Non-fiction Books

Rybakov does a masterful job of showing the complexities of the Stalinist Soviet Union. Through the eyes of a clique of young Soviet students in the 1930's we are caught up in the post-revolutionary euphoria as Stalin sought to build "socialism in one country." Gradually the sinister aspects of Stalinism become apparent, as each character must decide the path they will take. Some simply go along and hope for the best, some work within the system (joining the NKVD), others are exiled to Siberia. _Children of the Arbat_ has been righly compared to _Dr. Zhivago_. It is a masterpiece of contemporary Russian literature. Highly recommended.

This book is excellent. It great for people like me who don't like history. Through this book you will go in the world of Russia in the time of Stalin. The history is interestingly incorporated in the lives of the Russian people. I hope that you will read this book because it's really great.

This volume was first written in the 1960's Soviet Union under Krushchev's less onerous regime. By the time Children of the Arbat was ready for print Brezhnev had taken power and any dissent was supressed. Arbat was in fact, not printed until 1987.

The novel takes place in 30's Russia on the eve of the Great Purges under Stalin. The Arbat itself is street in Moscow which was once a bazaar and then (and now) the location of several cafe's and ourdoor music.

Children of the Arbat is great work combining literature and political commentary. Rybakov shows the impact of the terror on a small group of friends and relations. His portrayal of Stalin is on the mark, cold and ruthless.

An excellent novel of an era in Russia that should never be forgotten.

I picked up this book after being told that it's a "must read" for anyone wishing to gain insight into life in 1930's Stalinist Russia. This is a gripping, though tragic, story of an idealistic boy who aspires to a life of service to the Soviet Union. His idealism is ultimately used against him, and his life thrown away by party members whose sole concern is self-protection and advancement. Unfortunately, while this is clearly the story of the author, the reader can't help but sense it's also the story of millions of youth in that time and place.

If you want a glimpse into the proverbial "Russian soul" and the factors that have shaped it, this book is an excellent place to start.

It is not always easy to keep track of the many threads in this sprawling 685 page novel about the Soviet Union in 1933 and 1934, on the eve of the murder of Kirov and the Reign of Terror. But it gives a superb picture of the period: a vivid portrait of Stalin and his thought processes, of the lives of young people in Moscow, of how it was already possible for devoted and loyal communists to be sent into political exile. (Most people know about the slave labour in the Gulags, but fewer know of what life was like for political exiles, who lived more freely among the villagers of Southern Siberia). Among the people we meet are idealistic and decent communists as well as ambitious and scheming ones. It stands up remarkably well in the light of all the new knowledge that has become available since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the opening of the archives. In particular, Rybakov's picture of Stalin is confirmed by Simon Sebag-Montefiore's chilling "Stalin: the Court of the Red Tsar" (2003)

This book is an historical fiction readers dream, set in England just prior to the restoration period and during it. Julia Pallister lives with her feisty grandmother, a former lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth I, and her mother Anne, a gentle mild mannered woman who lives only for the day when her husband returns home from exile with Prince Charles. Their home has been saved from sequestration by the Parliamentarians by the old love affair between Julia's grandmother and the neighbouring landowner, a Cromwell supporter, but, upon his death, the order is revoked and their home is taken over by a tyrannical Parliamentarian, Makepeace Walker who was one of the signators of the death warrant of CharlesI. After Julia's father is shot and killed by the Roundheads, Makepeace forces Anne into marriage by threatening to put the entire household out on the street. The story continues and takes in the Great Plague of 1665 and the Great Fire of London in 1666, Julia's youthful adoration of childhood friend, Christopher Wren and her eventual happy marriage to the grandson of her grandmother's old lover. I loved this book which was similar in time and setting to the great Forever Amber.

I believe this book was more romantic fiction than historical fiction however the novel itself was still enjoyable. The characters were vividly described but I would still like to know how things would have worked between Christiopher and Julia besides the perspective given by Katherine in the novel. How would the whole plot change? I would like to see companion book written. If you're a big fan of historical romance, this is a must.

The story begins with Julia, youngest child of Royalists Robert and Anne Pallister, and her older brother Michael as they live in the constant fear of their estate being taken from them by Cromwell's Parliamentarians, as England's civil war rages around them. Michael and Robert both join Charles II's cause and subsequent tragedies strike the family leaving Robert's widow Anne to make a drastic choice to avoid loosing her family home forever to a Cromwell supporter. As Julia matures, the story follows her life and marriage as Charles II returns to rule England and on through the plague and great fire of London.

