Product Description
1930: the Great Depression. Twenty-five cent an hour jobs attract thousands of men to West Virginia, two-thirds of them black, to drill Union Carbide's Hawks Nest tunnel through near-solid rock. Within months, men fall ill and die of a mysterious illness tunnelitis company doctors call it. Lacking respiratory protection, at least 800, possibly over 1,500, workers will die of acute silicosis in America's worst industrial disaster. Orville Orr, a company-paid deputy sheriff secures the first autopsy of a tunnel worker and builds evidence of the company's responsibility for the deaths. Armen, the mixed-race daughter of a tunnel worker and union organizer who has died of silicosis, joins him and they fall in love, as Orville risks his life to expose the truth. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

This is an excellent story and hard to put down
Witness at Hawks Nest is a Novel written about the actual happenings of the Hawks Nest Tunnel. In the 1930's during the great depression there was little work to no work. Many men ,mostly colored were lured to West Virginia to work on the Hawks Nest Tunnel. They made twenty-five cents an hour. It was a dirty dusty job that brought death to many. The mountain was solid rock, pure silicon. Eventually the tunnel was finished and the new river flowed through it generating electricity for many, but at the cost of the lives of 800 men and possibly upwards of 1500 from acute silicosis.

Orville Ore who was hired as a deputy to control the men and make sure they worked recognized what was going on and at the risk of his own life began an investigation along with Armen, who lost her father to what the doctor called tunnelitis. The tunnel was almost complete when an autopsy proved that Union Carbide knew there was a problem and tried to cover it up.

Dwight Harshbarger has written a novel that is a fictional account of one of the worst disasters in our history. The true story may never have been know about if not for the courage of one man that stood up against the system and the corrupt practices of one of the biggest companies of that time. Harshbarger brings history to life. This is an excellent story and hard to put down.

Great fiction; true story!
Dwight Harshbarger has taken the terrible facts of the worst industrial tragedy in America and made of them a compelling story with complex characters and a fast paced plot. It's a great read and although you know how the tragedy plays out, you can't stop reading. And, sadly, it makes me realize that corporate greed is not new and that it has always had terrible consequences in the lives of West Virginia's citizens. Still does today.

Great read on an American tragedy
"Witness at Hawk's Nest" is a fascinating historical novel that reveals a little-known but important industrial tragedy.Also, and more compellingly for most readers, it is an 'everyman's story' about striving, loss, awareness and redemption.Through Orville Orr, the fictional main character, Dwight Harshbarger pulls us into one man's experience of conflict between his individual need to survive the Great Depression and his growing awareness of an amoral, destructive corporate undertaking.

"Witness" is easy to read and one cares about the characters.The meticulous historical research greatly enhances the book.Harshbarger skillfully weaves these facts into the story, inviting us to understand and care abou how mining is done, how workers are or aren't protected and how companies exploit workers' needs in order to meet their production goals.It's especially meaningful to meet some of the real people who worked in the tunnels.

It's surprising that this story is not better known.Perhaps because it happened in a part of the country that's often ignored, or because it was covered up in the name of progress.Whatever the reason, it's a story that bears telling, both to honor the men who died and to remind us that where greed, need and opportunity collide, bad things happen.

Read this book.You will enjoy it as fiction and appreciate it as a vibrant telling of a difficult chapter in our history.

Terrific story of greed, corruption, personal strength
Dwight Harshbarger's novel provides a compelling account of working people caught in a horrible event in American industry. At many levels this is an important book.My stance, agreeing with the other reviewers, is to highly recommend this novel for its treatment of how a good man is drawn into a terrible situation. The story of a worker's growing awareness of his own responsibilities to himself, his family, and his co-workers is haunting. The characters face enormous challenges, experience failures, and some seek redemption. It is a beautifully written account of how many good people were lost as a powerful corporation pursued profit. The characters and their humanity are developed by a writer who keenly observes people, communities, customs, dialogue, and organizations.The story is set in another time and place in American history but its message of corruption and redemption is timeless. It rings true today. Read this book and witness the tragic consequences of corporate greed and how an individual finds the strength to reveal the facts and fight for justice. Read this book.

---a great read!
Witness was fascinating. I didn't want it to end, yet I couldn't put it down. It contained every aspect of an excellent novel.----As a child growing up in the 40's and 50's not far from Hawk's Nest,several members of my family worked at Union Carbide. But I'd never heard of the tunnel disaster. Was it intentionally "something we don't like to talk about"? Perhaps it was purposely kept quiet. To me Hawk's Nest was a beautiful park to visit on a Sunday afternoon with an overlook and picnic places.
However, thanks to Dwight Harshbarger, who has brought to light some of these mysteries, we can come to recognize the perils and tragedies that can happen as a result of the lack of safety concerns of the workers in industrial corporations.
Waiting for the next one, Dwight------- ... Read more

Product Description

“Wildness is something best measured in the dark. On black, moonless nights when the horizon goes limp, and every scratch and thud and snap of branch outside the tent touches off spot fires in your brain. Sort of like now. The sow grizzly is back again, circling, gulping down the dark and blowing it out again through her nose.” So begins Gary Ferguson’s tale of his three-month odyssey at Hawks Rest in the heart of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Customer Reviews (14)

not accurate
Gary Ferguson writes a sweet description of the area, but his facts are not completely accurate.
He writes about people from second hand sources without interviewing the primary sources. This is not a good literary documentary technique.

Elk Hunting in the Remote Heart of Yellowstone
I bought this book hoping to gain insite to the "Real" yellowstone wilderness.There are real tibits and treasures of this experience in this book that I thoroughly enjoyed.The major part of the book was devoted to the political rallying that goes on with the government and NPS and elk hunters.I believe that the hunting and salting issue deserve to be brought to the publics attention, but do not believe that so much of a book supposedly about a summer on Hawk's Rest should have been devoted to it.

Gary Ferguson is a very engaging writer and always delivers the goods on wonderful story writing and this book it no different.I just wish he had focused more on the wildlife and wilderness experience with short interjections on guiding and elk hunting.

Disappointing
I visited Yellowstone a few months ago and picked up Hawks Rest at a local bookstore.I was thoroughly awed by the beauty and majesty of the park but was disappointed by the crowds that I just couldn't get away from.I was hoping that Hawks Rest would give me insights into the "real" world of Yellowstone.

Given these expectations, the book truly did satisfy my purposes and I was pleased.But it also turned into a political screed.Although I very much believe in Ferguson's cause of alerting the public to the abuses of the elite hunting culture in Yellowstone, I feel that he devoted too much of this book to this cause.Hawks Nest is subtitled A Season in the Remote Heart of Yellowstone.I wish this, rather than promoting a political agenda, had been the focus of the book.

Well-written nature stories, with anti-outfitter rants thrown in
Ferguson's book takes us to a corner of the US that not many people will ever see - - the Thorofare region in the southeast part of Yellowstone National Park.This region boasts the point in the lower 48 states farthest from any road-though if islands are eligible, the prize really belongs to Point Houghton on Isle Royale.Unlike Point Houghton, the Thorofare is a busy place despite its remoteness.

Ferguson is working for the US Forest Service for a summer in the Thorofare.He's staying at the USFS cabin, "Hawk's Rest," which provides the title of the book.Besides him and his National Park Service colleagues, three kinds of people show up in the Thorofare - - backpackers, outdoor leadership programs for teenagers and young adults, and outfitters with their hunter clients.

Ferguson discusses each group but gives most of his attention (and his vitriol) to the outfitters.If he is to be believed, the outfitters act as if they have property rights, and act as if they are a law unto themselves.They're rude to him, and they treat the other groups with contempt.Though the book is about the Thorofare as a whole, your reaction to the book will depend on your reaction to the outfitters in it.

