Customer Reviews:
Fantastic........2006-06-06
The story captures the essence of the Western Highlands and Islands of Scotland. The beauty and the brutality. The second and third books in the trilogy provide an honesty that leaves you with a respect for and a desire to know more about a man who lived this remarkable life. You will of course fall in love with the otters who allowed people to share their lives for better and for worse.
Book Description
The founders of the Findhorn Community started out living off of plants, flowers, trees, and organic vegetables in a small plot around a 30-foot trailer.
Book Description
Five manuals of Scottish Swordsmanship from the 17th - 19th centuries
he basket-hilted Scottish "broadsword" or Claymore has long been a symbol for Scottish independence and the fierce regard in which Scots warriors are still held. While the rest of Europe emphasized the use of smaller, lighter swords or curved cavalry models, the Scottish weapon retained its medieval flavor.
The methods by which these swords were employed were recorded in numerous published treatises from the 17th - 19th centuries, true manuals combining fencing theory with practical exercises for techniques unique to these brutal weapons.
Veteren swordsmen and accomplished authors Paul Wagner and Mark Rector present five key treatises that offer a wealth of advice for fighting with both the basket-hilted broadsword and the single stick -- an ash or rattan stick mounted in a wicker or leather basket-hilt, used both for training and as a weapon in its own right.
Included are complete transcriptions of: "Anti-Pugilism" by Sinclair, illustrated with copper plate engravings; MacGregor's "Lectures on the Art of Defence;" "The Art of Defence on Foot with Broadsword and Saber" by Taylor; "Fencing Familiarized" by Mathewson; and Henry Angelo's "On the Use of the Broadsword," rendered in full color.
These texts contain useful exercises for historical swordsmen of any background. In addition, Paul Wagner provides a full introductio n and overview on the fascinating basket-hilted broadsword itself with a survey of surviving examples.
Customer Reviews:
Scottish Swordsmanship.......2007-02-15
This is a very good book with five manuals on Scottish Swordsmanship, written in the times when Napoleon was a threat to Britain's survival.
The sword fighting system is simple, easy to teach or to learn, natural, and very effective. Whenever I want to get someone interested in Western Swordsmanship, this is the first system I teach them. The rudiments of it can be taught or learned in a day, and the entire system can be learned in a few months.
The book has only two flaws. The first is that there is a lack of good photographs. Until I found the pictures on page 125, I could not make head nor tail of the system, but after finding them, it was easy to learn.
The second flaw is, as Mr. Hand stated, the overrating of the effectiveness of the Scottish Regiments. However, this has nothing to do with the effectiveness or validity of the system.
Five important works on swordsmanship.......2005-04-24
If you want to learn how to use a basket hilted broadsword, buy this book.
At the core of this book are the five treatises, teaching and discussing the use of the basket hilted broadsword. What we know of the use of this weapon is mostly English, due to the thoroughness of their suppression of Scottish martial culture after 1745. However, even if Scots regiments went into battle using their swords in an English manner, that does not detract from the weapon and the systems documented here. Collected together here are five of the most important and influential works on the basket hilted broadsword. These teach systems that are similar enough that you can learn them all, each one having a slightly different take on the use of the weapon, but utilising the same fundamental principles.
Also in the book are essays on the Highland regiments and on their fencing, together with excellent photos of swords from a very fine private collection. Paul gets a trifle carried away in the first essay, ascribing every English success at arms to the Scots and their wonderful charge. This is despite the 'two volleys and in with the bayonet' being recorded among English troops as early as the English Civil War (except that it was clubbed muskets, not bayonets back then) and was used by Wellington himself as Colonel of the 33rd Foot before he gained command of Highland troops. By the end of it I was waiting to hear that the Scots Regiments invented sliced bread and manned space flight in between their important work rescuing puppies and reading to blind orphans.
Still, all the essays contain great information, and an author is entitled to have an opinion, even if Paul's are usually strong. The treatises are the centrepiece of this work, and are why you'd buy it. The instructions on how to use an 18th/19th century basket hilted sword (or a sabre for that matter)are clear and unambiguous. The system is relatively easy to learn and is very effective.
Book Description
Explore every corner of this unspoilt and dramatic area with the fully-revised fourth edition of the Rough Guide to Scottish Highlands and Islands. From walking along the deserted beaches in South Harris to whale-watching in Mull - inspired by dozens of photos - the 24-page, full-colour introduction highlights all the ''things-not-to-miss''. In addition, there are two, brand-new, 4-page, full-colour inserts: ''Wildlife'' and ''Food & Drink''. The guide includes listings of all the top hotels, guesthouses and the best places to eat and sample the local whiskies. There is plenty of practical advice for exploring the great ''Scottish'' outdoors, from bagging munros to skiing on The Cairngorm mountains. The guide comes complete with maps and plans for the entire region.