Unfortunately, what should have been a ripping good story just falls a bit flat to this reader. The author spends way too much time on Julia's childhood experiences, I would have preferred to have the background told in flashbacks and have the story start off as Julia reaches maturity (note to self - never ever complain about an author's backtracking to past history after getting the story going), we didn't see Julia wed and in London as Charles is crowned King until well after the first half of the book. I also would have preferred to have Julia and Adam more involved in Charles' court and its intrigues instead of being side line players in the action. Lastly, as much as I enjoy an author setting the scene and describing the clothes, furnishings, etc. so that I have a good sense of time and place, Laker goes way over the top describing everything in too minute of a detail and I found myself skimming quite a bit through those lengthy descriptions.

All in all, a pleasantly entertaining book to read if you are interested in the period or a fan of the author, but certainly not the best to be read in this period and most definitely doesn't come close to the standard set by Kathleen Winsor's awesome Forever Amber. Three stars.

"Rosalind Laker" is my great aunt and I have read many of her books. Of all of them this has to be the best of them all!

This was the first Laker book I read and, I have to say, it is amazing! The details about the house, the era, the dress, everything is just superb. After reading this I was really into furniture with hidden compartments and, of course, reading more Rosalind Laker novels. Her books will never go out of style!

It has been years since I have read anything to which I connected in this way, and I am in the phase where I recommend it only to people I very much like.

I have never read a book that better describes the fullness of life and emotions and the grace of acceptance. The weaving of philosophy throughout the book provides a handle for the characters to check and compare the lives they thought they would lead and the ones they are living and how to help each other along in that journey. The many sides of friendship shine brightly. The perils and joys of love in all its complexity are drawn with Schwartz's lush brush of words. The depth and breadth of grief felt with the loss of a child will never be better defined in all it's many facets. This book is a gift to readers.

I really enjoyed this book. But I disagree with the other reviewers about the language. I thought it was good to discuss philosophy but I felt the rhetoric got in the way of the story. I lost interest in the characters for awhile and skipped over much of the dialogue. I liked the theme of the book and definatly understood the "Disturbances in the Field." I just wish the author didn't jump around from chapter to chapter. I hardly realized what had happened to change their lives so drastically until a few pages into the chapter. All in all, I'm glad I read this book but I didn't need Philosophy 101 again to enjoy it.

This book is, quite simply, a wonder to read. Lydia Rowe -- a grown woman, married to an artist and the mother of four children -- experiences one of life's deepest tragedies. But the novel is not about the tragedy; rather, it explores nothing less than how to be human.

How do the insights and guidance of ancient philosophers impact us when life temporarily stops making sense? How is romantic love different from platonic love and the love of friends ("another self"), and how do they complement each other? How do you reach a point of acceptance -- with yourself, your dearest friends, and the haphazard world? When do you need to be apart and when must you come together? And what is the role of forgiveness in often unforgiving times?

All these questions -- and more -- are explored in this masterwork. Never is a false note hit. The growth and blossoming of friendships...the trials and rewards of motherhood...the coming together and rendering apart of marital couples...all these are tackled and the characters are all rich and three-dimensional.

After reading Disturbances in the Field, I found myself easily irritated with the next couple of books I picked up (some of them prize-winning). Lynn Sharon Schwartz has an instinctive knowledge of being human, and it shines throughout. I cannot recommend highly enough.

I recommend reading this book as a pair with Kate Walbert's "Our Kind," for a rich and comprehensive look at what happened to the "Seven Sisters" (i.e., Wellesley, Smith, Vassar, Barnard) women from the 1950s and early 1960s. "Disturbances in the Field" is the kind of book that makes you run out to the bookstore or library to see what else you can find by the author--it's that good. I think other readers probably got even more out of it than I did, being unfamiliar as I was with a lot of the philosophers mentioned and the tenets of their schools of thought. But the stories that this novel tells about Lydia and all her friends from this era have plenty to offer even if you are not familiar with the philosophers. I would recommend sticking with it through the first few pages, which might seem a little daunting at first--it is definitely worth seeing through to the end.

Doomfarers of Coromonde is divided into four distinct sections: "Of Deaths, Of Departures," "APC," "Freegate, Beyond, and Elsewhere," and "On Home Ground." I purchased this novel because other reviews raved about how 'non-gamers get transported into a fantasy world.'

