W Books

This is a great book. I gave the book to a few German friends who lived in Germany during the war. They could identify with the author's experiences.

The author became a U.S citizen and fought in Vietnam. I would have liked to read about the author's experience in this country, and his experience, as a pilot in our Air Force.

A well written book and interesting too.

Wonderful and descriptive first hand account of living through WWII in Germany and the life there afterwards.

The author, who was 10 years old and living in eastern Germany when WWII came to an end, has an amazing memory for telling details and an irresistibly engaging personality. His memoir of that dreadful time is framed as a tribute to his mother, who certainly deserves it, and an unforgettable lesson in history as it is really lived. Once you start reading this book, you will be unable to put it down and you will never forget it.

This harrowing memoir should be required reading for all children. Perhaps, as adults, they will think hard and deeply before embarking on war. The description of life at the end of WWII and postwar Germany are harrowing. The reader cannot help but wonder how he or she would or could cope in the same situation.

I found the comparison among the American, British and Russian zones in postwar Germany to be fascinating. I hope that the friendliness and genorosity which have historically characterized Americans have not been lost in our recent imperialist adventurism and immoral acts.

I learned of this author and his saga through the Berlin Airlift Association. I am WWII vintage, first landed in Berlin during the Pottsdam Conference- July '45. I was later stationed in Germany on three different occasions and flew on the Berlin Airlift in '48 as a pilot. I read and thoroughly enjoyed Wolfgang's story and went through the book in a matter of hours- a rarity for me. It was a compelling story, so well crafted. The author has a real gift for a superb journalistic format and style. I can relete to so much of the trauma he went through, not in his boots, so to speak, but as an observer of the terrible situation confronting the civilian population. I am a WWII history buff & have a large collection of books from that period. German Boy is certainly a keeper in this time frame and setting. I so enjoyed the flow of the story and the easy to read style. His descriptions are vivid, alive and enticing. I immediately bought the sequel, Coming To Colorado and it is equally fine reading. As the author of a book, TOP STICK, I realize the undertakings involved in writing a good story. Wolfgang does a superb job and he is to be congratulated for his fine work. Buy and read this book. You will be most pleased that you did, and I'd wage that you'll buy more of his work. HAROLD A.JACOBS, LT COL. USAF ret.

Quick delivery and I loved the book. It was so much better then I
expected. Would recommend it.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Had never heard of the author until I saw him on the Glenn Beck TV program. I liked the testimony he had, so I decided to read this book, along with "The Gift" and "The Christmas Box". They were all well written and enjoyable to read.

Reading Finding Noel is truly a gift. The stories give one a sense of pleasure as well as serenity. This is the tenth book of Richard Paul Evan's literature that I have read. I look forward to reading The Gift next. My husband used to give me Evan's new book each year for Christmas. After his death, I sort of forgot about getting one as a gift. Recently, I went and purchased Finding Noel and The Gift to add to my collection. The covers are exquisite and the paper with the ragged edge makes it a reminder of past days. These books would make a wonderful gift for a birthday, Hannukkah or for Christmas or even for no reason at all. I highly recommend them.

I came across this book after doing a search on choriadal melanoma. My dad was diagnosed 5 days before Christmas. I am happy to say he was treated with Radioactive Plaque Therapy in NYC just this past week and the doctor tells us the tumor is dead - gone!! I believe I will have to wait a while until my emotions settle a bit to read it though!

The irony of fictional writing is that it works best when it comes from a real place. According to author Richard Paul Evans, the background story of his novel "Finding Noel," is drawn from the real-life story of Celeste Edmunds, a woman with whom he used to work.

As with his previous books, this is a personal work for Evans; he uses family names, origins, religion, illness and little slice-of-life things like recipes, traditions and tips to give a homey feel to his characters and story.

"Finding Noel" is also the first book of fiction that features a character diagnosed with eye cancer. Through the character Joette, Evans exposes millions of readers to this rare disease - only 2,000 adults are diagnosed each year - in a way that mainstream media and the inaccessible medical literature have not. For that alone, Evans and his fictional work are the real deal.

