U Books

The Best Angel cards...

When we are alone...with no one to talk too...these cards were like having an intelligent... un-conditional... loving....Best Friend...who was not only kind...but...also wise...

We honestly do not know what that kind of healing energy can feel like...as humans...we do not possess this energy...'it is'... a learned skill...So...not only will "We" `See...&...Feel' what true kindness... "IS"... "WE" will also learn how to be it...

AnnE

When I bougth this oracle kit, I expect much more than it can offers, frist the angelic descriptions are poor and weak, they are flat and don't give you any thing new.
The majority angel's faces in the cards are coarse, they have no innocence or tenderness or peaceful or the attributes suppose they have.
But when you use it, It can give you a good advice, this is the only thing good about, maybe is the most important thing, but if you are talking about angels or with them, trought the cards or any other way, You'd expect they be heavenly.
I've this kit in spanish, but I don't think this differ much from the english version.

Every morning, my fiance and I light a candle and draw a card. He asks specific questions, I usually just ask for guidance for the day ahead. They are so inspirational and it reminds us to acknowlege and thank God and the Angels for each new and wonderful day

This is the first angel oracle deck/book I ever bought and I still use it. I love the artwork. The book is excellent on it's own. I have never had a reading with these cards that was bad or un-true. They always come up right. I would recomend this deck to anyone looking for an accurate oracle. If you've never bought angel oracle cards before, I recomend you start with this deck. The spreads listed are easy to remeber and the cards are beautiful and accurate. The info for each card is easy to understand. But like I said I would recomend this to anyone - beginner or advanced.

It's been a long time since I'm looking for a steady reference on Angel Cards, as one more of the personal 'tools' I use to enlarge my study and interest on forms, symbols, ancient and contemporary myths and art images. As I deal with fine arts and artists on my daily work on broadcasting , I felt that all the angel cards and oracles I found only seemed to give me a more or less limited and personal view of each author and some quite futile information. In spite of that, A. Wauters does an honest job when she mentions R.Steiner texts - an historic reference on philosophy and spiritual matters, sometimes not very well known -, or when she collects some simple ancient jews prayers on her book. By choosing a set of beautiful images associated with the past times, she makes us focus not on 'chocolat or fashionable angels' as several other oracles and books do, but on a much more archetypal and neutral visual representation. So, I'll say that A.Wauters book and oracle really matches well on a consequent set that gave me the visual freedom to enjoy the inner 'intuitive realms' of my own and the will to know more about the subject.

Superb book, great pics .. left a great impression on me and as i reflect
much of my childhood growing up with this plane..i just felt so nostalgic
a must get and not to be missed for those who need to close the chapter
of the tomcats in their hearts.. will never be forgotten

ps..amazon's delivery was super fast considering im half way round the world,,. many thanks

Every thing was just fine except the mistake the authors have made by calling the Persian Gulf the "arabian gulf" which is kinda like an insult to the Iranian readers as Iran is the only country that is now operating F-14s (even though it is in fewer numbers). But all in all, this was a great book with lots of awesome photos. I liked it!

This book has some of the best tomcat photography you will find. The text, while interesting could be a little more heavy on the history of each of the fighter wings it covers. Hildebrandt's effort is nonetheless stunning. I only wish I could do this kind of photography for a living!

If you loved the Tomcat with passion, and miss the sound of those two General Electric jet engines on a hot clear day, this is the perefect book. Beautiful photos , it was a fitting tribute to one of the greatest fighters ever built.

I must be getting old. I remember when the F-14 Tomcat was just being designed and adopted by the Navy. Now we are telling them 'Good Bye.'

The F-14 entered service with the Navy in 1972. It was retired from the U.S. Navy fleet on 22 September 2006, having been replaced by the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. As of 2007, only the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force still flies the aircraft. Where did those 34 years go?

This book is a memorial to the Tomcat. It's a photographic essay of the last seven squadrons (down from over thirty) to fly the big bird. The photography is beautiful, mostly in the air, but quite a few on the deck of the big ships, and a couple very sadly showing the old birds sitting out in the field, stripped of unit ID, stripped of their soul.

