F Books

Captures the heart and soul of these guys and the political crap they endure with their administration weasels...Bob :)

I have read a lot of military books that cover infantry and Spec-Ops but I have found few that deal with the in and outs of a city level police SWAT team. I found the book to be exciting to read and interesting to see the inner workings of a SWAT team. I liked the team spirit portrayed as well as the day to day politics of every day police work. In this day and age risk of street level terrorism, has thrown the local police SWAT team from a necessary evil that police administrators hate to have, to a front line defense that is truly needed and wanted by every citizen and every level of law enforcement. I am hoping that Jon Skaehill is going to pleasure us with another book soon! A MUST READ.

The author uses his real world experience as a SWAT Operator and Patrol Supervisor to accurately depict the life of a SWAT team in a mid-size city police department. This book is packed with action and drama. It shows the good and bad of departmental politics and delves into the dangerous world of tactical operations.

I LOVED IT!

The Lion's Den is a well written book that steadily improves in its readability throughout the story. Mr. Skaehill's knowledge of police department politics, the criminal element of our society, and modern SWAT team operations is both apparent and interesting. The book provides, not only a solid story line with good characters that are interesting and believable, but also a unique look into the professional hazards faced by police officers in a midsize to large sized police department.

Hopefully, Mr. Skaehill will continue to develop these characters and provide more insight into police/SWAT operations with future books. It would also be interesting to hear from this author in stories written from the prospective of a Patrol Sgt., a Detective, or even an Internal Affairs Investigator.

A Cop

Sgt. Skaehill proves that he knows his business. The "Lion" roams about, seeking whom he may devour....Jon Skaehill has assaulted the lion's lair, and continues to do so to this day. I believe it was George Orwell who said "People can sleep soundly in their beds at night only because of rough men who are willing to do violence on their part." Jon Skaehill is one of these men to whom we owe our peace and tranquility. He takes you into the lion's den as only one can when he's actually tasked to do it himself. Skaehill takes you to a place that few ever see. May I quote again? Blaise Pascal said, "Law...without force...is impotent."
The characters are well developed, and one can't help but "get to know them", as the book progresses. Not only does Skaehill score center-mass hits in his depiction of SWAT training and operations. He also realistically nails the petty internal politics of a Police Department's few "rear eschelon bean counters". The book's accounts of SWAT raids are indeed riveting--most especially the last third of the book. I look forward to his next work.
Sgt. Skaehill has "BTDT", and it shows....

Almost cinematic in design and construction, truly, "The Magic of M.C. Escher" is a breakthrough book on the works of this artist. Every page is filled with inspiration and surprise. Designed by a gifted art director named Erik The' and produced by Andreas Landshoff, this book flows together to form a loving catalogue of Mr. Escher's visions. It is unlike other books based on Escher which tend to be either tutorial or biographical in nature. Whereas these past books, more or less, deconstruct and analyze his works mainly through words, "The Magic of M.C. Escher" successfully accomplishes this through the images themselves, revelling in their sheer beauty, from his preliminary studies all the way to the finished prints. There are many double foldout pages to better impact Escher's mastery of his craft. Some of the pages are filled, corner to corner, with extremely detailed, magnified sections of specific works that allow the reader to closely experience what it's like to be "nose to nose" with the actual prints.

This book catapults the reader into Escher's world immediately. Before you even open the title page, you discover that the inside of the dust cover reproduces, in full color, of course, "Metamorphosis III" in three horizontal panels each measuring an astounding 39" across. This book brings us along on a visual journey ajoined by Escher's own words, as if he is personally giving us insights on a guided tour of his works. It thoughtfully limits itself to short excerpts from Escher's lectures and letters whose sole purpose is to compliment glorious, detailed photographs of original work. It's filled with Escher's never-before published pencil studies and sketches, extreme closeups of his prints, and detailed photographs of his original carved wood blocks. The pencil studies from his notebooks allow us to follow his thought processes and fully appreciate the endless hours he joyfully and dutifully spent on formulating the precise combination of graphic elements to arrive at his finished images.

