Customer Reviews (2)

Covers the range of the artist's watercolours
The book opens with a chronology and a bibliography. This is followed by a ten page essay which provides a chronological record of Homer's development and his work. The remainder of the book is taken up with the colour plates, each of which is presented on the right hand page with the facing page offering details and comments on the work. These notes are generally objective and informative.

The large square format of the book combined with taking the image almost to the edges of the page, allows the images to be reproduced to a good size. However, while there is no problem with the clarity of the images they appear a little weak in colour, and lack the vibrancy one would expect from watercolours. While I have not been fortunate to see the works in the original, reproductions I have seen elsewhere look more convincing. I feel too that the choice of a modern serif font for the text is not the best choice; it certainly has not reproduced well and despite being fairly large is not that easy to read across the wide page.

This is a well produced book which offers thirty two full colour plates covering the range of the artist's watercolour output.

Great book for lovers of watercolor
This is an excellect book for anyone who is interested in painting, watercoler and/or Winslow Homer.It has a representative sample of Homers' work with large color plates, along with a discussion of each painting which places it in the context of Homers' life and career at the time the work was created. ... Read more

Book Description
Haunted by inner demons, Josh Thurlow returns home to Killakeet Island to command a small Coast Guard patrol boat manned by a colorful crew of locals. Dominating the glorious beauty of the little island is the majestic Killakeet Lighthouse, kept for generations by the Thurlow family. Its presence is a continuous reminder to Josh of the mysterious loss of his baby brother at sea seventeen years before, a tragedy for which he was blamed. But Josh is convinced that his brother might still be alive and begins searching for him even after German U-boats arrive and soak the beaches with blood. Josh's quest puts him in the path of Otto Krebs-the most audacious of the U-boat commanders and a deadly enemy who may also hold the answers Josh is seeking. But when he meets Dosie Crossan, a young woman fighting her own war against the invaders, Josh must decide whether to risk all on a love that could destroy him or redeem him.... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (40)

Desperate WWII Naval Action Off the Outer Banks
The horrendous sneak attack on Pearl Harbor focused American attention on the Pacific and the threat of German submarine attack on merchant shipping off the Atlantic coast was not appreciated.Homer Hickam writes a great story of a small Coast Guard unit based on Killakeet Island who man an 84-foot patrol boat in an attempt to forestall the U-boat aces as they destroy freighters and tankers shortly after the U.S. enters the war.Hickam describes the crew jarring transition from rescue work and fishing to desperate action against a ruthless and lethal enemy.He also includes a description of the mounted beach patrol, when cowboys along with their horses, were recruited to plug the patrol gap.

This is a entertaining story based on one of the more unique episodes in the vast conflict.

Compelling, stirring, very funny...the perfect novel
I really cant understand how anyone cannot LOVE this book...you either are coldhearted, unemotional or well i wont say anymore...If you love romance, humor, war, animals, quirkiness and life affirming themes than this is the perfect book for you...I encourage everyone to read this book...:)

lighthouse keeper's son
This was a well written suspenseful book with a touch of American history to make it even more interesting.

A Very Enjoyable Read
Very few people are aware that Homer Hickman - best known for writing "October Sky," which became the movie "Rocket Boys," also wrote the definitive book on the German U-Boat attacks which plagued shipping along the Eastern Seaboard at the beginning of World War II, "Torpedo Junction."The Outer Banks of North Carolina, where "The Keeper's Son" is set, were the focal point of much of U-Boat activity.This is a lost part of the history of World War II.

Hickman incorporates this history into his novel and does a very fine job at that.Some reviewers have scoffed at what they think is the unbelievable or absurd portrayal of the Coast Guard and U.S. Navy during the U-Boat attacks, but the historic facts fictionalized in the book are all true.The Coast Guard and Navy seem paralyzed and unable to cope with the U-Boats which roamed freely, sinking merchant ship after merchant ship and killing hundreds of seaman. Burning, sinking vessels were clearly visible from shore at night.Slowly, the U.S. military was able to get a handle on things and ultimately sank or damaged many U-Boats and ended the attacks on the East Coast.

This is both a military action book and a romance story and should appeal to fans of historic fiction.It is clear that Hickman is an excellent non-fiction writer, but he has proven himself a fine novelist as well.

The Keeper's Son
What an incredible book!This has got to be my all time favorite book.I loved all the characters, even the German u boat captain.Hickam is a masterful story teller, with just the right amount of romance, suspense and warall mixed together.I highly recommend this book, what a great read. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (91)

The Odyssey. Homer/ Robert Fitzgerald, translator.
"Odysseus rolled his head
to one side softly, ducking the blow, and smiled
a crooked smile with teeth clenched."

It's been a few years since I read Walden, but I recall Thoreau stating that Homer's epics should be read in no language but Greek. He may have been less inclined to this view if he'd had access to Robert Fitzgerald's translation, first published in 1961. It is said, by those who know these things far better than I, that heroic dactylic hexameter cannot be justly translated, and it is easy to imagine that there have been some artistically poor translations that have rendered Homer's works as generic prose. But Fitzgerald's acclaimed editions are quite artful indeed.

Odysseus' heroic trait is his `cunning intelligence'; he is admired by all mortal men that have heard his name, rulers and even the gods regard him highly; he is, for several years, the sexual prisoner of the immortal nymph, Calypso, before his epic, obstacle-riddled return to Ithaca and Penelope. [Odysseus' son] Telémakhos' heroic trait is his cool-headed, pragmatic discernment and patience. Penelope is the model of the faithful spouse, and a drove of [her] unscrupulous suitors are the leading antagonists.

There are many technical, source-critical, textual, and historical considerations concomitant to The Odyssey, and I am not qualified to speak to any of these. But the story is amazing, and in many ways `modern', certainly as to how its vignettes are structured. Twenty-six hundred years later, the heroic characters of literature, popular fiction and film/video continue to borrow the qualities and traits of Odysseus and Telémakhos.

Terrible
Sent me a different translation than I was sold.Not good for a college class that required a specific translation.

"The Odyssey" review
By Jove--this is something else.

Firstly, if you are interested in this book, get background information on Greek mythology, The Iliad, and The Odyssey. Familiarize yourself with Homer's style, the different spellings of names, etc. It's especially good to read this in school, which is where I read it first, because the teacher has knowledge of the epic and can help you in reading it.

The Odyssey is really, something else. It and its partner The Iliad have their own style of story-telling, characterization, and description.
Homer, the storyteller, possesses a powerful and confident voice. As my English teacher said, "Homer is the MAN of epics", and that could not be a lie. The text is hard to read at first, because it contains advanced language, some archaic words, and the reader needs to familiarize themselves with the cultural background of ancient Greece. However, the text becomes enjoyable and rhythmic as the story progresses, making the reader wanting to read NOTHING ELSE but Homer.

The storyline itself is AMAZING, but even more than that. It's chaotic, contains plot twists...it's possibly one of the IDEAL stories of all time.
Odysseus' journey to return home to Ithaka is filled with life themes such as despondency, peril, greed, and bravery. It's emotionally moving and thought-provoking as one reads of the lives Odysseus, Telemachus, and Penelope lead after the Trojan War, and awaiting the reunion of their family. Odysseus' own 'odyssey' is filled with dangerous monsters, promiscious nymphs, and sorrow-filled nights at sea.

Figuratively, The Odyssey parallels real life, because each life is an 'odyssey'. We all face our monsters, promiscious nymphs, and sorrow-filled nights, but also the rage of battle against suitors and the joy of finally returning home.

A Masterpiece of Poetry
This book is not bad, but I had some difficulty understanding it. It's a lot of reading, and lots of words in there that I don't know, which is kind of irritating because I'm too lazy to look up 5 million words per page just to understand ONE PAGE. Anyway, that's not important.

This version of translation is considered to be the closest to the original greek version, so reading this book might as well be reading what Homer actually wrote. It's well written, filled with full of imagery, metaphor, homeric similes, advantures, personifications, etc. It's very "visualistic." A masterpiece, no doubt!!

All time favorite Writer. All time favorite Hero.
The Odyssy, is a classic book written by Homer himself that stars the famous Hero Odysseus, his son Telemachus, and the goddess Athena. Homer was a greek poet and aoidos that wrote both The Iliad and The Odyssey. No classic can compare to The Odyssey.

In the story, The gods of Olympus finally decide to guide Odysseus home. He reaches a famous land where the people gladdly take him in. As he is kept there he tells them how he ended up marooned on the island he sailed from. He tells them of his battle with the anciant cyclops Polypheumus, his outsmarting of the charming goddess Circe, and his other famous adventures. After he finishes his story, his hosts take him over seas to his home land where he has revenge on the fowl suiters who took his place on the throne and allowed crime to roam through the streets. But i will not say if he lives or not. That is for you people to find out.

This book is so interesting that i bet all fictional readers would give it a 5 star each, because i certainly do. The big reason I liked the book was because it had a perfect mixture of fantasy, adventure, sorrow, action, and romance. Very good read for those who love this stuff. ... Read more

Book Description
With close analysis of Homer's art and of the personal challenges he faced throughout his life, Winslow Homer: The Nature of Observation is the most comprehensive study to date of the relationship between the artist's work and the psychological stages of his life. Elizabeth Johns uses theories advanced by Erik Erikson and Daniel Levinson to look at Homer's evolution as a painter and a person within the context of the continuing dynamics of his family. Her incisive and absorbing readings of the artist's work take into account the developmental stages of young, middle, and late adulthood, analyzing what Homer painted at the various turning points in his life.
With this psychosocial approach, Johns examines the wood-engraved illustrations of Homer's early career in relationship to the values of his family; his images of the Civil War in the context of his young manhood; his paintings of the social scene and young women's place in it in connection with his own potential for marriage; his images of fisherwomen at Cullercoats and fishermen at Prout's Neck as they relate to his interior vision during middle age; and his intrigue with the sea in his late works as an identification with the larger processes of the universe. With more than seventy-five black-and-white illustrations and forty color plates of arresting images by this American master, Winslow Homer takes into account all available documentation, including the rich trove of the artist's correspondence at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, and his entire body of work--illustrations for wood engravings, watercolors, and oils. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Winslow Homer
This is one of the most instructive books on painting that I have read.I could understand the concepts so well. Now I hope I can make use of them.Beautiful!

InsightfulAdjunctto the Art of Winslow Homer
Considered by most art historians to be one of the more important American artists, Winslow Homer was essentially self-taught and that fact informs his prolific span of works as much from the progressive technical maturity of his paintings and drawings as from the intuitive approach to his subjects that, at time, 'over-schooling' can flatten.

Elizabeth Johns has written an engrossing study of how Homer's life and psychological development are evident in the various stages of his work.Never cloying or intrusive in demeanor, Johns intertwines facts gleaned from correspondence and from criticism and Homer's responses to same to paint her own portrait of a man at odds with the world in some ways and in other ways as an integral observer of such phenomena as his passion for the sea.

Johns' writing is so facile that the book could comfortably exist without illustration, but add to the power of her writing the fine reproductions of both black and white and richly colored plates of Homer's paintings and this becomes a book that will satisfy even those who have questioned Homer's importance in American art history.A fine read.Grady Harp, November 05 ... Read more

Book Description
This volume provides an excellent introduction to the work of Jacques Lacan, covering all of Lacan's major concepts such as the Imaginary, the Symbolic and the Real. Sean Homer draws on a number of examples from the fields of literary, film, gender and cultural studies to help explain these difficult concepts, and explores the ways in which Lacanian psychoanalytic theory has impacted on these areas. This is the ideal introduction to the work of one of the most important theorists and thinkers of our time for scholars working within a variety of disciplines. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A very helpful Guide
This book does not substitue reading the seminars but it sure brings to light some Lacanian concepts that are blurry on the originals. This book has helped me a lot.

