K Books

The Andalite's Gift is the weakest, but still good

From the Back Cover:
We never should have done it. But we needed a break. You know, some time off from the superhero stuff. A chance to act like normal kids. Well-as normal as four kids who can morph, a hawk, and and alien can be. Everything should have been cool. Now Rachel is missing. And there's this... this thing that's after us. But it's not up to me to tell the whole story. Tobias, Cassie, Marco, and Ax were there, too. Even Rachel has some info to add. So go ahead and check this out. And remember not to tell anyone what we're about to tell you. It could mean the difference between life and death....

The Good News:
If you couldn't tell from the back cover discription alone this one was going to be different. The idea of every character getting a chance to narrate a few chapters was a great idea in my opinion and just helps to difference itself from the regular Animorphs. The second thing many fans will notice when they pick up the book it is considerably longer than the others. This proves a challenging quest for K.A. Applegate who has to create a plot that can last throughout the entire book without becoming boring. The author proves that this is not a proplem and fills the book with exciting chapters, riveting character narration, and action. The way the book plays out helps alot too. The back barely gives anything away and makes the many subplots came as a surprise and almost everything is unexpected. It doesn't even go into detail about the thing that is chasing the Animorphs and it reveals itself in a nice series of turns.
The characters are all still the same more or less and the lesser subplots from the regular Animorphs translates over to here. Such as the burden on Ax's shoulders of revenge on Visser Three, Jake and Cassie's relationships, and Tobias and Rachel's strange friendship leading to a relationship. It certainly is never boring and is certainly worth the time to read it.

The Bad News:
I did mention this is the weakest Megamorph and I stand by what I said. While it is certainly never boring it still lacks something from the regular series that didn't transend into here. My only other complaint is how the chapters seem to have a sense of reapeating the previous chapter before moving onto the new action. It begam a bit annoying, but it wasn't that bad and really the only bad strike against it.

The Final Verdic:
A good Animorph/Megamorph book and well worth the read

Young science fiction lovers will run to the bookshelves to get a copy of Animorphs: the Andalite's Gift by K.A. Applegate. The setting you will encounter in this book is mostly the forest. Every book has exiting characters but not as exiting as the characters in this book. They are Jake, Cassie, Rachel, Tobias, Ax, Marco, and Visser Three. There is major conflict in this book. It is between the Animorphs and Visser Three's Yeerks, which are slugs that can control your brain.
This book is a MUST READ book because when I read it I was addicted to it. It is extremely interesting. The book puts pictures in your head. It also makes you think it's real. If you watched the TV show and still didn't understand it the book will help. If you still don't know if you're going to read it you should read the back and take my word for it!
The author of this book seems very creative. The author is female and writes kids' books. One interesting fact is that you don't know if one book leads to another one. You should really check out this book and check out some other Animorphs books.

Megamorphs are always fun to read. Visser Three tries to capture the "Andalite Bandits"(Animorphs)by using a creature from Saturn that gets attracted to morphing power. This disastrous thing causes the seperation of the Animorphs in different places. They try to get back together, but Rachel loses her memory and Ax gets captured. The other Animorphs don't know where these two are. The final show down with the monster is exciting. Marco's jokes are all very funny in this book. It is definitely a must read!!!!

This book was full of action, emotion, adventure, and curiosity for the reader. Like when Rachel loses here memory, or when the Animorphs decide what to do about the Veelik. And is seems impossible to destroy the Veelik.This is a great book. Animorph fans, This is a MUST!

As always, I'm here with another viewpoint if someone like parents, teachers, etc. might be curious about an adult's point of view on the series. Megamorphs is the first of the series which steers away from the threads of something a little deeper which have been in all the other books to date (growing up, friendship, family, etc.) However, I still give this book the highest possible rating for other reasons. It's the longest one of the series up to this point, and Applegate kept her story together with a smooth, exciting flow which keeps the reader guessing. I was in my early twenties, and have read everything from Tolstoy and Dickens to Peanuts and Garfield. I figured it out, eventually, on the first read, but I wasn't all that far ahead of Ax when it was revealed by the plot itself. Rachel has to deal with a memory loss, Cassie with thinking she's a coward, Jake with keeping them together, and all of them with this dust beast which seems intent on destroying or capturing them. Marco's wit, as always gives a great laugh. The plot is creative, well thought out, and not too far out in left field (even for its target age group) for a sci-fi book to make it totally unbelievable. All in all, this is a very good read for a high action, mysterious, entertaining, and cohesive story for the target age. It can certainly be enjoyable for ages many years beyond 12, as well.

This book is an excellent resource to supplement boards study. I have been very pleased.

I decided to purchase this book as a supplement to the textbook we use in class. You know, you read the complicated textbook and then the supplement next. Not so any longer. This guide gets right to the point. Reading it before class has facilitated my understanding of lectures and comprehension of the required readings.
You don't have to be a medical student to derive value out of this book. I hope it helps you as much as it has helped me.

I ordered this book the first week that classes started and received it the following week. The book was like new as promised and I had no problems with the seller throughout my buying process. I would highly recommend this seller! Thanks~

The book was in perfect condition--brand new, no markings in the text, in tact cover...plus free shipping!

I think this is the best BRS there is. I used this book for course exam prep as well as board review. It is a great tool to highlight important concepts, and it explains things in a simple and effective way with the right amount of information.

Written during the outbreak of the First World War in Russia, this book presents an interesting view of humanity in the context of the European war. One should take into account the propositions of Ouspensky's school of thought and see how relative they are in the context of our global 'war on terror'. Thus, the book stands the test of time and will continue to be discovered and re-discovered.

This work is powerful not just for the growth of one's own being, but also for how we see that the programs that control the population in turn create an unhealthy, unbalanced society. Overall, a treasure containing a wealth of knowledge.

Rodney Collin's masterworks, THE THEORY OF CELESTIAL INFLUENCE and THE THEORY OF ETERNAL LIFE, credit Ouspensky with teaching Collin everything he knows. Since I've never read any other books with Collin's profound understanding, I'm prepared to believe anything Collin says about Ouspensky.

And certainly a number of Ouspensky's other students are a credit to his teaching.

Yet when I read IN SEARCH OF THE MIRACULOUS, it is so d-mned DRY! Or weird. Or both. Is it really going to help us self-remember to learn the elaborate succession of "hydrogens" into which food transforms in the course of digestion? And I'm the kind of guy that will get so involved in obsessing about this stuff that I will forget to actually eat!

Rumor has it that Gurdjieff, who was still alive when Ouspensky died (of lung cancer after a lifetime of chain smoking), endorsed the posthumous publication of IN SEARCH OF THE MIRACULOUS. Mr. G., what WERE you thinking? Your BEELZEBUB'S TALES is vastly more fun.

Maybe it just comes down to what Collin said, " ... all theory will remain theory for the reader until he has established or refuted it for himself on the basis of his own personal observation and experience." The funny thing is that I, personally, HAVE experienced much of what Ouspensky wrote in IN SEARCH OF THE MIRACULOUS, but only because I have turned away from Ouspensky's words.

Is that the point then, that Ouspensky makes things so dry that you HAVE to follow his advice that "You must abandon the system"?

P.D. Ouspensky's "In Search of the Miraculous" is one of the most profound and one of most memorable books that I have ever read, and it is most certainly the must-read. Not only that, it also forces one to question one's reality, self-identity, actions, and surroundings. With each time that I read this book, I began to notice the number of little false "i's" that popped up in my being. Every little lies that I ever believed were being exposed. And, my understanding of the world that we are living in has changed in such an enormous way and with such a powerful impact. This book certainly changed my perspectives of life and the understanding of who I am.

I would highly recommend "In Search of the Miraculous" as it is most insightful book of Gurdjieff's unique teachings ever written. It is clear written yet certainly tough to take in. It is also comprehensive on the profound theories as well methods of the mentioned teachings.

Reading this book is most certainly the first step towards being awake and becoming aware of oneself and one's surroundings. Before reading Gurdjieff's three books and any Fourth Way literature, "In Search of the Miraculous" is a great introduction to the unique concepts and the esoteric Work.

One of the biggest secrets held from Mankind is the fact that our existence for eons is under the dominance and influence of a Dark force that controls EVERYTHING. And the most profound Knowledge that this Dark force hides from us is the knowledge of the existence of a parallel and entirely DIFFERENT kind of spirituality. So dangerous is this knowledge to this Dark force, that it has eraced, fragmented, obscurred, destroyed, and misrepresented all reference to it. The only way this knowledge could've survived, was through an oral tradition, moving it through time from mouth to ear, to the point where some of it could finally be put in print. This is a must-read to all true Seekers of truth, who are not simply looking for understanding, but a way out.

More than Anything Else, by Marie Bradby is about a boy that has a family and works at a painful salt mine but more than anything else he wants to learn how to read. One night when he, his dad and his brother were walking home he saw a man reading his newspaper to every one. Then they rushed home and the boy tells is mom he wants to learn how to read. Then his mom gives him a book and she says that she thinks it's called the alphabet but she doesn't know because she can't read. So the boy reads it and doesn't understand it so he tries to look for the man reading the newspaper. He finds the man and the man teaches him how to read and the boy jumps up and down with joy. Then the man says "What's your name?" and the boy says "Booker." Then the man draws it on the ground. Booker stared at it knowing how to spell his name and knowing how to read.

Booker doesn't express himself unless it's really important to him. Booker doesn't talk very much in the beginning of the book. He just introduces himself and tells what he thinks about in his mind. He only says something out loud when he wants to read. He tells his mom and the newspaper man but he never tells his family how he feels and and when his dad and his brother don't believe in him. This book reminds me to always believe in my self and never give up.

By Arthur

" More than anything else I want to learn to read. But for now, I must work. More Than Anything Else is a true story about a boy named Booker, hiss brother John and his father. They were slaves and had to deliver salt near the Kanawha River in the mountains. They had to use a shovel to put the salt in the barrels. Booker tried to learn to write in different ways, but had trouble until the newspaper came. Booker had a problem because he wanted to learn to read and write, but couldn't because he was a slave.

I like this book because it shows you a lesson on how you can learn to read. The theme of this book is to never give up on your dreams! I recommend this book to 7-10 year old children. I told you this was a true story, so if you want to find out who Booker really is, then read this book. by David M

This is by far, one of my favorite children's books of all time. If anyone have seen the beautiful watercolour paintings in this book, you'll also wonder why this book haven't receive the attention it fully deserves. Not only are the illustrations exquisite but Bradby's text is brilliantly poetic. This book will reminds us of a time when not everyone had a chance at an education where some kids today foolishly take for granted. It takes us back to the simplicity of a time when there were no computers, cell phones, or any of today's over overindulging gluttony. This book teaches us about the human spirit and what we can do with the power of words. This is an overlooked book during the Caldecott selection process. I hope that everyone will have a chance to see the beauty in this book. If you can't wait to have Amazon.com send this to you, go to the library and check it out yourself. It is an amazing piece of work in both text and art!

My son is 4. He is like most of the kids in America who have everything. I used to tell him there were children without food and could not afford to go to school. He did not understand. When I read him this story, his eyes were wide opened. I can tell this story hit his heart really hard, and definitely touched his soul. I am not an African American, but I almost cried. We have to show our children how lucky they are today. They definitely have more than they need, and do not know how to appreciate.

Well, 53 Five Star reviews pretty much says it all.

This is a beautiful book. Not only is the artwork superb (see the cover and Amazon's "Search Inside This Book" feature) but the story is glorious. A triumph of the human spirit when everything in the immediate environment says 'give up' and 'don't dare to dream'.

In this fictionalized story of Booker T. Washington, a young boy ignores the difficult world around him -- where newly freed slaves struggle to find their place in the changing American economy, where 9 year old boys work alongside grown men doing hard labor, where families are short of food -- and dreams of something better.

He says in the book:
"I see a man reading a newspaper aloud and all doubt falls away. I have found hope, and it is as brown as me.

"I see myself the man. And as I watch his eyes move across the paper, it is as if I know what the black marks mean, as if I am reading. As if everyone is listening to *me*. And I hold that thought in my hands.

"I will work until I am the best reader in the county. Children will crowd around me, and I will teach *them* to read."

A love for books and the importance of the written word comes through in this book. A great book to include in any home library.

Five Stars. Beautiful art and story. Amazon has the age range as 4 to 8, but as a mom I think 4 is too young to fully absorb the implications of this story. Likewise, I think the message is one that children older than 8 could come to love.

Quite simply a children's classic. My 2.5year old loves this book. We also recommend checking out the Michael Rosen reading of this book on You Tube.

I can't imagine not having this in the board book version with my next child! I actually found my copy at Potterybarnkids and I was so excited and so was my child the first time we read it. It's simply so classic, it totally a read-a-loud story every page has some new exciting nature noise to sound out and the repetition is perfect for little ears. I started reading this to my daughter around 18mos and a year later she still loves it! A must for toddler libraries!

I loved this book and song as a child...so I thought that I would get it for my little one. Well it came and the pages are in reverse order and upside down...oh well.

Absolutely wonderful book! I guess it's based on a song (that I have not heard), which explains the lyrical flow of the story. Regardless, it is such a fun book to read out loud. The first time I read it to my three boys (2, 4, 5), they begged me to read it again, and again. The next morning, my oldest hopped into bed with me and said, "Mommy I can read this book." Then he "read" the story to me - actually he had memorized the chants. But he was so excited about being able to "read," that it prompted him to jump into his schooling and really focus on learning to read!! This has become a favorite at our house, and we read it at least twice a week. All three of my boys take turns "reading" it too :)

A classic book for even the youngest children. Babies will enjoy the many sounds ("swish, swish", etc.) the reader has to make in reading this book. Older children enjoy the anticipation of finding the bear.

It was a good action book, alot of unexpected things happend to the Animorphs, another good into to the Animorphs series.

This book is interesting for kids that like their mind wonder and imagine how it feels transform into an animal. Also, this book is for kids that like to read adventure. This book is about a group of kid that can transform into diffrent kind of animals, but they cant stay to long into an animal or they will stay stuck into that animal and they cant go back into being a human and they have to act like an animal and think like an animal so that they can survive and live long. Also they have to to eat real live animals, and watch out for predetors that will eat them. It also lets know kids that its ok to be diffrent than others that every kid is unique in thier own way.

In this book, Tobias has been trapped in hawk morph since book 1. He dicovers that the Blade ship needs to refuel with water and air every so often, so the other Animorphs morph Trout and try to destroy the ship. This is a great book.

Tobias isn't like the other Animorphs. When they're done fighting Yeerks or flying through the sky, they just morph back from their animal bodies to their regular bodies. But Tobias stayed in hawk morph for longer than two hours. Now, he's going to be stuck as a hawk forever. Tobias is trying to deal with this pain, but nothing can make him feel better about it. Especially when he starts to feel attracted to a female hawk--even though he's a human on the inside.

Jake, Rachel, Cassie, and Marco are trying to help him get used to life as a hawk. But they're busy worrying about a gigantic Yeerk ship, and a new secret discovered--the Yeerks need lots of water from Earth for them all to survive. The kids use this information to morph fish and get inside the Yeerk ship. But when they get trapped, it's up to Tobias to save them--even though he's not human.

THE ENCOUNTER is the first Tobias book, and Tobias books are one of the best of the Animorphs. I thought that K.A. Applegate described Tobias's struggle through life as a hawk very well. The only problem that I had with this book was that it was a little boring. The only real action of the book was towards the end. But it's a good-read for Animorphs fans, and a must-read for all Tobias fans.