It's a beautiful book, and an excellent tribute to the men and their very beautiful, very high performance machines.

This textbook was purchased to fulfill a required "humanaties" course, while attending college. It's informative, easy to read, and guides you into becoming a "trained observer" in the art of watching films. As part of the curriculum I was instructed to watch several films selected by my professor. Some of the assigned films I would have never viewed by choice, including classics. However, this textbook has definitely given me a whole new perspective when attending a movie theater or at home watching a DVD. I've also acquired a deeper appreciation and understanding for all the hard work that goes into film making. Buy it for school or as a guide to help you enjoy your next movie experience.

product was exactly how seller describe. the book gives great insight to understanding all the components and theatrical elements of a film. Every element in a film is purposely selected in order to catch the audience attention and emotions. Highly recommend this book.

Used this book in an intro to film class. I will keep it on the shelf as a reference book. For class it has smooth reading that is cohesive, didn't seem like it has filler information in it. It was fun to read. The context was very helpful in class for lectures, and movie analyzation. Goes over key aspects of film as well as very detailed examples of what to look for, how to see it.

This book was a required text for a film class I took. It is very well done and the price was less than if I had purchased it at the college bookstore.

This may come as no surprise but I only bought this book for a college class. It turns out that it was a great class. The book isn't nearly as dry as I expected but still, it is a text book. I took the class at the University of Phoenix just to fill some elective credits. Turns out the class was great and the instructor was too. The book was good for a text book and the service from Amazon was well above anything you'll get from a uiversity shop or even most online retailers. If you have to get the book I suggest getting it at Amazon. :)

This is a charming and wonderful book. I too am surprised that it did not get more "buzz" at the time it was published.

How fascinating it is to eavesdrop, as it were, on authors' musings about their life and art. The diary entries help me fill in a multi-dimensional picture of what Virginia Woolf, Kafka, Dawn Powell, and others were like.

But not all the diarists are famous. Ordinary people's journals tell us a great deal about what it was like to be a Londoner evacuated during the Nazi bombing, or a wealthy slaveowner in the American South just before the Civil War.

There are, to this American's taste, too many British diarists here and too few Americans. I would have loved to have read a U.S. senator or cabinet member's personal observations of some political dust-up, but alas, that is not here. So I read the book at least partly as a window into British civilization.

For a compulsive reader or diary-phile, I can't imagine a better day book to accompany you through a year. To take 10 minutes out of the day and read the wonderful (really--I wondered at some of the things that people would write in the diaries) selection of entries for the day will provide you with a refreshing start, bookend, or break for your day (your choice). Even the potted biographies of the diarists (found at the back of the book) are delightful.

The authors have provided some lovely groupings of entries. January starts off with three entries from Mahler's lover, stretched over three successive days, that made me laugh. More complex emotionally is the chain at the end of January: two different diarists record the death and funeral services of George V of England in 1936, along with the assencsion of Edward III. A few days later is a recollection of meetings between Charlie Chaplin and Edward III (now the Duke of Windsor after renouncing his crown for Wallis Simpson) in the middle of World War II. Towards the end of January, in the 1930's, Count Ciano records the advice he gives Mussolini--on the same day, but in 1943, a nurse records the arrival of refugee children evacuated from Italy.

Some small errors in the bios at the back that I noticed: Goebbels kept his diary right until 1945 (not just until 1941); Delacroix did start his diary at 24 but dropped it after 2 years and did not resume it until he was 50 (the bio suggests that he kept his diary continuously); Pepy's diary wasn't kept in code but written in shorthand (a contemporaneous book describing the system Pepys used has been discovered)--but these are hardly the point with this delightful book. On the other hand, I didn't think that Woodeforde's diary revealed author to be a glutton (as the editors suggest) but I may not have read between the lines sufficiently.

I found this book on the remaindered shelf of my local bookstore (a crime!) but it even made the price right for me: $7.00 Canadian.

