Jack Maggs: A Novel

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As a novelist, Peter Carey is hardly a stranger to the 19th century: his Oscar and Lucinda was a veritable treasure-trove of Victoriana. In this novel, however, Carey has set himself an even more complicated task--reimagining not only a vanished era but one of that era's masterpieces. Jack Maggs is a variation on Great Expectations, in which Dickens's tale is told from the viewpoint of Australian convict Abel Magwitch. The names, it's true, have been tinkered with, but the book's literary paternity is unmistakable. So, too, is the postcolonial spin that Carey puts on Dickens's material: this time around, the prodigal Maggs is perceived less as an invading alien than a righteous (if not particularly welcome) refugee.

Of course, rewriting a page-turner from the past offers some major perils, not the least of them being comparisons to the original. Carey, however, more than withstands the test of time, alluding to the formality of Victorian prose without ever bending over backward to duplicate it. In addition, his eye for physical detail--and the ways in which such details open small or large windows onto character--is on par with that of Dickens. Here, for example, he pins down both the body and soul of a household servant: "Miss Mott was lean and sinewy and there was nowhere much for such a violent shiver to hide itself. Consequently it went right up her spine and disappeared inside her little white cap and then, just when it seemed lost, it came out the other side and pulled up the ends of her thin mouth in a grimace." Throw in a wicked mastery of period slang, a subplot about Victorian mesmerism (of which Dickens was, in fact, a practitioner), and an amazing storytelling gift, and you have a novel which meets and exceeds almost any expectation one might bring to it.

Book Description

The Booker Prize-winning author of Oscar and Lucinda returns to the nineteenth century in an utterly captivating mystery. The year is 1837 and a stranger is prowling London. He is Jack Maggs, an illegal returnee from the prison island of Australia. He has the demeanor of a savage and the skills of a hardened criminal, and he is risking his life on seeking vengeance and reconciliation.
Installing himself within the household of the genteel grocer Percy Buckle, Maggs soon attracts the attention of a cross section of London society. Saucy Mercy Larkin wants him for a mate. The writer Tobias Oates wants to possess his soul through hypnosis. But Maggs is obsessed with a plan of his own. And as all the various schemes converge, Maggs rises into the center, a dark looming figure, at once frightening, mysterious, and compelling. Not since Caleb Carr's The Alienist have the shadowy city streets of the nineteenth century lit up with such mystery and romance.

Customer Reviews:

A True Example of Dickensian Fiction.......2007-03-07

I often become annoyed at reading reviews where critics rave about how wonderful a novel is and how "Dickensian" it is. Peter Carey's novel may be the first example I have come across that deserves that label. "Jack Maggs" is a novel that is completely realized in its attempt to recreate Victorian (possibly circa-the Industrial Revolution, but dating it is a little difficult) England not only in setting, but in language and tone as well. I literally felt like I was becoming a 19th century reader as I read the text. What amazed me was the fact that if I hadn't known it was a Peter Carey novel, I would have attributed the novel to a contemporary of Dickens himself.

The novel centers around Jack Maggs, an exiled thief who returns to London to find his pseudo-adopted son Henry and reclaim his house. By accident, he becomes the footman to one Percy Buckle and eventual "scientific study" and novel inspiration for a writer named Tobias who has the ability to hypnotize his subjects and obtain whatever information he wants from their brains. It's a wonderful cast of characters who become embroiled in Maggs' search for his son, someone who does not want to be associated in any way, shape, or form to his benefactor. As the story continues, you wait and wait for a terrible tragedy to occur, and you can literally feel a noose getting tighter and tighter in the final few pages.

I loved reading this book as I have enjoyed much of what Carey has written. For those who love Dickens and James, this book will be a wonderful addition to your bookshelf.

Excellent Story!.......2007-02-19

Apparently this story is a reinvention of Charles Dickens's Great Expectations. The book is rich with interesting characters and a powerful moral vision. The story begins in London, 1837, with Jack Maggs returning after 20 years in the penal colony in Australia with the fortune he made there. He has a mission in London which he conceals to others and masquerades as a footman to an eccentric household of Percy Buckle. A wonderful story with a satisfying ending.