Too short to explain anything let alone Lacan...
This introduction to Jacques Lacan did not clarify his concepts to me. If you are new to Lacan like me, interested in his work, but do not know where to start, this is not the first book on him to read. It is very short - 130 small pages of contents - which is to few to explain complicated notions Lacan uses. this is like trying to explain theory of big bang, quantum mechanics and black holes in 200 words... It is too brief, does not clarify things,... I read it twice carefully and i still do not understand what Lacan means with his notions like real, imaginary, simbolyc ...
I recommend that you find and try something else, a bit more comprehensive...

A well written introduction into the Labyrinth of Lacanian thought
I have been struggling with Lacan for some time and have read several introductions. Sean Homer's book is one of the best; therefore I would like to recommend it. Homer concentrates on the most important concepts in Lacan's philosophy and gives at the end of each chapter a short summery. May be this takes away much of the complexity of Lacan's thought, but knowing what his writing is all about might be still very helpful before entering in the labyrinth of the French philosopher's thought. ... Read more

Book Description
Presents a biography of Winslow Homer ... Read more

Book Description
Homer the farm pigeon learns that city life is not as glamorous as he imagined. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Lessons for Life
Like a good children's book should, "Fly Homer Fly" has great life lessons that are simplified into a beautiful short story for children. The illustrations evoke a sense of blue longing for something. Homer leaves his country home and find disillusionment with the dangerous city and its mean birds. Isn't there something to be said about all our so-called progress and our relentless search for something better when all that really matters is already at our fingertips and requires only our appreciation and attention?

A Nice Story That Your Children Will Enjoy
Follow Homer the country pigeon and his new found city friend Sparky the sparrow as they journey to Mammoth City to explore a new life for Homer.

Homer begins to realize how good life was back in the country andis faced with having to adjust to his new life or return home.

One of the BEST!
This is one of my all time favorite Bill Peet books.I remember the good ole days of my youth spent at library reading most of his books.Fly Homer Fly is a heartwarming story about Homer, a pigeon who leaves his dull country life for the big city.It's rather like a fish out of water story. Homer gets bullied by huge city pigeons and injures his wing afterescaping.Just as a cat is about to pounce; his sparrow friends rescuehim, take him back home sweet home to the countryside and nurse him back tohealth. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (16)

Spectacular Synthesis, Signals Emergence of Collective Intelligence
I learned a great deal more about this author when two chapters in a book I just published, Collective Intelligence: Creating a Prosperous World at Peace featured histhinking: an interview of him by Hassan Masum; and his interview of the Rt Hon Paul Martin on the important topic of the Internet and democracy.

Consequently, I may place more value on this book than some of the other reviewers, but I choose to give it a solid five stars.In combination with his earlier book The Ingenuity Gap: Facing the Economic, Environmental, and Other Challenges of an Increasingly Complex and Unpredictable Future, and the work of many, many people on emergent collective, peace, commercial, gift, cultural, and earth intelligence, all subsets of the emerging discipline of public intellligence (self-governance founded on full access to all information to produce reality-based balanced budgets), I regard the author as one of a handful of individuals exploring the possibilities of cognitive collective integral consciousness.

I have a note: superb single best overview.I cannot list all the books I would like, being limited to ten links, the ones I do are a token.See my 1100+ other reviews and my many lists for a more comprehensive stroll through the relevant literatures.

Highlights from my notes:

+ Five stresses (population, energy, environmental, climate, economic)

+ I have a note, what about mental, cultural, physical stress (e.g. dramatic increases in mental illness, blind fundamentalism, and obesity).

+ See the image on predicting revolution, the author observes that revolutions come from synchronous failures with negative synergy.

+ Connectivity and speed are multipliers, and I am reminded that virtually all US SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition) systems in the US are connected to the Internet and hackable (meanwhile, the Chinese have figured how to hack into systems not connected to the Internet, but drawing electric power from the open grid).

+ Synchronous failures get worse when they jump system boundaries and created frayed less resilient networks.

+ He write of the thermodynamics of empire and the declining return on investment from energy discovery and exploitation.

+He writes of migration getting much much worse in the future, which confirms my own view that border control is not the answer, stabilization & reconstruction of the source countries is the longer-term sustainable answer.

+ He credits George Soros with having the first intuitive understanding of the asymmetries of wealth in relation to destabilization of the world.

+ He observes that we have transformed and degrades half the Earth's land surface, and is particularly concerned with the washing away of entire nations of topsoil (compounded by agriculture that does not do deep-root farming).

+ As the book winds to a conclusion, the author discusses massive denial and the loss of resilience that gets worse each day.

+ "Non-extremists have a formidable 'collective action problem.'"

+ Need alternative values (I am reminded that the literature points out just two sustainable approaches to agriculture and community: the Amish and the Cuban).He notes that fundamentalists are especially ill-equipped by their myopia to be adaptive or resilient.

+ He covers the polarization between rich and poor.While other books listed below are more trenchant, the author has done a superb job of integrating historical, economic, social, and cultural works.This is a very fine book.

+ He adds a useful snippet on Cultural Intelligence, distinguishing between utilitarian values (likes and dislikes), moral values (fairness and justice), and existential values (significance and meaning).

+ Violence is discusses as stemming from motivation, opportunity, and framing--all of which can be found in the eight stages of genocide as defined by Dr. Greg Stanton of Genocide Watch.

+ He ends the book with praise of the open source model (search from my Gnomedex 2007 keytone, "Open Everything") and concludes that the Internet is not living up to its potential as a platform for large-scale problem solving.I agree, and I condemn Google for choosing to become an illicit vacuum cleaner of other people's information, rather than an open source platform for allowing every person to be a collector, processor, analyst, producer, and consumer of public intelligence (search for my book review of "Google 2.o: The Calculating Predator."IBM ando the Google partners are literally BLIND and refusing to assimilate documented early warnings on how Google is preparing to scorch banking, communications, data storage, entertainment, and publishing, all without respect for privacy or copyright, and without regulatory oversight.

I list below eight books I recommend for reading as an expansion of this elegant synthesis.At Earth Intelligence Network you can find a table of 1000+ books I have reviewed, sortable by threat, policy, or challenger.

A More Secure World: Our Shared Responsibility--Report of the Secretary-General's High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change
The Unconquerable World: Power, Nonviolence, and the Will of the People
A Power Governments Cannot Suppress
The New Craft of Intelligence: Personal, Public, & Political--Citizen's Action Handbook for Fighting Terrorism, Genocide, Disease, Toxic Bombs, & Corruption
Group Genius: The Creative Power of Collaboration
Five Minds for the Future
The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and What Can Be Done About It
The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid: Eradicating Poverty Through Profits (Wharton School Publishing Paperbacks)

Eye opening read.
without repeating points well-made by the other reviewers here, this book was an eye opener for me, and laid out clearly many things that have been concerning me for some time, but which I have mostly seen only intuitively; Homer-Dixon quantifies and qualifies many of these concerns.

My main problem with this book, and the reason I don't give it five stars, is that Homer-Dixon's grasp of history is Eurocentric and fairly shallow, so using the Roman empire as his only major comparison point is not presenting the historical picture at all well; he should have drawn on Persian history, especially the Sassanid empire, India and China, as a wider context would have shown that the Romans were at least as much borrowers as innovators, and when they ran out of ideas to borrow it harmed their solution-finding ability immensely.

The "Elephant in the room" that Homer-Dixon and others ignore (and he never squarely addresses it in this book) is that our biosphere probably cannot support the current number of humans indefinitely, let alone the expected population growth to come, even if the effects of looming resource shortages and global warming are ignored. In the event of a major breakdown of global networks and fragmenting of societies as they look out for themselves first and last, starvation on an enormous scale looms. This is a problem that also needs to be addressed, but perhaps has no socially acceptable solution.

Despite these minor reservations, I would recommend this book as a starting point that pulls together ideas from many disciplines, leading into deeper research from specialists in the fields Homer-Dixon touches on.

Eloquent and timely
In this pathbreaking work Thomas Homer-Dixon illustrates the complex and tenuous relations between the human ecology and the natural systems upon which society, markets, and structures of governance are based. He warns that human populations, and their high rates of resource consumption, are rapidly outstripping the regenerative capacity of the planet. A principal contribution of the work lies in his argument that energy flows play a central role in the maintainance of economic and socio-political stability. Homer-Dixon's exploration of the role of energy in the collapse of previous political institutions is rather novel and deserves serious consideration.
Moreover, Homer-Dixon has a rare talent for weaving advances in the natural sciences into the policy literature and communicating advanced concepts to the reader with clarity and precision. His discussions of complexity, emergent properties, and panarchy are particularly illuminating. A wonderful read.

Reflecting in the fog
The key question in this book is raised in the very middle: "Why don't we face reality?"A major reason is that we are groping in a fog to learn what that reality is.Homer-Dixon likens our society to a driver careering along a country road in a dense fog.We can barely see what's ahead, but we're somehow confident that no mishap will befall us.We've gotten this far safely.As we drive, we're guided by the mantra of "endless economic growth".We have some idea where we've been, but remain uncertain about what lies ahead.Worse, we don't seem to care.Ignoring the warning signs indicating that all might not be well we continue along our course.In this excellent study of how our society is progressing and where it's likely going, the author clearly outlines the various options before us and what actions we can take to prevent serious disruptions.

The book is a call for preparation.Resilience is what our outlook and our policies should undertake to prevent disasters that we cannot handle.Having observed and reflected on these issues for several years, Homer-Dixon concludes that major difficulties lie ahead.We cannot avoid them - they're already here or loom in the near future.He lists some of the obvious ones:terrorism is now a part of life, climate change beyond our experience is already with us, and economic and social disruption causes have already been pinpointed.His model used as the basis of assessment is the Roman Empire.He cites three examples of what the Empire accomplished, the Colosseum, the road and aqueduct networks and the Temple of Jupiter at Baalbek, Lebanon.All these enterprises required immense amounts of energy, yet a society without engineering schools achieved them all successfully.It worked only so long as the energy was available and applied efficiently.Our schools taught us that the Romans built their imperium on slavery, but Homer-Dixon shows that concept to be false.Oxen pulled the 256 carts of material required by the Colosseum and free peasant farmers supplied the basic energy needs.The Empire collapsed only when the energy required failed.We need to understand what can be learned from that Empire offer, andHomer-Dixon demonstrates how pertinent the lessons are today.

The author's formula for assessment is EROI - Energy Return On Investment.We've been profligate in energy use, and it's future availability is a major concern of the his."Peak oil" has been the topic of so many books and articles, it should be old news.The author notes how the petroleum industry and those dependent on it keep up a continuous barrage of denial propaganda to discourage us from believing that evident fact.The "globalised" economy was supposed to reduce the distinction between rich and poor.Not only is it having the opposite effect, but it's increasing the consumption of energy in the process.While a number of recent books stress the threats posed by environmental change, Homer-Dixon sees that as but one element in a far larger picture.He deals with a full range of pressures building up to threaten society.He likens them to tectonic stresses likely to snap unexpectedly at any time.

