Nice companion/follow-up to DK's more massive Battle: A Visual Journey Through 5000 Years of Combat. While that book has 1/4- to 1/2-page summaries ofNice companion/follow-up to DK's more massive Battle: A Visual Journey Through 5000 Years of Combat. While that book has 1/4- to 1/2-page summaries of nearly every famous battle ever fought (13 for the American Civil War alone), this more manageable book focuses on a much smaller selection and goes into considerably greater depth (2-4 pages each) on those battles that — at least in DK's opinion — most impacted history, (for comparison the Civil War here is just Gettysburg and Antietam). Have only visited around five of the sites listed here — so time to hit the road! ...more
Before videogames, before the internet, before even Lego and Toys 'R' Us…there were plastic model kits, taking up a good portion of the toy shelves atBefore videogames, before the internet, before even Lego and Toys 'R' Us…there were plastic model kits, taking up a good portion of the toy shelves at every Woolworth's, W.T. Grant's, Kresge's (forerunner of Kmart) and even the local (and at that time, family-run) drugstore. And not those snap together, molded-in-a-dozen-colors Gundam robots that my son was into in the early 2000's — no, I'm talking glue and X-acto knives and 15¢ bottles of Testors paint (which now cost $2.99); I'm talking those shitty decals that you soaked in water and which then tore when you tried to apply them, and chrome pieces that you had to scrape so the glue would stick, and those glue fingerprints on the clear pieces that you could NEVER fix…
So yeah — a good chunk of my pre-teen boomer childhood, and good times all. In fact, I only searched out and ordered this after reading several way more serious books about WWI, WWII and Vietnam, and realizing that with pretty much every picture of a tank, plane or helicopter, my first thought was "yup, built that; built that; built that…"
This book doesn't include as many listings or pictures as I was hoping for; and as an American kid growing up in the '50s and '60s we were ALL about Revell and Aurora, maybe a Monogram thrown in if we were really pressed, but we'd never even HEARD of Airfix or Tamiya then. What it DOES offer is a nice history on the origins of plastic model kits (a direct result of WWII and the rise of plastics in general as a replacement for rubber, which had become scarce due to the Japanese invading England's rubber-producing colonies in the Far East), and then profiles of all the major — as well as most of the minor — players in what was once a very crowded field. The book then concludes with chapters on model "genres" (because all serious modelers are specialists), and on kit collecting as a hobby, (i.e., "DON'T UNWRAP THAT BOX!!!!").
This is a British publication, and so leans heavily into the European obsession with planes, trains and tanks, as well as the related toy soldier and diorama industries,* (Ward devotes a full 36 pages to Britain’s Airfix, while its main foreign competitors Revell and Tamiya get just 14 apiece, and everyone else a brief 2-4 page spread). And since it was published in 2012, it came out before the latest trilogy of Star Wars movies and live action TV series, and so doesn't include the whole family of models that THOSE inspired; nor does it even anticipate the increasingly popular 3D-printing model market. It also helps to keep Google handy when reading this, as while there are a lot of photos, there aren't nearly enough — especially of finished models. So it's fun to image search things like Aurora's knight and monster kits, anything by "Big Daddy" Roth, Germany's bizarre WWII Kettenkrad motorcycle/tank hybrid, or any one of the long list of "master modelers" Ward mentions in his final chapters.
Sadly, things like Star Wars and Gundam aside, model-making in America seems to be fading away — what remains (at least here in Northern Virginia) is a weak selection at shops like Michael's and Hobby Lobby, which just has a few short shelves of cars, cars and more cars:**
However, model-making DOES remain a popular hobby in Asia — especially Japan — and from what little I've seen, I would imagine is still fairly popular in Europe as well.
* So okay, the whole "US = cars/Europe = planes & tanks" thing DOES make sense, in that the U.S. finished the 1940’s with a roaring economy, housing market and auto industry (i.e., forward looking) — while Europe was still recovering physically, economically and psychologically from a devastating war (understandably backward looking).