Jack Maggs.......2006-07-15

I have watched Oscar & Lucinda (Peter Carey) about 10 times. It's one of my alltime favorites. I heard about Peter Carey when Theft: A Love Story was reviewed in my local newspaper. I got the book and then went online to see what else he had written. I read Jack Maggs first, the story is so enthralling and the cast of characters reminds you of the quirkly people out of a Dickens novel. In a book where there is no sex, a little violence it certainly kept my interest from the first chapter. I give Jack Maggs *****

Interesting cross of all sorts of things.......2005-08-08

I started reading this book on a recommendation, and basically had no idea what it was about when I picked it up.

The first thing that struck me is that Peter Carey had launched himself into a virtuoso exercise in Victoriana: sordid smoggy London streets, graphic descriptions of the abusive living conditions of the under-privileged, and of course...a tall, dark, brutish, brooding, mysterious anti-hero type of character lugging his broad frame and tortuous past around with him. The mystical aura of the surroundings is also compounded by a sub-plot involving hypnotism. So far, so good, very entertaining. Actually, the character of Jack Maggs reminded me right away of Marv, the main character of the first Sin City book (Mickey Rourke in the film).

Then, a plot twist, and another, and another, to the point that I kept wondering "what the hell is this book actually about?". There were a few modern angles thrown into it as well, like a small gay reference (reminiscent of "Fingersmith" without the humor), a number of pointed comments on the role/position of women, and a strong whiff of the difficulties in reconciling national and personal identities. However, these didn't detract from the book or politicise it to excess -- rather, these elements added even more texture to an already vivid read.

All of a sudden, this book had morphed from a Victorian comic-book/soap-opera (think Wuthering Heights) into something completely different, and very emotionally loaded (father-son relationships, manipulation, etc.). What was also very interesting was the story arc that emerged -- this book seemed to be about the conclusion of the characters' story arcs, rather than a description of their lifelines (which was what the first half had led me to expect). Basically it felt like I was reading Book 10 in a series and was missing the first nine.

...and, stupid me, it was only after having finished the book that I figured out (or rather, I was told) that this is a riff off of Great Expectations, at which point things started to make a bit more sense. Yes, Maggs is close to Magwitch, and Phipps sounds like Pip, and why not, this was a pretty cool twist on the story.

Still, though, I couldn't grasp what had motivated Peter Carey to write this sort of hommage to Dickens. It is very entertaining, very well-written, and definitely a recommended read, but ultimately a bit puzzling. I think you need to be intimately familiar with Victorian literature to get all the subtleties of "Jack Maggs".

A previous reviewer likened this to a jazz riff on Dickens, and I fully agree. Imagine listening to a well-loved classic song, and then listening to a fusion-jazz version of it, complete with bizarre synclavier and bongo solos. The jazz version can be really cool in its own right, but if you don't know the original, you lose something in the structure of the piece.

Verdict: recommended, but read Great Expectations first!

Finally gave up on it........2004-11-05

I've been trying to read Jack Maggs for the past couple of weeks. I found myself always trying to find something else to do. This included catching up on magazines, playing Freecell on my PC, etc. Tonight I finally gave up at about the halfway point in the book. Unfortunately, I didn't really care about what happened to the characters and didn't find the story at all captivating or even interesting. I read quite a bit and it's pretty unusual for me to quit halfway through a novel. Obviously many readers loved the book, but I didn't.

A ghost story in two parts: Charles Dickens, Peter Carey, and avenging phantoms. : An article from: Australian Literary Studies

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A ghost story in two parts: Charles Dickens, Peter Carey, and avenging phantoms. : An article from: Australian Literary Studies
Alice Brittan
Manufacturer: University of Queensland Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Australian Literary Studies, published by University of Queensland Press on October 1, 2004. The length of the article is 7476 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: A ghost story in two parts: Charles Dickens, Peter Carey, and avenging phantoms.
Author: Alice Brittan
Publication: Australian Literary Studies (Magazine/Journal)
Date: October 1, 2004
Publisher: University of Queensland Press
Volume: 21 Issue: 4 Page: 40(16)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

The New York Times best-seller, now in paperback! This paperback edition of the New York Times best-selling title expands the civil upheaval among the drow, one of the most popular races in the Forgotten Realms setting. Best-selling author R.A. Salvatore wrote the prologue to Annihilation and continues to consult on the series, lending his expertise as the author who brought drow society to the forefront of the Forgotten Realms setting.

