Customer Reviews:
A Decent Reference Work.......2007-06-21
I bought this because it was the required text book for one of my college classes, and I probably wouldn't have bought it otherwise. That being said, this has excerpts from many famous works from around the world and I liked it enough to keep it instead of selling back at the end of the semester. I wish that some of the works were more complete, some of them are so common that they didn't need to be included at all, and some of the translations of foreign works are questionable, in my opinion. Nitpicking aside, this is a pretty decent reference work for world literature.
Wrong Book.......2005-09-24
I wanted the volume 1 of the Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. I ended up getting the book that put volume one and two together. I got this book because I needed it for English, well it took out about half the stories I need to read for this particular class. It makes it a lot harder to get the stories from other places, when I payed 60 dollars and got a different book then I was expecting. It was a faulty listing
A Real Masterpiece.......2002-05-13
Great reading on those quiet Sunday evenings. The historical perspectives and timelines are the best part; really helps you understand the progression of lieterature as we know it. The Norton series was used often in highschool for me, but I had quite narrow historical perspectives back then; this book has helped change that. The book is quite heavy, hard to lug around and seems to get damaged easily (paperback), but the content is well worth it. I think they should have removed the Odyssey and included the Illiad. I would also recommend Glimpes of World History by J. Nehru. Though it can be at times tedious, it is good accompaniment to this Norton anthology.
A Real Masterpiece.......2002-05-13
Great reading on those quiet Sunday evenings. The historical perspectives and timelines are the best part; really helps you understand the progression of literature as we know it. The Norton series (western literature) was used often in highschool for me, but I had quite narrow historical perspectives back then; this book has helped change that. I would also recommend Glimpes of World History by J. Nehru. Though it can be at times tedious, it is good accompaniment to this Norton anthology.
World Literarture!.......2000-06-06
This book is very fascinating to read if you're insterested in early Greek and Roman culture. The many stories and translations make the reading easy and fun. I would recommend this book to anyone!
Book Description
The most influential, enduring, and iconic metal band of the 1980's reveals everything a tell–all of epic proportions.
This unbelievable autobiography explores the rebellious lives of four of the most influential icons in American rock history.
Motley Crue was the voice of a barely pubescent Generation X, the anointed high priests of backward–masking pentagram rock, pioneers of Hollywood glam, and the creators of MTV's first ⯯wer ballad.⟔heir sex lives claimed celebrities from Heather Locklear to Pamela Anderson to Donna D
ᄲ
rico. Their scuffles involved everyone from Axl Rose to 2LiveCrew. Their hobbies have included collecting automatic weapons, cultivating long arrest records, pushing the envelope of conceivable drug abuse, and dreaming up backstage antics that would make Ozzy Osbourne blanch with modesty.
Provocatively written and brilliantly designed, this book includes over 100 photos, many never before published, for the most exciting and insightful look ever into the Crue.
Customer Reviews:
The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band.......2007-10-13
I am not into any music really. My favorite reading is autobiographies. I am older than any of the authors of this book. My daughter was cleaning her house and lent me this book to read. I thought "oh sure, what do I want to read this for" but I took it anyway. That was less than a week ago. Once I opened it I hated to put the book down. I finished it last night and now wonder if there will ever be The Dirt II.
One of the best books I've read lately..........2007-10-11
If you are a Motley Crue fan or just a rock n roll fan in general, this book is a definite read for you. I read it in 2 days, I just couldn't put it down it was that good. I thought the most interesting person in the book was Nikki Sixx (wow, the things he went through in his life will amaze you that he IS still alive). Read the book, I don't think you will be disappointed. Great read!!
A great read.......2007-10-09
I just finished reading the book The Dirt, a semi-autobiography of the 80's band Motley Crue. It's a great read that is pretty mesmorizing. All four band members write about their childhood, the crazy period where they become the most famous band in America and then the post-fame period where they turn to drugs and amazingly hot chicks.
The middle section of the book is how the Crue got from a great live act to becoming a hit. They were constantly selling out shows on the LA Strip but none of the record labels wanted to sign them to a record deal. This was the early 80's and the entire industry thought that New Wave was the thing to be and Rock was dead. A 20-year old intern at Electra convinced the head of A&R to let him sign them. They then rel-released their first album and went on the next year to sell 5 million records. Even with that success, the label wanted to drop them because they didn't like their image. After the next year when they were the top selling artist of the year did Electra decide to stick with them.
Throughout the book Nikki Sixx emerges as the only one who understood what the band's direction was. He wrote most of the songs and consciously decided they should be a crossover from hard rock to mainstream. He also seems to be the glue that held the band together. He also was dating Lita Ford for most of their early days but eventually broke up when they went on tour for 18 months. They toured with Ozzy, who was even crazier than they were. He eventually married Baywatch star Donna D'Errico.
You also read how much drugs they took in both their early days. They were constantly doing coke, heroin, and anything else they could get their hands on. As a result they destroyed almost everything in the path and they hooked up with anything that moved. Both Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee overdosed and almost died, Vince Neil got into 3 drunk driving accidents, and Mick is a full-blown alcoholic even today.
