I Books

for this little delight of a book.

Since I was in elementary school, Honest Abe has been one of my (political) heroes. (My other political heroes are Thomas Jefferson, Eleanor Roosevelt, Adlai Stevenson, Golda Meir, and Rudy Giuliani.)

Here are my two absolute favorite parts:

The story about how Lincoln and some friends were riding on a country road after a very severe windstorm. He saw two little birds who had been blown from their nest and were too young to fly. The mother bird, naturally, was in great distress.
My beloved Mr. Abraham Lincoln spent an hour, with the two baby birds in his hand, hunting down the nest. His compatriots laughed at him. This man with "the tenderest heart for anyone in distress, whether man, beast or bird," responded to their laughter by saying, "Gentlemen, you may laugh, but I could not have slept well to-night if I had not saved those birds. Their cries would have rung in my ears."

The other story is about what a wonderfully indulgent, patient, loving parent he was. His kids could come to his office and mess up the entire place, and it didn't bother him. In fact, his fellow lawyer writes, "Had they (the kids) s--t in Lincoln's hat and rubbed it on his boots, he would have laughed and thought it smart...." While I was roaring with laughter at that sentence, my heart was filled to overflowing with love for the wonderful man that Abraham Lincoln was.

Order this book now. It's a winner!

I received this book as a gift when it first came out. I had always admired this great president, but hadn't read anything else on Lincoln prior to this book. I found that I couldn't put it done and read it in like 3 days. I almost would describe the book as a picture album full of snapsnots taken by Lincoln's friends, family, and acquaintances. I write this review nearly 4 years later because I picked it up again to read after a recent Lincoln program on PBS aired on television. I fell in love with the book and the man once again. One does not have to be a history or political buff to admire and treasure this small book.

Lots of books have been written about Lincoln. Most tackled this subject through Presidential Papers. Few took the time to look at those who knew Lincoln. Holzer does this by reading all the available material about Lincoln and getting together the writings of those people who knew Lincoln. This book is a summary of some of those people remembering Lincoln. It is great reading.
One is struck by the Lincoln in this book. He comes across as a very human person. He was ugly and not very cultured. He was smart, friendly, and did not take on an attitude with his high position. He was approachable and easy to talk with. A baby sitter reveals his humanity with her encounters. He was not a racist, in a age when most white people were. He was ready to forgive a people who broke the nation apart. He was a rare human being. This comes across in the writting.
For those interested in the real Abe Lincoln, this is a great book.

One of the challenges one faces when studying the life of Abraham Lincoln is the rampant deification that began virtually when John Wilkes Boothe fired his fatal shot on the evening of April 14, 1865.

Since that day biographies have abounded that have, in most instances painted the venerable president in the most friendly and adoring hues possible, making it difficult, if not impossible to have a true look at one of the greatest men to ever live. Where can one go who wants a quick and accurate overview?

This small book, Lincoln as I Knew Him: Gossip, Tributes and Revelations from His Best Friends and Worst Enemies, edited by Harold Holzer, offers a solution.

The book offers excerpts from the personal writings of many who knew him best. These memoirs offer views of a complex individual who suffered from fits of nearly overpowering depression and doubt, was one of the tallest figures of his time and extremely down-to-earth and accessible. These personal accounts provide detail about his numerous idiosyncrasies regarding personal grooming, and diet.

Lincoln As I Knew Him is a wonderful book, offering and up close and personal look a man whose life and impact on the United States will be remembered for forever. If you've read numerous Lincoln biographies as I have you still won't want to miss this one.

Douglas McAllister

I have about 100 books on Lincoln and this is one of the best, it draws on stories from some others but it is an easy and very good read for those who want incites into perhaps or greatest President as told by those who knew him and heard him speak.

An interesting book. What happened in the military and the result of experiences before and after. An insight into the life of someone with PTSD.

