C Books

I bought this book for my husband for christmas, he's a war buff, and hea absolutely loved it. It has so many interseting pics and stories that even I enjoyed parts of it. (Usually I am not into history at all - more of a science person). It may seem a little pricey but it is well worth the money and it is something that many people will enjoy, even those who think they know all there is to know about the Civil War!!!

This book has tremendous details about the Civil War. It actually takes you back to that time.

Purchased this book as a gift for my husband who has many books on the Civil War. He says this is one of the best books he's seen in years. He's very impressed with it and is quite happy with his gift.

"Eyewitness To The Civil War" is a wonderful book. It is large enough to be a "coffee table" book, and a great addition to anyone's Civil War
library. I highly recommend it!.

The item came in great shape.Was very happy with my order and would order from them again..

I love this book! I buy it for all my friends and relatives.
It is great for holding thoughts captive. No matter what your situation, this book will help you through it. If you need affirmation, or renewal, or just want to praise and adore our father; this prayer book helps you pray the scriptures for intimacy, insight, clarity, and peace.
So many times have I opened this book and found that the daily prayers were exactly what I needed for that days situation. It can be read in sequence, (three month devotional), or used only when necessary. It is structured to be used as a short devotion, or for a lengthy dialogue with the father. Whatever your need, this book will answer it for you.

We learn to pray by repeating what we hear others say. Our first prayers may be nothing more than a simple memorized prayer before bedtime or mealtime that we learn as a child. I was raised in a tradition that looked down on "prayer books" and instead advocated using one's own words in prayer. Inevitably, however, one would end up using the words and phrases they heard others say when they prayed. A prayer book is essentially the same thing, except that the prayers have been carefully constructed and often refined and polished through years of use.

One advantage of Boa's wonderful prayer book is that it incorporates the words of scripture to form the backbone for one's daily prayer while, at the same time, provides a rotating list of instructions which encourage one to pray, using their own words, over a variety of topics.

The book has provided a helpful jump start for my often lifeless attempts at prayer. It helps me pray when that is a low item on my priority list for the day. It has also helped me develop consistency in prayer. I give these books often as gifts and in the beginning of 2008 each family in our congregation was encouraged to purchase a copy that we might all grow together in our devotion to prayer.

I love the format of the daily prayers in this book and the way that scripture is incorporated into the prayer as well as promptings for personal prayer time as well. This is a great way to have daily worship and prayer time, as well as reinforcing God's word into our memory.

This is a prayer book that turned my quiet time into something i began to look forward to. Dr Ken Boa shows how verses from the Word of God, when prayed in the structure of the Lord's Prayer can transform your relationship with Him. Buy the book for yourself or better still, gift it as a blessing to somebody else!

Face to Face has become a mainstay for my time in the Word of God. The daily scriptures always apply to personal life - always timely. I like the size and covering of the book - I can take it with me anywhere - usually it goes with me daily to the gym. It is a great source of refreshment and getting my thoughts grounded back on the absolute Truth of God's Word. There's always a verse or two that I end up copying on an index card to keep before my eyes regularly.

I agree with jt from New Jersey. I picked up "Far Cry" based on its review in the NY Time Book Review in 1986 (front page coverage). If you simply accept Mrs. Hawkins at face value you will fall in love with the setting, the time and Mrs. Hawkins approach to life.

Perhaps the book has a special place in my heart because I read it in a hotel bar overlooking the Arno in Florence while my pregnant wife was resting upstairs. I still reread the book and remember the bar. Funny.

I enjoyed "A Far Cry from Kensington" and recommend it. It's an entertaining story about an overweight young editor who matures in many ways (weight loss, new romance) over the course of the novel and exhibits strength of character in overcoming various tribulations. When she puts down a toadying literary hanger-on, this unpleasant person becomes something like a stalker. A good yarn; the last chapterlet is bang-up. It's one of those novels, which I think are pretty rare, where the last two pages are the best part.

I am a big Muriel Spark fan -- I mourned her passing earlier this year -- and was very interested in a book that is generally accepted as a companion novel to the brilliant "Loitering with Intent", one of my favorites. I was particularly intrigued given the reviews on amazon. So I want to caution prospective readers that there's no way that this is up to Spark's best work. It simply doesn't have the resonance or mysterious allusiveness that some of Spark's other books have. It's kind of a throwaway, in fact. So I think some of the reviewers below are getting carried away and overpraising the novel. Open it with reasonable expectations and you have an entertaining, intriguing tale ahead of you.

This is one of those books that cannot described in a nutshell. If you had to hazard a guess at a description, you'd have to place it firmly in the comedy/ tragedy/ drama/ mystery/ romance section, or simply file it under Spark: Muriel in the Classics section.

