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Gerald the Welshman - Giraldus Cambrensis - was born, probably in 1147, at Manorbier Castle in the county of Pembroke. His father was a Norman noble, William de Barri, who took his name from the little island of Barry off the coast of Glamorgan. His mother, Angharad, was the daughter of Gerald de Windsor {1} by his wife, the famous Princess Nesta, the "Helen of Wales," and the daughter of Rhys ap Tewdwr Mawr, the last independent Prince of South Wales. ... Read more

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Gerald the Welshman - Giraldus Cambrensis - was born, probably in 1147, at Manorbier Castle in the county of Pembroke. His father was a Norman noble, William de Barri, who took his name from the little island of Barry off the coast of Glamorgan. His mother, Angharad, was the daughter of Gerald de Windsor {1} by his wife, the famous Princess Nesta, the "Helen of Wales," and the daughter of Rhys ap Tewdwr Mawr, the last independent Prince of South Wales. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good for history, not for entertainment
This was written in 1191 as Cambrensis accompanied the Archbishop of Canterbury through Wales to preach the 3rd Crusade. (This is part 1 of the journey- part 2 is called A Description of Wales and is also available for the Kindle.) The editor gives a detailed biography of Cambrensis in the intro, and 2 prefaces written by Cambrensis are included. Cambrensis wrote in Latin, and this translation is in modern English.

I've read several travelogues from previous centuries, and this is the first I didn't like. Cambrensis was a archdeacon, and he writes most about the religious people he meets, and churches and monasteries. He also writes about local leaders, but he seldom describes the towns and cities, the countryside, the common people or natural events. He never talks about anything that happens as he travels from one town to another. It's more like a history book than a travelogue.

The editor frequently interjects info, which I found annoying- when Cambrensis mentions a town or person, the editor will use parentheses to insert up to a page and a half of info, so the editor contributes almost as much to the book as Cambrensis.

I'm not planning on reading the 2nd part which I mentioned in my first paragraph. I definitely wouldn't call this "one of the top 100 greatest books of all time" like the publisher's blurb says above. If you're interested in 12th century English religion this might be a great book, but this isn't the place to learn about everything else that occurred during that era. ... Read more

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MAY 2009 ISSUE OF THE ATLANTIC MAGAZINE. ARTICLES INCLUDE "WHAT NOW? AN EVERYMAN'S GUIDE TO FINANCIAL SURVIVAL", "THE PASSION OF ALEC BALDWIN", "PAKISTAN'S CITY OF THE FUTURE", "IF KIM JONG IL USED FACEBOOK", "THE COUP: HOW BANKERS SEIZED AMERICA" AND MORE. ... Read more

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Entertainment Magazine contains all the latest celebrity news and photos. Articles include Why Katie Holmes won't leave, Jen & Vince Back On?, Alec Balwin and his temper, Couple's Spring Forecast, Brad & Angelina Behind the Lies and much more ... Read more

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A gift set of the thirteenth and fourteenth Complete Peanuts volumes, in a handsome and durable slipcase.The Complete Peanuts 1975-1976: Good grief, Charlie Brown, we're halfway there!That’s right! With this volume, The Complete Peanuts reaches the halfwaypoint of Charles M. Schulz’s astounding half-century run on the greatestcomic strip of all time. These years are especially fecund in terms of new canine characters, as Snoopy is joined by his wandering brother Spike(from Needles), his beloved sister Belle (from Kansas City), and... did you know he had a nephew? In other beagle news,Snoopy breaks his foot and spends six weeks in a cast, deals with his friend Woodstock’s case of the “the vapors,” and getsinvolved in a heated love triangle with Linus over the girl “Truffles.” The Complete Peanuts 1975-1976 features several other long stories, including a rare “double track” sequence with twoparallel narratives: Peppermint Patty and Snoopy travel to participate in the Powderpuff Derby, while Charlie Brown finallygets to meet his idol Joe Shlabotnik. And Peppermint Patty switches to a private school, but commits the mistake of allowingSnoopy to pick it for her; only after graduation does she realize something’s not quite right! Plus: A burglary at Peppermint Patty’s house is exacerbated by waterbed problems... Marcie acquires an unwanted suitor...Charlie Brown and Peppermint Patty become desk partners... The talking school building collapses... Lots of tennis jokes...and gags starring Schroeder, Lucy, Franklin, Rerun, Sally, and that vicious cat next door. It’s another two years of Peanuts at itsfinest! Featuring an introduction by comedian Robert Smigel (Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, Saturday Night Live).

