5 comments about All Aboard : The Story of Joshua Lionel Cowen & His Lionel Train Company.

1. I have had several copies of the previous edition of this book but kept giving them away to neighbors of mine. It is a wonderful look at one of the oldest and most successful toy companies in the world: Lionel Trains. This book covers everything: humble beginnings, postwar boom, near destruction at the hands of famed veteran of the "Red Scare" Roy Cohn to it's present day owners. If you had Lionel trains as a child or have always loved them from afar I cannot tell you how much fun this book is. With stories on all of the most famous cars and the people behind the genius it's an engrossing read.



2. All Aboard! The Story Of Joshua Lionel Cowen & His Lionel Train Company is the fascinating story of the man who made the electric toy train one of the most popular toys for boys and hobbies for grown men in the last century. Published in part to celebrate the Lionel Train Company's 100th Anniversary, All Aboard! is also a testament to how this producer of toy trains dealt with the competition of electronic games at the end of the 20th century and is experiencing a surge of popularity at the beginning of the 21st Century. Original published in 1981, this new, revised and updated celebratory edition of All Aboard! is welcome and highly recommended reading for toy train enthusiasts in general, and Lionel Train collectors in particular!



3. This is one of my best books about Lionel trains. Profusely illustrated with photos of Joshua Lionel Cohen and the people that helped make Lionel a giagantic toy train builder. This is a book you're sure to read over and over.



4. Simply put, Hollander has written and compiled the highest quality, most comprehensive, and most readable book about the history of the Lionel electric train company that has ever been done. I make that claim while scanning my bookcase holding 45 books on electric toy trains, the majority of them dealing with Lionel, indisputably the penultimate brand name in America, at least where toy trains are concerned.

   Hollander writes of the origin and the evolution of Lionel trains from their beginning around 1900 through their status at the commencement of the 21st century, including their near death in 1969 and their miraculous resuscitation by the General Mills cereal company in 1970. Don't be alienated by the earlier statement that this is a history book. It is in no way a dry rehashing of facts, dates and dollars such as comprise boring histories. On the contrary, "All Aboard!" is more of a love story, for Hollander is truly in love with his subject, and his excitement in telling us about the Lionel legend carries the reader through the book on wings of delight.

   Highly descriptive text leaves us with a wonderful acquaintanceship with Lionel's parent, Joshua Lionel Cohen (who "Americanized" his name to Cowen), shows us the birth of his baby, draws us word pictures of that baby's successes and failures, its grand leaps of inventiveness and its faltering steps of failure in the changing business and economic climate of a century of American enterprise. Along the way, we are presented with copious visual reinforcement (both in color and in black and white) of the story that the text is weaving for us. We see photographs of the movers and shakers of this great company, some of the wondrous trains that they produced, and some of the expert art work that marketed those trains to the boys and fathers (and girls and mothers, too) of 20th century America. That art work, in annual catalogs and in magazine and newspaper advertisements, forged an emotional bond between American youth and the Lionel Corporation that endures today despite changing fortunes and changing ownership. Its effect on our culture has been phenomenal and is clearly addressed in Hollander's book.

   I can levy only two criticisms against "All Aboard!" The first is that I sometimes find the page layout annoying in that many sidebars and notes are included to give us insights into Lionel's executives, competitors, and plans. These are valuable and interesting, but they do interrupt the flow of the main text. The reader must either pause to read the sidebars or else ignore them at first and then return to them later. The second criticism is that the final chapter, which is the only "revised and updated" part of the book since its original release in 1981, lacks the intimate, revealing analysis that gives the rest of the book its finesse. The first eight chapters read as though Hollander had been an insider at the Lionel Corporation for its eighty-one years of birth, growth and turmoil, whereas the ninth chapter, which looks at the technological advances in toy trains from 1982 to 2000, is told by an outside observer who is no more privy to corporate thoughts than are the rest of us.

