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I own an original first edition (and did not realize its value until recently), but in searching for this book to add a link from within my new book on Irregular Warfare: Waging Peace, I realized the reader is faced with two choices today, one costing $4 more than the other. I believe I found the explanation in the less expensive version, which is described as "severely abridged." So all things being equal, buy this version instead.

There is no finer summary of this work that I have encountered in my literature search than "T.E. Lawrence And the Mind of An Insurgent" by James J. Schneider, Ph.D., a professor of military theory at the School of Advanced Military Studies, U.S. Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Previously published in 2005 in varied works, it can be easily found online by searching for the author and title.

My preliminary research for the new book shows that the Lieutenant Colonels/Commanders and some Colonels/Captains of the Navy get it, but the flags do not. Even the vaunted counterinsurgency handbook avoids dealing with three realities:

1. Absent a moral legitimizing strategy that includes a commitment to sufficiency of presence, no occupation will succeed.

2. Absent a national intelligence community willing and able to jump deep into Multinational, Multiagency, Multidisciplinary, Multidomain Information Sharing and Sense-Making (M4IS2), no commander will succeed.

3. It costs asymmetric irregular warriors $1 for every $500,000 they force us to spend with our present idiotic emphasis on technology as a substitute for both thinking and human presence. They can keep this up forever, we cannot.

IMHO, Dr. Schneider's distillation is utterly brilliant, and if the publisher issues a new edition, I urge the publisher to obtain permission to include Dr. Schneider's distillation as a new professional preface.

Although I have a very very large personal library (photo at oss.net), here are the books I bought today as part of my homework. In the comment I provide the URLs for the pieces I have had printed locally.

Modern irregular warfare: In defense policy and as a military phenomenon
The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism
Counterinsurgency and the Global War on Terror: Military Culture and Irregular War (Stanford Security Studies)
Asymmetric Warfare: Threat and Response in the 21st Century
Guerrilla Warfare: Irregular Warfare in the Twentieth Century (Stackpole Military History Series)
The U.S. Army/Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual
Never Surrender: A Soldier's Journey to the Crossroads of Faith and Freedom
Kill Bin Laden: A Delta Force Commander's Account of the Hunt for the World's Most Wanted Man

Two other books I already own within my ten link limit:
War of the Flea: The Classic Study of Guerrilla Warfare
Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife: Counterinsurgency Lessons from Malaya and Vietnam

And everything written by H. John Poole, but especially Tactics of the Crescent Moon, Phantom Soldier, One More Bridge to Cross, and Tiger's Way. Also Col Hammes on Sling and Stone, Mao and Che, Max Manwaring's various works including Search for Security, Uncomfortable Wars, and Environmental Security....and on, and on, and on....IRWF is finally "in" now we just have to spend ten years waiting for the current flags to retire.

Although a bit confusing in his presentation of dozens of key characters unfamiliar to the reader, Lawrence paints an extraordinary sketch of a time and people otherwise just a footnote to World history. The richness of the text and word pictures were worth the time spent laboring through massive amounts of detailed narrative.

TE Lawrence (1888-1935) the British soldier, poet and scholar wrote this insightful personal account of the Arab Revolt based on his war journals which is as confronting as it is poetic and beautiful. How could one not be enthralled by the writings and perspectives of a fine intellectual mind tormented by the reality of war and hypocrisy? What makes this book unique and powerful is Lawrence's sensibility as a poet and a soldier. Even if you are not into war history, this is a riveting book you can't afford to miss.

This is one of the great books of the 20th century. That it could be written at all is almost a miracle in itself. Take a brilliant Oxford student trained in the old classical tradition, place him in the Arabian desert as advisor to the wild Bedouin tribesmen during their revolt against the Turks and have him write with an acute sensitivity and unparalleld insight into what was transpiring before him and you may have some notion of what the book is like.
It's a long book. You will learn a great deal about blowing up a railroad bridge in the desert, about camel rides, thirst, and hunger and the heroism and brutality of war. The portraits of Sheik Auda, Sherrif Ali and Prince Faisal of the two Arab boys who Lawrence takes under his wing are masterpieces in and of themselves. The nobility and savagery of the desert tribesmen contrasted with the cold stoicism of the British and the inculcated cruelty of the Turks are just some of themes addressed during the course of the work. There are brilliant passing insights as to the Semitic inspiration for all the revealed religions and their relation to the desert beautiful descripitions of the terrain the weather and the obstacles encountered. When Lawrence says that from the beginning he believed the Arab revolt would succeed because it grew out of a sympathetic population was opposed by a modern army that could not garrison the territory occupied one wishes that President Bush had read it instead of just seeing the movie. Read it yourself.

