Movie Books: Historical & Documentary

THE AFFAIR OF THE NECKLACE (Movie novelization)
by Elizabeth Hand. Screenplay by John Sweet. Color movie stills section. Condition: NEW 2001 HarperEntertainment paperback, second printing. Content: The child Jeanne Valois lost her family, her home, and her fortune to the greed of an influential aristocrat. Now grown into a proud young woman of rare beauty and exceptional wiles, she has gained entrance to the court of Louis XVI and exquisite, reviled queen Marie Antoinette through an expedient marriage, seeking restitution for what was stolen from her. But Jeanne de La Motte-Valois's entreaties have fallen on deaf royal ears, inflaming her desire for justice...and vengeance. In an era of excessive splendor, squalor, and cruelty, amid the myraid intrigues, both dangerous and erotic, that swirl around the powers of France, the brilliant stratagems of a woman wronged will eclipse all others -- as infamy, tragedy, and death loom in the shadows of a conspiracy that begins with a breathtaking vision of diamonds and gold...and ends with revolution. [There have been reviews which say too many liberties with Jeanne's life were taken by movie makers.] The 2001 movie starred Hilary Swank, Joley Richardson, Simon Baker, Adrien Brody, & Jonathan Pryce. [2 copies available]
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BLACK ROBE
by Brian Moore. Condition: UNREAD 1997 Plume Trade Paperback, first printing. Small edgewear with light tanning to page edges. Content: Reviewer: "A deep, disturbing, thoughtful novel of New France, the very early years of what we now call Canada. A Jesuit priest, or Black Robe as he was called by the Native Americans, heads into the wilderness with some Algonquin guides to reach a mission for the Hurons near the shores of Lake Huron, so deep into the endless and treacherous forest. His life and faith begin to disintegrate in his first harsh experiences in the New World, and his first close and bewildering encounters with the Native Americans and their utterly different culture. This is a wonderful read and a insistent meditation on faith and hope, as well as a vivid portrait of an almost unknown part of the North American past. By the way, Bruce Beresford made this into a fine movie -- actually a great movie. It's not often that a director manages that feat. The film is a bit different, even though it is scrupulously faithful to Moore's original plot. I would say that the book is much the better, just because it is so much deeper and fuller, but the film is not to be missed either. Here is a modern author who really thinks and feels the impulses of religion and spirituality in the human soul. The 1991 movie starred Lothaire Bluteau, Aden Young, Sandrine Holt, August Schellenberg, Tantoo Cardinal. [1 copy available]
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THE BOSTON STRANGLER (Movie Edition)
by Gerold Frank. Tony Curtis & Henry Fonda movie still back cover. Condition: Good only, 1967 Signet paperback, 9th printing. Movie edition. Spine and hinge creases with moderate tanning to page edges. Interior clean & tight. Content: Reviewer: "This book gives a frightening and touching account of Boston in the 60s and the Strangler's unwitting victims. Frank handles brilliantly the chaotic investigation and numerous (but mesmerizing) deadend leads; his reporting of the case and its frustrations is near perfect. By the time I got to DeSalvo's confessions (and the fact that the case has never been brought to trial!) I wanted to roll up my sleeves and spend an all-nighter going through the files to check facts. Not since reading about Jack the Ripper have I been so engaged by an unsolved crime." The 1968 movie was directed by Richard Fleisher and starred Tony Curtis (who says he can't act?), Henry Fonda, George Kennedy, and Hurd Hatfield. [1 copy available]
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THE BOUNTY (AKA Captain Bligh and Mr. Christian) [Movie Edition]
by Richard Hough. Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins cover. Condition: UNREAD 1984 Penguin paperback, no printing given. Problems: shelf wear hinge crease with edge wear and tanning to page edges. Content: The story of the mutiny on the Bounty in 1789 has become a legend. Based on extensive new research, this eye-opening account is a balanced reassessment of the relationship between Captain Bligh and Fletcher Christian. Here is Bligh - courageous and compassionate, yet uncertain of himself and hot-tempered. Christian, too, is revealed in more completely human terms - genuinely troubled by injustice but unstable and guilt-racked. This is an exciting adventure story, a reconstruction of a historical event that will never lose its fascination. "Gable gave the 1930s an action hero; Brando gave the 1960s an introspective rebel; and Gibson gives us a romantic lead. His Christian is young and filled with life, responsing directly to situations instead of agonizing over their consequences. (by Roger Ebert) The 1984 movie was directed by Roger Donaldson who based his movie entirely on this book. It starred, of course, Mel Gibson, Anthony Hopkins, Edward Fox, Laurence Olivier, Daniel Day-Lewis, the great Liam Neeson, Bernard Hill, and Wi Kuki Kaa. [1 copy available]
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CODE NAME VALKYRIE: Count von Staufenberg and the plot to kill Hitler
by James Forman. B&W photo section. B&W maps. Condition: Gently pre-read, if at all, 1975 Dell paperback, first printing. Edge wear with hinge crease and light tanning to pages. Content: Detailed account of the plot to kill Hitler. Excellent presentation of the military officers and civilians involved. Surely one of the references for the recent Tom Cruise movie. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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THE COMPLETE GONE WITH THE WIND SOURCEBOOK: The Ultimate Guide for Every Fan
by Pauline Bartel. B&W photos illustrate. Condition: UNREAD 1993 Taylor Publishing soft cover, first printing. Very pale, short diagonal crase top front cover corner. Content: Just about anything and everything you want and need to know about Gone With the Wind. Questions welcome [1 copy available]
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EATERS OF THE DEAD (The Manuscript of Ibn Fadlan, Relating His Experiences with the Northmen in A.D.922) [ Movie: The 13th Warrior]
