Keepsakes and Other Stories

Average customer rating:
Keepsakes and Other Stories
Jon Hassler
Manufacturer: Afton Historical Society Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Rufus at the Door: & Other Stories

The New Woman : A Staggerford Novel

The Staggerford Murders and Nancy Clancy's Nephew

Good People . . . from an Author's Life

My Staggerford Journal

ASIN: 1890434248

Book Description

ONCE UPON A TIME, before Atheneum in New York took a chance on an unknown author and published "Staggerford" (1977), Jon Hassler wrote a number of short stories that introduce many of the characters in his later novels. Only a handful of these stories had appeared in print (mostly in small literary magazines) until Afton Historical Society Press published the best-selling KEEPSAKES and RUFUS AT THE DOOR.

KEEPSAKES is also available in handbound Collector Editions, limited to fifty signed and numbered copies in slipcases, priced at $175.00.

Amazon.com

DC shook up Gotham--literally--in its 1999 Batman plot arc: a 7.6 earthquake rocked Gotham City, wreaking enough destruction to bring the broken, crime-ridden, runt kid-brother of Metropolis and New York to its knees. In the story line's most indulgent liberty, those fat cats in Washington decide to write off Gotham, à la Escape from New York, blowing up the connecting bridges, mining the surrounding waterways, and signing into law the Federal Declaration of No Man's Land, which makes it a crime to even set foot in the city. The usual suspects from Arkham Asylum, Two-Face and the Penguin, the Riddler and Dr. Freeze, Poison Ivy and Mr. Zsasz, file out to begin running the show, strong-arming and manipulating the block-by-block turf battles that envelop the now-ultraviolent city. A conflicted Batman shows up fashionably late, only to find that these lunatics are the least of his worries: Lex Luthor, Superman's archfoe, has nefarious designs on Gotham too. Could this possibly get any better? Sure, No Man's Land is derivative fiction, but the appeal of Rucka--and, of course, Batman--can make this one worth the read. --Paul Hughes

Book Description

Fans of Batman are lucky to get Greg Rucka--the talented, gritty young author of Keeper and Finder, among others--sharing time with their favorite licensed character in this novelization of DC's complete No Man's Land comic series. (And fans of Rucka--assuming they get around to reading this at all--will still likely hold the opinion that Atticus Kodiak could take Batman in a standup fight any day.) DC shook up Gotham--literally--in its 1999 Batman plot arc: a 7.6 earthquake rocked Gotham City, wreaking enough destruction to bring the broken, crime-ridden, runt kid-brother of Metropolis and New York to its knees. In the story line's most indulgent liberty, those fat cats in Washington decide to write off Gotham, + la Escape from New York, blowing up the connecting bridges, mining the surrounding waterways, and signing into law the Federal Declaration of No Man's Land, which makes it a crime to even set foot in the city. The usual suspects from Arkham Asylum, Two-Face and the Penguin, the Riddler and Dr. Freeze, Poison Ivy and Mr. Zsasz, file out to begin running the show, strong-arming and manipulating the block-by-block turf battles that envelop the now-ultraviolent city. A conflicted Batman shows up fashionably late, only to find that these lunatics are the least of his worries: Lex Luthor, Superman's archfoe, has nefarious designs on Gotham too. Could this possibly get any better? Sure, No Man's Land is derivative fiction, but the appeal of Rucka--and, of course, Batman--can make this one worth the read. --Paul Hughes

Customer Reviews:

Great read.......2007-09-27

Great read. I left the comic book scene right after this happened in the comics and was able to catch up easily with this graphic novel!

A good Build up to Volume 4..........2007-07-16

First of all, I found volume 3 far better then volume 2.
This Volume is worth a read and those missing Nightwing and Robin will be glad to see their return. Also, there is a great story involving poison Ivy and Clayface and even Superman makes an appearance. Very enjoyable.
If you found Volume 2 to lack some of the qualities of Volume 1, as I did, Volume 3 renews faith in where this epic story is going.