Charmed Life is about some kids who go to study magic with one of the official guys in charge of magic. He has a couple of kids of his own, and they are the usual school age to have the school age disagreements and fights and not being nice to each other that goes along with that.

The eldest also gets a bit peeved at being thrown in with the young brats, too.

A young boy, Cat, must deal with his crazy and selfish older sister Gwendolyn who is obsessed with her own magical powers. Certainly much slower and less exciting than Jones' Howl books (read: more for children), but still has her enchanting and seemingly effortless style that captures a world where "magic is like music". Jones is always a good read. The characters are mysterious and thoroughly enjoyable. Gwendolyn is ambiguous and silly and selfish and delightful. Cat is an innocent; Chestomanci is Jones' typical ambiguous and passive wizard. The imagery of magic, particularly Cat's matchstick nine lives, is absolutely delicious. Grade: B

I am constantly on the lookout for new fantasy reads, because not only is it difficult to find a truly lasting (and by "lasting" I mean you think about it all the time, read it again and again, and gulp down every one of the author's other books) fantasy story, but if you do that author is usually what they call A Lofty One-Piece Wonder who writes one astonishingly beautiful story, gives it to the world...then settles into retirement and ignores all letters posted to them begging for a sequel.

Ah, not so with Diana Wynne Jones.

Hearing about her was actually an accident. I had picked up the book "Inkspell", the sequel to a book I'd enjoyed very much (Inkheart) and saw, on the back, that there was a quote on the back from "Diana Wynne Jones, author". For fun, I wandered over to the J's. Only a few Diana books were there -- THE MERLIN CONSPIRACY, ARCHER'S GOON, and -- the book that forever endeared me to this amazingly talented author -- EIGHT DAYS OF LUKE.

Having five dollars just aching to be spent and about that many minutes left till we had to go, I bought it on a whim.

And inhaled it that night.

I was going through withdrawls. NEED -- MORE -- DIANA -- WYNNE -- JONES -- BOOKS!!!

I got back to Borders and began to scrounge the shelves. Hmmm. "Chronicles of Chrestomanci". Looked okay -- not as good as I'd thought "Eight Days of Luke" was, but -- what was?

I read a little, put it down. Read a little more, and -- couldn't stop.

I am now on Book II, "The Lives of Christopher Chant".

I think you understand what I'm trying to say. Buy this book -- and while you're at it get "Eight days of Luke", too.



Rating: Very Good

"Charmed Life" is my first Diana Wynne Jones book (I know, I know ... I'm a little late) and I'll openly admit I came to her work through Miyazaki's amazing film "Howl's Moving Castle". Imagine how stupid I felt when I realized that I had been missing out on one of the best writers of our age. While it starts off slowly, Jones's first Chrestomanci book is still a grand, magical, yet simple adventure that sweeps the reader off their feet into a quirky yet solid world that readers will enjoy again and again.

Eric, a.k.a., Cat Chant, is a small and passive boy who thinks that he has no magical powers unlike his sister Gwendolen. Gwendolen is an ambitious, spoiled, and powerful girl who dreams of controlling the world. One day, when their parents die in a tragic boat accident, Gwendolen's powers attract the attention of the dapper and eccentric Chrestomanci. Chrestomanci is an enchanter, and a nine lived one at that, so that means he controls and governs all magic in the twelve related worlds. Chrestomanci seems to take an interest in Gwendolen, so he invites her and Cat to live in his castle.

When they arrive at the castle, both children dislike it at first. But Cat, being the passive boy that he is, quickly makes friends with Chrestomanci's two children even though he's absolutely frightened to death of their father. But Gwendolen has other ideas. She hates the fact that she has to learn maths and history instead of magic in school, and she is absolutely appaled that Chrestomanci doesn't take notice in her powers. Soon, Gwendolen sets out on a war of wills and magic against Chrestomanci and his castle, and Cat is unbeknowingly caught up in the whirlwinds of his sister's dangerous ambitions.