Ferguson starts and ends the book with a discussion of the route he took there and back.The route there, beginning at his home in Montana, is a wonderful journey for the reader.His return route is not very interesting for the reader nor, it seems, for him.At that point he was glad to be going home.That's too bad, because I wasn't ready for the book to end.He writes very well, and his story is engaging throughout.

The Modern Wilderness
The story of a summer spent in a ranger cabin located in the most remote spot in the lower 48, just to the southeast of Yellowstone National Park.

The book contains a number of evocative scenes and teaches quite a bit about what the wilderness is really like. But the main theme of the book is how bad the local outfitters are, catering to largely ignorant and uncaring hunting clients, they break the law with impunity and generally behave badly.

The most remote spot in the lower 48 is actually quite heavily travelled and usually travelled by unattractive characters.

The scene painted is undoubtedly true, but truth comes in many flavors and the focus on the bad makes this book a bit grim. ... Read more

Product Description
Watch tempers rise and sparks fly as the Whitelaws of Hawk's Way meet their matches in these two unforgettable classics!

The Headstrong Bride

Callen Whitelaw had one surefire way to soften up a rugged rancher out for revenge against her beloved clan. The headstrong bride would marry him!

The Disobedient Bride

Zach Whitelaw chose his "convenient" wife for one reason only—to provide him with a brood of little Whitelaws. But no matter how many long, lazy days they spend in their marriage bed, his disobedient bride refuses to get pregnant. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great guys - great book
The guys all start out as nice guys and the story ends with nice guys. Fantasy but I love it.A "feel good" story.

A five star book
I am an avid romance reader, but there are times when one of my fave authors comes out with a book I've either missed out on, or don't have. As is the case with this one, and J. Johnston is a big favorite of mine. ... Read more

Product Description
The birdwatchers of Central Park were buzzing–a young red-tailed hawk had been spotted, would he stay? The bird they dubbed Pale Male not only stayed, he became one of New York City’s most famous residents. Pale Male and his mate built their nest near the top of one of Fifth Avenue’s swankiest apartment buildings. Nine years and 23 chicks later, Pale Male’s fame had grown so large that a CBS newsman named him Father of the Year! But Pale Male was less beloved by the residents of the building, and in 2004 the owners suddenly removed the nest–setting off an international outcry on behalf of the birds. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

This is a marvelous mini biography of one of Manhattan's most famous residents, the beautiful red-tail hawk, Pale Male!
An unusual event happened long ago in Manhattan.A red-tailed hawk appeared to catch a thermal and was gliding over the colorful autumn foliage in Central Park.He had the perfect vantage point for catching his dinner and his "wingspan of four feet" enabled him to stay aloft until he spotted something to eat.Most red-tail hawks would only stop at the park for a short period of time and would later move onto a more rural, hawk friendly setting, but this male was different because he "liked what he saw and he stayed."The birders of New York City were ecstatic and, unbeknownst even to them, would be watching this hawk for a long time."Pale Male," as he was dubbed, was determined to be a Manhattanite.

He was a rascal who "dive-bombed tasty pigeons and rats at their litter-can snack bars" and critters like squirrels were not immune to his antics.There was one critter that soon attracted his interest and that was another redtail.His courtship dance began and he was determined to win her over, not only for himself, but to the city.Their first nests were failures and later, when she was injured, he was fortunate enough to find another mate. Pale Male, who had taste, began to build a nest on 927 Fifth Avenue.His nest was destroyed by the owner of the building, but the couple persevered and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service intervened.The babies began to arrive and over the years there were more until. . .the owners destroyed not only the nest, but the entire building spike structure Pale Male needed for his nests.Would this famous Manhattanite be forced to leave the city for a new home in the country?

This is a marvelous mini biography of one of Manhattan's most famous residents.The storyline just pulls the reader along.Even though I knew the ending, the tension made me anxious to find out what would happen to Pale Male and his mate.The book is in picture book format and is what many call "wordy," but it is the type of story that will draw a great deal of interest from the very young to the adult audience.The watercolors are nicely detailed and capture the busyness and activity of the city as well as the sereneness of the park.In the back of the book is a more detailed discussion of the author's experience and thoughts about Pale Male and his descendants in New York.This book is a 2009-10 Red Clover nominee in Vermont.

Children's book with liberal propaganda
Having lived in NYC during the time when Pale Male first built his nest, I remember all the excitment that the feathered creature generated in the city. I was happy to see a children's book on the topic and looked forward to sharing the account with my own children and perhaps intergrating it into a class I teach on children's literature. The book was pleasant to read and the illustrations were beautiful. My children enjoyed listening to the story and were inspired to learn more about the hawk and his offspring. I was happy enough with the book until the author decided to take a dig at former President Bush and his administration. Seems that no forum is safe from Bush bashing. The liberal indoctination of our youth in unabashedly present in our schools and we all need to be aware of these subtle and not so subtle messages that are children are being fed everyday.

Pale Male: Citizen Hawk of New York City
Pale Male Citizen Hawk of New York is a factual story that seems like a fairy tale.Children can learn about life in the city and how a hawk chose to live and survive in a chaotic city with a nearby park with areas that make it hard to believe that it is in New York.A lovely book about a beautiful creature and his family.

A New Classic
This is an amazing book, beautifully written and illustrated, and appealing to readers of all ages.This spring my elementary school ordered several copies for a bird/nature study.After multiple readings, the children were inspired to research and create their own nature books; their efforts were astounding and are a testimony to the book's beauty and appeal.

Pale Male
A beautifully written story that brought tears to my eyes! The artwork is
beautiful as well! ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (34)

Very interesting history and study of command
This book recounts events on a US Navy carrier, on their attack station off Vietnam. To cut to the chase, many of the black sailors on board decided--in what looks like an organized event--to attack white sailors. Many victims were seriously beaten.
The CO and XO were able to restore order after many hours. The XO, a black man himself, used pleading to 'his black brothers' to stop the violence, and was deeply worried about the Marine reaction force using counter violence against his black brothers.
Interesting was the fact that the CO and XO decided to be lone rangers in trying to stop the attacks. They did not involve the normal chain of command, and tried to restrict the Marine unit to security for the aircraft.
The black sailors in this book end up looking very bad, as most of their violence was directed at individual whites who were attacked by groups armed with weapons, and some of their attacks were against wounded in the sickbay.
Of the command group, the XO ends up looking the worst. His attempts to stop the rampage come off as appeasement and the book suggests he was not in control of himself during a part of the night.
As a history, the book is a great cautionary tale and should be read by people in the military.

War story
Bought this as a gift for someone on the Kitty Hawk when this incident occured.He stated that the book was very informative and thought it was a good representation of the occurance.

who knows
Hard to tell after reading this as to how much is truth and how much is exaggerated.I am very sorry that race relations are so complicated and difficult for all to understand.This is a growing concern today in all relations--race, religion, ethnicity, sex, political views, and so on. All those involved likely have rationales for their position, but so do the others they are dealing with, and too often I fear that there is less respect than there should be towards others, and nowadays more rush to become angry, instead of understanding and tolerant.This book talks about one of those instances where things may have gotten out of hand, and it's thus a useful history. I wish there were more lessons to come out of this story as to how all of us should calm down and as to how all of us should respect others more than we seem to nowadays.Read this for another example of how things could have been calmed down but instead got inflamed (by all involved, I fear), until at long last the emotions got replaced by reason and tolerance.

Riot and mutiny on a U.SS.carrier.
I liked the author's previous book about the tragedy and fire aboard another carrier, and this book is no different.Freeman shows how some disadvantaged blacks terrorized and almost seized control of one of the largest ships in the U.S. Navy. The Kitty Hawk was doing bombing runs on North Vietanamese positions, and during the night of October 11, 1972, some militant black sailors beat up and terrorized the sailors of this carrier.

