American Eagle Books

I am loving this book! I am only halfway through at this point, but am loving this segment of the saga even more than the past ones. The writing of Naomi Novik is so creative and descriptive, it almost makes you feel that you are there.

This is an excellent series. Victory of Eagles is the lastest book that proves Fantasy fiction isn't all about weird tales and stories. Victory of Eagles is also a character driven novel about the difficulties of the main heroes, Will Laurence and Temeraire.

The story is not just about dragons. Its also about Right and Wrong and how Patriotism and Honor plays a part. For those of you who are not fans of Sci Fi and Fantasy, but are fans of Horiatio Hornblower and Patrick O'Brian, this is a series you can read and enjoy.

Craig
www.monstrumblog.com

More Temeraire goodness. Great series of alternate history with Dragons, how can you not be intrigued? Really sharp and historically accurate books with a great premise to explore. This particular book was a bit depressing, with the situation that Temeraire and Lawrence start in, and some incidents that happen along the way, but excellent character development and a feeling of realism make this an enjoyable read.

Mention in some of the notes that Peter Jackson (Director of the Lord of the Rings movies) has optioned the story... how cool could movies based on these books be??

I thought the book continued the excellent pace, and turned some ideas on its head, making England more like Russia for Napoleon. As for the rest of the spoilers, you'll have to read it yourself.

Napoleon has invaded England. Using tactics recommended by his dragon-advisor, and providing dragons with far more rights than those enjoyed by English dragons, Napoleon demoralizes the English army, outmarches and outfights them, and forces them to flee to Scotland. Meanwhile, one of England's top officers has been condemned to death for treason for his part in bringing a cure to the disease that threatened to wipe out Europe's dragon population (and at the same time eliminate the threat of Napoleon's invasion). Without Captain Laurence, and his dragon Temeraire, England seems to have no hope.

Inspired by the example of Chinese dragons, Temeraire intends to have dragons recognized as people, with rights to pay, freedom, votes, and to make their own decisions. Napoleon's invasion gives Temeraire far more bargaining power than he'd held before--his corps of wild dragons and dragons retired to stud just might be strong enough to hold Napoleon's invading hordes off. Still, England dare never admit it made a mistake in condemning Laurence--indeed, by their own standards, they acted properly, although Laurence couldn't have made any other decision.

Author Naomi Novik continues her look at the Napoleonic Wars from viewpoint of a world with dragons. With Temeraire's help, the English do their best to turn England into a smaller, but still deadly version of Napoleon's long march back from Moscow, in the face of growing resistance and bitter cold. English control of the seas means that Napoleon cannot bring in food for his growing armies, and Temeraire's irregulars manage to make life miserable (and short) for Napoleon's foraging parties.

Novik manages to make Napoleon look pretty good. He's quick to adapt new tactics, even if these are suggested by others, he's open to granting dragons the kind of rights Temeraire has no hope of achieving through the English government, and he's honorable to his opponents. In contrast, the English attempt to introduce a plague that would largely destroy a continent's worth of sapient creatures, including those owned by her own allies, demand that Laurence save their cause with no thought that his doing so might commute his sentence, and continue to think of dragons as a kind of beast rather than as intelligent beings--ignoring all evidence to the contrary. Temeraire and Laurence are the protagonists, but I find myself pulling for Napoleon.

Spenser gets a note from love-of-his-life Susan, saying she's in trouble and Hawk's in jail. Seems her new lover, Russell, is possessive and part of a powerful family, and when she'd asked Hawk for help, Russell had him framed for murder.

So Spenser has to break Hawk out of jail, and rescue Susan... although Susan's not quite sure she wants to be rescued. And there are the corrupt cops and the FBI and CIA to deal with as well.

The action/mystery part of the book is exciting and just plain fun. I always love seeing Spenser and Hawk in action, and this is no exception. Just the scene of Spenser breaking Hawk out of jail was worth buying the whole book.

The personal/emotional part, though, is dark and both painful and joyous. Spenser loves Susan, and she loves him, but she also loves Russell. Something about their relationships, the way they're written, touches a chord deep inside (I know that sounds uncharacteristically fanciful, but it's the best I could come up with to describe it). Parker has a genius for conveying his characters' deeper feelings without resorting to flowery language--the essence of "show, don't tell."

I was a bit dissatisfied at first with Russell--it was understandable that Susan would pick someone very different from Spenser, but there didn't seem to be anything about him that would make Susan choose him. Then it clicked: it's in Spenser's POV. Duh. He's not going to see the same things in Russell that Susan does, nor does he want to. It's enough for him to know that Susan loves him. And when I realized that, I was awed all over again.

An entertaining enough outing for Spenser and Hawk, with the added bonus of Susan showing some flaws. She even seems to eat a whole meal at one point! The villian is extra-evil this time, and his wife is fat--therefore super-evil. One major flaw is a preposterous plot twist that has Spenser and Hawk hired by the all-knowing villian: what, he's too busy corrupting the planet to check references? Of course Susan goes back to perfection by the end, but a reader can hope that her penchant for Oedipal married men will crop up again in the future...

In this episode of the Spenser series, Spenser receives a cryptic note from Susan; she needs him to come to California. Hawk is in jail and she is afraid she might be in trouble. This is all the coaxing Spenser needs to drop everything and head to California, where he immediately sets out to break as many laws in as creative ways as possible ("It's not easy to mumble to yourself if you don't feel moved to mumble. I didn't know what to mumble and finally began to mumble the starting lineup for the impossible-dream Red Sox team of '67"). Along the way he gets hooked up with governmental agencies with whom, for a change, he has a goal in common - get rid of Jerry Costigan, the father of Russell Costigan, the other man in Susan's life. Then things get complicated . . .

A transitory chapter in Spenser's life - he and Susan begin to work out their differences, which is great. He and Hawk bond and Susan and Rachel Wallace (who makes a return appearance in this book) begin to catch a glimpse of the mystery that is Spenser and Hawk's friendship. Throw in some illegal immigrants basically being used as slave labor whose revolt Spenser and Hawk use to get to Susan, secret bases hidden in mines in Idaho and some typical Spenser kicking butt, and you have a great Spenser novel.

For those who are reading them randomly - please stop. Read them in order. Believe me, it makes all the difference in the world!

A CATSKILL EAGLE is the twelfth Spenser novel, and it's the first one with a really silly plot. The absurdity of the story makes this book difficult to thoroughly enjoy.

In this novel, Susan Silverman hooks up with a new boyfriend whose father just happens to be a evil arms dealer (and a white supremacist and anti-semitic to boot). Spenser and Hawk try to rescue her and somehow hook up with the CIA (!) who enlist them to covertly kill the arms dealer. The conclusion of this book involves Spenser breaking into the arms dealer's fortress and going through a secret tunnel to kill him.