by Michael Crichton. Condition: UNREAD 1991 Ballantine paperback, fourth printing. Tiny edgewear and moderate tanning to page edges. Content: Reviewer: "A masterful retelling of the Beowulf saga, cleverly combined with the manuscripts of Ibn Fadlan, a historically authentic person. Ibn Fadlan was an Arab aristocrat who resided amongst the Rus' in 921 and recorded many of their rituals, most famously a chieftain's longboat-funeral on the Volga. Although Ibn Fadlan never actually journeyed with the Northmen, Crichton's idea of a cultured Muslim's immersion in a fierce heathen society makes for an enjoyable contrast in characters. Crichton's plentful footnotes detailing the Arab and Rus' perspective convey a feeling of realism to what is basically a fantasy adventure. It was a great treat to read a story which accords respect to Paganism and Islam." The 1999 movie starred Antonio Banderas, Vladimir Kulich, Dennis Storhøi, Daniel Southern, Neil Maffin, and Omar Sharif. Directed by John McTiernan. The plot of the movie: In AD 922, Arab courtier Ahmad Ibn Fadlan accompanies a party of Vikings to the barbaric North. Ibn Fadlan is appalled by the Vikings customs-- their wanton sexuality, their disregard for cleanliness, their cold-blooded human sacrifices. And then he learns the horrifying truth: he has been enlisted to combat a terror that slaughters the Vikings and devours their flesh. [1 copy available]
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THE EGYPTIAN: A Novel
by Mika Waltari. . Condition: Good only, 1965 Pocket paperback, second printing. A binding error has caused the back one-third of the book to be "out-of-line" with the front two-thirds of the book. Moderate tanning. Content: Reviewer: "The book is set in the Amarna period of Ancient Egypt during the reigns of the pharaohs Amunhotep III, Akhenaten and Horemheb, covering the concluding years of the 18th dynasty of the New Kingdom (1386 - 1293 BC), an era in Egyptian history that was marked by significant religious and political upheaval. The Egyptian is Sinuhe, a physician of unknown birth origin who was wrapped and cradled in a reed boat floating down the Nile. As he narrates his life story, which transcended years of warfare, plague, and fierce battle between gods. On the outside The Egyptian delineates the history of Egypt through its inveterate religious devotion to many gods. At the core of the novel finds one man's lifelong journey through many countries, like Babylon, Crete, and Mitannia, to knowledge. Sinehu possessed such lonely idealism that motivated him to devote his life searching for something so intangible yet greater than he beyond his understanding did. He was not ready to merely worship the gods - in fact, he insisted on questioning traditions and thus marked him as an outsider of his own culture." There actually was a physician named Sinehu who left some of his life on papyrus - I have yet to find a book or site that details this true story, however. Perhaps the Author had knowledge of this artifact or had read it. The 1954 movie was directed by Michael Curtiz and starred Victor Mature, Jean Simmons, Michael Wilding, Gene Tierney, Peter Ustinov, and Edmund Purdom. This is one of my favorite old movie even though I think the acting is weak (everyone) and the screenplay is limp. But the novel is fabulous! The 1954 movie was directed by Michael Curtiz and starred Jean Simmons, Victor Mture, Edmund Purdom (The Egyptian), Peter Ustimov, Michael Wilding, and Gene Tierney. [1 copy available]
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THE EGYPTIAN: A Novel
by Mika Waltari. Translated by Naomi Walford. Condition: UNREAD, but not perfect, 1949 - 1950 Putnam's hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), Book Club Edition. Deckled edges. NO tanning. The DJ has, at some point, been folded and there is a light crease. Interior clean & tight. Content: There actually was a physician named Sinehu who left some of his life on papyrus - I have yet to find a book or site that details this true story, however. Perhaps the Author had knowledge of this artifact or had read it. Reviewer: "The book is set in the Amarna period of Ancient Egypt during the reigns of the pharaohs Amunhotep III, Akhenaten and Horemheb, covering the concluding years of the 18th dynasty of the New Kingdom (1386 - 1293 BC), an era in Egyptian history that was marked by significant religious and political upheaval. The Egyptian is Sinuhe, a physician of unknown birth origin who was wrapped and cradled in a reed boat floating down the Nile. As he narrates his life story, which transcended years of warfare, plague, and fierce battle between gods. On the outside The Egyptian delineates the history of Egypt through its inveterate religious devotion to many gods. At the core of the novel finds one man's lifelong journey through many countries, like Babylon, Crete, and Mitannia, to knowledge. Sinehu possessed such lonely idealism that motivated him to devote his life searching for something so intangible yet greater than he beyond his understanding did. He was not ready to merely worship the gods - in fact, he insisted on questioning traditions and thus marked him as an outsider of his own culture." The 1954 movie was directed by Michael Curtiz and starred Victor Mature, Jean Simmons, Michael Wilding, Gene Tierney, Peter Ustinov, and Edmund Purdom. This is one of my favorite old movie even though I think the acting is weak (everyone) and the screenplay is limp. But the novel is fabulous! The 1954 movie was directed by Michael Curtiz and starred Jean Simmons, Victor Mture, Edmund Purdom (The Egyptian), Peter Ustimov, Michael Wilding, and Gene Tierney. [1 copy available] [1 copy available]
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Richard Butler's EUREKA STOCKADE (Mini-series novelization)
by Richard Butler. B&W era photos, maps, and art reproductions. Mini-series still as front cover art. Condition: UNREAD, but not perfect, 1984 Angus & Robertson (Australia) Trade Paperback, no printing given. Problem: tanning to page edges. Content: Eureka: the scene of one of Australia's most colourful episodes - the miner's riot which became a legend, a symbol of the Australian character. This novel is based on the screenplay of the four-hour mini-series Eureka Stockade written by Tom Hegarty. The excellent mini-series was directed by Rod Hardy and starred Bryan Brown, Tom Burlinson, Bill Hunter, CArol Burns, Amy Madigan, Brett Cullen and Penelope Stewart. I've been trying to get a copy of this mini-series for years. Anybody help me out here? [1 copy available] [1 copy available]
$ 7.50 + $ 3.19 media shipping.

