Jeffrey Archer, English master storyteller

I've always been drawn to books written by English authors. Perhaps it's partly a fascination with the history of the country, the mysterious elements surrounding the castles, quaint villages,and legends. England has produced many outstanding writers. Among the best is modern day author, Jeffrey Archer.

Archer was born in 1940 in England, educated at Oxford University, and became the youngest member of the House of Commons in 1969. Following that appointment, he wrote his first novel, Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less, in 1974. In 1985 he was appointed Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party. He is married, has two children and lives in London and Cambridge.

Such labels as "the world's most popular novelist", "first among storytellers", and "the master storyteller" are clues to help in selecting his books for an entertaining read. Virtually all of his novels and short story collections have been international bestsellers. More than 125 million copies have sold worldwide. Among the best are Kane and Abel, Sons of Fortune, and most recently False Impression. Others include As the Crow Flies and First Among Equals. Cat O' Nine Tales and Other Stories is a great collection of short stories, equally spellbinding. In most he draws from his own background and experiences in this country of power and pageantry. His stories are filled with tight tension to keep the reader turning the pages. Kane and Abel was made into a TV mini-series and First Among Equals, a 10 part adaptation. This prolific writer has written numerous novels, non-fiction and children's books.

I have several of the Archer books available for sale at Pack Rat Corner where you can learn more about each of his books.

What to Say & How to Say It for all occasions

Have you ever been called upon to make a speech or write some kind of special letter or paper? At some time in life most of us will have this happen, whether in relation to a job, a club, a memorial service or any one of many situations we find ourselves confronted with. If you feel unsure about making speeches or writing letters, articles, etc., then this book is an excellent source for guidelines to develop the appropriate skills and find the right wording.

David Belson’s handbook is based on his many years of experience in practicing law and his work in civic, fraternal and community affairs. The examples given may easily be transformed into your own original work to meet the need, whether in drafting a resolution, writing an inscription, a testimonial, overseeing a special function or preparing a eulogy.

There are illustrated forms and models which serve as guidelines to enable the writer or speaker. The Table of Contents is a follows:
1. Presentations
2. Appreciation, Acceptance and Thanks
3. Appeal for Funds
4. Awards, Citations, Inscriptions, Resolutions and Scrolls
5. Testimonials
6. Announcements of Meetings and Functions
7. Speech Openings
8. Addresses of Welcome
9. Introductions
10. Nominations
12. Installation Ceremonies, Inaugural Addresses, and Tributes
13. Retirement Addresses and Tributes
14. Closing Remarks
15. Congratulatory Messages
16. Greetings
17. Speeches for Special Occasions
18. Speeches of Tribute to Deceased; Messages of Sympathy and Condolence; Notices and Announcements of Death
19. Hints for Effective Speaking

What to Say & How to Say It (for all occasions) by David Belson was written in 1955 and re-issued several times since. The book is timeless and still considered an important educational and writing tool today.

The Great Hunger (The Story of the Potato Famine)

This book is about the Irish Potato Famine of 1840. It is a moving, terrible historical account of the period in Irish history when the people were starving because of the famine. It caused the death of one million peasants in Ireland and the migration of several hundred thousand Irish citizens to America. There are fourteen pages of black/white authentic pictures from that time.

THe author, Cecil Woodham-Smith tells of this episode in history in a way that holds the readers attention from beginning to end and leaves him with the sense of having been through much of the experience. It is a book well worth reading for anyone interested in the history of the 19th century.

The book is available from our listing on Amazon Marketplace. Just click on the Pack Rat Corner Books url given at the top of this page, then type the title in the store's Search bar beneath the Amazon bar.

Six Hours One Friday, Anchoring to the Cross, by Max Lucado

Max Lucado serves the Oak Hills Church of Christ in San Antonio, Texas as pulpit minister. In addition to this he is a best-selling author of numerous books. He writes for readers of all ages. The children's books are well-written in language that they understand and they have beautiful pictures and layout appealing to children. The adult books are equally desirable for the older readers. Among the books he has written are: Six Hours One Friday, Anchoring to the Cross. It takes the reader through the last six hours of Jesus' life, in which we that believe it really happened can know that : Our lives are not futile, our failures are not fatal, and our deaths are not final. It is at the cross that we find purpose, forgiveness, and rest. At the cross we find our anchor point. His books present scripturally sound doctrine that can be found in the Bible.

SPARTACUS

Spartacus is a moving film classic staring Kirk Douglas, Jean Simmons, Lawrence Olivier, Charles Laughton, Peter Ustinov, John Gavin and Tony Curtis. Spartacus (Douglas) is a strongwilled gladiator slave who is driven by power-hungry General Crassus (Olivier) to stand up for his convictions and fight against the powerful Imperial Rome and its forces during its height of glorious reign. This true account is a realistic enactment of the struggle of the slaves in Italy and the entire Roman impire in their quest to gain freedom from the terrible oppression of the time; it was a barbaric period that makes the slavery issues of early America seem tame in comparison. We can feel the emotional strain building in the lives of the characters. It is an inspirational true story of man's eternal struggle for freedom, a moving drama of love and commitment. Many scenes are extremely depressing, such as during the fighting of the gladiators, the visious games in the arena of the Coliseum, the battlefields and the capture, and last, the horrifying image of the Appieum Way lined as far as the eye could see with crucified slaves, some hung upside down.

The 1960 movie was winner of four academy awards. The magnificently vivid DVD presents uncut with footage from the fully restored film. It is 3 Hours 16 Minutes in DVD format.

I highly recommend the movie to every young and mature adult as a worthwhile education true story. Any viewer should come away thankful to live in this time period and this country.

Healed by Horses, a Memoir by Carole Fletcher

Healed by Horses, a Memoir is a wonderful book for those who have ever loved or admired horses. This is author Carole Fletcher’s story of her tragic accident in 1975 which left her with second- and third-degree burns over sixty-five percent of her body and the surprising recovery she was able to make. Doctor’s felt it unlikely that she’d ever walk again, much less be able to ride a horse.

She not only began to ride her horse. Thanks to the therapeutic nature of riding, she eventually regained use of her legs and after four years of rehabilitation, was able to join in the world of performance with a trick horse. This story is an inspirational one for all and shows the extraordinary connection possible between humans and horses, and the restoration, motivation, and healing power of such a bond.

Pack Rat Corner Store On-Line

Pack Rat Corner is our at-home store, in which we offer new and used media – books, movies in DVD and VCR format, piano music and music CD’s. I am a pro-merchant (third-party) seller on the Amazon Market Place which is a great place to list and sell to customers all over the world.

We send items to some very interesting names and places. It becomes a geography lesson in a fun way, also, a linguistics and spelling lesson. We have a large world-map on the wall where we tag each new location where we ship to. This morning we sent a book to Forli, Italy for instance. We had never heard of the place so it will be interesting to zoom in on that place with the Google Earth, thus, a little vicarious travel added to the experience. Another perk is the knowledge that we have helped someone find something that they really want and, often, is a hard to find out of print, item. Sometimes a customer will write a thank you to us, saying she or he has searched for years and is so glad to have finally find it.

This year I will attempt to introduce and review much of our inventory on this blog. Readers may like to go to my online store and browse at leisure. You can scan the pages one by one, or in the search bar type the name of author or title to see if we have it. Or type the author’s name and all the books we have by that author should appear. Sometimes, the search is frustrating and won’t bring up something. This is often a glitch in the computer, at other times, can be a simple word difference in the title.

The link to our on-line store is http://www.amazon.com/shops/packratcorner