Book Description
Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, was one of history’s romantically tragic figures. Devious, naïve, often highly principled, beautiful, and sexually voracious, this was a woman who secured the Scottish throne and bolstered the position of the Catholic Church in Scotland. Her endless plotting, including a likely involvement in the murder of her husband Lord Darnley, eventually led to her flight from Scotland and imprisonment by her equally ambitions cousin and fellow queen, Elizabeth of England. And yet when Elizabeth ordered her unpredictable rival and kinswoman to be beheaded in 1587 she did so in resigned frustration rather than as act of political wrath.Was the beheading of a cousin truly necessary? Did Mary, though churlish, petulant, and often disloyal, really deserve to forfeit the compassion of her cousin, a woman who from childhood had been her friend and playmate? Mary’s fate was to be born to supreme power, but she was totally lacking in the political ability to deal with its responsibilities. This was the tragedy that turned her life into a study in failure. The extraordinary story of Mary, which has inspired the great poets, playwrights, and operatic composers of the 19th and 20th centuries, is one of the most colorful and emotionally searing tales of western history, and is here told by a leading specialist of the 16th century.
Customer Reviews:
No melodrama - at last!.......2005-12-17
This, at last, is a book that focuses on what MQS actually DID as a queen, and what she didn't do. It measures her against the same stick used to measure other rulers of the same age instead of the usual sturm un drang offered up. She was no marytred saint, yet she was no she demon in velvet skirts. She was charming and lovely, however she was also inadequate. Kind of Queen-Lite, if you will.
I found it very interesting that her much toted tolerance concerning religion is revealed to be otherwise. She demands the right to practice her own religion, but denies that same right to other Catholics. It is hard to hold up the banner of Catholic martyr when she did nothing good for that cause in Scotland, empowering the Protestant at the expense of the Catholic.
And yes, I'm glad that Wormald came down on the side of Mary being involved in the plot against Darnley. Leave MQS some shreds of intelligence. If she didn't know, that makes her and Darnley the only ones in Scotland and Europe who were unaware of the plot. Her actions definitely speak loudly when she lured Darnely out of his family stronghold and brought him back to Edinburgh and death. It was politically astute and necessary. Only her blunders afterward destroyed her reputation. Handled differently, she could very likely have weathered it.
Good read, well written and neither rabid nor fawning.
Book Description
When Mick Doohan crashed at Jerez in 1999, the world held its breath. Could the greatest motorcycle racer of modern times, with limbs horribly shattered, manage to ever race again, or would he finally have to hang up his leathers? The second edition of this best-selling, all color, official biography describes the entire career of the teak-tough Aussie, from wild youngster to five-time 500cc World Champion, to his heroic struggle and return to his sport. This book is packed with action and anecdotes, plus career statistics. "Tells the whole story." The Daily Telegraph.
Customer Reviews:
THE THUNDER FROM DOWN UNDER.......2007-01-16
I ENJOYED THIS BOOK AND WOULD RECOMMMEND IT TO ANY RACING FAN FROM WAY NBACK WHEN,,,,
Mick Doohan - Thunder From Downunder.......2000-01-06
This is a nice book about Mick Doohan, a man, who is arguably the greatest motorcycle Grand Prix racer ever. Unfortunately there is very little of interest about the man himself aside from his incredible talent and psychological make-up. One stands in awe at his ability to overcome serious injury and return to complete domination. The reader does get an overwhelming sense of just how much better Doohan was than his competition. Oxley does a nice job covering Doohan's career and early beginnings and the photographs are excellent. I would have liked to read more detail and even more quotes and thoughts from his peers and competitors. The paragraphs about his and Max Biaggi's jibes and digs throughout the '98 season are the best in the book. Now that Doohan has retired, after winning an incredible 5 world championships in a row this book is well worth having in your collection.
