The House of the Vestals: The Investigations of Gordianus the Finder (Novels of Ancient Rome)

Book Description

It is Ancient Rome, and Gordianus the Finder has a knack for finding trouble. Stalking about the city's twisting trails looking for clues and finding bodies, Gordianus has had his share of misadventure with nobles and slaves alike. Known to many as the one man in the ancient world who can both keep a secret and uncover one, Gordianus has stories to tell.

Customer Reviews:

It's nice to fill in some gaps........2007-04-24

This book of nine stories was a good thing for me to read. I often wanted to fill in some of the rather lengthy gaps between Gordianius the Finder books. This collection of stories takes place in chronological time between the first book "Roman Blood" and the the second book "Arms of Nemesis". These little stories are not major mysteries, by any stretch, but they are wonderful anecdotal snapshots of Gordianus and Bethesda before they married, and some of the growing up years of Eco. We also get to meet Gordianus' benefactor, Lucius Claudius. I cannot wait to continue the series, but I'm glad that I took the time to read this collection of stories. My favourite was "A Will is a Way".

Very Entertaining.......2007-03-25

This a collection of short stories, easy to follow and different from each other. Each describes different aspects of the Roman world, from customs, festivities, beliefs and superstitions.
This book is ideal for students studying English as a Second Language, or any kind of classroom. Students will find these easy stories informative, interesting and educative.

My favorite mysteries were "The King Bee and the Honey" and "Little Caesar and the Pirates."

Gordianus the Finder in Shorts.......2007-02-28

'The House of the Vestals' is Steven Saylor's first collection of short stories that fill in the gaps in the history, personal and professional of Gordianus the Finder. (Saylor later wrote 'A Gladiator Dies Only Once' to fill in even more of the blanks.)

Fans of the Roma Sub Rosa series that began in 'Roman Blood' will love these short stories. Saylor's stories are easy on the brow, enjoyable, not too taxing - the 'mysteries' are often pretty simple - but you root for Gordianus because he is a good and decent citizen.

Saylor's stories do have a serious side - they paint an admirably convincing portrait of late Republican Rome. I am by no means a scholar of ancient history, but I have read a half dozen or so histories of this era (such as 'Rubicon' by Tom Holland and 'Caesar' by Adrian Goildworthy) and he has me convinced. Saylor has a reputation for scrupulous accuracy and often cast his stroies admidst some actual event in history.

Highly recommended.

The Sixth Book in the Series.......2006-12-23

Steven Saylor's fascination with Ancient Rome began at an early age. A history graduate and former newspaper and magazine editor, he lives in Berkeley, California. His series of books about Ancient Rome and featuring Gordianus the Finder are extremely popular both here in England and also in America. Anyone who is a fan of Lindsey Davis will love these books too. Steven Saylor brings Ancient Rome to life, so much so that the reader can lose himself in the sights and sounds of the ancient city.

Gordianus the Finder, the investigator of crimes, a man whose skill and integrity have made him much sought after by some of the most important men in Rome. Men who may need a secret to be kept, men who need to know that when Gordianus is working for them he will be discreet and not susceptible to bribery.

This is a collection of nine short stories featuring Gordianus the Finder. I am not really a fan of short stories, preferring something that I can get my `teeth into.' But I did find these very entertaining and enjoyable and what they do achieve is that they help to fill in the gaps that are left by the longer novels. We learn a little more about Gordianus's slave, Bethesda, who has now become his wife and some of the many other details skimmed over in the novels. For those who love the Saylor books this is well worth reading.

Mysteries in Ancient Rome.......2006-11-10

Saylor does it again. His Gordianus books are a pleasure to read.

The Indian Tipi: Its History, Construction, and Use

Average customer rating:

The Bible of Tipis
More detail direction needed
LAUBIN'S BOOK SEEMS TO BE THE BIBLE OF TIPI'S
excellent resource!
Allows us to feel like true aficionadoes

The Indian Tipi: Its History, Construction, and Use
Gladys Laubin , Stanley Vestal , and Reginald Laubin
Manufacturer: University of Oklahoma Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0806122366

Customer Reviews:

The Bible of Tipis.......2007-08-09

Enough said, you want to know anything about Tipis, how to build one, etc, this is THE book.

More detail direction needed.......2007-05-28

I found the book to wordy. There wasn't enough details to build a tipi.

