Traveling Music : The Soundtrack to My Life and Times

Book Description

The music of Frank Sinatra, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, and many other artists provides the score to the reflections of a musician on the road in this memoir of Neil Peart's travels from Los Angeles to Big Bend National Park. The emotional associations and stories behind each album Peart plays guide his recollections of his childhood on Lake Ontario, the first bands that he performed with, and his travels with the band Rush. The evocative and resonant writing vividly captures the meanderings of a musical mind, leading rock enthusiasts to discover inside information about Rush and the musical inspirations of a rock legend.

Customer Reviews:

Indispensible for the Rush Fan or Musician.......2007-08-13

After having read all of Neil Peart's drumming and travel-related books, I have to say that this is my favorite. The book is divided into two main (but interspersed) sections. One deals with a particular car trip Peart took in 2002-03 and his thoughts on the music he chose to provide the soundtrack to this journey. It quickly became clear that Neil's tastes are a lot more diverse than my own (his include Madonna, Sinatra, and Linkin Park), and I had a tough time relating to this portion of the book -- although Peart's reflections on the industry were quite engaging.

The other half of the book details the influence of music on Peart's life from childhood, right up through shortly after he joined Rush. It is almost a partial autobiography, and if you are interested in a previously-undetailed account of the drummer's early career, you will find this portion of the book priceless.

If you are a Rush fan who found himself partly put off by the tone of some of Peart's other books (specifically "Roadshow"), I would still recommend giving this book a try. This is one of the industry's best sticking to two subjects he knows better than most -- music and drumming.

Disguised As a "Travel Book".......2007-08-04

This book is by far the best book Neil Peart has written. This book is more biographical, in a very musical sense, than a travel book. What I mean by this is that Neil writes about his travels to the Big Bend area in South West Texas, several excursions he took while on that trip, such as a bird watching tour, and a hike up Emory Peak, etc. But the bulk of the content in this work is about his life and how certain songs, musicians, and bands have affected his life.

Neil details his early childhood, how his father's music was something he ignored as a child but embraced it as his own later in life. Moreover, he describes how he eventually took up drumming, his earliest bands in his own hometown, and how he progressed as a drummer from childhood to the last current tour, Vapor Trails, at the time this book was published. He describes certain details from various bands he "passed through" for a certain time, his experiences in London, England as a young adult, and how touring with Rush and playing a typical 76 or so show stopping tour affected him; all these details are great, and make the book that much more interesting.

However, the underlining greatness of this work, I think anyway, is Neil's descriptions of the music he is listening to throughout all these other details mentioned above. The way Neil describes how his "radar music" or his play list that is contained in the back of his mind resurfaces on occasion is the most interesting aspect of this work, since this is where Neil gets more personal opening himself up more than merely describing events. He details songs like they are personal parts of his life, exposing these parts with a serious vulnerability that is quite opposite to his personality, which is introverted and a bit hidden.

What happens when you read Neil's descriptions of bands and their songs, is that you will find yourself searching for these bands, if you have not listened to them before, and sampling them for possible purchases. At least I found myself doing this. He should get paid for promoting these bands, since several of them gained a new listener and buyer of their music. All this being said, this is an excellent book, especially if you are a music lover, it is well worth the price, and if you are a Rush fan, then this book is a must to take a peak inside the life, mind, musical taste and musical influences of one of the greatest drummers in rock and roll history, I highly recommend this book.

So anyway...........2007-01-25

I find it particularly amusing that - not having read ANY of Neil Peart's works - that I would have such a strong opinion on something he wrote. I have been INTO Rush since Fly By Night, an album I bought new and nearly wore off the turntable. I was 14 at the time. No band, before or since had the effect on me that Rush had. I just HAD to learn to play bass BETTER than before. The bar was put THAT HIGH...

However, (and now we come to the somber part...) I don't even have to read this (or any other) book by Neil Peart - nor anyone in Rush - to know that these guys have LOST IT..... I mean, actually having DISDAIN for the fans that admire and adore the music you make, and that has made you FAMOUS?? How absolutely WRETCHED a person must you be? And you can tell by the interviews I've heard them give that they totally DON'T GET IT.... They have actually put themselves so high on pedestals that they don't realize that their music S**KS. I am totally not surprised to hear that people like Neil Peart have nothing good to say to fans that want to praise him and pay homage. This is, after all ,the ultimate form of dishonor. It must suit him and the other guys to a "T".

Especially when you consider the absolutely LOUSY excuse for music it is that they spew today. Last album I nearly broke my eardrums listening to - "Vapor Trails". All you have to do is listen to a few seconds of the opening tracks and you go, "WHO IS THIS??" This is certainly not a band deserving of calling themselves "Rush". Not in my wildest imagination anyway.