Narrated by the once round and central character, Agnes Hawkins (a.k.a. Mrs. Hawkins or Nancy), the story revolves around her experiences as a young widow living in furnished rooms in a semi-detached building in South Kensington. She colorfully describes her neighbors and acquaintances, and gives us tantalizing glimpses into their little secret worlds, in which she is a trustee and confidante.

Despite the mysterious black boxes and the lurking threat of enemies, known and unknown, our heroine manages to keep her head above water, remains a pillar of strength and finds true love among the rubble. Thanks to her diet plan (freely given to the reader as a bonus for purchasing the book), she gains new self-respect, and reinvents herself in a new country, a far cry from her humble beginnings.

A simple classic by an inspired writer.

Amanda Richards

I picked up a copy of Muriel Sparks, "A Far Cry from Kensington" on a friend's recommendation, and I loved it. Mrs. Nancy. Hawkins, the main character is a woman that everyone depends upon and needs to talk with. She has that certain way about her that summons trust and understanding. The fact that her figure is zaftig and that she is a widow lends credence she believes to her trust factor.

Mrs. Hawkins tells her story from a 30 year distance. It is 1954, post World War II, and she is living in a furnished room near Kensington. She has several neighbors of interest and Milly the landlady, was one of the more interesting. She was also a widow and was
Known as an organizer, She was able to organize everyone and everything. Basil and Eva Carlin were a quiet couple and lived on the first floor. Wanda Podolak lived next to them. She was a Polish dressmaker. Kate Parker lived at the end of the hall. She was a district nurse and suffered no germs at all- she was constantly cleaning. On the attic floor, lived a medical student William Todd.

Mrs. Hawkins was an editor at a publishing house and in due time she lost her job and went on to several others. She was excellent at her job, and, of course, everyone confided in her. She knew everything that was going on with everyone. Like the rooming house she lived in, Mrs. Hawkins spent her days and evenings giving advice. The rooming house becomes involved with Wanda and her anonymous letters that turn into blackmail and eventually into big trouble. Along the way, we meet Hector Bartlett, a charlatan who turns many lives upside down.

Mrs. Hawkins gives advice to many and one day she looks in the mirror and discovers that she is too obese. She resolves to lose weight, and by eating only half portions and then quarter portions, she does just that. Her fine bone structure is revealed, and her new body structure also attracts many men. She finds herself in a relationship with William Todd the medical student, which eventually turns into a marriage. Thirty years later,
Mrs. Hawkins, so wonderfully happy with her life in Italy, "a far cry from Kensington",
looks back at her life and continues to offer us advice.

Muriel Sparks has been called "Britain's greatest living novelist", and she was made a Dame of the British Empire in 1993 and Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres in 1996. She lives in Tuscany, Italy. An outstanding story, told by a wonderful novelist. prisrob

Muriel Spark's A Far Cry From Kensington (1988) is the bookend companion to her 1981 classic, Loitering With Intent. Both novels share a common theme, and like the earlier novel, A Far Cry From Kensington is largely autobiographical and takes place in virtually the same setting and time period: the literary world of early Fifties London. Both are explorations, via reminiscence, of the banality of everyday evil, taking place among the workaday, routine lives of the lower middle class. Less scathing if no less hilarious than many of its predecessors, the relatively unsung A Far Cry From Kensington is the most realistic and humane novel among the twenty-odd Spark has written. It is also exceptional in that it is the single Spark fiction in which a love affair blossoms into a successful relationship of duration.

The story of the universally respected though immensely overweight Mrs. Hawkins, A Far Cry From Kensington follows two divergent threads in her daily life: the mounting sufferings of a rooming house neighbor who is being anonymously threatened, and the problems that stem from her own continuous encounters with Hector Bartlett, a manipulative sycophant who hopes to use her footholds in the publishing world to advance his nonexistent literary career.

While Loitering With Intent can be read as something of a tactical combat manual, A Far Cry From Kensington is instructive in the art of deduction: caught up in a spiraling series of mysterious and increasingly serious coincidences, Mrs. Hawkins, short of both hard facts and physical evidence, actively unravels the odd events that are taking a toll on both the lives of her friends and her editorial career. Fully realizing she is as prone to misjudgment as anyone, Mrs. Hawkins, utilizing her intelligence, intuition, and instinct, nonetheless proceeds confidently and assertively to pierce the veil of secrecy and quiet conspiracy engulfing her. Spark is at a creative peak as she reveals the subtle turns, nuances, and moment to moment impressions in Mrs. Hawkins' mind as she forms her cautious conclusions.

Unlike Spark's finest novel, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1961), in which a significant portion of the mystery of human existence is shown to exist on a partially transcendent level, A Far Cry From Kensington eventually grounds that mystery in the knowable everyday. Though the author was to return to something of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie's vision in Symposium (1990), here she seems to be expressing that at least the mundane truths of human life can be ascertained by diligence of method, applied intelligence, and a fundamental willingness to be believe that some people are unabashedly predatory, unscrupulous, and ethically coarse at best. Another message of the novel is that the weak, the foolish, and the vacuous are among the most potentially dangerous individuals one can become involved with.