LAUBIN'S BOOK SEEMS TO BE THE BIBLE OF TIPI'S.......2007-05-07

EXCELLENT INFO ON TIPI'S AND THEIR MANAGEMENT.

excellent resource!.......2002-11-17

using this book helped me immensely when it came time to raise my own tipi! using only the book and my woefully average construction skills, i easily put up my 22 foot diameter tipi in the northern california woods in a few hours with minimal assistance, the first try!

the other parts of the book offer fascinating aspects related to tipi living, history and culture. a must read for any tipi enthusiast!
great!
heartLove, the electric tipi hippy!

Allows us to feel like true aficionadoes.......2001-11-13

The wealth of information included by the Laubins, and their heartfelt respect for the American Indian, permeate this book. Many tipi construction books these days are written by would-be hippies--but the Laubins come across as the real thing. They had real contact with the tribes who made the various designs and they understood the distinctions between them. Better yet they have done an excellent job at getting these techniques across to the reader. An excellent resource for our business and home pursuits alike and the only book on the subject we recommend.

Average customer rating:

Excellent Biography
Jim Bridger
Good History
An endearing llook at an historic character
It's the best book ever

Jim Bridger: Mountain Man
Stanley Vestal
Manufacturer: Bison Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0803257201

Book Description

Even among the mighty mountain men, Jim Bridger was a towering figure. He was one of the greatest explorers and pathfinders in American history. He couldn't write his name, but at eighteen he had braved the fury of the Missouri, ascending it in a keelboat flotilla commanded by that stalwart Mike Fink. By 1824, when he was only twenty, he had discovered the Great Salt Lake. Later he was to open the Overland Route, which was the path of the Overland Stage, the Pony Express, and the Union Pacific. One of the foremost trappers in the Rocky Mountain Fur Company, he was a legend in his own time as well as ours. He remains one of the most important scouts and guides in the history of the West.

The Christian Science Monitor has called this biography "probably the fairest portrait of Jim Bridger in existence." The New York Times has praise for a "painstaking job of research among the usual Bridger sources and among some others which have been neglected. . . . [The author] has adequately set the scene for his hero's adventures and has honestly appraised the great guide's historical stature."Other Bison Books by Stanley Vestal: Dodge City: Queen of Cowtowns, Joe Meek: The Merry MOuntain Man; The Missouri, The Old Santa Fe Trail, and Warpath: The True Story of the Fighting Sioux Told in a Biography of Chief White Bull

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Biography.......2006-05-01

I just finish reading this book. I thought it was very excellent and intriguing about Jim Bridger. A man, who took no pleasure in killing, following the number one rule, "Survival of the Fittest and Kill or be Killed. I would've like to have gotten more information on his wife and children. It's sad about what happened to his daughter and that he was widowed twice. But it's good to know that his last years were spent with his children and grandchildren. I was brought almost to tears upon reading the final chapter of this book. I'm very fascinated with the Mountain Men and the Indian women they married.

Jim Bridger.......2005-08-05

So far so good. The book tells the life story of Bridger, which is what I wanted to see.

Good History.......2004-09-12

I'd like to give the book another star, but just don't think I can. I found it an interesting and well researched description of Bridger's life. It has both an excellent index and references. The author gave a fair and balanced assessment of Bridger. It appears that some previous books on him might have been unfair or too praiseworthy about his life. Somehow the descriptions lacked a little spark, although there are a number of vivid passages. Perhaps this has to do with the fact the book was written 100 years after Bridger's death. In fact, this book is now 30 years old, and I believe the author wrote his first book on similar topics back in the 30s. Nevertheless, it's a good and complete description of Bridger's life.

One of the sadder aspects of the story is near the ending when the author reveals that during the last 10-15 years of Bridger's life no writer took the opportunity to interview Bridger. He was in his sixties and seventies, I believe, but was a rather ignored individual, except by his family. He had an exceptionally good memory. Someone missed the opportunity to get more of his rather amazing life straight from the source. The 2-3 page description of his last years, and his desire to keep moving summarize his deep need for adventure and discovery.

He was apparently quite a wit and teller of tall tales. Only four of five of his short tales are found in the book. Interestingly, he told many of his stories in sign languages to the indians.

The book contains on chapter of the famous Hugh Glass incident. It's worth reading if you have not heard it. The story was incorporated into a movie, A Man Called Horse , starring Richard Harris, in a slightly different form. I also found the long passage on "medicine wolves" quite intriguing.

I think this book might disspell a notion that the indian's scalping and body mutiliations of their enemies was derived from copying Europeans might be false. I read such an explanation in another book written at about the same time as this one. However, here we find repeated references to such carnage. In fact, it seems this savagery also been deeply engrained into the mountain men and other early frontiersmen. I suspect such carnages placed on one's enemies has deep roots in all of human history.