The book shows how the calm and collective actions of both the XO and captain limited the injuries to the sailor population.If the Marines had been in control, deaths could have resulted.The captain and XO went face to face with the rioters, and got them to calm down.Still this is a tragedy because many sailors were injured and beaten up.

I would have liked to know more information about why the black sailors did what they did.Some or most blamed their economic circumstances, but surely this was not the heart of it.When a black sailor could beat a messman because he didn't serve him a sandwich, well that is hard to believe or have pity on the circumstances that led to the riot.I would also have liked to know how the badly beaten messman with the head injuries had turned out.

This is a great book.I liked the fast paced nature of the descriptions and sequence of events.The author did very good research.

I was there.
I was there on the Kitty Hawk during this incident.I would have to say, reading this book gave me a bit of closure on some of the events of that horrific night.The author did an excellent job giving the this reader accurate details.It is an easy read and I would suggest those that want to know what really happened, this book will give the reader the view from those that were there...not the "government'" side of the story. ... Read more

Product Description
New in the acclaimed series—based on the bestselling book by Mark Bowden, the new movie from acclaimed director Ridley Scott (Gladiator), and renowned producer Jerry Bruckheimer (Pearl Harbor) starring Josh Hartnett, coming from Revolution Studios and distributed by Columbia Pictures in January 2002. Based on actual events, Black Hawk Down is the heroic account of a group of elite US soldiers sent into Mogadishu, Somalia in 1993 as part of a UN peacekeeping operation to quell the civil war and famine ravaging the country. Young Rangers and veteran Delta Force soldiers fight side by side against overwhelming odds. For eighteen harrowing hours, outnumbered and surrounded, tensions flare, friends are lost, alliances are formed and soldiers learn the true nature of war and heroism. The cast also includes: Eric Bana, Ewan McGregor, Tom Sizemore, William Fichiner, and Sam Shepard. 20 b/w photos. credits. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great movie, but what sort of example is this for a budding screenwriter?
If you look at the first excerpt page, T.S. Eliot's last name is misspelled.Hollywood supposedly demands that every spec script be free of misspelled words and bad grammar, yet I've seen shooting scripts with "He could care less" instead of "He couldn't care less" (not dialogue, mind you) and frequent misspellings.Much like the literary agent industry, professionalism is demanded (agent name, book proposal, nice paper, SASE), but often not reciprocated (e.g., they'll send you a photocopied form letter [Dear Author . . .]).

What we need to see are published versions of original speculation scripts.Shane Black's first release of "Lethal Weapon" would be more beneficial a read than these shooting scripts.

Sorry, got off on a rant.It's not that these shooting scripts aren't worth reading for new screenwriters, but there's a market out there for actual spec script versions.If your spec has as many SUPERs in it as this shooting script, Hollywood might throw your stuff in the bin . . . unless you're established, of course.

Excellent! Like you're watching the movie all over again.
It's a great book. Everything is in exact detail as the movie. As I read, I picture the scene in the movie and I feel like I'm watching the movie all over again.It was written word for word, scene by scene.It even includes still photos and a full cast description of each character. It was everything I thought it would be. It was definitely worth the wait since ordering this book before it was even published. ... Read more

Product Description
When Kelric, a scion of the imperial family of Skolia, crash-lands his fighter on the off-limits planet of Coba, he figures it will be only a short time before he makes his way home. But he fails to account for the powerful matriarchy of Coba, the mistresses of the great estates who do not want the Empire to know about their recent cultural advances.

First they take him prisoner.

Then, one by one, the most powerful women on the planet fall in love with him!
... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

Solid novel, solid world creation
For those with short attention spans, I've put my pros/cons right at the top:

PROS
* Excellent cultural depth in world creation (not subtly written)
* Story grabs you from the beginning and doesn't let go until a flabby point somewhere between pages 300 and 400 and then accelerates to a Hollywood finale
* Emotional ending is worth all the build up
* Writing style is SMOOTH

CONS
* Ending leaves significant logical gaps (i.e. NON-SPOILER: Miesa is not Varz [in terms of the agreement]);
* Inexperienced writing shows through in a few places (how many times does a character spread his/her hands?)
* At times, reads like over-exaggerated "chick lit". Maybe the entire book could be classified this way, but that's not how I took it. However, there were some sections that felt out of place.

MY TAKE
As far as speculative fiction goes, this effort by Catherine Asaro is solid from start to finish. Her writing style is a breeze to read and the page count flies by. Asaro has excellent skills at world creation and brings a depth of culture to the story. The flipping our gender-role preconceptions on its head makes for interesting reading and she gets away with some elements a male author might not.

OTHER NOTES
By the time I got to V: Varz, I felt the material was re-tracing several themes from II: Haka, just in a harsher way. Also, I had a difficult time buying Kelric's acceptance of everything -- he's thrown into a world that has a social structure nearly opposite of his own and I never felt his frustration bubble to the top. Instead he just broods in semi-private isolation.

VERDICT
This book makes an excellent "borrow from a friend" choice, or a library soft-cover exchange. Asaro fans should buy it, as should anyone who might take his or her time reading the ~450 page count.

The Last Hawk
1st book I've read by this author. Waiting(may have borrow from library if they don't come soon) formore of the seris then I can start from the beginning.Then I will get the rest of hers.....

Great Sci-Fi
Ok...

I'm not some Sci-Fi nut who's gonna cite little nit-picking points about the saga or the ongoing storyline...What I am going to tell you is that this book, with it's gender role reversal, descriptiveness, and localized storyline....Was enought to keep me happily page turning...This was a great book, well written, imaginative, and easily stands alone from the rest of Asaro's books...Nuff Said.

Fascinating New Twist on Interstellar Relations
THE LAST HAWK is the fourth installment in the Saga of the Skolian Empire. It stars Kelric Valdoria Skolia, Jagernaut Tertiary, third heir to Skolian Imperator, Kurj. The story takes place during the same period as the two tales of his sister Sauscony and Jabriol Qox II, PRIMARY INVERSION and THE RADIANT SEAS. Having said that, THE LAST HAWK is a vastly different sort of tale from the aforementioned titles.

When Kelric's crippled starfighter kicks out of inversion in an unfamiliar part of the universe, he realizes that he must find a place to land or perish. Already injured he crash lands on Coba, a planet on the ISC restricted list.

Quarantined by their own request, the Coban's are forbidden to interact with Skolians. Thus defines the conflict when the crash is viewed and the rescue team realizes that the victim is indeed a member of that race. Should they break the rules and save his life, or deliver him to the starport assuring his death?

It is clear early on that the inhabitants have descended from the same ancestors as the Skolians. Through geographical isolation their society had developed quite differently. They have not yet attained the technical advancements of Kelric's world. Though they possessed fliers, the had not achieved space flight. The planet's restricted status is basically unnecessary, as Kelric would soon learn. In order to preserve their freedom, Kelric's is forfeit. They save his life but he will never be allowed to return home.

Coba is under matriarchal rule; women being the more aggressive sex. They hold the power, ruling the estates, making all of the major decisions. The men are either, demure and virginal mate prospects, kasi/consorts, prostitutes, or Calani/ master Quiz players.

The latter are the closest to being influential in this female dominated society. They are the men behind the woman, plying their dice playing skills for the benefit of their estate Manager. They are the historians, diplomats, and strategists. They are cloistered, prized and protected, and bound by a most restrictive oath that keeps the power firmly in the hands of the women.

Quiz has long since replaced warfare as means of resolving issues and settling disputes. It reflects the history of the culture, the current political climate, the mood of the player himself.

