Product Description
General Books publication date: 2009Original publication date: 1887Original Publisher: Scribner ... Read more

Product Description
By April 1915, as chaplain Joseph Reavley tends to the soldiers in his care, the nightmare of trench warfare is impartially cutting down England’s youth. On one of his rescue forays into no-man’s-land, Joseph finds the body of an arrogant war correspondent, Eldon Prentice. A nephew of the respected General Owen Cullingford, Prentice was despised for his prying attempts to elicit facts that would turn public opinion against the war. Most troublesome to Joseph, Prentice has been killed not by German fire but, apparently, by one of his own compatriots. What Englishman hated Prentice enough to kill him? Joseph is afraid he may know, and his sister, Judith, who is General Cullingford’s driver and translator, harbors her own fearful suspicions.

Meanwhile, Joseph and Judith’s brother, Matthew, an intelligence officer in London, continues his quiet search for the sinister figure they call the Peacemaker, who, like Eldon Prentice, is trying to undermine the public support for the struggle - and, as the Reavley family has good reason to believe, is in fact at the heart of a fantastic plot to reshape the entire world. An intimate of kings, the Peacemaker kills with impunity, and his dark shadow stretches from the peaceful country lanes of Cambridgeshire to the twin hells of Ypres and Gallipoli.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Wonderful mystery series for Anglophiles
This is one book in a series of five that tells a family's story while slowly unravelling a mystery.Anne Perry writes beautifully and her descriptions of the various characters and landscapes just flow along seamlessly with the unfolding drama.Her conversations are thoughtful, her scene descriptions are very evocotive of the time period and the characters are made so real that you expect them to walk in your door when you look up from the book.I most highly recommend this book as well as the rest of the series!

An espionage thriller, murder mystery and historical novel - Part 2 in Anne Perry's WWI series.
Anne Perry's "Shoulder the Sky," is set in 1915, approximately eight months into WWI. This is the second in a five part series which takes place during the war. The first novel, "No Graves As Yet," deals with a conspiracy that would bring dishonor to Great Britain and threaten all of Europe. The details are recorded in a document which, if placed in the wrong hands, would defame England at a time when the continent is one step away from open hostilities. The mystery of who is behind the plot is not solved in the first novel, and plays a large part in this book's storyline. However, it is not necessary to read "No Graves As Yet" to fully enjoy this latest installment, as the author does an excellent job of bringing new readers up to date in the first few chapters.

Eight months into the war, Captain Joseph Reavley, chaplain and former Cambridge professor, is ministering to the wounded and dying in the thick of trench warfare on the Western Front. Eldon Prentice, a war correspondent arrives and begins to ask Reavley's men extremely inappropriate questions. He is an arrogant troublemaker. With his insensitive queries, he quickly earns the animosity of everyone he comes into contact with, including Joseph. When the journalist decides to file a report on soldiers' self-inflicted wounds, the men become bitter and more resentful. Soon after his arrival, Prentice is found dead, murdered. He was drowned, with his head held under the filthy water of the trenches in no-mans' land, an area forbidden to most noncombatants. It soon becomes evident that the murder was committed by one of Joseph's soldiers. The chaplain's conscience demands that he seek the truth of one man's death, amidst the deaths of so many thousands.

Matthew Reavley, Joseph's younger brother, is a member of England's Secret Intelligence Service, (SIS). His primary assignment is to discover the identity of "The Peacemaker," a mysterious figure who represents those who seek to make a treaty between Kaiser Wilhelm II and King George V, which would unite warring Germany and Britain into a common front. England would abandon France and Belgium to the Germans. The Germans and the British would then form an empire to divide the world between them. "Most of Europe would fall to Germany, who would help Britain to keep its present empire and add to it the old colonies, including the entire United States."

The previous summer, before the outbreak of the war, the Reavley siblings lost their parents, John and Alys, in a car crash which was proved to be a "careful and deliberate murder." The day before his death, John Reavley, a former member of Parliament, had phoned Matthew to tell him that he discovered a document that outlined a plan which, if implemented, "would ruin England's honor and change the history of the world" - the Peacemaker's plan. The deadly "accident" occurred, while John was driving from his home in St. Giles, along with his wife Alys, to deliver the papers to his son. The killer, a mere pawn in the game, is dead as is his brother. The instigator of the treasonous plot, however, is alive and hard at work. He believes he can convince the King to sign the treaty to form the "Anglo-German hegemony." "The Peacemaker" has to be someone important enough to have access to both King and Kaiser. And he must be stopped!

