Friday, August 31, 2012

Top 10 2010 Christmas Board Game Gifts

For the Top 10 2010 Christmas Board Game Gifts; we have focused our list on games that have already been released this year and are readily available at Starlit Citadel or at your local games retailer.All of these are great board games with a range of prices that will suit any budget.1) Battles of Westeros We start the list with a tactical war game based on George R.Martin's popular Game of Thrones series of novels.In the Battles of Westeros, players take command of the armies of Westeros, writing the history of the continent in blood and steel.Using the time-tested Command & Colors gaming system with the addition of generals as units to the game and high quality components and graphics; Battles of Westeros is the definite war game gift of 2010.2) Castle Ravenloft. A Dungeons & Dragons Board Game Castle Ravenloft. A Dungeons & Dragons Board Game is a major hit this year, with sales out-stripping most of our other games.A fun, easy to learn light adventure game; Castle Ravenloft has players take on the roles of one of five adventurers attempting to solve a quest together.Random tiles and monster generation and multiple skills allows the game a huge replay value, while the high quality miniatures and great graphics makes it a joy to look and play with.A great game for those looking for a fast, easy to learn and teach adventuring game.3) Betrayal at the House on the Hill Betrayal at the House on the Hill is a reprint of the classic board game.A (mostly) pure co-operative game, Betrayal has randomised tiles; multiple characters, a ton of scenarios and new, updated rules that clarifies many of the previous questions.This game is a classic of its genre and will satisfy any horror lover.4) Carcassonne Big Box 3 Carcassonne Big Box 3 is the latest compilation of the many Carcassonne expansions and base game.The Big Box 3 removes the Tower expansion but adds in the more recent and popular Cult, Siege & Creativity expansion.A tile-laying game for the family, Carcassonne has continued to be a classic gateway game with its easy to learn rules but deep strategy.5) Forbidden Island Forbidden Island is a family friendly co-operative board game that has players on a sinking island in search of five treasures.You'll have to work together, attempting to stop the flooding of terrain tiles and find the treasures before time runs out; all the while as the tiles continue to sink deeper and deeper into the ocean.Forbidden Island is a light co-operative board game that is cheap, fun and has immense replay value created by the award-winning designer of Pandemic.6) Summoner Wars. Phoenix Elves vs Tundra Orcs / Summoner Wars. Guild Dwarves vs Cave Goblins Summoner Wars is a 2 player tactical card game where players maneuver their forces on a board in an attempt to defeat their opponent's army.Using one of the races provided in the base game; players square off against each other and must attempt to not only position their characters on the board but consider which pieces to bring in.A cross between Chess and Battleships; Summoner Wars is a fun 2 player card game for all.7) Ascension. Chronicles of the Godslayer Ascension. Chronicles of the Godslayer rides the wave of deck-building games and comes out with something new and interesting.Stripped down of the many complexities involved in deck building games like Dominion or Thunderstone, Ascension is easy to learn and fun to play; with an ever-evolving mix of cards appearing in its central row.Players have to stay on their toes throughout the game, changing tactics as available cards alter and the rounds rush past.A definite must have for those into deck builders or looking for a quick deck-builder.8) Power Grid. Factory Manager A personal favourite; Power Grid Factory Manager has players attempting to improve their factory and supply as much power as possible whilst attempting to keep costs down.That means managing their workers, purchasing new generators and additional storage for the current they produce while keeping an eye on the ever-increasing price of electricity.A pure auction game; Power Grid Factory Manager plays within an hour with experienced players while offering a good challenge for all levels.9) Fresko Last year's Spiel des Jahres winner (the prestigious German board game award); Fresko has players attempting to be the first to build and complete a fresco for their patrons.However, you'll need to not only buy your paints and manage your apprentices but attempt to appease your patrons when they come by whilst actually getting some work done.Worker placement and management has never been so fun than with Fresko.10) Gold Mine For those looking for a family game; Gold Mine is it.Featuring entirely too cute miniature miners and a modular board; players attempt to find gold nuggets in the mine and escape with their loot before it's lost or stolen.Cute, good-natured fun that can involve the whole family with dice rolls and groans as miners face horrible perils like puddles and secret passages.Honourable Mentions.Dominant Species Designed by popular game designer Chad Jensen; Dominant Species recreates the battle for dominance by six major animal classes - mammal, reptile, bird, amphibian, arachnid or insect - just before the last Ice Age.To win, players will need to evolve, propagate and dominate the earth just before the Ice Age appears.The only reason it's not higher on the list is the higher than normal price for a Eurogame.Sid Meier's Civilization the Board Game Civilization the Board Game is not on the list is because it's yet to be released and might just miss this Christmas.We're hoping not, but this is probably the most interesting Civilisation building board game to come out in years.Delivered by the award-winning design team at Fantasy Flight; Civilization is bound to be a hit when it does release.

