The Empire Books

An excellent account of the Southern attempt to sieze and hold the western territories. I enjoyed the book and found it easy to read. It covered the southern viewpoint and history of the attempt to secure Arizonia and New Mexico for the Confederacy. The book has good maps that allow the reader to understand the movement across the wide expanse of the Southwest. Personal accounts give a good view of the individaul Texan's view of the campaign and battles. A forgotten theater which was overshadowed by the fighting elsewhere. Dr. Frazier does a good job of showing the strengths and weaknesses of the Confederate Army of New Mexico. The book added to my understanding of this campaign and I recommend to to anyone interested in this campaign.

This book is a must for Yankee Historian

Fantastic book about the southern struggle to build an empire!All northern history teachers should read this book.I am a U.S.History teacher who wrote a story about my greatgrandfather who was in prison in Texas during the Civil War and DFrazier contacted me for info,thus I have now read his book and it is superb!

I found this book to be an exciting and revealing look into the western campaign of the Civial War. Dr. Frazier is an incredible story teller as well as a thorough researcher. A must read for anyone interested in the role of the western Confederacy.

This is a very fine book and well worth picking up and reading IF you are interested in the Byzantine physical remnants of Anatolia, in particular. Ash spends some time visiting sites in Constantinople at the beginning and end of his journey, but the lion's share is spent between Iznik/Nicaea, at the west end, and Cappadocia and Cilicia, at the east end of Asia Minor. Ash may not be a Byzantine scholar, but he is a master at noticing detail and telling stories. His sensitive and learned eye provide remarkable insight into the ruins he visits, in terms of the lives of the people connected to them...their builders, if known, the lives of Anatolia's Greek population (of which very substantial remains existed up until the early 1920s), and Anatolian Turks of today (Ash has a kind and observant way of recognizing the young boys and girls who seem to always pop up and help him find this or that ruin, that rings true).

You truly won't get this stuff in guidebooks. I found out all sorts of things about Byzantium reading Ash's book, and I'm a pretty conversant layman in things Byzantine. Comparing Ash's experience with my own to Istanbul/Iznik a few years ago, his accounts are authentic to the what I experienced (the friendliness and helpfulness of Anatolians in particular). His account of his visit to the Golden Gate is hilarious and pathetic and much like my own experience at this (apparently almost unvisited) world class historic location. He has an ability to marvel, unashamedly, at turning a corner and finding something unexpected...but this is no neophyte easily impressed.

Ash also has a lovely poetic way of expressing the tragic demise of Byzantine civilization that somehow manages to remain firmly rooted in the present. That's good writing.

Book has some good photos (more would be welcomed...he visits many places that do not show up in the pics), and the map is okay, as is the index.

The author is not one who has gone this way before and is therefore giving a somewhat innocent view of Byzantine monuments in Turkey. I found in the book interesting dialogue and some helpful suggestions for visiting those same sights in May '98.

Ash is a great writer. He makes Byzantine history come alive and captures life in modern Turkey. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the region and its history.

this is a wonderful book. Ash is an attentive and descriptive writer who weaves anecdote, history and travel writing into an unusually gifted book. Perfect beach or travel reading. As one who is Greek and originally from Asia Minor, I find his insights to be keen, especially as to cultural matters and the tug of war between Greek and Turk, between Christian and Moslem, which animates the history of Asia Minor and Constantinople, Smyrna, Nicaea and Nicomedia to this day.

This is a great survey, often quite detailed, of the evolution and developement of the military of the Byzantium Empire, from mid-6th century, to the late-12th century.

It must be emphasised that this is not a general history of the Byzantium Empire's wars, rather it is an examination of the military practices and traditions (including tactics, strategy, defensive/offensive posture, recuitement, ethnic make, etc...) of the Empire's military, and how they evolved, with several campaigns and battles used as illustrations and examples.

Thus, there is no coverage of the wars of Heracluis (aside from the Yarmuk battle), for example, nor a detailed look at the military impact of the Western Crusaders, nor even of Byzantine naval postures.

These absences however are not an over-sight nor a weakness, rather it is due, again, to this book not being a general history of the Empire's wars and battles, but rather a look at its military traditions and practices, and their evolution over six centuries. The campaigns and battles included are meant to illustrate these changes and evolutions.

If you want such a book, on Byzantine military practices, and their evolution through-out the six centuries covered here, then this is an excellent book.

