Works Books

My oldest son loved this book. It was his favorite when he was little. It builds on vocabulary; you can count the cars, name the colors, and look at different scenarios. I learned a lot about trains by reading this book to them. I am raising my children bilingual and when I found it in English and Spanish I knew I had to get it for them. It also helped me remember the words in Spanish, which I had forgotten. I must have for any child that likes trains. Donald Crews again has delighted us with a masterpiece.

My 2 year old son is obsessed with trains - he loves this book. It is very short and the pictures are well drawn. This books shows the difference between a hopper car and a box car, etc so now when we see a real train he can tell me what kind of cars they are.

A must-read to share with kids! Freight Train uses simple text and clear illustrations. The book can be very interactive for little ones: count the cars, identify colors, make "whoosh" sounds when the train is in motion and find the smoke from the steam engine. Perfect for toddlers!

We also own the board book version with the slide-out pages that reveal the contents of each freight car, so my two-year-old was a little confused at first when we read this one because he wanted to pull out the pages. He caught on quickly enough, though, and ended up really liking this book as well. In this one he enjoys pointing out all the colors of the cars. Beautiful artwork, clearly a classic. I would definitely consider this as a gift for any toddler that loves trains.

I use the book to introduce colors to special education prekindergarten students. It is the beginning of reading comprehension and other great stuff for children.

Charmed Life is about some kids who go to study magic with one of the official guys in charge of magic. He has a couple of kids of his own, and they are the usual school age to have the school age disagreements and fights and not being nice to each other that goes along with that.

The eldest also gets a bit peeved at being thrown in with the young brats, too.

A young boy, Cat, must deal with his crazy and selfish older sister Gwendolyn who is obsessed with her own magical powers. Certainly much slower and less exciting than Jones' Howl books (read: more for children), but still has her enchanting and seemingly effortless style that captures a world where "magic is like music". Jones is always a good read. The characters are mysterious and thoroughly enjoyable. Gwendolyn is ambiguous and silly and selfish and delightful. Cat is an innocent; Chestomanci is Jones' typical ambiguous and passive wizard. The imagery of magic, particularly Cat's matchstick nine lives, is absolutely delicious. Grade: B

I am constantly on the lookout for new fantasy reads, because not only is it difficult to find a truly lasting (and by "lasting" I mean you think about it all the time, read it again and again, and gulp down every one of the author's other books) fantasy story, but if you do that author is usually what they call A Lofty One-Piece Wonder who writes one astonishingly beautiful story, gives it to the world...then settles into retirement and ignores all letters posted to them begging for a sequel.

Ah, not so with Diana Wynne Jones.

Hearing about her was actually an accident. I had picked up the book "Inkspell", the sequel to a book I'd enjoyed very much (Inkheart) and saw, on the back, that there was a quote on the back from "Diana Wynne Jones, author". For fun, I wandered over to the J's. Only a few Diana books were there -- THE MERLIN CONSPIRACY, ARCHER'S GOON, and -- the book that forever endeared me to this amazingly talented author -- EIGHT DAYS OF LUKE.

Having five dollars just aching to be spent and about that many minutes left till we had to go, I bought it on a whim.

And inhaled it that night.

I was going through withdrawls. NEED -- MORE -- DIANA -- WYNNE -- JONES -- BOOKS!!!

I got back to Borders and began to scrounge the shelves. Hmmm. "Chronicles of Chrestomanci". Looked okay -- not as good as I'd thought "Eight Days of Luke" was, but -- what was?

I read a little, put it down. Read a little more, and -- couldn't stop.

I am now on Book II, "The Lives of Christopher Chant".

I think you understand what I'm trying to say. Buy this book -- and while you're at it get "Eight days of Luke", too.



Rating: Very Good

"Charmed Life" is my first Diana Wynne Jones book (I know, I know ... I'm a little late) and I'll openly admit I came to her work through Miyazaki's amazing film "Howl's Moving Castle". Imagine how stupid I felt when I realized that I had been missing out on one of the best writers of our age. While it starts off slowly, Jones's first Chrestomanci book is still a grand, magical, yet simple adventure that sweeps the reader off their feet into a quirky yet solid world that readers will enjoy again and again.