   If one has already enjoyed the 1981 edition of "All Aboard!", I cannot recommend purchasing the current edition just to have the new chapter. On the other hand, if one has never seen either edition of "All Aboard!", then, no matter what other books he may have read on Lionel trains, he has missed the most definitive and enjoyable book of all, and I cannot recommend Hollander's book too highly.




5. My grand-uncle, Mario Caruso, was the co-owner and co-founder of Lionel Trains along with Joshua "Lionel" Cohen.
   
   Frank Pettit, chief designer for Lionel Trains and my uncle, had over 100 patents for designs and innovations he created for toys, expecially trains, including the smoke tablet, cattle car, news-stand, a transformer, etc. Amazon lists his biography "It Comes From Within: The Frank Pettit Story." This is an accurate story of the Lionel Trains Corp.
   
   My entire family; mother, father, uncles, aunts, from the Caruso/Pagano family worked at Lionel Trains, located in Irvington, New Jersey during the 1950's, which was the largest toy company in the world. During World War II, Lionel Corp. developed and manufactured instruments for the navy.
   
   The company was bought by the lawyer, Roy Cohn, grandson of Lionel Trains founder Lionel Cowen (Cowen & Cohn are very similar names). Roy Cohn immediately fired everyone and stated that "We are out of the toy business." To this day, nobody knows where the pension fund went. All the money was taken out of the company. My mom and dad, my relatives and others never received a penny of their pension that they worked so hard for.
   
   Read this fascinating history of what was once the largest toy manufacturing company in the world.

5 comments about Montana.

1. I love this author but could not get into this book. For me, it was predictable, and I did not connect with the characters.



2. The story and characters were truly delightful. They had depth and were very likeable. I really enjoyed reading this one.



3. A first read for me of Debbie Macomber. Liked the characters very much. This book got me thru a plane trip and two airport waits in good humor. That says a lot for this book. It has a feel good ending and a little suprise to boot. Works for me!!



4. I very much like this book as I am from Montana and remember
   the basis this book is written about,



5. Wonderfully written .
   
   There is gramps , Molly and her 2 sons , A ranch hand named Sam Dakota , and a rotten sheriff and of course the Loyalists.
   
   Molly and her 2 sons live in CA when she gets the call from gramps hired ranch hand (Dakota)that if she wants to see her gramps alive she needs to come to Montana now . It takes time but Molly does go and her and her sons gets to spend time with gramps before he pass's . Also before he pass's gramps arranges a marriage between his grand daughter Molly and his hired ranch hand Sam Dakota . Molly is not to keene on this at first but realizes she must in order to hold onto her inhertiance from gramps ( the ranch ) . So she marries Sam prior to gramps passing .
   
   There is issues at the ranch and around town that has been happening every since Sam Dakota came on the scene . The sheriff don't like him but then .... , Sam and Molly are shot at , He is accused of killing a hooker , and other things just happen but its the wicked sheriff that is causing all the problems . The sheriff and the loyalist wants the land for a traning camp and does everything possible to get it but only one thing stands in there way and his name is Sam Dakota .
   
   Sam goes on to do a very special thing so he and Molly can hold on to the ranch her grandfather left her . ...Sam is every womans dream for a husband .

2 comments about Ancient Coin Collecting V: The Romaion/Byzantine Culture.

1. This review is written from the perspective of the amateur collector on a limited budget. It has been said that collecting ancient coins was the "hobby of Kings". It might also be said that reference books on this subject can only be afforded by Kings, and are certainly less affordable than the coins. Not so with the readable series by Wayne Salyes, past editor of the premier journal on ancient coins, The Celetor. Number five (better to write V) in the series focuses on coins minted by the Roman empire during its long slide into oblivian. Constantinople also called Byzantium, and now called Istanbul, was the capital of the Empire and the center of Christianity from its founding by Constantine the Great in the 4th century to its final demise in the 15th century when the city fell to Mehmet the (Turkish) Conquerer in 1453. Most of us think of Rome as the capital of the Roman Empire but the Eastern half of the empire, while not so glorius, lived a 1000 years longer. Coinage usually reflects the culture, and this is clearly illustrated in Sayles' presentation. It is filled with numerous figures of coins, maps, and geniology. While all of his volumes are usually regarded as "introductory" and for the "new collector" to distinguish them from the comprehensive catalogues used to attribute coins, this particular volume has been particularly useful to me as an affordable attribution reference. It is fascinating to see how the coinage changed from images of emperor and soldiers to images of Christ and crosses. This is a superb addition to the series, fills a gap in the literature, and whets my appitite for volume VI.