Customer Reviews:
Very Useful.......2006-08-07
I used an earlier edition of this guide three years ago on a trip to the Orkneys and found it very useful then. Now I am using it to plan a trip to the Outer Hebrides next summer.
An Updated Guide for the Thinking Traveler.......2006-08-02
Most travel guides to Scotland consist of lots of photographs taken on the best weather days, bumper sticker location descriptions, a few travel hints, and listings for high-end accomodations. The Rough Guide to Scottish Highlands and Islands aims at a somewhat more demanding audience, those readers who have already decided to visit Scotland and want honest and substantive travel narrative, along with practical details about a range of accomodations and travel possibilities.
This rough guide is densely packed with the kind of information one gets from the locals. It favors maps, graphics, and written description over photographs, although a nice selection is included. The guide provides a narrative oriented along the major travel routes, with enough description to allow travelers to make their own choices about what might be worth visiting and what should be avoided for overcrowding. A useful amount of historical detail is provided about many points of interest without overwhelming the reader. The information about hiking, biking, and other outdoor fun is enough to permit advance planning, while pointing the enthusiast toward additional details once on the ground in Scotland. Discussions about accomodation and dining center on mid-range facilities, and includes some inexpensive hostels and bunkhouses. The information on trains, planes, and automobiles will allow the traveler to figure out his or her own itinerary in Scotland, where the travel infrastructure can be fairly limited.
This book is highly recommended to those planning a vacation in the Scottish Highlands or Islands.
Proved its usefulness in the field, summer 2002.......2002-09-01
.
If we had relied solely on our standby Scotland Blue Guide this August, we would have had a very difficult time. IN retrospect, we could have dispensed with the Blue Guide, and soloed with the Rough Guide. Rough Guide's Highland volume provided us with a basic reality check early on: we would not be able to see as much as we wanted, and would have to make trade offs. Rough Guide made those trade offs far easier. In each geographically based section, they provided a list of the area's key points to hit. (Blue Guide has a hierarchy also, but it's not nearly so easy to tap into.) And while some of Rough Guide's advice on accommodations and restaurants may go out of date, it was nice to have that information (Blue Guide chooses not to cover these aspects).
We knew little or nothing about the Highlands a few weeks ago... Rough Guide helped us have a very good time.
How to get there?.......2001-03-13
This book was thorough, but strangely unhelpful. Many regions/towns are listed, but with no depth. Each entry tells geography, and interesting things to see, but no idea of how to get there, where to stay. The main advice for each town: call the travel office. There are no recommendations for the "must see" vs. not that interesting. If I had a teleporter and knew I wanted to see Loch Ness, this would be useful book. Otherwise, it is not helpful for planning a trip to the Highlands. And I can't imagine taking it with me when I go.
Book Description
The Outer Hebrides of Scotland epitomize the evocative beauty and remoteness of island life. The most dramatic of all the Hebrides is Harris, a tiny island formed from the oldest rocks on earth, a breathtaking landscape of soaring mountains, wild lunarlike moors, and vast Caribbean-hued beaches. This is where local crofters weave the legendary Harris Tweed -- reflecting the strength, durability, and integrity of life there.
In Seasons on Harris, David Yeadon, "one of our best travel writers" (Bloomsbury Review) and intrepid chronicler of the "world's most remote regions" (New York Times), captures, through elegant words and line drawings, life on Harris -- the people, their folkways and humor, and their centuries-old Norse and Celtic traditions of crofting and fishing. Here Gaelic is still spoken in its purest form; music and poetry ceilidh evenings flourish in the local pubs; remnants of ancient "black houses" huddle near five-thousand-year-old stone circles; Sabbath Sundays are observed with Calvinistic strictness; and folklore, in the form of mythical creatures and "second sight" abilities, is still both tantalizing and tangible. Yeadon also journeys to Barra, the southernmost of the Hebrides, to the Shiant Islands with author Adam Nicolson, and to the fabled St. Kilda, the most remote of all the Scottish islands -- fifty miles out in the Atlantic, wreathed in legend and mystery.
Harris, while beautiful and beguiling, is also a symbol of the threats to traditional island life everywhere. Through Yeadon's unique book we come to care about these proud islanders, their challenges, and, in particular, the future of their beloved tweed.
Customer Reviews:
Fascinating subject, horrible writing.......2007-07-04
David Yeadon's book on his experiences in the Outer Hebrides is unfortunately rather dull. The style is bland, riddled with clichés, and the only truly interesting descriptions we get are in the form of quotations. There are some bright spots; his conversations with local residents are intriguing. I only wish that he would have allowed them to speak for themselves; virtually every interchange with the residents is punctuated with David's insipid observations and framed by his own rather portly ego.