Eric, a.k.a., Cat Chant, is a small and passive boy who thinks that he has no magical powers unlike his sister Gwendolen. Gwendolen is an ambitious, spoiled, and powerful girl who dreams of controlling the world. One day, when their parents die in a tragic boat accident, Gwendolen's powers attract the attention of the dapper and eccentric Chrestomanci. Chrestomanci is an enchanter, and a nine lived one at that, so that means he controls and governs all magic in the twelve related worlds. Chrestomanci seems to take an interest in Gwendolen, so he invites her and Cat to live in his castle.

When they arrive at the castle, both children dislike it at first. But Cat, being the passive boy that he is, quickly makes friends with Chrestomanci's two children even though he's absolutely frightened to death of their father. But Gwendolen has other ideas. She hates the fact that she has to learn maths and history instead of magic in school, and she is absolutely appaled that Chrestomanci doesn't take notice in her powers. Soon, Gwendolen sets out on a war of wills and magic against Chrestomanci and his castle, and Cat is unbeknowingly caught up in the whirlwinds of his sister's dangerous ambitions.

Jones is brilliant in her prose and writing. She easily writes with a sense of whimsy, while at the same time fleshing out realistic characters and villains. Cat is passive at first, but he soon grows a spine and stands up against the one thing that holds him back (I won't ruin the surprise). Jones' magic is an everyday and casual part of life for the characters, but it comes in second to their emotions and the overall story. The story takes so many surprising twists that shocked and surprised me, I was literally biting my nails towards the end wondering what would happen next.

"Charmed Life" is a delightful and charming surprise. While not a grand and sweeping epic, it will still sweep readers off their feet with the simple and quiet humor, magic, and sheer enjoyment that Jones so evidently finds and puts into her work. This book is not to be missed, and I can only end with saying how foolish I feel now that I didn't find Diana sooner.

This story and the next ("The Lives of Christopher Chant") are easily the most complex and interesting stories in the Chrestomanci series, and really the ones that the rest hang upon, because they really explain who and what the "Chrestomanci" is, and the role he plays in the fascinating universe Diana Wynne Jones has created. This is fantasy at its best, well written and very inventive, with characters that seem both familiar and bizarrely unique. It is, I suppose, not life-changing fiction but it keeps you there and makes you care and gives an opportunity to wonder. (It is no accident that Hayao Miyazaki based his latest film - Howl's Moving Castle -- on one of Jones' novels: they seem to have imaginations that operate on the same wavelength; like him, she is endlessly inventive and capable of a sublime blending of the supernatural and the ordinary, and loves finding magic in machines, and has an obsession with cats.)

The basic premise of the "Chrestomanci multiverse" is that every time there is a major event that "changes" the world, the world actually divides into two alternate realities, one in which the event occurs and one in which it doesn't. Somehow, though, while the possibilities might seem infinite there are a limited number of possibilities that resemble the one Chrestomanci inhabits enough to warrant his general attention and concern. Within each major world variation, there are nine alternates (don't ask why just nine) that are apparently unified because they have the "same" people doing different things in them. It sometimes happens, though, that an individual within one of those realities has no parallel in the others, and so the "lives" that would belong to the other realities actually belong to him or her. Such a nine-lived individual has powerful magic and becomes a likely candidate for taking over the position of the British-hired Chrestomanci (think a mixture of Rowling's Minister of Magic for an indication of his range of responsibilities, with Head of Hogwarts for his overall competency).

Speaking of Rowling, some have compared Jones to Rowling and there are some interesting parallels -- so many that it is hard not to think that Rowling had at least read some of Diane Wynne Jones' stories. Still, I don't agree with others who say Jones is a better writer than Rowling. There is a way in which she is: for her elegance of prose, her compactness of style, for the overall simplicity and completeness of her stories. Still, I think that Rowling is superior because what Jones doesn't try to do Rowling does very well. Jones creates another world whose basic features are similar to ours, but is different in specifiable ways. In that sense it is pure fantasy, a work of the imagination that she can tinker with and alter in various stories but is basically self-contained and organized in such a way that each story can be really complete. Rowling fits her story of another world into THIS world and sets herself with what seems to me a much more difficult task of accommodating her fantasy to the unknown and improbable and strange and unfinished character of any story set in this real world. The edges in any such story are unwieldy and it is a real tribute to Rowling (though in no way a criticism of Jones who has other aims) that she can wield them so well.

