As I said in my review for CREATIVE SCREENWRITING, this book is a one-sided, unfocused conversation that does not live up to its purpose. This is print-on-demand at its worst, a book screaming for the chain saw and vision of an editor. The screenplay itself is not bad for a draft but in no way does this book reveal or clarify the collaborative process in screenwriting. Two thumbs very down.

After reading the Zoetrope discussion, I decided to give this book a try, and couldn't put it down. Fearless stuff.

No, it seems to be true love, if their website can be believed. In spite of the distance and cultural differences, these two have written an engrossing screenplay, as well as a spirited account of their partnership (professional and romantic). They've offhandedly revealed some insights about the creative process, too.

My copy of this book arrived yesterday, so I haven't read it. But I did start it last night. The first sentence engenedered substantial discomfort--for it evokes the picture of the European Powers meeting in Vienna on June 9, 1815 to sign the treaty to end the Napoleonic wars. Excuse me? JUNE 9? June 9 was A WEEK BEFORE THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO! Now I am not a Ph.D history, and I am not someone who thinks that "dates" are what the best history is about. But to get this wrong in the first sentence of a book? What happened to the proofreaders at Cambridge University Press? Ignore the 2 stars the system made me give; the bibliographies that led me to the book make me think I'll revise upward, but, if the devil is in the details. . . .

I don't normally write book reviews but the subject matter of the most recent review (see below) has provoked me into a response. The Congress of Vienna in which the shape of post Napoleonic Europe was determined was from September 1814 to June 1815. It is important to understand that the congress was organized to "settle" things after Napoleon went into exile on Elba in 1814. It continued through the Hundred Days that ended at Waterloo. The egregious error cited below is not an error at all.

As the author Charles Ingrao states in his preface to this excellent history, it can be difficult to combine the brevity of a textbook history with the completeness and detail sought by the scholar. Fortunately, Mr. Ingrao provides fascinating and detailed portraits of the historical background and the interacting personalities of the period. The Habsburg monarchs display personality traits which often influence the historical events of the time ( the counter-revolutionary zeal of

Ferdinand II instigating the thirty years' war ). Prince Eugene of Savoy is certainly one of the most brilliant military leaders of any time, and his prominant role in the defeat of the army of Louis XIV is emphasized in this book. The history begins at the thirty years' war in 1618 and extends through the numerous challenges to the Habsburg Monarchy, including the Turks, the French, and the Prussians. The enlghtened rule ( and reform ) of both Maria Theresa and her son Joseph II are discussed in the later chapters leading into the early nineteenth century. Mr. Ingrao has taken care to incorporate details of economic as well as social-cultural events to support his thesis that the Habsburg Monarchy was a very positive and active influence on the society of this period, and what a period for the empire!

For those interested in the history of Austria or the Habsburg Monarchy, this book offers the extra details to make history interesting. The personalities are fascinating, and the historical background of the period often anticipates our questions or concerns and leads into absorbing discussions of these issues.

This book, written during the communist era, mostly by people in high positions in that regime and their American fellow travelers, reflects that perspective. It is multicultural and politically correct.

Just one example of their sinister multicultural views. They talk about the six NATIONS that make up Hungary and complain about "Hungarian ambitions of hegemony," ignoring the history of how these minorities were allowed to settle in the country.

A great disappointment!

As a 1st generation Hungarian American, I wanted to learn more about my history. This book gave me an excellent in depth overview of the tumultuous history of this often overlooked nation.

This is the finest single-volume history of Hungary in the English language. Highly recommended work, by one of the most incisive historians of central and south-eastern Europe around.

The good use of memory: this book teaches how to patch together a tapestry of stories, and make it all worthwhile. By inventing a fantastic world of myths and legends, the main character of this beautiful novel defeats the condemnation of silence and gives a passionate description of the drama that surrounds him: life itself, and the consciousness of a child, whom he tries save from a world of deception.

To begin, there are a few reasons I enjoyed this story of a childhood in a different part of the world: one, the interplay of childhood imagination with reality and second, the genealogical history of the family's heritage through beautiful stories told by the grandfather and by the child's witness to contemporary events.

Personally speaking, reading this beautiful story was an hypnotic experience. The interplay of close-up, magnified images through the young boy's encounters and observations with nature, family members, and related events as they involved his family, then himself and others add up to a sensitively written story set in tumultuous times, which are known only through the child's connection with them. Basically, the child-narrator's viewpoint prevails, allowing for a gentle ending. His early, childish imaginings in response to his new predicaments gain greater clarity (as they do also for this reader) as these situations grow both more familiar and, hence, more sharp. The crystally clear narrative seems to grow ever more icily transparent as his consciousness of them grows.

