Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: History / General; Fiction / Classics; History / General; Music / Genres ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

DEFINITELY not recommended
I am livid that you can call this piece of garbage a "book", even though it's printed material between two covers.Full of spelling errors, typos, and not even in a poetry format,it must have poor Robert Service spinning in his grave. I was expecting a lovely little book of poetry to gift a friend....I find my much-thumbed, dog eared copy from the 1920's to be in pristine condition in comparison.And for this, you charge almost ten dollars? By the way, the disclaimer inside the cover page was duly noted--still unacceptable.

The Bard Of The Yukon At His Finest!
"Songs Of A Sourdough" is Robert Service at his best!.This is nature poetry at its finest.Here the Bard Of The Yukon use picture words that place the reader right in the Yukon of old.As you read you can see the stranger stagger in to the Malamute saloon and feel the fifty below gush of air until he closes the door behind him.You will hear him play the piano and see the ghastly look of the Lady that's known as Lou.You too will jump for the floor when the shooting of Dangerous Dan McGrew starts.You too will hear the Call of The Yukon and understand its Law while you come to appreciate The Younger Son.

I bought my first copy of"Songs Of A Sourdough" during my Canadian honeymoon in 1980.From experience I can give you one bit of advice.Do not, I repeat, do not ever pick up this book unless you want to be hooked on Robert Service and his songs forever. ... Read more

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Love the poetry - great for boys in forensics competitions
These poems are not easy to recite - but they are about the perfect length for forensics competitions that need a poem recited between 4-7 minutes.They aren't only for boys - but in the competitions we've been in, there are very few male point-of-view poems.A great change from the usual stuff out there.The Ballad of Blasphemous Bill and the Ballad of Sam McGee are great - although the words don't flow so smooth in some parts.There are great renditions on [...] - just search the name of the poem and you'll find them. ... Read more

Product Description
Includes 82 classic poems by the "Bard of the Yukon." Robert William Service was a poet and writer, sometimes referred to as "the Bard of the Yukon". He is best-known for his writings on the Canadian North, including the poems "The Shooting of Dan McGrew", "The Law of the Yukon", and "The Cremation of Sam McGee", all of which are included in this collection of 82 poems.
Contains the poems from the following works:
Songs of a Sourdough,
and
The Spell of the Yukon and Other Verses ... Read more

Product Description
Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free.This is an OCR edition with typos.Excerpt from book:" I'm in the garden way," he said, " and doingmighty well; I've half an acre under glass, and heaps of truck tosell. Come out and see. Oh come, my friend, on Sunday,wet or shine . . . Say! — it's the First Communion of that little girlof mine."Chez Moi, MONTPARNASSE,The same evening.To-day is an anniversary. A year ago to-day I kicked over an office stool and came to Paris thinking to make a living by my pen. I was twenty then, and in my pocket I had twenty pounds. Of that, my ten sous are all that remain. And so to-night I am going to spend them, not prudently on bread, but prodigally on beer.As I stroll down the Boul' Mich' the lingering light has all the exquisite tenderness of violet; the trees are in their first translucent green; beneath them the lamps are lit with purest gold, and from the Little Luxembourg comes a silver jangle of tiny voices. Taking the gay side of the street, I enter a cafe. Although it isn't its true name, I choose to call my cafe —L'ESCARGOT D'ORO Tavern of the Golden Snail! Ten sous have I, so I'll regale; Ten sous your amber brew to sip(Eight for the bock and two the tip),And so I'll sit the evening long,And smoke my pipe and watch the throng,The giddy crowd that drains and drinks,I'll watch it quiet as a sphinx;And who among them all shall buyFor ten poor sous such joy as I?As I who, snugly tucked away,Look on it all as on a play,A frolic scene of love and fun,To please an audience of One.O Tavern of the Golden Snail!You've stuff indeed for many a tale.All eyes, all ears, I nothing miss:Two lovers lean to clasp and kiss;The merry students sing and shout,The nimble garcons dart about;Lo! here come Mimi and MusetteWith: "S'il vous pl... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Ballads of a Bohemian
I purchased 2 separate copies of this book. Both orders were filled quickly and response from Amazon was good.Both copies are in reasonably good condition considering they date from 1921 (used books).Covers are firm, pages in good shape. Prices were also reasonable. ... Read more