Rightfully regarded as a modern classic, this book is nevertheless not light reading. This is a result of the density of information, as well as Lawrence's writing style, which often makes a re-reading of passages necessary to fully grasp them, besides his use of some unusual vocabulary. But by the time one has completed the journey to Damascus with Lawrence and his Arabs, one has almost got a taste for his own peculiar style, even if one cannot always agree with his views, which however, were pretty progressive for a man who grow up at the height of imperialism.

There are, however, many contradictions in the man. At the start of the book, for example, he sympathizes with the unwilling Turkish conscipts, illiterate Anatolian peasants who really wished to be back home, led by a militaristic officer caste fresh from the Armenian genocide. Later in the book though, little sympathy is shown, and on one occasion when Lawrence was angered by the Turks, he did nothing to stop their massacre on their defeat, and left all their wounded where they fell - every one of hundreds froze to death in the cold winter night...

But when one considers that he lost both brothers in 1915 in France, his father in 1919 of the Spanish influenza, and his closest friend, and probably boyfriend, Salim Ahmed, shortly before his entry into Damascus, one can be more forgiving of his attitude. And who can forget his botched execution of Hamed, who'd killed another man? To avoid a blood feud, Lawrence suggested that he execute the man, which was insisted on by the Arabs. 3 shots with his pistol, one of which hit the man on his wrist. No wonder he said he couldn't sleep that night. Or his having to shoot long-time compatriot Farrah in the head as he was too seriously injured to move, and wanted to avoid the inevitable torturing to death of Arab prisoners. Enver Pasha, the Turkish commander, had thrown so many men live into his furnace that he knew just how long it took before you heard the sound of their heads popping. Considering this background of brutality, Lawrence comes across as positively humane.

The book has it's lighter moments though. Who can forget the tribe of the Ageyl, who were so poor they used to go into battle stripped to their loin cloths, both in the belief that it reduced their chances of infection if they were hit, as well as to protect their clothing from bullet holes or blood stains...the young Arabs urinating on others' wounds as the only antiseptic treatment in the desert...the Howeitat treatment of snake-bites - bind up the part with snake-skin plaster, and read chapters of the Koran to the sufferer until he died. Life was hard, and luxuries were few, something which seemed to attract Lawrence even more towards his mission of reaching Damascus and driving out the Turks, even if his conscience continued to bother him that the British Govt's promises to the Arabs were unlikely to be fulfilled.

Finally, Lawrence claimed he left the original manuscript on the train, and had to rewrite the entire book from memory, an amazing feat considering the wealth of detail here. Actually, it would be a superhuman task, and Robert Graves, one of his best friends, believes the story was a lie. The implication is that Lawrence made out that he'd had to rewrite the book by recalling his memories as a cover for the fact that parts of the book are invented, and many facts changed, and that this would be the perfect excuse should his information later be found to be inaccurate. But why claim to have blown up over 70 bridges when the real number was around 20 or so?

The answer is that this is a work of literature, and not a military textbook. We'll never be really sure of which parts are exactly true, and which merely invented as representing what typically happened. It's not always light reading, so set some time aside for this one, but when you get to the end, you'll be glad of having made the effort.

This is a "pick it up, and cant put it down" book. Bold and honest in it's writing and also pays respect to the other units involved in the bastonge battle. This rates as one of the better books I have read with regard to the Bastonge battles. The freshness and clarity of the accounts shine through, having been written shortly after the battle and make this book a good read. The hand drawn maps showing company movement supports the written work well. A must read. 5 stars. I will be reading more of Don's work

This is the best of the 4 books that Burgett wrote (and all are excellent). This book does a fantastic job of summarizing just how outnumbered, outgunned, under-supplied, and exhausted the 101st was at Bastogne. After reading this book, I've got a new interest in the Bulge and will be buying more books on the subject.

This is an excellent book, the kind you can devour in an night or a few days. I agree with the other reviewer that this book would be worth of 6 stars.

all four of his books are great first person accounts of his military service as a WW2 paratrooper.a very easy read.