I've been wanting this for a while, but in Australia it's double the price for some crazy unfair reason... but I was buying some other stuff on Amazon so took the opportunity to save on postage and got this too - can't wait to spend some time with - I've only had a chance to flip through and read Joss' intro so far but it's good enough that I wanted to come back and comment. If you enjoyed Serenity and/or Firefly - you'll love this, in addition to the script you get a bunch of nice behind the scenes stuff.

If you really liked Serenity, you'll love this companion. It has a lot of movie information and is worth getting.

Great book!
I can't get enough FIREFLY stuff. Very well done book covering everything you might have missed the ten times you watched SERENITY, the movie! God, how I miss watching new FIREFLY episodes! Sure wish someone would come to their senses and realize that FIREFLY was - and still is - WAY ahead of MOST new series that keep popping up on TV. BEST TV I have ever watched. BRING THEM BACK!

And

Don't take the sky from me!

js

There are so many things in this book that you should know if you liked the Serenity Movie. It makes you see all the little things that you didn't notice.

As a big fan of Firefly and Serenity this book made the sting of not having anymore new episodes to watch a bit less.
Beautiful drawings, photos, and plenty of behind the scenes information on the characters and settings made this a treasure.
Every Browncoat needs one!

Books like this - Wizardology, Dragonology, The Wandmaker's Guidebook, and other "ology" books are the very thing a young person just starting to learn about magick and paganism needs to get started. Even a young adult (age 16-24) who is just getting their first lessons could benefit from books like these. They are very practical and well-written - much too well-written to be simply dismissed as books only suitable for children. I recommend all the books in this series to kids and adults alike!!

My grandson is an avid book reader but this book makes you slow down and check out all of the envelopes and hidden agenda within the book. Fun to read and watch the children read.

The book is veeery good, just like all the others in the '...ology' series, perfect gift for anyone. I love it! Lots of windows, and stuff to explore inside! GREAT!

I ordered this book as a Christmas gift for my mother, she is into all the fantasy type reads and such and it seems like a pretty good book for just some fun reading.

I love this book in fact my kids and I have read it together many times since it has arrived. I like that this book is easy to read so that my children can read it themselves if they want. Its also very interesting the way all the information is presented to the reader it almost makes you think you really can be merlins apprentice. Anyone who likes the medievel era would like this book, especially if you have children.

I highly recommend 6 Days in January. This is a great novel that should be read by both men & women. It takes a deep look inside a black man's soul, mind, and heart regarding relationships. The main character, William McCall, is on a very rocky road of self-discovery, this same road has been traveled by many men & women whether they are aware or not. It is a long road of defining love, searching for love, being in love with someone & the feeling not reciprocated, breaking hearts (consciously or subconsciously), being on the receiving end of heart breaks, restoring broken hearts & moving forward with hopes for better luck the next time around. However, it is easier said than done & sometimes it takes years of soul searching & revisiting the past to become a better person & a better potential mate. How can you be able to love, in some cases open your heart to love again, if you don't know & love who you are? William Cooper did a superb job of demonstrating this for his readers in this book. Please, Please, Please pick up this book. It is a must read and I will guarantee you 3 things. 1) You will be able to relate to at least 1 of the characters or know someone personally with similar characteristics 2) After reading this book your perspective of love & black relationships will change in some shape, form, or fashion 3) You will not regret taking the time out to read this EXCELLENT book

This was the first book written and published by William F. Cooper and I have to say that yet again I was most impressed with his writing style. I read his second novel There's Always A Reason first and was so moved and overwhelmed with emotion, that I just had to read everything written by this author. I was not disappointed with this book at all.

