Product Description
Journey back to an Age of Aces! The Yanks and English know him as “The Red Falcon.” The French call him “L’ Faucon Rouge.” And the Germans curse him as “Verdamnt Der Rot Falker”. Meet Barry Rand. Unjustly wanted for a firing squad on his own side of the lines-facing death from the Germans on the other. He is a man abandoned by his country, but still willing to die for it! Along with his aide, the great African warrior Sika, The Red Falcon fights WWI on his own terms. Flying the blood-red crate they built themselves from parts of crashed planes, they are the deadliest pair on the Front.Before pilot and airplane demonstrator Robert J. Hogan created G-8 and His Battle Aces, he created The Red Falcon which ran for 5 years in Dare-Devil Aces before moving to G-8. Here is the premiere volume of his collected exploits.Stories in Volume 1: The Red Falcon, The Bat Squad, The Masked Drome, Hurricane Buzzard, Midnight Staffel, The Death Squadron, The Hooded Squadron, Dynamite Cargo (G8 crossover) ... Read more

Book Description
John Tanner's fascinating autobiography tells the story of a man torn between white society and the Native Americans with whom he identified. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

A Rare and Valuable Cultural Record
In 1789 when he was a nine year-old boy, his mother already dead, John Tanner's family settled upon a Kentucky farm where the Big Miami and Ohio rivers meet.Shortly thereafter, this piece of "Dark and Bloody Ground" was visited by a Shawnee war party.Two Indians seized young Tanner and forcibly marched him north toward modern day Toledo, then up to Detroit.The child was taken further north to live with his captive family, made to work and bear burdens, purposely starved, frequently beaten, and at one point tomahawked for having fallen asleep in exhaustion.Two years of this cruel treatment was relieved when the boy was purchased in Mackinac by an old Ottawa woman, Net-no-kwa.This formidable human being was the leader of her band and with her John Tanner, now called Shaw-shaw-wa ne-ba-se (the Falcon), would roam throughout what would become northern Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Western Ontario and Manitoba, living primarily among Net-no-kwa's Ojibwa friends and relations.For the next thirty years he would hunt, trap, trade, marry and live entirely as an Indian, forgetting the English language andwhite man ways - though Tanner continued to face resentment and violence long into adulthood because of his white origin.These resentments and other intrigues eventually led Tanner to attempt a return to the States and a reunion with surviving family members, soon finding himself ill-suited to the white man's life and returning to the northern wilderness.He apparently related his life's story to a learned man among the Sault Sainte Marie traders shortly before disappearing again in 1846 amidst charges of murder (afterward disproved).The date and whereabouts of his death are unknown.

There are times when the narrative seems a relentless tale of brutality, privation and wrenching heartbreak, as Tanner and his band struggle for daily sustenance, suffer against wretched cold and hunger, fall to previously unknown illnesses and grievous injuries, and murder each other in drunken brawls and blood feuds.And then suddenly appear passages as stunning for the elegant and graceful simplicity in which they're related as for the events depicted.An extended passage (if I may) illustrates the point: "Pe-shau-ba, upon whom the death of his friend Waw-so had made some impression, was soon taken violently ill.He was conscious that his end was approaching, and very frequently told us he should not live long.One day he said to me, "I remember before I came to live in this world, I was with the Great Spirit above.And I often looked down, and saw men upon the earth.I saw many good and desirable things, and among others, a beautiful woman, and as I looked day after day at the woman he said to me, `Pe-shau-ba, do you love the woman you are so often looking at?'I told him I did.Then he said to me, `Go down and spend a few winters on earth.You cannot stay long, and you must remember to be always kind and good to my children whom you see below.'So I came down, but I have never forgotten what was said to me.I have always stood in the smoke between the two bands when my people fought with their enemies.I have not struck my friends in their lodges.I have disregarded the foolishness of young men who would have offended me, but have always been ready and willing to lead our brave men against the Sioux.I have always gone into battle painted black, as I now am, and I now hear the same voice that talked to me before I came to this world: it tells me I can remain no longer.To you, my brother, I have been a protector, and you will be sorry when I leave you; but be not like a woman, you will soon follow in my path."He then put on the new clothes I had given him to wear below, walked out of the lodge, looked at the sun, the sky, the lake, and the distant hills; then come in, and lay down composedly in his place in the lodge, and in a few minutes ceased to breathe."

Other rewarding passages include Tanner's encounter with the ghosts of two dead brothers at a riverside encampment; an illness so debilitating that a despairing Tanner attempts to end his life; and intrigue and violence during a river-borne effort to bring two of his children out of Indian country.Many of the troubles visited upon Tanner and his band are caused by his adoptive brother Wa-me-gon-a-biew, a cowardly but quarrelsome man, vindictive, unpredictable and capable of great violence.His nearly every appearance in the narrative is villainous.

Published many times, most recently by Penguin Classics, "The Falcon" transcends because it is not merely an "Indian captivity narrative", but a remarkable portrait of 1790s - 1830s Indian life and culture.We are very fortunate that it has survived.

