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Author : Amitav Ghosh
Number of Pages : 528
Release Date : 2008-10-14
Publisher : Farrar, Straus and Giroux
List Price : $26.00
Amazon Price : $17.05
Used Price : $16.99 |
Product Description Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize At the heart of this vibrant saga is a vast ship, the Ibis. Its destiny is a tumultuous voyage across the Indian Ocean; its purpose, to fight China’s vicious nineteenth-century Opium Wars. As for the crew, they are a motley array of sailors and stowaways, coolies and convicts. In a time of colonial upheaval, fate has thrown together a diverse cast of Indians and Westerners, from a bankrupt raja to a widowed tribeswoman, from a mulatto American freedman to a freespirited French orphan. As their old family ties are washed away, they, like their historical counterparts, come to view themselves as jahaj-bhais, or ship-brothers. An unlikely dynasty is born, which will span continents, races, and generations. The vast sweep of this historical adventure spans the lush poppy fields of the Ganges, the rolling high seas, the exotic backstreets of Canton. But it is the panorama of characters, whose diaspora encapsulates the vexed colonial history of the East itself, that makes Sea of Poppies so breathtakingly alive—a masterpiece from one of the world’s finest novelists. Customer reviews My Favorite of 2008  by .. J. Windus (Chicago, IL)
I hesitated to read this novel. I looked at the glossary at the back, perused the pages, recognized all sorts of foreign words, and almost judged the book too quickly, thinking it pretentious and difficult. Suffice it to say, I loved the book. The plot was gripping, the characters were compelling, complex, and familiar, and the historical detail was highly informative. As for the foreign words? They work like a delicate spice, adding a brilliant complexity to the world Ghosh creates. Besides, just as the reader is confused at times by the dialects and idioms, so too are some of the characters. The word play made me smile, and, at times, laugh out loud. A lovely, rewarding, and important book!!!!!
An Epic Novel by .. Vaibhav Patle (Princeton, NJ)
This is one of the most intriguing book I have ever read. Amitav has used "realistic linguistics" to describe many English words. What this means is that he used non-English local words to describe English ones. For example, Asian sea soldiers/sailors are `lascars', indentured labourers are `girmitiyas' and so on. Being an Indian, I had some advantage as many local Hindustani words are known to me. However, the author has used lot of local dialects which requires frequent trip to Chrestomathy(a section in back of book which explains favored few words).
Apart from this, author has used pidgin (simplified language that develops as a means of communication between two or more groups that do not have a language in common), Frenchified English and Indian English. Don't get discouraged by these linguistic variations. Once you start reading this book, it will take you on different ride.
The novel is set in period of Opium War between Britain and China (late 1830s). There are vast number of interesting characters which are introduces slowly and in very personal manner.
1. Deeti is a poor farmer (opium grower) living in a remote village on the bank of river Ganges. After her husband (a drug addict) dies, she decides to give up her life as sati(an old custom where wife burns alive with her husband on funeral pyre) to escape from her lascivious brother-in-law. During this process, she is rescued by a low-caste driver `Kalua', whom she had secretly liked and rescued once. Deeti and Kalua run away and get married secretly. With fate, they meet a man who agrees to take them to Mauritius as coolies (laborer) on Ibis. While on ship, she earns respect from fellow passengers and finds that she is pregnant from Kalua. Unfortunately, she gets recognized by Bhyro Singh, who is leader of police regiment on board and is her first husband's uncle. Bhyro Singh arranged her marriage to his nephew and in order to restore family honor, is determined to kill her. Due to circumstances on board, Bhyro Singh corners Deeti and you have to read what happens next.
2. Neel Ratan Halder is Raja of Rakshali who has lived his whole life in luxury. Due to his dead father's extravagant lifestyle, he finds himself under lot of debt. His business partner, Benjamin Burnham (owner of Ibis and an Opium trader) is after Neel's real estate and is willing to go to any length to secure it. He files case against Neel in court and with help of friendly British judge, manages to throw Neel into prison. His punishment is to live seven years in exile in Mauritius. While waiting in prison for his transportation, he meets half-Chinese/half-Parsi opium addict prisoner, Ah Fatt, who becomes his surrogate brother.
3. First generation Mulatto `Zachery Reid' (Black mother/White father) can be easily passed as White person. He started his journey on Ibis from Baltimore as ship's carpenter but soon progresses to become Second Mate. His black heritage is later identified by another character (Baboo Nob Kissin) and ship's first mate Jack Crowle.
4. Serang Ali is head of lascars who has fatherly affection for Zachery Reid and addresses him as Malum Zikri. His past has connections with Sea Pirates. When Zachery finds about this, Serang Ali plans to jump the ship in middle of their journey in Black Water.
5. Paulette Lambert is Daughter of a liberal French widower living in Calcutta. Inspite of being of French heritage, she has mastered Indian language Bangali and wears Sari (traditional Indian female dress). She was brought up by an Indian woman whose son Jodu is like her brother. After Paulette's father's death, she separates from Jodu and goes to live with Benjamin Burnham. While living in Benjamin's house, she is disgusted by his bizarre behavior during Biblical lessons. Once she learns that Benjamin is planning to get her married to his friend, she plans to escape to Mauritius. During one of the party in Benjamin's house, she meets Zachery and instantly likes him.
Jodu comes looking for her once his mother dies and now free of family responsibility, he tells Paulette that he is planning to join ship crew.
Paulette requests Zachery and Jodu to accommodate her on the ship but they refuse out of the concern for her. Thus, she plans to disguise herself and plans to board the ship while hiding from Zachery and Jodu.
6. Baboo Nob Kissin is accountant for Benjamin Burnham's firm and is a strange little religious man. He has a spiritual fantasy that his deceased female spiritual guide has occupied her body and has told her to go to Mauritius to make a temple there. He has suspicion that Zachery Reid is reincarnation of Lord Krishna and is always on the prowl to hear signs reinforcing his belief. He manages to secure a place on Ibis as a supercargo and later has a vision that Neel is his spiritual son.
Kismet (Fate) brings all these characters and others to Ibis (a former slave ship) and they are traveling from Calcutta (India) to Mareech (Mauritius) to escape their past life. Irrespective of caste, color and social status, all these characters become jahaj-bhais and jahaj-behans (ship brothers and sisters)
There are some sections in book which are gross and turns you inside out. The introduction of half-Chinese/half-Parsi prisoner, Kalua's degradation by village thakurs and Deeti's wedding night are particularly coarse.
