Product Description
FFG is proud to present a major event in the bestselling and award-winning Midnight campaign setting product line. This limited edition boxed set will be a must-have for every fan of the Midnight world. The endless hordes of the Shadow in the North are marshaling for one final thrust into the heart of Erethor, the vast forest homeland of the elves. If this epic military campaign is successful, it could mean the end of organized resistance to Izrador in Eredane.
Customer Reviews:
Take the Fury.......2007-07-08
I bought this box set when it was firs published. Read it and loved it; and over the next several years flipped through it from time to time. Recently, I have re-read the book and have fallen in love with it again.
The box contains the following: a big map of Eredane, character sheets, DM screen, map booklet, and 160 pages soft cover campaign book (the meat of the box).
I must confess that the while the big map is nice, it is really just a blown up image of the map from the Midnight campaign setting book, with no additional information; the character sheet did no impress me much (and I do not even know where they are now), and the DM screen serves its purpose as long as it hides my notes and dice rolls (I don't really care what is written on the inside of it).
The most important part of the box is of course the campaign book. This book is a must for any DM who plans to run a campaign in Erethor, or who just wants to expand his/her knowledge of the elves and what they are facing.
I'll break down the chapters for you:
Chapters 1 to 3 describe the various regions of the elven forest Erethor that are directly affected by the war with the Shadow (Izrador): the Caraheen (central), Veradeen (north) and the Arrun jungle and Druid's Swamp (south). The Caraheen receive the most attention with a page count that almost equals both the south and northern area, which is a shame. The relatively quite coastal area of western Erethor, the Miraleen, does not receives it's own chapter, and while it get several other mentions in other areas of the books, I think that some more information on this area of Erendane would have been welcomed. Even though, all three chapters a choke full of great locations and interesting personalities with enough quirks and twists that a cunning DM could have his players constantly on edge and asking themselves whether they should truly trust\hate\love\etc. that particular person (and in my opinion, one of the most important parts of a Midnight campaign)
Chapter 4 goes into a little more detail about the various elven societies (all four), their strength and how they fight the Shadow, what could happen should the Shadow succeed in corrupting or defeating some of them, as well as some adventure hooks. The chapter also provides on some other groups that help/hinder the elves in their fight such as the Cult of the Witch, Roland's Raiders, and the Pirate Princes.
Chapter 5 provides an excellent recounting of the war on Erethor for the past 99 years, an Arc by Arc (months in Midnight) description of the Shadows "final" and greatest offensive against the elves, and some of the Witch Queen plans to counter such an offensive. It is important to know, and the authors keep reminding us, that this chapter is a possibility of things to happen to provide adventure seed and\or a backdrop to the party's adventure in the elven forest.
Chapter 6 describes the Shadow's forces besieging Erethor, the location and difficulties these forces have, their plans of conquest, the personalities and ambitions of the various captains (with all the conflicts between them), giving us a better understanding of how they might react; and as well as the elven forces and how they try to counter the Shadow's minions. This is another excellent part of the book with plenty of ideas.
Chapter 7 provides general adventure ideas in Erethor for both good or evil parties, and three short encounters taking advantage of the various areas described in the book. Chapter 8 gives us the new monsters and several important NPCs complete with their personalities and quirks. Chapter 9 is the shortest and gives us a handful of feats and one Prestige Class, the Erunsil Blood.
The book on the whole is very well written. Short stories (several paragraphs at most) dot the chapters and give readers a more in-depth look at what the elves and orcs fighting in this warfront feel. You cannot read a page of this book without an adventures idea, if not a whole campaign, jumping out at you (in fact, I recommend reading this book with a notebook and pen on the side. Just in case).
There are no meta-plots in this book. The authors keep reminding the reader that everything written down are suggestions and ideas, a possibility of things to come, nothing more. They leave enough gray area for the DM to run around in and fit and mold into his/her own campaign.
The book in black and white (as all Midnight books are) and I like this because I believe it very fitting for this dark setting. While I do not like the cover art of the book, I do like the interior art. The map booklet is also black and white, and I have no problem with that either; I do not think it detracts from them, and still believe they are very good.
