Product Description
A shy, lonely six-year-old wanders into the Canadian prairie and spends a summer under the protection of a badger. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (56)

literally the worst book I have ever read
I read this book at age 12 in English class. It has gone down in history as the worst book ever. Not only is the writing style dry and difficult to understand (especially for children), the descriptions, while probably accurate, are excessively detailed and often pretty gross. The conclusion is disturbing and frightening. The characters are 1 dimensional. I don't see why you would give this book to your child unless you are feeling malicious.

incident at halk's hill
This remarkable event will be treasured by all lovers of animals and nature. It is equally impressive that Eckert was able to do the historical work required. History of the period is his forte.

Phenomenol book
I am 48 years old and had to add my review about this book.I read this book when I was a child and I have never forgotten it.The story and relationship between this introverted child and a vicious predator moved me and has stayed with me always.I bought the book for my children when they were young and they loved it and I was just thinking of buying a copy to make sure I had it when my 1 year old grandson was older so we could read it together.Buy this book for your young readers.

Noncutesy Wildlife
This book was one of my alltime favorites as a child (in the late 60's). I grew up on the prairies, so badger holes and fields of waving grasses, as well as neighbors with rifles, were part of everyday life to me. I loved the quiet child who fit in with animals more than humans, and the relationship with the wild mother badger. The world created was more realistic and naturalistic than that portrayed by cheery kids books like the Berensteins and Dr. Seuss. There was tragedy as well as compassion: the mother badger has been caught in a trap, her babies have died of hunger, she is hurting and in pain.These are realistic concerns in nature. Not all is cute fuzzy puppies and loving understanding adults. In the end, the misunderstanding between the child who has been cared for by the badger, and the adults who only see a dangerous wild beast, very much touched my child mind and reflected my experience with adults. I saw injustice in the real world left right and center and it was seldom reflected in children's books. This is one of the deeper children's books I have read, that doesn't shy away from the complexities of life, difficult emotions and depth of feeling. I have reread it recently as an adult, and it still touched me. I highly recommend it.

Great Book!
Incident At Hawks Hill is a great book! It may start out a little on the slow side but once you get into the story, it's great! Here is a book report type thing on the book. Ben Macdonald is a shy boy who took a liking to imatating animals' body language. No one believes he has much value exept for his mother, Esther. But not even she can get him to talk and be a normal boy of his age. He is small and light in his weight. Well at least for his age. On one of his jouneys on the prairie he finds a mouse that had just been killed with younglings alive. He knows the baby mice will not survive, so when a badger comes close to him he feeds her the mice, being careful to put them out of their misery quickly. One day he wanders out on the prairie following a praire chicken. By the time he tries to come home for lunch he has found himself lost in the prairie. When he seeks shelter he finds the same badger that he fed wild mice to. Will he make it back to his family. To find out what happens next read the book. Also the other reviews have a very good description. If you read this book I hope you enjoy it. The sequel is also good. Thank You for reading my review. ... Read more

Product Description
Dr. Julia Blanchard, a marine archaeologist, and her team of divers have spent almost eighteen months excavating the remains of a ship found a few miles off the coast of Georgia. Although they learn quite a bit about the nineteenth century sailing vessel, they have found nothing that would reveal the identity of the ship they have nicknamed "The Georgia Peach." Consumed by the excavation of the mysterious ship, Julia's relationship with her partner, Amy, has deteriorated. When she forgets Amy's birthday and finds her celebrating in the arms of another woman, Julia returns alone to the Peach site. Caught in a violent storm, she finds herself separated from her boat and adrift on the vast Atlantic Ocean.Her rescue at sea leads her on an unexpected journey into the true identity of the Peach and the captain and crew who called it their home. Her travels take her to the island of Martinique, the eastern Caribbean islands, the Louisiana German Coast and New Orleans at the close of the War of 1812.How had the Peach come to rest in the waters off the Georgia coast? What had become of her alluring and enigmatic captain, Simone Moreau? Can love conquer everything, even time? On a voyage that lifts her spirits and eventually breaks her heart, Julia discovers the identity of the ship she had been excavating and the fate of its crew. Along the way she also discovers the true meaning of love which can be as boundless and unpredictable as the ocean itself. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

OK for a paranormal romance
The Sea Hawk is the story of a woman who can't find happiness until she's catapulted by an accident into the past.That sets up the friction in the story.How does she translate her lover in the past into her present?

Dr. Julia Blanchard is a marine archaeologist working on a shipwreck off the Georgia coast that her team has nicknamed "The Georgia Peach."Her absorption with working on the ship destroys her relationship with her lover Amy and when they break up, Julia breaks the rules of scuba diving and visits the ship alone.While she is below the sea, her ship is stolen and she's left alone to float in the Atlantic Ocean.When Julia is rescued by a sailing ship, she discovers it is the ship she's been studying only its name is Le Faucon and it has a female captain, Simone Moreau.As Julia tries to understand what has happened to her and take advantage of this unusual opportunity to learn about the ship, she participates in adventures around the Caribbean islands and in events of the War of 1812.She also finds herself falling in love with Simone.Eventually, Julia has to face the fact that, if she finds her way back to her own time, friends and family, it will mean sacrificing the true love of her life.

Paranormal fiction requires the reader to suspend her sense of disbelief, especially when one character is sent back through time.The Sea Hawk isn't the first book to do this, but at least Adcock follows it up by trying to keep the historic details in place.The book is adventurous, contains the requisite romance and teaches information about the period.It moves quickly and holds the reader's attention.

Anyone looking for a way to pass a few hours of entertainment should find The Sea Hawk more than suitable.

Not Worth the Time or Money
I swear I must have read a different book than everyone else who has reviewed it so far. I bought The Sea Hawk because I thought it would be a nice addition to my small, yet treasured, lesbian pirate library, and a large part of my decision was based on the reviews here. I was horribly disappointed.

The main character, Julia, remains almost a complete unknown to the reader throughout the book. I never had a handle on who she really was as a person. Little bits of info would just get dropped out of the blue as revelations that didn't seem to relate to anything else previously mentioned. Near the beginning she thinks this comment: "Hell, at this point I'd [fword] his mother for a drink of fresh water!" How charming. Later she starts to introduce herself as Doctor Blanchard. I guess she's one of those stuck up types. About 2/3 of the way into the book this passage pops up: "She could not have traveled so far in time and place to finally find the love she had been looking for..." What? She'd been looking for a love? No wonder her partner had been cheating on her. Maybe that should have been mentioned earlier to give it some meaning?

Later Julia feels like she can't go on living without Simone, yet they've hardly spent any time together. Julia avoided her for over a month and then they spent a long time on separate ships. Another out of the blue statement was Julia saying she didn't belong in that time. News to the reader! She'd been there for months and nothing even hinting that she thought that previously had been said. I could go on and on about many of the nonsensical things stated (like her thought that she'd never been naked in front of a woman without having sex - yet she's a swimmer and diver - what about all those locker rooms?) or all the examples of people just knowing things that are never established.

Simone's character isn't really developed any better, and in some ways it's worse. She has a lover when Julia comes on the scene, but I guess it's okay for Simone to just dump the old without a by-your-leave since she didn't actually love her, despite forming a family with her. Julia refers to Simone as being honorable, which is laughable in light of the fact she killed two men in cold blood near the beginning of the book and then whipped her lover. No, not kinky play whipping. Her lover was an ex-slave, but Simone tied her to a post and whipped her as a punishment.

The writing was often passable but usually dull, and scattered throughout the book were these odd sentences where the second half is practically a non-sequitur. Which always brings reading to a screeching halt. Things like: "Although they were not assigned to the same ship, Simone was impressed by the firepower aboard the Carolina." and "Wheeling the Jeep into her usual parking space, Frankie followed Damian up the stairs to the Institute's front doors."

And then there's the historical inaccuracies that drove me completely bonkers. A few examples: Simone apparently carries a musket around in her waist sash. A musket? Really? Matches are in use on the ship, which is interesting since they hadn't been invented yet. A maid is seated at the ship's table with officers and the wealthy family she works for. Amazingly enough Julia has a private cabin on all three ships she's on, even though she joins them mid-voyage. It's stated Simone keeps a daily log for no other reason than to pass the time. How about the reason that all ship captains always kept a daily ship log? After a long time at sea fresh bread, fruit and cheese are served. The hold is called a keel, the figurehead is called a masthead, and "wheel deck" is constantly used. I can only assume the author meant quarterdeck.

To sum up, the story idea had a lot of promise, but execution was extremely lacking. The characters were not interesting, and not even particularly likable. The only relationship that seemed to have any real depth was between Julia and the son of Simone's lover. The book also seems to have had very little editorial help to catch all the errors and cliché-ridden dialogue and passages.

The only reason I finished reading the book was so I could feel fully justified in writing this review. As for the ending, I did see it coming, and it left me feeling rather squicked out.

RECOMMENDATION: If you are looking for a good lesbian pirate story I highly recommend A Pirate's Heart by Catherine Friend and The Sublime and Spirited Voyage of Original Sin by Colette Moody. Not this one.

Kindle Note: I purchased the ebook in mobi format from the publisher at Allied Crest Editions. The ebook had a few issues such as spaces missing in place names that were more than one word, no page breaks between chapters, and paragraphs aren't indented, just a slightly wider space than usual is used between paragraphs. These issues didn't significantly impair reading. I don't know if the Kindle edition being sold on Amazon has the same problems.

A hauntingly beautiful love story
There isn't much I can say that won't give away too much of the story. What I will say is that the two main characters haunted me for quite a while after I finished the story.

There is so much lesbian fiction that is easily forgotten right after reading, when characters stick with me long after their story is done it means the author has done a great job.

I highly recommend this book. Please note that I only write 5 star reviews because I only review books that I would strongly recommend to my friends, stories that I consider excellent.

Exciting, romantic read
I could not put this book down! It is the perfect book for readers who love the ocean, adventure, and romance. The characters seem so real, and it's hard not to fall in love with them.The story is exciting and very well developed. It is a great book for fans of lesbian historical fiction (which is my favorite).

Good Read
Good book. I enjoyed reading it. Smooth read and not junky lesbian crap. I enjoyed the story. I will read more books by this author. ... Read more

Product Description
Late in the afternoon of Sunday, 3 October 1993, 140 elite US soldiers abseiled from helicopters into a teeming market neighbourhood in the heart of the city of Mogadishu, Somalia. Their mission was to abduct two top lieutenants of a Somali warlord and return to base. It was supposed to take them about an hour. Instead, they were pinned down through a long and terrible night in a hostile city, fighting for their lives against thousands of heavily armed Somalis. When the unit was rescued the following morning, 18 American soldiers were dead and more than 70 badly injured. The Somali toll was far worse - more than 500 killed and over 1000 injured. Authoritative, and insightful, "Black Hawk Down" is a minute-by-minute account of modern war. This story is now a major motion picture directed by Ridley Scott, and starring an ensemble cast including Josh Hartnett, Ewen McGregor, Jason Isaacs, Tom Sizemore, Orlando Bloom, Eric Bana, Ron Eldard, Jeremy Piven and Sam Shepherd. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Overlapping Action and Dilligent Research
If you've seen the movie, you need to read the book now to flesh out the ill-advised, ill-conceived and ill-fated military arrest raid into Mogadishu. If you haven't seen the movie either, watch it, then read this book. Mark Bowden did tons of research in order to piece together the events as they happened on that day. The Rangers and Special Forces (Delta Force) operators involved in that arrest raid and subsequent SHTF firefight experienced combat at a level of intensity and ferocity probably unseen by American foot soldiers since the Tet Offensive or, more likely, the Korean War. Bowden's investigative reporting, collected into one cohesive narrative, brings to mind Cornelius Ryan's work on famous operations of WWII. The overlapping point-of-view of multiple participants in modern battle is similar to Hell and Gone (though this is non-fiction). Why our armed forces were in Somalia is just as valid a question as why our troops are in Iraq now. But this is not a book about policies and politics...it's about men in combat.
You also should read The Longest Day: The Classic Epic of D-Day (non-fiction).

