Product Description
Young Roland Deschain and friends have fled for the city of Hambry, as their home in Gilead is now too dangerous. But, once there, Roland learns to his horror that he is no safer. Hambry's leaders have switched allegiance and the assassins known as the Big Coffin Hunters have marked Roland and company for death! Plus articles and bonus features galore!
In this comic book series, personally overseen by King himself, Roland's past is revealed! Sumptuously drawn by Jae Lee and Richard Isanove, adapted by long-time Stephen King expert Robin Furth (author of Stephen King's The Dark Tower: A Concordance) and scripted by New York Times Best-seller Peter David, this series delves deep into Roland's origins -- the perfect introduction to this incredibly realized world, while long-time fans will thrill to adventures merely hinted at in the novels.
Customer Reviews:
King's Tower #3.......2007-09-15
I'm giving the same review to all the comics in this series. It's too bad that King's epoch is so monumental that this comic serialization represents only a miniscule slice but for an abridgement it is excellent and,in my opinion, they've chosen the best segment. The writing is good, the art work alone is worth the purchase of the series. The insightful essays following each segment were enlightening. The down side was the back-slapping, self-gratification-fest that ended each book. If I felt any need to know how talented each of the contributers felt the others in the group were I'd go on the internet and look it up. I'm paying for a book, not an awards dinner. bg
The Gunslinger Born 3.......2007-04-27
Great story
Great art work
Cool conversation with King at the end...get this one if you've got the others.
Average customer rating:
- Little disappointing
- San Theodoros, Britain, Syldavia
- Immature Mother
- A rich part of this bilingual Canadian's heritage
- A trio of solid Tintin adventures from the late 1930s
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The Adventures of Tintin: The Broken Ear / The Black Island / King Ottokar's Sceptre (3 Complete Adventures in 1 Volume, Vol. 2)
Herge
Manufacturer: Little, Brown Young Readers
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ASIN: 0316359424 |
Customer Reviews:
Little disappointing.......2007-02-07
The quality of the printing is far from perfect. It smooches on several pages.Also, I read the French version first and the English one is, in my opinion, rather lame. A lot of work would need to be done to improve it.
San Theodoros, Britain, Syldavia.......2006-11-17
"The Adventures of Tintin: Volume 2" contains three more adventure comics by Herge, in a handy sized hardcover book. Here, we get "The Broken Ear" (1937), an adventure in a civil-war torn part of South America, "The Black Island" (1938) a chase through Britain, and "King Ottokar's Sceptre" (1939), featuring a plot against a "Syldavian" king. A few well known Tintin characters first appear in these stories. General Alcazar first appears in "The Broken Ear", Dr Muller appears in "The Black Island" and Bianca Castifiore sings her first song to Tintin in "King Ottokar's Sceptere". They're all exciting, intriguing adventures, my favorite in this bunch being "The Black Island", mainly for the chase sequences and the island's "beast".
The text and pictures are a little smaller, but it's easy enough to read, and the detail of the pictures is maintained. It's really great value too. Here on amazon you could buy two or three of these for one normal sized hardcover Tintin. That's 5-8 more adventures for the same price!
Definitely worth picking up if you're interested.
Immature Mother.......2006-11-10
I've always enjoyed reading the Adventures of Tintin. The 3-in-1 hardcover books are good on the budget but the dimensions are smaller than the individual paperback books. Some of the storylines are a little dated and the jokes do get somewhat repetative. The later stories tend to get "silly" with characters falling down and running into things more often than the older stories but I think that's what made my 9 year old daughter enjoy them since she doesn't really follow the stories very well. If you like Tintin, you'll want to buy all of the books and you will reread them.
A rich part of this bilingual Canadian's heritage.......2006-09-09
Volume 2: The Broken Ear (1937), The Black Island (1938), King Ottokar's Sceptre (1942). This is the second instalment of my reviews of each of the seven volumes.
The famous slogan, "for young readers 7 to 77", already validated by the previous three adventures, is further endorsed by what follows.
The Broken Ear takes us to the Amazon, in South America of course, where we meet the Arumbaya Indians, General Alcazar, and, well, just read it. I don't want to give spoilers. This adventure is another outstanding one, and very well translated. In the English version, the Indians' talk, apparently in some mysterious language, is understandable if read out loud. Already five continents visited in four stories!
The Black Island, which takes place in England and especially Scotland, is not up to the usual Tintin standards (one central theme is revisited and far better handled in a later adventure), but a Tintinophile would certainly not want to miss it.
King Ottokar's Sceptre, however, is a magnificent creation. We meet the Castafiore (= "chaste flower") for the first time, a soprano with an ego that would make Callas suffocate, the only major female character in the entire series, and a truly amazing personage. But the real achievement is the creation of an entire fictional kingdom (Syldavia, and a rival neighbouring nation, Borduria, also fictional) with a `reproduction' of a tapestry giving its history, and an adventure that would be meaningless without it. This is a huge achievement for a 62-page children's comic book.