The ending of this book is open and we are uncertain when happens to the characters. I am happy to know that the this book is only the first part of trilogy. I will anxiously wait for the next installment.
In short, Sea of Poppies is the first part of what promises to be the great trilogy. The author has clearly researched and has given specialist information to bring back the bygone era and vanished experiences.
"...it was this minuscule orb--at once bountiful and all-devouring, merciful and destructive, sustaining and vengeful." by .. John Sollami (Stamford, CT)
In this amazingly rich work, Amitav Ghosh has created a fantastically entertaining and moving novel. He promises two more parts to complete this masterpiece, but this work alone has vaulted him into rare literary ethers. He has threaded a needle and woven together a terrific group of characters who originate from the banks of the Ganges to the cities of London and Paris to the port of Baltimore. In vivid detail, the lives of a bankrupt Raja, a widowed tribeswoman, an American "metif," a low caste giant, and many more come together on the decks of the former U.S. slave ship Ibis. They all are sailing across the Black Waters to Mauritius with a cargo of indentured laborers, two convicts, and a crew of "lascars" (Indian sailors and soldiers).
Uncompromising in its ingenious and sometimes puzzling use of language and its ubiquitous references to Eastern culture, "Sea of Poppies" takes place in 1838 during the inception of the opium war with China. There are many plot summaries already given on this site, but in the mode of iconic 19th-and early 20th-century novels, this story is deeply insightful and grandly drawn up and brings to mind, as other reviewers have said, parallels to Dumas, Tolstoy, Dickens, Melville, and Conrad. The author has provided hundreds of details for us and clearly has researched sailing ships, the opium trade, drug addiction, 19th-century India and China, and much more. What is also unique here is that the inner compass of this work points east, not west. In its veins runs the intoxicating manna called opium. It feeds the entire British Empire, enslaves the lives of Indian farmers, and reduces humans to trembling beasts. It is the whip that drives everyone and everything in this book forward.
Before this masterpiece becomes a movie (it's crying out for cinematic treatment), I urge you to read it. Like an opiate itself, it is addictive. You will savor it for quite some time and long for the next serving. Let's hope we see the next one soon.
Exotic setting, exotic language!  by .. Layton James (Hudson, WI USA)
I like novels that illuminate history, and Sea of Poppies is set in early nineteenth century India, during the opium wars, when the only super power on earth was Great Britain. The characters include a self-righteous English robber-baron who owns a fleet of ships that take Indian opium to the unwilling addicts in China, and bring Chinese tea back to the British Isles. A brilliant native woman, Deeti, is rescued from death on a funeral pyre by the mostly taciturn but enormous Kalua. They float down the Ganges together, escaping from their relatives and neighbors who now consider them outcasts and out castes. Paulette Lambert, the daughter of a very modern French botanist father and his black colleague, is raised in Victorian fashion at the Burnham's palace in Calcutta, where her playmate is Jodu, a Bengali boy who ran away from home to become a sailor. Meanwhile, aboard the Ibis, one of the ships in the Burnham fleet, another teenager of mixed parentage, from Baltimore, has become the second officer, and is treated with deference, much to his embarassment. Finally, there is the Raja of Rashkali, who speaks several languages and is the most learned person in the book, who has been convicted of forgery by an English court, has lost his vast land holdings to Mr. Burnham, and is sentenced to be banished for seven years. He befriends a mixed English/Chinese man in prison, who also speaks English and was brought up in Canton. The two of them are brought onto the Ibis in chains for transport to their prison island.
Eventually, all these characters and more begin their voyage on the 'black water,' a voyage not just to a physical place on the earth, but to unknown and uncharted depths of self-discovery, inter-action, and cooperation. Love and jealousy, goodness and cruelty, understanding and bigotry accompany them.
In addition to the rich blend of cultures, places, and experiences, the language used by Amitav Ghosh mirrors the need for communication between people who really don't know each other's native tongues, and so the book has long passages of pidgin English, with Bengali, Hindusthani, the Indian (Laskar) sailor's imitation of English ship commands, all making a well-seasoned stew of words that is both illuminating, full of humor, and sometimes hard to understand. But the language draws the reader into the tale in a remarkable way that is calculated and brilliantly executed by Ghosh. Sea of Poppies is one of the most original, satisfying and virtuosic novels I've read in years!
Sea of Poppies  by .. Frances Doyle ()
I loved Amitov Gosh's book "The Hungry Tide" but he doesn't do as well with history.
Their is nothing I liked about this book.
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Edition : New
Number of Pages : 246
Publisher : Bloom's Literary Criticism
List Price : $45.00
Amazon Price : $40.50
Used Price : $45.61 |
Product Description The Old Man and the Sea is one of Hemingway's most enduring works. Told in language of great simplicity and power, it is the story of an old Cuban fisherman, down on his luck, and his supreme ordeal -- a relentless, agonizing battle with a giant marlin far out in the Gulf Stream. Here Hemingway recasts, in strikingly contemporary style, the classic theme of courage in the face of defeat, of personal triumph won from loss. Written in 1952, this hugely successful novella confirmed his power and presence in the literary world and played a large part in his winning the 1954 Nobel Prize for Literature. Customer reviews "It is easy when you are beaten" by .. Kris (IN USA)
I have a different interpretation of The Old Man and the Sea. Many view this novella as a symbol of struggling and beating the odds when life gets hard. However, I see this as a symbol of when one is in their darkest hour, one has to struggle or choose to drown on their own accord. This is my interpretation because of the fact that Hemingway decided to "drown in the sea" by committing suicide. If the author would have died of natural causes, then we could interpret the novella as a triumph over life. I came to this conclusion because of the passage at the end of the novel when Santiago is looking deep into his psyche and contemplating if life is worth living due to the harshness of this life- "Bed [death] will be a great thing. It is easy [to die] when you are beaten, he thought." No matter what one sees in the symbols of this great novella, the one thing that resonates with generation after generation is that Hemingway wrote one of the most powerful novels of the 20th century.
The Old Man & The Sea  by .. L. A. Vitale ()
Ernest Hemingway certainly knows how to write a tight, concise narrative novel with his Pulitzer Prize winning novel "The Old Man & The Sea". This is what makes "The Old Man & The Sea" a great novel.
There seems to be quite a bit of religious inference going on inside this novel too. Sin is touched upon. The old man struggles to catch the fish (only to have a sad ending in the novel) and there are other scenes that eludes to the crucifixion of Christ.
