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Cory Foster coryfoster — Some of the pics you see on this page: http://www.omda.bg/engl/ethnography/f... are from the book. Great stuff!

Ana Cecy crivers — Alex Kurzem is a retired television repair man living in Melbourne. In 1997 he arrived, without prior announcement, on the doorstep of his son Mark, an academic living in Oxford, England. In the days that follow, Alex takes the first of many tentative steps toward revealing his extraordinary past, a secret he has buried deep for almost 60 years. As a Jewish boy, aged only 5 or 6, Alex witnessed the murder of his mother and siblings by a German-led execution squad. Fleeing into the nearby forest, he survived the harsh conditions for several months; scavenging food and clothing from fallen soldiers by day, and strapping himself to the elevated branches of trees to avoid the threat of wolves at night. Eventually he is discovered by Latvian soldiers, and finding favour with a sergeant, is adopted as the "mascot" of the battalion. For the remainder of the war, he travelled with the soldiers, dressed in a miniature military uniform, climbing in esteem until he earned the title of "little corporal". Part propaganda tool, part good luck charm, the young boy is exposed to an unending sea of atrocity. He is coerced into finding girls for the pleasure of the solders, into handing chocolates to Jews as they board trucks destined for death camps, and armed with a weapon, he is even asked to kill another (a request he thankfully refuses to accept). The events of the story are undeniably extraordinary, yet equally fascinating is the tangential analysis of the mystery of memory. Even across the gulf of six decades, Alex is able to recall specific events with inexplicable vividness, whilst other facts remain entirely elusive (including his real name). Memories rise and recede like waves, and we can never be entirely sure of what recollections are real and what are imagined. Indeed, certain events are described in such detail that we inevitably begin to wonder if the memories are actually mental constructions aimed at building a cohesive and palatable narrative from a scattered collection of horrific intuitions. Another key theme raised by the story is that of complicity. There is perhaps little question that the young Kurzem cannot be held responsible for his actions whilst in the company of the soldiers, but the variable manner in which he recounts his experience, wavering between unwarranted guilt, and exaggerated self-praise, is fascinating - even disturbing. In some cases, he speaks of his actions with pride, considered and deliberate and seemingly well beyond his years; on another occasion he naively claimed to be ignorant of what would happen to the Jews that he helped usher onto the backs of trucks. This behaviour only serves to highlight the deep ambivalence that cuts through Kurzem's past. He abhors what he witnessed, yet is desperate to gain purpose and meaning, even joy, from a childhood he never had the freedom to savour. The book, which is written by Kurzem's son Mark, is predominantly presented as a series of long conversations interwoven with detective-like research into the past. The story is told with respect, and delivered with a diligent hand. It is also overtly polished. Mark admits in the End Note that timeframes were compressed to aid readability, but in my assessment, the entire book was sequenced as if it were penned as a script for a movie, with junctures of suspense, intrigue, and impending doom, all superbly placed. These treatments ultimately detract from the historical nature of the book, suggesting, perhaps incorrectly, that Kurzem's tragic past has also been tailored for our reading pleasure. I listened to the audio version of this book, read by David Tredinnick. It is without doubt, the best audiobook recording I've ever heard. Tredinnick's reading is simply outstanding, and perfectly captures the drama of Alex's quest. And a moving quest it is: a search for personal identity and inner peace; a longing for empathy, absolution, and purpose, that opens wounds, raises doubts, and surfaces as many questions as it resolves.

Antony Bridle antonybridle — I LOVED this book, although I read the second book, the magician, first. I work at a bookstore and we are allowed to loan hardcover books so long as we keep them in mint condition, to broaden our book knowledge. We didn't have this copy in hardcover, but we had the sequel in hardcover, and i didn't want to buy it if i wasn't sure if i would like it. Eventhough the second book picks up really fast, I was able to understand what was going on as the author subtly explains the plot continuation without slowing it down. To me, that's the mark of a great writer, so I didn't hesitate to buy the first book the same day I finished the sequel. I was pleased and read through this book in 2 days, it was so exciting, and eventhough some of the ending was spoiled because characters are killed off which are mentioned in the sequel, I really feel I enjoyed the book just as much as I would have enjoyed it if I hadn't read it in reverse order. Michael Scott is an Irish writer, and has penned many high fantasy science fiction novels, where there's lots of magic, wizards, creatures of lore. He is also an expert on mythology and folklore and his knowledge adds depth to his plots/characters, and he even makes the scenarios seem almost plausible at times. I find the story extremely humorous at some points, eventhough we have it filed under 'teen fiction' i wouldn't let that deter you if you are an adult, i think the main reason its for kids is because the main characters and protagonists throughout the series he's developing are 15 year old fraternal twins, brother and sister who have legendary sun and moon auras of the rarest colors, silver and gold. We mere mortal humani (humans) cannot see auras of course, but immortals who have special skills and "Awakened" magical abilities in the story, i.e. Nicholas Flamel, the legendary French Alchemyst from the 14th-15th cent. and his wife Perenelle can. Unfortunately, so can the 'bad guys', like the Dr. John Dee, the advisor to Queen Elizabeth I in the court of the Tudors and his masters, the Dark Elder race which predated mankind which include mythological creatures such as the Morrigan, who was the Irish Crow Goddess and Bastet, the Egyptian goddess who has the body of a beautiful young woman and the head of a cat!! This entertaining saga is your typical good vs. evil where Flamel believes the twins are the fulfillment of a prophecy made 10,000 years before stating that they could either save or destroy the world with their powerful auras, and he's determined to mentor them and guide them in the right direction with the help of his allies- some good immortals and the handful of good elders who want to let the world remain in the hands of the humani. Unfortunately, Dr. Dee has other plans and wants to rule the world and bring the Dark Elders back as it once was, and will stop at nothing to kidnap the twins and influence them to help his agenda, along with the ancient book, the Codex, which the Flamels have been protecting through all these years. The Codex is the magical book written 10,000 years ago which contained the prophecy about the twins in the first place, and the secrets to immortality which allowed Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel to survive all these ages without looking a day older than the day they started the recipe for the potion that keeps them alive. Its hard to explain much more of the plot without giving away spoilers, but I do recommend this to people, its so much fun. I always thought I hated science fiction, but this is really entertaining, and I can't wait for the third installment of the series, set to come out in May 2009! Woo Hoo!!!

Glenn Birks thecatford609f — super great perspective on the amazon and 'development'