EXCALIBUR [DVD]
by Warner. Movie stills both covers. Condition: First Class Shipping / NEW (shrink-wrapped, security tapes) 1999 Warner DVD release of the great 1981 movie. Remainder cut. Content: This lush retelling of the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table is a dark and engrossing tale. Director John Boorman (Emerald Forest) masterfully handles the tale of the mythical sword Excalibur, and its passing from the wizard Merlin to the future king of England. Arthur pulls the famed sword from a stone and is destined to be crowned king. As the king embarks on a passionate love affair with Guenevere, an illegitimate son, and Merlin's designs on power, threaten Arthur's reign. The film is visually stunning and unflinching in its scenes of combat and black magic. Featuring an impressive supporting cast, including early work from the likes of Liam Neeson and Gabriel Byrne, Excalibur is an adaptation of the legend both faithful and bold. 140 minutes. The 1981 movie also stars Nigel Terry, Helen Mirren, Nicholas Clay, Cherie Lunghi, Paul Geoffrey, Nicol Williamson, Liam Neeson, Patrick Stewart, and Katrine Boorman as Igrayne. Wonderful! [2 copies available]
$ 5.19 + $ 3.09 first class shipping.

Samuel Bronston's THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE (Movie Novelization)
by Harry Whittington. Cast photos & movie stills both covers. Condition: UNREAD, but not perfect, 1964 Gold Medal paperback original, first printing. Small edgewear and moderate tanning to interior pages. Content: Action-packed look at the beginnings of the fall of the Roman Empire. Here is the glory, the greed and grandeur that was Rome. Here is the story of personal lust for power, and the shattering effects of that power's loss. Here is the tale of the plight of a people living on the brink of a political abyss. Directed by Anthony Mann, this 1964 spectacular had a stellar cast: Stephen Boyd, Sophia Loren, Sir Alec Guiness, James Mason, Christopher Plummer, John Ireland, Mel Ferrer, Omar Sharif, and Anthony Quale. [1 copy available]
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Samuel Bronston's THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD (Master and Commander)
by Patrick O'Brian. Russell Crowe cover. Condition: UNREAD 1992 Norton Trade Paperback, movie edition, 5th printing. Content: Captain Jack Aubrey sets sail for Cape Horn, determined to intercept an American frigate before it can wreak havoc on the British whaling trade. As always, he is accompanied by intelligence operative Stephen Maturin, and as always, Aubrey has no idea of what his companion is up to. Another impeccably written adventure, by the end of which you should be able to identify a mizzen topsail in your sleep. The 2003 movie was directed by Peter Weir and starred Crowe, Paul Bettany (who makes every movie better), James D'Arcy, Max Pirkis, and Edward Woodall. Excellent, IMHO. [2 copies available]
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Samuel Bronston's THE FRONT (Movie Novelization)
by Robert Alley. Screenplay by Walter Bernstein. Condition: UNREAD 1976 Pocket Books original paperback, first printing. Tiny edgewear but with moderate to heavy tanning to page edges. Interior clean & tight. Content: Although this movie is not a biography of an individual, all of the characters either mimic real movie and television artists or are a combination of such persons. In the early 1950s Howard Prince, who works in a restaurant, helps out a black-listed writer friend by selling a TV station a script under his own name. The money is useful in paying off gambling debts, so he takes on three more such clients. Howard is politically pretty innocent, but involvement with Florence - who quits TV in disgust over things - and friendship with the show's ex-star - now himself blacklisted - make him start to think about what is really going on. A well-deserved harsh look at the McCarthy era and how so many people suffered so much. Most of the people working on this film, both in front of and behind the camera, had been blacklisted in the 50s, i.e., Zero Mostel and Herschel Bernardi. The closing credits denote "blacklisted" after the names of the persons who were.. It's amazing. The 1976 movie (no doubt timed for our 200th anniversary) was directed by Martin Ritt and starred Woody Allen, Zero Mostel, Herschel Bernardi, Michael Murphy, Andrea Marcovicci, Danny Aiello, and Lloyd Gough. This is a near-perfect movie - not to be missed. [1 copy available]
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GALLIPOLI (Movie Novelization)
by Jack Bennett. Screenplay by David Williamson. Story by Peter Weir. Condition: UNREAD, but not perfect, c. 1984 St. Martin's Press hardcover (DJ has been lost), no printing given. Light binding wrinkles front cover. Content: Two Australian sprinters face the brutal realities of war when they are sent to fight in the Gallipoli campaign in Turkey during World War I. Based on a true military incident in World War I where British officers sacrificed wave after wave of Australian soldiers in a pointless and foolhardy attempt to take a Turkish position. This movie was made during a period of Australian anti-British movie making - a part of the Golden Age of Australian Films - before everyone moved to Hollywood. The 1981 movie was directed by Peter Weir and starred a young, gorgeous Mel Gibson (before we knew he was an anti-Semetic jerk), Mark Lee, Gerda Nicolson, Bill Kerr, and a cast of thousands. One of the best movies ever made, IMHO. [1 copy available]