This third of Burgett's four books about his experiences in the 101st Airborne during World War II reveals a young man (19 at the time) at what could be easily seen as his finest (or worst) hours. The author gives this book an intense personal touch that is missing in many accounts of this unit during its defense of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. Burgett takes the reader into the hell he lived through, vividly describing the shortages of basic military necessities such as weapons and ammunition, the incredible struggle for Noville in the early days of the battle and the withdrawal back to the main lines, and the difficulties of being ready to fight after coping with the harsh winter of the Ardennes and the lack of sleep, food, and water.

But what really comes through most clearly in this account is death. Burgett sees much of it in just a few weeks. He sees close friends (the "old men" of his company) and replacements die in what seems to be a random pattern. He takes the lives of German troops without a shred of remorse, yet almost shoots a fellow paratrooper who shot a prisoner of war.

Burgett does not portray himself as a hero--only as a man doing his job. He was very good (and I would also say lucky) at what he did. His story is not the nice neat narrative found in many accounts of the Bulge. It is dark, chilling, and brutal. It makes one wonder what men like him endured--both during the war and the many years since. I highly recommend it and the others volumes about his time in the 101st.

Donald Burgett gives a great view of WWII through the eyes of a 101st airborne paratrooper.

I both read the book and listened to it. The book carries you through the four seasons during 1849 with a young Ojibwe and her family. This book is fascinating, the history and descriptions for chores is fantastic. There is hardship and work and joy and aggravation. It's a regular family. That's what it is so easily relatable to children.

I preferred to have the book read to me through the audio book, this audio book is read by Nicole Littrell. I think this is a great book to read aloud. Once you have finished this one pick up the Game of Silence where we can continue to journey with Omakayas read by Anna Fields, the Porcupine year has not been released to audiobook as of October 2008.

After reading so many praises from young adult readers, I'd like to make a suggestion for adult readers of historical fiction. I read this book, not so that I could instill a love of reading for my children, but rather, for my own pleasure in reading young adult fiction. The books may not involve many subplots, intrigues, and thickly woven characterizations, but certain ones can immerse you into their world of historical make-believe and even lead you to tears. I for one cried when reading this book. The way Louise Erdrich handles the coping of virulent illness and death through the eyes of a child is incredible. Not only does she paint this glorious heroine from a late 1800s Ojibwa girl, but she makes me dwell on the delicate vitality of the human soul and the subtle interconnectedness of each other. Yes, this book describes accurately the lives of the Ojibwa people of that time, but more importantly, above the cultural/historical lesson, the most prominent lesson from Erdrich's storytelling is her unveiling of human transformation into maturity clothed in the culture of the Ojibwa girl, Omakayas. Her auspicious past, her gifts with animals, her perseverance in caring for her family during the smallpox epidemic, and her coping with her brother's death -- for readers to feel that the book has a slow start, Erdrich more than likely chose to portray Omakayas' life in that way because that was exactly the pace it was. Meaning to say, it's not always violence and passion every minute, every chapter. The life of Ojibwas had a steady rhythm that followed the course of nature and only when the white settlers introduced themselves did that rhythm falter. For people who'd like an exciting quick read having to do with Native American history, I can't think of any. But for people who want to see life through a young girl's eyes -- life that involved hard work, sacrifice, love, death and living with what nature has provided, then this book is an excellent choice. Otherwise, there are a lot of old western novels that involve Native Americans (inaccurately of course) that would provide more of a thrill ride, if thrills are what you seek.

I purchased this book for my daughter who is attending CSUN. It arrived in a week and was in good condition, just like the description said.
Very happy with this purchase and many others.

This sweet, tender, sometimes humorous book, chronicles a year in the life of Omakayas, a seven year old girl who lives with her tribe on an island near Lake Superior. The book is divided into four main sections, each relating to a season of the year, just as the Native America daily life is based. Through Omakayas, children learn as they read about how she helps build a birch bark house, how she does her chores, and many other important details of Native American life. This makes the book especially invaluable for the fifth grade Social Studies curriculum. Many Native American words are used throughout this book, but this is done in a manner which makes their meaning apparent. There is even a glossary for these words in the back of the book. Children will love this book as Omakayas makes friends with animals and deals with feelings about her family, loss, fear, happiness, and contentment, as well as other feelings familiar to the young reader.

Generations of American children have grown up reading Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I'm in one of those generations. These stories gave us a view into settlers moving into formerly Indian territories and the hardships of breaking new lands to the plow, fighting weather, droughts, floods, and illness. These stories are our stories of conquering the prairie West. But there's another story that needs to be told and this story is of the Indians we died of disease and starvation and were moved off the lands so that white settlers could build farms and towns.

