3/21/2012

His Majesty's Fourth Review

His Majesty's Fourth
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What a fun read! Besides that, you got the feeling that the author (who was born in 1927) was writing as someone that had gone through some hardships himself, mainly the depression. The characters are alive and simple as the times they lived in. There is fighting & romance. What's not to like?! Buy this book for a quick read that transports you to different time, told by an author from a different generation.

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Bucky stood on the top step of the town's trading post and tavern, next to the large doors of Fort Number Four. Bucky was watching Mary Stearns stride toward him with a big smile. With her flaming red hair, and long legs hidden by a homespun dress, Mary was the prettiest woman in the world to Bucky. He was in love with Mary, but he knew he could never have her. Mary was married to the town coward, Ben Stearns. The only way Bucky could have Mary was if some Indian's arrow was to set her free from her husband. Bucky led the local militia into battles against his arch rival, Black Hawk, who swore that Bucky's scalp would one day hang from his lodge pole. Who would finally get Bucky? Would it be Mary or Black Hawk?

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Ultima Thule: Explorers and Natives in the Polar North Review

Ultima Thule: Explorers and Natives in the Polar North
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This is the ultimate book on Greenland with a sensitive approach to the inuit people. Both breathtaking and informative. Respect of nature, art and people. A masterpiece.

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An illustrated history of 170 years of Arctic exploration and its effects on indigenous peoples.Ultima Thule is the terrible and yet fantastic story of European and American exploration in the polar north. Based on excerpts from the explorers' logs counterbalanced by Inuit testimony, it brings to life both sides of the clash that arose when white men arrived in the Far North, dreaming of conquest and believing that they brought with them a civilization superior to that of the indigenous peoples they found. Today, the outlook for the Inuit and the polar environment is bleak: the people and their landscape are in danger of disappearing for good. But according to Jean Malaurie, the situation is not altogether without hope.Heavily illustrated with period photographs, engravings, artifacts, and drawings, the book gives the readers the impression of having an entire museum of North Pole history in their hands. 650 color and black-and-white photographs.--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

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The Polish Deportees of World War II: Recollections of Removal to the Soviet Union and Dispersal Throughout the World Review

The Polish Deportees of World War II: Recollections of Removal to the Soviet Union and Dispersal Throughout the World
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Piotrowski, the author, dedicates this book: "To the victims of Soviet crimes against humanity". Everyone has heard of what the Nazis did to the Jews, but who ever heard of the 2-3 million Polish gentiles also murdered by the Germans? Even fewer have so much as an inkling of the millions of victims of Communism. The Soviet genocide directed against Poles, reliant as it was on shootings and especially mass overwork and starvation, does not capture the imagination as much as the assembly-style gassing and cremation performed by the Germans. But it was no less real, and no less effective.
All the while, Britain and America were silent and indifferent to Poland's fate. They were in the throes of a Stalin-appeasing mentality, and increasingly saw Poland as a nuisance that undermined Soviet-western relations. As Piotrowski makes it clear, "Appeasement only emboldens the aggressor". Judging by subsequent events of the Cold War, did it ever!
The deportations were the Soviet Union's attempt to gradually destroy the Polish population of the eastern half of Poland that had been conquered in 1939 (Nazi Germany conquered the western half). Piotrowski estimates that 1.7 million Poles were deported to Siberia and other inhospitable regions of the USSR. About half the deported Poles died a slow death there. Only the unexpected German attack on its erstwhile Soviet ally in July 1941 limited the scope of this genocide by putting a halt to further deportations and eventually prompting the release of the emaciated but still-living captive Poles.
Piotrowski describes the harrowing experiences of the Poles in Soviet captivity through the eyes of several eyewitnesses, including "Eva", my aunt. The Communists proved themselves to be masters in psychological torture as well as physical torture. Thus "Eva" was falsely told that her relatives had been put to death. To mock her Christian beliefs, she was dutifully told that her relatives were now "among the angels in heaven". She was thrown in a dungeon in which there was a decomposing human corpse. Miraculously, she was finally released, along with the rest of the family. The surviving Poles lost everything but their lives. After the Soviet "amnesty" (in which only a part of the still-living captive Poles were released, not all as promised), the Poles gathered in five geographic regions, including Iran and India. Most of the survivors never returned to Poland. Poland had already been given away by the west as a Soviet satellite with a Communist puppet government.



