This legend of CuChullain is told in all its glory. The legendary tales of the great Irish champion come to life amidst the backdrop of pre-St. Patrick Ireland. The "Hound of Ulster" is undoubtedly the greatest Irish hero, and the Bardic accounts of his feats are collected into one book which is masterfully written. The Cattle Raid of Coolley is the centerpiece, where Ulster King, Conor McNessa, and his rival Mauve go to war in this lesson of greed . This is a must read for anyone who enjoys Irish folklore, or just plain enjoys a good book

I have not read a book yet that Morgan Llywelyn has not done an outstanding job on, but when it comes to a real bardic piece of literature combined with the legends of the past, Red Branch excels. I have read the stories in other places, such as The Story of the Irish Race by Seumas MacManus, and passed over them as just another piece of literature. When I read the Red Branch it was transformed into a vibrant, living, pulsating story that wrenched emotion after emotion from the core of your being. It took Setanta, as a boy, and gave his passage into manhood a glorious path, that only when young would you feel so invulnerable, all for the sake of a short but long rembered life. Written for her son, I think she far exceeded anything she has done to date, in his honor.

Red Branch is amazing. Never has a book sucked me in like this one did. Unlike many authors who skip the details which make a story truly real, Llywelyn tells a tale that presents Cuchulain as both a larger-than-life hero and a real person at the same time. I felt the glory of living during that time as well as the pain. Truly a great book.

As a retired mechanical engineer and private pilot I thoroughly enjoyed George Erickson's book "True North: exploring the Great Wilderness by Bush Plane".

He combines description of the vast and wonderous beauty of the Canadian Wilderness with the adventure of flying alone in a small float plane with the occasional sojourns into the realm of science, such as an explanation as to how as airplane flies. But you won't need an engineering degree or a pilots license to enjoy the book because it's all skillfully presented in layman terms. A good read!

I enjoyed True North immensely. So many of us know so little of Canada and think of it as "that place up there." The book truly paints an inviting picture of the country.
As for the "soapbox" that one reviewer complained about, perhaps there needs to be more soapbox speakers who will inform us of the true story of events. Religion isn't all its cracked up to be.

One of the most relaxing, educational reads I have ever had. Well written and fact filled. A must read for anyone.

This book really pulls you in and doesnt let you go. I found this book fairly hard to put down the first time I read it and the second and third time I saw the complexity of the storys MANY morals. There are alot of issues in this book, that during that area, were the subject of discussion everywhere. It represents how people could be so cold to someone else just because they are different and shows two sides to the story during the second World War, and most probably the most famous. What is really intergueing about this book is that it doesnt talk about the Holocaust very much. I found this a very unique and popular style, to write about what else was happening.All in all I give this book 4/5.
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Have you ever wondered about the real truth of your teachers? In this book a particular girl is curious about a mysterious teacher who has always been known for her beauty kindness and intelligence. Ever since the holocaust had started Jessie had been curious about Miss Muller sneaking out every night. So she finally decided to take action. She gathered her friends and they all went out to investigate what Miss Muller was doing. Spying on Miss Muller shows the relationship of a student and a teacher and how that relationship became a relationship that was fraught with up and downs.Throughout this book, a young girl who had lived in a boarding school, turns her back on the only teacher in the whole school who was kind and sweet to her. The only reason she does this is because of the mysterious outings her teacher is having on the same night as the bomb alarms begin. I feel this is an important book to read because it shows how it felt to be in the holocaust from a christians point of view. It also shows how someone feels to be betrayed and lied to. This book should be recomended because it is educational. It teaches a lesson, and that is; find out what the person is actually doing, before you accuse him or her of a wrong doing. The book also contains some social situations which makes it fun to read as a young teenger or reader.

Jessie, Lizzie Mag, Ada and Maureen are roommates (and best friends) at Alveara boarding school in Belfast, Northern Ireland. They have always loved their teacher, Miss Muller, who looks like Vivien Leigh. But now World War II is in action, and Miss Muller is part German. Jessie and her friends have reason to believe that the beautiful Daphne Muller is a spy for Hitler. But Jessie can't help but love Miss Muller, no matter what everyone else says about her. Where should her loyalty be? With her country, or with her true heart? This is a beautiful story. Everyone should read it.