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GHOSTS OF TSAVO: Stalking the Mystery Lions of East Africa
by Philip Caputo. B&W and color photo section. . Condition: NEW 2002 National Geographic hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), first printing. Content: Although the 1996 movie was based on Patterson's own account of the lion incident, this book helps with the understanding of the "incident" and the real maneless lions of Tsavo. In 1898, two maneless male lions killed and devoured 135 Indian and African workers constructing a railroad bridge over the Tsavo River in Kenya. It took Lt. Col. John Henry Patterson, the engineer in charge of the project, nine months to hunt and kill the beasts, an ordeal recounted in his 1907 book, The Man-Eaters of Tsavo, and later the subject of two films, 1952's Bwana Devil and 1996's The Ghost and the Darkness. A century later, the story of Ghost and Darkness still fascinates and terrifies. Were they just rogue lions, or were they the "missing genetic link" between the prehistoric cave cats who hunted early humans and the modern African lion? Caputo seeks answers to this intriguing question as he accompanies two separate expeditions to study the maneless lions of Tsavo. Read the book; see the movie; take your heart medication! The 1996 movie was directed by Stephen Hopkins and starred the great Val Kilmer, Michael Douglas, Tom Wilkinson, John Kani, Bernard Hill, and the great African actor Henry Cele. Not to be missed! [1 copy available]
$ 9.59 + $ 3.49 media shipping.

GLADIATOR
by Dewey Gram. Based on Screenplay by David Franzoni, John Logan, & William Nicholson. Color movie stills section. Condition: NEW 2000 Onyx paperback, sixth printing. Tiny edgewear. Content: The novelization of the movie Gladiator which starred Russell Crowe (Academy Award), Joaquin Phoenix (who should have had an Academy Award), Connie Nielsen, and Oliver Reed. If you don't know the story of Gladiator, well, where ya been? [1 copy available]
$ 4.50 + $ 2.94 media shipping.

$7.44 United States Media

THE HOUSE ON GARIBALDI STREET
by Isser Harel (Former Chief of Israel's Secret Service). Condition: Very good 1976 Bantam paperback ediiton, 5th printing. Gently pre-read book with very pale spine crease and tiny edgewear. Interior is tight & clean with light tanning to page edges. Excellent copy. Content: One of the greatest "detective" stories ever - and it's true. Reviewer: "The kidnapping of Nazi criminal Adolf Eichmann by the Israeli Mossad was one of it's most known coups of the 1960's. Eichnmann was one of Nazi Germany's most notorious war criminals, who was personally responsible for the killing of millions of Jews in occupied Europe. This book brings the story of Isser Harel, Israel's legendary intelligence spymaster who was Head of the Mossad at the time of the operation. Harel's story of this complex action is told in a simple and moving way. The editor Shlomo Shpiro, an Israeli intelligence expert, places in his detailed introduction the operation in its overall historical contex. The new books contains, for the first time, the real names of all Mossad personnel involved, as well as the astounding facts about the involvement of West Germany in this operation. A must reading not only to those interested in the hunt for Nazi criminals but also to everyone interested in real, as opposed to fictional, intelligence work." The 1979 movie was directed by Peter Collinson and starred Topol, Nick Mancuso, Janet Suzman, Martin Balsam, Leo McKern, and Fernando Hilbeck. [1 copy available]
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JERUSALEM (Historical Fiction)
by Cecelia Holland. Greg Call cover art. Condition: UNREAD 1996 Forge hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), first printing. Content: If you are a fan of the movie Kingdom of Heaven, you'll love this book. It is as if that movie were lifted out of these pages. There is both mystery and mysticism in any account of the colorful order of Knights Templer. A strong, fabulously wealthy group of Christian warrior monks, they rose to power during the Crusades as defenders of Jerusalem. Their riches and persistent rumors of secret masses and esoteric practices prompted suppression of the order in 1291. This historical novel sees the early downturn of Templers' fortunes when Jerusalem, coveted prize of Christian and Mohammedan forces, is about to fall. Sustained by the leadership of the young leper King Baudouin, the city teeters upon his death with the problems of succession and infidel opposition. The main character, Rannulf Fitzwilliam, is known among his fellow Templers as Saint. Under vows of chastity and humility to atone for a wild early life, unpopular with his administrators, he maintains a group of supporters and commands the respect of his order and the opposing Islamic forces of Saladin. Political infighting and many bloody actual battles move the plot rapidly and the fates of Jerusalem and the hero are tragically linked. The 2005 movie was directed by Ridley Scott and starred Orlando Bloom, Eva Green, the great Liam Neeson, David Thewlis, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Kevin McKidd, Brendan Gleeson, Jeremy Irons, Edward Norton, and as Saladin, Ghassan Massoud. Be sure to get the Director's Cut when you buy or rent. Threre's so much more that it's almost like a different movie. [1 copy available]
$ 4.29 + $ 3.29 media shipping.