Unlike some books making forecasts or offering timetables of potential catastrophe, Homer-Dixon's more circumspect.He's more concerned with demonstrating that the kinds of "growth" we've experienced cannot endure. What and when surprise setbacks occur is of less importance to him than how we adjust to them.He's not addressing a small coterie of "movers and shakers" with this workHis prose style is just short of that of a story-telling narrative.He means for all of us, taxpayers, policy-makers and even academics and scientists, to participate in the development and preparation of new sets of options for survival.We will all be effected by the unfolding events.While this may seem that the author's "Down" is inevitable and final, he prefixed it with "Upside" for a reason.His opening depicts the destruction of a city - San Francisco in the 1906 earthquake and fire.The city didn't collapse and die, but recovery meant a new approach to disaster planning.We must follow that example, or our collapse will be more severe.It will be global and possibly all-consuming.[stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

Required Reading for all Who Care About the Planet
This brilliant, courageous, inspiring, multidisciplinary book unflinchingly examines the ominous, ever increasing tectonic pressures--population imbalances, energy shortages, environmental damage, global warming, and the widening gaps between rich and poor--that threaten to disrupt, if not topple, civilization.

Historical, ecological, political, economic, scientific, sociological and psychological threads are woven together in a fascinating, extremely readable analysis of the mess we are in, how we got here, what we can expect in the future, and what we can do about it.

Homer-Dixon does not provide magic bullet solutions to our problems because, in fact, none exists. He does, however, suggest four important actions, including boosting the overall resilience of our civilization, especially critical systems like energy and food distribution. Most importantly, he stresses the cultivation of the prospective mind, which includes an openness to radically new ways of thinking about our world and about how we should live our lives.

The author states that "when a social earthquake erupts--when the established order starts to crack and crumble--much depends on what happens in the period immediately following the initial shock." A mega-crisis has the potential to jolt people awake from their social conditioning, and can bring out the very worst or the very best in people. Homer-Dixon tells us to prepare for that moment, so the forces of reason, tolerance and compassion will prevail.

This book is not for those wanting to pretend that band-aide solutions from corporate-owned politicians will save us. This book is a zen-like slap in the face designed to zap denial, and awaken prospective, creative intelligence, so that bold new solutions to our planetary problems can emerge.

If I could, I would make The Upside of Down required reading for everyone on the planet. When it comes to defining the global crisis, it is by far the best of the following related books which I've recently read:

James Howard Kunstler, The Long Emergency: Surviving the End of Oil,
Climate Change, and Other Converging Catastrophes of the Twenty-
First Century (2006)

Stephen Leeb, The Coming Economic Collapse (2006)

Chalmers Johnson, Nemesis: The Last Days of the American Republic (2006)

Sir Martin Rees, Our Final Hour: A Scientist's Warning (2003)

DavidKorten, The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community (2006)

Bill McKibben, Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable
Future(2007)

Raine Eisler, The Real Wealth of Nations: Creating a Caring Economics
(2007)

Jerry Mander & John Cavanagh, Alternatives to Economic Globalization
(2004)

Paul Hawken, Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Movement in the World Came
into Being and Why No One Saw it Coming (2007)

Lester Brown, Plan B2.0: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a
Civilization in Trouble(2006)

Paul & Anne Ehrlich, One With Nineveh: Politics, Consumption and the
Human Future(2004)



... Read more

Book Description
Read by a full castTwo cassettes / 1 hour 40 minutesWhen Sylvester meets George Baruth, he goes from being a terrible hitter to the boy who only hit homers!--But how will he answer some of the difficult questions that go with his new talent?Matt Christopher's series of sports fiction novels have captured the imagination of young readers everywhere.--He also writes about basketball, hockey, soccer and other sports. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

The book that kept me awake!!!
I thought this was a great book because when I had to go to bed, I was still reading an hour later! I could not put it down. I would recommend "The Kid Who Only Hit Homers" because if you're into baseball and suspense, this is the book for you.

Sam W, 11
Framingham, MA

The Kid Who Only Hit Homers
The Kid Who Only Hit Homers
By Matt Christopher

If you're a kid who likes baseball, than you should read the Kid Who Only Hit Homers by Matt Christopher. This book is about a kid who is named Sylvester Coddmyer. Sylvester is a kid who loves baseball but is not that good at it.He doesn't want to sign up for his team, but that all changes when he meets someone named Mr.Baruth. Mr. Baruth really is Babe Ruth.Babe Ruth practices with Sylvester every day. He teaches him how to hit and how to catch.Sylvester joins the team. Every game he hits a homerun.The moral ofthe story is practice makes perfect.


Sam F, 10
Cunniff School
Watertown, MA

yooooooooooooooooooooooo you like football
Do you like football books then you will like this book.Called Friday Night Lights. This book is about a Texas team that plays football and the teams running back hurt his knee really badly and the team is not very good with out him. Will the team be good?

Are You Ready For A Homerun Derby?
Do you like baseball, because if you do you would like this book called The Kid Who Only Hit Homers. This book is about a kid, named Sylvester who was not very good at baseball. He could not even make his team, the Red Birds. But then he met a man at the Red Birds' practice. He sometimes watches the Red Birds practice and one day he met Mr. Baruth.Will Sylvester get better? If you like this book review is goodto your nearest book store or library. My name is Brooks an I think you should read this books because it's about baseball and the author did a great job of making it interesting.

Great for just starting out.
I grew up reading Matt Christopher books and now at the age of 20 I owe my great interest in baseball literature to him and his books. They are great for kids to get into reading about the sports they love to play and they teach great life and sport lessons espicially about humility. There will always be a place in my heart for his literature and this is probably his best book on baseball. Highly reccomended. ... Read more

Book Description
The First Major Critical Survey on the Artist in a Decade;Includes All Major Paintings.WINSLOW HOMER: AN AMERICAN VISION, by Randall C. Griffin, is the firstmajor critical survey on the life and work of Homer, one of America'sbest-loved artists, in the last decade.The book features every one of hismajor paintings alongside a remarkable selection of his lesser-knownetchings and woodcuts.Griffin's thoroughly researched, yet readablestudy, not only presents a full account of Homer's life and work, but alsoa fresh and provocative reassessment of his place in the history ofAmerican art. Randall Griffin, Associate Professor of Art History at Southern MethodistUniversity and an authority on Homer, begins his study of the life andworks of the artist with the astute observation, "Like the poems of WaltWhitman, the pictures of Georgia O'Keeffe, the novels of F. ScottFitzgerald and the music of Duke Ellington, the works of Winslow havehelped shape America's view of itself."Griffin argues that Homer's workexemplifies the aspiration to create specifically American subjects and aspecifically American character.Winslow Homer (1836-1910) was born in Boston, Massachusetts the same yearthat Davey Crockett died at the Alamo. He began his career a magazineillustrator and soon becoming a regular contributor to Harper's Weekly.Inthe early 1860's, Homer was sent by his editor to the front lines of TheCivil War, where he began to work on woodcuts and lithographs of wartimeencampments, some of his lesser-known pieces that are included in thismonograph.In the post-war years Homer turned his attention to theAmerican countryside and its people, and produced Snap the Whip, a paintingthought by many to be his best work.This painting was embraced by criticsas a nationalist masterpiece, reaffirming American ideals and values thathad been lost during the war.In 1883, Homer moved to the New Englandfishing village of Prout's Neck, Maine and, utilizing his watercolorskills, began what was to become his best-known period of seascapes andnautical scenes.Griffin presents an academic yet approachable study of this Americanclassic, expanding on the criticisms and themes of Homer's work, such aspost-war American values, the relationship between nature and man, theAmerican pastoral, and the loss of manhood control.WINSLOW HOMER: ANAMERICAN VISION presents an exceptional array of Homer's gorgeouspaintings, sketches and watercolors and is the most up to date monographavailable on the artist.This beautiful selection of works, paired withGriffin's original research and fresh interpretation, makes this a timelessbook that will compliment any library as well as satisfy the needs ofscholars and general readers alike. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A powerful, recommended pick.
The works of Winslow Homer are already well familiar to any interested in American art: they captured the American Civil War and, later, scenes of early America as a whole, presenting a range of styles and themes - so it's surprising to note this book is the first in-depth critical survey written in the last decade. Here all his major paintings appear along with a number of etchings and woodcuts to compliment a blend of biography and critical art survey. Full-page color prints not only analyze the works; they offer insights into the public's reaction to scenes, settings, and perspectives. A powerful, recommended pick.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch ... Read more

Book Description
"Dalby's book and his bibliography provide a superb introduction to the debate surrounding these poems."—Lisa Montanarelli, San Francisco Chronicle
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Customer Reviews (4)

Why you might want to read this study
This is no book of an afternoon. It challenges even a hell educated reader, indeed its roots are such that they are deeper than many PhD's in literature are capable of delving.Three clearly different segments, notes, a guide to other readings, and a bibliography constitute a scholarly treatise.

While other reviewers write of the premise that "Homer" was a woman as a difficult stretch, I am inclined to ignore the idea under the conclusion that it has little relevancy for my readings of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and a suspicion that such a claim may be an illustration of the fashionable readings of the two works that Dalby discusses throughout.

His discussion of historic parallels and potential geographical place identifications relating to the Trojan War is a substantial part of the work.So if you are interested in linguistic Schliemannism, this isa good source.

The discussion of the major changes that took place in twentieth century understanding of the nature of oral poetry, the role of Milman Parry, Lord, and Murko - while employed for proof of the female Homer premise- is both a concise history of scholarship and reveals much about lengthy oral poetry. Again a good reason to read this book.

Needless to say, the vast discussion about "Oral" poetry is of serious merit. The relationship of performance to text opens up the entire author/text/audience question of modern critical theory. Since oral poetry is always changing from performance to performance, what happens when it is written down. Modern critics need to consider the ideas.

But what about the Phaedo? We remember that bit about the orphan word, written and without its "fathering mind" to defend it. Dalby looks extensively at practice, concepts, pronunciation and other matters of ancient Greek poetry. This is a motherlode of valuable data.

Both good and original--but that which is original is not good
In "Rediscovering Homer," Andrew Dalby asserts that the epics attributed to Homer "are better--more subtle, more complex, more universal--than most others" because they were (he contends) written by a woman.

This assertion clearly rests on Dalby's belief that works written by women are better than works written by men because they are more subtle, more complex, and more universal than works written by men. The assertion is at best unsustainable.

Imagine a critic who wrote the following: "The novels of William Faulkner are better--more subtle, more complex, more universal--than most of those written by Virginia Woolf because they were written by a man rather than a woman." Most readers would deem this assertion outrageous. Dalby's assertion is no better.

And even if it were true that women's literary works are generally "more subtle, more complex, more universal" than men's literary works--and no objective evidence supports this subjective conclusion--that "truth" would not sustain an assertion that Homer was a woman. One could draw Dalby's conclusion only if (a) there existed some objective measure of literary merit--of subtlety, complexity, and universality--that only women could achieve and (b) we could determine reliably that the Homeric epics met that objective standard. Of course, neither condition is met.

The quotation with which I take issue is drawn from Dalby's preface. He does not improve on it later in the text. He establishes at best that in recent history many (perhaps even most) oral poets were women--but one cannot draw conclusions across cultures (and millenia) to conclude that, among the Greeks, there were more women epic poets than men. And, again, even if one could draw that conclusion, that conclusion would not logically lead to the conclusion that Homer was a woman. One could draw that conclusion only if all epic poets in that time and place were women.