A Far Cry From Last Of The Mohicans
The Falcon is a story of Native American life in the late 18th and early 19th century, as experienced by a white man, John Tanner.Tanner was captured by the Shawnee at an early age and eventually adopted into the Ojibwa Nation of Western Ontario, Eastern Manitoba and Northern Michigan.After years of life with the Ojibway, he attempted unsuccessfully to return to his white relatives in Kentucky.Forget Natty Bumppo of Last of the Mohicans, John Dunbar of Dances With Wolves, Jack Crabb of Little Big Man, or A Man Called Horse; This is the real thing.This is a bleak grim tale of survival totally devoid of any romanticism or objectivity.

The life of Tanner and his adoptive people, the Ojibway, was one long struggle to survive in an inhospitable wilderness where death from starvation, disease, mishap or murder was constantly at hand.I have read countless stories of native life, but never one which presented the overwhelming harshness of the hunter/gatherer lifestyle as vividly as this book.

The narrative is uncompromisingly grim, yet compelling beyond any work of fiction.The Native people are not the Noble Savage or the Fiendish Redskin of stereotype.They are shown as brave and resourceful, or lazy and given to drink, by turns.In short, they are shown as real human people.

From a modern perspective, the survival capabilities of these people are nothing short of incredible.I am in awe of the sheer will to live that compelled them to carry on throughout lives so devoid of anything we of today would call comfort.

John Tanner was not famous in the history of the frontier.Neither was he a fictional hero like the characters I previously mentioned, but the story of his excruciatingly difficult life as a man of two worlds, yet fully at home in neither, is one of the most amazing stories of the early days of North America that I have ever read.

One small complaint:The introduction was written by Louise Erdrich, and she refers to the book as a much-read, cherished family touchstone, but, in citing an incident in the text, she is completely mistaken.I am referring to the incident where Tanner returns to his lodge and finds it destroyed by fire.The actual event in the book is nothing like what Erdrich describes.She claims that Tanner cast one of his children out to die in the cold as punishment for burning the lodge.However, the child was actually his adoptive sibling, and she did not die as Erdrich said, but is mentioned several more times in the narrative, up until her marriage.A small point, but she should have re-read the book before writing the introduction.I'm sure Tanner himself wouldn't have liked what Erdrich wrote one bit.

The Best and Most Complete Indian Captivity Narrative
"The Falcon" is the autobiography of Shaw-Shaw-Wa Be-Na-Se or John Tanner, a White Indian captured by the Shawnee along the Ohio River in 1789 and later sold to an Ojibwa family in northern Michigan.He went on to live a long and fascinating life among the Indians of the Old Northwest working as a trapper for the Hudson Bay Company and serving as the interpreter at the trading post at Sault St. Marie.He spent some time searching out his white family in Kentucky before returning to Michigan to be with his Indian children, forever spurning the white way of life.He went on to write this narrative in 1830 shortly before becoming a murder suspect and disappearing into the north woods forever.

Tanner's narrative is truly amazing for it's matter-of-fact style and the wealth of information it contains on every facet of Indian life in the late 18th and early 19th century including hunting, family life, Indian-white relations, foodways, views on war and murder, even attitudes toward sexual orientation.Tanner tells a story from the point of view of a man who has lived a hard life but is determined to live it as well as he is able.He makes no romantic notions about the Indians nor does he have sentimental longings for his white family.Unlike other famous captivity narratives like those of Mary Rowlandson, James Smith, or Oliver Spencer, this story is of the unredeemed captive who willingly chooses to embrace the neo-lithic lifestyle and the hardships that such a life entails, but makes no regrets of his life choices.

The historical and ethnographical information contained here alone makes it worthwhile reading, but the pure human content the author puts into this work makes it truly great.

The Falcon, by John Tanner
The Falcon, by John Tanner, is simply one of the most incredible
books I have ever read, and must be considered a classic.
It was utterly enthralling. I found myself wondering how he
ever wrote the book, since it is very well written, but he had
little knowledge of English until later life. Found out on the
web that back in Sault Ste Marie, he narrated his life to a doctor, who wrote it all down, and later published it.

Freud and Rousseau should have read this book
This is an unsentimental account of a hunting-gathering life. Even with guns and metal knives, the Falcon faced starvation so frequently that it seemed practically routine. One of the saddest sentences is a simple, somewhat relieved declarative about a fever sweeping the area: "Only one of my children died."

The writing is intense, and builds slowly. Tanner is anything but dramatic, but the events of his life command respect. This is a book that no author could have created artficially: its power is natural.

Nonetheless, I would have liked to learn something about where, when, and by whom the book was written. I suspect my Penguin paperback may be missing something. Page 228 refers me to a note at the end of the volume, but it is not there.

Generally, I do not care for Introductions. However, the Introduction by Louise Erdrich is worth reading carefully, before and after reading the narrative. ... Read more

Book Description
During the 1950's, American cars were caught up with competitive growth in size. As each successive model appeared, it resembled the previous ones, but never was shorter or lighter. Perception of the American public was trained in the "bigger is better" school and this perception was reinforced by the domestic manufacturers like Ford, typical of the Industry, who saw its full-size car grow over 18 inches in length to a hefty 17.8 feet overall.

Imported cars were generally smaller, the VW was shorter by almost five feet, and lacked traditional "comforts", but a significant portion of Detroit's market was becoming receptive to the smaller,. lighter, more economical imports. import market had climbed to almost 7% of the domestic total and was growing rapidly.