I gave it 3 stars simply because at the same time...It didn't blow my mind. Sure there were some great twists to the story,
The new Batgirl and so forth but generally this is still a build up to the
next Volume.

Also, another reason why I took a Star away from this is because this volume does not include Nightwing #35-39 which deal with Nightwing going to BlackGate, It's simply mentioned in this volume but not shown at all.

Hope this helped!

A Fair Ending..........2007-05-19

So, the first couple volumes of "No Man's Land" were excellent, possibly the best part of a series I have ever read...then came volume three. Starting with volume three, each story was hit and miss. Some were good, others were mediocre, and some...far below the 'good' line. This one is pretty much more of the hit and miss. However, it has a great ending that I'm pretty sure would please anyone who likes Batman at all. Not as great as the first couple volumes, but definatly not a waste of your time or money, "Batman: No Man's Land, Vol. 5" gets a 3 out of 5.

Great Read!!.......2006-11-10

The story line is captivating and the fact that all of the characters you know and love are brought togther in such new and unique juxtapositions makes this worth recognition.

Someone hired Bane to ripen Gotham for the taking-.......2006-04-20

Bane makes an appearance in the No Man's Land and Batman must discover his purpose there. Does Bane want to once again be the "king" of Gotham? Or is he merely taking advantage of a new opportunity?

Someone is making a move and materials are being sent in. There is a light at the end of the No Man's Land tunnel. In addition, Joker and Two-face are still running wild.

No Man's Land is a take-no-prisoners look at Gotham if it reverted to the days of feudalism. It is an interesting "social experiment" on the part of the writers, and an intriguing plotline.

Batman: Cataclysm (Prelude to No Man's Land)

Average customer rating:

Shake it baby....
prelude to No Man's Land
Well put together
bring down Gotham
Interesting comic book, with a few flaws.

Batman: Cataclysm (Prelude to No Man's Land)
Chuck Dixon
Manufacturer: DC Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Drawing | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Superheroes | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Batman | Characters | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

DC Comics | Publishers | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Batman | Media | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1563895277

Customer Reviews:

Shake it baby...........2007-07-09

This volume has just about anything you could possibly ask for and almost every Bat character in the Bat universe. Nobody escapes the disaster, the book ends on a high note...at least higher than one might expect, but as soon as you pick up No Man's Land you see that things only get worse.... Moving story and well worth the read, it does stand on its own but you must buy all of the NML volumes if you want some sense of closure.

prelude to No Man's Land.......2007-05-21

I was collecting comics at the time this story arc came through, and enjoyed it throughly. It shows you just how hard the caped crusader had to work to try his hardest to save his city. I reccomend the whole No Man's Land collection for anyone who hasn't read it yet.

Well put together.......2006-07-07

Batman can handle criminals. But how can he fight a Earthquake? How can he fight the natural destruction of a city?

A lot of crossovers nowadays are pathetically poorly coordinated. But Batman: Cataclysm is very well coordinated and flows pretty well. If you don't read the writing credits you wouldn't be able to tell how many different writers were involved. The main story following Batman, Oracle, Nightwing and Robin are intersepersed with vignettes starring Two-Face, Ra's al Ghul and others. One of the few week points is a vignette starring Robin is put in out of order. In it Robin, while rescuing trapped victims, says in the narrative that he hasn't found his family, but about five pages before he was reunited with his family. But most of the story flows well, and it's believable. Batman and Alfred are trapped in the Batcave well below ground. How do they get out? The Batmobile exit is blocked, the stairs up to the mansion is blocked, the access to Robin's house is blocked. So how do they get out? It's handled very clearly and as realistically as any comic book can get.

The real strong point of this story though is the artwork. Almost every comics artist can draw a decent figure but there are a sad number of artists who don't or can't draw backgrounds. But the Batman creative crew is occupied by artists who can draw buildings and scenery. As Gotham city is an essential part of the Batman mythos this probably isn't a coincidence. As such the scenes of the destroyed city are amazing and horrific. The falling skyscrapers, Wayne Manor split down the middle, rubble two stories high are all handled well, and you really feel how intense it is for these people to lose their city, their home.