Top 10 2010 Christmas Board Game Gifts

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The Last Dragon Chronicles Who Sells Star Ocean: The Last Hope International Game Fabric Wall Scroll Poster (21"x16") Inches

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Star Ocean: The Last Hope International Game Fabric Wall Scroll Poster (21"x16") Inches

Decorate your walls with this brand new sturdy Wall Scroll
Durable fabric (much better than a regular poster)
Easy to frame (comes with 2 hanging hooks) and makes a great gift too

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Review of Killing Rommel

Based on the real-life exploits of the British special forces Long Range Desert Group during World War II, Killing Rommel pits this elite group against the German Afrika Korps and its legendary commander Field Marshall Erwin Rommel.Author Steven Pressfield brings this narration to life.Set to the point of view of a young lieutenant, he mixes historical facts, real events and even real people into this work of fiction.Pressfield's dynamic ability to blend a story into the facts of real history is masterly.Lt.Chapman enters the book as a tank officer in the 22nd Armoured Bridgade, 7th Armoured Division commanding a reconnaissance troop of 4 tanks.The tale develops his role into the Long Range Desert Group, his training, wartime marriage, and many exploits up through the end of the Africa campaign.Their motto. Non Vi Sed Arte-Not by Strength, by Guile.While Rommel is not actually killed in Africa, the act of supreme courage and daring by the allied forces who defeated the 'Desert Fox' in Africa signaled an end to German supremacy.Steven Pressfield's other works include other historical novels Gates of Fire, Last of the Amazons, The Afghan Campaign, The Legend of Bagger Vance, and The Art of War.Full Synopsis of Killing Rommel.Steven Pressfield's quintet of acclaimed, bestselling novels of ancient warfare- Gates of Fire, Tides of War, Last of the Amazons, The Virtues of War, and The Afghan Campaign- have earned him a reputation as a master chronicler of military history, a supremely literate and engaging storyteller, and an author with acute insight into the minds of men in battle.In Killing Rommel Pressfield extends his talents to the modern world with a WWII tale based on the real-life exploits of the Long Range Desert Group, an elite British special forces unit that took on the German Afrika Korps and its legendary commander, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, "the Desert Fox.".Autumn 1942.Hitler's legions have swept across Europe; France has fallen; Churchill and the English are isolated on their island.In North Africa, Rommel and his Panzers have routed the British Eighth Army and stand poised to overrun Egypt, Suez, and the oilfields of the Middle East.With the outcome of the war hanging in the balance, the British hatch a desperate plan-send a small, highly mobile, and heavily armed force behind German lines to strike the blow that will stop the Afrika Korps in its tracks.Narrated from the point of view of a young lieutenant, Killing Rommel brings to life the flair, agility, and daring of this extraordinary secret unit, the Long Range Desert Group.Stealthy and lethal as the scorpion that serves as their insignia, they live by their motto. Non Vi Sed Arte-Not by Strength, by Guile as they gather intelligence, set up ambushes, and execute raids.Killing Rommel chronicles the tactics, weaponry, and specializedskills needed for combat, under extreme desert conditions.And it captures the camaraderie of this "band of brothers" as they perform the acts of courage and cunning crucial to the Allies' victory in North Africa.As in all of his previous novels, Pressfield powerfully renders the drama and intensity of warfare, the bonds of men in close combat, and the surprising human emotions and frailties that come into play on the battlefield.A vivid and authoritative depiction of the desert war, Killing Rommel brilliantly dramatizes an aspect of World War II that hasn't been in the limelight since Patton.Combining scrupulous historical detail and accuracy with remarkable narrative momentum, this galvanizing novel heralds Pressfield's gift for bringing more recent history to life.

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China!