Dalby dismisses the ancient tradition that Homer was a man. That dismissal also lacks merit. In fact, Dalby himself helps establish the accuracy of that tradition. The ancient tradition held that the "Iliad" and the "Odyssey" were both written by the same person, a man known as Homeros. Dalby (like some other recent scholars) has concluded that the ancient tradition was correct in attributing both works to the same author. Given that the tradition was correct in that regard, there is no reason to reject it as unreliable in regard to the sex (or, for that matter, the name) of the epics' author. Indeed, the reliability of the ancient tradition in one respect (i.e., same author for both works) helps confirm its reliability in the other respect (i.e., author was a man named Homeros).

If "Rediscovering Homer" consisted solely of Dalby's assertions regarding Homer's sex (or gender, to use the more recent term), I'd give it only two stars. Much of the rest of the work, though, is better reasoned. Dalby is very good at reviewing the work of other scholars and pointing out where those scholars have overstated the evidence or rested their arguments on unfounded assumptions. He is particularly compelling on the "one author" issue. (Of course, so is Bernard Knox in the introduction to Fagles' translation of the "Odyssey.") Unfortunately, Dalby does not apply the same tools of critical thinking to his own arguments. Dalby often makes absolutist statements that help him sustain his argument, but those statements are themselves not sufficiently founded. (His comments about the motives of oral poets are especially prone to such absolute averments.) Had he explored more carefully the underpinnings of his own arguments, this would be a far better work.

As it stands, this work does have its value. Even where Dalby strikes me as arguing beyond his support, it is clear that he is fundamentally knowledgeable about the underlying scholarship, and his biases are apparent enough that the reader can grapple with them.

[Note: Edited to correct a typographical error.]

What he said. . .
Brickbat70's response to Dalby's book is a good one. With my five-star rating, however, I am more forgiving of the author's few less-convincing arguments. Certainly his discussion of the Paris-Alexandros question is a stretch--one that covers too much ground to satisify. The female authorship issue notwithstanding (an idea that has been around at least since Butler), Dalby's broader discussion of gender relations and conflict in the epics is sensible and at times enlightening. This book is a very useful and informed contemporary discussion of the conversion of oral composition to written text. Unlike so many others, Dalby avoids the "we-can't-really-know-anything-about-Homer" refrain whenever possible, preferring instead to make reasonable assertions based on history, language, and close reading. I recommend this book highly to anyone interested in the field.

Fascinating History, Nothing "Bold" or "Audacious"
The Publisher's Weekly review evaluates this book perfectly: The historical evidence for the existence of the Trojan War is fascinating, and the specific evidence and conclusions presented by Andrew Dalby are highly possible, but the book contain a major flaw. He digs through a variety of Egyptian, Hittite, and Greek sources to argue that the Trojan War of Homer--and the major characters, such as Paris--are collapsed versions of a variety of historical events that took place in the 100+ years before the composition of the original oral epic. He may be wrong, but he supplies evidence and reaches for conclusions that are at least moderately supported.

The problem comes with his "bold assertion" (as the publishers call it on the jacket) that Homer was a woman. Well, so what? It has been stated before, and few would be particularly upset if it were proven to be true, so there is nothing "bold" in it. The real weakness comes from Dalby's weak evidence and his loosely constructed logic. Even more glaring is that this assertion doesn't seem essential to the book itself. This book is really a collection of thoughts and ideas related to various aspects of Homer's texts, and the Homer as Female thesis is a weak attempt to provide a controlling idea. However, Dalby only presents this thesis 2/3 of the way through the book and then quickly moves on.It's a way to stand out, and perhaps a way to sell a few more books, but it isn't very important.

This is a good book and an interesting book when it allows itself to be what it is: an educated collection of thoughts related to history, oral literature, and Homer. It's when it pretends to be something else that it fails.

Read the parts that interest you and ignore the rest. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Space is the final frontier--and its mysteries have fascinated Homer H. Hickam since childhood. In 1957, at age 14, he built his first rocket--and so began his space-age career, which eventually led to an engineering job at NASA. But in 1998, his calling blasted off in a new, unexpected way with the release of a bestselling memoir,Rocket Boys, (made into the mesmerizing movie, October Sky). Now, with Back to the Moon, the man-of-science-turned-memoirist dabbles in the world of fiction.

Despite its high-tech premise and lunar locale--Back to the Moon is no science fiction saga. It is, instead, a fast-paced technological thriller--filled with exceptional scientific know-how. (The author describes how spices are essential for astronauts because the normal aroma of food does not "drift into the sinuses or caress the palate in a microgravity environment.")

The space shuttle Columbia has been hijacked by an ex-astronaut and former employee of NASA, Jack Medaris. But Jack is by no means the bad guy--he has simply grown disillusioned with NASA, with its "timid" bureaucracy that no longer works for the good of mankind. Earth's supply of fuel is in jeopardy, and Jack believes that the moon holds the secrets of an alternative source of power. But a shady organization called the Millennium group is determined to stop the space shuttle from reaching the moon. As the shuttle hurtles through the galaxy, the renegade astronaut battles to steer the ship towards its destination. He also fights to keep himself from falling in love with one of the ship's crew members--a feisty female astronaut named Penny High Eagle.

Even if the plot complexities seems to defy gravity at times, Back to the Moon still dares to tread where few thrillers have gone before--into space. --Naomi GesingerBook Description
The shuttle is hijacked. Now the countdown to adventure begins....

In his #1 New York Times bestselling memoir, October Sky, real-life NASA engineer Homer Hickam captured the excitement of America's first space ventures. Now, in this no-holds-barred joyride of a thriller, he straps us into the cockpit of the space shuttle Columbia as a renegade rocket man hijacks the shuttle—and blasts off on a Mach-speed chase into space....

Jack Medaris is a man haunted by his past and driven by a dream: He's risking everything to "borrow" the Columbia—and pilot it to the moon. He didn't plan on an unexpected passenger, beautiful celebrity daredevil and scientist Penny High Eagle. To Penny, this hijacking will test every bit of her mettle as an adventurer—and as a woman. To Jack, the mission is a personal quest—to return to the moon and bring back what America left behind, something so explosive, it could change the future of the world. Now, as the U.S. government scrambles to the chase, and as deadly forces are deployed from earth to stop them, a man and a woman find their fates inextricably entwined. And in the savage emptiness of deep space, their only hope is to join forces to reach the lunar surface. Then comes the hard part. Getting home alive.Download Description
In the year 2002, America's space program is a faded shadow of its former self. Before becoming a permanent display at the Smithsonian, the space shuttle Columbia is scheduled for one final, routine flight. Hijacked on the launch pad by a renegade group of former NASA insiders, Columbia is soon headed for the moon instead of a museum.

At the helm of the rogue spacecraft is Jack Medaris, a brilliant, troubled scientist whose covert refitting of the shuttle for a moon mission has been funded by a mysterious, deep-pocketed consortium. Once in space, Medaris learns that there's more to the story than he has been told. Defending the shuttle against a series of attacks, the fate of his mission, and the future of Earth, depends on his ability to decide who he can trust to bring Columbia back safely. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (76)

Laura S.
Back to the Moon by Homer H. Hickam Jr. is an interesting story about a group of people who travel into space to the Shorty crater to solve the age old question of how the crater was originally formed. Gene Cernan and Harrison "Jack" Schmitt were the first men to go on the mission to the moon, aboard the Challenger, to solve the mystery. They collect "fire beads" and soil from the surface of the crater for evidence. Years later, Jack plans another mission, aboard a new shuttle, to the moon for more research. Destroying his plans, someone ruins the facility and the shuttle. Meanwhile, another crew, including Jack Medaris, Virgil, Katrina "Kate" Suttner, and Penney High Eagle, prepare to take off aboard the Columbia. Jack Medaris is in love with Kate, but towards the end, he falls for Penney as well. The crew on Columbia faces many obstacles while in space. They were attacked by defense satellites and bombs. Jack is on his own shuttle, and lands on the moon, recovering pieces from the Challenger, including a love note from Kate to her future husband. While there, he falls into the Short crater and pulls in the Lunar Rover in an attempt to get out, also burying the note from Katrina. The crew heads back to the shuttle and eventually return back to earth. Yet another obstacle comes their way. The shuttle began to fall apart and landed in the ocean. A few of the members escaped by parachutes and the others were safely rescued.

I did not particularly enjoy this novel as much I would have liked to. It was very confusing at times, and I had trouble understanding it. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a detailed story about travels into space, with a bit of a love story addded.

Mr. Hickam for national pundit!
I found this a really good read, filled with interesting characters and a great plot.

It starts out with a highjacking of the space shuttle. Hickam has enough inside knowledge to make that perfectly plausible. There is a lot of work in space suits involved, something Hickam apparently was involved in a lot at NASA. Penny High Eagle, the payload specialist, is a great and sympathetic characture. Paco the cat who's aboard is a funny touch. There's a lot of fun to this novel. I think a lot of it is tongue in cheek that some reviewers can't figure out. It definitely is not boring and is a real page-turner.

It is very thought-provoking about the "Star Wars" killer satellites around the moon, plausible, too.

In a lot of ways, this novel is a love story. Jack wants most of all to go to find a message on the moon from his late wife. Yet, his wife never went to the moon so how could it be there? I teared up when I read what Jack actually finds there.

I noticed a note on a review about a pistol being fired in space. Gun powder does not require air to burn. It contains all the ingredients in it to work in a vacuum. A form of gun powder, after all, is what is used in solid fuel rockets! As for a space-suited astronaut getting his finger on the trigger, a .45 caliber pistol has plenty of room in its trigger guard. Recoil is a problem but Hickam has his astronaut well wedged in.

I enjoyed rummaging around the old Apollo 17 site with Medaris. Some really good writing here.

All in all, much recommended. Let there be no doubt that Homer Hickam knows how to write a novel. I love all his books. Remember, even his memoirs are written as novels

Keep it up, Mister Hickam! Can't wait for the Back to the Moon movie!

A novel written while Hickam was developing his skills
First off, this was written before Hickam's Rocket Boys according to his web site even though it came out afterwards.Clearly, when he wrote this novel, Hickam was just developing his skills as a writer.Still, even though it's dated (he uses the ill-fated shuttle Columbia for this trip to the moon) this is a very good book and I thoroughly enjoyed it.Hickam's inside knowledge of NASA makes it a unique book. I think his tongue was very much in cheek most of the time while he was writing this but I still get the idea that the characters are based on real people he knew while working for the agency. After reading the novel, I felt as if I actually knew each and every one of the people in this book from old gruff Sam the head of mission control to Cecil the lawyer. I especially liked Cecil. He's a great character and is a good example of Hickam's development while writing this book into the great novelist he's become. Like his latest novel, The Keeper's Son, this is a novel filled with action and adventure but it is also a love story, too, and a good one. Not only is there love between the hero Jack Medaris and the beautiful Amerindian science reporter Penny High Eagle aboard the shuttle but there is also the memory of love still with Jack's dead wife who was also a rocket scientist. The scenes on the moon were especially well done.Hickam makes you feel as if you really are there.And the idea of having Jack walking around the old Apollo 17 site was pure genius.How lonely it must be there in reality.Hickam gave me that sense but also wrote it with wonder and hope.Then when Penny joins him and Jack reads the letter (I won't tell you who it's from), I got goose bumps!Even then, Hickam's talent was very impressive in his ability to make you feel for his characters.I read this novel in one long reading and was very impressed, especially since I've read Hickam's most recent work.He is a much better writer now and it's interesting to see his early work as he learned his trade.I look forward to reading all of his work from here on and I certainly don't hold this early effort against him.Read it for what it is and simply enjoy the ride.