Decent text with great pictures of a powerful Mick Doohan.......1999-08-18
Mick Doohan first and foremost is one of the most accomplished GP500 racers in all of history, his stat's. and dominance in the sport easily convey this. However, what his fans want to know most is what makes Mick really tick and what were his thoughts on specific instances and circumstances. While this is done in the book, it's only on a surface level, and the book really seems to be more of a story told to us by the author, not by Mick himself. The best part of the book is the relationship that Mick was able to establish w/ Eddie Lawson, and his thoughts after his surgery. The book is nice, the pictures are excellent, but I would only buy it second hand. I give it three stars for the pictures and Doohan history that shed fine details on what most of his fans already knew before buying the book, but overall well done and a decent Sunday read.
Beautifully- written with hard-to-find photos.......1999-07-31
Mick Doohan is arguably the best GP500 rider and this book has so many details about his success, particularly his come-back after the accident in Assen Holland which almost ended his chance of ever walking again let alone riding a motorbike. The photos are exceptionally good.
Amazon.com
One of the most important theater autobiographies of the 1980s, Elia Kazan: A Life, has finally been released in paperback. The extra decade adds to the book's poignancy and its value: a history of backstage personalities and politics in the 20th century is included in this release. Elia Kazan was a founding member of the Group Theatre, was among those shouting "Strike! Strike!" on the legendary opening night of Waiting for Lefty, directed the two greatest Broadway dramas ever--Death of the Salesman and A Streetcar Named Desire--and earned countless other credits, but he also played a flawed role in the greatest real-life moral drama of his era: the McCarthy Communist witch hunts of the 1950s. Kazan offered names to the House Un-American Activities Committee. He cut his conscience to fit the fashion of the time, and his conscience continues to bleed. Though this book is framed, like so much of Kazan's best stage and film work, as a lifelong search for man's proper relationship to society, the book serves as a massive explanation and apologia for Kazan's one monumental lapse. He lived his life intensely, a life in which a single word could transform you, where a misdeed might be "never forgotten or forgiven." Such were the times, and Kazan captures them with appropriate drama.
Customer Reviews:
A Master tells his own story..........2007-08-19
This is the best show-biz biography I have ever read. Poor, Greek immigrant, Kazan fought his way up the entertainment ladder to direct my favorite movie (On The Waterfront) and my favorite play (Death of A Salesman). Along the way to these achievements he was an original member of the Group Theater; he relates his experiences there including an in-depth retelling of his relationship with Lee Strasburg. He met prectically everyone in the business from an aspiring Marylin Monroe, Marlon Brando, James Dean, Arthur Miller and what seems thousands of others in the theater and movie world. His antecdotes are fresh and revealing, even those that may be common knowledge. Of particular note are the chapters devoted to the making of Streetcar Named Desire and On the Waterfront. His work with Brando, who was seldom better than when he worked with Kazan, is discussed. Along with his great movies and plays, Kazan tells his side of the House On Unamerican Affairs controversy that swirled about him until his death. While the book is massive at 864 pages, it is over too soon. It is a rare, literate portrait of the man Kazan, who changed American movies and theater forever-- and for the better.
Possibly the best autobiography ever written.......2007-08-12
One of the most honest, compelling, brilliant, wise, stunning books I've ever read. Kazan's life was awe-inspring, and to have it retold with such lucidness and unflattering candour is a gift for the ages. Not only was he one of the greatest theatre directors and film directors of the 20th Century, he writes like a blessed demon. This was a spellbinding, page-turning read. Immersed in its pages, I learnt so much about life, America, directing, theatre/cinema history, and myself. I also learnt more than I've ever known about how men think! (wish I'd read this years ago!)
It's such a pity Kazan's life has become simplistically defined by one act, and his artistry overshadowed - ironic, too, considering he made films with a deep, liberal humanity. You can look at his life through through the prism of that one act, or read this for a much richer, fuller, deeper understanding of Kazan - the good, the bad, the ugly. And the genius.
This book made me want to live my life more fully, view myself less vainly, and create my work more honestly. Can't ask for more than that.
Perhaps the best of all 'Show-Business Autobiographies'.......2006-01-18
I was truly surprised by this book when I read it some years ago. I was surprised by how engrossing and powerful it was , all the way through. This man lived a tremendously interesting life, rich in great creative challenges and triumphs, rich in meetings and experience with remarkable people, rich in sexual adventures and complex human relationships. The story of how the child of Greek immigrants came to become the director of two of the classics of the American Theatre "Death of a Salesman" and a 'Streetcar Named Desire" and of two of the great American movies, "On the Waterfront" and " East of Eden" is told with remarkable frankness and perceptiveness.
