Kakaku：2995 saved$29.95
University of California Press
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Mediocre mystery) 『AB&the Queen of Spades is a serviceable but not terribly engrossing mystery--a fast read for the plane if you couldn't find anything better. I picked it up because I love San Francisco in the Gilded Age and I enjoy historical mysteries. After a strong start, I found a surprisingly flat book. Hall doesn't really do much with his setting except describe it, and his characters and plot are weak.
I was unable to get interested in Bierce, who after a vivid first appearance does very little (all of it predictable) until he announces the solution to the assembled cast at the end. Tom Redmond, his idealistic and energetic sidekick, is more intriguing, but his love interest is never a believable character, and there's an lot of heavy-handed dialogue. Too much information about the railroad robber barons also bogs down the story.
A few flashes made me think Hall might once have been a better writer than this book reveals, but he doesn't seem interested in making the events meaningful to the reader or even creating suspense. Midway through I stopped caring about the mystery, but I would have given the book another star if its resolution hadn't been both wildly improbable and a triple-whammy cliché.
The real problem with this book is that others have done it better elsewhere. Karen Joy Fowler's novel Sister Noon brings the same setting to vivid life with a fraction of Hall's they-wear-this-type-of-hat details; her incisive writing brings greater insight to some of the same figures and events (notably the Sharon trial and the infamous Mary Ellen Pleasant), as well as race relations. On the historical mystery front, there are many more satisfying; my bet would be Barbara Hambly's Benjamin January books, set in New Orleans in the 1830s. Hambly uses the cultural clashes between American frontiersmen, an older colonial culture, and a minority underclass to great effect, and makes the question of whether the city's corruption will allow the guilty to be punished as suspenseful as the whodunit--two things Hall has every chance to do and never attempts.
If you're fascinated by Ambrose Bierce, the book would be worth reading, but I can't in good conscience recommend it to anyone else.』
(MARVELOUS HISTORICAL FICTION) 『Oakley Hall is easily one of the finest authors of historical fiction -- and historical mysteries -- in the publishing world. Too many writers who produce a series based on the same character quickly run out of fresh stories, fresh images, fresh characters. Hall never seems to rush or compromise in the marvelous Ambrose Bierce series, and the Queen of Spades is one of his best. The best mystery writers -- Raymond Chandler, Caleb Carr, Dashiell Hammett, Walter Moseley -- are able to create portraits of a people and an era that are as compelling -- often much more so -- than any historian. Hall's portrayal of Victorian-era San Francisco, its sophistication and barbarity, its charms and horrors, are seamless and masterful. I think he strikes as perfect a balance between history, plot, and character as any writer I have ever read. The use of Ambrose Bierce as the intellectual guide to the series' protagonist and narrator, the ambitious, puglistic young reporter, Tom Redmond, may be the finest coup. I find myself wanting more and more of the brilliant Bierce. The fact that Hall is able to write "Bitter" Bierce with the same acerbic humor and scathing insight with which Bierce himself wrote is an extraordinary achievement. Bravo, Mr. Hall, may Redmond and Bierce continue on their marvelous journeys through one of the most fascinating cities and periods in history.』
(Please don't compare this with The Alienist) 『To start, I liked this book, but not as much as I hoped to like it. It is a nice historical mystery, but it is not in the league of The Alienist, a work to which it is often compared. The narrator, Tom Redmond, is a likeable character, but just as he is confused with the many characters in this mystery, so is the reader.