I met Bonnie Tierney on October 4th, 1973. Air Force Basic Training was the first step on a journey that would change our lives forever. Bonnie and I quickly grew into the role of military women. She became the "Guide" for our Flight--the person marching alone at the front who sets the pace and keeps us on course--as we marched through the streets of Lackland. Fast-forward, 34 years later, and Bonnie is still proudly stepping out in front, leading the way for those of us with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Her book is a must read for anyone suffering with this disorder, for the people who love us, for those who attempt to heal us, and for those who follow in our footsteps.

I had a wonderful time reading Bonnie's book. Call me biased I had the privilege of serving in the Air Force as an airman under Captain (then Caceres)command while we were both stationed at Blytheville Air Force Base in Arkansas. I read this book with great excitement quickly cover- to-cover and I laughed, cried, sobbed, and lastly "cheered". I loved all the stories Captain Bonnie shares with the reader all entertaining and enlightening. She tells candidly about the horror of the Marines she cared for to the myriad of her painful struggles with her sexuality, the disolution of her marriage, and her hopes for Jason her son currently serving in Iraq. What I read only confirmes what I already knew about "Captain" Bonnie when I was in the Air Force. She is plucky, she is gutsy, she is courageous, has a heart of gold, and last but not least she is a "SURVIVOR." This is a phenominal testimony of the patriotic, brave, women in the Armed Forces that have served and are serving. The reader will not be disapointed in purchasing this gem of a book! I salute Captain Bonnie one more time with all my heart and all my everlasting gratituted for all that she has accomplished, what she has given me, and with hope for those Armed Service Memebers who are suffering from PTSD will find in this book words for healing.

A path crosses and a light goes on. This is the way I felt when my path crossed Bonnie Tierney's, and I was given a chance to read her work. She has opened my mind with her enlightening experiences and persistent truth as she has delved into the recedes of her past. No bars are held on this one, rather she has opened her reader up to more than just her experiences as the Casualty Officer, but instead has taken us all to the root of her very being. She has given us all an opportunity to view it as it was then, and feel it as she does now so deeply. Whether you agree with war or do not, this is a must read. For inasmuch as this is a true account of the aftermath of such an atrocity, and perhaps because of this honest endeavor to convey Ms. Tierney's feelings, we are all called to the reality of it's depths and the psychological torment of the families of the victims and those brave men and women who lay down their lives as well as their memories. I urge you to read this book and convey this urgency to your friends....For this reason I state this case and remind you that it is only.....Every now and then a path crosses......

It's time that Americans and the rest of the world understand how devestating war is to those who participate - on either side. Our soldiers, men and women, go to battle as innocent patriots - they leave scarred for life. I am a woman veteran who witnessed the results from a distance. It is not a pretty site. I did not serve in a war zone but met with the results by interacting with soldiers who returned to different stations after fighting in Vietnam. That alone was traumatic for me. I witnessed the horror of their lives.

Bonnie Tierney has done a great service by describing her experience. I know it must have been a painful process for her to relive by writing. Hopefully it will bring more compassion to our soldiers and the tragedy they face as a result of doing their job. Hopefully it will bring understanding of why soldiers are "different" when they return home. Hopefully it will help people understand the psychological distress of any person who suffers from PTSD by any cause. Hopefully readers will come to understand how fragile we humans are and how fragile life itself is.

Regardless of your personal position on war, or the current war, this is a must read. I'd like our politicians to read this also. It's time to wake up to the human factor and forget oil, power, money, and all of the things that seem to affect the decisions regarding modern war. I think this book is eye opening.

No doubt the best book on ODE by a master!! Ecuaciones Diferenciales Ordinarias (Fondos Distribuidos) Kiseliov Krasnov is another great book! Translated in English!! Like Spivak's Calculus on Manifolds, thin but good!!!

This is a classic in the field. Excellent presentation and geometric perspective of dynamical systems. Most definitely a book to be kept as reference.

This book is WAY better than Hirsch's Dynamical Systems fiasco. Once again Arnold has dissapointed Hirsch's fans by this masterpiece. Just read it and you'll see what I'm talking about. Arnold's ODE is simply the best there is.

I had always hated d.e.'s until this book made me see the geometry. And I have only read a few pages.

