Book Description
Throughout the 19th century, European royalty built extraordinary palaces to which they retreated from their "official" lives in St. Petersburg, Paris, Vienna, and elsewhere. This book offers a panorama of these fantastic estates, where leading architects, craftsmen, muralists, garden designers, and naturalists were employed at enormous expense to create a life of unsurpassed luxury. Many of the palaces are now legendary: Ludwig II's famous Neuschwanstein, which dominates the Bavarian Alps; the "Alexandra Cottage" of Peterhof, the gift of Nicholas I to his wife; the lovely Castle of Miramare built for the ill-fated Archduke Maximilian, the short-lived emperor of Mexico. The palaces are "romantic" in every sense, as creations of their time, and as places suffused with nostalgic memory.
Author Jérôme Coignard provides a brief overview of each royal family and their palace's architecture and decoration, drawing on contemporary memoirs and letters. Marc Walter's color photographs are accompanied by period interior views, watercolors, and family photographs. With information on visiting hours and directions to each of the palaces, this book offers a private tour through the last courts of Europe. AUTHOR BIO: Jérôme Coignard is a novelist, essayist, and contributor to numerous French magazines. Marc Walter is a photographer and graphic designer whose most recent books include Voyages around the World and Toile de Jouy. Markus of Habsburg-Lorraine, an Austrian archduke, is the current resident of Kaiser-villa in Bad-Ischl, built for his ancestor, the emperor Franz-Joseph I, in 1834.
Customer Reviews:
Mediocre, but has a some redeeming qualitites.......2005-12-16
This book does have SOME nice pictures, but the bottom line: there is an unacceptable amount of room for improvement. The authors of this book had great potential to create something extraordianry, but wasted space by including too much text for a coffee table book and devoting entire pages to average photographs. Despite its many flaws, I do have to admit that their selections were truly fresh and original. The authors use several palaces that I had never heard of and avoid using cliches like Versailles, Schonbrun, or the Catherine Palace. If you are looking for a different lineup of palaces you might want to give this book a second thought. If you do decide to but it, DO NOT, under any circumstances, pay retail for this book. I found a used one at $28.00, and I experienced some buyer's remorse.
Average customer rating:
- One of King's Best Novels!
- A great novel.
- Sick and Twisted
- The end of Castle Rock!
- The King lives.
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Needful Things: The Last Castle Rock Story
Stephen King
Manufacturer: Signet Book
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Rose Madder
ASIN: 0451172817
Release Date: 2004-04-06 |
Book Description
A new store has opened in the town of Castle Rock, Maine. It has whatever your heart desires...if you're willing to pay the price. In this chilling novel by one of the most potent imaginations of our time, evil is on a shopping spree and out to scare you witless.
Customer Reviews:
One of King's Best Novels!.......2007-07-09
An evil man opens a curio shop in the small town of Castle Rock. The shop caters to people's innermost desires. For example, there is a horse-racing toy. You make tags that have the names of horses that are going to be in a particular race. Then you put the tags on the toy horses, wind up the toy, and see which horse wins. From there you make your bet. You will win, but at a price--paid to the devil.
I couldn't put this book down. It hooked me from page one.
A great novel........2007-06-20
I just finished this, it rocks. A great ending to Stephen King's Castle Rock stories. The only bad part of this book was the epilogue (You've Been Here Before), it was one of the worst ones I have seen. I wish King had ended it where the last view of the town was shown. Other than the terrible epilogue, this was a magnificent novel.
P.S. Stay away from the movie, it is a piece of crap and it sucks.
Sick and Twisted.......2007-04-27
But thats how we like it.
This book had one of the most disturbing fights between two women I've ever read. I was reading it in bed (my girlfriend was sleeping next to me) and I kept laughing nervously as the scene escalated. Pretty nasty...
This is a cool and original story by one of the best story tellers in America.
The end of Castle Rock!.......2007-03-03
9.0 STARS OUT OF 10!!!!!!!!!
Once upon a time, I was 13 years old and hanging at a buddies house. Unlike most of my peers at that age, I was an avid reader. I graduated from the Hardy Boys, to Goosebumps(LOL), and was currently tackling John Grisham and the like. I was waiting to get onto the next game of NHL 93 for Sega Genesis when I noticed my buddies mother's bookshelf in the living room. I started digging through it and with pure luck I ended up with Needful Things.