Patience pays off with fine sense of the Hebrides.......2007-04-09
By the end I loved this book, but it is slow going in the beginning, and keeps to a very leisurely pace clear through. Mr. Yeadon does a fine job of describing many of the more notable characters in the area, and a superb job of describing this most beautiful of locations. I had just returned from Scotland when I read this book, and it made me want to hop right back on the plane, regardless of airport hassles, and return. However this is not a book for people looking for a tourist guide. More a meditation on the slow but rich life in the Outer Hebrides. Hence the pace of the book matches the pace of living described within.
Not Just for Scotland Lovers.......2006-07-07
David Yeadon has been composing beautiful hymns to remote places for many years, and here is another in a distinguished list of books he has written. If Seasons on Harris doesn't impel you to plan a trip to Scotland and more specifically the Outer Hebrides, well then, you should consider shopping for a tombstone. I understand the next in his "seasons" series will be on the Beara Peninsula in southern Ireland, and with a name like O'Reilly, I can't wait for that one.
Average customer rating:
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Aberdeen 1800-2000: A New History
Manufacturer: Tuckwell Press, Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Eastern
| Europe
| History
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General
| Europe
| History
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Scotland
| Europe
| History
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General
| England
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19th Century
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ASIN: 1862321086 |
Book Description
This book provides an understanding of the huge changes that have taken place in Aberdeen's economic and social structure over the past 200 years, from the age of textiles to the age of oil. It analyzes changes in work patterns, housing, education, economy, social welfare, religion, local government, leisure and culture, and discusses the effects of national and international market forces, periods of instability and high growth, and political struggles. It features many of the people who played an important part in this period of Aberdeen's history.
Average customer rating:
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Oban, Mull and Kintyre Walks (Pathfinder Guides)
Jarrold Publishing
Manufacturer: Jarrold Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Walking
| Hiking & Camping
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General
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| Excursion Guides
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England
| Europe
| Excursion Guides
| Hiking & Camping
| Outdoors & Nature
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Scotland
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| Excursion Guides
| Hiking & Camping
| Outdoors & Nature
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General
| Great Britain
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Guidebooks
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General
| Travel
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ASIN: 0711709920 |
Average customer rating:
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Polly: The True Story Behind Whiskey Galore
Roger Hutchinson
Manufacturer: Mainstream Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Irish
| Ethnic & National
| Biographies & Memoirs
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General
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General
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Scotland
| Europe
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General
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General
| Ships
| Transportation
| World
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| Subjects
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Ships & Shipwrecks
| Ships
| Transportation
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General
| World War II
| Military
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Naval
| World War II
| Military
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Europe
| World War II
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ASIN: 1840180714 |
Book Description
In 1941 an 8,000-ton cargo ship ran aground in the Sound of Eriskay in the Outer Hebrides. In the difficult war years any gift from the sea was welcome, and the SS Politician had among her cargo a quarter of a million bottles of whisky. The events that followed inspired Compton Mackenzie's novel Whisky Galore. Using eyewitness accounts, historical papers, and official documents, this book tells the story of the SS Politician and the circus that surrounded her, from islanders in small skiffs to wartime excise officers and the final solution, to the problem of the vessel affectionately known as the "Polly."
Book Description
Europe's last great wilderness is home to stunning lochs, silent glens, crashing seas, and unbelievable views. Detailed here are the region’s must-see sights, activities including fire festivals and whale watching, and the best places to dine and stay, from B&Bs to baronial castles.
Book Description
From treating a bee sting to building an overnight shelter, kids will gain the knowledge and confidence they need to survive outdoors.
Customer Reviews:
Techniques and life teachings of wilderness survival.......1997-09-22
Great book for children and adults that Love their
kids enough, to give them simple learning skills that could come in handy, when we least expect it.
I know of kid's that have already truly been saved by the lessons taught in such a way that, children remember them forever. Everyone should have a copy of this fine work in their home, because we all like the outdoors, but we never know when we might need the guiding know-how in this handbook. As willy says, "make it back safe."
Book Description
A grandfather teaches a young Cherokee ijow to avoid the hard knocks of the river.
Product Description
Little troll has a problem: a big, mean bully problem. How will little troll cope with Bully Goat Grim? In this 2007 Telly Award Winning story, nationally renowned storyteller Willy Claflin puts a new twist on dealing with bullies.