Kazan does not come across in this work as a saint, but rather as a truly strong person who took what he wanted from life, even if this meant hurting others. His personal and inner torments however too make up an interesting part of this story.
One more point. His writing follows the rule of Henry James and is always interesting. This is a work whose richness in anecdote and event are so great that it fits into the 'couldn't put it down' category.
Yesterday/Today: Right Wing Uses Same Tactics.......2005-03-05
With a former Supreme Court Justice warning the USA today (March 10, 2006) about starting down the road toward a dictatorship, it seemes fitting to re-visit the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) in the 1950s when the right-wing was trying to scare our citizens into giving the government supreme power, just as neocons are trying now.
Elia Kazan defends his decision to name names during the Hollywood Hearings of the 1950s, saying that his ideas toward the Communist Party had changed and he thought the higher ups (maybe from Russia) were dictating policies to the American communists in the movie business.
Maybe so, but he also admits the Hearings already had all the communists' names and admits they were only showing their power to control people here in Hollywood,using intimidation to instigate the blacklist. In real life, the USA government was the bully, not the old, tired communists of the 1930s.
If so, then why did he ever think the movie he directed, "On The Waterfront," was a good analogy for what he faced? The USA government caused the black list and precipated suicides and family break-ups in their Hollywood investigation.
It was the mob who caused the deaths and intimidation in "On The Waterfront." Is Kazan saying that Congress behaved like the mob? Or that the mob behaved like Congress?
Granted, Kazan was a great director, brilliant at times. But to him the bottom line was the bottom line, and to keep his position as an all-star director, he had to name names. While he tries to seem noble, the reader can see his 'reel' motivation was money and his career. So what if he named names! He was working.
Today, we see the right wing using similar tactics in the Bush administration: questioning people's patriotism, using smears and mud-slinging against opponents, trying to get people fired if they disagree with neocon policies, keeping a blacklist of university professors who oppose them, and most recently, equating the AARP group of loving gays instead of our troops.
After reading Kazan's book, I did gain a firm insight into right-wing politics, and these politicians use juxtaposition of images to label their opponents. Right-wingers still don't care if they distort the record. To them, winning is everything.
Say what you will about his politics, this book is great!.......2005-01-08
First, let me state I have often judged other people by their past actions. Was Kazan wrong for providing names of alleged Communist Party members? I can't answer this, and you shouldn't answer it, not until you read this book! Yes, Kazan named names. Yes, he did ruin the careers of certain artists. Please, don't judge until you have read his story! This is an honest, masterful show business autobiography! Kazan was a fearless, authentic, visionary director. He admits to adultery, poor parenting skills, and using people for his own good. Alfred Hitchcock allegedly tortured Tippi Hendren during the filming of the THE BIRDS by having the little critters thrown at her face in repeated attempts. Why? To foster the character's psychological terror. Would you want that man house-sitting for you while you are on vacation? Hell no......Can Kazan be rewarded for his art, yet escape judgement for his past behavior? You decide, but read his story first! Kazan's films never shirked from dealing with pressing social issues, yet the movies are visual poetry. Hey, you try to make a movie about corruption on the Brooklyn docks! Oh, and make it a heart-wrenching allegory, a love story, and a black-and-white masterpiece! One other thing, don't forget that the Mob basically controlled the docks at that time and were not too keen on being protrayed in an unflattering light!!
One of Kazan's gifts was his tremendous empathy. Kazan the author allows us to develop this same empathy. He is a wonderful story teller, relating anecdotes about personalities like Tallulah Bankhead, Tennessee Williams, and Brando. Granted, he worked with a pantheon of American writers, like Tennessee Williams and John Steinbeck. Granted, with source material like A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE and EAST OF EDEN, and actors like Jessica Tandy, Marlon Brando, and Julie Harris, he clearly had an edge over other industry directors.
