Patton Books

McCammon is great. The characters in Gone South are so unique I find myself inspired. And while reading, you may know where the story is going, but that's okay. It's a pleasure to go there.


James Roy Daley
Author of The Dead Parade
The Dead Parade

I have been a huge Robert McCammon fan ever since I read Swan Song many yrs ago. I just recently re-read gone south and I have to say that it was just ok.... McCammon does a great job in describing all characters and you really do feel you know them, but the end of the book was a little dissapointing, not to mention the whole "Bright girl" thing... Could have been better..

A Viet Nam Marine veteran, a young woman with half of her face an ugly birth mark, a bounty hunter with two heads and three arms, an Elvis impersonator, and last, but not least another Viet Nam vet named "Train". Only the great author of "Swan Song", Robert McCammon, could put all of these characters together and create a wonderful story such as this one.

This story touches on the pain and suffering of our many war veterans, people with deformaties, and people who just choose to live a life different then most. These are all part of a larger story with tragedy, excitment and suspense based in Louisiana's towns and Southern most bayou. At the same time there is humor mixed in and if you are like me, when you are finished, you will feel a better person for having been part of Robert McCammon.

I read this on the heels of Boys Life and have to say I'm in love with this author. McCammon's descriptions paint the scene and characters with an economy of words. He brings you to the hellish swamps of Louisiana where a troubled Vietnam vet is chased by two strange bounty hunters. One has his twin brother's arm and head growing out of his chest and the other is a junk food eating Elvis "interperator". While the cast of misfits get in and out of outrageous predicaments, they also have time to do a little soul searching. Very well done.

Again, the most descriptive writer of all times, Robert McCammon's imagination is outrageous! A down and out Viet Nam Vet, in a moment of despair, kills a man and runs. Meanwhile, a nasty man who runs a bounty hunter business sends two freaks after him. One of the freaks has a twin brother growing out of the side of his body. They end up in the swamps where they encounter alligators and drug runners. What a whopper of a great book and when I say you can't put it down, I kid you not. Nobody can top the descriptions of McCammon. You can feel, smell and taste with his novels. Great reading!

This book is one that stepmothers can relate to in an emotional way. It covers a lot of ground in that regard and if you are a new stepmother, that is very helpful. The book outlines the realities of stepmothering without terrifying the reader. It offers reasonable and helpful solutions and steps to find the positives, and the encouragement that stepmothers require to be successful and happy within their role(s). Recommended reading at secondwivesclub.com

I purchased this book in the hopes that it would offer practical solutions in a positive way when so many of the other books out there focus on the negative. Several books I had read prior to this one, had me ready to run for the hills and tell the man of my dreams that he could take his kids and crazy ex-wife and get the heck away from me! Happily, this book calmed me down and helped me to realize that I am NOT alone in my confusion, jealousy or fear while at the same time provided me with some very handy tips and support that I have already made good use of. In short, I found this book hugely helpful and would recommend it to anyone contemplating a relationship or marriage to a person with children.

The first month of being a new stepmom was truly the most terrifying, overwhelming, and frustrating of my life...it was also a wonderful lesson in the strength of the human spirit and the need to tread with humility. I cannot recommend this book enough! I've now been an official stepmom for six months, and am reading the book for the second time...there is just something about it that makes me feel far more calm than my life circumstances do! Maybe it's just knowing that what I'm experiencing is normal and expected...and that I'm not completely losing my mind! This book is not going back to my bookshelf...it's going to sit right next to my side of the bed from here on out.

I was a new step mom when I bought this book and found it informative and helpful.

I read this book quite a while ago and am recommending it to a friend who will also become a step-mom soon. The best advice is: "Don't try to be the "birth-mom", you won't replace her and you can't deal with the comparison with the other woman. Also, the advice to step back, I had a huge issue whenever my stepdaughter misbehaved that it was a reflection on my parenting and me. Rather than just understanding that an 7,8,9,10, etc. year-old will misbehave no matter what, this book helped me realize that I didn't need to take it so personally.

