Product Description
Eastern philosophy and legal thinking meet in this mystery novel in which Max Macarthur faces the greatest challenge of his young career when he must serve as defense counsel to cult leader Shiva Ram Acharya. In a grisly echo of Jonestown, 20 members of a cult are found savagely executed in an isolated island on Canada's west coast, and Acharya, who was there, claims to have amnesia when questioned about the events. As Macarthur falls under the sway of the brilliant and enigmatic Acharya, he becomes convinced of the cultist's innocence and embarks on a danger-ridden quest to find the true murderer. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Okay murder mystery
This was my first novel by William Deverell and I decided to read it because it included some eastern philosophy. Unfortuntely, the character of Shiva is mostly hidden in this novel and the focus is on the life of the defense attorney, Max Macarthur. The back of this book states that Max, "..embarks on a journey that threatens to shatter his firm grip on reality" as he falls under the spell of Shiva. None of this was really included in this novel; the book was more mundane and contained the same elements other murder mysteries contain. I expected more of a focus on the character of Shiva and was dissapointed when he was downplayed. Other than that, it was a decent murder mystery that also contained a side plot of Macarthur's dealings with his girlfriend, Ruth. It lacked the excitment of most mystery books and any real surprises.

William Deverell's Finest Novel
In Dance of Shiva we are introduced to many of the characters that populate Deverell's later novels: Max Macarthur and his law partner's at Pomeroy, Marx, Macarthur, Brovak and Sage; the alcoholic but brilliant leadcounsel for the defense, Arthur Beauchamp; crown prosecutor Leroy Lukey,and a host of others.Deverell splendidly captures the feel of Vancouverin the early eighties, and he writes with the knowledge of the Canadianlegal system that could only come from the star attorney who long headedthe BC Civil Liberties Association.

Shiva is the Rama of a commune who isaccused of murdering his 22 followers.Arthur Beauchamp is his defenseattorney, and Max Macarthur his able assistant, who soon finds himselfenthralled with Shiva's charisma and mystique.As the case unfolds incourt, Macarthur finds himself wondering whether he's defending a mad man,or a framed messiah.And just where does the American Heiress who ran offto join the Moonies fit into it all?Funny, poignant, remarkable, thesuperlatives could go on forever.Simply put: Read it. ... Read more

Product Description
This Companion contains 25 original essays by writers and scholars who present an expert assessment of the best and most important work to date on the complex history of Los Angeles.

• The first Companion providing a historical survey of Los Angeles, incorporating critical, multi-disciplinary themes and innovative scholarship
• Features essays from a range of disciplines, including history, political science, cultural studies, and geography
• Photo essays and ‘contemporary voice’ sections combine with traditional historiographic essays to provide a multi-dimensional view of this vibrant and diverse city
• Essays cover the key topics in the field within a thematic structure, including demography, social unrest, politics, popular culture, architecture, and urban studies
  

Product Description
Chronicling the rise of Los Angeles through shifting ideas of race and ethnicity, William Deverell offers a unique perspective on how the city grew and changed. Whitewashed Adobe considers six different developments in the history of the city--including the cementing of the Los Angeles River, the outbreak of bubonic plague in 1924, and the evolution of America's largest brickyard in the 1920s. In an absorbing narrative supported by a number of previously unpublished period photographs, Deverell shows how a city that was once part of Mexico itself came of age through appropriating--and even obliterating--the region's connections to Mexican places and people.
Deverell portrays Los Angeles during the 1850s as a city seething with racial enmity due to the recent war with Mexico. He explains how, within a generation, the city's business interests, looking for a commercially viable way to establish urban identity, borrowed Mexican cultural traditions and put on a carnival called La Fiesta de Los Angeles. He analyzes the subtle ways in which ethnicity came to bear on efforts to corral the unpredictable Los Angeles River and shows how the resident Mexican population was put to work fashioning the modern metropolis. He discusses how Los Angeles responded to the nation's last major outbreak of bubonic plague and concludes by considering the Mission Play, a famed drama tied to regional assumptions about history, progress, and ethnicity. Taking all of these elements into consideration, Whitewashed Adobe uncovers an urban identity--and the power structure that fostered it--with far-reaching implications for contemporary Los Angeles. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Fascinating and eye-opening book!
This is a wonderful book that deserves to be read by all who want to learn about how Los Angeles arose into a great urban city - a unique city that wouldn't have arisen and become what it is without the complex, and often turbulent, interactions between the American and Mexican cultures and people. This is not only a very well documented and researched history, but it is also compelling and entertaining reading. Professor Deverell is a fine writer and the book is hard to put down. The subject matter of racial attitudes of Americans towards its Mexican residents in the first hundred years of the era of American Los Angeles could not be more relevant to the similar issues of today. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand how we got here, and take a fascinating journey!