A trio of solid Tintin adventures from the late 1930s.......2005-09-09
Volume 2 of "The Adventures of Tintin" brings together a trio of stories by Hergé from the late 1930s, right before World War II. This is noteworthy because at this point Hergé is refining his attention to cultural detail in these stories, but also starting to get more fanciful and away from what is happening in the real world. You will still find allegorical elements in these stories, but none of the events ripped from the headlines that you saw in previous tales such as "The Blue Lotus."
"The Broken Ear" is from 1937 as our hero and his faithful companion Snowy go it alone through a series of perilous episodes, although there are brief appearances by the Thom(p)sons and Professor Calculus. The title defect belongs to an Arumbaya Fetish at the Museum of Ethnography which is stolen and then mysteriously returned. When Tintin notices the sacred tribal object now has two perfect ears and our hero is quickly in full Sherlock Holmes mode. However, Tintin is not the only one in search of the real fetish as his path starts crossing that of a pair of mysterious figures. After a series of incidents involving the search for a talking parrot, everyone finds themselves on a ship bound South American way for the Republic of San Theodoros, which happens to be where the Arumbaya tribe lives along the banks of the River Coliflor. There Tintin becomes involved in the political turmoil of San Theodoros and eventually gets around to traveling up the jungle river to find the Arumbayas. Meanwhile, poor Snowy finds that his tail becomes a sore point time and time again. In "The Broken Ear" the mystery takes something of a back seat to the repeated perils faced by Tintin. I went back and counted them up and on average Tintin faces death or severe physical harm once every three pages in this 64-page story, which might be a record for our intrepid reporter.
For the most part I do not like the early Tintin adventures where there is a lot of slapstick and every other page our intrepid reporter hero is either holding a gun or having somebody hold a gun on him as much as the latter adventures. However, "The Black Island" is certainly the epitome of this type of Tintin adventure and Hergé really pours it on pretty much from start to finish. This might be slapstick but it is nonstop slapstick from Tintin trying to stop the Thom(p)sons from arresting him to Snowy getting the better of a gorilla (but not a spider). Tintin might end up unconscious more often in this story than all of his other adventures combined. The beginning is simple enough as Tintin sees a plane land with engine trouble. Noticing it is an unregistered plane he offers to help and is immediately shot (do not worry, the bullet only grazes his ribs). Of course Tintin wants to get to the bottom of this mystery but it is hard to collect clues when people are trying to kill you and you have no clue why. Besides, in this one Tintin gets to wear a kilt, not to mention a bonnie bonnet as the titular piece of property happens to be in Scotland. All things considered "The Black Island" has got to be the funniest of Hergé stories.
In contrast "King Ottokar's Sceptre" is an adventure in which our intrepid hero gets to do a lot of deductive reasoning. Certainly there are more actual clues than Hergé usually includes in his mysteries, which means you really have to pay attention as you play along this time. Tintin encounters Professor Alembik, who studies seals (no, silly, not the friendly little animals but the things you stamp into wax on official papers). This seems a harmless career choice but Tintin finds that both he and the good professor are embroiled with secret agents and a plot against the King of Syldavia. It turns out there is a major loophole in the laws of the monarchy, for if H.M. King Muskar XII, the present ruler of Syldavia, were to lose possession of King Ottokar's sceptre, he would lose the right to rule and have to abdicate. This would work to the advantage of the bad guys across the border in Borduria, where everybody seems decided Eastern European and probably pro-Communist or at least very much into Socialism, so it is up to Tintin and Snowy to save the day. They are aided in this endeavor by Thomson and Thompson of the C.I.D.; to be precise, they endeavor to aid. There is also Tintin's first meeting with Bianca Castafiore in this very solid offering from Hergé. This is an actual mystery, where clues need to be solved and mysterious developments need to be explained.
Some of these early adventures of Tintin have engendered criticism because of the way Hergé draws a Negro in caricature and I certainly do not want to suggest that a white male European was not representative of the inherent racism of his culture, but I would point out that Hergé, like Edgar Rice Burroughs writing at roughly the same time, relied heavily on stereotypes for many of his characters and that you will find "good" and "bad" types for every race and ethnicity Tintin encounters. Certainly the South Americans Tintin encounters in San Theodoros, with their heavy accents, fiery tempers and tendency towards extreme violence, are central to any such critique. But Herge also displays some sensitivity towards the native tribes of the area that is rather enlightened. If Tintin engaged in slurs or derogatory comments towards anyone, that would be something different, but our hero only thinks in terms of "good" and "bad," not "white" and "black". Anyhow, you can read these stories and decide for yourself where you stand on this issue.
Customer Reviews:
A series of historical novels with neither accuracy nor (much) entertainment.......2005-07-28
Christian Jacq has brought out a series of five novels detailing the life of Ramses II, one of his role models. The series largely fails as a historical novel series. Firstly, it is inaccurate historically. Yes, this can be OK in many cases, but here it is a deliberate mish-mash of historical figures and chronologies where Ramses II rubs shoulders with Moses, Menelaus, Homer etc etc. (although Moses is the most likely to be an actual contemporary, this still seems like hacking together people and events). As for entertainment value, it is interesting in the way that extremely light writing with implausible plotlines is a quick read as it doesn't require much concentration and doesn't wear you out. However, there is much better writing out there (both literary and "light") - here, I found the dialogue to be especially unreal.