I received this book in a box lot on ebay and decided to give it a try. I found the author's ability to write vivid and dramatic scenes very impressive. There are enough reviews here to tell the plot of the book, so I won't go into that.
My main criticism of the book is the bland dialogue that took me right out of the historic mood that the author, otherwise, does such a great job of creating. As a historical fiction author, I have taken great pains to study 19th century language and speech, so maybe I am overly sensitive. But there were many modern words and usages that stopped me dead and were very disappointing.
That said, it appears the author is usually a mystery/crime writer, and judging from the pictures he paints with words, is a good one.
My other criticism is that the plot leans a little too far for me toward the often-taught myth that slavery was the cause of the War Between the States. I prefer seeing a little more balance - even in fiction.
Jessica James
Award-winning author
of Shades of Gray

This is a very well written novel, with lots of good Civil War history worked in, although I agree with one other reviewer here that at times the characters became "preachy stereotypes," and another who said some characters' actions were unrealistic for the society, time period, etc. But, still, I greatly enjoyed it, and I found Willie Burke to be a very engaging character - I loved his smart remarks made almost always at the worst possible moments! I also like the complicated character of Flower's white father - I kept hoping he'd become a better person and was suprised more than once by his actions, good and bad. Flower is maybe a bit too good to be true, but I still felt myself hoping for her to get through all her ordeals and make a good life for herself. It's not a romantic look at the times, like Gone With The Wind, so don't expect that "vibe," but it's got content that will make you sometimes wince, shudder, laugh or cry. Definitely worth the reading!

I listed to this book on audio cassette. The narrator, Ed Sala is a master of many voices. His voice alone makes the book worth listening to. And of course, James Lee Burke is a master of words and a master of creating a plot and story line that is intriguing and suspenseful.

A wonderful and power book to listen to that brings many aspects of the Civil War and how it effecter ordinary people.

This is simply the finest book I've ever read. Get out of the "where's Dave Robiceaux" mode quickly. Read this as a stand-alone story with great description, wonderful characters and yes.....a "cop-out" ending...but then again, where was he to go without writing a new novel...ah ha...that's a solution!

James Lee Burke Brings the beauty of the South Louisiana town of New Iberia to the reader with extreme accuracy. I live in the area and have family ties to New Iberia. Now thanks to Mr Burke I can envision what the area around Spanish Lake and where Camp Pratt was located as it was during the Civil War period each time I visit. Mr Burke also give an accurate account of the attitude of the people of the area back during that time period. I enjoyed this book very much and would recommend it to all.

I really enjoyed this book. The mobsters are so well discribed and play into the plot. The mix of the southern artistocrats and the dirty underworld makes this a fun read.

James Lee Burke in Cadillac Jukebox does an excellent job of describing the corruption in Louisiana politics that has been around for years. This book kept me on the edge of my seat wondering where it was going next. This was my second Burke book and I will be reading many more. Recommended to all. Keep them coming Mr Burke.

This is the third time that JLB has tackled the same type of story: a old murder, an old acquaintance, an old girlfriend and a boyhood friend (who is on the wrong side of the law).

The old murder involves the killing of a NAACP civil rights activist forty years ago by a KKK racist. The old acquaintance is an ex-vietnam marine (sound familiar) who became successful (came from the right side of the tracks) and is now running for Governor. The ex-girlfriend is now the politicians wife who has never forgiven Dave for dumping her. The old boyhood friend is a 'made-man' who has been playing both sides for a while and is now in trouble with everyone.

Needless to say the bad-guys get their cumuppence and the good guys win, but as always there is some collateral damage to someone near Dave. His old friend and bait shop buddy, Batist, gets stuck between a rock and a hard place, but thankfully survives.

Glenda, the Good Witch of Northern Oz, said "It's always best to start at the Beginning," but she was talking about the Yellow Brick Road. With James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux mystery and mayhem series, that ain't necessarily so, it's all Good, and the reader may start anywhere within this steamy, murkily atmospheric Southern Louisiana stories arc.

In this affair, Burke illustrates that "Some Saturday afternoon heroes will never go gently into that good night." Patrician Golden Boy and former LSU quarterback, descendent of KKK lynchmongers, Buford LaRose is running for Governor of the Great State of Louisiana. His ultra-libidinous wife, daughter of a gumball vendor to cheerleader, aspires to be First Lady. What have they to do with the 30 year old murder of a Civil Rights leader? and what about the Tim Leary flashback guru guy?

Burke as Robicheaux in the 1st person does his usual deft job of leading us through a mire of local characters, backwoods highways and bayous and, for tunes for the trip, there's that titular Cadillac Jukebox. /TundraVision, Amazon Reviewer

The regular characters of the bayou are back in this Dave Robicheaux novel as well as the usual pyscho killer.
The characters are colorful . The plot is okay.I'm not sure why the pyscho killer was hired to kill but, I never lost interest in the story. This novel is really 31/2 stars.

Much history, much conjecture - "Dreamland" is a series of loosely linked chapters about: the legendary Lockheed Skunkworks and the creation of the U2 and Blackbirds; the Lore of UFOology and all the obsessives that go with it; the depictions of various subcultures, like the "Interceptors"; and, many reports about the National Test Site, Nellis Air Force Base, Tonopah Testing Area, and of course, Groom Lake ie, "Dreamland".

