John Winston Books

Wow! I'm so glad this book is still a hit. I still have the one that was issued to me in 1975 in ninth grade English. I have used it ever since, including for my bachelor's and two master's degrees. The spine is faded pink from sitting in the sun on my reference bookshelf for the last 33 years. This book is single best source you can find for grammar specifics; language structure; expository writing; or tweaking your writing for the essay section on the SAT or a back-to-school paper. A true treasure that is as useful today as it was long ago.

This book was issued to me in my senior year in high school in 1976. I have kept it by my side, has helped me through my college years and then with my children, and now that I have decided to go back to school and am studying translation, I have taken it out of the bookshelf once again because the books we were assigned do not even come close to the perfection (in my idea) of this book. It has traveled with me through the different countries that I have lived in. It is truly a jewel of a book as far as how it is organized, explained and the exercises are very helpful to reinforce what you are trying to learn.

I was issued the 1963 version of this book in high school during the 1970's. I won't let it out of my sight! I brought it to college, and used it to teach my kids what they weren't learning in school. Now my daughter's SAT tutor wants her to have her own copy. I'm sure this updated version will prove invaluable to her as well.

I have the 1965 (!) version of this book! I used it in GRADE SCHOOL. I used it as a reference in HIGH SCHOOL. I used it as a reference in COLLEGE. I used it as a reference in GRADUATE SCHOOL. My daughters used it (as a reference) in GRADE SCHOOL, HIGH SCHOOL, COLLEGE and now GRADUATE SCHOOL. My son is now using it! During homework, there was always a call for "Dad, can I borrow that red English book?" There isn't anything else like it, not today. It explains, illustrates and gives practical examples of English like no other textbook. it's built as a REFERENCE TEXTBOOK, something few books do today. Textbooks used to be like this once. I was on Amazon and wondered by chance if it were still available, I'd like to get an updated copy. I was stunned to not only find one, but find that every single reviewer felt that same way about this book! You absolutely MUST have this as part of your personal reference along with you home medical books and such! When your child asks, "So, dad, mom- is it "lay" or "lie?" - you'll go running for this book, I guarantee!

I picked up this book after it was recommended by Stephen King in his book "On Writing" pages 121-122 (hardback). Mr. King was right, this is a good book and it has everything you need to become a good writer. I have not reached that point yet, but I know I will eventually get there with the help of this book.

I read this book several times when I was young. I loved it then and my son has read this a couple times in recent years. I have all four books in the series. The description of his life on the trail, taking care of the sled dogs, and even the food he ate while on the trail were all exciting to me. The book starts out about Silver Chief's mother, before the Chief was born. I had forgotten about that part. This is a great book. Another book I liked regarding the outdoors, which also had great detail, was My Side of the Mountain.

I read this book as a young girl and now at the age of 60 I enjoyed it just as much. I read it to my four kids when they were in the 5th grade and they loved it as well. Now my daughter who is a high school teacher is using a copy of the book in her classroom for her students to read.

My dad read this book as a boy in the 1950s. He introduced the Silver Chief books to me and I read and reread them as a young preteen. I have since read them to several children who also couldn't get enough of them. Silver Chief is a beautiful silver animal part dog and part wolf. A Royal Candian Mounted Policeman named Sar. Thornton heads north to track a murderer. While waiting to track down the murderer, Thornton captures and tames Silver Chief training him into a loving companion and loyal friend. When the Murderer wounds Thornton in the leg, it is up to Silver Chief to see that they arrive safely back to civilization.

I read this book in elementary school, after stumbling across it while browsing through the school library. It's such a great story and even though it's for youngsters, I wouldn't mind re-reading it now as an adult, just for the memories of the brave wild dog's adventures.

I read the Silver Chief stories as a grade school kid back in the 50's and even today just hearing the name conjurs up memories and pictures in my head of "the Great White North," the Canadian Mounties and the moving story of the bond between a man and a wild dog. I had a heck of a time finding a copy to read to my three boys -- the [Local] Public Library had relegated it to storage in a warehouse. How unfortunate that so many wonderful children's titles have been lost or forgotten. I'm glad to see this one is still available to another generation of readers -- the romance, adventure and genuine feeling of this story remain timeless!

The reviews below say it well. I re-read parts of this every few months - not to refresh my knowledge of the civil war, but to re-fresh my awareness of life. This guy helps you SEE the real life going on around you. And his use of words is often just delicious. It is a masterpiece.

