Q Books

The Time Keeper is a wonderfully heartrending tale of love and loss, forgiveness and reconciliation. Anyone who's ever had problems with their parents or with their children needs to read this book. It's great to see such good work come from a new up-and-coming novelist, and I can't wait for the sequel. Kudos to Kevin Cropp!

Like some other reviewers of this book, I bought it directly from the author at a local festival in North Carolina. I bought it because I found Kevin to be very engaging and I really wanted to support a local author. The book is a quick read, the story is compelling, but I kept getting distracted by the writing style. Spare as his story telling is, I think Kevin needs and deserves a really good editor. That said, I plan to purchase the sequel when it arrives because I do want to find out what Kevin's fictionalized version of himslf does next.

In fact, it was partly the cover that made me want to read it. It looked unusual. Unfortunately, I don't see much, if any, correlation between the cover and the story within. Kind of strange. Strange also, are the other reviews of this book. Something smells fishy--like the same person wrote most of the reviews maybe. They are all 3 or 4 sentences and have the same tone. Odd.

Anyway, about this book...It was a very quick read as Kevin Cropp is a very efficient (and pretty effective) writer, in my opinion. The thing I most took away from this book was the wonderful, subtle message through the story that life is too short to let troubled relationships fester. Don't try to figure out why, how, how to stop, how to change, a person/relationship or how to figure out why people choose to do what they do. Just accept the one(s) you love, unconditionally, at every step, wherever they are. All else will fall in place. This book would have been even better had I had more of an interest in baseball. A good book with a simple but powerful message.

Growing up in Fayetteville and playing baseball with Kevin this was a story that really moved me. I got the book Christmas morning, and finished it Christmas night. I am not an avid reader, and my wife couldnt believe how much I enjoyed the story. I am looking forward to the sequel, and all other books that Kevin writes.

This book really hit home for me. I had a close family member who was dying of cancer and the author's description of the emotional and physical journey of his mother was spot on with my experience. I did not know what the book was about before picking it up to read, and therefore, was not expecting to identify with the characters. I am looking forward to Mr. Cropp's next work.

If you have any interest in human behavior, this is a must read. It is a true story of a man who has to overcome so much to succeed. The challenges he faces are so harsh, as he struggles through life as a foster child.

the ending made me switch to 5. I liked the happy ending. I think what made it kinda bad for me reading this one was that I saw the movie first. So while reading I kept trying to copy parts to scenes in the movie.

What makes this book great for me is the fact that it's written by a black man about his troubled life. Most black men won't even tell the people close in their lives things like this let alone write a story for the world to read.

End child abuse today.

This is an awe inspiring piece of literary work. The narrative from the beginning inspires the reader and allows almost a walk-along journey into the author's life and the actual steps that he took. The movie was good in its setting and up to date account of a life in the 60's. The book adds so much story that went untold in the movie and is that much more moving. Antwone Fisher writes as if he has been doing this since a child.

The novel Finding Fish by Antwone Fisher is a very good book. The book is far better than the movie and i reccomend it to all. It entails his life as well as select readings from his poetry. It is a a story of struggle and beating the odds to become a success

Antwone Fisher is a child who lives from horrible foster home to ghastly foster home and eventually, almost by accident chooses a life that saves him. For someone who cannot have children - I was crushed by the neglect and abuse this poor child suffers by people whose view of children is either as a burden or cash cow. It is not a small miracle that this human being reached adulthood without having killed himself or become a victim of what our society foists upon poor black men.

Although Fish has so much going against him, his ability to keep some semblance of balance inside himself eventually saves him. The tales of his childhood are almost too much to bear, but you will keep reading because you know that it turns out, you are cheered when he is dumped by his foster mother (who insisted he was evil and therefore deserved the horrible treatment he receives, including a denial of Christmas gifts), and you are gripped when he seems to find himself on the streets without a home or a way to make a living. He eventually joins the Navy - which saves him, providing him with the structure he needs to grow into an adult. He has to spend sometime in the military learning to manage his (completely understandable) anger, and he is bright enough to learn how to do that. Lastly, when he is reunited with the family of his mother (who gave birth to him in prison) I had a sigh of relief for the closure this provided him.

Even though this book is hard to read because of the pain that this child suffers, it is a gripping and extremely well written autobiography and is worth every page. We should all spend more time concerned about what really happens to the unwanted children in our country.