You also read about Tommy Lee's marraige to Heather Locklear and Pamela Anderson (who he dated for only 4 days before they were married). Also about Vince's solo band and all the tragedies they've encountered along the way.
The beginning is pure rock and roll and the end is just sad. You would never think that their lives would be so hard but they all really struggle just to make it day to day. I guess a bunch of ego and booze and drugs will do that to you.
Note: i just saw here they're making a movie from the book with Val Kilmer and Christopher Walker rumored to play Ozzy and David Lee Roth.
Best book I've ever read!!!.......2007-09-30
Art is a piece of work that moves you & this book did. I laughed, I was disgusted, I even cried. This is twenty years of a band strugling though fights, overdoses, suicide attempts, mariages, deaths, prison (it's all here!). I love how the story is told by different people so you can hearing everybody's version of what happened (crazy how everybody remebers things differently). You get to hear what happened behind closed doors & what wasn't in the tabloids. It truly was an awesome read - very hard to put down!
Great book.......2007-09-18
From page one your are on a journey, as told by each memeber of the band, from the worst part of L.A. and Motley Crue's beginnings, to their rise to super stardom in the world of rock and roll. I was never much of a Crue fan when they were in their prime, but as I got older, I started to like their music and enjoyed reading about their beginning and the typical crazy road that most rock stars take.
Average customer rating:
- Calculations are only as good as your numbers
- Pants on fire?
- Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
- Very Interesting
- History as Science Fiction
|
History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
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Similar Items:
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History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)
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ASIN: 2913621058 |
Book Description
Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.
Customer Reviews:
Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03
Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.
Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19
Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09
There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.
For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.
Very Interesting.......2007-03-07
It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.
History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10
Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.
I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.
Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.
Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.
I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.
This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.
Book Description
Over three decades and more than 150 million albums, AC/DC has established itself as much more than just a great rock band. For millions of fans spanning several generations across the world, they are an ear-bleedingly loud, sweat-soaked religion, courtesy of such classic albums as Highway to Hell and Back in Black.
Now, in a book of astonishing breadth and scope, comes, for the very first time, the complete story of AC/DC. Everything you ever wanted to know and plenty more you never dreamt of is all here, the ultimate balls-out adventure, laced with sex, drunken escapades and brawls. It's a journey that started in the suburban Sydney, Australia, bedrooms of brothers Malcolm and Angus Young, boys who could wreak havoc with their guitars. Over their power chords were the lyrics and voice of Bon Scott, who would lead them higher and higher—until his tragic death in 1980. The bittersweet irony after his death was that not only did the Youngs manage to hold together without him, but the band's fortunes and status skyrocketed with his replacement, Brian Johnson, and the album Back in Black.
Five long years in the making, AC/DC: Maximum Rock & Roll is sourced from more than 1,300 interviews the band has given over the past thirty years combined with in excess of 75 of the authors' own interviews with those who worked with AC/DC both in the studio and on the road—many of whom have never spoken about the band publicly. It's topped off with stunning, never-before-seen photos to create the ultimate portrait of the ultimate rock band.
Customer Reviews:
Shoot to Thrill!.......2007-07-06
A great look into the AC/DC story. Learned quite a bit about the band and this well written and compelling without suffering the usual rock bio cliches.
Rockingest band ever.......2007-06-05
Interesting book about the band. Found references to early shows and bands and looked them up on YouTube.
Show business.......2007-05-15
It's a good book but not a GREAT one. I'm missing more detailed info about the recording sessions, making of the LPs etc. I'm sure a lot of research has gone into making the book but somehow it's lacking in depth and structure. Sorry to say but I was expecting a little bit more effort, as the book was so much hyped.
However, this book is a must for any big AC/DC fan (like myself)and I recommend it.
P.S. If you are a Who fan read "Dear boy, life of Keith Moon". That is absolutely the best rock'n'roll book I have ever read.
Bored to Tears.......2007-03-26
For decades now I've been a huge AC/DC fan and eagerly bought this book to validate many of the myths surrounding them. It was definitely full of facts but very repetetive. . ."Despite the bands small stature they were very street tough." Seems to be on every page of the book. From paragraph to paragraph the subject changes making it a hard-to-follow read. There's no story line, and I found myself bored to death. The author could have learned a few things from the writers of "The Dirt".
By Far The Best Book Available On AC/DC.......2007-03-22
Without the shadow of a doubt this is the best book available on AC/DC. From the members pre AC/DC early years, through to the bands Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame induction and beyond, it's all here.
Whether you're a die hard fan, or just have a passing interest in the group, this book has been painfully researched by Murray Engleheart & Arnaud Durieux to provide an accurate account of the bands formation, devolpment, determination and eventual success.
The highs & lows are all covered, from the bands early success, to Bon Scott's tragic death, to the triumph that was "Back In Black". Find out what made this band tick.
Customer Reviews:
World of the Trapp Family.......2007-05-08
This is one book I will keep in my private library. Very good book with all the pictures. My mother has enjoying looking at it also.
Very Nice book.......2007-03-08
I really enjoyed the beautiful pictures. I first read "The Trapp Family Singers" by Maria which was great but I wanted pictures and more info and this book was greatly enjoyed.I really liked it.