Because of who he is and his physical desirability, Kelric the space warrior soon finds himself "imprisoned" within his savior's Calanya, where he must follow the rules in order to survive. With a penchant for mathmatics, and empathic mind, a lengthy period of isolation, his skill at the game becomes phenomenal. This and his exceptional beauty whets the desire of virtually every major estate manager on the planet. Each will vie for possession, to the extent of obsession for one.

Captivity does not set well with Kelric, not only is his spirit dampened, his body is in great need of repair but the technology does not exist to rejuvenate him. The environment is taking its toll as well, the food, the atmosphere, even his own healing agents are beginning to poison him. As the Quiz imparts Coba's history to Kelric, so too does he impart his own Skolian culture and values to others. One woman's desire to possess and another's to defend him have near critical consequences. Only the restraint and clear headedness of the others will spare their way of life.

Though he eventually becomes an unprecedented sixth level Quis master, and has even found love a time or two, none of this has occurred by his choice. Even were it not evident that he will soon die without the technological advances of his own world, even though he has no idea what has transpired in the decade and half he's been absent, even though he will have to leave his own flesh and blood behind, Kelric's driving desire is to return home. In spite of the havoc his presence has wreaked on their world, he leaves behind a lesson and a legacy that will hold the Cobans in good stead in the future. His story continues in ASCENDANT SUN.

I liked the different twist this story possessed, taking a man who has come to rely on high technology, and reducing him to relying on his wits; a man accustomed to leading forced to follow, a prince forced to be a consort, unable to fight and at the mercy of others. I truly enjoyed the role reversal, it was fun picturing males as too flighty for major decision making or leadership roles, their indignant responses to sexual overtures, all the stereotypical female behavior. This story pokes fun at these stereotypes in a way that shows just how ridiculous they truly are.

Reviewed for PNR Reviews

Absorbing blend of SF adventure, social commentary, and romance
Coba is the only human-inhabitable planet close enough for Skolian warrior Kelric to reach in his mortally damaged fighter. The Empire's heir is astounded, upon regaining consciousness with injuries from both battle and crash landing, to discover that this restricted world actually has a thriving Human population. It's restricted only because its people want it that way. They prefer to keep their freedom, and do without Skolian technology. Which won't be possible any longer, of course, if they let Kelric go home; because Kelric will surely tell his half-brother the Imperator the truth about Coba.

Deha Dahl, Manager of Dahl Estate, insists on rescuing the stranger and providing him with medical care. What to do with him after he recuperates presents Manager Dahl with a dilemma, though. On Coba, women rule and men keep to their ordained place in society. Females on this world are larger, stronger, and trained from birth to consider themselves biologically superior to males. Kelric doesn't fit into this paradigm at all. He's a warrior, his body enhanced by technology, and he's determined to go back where he belongs. Which Manager Dahl can't allow to happen - but what she doesn't realize is that every day Kelric spends on Coba will change her world, unpredictably and beyond reversing.

Author Asaro does a fine job of turning gender conventions upside down and inside out in her depiction of Coban culture. My only criticism of this otherwise absorbing blend of science fiction adventure, social commentary, and romance is one point on which I couldn't suspend disbelief. Did no man on Coba, Kelric included, ever suffer an episode of impotence? Not even under conditions where...well, never mind. :-) If I get more specific than that, I'll be committing spoilage; and I'd hate to ruin for anyone else a book that I thoroughly enjoyed otherwise. 4 1/2 stars rounded up to 5.
... Read more

Product Description
There's a hawk in the city!

New York City is known for its sky-scrapers, subways, and hustle and bustle -- not for its wildlife. So everyone is surprised when a red-tailed hawk is spotted flying over Fifth Avenue, and even more surprised when he decides to settle down on the ledge of one of the Big Apple's swankiest apartment buildings.

The hawk soon draws many admirers. They name him Pale Male and watch as he builds his nest, finds a mate, and teaches his little hawk babies to fly.

Based on the true story of Pale Male, City Hawk brings New York City's favorite hawk to life in a story of family, perseverance, and big-city living. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great first nonfiction book
This fresh, exciting, and informative story would be a great choice for a child's or classroom's first nonfiction book.Illustrations are vivid and easy to relate to, and the text - complex enough for competent early readers, but perfect for a read-aloud - is engaging. City Hawk tells the true story ofa pair of hawks who unexpectedly and uncharacteristically nest and rear their young outside the window of a Central Park apartment.One thing I really like about this is that the author does not anthropomorphize the birds and their plight, but lets the reader follow their story as if they were bird-watching along with the NYC regulars.A portion of the sales of this book go towards the Audubon Society's NYC chapter and helps "support protection of wild birds and habitat in the five boroughs."

childrens book
Excellent story with historical value . I bought it for my grand son who lives in NYC .Highly recommend

A must-read for any resident of New York City
City Hawk is a wonderful story about a real-life red-tailed hawk that decides to make New York City his home. The illustrations are charming and give an accurate picture of what life for a city hawk is really like. This book will appeal to both children and adults, especially those who live in New York and want to know more about their fellow resident, Pale Male. ... Read more

Product Description
The kids from the Upper World must travel back in time to save Droon from the most dangerous creatures they¹ve met yet! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The Hawk Bandits of Tarkoom (Secrets of Droon, Book 11)
Got here quickly and in good shape. A nice addition to our collection.

young Galen old Galen
I liked this book because it was very exciting. Julie Eric and Neal see a two headed beast named Kem and he died 400 years ago and if he came back so would Tarkoom city of bandits. and when they are in a pit they meet young galen.

Secrets of Droon review
This book was great .It would be scary for little kids though.There were lots of hawk bandits and an old city that was destroyed 400 years ago came back.I liked it because it kept me in suspense because you want to see if it is a happy ending.The main characters in this book are Julie a girl from the Upper World, Eric a boy from the Upper World, Neal another boy from the Upper World, and Keeah a princess and junior wizard from Droon.There where also otter-like creatures called mooples.In a picture they were so , so cute.Also there were 2 Galens, one from Tarkoom's time , the other his older form.I would recommend this book for children ages 6-12. ... Read more

Product Description
When their peregrine falcon brings down a homing pigeon carrying rubies, the Hardy brothers find themselves involved with kidnappers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

The Hardys Learn Falconry
Frank and Joe Hardy receive a peregrine falcon from Mr. Rahmud Ghapur, along with a variety of falconry equipment.However, the boys are not sure why Mr. Ghapur sent the falcon to them.Soon Mr. Ghapur and Mr. Bhagnav, both from India, visit the Hardys and explain that they were representing Satish Nayyar.Mr. Nayyar's son, Tava, was traveling to the United States to complete his education.However, Tava disappeared.Shortly after his disappearance a ransom demand for rubies was received.Frank and Joe advise their visitors that the peregrine falcon had already brought down a pigeon carrying rubies.Their astounded visitors consider that the rubies might be part of the ransom payment.

Several attempts are made to slow the Hardys in their investigation.Someone attempts to steal the falcon.The boathouse where their boat, the Sleuth, is kept is burned.Their house is bombed.Clearly the kidnappers are ruthless.Frank and Joe slowly work their way through the clues, coming close and closer to the base of the kidnappers and hopefully the location of Tava Nayyar.As the mystery nears the end, upstanding citizens turn out to be criminals, and the discovery of Tava yields even more surprises.

I was somewhat disappointed in the previous book in this series, "The Yellow Feather Mystery," and hoped that this book would be an improvement.Fortunately, this book was much more interesting than the previous book.I enjoyed the chapters involving the falcon, which appeared to me to be generally factual.I also enjoyed the use of the falcon to bring down pigeons smuggling rubies.While the mystery was plotted in a straightforward way from the beginning to the end, I found the mystery sufficiently intriguing that I zipped through this book quickly.This story is above average and I would recommend it to a first-time reader of the Hardy Boys series.