An endearing llook at an historic character.......2000-09-21

Bridger is a larger than life character. The author portrays Bridger as a character who was unimpressed with developed society. His treasure was the mountains and the mystery of an undeveoped land and people. His humility and lack of concern for unbelievers of the wonder of the mountains aligns him with someone who has a tremendous fishing hole but doesnt want anyone to fish it dry.

It's the best book ever.......1999-01-27

This book is awesome !!!!!!!

Gasoline & the Vestal Lady on Brattle (Pocket Poets Series)

Average customer rating:

The best Beat book.
A Must-Buy

Gasoline & the Vestal Lady on Brattle (Pocket Poets Series)
Gregory Corso
Manufacturer: City Lights Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0872860884

Book Description

Gregory Corso was born on March 26, 1930 in New York City. His first book of poetry was published by City Lights Press in 1955.

Customer Reviews:

The best Beat book........2000-12-14

I bring this book with me when I travel. I keep it next to the bed at night. I have spare copies.

A Must-Buy.......1999-06-12

Easily the best poet to come out of the Beat movement

Knowledge Mapping: The Essentials for Success

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Knowledge Mapping: The Essentials for Success
Wesley Vestal
Manufacturer: APQC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Mapping Inner Space: Learning and Teaching Visual Mapping

ASIN: 1932546480
Release Date: 2005-05-04

Product Description

The most critical success factor in tapping the wealth of knowledge hidden from view in organizations is knowing where and how to find it. Knowledge Mapping: The Essentials for Success can help senior and line managers encounter pathways to this unseen knowledge and use it to achieve goals. In his latest book, KM authority Wesley Vestal has drawn on his years of experience as APQC's KM practice lead and subject matter expert on leading research studies to explain in a clear, concise manner how to uncover crucial knowledge and processes needed for successful organizations. Not only does it offer a practical approach to knowledge mapping and detail the essentials--collecting, reviewing, validating, storing, and sharing knowledge--it also guides the reader through the steps of creating customized knowledge maps and offers valuable tips on knowledge mapping as well as distinct types of knowledge maps. As you seek hidden assets in your organization, you could not have a better guide than this practical approach to knowledge mapping.

Vestal!: "Lord, I Wouldn't Take Nothin' for My Journey Now"

Average customer rating:

Stories of amazing grace, gospel singing
This was AWSOME!
Humor, Laughter, and Sadness
Vestal
Vestal!-What a book, what a life

Vestal!: "Lord, I Wouldn't Take Nothin' for My Journey Now"
Vestal Goodman , and Ken Abraham
Manufacturer: WaterBrook Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1578563003
Release Date: 1999-10-19

Customer Reviews:

Stories of amazing grace, gospel singing.......2004-07-02

This is such a delightful, inspirational book that I chose to review it for a couple of the Round Table groups in our church. [These are groups of Christian women who meet monthly at a member's home for a book review, prayer-and-share time, food and fun.] I included a couple of video clips of her singing and praying. Vestal and her husband Howard (both recently deceased)led amazing lives full of faith and miracles as well as hardships and disappointments. They trusted God to meet their needs and he always did. They experienced miracles of all types, including physical healings. I "met" the Goodmans years ago on television and became "reacquainted" when they began appearing on the Gaither Gospel Concerts (live, video, tv) in 1991. Like the rest of Vestal's fans, I was attracted to her clear, strong, one-of-a-kind voice, and the sweet spirit that showed on her face with a special glow when she sang. I'm thankful to have been able to see and hear her in person in Dallas in 2003 just ten months before she died. Vestal always gave glory to God and Jesus when she sang. She was a spiritual advisor to hundreds of people including celebrities such as George Jones, and was known as a great Prayer Warrior. She had a wonderful sense of humor, and I laughed out loud at some of her stories. The book includes pictures of the Goodmans (and others) through the years. It's a special book that stays with you. I keep telling my friends about different stories from it!

This was AWSOME!.......2003-06-09

This is an awsome book. IT had great detail and kept your mind on the book. It was like Vestal was your best friend sitting next to you telling you her life story. I read it as a Vestal fan but, it's great forany reader of any age Christian or not this book will show you Vestal's life(much like ours)hasn't been filled with mountian top expierances it will make you look at her in a totally differnt way weather you love Vestal or just love to read you will enjoy this book.Happy Reading!