Mr. Cooper shows the flip side to the dating relationship from a man's perspective. Most women feel that men don't have a perspective; that they don't feel like women do and that they control the ebb and flow of the relationship, but that simply isn't the case as Mr. Cooper shows in his novel. Men are perceived as "weak", "punks", or "gay" if they show that they feel pain from being hurt in a relationship. Mr. Cooper does an excellent job of showing that men can be sensitive and strong at the same time and that because a man cries that doesn't mean he is weak; just human.

Mr. Cooper also does an excellent job of showing how some men can realize that they are not acting and treating women right and they can choose to change. William McCall undergoes just such a transformation and I found it refreshing to watch his revelations unfold. In the beginning of the book we do see McCall as being weak, but not because his character is flawed, but because he loves too much when the love isn't returned. He tries everything he knows how to do to make her love him, but he finally realizes that it isn't him that is flawed it is her. He goes through many past experiences soul searching to find himself and in the end he does. Thank you Mr. Cooper, for reminding us women that men are really human beings after all and they hurt too at times. Sometimes we need that reminder with all the stereotypes out there about what "real men" are supposed to be.

This is a must read in my opinion and I look forward to many more novels by Mr. Cooper with great anticipation. He will most definitely be one of the best authors of our time and I am looking forward to the journey. Kudos to you William. Fabulous work.

William Fredrick Cooper is a great romantic writer. This book was a great and fast read and I could relate to all of his characters. You could tell from the 1st page that that this was going to be a great story. Anyone that has not read this book I would highly recommend it. William you have a God given talent with your writing.

Okay, so i'm a lil' backwards here. I read William F. Cooper's 2nd book 1rst and his 1rst book 2nd! Oh well!! LOL I'm sure my review would have been the same either way. While reading "6 Days in January" I saw a number of the same things going on in my life. Now I don't think I was ever a player, but I can relate to the William's character and his emotions. It's hard to be real person and show true emontions these days. William gave his ALL in hopes of winning his 'soulmate'. In the end it always seems the one 'just like him' ends up winning. I can truly relate to that feeling. It's crazy I know!

Now I can't say I would have ever went as far as William did to try and win Andrea's heart. I guess I've just never felt love like that yet. I hated how Andera used William the way she did. It shows how weak some women are. Yet a the same time, it showed the true devotion from a male's point of view that is so rarely seen. I love to see a man who isn't afraid to show his true emotions and his love. Cooper showed a lot of emotions in his William character. He did an excllent job writing his debut novel.

It's one of the books where you can put yourself into the roles of each charactor. You can identify with each one of them and the emotional turmoils that they go through. It keeps you anticipating more.

This is a fascinating look at how people all over the world live. My children have enjoyed thumbing through it, & our realtor gives it out as gifts to his clients! A unique project indeed.

This book was created from pictures taken in the early 90's, so it is s bit dated, especially in the more developed nations. Things like computers and other tech is obviously missing. I know that many destitute Africans now even have cell phones, not shown here. Otherwise, this is a great book and is very educational. After reading it, I got to wondering what my possesions on the street would look like...

I thoroughly have enjoyed this book, looking at the people from around the world and their possessions and realizing how different I live from another. It was amazing to see each family so proud, of either how little they have or how much they have, and to have all that they own on display (from in the dead of winter to floating on a boat!).

This book is absolutely a wake-up call for many people out there who think they don't have enough! Beautifully put together. Outstanding.

Material World by Peter Menzel is one of the most exciting and informative books I have come across in a long time . No other book I have ever read has given me such in depth knowledge of the lives and circumstances of people living in other countries around the globe. The photographs are breathtakingly beautiful and the statistics are fascinating. Ursula Michelson, author of Alzheimers Patients in the Nursing Home: How Well Do Caregivers Meet Their Needs?

This lovely, large book was all I had hoped for--and MORE. Great value for the price. I am thrilled to have photos of Andy Goldsworthy's works to look at any time. I had researched buying a print to frame and found few available. The photos in this book could actually be put in frames! The color and detail is beautiful. Friends, adult children, and grandchildren gravitate to this book with each visit. My granddaughter even recognized a coincidental similarity between Andy's "OVERLEAF" and the stacks of "discontinued" grapevines in my back yard. Andy's work is helping us all tune in more deeply to the wonders around us.

while i bought this book for another, i find it to be pretty good. some pictures aren't up to todays digital quality, but its still great to look at. you won't be disappointed.