Laura Ingalls Wilder told the only stories she could tell - one dimensional tales of white people in a white nation. Louise Erdrich tells the story she is equipped to tell - one of a rich group of people living together in the Northern prairie lands. In this story Omakayas is a young Ojibwe girl living with her family, but the characters aren't all Indian. There's Albert LaPautre, a Frenchman who bumbles through trades and wild visions. There's Omakayas' father who works to pay off his yearly debt to the trading post and knows how to play chess so well that he can sometimes win enough food to help his family through hard times. There's Old Tallow, a medicine woman with a pack of angry dogs who teaches kind lessons through harsh examples.

For Omakayas and her family life is both hard and wonderful. There's enough sadness in the book to make you cry and enough happiness to make a child play-act the parts. The one thing I love about native storytelling is the respect shown to animals and plants that are needed to survive. Ms. Erdrich tells of this relationship with the skill of a master storyteller.

This book is richer and more complete than Little House on the Prairie. It's a responsible book and deserves more accolades and a greater following than that earlier work. It's brilliant and sensitive and fun. Everyday life never made me feel so fully. Please let all children in your life read this beautiful book.

- CV Rick, May 2008

Lynn C. Lewis has entered new territory with Dissonance. Although it's classified as a mystery/thriller/suspense here in this contest, I would've thought otherwise if I hadn't read the synopsis and Publisher's Weekly review. Or glanced at the black and yellow box on the top left of her Amazon page!

Most genre fiction is plot driven, and what distinguishes literary fiction is that it's motivated by character(s). Ms. Lewis has accomplished both a plot- and character-driven masterpiece in only 5,000 words. As Randi Craig noted in her review, you can't help falling in love when you read that the main character, Dee Wrightsman, is "pissed off and also pissed." I know I'm not in the minority when I say that I'd take a dirty deed and a memorable one-liner from a charming character over an elaborate description of a beautiful landscape any day when choosing whether or not to continue reading a novel.

What also distinguishes literary fiction is its "Cliff's Notes" potential. Will it be a work that young and old students of literature alike can dismantle, analyze to pieces, and talk till the death in classrooms and creative writing workshops? And yet again, Ms. Lewis accomplishes this in her title alone, Dissonance, which actually refers to "cognitive dissonance." Dee Wrightsman explains it as "More the wish to believe you made the right choice, no matter what. So even if the choice you make isn't the right one, you convince yourself that it was. This generates certain effects when the next choice situation comes up. We don't tolerate dissonance well, so our choices become constricted."

Yet, Ms. Lewis keeps reminding us it's a murder mystery. Her character cleverly engages in a conversation with her colleagues about dissonance and has the gall to give them an example of a murderer planning "her" crime.

Then, when she finds Mr. Guinness's body, here is what she says:

"The back of his head was a mess of blood and brain matter. I grabbed hostess towels from the porcelain towel rack, dropped to my knees, and pressed them against the matted hair. They soaked through slowly, as if the blood had already all run out. His body did not move. Not a breath in him. I couldn't think what should come next and looked up to see Clifford Bacon, Jennings Pick, and a slew of other faculty staring in at me in horror. Bacon's eyes widened and when I turned my head I saw what I had missed at first. Sitting on the toilet tank was a small bottle of apricot brandy."

She manages to avoid overdoing the scene here, describing the back of his head as a "mess of blood and brain matter," and she cleverly ends it with a bottle of her favorite brandy sticking out like a sore thumb at the scene of the crime.

It's as if Ms. Lewis purposely created a new genre for everyone to eat up. She interweaves literary fiction and mystery/thriller elements with ease, making her readers actually care about the character, yet still being able to take them on the ride of their lives, hopefully closer to the conclusion of whodunit.

I was sorry to see this entry not among the top 100, but I am most certain it will be on many best-seller lists before you can say "I'm pissed off and also pissed." Thank you, Ms. Lewis, for having the courage to break new ground in the tough-as-nails world of writing. Success is just around the corner. My best to you.

I found this short to be compelling. The author throws us quickly into the quirky situation that has befallen our immediately likeable heroine and takes us on a fun (at least for awhile) journey. Then when she has provided much entertainment in the plight through which Dee Wrightsman leads us, she confronts us with a very dire situation - a situation that brings us to wonder about our heroine's unpredictable behavior. The first line gives us a clue to Dee's unusual mental processes. "Even for a social psychologist like me, predicting behavior is elusive.

For isn't "predicting behavior" what the "game" is all about for readers of this genre? Can anything complete the circle in Dee Wrightsman's own life and afford her some harmony?