Differently from other novels that may feature several narrators on the track of a plausibly accurate explanation for a simple event shrouded in mystery, for example Iain Pears' INSTANCE OF THE FINGERPOST, THE END OF A FAMILY STORY is a solo piece that mostly moves ever forward in time along with the boy. Family stories told by the grandfather about the far past or impinging contemporary events only broaden the child's connectedness to his present situation.

THE END OF A FAMILY STORY leaves with a sense of release and playfulness. The balance however dubious at times seems to be safeguarded by the child's innocence. There is something good and hopeful in that state, and the denouement falls into line with it.

In summary, these merits in the narrative as well as the non-encounters, which the child does not know but which add subtle drama to this story of childhood, recommends itself to further exploration of Nadas' literature.

Deeply researched, but if this book's author is nearly as long-winded in his classes his students must fall asleep in droves.

A question about the 'reviewer' below : Is his critical judgement any better than his spelling (Oregan) ?

As a Hungarian-American, I was puzzled by this book. It attempts to show the tenor of life under Janos Kadar, who served as Magyar leader from 1956 until the fall of Soviet Communism in the late 1980s. Kadar walked a delicate tightrope between pleasing Khrushchev, Brezhnev, and Gorbachev -- and pleasing his people. Esterhazy depicts this period as an era of pornography: One appears willing to enjoy like the nubile beauties in a porno movie, but in reality one is appalled by the fact that one is being used.

The difficulty with a long extended metaphor is either that it breaks out of its shell and goes somewhere; or, in this case, it just spirals around and sputters out inconclusively.

At times, Esterhazy sounds like a Hungarian William Burroughs in THE NOVA EXPRESS. I would be curious to see how the original reads in Hungarian, because the rendition into English seems to always be just a bit unidiomatic. There are numerous English slang phrases that make it look as if the translator has a tin ear.

The only reason I rated this book a 3 is that every once in a while, it seems right on target, especially in the opening section. But, as in any book that contains no characters and no story, it slips out again. The Section entitled simply "?" seems particularly endless and painful, with its endless interrogatories.

The book is a part of a longer novel, it`s a pitty that the rest is not translated. It focuses on the discourse of sexuality and in the same time the communist rule in Hungary. I like it very much since it can speak about sex and communist mass murder in witty brilliant language! It is clear that what is at stake is not history, politics or private life but the style itself.

A tribute to Hungary's best and brightest deserves cogent writing. In Made in Hungary, Mr. Simon, fails to even utilize basic English grammer. The errors are too common, too glaring and time and time again I found myself wondering who could have edited and published a book with so many obvious errors. In addition, throughout thebook Mr. Simon makes numerous unsupportable and sometimes outrageous statements. My advice is to pass this book up and wait until someone with some writing ability tackles the subject.

This book is excellent! I wanted to learn more about Hungary, its history, its ways, its contributions to the world, and this book covers it.

It begins with a historical perspective, 'Milestones of Progress', and then covers Hungary's impact from the Arts and Social Sciences to Engineering, and even Sports. It is not a 'cover to cover' read, but can be read either a chapter at a time, or as a reference book to look up information as needed.

If you are looking for a book that covers Hungary from an interesting and to the point perspective, this is it!

...and I hate to say that, because I was really, REALLY looking forward to reading this book! Alternate histories fascinate me (as they do many readers) and although I'm happy to say that the author appears to have a good grasp of Custer as a personality and doesn't paint him as a heartless, Indian-hating, glory-grabbing brute (which is refreshing!), his style is extremely dry. The research is sound, but it's more like reading a history textbook than a novel. So, if you're looking for a teeth-rattling page-turner, I'm afraid this isn't it. "Marching to Valhalla" is a much better bet!

I have been reading alternative histories on and off since MacKinlay Kantor wrote "If the South Had Won the Civil War" several decades ago. The two key factors in any alternative history are (1) what happens differently to alter the flow of history and (2) what significant chances result from that alteration. Such stories are usually flawed because the first part becomes convoluted beyond belief, but that is certainly not the case with "Custer's Luck," written by Robert Skimin with researcher William E. Moody. The pivotal moment is, of course, the Battle of the Little Big Horn, and the authors have George Armstrong Custer discover the true size of the Indian camp he is about to attack. So instead of continuing with his suicidal charge he reunites his elements of the 7th Calvary with those under Reno and Benteen. With a unified command Custer is able to compel Sitting Bull to surrender by employing his standard tactic, threatening the women and children. Therefore, instead of the newspapers being full of the massacre of Custer's troops on nation's Centennial, "Long Hair" is credited with a great victory. All of this is certainly plausible.

