of Ishaq's original manuscript. Ibn Hisham edited and abridged Ishaq's Sirat Rasul Allah--sanitized might be a better term--in 830 C. E. In the foreword of his revision, Hisham wrote `I am omitting things which Ishaq recorded in this book. I have omitted things which are disgraceful to discuss and matters which would distress certain people.' Hisham's revision was translated as The Life of Muhammad by Alfred Guillaume, and published in 1979 and reprinted in 2002 by the Oxford Press.
The above comment is an abridged excerpt from my next book, The Last Days of Islam.
Since this is considered a religious text, translated from the early Arbic, providing a rating is meaningless.
Book Description
From his first appearance in London in 1821 until his death in Paris in 1852, Count D'Orsay dominated and scandalized the whole of European society. For three decades he was the ultimate arbiter in matters of taste and style -- what D'Orsay wore today, society would wear tomorrow.He also enthralled Society with the thirty-year soap opera of his relationship with Lady Blessington,whose daughter he married and with whose husband he was supected of having had an affair. Bisexual, flamboyant and outrageous, D'Orsay was said to have ruined the cream of British aristocracy. He toured Europe on an enormous spending spree; paid homage to a dying Lord Byron in Italy, set up a racing course in Notting Hill and a gambling den in St James's. Nick Foulkes' vivid biography of an astonishingly flamboyant figure is also the dazzling portrait of an era.
Customer Reviews:
Good book, but could have been great........2006-02-27
Reading this book isn't a waste of time, but it doesn't bring Count D'Orsay to life.. The book doesn't become compelling until after the first third. Until then, the author spends more time describing the Count's friends and acquaintances then the Count himself. There is scant attention to the Count's childhood and upbringing, of what life was like for him. I was beginning to wonder if this was a biography on the Count or someone else.
After the first third, then the book starts to get interesting, when the Count becomes a young adult. While the subject material is certainly rich and compels attention, it overall suffers from lack of details and anecdotes that would bring the material to life. In a very interesting period in history, there is no sense of placing the reader into the same time frame or state-of-mind. Then, there are no little stories. Given how the Count and Lady Blessington hosted parties for great figures, including the future ruler of France and Charles Dickens, Oh! what one would give to be the proverbial fly on the wall. Unfortunately, we're not taken there. Also irritatingly, key phases in French are left untranslated.
Finally, there is no epilogue. The book ends at the Count's death, so one is left to wonder about his influence immediately afterwards, what happened to the people close to him, and how the Count continues to influence until this day.
So, it's a good book and you get an accurate picture of the Count's life, but the flower of his story is just not fully developed.
Entertaining view of stardom in interesting times.......2004-12-29
THis is a rather unusual book. It looks at a time in history where there was still enormous class distinction, and among the "upper class" there was scandal galore. And among the best of them was the Comte D'Orsay, handsome and witty Frenchman, who scandalised society with his wit, bisexuality and flagrant affiars with Lady Blessington, one of the beauties of her age.
But this is not just a flippant story of a great scandal. Amongst D'Orsay's comtemporaries were Byron, Beau Brummel, the Bourbon Kings of Europe, and the descendents of Napoleon. These were interestng times, when Europe as a whole was deciding her fate. There are enough interesting snippets of greater history to make this book worth reading. But it is the letters and journals that make this book come alive.
This is a time in history that I was not particularly familiar with, and to view it through the eyes of these flamboyant and wealthy characters, give it an interest and piquancy that nothing else could.
Book Description
From jester to king, Guillaume sees the Current Middle Ages from every angle. In his second collection of humorous stories and insightful reflections, Guillaume looks at the lighter side of castle building, jousting on ESPN, learning Arthurian mythology (with the help of tequila), and making topiary animals out of duct tape. Plus, just to prove that no subject is beyond the scope of his irreverent sense of humor, he also shares the laughter and chaos that took place “behind the scenes” during two reigns as King of Caid. Whether by fate or “an implausible disruption of the natural balance of the universe,” Guillaume's readers are in for some royal laughs, and some touching moments, as the SCA's funniest knight wins the throne and seeks shelter from the reign in a deluge of hilarious stories, including:
- Spitting Distance from Chivalry
- Christmas Crazies: Forgotten Medieval Holiday Folklore
- Of Arms and the Knight I Sing
- To Find the SCA, Just Turn Right at Spiderman
- Fangs for the Memories: Medieval Halloween Monsters
- Reigny Days and Mondays
Customer Reviews:
Entertaining if you are in the SCA- or just interested in the SCA.......2006-03-04
This is a humourous telling of Sir Guillaumel's first reign as King of Caid- some ripples of which even were heard up here in the West.
I recommend this book for any of the following:
Those in the SCA
Those interested in the SCA
Those thinking about "going for Crown" in the SCA!
and those that enjoy some slightly offbeat real-life humour, even if you have never even heard of the SCA.
Warning- do not read this book when drinking carbonated beverages!
Not quite up to the level of Terry Pratchett, so it only gets 4 stars.
Baron Wulfstan Darroldson, OP
Book Description
This Elibron Classics book is a facsimile reprint of a 1816 edition by Baldwin, Cradock, and Joy, London.
Average customer rating:
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Life and Times of William IV (Kings & Queens)
Anne Somerset
Manufacturer: Weidenfeld & Nicolson Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Ladies in Waiting: From the Tudors to the Present Day
ASIN: 0297778390 |
Customer Reviews:
JUST THE FACTS.......2003-09-10
This is a wonderful bio of William the IV. It gives great detail without to much depth. The pictures add a lot more to his story when a yank like myself can see the palaces, places and what the people looked like. I was please to see that this Anne Somerset did include the story of the Fitzclarences who are sometimes omitted for what seems to me as a PC move. They did a great job of explaining the Reform issues and just of showing that Midshipman Guelph, Prince William, the Duke of Clarence, and King William IV, no matter the title he was just your average man in a extraordinary situation.
Average customer rating:
- There are better books on Provence
- Provence
|
Provence (Tiny Folio)
Sonja Bullaty , and
Marie-Ange Guillaume
Manufacturer: Abbeville Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Provence
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ASIN: 0789204878 |
Customer Reviews:
There are better books on Provence.......2001-10-29
I borrowed this book from a friend, and was surprised to be so disappointed. The photography doesn't do the region justice, and isn't particularly good. It's such a beautiful place to be; it seems that photographers who have lived there for so long would be able to capture the feel, the essence of the villages, the people, the flowers. You'd be better off buying almost any other book on Provence!
Provence.......2000-04-27
Absolutely wonderful! It really brought back fond memories of my trip to Provence.
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