5 comments about Mr. Gatling's Terrible Marvel: The Gun That Changed Everything and the Misunderstood Genius Who Invented It.

1. One of the merits (and there are many) of Julia Keller's Mr. Gatling's Terrible Marvel is that the book is more than a biography of Richard Jordan Gatling (1818-1903), inventor of the automatic weapon which bears his name. It's also a well-written, well-researched, and insightful reflection on American self-identity and the icons by which we define ourselves.
   
   We think of ourselves as humanitarian, ingenious, curious, mechanically skillful, industrious, problem-solving, determined, and upwardly mobile (the rags-to-riches aspect of the Great American Dream). As Keller points out, Gatling came to symbolize all these qualities. In the last quarter-century of his life, he was frequently pointed to as a man who personified the best of American qualities. His best known invention, the Gatling gun, was enshrined as "a laudable American accomplishment, another example of native ingenuity and craftsmanship and problem-solving acumen: America at its muscular, can-do best."
   
   But as Ms. Keller also points out, there's a certain irony to all this. Gatling invented his gun in the hopes that its incredible killing power would end the Civil War quickly. As Keller says, the gun's "brutal spit-spot efficiency would, [Gatling] hoped, persuade nations of the waste and folly of war."
   
   In fact, however, military conservatism sidelined its use on the battlefield. The only time it was used during the conflict was against civilians in the New York Draft Riots of 1863. It would be much used--some might say over-used--in the succeeding decades in the Indian Wars and by federal troops and state militia against striking workers. Foreign governments bought thousands of the guns to acquire and hold onto colonies, and Teddy Roosevelt, hero of the Spanish-American War, claimed that the Gatling was the decisive factor (along with Teddy himself, of course) in defeating the Spanish. Much like Alfred Nobel and his dynamite, then, Richard Jordan Gatling found his "humanitarian" invention used in quite nonhumanitarian muscular ways.
   
   There's also irony in other aspects of Gatling's life too: after he sold the Gatling patent to Colt, his financial fortunes dipped; and although he continued inventing right up to the end of his life (his patents include a flushable toilet), he would forever be remembered almost exclusively for his killing machine.
   
   America, argues Ms. Keller, has always had an ambivalent attitude to weapons (probably because their use against other humans tends to upset part of our self-identity as humanitarian). In the earliest days of the Republic, statesmen debated about them. That debate was cast in a completely different light by Gatling's invention of his lethal gun, which not only helped change the face of warfare, but also influenced the way in which Americans and the rest of the world thought about the ethics (and aesthetics) of killing in wartime. As Keller notes, killing became more impersonal, less one-on-one. Mr. Gatling's Terrible Marvel invites readers to reflect deeply on these kinds of issues.
   
   Highly recommended.



2. The book should have contained pictures of how the invention actually worked. Diagrams would have been helpful in order to understand why this gun worked and why it worked so efficiently.



3. Americans have affection for the inventor, the fellow that builds a better mousetrap or even just tinkers away in the basement attempting to make cold fusion happen. But we are nowadays conflicted about armaments; whoever that guy was who invented napalm we might not hold in much esteem. What are we to make of the man who invented the machine gun? He wrote in 1877, "It occurred to me that if I could invent a machine - a gun - which could, by rapidity of fire, enable one man to do as much battle duty as a hundred, that it would, to a great extent, supersede the necessity of large armies." Whether he was really so naïve, or whether he was deliberately trying to make his machine gun seem a tool of peace (the excuse used by every arms-maker or arms-dealer), isn't entirely clear. What is clear is that his invention made his name, a name you probably know even if you don't know the details of his life or gadget. In _Mr. Gatling's Terrible Marvel: The Gun That Changed Everything and the Misunderstood Genius Who Invented It_ (Viking), journalist and essayist Julia Keller tells all about this influential American inventor, and looks at many larger issues in American history as well. "The Gatling gun is a weapon of death," she writes, "but its story is not altogether grim. For it is also the story of a nation on the rise and of a man who, by inventing a new kind of machine, helped propel it in that upward trajectory."
   