Bully Goat Grim is a storybook and DVD from the LifeStories for Kids(TM) Storybook Series. This award-winning series helps children understand complex character traits (like integrity, perseverance and courage) through the engaging and ancient art of storytelling.
Each book includes a guide for parents, grandparents or caregivers to help children explore and internalize the positive messages in the story.
Ages 5-10
Product Description
Little Moose is a little clumsy. She tries to dance, but instead she knocks over her classmates and her teacher, Ms. Flamingo. Will she ever realize her dream of dancing the Hunkity-Bunkity-Slide-Kick-Two? Nationally renowned storyteller Willy Claflin and his antlered friend, Maynard Moose, tell this story about perseverance.
Dancing Mouse is a storybook and DVD from the LifeStories for Kids(TM) Storybook Series. This award-winning series helps children understand complex character traits (like integrity, perseverance and courage) through the engaging and ancient art of storytelling.
Each book includes a guide for parents, grandparents or caregivers to help children explore and internalize the positive messages in the story.
Ages 3-8
Average customer rating:
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Free Willy 2 the Adventure Home Interactive Movie Book
Manufacturer: Sound Source Interactive
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: CD-ROM
Children's Books
| Subjects
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| Baby-3
| Ages 4-8
| Ages 9-12
| Animals
| Arts & Music
| Books on Cassette
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| Authors & Illustrators, A-Z
| Computers
| Educational
| History & Historical Fiction
| Issues
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| Obsessions
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| Reference & Nonfiction
| Religions
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Series
| Sports & Activities
ASIN: B000N0YQRK |
Product Description
Based on the Warner Brothers film of the same title. It is a multimedia experience for children age 4 and up.
System requirements:386/33 running Window 3.1 or later, 4MB RAM (8 recommended) CD ROM drive (double speed), 256-color monitor, sound card.
Product Description
The house is arguing with itself. Which part is most important? The roof? The floor? The walls? Nationally renowned storyteller Willy Claflin tells this story of appreciating the strengths of others.
The House That Talked to Itself is a storybook and DVD from the LifeStories for Kids(TM) Storybook Series. This award-winning series helps children understand complex character traits (like integrity, perseverance and courage) through the engaging and ancient art of storytelling.
Each book includes a guide for parents, grandparents or caregivers to help children explore and internalize the positive messages in the story.
Ages 5-10
Product Description
Gorf the Frog is trying to sing a song with nationally renowned storyteller Willy Claflin, but Gorf can't seem to stay on task. Will he make it all the way through? Willy Claflin has his audience howling as he tells this story of self-discipline.
I Am A Frog is a storybook and DVD from the LifeStories for Kids(TM) Storybook Series. This award-winning series helps children understand complex character traits (like integrity, perseverance and courage) through the engaging and ancient art of storytelling.
Each book includes a guide for parents, grandparents or caregivers to help children explore and internalize the positive messages in the story.
Ages 3-8
Customer Reviews:
My favorite in the series.......2007-09-24
In this story, Gorf the frog learns a lesson about the consequences of his behavior. It is a great story fascinatingly told by a master of story telling. The content of the story opens wonderful conversations with children. I highly recommend it.
Product Description
Ka-ulu promises to watch his younger brother Ka-ehu while their mother is away. When Ka-ehu is kidnapped by the King of Far Island, Ka-ulu knows he needs to put things right, but how? Nationally renowned storyteller Willy Claflin retells this classic Hawaiian tale of responsibility.
Ka-ulu the Strong is a storybook and DVD from the LifeStories for Kids(TM) Storybook Series. This award-winning series helps children understand complex character traits (like integrity, perseverance and courage) through the engaging and ancient art of storytelling.
Each book includes a guide for parents, grandparents or caregivers to help children explore and internalize the positive messages in the story.
Ages 3-8
Books:
- The Story of the Underground Railroad (Cornerstones of Freedom)
- Transportation: From Cars to Planes (You Are There (Danbury, Conn.).)
- Una Tumba Para Los Romanov/ A Grave for the Romanov: Y Otras Historias Con ADN/ And Other DNA Stories (Ciencia Que Ladra/ Barking Science)
- Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera (Updated Edition)
- Ungentle Shakespeare - Arden Shakespeare: Scenes from his Life (Ungentle Shakespeare: Scenes from His Life)
- Viet Cong at Wounded Knee: The Trail of a Blackfeet Activist (American Indian Lives)
- VIOLENT WEATHER: A STUDY GUIDE: A Study Guide
- Western Civilization: Volume II: Since 1500
- XXX: The Power of Sex in Contemporary Design (Graphic Design)
- You Can Draw Monsters Supersize #1
Books Index
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A Reed Shaken By The Wind: Travels Among The Marsh Arabs Of Iraq