Henry Brown
Virtual Pulp: Tales of High Adventure, Low Adventure, and Misadventure

Informative
I was particularly pleased that this book provided multiple perspectives, such as the views of American service personnel and also perspectives from Somali fighters. A message I got from this book is how ferocious combat can be, and that it should only be exercised as a last resort.

Nicholas R.W. Henning - Australian Author

Ooh-Ahh!! For the Hoo-ah.Gung-ho best takes on the Somalis.
Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden is an intense book about a U.S. military mission that started out as a seemingly easy assignment, but went terribly wrong.This story concerns events that actually happened during two days in October 1993 in the sandy desert city of Mogadishu, Somalia.The main mission for the members of the Rangers and Delta Squad was to capture two important Habr Gidr clan members, and possibly the warlord, Mohamed Farrah Aidid.Instead, the troops found themselves involved in a bloody battle with Somalis determined to eliminate the soldiers.
Black Hawk Down is a very engrossing book.Mark Bowden does a great job making the reader feel as if they were right in the action.The book is occasionally gory, especially with the descriptions of gunshot wounds, but shouldn't be too bad for most readers at and above high school age.There wasn't a moment in the book when I wasn't rooting for the soldiers to survive against the odds.The book follows many individuals.The differences in each character's point of view on the action gives the reader a better look into modern warfare.
I recommend this book, since it is one that will keep anyone on the edge of his or her seat.It opens a portal into the horrors of war and doesn't go soft for a single sentence.

Book Summary and Review
Black Hawk Down is a fascinating book about an American war against Somali's, that goes terribly wrong. The American soldiers were dispatched from base on a mission that was expected to last only 3 hours, therefore they leave behind most of their equipment. Then once they get there, even before the battle starts, things start going wrong. From then on, event after event, the conditions just keep on getting worse, until a Black Hawk is seen dropping down fast from the sky, smoke coming from the tail. From then on, the American soldiers continue to lose hope, and believe that they will be stuck there forever, without their necessary supplies and equipment.

The 486 page long book, written by Mark Bowden, is an amazingly true story about a modern war taken from all aspects of the soldiers in the war. The book is written in 3rd person omniscient, and literally uses each soldier in the war as a character. In this book you will get to hear the war happening, and everything that each soldier is thinking and shooting. But there are many characters (emphasis on many) in this book, and to fully enjoy it, I would recommend re-reading it so that you can understand each character. In some points of the story the book does get slow, talking about some soldiers lives before the war, but in the long run, it helps you understand the behaviors and characteristics of each soldier, making the book that much more enjoyable.

Black Hawk Down does use some terminology that is war related and sophisticated, but you most likely won't need to be going into a dictionary to discover the meanings of their code words and weapon terminology. The novel is somewhat gory and graphic, but not extremely horrible. Ages +14 should be able to handle this book of a true war story.
Overall this novel is a great insider story on modern war. It shows what actually happens in wars, without the Hollywood effects added in. And since there are plenty of characters in this book, you should definitely be able to relate to one of them, and see how you would do in a war situation such as this. Therefore I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars (I would give it 4.5 stars, but there is no option) because of its honesty of war, and its great detail in which it immerses you into the story with.

taut action thriller...
from the first page until the very last paragraph you'll find a taut action thriller..you'll almost feel the bullets whizzing by in this Somalia saga..and it's all true...what started out as a humanitarian rescue effort eventually escalated into a botched attempt to capture a warlord with Al Qaeda footprints all over the resistance effort before most Americans had ever heard of Al Qaeda..what could aptly be described as the first big battle of the war against terror.. ... Read more

Product Description

Will three incredibly strong and stubborn men of the land rethink their bachelor ways when love comes a-calling?

THE RANCHER AND THE RUNAWAY BRIDE

When lovestruck virgin Tate Whitelaw becomes brawny Adam Philips's adoring woman, her bossy brothers arrive with shotguns in hand!

THE COWBOY AND THE PRINCESS

Will the fiery discord between breathtaking beauty Belinda Prescott and ill-tempered cowboy Faron Whitelaw catch them off guard...?

THE WRANGLER AND THE RICH GIRL

Tempting Texas debutante Candy Baylor makes potently masculine horse breeder Garth Whitelaw an offer he can't possibly refuse!

Customer Reviews (3)

Hawk's Way Bachelors
I was very pleased with how quickly I received this order and the condition it was in.

2nd, 3rd and 4th in the Romantic/Westerns series "Hawk's Way"3 Novellas In One Book... Save On Shipping
The Rancher and the Runaway Bride" by Romance novelist Joan Johnston is the second in her 'Hawks Way' series. It follows "Honey and the Hired Hand", in which we met the first of the Whitelaw siblings, the second oldest brother, Jessie. Now we meet the rest of the clan. Two more brothers, Garth and Faron, both handsome, big and brawny, and over protective of younger sister, and still virgin at 23 years old(no one could get near her with her brothers around), pretty Tate.

The Whitelaw clan lost their parents when Tate was just a baby. The older brothers have taken it upon themselves to play mother and father to Tate. They just over do it. Tate is suffocating under their guardianship and wants to spread her wings. She's ready for love, but is never going to find it with Garth and Faron, scaring off anybody that comes near her. She hops in the old pick-up truck and heads out.The brothers are frantic to find her. When the old pickup breaks down, Tate accepts some help from a Rancher who happened by. Right off the bat, you can feel the sparks flying between the two.

The Rancher it turns out is Adam Philips, who we weren't all to fond of in "Honey and The Hired Hand", as he loved Honey, and was bitter that Jessie stole her away. He also seemed like quite an unsavory character in the first book, but now in bits and pieces, we get more of his story. Adam could not leave young Tate on the road to nowhere. He gives her work on his ranch, and the more these two try to deny their feelings, the more they want each other. And as always in a good Johnston romance, things heat up and only get hotter. But uh-oh, the Brothers(all three) are on the trail, and it looks like a shot gun wedding is in Adam's future.

I enjoyed the style of this story. It reminded me very much of those wonderful screwball comedies from the 40's, as through as series of miscommunication and conclusion jumping, the two lovers kept each other at bay, until their passion gets the best of them. And of course, when it did, it was quite a bit steamier then those 40's films.

"The Cowboy and the Princess" is the 3rd in the Hawk's Way series.It is Faron's story the youngest of the brother and quite the ladies man. Faron's story unfolds into a love like a fairy tale(but not for kids!).

Faron gets the news. A letter from a woman claiming to be his step-mother. Seems Mom Whitelaw had herself a little affair, and Faron was the result. This was the first he heard that he was not a full blooded Whitelaw. He is quite upset by the news, and takes off for Wyoming to confront his horrid stepmother who says he is in the will. He's not a happy camper. While scouting across the land he is to inherit, he runs into the most gorgeous creature he has ever seen. A beautiful blonde who looks like a princess.And By the way, Faron is no slouch in the looks department as well. Johnston doesn't make us wait too long for the first scene of passion. As these two find something in each other's arms they both needed. He calls her his Princess, she calls him "Cowboy". And of course, neither knew at the time, that he was the stepson of this young and beautiful princess(Belinda Prescott), but when they do find out, the friction between them only adds more heat to their passion. They try(really hard) to stay away from each other, but Faron is there to help his father's wife fix up the ranch for sale, and it's awfully hard to keep them apart.Other new and wonderful characters are introduced that we hope to see in some future stories. Faron's new grandmother, is some fun and feisty old lady!

The story of Belinda Prescott's marriage to Faron's father, and the description of the Wyoming Ranch,"King's Castle" and it surroundings adds greatly, but the romance is one of the best. These two were made for each other, and you know it. The passion heats up. There is even a ride on horseback(with both on the same horse), that is like no other ride. The book kept me turning the pages all the way through.

The Wrangler and The Rich Girl" is 4th in the Series(there are many more to follow). Oldest brother Garth finally finds love in this sizzling romance. Garth's story is the last of the core family, before the series moves on to more branches of this passionate family tree.

Garth has been raising up his brothers and sister, since the death of his parents. They are a close knit and raucous bunch, and their wildness only adds to their passionate and steamy relationships. Garth is very different than his younger siblings. He was old enough at the time it happened, to witness the demise of his parent's marriage due to his mother's infidelity, resulting in the birth of Faron, youngest of the brothers. Any woman would love to fall into the arms(and bed) of this rugged and gorgeous wrangler. But Garth has a problem with trust and commitment.He cannot get passed what his mother did, and the women he sees and beds are just there for his pleasure. And they are the type who don't ask for more then that. Enter Candy Baylor. A girl he had known through his business dealings with her very wealthy father. She was young,and spoiled when they first met, and practically threw herself at this hunk of a man, only to be violently kisses, then tossed aside by Garth. Three years later, she is a woman, but only in age. Her desire now is to breed and train cutting horses, that specialize in separating cows from the herd for the ranchers. She's always gotten her way with her rich father, and now she won't have less then the number one guy in the field, Garth, teach her.

Garth remembers(as does she), their little encounter, and plans to have his way with her now that she is a woman. But that's all he wants from this beautiful rich girl. As the lessons progress,he has his way often, something Candy enjoys for the first time in her life. But their feelings for each other are growing as well. They can hardly be in the same room without the sparks flying. Candy knows that Garth cannot express his feeling, in any other way then to make love to her quite demonstratively. The storyline parallells the lessons Garth is giving her on taming a stubborn, wild stallion to stud. Candy takes each step slowly, knowing that Garth has issues from his past, that prevent him from trusting a woman enough to marry her.

In the meantime, their passion sizzles in nearly every chapter(sometimes even a couple of times per chapter), and if you are thinking that it's a story where the man just has his way whenever he wants...think about how Rhett Butler forcefully carried Scarlett up to the bedroom one night, and how she was happily singing the next morning! The story will have you turning the pages, as there is much more substance to this romance then just the hot love scenes.

The story runs parallell to Faron's story, as this romance takes place, during the same timespan while Faron is in Wyoming having his own complications. There are a couple of scenes, near the end, that are the exact scenes from "The Cowboy and the Princess", but this time it is played out from Candy's view point.

It's probably a good idea but not necessary toread them in order.Each stands on it's own and Ms. Johnston gives a pretty good background of the other siblings and their stories, in each book. it's a really good deal to buy this 3 in one book. Think of all you will save by only paying shipping once. And you know you can't stop at just one, you gotta know what happens to all the siblings, so you'll have them ready when you are.

If your looking for a little adventure, and some great romance, Joan Johnston won't let you down.
Other series are "Sisters of the Lone Star" and "The Bittercreek Series". And if you are not ready for an entire series, try some of her Historical Romance Westerns. A good one to start with is "No Longer a Stranger"

Enjoy the read...Laurie

SIMPLY WONDERFUL
Joan Johnston has shot these bachelors with cupids arrown straight through the heart.Nobody can do western romance like Joan Johnston. ... Read more

Product Description
Rahotep is more than a simple captain of the Nubian Desert Scouts-he is heir to the Nome of the Striking Hawk, which, with all of Egypt, has been under the harsh rule of the Hyksos. Accused of a crime ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Satisfied customer
I was happy with the book I received and very satisfied with the service I received.

