The Spirit Archives, Volume 17

Book Description

The adventures of Will Eisner's most famous creation continuein this volume reprinting the Spirit newspaper sections from 1/5/47 to6/29/47. Featuring appearances by Ebony, Dolan and Ellen, the seductiveP'Gell, Hoagy the Yogi, Silken Floss, Saree and more, plus an introductionby Jim Vance.

Customer Reviews:

WARNING!.......2006-01-22

Many of the reviews for this volume (released 12/05) are actually for OTHER, volume sin the series. This book is part of the classic run of post war SPIRIT stories, as are v12 - 16. This is the best of the best, so dig in!

I have written to AMAZON to ask them to change the Spirit Archive review sections, and hopefully they will get around to it soon!

Spirit Archives, Volume 5.......2005-12-14

This book covers The Spirit Sunday comic strip from July, 1942 to December, 1942. Spirit creator Will Eisner had been inducted into the Army in May of 1942, so he didn't draw any of the comics here. He managed to contribute a few scripts, but not too many. Scripts were written by Manly Wade Wellman, Alfred Bester, William Woolfolk and possibly others. Most of the artwork was handled by Lou Fine, who was no Will Eisner, but was a great artist in his own right. While this is not the best of The Spirit, it was still one of the best "masked crimefighter" comics of the time period.

Eisner Returns.......2004-12-15

The Spirit is a crime fighting hero who uses ingenuity and physical skill, rather than super powers, to defeat evil. He is witty likeable and politically incorrect. The comic pioneered many layout techniques and so many super heros are modeled after The Spirit. The story lines and comics hold up even now more than 60 years later and I recommend for comic book fans to try out the series.

I recommend this series to all comics fans, although not necessarily this volume. The Spirit was very influential and the stories are still good to read now. I recommend this series to libraries, because this is a unique opportunity to archive the entire run of a very influential comic.

Great promise of things to come.......2004-04-16

I thoroughly recommend this book to Spirit fans, but not necessarily as the ideal introduction to the Great Spirit.
This volume is The Spirit's springtime.
"The Spirit" at his greatest was characterised by excellent stories, well paced, superb viewer angles in the art-work, and wonderful tension built by the ambiguity in the relationships between the Spirit and the regular characters.
In this volume the stories are good, and the pacing and the angles are developing. The cast of characters is only in its infancy.
The masterpieces are yet to come in future volumes.

Not the work of Eisner, but includes some of the BEST!!!.......2004-04-10

Eisner contributed only plots and some loose layouts to the stories in this volume, but some of the strips still rank among the best Spirit stories. Now, the OVERALL quality of the strip isn't as good as the post-war Eisner years, but certain individual ones are as good as it gets.

A particular highlight is the Spirit's first encounter with Diana, the huntress who stalks him like a beast. It won't ruin you enjoyment of the story to tell you it's hilarious when the Spirit SPANKS her and sends her off crying. Not exactly politically correct. Heh.

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The awakening of spring,: A tragedy of childhood,
Frank Wedekind
Manufacturer: N.L. Brown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

German | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B00085N41O

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The Awakening of Spring - A Tragedy of Childhood
Frank WEDEKIND
Manufacturer: Brown Bros.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OP619A

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The Awakening of Spring, a Tragedy of Childhood

Manufacturer: Brown brothers,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000FMNGLI

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The Awakening Of Spring. A Tragedy Of Childhood
FRANK WEDEKIND
Manufacturer: Brown Brothers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KFUX98

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The new kingdom

The Analysis Substantiated Judgement

Hurry up and wait

Not nearly as good as _The Hound and the Falcon_

FANTASTIC!!!!

Kingdom of the Grail
Judith Tarr
Manufacturer: Roc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Tarr, Judith | ( T ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Epic | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0451460049
Release Date: 2004-10-05

Book Description

The wizard Merlin, imprisoned within an enchanted forest since the fall of Camelot, receives a visitor possessing strong magical talent. His name is Roland, a knight and warrior who has sworn to free the legendary sorcerer. But, to save the wizard, Roland must first confront an old, powerful enemy of Merlin's on a quest for the Holy Grail.

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Customer Reviews:

The new kingdom.......2005-05-07

Judith Tarr has taken the epic Chanson de Roland and the historic Charlemagne and created Kingdom of the Grail, a fantasy novel which explains Ganelon's treachery and Roland's death while mixing in the more familiar and popular grail legend from Arthurian mythology. Tarr's representation of Charlemagne's court is a composite of the historical court and the Charlemagne depicted in the chanson.