Upon its release, a number of critics publicly objected with pointed distaste to some of Mrs. Hawkin's behavior, she who enjoys "a puritanical and moralistic nature; it is my happy element to judge between right and wrong, regardless of what I might actually do." For exhausted with Hector Bartlett's elaborate attempts at manipulation, unhypocritical Mrs. Hawkins calls him a "Pissseur de copie" to his face when she encounters him in a public park, and continues to do so, to the detriment of her publishing career, throughout the novel. "It seemed to me," she says, that he "vomited literary matter, he urinated and sweated, he excreted it." Far from keeping this observation to herself, Mrs. Hawkins loudly shares it with authors, editors, and publishers, and since Hector is protected by best-selling author Emma Loy, finds herself fired from one job after another. But Mrs. Hawkins is without regret: "I can't help it. Sometimes the words just come out and I can't stop it. It feels like preaching the gospel." Thus in this and other passages, A Far Cry From Kensington supports speaking one's perception of truth under certain circumstances, regardless of consequence, even if that truth represents an enormous breach of upper class WASP manners and social decorum.

In Spark's vision as expressed here, building relationships of any kind solely for personal gain, manipulating others through callous, self-interested `networking,' and general toadyism are high crimes, all of which Hector Bartlett is guilty of in the extreme. In fact, Hector is one of Camille Paglia's "court hermaphrodites": "red hair en brosse, brown corduroy trousers, tweed coat with leather patches on the sleeves, a yellow tie and a green shirt: this was gaudy in those days, and Hector Bartlett was always dressed in bright colors. He was tall, with a pronounced stoop of the shoulders, which made him seem older than he was - I imagine at the time, he would be in his mid-thirties. His face was round with a second fat chin. He had a small but full baby-mouth as if forever asking to suck a dummy teat." Though many critics have felt otherwise, no amount condescending liberal piety can excuse Hector's routine aggressive subterfuge, moral mediocrity, and parasitic nature. It's unlikely that Spark chose this character's name randomly: "hectoring" is exactly what this he often does to those he encounters, and `Bartlett' suggests his "pudgy," pear-shaped physique.

Written in the plainest language possible but poetically conceived and executed, A Far Cry From Kensington belongs, with The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, The Girls of Slender Means (1963), The Driver's Seat (1970), The Takeover (1976), and Loitering With Intent, among others, with the very best of Spark's work.

I have played around with tomahawks and fighting axes since I was a kid, but was never able to find a good reference for use of the tomahawk in combat until now. Dwight McLemore's "The Fighting Tomahawk" stands out as an essential reference for all students of Western martial arts and American blade arts.

The Fighting Tomahawk teaches the basics of the tomahawk as well as both the offensive and the defensive use of this unique weapon. In addition Dwight McLemore offers the reader an excellent introduction to using the long-knife in the reverse grip and in conjunction with the tomahawk.

Finally we are given a look a throwing the tomahawk. The tomahawk makes an effective throwing weapon, even if it doesn't stick. As Mr. McLemore points out "in tactical throwing the focus is on hitting the target and basically knocking the hell out of the opponent."

The tomahawk is a weapon that has been carried by soldiers since the Revolutionary War, is carried by woodsmen and others even today. "The Fighting Tomahawk" will teach those who carry this weapon how to effectively use it. Detailed text and numerous illustrations throughout make this book a foundation course in tomahawk fighting.

The Fighting Tomahawk is a must have reference for anyone who carries a tomahawk and for everyone who might like to add this unique weapon to his personal arsenal and martial skills set.

The Fighting Tomahawk by Col. Dwight McLemore and published by Paladin Press gives the reader important insight into the use of this rarely studied weapon. Col. McLemore takes his concrete understanding of sound martial principles and distills the essences of the Tomahawk into clear and concise descriptions; making even complex principles easier to understand. To follow this, he adds drills for partner and solo work as well as a sample training schedule. Finally, there are a plethora of illustrations to aid the reader's comprehension of this system.

McLemore has also riddled his work with historical anecdotes from the frontier and finished it with an excellent bibliography. Both of these show the extensive research Col. McLemore did for this book which makes it an invaluable resource. Col. McLemore should be applauded for creating a wonderful training tool to help the martial artist start his studies of the Tomahawk.

What a read! I can't wait to get my copy signed! It is refreshing to see a martial arts book illustrated such that you can understand the principles without the staged three or four side shot photos that show a perfect technique against a dubious attack at best.

The teaching structure of the book is definitely European, based on the Italian and German examples from the renaissance. It bears a passing resemblance to FMA, mostly because the FMA teaching structure derives from the same source.