Ford was certainly not alone in perceiving the emerging market, but Ford was the first of the three major manufacturers to bring to the market a car designed specifically to fill new requirements for a smaller. lighter. more fuel-efficient, more comfortable, and more crisply styled car. So new was this entrant that it was described simply as the "New-Size" car.

Introduced on October 8. 1959, the Falcon was offered as transportation. Unlike the Mustang which was later derived from it, Falcon was offered with a very narrow choice of Options. Intended as inexpensive transportation, it claimed "up to 30 miles per gallon on regular gas". It offered room for six passengers (against only 4 for most imports) and was the result of a three year three=million mile development and test program.

In the 12 months following its introduction over a half a million were produced and by the end of its second modelyear almost one millionFalcons had been manufactured, a record that would be exceeded only by the derivative Mustang in the mid-sixties. Falcon had certainly met its intended mark! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

An ideal book for Falcon lovers.
As us Australians see very few American Falcons here I was pleased to buy a copy of this book to see each model Falcon.This book filled the void on American Falcon literature.

If you love these falcons,you're restoring one then this book is ideal for any car lover.

The author also has several other books in the series.

FORD FALCONS -- A BETTER IDEA
I love Ford Falcons.I really do.This book has some good factual information about Ford's better idea and some really cool pictures of this really cool car.(I think the coolest Falcons were the 1960-1965 sedans).I was disappointed that the majority of pictures showed Falcon convertibles with the tops being raised or lowered.I had hoped for more pictures of this really excellent classic sedan.

Still, I enjoyed the book.For any Falcon lover, this book is a treat and one that will have you soaring down memory lane in your cool (cyber) Falcon!Just love that better idea Ford car!

(Note:The Ford Ranchero, was a Falcon with a truck back 1960-65, the years that truck and its automobile counterpart looked their coolest to me.I love a Falcon car)!

Falcon!The New-Size Ford
Since it's the only book available that covers Ford Falcons in any detail, it's better than nothing but could have been better.Mostly black and white photos of daily drivers and repetitive shots of convertible roofsbeing raised and lowered is less than I'd hoped for.Still, there's lotsof good information in it.If you're a Falcon owner or fan, you'll wantthe book. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

Great book for reticent readers
My son (9) loved this book! I am thrilled because he'd usually rather play sports than sit down and read a book. I met Mr. Hale at a conference recently and was impressed by his intelligence, wit and love of writing for children. Most books mean different things to different people, and some people approach a book, an author or a particular subject with a personal agenda, emotional baggage or ill-conceived notions. The Malted Falcon is a fun story that will delight children with its humor and creative characterizations. Thankfully, children usually appoach books with open minds and objectivity --unlike some 'wiser' adults.

Amusing take-offs of classic hard-boiled detective fare
Kids who enjoy the Time Warp Trio and other volumes with wise-cracking characters will enjoy the Bruce Hale books.I'm not sure why another reviewer felt compelled to give this series one star; he also went to the trouble of repeating the identical review for every book in the series.If he disliked the first one so much, one wonders why--and if--he read the others.

Funny - Great for kids!
I don't understand why Smith doesn't like the Chet Gecko series and felt it necessary to type the same line on the page of every book in the series. I am reading number seven in the series and they have all been great. I am now twelve and I still enjoy them. The Malted Falcon was a particular favorite because I laughed all the way through. If you like funny stories with a little mystery mixed in, these are for you. ... Read more

Product Description
The romantic saga of the Taggert Clan ... Read more

Book Description
At twenty-one, after two Seasons with no takers, Theadosia Barrington should have been grateful to snare Nigel Cosgrove.The earl-to-be was a blue-eyed Adonis, a true catch-and surely the incident in Covent Garden was exaggerated.And yet, upon her arrival at Cashel Cosgrove, Thea found herself more intrigued by the Irish castle's legend, that of the tragic Ros Drumcondra."The Black Falcon" he was called.Party Gypsy, part Celt, the warrior had been conquered by betrayal alone.His ghost was still reputed to wander these halls, making women tremble with fear and desire-for who could resist those burnished copper eyes?Hadn't he stolen away the betrothed of Cian Cosgrove, made the woman his love slave?If only Thea herself could suffer such a fate.If only magic were a reality.If only that Gypsy woman had spoken the truth, and Thea was a woman out of time, the one meant to be...THE FALCON'S BRIDE ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

An amazing Time-Travel
Dawn Thompson is proving to be an amazing author.Gothic shape shifters, water lords, vampires, straight historical and soon erotic fantasy.I think this is her only TT and wow.In Thompson's style, she takes something that is old and remarks it as her own.She skillfully moved me through time and then back, giving it that extra turn of the screw.I was never confused as some readers said.I LOVED it.

Thompson is a lyrical writer that makes reading her ingenious stories all the more pleasurable.I have yet to get a bad romance from her and cannot wait for more of her book.