Wonderful book.

January 1, 2003: Bought this collection of diary and journal entries based on a review that said it would be a great book to leave in the guest bedroom for visitors. Have resolved to read a day's worth of entries each morning, and finish the book in one year.

February 16, 2003: Have discovered that this book is much more conveniently placed in the bathroom, where I am sure to spend five minutes each morning, rather than the guest bedroom.

April 13, 2003: What a remarkable collection of fascinating historical figures! The featured diarists are carefully chosen, as are the selected entries. Together they span four centuries and at least as many continents.

June 1, 2003: Have started to develop personal favorites among the many diarists. Pepys, for his unrepentant lasciviousness. Chips Channon, for his loveable pretentiousness. Kafka, for being Kafka. Warhol, for being Warhol. Coppola, for her intriguing insights into the life of her film-making husband. Woolf, for her introspective moodiness. Gide, for his sarcasm and arrogance.

July 5, 2003: Have become utterly addicted to my morning routine with this book, and have now started reading ahead.

July 29, 2003: Have only two minor complaints so far. One is that the diarists are predominantly British - perhaps a more diverse selection would have been better. The second is that there is a disproportionate number of entries during the WWII time period. Without doubt a fascinating and important time, historically, so I guess this is understandable.

August 7, 2003: Finished the collection, almost five months early. Will now return this book to my guest room, where friends and family will be sure to enjoy it for years to come.

Fascinating stuff. The book progresses through each day of the 366 (leap year, too) calendar days. Excerpts from all the diaries are organized in chronological order (from earliest year to most current year) within each day.

The earliest you get is from the 1600s (usually Samuel Pepys) on up through Alec Guiness and others in the mid 1990s. The excerpts vary from only one phrase to about a page. The stuff from the 1660s is rendered with its own peculiar spelling and grammar. You really get an amazing sense of our shared humanity across the ages.

I deemed its only overall flaw to be a preponderance of British entries and World War II entries. Plus, two entries I wished I hadn't read: the artist Delacroix blandly witnessing the mistreatment of a horse, and some English guy shooting a heron.

The excerpts from Jewish diarists right before the Holocaust were chilling.

There were diarists who became my favorites:
Eleanor Coppola (a shy woman in a high-profile world);
Virginia Woolf (wonderfully perceptive about herself and her social class);
Noel Coward (often hilarious);
Alan Bennett (gentle irony);
Evelyn Waugh and H.L. Mencken (both funny like Coward but even more acerbic);
Andy Warhol (so banal); and
Katherine Mansfield (haunting).

There were other diarists I grew to dislike:
Goebbels (fanatically anti-Semetic);
Brothers Goncourt (misogynistic);
Alan Clark (also misogynistic);
Marie Bashkirtseff and Liane de Pougy (twits);
and Leo Tolstoy and Franz Kafka (both morbid and difficult).

Overall, a varied and fascinating window on the world of journal-keeping.

What a surprisingly marvellous anthology. I was initially put off by the arrangement - with wildly disparate entries for each day of the month, at first this seemed more like a novelty book than a serious exploration of diarists and their work. Yet I've found this eclectic approach to be absolutely perfect, not least because the entries for each day have been so thoughtfully selected: some amplify the themes of the others, while some offer instead a comic or tragic counterpoint. Indeed, comedy is one of the hallmarks of this edition: diaries are always "bitchy", to some extent - as the title suggests, the diary is like an assassin's cloak we wear while stabbing comrades in the back with a pen - and the dark, neurotic humour so typical of the diarist is here in spades. The Taylors have also been kind enough to package their selections with an insightful introductory essay, thumbnail biographies of all their sources, along with full bibliographical references and a comprehensive index by diarist. The only thing missing is an index by subject - but that would probably be bigger than the volume itself. This is a brilliant, must-have anthology for anyone interested in literature, social history, and the art of the diary.