The last part of this excerpt is set up wonderfully as we feel the tension as Dee enters the party. We wonder if we would have had the wherewithal to attend after the incidents of the previous night and how we would handle it. Also at the party-"It was Mags Grossenheimer, Sociology." Nice touch in describing how a person can be thought of by their discipline to the extent it almost becomes part of their name.

Another funny turn - the police chief who carries Jamaican Blue coffee in his work thermos.

I await the next chapter.

Dissonance promises many wonderfully witty insights into faculty life and politics in a liberal arts college (and I'm one who's been there). I don't read many mysteries but I found the blend of satire and murder mystery very compelling, reminding me of some of the classic British authors that blend social satire with their mystery plots. The character profiles leave the reader wondering and hoping for character development as the plot unfolds, and the dialogue and descriptions are very well crafted. On top of everything else this opening excerpt delivers, we get hints that we're in for some lessons in human psychology and why we tend to "wish to believe [we] made the right choice, no matter what." In short, there's something for everyone in this, and I'm sure a publisher will snap it up!

Dissonance by L.C. Lewis opens on Dee Wrightsman's worse month ever. After being denied tenure as an associate professor of Psychology at Southbury College, she lands up a couple weeks later on the lawn of committee lead, Karabelle Poker. She's drunk and spreading horse manure around.

This early portion of the excerpt does a lovely job of engaging the reader with the character. Though Dee is an intelligent and academic woman, she' prone to moody retaliation for perceived wrongdoings. Rather than paint Dee as plain old psycho, the author does a wonderful job of maintaining levity in the tone of the story as it moves forward.

Next we move on to the President's (Quincy Guinness) Summer Solstice Lawn Party (though a few lines later mentions a beautiful Vermont Spring evening). Despite Dee's hesitation to go, she lands up with a trusty bottle of peach brandy in her pocket. As Dee mingles, the reader meets other committee members and faculty with an array of colorful and fun names, though the characters aren't cartoonish.

I truly felt for Dee as she made strides to keep her chin up throughout the embarrassment of having to stick around. Then, as if things couldn't get any worse, President Guinness is found dead. A number of eyes turn to her.

This is a clever bit of foundation work for the overall mystery. Not only is the story appealing, but I actually care about the lead character. This latter element I find missing a fair bit in mystery stories. Overall, I'd love to read this book through and see how Dee's situation plays out.

"Dissonance" is a murder mystery with a sharp eye for the humor in human behavior. Dee Wrightsman is a social psychologist at Vermont's Southbury College. After being denied tenure, she got drunk and dumped manure on the lawn of the person she felt was responsible for that decision. The President's Solstice Lawn Party is an opportunity for Dee to rehabilitate her reputation -or not, so she attends, peach brandy in pocket. As she mingles, some colleagues imply a hidden motive in the tenure decision, then a murder victim is discovered, and Dee looks like a suspect.

Dee narrates her story with upbeat sarcasm toward her fellow academics. She drinks too much. She bears a grudge. She's an imperfect character with a sense of humor about her own foibles and those of the people around her. Her field of study is "dissonance", the desire people have to believe they have made the right choice, no matter what they must do to convince themselves. This might make Dee the perfect candidate to investigate a murder.

Dee's humor and directness endeared her to me. Real emotions that are implicit as much as explicit in her narration give Dee dimension beyond her quips and idiosyncrasies, as her state of mind turns from anger and annoyance to grief and fear in the course of these first pages. Skillful, polished prose moves the story along at a pleasant pace and grounds "Dissonance" firmly in the character of Dee. I expect she will have some funny things to say on the serious subject of murder -and the less serious subject of academic infighting.

I actually enjoyed this 2nd installment more because by now I had developed a "trust" with the author and allowed myself to invest more in my hopes and dreams for the characters. I enjoyed that I knew these characters as the book opened and started with a depth that allowed a deeper story. The power of love, patience, and allowing God to work even when He makes no sense to us at the time was heart-wrenching and fulfilling!

As with the 1st book in the Mark of the Lion Trilogy (Voice in the Wind), this 2nd installment is extremely well written, historical, spiritual, adventurous, romantic, with characters you love and those you don't ... you will ponder it when you set it down, find today's reality is revealed in a story from 2000 years ago, and be challenged with lessons for your own life. This is a trilogy that brings inexplicable deep meaning and growth in your heart.