The Complete Peanuts 1977-1978:As the 1970s wind down, the last two recurring Peanuts characters havefallen into place: Snoopy’s brother Spike and the youngest Van Pelt sibling,Rerun. But that doesn’t mean Schulz’s creativity has diminished; in fact, thisvolume features an amazing profusion of hilariously distinctive new one- (ortwo-) shot characters! For instance, in an epic five-week sequence, when Charlie Brown, foundguilty by the EPA of biting the Kite-Eating tree, he goes on the lam andends up coaching the “Goose Eggs,” a group of diminutive baseball players,Austin, Ruby, Leland, and —did you know there was a second Black Peanutscharacter, aside from Franklin?—Milo.Also: a tennis-playing Snoopy ends up reluctantly teamed with the extremeType “A” athlete Molly Volley... who then reappears later in the book, nowfacing off against her nemesis, “Crybaby” Boobie. (Honest!) Add in Sally’snew camp friend Eudora, the thuggish “caddymaster” who shoots downPeppermint Patty and Marcie’s new vocation, an entire hockey team, and asurprise repeat appearance by Linus’s sweetheart “Truffles” (creating a lovetriangle with Sally), all in addition to the usual cast of beloved characters(including the talking schoolhouse and the doghouse-jigsawing cat, who getsahold of Linus’s blanket in this one), and you’ve got a veritable crowd ofcharacters. Introduction by 30 Rock's Alec Baldwin.

It’s another four years of the greatest comic strip of all time, full of laughsand surprises. 1461 black-and-white comic strips ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Latest addition to colection
This is the latest addition to my wife's collection, and the transaction was excellent, great price, and superb turn around to recieve merchandise.

How can one stop here?
With this set, the series goes well beyond the halfway point of its entire 50 year run.To own the first 14 volumes and then not bother with the forthcoming other 11 just seems stupid.Sort of like climbing half way up a mountain and saying, "The view doesn't get any better, let's go home."

STILL BETTER THAN THE REST!
If you are looking for a place to start a collection of these Fantagraphics volumes try the collections from the mid 50's through to around 72. On the other hand if you have collected the others these are still most worthwhile. The difference is that these are quieter and in a lower key and volume. Lucy has quietened down and CB is not as anguished and hysterical. If you can believe David Michaelis author of 'Schulz and Peanuts' this is because Charles M was now happy in his second marriage and his first wife had been a model for Lucy in the 50's and 60's. OK so these are a bit less strident than the strips on which he made his reputation but they are still better than 95% of other people's work. Peanuts changed constantly throughout it's history and continues to change here. I for one will be glad to stay on board.

Yes (regretfully) this is where I'll get off the bus. BUT...
...in the context of the work of a genius (who permanently revolutionized his field, in ways many of us are still only beginning to understand) the three-star comics of Charles Schulz are--on many days--far superior to the five-star works of lesser talents.

We all have our own opinions of which periods are essential. I'll be satisfied with my boxed sets covering the years 1959 through 1978.

Fantagraphics Books deserve mention for this gloriously sumptuous publishing venture. Finally, Schulz' oeuvre appears in a format suitably "serious" for groundbreaking art of its caliber. Not like when I was a kid and had fifty-odd paperbacks--in various states of disrepair--bursting from the confines of my bookcase and littering the floor.

IT'S ALL DOWN THE (daisy) HILL FROM HERE ON...
Sure, PEANUTS was the greatest comic strip of all time, but that doesn't mean it didn't declined over the years. Instead of relaunching old characters that faded away in time (Paty, Violet, Frieda and her cat, Shermy, Pig Pen, the Birds who got patted in the head) Schultz invented new ones that not only were redundant, they derailed the original formula to a wreck it never recovered.

"Rerun", a Linus clone and a vehicle for baby gags once meant for Sally, was a minor hindrance, but Snoopy's brother Spike was a costly mistake. The characters that followed didn't -and couldn't- add much after that. It's not that they were bad, they merely weren't great. And PEANUTS was expected to be great.