If however you want a general book on Byzantine military history, with all the wars and major battles it faught, then this book, while still great for those campaigns and battles covered, will have to be supplemented by other books.

This book is a gem for historical gamers.

The book contains a description of selected battles and campaigns for the Byzanitine Empire during the 5th to 12th centuries. Persians, Arabs, Slavs, Rus, and Turks are all included. Lot's of background information

"The Byzantine Wars" is a well written, edited, and professionally presented tome. With smooth prose, the book is engaging. I throughly enjoyed reading it. Many diagrams, maps, and photographs are included and clearly support the presentation. I especially liked the contemporary photos of the battlefields and fortresses. Although, the maps will be familiar to Haldon's past readers. The only real drawback to the work is the author's bibliograhic style. Primary and secondary sources are listed for each section, but the author fails to consistently distinguish between what the sources say and his own conclusions.

This book is especially recommended this book for gamers. Scenarios on the hoof. "The Byzantine Wars" helps fill a gaping hole in Byzantine military history. I only wish it was less like a super Osprey book.

I bought my copy through the mail from On Military Matters in New Jersey. ...Buy one now. After all if the book sells well, perhaps they'll make more.

This short book gives a strategic, operational, and tactical overview of the Byzantine army in action. It is not a book about the Byzantine army as an institution; even the themes are given a relatively brief look. Byzantine society and religion are only peripherally mentioned. The first campaign studied is Dara (530) ; the last is Myriokephalon (1176). There is an easy to follow description of the Yarmuk campaign against the Arabs. Several battles against the Bulgars are also described with clarity. About half the battles discussed are Byzantine defeats. This book, focused as it is, goes a long way toward filling a gap in Byzantine studies.

This concise volume was a pleasent surprise with the level of technical details provided. It begins with the constraints and challenges of geography of the vast Byzantine empire, continues with military organization developed by Justinian I and how it changed with time, then goes on to describe various campaigns/wars in various phases of the empire through its fall. The maps are very clear and are a great complement to the text. The battle plan diagrams are also quite helpful with good detail and description. The amount of information contained in such a small page count with little apparent sacrifice of clarrity is very impressive. A better introduction to the topic would be hard to imagine.

This remarkably accessible, lucid survey of recent Russian history is a must-read for anyone interested in global affairs. Yegor Gaidar, an acting prime minister under Boris Yeltsin, provides a concise yet comprehensive summary of the course of empires during the 20th century, and draws some pointed lessons. His goal is to counter current nostalgia for the glory days of the Soviet Union. getAbstract admires how effectively he executes his objective, with a step-by-step recapitulation of the economic blunders that led inevitably to the Soviet Union's dissolution. However, he also shows why those who expected democracy to grow must face the fact that it is on the retreat - and he leaves no doubt about the dangerous crossroads at which Russia stands.

Cassandra was the Trojan woman whom Apollo gave the gift of prophesy-and the curse of never being believed. Yegor Gaidar sees that Russia's future depends crucially on coming to grips with its past, but present events make it clear that his prophesies, like Cassandra's, fall on deaf ears.

In his new book, Collapse of an Empire, Gaidar has a pressing purpose: to alert Russians-and the world-to the dangers denying the real reasons behind the collapse of the USSR. Gaidar has a strong historical sense (which is often absent among economists, alas), and from his understanding of history (most notably, of Weimar Germany and post-Hapsburg Austria-Hungary), he knows that imperial collapse can be disorienting and dispiriting to the empire's subjects, even if the empire brutally repressed them. He also knows that demagogues and revanchists can exploit this disorientation and depression to achieve power. Those suffering from post-empire depression are very susceptible to demagogic myths that imperial glory was destroyed by "stabs in the back" from enemies foreign and domestic, and that restoration of this glory requires the people to unite behind an authoritarian leader who will ruthlessly pursue traitors at home and take revenge on foreign foes.

But he foresees that this is ultimately the road to disaster:

The legend of a flourishing and mighty country destroyed by foreign enemies is a myth dangerous to the country's future. . . . This is the picture that dominates Russian public opinion: (1) twenty years ago there existed a stable, developing and powerful country, the Soviet Union; (2) strange people (perhaps agents of foreign intelligence services) started political and economic reforms within it; (3) the results of these reforms were catastrophic; (4) in 1999-2000 people came to power who were concerned with the country's state interests; (5) life became better after that. This myth is as far from the truth as the one of an unconquerable and loyal Germany that was popular among the Germany that was popular among the Germans in the late 1920s and 1930s.

