Horror Books

The best thing about a book like this, 100 short stories in 145 pages (not counting the lengthy interview with the author at the end), is that everybody will have their own favorites. Mine were the "Nightmare Jobs" series and "A Donation," a macabre first person account of a man who plans to will his body to science. These stories are horror stories, complete with blood and viscera and body parts. But the most important thing a potential reader needs to know is that these stories are FUNNY.

100 Jolts is a book comprised of what is called "Flash Fiction", a type of very brief fiction pieces that has gained a lot of popularity in the computerized publishing age. When reading online magazines, one does not want to scroll forever, and the eyes will tire; which is where flash fiction lights up to its best advantage.

Whether calling it Flash Fiction or Minimalist Horror, 100 Jolts is a shockingly delightful romp through some very sticky, and very slimy, situations. Michael Arnzen clearly demonstrates that he has been working with Flash for some time, showing off these bereft-poetry-haiku type of "smack you in the face" stories with style and substance.

We have all occasionally read those droll books where an author takes a 50 page story and pads it into 500 pages of tedious reading, and 100 Jolts is the exact opposite of those snooze fests. In this book, there is the sense that a 50 page story has been pared down past the meat into the skeletal frame and left us quivering with the ringing of steel on bone, as Arnzen slices off the juiciest of the story just for us, handing it out to us on a tiny platter, a toothy grin gracing his face.

Well, eat up, boys and girls! 100 Jolts is one of the best collections of this new type of fiction I have seen yet. There were a few pieces that left me disappointed, having the feeling of a muse or a simply jotted idea, but the rest of this thin volume left my hunger satisfied and my mind whirling with the impact, exactly how the author intended.

And for those of us with a warped or twisted sense of humor, you will find a chuckle or two lurking here also.
Some of my favorites include: Skull Fragments, Take Out, Stabbing For Dummies, White Out, The Seven Headed Beast, Psycho Hunter, Inside The Man With No Eyelids, Burning Bridges, Next Door, Nightmare Job #3, Five Mean Machines, The Eight Ball In Big Mouth's Pocket, An Evil Eye, The Blood Ran Out, How To Grow A Man Eating Plant, and Domestic Fowl.

Those are just a tiny sampling of the works collected here. With stories ranging from two or three sentences to two or three pages, this book is perfect for a beach afternoon, a late night flight, or a nice little story before bedtime.

Enjoy!

This book is fantastic. Arnzen takes ideas that lesser authors would stretch out over 500 pages and slams them down in remarkably short, yet complete, stories. Arnzen succeeds in doing what I have been attempting to do my entire life. He scares the hell out of people.

One stormy night...well, it wasn't stormy, but six of us did stay up all night, taking turns reading these flashes of horror. Everyone had their own favorite. I fluctuated between 'Stretch' (which few people can read all in one breath) and 'Brain Candy' (which is so good it's used as a back cover blurb).

It's also great to read with a flashlight around a campfire.

Of course, now that some of these were made into the movie EXQUISITE CORPSE, you can see some of the images inspired by the book. (With the lights out, of course.)

In his introduction, author Michael Arnzen states that "Horror is the genre of the jolt, the shock, the spark." To prove his point, he then offers up one hundred short stories to his audience, the longest, "Five Mean Machines," only nine pages in length (many are only one paragraph long), each designed with the idea of creating an immediate, visceral reaction in readers. It's a measure of Arnzen's talent that he more often than not achieves this goal, all without losing sight of a couple basic tenets of storytelling, those being to grab and hold your reader, and maybe make him think in the bargain. Despite the limits he's imposed on himself, Arnzen still proves capable of doing just that in little gems like "Nightmare Job #1" through "Nightmare Job #5" (think of it as a mini miniseries), "The Curse of Fat Face," and "Her Daily Bread." One warning before you begin 100 Jolts, though--like the candy in a Whitman sampler, you'll find yourself gobbling up one tale after another. Not a big problem, until you abruptly come to the end, still craving more. You might consider exerting some willpower, and force yourself to sample these varied delights over several days, thus maximizing their impact.

Now THIS is what I'm talking about! I don't know how the movie will be, but this book was great. If you love vampire and/or zombie novels, you'll truly enjoy this. This is the first book I've read by author Tim Lebbon, but if he writes this well in all of his books, it won't be my last!