The Falcon's Bride
The book was ok but later into the story it keep jumping back and forth. But I will read other books by this author

2 Stars
This book was just okay.It was boring in certain parts and the author used the same words over and over again.I didn't understand at what point the heroine fell in love with the hero and why.It seemed as if on one page she hated him, with very good cause, and the very next page she was madly in love with him.I even checked the book to see if pages were ripped out because it happened so fast. The only explanation being that they were soul mates and that made everything okay.As another reviewer has said, it did seemed like chapters were cut short in this book and it made the story rushed without making sense.Some of the side characters didn't seem to really have a point in the story, they just filled up the pages and left you wondering why they were even mentioned in the first place.

A very inventive and gripping read!
It's refreshing when an author can come along with something new and inventive.Dawn Thompson really showed some amazing talent when she wrote this book.I loved how she was able to take us back and forth through time without getting the reader to confused.The characters were great too.However, I wanted to kick the crap out of that little weasle Nigel.Very bad boy!And don't even get me started on his mother...just plain evil.Pick up a copy of this book, you won't be disappointed.

Could not get into it
I had to force myself to finish it. Love scenes were wooden, and all that back and forth between different time periods was boring. The whole book had a depressing quality to it. From the reviews, I thought it would be good. I was dissapointed! ... Read more

Book Description
He is the rover, the lawless trader. She is the healer, bringing the word of God to the exotic tribes of Africa. Robyn Ballantyne and Mungo St. John will battle with all the fury of two natural enemies. They will love with all the desperation of a woman and a man unable to evade the commands of fate. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (7)

What you did NOT do in the 70's!
This tale of young white males with connections, brains and some despair shows just how those qualities can generate WMD's.Drinking, drugging and sexing at the innermost hubs of the worlds' satellite data centers - taking and returning top secret documents barely concealed in potted plants and searching always searching for a reason to care- these kids went over the edge. They sold secrets- incomparable ones- to Soviets without a sense of humor, one boy coincidentally captured falcons and flew them in what were probably the last of the open areas on the California peninsula. They were clueless, their families were clueless and they had barely the sorts of trauma and alienation that the average street hustler has on a good day.

Now that I've read quite a few of these US spy things, it seems, and this is no surprise to others, I'm sure, that we Americans are as dogged in destroying ourselves as we are the environment and those who keep us rich. Then, we have systems that compete with each other and do the same to us by acting unaccountably and keeping these sorts of alienated criminals from being found out and prosecuted to the fullest.
Well, was it the 70's, the wealth or the post- Vietnam era?None, if we look at the current state of affairs, its human and we still haven't seemed to find a way to factor for that in our security and our passions for those who 'seem on the surface to be like us.' Read it.

Stumbling Into High Treason
Of all the major spy stories to break open in the last thirty years, the case of John Boyce and Andrew Dalton Lee has to take the prize and the most troubling in its larger implications.Other spies like Aldrich Ames or Robert Hanssen were disillusioned middle aged bureucrats whose spying was an outlet for their frustration as well as a source of additional income.Boyce and Dalton, however, were young men who blundered into the spy game mostly because of boredom with their comfortable upper middle class upbringings.Their betrayal of the country that allowed them to live such an easy life is as baffling, if not as horrific, as the later actions of the shooters at Columbine High School.

Those who enjoyed the popular movie starring Timothy Hutton and Sean Penn based on this book will particularly enjoy the details that the movie had to leave out.Of the two, Boyce's story is the most tragic.He was highly intellegent with a potentially bright future, and secured a position at defense contractor TRW with a Top Secret security clearance because of his retired FBI agent father's connections.Lee, on the other hand, was a dropout and a drug dealer whose life was spiraling downward toward the inevitable bad conclusion.One of the astonishing facts revealed in the book is just how many second chances Lee squandered along the way.A child of less affluence would have ended up in prison long before he even had the chance to join Boyce in his spying.

Author/journalist Robert Lindsey is an excellent writer and he tells the story in such a way that it reads like a fiction thriller.Lindsey reports astonishing facts such as the incredibly lax security at TRW without editorial comment, letting the events speak for themselves.Lindsey's extensive interviews with all of the principals, including Boyce in particular, make for particularly compelling reading.

Overall, a well-written journalistic account of one of the most unfortunate of America's spy cases.

The Cold Falcon
Robert Lindsey's "The Falcon and the Snowman: A True Story of friendship and Espionage" was a true story about Chris Boyce and Andrew Dalton and how they were selling secrets to the Soviets in the middle of the cold war.You see how simple this was, how they did it, and why they did it.I can't tell you much more with out giving something away.Once you pick it up you can't put it down.

The Real Nightmare of aSeventies Tragedy
At the southern tip of L.A. there's a bridge across the harbor. On one side it's beautiful, the other leads to Terminal Island, a federal prison.Boyce and Lee grew up on the beautiful side and ended up in the hell of aprison cell. Lindsey's book tells how. They did it, but to read of theirjourney downward is frightful when one considers the extreme differencesthe two sides of the bridge represent. And the book is much much betterthan the movie.

