Book Description
From the perspective of 2007, the unintentional irony of Chance's boast is manifest—these days, the question is when will the Cubs ever win a game they have to have. In October 1908, though, no one would have laughed: The Cubs were, without doubt, baseball's greatest team—the first dynasty of the 20th century.
Crazy '08 recounts the 1908 season—the year when Peerless Leader Frank Chance's men went toe to toe to toe with John McGraw and Christy Mathewson's New York Giants and Honus Wagner's Pittsburgh Pirates in the greatest pennant race the National League has ever seen. The American League has its own three-cornered pennant fight, and players like Cy Young, Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, and the egregiously crooked Hal Chase ensured that the junior circuit had its moments. But it was the National League's—and the Cubs'—year.
Crazy '08, however, is not just the exciting story of a great season. It is also about the forces that created modern baseball, and the America that produced it. In 1908, crooked pols run Chicago's First Ward, and gambling magnates control the Yankees. Fans regularly invade the field to do handstands or argue with the umps; others shoot guns from rickety grandstands prone to burning. There are anarchists on the loose and racial killings in the town that made Lincoln. On the flimsiest of pretexts, General Abner Doubleday becomes a symbol of Americanism, and baseball's own anthem, "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," is a hit.
Picaresque and dramatic, 1908 is a season in which so many weird and wonderful things happen that it is somehow unsurprising that a hairpiece, a swarm of gnats, a sudden bout of lumbago, and a disaster down in the mines all play a role in its outcome. And sometimes the events are not so wonderful at all. There are several deaths by baseball, and the shadow of corruption creeps closer to the heart of baseball—the honesty of the game itself. Simply put, 1908 is the year that baseball grew up.
Oh, and it was the last time the Cubs won the World Series.
Destined to be as memorable as the season it documents, Crazy '08 sets a new standard for what a book about baseball can be.
Customer Reviews:
A detailed look at one baseball season.......2007-10-05
Cait Murphy observes that 1908 is an important season in the history of baseball in America. She closes the book with the statement (page 288): "In the sweep of baseball's history, 1908 is not the end of an era, nor the beginning of one. It is, however, the end of the beginning." She starts the work by answering why she explores 1908 (page xiii): "The best season in baseball history id 1908. Besides two agonizing pennant races, it features history's finest pitching duel, hurled in the white heat of an October stretch drive, and the most controversial game ever played." I'm not sure that I buy 1908 as the apogee of baseball; however, Murphy does make a nice case.
The book begins with some context, looking at the earlier years of the National League and American League just after the turn of the century. She also looks at the evolution of gloves and bats and the other artifacts of the game. There are glimpses of stadia of the time.
Also nicely done are the character sketches of some key figures from 1908--from Manager John McGraw of the Giants to John Evers and Frank ("Husk" or "The Peerless Leader") Chance of the Cubs to Honus Wagner and so on. The book takes a chronological look at the season thereafter, from opening day through the great replay of the tie game (when Fred Merkle didn't touch second base, leading to a tie score) to a brief afterword on the World Series (not much time spent on it, since it was a blowout, with the Cubs winning their last World Series over the Detroit Tigers).
Some interesting tidbits are scattered throughout: the seemingly large number of players who committed suicide (pages 66-67), the amazing variety of interests of Cubs' players on one train trip (if accurately portrayed by a reporter)--"Doc" Marshall reading a book on dentistry, Johnny Evers reading a biography of Savonarola, two players discussed how to raise alfalfa, Ed Reulbach reading a chemistry book, five playing poker, and so on.
There is the portrayal of some of the great moments of the season, for instance, Young Fred Merkle not touching second base after an apparent game-winning hit against the detested Cubs (pages 189-191).
