Customer Reviews:
Memories hung on songs.......2007-08-09
W. C. Handy's autobiography is a fascinating story. The historical information about early blues provides an excellent overview of his experiences with different musical groups. The descriptions of his performances on street corners, with minstrel groups, in nightclubs such as Pee Wee's on Beale Street, and on the concert stage are especially vivid and engaging. I also was interested in his descriptions of the various musical genres that formed the basis for the development of blues and jazz. His descriptions of various style of music helps readers piece together the history of this "pre-blues" music, and Handy's observations show that the story is far more complex than the contention that blues evolved from "simple" field hollers. Handy also provides an interesting discussion of his own role in shaping blues music. He modestly describes his contributions in publishing and popularizing the genre, and he doesn't make any claim to be the "Father of the Blues." Instead, he suggests that its roots are with the forgotten singers such as the blues guitarist whom he listened to in Tutwiler, MS in 1903. Handy's autobiography also challenges the idea that Memphis was the original home of the blues. He writes that Memphis gained that credit because of its publishing industry, and he suggests that other cities, such as New Orleans, also were homes to blues singers prior to the Memphis blues connections. Along with the wealth of historical information and personal reminiscences, the book also is finely written. Handy was well read and eloquent, and he blends together the traditional proverbs and old sayings of African-American folk traditions with insights from contemporary writers, thinkers, artists, and musicians. Handy, himself, emerges as a man of integrity and perseverance, who openly discusses the racial tensions and overt bigotry that he faced, but who also emerged with an inspiring dignity and life-affirming peace-of-mind.
Good read, overlooked history, Handy's coverup of ASCAP's racism.......2007-03-21
Like many autobiographies, this book is best before Handy becomes WC Handy the great and venerated music composer and publisher. Handy describes coming up in the hard world of the South in the years that Reconstruction was being demolished and Jim Crow segregation was being imposed.
Handy's childhood decision to become a musician flew in the face of his family's and much of the Black church (Handy's father was a minister) world's view that being a musician of any kind was hardly better than becoming a criminal.
Classically trained in both the violin and the trumpet and in composition and harmony, Handy always looked to the folk music of working class and farming African Americans and to rhythms and music he knew came from Africa as his source of inspiration. In fact, when Handy became a music professor at a Black state-run college in Alabama, he ended up resigning when the administration frowned on his teaching the students to venerate the music their people created.
Handy gives some interesting stories of life in the Black ministrel companies he worked in. These companies were a focal point of Black entertainment between the civil war and the second world war. Not only did 19th Century figures like Banjoist Horace Weston, and the early 20th Century dance and comedy men like Bert Williams and Bill Robinson graduate from minstrelsy to Broadway, but 20th century stars like Louis Jordan, Dizzy Gillespie, and Rufus Thomas got their start in minstrel shows. These shows trained musicians and singers who became the founding stars of blues and Jazz. One such minstrel troupe had Classic Blues Divas Ma Rainey, Clara Smith, and Bessie Smith, all on the same bill.
Handy discusses the danger and persecution Black minstrel companies faced in the Jim-Crow South. The railroad coach his company traveled in contained secret compartments to hide the Black entertainers from police and lynch mobs as well as places to store firearms for self-defense. Handy tells several stories that make clear that W.C. Handy might never have survived to write the Memphis and St. Louis Blues without the secret compartment or self defense with firearms.
Contrary to popular misconceptions, the blues is not an ancient form of Black musical expression. It arose in the 1890s and early 20th century. Handy grew up in Alabama, lived in Kentucky, and Mississippi and was headquartered for years in Clarksdale, Mississippi, the big town in the area that produced Charlie Patton, Robert Johnson, Son House, Muddy Waters, and Johnny Lee Hooker, He had heard old time Black banjo and fiddle tunes since childhood. Yet, he did not hear the blues until the early 20th Century.
He points out that the real "inspiration" for him to incorporate the blues into the music he wrote for his dance band came in a small town in Mississippi where his band played a dance. The country people demanded that a ragged blues trio of mandolin, guitar, and bass play a few song. As Handy and his band were tired, they welcomed the opportunity to take a break. However with the three blusicians were finished, the crowd showered more money on them for a few songs than Handy's whole band received for a whole night's work.
Playing for Black dancers, Handy explained how he had to incorporate the blues and other rhythms and music that came from Africa into his music. Then, Handy is always insistence that the base of his music is working and farming Black folk.
As he enters fame, Handy remains interesting, especially when he explains the way he had to battle swindling and racism when he became a music publisher. He's also pretty adamant about demanding respect for African American entertainers and for song writers and composers as well.
