THE FINE ART OF GENERAL SMUGGLING.
The situation couldn't have been worse. The Communists had the border sealed up so tight, not even a fly could slip through. On the Hong Kong side, the vicious Tiger Tong waited, ready to kill anyone attempting the General's rescue.
The General — badly wounded, unable to walk — was holed up in a temple barely a mile from the camp with a thousand Chinese soldiers itching to move in.
Only a fool would have tried to cross that border to get to the General. A fool — or AXE agent N3, who — in spite of the prodding of the delectable Fan Su — knew he would have his work cut out for him to get in… and out again… alive! Views: 28
In this elegant collection of stories, Louis Auchincloss once again evokes the beguiling, complex world of New York society that he has made his own special literary landscape. Inspired by the colorful mosaic of ancient Greek myths, he has created six equally rich contemporary fables — six lives governed by false gods.Hermes, or in Auchincloss's ironic interpretation, "god of the self-made man," is a Jewish lawyer who finds acceptance into WASP society only at greatest personal cost; Hephaestus is a bachelor designer of Palladian villas whose young bride, enamored of newfangled things, compels him to "go modern." In other stories, a former World War II naval officer, guided perhaps by the goddess Athene, escapes a sinking cruise ship by disguising himself as a woman; and a Catholic convert, distracted by the muse Polyhymnia, is torn between his priestly duties and his worldly social and artistic ambitions.In every tale a unique moral sensibility holds sway, revealing how the pagan impulse may surface in the most unlikely and provocative situations, compromising even the noblest of spirits. Keenly insightful, flawlessly executed, False Gods is the work of a master storyteller, widely acclaimed as American society's most entertaining and intelligent critic.From Library JournalIn this collection of six novellas, Auchincloss writes of men under the influence of "false gods." Imbued with the spirit of ancient Greek myths, these modern-day tales subtly describe the effects of moral conflict and compromised values. The setting is New York City, the protagonists all upper middle class. In "Polyhymnia, Muse of Sacred Song," Reggie Turner (aspiring priest and son of a wealthy socialite) struggles with his contradictory spiritual and artistic temperaments. In "Charity, God of Our Day," Myron Townsend resigns from the family law firm in a fit of pique and embarks on a new life. He attains fulfillment as a fundraiser for the Staten Island Zoo but sacrifices other, more genteel aspects of his nature in his efforts. In "Athene, Goddess of the Brave," Alistair Dows escapes a sinking ship by disguising himself as a woman. Although not for all readers, these fables are finely crafted and eloquently written. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 9/15/91.- Kimberly G. Allen, National Assn. of Home Builders Lib., Washington, D.C.Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Kirkus ReviewsThe title of Auchincloss's latest fiction is a variation on his Golden Calves (1988), but his moral sensibility remains the same--an insider's understanding of the sins and vanities of upper- class Manhattanites. In these six stories, Auchincloss recasts Greek myth into contemporary fable--none of his errant protagonists are one- dimensional fools or miscreants, but good men led astray by anger, ambition, fashion, and other all-consuming passions. In Ares, God of War,'' a Virginia gentleman allows his antebellum sense of honor to degenerate into postwar revenge as an unethical New York lawyer.Hermes, God of the Self-Made Man'' is a tale worthy of the best Howells--a successful Yale-educated lawyer during the first half of this century sacrifices love, loyalty, and his identity as a Jew for his ambitions, all of which he justifies by his sense of victimization. In Hephaestus, God of Newfangled Things,'' a once- brilliant architect regrets the compromises he made in marriage and career. A crisis of faith underpinsPolyhymnia, Muse of Sacred Song,'' in which an asexual son of a society matron converts to Catholicism, only to abandon his vocation in a burst of Protestant doubt about Roman dogmatism. Charity, Goddess of Our Day'' examines the little-noticed (but perhaps greatest) vanity of the rich, and asks: Charity at what cost? A retired lawyer proposes a morally dubious estates scheme to a wealthy dowager, but is chastened by his own wife.Athene, Goddess of the Brave'' strikes a therapeutic note: a grown-up mamma's boy, plagued throughout his life by fears of unmanliness and cowardice, confronts his demons after a particularly humiliating event. In the great world of Auchincloss, the ends never justify the means, and the rich are held to the highest of ethical standards. This may not be a major addition to the author's oeuvre, but it's an always welcome message, delivered with grace and elegance. -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. Views: 28
If Tarantino and the Coen Brothers ever teamed up to make a film, Toxicity might be the end result. Imagine the surreal universes of Philip K. Dick smashing into the gritty realities of Elmore Leonard, and you might have an idea of what type of book you’re about to get yourself into. Toxicity is violent, repulsive, charming, and completely ridiculous. It’s a dark comedy for those without a soul. Views: 28