If you don't yet have an amazon kindle ebook reader, it's books like this that make it all worthwhile ~ only 60 seconds to download the 2nd story after you finish with the 1st - woo hoo!

Bon Appetit!

Francine Rivers paints a detailed picture of life in the Roman Empire. She gets into who her characters are inside rather than just how they appear on the surface. The book is Christian fiction, in the best sense of the word. The main character is a Christian Jew who is taken captive when Jerusalem falls to the Romans. The story is very much about how her faith effects her life and the lives of those around her, and it is shown not by sermon snippets but by her actions. I highly recommend the book. Much of what is sold as Christian fiction couldn't be sold to those without faith because the stories are trite and the dialogue preachy. This book could be enjoyed even by someone who didn't care a bit about religion

I agree with the other reviewers that Francine Rivers has done an outstanding job with this trilogy. If you like historical fiction you will love this book. But read the first book first!

This book was an amazing sequel to A Voice in the Wind. Rivers has a remarkable way of envoking emotions with her writing. I have adored every book that I have read of hers and I will continue to read all of her books. She is, without a doubt, the best author I have ever had the priveledge to read. I highly recommend any and all of her works!!!!!

An Echo in the Darkness is the second book in Francine River's Mark of the Lion triology. The book wastes little time recapping from the first book (A Voice in the Wind).

Spoiler alert: Since the last book, we discover that life has changed for the characters in 1st century AD. Hadassah is surviving with disfiguring injuries, Marcus is seeking to make sense of the world as he knows it, his sister suffers from an unidentified and dangerous illness and his mother Phoebe has turned to Christianity and does good works in the community.

To make sense of the tragedy and abominations of the people, Marcus travels to the holy land to find this "God" to whom Hadassah prayed. His journey, is a good metaphor for many people's journey into Christianity. Through his journey, as well as Hadassah's into forgiveness and Julia's into redemption we get a good picture of life in Rome, Ephesus and Israel in the 1st century AD. However, my overall issue with the book was that the talk of God and faith was quite heavy handed. I much preferred a Voice in the Wind because there was a better combination of history, faith and humanity. I know this is probably an unpopular sentiment, but there was so much talk of God in this book that it became overbearing at times. For me, it was to much, for others, if you enjoy a substantial focus on God in a book besides the Bible, then this book is for you.

This is one of the greatest childrens books, especially if you are from New England. Recommend it for everyone, big and small.

I haven't actually read this book in many years but it was a favorite of mine as a child. I remember my mother reading it to me night after night after night and then taking a trip into Boston to see all of the places mentioned. It's a great story and the illustrations are beautiful. I now use it as a gift for new moms to read to their children.

Prior to a planned trip to Boston, I purchased Make Way For Ducklings for my grandchildren who were three and a half and five and a half at the time. Their mom was running in the Boston Marathan. Knowing that we would be taking them to the Public Gardens and they would see the "ducklings"..this was a perfect history lesson written so well for little ones and adults to learn...Highly recommended

This book is simply sublime. I had it as a child, got it for my own children over 25 years ago, and now am buying a copy for my new grandson. Everything about this book is wonderful!

Make Way for the Ducklings by Robert McClosky has become a classic in children's literature since it was first published in 1941. Children's books have changed a lot over the years, but this particular work is substantial proof that change is not always best and more importantly, that quality will always stand the test of time.

The work has a lot going for it. First there is the story. Two Mallard ducks, Mr. and Mrs. Mallard are trying to find a safe home to start a family; one that is safe from foxes and turtles. As they fly, several locations are considered and after a lengthy journey they settle upon a small island in the Charles River, Boston, Mass. Before settling here and starting their brood, they visit the Public Garden in Boston, where at first the find food rather hard to find, but after they encounter the "Swan Boats" and the people riding these boats throwing peanuts to them, they decide that the park is a good place. After checking the area out, the settle on the small island in the Charles River where Mrs. Mallard hatches a number of ducklings; eight in all. At that time, Mr. Mallard decides to take a short trip to check the area out. In his absence, Mrs. Mallard cares for her young and one day, after the little ones can walk, swim and learn to line up in a straight line, she takes them to the park.

The story of the friendly policeman and his coworkers, the journey through the city and their eventual arrival at their new home makes for a wonderful tale. Actual place names are used in the story and are depicted quite accurately in the illustrations. Louisburg Square, Charles river, Mount Vernon Street, Beacon Hill, The Book Store and several others sites allow visitors to more or less trace the journey of the duck family.