There are also several "time-out" inserts that provide interesting side-bar discussions. One of these looks at Chicago and its bawdy politics of the early 1900s; another examines the howler that Abner Doubleday invented the game of baseball. An Epilogue briefly describes what happened to key players after the 1908 season, including Mordecai "Three-Finger" Brown (there is a picture of his misshapen hand in the volume, suggesting how he might have created interesting movement on his pitches), Frank Chance, Hal Chase, Fred Merkle, "Cy" Young, and so on.
All in all, a nice detailed view of a fascinating season in baseball history.
An extra-base hit, but short of a home run.......2007-09-30
The 1908 baseball season provided plenty of excitement, suspense and story lines as one game separated the top three teams in the National League and 1.5 games separated the top three teams in the American League. Astute baseball fans have long recognized it as one of the greatest years in baseball history, if not the greatest. Author Cait Murphy writes an entertaining and informative account of Crazy '08, but it is also uneven.
Murphy thoroughly researched the 1908 season as evidenced by her extensive bibliography and footnotes, which I greatly appreciated as a reader and fan of the Deadball Era.
Murphy, however, decides to focus on the National League race among the Giants, Cubs and Pirates. She seems infatuated with John McGraw and the New York Giants and their rivalry with the Chicago Cubs. Although these two teams are colorful, readers interested in the equally exciting American League race among the Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Indians will be vastly disappointed. Murphy considerably shortchanges the American League race.
While it's interesting to read about the characters of `08, Murphy gives scant details about the pivotal games they played. The games merit more attention. And, after battling to the last days of the season, how could Murphy dismiss the 1908 World Series between the Cubs and the Tigers in less than a page? It couldn't have been that boring. It seems as if she had run out of steam at that point or else she was just trying to finish the book before deadline. My guess is that if the Giants had won the National League pennant, Murphy would have considered the '08 World Series worthy of more coverage.
On the positive side, Murphy does an excellent job describing the infamous Merkle play and how and why it became pivotal. She also presents interesting portraits of the umpires and executives. And, she digs up some interesting informational nuggets.
Her six "Time Out" chapters, intended to put the 1908 season in context, were an unnecessary diversion for me.
OK- Average look at an unforgettable year.......2007-08-24
I expected more out of this book- I just found the writing to be pretty boring- It's a quick read but never really captures the emotion of the season- Wait until it arrives in paperback
Yankee.......2007-08-17
Loads of fun to read. My son who is 12 read it cover to cover too. It came right on time.
Interesting but Jumpy.......2007-08-15
I agree with some of the other reviewers. The book was interesting in it's depiction of players and the general cast of this era of baseball. But I was not overly impressed with the writing, or more specifically the editing. I noticed that many sentences jumped between past tense and present tense, for instance. And some of the chapters could have used more exposition. I also was annoyed by the number of footnote notations throughout the book. Just felt distracting. But for a fun read about old time baseball, it wasn't bad.
Average customer rating:
- a good read
- Good read
- Just One More Time With the Monster...And I'll Stop
- Compelling
- Meeting the Monster
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Crank
Ellen Hopkins
Manufacturer: Simon Pulse
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Glass
ASIN: 0689865198 |
Amazon.com
Ellen Hopkins's semi-autobiographical verse novel, Crank, reads like a Go Ask Alice for the 21st century. In it, she chronicles the turbulent and often disturbing relationship between Kristina, a character based on her own daughter, and the "monster," the highly addictive drug crystal meth, or "crank." Kristina is introduced to the drug while visiting her largely absent and ne'er-do-well father. While under the influence of the monster, Kristina discovers her sexy alter-ego, Bree: "there is no perfect daughter, / no gifted high school junior, / no Kristina Georgia Snow. / There is only Bree." Bree will do all the things good girl Kristina won't, including attracting the attention of dangerous boys who can provide her with a steady flow of crank. Soon, her grades plummet, her relationships with family and friends deteriorate, and she needs more and more of the monster just to get through the day. Kristina hits her lowest point when she is raped by one of her drug dealers and becomes pregnant as a result. Her decision to keep the baby slows her drug use, but doesn't stop it, and the author leaves the reader with the distinct impression that Kristina/Bree may never be free from her addiction. In the author's note, Hopkins warns "nothing in this story is impossible," but when Kristina's controlled, high-powered mother allows her teenage daughter to visit her biological father (a nearly homeless known drug user), the story feels unbelievable. Still, the descriptions of crystal meth use and its consequences are powerful, and will horrify and transfix older teenage readers, just as Alice did over 20 years ago. --Jennifer Hubert
Book Description
Kristina Georgia Snow is the perfect daughter: gifted high school junior, quiet, never any trouble. But on a trip to visit her absentee father, Kristina disappears and Bree takes her place. Bree is the exact opposite of Kristina -- she's fearless.