I enjoyed reading this classic novel... But wouldn't rank Hemingway's writing style as one of my favorites.
No Book No Explanation by .. Lin Zhu (Wash. DC)
Placed the order in Nov. but never got the book. After one month, I wrote to the seller to check it out, then I got a refund without any explanation. I need the book for my kid's school project and the seller messed it up. How can we trust the seller any more?
To catch the fish is not enough... by .. W.W. (Detroit, sucka.)
You must bring it back. But the real prize isn't the fish, it's the universal struggle for survival.
The Old Man and The Sea Review by .. Kerollos Shaker (Huntsville, AL)
Ernest Hemingway, the author of The Old Man and the Sea, is a novelist, short-story writer who liked to depict people whose courage and honesty are set against the atrocious ways of society and in the midst of the confrontation, would lose all optimism and faith. A classical novella, The Old Man and the Sea, displays emotional sentiment virtually throughout the story. This is a heroic story that is perfectly written and that is filled with perseverance, pride and friendship. This novella mostly takes action at the sea.
Santiago, the old Cuban man, goes for eighty-four days without catching a fish. His buddy, Manolin, strongly believes in the old man that he can catch a fish. Manolin has been deprived of going with the old man who has worst luck. The two of them like to talk about baseball in their conversation. Santiago's favorite baseball player is the great DiMaggio.
On the eighty-fifth day, Santiago goes sailing far beyond the island's shallow coastal waters and ventures into the Gulf Stream. Like always, whenever he throws the line that has the bait fixed to it, a fish would eat whatever is attached to that line and rapidly move away. The following is a battle which tests the old man's skill to suffer to the limit. It was as if perseverance was in the man's blood. At noon, this particular marlin catches on the line and actually moves the skiff along. The strange man points out that the fish was two feet longer than the skiff. During some time, when the line was steady hard, Santiago's left hand got cramped. He disgustingly looks at his hand and asks it how it is doing after eating fish that he caught earlier.
While weariness hit him, he remembers the time when he and an African American went one day and one night arm wrestling. By remembering this event, he gave himself confidence. At daylight, the old man defeated the African American and became known as "The Champion." This memory effectively shows that the old man has sustained before and can still endure the encounter with the enormous fish.
During the whole story, the old man wishes that the boy was with him to see this magnificent fish. He has only three things that are his brothers, his two hands and the fish. He greatly admires this marlin but at the end, he pities the great fish that he had hooked. On the third day of the struggle, the fish circles around the boat which means exhaustion. This was the time for the old man to strike into the fish.
Hemingway effectively shows his objective by describing an old man against society (the fish and the sea). Frankly, this simple book is mostly about fishing, friendship, and endurance. I strongly encourage anyone who enjoys to fish to read this novella. Its suspenseful climax really lures the reader to finish the book. I liked this book because of the structure on how it is written and its simplistic wording.
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Author : Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Edition : 1st
Number of Pages : 144
Release Date : 1991-10-08
Publisher : Pantheon
List Price : $16.00
Amazon Price : $7.85
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Product Description n time for the holiday season--in an appropriate and enticing new format, and with a striking new jacket--a spectacular hardcover reissue of one of the most beloved books of our time. Since it was first published in 1955, Gift from the Sea has enlightened and offered solace to readers on subjects from love and marriage to peace and contentment. Customer reviews Great book for women,s self discovery. by .. Ron Scanlan (Pueblo, Colorado)
Great short read. Ahead of its time given it was writtem in 1955. Great book for women to help understand there role in life, not so much for men.
A Joy Forever by .. M. Ellis (Gulf Coast, Alabama)
What more can be said about this lovely collection of thoughts? Even as it celebrates its 50th anniversary, it is as fresh as the day it was penned. This book is a keeper if ever there was one, a volume to be read and re-read and handed down to one's children, which is what I intend to do with the most recent Gift from the Sea that I bought.
A Gift for Your Mom... by .. Akethan (Arlington, VA United States)
Listed as a 'summer read' in a local magazine list - I hadn't heard of this book. I picked it up and finished it from one afternoon into the next morning. And -- there was nothing surprising or new to be found here in the book - the pace at which its written and the uncomplicated natural way Lindbergh examines her life and her impressions of life's stages will have me passing this book on to many people in my life.
A Few Shells by .. Jayne P. Bowers (SC USA)
What timeless wisdom there is in this little book. Although it was written many decades ago, the challenges and issues faced by Anne Morrow Lindbergh are the same ones faced by women in today's crazy, bustling world. In fact, although women in Siberia, Cameroon, or Ceylon might not have her specific set of circumstances, they can still identify with Lindbergh's ponderings about a woman's life, her obligations, her relationships, and her needs. She lived in an upscale suburb of Connecticut and was the mother of five children, and yet there's something in her writing that can touch the souls of women everywhere whether in a grass hut or trailer beside a busy highway
The chapters in Gift from the Sea center on Lindbergh's musings during a two-week vacation at the shore. Leaving husband, children, and house behind, she lives in a bare beach cabin without heat, telephone, plumbing, hot water, rugs, or curtains. She finds simplicity beautiful and longs to take it home to Connecticut when her vacation ends.
Lindbergh takes a shell at a time and describes it in relation to other things in a woman's life. For instance, the moon shell reminds her that quiet time, solitude, contemplation, and "something of one's own" is needed. The double-sunrise represents the pure relationship found in early stages of friendship and marriage, and she reminds the reader that there is no permanent return to an old form of relationship since all are in the process of change. The oyster bed symbolizes the middle years of marriage and family, especially as the home itself grows and expands to accommodate the growing family.
I first read this book when I was a young mother and could readily understand Lindbergh's comment that saints were so rarely married woman because of the distractions inherent in raising children and running a house. "Human relationships with their myriad pulls--woman's normal occupations in general run counter to creative life, or contemplative life, or saintly life." Now in midlife, I can better understand her affinity for all the shells as reminders that each cycle of the wave, the tide, and the relationship is valid.
Hardly touching  by .. Vilma C. Divinagracia (San Diego, CA)
This book came very highly recommended by two friends who are avid book readers. However I hate to admit that the book did not move me as much as my friends claimed that it moved them. I was more interested about the background references to the author's personal life and how the book came into being. That I would have read voraciously. The book is short but I don't intend to read it again to see what I missed. I believe a book either moves you or it doesn't. This particular book despite other rave reviews did not move me despite my great affinity for the sea and women writers. I wonder if perhaps if the book would have touched me differently if I read it in the beach rather than on a plane which I did.