He's a good, friendly and often humorous writer throughout.
Handy never claims to have invented Blues, but to have heard it second or third hand from folk sources in Mississippi and Memphis. His claim to fame was to have integrated folk bluses ideas into written compositions. Seeking to present himself as an innovator more than he actually was, he fails to mention that some of his early Blues, like the Memphis Blues were not actually Blues, but ragtime pieces with the title Blues appended to take advantage of the popularity the Blues was gathering among dancers and buyers of sheet music.
In the 1930s, Handy was quite willing to accept without protest media claims that he invented the Blues and was one of the early innovators of Jazz. This was not to Handy's credit, particularly since although his Memphis band was one of the great ragtime bands and played many of Handy's compositions well, Handy as a bandleader, a composer, or as a musican was never known for Jazz, although he appreciated it.
WhenIn the 1930s Jelly Roll Morton and others contested Handy's claims as the originator of Blues and Jazz. Morton pointed on that in the early 1900s, Handy had told Morton that it was impossible for a band to play the blues. This was at a time when Morton and other New Orleans musicians were leading Jazz bands that played the blues and. Indeed, Morton and the Jazz players had been preceded by pre-Jazz bands in New Orleans that played great Blues.
While Handy does confront discrimination he faced as an African American in the South, his final chapter a paen to Ascap, stains his reputation and record.
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers is a performing rights organization which licenses and collects royalties for performance of its members, composers and song writers. In the 1930s and early 1940s ASCAP demanded royalties from the recording industry, and especially from music venues and radio for music in general. However at the time ASCAP was notorious for its discrimination against African Americans composers who sought to join the organization while it maintained a few well-known African American members like Handy. For the few African Americans who were able to fight their way into ASCAP, royalties were distributed not based on the sales of music written by each composer, but an evaluation of the "value" of different forms of music. This evaluation out Jazz, Blues, and other African American music at almost no value, while white Broadway composers and classical compositions received huge sums.
Black composers and song writers, led by Jelly Roll Morton protested this. Morton wrote not only many pieces that became standards for early Jazz, but several pieces that became among the most recorded songs of the Swing Era, especially "The King Porter Stomp" which was the theme song for Benny Goodman. Royalties on this music was probably worth hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars. Yet, after a long struggle involving lawyers and appeals to the Justice department, when Morton fought his way into ASCAP, he was awarded less than 200 dollars per year for his compositions. Congress later investiged ASCAP and exposed ASCAP's discrimination against Black composers and song writers. The investigation and a series of court rulings forced ASCAP to change these practices.
However, this came long after Handy wrote his concluding chapter celebrating ASCAP. He makes no note that the organization is openly discriminating against allowing Blacks other than a few well known tokens like himself to join. He makes no note that ASCAP collects millions from the compositions of African Americans, but paid them a pittance. He talks about ASCAP like it was the greatest invention since The Blues
A window into the beginning of jazz and blues.......2000-06-23
This is a look at how jazz and blues began, from the man who was instrumental in getting it started. W.C. Handy tells us how the transition was made from marches, classical music, dance music, Stephen Foster, vaudville tunes and folk blues to the arranged and orchestrated blues and jazz of the 20th Century. Not only did Handy help create the music, but he also helped preserve it through recordings and publications. In this book, he tells in detail how he came to compose his most famous pieces, including Memphis Blues, St. Louis Blues and Beale Street Blues. Handy is a superb storyteller who paints a vivid picture of life in the Reconstruction South, and the world of the African-American entertainer during the minstrel show days and the birth of the jazz era.
Great history of the South and the birth of the blues.......2000-04-08
W.C. Handy is well known in Memphis, TN because of the blues, but his story begins in Florence, Alabama. I teach 8th graders a unit comparing and contrasting his life with his neighbor from Tuscumbia, Helen Keller. Handy's life was rich with music, travel, hard times, discrimination, and fame. The picture he paints of minstrel days and struggling to live on the road sticks in your mind. His words provide a rich setting for the birth of music that my students listen to today. The book is too long to require them to read, but I read them sections to give them a flavor of the South they do not comprehend. I highly recommend this book to lovers of jazz, Southern history and stories about people who overcome great adversity and succeed.
Book Description
'Salted with hilarious memories of Edsall family life, Edsall mixes the positive with the painful until it's not only palatable but also poignant.' -Chicago Sun-Times Three years ago, Susan Edsall's father, a rebuilder and pilot of antique airplanes, had a stroke that left him unable to read, write, speak, or fly. Battling the pessimistic conclusion of the experts, she and her sister got their dad back behind the controls of his beloved open-cockpit biplane. Into the Blue is a powerful family memoir about two feisty sisters in Montana who bring their father back to life.
