Pafko at the Wall: A Novella

Book Description

"There's a long drive.
It's gonna be.
I believe.
The Giants win the pennant.
The Giants win the pennant.
The Giants win the pennant.
The Giants win the pennant."

-- Russ Hodges, October 3, 1951

On the fiftieth anniversary of "The Shot Heard Round the World," Don DeLillo reassembles in fiction the larger-than-life characters who on October 3, 1951, witnessed Bobby Thomson's pennant-winning home run in the bottom of the ninth inning. Jackie Gleason is razzing Toots Shor in Leo Durocher's box seats; J. Edgar Hoover, basking in Sinatra's celebrity, is about to be told that the Russians have tested an atomic bomb; and Russ Hodges, raw-throated and excitable, announces the game -- the Giants and the Dodgers at the Polo Grounds in New York. DeLillo's transcendent account of one of the iconic events of the twentieth century is a masterpiece of American sportswriting.

Customer Reviews:

This is how to write a book.......2003-12-27

Who cares about Underworld? I didn't go near it. Separating this classic from that tome was the best marketing move anyone's ever done. This book should be in the public domain anyway. Imagine taking a baseball game, exploding it into one of the world's greatest historical events as seen from various characters' points of view, and at the same time encapsulating the dawning of a new moment in world history. Every sentence is sharp and detailed, anticipating the next. And then when Thomson hits the home run, Delillo freeze frames each second like you're in a car crash, making sure you're aware of everything that's going on. It's one of the best books ever written.

The Most Brilliant & Breathtaking Novel Opening Ever.......2003-06-10

And I really believe that. This is the opening section of *Underworld* (1997), and it originally appeared in Harpers--so, when I saw it in stores, I thought "why re-release this as a BOOK?"

Then, I read it. It stands on its own as a novella--and it's not *just* about baseball, either, so don't let that mislead you or put you off. It's about *everything*. Maybe you don't wish to read the lengthy *Underworld* (though the themes and characters and plotlines here run through the entire novel)--but at LEAST read THIS.

And while I own the novel, I'm pleased to own this, too--and if you like DeLillo and wish to turn others on to his work, this is what you give them. I've given copies to several people, and use this brilliant work in my "Writing a Novella" Creative Writing class. I don't test the students, or ask them to try to emulate the work--I just ask them to read it.

Their jaws drop open every time, just as mine did--and does.

DeLillo for non-fans.......2003-05-22

First things first - this is a brilliantly-evoked account of the Giants/Dodgers playoff game that ended with the "Shot Heard Round the World". It is also the opening section of DeLillo's novel Underworld. Like most of the other reviewers of this book, my main beef is "Why should one bother to buy this extract?" In context, this is only the beginning of a long exploration of American history in the 50 years that separate us from that game - particularly the Cold War, which could be said to begin on that day with news of the Soviet Union's atomic test reaching the US. The historic baseball goes weaving from hand to hand binding the stories together. If you're a DeLillo fan, then, don't buy it for yourself. If you want a taster of his work, perhaps buy it as an entry-level sample but be prepared to fork out for it all over again if you decide you need to read the full novel. Best of all, buy it as a gift for someone who's unlikely to be a DeLillo reader, now or in future, but is a fan of baseball and/of 50s Americana. It's great stuff, but its appeal in this format is just pretty limited.

Third time's the charm?.......2002-04-15

No, not really. Since this novella first appeared in Harper's some years back and then was the prologue in Underworld, this makes the third time it's appeared in print. And while it is brilliant, why buy this when you can buy Underworld for about the same price?

A publishing scam from an American genius?.......2002-02-01

Well this has to be a classic, but describing it as a new 2001 novella by Delillo is a sure way to rile Delillo fans like me, who almost ordered it on reflex. It turns out to be the first part of Underworld. While Underworld is, in my view, one of the great books of this decade, the publisher should at least warn potential buyers that they may already own this book. On the other hand for those who find it hard to stick through an 800 page book, this sample delicacy might be a good introduction to the art of Delillo. As for me I prefer the original Underworld, or Body Artist, a completely mesmerizing novella about the same size as Pafko.

Book Description

Callisto answers a cry for help from Warren Worthington, a.k.a. Archangel! But Callisto and Warren have some pretty unpleasant history between them. Can they overcome their differences long enough to survive? Meanwhile, Professor X and Magneto struggle to help their disturbed guest on Genosha Collects Excalibur #11-14.

Customer Reviews:

Unnecessary.......2007-05-11

Billed as a "prelude" to Brian Michael Bendis' House of M event, there is really nothing here that any reader, newbie or veteran, will have to read to get the big picture. After the Scarlet Witch goes crazy and slaughters the Avengers, she is taken to Genosha by her father Magneto who, along with Professor Xavier, seek to repair her broken mind. Naturally, as anyone who has read House of M knows, that is easier said than done. There's also some additional stories including interaction between Archangel and Calisto, but there's really nothing here that would be needed to know what is going on in the long run. Legendary X-Men scribe Chris Claremont doesn't do much here to add any kind of flare, but Aaron Lopresti's art is pretty good mostly. If you want a read "prelude" to House of M, check out Bendis' Avengers Disassembled storyline, which leads to the House of M, which would lead to the current shattering events of the Civil War.