The real Sound of Music.......2006-02-05
I had the opportuntiy to buy this book last fall when I saw the grandchildren of Maria Von Trapp in concert at the Dollywood theme park. Having read the account by Maria in her book "The story of the Trapp Family Singers" as a child I was fully aware that the movie and the real story were not identical, however the liberties of the movie version aside this book is a delight for anyone who loves the story and music of the Von Trapps. It gives you a first hand insight to what the family went through from the Natzi's to the building of their inn in Vermont to the rebuilding of it after it was destory by fire. The photography is superb and the history of this family is one I have enjoyed for years and will for years to come. I can hardly wait til next Christmas to add the Von Trapp Children CD to my holiday music enjoyment.
This book is great...........2003-06-06
....because I find so many information about the Trapp Familiy which I don't know. I saw the two german movies from 1956 und 1958 and the american from 1965, and I like all this films.
The pictures make it easy to read.
But there is something, that I don't like. Martina, who died in 1951. Maria Augusta wrote only one and a half sentences about her stepdaughter. Why had she done that ?
Good, that I've read "Yesterday, Today and Forever", so I know the tragedy of Martina's death.
...
Great book.......2000-08-16
This book is a really great behind-the-scenes type book about the real Von Trapp family. Fans of the movie may not like it as much, because there isn't very much stuff written about the making of the SOM. However, it really gives you a very clear picture of the way the story reall was without detracting from the magic of the movie.
Average customer rating:
- Beautifully Haunting ...
- A different Holocaust story
- A son's voyage of discovery of his parents' nightmarish past
- A Very Moving Book
- Wow
|
The Inextinguishable Symphony: A True Story of Music and Love in Nazi Germany
Martin Goldsmith
Manufacturer: Wiley
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0471350974 |
Amazon.com
Writing this book must have required enormous courage; reading it is overwhelming, especially for anyone personally connected to the events it describes. Martin Goldsmith, best known as the host of NPR's Performance Today, is the American-born son of two German-Jewish musicians who escaped the Holocaust. He anchors the Holocaust to the story of his own family, whom he never knew because most of them perished in Hitler's death camps. Goldsmith accompanies them through their lives in Nazi Germany, with its ever-tightening persecution and repression of the Jews, and on their nightmarish journey to the gas chambers. He follows his parents through their early musical training, their blossoming love, courtship, and marriage--making them seem like a normal, happy young couple--to their miraculous rescue and escape to America.
The book's linchpin is the Jewish Culture Association ("Jüdische Kulturbund"), in whose Berlin orchestra his parents met. Established by prominent Jewish leaders in 1933, after a "purge" of all Jewish Civil Servants, the Kulturbund flourished for eight years, with the permission and under the constant, increasingly repressive surveillance of the Nazis, who exploited it as a propaganda tool. Spreading from Berlin to other cities, its musical and theatrical presentations, lectures, and films offered employment to thousands of Jewish artists and the only cultural oasis to its Jewish audiences. In 1941, Germany's preoccupation with the war and the "Final Solution" rendered it superfluous, and it was dissolved.
But Goldsmith also furnishes the proper historical context for his uniquely individual, human account of the 20th century's most inhuman period. After a chillingly detailed description of the grass-roots rise of Nazism, he focuses on particularly horrifying events: the infamous 1935 Nuremberg Laws and the devastating 1938 pogrom, "Kristallnacht." The tragedy of the 937 refugees, including Goldsmith's grandfather and uncle, who were refused disembarkation first in Cuba, then in Miami, illustrates the world's customary indifference to "other" people's misfortunes. Nobody paid attention when, as early as 1922, Hitler declared that his first priority on coming to power would be the extermination of the Jews.
Goldsmith's factual, reportorial style increases the sickening horror, and he reminds us frequently that he is writing about his own family. Though his story's outcome is never in doubt, he generates real suspense--a measure of his skill, despite his unfortunate habit of hinting at the future. The Kulturbund has been accused of encouraging the Jews to ignore the desperate circumstances outside the theater, and therefore the imminence of their danger. Goldsmith refutes this. For most of them, emigration was impossible because, apart from the natural fear of pulling up roots, leaving everything behind, and starting a new life, they had nowhere to go. Moreover, how could anyone foresee the depth of the impending horror? It was, and still is, beyond the human imagination.
Goldsmith writes with insight and aching honesty about the survivors' guilt and its numbing effect even upon the next generation. But his parents also taught him to love music and appreciate its meaning in people's lives, and he talks about it with real knowledge and understanding. (However, someone should have corrected his opening reference to Siegmund's sword in Die Walküre, which is made of steel, not gold.) This is a brilliantly written, important, unforgettable book. --Edith Eisler
Book Description
Advance Praise for the Inextinguishable Symphony "A Fascinating Insight into a Virtually Unknown Chapter of Nazi Rule in Germany, Made all the More Engaging through a Son's Discovery of His Own Remarkable Parents." -Ted Koppel, ABC News "An Immensely Moving and Powerful Description of those Evil Times. I couldn't Put the Book Down." -James Galway "Martin Goldsmith has Written a Moving and Personal Account of a Search for Identity. His is a Story that will Touch All Readers with Its Integrity. This is not about Exorcising Ghosts, but Rather Awakening Passions that no One Ever Knew Existed. This is a Journey Everyone should Take." -Leonard Slatkin, Music Director National Symphony Orchestra "For Years I've been Familiar with Martin Goldsmith's Musical Expertise. This Book Explains the Source of His Knowledge and His Passion for the Subject. In Tracking the Extraordinary Story of His Parents and the Jewish Kulturbund, Martin Unfolds a Little-Known Piece of Holocaust History, and Finds Depths in His Own Heart that Warm the Hearts of Readers." -Susan Stamberg, Special Correspondent National Public Radio "[A] Strong and Painful Book, Well-Written, Well-Researched, Moving, and Very Instructive." -Ned Rorem, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Composer
Customer Reviews:
Beautifully Haunting ... .......2007-09-28
My bookclub is entering into its Holocaust Month. Someone recommended this book to me last year and I thought, it sounded interesting enough to read. Interesting just barely describes this book. Haunting is more the word that I think of when I finished this book. Incredibly lucky are two more words.