Twenty-four year-old Judith Reavley, sister to Joseph and Matthew, is a volunteer driver/translator for the general in command of the Ypres Salient. She is grieving for her parents and decides that volunteering for the war effort will help take her mind off her individual pain. When not acting as General Cullingford's chauffeur, she drives an ambulance.

The action alternates betweenthe Ypres Salient in Belgium, England, and Gallipoli. An espionage thriller, murder mystery and historical novel, "Shoulder the Sky" depicts the horrors of trench warfare, with its filth, stench of death and decay, the use of gas as a weapon, and the terrible toll in human life. The intensity of World War I trench warfare meant about 10% of the fighting soldiers were killed. This is compared to 4.5% killed during WWII.

The Prentice murder is ultimately solved, butthere is little mystery involved. I was totally absorbed in the building tension surrounding The Peacemaker and international espionage. I did become frustrated when I realized, that this particular plot-line would not be resolved in "Shoulder the Sky." As the tension has been building since the first novel, one can only wonder if Ms. Perry is waiting for book 5 to reach the denouement. However, her writing is good, as always, although there are a few places where the pace slows. If not for these issues, I would have rated the novel 5 Stars. Highly recommended, especially for fans of Anne Perry, and those readers with interest in the history of the Great War.
Jana Perskie

At Some Disputed Barricade: A Novel (World War I)
We Shall Not Sleep: A Novel (World War I)
No Graves As Yet: A Novel (World WarI)
Angels in the Gloom: A Novel (World War I)

WWI Mystery
The four novels that make up this mystery story are intriguing in showing England during WW I -- an often ignored historic time of military technolology changes that some historians believe have led the world into the current era of uncertainties that we face globally.

Battles to Win
SHOULDER THE SKY follows NO GRAVES AS YET in a suspenseful family saga of the Reavley family against the horrifying background of World War I, when the British military forces gave their full measure of strength in the mud of Europe.
Chaplain Joseph Reavley, is in the trench with a unit composed of many members from his home area. These men have known each other all their lives and a trust has built among them that breaks the barriers of class and custom until one night in "no-man's land" Joseph discovers the body of a correspondent who main purpose was to destroy the British code of honor. The man was the nephew of a highly respected general and Joe knows he must discover why the man was killed and by whom.
In London, Matthew Reavely of British Intelligence continues his search for the "Peacemaker" who designed the document of surrender without honor and engineered the death of their parents.
Three chapters of backstory in the pen of Anne Perry make interesting reading, while SHOULDER THE SKY moves much faster as events collided and the Army remains unvanquished.
Nash Black, author whose books are available in Kindle editions.
Writing as a Small BusinessSins of the Fathers: A Brewster County Novel

Into the trenches of hell in the second book about the Reavley family.
Earlier this year, I returned to the works of long time mystery writer, Anne Perry. I had gotten tired of her earlier series, but there was something about this new work that had caught my eye, and I decided to take this one on.

Set in the harrowing years of World War I, Shoulder the Sky continues the story of the Reavleys, a solidly middle-class English family. In the first book, we had been stricken with the sudden death of the parents, John and Alys, deaths that had turned out to be murders. Now the adult children are struggling along, caught up in the year 1915, and still unraveling the mystery of the Peacemaker.

The eldest, Joseph, is a chaplain in the bloody, filthy trenches of Ypres, doing what he can to help the nameless numbers of soldiers fighting a war that is quickly turning into a stalemate. Brother Matthew is in London serving with the Intelligence services. The youngest child, Judith, has taken on the duties of a VAD -- a Voluntary Aid Dispenser -- driving ambulances and acting as the personal driver for one of the commanding generals, Owen Cullingford. Another daughter, Hannah, is struggling to hold her own small family together while her husband is at sea.

Told mostly through the eyes of Joseph, we get a first hand account of the war between England and Germany, and Joseph's relationships with the men around him. Most intriguing is the one that he has with Sam Weatherall, a major who is running a crew of sappers, men who are digging tunnels towards the German lines, to try and gather intelligence on future attacks. Joseph and Sam have known each other since their days at Cambridge, and they share what few luxuries that they have, hoping that one day soon, they will all get to go home.