** Hobby Lobby DID have 1-2 fighter planes tucked in the back, but nothing from WWI — my main interest as a kid — which was a disappointment. But then I did the math, and realized that I was building those SPADs and Fokkers just about 50 years after they were actually flying, and so that would be comparable to a kid today building a Huey or Cobra from Vietnam…which then just made me feel ANCIENT. ___________________________________
AND NOW THE PERSONAL STUFF: As I said, I was heavily into WWI planes, as well as motorcycles, dinosaurs (which along with the actual science of the day were WILDLY inaccurate), and anything cowboy-related, including Revell's series of Old West "Miniature Masterpieces," which due to their small size are the only ones my parents never tossed, God bless 'em (see pics below). My younger brother, on the other hand, grew up in the "BATMAN - the TV show!" era, and so was more into Aurora's superheroes (from the comics and cartoons, long before the movies — and they were exactly as tacky as you're imagining; just Google them) and car models, including various Batmobiles and those weird "Big Daddy" creations with various Rat Fink character figures…
And we made these things by the DOZEN, most of which — after a suitable display period — ended up in the back yard as BB gun targets…again, good times.
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(Assuming one has good eyesight and decent fine motor skills, these small-scale kits were actually easier to paint than larger models — at least in the pre-airbrush days — since it was always impossible to paint big surfaces [airplane wings, superhero costumes, etc.] without distracting brushstrokes and super-gloss finishes. And faces — just forget it; on any characters bigger than those above, if you DIDN'T paint mouths and eyes, they looked super-creepy…but if you DID, they inevitably looked like wall-eyed morons.)...more
UPDATE: Well, that was a lot of fun - although I'm pretty sure I have now relistened to enough Rush for a while. Much of the joy in reading such booksUPDATE: Well, that was a lot of fun - although I'm pretty sure I have now relistened to enough Rush for a while. Much of the joy in reading such books as this and DK's James Bond Encyclopedia is to see where and how strongly you disagree with them ("you actually prefer Roger Moore to Sean Connery??!!"), and I certainly had my share of arguments with the musicians interviewed here, as I came to Rush late (around Signals), but not late late (their post-keyboards work like Counterpoints and Vapor Trails), and so I actually prefer their keyboard work on albums like Hold Your Fire and Power Windows.
But who cares? It was great to be pointed to particular drum or guitar solos, or specific Peart lyrics; and watching many of the old music videos on YouTube really took me back to the fun early days of MTV. Plus, now I finally know what a "red Barchetta" is and what "YYZ" stands for!
But again - def nuff for now.
ORIGINAL: Extremely guilty pleasure, this one - but I just couldn't resist when I saw it on sale at our local "Ollie's Bargain Outlet." Didn't realize I was that serious a Rush fan until I thumbed through it and realized yup, I have every CD from Signals (when Geddy finally stopped screeching and started singing) to Feedback. So my mornings lately have been a cup of coffee and going through this chapter by chapter, while listening to the corresponding album on YouTube. Still working through the first nine, all of which make my ears bleed thanks to Lee's truly painful vocals - but there are some interesting early Lifeson licks in there, and I'm hearing some Peart solos I hadn't before, which is always a treasure....more
As hilariously funny as it is surprisingly informative, the von Hoffman brothers provide all you'll ever need to know about the full range of "manly" As hilariously funny as it is surprisingly informative, the von Hoffman brothers provide all you'll ever need to know about the full range of "manly" products, people, sports, services, entertainments, and general trivia. A random sampling includes:
Weber grills; Victor McLaglin; all four verses of the Star Spangled Banner; the history of "Poker Dogs;" Jack Daniel's; Zippo lighters; Punkin Chunkin; spud guns; home of the Bass Pro Shop (Missouri's top tourist attraction); Snyder's Pretzels; Spartacus; Lockheed's Skunk Works; Corry's Slug & Snail Death; Buck knives; Mud Flap Girls; WD-40; Coleman camping gear; the Mustang Ranch; the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame; John Wayne (and there is a LOT of John Wayne)…
And then there are the lists: Top 25 Guy Movies; Best Names for Your Dog, Horse, Boat or Tank; Best Nicknames for Breasts/Your Johnson; Unusual & Painful Job Site/Industrial Accidents; Best Films on the Subject Of…(bullfighting, dogs, craps, swordplay, etc.)…
Probably read a good 90% of the book, since I'm apparently just 80% “real man” - I skipped the hunting/camping/fishing parts; and bad knees as a kid (Osgood Schlatter's Disease - a real thing!) kept me out of team sports, and so never became a fan of any of those. But there is definitely something here for everyone; and a helluva lot for most everybody else - including the following, which is one of the greatest, most bizarre ads of all time:
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And to top it off in terms of overall "sheer manliness," the bottom of every damn page includes a photo of a specific and unique fishing lure:
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This book definitely has the feel of something you'd find at "Five Below" (U.S. discount chain where all products are $5 or less); but it’s a genuine treasure wherever you find it. Best read over a period of weeks if not months, one page at a time with a glass of good bourbon on ice....more
Barry's first book, so you do have to cut him some slack. And indeed, there are occasional glimpses of the deranged brilliance to come: "If the clog Barry's first book, so you do have to cut him some slack. And indeed, there are occasional glimpses of the deranged brilliance to come: "If the clog is caused by something soft, such as a corsage, you can dislodge it simply by firing a .22-caliber pistol into the toilet." Or: "Paneling is a surprisingly easy way to make any room less attractive. The easiest way to install panelling is to simply lean it up against the walls all around the room. This way, you can remove it quickly and hide it in the garage when tasteful visitors come to call." However, after an amusing beginning that covers basic topics - tools, wood, plumbing, electricity, etc. - he starts to ramble.
Found this in a remote corner of our bookcase…maybe a gift from my sons years ago? Was thinking of reading and then regifting back to my oldest who recently bought his own first home - but really nothing worth passing on, so just a quick read and toss....more
Was initially grabbed by the cover and title, but then the book itself was also immensely entertaining - another way-cool "making of" oral history, alWas initially grabbed by the cover and title, but then the book itself was also immensely entertaining - another way-cool "making of" oral history, along the lines of the also-great Blood, Sweat & Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max: Fury Road. The main difference is that while Sweat & Chrome focused on just the one movie, this book covers not only the John Wick trilogy, but the overall history of action movies leading up to the "Wick style" - much of which is obviously Asian/kungfu influenced, and so this book also ties in as a nice sequel to my old (and underappreciated) Kung Fu: Cinema of Vengeance from the mid-'70s.
BEST WAY TO ENJOY THIS BOOK:
* First, read the long (nearly a quarter of the book) background chapter; then watch the original "John Wick" to re-familiarize yourself with the story details, (and DO pay attention to the acting as much as the action - Ian McShane, William Dafoe and especially Michael NyQvist as Viggo are all excellent). Next, go read chapters 2-5 on the making of the first movie - and THEN go re-watch the whole thing again, now that you can appreciate all the work that went into it. (And if you can get the movie on DVD or Blu-Ray, make sure to watch all the "making of" extras.)
* Repeat the same process for the second and third movies, and then finally…
* ...read the chapter on making "Atomic Blonde" (which some reviewers thought was unnecessary, but which I thought fit in quite well), and then watch that movie - which hopefully you've seen before, because that has one confusing Cold War plot.
A solid 4+ stars that I really wanted to round up, just because this is Keanu Reeves we're dealing with, probably the world's most lovable movie star. But then there are the moral implications about how such movies glamorous gun violence (and violence in general), which is a huge problem here in the U.S.; and so ultimately I couldn't in clear conscience give this the full 5.*
Still - as both a fan of action movies and a former (if pretty terrible) martial artist, I do really enjoy these films, and can't wait now to see "Chapter 4"…I probably also have to go back and reread The Coldest City - the graphic novel source for "Atomic Blonde" - as well as it's new(ish) prequel, The Coldest Winter. ___________________________________
* I also wish that in hindsight, the writers had made Wick - aka "Jardani Jovonovitch" - pretty much anything other than Belarusian (Ukrainian, perhaps?), since other than Russia itself, Belarus is probably the world's #1 thug-ocracy right now - those guys are just the worst....more
Kind of an odd definition of "19th Century," as it begins in Crimea in the 1850's and so leaves out the entire first half. But its somewhat limited foKind of an odd definition of "19th Century," as it begins in Crimea in the 1850's and so leaves out the entire first half. But its somewhat limited focus - as described in the subtitle "An Expert Guide to the Crimean War, American Civil War, Boer War, Wars of German and Italian Unification and Colonial Wars" - nicely aligns with my own personal interests, and so I found it an interesting read, (or semi-read; my heart goes out to whoever has to actually write the considerable text in such books, where people have obviously come more for the pictures and captions).