One could imagine that losing a wife and daughter could make somoeone wanna jump off a bridge or something, but this is a man who has enough money and resources at his disposal to FIND A WAY to get some help. Sounds like, unfortunately, that the therapy didn't make him a better person. Still a complete lack of humility, according to these reviews. What a shame. Some people just never get it, do they?

Just think of how un-self indulgent Neil Peart would get to be if he weren't a "star" and no one would even know who he was....hmm.... No one - outside of Rush fans - would even know who he is nor care. Therefore, all this book-writing would be completely in vain.

Music is the Message.......2006-11-19

Many of the reviews I've read regarding Neil Peart's "Traveling Music" treatise seem to focus on either a) his seeming arrogance at not wanting to have regular interactions with fans, or b) a seeming lack of eloquence in this work. I think those reviews are missing a vital element here.

To be sure, Mr. Peart is not Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Steinbeck or any of the countless other revered novelists in history. I'm also pretty sure that he doesn't want to be any of them. I also don't think that people should hold him in low regard because he is so shy. No, I think the focus here should be on the central message of his book: That, whatever the genre...rock, country, jazz, classical...music helps us to understand the textures and feelings that pervade us as we live and breathe in this world. No matter what your mood, there is a song out there to describe it. No matter how fond your memories, there is a song out there that can engage those memories as if they just happened.

Mr. Peart probably shares more than he needs to about his shyness with people. I will never be famous, but I know that many famous people are far more animated about having their space invaded. Note that he is also very uncomfortable lying about who he is when "outed" by someone. It's clearly a difficult thing for him, and I admire his honesty and courage in how he addresses it, so give him his space, and give him a break.

Focus on the notion that music is the message here. The wonderful diversity that it provides us, and the many emotions and themes it elicits, whenever we plug in and listen.

Top 500 Drummer of All-Time.......2006-10-17

Not the God, but a god ... lowercase g. I would have to say he is the god of drumming. He's easily in my top 500 list of all-time drummer. He's somewhere between the drummer from Dexy's Midnight Runners whose name I cannot recall and the original Chris on The Partridge Family ... a/k/a "The Ugly Chris."

If you like your books written by someone who has a hard time writing coherently, then you are going to LOVE this book. I have a theory that Mr. Peart typed this book by using his drumsticks on the typewriter. Which goes to show that he's not as coordinated as he would have us believe. Be careful, Mr. Peart or you're going to find yourself off of my top 500 drummers list and on my Bottom 500 Typists List! LOL.

Just kidding Neal, Rush is as vibrant and vital today as it as ever been and just because young people don;t listen to it and it's not on the radio anymore does not mean that the music isn't still not great.

Book Description

Edward VI, the only surviving son of Henry VIII and the last of the male Tudors, died while still a teenager. Yet his reign has a significance in English history out of all proportion to its brief six-year span. In this lavishly illustrated book, Diarmaid MacCulloch looks at the life and beliefs of the young king and the ruthless politicians around him. Although the regime collapsed in apparent failure on Edward's death in 1553, a second half-sister, Elizabeth, brought Protestantism back. MacCulloch traces the strange afterlife of Edward's reign, its surprising connections with the civil wars which convulsed the British Isles a century later, and the effect it still has on English life.

Customer Reviews:

Good Reading.......2007-01-28

This book is a good story for researchers as well as the general audience.

Torturous Text Makes Fascinating Subject Less Exciting.......2005-09-02

(This refers to the Softcover Edition, which I bought at a bookstore but notice is not currently offered on Amazon. Much more affordable---)

There is no doubt that author Maccullogh is a first class scholar when it comes to religion in the Tudor Age; however, I faced the same woeful problem with this book that I encountered on his masterful and massive work on my own ancestor, Archbishop Thomas Cranmer--and that is that the attention to infintesimal detail is constructed in such density that it makes for unfortunately slow reading. It's almost like reading a text book...and spending an entire semester on a course in Edwardian Reformation. A historian he is. A storyteller, no.

However, those who would dismiss Edward as merely a "boy king" with a short reign would be well advised to take some time with this work and discover how much of a serious and lasting impact he did manage to have on politics and religion.

Tactical and strategic.......2003-11-29

Diarmaid MacCulloch should have a well merited following by now. His extremely readable books finally made Church History a fascinating subject. His mastery of theology, ecclesiology, iconography, architecture, ceremony, and other dimensions of Tudor England are unrivalled, and he weaves them into a comprehensive whole. The depth and quality of his research are exemplary, and his prose is very good literature.

