Biographies Books

Take This Bread: A Radical ConversionThis book is a must read for anyone interested in understanding the community of food! Sara Miles is a writer and was an athiest who came to understand the role of sharing a meal in building community. After a varied career of cooking in restaurant kitchens and serving as an activist in poverty stricken and war torn countries, she comes home to a radical conversion resulting from the simple words: "Take this bread" said to her at a service of Holy Communion. Her conversion leads to growth in understaning the community that God intends for all humankind. Along the way, she is drawn into the community with afforded by a food pantry program she starts at her newly found church community.

Its all about the human hunger for belonging and for the meaning that comes from sharing food!

A wonderful book and a quick read!

Sara Miles' book "Take This Bread" is a perfect read for our times. Her realization that feeding others is an ultimate act of goodness came during a worship service. But the real story is what she did next. She went out from that church and created a feeding program when others said it couldn't be done. Then she helped others create feeding programs. I have recommended the book to people of different faiths and political views. They all love it. And even more, they have been inspired to get involved in helping the hungry. The new paperback version contains a Readers' Guide - perfect for book groups.

take this bread is one of the best left-of-center spiritual memoirs i've read, ever.

sara miles is a self-described liberal, an intellectual journalist who spent much of her life covering wars from the side of the oppressed (often in stark contrast to u.s. policy). she grew up in a staunchly athiest home (though both of her parents were children of missionaries, which ends up playing into her story in surprising and deeply satisfying ways), and was, as she says, the last person her friends would have expected to start talking about jesus.

sara walked into a san francisco church one day -- called, one might way; compelled, she wasn't sure why -- and took the eucharist. and something clicked, in that moment. she had an encounter with jesus that she was never able to dismiss or shake off. eventually, her connection with jesus became a compelling call to feed others, as she was fed. sara started a food pantry, literally ON the alter of her extremely nervous church. the book walks through her multiple conversions, and those of the people around her, many of them already professed christians.

the comparisons to anne lamott are easy (especially to anne's first spiritual memoir, traveling mercies). both are brilliant with words; both are liberals from san francisco, who grew up in book-loving, athiest, intellectual homes; both are liberal in every sense of the word; and both are deeply in love with jesus and passionate about following his lead. this -- i think -- is what seperates both anne and sara from classical liberals, who spent a good deal of their time distancing themselves from jesus.

but sara miles and anne lammott are not the same. sara doesn't have annie's wit, which, while i absolutely adore annie's wit, makes this book somewhat more compelling, and a bit less like a collection of witty, liberal, jesus-y essays. if annie's "theme" is her self-loathing and insecurity, sara's strong-willed theme is: food. food weaves its way through every chapter of the book: from her childhood, to her experiences as a chef in new york, to her connections with people in the third world, to her intitial and ongoing experience with jesus, to her establishment of one, then many, food pantries. it's hard not to read this book and not simultaneously hanker for a chunk of some cheese you can't pronounce, and want to give that cheese to someone who wouldn't otherwise experience their next meal.

wonderful, wonderful reading. challenging at points. highly edible. deeply nourishing.

I love reading about converts to the Episcopal Church, I am one myself. The more unusual the story, the more it interests me and Miles' story fits that bill. Although I found some things about her puzzling- for instance: she calls herself "lesbian" but has an affair with a man (Huh?!) and then she seems to think that getting pregnant in the middle of a war was a good idea (What?!), I thought her life was fascinating. She is also admirable for starting the food pantry, and for linking food to ministry and to communion- the Body of Christ. The analogy is excellent. It also shows how a church can be so open and welcoming to all people from all walks of life, and although not intended as an ad for the Episcopal Church, it sure serves as great publicity!

From the moment I began reading to the last page I was hooked. I think this is a book that every church should own and require all outreach workers to read. In my view, Ms. Miles grasps and conveys in a succinct and direct manner just what it means to act out one's faith, a faith that has nothing to do with politics or what is expedient, or what will please people the most. There is a need, one responds, and that's all there is to it. Ms. Miles does not romanticize working with the homeless, feeding the hungry. She presents the challenges and difficulties clearly and realistically. This is not "fun" work. It's not meant to be fun. Yet,as I read this, I was struck by her understanding and acceptance as well as the clear conviction that this is what she was meant to do. Again, a very worthwhile read,immensely helpful and hopeful.

I have read several good books by VietNam era helicopter pilots and this is the best so far. Mr. Johnson has a knack of putting the reader in the seat next to him and makes us realize just how dangerous his job was. I particularly enjoyed his use of flashbacks to his flight training days and how he worked them into the moment. It is a wonder that any of the Army helicopter crews survived a full tour. Heroes all. Highly recommended

It was 5 years ago since I was first introduced to the legendary helicopter named "Huey". She is a lovely aircraft which teachs you the helicopter flight and also forgiving one.