This is probably one of the best movie tie-in novelizations I have ever read. Usually books based on the movies are rather watered down and pale in comparison to the movie. Strangely enough, the power of the written word in this case wins out. The novel moved at a fast pace and was difficult to put down; the author did a fantastic job of fleshing out the main characers and I thoroughly enjoyed it reading it within two days.

The story revolves around the sleepy secluded town of Barrow, Alaska, battening down the hatches and preparing for the annual 30 days and nights of darkness. Sheriff Eben Oleson and his estanged wife, Deputy Stella Oleson are struggling to keep the threads of their marriage together but soon discover that their marriage is not the only thing they are soon fighting for, because this time, something is hiding under the cover of the Dark, which begins with the mysterious arrival of the Stranger and his portent of an impending evil, then suddenly the Olesons find they are cut off from civilization and the townsfolk are being hunted and savagely and swiftly slaughtered by an evil horde of vampires who have decided to make this their feasting ground....can the survivors last the remaining days til daylight??? Great storytelling and better than the movie! Tim Lebbon has outdone himself!

I just want to start off by saying do not start this book unless you have plenty of time to finish it! This is the first book in a long time that I have actually read all the way through. I am very easily distracted and most books just do not have enough story to them to keep me interested. With this book once I started reading I could not put it down. I ended up staying up all night reading it. I was a little disappointed in the ending, but it also was because I did not want it to end. A great read for any fan of a horror/suspense.

Wow, this book is truly spectacular. Although I haven't seen the film itself, Mr. Lebbon does a fantastic job bringing the people and the fear of being hunted to life. Though these aren't your classic vampires, they are terrifying nonetheless.

I would recommend the novel to readers of vampire novels and fans of books based on graphic novel.

PARTY ON, DUDES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I could not put this book down. And, I don't recommend reading it at night, either! What a vampire book. Wew! Vampires that not only drink blood, but eat flesh. I was lifting my legs to help "the good guys" escape and run faster! I would have preferred it to end differently and that's all I'll say about that. Barrow, Alaska oh my...

Like Ditko? Like Kirby? Like crazy monsters in twilight zone style stories? Well, even if you dont, buy this amazing collection of Amazing Adult Fantasy if only for the art. The Kirby and Ditko work of the pre marvel hero days is definately worth the money. Just having the entire collection of the series in one volume is great by itself. But add the incredible Ditko and Kirby art along with some fun stories by Stan Lee and youve got something special worth the price. Is it Ditko and Kirbys best? No. But these two masters of the art of visual storytelling, whether at their peak or not is still better than most of the derivitive artistic styles seen today. It captures the fun of comic books, which are what comics are supposed to be. The Ditko tales are something special and if you're a fan of his work, or of Kirbys for that matter, then pick up this amazing collection. Its worth the price.

My guess is that everyone who buys this book or is interested in buying it, grew up during the "Golden Age'' of comics, circa the 1960s and 1970s. If so, then you're like me and you'd view this collection of comics with a completely biased eye and you'd give it 5 stars as I have (and as have the 9 other reviewers before me). But if I am totally honest and try to read the stories contained therein in a wholly unbiased fashion, I would have to tell you that while the artwork by Kirby, Ayers and mainly Ditko is a joy to behold, many stories are quite frankly, weak. All were written by Stan Lee and in many cases u can tell they were obviously rushed out to meet looming deadlines. It's also obvious that one person wrote them all because although the monsters or aliens might change appearance or names, the underlying storylines are all too similar. Ditto for the supposed surprise endings, which after a while, become predictable. But hey, as I said at the start, none of this should detract from your purchase decision. I honestly don't think people are going to buy this book to discover cutting edge, 21st-century comic book fare - you could get that from hundreds of other titles - you buy this book because these were the pioneers for countless genres to follow. You buy it because this was how it all started.

A visual feast for fans of King Kirby and Sturdy Steve Ditko. Never in my wildest dreams (or forty years of collecting comics) would I have thought this material would be collected and reprinted.

This tome is absolutely perfect! The writing by Stan Lee and the art by Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby are prime indicators that the Marvel Age Of Comics is about to begin! The production on this MASSIVE collection is top notch! The oversize format showcases Ditko's brilliant yet subtle illustrations, while Kirby's bombastic and kinetic storytelling explodes off of every page! The rich, vibrant colors originally used in these tales get a whole new life in this format! Every page is the comic book equivalent of watching a 52" plasma HDTV! Stan Lee's tales of the unknown, suspense, twists and valuable lessons learned do author O. Henry proud. You can almost see Stan gaining steam as a storyteller on this series!
Bottom line...Amazing Adult Fantasy Omnibus was worth every penny I spent on it.
'Nuff Said!