I hadn't the slightest idea that this book was the epic ending of a set of books occurring in a small town called Castle Rock. I hadn't the slightest idea who Stephen King was except he wrote horror novels(some of which were turned into bad movies), and that those novels sold very well. That stuff didn't matter. I cracked open that hefty book and before long I was addicted. It seemed like I was missing out on some inside jokes and plots, but it didn't matter. The book blew my mind. I couldn't believe the time I wasted the last few years reading anything different.
Anyway, 14 years later, I have read pretty much everything King has written a handful of times. With nothing good to read of late, I've been reading some of King's novels for the 2nd, 3rd, and even 4th time. Needful Things was just finished for the 2nd time.
Stephen King visited the fictional town of Castle Rock in several novels including the Dead Zone and Cujo among others. This is the "last" of the Castle Rock novels. The book starts with a new shop in town called Needful Things. It seems to have at least one item that everyone who shops there just HAS to buy. Usually such items would cost an arm and a leg, but not at Needful Things. These items are all for very cheap barring the customer does the owner of the shop a little favor. These favors are overall pretty small tasks and range from seemingly harmless pranks to petty mischief. As you would think, the owner of this shop has a little secret that the townsfolk are soon to find out.
Needful Things is a long and pretty good novel starring not only new characters but also a handful of characters from Castle Rock novels past and present. While there are many little references and inside jokes(A scene with Cujo's ghost was my favorite), you do not need prior knowledge of Castle Rock to enjoy this book. My only qualm with this book is the very ending. This is a long book with A LOT of slow building tension that leads to a very exciting last one hundred pages. To me the last scene is very anti-climactic and hinders an all around good book from being an all around GREAT book.
The King lives........2007-02-15
Another small town gone wrong. All of the great, almost real characters you've come to expect from Stephen King. The concept was the real pull for me... evil comes to a town and manipulates the residents into turning on one another. I've always been interested in the thin line between good and evil... about what it takes to turn a good person bad. That is what this story explores.
And just a side note: This is no longer "The Last Castle Rock Story"... that title should now be given to Lisey's Story. Many of the deputies from Needful Things appear in Lisey's Story, some of the action occurs in Castle Rock, and Lisey herself lives just a bit outside of town.
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Last Siege, The
Jonathan Stroud
Manufacturer: Miramax
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The Lost Colony (Artemis Fowl, Book 5)
ASIN: 1423101073 |
Book Description
A chance encounter on the snowy slopes of a castle moat throws together three lonely teenagers: Emily, Simon, and the highly enigmatic Marcus, who is the catalyst for all that follows.At first the castle's ruins are merely the backdrop to a day in the snow. But when the three break into the forbidden interior of the keep, they find the castle taking on a different and deeper meaning. Despite the freezing conditions, they spend the night there, to experience the power of occupation.But when the re-enactment gets out of control and a very real siege ensues, their playful dare soon turns into a frenzy of nightmarish action.
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- An ironic and colorful portrait of future humanity
- Get your hands on a copy of this book!
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Last Castle
Manufacturer: Ace Books
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Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Vance, Jack
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Tales of the Dying Earth
ASIN: 0441470734 |
Customer Reviews:
An ironic and colorful portrait of future humanity.......2005-12-05
"The Last Castle," by Jack Vance, is set on Earth thousands of years in the future. The planet is populated with the native human stock that has continuously been there, and also with a culture of humans who have returned to Earth after living elsewhere. The returnees live a luxurious, aristocratic lifestyle in gigantic castle strongholds. The castle dwellers are accompanied by "specialized andromorphs"--that is, various biologically altered slave species. Adding to the complexity of the landscape is a human faction that has broken off from the "gentlefolk" and lives outside of the castle walls. At the start of the book we learn that one of the slave species, the Meks, has begun to violently revolt against its human masters. This sets in motion a complex story of both military and cultural conflict.
This short novel is clearly a science fiction tale, but with its castles, noblemen, and talking "Birds," the book has a flavor of fantasy. Vance also brings a strong element of social and political satire to the mix. The whole book is only 115 pages long, but in a brief space Vance masterfully creates a complete and compelling portrait of this alternate Earth. Among other things he explores the food, entertainment, architecture, sexuality, transportation technology, and biology of this colorful world. Particularly rich are his descriptions of the diverse slave species.