I was really impressed with this work. The story continues in the No Man's Land story arc, and after reading this I definately want to go read those.

bring down Gotham.......2004-03-16

What we have here is a major earthquake that pretty much destroys Gotham. You get to see what Batman and company would do in the face of a major natural disaster. On a scale that we've never seen (after all, they do close it off). It's a great story with really good art. It helps keep Batman from becoming stale.

Interesting comic book, with a few flaws........2002-07-11

The greatest entity about Batman: Cataclysm is that it had excellent artistry; most of the pictures/scenes made sense, and are clear. For the most part, this book contains well-thought writing, which makes it better to understand . Although, there are a couple cons in this book that I must share with you. There are about four grammar errors, and some of them may keep you mind-boggled for the rest of day/night thinking about what they were trying to express. Once you get to meet Ra Al' Ghul, he can make the story confusing because of his wording. Overall, this book will get very exciting with its art, and knowing if you're a Batman fan, you'll love this book.

Average customer rating:

Best Comic Book Novel Thus Far.
Super Reader
Great!
Another fantastic batman novel
Great Book

Batman: No Man's Land
Greg Rucka
Manufacturer: Pocket Star
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Movie Tie-Ins | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Action & Adventure | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Epic | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Batman | Media | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0671774557

Book Description

GOTHAM CITY: a dark, twisted re?ection of urban America. Overcrowded, overbuilt, and overshadowed by a continuous air of menace, this gothic nightmare is a breeding ground for the depraved, the indifferent, and the criminally insane. It's also the object of one man's obsession. Witness to the brutal murder of his parents, Bruce Wayne has dedicated his life to protecting this city, taking a form to inspire hope in the innocent...and fear in the guilty. He is the masked vigilante known as the Batman.

Now the battlefield has changed. Leveled by a massive earthquake that left thousands dead and millions more wounded, Gotham City has been transformed into a lawless wilderness -- a No Man's Land -- where the survivors are turning against one another, and where the city's protectors are torn by a crisis that may consume them all.

Customer Reviews:

Best Comic Book Novel Thus Far........2007-09-14

This is by far the best Comic Book Novelzation that I have read thus far. This book isn't about Batman as much as it is about the supporting characters of the franchise. There is no one character that takes the spotlight in the No Man's Land but Commissoner Gordon defintely has largest slice of the pie. The opening monologues by Oracle are written from a great view of the character which combines her history as Batgirl into them. The relationship between Gordon and Batman goes to a another level. Two-Face as a warlord is simply brillaint, and the political games between the warning factions in Gotham City will have any conspiracy fan sitting on their rear end reading this book.

Super Reader.......2007-08-07

I had not read No Man's Land in comics when I read this, and was very impressed. At times a highly emotional story Rucka has performed admirably. A decent novelist in his own right, he has produced a Batman novel that is sometimes horrifying in its own right. It is also fairly lengthy for a hero novel, being closer to 500 pages, than 400, because of the epic it is covering, and not large print and lots of spacing, either.

Really good.

Great!.......2007-06-11

They should novelize comic book stories more often! After reading the Infinite Crisis novel, I searched for more "comic to novel" adaptations. So I check this out... Man, am I glad I did!

Another fantastic batman novel.......2006-10-16

I first heard about this story from the DC Comics web site, which stated what had happened to Gotham, not to the people residing in it. I see this as a direct sequel to Dennis O'Neil's "Batman: Knightfall" due to the fact the story takes place after Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham to reclaim the Batman title. Rucka shows his talent in how smoothly he shows the character's relationships.

This is a must-have novel for any Batman-fan or some one into a gripping tale of reclaiming a destroyed city.