Through a boy, Bree meets the monster: crank. And what begins as a wild, ecstatic ride turns into a struggle through hell for her mind, her soul -- her life.
Customer Reviews:
a good read.......2007-10-16
i leave this one out on the coffee table. it's a great read for anyone.
it's a deep dark look into something that a lot of people are afraid to talk about; drugs.
a must read for everyone.
Good read.......2007-09-27
Read it then bought one for my granddaughter who never reads. She loved it. Instructional without being preachy.
Just One More Time With the Monster...And I'll Stop.......2007-08-15
That's how I felt when reading this book. I couldn't put it down. Just one more page. I finished it in one day. It was THAT good. The author wrote the poetry in a visual attempt to get the reader to "feel" or "identify" with the speaker. The short "chapters" are meant to get the reader to want to read "just one more page"...thus allowing the reader to feel what is like to be addicted to something. "One more page won't hurt". Brilliant, I think. There was something psychological about the way the poetry read on the page, scattered and what not, and it wasn't just me that felt the effect of being addicted: my sister and I both revealed to one another that by the end of the book we both felt like we were addicted to something, needed something, urged for something and that we related to the speaker in that way. Word of advice when reading this book: sometimes the words that stick out from the rest of the page should be read vertically, starting from the top the the bottom. You will be amazed at the underlying clarity a whole page could have when a few words are strewn to the side and read by themselves. I wish I could write more on this but I have to leave. This is an awesome book and I can't wait for "Glass" to come out on the 21st.
Compelling.......2007-08-13
I do not normally buy this sort of work, preferring to stick to strictly fictional accounts not based in any sort of reality however, this book spoke to me from the moment i picked it up.
I have no personal experience with drug use or abuse but the manner in which the author draws the reader in compelled me to read.
I have three daughters of my own, one on the threshold of her teen years, just waiting to jump across the line and i felt this book to be a necessity in that right as well. She will read this book, even if it doesn't deter her in any way, she will read it. And we will discuss it, at length.
Thank You Ellen Hopkins for sharing this story with us in all it's fictional and non-fictional parts.
Meeting the Monster.......2007-08-10
Gifted in school, never in trouble, always the loving daughter; Kristina Georgia Snow seems to be the model of perfection. Kristina is far from that, however, and the manifestation of the problems she exhibits forms under the name of "Bree." Bree is many of the things that Kristina wants to be, she's fearless and she's her own person, and a visit with her absentee father sends Kristina scrambling into the arms of Bree and into the arms of another monster - crank. And while life seems good for a time, Kristina finds herself slowly bleeding away and the other her, the consumed her, taking hold.
Ellen Hopkins is an absolutely phenomenal writer, and even better than that is her ability to craft a tale using her own methods. It has to be mentioned that she also has a specific point-of-view about "the monster" in the book as well, recounting some of the struggles that she endured while her daughter fought with addiction and almost lost. Some of that is wrenching, too, but Hopkins uses that feeling and doesn't make you feel sorry for the person behind the pen. She instead uses that power to make you feel for the person behind the mask, hoping to find something better.
When I first read the book, I was impressed by the things that Hopkins manages to work into the proverbial foundations of the very thing she delivers. She writes words within the wording, putting things in the columns and the rows that formulate a story all their own. Things like "treading the riptide, good girls drown" appear in the middle of an area that is part of a larger sum, and the way these things are utilized make you pay attention.