Anyway, the whole plot of A CATSKILL EAGLE is absurd, and it's only Parker's snappy writing that makes this novel worthwhile. This is one of my least favorite Spenser novels, and I would definitely not recommend it to a newcomer to Parker's work. My advice would be to read PROMISED LAND, LOOKING FOR RACHEL WALLACE or EARLY AUTUMN first. Those novels have much more realistic, compelling plots that show Parker at his best.

I read the hard cover version of this book and loved it so much. The best ever of all in the Spenser series in my opinion. I bought the audio version (read by, Michael Prichard),thinking it would be great fun to listen to it. I was very disappointed. The book was read, but with no character, (no emotion). I would love to listen to this one again, if read by Joe Mantegna

this was a great grand last book in the series. Fantastic< I went out and got the Newest one Rules of Acension.. It looks to be another good one too.,

There is one thing that you will not like about this book. It will have you wanting MORE at the end. I do not mean that the story is lacking by any means, though. I mean that you will want to know what happens next to the characters and hear more of their stories.

This is actually two books in one. Half of it takes place in Tobyn Ser revolving around Jaryd and the other half in Lon Ser revolving around Meylor. I found it very amazing how Coe seemed to change the characters (there is a ten year period between the happenings in the first book and the third) while keeping them the same. Coe's ability to tell a story is one of the best. You will not get bored or recieve any filler all the while being on they edge of your seat. I had trouble putting this book down and though it is not so in depth as many other fantasy series, it is fun if nothing else. Definately read this series.

There is one thing that you will not like about this book. It will have you wanting MORE at the end. I do not mean that the story is lacking by any means, though. I mean that you will want to know what happens next to the characters and hear more of their stories.

This is actually two books in one. Half of it takes place in Tobyn Ser revolving around Jaryd and the other half in Lon Ser revolving around Meylor. I found it very amazing how Coe seemed to change the characters (there is a ten year period between the happenings in the first book and the third) while keeping them the same. Coe's ability to tell a story is one of the best. You will not get bored or recieve any filler all the while being on they edge of your seat. I had trouble putting this book down and though it is not so in depth as many other fantasy series, it is fun if nothing else. Definately read this series.

There is one thing that you will not like about this book. It will have you wanting MORE at the end. I do not mean that the story is lacking by any means, though. I mean that you will want to know what happens next to the characters and hear more of their stories.

This is actually two books in one. Half of it takes place in Tobyn Ser revolving around Jaryd and the other half in Lon Ser revolving around Meylor. I found it very amazing how Coe seemed to change the characters (there is a ten year period between the happenings in the first book and the third) while keeping them the same. Coe's ability to tell a story is one of the best. You will not get bored or recieve any filler all the while being on they edge of your seat. I had trouble putting this book down and though it is not so in depth as many other fantasy series, it is fun if nothing else. Definately read this series.

There is one thing that you will not like about this book. It will have you wanting MORE at the end. I do not mean that the story is lacking by any means, though. I mean that you will want to know what happens next to the characters and hear more of their stories.

This is actually two books in one. Half of it takes place in Tobyn Ser revolving around Jaryd and the other half in Lon Ser revolving around Meylor. I found it very amazing how Coe seemed to change the characters (there is a ten year period between the happenings in the first book and the third) while keeping them the same. Coe's ability to tell a story is one of the best. You will not get bored or recieve any filler all the while being on they edge of your seat. I had trouble putting this book down and though it is not so in depth as many other fantasy series, it is fun if nothing else. Definately read this series.

A great explination of the real group that the Dirty Dozen movie is losely paterned after. It clears up alot of missconcepions and gives you the real story and the reason why the entertainment industry was forced to not use the real name and actual events.

This presents the age old mythology of the rebel soldiers, those who refuse to accept the discipline of the unit, being the greatest combat soldiers. Of course, there is a certain anecdotal truth to this. This is shown by the very existence of the unit and the writing of the book itself that this story has a basis in truth.

But it allows the author a few hundred pages to brag about how much trouble he caused dozens of officers and NCO's. These same men were American heros too, and this celebration of disrespect towards them is a but boorish. The story is related to an author but so much of it is first person accounts by the subject and he blusters and brags so much that this reader grew to dislike him. I'd have rather seen the book end with him in the stockade.

I just would like to add that the book was a real letdown for me. There were some really funny parts in the first half of the book, while the unit was in training but when the unit actually went into combat in Normandy the book really went down hill fast.

I met the author at a paratrooper reunion,(the 26th infantry pathfinder platoon in 2006) and was amazed of how great a storyteller he was, he was a great featured speaker. But the fact that Jake is a natural storyteller shouldn't fool you, jake's adventures were quite real and even in the 1980's , my pathfinder unit was able to get away with some pretty wild antics as long as we did our mission well. This book is well worth buying or reading because it has the laid back style of jake himself. Men like jake helped us win that war and men like him are still around fighting and having adventures in todays airborne units as well. They make no apologies for killing anyone who is trying to kill their buddies regardless what anyone else thinks about it. The book is a unapologetic look at a wild trooper and his war and on that ground alone I would say buy it!

I just finshed reading the Filthy Thirteen by Richard Killblane and
found it very interesting. I actually went to church with Jake McNiece when I lived in Ponca City, Oklahoma. He was a very interesting individual. I have the highest regard for his efforts during WWII. The writing of this book isn't the best and it was difficult to follow at times since it jumped from first person to third person. Over looking the writing style I couldn't help but be impressed and appreciative of what the men in battle had to endure.
I would recommend this book if for nothing else than to get an upclose view of war.
I also read some previous reviews stating they doubted the validity of Jakes escapades. As I stated before I personally know Jake and his escapades mentioned in this book although seem over the top are quite true.

I've studied the betrayal of Benedict Arnold and all those involved (mainly Major Andre) for several years. So naturally I was intrigued by this historical fiction novel and curious to see its take on this most fascinating time in our history. Well, as Major Andre was wrong to conceal the plans of West Point in his boots so was I wrong about this book. I can understand Mr. Harr wishes to use some artistic license but he is still obligated to stick to fact. One of the most jarring errors occurs in the first few pages, where several seemingly out of place letters to the author are written by three of the characters. Major David Franks' letter is addressed sometime in the early nineteenth century, this man was dead in 1793 of yellow fever! Also his information on Franks' supposed dealings after the betrayal are incorrect. He did not regain his wealth, but rather died in poverty. The way the book is written otherwise, leaves the reader with an awkward read, as though Mr. Harr has simply taken the narrative of a history book (I should know, I've read them all) and copied it over. The dialogue is painfully flat and inaccurate of the period, not that I'm saying one has to stick to heightened flowery speech at all times but modern terms should be avoided. Also it must be noted that Major Andre is portrayed as a homosexual in this novel. Again not that I find anything wrong with that artistically, but historically the man was not. If you wish to read on the true tale of Benedict Arnold I would recommend real history books opposed to this, they read much easier and contain the truth behind the actual events.