JOAN OF ARC (Movie Edition)
by Frances Winwar. Ingrid Bergman movie still cover art. Condition: The interior is clean & tight but tanning/the cover has problems: peeling along the hinge into the spine, some edgewear. Content: Note from cover: Frances Winwar's famous book, The Saint and the Devil, especially rewritten for extra enjoyment of Sierra Pictures' epic film in Technicolor starring Ingrid Bergman." I guess that says it all. Unfortunately, I have not read The Saint and the Devil so I cannot tell you the additions/changes. [1 copy available]
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KILLING PABLO: The Hunt for the World's Greatest Outlaw
by Mark Bowden (Black Hawk Down). B&W photo section. Condition: Gently pre-read, IF at all, 2001 Penguin Trade Paperback, first pritning. The cover shows some shelf wear. Interior clean & tight with pale tanning to page edges. Not crisp. Content: This book describes the rise and fall of Pablo Escobar, a notorious Colombian drug lord who became one of the narcotic trade's first billionaires. Pablo--Bowden refers to him by his first name throughout the book--started out as a petty thief and wound up running a massive smuggling empire. At his height in the 1980s, he owned fleets of boats and planes, plus 19 separate residences in Medellin, each with its own helipad. Violence marked everything he did: "He wasn't an entrepreneur, and he wasn't even an especially talented businessman. He was just ruthless." He bought off police, politicians, and judges throughout his country, and killed many others who wouldn't cooperate. The Colombian government tried to capture him, but without much luck; he evaded them time after time. "Now and then the police achieved enough surprise to catch him, literally, with his pants down. In [1988], about one thousand national police raided one of his mansions," writes Bowden. "Pablo fled in his underwear, avoiding the police cordon on foot." He got away, again, but his days were numbered. He was making powerful enemies in both Colombia and the United States. The final straw probably came when Pablo's men murdered a popular politician and, three months later, planted a bomb on a plane, killing 110 people, including two Americans. The bulk of the book describes what happened when the U.S. government put its resources behind the hunt for Pablo. Bowden describes the search in gripping detail, from the massive electronic-surveillance effort to bureaucratic infighting between rival U.S. agencies. This is an outstanding work of reportorial journalism, too: in the epilogue, Bowden drops tantalizing hints that it was an American--not a Colombian--who delivered the killing shot to Pablo in 1993. Readers looking for a real-life thriller--or any kind of thriller, for that matter--won't do much better than Killing Pablo. There is a proposed 2009 movie of the book starring the ever pleasant Christian Bale and Chris Pine. There is already a great History Channel special on the book. [1 copy available]
$ 5.49 + $ 3.09 shipping.

THE LAST SAMURAI (Screenplay and Movie Guide)
by John Logan and Marshall Herskovitz & Edward Zwick. Foreword by Edward Zwick. Color photos & movie stills by David James. Condition: NEW large soft cover, first printing. Content: This book details behind the scene of Edward Zwick's powerful epic set during Japan's turbulent movement away from a feudal society and into a modern nation. Tom Cruise stars as Captain Nathan Algren, battle-scarred Civil War veteran turned Winchester gun spokesman, who travels to Japan in 1876 to train the emperor's troops. With his western-trained troops in place, Emperor Meiji plans to sever ties with the traditional samurai warriors who protect the territories. But during combat, Algren is wounded and captured by the samurai. And it is while in captivity that he discovers the warrior code of honor and undergoes a spiritual transformation that will align him with the very samurai he was sent to quell. The 2003 film was directed by Edward Zwick and starred Cruise, of course, Ken Watanabe, Tony Goldwyn, Timothy Spall (Wormtail), Billy Connolly, Shin Koyamada, Koyuki, and Hiroyuki Sanada. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
$ 9.95 + $ 3.59 media shipping.

THE LION IN THE GATEWAY: The heroic battles of the Greeks and Persians at Marathon, Salamis, and Thermopylae (Shifting scenes)
by Mary Renault. Edited by Walter Lord. B&W illustrations by C. Walter Hodges. Condition: UNREAD 1973 printing Harper & Row Trade Paperback. Light edge wear in the form of 2 short diagonal creases bottom front cover corner. School supplement book. Interior perfect. Content: Reviewer: "An enthralling story, it tells of the crossing of the Hellespont by Xerxes' army and the battles fought against the invaders by the courageous Greeks; Pheidippides marathon run from Athens to Sparta and the heroic stand at Thermopylae by a handful of Spartans. The rich, detailed background of vengeful gods and venerable seers gives this brilliant version of the ancient history a living realism." If your young adult loved "300" - this is the book for him/her. Of course, the movie associated with this book is 300 with the ever beautiful Gerard Butler. Young Adult to Adult. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
$ 24.50 + $ 3.29 media shipping.