Equally reasonable is the idea that Custer would then have been tapped to run for President in 1880. The main thrust of "Custer's Luck" is therefore going to be what happens to the destiny of America with Custer in the White House. If you have a reasonable grasp of American history--and there is no reason to be reading these types of books if you do not--then half the fun is recognizing where and when the authors are lifting ideas and events. This goes from such relatively minor things as the court-martial of a black West Point cadet to Custer insisting the U.S. cannot afford to be Isolationist, the political philosophy that was the flaw in American diplomacy throughout the 20th century. Ultimately, "Custer's Luck" wants to have the United States try to begin that century the way it ended it, as the preeminent military and political power on the planet. Consequently, Custer fast-forwards the nation in terms of developing a strong navy, building the Panama Canal, provoking a war with Spain over Cuba, and even supporting women's suffrage.

The main sub-plot of the novel focuses on Red Elk, a young Sioux Warrior who vows over the dead body of his pregnant wife that he will kill "Long Hair." Red Elk is a fictional character, originally created in Skimin's "The River and the Horsemen: A Novel of the Little Big Horn." Given that previous novel along with the fact Moody is the editor of "The Journal of the Little Bighorn Associates," it is not surprising that several of those who died with Custer--his brothers Tom and Boston, Myles Keogh, Mark Kellogg and William Cooke--are prominent throughout the novel. Even Frederick Benteen, never a Custer supporter, becomes a Congressman bent on derailing his former commander's ambitions. There are also some soap opera elements; at one point Custer even ends up in the arms of Lillie Langtry. But even before we get to Skimin's final postscript comment "Any comparison to Camelot is in the mind of the reader," it is clear that John F. Kennedy is the major model for the Custer Administration and its theme of "The New American Empire." After all, Custer puts brother Tom in a Cabinet post while his brother Boston is elected a Congressman, Libbie wants to fix up the White House and Custer has the government supporting the fine arts.

I am perfectly willing to grant that many of the things Custer does in this novel could have been done at that time. I will even agree that a national hero such as Custer would have been after winning the Battle of the Little Bighorn could be swept to the Presidency (although Custer's narrow victory in the election does not ring true to me, even if the man was a Democrat). What I find hard to believe is that a President Custer would have been so visionary. When he works out diplomatic solutions to get both Geronimo and Sitting Bull back to their reservations, it is clear that Skimin and Moody are offering us a different Custer than the egotistical daredevil of history's current judgment. Then again, this only underscores that the character is ultimately only a device that allows the authors to shape their alternative America, so there is a logic to their alterations. However, the ending of "Custer's Luck" conveniently frees Skimin from having to finish what he has started. The significant changes that should be at the heart of this alternative history are therefore secondary to the parade of historical figures Custer and his cohorts encounter in the novel. To say the least, I find this to be an unsatisfactory way of concluding this story, essentially negating much of the momentum Skimin and Moody had in creating their alternate America.

I thoroughly enjoyed this "what if" story of a successful Custer who seemed to be ahead of his time, and yet suffered from the same character defects as more recent leaders. While the details surrounding some of the lesser characters was a little tedious, it was a quick,interesting, and fun read. In the final analysis, Custer could not escape the Little Big Horn and, as with JFK, the promise of a great leader was not realized. Don't miss this book if you enjoy alternative history and Custer mythology.

The man and his "competitors" were not above your common grave diggers. They simply dug and hauled treasures and historic artifacts out of their resting places and rubbed a people and the land of their heritage.

Shame on those who consider them true archeologists.