This is a book everyone should read. I totally agree with the writer, that we all know and live in war-situations. You don't have to be a war-veteran to know what war is.
We have and create our own wars in daily life. It occurs in every situation/relation in which we can't make peace with "the other".
It occurs in a parent-child relation. Boss-employee. husband-wife. And hey... don't forget the NEIGHBOURS!!
This is a very insightful and deadly honest story. We will and can all relate to what he's been through, and most important, HOW we can move out of pain and suffering. How we can heal our lives and be peace.
If someone as wounded as he was, can do it, we all can.
Love, Peace and Blessings to a Man of Wisdom and Peace, who reaches out to all of us. It's up to us now to heal ourselves.
One (of many ways) to practise mindfulness is by doing a FREE 10 day Vipassana meditation retreat. Look at dhamma-org. Google for Vipassana and Goenka, there are dozens of centers worldwide.

As a fellow Vietnam Veteran of combat and casualty calls, Thomas' book brings relief through mindfulness.
Finally, someone explains how focusing on breathing can calm the mind, quell the rage, and convert the destructive energy of anger into an active and productive purpose such as "engaged Buddhism."

"At Hell's Gate" actually opens the gates of hell, my mental home for forty years, and shows me the clear path to peace. I'm gonna walk it and recommend that all victims of trauma and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder join me and follow Claude Anshin Thomas' leadership.

Thank you, Rev. Thomas, for showing me the way.

I first read about Claude Thomas on the internet a few years ago. I found his story so strong and powerful. I was glad to finally be able to read this book. This is a very powerful story about the power to heal and transform.

Thomas's experience is proof that even people who have endured the most horrific experiences can come to peace. He is so honest about the horrific experiences in the Vietnam War, his substance abuse and other problems in his life. Through his journey he has learnt how to live with these wounds.

He writes:

"...suffering is not our enemy. It is only through a relationship with my pain, my sadness, that I can reach the other side, that I can truly know and touch the opposite, which is my pleasure, my joy, and my happiness. "

I greatly admire the path that Thomas has walked. He has truly embraced the spirit of Buddhism and the meaning of being a monk, going forth into homelessness. He studied first with Thich Nhat Hanh and then with Roshi Bernie Glassman. The pilgrimages and street retreats that Thomas has done, to me represent one of the finest expressions of engaged Buddhism.

I highly recommend this book as a spiritual biography and a guide to Buddhist practice.

The Vietnam War has produced its share of memoirs but few have the impact that author and veteran Claude Anshin Thomas has in his inspiring book "At Hell's Gate". It is odd in a spiritual way, that he published his book a year after my own autobiography "A Spiritual Warrior's Journey". We both seem to be following different paths to the same destination. He and I were stationed at the same time in Phu Loi South Vietnam in 1966 & 1967. We were both crew-chief/door-gunners on Hueys. He was with the 116th AHC (Assault Helicopter Company) and I was next door to his unit in the 128th AHC. We each saw the same kind of war and combat and shared some of the same actual battles - so this added to my reading experience.

His book - much like my own - is a journey of self-discovery and spiritual evolution. He fights the demons of PTSD upon his return home and tries to medicate and drug his pain. The author shares a life that was filled with great emotional suffering. The key to his book however, and that separates it from so many others, is that this provides some direction for not just veterans but all who are suffering from their own personal wars of life. He gives the reader a look at how he grew and how he found something (Zen ) to help him cope and grow spiritually.

The book can be read in one sitting but it is best if savored over a longer period of time. There is much wisdom within these pages that will help heal and change others. I highly recommend this as a gift to give to any veteran of any war. The book is full of compassion and hope. There are methods for meditation in the back of the book which could give those in need a "road map" to some healing.

Claude Thomas's At Hell's Gate is the story of a terribly wounded individual (bad childhood, PTSD, alcohol and drug addictions, intimacy problems) trying to find healing for himself. His analysis of his own ill-being, to use a phrase favored by Thomas' mentor, Thich Nhat Hanh, is not only a gripping story. It's also valuable to the rest of us who, like Thomas, are likewise wounded.