Ten year old boy
This book was about a solder called Rahotep.He was an Egyptian officer that fought against the Hyskos.The Hyksos were a strong people who tried to conquer Egypt and they succeeded.Rahotep was trying to drive them out.In the end he succeeded using his archers to fire upon their horses.The Hyksos had chariots.The Egyptians wanted to make chariots but they didn't have horses which pulled the chariots into battle.They decided to steal the horses.Since they had to shoot the horses, they failed in the last two chapters.I found the book to be a little complicated to understand, especially the soldier's names.I also found that this book had many cool battles, especially the last one.Reading this book could thrill you or bore you depending upon the kind of person you are.If you like battles you will like this book fine but if you don't then don't read it.

Shadow Hawk
The book is about a young officer/archer in th Egyptian military.It takes place sometime in ancient times.He is the son of a noblemen.Many things happen to him and those he commands.
I thought this book was very good.It was exciting and entertaining.From the very beginning it captures your attention.There really wasn't much bad with the book except some confusing names.
I would like to recommend this book to anyone that likes war books because it has exciting battles and that sort of thing.

A Great book
Andre Norton's Shadow Hawk is about the invasion and occupation of ancient Egypt by the Hyksos, a nomadic Asian tribe, which ruled until all vestiges of their reign was permanently obliterated by the victorious Egyptians.It's the story of the Nubian Archers, and their leader, an Egyptian princeknown as the Shadow Hawk. He leads the loyal Egyptians in a rebellionagainst the invaders. Want to find something from that era? Sorry, youcan't. No records from that time exist.

An adventure in ancient Egypt.
Thoughshe is most noted for her science-fiction/fantasy books such as the Wich World series, SHADOW HAWK by Andre Norton is a work of historical fiction based on actual events which occurred in ancient Egypt. The story concerns the captain Rahotep, son of the viceroy of the pharaoh and heir to the nomarchy of the Hawk Nome in the southern provinces.The story takes place during the Hyksos occupation, thus Rahotep is given the nickname Shadow Hawk, as his nome is a shadow of its former being. Rahotep intercepts a message from the pharaoh Sekenenre in Thebes to the north, a plea for military assistance to once again unite the Two Lands.Rahotep, along with the commander Methen, faithful friend Kheti, and 10 Nubian archers, travel north to serve their pharaoh.When they arrive, the group is assigned to the eldest prince Kamose.Rahotep and company prove their worth on a raid with Kamose's younger brother Ahmose and are assigned to the personal guard of pharaoh himself.While serving this honorable but unexciting duty, Rahotep is framed as perpetrator in an attempt of pharaoh's life.He is arrested and severely punished but, with the aid of his friends, manages to escape.After proving his loyalty to the crown, he is taken in by Kamose, now pharaoh following the death of his father by the hands of scheming countrymen.Kamose, Ahmose, and Rahotep then plot to overthrow the Hyksos outpost Neferusi.The last part of the book concerns the attempt to capture the town, an event that would mark a turning point in the battle with the invading Hyksos to bring about a reversal of Egypt's fortunes. The book is basically an adventure story set in ancient Egypt.Norton has done her homework as the details smack of authenticity.The larger events outlined in the book actually took place.Kamose and his "troops of Medja-Nubians" (according to his stela) fell upon the nest of Asiatics at Nefrusy (just north of Khmun, the modern-day Ashmunein), his "brave army in front of me like a breath of fire . . .I overthrew him, I razed his wall, I slew his people . . ."Nefrusy was at the southern limit of the influence of Apophis, just north of the kingdom of Kamose in the area of Beni Hasan.Thus was the tide turned and Kamose and his brother Ahmose restored the glory of Egypt ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
This powerful short novel describes the events of a single afternoon. Alwyn Towers, an American expatriate and sometime novelist, is staying with a friend outside of Paris, when a well-heeled, itinerant Irish couple drops in—with Lucy, their trained hawk, a restless, sullen, disturbingly totemic presence. Lunch is prepared, drink flows. A masquerade, at once harrowing and farcical, begins. A work of classical elegance and concision, The Pilgrim Hawk stands with Faulkner’s The Bear as one of the finest American short novels: a beautifully crafted story that is also a poignant evocation of the implacable power of love. "Truly a work of art, of the kind so rarely achieved or attempted nowadays." -- Christopher Isherwood ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Great short novel
This is an outstanding work.It takes places in a short period of time and reveals a tremendous understanding of how people operate during this period of time.It has justifiably been compared to "The GReat Gatsby" for the quality of the writing and the intensity of the experience.

A little masterpiece by one of the gay princes of 20th Century culture
The gay and lesbian book discussion group read this novel in Feb 2007.

I loved this novel but was worried about what the group would think - sometimes we can be harsh on "erudite" authors. Fortunately, we agreed that it's a 20th Century masterpiece, lost or ignored for some reason. We found much to discuss and praised its plot and plotting, characters and their development, and underlying gay sensibility (which might not be noted by a less queer reader - can you spot the moment Mrs. Cullen realizes that the narrator is gay? - we did!).

Reading about Wescott and his position in 20th Century cultural life made us very happy to have discovered this fabulous author and want to read more.

"...that look of hers which was the opposite of applause."
This is an excellent little novella.Right off the bat, let me say that you should not read the foreward by Michael Cunningham before reading the novella itself; he gives everything away (plot and ending) while claiming he doesn't want to give everything away.It would be better to read this without knowing what is going to happen.

The prose is sharp piercing poetry.Some of the images are stunning. Of course, the titular hawk is a symbol, and Wescott himself tells us from time to time that it is an important symbol.In fact, it takes on the overly-symbolic function of Melville's great white whale on a slightly smaller scale.

As I was reading, I kept wondering what kind of movie this would make.I actually wanted to see a young Maggie Smith staggering around the house in 3-inch heels with this hawk attached to her wrist, but then I realized it would look more like Monty Python than the Merchant Ivory film I was envisioning.

It's a quick and easy read, with lots of epigrams sparkling like the pendants on a grand chandelier.The relationships are very tight and strained and well worked out. The dialogue is often brilliant.Drunken cocktail chatter can often be that way, especially with a sharp-tongued narrator.Descriptions are vivid.You will learn more about hunting hawks than you thought possible. I recommend this one for the serious reader in search of beautiful Symbolist Art.

The Pilgrim Hawk by G.Wescott
This is an American masterpiece. A must read for any and every true lover of literature.
Sonia Meyer

Brilliant
Several years back, I was given the first 100 of the New York Review Books for Christmas (a much-appreciated, very generous gift!).Sad to say, I have read few of them.But yesterday, browsing my bookshelf, I picked out 'The Pilgrim Hawk,' attracted, no doubt, by the slimness of the volume.After reading it, I have to say that it has been a long time since I have been so impressed by a book - it truly is an unknown classic.And, as an aside, the introduction by Michael Cunningham is wonderful!

I have no knowledge of Glenway Wescott and his other writing, but the execution of this book is flawless.The narrator is someone who stands a bit outside of life, observing.His detachment contrasts with the self-aborption and high emotion of the main characters of the book, an ever-travelling married couple from Britain (the husband is english, the wife is Irish).The entire book occupies just one afternoon, but it is rife with emotion and intense observations on life and love.And Wescott is a talented writer - I continually found myself admiring his phrasing.Here is a quote, which is admittedly depressing, but delights me none-the-less, in which Wescott describes the unfulfilled bachelor (or bachelorette!):

"Life goes on and on after one's luck has run out.Youthfulness persists, alas, long after one has ceased to be young.Love-life goes on indefinitely, with less and less likelihood of being loved, less and less ability to love, and the stomache-ache of love still sharp as ever." ... Read more

Product Description
The first three action-packed adventures of Hawk & Fisher!
They're the battle-scarred crimebusters of a never-ending urban war. . . . Hawk rules the streets by battle-axe. Fisher cracks down on outlaws with sword and dagger. Their merciless beat is the sinister city misnamed Haven-a dark and violent town overrun with spell-casters, demons, and thieves. A place where money will buy anything. . .except justice--because the war against crime is forever.

Praise for the novels of Simon R. Green:

"Intrigue and magic...an interesting and well-conceived blend."-- Science Fiction Chronicle

"Good fun!"-- Asimov's

"Green invokes some powerful mythologies."-- Publishers Weekly ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

too much politics
I'd read the first book in this series years ago and remember really enjoying it. So I thought I'd get the compliation of the first 3 books to take on vacation. I was disappointed.

Either my memory is faulty or my reading preferences have changed. The action I anticipated was so diluted with the political commentaries of Hawk, that I actually quit reading mid-way into the second book.

Great charaters, fast past story, great read!
It may not be great liteture. but it's a heck of a lot of fun. Dependable stories, really as much mystery as fantasy. Well written and a joy to read.

Early Simon Green, Not As Fun As Later Simon Green
I checked out Green's earlier works after getting hooked on his later stuff.Hawk is a less complex version of Green's male hero, who usually plays the detective. Fisher is a simpler version of Green's typical strong female lead; she has no issues and is married to Hawk.Mr. Green introduces legendary characters at a slower pace than later series, and they aren't as interesting.Generally Hawk and Fisher (jaded non-practicing Christians) work together, as opposed to John Taylor's and Edwin Drood's constant stream of new interesting partners.Haven also has more political hand-waving than Green's other stuff; he eventually learned purifying his plot and action made better books.

The City of Haven itself shares several features with the Nightside: the Street of the Gods (complete with street preachers), a harsh district (the Shades vs northside), and a governing body which employs the main character-hero yet is largely corrupt.

As I read through the volumes, the contrasts became more apparent, rendering 'Hawk and Fisher' a pale shadow of the later works Mr. Green would produce. Rather than get too specific, here's my impressions of the books:

Hawk and Fisher -- average hack & slash, character descriptions repeated later ***
Winner Takes All -- closed room murder mystery; magic solves everything **
The God Killer -- fantastic descriptions; good sword & sorcery ****

Overall I recommend Simon R. Green's Nightside series if you want a better, more modern version of Haven. Begin with "Something from the Nightside" (Nightside, Book 1).Or you can skip right to "The Man with The Golden Torc," another series set in the same world as the Nightside series, but with little overlap.

Basic story, maybe better for younger readers?
I found myself bored reading this book.I read his book "Shadows Fall" and really enjoyed it, but I stopped this one after the first of the three books included were complete.It wasn't a bad story - but it was too simple and lacked depth.I think I might have enjoyed this when I was younger - but to me it lacks depth now.

You can't go wrong with Simon R. Green!
I first read the Deathstalker series and loved it- wanting more of his work, I turned to Blue Moon- still wanting more I picked up the Hawk and Fisher books and found myself in practically the same universe- and VERY happy.The characters are wonderful.I only wish there were more books!Green's writing style just pulls you in!You can't help but love Hawk and Fisher's "We've been through worse." when everything seems just about as bad as it could be.

This series is a definite read- and if you want to try his sci-fi with the same type of grim world where good is set against overwhelming odds, I highly recommend the Deathstalker series.

I'm just starting his Nightside series, and that's fun so far too! ... Read more

Product Description
Joan Johnston's beloved Whitelaw boys have been branding hearts for over a decade. Celebrate the return of Hawk's Way's sexiest cowboys with these classic tales . . .