Though first published some 40 years ago, this volume remains useful as a serious, yet accessible overview of Norse mythology. But, as a starting point to those new to the subject, I would recommend The Norse Myths by Kevin Crossley-Holland, which is a wonderfully evocative account of the Northern pantheon.

Davidson's book is a fine overview of the subject from a more scholarly perspective. It is a book of modest scope and the author is conservative in her assertions. At times her diffidence is endearing, at others it is frustrating. Clearly, the book is a product of its time. Overall, it has withstood the test of time and I anticipate it will be used for decades to come.

This book provides a fine introduction to the myths of Northern Europe. The book examines the few remnants we have in the forms of epic poems and prose, written by Christian writers after the fact - the Eddas, Beowulf, and the Viking sagas. From these sources, especially the Edda, the author reconstructs the myths and stories relating to the Norse gods and their subsequent twilight in Ragnarok. Then, the author seeks to answer various questions about this myth and determine whatever relation it may have had to the original religion of the Northern European peoples. The figures of Odin, Thor, Loki, Balder, and the rest of the Norse gods play an important part in our European cultural heritage and it is nice to see them presented in an introduction as here. Whatever underlying mental constructs are behind such accounts as that of Ragnarok (the Twilight of the Gods) they certainly appear to be universal to the human race, as revealed in all forms of apocalyptic literature. Ultimately these beliefs died a rather easy death at the hands of the Christian worldview. Whatever your personal opinion about the replacement of the pagan beliefs by Christianity and whether or not the pagan beliefs should be resurrected or remain buried, you will certainly profit from reading this book and it will help you to better understand Northern Europe in pre-Christian times. Finally, it must be noted that in many ways, at least in my opinion, the society of the Vikings was superior to our own. I admire the strong sense of individualism that the Vikings expressed and enjoy greatly reading about their heroic feats.

Hail! Anyone whom is interested in studying anceint Northern European(English, German, Dutch, Scandinavian) pagan beleifs should most definitely purchase this book. Those whom are interested in learning about REAL witchcraft(the word witch is Anglo Saxon, thus Teutonic and NOT Celtic), will find the section on the Vanir(Earth Gods) very interesting and insightfull(after all, Frey and Freya literally translate to "Lord"[bread/power weilder] and "Lady"[bread/power maker]). I highly recommend this book to those whom are interested in ALL aspects of Northern Heathenism(which is not limited to warriors, but also judges, lawyers, wizards, tradesman, witches and farmers as well).

Eamon Collins provides an unflinching look at the life of a modern day IRA gunman. The controversy created by this brutally honest look into the inner workings of this complex and secretive organization cost Collins his life at the hands of an IRA assassin. Collins sets out the reasons for his involvement in the IRA as well as detailing the horrific results of his and his fellow gunman's actions. The author also provides a detailed and unprecedented look within the British interrogation chamber, and an inside story of the "Supergrasses." An important work and must-read for anyone interested in the modern history of Northern Ireland.

This book was hard to put down. The author, Eamon Collins, was murdered shortly after the book was published. Collins touches every emotion as he takes you inside of the inner workings of the IRA. Not only do you learn how the IRA plans and carries out its missions, you receive a great deal of insight into human nature and the political conflict that has held Ireland in a grip for hundreds of years! I highly recommend this book. My copy has already been loaned out to a friend.

"If I had to choose between my country and my friend, I hope I would have the courage to choose my friend" EM Foster. Collins chose the 'siren call' of tribalism, or country, and ending up killing at least one man who could have been his friend. He later hauntingly meets the man's daughter briefly. He admits that his Protestant neighbours had more in common with him than the Southern Nationalists with which he was supposed to be trying to unite. A deeply moving book, that makes one uneasy with what one thought were the certainties of Northern Ireland. One cannot read this book and come away thinking the IRA campaign justified, whatever the grievances suffered in the 1960s by Catholics in Northern Ireland. As good a memoir of a 'dirty war' as 'Despatches' about Vietnam, made worse by happening among Collins' workmates and in his home town.