Even better than the movie.
I read this book about four or five years ago, after I saw the film with Timothy Hutton (also very good). I'm only 20 so this story was a little before my time but...In any event I found it fascinating.Lindsey portrays these men honestly and without judgement butwith great insight.You won't be able to put it down.Also good, if not better, Lindsey's Flight of the Falcon, about Boyce's brief escape from prison. ... Read more

Book Description
Skillful hunters beautiful in flight, Prairie Falcons inhabit the rocky cliffs of the American West. These raptors range from southern Canada and northern North Dakota to Baja California, Arizona, New Mexico, western and northern Texas, and southeastern Coahuila, Mexico.This is the first book for a wide audience devoted exclusively to the Prairie Falcon. Stanley Anderson and John Squires cover all aspects of the falcon's life history from mating and rearing young to hunting behaviors and the yearly migration cycle. They provide complete descriptive characteristics for identifying Prairie Falcons and also compare them to other raptors, especially the closely related Peregrine Falcon.In addition, the authors recount the long association of falcons with people, which may extend back as far as 2000 B.C. They describe the practice of falconry from the Middle Ages until today. And they assess the threats to Prairie Falcons posed by human activities, from pesticide use and destruction of habitat to disruption of the breeding cycle by careless birdwatchers. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Simple and short intro text at nice price
Not to mention nicely illustrated.One page description with opposing page picture.A can't lose formula. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (2)

A Unique Portrait
I'm too late to say the first nice thing about Helen Macdonald. Doubtless her writing----scholarly work, essays, and erudite poetry----have made heads nod and shake in amazement for years. Author Steve Bodio recently raved of this fellow writer and falconer: "Her blog posts are better than most essays published for money today.I just went through the latest New Yorker and there was nothing to compare with her best."

Agreed. With Falcon, her first book on birds, Helen Macdonald manages to make a lesser work of everyone else's treatment of the topic. That's a big claim: Many remarkable writers and scientists cover the field, but none I know have yet produced a book as smart, insightful, literate or original.

Billed by the publisher as a "cultural and natural history of the falcon," Falcon simply could not have been written by anyone else. Listed among Macdonald's fields of study at Jesus College, Cambridge (where she is a Research Fellow), are: "History of ecology, amateur natural history, biological field-sciences and field-sports/hunting in 20th Century cultures; history of conservation and ethology; history of biological warfare; war and nature." War and nature! There's depth of interest for you. I could add military aviation to the list, an area of expertise that finds its way often and effectively into the text:

"What of flight, the single most celebrated falcon characteristic? Falcon bodies are heavy in relation to their wing area...Their wings have a high aspect ratio----the ratio between the wingspan and the wing width----and their low-camber wings are long and pointed. The result is a low-drag confirmation more suited to active, flapping flight and fast gliding than soaring."

Adding poetry to physics, Macdonald describes a stooping falcon this way:

"At speeds of over 100 miles an hour, the minutest alterations to her body shape gave punishingly exaggerated effects; she looked, as Franklin later described, shrink-wrapped, mummified. And just as it seemed impossible for her to fall any faster, she'd change her shape again."

The military deployment (that's right: deployment) of trained falcons gets its own chapter in this uniquely well-rounded falcon book. Other sections examine the raptors' biology, conservation, and successful adaptations to urban life. Macdonald reserves one chapter for the looming mythical status of falcons throughout history. And of course, falconry receives special treatment. Our sport takes pride of place in the center of the book, skillfully tying its wide-ranging topics together.

Throughout the text you'll find surprising revelations (no "trivia") that could only result from extensive and enthusiastic study. For example, did you know?

"Falconry techniques and knowledges have been traded between disparate cultures for millennia. European knights took falcons with them on the Crusades, and learned how to hood falcons from their foes...Falconry's symbolic system was largely shared between both sides, and so it was able to articulate power-struggles in ways immediately comprehensible to either."

Then, typically Macdonald, a wry anecdote illustrates the point: "A besieged Richard I sent an envoy to Saladin to request food for his starving falcons; Saladin immediately delivered baskets of his best poultry for the falcons alone."

What Macdonald does with Falcon is bring all of herself to the subject. She breathes life into the work; pulls the lives of falcons and people together into a rare three-dimensional portrait. The effect is illuminating.

More than Birds
Helen Macdonald opens `Falcon' with a photo of a peregrine and a human skydiver in freefall together, separated by about an arm-span of open sky.It's sure to astound anyone who has ever held such a bird on their fist, or gotten close enough to really look one in the eye.An ambitious gambit, but one lived up to by the balance of the book. Scholar, scientist and falconer, Macdonald is unapologetically smitten with the birds and her knowledge of both falcons and the traditions surrounding them is immense.Passionate expertise does not guarantee readability, but Macdonald deftly achieves an engaging and witty tone throughout the volume.The natural history and conservation status of various species are covered to a degree that should more than satisfy any well-informed general reader.Chapters on falconry, myth and the military may surprise those accustomed to the ecological game American ecologist and writer Marston Bates wryly labeled "let's pretend man doesn't exist", but real falcons live in the real world.Human history and cultural attitudes are key elements in their stories, too.`Falcon' is both thoughtfully and attractively illustrated.Five minutes spent sampling the pictures and skimming captions can easily incite an hour of reading.If the rest of the books in Reaktion's `Animal' series are all this good, I'll be building another bookcase. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Awesome Book
I am a huge fan of Nancy Drew Books and thought Sign Of The Falcon was one of the best. It was everything you could want in a mystery. It had suspense, and took turns you didn't expect. In this book, Nancy heads to New York city in search of her missing father. They do eventually find him, but in a way no one would ever expect. When I first read it, I couldn't put it down. Since then I've read it at leadt 3 more times. I highly recommend it!