   Richard Jordan Gatling was born in North Carolina in 1818. He was a born tinkerer, not a farmer or store owner, occupations he had tried before his first invention came to him. He invented a seed planter that contained seeds in a hopper and dropped them one by one into just the right placement in the furrow, a great improvement over flinging seeds in all directions. Keller believes that the idea of the seed dropping into just the right place was transformed into bullets in a hopper dropping into just the right breach (of six) for Gatling's most famous invention. Gatling's machine, which looks like a small cannon on a tripod, with a circular hopper for bullets mounted above the breech and a "coffee grinder" handle to make the six barrels go around, wasn't the first attempt at a machine gun, but it was certainly the best. It worked efficiently and reliably, and should have been immediately taken up by the Union Army, but it was not. The arms-buying division of the Army was too conservative to experiment. The Gatling gun's most notable use during the years of the Civil War didn't even require it to be fired. There were bloody riots against the draft in 1863 in New York City, and the police stationed Gatling guns on rooftops. The intimidation worked and the mobs backed down. It had real use in the Spanish-American war, and Teddy Roosevelt valued it. Part of the Gatling gun's image problem is that it was bought by many foreign governments and colonial powers to suppress native populations who had no weapons to match the Gatling's efficiency.
   
   So Richard Gatling may have hoped to bring peace, and at times his intimidating device calmed a situation by its mere appearance and not by causing rapid and multiple deaths. He would have liked those instances. His gadget, however, did bring a new industrialization to warfare. He was a decent man whose deadly gun was the making of his fortune and his fame; he went on to patent many other inventions, including a bicycle, a device to control wagon reins, and two years before he died in 1903, a new type of flush toilet. No one remembers those, of course. Keller's informative book, however, convincingly shows that like more famous figures such as Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, Gatling played an important role in changing the rural antebellum America into an industrialized nation.



4. I bought this book assuming that it it was a biography revealing details of how Gatling's life developed to lead him toward his many accomplishments. it is not; rather it is nine tenths sociological asides. There errors of fact misunderstandings of analysis, poor and inadequate illustrations and in general was a disappointing and frustrating read. I did read it but not happily.



5. Did you ever have to write a term paper on something you knew NOTHING about? You'd repeat the title, rearrange it and the repeat it again and then add in irrelevant asides, anything to generate words in a futile attempt to cover up the fact that you had NOTHING to say about the subject.
   
   This book is one of those term papers. "More than a biography" says one of the "top reviewers". How about "where's the biography"?
   
   About the only things I learned about Gatling was his name, that he moved to St Louis and that he got smallpox. That's it for a whole book.
   
   There's lots of sociological waffle about mid nineteenth American territorial and technical development. A lot of talk about how the Civil war was relevant. But there's close to zilch on what is supposed to be the subject of this book - the man and his gun.
   
   I want my money back.

5 comments about The Complete Peanuts 1950-1954 Boxed Set.

1. My wife has always been a fan of Peanuts, and I found these to be perfect. She's so happy each time she opens a new one.



2. I am now on the second volume of this set, and I will be sticking with them through the entire series, buying every box set released! These volumes are great! Even the simple, clean, uninterrupted way the comics are shown is great. Before I know it, an hour has passed, and I'm excited to see that I still have 100 pages' worth of reading -- and then more excited to know that a lot more volumes are coming. This is a fascinating way to see how the comics evolved, and to see how Schulz had created something special, from the very beginning. I recommend these!!!



3. The box set is awsome.
   Hard cover, high quality paper and tons of Peanuts.
   Must have item!



4. I am in my mid-forties and am enjoying this wonderful journey back into my childhood. Although I caught Peanuts and Schultz in the 1960s, I still grew to have this huge spot in my heart for the world of Peanuts. As an adult (I think) now, I can also enjoy the strip for its sometimes unexpected, intimate peek into the life of Charles Schultz.
   
   It is, therefore, with great joy that I started at the beginning, pre-Peanuts, when Schultz's comic strip was named "Lil Folks." It is fascinating to see how early he had developed some characters' features (Lucy and Charlie Brown). It is also possible to see how far Snoopy comes along as a character with a ripe, expansive internal life, when he was still "just a dog" in the 1950s.
   