Col. McLemore covers the basics of the system, deployment of the weapon, and the use of the companion weapon the longknife. He covers the history and explains his sources. I feel that the work is a fine example of a historical research and application of the principles of western fighting arts.

It is a good read and should be added to the shelves of any western Martial artist and in fact would even benefit the eastern martial artist to understand the dynamics of one of the first American martial arts.

Scott Wilson
Professional Swordsmith

This is an excellent book. The techniques within are understandable to someone completely inexperienced with the weapon, yet still challenging and resourceful to someone who has worked with it a great deal. Mr. McLemore's research is admirable. I have studied various styles of historic combat as my cognate studies for my PhD, and can attest to the lack of written information with regard to these weapons.
I have done a great deal of study in military sabre, which is referred to numerous times in this book. Mr. McLemore's references to it are spot on, and to adapt the tomahawk moulinets and angles of attack to those used in sabre seems to me to be the most plausible way to approach this weapon.
Mr. McLemore brings forth many historical points in this book. Having done a great deal of research in these areas myself, I do not find any inconsistencies or blatant errors in his facts. He also is very clear that some points he brings up are educated guesses, as there exists no actual documentation. This is good scholarship. In historic combat, there will always be instances where there is no documentation for our theories. This is where we apply our study of combat theory, and the weapon itself to fill in the holes. So long as we acknowledge to our readers that we are hypothesizing, there is nothing wrong with this type of research. This is what Mr. McLemore does in these instances, and I could not possibly argue with his findings.
This book is extremely valuable for the reader interested in becoming proficient in this weapon. I would encourage all students of martial arts to read it, especially those students of Filipino Martial Arts. Similarities to Kali do exist, however, the axe head alone gives a dynamic that is missing from Kali, and it is always interesting to see how two styles of fighting, such as Tomahawk and Kali, or even Katana and Longsword, can be so similar in their concepts even though there is no evidence of one influencing the other during the period of their inception.

The Fighting Tomahawk is a unique book as it focuses on close fighting instead of the usual throwing of the Tomahawk. This is a must for any person interested in Hand to Hand combat, Frontier fighting, the Historical Old West or Western Martial Arts in general. With only two movies that I know of: The Last of the Mohicans with Daniel Day Lewis and The Patriot with Mel Gibson that show actual realistic close quarter fighting with a 'Hawk it is about time a book was written that taught this to the aspiring Tomahawk fighter.
Having trained with Mr. McLemore I can definately say his concepts work AND WORK WELL! I can't recommend this book enough! The concepts in this book could easily be applied to all sorts of weapons (hachets, hammers, crowbars, etc). So whatever your reason for buying any martial arts books make sure this book is on your shelf. Don't leave an empty space in your knowledge!

Joan Steinau Lester and Eleanor Holmes Norton met as college classmates at Antioch College in 1958. They became friends and marched together in civil rights marches in New England. Now forty-five years later, Ms. Steinau Lester, now a journalist/writer reunites with Congresswoman Holmes Norton in writing her biography in Fire In My Soul.

Congresswoman Holmes Norton's great grandfather, Richard John Holmes, escaped from Virginia into Washington D.C. to become a free man and elude his former owner. He eventually became one of the few black firemen in the nation's capital and persevered to become a sergeant in the department. He felt a black man was worthy of equal opportunity and it is no surprise she inherited some of her great grandfather's fire for justice. With a legacy such as this, having descended from a strong, middle-class background, it is little wonder that she pursued a career in law that would one day put her in the limelight.

Already involved in civil rights activities, the Congresswoman, while a Yale Law School student, went to Mississippi in June 1963 to join the voter registration drive as a SNCC member. Twenty-four hours later Medgar Evers was dead, victim of an assassination and Holmes Norton had to make quick decisions concerning other members who were being falsely arrested. After law school, she obtained a clerkship with Judge A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr., the first black district court judge, in Philadelphia. She then met her future husband, Edward Norton, also an attorney, a man who was secure enough to not be threatened by her status or activities.

Holmes Norton's status did indeed rise as she ventured further into her profession as an attorney, became more involved with civil and human rights, and eventually going into politics. Her life was not always smooth. Her daughter, Katherine, was born with Down's Syndrome; however, she resisted health specialists advice to institutionalize her when she got older. She was very devoted to her.

This reviewer had the opportunity of seeing the Congresswomen twice this year. She is as formidable a presence in person as she is in the media. Her stature commands respect and her sense of belief in pursuing and preserving the rights of human life comes across instantaneously. She is a cheerleader for the people of Washington D.C., who she represents with candor and is respected by them as she respects them. This was a well-written biography of a powerful woman.