This is a nice historical collection, gathering the full run of Marvel Comics' tumultuous and short-lived "Amazing Fantasy" title. It was one of the last "monster" books Marvel published before the revival of their superhero franchise, and indeed, the last issue featured the birth of Spider-Man, who is arguably the most famous of all Marvel characters. The individual original issues are hard to find and terribly expensive, so this hardbound omnibus is a real blessing for fans who just want to read the old stuff, and not pay a gazillion dollars or have to worry about preserving the fragile old artifacts.

The scripts were mostly by (or credited to) Stan Lee, and illustrators Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko were his main collaborators. A couple of leftovers from the 1950s genre books were also on board, notably Paul Reinman, but the real sizzle is with Ditko and Kirby, who were developing a truly new, explosively expressive style that burst away from the stale, cramped design work of the Atlas era.

The stories, generally speaking, are pretty flat and formulaic: the six-pages-and-a-zinger-ending format did not, in all honesty, leave a lot of room for brilliance. Nonetheless, something was bubbling up under the surface of the moribund genre... There were plenty of hints of things to come: professors named Storm, rocky-skinned monsters, a skinny kid with big, round glasses who discovers he has superpowers, and of course, the proto-Dr. Strange, Dr. Droom, one of the few recurrent characters of the era. In one of the most fascinating later stories, the Ditko-penned teenage hero looks a LOT like Peter Parker, but what's even more amazing is the script, about how the boy is a mutant, and how he must hide his powers due to the prejudice of normal humans -- the entire "X-Men" mythology was laid out in '62: it really should be anthologized along with the early X-books from now on.

The book really hit its stride in the last half-dozen issues, when Steve Ditko basically took over and was given full reign on the creative end. The book developed a strong signature style, and Ditko came into his own. Some of the best surprises come with the famous Spidey issue: the one-page editorial about how they planned to change the look and format of the book (and, boy, did they! they canceled it and started up "The Amazing Spider-Man" instead) and also the fact that the book *still* had back-up features full of aliens and things that go bump in the night.

This is a fascinating look back at the history of Marvel Comics. Probably best appreciated for the dynamic, colorful artwork (which looks fabulous in the glossy archival format) but also good, goofy fun in its own right. Face Forward, True Believers! (Joe Sixpack, Slipcue)

Bell, Book & Beyond debuts over twenty new talents who feature tales of witchcraft, from comic scenes to witches dark and brooding. Readers interested in fiction stories of witches will find this an involving, revealing guides which will prove hard to put down. S.P. Somertow provides an foreword.

Hattie's Head was very crafty, weaving suspense with humor, and the present with the past. The last sentence tied it all up in a neat little package and left me dumbfounded! I felt as though I were beside the boys on their hunt for Hattie. Kelli Campbell told the story so cleverly that I could see everything clearly and isn't that what a good writer does? They let you "see" what you read. I'm anxiously looking forward to more of this writers' stories in the future. She's on her way to success as a well known Horror Writer.

Hattie's Head was very crafty, weaving suspense with humor, and the present with the past. The last sentence tied it all up in a neat little package and left me dumbfounded! I felt as though I were beside the boys on their hunt for Hattie. Kelli Campbell told the story so cleverly that I could see everything clearly and isn't that what a good writer does? They let you "see" what you read. I'm anxiously looking forward to more of this writers' stories in the future. She's on her way to success as a well known Horror Writer.

Don't consider this book to be just another collection of Wicca lore or black-hatted crones, there's much more on the menu than your typical witch tales. Ranging from the fantasy genre 'The Child's Tale' to a modern mom in 'As Promised', to the creeping tingles of 'Le Bete Est Morte' to the comedy of 'That Old Black Magic', this book offers up some of the best, most witchy tales on the market today.