The story searches for the Morton Street Slasher, but the reader who wants a plot similar to the Alienist (which follows the trail of the killer) will be disappointed to learn that this book is more about mining and railroad politics than the search for a killer. If you are interested in the backroom politics of San Francisco in the 1870's or really love the wit of Ambrose Bierce, then you'll probably love this book ... if you're like me, and you like Ambrose Bierce's dark humor but could do without the smoke-filled rooms, then you'll just find it an interesting diversion.』
(Entertaining, informative hystery\mistory) 『This book tells the story of young Tom Redmond, apprentice to the famous (or infamous, depending on how you look at it) Ambrose Bierce. Redmond and Bierce try to track down a Ripper-style killer of prostitutes and unravel a mystery that has ties to the California Gold Rush and the Railroad boom in California. All in all, the history is good (and you'll probably learn a good bit if you know nothing about mining or railroads) and the mysteries provide a nice little puzzle. Despite the title, Bierce is not the main character, Redmond is, and he's quite an interesting, well-developed and sympathetic one. Bierce is kind of a secondary character, although the book is peppered with his acerbic, sarcastic thinking (one of the things I enjoyed most of all, actually). This book is less Holmes-and-Watson than Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin, which is a more satisfying arrangement, I think. I enjoyed it and I think most people who like historical mysteries will enjoy it also.』
(Ambrose Bierce, writer, curmudgeon, detective?) 『Using Ambrose Bierce as the detective in this mystery novel set in 1880's San Francisco is a clever concept. Acerbic and fiercely intelligent, Bierce makes a good protagonist. Told from the perspective of a young reporter, Ambrose Bierce and The Queen of Spades may be a bit convoluted as a mystery but as a look at a California that was in the control of the railroad industry it excels. Starting each chapter with a selection of Bierce's Devil's Dictionary sets the tone for the book well, and this a solid addition to the historical mystery genre.』 『The Morton Street Slasher has been leaving the corpses of his victims around San Francisco's Union Square. On the women's naked bodies are spade playing cards. The city's infamous newspaperman, Ambrose Bierce, blames the rash of murders on his old enemy, the Southern Pacific Railroad. A naive reporter at Bierce's Hornet pursues the case, uncovering conspiracy at every turn. In a fast-paced novel that is a combination of murder mystery, historical fiction, and quirky biography, Oakley Hall draws the reader into 1880s San Francisco and the changing world that was California in the latter part of the nineteenth century. Local and state politics, the exploitation of the Chinese, the power of the mining and railroad barons, and San Francisco's colorful history provide a backdrop for this irresistible thriller. The novel's chapters are introduced by appropriate excerpts from Bierce's The Devil's Dictionary and narrated by the young reporter Tom Redmond. Redmond is interested in the murders because of his attraction to a woman threatened by the Slasher, and Bierce encourages him because of his personal vendetta against the Big Four of the Railroad. Bierce's misogyny is an influence as well, which Hall uses to advantage in portraying the enigmatic journalist. Hall knows his territory and his characters well. The sights and smells of late- nineteenth-century California are cleverly evoked, and the story's key players are refreshingly authentic. Bierce brandishes his famed cynicism with all the aplomb of the sharp-eyed, sharp-witted newspaperman he was. Cameo appearances by such California worthies as Ina Coolbrith and Joaquin Miller add to the novel's historical richness. Intelligent, gripping, and often quite funny, Ambrose Bierce and the Queen of Spades will satisfy any reader who craves adventure, mystery, romance, and fine writing.』
Kakaku：512 saved$5.12
BOOM! Studios
Not yet published 『Colonial America. Salem. For mankind's greatest sin against God, they were born - the Coven of Thirteen. Thirteen witches granted elemental powers, each one derived from an aspect of Christ's crucifixion. One man stands against them: Elias Hooke. A new hero in the tradition of Robert E. Howard's SOLOMON KANE or Clint Eastwood's THE MAN WITH NO NAME from the screenwriter of CELLUAR, THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT and WANTED!』
Kakaku：895 saved$8.95
Running Press Miniature Editions
Usually ships in 24 hours 『Pure-vegetable base bar and pocket-sized body mist in Queen's popular rose/gardenia scent, plus a 32-page Royal Decree Tablet for issuing edicts and compliments to one's loyal subjects. Fit for a King (but a dream for a Queen).