It wasn't the end of the world, of course, it just was the beginning of the end for the strip. Other great strips have gone the same way -Dick Tracy, Lil' Abner, Astérix, Bringing Up Father- ...why should PEANUTS end different? Better to die along with its creator, than to remain a putrid zombie in ComixHell, drawn by a Press Syndicate slave for meagre profits.

Anyway, as a big fan of the strip, read it from the year Schroeder grew up, to when Peppermint Patty and Marcie (the last great characters) reigned supreme. After that, I wouldn't. It's like watching people you love on their way to the grave. It hurts. ... Read more

Product Description
Many new characters, in one of Schulz’s most creative periods! With an introduction by Alec Baldwin.As the 1970s wind down, the last two recurring Peanuts charactershavefallen into place: Snoopy’s brother Spike and the youngest Van Peltsibling,Rerun. But that doesn’t mean Schulz’s creativity has diminished; infact, thisvolume features an amazing profusion of hilariously distinctive new one-(ortwo-) shot characters!

For instance, in an epic five-week sequence, when Charlie Brown, foundguilty by the EPA of biting the Kite-Eating tree, he goes on the lam andends up coaching the “Goose Eggs,” a group of diminutive baseballplayers,Austin, Ruby, Leland, and—did you know there was a second black Peanutscharacter, aside from Franklin?—Milo.

Also: a tennis-playing Snoopy ends up reluctantly teamed with theextremeType “A” athlete Molly Volley... who then reappears later in the book,nowfacing off against her nemesis, “Crybaby” Boobie. (Honest!) Add inSally’snew camp friend Eudora, the thuggish “caddymaster” who shoots downPeppermint Patty and Marcie’s new vocation, an entire hockey team, and asurprise repeat appearance by Linus’s sweetheart “Truffles” (creating alovetriangle with Sally), all in addition to the usual cast of belovedcharacters(including the talking schoolhouse and the doghouse-jigsawing cat, whogets hold of Linus’s blanket in this one), and you’ve got a veritablecrowd ofcharacters.

It’s another two years of the greatest comic strip of all time, full oflaughsand surprises. 730 black-and-white comic strips ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

More from the best...
There are sequences of panels that I had intended to mention, but I've been trumped.Oh well!That fact changes nothing because I can't recommend Volume 14 of the Complete Peanuts series enough.For those of you who enjoyed the strip during the run you'll find old friends waiting for you.As I've said in earlier reviews of The Complete Peanuts, I am in a serious time warp whenever I receive one of these volumes.I can't help but recall where I was living, what I was doing when these comics first appeared.I'll admit that I didn't always read the daily installments life being busy and hectic regardless of the part of the cycle I was in.But I read most of them.In 1977 I was teaching at a small technical institute in the mountains of North Carolina.I was there in 1978 also.My infant daughter had been born.Sweet memories that are always there but somehow are made fresher when I read these comics.

All of the characters that we all know and love are present.Marcie, the lovable misfit, is one of my favorites as is Lucy.Snoopy's sports career takes a unique twist.He also has some unpleasant experiences with a neighborhood cat.Wonderful reading.

I continue to highly recommend.

Peace always.

Volume 14
As anyone who follows my reviews knows, I'm a big fan of Peanuts and love the fact that this series of the complete strips is being published.In this volume, you'll find some great sequences: Snoopy partnered with Molly Volley in tennis, the cat next door carving various shapes into Snoopy's doghouse, the attempt to find an "owner" for Spike, and a sweet sequence with Sally and a friend from summer camp, Eudora.

We've now passed the half-way point and are on the downhill slope to the end.Fortunately, there are still more than two decades of great comics to come, and I'm looking forward to it. ... Read more

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Alexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III (born April 3, 1958) is an American film and television actor. An actor comfortable in both lead and supporting roles, he has appeared in numerous Hollywood films including Beetlejuice and The Hunt for Red October in addition to the Martin Scorsese films The Aviator and The Departed. He was nominated for the Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance in the 2003 film, The Cooler. Currently, he appears as Jack Donaghy on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock, a role for which he has won two Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards. Baldwin has hosted Saturday Night Live 14 times and is the oldest of the Baldwin brothers, a family which has been active in film and television for the last two decades. ... Read more

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Plus: Powder For Everyone, Backcountry Skiing // Killing Secrets of a Navy seal Sniper // My Father, The con Man // Great holiday Gifts and much more ... Read more