Jones is brilliant in her prose and writing. She easily writes with a sense of whimsy, while at the same time fleshing out realistic characters and villains. Cat is passive at first, but he soon grows a spine and stands up against the one thing that holds him back (I won't ruin the surprise). Jones' magic is an everyday and casual part of life for the characters, but it comes in second to their emotions and the overall story. The story takes so many surprising twists that shocked and surprised me, I was literally biting my nails towards the end wondering what would happen next.

"Charmed Life" is a delightful and charming surprise. While not a grand and sweeping epic, it will still sweep readers off their feet with the simple and quiet humor, magic, and sheer enjoyment that Jones so evidently finds and puts into her work. This book is not to be missed, and I can only end with saying how foolish I feel now that I didn't find Diana sooner.

This story and the next ("The Lives of Christopher Chant") are easily the most complex and interesting stories in the Chrestomanci series, and really the ones that the rest hang upon, because they really explain who and what the "Chrestomanci" is, and the role he plays in the fascinating universe Diana Wynne Jones has created. This is fantasy at its best, well written and very inventive, with characters that seem both familiar and bizarrely unique. It is, I suppose, not life-changing fiction but it keeps you there and makes you care and gives an opportunity to wonder. (It is no accident that Hayao Miyazaki based his latest film - Howl's Moving Castle -- on one of Jones' novels: they seem to have imaginations that operate on the same wavelength; like him, she is endlessly inventive and capable of a sublime blending of the supernatural and the ordinary, and loves finding magic in machines, and has an obsession with cats.)

The basic premise of the "Chrestomanci multiverse" is that every time there is a major event that "changes" the world, the world actually divides into two alternate realities, one in which the event occurs and one in which it doesn't. Somehow, though, while the possibilities might seem infinite there are a limited number of possibilities that resemble the one Chrestomanci inhabits enough to warrant his general attention and concern. Within each major world variation, there are nine alternates (don't ask why just nine) that are apparently unified because they have the "same" people doing different things in them. It sometimes happens, though, that an individual within one of those realities has no parallel in the others, and so the "lives" that would belong to the other realities actually belong to him or her. Such a nine-lived individual has powerful magic and becomes a likely candidate for taking over the position of the British-hired Chrestomanci (think a mixture of Rowling's Minister of Magic for an indication of his range of responsibilities, with Head of Hogwarts for his overall competency).

Speaking of Rowling, some have compared Jones to Rowling and there are some interesting parallels -- so many that it is hard not to think that Rowling had at least read some of Diane Wynne Jones' stories. Still, I don't agree with others who say Jones is a better writer than Rowling. There is a way in which she is: for her elegance of prose, her compactness of style, for the overall simplicity and completeness of her stories. Still, I think that Rowling is superior because what Jones doesn't try to do Rowling does very well. Jones creates another world whose basic features are similar to ours, but is different in specifiable ways. In that sense it is pure fantasy, a work of the imagination that she can tinker with and alter in various stories but is basically self-contained and organized in such a way that each story can be really complete. Rowling fits her story of another world into THIS world and sets herself with what seems to me a much more difficult task of accommodating her fantasy to the unknown and improbable and strange and unfinished character of any story set in this real world. The edges in any such story are unwieldy and it is a real tribute to Rowling (though in no way a criticism of Jones who has other aims) that she can wield them so well.

The book was in great condition and arrived promptly to my door. For me, the typeset was a bit small, but the book appeard to have been brand new. Silence has been very thought provoking. A must read for anyone of Catholic background.

How proud is God? How should God's people uphold his honor? How exactly should the gospel transform human society?

These questions lie at the heart of Silence. Written in the wake of World War two by the Japanese novelist Shusaku Endo, Silence tells the story of the persecution of Christians in seventeenth century Japan.

Although proselytizing efforts by Francis Xavier had been successful in the previous century, the 1600s brought about ecclesiastical quarrels between Roman catholic and protestant missionaries. These squabbles often went hand in hand with political and military shenanigans between competing European powers in Japan. Japan's leadership came to view Christianity as an essential part of this distasteful western mess, and severe persecution quickly became standard fare for the newly budded Japanese church.