There are so many books out there about the Holocaust that it can be confusing sometimes to read what. This book definitely should be read simply because it's beautifully moving, tragically sad and not only that, it provides a different viewpoint of what happened during the early years of Nazihood in Germany and before the "Final Solution" was proposed to exterminate the Jews. This happened and I don't recall hearing much about any of this till I read this book. Before Hitler and Goring proposed the death camps and just while trying to get rid of Germany of the non-Aryan blood, they came up with a solution that provides entertainment and music/art/theater productions just for the Jews. This is a place for the Jews to retreat to. They were only allowed to play Jewish pieces written by Jewish artists/musicans. And they were left alone in the 30s and early 40s. Well, not quite completely left alone as they still had to follow the Nazi rules. But it was a place of refuge for the Jews, especially in Berlin.
This book, while devoting a huge portion to the Kulturbund and its orgins, the author writes of his personal family history. His mother and father were musicans in the Kulturbund. And they suffered horrible tragedies as the war progressed over the years. However, they were young, in love and naive like a lot of people were. They did manage to escape Germany but they also managed to leave behind family members which have haunted them and their children even to this day. It is very intense reading at times and with hindsight on the reader's part, it is very hard to fathom their optimism that things will work out ok in the end. Not only that, this book brings up the question of whether or not the Kulturbund was good for the Jews or kept them compliant enough to keep them in Germany instead of escaping to other countries, so the Nazis could gas them too. This book is haunting and disturbing. The questions that the author may have unknowingly stirred are now raised in my mind ... and the answers are not easy to figure out.
This is not your typical Holocaust book nor is it like the other books about the camps ~~ this book simply tells a tale of two musicans who were unfortunate to be caught up in the times that stirred Germany (and the world) ~~ but yet, their love of music has sustained them through the years before they left Germany. Are they heros? Not in the sense that we associate it with. They are more like survivors and like all survivors, they carry a burden of guilt that resounded through the years. But it is a book that honors the memory of those who were left behind in a time of turmoil that even today, still vibrates through the years.
9-28-07
A different Holocaust story.......2005-10-26
MG's story of his family during the early Nazi era is an unusual glimpse into the lives of German Jews during the period from 1933-1941. He writes about the Kulturbund, an organization created by the Nazis to (1) rid Germany of Jewish influence in the arts and (2) provide propaganda coverage of the maltreatment of Jews by the Third Reich.
In my opinion the book is generally well written and seems to be the result of careful research. My one complaint is that MG frequently quotes conversations which I doubt have been recorded in any way. I don't like that in historical writing, but in this case I was willing to overlook it, because of my interest in the story.
A son's voyage of discovery of his parents' nightmarish past.......2004-01-06
What do we really know about our parents' life before we were born? That depends largely, I guess, on how much of an interest we show - and on how much they are willing to reveal. Because in the life of every person there are instances and times they rather wish to forget, and not revive time and again by discussion, even if only among their nearest and dearest.
Such, in the lives of author Martin Goldsmith's parents, were the years from 1933 through 1941; so much so, in fact, that Goldsmith likens that time to the massive ash tree in the house of Germanic warlord Hunding, the setting of the first scene of Richard Wagner's opera "Die Walkuere:" Something looming large, yet never openly acknowledged. Because before George Gunther Goldsmith, furniture and home decorating salesman of Cleveland, Ohio, and his wife Rosemary, a violinist with the St. Louis Symphony and the Cleveland Orchestra, became American citizens in 1947, they had lived a whole other life - the hunted life of Jews in Adolf Hitler's Germany. And only years after his mother's death, on a trip to his father's home town of Oldenburg, did Goldsmith catch the first glimpses of what was hidden behind that massive ash tree, and George Goldsmith began to talk about the events which his, the Goldschmidt family had witnessed there; as well as the early life of Rosemarie nee Gumpert in Duesseldorf, the couple's first meeting in Frankfurt, and their later life in Berlin until their lucky escape to the United States. Beginning with this visit, Martin Goldsmith retraced his family's path to the early years of the 20th century, when his paternal grandfather Alex Goldschmidt took residence in Oldenburg, and his maternal grandfather Julian Gumpert settled in Duesseldorf.