Dark Eagle reminds me of all the historical novels written by David Nevin (if you like Dark Eagle, you'll like all of Nevin's books). Harr brings history alive by adding discourse between the characters while remaining historically honest to the events of the time and making sure the language is not 21st century. Great reading and the type of book you just do not want to put down. A fun way to learn a little more history about this country.

Ok so maybe little is the wrong word to use, at 522 pages it is a weighty book. But "Dark Eagle" does an admiral job of being light and easy reading, and yet still staying true to it historical roots. I would compare the writing done by John Ensor Harr in this book to "Winter Soldiers" by Richard Ketchum. You will be left with the sense of the gray area that history includes, and the feeling that all sides of the American Revolution have been fairly represented. If I have one complaint it is that Mr. Harr choose to treat Benedict Arnold's life as being over when he switched sides, which is not the case. Benedict Arnold was a very busy and complicated man, and should been known for far more that just being a turn coat who happened to get caught.

I am a big fan of well-written historical fiction, and since most historical fiction in this country seems devoted to the Civil War, reading Dark Eagle was a refreshing change of pace. In this book, portions of the Revolutionary War come alive, in particular the Saratoga campaign, the British invasion of Philadelphia, and Arnold's treason and his botched attempt to hand over West Point to General Clinton.

I have always thought Arnold to be one of the more fascinating figures in American history. His name has become so synonymous with betrayal and treason, that any turncoat is instantly labelled a "Benedict Arnold." Harr's account tells of Arnold's rise through the ranks, his valor on the battlefield, his injuries, his shameful mistreatment by the Continental Congress with Washington unable or unwilling to help, and his ultimate betrayal. While Arnold's actions in the end inspire disdain from the reader, you can at least understand what led Benedict to his fate.

The same cannot always be said of some other characters in the book, like Horatio Gates, who comes across as pitifully inept as a general, spiteful, vain and manipulative, willing to leave Arnold's exploits completely out of his account of the Saratoga victory to deprive the wounded Arnold of his just recognition. The well-researched glimpses we get of characters like Schuyler, Burgoyne, Gates, Hamilton, Howe and others made this a worthwhile read.

However, the book is not without its problems. The novel starts out ambitiously as an attempt to tell the story of Arnold, and of the war itself, with eye-witness accounts supposedly written years later, after long reflection, by aides to Benedict Arnold and General Burgoyne. These supposed "letters" from aides such as Varick and Franks created a unique narrative tool, almost like the narrative of Burr by Gore Vidal supposedly written by Charles Schuyler years after the fact, when he knew the elderly Burr. Harr's problem here is that his choice for narrative techniques can take him only so far, (for example none of these aides spent any time in the Shippen household), and so by the middle of the novel he largely ignores them. The second half of the novel is largely a third person account of the Arnold betrayal, and the capture and punishment of John Andre, which at times seemed a little rushed.

I also would have liked a little more information regarding post-treason Arnold. Most authors,(even James Kirby Martin in his recent biography of Arnold, An American Warrior Reconsidered), give short thrift to the remainder of Arnold's career, his aggressive raids in Virginia late in the war, and his life in London afterwards. Apparently Andre was such a popular and well-liked figure, and the aborted turnover of West Point was such a disaster from the British standpoint, that the redcoats never had much use for Arnold when the West Point plan fell apart. I have yet to find a book that provides a really satisfying account of Arnold's remaining years, after that fateful attempt to send Andre behind the lines with plans for West Point hidden in his shoe.

In any event, for readers of historical fiction who want a change of pace from the Civil War novels of writers like Owen Parry and Jeffrey Shaara, there is much here to recommend. I give it 4 stars.

I would say about two months ago when I visited Amazon.com to order a book to send to a friend of mine, a recommendation popped up. The recommendation was John Ensor Harr's "Dark Eagle." I must say that the recommendation was right on the nose.

Harr's novel is a masterpiece. In brilliant strokes he painted an accurate and even-handed portrait of the American Revolution and of that tragically reviled character, Benedict Arnold.

Tragically reviled is the term of art and is so because, unless you believe in historic inevitability, his fate did not have to turn out like it did. Harr's portrayal of Arnolds wrangling with the Continental Congress provides great insight into the role and function of that body. The awe and power of Congress' issuance of the Declaration of Independence belies the fact it was an extremely weak body with very little power. The book does well to portray the struggles between Congress and Genereal Washington, between Congress and its citizens, between the newly formed States and Congress, between General Washington and the States and finally, how all of those struggles were inter-related and formed the basis and antagonism for the struggle between Washington and the British. It is against this backdrop that citizens and soldiers like Benedict Arnold had to deal with the Continental Congress and, in the case of Arnold, makes it all the more understandable why he found such difficulty in dealing with Congress.

Second, Harr's portrayal of the Continental Army's Officer Staff provides another source for Benedict Arnold's tragic fall. For those who may wonder whether General Horatio Gates truly was the destructive force for the army that John Ensor Harr made him out to be, he was. His portrayal reminds me of a line from "The Patriot" (an enjoyable, but not truly accurate depiction of the American Revolution) when Mel Gibson asked cynically, "Where's your General Gates now?" after Gates' rout in Trenton.

The intellectual fulcrum of the book actually appears towards the end of the novel: (pg. 431)

Arnold: What do they call it [changing one's allegiance]
Peggy: It depends on who wins
Arnold: What do they call it until someone wins
Peggy: They call it treason.

"They call it treason." One should always bear in mind the fact that we all accept today the proposition as true that what occured upon American soil beginning in 1775 was a revolution fought by patriots. However, in 1779 the issue was not at all clear. Had the "revolution" failed; had Congress been captured and Washington's army defeated, those same patriots who drafted the Declaration of Independence would now be judged as traitors.

"Dark Eagle" is as much historical fiction as it is a good old fashion morality play and demands that the reader make the same hard choices that Benedict Arnold made and in so doing, allows the reader to truly judge Arnold.