At times Vance's style and themes remind me of the work of such other skilled science fiction craftsmen as Gordon Dickson (in "Dorsai!") and Clifford Simak (in "City"). His prose is overall very straightforward, but he keeps it lively with some ornate flourishes and lovely phrases. I found his prose very enjoyable to read. The book's copyright information notes that an Ace edition was published in 1966. Because of this, it may be tempting to read the narrative as an allegory for the upheavals in American culture in the 1960s. But due to Vance's insight and writerly skill, the satire still strikes me as fresh and relevant for our post-9/11 era.
Get your hands on a copy of this book!.......1998-12-30
'The Last Castle' is a remarkable work of science fantasy by a modern master of the genre. In the far future, all of the strongholds (save one) of an effete remnant of humanity have fallen to an alien race that has thrown off the shackles of slavery. This book, while loaded with ironic humor, is a thought-provoking study of the human condition. A deceptively short and simple book that you will reread to find subleties that you missed in previous readings. Vance is a genius!
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Ned Kelly's Last Days: Setting the Record Straight on the Death of an Outlaw
Alex C. Castles
Manufacturer: Allen & Unwin
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True History of the Kelly Gang
ASIN: 1741145384 |
Book Description
Piecing together a vast jigsaw of obscure records and unpublished material, this exposé follows the final months of one of Australian history's most infamous outlaws. Ned Kelly—a beloved national icon—was just a bushranger who was to be punished for his crimes, but by 1880 everyone wanted him dead. Although many stories and rumors surround the Kelly myth, few know the details of what really happened in the 137 days between his last stand and the day of his execution. Exposing the blatant cover-ups, corruption, and the press's demand for blood that ultimately led to Kelly's death sentence, this book sets the record straight on the highly questionable judicial processes of the time and sheds new light on the life and death of the most famous bushranger of them all.
Customer Reviews:
3 Great Short Novels.......2003-07-20
This book is a 3-in-1 by 3 Hugo-Winning authors.
The Trouble With Tycho by Clifford D. Simak
Empire Star by Samuel R. Delany
The Last Castle by Jack Vance
Book Description
More than 200 unique and intriguing recipes for all kinds of Greek dishes.
Customer Reviews:
The Complete Book of Greek Cooking.......2006-12-01
Great book just the ingredients are not things I find on my shelf so I have to purchase special items. The food tastes good and money well spent.
The Complete Book fo Greek Cooking..........2006-07-12
My ONLY souce of the best Greek cooking was Hellenic Cuisine from the 1970's. This book is excellent and is just like having your "yiayia" cooking for you and telling you how to prepare these delicacies. The ingredients are authentic and the prep time is right on the money. As everyone knows Greek cooking takes time, patience and lots of butter, olive oil, filo, feta and olives not to mention basil, oregano and garlic. Get your ingredients and have a ball. This cook book is the BEST out there for authenticity.
I'd give 5-stars if it had pictures!.......2005-11-10
4.9 stars:
If you are one of those cookbook collectors that enjoy the glossy, amusing cookbooks written by glossy, amusing TV personalities that are either "barefoot" or "naked", then this book is NOT for you. This book has no pictures, no glossy pages, and no stories of how the chef found a rare pepper plant on a recent excursion to Machu Picchu, Peru. This book is a compilation of recipes by a "group of women from Saint Paul's Church." Some recipes may be authentic and traditional; some may be completely made up; who knows and who cares is what I say.
The recipes are good. The directions are easy. And the ingredients are available to most of us that don't live beyond the reach of the Interstate (let alone the Internet!)
Here are some of the 250+ recipes in this book:
Baklava
Skaltsounia cookies
Phylo triangles
Souzoukakia (10-points if you can say that ten times fast)
Moussaka
Mock mageritsa
Stuffed grape leaves (yes!!)
Whole baby lamb
Politico-style salad
Béchamel sauce
Meatball avgolemono soup
Mock manti
Shish kebab (Mmmmmm)
12 different breads!
Farina cake
Flaounes
Sagnaki
Kapama
Souvlakia
Chicken stefado
Greek coffee (whoa, I'm awake now!)
Iced kourabiedes (cookies)
Bougatsa
And my personal favorite....
Loukoumades (if you haven't had one - or a dozen - then you are missing out!)
I highly recommend this book as an addition to your cookbook collection. You will find it to be one of your favorites.
Over the knee.......2005-05-03
I am surprised to see the overwhelmingly positive comments on this book since my opinion is very much to the contrary. By no means could this book be considered complete as it's title suggests.
