Biographies Books

I cannot even begin to describe how much I love this book. The plot is clearly the work of a genius (you would never in a lifetime be able to guess that this is Kirsten Miller's first novel if it didn't say so on the back inside cover). I'm not going to go into the plot, because that is just an unnecessary ruiner to anybody who hasn't read the book yet, but I will say that you fall in love with all of the characters. This book will keep anyone at the edge of their chairs, reading for hours without wanting to stop for even a second. Through head-aches and eye-strain, I persisted reading, and that's saying something significant. For anyone, and I repeat: anyone, who is in search of a book, I would recommend this book. Really, if I haven't convinced you yet, the book itself surely will.
Now, I will admit that the first few chapters or so are good, but a little odd and perhaps confusing, but trust me, this book will not disappoint.

This is probably my all time favorite book! It's full of adventure, mystery, and advice for you to learn. I have to admit, in one part it got a little boring, but then it got right back into action again! The bottom line is to read this book!

My 9 year old daughter devoured this, and quickly after, the "Empress Tomb" sequel. I haven't yet read them but her fascination/identification with the characters, her expanded vocabulary (truly interesting words like "mausoleum") and her desire to share the books with all of her literary friends has me sold. Quick note: the kikistrike website is fantastic as well. Thank you to Kirsten Miller for creating complex, empowered girls and for kicking off what I hope will continue to be an unprecedented series!

Im not even finished with the book and im already in trance in the books "spell". If you love mystery this is the book for you .Its about a group of exceptionally different girls. Dont judge this book by the cover , it looks like its for a older group of girls but its not.Its a good read for mature 9 year olds and up.At first my mom would'nt buy it for me because it looked to old but if you asked me I'd say "this is one of the best books I've ever read.I like this book because its about smart, powerful ,strong girls...Girl with a plan

This book was like a breath of fresh air to me! Unlike the many different series of Chicklit for teen girls, this book is a great contribution to what's available for teen girls to read. I confess that I am a fan of the Eoin Colfer series of Artemis Fowl books and at times Kiki reminded me of the main character in the series i.e. Artemis Fowl.

One other major character is Ananka Fishbein, who is called upon to help Kiki with a certain mission. Together with a small group of other girls each of whom has a special ability to give to the 'team', Kiki and Ananka face smugglers and kidnappers to come out victorious if not a little bruised.
Ananka is the perfect main character because she is both courageous and smart but also not infallible.

Anyone with a background in Boy Scouting will love and appreciate this book. Oh my gosh, the memories that it brought back. I will definitely read this again.

A great read, very uplifting.
Captures the positive difference that Eagle Scouts and Boy Scouts create in our world.

A second class scout, I left Scouting at 16, became a father at 21, joined as an adult leader when my eldest of two sons turned 11. Two months later, the Scoutmaster announced at a Court of Honor that his job had gone away and I was taking over as Scoutmaster, and I was too surprised to say no. Steve came home from his first meeting and announced that he was going to be an Eagle Scout as soon as he could, and two years and 4 months later, his mother pinned his Eagle on his shirt, and I, as his Scoutmaster, MC'd his Eagle Court of Honor. His younger brother took a longer route, with more encouragement, and after I despaired of his ever getting there, he decided he also wanted the honor, and had his board of review the eve before his 18th birthday. I bought 3 copies of the book, after reading it, to give one each to my two Eagles, and one to the troop, which I still serve as a troop leader and counselor for several merit badges, in the hope that it will encourage several more boys to achieve. Years later, their Eagle awards opened doors for my sons, and in a way, I am still "paying thier dues".
As an adult leader, I have organised and led our sons and others to most of the high adventure bases, and many other high adventure trips, and as many of those quoted in the book, get more out of Scouting than I put in.

This is a priceless book for someone who is into scouting or who is an Eagle Scout. I bought this book for a family member who was extremely pleased. I would highly recommend purchasing this book!

Legacy of Honor: The Values and Influence of America's Eagle Scouts This is a great book for all Eagle Scouts, both new and old. Makes a great gift for a new Eagle. Solidifies the importance of the rank of Eagle latter in life. I bought two and gave them to knew Eagles. It was a great hit. Not likely to be a duplicate gift and something to refer back to as the scout gets older.

Phelge knew the Stones when they were poor and just starting. This amusing memoir concentrates on 1963 when Brian Jones was the leader of the band before Mick and Keith took things over. Filled with mildly amusing anecdotes about juvenile pranks, mostly played on unsuspecting neighbors where the band lived together in the early days with the author. Some of the tales are a bit lame, and the dialogue, which fills the book, must be entirely made up. Was there a tape recorder present back then? I don't think so. Did Phelge take notes? Unlikely. Still, it's entertaining and a look at the Stones not normally seen. For lovers of music bios.

If you're looking for saucy gossip about groupies and drugs, this is not the book for you. If you want to learn about five teenagers from London who had a dream, buy this book. James Phelge, forever known as "Roommate of the Stones," offers priceless insights and hilarious shenanigans of a struggling, unknown band named after a Muddy Waters blues song. After the Stones start touring America, the story seems to drag a bit by focusing on some of the "Swinging London" scene, but it is merely a set-up for the shocking ending -- Phelge walks away from it all and chooses to live a normal life! The crazy man of Edith Grove turns out to be the sanest of them all. A must read for EVERY Stones fan.

My husband is a true Stones fan. He loved this book. It gives many insights to how they began and grew to what they are now. He has thanked me over and over again for buying him this book to add to his collection. He knows alot about the Stones and this book was not a repeat of things he already knew. If you like the Stones, you should grab this book!

This is certainly the best "story of the Stones" book. Phelge manages to present the story straight out, with an excellent memory for detail. When he drops names (and there are lots) you really don't get the feeling he's dropping names, it just somebody else who was around at the time.

Although many of the stories have been told by Phelge to other writers before and have sort of become part of the Stones legend, it's great to hear the whole thing from beginning to end from the man himself.

If you only buy one Stones book, this is a great choice.

If you want one book that provides a window on the early 60s London music scene, this is it.

If you want a book that tells a great story about a group of naive guys trying to be a band, this is it. There are not ridiculous stories about parties, but when they screw around, you get the feeling you were there yourself.....a very nice writing job and well worth the trouble to find and read.

This book is precious and priceless!

Older Stones fans (like me), especially those familiar with Sixties London and the districts where The Stones lived in 1963, will delight in the easily readable and so evidently true stories of The Stones' very early days when Mick, Keith and Brian were more than teenagers but not quite mature adults. Phelge has covered many of the bases and truly gives you a taste of the environment that nurtured The Stones. You arre literally in the room with them, watching The Stones struggle hard, indeed, almost desperately for a commercial break, and against incredible odds in a still conservative post-war England. The book is chock-full of marvellous observations, wonderful insights, hilariously humorous incidents, and pathos. It clearly reflects Phelge's superb capabilities as a raconteur (and one not given to exaggeration) who tracked the evolution of The Stones even as he lived with Mick, Keith and Brian 40 years ago in their squalid, disorganized flat where cleaning up for the lads simply meant throwing crockery, cutlery and utensils out of the kitchen window into the communal garden below.

The book is filled with gems: Mick's yearning and wistfulness for a load of money as he lolls aimlessly in a freezing cold, food-free flat with his fellow Stones; chucking Ian Stewart out of the band because he did not look "with-it" enough for Andrew Loog Oldham, the first manager of The Stones along with Eric Easton; the unbelievably funny and ridiculous "Toilet Door Fiasco" with Keith and Phelge who drove their neighbors mad every day for months on end with their antics and purloining; the "Immaculate Dollies" with their [nice figures]; the "nankering" (face-making and squawking) and pranks that went with their looning around generally; the list is endless.

In addition, Phelge paints excellent portraits of The Stones' character and temperament. One sees the competitiveness and tension between Brian on the one hand, and Mick-and-Keith on the other hand, all starting very early on in their association. (They would carry this around with them for years until they ditched Brian with the worst of feelings in 1969.)

Younger Stones fans need to read this book in order to understand who The Stones were and where they came from, and how they started up the ladder that took them to stardom at the very top of the world where they have stayed since 1965. My younger office colleagues who like The Stones have absolutely no idea about any of this history and it is a shocking gap in their knowledge.

Overall, an amazing, informative, excellent book. At least 5 stars!

JS

I could not put the book down.....fast reading and great stories and lots of humor.....one heck of a story teller....

Marty Appel served in the Bronx Bombers' public-relations office for nearly nine years, and was the PR director during the tumultuous early George Steinbrenner years (from 1974 to 1977). Appel's "Now Pitching For the Yankees" recalls the turmoil of that period -- and Appel's ability to function under pressure --with wit, a keen eye for detail and sensitivity.

None of the long hours Appel spent at the ballpark, the turmoil he witnessed, or the high-pressure tactics of owner Steinbrenner have dimmed his appreciation for his colleagues and bosses. It comes through in the pages of this warm, often touching memoir.

The boldface names are there -- including Steinbrenner, Mickey Mantle, Billy Martin, Joe DiMaggio and Reggie Jackson -- along with less-famous but pivotal Yankee characters like clubhouse man Pete Sheehy, team execs Michael Burke and Gabe Paul, and Appel's mentor in public relations, Bob Fishel. (It even mentions the writers: Appel's anecdote about one scribe's losing battle with bladder control in Boston is priceless.)

Appel also reflects on his vibrant post-Yankees career, including a bittersweet period with the Atlanta Olympics and a still-thriving stint as a baseball author (subjects include early baseball star King Kelly, former Commissioner Bowie Kuhn and former Yankee captain Thurman Munson).

"Now Pitching for the Yankees" is a good find for anyone who loves baseball, cherishes its history and appreciates the people behind the scenes who make it happen.

As a Red Sox fan, I was ready to read this and get whacked in the face with the hubris usually shown by anything Yankee. I was surprised by the balance shown. Marty Appel knows more about baseball than a lot of people running the game now. He was born about 30 years too late as people like Epsteil, Beane and Riccardi get to run ballclubs, while Mr. Appel 30 years ago had to come up through the ranks with Steinbrenner's Yankees no less. Mr. Appel also wrote an excellent biography on one of the first superstarts of baseball back in the 1800's--King Kelly. I recommend both books highly.

Only if you really know your New York sports would you realize that Marty Appel's in a much more unique position to write a tell-all book about the 1970s Yankees than many other athletes. During his progression over 10 years from Yankees' fan-mail gopher during the Horace Clarke years, to PR director during the 1976 World Series, Appel had once-in-a-lifetime encounters (with the likes of Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Mike Burke, Gabe Paul, George Steinbrenner and ... Oscar Gamble) every single day.

"Now Pitching...", finally out in paperback, shows Appel's origins as a Yankees fan when everyone else was rooting for the Brooklyn Dodgers, and how he turned his love for the game into a career (when everyone else was watching the NFL). Most of the book covers the Yankees from 1968 to 1976, Appel's reign. Although many of the stories are familiar to baseball readers from what seems like 100 other books, only Appel is giving you the inside view. Nowhere else will you get such insider detail about Oscar Gamble's infamous haircut, Sparky Lyle's theme music, or George Steinbrenner's management style.

The book flags a little -- only a little -- when Appel leaves the Yankees and makes his mark in other ventures, such as team tennis and local NYC broadcasting. The most interesting part focusses on Appel's brief fish-out-of-water turn with the 1996 Atlanta Olympics organizers.

Marty Appel's been a very lucky guy -- who else gets to be friends with both Mickey Mantle and Billie Jean King? "Now Pitching for the Yankees" is several cuts above your standard baseball autobiography.

Posted 5:49 p.m., December 12, 2001 - Bruce M.
If I may add another book to the list. The best baseball book that I've read this calendar year is Marty Appel's Now Pitching for the Yankees. Marty worked in the Yankees' public relations department from 1968 to 1977, and shares loads of funny and insightful stories about the CBS Yankees and the Yankees of the Steinbrenner Era. The book is well-written, flows smoothly, and strikes me as honest without "hatcheting" people in and around baseball. I'd recommend the book to both Yankee and non-Yankee fans.

I thought this was an excellent book. It was well written and a lot of great pictures in the book. One criticism that I heard was that a lot of the information was recent information with Curly Joe DeRita ... and it is true... there is a lot of information on this and all their speaking engagements in the sixties... but that is OK, that is what the author knew about and what the people the author interviewed knew about .... the Curly and Shemp information has all been said, not much more can come out of them. A lot of the people that knew them are all dead... hence the detailed description of the stooges in 50's thru mid 70's... The book is well worth reading.

It's about time a book was written on Larry Fine. Without a doubt the "glue" of the Three Stooges, and possibly my favorite stooge, he finally gets his story in print. I enjoyed the book and was surprised at facts that I didn't know about the Three Stooges, and I know a lot.

I highly recommend this book.

This book does an absolutely marvelous job at delving into the life of Larry Fine, finally going beyond old urban myths, stereotypes, and the general perception that he was just the Stooge in the middle, some guy who got lucky but who wasn't as accomplished or funny as his partners. His character truly comes to life in this book, starting in his childhood days in Philadelphia, going to his early days in vaudeville with his future wife Mabel and her sister Loretta, to his 25 years of making shorts at Columbia, to the unexpected revival and mass popularity the Stooges received in the late Fifties and through the Sixties (when unfortunately they had to seriously tone down their trademark violent antics to please the parents of the children they were being almost exclusively marketed to), and finally to Larry's final years in the Motion Picture Country Home and Hospital, after he'd had a stroke. Though some sections of the book do read like a standard bio of the Stooges, only with the emphasis on Larry, the majority of the book goes so much deeper. There are so many stories that have never been written about before or which most people don't know about, such as Larry's deep love of his wife Mabel, a woman whom he continued to adore and stick by even through her alcoholism in her later years, his love of his children Phyllis and Johnny, the story of how he met a little blind boy backstage after a show in the Sixties and got really choked up by the encounter, his relationship with his hairdresser and her husband in his final years, how he found out Shemp had passed away, his relationships with the other Stooges, and even the point of view that Ted Healy, the Stooges' founder and original straightman, might not have been murdered at all but died from other causes and only coincidentally happened to die shortly after receiving a brutal beating. There are also lots of great pictures and mementos, some of them very personal and touching, such as Larry's handwritten letters to young fans, get-well cards young fans sent to him, pictures of him with his children, and the hand-written calendar he made for his daughter Phyllis to let her know when he'd be coming home from the road. There are so many sweet things about this lattermost memento, really showing what a nice sweet guy Larry was, and what a devoted family man. It's really touching to read about how in real life the Stooges were quite the opposite of their screen characters.

The only shortcoming I can find with the book is that it does seem to be a bit skewered towards the Stooges in the DeRita era. That chapter is by far longer than either of the chapters on Larry's life as a Stooge when he was working with Curly and Shemp. It might have been their most financially successful and popular period, but how many fans today seriously consider that their best and most memorable work? To put it mildly, I'm not exactly a big fan of the watered-down non-violent child-friendly latter-day Stooges, though I am of course happy that Larry and Moe lived long enough to finally start making serious money and to get the respect they deserved. And while the cover photo is really beautiful, looking as though it were taken yesterday instead of decades ago, I'm not happy that DeRita is the third Stooge on it. I'd bet almost anything that the infamous Comedy III is behind that one. It should have been Curly or Shemp, and everyone else knows that! Still, in spite of how the book does lean a bit more heavily towards the Stooges' latter-day career instead of their classic glory days, and the illogical choice of the third Stooge on the cover, it's a great book, with a lot of great information about a truly underrated comedian and a truly great man.

I enjoyed reading 'One Fine Stooge', although upon completion of the book, I had mixed feelings about the content. On one hand, I learned a couple of things that I hadn't known before, and that's always a good thing. On the other hand, the book focused too heavily on the 'post Shemp' days, which for me, marked a drastic decline in the funniness of the act. Joe Besser and Joe DeRita were clearly inferior stooges and I felt my interest waning reading about them (the cover portrait featuring DeRita should have been a dead give-away). I would have liked for the author to focus more on the Curly and Shemp days. The book however is about Larry Fine, and I did enjoy reading about his life and career. The photos are a treat and greatly added to my enjoyment of this book.

I just finished reading One Fine Stooge and found it to be very interesting. It truly covers the Stooges' entire career with a focus on the Stooge in the middle, Larry Fine. His story is often melancholy, but he seems to have enjoyed his life and success. The book is poorly laid out with sidebars regularly interrupting the flow of the book and often retelling content found in the body of the work, but it covers a lot of ground and seems to be a good history. I found it worth my time and would recommend it to anyone with a particular interest in classic Hollywood comedy and history.

This autobiography was written very well. The author was committed to getting the facts out without glorifying himself. Done very well. I appreciated being told about the genocide in Rwanda without all the gore. I understood perfectly what he was describing without seeing it on screen. I learned so much from both his experience and his trials trying to get help from other nations. Great book!

My product arrived in time and in very good condition!

would definitely purchase again

Paul Rusesabagina is an ordinary man. He feels sadness and joy, fear and hope just like the rest of us. He is not a superhero in the ordinary sense of the word--he cannot fly, he does not have an agility belt, and he cannot scale walls. He is an ordinary man by all accounts, but in 1994 when the dark cloud of tense hatred between the Tutsis and the Hutus that had been brewing for decades in the small country of Rwanda erupted into a genocide that left eight hundred thousand dead, Paul Rusesabagina's actions as described in his biography An Ordinary Man were anything but ordinary.
Rusesabagina was born in a small village in the countryside in 1954. His mother was a Tutsi, and his father was a Hutu. According to Rwandan tradition of heritage passing through the father's bloodlines, Rusesabagina was considered a Hutu as well. Rusesabagina's father was his inspirational role model growing up, and his philosophy that "kindness and justice did not know ethnicity" was embedded in Rusesabagina's actions later in life (12).
Rusesabagina learned early on in life to fight with his words, not with his fists. He found that by speaking to people face to face, he could connect on some level, and convince them not to do him harm. This technique worked with schoolyard bullies, and later on with murderous, fanatical generals. Rusesabagina found work at the hotel Mille Collines, and eventually became manager of its sister hotel Diplomates.
After the plane carrying President Habyarimana was shot down, the extremist radio station RTLM began to use powerful diatribes to convince Hutus that it was their duty to murder the Tutsi "cockroaches." Rusesabagina, a moderate Hutu with a Tutsi wife, was able to negotiate, bribe, and flatter those carrying out the murders into sparing the lives of the 1,268 refugees that had fled to the hotel Mille Collines. The world turned a blind eye to the genocide and for a long seventy-six days, Rusesabagina had only himself and his words to save his family and the refugees from certain death. It is estimated that about five people were brutally murdered every minute. Rusesabagina managed to save approximately four hours worth of people. Eventually, he and the refugees were evacuated. Rusesabagina and his family moved to Belgium, where they reside to this day. In 1999, the movie Hotel Rwanda depicted his actions during this "dark bead" in Rwandan history.
This is one of the most remarkable books that I have ever had the pleasure of reading. It's so morbidly fascinating that even though at several times I felt physically ill, I was unable to put it down. Rusesabagina has a special skill as an author, and is able to paint an accurate and horrifying picture of the events that occurred, but at the same time is able to insert his whole-hearted and stubborn belief in the "triumph of common decency" over evil (203). Rusesabagina is able to argue this in the face of heartache and bloodshed. He is even able to provide concrete examples of people in the book that hacked their neighbors with machetes but still had a drop of human kindness desperate for an excuse to show itself.
Rusesabagina unapologetically criticizes all the nations that ignored the genocide for far too long. Rusesabagina not only provides criticism but also possible solutions that could have staunched the bloodshed quickly and effectively in the genocide's early stages. He also provides an excellent rhetoric on how extremists were able to convince rational, calm people to take up machetes and kill their neighbors and friends. Rusesabagina is able to counter the extremist rhetoric with words of his own, and uses this same skillful mastery of words that saved so many from slaughter to narrate this fantastic and moving book.
There are very few weaknesses in An Ordinary Man. Yes, the gore that is described twisted my stomach and left me feeling tainted and disgusted with mankind. After reading too much, I was almost unable to continue, but then again the mass genocide of men, women and children is not supposed to be neat and digestible. The descriptions are meant to shock and sicken. At the end of the novel, I felt ultimately dissatisfied and furious with the abject lack of justice. But this is a specific tactic used to irk the reader, because justice has not occurred in Rwanda and murderers still walk the streets. There is little justice to be found in that, and there is no reason why Rusesabagina should candy coat the issue to make the reader feel better.
Rusesabagina leaves the reader feeling hungry for more knowledge of the Rwandan genocide. His book inspired me to do outside research on the Rwandan genocide, and all of the other humanitarian crises that have occurred since then. Rusesabagina believes he is an ordinary man because to him saving all of these people seemed the most normal thing to do, something every man ought to have done. His message is a simple message of hope, a message that every man has the capability to give a "Rwandan no" to evil (203). His book serves not only a testimony to what happened in the dark days of the Rwandan massacre, but also serves as a means of getting people to care. He cautions that if the world cannot overcome apathy, then the phrase "never again" will be "one of the most abused phrases" and the "greatest lies" of the time. The book leaves the reader with a sense of hope that ordinary men like Rusesabagina will continue to say "no" to evil and do these extraordinary things as if they nothing more than ordinary.

This book was chosen by Middle Tennessee State University for their summer reading book, and being a student there I decided to jump in with all the freshmen and read it as well. I'm excited that he will be speaking at our convocation ( our program to start off the year.)

The thing that interested me most about this book is that he knew not to expect much from his country. He had pride, and he had hope for a better future, but he knew better than to expect anything more than the current situation.
This book is definitely something to be read by those who are very involved in world politics, sociology, and psychology. Rusesabagina delves into each one with vigor, and I very well believe he could be a professor in any one of these concentrations.
I am proud to say that I share the world with people such as Rusesabagina.

I purchased this book two months before I had the courage to read it. I feared it would be too upsetting and entirely depressing to engage myself in.

The book begins with a wonderful history of Paul's life. His vivid descriptions of The Land of A Thousand Hills, the banana beer, the family, his path to hotel management. It is an interesting story about a young man growing up in Africa.