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Author : Roger Crowley
Number of Pages : 368
Release Date : 2008-07-01
Publisher : Random House
List Price : $30.00
Amazon Price : $17.09
Used Price : $18.94 |
Product Description In 1521, Suleiman the Magnificent, Muslim ruler of the Ottoman Empire at the height of its power, dispatched an invasion fleet to the Christian island of Rhodes. This would prove to be the opening shot in an epic struggle between rival empires and faiths for control of the Mediterranean and the center of the world. In Empires of the Sea, acclaimed historian Roger Crowley has written his most mesmerizing work to date–a thrilling account of this brutal decades-long battle between Christendom and Islam for the soul of Europe, a fast-paced tale of spiraling intensity that ranges from Istanbul to the Gates of Gibraltar and features a cast of extraordinary characters: Barbarossa, “The King of Evil,” the pirate who terrified Europe; the risk-taking Emperor Charles V; the Knights of St. John, the last crusading order after the passing of the Templars; the messianic Pope Pius V; and the brilliant Christian admiral Don Juan of Austria. This struggle’s brutal climax came between 1565 and 1571, seven years that witnessed a fight to the finish decided in a series of bloody set pieces: the epic siege of Malta, in which a tiny band of Christian defenders defied the might of the Ottoman army; the savage battle for Cyprus; and the apocalyptic last-ditch defense of southern Europe at Lepanto–one of the single most shocking days in world history. At the close of this cataclysmic naval encounter, the carnage was so great that the victors could barely sail away “because of the countless corpses floating in the sea.” Lepanto fixed the frontiers of the Mediterranean world that we know today. Roger Crowley conjures up a wild cast of pirates, crusaders, and religious warriors struggling for supremacy and survival in a tale of slavery and galley warfare, desperate bravery and utter brutality, technology and Inca gold. Empires of the Sea is page-turning narrative history at its best–a story of extraordinary color and incident, rich in detail, full of surprises, and backed by a wealth of eyewitness accounts. It provides a crucial context for our own clash of civilizations. Customer reviews A nice broad overview - go to The Great Siege for a close-up by .. Dr Alexander Elder (New York, USA)
Crowley does a very good job of putting the struggle for the Mediterranean into its historical context. Reading his book allows you to see how the Christian West struggled against 'the Evil Empire' of a different era. I got this book from audible.com (a division of amazon) as a full-length audio which ws very enjoyably recorded. Still, I could not shake off the feeling that this book was fairly pale in comparison with Col E Bradford's magnificent The Great Siege: Malta 1565. Other reviewers have already referenced that book - it is available on amazon. Look it up - you will be in for a rare treat!
Fantastic by .. Alaturka (Northport, NY USA)
Wow. I could not put it down, but I had to, because I wanted the thrill and taste to last, so I devoured it chapter by chapter. Crowley has done an excellent job, not just as a writer or a historian, but as a movie director where the film is paper this time. He has set the scenes and characters expertly, one can almost smell the powder, and feel the breeze and heat of the fight and the colors and scenery painted so richly. He has not attempted a detailed and reference-laden academic book, but more of a novel. Little details and small events sprinkled throughout emphasizes the film format.
He has given a good feel for the scope and depth of the events. His excellent use of original Turkish references and knowledge of the culture has made it all the more real. Turks are not some distant alien and dangerous creatures, the way so many other Western authors have treated them until recently. A surge in scholarly work focusing on Ottoman history in recent decades has unlocked a very interesting chunk of history for Western readers.
As someone who had to read and study Ottoman history from elementary through high school, I wish Crowley had written a few of those very boring and stale textbooks we had to suffer. I never knew my history was so interesting. Sure I knew about Barbaros, but little else. Even as a student of history, I was surprised by the extent of Ottoman naval expeditions and conquests described here.
Shear size of the egos, the size of the battlefield, the whole of Mediteranean, human toil and attrition is just mind-boggling. Commitment to cause, bravery, treachery, the tactics and will power of both sides at Malta, the drama of it all left me in awe.
Excellent read even if you are not a history buff.
Incredibly gripping military history by .. M. Reid (Cambridge, MA United States)
This is an excellent piece of very readable military history covering a period often if not universally overlooked in the education of most people.
The author makes excellent uses of the sources available to him and lets the primary sources speak using their own voice whenever possible. This makes for a very reliable and well constructed piece of historical writing. His style is flowing and interesting and he refrains, mercifully, from dwelling too much on the gruesome details that abound in the historical record of the period.
I can wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone interested in an overview of the battles between Europe and an ascendant Ottoman empire at the hight of its powers in general or interested in a very detailed account of the absolutely fascinating siege of Malta. Its coverage of the battle of Lepanto is less well done but still competent. A great read.
Finally, the narrator in the audio version of the book is brilliant.
Essential background by .. Tom Smedley (RTP NC USA)
I am working on a dissertation that investigates the founding of the Turkish Republic, the resolution of a trauma that began 350 years earlier. Crowley does an incredible job of portraying events through the eyes of the combatants at all levels. Yes, I intend to cite this work in my own work.
Well done.
Lepanto and the Modern World by .. ()
This is a great work though its conclusion misses the most important point of all: the road from Malta to Lepanto marked the end of the last Muslim superpower. After 900 years, the business model, if you like, was obsolete. There were some failed attempts at recovery, notably the second siege of Vienna in 1680. But, after Lepanto, the Ottomans were on their way to becoming what Nicholas I in 1853 called "the sick man of Europe" and to setting the preconditions for the First World War.
The size of the power vacuum Lepanto created was truly stunning and ripped through the first half of the twentieth century like a scythe.
Lepanto did the unthinkable to Islam. It cut off the road to technological, economic, and territorial domination. Europe spent the next century and a half sorting itself out, violently for the most part, but with relatively little to worry about from the once mighty and ever expanding Islamic empires to its east and south.
Europe exploited the new world without the worries of Charles V or Philip II that the back door in the Mediterranean was open.
That freedom to exploit -- and exploit the Europeans did -- also gave us the advanced democracies of the U.S. and Canada. It also opened the way to Western domination of the sea lanes to India and China, with consequences that reshape our world daily.
One of the most disturbing consequences of Lepanto is the seething resentment of those whose religious conceit leads them to believe that the world must be Muslim and who, but for Lepanto, are powerless to effect their goals. From them we got 9/11. And more to come.