Kakaku：1299 saved$12.99
BiblioBazaar
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Well, maybe 2 1/2...) 『I found Mr. Benson's silly little novel, Queen Lucia, not to my taste or liking. I started feeling guilty about half way and became convinced my brain was headed into sugar shock. True cerebral cortex cotton candy. I know, I know.....it's a comedy of manners involving upper middle class small town England. And although I found it charmingly humorous at times--those were, I'm afraid, few and far between. Of course, maybe that's because I grew up in a town similar to the one depicted (on this side of the Atlantic) and, therefore, found myself rolling my eyes at many of the absurdities detailed in the book. Will I read another? Most doubtful. There are far too many ways I would prefer to spend my time--whether reading or whatever.
I'm glad so many people seemed to enjoy this book. My hopes were fairly high. However, I find the comparison of this book/series to Jane Austen most vexing.』
(Queen Lucia) 『I love this book.
Perhaps that needs a little background. This book was sent to me by a dear older friend (who has now sadly passed away) when I was a teenager. I started reading it, expecting it to be kind of dull.
Well, to be honest, at first I wasn't engrossed. I was about a quarter of the way (or more) into this book before I began to get interested. E.F. Benson is a very wordy writer. He spends a long time dwelling on what people look like and how they do things.
But by the time I got through all the descriptions and wordiness, I discovered that those words had been a painter's palate, and my mind the canvas - because suddenly I found that I had marvelously clear and colorful images of all the characters in my mind. I knew how they looked and how they acted, and when the story really began to take shape, I avidly followed it to its conclusion.
It's just a simple little story of a handful of people who are essentially the main busy-bodies of a small town in England. Not very engrossing? Think again. By the time you finish reading this book they will be your best friends.
Give this book a chance. Wade through the first part, where you're thinking that the descriptions will never end, and wonder when the "real" story will start. By the end, you will be in love - and, like I did, you'll keep coming back for more.』
(Oh, to be reading this for the first time again...) 『But it absolutely repays repeated visits, as well. E. F. Benson, the probably homosexual son of a Victorian Archbishop of Canterbury and a noted lesbian, has a marvelous eye for the inter-war social scene in Upper Middle-Class England.
This is the first book of the series, where we meet Lucia and her redoubtable aide-de-camp the utterly charming Georgie. The first chapter is probably the slowest in the whole series--it takes a while to introduce these improbably horrid people
And they are--for the most part--truly horrid. Benson's gift is in making it quite clear he loves these ghastly people, and by the end of the book so do we. What is worse (or better) is recognizing one's friends in the characters of the book. Even more shocking, this reader will at times recognize traits of his own (I won't share which character I think I am most like). Human nature is less changing than we like to think in these early years of the twenty-first century.
Benson lovingly skewers the foible of his own age and does so with a slice of society no larger than any portrayed by Jane Austen. His eye is as keenly observant as hers, but his humor much more developed.
A certain level of sophistication makes these books more enjoyable, but there is something for anyone who enjoys a good read. There is nothing in here that would make the even the most prudish blush, but they are definitely for an adult taste.』
(A Treasure!!!) 『It is clear why there are societies devoted to both author E.F. Benson and his six delightful "Mapp and Lucia" novels. Benson became known for this beloved, satirical series which has dry British wit and lightness reminiscent of P.G. Wodehouse (although Wodehouse is in a class by himself), but he was equally superb at ghost/supernatural stories. The fact that he excelled at two vastly different styles and genres is fascinating.
This first book, Queen Lucia, introduces the inimitable Emmeline Lucas (Lucia to her friends), social arbiter and queen of the quaint hamlet of Riseholme, who finds her throne in jeopardy with the arrival of Olga Braceley, an opera singer. No one is better at social satire (and satire of British class systems) than the British and yet these timeless characters and their quirky ambitions are recognizable to anyone. Husband Phillip (known as Peppino) puts out his own printing press. There is Lucia's foppish neighbor and best friend, Georgie Pillson, who keeps her current in gossip, joins her at the piano in classical duets and converses with her in smatterings of bad Italian and baby talk; neighbor Daisy Quantock who ruffles Lucia's fur by introducing a "Guru" to the community and igniting yoga fever; and other colorful characters. From the beginning, I was laughing out loud at humor that is dry, absurd and priceless.