Dera Williams
APOOO BookClub

Thank you Dr. Holmes and Dr. Lester for this exciting, informative and historical book. I was raised in the South (LA) and experienced many of the conditions described in Fire in My Soul. Remembering my blessings on this journey, I give thanks for all of my past experiences. My parents attempted to sheild me from many of the conditions of the south and in turn I was shielded from much of the history of the Civil Rights Movement of the 60's except for limited TV coverage. Fire in My Soul serves as a personal history lesson for me and is one that I will read more than once. Reading about the personal experiences and the 'inner' workings of the local, state and federal agencies that Dr. Holmes was/is a part of reminded me of many personal experiences in the private sector. Reading Fire in My Soul remeinded me that the absence of compassion for another person is not isolated to any specific location or sector of the nation. Reading the story of one who continues to live her passion for justice offers the encouragement to do what I can where I am for justice.

This fascinating biography is not only a pager turner, it also an insightful discourse on how to be an agent of change. This book is a MUST READ for anyone who is grappling with issues of how to change policy, whether as an "insider", "outsider", or hybrid. It is also an inspirational story of an terrific woman. I couldn't put it down.

I don't usually read political biographies, but this one gave me the hope I was searching for in the face of the depressing political realities of today. It's inspiring to read about a fiercely intelligent woman who follows her inner moral compass while compromising when necessary to get things done. I wish everyone serving in Congress had to read this book. Every voter should as well!

In Fire in My Soul, Dr. Lester accomplishes a rare feat for a biographer. While she avoids the trap of painting too pretty or too perfect a picture of her subject, including a number of descriptions that are less than flattering, she is at the same time able to clearly allow her respect and admiration for this remarkable woman to come through.
The effect is that we see a real life heroine, warts and all, and we find her all the more admirable for this.
This is an important book, and I look forward to Dr. Lester's next effort.

This book is a fantastic read, I recommend it to anyone over 12. The heartwrenching tale of betrayal and sadness will surely move you. If you read this book I guarantee you will want more. Who could stop at one Virginia Andrews book? I think this is the best volume in the series. The characters are true to life, the plot is intense and realistic. This novel is a must for the personal library of any avid drama reader. The reason I gave it only 4 stars is because, although it's a great story, I think it's really too dark and sad for regular reading. I have a copy and I have read it twice since I got it, which was about three years ago. I don't think it's the type of book you can read over and over again without depressing the hell out of yourself. Still, read it, even if you only read it once.

I COULD'NT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN FOR TOO LONG .THE CHARACTERS WERE ALL I COULD THINK ABOUT FOR WEEKS AFTER I FINISHED READING THE BOOK. HOW COULD A FAMILY EXPERIENCE SO MUCH LOVE, HATE, GREED AND BETRAYAL?THE WAY THEY DO WILL AMAZE YOU. I CAN'T WAIT TO READ THE REST OF VIRGINIA'S BOOK, AS SOON AS I CAN GET MY HANDS ON THEM.

A story of a widowed mother of 4 young children who takes her family to her own very wealthy mothers house to live until she can get a job and support herself and children. A number of years before, she fell in love with her cousin and her father said that if they were to ever get married he'd write her off of his will, and if they were to bare children, he would never ever forgive her. She did marry him, and she was written out of his will. However he did not discover that they had children, but the evil and cruel mother did. So, the children live upstairs in the attic, where their grandmother brings them food everyday, until hopefully their mother can be forgiven by her father, and be written back onto the will. However, the few days that are supposed to be taken to get written back on the will, turn into years and the children are eventually forgotten. They escape after 4 years of being locked up.

Reading novels have never been my passion,but after a friend told me the story behind this book, i couldn't hesitate but got a copy for myself.I couldn't put it down until i was done with it,which ofcourse took me the whole day.This novel is so touching and so real.I had to buy the other series that follows,only to miss Petals in the wind which i am still hunting for right now.I really recommend it for anyone.Varginia Andrews,yr books are my favorite,i really love yr writing style.

LO mejor que he leido.Triste ver como una madre deja de amar a sus hijos para amar el dinero.Mentir para lograr ser dueña de la herencia de su padre a tal extremo de abandonar sus hijos a la obscuridad del atico.Robarle años de vida a sus hijos para lograr riquezas.Sumamente interesante no podria soltar el libro y estoy loca por saber como sus hijos logran vengarse despues de haber escapado las garras de su madre y abuela.No duele tanto el maltrato fisico como el maltrato mental que sufrian estos 4 hermanos.No puede dejar de leerlo,lo mejor de lo mejor.

I think that the author's ideas are good, but lacking
substantially in thinking eschatology has been solved:
For instance, The two witnesses, I have a hard time
accepting that they are not Jewish members of the church or
preaching the gospel of Christ. If they are, it would follow
there are 2 clear examples of 2 church members being present
in the tribulation period.