Customer Reviews:

With both good and bad, this is a solid book in the series but also wishy-washy.......2007-06-15

This book in the series is somewhat difficult for me to review. There are many parts I enjoyed, namely the ongoing battle between the lich drow Dyrr and Gromph Baenre, but also parts that weren't good and seemed to just "fill up space". First off I feel this book makes for the largest departure in character personality and attitude. A certain degree of character difference is to be expected from different authors in such a series, but this book took some of the characters even farther out of their pre-written element. The first 4 books managed to maintain a certain character consistency that didn't seem to hold in this entry. Pharaun and Danifae in particular seemed to be the largest examples of this.

As for the actual meat of the book and its place in the series, the first 3/4 of the book, while enjoyable, seemed to be sort of a filler rather than a true and necessary part of the story. This changed near the end though, when big and important events unfolded that will undoubtedly come to fruition in the final book, Resurrection.

On the brighter side of things, I felt Athans did a good job of telling the story of Hallistra Melarn and her "new way of life". In contrast to some of the other reviews here, I believe it was not to far fetched and made perfect sense for the alienated priestess of House Melarn and the ruined Ched Nasad. I also thouroughly enjoyed the battle between Gromph and the lich drow. It was handled well and allowed for many a different spell and incantation to be unleashed, showing us the true power (and weakness) of the archmage of Menzoberranzan.

All in all I think it was a pretty good book, but could have made more of an impact than it did. Having read it, I can't help but feel half of the book was unnecessary in the telling of this epic story! If I could rate this book 3.5 stars I would, but it was tough for me to give it the benefit of the doubt, when considering other books I've given 4 stars were better. I am looking forward to Resurrection though, as im sure there are big events to come!

Not as bad as all that!.......2007-04-10

I should state for the record that I actually know the author. We played D&D together for years back near his hometown. Now that I've disclosed my bias, I will say that I liked this book. It's not Tolstoy or anything. Understand that books like this are outlined to death in committee with all the authors in the room. So possibly there was little to be done about the actual story arc. And I have to say that it's not my favorite series in the world either. But it was interesting to see the dark elves and their interaction with each other. Hopefully with the Forgotten Realms trilogy he's writting he will be given more creative licence.

What a trainwreck.......2006-08-25

The first thing that comes to mind is that the characters seem to have had their brains sucked out off-stage while I wasn't looking, so upon this book's beginning, their intelligence score has been dropped by ten points. At the outside. More than a few of them -- oh, screw that, most of them -- seem to have gotten a personality transplant. I hesitate to use this term, but pretty much all the main characters are so out-of-character they're nearly unrecognizable. It's as if a fan-author wrote a sequel to EXTINCTION and managed to get it published, except... oh, wait, except nothing. Philip Athans, after all, brought to us the Baldur's Gate novelizations. And forget about the fanfiction comment, because that'd be an insult; I've read better fanfiction.

There's a massive amount of things not to like: Jeggred's abrupt shift of loyalty to Danifae (for no particular reason; it's not as if Danifae's done anything special or displayed amazing charisma), the death of a certain character (your average woodcutter carries an axe that's not only enchanted but strong enough to cleave through dwarf-made mithral armor? Really? Wow, Faerunian woodsmen must be pretty rich; do they sell drugs on the side?), and Halisstra's sudden drop in IQ (does worshiping Eilistraee decrease your intelligence score? In other novels, no; in this one, apparently) -- she becomes so gullible that she's willing to trust Danifae, a battle-captive of hers who would have every reason to hold a grudge.

I skipped huge sections of battle scenes, because they bore me so very much. Athans isn't one of those authors whose action sequences can engage me, and for the most part I find the battles gratuitous and dragged out. They reveal no important plot points, advance no characterization, and serve as testament that, no, most authors can't make fights cinematic. All I need to do is skim the beginning of the scene and then the end to see who emerges victorious, and that's that. They're boring, and at the end, I don't seem to have missed anything of importance. And speaking of pointless... Gromph is astonishingly inept for someone who's the Archmage of Menzo. He miscalculates again and again and again during his duel with Dyrr, so much that it's pathetic. His trip to the halfling heaven is a waste of pages (seriously, what was the purpose of that?), and it's painful to see one of the short races treated once again either as comic relief or idiot children. Wonderful, isn't it?