I first read John Brown's Body, the book length poem chronicling the Civil War in high school in the forties. It was my first exposure to narrative poetry and it has been my favorite book since then. When I read twenty years later that it was also the favorite book of John F. Kennedy it reassured me that he would avoid war at all costs. It is an anti-war story, and the devastation of war, the profiles of the all too human generals and of Lincoln are an important footnote of history. The poetry is musical and sometimes stark. He is able to impart the real devastation of war on the lives of those affected by it. I would reccommend it to anyone who loves poetry and history. It is a truly American story of a war that should never have been fought.

While it is a staggering work of American poetry, John Brown's Body should not - and must not - be considered a factual account of the Civil War period. Like most Civil War works published in the 1920s - the period that saw the rise of Jim Crow and the rebirth of the KKK - Benet's "epic" seeks to distract readers from the role slavery played in sparking the war. If we admit that slavery sparked the war, then we admit that blacks were important enough for whites to fight and die for. And in the 1920s, social pressures in the United States were aimed toward disempowering blacks. Proponents of the "Lost Cause" mentality will argue that the Civil War was fought not over slavery, but rather over states' rights. But states' rights to do what? Keep slaves, of course. Appreciate this book for its contribution to poetry. Do no appreciate it for its views on the Civil War.

When Stephen Vincent Benet finished John Brown's Body in 1928 and the critics awaited its issue, the South was most anxious and skeptical that they would be portrayed honestly. They were and Stephen Benet's masterpiece is America's greatest epic poem and a most unappreciated work of literature. But, I love it and always will love it, because it makes those historic figures of so long ago - come alive. Out of the mist, they ride. Come traveler, pick it up, open its pages and from fish hook Gettysburg to the end, watch them ride and try to understand over all the years what was happening and why they were fighting. It was not all about Slavery!

During the Pax Romana the emperor Augustus commissioned Vergil to write an epic history of the Romans. The result, of course, was The Aeneid, a stunning blend of epic poetry and historical fiction that some would argue has yet to be topped. John Brown's Body is the closest thing we have to an epic poem "about" America. And while it takes place during the civil war and makes no claim to be an authoritative history, the book is no less impressive as a literary feat. No book in the history of this country has so artfully depicted our nation's great schism.

Written in the 20s, John Brown's Body redefines the word ananchronism. Its contemporaries are The Great Gatsby, The Sun Also Rises, and Their Eyes Were Watching God. Professors widely praise these modern works for their groundbreaking aesthetics, and not without justification. However, it's hard to imagine a more daring or daunting task than the writing of John Brown's Body. Never mind the fact that he pulled it off marvelously. Stephen Vincent Benet remains the only writer to have even _attempted_ to write an American epic poem. Stephen Vincent Benet deserves high scores both for degree of difficulty and final product. Yet conventional education regarding 20th century American books never seems to give him these high marks.

Why Benet and his book don't get the recognition they merit is a terrific question. Is his book canonically superior to Gatsby and Their Eyes? No. And on some level, it's difficult to see what someone living in Taiwan could glean from this document of American struggle and triumph. To wit, the book can also be criticized for being slightly skewed toward a Yankee perspective. But as a whole, the book is outright better than a lot of works revered as American classics.

What does better mean? What it should mean. Simply a more impressive work of art. More entertaining. More provactive. More fun to read. More intellectual depth, conveyed subtly and beautifully, embedded skillfully but not invisibly in an absorbing tale. On these counts, John Brown's Body is vastly superior to classics like The Sun Also Rises; The USA series of John Dos Passos; Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis; and certainly Hawthorne's later novels. Yet John Brown's Body continues to get short shrift, to the point where it's well nigh unfindable in many a book store. One can only hope that the critics and canon-makers of later generations restore the book to its proper place, high atop our shining history of American letters.

Winston Churchill wrote this book during the 1930's while in political exile. His masterful handling of Hitler, Roosevelt, and Stalin is presaged as he tells the tale of John Churchill, who overcame party strife in England, baseness and shortsightedness in coalition partners, and (finally) Louis XIV of France. WSC tell the story with his brilliant flair and style, but he also pauses with the reader to reflect on such matters as how to blunt a violent political storm without being yourself destroyed, how best to handle superiors who will hold you responsible for results but will not let you do the job, and how to act honorably when all of your life's work is thrown away by your enemies. These trenchant insights were pertinent in 1700, in the 1930's, and today. You are in for a treat, read this one.