2. Wayne Sayles has created a masterpiece with his "Ancient Coin Collecting V - The Romaion/Byzantine Culture." This book is a great resource, it introduces all of the main themes in Byzantine coinage and directs the reader where to look to find out more.
   
   This book goes at length to describe the denomination of Byzantine coins, the meanings of the markings, and has an article for each emperors and claimants to the throne, from 491-1453. At least every page has at least one black and white photo, many genealogies, excellent bibliographies and much more.
   
   This is an excellent resource for anyone interested in Byzantine coins. This book is also offers are remarkably lucid description of the narrative of Byzantine history. Highly recommended.

5 comments about The Well-Dressed Child: Children's Clothing, 1820-1940.

1. I ENJOYED THIS BOOK VERY MUCH. IT WAS EDUCATIONAL AND INTERESTING TO READ. THE PHOTOGRAPHS WERE BEAUTIFUL! IT WAS SUCH A PLEASURE TO SEE A BOOK LIKE THIS. I HAVE SEEN OTHER BOOKS ON VINTAGE CLOTHING BUT THEY ARE DISORGANIZED AND NOT FACTUAL. THIS BOOK TOOK ME BACK TO A TIME I THINK I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO LIVE IN. ONE OF MY FAVORITE BOOKS IN MY COLLECTION.



2. Anna MacPhail's book is a work of art in itself. Every page is glossy photo paper, and only one page has no photos. Each photo is in color, (even the black and whites are sepia toned), and some of the items are priced, giving collectors an idea of value. This book has very little text, so if visual history is your thing, this book is superb.



3. This is an awesome book from cover to cover. I was enchanted with the text and the many fabulous pictures and have read it over and over again. I especially loved the Christening section and drooled over the pictures of the many exquisite gowns. I am thrilled to have this beautiful book to add to my antique book collection. I have found the author Anna MacPhail also has an equally superb web site (www.[...].com) which I have started to visit on a regular basis.



4. This is a very well written book with excellent photographs. It is a must for all lovers of antique children's clothing. I recommend it highly.



5. If you enjoy collecting antique and vintage children's clothing, or if you are a textile devote, or if you just like to look at how children were dressed in the past, this is the book for you. It is a wonderful reference as well as an interesting "coffee table" book. As a collector, I learned all sorts of fascinating tidbits. Thoroughly researched and well written, the book is a terrific addition to my library on textiles and children's clothing.

No comments about 2005 Sporting Knives.

5 comments about The Art of Lionel Trains.

1. "Saying 'Lionel' to anyone over the age of 40 brings forth nods of recognition and stories of smoking, whistling trains chugging around Christmas trees."
   
   "The Art of Lionel Trains" is a showcase of familiar images, famous pictures and the artwork from catalog covers, newspaper advertising and other marketing pieces. Some of the pictures are sentimental and show the dreams of children.
   
   When my mother bought my husband his first Lionel Train, I think he spent most of one afternoon putting the track together and then would amuse our cats by running the train at least once a day, complete with smoke billowing about in our mostly empty room. I kept wondering what was burning. My memories of Lionel Trains now include cats jumping across tracks to avoid the impending doom. They were actually quite fascinated for weeks.
   
   This book highlights classic Lionel trains, helps to revive memories of toy trains from the past and analyzes art and its relationship to dreams and values.
   
   The Chapters Include:
   
   Dreams of Ambition 1900-1923
   Dreams of Consumption 1920-1933
   Dreams of Authority 1931-1947
   Dreams of Security 1946-1964
   Dreams of Nostalgia 1963-1993
   Dreams of Tomorrow 1990-2003
   
   This book is a history of Lionel Trains from 1900-2003 and is the perfect gift for Lionel Train fans everywhere. Each chapter contains detailed information on all things train through an analysis of advertising.
   