The next point's that sections of the book made me laugh aloud, but I've a feeling that wasn't quite intended. There's the scene where the Master of Sorcere lecture about Dyrr's invulnerabilities and weakness, because those? Could've come out of an RPG strategy guide. The sentence describing the wizards casting protective spells on Gromph and Gromph being sure that he will be "immune to everything" made me giggle like a loon. All I could think was an MMORPG raid party preparing to face the raid boss. "Okay, everybody, the lichdrow is immune to the following spells. Nukers, don't bother with X, Y, and Z. Buffers, line up to cast buffs on the tank so he'll be immune to A, B, and C." It's so incredibly inane. And the line about Gromph "wasting energy" to cast a spell quicker? Priceless. Oh, look, he's making use of his metamagic feat, Quicken Spell, and he has to cast the spell as a higher-level one for it.

Dice rolling in the background? You've got to be kidding me; that's too complicated and gritty. I can practically see numbers floating up the characters' heads the way I do when playing Neverwinter Nights, along with messages that say "Character is casting spell [name]." It's that mechanical and that hilarious.

Bother with this book only if you're absolutely *desperate* to see how the series turns out. Or, actually, just ask someone to summarize it for you.

Disappointed - this book is a let down in the series.......2006-08-25

This is - in my opinion - the WORST book in the series. Be warned!

Where previous books were maintaining a clear and consistent tone in terms of charactes, this one is just WAY off.

The characters seem to converse in much different manner, more simplifieg, often childish, lacking the depth and substance that the in the previous books.

Nearly ALL conversations are broken up - it's very annoying, tiring, and makes the story hard to follow.

Quenthel telling Pharaun "I hate you" close to the beginning of the book dispels the magic that the previous four books have successfully woven together.

This book is filled with this type of "gems" that made me wonder if author actually read the previous ones before sitting down and writing it.

The characters also are reacting and thinking differently, almost as if they had personality changes.

While I understand different authors' styles, this book has offered the least consistency in the character department.

After blazing my way 4 books back-to-back, I have lost interest in the story because of this single book.

The book also has several continuity issues that have not been quite addressed. Those of us that do remember what happened in the previous parts of the storey, can spot those easily.

Honestly, it makes me wonder whether this was a first attempt of the author into writing, it was so bad. ARGH!

Still continuing.......2006-08-08

First off - this book is in a series that cannot be read out of order. The first three books are mainly stories in thier own, but with the same characters as they progress on the mission they are taking. As I reviewed in the last book - it seemed more of a .. conncetion book.. to the next ones, and honestly I felt the same for this one... in many ways.. this book only just finished up the connection from Extinction to Ressurection. I really began to feel that this series was just not as good as it started in this book... and hope that the next ( and last ) will more than make up for it. It is beginnging to feel as if they should have truly only had four books in the series... but.. whatever.

The story is still good.. and fairly strong.. I am not sure if I feel this way because I don't seem to care anymore or because the books just don't grab the attention the the first ones did, BUT some good twists are beginning to occur. I do not wish to spoil.. and as this is the fifth book .. any info is really a spoiler.. :) but.. if you enjoy the underdark.. or enjoy the world of Forgotten realms.. remember that this is a pretty BIG event for the drow.. as they are trying to find out why thier goddess has become silent.

Customer Reviews:

My first and last Varley book!.......2007-10-10

There are very few books I have not or in the case could not finish reading. Obviously Varley appeals to some but I am not one of them. If you are looking for a fast paced Sci-fi adventure this is not the book for you. If you are interested in one man's distorted sexual view of everyday life in the future you might find this entertaining.

Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03

Those human type people have been given the boot from their original
home planet. They now live on various other bodies in space, both
natural and artificial.

A Central Computer runs things for people, and diseases, longevity
and other issues are no problem for the technology available to fix.

The plot here is that despite this nice place to live, people are topping themselves, so why?