The Cowboy and the Princess
Faron Whitelaw had some nerve calling Belinda Prescott a princess. A nearly bankrupt ranch was hardly a castle, and Faron, an ill-tempered cowboy who'd inherited half her kingdom, was certainly no prince. Faron became spitting mad when Belinda informed him about the truth of his parentage: he wasn't one of the Whitelaws of Texas. He wanted to believe that she was nothing more than a gold digger, but all she seemed to want was him . . .

The Wrangler and the Rich Girl
Garth Whitelaw couldn't understand why a rich Texas debutant like Candy Baylor would want to train horses. But she looked darn sexy in worn jeans with hay in her hair, so who was he to judge? Candy had no idea why Garth was suddenly so agreeable, but she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Besides, her instructors in school had never been as ruggedly handsome as this wrangler . . . and she wouldn't mind engaging in some horseplay! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Faron & Garth
I'm new to this writers stories, but have enjoyed what I have read so far.I have purchased several that I have yet to read and am looking forward to it.

An other Joan Johnston winner
I klove Joan Johnston's books. she has a real knack for bringing people to life and making you want to jump into the pages with them. In The Cowboy and the Priness, Faron's story is very interesting because he meets his heroione ina an unusual way, at least an unusual relationship, and both of them are too afraid to believe this could be real because of past experiences. But you cheer for them every step of the way and clap your hands when you get to the Happily Ever After. In The Wrangler and the Rich Girl once again the reader is pulled right into the story. Although you want to slap Garth upside the head at least a hundred times for being such a rigid fool. You will love Candy, the "Rich Girl", and her determination a grit and again, the happy ending is just what the doctor ordered. For all of us collecting Johnston's wonderful Whitelaw series, you can't afford to miss this book.

Another Joan Johnston Winner
I just love Joan Johnston's books so each time a new one comes out I can't wait to get it. She really gets into her characters. What I really liked about this book is how the second story picks up pieces from the first story and continues on. Only took me 4 hours to read the book and I was wishing I had another one of hers to read.

3rd and 4th in Hawk's Way Romance Series
These two stories are part of the "Hawk's Way" series of romantic, modern day westerns and adventures by Joan Johnston.The core family, the Whitelaws(don't ya just love that name) are 3 brothers and 1 sister who have lost their parents, but have managed on their own and are a close knit group. The first 4 stories begin with them. If you havn't read them yet, the first in the series isHoney and the Hired Hand(Middle brother Jessie's story)and2nd isThe Rancher and the Runaway Bride (Silhouette Desire, No 779)(Tate, the beautiful little sister's story) - see my reviews for more info on those stories.

"The Cowboy and the Princess" is the 3rd in the Hawk's Way series. It is Faron's story the youngest of the brothers and quite the ladies man. Faron's story unfolds into a love like a fairy tale(but not for kids!).

Faron gets the news. A letter from a woman claiming to be his step-mother. Seems Mom Whitelaw had herself a little affair, and Faron was the result. This was the first he heard that he was not a full blooded Whitelaw. He is quite upset by the news, and takes off for Wyoming to confront his horrid stepmother who says he is in the will. He's not a happy camper. While scouting across the land he is to inherit, he runs into the most gorgeous creature he has ever seen. A beautiful blonde who looks like a princess.And By the way, Faron is no slouch in the looks department as well. Johnston doesn't make us wait too long for the first scene of passion. As these two find something in each other's arms they both needed. He calls her his Princess, she calls him "Cowboy". And of course, neither knew at the time, that he was the stepson of this young and beautiful princess(Belinda Prescott), but when they do find out, the friction between them only adds more heat to their passion. They try(really hard) to stay away from each other, but Faron is there to help his father's wife fix up the ranch for sale, and it's awfully hard to keep them apart.Other new and wonderful characters are introduced that we hope to see in some future stories. Faron's new grandmother, is some fun and feisty old lady!

The story of Belinda Prescott's marriage to Faron's father, and the description of the Wyoming Ranch,"King's Castle" and it surroundings adds greatly, but the romance is one of the best. These two were made for each other, and you know it. The passion heats up. There is even a ride on horseback(with both on the same horse), that is like no other ride. The book kept me turning the pages all the way through.

The Wrangler and The Rich Girl" is 4th in the Series(there are many more to follow). Oldest brother Garth finally finds love in this sizzling romance. Garth's story is the last of the core family, before the series moves on to more branches of this passionate family tree.

Garth has been raising up his brothers and sister, since the death of his parents. They are a close knit and raucous bunch, and their wildness only adds to their passionate and steamy relationships. Garth is very different than his younger siblings. He was old enough at the time it happened, to witness the demise of his parent's marriage due to his mother's infidelity, resulting in the birth of Faron, youngest of the brothers. Any woman would love to fall into the arms(and bed) of this rugged and gorgeous wrangler. But Garth has a problem with trust and commitment.He cannot get passed what his mother did, and the women he sees and beds are just there for his pleasure. And they are the type who don't ask for more then that. Enter Candy Baylor. A girl he had known through his business dealings with her very wealthy father. She was young,and spoiled when they first met, and practically threw herself at this hunk of a man, only to be violently kisses, then tossed aside by Garth. Three years later, she is a woman, but only in age. Her desire now is to breed and train cutting horses, that specialize in separating cows from the herd for the ranchers. She's always gotten her way with her rich father, and now she won't have less then the number one guy in the field, Garth, teach her.

Garth remembers(as does she), their little encounter, and plans to have his way with her now that she is a woman. But that's all he wants from this beautiful rich girl. As the lessons progress,he has his way often, something Candy enjoys for the first time in her life. But their feelings for each other are growing as well. They can hardly be in the same room without the sparks flying. Candy knows that Garth cannot express his feeling, in any other way then to make love to her quite demonstratively. The storyline parallels the lessons Garth is giving her on taming a stubborn, wild stallion to stud. Candy takes each step slowly, knowing that Garth has issues from his past, that prevent him from trusting a woman enough to marry her.

In the meantime, their passion sizzles in nearly every chapter(sometimes even a couple of times per chapter), and if you are thinking that it's a story where the man just has his way whenever he wants...think about how Rhett Butler forcefully carried Scarlett up to the bedroom one night, and how she was happily singing the next morning! The story will have you turning the pages, as there is much more substance to this romance then just the hot love scenes.

The story runs parallel to Faron's story, as this romance takes place, during the same timespan while Faron is in Wyoming having his own complications. There are a couple of scenes, near the end, that are the exact scenes from "The Cowboy and the Princess", but this time it is played out from Candy's view point.

It's probably a good idea but not necessary to read them in order.Each stands on it's own and Ms. Johnston gives a pretty good background of the other siblings and their stories, in each book. The series goes on to branch out to other family members and generations, and there are several that come 2 or 3 together in one book. "Hawks Way Rouges" and "Hawk"s Way Bachelors"(which includes these two plus The Runaway Bride(Tate) are a couple of thebooks that include3 of the novellas together. So you may want to check before buying any of the individual books. It saves on shipping costs as well.

It's a great series, and you won't be able to stop at just one.
5th and 6th in the series can be found here:Hawk's Way: Carter & Falcon: The Cowboy Takes A WifeThe Unforgiving Bride(see my reivew for story details)

Enjoy...Laurie
... Read more

Product Description
The Dove...

She'd been bought for a strip of land, then abandoned: a bartered bride, married by proxy, determined to wreak revenge.As innocent Sara Bishop she'd paid dearly for freedom from her cruel, mocking family.As flame-haired, jade-eyed Sabre Wilde, she would scandalize Queen Elizabeth's court as she set out to seduce her unknown husband, become his mistress--and make him her slave.

The Hawk...

The Queen's favorite, called The Sea God, his white teeth flashed in his bronze face as his deep, virile voice boomed orders to his men. He branded Sabre with his searing kiss and his masterful touch, not even aware she was already his wife. Captain Shane Hawkhurst knew how to command, how to subdue and ravage an enemy, but was he prepared to be caught in passion's merciless snare by a fiery beauty who ruled his heart and inflamed his senses? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (30)

Had such promise
At the begining of this book I thought,this is going to be good! I liked the plot and I thought the heroine had spunk!I was in for a big disappointment.Both charcters were not very likeable.I did not feel the love between them.The dialouge and language was not 16th century.Too much time was spent on Queen Elizabeth.I skipped pages and rolled my eyes so many times.One good thing, it got me to read up on Queen Elizabeth.

A rip-roaring roller coaster of a romance!

MINI-REVIEW. The Hawk and the Dove is, in my opinion, one of the most tautly written, emotionally satisfying, outrageously entertaining romances in Henley's large canon. If you fall into Henley Camp #2 (see below), you will absolutely revel in the book's many delights.

THE HENLEY PRIMER. First things first. Read the Henley Primer in the Comment I've added to the bottom of this review (to avoid taking up space). If you fall into Camp #1, there's a good chance The Hawk and the Dove will ruffle your feathers ...and not in a good way.But if you fall into the second group...get ready for one of the juiciest historical romances in print.

PLOT. Sara Bishop is a minister's stepdaughter in Elizabethan England. But proper and pious this redhead isn't! When wealthy nobleman Shane Hawkhurst marries her via a third party proxy just to get her land, Sara (calling herself Sabre Wilde) goes to Queen Elizabeth I's court to get her revenge. In a plot echoing Shakespeare's comedies, Sara makes it her mission to become the mistress of her own, unknowing husband...all while undercover as Sabre!

HERO and HEROINE. I have little doubt that if you fall into Henley Camp 2 you will be cheering on the indomitable Sabre Wilde, a truly memorable character who is not run-of-the-mill feisty but is genuinely, deliciously outrageous!

Henley is an expert at getting readers to empathize with and warm to even the most no-holds-barred, sweepingly self-confident heroines and heroes. In Hawk and the Dove, she draws us into Sabre's character on page ONE, immediately showing, not telling, how the eye-catching and witty Sabre is disfavored by her jealous, spiteful half-sisters and thunderous preacher stepfather. It's a device as old as the Brothers Grimm--but, hey, it works just as well for Henley as it has for them. You might be made of stone if you don't absolutely fall down with glee over Sabre's "farewell" scene to her hateful family.

Sabre's character only gets better as we learn of the vulnerability she feels over her position in the family. Throughout the book, she is self-confident and aware of her attractions while always being warm, generous-hearted, and bubbling with wicked good humor and schemes. Some reviewers have called her "selfish" and materialistic. Most of Henley's heroines go after what they want with a vengeance--and I love that about them; no simpering misses here!But, she is usually careful to temper her characterization with vulnerability and generosity, as she does here with Sabre.

One reviewer complained that Sabre borrowed the Queen's jewelry without permission. Personally, I loved the fact that she has the gumption to do this, given the abusive treatment the ladies in waiting are forced to endure. I also love this glimpse into the behind-the-scenes world of being lady in waiting to a demanding queen (reminds me of the movie Gosford Park, where we go deep into the lives of the servants). The ongoing rivalry between the Queen and Sabre is a ton of fun and extremely compelling, as well.

The hero, Shane Hawkhurst, is the Queen's favorite nobleman, the captain of his own ship, and undercover spy for the Crown, and S-E-X-Y. Readers will share Sabre's outrage over his highhanded marrying of a young woman just to get her land, without even doing her the courtesy of meeting her in person. But Henley, in her skill, spends the rest of the book building up our regard for this powerful Alpha male who meets his match in Sabre Wilde, and by the middle of the novel, when he loses his heart to the woman he does not know is his own wife, you'll love him.