Thomas' journey to healing is based on Nhat Hanh's "engaged Buddhism" model. The basic principles of engaged Buddhism are that (1) violence is caused by suffering; (2) suffering is caused by unacknowledged and unhealed interior wounds whose destructive energy manipulates us; (3) mindfulness to those wounds and the way they enslave us is essential to both personal and social liberation from violence; (4) reality is best described in terms of "interbeing," unbreakable connectedness, so that my actions or lack of actions necessarily affect everything; (5) and therefore my own healing contributes to the healing of the world.

Thomas' own breakthrough was attending a weeklong retreat conducted by Nhat Hanh. Since then, Thomas has been ordained a mendicant monk in the Soto Zen tradition, makes regular walking peace pilgrimages across the U.S. and other parts of the world, and regularly ministers to street people and veterans.

This book is well worth reading, especially for someone who has no acquaintance with Thich Nhat Hanh's teachings. The book is sometimes repetitious, although I can't quite figure out if this is deliberate of unintentional on Thomas' part. Moreover, one occasionally senses that Thomas' is still so wrestling with his own demons that his focus is more self- than other-directed.

Still, these are minor caveats, and Thomas' book stands as an eloquent and insightful testament to the deep human yearning for a return to innocence, to healing, to wholeness. As a Zen koan asks, "What did your face look like before you were born?" At the least, it was without wounds.

I Just returned from 1 week business/pleasure visit to New York and I found this guide full of good recommendations and descriptions were accurate. Better than Lonely Planet or Time Out's, which I also bought. Quite a useful guide with plentiful restaurant, watering hole and sight-seeing suggestions. It's replete with valuable information about attractions, hotels, eateries, shops, spas, etc. Beyond this, however, the layout is terrific, and the book is remarkably easy to use as a result. The maps, in particular, are helpful.I'd definintely purchase an Avant Guide guidebook again. I am happy to say that this book was by far the best single-city guide I used.

I am a big fan of the Avant-Guides. I used this book almost exclusively for a trip to NYC in the spring of 2002--thus some of the information had changed. Otherwise I would have rated it at a 5 star. The information on the museums and where to get the best deal on theater ticket was very helpful. I have since ordered the guides for Las Vegas, New Orleans and Toronto in hopes of finding the same cool, underground type of information provided for NYC. PLEASE--do guides for Montreal, Washington D.C. and Seattle.

I love to travel and I love guidebooks. This one is the best series Ive seen. it makes me laugh, has a great senseability about the places I like and really feels like it was written by a friend. I never write these reviews, but Im inspired to write this one because the book is so good.

Honestly, I've been living in New York for the past two years, and I think I have a reasonably fair grasp on its nighlife, restaurants, whathaveyou. Not only did this book have a listing of some of my favorite spots, but it talked about some places I wish I'd known about earlier. Some good stuff here.

when we first scanned this guide we thought perhaps we were too old to appreciate it {my husband and I are in our fifties]. However, we loved every bit of it and were especially helped in terms of what not to do or where not to eat.

While reading Sheldon Stern's book, I felt as if I were having a conversation with him. Relating the facts of that event in a manner and detail that made this reader want to know what came next was a gift! Detailed, yes; comprehensive, yes; accurate, no doubt!

Stern has offered the most complete understanding of the Cuban missile crisis, and of Kennedy himself, in this the most intimate account of those October days, drawn directly from the taped deliberations. His reconstruction destroys the simplistic characterizations of JFK as a "cold warrior" and leaves the reader grateful for his handling of that showdown with the Soviets. I would consider this account more definitive than any other now available, or likely to be in the near future. This is essential reading.

This book may be the most readable (for being a narrative) account of those challenging days when our great and elected President brought us back from the brink of nuclear war and possible annihilation as a nation, as a people, as a species.

Thus this thick book may further serve as a solid introduction to the primary sources of that time, from Tuesday, October 16th through Monday, October 29th, 1962, now 45 years ago. We must have a national celebration and commemoration of the President who kept us OUT of war and the world from bloodshed. Read this book to learn how and why.