The ambivalence of U.S.Policy towards China may be perhaps best characterized by the incident of the spy airplane back in 2001.While gathering intelligence off the coast of China, a U.S.Navy EP-3 electronic spy plane, piloted by Lt.Osborn collides in mid-air with a Chinese F-8 and is forced to make an emergency landing at Hainan Island.The Chinese pilot, Wang Wei, is killed in the incident.China charges that the U.S.Plane illegally entered Chinese airspace, and detains the 24 U.S.Crew members for 11 days.It demands that the U.S.Take full responsibility for the incident and issue a full apology.In the end, the United States offers a letter in which it says it is "very sorry" for the loss of the Chinese pilot and "very sorry" that the aircraft landed in China without permission.The damaged U.S.Airplane is not returned for three months.Together with the letter of apologies, however, China also gets a U.S.Aircraft carrier battlegroup of the Seventh Fleet permanently stationed off the coast of Taiwan.On the other hand, Chinese ambivalence towards the United States can be perhaps best described by the statement of a Chinese official to a visiting American delegation to Shanghai in 2001. "I surely hope that you and the American economy do well in this global slowdown, because your economic interests and your economic development are critical to the welfare of the people in Shanghai and China.".This remarks comes at a time while China is intent at stealing U.S.Military secrets from Martin Lockheed - and it is caught with both hands in the bag doing so.And then, of course, American and Chinese joint ambivalence towards the rest of the world must be perhaps encapsulated in the philantropic website maintained at http.//www.Uschina.Org/ where both sides are trying to convince the rest of us in English - and for those who do not get it the first time around, in Chinese - that seldom have there been in the history of humanity two great pals like the Bald Eagle and the Red Dragon.Well .Well .China's giant leap towards a Western-style, capitalistic economy presents an increasingly urgent set of challenges that must be resolved by the leading elite if they hope to sustain the miraculous economic growth, which has averaged eight percent a year for the past decade.When you consider that the People's Republic of China (PRC) has 1.3 billion people, more than four times the population of the United States, the implications of its radical economic transformation are sobering.In 2004 the Chinese added 1.8 million cars to their roads, bringing the national total to well over 10 million.At recent growth rates, the number could very well double every three to four years.Should car ownership ever match that in the United States (135 million vehicles in 2002), there would be about 600 million cars on China's roads - more than all the cars in the world today.A statistical comparison between the two giants compiled by the World Resource Institute of the United Nations reveals even more staggering figures..CHINA vs.UNITED STATES.AREA. 3,705,820 square miles vs.3,717,796 square miles.POPULATION. 1,288,700,000 vs.291,500,000.DENSITY per square mile. 348 vs.78.ENERGY CONSUMPTION per person. 880 Kg/oil per year vs.7,960 Kg/oil per year.MEAT CONSUMPTION per person. 104 lbs.Per year vs.269 lbs.Per year.PAPER CONSUMPTION per person. 73 lbs.Per year vs.730 lbs.Per year.AVERAGE NUMBER OF PERSON . 1.1 per room vs.0.5 per room.WATER USE per person . 116,000 gals.Per year vs.484,500 gals.Per year.TV SETS per 1,000 persons. 292 vs.844.VEHICLES per 1000 persons. 16 vs.774.Since its onset in 1949 the People's Republic has gone through a lot, including a famine where 20 million to 30 million people died in the early 1960s; a cultural revolution that went on into a decade; and a skyrocketing national suicide rate as well.Yet, never in the history of the world have so many people been lifted from poverty so rapidly.President Clinton, in one of his last speeches, said that 200 million people in China were lifted from absolute poverty from 1978 to about 1999.That's equivalent to about two-thirds of the entire population of the United States in twenty years.The economic achievements, therefore, are huge.But so are the problems.The factors of economic instability are many and worry the leadership.In fact, the leading elite justifies some of the repressive political measures precisely because of what they call "the factors of instability." These factors include a financial and banking system that is basically bankrupt, with bad loans out greater than the real net reserves of the entire banking system.There are perhaps between 80 million to 100-plus million people that are moving from the countryside on a kind of temporary contract labor into the Chinese cities.And yet a large number of urban unemployed are getting put out of business from non-competitive state enterprises.As a result China has got urban unemployed, rural unemployed coming into the cities, unsound financial system, and general resentment against a regime that has, in the past, grotesquely mismanaged things.And then, of course, there is the widespread problem of corruption that permeates every facet of society.Indeed, corruption is not a Chinese characteristic per se.It has, however, developed in a world where old, antiquated and inefficient laws are not being replaced fast enough to keep up with the speed of present times, and the vacuum has to be somehow filled.Experts think that on one hand the economic opening will bring more outside influences and in a way more chaos to the country which is not a bad thing in some ways.But, conversely, experts agree that the leadership will try to keep a tight control so that, at the end of the day, there may actually very well be more human rights violations than ever before.There is also an imbalance of wealth between the thirty-five percent of the population that lives in the cities and the sixty-five percent inhabiting the countryside.There is a system of residence controls.If you are lucky enough to be born in a city - and registered as a city dweller - it is easier for you to get into university.You are in the city, you can work at all the large companies and government agencies in the city.If, conversely, you are registered as a rural person there are very severe restrictions on where you can live and work.And this is actually the biggest human rights problem in China today.You have a majority of this population of 1.3 billion that are, by law, second class citizens.Furthermore, there are the other matters of the more than 20 million people who have no social security net whatsoever to assist taking care of their basic needs, as well as the environmental concerns that the new era of industrialization is bringing up.Of the ten worst polluted cities in the whole world according to the World Environmental Agency, eight are in China.And, finally, the PRC accounts for 23 percent of the global population while supply of fresh water is less than 6 percent.Yet, the social and economic improvements are huge as anyone who saw China in the '70's will confirm.Three decades ago there were no automobiles, no super markets, no highrise buildings.And there were no consumer goods to speak of.It was a Stalinist society, and a very poor Stalinist society at that.So the economic system has totally changed, and the private sector is now the dominant sector of the economy.It didn't exist at all as late as 1979.The political system has changed as well, albeit not nearly as drastically as the economic system.The China of the twenty-first century is a one-party state without a firm ideological foundation, more similar to Mexico under the PRI than Russia under Stalin.It is certainly difficult today to call China a Communist State, and the regime is no longer the party of workers and peasants.Mao Zedong would be unpleasantly surprised at how things got out of hand.But then, even this political transformation is nothing new to the Chinese.In fact, historically China has often gone through periods of consolidation followed by periods of weakening of the central authority.And the inequality of wealth is just a consequence of it all.No issue is more pivotal and controversial in the U.S.-China relations than the question of Taiwan.On October 1, 1949 after nearly two decades of civil war, Chinese Communist Party leader Mao Zedong declared victory over the U.S.-supported Nationalists (Kuomintang or KMT) led by Chiang Kai-shek.Mao proclaimed the establishment of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and instituted a new communist system modeled after the U.S.S.R.After his defeat Chiang Kai-shek fled to the Chinese island of Taiwan, then called Formosa, along with two million Nationalist refugees.Taiwan is located about 100 miles off China's coast.There he established a "provisional" Nationalist capital in Taipei and declared martial law.The Nationalists claimed to be the sole legitimate government of all of China, and set up the same political bodies on Taiwan which had ruled on the mainland.Under Chiang's authoritarian leadership, the Nationalist government established a successful land reform program during the 1950's which helped transform the country from an agricultural to a commercial and industrial economic powerhouse.It is difficult for Westerners to understand why the PRC is so adamant about reunification with Taiwan, until an example is brought up by the Chinese."Think of California as an island off America's West Coast and inhabited by Americans but under a different regime.Wouldn't Washington want to seek reunification ?" The analogy made by Yang Jiechi, Chinese Ambassador to the United States, makes perfect sense.Taiwan is the PRC's unfinished civil war.They fought a civil war with this Nationalist government.They essentially won.The Nationalists escaped out to an island which the Chinese consider an integral part of China.And then, because of American support and other intervening factors, they never finished their civil war.In terms of the military, the PRC is also developing very rapidly.It is acquiring a modern aircraft and modern battleships.Its naval force and air force are developing so fast that China is now at the forefront of Asia's military innovations.Ambivalence exists both in the political relations of China and the U.S.With Taiwan as well as between China and the U.S.Over Taiwan.China pursues a policy of "One Country - Two Systems" , a policy that is working well with Hong Kong and Macau after their return to the PRC.The United States pursues a strategy aptly called "Strategic Ambiguity". it recognizes Bejing as the only legitimate government while at all times investing in and supplying weaponry to Taiwan.And Taiwan's strategy is to court the United States while increasing its trade with the PRC, now amounting to over US $40 billion per year.It is in this complex context of political and economic balances and counter-balances that the Eagle and the Dragon are eyeballing each others.A context certainly not for the faint of heart.And yet, in the geopolitical situation of Asia the United States and China make a very good team.Both are disdainful of absolutist chieftains the likes of North Korea's Kim Il Sung, both want peace and relaxation in the region, both are fervent in their plight against terrorism and both are eager to improve trade and cultural exchange with each others.The Chinese - founders of civilization are now meeting and talking to the Americans - spearheads of contemporary society.Two great countries, two great people.Will the Eagle and the Dragon find a common ground for peaceful co-existence and mutual understanding?Stay tuned.Luigi Frascati.