Amusing at times, offering a commentary on the possibility that people need something to do.

Bizarre, Depressing, but Sometimes Hilarious Look at the Future.......2006-07-14

STEEL BEACH (1993) is a bizarre, mostly depressing, but sometimes hilarious look at the far future of humanity (some 200 years in the future). Man has been ousted from Earth by aliens, and lives in enclaves on The Moon, and other Solar System planets.

Brain implants, direct computer interfacing, nanobots, life extension, and sexual modifications are the norm, and our hero has a problem with depression and suicide, which the "all knowing computer" of Luna is trying to help solve (or is he the cause of problem all along).

A lot of the technologies introduced in this book probably seemed "new and exciting" in 1993, but now they've all been hashed over, and done better, in numerous other books since then.

There are way too many sexually bizarre sections in this book... I'm no prude, but this stuff is just too strange - for instance, the story follows in great detail the main character's thinking when going thru a "routine" sex change operation - evidently, in this future world, people change sex about as often as I change oil in my car.

The pace of the book is slower than I usually like, and I didn't find very many really "exciting" passages; however, there are a number of humorous passages, and the parts describing the disguting "David Earth" character totally cracked me up, and really saved the book from a 1 star rating. David Earth is the ultimate in enviromentalists, actually "wearing" the Earth on his huge body - with small animals enhabiting the environment that "grows" on his body in small biospheres and fur patches - e.g., his hair is actually a bioengineered grass that grows on a dirt flim attached to his skull.

What Do We Do Without Needs?.......2006-03-26

John Varley's Steel Beach is a daring, well-conceived work of science fiction. Humanity has been ejected from Earth by enigmatic aliens trying to save cetaceans. Homo sapiens finds itself exiled to strongholds throughout the solar system, foremost of which is Luna. There, human beings live in great comfort with almost all of their needs met and very little to worry about. As a result, they are losing their minds.

Through the unremarkable antagonist Hildy, Varley asks what happens to human beings who lack challenges and who lack any real direction. Comforts there are aplenty in Luna. Technology makes sex changes routine and has all but defeated death itself. So now what? Humanity has slumped into a self-absorbed torpor that would be bad enough if the unimaginably complex supercomputer that controls every aspect of Lunar life weren't on the edge of a catastrophic breakdown. Hildy gains an increasing awareness of this problem as the narrative progresses; and he (later she) manages to struggle out of the cocoon of smothering comfort that threatens to make humanity incapable of responding to the imminent central computer breakdown.

As with much good science fiction, Varley uses Steel Beach to ask what humanity ought to do with its capabilities. He suggests that it is human nature to use awesome abilities for small-minded diversions. We are our own greatest limitation, though we are also our own greatest resource.

The story is overlong, though. The pace drags a bit. More ruthless editing would have yielded a story that was better-paced but still covered the important points.

Though it can be uncomfortable to read (or perhaps because), Steel Beach is quite worthy of the reading.

Holy cow, is this good sci-fi!.......2005-06-07

"Steel Beach" was my first introduction into Varley's "Eight Worlds" universe (although he claims that this book technically does not belong in that series because of several timeline inconsistencies, come on, we all know it for what it is). The action in this book takes place much earlier than most of his "Eight Worlds" short stories, right at the Bicentennial celebration of mankind's eviction from Earth.

Denied their own home planet, Varley's humans have nevertheless carved themselves out a few nice spots in the solar system. They've managed to create a society totally dependent upon machines and artificial intelligence for their survival - the "steel beach" of the title, where man must struggle to evolve to his new environment.

Varley addresses a wide range of topics here, everything from suicide and depression to journalism, animal rights, child abuse, and the Second Amendment. Sound awfully didactic? Then you haven't been treated to Varley's prose yet, a delightful mix of cynicism, insight, imagination, and humor. His narrator, a tabloid journalist named Hildebrandt/Hildegarde Johnson (he undergoes a routine sex change partway through the story) walks us through Varley's world conversationally, as though you're an old friend.

I'm always impressed by how well Varley writes women (particularly Cirocco and Gaby from his "Titan" series). Hildy Johnson is another great female character, a tough cookie with a heart of... Well, gild at least. Secondary characters are great, too, although you end the book feeling that there were a lot of stories left untold. I wanted to know so much more about Callie, Walter, Liz, and the Heinleiners! I can only hope Varley returns to Luna soon.