Jacq does mythologise Egypt with the sacred mysteries and magic of the priests being real. He also does a lot to make the whole setting come alive, which is the biggest strength of the series. But this could all be done without the several ridiculous aspects of the books.
In this, the third book, Egypt is beset with diplomatic problems with the Hittites, who are portrayed as one-sidedly bloodthirsty and primitive as compared to the cosmopolitan Egyptians. Moses finally begins his burning bush sojourn and after much war and espionage, the story climaxes at the battle of Kadesh - a fortress in modern-day Syria.
A decent series if there's nothing better to read and it will increase your interest in Egypt, but there IS something better to read in terms of almost all the aspects of the series.
The Showdown at Kadesh.......2004-05-31
Four divisions of the Egyptian army encamped below the fortress of Kadesh when suddenly the thundering sound of enemy chariots were upon them. The Hittites surprised them and decimated two of the divisions. Then Ramses, possessed of the spirit of Amon, glowed like the sun, and stopped the advancing Hittites in their tracks. Fighter, the Nubian lion, sprang into action. Reinforcements were coming up the coast road. The tide of battle turned. Christian Jacq's Ramses: the Battle of Kadesh, marks the third in a five part series on Ramses the Great of ancient Egypt.
Kadesh was one of the greatest battles of the ancient world. Egypt and Hatti were the two giant superpowers of their day; and both coveted the strategic littoral that we call the Middle East today. Hatti was a warrior nation that sought to extend its empire clear to Egypt. Egypt was a powerful land in the New Kingdom equally bent on extending its influence as far as possible. Kadesh marked the pivotal point in the superpowers' ambitions.
The Hittites gathered information on Egypt's readiness for war with an elaborate spy network that touched the pharaoh's palace itself. With their powerful enemy to their north preparing for war treacherous family members sought to undermine Ramses' power to seize the throne for themselves. Even the life of the queen was threatened. Ramses would have to destroy the spy network and the Hittites or his entire country may be enslaved.
Kadesh would not end the Hittite ambition. Ramses may have slowed them down but not stopped them. Traitors were still in his midst and Asha, the king's boyhood friend and Secretary of State, was in trouble. On to Volume Four.
Very entertaining.......2003-02-16
I found the previous book lacking in the energy of the first. However, The Battle of Kadesh returns with that energy. A quickly moving tale of Ramses' war against the Hittites also involves much more. Several subplots are resolved from previous volumes with the only major one remaining being the story of Moses. As I've stated before, it's not a deep read but it is a very enjoyable one. Jacq is certainly an undeservedly under noticed writer among fantasy authors.
McHistorical Fiction.......2002-11-18
The book concerns the political rivalry of the Egyptian and the Hittite empires culminating in the Battle of Kadesh, ca. 1280 B.C. If you're interested in ancient Egypt or historical fiction, give this one a miss. The story is simplistic -- about on the level of a Nancy Drew mystery -- with bits of exotic culture and supernatural conjuring thrown in to let you know that you've been transported back to the Land of the Pharaohs.
The author is described on the book jacket as a "respected Egyptologist" but I found little "Egyptology" in this book that could not have been acquired by a college student through casual reading. Change the names and take out a few references to exotic gods and the Nile and this story could be placed in any era and any country of the world. Indeed, one is struck by how similar the ancient Egypt of this book is to modern governments. Ramses, Pharaoh of Egypt, is presented as a man of twenty-first century sensitivities. An accurate portrayal of ancient Egypt? I don't think so. The author fails to divorce himself from the present and conjure up a credible vision of ancient Egypt.
Smallchief
A Perfect Historical Novel Of Suspense, Love, and Subterfuge.......2001-08-21
ýThe Battle Of Kadeshý, the third instalment in the acclaimed ýRamsesý series, is thus far the best and most compelling. It chronicles the next few years in Ramsesý reign, during which the Great Pharaoh must confront the near invincibility of the Hittite forces who crave expansion at Egyptýs expense. Before he can concentrate on war, however, Ramsesý reign is being undermined by a network of different alliances against him, most notably that of Ofir, the sorcerer, trying to use black magic to weaken the Pharaoh's defences; And an underground network of Hittite spies intent on bringing about Egyptýs downfall. Heading these operations is Shaanar, Ramsesý jealous elder brother who is consumed with his desire to rule. When the Battle of Kadesh finally dawns, Ramses is left alone to confront the entire barbaric Hittite army, forcing him to call upon his late fatherýs divine assistance. Will his prayers be answered ?
This book had me up reading until the early hours of the morning. With spectacular landscape descriptions, charismatic protagonists, and suspenseful plots it truly is impossible to put down.