The Hardy Boys series is recommended for ages 8 to 12 because the series is relatively tame for the previous target audience of ages 10 to 14.This particular book is a good fit for both age ranges.Earlier books in the series have more noticeable social differences, but the 1971 re-write appears to be reasonably modern.

Change of Heart
Published in 1954 - As a child - I rather liked this volume.I read it once as an adult and was very very bored.The Hardys seemed to professional to my liking in this one.First book to contain interior artwork - so it is a hallmatk of the series.The Hardys are given a Peregrine Falcon to aid them in solving this case.Not much to say about it other than it was sub par. RATED C-

The best book in the world.
I recommend this book because it has a lot of suspense and mystery.it is also has a lot of weird happenings.This book is wriiten by Franklin W. Dixon.Another good thing about is its got stuff to do with wildlife.

Average
This review concerns the original 1954 edition as well as the revised 1971 edition, which is a shortened version of the original. A friend of Mr. Hardy gives Frank and Joe a falcon so that they can help their father with his case concerning the smuggling of Indians into the U.S., also Frank and Joe search for a kidnapped Indian prince. This book was alright, the first half of it has some slow moments; however, the last 7 chapters were rather good. The book has a moderate amount of action and while the plot isn't totally original, it isn't bad and alot of kids would probably find the parts concerning the falcon interesting. One thing that I did like about the book was that many of the other characters of the series (Mr. Hardy, Chet, Tony, Sam Radley) were used often. It's not one of the best books, but it is worth reading.

Review of The Hooded Hawk Mystery
"The Hooded Hawk Mystery" is a normal Hardy Boys book. In the beginning the Hardys recieve a hawk to hunt pigeons. Then they get a new case to catch kidnappers and some smugglers smuggling aliens into the U.S.. Do the hawk,kidnappers,and smugglers tie together somehow? ... Read more

Product Description
Hawk Mountain: The World s First Raptor Sanctuary is a full-color celebration of the birthplace of raptor conservation located along the Appalachian Flyway in east-central Pennsylvania. To commemorate the 75th anniversary of its founding in 1934, informative text and joyous photography come together to enlighten and envelop us in the majesty of the mountain and the raptors that frequent it.
Experience the sense of wonder looking out on the vast and exhilarating views from Hawk Mountain s North Lookout, the front of hawk-migration research and home to one of the world s greatest natural air shows, as raptors migrate past Hawk Mountain each fall and can be seen in these pages again and again any time of year. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Nice survey of this world famous bird sanctuary
This book is a nice pictorial survey of the world famous hawk sanctuary, located near Kempton PA.The book explores the early years of the mountain, when hawk shooters mowed down raptors for sport. Appalled by the slaughter, some courageous and visionary environmentalists (notably Rosalie Edge) bought land, posted notices, and began to teach people about the value of wildlife. The main attraction is the large number of beautiful color photos of the mountain in all seasons. Other features include profiles of the hawks most likely to be sighted on the mountain, plus a meditation on the future of Hawk Mountain. The book is sure to spark a burning desire of anyone who has communed with nature on the North Lookout to return as soon as possible.Highly recommended.

Stephen Rees
... Read more

Product Description
This visionary narrative, reminiscent of Robert Bach's Illusions, follows the spiritual initiation of a white Christian into the Native American tradition and reveals a deeper Christian impulse that is consistent with Native American wisdom. Set in the western United States on an unnamed Indian reservation, the novel describes the seeker, a White Man who has come to the home of Native American medicine man, Flying Eagle. Through Flying Eagle's teachings on a variety of subjects, the protagonist awakens to a new understanding of self, the nature of truth, and the role of a warrior for truth. With reverberations of Carlos Castaneda, Screaming Hawk becomes not just a novel of traditional and Native American religion, but also a compelling spiritual journey for its readers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Opening Up a New Way To Experience God
I found this book 7 yrs ago when I was in 8th grade.I've read it about 5 or 6 times since then.This book has continually opened up my eyes to experience God in different ways.It is full of wisdom and power.Every time I read it I learn something new, and I am reminded of things I've learned once before.I've never been so moved by a book next to the Bible.Flying Eagle's wisdom is relevant for everyone who wants to learn more about how God moves in the world.It's an awesome reminder that God is the God of every creature, and that everyone/everything experiences Him in a different way.Many of the ways this book has moved me are undescribable in words.I suggest that it is read with an open mind and with lots of prayer that the Holy Spirit will speak to your heart as you read it.

Screaming Hawk
I did not want to put this book downbut needed to and did after each chapter to digest the very content.I belive it was written so we can see our journey with new eyes, I believe occasionally religion has a way ofcoming between usand God and this author confirmed this for me.Theauthor spoke of broadening the boundaries and refrain from rigid beliefsbut to listen for truth in the silence between the words and to considerthat everything belongs.

Comparisson of Am.Indian spirituality with Christianity
Fabulous book, couln't put it down.A Christian man with a big heart is taught the mysteries of the Great Spirit by an Indian Medicine Man.He is taught to channel his anger to become a warrior."The warrior doesnot fight against evil; the warrior stands firm at the boundaries." Nature and God are love.All creation comes from Love.Each person'sbattle is in learning to love and accept their dark side.This book isTruth in a very distilled form. ... Read more

Product Description
"This story tells, in clear detail, how Sikorsky Aircraft developed, tested, modified, and produced one of the most successful helicopters in the world. Written by the man considered to be the father of the Black Hawk, Ray Leoni explains how Sikorsky used innovative designs with the right advanced technologies to meet the Armyís stringent specifications for aircraft performance, survivability and reliability. With its creative Black Hawk design, Sikorsky won an uphill, highly-contested battle for one of the worldís largest helicopter programs which reestablished the company as a leader in the world community of helicopter producers.Black Hawk variants have been put in service by every branch of the US Military and by over 24 countries around the world accumulating over 5 million flight hours. Through its combat service in the campaigns of Granada, Panama, Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq, the Black Hawk has demonstrated unprecedented mission versatility and survivability and proven itself to be an outstanding war-fighting machine that will serve for a half century or longer. In the best tradition and vision of Igor Sikorsky, Black Hawks are performing world-wide rescue and humanitarian missions saving countless lives and providing relief from natural and manmade disasters to thousands of people across the globe.

The Army program began in 1972 with the issuance of Requests for Proposals for the Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System to the U.S. helicopter industry. Both Boeing Vertol and Sikorsky were awarded contracts to design and build prototype Black Hawks for Army side-by-side evaluation. Those awards set off an intense 4-year competition between the two companies that culminated in the final production selection in 1976. That competition focused on developing the best possible helicopter to offer for production selection by the Army following a 7-month fly off evaluation. During this critical evaluation, a night-time crash occurred of one of Sikorskyís three prototypes with 14 Army personnel aboard. This book shows the cause and results of that crash and describes how its consequences actually strengthened Sikorskyís competitive position. It also describes in considerable technical detail the problems encountered by Sikorsky during prototype development in vibration, speed performance, maneuverability and handling qualities and how they were solved in time for the production award. Many of the key people responsible for the success of the Black Hawk program are identified throughout this book.

Readers will benefit from the unique insights into the challenges of helicopter development as well as successful management strategies presented in this book." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A landmark book!
Ray Leoni's "Black Hawk: The Story of a World Class Helicopter," is the first detailed story of the development of the H-60. This ubiquitous multi-purpose helicopter, of which over 3000 have been built to date, is now serving with every branch of the US military, as well as with 24 foreign countries. Even if you have little interest in history, this book is for you. The lessons discussed here are as much about how to run a successful proposal capture effort - reshaping a company in the process - as about the particular trials and tribulations of developing a revolutionary helicopter. This is an excellent book for historian, student, designer and manager alike.