The book makes side-by-side visual comparisons of earlier works that inspired Escher to create more self-satisfying images that better convey his "relative division of the plane" and other spacial concepts. Most of its visual content were supplied by two sources: The M.C.Escher Foundation and Michael Sachs, a private collector and print dealer from Connecticut.

Overall, this is book is a stunning, loving homage to this master of printmaking and genius to the graphic arts. Nothing is spared in this book's construction and design. If the adage is true that a picture is worth a thousand words, "The Magic of M.C.Escher" could fill a library.

Wonderful coffee-table book of Escher's best drawing illusions. Even the jackets is two-sided and imaginatively done with style.

High-quality reproductions of the amazing artworks. Minimalistic style of comments and excerpts from artist's letters gives you a focus on subtle details and motives, and lets images tell you the rest.

Given as a gift by a special friend of mine, the book has always adorned the coffee table in the living room as a centerpiece that never fails to attract the attention of both art lovers and art dabblers alike. Perhaps it could be said that my interest in the two seemingly disparate field of mathematics and art motivated that friend of mine to purchase the book, as Escher himself apparently believed and proved that those two seemingly unrelated fields could be beautifully synthesized in a brilliant fusion of creativity. The result is more than convincing.

Escher was a Dutch wanna-be mathematician, who expressed himself through incredibly intricate, creative works of art. This book contains hundreds of his drawing as well as his notebook sketches, which is interesting to look at because you get to see how he developed his drawings. Accompanying most of the pictures in this book are excerpts of letters that he wrote to various people. If you want a book on Escher's work, then this is the one to buy! Fantastic.

A very thoroughly written book. I found some information on all-flying tails that I haven't found any where else. However, Dr. Phillips uses nomenclature that are not what I call traditional nomenclature. Not really a big problem, just different from what I'm use to.

"Mechanics of Flight" will become a classic in the aerodynamicist's library alongside Abbott and Von Doenhoff's "Theory of Wing Sections". Here's why:

* Coverage of topics in aircraft design is exhaustive. From balancing lift and weight for steady flight, on through off axis forces and moments from running propellers, to 6-dof formulas for aircraft dynamic modes, to how propeller location affects aircraft stability, and on and on. Great for both the beginner and the authority in aircraft.

* Often a completely thorough analysis including the minutest effects is presented along with a linearized or simplified method. The simplified analysis is so useful for rapid conceptual design and study of fundamentals, while the detailed analysis gives a complete grasp of the physics and phenomena involved. Plus, in simplifying a complex derivation, the reader is shown which parameters may be safely neglected and which require careful scrutiny, and what is engineering if not intelligently ignoring smaller effects to come up with a reasonable solution to a problem?

* The figures! Well thought out and consistent, the figures clearly illustrate the material.

* Actual aircraft data is used in the example and homework problems. I have a feel for the performance of several classes of aircraft simply from using this book.

* Phillips derives everything, and I mean everything using the fundamental laws of physics as the starting point. A student would be very well served to go through these derivations themselves. Phillips basically shows the student how to learn and how to think mathematically. No shortcuts here. I wish I had learned these things very early on in my own schooling.

* Phillips has included experimental data along with rigorous analytical derivation and computer numerical analysis. I believe that all three are necessary for a true understanding of fluid dynamics.

The bottom line: Buy and use this book! While it is true that the material is focused on subsonic flight, I work for a large airframer of supersonic aircraft and I find the principles and fundamentals to be extremely useful in my work. Whether you are a student or a professional, if you have an interest in aerodynamics this is THE book to use.