I bought this book in hardcover form when I was 18 or 19. It sat on a bookshelf for a decade or more having never been read by me or anyone. Then it disappeared somehow through movings and such. Recently, some 25 years later, I found a used paperback copy at my local library and purchased it. This time I read it and kicked myself for days for having not read it so many years ago. I must agree with many of the other reviews. This is a wonderful book. Full of nostalgia and humor and so many other things. The characters become part of you and you don't want the book to end. I purposely did not read it quickly because I knew right away I was going to enjoy it. And I did. I love stories about nostalgia. I am nostalgic so I guess I identify with George. But all the characters are wonderfully illuminated by Mr Myrer and you feel like you know them personally. The use of the music of the 40's and 50's is great. A nice touch. Particularly if you love this kind of music. Which I do. A must read. Try it.

I read this while in college almost 30 years ago and still recommend it to people from my list of "best books of my life." Myrer is incredible and "Once an Eagle' should be also considered. One of the greatest books in American Literature!

This book really encapsulates the experience of the World War II generation, and brings it alive for Boomers and Gen X readers. I would put this in the top twenty of the best novels I have ever read.

I first read this book probably 15 years ago, and I still pick it up and re-read it once in a while. It's so well-written, it makes me nostalgic for a time I didn't even live through! While it's about a group of college friends starting out in the 1940s, I think the story and its emotions are timeless enough to appeal to anyone. I saw parallels to my own experiences in college during the late 1970s, minus the war. The characters are so real, and they stay with you long after you've finished the book.

The Last Convertible is an esquiste trek through the past. Author Anton Myrer takes us on a journey into the lives of five young men who meet and become friends while attending Harvard in the era surrounding WWII. They are bound by a fantastic automobile - a gargantuan Packard nicknamed the Empress. Each of the men has a unique life backstory and is uniquely created to demonstrate a life of his own. Myrer introduces us to their girlfriends and families as we journey through these war years learning of their lives and loves and adventures.

I first read this novel while in university. I was an English lit major and I neglected my own studies for a period so that I could finish this wonderful book. I passed the book off to all my friends and my girlfriend. We were already living our own version of this comraderie so reading about this "romantic" era's friends only reinforced what we had. It was as if I could smell the same air and feel the same breezes as the characters.

The only problem arises after the characters leave Harvard. Once they move into the real world, their lives seem forced and not as interesting as they did when they are all together as a unit. It is as if the total is not equal to a sum of the parts.

It is still refreshing to read a story that provides us with such a vast landscape, so finely crafted. It is a book filled with prose-like writing that is elaborate and detailed without being bogged down by the words.

I really can't recommend this book enough. I think that you will find this to be a book you can expect to one day be taught in school.

I have been using both Medstudy and Frontrunners as an adjunct to board review for my recertification. Medstudy is by far more superior as it has a more comprehensive review of each topic, whereas Frontrunners is very abbreviated and in outline form in its review. The questions in Frontrunners are also very unsophisticated, lots of matching and not many case presentations. Finally, try to call customer service or contact the company through the phone number or e-mail on the website, the e-mail link didn't work for me, and it took several days to get a call back, no one answers except a machine even though it gives liberal hours for being open. All in all, the product strikes me as being crude. If you like an outline style and already have some other more comprehensive text, then you might like it, but its quite pricey, even for what it is.

As the Educational Director for our residency and a practicing internist, I found this to be hands-down the best resource out there as far as a database of old exam questions in prepping the internal medicine boards. We also found that the book to which this is a companion (i.e. Frontrunners Syllabus), was extraordinary in laying out all the key material in a nicely-organized, concise, and outlined format offering "recently and commonly asked material". Together, these 2 books form the core of our own ABIM Certification residency training program and were mission-critical to getting our perfect pass rates last year. [...]

I was shocked after going through the book.This book is extremely inadequate for boards.you may get other reviews at one-fifth price.

My partner and I studied together this time, as we'd both missed the mark terribly on several prior administrations of the exam. We both passed easily owing in large part to this book. (incidentally, we found the book samples far easier to read (translation: not blurry) and far easier to evaluate from their main site). The outlined and user-friendly layout of the syllabus, with its boxed-in/bolded/starred points really made a huge difference and we saw the starred points ALL over the exam. We also owe our success on the exam to the 1300 Q&A book, which gives a massive number of old exam questions. We also found the Slide Shows (CD) essential for all the image questions, EKGs, etc. Bottom line, we're extremely happy we found this curriculum, and we're equally happy to have this exam behind us (finally). We easily score this curriculum a zealous four thumbs up.