Salt and Steel: Reflections of a Submariner

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One of the most interesting books I've ever read!
A fascinating book -- I couldn't put it down!
An enjoyable blend of naval history and personal memior.

Salt and Steel: Reflections of a Submariner
Edward Latimer Beach
Manufacturer: US Naval Institute Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1557500541

Customer Reviews:

One of the most interesting books I've ever read!.......1999-10-18

I've been a fan of Captain Beach ever since I read "Run Silent, Run Deep" in grade school and have had the pleasure of meeting and talking with him a few times. Thus I've often wondered about several aspects of his life and career, such as why a Naval Aide to President Eisenhower never became an Admiral and the circumstances of his young daughter's death, although such personal items are admittedly none of my business. Salt and Steel goes a long way toward filling in the blanks in my knowledge about this man, whom I've known and admired for years. To his credit, as I expected, he does not gloat about his successes nor complain about his failures. I found every chapter fascinating and hard to put down, even very late in the evening. My only wish about this book is that he had included more information and anecdotes about the ships he served in and the people he served with, especially President Eisenhower, Trigger II and the faulty torpedoes of WWII. With the responsible parties being long-retired and in many cases deceased, I feel that the problems and the principles involved should be aired, in the hope that they might not be repeated. Even so, I would highly recommend this book to anyone with even a casual interest in any of the subjects mentioned, including the politics of the Washington, DC bureaucracy. To Captain Beach, "Well Done, Sir!"

A fascinating book -- I couldn't put it down!.......1999-08-07

I started reading this book in the evening, and finished it at dawn. What an interesting book! Beach is an excellent storyteller, who clearly loves the US Navy, and the story of his life is intertwined with it. His father also had a storied career, and the tales of Beach growing up, succeeding at Annapolis, submarining against the Japanese in WW II, serving as Eisenhower's naval aide after the war, and then circumnavigating the world underwater is so gripping a story and so well told that I was sorry when I came to the last page. I loved this book!

An enjoyable blend of naval history and personal memior........1999-07-19

This "memoir" is billed as a sequel to Beach's "The United States Navy: 200 Years" (1986). As such, "Salt and Steel" is a blend of stories from his 27 years in the U.S. Navy, and his views on theories of naval warfare and the application of grand strategy to national defense policy. The book offers some wonderful stories of his father and mother, and their lives together in the U.S. Navy before the 1920s. The story of the first dinner party given by the new wife of the new base commander is just delightful. The reader who is looking for more of the intense submarine stories which brought Beach fame in his novels "Run Silent, Run Deep" (1955), "Dust on the Sea" (1972), and "Cold is the Sea" (1978) will be somewhat disappointed as he does not spent much time telling any new stories from his submarine career. The tale he tells of the fellow officer who blocked Beach's own advancement to the rank of admiral is chilling in that it does not speak well for the Navy that allows such petty jealousy to have so much impact on a man's career. In sum, Beach is a good story teller, and when telling of his own career he does a masterful job. One can only hope that soon we'll have a full biography of both Edward L. Beach, Jr., and his naval officer/novelist father, in whose footsteps the younger Beach has so faithfully followed.

Red Steel (Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 2nd Edition)

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Spaniards invade Mystara
it's a good value

Red Steel (Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 2nd Edition)
Tim Beach
Manufacturer: TSR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Savage Baronies/Book and CD and Full Color Poster Map (Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Red Steel)

ASIN: 1560768959

Customer Reviews:

Spaniards invade Mystara.......2000-05-21

A large part of this campaign's background constitutes what I consider to be one of the most unoriginal settings ever gotten to print. This setting seems to promote wholesale dumping of real- world history into a fictional setting. Not only is this extremely contrived, but it also is an insult to role-players' creativity in general. The "setting" is thinly disguised Central America of approximately sixteenth/seventeenth centuries, spiced with mutations. Pretty much everything is named in very generic Spanish (White Mountain, Blue House, Long River). Most of the campaign seems to emphasize recovery of treasure left by the long-gone Aztec-like culture. There is hardly any role-playing at all: virtually the entire campaign screams "combat-oriented dungeon crawl". The Legacies resulting from the ever-present "Red Curse" are somewhat interesting, but the setting hardly tangles with the implications of wide-spread mutations. A very poor job from TSR.

it's a good value.......1999-06-10

The Red Steel boxed set is one of the neatest and most colorful campaign settings TSR has ever introduced. It's right up there with the Realms and Dark Sun in complexity and creativity, although it's much, MUCH smaller.