The middle of the book approaches and details the horrific genocide of 800,000 people in as little as three months. The terror, the worry, the perseverence is all conveyed beautifully (if that word can be appropriate). I found inspiration in his ability to use words and intuition to communicate with people who could have taken his life. I felt connected to Paul's belief that nobody is 100% evil, and nobody is 100% good. I like his description of human nature, and felt he truly "gets" what being human is.

The ending of the book focused on his life in Belgium, among other Rwandan expatriates. And the decision to start a business in Africa. What a truly interesting person. I was fascinated by this story. It also shares much of the pre-1994 and post-1994 politics.

Whenever I gently give someone "the kindhearted blow-off" in my mind, I now think, "that was a Rwandan 'no'" I appreciate Paul's sharing of his culture and political environment.

I would enjoy seeing him speak. I appreciated his also sharing a little bit about how the movie came to be.

I really felt the storyteller is a person I could sit and have a beer with, and truly enjoy an afternoon chatting.

The last few pages of the book include a wonderful reference bibliography with information and suggestions on additional books to be read on Rwanda. I appreciated that, and plan to read several.

This was truly an amazing book. Straight and to the point, just the way I like it. Trace has never been one to sugar coat anything, and he did not make any exceptions here. From his family, home, immigration and country, he is very honest on where he stands on all of these issues and more. I caught myself nodding my head in agreement with a majority of what he said, which does not always happen when I read these types of books. I highly recommend this to anyone who is thinking about cracking open the book and taking a peak, you are really going to love it.

I so enjoyed reading this book. When I opened it, I didn't put it down until I finished it. I bought the book for my husband's birthday because he is a big Trace Adkins fan. After I read the book, I became one also.

It was a great book. I laughed out loud. It was also sad in some parts. I belong to Trace's fan club. I wanted to read about his life and what he did when he grew up.

Trace tells is like it is and straight from his heart. Excellent read about his life and thoughts, loved this book and recommend it.

This is a great book. It's full of Trace's musings with some autobiography mixed in. I really enjoyed reading and finding that not all celebrities are left-wing nut-jobs. On that note, if your politcal leanings are left of middle, you probably won't enjoy this book. The only place Trace lost me is when he mentions golf. A true country boy would never admit to playing golf. That is a waste of time and real estate that could be spent hunting and fishing.

I fell in love with the Mccaughey's right after the babies births. I still find them amazing. This book was excellent. I like the way it was written from both Bobbi and Kenny's points of view. I highly recommend it. :)

In the rush to see how many they could breed via one pregnancy, neither of the McCaughneys apparently gave much consideration to the serious long-term health problems of their miracles. This book is a continuation of the same circular logic that they subjected the world to during their odyssey.

As a person with a severe disability myself, I have little sympathy for people who intentionally go out of their way to place a pregnancy in circumstances that can give children a disability. Both Bobbi and Kenny were warned of the risk but apparently placed public relations dreams at a much higher priority than health and well-being.

Certainly, there is a degree of risk with every pregnancy from environmental factors, but to knowingly place children's health in danger because you have to have your own biological kids at all costs--irespective of who suffers---is selfish and emotionally immature.

There is nothing brave or heroic about increasing child suffering when there are numerous risk factors already in this world.

I have been a huge fan of them ever since I saw them on a magazine covor. I love this book because it shares feelings and hopes that at first they didn't want 7 babies but after time they couldn't bare to lose one! A must read! This is good for children to!

This book was great. I had a really hard time putting it down. I have three kids so I can relate to some of the things that was said.

This is the best book that I've read in a long time that expresses faith in an ordinary, loving person such as Bobbi. (I didn't mean that as an offense) She has done the right thing by glorifying God in the press and in the book. I commend her efforts, because our God is an awesome God, and if we believe and have faith, He will supply ALL our needs, and He has kept His promise to her and her husband. I know that being in the public isn't what she dreamed of, but in this way she Glorified God, and that was meant to be. :)
God Bless You and Your Family,
Sandra D.

Vera Brittain (1893-1970) was raised as the daughter of a mill owner in the north of England. She was an intellectual who dreamed of majoring in English Literature at Oxford University's Somerville College for Women. In the post-World War I period Vera would return to Oxford taking a second in History and later winning a Master's degree.
The first third of this book deals with Vera's autobiographical description of her raising in a conservative Edwardian home. She was close to her brother Edward; fell in love with poet Roland Leighton and enjoyed poetry. She and her generation were not ready for the horrific reality of the war which would kill over 10 million people.
During the war Vera temporarily dropped out of Oxford to serve as a
V.A.D. (a volunteer nurse). She would serve in London, Malta and France.
She would minster to German Prisoners of War as well as serving with distinction. Vera's beloved Roland was killed in battle as was her brother Edward who fell in the last summer of the war. Vera was seared by these overwhelming tragedies. And yet she went on with her life serving with bravery.
As the war ended she returned to Oxford becoming a feminist and pacifist. She lectured all over England on behalf of the League of Nations Union. Vera married a World War I veteran who became an academic.
Vera would write over 25 books becoming a beloved and popular author in her native England.
This is a long book over 600 densely printed pages. It is also one of the best books about non-combat, civilian life ever written about the war. Many of the scenes in which Vera is serving as a nurse are graphic and touch the human heart with the sadness and tragic loss of a bright generation of young Europeans. This book has become a modern classic which should be required reading in any course on World War I. Several years ago it was broadcast in a miniseries by BBC appearing on Masterpiece Theatre on PBS. This is a book which will remain lodged in your memory. Do your self a favor and purchase a copy soon!

I clearly am in a minority here but I did not like this book. A peer of other notable young British writers like Robert Graves and Wilfred Owen, Britton's book stands out among the male writers of the period as giving a woman's view of the war. The problem, at least for me, is that Britton is so over come with bitterness that she flogs the reader with it from the start.

An early feminist Britton had strong views and supported her male friends and family going off to the First World War but as they fell to the german guns she, like many of her generation, became disillusioned. This is understandable but in writing her book, Britton cannot set aside her bitterness and it makes the reading ponderous and heavy. For example noting a fete in her early childhood and the bunting and flags put out she says "If only I knew then it was all meaningless." we are taken from a little girl's views to a bitter adult in the blink of an eye and it just gets too much.

By comparrison the autobiography of Robert Graves, Goodby to All That, starts out with the childish illusions being enjoyed as a child and slowly the bitterness slips into the writer's world view as he matures and is exposed to the horrors of the war. this is far more subtle and easier to read, meaning you are guided to the ponit he wants you to reach, instead of trying to bludgeon you into the mindset as Britton does.

This is a fascinating, insightful book that it would behoove many of us modern folk to read. Learn about the harder times of the past, while sipping latte in a comfy chair. You'll be thankful for today's comforts -- and today's modern attitudes towards the capabilities and intelligence of women -- after you read what it was like for one woman early in the 20th century. Simply a great book.

The word "classic" gets thrown around a lot these days. Many so-called "modern classics" are not that important, but "Testament of Youth" deserves this reprint as a Penguin Classic. Brittain tells of her early life in the north of England between 1893 and the start of World War I in 1914 in beautifully clear prose, and her clarity of thought and powers of observation make the bulk of the book, dealing with the war's impact on her, painfully vivid without ever lapsing into self-pity. Like too many others of her generation (and the next and the next) Vera Brittain learned almost unimaginable lessons about life and her own inner strength. To that extent, "Testament of Youth" can serve as both example and inspiration.

Vera Brittain came from an upper-middle-class background shared by millions of young women in late Victorian England. One thing that made her different was her great intellectual curiosity and determination to escape a truly suffocating existence that few of today's Western women can easily imagine. What made her like most citizens of the time (and of later times)was her complete ignorance of the meaning of "war." Patriotism, her social conscience, and a desire to take part in the bigger world led her to volunteer as a nursing sister with the British Army. Her grueling hospital experiences were a revelation to her. Her personal losses are even more powerfully revealing of the human condition. Brittain was a "survivor" in every sense of the word.

"Testament of Youth" is just as fresh and moving today as it was when it was written 75 years ago and Vera Brittain tells a story that must be told and retold to each generation. For every reader who finds the book "too long" by current standards (its almost 700 pages), there will be two who wish they could follow the author even further. But even if you find yourself skipping ahead, particularly in the early part, you will not be able to forget Vera Brittain or her story. "Testament of Youth" is one of the great autobiographies of the past 100 years.

Vera Brittain enrolled in Summerville College, Oxford, in a time before degrees were granted to women. This was just before The First World War changed almost everything for almost everyone. When it was over, her best friends, her fiance and her brother had all been killed. She also personally witnessed the agony of thousands in the surgical wards where she worked as a volunteer nurse.

In response, she became a suffragette, a feminist and a liberal writer and lecturer. She sought to prevent such tragedy from reoccurring.

The answers to the political and social questions with which she struggled elude us still. But Vera Brittain's autobiographical account of her generation's trials, Testament of Youth, remains both a stunningly-honest portrait of a courageous young woman and a vivid chronicle of a time almost out of living memory. Through her words we see what we might have thought, felt and believed, had we been born into her era.