Customer Reviews:
Further along..........2003-06-22
The New Interpreter's Bible is a twelve-volume series, updating the popular Interpreter's Bible from a few decades ago. There are several key features common to all of the volumes of this series. First, each includes a two-column, double translation of the Biblical text (NIV - New International Version, and NRSV - New Revised Standard Version) arranged by topical unit or story. Then, they provide commentaries that look at the passages as a whole, as well as verse-by-verse. Third, interesting Reflection pieces that relate the passages to each other, to history, and to current concerns occur at the conclusion of each passage. Fourth, introductory articles for each book are provided that discuss transmission, historical background, cultural setting, literary concerns, and current scholarship. Finally, there are general articles about the Bible, each Testament, and various types of literature (Narrative, Gospel, Wisdom Literature, etc.) are provided to give general placement and knowledge about the text overall.
The list of contributors, editors, and consultants on the project is a veritable Who's Who of biblical and theological scholarship, representing all major traditions and schools of thought liberal and conservative. Leander Keck, of the Yale Divinity School, is the primary editor of the series.
The volumes were published individually, and can be purchased individually, which is a good thing, given that they are a bit expensive. But for any serious biblical scholar, preacher, student, or enthusiast, they are invaluable.
--Volume III--
The third volume of the New Interpreter's Bible continues a look at the 'histories', more precisely termed in the NIB as Narrative Literature, with the books I and II Kings, I and II Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, as well as the apocryphal books Tobit and Judith.
Choon-Leong Seow of Princeton Theological Seminary addresses the books of Kings. Leslie Allen of Fuller Theological Seminary looks at the books of Chronicles. Ralph Klein of Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago provides commentary on the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Sidnie White Crawford of the University of Nebraska looks at the book of Esther (the only book of the Bible that does not reference God, and the only one not found among the Dead Sea Scrolls) as well as the apocryphal additions to the book of Esther. Irene Nowell, OSB, looks at the apocryphal book of Tobit, and Lawrence Wills of the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, takes on the book of Judith.
The books of Tobit, Judith, and the additions to Esther are called apocryphal because their status is not canonically clear within the Christian tradition. They are not contained in the official canon of the Hebrew scripture, and so Protestant tradition has tended to leave the books out of the Old Testament. However, these texts were included in the Septuagint, the primary Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures in the ancient world, and so the Roman Catholic and the Orthodox churches consider the texts canonical.
High praise goes to the general editorial staff for working with such strong authors/scholars, that their work fits together well as part of this set while retaining their individual characteristics (much like the writers of the Bible itself!).
--Other volumes available--
The following is a list of each volume in this twelve-volume set, and the contents of each.
Volume I: General Articles on the Bible; General Articles on the Old Testament; Genesis; Exodus; Leviticus
Volume II: Numbers; Deuteronomy; Introduction to Narrative Literature; Joshua; Judges; Ruth; I & II Samuel
Volume III: I & II Kings; I & II Chronicles; Ezra, Nehemiah; Esther; Additions to Esther; Tobit; Judith
Volume IV: I & II Maccabees; Introduction to Hebrew Poetry; Job; Psalms
Volume V: Introduction to Wisdom Literature; Proverbs; Ecclesiastes; Song of Songs; Book of Wisdom; Sirach
Volume VI: Introduction to Prophetic Literature; Isaiah; Jeremiah; Baruch; Letter of Jeremiah; Lamentations; Ezekiel
Volume VII: Introduction to Apocalyptic Literature; Daniel; Additions to Daniel; Hosea; Joel; Amos; Obadiah; Johan; Micah; Nahum; Habakkuk; Zephaniah; Haggai; Zechariah; Malachi
Volume VIII: General Articles on the New Testament; Matthew; Mark
Volume IX: Luke; John
Volume X: Acts; Introduction to Epistolary Literature; Romans, I Corinthians
Volume XI: II Corinthians; Galatians; Ephesians; Philippians; Colossians; I & II Thessalonians; I & II Timothy; Titus; Philemon
Volume XII: Hebrews; James; I & II Peter; I, II & III John; Jude; Revelation
The Best of the Best.......2000-07-10
Most people understand that the study of Scripture is an enormous task; and that there is a considerable theological heritage to even the most benign of passages. Unfortunately, it is sometimes difficult to translate that understanding into a willingness to genuinely delve into the vast pool of material out there. In addition, it's hard to know whom to trust.
You can trust the New Interpreter's Bible series. All of the scholars who contributed are the best in their field. In addition, the layout (which includes two complete translations - the NIV and the NRSV) is conducive to both scholarly and spiritual study of the texts.
Each text is broken down into discrete units followed by general commentary on the passage, verse by vers analysis of key issues, and then an overview of study questions. The commentators address issues of authorship, historical setting, translation, theological history, and personal application. In addition, they graciously point to excellent sources for further reading.
Speaking as a pastor, it is my strong opinion that every English-speaking Christian who is serious about Bible study should own the complete set.
Book Description
'Tis done.
The world is a most confused and unsteady place -- especially London, center of finance, innovation, and conspiracy -- in the year 1714, when Daniel Waterhouse makes his less-than-triumphant return to England's shores. Aging Puritan and Natural Philosopher, confidant of the high and mighty and contemporary of the most brilliant minds of the age, he has braved the merciless sea and an assault by the infamous pirate Blackbeard to help mend the rift between two adversarial geniuses at a princess's behest. But while much has changed outwardly, the duplicity and danger that once drove Daniel to the American Colonies is still coin of the British realm.