I've been a …student, I guess (?), of the Civil War since growing up during the centennial; but I've only become interested in British colonial history since I started living and traveling overseas. So the Civil War section was interesting mainly to see the various uniforms; but I did actually learn a lot of history in reviewing the Crimean War, the Boer Wars (of which I knew nothing, especially not that the whole Brit-Boer conflict went on for nearly a century!!), and then some of the British colonial campaigns - Egypt/the Sudan, the Indian Mutiny and the Boxer Rebellion, (I totally skipped the section "the wars of German and Italian unification;" because, y'know, why?).
It also nicely explains - and illustrates - how, with the evolution of more accurate and destructive weapons and tactics, armies evolved from the gaudy uniforms seen on grand scale, Waterloo-sized battlefields, where a commander wanted to be able to look to the horizon and identify just where his various regiments were fighting; to the "let's blend in so we're not such obvious targets!" colors and patterns that started to be used during the more non-traditional colonial conflicts following the Civil War.
The illustrations are generally good, although of variable quality (over eight illustrators were used, with varying success). The book also includes a helpful glossary, as captions and other descriptions include numerous statements like "…the black braid hussar frogging on the chest of the dolman and the busby…;" whaa?? (Also, I should qualify that as generally helpful; for example, while it defines the frequently-referenced "hussar" and "lancer" ["a cavalryman who carries a lance," duh], it omits "dragoon"…which I guess it assumed everyone would know?)* * So in fact, "a class of mounted infantry who used horses for mobility, but dismounted to fight on foot," which frankly seems less intuitive than "lancer."...more
Esquire used to be a really good magazine, either back before I outgrew it or it started to suck - not quite sure which. It taught me much of what I kEsquire used to be a really good magazine, either back before I outgrew it or it started to suck - not quite sure which. It taught me much of what I know about how to dress and drink properly, and had fascinating articles on politics, war, money - all kinds of manly stuff. But most of it, it used to be surprisingly funny. It's annual "Dubious Achievement Awards" was hysterical, as were its "Rules," scattered throughout the magazine but then finally also collected in this wonderful collection.
Like most humor books, this should be taken in small doses - 20-30 pages at a time - and so makes a great nightstand or bathroom read. Some samples, just from the first 30 pages: Rule #5: When aliens talk, they never use contractions. Rule #10: Sitcom characters watching porn always tilt their heads. Rule #13: In movies, Italians can play Jews, Jews can play Italians, but neither Jews nor Italians can play Lutherans. Rule #29: No matter how furtive or quick the glance, a woman always knows when you're looking at her breasts. Rule #39: People will compliment you on the cheap art you bought at IKEA, but it will feel hollow. Rule #50: The soft taco is the only taco that matters. Rule #60: A sandwich tastes exactly one-third better when it's made by someone else. Rule #66: Women named after a month of the year are usually frisky. Rule #76: The sniffing of one's finger is a pleasure best indulged discretely.
...plus some600 more. And yes they're kind of snarky and elitist, but that's half the fun. So if you're a fan of such books as How to Archer, then you'll probably enjoy this as well....more
By no means a great book, but a lot of fun if you grew up on this music. Brought back a lot of memories of bands I followed to a greater or lesser degBy no means a great book, but a lot of fun if you grew up on this music. Brought back a lot of memories of bands I followed to a greater or lesser degree, and recalled a number of long-forgotten album names - Tarkus, Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Tales of Topographic Oceans, Brain Salad Surgery, Hergest Ridge...