PARTY ON, DUDES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great Book.......2005-12-16

This is a great story about justice in a forgotten city, destroyed by an earthquake and overun with crime Batman and several others try to bring justice. This story alternates points of view many times through out the story from Batman to Penguin and everyone in between. Action and adventure fill the story with few dull moments through out it.

This story isn't a tough read and once you get into it its hard to put it down. The book can be confusing at times with all the different points of view but than again that is also what makes the story so interesting. The story is told from the first person by all of the many characters. Batman along with Batgirl and what is left of the Gotham Police Deparment fight villians such as Two Face, Penguin, Poisen Ivy and many more. It is a great read and i higly suggest it.

Average customer rating:

For fans of Batman:The Animated Series
Greg Rucka Saves the Day
Missing The BackUps, But 8 Of The Best Batman Comics Ever
awesome
Memorable only for the Two-Face chapter

Batman: Evolution (No Man's Land)
Greg Rucka
Manufacturer: DC Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Drawing | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Superheroes | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Batman | Characters | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

DC Comics | Publishers | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Batman | Media | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1563897261

Customer Reviews:

For fans of Batman:The Animated Series.......2007-09-29

This is like a Batman:The Animated Series cartoon on paper. The art and storytelling are both right out of the show. I enjoy when Batman acts like a detective instead of just a ninja. Good stuff.

Greg Rucka Saves the Day.......2005-05-10

I agree with some of the reviewers that say the artwork is not great. I think the team of artists were going for a simple/classic Tim Sale kind of feel, but don't quite pull it off. The limited color palette is unusual (entire chapters use only a few colors), but this doesn't bother me. It creates an unreal feeling, so you can accept people transforming into animals... well, almost.

What saves the book is the writing of Greg Rucka. After his HUGE hit with the recent Batman comic, "The OMAC Project," I wanted to check out his earlier stuff. So I ordered this and I wasn't disappointed. Rucka understands that Batman books work well when Bruce Wayne is allowed to be a detective, not just a grunting badass. Even though Ra's al Ghul is probably my least favorite Batman villain, I enjoyed his part of the story. The Two-Face chapter is solid too. I like how Rucka includes characters from "Gotham Central," like Detective Montoya (the Two-Face chapter revolves around her).

Check out Rucka's work on the "Batman & Huntress" trade paperback (an excellent read) and the acclaimed "Queen and Country" series.

Happy reading!

Missing The BackUps, But 8 Of The Best Batman Comics Ever.......2004-12-18

Reprints Detective Comics #s 743-750, minus, apparantly, the 8-page backups that began appearing in # 746. The exclusion of said material, excellent though it is, is not enough to justify bumping this down from five stars to four; besides, all DC has to do is start issuing Trade Paperbacks reprinting the Detective backups like they've done for the Black-&-White backups from Gotham Knights (another outstanding title) and problem solved, you don't have to worry about missing any material when you purchase Trades like this or "Officer Down" or "Fugitive". What really mystifies me though, is if this is billed as 'New Gotham 1', why they didn't start the volume off by reprinting Detective # 742, THE perfect post-No Man's Land starting point, an issue largely focusing on Jim Gordon and the reprecussions of the final issues of NML. I definately recommend that issue in addition to this volume, as it sets the stage well for the whole post-NML Batman material in many of the titles, not just Detective.

Onto the material that is reprinted itself - issues 743-746 bring the detective skills of the Bat into center stage as he investigates the prescence and intentions of Whisper A'Daire and Kyle Abbot in Gotham, two new (to the reader) agents of the Demon's Head, Ra's Al Ghul. 743-746 also give considerable play to many of Gotham's 'non-costumed' organized crime elements, and does so with great characterization and realism. # 747 is a stand-alone issue in which Batman is pretty much a cameo player, in an issue starring GCPD officer Reneé Montoya and Two-Face; possibly one of the 5 best single-issue Batman stories ever published; actually I'd go even further and say it's possibly one of the 5 best self-contained comics, period. Detective Nos. 748 & 749, 'Urban Renewal' Parts 1 & 2, see the tense friction between the Dee-Zees (residents who left Gotham after the No Man's Land declaration and returned after it was lifted) and OGs (Original Gothamites, who stayed in the city during the whole crisis) escalating into violence; also brings in details on how the actual rebuilding of the city is proceeding. And Detective Comics # 750 is a follow-up to the arc in 743-746, brilliant but containing one small implausibility, the only one in the collection. To focus too much on that would be nitpicking on the molecular level given the overall awesomeness of the issue and the collection.