It seems rare to have to do that anyone, too - paying attention, I mean. Too often an author placates an audience with a tale, and the somber tale is moving BUT it finds one thing missing.
The thing I like about Hopkins and her book Crank is that it is fixes a lot of that; she does call Crack "the monster" and she does tell her how much the substance hurt them all but, in the story, she still paints the "good points," the reasons for use and habituation, that are often left out of tales. She also spells everything out in a way that doesn't allow for speed-reading if you want the whole effect.
And, trust me, you want the whole effect.
Basically, when you read this, you get a feeling for the child, for the surroundings, and for the turmoil that brews inside her life. That makes it understandable when it comes to her meeting with her "father" and why she needs her alter-ego, not to mention the drug itself. Combine that with the beautiful workmanship, the story within the story, and you have something really well worth mentioning.
Book Description
Though it incorporates much new material, this new edition preserves the general character of the book in providing a collection of solutions of the equations of diffusion and describing how these solutions may be obtained.
Customer Reviews:
Classic and essential read for diffusion problems!.......2006-06-03
Crank's Mathematics of diffusion is a comprehensive summary of solutions to several diffusion related problems. The insights offered are clear and logical, mathematics is at a level that anyone with a college level understanding of calculus (and differential equations) can comprehend and appreciate. The book is particularly useful for researchers and experimentalists who wish to design measurements to understand diffusion behavior into pratically realizable substrates. Time dependent, concentration dependent and temperature dependent effects are included and non-Fickian behavior is discussed. Moving boundaries, sorption and problems involving diffusion in heterogeneous media are also described. Of course, the discussions are neither exhaustive nor recent results feature in the book, for which one must look on his own. This is more like a basic text, and must be used likewise.
The book does not discuss mass transfer under convective flow conditions, and does not incorporate discussion of experimental methods used to measure concentration gradients. Yet it is an essential text to compare many observed concentration profiles to the known solutions plotted in the book. Mass Transfer by Hines and Maddox can be used as supplement for looking at chemical engineering type mass transfer problems. For anyone familiar with an excellent text by Carslaw and Jaegar on the Conduction of heat in solids, Crank's text provides a nice mapping of heat transfer problems discussed in that book to diffusion related problems. The mathematics of diffusion, once mastered, is useful in understanding similar problems in heat problems, momentum transport etc. For everyone involved in studies involving diffusion, Crank's treatise is a must have, must read book.
So many examples.......2006-04-21
This book does it all. Any problems you have Crank has got you. Don't read it without knowing transport though, he solves mad prolems but that's really it. No insight or anything like that. Who cares he does MAD problems
Superior text on diffusion.......2005-10-25
This text is a great resource for understanding diffusion. It is accessible to your average scientist (my background is soil science), but you will have to do some work if your not a mathematician. Don't let that stop you though, this is THE text on diffusion maths. It's an invaluable tool.
A great reference resource.......2001-06-30
This classic diffusion text continues where many other texts end, and covers a broad variety of problem types. This is an excellent resource for diffusion solutions for less-common boundary conditions and assumptions, including thorough mathematical developments of the solutions and many references to the original works. Non-mathematicians will often need to roll up their sleeves to digest portions of the derivations, but the insight into the solution processes is often very revealing. This makes this book an invaluable reference, although it is probably not well suited as your only book on diffusion.
Classic solutions to diffusion problems........1997-10-27
This book is a classic, collecting analytical solutions to common differential equations arising from common problems in mass transport.
Customer Reviews:
Review.......2007-09-24
I enjoyed this book very much. I also learned through reading it the many different ways that officers can become coppupt and how to notice corruption before it even starts. This is an excellent book and I do recommend it to anyone who is interested in corruption of police and their departments.