China!

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The Last Dragon Chronicles Who Sells Rain And Fire: A Guide To The Last Dragon Chronicles [Paperback]

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Rain and Fire: a Guide to the Last Dragon Chronicles [Paperback] Reviews

The Last Dragon Chronicles : Rain and Fire: a Guide to the Last Dragon Chronicles [Paperback] Reviews

7 of 10 people found the following review helpful

Fascinating, May 2, 2011

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Lots of fascinating tidbits about the books and the author. Did you know Snigger was based on a real squirrel?

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Top 10 DVDs This Christmas

If you are one of those people who like to enjoy their Christmas Holidays by staying at home with a bowl of popcorn and watching movies, then there is good news for you.Many DVDs are being released this Holiday season, and the best thing is that they are from all the genres.So, you will have a variety of choices available while picking your DVDs.If you are an enthusiast of movies with Christmas themes, you are in for a treat because the DVDs of three Christmas movies are going to be released this November.These include This Christmas, The Perfect Holiday and Fred Claus.All three of these movies were released in theatres last year.Sony has decided to release DVDs of This Christmas and The Perfect Holiday because both were box office hits, and fans were waiting for the DVDs to be released.Fred Claus received mixed reviews when it was released last year.If you are in the mood for watching a Christmas film that is sentimental and humorous at the same time, then you can get the DVD for this movie.This movie is, however, a good one for children.If you want to watch a romantic comedy with a Christmas theme, there is All She Wants For Christmas, the DVD for which is being released this November.For those who want a little thrill and adventure during the holidays, there is Chronicles of Narnia. Prince Caspian in which the Pevensie siblings revisit Narnia and once again take up the task of restoring the land's rightful king.If you want to experience genuine action, thrills and adventure, you should get the DVD of The Dark Knight which is an unforgettable and complex action adventure.The DVD is going to be released in December.If you are an Angelina Jolie fan and want to watch her in action, you can watch Wanted which is a fast-paced thriller full of special effects - and you won't be bored for a minute.If you liked the comedy series Get Smart which parodied spies and spy shows, you can now get the movie Get Smart on DVD.The DVD is to be released in November.This movie is charmingly funny and is very likely to get more than a few laughs out of you.For those who want more comedy, there is Kung Fu Panda which has a mix of humour and Martial arts.The movie has the ability to please children and young adults equally, and the DVD is due to be released this November.In case you are in the mood for a light hearted movie, you should watch Sisterhood Of The Travelling Pants 2.The movie portrays the adventures of four friends and the friends' chemistry with each other.There are many more DVDs being released this Christmas.Among the ones being released in November are Henry Poole is Here, Wall E, Tropic Thunder and Meet Dave.In December X-Files. I Want to Believe, The Mummy. Tomb of Dragon Emperor and The House Bunny are going to be released on DVD.