Some parts were interesting but mostly it's a narrative on the "evil white man" nonsense
My son gave me a copy of this book and I was eager to read it since my great Grandfather immigrated to the USA in the late 19th century and eventually settled in Boyle Heights (an area just east of the L.A. river). As with so many immigrants, he worked for dirt wages (he was a tailor by trade).
This book irritated me to no end; it's the classic liberal, "... everybody feel sorry for the Mexicans and make sure you hate the whites while your at it". Yaaaaaawn. I'm so tired of this approach to historical analysis; clearly the author has an agenda. The reality is that just about anyone who was poor back then was exploited. Remember, this was in the day before labor laws existed, min. wage, etc. It didn't matter if you were: black, hispanic, Jewish, Italian, Irish, German, etc .... all were equal candidates for exploitation by the powerful and elite (something the author fails to mention). True, the powerful were almost always white back then, but they nevertheless exploited whites (Irish, Germans, Italians, Jews, etc) just as they exploited hispanics and blacks. Anyone was fair game. Further, exploitation is hardly a "white thing"... just take a cursory look at Latin American history, Asian history, African history, and you'll see that exploitation is colorblind on the side of the exploiter and exploited.
This book will reinforce the victimhood feeling amongst hispanics; it will fan the flames of hatred against the "evil white man". Any hispanic activist who engages in ethnic politics will love this book since the book's message will give them that cozy, warm feeling of being an oppressed people, hence allowing them to falsely cast the blame of their peoples shortcomings on someone else (ie. whites). The problem is that victimhood is the last thing hispanics need in order to pull them out of their rut. Tough love is what it will take to conquer the social ills which are destroying hispanics... social ills characteristic of hispanic American culture such as: gangs, crime, vandalism & graffiti, highest high school dropout rate of any ethnic group, highest teen pregnancy rate of any ethnic group, having too many children ie. beyond their means to provide for them, lowest level of education of any ethnic group, lowest personal savings rate, lowest homeownership rate, etc.
The problems facing hispanics in America are largely due to hispanic culture and it's lack of upward mobility. Contrast hispanic culture to Asian culture. Asian immigrants quickly see and take advantage of the opportunities available to them in the United States. The Vitnemese refugues are a great example of the Asian mindset. Poor with only the shirts on their back, within one generation Vietnemese are sending their kids to the best colleges, moving up the economic ladder, etc. Contrast that to East L.A. which has been predominately hispanic for several generations. Nothing much has changed in East L.A. since the 1960's, it's still rife with all the same social ills outlined above.

throwing light on the dark place of our history
Too often we refuse or fail to take the time to uncover our history and discuss it openly and honestly.Even family members have a tendencey to edit what their generation and past generations knew was wrong, but never addressed.We are all cowards at one point or another by not addressing the injustices that surround us. Even the history of the L.A. River and the decisions to concrete it in are under reconsideration because of what the long term understanding of that impact has meant to this city and this river and how we can change that impact for the greater good.
Whitewashed Adobe takes a harsh and revealing look at prejudice, control, political power plays by the "conquering heroes," of the day.In light of how our society has evolved into awareness of individual contributions, this is a sobering account of the inequities of racism, prejudice in the early history of Los Angeles and surrounding communities.
My mother-in-laws' relatives worked in the brickyard. Chapter 3 of this book goes into much detail of the rigors of the work and how the Mexicans were treated.Simons was almost paternal in his caretaking and providing for these laborers. But they served a larger purpose for this growing city.A purpose that left their humanity and their legacy out of the picture of what Los Angeles was destined to become.There is still prejudice in this place.Until we learn to view the contributions of all its citizens as a plus, we'll never be a real community.There were times when I was reading this intricate weaving, when I had to put the book down because of the overwhelming anger at the "pillars" of this illustrous city, for their insensitivity, their absolute ignorance in their shortsightedness of these valuable contributions.Walk in someone elses shoes for a while and view this from other ethnic groups and see how you would feel.This is a fine book and I've already given it away 5-6 times.Its about calling us to appreciate the hard work and dedication of those who've gone before us.Of course, we have the long lens of experience and learning to view this history from a very different perspective.Long-term planning for the future demands vision for and from the whole community, not just the few.