The original box set cost $50, and I do think it was a little too much for what the box offered. But, at the current price here on Amazon ($33), this box set is good value for your money.
THE WAR AGAINST THE ELVES.......2005-09-12
If you've seen my previous reviews for the Midnight Campaign setting or some of its supplements you know I've had nothing but great things to say about this dark, foreboding, and enthralling fantasy campaign. The Fury of Shadow box set continues to keep the bar set very high as this supplement moves the battle for the world of Aryth into Erethor, the homeland of the elves. The first three chapters of the guidebook details the various Elven lands and how the evil of the Dark Lord Izrador has already affected the lands. Major points of interest are including in the descriptions of each land and also serve as adventure hooks for the GM. Areas such as the Spider Haunted Thorn Webs of Tanglehorn, The Darkening Wood, and the massive, steel tree known as Silverthorn all make wonderful jumping off points for the GM to begin an adventure. And then there is the ominous Obsidian Spire that churns with foul magic and evil creatures.
Succeeding chapters detail the free Elven peoples and their struggles against the dark forces as well as documenting the history of the war within Erethor and the forces that the Dark Lord has brought to bear against the Elves. This is where the Midnight products really shine. There is a depth and richness to the history and people of the Midnight setting is lacking in many campaigns. You can tell that the designers spent a great deal of time developing the milieu rather than just cookie cutter places and names. Rather than do all the work for you, Fury of the Shadow outlines several adventures that the GM can then flesh out and develop further. These outlines also include encounters to help the GM out.
The final chapters provide a wealth of resource material including the new monsters you'll encounter such as Bog Hags, as well as major NPCs, new feats, and new prestige classes. The boxed set comes with a beautifully illustrated poster sized map, a regional map book, a GM screen, and character record sheets. I would concur with some of the other reviewers that at $50, it may be a bit on the pricey side but you can get it for about 33% off at Amazon which definitely makes it worth the money. As with all their Midnight products, Fantasy Flight Games spares no expense in the production. The cover art to the box and books are first rate as is the interior art. It's perhaps a small thing, but one that sets them apart from other companies producing RPGs. These really catch your eye when you see them. It's for this reason that Midnight has moved to the top of my list of favorite campaign worlds.
Reviewed by Tim Janson
Sticker Shock!.......2005-02-08
First of all...I agree with the person who said this was overpriced. It's one of the reasons I don't like boxed sets. And I see no reason for this to be a boxed set, to be honest. The maps aren't very detailed, and not created by a professional cartographer, which I would expect for a product in this price range. The writing is choppy, and the plot lines are overly complicated.
The screen, from what I saw, wasn't very helpful, and the character sheets don't seem any different than what I can get online. This product in no way lives up to the hype.
If it is true, and this is being produced by the official fan site...then I can certainly see why the quality has gone downhill. That particular site is cliqueish, and the members are rude. It's sad, to see this line marginalized this way, not to mention that FFG seems to have been hit with the whacky stick of profit.
Plenty of good ideas.......2005-02-08
Fury of Shadow has many good points, but it has a couple annoyances that could have been cleared up to make a better product.
First, the good. It is filled with details for a large swath of the continent of Eredane. By combining the stories and ambitions of several key characters (both friend and foe), an overriding campaign is instantly created. Plots within plots, character scheming, and political intrigue are all readily available for the DM to place the characters into truly epic setting-altering events. Details of the geographical regions and locations can be used as miniature settings- i've already got many ideas for the Plains of Blood and Ash.
There are a few minor scars on this product though. The localized maps in the book are in black and white, but contain such detail it becomes difficult to read. The giant poster map of Eredane is very nice, but because Fury focuses on the war upon Erethor, the new details are limited to the center of the map. The result is a map with plenty of detail in the center, but with no new information on the edges. The writing is good, though with so much detail a reader might get confused- i often found myself asking, `now who was that character again?', and then flipping back through the book to keep things straight.