Customer Reviews:
Not for ladies only?.......2005-05-02
OK, I'm humble enough to admit I was wrong. When one of my best friends, a Volvo-driving soccer mom if there ever was one, suggested that I read and PURCHASE "Into The Blue", I was skeptical at best. Scenario: author and sister rehabilitate stroke-afflicted father so he can - *gag* - fly again. Yet another "chick" book. Ho-hum.
So untrue. It's been a long, long while since I've been so entertained, overwhelmed, affected, whatever, by a memoir. Susan Edsall has a great gift for writing, and for viewing the world by crushing the rose colored glasses. If this were simply a novel about how our heroine pulls her dad back from the abyss, it'd probably sell a bazillion copies in the romance section. "Into The Blue" is not simple - not by a long shot.
First off, it should be required reading for every med student, neurology resident, or anyone who has contact with stroke victims. The start of Edsall's tale is pretty grim; not for what happened to her father, but for the reaction of the medical community to his plight - indifference, condescension, and that "oh well, that's what happens, nothing we can do" type of nonsense that we've all seen too well from supposed professionals who you'd think would have more insight and creativity to go with all that specialized education.
Love of a parent pushes the Edsall family into a series of tough decisions, but the neat part of this book is the places that they come to as a result of these mileposts. The author seems as surprised as the reader at times by the way in which her father's stroke and her family's actions cause her (and all of them) to reconnect in new and very meaningful fashion. Susan's descriptions of her relationships past and present with her mother, her husband and above all her sister Sharon are hysterical - and very moving. I could relate 80 percent of her patter to my own family, which was an experience both interesting and disturbing!
This is a tremendous piece of writing, worthy of wide distribution and discussion.
A fascinating story .......2004-12-29
This book is the fascinating story of two sisters and their dad who was suffering from a stroke. The sisters are determined to get him back to his airplane. In this book the author underlines the support a patient needs from his doctor for a fast and safe recovery. This book will definitely be a welcome read to any one suffered from a stroke.
After eliminating my coffee habit with the help of a wonderful coffee substitute made from soya beans called "Soyffee", I'm feeling so much better. My doctor recommended it to help lower my cholesterol and promote strong bones. It's available online at www.S o y c o f f e e.com.
Exhilarating Read!.......2004-12-28
I loved this book! The writing was so sharp and funny, and the story is heartwarming and hilarious, without being overly sentimental.
Susan Edsall does suggest you go off coffee slowly before you start the plan. This would minimize headaches during detox. I couldn't wait to get started so, of course, did it all at once and had the most horrible awful headache for 4 straight days. I finally broke down and had a 1/2 cup coffee one day instead of taking aspirin and that did the trick...for the moment.
You feel as if you've known the author and her family all your life after reading this book, and you really care about them.
Entertaining, helpful, and good reading!.......2004-11-14
If you or anyone you know has had a stroke, be sure to read "Into the Blue". Susan's experience with the medical rehab field is common not only in the remote state of Montana, but in major areas like Los Angeles. While each stroke is unique, the book shows the way in taking over the therapy process. I am amazed at what she and her sister learned on their own.
The book was very interesting to me in several respects. I also have gone through the process of helping a loved one regain a useful life after a serious stroke. My wife Mary Deits experienced a major bleed and we too took over therapy ourselves with gratifying results. Mary has written a book "My Exciting Stroke" about her experiences of coming back.
I am also a pilot and could really relate to Susan's father and his urge to fly again. I am especially impressed that he not only returned to flying, but flew vintage aircraft that are not easy to handle.
"Into the Blue" is also well worth reading just for the fun of it. A great book to curl up in front of the fireplace and read.
Out of the fog, into the blue.......2004-11-07
A wonderfully human story. I am in awe of Susan, who lays bare her own imperfections and struggles as she tells the story of a reimmersion into family life and the care of her ailing father.
We get to hear the story blow by blow and it is frequently not pretty. It's about hitting walls, being someone that's always known what to do confronting a situation where you have no idea what to do and have to rely on heretofore unknown strengths to survive. This is a story of strength, of perservance, of the deepest growth, and enduring love.
A definite book to share with those you love.
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Father of the blues: An autobiography of W.C. Handy
W. C Handy
Manufacturer: Macmillan Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
 African-American & Black
| Ethnic & National
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Music
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: B0007FX8PM |
Average customer rating:
- I really liked this book!