Again, before you judge his character, read his book, sit down and watch his complete output of films, and draw your own conclusions. Don't let Nick Nolte or Ed Harris, both of whom refused to applaud or stand when Kazan was given his lifetime Academy Award, decide the issue for you. This book should be a must-read for young people considering a career in film or theatre.
Average customer rating:
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ELIA KAZAN A LIFE
Elia Kazan
Manufacturer: Alfred A. Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JWFZ68 |
Average customer rating:
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Elia Kazan: A Life
Manufacturer: Alfred A Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0317662058 |
Average customer rating:
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A Life
Elia Kazan
Manufacturer: Alfred A. Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NUKK3O |
Average customer rating:
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Elia Kazan : A Life
Elia Kazan
Manufacturer: Da Capo Press, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OLTWT0 |
Average customer rating:
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LIFE, A
ELIA KAZAN
Manufacturer: A. Deutsch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OPSJTA |
Average customer rating:
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A LIFE.
Elia: Kazan
Manufacturer: Pan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000W2TZ3O |
Average customer rating:
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Bibliographic Guide to Music, 1992 (Bibliographic Guide to Music)
Manufacturer: Macmillan Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
| Music
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Bibliographies & Indexes
| Publishing & Books
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Music
| Bibliographies & Indexes
| Publishing & Books
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0816116792 |
Customer Reviews:
Controversial.......2002-02-28
Yeah, it's good for the storyteller, and players of mage would surely prefer seeing a dragon or a griffin every once in a while to the everyday werewolf, vampire and the so. However, the advise not to use it for player characters because characters are too powerful is something that needs to be kept in mind. Rather just use it sporadically to add up to the fun, not just to let beasts roam the mortal world. Be cautios, but outside of that, the supplement is fine.
One of the best peripherials for Mage.......2000-03-13
While intended foremost for use with the game Mage: Sorcerer's crusade, a medieval spin-off of the popular Mage: The Ascension game, the Bygone Beastiary is can practically stand alone (if you're already familiar with *some* white-wolf game), and is a fantastic addition to any Mage game, particularly if you don't want to incorporate the banality of predictable Garou and Kindred on every streetcorner, and/or you like custos, familiars, and so on, but don't own the anciently-out-of-print Ascension's Right Hand. (This is more comprehensive than Ascension's right hand for Consors and mythic beasties, anyhow.) Also very creative, mythic thinking.
An entertaining supplement.......1998-09-15
Not the best supplement for White Wolf that I've seen, but definitely useful and I like that they paid more attention to background and story than stats (though..check out the health levels for mundane frogs, I laughed). Get it if you work at all with changeling or the dark ages/Renaissance games.
Book Description
From small start-ups to giant multinationals, from the Mom-and-Pop owned barber shop to Ford, family owned businesses continue to dominate the world economy. Regardless of size, running a successful family firm presents unique challenges, and many fail to survive the transition to the next generation. Here is a practical, comprehensive guide to ensuring success through effective strategic planning. The authors provide a wealth of tested, easy-to-follow tools and techniques for mastering strategic planning for family-owned firms. Filled with real world examples, case studies, checklists, and planning worksheets, the book shows how to deal with a host of emerging challenges--from new technologies and globalizing marketings--by integrating family values and dynamics into sound planning and management.
Customer Reviews:
One of the best practical books for family businesses and families in business.......2006-04-15
MY RATING SYSTEM:
* - if you have to chose between torture and reading this book, then you might want to consider reading the book - although it depends on just how severe the torture would be.
** - if you've lost your job and have quite a bit of free time on your hands, and don't have anything else better to do, then you might want to consider reading this book; don't expect to learn much or really be entertained. It will however, help you pass the time until your death.
*** - meh...I'm indifferent. Reading this book will not alter your life in any significant way, yet it is not so horrendously dreadful that your taking the time to read it will be a complete waste of time.
**** - Good book to great book zone here. You should probably read this book if you have some spare time. This book could be interesting, entertaining, or informative.
***** - Outstanding book! Make time to read this book - you'll learn or be entertained or intrigued. The book might even be good enough to provide original or helpful insights into the world that we live in.
REVIEW:
I have read extensively about family businesses, including just about everything by Professor Ward, and Strategic Planning for the Family Business is perhaps my favourite guidebook for family businesses.