Sheldon Stern is an academic professional historian who took early retirement to write this book as the EXComm tapes became declassified. He therefore places these tapes within their historical context, fully presenting their background, as well as providing a learned and helpful running commentary throughout his presentation of the transcript. He also provides a technical analysis of the transcript, including its reliability and validity, and the peer-review process by which it was developed. For instance he provides an interesting analysis of alternative interpretations of some points in the tape, and thereby the alternative political implications, and also reflects upon the technical quality of the recordings.

All in all, this is an excellent presentation of those courageous days in every aspect, and probably their best general presentation, comprehensive while accessible to the general reader. Certainly it will present a purpose for further study of other historical documents from that crucial period in which our President kept us out of war, which he termed the "final failure," and recalls to our hearts a time of great, serious, intent, decisive, moral, experienced, humane, elected, wise and intelligent leadership concerned for the safety and well-being of all people, sadly lacking since.

This is the book, I'd wager, that everyone thought they were getting when they purchased "The Kennedy Tapes" (Zelikow and May, 1997 Harvard Press). After struggling through that seminal work, the need for a narrative form of this compelling side of the Missile Crisis was palpable...fortunately, retired JFK Library historian Sheldon Stern also saw the need and completed what was clearly a passionate "life's work" with "Averting the Final Failure". Stern takes years of study and scrutinization of the White House tapes that eavesdropped on the EXCOMM (Executive Committee of the National Security Council) as they advised and debated the day-to-day issues associated with the Crisis and turned a complex story into an amazingly lucid and cogent narrative that should become THE source for White House activities during the Crisis.

Newly declassified and available, Stern has added immensly to the growing amount of literature/transcripts of these profound tapes. The difference here is that Stern is clearly the one who has spent the most time and study on these tapes and, coupled with his surprisingly apt story-telling capability, has developed an authoritative work that defines the "who? what? where? when? and how?" of the Kennedy advisor "inner-workings". Time and again, Stern destroys myths and legends as his narrative describes each meeting and the theme that each one invoked. He interprets each discussion and adds his own attempt at tone and voice inflection to give not only the content of the discussion, but the "atmosphere" as well. The result is almost as good as hearing the tapes themselves...giving the true feel for what these "Best and Brightest" advisors went through.

The story of course has been told time and again...Soviet leader Nikita Khrushev surreptitiously installs nuclear capable missiles and the associated warheads in Communist ally Cuba and this subversion is discovered with American U2 spy plane photography. The subsequent actions taken by the U.S. government are fortunately recorded on a complex White House taping system by President John Kennedy, thus providing an invaluable insight into this provocative period in the Cold War. Unfortunately, these recordings leave much to be desired in terms of quality and many have attempted to transcibe them into a useful tool for historians. The "Kennedy Tapes" book attempted to publish the full transcriptions, but this work was so disjointed that it tended to confuse more than educate. Stern, having initially supported this effort by Zelikow and May, becomes more and more dismayed with the quality of this transcribing work and decides to offer his own interpretation of the tapes and the Crisis. Having spent many years analyzing them (long before they were declassified) he provides an amazing insight and scholarship, while clearing up many "unclear" voice transcriptions.

Taking all this information and recognizing that just another publication of transcripts would not be useful, he decides on a version that describes these actions on the tapes in narrative form. He clears up the collateral chatter and keeps a thematic focus on the narrative and comes up with a wonderfully clear and concise coverage of this event. More than just an interpretation of tapes, Stern also accompanies the narrative with a surprisingly readable summary of events and, happily, a destruction of many of the afore mentioned myths that have survived throughout the years. Well known Crisis stories such as Robert Kennedy's "hawkish" anti-Communist stance, the deception and negotiations of the agreement to extract nuclear missiles from Turkey as a trade for extraction of the missiles from Cuba and the continued iintransigence of Fidel Castro and the Cuban government are denounced here by Stern...offering a new and embellished perspective on the Crisis. Kenndy's "free-wheeling" meeting style is amazingly supported by the tapes and stand in stark contrast to the popular theme presented in such movies as "The Missiles of October" and "Thirteen Days"...an example being JFK's response to the shooting down of an American U2 spy plane at the height of the Crisis on October 27th...the movie version has JFK and the EXCOMM loudly debating retaliatory responses when in reality JFK's calm and measured response was: "...this is an escalation by them isn't it?" and the meeting went on.