AMAZING - INSPIRING - AWESOME. This book was purchased in tandum with the video "Rivers and Tides". I don't think I could just pick one or the other. What one begins, the other ends and the relationship is perfect. Be inspired - spend time, REAL TIME - looking at these images and reading about his work and his methods. You will look at the world a new way. I am a professional photographer and the photography is gorgous. You can't miss this one.

I was instantly attracted to the cover. I would have liked two things before I purchased. The date of publication and to have access to more pictures in the book. It was a gift and it is loved. I love you people...I love free shipping....it is now a HUGE factor in whether I purchase on line or get in my car and go to the book store.

I plan to acquire more Andy Goldsworthy albums. His photo art calms the mind, eyes and soul...look at it while listening to your favorite calming music!

As an artist with oil painting and water colors and also folkart, I was feeling a lack of motivation to keep up my art. I looked for inspiration on the Internet and found Angi Sullins webpage and also her story of her life journey. I ordered her book "A knock at the door" and also her DVD. I found that it inspired me to keep searching for a new direction for my art and painting. Thank you Angi for your story and your book and DVD it helped me to have hope and to keep on the journey late in life.
Rhona

After everything else that's been said about this, all I can say is:"WOW!". If this doesn't touch you and pull at your heart, there's something wrong with you. You don't need to be religious or spiritual even to enjoy this. It will awaken something inside you and life might be a little better for it. Watch, liisten and enjoy(you might shed a tear also)!

A PERFECT GIFT. THIS IS PURE MAGIC. VERY MOVING..I GOT CHILLS! IT WILL DO YOUR HEART GOOD!!! WELL DONE ANGI SULLINS AND SILAS TOBALL!!

If you have ever yearned to live in another era and realm... Get this book & dvd set! This was 0riginaly available as a free download only through The Durwaigh Gallery website in 2004. Costumers that viewed this sugested a book version. The art work showcases some works of the best Fantasy Artists out there today.(Mark Potts,ect.)The dvd is actually the download itself recorded on a disk, and accompanied by wonderful music.

I found that this also makes a great children's book. My 4 yearold neice always wants to watch the dvd and read the book over and over again!This is one thing that you would never get sick of, trust me parents! I also had to wrestle this from my Aunt as well.

Needless to say, this book will make a unique gift and is sure to be a favorite for the whoever you have in mind!

This is a MUST HAVE for every coffee table or bookshelf! You have to see it!

I won't be able to put an in-depth review since I read the book a while back and am on book 7 right now so my head is swimming with information from all the books.

The second book in the Pendragon series throws the reader back into the territories of Halla. As we last read, Bobby had gotten back to Second Earth to realize that his life there was over. When Loor and Press come to drive him away back to another territory, he once again leaves behind Courtney Chetwynde and Mark Dimond, the two who he had been sending the journals to.

This book has an even more enthralling storyline as you meet yet another traveler, Spader, a young guy from a territory completely underwater. You grow to like him and his "people-person" attitude.

This book continues to show Saint Dane's power, and just what happens in the beginning (I don't want to spoil anything, but it has to do with two floating cities) has a very eerie feeling to it.

This is a must have, as it connects the characters further along in the book and helps make way for book three.

I love this book for multiple reasons.
The first, I think, is because of one of the side characters, Spader. He's so dreamy!!! I love him soooo much!
The second is because the plot is just so fascinating. The idea that a world could exist that is completely on water is just so cool.
The third is because of Saint Dane, the evil dude trying to take over Halla(all existence, all times, all places, and all creatures, great or small). He's such an evil person I just could hit him. ARRGGG!
The fourth reason is because of Bobby. I think he's one of the funniest characters I've ever read about(yes, I'm saying he even tops Ron Weasley in Harry Potter!).
I love this second installment so much!
You should definitely surrender to your craving!! Way to go DJ!

