A collection of hands that take the reader through a year at the author's (fictional) bridge club. The characters make all the common errors, so the author manages to instruct while he entertains. For fans of Stewart's enormously popular syndicated bridge column, in which these characters appear regularly.

FRANK WORTHEN HAS BEEN CALLED MANY THINGS IN HIS LIFE BEGINNING WITH THE WORD QUEER Homosexuality is a divisive issue today. Many see it as a war between Christians and gays, but what if a Christian has same-sex attractions or conversely, if a gay person is also a Christian? There is likely to be a deep conflict between their faith and their desires. It is a strange and twisted world, a doctor can perform a ghoulish operation to make a man in to a woman and the world applauds his work while the new transsexual now is entitled to government aid to settle into a happy and secure life. Conversely, a gay man who receives help from a therapist to change from gay to straight is considered a traitor to the gay cause and the therapist finds himself subject to disbarment and possible criminal charges. Can gays change? Should they be allowed to change? Are ex-gays the only people group denied free choice? Find the truth for yourself. Read this book, but be forewarned it contains some raunchy episodes and is definitely NOT for children.

"This guide focuses on the fighting at the bridge in Arnhem itself and the approaches to it ... [It] is designed to offer, as necessary background information, an overview of why the battle took place and an outline of the main events. That done, it then sets out to guide the visitor on a tour of the particular action at the Arnhem Bridge and the battles in Arnhem covering some of the key sights and occurrences"--Preface.

With this latest book he has captured (and in understandable words) not only what it takes to win but the way to get there. In his 40 years as an author, editor, analyst and syndicated columnist, Frank Stewart has had a chance to discern the skills that make a winning player. The intent of this book is to help aspiring players improve by focusing on the factors that really determine how well they do. Most are basic, and anyone who has an ounce of ability and is intent on progressing can do so. The level of instruction in this book varies. Some material is elementary, some is more advanced and involves the type of logical thinking that winning bridge requires. Although his aim is to build a sound foundation, he also wants to give any reader who can excel the opportunity to do so.

Michael Steinberg's 1996 volume The Symphony: A Reader's Guide received glowing reviews across America. It was hailed as "wonderfully clear...recommended warmly to music lovers on all levels" (Washington Post), "informed and thoughtful" (Chicago Tribune), and "composed by a master stylist" (San Francisco Chronicle). Seiji Ozawa wrote that "his beautiful and effortless prose speaks from the heart." Michael Tilson Thomas called The Symphony "an essential book for any concertgoer." Now comes the companion volume--The Concerto: A Listener's Guide. In this marvelous book, Steinberg discusses over 120 works, ranging from Johann Sebastian Bach in the 1720s to John Adams in 1994. Readers will find here the heart of the standard repertory, among them Bach's Brandenburg Concertos, eighteen of Mozart's piano concertos, all the concertos of Beethoven and Brahms, and major works by Mendelssohn, Schumann, Liszt, Bruch, Dvora'k, Tchaikovsky, Grieg, Elgar, Sibelius, Strauss, and Rachmaninoff. The book also provides luminous introductions to the achievement of twentieth-century masters such as Arnold Schoenberg, Be'la Barto'k, Igor Stravinsky, Alban Berg, Paul Hindemith, Sergei Prokofiev, Aaron Copland, and Elliott Carter. Steinberg examines the work of these musical giants with unflagging enthusiasm and bright style. He is a master of capturing the expressive, dramatic, and emotional values of the music and of conveying the historical and personal context in which these wondrous works were composed. His writing blends impeccable scholarship, deeply felt love of music, and entertaining whimsy. Here then is a superb journey through one of music's richest and most diverse forms, with Michael Steinberg along as host, guide, and the best of companions.

Benjamin Britten was a most reluctant public speaker. Yet his contributions were without doubt a major factor in the transformation during his lifetime of the structure of the art-music industry. This book, by bringing together all his published articles, unpublished speeches, drafts, and transcriptions of numerous radio interviews, explores the paradox of a reluctant yet influential cultural commentator, artist, and humanist. Whether talking about his own music, about the role of the artist in society, about music criticism, or wading into a debate on Soviet ideology at the height of the cold war, Britten always gave a performance which reinforced the notion of a private man who nonetheless saw the importance of public disclosure.

The Symphonic Poem in Britain 1850-1950 aims to raise the status of the genre generally and in Britain specifically. The volume reaffirms British composers' confidence in dealing with literary texts and takes advantage of the contributors' interdisciplinary expertise by situating discussions of the tone poem in Britain in a variety of historical, analytical and cultural contexts. This book highlights some of the continental models that influenced British composers, and identifies a range of issues related to perceptions of the genre. Richard Strauss became an important figure in Britain during this time, not only in terms of the clear impact of his tone poems, but the debates over their value and even their ethics. A focus on French orchestral music in Britain represents a welcome addition to scholarly debate, and links to issues in several other chapters. The historical development of the genre, the impact of compositional models, issues highlighted in critical reception as well as programming strategies all contribute to a richer understanding of the symphonic poem in Britain. Works by British composers discussed in more detail include William Wallace's Villon (1909), Gustav Holst's Beni Mora(1909-10), Hubert Parry's From Death to Life (1914), John Ireland's Mai-Dun (1921), and Frank Bridge's orchestral 'poems' (1903-15).