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Among the great tragedies that befell Poland during World War II was the forced deportation of its citizens by the Soviet Union during the first Soviet occupation of that country between 1939 and 1941. This is the story of that brutal Soviet ethnic cleansing campaign told in the words of some of the survivors. It is an unforgettable human drama of excruciating martyrdom in the Gulag. For example, one witness reports: "A young woman who had given birth on the train threw herself and her newborn under the wheels of an approaching train." Survivors also tell the story of events after the "amnesty.""Our suffering is simply indescribable. We have spent weeks now sleeping in lice-infested dirty rags in train stations," wrote the Milewski family. Details are also given on the non-European countries that extended a helping hand to the exiles in their hour of need.

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Famous Last Words Review

Famous Last Words
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It's a cool book with interesting quotes. The pictures are nice and the layout is easy to read. I really enjoyed it.

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Over 2,000 notable parting sentiments, from Socrates and the Marquis de Sade to James Dean and Elvis Presley. This sometimes funny, frequently moving compilation offers a glimpse at the deathbed departures of kings, courtiers, poets, painters, saints, villains, murderers, and martyrs through the ages. Among the famous last words are Bing Crosby's breezy sign-off: ``That was a great game of golf, fellers''; Lawrence Oates' farewell to Captain Scott on his ill-fated expedition to the South Pole: ``I'm just going out. I may be some time...''and Civil War commander General Sedgewick's final miscalculation: ``They couldn't hit an elephant at this dist--'' A fascinating record of our final thoughts at the brink of the unimaginable. Jonathon Green is a noted lexicographer and the author of many books, including Slang Down the Ages. 160 pp 6 1/2 x 9 1/2 200 b/w photos & illustrations

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3/20/2012

Japanese Spears: Polearms and Their Use in Old Japan Review

Japanese Spears: Polearms and Their Use in Old Japan
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The book is very well prepared and historicaly well based.
The writer deeply investigated the context between the history of the polearms and the history of the imigrant nations. The book richly describe the culture of the polearms as Naginata, Yari, Nagimaki weapons and their existing and historical forms.
We can read about also the religional background of the weapons.
The book also shows the practical martial use of polearms in limited sections.
There is no any word about the forging and crafting processes, so who are interested in it, had to choose an another book.
I realy enjoyed to read the book, as a "fan" of the Japanese nations and weapons.
The only bad thing what I have experienced, that it was realy difficult to connect to the pictures in the secdond section of the book.
There are realy detailed, labelings and explanations of the origin of the written resources, but there is no any direct link for ex. numbers or identification codes to the pictures. I had to use the Japanese names for identification, but sometimes it realy makes nervous.
For any cas the book is recommended for the ones who are fan or interesting for the Japanes polearms. I think it worth the price.



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This is the first book in English to provide a fully illustrated guide to the use of polearms ranging from the earliest halberds and spears reaching Japan from the Asian mainland to the sophisticated naginata, nagamaki and various forms of yari used by the Japanese samurai through the medieval period. While the sword remains the best known of Japanese weapons, it was the halberd (naginata) and then the yari that dominated the battlefields up to the early seventeenth century, and thereafter the yari became an important status symbol to many warrior families. Additionally, the authors focus on the actual method of use of these weapons, hitherto an almost unknown aspect in the West.