Winston Churchill was a man who rarely met a topic upon which he didn't harbor a strong opinion that he was willing to share. The Duke of Marlborough is no different. Churchill is clearly enamoured with this relative of his and lets it show. That said, Churchill plainly states that there are two camps on Marlborough and tells the world which camp he falls into. By doing so, he opens up the reader to get a feel not just for Marlborough and his times, but also for the debate by historians that rages around a polarizing historic figure like Marlborough. (Sound familiar to anyone else?) The result is a richly layered work.

Winston Churchill viewed history as something that was alive and tangible and his historic writings capture that feeling for readers. Marlborough's battles - both military and political - come to life in the hands of Churchill. We get to see one of the great military minds of the 18th century push military science closer and closer to its modern form. We also see him perform less well on the political front against his foes there.

Through the entire book, we get to listen to Winston Churchill in his element, telling us a story about a topic he feels passionately about. So many of the trials, trevails, and reactions that Churchill ascribes to Marlborough are so obviously parallels to Churchill's life and his reactions that the book has a clear autobiographical tone to it as well.

Highly recommended for history buffs and for people who want to understand Churchill more deeply.

John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough, is the uncontested military genius of late Stuart England, the uncrowned political/military heir to William of Orange and the famous ancestor of Winston Churchill. In tandem with Austria's general, Eugen of Savoy, he led the coalition armies in the War of the Spanish Succession, defeating in detail several of Louis XIV's French and Bavarian armies, most famously at Blenheim, but also at Ramilles, Ourdenarde and Malplaquet. Meanwhile, on the domestic front, his wife, the beautiful but intemperate Sarah Jennings, later Duchess of Marlbourough, became a "favorite" of Queen Anne and secured for him (at least for most of the war) the political support that necessary for him to field an army on the Continent for the many years.

As a writer of history, Churchill ranks with Gibbon for his mastery of prose and his ability to use vivid imagery to hold the reader's attention to minute detail. For each year of the Spanish Succession War, Churchill opens with a strategic appreciation of how the Anglo-Austrian forces plotted out each year's campaigns, and goes to great pains to explain the reasons behind Marlborough's various deployments. And he paints on a simply massive canvas: he begins with a detailed account of Charles II's Restoration, of James II's abortive reign (and Marlborough's role in ending it), of William III and Mary II's joint reign (Churchill is NOT a fan of William and Mary) and of the underlying workings of the French monarchy. He is not afraid to address the various failings in Marlborough's character, particularly his secret negotiations with both the enemy and the exiled Stuarts, but does seek to defend Marlborough (and Sarah) from the more libellous charges.

This book was written in the 1930s, politically Churchill's decade of exile (and personally, his worst years of depression). If everyone turned unemployment, financial crisis and depression to such good use, the world would be a far better place.

Winston Churchill, in a relatively well-known bad patch during the 1930s, began to write this history of his famous and much maligned ancestor. The first volume contains the first two books of the original four book set. The life of John Churchill, Duke of Malborough, is both a fascinating look at an historical era as well as a personal portrait of a great military general. Book One consists of a large chunk of history, spanning the downfall of Charles I through Cromwell, to the Restoration of Charles II, through the overthrowing of his brother, the Catholic James II by William of Orange married to James II's daughter, Mary, to the crowning of Queen Anne. The second Book of Volume one concentrates on a mere 3 years of Anne's rule.

I will not reiterate what other reviewers have already said. However, I would add that in the writing of this book, Winston Churchill prepared himself to become even greater than his general ancestor. It can hardly be surprising that as this history was being written, events were conspiring to lead Winston Churchill into the biggest world confrontation ever. After studying the campaigns in Europe of Lord Malborough, it can hardly be surprising that Churchill fully suspected the coming of the war long before his fellow MPs.

This is a scholarly work and shouldn't be undertaken without serious patience. Each of the two volumes are in themselves close to 1,000 pages long. The history is written from the point of view of a defender, though Winston Churchill is careful not to gloss over details that might cast an unfavorable opinion of his ancestor. Well worth the effort.