- Loco for the local
- Time; priceless gift to make the most of.
- a really thoughtful read
- Very Good. I enjoyed it!
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My Father's Cabin: A Tale of Life, Love, Loss and Land
Mark Phillips
Manufacturer: The Lyons Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Mid Atlantic
| Regional U.S.
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Memoirs
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Essays
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Fatherhood
| Family Relationships
| Parenting & Families
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Family Relationships
| Parenting & Families
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Parenting & Families
| Subjects
| Books
Northeast
| State & Local
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1585743917 |
Book Description
In the Rust Belt of the 1960s, a blue-collar father works double shifts, chasing elusive dreams: a good night's sleep, eternal life, a cabin in the Allegheny Mountains where he can hunt and fish. His son is a child of the times, chasing his own dreams: girls, long hair, politics, and independence. And both chase the same dream: each other's elusive love.This is a familiar story uniquely told, in a voice that perfectly captures America at its most turbulent, an era that continues to define the largest generation in American history. MY FATHER'S CABIN chronicles life in America as the Greatest Generation gives way to the Me Decade, as responsibility gives way to self-fulfillment-and then back again, as responsibility becomes self-fulfillment.
Customer Reviews:
I really liked this book!.......2007-08-29
I read this book and followed every word through out the book..I then loaned it to a son-in-law of patient (where I work) and he and I had a great discussion of the themes that run through out the book. The end of the book had us both talking for days about it. The patient's son-in-law really liked it because he was raised in area very near where the author's father's cabin is.
Loco for the local.......2006-03-07
I am writing this review three years after hearing Mark Phillips speak at a workshop for local school librarians. As soon as his workshop ended, I bought a copy of this book, read it non-stop, and promptly ordered 15 copies so I could have them on hand to give as gifts to favorite friends. (The only other book like this I can say I love as much is Deborah Tall's "From Where We Stand"). I must read it again, now that I've recommended it to a group of colleagues who lead the local Teaching American History grant project. What I remember best about this book is that not only is it a personal meditation on the "American Dream" or nightmare, depending on your POV, but Phillips's talent for blending personal history with local history. In doing so he depicts the painful de-industrialization of Western New York, from the perspective of his family's life in the industrial north of WNY.
Yet, there is hope in his father's determination to "go back to the land." Of course, the earliest people to live on this land were the Seneca of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Confederacy, who lost it as post-Revolutionary financiers quickly sold the land away from underneath them). In his father's struggles, there are echoes of the hopes of WNY's earliest settlers, who were likewise displaced from New England, moving west of the Genesse where land (not all of it tillable) was plentiful and cheap; and echoes too of the hopes of later immigrants/migrants who found employment in the region's chemical and steel plants, powered by cheap electricity. WNY remains very much a place where people like Phillips's dad both stuggle and dream.
Time; priceless gift to make the most of. .......2005-03-29
He worked hard, Mark Phillips' dad did. He had a tough job. He worked a lot of overtime...he wanted a place of solitude for the rare time off work. His dream finally put him to action. He found the land, he worked out the cabin plans...his dream was coming to light. This had to be perhaps the happiest times for his dad, fulfilling a dream, creating a place for solitude, getting away from the smoky factory--a place for fun occasions to share with his family. Well, it should have been a happy time. Not knowing whether he would ever enjoy it, he unselfishly continued to finish his dream. It seems that his only fuel was the love of his family. Knowing his long-sought-after reward may not materialize, the emotional pain had to be as bad as the physical pain as his goal was laboriously concluding. His reward was ultimately redefined. His purpose to financially provide for his family could not escape him, even through his last project. This story of this working class man can teach the rest of us so much, in a time when we can find so much to complain about. Read this and you will find we have nothing, absolutely nothing, to complain about. Act upon your dreams as soon as you can. Life gives you less time as each day passes. Don't wait too long. The concept we take for granted, "tomorrow", is not promised to anyone, no matter how hard you try. Thanks, Mark, for sharing this story, no, legacy, with the rest of us. John@delbridge.net.
a really thoughtful read.......2002-06-04
I really enjoyed this book, and found myself returning to it whenever I could sneak some time in over the weekend. The message is simple, and poignant in light of the life of Mark Phillips. I have already passed it on to a male friend that I think would really appreciate this book in relation to his father and his son, and I have several others I will continue to pass it on to. It is good enough to recommend, and is a great gift for men who enjoy hunting and the outdoors.