Aurel Stein was not without his faults. From all indications, he believed in the white man's burden, and probably would have tolerated fascism for its efficiency except for the realization that Hitler's brand of it included anti-Semitism, and Stein was Jewish. Even the subtitle of the book, Pioneer of the Silk Road, is Eurocentric: there were already people living in the areas Stein explored, members of tribes Stein seems to have had no interest in or ability to differentiate among. Stein was the first white archaeologist in the area, and he did open up new methods of what can only be called archaeological plunder. Stein felt that if he hadn't taken those antiquities, there was a good chance they would have been destroyed where they were. He didn't know they'd sit unviewed in the British Museum for almost a hundred years after he took them. The real crime is that they are not now given back to China to help right past injustices. Stein's racial and cultural attitudes were a product of his time. He was too stuck in the framework of his own culture to be able to judge any other culture except by the standards of his own. Annabel Walker acknowledges Stein's shortcomings and yet brings him to life as an interesting, sympathetic individual. He loved his family and friends and dogs dearly, but beyond that, he loved the great Asian wildernesses that he roamed in, often at extreme peril. Walker evokes those places, makes us see them as he did. Walker shows us the "pluck", as Stein liked to call it, of the man, as well as his determination to shape his life as he wanted it, to pursue what interested him. He died the way he lived, in action, pursuing his dream even in his old age. Annabel Walker writes with insight and equanimity. Her research is painstaking, her writing style enjoyable and thought-provoking.

It is only through the work and people like Aurel Stein that we can retain knowledge of the past which otherwise would be forgotten and lost in the hands of specialized predators and thieves. Well written book.

It's in no way clear what any of this has to do with scholarship, either on the level of literature, history, or autobiography. Suleiman is clearly her own biggest fan, and the book does nothing but detail her personal celebration of herself. It is, for example, in no way clear what her name-dropping accounts of dinner parties and non-attended talks is supposed to signify within the context of serious, reflective scholarship. If you're sitting a qualfiying exam anytime soon for a degree in Susan Suleimanism, by all means read this book, but it is a waste of time for anyone else. Let's hope this volume sounds a death knell for academic self-aggrandizement: come back to earth Ms. Suleiman.

Further up "A reader from Cambridge" proved that he did not understand nothing at all. It's just for this guy that I do have to explain, that this book has nothing got to do with scholarships or so. It's hard to belive that he did not find out while reading the book to its end. He or she however seemed to have noticed in the end that he or she might blame himself or herself and therefore missed to leave the full name.

For the rest of the world I would like to say that this is not big literature, but an important book. Once individuals stop to be interested to investigate in their history and to try to understand what was happening when and why, we will loose a chance to prevent dark parts of human history from coming back. This is why this book has a right to exist and this is what we can learn from it. It gives us an example for ourselves. And Suleiman does not celebrate herself, as her critic says, but gives us an unproctected view into her feelings. This makes her vulnerable and the "reader from Cambridge" takes his freedom to eagerly touch her wounds.

I say it very clearly: Books like Suleiman's help to make sure that "readers from Cambridge MA" buy a book about the Iraque war the other day and complain that it is not really on the oil business.

This is a book exploring the author's search for a childhood identity forged in Hungary in the shadow of the Holocaust and her family's subsequent emigration to the USA. For many complex reasons, childhood issues had not been addressed for much of the author's adult life. The book is a wonderfully evocative memoir of childhood, a search for a national identity and an accurate and sensitive portrayal of the sense of alienation felt by those with the immigrant experience. It is set in the background of the diary written by the author while she lived and worked in Budapest in an academic capacity. As she explores the issues around Hungary's newly found freedoms in the 1990s, she examines them in the context of the uglier aspects of Hungarian and European nationalism which had decimated Hungarian Jewry. Although told from the Jewish viewpoint, it has broad appeal and addresses many important aspects of the human condition.

The author's considerable literary ability (she is professor of Romance Languages at Harvard) is evident in the exquisitely sensitive descriptions of events and emotions from both a child's and adult's viewpoint. She seems to have learnt well from the authors on whom she has based her distinguished career. Emotions leap at the reader from every page, often rapidly traversing the spectrum of joy, sadness, longing, confusion and humor. At all times there is a strong prevailing sense of the author's awareness of how her uniquely Hungarian Jewish background profoundly influenced every important outcome of her life and her world outlook.

The dilemma of being an outsider, yet identifying culturally and nationally with a sovereign state is well known to many Jews and constitutes the fundamental European Jewish experience. Many of those (myself included) who underwent this in repressive political systems fled to the western world and became very successful and yet experienced a sense of national and cultural alienation in their adopted societies.

Despite addressing emotionally charged, controversial and sometimes uncomfortable subjects, there is always a sense of lightness and what is almost playfulness. Not all issues are serious and there is one hilarious description of Hungarian toilets, which every Westerner must have felt (if not voiced) upon their initial experience with these dreadfully designed pieces of porcelainware.

Although an emotionally charged book, it never descends into unrealistic sentimentalism - the message seems to be that no matter what we do with our lives, where we come from has a profound effect on who we are and how we see the events around us. Acknowledging this can be liberating.