Pattin has the journalistic credentials for putting a pretty good story together - he is a New York Times and Esquire reporter. He focuses on the psychology of believing as much as on what is, and what has happened, "out there". The writing does bog down, however, when he starts to muse about "culture" and how Hollywood has marketed the alien phenomena; the analysis and conjectures get too tangential and detract from otherwise good stories and reporting. So, perservere and the narrative will pick back up.

The discussions about UFO's and aliens in the context of America's obsessions and cultural concerns are well done, as is Pattin's take on Jung's UFO theory. For those into conspiracy theories and the New World Order, there's probably nothing new here; but it makes some interesting reading. 4 stars on this one.

Extracts: A Field Guide for Iconoclasts

The Cloud Reckoner

Ok, for those interested in the subject: if you expect to read all about aliens, conspiracies about strange beings governing from below, strange otherwordly craft being tested, or any such info, well, choose another book if this is what you seek.

If you happen to be a planespotter this book should be precisely right for your money. Furthermore, if you're looking for the purely conventional history of "area 51" then you've hit the bull's eye as well.
But this calls for some specification here. It all comes down to what you're ready to assume, believe, expect. Area 51 may have an unconventional side to it and it may not. This is all extremely open to discussion and anyone who has delved deep into all this phenomenon will know very well that this subject could span to lenghts and depths unimaginable. If it comes down to purely concrete evidence then area 51 remains a blurry subject, more so that other sides of the bigger scheme for which way more evidence exists.

Now, summing it all up, i find the cover of this book ridiculously misleading. Why put an alien on the cover if this precisely what you are NOT talking about inside this book??? This alone, leads me to thoughts it shouldnt lead me, it puts me in suspicion about the motives of the author. If you're going to go on for 400 some pages explaining that all that area 51 is is a secret giant facility for testing secret (but earthling made!) aircraft than what's with the alien hint on the cover mr.Patton?

I found myself reading an extremely interesting book about the history of fighting aircraft, stealth aircraft, cold war intrigues, test pilots of dangerous aircraft etc. For this i rate this book highly. But i still think that it doesnt address the ever-underlying question about "other" functions of the so called area 51. "Dreamland" does touch this underlying question but in a vrey superficial and selfunderstood dismissing way as if it was never an issue to begin with. Problem is, it IS an issue, and there are enough reasons for that (wrong or right, they aren't adequately dealt with in the book, to put it mildly).

The section of the Nellis Air Force base in Nevada labeled "Area 51" continues to fascinate everyone from lovers of military aircraft to UFO buffs, from Cold War military historians to surveyors of the delightfully weird. The American government's dedication to intense secrecy regarding this "Dreamland" further stokes the curiosity of the public. What goes on at this secret research facility out in the middle of the desert? Why are there signs on the borders of the base stating that a person caught trespassing faces a stiff prison sentence and fine? Are there really strange, unexplained lights in the sky over the base or are these supposed sightings of UFOs just test flights for the next generation of high tech aircraft, like the stealth planes of the last two decades? Author Phil Patton decided to examine the aura of mystery surrounding a base that the American government actually denied existed for so many years. What Patton finds is an amazing blend of Cold War philosophy, pop culture, and UFO lore. The only thing stranger than what possibly goes on in the hangers of this base is what goes on outside the fences amongst a quirky collection of conspiracy theorists, UFO buffs, and aircraft enthusiasts.

"Dreamland" is first a history about the American military during the Cold War. Patton discusses in detail the atomic bomb tests in the Nevada desert and their effects on the residents in the area, the colossus of secrecy that emerged in these years surrounding military programs, and the developments of various secret aircraft that led to the construction of this air base in the Nevada wastelands. Several chapters intimately describe the Lockheed Skunk Works and its projects in the desert. The reader learns about the SR-71 spy planes, the U2 project and Gary Powers, and the stealth aircraft (which came about because of a footnote in an article written by a Soviet physicist). Patton introduces us to the test pilots who flew the planes over the desert, tough as nails aviators who often died or suffered serious injuries during the course of their work. We meet Kelly Johnson, the penny-pinching head of Skunk Works and the driving force behind several of America's greatest military aircraft. For readers who find a history of military aircraft as boring as I do, Patton spices up his accounts with amusing and intriguing anecdotes about the engineers and pilots who made American air supremacy a reality. The author's visits to various testing grounds, bases, and local towns lend the book an authenticity sorely lacking from many of the accounts concerning America's military secrets.

"Dreamland" doesn't skimp on the kooks, either. Patton knows Area 51 is more than a testing ground for military aircraft in the minds of many Americans, recognizing that for many in the business of UFOs, Dreamland is the Holy Grail of all alien encounters. The author discusses the background of the UFO phenomena, writing in depth analyses on George Adamski, Roswell, MJ-12, and Bob Lazar. In what I found to be one of the best parts of the books, Patton discusses how descriptions of extraterrestrial encounters often changed to reflect broader concerns in American society. For example, during the height of the Cold War in the 1950s, some saw UFOs and their alien pilots as harbingers of peace set to deliver America from the threat of nuclear annihilation. In the 1980s, an obsession with sex and the cult of the individual within the larger society brought stories of alien abductions to the fore. An abduction was special because it showed that the aliens chose one person over millions of others, an idea Patton sees as part of the pop psychological influence of talk shows. Overall, the author takes a strong neutral stance about some of the crazy stories floating around Area 51, only sinking to incredulity when the account is so over the top that it begs for ridicule. This makes perfect sense when one thinks about it, for anyone who believes in George Adamski's contactee nonsense has serious problems. Ultimately, "Dreamland" is less concerned about the existence of UFOs than with how these stories fit in with the larger themes of secrecy and the Cold War.

Patton does a clever thing with his book; he convincingly argues that Area 51 with all of its mysteries serves as a nexus for America's love of the unknown, its love of technology, and its suspicion of the federal government. Moreover, the author makes a case that the government's mania for classification and secrecy, all in the name of "black programs" and "national security," is out of hand. The idea of "need to know" or "plausible deniability" are certainly not terms one would associate with an open, for the people by the people government we all want. Secrecy too often leads to an "us versus them" mentality incompatible with American ideals about government. I think this critique of the bureaucratization of the national security state is the best argument for reading this book. On a secondary level, the book also works for those interested in how our government constructed advanced aircraft in order to defeat the grim specter of world communism.

Dreamland is a fun read, thanks to Phil Patton's entertaining writing style and his dogged willingness to uncover the mysteries surrounding Area 51. It's also an important book in the sense that we finally have a credible investigation into the complex and elusive world of Area 51 - a world that Patton coins as "Dreamland." However, don't be fooled into believing that Dreamland supports any of the conspiracy theorist claims. In fact, much of Patton's findings do more to debunk them.

Patton's admirable efforts to gather as much empirical data on far-reaching claims of the existence UFOs inside Area 51 often and invariably lead him into very murky water. However, seeing this through the eyes of a journalist, you get the sense that the "youfers" and the higher-profile witnesses of UFOs are just plain full of baloney. Never once during Patton's campaign to find the hidden truth is the author surprised, amazed or taken aback by any tangible evidence or revelations.

Though it's no fault of Patton's, the lack of any shred of stirring evidence of the existence of UFO's in Dreamland makes this book just a tad anticlimactic. In this vein, I disagree with some other reviews of this book. For example, the back cover says, "Reviewers have applauded Dreamland as brilliant, fascinating, weird, wonderful, sometimes spooky, curiously epic, frequently humorous, and always entertaining." In fact, Patton's closing statement - the final sentence of the book, seems to contradict this notion: "...This seemed appropriate, but as with so much in Dreamland, it proved impossible to determine conclusively." (Patton pg 299). There's not much in Patton's findings that would leave a reader spooked or fascinated. I would temper the back cover comments down to "brilliant, interesting and entertaining."

The most famous figure that Patton investigates is an engineer/physicist named Bob Lazar. It's no surprise that Patton finds Lazar's job titles and credentials to be questionable. Lazar claims that he actually worked on flying saucers hidden near Groom Lake. While Patton collects interesting stories through former contacts of Lazar, he finds no evidence or accounts to corroborate or support Lazar's outlandish tales. Patton discovers that Lazar was eventually arrested in 1990 for pandering - around the time that Lazar tried to open a brothel in Los Alamos. Do most physicists have time for these types of endeavors?

Patton's assiduous and unrelenting study of Area 51, military aircraft, "youfers", UFO folklore and UFO history is full, thorough and colorful. It's likely that Patton would make a study on any topic readable and interesting. And perhaps as an unintended consequence, this book will educate the average reader on the history of military aircraft. Patton's in-depth inquiry left me skeptical about the existence of UFOs and it has given me a critical attitude toward the conspiracy buffs. The amount of conjecture is disproportionately large compared to the flakes of evidence that anyone can provide when it comes to the existence of flying saucers in Area 51.

I should add that Patton also deserves credit for putting himself at risk on several occasions when he tries to get himself as close as possible to key sites in Dreamland. He is often chased away or threatened by military security.

Dreamland is an enjoyable read. But be forewarned: It won't convert you to a conspiracy buff. Rather, it may turn you into a skeptic.

This book provides lots of insight as to why people find Area 51 so fascinating, but doesn' really draw any conclusions.