An excellent introduction/overview.......2007-02-04
This book does an excellent job of introducing the reader to corruption, particularly what seems like inane and harmless corruption such as accepting free food from locals on your beat. It explains and expands on human nature, the desire to receive special treatment from those responsible for our protection or admnistration. I have also taken a class from Dr. Caldero, and I can say that a majority of the students in the class didn't understand his book at first, because they failed to see the danger in small or seemingly trivial corruption.
Police ethics are much more than this.......2003-06-13
After reading this book, I wondered whether the authors are or were cops themselves. At least one of them (Crank) isn't, and never has been. This makes sense, because the ethics cases presented in this book are bland and barely skim the surface of what we (cops) go through every day. On the face of it, the ethics questions seem reasonable. To those of us in the profession, they are laughable. Sorry, but this book is another one of those written by college professors who don't really understand the world of the cop.
A must read for all future employees of the Criminal Justice.......2001-05-12
Excellant Book! A must read for all future employees of the Criminal Justice System. This reminds me of another book I just read and recommend, U.S. Customs Badge of Dishonor. Both of these books demonstrate just how tuff it is to be a cop.
Book Description
Jon Spoelstra, one of the country's best sports marketers,contends there is less risk and more payoffs in creating outrageous marketing.
Customer Reviews:
Great Reading.......2007-06-27
This book is very insightful and has a lot of relevance to marketing in general, not just sports marketing. I have a small company, but the president if a large national company that I deal with, saw it on my desk and now he's reading it. It's a must for all executives.
Marketing outrageously and writing averagely.......2007-05-30
This book is a quick read and has some interesting examples of ways to market outrageously. I found myself thinking how the ideas that he had could help my business and I realized that not many were really applicable. It does get you thinking in the right direction but I felt the book lacked statistics and basic information on how the ideas can be used in different industries. It seemed more like the book was a recounting of his own marketing ideas and how they helped his high-profile clients. The fact that the book was a bestseller is surprising to me. Perhaps the author really is a genius marketer; he just didn't convey the information on this book.
Simply Excellent!.......2007-02-11
Informative, humorous, and sometimes seemingly impractical, this book will help force you to consider doing some things you previously dismissed as eccentric or even "stupid" yet they'll definitely help your business stand out from the competition and get noticed. Isn't that exactly what you want out of a marketing campaign?
i love examples.......2006-12-13
jon is a master at story-telling. for me, that is one
of the best methods to convey important material.
struggling with a product or service that needs more
sales? buy this book. there are tons of great ideas
worth stealing to market anything and everything!
one of my favorite "go to" books of all time.
-ski
Outrageously Refreshing.......2006-11-23
There are many great marketing ideas in this book. Even more valuable is the conditioning to think differently or even outrageously.
Here are just a couple thing I'm taking with me:
Write on a card "what will it take for me to________________?" Fill in the blank with your really big goal. Carry that card with you always and often think about the question and possible answers.
On the other side of that same card write "what did I do today to make money for my company?" Think about that question continually until you get in the habit of creating revenue daily. Spoelstra's suggestion is to make at least one sales call every day. Whether or not you are in sales, this will help the company, help you, and teach valuable lessons.
Customer Reviews:
We got cranked!.......2000-03-10
We just finished a motivational session with 80 folks from across the country and used one of Bruce Fuller's ideas.... the chapter "The Professor of Antonology".... had terrific fun, got everyone going, we started with an icebreaker then went into the teambuilding sessions.... worked like crazy. And yup... he sez business-gotta-be-fun.... and it was. We were Cranked Up! and heartily recommend his little book..
Results oriented, useful tools to build sales.......1999-04-28
Crank 'em Up has been a popular book around our office. The author provides an enthusiastic review of ideas and contests to motivate sales people. Definitely worth adding to my library of sales and marketing resources.