But overall, an impressive product. Even if you're not running a Midnight campaign, I don't see how you could not find good ideas for your own campaign from this set.
Overpriced.......2005-02-05
While in physical quality, this is a very attractive set, it is overpriced, and the writing is flat. The quality of this line seems to be going downhill with each publication.
The booklet of character sheets are the same sheets that are available online, and seem to have been put in as filler. The GM screen is of the odd, horizontal design, and seems to be rather random in it's placement of information. On some occaisions, the information on the screen contradicts what's in the main book. The maps in the map booklet are too tiny, and the poster map included lacks the one inch squares so it can be used with miniatures (which is a personal preference, but I also found the map lacking in detail as well).
The book itself is attractive, as is most of the artwork, but the writing is flat. The authors seem to be trying to turn the setting into more of a Tolkien clone, and the elves end up feeling very distant from the players. I believe this setting has been turned over to some sort of fan site to be produced, and the quality has suffered for it.
Average customer rating:
- Story has been told better
- As Haphazard As The Battle Itself
- Where Was the Editor?
- Not worth it
|
The Final Fury: Palmito Ranch, the Last Battle of the Civil War
Phillip Thomas Tucker
Manufacturer: Stackpole Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
| 19th Century
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Civil War
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0811706524 |
Customer Reviews:
Story has been told better.......2007-05-11
This is an uneven work,that seems to spend more time talking about the war in Virginia than Texas. See The Last Battle of the Civil War: Palmetto Ranch, for a better examination of this interesting topic.
As Haphazard As The Battle Itself.......2005-08-05
"The Final Fury" tells the story of the American Civil War's final battlefield, a forgotten one near Brownsville, Texas, though author Phillip Thomas Tucker doesn't do much to lift it out of its obscurity. In fact, you might put down "The Final Fury" feeling like you knew less than when you picked it up.
Wars usually end messily, and the American Civil War was no exception. There was no formal, final surrender; Lee's color-striking at Appomattox Court House only ended the war for one Confederate fighting force. While the government moved out of Richmond, other Rebel forces remained, dormant but unbowed, including Kirby Smith's Trans-Mississippi force which was the last but one to give up. Before that happened, there was minor fighting with Union troops, culminating at Palmito Ranch on the Rio Grande in Texas.
A Union colonel trying to gain some 11th-hour glory led a combined force of Indiana and free black infantry as well as "Yankee Texas" cavalry to Brownsville, tangling at Palmito Ranch with a similarly irregular Confederate force led by John Ford, not the director, but a similarly rough-hewn fellow upon whom Tucker showers much approbation.
The battle was more of an engagement, and a one-sided rout at that. Unfortunately, Tucker feels the need to pad this thing out well past the breaking point. With little in the way of first-hand accounts to draw from, Tucker offers much supposition and endless repetition of facts that weren't that key the first dozen times he mentioned them. He varies the casualty count on both sides with amnesiac imprecision, describing the mortal wounding of a Confederate soldier on one page, then suggesting a few pages later that no Rebels were killed at all. He trots out tortured "ironies," such as the battle ended with a shot being fired eastward just as happened at Fort Sumter, the first battle, and that both were Confederate victories.
But unlike Sumter, Palmito Ranch didn't change much of anything, and the central problem for Tucker may be the insignificance of his story. Even Bruce Catton would have had his hands full trying to make a silk purse of this. But Tucker, though his intentions seem good, has little to say and a frightfully bad way of saying it.
Toward the end of the book, Tucker, whose Rebel sympathies are obvious though balanced, suggests the possibility that some Union troops, in particular the Texas riders, were shot after surrendering to their brother Texans. That might have made a more interesting basis for a book than the engagement itself, but instead the idea is merely raised with the vague comment people still find human remains around the battle site. It's the one time one wishes Palmito Ranch had the services of a better historian.