Leoni, considered by many to be the "father" of the Black Hawk, was uniquely qualified to tell the story of its development. Having started at Sikorsky in the ramp-up to the heyday of production during the late 1950s - reaching nearly 500 helicopters per year - Leoni witnessed the dismal decline in sales that bottomed out in the mid-1970s with less than one-tenth that output. When the Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System (UTTAS) program began in January 1972, production of helicopters for the Army was dominated by Bell and Boeing Vertol. Since Sikorsky was such a small part of the Army's production base - finishing the last of 94 CH-54 Tarhe flying cranes during this time - and because Sikorsky had lost the last two major Army competitions, the odds of Sikorsky winning the UTTAS program were widely thought to be near zero. But winning was seen by Sikorsky management to be a matter of survival, despite the long odds.

Promising research and development, however, encouraged Sikorsky management to take the chance, since all of the key new technologies - titanium main rotor blades, elastomeric rotor head, bearingless composite tail rotor, and canted tail rotor - had been test flown on helicopters larger than UTTAS. After winning a chance to build their YUH-60A demonstrator, Sikorsky invested heavily in their bid and was eventually rewarded in December 1976 with the Black Hawk production program - arguably the most important contract ever won by Sikorsky.

Leoni started on the UTTAS design team in 1971, conducting concept formulation studies; he led the team whose design was selected by Sikorsky management to be their UTTAS proposal. After contract award, Leoni became the program engineering manager, responsible for all Black Hawk engineering design and test activities, and in 1976, the overall program manager. Eventually, in 1991, Leoni would retire as Sikorsky's senior vice president for engineering and advanced programs.

Leoni takes an interesting approach to introducing the story: the first chapter is a detailed overview of the book, beginning with the utility of the helicopter for rescue missions and the need for air mobility during Vietnam; it continues with the initial UTTAS design competition and company strategy, followed by the flight test competition, and the selection for initial production, and finally the many variants and derivatives of the Black Hawk. The overview itself - 18 pages in all - is an excellent summary of the entire book, and calls out each of the following chapters as "hardcopy hyperlinks" to find the full story.

The book describes in considerable technical detail the severe technical problems encountered during flight testing - vibration, speed performance, maneuverability and handling qualities - and how they were solved in time to win the production award. The full stories of raising the rotor, finding the right tail and many other design and test challenges are told here. The most memorable flight test story is that of a "fortuitous" crash landing in a pine forest - no one was injured and, after cutting the stumps down to the ground, the Army replaced the rotor blades were replaced and the aircraft was flown out! This was the first demonstration of the incredible ruggedness of the Black Hawk.

This is truly a landmark book. In writing "Black Hawk: The Story of a World Class Helicopter," Leoni has done a great service not only to the helicopter community, but to the larger aerospace community as well. He has laid out in exquisite detail not only what worked, but what didn't. Many of the timeless lessons learned outlined here are applicable across a broad spectrum of the aerospace industry. One could only hope that every aircraft development program would write a book like this!

Excellent explanation of why the Blackhawk is the way it is
This book was written by a former V.P. of Engineering at Sikorsky Aircraft.It is a great historical record and technically detailed.It is also very current at this time (2009).This book is highly recommended reading with in Sikorsky Aircraft Corp.

Great book, full of much behind the scenes info
This is a very detailed yet easy-to-read story on all the technical aspects of the Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopter - how it was designed and perfected into one of the most popular aircraft of all time. The author Ray Leoni will be making a presentation on his book at the National Helicopter Museum in Stratford, CT on Tuesday May 6th, 2008 at 7:30 PM. Call 203-767-1123 for more info.

BLACKHAWK A WORLD CLASS HELICOPTER
An exceptional book of Program Management for a complicated hi-tech aerospace product from R&D through Production, Delivery and deverse customer use.Excellent detail of problems encountered and solutions including understandable technical data with graphics. A book that will stay in a personal library and revisted many times. ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Fiction / Action ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

great pirate novel
Compared to Captain Blood - less adventure, more intrigue.

I liked Captain Blood a lot more, and this one actually got a little boring at times and wasn't exactly a page-turner.
But, if you love the pirate high-adventure genre, this is a particularly interesting read since it focuses on Muslim pirates instead of the usual European or Caribbean ones

The thread of Sabatini's plot spirals in glorious blossoms across the pages
The thread of Sabatini's plot spirals in glorious blossoms across the pages of this must-read for those who love adventure, love, levity and danger tightly compressed within human conflict. Not til the last page are we finally given closure of the character's drama. This is one of the very best works this reviewer has ever read.

Great Romatic Fiction
I write this message to announce my great good fortune to have discovered at last the novels of Rafael Sabatini.

Those written before 1930 are available for free download from www.gutenberg.com.

I have read so far on my Kindle these three:
Captain Blood
Scaramouche (not about a pirate!)
Sea Hawk.

They are all three emotional rollercoaster rides,
Written in language florid, antique but thoroughly convincing,
About heroes and villains, betrayals, loves lost and regained, great injustice and final satisfaction,
Epic action and adventure, tiny misunderstandings that change the course of lives, twisting plots hung from cliffs,
Complex characters who struggle with life, waver, try a different path, lose faith and regain it.

Among the very best of Capital R Romantic fiction.

Background:

If you know of Sabatini at all, your knowledge is likely as vague mine was: as the old author of pirate novels which inspired the making of the 2 great Errol Flynn swashbuckler Movies: Captain Blood and Sea Hawk.I certainly enjoyed these movies, but as much for Korngold's music as any other reason.

Having by then checked Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafael_Sabatini
I had several of my illusions corrected:
No, he was not writing in 1750 or 1820: He wrote in the first half of the 20th century.
No, these were not Italian translations: He lived and wrote in England.
No, the Errol Flynn Sea Hawk was not based upon the Sabatini novel (although a 1924 silent movie was).
And wow! there are lots more still to read!

No movie, I suspect can do justice to these books.

I enjoyed this book
I particularly liked the feel of this book.If felt like it could have been written when the book took place.I also liked how some plot was nicely summarized rather than drawn out into what could have been many chapters, making a concise complete story.One problem I had was with the action in the book.This is supposed to an adventure but many of the fight/action scenes are scantily described.There was a bit of a lack of character development, but by the end the important players were fleshed out well enough.I thought the psychoanalysis of the characters was good as well, not being overdone as in some books, but there enough to lend some insight into decisions that characters made.Overall this was an enjoyable read.

First rate swashbuckler!
Captain Blood pales in comparison. This is an Erol Flynn type story with no holds barred. Tougher to make a film on it, but the story is stop notch. I really enjoyed it and was sorry whe the book ended. I wanted more. ... Read more

Product Description
Have you ever made a drunken ben? Worse, still, have you eveer tried to win one?In attempting to hitchhike round Ireland wich a fridge, Tony Hawks did both, and his foolhardiness led him to one of the best experiences of his life.Joined by his trusty traveling companion-cum-domestic appliance, he made his way from Dublin to Donegal, from Sligo through Mayo, Galway, Clare, Kerry, Cork, Wexford, Wicklow--and back again to Dublin.In their month of madness, Tony and his fridge met a real prince, a bogus king, and the fridge got christened. They surfed together, entered a bachelor festival, and one of them had sex without the other knowing.And unexpectedly, the fridge itself became a momentary focus for the people of Ireland.An international bestseller, Round Ireland with a Fridge is a classic travel adventure in the tradition of Bill Bryson with a dash of Dave Barry.Amazon.com Review
On his only prior visit to Ireland, English songwriter-comicTony Hawks had seen a man hitchhiking with a refrigerator. For years,he was wont to tell the tale during late-night drinking matches, andafter one particularly heavy-duty night of partying, he awoke to finda bet scrawled pillowside: a friend wagered 100 pounds that Hawkswouldn't travel Ireland for a month with a refrigerator at hisside.