I really enjoyed it
I am 14 years old.This novel is fun to read.I couldn't pt it down because I wanted to know what was going to happen to Jack and Penny and Paco (who is a cat).I've really enjoyed all of Mr. Hickam's books, especially his books about Coalwood and growing up there.I and my parents are going to visit Coalwood this October 4 to meet Mr. Hickam and the other rocket boys.It should be a lot of fun.But on this novel, I really think it's a great book.My mom and dad both read it before me and said so.I just like the idea of us going back to the moon but I also really got into Jack and Penny's love story.I also loved when he wrote about Paco.A cat in space is a very funny and interesting idea.I think a cat in space would be just like Paco is described.I felt really bad for Jack when he found the message on the moon.I cried over that.I am getting all my friends to read this book.

One of the best space novels I have ever read
It is remarkable to me that a space engineer/reviewer would not like this book.I am such, have worked in the industry for decades, and believe that Homer Hickam has written a delightful techno-thriller that not only is a compelling page turner but gives the reader, space insider or not, much to think about.I guess you'd have to say Hickam is nor has ever been much of a "in the box" kind of thinker.If he was, he wouldn't have written Rocket Boys/October Sky which has sold ten times more copies than any astronaut biography.

The plot of this novel is centered around the Apollo 13 type of "can do" engineering whereby what is available is modified to do the impossible.But this is more than a book of engineering.It is a deeply philosophical look at the American space program and the very real people who are in it.Hickam has created characters that I deeply cared about as I read their adventures although he, as evinced in all his books, has his tongue firmly in his cheek much of the time.Homer, by the way, no longer works for NASA and from what I can tell rarely devotes any time to it these days.Most of his writing has centered around the town of Coalwood, West Virginia and I notice that his new novel is set on the Outer Banks and is a seafaring novel.Much can be learned about Hickam the writer on his site... In any case, this is a great novel for everybody.Don't miss it. ... Read more

Amazon.com
In this follow-up to his bestselling autobiography Rocket Boys, Homer Hickam chronicles the eventful autumn of 1959 in his hometown, the West Virginia mining town of Coalwood. Sixteen-year-old Homer and his pals in the Big Creek Missile Agency are high school seniors, still building homemade rockets and hoping that science will provide them with a ticket into the wider world of college and white-collar jobs. Such dreams make them suspect in a conservative small town where "getting above yourself" is the ultimate sin and where Homer's father, superintendent of the Coalwood mines, is stingy with praise and dubious about his son's ambitions. Homer's mother remains supportive, but bluntly reminds him, "You can't expect everything to go your way. Sometimes life just has another plan." Indeed, Hickam's unvarnished portrait of Coalwood covers class warfare (union miners battling with his authoritarian father), provincial narrow-mindedness (the local ladies scorn a young woman living outside wedlock with a man who abuses her), and endless gossiping along the picket "fence line." These sharp details make the unabashed sentiment of the book's closing chapters feel earned rather than easy. Hickam can spin a gripping yarn and keep multiple underlying themes and metaphors going at the same time. His tender but gritty memoir will touch readers' hearts and minds. --Wendy Smith Book Description
It's fall, 1959, and Homer "Sonny" Hickam and his fellow Rocket Boys are in their senior year at Big Creek High, launching handbuilt rockets that soar thousands of feet into the West Virginia sky. But in a season traditionally marked by celebrations of the spirit, Coalwood finds itself at a painful crossroads.

The strains can be felt within the Hickam home, where a beleaguered HomerSr. is resorting to a daring but risky plan to keep the mine alive, and his wife Elsie is feeling increasingly isolated from both her family and the townspeople. And Sonny, despite a blossoming relationship with a local girl whose dreams are as big as his, finds his own mood repeatedly darkened by an unexplainable sadness.

Eager to rally the town's spirits and make her son's final holiday season at home a memorable one, Elsie enlists Sonny and the Rocket Boys' aid in making the Coalwood Christmas Pageant the best ever. But trouble at the mine and the arrival of a beautiful young outsider threaten to tear the community apart when it most needs to come together. And when disaster strikes at home, and Elsie's beloved pet squirrel escapes under his watch, Sonny realizes that helping his town and redeeming himself in his mother's eyes may be a bigger-and more rewarding-challenge than he has ever faced.

The result is pure storytelling magic- a tale of small-town parades and big-hearted preachers, the timeless love of families and unforgettable adventures of boyhood friends-that could only come from the man who brought the world Rocket Boys ... Read more

Customer Reviews (65)

A Christmas to Remember
Dr. Werner von Braun once said, "Matters of faith are not really accessible to our rational thinking. I find it best not to ask any questions, but to just believe..." These words are truly conveyed throughout the second of Homer Hickam Jr.'s memoirs, The Coalwood Way, originally published in 2000. Although following his acclaimed, Rocket Boys, this compelling story does not continue where the last left off. Portions of the memoir take place during the same time period as the last, however, this tome portrays the life of Homer "Sonny" Hickam in a different light. This particular memoir focuses on Sonny's senior year in high school and the hardships he must go through when growing up. In addition to working diligently on creating improved rockets, Sonny must focus on achieving A's in school. Most importantly, he must focus on his family. In 1959 Coalwood, West Virginia is a ticking bomb and as it becomes more and more difficult to keep the mines running, the bomb seems to always be the verge of exploding leaving the people out of jobs, homes and, even worse, their town. Sonny must now try to keep his family together while the town falls apart and yet keep alive the dream of leaving in order to join his role model, Dr. Werner von Braun, at Cape Canaveral.
Sonny Hickam is on his way to fulfilling his dreams as the book begins. However there a few obstacles on the way. Troubles in his family prevent Sonny from leading an easy, carefree life. His mother, Elsie, is growing increasingly impatient with Sonny's father. Sonny's father, Homer, is the mine superintendent and with the opening of a dangerous new mine, 11 East; ultimately, he is home even less often than usual. The strain on the marriage becomes too much for Sonny's mother and she insists on leaving Coalwood to escape to Myrtle Beach in order to sell real estate.In addition to his domestic hardships, Sonny is having troubles with himself. Every so often, although only lasting a few minutes, Sonny will find himself engulfed in an unexplainable grief. This mystery baffles Sonny day after day. As he searches for the origin of this mystery grief, he learns more than he ever imagined. Sonny's emotions and adventures are vividly depicted through a truly sentimental story, splashed with humor in all the right places. The writing style of Homer Hickam in this memoir is once again captivating and absolutely unforgettable.
Although one may think memoirs aren't written well due to the lack of an experienced writer, The Coalwood Way reads like an old time fable. It is written in such a way that you are taken from your own world and thrown into the small town in West Virginia. Hickam depicts Coalwood in such a way that the image of every part of the quaint town is etched into your mind. His method of writing will bring you to tears when tragedy strikes and laughter when Sonny finds himself in a humorous predicament.
This memoir is all about finding yourself and realizing that whenever life trips you up, someone will always be there to catch you when you fall.Throughout this lucid story, Sonny tries to find himself, and while looking down on his beloved town, he finally realizes the answer to what he's being puzzling all along. He understands his feelings, thinking: "My parents, and all the people of Coalwood, had given me the only true gifts they could ever give, that of their wisdom, and of their dreams, and of their love. All fear, sadness, and anger inside me had vanished. I knew who I was and where I came from and who my people were. I was ready to leave because I could never leave." Once Sonny realizes he can let go of the past, he is able to finally leave his hometown with the closure he needs to succeed.

The "perfect" next book.....
"The Coalwood Way" is the part 2 contiuation of the "Rocket Boys", AKA:"October Sky". I just really like the way Mr. Hickamtells his story in his books. I find them to be "Americana" like- a success story from a humble start. I think the series could be a must read for middle and high school students as a way to see their potential in their own future and not just the here and now. A great book (and series) to read!

Very much different from Rocket Boys/October Sky
I'm not sure where the below reviewers are coming from.The Coalwood Way, although including the Rocket Boys, is very much different from the first memoir.And it is not a bunch of disconnected stories, not at all!The Coalwood Way opens with Sonny Hickam in a strange depression a year after the death of his grandfather who had lost his legs in the coal mine.It is a depression he struggles with throughout the book and is the core thread.How he determines what is causing that depression really fills out a part of the original memoir that was left out and provides us with insight as to how he ultimately succeeds.Hickam reveals how that last winter in Coalwood so much is happening to him and his friends.His rockets are starting to work, but nothing else does.He even lets Chipper, his mom's beloved squirrel, escape into the winter cold and snow.He also meets Dreama, a young woman also struggling, and wanting Sonny to be her friend.Dreama is considered something like white trash, and is living with one of the most detestable men in town.Sonny also falls for Ginger who dreams of being a professional singer and provides an interesting counterpoint to the coal miners' sons of Coalwood with their dreams of spaceflight."Dad," or Homer, Sr. is also struggling, trying to open a part of the mine that has defeated previous mine superintendents but upon which the future of Coalwood depends."Mom," or Elsie, struggles with her failure to win the annual Veteran's Day parade (Coalwood's float has always won before), as well as her continuing attempts to get Homer, Sr. to quit the mine before black lung kills him.Elsie also identifies very much with Dreama and wants to help her but is held back by the "Coalwood way".The story is told with Hickam's tradmark humor and there are as many laugh out loud moments as tears. The dramatic arc of these threads to the story all join in a night of murder and mayhem when Coalwood is also buried in a huge snowstorm and cut off from the rest of the world.This is followed by another night of hope and amazing redemption on Christmas Eve that will cause even the hardest heart to melt.In many ways, this is Hickam's Coalwood Christmas story and it's a great one.You will love it.

The same story...
A story told first time can be fasicnating. As Rocket Boys was. The same story told second time is just boring. The first one had a backbone: boys trying to achieve the goal despite the circumstances. The second one - ranomly selected stories about this or that - I simply don't care. Meaningless and boring

nothing new, but still ok
i read Rocket Boys, which i loved, and then moved on to the Coalwood Way.i was rather disappointed when i started it. it wasn't that it was about a period of time covered in rocket boys - i knew that already.but what i loved about rocket boys was the portrayal of a small town, and the coalwood way basically repeats that subject, which i think was pretty well covered already in Rocket boys.

so this book isn't a must-read, like rocket boys. but it's still pretty good, as i discovered after getting throught the first couple introductory chapters (which mostly just repeated things said in rocket boys). there's still plenty of new plot material - there's dreama, a girl living with an abusive man out of wedlock, who just wants to be accepted by the town's women. then there's sonny's girl-related woes, mostly centered around a girl named ginger (there's very litttle dorothy plunk, for those of you sick of her from rocket boys). then there's sonny's relationship with both his parents, and with his brother. (sonny is homer, in case you don't know.)

this is sort of an alternative to rocket boys, telling some of the same messages from different angles. if you've already read rocket boys, read some of the other books on your list first. ... Read more

Book Description
Homer Hickam won the praise of critics and the devotion of readers with his first two memoirs set in the hardscrabble mining town of Coalwood, West Virginia. The New York Times crowned his first book, the #1 national bestseller October Sky, “an eloquent evocation ... a thoroughly charming memoir.” And People called The Coalwood Way, Hickam’s follow-up to October Sky, “a heartwarmer ... truly beautiful and haunting.”

Now Homer Hickam continues his extraordinary story with Sky of Stone, dazzling us with exquisite storytelling as he takes us back to that remarkable small town we first came to know and love in October Sky.

In the summer of ‘61, Homer “Sonny” Hickam, a year of college behind him, was dreaming of sandy beaches and rocket ships. But before Sonny could reach the seaside fixer-upper where his mother was spending the summer, a telephone call sends him back to the place he thought he had escaped, the gritty coal-mining town of Coalwood, West Virginia.There, Sonny’s father, the mine’s superintendent, has been accused of negligence in a man’s death — and the townspeople are in conflict over the future of the town.