Rather than being merely a 'story book' about the successes and failings of other family businesses (don't get me wrong, these sorts of books are immensely helpful in assisting families in identifying their own problems and relating to those of families in similar situations), this book provides mountains of practical information that can help families in business plan and prepare for the demands of being involved with a family business.
Unfortunately, most families do not take the time to consider and address even the most simple issues that can destroy their business and their family. This book serves as an excellent reference guide for families that want to be proactive about dealing with the issues that have the potential to cause severe damage. Go through the exercises in the book together - - there is probably no better way to begin ensuring the future success of your family business
A must read for anyone in a family business - it has the potential to stimulate a lot of discussion. Also highly recommended for those working in consulting/professional relationships with family businesses.
Intellectual Tour de Force for Everyone.......2005-07-11
I picked this book up because I was getting ready to consult with a family-owned firm about their strategy. My previous strategy consulting work has been with startups, small and medium sized and Fortune 500 firms. I knew that helping senior managers develop their business strategy might be an entirely different matter when the firm was a private, family held enterprise.
This book opened my eyes to the unique challenges of family businesses. It helped me understand the compromises that must be made when looking at the business strategy options for family firms. Most importantly, it helped me understand that the health of the family and the relationships between the generations was more important than pure business strategy thinking. This is exactly the insight that I was looking for. I learned much more than I expected and am deeply appreciative of the authors' exceptional insights and recommendations.
What I did not expect was that this would also be a first rate book for thinking about strategy. If you know nothing about strategic planning, this book is a great primer. If, however, you know a lot about strategic planning, and I started my career with McKinsey & Company in 1981, you will be amazed at how well the authors have summarized and simplified a wide range of very powerful idea.
Their goal was to help family members with different levels of business expertise understand some of the most powerful thinking about strategic planning so they could participate in spirited discussions about the future of their family firm's strategy. This book reminds me of Porter's Competitive Strategy as the authors have made strategic planning accessible to the masses while retaining the power of the analytical tools that are at its heart.
You will find that this book is a treasure trove of powerful insights in a very compact package. Thank you for doing such an outstanding job, John and Randel. I don't know you, but I really appreciate your gift to business owners, family members, business school professors, consultants and students.
Packed with Knowledge!.......2002-07-23
Balancing the needs of a business and the family that controls it might seem like an overwhelming task, unless you tackle the challenge with a clear-headed plan. Randel S. Carlock and John L. Ward provide just such an approach by mapping out the strategies and structures needed to make a family business run smoothly. In so doing, they address family conflict, executive succession, ownership schemes and a host of other issues that can make or break a family business. We from getAbstract highly recommend this book too for its practical and applicable methods of striking a balance between the needs of business and the needs of family.
Books:
- Merchant Prince: The Story of Alexander Ducan McRae
- Michael and Natasha: The Life And Love Of Michael Ii, The Last Of The Romanov Tsars
- Money Secrets of the Rich and Famous
- Mrs Keppel and Her Daughter
- Nicholas And Alexandra: The Last Tsar And Tsarina
- Nikola and Milena, King and Queen of the Black Mountain: The Rise and Fall of Montenegro's Royal Family
- Once a Grand Duchess: Xenia, Sister of Nicholas II
- Oona Living in the Shadows: A Biography of Oona O'Neill Chaplin
- Phantoms of the Card Table: Confessions of a Card Sharp
- Philip the Good: The Apogee of Burgundy (History of Valois Burgundy)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon
- A Smart Girls Guide to Friendship Troubles
- All the Queen's Men
- Anglo-Saxon Thegn AD 449-1066: With visitor information
- Absolutely Fabulous: Continuity
- Analysis of Transport Phenomena
- Always Another Mountain: A Woman Hiking the Appalachian Trail from Springer Mountain to Mount Katahd
- Zambelli: The First Family of Fireworks: A Story of Global Success
- Agricultural Trade Liberalization in a New Trade Round: Perspectives of Developing Countries and Tra
- Wildflowers of north Alabama
Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart
Elizabeth and Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens
Mary Queen of Scots
The Lives of the Kings and Queens of England, Revised and Updated
A Chance to Die: The Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael
