Prose Books

If you like to read gardening books this one is a keeper. I wanted to pack my bags and move to Vermont so that I could have an adventure like the lady in the book and create gardens in different areas on my property with a stream and a pond and a forrest, and and and...

What delightful moments "The Invisible Garden" by Dorothy Sucher presents to the reader. It's a memoir of a garden, no less, presented through the perceptions of the gardener.

This is a book for both gardeners and non-gardeners. Ms. Sucher shares the joys and frustrations of tending people as well as plants. As she fights brambles and weeds in the land, she negotiates the intricacies of memory and a variety of human relationships. This is a series of essays, actually, so this is a book to be enjoyed a piece at a time or, if time permits, indulged in with abandon -- like gorging on a box of chocolates.

The treat here, though, is how she illuminates her own growth through sketches of individuals who come into her (and her garden's) life. Her explorations of herself and the world of her garden continuously touch tender buds of awareness in the reader. Her style is direct and honest as she explores her expectations, frustrations, and failures crowned by the occasional triumph. This book should become a classic -- it's bound to be loved by everyone who stops to smell the flowers on the way through life.

Dorothy Sucher is a therapist by trade, and a gardener by avocation. As I read her book, "The Invisible Garden" I had a sense that she would make a good friend. She seems to have an appreciation of human limitations and frailties, and probably lives up to the old axiom "A friend is someone who forgets your shortcomings." Well, maybe not where her husband is concerned, but what can a gardener do with a guy whose allergic to the great out-of-doors and can't tell a Dandelion from a lily.

Ms. Sucher's book is not so much about gardening as it's about coming to terms with a yourself. Sure, she cultivates the garden, But she also understands it's existence is as ephemeral as the life of it's author.

Each of us carries our own memories of past gardens. I will always be reminded of my parents garden in North Carolina when I see daffodils blooming in the spring. My folks grew thousands of daffodils. I don't think my father ever met a daffodil he didn't try to grow. And everytime I see a Brunnera I think of my mother, standing over the little blue flowers and saying, "What are these things? I can never remember their name!" We all laughed because it's colloquial name is "forget-me-not."

The invisible garden consists of the cumulative memories of gardens past that you carry in your heart.

My bookclub has just finished reading this wonderful book. We all loved it; one member compared it to "Gifts from the Sea" with its evocation of quietude and solace. This is a book for gardeners, who will delight in the delicious insights Dorothy has as she hacks her way through the brambles beside her stream, as well as nongardeners, who will finally gain some insight into why gardeners delight in working the earth and transforming the landscapes outside ourselves into things of beauty. I found reading the essays enjoyable, humorous, and deeply satisfying. Each essay is easily read on its own, but together the book becomes a gardener's journal, a transcription of what goes on in a gardener's mind as she designs and transforms the land around her.

This is an enchanting book, subtle in working on many levels to capture and to hold your attention. The theme, intertwining the impact on her life of some family and friends with various aspects of gardening life, works surprisingly well. The workmanship is fine, in many senses of that word; as in grading gems, or in the weave of a great tapestry. It is something that her grandfather, or her neighbor Tom--both craftsmen in their own right, and important in her life--would recognize and admire. The style is somewhere between early John McPhee in The New Yorker, and Bill Bryson's latest book of essays, "I'm A Stranger..", between straight autobiographical and first-person commentary. It comes off very well, and you put down the book with some insight into a complex person still exploring herself and the world around her. The insight reflects into our own life, giving pause for reflection and reevaluation of important things we might have slighted in passing. Her sketches of the individuals she chooses to illuminate aspects of her own growth are simultaneously detached and loving. The chapter on her physicist husband's encounter with flowers shows the tender exasperation that any non-scientist wife of a scientist would instantly recognize. The vividness of a flashback to her grandfather's youth, spanning more than a century, pays a debt to his memory while showing us the unbroken chain of generations. So, too, the balance in "The Pond" chapter on her mother; and the nostalgia in the chapter on "Little Houses" grips each of us and thrusts us back to our childhood, where "-all the polyurethane of life-" can not intrude. A wonderful book, well worth reading.

November 29, 1999

May Sarton is an author you must not miss. Not of you're a thinker (and do your own thinking).

This book was beautiful. I loved reading it. It felt delicate to me...the insights shared within the pages...but it was compelling. I picked it up and read a few pages whenever I had the chance. Loved it.

I've read most of Sarton's journals and this is by far the best. Her writing allows the reader to enter her mind. It's so honest, so raw. I've reread Journal of a Solitude a few times over the years; its one of those books to keep on your shelf, and read to get back in touch with the things that matter.

I read Journal of a Solitude shortly after giving birth to my first child. I was alone in a new neighborhood with few family and friends around me and felt completely estranged from my former life as a professional woman working in New York city. May Sarton's story - shared in such a real and heartfelt way - has always stayed with me. Where are the May Sarton's in today's world? She was an extraordinary woman who was able to connect with a broad audience of readers, through the authentic sharing of her thoughts, feelings and experiences. I miss her work but am thankful that she left behind a wonderful legacy.

If you're into reading memoirs, this is exceptional. Her clarity of thought and her ability to portray her feelings into words is unsurpassed, in my opinion. I enjoy her prose so very much. I can find myself relating to so many of her feelings and thoughts despite the difference of age and time. This is a great read.

First of all let me tell you that this book is not an easy reading, it has to many characters and to many stories, to be exact it has six stories, at first all of them separately but in the middle of the book they will be as one big story. Of course the main story, the story of Lucky and Lennie is the must important, but you are really interested in all the stories at the same time. When you end a chapter of one story you want to skip the next chapter to see what happened in that specific story, but when you start to read about the other story you forget about the first one and you will want to know what happened to this one.
The end of the book is not so good, but the book still keep 5 stars

Yes, I should be reading something with more substance, but I love Lucky Santangelo's story! This is like watching your favorite soap opera, but with better characters, and a faster, tighter storyline. Very hard to put down once you start it! I especially loved how Lucky planned to make her studio more receptive to female stars and women's stories. If only there was a Hollywood studio like that for real!

I am not normally one to ready "trashy" novels. Ms. Collins has set up a great list of characters (Bridgett, Charlie Dollar, etc.) in the Lucky Santangelo series. This is perhaps the best of the bunch. Feisty Lucky Santangelo purchases a movie studio from one of the old time owners (kind of a Louis Mayer personna) and becomes the boss of the studio. This causes a lot of friction with her husband Lennie Golden, who feels cheated of his right to win roles on his own merit.

I read this one really fast!

Nothing comes remotely close to this series.

In LADY BOSS, Lucky has finally found the love of her life in comedian/actor Lennie Golden. Not only are the two different as night and day, but they are both as headstrong as ever causing them to sometimes bump heads, but the love that they have for each other surpasses all of that.
Who would've thought that Lucky would find love again after her beloved Marco? Three marriages later, and she has finally got it right this time around. So like any loving wife, Lucky tries to make her husband happy. When Lennie nags and complains about the goings on in his workplace -- Panther Studios, Lucky decided to eliminate his frustration by buying the studio so that the pair of them can have complete control. But nothing wanted in life comes easily. Before Lucky can take full control of the studio, she has to go undercover, and expose all employees who pretty much aren't "getting the job done". This is where the adventure begins.
Meanwhile Lennie is oblivious to this plan. Lucky has to cover up her whereabouts because she wants to surprise him with this after the plans flow accordingly. This situation brings on strain that the two were not prepared for. Will Lennie appreciate the gift Lucky is working on presenting him with? You'll have to read and find out!

I recently finished 'LADY BOSS' the third book in the Lucky Santangelo series and I absolutely loved it! Where 'LUCKY' was good 'LADY BOSS' was great. In this third installment Lucky goes to Hollywood in hopes of acquiring a major movie studio, however, just before she closes the deal she finds out that there is a catch. She has to work undercover at the studio for six weeks as a plain Jane secretary! At first Lucky is reluctant but soon the idea of surprising her husband movie star Lennie Golden with his own studio coupled with the sheer enjoyment of being able to spy on all of the studio executives is too much for Lucky to pass up. But as Lucky soon finds out Lennie is not too thrilled with her surprise, which puts their marriage in serious jeopardy.

There are so many enjoyable story lines in this book that it makes it hard to put down. An example of this is the story of Venus Maria and Martin Swanson the movie star and the billionaire. Swanson is a business tycoon who is married to Dena Swanson a woman who became famous by using the Swanson name and refuses to let anybody take that away from her including the Madonna like movie and recording star Venus Maria. But Venus is determined to have Martin all to herself that is until her brother Emilio shows up and stirs up trouble for the couple.

I found this book to be extremely entertaining and I cannot wait to read the next book in the series. Lucky is powerful, demanding and independent a true example of a strong woman. 5 Stars!

This book is a must read for anyone interested in the inner qualities of our nation's most well-known and respected figures and the lesser-known, who were the people who shaped our country. From the early settlers and our founding fathers to people of the present, this book offers a touching and rewarding look into the lives of people during war, hardships, family life, and many other aspects of life. Letter writing truly reveals the inner part of ourselves. A wonderful book!

Andrew Carrol writes an intresting novel compiled of historic letters in various stages of our Nations history. Whether they are from prominent, well known people, or lesser known, yet just as important members of our society, they keep us enthralled.

I'm 24 years old, young enough not to have lived through many of our Nations defining moments, but when I read these letters (and the helpful notes by the author!) it made me feel as though I knew exactly what was going on. Mr. Carrol did an excellent job, and I've let many others read this novel!

~Gina

This book is one of the best investments I've made over the past year (I typically buy 3-4 books a month). I teach - and am passionate about - American History at the high school level. I discovered this book on Amazon and purchased it out of curiosity and a desire to add to my stash of "primary sources." What a great find! The letters are grouped thematically, not chronologically, and offer a great mix of subjects, authors, and viewpoints. While my primary motivation for purchasing this book was its potential use as a classroom source/reference, it proved an interesting "read," as well. History really comes alive, as do the "players" and events, through reading correspondence. While these letters were not necessarily intended for public consumption, it allows for real insight into the past, and into the psyche of the people who have helped to shape our country. Each letter is "set up" for the reader with an introduction explaining the context in which the letter was written. There are also "postscripts" to let the reader know what took place after the letter (a "conclusion," so to speak). Thank you, Mr. Carroll - it's obvious that a lot of work (and editing!) was expended here for the benefit of your readers!

This book is easy to read and interesting. The editors notes in front of and behind almost every letter really make the book that little bit more. I found all of the letters interesting and many of them quite moving. Many of the letters illuminated subjects about which i was familiar but did not know that little part of the story. I recommend this book for any and every one. You do not have to be American (although much of the information is perhaps from an American perspective) to feel the things that are brought forth by the reading of these letters.

What a fantastic book. The letters I've read have brought voices to America's past. It's like reading a hundred stories in one book. For me, it's been an emotional read. The voices of people-slaves,soldiers, presidents and mothers that helped shaped our nation are still ringing in my ears. I'm recommending this to all my friends. A great trip though history.

... I have met the author. It is certainly true that I have met Lee. Indeed I've known him for several years. The fact is though, I like Lee's writing style. I have read his newspaper columns. I own his earlier book on Vietnam too. Lee has the ability to bring a full range of emotions to the surface in the reader. From sadness to anger to a feeling of smallness in awe of the power of nature, I can't help but be involved with his writing. Moving among the lights and shadows of this book is entirely pleasant, amusing and fulfilling.

From earliest childhood Lee Basnar loved nature. Basnar was born in Vermont in 1938. Stories of Alaska created a fascination for Lee. He wanted to experience the last frontier.

Lee's father had plans for him to graduate from college. Instead Lee married his high school sweetheart, Joan. He worked for his father as an apprentice carpenter. It was seasonal work. Tired of menial jobs and unemployment checks during the winter months, Lee again disappointed his father. He joined the army in 1961.

Lee's service career took him to Germany and France. In 1968 he was transferred to Viet Nam where he served as advisor to the South Vietnamese infantry division and later as an infantry company commander.

In October of 1971 Lee was assigned duty at Fort Richardson. His dream of seeing Alaska had finally come true. However, in 1974 he was sent to Fort Benning, Georgia. Soon Lee was seeking reassignment to duty in Alaska. An opportunity opened and Basner became senior advisor to the 207th Infantry Group of the Alaska National Guard, near Anchorage, for the remainder of his Army career.

As time drew near for his army enlistment to end, Lee began to plan his retirement. Together, with Joan, he looked for a site that would accommodate a cabin home. They both were ready to take on the challenge of the Alaskan frontier by living in the bush.

Lee is a gifted story teller. His descriptions of animal life, nature trails, mountains, and rivers in the vast Alaska wilds are spectacular. In breathtaking word pictures Basner creates new vistas for the reader. "Snow sprinkled the mountains like powdered sugar on cupcakes, and each new snowfall frosted the slopes a little lower." Each chapter includes a photo which depicts something of its contents.

Narrow escapes and life threatening experiences mount up as one after another Basner chronicles his story. He tells of a smoke filled cockpit in his small Taylor Craft airplane. After an emergency landing and repairs he had to battle river rapids for a dangerous take off at 2:30 AM to return home. After landing, securing the plane in a blinding snowstorm, having had no sleep for 24 hours, Lee, the master of understatement put it this way, "For some reason I felt a little tired."

Adventure stories of trapping, hunting, fishing, and photographing moose, wolves, bears, and other wildlife fill the chapters of this rapid paced narrative. The unpredictability of grizzly bears, a midwinter chimney fire, and other narrow escapes will keep you turning the pages of this fascinating account of the Basner's life in the bush.

Lee related how after surviving his tour of duty in Viet Nam, he was plagued by survivor guilt. He hoped to exchange combat nightmares from Vietnam for a new sense of freedom peace and contentment by living in the bush. After some years of roughing it, Lee wrote: "Vietnam intruded less frequently as the years accumulated...the demands of bush living shoved Viet Nam aside, leaving room for healing. The nightmares, less frequent now, retreated to a hidden place, emerging rarely. Drifting and pondering gave me time to realize that I had truly survived and shouldn't feel guilty because of it".

This is a book for everyone who ever had a dream of adventure on the last frontier. It is a book for Veterans, who experienced the ravages of war. Every school library should have a copy. It is for the sportsman, the hunter, and the environmentalist.

This is an incredible read.

Reviewed by Joanne Benham for Reader Views (08/06)

Ever since I read Jack London's Call of the Wild when I was a child, I have been enamored of anything to do with Alaska. If a book is set in Alaska, I'll buy it, more for the background and how people live than for the storyline.

Lee Basner was born in Vermont and in his early childhood developed a fascination with the Alaska Territory. It took him thirty years, but he finally achieved his dream of living in the far North. Sick with guilt over the men under his command who never came home from the Vietnam War while he made it through, Lee retired from the U.S. Army as a major at the age of forty-two and he and his wife Joan built a log home 200 miles from Anchorage. They moved in during a March blizzard and lived there for the next sixteen years, pitting themselves against the worst Alaska could throw at them and surviving to tell the tale.

They had no indoor plumbing, self-generated power and no telephone for the first years. Clothes were washed in a wringer washer and hung outside to freeze, after which they were brought inside to thaw in front of the wood-burning stove, the only source of heat.

Balanced against these inconveniences was wildlife at the door, breathtaking scenery and the chance to really live their own lives as they wished, with no one to tell them what to do.

Filled with anecdotes of their daily life from the mundane, like digging a trail to the outhouse, to the poignant such as a herd of caribou caught in an avalanche, many of them killed and injured while Lee was unable to reach them to at least put them out of their misery, I was unable to put the book down. I even took it with me to read while I waited in line at the bank. I loved this book. It's a real keeper.

Wow! Captivating from the beginning digging your way out of the cabin. Excellent imagery. Made me want to go there before it is all gone, to breath the air, to see the landscape, to feel the rush of the wind, the chill of the frozen tundra, to taste food that is fresh and wild, free from man's processing. To hear the sounds that nature sings.
This descriptive account of life in Alaska is an eye opener of the fortitude it takes to make it in the Last Frontier. The extreme conditions and the extreme rewards.
This book opens your eyes to the hardships and the little things a tenderfoot wouldn't think of in your survival in the Alaskan wilds. Dotted with humor, sprinkled with love and support of a life mate, along with the daily challenges of self-sufficiency. Here you will find many helpful hints if your dream is to live in the wilds of Alaska. And if it has been your dream it will open your eye to the reality of such a challenge. A marvelous read and an excellent way to experience the wilds vicariously in the comfort and safety of your own armchair, from wildlife survival, to the Elmer's, natures Christening, the antics of the wilds, this books is fascinating, one to read and re-read.
I can only say thank you Lee for writing your experience out in such vivid details.

A great book. The descriptions of the wildlife and landscape are insightful and accurate - I was informed as well as entertained. The book captures the feel of wild Alaska and allowed me to experience life in the bush along with the author and his wife. I felt as if I was in the plane when he was lost during a snow storm. I stood beside him and felt the excitement and fear when wolf or grizzly was encountered at close range. The book gives us an environmental message as well. Wilderness is ours not only to experience, but also to protect. The author's insights into how to live with the land and appreciate its beauty and harshness make this a valuable read.

This very good translation of Sabato's book will allow English speaking readers to appreciate an outstanding book, do not miss this opportunity!

I first read "On Heroes and Tombs" when it was just edited, almost 40 years ago. It was an overwhelming experience at that time. I've recently reread it and still stand as a major work, resisting the acid test of time.

Mr. Sabato has written up to day only three novels: "The Tunnel", "On Heroes and Tombs" and "The Dark Angel" and a score of sociological essays. With the present novel he has won a well deserved place into the best Latin-American writers of the XXth century.

This is a complex and dark novel staged in three levels: one the love affair between Martin and Alejandra situated in 1955's Buenos Aires; second the recount of a fleeing party of defeated Unitarians soldiers, carrying the corpse of their fallen leader, General Lavalle, in 1840's during the Civil War; third the "Report on Blind People" staged in a fantastic underworld that coexist with the "real and normal" world.

The three narrative layers are intermixed and connected to each other with Alejandra as a fulcrum.
Alejandra's character is very complex and mysterious. It remind me of Justine, described in the first volume of Lawrence Durrell`s "Alexandria Quartet". Both are women in distress, searching love and protection, but at the same time rejecting lover and protector. They are torn by tragic experiences, and the lover to be can't penetrate their souls and cringes in desperation.

Martin is the desperate & frustrated lover; nevertheless he won't quit and defies all dangers & mysteries to try to save Alejandra.

It is a great novel with touches of "magic-realism" and some echoes of Borges' and Cortazar's tales.

I wholeheartedly recommend it!!!!

Reviewed by Max Yofre.

this is one of many books you read trough your life that will stick in you head as simply one of the greatest books you ever read. A definitive worth it experience.

This book of Ernesto Sabato is a masterpiece. The narrative ability to lead the reader through the conflictive love story between Martin and Alejandra, reveals, at the same time, the understanding of the complexity of human beings.

This book is not only a masterpiece, but a sort of encyclopedia almost indispensable to understand the nature of us, the argentinians. Our love to the neighbourhood and its carachters, the bohemian Buenos Aires, our introspection and constant dissatisfied and melancholy. This hugh writer (one of those that are born once in a lifetime)couldn't had been born somewhere else but here. Anyway, it doesn't matter where you are from, you shouldn't let this book pass. I don't have much else to say, a good piece of art always talks by itself.

Sabato was in his early twenties a notable physician , but suddenly he discovered his real bliss in the literature world .
This work contains the Brody file in which the author talks about a secret society composed for blind people who wants to rule the world .
In the great tyradition of Lovecraft and Maupassant we find this latin american writer .
Get close to him and you will be surprised with his enormous gifts and talent.

I think I probably read the first printing of Once a Warrior King and that was probably over a decade ago now, but David Donovans account of his time in Vietnam still remains one of my favourite accounts of the conflict.

This is absolutely the best first hand account of the Vietnam War. Very well written, detailed and introspective.

I read this four years ago as a junior in high school for my American History Class. The course was offered for college credit and I used to get frustrated by all the books my teacher made us read, not to mention the essays we had to write in response to what we learned. Near the end of the year she assigned "Once a Warrior King" and I was so impressed that I never forgot the impact the book had on me. It was a vivid statement from the point of view of a man fighting in Vietnam and I could feel everything with accuracy as if I had gone through the same trauma. He was a warrior king and it was a classic.

This book brought back painful memories for me. As a young sailor on a River Assault Boat in River Assault Division 92, I participated on "Operation Barrier Reef" in January 1969, from the MACV compound described in this book. Although this book does not cover boat operations and the part that Mobile Riverine or River Patrol Units played during this period of time, it is an excellent description of the warfare of the period and operations in a remote area of Vietnam without fire support or air support. Those of you that want a graphic description of
river operations in that area, read the prologue from Brown River, Black Berets, a description of a firefight on the Dong
Tiem Canal, that I participated in January 1969. Both books
are excellent background sources for river warfare and the
seldom covered special unit operations.

I was stationed in Duc Pho, Southern I Corp, and spent over 8 months living in a remote village with my platoon during 1969 and 1970. I saw so very much and understood so little. This book brought back the conflicts that haunted me for years and helped me come to grips with the most significant year of my life. Fear, anxiety, exhaustion, isolation, and confusion blended into an environment that this book describes like none that I have read.

"Ours is the signal honor of being the nation's bulwark. One day we must prove ourselves worthy."

Requiem for Battleship Yamato is about sacrifice-immolation on the altar of national survival. It was written not to needlessly lionize the wanton sacrifice of combatants in order to bring to an end what one historian called "a war to establish and revive the stature of man." Instead, it was written, and properly so, as catharsis: Yoshida Mitsuru, as a 20-year old ensign on the bridge of the Yamato during its final voyage, had witnessed War, and thus wished that future generations would no longer be called upon to "prove themselves worthy," and to bear the burden of armed conflict.

Yoshida's prose satisfactorily captures the spirit on board the Yamato prior to its climactic encounter. Yet there is no way to adequately describe what the men of the Yamato went through during the ship's final hours. One author called it "a glorious way to die." Alternatively, the battle could be described as a nautical siege, a maritime battle of Troy. There is no apotheosis in death; death is merely a release from duty. During the battle, one man struggles to keep the deck clean by throwing overboard limbs severed by bomb shrapnel or machine-gun fire. Below decks, men grapple with the bodies of their comrades; once-inviting hot tubs (the Yamato has several of them, we are told) are filled to the brim with the ranks of the dead. In the bridge, officers are mowed down by machine-gun bullets. There is no sanctuary aboard the most massive dreadnought ever constructed.

This is a highly readable book, redolent with poignant memories, written by a man who had the courage to confront his phantoms. Through Yoshida's book, many souls who fought during the Pacific War found a voice.

"Three thousand corpses, still entombed today. What were their thoughts as they died?"

In the 1950's and 60's, Japanese memoirs of the Pacific War flooded forth from the publishers. Saburo Sakai's "Samurai", Hara's "Japanese Destroyer Captain," Mochitsura Hashimoto's "Sunk!" are just the tip of the spear. But Yoshida's "Requiem for Battleship Yamato" is simply in a class by itself. The youngest officer on board the mighty battleship, he was present when the giant was ordered on her suicide sortie. Escorted by the anti-aircraft cruiser Yahagi and numerous destroyers in April 1945, Yamato's mission was sublimely ridiculous: sail down toward the Ryuku Islands (where a massive American task force was staging the invasion of Okinawa), attack the landing force, beach itself, expend all weapons and ammunition, then the surviving crew members would join the garrison in Okinawa's defense. It was no surprise that the force didn't even make it halfway before being annihilated by U.S. planes. Yoshida's book is poetic and is beautifully translated by Richard Minnear who also provides a superb introduction as well. Yoshida's account of the American air attacks which inevitably shattered the Yamato, the Yahagi and most of the escorting destroyers come off as not combat, but high slaughter. Veterans who survived idiotic orders and suicide charges will find a spiritual brother in Yoshida. Don't be surprised if you have a tear in your eye for the brave crews of these ships as you close this book for the last time.

Written as a tribute to his shipmates, "Requiem" is also a powerful anti-war book.

young, naive and inexperienced the author chronicles his one and only combat mission. relating his service on the japanese battleship 'yamato' author mitsuru gives perspective not only on what he does but on what he feels. fortunately for the reader mitsuru is an articulate writer who has had the opportunity to rewrite his recollections numerous times over the years before settling on this 'definitive' edition. the book runs as a subtle parallel of stories between the events happening around the author during war and what he thinks and feels as he faces his own mortality. an excellent perspective of man in conflict.
also worth noting is the outstanding translation and introduction by richard minear.

Although perhaps unsurprising given the scale of Japan's losses and the bitterness of defeat, the fact remains that there are relatively few accounts of the war by those who fought with the Imperial Forces, and even fewer available in English.

For this reason alone `Requiem for Battleship Yamato' would command attention even if it were only an average work. But it is not an average work; it is a classic in the truest sense of this much abused word, which must be placed alongside books such as `The Last Enemy' by Richard Hillary.

Written in a spare, almost poetic style, `Requiem' tells the story of the Yamato's last doomed sortie from the viewpoint of one of her junior officers. Alongside glimpses of life on board the great battleship, we gain an insight into the thoughts and personal lives of her crew as they prepare for what most realise will be a mission from which there will be no return.

As the tension mounts and enemy forces close in for the inevitable kill, Yoshida provides a moving commentary on the Yamato's last days and hours, with poignant vignettes of such figures as the force commander Vice Admiral Ito, who had correctly appreciated the futility of the mission yet carried out his task with calm resolution.

With the Yamato entering her final death agony, Yoshida gives us harrowing descriptions of the effects of explosives and steel on human flesh - a timely reminder in this age of glossy propaganda of the true face of battle. Then there is the homecoming, with Yoshida's personal struggle to come to terms with the meaning of his survival while so many of his comrades are dead.

No review of this book would be complete without acknowledging the outstanding work of its translator, Richard Minear, who has also provided an excellent introduction. Thanks to his efforts, this work will not only be read with profit by the military historian, but anyone who seeks to broaden his understanding of the human condition.

This book is not for readers searching for details of battle, or apologies for participating in the miltary adventure against the US. Yoshida Mitsuru was an unlikely survivor of a suicide mission.

Some of the reviewers have found this book morbid, and focused on death. Mitsuru attempts to describe his feelings and unaswered question that haunted him for the rest of his life. Why was he saved, when so many other died? Was there a purpose to his life, and the life of his dead shipmates. These are questions that all men ask to some extent, but for those caught in a war, life and death are close and constant companions.

The normal thoughts of young men towards life and the future are put aside as their ship plows forward on a suicide mission.

Do not buy or read this book if you are not prepared to think about the personal cost of war. Some have described this as an anti-war book. I do not believe that is a correct description. This book is written by someone whose education and social standing required him to enter the Navy, and go to war. I view this work as a refection of an eyewitness and wounded survivor. Such an experience at such a young age makes one an expert on the war experience, not the root causes of war or their justifications.

Most men who shared Mitsuru's experience do not write, or even disuss their experiences. For some, just the thoughts of their experience is unbearable and the reason some end their days in mental hospitals.

When Mitsuru wrote the first draft of this book, it fell under the authority and censorship of the American Occupation, which did not approve of the text.

Which brings up the question not posed directly by this book. What "truths" were censored during the official investigations surrounding Pearl Harbor, the Bataan Death March, and other matters that impacted on the ledgends and careers of Americans of that time?

Hey, this book is the closest thing to actually seeing Riverdance live or on video...but I definitely prefer to see it live!

I first saw an advertisement when "Riverdance" was showing on PBS, and I wanted a better inside look at this amazing show. I then looked it up in the library. I discovered a real look at how it really began, and how it spread to Canada, the United States, much of Europe, and most recently Japan, among many other places. If you want to discover exactly how much work is involved in putting together a dance show, I recommend this book to you.

It gives wonderful insight of the influences and origins of traditional Irish music and dance. It also tells the story of how Riverdance developed and became a theatrical phenomenon. It is filled with pictures from the the stage and behind the scenes. I enjoyed this immensely it helped provide me with inspiration and insight of the works. I would recommend this to any fan.

"Riverdance," the exuberant Irish dance phenomenon that's sweeping both sides of the Atlantic, has swung its way in a scant few years from a seven-minute interval sequence in the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest to a record-breaking stage spectacular. It's an audio, a much-in-demand video, and now a glossy richly illustrated book. Riverdance: The Story opens with a comprehensive history, an account "of an ancient Irish tradition in which dance and music are celebrated as a metaphor for life," then segues into the creation of Riverdance: The Show. Virtuoso Bill Whelan, who has written original music for 15 W.B. Yeats plays, ideated the piece - selecting a river's life as his overall theme, with the male lead dancer representing the land, and the female star embodying the river flowing through the land. He then composed the score for the original sequence and came up with the name "Riverdance." Neither John McColgan, director, or Moya Doherty, producer of the segment, dreamed of the reception it would receive: "It was seven minutes that shattered the hermetically sealed world of television, seizing the attention and igniting the imaginations of 300 million viewers." As the last note rang out the 3,000 member audience (made up of delegates from 25 countries) leapt to its feet, led by the usually staid Irish President, Mary Robinson. Tumultuous cries of "Riverdance! Riverdance!" filled the theater. The rest, to use a fatigued phrase, is entertainment history. The abruptly dissonant departure of audience-pleasing star Michael Flatley is not euphemistically described by the author . When Flatley did not renew his one-year contract, mediation was unsuccessful. A final volley from the multi-talented first generation Irish American is described as demanding control of the show. "I would like complete control over all that I do and all that I am involved with in this show," he wrote. "This includes what I wear, when I dance, and which dancers I choose to dance with." Finding his conditions unacceptable, the decision was made to replace him. Twenty-seven year old Colin Dunne learned only 1 day before curtain time that he would be taking over the starring role. That night the show received a standing ovation. Flatley went on to form "Lord of the Dance," an extravaganza enjoying enormous success. Nothing is overlooked in this meticulously conceived volume - themes, music, cast, production, and predictions for the future all receive studied attention. Author Sam Smyth, a columnist with the Irish Independent newspaper in Dublin, has filled his book with stunning full-page photographs of the phenomenon that has won millions of hearts and imaginations. "Riverdance" fans will love it. - Gail Cooke

This terrific book begins with a history of Irish music and dance, which are "celebrated as a metaphor for life." Included in this background was information about the 17th century cake dance (the dancers ate the prize) and the 18th century emergence of the solo or step dance. This was the most important development in Irish dance history. In the late 1700s dance masters traveled around Ireland teaching complex steps. The Gaelic League was formed in 1893 to promote Irish culture. The first ceili (dance event) was held in London in 1897.

The second part of the book was about Riverdance (the show)-- the original story is based on the life of a river: small and quiet at its source, then feeding and nourishing the lands it passes, and finally rushing out to sea at the estuary. The show was planned to have a soft choral opening and a big finale. It was designed as a seven-minute interval during a Eurovision song contest and got a standing ovation from a roaring audience. Thus, Riverdance "the phenomenon" was born in a Dublin theater in 1994.

From there on, it was expanded and developed into the stage show as we know it today, complete with a premier Spanish flamenco dancer, a six-person troupe from the Moscow Folk Ballet, African American tap dancers, and a choir from Atlanta, Georgia. It also made stars of its first two principal dancers, Michael Flatly and the beautiful Jean Butler, both Americans. Flatly, in fact, was the first American to win the World Irish Dancing Championships.

A "great swell" of national pride resulted from Riverdance's exploration of the internal and outward journeys of the Irish people. Riverdance rescued Irish dancing, reinforcing its sensitivity with simple costumes while utilizing generations of skills and traditions.

A lovely and beautiful book.

A well-written real life of a Brittany and its owner in the field over the years. Very authentic, very moving.

I dislike books about dogs as a general rule, but The Rufus Chronicle was an unexpected treasure. Gusewelle speaks with a solid yet familiar voice about the joys and the learning curve of raising a dog from a pup with the intent for it to be a hunting dog. I haven't hunted or had a dog for many years, but with every turn of the page I was transported back to a time when my greatest pleasure was taking to the field with my canine companion. This book has the rare quality of speaking to the reader on a basic human level, causing you to not only remember scenes from your past, but also sounds, smells, and feelings. If you hunt, keep dogs, or are simply an animal lover with a big heart, then you must read this book.

This book catches your attention immediately. The author's style makes you want to curl up and read without putting this book down for even a second! I am a Brittany owner but dog owners of all breeds, especially gun dogs, will find themselves smiling, crying, laughing and more as they take an emotional journey with the author and his dog through the seasons of their collective lives! ....a wonderful, heartwarming experience, don't miss it!

This will warm the hearts of all dog lovers. Dog owners will reflect on their own experiences with dogs as they read about Rufus, his yard mate and his Master, Charles. Do not be surprised if you find yourself smiling, crying and even laughing out loud.

This memoir by columnist Gusewelle of the life of his dog Rufus is rich, funny and gives a thorough explication of what it meant to live with the Brittany Rufus. I was not partial to the passages on hunting, as I am not a hunter, but I was still engrossed in the book, because these incidents told a lot about Rufus, and after all, HE loved the hunt. It's a pleasant read, with a not unexpected end that while sad completes the story satisfactorily. If you know someone who loves to read, hunt and loves his dogs, this book is definitely the perfect gift.