The artwork is tremendous, one of the few examples of veering into the highly stylized realm of art (rather than going for a fully photorealistic style) that I find totally rewarding and expressive on every level. And it's not that it's blatantly UN-photorealistic, it's just that this is a really unique, really innovative pencil style. If the drawing style is innovative, the coloring style is downright revolutionary, casting each individual issue in pre-dominantly in a single primary color and its multitude of shades, plus black, white and grey. A bold move that succeeded magnificently and worked with the pencils and inks for one of the most original looks on any comic title in years and years.

Tremendous, riveting, outstanding, and unpredictable, I'll stop now before I use too much bandwidth with thousands of praiseful adjectives.

awesome.......2002-04-24

Great read. Not so great art work but you can't blame that on rucka can you. Rucka did a great job with the villans i think. i purchased this along with batman broken bat. Broken Bat was a little better cause of the art work. BUY THIS BOOK!

Memorable only for the Two-Face chapter.......2002-03-05

Novelist Greg Rucka came aboard the Batman books during the groundbreaking "No Man's Land" epic. I loved that story arc, but since then, I've found Rucka's work, both on Batman and other comics (Whiteout, Batman/Huntress, etc.) to be either hit or miss. He is capable of great work, as the Two-Face story in this book shows, but when he's off his game.....oh boy.

The biggest problem here is Editorial; When DC rebooted Detective Comics, post NML, they made a few awful decisions- Artist Shawn Martinbrough's work is boring and nondescript, and it's made even worse by the "Limited" Colors used. The book looks like someone spilled a mug of Hot Chocolate on it. Just awful. Why bother to color it at all? It would be much more palatable in black and white.

An Editor should also have stepped in to stop Rucka from using a ridiculous designer drug as his plot device; The drug doesn't just addict, it turns it's users into animals. Literally. Snakes, Wolves, etc. After years spent trying to keep The Batman books (Semi)believable, the sight of addicts turning into snakes had me howling with laughter. Is this the best the great Ra's Al Ghul could do? Pathetic! Ra's Al Ghul is not my favorite Batman villain, but I think that's why he never used to turn up much: It took a really talented writer to do something with him. Rucka was not that writer. After all of that buildup, the story doesn't end, so much as stop. It's almost like Rucka ran out of writing paper....

With the great array of Batman books out there, you can't really be in bad enough shape that you'll want to waste your cash on this....

Average customer rating:
The Batman Chronicles #17 (No Man's Land)
DC Comics
Manufacturer: DC Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic

Batman | Media | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Batman | Characters | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000IQQO92

Product Description

Quarterly direct sales edition comic book published by DC Comics. Features 3 different stories by 3 different writer/artist teams. Part of the "No Man's Land" crossover event which ran throughout the various Batman titles in 1999 & 2000.

The Batman Chronicles #16 (No Man's Land)

Average customer rating:

The Batman Chronicles #16 (No Man's Land)
DC Comics
Manufacturer: DC Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic

Batman | Media | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Batman | Characters | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000IQTDYK

Product Description

Average customer rating:

Batman #564 (No Man's Land)
Devin K. Grayson
Manufacturer: DC Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic

Batman | Media | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Batman | Characters | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000J00556

Product Description

Direct sales edition comic book published by DC Comics. part of the massive "No Man's Land" storyline that ran throughout the various batman titles in 1999 and 2000.