Humor, Laughter, and Sadness.......2002-10-24

I have admired Vestal Goodman for years, especially because of her former hairstyles. I read this book and could not put it down. I understood how her life had come up from bootstraps and how time and time again they were desolate and had nothing but the Goodman Family and faith. Vestal was honest and frank about several relationships and theology. She did not mince words on anything. Vestal wrote this book not to impress anyone but to honor God.

Vestal.......2001-07-06

This is one of the best books I have ever read.It is very hard to put down.

Vestal!-What a book, what a life.......2001-03-02

I have read Vestal! three times now, and find more things each time I read it. This book can uplift you when you are at your lowest point. Vestal's experiences and the things that she has gone through was enough to bring even the strongest man down without the faith and belief in God that she possesses. She is not afraid to let the readers know that without God and strong faith and belief she would have survived her journey. She is an inspiration to everyone in her book and in person.

The Humanities: Cultural Roots and Continuities

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The Humanities: Cultural Roots and Continuities
Charlotte Vestal Brown , Roberta Ann Dunbar , Frank Tirro , and Ronald Witt
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0618045376

Book Description

The Humanities provides an overview of the liberal arts, including literature, art, music, philosophy, and history. The book comes equipped with numerous pedagogical aids, including a web site that features 50-60 art images.

Each volume begins with a "Chronicle of Events," which provides a timetable of key events in world history. "Continuities" sections—which cover political life, religion, art, music, and writing—summarize each part of the text by reviewing the lasting contributions of each society.

We Were There at the Battle of Lexington and Concord (We Were There books, 20)

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We Were There at the Battle of Lexington and Concord (We Were There books, 20)
Felix Sutton
Manufacturer: Grosset & Dunlap
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

ASIN: B0006AVMU6

Average customer rating:

Excellent source book

The Art of Black and White Enlarging
David Vestal
Manufacturer: Harpercollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0061818968

Customer Reviews:

Excellent source book.......2004-09-22

David Vestal is a photographer, writer, critic and teacher. He is a straight forward and dedicated practitioner and true believer in the art of photography. This book and, The Craft of Photography, should be read by anyone serious about photography. They are a deep well of practical advice and technique.

One Virgin Too Many (The Eleventh Marcus Didius Falco Novel)

Average customer rating:

a pleasure!
Someone's Goose is Cooked
Falco Falters
Another Great Story
One of the best and hard to put down

One Virgin Too Many (The Eleventh Marcus Didius Falco Novel)
Lindsey Davis
Manufacturer: Mysterious Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0892967161

Amazon.com

Marcus Didius Falco is back in another lively first-century historical mystery. The Roman investigator, informer, and imperial spy's snappy patter, romantic leanings, strong sense of irony, and penchant for getting into interesting situations have won Lindsey Davis a growing number of fans. Flush with his earnings from an African adventure (Two for the Lions), Falco's just been rewarded for his service to the empire with an unusual bit of political patronage: he's been appointed to the largely ceremonial position of Procurator of the Sacred Poultry, meaning he's in charge of the care and feeding of a gaggle of sacred geese. This un-Falco-like upward mobility is an opportunity for Marcus to move his patrician wife, Helena Justina, and their toddler out of a tenement and into a home of their own. As much as Marcus scoffs at middle-class pretensions, he's not above leaving his seedy surroundings and providing his family with some of the finer things, if only to show his in-laws that he can. But when Helena's brother falls over a corpse that disappears before it can be identified, Falco tosses the geese some food and gets busy finding the connection between the dead man and a 6-year-old girl who's in line to be chosen as the new vestal virgin. That leads him into intrigue, danger, and a confrontation with a former vestal virgin that almost costs him his life. Well paced, with good dialogue, excellent plotting, and a cast of terrific characters surrounding Falco and Helena, including some familiar from earlier stories, One Virgin Too Many shows Davis in top form. Falco the family man is better company than ever. --Jane Adams

Book Description

Marcus Didius Falco, the cynical, hard-boiled investigator from the rough end of Rome, is back from a difficult mission in North Africa. As a result of his hard work, Emperor Vespasian awards Falco with the title of Procurator of Poultry for the Senate and People of Rome, or keeper of the city's sacred geese. Not much of a salary, of course, but the title does give him a better standing with his in-laws. Now, all Falco wants is to spend time relaxing at home with his family. But there is no rest for Falco as he finds himself drawn into the world of the Roman religious cults...and the murder of a member of the Sacred Brotherhoods. And then there's the disappearance of the most likely new candidate for the Order of Vestal Virgins. Falco soon uncovers a sinister cover-up-and is too deeply involved to back away from the truth.