Its a knock-out!!Read it...
New york city...noplace more exciting for a great mystery. This title in awonderful mix of mystery and emotion. Every time Nancy investigates a lead,the readers can almost feel the anxiety along with her. Bess, George andNancy go to see Carson's hotel suite, when someone tries to break in. Alist in her father's suite, leads her to five people and a queer picture ofa Falcon..which is the key to the mystery. Meanwhile, Nancy is followed bya man is a buissnes suit. And best of all, when she investigates a lead,she finds her father's hanky, she's sure its his, but the other person-Julian St James denies it. What will she do! Sorry I can't tell you more. Ireally could'nt keep the book down. In fact I read it several times. Go getit ! ... Read more

Book Description
'For God's sake look after our people'Captain Scott's harrowing account of his expedition to the South Pole in 1910-12 was first published in 1913.In his journals Scott records his party's optimistic departure from New Zealand, the hazardous voyage of theTerra Novato Antarctica, and the trek with ponies and dogs across the ice to the Pole.On the way the explorers conduct scientific experiments, collect specimens, and get to know each other's characters.Their discovery that Amundsen has beaten them to their goal, and the endurance with which they face an 850-mile march to safety, have become the stuff of legend.This new edition publishes for the first time a complete list of the changes made to Scott's original text before publication.In his Introduction Max Jones illuminates the Journals' writing and publication, Scott's changing reputation, and the continued attraction of heroes in our cynical age. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Thurston writes the best Battletech books period
Generally you'll find the readers that dislike him of the younger teen persuasion.

I think these same people fawn over Loren Coleman whose writing style can be summarized by "ruby beams seared out against the ferrofibrous as metal melted into the ground"

Don't let the lower reviews fool you, this is easily the best Battletech novel there is followed closely by his undeservedly reviled FreeBirth and Falcon Rising... Generally battletech books don't make me laugh or strike me as humorous but these have some comic gems in it.Their actions are subtle and the humor may be a bit too dry for the average hack sci-fi novel reader.

No, I know.Battletech novels fall into 1) The uber political by Stackpole which I love.2)the tediously agonizing battle descriptions and predictable plots twists

Thurston offers none really.Sure there is some intrigue and battle but the focus is the characters, their quirks and interesting details in day to day Clan life.

Star Commander Joanna has about 100x more personality than Natasha Kerensky ever did.No doubt Stackpole is tops at creating a universe and factions but sometimes made HIS characters into fluffy jr. high youth group do gooders.Not Clan Jade Falcon warriors though.Sarcastic, existential and brash all in one.IMHO the least interesting Thurston character easily trumps the cookie cutters heroes that Coleman and Gressman push out.

Indomitable human spirit, passionate warriors
I really liked the Legend of the Jade Phoenix trilogy.In this sequel, Thurston continues to flesh out the Jade Falcon clan.This is a great book, though I found it a little weaker than the original trilogy, which had a more focused plot and atmosphere.

Now that Aidan Pryde has met a heroic death, Joanna takes center stage.Joanna was always a wonderful character and she deserves more attention.She has an unconquerable spirit.Despite being - if I recall - in her 30s, incredibly fit, and a seasoned fighter, her clan considers her old and weak, unfit for honorable duty.They consider her contemptible for even being alive, as a true warrior should have died in battle by now.She is almost universally hated and despised.Of course, Joanna never worries about how others perceive her.She returns their hatred in greater measure.She hates her commanders, authority in general, the younger Falcon generation, the Wolves, the other Clans, and the Inner Sphere.She hates her lack of a bloodname, she hates the shame she holds after Twycross, she hates witnessing affectionate feelings, she hates her age, and she hates her miserable future.Her hatred is so strong that it is something pure.It allows her to win against daunting odds.Her pride and stubbornness are unmatched, and she never admits weakness.Joanna will take cheap, underhanded attacks in order to win.

Joanna is now the Old Guard, a proud Falcon watching her clan deteriorate.Her new commander is frail and refuses her challenges for trials.Young warriors show romantic attachment to each other.They chant, "Praise Aidan Pryde," in a ritualistic fashion.The scientist caste is defying the warrior caste.Joanna remains a purist, raging against the changes occurring around her.

This passage reveals a lot about Joanna's personality:

Diana: "Stop it, Joanna.You are spooking me.You will not die.You will go on forever.Mean people do."
Joanna: "Yes, I am mean and I hear that it is the miserable fate of mean people to die in bed."

Joanna has two friends, though she would never admit it.Like Joanna, they are pariahs among the Falcons.Diana is mildly interesting.Horse has a great cynical dry humor, is diversely educated in the midst of narrow-minded warriors, and is an unappreciated warrior.

Pay attention to Star Colonel Ravill Pryde.He is a short, frail warrior who refuses challenges, tries to win the admiration of his troops, borrows from Aidan's glory, uses devious tactics, and relies more on wits than warrior rage; by Joanna's standards, he is a deviant Falcon, yet he is amazingly successful.He is dislikable and admirable at the same time.