   I won't bore you with the details; if you're a Peanuts fan, you already know who's who and all that. Suffice to say that, for Peanuts fans or those wanting an overview of the Great Charles Schutlz's work, this is a fine place to start the journey.
   
   I loved this set so much that I would rate it more than 5 stars if I could!



5. I started reading the Peanuts when I was in elementary school, and followed the strip until its end. When it ended I hoped that Schultz's work would be compiled into a collection, and it was. When I hear Fantagraphics was going to publish all of the Peanuts strips I didn't give the collection much thought, with regard to the design, packaging, etc. I was just happy that there was going to be a collection!
   
   When I recieve my order from Amazon, and first lifted the box that The Complete Peanuts 1950-1954 came in I was pleased to discover that the box was quite heavy. Why? The publisher didn't just throw the strips together in a cheap package. Fantagraphics gave the Peanuts the packaging and presentation it deserves. Two hard cover books...with wonderfully designed cover jackets...slips into a very sturdy box; I have the other 3 box sets and each box's design features a character and related artwork...its simply amazing and I couldn't ask for more. These books are going to last a long time, not to mention look great on a book shelf. I highly recommend this product and the other box sets as well. You can't beat the price Amazon is asking either. I was at Borders a while ago and they were asking $35 just for ONE book...not for the box set. Another thing to keep in mind...this endeavor by Fantagraphics is likely to be a one time deal, because it is so expensive to publish all of the strips.
   
   Not too long ago, retailers sold out of the 1950-1954 box set, and it looked like they were not going to get anymore in. Fortunatley they did, but during this shortage the box set was selling for $250+ on eBay. So, buy it while you can...you won't regret it if you are a fan of the Peanuts...or a casual reader!

5 comments about Collector's Encyclopedia of Depression Glass.

1. Like many people who collect depression glass, I stumbled into it while breaking up housekeeping in my grandmother's house last summer. As we went through her cabinets and packed up the things she couldn't take to her assisted living facility, I found numerous pieces of pretty colored glass that I took simply because I enjoyed the various colors and patterns. When my mom suggested that some of it was depression-era glass, I went to the library and found a previous edition of the Florence's book and went nuts when I saw what these pieces were worth. My grandma did too! Later that fall, the book was indispensible when we were cleaning out my great-grandmother's house to put it up for auction. I found 5 large boxes full of glass. This book was very useful in helping catagorize what I had, and how much to insure all of it for.
   
   This edition of the book is great because of it's photographs of each pattern. It makes it very easy to identify a lot of pieces just on sight. It also contains extremely useful information on reproductions which is fantastic to have when looking for glass, particularily at flea markets, estate sales and online where a lot of people mislabel patterns. The pricing is also helpful so you can see when people are simply trying to make a huge profit, rather than asking a reasonable amount.
   
   The reason I only gave this book 4 stars, though, is because there are many patterns that are not included in this edition. In the foreward, it's stated that not all patterns are contained because it would cause the price of the book to increase. However, by excluding several patterns, you are forced to purchase another book which means spending more money as well. The book is also difficult to bring along to antique stores because of it's size--most stores won't let you bring in a large purse or bag. But overall, if you are a new collector or looking to become one, this is an important book to have in your library.



2. Best book out there for dealers of depression glass, but they forgot a usable index or table of contents. To make matters worse, some patterns are alphabetized as No. ###. No index of alternate names (some patterns have 3 or 4 commonly used names). The table of contents is the same as the alphabetical listing by page, totally useless. The official company name is the pattern name it is ordered under, regardless of the popularity of other names.
   
   Pictures are great. Many prices have been reduced in this 2007 version, bringing pricing into line with what you should pay/charge. Common pieces (cups, small plates, etc.) can be got on eBay for about 1/2, but more in demand pieces (cereal bowls, dinner plates, serving pieces, tumblers) go for just about what is in the book. Verbiage for patterns normally indicates the marketability of the pattern, but wish there was a prominent "popularity score" above each color the pattern comes in. Some colors in some patterns have absolutely no buyers, which is an extremely valuable piece of information. Would recommend using --,-,+,++.
   