As a PhD student specializing in aircraft design, I greatly value excellent textbooks. Phillips' "Mechanics of Flight" is the latest of 5 textbooks that I use. The other textbooks include "Fundamentals of Aerodynamics" and "Aircraft Performance and Design" by Anderson, "Flight Stability and Automatic Control" by Nelson, and "Aircraft Design" by Raymer. "Mechanics of Flight" by Phillips is extremely well written, exhaustively researched, and by far the most useful textbook I own. It has become a popular book among my colleagues who are studying for the PhD qualifying exam at Georgia Tech because the book is truly written from the ground up. Rather than presenting results and referencing other authors, "Mechanics of Flight" exhaustively researches the fundamentals behind aircraft performance and then derives all of the supporting equations from the ground up. All assumptions and theory limitations are clearly presented. The derivations are logically developed, do not skip major steps, and are easy to follow. Phillips even documents some common misconceptions and errors that have been made in the past (and are presented as truths in other textbooks) in developing the equations of aerodynamics, flight mechanics, and stability and control. It is obvious that Phillips has not published a single equation that he has not personally derived. Every concept is also followed by example problems that are often so detailed that they cover several pages. Phillips uses actual aircraft data in his example problems to help give the reader confidence that results are in agreement with operational aircraft. In addition, each chapter contains more homework problems than a teacher or student could ever use. Some chapters have over 70 problems. It is very obvious that these problems have been carefully crafted to help the reader master the material. What is even more impressive is that so many of the homework problems contain data from actual aircraft. I definitely think that obtaining the solution manual would also be of great worth. One other area in which this textbook is superior to other textbooks is in its figures. This textbook has more than enough excellent aircraft drawings that are invaluable in helping the reader understand the concepts of aerodynamics and aircraft performance. Phillips has also generated numerous plots of data that help the reader get a feeling for what ranges of values should be expected when performing aircraft analysis. Also of extreme importance is the consistency in Phillips' notation used throughout his textbook. Phillips has been very careful to use variables with symbols and subscripts that conform to common aerodynamic notation and remain consistent throughout the whole text. I don't think that you will find a formula throughout the whole textbook that reuses a variable that means something else in another chapter in the textbook. You don't have to reread chapters to make sure that L represents lift rather than a reference length L. And now to get into the content of the textbook. Chapter 1 gives an excellent review of the basics of aerodynamics. This chapter can be used as both an intro to aerodynamics as well as a great review. Chapter 2 reviews propulsion. The basics of turbojets, turbofans, and propellers are well covered. A lot of information about Goldstein's propeller vortex theory is presented that isn't available in any other textbook. Phillips also gives a lot of information about forces and moments developed by propellers that I haven't seen anywhere else. Chapter 3 covers aircraft performance. This chapter is very exhaustive and derives all relationships from the ground up, many starting from F=ma. All the basics needed to analyze an aircraft in flight are well presented. Of great interest is the section on takeoff. Phillips goes through a grueling analysis to symbolically integrate the governing equation to provide a closed form solution for ground roll. This is by far the best takeoff documentation I have found. Chapters 4 and 5 cover longitudinal and lateral static stability and help the reader easily understand how to size aircraft control surfaces. All primary methods for achieving static stability such as dihedral, canards, empennages, etc. are well documented. Chapter 6 covers aircraft maneuverability and includes interesting subjects such as stall recovery and aileron control reversal. Chapter 7 alone would be worth buying this textbook. Phillips documents all the basics of rigid body dynamics before developing the aircraft equations of motion. Phillips clearly then goes through the liberalization of the equations and covers everything needed to know to properly use these equations. Several examples are given. With many mistakes that appear in other textbooks in developing the equations of motion, this is the only book I really feel confident in, mostly because the derivation is so detailed that readers will be able to follow all of the steps. Chapters 8 and 9 give a great background in eigenproblems and dynamic equilibrium as well as providing all of the background and examples needed to perform a dynamic aircraft analysis. Chapter 10 covers handling qualities and proves that Phillips spoke to several pilots when researching this chapter. Finally Chapter 11 covers aircraft flight simulation. This chapter contains information you won't find anywhere else. Math textbooks won't have as detailed an explanation of quaternion algebra as given by Phillips. Phillips goes through everything needed to develop a flight simulator. There is so much in this chapter that the chapter could be used as the subject for an entire graduate semester course. Overall, this textbook is a must have for anyone interested in aircraft analysis and flight performance. Even if you have other textbooks, get this book as it has so much useful information that isn't presented anywhere else. The only area that isn't exhaustively covered in this book is supersonic flow. Phillips does covers some of the supersonic basics but the book is tailored toward subsonic aircraft. I would recommend this book to all professors teaching aircraft performance and design as well to people interested in aircraft. I wish this book would have been available when I was taking aircraft design courses.