THE LONG SHIPS
by Frans G. Bengtsson. B&W maps. Translated from the Swedish by Michael Meyer. Condition: Pre-read 1994 HarperCollins paperback, third printing. Problems: Edge wear with pale diagonal crease (shelf wear) bottom front cover panael, creses and glue strings down spine. Intereior is clean & tight. Content: This saga brings alive the world of the 10th century AD when the Vikings raided the coasts of England. Acclaimed as one of the best historical novels ever written, this engaging saga of Viking adventure in 10th century northern Europe has a very appealing young hero, Orm Tostesson, whose story we follow from inexperienced youth to adventurous old age, through slavery and adventure to a royal marriage and the search for great treasure. Viking expeditions take him to lands as far apart as England, Moorish Spain, Gaardarike (the country that was to become Russia), and the long road to Miklagard. The salt-sea spray, the swaying deck awash in slippery blood are the backdrop to fascinating stories of King Harald Blue Tooth, the Jomsvikings, attempts to convert the Northmen to Christianity, and much else. Like H. Rider Haggard, Bengtsson is a master of the epic form. The 1964 movie was directed by Jack Cardiff and starred Richard Widmark, Sidney Poitier, Russ Tamblyn, and Rosanna Schiaffino. [1 copy available]
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MICHAEL COLLINS AND THE TROUBLES: The Struggle for Irish Freedom 1912 - 1922 (AKA The Troubles)
by Ulick O'Connor. B&W photo section. Condition: UNREAD 1996 Norton Trade Paperback, first printing. Tiny edgewear. Content: This is not a proper biogrpahy of Michael Collins. Originally published as The Troubles, this was probably renamed for an American audience. When Asquith introduced his bill for Home Rule for Ireland in 1912, he sparked a decade of turbulence and violence for Ireland and her people. Michael Collins played a crucial role in rekindling Ireland's aspirations for freedom. A leading figure in the nation's bitter and bloody resistance to British Rule, he played a key part in reshaping Ireland's history as we know it today. O'Connor includes valuable new information about the secret war against England and provides a fresh and highly dramatic account of Ireland's fight for freedom. Using important material from the archives of General Richard Mulcahy, Collins's chief of staff, as well as personal interviews with Mulcahy, Eamon de Valera, and many other leading figures. This is a vivid and often horrifying account of a crucial time, the consequences of which are still felt today. While not a movie book itself, valuable information can be found here for the enjoyment of the wonderful 1996 movie, directed by Neil Jordan, starring Liam Neeson, Aidan Quinn, Stephen Rea, Alan Rickman, & Julia Roberts. [1 copy available]
$ 6.89 + $ 3.19 media shipping.

NEVER CRY WOLF
by Farley Mowat. Condition: UNREAD 1981 Bantam paperback edition, 4th printing. Pale diagonal crease bottom front cover corner with light tanning to page edges. Content: More than a half-century ago the Canadian Wildlife Service assigned the naturalist Farley Mowat to investigate why wolves were killing arctic caribou. Mowat's account of the summer he lived in the frozen tundra alone-studying the wolf population and developing a deep affection for the wolves (who were of no threat to caribou or man) and for a friendly Inuit tribe known as the Ihalmiut ("People of the Deer")-is a work that has become cherished by generations of readers, an indelible record of the myths and magic of wild wolves. The great 1983 movie was directed by Carroll Ballard and starred Charles Martin Smith (as Mowat), Brian Dennehy, and Zachary Ittimangnaq. Don't miss it. [1 copy available]
$ 2.49 + $ 2.94 media shipping.