When I was a student, I like many others I know who will confess to having read a Castaneda book or two when pressed, went through a couple of years of Castanedism, reading the 8 classics 2 - 3 times each, and even the later four, quite different books a couple of times. Being someone who likes to give the benefit of the doubt until conclusive evidence proves otherwise, I must admit to only getting suspicious by Journey To Ixtlan, the third book. The second book, A Separate Reality, picks up on the supernormal happenings, but still these are within the realms of possibility, when one considers Spiritualist literature. By Tales of Power, when at the end Carlos throws himself off a cliff and only survives by becoming pure perception, bouncing elastically back and forth 17 times between the two inherent realms of all creation, the tonal and the nagual, the game was up. In Carlos' terms, my assemblage point had just experienced a considerable shift into the realms of disbelief. The cocoon had burst. I read the remaining books still interested, but with the growing realization that I'd been had. Bizarre ideas not found in any other spiritual traditions, such as the necessity for people on the path of knowledge to kill their children to reclaim the power they'd lost to them, plus fill in the holes in their cocoons the children had caused, made me wary. This was surely not a philosophy the whole world should turn to, or else we'd be living in a fearful, lonely world with every man for himself.

However, this would be fine if the books weren't made out to be non-fiction. While I have seen these books placed with science fiction books in many libraries, in most European bookshops they're still sold with real, non-fiction 'Mind, Body, Spirit' books. The reason I give this book such a low rating is that an intensive study of his works, the books by his various colleagues, plus Richard De Mille's intelligent criticisms, can only lead to the conclusion that Castaneda, the writer, used Don Juan and Carlos, two fantasy characters, to verbalize his own beliefs, which were culled from his own spiritual and academic experience. That there are not some useful nuggets of wisdom, or advice in these books I do not deny. That is their very attraction, plus the belief that it all really happened, and is a new spiritual revelation. But as these are mixed up with increasingly bizarre assertions and beliefs (by the Art of Dreaming it seems all pretence at non-fiction had been given up), it is doubtful whether a lifetime devoted to these practices (as opposed to say, real shamanic practices) would lead to spiritual improvement. If you must have a Castaneda book in your library, rather get The Wheel of Time, a selection of the spiritual highlights of the first eight books, but consider it rather 'The best of the personal philosophy of Carlos Castaneda' than anything to do with Don Juan or Shamanism. This understanding may not have the romantic mix of wild Mexican deserts, ancient wisdom, wise old men and naive westerners which captures the hearts of so many, but it is a lot closer to the truth.

The anonymous ghost-writer at Schuster and Schuster who corrected Peruvian immigrant Castaneda's English for at least all of his earlier works (a sample of his writing from 1969 reveals it was still far from perfect, not like what is in books), giving the books their special character, certainly deserves more credit than he or she gets. But they are not written well enough to succeed as fiction, hence their continued classification as non-fiction, besides the intense academic embarrassment it would cause copyright holders UCLA to have to admit such a dramatic change in classification, from fact to fantasy, after having previously given the author a doctorate for his 'Don Juan' work! (Journey to Ixtlan was accepted as his doctoral thesis.) I give this book one star on the basis that any book claiming to represent the truth which is later found to be fraudulent deserves no stars by definition, so I must give the minimum rating allowed. The day this book is reclassified as Fiction, I will up my rating to 3 stars though, as it is a quite entertaining and authentic piece of fiction-posing-as-non-fiction. Until then I'm afraid it's only useful function will be to remain as a kind of Home Spiritual Gullibility Test, a rating of 1 - 12 based on which book the reader had reached in the series before his faith that this was all true finally dissolved, with The Art of Dreaming (STILL classified non-fiction!) being the ultimate exercise, a belief in the truth of which leaves the faithful with the maximum Grade 12 in Spiritual Gullibility.

Carlos Castaneda was one of the most controversial writers of the twentieth century. Some in academia branded him a fraud for claiming his stories were biographical rather than fiction, while lauding him as a great novelist for exposing a mass audience to otherwise inaccessible philosophical abstractions they claimed were largely plagiarized. Each of his works is a piece of a larger puzzle, which makes it impossible to critique any one book without addressing the larger context into which it fits.



His first two books, "Teachings of Don Juan" and "A Separate Reality" describe experiences induced by ingesting psychotropic hallucinogenics prepared by a Yaqui Indian shaman from Sonora, Mexico he called don Juan Matus, and accounted for his becoming a guru to a generation seeking short cuts to spiritual enlightenment, as well as his lifelong interest in the relationship between perception and reality, a theme now explored in many popular books on consciousness and quantum physics. Unfortunately, these books remain his best selling works, in spite of Castaneda refuting their importance in his later works. Readers would be best served to skip these and avoid the risk of being turned off to Castaneda and missing the more stimulating works that followed.



His third and fourth works were "Journey to Ixtlan" and "Tales of Power." In Ixtlan he admits to over-estimating the value of his drug experiences, which caused him to overlook the more profound teachings of don Juan which became the focus of future writings. What emerges is a spiritual discipline dating back to the Pre-Colombian Toltec sorcerers of Latin America, culminating with don Juan's departure from our world, effectively ending Castaneda's direct affiliation.



In his fifth and sixth works "Second Ring of Power" and "Eagles Gift" Castaneda suffers strange flashbacks of what seem to be memory fragments of events he is unable to fit into any logical time sequence. In his seventh and eighth works, "Fire From Within" and "Power of Silence," Castaneda succeeds in reconstructing his lost memories, which derive from teachings previously administered by don Juan while Castaneda was in a "heightened" state of awareness.



In books nine and ten, "Art of Dreaming" and "Active Side of Infinity," Castaneda focuses on what he describes as inorganic predators from another dimension, some having the power to imprison humanity in "ordinary reality" so they can feed on the dark emotional energies we produce when succumbing to the negative thoughts they insert into our minds.



In later years several seemingly substantiating works appeared by two of Castaneda's female apprentices, Taisha Abelar and Florinda Donner-Grau. In addition, two scathing exposés were also published by two of his ex-wives. The first, "Magical Journey with Carlos Castaneda" by first wife, Margaret Runyon, offers little corroboration, since her marriage pre-dates the time when the bulk of Castaneda's adventures were claimed to have occurred. While steadfast that Castaneda was a sorcerer, she doubts the existence of don Juan, even claiming authorship of many of the concepts Castaneda ascribed to him.



The second, and more credible work, is "Sorcerer's Apprentice," by well-known writer Amy Wallace, daughter of the late best selling novelist Irving Wallace. Here again, we find little corroboration since the time of the events she describes is well after the period when Castaneda's relationship with don Juan is alleged to occur. What the book does provide is a troubling look inside Castaneda's final years, a picture of descent into what seems sexual addiction and possibly madness, leaving one to wonder if Castaneda was just one cup of cool-aid short of a Jonestown.