   They use a purist definition of depression, so you'll have to also buy the 40s 50s 60s book to complete your reference of what is commonly known as depression glass. There are pictures for about 1/2 of the pieces available, and generally a larger closeup for pattern identification. Success of pattern identification is probably 95% (best we've seen).



3. A must have book for begining collectors of depression glass -- good pricing - if you don't buy on e-bay - if you go to the glass shows gives you fair prices for most items -- e-bay buyers - GOOD LUCK, most everything is WAY, way over the value of the item you want.



4. anyone interested in finding out what they have or what to look for, as far as depression glass or collectible glass, Gene Florance is the person to look for. I've got most editions of his books. and my parents also swore by his books. every edition has a little something extra, different or new. easy to follow and excellent pictures!



5. VERY HAPPY WITH THE DETAILS AND INFORMATION ABOUT DEPRESSION GLASS. I HAVE ABOUT 300 PIECES AND AM NOW ABLE TO IDENTIFY MORE OF MY COLLECTION.

1 comments about 7000 Years of Jewelry: An International History and Illustrated Survey from the Collections of the British Museum.

1. This book presents a well-organized and well-illustrated history of thousands of years of jewelry. The textual information is packed full of interesting information and the photos have detailed captions that further enhances the amount of information presented here. As a jewelry designer, I find this to be a valuable addition to my library.

5 comments about Bedazzled: 5000 Years of Jewelry--The Walters Art Museum.

1. Bedazzled is a small book with high quality photos of distinct and beautiful pieces of jewellery held by the Walters Art Museum that covers prominent periods of jewellery design. I was very impressed as I have not seen these pieces in any other books on jewellery history. It is a gem don't be deceived by the size as it is well worth owning.



2. This is a nice little book, and by little I mean 7 inches on a side square.
   At 64 pages it holds a lot of high quality images with full page shots and many closeups.
   The text is informative without being pompous and overly wordy like many historical jewelery books written by endlessly blabbery art historians trying to flex their hyper inflated vocabularies and fill their quota of space.
   There is even a short glossary at the end with many useful terms for the novice jewelry historian.
   Despite it's demure appearance this delightful book fulfills it's promise of an informative and detailed review of some of the highlights of the Walters Collection.
   Buy this book for your library and you probably have a friend who would like it too, so maybe buy another for them.



3. I received the item on time and in wonderful condition but was very disappointed by the book itself. Its VERY small and all the 5000 years of jewelry was just from one private collector. I thought there would be more information and definitely more of a history. I would not recommend this book to anyone. But not the fault of Amazon :)



4. A tiny little reference book loaded with a lot of history. Shows photographs of gold pieces dating back to 2BC to the 19th and 20th Centuries, collected by Henry Walters, now on exhibit. Better than anything you'll see at any of the Egyptian exhibits touring about, and an up close look at specific pieces that defined the history of jewelry.



5. This is the kind of book you need when looking for inspiration. The pictures are big, crisp, and splendid. Each one contains detailed information about the size, material, and date of the piece. The variety of the pieces shows the true passion of the musseum owner for jewelry.

5 comments about Basic Perspective Drawing: A Visual Guide.

1. For some reason, perspective is the boogey-man of many people learning to draw. It doesn't have to be that way. This book will help you put that sense of solidity and reality into a drawing.

   This book gives a clear, step by step introduction to the basics of drawing in perspective. Interior and exterior; 1-, 2-, and 3-point; they're all here. The techniques are all graphical, and require only basic ability to handle simple drafting tools.

   As the title says, this covers just the basics. It covers them thoroughly, so the hard-working reader should come away from it with very usable skills.




2. This is one of the best and most informative books on the subject of perspective I've read or studied. Thank you very much for making this book available.



3. I needed this book for one of my college classes and the Amazon price was almost 3/4 cheaper then in the schools book store. This book was only used for about 3-4 months and from what I saw from the textbook... it was great. I learned a lot and I might keep it around just in case I need it for a future math class. But overall, I give it an A...