Endo's protagonist, the young Portugese priest Sebastian Rodrigues, enters Japan secretly in the midst of these persecutions, along with a monastic colleague, Francis Garrpe. They encounter crude but strong faithfulness among the Japanese believers, who undertake great sacrifice in order to protect the padres from the authorities.

Eventually, however, they are betrayed by a weak-willed Japanese Christian, and their trials begin in earnest. Rodrigues's faith is tested to limits which comfortable modern western Christians may never be able to properly understand. His captors torture him psychologically in order to make him renounce his faith. This is not a simple temptation or test of honor; it is not Rodrigues's mere conscience at stake. If he submits to the authorities by trampling on Christ's portrait, his peasant flock goes free. If he does not, they will be tortured to death.

This test is one of the most soul-churning passages of literature I have read. What will Rodrigues do? Will he apostatize? How important is his honor? How important is God's? As the pastor of these simple peasants, is it better to renounce his faith to save their lives, or better to embrace martyrdom and doom them?

Initially, I found myself cheering for Rodrigues's perseverance and martyrdom, but by the novel's end, I was shaken and unsure. In the West, Christendom has a long and hallowed tradition of persecution stories, from the early believers in Jerusalem, to the church in Rome, and in various places throughout the centuries. Although Christ gives approbation to those who are persecuted for his sake, human sinfulness, such as it is, can even distort the meaning and value of martyrdom. Even the brightest lights in Christian history sometimes succumb to an unspiritual triumphalism. With the benefit of time, we often come to see some of Christendom's triumphs as accreted with sin and pride.

The first believers in Japan did not have this cultural background narrative to inform their consciences. They had only an immediate pagan background confronted with the fresh, non-accreted startling news that God has suffered, endured shame and humiliation, and forgiven their sins. This gospel surely would have motivated them to endure great persecution, but at the same time, the gospel is the story of a man who suffered in order to release his friends from condemnation. In that light, martyrdom for its own sake is dubious at best.

What is true religion? The bible maintains that true religion consists in looking after orphans and widows in their distress, and keeping oneself from being stained by the world. Those two mandates, it seems to me, should never be at odds with one another. If Rodrigues had refused to trample on the fumie (the term for the sacred image of Christ), he would definitely not have been looking after orphans and widows, but rather sending them to certain doom. However, would his simple act constitute "being stained by the world?" Would he be a Judas and an enemy of the gospel? There is a prominent strain of Christianity, very much in the tradition of the western theology of glory, which says "yes". Endo's answer, more in tune with the theology of the cross, is "no".

I am inclined to agree with the latter.

As author stated in the preface of "The Life of Jesus", he is for "Japanese readers who have no Christian tradition of their own and who know almost nothing about Jesus"
1. Two Roman Catholic priets/missionaries from Portugal crossing dangerous oceans to reach Japan. Then giving up everything:Pride,
faith, freedom, and love(?)
2. Courageous Native Christians. Accepting their martyrdom with silence.

There is no balance between these two. There is no reality.

This is a book written by a Japanese for Japanese readers.

I knew a little about this book before I purchased it, since it was referenced in an article I read for one of my doctoral courses.

This book is about the missionary activities in Japan back in the 1500s and 1600s. What would YOU do if you were faced with the choice of stepping on the face of Christ or allow other people to suffer?

Read the book -- and be prepared to THINK! It's worth every second you spend in it!

I am now reading this book for the third time and I can't think of another book I've read three times (if you don't count the my daughter's favorite children's books which I read to them many, many times.)

I am a Catholic and this is my go-to book during times when I experience those periods of doubt and despair. This may surprise people who know that this is not a happy-ending book and the spiritual lessons in it are harsh and stand in sharp contrast to the smug blathering that characterizes so much of American Christian life ("We're not perfect, just forgiven." "God doesn't give us anything we can't handle," etc.) And the question that haunted Endo--whether the fate of a religion is bound up in the culture and history of a given land--is fully fascinating and goes to the very nature of the whole of missionary endeavor. (And, in these times, one wonders if there is a parallel in the political questions related to the applicability of democracy to any land and any people.) "Silence" is a painful read, but an indispensable masterpiece.