Table Of Contents:
· The Child's Tale by Carole Nomarhas
· The Power Lunch by Janet L. Hetherington
· Six Guns & Six Spells by Paul Victor Wargelin
· A Dichotomy Of Belief by Michael Oliveri
· Spiders Grace All Of Me by Michelle Scalise
· As Promised by Walt Jarvis
· Madly, Deeply by Greg Kishbaugh
· Le Bete Est Morte by Nicholas Kaufmann
· That Old Black Magic by John R. Platt
· Stadium Square by Eric Gregg
· Elena by David A. DeFalco
· Hattie's Head by Kelli Campbell
· Her Place by Joel Ross
· Endemoniada by William O'Donnell
· The Nice House by L.H. Maynard & M.P.N. Sims
· Heavy Sybil by Bob Beideman
· Harm None by Dean H. Wild
· The Island by Whitt Pond
· Trailertrash Annie by Peter N. Dudar
· The Power Doctor by Ward Parker
· Celia by R. Michael Burns

At the end of the book are brief biographies of each writer. All (at the time) were affiliate members of HWA, though many had previous publications and many have gone on to grace us with further proof of their writing skills in other anthologies, novels, and edited collections.

My favorites would be 'The Child's Tale', a fantasy type story of bitter revenge; 'As Promised', the story of how far a witchy mom will go for the daughter she loves; 'Le Bete Est Morte', a creeping story of the witch next door and "it's" ticklish, old time habits; 'That Old Black Magic' which brings a tone of comic relief to witchcraft; 'Heavy Sybil', another semi-comedic tale of an idea that turns on a young heavy metal fan when he drops his girlfriend; and 'The Power Doctor', which will surprise you with its grisly ending.

Ancient and new witchcraft, spiders, spells, love potions, westerns, fantasy, modern, unbearable beauty and hideous ugliness - it's all here in this fantastic collection. If you love witchy tales, don't miss out on this excellent anthology! Enjoy!

Whether your just dabbling in the lore of witchcraft, looking for a great read, or trying to find some great authors; this book is sure to please! It contains a bountiful collection of some of the most talented non-mainstream horror story writers to date. This anthology contains enough laughs, gasps, and feelings of dread to accomidate even the toughest of critics. I've found myself running into work late from lunch on more than one occasion due to my unrelenting need to fit in a couple of extra pages despite my tardiness. The characters and settings are quite colorful (if not vibrant) in each tale, making you an invisible bystander to these events..........even if you wish you weren't!

This book introduced me to the concept that the afterlife will be what you imagine it to be.
I'll never forget one character's trek across a hell where maggot-filled raindrops fall and Hitler crawls around as a little worm.
The preacher of the fundamentalist church was creepy carrying around that mummified hand in his shirt pocket-especially when it would move.
Then there was the scientist that had a fetish for torturing cats, and who performed death experiments on animals. Loved the passage when the toad was drifting away to meet his golden toad goddess!

I read this book back in 1988 when I was 13, and all this stuff has stuck with me. This book really challenged my Southern Baptist upbringing (understatment), and Steiber really lead me to consider what really happens after death. I would consider this book to have a theme about the contrast between organized religion and more pagan/"earthy" beliefs.

Finally, I absolutely LOVED the leader of the Wiccans-Constance and the leather garters passed down from preistess to preistess from ancient times.

Strieber wrote this book in his pre-Communion days and includes a note that the fairy characters (with slight stature and large eyes) seen in the book may be a subconscious expression of his memories of the grays.

I highly recommend this book for the sheer imaginative qualities that Streiber used.

I loved this book. I've read it 3 times. I don't have enough words to describe the passion this story evokes in me. Full of magick of the rawest kind, and just enough danger to keep your blood pumping. When I read this book I long to live at Constance Colliers witch village. Oh, if only there was such a place!! This is a great work of art.

Despite the cheesy cover art, Whitley Streiber put together a pleasant little read in his pre-Communion days. He has the usual trouble male authors frequently have when trying to write about the intimate thoughts and feelings of a woman, but otherwise it is good enough. I did, however, keep thinking of questions he had left unanswered after I finished the book. Naughty Whitley.

Well as I am No great writer, I'll make this short and shiny. The imagery in this book was amazing, throughout the book I felt as if I were part of the Covenstead, as if I was there to see all that was occuring,I gained feelings for Amanda Walker, Robin and also a slight pang of sympathy for Constance. The book created a wall of unexplainable atmosphere for me . In a short conclusion I reccommend this book to any one with an intrest in witchcraft, or alternative communities. I am dying to read more from Strieber.