The goal of this book is to show that picture does not correspond to reality. Believing that myth is dangerous for the country and the world.

As an aside, I can speak to the ubiquity and power of this myth. I have had a couple of Russian students in the United States. Both were intelligent and worldly. One had lived in the United States for 10 years. Both were going to business schools. And each believed that Gorbachev and Yeltsin were American agents, and that the collapse of the USSR was a CIA plot. The first time I heard this I was surprised, but thought it was an aberration. The second time I heard it I was stunned.

But back to Collapse of an Empire. Gaidar's basic thesis is that the economic-and hence political-collapse of the USSR was inevitable:

[The collapse of the USSR] was preordained by the fundamental characteristics of the Soviet economy and political system: the institutions formed in the late 1920s and early 1930s were too rigid and did not permit the country to adapt to the challenges of world development in the late 20th century. The legacy of socialist industrialization, the anomalous defense load, the extreme crisis in agriculture, and the noncompetitive manufacturing sector made the fall of the regime inevitable. In the 1970s and early 1980s these problems could have been managed if oil prices had been high. But that was not a dependable foundation for preserving the last empire.

Gaidar recounts the chronology of collapse in excruciating detail; too much detail at times for my taste, but a choice that Gaidar defends as necessary to overcome the power of the myth.

Gaidar shows that agriculture was the Achilles heel of the Soviet system. Stalin ruthlessly exploited agriculture to fund industrial development. This worked for awhile, but only served to demonstrate that supply curves are much more elastic in the long run than the short run. In the short run, peasants could be forced to turn over the bulk of their harvest in exchange for a pittance. In the long run, however, the attempt to extract surplus from the countryside and the necessity of attracting labor to manufacturing and megaprojects led to a flow of the best and most productive labor out of agriculture and into industry. Soviet agriculture became progressively less efficient as a result. Combine this with assorted insanities, like the virgin lands program, and what was once the world's breadbasket became a farming basketcase.

Forced to import larger and larger quantities of food, but non-competitive in the production of machinery or other manufactured goods, the USSR relied on the export of oil to pay for it. With increasing oil output from rich western Siberian fields, and spiraling prices (courtesy of OPEC and declining US production), for a time the USSR was able to overcome the creeping weakness of its agriculture sector, and even go on an aggressive military and political offensive that spanned the globe. But soon declining oil production (attributable to extremely inefficient Soviet practices) and plummeting prices (courtesy of growing non-OPEC output, burgeoning Saudi production, and more efficient consumption of energy in the West) conspired to create an acute fiscal crisis in the USSR.

Gaidar chronicles the results of this crisis, and the government's (and Party's) incompetence in dealing with it. The rigidity of a centrally planned system, the rudimentary nature of the financial system, the acute political constraints facing the country's leadership, and the geronocratic nature of that leadership, made it impossible to respond. Things spiraled out of control. Price controls prevented smooth adjustment to external shocks. Fear of political unrest prevented the leadership from lifting the controls. Faced with incredible strains on the budget, the government ran the printing press overtime. Partial "reform" measures, and improvident policy choices (such as the anti-alcohol campaign that deprived the government of a large share of its domestic revenues), only made things worse. In the end, everything came tumbling down.

Gaidar's narrative is compelling. To a Chicago-trained economist, it is almost axiomatic that socialist system that suppresses and distorts almost every market signal; deprives individuals of the ability to make coherent economic choices; and resorts to force in an attempt to make its irrational system work; will fail in the end.

To the Russians who grew up in the system, or who grew up in the aftermath of its collapse, alas, it is not so obvious. As Gaidar notes, the fall of an empire seems anything but common sense to those that lived it. Putin and the siloviki are exploiting this to the hilt, and are perpetrating the myth that the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the economic and social chaos that followed this collapse was not due to the inherent defects of the Soviet economic system, but instead resulted from malign external forces. The recent "elections" indicate that large swaths of the Russian populace have fallen for this myth hook, line, and sinker.

So for the present, anyways, Gaidar is doomed to play the role of Cassandra, prophesying that disaster will follow Putin's Plan, but cursed to be disbelieved and ignored. Putin and the siloviki, like the Bourbons, have learned nothing and forgotten nothing. They have not learned from what destroyed the Soviet Union, but have not forgotten that the Soviet Union was once a colossus before which the world trembled. They want to restore this colossus (admittedly, and happily, without all the totalitarian baggage), and are pursuing this goal relentlessly.