All four of these characters reveal something about Aidan Pryde, who left behind a legendary legacy.

The writing quality, while solid, has declined after the Jade Phoenix trilogy.For instance, observe these weak insults:
Joanna: "Castilla."
Castilla: "My name is ugly in your mouth."
Joanna: "Your mouth is ugly."
...
Castilla: "Your breath is foul."

Also, parts of the story proved weak.Joanna is asked to solve a mystery, and she uncovers secrets with ridiculous alacrity and ease.

Some readers complained about the ending.I believe it works very well; consider Joanna's spirit and methods.

I recommend I Am Jade Falcon for any Battletech fan.It features indomitable human spirit, refusal to accept mediocrity, fierce competitiveness, and stubborn pride.

-Zach Zelmar

Has its moments
I'm not a fan of Robert Thurston. There's too much baggage in the two books of his I have read, as he seeks to rub your nose yet again in how vitally important Aidan Pryde (praise Aidan Pryde!) was to the functioning of the universe from now until the end of time. Oh, and introduce you to yet another nefarious plot involving the honorless freebirth scum of the scientist cast and their tinkering with the legacy of Aidan Pryde (praise Aidan Pryde!) who was vitally important to the functioning of the universe from now until the end of time.
However! I rather like "I am Jade Falcon", because Star Commander Joanna is such an unashamedly bad-tempered and aggressive character who won't stop fighting anything and everything till the last possible moment. And Ravill Pryde, her new commanding officer with annoyingly cheerful and devious ways, has his charms as well. If you ignore the Aidan Pryde (praise Aidan Pryde!) element, this is not a bad mix of action and intrigue in which (gasp!) both Joanna and Ravill Pryde LEARN SOMETHING.

Better then some
I red this book recently and I must admit it is better then most. This book goes into the story of Joanna the jade falcon. Without reading this book some of the other ones are a little more confusing but it is not a must read. All together though this book is well written and a good read.

arrggghhhhh!!
I have no trusted Thurston, and I never will. I can never forgive him for the death of Natasha. ... Read more

Product Description
A WARRIOR NEEDS A WAR As the Khans of the Clans gather on Strana Mechty to plan a new invasion of the Inner Sphere, Jade Falcon Khan Marthe Pryde strives to rebuild her Clan to its former glory. She bloods new warriors and wins others in Trials from other Clans, but she cannot waste any fine warrior - even those who are freeborn. She gives a Trinary composed entirely of freeborns to a freeborn Star Captain and allows Diana, the freeborn daughter of a Jade Falcon hero, to compete for a bloodname. The Khans of the Steel Vipers -- long-standing rivals of the Falcons -- use these radical moves against Marthe, attacking her in the Grand Council. In the midst of this war of intimidation, the Inner Sphere accomplishes the unthinkable -- an invasion of Clan space. But even that cannot stop Marthe Pryde or the Steel Vipers as their ripening conflict explodes into war... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Left Hanging...
OK... I admidt. I am new to the Battletech books. The Twilight series was the first I ever read. Over all, they were great. It's hard getting used to the different writers doing each book in the series. I share them with my young son, and, some he was allowed to read, some not. (The jury's still out on this one... Too Much "Coupling")

The Previous book, The Prince of Havoc was, I agree with other reviewers, a bit rushed -could have been two books easy. The ending was great, leaving me drooling for more -would Victor's love get killed. Would his sister finally get her's.

Then came Falcon rising, the last of the 8. I read it. It was great in and of itself. But it was a poor ending to long hours of reading 8 books only to find out that I don't get to even read a word about Victor and his sis.

So... Now where do I go. The final point is. I loved this book. But I need to know what happens with all the dangeling's that were left in No. 7. Even Star Wars, Ep 6 ended the story line enough such that, if they never do make movie 7, I will not feel like I'm missing much ...(Sorry about the contractions).

Poor Writing - Check out other Battletech Novels First
The writing meandered, jumping forward, rambling, then jumping forward again. It totally lacked energy, zing, excitement, anything. It is dead. For someone that has twenty-one novel credits, it was a... poor perfomance. If it weren't for wanting to read the ending of the Twilight of the Clans series, I would've scrapped the book after twenty pages. The characters were cookie cutter stale. They relied on allusions to past stories to carry the novel rather than on demonstrated actions, dialogue, or internal monologue. It tried, but failed, again and again, to capture the basics of good characterization. The action, usually a good trademark of Battletech novels, was laughable. Pardoe, Stackpole, and Coleman, other Battletech authors, make you smell the sizzling circuits, hear the explosions of autocannon fire, and see the dazzling PPC shots. When this novel tried action, it left me bored. It was similar to saying, "Bang bang, you got shot. Now, you shoot back.Bang zap, you missed." It was that bad. The battles that could have been interesting, like Victor Davion's Trial of Refusal to the Invader Clans and the battles between the Steel Vipers and Jade Falcons were barely touched. If you are a fan of the Battletech novels and a follower of the Twilight of the Clans series, I would try to find a plot summary and spare yourself the pain.