The second thing this story has is the marvelous art work. All is done in charcoal, with wonderful shading and great detail. The buildings, cars, people, dress and stores all are accurate to that particular era. This does not distract from the story in the least, and indeed, adds to the charm.

This is a wonderful read along book and is suitable for ages four through eight. I have personally "kid checked" it with these age groups and get asked for many rereading.

This book received the Caldecott medal in 1941 and it was well deserved. Other children's books by this author include Lentil, Blueberries for Sal, One Morning in Maine and Time to Wonder. All of these are excellent choices and should be included in any child's library.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

and very dull and slow. My daughter loves mystery books. She read this aloud to me. Neither of us were impressed. My daughter kept asking why they continued to enter the house without the owner's permission. She also kept asking where the mystery was. We read more than half of the book and decided to give up on it. I was disappointed since I had heard such wonderful things about this series and was looking forward to it. I'm glad that we only ordered this one and none other.

Like some of the other reviewers here, I grew up on the Trixie Belden books, and I also dreamed of being a member of the Bob-Whites! Being a horse-lover, too, the fact that they all rode horses was an added bonus.

I agree that Trixie and the gang were "real" characters: they teased each other, had spats, screwed up at times, and each had a distinct personality, yet all were extremely lovable. I especially always enjoyed the bantering b/t Trixie and her know-it-all brother, Mart. Yet for all the teasing you knew they really loved each other. I was an only child, and although I did have a close friend like Honey, I would've loved to have brothers like Trixie's Brian & Mart, and Honey's adopted brother, Jim.

I am so happy that Trixie and the gang are not considered too "old-fashioned" to appeal to a new generation. These books are truly ageless and timeless. I still have my original collection from when I was a kid (won't say my age, but that was many, many moons ago). I cherish them, will never part with them, and I STILL re-read them every so often, and STILL enjoy them immensely.

There were many Trixie Belden books after the original six by Julie Campbell, but IMO the ones by Julie Campbell are the best.

This was my first time reading a Trixie Belden book and I enjoyed it immensely! In this book, Trixie meets a new friend, Honey, who moves in next door. While exploring an old mansion with Honey, they discover a runaway boy. He has runaway from his stepfather, who treats him cruelly.
These stories are cliffhangers! I love them and advise you to read them all, as I plan to do.

This story is one of my fave series because I love misterys so much. This book is about a girl and has nothing to do in the summer time in till she meats Hunny her best friend and thats the begining of the misterys! READ IT NOW!

This book is the best book I ever read! It is a wonderful book to start off the series of Trixie Belden.

I thoroughly enjoyed Shattered Remains. The descriptions were interesting, the characters, especially Nick, fascinating. The author starts off by grabbing your interest and sustains the momentum throughout the story. I would highly recommend this upcoming author as the story was engaging with plenty of plot twists in between. Don't miss this great read. I can't wait to read another one of her novels.

Shattered Remains by Lynn Coulter

Review by Don Wolfe

It isn't often that a reader gets such a thorough introduction to four different characters in the first 8 pages of a book. Presuming that Ms. Coulter will follow through on the seeds she has planted, this novel has great promise. Nick seems typical enough; his day-job as head of a computer security firm is nicely contrasted with his night-job as a drummer in a small band. Never mind his self-evaluation that he is really good on the drums.

Nick's trouble with women commands center stage from the beginning. Serena, his current girlfriend, accuses him of having an affair with his former girlfriend Avery. Selena doubts Nick's commitment despite the fact that they have purchased a house together. Furthermore, it is clear that Avery abandoned Nick after a suicide attempt failed. What signals could Selena possibly fathom when Avery is so determinedly out of the picture?

Poor Nick seems virtually hapless when Judith, his employee no less, attends his late-night band gig and quickly maneuvers his curiosity about her presence into a one-night stand. Nick certainly keeps his love life complicated, and even worse, he is compromised into discovering Judith's bloody body at the same time it is discovered by the police. At this point, the reader presumes that the story is headed for an intense murder investigation and possibly a rigged trial in court.

Coulter's characters are economically drawn and the pacing in these first 8 pages is intense. Her descriptions are evocative if even a bit too colorful. The plot within these early pages is tightly drawn. The question now is will this novel fulfill its first plot clues.

I enjoyed these eight pages very much and can't wait to see what else is in store for Nick. The story is interesting and it's well written. I'm very impressed.