For some time now I've had a fascination with the F-105 Thunderchief and the men who went Downtown during the Vietnam war. To further my knowledge on the aircraft and the men who flew her I picked up When Thunder Rolled.

Overview
When Thunder Rolled is a pilots view of the F-105 and the missions he flew during the Vietnam War. In this book our Fighter Pilot (I mean this a complement to Mr. Rasimus. I believe it would be a greater honor to call him a Fighter Pilot than by his retired rank, read the book if you want to understand why) gives us a view of the F-105 from training thru his time in Thailand flying missions in North Vietnam.

The Good
Wow! What a book. Mr. Rasimus pulls no punches. In all of the books I've read dealing with a persons own experiences in war I've found very few that are as candid about being scared. Mr. Rasimus tells us about how his initial debate is if he should fly combat mission or not and then flies a couple. I have to think that the fear Mr. Rasimus talks about is more common than many other books would have you believe.

I also loved how Mr. Rasimus mentions the maintenance men who took care of the Thud he borrowed (sorry, everyone knows that a fighter is owned by the crew chief, pilots just borrow it). This is something kind of rare and nice to see.

The description of the environment is great. Referencing stealing hubcaps for what it took to be a fighter pilot over there was sheer genius! Between the use of vernaculars and a simple honest approach, one is able to visualize and feel something of what he was experiencing. I also loved the way Mr. Rasimus takes us thru the base and the missions. From premission briefings thru the return. Interestingly there isn't a lot of focus on the post mission time at the Club.

The Bad
The only one I can readily think of is that the book ended. I loved the story telling. It flows so nicely. The real shame is that we know that our fighter pilot went on to fly F-4's in the Linebacker timeframe. I'd have loved it if this would have been brought together to hear the differences in the aircraft and how the war was fought.

Rating Wise
5 Stars! This is the best personal account I've read from an aviator. A solid read and is a must read by anyone interested in knowing about F-105's, the Vietnam airwar, or about a pilots view of combat.

This is the best book along with Jack Broughten's "Thud Ridge" that I have read concerning the Air War in the North, especially as it relates to F105's.If I were to write a book on this subject, this is what I would have written.

Whilst putting you very much in the cockpit Mr Rasimus has at the same time managed to produce a thoughtful, insightful, and instructive book that gives an excellent view of the experiences, feelings and thoughts of what it meant to be a fighter pilot in the early years of the Vietnam war. Highly recommended.

What a great book! I agree that this is the best of the F-105 books about combat during Rolling Thunder. Such detail! Ras explains everything so well and puts it in words that non-pilots can understand. He even takes you on R&R to a Bangkok niteclub to get a "massage" ;-) The difference between a fighter-pilot and a pilot of fighters is explained. I was at Takhli, the other F-105 base in Thailand, and I remember the Wild Weasel/Iron Hand "F" models. The initial group was sent in and shot down. Then another batch was sent in and shot down. I believe there were five or six airplanes in each group. During that initial period, the crewmembers of F-105F (Weasels)were virtually assured of death or capture. What a slaughter.
I loved the noise of that beautiful bird when afterburner with water injection kicked in. Not to mention the noise when a pilot returned after his 100th mission and went "supersonic" right on the deck. Awesome!!!! Also described in the book was the practice of burning off fuel with the speed brakes open and the afterburner on. I saw this on another 100 mission bird going low and slow with the "finger" extended in a pass just above the runway. This book brings back memories of that. In the meantime, back in the "world" (US)Hippies were coming on the scene. It was a shock to me and many others returning. And, by the way, so much for the "domino theory" - Thailand is still there.

As a story of courage and combat flying this book sits near the top of the list. Daily missions into the heart of a well defended N Vietnam, flying against targets selected in DC by those with no combat flying experience, training in tactics of successful air campaigns, appreciation for those who did and with the even greater corruption of a lack of commitment.

Somehow Rasimus and his fellow pilots keep getting up after sleepless nights, getting the brief and launching missions into North Vietnam. It is sad to hear of the lives lost dumping bombs on "suspected truck parks" and other secondary targets.

The author was one of those for whom successful completion of 100 missions over N Vietnam was improbable. One wonders how our nation produces those with the skill and courage to fly these missions day after day. Add to the burden the knowledge that far too often the missions were flown against insignificant targets while truly valuable targets were off limits.

The author was blessed with the skills of a fighter pilot and the writing skills normally associated with those sedentary pursuits of a writing career.

Highly recommended.