Many have asked why I put any stock whatsoever in Castaneda. A story from my autobiography, "The Vortex" may shed some light. A year before Castaneda published his first book I had an experience that would remain a mystery until Castaneda published "Power of Silence" twenty years later.



For a brief time, in my youth, I became a practicing Muslim, meticulously performing the complex prayer ritual five times a day. Then one night, sitting in my car, frustrated and complaining at not being able to find the address of my next sales appointment, something inside me snapped. It was as if some part of me had disconnected from my body and assumed control, lecturing me about my lack of discipline. A profound calm settled over me, rendering me simultaneously detached and engaged. For two days my sales figures soared. It was as if no one could say no to me. On the evening of the second day I decided to put my new state of being to the acid test by visiting my parents. Their behavior was so uncharacteristically supportive I hardly recognized them. It was enough to convince me that I was now living in an altered reality. But by the following morning I had returned to "normal." So distracting had this event been that I completely forgot to perform my Muslim prayers, and in fact, never did so again.



Twenty years later, in a chapter of "Power of Silence" entitled "Place of No Pity" Castaneda describes a very similar experience. In the aftermath of the event don Juan explains that humans are like televisions stuck on a channel called "self-preoccupation," lacking the energy to tune into any of the vast array of other channels available to us. To change channels, he explains, we first need to accumulate energy, by practicing rituals that are deliberate, precise and repetitious. Do this long enough and eventually our stored energy precipitates a shift to a channel where self-importance and self pity become impossible. Once this happens we connect with the force that controls the entire universe, a force don Juan called "intent," and everything can be bent to our will and even more channels can be opened, assuming we remember to keep practicing the rituals that save our energy.



This one realization alone was enough to inspire me to dedicate my autobiography "To Carlos, with gratitude."



Maxwell Austin van Lack, Author of The Vortex: A True Story of Passion and Karma

While i was inspired by all of other castaneda books (i have not yet read second ring of power) this one was my least favorite. It did not have any of the great quotes of don Juan Matus or commical actions of Don Genaro, and it was not inspiring. it did have a few interesting parts here and there, but overall was kinda [crummy] compared to his other books

Whether or not Casteneda's yarns are authentic representations of what is alleged to be Toltec is beyond comment. However, it is rather curious to reflect that in this system there is an image of the Creator as an Eagle that seems intent upon devouring what it produces. In purely psychological terms, that's an image of the Evil Mother. Besides being a useful go-get-'um, i.e., reason for doing for all the occult gymnastics, the Eagle, in other words, the Mother Complex, is indeed a major challenge in every man's psychological development. However, is the Mother Complex the same as the Creator, or, God? Which brings us to the other side of this Toltec coin: the so-called Human Form, which, don Juan assures us is our idea of God. This may, indeed, be a common idea of God, but it is altogether misleading to call this God, because what is commonly thought of as being God is not God, God having no image or form or name or whatever you want to ascribe to God unless, of course, you are talking about a god. It might be instructive for the credulous readers and fans of this very fascinating writer, Casteneda, to study such sources of the ancient wisdom tradition of the West as the writings of Plotinus or, God forbid, the Kabbalah. Perhaps, in the light of such readings, the wisdom and occult exercises of this don Juan character will appear in a richer and more balanced light. As for occult exercises, it would behoove the serious student of magic to look into the Golden Dawn system or something comparable. By the way, don Juan's virtuoso feat of disappearing into the void is not the exclusive property of the Toltecs or Aztecs. This technique is known in other cultures, even ones that know nothing about devouring Eagles and such. Attachment to such images is a bigger obstacle on the way than the devouring Eagle itself. All that said, there is much that is valuable in Casteneda. Let his readers sort that out for themselves.

of course to any everday rational person, the world of castenda is absurd. how could it be otherwise? nevertheless, read this book with disbelief suspended, and its a great read. for those who have persevered through the previous volumes of carlos' introduction to the ways of 'power', now comes the nub of the argument. the heart of the matter. all that power-plant taking, ally-mongering and what not of the previous volumes is left behind. what was the purpose of don juan's elaborate rituals in the ways of 'power', painstakingly taught to a dense, exasperating carlos? nothing less than a quest for freedom. the practices are not important; what is important is the effect on the practitioner. the world of don juan is entirely re-interpreted for the reader. a completely new framework must be understood. not familiar with the world(s) of don juan and carlos? never mind: this volume, more novel-like and fast moving than the others, reads well as fiction in and of itself, whether or not the reader cares to believe casteneda. comprehending the framework of what casteneda describes is a bonus. casteneda is a quietly skilled writer, who bears re-reading. i recommend reading and understanding all the books in this series, in order. the payoff is for thos who persevere. as for the now eternal question of whether this is true, real, logical, etc., how can the average reader ever know? why worry? as carlos himself was led this way and that by his benefactors, always in a certain direction, tending towards a finer understanding of their realm, so can the reader be led by casteneda.

Destiny was one of my favorite books. Then I picked up Solomon's Jar - the second in the series. This book is a very good read that is so compulsively readable that you will want to finish it in one sitting as I did. However, that said, it is not as good as Destiny when it comes to the writing.

Even with the passage of time I was able to recognize the difference in the writing style of the person who wrote Destiny vs. the person who wrote Solomon's Jar. The writing was so different that I actually pulled Destiny off the shelf to compare the writing style - sure enough, there is a clear difference.

Now that aside, the difference in style doesn't matter as much as the fact that the person who wrote Destiny gave us a heroine who was immediately likeable and was reluctant to use her gifts to kill, even in self-defense. In Solomon's Jar, however, this writer interpreted the character a little differently and turned her into a near killing machine. Perhaps the writer of Solomon's Jar should have studied the character of Destiny that we all came to love.

It is rumored that this series is written using multiple authors all under the guise of the pen name Alex Archer. Now that I have read the first two books in the series, I can see that the rumor is indeed true.

Now that all aside, this book was a very good read that you don't want to put down once you start. I gave it four stars because this book was just not as well written as that in Destiny - character change and all aside. I still recommend this book and I will continue to read the other books in the series. This book can be read as a stand alone, but I highly recommend that you read Destiny first. And, if you only plan to read one book in the series - read Destiny.

I have the omnibus edition containing the first 3 Rogue Angel novels. Though I have read GOLD EAGLE books for more than 20 years, this series is a little different than the customary action adventure of Mack Bolan, Stony Man, Able Team, or Phoenix Force from WORLDWIDE.