Tarr, who holds a Ph.D. in Medieval history, clearly has a deep understanding of such primary sources as Einhard's Vita Caroli, Notker's De Carolo Magno, and the 12th century Chanson de Roland, as well as secondary sources such as Pierre Riché's La Vie Quotidienne dans l'Empire Carolingien. Her tale draws elements from all of those works and her use of short paragraphs is reminiscent of the verse style of the chanson.

The novel follows the basic plot of the Chanson de Roland, with Ganelon's arrival at Charlemagne's court, the decision to battle the Muslims in Spain and the subsequent ambush at Roncevalles. After the battle, Tarr follows the historical record, specifically the revolt of Charlemagne's son, Pepin. However, this is juxtaposed with Roland's adventures in Montsalvat, the Kingdom of the Grail, where his greater destiny is revealed.

While Tarr takes an interesting an under-explored legend and mixes it with the more popular tale of Arthur, the ideas she presents are more interesting than the novel itself. She never manages to get the pacing correct, and the characters are led by their fates rather than any sense of free will, although towards the end of the novel, the question of free will becomes important in and of itself.

Early in the novel, Roland forms a relationship with the mysterious Sarissa. However, the sense of mystery feels forced and the reader never really wonders where Sarissa comes from. Of more concern is why the two characters are together, since there does not appear to be any real chemistry between them.

Tarr has a great ability to create potentially interesting situations using historical precedents. Unfortunately, she has not yet mastered the ability to turns these stories into entertaining novels. While a fast-paced novel certainly isn't required, especially when dealing with more philosophical issues, Tarr could certainly increase the pacing in Kingdom of the Grail.

The Analysis Substantiated Judgement.......2005-01-03

"Kingdom Of The Grail" written by Judith Tarr has its main setting actually based in `the Holy Grail's kingdom' of Montsalvat, where it is protected from the forces of evil. The theme of "Kingdom Of The Grail" is the general conflict between good and evil. On many levels the forces of dark are pitched against the forces of good. The main conflict that takes place happens between darkness and light, representing good and evil. Roland is main character, fighting for the forces of good, and he has also sworn to kill his enemy Ganelon who leads the forces of evil. All of the characters named in this book have or do take part in a fight or a war between two large forces; good and evil or Franks and Spaniards. Therefore, instead of a slowly-developing plot, many of the 66 chapters of this book have lots of action that involves killing or romance scenes. Other reviews from Amazon.com state that this book is similar to "The Song of Roland" (by Turoldus). "Kingdom Of The Grail" fits into the genre of historical fantasy, the reason being that historical fantasies are the author's preferred genre. In writing high fantasy novels Judith Tarr relates: "The need for scrupulous historical research is less, but in its place comes the task of creating lands, people, languages, histories, cultures, and all the manifold aspects of a living world. Not only must I create them, I must create them as a whole, connected logically and plausibly, with characters drawn to the best of my ability. It is not easy."

The historical genre aspect comes from well researched characters from Camelot and also plotlines involving medieval religion, and Frankish and Spaniard culture. This book takes the stock characters of Camelot and puts them into its plot. Despite one of the main characters being Merlin, "Kingdom Of The Grail" has little to do with other popular books based on a Camelot setting because the time period takes place generations after King Arthur's life. Roland is actually a character found from "The Song of Roland", which is why these literary compositions are quite similar. Judith Tarr tries to increase her theme's realism through research into the cultures in the book's time period. This increases suspension of disbelief by making cultural structures very realistic. The cultures of Franks and Spaniards are implemented into this book, as well as their opposing religious beliefs. The fantasy genre aspect comes from the type of characters and action in this book; involving magic, enchanters, swordfighting, immortals and mythical creatures such as dragons. Many of the events taking place have actions and plot additions that make "Kingdom Of The Grail" similar to the many other novels that use fantasy-themes. There are also displays of romance in this book mainly between the main characters Roland and his lover Sarissa. Romance plays a large role in developing the personalities of this book's main characters. This has a negative impact on the book's overall impression because Roland and Sarissa's relationship are used to delay the book's timeline, adding in several minor personal conflicts before the climax can take place, and hindering the development of the plot