In this book he shows how most events which make the pace of Edward VI's reign seem frantic, were prepared but had to be postponed during Henry VIII's last years. Even during his first year, Edward's establishment under the Duke of Somerset's protectorate was reluctantly forced to appease the Emperor Charles V, the majority of lay politicians, and conservative bishops as powerful as Stephen Gardiner of Winchester. After Somerset's disgrace, John Dudley, first Earl of Warwick and later Duke of Northumberland maintained a more consensual relationship with the Lords. He made peace with France and Scotland, and inaugurated a phase of political reconstruction at home, thus permitting the evangelical revolution to recover its pace.

Dr. MacCulloch lets us see that in England as in the Continent, the cost of being too specific on the Lord's Supper was soon perceived, since the matter was admittedly of more importance to traditionalists and evangelicals alike than justification by faith, and also produced more martyrs. This determines a very gradual, even stealthy accumulation of arguments and liturgical reforms up to 1550, although at least Nicholas Ridley, Hugh Latimer and Thomas Cranmer had much earlier become convinced that the Lutheran doctrine of Christ's real presence in the Eucharist was as blasphemous as the Roman doctrine of transubstantiation. Nevertheless, MacCulloch argues convincingly that Cranmer's convictions on the Lord's Supper are more in agreement with Heinrich Bullinger's than with either Zwingli's or Calvin's theology. Whether, as John Knox believed, had he reigned longer Edward would have evolved into a doctrinaire Calvinist, is now a moot point.

One of this book's main attractions is that it conveys a sense of indebtedness to a very young and serious boy, a great promise that flickered and died. Edward is portrayed as a real believer, not just an immature tool of vested interests. Since he appears to have been gifted with a more thoughtful and less egotistical character than his father, it's very possible that he would have grown up to be a great leader of the Reformation, and Cranmer could have finally convened the General Council of Reformed Churches of which he dreamt.

Regardless of how much anglo-catholicism and theological liberalism alike have done to demolish the Edwardian heritage, it's possible that in a critical juncture such as the one Anglicans worldwide find themselves in today, MacCulloch's closing lines might awaken their concern:

"Perhaps the Anglican Communion, most enigmatic member of the Christian family of Churches, might show more gratitude for Edwardian mischief -or at the very least, some remembrance and understanding".

The book carries ninety-two well-chosen illustrations, with very helpful captions. The bibliography includes primary sources in manuscript and in print, secondary sources, and unpublished dissertations. Though softbound, the book is very sturdy, and should survive casual handling. It's quality work from the University of California Press.

Being the Boy-King.......2001-04-18

In the years since publication of his award-winning biography of Thomas Cranmer, one cannot stop marveling at the scholarship of Prof MacCulloch, at his indubitable talent of an author, and at how deftly and effortlessly he adapts it to the restrictions of an academic narrative. `The Boy-King: Edward VI and the Protestant Reformation', published in 2001 in hardback and in 2002 in paperback, has been a definitive treat for many Tudor students, providing them with an engaging story of the English Reformation in the years between 1547 and 1553, as well as containing references to a mesmerising range of archives, from the good old British Library to the Hermitage in St. Petersburg.

Thanks to Prof MacCulloch's being one of the leading British church historians, this book has rather successfully done what other monographs did not quite manage to achieve. Its main achievement is in the fact that one can no longer think of Edward VI as a juvenile parrot in terms of his political involvement. Although this does not immediately imply that his raison d'etat was promising to be terrific, his participation in the matters of state must not be underestimated, let alone overlooked. MacCulloch illustrates this, for example, with his brilliant analysis of Edward's proposal for the reform of the Order of the Garter in the light of its deriving from Edward's tutorship and contemporary political discourse.

The reason why this change in the view of Edward seems so important is because scholars until this day continue to debate the political potential and intellectual faculties of a young king, being mostly critical about both. The most blatant example is Stephen Alford's biography of Edward VI and the review of it by George Bernard. Those, however, who read MacCulloch's book attentively will - hopefully - realise by the end of the last chapter that it is futile to either extol Edward or to dismiss him. Indeed, the boy did not reach his 16th birthday, and no matter what promises had been there, these were buried with him in June 1553. He nevertheless contributed to the affairs of state, by writing proposals, notes, discourses, etc. Certainly, one must still see the forest for the trees, but these documents, written by the young king himself, cannot ever be ignored. One must remember that in all times children were engaged in political discourse, however superficial, especially if they had been destined to the throne. Consequently, these documents, even if they had little or no impact, must be read with all due seriousness to catch the glimpses of an emerging character. For this reason, there cannot be too much praise for MacCulloch, who with a simple phrase `the boy-king' captured the whole ambiguity of Edward's reign and his contribution to the mid-Tudor politics.