Product Description
The Spell of the Yukon and Other Verses is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Robert W. (Robert William) Service is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Robert W. (Robert William) Service then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great Poetry ruined in this Kindle Version
Love the Poetry.I hope to eventually have everything that Robert Service wrote.But I don't want to read everything from beginning to end.Without a Table of Contents where you can select the Poem you want to read at "this" Time, it's just not worth it for me.So I'm just going to Trash it and hope that something more readable eventually comes out.

No hyperlink in table of contents
So unless you want to read straight through...you'll miss the table hyperlink. As for me, I wanted to go straight to "the cremation of Sam McGee". ... Read more

Product Description
One said: Thy life is thine to make or mar, To flicker feebly, or to soar, a star; It lies with thee -- the choice is thine, is thine, To hit the ties or drive thy auto-car. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Kindle Edition Review
I found this book to be poorly formatted for reading on the Kindle and do not recommend it to other Kindle owners.

A pleasing discovery
I don't get poetry.For me, it tends to be hard to decipher and follow.Maybe that's why I tend not to read it.Robert Service is a pleasant surprise, and a "rediscovery" for me.I heard a friend's son try to recite "The Cremation of Sam McGee".His recitation was somewhat lacking in clarity, but the poem sounded "fun".I picked this book up in a bookstore (I bought a second copy from Amazon.com for a gift) and read "My Madonna".I laughed out loud and decided I NEEDED to own the book.Robert Service's images came through loud and clear.I thouroughly enjoyed reading his poems, and while I will admit he kinda beats the reader over the head with some of his images, there is no denying I understood what he was trying to portray.Stark.Forbidding.Unsettling.Chilling.Humerous.Pick the book up read it and find yourself being drawn into another century, and appreciating YOU don't have to live in that time or that place.
I saw a live performance of "The Shooting of Dan McGrew" in a saloon in Fairbanks, Alaska, several decades ago.I had forgotten how entertaining Robert Service could be.Rediscover or discover him, you'll be glad you did.

American Poetry Classic
This is a classic. PERIOD! Do yourself a favor and buy this little book so that you can memorize "The Creamation of Sam McGee" if nothing else. You will always have a way to keep small children spellbound with this captivating verse.

This, along with Service's other poems have a magical way of transforming us to the Yukon. You will feel as though you are there!

Wild Prose, Rough Living, Tender Heart
Robert Service wrote in the golden years of the Klondike -- of the rough and ready men, and women just as tough.No-one in Robert's world (real or imagined) minced words or had any self-consciousness about them.It was live and let live and sometimes kill or be killed.

Reading his poemstransports us back to that frozen place in nature when it was literallyevery man and every woman for him/herself, yetRobert conveys to us notonly a sensitivity (in his poem extolling the simple light switch --something quite novel in those times, especially in the Klondike), but thebeauties he saw in the others -- gathered around the village's first"grammyphone", hearing the voice of "canned man" comingfrom it -- some savages taking to their canoes because it seems demonic,yet others equally savage, enraptured by this miracle of sound.

Coldcabins, with hoarfrost clinging to the inside rafters -- unwashed masses initchy long-johns struggling out of bed on an arctic day -- and the beautyof the lilies ("Unforgotten") living side by side with atrapper's two-timing woman getting her just desserts (over "a blackfox skin") -- Robert Service touches the heart and soul of the roughand raw Klondike in the early 1900's, and shows us the soul's emotions andcolors from inky black to pure gold. ... Read more

Product Description
The Trail of '98 and Ballads of a Bohemian ... Read more

Product Description
This new and revised edition of poems about the men and women of the North features the most loved ballads by Robert Service, and is illustrated with lively art by Marilen Van Nimwegen. While living in Whitehorse, Robert Service wrote The Cremation of Sam McGee, and other well-known poems. He wrote and published into his mid-eighties. He was quoted as saying, I just go for a walk and come back with a poem in my pocket. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Poems
Love it.The poems are great and love the pictures.Would
highly recommend this.