Sonny’s mother, Elsie, has commanded her son to spend the summer in Coalwood to support his father. But within hours, Sonny realizes two things: His father, always cool and distant with his second son, doesn’t want him there ... and his parents’ marriage has begun to unravel. For Sonny, so begins a summer of discovery — of love, betrayal, and most of all, of a brooding mystery that threatens to destroy his father and his town.

Cut off from his college funds by his father, Sonny finds himself doing the unimaginable: taking a job as a “track-laying man,” the toughest in the mine. Moving out to live among the miners, Sonny is soon dazzled by a beautiful older woman who wants to be the mine’s first female engineer.

And as the days of summer grow shorter, Sonny finds himself changing in surprising ways, taking the first real steps toward adulthood. But it’s a journey he can make only by peering into the mysterious heart of Coalwood itself, and most of all, by unraveling the story of a man’s death and a father’s secret.

In Sky of Stone, Homer Hickam looks down the corridors of his past with love, humor, and forgiveness, brilliantly evoking a close-knit community where everyone knows everything about each other’s lives — except the things that matter most.Sky of Stone is a memoir that reads like a novel, mesmerizing us with rich language, narrative drive, and sheer storytelling genius.Download Description

Homer Hickam won the praise of critics and the devotion of readers with his first two memoirs set in the hardscrabble mining town of Coalwood, West Virginia. The New York Times crowned his first book, the #1 national bestseller October Sky, "an eloquent evocation... a thoroughly charming memoir." And People called The Coalwood Way, Hickam's follow-up to October Sky, "a heartwarmer... truly beautiful and haunting."

Now Homer Hickam continues his extraordinary story with Sky of Stone, dazzling us with exquisite storytelling as he takes us back to that remarkable small town we first came to know and love in October Sky.

In the summer of '61, Homer "Sonny" Hickam, a year of college behind him, was dreaming of sandy beaches and rocket ships. But before Sonny could reach the seaside fixer-upper where his mother was spending the summer, a telephone call sends him back to the place he thought he had escaped, the gritty coal-mining town of Coalwood, West Virginia. There, Sonny's father, the mine's superintendent, has been accused of negligence in a man's death -- and the townspeople are in conflict over the future of the town.

Sonny's mother, Elsie, has commanded her son to spend the summer in Coalwood to support his father. But within hours, Sonny realizes two things: His father, always cool and distant with his second son, doesn't want him there... and his parents' marriage has begun to unravel. For Sonny, so begins a summer of discovery -- of love, betrayal, and most of all, of a brooding mystery that threatens to destroy his father and his town.

Cut off from his college funds by his father, Sonny finds himself doing the unimaginable: taking a job as a "track-laying man," the toughest in the mine. Moving out to live among the miners, Sonny is soon dazzled by a beautiful older woman who wants to be the mine's first female engineer.

And as the days of summer grow shorter, Sonny finds himself changing in surprising ways, taking the first real steps toward adulthood. But it's a journey he can make only by peering into the mysterious heart of Coalwood itself, and most of all, by unraveling the story of a man's death and a father's secret.

In Sky of Stone, Homer Hickam looks down the corridors of his past with love, humor, and forgiveness, brilliantly evoking a close-knit community where everyone knows everything about each other's lives -- except the things that matter most. Sky of Stone is a memoir that reads like a novel, mesmerizing us with rich language, narrative drive, and sheer storytelling genius.

Customer Reviews (42)

It just gets better and better
If you have read Rocket Boys, it's imperative you continue with Coalwood Ways and Sky of the Stone.All are wonderful reads with great life lessons.Sky of the Stone was my favorite of the three but they build on each other.I look forward to reading Red Helmet in February!

Rocket Boys continued!
Just a great part 3 continuation of "The Rocket Boys", AKA: "October Sky". I could hardly put it down. I really enjoyed this book, too.

A darker sequel
I read October Sky a week ago and then grabbed this one.I haven't read The Coalwood Way but after starting Sky of Stone, don't think it's necessary.This book continues where October Sky left off, and in many ways people are introduced in this book that were never mentioned in the first book.In manyways this book seems to be derived from all the notes taken out of the first book.Sonny's father's character comes to light in this book and we see the continued tension between father and son, and the son's reluctant growth into adulthood when he accepts (or is forced into) adult decisions for the first time.

Homer is a year out of college and he's slowly learning that many of the naive things he experienced in boyhood are coming back to haunt him. Where we all read about the fame and success of the six Rocket Boys, we now find that they are scattered across the country in college.With Homer, the grades in the first year weren't anything out of this world, or anything indicative of an aspiring rocket scientist. Without reading October Sky this book may appear to be a mystery, and I recommend reading October Sky first before attempting this one.

It is unfair to compare one book to the other, although I am doing it right now.What the first book was in childish charm, this one is with mature awakening.The writing style is still superb, the narrative flowing.The built-up to the plot, however, takes longer.The rocket scientist is no longer a rocket scientist in this book, and we find Homer Jr more of his father's son as a summer miner, exactly what he never wanted to be while in high school.

There is much more sadness in this book.The focus is on the death of a miner at the mine that Sonny's father manages.This book is more of a country suspense than it is a happy-go-lucky story like October Sky is.I think that this change in tone was necessary because the first book was full of optimistic, youthful naivete.

The problem with sequels and trilogies is that to understand the whole picture, all books must be read.I have now read two of the three and don't plan on reading the second book.

A great book
A wonderful book that was not only an engaging story, but offered a glimpse into the life of West Virginia coal miners. Following on the heels of the "Rocket Boys" ( the book that inspired the movie "October Sky"), this book carries on the story of Rocket Boy and author Homer Hickam. You won't be sorry you read this book.

An excellent peice of literature
Sky of Stone, by Homer "Sonny" Hickam, is the sequel to his famous memoir, Rocket Boys, (October Sky). The story takes place in 1961, a year after his graduation from high school. Sonny, now eighteen, has just finished his first year of college at VPI, and is hoping to spend his summer with his mother in Myrtle Beach, lying on the beach, watching the girls go by, and dreaming about building rockets with Wernher Von Braun, the world famous rocket engineer. Out of the blue, his mother calls and says that he can't go to South Carolina; he to go back to Coalwood, West Virginia, the place he thought he was free from, to keep his father company. Sonny, shocked out of his socks, at first argues, but he eventually gives up knowing that he would not want to get on his mom's bad side. So, he heads up to Coalwood, filled with confusion pounding at his head. His father is a pretty stubborn man who can hold is own. Why would he need his company?
Within the first few days of being in Coalwood, Sonny wrecks his father's car. In order to pay his father back for repairing the damages, Sonny has to do the one thing that he never dreamed he would do in this or any other life time: he joins the UMWA (United Mine Workers of America), which is the union for the Coalwood miners. He becomes a "track-laying man," one of the hardest jobs in the mining business. His father, completely enraged with this, as well as having the pressure of the Tuck Dillon case on his mind, threatens to cut off Sonny's college fund if Sonny doesn't stop working in the mines. Yet, Sonny, who is actually beginning to enjoy the hard work of being a miner, refuses.
As the story goes on, Sonny slowly begins to find more and more information about the Tuck Dillon accident, and starts to wonder if his father might have actually killed Tuck. Sonny also has many other adventures during this experience of being a miner. He makes many new friends, some of whom give him very important advice and teach him life lessons; he meets a girl engineer who is older than he, and he starts to have feelings for. He also participates in a heated track-laying race with the other mining group.
Sky of Stone, like Rocket Boys, is a beautifully well-written memoir, filled with such amazing images, you feel as though you are reading a novel. The fact that this is a true story about one man's experience is astonishing. Along with it being about Homer's life, it deals with the hardships of growing up, changing from a teenager into a young man, trying to find your place in the world, while dealing with reality and the new feeling of independence. Each page you read takes you further into this adventure, making you fall in love even more with the book. You feel as though you are with Sonny every step of the way, learning more and more from this new experience. Personally, having read October Sky, I love both books and think that Homer Hickam is great author. It is a wonderful book, for anyone, as it reflects on life and the many lessons it teaches us, "I knew then, as I faced the sky, that Coalwood would go on. Its buildings might be torn down, its mine closed, its people might even die, but Coalwood would persevere. There was something about this place that maybe, as the Reverend Richard maintained, God just liked. Coalwood had nothing to fear and I guessed I didn't, either. When I needed it, the old place of my boyhood would yet be there waiting for me with all its wisdom and purpose, if not in stone and wood and iron, then still in my memory and my heart. I closed my eyes and felt the rain against my face, and smelled the smoke of the defeated fire, and thought of Coalwood. Coalwood, as it was, and shall be. Coalwood my home. Coalwood forever." (354). As I got to the end of the book I felt as though I was looking back on memory, in awe and filled with respect. In conclusion, I think this is great book, and I highly recommend it to anyone.
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Book Description
This book contains more than 3,700 Homer Laughlin dinnerware patterns in full color, plus hundreds of additional photographs, advertisements, pamphlets, and the history of The Homer Laughlin China Company and its dinnerware. Represented are dinnerware patterns from pre-1900 to current Fiesta® patterns and everything in between. Piece type lists and drawings of each shape are included, as well as a visual index to help identify the shape of your pattern. Organized by shape, here are a few included in this book: Fiesta®, Harlequin, Riviera, Eggshell Georgian, Eggshell Theme, Eggshell Swing, Eggshell Nautilus, Americana, Willow, Virginia Rose, Liberty, Brittany, Rhythm, and Epicure to name the most popular. Included is a price guide, making this the most definitive book ever written on The Homer Laughlin China Company. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Comprehensive!
This is a comprehensive and necessary resource for those interested in learning about this major American china manufacturer.It only adds to my appreciation of HL's vast array of products over the decades, and makes my own small collection all the more valuable to me.

Great book, well organized
I've recently become fascinated with dinnerware from the mid-twentieth centurty and have collected many individual pieces manufactured by Homer Laughlin.This book allowed me to identify the patterns and shapes of these pieces, as well as the dates they were manufactured. ... Read more

Book Description
Armies and empires, statesmen and tyrants--the acclaimedhistorian Robin Lane Fox vividly recounts the history of two greatcivilizations and one thousand years that forged the Western world

The classical civilizations of Greece and Rome once dominated the world,and they continue to fascinate and inspire us. Classical art andarchitecture, drama and epic, philosophy and politics--these are thefoundations of Western civilization. In The Classical World, eminent classicist Robin Lane Fox brilliantlychronicles this vast sweep of history from Homer to the reign of Augustus.From the Peloponnesian War through the creation of Athenian democracy,from the turbulent empire of Alexander the Great to the creation of theRoman Empire and the emergence of Christianity, Robin Lane Fox serves asour witty and trenchant guide. He introduces us to extraordinary heroesand horrific villains, great thinkers and blood-thirsty tyrants.Throughout this vivid tour of two of the greatest civilizations the worldhas ever known, we remain in the hands of a great master. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Solid overview until falling off a cliff near the end
Basically, in the last few chapters of what easily could have been a four-star book, if not quite a five-star, Lane shows the same scholarship problems he evidences much more severely in "The Unauthorized Version." (See my review of it for more.)

He is generally a great classicist, and a good popularizer and writer of classical history. But, he is WAY out of his league as a scholar of early Christianity. Starting in the chapter "Christianity and Roman Rule," he makes statements, and takes interpretative stances, that are simply unsupported by the best modern scholarship.