Like Israeology, Fruchtenbaum has added a stimulating and well outlined work. This book starts from the basic outline of eschatological events found in Revelation. Interestingly enough, Fruchtenbaum writes, "The majority of the things found in the first twenty chapters of Revelation are found elsewhere in the Old Testament... The value of the book of Revelation is not that it provides new information, but rather that it takes the scattered Old Testament prophecies and puts them in chronological order so that the sequence of events can be determined" (p. 9). Fruchtenbaum then hangs the detailed eschatological truths of the Old Testament on this inspired outline. Very interesting and effective approach.

As with Israelology, I must take one star off my rating for both the failure to put a topical index in the back of the book and for the extrabiblical assumptions he makes. Fruchtenbaum takes the controversial approach to the seven churches as being seven different time periods of churches. This requires too much bending of the rigid truth. His view that the Antichrist will be virgin born is both unsubstanciated and rediculous. Arnold... where did you come up with that?

The author sees much fulfillment of prophecy in the past 100 years of Israel's history. Not necissarily good or bad -- just risky for the undiscerning reader.

Fruchtenbaum cautions those who believe that unrepentant unbelievers spend eternity in hell and repentant sinners spend eternity in Heaven. "Neither point it biblically true" (p. 362). He then explains that the former spend eternity in the Lake of Fire and the latter in the New Earth. Interesting but doesn't prove the heaven/hell tradition is incorrect. He also holds to the view that Hades is divided into two -- a highly suspect doctrine which has been shot down a number of times including Brotzman (cf. BibSac Oct. 1988).

As a complete whole, this is a very interesting and recommendable book. On a humerous note, notice Ryrie's forward which concists of three paragraphs which are hardly a ringing endorsement for the book :) (Was Ryrie a former professor 'forced' to write this forward for a former student out of kindness?)

Get the book - its worth the money!

I have read and tried to understand Revelation and eschatological works since I was a teenager - this book absolutely "unlocked" eschatology for me! It is not "milk", however, and should not be approached as such. First I borrowed a copy, but soon decided I had to have a copy of my own so I could mark it up with a highlighter and make notes in the margin. The book is so deep spiritually, one reading is not adequate. In fact, I try to reread it once a year. Any true student of eschatology should not consider himself well read without this work in his library. Even though I don't really read Christian fiction, I read the Left Behind series in the light of Footsteps of the Messiah and enjoyed them even more because I didn't have to question their eschatological validity. I found them to be in line with Fruchtenbaum's writings. This book is a must read!

Written by a Jewish Rabbi who came to realize that Yeshua (Jesus) was indeed the Promised Messiah of Israel. So much is taught here. Hebrew is the author's first language and enables him to open the Scriptures and shine the light of truth. My husband and I have read it together numerous times. I could not recommend more highly.

We recently discovered another book of similar value: "Our Father ABRAHAM," written by Marvin R. Wilson, who is a leading scholar on Christian-Jewish relations.

Shalom

This is a monumental study in the field of Biblical prophecy. As the title declares the book is essentially a study of the "sequence of prophetic events". Research which has taken six years to complete.

The author bases his interpretation of such events in the context of a "pre-Tribulation Rapture" and proceeds to describe the events leading up to and through the "Tribulation". Those conversant with Bible prophecy will understand the Tribulation to be a latter day period of seven years preceding the physical return of Jesus Christ. A period of turmoil, conflict and suffering which this book describes as actually beginning with the "signing" of a seven year "peace treaty" with Israel.

The book making reference to the "seventieth week" outlined in the book of Daniel chapter 9 which is still to take place and which precedes the second coming of Jesus Christ. Again those familiar with this area of prophecy will recognize the relevance and significance of the underlying precision in God's Word here. Even the very time of Jesus Christ's first coming being prophesied to the very day.

Amongst the many subjects dealt with are the appearance and identity of the Anti-christ, the "Abomination of Desolation", the "Mark of the Beast", the "Battle of Armageddon" and the Millennium. Latter day conflict in and around Israel is also examined, together with the make-up of the latter day nations & their roles in end times events.

Not least is a disturbing analysis of a latter day persecution of the Jewish people which the author describes as even bigger than the Holocaust. A satanically inspired and organised campaign to wipe out the Jews once and for all. A process which has been pursued from time immemorial to remove the source and channel through which God Himself has chosen to reveal His purpose and Person of redemption/salvation. (Something which I think is fundamental to any understanding of anti-Semitism.) The ultimate Salvation of the House of Israel is also covered in considerable detail. Despite all the turmoil and conflict researched here, the Sovereignty of God always shines through.

To be perfectly honest, I am unable to find a single aspect of prophecy relating to the latter days that is not covered. Pre-Tribulation events and those occurring within the Tribulation/Great Tribulation period itself are shown in what the author believes is their chronological order and each is thoroughly scrutinised. Indeed, the contribution this book makes to the study of eschatology cannot be overstated. The author treats the subject with the respect that it deserves, avoiding the sensationalism of a few who have perhaps brought the subject into disrepute in some areas.