No sooner has Daniel set foot on his homeland when he is embroiled in a dark conflict that has been raging in the shadows for decades. It is a secret war between the brilliant, enigmatic Master of the Mint and closet alchemist Isaac Newton and his archnemesis, the insidious counterfeiter Jack the Coiner, a.k.a. Jack Shaftoe, King of the Vagabonds. Hostilities are suddenly moving to a new and more volatile level, as Half-Cocked Jack plots a daring assault on the Tower itself, aiming for nothing less than the total corruption of Britain's newborn monetary system.
Unbeknownst to all, it is love that set the Coiner on his traitorous course; the desperate need to protect the woman of his heart -- the remarkable Eliza, Duchess of Arcachon-Qwghlm -- from those who would destroy her should he fail. Meanwhile, Daniel Waterhouse and his Clubb of unlikely cronies comb city and country for clues to the identity of the blackguard who is attempting to blow up Natural Philosophers with Infernal Devices -- as political factions jockey for position while awaiting the impending death of the ailing queen; as the "holy grail" of alchemy, the key to life eternal, tantalizes and continues to elude Isaac Newton, yet is closer than he ever imagined; as the greatest technological innovation in history slowly takes shape in Waterhouse's manufactory.
Everything that was will be changed forever ...
The System of the World is the concluding volume in Neal Stephenson's Baroque Cycle, begun with
Quicksilver and continued in
The Confusion.
Download Description
"
'Tis done.
The world is a most confused and unsteady place -- especially London, center of finance, innovation, and conspiracy -- in the year 1714, when Daniel Waterhouse makes his less-than-triumphant return to England's shores. Aging Puritan and Natural Philosopher, confidant of the high and mighty and contemporary of the most brilliant minds of the age, he has braved the merciless sea and an assault by the infamous pirate Blackbeard to help mend the rift between two adversarial geniuses at a princess's behest. But while much has changed outwardly, the duplicity and danger that once drove Daniel to the American Colonies is still coin of the British realm.
No sooner has Daniel set foot on his homeland when he is embroiled in a dark conflict that has been raging in the shadows for decades. It is a secret war between the brilliant, enigmatic Master of the Mint and closet alchemist Isaac Newton and his archnemesis, the insidious counterfeiter Jack the Coiner, a.k.a. Jack Shaftoe, King of the Vagabonds. Hostilities are suddenly moving to a new and more volatile level, as Half-Cocked Jack plots a daring assault on the Tower itself, aiming for nothing less than the total corruption of Britain's newborn monetary system.
Unbeknownst to all, it is love that set the Coiner on his traitorous course; the desperate need to protect the woman of his heart -- the remarkable Eliza, Duchess of Arcachon-Qwghlm -- from those who would destroy her should he fail. Meanwhile, Daniel Waterhouse and his Clubb of unlikely cronies comb city and country for clues to the identity of the blackguard who is attempting to blow up Natural Philosophers with Infernal Devices -- as political factions jockey for position while awaiting the impending death of the ailing queen; as the ""holy grail"" of alchemy, the key to life eternal, tantalizes and continues to elude Isaac Newton, yet is closer than he ever imagined; as the greatest technological innovation in history slowly takes shape in Waterhouse's manufactory.
Everything that was will be changed forever ...
The System of the World is the concluding volume in Neal Stephenson's Baroque Cycle, begun with
Quicksilver and continued in
The Confusion.
"
Customer Reviews:
High praise for the whole series........2007-09-08
The System of the World is the third in Stephenson's massive Baroque Cycle, and worth every minute that I spent reading. The entire series is something that I would enthusiastically recommend. It's fun, in the biggest sense of the world. Thought provoking, clever, occasionally laugh-out-loud funny. Not bad for what can only be described as rather dense historical fiction.
I wouldn't want to or attempt to write a plot summary, but suffice to say that this book continues the series preoccupation with economics, currency, logic and alchemy. I know that some didn't like the extensive descriptions of London in this volume, but I really enjoyed that part-- great to be a virtual tourist.
I have to say that the ending was a bit much (the bit with Sir Isaac at the Trial of the Pyx), but my that point I was almost willing to forgive Stephenson anything.
Highly recommended.
This is the Foundation Series for the new millenium.......2007-09-04
Isaac Asimov's Foundation Trilogy/Series is considered one of the great science-fiction collections ever written, forming the basis of countless derivative and inspired works over the past fifty years. The Baroque Cycle will not, unfortunately, inspire fifty years of copycats, for a unique reason: it would be far too difficult to undertake with even moderate effort. This is a nine-book/ three-volume masterpiece of historical fiction that really has no peer in my experience (and please comment if you find any!)
As an aside, I could, at length, review each of the nine books and prattle on endlessly about this or that, but that's far too many reviews for what I intend to say about the Cycle as a whole. My comments apply to all books equally.