   What I noticed, is a sense of family unity throughout the pictures. It also seems that a Lionel Train looks best with a Christmas tree. Artists actually started promoting this idea back in the1920s. The text in the advertising is readable in most cases. You have to love the pictures of the poor kids watching while "grandpa and dad" took over the train tracks.
   
   Roger Carp has been a member of the editorial staff of Classic Toy Trains magazine since 1988. You might want to look for additional selections by Roger Carp:
   
   The World's Greatest Toy Train Maker: Insiders Remember Lionel
   
   Classic Lionel Display Layouts You Can Build
   
   ~The Rebecca Review



2. The book is a beauty (as a graphic arts product) but as the review title reads I am a little bit disapointed. Don't get me wrong. I like Roger Carp and his writting. In fact, he is almost the only reason I am suscriber to TCC magazine. However the book, in my humble opinion, falls short in the two aspects one could possible focus on: the Lionel art and the information about it. The illustations though as nice as we expect from Lionel history are pretty much common for Lionel enthusiasts and very well known from long ago. One could think that being this a book about Lionel art something special would appear.
   
   The text did not contribute much to the common knowledge of Lionel aficionados. Commom places such as the bond between fathers and sons and the search for security during rough times, fill most of the space in the book. Not even short biographies of artists as important as Robert Sherman appear in the text. Carp's great sense of humor is also pretty much absent.

   In short, I think the other superb books by Roger Carp left me expecting more than real life provides. Everyone has the right to some "failure". In the case of Roger Carp I think this book fills the bill for that.




3. Officially licensed by Lionel itself, The Art Of Lionel Trains: Toy Trains And American Dreams by Roger Carp is more than just a simple showcase of promotional art that the Lionel company used to advertise their classic model locomotives; its informed and informative text follows the journey and evolution of the internationally famous model railroading company and its various products that inspired hobbies and dreams in households across America. Illustrated throughout in full color and a highly recommended addition to any personal or community library Railroading History collection, The Art Of Lionel Trains is as much a trip down memory lane for model train buffs as it is a peek to an era when advertising art was lively yet simple.



4. A "must have" for Lionel Train enthusiasts. I'm not sure who enjoys it the most, my 60 year old husband or our three year old grandson! Ours is getting so dog-eared from hours of enjoyment that we might need to think about a repalacement!



5. I saw this book on the shelf and opened it ever so gently and reverently. Those beautiful pictures of Lionel Trains reproduced from the old catalogs graced the pages. I went back in time for a few moments and tried to recall those days so long ago. I relived for a very fleeting moment that era and in a blink of the eye it was gone. But I savored the moment and put it away somewhere special to take out again perhaps on a rainy day as I gaze out my window in a bit of melancholy and think how long ago it was when I held my first Lionel Train. Flipping through the pages of this book is a moving experience if you grew up with Lionel Trains as I did. Collecting Lionel Trains and the catalogs was truly a family affair and one I will always cherish. This is an important book for me. I don't have to take out my Lionel catalogs with their yellowing and brittle pages or pull out streamlined passenger cars or boxcars from my closet in orange boxes now crumbling at the edges. I can sit down and open this book and gaze into the past and just remember. Just remembering is good enough these days. Just remembering when.

5 comments about The Illustrated Guide to Antique Writing Instruments.

1. An outstanding effort. The photographs are superb. Written in an easy language, makes it enjoyable to read to both novice and connoisseur collectors. However, the authors didn't mention some important pens (eg: Parker #14, Parker Duofold mandarin yellow, Parker Duofold Lapis Lazuli). ( My book is the Revised & Expanded 3rd edition, 2000).