The approach taken in this study towards prophetic interpretation is that where the "plain sense" of Scripture makes common sense to the reader, no other interpretation is to be sought. Therefore every word is taken at it's primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning, unless the facts of the immediate context studied in the light of related passages & fundamental truths, clearly indicate otherwise. In other words, all Biblical passages are interpreted exactly as read, unless there is something in the text that indicates that such should be taken some other way other than literally.

This is a sometimes complex book, which I feel is better suited to those with a basic knowledge of the subject. However, much of the content is very detailed so novices prepared to take on this subject/book would do well to engage in a study based on this work, with their Bibles open at the same time.

The Scriptural references are too many to mention. They are used at virtually every opportunity. An index is also provided at the back of the book which even relates New Testament Scriptures to their Old Testament references, especially pertaining to the book of Revelation. Numerous charts are also used to clarify/collate certain aspects of this study.

Whether or not the individual reader agrees with certain aspects of the author's interpretations, I am sure that readers will return to this work time and time again as a reference & will be both instructed and stimulated. There are some areas where I am not sure if I totally agree with the author's interpretations, but these are matters which I need to prayerfully approach and not allow to become issues of contention.

At the time of writing I understand that the author is presently releasing a new, updated version of this work. So perhaps those interested in this study may prefer to obtain the newer version. Either way, such an acquisition will not fail to provide the reader with many a hour of absorbing study. Recommended.

I got this book from the library. It looked interesting because the pieces Ms. Carlson made were beautiful yet there was little sewing involved. That along with the fact that she loves fabrics appealed to me. Although fish are not my favorite subject, I felt that the way she describes the process could be applied to any other animal. So I practiced using a picture of a bird and was surprised at how well it turned out, esp for the first time trying this method. Then I used a photo of a tiger and I admit I was very impressed with my finished product! I have never considered myself an artist but my tiger amazed me. I also loved having to look through my fabric stash for just the right piece of fabric for each detail. Thank you, Susan!

This book has so much creative inspiration in it! I did traditional quilting for 8 years and while I still love it there was something in me that would long to do something with all those fabrics that had printed animals and trees and bright flowers on them. Something non traditional. This book along with "Beautifully Embellished Lanscapes" by Joyce R Becker made my creative muse completely take off! Even if you don't like fish the techniques and inspirations in this book are sure to inspire you to make something that does capture your fancy. Sometimes there is something about seeing what other people have done that makes the wheels starting turning in your mind and helps you to come up with your methods. If you are even considering this book I would recommend you buy it and give it a try.

I'm shaking. Literally! I have books for Africa on quilting and not one of them has made such an impression as this book. Susan Carlson is simply an artistic genius. Her quilts are nothing short of amazing, the beauty and the realism surpasses belief! Her techniques are simple, clearly explained and shared with enthusiastic joy. I started my own fan-fish, before I'd even finished the book! You're an inspiration Susan, thank you for such a marvelous, delicious book-it's certainly wet my artistic appetite and if I didn't live so far away (New Zealand), I'd be signed up for your next class!

I'm very new to quilting...having just completed my first quilt and I was looking for what to do next when I spotted Susan Carlson's Free-Style Quilts A "No Rules" Approach. The idea behind this book (and the title) intrigued me. The artist's work, and those of her students are very inspiring. I couldn't wait to start, so armed with the book I went to my local fabric store (okay truthfully I went to all the stores that carry fabric in a 30 mile radius). It changed the way I look at textiles. Picking out fabric, always so much fun now has a new dimension to it. Fabric I might have overlooked in the past holds so much promise/potential. Now I look at the patterns or textures thinking, could this become a fin? Oh, this would be perfect for a butterfly's wing! It's like creating a painting with fabric. Her free-style approach is very freeing. You can use an enlarged photocopy of the picture as a template to cut, but that's more of a springboard. Thanks Susan, I'm hooked. I've posted a picture of my first free-style project (it's still in progress). My mind is brimming with ideas from photos I took in Hawai'i, from flower shows, maybe this summer I'll even attempt a portrait!

The title of this book is very misleading. First and foremost the ONLY technique recommended (or explored) by the author is cutting and GLUING fabric (yes, "GLUE"). The technique is developed from a combination of foundation and applique quilt methods; hence, the 'free-style' method, is to substitute glue for any and all other peicing methods. In addition, "No Rules" is not a 'play-on-words'; her techniques require extensive drafting/drawing, piece numbering etc. . Therefore, exact guides, measured 'seam allowances' (glue overlap allowances) etc., are imperative to her method.
Ms. Carlson is a huge fish lover. I, unfortunately, am not. 95% of the examples and 100% of the 'exercises' are of FISH. I had hoped for a wider range of subject matter; or that the book description had included this very relevant fact.
All of this being said, the book is very well organized, with lots of color photographs, well written, and true 'hands-on' step by step approach to the author's method.
However, unless you want to glue fabric and depict a lot of fish, I would recommend giving this title a pass.