Where Was the Editor?.......2005-08-04
Reviewing the very last battle of the Civil War has merit, if only for historical documentation. This author has covered what was essentially an extended skirmish that occurred at an obscure location on the Rio Grande between Brownsville, Texas and the Gulf of Mexico. The battle occurred six weeks after General Lee's surrender at Appomattox. Ironies abound and the author touches on them in the narrative. There are innumerable footnotes, indicating the author attempted original research and accuracy. The maps were helpful in orienting the reader. Some photographs of soldiers appear in the middle but strangely only a few were mentioned in the narrative, leaving the reader to wonder why the others were included. Unfortunately, my advice is avoid this book.
Where was the editor? Every other paragraph is repetitive, as if the author was trying to stretch a few pages to eke out his 160 page book. It is extremely trying and irritating to read. The book has numerous typographical errors, misspells and the like. Annoyingly, a concise well constructed sentence or paragraph will be immediately followed by a jarring construction that makes you wonder if the author was assisted by a grade school ghost writer.
Probably the story doesn't have enough bulk to be told in any forum larger than an essay. This last event of the Civil War is documented for posterity but not very attractively.
Not worth it.......2004-03-12
Don't waste your money. This poorly written account of an insignificant affair is replete with inaccuracies (it's Citronelle, not Citronville) and difficult to read due to the author's repetitive writing style. The author's main assertion, that this battle was somehow significant, holds as little water as the Laguna Madre. This unfortunate affair, which did nothing more than add a few more figures to the butcher's bill for the war, precipitated no great events and resolved nothing, coming six weeks after the surrender at Appomattox. The author's rampant pro-Confederatism buries any pretensions of an unbiased account and makes the work even more distasteful. Perhaps the only significance of this affair was to give partial rise to the "myth of the lost cause," evidenced by the creation and publication of such a biased account two centuries later.
Book Description
For ages they have sought to claim our worlds. Now, at last, we take the battle to them. . . .
Far from the Federation's desperate war against the invading Furies, the crew of the U.S.S. VoyagerTM encounters something they never expected to hear again: a Starfleet distress call. The signal leads them to a vast assemblage of non-humanoid races engaged in a monumental project of incredible magnitude. Here is the source of the terrible invasion threatening the entire Alpha Quadrant -- and, for the Starship VoyagerTM, a possible route home.
But soon there may not be any home to return to . . .
Customer Reviews:
Good start............2004-09-04
This is a pretty good book, and I think any Voyager fan should read it. But it was also rather disappointing. The beggining was promising- it was creepy and psycological.....And then the author kind of drops that aspect and goes all action. B'Elanna is a bit too moody, and Neelix is....well, a bit too handy. But all in all it's worth the bad scenes it may have.
STV #9 Invasion! The Final Fury - A great conclusion!.......2003-12-08
"The Final Fury" serves wonderfully as the conclusion to this first grand four book crossover series! From his very first Star Trek novel, Deep Space Nine's #5 "Fallen Heroes," Dafydd ab Hugh has proven that he can write compelling Star Trek stories and "The Final Fury" serves beautifully in furthering that tradition.
As with his other stories, I found "The Final Fury" to be a highly compelling and intriguing tale based on a sound premise with excellent plot setup and execution and the pacing of the novel is extremely fast making for a very quick and satisfying read!
The cover art for this novel is nothing extraordinary, which, sadly enough is more the standard for the time in which this novel was published.
The premise:
While the battle rages on in the Alpha quadrant between its inhabitants and the invading Furies, the USS Voyager and her gallant crew are steadily making their way home when they receive a distress call from a Starfleet vessel, something of which they thought they'd never hear again. They soon discover the source of the distress call and massive Fury invasion fleet on a constructed planetoid containing twenty seven billion Furies. As the novel progresses, Captain Janeway finds herself in one heck of a quandary as she comes upon the realization that in order to save the Alpha quadrant, she must destroy the twenty seven billion Furies who are bent on invading the Alpha quadrant and a possible way for her ship to make it home quicker, if there is to be a home to return to...