A delightful find. This is the third book in the young adult/teen series "Animorphs" in which the character Tobias permanently becomes a Red-tailed Hawk. The Animorphs story is generally very good and the characters interesting and rich. The author manages to write about the animal aspects in a believable way. I usually find transformation and shapeshifting stories to have story lines that make the whole point of transformation become lost. Applegate keeps the adventure intact by being descriptive, entertaining, and involving. This series is a must-read for those who enjoy animals, shapeshifting, and adventure.

It's a shame the publisher decided to put a picture on the cover of Steve McQueen wrapped up in the barbed wire at the end of his big motorcycle escape attempt. Because, you see, that never happened in the TRUE story of the Great Escape contained in this book. The movie (while good) took serious dramatic license, while Brickhill's book presents the facts. And they are quite inspiring and thrilling enough without the addition of fictional elements such as McQueen's stunt riding.
I first read this book while in elementary school, and was hooked to the extent that I've read it many times since over the decades. A truly outstanding story.

If you want to know how to make something out of nothing, this is the book for you. I've been reading and re-reading this book since early childhood and that's how I learned to make a needed item out of just what was at hand. McGyver had NUTHIN' on these guys.

MRS. Dee Schauer
Texas

I love the movie the Great Escape and I loved reading the book it was based on. The movie did an excellant job of following the book but reading the book gave me so much more of an understanding of what these men went through and the courage they had. To truely understand the courage these men had and what they went through, you have to read the book.

Paul Brickhill is a superb author and this is one of his finest works. Far better than the film - if you thought the film was far fetched, well, the truth is even more astonishing. An exhilarating history, and an absolute must-read.

This is the (true) story of the efforts of a multinational group of POWs to escape during WW2, and led to what is one of my favourite films.

I anticipated the book to be a bit of a let down after seeing the movie, but it really wasn't. They emphasize quite different aspects, and some parts of the movie were clearly made up with entertainment value in mind (people jumping motorcycles over fences for instance!). I can't blame the movie makers of course, because the compelling essence of this story is the daily slog of tunnelling set against the backdrop of the mind-numbing drudgery of incarceration. No movie could be long enough to get this point across, but the book allows one to build up a better picture of what captivity was like, particularly because it provides such incredible details. I was really struck by the ingenious ways the prisoners found to fake German uniforms and official passes, improvise tools, and build radios and other vital pieces of equipment. The book provides sufficient descriptions to allow you to get an impression of the main characters and camp layout, though I personally would have enjoyed a few photographs of the people involved (good and bad), though I realise these wouldn't have been easy to obtain.

The author has a relatively dry style typical of a historian rather than a dramatist, and at times relates key events remarkably passionately. The book ratchets up the tension without having to try too hard however, and I could sense the tension that existed whenever the guards entered the barracks to check for tunnels. The depression that accompanies every uncovered tunnel jumps out of the page, as does the resolve to keep trying to escape without ever accepting captivity.

I was also pleased that the author described the events some time after the final escape, so that I could see how thoroughly the Allied authorities pursued the main protagonists, and what was their evetual fate.

This book was a fine testament to the memory of the brave men who didn't wilt despite literally years of incarceration in conditions that can best be desribed as spartan. If they had all died without anyone knowing their story the world would be a poorer place.

I thoroughly enjoyed Shattered Remains. The descriptions were interesting, the characters, especially Nick, fascinating. The author starts off by grabbing your interest and sustains the momentum throughout the story. I would highly recommend this upcoming author as the story was engaging with plenty of plot twists in between. Don't miss this great read. I can't wait to read another one of her novels.

Shattered Remains by Lynn Coulter

Review by Don Wolfe

It isn't often that a reader gets such a thorough introduction to four different characters in the first 8 pages of a book. Presuming that Ms. Coulter will follow through on the seeds she has planted, this novel has great promise. Nick seems typical enough; his day-job as head of a computer security firm is nicely contrasted with his night-job as a drummer in a small band. Never mind his self-evaluation that he is really good on the drums.