The main character is Roland, who is used for most of the plot development. There is a great deal of foreshadowing as Roland strives to find his fate, from other characters and from dreams. The explicit hints at Roland's destiny help to build his character along the plot, and are a large element in the minor plot between Roland and Sarissa as she keeps the full truth about his fate veiled. One of the strong messages given in "Kingdom Of The Grail" has communicated the negative effects of power addictions. The antagonist of this book Ganelon is evil and hates the majority of the world. His main fault is a striving for power, which has clearly become his top priority, "No healing. Power. Only power. If I cannot have that, I will have nothing." (page 458). Since we do not want to be like the villain of this book, we can avoid having his many bad characteristics of hate and power-lust, because it has clouded his perspective and made him evil. Another character Pepin is held captive under the lure mastering dark magic. He is a secondary antagonist to Roland, and throughout the plot his intentions darken to evil. Hints about Roland's destiny and suffering throughout the book help to build his character, but Ganelon and Pepin's characters devolve throughout the book as they are proved to be Roland's sinister enemies and full of evil villainous hatred. This difference in opposing personalities increase reader enjoyment from unravelling the plot of "Kingdom Of The Grail"

Although many people enjoyed this book and like reading Judith Tarr's novels, there are many other books of this genre that are better written and with more engaging plots. This book has a low overall effectiveness for many readers, four reviews at Amazon.com finding "Kingdom Of The Grail" to be an unsatisfactory novel. Although this book is based on historical facts and figures, there was little suspension of disbelief because the historical aspect of this novel conflicts with and lessens the mysticality of its fantasy aspects! Fantasy is like make-believe while history is mainly facts; this book does not achieve a smooth transition between the two realms of believability. The book would be appropriate to readers versed in historical fantasies and romance, yet "Kingdom Of The Grail" did not seem to fit under the satisfactory category. Compared to another book in the teens' age group, "The Chrysalids" (by John Wyndham) did not have conflicting genres, added more elements of suspense, and included much more explicit and implicit messaging. On the other hand, "Kingdom Of The Grail" included excellent foreshadowing techniques, was of longer length, and exceeded "The Chrysalids" romance appeal.

Another element in the book's low overall effectiveness is a bias against romance novels. This book has excessive romance throughout to keep Judith Tarr's fans entertained. The content is deemed inappropriate because of excessive lovemaking. The values in the text contradict with the values of younger age groups, but many people's values are changing in favour of sex and romance. Therefore this book would be most suitable for an older age group of adult readers. "Kingdom Of The Grail" is a mix between fantasy, romance and history; so if any of these genres are not liked by a reader, then he or she would be discouraged from reading the novel.

Hurry up and wait.......2002-07-18

This book was an interesting weave of the Merlin story and the "Song of Roland." The last half of the book occurs after the "Song of Roland" and what could have happened if Roland had been a descendent of Merlin.

The magical elements in this book are wonderful. Tarik is so entertaining. The author leaves some things hidden until the very end, which makes it a satisfying conclusion.

However, there were parts of this book that just drug along. The romance was ok, but the whole "who is he?" "who is she?" nonsense against a larger backdrop was inconsequential.

All in all, I think this is a good book that deserves a read, however, be prepared to have to dig through some not very exciting parts to get to the good stuff.

Not nearly as good as _The Hound and the Falcon_.......2001-12-18

I really wanted to love this book. The negative reviews here seemed to focus on the romance plot, which on itself is not a problem, on the contrary, Alamut is a favorite of mine. I am very glad that Ms. Tarr is writing again fantasy novels set in the same universe as the Hound&Falcon trilogy and Alamut and _the Dagger&the Cross_, but a few centuries before. _Hounds of God:_ the last novel of _the Hound and Falcon_ closed that universe to all new novels are set earlier, which certainly offers potential.

But on this novel the mix and match of several myths just does not work. I wishI understood why the Kingdom of the Grail has the feel that it cames out the Pan-Celtic tour to fantasyland, while it is somehow related to the Pyrinees, and the basques. Enough celts, please, there are so very many other interesting European societies! And the plot and characterization is a mess, "she distrusts him, now she trusts him, now there is a big misunderstanding, now he distrusts her...", oh, dear.... It was a chore to plog along until the end of the book. Not recomended, but Ms Tarr's earlier novels, The Hound and the Falcon, and the Avaryan series certainly are recomended, read them instead if you haven't yet. If you are already a fan of those novels, don't expect too much of this one, and you might end up enjoying it, but in my opinion this is far from being their equal.