Phil Patton interviews every type of person interested in the workings of the Air Force's facility at Groom Lake, from aviation buffs to "youfers," all the while maintaining objectivity. He doesn't seek to judge the conspiracty theorists, but rather gives a basic history of black projects in general and Area 51 in particular.

I found it an easy and fun read. If you're at all interested in the United States' most secret military facility, black projects or secret aircraft, this is a good read.

This series is SOOOOOOO good! Remember to read the titles in order, however. It is definitely a progressive series. See my review of Crusader's Cross for a general view of the series.

Once again JLB has Dave dealing with people he knew back in New Orleans and Vietnam. Again it's some one who grew up around the Mafia in NO and he dealt with when he was in NOPD. Again it's a member of the local mafia and gentry that is behind a problem that doesn't ever seem to go away (a bad upbringing and abuse of them or their mother or both).

What makes this one different is the inclusion of drugs for guns in south america and the american government involvement with both. An old friend from 'Nam shows up and gives a 'diary' to Dave which is purported to have info that will tie people in souteastern Louisiana to war crimes committed in Nicaragua. At the same time, one of the local gentry who has fallen onto hardtimes because of his involvement with a 'woman of color' is looking for a way out and big score. The big score is over use of his ancestral land for environmentally damaging industry which is nothing new in the polluted swamp-lands and marshes of the area around New Iberia.

There is also the touch of the 'supernatural' when after his friend Sonny is killed; he seems to turn up all over the area, and is seen by Alafair, Clete and Batiste. A nudge from Sonny, saves Dave's life and determines that one of the bad guys will take his own life.

There's a nice piece about Dave and Alafair, and dealing with your baby girl becoming a teenager and all that that implies to a parent. I thought he handled it very forthrightly and with honesty. Dave's as confused as to what to do as the rest of us mortals.

For me, at least, it seemed that he walzed through this one, getting ready for something big in the next.

The Dave Robicheaux novels by James Lee Burke have always had a spiritual component --see IN THE ELECTRIC MIST WITH CONFEDERATE DEAD-- but in BURNING ANGEL the supernatural darn near takes center stage with the presence of a real, honest-to-gosh no-doubt-about-it ghost. I loved the series before...now I'm really hooked.

I thought "Black Cherry Blues" was bad, until I read this one. At least "Black Cherry Blues" has an ending.

I wanted to give it zero stars but it was not one of the choices. First of all, I think James Lee Burke is a horrible writer. He tried too hard in his description of things throughout the book. Here's an example in one of the last pages:

"...his GI haircut resembles a peeled onion under the sun....."

Why bother with such description? It serves no purpose. Besides it doesn't make sense!!

The above would have been tolerable if the story is good. There are too many subplots. In the end, all the subplots do not come together, like a good mystery is supposed to.

It is the first book I have ever read (I read tons) where I did not know what happened in the end, not to mention the question to the following:

1. What is in Sonny's notebook?
2. Who is Charlie?
3. What is Moleen hiding?
4. What is the construction company trying to build, or dig up? Treasures?
5. And what is up with different people seeing Sonny alive after he has been killed?

I don't know if it's just me, but how can anybody give this book a 4 or 5-star, like some of the reviews I read. Maybe these same people can explain the book to me. Then again, I don't think I want to know. If James Lee Burke can be a best-selling author, then the standard of today's contemporary writers are dropping..........fast. Now that I am sufficiently depressed, maybe a good Agatha Cristie mystery will cheer me up.

j

I love almost everything about James Lee Burke including his prose, his characters and especially, the locations he writes about. But Burning Angel is the second book in a row where I had a problem with the plot.

As usual, Dave Robicheaux (deputy with the New Iberia Sheriff's Department) has way too much going on. First, Robicheaux runs into a "friend" who grew up in New Iberia and ended up being a Canal Street fixer in New Orleans. Sonny Boy Marsallus has dabbled in almost everything including being a Latin American mercenary and an independent working for the DEA. Marsallus thinks his life is in danger and asks Robicheaux to hold a notebook with damaging information. A plantation owner is trying to gain possession of land that his grandfather deeded to the families of former slaves. Why he wants the land is a big mystery, but the mob also seems to be involved. It is also rumored that Jean Lafitte buried treasure there. Lots of bad guys hover on the edges and there always seems to be a hit out on Robicheaux.

There were too many things going on in Burning Angel, and I had a hard time keeping them all straight. I'm ok with the the local crimes, the mob plots, and even the Viet Nam angle. But Burke gets very murky when delving into the world of clandestine operations in Latin America. Usually Burke wraps things up at the end, but there were an awful lot of loose ends hanging here. Even the epilogue wasn't much help.

Despite the plot, there is still enough in Burning Angel to keep me reading. Burke regales us not just with the beauty of Louisiana, but also her ugliness (her racism, exploitation of the environment, the mob influence, poverty, the crime, etc.). Robicheaux's new partner, Helen Soileau, is also a good fit. She's unlike any woman he has teamed up with in the past. She's not always very politically correct and sometimes shows less restraint than Robicheaux. Clete Purcell and Helen loathe each other, but a grudging respect develops when they pull together to assist Robicheaux. It's rather comical.

Even though the plot of Burning Angel was not as polished as previous books, Burke is still a better writer than most mystery writers today. I'm still determined to read them all and I have five more to go.

James Lee Burke is a good writer, but this isn't a good book. The paperback edition is more than 500 pages long. The book would have benefited greatly from an editor who could wield a red pen and delete about 250 pages of excess fat.

The story makes the protagonist, Dave Robicheaux, look like a dunce. He knows someone is out to intimidate him and his family but he takes no precautions. So time after time, the bad guys get into his house and physically abuse his wife and then him. It is hard to believe a former New Orleans' homicide detective who now works for the sheriff's office could be so stupid and cavalier.

The story is written in the first person. Rather than explain some of the local New Orleans lingo, the author has Dave's friend Clete Purcel explain it to him. Pretty tedious.

I recommend trying one of Burke's other books.

Warning: spoilers---
This is my first Burke novel. It won't be my last, but I sure hope that Robicheaux wises up in the other books. Let me count the ways in which he demonstrates he's not smart enough to dress and feed himself, let alone be a cop:

1. Twisted bad guy attacks and terrorizes wife. What does hero cop husband do? Does he tell his tough-as-nails fearless hired man, who works all day a hundred feet away from the house about it, and to keep an eye on her? No. Does Bootsie the wife go "yo, husband, I'm taking a little vacation until you catch this lunatic."? No. Does Robicheaux stay home himself? No, he gallivants all over the landscape and when he comes home gets ambushed by the exact same bad guy, who has an accomplice and Bootsie tied and gagged.

2. All kinds of people, both cops and colorful bad guys, warn him that he's up against something seriously bad and scary. He goes "huh" and leaves it at that.

3. Twisted bad guy breaks into the house a couple nights later, while Bootsie and hero cop are sleeping, and watches them sleep. Then writes a message on the mirror and leaves other obvious signs he was there. Meanwhile, Robicheaux doesn't have nightmares about twisted bad guy like a normal person, oh no, he has nightmares about something a creepy little preacher told him, and sleeps right through this guy breaking through a deadbolt and sneaking around his house. No alarm system, no dog, none of his tough but colorful cop friends helping out.

4. Three times the twisted bad guy invades their home and does horrible things. But Bootsie still stays put, and Robicheaus gets dumber, which hardly seem possible. Every strange car that creeps down their driveway he dismisses as nothing important. Then he gets caught by the twisted bad guy in the absolute stupidest ambush of all time- a truck supposedly broken down just down his street, with a suspicious vehicle lurking behind it. He walks right into it, not a care in the world.

Burke creates a nice sense of atmosphere and locale, and he draws a colorful cast of characters. Men characters, that is, the women might as well be cardboard cutouts. Bootsie gets terrorized, and she's worried about husband? Yeah, whatever! Still, it's a lively, engrossing read. I just wish the hero cop wasn't such a dunce.

Burke can do no harm with this series. All additions are wonderful and dark and thoughtful and memorable. See my review of his Crusader's Cross for a general picture.

Only a writer as talented as Burke could get away with a plot this far-fetched. Nazi submarines, nuns and psychopaths-- these are subjects that in the hands of a lesser writer would make us cringe and close the book. Burke somehow almost makes it believable. He definitely makes the material into a one of his trademark dark and absorbing reads.

Bit by bit, Robicheaux is having his innocence and idealism chipped away. Dixie City Jam does not reveal what the readers will find underneath.

I can believe that this is not the best of the Robicheaux books. The premise of the plot is just a bit too far-fetched. Still, the characters have some truly brilliant moments-- I particularly liked Tommy Bobalouba. This was the second Burke that I have read, and it only strengthens my desire to read the other books in the series.

For the first time in a long time, Dave Robicheaux's life seems to be going well. His wife Bootsie's Lupus is under control, his business is doing well as is his daughter Alafair. Then Dave sees an old german sub, sunk during WWII and all kinds of strange things begin to happen in his life.

This time the woman in Dave and Clete's lives are the targets of a lunatic, who has been murdering people all over the world. He has a compatriot who will surprise you later in the book. Most of the time Dave is busy chasing after this guy who seems to be a ghost and lives completely off the radar. No history or background and nothing in the NCIS computer files.

Clete has more fun in this book than is legal; he fills a guys car with cement from a stolen cement mixer, and drives an earth grader through the guys brothers house. In between he gets some great lines and gets to spend a week fishing, while Dave runs around southeastern Louisiana chasing his ghost.

As always, come the end, Dave works everything out; the good guys win and the bad guys get their just desserts. There is a great line from Stephen Crane in the book that I'll paraphrase as:

Most people aren't nouns, their adverbs, spending their time modifying situation and dangers they have no control over.

Great book for those just trying to learn what a software tester must do with no prior experience.

If you are already in software testing business this book is not for you. If you are looking for something to guide you for your safety critical V&V activities again this is not your book. But if you are new in testing and if you want to make a good start this book will help you. So only for newbies...

I thought the book was quite good. I read it before I attended my first introductory software testing course and it allowed me to get a lot more out of the course and ask questions that were more relevant. In fact, my instructor borrowed the book and thought it was quite good as well. If you have experience in this field, then this book is not for you. (Why anyone would buy it if they did have "expertise" in the field is beyond me.) I have read a couple of the reviews for this book and to be honest, these people probably whine about anything and everything, yet they are incapable of publishing their own book. I have noticed that is quite the "American thing". Criticizing without the ability to create and waxing poetic about anything and everything without the benefit of expertise. This is an odd "habit" and one that apparently is addictive and hypnotic to some. Can you imagine the amount of time some people spend on those inane blogs? Who has that bloody amount of time to be that self-indulgent? I digress...

Overall, a very good text and I would recommend it highly based on its readability; I index books for a living so I CAN wax poetic about this type of thing, and its conversational style. I encourage the author to continue his work in this area.

This book is excellent for beginners who are looking to learn more about software testing. It details the concepts of manual testing and what to look for and what not to do while testing software.

It is also good for programmers who want to transition into testing or Q/A or just want to gain an insight into the world of testers!

This is an example of a book that I was forced into purchasing and using as a text book. I was shocked that this is considered required reading for a Master's level course. While it is a good overview of quality, especially as it applies to the web, I found it mostly trite and a little boring. I gave it a three because I think it has its place in the world. If you are a beginner and need a general overview it's a good place to start. It is not however a "textbook" that will find its way to my keeper shelf, I will be selling it back.

Much respect is due to Kareem Abdul-Jabaar for going after these stories and getting them in print for posterity. I admired you as a sports figure, but now I honor you as a man of principle. Much respect.

There are all types of history books. Some are textbooks other historical fiction some autobiographies. This book is not of these and something else altogether. Not since I read "Manchild in the Promised Land" by Claude Brown at the age of 13 years, have I been moved as I have by Mr. Jabbar's effort. Brothers In Arms now ranks with my very favorite books. It is engaging and informative. It makes me want to buy a ticket and go to France and Belgium and retrace the footsteps of these heroic men. What more could you ask from a book. Yes there are inaccuracies, inconsistancies and errors in the book. But not where it counts. Obviously, Kareem sat down with some of these men and got their stories. First hand experiences. Those are the things that draw you in and make you want to know more. Those are the things that make you cry when one of them dies, even though it happened over 60 years ago. Yet you weep for them still. And in the end, when the book is done, there is a heaviness in your heart but an overwhelming pride fills your chest.

This book should be required reading for all High school students along with Killer Angels, Catcher in the Rye and 1984. I could go on but you should simply read the book instead.

I really did like this book and found it to be very well done; I couldn't put it down. Kareem abdul-jabbar did a great job of tying the history of the unit into is his life (one of the main characters was friends with his father). It wasn't only intresting because of the whole Black Soldiers in WW II subject area, but was also a great read concerning WW II tankers in general (not just black tankers). Mr. Abdul did an outstanding job and I would recommend this book to anyone.

Terrible Narration with pronunciation errors (see below)
A Number of factual errors
Almost NOTHING about the major battle of Bastogne

While I like the subject and generally liked the book, I found several items that should have been caught by a good editor: Factual errors (see other reviews), Should have had much more about the design, development and manufacture of the Sherman tank (a co-star of the book), Bastogne is barely covered, and the narration.

I would never have purchased this book if I had known the narrator was so clueless. The reader's errors were distracting and painful to hear so many mispronounced words and not just obscure city names, but common words and names common to World War II: Pate-on for Patton (only one time), straff (rhymed with raft) for straf, personal mines for personnel mines, Ver-DUNE (rhymed with maroon) for Ver-done (Verdun), ambu-LANCE for ambulance, Ar-DEAN (rhymed with Marine) for Ar-den (Ardennes), Ba-vah-ria instead Ba-VARE-ia, GORE-ing (rhymed with snoring) instead Goering, Elbee (rhymed with sleepy) for Elbe, and for anyone with with the slightest experience with the History Channel the following is absolutely ludicrous looftwaff (no idea what this would rhyme with) for Luftwaffe.