I never realized before that the existence and uniqueness theorem defines an equivalence relation on the compact manifold, where two points are equivalent iff they lie on the same flow curve. This instantly renders a d.e. visible, and not just some ugly formulas.

He also made me understand for the first time the proof of Reeb's theorem that a compact manifold with a function having only 2 critical points is a sphere. If they are non degenerate at least, the proof is simple. Each critical point has a nbhd looking like a disc. In between, the lack of critical points means there is a one parameter flow from the boundary circle of one disc to the other, i.e. thus the in between stuff is a cylinder.

Hence gluing a disc into each end of a cylinder gives a sphere! It also makes it clear why the sphere may have a non standard differentiable structure, because the diff. structure depends on how you glue in the discs.

What a book. I bought the cheaper older version, thanks to a reviewer here, and I love it. No other book gives me the geometry this forcefully and quickly. Of course I am a mathematician so the vector field and manifold language are familiar to me. But I guess this is a great place for beginners to learn it.

One tiny remark. He does not mind "deceiving you" in the sense of making plausible statements that are actually deep theorems in mathematics to prove. E.g. the fact that in a rectangle it is impossible to join two pairs of opposite corners by continuous curves that do not intersect, is non trivial to prove.

Hence the staement on page 2 that the problem is "solved" merely by introducing the phase plane, is not strictly true, until you prove the intersection statement above. All the phase plane version does for me is render the problem's solution highly plausible, and show the way to solving it. You still have to do it. But it was huge fun thiunking up a fairly elementary winding number argument for this fact.

Good teachers know how to deceive you instructively by making plausible statements that a beginner is willing to accept. I presume a physicist, e.g., would not quarrel with the statement above about curves intersecting.

This is the best differential, equaitons book I know of if you want to understand what they are, as opposed to learn to calculate canned solution fornmulas for special ones. He even makes clear what it is that is special about the special ones, e.g. linear equations are nice not just because the solutions are familiar exponential functions, but because the flow curves exist for all time,...

This is an amazing book. Arnold's style is unique - very intuitive and geometric. This book can be read by non-mathematicians but to really appreciate its beauty, and to understand the proofs that sometimes are just sketched, it takes some mathematical culture. This is the way ordinary differential equations should be taught (but they are not).

This book is one of my all-time favorites from childhood, when you would have bet money that your parents loved your brother (or sister) more than you! Written in cute prose by the wonderful Judy Blume, this book puts sibling rivalry into a funny and sweet manner.

I only wish I could find the one from childhood, when each kid had their own "side" and the book flipped over!

This is a great book, especially for kids with siblings! It shows how both children feel like the parents like the other one better and that they don't like each other but realize that life isn't as fun without the other sibling around. Highly recommend this!!

Wordsmith Judy Blume uses more verbal magic in this illustrated children's book about a little brother and a big sister. Another book that, at age 12, seemed "too kiddie" and beneath me.
I don't care if you're 60, 16, or 6 years-old! Even if you did not have the experience of growing up with siblings, or, in my case, I was the youngest, but had a smaller niece that acted as a baby sister.
Read so you know the title. Read so you know better than any Child Psychology book on the structure of Sibling Dynamics!

My son (8 yrs old) read this to his sister (6 yrs old) while I was combing her hair. We all laughed so much, he had to read parts over. This is a school library book and I am ordering it now to keep on our library shelf. It will be the book I give to ever child I know.

My children are exactly at the age of the characters with reverse gender. They could readily identify with the situations and could laugh at very 'real' conversations. I am sure they recalled how many times they have each said, "You love him/her better than me." I know I could. I want them to read this book once a month so they can remember the joy in having each other.

There are remarkably few authors that have managed to write for almost every single age group. Judy Blume is one of the few. Though admittedly she has yet to write a baby book or large print text for the elderly, Ms. Blume has somehow managed to write picture books, young readers, full chapter books, teen novels, and even an adult title in her day. We all know who Judy Blume is, but we probably know her for very different reasons. As a kid, I knew her primarily as the author of "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing". My husband, on the other hand, associates her with that deliciously forbidden text, "Forever". For some kids out there, though, "The Pain and the Great One" is going to be their first impression of this undeniably great author. As of this review, it is the only picture book ever written by Ms. Blume. Be that as it may, it shares with all her books the frustrations and confusions that all kids can relate to on some level. Ms. Blume, the great empathic, should consider adding a few more picture books to her repertoire. This first book demands it.