This is a great book to read, if you can find a copy. It has elements of paganism, fantasy & horror. A young woman's experiences in a small community, clashes between a pagan compound and a local christain group.

The wild hunt bit in this book is great! Wonderful fantasy book for pagan readers!

Dance of Death splits it's story 2 ways - there is the one set later in the century of the 1700's, and one set back a wee while when the characters first come about. This is an excellent idea and is used very well. We get to know the true nature of the characters, their motives and their ideas better. And it is all encapturing in its story, usually with these sorts of books, it's just like there is one great story you wanna keep reading, and the other one is really dragging on and you don't want to read it but you have to so you understand the ending. All the stories in this book are interesting, fun and really intelligent, so you are never bored. R.L. Stine uses descriptive language and good puncuation. If there was one flaw in this book, its that it may kind of leer itself off into the land of the ridiculous occassionally, but not very often. A great Fear Street read!

this was one of the best books i have. this is about a girl name madeline which this story goes during the 1700s fallin in love with a young doctor name justin fier who lives next door to her cousins house which she was sent to live there. but later she is warned by an old woman and a ghost to stay away from him becuase he hides a terrible secret. later in the end she discovers his terrible dark secret. this is really a good book i recommend it 2 any1 who loves these kinds of books.

I think this was the best book of all the sagas so far that I read. It was a great story and it was really scary. I definatly recommend it!

After the death of her parents, Madeline planned to put the past behind her. She went to stay with her cousins, Marcus and Deobrah, at Shadowbrook. On her very first arrival, she fell in love with a handome young doctor, Justin Fier. She was then warned by Tobias Morgan, a ghost, and Honoria Bancroft, an old lady whom her cousins plan to send a place for insane people. They both try to keep her away from Justin Fier. Nonetheless, Madeline is obstinate and she marries him. That is when she discovers his terrible and bloody secret...

After the death of her parents, Madeline planned to put the past behind her. She went to stay with her cousins, Marcus and Deobrah, at Shadowbrook. On her very first arrival, she fell in love with a handome young doctor, Justin Fier. She was then warned by Tobias Morgan, a ghost, and Honoria Bancroft, an old lady whom her cousins plan to send a place for insane people. They both try to keep her away from Justin Fier. Nonetheless, Madeline is obstinate and she marries him. That is when she discovers his terrible and bloody secret...

If there was going to be a Charmed movie, this is the story they should use.

I guess I'm just a huge fan no matter what, because I love ALL the Charmed books, and own them all! Each one has a great and unique story, I'm addicted to collecting AND reading them!

I watch the show every day, sometimes twice a day, every episode, haven't missed one yet, and don't plan on it, ever. I would love to get all the books on the series, especially shadow of the sphinx. That sounds so good. I give the series books 5 stars, cause its the best show on tv except for wwe raw and smackdown.

This book circles around the 3 new strangers who are close to each of the sisters, and each time they meet, something strange happens. Piper's emotions are unruly, Paige seems to be exhausted for nothing and Phoebe has short-term memory loss, and all 3 of their powers are getting weaker and weaker. Just like that. And the more times the sisters meet these "strangers", their sudden-weaknesses seem to be worsening (both magical and non-magical). At last, they discover that there is something sinister going on, and they have to pit against these strangers to defeat them AND get their powers back, as all the Ks (strangers) want in revenge, to what happened to their ancestors nearly 3000 years ago. Dark Vengeance indeed.

Find out what happens to this awesome story penned by Diana G. Gallagher. Definitely worth your money and your time to read it. Happy reading!!

this is my favourite charmed book!!! this is mainly because it gives each of the sisters an equal part bringing them all together at the end to kick but. although there are parts in this book that mirror the crimson spell this book has more levels plus a good twist at the end plus the charmed ones get a few good one liner jokes in. although the bad guys are pretty see through the ending is pretty solid.

overall this is a great book even if your not a mjor charmed fan and if you are it's better

I don't have the third book. I enjoyed the first 2 books. I wished they woild have made another movie reguarding book 2 and 3.

N. L. Bowden

The first part of this all-in-one volume is The Talman, the Holy Book of the alien Drac race. The Talman is the premise for the rest of the three novels that follow in the volume. I consider scripture to be inspired search for truth, including the true definition of the relationship between man (or Drac, in this case) and God (or other Higher Power). While reading The Talman, I had the distinct feeling that I was reading real scripture disguised as fictional scripture. Mr. Longyear's insight was thought-provoking as well as entertaining. The series is a worthy entry among the classics dealing with the problem of the relationship between theology/spirituality and science, such as James Blish's A Case of Conscience and Robert Sawyer's Calculating God.