This is a must-have for the I.M. CERT exam. The starred items, my favorites, pointed to recently asked material, which made my studying alot more enjoyable. In my opinion, nothing comes close to Frontrunners' review. My partners used it for their internal medicine RECERT and were equally pleased. As for me, I wouldn't have passed without it. Make sure you get through it at least twice before the exam since there was a load of material on the exam right out of the syllabus. I also went hit all of Frontrunners practice Q&A for the I.M. boards and got both from their www.frontrunners.info website (they had samples there, etc). In my opinion, if you're serious about passing or want to excel, you'd be foolish NOT to get a copy of these, even from a friend, before sitting for the exam.

"Lean" with Allen "Pooney" Richards as he jumps into the gang life; struggle with him as he tries to maintain a double life of school and sports as a young man and the gang life as a Crip. You will grow with Mr. Richards as he realizes the life he has chosen may put him and his family in harms way and decides to make a turn on the right path. Rochan's story is unique in the way the content is handled, gangs are often a staple in some novels, but never before has it been explored in this way. The plot and action was steady throughout, the characters were well-developed and distinct, the only thing more I could ask for is maybe a bit of history on some of the characters.

1. What did you like best about this book?
I liked how the author addressed an issue that is very prevalent amongst youth. Although a bad situation the author showed that redemption is possible if you want it.

2. What did you dislike about this book?
There wasn't anything I disliked about the book.

3. How can the author improve this book?
The author could give the reader some more insight into the characters with a little more back information.

Okay so let me tell you this book is about a boy named Allen a.k.a. Pooney he just joined the Deuce-Nine Crips and he's loving it at first. He thought he had it all money,respect,power, and lets not forget about the women, but then one of the highest ranking members starts taking a liking into Pooneys little sister Sheila and let me tell you shes only 13 years old Pooneys love for "the family" starts to crumble and he wants out, but it's much harder to get out of this gang then it is to get in so what is Pooney to do

Regina Richards knows how hard it is being a young adult in such a corrupt world. Her kids father have been locked down for years and he will not see the light of day on the outside again. Regina knows that her young son Pooney will need the structure of a strong man to make it in an increasingly violent world. Hopefully, someone else doesn't decide to take the stand for the father Pooney once had.

Sheila knows that one day her lies of trying to hide Pooney's ways are going to catch up to her. She loves her older brother and fully understands that he is caught up in something that is hard to get out of. If she is trying to watch out for Pooney, who is watching out for her?

Pooney loves the life of money, cars and respect. His fifteen year old mentality ensures him that the "street life" is more important than being a good student, a responsible son and a helpful older brother. After reaching great levels in the notorious street gang, Deuce-Nine Crips, Pooney realizes that it is not all fun and games.

Gangsta Lean takes you from the heart of a young man to the bold streets of Galveston, Texas. There are pages that will make you laugh, cry must mostly understand. You understand how hard it is to raise two children as a single parent and also to raise a teenage son. You also begin to see that peer pressure and the streets are easily something that we call could fall victims to. Great story for all to read.

I loved this book.....I liked how the main character Pookey wasnt like the other street guys that are portraied in other books.....the author didnt try to make him seem like he was a normal street hustler....and was doin the things that he did since he was 9 years old as others are seemed to be in other street novels........it showed how a normal young male got into the wrong things and making the wrong decisions......the author Rochan Morgan made him like a regular teenager.......I liked how he was a virgin in the beggining of the book unlike other books make the teenage guys have sex with every girl that pops up in the book........I loved the relationship between him and Taye and loved how it came about....he didnt step to her she stepped to him......regardless of her dangerous ex Lil Arthur.......this book had me in tears at the end......everybody should read this book.....I cant wait til Rochan Morgan releases his next book

Allen Richards aka "Pooney" was just a 15 year old trying to fit in. A proud new member of the Deuce Nine Crips, Pooney is faced with the seemingly easy street life. As naive as Pooney was he knew it was time to call it quits when his gang leader, Mo is building a relationship with his sister. But how can he just quit? It's Deuce Nine 4 life--right? With a tough predicament at hand how can Allen do whats right?
This book has it all. Action,love,suspense,gangs and murder. It showed all the characteristics of the street life. The book was outstanding. If you haven't read this yet you should jump it up in your to read list. Trust me, you wont be dissappointed.

At twelve years old, Alex begins thinking that she might be a good enough swimmer to represent New Zealand in the Olympics in 1960, when she is sixteen. Juggling high school, other extracurricular activities, and competitive swimming is tough, though. It becomes especially tough when Maggie, who has been competing since she was two, moves nearby and begins training at Alex's pool. Maggie has an overbearing mother and an absolute dedication to swimming that means she mostly wins her events against Alex. Alex remains certain that she will be able to come out on top at the Olympic trials, though.

As that time comes closer, Alex becomes less and less certain of herself, and she finds herself getting more and more overwhelmed by the events in her life. Will she be able to set everything aside in order to focus on what may be the most important swim of her life?

This was a decent story about swimming and about the pressures of high school, which haven't really changed all that much in the last forty years. However, I was disappointed by the predictability of the storyline with Andy. On the second page of the prologue, before we had even officially met him, I already knew exactly what happened. It was a letdown when my suspicions ended up being true.

I read this book over and over again. It's well-written and handles emotions more complex than most books for this age group.

I was at the secondhand bookstore, reading a book about greatbooks for girls, and it mentioned one I thought I'd seen whilebrowsing the shelves earlier. I went and picked it up, 259-page"In Lane Three, Alex Archer" and decided to get it - itsounded good and was only ... anyway. I spent the next three daysreading little parts of it at a time, and could barely put itdown. The epilogue was especially good, and after finishing it Iimmediately wrote out a new Favourite Books List - there was a new onein first place.

I loved this book! It is an excellent read and is well written. The story is beautiful and the characters are believable. It's a story an girl can relate to, no matter their age. The emotions and trials of Alex are very real; it's hard to put it down until you're done! I recomend this book to anyone. Not only does it talk about growing up a teenage girl, but it describes things such as the personal struggles of competiting in a way that is different and refreshingly honest. Buy this book today!

This book was a great book. If you are a swimmer you can relate to all the training and the time you have for everything else. If you have ever dreamed of going to the Olympics this book shows you what you have to need and go through. Alex shows courage and faith in this book. The book also gives examples of a swimmer's friendships and dreams. "In Lane Three, Alex Archer" is a really good book, it tells the story of a swimmer's life when she is training and trying to have fun.

The author has created an extremely useful introduction to the art and business of making documentary videos, but the information presented makes it useful for those wanting to make a narrative video as well. I was struck by the gorgeous visual presentation of this book, which must be an example of his video making style as well. I purchased a permanent marker to underline important sentences but I quickly abandoned the project as I was underlining every other sentence. What a user-friendly, nuts-and-bolts manual for the first time filmmaker---I recommend it unreservedly.

This is a well written book that includes useful information and tips from someone who has obviously been onsite for some troublesome shoots...and who made creative workthroughs for those problems. The supplemental DVD (including tips and sample release forms) is a very generous bonus, and makes this well worth the investment.

So far i have only watched the DVD (excellent tips and resources) and emailed anthony (he wrote right back)...can't wait to get started.

and looking forward to learning more from him
very accessible and clear ....what a great find.

he really makes you feel like anything is possible..very positive
I'm digging into a whole new world

thank you Anthony

I'm a working Hollywood director and just finished traveling to 20 countries over two years for my latest feature documentary, so I've seen it all. While browsing through the bookstore, I came across "Shup Up and Shoot" and started leafing through it. Suffice to say, it is as accurate and spot-on as it is comprehensive. Lavishly illustrated and meticulously researched, "Shut-Up" is the idea reference guide to carry with you on your documentary shoot. Whether you're just getting started or a seasoned pro, I'd highly recommend this book!

this book is great. if you are an aspiring filmaker and you need practicle information to help you get started this book is perfect. i am a film school senoir (i wont say where cause i dont want them to look bad) and i learned so much more useful stuff from this book than i ever have at school. based on what i learned in this book i am already starting pre-production on a project that i am shooting this summer. this book is an invaluable tool for every documentary filmaker starting out. this is the book you are looking for, so buy it already, you will be incredibly glad you did.

These stories set in Mr. Parkhill's classroom at the American Night Preparatory School for Adults ("English -- Americanization -- Civics -- Preparation for Naturalization") are wonderfully humorous and warm. They reflect a generous humanity and a keen ear for language in author Leo Rosten (1908-1997), who first wrote the stories for The New Yorker using the pen name Leonard Q. Ross.

When Rosten wrote the stories in the 1930s, the debate that had roiled American society over the high levels of immigration at the beginning of the century had ended with passage of the restrictive Johnson-Reed Immigration Act of 1924. Readers of The New Yorker could well remember the rancor and the stereotyping of the debate.

Rosten countered the prejudice against immigrants by portraying Mr. Parkhill's students, drawn from several national and ethnic groups, as earnest learners eager to know about and join American society by first learning the English language.

When people from different cultures meet, there are bound to be some collisions. A dark side take on those meetings is the ethnic joke. The bright side is this book, finding humor in the encounters that all can smile at.

I read The Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N as a teenager in the early 1960s. Though I do not recall negative attitudes about immigration in my family, school, or suburban New Jersey neighborhood in that decade, the book surely shaped my attitudes and feelings about immigrants and immigration in a positive way. Hyman Kaplan taught me immigrants make America a better and richer society.

Each time I look through the book now, I worry whether Rosten crossed any of our modern "PC" redlines that would cause it to be crossed off reading lists. The book's humor ("comic dialect" is the scholar's term) depends on the rendering of accents, not much used at present. I found one use of the N-word (misspelled, in accent, not in anger) by a student character. On the whole, however, the book stands up well.

I give copies of this book to friends who are ESL (English as a Second Language) teachers. Leo Rosten's own nights as an ESL teacher, while he was working on his Ph.D., gave him the inspiration for the stories.

The shape of our nation's immigration policy is certainly a licit issue for debate and disagreement. Current immigration has some different countours than in the 1930s. Some voices, however, get carried away and tip over into negative stereotyping. They should take a break, have a cup of coffee, read this book, and meet Mr. Kaplan.

-30-

Think you can read an uproariously funny book without laughing out loud? Think again. Adventures of an English-as-a-second-language class for new immigrants in 1950's America.

Having just begun teaching English As A Second Language to a group of Asian adults, a relative thought I might enjoy "The Education of Hyman Kaplan". The novel takes place entirely at the American Night Preparatory School for Adults. There under the tutelage of Mr. Parkhill, Hyman Kaplan, Miss Mitnick, Miss Caravello, Mrs. Moskowitz and an assortment of Jewish and Italian immigrants struggle with the complexities of the English language, anxious to master the language and learn about the history and culture of their newly adopted home. The irrepressible Mr. Kaplan takes center stage in the classroom with his singular logic in using the English language. Abraham Lincoln becomes Abram Lincohen, King George III of England is an autocrap, and Valley Forge becomes Velly Fudges. Kaplan conjugates the tense to die as "die, dead, funeral", and when talking of the contents of a newpaper he can't understand why he must say "it said", instead of "he said", since the paper is decidedly of the masculine gender. It's the Harold Tribune after all. This is a hilarious yet touching book. We are never laughing at Hyman Kaplan's linguistic foibles but with him, as we appreciate the struggles of all immigrants, those seventy years ago, or those today to come to terms with becoming Americans and learning the language that binds us together.

As a new ESL teacher, my husband thought I'd enjoy this book. H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N* is an irrepressible immigrant to the US, struggling to master English, but that doesn't stop him from communicating at every opportunity. Waves of malapropisms spoken with a thick Eastern European accent don't get in the way of his enthusiasm. Set in the 30's, this is a world where teachers and students are Mr., Mrs. and Miss, immigrants worked in garment factories, and all still believe in the American Dream. Even Mr. Parkhill, the god-like teacher, can't help but be infected by Mr. Kaplan's unique interpretations of the great works of English literature--the Shakespeare story was a classic. Definitely dated, certainly politically incorrect, these stories hail from a simpler, but maybe tougher time--Leo Rosten originally wrote under the name Leonard Ross. A lovely little collection of stories!

This book, along with its sequel, "The Return of H*y*m*a*n K*a*p*l*a*n," (and don't be fooled, those stars are important) is a beautiful work and one that I'm surprised hasn't been rediscovered by critics and readers alike. Originally published as a series of stories in a magazine, these stories were finally collected into book form and later combined with its sequel in a grand form called O, K*a*p*l*a*n, My K*a*p*l*a*n (which is now out-of-print, but worth reading if you find it in a library or rare book store, since it was edited and improved by the author, with new characters and stories).

The stories all revolve around a group of immigrant adults attending the American Night Preparatory School for Adults in New York City in the 1930s. Under the tutelage of the fastidious, but patient and kind, Mr. Parkhill, the book chronicles their challenges in learning the English language. This is in and of itself a masterpiece: Leo Rosten (who had to publish the stories under a pseudonym since he wrote them while living off a fellowship and did not want to let his professors know that he was working on totally unrelated research) has found humor in GRAMMAR!! He not only shows how difficult English is to master, but how irrational and arbitrary the grammatical rules are that we all, as students, desperately try to commit to memory. Moreover, he writes with an expert ear, hearing the subtle differences in the accents and common foibles of English speakers from various language backgrounds. The fact that these passages are life-out-loud funny (and not at all in the sense of laughing at any character's mistakes but at the English language itself for torturing non-native speakers so) is astounding enough.

But this is the story, however, of a true comic hero - Hyman Kaplan. Leo Rosten has created a character as complex and poignant as Shakespeare's Falstaff, or John Kennedy Toole's Ignatius J. Reilly. Hyman Kaplan is a force of nature, yet distinctly human -- irrascible, dogmatic, determined and yet sensitive, noble and joyous. He is a man who refuses to kow-tow to the rules and guidelines of the English language and who truly relishes the joys of wrestling with learning. Since his exuberance leads him into constant conflict with his fellow students, his character is one of the greatest literary devices ever devised by an author. The stars emblazoned in red, green and blue crayon that are part of his signature, only serve as the ultimate monogram, defining this character as one worthy of the ages.

While this book is about efforts by foreigners to assimilate as Americans, it also highlights the glories of America's immigrant, melting-pot past -- a heritage and tradition that is sadly rapidly being forgotten and lost in this modern globalized world. Moreover, with the advent of the politically correct era of hypersensitivity, it is likely that this book will never experience a renaissance of popular support that it richly deserves. This is a true treasure -- I discovered it as a teenager and have often enjoyed returning many times to visit with these charming, inspiring characters. I cannot recommend it enough!

Jessica Nagler takes the reader on her spiritual journey from Los Angeles, California to the dense rain forests of Costa Rica, onto the hustle and bustle of Guatemala City then deep into the remote Mayan ruins at K'umarcaaj in Guatemala before she somehow finds a path back to Los Angeles. An open-mind is all that's needed as you walk through the pages with Jessica -- her writing style welcomes readers to walk in her shoes as she finds her personal truth. This is a story that contains vivid imagery of travel, adventure, spirituality and determination of the human spirit. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to walk away from your life and set off on an unmapped journey then this book conveys the ups and downs, accomplishments and setbacks of one woman's walk. Review by JoAnna Carey, Rat Race Relaxer: Your Potential & The Maze of Life

I LOVED this book. I read it in one sitting, I just couldn't put it down. Jessica Nagler is great at story telling. Her writing style is excellent. The book is sprinkled with words of wisdom. If you like The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho you will LOVE this book. I am positive that this book is headed for the Best Seller's List. This book IS required reading for anyone who has a spiritual interest. IT IS SO ENLIGHTENING AND HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

From the very first sentence, Nagler leads the reader on a journey that is refreshing and engaging. If read with care, the reader will gain insights that will facilitate his or her own quest. What is crucial here is that the true journey is an inner one. It is not necessary to travel to the jungle to reach past layers of indoctrination and conditioning, but Nagler's story helps.

Laura Ramirez, Author of "Keepers of the Children: Native American Wisdom and Parenting" www.walk-in-peace.com

With all the interest in the Mayan Calendar and the coming changes, Jun Q'anil author Jessica Negler introduces us to a real Mayan Shaman. This is an amazing story and Jessica Nagler's honesty and vulnerability as she shares her sometimes perilous journey is a tribute to the human spirit. We are indeed the ones we have been waiting for, and this story brings this home in a personal - yet universal - manner.
Sunny Ariel, author, Shalom my Love

From the moment I started the first chapter, I felt a sort of peacefulness that I never before experienced from reading a book. Jessica Nagler's courageous journey towards self-awakening is both inspiring and thought provoking. She does what many of us only dream of doing; leaving our familiar life behind in order to find our spiritual path. Her clear and creative writing style enables you to feel the awe, excitement, fears, and revelations she experienced while on her enchanting path towards self-growth. I would (and have) recommend this book to anyone who has expressed any interest in spiritual development.