Disappointing
I was truly disappointed in this book.It was recommended to me as a fascinating insight on the history of Los Angeles.The author views everything through the prism of racism.Certainly there was prejudice and paternalism reflected in this history, however, the author makes broad assumptions not based on any documentation, but merely on his guesses as to motivation.
Example:in discussing the role of Mexicans in brickmaking in the 1920s, he mentions that the company owner gave a $5 gold piece for each child born of his workers.The author surmises (without any evidence) that the employers motivation was to encourage more births to produce more workers.Considering the long time before these infants were of working age and the ready availability of more Mexican immigrants this hardly seems logical.
2nd Example:in discussing the outbreak of plague, he seems incensed at the idea of quarantine in the Mexican neighborhood where the plague originated.He seems not to be aware of the fact that in the early years of the 20th century before antibiotics, quarantine was about the only way to halt the spread of such highly contagious diseases.The quarantine may have saved many lives, and it seems ridiculous to assume this was solely the result of racism.During my college years as a history major, I'm sure no professor of mine would have accepted such wild assumptions as the author presents without documentation.There is an old saying that when all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.Apparently all the author had was his perception of prejudice and he filters everything through that prism. ... Read more

Product Description
Most people equate Los Angeles with smog, sprawl, forty suburbs in search of a city-the great "what-not-to-do" of twentieth-century city building. But there's much more to LA's story than this shallow stereotype. History shows that Los Angeles was intensely, ubiquitously planned. The consequences of that planning-the environmental history of urbanism--is one place to turn for the more complex lessons LA has to offer.

Working forward from ancient times and ancient ecologies to the very recent past, Land of Sunshine is a fascinating exploration of the environmental history of greater Los Angeles. Rather than rehearsing a litany of errors or insults against nature, rather than decrying the lost opportunities of "roads not taken," these essays, by nineteen leading geologists, ecologists, and historians, instead consider the changing dynamics both of the city and of nature.

In the nineteenth century, for example, "density" was considered an evil, and reformers struggled mightily to move the working poor out to areas where better sanitation and flowers and parks "made life seem worth the living." We now call that vision "sprawl," and we struggle just as much to bring middle-class people back into the core of American cities. There's nothing natural, or inevitable, about such turns of events. It's only by paying very close attention to the ways metropolitan nature has been constructed and construed that meaningful lessons can be drawn. History matters.

So here are the plants and animals of the Los Angeles basin, its rivers and watersheds. Here are the landscapes of fact and fantasy, the historical actors, events, and circumstances that have proved transformative over and over again. The result is a nuanced and rich portrait of Los Angeles that will serve planners, communities, and environmentalists as they look to the past for clues, if not blueprints, for enhancing the quality and viability of cities. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Essays by nineteen leading geologists, ecologists, and historians
Los Angeles has long been equated with smog and urban sprawl, but there's more to its development story and problems than meets the eye, as William Deverell and Greg Hise explore in Land Of Sunshine: An Environmental History Of Metropolitan Los Angeles. From earliest times and old ecologies of the area to modern times, Land Of Sunshine provides a different environmental history of greater Los Angeles, providing essays by nineteen leading geologists, ecologists, and historians on the changing perceptions of density, environmental reform, and urban design standards. Urban planning readers, in particular, will welcome these essays lending insight into metropolitan Los Angeles' development influences.
... Read more

Product Description
In 1930 the Olmsted Brothers and Harland Bartholomew & Associates submitted a report, "Parks, Playgrounds, and Beaches for the Los Angeles Region," to the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. After a day or two of coverage in the newspapers, the report dropped from sight. The plan set out a system of parks and parkways, children's playgrounds, and public beaches. It is a model of ambitious, intelligent, sensitive planning commissioned at a time when land was available, if only the city planners had had the fortitude and vision to act on its recommendations.
"Parks, Playgrounds, and Beaches" has become a highly valued but difficult-to-find document. In this book, Greg Hise and William Deverell examine the reasons it was called for, analyze why it failed, and open a discussion about the future of urban public space. In addition to their introduction and a facsimile reproduction of the report, Eden by Design includes a dialogue between Hise, Deverell, and widely admired landscape architect Laurie Olin that illuminates the significance of the Olmsted-Bartholomew report and situates it in the history of American landscape planning. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Remarkable Foresight
It's true that the maps are often too small and would be better in color, as the originals are.However, the reprints are far from illegible, and the text of the Olmsted-Bartholomew proposal is captivating in and of itself.

I was fascinated to read the astute predictions of these men of vision, and their thoughtful proposals for increasing the quality of life for Angelenos.I remarked at the urgency of their recommendations; they seem to genuinely fear the social consequences of allowing a city to grow with inadequate space reserved for recreation and natural beauty.

If only we could know what L.A. would have been if the plan had been adopted!