"Averting the Final Failure" comes 42 years following the denouement of the Missile Crisis and thouroughly ties together all loose ends associated with White House activities during those heady 13 days. This is an important and monumental addition to the vast amount of literature available on the Crisis and should be considered the first reference used by historians for the White House perspective of the Crisis...I would overwhelmingly recommend this work to anyone interested in those activities in October, 1962.

History has two definitions: a chronological record of significant past events, and a story. Sheldon Stern's story of the Cuban Missile Crisis is history (both definitions) at its best. The scholarly, time-consuming, and meticulous research that went into this work abounds throughout its pages. The author's willingness to challenge earlier historical works on the translation of the crisis's audiotapes makes this book a must for any student of JFK, his administration, and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Because of the comprehensive nature of history, a reader might conclude that this is just another dry historical work. Far from it - this book reads like a Robert Ludlum novel. The reader is caught in the tension as the missiles are first discovered, held as the conflict escalates to an almost unbearable crisis, and released as the resolution unfolds. But this was no political thriller, it was real life. Mr. Stern has taught us all a great lesson of history: that real people make real decisions, that these decisions have consequences both foreseen and unforeseen, and that there could have been other choices made with different outcomes. Our world would be a much different place if JFK had listened to his advisors. I believe this book will become the classic study for the story of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Averting the Final Failure is a must read.

Ms. Sheridan really brought this book into my heart. She knew exactly how to make me feel for these brave men and after I was done reading I really wanted to know more because I truly felt connected with them. Excellent book and I do recommend anyone wanting to read a book about the FDNY to read this book first!!!!!

This is a truly heart-wrenching story of the pipers and drummers pf the FDNY pipe band. Written in a strong journalistic style, the suthor really conveys the strength of these men and their close relationships.

While she gets a few details of uniform (shawls for piper's plaids) and piping (puffing on their pipes) wrong, she's really captured the feelings of these men who face danger and death on a daily basis.

From the first page, I was hooked. I felt like I was living that day all over again. This time, I wasn't sitting in my home in Seattle in shock and horror, I was in New York with an emotional connection to the families mentioned in the book and those not mentioned. I have a new found respect for all fire fighters. I already have a great deal of respect for those who put there lives on the line for any job but now it's impossible to put into words the level of respect I have for them.

This book WILL take you on an amazing emotional journey.

This book is very powerful. I picked this book up and thought it would be an interesting read then I could not believe how moved I would become. It is well written and allows the reader to get close to the men and their families. The readers anxiety grows as the date of September 11 approaches. I had to put the book aside a few times and remind myself of the gratitude I feel toward the brave men who gave their lives to save others and inspiration from those who survived and went back to look for family members, friends and complete strangers in order for those who were murdered to be laid to rest properly. The unity and brotherhood of the elite group of bagpipe players is inspirational. Thank you to the author for allowing readers to gain a new perspective of the days following September 11 and what the FDNY suffered. I felt as though I knew these men personally.

Bagpipe Brothers: The FDNY Band's True Story Of Tragedy, Mourning, And Recovery is the true story New York City's Emerald Society Bagpipe Band, who used their instruments to mourn in the and show their respect at the funerals for the victims of the 9/11 attacks, including the 343 firefighters who died and those who were unearthed from the rubble at ground zero. The band itself lost one of its own from the attacks, as well as the brother of a member; Bagpipe Brothers recounts in vivid detail the emotions, experiences, terrible grief and striving to help any way one can in the wake of tragedy. A profound and powerful tribute to both the lost and the survivors struggling to cope.