This book was read out loud to me when I was a 4th grader and it stayed in my mind from then on. It is a true story about a boy whose father dies and how mostly he, but also his mother, and siblings get along after the father's death. The boy is nick named "Little Britches" and earns money to survive in many ways, mostly being a cowboy on Colorado ranches. I have purchased this book for my son as a 5th grader and given it to his friend in 6th grade. The whole series is very interesting, this book in particular.

The book that captured my imagination the most when I was a child. My grandson loved it also.

I had heard about this book for a while. I just purchased it and started reading it to my boys. We like it like the Little House books - but from the point of view of boys. Lots of exciting events in this story - a real page turner.

This is a wonderful look into how life was... I found myself thinking about the work load on children back then and thinking "and I worry that unloading the dishwasher and keeping their bath clean is too much to ask?!?" Well not any more. A great "classic"

I've read this book twice. Once alone and now aloud to my 4 children. It is such a gift to find books that burrow down deep inside and make themselves part of you. Make you a better you!
Little Britches is such a book. Ralph Moody had an uncanny way of using the sparsest of prose to convey the grandest of meaning. Every emotion is felt in this book and you just become a part of the Moody family and experience. The relationship between Father and Little Britches is humbling to read, honestly. And the way Ralph Moody could write about it 40 years later with such clarity and distinction is a real tribute to the men that they both were. I cried both times. More this time actually. You'll never forget the words "And I became a man"

THANK YOU Ralph Moody.

I also recommend "THE DAY NO PIGS WOULD DIE"

Fairy tales are usually about a young man who becomes a hero by battling the most dispicable enemies and achieving his heart's desire. In the end, despite great odds, monsters are vanquished, villainy is given the heave-ho, the princess' heart is won and great treasure is acquired far from the eyes of the Internal Revenue Service (which is how you can tell this is a fairy tale).

"The Making of Star Wars" is just such a fairy tale, but it's not about the one up on the screen. This big, beefy, bouncy delight tells in 360 eye-squinting pages of type and hundreds of photos the story of how George Lucas, armed at first with nothing more than a bare bones script and a reputation for interesting, if not money-making movies, devoted more than four years of his life, bet his precarious career, and came up with a movie that not just redefined Hollywood blockbusters, but reimagined heroism and other virtues that touched a generation made cynical by the upheavals of the `60s and `70s.

How he did it -- as described in this book -- should give all writers, artists and other dreamers pause to reflect on the value of preparation, hard work, a willingness to absorb ideas from others, and going into a project knowing that you have not only no idea how it will come out, but that bad luck will doom you no matter what you do.

It's amazing that "Star Wars" was made at all, when it becomes clear in the book that the executives in charge at 20th Century Fox were more interested in busting Lucas' chops instead of making a movie. As one of Lucas friends notes: "There was a lack of respect for George. The movie industry is a very vituperative and petty industry most of the time -- and part of the negotiations was just to see how much they could push George around because they felt like they could."After getting Lucas under contract cheap, before the success of "American Graffitti," Fox proceeded to fritter away their leverage by withholding the contract for "Star Wars." To keep the project going, Lucas was forced to invest his own money, and in the end, had to threaten to stop filming to get the contract. By that time, the project was so far along that Fox was faced with either agreeing to his demands, or letting the project go to another studio. Hence, was born the most lopsided contract in history, giving Lucas say over final cut, plus control over all sequels and merchandizing.

Considering that "The Making of Star Wars" was published nearly 30 years after the movie's stunning debut, going back and putting together this history is a major accomplishment. Fortunately, J.W. Rinzler had access to interviews conducted during the production of `Star Wars," when people were in the midst of the work and uninfluenced by its future success. This fills the book with episodes and incidents of such detail that it's possible to fall into the pages and imagine yourself, back in the mid-'70s, where hair was blow-dried, collars and pants were wide, Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter were atop the political pyramid -- reflect on that when you look at Obama/Clinton/McCain!