Average customer rating:

Batman #573 (No Man's Land)
Greg Rucka
Manufacturer: DC Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic

Batman | Media | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Batman | Characters | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000IZWFNW

Product Description

Direct sales edition comic book published by DC Comics. part of the massive "No Man's Land" storyline that ran throughout the various batman titles in 1999 and 2000. Guest-stars Superman's Archenemy, Lex Luthor.

Batman Chronicles No Man's Land Comic #16 & #17 (No Man's Land, 16 & 17)

Average customer rating:

Batman Chronicles No Man's Land Comic #16 & #17 (No Man's Land, 16 & 17)
Many
Manufacturer: DC Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Batman | Media | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Batman | Characters | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000TTM6DQ

Product Description

Comic Book Series

Batman Legends of the Dark Knight Comic #117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 126 (No Man's Land)

Average customer rating:

Batman Legends of the Dark Knight Comic #117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 126 (No Man's Land)
Many
Manufacturer: DC Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Batman | Media | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Batman | Characters | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000TTNZTK

Product Description

Comic Book Series

Book Description

In the future, there will be a new reason to be paranoid: Sensory Deprivation Syndrome.

Customer Reviews:

really bad.......2005-05-16

Its funny that another reviewer said this was "X-men meets the fugitive." Before I started to write this I was thinking of what this book reminded me of and all I could think of were comic books in prose form. I especially thought of the really bad X-men movies that brought a legion of wacky characters together in a fight of good vs. evil.

This book was really bad because it starts off with zero character development. We jump into the story with no idea why we should give a damn about these people who feel so sorry for them selves. The story skips around from one character to another and an incredibly cheesy world in conflict plot arises. Lastly, the writing here is painfully bad. I think that the only reason this book was published is because it really felt like a B movie and perhaps they were hoping for a movie deal.

It seems like the last decade Hollywood has been producing an endless supply of comic book based movies that differ little from one another. Every once in a while one of these is watchable I suppose, but the majority of these films are trash. And then at the bottom of the heap are a few films that are so bad and so uninspired that it kind of takes your breath away just to watch the trailer and contemplate them ('Batwoman,' or 'Daredevil' to name a couple recent ones). That is how this novel feels.

X Men Meets the Fugitive.......2004-03-25

This book is classic X-Men, you just need to substitute the word "Depriver" for "Mutant." Actually, the mutation is that in near future some people will develop the ability to deprive other of particular senses (sight, taste, balance) by touch. Once the government finds out about it, they want to pass registration acts and require deprivers to wear gloves. Like I said, its X-Men Revisted.

In part two of the book, a "normal" who married a depriver is on a quest to find out who killed his wife. Again, this strikes me as straight out of the Fugitive.

The derivative nature of this book notwithstanding, it's not a bad read. The pace moves quickly and some of the characters are moderately interesting. Makes a good book to read on a plane.

You people must be smoking something.......2004-02-08

If I could have given this book half a star, I would have. That half star would be for a good premise. However good premise might be, the book is horrible. The characters are half developed (at best) and to steal a line from Dune, there are plots within plots within plots. While this might seem good on the outside, out of the dozen or so subplots, only ONE is resolved, and even that one is written poorly. I would have to say that there are better ways to waste two hours of my life than to read a book this bad.

Loved it!.......2004-02-03

I loved this book. This idea is excellent--the syndrome created by the author is seems like it could be for real. The premise is scary and the characters are excellent. I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a good pageturner!

Deprivers will infect your dreams.......2003-12-16

Steven-Elliot Altman's Deprivers is as frightening as the Hot Zone and reminiscent of the Aids scare of the 80's. Told through compelling characters it seems like it could be true, or right around the next corner.

Be careful who you touch. You'll get more than cooties.

Highly Recommended!

