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THE GREATEST KNIGHT

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  THE GREATEST KNIGHT By Thomas Asbridge ECCO 383 pgs   During the 11 th and 12 th centuries, heart of the Middle Ages, history witnessed the rise and fall of some of the most notorious British monarchs. Empires were won and lost within single generations; fathers and sons fought each other and the Holy Roman Empire battled the Moslem Kingdom to hold the Holy Lands of Jerusalem. Amidst this tumultuous era, one truly remarkable man appeared who would become one of the most powerful behind the scenes figures in that world’s politics. His name was William Marshal and he would go on to become the most famous knight of all time.   He was born in 1147 in Normandy and would die in 1219 at the age of 72. In his lifetime he would serve King Henry the First, Young Henry, Richard the Lionheart, his brother King John, and John’s heir, young Henry III.   All of this during the rise of the warrior class of knights and the age of Chivalry. And as if his battle ...
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HELL TO HUMOR

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  HELL TO HUMOR By Darryle Purcell Offbeat Publishing 281 pgs   Darryle Purcell is a Vietnam veteran, an illustrator, editor, publisher and new pulp scribe. Most of us are familiar with his action/adventure series ala the Hollywood Cowboy Detectives wherein he features classic western cinema heroes battling all manner of weird menaces and villainy. For a long while, having settled in Bullhead City, Arizona, Purcell wrote an opinion column for the local paper. In that column, he allowed his sharp, satirical wit to sharpen against local politicians whenever their activities bordered on the outrageous. A conservative at heart, he had no problems popping time and money wasting agendas much to the delight of his readers. Not so much that of his targets. He also waxed poetically on the differences between the sexes and his advice to men on the dos and don’ts of Valentine Day are hilarious. Whereas his thoughts on patriotism and military disasters of the past decades ...
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KONG

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  KONG An Original Screenplay By Edgar Wallace Edited by Stephen Jones Electric Dreamhouse 244 pgs   This is a wonderful coffee-table tyle book showcasing a very early script from which the classic 1933 film was produced. Originally hired at RKO to help with the script, noted British mystery writer Edgar Wallace was eager to expand his ever-growing audience. Sadly, after writing this one and only treatment, based on his conversations with Cooper, he died suddenly from pneumonia. Saddened by his Wallace, and aware the actual story would undergo many more revisions before it was finalized for shooting, Merian C. Cooper promised to keep Wallace’s name on the final credits. He kept his word, though that never stopped the controversy that ensued over the years as to who actually created the giant gorilla and whose story was it? It reminds us of the constant debate with Marvel comic fans who still argue as to who was responsible for the Marvel Universe, writer Stan ...
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