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Author : Nathaniel Philbrick
Number of Pages : 320
Release Date : 2001-05-01
Publisher : Penguin (Non-Classics)
List Price : $15.00
Amazon Price : $4.32
Used Price : $0.01 |
Product Description The ordeal of the whaleship Essex was an event as mythic in the nineteenth century as the sinking of the Titanic was in the twentieth. In 1819, the Essex left Nantucket for the South Pacific with twenty crew members aboard. In the middle of the South Pacific the ship was rammed and sunk by an angry sperm whale. The crew drifted for more than ninety days in three tiny whaleboats, succumbing to weather, hunger, disease, and ultimately turning to drastic measures in the fight for survival. Nathaniel Philbrick uses little-known documents-including a long-lost account written by the ship's cabin boy-and penetrating details about whaling and the Nantucket community to reveal the chilling events surrounding this epic maritime disaster. An intense and mesmerizing read, In the Heart of the Sea is a monumental work of history forever placing the Essex tragedy in the American historical canon. Customer reviews Just Amazing by .. Carl Glatfelter (Lancaster, PA)
This is one of those books that, as you read it you say to yourself "why didn't I know about this before, and why don't people talk about it more?" One of my favorite books ever.
Great white whale sinks ship . . . . who'd believe that story? by .. Todd Stockslager (Raleigh, NC)
Real-life whaling disaster that Melville borrowed as the basis for Moby-Dick: or, The Whale (Modern Library Classics) moves crisply in Philbrick's matter-of-fact style that emphasizes the horror of the story. The Essex left Nantucket in 1819 on a typically 2 to 3-year whaling tour, then sank when it was rammed by a giant sperm whale--twice! This unprecedented attack left the 20 whalers stunned and stranded 1,500 miles from land in the middle of the Pacific.
Philbrick relies on the accounts of several of the survives, but also does a good job of bringing just enough knowledge at just the right times from his research on specific aspects of survival, sailing, and cannibalism, for example, as it applies to the narrative.
One measure of the worth of a book is the avenues to additional reading it open ups, and I have added Moby-Dick: or, The Whale (Modern Library Classics) (read it and rated it a classic!) and Richard Henry Dana's "Two Years Before the Mast" (tried, couldn't get through it) to my reading list.
horrifying by .. pablo (boston, ma United States)
Well written and horrifying account of the Essex. I am from Boston and I was not aware of the story. Found the book in a store on Nantucket a over the summer. I am glad I remembered to order it when I came home from vaca. If your looking for an adventure story, without a Disney ending,,,,then this book is for you.
I was cheering for the whales by .. Robert J. Scheppy (Zhu Hai, China)
A very good story, but as the whalers were slaughtering every whale in sight and dragging the giant Galapagos turtles into their mess halls for dinner, I was cheering for the whales.
Excellent and Enthralling Book from a most Perspicacious Author by .. A. R. Westra (New York)
This harrowing, hair-raising adventure story and testament to American ingenuity and resourcefulness is a thrill to read. Philbrick recounts the disaster of the Whaleship Essex largely relying on a careful selection of accounts from the memoirs of First Mate Owen Chase and Boatsteerer Thomas Nickerson that are peppered with interesting and informative annotations from a wealth of other sources.
Clearly the author has an advantage in writing about such an exciting and well documented story, but Philbrick sets himself apart in that he lacks the pretension and glibness of many contemporary historians. For example, nautical terms are used throughout, but not in way that is mired in the nitty-gritty (although the notes provide additional depth) and a clearly labeled illustration is quite enabling for the "coof" (off-islander) or layman reader. Furthermore, the numerous asides do not disrupt the story, but enhance it due to the thoughtfulness and subtly of the author.
This is an excellent and enthralling book from a most perspicacious author. Like the piece of twine weaved together and preserved by Essex survivor Benjamin Lawrence to remind Lawrence of his experience, Philbrick creates quite a yarn that will ensure the survival of the story of the Whaleship Essex for generations to come.
Related Search : heart sea , tragedy whaleship , essex  |
Author : David McCullough
Number of Pages : 704
Publisher : Simon & Schuster
List Price : $35.00
Amazon Price : $21.29
Used Price : $20.00 |
Product Description The building of the Panama Canal was one of the most grandiose, dramatic, and sweeping adventures of all time. Spanning nearly half a century, from its beginnings by a France in pursuit of glory to its completion by the United States on the eve of World War I, it enlisted men, nations, and money on a scale never before seen. Apart from the great wars, it was the largest, costliest single effort ever mounted anywhere on earth, and it affected the lives of tens of thousands of people throughout the world. Here in all its heartbreak and eventual triumph the epic adventure is brought vividly alive by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of such books as The Johnstown Flood, The Great Bridge, Truman, and John Adams.Filled with vivid detail and incident, The Path Between the Seas is not only a fact-filled account of an unprecedented engineering feat; it is also the story of the people who were caught up in it -- some to win fame and fortune, others to have their reputations and even their lives destroyed. For many it was the adventure of a lifetime, an adventure whose like will never be seen again. Out of it came a revolution, the birth of a new nation, the conquest of yellow fever, and the expansion of American power. Told from many viewpoints, this is an account drawn from previously unpublished and undiscovered sources, from interviews with actual participants and their families, from material gathered in Paris, Bogotá, Panama, the Canal Zone, and Washington. It is a canvas filled with memorable people: Ferdinand de Lesseps and his son Charles, trying to repeat de Lesseps's Suez triumph; Jules Verne; Paul Gauguin; Gustave Eiffel; A. T. Mahan and Richard Harding Davis; Senator Mark Hanna; Secretary of State John Hay; the incredible Philippe Bunau-Varilla, "the man who invented Panama"; Dr. William Gorgas; the forgotten American engineer hero John Stevens; Colonel George Washington Goethals; and, above all, Theodore Roosevelt, who "took Panama" in 1903 and left his indelible stamp on the canal. As informative as it is fascinating, The Path Between the Seas is history told in the grand manner. With novelistic urgency it presents one of the great stories of all time in an account that will remain definitive for many years to come. With two detailed maps and more than eighty photographs. Customer reviews The BEST history writer by .. 4America ()
I always wanted to read more but could never get myself to do it. I had an uncle that was incredibly well read (more than a thousand books) and always admired him. He passed away from stomach cancer but before he did I had an opportunity to talk with him and one of the things I asked was what his favorite book was. He told me it was a tough question but said it would be hard not to pick this book. I bought it on the way home. I found the first hundred pages to be very difficult and almost gave up but couldn't stop thinking about my uncle so I read on and I'm glad I did. This book is amazing. Anyone who finds this book boring or wordy is just not interested in a well crafted account of history. This was a huge engineering feat so don't be surprised if it is a little technical. I'm an engineer so I loved it. David does a remarkable job of making you feel like you are in that time of history. This isn't just about the Panama Canal but about 1870-1914. When you think about what happened during that time it's just mind blowing. The idea of a new republic taking on such an enormous project so far away in the jungles of Panama. I've read all David's books and only wish he would write more. This book started me on the path to reading. For that I owe David a huge thanks.