4. This book is the perfect perspective guide and reference. Great for beginners and knowledgeable alike. I highly recommend this book.



5. I have trouble getting things in perspective - especially when I start adding other buildings or objects that come in at different angles. This book is great because it gives 1, 2, and 3 point perspectives, contrast and tonal shading techniques, projections for plans, practice object drawings with curves and landscape drawings. It even gives example of people proportions, and movements, and clothing. I have been looking for a book like this for awhile. It is very easy to follow and it really has every aspect covered. A great foundation to build upon.

5 comments about Book Finds, 3rd Edition: How to Find, Buy, and Sell Used and Rare Books.

1. I have enjoyed this work and have indeed found parts of it to be quite useful. I have been collecting, buying, selling and trading books for quite a number of years now, and did indeed pick up some good information and hints from this particular book. It does have it's flaws though. The first, and most major, is that it simply does not address the internet as it should. So much of the information found in this book is simply outdated due to that fact. Now granted, once you have the actual book in hand, then this work becomes more useful. But finding the book is a whole different ball game than it was just a few years ago. The second problem with the book is that we all simply do not live on the East Coast of the United States and specifically, New York City. Pity, I know, but that is just a fact. Third, the author can come across as being just a bit stuffy at times, which, at best, is a bit annoying.
   
   The negative being said, this is quite a good work to get yourself started. The author does give some great information as to the anatomy of a book, what to look for, what to avoid when purchasing or selling. This is valuable information. The chapters alone that discuss the various conditions of books and what it does to their price is probably worth the price of the book alone.
   
   Overall, I do recommend this one, but with some reservations. There are a lot of resources out there now, and the reader, collector, seller needs to be aware of them all. This is not an easy business, and is probably not as easy as the author would make it seem.



2. This book is the best one that I have found so far for a new collector. I ordered many of the books on Amazon about book collecting recently. Although I haven't read all of them yet, so far this book is the most helpful. It is not dry and still has a wealth of information. This is important to me as I am easily bored. Just in the first chapter I learned many terms used to describe the different parts of a book and some of the history of books. I am really enjoying this book and I hope you try it too!



3. Excellent book for either the new seller or those already doing so. Information included is useful to help become an even better seller.



4. The author loves his work and shares that love and knowledge in an immediately understandable way.



5. Without more extensive coverage of the internet marketplace, this book can only be considered out-of-date. For the most part, the kind of selling and trading presented here no longer exists as a profitable endeavor.

5 comments about Wristwatch Annual 2008: The Catalog of Producers, Models, and Specifications (Wristwatch Annual).

1. This has always been a great watch reference book with exceptional pictures but this year the pictures are way too small so there's no detail. Don't know if I'll purchase next year if they continue with the small picture style.



2. I have read the reviews here and have to disagree. How can anyone give this book just 1 star.
   Its a very nice book and has some great quality pictures. It does not have too much content but its not that sort of book, it is a 2008 catalog. The author has done a super job putting it togther.



3. If you like fine watches then this is a great book. It has a good range from almost all the major manufacturers and includes prices. Highly recommended.



4. This large book has a wealth of information on many watch types and styles, and primarily showcases a limited array of various manufacurer's offerings. Plenty of photos, and information on many brands, a few of which are very obscure and known to only a few true watch aficionados. Each listing, however, gives only a cursury history of the brand, and only a few of the watches they showcase. Helpful for the beginner, although most watches are financially out of reach for most people. A nice inclusion though is the addition of new brands, and rare watches they offer. Obviously not all manufacturers are included, or should be, and while the lack of certain brands and individual watches is frustrating at times, most people will be quite satisfied to drool over the many pictures and will undoubtedly come away from it with a broader knowledge and appreciation of horology.



5. Great compliation of wristwatches for those who want to know what's new to the wristwatch world. Great info on the manufacturers and their history.

5 comments about Practical Watch Repairing.