2. This is a valuable and handy pocket (briefcase, etc.) guide to take on a pen expedition. It's a bit big for anything but a large overcoat pocket but is handy when carried in a case. It is mostly a guide to the identification of some of the pens to be found at pen shows and elsewhere. There are brief histories of 18 fountain pen manufacturers but they are short to rudimentary. There is a short but to the point and valuable guide to how to grade a pen.

   The rest of the book is devoted to colored photos of various fountain pens. The pictures are very good and the selection of pens shown is very good. The values shown are, like all prices shown in such books, progressively out of date. They are good though to give a relative value for pens.

   This is an excellent book for its purpose - to help identify, grade and price used fountain pens. It does its specified purpose well. It's not meant to be an encyclopedia. Such a book would have to be a many volumn set.




3. A small and handy book. There are brief history of the pen companies and short description on pen collecting. The illustrations are nicely done, though the descriptions accompanying them sometimes too short. Good book for beginners. But for serious collcetors, better off with the big version by the same authors.



4. This is by far the best book on the subject for the size. It has great pictures (all colored), concise information, and very informative price guides. It covers lots of different pens from major companies, such as Parker, Sheaffer, Waterman, Wahl-Eversharp, Conklin. It also has some useful information on some obscured old US pen companies (all gone now). I don't understand why people are so excited about the big book "Fountain Pens of the World" by Lambrou. It does have more company information and time-line of products and covers more international companies, but that big book has no price guide at all, and is about 8 times more expensive than this little book. In terms of the coverage of the types of pens in major US companies, the big Lambrou book is quite much inferior to this little book. I just love this little one. But admittedly, you need to have more than one books to do some cross-reference.



5. This book is very enjoyable. If you can't own every pen, you can still have a great time looking at the craftmanship of things gone by.

5 comments about Beads of the World: A Collector's Guide With Revised Price Reference (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. IS MY OPINION OF THIS BOOK. NOT ALL BEADS ARE PRICED AND NOT TOO INFORMATIVE.



2. AND THIS BOOK DIDN'T HELP ME UNDERSTAND THEM ANY BETTER. IT JUST CONFUSED ME MORE



3. I boughtthis book for my mom - she was getting really into hunting for beads (and buttons but that's another story) at yard sales, antique stores etc. She didn't really know what she was buying - just what she liked - so I bought this book for her about a year ago and she has loved it ever since. There are a lot of pictures, descriptions and background info on the different types of beads. If nothing else, it has provided a good foundation for her in her hunt for more beads so she knows a little more about the types/styles to look for (in addition to just what she happend to like)



4. After 20 years working in Africa and collecting beads, I find this the best book of its type for people actually going into African markets, American bead shows, and flea markets looking to buy rare or collectible beads. It is not the right book for someone who doesn't yet know the basics about where and how the major types of beads are/were fabricated, how they have traveled, and the ethnographics associated with their past and present uses. (For those subjects, try Dubin, J. Allen, Liu, Picard, and Beckworth's Africa Adorned.) But for ballpark pricing, comparisons, and availability, there's nothing better in print.



5. THIS GUY KNOWS BEADS. A GREAT REFERENCE BOOK, AND PRICE GUIDE.

1 comments about So-Called Dollars.

1. So it took 45 years but at long last we have the official second edition of the title 'So-Called Dollars.' So-Called Dollars are roughly defined as silver dollar sized medals that are not issued as trade tokens or storecards; by schools, coin clubs, the military or political organizations/candidates and have been issued in at least one form of metal. The first book was issued in 1963 by Messers. Hibler and Kappen and listed 1000 different medals each assigned it owns HK number. A sort of cult arose around the book with many collectors attempting to either collect the book (all but impossible) or sections of it. The medals cover a wide panoply of subjects and many are available for surprisingly little money. The problem was that the book was never re-issued so that used copies often sold for above one hundred. Four intrepid collectors banded together at the behest of the original publisher and produced this updated version in paperback (a hardbound deluxe edition was also offered to private subscribers). This version is far superior to the original because it has been able to locate and photograph many of the medals not pictured in the original, it has added some of the metallic varieties not listed in the original and it has added and amended a lot of critical information on the medals. Now there are likely around 1200 official HK numbers listed which makes the hobby at least 20% more fun. The only two complaints I have about this edition are: The cover is made from flimsy paper that will wear out quickly and the greatly expanded index makes it difficult to search for a specific medal by name. Still, this book is definitely the so-called BOMB and you must own it!