PACE. Henley walks a fine line with this book between depth of historical detail/relationship development and swift pace. She succeeds. I would say this is the quickest-moving of her classic "heavy historical" works. Not a lot of battles are gone into in detail and most of the history comes in the form of the royal court of Queen Elizabeth I. The whole thing plays out like a witty Shakespearean farce.

HISTORICAL SETTING. You'll enjoy how Henley presents the Virgin Queen's court and the queen herself, who's a real hoot--both intimidating and imperious and hilariously eccentric. (For a more empathetic portrait of Her Majesty, see Henley's novel A Woman of Passion). There's a very exciting and daring rescue from the Tower of London towards the end of the book, and you'll LOVE the "role" that Sabre plays in it!

RELATIONSHIP DEVLEOPMENT. You will believe in this couple's love for each other. Henley takes pains to show us that, although Shane's attraction to Sabre is originally purely sexual in nature, he gains respect for her quick wit, her courage, her generosity, and her all-encompassing love of life. It is one of the best examples of "hate and love are two sides of the same coin" romance I've yet read. At times, you will swear they hate each other more than they love each other. But one thing they never are is indifferent to each other. And in the end, you realize they are each other's perfect match, each other's "twin" of the soul.

SEXUAL VIOLENCE (!!!Spoilers!!!!) This book would be absolutely perfect if it weren't for the rape scene. The interesting thing about Henley's rape scenes is that many of them are riddled with extenuating circumstances (i.e. the hero has to consummate a marriage to save the heroine's life) that make it easier for the reader to get past the hero's actions. I would say this one in the Hawk and the Dove is a straight-up rape scene that has NO such extenuating circumstances. Hawk mistakes Sabre for a "trollop" and forces himself on her in anger. It's a clear moment of misogyny (a woman being considered worthless if she has been sexually "despoiled"). The thing that might make it bearable for some readers is that he immediately sees the horror of his assault and withdraws, identifies what he did as "rape," and admits that men should never take women in anger, as he did. Although this of course does NOT excuse his assault, Sabre later has the satisfaction of getting sweet revenge on Hawk (she even cracks a whip on him).

CHEATING: The hero has mistresses, but only BEFORE he gets together with Sabre, not after. Sabre does not stray. Now, some people might be angered that Shane BELIEVES he is cheating with Sabre (who is secretly his real wife). I can understand why this might bother you, but to be honest, I appreciate the fact that a nobleman in the 16th century would never be expected to even pay lip service to fidelity to a wife he's never even met and whom he married by proxy for her land. There are some interesting bits later in their relationship when Sabre, troubled by this very fact, urges him to meet and stay by the side of his wife, and even chastises him for keeping Sabre as a mistress! Interesting psychological material here, IMO.

PROFANITY: As usual with Henley, there's a lot of spicy language.

NEGATIVES. Henley's usual weaknesses are one-dimensional villains, and we see a bit of that here, with the man who betrays Shane. Again, the assault above is regrettable in a romance novel.

TWO WORDS
Sabre: Outrageous and Always-Game
Shane/Hawk: Cocky and Bold

VERDICT: This book, like the other "best of Henley" works, will get your blood up and keep it up. Like all Henley works, it is not for the faint of the heart, and demands a reader eager to be taken over the top and into the realm of the earthy, the outrageous, and the hardly-to-be-believed.

GOOD STORY LINE BUT A LITTLE DRAGGED OUT
This was overall a good book with an exellent plot. It was just took way to long for Sara to confess that she was really Hawkes Wife.

I enjoyed this book very much untill...
I loved the char. personalities and the way he loved her it was a very solid kept my attention kind of book and i love pirate love stories!! I really enjoyed reading this until 3/4 way threw the book the i got frustrated for it to hurry up and end still a wonderfull read but i think another review as well commited on this same thing don't let it stop you from reading this one though.

Thoroughly enjoyed the Hawk and the Dove! A great read!
I love reading Virginia Henley's books and absolutely loved reading the Hawk and the Dove. In the beginning, I felt sorry for the heroine Sara Bishop, also known as Sabre Wilde. Here is the heroine who is mocked by her step father her sisters, spat upon and made to feel worthless and then later in the story she is abandoned by her husband Shane Hawkhurst who married "Sara Bishop" by proxy for strip of land. But, the plot thickens; Sara now Sabre Wilde gets her revenge against her family and travels to find her husband to seek her vengeance and eventually and purposefully becomes her husband's secret mistress. The tables are turned, Sara Bishop transforms from being an outcast to a strong willed Sabre Wilde, while Shane Hawkhurst a leader of men and Lord of Devonport becomes enslaved to Sabre's every desire and caught in the web of deceit. It is a compelling story pack full of suspense, lies, fury, revenge and deep romance, a Cinderella story for ground ups. I highly recommend this book! ... Read more

Product Description

A Caldecott Honor Book

An Ala Notable Book ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Hawk, I'm Your Brother
It is an excellent book for children 5-7 years old.The story encourages us to take care of animals and allow them to be free and not captured in cages.The writing style the children found different and enjoyed seeing another way to put words on the page.You had to use your imagination since it used black sketched drawings.Younger children would enjoy the story.

Hawk, I'm Your Brother
A beautiful, well written, poignant story about a boy who wants to fly and does not understand why he can't. So, understanding birds the way he does, he wants to fly like a hawk. He decides to sneak off to Santos Mountain and steal a young Red Tail Hawk from of its nest. The boy, Rudy Soto, desires to be the hawk's brother so they can learn to fly together.But he finally realizes at the end of summer after all the other young hawks have learned to fly that the bird is unhappy living in a cage with a string tied around its leg.He realizes the bird will not give up and longs for freedom.The hawk wants to fly.That's all he's ever wanted, just like Rudy.

I won't give away the ending. You'll just have to read it with your children and share with them what this remarkable story has to offer.

Byrd Baylor's books are not just for children. Grownups enjoy them too. They are simple stories about desert life that offer great insight about living and what is truly important way beyond material possessions.This book is about sky and wind and freedom and the beauty that is unique to the desert.

I loved it!

Caldecott for line drawings; text for imagination
My five-year-old son loves to think about flying with hawks and loves to think about having a hawk for a brother.He gets upset with Rudy Soto (the main character of this book) for taking a hawk chick from its nest, but enjoys the end when he sets him free and the hawk and the boy "talk" back and forth to each other.Like Rudy, my son thinks maybe there are some people out there who really do know how to fly...

The Caldecott-winning drawings are simple line drawings that evoke the idea of flight (or being grounded on occassion).The text accents the drawings--

It is
broken
into
many
short
lines,
which
draw the
eye up to
the top of
the pages.

It becomes a single free-verse poem of flight.The combination of the story, the exact words chosen, and the pictures have let to many discussions with my son already and he has only had this book for a couple of weeks.Highly recommended!

Powerful
Kids really like this book, what kid hasn't dreamed of flying and keeping a wild bird as a pet.The message is powerful, that humans can gain much from kinship with free wild animals--a glimpse into a broader view of life.Peter Parnall's illustrations are hauntingly lovely.Nice gift for kids of all ages, especially those who love nature and animals.

A Child Learns the Meaning of Being Free
HAWK I'M YOUR BROTHER is a touching story of how a child learns that there are some things in life which cannot be achieved by enslaving that which holds the knowledge you seek but ratherto understand the secret of this special freedom is how you will treat and respect the needs of the wild creature who holds the answers to your quest.. that to be trapped and held against its will is not the best way for the creature to teach what it knows. Each time I read it I understandRudy's need to keep the hawk and the Hawk's need to be free and how Rudy comes to undertand the simplistic belief that to really be one with anycreature it cannot be enslaved, it must be set free.By learning and letting go, Rudy can truly be as the hawk.Free. ... Read more

Product Description
FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. A professional skateboarder from the age of 14, Hawk has won competition after competition, started his own company, and become a hero to millions of skateboarding fans around the world. ... Read more

Product Description
A pulse-quickening new crime novel featuring Burke--scam artist, private investigator, sometime killer--whose sole passion is defending children who fall victim to New York City's darker appetites, Footsteps of the Hawk finds Burke the pawn in a conspiracy involving two rogue cops and a grisly string of sex crimes. Reading tour. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Another great entry
This is another great entry in the Burke series.Well written, gritty and exciting.Vachss does it again!

BURKE#8 HE IS BACK
FOOTSTEPS OF THE HAWK is the eighth book in the Burke series and asbig fan I say Burke is back.Back to NYC and back with his gang of henchmen.Burke is best in NYC.(By the way, read the books in order.Really, it is a must.)This book is about cops, good, bad, phoney and the story moves a rapid pace. A hot dectective asks Burke for help.Max the Silent, Mama, the Prophet, the Mole and the others are back it this novel, I think they are my favorite 'team' in mysteries.If you are in to dark stories, gritty stories about the mean streets on New York City, Burke is your man.

Vachss at his Vengeful Best
First and foremost, Footsteps of the Hawk is a high octane, burn-your-weekend crime novel that will hook you into Vachss' work and world forever.Second of all, Andrew Vachss has expanded my mind.Really.At one of his readings, Andrew Vachss described his books as "non-fiction thinly disguised as fiction."The world his characters navigate is violent,nihilistic and unforgiving.And tragically real.But it is this context that makes Vachss' assertion of the potential of the human spirit and its capacity to love in spite of overwhelming degradation, cruelty and horror --that makes it such compelling stuff to read.

(This is his eighth book, and where it's not necessary to read them in order, here they are up to Footsteps of the Hawk: Flood, Strega, Blue Belle, Hard Candy, Blossom, Sacrifice, Down in the Zero).

Not Vachss' best effort...but OK haiku!!
As a huge Andrew Vachss fan who would love to adopt his main man, Burke (and "make his pain go away" - I'll take Pansy too!), I never thought I would see the day when I would give one of this author's novels a below average rating. But, hey...we all have off days/months/years. "Footsteps of the Hawk" is the eighth consecutive Burke book I have read and the only one I am not enthused about - not the usual 5 Star read, in other words. I will continue on, however, gobbling-up the series in order until there is no more...and then will wait until Mr. Vachss is kind enough to supply a new novel for those of us who need a fix.

"Footsteps of the Hawk" features two rogue cops with individual agendas. They both dedicate too much of their valuable time searching for Burke. With these folks, five minutes would be too much time! They actually know where to find him...occasionally, and won't get off his back. Detective Belinda Roberts, who can be extemely seductive when she wants to be, (Burke sees right through her, of course), wants our man to arrange a jail break to free a guy accused of a series of grisley murder/rapes. She swears to the con's innocence. Don't they all? Detective Jorge Morales comes accross as a major psycho who has a jones for Burke....one that makes him want to eliminate Burke permanently. He is fixated, one might say. He is also ugly and out of control...beneath an obsessively controlled facade. Ready to explode. Could Morales have "done" the women?

The novel is set in early 1990s NYC, just after Mayor Guiliani came to office with the intent to clean up the City's mean streets. (Hah!) For those who have not met Burke before - and here is definiterly not the place to make his acquaintance - he is a hard-boiled, in-your-face, ex-con detective, who still isn't sure on which side of the law he prefers to operate. Abandoned at birth, father and mother unknown, Burke has no real first name. "Baby boy" is the name on his birth certificate. He is a survivor. He's also a standup guy....a righteous man.