Very Good. I enjoyed it!.......2002-02-06
I just finished this book last night and enjoyed every word. I am glad I did not read the above review first, though, since it gives away most of the drama. The book shows, in essence, that there is drama in all of our lives, and this one was very well written. In the search for "heroes" you hear about these days, there is surely one in Mr. Phillips' father, just a good American that did his blue-collar job despite mind-numbing conditions and, later, enormous pain. If you like this book, and the memoir genre, try also Rick Bragg, All Over But The Shoutin'.
Average customer rating:
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Phenomenological Approaches to Popular Culture
Manufacturer: Bowling Green University Popular Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Popular Culture
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Anthropology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Existentialism
| Movements
| Philosophy
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
20th Century
| World
| History
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0879728108 |
Book Description
In the available accounts of the methodology of popular culture studies, one finds discussions about quantitative sociology, Marxism, psychoanalysis, myth criticism, feminism, and semiotics, but hardly a word on the usefulness of phenomenology--the branch of philosophy concerned with human experience. In spite of this omission, there is a close relationship between the aims of phenomenology and the aims of popular culture studies, for both movements have attempted to re-direct academic study toward everyday lived experience. The fifteen essays in this volume demonstrate the way in which phenomenological approaches can illuminate popular culture studies, and in so doing they take on the entire range of popular culture: television, popular literature, popular vacation sites, advertising. This volume, which is rigorous yet accessible, will be of interest to the student of popular culture and the student of phenomenology.
Book Description
G-Force: Animated is the official compendium to Battle of the Planets, the Japanese animated TV program that revolutionized anime across the globe! Featuring plenty of unseen artwork and designs from the wondrous world of G-Force (known as Science Ninja Team Gatchaman to the rest of the world), it presents interviews and behind-the-scenes stories of the pop culture phenomenon that captured the hearts and imagination of Generation X, and spawned the new hit comic series! Granted full access to the archives of Sandy Frank Productions, this trade paperback covers the history of the show, from the original Tatsunoko production in 1972 to the current day rediscovery of this legendary and influential anime! Co-written by Jason Hofius (Battle of the Planets historian) and George Khoury (author of the Eisner-nominated Kimota! The Miracleman Companion), this full-color 96-page detailed account is highlighted by a new cover from master artist Alex Ross! Join us as we explore the real adventures and stories of Mark, Jason, Princess, Keyop, and Tiny. This fiery phoenix will rise again!
Customer Reviews:
A Great review of Battle of the Planets, with bits on Gatchaman & others..........2005-09-30
First of all, *ANYTHING* from Two Morrows publishing is going to be great. They don't solicit anything, they let people who are passionate about their ideas come to them, then TM polishes and publishes it.
G-force: Animated, is not exception to this rule. The book is divided into nine chapters:
Chapter 1: Covers the history of Gatchaman, the early 70's show from Tatsunoko upon which Battle of the Planets (BOTP) was based. It's got fascinating interviews with the original creators from Tatsunoko animation (who gave us Speed Racer, Robotech, and many others). It includes original character sketches and concept art, and is by far the most interesting chapter of the book. In fact, reading this chapter made me wish the book were about Gatchaman and included it's various English dubbed shows, rather than a book about BOTP which touches on Tatsunokos Gatchaman. The interviews reveal that the creators actually had something to say--Science Ninja Team Gatchaman was about man's struggle with technology; Galactor used it for evil, while Gatchaman used it for good. Why was the team dressed up like birds? The original Japanese creators, who were children during the American occupation of Japan after WWII, were heavily influenced by the super-hero comics the GI's would give to them. Again, tons of great info in this chapter.
Chap 2: History of BOTP, shows how Tatsunoko tried to sell the show internationally for a few years (that process is interesting too--apparently there are/were international animation shows were producers shopped around for such things). Finally, after Star Wars came out, Sandy Frank decided to take Gatch and tweak it into BOTP. The largely earth-bound episodes suddenly became cosmic. The gritty violence of the original series (really not that bad by todays standards) was cut, and the replaced with a silly robot narrator with a remarkable similiarity to R2-D2.
Chap 3: Character Handbook. This chapter has a few sketches and about a page each of description and backstory for the BOTP (not Gatchaman!) characters. It has the five from G-force, Chief Anderson, Zoltar, the Luminous One, and Colonel Chronos. This chapter does all right, but if you watch the new ADV releases of Gatchaman (the original Japanese show), you see how the BOTP characters were really dumbed down.
Chap 4: Art Gallery. Gorgeous sketches, animation cells, and other art. Not much to comment on, but a definite thumbs up.