Kevin Toolis, a British journalist of Irish heritage, provides an emotional personal account of the IRA as he visits the homeland of his ancestors and tries to find a rational interpretation. His own confusion about his opinions, however, never seems to be wholly resolved, so the reader must put that aside and merely enjoy the story he tells as if reading anecdotes about a highly interesting subject. The subtitle of the book, A Journey Into the IRA's Soul, should have been revised by the editor to read A Journalist Wrestles With His Soul. Fewer copies would have been sold, but the honesty would be there. Not that Toolis himself is dishonest, he is sometimes disturbingly candid about himself, going the extra mile to let his readers know in an entertaining way that he isn't to be confused with a fearless reporter. He talks about fears that prevent him from escorting the brave sister of a slain IRA Volunteer to her brother's death site, his fears that he may be killed at an IRA grave site and his concerns about his own safety while interviewing the IRA leader, Martin McGuinness, and admits his relief that the British recognize him as a journalist and don't confuse him with one of the Rebels he uses for his sources.

Having said that, one must value the personal accounts and direct quotations Toolis extracts from the Rebels and their relatives. The contempt of the occupying forces as they trample on the rights of the Irish, the personal taunts of the soliders against family members of slain IRA freedom fighters and the accounts of the families suffering under the Ulster regime rise above the minor diversions into Toolis's personal feelings, to allow a perceptive reader to get an understanding of the atmosphere. Another true value of the Toolis report lies in its attempt to sort the whole thing out for those who know little about the Irish troubles. A reader will be able to discern the difference between the various factions after reading Toolis, and will have a greater understanding of the complexities which so confuse the American public into thinking simplistically that the strife is sectarian. For those students of the issue, Toolis offers a valuable addition to the personal consequences of the broader picture.

This could have been a great book. The stories that the author tells and the individuals that he profiles are extremely engrossing in and of themselves. If the author had just stood back and told the stories, this would have been a much stronger book. Instead, he persistently interferes with self-loving asides, snide commentaries, and pointless and uninteresting personal anecdotes. No one's going to buy this book because they're interested in the life and times of Kevin Toolis. But that's what we get far too often. This modern concept that every author has to express his opinions and feelings ad nauseam has got to go! A strong editor should have gone through this book and eliminated every sentence in which the word "I" appears in reference to the author. That would include the entire first chapter, in which Toolis tells about his summer holidays as a child (?!), Toolis' embarrassing and pathetic attempt to date the sister of a dead IRA volunteer, the entire last chapter, in which Toolis gives his grand conclusions on the situation, and every attempt at historical analysis. It's really just too much for an effete British journalist, who seems to consider "working-class" an epithet, to spend page after page attacking the likes of Pearse when he's not busy looking down on anyone of lesser social status. Even author Tim Pat Coogan (all of whose books are highly recommended), who probably knows more about modern Irish history than any other author alive, has the good sense to let the facts speak for themselves. That being said, the stories in this book are all very interesting and well told. The book is basically a series of unrelated essays profiling different individuals and families within the Republican Movement and the IRA. Toolis' snide commentaries aside, the people he profiles, through their principled dedication to justice and equality, even at extreme personal risk, make their cases quite well.

After you get beyond the title of Toolis' book, and beyond the sappy first chapter of family history, he offers a highly interesting account of the people behind the militant Republican movement. Toolis has sought out people who don't usually make the front page--family members and informers--as well as prominent Republicans and Martin McGuinness, who "is the IRA," according to Toolis' sources. By documenting the every day workings of the people involved in the conflict, he establishes the complexity of their motivations and actions. The reader is not left with a black and white view of the struggle.

I give the book four stars because his sources are very good and original, enabling him to give a very thorough view of his subject. The book deserves to be read. The silly involvement of his personal stories adds nothing to the book and almost caused me to put it down. Also he gets caught up in the argument he is making with his sources so that the prologue and afterward seem out of place.

Soledad County Deputy Sheriff, Rhoda Swift, had only been on the job three weeks when she was called to the scene of the mass murders in Cascada Canyon. A terrifying, grisly scene with eight dead, two of them children, all shot. Mistakes were made, evidence was lost and the case was still unsolved. The town and townspeople of Signal Port had never been the same, circling in a downward spiral ever since that fateful night. Now, thirteen years later, on the anniversary of the murders, New York City true-crime writer, Guy Newberry, has shown up to research the massacre for a book he's planning to write about a "town in trouble". No one wants Guy bringing attention to what is left of their small town and the infamous event most feel is best forgotten and Signal Port closes ranks. But when the body of a young woman is found, washed up off Point Deception, and within days two other women go missing, the town hunkers down, full of fear and suspicion, afraid that their lurid history may be repeating itself..... Marcia Muller has written an intriguing mystery/thriller that's about to take you on a fast paced, roller coaster of a ride. The tight, compelling and intricate plot and vivid, riveting scenes are full of atmosphere and you can almost feel the damp, chilly fog and smell the ocean as you read. Her well drawn, interesting characters come alive on the page and Ms Muller's indepth knowledge of Northern California and her painstaking attention to detail add real credibility to the story. Add to that a stunning climax and very satisfying ending and you have the makings of a well written, superb thriller that should be at the top of every mystery fan's "must read" list. Marcia Muller never disappoints and she's not starting now!

I picked up this book expecting to be disappointed. I have been reading the Sharon McCone series so long that I didn't think that Ms. Muller could write anyone as well. I was wrong. I picked up this book yesterday and couldn't put it down until I read the last word. Rho and Guy are two very sympathetic but human characters with terrible past experiences that they have managed to overcome-mostly. The novel is set in a little coastal town in Northern California. Almost thirteen years ago, horrible massacre occurred in Cascade Canyon. Six adults and two children were brutally murdered. Only one child survived. The tragedy pretty much killed the spirit of the town, and almost destroyed Deputy Rho Swift. Guy Newberry, a writer who specializes in stories about towns in trouble, is researching a book about the murders and their effect on the community. Together, they work to solve the murders and get past their pasts.

Thinking that I had one of the latest Sharon McCone mysteries, I happily took it home from the library, only to discover that this book is about an entirely new character, Rhoda Swift, a sheriff's deputy. In spite of my negative vibes I proceeded with the book and enjoyed it thoroughly. As always, Marcia Muller catches the essence of the California coast and she weaves a wonderful story into a beautiful background. Deputy Rhoda Swift has never gotten over the multiple murders which occurred in her territory 13 years previously, and old memories are dredged up when another murder occurs near the anniversary of the deaths. A writer named Guy Newberry comes to town with a plan to write about the murders,and he and Rhoda form a bond based on past hurts in their lives. Muller creates a nice blend of mystery and romance and leaves plenty of room for future installments in this series.

I can feel the sense of lost and love that Steven Stayner felt cause I too was molested at the age of 5 to 15 by my stepfather and he took away that childhood innocence that i had and i will never trust no one else. It was harder for steven cause he was taken away from his family and his father couldnt deal with the fact that this man got off after taking seven years of his sons life i really feel sorry for his family and kids and him especially for not knowing the love of his parents and his brother and sister god bless all of them this book and movie was excellent on informing parents that they should watch their children closer as stangers dont care who they take

I am the mother of several sons and I first became aware of the story of the kidnapping of Steven Stayner when I saw the premiere of the NBC Television miniseries "I Know My First Name Is Steven" in May of 1989. The miniseries was not only well written (author Mike Echols is credited with writing the story for the script) but received rave reviews by television critics at the time it was televised.

Then two years later the book of the same title by Mike Echols on which the miniseries was based was published and I bought and read it. It has tremendously more background information about Steven Stayner's kidnapping and his kidnapper, Ken Parnell's, psychological background including quotes and information from this evil man's extensive psychiatric medical records. And striking to me was hearing in his own words Steven Stayner's descriptions of his sexual assaults by Parnell: This was the first time that I had ever read something like this and I found it both necessarily informative and disturbing in that I finally realized the great harm that is visited on child rape victims.

Truly, along with Ernie Allen, the head of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, I would rate this book as being brilliantly written and a necessary book for parents to read to learn how to protect their children...

Now Mike Echols has written and had published a new edition of "I Know My First Name Is Steven" with a new chapter about Steven's older brother, Cary Stayner, who has been arrested and has confessed to being the Yosemite serial killer of two teen girls, the mother of one of the girls, and a nature teacher. Of course, Steven is in no way responsible for his older brother's crimes, but the story makes for an interesting comparison of these two brothers' lives.

This book is truly a must read both as a true crime book as well as a valuable book to help parents to protect their sons!

I recently started reading the book "I Know My First Name Is Steven" and I found it to be very interesting. I also saw the movie by the same title and thought that was good too. After reading the book that John Walsh wrote about his son's kidnapping and murder, I realized that I wanted to know more about Steven Stayner who was kidnapped and raped for seven long years by Ken Parnell. Steven risked his own life to escape his captor and save not only his life but the life of young Timmy White who was also kidnapped by Ken Parnell. It's a shame that Steven's life ended so tragically because he did a lot of good by telling others about what he went through after he was kidnapped. Steven helped a lot of people with his story and his legacy and memory will live on forever.