I like to thank Mr.Johnson because he had let me know why this helicopter which I am lucky enough to fly with is called legendary. As a military helicopter pilot I am thrilled to read every page, every line. Tom A. Johnson did a great job, he conveyed the past, he conveyed the priceless experience about emergencies. Furthermore, I felt as if I dated back to Vietnam Era and I was one of the pilot on his formation.

I sincerely hope to meet Vietnam Huey Pilots and I am so eager to listen their stories. Land safely Guys,whenever&wherever.

Cem KURKCU
FW&RW Army Pilot

An engrossing, fast moving story of a 1st CAV warrant officers experiences mid 1967-1968. Tom does a great job of explaining the elements of helicopter flight and flying tactics. The year he experienced had a high degree of combat, frequently against NVA, rather than VC. He writes well, has a story to tell, and tells it well.

I've read some other helicopter pilot's stories who served in the same III Corps AO I did in 1967 (with an assault helicopter unit, but not as an air crewman). The intensity level written about here is yet another level above what we were experiencing pre-Tet.

Like all the warrants I remember, he saw himself as a pilot rather than an officer, and measured others by their piloting skills rather than their rank. We enlisted men loved them for that. Officers with real skills (not surprisingly, the minimum AFTQ score - equivalent to an IQ score - for a WOC was higher than for an officer candidate).

I think you'll find this book a real page turner.

For me as a Combat vet, Vietnam 1966-68 101st Airborne grunt. I thought the book was great. I don't often read books about Nam, but this looked like a must. It brought back a lot good memories and not so good as well.Only Vietnam vets will have a true understand of this fine book.The UH-1H (AKA) HUEY was the best Helicpter ever built and I we all loved to see Charlie model UH-1C and the AH-1G Gun Ships too. Frank Allen

I bought 'To The Limit' a few months ago and have now read it from cover to cover three times. I've read a lot of Viet Nam aviation books over the years and I always considered Robert Mason's 'Chickenhawk' the standard for the helicopter community. Tom has now raised the bar. 'To The Limit' has got to be the most laid-back, lucid and sensitive book I have read on the subject.
He has a down-to-earth style (must be the Georgia upbringing!)which doesn't need profanity (as another reviewer pointed out), an obvious concern for the aircraft, his crew and his 'customers, and a very honest appraisal of his inner feelings under what can only be described as the highest possible levels of combat-induced stress.
Definitely a five star book - if there where more available, he'd get them.

I bought this book last september. And I still read it.
It made me cry that someone so cold could take someone who is loved by everyone. It made me think to. darrell was so loved by millions of people whether they were fans friends or family. He will be truly missed by me and my family and I cant wait to get my dimebag tattoo.

we miss you dime keep on rockin w/ hendrix and joplin.

A great book about the events leading up to Dimebag's demise. Good detail and well written. A definate read for any hard core dimebag fan out there. Getcha Pull!!

I HAVE NOT READ A BOOK IN A LONG TIME THAT I LITERALLY COULD NOT PUT DOWN. I HAVE NOT READ A BOOK IN A LONG TIME THAT MADE ME CRY THAT HARD. YOU FEEL LIKE YOU KNOW EVERYONE THAT DIED THAT NIGHT....(GOD BLESS THEIR FAMILIES) AS WELL AS DIMEBAG. MY 15 YEAR OLD IS AN AVID GUITAR PLAYER AND THIS IS HIS HERO. I HAD TO READ IT BECAUSE THAT IS ALL WE EVER HEARD/AND STILL HEAR ABOUT IS DIMEBAG. WOW IS ALL I CAN SAY. I AM SO SADDENED THAT I CAN NEVER SEND MY SON TO ONE OF HIS CONCERTS. I BELIEVE HIS SPIRIT LIVES ON IN MY SON THOUGH BECAUSE HE PLAYS LIKE DIME VERY MUCH. HE OWNS 6 ELECTICS AND OF COURSE HAD TO GET A DEAN!!!!! THE ONE WE GOT HIM FOR XMAS WAS DIMEBAGS TRIBUTE GUITAR. AN AWESOME BOOK IS ALL I CAN SAY AND YOU JUST HAVE TO READ IT!!!!

This book was read in like 6 hours, it is not a big book but i got to say that i was hooked from the 1st page to the last one !! Im a big metal fan, so for sure im a fan of Pantera & Dimebag and im happy to say i saw them live at least 5 times in the 90's. I will always remember that day when my friend called me at 6ham to give me the bad news, this book tells you everything about that day and more. Get it now !

The book has a dual thesis; one being the victim's lives and the second the nightclub rampage and police shooting. What I did not realize while reading the book is that the author did a splendid job of weaving Thompson's, Bray's, Halk's and Abbott's seemingly unintersecting lives into the tragic end. I felt this book was in-depth and gripping.