I loved this book, it is fun and creative. I didn't want to put it down. This series is fun for all ages.

Before I begin, let me say that I'm an adult (to give this review some context).

I read "The Merchant of Death" (Pendragon #1) a couple of weeks before ordering this book. I enjoyed "Merchant". I thought it was inventive and unusual, and it certainly addresses issues that young adults face. I'm sure kids enjoy reading books where their peers are heroes.

This book is even better. I say that for two reasons. The setting of the first book is quite grim. That was appropriate for the story it told, but it was kind of a downer, reading about those people being exploited. This book's setting is incredible - a world covered entirely by water where humans live on floating, barge-like habitats. I love water, and if I could somehow visit that world, I would do so in a heartbeat.

The other reason I like this book better is that the new Traveler we meet is incredibly endearing. I like Loor. She's a great person to have at your side. However, the Traveler we meet in this story is very funny, and that makes this book a lighter read (in tone) than the first one. He's also flawed, though, which makes things interesting. I relate to him better than I relate to Loor. (Does she have a flaw? I don't think I've spotted it yet.)

Overall, I recommend this book with a big smile on my face. It's a good ride, the characters are endearing, the setting incredible, the themes well developed, and it leaves you wanting more.

See you at Grolo's! Last one there buys the Sniggers!

Pendragon by D.J mathhale is a great book that I would recommend to kids of all ages. It starts with a 10 year old kid playing with his mom in their back yard and the kid misses the ball and he runs after it and he comes back and his mom is GONE. Then he finds out that his mom is the world`s best DRAGON RIDER!! He hears a very loud roar and it was his mom's old pet dragon and it was his now and he takes a better look at it and it was the biggest red dragon the world has ever seen. So the very tall lizard tells him that his mom has been kidnapped by a very powerful human bean and they set of to TRY and save his mom. How I can describe Jack he is a very smart tech genius he just finds out he is the ONE. Well what he thinks the one means that he can Dodge bullets like a movie he saw. He finds that the dragons name is Alroce and the dragon is the last well only one of the red dragons left. And so Jack can fight this very powerful wizard so he starts training with his pet dragon.I would this book to anyone that likes dragons action and very intence sword fighting Pendragon is a great book that I would recamend to kids of all ages.

Although a bit confusing in his presentation of dozens of key characters unfamiliar to the reader, Lawrence paints an extraordinary sketch of a time and people otherwise just a footnote to World history. The richness of the text and word pictures were worth the time spent laboring through massive amounts of detailed narrative.

This is one of the great books of the 20th century. That it could be written at all is almost a miracle in itself. Take a brilliant Oxford student trained in the old classical tradition, place him in the Arabian desert as advisor to the wild Bedouin tribesmen during their revolt against the Turks and have him write with an acute sensitivity and unparalleld insight into what was transpiring before him and you may have some notion of what the book is like.
It's a long book. You will learn a great deal about blowing up a railroad bridge in the desert, about camel rides, thirst, and hunger and the heroism and brutality of war. The portraits of Sheik Auda, Sherrif Ali and Prince Faisal of the two Arab boys who Lawrence takes under his wing are masterpieces in and of themselves. The nobility and savagery of the desert tribesmen contrasted with the cold stoicism of the British and the inculcated cruelty of the Turks are just some of themes addressed during the course of the work. There are brilliant passing insights as to the Semitic inspiration for all the revealed religions and their relation to the desert beautiful descripitions of the terrain the weather and the obstacles encountered. When Lawrence says that from the beginning he believed the Arab revolt would succeed because it grew out of a sympathetic population was opposed by a modern army that could not garrison the territory occupied one wishes that President Bush had read it instead of just seeing the movie. Read it yourself.

Rightfully regarded as a modern classic, this book is nevertheless not light reading. This is a result of the density of information, as well as Lawrence's writing style, which often makes a re-reading of passages necessary to fully grasp them, besides his use of some unusual vocabulary. But by the time one has completed the journey to Damascus with Lawrence and his Arabs, one has almost got a taste for his own peculiar style, even if one cannot always agree with his views, which however, were pretty progressive for a man who grow up at the height of imperialism.