I believe that Gaidar is right that down this path lies ruin. I fear, however, that Russia will have to find this out the hard way. So Yegor Gaidar is a prophet without honor in his own country, among his own kin, and in his own house. But I believe he is a prophet nonetheless. And I heartily recommend that you read his excellent book.

Yegor Gaidar's Collapse of an Empire is an insider's view of the causes and events that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The author is has a fascinating and improbable background. He served as acting Prime Minister, First Deputy Prime Minister, and Economics Minister of Russia under Boris Yeltsin in the early 1990s but is an academic economist rather than a politician or bureaucrat. He received his PhD in economics under the Soviet educational system but, somehow, developed a solid understanding of economics of free markets. In Collapse of an Empire, Gaidar offers his historical and economic perspective on the Soviet collapse as a lesson and caution for today's Russia. It is as close to a definitive work on the Soviet collapse as I have yet read.

Gaidar starts with two general observations, one on empires and one on oil, and then proceeds to describe the Soviet Collapse.

Empires

Empires come in two flavors: Overseas empires (British, French, Dutch) and territorially contiguous empires (Austria-Hungary, Tsarist Russia, Ottoman Turkey, Soviet Union, and, on a smaller scale, Yugoslavia). Of these two types, the overseas empires are the easier to dismantle: The imperial power can simply declare the former colonies free and, possibly, repatriate a limited number of colonists with a claim to citizenship in the mother country. In territorial empires, diverse ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and religious groups usually reside in close proximity to each other and often have longstanding conflicts over rights to land and under the law. Abolishing a territorial empire leaves all these conflicts in place, ready to boil over as soon as imperial control has been lifted. Members of the formerly dominant ethnic group may even find themselves a minority in one of the successor states and subject to the rule of one of their formerly subject people. Many of the troubled areas of the world today (Balkans, Middle East) are parts of former territorial empires where population segments have not succeeded in making peace with their neighbors.

Oil

Countries with significant natural resources, especially oil, have generally not been on the forefront of democracy or economic liberalism. Gaidar attributes this phenomenon to the steady stream of revenues the sale of oil provides the ruling party. Secured by this source of income, the government has no need to reach an accommodation with its people that gives them a voice in how they are governed. In exchange, the tax burden on the population often remains very light. The western democracies grew out of accommodations that essentially gave the people a voice in how their countries were governed in exchange for their acceptance of the government's imposition of taxes.

Soviet Collapse

Prior to WWI, Russia was one of the largest grain exporters in the world. In the West, industrialization followed the production of an agricultural surplus which released excess farm labor for industrial employment. Russia followed a different path after the Bolshevik revolution. Rather than building an agricultural surplus, Lenin and Stalin seized the grain and other agricultural products of the countryside to feed the urban and industrial populations. Simultaneously, they reallocated labor from agriculture to industry to support their goal of rapid industrialization. The result was an economic and human disaster. Soviet agriculture never recovered, never produced a sustained surplus, and the country became dependent on imported grain. (See Robert Conquest's Harvest of Sorrow for details). By the 1970s, the Soviet Union was the world's largest grain importer.

At that time (the 1970s), the Soviets were able to pay for their grain imports by exporting oil. This was the time of high oil prices and the Arab embargo on oil exports to the US. Grain prices were low, so Soviet trade balanced nicely: Expensive exports, inexpensive imports.

In 1979, the Soviets invaded Afghanistan and Ayatollah Khomeini overthrew the Shah of Iran. These events led the Saudis to become concerned about a Soviet drive to the Persian Gulf and a threat to their kingdom. To counter this perceived threat, in the mid 1980s the Saudis greatly expanded their production and export of oil causing the world price to drop from the $30-40/bbl range to about $10/bbl. Obviously, this price change damaged the Soviet balance of trade.

At about the same time (mid 1980s), the world price of grain shot up significantly. This further damaged the Soviet trade balance.

If this wasn't enough, the volume of Soviet oil production declined in the late 1980s for two reasons. First, to generate foreign exchange, oil production had been focused on the most productive fields which were exploited at a rate that was harmful to the long-term productivity of the fields. Second, the reduced availability of foreign exchange and the continuing requirement to import grain led the Soviet government to reduce imports of industrial materials from the West, including equipment for oil drilling, production, and transport.