Most interesting was the interconnectedness of the various groups, which often boiled down to a game of "Six Degrees of Robert Fripp." Indeed, I was surprised how much King Crimson and its various musicians impacted the overall Prog scene - and was outright flabbergasted to learn that Crimson in fact put out 13 albums between 1969 and 2003 - I'd always thought they just did Court of the Crimson King and Wake of Poseidon and then disbanded - who knew? (Answer: apparently a very small - and ever dwindling - number of fans.)
The book is pretty comprehensive, beginning way back with Procol Harem and The Moody Blues (who I guess were prog-ish?), and then going far enough beyond my mid-80's interests to list a whole bunch of bands I've never heard of - although near the end they brought everything back around to Dream Machine, which was kinda fun since my older son is big into them now. There were also a nice mention of Todd Rundgren's Utopia and more extensive coverage of Genesis, my two all-time favorites back in the day, (I've probably seen more Genesis/Rundgren concerts than all my other concerts combined).
Other miscellaneous comments of interest, to me at least:
* Was surprised to learn of an early collaboration between Fripp and Daryl Hall, (so just one degree of separation - again, who knew?).
* More surprises - Richard Branson's whole "Virgin" empire began with Mike Oldfield's seminal "Tubular Bells" album, which no one wanted to distribute unless Oldfield added vocals! And Rush was actually formed a month before King Crimson!
* Come on - were Jethro Tull and Pink Floyd really prog? I always thought Floyd was more psychedelic, and Tull was just...Tull. Plus - Kansas and Deep Purple? No way!
* There's a lot of ELP coverage (both Palmer and Powell), but Weigel somehow completely overlooks an additional incarnation of Emerson and Palmer with Robert Berry who as 3 released a pretty decent - and most definitely prog - 1988 album, To the Power of Three.
* Narrator Rudy Sanda does a good job pronouncing a bunch of weird names (mostly Scandinavian) and doing over-the-top Brit and Scots accents - but he lost all credibility when he got to Genesis' Lamb Lies Down album. A concept piece, it tells the story of "Rael," which Sanda pronounces like an Egyptian god - "Ra-El" - rather than simply "Rail," as Peter Gabriel very obviously does throughout the album's lyrics. If you're gonna talk about music, Rudy, at least listen to it first!!
The book struggles to find an ending rather than just petering out - no easy task, since prog (and even some of the original bands) continues to this day. So as a literal bookend, it lands on the unfortunately suicide of Keith Emerson (which I never knew about!); perhaps an appropriate event to signify at least the partial end of an era, but also a bit of a downer after all the rock-n-roll shenanigans that have come before.
Still, this was an overall fun trip down Nostalgia Lane - but only if you're of a certain age and were into that sort of thing. Otherwise…there's a lot of other books out there.
FINAL NOTE: The physical book has 8-pages or so of publicity photos ranging from Procol Harem in 1967 to Asia in 1983 (as well as 50 full pages of 7 pt. Notes and Index for...I dunno, the anal-retentive or scholarly prog fan??) Nice enough pics, but nothing you couldn't quickly find - along with much more - online. And so I do recommend the audiobook, since this is something you can listen to without worrying about following the plot; you won't really miss much if you zone out for a bit. However, HighBridge audio really missed an opportunity by not including at least one extra disc of actual music - how cool would that have been?
Which reminds me - I'm not going to listen to any more audiobooks for a week or two now, as I really want to dig out some old CDs or see what the library might have, and then get my Moog on!
UPDATE: And so in searching for "King Crimson" at the library, I found a bizarre 2014 CD by cellist Maya Beiser on which she does quasi-classical covers of songs like "Black Dog," Back in Black," "Lithium" and others...trippy stuff. Actually, a few of them work - mainly the ones that were more orchestral-sounding to begin with, like "Epitaph," "Little Wing," "Wish You Were Here" and "Kashmir" - can actually see the "official video" for that one here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6KMc.......more
Nippon-tō Art Swords of Japan is an academic and definitive introduction to the Japanese sword, with particular emphasis on the blades themselves, (whNippon-tō Art Swords of Japan is an academic and definitive introduction to the Japanese sword, with particular emphasis on the blades themselves, (whereas we unsophisticated Westerners tend to focus on the "pretty parts" such as the sword guards, hilts, scabbards and miscellaneous mountings).