I read THE WORLD ON BLOOD to take a break from Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles. The chronicles are great but I loved Nasaw's take on vampires. The book was full of vivid details of drug highs and sexual adventures. It was definitely very sensual. Nasaw made the world of vampires and witches actually conceivable. Go ahead and read the summary if you wanna know what the book was about. This is just my 2cents and I HIGHLY recommend this book, especially for all the drug admirers, sex addicts, and vampire/witch lover in all of us...

Jonathan Nasaw shows vampires in a light they have never been seen in before. The vampires in his world are more realistic than ever. Nasaw shows the true meaning of addiction. This book has some of the best written characters. The story of Nick and Whistler will captivate anyone. I don't think I have ever found a more perfect love than Lourdes and Whistler. I could not put it down. Nasaw is extremely successful in portraying vampires in their naturally enchanting way. His scenes are very descriptive and provative. Some of the party scenes even made me blush. Never before have vampires appeared sexier or more alluring. It made me want to go out and drink blood. Althought this book is not for the faint of heart, I would definately recommend it to anyone who wants to experience something new and enchanting. It will leave you wanting more. This is without a doubt the best vampire novel I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing.

This book was truely amazing. After reading it several times, I still get the urge to reach for it, even though I happen to have a stack of unread books else where. Jonathan Nasaw surely has something which most people seem to lack these days. He's creative and imaginative, yet manages to keep his feet on the ground, allowing a new and exciting look on vampires and witches to emerge. Nasaw's words are truely spell binding. The irony of the plot also grabs at the readers attention, further creating the title of a 'page turner'. 'The World on Blood' is best described as: 'Beautifully written, wildly satisfying, has something for everyone.' -Fangoria

Lopez' earlier slim volumes, "River Notes" and "Desert Notes" pale in coparison to this book which centers around an excursion into the Arctic, a region vastly unexplored (and, excepting Viking, Russian and Dane enterprises, unattainable beyond the sometimes invisible margins separating terra firma from the then-mythic Ultima Thule) and has only reached prominence until relatively recently in navigational history. The book reads much like a journeyman, the personal experiences mingling with sections outlining the cultural and historic (shamanistic to Cook and Peary), species and subspecie, the flora and fauna cirques, terminal moraines, and frazil of the crystal land. In many ways it also reads like a guidebook to the unknown, a sort of latter day spin-off to the wonderous adventure sagas on travel and exploration which played a critical part in books (and National Geographic) and other series' of the earlier part of the twentieth century. At still another level it presents a narrative which manages to economically convey the historic and environmental aspects which are arranged as if for magazine specials (of note are the lists of Specific Names and Places in the appendices sect.); concise, substantive and memorable. This is an enjoyable and enduring read, especially for long hot summers.

A must for the reader who appreciates the beauty of a suttle landscape and the adaptations animals and people make to be at home in such a place. Lopez displays a sort of intelligence and attention to detail in this book that challenges the reader to expand. Having visited the arctic before reading it, I had pictures in my mind that he explained. The local explanation of mountains "coming up for air" was breathless. Inuit comfort with that country is so astonishingly beautiful. Having worked for a local ivory sculptor in Anchorage gave me a great curiosity for this land and culture. It took a scientific explanation of the sort Lopez is so go at to feed at least some of that curiosity. If you loved this book, check out some of the works of Inuit art.

It's been some years ago now that I read Arctic Dreams. I found Lopez's writing powerful and gripping; I had to read more of his work and soon did. His use of the desert as a metaphor for the arctic brought to mind not only human desire to experience and transform landscapes, but also the sense of mystery that we attach to the environment--mystery that compels us to make known the unknown, whether through myth or exploration, and mystery that drives us to wax nostalgic when those landscapes are already comprehended and inexorably altered. Before the U.S. Civil War, some maps showed the Great Plains as the "Great American Desert." Within a decade, that land and its peoples had been transfigured in popular imaginations from a mythology of mystery to one of discovery and settlement. There is much to be gained from Lopez's deeply personal engagement with the Arctic and the ways his experience informs his elucidation of others' attempts, successful and not, to imagine, discover, conquer, and finally yield to this austere geography. In doing so, Lopez manages not to lose track of the sense of wonder and myth that nearly wells up from the landscape itself.