Only Tangentially House of M Related.......2006-12-14

This is a pretty good story, but this is being billed as a House of M Prelude, when only a handful of pages of this collection are really about the House of M thread. The vast majority of this book is about the Weaponeers doing some kind of coup in a small country and several Excalibur and X-Men members team up to stop it. It has Angel in it, Calisto, and a few other mutants that serious X-fans probably recognized but I didn't. Then there is a small side-show story involving Professor Xavier and Magneto's attempts to help cure the Scarlet Witch. If you want an actual prelude to House of M then I recommend reading Avengers 500 - 503, which is the "Disassembled" story line arc. That's a damn fine comic story. This one in Excalibur is a good story, but it's being billed as something it really isn't, and that's why I give it a somewhat low score.

Good, but not needed to understand House of M!!!!.......2006-01-29

It has a decent battle in it between Angel, Husk, other mutants and a group of killers called the Weaponeers.
It also has a story featuring Pro. X, Dr. Strange and Scarlett Witch that leads into House of M.
However, it's not needed to understand the House of M books. Everything is re-explained several times in the House of M tpb.

Average customer rating:

Excalibur #13 (House of M Prelude)
Chris Claremont
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic
ASIN: B000WJBGS4

Product Description

A "HOUSE OF M" prelude!Guest-starring DR. STRANGE! Professor Xavier must call in the help of the Sorcerer Supreme to deal with the increasingly dangerous, reality-altering madness of Wanda Maximoff. And perhaps even more dangerous is the grief and desperation of her father, Magneto.

Average customer rating:

Excalibur #14 (House of M Prelude)
Chris Claremont
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic
ASIN: B000WJBJFO

Product Description

Customer Reviews:

All the 3rd Season Episodes in Print!.......2006-07-02

Probably the weakest episodes of the 3 seasons are in this the last season e.g. "Spock's Brain" and yet we get here very well-written stories that although are not exactly the same as the episodes themselves, we get a greater understanding of what's happening because of the greater details. Watch the eps and then read this.

James Blish retells the Season 3 episodes of "Star Trek".......2003-11-22

In the late 1960s James Blish began writing "The Star Trek Readers," a series of paperbacks in which he adapted the scripts of what was then the late lamented original "Star Trek" series. When first published Blish basically started with what fans voted as the most popular episodes and eventually worked his way through the show's three seasons, although his untimely death forced his widow, Judith Ann Lawrence to finish some of the stories. For the 25th Anniversary editions the adaptations were reorganized so that there were not only three volumes, each representing an entire season. Therefore, "Star Trek: The Classic Episodes, Volume 2" represents the third and final season in 1968-69.

The volume includes a new introduction, "Star Trek in the Real World," by Norman Spinrad and then the third season episodes
are arranged in order of their television appearance: "The Last Gunfight [Spectre of the Gun]," "Elaan of Troyius," "The Paradise Syndrome," "The Enterprise Incident," "And the Children Shall Lead," "Spock's Brain, "Is There in Truth No Beauty?," "The Empath," "The Tholian Web," "For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky," "Day of the Dove," "Plato?s Stepchildren," "Wink of an Eye," "That Which Survives," "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield," "Whom Gods Destroy," "The Mark of Gideon," "The Lights of Zetar," "The Cloud Miners," "The Way to Eden," "Requiem for Methuselah," "The Savage Curtain," "All Our Yesterdays," and "Turnabout Intruder."

Blish was a well-known science fiction author, who has won the Hugo Award for his novel "A Case of Conscience," and what he brought to these adaptations was a great ability to flesh out both the characters and the actions. In many ways these adaptations hold up better than the original episodes, where the special effects are less than what an eight-year-old can do on a home computer today. But throughout Blish shows an understanding of both the characters and the Star Trek universe that was being created, which explains why he was also the author of the first "Star Trek" original novel, "Spock Must Die!"

The Orginal James Blish Adaptations!.......2001-01-23

For those of you that love the classic series; this set of books are the written word version of each episode. Why read the written versions? Well, James Blish provides lots of insight as to what is going through the minds of Kirk, Spock and McCoy along with the orginal crew. In the episode the Alterative Factor James Blish provides a better ending than the questionable one on TV. The novels provide a lot more facts on the crew and background details never metioned in the series.