Last night I uncovered a family legend and found that James Oliver Curwood is my Great, Great Uncle; and a direct uncle to Marguerite Gaylord Tate the author of Twelve Walked Away, a true story about her and her son, my grandfather, crashing the Alps due to a navigation mistake after WW II. I know it seems far and almost unbelievable that I just now find this amazing discovery, but it is true.

I stayed up until eleven o'clock reading into one of his books, and I found it well written and full of wisdom.

I thought this book was wonderful. It should be up there with the best of them, like Jack London's "Call of the Wild". It tells the story of a wolf cub seperated from its mother, and the adventures in the wilderness it encounters. It has very descriptive details and shows us all the true meaning of love and devotion.

This book is definitely one of my my favorite books. Even though it seems a bit long, if you get caught up in stories like I do, you'll wish this book is longer. This book is beautifully written and such a great book in so many ways. You have to read this book. The author of this book is a great writer and this book will not let you down for action, adventure, and many other emotions. READ THIS BOOK! IT'S GREAT!

This is the story of a wolf/dog named Baree. Soon after he is born, he is separated from his "parents". Baree then begins the quest of having to survive on his own in the harsh envirionment of the Canadian wilderness. As Baree grows older, he has encounters with a near sighted owl, he befriends a bear,and tries to make friends with a colony of beavers. Then Baree comes up against his most perplexing animal,.....Man! Baree quickly wants the companionship that Willow(a beautiful young woman) offers. He follows her everywhere and has a strong bond with her that cannot be broken. He will do anything to protect her, and that includes keeping her safe from her family's enemy, a evil man called the Factor of Lac Bain.
The writer of this book expertly describes the feelings and thoughts going through the mind of the young Baree, and through out the book, we root for him all through hisd triumphs and tradigies. The wilderness is described beautifully and also becomes a "character" of the story as well.
This book is well written, easy to read , and holds the readers interest all the way till the satisfying conclusion.

This book is fantastic!It follows the story of a young half wolf, half dog pup who is accidentally seperated from his mother. He learns to survive in the harsh Canadian wilderness and meets friends and foe. He eventually comes to trust humans. The author obviously has a great understanding of animals as he explains in words exactly what the animals feel. The way this book is written is almost unexplainable-right up there with other fine authors such as Jack London. A must-read for any one who loves animals or has an understanding for them!

Just because this is children's literature dosen't mean it is just for children. If you have an appreciation of literature or even if your not a big reader, this story will warm you heart with its wonderful characters, lovely story and beautiful writing. So simply written, it can be read to children, so beautiful the writing people older than 8 will defenitely will enjoy!! Randall Jarell is in my opinion, one of the kings of children's literature!

Randall Jarrell has given us a beautiful little story here of a bat and Maurice Sendak has given us some wonderful illustrations in the form of black and white drawings. There is not much to not like about this work. The children love it, and the adult reading it to the children will find it just as interesting and hypnotic as the child, if not more so, but on a different level. The text is wonderfully simple and a pure joy to read. I recommened this one highly.

We had a "bat book drive" in my daughter's class because they needed more research material about bats for a project they are doing than we could find in the local library. Instead of only purchasing scientific-sounding non-fiction, I was also looking for story and poetry books in which the charateristics and habits of bats were woven throughout the stories and poems. I read this book to my eight-year-old daughter the night before we took it to class. She demanded that I give her the book so that she could read it again herself. And, with stars in her eyes, stated that the poem at the end about a bats life was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard, and that she would be memorizing it. It was amazing how much she had learned and remembered about bats after the first time through the book. Lovely illustrations as well.

A beautiful story, beautifully written, about a little bat who composes poetry. One of the best children's books I've ever read; I order several copies at a time and give them for birthday presents.

This book is a gem. It's tender, clever, and deftly written. It's wonderful for reading aloud. I had trouble finding it for years, and I'm so pleased to see that it's available again.