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Boarders Away, With Steel: Edged Weapons and Polearms of the Classical Age of Fighting Sail, 1626-1826 Review

Boarders Away, With Steel: Edged Weapons and Polearms of the Classical Age of Fighting Sail, 1626-1826
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There is a vast literature on naval warfare in the age of sail. William Gilkerson's two volume set, Boarders Away, deals with the fascinating topic of boarding actions and their weapons and tactics. Although covering the entire age of fighting sail, his emphasis is on the period 1775-1815 and on the British, French, and American navies.
Volume I, With Steel, covers edged weapons and polearms. Chapter I gives a general description of boarding actions. Included is a detailed account of the 1813 action between HMS Shannon and USS Chesapeake. Other chapters discuss boarding axes, boarding pikes, cutlasses, officers swords and dirks, and miscellaneous weapons (knives, belaying pins, flensing spades, etc.)
The text discussed these subjects in lavish detail. Included are are extracts from logs and other primary sources. The folio-sized volume is lavishly illustrated with hundreds of drawings and photographs. The cover photo above is an example of one of the colored plates.

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An all-encompassing study of naval armament under fighting sail. This first volume covers axes, pikes and fighting blades in use between 1626 and 1826 - tracing their development in the navies of England and Northern Europe through that of the United States. Heavily illustrated with art and photography including an 8-page color section.

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Where Water Comes Together With Other Water: Poems Review

Where Water Comes Together With Other Water: Poems
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Carver can break your heart without seeming to try, and there is that quality in many of these poems. Written in the mid 1980s, in the last years before his death, they are that mix of bittersweet memory, melancholy, and joy taken in the here and now. Living with poet Tess Gallagher in a house overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca in Washington (Carver grew up in Yakima, Washington), he writes of the days that pass there, the frequent rains and the boats passing on the water, and he tracks the course of fleeting emotions, often triggered by long-forgotten memories.
He has this ability to discover the extraordinary in the absolute ordinary, and he can bring together ideas with images drawn from everyday life that disturb and shock the heart, as when he recalls an old relationship while describing the drops and smears of blood left in a kitchen sink after gutting fish. As with his stories, these poems are written in plain, conversational language while evoking at the same time the darkly inexpressible. Simple and direct on the surface, they are like being in a small boat on deep waters.

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Garrett Morgan: Inventor of the Traffic Light and Gas Mask (Famous Inventors) Review

Garrett Morgan: Inventor of the Traffic Light and Gas Mask (Famous Inventors)
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My grandaughter had been told by her History teacher who had invented the traffic light. With this information she was able to dispute what was said to her. African Americans would like all of their accomplishments correctly reported especially to the new generation.

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Triple Monkey Dare Holiday Boxed Cards (Christmas Cards, Holiday Cards, Greeting Cards) Review

Triple Monkey Dare Holiday Boxed Cards (Christmas Cards, Holiday Cards, Greeting Cards)
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Someone gave me about 10 of these cards, so I ordered another 20 to use for my holiday cards. The glitter is officially all over my house, my table, the clothes I was wearing when I was signing these cards....

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Inside Greeting: ''Mewwy Chwissmiss!'' This saucy Sock Monkey just had to take the dare! Glitter accents add sparkle. 20 Cards and 21 Envelopes. Cards measure 5 x 7 inches. All cards printed on coated heavyweight card stock. Board box with acetate lid.

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3/19/2012

Custom Rod Thread Art Review

Custom Rod Thread Art
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Clemens' third book covers all aspects of custom thread work. Starting with some general information on layout and a glossary of wrapping terms, it moves on to over 100 patterns for butt wraps developed by rod builders all over the world. The book also contains a section on weaving thread, with some patterns and information on how to develop your own designs. A word of warning, however. This is not a step by step beginner book. I would recommend reading and doing some of the more involved butt wraps in Clemens' Advanced Custom Rod Building before moving on to Custom Rod Thread Art.