For the two weeks, I was in film geek heaven, boring my wife at lunchtime with details about alternative casting (Christopher Walken as Luke! Jodie Foster as Leia!), alternative storylines (Luke was a girl at one point and named Starkiller; the robots were originally bureaucrats working for the Empire; Lucas toyed with filming it all in Japanese, with subtitles), sources for names (Han Solo? From a brand of paper cups) and those small incidents that acquire greater meaning (an out-of-work James Earl Jones spending a day in a studio to record Darth Vader's lines for $7,500). And don't get me started on the models and special effects; we'd be here all week.

But the heart of the story is George Lucas, and while I've always respected the man, my heart went out to him once I understood the impossible odds he worked again. "Star Wars" was made because he willed it into being; he was the Jedi who rescued his movie.

Lucas created a fairy tale for our times, but his story had a fairy tale twist as well. After laboring for years, fighting the studio executives and impossible deadlines, Lucas got his movie out. But he thought he had failed: "When I saw the first cut, my only opinion was that I did a terrible job, but it works. It doesn't work very well, but it works. ... And then when I finally saw it with an audience for the first time, I realized that no matter how far short I fell and how far short all the departments fell from what I wanted, the film did work for an audience. ... They all laughed at the right place and they believed it."

So the hero wins after all, but not in the way you'd expect. That's the hallmark of all good stories.

Having seen all 3 original trilogy movies over a hundred times a piece, (I paid theater admission for most of those viewings, no video back then), I was and still am interested in the behind the scenes events that took place during the making of the movies.
I have read all three of the "Making Of" books about the original trilogy. This book is definitely the most thorough and indepth with the technical aspects and day to day events on set. I enjoyed the interviews with George Lucas and the other people involved in the film. On the lighter side, (Being a huge Luke/Mark Hamill fan) I really enjoyed the candid photos of Mark Hamill and the other cast members on set.
The true Star Wars fan will enjoy the unlimited access to George Lucas' earliest thoughts about the trilogy and a detailed look into his film making style. This book is a must have for all who have ever dreamed of "a galaxy far, far away....

I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the making of Star Wars. The author covers all aspects of the movie and is chock full of paintings, photos, manuscript pages, and poster art. The story unfolds chronologically and after each chapter the author lists the new elements of each draft of the screenplay as it progresses toward the final version. Lots of great trivia and insight into the epic struggle to make Star Wars.

I got this for my 14 year old son and myself. I can't get over how cool this book is !! So much behind the scenes info. I worked at a theater for the initial release of Star Wars and this book gives me information about a movie that I thought I already knew everything about.
Buy it !!!

I am not reviewing this book based on the content as I did not purchase it to read. I purchased it as a gift for my husband - a Star Wars fan from his youth.

I'm sure this book would make a great gift for the hardcore Star Wars fans (although I expect they would have already purchased it for themselves.) I would particularly like to recommend this book as a gift to more casual fans of Star Wars and fans of books on the film industry in general. My husband has read quite a few Star Wars books, but has said that this is among the most interesting of the non-fiction books he has read on the topic and he was constantly stopping me to read quotes from the book on various aspects of the production history.

It's a very heavy, very large book and makes great presentation on the coffee table - much too nice to be left sitting on a shelf. :)

Books like this - Wizardology, Dragonology, The Wandmaker's Guidebook, and other "ology" books are the very thing a young person just starting to learn about magick and paganism needs to get started. Even a young adult (age 16-24) who is just getting their first lessons could benefit from books like these. They are very practical and well-written - much too well-written to be simply dismissed as books only suitable for children. I recommend all the books in this series to kids and adults alike!!

My grandson is an avid book reader but this book makes you slow down and check out all of the envelopes and hidden agenda within the book. Fun to read and watch the children read.

The book is veeery good, just like all the others in the '...ology' series, perfect gift for anyone. I love it! Lots of windows, and stuff to explore inside! GREAT!

I ordered this book as a Christmas gift for my mother, she is into all the fantasy type reads and such and it seems like a pretty good book for just some fun reading.