Reprinted maps are dark, and hard to read.
This reprint of "The 1930 Olmsted-Bartholemew Plan for the Los Angeles Region" is more exactly a low-quality copy.The maps are so dark they are very difficult to read, and the way they are bound into thebook, much of the details are lost into the seams.The original maps werecolor, so any references to colors in the legends are lost, and the grayscales blended together make the maps even less articulate. It's importantthat a document such as this is reprinted for all to see, but it seems asif this volume has missed an opportunity of becoming a library keepsake. ... Read more

Product Description
California was perhaps the most important locus for the development of the Progressive reform movement in the decades of the twentieth century. These twelve original essays represent the best of the new scholarship on California Progressivism. Ranging across a spectrum that embraces ethnicity, gender, class, and varying ideological stances, the authors demonstrate that reform in California was a far broader, more complicated phenomenon than we have previously understood.Since the 1950s, scholars have used California Progressivism as a model case study for explaining early twentieth-century social and political reform nationwide. But such a model-which ignored issues of class, race, and gender-simplified a political movement that was, in fact, quite complex.In revising the monolithic interpretation of reform and reformers, this volume provides a better understanding of the sweeping reform impulses that had such a profound effect on American political and social institutions during this century. Equally important, the issues examined here offer significant insights into problems that the entire country must tackle as we approach the new century. ... Read more

Product Description
A Companion to the American West is a rigorous, illuminating introduction to the history of the American West. Twenty-five essays by expert scholars synthesize the best and most provocative work in the field and provide a comprehensive overview of themes and historiography.

• Covers the culture, politics, and environment of the American West through periods of migration, settlement, and modernization
  
• Discusses Native Americans and their conflicts and integration with American settlers

Customer Reviews (2)

diverse coverage of topics
Yes, the book is unfortunately steeply priced. But perhaps readers can find it in a good library. It has many analyses of the American West. The book rightfully eschews the appelation Wild West; perhaps as being too crude for a scholarly tome.

There is a distinct effort to cover topics that do not neglect viewpoints often deprecated or totally ignored in histories written in earlier decades. So one chapter by Jameson goes into the history of pioneer women. And another by Flamming discusses Negroes. Nor is the period studied confined to the 19th century. Some passages describe the region in the post World War 2 times, especially concerning the effects of tourism.

great work; discouraging price
This is a brilliant work with several historiographic essays on the American West (Andrew C. Isenberg's, "Environment and the Nineteenth-Century West: Or, Process Encounters Place," especially jumps out at me).However, Blackwell publishing needs to get busy and issue a paperback, or something a bit more affordable.At over 100 dollars for a brand new copy, and 95 dollars for a new or used issue...Wow.Talk about making your book inaccessible to undergrads and graduate students.Well, the Yale kids can afford it.But think about us provincials at universities that are actually in the American West (I'm thinking mostly eastern Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas).Our parents don't have those durable east-coast and Berkeley kinds of bank accounts.Oh well: in DeVoto's words, a plundered provice yet again. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

great
This item is in good condition and my son is using it in his school and is like new.

This book is a good source for teachers
In school I was taught with this book about American History and I loved it. The textbooks have pictures and good information.Ilearned a lot not only from my teacher, but from the book as well. I'm thinking of buying my own copy.You will love it , too! Even if History wasn't your fav. subject this textbook can do the trick! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

First rate
Deverell is an award winner, and will soon rank as one of your favorite mystery writers! "Kill All The Lawyers" has a believable plot, and it will have you guessing and second-guessing to the very end. Author Deverell, who was a renowned practicing trial attorney in Canada, writes all his mystery/legal thrillers with an authentic, and often comedic flare. Don't stop after reading "Kill All the Lawyers," but keep on with the others (e.g., "April Fool" and "Trial of Passion") that are in Deverell's mysteries that feature his wonderful character Arthur Beauchamp.

a strong novel one that is worth a second look.
A great novel written by a great author easily can be compared to any of John Grisham's works. storline is about down on their luck lawyers at a Vancover Law firm who are second guessing their profession when it seems that after one of the firm's lawyers are bruttally beaten to death because he defended a low life client and this mysterious "excutioner's list". Unforgettable Characters the author takes aim at the world's most hated profession and makes the reader understand the dangers and the high handed trechery that goes along with the "business as usual" attitude. One great story will keep the reader turing pages right to the very end.

A Brilliant Drama
This is one of the best books I've read in ages.I highly recommend it.William Deverall's characters are real and his characterization is insightful.This book grabs you from the beginning and keeps you hooked -Deverall's storytelling is exceptional.