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Revolution: The Story of the Early Church

Average customer rating:

A classic
YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Warning! Don't read unless...
Utterly Amazing!!
good retelling of the story of Acts, but some mixed feelings

Revolution: The Story of the Early Church
Gene Edwards
Manufacturer: Seedsowers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0940232022

Customer Reviews:

A classic.......2006-03-04

This book was influential in shaping my views on church and the christian community as a college student in the 80's. I have now purchased it again for my high school kids to read. You won't be disappointed.

YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2006-02-26

I read this book about 10 years ago and the memory of it has not left my mind. Being a person ver particular about what I read, seeing that there are all manner of "voices" in the world, I found this book to be tremendously enriching.

As a matter of fact, A boirrowed a friend of mine and he has refused to give it back to me. since it was a gift, I did not know how to get it back and was just snooping around looking for someting else when I discovered the book.

Now if you really, really are interested in deeper understanding of the walk with Christ, please try and get this book together with a host of other books he has written. You will not regret it!!!!!!!

Warning! Don't read unless..........2002-05-27

WARNING!

Don't read this book unless:
* You have at least two uninterrupted hours because you won't put it down. Once started, you will want to finish it then and there.

* You are willing to re-think your perceptions of the first church. The challenges,dilemas, and victories of the apostles and the first church fathers are brought to life in unexpected ways with fresh insight.

* You are hungry for more of God and less of the ritual, formality, and dead, stale churchiness which passes for worship in too many of our churches in our generation.

If you meet these three criteria, then you will blessed. Prepare to look at your church in a whole new way!

Utterly Amazing!!.......2000-12-26

I just got this book for Christmas. I read it in one day. All I can say about this book is WOW! I had never even heard of Gene Edwards before I stumbled across some of his books on Amazon and asked for some of them for Christmas. This guy is the real deal! My soul absolutely delighted in reading Mr. Edwards account of the Church from Christ's resurrection up until just after the founding of the Antioch church (47 AD).

Edwards details exactly the historical atmosphere of the early church in Jerusalem, Judea, and into the Gentile world. This book REALLY makes the book of Acts come alive for me. Edwards is so utterly amazing in his extrapolation of truth out of God's word!

Even though one reviewer said he did not like Edwards' interjections of comparison between the early church and the church today, I found them stunning and extremely insightful! I am a relatively new believer and my favorite part of this book is how he shows how all of the apostles and early church fathers (EVEN CHRIST HIMSELF) all had a period of "wasted" time in their life when they were becoming rooted in God. Edwards' point is to show that today's church is so worried about soul-winning that most do not even really know the Lord and do not really know the Holy Spirit because they have not spent this time of seeking God. Edwards shows that it took most of the original church founders at least 8 years of tutorage under the Apostles to become rooted in God and Christ. It can be assumed that even Christ himself underwent this period of time prior to his ministry! I thought that was a sweet point!

Would I buy this book with my own money? YES! I can almost guarantee that the Holy Spirit will move powerfully within you while you read this book! This book is phenomenal! Peace. ~ajm

good retelling of the story of Acts, but some mixed feelings.......2000-12-19

Mr. Edwards does an excellent job of presenting the history of the early church - essentially from the Resurrection through the founding of the church at Antioch. He presents the challenges that faced the church, and introduces us to men like Stephen, Phillip and Barnabas. Unfortunately, the narrative is frequently interrupted by Mr. Edward's comparisons of the early church to the present-day church. While I feel there is merit to Mr. Edwards criticisms of the church today (though some of his complaints are simply anachronisms) the constant interruptions really damage the flow of the story.

Overall, I think this book is worth reading, but I think that some of Mr. Edwards other books (e.g. The Silas Diaries) are better.

Average customer rating:
Cracking the church-state wall: early results of the revolution at the Los Angeles times.(Cover Story): An article from: Columbia Journalism Review
Charles Rappleye
Manufacturer: Columbia University, Graduate School of Journalism
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Management | Business & Investing | Subjects | e-Docs | Formats | Books
ASIN: B00097INEO
Release Date: 2005-07-28

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Columbia Journalism Review, published by Columbia University, Graduate School of Journalism on January 1, 1998. The length of the article is 3738 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.

From the supplier: The Los Angeles Times under the new publisher Mark Willes has changed. Throughout the paper, editors are working with other employees to establish goals and set up new plans to achieve the overall increase in circulation, advertising, and profits. Willes is determined to market the newspaper more aggressively and increase the profitability of the paper. He has made it clear that resistance to his vision will not be tolerated.

Citation Details
Title: Cracking the church-state wall: early results of the revolution at the Los Angeles times.(Cover Story)
Author: Charles Rappleye
Publication: Columbia Journalism Review (Refereed)
Date: January 1, 1998
Publisher: Columbia University, Graduate School of Journalism
Volume: v36 Issue: n5 Page: p20(4)

Article Type: Cover Story

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Millbrook: The true story of the early years of the psychedelic revolution

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Millbrook: The true story of the early years of the psychedelic revolution
Art Kleps
Manufacturer: Neo-American Church
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B00072YP84

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