Nick's trouble with women commands center stage from the beginning. Serena, his current girlfriend, accuses him of having an affair with his former girlfriend Avery. Selena doubts Nick's commitment despite the fact that they have purchased a house together. Furthermore, it is clear that Avery abandoned Nick after a suicide attempt failed. What signals could Selena possibly fathom when Avery is so determinedly out of the picture?

Poor Nick seems virtually hapless when Judith, his employee no less, attends his late-night band gig and quickly maneuvers his curiosity about her presence into a one-night stand. Nick certainly keeps his love life complicated, and even worse, he is compromised into discovering Judith's bloody body at the same time it is discovered by the police. At this point, the reader presumes that the story is headed for an intense murder investigation and possibly a rigged trial in court.

Coulter's characters are economically drawn and the pacing in these first 8 pages is intense. Her descriptions are evocative if even a bit too colorful. The plot within these early pages is tightly drawn. The question now is will this novel fulfill its first plot clues.

I enjoyed these eight pages very much and can't wait to see what else is in store for Nick. The story is interesting and it's well written. I'm very impressed.

I loved Shattered Remains! Coulter has created a character in Nick that has both intrigued and excited me. This guy is talented, intelligent and very good-looking. His heart has been broken by Avery Woods (what a great name). He has not seen her in a long time, but he still thinks of her and is bitter. Nick has a new girlfriend but is unable to really love her. Nick's distance causes a break-up. Man I felt so bad for Nick I wanted to rescue this guy from his sadness. But Nick meets up with a lonely co-worker at a bar he was playing. There was a definite attraction between them and against his better judgment Nick gives in to desire and takes the lovely Judith home! This unexpected turn of events surprised me. I loved it! Nick is such a naughty boy and I did not quite expect that. It gets even better! The next night Judith calls Nick in a disoriented state asking him to meet her at the office. Nick is scared because Judith's voice reminds him of Avery's voice the night she tried to commit suicide. At this point, as a reader, I am dying to grab Nick and hug him. I could not read fast enough to find out what was next and I screamed when Judith was dead!!! Yes, dead! Nick meets Judith at the office and finds her in her car dead. To add to the excitement the police have been called and find Nick over Judith's dead body and thinks he is the killer.
I cannot wait to buy this book and find out what happens to our handsome Nick and does he and Avery see one another again? Who called the police and why did Judith call Nick? Please Coulter, tell me more!!!

I'm an avid reader who enjoys all types of books, especially
suspense and thrillers. I really enjoyed how well written and intriguing "Shattered Remains" was. I kept reading and before I knew it the chapter was complete leaving me longing for more. I thought the
book started out great and got better by building suspense almost immediately. I constantly found myself wondering what will happen next. It is one of the best chapters I have read recently. I look forward to reading the rest of this book and finding out what twists are left in the road. I really like Lynn Coulter's style!

According to my 9-year old, this book is the bomb for kids between the ages of about 9 and 13 (maybe older). The author tells a vivid story and sucks children right into the book! It's great, and my 9-year old would buy it again in a heartbeat. Have a great time reading!

The fiction book I have read is Animorphs The Message. In this book a girl named Cassie and her friends try to save whatever is calling Cassie in her dreams from the bottom of the ocean. At first the others dont believe her but one of their friends Tobias also says he's having the same dreams.The kids morph into dolpins and go into the ocean and try to save what they think is a andilite. They incounter a life threatning battle with sharks and Marcoe gets injured so badly he almost dies. They try to finish what they started before it's to late and Visser Three finds them. I reccomend this book to a 5th or 6th grader. Also for whoever likes suspenseful action filled books. If you do like this book I inspirer you to read the whole series.

I am a sixth grader.The author of the book is K.A.Applegate. The characters names are Cassie,Tobias,Jake,Rachel,Marco,Tom,and Chapman.I liked this book because it has kids who can turn into any kind of animal.It is about friendship.It is also about a mission that they have to go on.My favorite part of the book is when Cassie turns into a dolphin to get to the ocean.What I dislike about the book is that they can not tell us there last name because if they do they will be killed or be made slaves.