BOOK TWO -

Since I reviewed Book One, I felt it was important to follow up with a review of Book Two of this work. My initial comment is that sticking with something this huge is a task in itself, but often the reward is hard to describe. For me, I feel each time I finish a huge work like this (or Hegel, or Kant, or ... well, anything "Big") I sense my own mind has been exercised a bit. It's a reward in and of itself.

Firstly, like Book One, this is really Volume Three and Volume Four of the a Four Book series bound together in Two mammoth volumes. Reading these 2000 plus pages is like running a marathon: the beginning is difficult, then you break the pain barrier and coast for quite a long while until the last staggering climb to the finish. In Book Three we continue with the war of Spanish Succession. These 500 pages are essentially concerned with the gigantic battles Marlborough fought. It was a time in which his glory was highly esteemed. As we get into Book Four, much like Book One, the narrative returns to the over all political scene which dominated and brought down the Great Duke. It is also the point where the reader might become overwhelmed again by both the multifaceted political machinations as well as the constantly revolving names (John Churchill becomes the Duke of Marlborough, etc.)

However, for all these difficulties, the overall sense from both volumes is as thorough and detailed and enthralling as history can be written. There can be no doubt that Winston Churchill, as he surveyed the ever-mounting rearmament of the Germanic states and looking over the ancient maps of Europe imagining both the current and past, felt an immense burden of responsibility. By undertaking the task of "reforming" The Duke of Marlborough's image, he delved deep in to the vaults of history and warfare. It was not surprising that at the same moment he should be the first to recognize (at least in Britain) the significance of Hitler's intensions.

One other thing struck me as fascinating about this era. The whole course of European politics, war, peace, and financial stability were tied up in the lives of three bickering women: Sarah (Marlborough's wife), Abigail (cousin to Sarah), and Queen Anne (whom both served and guided with gossip and whisperings.) Out of this small time period bore the seeds of Napoleon, the American discontent with England, and Slavery. Big stuff.

I recommend these Four volumes (two books). The paperbacks are perhaps overstuffed, though. Book One split right down the middle. I was more careful with Book Two, though my hands suffered from it. Perhaps spending the money for the hardback editions in this case is worth it?

Winston Spencer Churchill's biography of his ancestor, John Churchill First Duke of Marlborough, stands out as a restoration of Marlborough's reputation, an account of England under the reigns of Charles II, James II, William III and Queen Anne, and an in-depth military and political history of the War of Spanish Succession.

WSC gives us a picture of the whole man, including his faults. One of WSC's purposes is to rescue Marlborough's reputation from the attacks of generations of historians. The book becomes a brilliant defense and of course it cannot be unbiased. WSC is Marlborough's defense attorney, not his judge.

By the 1920s, Marlborough had been called miserly, greedy, ambitious, duplicitous, disloyal and treacherous. As he recounts Marlborough's life, WSC continually picks up an episode that seemingly illustrates one of these traits, but turns it around.

Where unsympathetic historians saw miserly habits, WSC saw thrift and WSC goes further. Marlborough was miserly when it came to his own needs, such as when he insisted surgeons cut his stocking along the seem so that it could be resown. Yet he paid his army's bills and wages on time; apparently this was unusual in those days. He paid, from his own discretionary funds, which other generals often pocketed as a matter of course, for military intelligence that proved crucial to securing many of his victories.

Where accusers saw ambition needlessly prolonging a difficult war, WSC presents Marlborough has being bound by duty to achieve the best results possible, and to reject a timid peace, which would have left Europe in the hands of a despot.

WSC has a more difficult, but no less successful time defending Marlborough's continued correspondence with St-Germain, the exiled English court of James II and later his son, as recognized by Louis the XIV. The problem here is that today such acts would indeed be treason, but in the seventeenth century they were part of the normal workings of diplomacy, war time or not. After all, if passports and safe conduits were routinely given to enemies to allow them to rest and confer in between campaigns, it could not have been that unusual to keep in touch with people one knew, even if they were officially enemies.

WSC also presents Marlborough's most important relationships: with his wife Sarah Jennings; with his military ally Prince Eugene, with whom he won at Blenheim; with his political colleague Godolphin, who secured funds for his military work; with the kings and queen of England from James II to George I;

But WSC does accuse Marlborough on occasion of having been unwise. He is particularly critical of the Duke's obsession with his palace at Blenheim (where WSC himself was born). Marlborough didnft want an opulent residence, rather he wanted to leave a monument that would survive centuries and remember his name to future generations. WSC writes that as such Blenheim was a failure: it added nothing to the Duke's reputation and the worries it caused may have taken years from his life. Winston Churchill must have felt his biography was a better memorial to his ancestor.