The cycle begins in the mid 17th century and spans the adulthood of one Daniel Waterhouse, a fictional contemporary of Isaac Newton. Of course, it also traces the life of one Jack Shaftoe, a fictional hero with his roots in every pirate story ever written or filmed. And then there's the mysterious Enoch Root, popping up again from the Cryptonomicon to move things along as the deux ex machina of certain story elements.
The number of interleaved story lines would be an impressive enough feat of writing, but the historical references were simply amazing. The sheer amount of research Mr. Stephenson invested for the Cycle must have been enormous. In short, Mr. Stephenson describes London before, during, and after the Great Fire of 1666 politically, sociologically, geographically, architecturally, and economically; he performs the same rigor of place-setting with Hanover and present-day Germany, Paris and present-day France, diverse parts of Egypt, Algeria, India, Mexico, South America, and Boston. This is the kind of book series that would inspire high-school students to PAY ATTENTION. For, if the students really do their homework and have a teacher partnered with them to put the book details into their proper context, you could quite possible craft an entire school year around the nine books, such is the depth and breadth of scholastic research involved in putting together such a series. It's no small achievement or idle boast: Mr. Stephenson has in some way taken his education and put it to its greatest use, as an inspiration to students.
All of this would be for naught if the stories weren't truly excellent at their core, and they are. You could boil down the Shaftoe story line to "pirate story" but that sells it short after the first book -- and there are eight more to go. What starts as a pirate story quickly become something of a precursor to spycraft and terrorism/counter-terrorism in the 17th and 18th centuries: currency manipulation, political scandals, and assassinations. I haven't even mentioned Isaac Newton versus Gottfried Leibniz in the battle for Calculus, or Isaac Newton's Alchemy, the reconstruction of London post-fire, the gold trade, the silver trade, piracy in the Atlantic and Pacific, the timber economy, the commodities exchange of northern Europe, the court at Versailles, and so on. I'm astonished as I write this.
This is well-worth the time invested to read, as a Cycle. If Mr. Stephenson ever posted his complete bibliography, or if some doctoral student ever decided to craft that two-semester, eight-course class tracing the book's scholarship, I would be among the first to delve deeply into it and re-learn my forgotten history, mathematics, and economics. Simply, this is one of the finest fiction series ever written.
-Fred
A Brilliant Conclusion.......2007-04-25
I have thoroughly enjoyed each of the three volumes of the BAROQUE CYLCLE. Even the middle volume did not suffer from the normal "middle of the trilogy blues". This volume, though is the trump card. It too is a masterpiece.
In volume one, the reader was treated to a series of narratives that bounced back and forth between the latter 1600s and the early 1700s. The same principle character, Daniel Waterhouse, appeared sometimes as a young man in England and sometimes as an old man in New England. After the first third, we are left hanging with Daniel on the way back to England and nothing more is heard of this story line until volume 3. Most Frustrating!
The wait was worth it though. All of the many threads are tied together nicely and the individual stories come together to make a whole greater than the sum of the parts . (And the parts are very good indeed!) It is, dare I say it, like a masterful baroque organ fugue.
Jack Shaftoe, the King of the Vagabonds, has been given a mission by Louis XIV of France. He is to destroy the English system of currency set up by Isaac Newton, the greatest genius ever. Louis's hold on him is through the one woman who Jack really loves. Jack may not be well educated but his daring and cunning make him a formidable adversary.
Daniel Waterhouse has been called back to England by the heiress to the English throne. He is to patch up relations between Isaac Newton and Wilhelm Liebnitz, the two greatest minds in an age filled with them. He becomes sidetracked by a plot on his life. The solution to that plot sets him to scheming against those who most trust him.
The story seems deceptively simple but it is not. It abounds with unexpected twists and turns, lots of humor and even more trivia for those who are fascinated by the period. Those who do not like such details would be better served with another book but for me, this entire series was delightful!
A new system of the world emerges.......2007-04-12
Book Three of the Baroque Cycle brings to the series to a very dramatic close. I think this book represents some of Stephenson's finest work along with Cryptonomicon and Snow Crash. Reading the Baroque Cycle is difficult work, particularly the first book which mostly sets up the characters, but after reading TSotW, I found I finally understood why Stephenson wrote the series the way he did.
The series really is about the emergence of Europe from a barbaric and superstitious age to the beginnings of Enlightenment. The book mentions near the very end about a new System of the World, and what this is referring to is a new way of understanding the world; a new system of thought.
The book is pretty fast-paced as it brings many things to a close. Jack Shaftoe's part in the series is really some of the most exciting parts, but the efforts of Sir Isaac to capture him are quite fun to read as well. More so than earlier books in the series, you really get a sense of Stephenson's flair for adventure.
I have to say that reading this book makes the whole Cycle worth the time. I learned a great deal about pre-Enlightenment Europe through this series, and had a good read at the same time.
Too sprawling.......2007-03-13
I am a huge fan of Stephenson's earlier books and started the Baroque Cycle with great hopes. While all of Stephenson's books require a bit of dilligence to get through due to their intricate descriptions and complex plots, I have always felt that the payoff at the end of the books was enormously satisfying. In the case of the Baroque Cycle however, I felt that ultimately what should have been two great books was stretched (or more to the point, not edited tightly enough) into three books. There are elements of the plot in the System of the World which are entirely new to trilogy and these come at the expense of existing characters and story line which are left somewhat abruptly or unsatisfyingly. I feel that there was so much about this period that Stephenson wanted to describe and write about that he ultimately lost sight of the cohesiveness of the story.