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Clemens continues his tradition of writing thorough and artful guides for the angler who is also a do-it-himselfer."Hand a person a custom made rod," says expert rod maker Dale P.Clemens, "and in almost every instance one of the first things he looksat is the decorative thread work," because a handsome rod is moredesirable to own and fish. Clemens guides his readers through theorganizational process of threading, illustrates the uses of patternsand replicas, explains how to wrap and weave, and gives his personaltips on how to make every rod "a never ending kaleidoscope of form,shape and color." Offering a sound introduction to the essentials ofthread work on round surfaces and more than one hundred rod artpatterns suitable for both advanced hobbyists and professionals, Custom Rod Thread Art is the authoritative work on the subject. 200 black-and-white illustrations--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

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Texture and Anisotropy: Preferred Orientations in Polycrystals and their Effect on Materials Properties Review

Texture and Anisotropy: Preferred Orientations in Polycrystals and their Effect on Materials Properties
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A complete and rigorous review on this subject, this book notably solves the compromise of answering scientific inquiries of general knwoledge on anisotropic materials behaviour and the easy and quick browsing for specific materials properties. This is achieved through the addition of many ilustrative figures and examples (specially texture pole figures based on observed and simulated results ) as well as the big amount of references to other studies and publications all over the text. Physicists, engineerings and crystalographers inside the materials science scope will find this book surprisingly complete, amusing and helpful.

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This book provides valuable information for all scientists and engineers interested in materials properties.Coverage discusses the measurement and analysis of textures, the prediction of polycrystal properties from measured textures and known single crystal properties, and the prediction of the development of texture and the ensuing anisotropic properties during elastic and plastic deformation. It also gives an overview of observed textures in metals, ceramics and rocks.There is a balance between theoretical concepts and experimental techniques. The book addresses several issues. Part I provides tools and describes methods to obtain quantitative data on textures of polycrystals. It should be of interest to experimentalists. Part II emphasizes modeling of deformation and incorporates theoretical concepts of mechanics. Part III illustrates successful applications in engineering and earth sciences.

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Polish Immigrants, 1890-1920 (Blue Earth Books: Coming to America) Review

Polish Immigrants, 1890-1920 (Blue Earth Books: Coming to America)
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This is really a useful book - a history lesson about Polish immigration to America addressed to children and teenagers over 9 years old.
Interestingly written with short history of Poland and the history of immigration to America and the explanation why Poles left their countryside.
It contains nice photographs to help to understand the text and also some extra info - about Polish names and how they were modified in America, about Polish food (some recipes) and Polish tradition.

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Discusses the reasons Polish people left their homeland to come to America, the experiences the immigrants had in the new country, and the contributions this cultural group made to American society. Includes sidebars and activities.

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Shaping Success (The Education of an Unlikely Champion) Review

Shaping Success (The Education of an Unlikely Champion)
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In this book, Susan Garrett documents the story of her agility dog, Buzz. Garrett describes the problems, the challenges, and the training techniques she used. As I read this book, I highlighted the training tips I thought I could use on my dog. Nearly every other page is highighted.
Garrett starts with puppy games. She provides training exercises and tips for every obstacle and contact. One appendix is step-by-step for shaping the weave poles.
The book is easy to read as Garrett shares the trials and tribulations of living and working with a high-energy/most-people-think-I'm-a-nut dog. The book is also an informative read for anyone who uses clicker training, regardless of the reader's interest in agility.

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Shaping Success is both the life story of one wildly amusing Border Collie and the training journal of one of the world's most respected dog trainers. Susan Garrett has been invited to lecture on dog training throughout North America and as far away as Japan and Australia. In this, her second book, Susan vividly describes the challenges she faced raising and transforming an extremely high-energy puppy into a national agility champion. Step-by-step training advice will benefit all dog owners, regardless of their aspirations in the sport. Entertaining and thought-provoking, this book is a must for agility enthusiasts at all levels. Also contain a complete training plan for 2x2 weave poles.Book is 6-1/2" x 9"H paperback.

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Fiberglass Rod Making Review

Fiberglass Rod Making
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Making your own rods is an enjoyable craft as well as a rewarding one. Fiberglass Rod Making takes out the guesswork, leaves in all the fun. In clear, well-organized text and hundreds of step-by-step photographs, it explains how to judge quality in a rod and how to experiment with the variables that can make a rod uniquely yours; where to get rod blanks and other components; how to plan and assemble the rod; how to apply ferrule and guide wraps ranging from the simplest no-frills types to intricate designs of real beauty; even how to maintain your rods and build cases for them.
It is all here -- every concievable aspect of building fiberglasss rods from the lightest trout wand to the largest big-game trolling rod.