I am an Aerospace engineer working for the Air Force. While attending the annual AIAA aerospace convention in Reno Nevada, I met a professor from Denmark who raved about the work and research of a professor local to the west, Phillips. This seasoned scholar from Denmark wouldn't miss a session if he found Phillips' name appearing in it. I picked up the "Mechanics of Flight" which was on display for the first time at that conference. Due to the mountain of topics covered (900+ pages) I can't say that I have read every line of that book but the material I studied was impressive. I've never seen such complete derivations right from F=MA. The explanations are meticulous and thorough. I coded a real-time 6-DOF flight simulator for a midsized RCAV using this book as the main reference. I've never seen such a straightforward explanation of Quaternion algebra. If there were a "bible" of flight mechanics and dynamics, I would certainly give this my vote over any other in its class.

This text provides unparalled detail in it's discussion of flight mechanics. It contains clear and concise derivations of underlying equations and has well planned figures and example problems. Subject matter includes static and dynamic stability, propulsion, lifting line theory, 6-dof flight simulation with quaternions, along with many other essential topics. I particularly appreciated the straightforward way in which Phillips applies numerical methods to solving many of the problems. The equations required are located in such a manner as to make it easy to find what you need. Though mainly geared toward subsonic flight, I have found the understanding gained through this book invaluable in the design of supersonic vehicles. This is a great book for students learning the subject for the first time and a must have for engineering professionals and aircraft enthusiasts.

What a great story that took me back to growing up...well written...great details that make the story all the more real and enjoyable! Hope there is another book following.....

Pat Schmatz has written a poignant and entertaining story of growing up and adjusting to difficult changes. Strong characterization and skillful plotting makes this book about an ordinary girl facing extraordinary circumstances a wonderful read. And you'll love Mrs. Estronsky!

Having come from a single parent family, I could really identify with the feelings Jackie was having. I think this is a must read for kids who struggle with being present and honest with themselves. I was awestruck with her courage to deal on life's terms. I'll be passing this book on to the many kids in my extended family.

Mrs. E is a deceptively simple and thoroughly engaging book. It is a well-written, interesting story that balances lighthearted and funny moments with meaningful family themes about single parenting, sibling relationships, the impact of divorce on adolescents and teens, and the life-changing potential of the teacher-student relationship. An inspiring, hopeful must-read for adolescent girls.

This book touched me. As an adult whose parents divorced when I was about the same age as Jackie, it took me back and allowed me to feel along with Jackie what I couldn't then. This is a must read for girls stuggling in adolesence and for women who have been there. It is exceptionally well written, easy to read and enjoyable. I highly recommend it to read and pass along.

Reading this book gave me some insights into my own management style. All of us can use improvement, and this book has been a guide for helping me reflect on my decision-making methods. As someone fairly new to the world of business management, I found this book helpful and entertaining at the same time. It is a relatively easy read, with the exception of the "Afterword" and Appendix" chapters. The first is fairly profound, and forces the reader to think deeply about his/her business approach. The Appendix is largely mathematical, and was a bit difficult to follow, but in fact makes perfect sense.
In short, this is a useful and entertaining book for managers.

The approach here is unique: Categorize the mistakes managers and business owners make. Rather than a list of incorrect behaviors, this method produces some generalizations that are truly useful. I have read a lot of books that recommend specific actions to take, and a few that specify the actions to avoid, but none of them catagorized them as well as this book. I found I could take away the broad generalizations and apply them almost immediately to improve my management performance. Most other books bog the reader down with too many details that may not apply to a specific manager's situation.
It seemed to me that the specific behaviors listed within each category mostly served as illustrations and examples to be certain we would understand how to apply the categories. Also, there was humor to remind us that the first rule of management is to avoid taking ourselves too seriously.

The method the author uses is imaginative. He does not tell us what we should do to be a good manager. As he correctly observes, most good management consists of avoiding mistakes, and not merely applying some special technique. If we could all avoid the rocks, our businesses would not run aground. From my own experience, I can say that most of the management failures I have observed have been caused by blatant mistakes, whereas most of the management successes have been less about brilliance than merely avoiding dumb decisions and bad behaviors. This is well stated in this book.
What I find remarkable is the method the author uses, which is to put the mistakes in the form of hypothetical examples - people with names. This takes the hard edge off the somewhat sarcastic tone of the criticisms. While I don't care for sarcasm, Melden makes it work here. What especially makes it work is the accuracy: A lot of the people depicted are like people I have actually encountered during my career.
Finally, I have to compliment the middle chapter with its list of business cliches. This chapter was hilarious, and by itself would be worth the price of the book.