The cover may look corny (and the enclosed CD certainly is!), but the innate powers called Legacies, (which can allow fighters to toss off multiple (low-level) spell effects per round, and make wizards and monsters very unpredictable indeed) are worth the price in and of themselves.

My only complaint is that it is built from the nations in an old part of the Mystara world from D&D (note the "A" missing). Info on the rest of the world, for continuity-loving DMs like myself, is VERY hard to come by, since most of that stuff has been out of print for five years or more. Still, don't let it keep you from buying this set. It's great!

Average customer rating:

Damn good accessory if you're interested in Mystara

Savage Baronies/Book and CD and Full Color Poster Map (Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Red Steel)
Tim Beach
Manufacturer: TSR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Joshuan's Almanac (Mystara Accessory)

ASIN: 0786901233

Customer Reviews:

Damn good accessory if you're interested in Mystara.......1998-11-02

This boxed set has tons of interesting info on the the Savage Baronies of the Savage Coast, and as well provides a map detailing not only that, but some of the lands further into the coast and some of Yalu Bay. Shows a lot of countries and area. It also tells about the humanoids of the Yazak Steppe, that to me look like a pretty unique culture. If you like Mystara and the Savage Coast described in Dragon magazine ( or the Boxed Set, Red Steel ) I would recommend this for you.

The Great Steel Pier: An Illustrated History of the Old Orchard Ocean Pier

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The Great Steel Pier: An Illustrated History of the Old Orchard Ocean Pier
Peter Dow Bachelder
Manufacturer: Breakwater Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Steel Beach
John VARLEY
Manufacturer: Ace/Putnam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OP8VXE

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Steel Beach
John Varley
Manufacturer: Ace
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000M66WM2

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Steel Beach
Margaret Barbalet
Manufacturer: Penguin Books Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140112359

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Steel Beach
John Varkey
Manufacturer: G.P. Putnam's Sons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000S82Q2Y

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Steel Beach (Signed First Edition)

Manufacturer: Easton Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: B000CS2PC6

Book Description

One of the most intriguing questions in contemporary American Christianity is whether the recent warming of relations between Catholics and conservative evangelicals promises a thaw in the ice age that has lasted since the sixteenth century. American evangelical Protestants and Roman Catholics have hated and suspected one another since colonial times. In the twentieth century, however, each community has experienced radical change, and this has led to a change in the relationship between the two. In this book William Shea examines the history of this troubled relationship and the signs of potential reconciliation. His springboard is the recent publicity given to the 1993 document Evangelicals and Catholics Together, in which several well-known figures from each camp, acting as individuals, signed a statement affirming much more common theological and social ground than any other American Catholic-evangelical group had ever done. Looking back, Shea surveys the long and very bitter history of published recriminations that have flown back and forth between Catholics and many kinds of Protestants since the 16th century. He makes the case that Catholics and conservative Protestants reacted along parallel lines to western "modernity" - especially naturalistic evolution and higher criticism of the Bible). That deeper history leads him to the more recent history that has partially overcome the severe Catholic-evangelical antagonisms. Here he focuses on the rise of "neo-evangelicals" associated with Billy Graham and the National Association of Evangelicals and on the changes with the Catholic church since Vatican II. He goes on to offer systematic interpretations of recent evangelical literature on Catholics and Catholic literature on evangelicals. The book ends with some historical, but also theological, social and personal conclusions. This accessible, groundbreaking, and timely study will be indispensable reading for all interested in the religious landscape of America today.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent history, problematic ecclesiology.......2006-12-16

Taken as a history of Evangelical-Roman Catholic relations in America, this is an excellent, well-researched, well-argued work. Readers who are familiar with histories of anti-Catholicism (such as the work of Jenny Franchot, or, across the pond, D.G. Paz) will stand to gain much from the way Shea puts contemporary Catholic and Protestant writers in dialogue with each other.