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3/18/2012

Ortho's All About Houseplants (Ortho's All About Gardening) Review

Ortho's All About Houseplants (Ortho's All About Gardening)
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This is one of those great books that helps beginners feel as though this gardening thing isn't so difficult after all. Plenty of photos and easy-to-follow instructions for plant care make Ortho's All About Houseplants an essiential for anyone who
wants to know the basic tips for growing houseplants. The "What Can Go Wrong" section extensively covers human errors,
insects and diseases - which cause so many new healthy plants to go bad in a hurry. I highly recommend this guide for any
gardener's book collection.

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Shows readers how to select the best plants for their homes' environment and how to correctly grow and care for them.
Explains how to alter existing home conditions to accommodate desired plants.
Offers advice on decorating homes with plants.
Hints for dressing up plants by mulching, staking or using containers to complement a decorating style.
Complete instructions for building an indoors garden, mixing potting soil and propagating plants.
Includes tips for plants with special needs.

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Northwest Coast Indian Art Review

Northwest Coast Indian Art
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This book is a classic, and is invaluable for the serious student of Pacific Northwest Coast artwork. Note, however, that I emphasize the word "serious." If you are more of a beginner or casual observer, this book should be third on your list behind "Looking at Indian Art of the Northwest Coast" by Hilary Stewart and "Learning by Designing Pacific Northwest Coast Native Art, Vol. 1" by Gilbert and Clark.
Although the book is easy to read and very well written, it has a decidely academic tone to it. Mr. Holm studied large numbers of authentic examples, and draws conclusions about patterns.
For example, he points out that an ovoid within another ovoid (an "inner ovoid") is always placed either vertically centered OR closer to the top than the bottom. If it is placed closer to what appears to be the bottom, then it is because the artist is telling us that that particular part of the artwork is actually upside down.
He then backs this up with data based on his researches. In other words, he "reverse engineered" the unwritten rules of how to do this type of artwork.
But his focus is on details and small parts, not on the larger picture of how these elements are used by an artist to convey a message or depict something. There is almost no information on the myths and legends that the artwork is based on, nor on ways to discern between the various animals.
Note that I do NOT say this as a criticism -- it is not a bad thing that the book does not contain such info! Plenty of other books do. This book has a specific purpose, which is to analyze the elements of the artform, and this book is unquestionably the best one on that topic. In fact, it is the ONLY one that goes into this level of detail.
If you want to know why the Raven is often depicted with the Sun in his beak, this book is not for you. If you want to look at a drawing or totem pole and know which is a beaver and which is a bear, this book won't be much help. But if you want to know how and when and why to use blue as a tertiary color, or how wide a black formline should be at the top versus the bottom, this book is the one you want.
If you can only buy one or two books on this artform (or even if you can buy more), start with the two I listed above. Then buy this one. It is a great book and worth buying, and once you have an understanding of the bigger picture, the undertsanding of the details provided by Holm is truly fascinating.

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"NORTHWEST COAST INDIAN ART is a very beautiful book and it is also an important contribution to the fields of art and anthropology, Its most distinguished feature is the author's sensitive yet scientific approach in coming firmly to grips with elements of art which often have been considered intangible".--THE BEAVER.--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Polar Bear Review

Polar Bear
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This book features great photos of polar bears in their habitat. There are quite a number of pictures of females and their cubs. The book's captions are well-written and affectionate.
"Polar Bear" is among my favorite books.

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Prowling the frozen reaches of the far northern corners of Russia, Canada, and Alaska, the Arctic polar bear is the world's largest land predator and one of the most difficult to track of all wild creatures. With spectacular photographs and an engaging, thoroughly researched text, Polar Bear follows its subject from rambunctious, protected cub to robust, formidable adult. Including close-ups of play and fighting rituals, swimming shots, luminous landscape images, and rarely seen photos of mothers at their dens, this elegant, informative book pays tribute to a fascinating and powerful survivor of one of the planet's harshest environments.

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