When I was a little girl my parents read me this book and I, reportedly, loved it, so when I found it on the shelf I was thrilled to read it again, particularly about the pig "mucking about." The story goes like this: Mr. Gumpy goes for a ride in his punt on the river, and a lot of animals and children ask for rides, and he gives them strict instructions for boat behavior, which they eventually grossly violate, and then they all go in the drink. And go home and have tea. Yes, the story is a wee bit British. What strikes me as an adult, reading the book, is the casual loving way with which the children are included along with the other animals -- pigs, dog, children, goat, etc. It is a very sweet book and Benny and Sadie love it and find it hilarious. Publisher's Weekly's review of it presents it as a moral tale on boat safety. What a bunch of loons. ;D

My eighteen-month-old son brings this book to me half a dozen times a day. "Read Gummy!" No higher recommendation.

Truly a classic, this one is a joy to read and kids just love it. The accumulative tale combined with glowing illustrations elicits preschool giggles every time!

This book falls firmly into a very specific genre of picture book literature. The old, if-one-more-person-gets-into-this-boat/mitten/car/etc.-bad-things-will-happen genre. Jan Brett's "The Mitten" does it. The more recent "One Dog Canoe" does it. But one of the first stories to have done it (and have a moral to boot) is the 1970 story "Mr. Gumpy's Outing".

Mr. Gumpy (who is not grumpy in the least) lives on the banks of a river, and owns a boat. As he goes for a boat ride, two children ask to come along. Mr. Gumpy gives them instructions on what not to do, and they join him. Next a bunny comes along. Mr. Gumpy tells it what not to do, and it joins him. As Mr. Gumpy poles his boat down the river, more and more animals join the party, each receiving a stipulation from Mr. Gumpy on what behavior is appropriate. After the boat fills, the animals suddenly ignore Mr. Gumpy's requests and begin to misbehave. As a result, they all topple headlong into the river, retiring to Gumpy's for tea.

Originally published in England (and if Mr. Gumpy isn't THE most English picture book gentleman you've seen outside of Paddington Bear himself, I'll eat my hat) the story is incredibly civilized. There's nothing like seeing a sheep delicately sipping from a straw to drill home the essential manners and protocols essential to everyday interactions. The illustrations are especially nice. Mr. Gumpy never looks particularly upset or angry by anything that happens to him. As he poles his boat a black and white pen and ink drawing on the left pages shows the boat and it's inhabitants. On the right page is a colorful drawing of the animal(s) asking to be allowed to join. The book, despite the whole falling into the water bit, is calm and peaceful. Just the kind of fun story you'd expect to be read on a cold rainy day. Highly recommended (especially with crumpets and bit of toast with marmalade).

This is a thoroughly delightful book. The simple story engages small children, and the illustrations are first-rate. I have read this book countless times to my two pre-schoolers, and have enjoyed the experience very much. This book is an excellent way to get children interested in books. Finally, I recommend the hardback over the paperback because of the higher quality of the illustrations in the hardback.

I encountered this book years ago in the University Hills Library in Austin, Texas. Burned by my involvement with my previous church and ministry, I had become disillusioned, distraught and lacking in faith. Atheism, before the current popular tomes advocating a departure from all faiths, appealed to me. This literally turned my head and halted me in my tracks. I checked it out - 3 times - before purchasing it on Amazon.

This is a wellspring that allows one to hold his/her head up as we see (now) played out in American politics the onslaught against African Americans by forces on the left and right that do not know the contributions Africans have made not only to world culture but to the most significant spiritual expression in Western civilization. Current events find European Americans still ignorant of the complex Homiletics of the African Diaspora and its spiritual entities. "Black Liberation Theology" is something now discovered on Fox News and sound bites on You Tube the complete philosophy of Senator Obama's former pastor. It is a willful ignorance born of arrogance and hegemony from the previous "peculiar institution" formerly known as slavery that would birth such a tradition.