There is no shortage of research done by the author. He has credited numerous people for contributions of photos, interviews and documents. Given the subject matter, it may have been easy to invoke a morbid fascination from the reader for the sake of selling books but, he tastefully used hundreds of crime scene photos. He obviously established a repor with CPD Officer J. Neggemeyer as well as other investigators. He did a fine job of delving into the lives of the victims and articulated what good people they really were, which made the occurrence that much more disturbing and tragic.

I thought the book was accurate for the most part, save for a few mistakes in municipalities. The only reason I didn't give the book 5 stars was I felt that referring to Nathan Gale as "the beast" was childish. Although he slowly changed into a beast given his mental illness, changing the moniker does not change the fact that Gale was single-handedly responsible for immeasurable pain and damage.

I was just looking things up when I came across something that some one wrote in a review on Why Daddy, Why?...I would be more then happy to answer your questions. First of all if you go to the Berlin library and look up the old news papers, you will find out about the fire that took place when the Columbia Hotel burned down. But at that time it had changed names to Fournier's rooms.
My aunt Louise bought the hotel from my father. Her last name was Fournier.
I have pictures of the Hotel with fire trucks in front of the building putting the fire out.. Now theres just a big hole where the building use to be..with park benches..right on Main Street. next to the flower shop.
Second thing was the convent remarks. Yes some of the Nuns were very abusive.. I have scares on my legs where I was hit with rulers where the steal part went into my legs..also have the scar on my wrist where I tried to kill myself after being raped. And yes, my sister and I had numbers for our names..I was 64 and Cecile was 121.. Not all the girls were abused but many were.. your 65..10 years older then I was in the convent..The older girls were treated much better. Maybe because they were older and more mature. it was the younger girls that were put there that had no parents coming to see them that were treated much worse.. I'm glad that you were one of the girls that were treated better, I truly am. No child should have to go through such horrible things.
I have come in contact through my book signings with some girls that were in the convent around the same time I was and they too remember how bad it was but then again, there my age.
There are no exaggerations in the book..if anything there are things that I never wrote about.. Things that are to painful to deal with right now. Someday, maybe I'll be able to put that pain to paper.
I can understand your questions and I respect that. Please know that what is in the book, is the horrible truth and I'm glad I was able to write about it..
My precious mama died 4 months ago..she was my best friend.. my heart is hurting.. thank you for your review of 5 stars and thank you for believing that my father was a cruel man. if you have any more questions feel free to email me at my new address ( I've been taking care of my step father since mama passed away).. its, ej64@metrocast.net
I hope this was of some help to you. Emelia Hardy

I am from Berlin. I read the book. It is a great piece of writing. I believe the abuse with her father truly happened. However, having been a boarder at the convent in Gorham, during the 50's I had difficulty believing the cruelty of the nun in question. We were never abused, and we were never called by a number. They used our names. Also, I am 65 years of age and cannot recall the Columbia Hotel, nor do I know the location of the Fournier boarding house. I would love to talk to the author and get some of my questions answered.

This book describes unimaginable fear, pain and intimidation that Emelia and her family members suffered at the hands of their father. As well as, the nuns she went to live with when her mama had to leave and her father could not, or would not care for her any longer.
A father is someone who is suppose to protect his family from all evil. Unfortunately, not in this case. Her father physically and emotionally abused his family for years, until the day came when mama, after suffering her worst beating yet and was forced to seek a better life. Some will question how a mother could leave her children in that environment, and be so selfish as to look out for her self before her children. I say, read the book before you pass judgment. I call what mama did courageous and brave.
After reading Why daddy, why I was able to contact Emelia. Since the book was published in 2002, I wanted to ask her what happened to some of the people she talks about in the book. I will not tell of her responses, that's for Emelia to tell. I have had the Honor of getting to know Emelia. She has amazing strength and courage. She has no ill will towards her father, and in the last page of the book she says,"I have forgiven daddy". This is something I will probably never be able to understand. She assures me things are better now.
To all of you who have suffered or continue to suffer as Emelia has. May you find the courage and the strength to move on and find a better life.
I look forward to reading her children' book, The Adventures of Maureen and Maury to my kids, and I wish her all the best.

This is a book that once you start to read it, you can't put it down.It keeps you on the edge of your seat. You have to keep reading because you have to know what else is going to happen.
It's unbelievable what this family went through!.
It goes on to tell what the author went through being split from her other siblings and mother. What a terrible life this child had!
While living with nun's in a convent, it's hard to imagine that these woman of God could be so cruel! and Emelia tells it all!
The Author described in detail all the terrible things that took place in her life..and there were many things!.. Everyone should read this book!...alcoholics, child abusers, and wife beaters..then and only then, maybe they can see what there actions can do to a family and especially a five year old girl who grows up and ends up trying to kill herself when she was only fifteen from something that wasn't her fault!
The reader will be drawn into this true story and can't help but fall in love with this little girl.
The reader will find that this is a very easy book to read because it is written by that same little girl, Emelia.