FANTASTIC!!!!.......2001-07-27

Ms. Tarr returns to her most magical writing style, which I have not seen done quite this well since the Hound and the Falcon trilogy.

I savored every word of this story. It is exquisitely crafted, slowly unfolding and building to a wondrous crescendo. Masterfully done!

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Not a Romance

Attanasio builds a classic romantic fantasy

Kingdom of the Grail
A. A. Attanasio
Manufacturer: Harpercollins (Mm)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0061099791

Customer Reviews:

Not a Romance.......2003-01-29

And not a fantasy, this is written in a more "literary" style, though as a previous critic said, it doesn't deliver the literary punch that the publishers would have you believe.

The author's research is impeccable, his writing style is more than competent, and as an artist, his message is quite clear. I suppose it is the latter that I have a problem with. He is clearly a cynical atheist at heart, and I'm not. I suppose that's a matter of opinion, so I gave the book a four-star rating as opposed to the lower one I had originally intended to give.

The book left me feeling bereft, as was, no doubt, the author's intention. ;-) It doesn't make me want to run out, though, and buy more of same.

Attanasio builds a classic romantic fantasy.......1997-07-02

Kingdom of the Grail is a large novel which attempts to give a realistic look at medieval life while maintaining a sense of fantasy through the romance of love realized but never attained. The book paints a vivid, though internally inconsistent, picture of life in a medieval castle in Wales. The conflicts between church and state and glorified and glamorized by the author, but reflect the turmoil of the times.

In a tale of plot and counter-plot the author spins a story which keeps the reader interested in the next move. Rachel Tibbon, the heroin, is portrayed as a richly developed character who undergoes dramatic changes in life and lifestyle over the course of the book. Her foil, Guy Lanfranc, emphasizes both her character flaws and character stengths as both vie with one another for control of the castle and lands in the barrony.

Traditional concepts of chivalry are invoked throughout the book and the concept of loyalty is examined from many angles. Honesty is exemplified and voided by the very character of the Heroin creating a constantly shifting background for the story. Chastity is both flaunted and upheld by characters in the book for a variety of reasons all well presented and well thought out. In general, the book provides new and interesting insights into the trials and tribulations of attempting to live out the chivalric code.

This book is a fun read and is occasionally engaging enough to make it hard to put the book down. Internal inconsistencies in the way medieval life is presented and character motivations are flaws which make the read seem to occasionally stutter despite the beautiful images evoked by the author. The prose is pleasant and the imagry is frequently poetic which rescue the book more than once.

I would recommend this book for a fun read, sort of a beach book, but without the dramatic literary impact claimed on the dustjacket.

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Looking for the soul of Wales, in its people

The Bank Manager and the Holy Grail: Travels in the Strange Kingdom of Wales
Byron Rogers
Manufacturer: Aurum Press, Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Travel | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1854109499

Customer Reviews:

Looking for the soul of Wales, in its people .......2005-09-11

The subtitle differs a bit in two editions, "wilder" being subtracted, but the gist remains: a journalist, born in what was post-war Carmarthenshire, returning to his homeland to uncover intriguing stories and lots of anecdotes. Since this is a collection of pieces written over the past quarter-century, it does lack a controlling theme, although the entries are arranged in roughly thematic sections: people he knows, those from the past that he wishes he knew, and then on to more historical and localized events. My only caveat, which took this rating down, was the lack of any map. For non-Cymric readers like myself, a chart of Wales and the sites mentioned in his many itineraries would have been invaluable. Without it, there's a too-random feel as one entry follows another across his homeland, although this is not a fault of the essays themselves, only their compilation for a wider audience. Rogers writes chattily but hides beneath an affable nature his considerable craft in getting an article of one or two thousand words to reveal a great deal about both his own diligence in constructing a well-made essay and his intelligence in arranging details to build up to an often movingly narrated conclusion. He's also a master of getting you hooked from the start, and his stylistic tic of addressing the reader as "you" may hearken of an old-fashioned epistolary nature, but it does keep one's interest and moves the various stories along quickly.