On the interpretative stances, the biggest wrong move, as in "The Unauthorized Version," his credulous acceptance of a high degree of historicity for the Gospel of John. He shows some degree of credulity about the other New Testament Gospels' historicity as well.

One example? He accepts that there were actually exactly 12 apostles, without stopping to think at all about the symbolic significance of a parallel to the 12 tribe of Israel.

Next, he misinterprets Luke 13:1-5. Contrary to Fox, the actual account says nothing about the Galileans murdered by Pilate being Zealots or any other kind of revolutionaries. The only thing Fox does get right is to note that, as Jesus said, their station and activities in life were irrelevant to why they died.

Next, per evangelical Christian sociologist Rodney Stark, there were probably less than 1,500 Christians in the entire world at the time Claudius expelled the Jews from Rome, allegedly for a Christian disturbance. (Note: Tacitus, the source here, does NOT use "ChristOS," the normal Greek word for "Christ," but "ChrEEstos," an epithet often translated as "noble" or similar, and used for Apollo, amongst other things. It is arguable that the Latin-first Tacitus confused two Greek words, but, perhaps he did not. In any case, this could have been a Messianic disturbance with no connection to Yeshua bar-Iusuf of the village of Nazareth, assuming the "historical Jesus" even existed, and it shows Tacitus had little knowledge whereof he spoke on this.)

Of those 1,500 Christians, reasonably, no more than 300, at best, would have been in Rome, out of a population of 1 million. It's ridiculous to think that "Christians," rather than "Jewish Messianism," could have been the cause of either Claudius' expulsion or Nero's persecution. (And, if the Jews were expelled, when did any of them come back?)

Finally, earlier in the book, Fox shows a tin literary ear and a weak understanding of philosophy. On the latter, he's too generous to Socrates as a philosopher, and one doesn't have to be as critical of Socrates as Izzy Stone to know that Fox is almost gushing.

On the literary side, for Fox to call Plato "the greatest prose-writer in all world literature" is something I will kindly let pass without further comment.

And, on the scope of things, less than600 pages of body text for a book this broadly ranging means Fox is painting with a single, thin application of watercolors.

It almost seems he constrained himself into a subtitle's alliterative straitjacket. Why not "Alexander to Antoninus Pius" or "Macedon to Marcus Aurelius" instead? Lop 500 years of time off the front end of the book and focus it more.

In short, compared to "Pagans and Christians" as Fox's top work, this is somewhat a disappointment.

A great overview
I knew a lot about bits and pieces of classical culture and history, but this book put it all together nicely. It would defenitely be best for people who have an interest in the topic going in. It gets a bit encyclopedic in places, but overall a good and informative read.

Fill-in the gaps in your knowledge of history and have fun doing it
I enjoy reading history and decided on this book to give me information about an era I know little about, ancient Greece and Rome. This work is an excellent introduction to this topic and is quite enjoyable to read. The chapters are generally twelve pages or less, so it is convenient to sample the material in small doses. And those doses prove to be fascinating enough to tempt the reader to push on through succeeding chapters even as the eyelids grow heavy at night.

This is a narrative history which chronologically traces the developments of both societies. It is heavy on political events, but provides enough social history to make the period come alive. Fox's work can serve as a fine springboard for later reading in more concentrated areas that the reader may wish to explore. For the person with an interest in history, Professor Fox lays a basic foundation and provides a strong sense of understanding what made Grecian and Roman societies work. In an engaging style, he helps us understand how many traditions, practices, and values evolved in western civilization.

The Classical World is an excellent introduction to the ancient world for the general reader
Rome was not built in a day. Neither was Athens or Alexandria or your knowledge of the ancient world! "The Classcial World" is a long book with
small print which will give you a good working understanding of the classical world from Homer (8th century BC) to Hadrian the Roman ruler of the second century AD.
Fox is an Oxford Scholar best known for his book on Alexander the Great used by Oliver Stone in his making of the movie "Alexander." In being forced to cover over 900 years of history it is impossible for Fox to cover, in detail, all the political, social, literary and scientific advances made in that near millenium. Rather, Fox gives us a political survey of the times with some social history included. The chapters are short and digestable. We learn of what is what like to live in the Athens of Pericles or the Rome of Julius Caesar. Fox teaches us about blood sports, sexual morality, literature and the complicated politics of the distant past over 40 generations ago. We meet such seminal figures in Western culture as Homer, Plato, Aristotle, Alexander the Great, Caesar, Cleopatra, Mark Antony and Latin authors such as Tacitus, Virgil, Suetonius as well as Greek historians Herodotus & Thucydides. The philosophy of Plato and Aristotle is explored. We see empires rise and fall. We meet early Christians such as Paul and see the impact of Christianity on the Roman Empire.
This book is written in a plain easy to comprehend style. The book is well illustrated containing good maps. The most interesting section, to this reviewer, was the fall of the Roman Republic and the rise of emperors in the first century BC. Emperors from the Julian-Claudian dynasty are fascinating. Caesar, Augusutus; Tiberius; Caligula; Claudius; Nero are well drawn.
Fox says three major themes are apparent in the way ancients looked at the world" Freedom-from Athenian republicanism to the tyranny of Roman emperors; justice issues were important to the ancients as were the role of luxury in life. The Spartan Greeks would have been appalled at the wanton luxury and sybratic lifestyle of the Roman aristocracy.
This book would do well as a basic textbook for Ancient History 101.

Sweeping history of the Classical World
Robin Lane Fox has authored a sweeping history of what he calls "The Classical World," from Homer's Greece to Hadrian's Roman Empire.While a work of such scope means that there cannot be great depth in discussing any point in that era; on the other hand, it provides a bird's eye view of issues, themes, and change over time.The author himself notes that (page xv): "It is a challenge to be asked to write a history of some none hundred years, especially when the evidence is so scattered and diverse, but it is a challenge which I have enjoyed."

Some definitional issues. Lane defines "The Classical World" as (page 1) ". . .the world of the ancient Greeks and Romans, some forty lifetimes before our own but still able to challenge us by a humanity shared with ours."Fox ceases his narrative with the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian.Why? Lane says (page 2): ". . .'classical literature' ends in his reign. .. ."Even more important Page 2), ". . .is that Hadrian himself was the emperor with the most evident classicizing tastes."

First, Fox focuses on three themes across this span of history--freedom, justice, and luxury.He believes that each of these--and the changes that occurred with time--can help explain the sweep of events.

Second, he divides the time span into several eras, and treats each separately, although noting how the themes of freedom, justice, and luxury play out in each."The Archaic Greek World" begins with Homer's Greece and concludes with the great Persian Wars.The next time period is what Fox refers to As "The Classical Greek World."This period runs from the rise of democratic Athens, the Peloponnesian War, Socrates, the rise of Philip of Macedon.The next phase is what he terms "Hellenistic Worlds," beginning with Alexander the Great's incredible success and the development of one of the world's largest empires.This frame runs until the final struggles between Carthage and Rome.Fox then moves on to a discussion of "The Roman Republic."Here, he considers the increase in luxury in Rome, the intrigues among Pompey, Julius Caesar, and Caesar's death.He follows this with a discussion "From Republic to Empire."The chapters in this segment include the rise of Octavian (to Augustus), his conflicts with Mark Antony, the Civil War against the assassins of Caesar, and so on.The last portion of the book, "An Imperial World," traces the post-Augustan period, concluding with Hadrian's rule.

Under Hadrian, according to Fox (page 571): ". . .the two worlds of this book, the classical Greek and the Roman, came closely together.Hadrian's love of Greek culture is evident in his patronage, his favours for Greek cities (especially Athens) and his personal romantic life."

In a history as large as this, one sacrifices depth for breadth.It is interesting to note Fox's rather dismissive treatment of Julius Caesar and Octavian/Augustus, as compared with more sympathetic treatments of each in the recent biographies by Goldsworthy and Everitt.Also, Everitt's biography of Cicero provides greater depth on that key figure in the period of time when the Republic was moving toward Empire.All in all, this is a well written book and worth looking at by those interested in this slice of history.
... Read more

Book Description
The classical civilizations of Greece and Rome once dominated the world, and they continue to fascinate and inspire us. Classical art and architecture, drama and epic, philosophy and politics--these are the foundations of Western civilization. In The Classical World, eminent classicist Robin Lane Fox brilliantly chronicles this vast sweep of history from Homer to the reign of Hadrian. From the Peloponnesian War through the creation of Athenian democracy, from the turbulent empire of Alexander the Great to the creation of the Roman Empire and the emergence of Christianity, Fox serves as our witty and trenchant guide. He introduces us to extraordinary heroes and horrific villains, great thinkers and blood-thirsty tyrants. Throughout this vivid tour of two of the greatest civilizations the world has ever known, we remain in the hands of a great master. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Solid overview until falling off a cliff near the end
Basically, in the last few chapters of what easily could have been a four-star book, if not quite a five-star, Lane shows the same scholarship problems he evidences much more severely in "The Unauthorized Version." (See my review of it for more.)

He is generally a great classicist, and a good popularizer and writer of classical history. But, he is WAY out of his league as a scholar of early Christianity. Starting in the chapter "Christianity and Roman Rule," he makes statements, and takes interpretative stances, that are simply unsupported by the best modern scholarship.

On the interpretative stances, the biggest wrong move, as in "The Unauthorized Version," his credulous acceptance of a high degree of historicity for the Gospel of John. He shows some degree of credulity about the other New Testament Gospels' historicity as well.

One example? He accepts that there were actually exactly 12 apostles, without stopping to think at all about the symbolic significance of a parallel to the 12 tribe of Israel.

Next, he misinterprets Luke 13:1-5. Contrary to Fox, the actual account says nothing about the Galileans murdered by Pilate being Zealots or any other kind of revolutionaries. The only thing Fox does get right is to note that, as Jesus said, their station and activities in life were irrelevant to why they died.

Next, per evangelical Christian sociologist Rodney Stark, there were probably less than 1,500 Christians in the entire world at the time Claudius expelled the Jews from Rome, allegedly for a Christian disturbance. (Note: Tacitus, the source here, does NOT use "ChristOS," the normal Greek word for "Christ," but "ChrEEstos," an epithet often translated as "noble" or similar, and used for Apollo, amongst other things. It is arguable that the Latin-first Tacitus confused two Greek words, but, perhaps he did not. In any case, this could have been a Messianic disturbance with no connection to Yeshua bar-Iusuf of the village of Nazareth, assuming the "historical Jesus" even existed, and it shows Tacitus had little knowledge whereof he spoke on this.)

Of those 1,500 Christians, reasonably, no more than 300, at best, would have been in Rome, out of a population of 1 million. It's ridiculous to think that "Christians," rather than "Jewish Messianism," could have been the cause of either Claudius' expulsion or Nero's persecution. (And, if the Jews were expelled, when did any of them come back?)

Finally, earlier in the book, Fox shows a tin literary ear and a weak understanding of philosophy. On the latter, he's too generous to Socrates as a philosopher, and one doesn't have to be as critical of Socrates as Izzy Stone to know that Fox is almost gushing.

On the literary side, for Fox to call Plato "the greatest prose-writer in all world literature" is something I will kindly let pass without further comment.

And, on the scope of things, less than600 pages of body text for a book this broadly ranging means Fox is painting with a single, thin application of watercolors.

It almost seems he constrained himself into a subtitle's alliterative straitjacket. Why not "Alexander to Antoninus Pius" or "Macedon to Marcus Aurelius" instead? Lop 500 years of time off the front end of the book and focus it more.