My daughter never has been an effectionate person. She would come over to visit me and I always had to ask for a hug before she left for home. My heart would ache because of it. I bought this book, Why Daddy Why? and found myself hurting inside all the more because I wanted my daughter to love me the way the author of this book loved her mother. Never have I seena bond between a mother and daughter like this one and I mean never.
Even after the mother runs away during a beating that is unheard of in this day and age. Back 40 years ago I found out it was coman for men to treat their wife that way and no one knew.This bond stayed strong in the heart of this little girl even being sent to a convent with nuns that abused her and her sister that was already there. I could feel that her sister Cecile loved her sister and I could feel her pain also.
My daughter came over one day and saw the book on my table, she asked if she could take it and I said yes that I was finished with it. She came back two days later and I didn't here her come in the next thing I knew she was behind me and gave me a hug. She said thank you Mom for the way you took care of me when I was little. My daughter told me she never realized how forunate she was.
Now my daughter greates me with open arms because of your book Emelia. I think this book saved my life. Altho there was not many hugs for me growing up there was for my girl and now she knows why!!! Thank You Again Emelia

This book does a very good job in trying to explain some of the causes of violence and some of the systemic failures in our society. It also provides an interesting narrative of the people involved in the story.

I am a descendant of James Butler. For the record, that family is not Scotch-Irish, they were English and had been for hundreds of years. They went to Virginia from England in the 1600's not because they were poor or down trodden but because they were wealthy and well connected with the intentions of making more money.

Shoddy research just makes me cringe.

On a cold wintry day in March 1978, Willie Bosket, a 15-year-old boy with an extensive juvenile record, shot and killed a middle-aged hospital worker in a New York City subway robbery. Eight days later, Willie robbed and killed another man under similar circumstances. Shortly thereafter, he was arrested, confessed, and was found guilty of these two homicides. He was given the maximum sentence for a juvenile of five years for the two murders. He felt not a whit of remorse for his actions, and was quoted as such in the papers.

A few days later, New York Governor Hugh Carey, reading about the trial in the New York newspapers, became so incensed that he immediately called a special session of the state legislature in Albany. He proposed and was successful in passing a new law in record time, the Juvenile Offender Act of 1978. This law allowed kids as young as 13 to be tried in adult criminal courts for murder and receive the same penalties as adults. This law was a sharp reversal of 150 years of American tradition. New York became the first of many states to make this watershed change in juvenile justice policy. Willie Bosket had made history.

If All God's Children were merely a harrowing recitation of the criminal life of Willie Bosket, it would be a fascinating chronicle of the "most dangerous prisoner in the history of the state of New York." But it is much more than that. It is also a multi-generational tale of the Bosket family dating back to 1834 in South Carolina. It in particular traces the interweaving stories of Willie Bosket and that of his father, Butch Bosket, with all that they held in common-genius-level IQs, a history of explosive anger, psychopathic tendencies and a conviction for two homicide.

In telling this saga of the Bosket family, Butterfield has successfully woven together a sociological treatise on violence in America, a cautionary tale of the pernicious effects of slavery, and a genealogical study of a truly tragic family.

Armchair Interviews says: A stunning read.

This book was indeed an eye-opener. I encourage all who are concerned about our society as a whole to study this book, and especially those who are in social services. Mr. Butterfield should be applauded for this work.

I'm not A reader of books. I was refered this one and I can't stop referencing it in everyday conversations. This book is not only a great history lesson of Racial tensions but also a great look into the history of violence in our Black Youth....

Bad

A. The narrative pace is just awful. I don't know what it is about this book I almost didn't make it past the first 40 pages because the begining moves so slowly.
B. The idiotic "conspiracy theory" idea regarding the Texas Revolution. Someday right minded people everywhere will be able to laugh conspiracy nuts right off the street.
Good

The book has a great deal of information regarding the beginnings of an organized abolitionist movement in this country. Garrison was the focal point for this when the movement started to move beyond isolated groups of idealists and Quakers and started to be taken seriously as a genuine force for social change.

Overall-Once you get into the book it is amazing, but you have to be in the right mood to do so.

Now a book that shows two sides of slavery that all white people were not all for slavery .Like Dr.martin luther king was saying that slavery was not about black against white ,but justice againt injustice.Because if all men and women are not free then we are all in chains.Books like this one has giving us a balance look at one of america darkest sides. But men like Garrison showed us that their were men and women that were a light of hope that all men are created equal . And being a black man I must say thank you to all the blackmen and women and white men and women of the past for fighting a fight that many of us still fight for today .And that is for an opportunity to live as we were when God created us in the beginnig as, a human being thank you.

This is the last and probably the best book completed by the late Henry Mayer.

Mayer admired Garrison, the most important leader of the abolitionist movement. In this book, he succeeds in renovating the reputation of a great reformer and activist who has often been neglected or written off as a crank.