P. I. Burke, as always, is the narrator. And the narrative, at times, goes off on a tangent, like Burke's thought processes. This occasional stream of consciousness has always been extremely effective and enhances the detective's persona. However, here Vachss wanders off way too much and his usual tight writing style suffers for it. The storyline is much too convoluted, and even Vachss' usually strong cast of characters cannot shore-up this piece of fiction enough to make it more enjoyable.

Actually, there is one scene that is excellent, featuring Mama Wong and her granddaughter Flower. Mama is group doyenne and mother, of sorts, to Burke's "real family" - a Chinese Jewish mother and restaurateur. She "keeps her prices high and the ambiance foul to discourage yuppies," cares for the gang and holds Burke's stash. She is teaching calligraphy to the little girl who is copying an ancient haiku:

"the ferret hunting
eyes on the ground, never hears
footsteps of the hawk."

Best part of the novel.
JANA

One of His Best
Vachss started out as one hell of a crime writer ("Strega", "Blue Belle"). But by "Down in the Zero", he looked as played out as the Rolling Stones. "Footsteps" showed he's still capable of writing brilliantly.

What makes this novel great is that it shows Burke has changed considerably from the person he once was (no longer carying a gun, keeping his temper in check), yet the change is completely plausable because, at his core, he's the same person (tough and cynical). Vachss's humor is as sharp as ever. So is his prose. ... Read more

Product Description
This guide includes all 39 species of North American hawks and other diurnal raptors, including eagles, falcons, and vultures. Color paintings and photographs show each species in various color morphs and plumages, which are aso described in detail. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

A Good Reference
I found this book to be a good reference, but not as a stand-alone reference for identification of hawks. I live along a major autumn hawk migration route where more than 15,000 raptors are seen almost every year, some at a considerable distance. This book is very helpful for getting a basic knowledge of hawks, but I have found that several references on hawks are sometimes needed to make a reliable identification. In addition to this guide, I also have two photo guides that show different morphs of various hawks, and using multiple references greatly improves identification of some of the difficult sightings.

Marshall Faintich, author of "A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Wintergreen."

Good, but Frustratingly Illustrated.
When this book was first published, it was one of a kind.It remains a good reference today, and it is surprising how much useful information the authors packed into a pocket-sized book.Bravo!Its illustrated plates, however, are suggestive of a broad-brush approach, particularly with the poor rendering of wing and tail shapes.(Nearly useless for silhouettes!)An unfortunate blemish on an innovative guide!

The authors of this guide are also behind the well-regarded "A Photographic Guide to North American Raptors."And more recently, one author published two *superb* regional references (Raptors of Eastern North America: The Wheeler Guides, Raptors of Western North America: The Wheeler Guides) with Princeton University Press.These books are all worthy of your consideration.

Buteos are tough
I live in South Texas on the Mexican Border and see a great many hawks and falcons including Buteos.For whatever reason, some of these buteos are difficult for me to identify.I'm sure this is because of the plethora of morphs and juveniles but I'm also sure that my thick-headedness is also a factor.

Anyway, I've been looking around for a good reference to help me out and find that, of all my birding books, this book has helped me the most.For me, at least, excellent drawings are more helpful than photographs although good photos are also helpful.Clark and Wheeler's 'Hawks of North America' has both.In addition the organization and logic of this book is quite good.I can recommend it.

Ron Braithwaite, author of novels--'Skull Rack' and 'Hummingbird God'--on the Spsnish Conquest of Mexico

A Field Guide to Hawks Of America
This is a fantastic book! I use it myself to identify the different Hawks we see. Thank You.

Quality Study
This book is not only informitive but the photos and diagrams are high quality like the paper it is printed on.
If you love birds of prey like me , get this book. ... Read more

Product Description

The first in the newly repackaged Kensington Chroniclesseries, The Hawk and the Jewel  sweeps readers from the tapestried halls of Victorian England to the alabastercourts of Arabia.

Everyone thought little Sunny had perished with LadyGallagher in storm–tossed seas off the Arabian coast, but the beautiful toddlerhad been found, taken to the palace of Darhabar,and raised as the ruler’s own child. Now the emir, Ahmad Khan, is sending herhome, and Sunny’s uncertain, new life is completelyin God’s hands.

This classic series, which has sold more than 375,000copies, has a fresh, new look sure to please Lori Wick’s longtime fans andreaders just discovering the treasure of a great story.

Customer Reviews (52)

Doubt I'll read again . . .
I have to say I'm genuinely surprised by the positive reviews this book is getting. I feel as though maybe I missed something when I read it, because I when I look over the glowing reviews here, it's as though they are reading another book!

As much as I treasure good, clean, Christian fiction that weaves God and the Christian faith into a story (which Wick does here, and quite lovingly), that is about the only thing I thought was done well here.

I feel awful saying this, but I was really very bored reading this book! I'm not much of a romance fan, but I took up this book knowing Christian romance is what Lori Wick is known for. I expected some "mushy" stuff, but I have to say, this book doesn't even really contain that much romance.

Instead it contains a predictable plot with very flat, two-dimensional (if that!) characters who I find are hardly memorable either in speech or description. Sunny is memorable only in name, eye-color and the fact she is so stubborn initially. Otherwise, I cannot remember a single line of her dialog, or a scene she was in that I particuarly thought was riveting.

Even the title of the book ends up being hardly tantalizing. Never mind the age diference; as soon as you meet Captain Brandon "Hawk" Hawksbury, and a crew member aboard his ship remarks that Sunny is "a jewel", you can pretty much see how things are going to end up, no matter how many times Sunny and Hawk argue, find other love interests, and generally misunderstand each other over the simplest of things. The rest is just not very interesting and ends in an agonizingly slow, frustrating pace as Sunny comes up with excuse after excuse as to why Brandon's love just can't be genuine. At first I could understand her hesitation. As a bit of a mistrustful person myself, I can see how she would be afraid to believe that something so wonderful as Hawk loving her just couldn't be possible, but I mean, come ON woman, how many times does he have to tell you before it SINKS IN?!

Wick's writing style is not something I would have expected. I'm a bit of a writer myself and can say that I found her description of characters and places often lacking, vague or extremely cliche. On the flip side, when she did choose to describe a feeling, an expression or a place, she tended to use very odd, purple prose that didn't really get any type of image across to me at all except that it sounded corny. She forgets the prime rule of writing a book: Show, don't Tell. Too often I find Wick simply tells you: "So-and-so did this. She then felt like this. She then proceeded to do this, that, and the other thing, even though she felt miserable about it." I'm sorry, but for all Sunny or whoever is feeling, I'm simply NOT caring because this description is SO detached it does not encourage me to connect to Sunny in any way about anything. Show me how frustrated or miserable she is; take the time to slow down and describe how awful this feels. Bury me in it so I'm right along with Sunny, wishing better things for her and cheering when she gets them!

Alas, all her characters sound the same, like cardboard cutouts. No one has a distinct "voice". They all very freely talk about their feelings and thoughts, because, frankly, which is good I suppose because none of them are developed enough for them to be cared about if they don't constantly tell me why I should be caring about them at all.

I find this really sad and genuinely disappointing.I'm currently reading "Wings of the Morning" and am liking it only slightly more than this book.

For exceptional Christian fiction, I recommend Gilbert Morris. He usually (although not always!) produces fantastic Christian fiction with great storylines, memorable characters and even sweet (but sparing) romance woven throughout a well-constructed story. My favorite is his Dani Ross mystery series. :)

I'm hoping I'll come across a Lori Wick novel that will change my mind but right now I'm a bit burned by this experience, sorry. :(

The copy I have is worn from rereading!
What is so spectacular about this book is that it is a great love story about a vivacious, headstrong young lady who is an unlikely- yet perfect- match for a young duke who isn't aware of his own pride issues. Over the years he tries to forget about her, to replace her in his heart- but alas, he fails and learns the heart cannot be tricked or blinded. Some misunderstandings keep them apart for a while, and in the end a very satisfying conclusion is delivered to the reader. I love this book; I have read it at least ten times. It is a bit slow when she first arrives in London, with all the historical details about clothing and propriety and what not during the time period (if you read much historical fiction you'll take this all in stride)- but well written so that the reader feels s/he is the one being rebuked and learning how to act and dress and carry on. This book made me laugh and smile, and I anticipate you will enjoy it immensely!

The Hawk & the Jewel
I read this book for a book club.It is not one I would have chosen to read by myself.It is NOT my style.Moreover, there were several areas where I thought the author totally missed out:
This is the story that starts with a 23 year old ship captain's being sent from Victorian England to some exotic Arabian port to bring home an almost 13 year old girl who had been "kidnapped" and kept there.No women were otherwise present; this young captain escorted her home to England by himself (in the company of his ship's crew.)Sorry but it would NOT have happened, NOT in Victorian England.He is a friend of her siblings but is put in charge of her financial affairs--despite the presence of a couple of her brothers who were successful businessmen.The captain has to teach her some "manners" including how to dress and how to use silverware.He actually teaches her to use her knife and fork in the American way, NOT the European way!
I thought this author, who is supposedly quite notable, demonstrated a trait of laziness in NOT thoroughly researching her subjects.I likely will NOT read any more of her books.Give me a good murder mystery (Connelly, Jance, White) anytime!

How lovely!
The only bad thing about this book is the name of the lead... Sunny.Now, that is saying something!Because who cares what her name is!!!

This is such a great story.The beginning is intriguing, the middle is a combination of emotions, and the end is thrilling!!

The beginning: An English toddler lost at sea to grow up in Arabia as Shani, the beloved daughter of the Emir?OOOOOOOOOOOH!!!Her "father" forces her back to her English family with nothing but a short note and an odd gift???Wow!!I'm intrigued!!

The middle:She is scared and unsure of English customs.She went from Shani to Sunny overnight?Poor girl!Strange family, strange customs!Wait, these men only have one wife each?And they seem to LOVE their mates?And every man in the country seems taken in by her beauty and she is afraid of "enslavement" by marriage!

The end:She loves WHO?WHO loves HER?WHOA!This is thrilling!!What's going on... this is all so exciting!!

Okay, so those are some of the thoughts and emotions you will have while enjoying this very well written, well thought out book.Everything ties together.All of the characters, and I mean ALL, are wonderful.Even secondary characters are well developed.

After a very disappointing try at reading "Cassidy," I was a little apprehensive about trying out another WIck book.I am so glad I read this and threw caution to the wind.This is spectacular.

The Hawk and the Jewel
I think that Lori Wick has outdone herself in this series.Loved the book and I've read it several times since buying it 3 months ago. ... Read more

Product Description
Any ocean lover knows the transformative power of the ocean wave and its perfect confluence of energy, water, and light. Waves offers a mesmerizing collection of photography that explores the many faces of the singular ocean wave, whether it is the quiet rush of a crystalline wavelet over tropical sand or the deadly slam of storm surf against Oregon cliffs. Former editor of Surfer magazine, Steve Hawk has selected photographs from New Zealand to Newfoundland, from Fiji to the Aleutians, and paired them with insightful ruminations on the science and poetry of waves. With work from world-renowned photographers such as Art Brewer, Jeff Divine, Wayne Levin, and Joel Meyerowitz, Waves will captivate all those with a passion for the sea. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

The Wonder of the Water
"Waves" caught my eye while I was searching for something unrelated, can't remember what, but when I saw it, I was drawn in, abandoned previous search, and had to have it. I grew up by the water, spent every waking moment in the waves on my little beach back home, and this book instantly made me feel the powerful pull of the ocean from the front cover to the back. Every page is breathtakingly beautiful, it makes me long to paint, to capture the strength and delicacy of water the way these photographs do. Alas, that is not to be, but at least I can look at these amazing pictures and dream. There is text about the dynamics and working of waves, very good, but the pictures blow me away.