Nine Ways to Ruin a Business is written in a humorous tone, but provides some practical guidelines on the kinds of thinking and attitudes to avoid. By showing others' errors, it tells what kinds of actions we should stay clear of. Although I manage only a department, I believe the pointers in this book would be useful to managers of divisions, and even entire corporations. I have one suggestion for the reader. If you buy this book for a superior, tell him or her that you're sure they will find it hilarious. That should avoid damaging any egos.
A great book!

I had already read The 9 Ways of Working, and I assumed this would be similar. I couldn't have been more wrong. While I liked "Ways of Working", this was a much more useful book. It talks about actual behaviors, not just general ways of working. I am a bit embarrassed to admit it, but when I have been off my game, my management methods slightly resembled some of the persons depicted in this book. I can see more clearly now why some of my projects did not do as well as others. Another aspect of this book that I liked was the simple, straightforward description of bad method. It is a very sensible book, while remaining humorous.

I had a breast cancer scare recently and happened to have this book which I hadn't read. I actually stayed up all night reading this beautiful book. It turned out my "scare" was a cyst, but as a hospice nurse I see with so many women it isn't. It's real. These stories are amazing, and yes sad, because some are the most amazing survivors, and some sadly do not pull through. But every experiene you read about is rich with the person's life, self, friends family and the hardship on everyone when a person gets a diagnosis of breast cancer. I would recommend all women to read this book, it is important to see how we all must do our examinations and how very real breast cancer is for women. This book will leave you touched, maybe a little worried, but also with a feeling of being blessed that you got to see the life and feel a part of the struggles of other women.(and yes, men too get breast cancer, and there are stories of men too). I would recommend it, but it is an emotional book.

As a physician who specializes in breast disorders of which cancer is obviously the most important one, I can highly recommend this book to families and friends of women with a diagnosis of breast cancer. Ms Stevens insight into the emotional issues those of us close to someone with breast cancer experience are enlightening, intelligent and always helpful. We can all learn from this book.

With much talent and compassion, Ms. Stevens has shared her own story with breast cancer, but also the stories of other women and men. Recognizing the impact this type of diagnosis means for the individual, but also the family and friends surrounding them, Ms. Stevens shares each of their stories from their own perspectives.

A wonderful book where you can learn from those who have traveled the paths before you.....

Everyone knows someone who has/had breast cancer. My best friend went through it 10 years ago, so I thought I knew all about it. Recently, as a 6th friend shared her battle, I realized I knew very little about breast cancer. That's when I picked up a copy of Barbara Stevens' book, "Not Just One in Eight."

Today, I purchased my 8th or 9th copy to give to someone who is afraid to get a mammogram. I have given this book to friends with other friends who have breast cancer, mothers of daughters with breast cancer, husbands of women with breast cancer, and my own sister. This book gives everyone who is touched by this disease the most important gift of all: knowledge. And knowledge is the power to fight back.

I had information from 6 very emotional sources before I read "Not Just One in Eight". Now I have an arsenal of information from 20 detailed and individual accounts. Both the mystery, and the fear, is gone. I don't have breast cancer, and we have no family history, but I feel confident that I now know how to recognize, meet and defeat this "boogey man" should it ever come calling.

Every woman alive today should sleep better after reading these stories and accumulating the combined wisdom Barbara Stevens shares with us. Every man with a mother, sister, wife or daughter would also find valuable knowledge and power by investing the time needed to read this book. This book IS for everyone!

I am a 4th year medical student-Intern in Seattle, WA. I see many breast CA patients and they always present with the understandable anxiety and emotional lability concerning their situation. The patient is bombarded with information in the form of ideas and supposed "cures" from multiple sources. This is why I recommend this book to patients. It helps them sift through all the information and make informed decisions. They are NOT the disease--they just happen to have the disease. This book has all the information my patients need to understand what is going on, including personal stories which they can identify with. It also presents the options available and educates patients on the pro's and con's. But most important it gives them peace of mind, which is critical when dealing with a life threatening disease. It helps them move through the journey more centered and with a focus, which, in my opinion has a significant impact on outcomes.