The Path Between the Seas by .. Warren Cook (Annapolis, MD)
Wonderfully detailed history of the conception, politics, and construction of the Panama Canal. I first read the book as a public library book, but wanted a copy of my own for future reference.
Audacious and improbable (4.25*s) by .. One Man's View (Lawrenceville, GA USA)
This book is a highly informative account of the entire history of the contemplation and building of the Panama Canal involving many nations across several decades. The difficulties facing any entity, private or public, considering building an Isthmus-crossing canal were unbelievable: the sheer complexity of the canal design; the volume of earth to move and the size of the structures to build; the huge and multi-dimensional labor force; the tremendous earth-moving machinery required and its effective usage; the magnitude and difficulties of coordinating all the work; the decimating impact of yellow fever and malaria on the work force; and the logistics of supplying an obscure part of the world. In addition, the political maneuverings involving the governments of France, the US, Columbia, and Panama and any number of lobbyists during several periods were crucial in deciding the location and type of an Isthmus-crossing canal, as well the decisions to proceed. The debate of whether Panama or Nicaragua was most appropriate for a canal was waged repeatedly with final decisions being made on little more than a coin-flip.
Personalities are very important in the author's story. He scarcely conceals a predisposition to the belief that brilliant and appropriate men will eventually rise to meet the most difficult of challenges. Perhaps surprising to most readers is that the first attempt to build a canal across Panama was made by a private French conglomerate led by the charismatic aristocrat and entrepreneur Ferdinand de Lesseps in the 1880s. While his dominating personality persuaded many to undertake the huge risks of building a canal in Panama, his complete lack of technical competency and his tendency to ignore and conceal serious problems, thus deceiving investors, were factors in the collapse of the French effort after a near-decade of prodigious but ultimately futile efforts. What was to be a triumph of French ingenuity turned into bitter recriminations, with jail time being served by a few scapegoats.
The middle third of the book is devoted to the politics of the US taking on the task of building a canal and the support of the US of the Panamanian coup in 1903. Powerful interests led by Sen John T. Morgan supported a Nicaraguan canal but President Theodore Roosevelt threw the weight of his office behind, what he considered to be the more practical alternative, Panama. An enigmatic Frenchmen, part of the de Lesseps effort in Panama, Philippe Bunau-Varilla not only was persuasive during that period but coordinated the Panama takeover. Though the US quickly came to terms with Columbia over the loss of Panama, that flexing of American power rankled for years in Latin America.
The last section of the book is an amazing story of the completion, with substantial alteration, of the original French canal. After some lackluster appointees were replaced and administrative structures streamlined, serious advancement of the project began. Again, very talented individuals were key to the progress. Dr. William Gorgas was able to implement a country-wide program of eradicating mosquitoes, the carriers of yellow fever and malaria. John Stevens, a veteran of railroad design, in his role as chief engineer undertook a vast improvement of the infrastructure of Panama, such as housing, sewerage, and water supply, greatly improving the well-being of the labor force and also devised a means of non-stop digging and movement of dirt. The author suggests that Stevens' efforts were perhaps most important for the project's completion, yet he is largely forgotten because he prematurely resigned. His successor, George Goethals, though rather aloof, proved to be an equally able administrator and saw the Panama Canal through to its completion in 1914.
The story told is complicated with many considerations and individuals involved. However, at times, almost too much detail is provided - too many names, too many physical descriptions of people. The luminous personality of de Lesseps gets excessive attention, as well as the political intrigue in France and the US. It was not the author's intent to write an exposition on canal building; the approach is far more social, political, and economic. It's impossible to read this book without coming to realize the sheer audacity and improbability of building a canal across Panama, especially one hundred years ago.
PS. Though not especially emphasized by the author, this book is a cautionary tale for grandiose schemes and schemers. In this case the half-baked plan eventually was successful, but at tremendous costs in lives, savings of small investors, and total funds. One need only look at the financialization of the US economy and the costs to most us to see that con men are alive and well.
Boring by .. Maj Russell A. Ambroziak (Wilderness VA USA)
Very factual but exteeeeeeeeemly boring and wordy. I read it before going through the cannal and it helped me greatly to enjoy the trip, but it could be 1/4 the size and still do the job.
A man, a plan, a canal . . . by .. Todd Stockslager (Raleigh, NC)
The epitome of what a general narrative history should be-informative, fun, inspiring.
McCullough begins by tracing the idea of an isthmian canal in history, continues with the two abortive French efforts to complete the canal, and finally covers the completion of the canal in its political and technical aspects under the leadership of the United States.
The technical aspects are fascinating for their details and bridging of a fifty year period of incredible engineering progress, the political aspects are interesting for their far-reaching impact (Central American hatred of the United States still lingers from the blatant grab of Panama from Columbia), but mostly the human story of the men, women, and larger-than-life lesser gods (de Lesseps, Buneau-Varilla, Roosevelt, Goethals) who made it happen is what remains most classic in this history..
Related Search : 1870 1914 , panama canal , path between  |
Author : Rick Riordan
Number of Pages : 304
Release Date : 2007-03-20
Publisher : Miramax
List Price : $7.99
Amazon Price : $3.20
Used Price : $2.88 |
Product Description Percy Jackson’s seventh-grade year has been surprisingly quiet. Not a single monster has set foot on his New York prep-school campus. But when an innocent game of dodgeball among Percy and his classmates turns into a death match against an ugly gang of cannibal giants, things get . . . well, ugly. And the unexpected arrival of Percy’s friend Annabeth brings more bad news: the magical borders that protect Camp Half-Blood have been poisoned by a mysterious enemy, and unless a cure is found, the only safe haven for demigods will be destroyed. In this fresh, funny, and hugely anticipated follow up to The Lightning Thief, Percy and his friends must journey into the Sea of Monsters to save their beloved camp. But first, Percy will discover a stunning new secret about his family -- one that makes him question whether being claimed as Poseidon’s son is an honor or simply a cruel joke. Customer reviews Just a sequel by .. ()
I really enjoyed this book. I'm a fan of all of the percy jackson series. This book doesn't stand up to the others though. Once again percy goes out on an adventure, but this time he's going to get the mystical golden fleece before the protective borders of camp half-blood fade away. It's full of excitement. It just doesn't stand up to book one. Read this book. but if it seems worse than book one keep reading the series.