This series was also brought brilliantly to life by a PBS TV series "Mapp and Lucia" in which Prunella Scales stars as Lucia and Geraldine McEwan as Lucia's rival (introduced in a later book), Miss Mapp, both women terrific. Like the books, the series had me laughing out loud.
The first and fourth books are the best, but highly recommend reading them all. Humor is a great tonic.』
(A must buy: Reader Geraldine McEwan IS Lucia) 『Since the other reviews here relate to the printed version of the E.F. Benson book, I thought I'd chime in with a review that is specific to this CD version read by Geraldine McEwan.
McEwan starred as Lucia in the delightful "Mapp and Lucia" series in the mid-1980s. It's out on DVD now and I highly recommend you snatch it up immediately before it goes out of print. It's one of the very best British comedies ever.
In the series, McEwan establishes what I consider to be the definitive version of Lucia. She is so delightful that as soon as I found out her readings of two of the Lucia books had also been recorded, I bought them -- although I had never purchased books on tape/CD before.
Suffice it so say, I was not disappointed. McEwan is a wonderful reader who brings out all the wit of the books, and I can't stress enough how marvelous it is to hear her once again using her "Lucia voice."
This has my highest recommendation.』
『Though the sun was hot on this July morning Mrs Lucas preferred to cover the half-mile that lay between the station and her house on her own brisk feet, and sent on her maid and her luggage in the fly that her husband had ordered to meet her.』
Kakaku：195 saved$1.95
TrustedBooks
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (What Every Woman Should Read) 『I used to be the type of woman who had more male friends then female friends. Men were just easier to get along with and women were always so messy, petty and hard to befriend. This book really helped me deal with that and has left me excited about the beauty of female to female relationships. I love the way Alicia delicately exposes the root of the problem and allows the reader to evaluate their own character without chastising, condemning or presenting another "what women need to do" list. She really spoke to the heart of the matter in away that left me enthusiastic about being a better sister and friend and excited about being a woman!!! This book not only helps you with your female relationships.. but really helps you grow in all your relationships by allowing you to really evaluate your character without feeling ashamed, condemned or discouraged to change. I recommend this book to all women who want to better their relationships and live in the fullness of their feminine identity!』
(For Women of All Ages) 『It's easy to think of others before reading this book but Dethroning The Queen deals with the "queen bee" and mean girl within every woman. Not only does the author do an excellent job at exposing bee-like tendencies but goes on to provide the necessary tools to exterminate them. At the end of every chapter there's a study guide with things to memorize, reflection questions, an action plan and more...making Dethroning The Queen an excellent personal resource and a great book for group study. While the issues discussed in depth in this book would also apply to many men, because women of all ages are higly relational beings it truly speaks to the core of what so many women experience and deeply desire to get rid of in order to fully embrace life and one another.』 『Finally, women can talk about it. Dethroning the Queen openly addresses the longstanding but seldomtalkedabout issue of female rivalry. It exposes comparison, competition, jealousy, antipathy, discord, judgment, exclusivity, slander, subtext and pride; major issues that frequently create tension between women. This book explains how these habits are rooted in sin and insecurity, which severely hinder both the abundant life God promises and our effectiveness in the Kingdom. Because female rivalry is rooted in sin, the only true solution is the Word of God. Dethroning the Queen exposes the issues and then addresses each one based on Scripture. Readers are encouraged not to point fingers at other women, but instead to look inward and allow the Holy Spirit to heal their own unhealthy attitudes and behaviors. By uncovering this silent struggle and allowing women to hear what God has to say about it, Dethroning the Queen promotes wholeness and healthy relationships between women of all ages. The wisdom found in this book will free women to experience the gift of sisterhood and inspire them to be even more Christlike, thus equipping them to be more effective in the Kingdom of God.』 fetish『 The Duleep Singhs: The Photograph Album of Queen Victoria's Maharajah 』