Book Description
Doctor Julien Sauniere continues his investigation into the theft of a mysterious medieval scroll, only dimly aware of the forces tugging him to the doorstep of the powerful Duke of Lorraine. Lorraine wants to provoke a massive, globe-spanning war that will soak the world in blood - but why? The answer to that question, a deadly confrontation in the ancient catacombs beneath Paris, and a blasphemous revelation about Judas, Christ's betrayer, all await Julien in this volume of the critically acclaimed series Rex Mundi!
Customer Reviews:
Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-04
Julien has finally been taken by the Inquisition. He knows the Duke of Lorraine is involved in a cult. Lorraine himself has started a coup, to get rid of the king, take over the country, and start his plans for war in Europe.
The scale of the story continues to expand, and the possible reveal of the secret will have more and more impact.
Rex Mundi Volume 3: The Lost Kings (Rex Mundi).......2007-01-24
Very good script and will not let you sleep- you will want to finish.
THE MYSTERY DEEPENS!.......2006-10-04
The Lost Kings is the third trade paperback collection in this Da Vinci Code-inspired tale of mystery and dark magic. It collects issues 12 - 17 of the regular comic into a 176 page book. Now it's not altogether fair to merely consider Rex Mundi a Da Vinci Code clone. Having read a number of books on the Holy Grail, The Templars, and such subjects, writer Arvid Nelson has clearly drawn upon many of these other sources for his story. He works in the mystery of the Cathars, the Marovingians, the Sacred Female, and many other sources and continues to develop a story packed with sub-plots, fascinating characters, and alternate history.
In this third volume, the Duke of Lorraine has hatched a plot to annex Spain and rejoin the peoples that were once unified. With this merging he hopes to rid Europe of the Mohammedan Race once and for all. But Dr. Julien Sauniere finds evidence that Lorraine's motives may be even more sinister. In a puzzle that takes him throughout Paris to several cathedrals, Sauniere and his accomplice Father Calvet begin to unravel the clues of the true bloodline of Jesus Christ and the full story of his "betrayal" by Judas at the last supper. Could it all have been a ruse for Jesus to escape Roman persecution? The pair's quest takes them deep into the catacombs under Paris where they make a startling discovery. This discovery may well indeed be the true Holy Grail!
But this discovery is nothing compared to what lies in wait for Sauniere when he tracks Duke Lorraine to an out of the way chapel...
As a fan of this type of religious/historical mystery, I've really loved the Rex Mundi series. Clearly Nelson has done his research and incorporated a lot of interesting theories about the Grail, Christ, and the Templars, while infusing it with his own unique ideas. The art by EricJ, Jim De Bartolo, and Juan Ferreyra is uniformly outstanding throughout the book and really seamless. Nelson handles his story with the deft eye of a film director, knowing just how much to reveal at a time to keep readers wanting more.
This is a great series that keeps getting better!
Reviewed by Tim Janson
Book Description
The Women of Faith Conference speakers and friends share messages from their hearts to help you grow spiritually, emotionally, and relationally. Each volume in the Women of Faith Audio Series contains forty Scripture selections and devotions from the Women of Faith Devotional Bible combined with anecdotes, live quotes from the conferences, and inspiring background music.
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful msgs and Songs.......2007-07-11
I went to the women of faith Conference with my mom in law. She got me this one as a gift. I listen to it everday at office. Just 5 mins. Well sung hymn and a short message with quotes from the Bible is a wonderful way to begin your day. I would recommend it to working women like me.
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- Shonen Jump Series 1 Books
- Shonen Jump Manga Magic
- ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggghhhhhhhhhh
- This is AWSOME!!!!
- cool stuff
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Shonen Jump Graphic Novels Power Pack, Vol. 1 (Contains Volume I of Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Naruto, One Piece, Shaman King, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and YuYu Hakusho)
Shonen Jump ,
Akira Toriyama ,
Masashi Kishimoto ,
Eiichiro Oda ,
Hiroyuki Takei , and
Kazuki Takahashi
Manufacturer: VIZ Media LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1591162114 |
Book Description
This boxed set contains the first volume in seven of mangas most popular adventure series, from the superstars in the field. Akira Toriyama's great quest stories, Dragon Ball and Dragon BallZ, star the monkey-tailed boy Goku, whose quiet life is interrupted when he's enlisted to save the world. Masashi Kishimoto's award-winning Naruto takes readers into the whirlwind of the Ninja Academy with its brutal tests and challenging competitions. Then Eichiro Oda's shonen sensation One Piece features a treasure hunt like no other, triggered by some very strange gum-gum fruit. Hiroyuki Takei's teenage shaman battles ghosts and monsters in Shaman King, while Kazuki Takahashi's mega-hit Yu-Gi-Oh! finds a lonely tenth grader solving a three-thousand year puzzle, hurling him into one bizarre game after another. Finally, there's Yoshihiro Togashi's thriller YuYu Hakusho, about a teenage boy whose good deed turns him into Tokyo's toughest ghost.