1. SImple things using the right tools and procedures can allow you to get the satisfaction for the simple repairs. I would suggest doing classes etc or going to a professional for the more advanced types of repairs. The book also allows you to gain an appreciation of actually what makes then tick and tock.



2. I am amazed that this book (my edition printed in 2006) is an exact copy of a 1971 printing. Mechanical watches of today are readily described in this 35 year old text.
   
   The 1971 dust jacket has hand drawn lettering. The 2006 dust jacket has been cleaned up by computer aided drawing. It was amazing to find out that the author passed away in 1989. He unfortunately lived long enough to see the Japanese demolish the mechanical watch industry.
   
   This book does have a place in today's world...The mechanical Swiss Watch is making a comeback, although limited to those willing to invest in a $400 and up watch. But if you buy a good Swiss mechanical, it can be passed down and repaired by your heirs.. This book will probably still be available, when your heirloom is in need of repair...



3. This product, though very good, was not what I expected. It is apparently a very early book on watch repair (updated through the years), written by a watch repairman. The book targets persons wanting to begin a watch repair business, so it included the ideal work space, all the tools necessary to begin an ultimately profitable business, all good information but more than I wanted or needed. It is sometimes difficult to read because a few sections are quite technical and include jargon, but I was also able to locate and understand the information I needed for my own home watch repairs.



4. As a watchmaker by Trade, i bought this out of curiosity. From the techinques of openning a watch case to the description of indiviual watch parts is grossly outdated. New technology in watch production rendered this book obsolete and would only be suited to someone whose advanced in their studies as a watchmaker rather than a novice.



5. I wanted a book that would help me understand and at the end allow me to repair or clean, oil and adjust a watch. This book didn't do it. It says you can start as a beginner. Wrong. Regardless of what other reviewers say, you will not end up disassembling and reassembling a vintage wristwatch. The material is too old and does not cover how you can do the tasks mentioned in the book with today's technology. You'll wind up falling to sleep.

5 comments about The Jeweler's Directory of Gemstones: A Complete Guide to Appraising and Using Precious Stones From Cut and Color to Shape and Settings.

1. Good for what it is, this book offers an ABC look at some gemstones. There is no depth to the material, but it makes a nice starting point and gives a position to make further research decisions on. The section on setting options for different kinds of stones is valuable & interesting, but could have been a lot larger/in-depth, as from a 'Jeweler's' perspective (as the title implies)this is critical info.
   All in all I am happy I bought this book & look forward to finding some serious/heavy duty books that delve right into this important subject.



2. "The Jeweller's Directory of Gemstones" provides a good introduction to the world of gemstones for both jewellers and those interested in purchasing gemstone jewellery. This full color book complements the existing gemstone directories. I also own copies of Gemstones (Smithsonian Handbooks) and Gemstones of the World: Newly Revised & Expanded Third Edition and I consider all three of these books to be of equal value (I recommend that you purchase all three of them, if you can afford it). However, unlike the other two books I mentioned, this book discusses gemstone jewellery, as well as providing geological information about the gems (most gemstone guides simply focus on the geological detail). This book also has a good glossary and index.
   
   This book is a valuable addition to any gemstone library and it is well worth the price of purchase.



3. As a gemologist, I have an extensive library of gem books. This book is one of the best guides written that is germain to professionals and novices alike. Easy to follow and very well edited. High marks!!



4. This is a great book. Well written and great pictures to go with the breakdowns of each gem. Recommended.



5. I've been a hobbyist jewelry studeng for some little while now, and what sets this book apart is the section on using each gemstone... this is the part that tells you how to approach setting the stone into jewelry, how hard or brittle the stone is and what features of the stone might make setting it easier or harder. Other books may give you more scientific/ gemological detail, a greater range of stones, and a better idea of price ranges. If you want to know what your stone is, whether it's a good specimen of its kind and if you paid a good price for it, this book may or may not tell you that. BUT... if you know what stone you have, this book will tell you how to care for it, and, if you're crazy enough to want to set it yourself, this book might just tell you how best to do that, and give you some idea whether, just this once, you should hire it done by someone who's already gone around that learning curve...