Chap 5: Music. It didn't sound exciting to me at first, but this is a great chapter and makes you realize how important it is to the show. Despite it being a dumbed-down version, BOTP had FANTASTIC music. Don't you remember the opening score? This is the kind of information you can't find anywhere, even on the few good Gatchaman/BOTP websites out there. It's something I didn't have much interest, but that after I read I found fascinating. That's sort of a calling card for Two Morrows material by the way.
Chap 6: Episode Guide. This has a paragraph description of each of the 85 BOTP episodes in order, and includes the corresponding Gatchaman episode number. This chapter made it clear to me that this is a BOTP book, not a Gatchaman book. As we learned earlier, Sandy Frank wanted a series where the viewer could catch any episode and not need to have seen a previous one. The original Gatchaman had character growth, struggle, and teased the audience with enigmatic plot points that rewarded the viewer for careful attention. Having seen or even just being familiar with some of the orignal arcs (Joe's illness, Ken's father, and Zoltar /Berg Katse's secret, to name a few), it's frustrating to read things like "Joe had a headache and couldn't fight well, but was better later". That's a para-phrase by the way, the write ups are written very well.
Chap 7: Voices. Wow. While the original series was great across the board (voice-acting, story, animation, and music), the dubbed versions have been inconsistent. G-force, Gaurdians of Space was much truer to the original Japanese show, but had HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE music and unenthusiastic voice-acting. Having read that before I'd seen G-Force (a dubbed version different from BOTP), I thought it'd be more enjoyable than BOTP. I was wrong. The voice-acting in BOTP (and the music) actually make it the more enjoyable show. This chapter has interviews with Janet Waldo, Casey Kasem, and others. It shows what they of the series while they were doing it and what they think of it now, plus it's interesting to hear on the production side how the voices are done.
Chap 8: Merchandise. Fascinating look at the international merchandise, with pictures of comics, lunch-boxes, viewmasters, boardgames and everything else--oh, and this is international merchandise, which gives you a great idea of how popular BOTP was (and NOT Gatchaman) in Europe and across the globe. I thought it was very revealing that the Japanese show was sold to Americans, who repackaged it and then sold it around the world. It seemed a bit exploitative almost, although that's certainly not what the book is trying to tell you, it's my own inferrence.
Chapter 9: The future. Talks about the OAV release and update of Gatchaman, plans for a kiddy-friendly version & another more adult version (both of which lost momentum and are no more). It also talks about how in 2000 a Japanese phone company used some live action Gatchaman and 25 years after it originally aired, it was still a great success. Another chapter with information you're not going to get anywhere.
The book also includes an interview with Alex Ross, the artist on MARVELS, Kingdom Come, and other stuff. He's a huge BOTP fan, and provides all the gorgeous paintings of G-force you see. It's very informative.
In Summary: If you're at all a fan of Battle of the Planets, G-force: Guardians of Space, Gatchaman, or Eagle Riders, this is a book for you. If you see the guy on the cover and say to yourself, "man, that's Mark (or Ken, or Ace, or...) than this is a book for you. If you're too young for BOTP but admire the animation style, this is a book for you. I was able to spend plenty of time on the book (I disagree with the "two hour read" review), and think it's well worth it.
So please, get the book, get either the BOTP DVDs from Rhino with Gatch and G-force episodes, or get the ADV releases of Gatchaman. Also, check out Two Morrows and find more stuff you'll love. And no, I don't work there or know anybody who does!
A fan must-have!.......2004-08-17
G-Force: Animated is a short, sweet book that gives everything a fan wants. From some background information on Tatsunoko Studio to showcasing worldwide merchandise, this book is necessary for your 'Battle of the Planets' collection!
An official suggested episode running order is included with an extensive art gallery. Pieces of trivia are found throughout the book adding to the understanding of this show which influenced a great many people during their childhoods.
It took about two hours to read...........2003-11-26
Unless you are a big Battle of the Planets fan DO NOT waste your time buying this book. I wanted to read the history of GATCHAMAN and the related shows and all I got was this retro 70's nonsense. Reading the book made me realize how lame BOTP really was compared to the original show.
How THE SCIENCE NINJA TEAM Became G-FORCE!.......2003-07-11
This official guidebook is a wealth of information, not only for the 1978 series BATTLE OF THE PLANETS, but the original 1972 Japanese anime series GATCHAMAN from which it was created. I grew up on BOTP, but years later discovered its very different and much more adult oriented series that it was put together from. Did you ever wonder why the show was altered so much when brought to American audiences? Did you ever wonder why a sci-fi space theme was added where it previously did not exist? Did you ever wonder why a very familiar looking robot was needed to host the American version? Whichever version of the show that you are a fan of, this book will satisfy your quest for knowledge.