I loved Shattered Remains! Coulter has created a character in Nick that has both intrigued and excited me. This guy is talented, intelligent and very good-looking. His heart has been broken by Avery Woods (what a great name). He has not seen her in a long time, but he still thinks of her and is bitter. Nick has a new girlfriend but is unable to really love her. Nick's distance causes a break-up. Man I felt so bad for Nick I wanted to rescue this guy from his sadness. But Nick meets up with a lonely co-worker at a bar he was playing. There was a definite attraction between them and against his better judgment Nick gives in to desire and takes the lovely Judith home! This unexpected turn of events surprised me. I loved it! Nick is such a naughty boy and I did not quite expect that. It gets even better! The next night Judith calls Nick in a disoriented state asking him to meet her at the office. Nick is scared because Judith's voice reminds him of Avery's voice the night she tried to commit suicide. At this point, as a reader, I am dying to grab Nick and hug him. I could not read fast enough to find out what was next and I screamed when Judith was dead!!! Yes, dead! Nick meets Judith at the office and finds her in her car dead. To add to the excitement the police have been called and find Nick over Judith's dead body and thinks he is the killer.
I cannot wait to buy this book and find out what happens to our handsome Nick and does he and Avery see one another again? Who called the police and why did Judith call Nick? Please Coulter, tell me more!!!

I'm an avid reader who enjoys all types of books, especially
suspense and thrillers. I really enjoyed how well written and intriguing "Shattered Remains" was. I kept reading and before I knew it the chapter was complete leaving me longing for more. I thought the
book started out great and got better by building suspense almost immediately. I constantly found myself wondering what will happen next. It is one of the best chapters I have read recently. I look forward to reading the rest of this book and finding out what twists are left in the road. I really like Lynn Coulter's style!

A friend loaned me her copies of this series. I enjoyed them so much I wanted my children to be able to read them, but I was apprehensive about having them read her autographed copies, and they weren't available at our local library. I was so delighted to find them at amazon.com and at such a great price I just couldn't pass them up. This is one of those true classics, great for both kids and adults. Enjoy!

The third book in Alexander's Prydain Chronicles is certainly the most romantic of the five books--Taran practically admits to being attracted to Eilonwy and shows jealousy when he learns that she's being sent to the Isle of Mona not just for "princess training" but, rather, because a prince (Rhun, providing the book's comic relief) is her intended husband.

This book takes the form of a standard rescue-the-damsel-in-distress story but Alexander keeps the pace brisk and introduces new characters that will return in future books: Llyan, a giant mountain cat, and Glew, a giant. Dallben and Coll only appear in the opening chapters, but returning characters include wandering bard Fflewddur Fflam, Prince Gwydion, and evil Queen Achren.

I woouldn't say that this is the best book in the series (that would be The High King, in my opinion) but it's a close second.

The princess needs a bit of deportment apparently.


When you decide you need to work on the aristocratic side of a girl, of course you would send her off with a pig keeper and a beast man, wouldn't you?

Because of this, and a bit of a princess triangle, they all end up in a Land of the Giants type scenario, or at least in part.

Here, along with a bit of magic, is a fantasy book where a crow actually comes in useful as a good thing.

This is a great series. One of my favorites and my husband's favorites.

All of Alexander's main characters are back in this book (besides Doli I think), and once again Alexander does a wonderful job of portraying the battle of good vs. evil in the fun garb of a fictional adventure. This book highlights self-sacrafice, as Taran has to choose whether or not to help the man competing for the same things that he wants. It also highlights the immorality of selfishness, as Glew is pretty much selfishness incarnate and ends up stuck in a cave with no way to get out, until Taran and co. decide to be merciful to him even though he tried to kill them.

This books is lots of fun, definitely a recommended read, along with the rest of the series.

Overall grade: A-

The content of the book is a deeply moving story of a taugh girl who didn't lose her hope to be a free person. The most of the people in our world are not aware of a crude fact that slavery exists in 21 century. The highest toll pay children and women.

This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. I would recommend it to anyone who likes to ready true stories from someone's life.

I am was in shock throughout this entire book. I could not believe that this actually happen in the 21st century. Mende told her story so descriptively. I could not stop reading it. Excellent memoir.

Parts of this book were too graphic for me. I can't believe what women in some parts of the world have to endure. I couldn't finish it.

I just finished reading this book and wow. One of the things that really helped me was the references to modern things like cell phones and VCRs. It really helped reminding the reader that this happens today. The book will have a profound effect on whoever reads it. We live in what we consider a civilized society but who knows what goes on in the house next door. I wish the remaining years for Mende to be filled with health, love, and happiness.