I was misled.

In part one, the entire story follows Prince Springbuck, fantasy cliche, who is denied his throne by a nefarious plot involving the court sorcerer Yardrif Bey and his older brother Strongblade. If you've read fantasy, you've seen this before.

In part two, to match a summoned dragon sent after Springbuck, the sorcerer Andre deCourtney summons an APC from the jungles of Vietnam. Afterwards, the tank crew takes a portal into Amon's hell on a rescue mission. By far this was the highlight of the book, as Gil MacDonald is given a starring role with his tank crew the Nine Mob.

Gil MacDonald is the character who makes the book. He doesn't show up in part three, as Springbuck mounts rebellion against his brother.

Following the instructions of Van Duyn, a master inventor who discovered how to travel between worlds (and adopted Coromonde as his home), Gil returns for part four. Everything is wrapped up in a neat little package, but I guess that's what first novels do.

I'll be checking out The Starfollowers of Coramonde, but while entertaining, this book wasn't a great novel. The theme of 'Doomfaring' (defined poetically as seeking justice against impossible odds and therefore expecting one's doom) separated it from a normal guns and sorcery book for me. By writing quality I could tell it was a first novel, but it might be awesome for a new fantasy reader. Experienced readers, don't expect to be wowed.

This one grabs you and keeps you grabbed. If you are buying this one, buy the sequel now too. If you don't, you'll just be ticked after you turn the last page and realize you now have to WAIT. ;)

I read this and Doomfarers when they first came out during the horrid period in the 80s when fantasy was either new Conan novels or plain junk. Only Glen Cook's Black Company series kept me as entertained as these two books did. I can't recommend these two enough.

Though this book and its companion are now out of print, don't hestitate to buy them used. Like other reviewers here, I have read the Coramonde duology many times over the years, and enjoyed every reading. Though not high literature, these are two of the most readable and entertaining books I've ever read, and a personal benchmark for simply pleasurable fiction.

I re-read the Doomfarers and Starfollowers at least once every year. Mr. Daley was one of those authors who threw you right into the action within the first few pages and unfolded the history and detail as he went. Brian Daley served in the Army and it shows in the books attention to detail. I highly recommend.

I found the Spanish easy to understand, though his philosophy went over my head!

Aunque no estes de acuerdo con todas las ideas de Octavio Paz, las reflexiones y los analisis de esta mente birllante ayudan a entender nuestra magnifica raza. La escritura lleva al lector al pasado y al presente, para poder entender la condicion de Mexico y su gente. Todos los Mexicanos deberian de sentarse a devorar este libro que clarificara las costumbres de nuestra gente y nos ayuda a entender que tiene que cambiar en nuestra politica para tener un pais mas prospero.

Paz, el ganador del Premio Nobel de 1990, escribo tantos libros destacados-Sor Juana, El arco y la lira, pero este representa el cumbre de su poder artistico. El escribe sobre el hombre mexicano en todas sus formas y tribulaciones. El libro es, al mismo tiempo, un ensayo(o mejor, un libro de ensayos), un analisis, una historia, y, sobre todo, una pregunta-en que consiste este hombre cuyo origen forma parte de la conquista de America, un proceso ya en proceso.

Empieza la obra discutiendo "el pachuco"-una figura del medio siglo XX que representaba la ambiguedad y la frenesi del hispano en los estados unidos durante ese periodo. Despues de esta discusion, continua explicando la cultura hispana desde la epoca precolumbina hasta la revolucion mexicana. Termina la historia con este evento, y la unica cosa que le hace falta a la obra es un analisis de la historia contemporanea.

Este seria el primer libro que le recomienda sobre Mexico al nuevo estudiante.

Octavio Paz, el escritor que haya definido nuestra vida como "olvidado asombro de estar vivos", nos habla de sus ensayos escritos más que hace cincuenta años. Su "La Dialéctica de la Soledad", uno de sus ensayos más destacados, presente sus puntos de vista sobre la soledad no solamente mexicana, sino también la de hombre presente mismo. Paz trata varios temas ensayísticos con la cristalina claridad y persigue un proyecto casi filosófico: muestra la alma mexicana con sus raíces aztecas, su plaza en la vida antigua y contemporánea y, finalmente, su visión de "soñar con los ojos cerrados". Justamente por este ensayo mismo atrevo a recomendar todo el libro tratando de la soledad, cuya presencia en nuestra vida diaria es tan obvia. Además, un interesado en la obra de Octavio Paz debería leer su discurso que había pronunciado en el año 1990 con el motivo de agradecer el galardonar de Premio Nobel. Leyendo Paz, uno descubre que Paz ya contestó muchas de nuestras cuestiónes inquietantes ...