ORLANDO
by Virginia Woolf. Tilda Swinton movie still cover. Condition: NEW 1973 Harvest edition, Trade Paperback, 25th printing. Tiny edge wear. This printing was released in 1992 to coincide with the new movie. Content: In 1928, way before everyone else was talking about gender-bending and way, way before the terrific movie with Tilda Swinton, Virginia Woolf wrote her comic masterpiece, a fantastic, fanciful love letter disguised as a biography, to Vita Sackville-West. Orlando enters the book as an Elizabethan nobleman and leaves the book three centuries and one change of gender later as a liberated woman of the 1920s. Along the way this most rambunctious of Woolf's characters engages in sword fights, trades barbs with 18th century wits, has a baby, and drives a car. This is a deliriously written, breathless-making book and a classic both of lesbian literature and the Western canon. The 1992 movie was directed by Sally Potter and starred the excellent Tilda Swinton, Quentin Crisp, Jimmy Somerville, Elaine Banham, and Anna Farnworth. [1 copy available]
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RAGTIME (Historical Fiction)
by E. L. Doctorow. Condition: UNREAD but not perfect, 1975 Random House hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), second printing. Although unread, this is still an older book with slight "dulling" (not fading) of the brown boards. The DJ has edgewear. Overall, I would still rate this as a very good copy of a great book. No price on the DJ - not clipped - just not there. Content: There is no simple or concise way to describe the storyline of "Ragtime, " E.L. Doctorow's best known work. This is a celebrated novel that combines the syncopation of ragtime and the literary sensibilities of a writer intrigued by history as literary device. Set primarily in Westchester County's New Rochelle but also in New York City and, briefly, Massachusetts, the novel follows the stories of real and fictional characters as they move from innocence to disillusionment, from peace time to the beginnings of racial conflict and World War I. The fabulous 1981 movie was directed by Milos Forman and starred the great Howard E. Rollins Jr., James Cagney, Mary Steenburgen, Debbie Allen, Jeffrey DeMunn, Norman Mailer (as Stanford White), Elizabeth McGovern, Pat O'Brien, Donald O'Connor, and Mandy Patinkin. Don't miss it! [1 copy available]
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ROSEWOOD & LIKE JUDGEMENT DAY (Movie Edition)
by Michael D'Orso with Introduction by John Singleton. 32 page color movie stills from Rosewood, costumes, and set design sketches. Condition: UNREAD, but not perfect, 1996 Boulevard Books Trade Paperback, third printing. Tiny edgewear with light tanning to text page edges. The Introduction on the making of the film Rosewood by director John Singleton is wonderful. Content: On New Year's Day 1923, a mob of white men descended on Rosewood, Florida, to avenge an act that was only rumored to be true. The mob burned houses, killed many black men and women, and drove the rest of the small town's inhabitants away forever. This book contains the complete text of Like Judgment Day, Michael D'Orso's historical account of the Rosewood massacre, and An Essay on Rosewood by John Singleton, who directed the film Rosewood. With skillful storytelling and the detailed eye of an historian, D'Orso relates this gripping tale of a dark moment in America's history. Singleton's essay helps underscore the aftermath of this tragedy, which is evidenced in the ruined lives and shattered dreams of the people of Rosewood. It is a powerful story of ruin and redemption that still resonates more than half a century later. An important book. The 1997 movie starred Jon Voight, Ving Rhames, Don Cheadle, (the great) Bruce McGill, & Loren Dean. [1 copy available]
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THE ROYAL HUNT OF THE SUN (DVD)
by 905 International. Movie artwork covers. Letterbox. Condition: NEW (shrink-wrapped) 2005 DVD release of the 1969 movie. Content: Reviewer: "This great movie is based on the incredibly successful stage play. The movie was not a big hit for some reason, despite incredible performances by Christopher Plummer as (believe it or not) the "brownie" Inca King Atahuallpa and Robert Shaw as Pizzaro. The script is a blatant condemnation of mass murder and slavery as condoned by the church. It also touches on the social issue of whether life in the world of the Inca -- where each person's life was planned from birth and no one wanted for food or shelter -- is better or worse than life under a monarch or even in a democracy. The Incas traded individuality and freedom of choice for programmed lives; the film lets the viewer make up his or her own mind on this. A third, more subtle theme is the intensity of the bond Pizzaro forms with the captive Inca king. It verges on the homoerotic, which is an interesting take, particularly considering the historical facts. When Pizzaro refuses to execute Atahuallpa, De Soto asks (sarcastically) if he loves the Inca king. Pizzaro responds by admitting that if he does not love Atahuallpa, there's no chance he'll learn of it anywhere else. Thus we have a beautifully filmed movie with a great screenplay, great music/singing, and acting. The DVD reproduction does have some inherent small problems. The 1969 movie starred Robert Shaw, Christopher plummer, Nigel Davenport, Leonard Whiting, Andrew Keir, and James Donald. [1 copy available]
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SAINT PATRICK'S BATTALION (Historical Fiction)
by James Alexander Thom. B&W drawings and maps by the Author. Condition NEW 2006 Ballantine hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), first printing. Content: In June of 1845, a group of immigrant Americans—called the San Patricio's, or St. Patrick's, Battalion—deserted Gen. Zachary Taylor's army and fought on the opposite side in the Mexican-American war, under the leadership of the elusive, charismatic James Riley. Thom has taken this forgotten incident from an almost forgotten war and turned it into a stirring tale that does everything that smart historical fiction ought to do: illuminating the past while throwing new light on the present. The story of this motley band of mostly Irish and German Catholics, driven to rebellion by the endemic racism and capricious cruelty of their officers, is told from two points of view. Augustin Juvero, a Mexican soldier speaking years later, provides essential context, but most of the novel is taken up by the journal (complete with vivid pencil drawings) of Paddy Quinn, a camp boy. Guerillas, gangs of rancheros that kill Americans on sight, torture, border disputation—all are portrayed with brutal and unsentimental simplicity in Quinn's voice. Not only a striking (and often horrific) account of pre–Civil War army life, Quinn's narrative beautifully conveys the boy's coming of age against a backdrop of eerily familiar war and rebellion. The 1999 movie (not based on this book) was directed by Lance Hool and starred the great Tom Berenger, Joaquim de Almeida, Daniela Romo, Mark Moses, and, in a real turn of character for him, Stephen Tobolowsky. It's a very good movie. [1 copy available]