This was the first "gallery show" I specifically went down to New York to see, taking Amtrak down from Poughkeepsie when I was 23 and totally clueless to the fact that just 2-1/2 years later I would be living in Asia...ah, the innocence of youth....more
For any young boy growing up in the early 1960's, I would bet even money that he was obsessed with at least two of the following three things: dinosauFor any young boy growing up in the early 1960's, I would bet even money that he was obsessed with at least two of the following three things: dinosaurs, the Civil War (which was in the middle of its centennial celebration), and TV spies.
This book isn't an attempt to provide a comprehensive overview of spy gimmicks and gadgets from the various 60s' spy movies and shows of the 60s. Instead, it's a delightful celebration of one obsessive fan's collection of actual props and memorabilia. Since it focuses totally on only those items Biederman has himself collected, there are obvious holes - "why is he showing this but not that?" - but it brings back countless memories from what were all my favorite shows of the era, (for more evidence, see the books and read the reviews listed on my "movie/tv tie-in" bookshelf - https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...). James Bond, Man from U.N.C.L.E., Wild Wild West, I Spy, Mission Impossible, The (original) Avengers - just listing the names makes me smile.
I had, however, forgotten just how goofy and forced the names of some of the various spy organizations were. U.N.C.L.E. (United Network Command for Law & Enforcement) and SPECTRE (Special Executive for Counterintelligence, Terrorism, Revenge & Extortion) - okay, I can live with those, mainly because I've heard them so many times that they no longer sound as nonsensical as they in fact are. But then there's THRUSH (Technological Hierarchy for the Removal of Undesirables and the Subjugation of Humanity); E.C.H.O. (Emergency Counter Hostilities Organization); Z.O.W.I.E. (Zonal Organization World Intelligence Espionage); and the obviously-missing-a-word-at-the-end ICE (Intelligence Counter Espionage...what?)....more
A nice light read if you're looking for a break between some weightier stuff, and if you happen to be an old-school Genesis fan, which I am.
Another rA nice light read if you're looking for a break between some weightier stuff, and if you happen to be an old-school Genesis fan, which I am.
Another reviewer compared this to reading Ringo's memoir of the Beatles, which is clever; but like so many clever comments isn't really accurate. While not the most famous member of Genesis, Rutherford was certainly a key player from the beginning. And while both Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins went on to bigger fame post-Genesis, I personally like Rutherford's solo work - both his "Smallcreep's Day" concept project* and some of his Mike and the Mechanics songs - better than that of either Collins or Steve Hackett (who preceded Rutherford in going solo); although Gabriel remains in a class of his own.
PERSONAL NOTE: I met Genesis briefly during their first American tour in 1972. I'd seen them play at RIT in upstate New York, after which I ran into the whole band sliding around the school's hockey rink in their shoes while the roadies broke down the stage. Nice young guys just starting out - Rutherford must have been...23? Gabriel had his weird reverse Mohawk then, and I remember him asking me if there was anyplace in town where he could catch a Fellini movie - which seems like such a typical Gabriel thing. I then actually met them a second time in 1977, when they played Binghamton in not-quite-as-upstate New York. I had won a radio call-in contest for tickets and a chance to meet the band backstage, where I did the "hey guys, remember me?" thing to some of the blankest stares you've ever seen.
[image] (Taken from my front row "winner's" seat during the Binghamton concert, playing the same guitar as on the book jacket)
So good memories, and this book not only got me listening to their old music again, but checking out some of their later stuff from our surprisingly well-stocked local library (as an early fan, I like their longer songs with Gabriel more than their later "pop hits," so not about to spend more money on them unless I find something I really like).
That said, this ain't literature. Rutherford's writing is fairly workmanlike, although I did enjoy the interweaving of his father's own unpublished diary with Mike's own story - maybe because I also miss my own dad so much. Cover of the book is really nice (at least the US edition, which is a not-so-subtle play on the "Lamb Lies Down" album design)... [image]
Anyway...solid recommend for anyone who grew up in the prog-rock '80's with groups like Yes, King Crimson, ELP, Asia and the like. (And if you enjoyed this, you might also like David Weigel's The Show That Never Ends: The Rise and Fall of Prog Rock.)