Octavio Paz wrote the definitive sociological book that deciphered the Mexican character. He correctly diagnosed that, in fact, the Mexican was stuck in a labyrinth and condemned to find a way out, and in many respects is still trying to find that way out. He understood that he would receive harsh criticism and he did. However, he stayed true to his calling as a man of letters and delivered a book that must indeed be read by anyone wanting to understand the make-up of the Mexican or the serious scholar searching for understanding in the field of Mexican history. I strongly and without reservation recommend this book, it will change your outlook on this important country and most importantly on the inhabitants and descendants of it forever.

I believe this is Asimov's best fiction.

A story of the far future of our galaxy where a galactic empire is beginning to disintegrate. A man named Hari Seldon discovers the science of "psychohistory" (scientific 'prophecy' using mathematics and the law of large numbers as it relates to human behavior), and finds a way to minimize the decline. This plan requires the formation of a Foundation near the edge of the galaxy. The plot takes off from there.

Once you start this work, you will have a hard time putting it down. I really believe George Lucas got some of his ideas for STAR WARS from this trilogy.

--George Stancliffe

Foundation owes its genesis to young Asimov reading Edward Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. As the author explains, he started thinking, what would happen if he described the fall of a GALACTIC Empire? Armed with a "science" of history known as psychohistory, Asimov and his editor John W. Campbell set about trying to describe the fall and rebirth of that mythic Empire. While the trilogy (and even the subsequent sequels) did not finish the 1,000-year cycle, enough was described to bring about some rather intriguing fiction.

Asimov, of course, is fond of puzzles involving logic. While logic is rather hazy regarding human behavior (the "Laws of Psychohistory" are deliberately kept off-stage), the characters are nevertheless able to make guesses that fall within the expectations of said logic.

The prime element in the resurrection of the Empire is, of course, Hari Seldon, the greatest psychohistorian in history. Seeing through his equations that the galaxy is about to fall into ruin, Seldon strives to create a "Foundation" which will preserve the wisdom of the old empire when the collapse comes. This Foundation will ensure that, instead of thousands of years of barbarism following the collapse, only 1,000 years will ensue. The Foundation begins harmlessly enough, as a scientific organization, designed to write the "Encyclopedia Galactica," a repository for all the galaxy's knowledge. However, as the Empire falls and the scientists of the Foundation are isolated by the barbarism on the galactic periphery (in a series of "Seldon Crises"), it becomes much more. That is the basic context of the first book in the series.

Seldon also creates a "Second Foundation." The purpose of this organization, located at "Star's End," is to monitor the Seldon plan and make sure the First Foundation comes to no harm in its slow quest to restore the Empire.

If some of this sounds vaguely like Star Wars, you wouldn't be far wrong. Much of that trilogy owes its existence to Asimov's work. The most blatant example is the planet Coruscant, which echoes Asimov's Trantor, the capital world of the Empire, which is an entire world-city.

My favorite book in the Foundation series is Foundation and Empire, because they offer the most opportunity for action and challenge for the Foundation. As the series originally appeared as a series of short stories and novellas in Campbell's Astounding, the "novel" is really two stories. In the first story, the Foundation finds itself facing its first real threat--a strong Empire at the galactic core, with a strong general capable of defeating the Foundation. In the next contest, the Foundation comes up against a telepathic enemy known as "The Mule," who starts mucking about with the Foundation's path toward eventual Empire.

The third book, Second Foundation, describes a search for the "Second Foundation." This search comes in earnest, after the setbacks the First Foundation faced in the second book. Asimov manages to end the stories well, and Asimov manages to keep the reader guessing.

I really enjoyed the series when I read it in high school. The stories were great exercises in logic and managed to provide some sense of adventure. Looking back, I can see some "primitive" technological aspects of Asimov's "Future History," but that takes little away from the story. One innovation for this series was the invention of the pocket calculator (the stories appeared in the early '40s). Asimov took reluctant credit for the invention since, like Heinlein's water bed, he never thought of patenting it.