What follows from there is nothing less than a impressive and decidedly compelling Star Trek Voyager novel and a brilliant finale to Star Trek fiction's first crossover series. I highly recommend not only this novel but the entire "Invasion!" series, whether you procure the individual books or the "Invasion!" Omnibus. {ssintrepid}
A few scenes saved it........2001-08-29
I like most Star Trek novels. They get talky and slow sometimes, but I try to plow through them. This one was almost more than I could take. Usually I can write long reviews about the books, but this would give me a headache. The bottom line: too many character mistakes, too much description and technological dribble, and only a few memorable scenes. First of all, Hugh obviously did not backround read on the Voyager series since most of the dialogue or interaction between the characters was out of place. B'Elanna's emotional insecurity would have gone well in an early Season One novel but not Season Three. The Doctor pretty much openly admits his crush on Kes, Tom NEVER called Harry by "Kim", and Neelix would be the first one to panic in the event of a capture not the one to get them out of it (hey, I like Neelix, but it isn't him). On top of those inconsistencies, the parts with the "fear beam" and the whole B'Elanna and Redbay mission was just Blah. I'll be the first to admit that I skipped that entire part. And just one nitpick thing: did anyone else who read "Soldiers of Fear" find it odd that Kes was uneffected by the furys as Troi was? Kes had powerful telepathic abilities in the series, but didn't even use them here. Never mind, I'll be quiet now. I have to say, the only scene really worth reading the book for was when Tuvok, Janeway, and Neelix were trying to escape from the Fury's jail. Although Neelix was out of character, it was pretty funny and had the best dialogue in the book. But, I did think it was stupid they used a h--- p-- to get out (I can't give it away!). That's all. The book was, to me, a total flop. I hope Hugh gets it right the next time (I hope there never is a next time!). After all, how hard is it to read a copy of Jeri Taylor's "Pathways" or "Mosaics" (two excellent books) so that you understand the characters? I mean, jeez, you're supposed to write about what you know. Unless you are intent on completing the Fury series or have a mission to read every Star Trek book, skip this one. Period.
Will Janeway be the biggest mass murderer of all time?.......2000-11-10
The final volume of the Invasion series is a pleasant surprise and makes for a fitting conclusion to the self-proclaimed "ultimate Star Trek saga." In Book One, Jim Kirk stops the advance guard of the Furies while Jean-Luc Picard prevents the next attempt at invading the Alpha Quadrant. Book Three, the best of the series and one of the best Star Trek novels I have ever read, has Benjamin Sisko and his crew dealing with the creatures that cast out the Furies from the universe five thousand years earlier. With Book Four we come to Kathryn (I think that spelling was used the most) Janeway discovering the next threat from the Furies. What makes "The Final Fury" so fascinating is that Dafydd ab Hugh provides not only some interesting Star Trek science problems but also give Janeway the biggest moral dilemma in Star Trek history.
There are 27 billion Furies living on a planet-like starship, having prepared for centuries to reconquer the Alpha Quadrant. They are going to make their sun go nova, harness the energy, and use it to transport themselves to the heart of the Federation when they will use their fear weapon to re-enslave everyone everywhere. While Voyager's crew grapples with the technical question of how to stop this from happening, Janeway has to deal with the responsibility that if they succeed they will kill every being on the planet. The trite philosophical chestnut, "If you could go back in time and kill Hitler as a baby, would you do it?" is transformed into a very real question for Janeway. The debate among the characters is very interesting, and quite surprising in several regards.
The main sub-plot has to do with B'Elanna Torres having a severe crisis of confidence. Although you have to remember this is early on in the Voyager storyline (Book 9), this is a bit contrived, but you have to respect the effort to develop the character a bit more in terms of being Human/Klingon, which the series failed to do until the last couple of seasons. Of course, the technical aspects of the storyline will ultimately depend on her. I also liked the way a minor but pivotal character from an earlier Invasion series makes surprise reappearance.