A white page with a pink border. In black and white print are two words: The Pain. A sister then begins to relate to us exactly why it is that her little brother is a pain. Right from the start, you see where she's coming from. This is the kind of kid who insists that his mother carry him to the breakfast table every morning. Unlike his big sister, if The Pain doesn't finish his dinner he still gets dessert. A truly shocked and probably envious sister watches, broccoli perched on her fork, as her brother dives into a delicious bowl of what looks to be strawberry shortcake. One night, she gets to stay up later than The Pain, but comes to the almost immediate conclusion that, "without the Pain there's nothing to do!". The cat seems to prefer him and she finishes with the thought that when it comes to her parents, "I think they love him better than me". Suddenly we're looking at another white page with a pink border. In black and white print are three words: The Great One. Suddenly the perspective has shifted 180 degrees. We're in the head of The Pain and he's talking about his older sister. Sarcastically referring to her as The Great One, the boy talks about all the stuff she gets to do that he doesn't. She feeds the cat, so it must obviously like her better. She knows how to do all sorts of stuff without messing up. She swims with pleasure and isn't afraid to put her face in the water. The boy's final thoughts refer to his own parents as well. "I think they love her better than me". The end.

The book was originally published in 1985. Reading it, I had to wonder if it could be published today. In the current publishing market, I can see well-meaning but oblivious department heads trying to convince Ms. Blume to give the story an ending where the boy and girl become best friends and everything ends up hunky-dory by the last page. I was a little shocked that on a first reading, this is exactly what I found myself expecting. No, what I expected was worse. Because when I got to the pink bordered "The Great One" page I suddenly thought that the story would show how much the little brother really and truly admires his older sister, even if she thinks he's annoying. There's probably a book like that out there somewhere. This book is not it. This is a book that tells it like it is. Sibling rivalry has never been so clear. Cleverly, Blume inserts tiny (I hesitate to call them) lessons into the story so that in the midst of each kid's litany of complaints, they learn things as well. The Great One learns that staying up late isn't fun without her horrid little brother. The Pain learns that playing with his sister's blocks all alone isn't fun in the least. If you're looking for anything more sappy than this, however, you're out of luck. This is Blume telling children what they already know, and kids will appreciate the honesty.

Illustrator Irene Trivas puts her back into this book. It's funny, but depending on who's telling the story, the illustrations shift ever-so-slightly in their favor. When The Great One talks about The Pain, everything he does is understandably annoying. When the boy talks about his sister, on the other hand, she suddenly becomes infinitely competent, intelligent, and skilled. She's annoying in an entirely different way. Trivas also gives each kid some remarkable characteristics. The Great One tends to sport a cowboy hat with a bright green or red feather planted in the brim. The Pain wears a wide variety of hats ranging from goggles, winged helmets, and baseball caps to his own cowboy hat and football helmet. Trivas hasn't done any picture books quite as prominent as this one since its publication. Let us hope she gets rediscovered in the coming years.

The obvious book to pair this one with would be, "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" by Judith Viorst. Both books are legitimate complaints from kids who feel woefully put-upon. Ms. Blume's books tend to have one thing in common: They know how to show unfairness from a kid or teen's perspective. Nobody does righteous indignation like Judy Blume. "The Pain and the Great One", a kind of he said/she said book is the ultimate example of this. For some kids it'll teach them that there are two sides to every story. For others, it'll just reinforce previously unsubstantiated claims that their other siblings have got it better. For me, it's just a great book that needs to get rediscovered. That's all.

This book can easily be used as a college textbook on Oracle RAC. I am studying for the Oracle Certified Master exam and this is possibly the most high level book on Oracle I have read.

It has 3 major strengths which I found to be superior to any Oracle RAC books I have read (including the manual from Oracle).