Peter Bance
Kakaku：1794 saved$17.94
Sutton Publishing
IPhone 3G used's review (Horrible vendor) 『This vendor never delivered the book or ever contacted me after 3 e mails. I would never buy anything from them at lest they could have responded to enquiry.』 『This book collects together 200 superb black and white photographs which tell the story of the Duleep Singhs, the family of the late Maharajah of the Punjab, who was deposed at the age of eleven by the East India Company, and exiled to Britain. The owner of the famous Koh-i-noor diamond, and a Christian convert, Singh became a country squire, indulging in royal hunts with the Prince of Wales and enjoying life as a houseguest of Queen Victoria at Osbourne House, as well as playing the field with a string of young beauties from Norfolk maids to Cockney stage artists. As well as telling the story of Duleep Singh's own life, the book also shows us the lives of his children: Frederick the archaeologist, antiquarian and benefactor to East Anglia; Victor, the gambler and serial bankrupt whose wife was forbidden by Queen Victoria to have any children; Sophia, the fanatical suffragette; Catherine, the secretive and notorious visitor to war-torn Germany whose relations with her governess were more than intimate; and Princess Bamba, the grumpy self-styled Queen of Lahore, who outlivedeveryone, living in her own imaginary royal court.』 fetish『 Queen Of Hearts 』
『 Dark Stranger 』
『 Eyes of Fire (Mira) 』
『 Tempestuous Eden 』
『 Apache Summer 』
『 Rides A Hero 』
Heather Graham
Kakaku：699 saved$6.99
Zebra
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Good read) 『This was a good read.. Kind of funny because it takes place in the 80s I did have to laugh at the changes in technology and society since then.. BUT the story did grab me, I couldn't put it down and finished in the same day (don't tell my boss.) As a mother some of it made me tear up, but I guess that's the sign of a good one. And the story was good, I could discuss with my husband without feeling like a goober. (Romance novels are my guilty pleasure, I'll admit.)』
(A winner!) 『This one is a winner for sure! The twist of fate put Rhiannan Collins and Congressman Kiel Whellen on a privately owned luxurious ship after terrorists rocked both of their lives, personally. The suspense in this novel is a real killer! You will love it! Marty Wurtz Author of Deceptions and Betrayals』
(I enjoy this writer's stories,) 『Oueen of Hearts by Heather Gtaham, was a fun story. This is the second book I have read by this writer, and, I look forward to reading many more. She puts a lot of thought into the fun characters she creates. I like that.』
(Another Page Turner!) 『Once again Heather Graham didn't dissappoint this reader. Queen of Hearts is not only a wonderful love story but has plenty of suspense. I liked the way the book grabbed me in the first chapter and never let up. The story takes place on a luxury yacht and it enhances the romantic setting. Rhiannan has been tragically hurt in the past and Kiel is the perfect man to bring healing. The story becomes very suspenseful in the middle and I found myself biting my nails. I highly recommend this book!』 『The years haven't eased the sorrow Rhiannan feels after having lost her husband and children to a terrorist's wrath in an airline hijacking, nor has she forgiven the man she holds responsible. Now Congressman Kiel Whellen is here, aboard the luxury liner on which she ekes out a living as a blackjack dealer. She is determined to hate him--until Kiel dares her to let passion make two hurting hearts care again. But also aboard is someone who could shatter Rhiannan's world--unless she fights for her future with the only weapon she has left, the power of a woman's love.』
Kakaku：3500 saved$35.00
University Alabama Press
Usually ships in 2 to 4 weeks 『
Africans who fought alongside the British against the Zulu king.
“Black Africans made up more than half of the British army that invaded Zululand in January of 1879 and went on to fight the storied battles of Isandlwana, Rorke’s Drift, and Ulundi. The British force totaled some 16,800 men, at least 9,000 of whom were Africans. Of these a few, perhaps as manyas 1,000, were dissident Zulus. . . . The bulk of the large African component, however, was comprised of the Natal Native Contingent (NNC), men recruited from Africans resident in Natal.