If GOLD EAGLE follows their normal pattern, each book in this series, which now stands at 13, with #14 out in September, 2008, and #15 out in November, 2008, each book will have a different author. The style and tone may differ book-to-book but the overall theme will remain the same. With Joan of Arc, archaeology, and savvy Annja Creed as the topic of each book, GOLD EAGLE has a winning combination and series here. Although this 2nd book is not quite as strong as the 1st, it is still a very well written book with a very interesting topic. And one of the main questions everyone interested in Solomon's Cup must address is what use will be made of the cup if it exists, and if it is ever found. At book's midpoint, Annja is unsure what is to be done with the cup.

Much action exists in this book, but GOLD EAGLE's success is known and based upon literally hundreds of past action adventure novels. And with my omnibus carrying the label 'science fiction' they can pretty much make Annja larger than life. And in mentioning omnibus, this is the first one that I know that GOLD EAGLE has ever issued.

While I do not see this series as strong or popular as the Mack Bolan series, which now stands at 357 books plus, Rogue Angel will have at least 15 books, probably more.

If you care for GOLD EAGLE books, action adventure books, or just plain science fiction, then this series of books about an intelligent, capable, and brave female archaeologist may be for you. Won't hurt to try.

Semper Fi.

This is not as good as the first book, and Anja Creed rapidly hops from continent to continent at ridiculous speed, almost.

The ultimate goal is Solomon's Jar, thanks to some usenet help. It may or may not have demons in it. Along the way, she runs into one of her usenet correspondents, who turns out to be a decent bloke, rescuing her at one stage after a bitch fight with a crazed Brazilian supermodel.

She is a bit less than forthcoming about how she gets out of all her physical confrontations.

"I don't believe in superheroes...but you'd look smashing in a cape and tights." Is the quip her new friend Aidan comes up with.

Mad cultists and the Russian mafia make appearances.

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

Annja is still reeling from the news that she is the chosen successor to Joan of Arc herself in the quest for good triumphing over evil but she can't rest. Rumors abound that the fabled jar of Solomon has been found... the very one in which he trapped all the demons after using them to build his temple. Now Annja journeys across Europe to get the answers.

Several others are also interested in gaining the jar however, and the power it presumably gives to its owner. There is a British cult who wants it to return the world to how it was before humans sullied it. A popular televangelist longs to use the jar to instill himself as a global leader of religion. And the Russian mob wants it for their own unknown reasons. Who will find the jar and what will they do with it once they acquire it? Annja will do whatever it takes to preserve it for the great archeological find that it is.

I'm loving the Rogue Angel series! While I'd have liked to see a little more in each book about Joan of Arc and the reasons for Annja's ties to the sword, I'm enjoying the books for the thrilling adventures they are. Solomon's Jar is yet another fast paced adventure ride through the life and times of archeological expert Annja Creed. Action starts immediately and never lets up until the end. With a variety of enemies also on the trail of Solomon's Jar, each with their own lust for power driving them in different ways, we are kept guessing as to what will happen next and who will get in Annja's way this time.

Annja is one tough cookie and there's no messing with her. However, she has a softer side too that peeks out every now and again which does a great job of preventing Annja from being the stereotypical action-adventure female character. Most of them are hard and cold but not Annja, she has a heart and isn't afraid to reveal it sometimes. This is best evidenced through some of Annja's relationships, especially the romantic one brewing between Annja and Aidan Pascoe who is hunting down the jar for his own reasons.

I love the audio productions of the Rogue Angel series. I have a very strong impression in my mind of what Annja and company are like that may not be as clear through just reading the book. As if there wasn't enough intensity already, the sound effects up the ante, adding quite a bit to the story. My only complaint is that many times the sound effects are overdone and so overpowering that I can't even make out the dialogue between the characters. This was disappointing as I wanted to hear everything that was being said.

I look forward to the further adventures of Annja Creed so it's a good thing I have every single book available in audio already. This means I can move right along into the next book.

This is a good follow up to Destiny in the Rogue Angel series. I enjoyed it enough to buy the next few books in the series and am on book 4, The Chosen, now. I hope Alex Archer keeps up the good writing because I have the first 8.

Annya Creed is an archeologist who now wields the mighty sword of Joan of Arc. OK, don't get turned off yet. Yes, it sounds a little bizarre, but it's so well written, and seemingly well researched (I haven't fact checked, but everything sounds plausible) that the story moves along quite nicely. There's adventure, exotic locales, danger, sword fighting, romance without all that gratuitous sex that seems to creep into everything nowadays. The focus is the story, and the story is a lot of fun!

This one, in spots, is as brutal as they get. In other spots, it's equally insightful and melancholy. The references come in torrents -- poets, musicians, authors. I've never seen a book reference Rory Gallagher before so Bruen gets extra bonus points for that, right there. The mix of Irish attitude and the harsh American desert southwest, both Tucson and Las Vegas, make this a special read. How Bruen mixes so much plot into a brief, spare book is also a classic example of how less truly is more. This is not for the squeamish, though, and comes with a caution that the territory here is rough and the roads lead to some very bleak places.

Then you are going to love American Skin. Normally I would recommend an author by saying read this if you like DeMilles work or something, but this is a cinematic novel. Hell, if they make it into a film, Bruen has already created the soundtrack with his constant musical references. I have not read any books by Bruen previously. I was drawn to this book by the subject matter, and I am not sure that I would enjoy his books set in Ireland quite as much. He is a master at creating colorful characters though. When he gets into a lot of the Irish political references I unfortunately get a little lost. That is like calling myself stupid, I know. I think I have to go back and reread Trinity. Not that the book wasn't revealing concerning Irish culture and not that I did not enjoy the scenes there. But I have to admit that I enjoyed the passages that took place in the states a bit more. Nonetheless I almost gave this 5 stars. It was a fun and very quick read.

In Galway, Ireland Stephen Blake reluctantly participates in a bank robbery in which his friend is killed. He escapes with the loot and after consulting with his girlfriend Siobhan flees to Tucson, Arizona where he is to hide as an American; Siobhan will join him shortly with the plan being she will launder the money.

The IRA leader who arranged the heist wants its booty. Crazy outraged hitman John A. Stapleton comes to America to take back what is his; however, John A. plans to eliminate anyone who knows about the money. Blake also runs into other problems in spite of his effort to remain figuratively buried in the desert. He meet femme fatale killing machine Sherry and Tammy Wynette's biggest fan Dade, who kills anyone who fails to stand by his singer. This fearsome five will soon collide turning the southwest into a ferocious dead zone.

This Irish visitor Noir is an over the Rocky Mountains thriller that hooks fans of Ken Bruen from the moment the key quintet is introduced and never slows down until the desert storm is over. The story line is action-packed as the audience anticipates a multiple High Noon shoot out in which there is no telling who the last man or woman standing will be. Violence may be as American as cherry pie, but Mr. Bruen takes murder and mayhem to caricature levels in this fun tale.

Harriet Klausner

On page 179 a minor character's name changes from Bob to Bill. Lest you think it was a mere typo, "Bill" is then mentioned by name five times on p. 179. Then his name changes back to Bob.

A nitpick on my part? Maybe.

But when I see things like this in novels I wonder how much time and effort was really put into them by the author, the editor and the publisher.

I've read all of Bruen's stuff and there seems to be a precipitous downhill slide. His three current books are all marked by minor, yet jarring, errors. This one, in Ammunition a key character has a change of eye color and in Cross protagonist Jack Taylor grits his teeth even though they were, to a molar, all knocked out a few installments ago.

Sad.

I'm generally very open about crime books, from Douglas Preston to Lee Child and Janet Evanovich and all the others. So when I saw this book at the library, I had to take it off the shelf and read it. Barely 300 pages, in large text, "American Skin" fails both as a drama and a crime book.

The plot outline is simply: Stephan Blake, of Ireland, gets involved in a failed attempt to rob a bank, resulted in his best friends death. Now th e third member of the bank robbing party is after him and his girlfriend, forcing Blake to run away to America. Despite his claims that he is moral and loves his girl friend, Blake sleeps around in New York and does just about every drug imaginable, with no point.

Strangely, the book does not seem to have a consistent plot. The author, Ken Bruen, writes about certain characters for a time and then forgets around then for chapters at a time before returning them to the plot. None of these characters even have a semblance of maturity, depth or even personality. There's no real beginning - the bank robbery takes place in poorly done flash backs - or even a middle - just excessive amounts of drug usage - and the ending falls apart with no climax or even real conclusion.

The author attempts to connect with the reader by making a huge number of media and cultural references, primarily through movies and music, but the attempt to "bond" with the reader makes it seem that Bruen simply went on wikipedia and looked up a list of popular shows and music before writing. The pointless references to Sex and the City, Christopher Walken, Monk, The Ramones, Bruce SPingsteen and more add nothing.

Side note: The book also suffered from very poor editing skills, with multiple grammar mistakes, typos and poorly spaced print. Which just goes to show that no one really cared about the book enough to even properly review it.

Simon Scarrow has written a great novel based on history. At first, I was somewhat surprised with the rough language he used during conversations between Macro and Cato, both Centurions of the Second Legion of Vespasian. Mr. Scarrow's writing style is very similar to Bernard Cornwell's. The plot is quite straight forward. This novel is also very easy to read. I did not find heavy issues poured into either the plot or characters. If you are looking for a "heavy" historical reading, this is not the book.

Other than the Roman cultures being exploited by the author, Britain's cultures were also described in (gory) details. The Romans in this novel was depicted to be a highly advanced civilization, compared to Britain. Thus, a reader can vividly imagine all the livelihood of people in his novel.

A four-star read. Keep up the good work, Mr. Scarrow.

The series from which this book comes is a military version of the kinds of romances purchased by the pound by women romance fans. The writing is pedestrian, and the kinds of military details and references to Roman history are cliched and repeated in each book of the series for the sake of new readers. The unimaginative use of an older centurion sponsor of a younger, ambitious sidekick can be found in any "buddy" novel or moview. Unless you're really hooked on this kind of men's romance novel, give it a miss.

Oh yeah, this one has the good's. It's like what Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme) said about Queen's Hot Space album; they have the proper spacings of space between the pulse of the music. Scarrow's tale has the grist turning throughout counterbalanced by the ominous silence of future developments. Forgive another simile so soon but it's like the third album of a favorite band: the first album is heavy, the second album incorporates a horn section and 20 backing vocalists as the artists want to 'explore', and then the artist return to their straightforward format of undiluted music on their third attempt. Scarrow strips it down to guitar, bass, and drums here. They instruments know when to thunder and when to restrain. Read this book for sure.

Simon Scarrow's The Eagle & The Wolves is an enjoyable light read, worth reading to the end but not worth rereading. It is what it is.

Scarrow's series of Roman military history has been well received, as more people develop an interest in the time period. It helps in the case of this book that Scarrow, a British teacher and writer, bases the action in Britain during the time of Caractacus' uprising, meaning English readers in particular may be more drawn to the topic. Besides the historical character of Caractacus, here spelled alternatively `Caratacus', who did in fact lead a guerrilla campaign against the Romans after the Claudian conquest of 43 AD, there is also Vespasian, who will go on to become Emperor himself (the final victor during the civil wars in the Year of the Four Emperors, 69 AD. The main protagonists are Cato and Macro, who are tasked with training a small allied local tribe, and have to wend their way through tribal politics, successions, murder, guerrilla attack, and the like.

Scarrow is best in describing camp and village life on the micro scale, topics not often brought up in books on the time. I liked the training regimen, learning to handle the weaponry, and teaching some typical legionary tactics. The author displays his depth of knowledge for his subject without writing condescendingly, and I thought this was the best of the work. Also nicely done is the sense of the action taking place in a very dangerous and uncertain part of the world, far from Rome, with inadequate communications and constant danger outside the walls. Less well done were the internal politics of the village, the conclusion of which seemed pretty predictable and not especially deep or complicated. The book is not strong on plotting. It's okay, it's just not Scarrow's strong suit. Finally, what to me was least interesting was the dialogue. Writing good dialogue can be very difficult; when one is replicating dialogue from almost 2000 years ago one has to decide just how modern or contemporary to write. Scarrow's choice has been to write as though his characters were speaking to one another in British English, especially slang, about 15 minutes ago. The story line is clear, he gets his point across, but for this reader anyhow it detracted from the period feel he is trying to get from the rest of his narrative. "Bloody" this, and "f-ing" that; no doubt the Roman legionaries had their phrases to describe precisely this kind of thought. But it just seems a little bumpy.

The book makes for enjoyable reading. When it was done I was ready to move on to something a little deeper.

Well researched view of Roman army life and conditions in first century Britain. The characters are interesting and the plot moves quickly. I would recommend it to students of Roman history and to those who just like a good story.

An excellent resource of information about English works of art

The first 'Oxford Companion to English Literature' was published in 1932 under the editorial direction of Sir Paul Harvey (no relation the American radio commentator). Half a century and five editions later, this is still a standard, authoritative reference work necessary for scholars and interested non-experts alike.