1)Technical Depth
2)Comprehensive Overview and instructions
3)Quality of writing


1)Technical Depth
The authors write about Linux and Oracle and are high level experts in the subjects. For example, the authors have a very detailed description of how Oracle Cache Fusion handles locking across all the nodes in a RAC environment (probably the crown jewel of RAC technology). They also discuss, in detail, different types of CPU, memory, and storage and contains detailed description of each architecture. Lastly, it contains vastly number of "how to" install, configure, change, analyze, backup/restore, and utilize Oracle RAC and Linux.

2)Comprehensive Coverage and Instructions
No small amount of detail has been skipped. The book contains every utility (there are many) provided by Oracle to implement RAC. It provides a good step-by-step coverage of Linux and Oracle RAC installation as well what each step is adding to the RAC environment. To top it off, it adds how to performance tune, administer, troubleshoot, backup/restore, and use Dataguard in a RAC environment. I can't think of a subject on RAC which the authors did not cover.

3)Quality of Writing
I was pleasantly surprised how well written this book is. Although far from a Pulitzer Prize material, it certainly belongs in that category amongst the Oracle books. Every praragraph has been well organized and written. The proofreader of this book deserves major praise for their work.

Many books around Oracle's advanced topics simply parrot the manuals. Julian avoids that. Instead, he describes Real Application Cluster technology from the ground concepts up to full implementation, with practical notes and tips. He gets into topics that the manuals never touch, and much of what he writes can be useful in any RAC environment, not just Linux.

I whole-heartedly recommend this book and own both the paper and eBook version which I often reference.

This book delivers what it promises. It contains a great balance of technical detail,examples and theory. It encompasses all aspects of implementing/maintaing 10g RAC on Linux.

Very well written. No mater you are a Pro or a newbie, it will be helpful. A very well written book.


Highly recommended.

This is a very hands on command line oriented book. Good understanding of RAC concepts. I found it extremly useful in my day-to-day work.

Highly recommended.

Thanks!

This is a tremendous book. Not a book just for Brittanylovers, but for all lovers of gun dogs. The book takes you to thejoys of friendship, hunting, birds, and dogs in the field. It reminds us of what is important, and what matters. It makes you laugh, and helps you see the world in better terms. It makes you pat your dog on the head and be thankful for him.

If you spouse doesn't understand the attraction of fleeing quail on a cold November morning give her this book. A read through and she'll understand why we always pursue "Another Autumn."

Don't miss this book. It's a keeper.

I dislike books about dogs as a general rule, but The Rufus Chronicle was an unexpected treasure. Gusewelle speaks with a solid yet familiar voice about the joys and the learning curve of raising a dog from a pup with the intent for it to be a hunting dog. I haven't hunted or had a dog for many years, but with every turn of the page I was transported back to a time when my greatest pleasure was taking to the field with my canine companion. This book has the rare quality of speaking to the reader on a basic human level, causing you to not only remember scenes from your past, but also sounds, smells, and feelings. If you hunt, keep dogs, or are simply an animal lover with a big heart, then you must read this book.

This book catches your attention immediately. The author's style makes you want to curl up and read without putting this book down for even a second! I am a Brittany owner but dog owners of all breeds, especially gun dogs, will find themselves smiling, crying, laughing and more as they take an emotional journey with the author and his dog through the seasons of their collective lives! ....a wonderful, heartwarming experience, don't miss it!

This will warm the hearts of all dog lovers. Dog owners will reflect on their own experiences with dogs as they read about Rufus, his yard mate and his Master, Charles. Do not be surprised if you find yourself smiling, crying and even laughing out loud.

This memoir by columnist Gusewelle of the life of his dog Rufus is rich, funny and gives a thorough explication of what it meant to live with the Brittany Rufus. I was not partial to the passages on hunting, as I am not a hunter, but I was still engrossed in the book, because these incidents told a lot about Rufus, and after all, HE loved the hunt. It's a pleasant read, with a not unexpected end that while sad completes the story satisfactorily. If you know someone who loves to read, hunt and loves his dogs, this book is definitely the perfect gift.