The book's attention to the representation of power in Edward's reign only further stresses this ambiguity. The careful analysis of many `personas' attributed to Edward VI at different stages of his life in politics shows that today's historians are preoccupied with the same paradox, as perplexed Edward's contemporaries. As A. Pollard said, for the first time a ten-year-old became the head of the Church, and MacCulloch studies two main religious `images' attached to Edward - Josiah and Solomon. He carefully investigates the rationale for choosing these exact kings and the incongruities of the lives of these biblical characters, to see how those were adapted to the mid-Tudor realities.

This is all the more significant, as prior to MacCulloch's book there was no in-depth study of this peculiarity of the English Reformation in Edward VI's reign, which stemmed from the fact that the Church reform was now heralded by a child. Some scholars, most successfully, perhaps, the late Jennifer Loach, paid much attention to Edward's secular activities and representation of him as the head of the State, which, although giving out new information, hardly made historians any more serious about the boy-king. Normally, before and even after her post-mortem book, scholars have preferred to focus on political moves of Somerset, Northumberland, Cranmer, et al., overlooking, for example, the necessity those had to represent the king's age and his legitimacy in both domestic and external affairs. MacCulloch's study of representation of Edward as the head of the Church puts the reader in the position of making a choice: to look at the years 1547-1553 as a series of farcical attempts of mid-Tudor officials to pretend that England was high and mighty; or to admit that political farce has always been there, and hence Edward VI's reign is not an exclusion and must then be treated appropriately. Books by both Loach and MacCulloch are the examples of this kind of treatment: they both showed the full awareness of the fact that their study of either mid-Tudor monarchy or Church would not break free from any conventions, unless they constantly kept the boy-king in the focus.

In addition to a variety of sources used, MacCulloch's book is rich in illustrations, supporting his arguments that derive from the reading of the written documents, and thus providing his reader with much food for thought. In that, his book dwells both on Loach's monograph, as well as on a brilliant, although not always definitive study by Margaret Aston, `The King's Bedpost'. The trend was continued by Stephen Alford in his biography of Edward VI, and will certainly carry on.

Together with the books by Loach, Aston and, most recently, Alford, `The Boy-King' by Diarmaid MacCulloch underlines the importance of the ever-wide scholarship and the use of different sources, if one wants, in Ranke's words, to penetrate history. And this is exactly what MacCulloch's book allows to do to its reader. To a professional historian, like myself, it gave insight into new sources and the way to employ them, as well as highlighted the questions that require an answer. To those who are simply interested in Tudors, the book tells the story of one of the most ambiguous yet fascinating periods in English history, after reading which one may be compelled to understand why it is better if the monarch is mature, even if he is not very popular.

Praying God's Will for My Son (Praying God's Will)

Average customer rating:

This book was a gift from God.
This book re-energized our prayer life!
Book provides scriptural prayers arranged by category

Praying God's Will for My Son (Praying God's Will)
Lee Roberts
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Devotionals | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0840791755

Book Description

Praying God's Will for My Son shows you how to pray for your son--and what to pray for. Whether you are praying for particular needs--strength, patience, faith--or simply for your son to have a loving spiritual lift, you will find the perfect prayers inside. With hundreds of prayers grouped according to specific needs and based entirely on Scripture, you will always have within your reach a rich resource of personal, inspirational prayers.

Customer Reviews:

This book was a gift from God........2006-06-25

My 27 year old son was very ill over the last 2 years and this book helped me to face each day with hope and courage. I put my son's name in each of the scriptures so it was personalized for me to see the grace and mercy of our Lord. I am very thankful for this little book.

This book re-energized our prayer life!.......1999-09-14

My wife and I used Praying God's Will For My Son to help us pray for our adopted children even before they came to the US. It helped us bless them and increased our bonding with them.

One of our favorite prayers was "We pray that neither death nor life, nor angels or principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate our son from the love of you God, which is in Christ Jesus, his Lord." (Romans 8:38-39)

Book provides scriptural prayers arranged by category.......1998-04-25

This book is a wonderful tool to use during prayer time. It is divided into short chapters addressing different topics (anger, attitude, fear, etc) Each chapter contains several short scriptural prayers related to the topic. It has been a beneficial and uplifting and encouraging book to use.