Gone with the wind is a novel packed with action, love, distress, hard times, and most of all, scarlet's strong sense of lofe. be it love of the land person, or thing scarlet is so emotional its almost unreal. it is an amazing book and i reccomend it for anyone with atleast a 9th grade reading lvl.
I think that the views expressed in this book about slavery and the civil war are more realistic than in any other book i've ever read. for instance, although uncle tom's cabin was another great book i believe that the viewpoint on slavery is too dramatic. i do not believe that all southern slave owners whipped their slaves.
i hope that reading this review has encouraged you to read this book. Gone With The Wind was deffinitely a book i can and will always remember, and i can't wait to read Scarlet, the sequel!

This is an excellent book that chronicles the making of the legendary screen classic "Gone With the Wind". The book moves in chronological order from it's start as a novel all the way through the pre-production, production and post-production stages of what was to be one of the greatest films of all time, if not the greatest. The book is filled with numerous photos, some of them in color, many of them rare and all of them crisp and clear. There are close-ups of all of its stars (Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable, Olivia DeHavilland, Leslie Howard), the crew at work, movie posters and it's world premiere. This is a great book that will make an excellent addition to any library!

This book is packed with information and great photographs, both in color and black and white. The majority of the book deals with the filming an abundance of behind-the-scenes shots.

Also of particular interest is the post-production section dealing with the public's reaction to the movie and the section on the Premiere. This is a great book to add to your personal library.

Gorgeous pictures. Wonderful history of the novel to movie story. All GWTW fans should have this.

First I was impressed by the quality of photos - excellent. I come from Poland where, for a long time of communism, the good quality was a rare luxury. I could see every single element of fabulous clothes. Good taste, an unattainable world of really rich people - different from those starving and hungry after war in "Gone With the Wind". A lot of pictures, too little stories and anecdotes, but this is an illustrated story, so I shouldn't complain. Vivien Leigh, Olivia de Havilland, Clarke Gable are warm and human as private persons. As actors they are shown as professionals.

Surprisingly, my library system got this book from Vancouver Public Library for me. I would suggest those who yearning for Lenin try your library system. The out-of-print copies may hide in libraries. I am on my way with the author from Siberia to Central Asia. The writing style is as similar as that of A Fortuneteller, and as enjoyable and as readable. I also got Tiziano's early book Giai Phong! The Fall and Liberation of Saigon (1976) from the library system.

I have never read a book that I have been unable to put down, and upon finishing - picked up a pencil, flipped back to page 1 and started again, underlining as I went. I have read the book 4 times now. Terzani is a brilliant and extreemly knowlegable writer who has embraced his love for SE Asia and put it to words so brilliantly. For me, a young Italian traveller living in Bangkok - this book is unsurpassable for ANYBODY who has visited South East Asia and fallen in love with it's charming and heart-warming character (excluding Singapore - Of course!). PLEASE contact me anybody is able to get copies of China: Behind the Forbidden Door, or Goodnight Mr Lenin.

Like one of the other people who wrote in, I too have not yet read Goodnight, Mister Lenin. I have just finished reading A Fortune Teller Told Me and it's been the first book in a long time where I wanted to read every single word rather than just scan through. Tiziano writes as if he is speaking, and this, together with his travels and constant search for answers which lead him on a colourful and fascinating journey, left me looking for more of his books. Mr Terzani you're a gem, thank you for sharing.

I think it is great book because it gives you an open window on the facts. It is obvious that in some way T.T. gives his opinion about the facts, but you also got all the space to try and imagine yours. In some situations I disagreed with his way of interpreting things, and this is the wonderful thing. Trough his eyes I've developed a critical vision about certain situations that came in depht to my attention thanks to his book. I agree with the idea that taxi driver or political leaders are not a onest and complete mirror of the state of things (talking for some minutes with these categories of citizen it is obviously not the same that would be living in a local family for a few years, but when you now it...), but they still are a contact with the community and for this pieces of local colture wherein you can read something. I didn't feel that this book want to be the "truth" about Soviet Union disgregation, it is just a great reportage.

Just wanted to chime in my two cents on "Fortune-Teller"--I've lived and travelled in Asia for the last 3 years, and Terzani's book is the only travel writing I've read that opened my eyes to ways of thinking outside the norm, the mundane, the Lonely Planet view of the world. Extremely worth seeking out.

Naturally, this leads me to wanting to read "Goodnight Mister Lenin", if it can be found. Anyone with a dogeared copy laying around, please let me know!