This book contains the quote, "Don't be saddish, have a radish" that many people seem to quote without being able to cite where it came from!

I used to own this book as a child and I loved it, but having moved several times, its disappeared. I would love a copy of it so that I can share it with my son. I remember it being called A Special Swap though over here (UK) Please reprint this book. its a real treasure.

I'm not sure how I got my copy of this book, but it has always been one of my favorites. I have had it since I was a little girl, and I was trying to get hold of a copy to give as a present to my niece, and also one to keep for when I have my own children. I suppose the fact that I am going to have to make do with the tatty old copy I have makes it all the more precious, and I'll be sure to keep it safe! I think its a lovely story and one all children should have the opportunity to read.

I, too, first heard this book read on Capt. Kangaroo. I often checked it out of the library to read to my two young children. My father would push them in their strollers. He walked along when they learned to ride bikes and roller skate. Now at 76 years old, he is suffering from Parkinson's and has to be pushed in a wheelchair. My grandson, his great-grandson, loves to help push him. I want to get a copy of this book to read to my father and give to my grandson as a special memory.

This was one of my favorite books when I was a little girl. My mom and I used to go to the library just to get it and I always knew exactly where it was in the library. I don't know why we never just bought it. I guess being a library book made it more special. Recently (about 20 years later) I thought I'd surprise my mom with a used copy. First I couldn't find a copy and now I see this book is going for [$$$] I think we should be ashamed of ourselves for exploiting a beautiful children's story, ironically written about love and generosity, and turning it into what everything else seems to have become, an empty, profit-driven shame. I'd reccomend this book very highly anytime-- at a reasonable price.

This is good book that briefly describes the events of Episode I in a picture format perfect for young and non-readers

this is the best book you can look at to see all the details put into episode 1! there are pictures, quotes, and much info about each character! it truly is a good buy!

I just bought this book and I just can't get over how amazing it is. I learned who played Darth Maul finally and I found out a lot of things about the movie I really didn't noticed when I watched it.

When I got this book, It was totally AWESOME! there are a lot of pics and COOL stuff that you couldn't of had guessed...I mean is was "THE BEST" I couldn't stop reading it...it's REALLy good...trust me!

This book is really great. I learned a lot of stuff I didn't know before! For example, it explained more about the Jedi council and other characters.

We just finished reading it; I had to finish it while she was eating her breakfast before school b/c she loved it so much and wanted to see how it ended! She loved it as much as i thought she would, so it was very gratifying. What beautiful illustrations and such a sweet story. It is made more charming by being set in the past, in England.... I think all of Rumer Godden's books I have tried are fantastic, and look forward to discovering the rest of them with my children.

Godden has such a wonderful literary style; it's a shame her children's stories aren't more widely known and that so many of them are out of print. This was one of my favorite books as a child, and now it's one of my daughter's favorites. I won't bother with a plot synopsis, since others have already done that. I'll just say that it's a lovely story with a sweet, absolutely satisfying ending. Adrienne Adams did the original illustrations for many of Godden's children's books, including The Story of Holly & Ivy, and I'm a big fan of her artwork, but Barbara Cooney's new drawings for this story are just as good, or even better in my opinion.

If your child enjoys The Story of Holly & Ivy, I recommend you check your local library and used bookstores for the other stories from the Four Dolls collection: Impunity Jane, Candy Floss, and The Fairy Doll; also look for Mouse House and The Mousewife. All of these are particularly good if you have a precocious reader, because the writing and vocabulary are relatively advanced, yet the content is age-appropriate for younger children.

OK, I'll admit, I'm 35 years old and this is my absolute favorite christmas story (Besides the orig. one!).

This is a long read aloud (one or two sittings) but a great one. I have used it successfully with 3rd and 4th graders (large group) and with any age above 3 (one-on-one).

I first came across the story of Holly and Ivy as a child in the school library. Nearly 40 years later, I was delighted to find it again. It is one of those stories that stays with you and it is one that I was delighted to give to my daughter.