Robert Service:a handsome, easy to read edition
I ordered this edition of the collected poems of Robert Service to read ont0 tape, his poems for our grandson and grandaughters.I received a handsome, easy to read edition that was more beautifully edited and presented than I had expected.I may keep this and obtain another for them.Thank you.

The Best of Robert Service
I was actually very disappointed with the condition of this book when I received it. It had been packed in an envelope that was close to being too small, and the jacket was torn in several places. I purchased this book among others, as a 45 year anniversary gift to my wife. Robert Service had been a particular favorite of her father, and I knew she would treasure the book. I will just have to tell her that I meant well, but it didn't turn out so well.

A great book of Photos and Poetry
I am very happy with this book.It combines a lot of Service's greatest poems with great Photos of the land and people he wrote about.It is a lovely book that you can be proud to have in your collection.

Great Poems from the heart of the land...
I love Robert Service's raw tones and poems. He tells them with a grit that is true to heart and really just gives you a feel for what is going on and what it was like to be in the real wilderness days. I have heard he described as crude and if that's how you want to view it...go ahead but these poems aren't crude...they tell the true spirit of the classic days with great detail and life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Collected poems of Robert Service
I'm half way thru reading....best poems were the two that were well publicized: "The Shooting of Dan Mc Grew" and "The Cremation of Sam Mc Gee" however the poet definitely is very talented in a down-to-earth....real-to-life way.

A Family Tradition
I first remember hearing a Robert Service poem as it was read by my father. Though my mother did not really approve as he started out, by the end of the Cremation of Sam McGee we were all laughing. That memory is as much about hearing my father, a Mainer who could spin a good yarn, bring the poem to life with his rich baritone voice as it was an introduction to a wonderful writer.
It is a tribute to Mr. Services story weaving ability that his poems were not only appreciated by my father, but that all three sons have a nicely worn copy on their bookshelves.
To anyone who likes the outdoors or even just wants to read about it, this book should be close by your favorite chair. Read a few of his poems aloud to your family one night and you may be surprised being asked to do it again sometime.

Amazing Compilation
A wonderful, thorough collection of the uniquely entertaining works of this talented man.It is like having a library all in one book.Delghtfully enjoyable presentation of classic poetry.If not a fan before reading, you will be.

The Poet of the North
This is by far the most complete collection of Robert Service's work available today.I was afraid it was out of print and happy to find it easily available at Amazon.I had worn out my original copy.

Robert Service is a must-read for anyone who has an interest in the far north and the gold rush.He also has much to say on many other subjects including WW I and life in general.Many critics downplayed his talent, but he fooled them all in the best way:He lived well and died rich from his royalties.

Read his poetry and enjoy.

collected poem of Robert Service
A wonderful collection of Robert Service's poems which I purchased for my husband and our dinner group where we share our favorite poems. ... Read more

Product Description
Robert W. Service, a bank clerk, began writing about the Yukon after he was transferred to the Whitehorse Branch of a Canadian bank six years after the Klondike Gold Rush. Inspired by the beauty of the Yukon wilderness, Robert Service wrote some of the most expressive poetry of his age. Many favorites from Service's poetry, which depicts the trials and tribulations of the Yukon gold mining life, are included in "Tales from the Yukon"-including such memorable poems as "The Shooting of Dan McGrew," "The Law of the Yukon," and "The Cremation of Sam McGee." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

GRANDFATHER OF THE COWBOY POETS
Robert Service, if anyone, could be called "the grandfather of cowboy poets."This has been a popular genre over the past few years and much of the work done by these wonderful men and women can be traced back to Service's poems and style.Being called the "Bard of the Yukon" is certainly true, but sells this particular writer short.His works include so much more that just the delightful poems of the Canadian Territory.Simply written, with a story, they are quite a delight for both old and young alike.I recent years, some of our elitist in our academic world have been less than kind to this poet.This is all well and good with me.They simply don't get it.Service's work will quite likely endure far longer than some of the ranting I read in the professional journals.I read these poems to young folks in my classes, and they seldom fail to delight and indeed, inspire.It is difficult to go wrong with this one.Highly recommend.