The first chapter is dedicated to giving a overall history of the original series created by Tatsunoko Productions, providing a rare glimpse into the creation process of the popular Japanese animation studio. Lots of many interesting facts about the series are revealed, from the inspiration for the series to the reasons for its success, as well as the key factor leading to why the following sequel series GATCHAMAN II and GATCHAMAN FIGHTER failed to live up to overall expectations. There are even details of attempts that have been made to re-visualize a brand new series for the future, whether or not it ever actually happens! Many things are revealed here that I never knew previously, which makes this book a must have for any casual GATCHAMAN fan!
The book then shifts gears and details businessman Sandy Frank, who was a pioneer in creating first-run syndicated programming for television, revealing the whole story of how he came into contact with the GATCHAMAN series and what inspired him to bring it to America in a different incarnation. The book sheds light on many of the obstacles that stood in his way, as well as the huge amount of time and effort that were spent putting the new production together. Find out all the details on what was required to bring the new characters to life. If you ever wondered who was responsible for 7-Zark-7 or how Casey Kasem became involved with the project, your answers will be found here! I now understand the thinking that went on behind the scenes and will no longer scratch my head in disbelief when comparing the two versions of the series!
The book is also loaded with plenty of great artwork and clips from the series, as well as previously unreleased materials and early production concepts and designs. Did you ever wonder what the never shown female robot Susan looked like, a picture of her from the French version of BOTP is included as a bonus! There are profiles for all of the main characters and villains of the Sandy Frank series, as well as biographies (and interviews with) the amazing voice cast. There is a section on the music of the show, as well as merchandising. Also included is an interview with Alex Ross as he discusses his ideas for the new comic series currently in release.
All in all, this book is very entertaining and informative if you are a fan of GATCHAMAN or BATTLE OF THE PLANETS, but I wish that it would have devoted a bit more time to the original Tatsunoko incarnation too! It is a fascinating look at how the show was Americanized, but I would like to have seen more information on GATCHAMAN's original Japanese form in conjunction with BOTP!
Book Description
This book targets Windows and Active Directory administrators and consultants. The ideal reader already has a certain level of Microsoft product knowledge, and is turning to this book for high-level task-specific information.
The
Active Directory Consultant’s Field Guide
contains descriptions of higher-level skills, tasks and tools--such as migration, large-scale deployment, security, and disaster recovery--that will help administrators save time and increase the efficiency of their network. Written by a Microsoft MVP, this book will serve as the indispensable reference guide for anyone working with Active Directory.
Customer Reviews:
the default daily guide.......2005-07-29
The small form factor of Hunter's book is a deliberate evocation of its ideal use. For a sysadmin who needs a quick, easy to read, guide to Active Directory. Specifically, to the most common tasks that you are likely to face. Hunter explicitly avoids a comprehensive discourse, in order to give you this quick guide.
Logically enough, the first chapter is on installing Active Directory itself. It is scarcely 40 pages. You should be able to absorb it in an hour or so, even with no prior background in this topic. Then the actual installation time itself doesn't seem so lengthy, from the chapter's descriptions.
On an ongoing basis, Chapter 3 might be the most useful. Hunter explains the typical day to day tasks on Active Directory that you might face. Again, less than 40 pages.
The book also has a chapter on large scale deployments. The advice in it seems fine. And Hunter put in the chapter to ensure that she covered this topic. I do wonder, though, about how realistically it fits into the book's goal. A large deployment strongly suggests a sysadmin who will have to devote considerable time to installing and running it. Of necessity, she will probably have to consult more comprehensive texts, given her level of responsibility. Whereas this book might be envisaged as targeting a smaller deployment, on just one or a few machines.
To be sure, you should certainly get a full reference book on Active Directory, if you are going to be running it. But consider using that mostly as informational backup, and perhaps using Hunter's book as the daily guide.
Active DIrectory Field Guide.......2005-06-30
Compact, well written mobile reference guide to Active Directory. Was able to go from wondering "Active What?" to LDAP in 4 hours. This one will become an addition to my field library that I carry to client offices. If you are looking for a small easy to read and focused reference, this is it!
Average customer rating:
- VERY VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
- Surprisingly good, even if you only use free Sysinternals tools
|
Winternals: Defragmentation, Recovery, and Administration Field Guide
Dave Kleiman ,
Laura Hunter ,
Mahesh Satyanarayana ,
Kimon Andreou ,
Nancy G Altholz ,
Lawrence Abrams ,
Darren Windham ,
Tony Bradley , and
Brian Barber
Manufacturer: Syngress
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1597490792 |
Book Description
The only book available for the market leading Winternals tools used in over 70,000 Microsoft networks worldwide.