Another excellent title by Rick Riodan by .. L. Darrow (California)
My nine-year old loves these books. We used to ask him to read in the morning instead of watching television. With the Percy Jackson books he doesn't need to be asked. I read with him on the first two books and they are very good books. He has read three of the four books since September and is into the fourth book now. Great series. Hope that there is more to follow.
My 13yr old couldn't put it down. by .. Angela M. Mitchell (Alaska)
My son who is 13 yrs old, couldn't put it down. We ended up buying the whole series. It was very nice to see him want to read!
Great installment to the Percy Jackson series. by .. Sam ()
The other day I posted a review for The Lightning Theif and felt as though I had to continue writing reviews for the other books in the the series.
The Sea of Monsters is continues the first book's great character development and action packed adventures.
This time Percy must set out with his friend Annabeth to find his other friend and satyr Grover who has been held captive by a hungry cyclops.
To do this Percy and Annabeth must sail through the sea of monsters.
While journeying they come across many obstacles and find them selves in peril.
As well as the first one,I could never put it down.
I will continue to post reviews of this series on this site.
Review for the series more than for the book by .. Blitz Patel (Napa, CA, USA)
First off, this is an excellant series. It easily teaches mythology, history, and geography through a well-written and interesting adventure. That said, I found this book to be lacking a bit compared to the 1st (The Lightning Thief) and the 3rd (The Titan's Curse) books in the series. Then again, I would give this book 4 stars on it's own because it is still a very good book, and a must for anyone reading the series. Great books for children and anyone interested in mythology.
Related Search : olympians book , 2 , sea monsters  |
Author : Jean Rhys
Number of Pages : 189
Publisher : Buccaneer Books
List Price : $29.95
Amazon Price : $19.76
Used Price : $36.78 |
Product Description Jean Rhys' late, literary masterpiece "Wide Sargasso Sea" was inspired by Charlotte Bronte's "Jane Eyre", and is set in the lush, beguiling landscape of Jamaica in the 1830s. Born into an oppressive, colonialist society, Creole heiress Antoinette Cosway meets a young Englishman who is drawn to her innocent sensuality and beauty. After their marriage the rumours begin, poisoning her husband against her. Caught between his demands and her own precarious sense of belonging, Antoinette is driven towards madness. Customer reviews Interesting and Exciting Read by .. Laina Birdy (USA)
I read this book because it's on the Modern Library's Top 100 list, so unfortunately I haven't read Emily Bronte's Jane Eyre. I think once I read that book, I'll be able to come back to Wide Sargasso Sea, and understand it on a deeper level. Even so, I enjoyed reading this book, and was intrigued by the mysterious portrayal of the characters. The main character Antoinetta's tragic life, turbulent relationships and eventual madness is all beautifully portrayed. I can't wait to follow up by reading Jane Eyre, the source of Rhys inspiration for this novel.
Rich, sensual take on a classic character by .. Nicole Bradshaw (Jackson, MS USA)
I'm a big fan of the Brontes', and I'd always heard academics animatedly discussing Wide Sargasso Sea. Here's the skinny: In Jane Eyre, we discover near the end of the novel that Jane's intended (Edward Rochester, her former employer) is actually already a married man. We learn that he'd been duped into marriage to a crazy, wealthy woman from the West Indies (she's called Bertha in Charlotte Bronte's novel) by not only her family, but by his own. (The arrangement was a financial boon for his money-grubbing family, and her family was just glad to get her out of the way). At any rate, this mad woman has been sequestered in the drafty attic of Rochester's mansion for YEARS, and she conveniently dies at the end of Bronte's novel so that Jane and Edward can live happily ever after.
Wide Sargasso Sea, by Jean Rhys, tells "Bertha's" side of the story. I found this to be a beautiful, wonderfully atmospheric novella. Bertha is re-christened Antoinette in the slim volume, and though her family does have its share of mental illness, Rhys also explains the history and relationships that have led to such outcomes. The language describing the landscape of the West Indies is rich and thick with scent, color and flavor. Racial tensions are starkly drawn, and the sinister nature of all the tropical unknowns (jungle, ruins, black magic) are lurking on every page.
This one I can recommend, particularly if you are a fan of Jane Eyre. It will make you think of that classic in a new way, and it will also have you digging out your bikini and wondering if you can keep on orchid alive in your kitchen window.
prequel to Jane Eyre intriques... by .. lazza (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
'Wide Sargasso Sea' is certainly an interesting read. Although a prequel to 'Jane Eyre', it can be read on its own merit. The story is about a rather disturbed young woman in the West Indies and her husband who both tries to understand and escape from her. The author captures the time period (1830s) perfectly and has obviously researched the lifestyle and the language of the local people. She is also a brilliant writer; her prose and characterizations are of a high caliber. Yet since much of the book is written in the first person of a stressed, emotionally unstable woman, I found it sometimes difficult to catch all the subtle nuances. Thankfully there are appendices in the back of the book which proved most helpful.
Bottom line: a very different, at times difficult, but very remarkable piece of literature.
moods as varied as the skies over the West Indies by .. Karen Sampson Hudson (Reno, NV United States)
With her vivid imaginative skills, Jean Rhys offers us the tale of "Bertha" Rochester, the madwoman in the attic of "Jane Eyre." The skies of the West Indies are an ever-changing backdrop in this moody novel of fear, memory, and desire. Rhys' style challenges the reader to "fill in the blanks" many times throughout, making necessary intuitive connections to amplify her sometimes sparse prose. What could have been merely a lightweight story of "love and greed in the tropics" turns into an engaging, beautifully unfolding narrative laden with mystery and sadness.