The novel opens with the arrival of Eldon Prentice, a brat of a journalist, who is demanding to be taken to the front lines. He makes crass comments about the soldiers, derides a young sapper who has part of his hand taken off by a sniper and accuses him of doing it deliberately, and isn't above using blackmail to get what he wants either. Retrieving bodies after an attack, it's Joseph Reavley finds Prentice dead on the field, head down in a bomb crater. But the writer hasn't been shot -- someone has held him underwater, and everything is pointing towards it being murder, and the killer being someone that Joseph knows. Will the chaplain let it be, or take the route of finding justice, no matter how much it might cost him in mental anguish?

Perry's own viewpoint on pacifism rings throughout the story, but how she does it is what makes the story interesting. She describes the killing fields of Flanders with all of the horrors attached, swarming with the dead, the brutal life in the trenches, filled with disease, sudden attacks, rats, filth and all the rest.

What makes this book work so well is the psychological drama in each of the various characters as they cope with warfare that has become industrialized. Two sequences are particularly wrenching to read -- the gas attacks on the British at Ypres, and the slaughter at Gallipolli. Effective as well is Judith's complicated relationship with General Cullingford -- in the hands of a lesser writer, there would have been a sexual affair, no doubt told in great detail, but Perry doesn't take the easy way out either -- Judith and Cullingford come across as adults, not idiotic teenagers, and that's very refreshing to read.

Those readers who persevere will find this to be rewarding. While the subject matter is certainly grim, and told in language that spares nothing, there are moments when it all fits neatly together. You start to care very much what happens to the characters, and by the end, several truths come home about the nature of friendship and heroism. Perry does this without hyperbole or mawkishness. It's some of the best fiction that I've read about the nature of warfare, and it has me waiting to reading the next book in the series, Angels in the Gloom.

Four stars. Recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
In the novel that introduced Anne Rice to the world, Interview with the Vampire, a reporter seeks out the facts behind an extraordinary life. In the years since, Anne Rice has created a remarkable and acclaimed body of work--encompassing her celebrated Vampire Chronicles, The Lives of the Mayfair Witches novels, two haunting historical epics, and her controversial, equally sought-after excursions into erotica. One of the world's best known and biggest bestselling authors of contemporary fiction, Rice has herself been the subject of countless interviews, profiles, and a full-length biography. Yet, who Anne Rice is, and the beliefs, fascinations, desires, fears, and passions that inspire her work, remain endlessly fascinating topics. In this first-of-its-kind book-length interview with Anne Rice, film scholar and author Michael Riley seeks out--and finds--the truth behind the extraordinary life and work of a unique, tantalizing writer.
In Conversations with Anne Rice, the creator of Lestat, Louis, and Lasher talks in depth--and in her own words--about everything: from her early struggles toward publication to the tremendous literary reputation she has achieved. From the success and adulation of the vampire novels to the lesser-known books that are her personal favorites. From the influence of classical and popular literature to that of Catholicism and eroticism. From the role of movies in her literary vision to her definitive critique of the film version of Interview with the Vampire, and far beyond.
Here, then, is Anne Rice--her heart, her psyche, her soul--in candid and captivating dialogue with her audience.
Amazon.com Review
In Conversations with Anne Rice the creator of Lestat,Louis, and Lasher talks in depth - in her own words - abouteverything: from her early struggles toward publication to thetremendous literary reputation she has achieved.From the success andadulationof the vampire novels to the lesser known books that areher personalfavorites.From the influence of classical and popularliterature to that of Catholicism and eroticism.From the role ofmovies in her literary vision to her definitive critique of the filmversion of Interview with a Vampire, and far beyond.A candidand captivating dialogue with her audience. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

In-depth and insightful
She broke the mold of bestselling authors with her tormented vampires and complex witch families, often set against the mossy, misty backdrops of her native New Orleans. Anne Rice is one of the few authors whose lives and opinions are as interesting as what they write, and Michael Riley offers more insight than virtually any other interviewer has done.

Michael Riley was a friend of Stan Rice's, and met Anne Rice at her wedding to Stan; he remained a pal after Anne shot to fame. Yet "I had rarely if ever seen an interview or profile thatI thought did justice to her." So the two sat down and discussed many things about Rice: Her youth and her Catholic upbringing, about good and evil, New Orleans, California, her mold-breaking fiction, the immensely popular vampire Lestat, the handling of sex in her books, intellectual pretentions and elitism, the movie adaptation of "Interview With The Vampire," and what in her life inspired aspects of her books.