Book Description
The live concert business is exploding; hundreds of acts are hitting the road every year, and whatever style music they play, they need to sound great. How can you be at the controls for these show? Learn from this book! Meet 72 of the world's finest front-of-house and monitor engineers, and listen as they reveal what gear they use and how, how they make top acts always sound amazing, and what it takes to survive the climb to the big time. Get the inside scoop straight from concert engineers on the road with stars such as Aerosmith, KISS, Billy Joel, Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, U2, the Dixie Chicks, Blondie, Madonna, Norah Jones, Elton John, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and many others!
Customer Reviews:
Good facts and history book.......2006-07-05
I was looking to a "how to" book, I book which deal with techniques and method and style. I though this book would show me what they actually do. Not just explain the philosophy and list their gear. (Which most people can't afford unless they has huge client like those listed in this book. This aint it.
This book does show you who the big boy are, and how their careers has developed. So much is changing in Pro Audio right now, this book let you know where state of the art was, and perhaps where it is going. I'll keep it as a history and philosophy book , not a technique, skills and knowledge book.
IT CRANKS and IT ROCKS!.......2005-07-21
This is a great book that goes up to 11. If you're a music fan, and have ever shelled out big bucks for a show at the Garden, this is a valuable insider tool that lets you relive your favorite concert-going experiences, while introduces you to the technical aspects of how and why the show sounded so great.
The chapters about U2 and The Rolling Stones were compelling stories about finding problems from venue to venue on tours and the expert teams who come up with creative solutions that gel with these bands sounds that we've all been enjoying for years.
The audio experts interviewed and depicted in Crank It Up are the unsung heroes of the concert going experience, but Clive Young does in fact sing their praises, and he constructs a tale of intrigue and mystique about an entire profession that deserves to be noticed and recognized. No, I'm not in the business, but it's big business, it's show business, and this book is a wonderful read. I even found myself reading the chapters about the acts that I couldn't care less about (like Kid Rock and Creed), and have found very amusing anecdotes and useful information for when I decide to strap on a bass guitar and hit the road.
Bravo, Mr. Young! I'm looking forward to reading CRANK IT UP FURTHER!
ShowCo and Clair Brothers Promo Book.......2005-03-22
Please, Please do NOT buy this book! I bought it just as I was starting my first FOH sound engineering position. Don't be fooled, there are absolutely no tips in this book. It does not in any way help a new or longtime sound guy. The only suggestion in the entire book was that a tube compressor might sound good on drums and I just told you about that. The rest of the book is just promoting ShowCo and Clair Brothers sound companies. Put your money into anything but this. Honestly, this is the first book I have ever thrown away after reading it!!!!!
A must have!.......2004-06-23
Anyone in the music industry, or planning on it, must get this book! This book is absolutely riveting and well written. Makes me want to go on tour!
I wish I had this book when I was a kid.......2004-06-03
Very well researched and written book. A who's who in the live sound industry. I wish I had this book to read when I was first starting in the biz.
Amazon.com
Things actually seem to be looking up for that chronically tormented Elizabethan theater company known as Westfield's Men. As the curtain rises on Edward Marston's exuberant The Counterfeit Crank, the cast has welcomed into their midst an oddly secretive but nonetheless talented new playwright, who brings with him a rousing historical drama, Caesar's Fall. Meanwhile, Alexander Marwood, the gloomy, henpecked landlord of the Queen's Head, that London inn where Westfield's Men are begrudgingly permitted to perform, has gone to visit his ailing brother (whom he hopes will remember him in his will), leaving the hostelry in the care of a more appreciative and exuberant manager. "Fortune has smiled on us at last," exults Westfield's veteran dramatist, Edmund Hoode.
Ah, but those words have hardly been uttered before a plague of gambling debts spreads among the actors--the result of their engagement with beguiling card sharp Philomen Lavery--and Hoode's health declines precipitously, dashing any chance of his completing a promised lithesome comedy. Adding insult to injury, the troupe's costumes are pilfered and its ticket proceeds pinched. Though Nicholas Bracewell, Westfield's book holder and necessarily practiced troubleshooter, hopes to rout all these woes, he's over-stretched, having also volunteered to aid a fetching, naïve young con artist who has survived abduction by the lecherous operators of a workhouse for the poor, but whose Welsh boyfriend has now gone missing. Deceived by people he saw as friends, and pursued by some of the very malefactors he aims to vanquish, Bracewell must marshal his considerable skills--both as a detective and a thespian--to save his livelihood, not to mention his own life.