How intensely personal this voyage into the past must have been becomes clear in the account of Goldsmith's visit to Oldenburg prison, as a participant in a march retracing the path taken by the Jews - among them the author's grandfather - driven through the streets of Oldenburg in 1938 by Nazi thugs, to later be shipped off (at least temporarily) to Sachsenhausen concentration camp. But although he writes about his very own family, and now in full knowledge of their fate, Goldsmith's narrative is in no way sentimental. With a journalist's detachment he talks about Guenther and Rosemarie, Alex, Julian and their wives and other children; turning a nonfiction account whose outcome is clear from the very start into a heartstopping tale few would be able to believe if presented with it under colors other than that of the plain historic truth.
Prominently featured in Goldsmith's account is the Jewish Culture Association, or Juedischer Kulturbund; as of 1933 the German Jews' only permitted artistic organization, in whose orchestra Guenther and Rosemarie had met and which had formed the center of their life until they finally left the country. One of the most controversial institutions of Nazi Germany, it reunited what was left of the country's Jewish musicians, artists, writers and composers - providing a modicum of shelter in an increasingly hostile environment, but also a convenient tool in the Nazi propaganda machine. Were the members of the Kulturbund instrumentalized to deceive public opinion, at home and abroad, about the true intentions of Hitler's government? By giving their Jewish audience a sense of comfort and "belonging," did they also prevent some of them from rescuing themselves when there still would have been time? The surviving members of the "Kubu" and their families, interviewed by Goldsmith, come down on both sides of the issue; and the fate of the survivors is probably as symptomatic as that of the many who ultimately did perish in Nazi concentration camps - chiefly among those the Kulturbund's charismatic founder Dr. Singer, who not only let himself deceive into returning to Germany after already having reached the safe shores of the U.S. but saw a mark of distinction even in his deportation to the "model" concentration camp of Theresienstadt.
Yet, for Guenther and Rosemarie the years with the Kulturbund were dominated, above all, by the musical companionship they experienced. What does seem to have haunted them most for the rest of their lives, however, was their very escape to America, while their remaining family members were stuck in Europe and, one way or another, died in Hitler's concentration camps - and the feeling that with a little effort they just *might* have saved at least some of them. The letters of Alex Goldschmidt and his younger son Helmut, written to Guenther from captivity in France after their own unsuccessful attempt to flee to Cuba, are among the most chilling testimonials contained in this book; and the decision to translate and include them conceivably cannot have been an easy one for Goldsmith. Indeed, it apparently was the knowledge of his family's fate that, all talent and love of music aside, eventually compelled George Goldsmith to forever retire the flute which, in his life as Guenther Goldschmidt, had been the only item of true importance besides his beloved wife Rosemarie; thus punishing himself in a way no outsider could have done. Yet, the couple's gift for music lives on in their son, who in his own way has brought many hours of joy to radio listeners all over the U.S.
Martin Goldsmith's "Inextinguishable Symphony" - named for Danish composer Carl Nielsen's Fourth Symphony, which sets music, as a parable for life itself, against war, terror and destruction - is as much a personal journey of discovery as a journalist's account of historic facts; seeking to understand rather than to judge. It deals with a time in which morality was thoroughly upset by a profoundly immoral regime, which cannot possibly have remained without effect on anybody who witnessed those events. In applying our own values to those facts, I think we would all do well in being careful to, likewise, make a thorough effort to understand before we judge. Goldsmith's insightful account is a great place to begin such a process.
A Very Moving Book.......2003-09-01
This story was impossible to put down and when you finish, it stays with you for a very long time. Its hard to believe that Gunther and Rosemary didn't make every effort to help their parents emigrate to U. S. What really bothers me most is, not being Jewish, what would I have done in Germany in the late thirties and early forties when I saw these atrocities happening?
Wow.......2003-06-09
I listened to Martin Goldsmith on "Performance Today" (and still listen to his successor, Fred Child) for many years. This man who for years described classical music on the radio -- composers and their life story, pieces and their histories, in accessible, engaging, and lightly humorous ways, and even sometimes tied it in to his love of baseball -- he also has an extraordinary family story. It's moving and well-written, and makes me think about the extraordinary stories that must dwell in the depths of my own geneological past.
Book Description
Created by American Idol’s Simon Cowell, the classical supergroup Il Divo burst out of nowhere to conquer the music world. With its lush orchestral arrangements and romantic sweep, the group’s debut CD enchanted listeners everywhere—to the tune of four million copies sold. But where did these four hugely talented and incredibly photogenic young men come from? And how did this multilingual “popera” group end up becoming one of the biggest sensations of our time? Music journalist Allegra Rossi celebrates her idols with an in-depth biography that’s sure to please the band’s legions of fans. Filled with never-before-seen photos, it provides a complete chronicle of the lives and work of singers David Miller, Sébastien Izambard, Urs Buhler, and Carlos Marin: the truly divine quartet.
Customer Reviews:
Informative.......2007-07-24
I enjoyed it very much as it makes you feel as if you know them.