Greatest tragedy in the world: loss of three trees in North Carolina for the purpose of the novel by .. C. Warren (Miami, Florida)
I bought this novel with anticipation of a thrilling story and a dramatic yet suspenseful story. What I got was a boring love story followed by an atrocious climb to a lackluster climax. The story is narrator from opposing views, mainly the Creole protagonist, Antionnette, yet also from a Colonialist whose name is never mentioned. Why the name was never mentioned is unclear, obviously to try and give a sense of imagination and creativity to the story (EPIC FAIL). Characters are introduced randomly and seemingly without a purpose in the novel. The racism towards English is evident in Rhys obsession towards depicting them as soulless colonial butchers when this is obviously not the case. The novel is simply a silly novel, not bad, but silly. The love story seemingly falls apart out of nowhere, there is no cohesion to the story and the characters seemingly were created out of a Jamacain woman's desire for a popular story. The climax of the novel is pointless and silly, the story translating to England out of nowhere. There is no point to the novel, as it should never have been written. This is the most racist and atrociously silly novel I have ever read. Couldn't stop laughing after I read it.
Related Search : wide sargasso , sea  |
Author : Holling C. Holling
Edition : 1
Number of Pages : 64
Publisher : Sandpiper
List Price : $11.95
Amazon Price : $5.99
Used Price : $0.10 |
Product Description A young Indian boy carves a little canoe with a figure inside and names him Paddle-to-the-Sea. Paddle's journey, in text and pictures, through the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean provides an excellent geographic and historical picture of the region. Customer reviews Paddle-To-The-Sea by .. George W. Martin ()
I've owned this book since I was about 10 years old. That would be 60 years ago. It's a great adventure with terrific illustrations that capture the story. Best to read a chapter a day and savor the memory. I recently purchased a copy through Amazon (exactly the same as the one I've owned since 1956) for my great nephew. The latest "paddle Person" in our family.
Remarkable achievement, though a slow read for young ones by .. Quickhappy (Big city, big country)
I think the temptation here is to give "Paddle to the Sea" five stars. After all, the book is a dazzling display of art and narrative, an educational and interesting tale. But five stars is the voice of the adult reviewer, and this book is mostly read by and to young children.
I was excited to stumble across this book in the library: I remembered it from my childhood. But I was surprised to find how little of the book I remembered. Mostly I remembered the general idea--perhaps my parents were not too keen on reading the entire book.
From the perspective of my daughter (nearly 6), the book was well worth reading, though not terribly compelling. She was curious to learn about Paddle's journey, and interested in the geography (we live right on the route). She liked many of the illustrations, though not nearly so much as I. The book is quite lengthy: it took us several bedtimes to finish it. I was drawn back to the book each night, eager for more of the art and story. I liked the altruism of the people who find Paddle, and the solidarity they show with a maker they will never meet. There is a beautiful selflessness in the land and in the people of the land. But I found that it was I who wanted to read the book each night, more so than my daughter. For young ones, the art is less impressive and the story is a bit slow. And since children's books ought to be ranked with children in mind, we'll have to give this book fewer stars than it otherwise deserves.
Paddle to the Sea by .. Cynthia I. Carpenter (Salem, OR)
I purchased this as a gift for my daughter. She is delighted. The art work is beautiful. She was so happy I purchased the rest of the set and they are just as beautiful.
Excellent reading material, especially for boys by .. Dawn M. Goodnough (Minneapolis, MN)
This is a great book to read. I would highly recommend this book and others by the author for fun reading and at the same time great learning opportunities.
A Childhood Memory by .. Aging book worm (London, England)
I read this book 60 years ago as a young boy of 10. It made a tremendous impression on me with regards to the geography of the Great Lakes of the US and Canada. I was thrilled to find that it is still being printed and the pictures are the same as I remember--excellent. A wonderful story.
Related Search : sandpiper books , paddle sea  |
Edition : Wal
Number of Pages : 12
Publisher : Albatross
List Price : $14.95
Amazon Price : $10.69
Used Price : $27.88 |
Product Description The Seven Seas—North America's #1-selling sailing calendar, now in its twenty-fourth year—takes you on twelve unforgettable voyages.Bask in serene waters from the Marquesas to Tahiti and feel the glow of a sunset after a glorious day at sea. Experience the morning mist of Celtic's Killary Harbour, gaze at majestic cliffs sailing in the Tasmanian Sea, and feel the invigorating power of the ocean. This calendar is of the highest-quality printing—ideal for framing. Customer reviews LINDA'S VIEW by .. Linda L. Sandeen (CANYON COUNTRY,CALIFORNIA)
THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL CALENDAR FOR THE SAILING ENTHUSIAST. THE PHOTOGRAPHY IS BEAUTIFUL AND IT IS A JOY TO LOOK AT THE CALENDAR DAILY
Review-7 Seas Calander by .. James Broome (san diego ca usa)
Calender comes as advertised, speedy and conplete. Large spaces for each date, use it to mark special dates, doctors appointments and when to go to special events. I love to see the pictures of the beautiful boats and the exotic locations, as this was my plan prior to having a stroke.
Dream along with me... by .. H. B. Grimshaw (Watson, IL USA)
I have had the world on my wall for the past 8 years or so, in the form of the Seven Seas Sailor's Calendar. The photos of Ferenc Mate are masterpieces to anyone who's blood runs salty with visions of sailing or cruising those seas. I can stare at a lovely little ketch drifting into a cove lined with white sand, and feel the warm breeze in my hair. Or, I can help man-handle an 80 year old schooner thought the slot into Pulpit Harbor on Maine's Penobscot Bay, with a fog bank chasing us. I guarantee there are places there for you to go, too ! And, besides...it's a wonderful calendar ! Bring your dreams and come aboard !
Great Sailing Pictures by .. C. Slasor (Central Florida)
These calendars have beautiful pictures of sailboats in exotic locations and on the page where the calendar grid is there is a nautical chart visible behind the grid. Apparently "sailing people" are very fond of charts and since my husband grew up on a sailboat he just loves these calendars both for the sailboat pictures and for the charts.
I have purchased one of these calendars every year for my husband for man years now. When the 2009 calendar arrived, however, he looked at it and told me that I don't need to buy them any more. Apparently he noticed that several of the pictures are ones that have already appeared in previous years' calendars. Since he mainly likes this particular brand because of the pictures, there is no point in continuing to buy it if they're going to repeat the pictures.
I definitely give this 5 stars because of the charts and the pictures. Unless you already have many previous years of these calendars stored away I highly recommend it for anybody who likes sailing.
Related Search : s calendar , seven seas , 2009 sailor |
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