5 comments about The Rainmaker.

1. I've read this book four times. It hits on some of the most important questions regarding our legal system, the insurance industry and the irony of most business dealings. Most people rarely mention Grisham's very dry humor. I laughed out loud at many of his characterizations and foolishness our our current legal system. Coppola's movie was okay, but can't compare to this novel.



2. This is a can't-miss Grisham! This is one of his best books. Classic.
   
   Who doesn't love a thriller with an underdog chasing the greedy and corrupt insurance company, to make them pay for cheating their customers? Especially one that is so dirty that they would rather lose a life than to pay out benefits. Great characters, story and ending. It was fast-paced but thorough in the story and development. Loved it!!



3. This isn't a mystery, nor is it a thriller. There are no sadistic serial killers slinking through the night, no wondering who the killer is, no car chases, etc. Despite that, this is a suspenseful book that had me cheering for the little guy to prevail.
   
   A newly minted lawyer in Memphis takes on a mega insurance company, represented by a pack of lawyers who have initials in front of their names and Roman numberals behind. And lest I forget, expensive clothes and haughty smirks. The issue: the insurance company arbitrarialy turned down coverage for a bone marrow transplant that would have saved the life of a young man with cancer. Every trick is used to reject coverage, to obfuscate, to delay. As an aside, I worked in insurance for over 26 years, and Mr. Grisham's version represents what I saw and sometimes did. I'm not proud of it.
   
   Apparently some other reviewers read a different book from the one I read. One said that the characters were not well drawn. I thought they were excellent. Some doubted the plot. Don't doubt it. Grisham stacked the cards, but that's the nature of fiction. This book along with the movie "Sicko" give an accurate picture of how insurance companies often operate. Adjusters are not promoted for how fairly they settle claims by the terms of the policy but by how many claims they can deny or settle for a sum below what the policy promises. "We're on your side" and "good hands" are what all companies promise, one way or another, but they are promises that are not always delivered.
   
   I've not always been fond of Grisham's novels, but this one is a winner. It also has some nice surprises, ones I certainly didn't expect. That added to the pleasure in reading this.



4. The rainmaker was my second Grisham (after The Testament), my expectations from the book were very high (particularly after reading the so many five star reviews and knowing that it seems Grisham's most popular work). I found the book was entertaining, fun to read nevertheless lacked of something, for example in the beginning of the book Rudy faces an event which later in the book is not even mentionned, he is pursued by the police for suspicion of having burnt down a building, this makes a big fuss in the start of the book but then is completely forgotten? What happened there I don't know? Did Mr. Grisham forget to continue that part of the story...? Also a similar thing happens with Mrs. Birdy, a woman who seems the center of attention quiet regularly throughout the book, as she is a ''millionaire'' and the young Lawyer advices her a lot about her will and how she should share her money after her death, towards the end of the book it seemed to me at some point that the author barely gave any attention to her story and merely disclosed the affair by saying that she was after all not a millionaire but thought she was and actually had barely any money.. I found that a bit strange as well.
   
   In the end the young Lawyer wins the case, but nothing much happens, he ends up leaving the town with the young girl he has met at the Hospital, the closing line being that he will not practice Law as a career but prefer to teach History (a simple life rather than a complicated one), ok fair enough but the decision seemed a bit sudden, and the final note of the book was also a bit suprising.
   
   Entertaining, but I had found it dissapointing and most of all surprising that so many people praise the book so much.



5. Plenty of plot reviews about this book -it's Grisham, so I won't go any further to describe it. The plot was thin, IMO, hardly much struggle (conflict), with not much of a climax. But it read so, so well! I was completely entertained on every page. I wanted to know what would happen next, and I can't even explain why. I just know I liked it!