Cremation of Sam McGee
Went to Alaska and heard the poem, had to own it.

"There are strange things done in the midnight sun..."
Robert William Service (1874-1958), the son of a Scottish banker father and English mother, moved to Canada in 1896 at the age of twenty-two. After a failed attempt at farming and several years of drifting, he got a job with the Canadian Bank of Commerce in the Whitehorse, Yukon Territory in 1904, and was later transferred to Dawson. During his time in Canada, Service wrote numerous poems about life in the north. Though the Klondike Gold Rush had been mostly over by 1898, tales of it still abounded and from these he drew much of his inspiration. His first book of poetry, "The Spell of the Yukon and Other Verses," was published in 1907 (printed under the title "Songs of a Sourdough" in London), and was followed in 1909 with "Ballads of a Cheechako." In 1912 Service left Canada to take a job as war correspondent in the Balkans. He continued to write poetry, but moved on to other subject matter and did not return to Canada. Eventually Service ended up in France, where he married and resided until his death.

An Alaskan by birth, I grew up on Robert Service's poetry. My father read selections to me at bedtime when I was little, and I was fortunate enough to hear some professional dramatic readings of Service's work as well (if you're ever lucky enough to get such an opportunity, don't pass it up!). His poems perfectly capture life in the frozen north. His imagery is so vivid that you can see the rugged beauty of the wilderness in your mind's eye as you read. You can feel the biting cold of winters, too: "You know what it's like in the Yukon wild when it's sixty-nine below; When the iceworms wriggle their purple heads through the crust of the pale blue snow; When the pine trees crack like little guns in the silence of the wood; And the icicles hang down like tusks under the parka hood" (pg. 131, from "The Ballad of Blasphemous Bill"). Someone who's never been very far north can't fully imagine what it's like, but Service's words will get you as close as is possible, short of an actual trip.

Service's work also encapsulates the spirit of the men who roamed the Yukon during the Gold Rush era. The wanderlust, the loneliness, the foolish enthusiasm, the futility, the madness and the insanity - it's all there. You'll feel "half dazed, half crazed" yourself as you read some of these pieces. It's like a window into the past, into another time and place. And what makes Service's work even greater is his magnificent wit. The poems are full of dark, morbid humor, and laced with irony. "The Ballad of Hard-Luck Henry" (pg. 112) is a great example.

This particular book, "Best Tales of the Yukon," is a combination of poems from Service's first two books, "The Spell of the Yukon" and "Ballads of a Cheechako." It consists entirely of pieces written during his Canadian period, and the editors have arranged them so as to provide a "chronological saga of the Gold Rush" (pg. ix). They've done a magnificent job, beginning with "The Men That Don't Fit In" (pg. 14) and closing with "The Law of the Yukon" (pg. 145) and "Lost" (pg. 150). In between you'll find "The Shooting of Dan McGrew" (pg. 57) and "The Cremation of Sam McGee" (pg. 126), the two that would become his most famous and most frequently recited poems. My other favorites include "The Trail of 'Ninety-Eight" (pg. 28), "The Spell of the Yukon" (pg. 119), and "The Ballad of Blasphemous Bill" (pg. 130). All in all, there are 47 great poems for you to sink your teeth into. There is also a useful glossary at the back, offering definitions of the various Yukon-isms sprinkled throughout Service's work. Definitely worth adding to any collection of poetry and literature.