I was half way through the first volume of Foote's epic 3 volume "The Civil War: a narrative" when I paused for a breather and read Catton's Hallowed Ground.

So, compared to Foote's 3 volume The Civil War, Catton's Hallowed Ground provides a good overview of all the major battles in the Civil War. He had also included quotes from letters soldiers had written to family which I thought was a nice touch as it provided a different view of the civil war and illustrated how tough things were for them. What I also liked about Catton is that he had referenced the quotes and pointed to other books if you were interested in that particular regiment or battle.

For someone new to the civil war, I would definitely recommend reading Catton's Hallowed Ground first then refer to Foote for more detailed description of the more interesting battles. However, as another reviewer here points out, there is a hint of bias in favour of the confederacy in Foote.

Bruce Catton is one of the best history writers of the Civil War. He writes in a fashion that is easy to read yet leaves no doubt what he is saying. Very good way to enjoy history. It is almost like reading a novel.

I have been a reader of Bruce Catton's Civil War histories for years (I own 10 of them). I agree with the reviewers about Catton's vast talent as a storyteller and as a narrator of events. It was through reading his works that I first became aware of some of the lesser known colorful characters of the time, such as Gen. Phillip Kearney, Gen. D.H. Hill, and Robert Toombs. In fact, it was the writing of Bruce Catton that first turned me into a Civil War buff.

I have a rather strong objection to the subtitle of this work, which the late historian would never have approved were he alive today. This book is not "the Union side" of the Civil War; it gives BOTH sides. In fact, the author is more sympathetic to men like Gen. Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis than I would have been. For many years, some influential historians have sought to label any history that seems to hint that the right side won the Civil War as biased. (Over four score and seven years, actually.) This work is a balanced account, and one of the best one-volume histories of the war ever written, both on the battle front and at the home fronts. It deserves to be thought of as such.

If you're interested in the Civil War enough to browse this book, go ahead and snag it. To get a grasp on this period of our history, you must read Catton. He tells the overall story in the style almost of a novel. He is accurate and factual. Never fear. But this isn't reading history as you might remember. Catton will get your attention, draw you in and help you to feel some of the myriad of emotions that coursed through our ancestors on both sides of this conflict. He made me understand that wherever they trod was indeed hallowed ground after their passing.

Of all the heartbreaking, sacrificial, and exhausting wars that the United States has encountered, the Civil War is the most upsetting of all. Bruce Catton, part of the last wave of a generation of romantic historians, paints a vivid portrait of the Union side of the conflict. Like all war historians, he is impressed by the elements that are found in the crucible of a long fight: the pageantry, brilliant tactical moves, feats of individual courage, and the inexhaustible source of stories. But on the other, he has enough judgment to temper his own writing with accounts of casualty lists and useless battles.

Catton's main thesis is that although the war did not begin over slavery, it became so through the force of the war's tide, and that the tide only became inexorable after a series of poor decisions on the Union side. He is especially adept at tracing the threads of the various campaigns - the Army of the Potomac's stalemated situation in Virginia, for instance, is contrasted with Grant's quick thinking out west with the Army of the Tennessee. As the title would imply, the book focuses on the to and fro movements of the Union side. Lincoln, Lee, and the particularities of the situation prior to the war are not dealt with in any depth.

Nor is this is a book with a list of laundry items for the typical soldier and a slew of footnotes, although it is well-researched and thorough. Catton is more interested in quickly sketching an army as they march through the heat of the Mississippi and the lush countryside of Georgia. He unabashedly plays favorites with his "cast of characters" - Grant and Lincoln are praised, McClellan is not - but in most cases his biases are justified.

One could argue Catton's taste for drama and humorous anecdote overrides his ability to assess rationally the Civil War, but perhaps his romantic/realistic view of history is more in keeping with the age it is describing. The Civil War was fought by stubborn men who refused to cede a tenet long past its due date - and that in itself is the true tragedy.