Overall, this is a more than adequate payoff for the Invasion series, which is pretty impressive because usually the endings are never quite up to the set up, a complaint I have been making ever since I first saw "Apocalypse Now." This volume ends with a series of words from the authors that are fairly interesting and provide more insights into what they were up to with each of their novels than you usually find in Star Trek books. Of course, if you have gotten this far you have already made up your mind on whether the entire series was worthwhile, but for me three out of four sure ain't bad.
Good, But Confusing.......2000-06-08
This is the first book I read in the Fury series, but Hugh did a good job getting me caught up. The plot was intricate and pretty well-written (though I find the idea of our species being enslaved long ago a bit unbelievable) and the genocide dilemma was handled maturely and in character for Janeway. I was somewhat disappointed by the characterization of others though. Torres' low self-esteem had no real importance to the plot and simply was forgotten by the end. I did like the scene in the Fury prison where Neelix proved better prepared than the Starfleet crew (he made some good points too!). As usual I had some trouble with the technobabble but was able to follow the general idea. What troubled me was Hugh's note in the back of the book. He seemed very rude to other authors and acted like a jerk. I'm sorry we can't all have Engineering degrees, but that's no reason to banish us from sci-fi! Despite the aforementioned shortcomings, Final Fury was an interesting book which offered food for thought, exciting moments, and a new point of view into the characters' lives.
Book Description
A Pulitzer Prize-winning author and respected authority on the Civil War clarifies the causes of the battle of Gettysburg and brings alive the most famous battle ever fought on American soil .
B & W illustrations
Customer Reviews:
The classic narrative historian does it again.......2001-03-10
This is a slim, primarily narrative volume dealing with the battle of Gettysburg. It's full of great pictures (including some really gory photos)and maps. As usual, Catton writes beautifully, although his description of Pickett's Charge is a little understated for him. What this is not is seminal scholarship -- Catton's introduction, referring to the battle as "fated", is absurdly though endearingly positivist, and his analysis of the battle and its causes is quite basic. I think the book would be particularly well suited to the amateur or, as another reviewer suggested, to someone who has seen the battlefield as a tourist and wants to learn a little more about what happened there.
A clear, concise overview........1998-07-30
Bruce Catton guides you carefully and clearly through the whole battle. His writing is concise, yet picturesque. The book was my constant companion while visiting the Gettysburg battlefield. The maps are excellent. Bruce Catton is an even-handed chronicler of this monumental event.
Average customer rating:
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Gettysburg: the Final Fury
Manufacturer: Berkley Windhover
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HEQIDW |
Average customer rating:
- at least it didn't cost much
- Highly recommended
- Great recipie reference
- Okay But Nothing New
- Great Homebrew Reference
|
The Brewmaster's Bible: Gold Standard for Home Brewers, The
Stephen Snyder
Manufacturer: William Morrow Cookbooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Baking
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
Beer
| Drinks & Beverages
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
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Homebrewing for Dummies
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The Complete Joy of Homebrewing Third Edition (Harperresource Book)
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Brew Ware: How to Find, Adapt & Build Homebrewing Equipment
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The Homebrewers' Recipe Guide: More than 175 original beer recipes including magnificent pale ales, ambers, stouts, lagers, and seasonal brews, plus tips from the master brewers
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Designing Great Beers: The Ultimate Guide to Brewing Classic Beer Styles
ASIN: 0060952164 |
Book Description
The Beer Renaissance is in full swing, and home brewing has never been more popular. According to the American Homebrewers Association, there are currently 1.2 million home brewers in the country, and their numbers keep rising. Tired of the stale ale, bland beer and lackadaisical lagers mass-produced by the commercial labels, Americans are discovering the many advantages of brewing their own batch of that beloved beverage: superior aroma, color, body and flavor.
For both amateur alchemists eager to tap into this burgeoning field and seasoned zymurgists looking to improve their brews, The Brewmaster's Bible is the ultimate resource. Its features include: Updated data on liquid yeasts, which have become a hot topic for brewers; 30 recipes in each of the classic beer styles of Germany, Belgium, Britain and the U.S.; extensive profiles of grains, malts, adjuncts, additives and sanitizers; recipe formulation charts in an easy-to-read spreadsheet format; detailed water analyses for more than 25 cities and 6 bottled waters; directories to hundreds of shops; and much more.