Book Description

Christianity arrived early in Egypt, brought -- according to tradition -- by Saint Mark the Evangelist, who became the first patriarch of Alexandria. The Coptic Orthodox Church has flourished ever since, with millions of adherents both in Egypt and in Coptic communities around the world. Since it split from the Byzantine Church in 451, the Coptic Church has maintained its early traditions, and influence from the outside has been minimal: the liturgy is still sung to unique rhythms in Coptic, a late stage of the same ancient Egyptian language that is inscribed in hieroglyphs on temple walls and papyri.

Dr. Otto Meinardus, an authority on the history of the Coptic Church, has revised, updated and combined his studies, "Christian Egypt, Ancient and Modern" (AUC Press 1965 and 1977) and "Christian Egypt, Faith and Life" (AUC Press, 1970) into a new, definitive, one-volume history for the Millennium, surveying the 20 centuries of existence of one of the oldest churches in the world.

Customer Reviews:

Catalog of facts about Coptic churches around the world.......2007-09-09

This book is very good if you're looking for a collection of information about particular churches, where they are, who leads them and what goes on at each locale. It is not so much a story as a compilation of details; it's been called an encyclopedia, and I agree with that assessment. So, I think it would appeal more to someone looking for a reference guide than a biographical account. There are other books by this author which fit that description. This may not be the first book by Meniardus I'd put on my shelf, but it's still worth reading.

Two Thousand Years of Coptic Christianity.......2007-01-06

The book was very interesting and well written. What Christians believed about pass events certainly does vary.

A Must for All Church Scholars.......2005-06-19

As the other reviewers said, this is absolutely a foundational compendium, worth much for its charts and appendices, alone, and for the fact that it's rather up to date (originally published in '99 and updated in '02).

A word of warning -- the binding is very poorly done on this trade paperback and every page falls out as you turn it, so the book will have to be rebound, probably spiral, for the repeated reference use that it will get.

Encyclopedic Review of Two Millenia of Faith.......2004-07-08

"This fine new compendium of Coptic history and life, from the greatly admired scholar Professor Otto Meinardus, will immediately take its place as the one essential Coptic Orthodox desktop reference book in English." Dr. J. Watson, Coptic Church Review, vol. 21, no. 2, summer 2000

Coptic Christianity:
In the second century Christianity began to spread to the rural areas, from Alexandria. The Gospel translations into Sahidic, and Buhairic Coptic, the major two local dialects, enhanced the spread of Christianity in mainland Egypt. The monastic desert movement, started in the 3rd century, during Roman persecutions, by St. Anthony in the North and St. Pachomius in upper Egypt in early 4th century, that was carried by John Cassian to the Gaul, from where monasticism spread throughout the Christian world.
The Church of Alexandria, known later as the Coptic (Egyptian) Church lead the Christians and defended Orthodoxy in theological dispute about the nature of Christ in the 4th & 5th centuries. Coptic Christians, lay and monastic, were joined by miaphysite Syrians against the decisions of the council of Chalcedon.

Author, Otto Meinardus:
Professor Meinardus is a well known member of the German Archaeological Society, and a Coptic expert. He spent over forty years in Egypt, taught at the American University in Cairo, and wrote more than ten books on various Coptic issues (hard and software). The Coptic Church Review, American Patristic Quarterly introduced him as; "The Revd. Dr. Otto Meinardus, who has contributed frequently to this journal, is an internationally known Coptologist who has written extensively on the Coptic and Oriental Churches." He was described by the eminent Coptologist John Watson (Among the Copts) as; "probably the greatest individual European contributor to Coptic studies in the last century".

Two Millenia of Faith:
In a systematic exposition, the expert author after a concise introduction elaborates on 'Coptic Software,' The Coptic church: Its history, Tradition, Theology, and Structure. He tackles Coptic traditions about the Flight of the Holy Family into Egypt, St. Mark and founding of the Church in Egypt, The Theological contribution of Alexandria, the Canons of the Coptic Church, History of Coptic theology, after Chalcedon, The Copts from 7th to 20th century. He masterfully describes 'Folk Coptic Religion,' Mulid ( Popular Festival), healing and Mystics. He end this part with the Coptic Diaspora, and African mission.