Under the editorship of Margaret Drabble, author and biographer (known for 'The Witch of Exmoor' and the more recently published 'The Peppered Moth'), this volume remains faithful to Harvey's intention of placing English literature in its widest possible context while exploring the deep classical and continental connections that underpin much of the history.

How can literature be divorced from cultural context? Surely it cannot be -- hence the newest entries into the edition include topics that read as if they were taken from today's best-seller shelf:

- Anglo-Indian Literature
- Simon Armitage
- Kate Atkinson
- Louis de Bernieres
- Censorship

- Ben Elton
- Gay and lesbian literature
- Hypertext
- A. L. Kennedy
- Lad's literature
- Literature of science
- New Criticism
- New Irish Playwrights
- Carol Shields
- Travel writing

This sample listing of the latest entries is representative of the more established categories, in that the entries (encyclopedic in character) include Authors, Subjects, Titles, Events, Characters and Critical Theory. The entries are unsigned (an ever-controversial practice in reference works such as this) -- well over a hundred contributors assisted in this volume, including the likes of Matthew Sweet, Salman Rushdie, Ceridwen Lloyd-Morgan, Katherine Duncan-Jones, and Brian Vickers.

This volume serves the general reader well in that one may follow cross-reference trails through the text. Take, for instance, Aaron the Moor -- the reader will be directed to Titus Andronicus, to which one is directed to Shakespeare, and from there a host of other cross-references historical and modern. Under the entry of Gabriel Josipovici, one is led back the entries of Rabelais and Bellow, influences as well as objects of Josipovici's study.

The appendices are new features of this edition. The first appendix is a Chronology that lists the chronology of the production of English literature from c.1000 to 1999 side by side with major historical events in Britain and beyond, and the significant events in the lives of literary figures. Appendix 2 lists the Poets Laureate in chronological order, from 1619 (when the office unofficially began) to the present -- surprisingly, there have only been 21 (19 official). Appendix 3 lists major literary award winners: Nobel Prize, Pulitzer Prize, Library Association Carnegie Medalists, and Booker-McConnell Prize for Fiction. Obviously not all of these are British authors, but it helps to place British literature in the wider world context of the twentieth century (as all of these prizes are twentieth-century creations).

In addition to the encyclopedic entries, there are major essays scattered through the text. These include the following topics:

- Biography
- Black British Literature
- Children's Literature
- Detective Fiction
- Fantasy Fiction
- Ghost Stories
- Gothic Fiction
- Historical Fiction
- Metre
- Modernism
- Post-Colonial Literature
- Romanticism
- Science Fiction
- Spy Fiction
- Structuralism and Post-Structuralism

These essays include history and current development of the genre or topic, as well as bibliographic information for further research, which (regrettably) the smaller encyclopedic entries rarely have.

This is a terrific, one-volume reference that should serve well anyone with a need for quick and ready reference material. It should find a welcome home on the shelf of any avid reader, fan of literature and modern fiction, history, religion, or any devoted Anglophile.

Disliking an Oxford Press book makes me feel like a heretic. The majority of their Companion books are superb, remarkably concise yet thorough works of scholarship. The English Companion is an unfortunate and surprising exception.

The entry for 'New Criticism' is an efficient example of the book's shortcomings. For one thing, there's a laundry list of authors, dates, and books but very little is said of the IDEAS that characterize New Criticism. The entries are generally hamstringed by a focus on the sociopolitical and historical aspects of writers and works. The effort is laudable but inappropriate and uneconomical for a reference work. In its most extreme form, the historical emphasis goes into bizarre detail about an author's upbringing -- is it really necessary that we know where an author went to grade school and when? Entries love to entertain tales of writers' deaths and and of their insignificant travellings. I often felt as though I were reading minibiographies.

One will also notice, in the case of 'New Criticism', the absence of any mention of the 'organic'. This is ridiculous and indicative of the book's lack of attention to concepts as such. There is a non-cross-referenced mention of 'organic' under Coleridge, yet even there it is only mentioned as one of his ideas, not in terms of what the theory tried to say. I would compare it to someone's asking, 'What does X mean?' This book's reply: 'X was one of so-and-so's ideas'. Too often, the response ends there. Literary theory entries are usually on the thin side, though the deconstruction essay is solid. However, even in the longest lit theory essays there is more of an emphasis on people and movements -- far less on ideas.

Along with the lack of depth (or conceptual emphasis), there's little sense of the overall significance of ideas, works or characters (ironic given the attempts at a social-historical approach): Caliban is mentioned in the Tempest entry, and even gets his own paragraph elsewhere, but there's nothing about his character as it's been re-elaborated and re-invented by a long tradition of English writers (Auden, Browning, Joyce, and Wilde for starters). There's nothing about Caliban's portrayal in that tradition, nor mention of Caliban's mirror, etc. Under 'hubris' (which is found, in turn, under a terse account of 'the Poetics'), there's nothing about Icarus, nor is there anything about hubris as a specific theme in so many works.

Speaking of hubris, it's baffling to me that Drabble's entry is longer than either Hill's or Heaney's. The general editor would have been better off focusing more of her energy on other writers: that expansive babbling space could have been put to stronger use had a more thorough background been given on either of those poets, among others.

Readers seeking to understand why an author alludes in his work to a character or poet will be little helped by nebulous terms like 'icily poised' or 'sensuously textured', which are more suggestive of gastronomic, rather than literary, criticism. To my mind a reference's primary function should be to offer a quick source of the 'essentials' of a book or of a writer's ideas, an understanding of which would illuminate one's reading of the alluding work. While I appreciate that entries shy away from 'this or that' critiques or strict (canonical) interpretations, giving lists of facts does an injustice to the works themselves and to the way these works have been interpreted by others. (Believe it or not, people CAN come to their own conclusions even after being introduced to an opinion.)

The book's scope is appropriate to literature, as literature tends to allude to so many disparate disciplines. But if one were truly trying to give an encyclopedic account of literature, the book would have to be much bigger. In this case, specialization suffers. I would have preferred a much more focused account of 'literature' as such; I'd then supplement this with other references focused, for example, on English history. One gets the sense that too many entries end up attenuated in this book.

On the positive side the plot summaries are strong and more nuanced, though many entries are badly written (full of odd, obscuring, convoluted syntax). Again, good editorship would have recognized this.

The book primarily succeeds as an enervated survey. Nevertheless, readers will occasionally happen upon some interesting, well-summarized topics.

I'm going to check out the Cambridgean counterpart to the Oxford Companion, and I'm hoping it will give a more in-depth account of ideas and themes. The other Oxford Companions are, however, truly amazing works and deserve a close look.