Romancing the world.......2007-07-23
As a new devotee to Il Divo I was anxious to know more about the lads. It did answer the question that I had been looking for in numerous websites. How tall the boys were, as seeing them on stage in concert is deceptive. It covered the formation of the band, interviews they had given along the way and highlights of their careers before Il Divo. As the book was written in 2005 there is a gap until now, mid 2007. The photos were great. There are even some of the guys out of their wonderful suits. By this I mean in casual clothes. I would have liked to to have known more "intimate" (as Carlos would put it) details e.g. expand on their likes and personal goals to truly capture (for this reader) the essence of Il Divo romancing the world!
Ramancing the world.......2007-07-22
I got this book one afternoon after work and spent the next few hours reading from start to finish. This is a keeper for all those die hard Il Divo fans out there. Great photos of the boys before Il Divo and shock upon shock even some information I did not know. Lovely presentation. Would make a great gift for a newbie.
Everything You Wanted To Know About IL Divo.......2007-05-09
WOW! what a book. It tells how the group was formed and the fantastic concerts they have performed around the world.
This is a must! Everyone should buy this book!
Congratulations to the authors.
superbly interesting.......2007-05-07
I'm an avid IL DIVO fan. I love their style. I love their kind of music. They are superbly fabulous. They are the perfect concoction of musicians. I'd like to congratulate Mr. Simon cowell, to his superb ideas in forming this kind of group of musicians. To me, IL DIVO is number one, they are the best of the best. Anything that pertains IL DIVO, always catches my attention and interest. Reading their biography, is knowing more each one of them. I'm hoping, that in the future, Amazon.com will be selling more items regarding Il Divo.
Book Description
Two Frenchmen, an idea, and a blank piece of paper. That's how it started. Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg are the creators of the multi-award-winning and much-loved musicals Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, Martin Guerre and now an exciting new work The Pirate Queen. Les Miserables alone has been seen by over 53 million people.
The Musical World of Boublil and Schonberg is the first book to offer a comprehensive look behind the closed doors of these intensely private musical theatre giants. Boublil and Schonberg take center stage and talk openly about their methods and the creative processes involved in writing the book, the music, and the lyrics. Additional interviews from collaborators such as their co-writers Herbert Kretzmer, Richard Maltby, Stephen Clark, and John Dempsey; their directors Trevor Nunn, John Caird, Nicholas Hytner, Conall Morrison, and Frank Galati; the choreographer of The Pirate Queen, Mark Dendy; and their long-time producer Cameron Mackintosh gives the reader a full view into their successful process.
Full-color production photographs tell the story of each musical.
Customer Reviews:
Very insightful.......2007-04-11
This book is a wonderfully insightful book to some of my favorite musicals! I really enjoyed the background information as to how some of the musicals came to be, the processes that were followed...everything! I highly recommend this book!
Book Description
ECPA Gold Medallion Award winner!
Opening in 1936, the Zion Covenant series tells the courageous and compelling stories of those who risk everything to stand against the growing tide of Nazi terrorism that is sweeping through central Europe under the dangerous and deceitful guise of Hitler's Third Reich. A new study guide is included in each book.
Customer Reviews:
Well researched and well written.......2007-08-20
Elisa Lindheim is young, beautiful, and gifted. The oldest child of retired Luftwaffe officer Theo Lindheim has grown up in Berlin, enjoying the privileges of her father's heroic World War I reputation and of his financial success as owner of Lindheim's Department Store. The shadows cast by Hitler's rise to power are darkening her life, though, in 1936. Estranged from her lifelong love and former fiance who's chosen to give her up on orders from his military superiors, Elisa lives in her Gentile mother's native Vienna and calls herself Elisa Linder. She plays in the opera house's first violin section, and - like so many other Jewish or part-Jewish Germans and Austrians - refuses to believe that things will continue to get worse. Any day now, the German military will have had enough of the mad paper hanger; and after that, life will be normal again.
Of course that's not what happens during the year that follows. As Theo Lindheim moves to get his family to safety, but fails to get himself out of Germany successfully, history in the making catches up with Elisa and forces her to make choices she never imagined anyone might have to face.
This is that rare book, a "faith based" novel that's worth any reader's attention. Well researched and well written, VIENNA PRELUDE moves along at a steady clip and then races to a suitably tense climax. The authors understand what far too many writers (especially of faith based fiction) don't "get" at all: that characters' actions must flow from who they are, not from what the book's chosen theme requires them to do. While the coincidences that keep parting and reuniting Elisa and American journalist John Murphy become strained from overuse, somewhere in the tale's second half, and a few of the characters' lines of dialog sound more like a sermon than an individual's words in conversation, the overall effect is just what it should be. The reader quickly becomes invested in knowing what will happen to Elisa and the others, and the triumph of their faith is all the more real because of the struggles that living it costs them. I expect to read more in this series, and that's the best compliment one can pay to any author.
Moving, Thought Provoking.......2007-06-07
A beautiful story, wonderfully written and a pleasure to read. You won't be able to put it down!
Bodie Thoene is awesome.......2007-02-10
Bodie is an excellent writer. She makes the past come alive; she makes history have heart and soul, she gives facts and events faces, names and personalities. She has the ability to transport me in time and I love traveling with her.
Amazing!.......2005-09-21
I just purchased this series because after 10 years, 3 more books have been added to the series. So I just read Vienna Prelude again for probably the 4th time. It is as great as it was the 1st time. The story is beautiful, you fall in love with the characters. You really have to read the Zion Chronicles and the Zion Legacy which continues the saga!