Not a bad read...
This was an interesting Battletech novel. I like it because it isn't an Inner Sphere novel and has nothing (well, almost nothing) to do with the 'Sphere: it is only Clan verses Clan; the Jade Falcons verses the Steel Vipers. I am a Wolf Clan Fan, but Falcon Rising was pretty good. When I don't root for the Wolves (since there are only what, 2 novels about them?) I root for the Jade Falcons. I really like the espionage involved in the Scientist Caste and all of the Grand Council Politics. This made me laugh too. If this is your first time reading Battletech, this wouldn't be a bad one to start off with, even though it is a later book in a series. You will like it. Read it. It's worth your 5 bucks.

didn't read it yet
from all your reviews i think this a good book.i hope it is.:)

Pure Jade Falcon goodness
I've been into BattleTech for some time, but have only recently started up on the novels.I've read a few other Twilight of the Clans books and liked them, but this one was the cream of the crop.Sure, the 'Mech battles area bit boring, but it was a good book.It is not ridiculous for one warriorto defeat three 'Mechs or the Black Widow, and the Clan culture is veryinteresting, if a bit alien.Of course, I'm a bit biased, being a JadeFalcon lover in a crowd of Inner Sphere book reviewers.To summarize mythoughts, if you like the Falcons or are neutral, but this book.If youhate them (you freak), stay away. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (4)

A wealth of expert advice
Family Desk Reference To Psychology by counseling psychologist Chuck T. Falcon offers a wealth of expert advice specifically written for the non-specialist general reader. Covering everything from marriage and divorce problems, to self-esteem, stress, and depression, to coping and responding to domestic abuse, the Family Desk Reference To Psychology is simply packed with up-to-date statistics, especially for mental health in America, is straightforwardly written, "user friendly", and highly practical. Family Desk Reference To Psychology is a "must-read" filled with valuable information that every man and woman should know or have easy access to as a matter of mental health, emotional survival, and psychological self-defense.

Best Single Source for the Average Person
The "Family Desk Reference to Psychology" is a highly recommended guide to the current state of psychology as well as informative and useful advice to help resolve many, many common problems and questions.Anyone involved in helping others, whether that be family, friends, or professionally should read this book.The writing style if very clear and concise and yet thorough.Each issue is examined in an even-handed manner presenting all sides of the issue.

This book flies in face of current style by being a comprehensive examination of the field of psychology and help for common problems instead of a narrowly defined self-help book.Since most problems involve many different aspects of the personality it allows you to not only treat one problem, such as addiction, but the related problems that go with it, such as self-esteem and depression.

Additional information included in the book includes scams, ineffective treatment techniques and how some techniques actually create problems.Also included is a discussion of whether reading a therapy book is as effective as seeing a counselor, you may be surprised at the results of research into this area.

An exhaustive examination of the subject in layman's terms, it is a highly recommended read not only for people and families with problems but to give you the upper-hand so that many problems can be prevented.

Brilliant! A must-read book!
At last there is an easy-to-understand psychology self-help book that covers the gamut of personal problems. Chuck Falcon has written a handbook for everyone, that offers comprehensive advice and instructions on most common and often interrelated personal situations.

Psychology Made Easy discusses, in short right-to-the-point chapters, such topics as communication problems, stress, loneliness and shyness, dating and relationships and sex. It continues with raising children, divorce, middle and old age, death, depression, self-esteem and obesity...and so much more. Why, Psychology Made Easy even tells us how to avoid incompetent psychologists and psychiatrists!

This reviewer found insight and tangible help with assertiveness that opened a door for me. And there is an excellent chapter on what to do before getting married and how to cope with couple's problems.

"The death of a loved one is one of life's greatest sorrows" writes Mr. Falcon. How to cope with the grief is covered in Chapter 26. And a problem many people I know have, anger, is helped in Chapter 28. So is anxiety, guilt, insomnia, substance and gambling addictions, abuse and rape. Psychology Made Easy is a well-written reference guide that is both far-reaching in its coverage as well as effective in its recommendations.

Chuck Falcon has given the reader the means to understand and overcome these personal problems. By doing so, we are enabled to help ourselves grow and find peace and happiness!

Intriguing, different, effective approach to mental health.
This new handbook covers over 100 personal problems and life skills where psychology can be applied and can help, from lying and judging love, obesity and eating disorders. Psychology Made Easy explains reactionbehavior patterns, tells how to overcome mental health problems, and ineffect serves as a 'counselor in a book'. An intriguing, different approachproviding a remarkable and much appreciated self-help emphasis to mentalhealth. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (2)

From the back cover
Could East and West love side by side? They were in love - why shouldn't they be married? But both Felicia and Faisal knew there would be problems. Ordinary English girls just didn't marry wealthy Arabs.

On a cloud of love and optimism, Felicia flew to Kuwait to meet Faisal's family, to gain their trust, love and approval...

But Faisal's dictatorial uncle, Raschid, had no intention of allowing Felicia to marry his nephew, and his methods of driving her away were dishonorable and grossly unfair. Though Felicia resented his prejudiced attitude, she had to admit the man himself fascinated her.

Falcon's Prey
I enjoyed this suspenseful and titillating book. I think it would be helpful if AMAZON.COM included the brief summary printed on the back cover to be viewed by customers. ... Read more