I have not said much about the actual contents of these collected tales, but suffice to say that although the wildness of many of them may be due more to mental than geographical conditions encountered, that they serve not only to entertain but to educate. Rogers avoids the cutesy details, the eccentric exaggerations of his subjects, or the folksy embellishment. As a native Welshman, and the first in his family line to actually write in English, his knowledge of both sides of the Welsh story means that this is a more rooted, rather than impressionistically superficial, excavation into the principality. His own pride, without being inflated or vain, about his hometown and its environs makes for a series of encounters that show his unending curiosity into the foibles and fantasies of his fellow countrymen and women makes for realistic, yet memorably distinctive, assorted conversations and ruminations. The untranslatable "hireath," a longing and a loyalty for the Welsh heritage and its manifestations, emerges in these pages of Rogers' travels.

Freemasonry and the Heavenly Kingdom of the Holy Grail

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Freemasonry and the Heavenly Kingdom of the Holy Grail
Isabel Cooper-Oakley
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Freemasonry | Other Practices | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1425316182

The Grail Murders: Being the Third Journal of Sir Roger Shallot Concerning Certain Wicked Conspiracies and Horrible Murders Perpetrated in the Reign

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Fun & entertaining
Fantastic Fun

The Grail Murders: Being the Third Journal of Sir Roger Shallot Concerning Certain Wicked Conspiracies and Horrible Murders Perpetrated in the Reign
Michael Clynes , and PC Doherty
Manufacturer: O. Penzler Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1883402492

Customer Reviews:

Fun & entertaining.......2004-03-17

Think Brother Cadfeal crossed with Flashman. A rogue remembers his early life of solving crime. A great & fun read.

Fantastic Fun.......1999-03-16

This book is in the sperit of the others in this series, The feeling for the time period is fantastic. The mystory is not to deep but the action and wit is enough to keep you reading late into the night. These books are very good and fun reads.

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Kingdom Of The Grail
A. A. Attanasio
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OABBAO

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Kingdom of the Grail
A.A. Attanasio
Manufacturer: New York: HarperCollins, 1992
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NV8ELI

The Quest for the Grail: Arthurian Legend in British Art 1840-1920

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The Quest for the Grail: Arthurian Legend in British Art 1840-1920
Christine Poulson
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | History & Criticism | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Criticism | History & Criticism | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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The Fall of Arthur's Kingdom: A Study of Tennyson's the Holy Grail (Salzburg Studies in English Literature)

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The Fall of Arthur's Kingdom: A Study of Tennyson's the Holy Grail (Salzburg Studies in English Literature)
Natascha U. Haghofer
Manufacturer: University of Salzburg
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Kingdom of the Grail

Manufacturer: Morrow/Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000HWJ0A2

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Very helpful

orthopedic swiss ball applications

Using the ball, tubing--if so, this book is good to have!

Swiss Ball Applications for Orthopedic and Sports Medicine- A Guide for Home Exercise Programs Utilizing the Swiss Ball
Joanne Posner-Mayer
Manufacturer: Ball Dynamics International, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation | Specialties | Medicine | Subjects | Books
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation | Internal Medicine | Medicine | Medical | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
Injuries & Rehabilitation | Exercise & Fitness | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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Accessories:

Tanita BC554 Ironman Glass InnerScan Body Composition Monitor Elite Series

ASIN: 0964534142

Book Description

This book is designed as a tool to instruct clients in ball exercises prescribed and practiced during supervised therapy sessions. However, any healthy individual can use it to learn and perform the exercises by themselves for fitness and injury prevention. These exercises can also be applied to people of all ages and abilities.

Customer Reviews:

Very helpful.......2005-08-11

I am a physical therapist and found this book to be very helpful in learning exercises on the theraball and for creating home exercise programs for patients. Very useful!

orthopedic swiss ball applications.......2001-07-11

This book is excellent! It shows illustrated step by step instructions to complete each exercise. Great for rehab purposes or just toning up. There are about 190 pages of instruction. The instruction not only includes the swiss ball but also the swiss ball with dumbells and resistance band. This exercise book strengthens your mid-section (abs, truck area. Once again, this is an excellent book!!

Using the ball, tubing--if so, this book is good to have!.......2000-12-26

This book illustrates cardiovascular, strength, and flexibility exercises using the Swiss ball, rubberized tubing, and dumbbells. The text also illustrates correct techniques as well as different levels of difficulty for each exercise. Good book to own!

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