This is one of the better guides. I really could not do business without it. You certainly will not be wasting your money on this one. Highly recommed it for the collector, dealer and those just interested.

THIS BOOK WAS EXTREMELY HELPFUL. FOUND GRANDAD'S TACKLE BOXES FROM THE 50'S. THIS BOOK ALLOWED ME TO IDENTIFY 98 OUT OF 139 TOTAL LURES, FLIES, AND OTHER ITEMS. (HIS PEACH PIT AND BANDAID WERE NOT LISTED.) THIS BOOK HAS STARTED A HOBBY WHICH I HOPE TO PASS DOWN TO MY CHILDREN. COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT THIS MASSIVE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE! THANKS C.F. LUCKEY AND AMAZON.COM!

As a lure collector, I have several identification guides.
This book gets used more than the rest, simply because it is more an identification guide than a Value guide. (Sure, it has book value included(which means nothing compared to auction values), but, it also has way more information on the lures and companies themselves than most other ID books).
If you are looking for a complete library (if you want almost any lure identification at your fingertips--or in your head , as you learn about them all--), then you should definately include this one.
But (always a "but"), this book doesn't cover too many of the "small name" companies out there, or folk arts, nor many flies. But, if it's a top name company (Heddon, Creek Chub, South Bend, Shakespeare, etc.), you will find it in this book, up until 1975.
You cannot go wrong with this book...and if mine ever wears away with use, I'll keep purchasing new copies as needed.

my husband received an old tackle box full of lures from a friend who just did not want it any more. we knew there were some from the early 20's to 40's,other than that we knew nothing about them. we found several books we thought might help us. we had a tough time deciding between this one and several others on amazon. at the last min we decided to get this one and are we glad. has wonderful history, easy to use index. it is a wealth of information. we have identified dozens of tackle. this book is HIGHLY recommended if you have alot of old lures.

HAVE HAD LOTS OF LUCK FINDING GRANDPA'S LURES AND WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND TO THOSE WISHING TO IDENTIFY OLD LURES. MY ONLY COMPLAINT IS THAT PAGES HAVE BEGAN TO FALL OUT OF THE BOOK CREATING A BIT OF A MESS.

On Falcon's Wings is terrific story telling. The story and characters bring to life a period and place I knew very little about -- despite being a World War II history aficionado.

Historical enlightenment aside, this is simply a thoroughly enjoyable read.

This book drew me into a relationship with each character and ultimately I was living their anxiety-ridden, bleak existance with them every step of their journey. Absolutely one of the best books I have ever read.

Umpleby's story maintained a strong feeling of tension from beginning to end. It gripped my attention and interest from the very outset and never let go. I was particularly impressed by the keen insights provided of the reality of the human experience of war, of one's copuntry being occupied and dominated by a ruthless foreign power, of the heights and depths of behavior to which otherwise ordinary people can rise or fall. I got so involved with the Czech boys frantic efforts to survive that I nearly screamed out loud to Pavol at times,"No!No!No! Don't do that!!!" It's clearly a five star read for me.

If you like historical fiction, you'll love this fast-paced, compelling story about five teen-age boys whose lives take a disastrous turn during the Nazi occupation of Prague. The author very wisely chooses to focus on teenagers whose naive, impulsive, and rebellious nature is in constant tension with the Nazi troops. Their journey reveals the absolute cruelty of war and the psychological domination that occupation gives the occupiers -- not unlike what we've recently witnessed at Abu Ghraib prison.

The characters are so real and so beautifully drawn that I became very involved with them. I struggled with them as they weighed the risks of fighting back or submitting. Those who break through the barrier of fear pay a high price as heroes or martyrs.

I read the last 125 pages in one sitting because I had to find out how it turned out for the five boys I had become so fond of. This is a five star read -- one you won't soon forget.