What a great book!!.......2005-08-02
What a great author!! I couldn't put this book down and then read all the other ones in the series. It really brings the realities of pre-WWII to life. The characters are extremely well-developed and you can't wait for the next book so you can see what they're up to. Don't miss reading this great book and great series.
Amazon.com
A well-publicized 1994 Sotheby's auction listed, among other musical artifacts and ephemera on the block, a lock of Beethoven's hair. The high-bidders of the hair, two Beethoven enthusiasts, were easy enough to identify by their oddball names: one was a doctor named Che Guevara, the other a retired real estate developer named Ira Brilliant. But the real story, as author Russell Martin attempts to explain in this book, is how did the lock end up on the auction block? More important, can we learn anything from a 175-year-old snippet of hair? Somehow, author Russell Martin attempts to weave biographical information about Beethoven's life with scientific findings about his hair (the two buyers had the lock DNA-tested), as well as trace the path the hair took, from the great composer's head right into the present.
It's a tall order and one at which Martin partially succeeds. His facts about Beethoven and Ferdinand Hiller (the original keeper of the lock) are solid, but he hypothesizes at length about how the hair ended up in a small port town in Denmark during the Nazi occupation. Likewise, he spends nearly the entire second half of the book describing the lives of Guevara and Brilliant, occasionally sounding more like a press agent than a journalist. Subtitled "An Extraordinary Historical Odyssey and a Musical Mystery Solved," Beethoven's Hair doesn't truly solve any musical mysteries, but it is a fascinating, original read for Beethoven-philes who want to learn a little bit more about their favorite composer. --Jason Verlinde
Book Description
Ludwig van Beethoven lay dying in 1827, a young musician named Ferdinand Hiller came to pay his respects to the great composer. In those days, it was customary to snip a lock of hair as a keepsake, and this Hiller did a day after Beethoven's death. By the time he was buried, Beethoven's head had been nearly shorn by the many people who similarly had wanted a lasting memento of the great man. Such was his powerful effect on all those who had heard his music.
For a century, the lock of hair was a treasured Hiller family relic, and perhaps was destined to end up sequestered in a bank vault, until it somehow found its way to the town of Gilleleje, in Nazi-occupied Denmark, during the darkest days of the Second World War. There, it was given to a local doctor, Kay Fremming, who was deeply involved in the effort to help save hundreds of hunted and frightened Jews. Who gave him the hair, and why? And what was the fate of those refugees, holed up in the attic of Gilleleje's church?
After Fremming's death, his daughter assumed ownership of the lock, and eventually consigned it for sale at Sotheby's, where two American Beethoven enthusiasts, Ira Brilliant and Che Guevara, purchased it in 1994. Subsequently, they and others instituted a series of complex forensic tests in the hope of finding the probable causes of the composer's chronically bad health, his deafness, and the final demise that Ferdinand Hiller had witnessed all those years ago. The results, revealed for the first time here, are startling, and are the most compelling explanation yet offered for why one of the foremost musicians the world has ever known was forced to spend much of his life in silence.
In Beethoven's Hair, Russell Martin has created a rich historical treasure hunt, an Indiana Jones-like tale of false leads, amazing breakthroughs, and incredible revelations. This unique and fascinating book is a moving testament to the power of music, the lure of relics, the heroism of the Resistance movement, and the brilliance of molecular science.
An astonishing tale of one lock of hair and its amazing travels--from nineteenth-century Vienna to twenty-first-century America.
Download Description
An adventure story starring a lock of Beethoven's hair, this irresistible true tale mixes history, music and science into a compelling narrative. Beginning in 1827, when 582 strands of the great composer's hair were cut from his scalp, the author traces the history of the lock right up to the present day.
Customer Reviews:
A Biography of hair........2007-10-13
If you are looking for a biography of Beethoven this is not the book; however, if you are interested in the biography of his lock of hair, then you've hit pay dirt. How a lock of Beethoven's hair traveled from his head in 1827, at the time of his death, to Germany, Denmark, the United Stated, and Mexico is fascinating.
The portion of the book that delves into WWII, the Danish attempts to assist fleeing Jews, and how Beethoven's hair became involved is truly remarkable. It is also a piece of positive humanity I think Beethoven would have rejoiced. It is a portion of history few people are aware of, and I am saddened to learn I didn't know about it when I lived south of Gilleleje, Denmark. Being a Beethoven fanatic, and half Danish, makes the desire to return to Denmark to explore Beethoven's hair's path grow strong.
Learning more about how Ira Brilliant began his fabulous Center for Beethoven Studies was also a treat. As with my regret at not being able to speak directly to Beethoven, I regret that I can not speak or meet Mr. Brilliant. However, both men have left humanity with wonderful testaments to musical art, and will be greatly remembered and revered by Beethovenites.
Wonderful Book.......2007-05-25
Purchased the book for my daughter, who is a music student. Loved the book, it is more interesting and accessible than expected.
The Real Story about Beethoven and his deafness.......2007-01-10
This book was fascinating from the start. A mixture of World War II intrigue and Classical Music history. The book was well written and kept me involved to the end. I have used what I learned from it to help with my teaching in Music Connections in Middle School.