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SHOAH: An Oral History of the Holocaust - The Complete Text of the Film
by Claude Lanzmann. Preface by Simone De Beauvoir. B&W photos illustrate. Condition: Gently pre-read 1986 Pantheon Books hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), first American edition. No problems, just pre-read. Content: The complete textspoken words and subtitlesof a recent documentary film on the Holocaust by French journalist and director Lanzmann is presented here in an unusual but grimly effective format. Doubtless seeing the film would be a vastly different experience, but the text carries a relentless strength and coherence of its own. Excerpts from interviews with a couple of dozen Jewish survivors, German officials and guards, Polish villagers and railway men, and contemporary historians in the United States, Israel, Germany, and Poland are juxtaposed, following the pattern of the film's scenes. The result is a powerful and unique impression of the Jewish tragedy drawn from the composite viewpoints of these radically different participants and observers. [1 copy available]
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THE SNOW WALKER (Historical Fiction)
by Farley Mowat. Condition: UNREAD (but not perfect) 1983 Bantam MMPB, 6th printing. Pale shelfwear hinge crease with edgewear, especially top spine. Interior clean & tight with tanning to page edges. Content: Central to Farley Mowat's writing is his quest to understand the often-forgotten native people of the vast arctic wilderness. In this moving collection, he allows these people to describe in their own words the adventures they experience as they struggle to survive in an isolated, untamed land. Stories of survival and courage, of superstition and fate, of uncompromising loyalty to family and tribe are presented here; offering a vivid portrait of a people whose existence is often beyond the comprehension of modern man. The 2005 movie starred Barry Pepper and Robin Dunne. Just released on DVD. [1 copy available]
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TEN DAYS THAT SHOOK THE WORLD (Movie Edition)
by John (Jack) Reed. Franco Nero movie still cover art. Condition: UNREAD 1986 Penguin (UK) paperback, reprint. Light tanning to white cover edges with moderate tanning to page edges. Content: This book is legendary journalist Jack Reed's account of the Russian Revolution. The book has been the basis of two movies (at least). The first, I believe, was Campanas Rojas, a Spanish-Italian movie directed by Sergei Bondarchuk, starring Franco Nero, Blanca Guerra, Ursula Andress, and Jorge Luke. This movie also relied on Reed's Insurgent Mexico. The second, and most famous, is Warren Beatty's 1981 Reds - one of my favorite films - that starred Beatty, Diane Keaton, Jack Nicholson, and Maureen Stapleton. Academy Awards to Beatty (Director) and Stapleton (Supporting Actress). [1 copy available]
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THE TRIAL OF LEE HARVEY OSWALD
directed by David Greene. 192 run time (in LP mode). Condition: Very good 1990 Good Times VHS tape from private collection. Tape is in excellent condition, but the box corners show shelfwear. GUARANTEED. Content: Suppose Lee Harvey Oswald had lived to stand trial for the assassination of President Kennedy. This 1977 made-for-TV movie brings this hypothetical scenario to life as a riviting courtroom battle that confronts the controversial questions that still haunt the American public. Did Oswald act alone? Or was there a conspiracy that may have included the involvement of the FBI, CIA and organized crime? Reviewer: "Not only is the movie filmed on location (which alone makes it worth the price), it gives us both sides of the coin - conspiracy and lone gunman theories - in glorious color. Just the thought that if Oswald would have lived to stand trial makes this movie intriguing, even before you watch it. The acting is good, the reenactment of events (the assassination, the killing of Officer J. D. Tippit, etc.) are better than those in Stone's JFK and the thought-provoking innuendos are more than enough to keep one entertained throughout. One note: the names of some of the major witnesses and players in the assassination have been changed for whatever reason, but this does not detract from the drama as it unfolds. All in all, it is a wonderful movie." The movie was written by Robert Thompson and starred Lorne Green, Ben Gazzara, an excellent performance by John Pleshette (as Oswald), Frances McCain, Lawrence Pressman, Marisa Pavan, and William Jordan. Excellent movie! [1 copy available]
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TRUE HISTORY OF THE KELLY GANG (A Novel)
by Peter Carey. Winner of the Booker Prize. Condition: NEW 2002 Vintage International Trade Paperback, first printing. Content: "What is it about we Australians, eh?" demands a schoolteacher near the end of Peter Carey's True History of the Kelly Gang. "Do we not have a Jefferson? A Disraeli? Might not we find someone better to admire than a horse-thief and a murderer?" It's the author's sole nod to the contradictory feelings Ned Kelly continues to evoke today, more than a century after his death. A psychopathic killer to some, a crusading folk hero to others, Kelly was a sharpshooting outlaw who eluded a brutal police manhunt for nearly two years. For better or worse, he's now a part of the Australian national myth. While this book is not the only book to inspire the new Ned Kelly movie, it was undoubtedly one of the sources. The major source was, however, Our Sunshine by Robert Drew. There are 2 movies about Ned Kelly I can think of that had wide distribution. 1) Ned Kelly released in 1970 starring Mick Jagger as Ned, Clarissa Kaye-Mason, Mark McManus, and Ken Goodlet. Directed by Tony Richardson. A terrible movie, IMHO. The more recent Ned Kelly starred Heath Ledger (as Ned), Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey Rush, Naomi Watts, Joel Edgerton & Rachel Griffiths. Directed by Gregor Jordan. [1 copy available]
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