I love this book in fact my kids and I have read it together many times since it has arrived. I like that this book is easy to read so that my children can read it themselves if they want. Its also very interesting the way all the information is presented to the reader it almost makes you think you really can be merlins apprentice. Anyone who likes the medievel era would like this book, especially if you have children.

I bet there is a few people who are thinking about buying this for a younger relitive, thinking it's like the 4kids anime....you better back away unless you want your 7-10 year old pulling the perverted prank "panty tank". Yu-Gi-Oh! was originally intended for teens until 4kids messed it up so if your looking for some Yu-Gi-Oh! for your kids try "the pyrimid of light" ani-manga (its colored and has the same dialoge as the movie its self)

This is a good volume, of course it starts the series so don't expect anything too deep.The art is okay compared to takahashi's later style in duelist.The best story in this volume is duel 1:the puzzle of the gods cause that is where it starts.The others are fair but in my favorites includes duel 4 and 5.Note this is not for kids since it's too violent,doesn't feature the cards and the names and storyline are completely different from the edited tv show.

The first 7 volumes of the manga is pretty much what happened in the series that wasn't shown in the US. I recommend this to manga readers 11+ but be warned, there is violence and a lot of swears in this manga. I am 13 years old

Try, for a moment, to put aside all you think you know about Yu-Gi-Oh! and imagine something completely unexpected. Forget about the children's TV series. Don't give the card games another thought. And try to get past the tons of merchandise featuring Yugi's image. Let's begin to reconceptualize the character of Yugi.

That is, essentially, all that is needed in order to more fully enjoy Kazuki Tanahashi's creation, Yu-Gi-Oh! In the Manga, Yugi isn't the tough-talking little Goth boy you might expect. Instead, Yugi seems to be the polar opposite of this characterization - and deliberately so. A comparatively small teen with awkwardly-proportioned hands and feet, the slightly-effeminate Yugi struggles daily with schoolyard bullies, cruel adults, and even the doldrums which epitomize teenage life. While everything seems stacked against him from the get-go, Yugi finds himself optimistic, enjoying life whereas other similarly-affected kids would be beaten down by these oppressive forces.

And this is because he has a mind which is constantly stimulated by the games his grandfather provides him with. You see, Yugi loves puzzles more than anything, and can make a game out of anything. This is the quality that both alienates him from his peers, and gives him limitless courage to face each trial of the schoolyard. In this sense, there's some degree of all of us - after all, who doesn't love a good game? Who among us hasn't daydreamed about getting lost in some fancy labyrinth, or of solving a particularly challenging mind game?

As a result of his passion for puzzles, Yugi becomes someone different from time to time - a personality over which he has no conscious recollection or knowledge. This Yugi is a sadist, one who has no qualms over hurting those who tread upon the weak as a means of poetic justice. This Yugi plays games of a different sort, ones which torture the players unfortunate enough to lose ("Penalty Games," dished out to those who seemingly deserve such extreme punishments - blindness, insanity, death by fire, etc.), but only those who have manipulated others and exploited their helplessness. This Yugi later becomes known as "Yama Yugi" (or, "Dark Yugi").

In creating this series, creator Mr. Tanahashi explains that he had no concept of how popular his little character would become in the marketplace and in the media. Having met with no prior success, Mr. Tanahashi had no way of anticipating what would become of his little "strange story... that centered around 'The Mysterious' in everyday life." The first appearance of the ubiquitous card game based on the Manga does not even make an appearance in this first volume (a 7-issue series which spins off into Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist and nearly concurrently, Yu-Gi-Oh! Millennium World, and today's hot property Yu-Gi-Oh! GX).

While this book is - as one might expect - very popular with the kids, it certainly isn't the average American-written "kids' book." Inside these pages are tales of abuse, murder, torture... and, sometimes, even some bawdy humour ("Never play basketball in a skirt," says Anzu, the book's female protagnist). Certainly, it is filled with goofy stories light on the plot and occasionally, heavy on the characterizations - so it's a nice, light read. It's a children's title by way of Suzuki Koji, much the same way Hayao Miyazaki's My Neighbor Totoro was almost a grown-up movie disguised as kids' fare.