The girls from Flowerpot Cabin are back at camp in Martha Freeman's second novel in the Secret Cookie Club series, which was called "a younger version of Ann Brashares's The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" by School Library Journal.Recipe for Summer Drama 1 girl counselor, broken-hearted 1 boy counselor, super-cute 4 determined campers Mix all ingredients together for eight weeks at Moonlight Ranch summer camp. For best results, add cookies. The Secret Cookie Club members Grace, Emma, Olivia, and Lucy are excited to be back at Moonlight Ranch summer camp with their beloved counselor, Hannah. But when a mysterious letter arrives, Hannah is plunged into despair. Secret Cookie Club to the rescue! After puzzling out the contents of the letter, they make a plan to fix Hannah's life—a plan that requires a magic spell, a daring mission to the boys camp, and a big batch of campfire cookies. What could... Views: 27
Retired CIA Agent Chaz Nouget has had enough. When a rogue AI threatens to unleash havoc on the world, Chaz must team up with an NSA trained warthog, a disgraced computer hacker and a sexually charged weather girl to try and stop it. In the urban jungle of Maputo, Mozambique 2059, can Chaz Nouget save America one last time, or will the secretive Illuminati destroy it in it's quest for power? Views: 27
Tess Marchant's father was flirting with a lightshirt, and her mother had forced him to leave their rented house in Bath. Now Mrs. Marchant was attending parties with Lord James and there were whispers of divorce. Tess approached Lady Revel to get her son's help in warning their cousin Lord James off. Lord Revel thought Tess a shrew and Tess thought him a rake…perfect. Regency Romance by Joan Smith; originally published by Fawcett Crest Views: 27
Jonah Hook was a man who had lost everything a man could lose--but the iron will to reclaim what had been taken from him. Now he must confront the fiery religious heretic who has enslaved his wife and the fierce Comanche tribe who has raised his long-lost sons. From Fort Laramie, land of Sioux and Cheyenne, to the empire of the Mormons in the shadow of tall mountains, and on to the Texas panhandle, where he will join the ranks of the Texas Rangers, the journey ahead will test Jonah's courage, cunning, and endurance to the limit. On this bloody trail of rescue and revenge, nothing will stop him save success . . . or death. Views: 27
The startling and sensational true story of the most famous unsolved heist in American history: the theft of $28 million in jewels from the Pierre Hotel.New York City, 1972.Bobby Comfort and Sammy "the Arab" Nalo were highly skilled jewel thieves who specialized in robbing luxury Manhattan hotels. (They once robbed Sophia Loren's suite, relieving the Italian actress of over $1 million in gems.) With the blessing of the Lucchese crime family, their next plot targeted the posh Pierre Hotel—host to kings and queens, presidents and aldermen, and the wealthiest of the wealthy.Attired in tuxedoes and driven in a limousine, this band of thieves arrived at the Pierre and with perfect timing, they seized the security guards and, in systematically choreographed moves, they swiftly took the night staff—and several unfortunate guests who happened to be roaming around the lobby—as hostages.The deposit boxes inside the vault chamber... Views: 27
Schiava: Episode 14 in the My Masters' Nightmare series is taken from Rita's, Frano's, Jagger's, and Camila's points of view. Views: 27
The Appalachian Volunteers formed in the early 1960s, determined to eliminate poverty through education and vocational training and improve schools and homes in the mountainous regions of the southeastern United States. In Reformers to Radicals: The Appalachian Volunteers and the War on Poverty, Thomas Kiffmeyer illustrates how the activists ultimately failed, mainly because they were indecisive about the fundamental nature of their mission. The AVs, many of them college students, were also distracted by causes not directly connected with the war on poverty, such as civil rights and opposition to the Vietnam War. Despite some progress, the organization finally lost the support of the national government, and more important, of the Appalachian people, setbacks from which it never recovered. Views: 27
"If Market Street ever flooded," said Stanislaus Ouspensky, "South Philly would be an island. ...Water on three sides; history on the fourth. All it would take is a little push and we're cut off from the present. Because Time gets confused in South Philly."
Set in Philadelphia in the 1950's, A Princess of Passyunk is a peculiar coming-of-age tale—a story of faith, love and magic set in the archipelago formed by immigrant neighborhoods.
Ganady Puzdrovsky grows from boy to man on a quest for New World magic. He finds it in unlikely places: in his Baba Irina's stories, in the imaginative ramblings of Mr. Ouspensky, in the religious faith of a priest and a rabbi, in a pop foul at a Giants'/Phillies game, in love that goes beyond racial or religious boundaries, in Izzy's Jewish deli.
Through the agency of a very special baseball, finds and falls for a peculiar and mysterious princess that no one else believes exists. But having found the girl of his dreams, Ganady loses her again. He goes on a hero’s quest and confronts a Sausage King, a feisty crone, and a winsome bard in order to find her. Views: 27