"Our people perish due to a lack of [self] knowledge." (Hosea 4:6) And the knowledge should be shared, discussed and preached. It should be used to build us up as a people; to "set the captives free." (Luke 4:18)

[...]: "About 10.4% of the entire African-American male population in the United States aged 25 to 29 was incarcerated, by far the largest racial or ethnic group--by comparison, 2.4% of Hispanic men and 1.2% of white men in that same age group were incarcerated. According to a report by the Justice Policy Institute in 2002, the number of black men in prison has grown to five times the rate it was twenty years ago. Today, more African-American men are in jail than in college. In 2000 there were 791,600 black men in prison and 603,032 enrolled in college. In 1980, there were 143,000 black men in prison and 463,700 enrolled in college." Too many of our men are in prison because they are unaware who they are, and thus misbehave.

I heartily recommend this book as enthusiastically as I did years ago when it stopped me literally in my tracks.

very informative , and very real .with bibical scriptures to backup these claims.but most of all it is true ,and common sense.why would africa be inhabited by caucasion ,and how could cleopatra be exotic and caucasion.especially the very hot and dry climate.caucasion skin is much to thin made for colder climates.it is an exellent research on the history of african race in the bible and lets people see that they were around then and will continue to be

Presenting the original language of the first humans , the locale and identity of these humans has long been shelved . This book should be in the educational systems of every educational institution in this country as well as international educational systems.

This review is entitled "Confirmation" because it serves to confirm or ratify what, intuitively, I have felt for as long as I can recall. Having been raised in a strongly religious family, I have been exposed to various versions of the Holy Bible, all of which tended to depict and illustrate all personalities with white faces. Given that all of the accounts in the Bible took place on the continent of Africa, prior to the arrival of any significant numbers of Europeans, it was very difficult for me to accept that none of the major figures in the Bible was Black, yet that is what is portrayed. Although I felt that something was "wrong with this picture", I had no way to refute it, and in fact, was reluctant to voice it among some of my own friends and elders who would have deemed such thoughts as sacrilegious, or worse. It still bothered me, nonetheless. As my educational experiences progressed, I had increasing difficulty reconciling what was thrust upon me by the media, those omnipresent Bible illustrations, TV Evangelists, and others who perpetuated the same notion that all of the personalities in the Bible were white. I began to research on my own, and with the advent of the Internet, other avenues were opened to me. I have read a number of other treatises and writings by other distinguished Black religious scholars on the issue of the Black presence in the Bible, all of which enlightened me, and at the same time gave me a deep sense of "connection" with those Biblical personalities, as well as a sense of pride. On the other hand, it also aroused in me a sense of anger and frustration, as it confirmed to me that religious history, just as history in general, has been manipulated, twisted, distorted, and violated for the very sinister and express purpose of discrediting a People and robbing them of a very rich heritage and perpetuating a myth of so-called "superiority". This book should be mandatory reading, not just for Blacks, but for whites, as well, who have themselves been, in the words of Carter G. Woodson, "miseducated". I applaud Dr. Johnson and his colleagues, who are making an invaluable contribution to the telling of OUR history, as too often the euphamism that history is simply "his story" as it pertains to Blacks, is validated over and over. My record will reflect that I have ordered multiple copies of this book in the past, and am at this writing ordering several more copies. They make great gifts, and I can't imagine a better gift than the gift of truth.

I discovered Friday's Tunnel by accident in a charity shop, and loved it. I don't understand why John Verney's books haven't been reprinted - they're really imaginative without being patronizing to children. I am having a lot of difficulty getting hold of the others second hand, as the few copies I've found are very expensive, but they are DEFINITELY worth getting hold of, and treasuring for the rest of your life! Please get this book, so another person will be aware of the brilliance of this now little-known author! - I don't mean to sound so manic, but I really do love his books.

I just found this in a used book store and thought it was an excellent story. I lent it to my severely depressed brother and he enjoyed it too.

As a child I thrilled to the zany, fascinating, intelligent adventures of the Callendar family. The writing is witty and clever, the characters fabulous, the plotlines better than we can find for our kids today. Why on earth don't they come back into print?

This has been one of my favorite books for a quarter-century. I re-read it and its sequels (FEBRUARY'S ROAD, ISMO, SAMSON'S HOARD) regularly--they have complex, fascinating plots and interesting characters, plus delightful illustrations!I think FRIDAY'S TUNNEL is the best.