The Wave Energy Comes Right Off the Pages
You can actually feel the energy of the waves in some of these shots coming right off the pages.There are some very awesome shots - unusual angles, colors, and just plain spectacular.

Great coffee table book.That's where mine stays, and I still pick it up and flip through it when I'm on the phone.

Mother Nature makes a great model to work with.

Awesome
I gave this book as a Christmas present, but not before thumbing through it myself. The pictures are totally awesome and very clear. I thought it would make a good coffee-table book, and that's exactly where my brother put it. He also loved the book, and wanted to check it out before opening other Christmas gifts.... I guess it made an impression. :>)

Beautiful Photos
I bought this book because I saw it for sale when I was in Hawaii, but didn't want to carry it home with me and risk the chance of it getting banged up in transit.The photos are beautiful.The only thing I don't like about this book is that some of the photos run from one page to the next, which means that there's a big crease down the center of some of the really great photos.It's a great coffee table book, especially for those of us who live far from the ocean and need a reminder of its beauty.

'Behold the Sea Itself...'
Walt Whitman's strophe to the ocean could well be applied to this exciting book that captures the noise, the majesty, and the seduction of the sea - with a special emphasis on the waves. Writer Steve Hawk is a committed wave-rider and has collected a varied group of photographs of the challenging waves that seem at once threatening and exhilarating: the viewer can easily imagine the constant call of the sea to surfers within these pages.

Just as there is an infinite variety of ocean waves, both at sea and as the waves meet the shore, so is there a spectrum of photographs here, photographs that surprise not only in the obvious challenge of those who captured them, but also in the spectrum of colors that light and wind and mists alter their beauty and majesty.The photographers include the well known such as Art Brewer, Wayne Levin, Jeff Divine, Wayne Levin, and Joel Meyerowitz as well as lesser well-known but equally impressive artists.The locations for the photographs are from all around the planet and the variation in the quality of light and perspective is beautifully related to these different vistas.

For the most part Hawk allows the images to speak for themselves, but being a journalist he also interjects some interesting facts and poetry that variably enhance the book. WAVES is a must-have book for those already committed to the sea, but it is also a fine volume of images for those who continue to marvel at the power of nature.Grady Harp, December 06
... Read more

Product Description
From the one and only Sandra Brown comes a searing novel of romantic suspense. . . as a beautiful young mother falls victim to a brazen crime. . . and a seductive captor. . . .

When her divorce was finally granted, Miranda Price thought the worst was behind her.Now she could get on with her life, far from the public scrutiny and private misery that went along with being Representative Price's wife.But when Miranda decides to take their young son on a vacation out West, she stumbles into a mother's worst nightmare.Snatched off a train full of vacationing sightseers, she and her son become the captives of an enigmatic stranger.Miranda knows she will do anything to save her child. . . even if it means fighting her own treacherous feelings for the man who holds her hostage. . . even if it means facing up to a shocking revelation that will make her question her past, her choices, and the woman she's become.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (34)

Don't Bother
Both of these characters were awful in my opinion. Yes, he was mean and harsh and called her a slut. But she was just stupid. She never actually denied the things he accused her of. She was not brave, not smart, and a big drama queen. I kept wishing she would change but no go. She also kept wanting "his touch" and to make love with him. And what was up with her eyes? Every single time they talked, her green eyes are mentioned. It was like he was obsessed with them or something. This "love story" was just too forced. There's no way the two of them could have been so in love, or ever have worked out.

Old-fashioned
Was this Honor Bound all over again?Very predictable, old-fashioned plot (parts really bothered me).However, if that is what you are looking for, it is a good read.I finished it and didn't immediately regret the time I spent reading it.

Raw passion
I usually don't read these kinds of books, I prefer historical but the American Indian theme drew me in. I am glad I gave it a try, a wonderful read. Unless you live on or near a present day Indian rez then you have no idea how things really are or how the majority of the people feel. Ms. Brown obviously did some research with respect to the Indian's point of view. I wish there were more books out there like these, then perhaps Americans would become aware of the racism and poverty the rez has to face. She also embraced their concern with family and friends, how they influence their children to remain family oriented. The romantic aspect was very passionate and sexy. Any woman would love to be in Miranda's shoes. Hawk's character was not your usual kiss the girl's butt kinda of guy but hard natured and masculine. Most women live their whole life and never meet a man like Hawk. He is almost too much man for many, I suppose that is why so many disliked his character.

quick and average read
My buddy gave me this book because she knows what a great fan I am of Sandra Brown. I think Sandra Brown is one of the greatest romance writers, but no matter how great, a writer that puts out as many novels as SB can't get a super romance every time...and this book proves it. The book is small and a quick read, but I'm used to better Sandra Brown novels. I'm a collector of all her books but this one was just a loaner, so I'll give it back and if I run across it somewhere else, I'll buy it just to add to my SB library, but it's not one of her better novels. I didn't care much for Hawk O'Toole, probably because of the way he treated Miranda more than anything else. And I didn't care much for Miranda's name getting cut off to Randy. If a writer picks up a pretty name, why change it in the story? Go figure.

I loved it!!!
This was a wonderful book! I love all of Sandra Brown's books, but this is a favorite. I really enjoyed reading it and got a glimpse into what a Native American Reservation is like. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (9)

Rosalie Edge, Hawk of Mercy: The Activist Who Saved Nature from the Conservationists
"Rosalie Edge, Hawk of Mercy: The Activist Who Saved Nature from the Conservationists" is an amazingly written book that reads more like a riveting novel than a biography. The book is written in a way that would not only appeal to a broad audience of casual readers due to its forceful story, but also should be fully accepted by academia through reference notes of all source material used in the writing of the book. Dyana Furmansky and UGA Press should be commended on this important work.
I recently saw Furmansky at the historic Wormsloe Plantation in Savannah where she spoke in the sun filled library of the estate. It was an appropriate setting for Furmansky to speak to a diverse audience from the region since the book received the Wormsloe Foundation annual award, and finalist for the 2010 Colorado Book Award for Biography. Furmansky has been in demand nationally to speak on Edge and her influence on the environment and threats to land and birds, especially appropriate since the disaster in the Gulf.

I learned that the project started 20 years ago when she uncovered Rosalie Edge who was a character long-forgotten and not included among the environmental luminaries of the 20th century in a major gap between John Muir and Rachel Carson. Furmansky toyed with the idea of writing about Edge, but was missing a way that the story could be spun so that the character could come alive and the important work she did could be highlighted. Furmansky described how it finally started to come together, when about 10 years ago, she met Peter Edge, the now-deceased son of Rosalie. Peter approved of her proceeding with her work. He then opened the Pandora's box of his mother's life to her by giving her a suitcase filled with unpublished and unseen letters from her entire life, her women's suffrage ribbons and materials, and an unpublished autobiographical manuscript (Furmansky brought the suitcase and ribbons to show during her appearance).

Like a detective Furmansky pieced together the amazing story of a woman, first possessed with women's rights, and then with saving plants, animals, land, and the environment, and finally in creating places to preserve nature. In the process of her life, Rosalie challenged the direction of the then young National Association of Audubon Societies, saved trees and forests that would now have been long-gone, made enemies of many popular organizations of the time, challenged congress, was instrumental in creating parks including the Olympic National Park, saved many species of raptors threatened by extinction through hunting and poaching, and helped create hundreds of thousands of acres of virgin temperate rainforest from developers, timber companies, and misdirected governmental bodies.
Hawk of Mercy is about a relatively unknown person who I have now learned had one of the most significant influences during the 20th century. Edge is a relatively unknown leader who moved the world in the latter half of the 20th century toward saving plant and animal species along with public lands, and who deserves long-deserved recognition.

This book reveals Furmansky as an excellent writer who has written for the New York Times, Audubon, The Rocky Mountain News, and numerous other publications, and co-authored a book about the national parks. Hawk of Mercy has been researched and structured in a way that meets the high standards of academia, and, at the same time, is a page-turner that could excite the appetite of the devourer of best-selling novels.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn an amazing journey of a unique woman of the early 20th century, and anyone who wants significant blanks filled in about a major unknown pioneer of the environmental movement.

History of the Environmental Movement from the Trenches
I had not read many books on conservation. But this one proved to be not only a fascinating biography of Rosalie Edge, but also a terrific story of the birth of the environmental movement. For me, that was just as interesting and a reason for anyone to find reading this book a rewarding experience.

How the core ideas of conservation and protection of the environment originated (from its early years) is laid out in this book. Key parts of the physical landscape had to be purchased out from under hunter and sportsmen groups with potentially violent consequences. Control of the Audubon Society had to be seized. Rosalie Edge was fearless in challenging the existing order, but she also had help. This book tells that story in a wonderful, engaging and clear fashion.

Not a great fan of biographies...well not usually
Your book was recommended to me by someone that knows I typically avoid biographies, often finding them pedantic. Admittedly when I began reading Rosalie Edge: Hawk of Mercy and saw the extensive footnotes, I was less than excited. I decided I would read the first few chapters and then set it aside, satisfied that I had given it a chance.

By the end of chapter two, I was in love with Rosalie Edge. Not just the person but the language Furmansky chose to tell Rosalie's story. Through the words on the page, her demeanor and manner of speaking, her intelligence and humor were clear to me - and at night after each reading, I laid in bed imagining Rosalie - young and impetus, in love and a mother, betrayed and passionate, irreverent and strategic. While there were times when Rosalie took the "squeaky wheel" strategy to unbearable heights for those were refused to do the right thing or simply didn't move fast enough, she did it all mostly behind the scenes; losing friends and loved ones along the way. And while the author gives us the story of the environmental movement as Rosalie experienced it, Furmansky doesn't shy away from the parts of her story that aren't always flattering of our heroine.

Okay, the footnotes - well, I ended up reading then all as I went along. They help fill in blanks, answer questions, and let you know that Furmansky isn't making this story up. She has created not only an exciting and thoroughly readable account of an unsung heroine's life. Furmansky has created a scholarly record that dispels the notion that the environmental movement in the United States has always been shepherded by well placed, well intentioned white men. Rosalie Edge: Hawk of Mercy reminds us of the importance of women in the development of the best parts of who we are as Americans.

Thank you, Ms. Furmansky, for a tremendous ride. I may venture over to the biography aisle at the bookstore more often now. What's your next project?

A Great Read !!
This is a truly wonderful book.I am by no means an environmentalist or conservationist but read this book based on a glowing recommendation from a friend.I am glad I did.The writing is exquisite, in a style that makes the book so easy to read.One also cannot help but notice that almost every paragrph is imbued with a level of detailed research that must have taken the author years to complete.Thank you Dyana Furmansky for bringing to the masses the life of such an obviously influential, yet mostly unknown woman.

Lights, camera, action!
Rosalie Edge is one of those fascinating historical figures whose puzzling obscurity begs to be rectified.Dyana Furmansky has done just that, with impressively deep research and a writing style that breathes life into the buried story of Rosalie's remarkable personal journey.The chronicle of Rosalie's travels to remote corners of the earth, in a time when few women ventured beyond hearth and home, was our first inkling that our heroine was no shrinking violet.The account of her awakening to the women's movement, on a transAtlantic crossing, reminds us of life's twists and turns.The strength she gained working as a suffragette empowered her to take on a powerful and counterproductive male "conservation" establishment, with dazzling results.Are these not the elements of a gripping major motion picture?Erin Brocovich meets Gorillas in the Mist on Fifth Avenue! ... Read more

Product Description
While the warlike and merciless Aenir wreak havoc upon the territory outside the mountain stronghold of the clans, Sigarni, the Hawk Queen, arrives in a parallel version of her own universe through a gate in space and time. Taliesen, last of the gatekeepers, has no idea why she has come. But he knows that heroes are needed and grants her passage into the ravaged land.