British fictionist Marston has created other historical series in recent years, including those about a pair of 11th-century "Domesday" researchers (introduced in
The Wolves of Savernake) and about 1850s London Inspector Robert Colbeck (who debuted in The Railway Detective). Yet he owes his popularity most to the Bracewell books, of which The Counterfeit Crank is the 14th (after 2003's The Vagabond Clown). While this novel offers a couple plot twists that are obvious from the outset, and more than one secondary character lacks the nuances essential to believability, there's no sign that Marston's regular cadre of 16th-century entertainers--each more egotistical or eccentric than the last--has been wrung dry of the possibilities for humor and hardship. --J. Kingston Pierce
Book Description
Nicholas Bracewell, the book holder for the London theater troupe Westfield's Men, has a few problems on his hands. The troupe's playwright is ill, a gambler is making short work of many of the actors' salaries, and their costumes have gone missing. When Nicholas meets a pair of troubled con artists, steering them clear of murder is almost more than he can handle. But he's got a good heart and an inquisitive mind. After all, the show must go on in Edward Marston's delightful fan-favorite, Edgar-nominated series.
Customer Reviews:
Book Number 14 in this Terrific Series.......2006-12-02
Edward Marston is the pseudonym of Keith Miles, a fairly prolific and extremely good writer of mainly Elizabethan and medieval mysteries. He has also written mysteries under his own name with both sporting and golf backgrounds. However it is primarily the books that take place earlier in history that I am interested in. He read modern history at Oxford and has had many jobs, including university lecturer, but fortunately for all his readers, he turned to the writing profession.
Nicholas Bracewell, the stage manager for the troupe of actors known as Westfield's Men has yet more problems to overcome. The group's talented playwright Edmund Hoode, has been taken ill and is unable to complete his latest offering. The problem is, is the illness a natural one or are there more sinister things afoot. Plus a gambler has moved into the inn the troupe calls home and is proceeding to relieve some of the actors of their hard earned money. Then, as if these problems are not enough the troupe's theatre costumes go missing from a locked cabinet. Nicholas could well do without all these distractions but of course, as usual, the show must go on.
The author's love for the Elizabethan theatre comes shining through this series of books. Plus his knowledge of the period fills the pages with authenticity and the sights and sounds of the streets and inns of Elizabethan London.
Good but not Great.......2006-11-11
This was an enjoyable read, but wasn't my favorite in the series. It still features the same wonderful characters, but the dialogue between them seemed forced and formulaic -- a little tired. The plot has an interesting twist involving playwright Hoode, but the other story line was pretty lame. Part of a great series, this book had all the basic elements of the earlier stories, but the telling seemed a bit dispassionate -- like an actor who has played the same role one too many times.
Very enjoyable, a wonderful read.......2004-12-28
I'm a latecomer to the series and after reading "The Counterfeit Crank," I will definitely order more of Edward Marston's books. The characters are wonderfully drawn, and the details are excellent. The mystery may not present much of a challenge to the experienced fan, but I think it's more than worthwhile.
We were snowed in over Christmas, and I read this book at the same time as I read Stephen Greenblatt's biography of Shakespeare, "Will in the World." Mr. Marston's portrayal of his theatrical company is exactly the way it was when Shakespeare was an actor and budding playwright. I highly recommend both books!
exciting historical mystery .......2004-07-28
In Elizabethan England the acting troupe of Westfield's Men is having their share of woes. Playwright Edmund Hoode has taken ill and it is up to his protégée Michael Grammaticus to finish the new play the actors are to perform. Michael is so grateful to his mentor for his support that he pays for the doctor and the special food he prescribes. A card player Alexander Marwood entices some of Westfield's Men into a game of cards with him. More times than not he is the winner, but there is no evidence that he is cheating but bookholder Nicholas Bracewell has his suspicions.