Good Content, With One Stylistic Problem.......2006-10-25
Let me say first - and I say it with enthusiasm - that I enjoyed the content and - unlike some - the layout of the book. However, there was one - and only one as far as I can figure - drawback to the book. It seemed at times like it happened on almost every page - this drawback - that Martin used extremely long hypenated sentences - like these, which, after a while could cause you to lose track of what the sentence started out to say - that caused me to have to read them three times to make sense of them. Okay, the point is made. That problem aside, I found the content of the book very riveting and exciting. I thought it was a nice creative touch to alternate between the history of Beethoven's lock of hair and the modern-day events surrounding its acquisition and scientific evaluation. The book even suggests a possible cause of Beethoven's deafness based on the study. I recommend the book. And now that it is in paperback, the price is right, too.
A thrilling biography of a clump of hair..........2006-08-11
A lock of hair, not a famous composer, plays the lead role in this forensic thriller. The story of how this lock found its way from Beethoven's head to the city of Cologne, to the port city of Gilleleje, to Sotheby's in New York City, and finally to the Beethoven Center in California makes for a breathtaking and page turning tale. And, along the way, a very likely explanation for the ravaging illnesses that plagued Beethoven throughout his life emerges. Not only that, it even played a part in saving Jews from Nazi terror. Quite an accomplishment for a clump of hair.
This book demonstrates the facility with which science and history can synergize. A simple wooden and glass locket states in antiquated writing that the hair within came from Ludwig Van Beethoven. But did it? As the item was passed for over a century through numerous hands in Germany, many may have harbored suspicions of its authenticity. After all, how does one prove that the hairs once sprouted from one of western civilization's key figures? And the stories of numerous fradulent relics, notably those of Saints, rings loud in european history. But modern science can unravel such questions, and, as the purchasers of the hair realized, many other surprising things.
In 1827, the hair in question did make its way from the scalp of Beethoven into the hands of young Ferdinand Hiller, who then made quite a name for himself in Cologne. Amongst his friends he could count Felix Mendlessohn, Franz Liszt, and Frederick Chopin. And throughout his fascinating life he met other luminaries such as Richard Wagner, Johannes Brahms, Hector Berlioz, and Goethe. He garnered a reputation as a composer and music critic, and achieved renown in his day. But his fame eventually faded, and he passed the locket on to his son, Paul, as a treasured family heirloom. The locket received some restoration work in 1911, and remained in the care of the Hiller family until the precarious era of Nazi Germany split apart families and cities. Somehow it ended up in the small city of Gilleleje in northern Denmark. The book explores various theories as to its arrival there. At the time the city was heroically transporting Jews to Sweden to keep them from the maw of the Nazis. A modest physician named Kay Fremming received the locket from one of the Jews hidden in the town church the very night the Gestapo stormed it and hauled away a hundred or so refugees. Fremming kept the locket in his office drawer for two decades. The Fremming's adopted daughter (she literally sat on their step one day and claimed them as her family when they arrived home) was shown the locket by Kay's wife, Marta. As time passed and Kay and his wife passed away, the locket came into the daughter's hands. Rough times later descended, and she decided to put the locket up for sale. Sotheby's showed an interest, and the some two hundred year old item appeared in the 1994 catalog. Ravenous Beethoven fans on the American continent bid on the piece, won it, and trasported it to the Beethoven Center in San Jose, California (where it remains). They had the idea to have some of the hair analyzed to help determine the cause of Beethoven's death, a wish that Beethoven had explicitly expressed in his letters. The analysis revealed the now old news that Beethoven had significant levels of lead in his body, and that lead poisoning likely hastened his death. That theory remains the accepted explanation. Then, to put the final piece in order, bone analysis linked the hair to Beethoven almost indubitably.
Weaving throughout the story of the locket is a cursory biography of Beethoven himself. Those familiar with his life will likely learn nothing new from these interposed sections. Regardless, they help elucidate Beethoven's health issues, and help point the book towards its ultimate goal. But the travails of the snipped hair remain the focus of the book.
A summary of the twisted plot leaves out the rich nuances and details that provide the book's real fascination. Not to mention the numerous people that came together to help solve the puzzle. This story has a curious parallel in the fictional movie "The Red Violin", in that the life of an object through phases of the human world receives elucidation. Fans of that movie will likely appreciate the intentions at work in "Beethoven's Hair". Perhaps the most astonishing fact is that a simple hair cutting led, two hundred years later, to the unveiling of a historical quandry. Which goes to show that very small human actions can lead inexorably to momentous consequences.
Books:
- The Rockabilly Legends: They Called It Rockabilly Long Before It Was Called Rock 'n' Roll (Book & DVD)
- The Secret
- The Stanley Kubrick Archives
- The Time Traveler's Wife
- The Undomestic Goddess
- The Viewpoints Book: A Practical Guide to Viewpoints and Composition
- The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights
- There's a Wocket in My Pocket! Dr. Seuss's Book of Ridiculous Rhymes (Bright and Early Board Books)
- They Tore Out My Heart and Stomped That Sucker Flat
- To the Best of My Recollection
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