*Smallcreep's Day...ah, now that is one weird book, and about the strangest choice I can think of to use as the basis of a concept album, much less someone's first solo project - so kudos to Rutherford for a pretty ballsy move. But as it turned out, the music was surprisingly good, and is something I still listen to today, some 30 years later, (sadly, it's hard to find anymore as a CD, but if you're younger than me you can probably download it somewhere). I only found and read the original book after The Living Years sparked my curiosity, but was then amazed to see that even though it was written in 1973, today it still has less than 150 or so ratings here on GR. So if you want to read something really trippy, give the book a try and help make this a future cult classic! You can see my review at: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show......more
Not a big fan of HIMYM, and actually find Neil Patrick a little annoying. however, my son passed it to me and said it was pretty funny - and yeah, it Not a big fan of HIMYM, and actually find Neil Patrick a little annoying. however, my son passed it to me and said it was pretty funny - and yeah, it was pretty funny....more
Despite the lurid cover, this is a surprisingly scholarly survey of the early years of martial arts cineAnother book revisited from an earlier life...
Despite the lurid cover, this is a surprisingly scholarly survey of the early years of martial arts cinema, i.e., from the very late 50's up through 1975. Does a good job providing the societal background of the industry's growth, and explaining the historical and structural differences between the earlier swordfight epics and later kungfu "fist fight" films. And while if covers Bruce Lee, it gives equal weight to other early stars like Wang Yu, Angela Mao and David Chiang, (but ends well before the rise of the "second generation," like Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and Jet Li). Also includes a nice but too-small full-page collection of classic movie posters.
Certainly not for the casual Bruce Lee/Tony Jaa fan, but an interesting read for a more serious buff....more
Beautifully illustrated book featuring multi-view 3D illustrations (top, front, bottom, both sides) as well as the various color schemes used on 25 ofBeautifully illustrated book featuring multi-view 3D illustrations (top, front, bottom, both sides) as well as the various color schemes used on 25 of the First World War's most famous - and infamous - airplanes. I've never actually read the accompanying text, but I often pull this one out just to look at the beautiful illustrations, as well as relive my childhood passion for this early age of aviation. Mind-blowing to realize that these planes were up and dogfighting just a decade after Orville and Wilbur made their first flight of just 850 feet!...more
My sons had this and I have to admit it's pretty damned funny. The Kazakhstan section was a little long, so better to not read it all in one sitting. My sons had this and I have to admit it's pretty damned funny. The Kazakhstan section was a little long, so better to not read it all in one sitting. But if you liked the movie, you'll find this more of the same -- consistently inappropriate but occasionally brilliant!...more
My son has this book and it's pretty hilarious if you're not a hardcore MARVEL fan. Yes, there's additional info on Thor and Captain America and all, My son has this book and it's pretty hilarious if you're not a hardcore MARVEL fan. Yes, there's additional info on Thor and Captain America and all, but what makes it such a hoot are all the minor characters and their various powers - The Whizzer, Flatman, Big Bertha, Dinah Soar (get it?), the Mad Thinker, and oh-so-many more. e
None are more awesome, however, than Squirrel Girl, who was a member of the Great Lakes Avengers and "has an empathic bond with her squirrel sidekicks and the ability to talk to squirrels in general...Tragically, her squirrel sidekick Monkey Joe was killed by a jealous ex-teammate, but she now has a new favorite squirrel, Tippy-Toe." What makes her so awesome, however, is the fact that somehow, she once defeated Doctor Doom - Doctor Doom! That must make for some painful conversations in the Bad Guys Cantina - "hey Doom, tell these guys about the time you got your ass kicked by Squirrel Girl and Monkey Joe!" "Shut up, man..."
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UPDATE: Read this nearly a decade ago and well before the "expanded MCU"...who knew then that someday we'd be talking about characters like Ant Man, Groot, Star Lord and the Red Guardian without cracking a smile?...more
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