The law office of Pomeroy,Macarthur, Brovak and Sage is a dysfunctional one at best.These younglaywers are learning their lessons the hard way - by trying not to getkilled!Someone is killing lawyers that are taking on "morallyquestionable" clients - and Deverall keeps you on the edge, guessingwhodunit and who's the next victim.

Deverall's collection of charactersis diverse.They range from Brian Pomeroy - a hardworking, intense lawyer,who's working hard to keep his extra marital affair a secret.MaxMacarthur is the lawyer that's holding the firm together by sheerwillpower, while John Brovak is a crass man whose life is on the fast track- fast cars, loose women and copious amounts of drugs and alcohol. Augustina Sage is a strong, determined woman of Metis descent whose needfor a strong stable man leads her to the not-so-straight edged JudgeRussell.The final addition to this interesting group of laywers isWentworth Chance - a bright naive articling student.

Read it - you won'tbe disappointed!

Don't Kill All The Reviewers
I thought that Deverell did an excellent job of maintaining the reader's interest throughout the book, although his choice of method to reveal the killer was cliche and really quite unsupported.Deverell's style ofletters from Pomeroy mixed with sections of story was quite well used. Generally good, a few weak points, including miscellaneous love interests,but a pleasant read. ... Read more

Product Description
Word count: 772. ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Vilmos Kondor, List of Thriller Writers, List of Crime Writers, Paul Halter, William Deverell, Alex Auswaks. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 44. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Vilmos Kondor (born 1954) is a Hungarian author, his first novel - Budapest noir - was published February 2008 by Agave Könyvek in Hungary. Kondor attended university in Szeged, then he continued his studies in Paris. He graduated in chemical engineering from Sorbonne, then returned to Hungary. Currently he teaches mathematics and physics at a high school. He lives with his wife, daughters and dog in a small village near Sopron. Kondor leads a quiet life and if he gives interviews at all, he does it only in email. Kondor worked for three years on this novel which is his fourth finished manuscript, nevertheless this is his first published work. As influences, he mentiones Jim Thompson, Charles Willeford and Dashiell Hammett. He portrayed one of his characters (Vörös Margó or in English: Red Margot) on Hammett's Dinah Brand from Red Harvest. Kondor is currently working on the third part of the series. The story is set in 1943 and will feature Gordon (the protagonist of Budapest Noir) who travels extensively in the war-torn Europe in search of a spy. Kondor says he plans two more in the series, thus the Gordon-series will run its course in four installments. Budapest Noir received the warmest reception possible, and many reviewers hailed the novel as the first true noir written in Hungarian. One critic welcomes Kondor as the author of the first Hungarian crime thriller. "The search (for a Hungarian crime thriller) is at an end: Vilmos Kondors novel is a Hungarian crime thriller and then some, one of the harder variety, in the spirit of Chandler and Hammett, but with Hungarian characters and set in...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=18045223 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Excellent service
We received the book in less than a week in the exact condition that was stated in the description.Thank you.

better than advertised
I ordered a book.It was said to be in used, but good, condition.

It arrived at the beginning of the stated delivery window and was in almost perfect condition.

well presented
The book is lavishly illustrated in vibrant, many-hued pages. There are numerous maps, woodcuts and photos of over a century of events. Proper acknowledgment is also given to the many ethnic and religious groups that fused into the US during this period.

Thus, there is good coverage of the Mexican War of 1846-7, which often received only cursory mention in earlier books. The war proved crucial in extending the US to its present border on the Rio Grande.

The book also gives an extended foray into describing slavery. Its oppression is not deprecated in any sense. The Underground Railroad is shown sheparding escaped slaves to Canada; an often perilous task.

High school students of history should benefit from this thoroughly researched and well presented book. ... Read more

Product Description
Author William Deverell received an intriguing phone call. Would he be interested, he was asked, in defending a 59-year-old homosexual accused of bludgeoning his employer, a wealthy widow, with a liquor bottle while they were cruising in Canadian waters aboard a luxury liner. Deverell took the case – and found himself caught up in a bizarre world of eccentric characters, decadent behaviors, naked greed, and multi-million-dollar wills. To make matters worse, his sweet-tempered client had no memory of committing the murder – yet no means of proving he didn’t.

With penetrating insight, William Deverell probes the mind of the accused and explores the legal system that tried him. Deverell’s superb writing skills combine brilliantly with his insider’s knowledge of the courtroom, and the result is a seamlessly constructed, gripping narrative whose suspense never lets up. Fast-paced and gritty, humane and intelligent, Fatal Cruise is crime journalism at its most provocative and rewarding. ... Read more