Boys! Shaping Ordinary Boys Into Extraordinary Men

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Very Helpful Manual for Boys Only
Very informative, Made us realize the importance of our task

Boys! Shaping Ordinary Boys Into Extraordinary Men
William Beausay
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0785272623

Book Description

Author William Beausay believes it is possible to turn normal boys into exceptional adults who are anything but average. Boys! encourages parents to raise sons who are truly winners in life.

In this expanded and revised edition, Beausay takes a hard look at some of the issues facing parents today, including raising boys solo, attention deficit hyperactive disorder, smart discipline, handling bullies, and much more. With down-to-earth wisdom and practical suggestions, Beausay equips parents to deal with the tough issues that their sons will encounter on their journey to manhood.

Customer Reviews:

Very Helpful Manual for Boys Only.......2004-03-22

I found this book to be helpful and insightful. After a slow start, Mr. Beausay gives practical advice in recognizing the changes that boys are going through and there inability to express how they feel at a given moment. I found the chapters directed to encouraging them most helpful. I highly recommend this work.

Very informative, Made us realize the importance of our task.......2001-06-28

This book is a "must read" for parents of boys. My mother in law bought this book for herself and for me. She has already raised 3 boys so some of this she must have known already She and my father in law raised a boy-my husband into a man that has some great qualities and is very unique in his own way. This book tells you how to treat a boy and helps a new mother and father understand the importance of their task to raise a son into a strong, but sensitive caring man. I want all my friends with boys to read this.

Boys to Men: How Fathers Can Help Build Character in Their Sons

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Boys to Men: How Fathers Can Help Build Character in Their Sons
Steve Lee , and Chap Clark
Manufacturer: Moody Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Health, Mind & Body | Teens | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0802409415

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From altar boy to pulpit
Ira Paul Dumas
Manufacturer: Beacon Hill Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0007H0VW8

In Search of My Father: The Sometimes Tender, Sometimes Turbulent Chronicles of a Young Boy's Journey

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In Search of My Father: The Sometimes Tender, Sometimes Turbulent Chronicles of a Young Boy's Journey
Clint Toews
Manufacturer: Horizon Books Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0889651663

Precious Moments: Daily Bread for Girls and Boys

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Precious Moments: Daily Bread for Girls and Boys
CEF Press
Manufacturer: Cef Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

Devotionals | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1559761814

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Protestant Boy
Geoffrey Beattie
Manufacturer: Granta UK
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Irish | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Memoirs | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Geoffrey Beattie grew up in the notorious "murder triangle" in North Belfast, where during 30 years of the Troubles more than 600 people were killed. Many of his childhood friends ended up dead or in prison, while Beattie himself moved to England, at first to study and eventually to build a highly successful career as a psychologist. On a visit home to see his ailing mother, Beattie began to explore his Ulster Protestant ancestry and to reflect on the unfashionable and little understood Protestant community. His search takes him to the trenches of the Somme, to the Plantation villages of Ulster, and to Drumcree for the Orange march. And it also takes him deeper into his mother's character—at the heart of the book is an extraordinarily vivid portrait of this opinionated, witty, exasperating Ulsterwoman. Protestant Boy is an honest, beautifully written book about the stories that families and cultures tell themselves, and about the silences that they leave behind.

The Boy King: Edward VI and the Protestant Reformation.(Book Review): An article from: Albion

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The Boy King: Edward VI and the Protestant Reformation.(Book Review): An article from: Albion
Thomas F. Mayer
Manufacturer: North American Conference on British Studies
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B0008G42OQ
Release Date: 2005-07-30

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Albion, published by North American Conference on British Studies on September 22, 2002. The length of the article is 841 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The Boy King: Edward VI and the Protestant Reformation.(Book Review)
Author: Thomas F. Mayer
Publication: Albion (Refereed)
Date: September 22, 2002
Publisher: North American Conference on British Studies
Volume: 34 Issue: 3 Page: 468(2)

Article Type: Book Review

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The Boy King: Edward VI and the Protestant Reformation.(Book Review): An article from: Journal of Church and State

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The Boy King: Edward VI and the Protestant Reformation.(Book Review): An article from: Journal of Church and State
James Vardaman
Manufacturer: J.M. Dawson Studies in Church and State
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Journal of Church and State, published by J.M. Dawson Studies in Church and State on March 22, 2003. The length of the article is 945 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The Boy King: Edward VI and the Protestant Reformation.(Book Review)
Author: James Vardaman
Publication: Journal of Church and State (Refereed)
Date: March 22, 2003
Publisher: J.M. Dawson Studies in Church and State
Volume: 45 Issue: 2 Page: 379(3)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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