A less respectful reviewer probably would have descended leering or sneering, given that Rice's works include erotica, S&M fiction, and a Lolita-type novel. But Riley is professional, affectionate yet not gushing, and his questions have brains behind them. (Not the usual "what's your favorite food? Do you have any pets?") His respect for Rice is clear, and it makes the book especially interesting that he has genuine interest in what she says. But of course, the book hinges on Rice and what she has to say to Riley -- whether or not you agree with what she's saying, her warmth and humor are in clear evidence, and she's clearly thought through what she says.

It may not be necessary to know the author to enjoy his/her works, but it definitely can't hurt. Fans of Anne Rice will find this a must-read, and even casual readers of her books should give it a shot.

The next best thing to being there!
I just finished reading this book in one sitting.It seems as if you're in the same room as Anne & Michael Riley.He knows exactly what questions her fans want answered.It's refreshing to read Anne's own responses in their entirety without having a reporter interpreting her "meaning".I give this a "9" because the only thing that would have made it better would be if Anne had offered pictures of herself & environment.

The life and times of Ann Rice in her own words
This just isn't a biography of Ann Rice, it's as if she's telling you herself all the answers to questions we've all wanted to ask. This is her thoughts on her family, fans, characters, and herself. She shares her opinions freely and openly. I truly developed another view of this remarkable woman after reading this. Michael Riley had a good idea when he decided just to write this in interview form. That's exactly what everyone's been waiting for: 'Interview with Ann Rice'

A VERY GOOD BOOK ABOUT ANNE RICE...
Why this books is so good??? Because Anne is allowed to talk. Everytime we see an interview with Rice, people dont let her talk. Michael is a close friend of Anne and they do this kind of talking all the time... If you are looking for motivations and in-depth talk of Anne Rice's books, this book is for you. After all, who better than Anne Rice and her friend to talk about her books?? ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
This book takes the reader through the actual manufacturing process of making a typical chip, from start to finish, including a detailed discussion of each step, in plain language. The evolution of today's technology is added to the story, as seen through the eyes of the engineers who solved some of the problems. The authors are well suited to that discussion since they are three of those same engineers. They have a broad exposure to the industry and its technology that extends all the way back to Shockley Laboratories, the first semiconductor manufacturer in Silicon Valley.

The CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) process flow is the focus of the discussion and is covered in ten chapters. The vast majority of chips made today are fabricated using this general method. In order to ensure that all readers are comfortable with the vocabulary, the first chapter carefully and clearly introduces the science concepts found in later chapters. A chapter is devoted to pointing out the differences in other manufacturing methods, such as the gallium arsenide technology that produces chips for cell phones. In addition, a chapter describing the nature of the semiconductor industry from a business perspective is included.

"The entire process of making a chip is surprisingly easy to understand. The part of the story that defies belief is the tiny dimensions: the conducting wires and other structures on a chip are more than a hundred times thinner than a hair - and getting thinner with every new chip design."

* Included CD gives the reader a much greater comprehension of the process than a strictly print book with static illustrations provides
* Authors are actual engineers who have a broad range of exposure and experience with chip technology
* Contains a unique chapter describing the nature of the semiconductor industry from a business perspective ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

explains a key industry
The making of semiconductor chips underpins much of modern civilisation. From these chips are built computers (of course), and all sorts of devices with embedded logic or memory. Think microwave ovens, cars and trains. It would help greatly if the average person has some appreciation of the basic concepts of chip making. Demystifies a very important industry. Thus the authors should be commended for a well written explanation. Replete with numerous diagrams.

The core concepts are easy to grasp, as the authors show. But the book also explains why a modern chip factory [fab] can be billions of dollars. As we push the limits of manufacture down to basic physical constraints, the costs rise terribly. ... Read more

Product Description
Introduces the five members of the popular musical group, details their likes and dislikes, discusses the origins and progress of the group, answers common fan questions, and compares 'N Sync with the Backstreet Boys. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

Cute!
It's all about Nsync! Cute pictues! I love you Nsync! Somebody read it cause it's a good book!

I love joey
Well my name is Ryan keaders....I do love the book very much but....iTHINK THEY TALK TO MUCH ABOUT JUSTIN AND JC...BUT HEY WHERES THE PERSONALSSTORIES ABOUT JOEY. i MEAN i LOVE N SYNC BUT JOEY IS THE BEST. hE HAS THEBEST LOOKS AND DANCES THE BEST!! AND HAS A NICE SET OF HAIR. aND HE IS ACRAZZY GUY. WINK WINK;O)AND INVALIDLY SPEEKING IF A N SYNC IS AGROUP.....THEY SHOULD BE TALKIN MORE ABOUT JOEY! I LOOOOVE YOU JOEY!SUPERMAN!!! HEHEHEHE. THANKS FOR LETTING ME SHARE. i HOPE SOMETHING CHANGESIN THE NEXT BOOK! OK???? LOVE RYAN GO JOEY GO JOEY!!!!!