I thought this book was really good, the Animorphs took a good underwater adventure. I thought the whole book was fast paced, my favorite part was when they were in dolphin morphs and faught that shark.

This is one of the best books in the Animorphs. It is also a crucial part of the series. I have read this book at least ten times. Cassie is my favorite Animorph, and this is the first book told from her point of view. It's generally about the Animorphs adventuring under the sea to find out whether someone is down there calling to them, but there were lots of smaller bits that I really liked.

This third of Burgett's four books about his experiences in the 101st Airborne during World War II reveals a young man (19 at the time) at what could be easily seen as his finest (or worst) hours. The author gives this book an intense personal touch that is missing in many accounts of this unit during its defense of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. Burgett takes the reader into the hell he lived through, vividly describing the shortages of basic military necessities such as weapons and ammunition, the incredible struggle for Noville in the early days of the battle and the withdrawal back to the main lines, and the difficulties of being ready to fight after coping with the harsh winter of the Ardennes and the lack of sleep, food, and water.

But what really comes through most clearly in this account is death. Burgett sees much of it in just a few weeks. He sees close friends (the "old men" of his company) and replacements die in what seems to be a random pattern. He takes the lives of German troops without a shred of remorse, yet almost shoots a fellow paratrooper who shot a prisoner of war.

Burgett does not portray himself as a hero--only as a man doing his job. He was very good (and I would also say lucky) at what he did. His story is not the nice neat narrative found in many accounts of the Bulge. It is dark, chilling, and brutal. It makes one wonder what men like him endured--both during the war and the many years since. I highly recommend it and the others volumes about his time in the 101st.

Donald Burgett gives a great view of WWII through the eyes of a 101st airborne paratrooper.

It has taken me far too long to review this book. But what I should say is, this book was single handedly responsible for sponsoring my adoration of military history books and the history of the Second World War.

It is very well written, easy to read, accurate to the finest detail without ever losing the story. It stands alone as one of the finest examples of a first person account of the war by an American paratrooper of the 506th PIR of the 101st Airborne. It would have been a classic by itself, but it the companion piece to a priceless series of four part series by Burgett.

I really enjoyed the descriptions of battles so clearly written I'm sure you could find the streets today. The story of destroying German tanks in the dead of a fog is gripping as anything that happened during the epic Battle of the Bulge.

The impact of this book was one that made me want to be a paratrooper, helped spawned a life-long (over twelve years at this point) love affair with history, one trip to Europe and lead to my BA in History. My copy has been dog eared, read three times and kept in a place of honor among my over 250 World War Two history books.

My only regret is I haven't met the author.

The real story of how a few ill equipped, but determined Allies held the line and were victorious over one of the greatest war machines ever assembled. This truly was the "Greatest Generation"!

"Seven Roads to Hell" is paratrooper Donald Burgett's memoire of the defense of Bastogne by elements of the 101st Airborne and 9th Armor Divisions during the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944. Burgett, a member of A Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, has captured the foxhole-level details of the heroic defense of that key Belgian crossroads.

Burgett picks up the story as his unit goes into a rest area after the fierce fighting of Operation Market-Garden in Holland. His unit has been decimated by weeks of combat, and desperately needs rest and refit; instead, the tired and poorly equiped paratroopers are rushed to the front in the Ardennes to help stem a sudden German offensive. The paratroopers lack winter clothing, food, water, and ammunition, but with the elan of the airborne, undertake the defense of Bastogne against German tank and infantry units.

Burgett has provided some commentary on the larger picture, but sticks largely to telling the story as it was visible to him. Burgett is nothing if not honest in his telling and graphic in his details. He and his fellow paratroopers freeze, starve, fight, and strive to make sense of the chaos that is ground-level combat. Burgett's prose is straightforward and he has a terrific eye for details. There is no sense here of the false heroic; Burgett and his mates are fighting for each other.

This book, like Burgett's earlier book on D-Day, is highly recommended to the reader with an interest in the Second World War and especially in infantry combat. Those present and former members of the 506th Infantry may find it an especially inspiring piece of regimental history.