Garrison and the abolitionists were originally hardly more popular in the North than in the South. They were seen as disrupting the Union and were regarded with suspicion for their pro-black beliefs - public opinion in the North was only marginally less racist than in Dixie. Garrison's courage and consistent refusal to trim his convictions for popular acceptance led to a career with an outsized share of controversy, oppobrium, and in several cases physical danger.

Some reviewers have felt the book is too long, and it is hefty. But the length is necessary for Mayer to give a full portrait, which shows not only the man, but also the era he lived in. In particular, Mayer writes extensively about abolitionism as a movement. Abolitionists, and Garrison himself, struggled with many problems - whether to compromise by supporting politicians whose platforms called for less than full abolition, evolving from a paternalist movement of mostly privileged whites to a movement in which free blacks and escaped slaves could play a meaningful role, and reconciling the pacifist leanings of many to their role in a war against slaveholders - that will be of interest to contemporary political activists. Mayer also shows how, after abolition was accomplished, former abolitionists seeking new causes worked for other advances, including the first stirrings of the women's suffrage movement.

Let's just get the obvious criticisms out of they way. First, the author pretty much flat out states that The Civil War was fought only because of slavery--and in the preface! Yawn. Will I ever be able to find a Northerner who can write a book that examines both sides of the conflict? I mean southern writers do it all the time. The second problem is the assertion that the Texas Revolution was some kind of government conspiracy--from Pres. Jackson on down to Sam Houston--to perpetuate slavery and continue manifest destiny. While I'm sure some men fought for those reasons, this moronic conspiracy theory about secret government shenanigans has no basis whatsoever. In fact, I would recommend the wonderful biography, Sam Houston, by James Haley. It expertly destroys that awful line of thinking that has somehow survived all these years.

But, being from Texas, I tend to be sensitive to such things. For most people it won't matter.

I still highley recommend All On Fire, though. It is very well written and researched. But most of all, it is the only real biography on Garrison worth reading. And say what you want about the author's biases, he can't muddle the fact that Garrison was one of this country's great patriots, willing to stand up to anyone to free his fellow man. He dedicated his entire life to this noble cause--and except for a few references in some Civil War books--is largely forgotten. What a shame.

William Lloyd Garrison was a man ahead of his time. Not by years or even decades, but centuries. In the 1830s he was an outspoken proponent of not just the abolition of slavery (many advocated various ways to deal with the South's "peculiar institution"), but called for the immediate abolition of slavery with complete and full civil rights for African-Americans. He dreamed of a time when a black woman might succeed a black man as Secretary of State a decade before the Supreme Court ruled that blacks were something less than human in the infamous Dredd Scott decision. He was also an early advocate of women's rights, labor reform, temperance and civil disobedience, as well as an outspoken critic of organized religion (Garrison was what we might today call a fundamentalist "born again Christian" who recognized no formal church other than Christ's teachings).

Given Garrison's role as founding father of the abolitionist movement, his passion for the cause, longevity in leadership and terminal impact on the greatest political issue of the nineteenth century it is puzzling that he has left such an obscure historical legacy. As author Herbert Mayer notes, Martin Luther King Jr. cited Gandhi, Thoreau and the Gospel as his inspiration and motivation in the Civil Rights movement with no reference to the man whose peaceful agitation did more to eradicate bondage than any other -- and who in turn may very well have been Thoreau's inspiration in writing "Civil Disobedience."

So why the obscurity? Mayer's biography does little to address this paradox. In fact, his book makes Garrison's general absence from the mainstream of American history all the more tenebrous. The man that emerges from the pages of "All on Fire" is a moral giant, a crusader in the purest and best sense of the word, who risked -- indeed, welcomed -- verbal and physical abuse, a life of indigence and scorn, all in pursuit of a truly noble cause. Garrison grew up in New England and never traveled further south than Baltimore until after the Civil War, yet he dedicated his life to the abolition of slavery with an intensity and zeal that surpassed dissident southern whites (such as the Grimke sisters) and even some blacks that had escaped from bondage themselves. Because of his central role in establishing and leading the cause, "All on Fire" is, as the full title suggests, as much a history of the entire abolitionist movement as it is a biography of its leading agitator.

However, a close reading of "All on Fire" also reveals a hidden side of William Lloyd Garrison that Mayer, unfortunately, never fully explores: a man of extreme ambition, vanity, and conceit. Garrison fought tenaciously to keep himself at the front-and-center of the moral movement he came to regard as his own. One senses that the fame and notoriety he gained by his agitation came to mean quite a lot to him. In this sense, Garrison reminds one of a contemporary political gadfly increasingly enamored of his high-profile image: Michael Moore. Perhaps Garrison's attraction to celebrity never fully outweighed his commitment to the ultimate prize of freeing three million humans from bondage, but it certainly meant more than the pious Christian in him would have liked to admit -- and certainly more than biographer Mayer is willing to concede. Again and again throughout the narrative Garrison experiences a painful and personal falling out with some of his closest friends and coadjutors: Frederick Douglas, Wendell Phillips, the Tappan brothers, etc. And time after time Mayer attributes the rift to simple misunderstandings or the result of the stress and pressure of the times. That Garrison might have been something less than the Galahad on ante-bellum America is left unexplored.

