Bently Reviews

The book is not a guide but it goives a lot of useful Information. It is a pity it is so difficult to obtain. Extracts from the book can be found under the travel section of the "Telegraph Online" a newspaper in London that has over 45 web pages devoted to the pilgrimage along with a complet FAQ. Search alta Vista or Yahoo for this newspaper.

I am a big fan of William Joyce's work. He has such a wonderful style and tells such great, imaginative stories. This early work from him isn't one of my favorites though. It's a cute story, but the illustrations, the true stars of his books, are a bit different than what he normally does. The illustrations are too light or something. Still the character desings are cute and it's well worth the price of purchase but it's just not as satisfying as his other works.

I agree with the reader from Virginia--reading this I pictured it as a movie. Totally delightful and imaginative.

This children's book is exquisitely told and drawn. My almost-six year old daughter and almost-four year old son also love it. Every time I read it, I wonder why they don't make children's movies like this book. I would so much rather take my children to see this book in film version than to another Disney film. This is the kind of story children and parents can get lost in together. And I can't say enough about the illustrations--I laugh every time I see Bentley smiling down at the screaming lady from atop her easter bonnet! I give this book my highest recommendation.

I found this book by doing a search for Mark Pyle as an author in a vain attempt at finding a tape called "Death of An American Dream," which I know he is quoted on, but I'm not positive he authored. But, this book looks interesting. Anything by the last Clipper Captain is a good read to me.

"Pan Am has place of it's own. You call it the world, we call it home." Gone but not forgotten....

I originally was going to submit this review as the author...which in fairness I am as much as any of those listed but withdrew the verbage before the final mouse click for avoidance of legal ramifications.

In 1991, Chronicle of Aviation was originally published in France. It was piloted by a wonderful Air France Concorde pilot by the name of Edouard Chemel and published under Chronicle Publications...the owner a very colorful Belgian by the name of Jacques Legrand. The book was later translated into english by Derek Mercer and new articles and content to attract the attention of english speaking audiences. Ivan Rendall, "Reaching for the Skies," was the original editor-in-chief for England but withdrew at the last moment and Bill Gunston was his replacement. Gunston's name in England is well known, and was thought to increase sales after Rendall pulled out of the project.

I was brought in as editor-in-chief for American content in December of '91 and was a contributing author of well over 70 articles and many, many pictures as well.

The book never did well in the USA but was quite successful overseas. American's and history... well, we are a throw away society, are we not?

Since Chemel and I are notably absent from your author header, I respectfully submit that we both contributed more blood sweat and tears than any of those individuals you have listed.

With respect,

Mark S. Pyle Captain "The Last Clipper" December 4th, 1991

editor-in-chief "Chronicle of Aviation"

I'm a pilot and was looking for the biggest and most comprehensive history of aviation. I found it in this book!
This is the essential aviation book and reference/research tool! Place it on your coffee table -- it will never get put back down! Hardcover, high quality images and articles. Each page looks like a newspaper. It is a tad biased toward Europe, but US aircraft, ever the powerhouse of aviation in the world, is overwhelmingly the majority of articles. There is some editorial embellishing, but not to the point that the bulk of the historical fact is presented.
This book is HUGE! Over 950+ pages! Color and black and white photos, artwork. The book is broken down into chronological history of aircraft from 1500-1992. At the beginning of each year, a huge cover image from some significant happening (or other cool image) appears with the stats for highest altitude, engine HP, speed record, etc. for aviation at that point.
Just when you think its over, there is a 200+ page section on how all types of aircraft engines work, including famous engines, types of fuel, turbo and super charging, turbines, rotary, etc. Then, after that, there is major world airline information including artwork of each aircraft tail and its corporate logo, plus vital stats about each. Neat!
Buy this book, you won't be dissapointed.

I think this book is closer to 3 1/2 stars. If you're looking for a thorough explanation of mythic characters, this is not the book for you. This is a dictionary, a handy guide for when you want to refresh your memory on an archaic reference. What it lacks in depth in makes up for in scope however; I was happily surprised at how many cultures were represented in the collection. In leafing through, you may find a character or story that sparks you to investigate further. A pleasant, but again rather narrow, addition are the thematic cross-cultural mythic references (creation, death, etc.) each discussed for a page or two throughout the book. Overall it's good for a basic reference guide.

A very nice book, poking gentle fun at George Mikes, America and England. Lots of gems of wisdom in here. Composed of three books: How to scrape skies; Wisdom for others; Shakespeare and myself.

This book deals with the depth and power of Ted Hughes writing in a way which is readable, yet sufficiently technical to highlight the mechanisms being used. It draws on French theorists, notable Lacan and Kristeva, to expose the poems as being ultimately a search for meaning amongst an ostensibly wild and natural universe. The themes of myth and magic run deep through the book in a manner which matches Hughes' style very closely. I would recommend this book to all who are interested in looking more deeply at this poet's work.

Since our VW dealership is uncapable of working on our Jetta and most all VW's, this book has helped us tremendously. Many other people have run into the same problems when dealing with a VW dealership. So, like most others, we have decided to work on our own VW. It is a must have for any VW owner! We were very dissatisfied with the shipping and had to wait forever for this book. But, you can't beat the price and it is worth the wait.

I am not an "auto mechanic" by any means, so I was pleasantly surprised when I recently ordered this book and used it to remove and replace the exhaust manifold gasket on my '94 Jetta. The book gave very detailed and easy to understand instructions to aid me in my task. The book has also helped me with other various tasks, including a complete front and back brake job and a complete tune-up. The book has already saved me hundreds of dollars & I would recommend it to anyone who is thinking about working on their own water cooled Volkswagen.

This book is the bible for third generation Jetta, Golf and Cabrio maintenance and repairs. With hundreds of pages covering a wide variety of topics, it is definitely well worth the money. It has already saved me big $$$ since I got it. If you use this manual and buy your parts online (from auction sites for example), I'm sure that you will be able to save a lot of money as well!

Tjis book was rubbish and don't ever read it again!!

Egypt was great, and I really appreciated all of the suggestions on how to see it and enjoy it. Guess I'll have to go back to try more. Pluses - the info was pretty much on target regarding tourist (and non-tourist) sites; the itineraries; the informational blurbs which enhanced the overall experience; and cost. Minuses - maps & pictures (lack thereof). Didn't mind the typo's so much once I got there - they kinda fit the place.

Few destinations in the world are more worth visiting than Egypt, a land laden with ancient monuments of unsurpassed splendor and presently inhabited by a people whose generosity and kindness is unmatched. Anybody considering a visit to Egypt shoudl read all that they can, including "Egypt Guide."

The first twelve chapters cover a variety of "background" relating to general issues of travel to Egypt from basic infomation about the people and their history, to specific ideas for itineraries and how to handle a tripwith children. The following 7 seven chapters focus on spefici destinations beginning with Cairo. Each chapter includes dozens of write-ups for hotels, restaurants and historical attractions. Most of the information is relevant and accurate, and options are included both for budget and upscale travelers. In particular, those chapters relating to less traveled to regions such as the verdant oases of the Western Desert and the Christian sites of Middle Egypt which include some of the worlds oldest churches and monastaries. By in large the writing, while not gripping, is clear and easy to follow.

There are however some weaknesses, namely the lack of useful maps, and some shoddy editing. It is worth it for any traveler to rely on more than one source, however this one is well worth the $13.