"On Falcon's Wings", set in World War II Europe, moved me more than any book in recent memory. The author's obviously extensive research certainly paid handsomely helping him bring faithfully to life a setting and historical period fraught with powerful emotions and grave dangers. The portrayals of the settings, scenes, and characters all ring very true; there wasn't a false note anywhere. The drama builds steadily developing the backgrounds and personalities of five Czech teenagers seized by the Nazis and transported toward the German military front in Russia. The tension mounts quickly as the youths struggle for survival and attempt to escape and elude their captors. At times it becomes almost impossible to lay this book down. "On Falcon's Wings" is a timely reminder to us all of the devastating effects an empire building, totalitarian government can have on its most humble and righteous citizens and subjects.

This beautiful book with a purpose deserves the 10 national awards it has won. It is poetic, haunting, poignant and touching. The prose and the pictures transport you to another place. Anyone who loves New Orleans will not want to miss having this book on his or her coffee table! But read it, too! The author won the PMA Benjamin Franklin Award 2007 for "Best New Voice Nonfiction" and the book also won the "Bill Fisher Award for Best First Book." A treat for all the senses, the eyes and the heart.

This is a great book: it is a passionate "love song" dedicated to New Orleans. The photos and text will tug at your heartstrings.

WOW...what a big beautiful book! For anyone who has a connection to New Orleans...buy it...give it...treasure it...well written, throughly researched, amazing photos and layout...sure to be an award winner! Thanks for putting your heart into this volume!

No ordinary coffee table photography book, "Orleans Embrace With The Secret Gardens Of The Vieux Carre" is a 388-page memoir of the New Orleans French Quarter featuring 49 historic black-and-white photographs and 320 full color illustrations. While the overall book draws from the previous work of Roy F. Guste, Jr., the photographs by Louis Sahuc are bonded with a personal and compelling narrative text by T. J. Fisher. Readers will encounter a work originally intended to be of local interest, but in a post-Katrina world, has emerged with universal attraction as a memorial and a motivation to restore a once great American city to its unique and original glory. Enthusiastically recommended, "Orleans Embrace With The Secret Gardens Of The Vieux Carre" will prove to be of immense interest to several categories of readership including: gardening enthusiasts, historians, architects, photographers, and anyone who has every walked along the avenues and admired the parks, gardens, and buildings of the New Orleans French Quarter.

Read this book. Highly recommended.

This is an excellent resource. I really enjoy the depth of the subject matter covered by the author.

If you are interested in American history, this is it! Highly detailed, consist of short pieces, which can be read as stand alone articles. You need not read in sequence. Morison ensures that each section is understood by a lay reader. Sheds light on historical events at sociological angle. You will understand what and why people did throughout decades. What they were thinking, and why.

There are some minor factual errors here and there, and some setions may have been written different. Anyway, extremely good reference book.

Each student should have this book!

You can do no better than to learn U.S. history from Morison. This work, part of a what was a single volume spanning origins to 1963, displays extraordinary depth and breadth of scholarship, written with a superb command of the language that makes our history fascinating.

The first volume of this three volume set is exceptional. The breadth of this work is substantial. In fact there is so much ground covered in this work that many truly momentous events are covered in what seems a very short number of pages. Most of us think that the history of the US goes something like "The pilgrims wrote the Mayflower Compact, jumped off the boat, ate thanksgiving turkey, hung some witches, dumped some tea and declared independence." Morison does a fabulous job of filling in the spaces. Morison's style is very engaging as well. It is interesting to note that this volume was published in the 60's so there are frequent mention's of communists themes and when the author mentions native Americans he means people that were born in this country even if they had ancestors from England or other European countries. Highly recommended.

The first volume of this three volume set is exceptional. The breadth of this work is substantial. In fact there is so much ground covered in this work that many truly momentous events are covered in what seems a very short number of pages. Most of us think that the history of the US goes something like "The pilgrims wrote the Mayflower Compact, jumped off the boat, ate thanksgiving turkey, hung some witches, dumped some tea and declared independence." Morison does a fabulous job of filling in the spaces. Morison's style is very engaging as well. It is interesting to note that this volume was published in the 60's so there are frequent mention's of communists themes and when the author mentions native Americans he means people that were born in this country even if they had ancestors from England or other European countries. Highly recommended.