In short, compared to "Pagans and Christians" as Fox's top work, this is somewhat a disappointment.

A great overview
I knew a lot about bits and pieces of classical culture and history, but this book put it all together nicely. It would defenitely be best for people who have an interest in the topic going in. It gets a bit encyclopedic in places, but overall a good and informative read.

Fill-in the gaps in your knowledge of history and have fun doing it
I enjoy reading history and decided on this book to give me information about an era I know little about, ancient Greece and Rome. This work is an excellent introduction to this topic and is quite enjoyable to read. The chapters are generally twelve pages or less, so it is convenient to sample the material in small doses. And those doses prove to be fascinating enough to tempt the reader to push on through succeeding chapters even as the eyelids grow heavy at night.

This is a narrative history which chronologically traces the developments of both societies. It is heavy on political events, but provides enough social history to make the period come alive. Fox's work can serve as a fine springboard for later reading in more concentrated areas that the reader may wish to explore. For the person with an interest in history, Professor Fox lays a basic foundation and provides a strong sense of understanding what made Grecian and Roman societies work. In an engaging style, he helps us understand how many traditions, practices, and values evolved in western civilization.

The Classical World is an excellent introduction to the ancient world for the general reader
Rome was not built in a day. Neither was Athens or Alexandria or your knowledge of the ancient world! "The Classcial World" is a long book with
small print which will give you a good working understanding of the classical world from Homer (8th century BC) to Hadrian the Roman ruler of the second century AD.
Fox is an Oxford Scholar best known for his book on Alexander the Great used by Oliver Stone in his making of the movie "Alexander." In being forced to cover over 900 years of history it is impossible for Fox to cover, in detail, all the political, social, literary and scientific advances made in that near millenium. Rather, Fox gives us a political survey of the times with some social history included. The chapters are short and digestable. We learn of what is what like to live in the Athens of Pericles or the Rome of Julius Caesar. Fox teaches us about blood sports, sexual morality, literature and the complicated politics of the distant past over 40 generations ago. We meet such seminal figures in Western culture as Homer, Plato, Aristotle, Alexander the Great, Caesar, Cleopatra, Mark Antony and Latin authors such as Tacitus, Virgil, Suetonius as well as Greek historians Herodotus & Thucydides. The philosophy of Plato and Aristotle is explored. We see empires rise and fall. We meet early Christians such as Paul and see the impact of Christianity on the Roman Empire.
This book is written in a plain easy to comprehend style. The book is well illustrated containing good maps. The most interesting section, to this reviewer, was the fall of the Roman Republic and the rise of emperors in the first century BC. Emperors from the Julian-Claudian dynasty are fascinating. Caesar, Augusutus; Tiberius; Caligula; Claudius; Nero are well drawn.
Fox says three major themes are apparent in the way ancients looked at the world" Freedom-from Athenian republicanism to the tyranny of Roman emperors; justice issues were important to the ancients as were the role of luxury in life. The Spartan Greeks would have been appalled at the wanton luxury and sybratic lifestyle of the Roman aristocracy.
This book would do well as a basic textbook for Ancient History 101.

Sweeping history of the Classical World
Robin Lane Fox has authored a sweeping history of what he calls "The Classical World," from Homer's Greece to Hadrian's Roman Empire.While a work of such scope means that there cannot be great depth in discussing any point in that era; on the other hand, it provides a bird's eye view of issues, themes, and change over time.The author himself notes that (page xv): "It is a challenge to be asked to write a history of some none hundred years, especially when the evidence is so scattered and diverse, but it is a challenge which I have enjoyed."

Some definitional issues. Lane defines "The Classical World" as (page 1) ". . .the world of the ancient Greeks and Romans, some forty lifetimes before our own but still able to challenge us by a humanity shared with ours."Fox ceases his narrative with the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian.Why? Lane says (page 2): ". . .'classical literature' ends in his reign. .. ."Even more important Page 2), ". . .is that Hadrian himself was the emperor with the most evident classicizing tastes."

First, Fox focuses on three themes across this span of history--freedom, justice, and luxury.He believes that each of these--and the changes that occurred with time--can help explain the sweep of events.

Second, he divides the time span into several eras, and treats each separately, although noting how the themes of freedom, justice, and luxury play out in each."The Archaic Greek World" begins with Homer's Greece and concludes with the great Persian Wars.The next time period is what Fox refers to As "The Classical Greek World."This period runs from the rise of democratic Athens, the Peloponnesian War, Socrates, the rise of Philip of Macedon.The next phase is what he terms "Hellenistic Worlds," beginning with Alexander the Great's incredible success and the development of one of the world's largest empires.This frame runs until the final struggles between Carthage and Rome.Fox then moves on to a discussion of "The Roman Republic."Here, he considers the increase in luxury in Rome, the intrigues among Pompey, Julius Caesar, and Caesar's death.He follows this with a discussion "From Republic to Empire."The chapters in this segment include the rise of Octavian (to Augustus), his conflicts with Mark Antony, the Civil War against the assassins of Caesar, and so on.The last portion of the book, "An Imperial World," traces the post-Augustan period, concluding with Hadrian's rule.

Under Hadrian, according to Fox (page 571): ". . .the two worlds of this book, the classical Greek and the Roman, came closely together.Hadrian's love of Greek culture is evident in his patronage, his favours for Greek cities (especially Athens) and his personal romantic life."

In a history as large as this, one sacrifices depth for breadth.It is interesting to note Fox's rather dismissive treatment of Julius Caesar and Octavian/Augustus, as compared with more sympathetic treatments of each in the recent biographies by Goldsworthy and Everitt.Also, Everitt's biography of Cicero provides greater depth on that key figure in the period of time when the Republic was moving toward Empire.All in all, this is a well written book and worth looking at by those interested in this slice of history.
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Book Description
This book discusses and reproduces more than two hundred paintings, watercolors, and drawings that span Winslow Homer`s career, focusing not only on Homer`s masterpieces in various media but also on the suites of works on the same subject that reflect the artist`s essentially modern practice of thinking and working serially and thematically. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Homerandthe sea
I liked the book, has hundreds of oil paintings and many of the watercolors of Homer, about everything that has to do with the sea where it is a true master. The reason for placing four stars and not five is not that there are so many color illustrations of every page, as expect of a large book. But like is a very good buy for lovers of Homer

Taking Winslow Homer Seriously
Too often museums and writers take the prodigious output of the 19th century American artist Winslow Homer lightly, even at times dismissing him as inconsequential in the mainstream of important art.This magnificent volume whould change that once and for all.

Essayists and curators Nicolai Cikovsky andFranklin Kelly, with significant contributions by writers Judith Walsh and Charles Brock, have not only created a superb collection of Homer's works in all media, they have also taken the time to reevaluate Homer in terms of his place among his colleagues of his day, his subsequent isolationism when he communicated with nature along the coast of Maine, creating come of the most mystically beautiful works form an American artist, and an overview of how history has treated him.

The result is a hefty volume with more valuable insights and well written essays that for once truly illuminate the images generously placed throughout the volume.This may have started out to be a catalogue to accompany a traveling exhibition, but its long shelf life is assured by the high quality of every aspect of the book.Highly recommended for art lovers and art historians alike.Grady Harp, January 06

A nice taste of Winslow Homer
I'd been looking for a book about Winslow Homer for a while and was delighted to find this one. Kate Jennings' copy about his life and art are very good and the 68 color prints are large and on glossy paper. The prints are not top notch, but very nice. If you're looking for a nice collection of Homer's work without breaking the bank, this is for you. (This review pertains to the Winslow Homer book by Kate Jennings. Alas,I havn't seen the one by Nicolai Cikovsky.)

Winslow Homer, A 'GEM'for the Serious Art Student
As an Art student, venturing into watercolor recently, I received this book as a gift. I truly gained much information about the artist and the additon of color plates (90+) make this a complete reference guide. The author has separatedhis works into catogories by subject matter.The intro- duction reviews his travels, family life,interests,educa-tion,recognition and awardsduring his lifetime. A brief review proceeds each Chapterwhich then is visually supp-orted by wonderflul,colorful plates of Winslow works of that subject. The Chapters are Civil War, Sea PaintingsTropics, Adirondonck and Canada, and Prout's Neck,Me.He was an extraordinarypainter of various mediums,and always captured the 'atmosphere' in his workswhether it was stormy seasoff the coast of Maine, placid lakes in the mountains, clear skies in the tropics or children at play at that time. Fortunately, he was an artist who was noticed during his lifetime and rewarded with fame before his demise at age 74, having enjoyed his love of his work. I would highly recommend this hard cover version, to any art lover or student of the arts. I will plan to purchase this publication for my son, and perhaps a friend in the near future.

Winslow Homer, A 'GEM'for the Serious Art Student
As an Art student, venturing into watercolor recently, I received this book as a gift. I truly gained much information about the artist and the additon of color plates (90+) make this a complete reference guide. The author has separatedhis works into catogories by subject matter.The intro- duction reviews his travels, family life,interests,educa-tion,recognition and awardsduring his lifetime. A brief review proceeds each Chapterwhich then is visually supp-orted by wonderflul,colorful plates of Winslow works of that subject. The Chapters are Civil War, Sea PaintingsTropics, Adirondonck and Canada, and Prout's Neck,Me.He was an extraordinarypainter of various mediums,and always captured the 'atmosphere' in his workswhether it was stormy seasoff the coast of Maine, placid lakes in the mountains, clear skies in the tropics or children at play at that time. Fortunately, he was an artist who was noticed during his lifetime and rewarded with fame before his demise at age 74, having enjoyed his love of his work. I would highly recommend this hard cover version, to any art lover or student of the arts. I will plan to purchase this publication for my son, and perhaps a friend in the near future. ... Read more

Book Description
This engaging book looks closely at Winslow Homer's avid pursuit of fly-fishing and at the inspiration the sport provided for his art.

It was fly-fishing that led the eminent painter to three of the locales with which we now associate his name: the Adirondacks in northern New York State, Florida, and Quebec. Each of these distinctive regions elicited unique and strong reactions from the painter, which took form in works that are brilliant studies of light, atmosphere, and the spirit of place.

Homer's fly-fishing paintings are an immensely varied and little-understood aspect of his art. They serve as a counterpoint to all his other work, especially in the 1880s and beyond when fly-fishing represented a regular and sustained activity for the artist. His fishing expeditions offered recreation, rejuvenation, solace, and camaraderie, which spurred his imagination. The intense visual experience of fly-fishing afforded Homer a close involvement with nature's mysterious details, revealing new worlds of color, form, and dynamism. He also found through fishing new outlets for his work, new patrons, and an audience of Victorian-era sportsmen who could comprehend his pictures. 184 illustrations, 123 in color. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Winslow Homer: Outdoorsman
The art is amazing. And the book is a fine academic effort at explaining Homer.

However, each chapter is authored by a different writer and not every chapter is equally well-crafted. This individual essay format also thwarts any attempt to present a cohesive story arc.

In the end, I still wonder exactly why the outdoors meant so much to Homer; none of the author's fully or successfully explained that crucual detail.

Also, by limiting the book to fishing, the authors have excluded a major portion of Homer's sporting life and artistic inspiration. His hunting pictures are among his most commanding and they get little or no attention in this book. Sport of all sort seems to have informed Homer's life -- and art -- throughout the year; a book simply about his angling art therefore fails to provide a full picture of the man, his life, and his work.

But the stunning art alone is worth the price of admission. ... Read more