Yu-Gi-Oh! is a fun ride, packed with calculated fear and excitement, and endowed heavily with humanizing imagery (especially poignant is the image of Yugi reaching into a box, having nearly completed the 3-D puzzle he had kept with him for eight years, his clumsy hand searching for the final puzzle piece... only to discover it was missing, for all his pains. After watching him get beaten and extorted by a much larger classmate, knowing that the puzzle was what gave poor Yugi the most enjoyment out of life... This painful little scene is almost too much for dry eyes to absorb). It may not be the best of the genre, but it does deserve the attention it has received.

It also deserves a little more respect as well, but with marketing ever the ceaseless beast, this probably isn't too likely.

Many American children, especially those in the 7-12 age bracket, watch Yu-Gi-Oh regularly. Kids love the action and strategy. Parents love the 'appropriate' factor. Teens, however, hate the kiddiness, and anime purists abhor the editing.

Guess what? It's a lucky day for teens and anime fans.

Threats, fist-fights, and disturbing games (with disturbing conclusions) run rampant in this first volume of Yu-Gi-Oh, and although most people will love it, parents need to be warned--this is not for children under the age of 12.

Also, you won't find the card game 'Duel Monsters' anywhere in this first volume--in fact, it doesn't become the main part of the story until later on in the Yu-Gi-Oh anthology. Instead, however, you'll find out the origins of Yugi and his friends (with their original, un-Americanized names). And while all of this was originally created for a Japanese TV show, when 4Kids brought YGO over to the US, they skipped over the first few story arcs, and got right to the card battles.

Also, it's important to note that as this is a manga (Japanese comics, for the uninitiated) graphic novel, it reads from right to left, in traditional Japanese fashion. Of course, this means that you read the panels and text bubbles from right side to left side, but the translated text is written from left to right. It's ok if you don't understand--VIZ (the publishing company) provides a key in the graphic novel to help you learn how to read it. After 30 or 40 pages, reading like this will become second nature, so don't fret about that.

VIZ translates the sound effects, which is nice. The artwork is very nice (though not amazing), consistent, and easy to look at. The translation is very well done, with footnotes explaining any Japanese pop-culture references you might miss.

Overall, I'd highly reccomend it--to anyone over 12, and especially to older Yu-Gi-Oh fans who want to see a little bit darker take on the story.

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

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

MRS. Dee Schauer
Texas

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A terrific example of learning to live without fear and where that can take you.
Nik

Rhonda Britten is a role model for us all. I also had childhood trauma and have worked deeply to live outside the fear and in freedom. Her book and plan give me the tools and they work for me. Thank you Rhonda. You are a true angel.

While, the concept of "fear" and how it drives us unconsciously is an excellent channel of examination, I was very disappointed in the book.

Based on reading this book and discussions with numerous coaches recently, I believe lifestyle coaching is seriously out of date and does not do a service to individuals when the main focus is on the spiritual aspect of a person's life. Life has become exceptionally unpredictable and the world complex. You cannot tell me that someone who gets cancer got cancer because of a hidden fear or that a person who lost his job through layoff, had a fear of success.

I think it is time for the coaching world to examine the UN principles of exercising precaution and sustainability to get real about the complexity of approach it takes these days to earn a living, sustain and protect and care for one's health.

Motivational speaking or lectures on how to overcome fear are simply not sufficient anymore.

I think Rhonda Britten is a powerful author and probably a great coach and trainer for those who fit her description. However, this book combines a vision for living without fear with a need to both create controls in one's life and a sense that we all have the same patterns of reaction to life. Scary book. Although I can see this working for some people it will not work for most people I know. The cycle of fear is real, but the roads into and out of it are much more dynamic and varied. Life is at the same time more surprising, fascinating, complicated, tricky and unpredictable than this book portrays.

Just telling her own story of loss, suffering and trauma would be enough --- but she overcomes her earlier childhood trauma and shares with the reader how they too can reclaim their lives. I was inspired by this book and the woman who wrote it. Pamela D. Blair, Author The Next Fifty Years: A Guide for Women at Mid-Life And Beyond