There are, however, many contradictions in the man. At the start of the book, for example, he sympathizes with the unwilling Turkish conscipts, illiterate Anatolian peasants who really wished to be back home, led by a militaristic officer caste fresh from the Armenian genocide. Later in the book though, little sympathy is shown, and on one occasion when Lawrence was angered by the Turks, he did nothing to stop their massacre on their defeat, and left all their wounded where they fell - every one of hundreds froze to death in the cold winter night...

But when one considers that he lost both brothers in 1915 in France, his father in 1919 of the Spanish influenza, and his closest friend, and probably boyfriend, Salim Ahmed, shortly before his entry into Damascus, one can be more forgiving of his attitude. And who can forget his botched execution of Hamed, who'd killed another man? To avoid a blood feud, Lawrence suggested that he execute the man, which was insisted on by the Arabs. 3 shots with his pistol, one of which hit the man on his wrist. No wonder he said he couldn't sleep that night. Or his having to shoot long-time compatriot Farrah in the head as he was too seriously injured to move, and wanted to avoid the inevitable torturing to death of Arab prisoners. Enver Pasha, the Turkish commander, had thrown so many men live into his furnace that he knew just how long it took before you heard the sound of their heads popping. Considering this background of brutality, Lawrence comes across as positively humane.

The book has it's lighter moments though. Who can forget the tribe of the Ageyl, who were so poor they used to go into battle stripped to their loin cloths, both in the belief that it reduced their chances of infection if they were hit, as well as to protect their clothing from bullet holes or blood stains...the young Arabs urinating on others' wounds as the only antiseptic treatment in the desert...the Howeitat treatment of snake-bites - bind up the part with snake-skin plaster, and read chapters of the Koran to the sufferer until he died. Life was hard, and luxuries were few, something which seemed to attract Lawrence even more towards his mission of reaching Damascus and driving out the Turks, even if his conscience continued to bother him that the British Govt's promises to the Arabs were unlikely to be fulfilled.

Finally, Lawrence claimed he left the original manuscript on the train, and had to rewrite the entire book from memory, an amazing feat considering the wealth of detail here. Actually, it would be a superhuman task, and Robert Graves, one of his best friends, believes the story was a lie. The implication is that Lawrence made out that he'd had to rewrite the book by recalling his memories as a cover for the fact that parts of the book are invented, and many facts changed, and that this would be the perfect excuse should his information later be found to be inaccurate. But why claim to have blown up over 70 bridges when the real number was around 20 or so?

The answer is that this is a work of literature, and not a military textbook. We'll never be really sure of which parts are exactly true, and which merely invented as representing what typically happened. It's not always light reading, so set some time aside for this one, but when you get to the end, you'll be glad of having made the effort.

TE Lawrence (1888-1935) the British soldier, poet and scholar wrote this insightful personal account of the Arab Revolt based on his war journals which is as confronting as it is poetic and beautiful. How could one not be enthralled by the writings and perspectives of a fine intellectual mind tormented by the reality of war and hypocrisy? What makes this book unique and powerful is Lawrence's sensibility as a poet and a soldier. Even if you are not into war history, this is a riveting book you can't afford to miss.

The Hejaz War of 1917 was written by Colonel T.E. Lawrence at the Paris peace talks in 1920 -21. Lawrence understood the Arabs thay did not conquer territory but they brought the Arab tribes together to conquer the Ottoman Turkish Army whom they considered poor soldiers. The Hejaz is the Red Sea coast parallel to the extinct lava fields of the 3,000m high Hejaz mountains. The Hejaz railway, linking Damascus with Medina, was attacked by Lawrence's Hejaz army until the Turks could no longer repair it. The Seven Pillars of Wisdom is the bible of Guerilla Warfare and should be read by General Petraeus US Armed Forces Commander, Iraq.
The taking of Damascus intact in 1918 by the arab army before General Allenby's allied army at least ensured Sheikh Feisal became King of Iraq. The Sykes -Picot treaty of 1916 ensured the Middle East was divided up by Britain and France directly leading to the present Palestinian-Israeli conflict.