Mary Mackey's attention to historical detail in The Notorious Mrs. Winston creates a convincing character sketch of the determined heroine, Claire Winston. An engaging love tale coupled with a compelling story of the Civil War, Mackey's latest novel celebrates womanhood by staying true to the times the heroine lived in rather than inserting modern ideas into the past. A moving and absorbing read that will no doubt leave modern day readers satisfied and inspired.

The Notorious Mrs. Winston I found very interesting. John Hunt Morgan is claimed by my home state Kentucky. In Lexington there is his historical home called the John Hunt Morgan House. In my Kentucky history class I did a term paper on his life and his raiders. The protagonist of the book and her cause tells the story in a very intriguing manner. Sit back and relax. Mary Mackey will tell you a delightful story of the Civil War. By Ruth Thompson author of "Natchez Above the River" and "The Bluegrass Dream."

Writing as a Small BusinessQualifying Laps: A Brewster County NovelSins of the Fathers: A Brewster County NovelTravelersThe Bluegrass Dream: A Wilderness Adventure of Early SettlersNatchez Above The River: A Family's Survival In The Civil War

This is Mary Mackey's best ever. The story line keeps you turning pages. The Historical accuracy is intriguing. The detail she provides gives you a new perspective on the lives of these Civil War soldiers. She hits you with a surprise every time you turn around. Bring on your next book Mary Mackey.

Bob Howenstine

In February 1861, the Civil War is two months away when Claire still on her honeymoon with much older portrait photographer Henry Winston sees the "angel" for the first time. She cannot believe how wanton she must be to desire Henry's nephew John Taylor when she just married. She does not love her spouse having said I do for financial security during troubled times.

Besides hiding her reaction the first time ever she saw John's face from him and his uncle, Claire also joins the abolitionist cause without telling her husband. When John, a true believer in the Confederate cause, goes off to battle as a member of Morgan's Raiders, she follows disguised as a young soldier. This enables her to see both sides of the fight especially after Morgan enlists her to his side.

THE NOTORIOUS MRS. WINSTON is a deep look at the Civil War from the viewpoint of a feisty independent female masquerading as a male. Readers see up close what happened at battles and other events through mostly Claire's perspective. Though there is a romantic subplot, Mary Mackey uses that in a support catalyst role as this is a strong engaging historical fiction starring a wonderful protagonist.

Harriet Klausner

Volume 5 of Churchill's great WWII series covers the time frame from June 1943 to the eve of Overlord (Allied cross-channel attack) June 5, 1944. North Africa had been cleared. India had been protected from invasion. Australia/New Zealand were free of danger and the Stalin's Army was driving Hitler out of Russia. The U-Boat dangers were greatly lessened and shipping increased. The Germans were also being driven out of Italy and Hitler's tyranny was doomed. The ring was truly closing.

`Closing the Ring' deals primarily with the main conferences that were taking place. Quebec, Cairo, Moscow and Teheran conferences set dates and time tables that were difficult to accomplish but got everyone working on the same page.. Churchill endeavors to clear up misconceptions about his reluctance regarding Overlord. He was always in favor of the cross-channel effort but desired to use inactive forces to gain greater footholds in Hitler's underbelly. He desired to get some landing craft earmarked for Overlord, to use forces that were standing still in North Africa, for quick capture of several Aegean islands and then into Italy. FDR and his military advisers waffled back and forth delaying landing craft until many opportunities were lost. According to Churchill, one of the greatest failures, in spite of victories won, was not bringing Turkey into the War and the benefits that would have been gained. The Allies were kept out of the Balkans thus allowing the Russian Army to fill the void of the retreating Germans. At Teheran ,Roosevelt was making deals with Stalin in the absence of Churchill. He and his advisors continued to place too much trust that Stalin would do the right things for Europe and especially in the Balkans.

This is an important volume as Churchill finds himself at times almost like a third wheel as FDR continues his courtship with Stalin. Churchill's insights were for the most part right on target, or at the very least in the ball park. He felt that there was more than one way to win this war and seemed at least to be trying to find ways to quickly bring this war to a close. Well worth reading and learning about this terrible time in history from Churchill's inside view.