The book has implications for those interested in or engaged in ecumenical dialogue. Shea frames his historical analysis with a discussion of broad differences in worldview between the two "tribes". He also does an excellent job of demonstrating the different stories Catholics and Protestants have tended to tell about themselves and each other. This description of the two tribes, their myth, and their history may prove very useful in understanding twenty-first century manifestations of anti-Catholicism, Catholic triumphalism, and ecumenism. However, this is not primarily an analysis of theological differences between Catholics and Protestants; Shea is generally more concerned with how Catholics and Protestants talk about their differences than in what the differences really are. Readers who are interested in nitty-gritty theological discussion might, therefore, wish to look elsewhere. The same is true of readers who are more interested in contemporary Evangelical-Catholic relations (post ECT): Shea does discuss the current state of affairs, but his primary focus seems to be on the process which got there.

Despite the soundness of Shea's analysis, his conclusions and suggestions for change may be found to be unsatisfactory both by conservative Catholics and conservative Protestants. As he readily admits in his conclusion, he takes as a foundational assumption the idea that both Catholicism and Protestantism are valid expressions of Christianity. He seems to suggest that they ought to mutually recognize each other as true churches and co-exist. In other words, he does not offer much hope for a real healing of the schism involved in the Reformation. Thus, ecumenists who long for the day when schisms are healed and the Church stands as one universal body, albeit containing multiple expressions of Christianity, may be disappointed with these conclusions.

Shea Caps His Lifelong Project.......2004-03-07

Shea, formerly at St. Louis University and now at the College of Holy Cross, has penned his magnum opus. With evident erudition and a full command of the sources, he traces the undulating relationship between the various strains of Evangelism with those of the Roman Catholic Church. No longer today does blind bigotry and outright rejection reign in this delicate balance
between these two branches of Christianity. Rather, beginning with common social and political goals, the two movements find themselves in more accord than ever. Colson and Neuhaus have
promoted this unofficial peace and collaboration. Interestingly,
the impetus for rapprochment has come from the documents of the Second Vatican Council. Now only what Shea terms "nativism" stands outside the fold of positive development. "Bull" Shea (as his old friends affectionately remember him) is to be congratulated for finally putting it all together. It's the best on the subject (but the addition of a critical bibliography would have been helpful).

The Lion and the Lamb: Evangelicals and Catholics in America.(Book Review) : An article from: Theological Studies

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The Lion and the Lamb: Evangelicals and Catholics in America.(Book Review) : An article from: Theological Studies
Jeffrey Gros
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Theological Studies, published by Thomson Gale on September 1, 2005. The length of the article is 737 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The Lion and the Lamb: Evangelicals and Catholics in America.(Book Review)
Author: Jeffrey Gros
Publication: Theological Studies (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 1, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 66 Issue: 3 Page: 680(3)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

The Lion and the Lamb: Evangelicals and Catholics in America.(Book review): An article from: Church History

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The Lion and the Lamb: Evangelicals and Catholics in America.(Book review): An article from: Church History
Evelyn Savidge Sterne
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Church History, published by Thomson Gale on December 1, 2006. The length of the article is 1042 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The Lion and the Lamb: Evangelicals and Catholics in America.(Book review)
Author: Evelyn Savidge Sterne
Publication: Church History (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 75 Issue: 4 Page: 946(3)

Article Type: Book review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

The Lion and the Lamb: Evangelicals and Catholics in America.(Book review): An article from: The Historian

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The Lion and the Lamb: Evangelicals and Catholics in America.(Book review): An article from: The Historian
William R. Glass
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000MX6WYI
Release Date: 2007-01-24

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Historian, published by Thomson Gale on September 22, 2005. The length of the article is 538 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The Lion and the Lamb: Evangelicals and Catholics in America.(Book review)
Author: William R. Glass
Publication: The Historian (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 22, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 67 Issue: 3 Page: 543(2)

Article Type: Book review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

The Lion And The Lamb: Evangelicals And Catholics In America

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The Lion And The Lamb: Evangelicals And Catholics In America
William M. Shea
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKKWAO

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