Out of this stupid premise, a ridiculously amusing book wasborn. Quickly discovered by the Irish media, the thumbing Englishmanfinds that he and his box fridge are elevated to celebrity status, andthere's no dearth of rides, places to stay, or goofy people to meet,from kings to spoons players to locals who take his fridge surfing. Asinsightful about the strange inner workings of Hawk's mind as it isabout charming peculiarities of Irishmen--it's doubtful that Hawkswould have been similarly embraced by Germans, Italians, orthe French--Round Ireland with a Fridge is an entirely silly,heartwarming tale told in a rollicking funny and refreshingstyle. --Melissa Rossi ... Read more

Customer Reviews (88)

Loved it!
Here's my reaction while reading the book: "Hehe...hehehe...hehehehe." My husband: "It must be funny". Me: "It is! Here, listen to this `good line from the book insert here'". Husband: "ohh...". Then it occurs to me that telling someone a line from a book that has been built up is not as funny to them as it is to me.
Now the book isn't a travel book, if you want tips on where to go in Ireland it might provide some, but don't count on it in replace of Let's Go Europe or something. If you ever been a backpacker or visited Ireland for more than a golf tour, you'll probably get a kick out of it, and knowing English humor will help some...or at very least, Australian.Normally it takes me months to read, not because I'm slow to read, but it's hard to find the time.Time was found to read this funny tale of a man and a fridge and their adventures around Ireland.

Very funny if you've been there
I recently spend a Semester abroad in Ireland (galway) and on the last day as I got on teh Bus for Dublin, my freind who happens to be German gave me a Copy of this book to read, as a friend of heres had doen for her when she left.And the whole 3 hours to Dublin which was quite a sad trip really, I spent actually laughing out loud.

But be warned, alot of this book's humour is really dependant on the reader possesing a shared expereince.If you have ever lived in Ireland (as an ex-patriot mind you, this would not really work for actual Irish people)then this book will be a quiet enjoyable read (although something of fluff book really) becasue Tony Hawk does a good job in simply portraying asepects of the irish which are jsut true and quite humuourous.

This book is not really about him (although he lets it be here and there) its about the Irish people and the country and jsut what makes them so special, and if you've been there in your life I cannot recomend this book highly enough because it will make you remember and relive your own moments and say "oh yeah I remember now" and "that's so true!"For thsoe who've been there this book is a riot, for others it will not have the same resonance.

If you know someone about to go to Ireland for a longer period of time (AKA not a vacation) I highly recomend giving them this book but tell them not to start reading it untill they've started to settle into life because they will definately enjoy it.There were few of my own experiences which were not in soem way or another included in this enjoyable little book.

But no matter how you cut it this is light reading at its best, Tony Hawk's humour is enjoyable honest and personable, but he is no great satirst in his prose alone, although not bad either.

Basically what I am trying to say is: For the right reader this book can be fantastic, but if that isn't you then you would have to really enjoy silliness fulyl to apreciate this book.

P.S. this is by no means travel guide!

Silly book
A light read, but boy does it jump all over the place.I've been to Ireland. The people are charming and often funny.This book was Not that funny. Tries too hard to find absurd adventures to make the reader laugh.Disappointing, the author spends so little time in each place that the reader never gets to feel a sense of what the hitchhiker is experiencing beyond his inconvenience in the creature comforts. The author's writing was too choppy for my taste.And he was condescending to the very people who were trying to help him. I never got a sense of what in the world the man is trying to convey in each place. The goodness of the Irish? No. Rather, I did get the sense that Mr. Hawks was trying to make a buck off writing about his Irish adventure. Without that radio show, the endeaver never would have succeeded in a month, and it soured the effort. But it sure made "Fridge Man" famous.

Enjoyable
"Round Ireland with a Fridge" is a most unusual book by Englishman Town Hawks. Hawks is a comedian and author, and as this book proves, he is quite funny.

This first person narrative describes a voyage Hawks took in the late 1990's. What began as drunken bet, for reasons not totally clear, became a quest. Hawk would travel around the Republic of Ireland. But to simply travel wasn't enough, he needed to hitch-hike. And for kicks, he would do so with a small fridge. His take on this idea seemed to be something along the lines of: Why journey alone, when a kitchen appliance can keep you company?

So plans were made and shortly he was standing beside a road, just outside Dublin, with his trusted fridge. Such an odd combination drew all sorts of attention, including that of the Irish press, and as he travelled his fame proceeded him. Often a passing driver would roll down a window and ask "Are you the guy travelling with the fridge?" And just like that, he got ride after ride.

As you might have guessed, this is indeed a whimsical journey, a bit of a farce. The book is never dull and, more often that not, brings about a smile.

Very entertaining novel
Recommended to me by a client who is as avid a reader as I.Entertaining account of a man making good on a bet by traveling around Ireland, lugging a motel-room sized refrigerator with him.Illustrates the joy and excitement of encounters and interactions which take place while traveling.Highly recommend this book! ... Read more

Product Description

"Intelligent and imaginative...even the magic convinces."
-Mary Renault, author of The King Must Die

Customer Reviews (21)

Hawk of May
His name was Gwalchmai, but story tellers and legend would call him Sir Gawain. Born to an evil sorceress it was no surprise that his life was on the road to darkness. But one day destiny came calling... sending him on a very important quest. His life would be forever changed when he took up arms under the Pendragon flag.

I thought this was a wonderful take on the King Arthur legends. I love reading books about King Arthur, but this is the first time I've read one just about Sir Gawain. Hawk of May is compelling and magical. The character of Gwalchmai pops off the pages and shines. Originally published in 1981, but the story is still fresh and poignant for 2010. Beautifully descriptive, a must read for any Arthurian fan.

Excellent book!
This is a GREAT take on the Arthurian legends, centering on the knight I believe normally called 'Sir Gawain' but in this series is known by the old Celtic name of "Gwalchmai" (Hawk of May).

The book starts out with a brief backstory of Gwalchmai as a child.Not naturally a warrior, he turns toward his mother Morgawse's dark knowledge of sorcery before checking himself and turning to the path of the "Light."This results in his being taken to the Isle of the Blessed (aka Avalon) and being given the tools to aid King Arthur in his quest to unite the Britains.The book and series follow Gwalchmai's struggle to do right in a barbaric age of war and inequity.There is a good bit of action in the book as well if you're after that.Overall this series is my favorite of all the Arthurian legends.

Even with all three books taken together it's an easily read story and like all well written series, it ends too soon.Gillian Bradshaw did amazingly in my opinion, although these books seem to have sadly fallen out of print.I have also unfortunately not been able to locate them in digital format, nor in audio book format.These three books would make an awesome series of movies!

This book 'Hawk of May' is the first book of the series. Be sure to read the second book- 'Kingdom of Summer' and then check out the final book of the series "In Winter's Shadow."It will be worth your while!If you like the Arthurian legends, you'll love these stories.If you've never read the legend before, THIS is the version to read and will likely convert you.

**Swoon**
A great way to being an Authurian trilogy! Bradshaw is one of the pro's at this! This was really one of my first historical fiction books I picked long ago.. and even after thousands of apges later, its still one my favorties. Highly reccommned.