Coptic Churches and Monasteries:
Dr. Meinardus unparalleled expertise is evident in this second part, about which he wrote several books. He starts from early Christianity in Alxandria and utilizes 130 pages to take you in an amazing tour in space and time with plates of 24 photos.

Wonderful Appendices:
A. Marks of identification: Tattoos and Names
B. Patriarchs of the Coptic Church & Rulers of Egypt
C. Language, architecture, and Calendar
D. Feasts & Relics of the Coptic Saints

2KY of Coptic folklore, wisdom, and faith.......2002-07-20

The Book: A celestial encyclopedia
This wonderful encyclopedia of Coptic varieties was Dr. meinardus present to the Church he loved, on the eve of the third millennium, celebrating the survival of Orthodoxy of Alexandria, and piety of the Copts for two millennia, of which fifteen centuries it suffered peresecution from the Romans, Byzantines, and Moslems.
Integrating information from some of his numerous books on the Copts, their monks, monastries and life, together with numerous of his recent studies.I cannot limit this book to Dr. Watson's definition "A one volume encyclopedia", since it is celestial fun to read, with lots of Baal Shem style stories, some of which are written in the memory of Christian religious thought.

Stories of the Desert Fathers of Shehit,
Shihet (Scetis) lies south of Nitria and SE Cellia where these monasteries and those who dwelt in them; St. Macarius, and the company of the desert fathers. Their legendary wisdom and mere Christianity are amazing. Rev.Dr.Meinardus tells his version of the charming Coptic folklore, wisdom, and myth. His selection of the cover Icon of the Three Saint Macari, and back cover of St. Anthony Monastery reveals to the expert eyes how Coptic to the bones he became, after 40 years of living, studying, and writing about the Copts. I rated this fine work at a mere 4.5 only, since the photos are not colored, though it may be the intention of the publisher to reflect how colorless became "Today's Coptic Christianity"

Summary of Contents:
The Coptic Church: Its history, Tradition, Theology, Structure
Flight of the Holy Family into Egypt, St. Mark The Evangelist, Theology of Alexandria, Canons of the Coptic Church, History of Coptic theology, The ancient Copts, 20 Th. century renaissance, Folk Religion of the Copts, Coptic Diaspora.Coptic Churches and monasteries, ancient & Modern
early Christianity in Alexandria, the Lourdes in the desert: St. Menas, Cellia, Netria, Christianity in the Nile delta, churches of Old Cairo, Churches and monasteries of upper Egypt, Churches and monasteries of Arsenoi, Western & Eastern deserts
Appendices: Tattoos and Names, Coptic Patriarchs, Language, Architecture and Calendar, Relics of Coptic Saints, Bibliography

The author: Illustrative Coptologis Otto Meinardus
The Rev. Dr. Meinardus is a multitalented Anglican Church historian, theologian, he is a member of the German Archaeological society. Touring the Miditerrenian, the cradle of Christianity, fell in Knowing love with one of the most ancient Churches, the Church of Martyrs (as Copts use to call themselves) He taught at the Institute of Coptic studies, Cairo and the American U. in Cairo (AUC) that has the right to his books as of the Nobel Prize Laureate N. Mahfouz.
'A shrewd observer of the modern Coptic scene and prefers not to commit himself !? There are some carefully guarded comments which must be calculated to tickle our ribs and our minds" John Watson

Glorious synopsis of a life's study:
"This fine new compendium of Coptic history and life, from the greatly admired scholar Professor Otto Meinardus, will immediately take its place as the one essential Coptic Orthodox desktop reference book in English, whether for a scholar or for the general reader. . ., and without this volume most of the material would otherwise not be available to the English Language Coptologist.
Dr. J. Watson; "Coptic Church Rev., Summer 2000"

Average customer rating:
St. John of Patmos and the Seven Churches of the Apocalypse
Otto F. A. Meinardus
Manufacturer: Lycabettus Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 9607269152

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books