Many of the recipes are classic but only occasionally offer an explanation of what the dish is.
For example there is a recipe for "Mock Magiritsa" which is a soup traditionally prepared on the eve of Greek Easter. After returning from church service celebrating the resurection of Christ, families would gather around the table and enjoy this rich soup which is made of the innards of the lamb that will be cooked on the spit the following morning.
Well you may say that this information is not absolutely necessary but I think it is the writers responsibility especially when the writers are the church itself, to give a bit of backround to what one is attempting to prepare and the significance of the dish.
Anyway there are better books out there, the authors in my opinion put very little into producing this book despite the vast resources of information that they had at their disposal. Personally I would avoid this one and try for something else
Traditional Greek-American fare at its finest.......2003-10-23
As a Greek-American who learned how to cook by watching her mother and grandmother lovingly prepare all sorts of traditional Greek dishes in the comfort of our "kouzina", I've always been a bit skeptical about using Greek cookbooks since the recipes either never turn out or just taste a lot different than what I am used to. This cookbook, however, changed my mind as I have found most of the dishes to be delicious successes that are faithful to traditional tastes. This should come as no surprise, of course, since the book was compiled by real Greeks (most of whom are moms and yiayias no doubt) whose families have probably handed down and improved upon those recipes generation after generation. Overall, most work out well and are fairly basic Greek dishes (I've only had trouble with one or two) and are perfect for either everyday family meals or for guests. Well done St. Paul's!
Customer Reviews:
BURSTING WITH COLOR PHOTOS AND EASY INSTRUCTIONS!.......2007-08-09
This is an excellent cookbook just bursting with color photos and easy step-by-step instructions in making the best that Greek cooking has to offer. Nice introduction about Greek culture; wonderful information about the Greek kitchen. Great section on meats and how to prepare them. Loaded with recipes. STUNNING photographs sums it up!!!!
Book Description
The Complete Greek Cookbook contains the most comprehensive collection of Greek recipes ever published in this country with over one thousand variations of three hundred authentic recipes. They reflect a simplified modern approach to Greek cooking, step by step instructions, modified proportions of sugars, fats and oil, the use of instant foods and spices, tested short-cut methods and the use of appliances. Anecdotes and myths about the origins of these recipes makes this book fun to read and a treasure to have in the kitchen. This is a new edition of an Amazon five star classic which was revised in August 2000 that has sold over two hundred thousand copies.
Customer Reviews:
It's Greek to me!.......2007-01-17
Just got the book; I bought it used. Hardcover. Seems like a good, basic Greek cookbook. There are a few pencilled-in notes from a previous owner which I actually appreciate. The book has the favorites: baklavah, roast leg of lamb, moussaka, and of course that delicious lemon sauce the Greeks often use. I'm more of an eater than a cooker, so I like this book. The recipes seem easy and that's perfect for me; all I need is a bit of a direction for spices and so forth, and hoopla - it's dinner!
The complete Greek Cookbook.......2006-03-22
Boring recipes, but the history of cooking in Greece makes the book a worthwhile purchase.
Absolutely the best.......2005-02-22
I found this book 25 years ago in a library. It was out of print then, so I photo-copied the entire book. I have been using it since, and every recipe is wonderful. I am glad the book is once again in print, so I can buy a copy. (Actually, I will buy several. This will make a great gift for someone.) Enjoy.
plagiarized and dumbed down.......2004-11-22
The recipes are mostly plagiarized and cleverly edited by this author (unfortunately this happens frequently with cookbook authors).
Many of the dishes bear no relationship to the reality of the dish...with ingredients left out and often in the wrong proportions. Non Greek cooks may think that this book beats all, but it is clearly a mediocre presentation of Greek cooking at best.
For an excellent and truly knowledgable Greek cookbook try
The Ultimate Greek Cookbook, by Vangelis Driskas (Patakis Publishers)
My favorite Greek cookbook.......2003-03-31
I have cooked from Ms. Yianilos' book for thirty years, and continue to use it as a trusted friend for cooking for buffets, and small dinner parties, as well as for family dinners. The recipes are inventive, complex, and tasty. They do make more than the author suggests: if she says something serves four, it probably serves eight. But I would never give up my copy for anything!
Product Description
This cookbook has classic mediterranean cuisine, with over 160 step by step recipes and over 700 photographs
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