Great nsync book
This is a great book to get for any *NSYNC fan.It has several great pics in it of each of the guys.It also has a lot of great facts in it about the guys.It does not have any of that rumor or "he said, shesaid" stuff that we often hear.It is stuff that they know to be trueabout the guys.It is a book to get if you are loyal fan and you want toget more pics of those five cuties.I would recommend this book toanymore.I have had it know for months and I still look in it all thetime.A must get and this is a great price too, believe me , I shop aroundat the bookstores where I live and amazon.com is way the better deal.

Great book! Love it!
I like this book a lot. It has good pictures. I like the whole group of 'NSYNC, Joey, JC, Lance, Chris, and Justin. This is a really good book. It has fun pictures, too! Nice book! I especially like the pictures of Justin, JC and Lance. I hope there is more of those scrapbooks! I really like them!Don't forget to look at my other reviews!

Little book but, lots of info!!
This book may only contain 48 pages but, it is packed with a lot of info. It gives you a personal page or so of a member of N Sync and gives you lots of info about them. Some things you most likly never knew about! I givethis book five stars and I think you will too once you read it! ... Read more

Product Description
Based on the premise that one of the best ways for a student to understand a topic is to write about it, and geared toward first-time political science students, this is a book that teaches students how to write essays in political science. The book is a supplement for any course in the political science curriculum. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Nice Little Mini-Book
This is one of those little novelty mini-books (measures about 4x3 inches)that you usually see at the cash register at the book stores but this bookis packed with great photos and information.I love all the colorfulcandid photos which include some new pictures which I haven't seen anywhereelse before!Though only 74 pages the book delivers some cool facts, didyou know questions and little articles about different highlights inShania's life.It's a nice little Shania collectible! ... Read more

Product Description
A guide to minimizing exposure to additives and pollutants in foods shows readers how to prepare safer meals, encourage the local supermarket to stock safe food, eat wisely during pregnancy, store foods the smart way, and more. Reprint. LJ. NYT. ... Read more

Product Description
Pop superstars Five burst on the scene with their first single, "When the Lights Go Out."Since then, they've climbed the charts and won the hearts of the teen audience who have also made megastars of Hanson, Backstreet Boys, and 'N Sync.This photo-filled scrapbook gives fans the inside scoop on the band with biographies, fact files, love-o-scopes, true confessions, addresses, and more! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Great book!
This is a really good book! It's very informative! I love the pictures of Ritchie, they're so gorgeous! They chose the right pictures.
The book includes pages of pictures, a profile on each member and some behind the scenes stuff. It's an unofficial but fantastic book.
The best book for 5ive is the official book, but this is brilliant! I love it!

Don't waste your money
This book doesn't have many interesting facts, just the kind of stuff that makes ya say "well, duh" Also, there are some typos like Scott's name isn't Scott James Time Robinson, It's Scott James TIM Robinson.There's just little things like that. The only reason I gave it 2 stars isbecause there are some GREAT pics.

Not Good but Not Bad
This book contains lots of info about Five but has nothing new...just the 'no duh' stuff that everybody either knows or can guess.Since it's not official, it doesn't have any exclusive info that Five fans would want in a book.Even the pictures aren't very nice and again, aren't exclusve.Justplain pictures you would find in any other magazine. Stick with theofficials.

It's a WICKED book!
This book is WICKED!There's lots of pictures and information.Only one mistake-in the section about Scott it says that his dad's name is "Mitch"- wrong- his dad's name is Mick.It is a WICKED book. I LOVE Five and this book.In the sections on each of the guys there is alsosome funny info! So, order the book or go get it somewhere. You know youwant 2!

Great Book
This book is a great book, it has alot of great pictures, and alot of facts (they are true unlike one of the other books about five.)I recomend this book to everyone ... Read more

Product Description
This work argues that while education is inevitably political, it must also be sensitive to the preferences and desires of the individual to be educated. It discusses Rousseau and Dewey's political theories, and looks at how they handle education for autonomy. ... Read more