“This is the force whose story Thompson told in a 1997 edition [and he] has produced a revised and expanded version that is sure to remain the definitive account of Britain’s black allies in the Anglo-Zulu War.
“The literature on the Anglo-Zulu War contains very little about the NNC, for reasons that are partly political, partly cultural. During the imperial era, Europeans were not interested in diminishing their own exploits by extolling those of their native [allies]. And in the wake of empire, the African had no desire to glorify them. To many in the current generation, the NNC [were] egregiously incorrect politically and best forgotten [but] this would scant the part played in the Anglo-Zulu War by the province of Natal. In 1879, Africans made up the vast majority of the population of that province, many of whom were peoples who had been driven from Zululand as a result of Zulu expansion and therefore bitterly anti-Zulu.
“In addition to providing an account from the contingent’s perspective of NNC participation in the epic battle of Isandlwana, Thompson has recounted their service over the whole scope of the war. . . . His account is based on a rich selection of contemporary primary sources: diaries, journals, letters, memoirs, government documents. This extensive research has enabled the author to conclude that the NNC was indispensable to the British victory in the Zulu War.”
—Journal of Military History
P. S. Thompsonis retired Associate Professor of History at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and the author, with John P. C. Laband, ofThe Illustrated Guide to the Anglo-Zulu War.
Kakaku：1695 saved$16.95
Holiday House
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Fun artwork, cute story) 『I borrowed this book from the library and my husband fell in love with it (so we bought it for Christmas for the kids). It's a fun story to read to our daughters. The illustrations are whimsical and fun, and the story is of a pizza maker in Naples who is honored with the task of making pizza for the queen who wants to eat the famed food the local peasants eat. It's allegedly the story behind pizza as we know it today, specifically Pizza Margherita, named for the queen and made with the colors of the Italian flag (red tomatoes, white cheese, green basil). During the story, we follow Raffaele the pizza maker on his journey to the different markets to gather ingredients for his pizza for the queen, giving the reader a quick "flavor" of what shopping is like at specialty markets and introducing young readers to the different wonderful products made in Italy (prosciutto, cheeses, olive oil, etc.) and to the art of pizza making. All is well until Raffaele's cat eats one of the ingredients--what will Raffele make instead? The Italian flag gives him inspiration and his famous pizza is born. A recipe for Pizza Margherita is included at the back of the book.』
(Excellente!) 『This book has a wonderful message and I love a good book based on a true story! Magnifico!』
(Pizza for the Queen) 『"Magnifico!" exclaims Queen Margherita as she enjoys a slice of pizza made especially for her by Raffaele Esposito. Based on a true story, Castaldo magnificently describes the story of Raffaele, the finest pizza maker in Napoli, who is requested by the queen to make a pizza. Raffaele searches the city for the optimal ingredients for the perfect pizza. With inspiration from the red, white, and green of the Italian flag, Raffaele creates a pizza fit for a queen, appropriately dubbed "Pizza Margherita." This delectable story is enhanced with Potter's vivacious illustrations that capture the appetizing quest of Raffaele. With close attention to detail, the intricate pictures are able to express the Italian culture in the late 1800's. The story, as well as the recipe included in the book for "Pizza Margherita," will satisfy children's appetites everywhere.』 『Raffaele makes the best pizza in all of Napoli. It is so good that even Queen Margherita has requested a taste. Raffaele runs around town collecting the finest ingredients for the pizzas he’s planning for the queen, but when a sneaky cat eats the anchovies, he has to revise his plans. Inspired by the colors of the Italian flag, the pizza Raffaele creates is one that delights not only the queen but pizza lovers for generations to come. Accompanied by a generous assortment of rich anddetailed acrylic paintings, the story ends with a pizza recipe meant to tempt the taste buds of pizza lovers everywhere.』
大満足！北国のホタテ・いくら・ボタンエビがぎっしり！