Only Caswallon–loner, warrior, and thief–realizes the true extent of the danger and the mayhem that his people will come to face. As Taliesen tries to discover Sigarni’s purpose, Caswallon must attempt to unite the clans to overcome their greatest peril. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Super Reader
Gemmell introduces some more of that travel through time thing, as the Hawk Queen goes to aid an alternate version's people in trouble who desperately need a hero.

The man she meets and influence she has will be reflected in her own time in a younger life, if you can work that one out.

Still, Gemmell's Highland times are pretty good.

the hawk eternal
Caswallon is a highlands warrior from the Farlain tribe. Skilled with bow and short sword, he's a stealthy hunter and a merciless killer when enemies such as the fearsome aenir threaten the land of his fathers. The aenir enter a new land through a magic portal Which power has faltered over the aeons and no more gate keeper to re-seal it.. A race bent for bloodshed and ruin, they subdue all cities of the newfound realm. As soon as it's done, they turn eyes towards the highlands..
Characters good and bad, in the typical gemmel style, get a thorough description of their personalities you end up
Awed by them all (and ultimately, by their creator). Much research has been done about living in the forest and the book is peppered with details on tracking, making fires Or makeshift weapons. This lends a strong and much appreciated touch of realism to all of Gemmell's stories. Despite the realism of the story's framework, it remains heavily fantastic and supernatural, creating an intensely prosaic chiaroscuro. The sorcery and magic are entrancing, the evil extraordinarily vivid and graphic in its ruthlessness. It is opposed to a counterbalancing force that must at all times prove of a mighty resourcefulness.. the world of Gemmellis of parallel worlds that can interfere with each other through the magic gateways. Time is of no importance in each individual world. What gives it importance is what decisions people make in the worlds they cross. These same people exist in a different parallel world but are making different decisions, leading different lives.. and facing different futures and fates. We're constantly reminded that time is a blind beast we are trying to harness. It takes us wherever we're strong enough to steer it (at least while we're still alive). You'll also discover that gemmell has a knack for anagrams; Morgase, the aenir queen, can be spelled "orgasme" in French (: ,
giving you some help to imagine what this woman must look like, her slim white skinned body sheathed in black satin and lace... fancy a cold shower?...
this is a metaphorical work: the Aenir are us, the human race. we exploit our earth's resources mercilessly and punish the nature which gave us life. whenever a land is depleted of its resources, we move along toward a new land, a typically parasitic behavior.nature (and all creatures/beings who are still connected to Her) will retaliate ruthlessly at her desecrators.
I don't know if david gemmell had a wife or children at the time of his -untimely-passing
But he sure left orphans behind: his heroes and his readers. British fantasy and fantasy literature worldwide, has lost one of its main pillars somewhere in july 2006. he may not be among us anymore, but heroes don't die. Hail!
p.s. i just took a look at the poor ratings this book received... leaves me wondering about the attention span of the reviewers or whether they truly read this book...

Not really about Sigarni, but very underrated...
This is a companion review to Ironhand's Daughter. Again, I will try to write the review without any spoilers.
The Hawk Eternal is the sequel to the excellent Ironhand's Daughter. Being a sequel, one would expect that the book would again focus on the larger-than-life character of the warrior-Queeen Sigarni. However, this is not the case. Sigarni herself, does not apear until much later in the book, and is really a secondary character. There are two main characters in this novel and both are richly described. One of Gemmell's main strengths is his ability to always make his readers emotionally invested into the fates of his main characters. A clever way he does this is by making his characters flawed and usually seeking some form of spiritual redemption in their opposition to insurmountable and evil odds. We think that we could be these people, or we "wish" we could be one of these people.
The characters of Caswallon and Gaelen are no exception. Both have inner demons to battle. Caswallon has a shameful and selfish past, Gaelen has an abused and unloved childhood. Yet, the destiny of the highland clans is in their hands.
In this book, the evil forces are the Aenir who are clearly "Earth-similar" to the Norse/Goth tribes. The Aenir are a despicable race who live for suffering and war. The Celt-like highlanders are the last free people to stand in their way to total conquest. The Aenir are battle hardened and vastly outnumber the free highlanders. But the highlanders will not go down without a fight...
Like "Ironhand's Daughter", the HawK Eternal features a lot of battles and action scenes, strong characterisation, and the odd bit of interdimensional time-travel thrown in to boot. A worthy sequel (it can actually safely be read as a stand alone novel) that will not disappoint any Gemmell fan, particularly those who liked the Rigante series.

Hawk Eternal
I just couldn't really get in into this book. It seemed messy and poorly put together as you go between worlds and such.
There were too many loose ends and the characters would do random, out of character things at times. It just may be me looking in to the book to much, but I felt that when the book was written, the author didn't put enough of himself into the characters. As a result, the characters seemed to have lacked definition.
But, on the bright side, the plot was certainly interesting and unique. Points there.

Not his best, but still Gemmell
This one was a bit harder to follow than Iron Hand's Daughter.The first book only touched upon the parallel and alternate timelines, this book wades deep into them.So if you want to follow along and make sense of it, you are going to have to pay attention.Though not as strong as his Drenai works, this novel is typical Gemmell.Great heroes, and even greater battles mixed with a tiny bit of magic and a monster or two.This is some of his earlier work, so if you have been reading them in the order that Del Rey has been putting them out, it may not seem as strong as what you have recently read.That is not the fault of the author, he has continued to grow as a writer.Read Legend first and you will find yourself hooked on Gemmell's work. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (9)

Second in the Trilogy
This is the second in the crucible series. The first was a step beyond reality although the background seems researched well. Honestly it gave me nightmares and I am not prone to them. When I began both books I began the nightmares. I am on the third now and can more see where it is going and the nightmares stopped. I have read Dan Simmons without problem and Steven King and others that should give you nightmares. This book is an alternate reality that is not so far off of the imaginary as to be unbelievable and that it is scary is not a detriment to the book or writer but an accomplishment in making this alternative reality real. I have always believed in the premise that anything that can be humanly imagined can be real. Hopefully, so far this is not, but it is written so well that you start to wonder...

A fascinating time in English and French history
In this second book in her Crucible series, Sara Douglass continues her tale of a slightly alternate reality in 14th-century Europe in which Thomas Neville has been told that the fate of Christendom rests on his success in disrupting the plans of demons infiltrating the ranks of European courts. As times passes, however, the distinction between good and evil becomes ever hazier. The books are much more focused on history than on religion, and this is a fascinating period in European history. I should also say that all of the books in this series have fantastic cover art.

Historic Fantasy on a Grand Scale
After a relatively tedious introduction to the Crucible Series in The Nameless Day, Ms Douglass has risen to the fast-paced narration and vivid characterizations which she renders so well in book 2. The portrayals of well known figures on the stage of history are refreshingly new, sometimes strange, but largely believable. The intertwined fantasy theme whereby the Judaeo-Christian angels are seduced by human females to procreate a race of demons which may only be destroyed by a human surrogate is certainly imaginative and novel, but lacks credibility, despite its commonality with the Zoroastrian view of the pagan pantheon. I am looking forward to the final book 3 resolution of this 14th century tale.

Better than the first, but not without flaws
The middle book of the Crucible trilogy is better than the first, but not without its flaws.

Thomas Neville, our protagonist, is slightly more bearable this time around, having shaken off some of his old vows and old prejudices. It's a beautiful thing watching him come to love his wife Margaret, and reexamine some of his beliefs.

Meanwhile, Richard II is ruling cruelly and ineptly, Thomas's boyhood friend Bolingbroke is beginning to make his play for the throne, and in France, Joan of Arc urges a reluctant king to act against the English. Douglass has taken some liberties with chronology, but it doesn't matter much, as her timeline works for the story and she explains in a foreword that she *has* used some creative license, so it doesn't jar at all.

What does jar a bit is the head-hopping; we seem to bounce from POV to POV several times per scene. Also, the scheme that Bolingbroke and Margaret execute, with traumatic results for Margaret, just doesn't quite make sense. I feel like I was supposed to either find it reprehensible or decide it was worth the eventual outcome, but instead? It just doesn't make sense. I can't figure out why these characters would have chosen that route.

On the positive side: Douglass builds to a big bang here. The secret that Thomas discovers is as shocking as it needs to be, and raises many questions about what will happen in the third book.

Finally, one more quibble. When Douglass sets her mind to it, she can write gorier scenes than many writers of outright horror. (I'm thinking of the miscarriage from Hades' Daughter.) I got almost to the end of The Wounded Hawk and was pleased to think that she'd kind of toned down the gross-out.

Then I read the epilogue. Let's just say that Douglass reassigns Edward II's gruesome death to another figure--and describes it. In detail. In excruciating detail. Yes, the guy was a vicious character. But I don't want to read about that happening to *anyone*.

The distinction between good and evil is blurred even more...
The Wounded Hawk by Sara Douglass is a continuation of the Crucible Series, with The Nameless Day being book one.In the last book, Thomas Neville cast aside his friar robes and reclaimed his Lord title and lands.He is still arrogant but he grows more likeable in The Wounded Hawk: he is now married to Margaret, the woman he detests, but as he discovers more about her and her desire for his love, he, oh so gradually, softens!He still seeks the casket that contains the books to cast demons into Hell, but the quest somewhat slows as other dire events call his (and all of England)'s attentions.

All the major characters return, and the focus is on certain people and relationships; the last book was mostly spent on Neville but not this time!The newly crowned Richard II, with his promotions of his lover Robert "Robbie" de Vere, is causing nobles to grumble, especially Hal Bolingbroke (Duke of Hereford) and Neville, who still thinks that Richard is the Demon-King that will threaten mankind.The peasant dissenters that seek freedom from serfdom rise and deal some damage to the English kingdom.Douglass also turns our attentions more to the Maid of France, Joan of Arc.There is an interesting scene where the ladies inspect Joan and find out why, exactly, she really is a virgin.We also examine Hal (who seems too good to be true, until chilling confessions are made), Margaret (is what you see what you get?), Catherine (the ambitious sister of the meek Charles.She loves Hal but who exactly is she?), and so many others.

I cannot lie and say, "There is never a dull moment."Overall the plot is moving but there are sections of the book that failed to make an impression on my memory.There are also actions and dialogues that seem incongrugous in respect to their characters.One minute so-and-so is brash, the next minute he whimpers and sheds tears.

In The Wounded Hawk, the plot, richly woven with history, advances greatly, with so many of its characters coming into bloom (and a few to their demises), but of course Douglass keeps readers wanting more by omitting certain explanations of key people.The question of who is truly good and evil is blurred.People that seemed like, well, angels, may not be the saints we think they are.Even St. Michael and Jesus Themselves are put up to scrutiny, and trust me, it is shocking.

Oh, and the epilogue is perfect: karma comes to haunt a man who had caused hell on earth for a certain woman.

I highly recommend this series: some parts are slow going and there are flaws in the plot and character development, but overall, it will keep you enraptured as I was: going for hours at a time just reading, reading, reading! ... Read more