Top 10 DVDs This Christmas

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Thursday, August 30, 2012

10 Books That Will Impact Your Business

Last year I read over 60 business books and this year I'm on pace to do at least one per week, but to be honest, the majority of these books would be better off as simple magazine articles.And so to save you from wasting time reading the mediocre business books, I've reviewed the books on my shelf and I'm going to share the top 10 books that have had the great impact on my internet business.10 - "Think & Grow Rich" and "Grow Rich with Piece of Mind".Almost everyone knows about "Think and Grow Rich", but few people know of or have read Napolean Hill's follow up, "Grow Rich with Piece of Mind".I recommend you read both.9 - "The E-Myth" and "The Power of Full Engagement".I admit, I'm cheating a little by giving you two books at once a few times here, but hey, it's my list.These are both classics.You'll discover the importance of systems in Michael Gerber's E-Myth, while getting a new perspective on time and energy management in the Full Engagement book.8 - "Bringing Out the Best in People" and "Switch".The former is a book on building and motivating your team.It is NOT an easy read, as it is full of scientific research on how to inspire people to act.But it is a powerful book.A more enjoyable read, but just as important, is "Switch" by Chip and Dan Heath.If you've ever wanted to change your own behavior, or a client's behavior (or even that of your spouse), this book will show you how.Both books emphasize the rewarding of small changes that help you build up to making the biggest changes.It's a formula that works.7 - "Instant Income".Not too many people know about this book, but it is one of the most practical books I've ever read on how to increase your sales, client retention, and overall revenues.It is packed with strategies that you can put to use immediately.I just realized I need to read this one again.6 - "Crush It" and "The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs".Two of the best speaker-entertainers in the world.If you could only read one, pick the Jobs book.After reading about his passion and vision, this book was the catalyst for me to get an iPad.5 - "The Go Giver".Neat and tidy little book.You'll discover 5 simple rules that will help you set up a lasting business, all based on becoming a person of extreme value to others.So simple, isn't it?If you like this, you'll also like the management and meeting books by Patrick Lencioni, written in similar fashion.4 - "Good to Great".I put off reading this business classic for years, and to be honest, I expected it be another one of those books that could have been summarized in a 5 page magazine article.I was pleasantly surprised at being wrong.This was my introduction to the importance of having Core Values and a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal).I'll tell you more about those when we get to the most important book I've ever read.3 - Anything by Dan Kennedy.From his hard-to-find autobiography ("Unfinished Business") to his "Ruthless Management of People and Profits", I've read every book by Kennedy, and they are ALL worth it.If you are struggling to get stuff done, his "No BS Time Management" book is even better than the 4-hour Work Week, and you should start there.For mindset, No-BS Wealth Attraction is 1000x's better than watching "The Secret", and his books on "Direct Marketing" and "The Ultimate Sales Letter Formula" are mandatory reading for internet marketers.2 - "Man's Search for Meaning".This is not a business book, but instead a book about the human spirit and what people can overcome.This book chronicles the horrors of World War II as seen through a concentration camp survivor, and should be mandatory reading for every high school student (and adult).After you've read this book, you'll never have a "woe is me" attitude towards life or business again.Everyday you hear someone say, "Oh, I could never do that.", but the truth is, if they stopped complaining and tried it, they'd learn pretty quickly that they could.And despite it's gloomy content, there is still a positive lesson to take away, that is, as humans, we are are capable of much, much more than we might believe.Never, ever, EVER give up.1 - "The Rockefeller Habits".By far the most practical business book I've ever read, focused around building a team, a vision, and a future for your business.Like many on this list, it is not an easy read, and it includes several exercises you'll need to do to lay out a 90-day plan and long-term vision.I'd suggest setting aside three 90-minute blocks to get through the entire book.The end results of your focused work will be an incredibly powerful blueprint for the future of your business.

10 Books That Will Impact Your Business

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The Last Dragon Chronicles Who Sells Star Ocean: The Last Hope International Game Fabric Wall Scroll Poster (21"x16") Inches The Cheapest

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Star Ocean: The Last Hope International Game Fabric Wall Scroll Poster (21"x16") Inches

Decorate your walls with this brand new sturdy Wall Scroll
Durable fabric (much better than a regular poster)
Easy to frame (comes with 2 hanging hooks) and makes a great gift too

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How To Collect The Ballantine Adult Fantasy Series