On the surface, it's a story of simple wish-fulfillment: doll gets girl; girl gets doll and family. I realized, reading it this time, that it also Rumer Godden's revision of Hans Christian Andersen's beautiful awful tale of the Little Match Girl. In this version, though, the orphaned Ivy doesn't freeze to death and her wishes, despite all the rational reasons for them not to, come true. Godden's writing is exquisite here--balanced between the beautiful fantasy of Christmas wishes and dolls who think and the quiet, half-hidden awareness that this is just a story and that the ending could have turned out very differently. As a child, I loved it; as an adult, its poignancy surprised me by bringing me close to tears.

The illustrations are well-matched--both simple in line, but full of the pertinent details that children listening to a story love to find. Just a really nice match of story and artist.

It is a long book for reading aloud (though there are natural breaks). I've read it twice to my seven-year-old and the tension of the story is such that I didn't end up taking breaks reading it. Because of the language, it's more of a reading-aloud than reading-alone book for the younger reader set. I wouldn't give it to a child who wasn't fairly comfortable with chapter books unless I knew there was another willing reader in the house.

It is very much a doll story. A child who liked Dare Wright's The Lonely Doll would grow into this one. And if the child likes Holly and Ivy, I recommend Rumer Godden's Miss Flower and Miss Happiness and its sequel, Little Plum.

Not only does this book capture the fascinating technical and tactical details of submarine operations, it allows the reader to examine the soul, spirit and psyche of a wartime submarine skipper and his crew. It is a profoundly personal and reflective book. I have not been touched by the vicarious sense of realism since I read Elmer Bendiner's equally riveting Fall of Fortresses (WWII B-17 ops).

Galantin deals with seemingly irreconcilable contrasts, from biblical inspiration to the instinctive needs of young men; from the sweet innocence of his young daughters, to the profanity aboard the boat; from the natural beauty of the sea to the horrors of war.

When I wrote to the author several years ago, expressing my appreciation for his favors in war and his deeds in peace (Galantin was the #2 officer in the Polaris Program), he wrote me back a gracious and appreciative letter.

While I didn't serve on Submarines in WWII I did work on them at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in the mid 50s as a young Ltjg. I experienced test dives in a WWII Fleet boat and later models up through the ALBACORE (AGSS569), the experimental first modern high speed submarine. I got to work and talk to Chiefs and Officers who had experienced combat in WWII including depth charging.

This book brings all those experiences to life in an easy to read well written book. Even if you have no experience with Submarines this book will give you an accurate view into life aboard a WWII submarine in action. Better than any fictional novel on the subject - this is real, an easy and fast moving read that you will enjoy.

This book by I.J. Galantin was a great book to read! I am an avid reader of WW II books - especially Navy and submarine history. This is an excellent account of what it was like to skipper a submarine in the Pacific in WW II. He begins with a brief account of his training, then launches right into details of his experiences aboard the submarine USS Halibut. Especially riveting are the accounts of being depth charged during several battles.

Galantin's book also provides an insight into things that were going wrong with various weapons and systems in submarines. These details give the reader some insight into why the U.S. submarine service did not fare well in the aspect of casualties! His writing on these elements are not overly detailed, so the reader can easily understand them. He says he wrote this book for all the sailors who served on the Halibut and did not know anything about what went on in other areas of the ship during battle. What he also does is give readers who weren't there a great narrative of WW II submarine warfare!

I recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in submarines, World War II, or naval history. Once I started reading it I couldn't stop!

I've read TAKE HER DEEP! three times. I knew after I read it the first time I wanted it in my personal Library. Galatin is not your typical dry military author; his book is well written and easy for a non-nyphyte Navy person to understand. This book should have been turned into a movie, without embellishments. HALIBUT's adventures under Galatin's command were all one could ask for in a movie, and make for a great book to read. Hard to put down once you start reading it. Worth adding to one's personal Library. The book keeps you on the edge of your seat for most of it's length.

If you like WWII non-fiction, this is about as good as it gets. Well written, historically accurate, and full of little known facts about submarine life.