A deep and inqusitive piece of literature.
I loved this book and encourage others to read it. This book can chill your soul and at the same timemake you feel warm inside. From the Cremation of Sam McGee to the Shooting of Dan McGrew, Mr. Service had meadmiring his work especially after I read 'Grin' which adopts a goodperspective of life. Excellent!

Poems/ballads about the Yukon people.Sad,witty&funny.Bravo!
(1986)I'm stuck in Sinop,Turkey. At the radar station we are bored 'cause it's winter and right now nothing is going on when suddenly a voice from behind me starts what sounds at first like a lethany but evolves into a ballad. No music,just a voice, and it's telling a story... "There's a race of men that don't fit in, A race that can't stay still; So they break the hearts of kith and kin, And they roam the world at will. They range the field and they rove the flood, And they climb the mountain's crest. Theirs is the curse of the gypsy blood, And they don't know how to rest." You'll find more stories: of love, revenge, perseverance and faith. For the near winter season, nothing beats this collection. Nice for reading aloud by a fire or if unavailable, in a room with the TV off. You don't need to be a proffesional story teller. The prose will take care of everything... ... Read more

Product Description
This Volume Contains fifty-seven poems by the incomparable Robert Service, including: The Pines, The Spell of the Yukon, Over The Parapet, The Ballad of Blasphemous Bill, The Shooting of Dan McGrew, The Trial of 98, The Cremation of Sam McGee. etc... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Treasures of the Far North
One of the favorite books of poetry on my shelf, I own several books of Robert Service poetry. His works are among the most delightful to read out loud. This collection, largely gold-rush tales, weaves the spell of the far north with a brilliance untouched by almost any other author.

Most of these works have a simple meter and rhyming scheme. You could almost march to them. Yet the breadth of emotion, the intimacy of detail, the colorful description of a world clothed in whites and grays - all combine to place this work in a class of its own.

... Read more

Product Description
Robert Service’s particular sense of the wild makes him stand out as a true North American poet. His fanciful tales of the rough-and-tumble Yukon have made him one of the most popular and frequently recited poets in the English-speaking world. Service’s poems are perfect for sharing with children and friends, reading alone, or best of all, reciting around the campfire.

Dan McGrew, Sam McGee, and Other Great Service includes over fifty of Robert Service’s best-loved poems, while Mark Summers’ illustrations perfectly capture their mood. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Great story but...
The book was received in excellent condition, but unfortunately looked like a school text book rather than something for my personal library.The words are a classic but the appearance detracts from the joy of ownership.

WONDERFUL STUFF HERE - STILL
This is a wonderful collection of the works of Robert Service.The poetry here is the kind that you loved as a kid.Then you grew up and became ultra-sophisticated and you were able to roll your wisdom filled eyes and look down your well educated nose at such work.Fortunately, you soon grow out of this phase of your life (sooner if you are lucky, most get over themselves around the age of 25 or so) and you happen to pick this delightful work up again.Yes, folks, it is still as good as when you were a kid!Actually, I love reading it to my preteen and teen age grandsons.They still appreciate it, and will again after they go through their little bit of growing up.I highly recommend this one for anyone who love reading or loves poetry.

Fine poetry by an adventurer.
When I studied poetry in school I didn't particularly like most of what we were assigned to read. And then I read Robert Service's poem The Shooting of Dan McGrew and discovered that I liked it. Next I read The Cremation of Sam McGee and decided that poetry could actually be fun. Eventually I read other poems by Robert Service and discovered that, although most were more serious than Dan McGrew and Sam McGee, they still appealed to me. In fact, thanks in large part to Service, I have now developed a taste for other poetry as well. Robert Service was an adventurer as well as a poet and his adventurer's perspective makes his poems particular appealing. If you're a fan of Robert Service this is a good collection of his work. If you haven't read him yet this is a good place to start. And if you think that you don't like poetry, maybe Service will help convert you as he did me.

Great collection of Robert Service, superbly illustrated
This is an outstanding collection of great Robert Service Poetry, superbly illustrated. ... Read more