One of the most famous and highly collectible of the early genre series is the renowned Adult Fantasy Series published by Ballantine Books between 1969 and 1974.The series grew out of the popularity of Ballantine's paperback editions of J.R.R.Tolkien's now famous quartet, as well as a number of other fantasy classics seen in paperback for the first time.Capitalizing on the success of the first set of books and seeing a growing desire for fantasy literature, Ian and Betty Ballantine enlisted author/editor Lin Carter to produce a series of paperback fantasy books.Carter produced a seminal series of fantasy including many works that had been out of print and unavailable for some time.The series is identifiable by a distinctive "Unicorn Head" colophon in the upper right hand corner and/or the phrase "A Ballantine Adult Fantasy" in the upper left hand corner of the cover.The colophon was redesigned in December of 1969 and appears first on that month's publication, Hannes Bok's The Sorcerer's Ship.Each publication also featured an introduction by Carter.Most collectors of the BAF series include the sixteen books published by Ballantine prior to the series inception, beginning with Tolkien's The Hobbit, as precursors to the official series.Also usually included are two non-fiction books by Lin Carter himself concerning the works of J.R.R Tolkien and H.P.Lovecraft.Additionally, two other books are commonly considered part of the BAF series though published after the series colophon was dropped.The first, published in June of 1974 is H.Warner Munn's Merlin's Ring which includes the Carter introduction and the second, Evangeline Walton's Prince of Annwn, which lacks the logo and Carter introduction but completes the Mabinogi cycle started by Walton's three books issued under the Unicorn Head colophon.Due to being a paperback series, having a well defined checklist, a finite number of books and the generally inexpensive cost of most of the BAF titles, collecting the series is both easy and satisfying.Copies of many of the books frequently show up in yard sales and used bookstores.Dealers at conventions usually have a number of titles available and much of the series is available online.It is an excellent series for the beginning collector.All books in the series proper bore a distinctive Unicorn's Head colophon on the cover and included an introduction by Carter.Series precursors (August 1965 - April, 1969).Ballantine's initial line of fantasies, published before hiring Carter as editor and considered the inspiration for the series.The Hobbit, J.R.R.Tolkien (Aug.1965).The Fellowship of the Ring, J.R.R.Tolkien (Oct.1965).The Two Towers, J.R.R.Tolkien (Oct.1965).The Return of the King, J.R.R.Tolkien (Dec.1965).The Tolkien Reader, J.R.R.Tolkien (Sep.1966).The Worm Ouroboros, E.R.Eddison (Apr.1967 - later reprinted with colophon).Mistress of Mistresses, E.R.Eddison (Aug.1967).A Fish Dinner in Memison, E.R.Eddison (Feb.1968).The Road Goes Ever On, J.R.R.Tolkien and Donald Swann (Oct.1968).Titus Groan, Mervyn Peake (Oct.1968 - later reprinted with colophon).Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake (Oct.1968 - later reprinted with colophon).Titus Alone, Mervyn Peake (Oct.1968 - later reprinted with colophon).A Voyage to Arcturus, David Lindsay (Nov.1968 - later reprinted with colophon).The Last Unicorn, Peter S.Beagle (Feb.1969 - later reprinted with colophon).Smith of Wootton Major and Farmer Giles of Ham, J.R.R.Tolkien (Mar.1969).The Mezentian Gate, E.R.Eddison (Apr.1969) .The BAF Series proper (May 1969 - April 1974).Based on a listing by Lin Carter in Imaginary Worlds (Jun.1973), with the inclusion of additional of volumes published up the series end in 1974.The Blue Star, Fletcher Pratt (May 1969).The King of Elfland's Daughter, Lord Dunsany (Jun.1969).The Wood Beyond the World, William Morris (Jul.1969).The Silver Stallion, James Branch Cabell (Aug.1969).Lilith, George Macdonald (Sep.1969).Dragons, Elves, and Heroes, Lin Carter, ed.(Oct.1969).The Young Magicians, Lin Carter, ed.(Oct.1969).Figures of Earth, James Branch Cabell (Nov.1969).The Sorcerer's Ship, Hannes Bok (Dec.1969).Land of Unreason, Fletcher Pratt and L.Sprague de Camp (Jan.1970).The High Place, James Branch Cabell (Feb.1970).Lud-in-the-Mist, Hope Mirrlees (Mar.1970).At the Edge of the World, Lord Dunsany (Mar.1970).Phantastes, George Macdonald (Apr.1970).The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath, H.P.Lovecraft (May 1970).Zothique, Clark Ashton Smith (Jun.1970).The Shaving of Shagpat, George Meredith (Jul.1970).The Island of the Mighty, Evangeline Walton (Jul.1970).Deryni Rising, Katherine Kurtz (Aug.1970).The Well at the World's End, Vol.1, William Morris (Aug.1970).The Well at the World's End, Vol.2, William Morris (Sep.1970).Golden Cities, Far, Lin Carter, ed.(Oct.1970).Beyond the Golden Stair, Hannes Bok (Nov.1970).The Broken Sword, Poul Anderson (Jan.1971).The Boats of the 'Glen Carrig', William Hope Hodgson (Feb.1971).The Doom that Came to Sarnath, H.P.Lovecraft (Feb.1971).Something About Eve, James Branch Cabell (Mar.1971).Red Moon and Black Mountain, Joy Chant (Mar.1971).Hyperborea, Clark Ashton Smith (Apr.1971).Don Rodriguez. Chronicles of Shadow Valley, Lord Dunsany (May 1971).Vathek, William Beckford (Jun.1971).The Man Who Was Thursday, G.K.Chesterton (Jul.1971).The Children of Llyr, Evangeline Walton (Aug.1971).The Cream of the Jest, James Branch Cabell (Sep.1971).New Worlds for Old, Lin Carter, ed.(Sep.1971).The Spawn of Cthulhu, Lin Carter, ed.(Oct.1971).Double Phoenix, Edmund Cooper and Roger Lancelyn Green (Nov.1971).The Water of the Wondrous Isles, William Morris (Nov.1971).Khaled, F.Marion Crawford (Dec.1971).The World's Desire, H.Rider Haggard and Andrew Lang (Jan.1972).Xiccarph, Clark Ashton Smith (Feb.1972).The Lost Continent, C.J.Cutcliffe-Hyne (Feb.1972).Discoveries in Fantasy, Lin Carter, ed.(Mar.1972).Domnei, James Branch Cabell (Mar.1972).Kai Lung's Golden Hours, Ernest Bramah (Apr.1972).Deryni Checkmate, Katherine Kurtz (May 1972).Beyond the Fields We Know, Lord Dunsany (May 1972).The Three Imposters, Arthur Machen (Jun.1972).The Night Land, Vol.1, William Hope Hodgson (Jul.1972).The Night Land, Vol.2, William Hope Hodgson (Jul.1972).The Song of Rhiannon, Evangeline Walton (Aug.1972).Great Short Novels of Adult Fantasy #1, Lin Carter, ed.(Sep.1972).Evenor, George Macdonald (Nov.1972).Orlando Furioso. The Ring of Angelica, Volume 1, Ludovico Ariosto, translated by Richard Hodgens (Jan.1973).The Charwoman's Shadow, Lord Dunsany (Feb.1973).Great Short Novels of Adult Fantasy #2, Lin Carter, ed.(Mar.1973).The Sundering Flood, William Morris (May 1973).Imaginary Worlds, Lin Carter (Jun.1973).Poseidonis, Clark Ashton Smith (Jul.1973).Excalibur, Sanders Anne Laubenthal (Aug.1973).High Deryni, Katherine Kurtz (Sep.1973).Hrolf Kraki's Saga, Poul Anderson (Oct.1973).The People of the Mist, H.Rider Haggard (Dec.1973).Kai Lung Unrolls his Mat, Ernest Bramah (Feb.1974).Over the Hills and Far Away, Lord Dunsany (Apr.1974).Additional books associated with the series.Published after the Unicorn's Head colophon was retired, these are usually included with the series.The first has a Carter introduction and the second lacks Carter's introduction but completes a set begun under his editorship.None have the series colophon on the cover.Merlin's Ring, H.Warner Munn (Jun.1974).Prince of Annwn, Evangeline Walton (Nov.1974).Companion books associated with the series.Tolkien. A Look Behind the Lord of Rings, Lin Carter (Mar.1969).Lovecraft. A Look Behind the Cthulhu Mythos, Lin Carter (Feb.1972).