Customer Reviews:
Shonen Jump Series 1 Books.......2007-01-04
This was a gift for our son for Christmas!It was great he has read most all of them and now wants most of the series.
Shonen Jump Manga Magic.......2005-11-09
This is easily the best collection of Americanized manga out. As most know, Shonen Jump was at one time a Japanese exclusive magazine that made its hop across the Pacific in 2003 for American fans to enjoy. Since that moment, it's become the best in manga and now contains a majority of the manga juggernauts.
This collection is a great start for those of you who are interested in reading manga, or for those of you who missed out on some of the earlier issues of Shonen Jump and want to catch up on what's going on. It also has the beginnings to the Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z mangas, which can't be found in Shonen Jump.
Below is a listing of the manga in this box, as well as a small description of each:
(1) Dragon Ball: This is the start of the Dragon Ball world. It explains the origins of Goku and his relationship with the Dragon Balls.
(2) Dragon Ball Z: The beginning of one of the greatest animes ever in its purest form. Unpolluted with minutes-long shouting and infested with excellent action and story, this details the story of Goku as a father and a husband, as well as following some of the other favorites of the Dragon Ball world.
(3) Naruto: Probably the best in Shonen Jump, Naruto is a tale of a boy fox-demon who wants nothing more than to earn his place in the world, and does so by training to become a ninja, despite the mistrust directed at him by some of his teacher and the hatred he receives from his fellow students.
(4) One Piece: A boy eats the mysterious Devil Fruit at a young age, making his body into rubber and also cursing his body: should he ever fall into water, he would sink instantly to the bottom. Despite that, he wants nothing more than to be the pirate king of a world of oceans.
(5) Shaman King: Yoh, a boy who can not only see ghosts but control them, comes to Tokyo to train to become a powerful shaman in the hopes that one day he'll win the title of Shaman King.
(6) Yu-Gi-Oh!: A story of constant morals and themes, it details a young, pint-sized, pointy-haired boy's struggles with a mysterious puzzle/necklace that grants him dark super powers as well as an alter-ego.
(7) YuYu Hakusho: A juvenile delinquent dies saving a child and finds out that his next was entirely unexpected and therefore gains a chance to come back to life. What he later finds out is coming back to life also makes him a spirit detective.
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggghhhhhhhhhh.......2005-05-29
this is too awesome.. I think I'm goonna crrry... uhhhhhhhh... huu huu. Okay calm down, you're a pimp, you're a pimp. This is too awesome I'm gonna barf uhhhhhhhhhhhhh... I'm fine.
This is AWSOME!!!!.......2005-03-30
This pack is totaly awsome!If your obsessed about anime than this is the thing for you! I collect and read Shonen Jump magazine, and I kept getting curious about how all the stories had started. So I got this and it answered all my questions.
cool stuff.......2005-01-26
I think that this is one of the best manga/anime comics that I have ever read.
Product Description
Set of 10 Ten Volumes I - X. Bible Stories from Genesis to Revelations. Illustrated with color drawings. Child friendly format. Index in volume 10 of all 409 stories. Four seperate index formats makes locating the lessons easy.
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Yu-Gi-Oh! Millennium World, Volume 3 (Yu-Gi-Oh! (Graphic Novels))
Kazuki Takahashi
Manufacturer: VIZ Media LLC
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Yu-Gi-Oh! Millennium World, Volume 1 (Yu-Gi-Oh!: Millennium World)
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Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duelist, Volume 12 (Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist)
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Yu-Gi-Oh!, Volume 7 (Yu-Gi-Oh!)
ASIN: 142150409X |
Book Description
The final Yu-Gi-Oh! Story! After hundreds of battles, Yugi has finally gathered all the Egyptian God Cards... the key to unlocking his memories of his past life as a n Egyptian pharaoh. When Ryo Bakura gives him the Millennium Eye, Yugi opens the door to the world of memory, and hismind travels back in time to ancient Egypt, when the magic and mosters were real! Now Yugi and his friends must explore the world of Yugi's forgotten past... and fight an enemy who has been waiting for them for 3000 years!
Books:
- Supreme Discomfort: The Divided Soul of Clarence Thomas
- Surviving Hitler: A Boy in the Nazi Death Camps
- Teach Yourself Italian Complete Course Package (Book + 2CDs) (Teach Yourself Language Complete Courses)
- Temples of Sound: Inside the Great Recording Studios
- The Autobiography of Malcolm X : As Told to Alex Haley
- The Buddha Said...: Meeting the Challenge of Life's Difficulties
- The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou
- The Family: The Real Story of the Bush Dynasty
- The Fear of the Lord: Discover the Key to Intimately Knowing God (Inner Strength Series)
- The Grove Centenary Editions of Samuel Beckett Boxed Set: Contains Novels I and II of Samuel Beckett, The Dramatic Works of Samuel Beckett, and The Poems, ... of Samuel Beckett (Grove Centenary Editions)
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