Someone steal the take for a play and their best costumes; nobody has a clue who is behind the thefts. Two young beggars who Nicholas befriended end up at Bridewell's workhouse where Dorothea is raped before she is released and her best friend Hywell is killed for his righteous attempt to hunt down the people who run the workhouse. Nicholas is determined to bring those responsible for the boy's death to justice as well as a couple of thieves who thought Westfield's Men were easy pickings.
Readers get a taste what it was like for actors who have the backing of a lord in Elizabethan England. Nicholas Bracewell is more heroic than usual as he tries to right many wrongs by bringing thieves and killers to justice. THE COUNTERFEIT CRANK is an exciting historical mystery and readers will be delighted to become reacquainted with characters they have come to regard as friends as it is always a treat to read about the endearing Westfield's Men.
Harriet Klausner
Average customer rating:
- Way overpriced
- A fabulous book - but go for the 'MORE' version
- Great book
- Making Wooden Mechanical Models
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Making Wooden Mechanical Models: 15 Designs With Visible Wheels, Cranks, Pistons, Cogs, and Cams
Alan Bridgewater , and
Gill Bridgewater
Manufacturer: Popular Woodworking Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1558703810 |
Customer Reviews:
Way overpriced .......2007-08-30
I bought this book based on previous reviews. I had high expectations of it and made the decision to purchase it.
This book is way overpriced for its contents. There are very little woodworking techniques described for these mechanisms. The author expects you have a solid woodworking background to make his projects.
The biggest disappointment is that the plans lack dimensions. Each plan comes with 2 sheets. The first is a very confusing and hard to understand hand sketch describing the movement. The second is also a 2D sketch on a 1"x1" squared sheet. The lack of dimensions makes more work for you since you have to translate the dimensions from the sketch to make a template or any other method you decide to follow to build them. I've purchased woodworking plans before and ALL come with dimensions, this is a first for me. These sketches remind me of sewing patterns my grandmother used to have.
The mechanisms are good looking but not easy at all to make.
I feel disappointed. I do not recommend you pay the high price for this book. If you still feel the need for one, try to buy the cheapest you can around.
A fabulous book - but go for the 'MORE' version.......2007-08-06
I bought both books (the first and the 'More') and I have to admit comparing the models in the first and second, the second book 'Building More Mechanical Wooden Models' has far more interesting and 'tactile' machines to build.
Be wary, there are a few omissions, mistakes and mis-prints; probably enough to feel like you're being steered by a forgetful but friendly master carpenter, but if you are an astute reader and do some careful comparisons you can get past these fairly easily. Good Luck!
Great book.......2002-05-28
This book has a series of interesting projects that can be explored in different ways by teachers and educators. Besides the obvious applications in woodworking practical classes, the projects illustrate in a very simple way concepts and basic ideas in motion and mechanics. These are undoubtedly exciting ways to "tease" students in his discovering of physics and mechanics.
Making Wooden Mechanical Models.......2000-06-26
This book is great. I am looking at it from a teachers point of view. With our highly mechanized world, I find that students sometimes do not understand the priciples behind some of our most simple machines. Examples might be a lever, inclined plane, pully, or gears and cams. This book not only teaches about the make-up of machines, it teaches them a lesson in woodworking craftsmanship. In order for these projects to work superbly, great care and pride must be taken in the making and assembling of each project. When the projects in this book are completed, they can serve as a model for someone to actually hold and use to grasp concepts of the mechanical nature. They are also great conversation pieces. I would highly recommend this book not only for it's projects, but it's easy to read and understand format.
Average customer rating:
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Cranks Light
Nadine Abensur
Manufacturer: Orion mass market paperback
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0752837273 |
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