How To Collect The Ballantine Adult Fantasy Series

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Why Fantasy Series Drag on and Why We Keep Buying Them

The fantasy genre thrives on multiple book series.Readers love getting into an exciting world of magic populated by great characters, and then having multiple novels with which to enjoy the experience.Publishers do a lot of printing to meet this need, but then readers often complain that promising series degenerate into meandering narratives that go no where.Go to any online forum where fantasy books are being discussed and you will always find threads complaining about fantasy series that have gone awry.As a fantasy novelist, I can attest to how difficult it is to write stories that span multiple novels, but I think the inherent difficulty of novel writing is not entirely to blame for fantasy series dragging on through too many volumes.The business interests of publishers are clearly driving these sprawling McMansion-filled acres of fantasy books.Admittedly, the whole point of a fantasy series is to create an epic saga, which by definition is long, but long for the sake of long is not the same as telling a really good long story.The problem of needlessly long and usually boring fantasy series arises from the business of selling books to readers who like series.A publisher makes more money by selling more books.The more books a popular series has to offer, then the more money a publisher will likely make.Therefore, if a fantasy novel takes off with readers, then the publisher will naturally want the author to expand the story into multiple volumes.An obvious example of an over-extended series is the Wheel of Time by the late Robert Jordan.The poor man sadly died before completing what was supposed to be a twelve part epic.I have noticed repeatedly in online forums that many readers complain about the books of this series dragging on without much happening.Although Jordan obviously possessed the talent to capture the interest of many readers with his fiction, I suspect the endless pressure to produce more books eroded his ability to craft well-paced novels filled with action.I believe that publishers, naturally driven by their business interests, undermine an author's ability to create compelling fiction when the goal is to produce as many novels as possible.The problem is quantity over quality.Even the death of the Robert Jordan has not prevented the Wheel of Time's publisher from continuing the series.Brandon Sanderson, an able fantasy author gaining in popularity, was contracted to produce the conclusion to the series.Now here's a big surprise.The much anticipated conclusion of the Wheel of Time is going to be three volumes!I don't know that there is any way to correct this problem because readers who like series are inexorably drawn to buy the next installment.Even if he or she was disappointed with the last novel by a favored author, that person will find it hard to resist the next novel because it just might be better and something exciting might happen.Hope is a powerful driver of people's actions.I am in that situation right now with the enormously popular series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R.Martin.The first three books of the series were astounding.When I was reading them, I was constantly thinking about the characters and what might happen when the books were not in my hands.That is exactly the experience I am looking for from great fiction.When the fourth book A Feast for Crows came out I pre-ordered it in hardcover and eagerly started reading it as soon as it arrived.To my disappointment though, that book entered an undeniable doldrums.All of my favorite characters were absent and I did not get to find out anything about anything that had been left hanging at the end of the third book.After reading that book, I very much sensed that it was just a bunch of fluff thrown at me to get my money now that I had been hooked on the series.Even so, I will indulge in buying the fifth book, A Dance with Dragons, which illustrates exactly why publishers can make a viable business out of publishing artificially long series just for the sake of selling books.It ceases to be about the story and simply becomes pushing product.I understand the business forces at play.When a fantasy series takes off, it becomes a recognizable brand, and publishers are not interested in letting a brand come to a timely and glorious end and then risking their capital on developing a new brand around a new story, even if it is from the same author.Publishers appear mostly to play it safe and milk a cash cow series until the skeletal cow drops dead in an over-grazed pasture.This process is especially vexing for fantasy readers because many of them, like myself, really enjoy reading a good series.I think the fantasy readers' great love of series is very much inspired by the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.This is the starting place for many fans of fantasy, and the trilogy trains them to love multiple book stories.However, J.R.R.Tolkien wrote his famous trilogy as one story.It has a beginning, middle, and end, and each book contributes to the ultimate goal of the narrative.He did not write The Fellowship of the Ring, have it take off with readers, and then have his publisher say, "Mr.Tolkien, please keep writing these things until no one can stand them anymore or you drop dead.".As a fantasy writer, I personally follow the model of writing a complete story that happens to take multiple volumes.This is risky, but the risk is all mine.I want to tell the story I want to create and not let it be driven (overworked?) by market forces.I hope that eventually the market will reward my efforts as I create fantasy series that actually end and that avoid long drawn out volumes that are basically killing time instead of advancing a story.