As for the people who say that we are nitpickers when we point out errors, just imagine if there was a book about Rev. King and they said that he was killed when shot at close range at a gas station in Chicago. HUH?? you would say. That's just crazy!! that would make me wonder about the rest of the book.

I finally requested a refund and got it from Audible.

In "Brothers in Arms", Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Anthony Walton try to bring to life the personal accounts of the soldiers of the 761st Tank Battalion.

The book begins by documenting the memories of the soldiers who faced their own battles with racism here in the United States. The flow of the book follows the natural progression of the soldiers from their days as recruits, armored school, and then through their combat exploits in France and Germany.

Having previously read "Death Traps: The Survival of an American Armored Division in World War II", this book didn't contribute any new information about armored warfare. Despite numerous factual errors, the book does highlight the ugliness of racism that was prevalent in the nation at the time. All in all, this is a collection of stories that needed to be told.

I have loved her past books, but was disappointed in these short
stories. They just left me hanging.

I really love reading books by Annie Proulx. The words she uses and the structure of her sentences are so wonderful that, unlike most books, I actually read every word, apparently, unlike her editor. In the first paragraph, page 8 of Family Man we find RAY Forkenbrock "squinting against the slanting ice" - nice sentence. However, in the last paragraph of the same page I guess either Annie has decided to use the nickname ROY for RAY or someone didn't bother proofreading the segment. Nitpicking for sure, but when a book costs $25.00 you'd think some kind of care might be taken in getting the words right.

Unfortunately this was the first book I have read by Annie Proulx, and it will definitely be my last. From the reviews of others who seem to love her writings, perhaps I may be missing something, but I am content to leave it that way. While her writing is undoubtedly masterful, and her eye for detail astounding, I still really hated it. I found her unrelentingly painful and grim tales way too much to handle, and I choose not to put myself through such an experience again. Filled with discomfort, I read it to the end to see if there was some lesson I could take away, but the sadness this book evoked was paralyzing to my spirit, an outpouring of emotion that left me feeling only defeat. I am no Pollyanna, but I found none of the Wyoming I have always loved, none of the redemption of the human spirit, no relief from overwhelming sorrow and suffering in her stories. Her writings may beautifully done, but I can't stomach her subject matter, can't abide the misery. Thank you, Ms Proulx, for your skill, talent and craftmanship. I wish you applied it in a way that doesn't resemble a fatal car accident. I for one can turn my head away from this.

Annie Proulx continues her mastery of the short story.

In Fine Just the Way It Is: Wyoming Stories 3, Proulx once again gives us stories primarily taking place in or associated with Wyoming. Her characters are terribly human--warts and all--and her stories are typically blunt, to the point, and full of (sometimes brief) life.

But, as straightforward as her stories are with their plainspoken characters, Proulx also delivers stunningly beautiful narrative language when detailing landscapes, flora, and animal life. Some of her imagery literally astounded me it was so well crafted and provocative.

However, unlike previous Wyoming volumes, this addition to the series is far more brutal to its characters. Now Proulx has never occurred to me as a woman who gets overly sentimental about her creations, but I was surprised at the tragedies she forced her men and women to endure. That being said, she certainly did not cross the line into sensationalism; everything she threw at her characters was well within reality's parameters.

Well, for the most part.

I was especially happy that in three stories in particular, Proulx exits her normally grounded repertoire and gives us something bordering fantasy. Now, because it's Proulx, we're not talking Tolkien here, but two of her stories hilariously focus on the devil and the other, well, I don't want to spoil anything, but it features a sagebrush where mysterious disappearances persist. I think that with her particular style and sensibilities, calling them tall tales may be more appropriate than fantasy.

Consequently, I sensed a real sense of dark humor in these stories, and I loved it! While most of the stories were very serious in terms of subject matter, they all utilized a morose fun that--unless happening to us--demanded a chuckle or two.

All in all, this collection was a bit of a break from Proulx in terms of style, especially when read between the lines, but every bit as exquisitely written and enjoyable as past works.

Proulx's talent is unrelenting with each new work she releases.

~Scott William Foley, author of The Imagination's Provocation: Volume II

Dear Folks,
I have read all of Annie Proulx's books and it seems that this set of stories was just to grim for my taste. I love her writing, compostion of prose and word use. Usually I read with a dictionary close at hand. Perhaps I am just a whimp, but once in a while it would be nice to read one her stories and find what I would term a "happy" ending. I must be getting old and grumpy. I realize that she is writing about the old West and that is the way things happened, but my stomach just wasn't in it this time around.