This is actually an excellent, kid-friendly introduction to science fiction, as it presents a lot of mental puzzles and very little violence. Given the time it was written and Asimov's own literary tastes, it is rather free from violence, sex, or other "adult situations." There have been grander epics, but this is one of the first to appear in science fiction form. Read from the master, and learn.

Twenty Stars ********************

Long before the notion of using a vision of the future to help shape the future, there was Foundation by Isaac Asimov. This popular book and series have undoubtedly played a role in developing the importance of vision in our society in the 50 years since these stories were first written.

The book is also prescient in another way. The current best thinking about problem solving is that scenario-based exercises are the best way to prepare to influence the future. Sure enough, that is what Asimov was talking about with Seldon's forecasting techniques.

If that was all that Asimov accomplished, this would be one of the greatest science fiction novels of all time. But he did even more. He conceptualized the significance of finding offsets to the kind of bureaucratic stalls that can delay progress. While Joseph Heller was inventing Catch 22 to identify the problem, Asimov was already onto the cure. Asimov's solution: a secret second foundation that works behind the scenes without bureaucracy to do the real work of making a difference. In my own research on how change happens in organizations, it is always the stealth activities that work best.

In a sense, any view of history would lead to the same conclusion -- that progress and regression will usually succeed one another in that order. That was the point of Toynbee's work on history. Asimov has made that point very elegantly here.

What I love about this book are the many brilliant philosophical perspectives woven into the story. I wish my philosophy classes had been this interesting!

The drawback of the book is that Asimov is not one to overly polish his writing. So it works, but lacks the beauty we normally associate with great books. Don't let that hold you back.

These ideas and concepts for dealing with them are among the most irresitible ever conceived of for thinking about our futures. As you read and enjoy this wonderful novel, be sure to consider what its lessons are for existing organizations, like the one your work for, the schools your children or grandchildren attend, the government, and volunteer organizations like the Red Cross. You'll be amazed how much more you will get from this book if you do. For this is really a management book, as well as a science fiction book.

This book has constantly inspired me. I hope it will do the same for you!

I still remember being intimidated by this book when I was in grade school. You see, Asimov was what "smart people" read. I also remember the summer that I read the entire trilogy, it was the first time that I was completely immersed in a satisfying, intelligent, alternate reality.

Epic, is the only way to describe this opus. Starting in a Galactic Empire that is starting to slip into decline, then on to the monastic settlement of the Foundation and it's mission to preserve the best of the old civilization, then on to the recivilization of the ruins of the old Empire. If I recall correctly, it takes around 1000 years, but without the foundation it would have meant 10 times more chaos and darkness. It is the sense of mission and purpose that holds the whole thing together. And if you like mysteries and surprises, there is the matter of the Second Foundation....

Asimov wrote this when he was pretty young. He still had an unshakable faith that science could accomplish anything. Indeed, he saw a traditional clockwork universe that a sufficiently great mind, like Hari Seldon, could mathematically unlock. Later on in his writing Asimov matured- until he saw the galaxy itself as a living, evolving organism- a grand Gaia hypothesis.

One other thing, having grown up in New York, I think young Asimov saw himself as Hari Seldon in seeing a decadent and declining civilisation before anyone else. You know, he may just have been right....

First of all up until I read the Foundation Trilogy back in 1986 I was not one for reading fiction, never mind Sci Fi. I bought the book, used, from a friend and one quiet weekend started to read it, I could not put it down, I was smitten by the Asimov bug. Read what ever reviews you wish but remember it is fiction,...Science Fiction and at the time of writing it was Isaac Asimov's, one persons, vision/opinion/thoughts of the future of mankind. As of a result of reading the Trilogy edition I now have most of his books and as to date have not been able to find another comparable author, although Arthur C Clarke has come close with his Rama series.

Read it and I am sure the vast majority of you will thoroughly enjoy it.

My child had to read this book for a summer reading requirement. Naturally, I read the book to be sure he would do a good job. I encourage anyone to read this book, as it has a great story line. The author has the ability to take the reader into the story and keep the reader captivated. I found that in the middle of the book I could not put it down, as I was enthralled on finding out what would take place next. The author has done the research behind the culture of the characters, and has managed to voice the humor to reflect.

Goodbye Vietnam would be a good book for children or adults interested in history.I for instance am interested in books about history i rated this book with only 3 stars because i feel they dont talk enough about what is important in this book. With this book things need to be explained more about what is happening.

I first got interested in Vietnam at the age of 7. My eldest sister's husband was born in Vietnam. From everything he and his family has told me about it, it is 110% acurrate. It is very special to me because of my brother-in-laws life there. HE escaped Vietnam, and it is true how they live on platforms. Anyway, it's an awesome book. It is amongst the best books I've ever read.

My friends were reading this book and they said it was good so I triend it and it is one of my favorite books now. This book is a story about a girl and how she escapes with her family to Hong Kong and then on to America. Its a have to read!

I believe that this book is good for children because it explains things like sacrifice, suffering, and courage clearly. If a child reads this book, he or she will be interested because the principal character (a 13 years old) is telling the story. So, young readers can feel good witn this book, and also they learn about the true meaning of life. Finally, I would recomended that all children read this fantastic story.

The calendar has a page of stickers with major milestones and is made to be personalized for your child. It also comes with a height cart for the wall. The beginning of the calendar has space for a photo and a page for a family tree (to grandparents).

This is a wonderful first year calendar. I looked at several calendars and this was by far the best. It is so adorable, and will work for a boy or girl. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a first year calendar.

I had a great calendar for my son's first year but couldn't find one when my daughter was born this spring. I looked everywhere. Then I found this one. The images tell the entire story of "Guess How Much I Love You" and the colors are lovely. It's so pretty that I've hung it in Simone's nursery so I can access it daily. My only wish was that there were pockets on each page for little keepsakes. My son's calendar had that and it was great for tucking in things like "first baseball tickets" and the like until the one day make it into a scrapbook (maybe!) I would certainly buy this product again.

I love this idea and have used it for both of my children during their first year. It is so much easier than a baby book or journal and it creates a simple way to record the little but important things every day both as a reference for the next child and as a cherished treasure to look back upon when they're older. We like this one because of the stickers and classic theme, but wish it had a place to put photos of the child during each month.

I really wanted to keep track of my babies milestones. As the new Mom of an infant there is so little time. Every night before I go to bed I can write down the days milestones. It is amazing looking back over the last few weeks how much he has grown.

My thirty-five-year-old copy of this book is worn to tatters, and not just because of O'Connor's killer sense of humor. When overwhelmed by it all, this book does the trick. These letters won't be what her readers expect. True, they are ironic, economical, vivid, and eccentric. But their eccentricity runs not to blood, evil, and delusions; it runs to peacock farming. And--although a few noted writers are correspondents-- O'Connor mainly recounts the daily routines: setting the table, collecting the mail, entertaining the neighbors, reading the latest book. But seen through her eyes, these events are page-turners. Meanwhile, without one grain of saccharine, she conveys her acceptance, contentment, and steely dedication to writing while crippled with lupus (which killed her before she was forty.) But no bitterness here. Not only do you get absorbed in the writing; your own problems become trivial. By the way, aside from being one of the best writers I've ever read, she may also be the most authentically southern. By this I don't mean she's from the south. I mean she nails southern speech without ever resorting to embarassing attempts at "dialect."
If you're from the south too, you'll know what I mean.

This book is wonderful. If you're interested in O'Connor, you should definitely read it. AND, if you're NOT interested in O'Connor, this will make you interested in her. This book gives meaning to all her other stories.

I thought the title, "The Habit of Being" was extremely strange. But as you read it, it becomes very clear why a) it was titled that and b) O'Connor exemplified that motto.

Throughout this book you will see a thoughtful, kind, and analytical artist love on her work and her friends--in the most natural, uninhibited way. She spells words wrong. She speaks of her failing health. She talks about life on the farm. In the next letter it'll be theology and Aristotle though. It's beautiful and you will learn a lot from it.

That said...it's almost 600 pages long. BUT, I couldn't put it down.

She's witty and extremely funny too.

One of her best friends complied this set of letters to share the real Flannery with the public. That she did, and it is a blessing indeed.

is like the impact of violence," Flannery O'Connor once wrote, which doesn't explain her stories but does help illuminate them. Having read her short stories and seen the cult film of Wise Blood, I nevertheless approached her letters gingerly. However, they hail from a time and tradition when letter writing was not only an art but a means of expression and communication. She works out a lot of the ideas she's writing about in her letters, which makes reading the finished works that much more fascinating.