Download Description

Marcus Didius Falco is a cynical, hard-boiled investigator from the rough end of Rome. He does a bit of everything, from political investigating to art-fraud work. But he never seems to make enough money to move his family out of a seedy tenement. But fresh from his adventure in Two for the Lions in North Africa, he finds new respectability. His efforts are rewarded when he is appointed to a post in the religious hierarchy of government cults and becomes keeper of the city's sacred geese. Now Falco wants nothing more than to spend time relaxing at home. But all too soon he finds himself caught up in the murder of a member of one of the sacred brotherhoods and the disappearance of the most likely new candidate for the Order of Vestal Virgins. Lindsey Davis's look at the complexities of Roman society and attitudes has rarely been so impressively on display as in this engrossing historical mystery.

Customer Reviews:

a pleasure!.......2007-08-03

I had a fun time reading "One Virgin Too Many". As with all Falco mysteries, the humor and affection for the characters is delightful and the history lesson goes down like candy. I was glad to see Marcus FINALLY got his promotion to the Equestrian rank. His accompanying appointment as Keeper of the Sacred Poultry is pretty funny! The linked mysteries of a missing child (the top vestal virgin candidate) and a murdered member of a religious order is interesting and inventive. Such likeable characters! It makes reading the story a pleasure even when the action isn't advancing all that quickly.

Someone's Goose is Cooked.......2006-10-03

This is the eleventh novel in the mystery series featuring Marcus Didius Falco, an informer and sleuth in Rome at the time of Vespasian. A series of books that have become hugely popular, so much so that the author is now at the forefront of historical mystery writers. It was probably a stroke of genius on her part to have novels that are extremely well researched and contain all the elements that would be and should be found in the Roman world of circa AD70, but to have a lead character who has the vocabulary of a present day New York cop.

In this novel Falco becomes embroiled with the religious cults of his beloved Rome after he is approached by a young girl, who claims that someone is trying to kill her. The girl has been proposed as a Vestal Virgin, a highly sought after position, although most of the city believe that the voting is fixed and that another girl will win. Falco and Helena are having dinner a few days later with helea's parents, when Camillus Aelianus returns home shaken to the core at discovering a man's dead body in a Sacred Grove.

Falco has to put his detective's hat on once again, but somewhat reluctantly after all he has recently been given the singular honour of Procurator of the Sacred Geese and he is finding out that the ones with feathers on that strut about and make that stupid noise are not half as attractive as those that haven't and don't . . .

Falco Falters.......2004-11-13

This is a fine series so when I began this volume I had hopes that it would be of the same standard as the others. Ms. Haney has a genuine gift in giving readers the "texture" of everyday life in imperial Rome (at the time of Vespasian and Titus in this one). The dialogue and the characters are both engaging. So what went wrong? A young girl appears to speak with Falco believing someone in her family wants to kill her. And away we go, on and on and on! I was weary by the time I got to the rather flat conclusion and felt that a good editing would have been most helpful; the length of this book (326 pages) really cannot support so thin a story. I was left wondering what had happened and if somehow I had missed something as there was so little going on.

Another Great Story.......2003-05-21

If you have not read any of the Falco series, I strongly recommend that you do so, but start at the beginning. Lindsey Davis gets better with each outing. Her characterization is wonderful, and she peoples her books with lots of eccentric and wonderful people. If you read the series in order, you will get to know them all, plus be able to understand the undercurrants that run between Falco and the many people that are close to him. In this book we see Falco on the search for a missing child. His search exposes him to a very disfunctional family. No wonder the little girl was missing! Her grandfather and all her relations are the worst lot you'll ever meet. The search for the child becomes a race against time, and the last few chapters are "edge-of-your seat". All the while the quips and jokes just seem to flow from the pages. Falco finds himself in a very dangerous and embarrassing position where the lack of wearing a loin cloth under his tunic becomes of paramount importance. This is a wonderful, fast-moving book. Through all the turmoil and danger, Falco finds out that he has a number of people that are very loyal to him and this comes as a pleasant surprise to him, since two of his partners were people he didn't like or didn't trust, and the other - his friend Petronious - had been distant of late. Wonderful Book!

One of the best and hard to put down.......2003-04-13

A great read and one that really holds together and comes to a terrific, well-crafted finale. Up there with Silver Pigs and The Iron Hand of Mars. Maybe the best one where Falco stays in Rome (although I also enjoyed Poseidon's Gold a lot.) Great fun. Keep 'em coming!

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