The first part of this all-in-one volume is The Talman, the Holy Book of the alien Drac race. The Talman is the premise for the rest of the three novels that follow in the volume. I consider scripture to be inspired search for truth, including the true definition of the relationship between man (or Drac, in this case) and God (or other Higher Power). While reading The Talman, I had the distinct feeling that I was reading real scripture disguised as fictional scripture. Mr. Longyear's insight was thought-provoking as well as entertaining. The series is a worthy entry among the classics dealing with the problem of the relationship between theology/spirituality and science, such as James Blish's A Case of Conscience and Robert Sawyer's Calculating God.

Rumor has it the tenitive title for this book was "Enemy Mine Omnibus", but in the long run I'm glad they didn't call it that.

"The Enemy Papers" is a collection of stories having to do with the war between the Dracs and Humans. The collection starts with an "abridged" version of the Draconian Talman or holy book.

A revised/extended author's addition of "Enemy Mine" comes next in line with contains a closer look at Shigan and Davidage's relationship and, later, the relationship Davidage has with the Jeriba family.

"The Tomorrow Testement" is the story of a human female soldier who gets taken to the Dracon as a POW and how she caught the eye of a leading Draconian offical and helped bring an end to the war. Bear this in mind; "Enemy Mine" and "Tomorrow Testement" occur at the same time.

"The Last Enemy" takes place around 30 years after "Enemy Mine", only this time from the point of view of a Draconian terrorist living on the planet that started the entire war. This unique view into the after effects of the peace treaty and the universal mindset of a war weary soldier is a nice addition to this collection.

The collection is completed with a set of essays about writing alien languages, Longyear's experiences writing the stories and a small Drac/English-English/Drac dictionary for those of us who are obsessed with these stories. Longyear does admite that, with a little persuassion, he might continue the series, complete the Talman and lenghten the dictionary.

With a little persuassion.

The Enemy Papers is a compilation that includes three novels, Enemy Mine, The Tomorrow Testament and The Last Enemy, as well as The Talman, an alien Bible. Barry Longyear's trilogy of the war between humans and the alien Dracs was always a fantastic story, philosophically deep while entertaining to read, but today the story is even more timely. In this world of renewed terrorist activity and threat of war, a well-thought-out treatise of unrequited hate, fierce nationalism and the horrors of war reads like a world relations primer. The issues of how to establish and keep peace are dealt with honestly and with human (and alien) nature always considered. Nothing is easy, and nothing is straightforward. Longyear is a spectacular writer and this is one of his best. I guarantee that the ending to the last novel will knock your socks off, whether you are wearing socks or not. I promise. Read this book, it will engrave itself on your soul.

I'm 37 yrs old and just recently rediscoverd this book at a used book store...I first read it when I was 12 and the movie too....The Child of Glass from Disney. I have to say it's one of the best from my childhood and enjoyed reading it again as a grown woman. I recommend it to all ages.

If you are, this book is one of your best guides. I loved this story as a child, particularly as I was a child who saw spirits. As an adult who works with spirits and those in form, I recommend this book to my clients who see spirits and want to learn how to respond to them compassionately. It is indeed a children's book with lessons from which everyone can learn.

I have read the first chapter. It is about a boy named Alexander and he thinks there is something in his barn. He is to scared to go see what it is in the barn. so he tells his friend to go see. That is all i know about my book.

I really enjoyed this book, it's really a four and a half stars. I had read some of the other Blossom Culp books first, and enjoyed having Alexander as the narrator, although I think I prefer Blossom. I loved the setting. This was a funny, exiting, and somwhat spooky book. I recommend it to pratically anyone.

Blossom Culpýs mother was born with a caul over her face, meaning she has the second sight. She sees a pink halo over Alexander Armsworthýs barn and confides in her daughter that Alexander has the ability to help the spirit trapped there.

Blossom was known was making up stories, still out of curiosity, Alexander explores the barn and finds a hurt little dog. That night he sees candlelight in the barn. The dog turns up missing the next day. Convinced that Blossom is playing a trick on him, he drags the frightened protesting young girl up to the loft with him and sees the first signs of the ghost wet footprints.