Nevertheless, for anyone with a desire to know more about America and especially to learn about a man that was once one of the most controversial and well-known figures of his century, only to sink to near anonymity, this National Book Award finalist can be highly recommended.

this is the best and most easily understood bio of St Augustine, I love it.

This is an excellent scholarly biography of Augustine of Hippo. Peter Brown gives a thorough and balanced treatment of all of the important aspects of Augustine's life, thought, and historical context. I personally used this book as my set textbook for an independent study course I took on St. Augustine when I was attending university.

Brown does a very good job of summarizing important philosophical and theological concepts that are central to understanding Augustine's significance to the history of Christianity.

However, despite my very positive appraisal of this book, I feel that this might not be the best choice for people making their first entry into Augustine.

Augustine's is a severe and forbidding character. His intellectually rigorous reasoning on(and harsh views of) salvation and grace made him an inspiration to Calvin and the Puritans. But gloomy though his view of human nature might be, Augustine was intense and passionate, a theologian and philosopher with a poet's sensitivity to natural beauty and the use of language. This books puts the reader in Augustine's mind and life: there is the young man dedicated to an idealistic pursuit of truth,surrounded by admiring friends and family; later, his imposition of that truth on the all-too-human structure of the early Christian church will be fraught with challenge. Augustine knew Rome and Roman Africa in their glory days; he died as Africa fell to Vandal invaders who would impose a century of brutal rule. Peter Brown brings the tumultuous period in which Augustine lived fully and comprehensively alive; he makes us one with a brilliant, uncompromising, surprisingly compassionate human being.

This a revised edition of a very good biography of St Augustine of Hippo. Although I am in the mist of reading this bio I find the writing inviting and histology very well done.

Peter Brown's AUGUSTINE of HIPPO is epic study of the adventure...the spiritual-intellectual ODYSSEY...that is Life of Aurelius Augustine,Saint and uber-Father of the Christian Church in the West. Brown's peerless biography details(36chapters;437pp)a life of towering intellectual genius from birth in AD 354 in Thagaste,Province of Northern Africa SPQR ;until his death as Bishop of Hippo in AD 430.His education is sweepingly arrayed ~beginning in Carthage as orator and magister;his thorough indoctrination in Manichaeism; his meeting with St.Ambrose and immersion in philosophy of Platonist...the birth & death of his brilliant son,Adeodatus,"gift of God"..;the everlasting presence/influence of his mother,Monica; the epiphany cited in THE CONFESSIONS,"to take and read(Biblical exhortations of St. Paul)"followed by his Conversion/Baptism and quick-fire Ordination as Roman Catholic priest;and almost-instant elevation to Bishop. This prelude is followed by Augustine's unsurpassed career as The West's first & premier existential-psychologist:THOU HAS MADE US FOR THYSELF LORD; AND OUR HEARTS ARE FOREVER RESTLESS UNTIL THEY REST IN THEE; and ironic humorist~LORD MAKE ME PURE...BUT NOT TODAY. As well as arch-foe of anti-Catholic heresy~Donatism; Pelagianism;and the Occult(with which he was expertly familiar having been 10 year Initiate therein).

Augustine's CITY of GOD is not only the first consummate philosophy of History (surpassing Herodotus "then";and Hegel/Spengler & even Marx "now" in effect on history. CITY of GOD shaped the LOGOS,world-view of Western Man for 1000 years/entire MIDDLE AGES(ca~AD 476-AD 1517).Austine wrote catechisms ENCHIRIDION);treatises on Free Will;predestination;and is formulator of the Christian concept of ORIGINAL SIN.Augustinian theology l comprises(ironically)most fundamental notions of Protestant Reformers. Catholic Church champion St.Thomas Aquinas is -as-indebted to him as to Aristotle in framing THE SUMMA THEOLOGICA.