O'Connor raised peacocks and lived on a farm in Georgia, but she also had lupus, an incurable disease. She's not sentimental about it (or about most things); she'd be a candidate for a Catholic realist (if there is such a category). Almost any writer or reader will find these letters fascinating for what they reveal about O'Connor and her method of working. Almost any spiritually-minded reader will find them equally intriguing for her insights on the human condition. Because Protestants don't have sacraments (Catholics have seven sacraments, Protestants have two), she once suggested, they have to make everything up as they go along. That seems to me to be the case in some post-modern churches where, it would seem, anything goes. But it would be incorrect, as Ralph Wood shows in Flannery O'Connor and the Christ-haunted South, to think she therefore held the fundamentalists who people her books in disdain, as did liberal Protestants and much of society in her time. Her generous nature is one reason so many are returning to reading O'Connor, and so many new readers are discovering her.

These letters offer deep insight into the importance of the Catholic faith to Flannery O'Connor and to her audience of a number of decades ago. I found it an important book for today as well because we are still breathing in the toxic gas of nihilism. Not only did I enjoy her writings, but I found them to be exceptional well constructed.

Flannery O'Connor's correspondence is a fine testimony to humor, faith, and work in the life of a fascinating and absolutely unswerving human being. As she says in a letter to Andrew Lytle from this collection, the fact that she was a Catholic kept her from being a regional writer and the fact that she was a Southerner kept her from being a Catholic writer. If you want the best tutorial you're apt to ever read on how to write fiction, forget the usual "Write a Novel in 30 Days" garbage and get a copy of THE HABIT OF BEING. She'll also teach you quite a bit about living.

This is one of the best books I have read about the OSS operations in a theatre that is rarely considered.

WEB Griffin fills a gap in my military history of actions outside the main combat arenas. He obviously researches thoroughly and the result is gripping all the way through.

Honor Bound captures your attention at the start and never lets go. While there is not really a lot of "action," the story, the settings and the character development all make for an excellent book.

The story is the recruitment and development of an OSS team to carry out a secret mission to disrupt German submarine activity in neutral Argentina during WWII. The sub story is the reconnection of a powerful Argentine father and his American son who have not seen each other since the son was an infant. Several other sub stories are also woven in. All are interesting and well told.

The primary setting is WWII Buenos Aires. Most of us are unaware of the atmosphere there during the war, so that makes for a good learning experience. Other settings include Guadacanal, Midland (Texas) and New Orleans. All add interest to the story.

Griffen also does an excellent job of developing his characters. The primary ones really come to life.

If you are looking for "shoot 'em up" action, this book is not for you. If you are looking for a fascinating book about an arena that you probably know little about, give this a try. I am pretty sure you won't be disappointed.

The book set in WWII Argentina, "Honor Bound" is a great historical fiction of the WWII espionage game, coupled with an intense and dynamic story line. Cletus Frade, is a magnificent hero who has intensity, likeability, and charm. The secondary characters are richly developed and are as interesting in many cases as the hero. This story wraps you up in the characters, make you care about them, and takes you on a wonderful journey that ends way too soon, thankfully there are two more books in the series.
This is the best W.E.B. Griffin book yet in my opinion, and one of the most enjoyable books that I have ever had the pleasure of reading!
OVERALL SCORE: (A+)
PLOT: (A+), CHARATERS: (A+), DIALOGUE: (A), SETTING: (A), ACTION/COMBAT: (B-), ANTAGONISTS: (A+), ROMANCE: (A-), SEX: (Light), AGE LEVEL: (PG)

Shipped home from the Pacific, Cletus Frade learns that he will be sent to Argentina to aid in the war effort against the Nazis. He and two other Americans are sent to Argentina to sink a Nazi ship refueling and rearming German U-boats. In Argentina Cletus meets his long lost father, a very important man in Argentina and tries to sway him toward the United States. During the course of his mission Frade comes upon many problems, falls in love and builds a strong relationship with his father.
I recommend this book very highly. This book never had a dull moment. This is the second book of W.E.B. Griffin that I have read and I enjoyed both of them. This book takes place during World War Two and contains a lot of real to the time's technology and information. Griffin obviously spent a great deal of time researching before he wrote this book. It pays off. The quality of the story is greatly enhanced by the use of factual information. Of the many books in this genre that I have read this is one of the better ones. The story line drives along at a steady action packed pace. Though this book is projected more towards the middle-aged male demographic, I think that anyone who enjoys espionage, romance, anyone interested in World War Two or anyone who enjoys fiction would greatly enjoy reading this book. This is a great book and I recommend it to anyone.