As with the other volumes in his monumental history, Churchill's language is sparkling and, from a literary standpoint, practically genius. The man really knows how to turn a phrase, to use the English language to its best advantage. As literature, this book is wonderful, and I recommend it highly. As history, it may be less important. Everyone acknowledges the work's idiosyncracies; it's Churchill's view, not a balanced attempt to cover the whole war. To be fair to WSC, he knew what it was, and made no pretense about it. But, after the USA came on to the European scene in mid-1943, Britain's position of authority declined, so there's less for Churchill to describe or represent. He's reduced to saying innumberable times "We were forced to accept our Ally's view." The reader, especially one who has read the first four books, can tell that he's no longer so engaged by the magnitude of events. He covers a year here in only 2/3 the space it took him in any previous volume. Maybe he's just exhausted, but whatever the reason, *Closing the Ring* lacks the grandiose-ness of the previous entries.

It is fortunate for us as readers that Winston Churchill not only had the qualities of a writer, but that he also found the time to put them to such good effect. Many a retired politician has written his personal memoirs-few of them have ever done so quite as completely. In the war, Churchill used secretaries to help him cover the multitude of daily tasks he needed to get through and afterwards, when living at Chartwell, his home in Kent, he kept up the practise of using an amanuensis instead of writing himself. This allowed him to get far more work done, since he could literally do it with his eyes closed. Nevertheless, we may feel sure that the text is his own. Proud man that he surely was, there is little chance that he indulged anyone in much editing. When we see his virtually unedited copy sent from the field from India, the Sudan and South Africa at the end of the last century, we can feel sure that by the 1950s, he was a competent composer of text indeed.

"Closing the Ring" is the story of the climax of the Second World War. Although he refused to admit it, Hitler probably knew deep down what everybody else could see very clearly after Stalingrad. The once mighty armies of the Third Reich were being forced to withdraw; some of the best divisions had by then been so savaged that little remained. Berlin was being mercilessly ground down to rubble by legions of British and American heavy bombers that ended up attacking their targets almost unopposed. It was the time when madness reigned in the Fuhrerbunker and when the Allies could see the fruit of their careful planning starting to ripen. Churchill was at once rewarded by the knowledge that he had been right in thinking America invincible, and at the same time he was sadly aware that an era was passing and the British Empire was fading away in front of his eyes.

This is a long sustained narrative, written by a man in full command of his enormous personal resources. In addition, Churchill had access to a vast quantity of documentation concerning the period, because he had written much of that too! Frankly, this is an admirable work of history, told with a writer's gift for spinning a yarn and I enjoyed every word of it.

Volume five of Winston Churchill's history of the Second World War sees the fall of Italy, the first conference in Tehran of the big three leaders, and the preparations for D-day taking shape, as well as many smaller issues that confronted the allied countries through June of 1944. Readers familiar with the first four volumes will know what to expect, though this volume sees a bit of a reduction in the number of printed memos and telegrams that make up a sizeable chunk of the text. Perhaps here would be a good time to mention the memos, however, as they bring to life the exact duties of the Prime Minister in time of war. One might be surprised at the level of detail Churchill involved himself in, and the notes show a solid grasp of exact numeric information from timetables to production values in industry. Particularly in the appendices, where the reader may study or skim as he feels the need, one may find the most interesting of concerns. Churchill involved himself, however slightly, even in matters of film distributions (for war films) and shoe repairs. In matter of providing code names for operations, there is a memo on the appropriate choices so that no mother or widow has to learn that her loved one died in operation Bunnyhug or an equally frivolous sounding title. Such things sound trite compared to his discussions with Stalin on how many executions should be performed after the war (with Stalin favoring a much higher, pre-selected value), but they remind us that Churchill was a national leader, and not merely a war leader.

I have used the Harbrace College Handbook for 31 years. My first was the 5th Edition, which I keep on the top in one of my desk drawers. I used it throughout college. I bought this edition for my father, who gave me the first one, and seems to have lost his own copy (he's 86!). This edition is much thicker than the 5th one -- these books are not exactly "reading material," but a reference guide; so I haven't read it from cover to cover. This book comes with a computer CD to install the entire book on your computer.

I have been using it for years, also - and when I lose it, I feel as though I've lost my right arm! (Oh, OK, well maybe as though I've lost my purse or something!) In fact, this paragraph is probably filled with grammatical and style errors because I can't find my Harcourt Brace (that's what it used to be called)! :- )

Excellent reference if it is necessary to constantly bibliograph infomation off the internet and other electronic sources