Peter Brown's new St.AUGUSTINE of HIPPO is not so much revision but carefully written...in modus of Augustine..reflection on what he had once written.There is brief preface.There is extensively documented epilogue comprised as New Evidence;& New Directions(pp441-520).There is expanded bibliography & index.The 1967 edition is 463pp;the new is 538pp.
Any student of Augustine knows that with him "more is More. Whether 75pp mas is MORE, the reader will of course determine.Brown's book is the classic,unlikely to be surpassed,study of a genius in the service of God,SERVUS DEI. Any serious student of theology,philosophy;or history of Ideas must confront St.Augustine of Hippo.This profound, mythology-like masterwork is not the opus to start with.But when you're ready "to TAKE & READ",it is matchless story-telling that is worthy of the unique,perhaps most remarkable,QUEST for God & Truth that a great and gifted man ever committed his life toward. (777 stars)

This work of fiction looks, feels and reads like a real journal, full of love, tender memories, and feels to me like it captured some tiny sense of what it must have been like to be Miss Potter. I search for words to express how highly I recommend this book; every one in my family that has enjoyed it felt a sense of excitement and wonder and awe. And the photos are so endearing!

Entralling book at an incredibly low price, fully worth much more! A beautiful and wondrous work of art and whimsy, a joy for all ages! I will be reading and admiring this over and over again. This book is far too lovely to be shelved into a bookcase- do display it and enjoy the sweet memories that viewing it often will invoke! I thank the publishers for an inspired, dedicated, dear, devoted, honorable bestowment to the legacy of Beatrix Potter.

A simply gorgeous book that you must add to your collection. Lots of little pockets and fun stuff within the book. Being a full grown adult...I was very happy to find this colorful and interesting book. Large, thick cover. High quality construction and excellent arrangement.

The biggest question I have about this book is how in the world can it be put on the market for only $13.59? The book is a complete delight. As some of the other reviews have mentioned; it has reproductions of letters, notes, and other items that give inside glimpses into the life and times of Beatrix Potter. There is something on almost every page to surprise and delight the reader.

This book can be enjoyed by both adults and children; it does need to be handled carefully as the reproductions of the notes and letters deserve special care.

Hidden inside the back cover is a reproduction of Beatriz Potter's privately printed edition of 250 copies of "The Tale of Peter Rabbit"; what a delightful finish to a tour of the life of a remarkable woman.

This is a wonderful addition to any Beatrix Potter collection and an amazing value as well!

'Beatrix Potter: A Journal" is a beautifully bound keepsake that Beatirx Potter fans will cherish for years to come. It is presented in the form of a journal or rather an album, and basically contains journal entries dating back to when Beatrix was 16 years old and had begun discovering wonderful things that helped her evolve into the creative writer and creator of Peter Rabbit and friends.

The journal is beautifully put together - there are old family pictures, reproductions of Beatrix's original sketches and drawings, personal documents [e.g. Beatrix's old report card] - what a delight to peruse these treasures. The journal entries themselves make for absorbing reading - though they are in cursive form and younger reders may need help with deciphering what is written. There are reproductions of letters to family and friends,delightful illustrations throughout the journal. Of interest is information as to how certain characters in The Tale of Peter Rabbit and Friends was inspired by real-life people, such as the character of Farmer McGregor.

There are many lift-the-flap features in this journal that makes it even more of a treat - there's an envelope containing a reproduction of the letter which contains the story of Peter Rabbit complete with illustrations, a map of the beautiful Lake District, a paper version of the game of Peter Rabbit, and the prize jewel in this journal - right at the end of the journal, embedded into it, is a little book "The Tale of Peter Rabbit"! One would not know it, for it is concealed so well - and indeed a delight to peruse.

I can't recommend this highly enough. I am a life-long fan of Beatrix Potter and my three-year old daughter is following in my footsteps. It is such a treat to be able to share this book with her!

HE TELLS WHAT HOLLYWOOD IS ALLBOUT. HE WRITES GREAT AND TELLS WHAT HIS LIFES ALBOUT.

This book is a great journey of someone's life. Skip E. Lowe is a true show business character--as much a part of the town as the Holllywood Sign and the billboards of Angelyne. His life is filled with pathos and happiness. From cover to cover the book is a pure joy. You'll find yourself wondering who could possibly play Mr. Lowe in the movie that undoubtedly will come from this fabulous life memoir.

Okay, I'll admit it. I bought Skip E. Lowe's memoir with the idea that it would be a horrendous hack-job full of celebrity groveler and rampant name-dropping. Needless to say, I was floored when The Boy with the Betty Grable Legs turned out to be a compelling autobiography written with panache and a good deal of humility.

Lowe's book is difficult to put down. Lowe does well to balance his personal tragedies (Lowe seemed to attract molestation the way flowers attract bees) with his career as an entertainer. While his brief mention of his part in BLACK SHAMPOO is akin to Orson Welles skipping over CITIZEN KANE, Lowe's book manages to stand tall on its own shapely legs. (ISBN: 0964963582)

LOVE THIS BOOK IT TAKES YOU EVERY ALL OVER THE WORLD AND FEEL LIKE I WAS THERE.ITS SO GOOD LOVE IT THANKS FOR THE JOURNEY .. WHAT A LIFE.