The book begins with a chapter describing the most common challenges faced by system administrators related to system recovery, data backup and system performance enhancements. The next chapters introduce the readers to the complete suite of Winternals solutions including Recovery Manager, Defrag Manager, and the Administrator's Pak which repairs unbootable or locked-out systems, restores lost data, and removes malware from infected machines. Chapters on the Administrator Pak detail all the components of this powerful suite of tools including: ERD Commander 2005, Remote Recover, NTFSDOS Professional, Crash Analyzer Wizard, FileRestore, Filemon Enterprise Edition, Regmon Enterprise Edition, AD Explorer, Insight for Active Directory, and TCP Tools. Each of these chapters details the complete functionality of all tools, and also provides detailed examples for using all tools in relatively simple to extremely complex scenarios. The chapters and companion Web site also include dozens of working scripts to automate many data recovery, backup, and performance enhancement tasks.
· Winternals tools are the market leading data recovery and system optimization tools for Microsoft Networks. These tools are deployed in more than 70,000 companies worldwide
· Despite the popularity of the Winternals tools, there are no competing books
· The companion Web site to the book will provide dozens of working scripts to optimize and enhance the performance of the Winternals tools
Customer Reviews:
VERY VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!.......2006-12-10
Are you a systems administrator? If you are, then this book is for you. Authors Dave Kleiman, Laura Hunter, Mahesh Satyanarayana, Kimon Andreou, Nancy G Altholz, Lawrence Abrams, Darren Windham, Tony Bradley and Brian Barber, have done an outstanding job of writing a book about the Winternals and Sysinternal tools in real-world situations that administrators can and will face on a daily basis.
Kleiman, Hunter, Satyanarayana, Andreou, Altholz, Abrams, Windham, Bradley and Barber, begin by showing you how to use Process Explorer and Autoruns to spot and eliminate malware autostarts, services, drivers, and processes. Then, the authors describe in detail, the tools developed by Sysinternals to illustrate this sort of advanced information and explain how to use them. Next, they show you how to use Sysinternals tools to monitor active sessions on a computer and how to discover which processes are accessing which resources. They also show you a better way to manage disk and file fragmentation on your volumes. The authors then continue by examining the data recovery tools made available to you by the Winternals team. Then, they show you how to make sense of the infamous Blue Screen of Death. Next, the authors show you how to monitor active socket connections. They also examine a few tools provided by the Winternals group that any software developer would find useful. The authors continue by discussing the available source code. Then, they cover topics ranging from advanced system optimization, to options available in a multiboot system with various versions of Windows, to data recovery for NT. Finally, the authors show you how to use screensaver with a perverted twist to it.
This most excellent book will show you how to bring dead systems back to life through the use of Winternals. Perhaps more importantly, Winternals software is capable of doing much more than that!
Surprisingly good, even if you only use free Sysinternals tools.......2006-08-25
I starting looking at Winternals shortly after Microsoft acquired the Winternals company. I almost didn't read the book, because I do not use the commercial Winternals tools. When I saw the book covered tools available from Sysinternals, I decided to concentrate on information relevant to me. I'm glad I did -- Winternals is a remarkably helpful book.
The most surprising aspect of Winternals is the focus on malware detection and removal. I expected the book to basically explain the tools and their options. I did not imagine the authors would provide multiple examples of fighting malware with Sysinternals utilities. Some of the discussion of kernel-mode rootkit removal is a little naive and outdated, given recent advances in the field. However, I really liked seeing more-or-less real-world examples of proper tool usage.
My concerns with Winternals are the same ones I usually express when I read a book by multiple authors: internal redundancy. Ten authors and one technical editor wrote Winternals. As a result, the Windows registry is "introduced" several times in the book. The same goes for popular tools like FileMon, RegMon, and PsList. Removing these redundancies is the job of the lead author or editor. Since Winternals seems to feature neither party, the book is internally redundant.
In some cases I felt introductory material wasn't necessary. For example, I didn't need ot read about DNS and Whois in Ch 8. I imagine most people reading Winternals already know how those protocols work.
Minor problems include appearances of odd text formatting and some screenshots being too small to really decipher. I didn't see many obvious typos, although the mention of "Syng set" on p 334 should say "SYN sent."
Despite these issues, I liked reading Winternals. Windows-centric security analysts, incident responders, and desktop engineers who are beginning to use Sysinternals and Winternals tools will find this book invaluable.
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