LOVED IT!
Well written, I loved this book and I highly recommend it, It doesnt matter if you know nothing of the Arthurian legends- or if you know alot- this is a good book to add and keep in your collection

Brilliantly characterised Arthurian retelling
Gillian Bradshaw's Down the Long Wind trilogy (Hawk of May is book 1), is undoubtedly one of my favourite retellings.

Hawk of May is literally a joy to read - the whole book sings, especially at the end, with Gwalchmai's gladness at being able to fulfill his dreams.

The first person narrative (told by Gwalchmai), is brilliantly executed. Bradshaw manages to bring across the sweetness and gallantry - the sheer ideal of chivalry - inherent in Gwalchmai's character without ever once falling into the 'goody-two-shoes' cloyingness that accompanies the 'warrior-knight' archetype.

And she does this by letting you see through his eyes. She keeps him human, doubts and fears plague him - yet writes in such a way that there's no feeling of "Oh, there goes the protagonist sinking into self-pity again," but rather, she allows you to see how he faces and masters his uncertainties.

Many authors fall into the trap of simply TELLING the reader over and over how good/amazing/wonderful their hero is, and this is something Bradshaw never does. Even when Gwalchmai is praised (in songs, by Arthur's warband, etc), he takes it lightly, and with a grain of salt. Indeed, one of the things that is never mentioned in the book, yet shines through so clearly, is Gwalchmai's inherent humility.

I have re-read this book many, many times over the past 10 years, and Bradshaw's Gwalchmai remains, for me, one of the best realisations of the archetype of the Good and True Knight. One with a human face, and not the gaggingly sweet norm that has you rooting for the villain!

And it's not just at Gwalchmai's characterisation that Bradshaw excels - there are no two dimensional characters in this trilogy, everyone comes across as a rounded person with his or her own reasons for being. There are no characters that seem to exist solely to further the plot.

If you like Arthurian retellings, this book (and this series) is a must-read. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (18)

How Civilization Bring Eras to an End
What an eye opening account and education of what went on in the early 1800's with these incredible men.My new found hero is Jedidiah Smith!I confess I was wondering while reading just where the book was headed and like most books, I found it at the end.Civilization, Religion, and Commerce all eventually transformed what was once a clean, pure, pristine and very innocent area of the country, into something completely different than it had been.I found it sad and amusing that once again, Belief Follows Need.The religious die-hards needed to believe that the Indian Tribes (what an education you get on the various Indian Tribes, too) wanted to become Christians and therefore needed to become White, when in fact, all they wanted was to understand the White man's technology and how things were made.I assure you that reading this book will make you aware of a world you never knew existed.It's an investment in time and money that is well worth both.

One of my favorite books. It changed my life.
I bought this book to give to a friend who hasn't read it yet, because I didn't want to give away my own copy.
When most people on the East Coast think of the West, they think in terms of cowboy movies.This book covers the period before the cowboys- the time when mountain men went out as trappers and lived off the land.What a different world we'd be living in if the mountain men had been the only contact with the native tribal people! For the most part they got along with them and traded with them, and the two groups respected each other for the most part.I also liked finding out that all the mountain men weren't white- there were quite a few of African descent, including the founder of what became Chicago. I read this book in my teens, and it changed the way I viewed America and its history.

Good...but in my opinion...
I really enjoyed the book...for awhile.I applaud the author in his explanation of the book's style in the preface.But I could NOT finish the book.Perhaps I should have researched the author in advance.I have been a P.E. teacher and coach in California for over 30 years.I don't allow some of the language that the author used in the locker room.I'm sure the mountain men were quite capable of "colorful (to me offensive)" language as well as behavior with women that isn't very nice.
Do we really need to capture this seamy side of their lives?I think not.Again, I'm sure the author is more successful than I would ever be.The book has been around for awhile.I just wish it didn't have some of the tiresome words than also seem to be more prevalent in our TV and movies, etc.
Agan, my fault for not researching more.Hopefully, this may help someone else.

Give Your Heart to the Hawks
Great reading material about the lives of the Mountain Men that opened up the West. A definate insight to the rugged and free lives, and deaths of the trappers and adventurers that put the West on the map. A must read!

Mountain Mania
It's often said that a good writer makes his characters seem real, but this is more of a book about 'real characters.' It's as if the author was an adoring tag-along, describing the misogynistic adventures of these mountain men with not much consideration for the humanity of the victims. These adventurers also set the stage for wholesale slaughter of Native peoples as a way to get the land they lived on. I don't think it serves the author or his readers to ignore humanity when you're saluting heroes.
... Read more

Product Description
Keyed chapter-by-chapter to the text, the Study Guide provides engaging and challenging exercises to clarify and reinforce the content of the textbook. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

never recieved my study guide for class
I don't know what happened but this seller never returned my emails. I never recieved the product, never got a reply back, or even a sorry about not getting the item. I really needed this book for class.

prompt services
the book was good and their services so prompt, will do business with them again.Thanks. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

Black Hawk in his own words
This is an easy to read, valuable piece of near-primary source material - which fills in the gaps that I find in most collections of the last 400 years of American history. Like adding Howard Zinn material to your study of US history, the words of Black Hawk balance the traditional textbook summary of native Indian history and culture.

Black Hawk speaks in a narrative storyline that deserves our attention and understanding. He was without the benefit of support, and thus was unable to confirm the more than substantial memory at his grasp. The editorial notations added within the text that at times confirm or counter Black Hawk's telling, though intended to clarify the historical record, will thus serve to mildly frustrate the reading.

And although this is an "autobiography" of his life, there are significant questions as to the caliber of translation of Black Hawk's words. Just enough so that I imagined him actually telling of his life in his native tongue to one truly fluent in the language and how much richer the story would be.

I found myself marveling most the sections where Black Hawk speaks of the power of nature and it's interwoven influence on the lives of the native tribes, as well as their deep respect and understanding for the impact living things have on one another. By contrasting his culture with the encroaching white settler culture, he is prescient of what is to come. Through the eyes and words of this sincere man, we hear of the habit of deception and the power of greed of a dominating culture which will eventually strip away most all valuable material things from these people, while at the same moment speaking faithlessly of highest ideals and principles.

The book is a top read for anyone curious to hear a more authentic, first-hand narrative of the realities of life in the 1800's for a wise but slowly disappearing culture.

A view of the Indian Wars from the Native-American side
During the War of 1812, Black Hawk (1767-1838), a chief among the Sauk and Fox Indians, fought on the side of the British. In 1823, after signing a treaty with the United States, the Sauk and Fox were compelled to leave their lands in present-day Illinois, and move west of the Mississippi River. In April 1832, after Black Hawk had received what he considered to be too many affronts, he led a large following back to the disputed land, beginning what was later known as the Black Hawk War (April-August 1832). After his surrender, Black Hawk was given a tour of the expanding United States, and he decided that he wished to have recorded his life's story, so that the people of the United States could understand him and his reasons for going to war. This is the Black Hawk's life story.

This book was originally published in 1833, and was supposedly dictated by Black Hawk to his translator, Antoine Leclair. There is some speculation as to how much of this work is actually Black Hawk's own words, and how much is Leclair's ghost writing. But, I must admit that I did not bother much with this controversy. I found the book to be a fascinating look into Black Hawk's mind and how he saw the European-American settlement of the United States.

First of all, the hero of this story is no sugar-coated Disney character. His story is filled with battle and plunder and the taking of scalps. A true warrior, steeped in his culture's ideals, he lived and fought in what he considered an honorable and logical manner, and could not understand the way that the white people lived and fought. This is no politically correct paean to the Native-Americans, but a clear-eyed explanation of who Black Hawk was, and why he did what he did.

So, if you are interested in American history, and want a view of the Indian Wars from the Native-American side, then I highly recommend this book to you. ... Read more