I picked up Skip E. Lowe's book on the recommendation of a friend, but had no idea that I was in for such an amazing read. In addition to having some unforgettable stories to tell, he is able to share them with complete emotional honesty, which provides surprisingly human insight into this larger-than-life world in which he has lived. I recommend this as a "must read" to all who are interested in learning about the Golden Days of Hollywood, the truly fascinating character once known as Sammy Labella, and the ups and downs of an unconventional life. By relating his madcap adventures and the lessons he has learned, Skippy does the best job I've ever seen at creating a road map for the road less travelled.

First off, full disclosure. I have met Kimberly, and we have exchanged emails. I respect her as a journalist, and now as an author.

Her book is a quick read, but not always a pleasant one. In her brisk style honed as a broadcast writer conveys a candid and authoritative narrative. I found three themes of particular interest.

Her description of military medical practices is fascinating. She gives a detailed yet comprehensible explanation of the life-saving methods practiced by corpsmen and medics on the battlefield. Procedures immediately after the explosion are clearly spelled out, and I think that has to be a comfort to anyone who has a friend or relative in harm's way.

She also tells us about the long and agonizing rehabilitation process from start to finish. Too often we only hear about the tragic incident and then the outcome, whether it's happy or bittersweet. The gut-wrenching middle gets left out or short-changed. But Kimberly clarifies the recovery process without being maudlin or grotesque. This book is highly recommended for anyone facing long recovery from serious injury (and for their family and friends).

Kimberly's decision regarding the choice of psychotropic drugs versus counseling is instructive and can be a guide to others in similar situations. She recognized, or perhaps just sensed, that she did not need drugs. Of the three states of mental health problems -- stress, distress and disorder - she was battling the first two, but not the third.

Her counseling references also are in stark contrast to the situation for many active military personnel. DOD recognizes other mental health professions for independent insurance reimbursement, but not certified counselors. This is a disturbing disincentive, particularly at a time when the shortage of mental health care services for military personnel and their families is well documented. Maybe her book will prod (or shame) the military establishment into making counselors more readily available to service personnel and their families.

Her editors let her down in a few places (dropped words, redundant passages), but otherwise "Breathing the Fire" is a good story told well, with interesting information and revelations for just about any reader.

This is an excellent book, contemplative and moving in its detailed descriptions of a U.S. news reporter's first hand experience of war. Dozier's discussion of her near death and recovery from severe injury and loss is as captivating as it is frightening. Written in the prose style of a scrupulous reporter but with the rhythm of fiction, the book brings the reader into places of desire, anticipation, shock, betrayal, anger and triumph.
Breathing the Fire is recommended for anyone concerned about the Iraq war -- a real war that permanently affects the lives of journalists and photographers, soldiers, translators, health care workers and their families.

Remarkably unflinching - Kimberly Dozier's narrative voice in "Breathing the Fire" describes her road to recovery after being seriously injured on Memorial Day 2006 by a horrific car bombing in Iraq which killed four others, including the CBS cameraman and soundman she worked alongside. In meticulous detail, Dozier dissects the details of the bombing and day-to-day decisions around her medical care and rehabilitation, and punctuates them with her observations and feelings, allowing a rare peek into the mind of someone who has survived an extremely traumatic experience. Even after she learns how to walk again and returns to the newsroom - the author learns that there is no textbook for adjusting to a "new normal" and how to respond to people as they react to seeing a walking miracle. The book sheds light on the experiences of many struggling to recover from the wounds of war. You also learn what drew her to journalism and led her to be a foreign correspondent in a war zone. Readers are introduced to a wealth of supportive people who played pivotal roles in her recovery - from Iowa National Guardsman Staff Sgt. Jeremy Coke who tied the tourniquet on her leg after the bombing that saved her life, to her friends at CBS, innumberable medical and rehab personnel, her parents, and her boyfriend, Pete. Destined to become one of the critical memoirs chronicling the Iraq War.

I started reading this book and could not put it down. It is an inspiring work. Ms. Dozier has given the reader an honest appraisal of her experience to heal herself and heal the many others broken by the ravages of this war. Her story is told in a bipartisan manner, not at all political and should be read by all soldiers and all who care about our soldiers.

I read this book thinking, "I am not sure if I can relate to this". War stories are not my reading genre of choice. But, I had met Kim over the phone one day and so received an e-mail from her letting me and all her address book addressees that her book had been published. So, I ordered one from Amazon not quite knowing what to expect. This book is so NOT a war story. It is the courageous story of a woman with a goal who achieved that goal, a goal which led her into combat where a life-changing event changed her life forever, as well as so many other lives. I was drawn in the moment I started reading. Kim's writing is clear, concise, factual, with just the right amount of emotion and personality. She lets people in to her very personal yet very public experience without a hint of self pity or any reference to a "poor me" attitude. The book is an inspiring one about a woman of intelligence, bravery, dedication, and love who dared to follow her dream, went through a nightmare, and is today a source of strength to people chasing a dream or living with their own struggle.