Why Fantasy Series Drag on and Why We Keep Buying Them

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The Last Dragon Chronicles EA Dragon Age: Origins Ultimate Edition -PS3 Sale

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EA Dragon Age: Origins Ultimate Edition -PS3

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World War 2 Stories - What They Can Teach Us About Heroes

Every once in a while a book manages to burrow its way into my mind and I can't make it go away.The Hellish Vortex is that kind of book.It didn't start out that way.As a matter of fact, when I first looked at the cover I thought, Gee, this is a book about a young fighter pilot in World War II.I was a young fighter pilot back in the dark ages and flew combat in the Vietnam War.This ought to be a fun read.But a funny thing happened on my way to the last chapter.Inexplicably, my whole perspective changed concerning a subject I thought I knew as well as any combat veteran can.Namely; who are heroes and who are not; and how can you tell the difference?Brigadier General Richard M Baughn (USAF, Retired) is one of those rare authors who can pull a period of World War II history off a dusty book shelf and breathe fresh new life into it.In his latest book, The Hellish Vortex, he describes the air campaign in the European theater between 1943 and 1945, during which waves of American B-17 and B-24 bombers, escorted by P-38, P-40 and P-51 fighters, pounded Germany.In the same narrative, he chronicles the daily lives of the men who flew them.The result is pure magic; a book well worth reading.How did he do it? It's simple.For one thing, he is a good writer and for another, he flew P-51s in Europe during the same period.As the saying goes, he has been there, done that.It works every time!The principal character in the book is 2nd Lt.Robb Baines, a nineteen year old fighter pilot who arrives in the U.K.Underage and under trained for his new assignment flying P-51s and escorting bombers to Germany.Like most nineteen year olds, Baines, who I suspect is General Baughn's alter ego, secretly wonders if he is up to the task at hand.But tangling with German ME 109s and ME 110s is dangerous business with no margin for self doubt, as Baines quickly found out.In time, he became a seasoned combat veteran, a confident leader, and a candidate for bigger and better things in what would become the United States Air Force in 1947.There are several other characters in the book worth mentioning.There is The Colonel, a veteran of the Spanish Civil War, the group commander who led his pilots with a calm steady hand; Big John, a sergeant whose well meaning support for the war effort included seducing the wife of a local chicken farmer to get eggs for the pilots' predawn breakfasts; and Rocco, Baines' long suffering wing man who lives his life with characteristic gritty, New York City bravado.These characters, and many others like them, add spice to an already well prepared dish.Speaking of spices, there is love, romance and sex in the book as well; but the author is careful not to let these asides draw him off the main theme.One of the things I like about The Hellish Vortex, is that the author periodically inserted excerpts from a paper entitled The Army Air Forces and 8th Air Force during World War II, purportedly written by Baines while at The Armed Forces Staff College.These asides afford the reader a chance to take a break and look at the big picture.It was there that I learned things I never knew, or had forgotten, about the growth of American air power between World War I and 1947.And it was also there that I read a statistic I still can't get out of my mind; namely, There were 41,802 airmen killed in a force that never exceeded 100,000 pilots, navigators, bombardiers, and aerial gunners.This grim statistics reinforces something I have always suspected, namely. that it is tempting for warriors to tell their stories loudly, garnering praise and admiration wherever and whenever they can.But the plain truth is that not all warriors are heroes; just as not all heroes are warriors; and those that are, often prefer to speak softly in deference to the heroes that never made it home.It took a simple book, written by a talented, unassuming writer to confirm my suspicion.You can buy The Hellish Vortex at Amazon.Com.It is an excellent read.

World War 2 Stories - What They Can Teach Us About Heroes