Customer Reviews:
at least it didn't cost much.......2007-08-23
Don't buy this book for its introduction to the brewing process or its description of the world of beer ingredients. However it is a nice collection of recipes... but you could get those for free in lots of other places.
Highly recommended.......2007-01-10
Excellent; I refer to it more often than any other brewing book. There are perhaps three hundred partial extract recipes; a good detailed collection from around the world. The book starts with a history, then a description of ingredients and types of beers. The yeast and hop profile section is real good. There is a convenient brewing record evaluation form. There are Tips on all grain and decoction mashing. Yield probabilities are also very helpful. The back contains weights, measures and formulas. Highly recommended.
Wish you well
Scott
Great recipie reference.......2006-05-22
The book is somewhat misleading - if you're a beginner homebrewer, I don't necessarily suggest this book. I would suggest something more along the lines of The Complete Joy of Homebrewing, as this book does not go into great detail of beginning steps.
However, it is an excellent reference for recipies. Not only does it have hundreds (I'm not sure how many) of actual recipies, it also has great description of each type of beer and approximate starting and ending specific gravities.
I am a beginner and use the recipies to decide what kind of beer to make next. So I do use this book before I go to the brewstore to pick up supplies everytime. All in all, it's a decent book.
Okay But Nothing New.......2005-10-12
The first 1/4 of this book offers an overview of homebrewing, style guidelines, descriptions of grains, yeast, and hops. It's well written and informative but also redundant for anyone who's read "The Complete Joy of Homebrewing" by Charlie Papazian, "Dave Miller's Homebrewing Guide" by Dave Miller, or "Homebrewing For Dummies" by Marty Nachel. If this was one the first books I had read on homebrewing, I would probably be a big fan and refer to this book all the time. Since I came to this book after reading the above mentioned books, the information is completely redundant. There are some tables in the "Recipe Formulation" chapter that are well organized and useful, outside of that, there is nothing new here. The rest of the book consists of recipes, largely extract. Again, if this was the first or second book I had ever read on homebrewing, I would find this all fascinating and would probably refer to it all the time but it's not. The three books mentioned above have all the same information and plenty of similar recipes.
I love homebrewing and I love reading books on beer and homebrewing techniques. If you started with this book, I can understand why you would be attached to it. If you're browsing for a good first book on homebrewing, however, I would recommend "The New Complete Joy Of Homebrewing" by Papazian, "Dave Miller's Homebrewing Guide" by Dave Miller, and "Homebrewing For Dummies" by Nachel over this book. This book appears to have been written in a vacuum as if the author was not aware that most of this information is already out there.
Great Homebrew Reference.......2005-08-25
This book was exactly what I was looking for: a reference with a lot of recipes and descriptions of the different types of hops, malt, adjuncts, etc. Beer styles are presented in a table giving you an idea of what types of ingredients are used and options that are available. This is a handy quick reference if you want to "wing it" with a little bit of a safety net. Then, about half of the book is specific recipes of varying dificulty, also organized by style.
I gave this book four stars instead of 5 because on the back it says it's the only book you'll ever need. If you're just starting out, I disagree. There are a few chapter's on the basics, however, this book would have been a little confusing if I hadn't first read Papazian's Complete Joy of Homebrewing. The Complete Joy of Homebrewing will get you going. The Brewmaster's Bible will keep you going. If you're looking for a good reference, I highly recommend this book.
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- Wheater's Functional Histology: A Text and Colour Atlas
- Biology Today: An Issues Approach
- The Autobiography of Shibusawa Eiichi: From Peasant to Entrepreneur
- The Fellow Travellers: Intellectual Friends of Communism, Revised and Updated Edition
Midnight, Second Edition
Midnight: Sorcery and Shadow (Midnight)
Midnight: Steel and Shadow
Midnight: Minions Of Shadow
Under the Shadow (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Midnight Setting)