Inez Dumaineýs wealthy New Orleans family put her on a steamboat and sent her north on the eve of the Civil War. The steamboat had an accident and Inez drown. Afterward, her body was robbed of her familyýs wealth, which had been sewn into her dress. Her fervent wish is to be buried properly with her family.

Peckýs characters are vivid, the kind the reader cares about from the first chapter onward. His combination of humor and suspense really propel the story forward. An excellent story!

This is a great book. Very accurate, painfully so in many instances, especially considering the absurd restrictions placed on units operating in the field. Ironically, Moore's account of Special Forces operations in Vietnam is much more accurate than anything you'll ever get from the US government...even 40 years later.

Post Script: In the first Chapter, Moore writes about Capt. Steve Kornie, a larger than life Special Forces officer. Darn near everything Moore wrote was accurate! The officer's real name is Larry Allan Thorne (the "Americanized" version of his Finnish name - Lauri Allan Torni). He was a truly remarkable man by any measure.

Major Thorne was lost on a cross-border mission into Laos on 18 October 1965; but, at that time, and "for the record" he was classified as Missing In Action resulting from a helicopter crash 25 miles south of Da Nang (not even close).

A joint US-Vietnamese team found the wreckage in 1997, excavated the site in 1999, and collected the remains of Maj. Thorne and 3 Vietnamese (two pilots and a door gunner). A decision was made to do a joint internment at Arlington, since what little remained of the bodies was intermingled. Although positive identification, however, was made through Thorne's dental records and parts of the Swedish-K submachine gun that was his personal weapon.

The memorial stone is atypically large for Arlington; and the local Vietnamese community ensures that fresh flowers are maintained at the grave. I have provided additional information should you be in the neighborhood and would like to visit the site. Unless you have very specific information on dates of internment and the correct spelling of the name, you will not be successful in locating the site through the cemetery administration.

[...]

The new edition of Robin Moore's Vietnam War era classic "The Green Berets" is as timely and relevant today as it was when it was published over forty years ago.

What is amazing is that the problems faced by the Green Berets in Vietnam described by Moore are the very same problems faced by our soldiers today in the War on Terror. These include the problems of corrupt local soldiers, relegious differences and the ago old cultural clash between the coventional military mindset and the unconventional warrior.

The new edition also contains materials which were not in the original edition. It was also enjoyable to read the various stories which conributed elements to the John Wayne movie which was based on the book. The book is well worth your time.

I liked this book so much I bought an old paperback copy and added it to my personal collection. I believe that there's a picture of Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler, or someone that looks a lot like him, on the cover. The movie made in 1968 does NOT do Robin Moore's work justice. I found the short stories in this book to be very well written.

In 1965, when I first read this book, I believed most of it because I didn't know any difference. During Infantry OCS (Officer Candidate School), I read it again as a book-report (1966) and did not believe any of it...any at all. Then on the flight back, after spending 13 months in Southeast Asia as a Special Forces officer, I read it again. The book is true...completely true. As a-matter-of-fact, it actually left out some of the things we experieced and the "politics" we had to deal with, but what he told in the book was true. Robin Moore holds our respect for what he had to accomplish (at his age) in order to write this factual book. We loved the book and laughed at the movie.

Understand that Special Forces, at that time, were very different from Special Forces today. Remember, we were the most highly decorated unit in history for a reason. The ones today are great, but they built on our experieces. We were not the "quite professionals"...but we were the "movers and doers" of our time. I add this only because some authors today should recognize this hard-earned fact.

H. G. Kidd
Ex-Special Forces.

I was blown away that some people did not like this book! I absolutely loved it! Before you begin reading it you must put it in the context of the time it was written. This is a book written before any of our main troops were sent to 'nam and therefore the things we know now are simply hindsite and can not be applied to this book. This book, while called fiction, is the closest you will ever get to truly understanding our most well known and almost mystical special forces group. It details, with fake names due to govt regulations at the time, many Beret missions that were, until lately, highly classified. This book will take you on many missions that seem like they are straight off of a hollywood script...in fact these stories are what created most of those scripts. You will join the berets in battle, deep behind enemy lines and see how they fought before the days when rescue was an artillery shot away. You will love each chapter of this book and it will be a very quick read. Please do yourself the favor, if you have any interest in this subject, of picking up this important book and learning a bit about America's Green Berets!