By 1989, food subsidies constituted a third of the Soviet national budget. Retail prices were fixed at artificially low levels, which was one form of subsidy. At the same time, the Soviet government was subsidizing the import and domestic production of food. The costs of producing or importing food were as much as 70% higher than the retail prices. With a net outflow of hard currency and a grossly imbalanced domestic budget, the only way to "pay" the government's bills was to print more rubles. With prices fixed by the state, the resulting inflation could only result in shortages at the retail level and a huge increase in individual "savings" since there was nothing for the population to buy with its rubles. By 1991, of 1200 officially recognized consumer goods, 1150 were not readily available.

Declining credit-worthiness drove most western commercial banks to refuse to make further loans to the Soviet government, leaving Gorbachev with only the option of begging for foreign aid from the capitalist governments. Gaidar even suggests that he made the following deal with George H. W. Bush at their Malta conference in 1989: In exchange for US financial assistance, the Soviet government will refrain from using force to maintain its control of its Eastern European satellites.

Throughout its 70+ years of existence, the mantra of the Soviet government and the Communist Party had been that The Party had a special role in the Soviet system because of its unique "wisdom", its understanding of communist economics and the Soviet man. By the late 1980s, the Russian people and even the Soviet bureaucracy knew that this was a lie. However, the inertia of the system did not allow The Party to admit it's "wisdom" had been wrong and that a major economic reform based on free markets was desperately needed.

By revealing the true history of the Soviet Union (e.g., the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact), Glasnost destroyed any lingering myth of the legitimacy of the Soviet Empire. In the end, the Empire could only be maintained by force, but the use of that force would have ended any hope for financial aid from the West.

The August 1991 coup was only the farce that followed the tragedy that constituted the history of the Soviet Union.

Professor Gaidar has done it again! He has given us another thoughtful work on Russia, yet not purely from an economic perspective- although there is lots of that in the book- but in terms of the context of history. Readers new to Gaidar would do well to get hold of his work 'State and Evolution'. This work also brilliantly examines recent of events in Russia in the context of the development of nations.

I look forward to more from this man's pen. And my sincere appreciation to the Brooking Institute for making this work available in English. Possibly, with the level of interest in such a work, its sales may not be high and Broooking may be making a financial loss. But to readers like myself, I feel a great gratitude of debt to both the author and publisher.

Buy this book and enjoy an intellectual feast! It is simply fantastic!

Title: Crucible of Empire
Author(s): John Edwards
Translator(s): N/A
Language(s): English
Pages: 301

Summary Review
Crucible of Empire is a tale of the separate adventures of a part Seneca, part Japanese sergeant of the United States military, Elijah Wolf, and a well-mannered lawyer turned volunteer fighter, Stephen Hunter. The story is a historical novel set during the Spanish-American War of 1898, and covers a period from the sinking of the Maine to the push towards Santiago Harbor. Additionally, there is a brief portion at the end of the text about the author. Generally, the historical accuracy of the novel is quite good, the descriptions of the battles and wartime fervor seeming to come straight from personal accounts of the 1890s. However, the book suffers from a lack of proper editing, sometimes to the point of multiple errors on a single page. Editing set aside, Edwards' book is an interesting and entertaining read, incorporating aspects of ancient works such as the Art of War while also seamlessly adding historical facts and details about the time that his book takes place. This book is recommended for any reader looking for a good book about war, the Spanish-American War, or just a novel in general.

In-Depth Review
John Edwards provides readers of Crucible of Empire with a historical novel that is not only accurate, but also interesting. However, the book has fallen victim to poor editing, which at certain points severely detracts from the overall story. The author structures the book so that events are recounted by day with a break mentioning the date and location each portion takes place. Throughout the book, the storyline switches between Stephen Hunter (a lawyer), Elijah Wood (a part Seneca, part Japanese US soldier), and several minor characters, in order to provide a better picture of each event. Included in the back of the book is a brief section about the author.
The story intertwines itself with the history of one of America's defining conflicts, the Spanish-American War, and presents the conflict in neither a positive nor a negative light. Instead, Edwards presents the conflict in a realistic way, describing both the flawed and heroic actions taken during the battles. The various historical facts included mold the story in such a way as to appear as an actual account of two people who historically fought in the war, and raises the credibility of the author's work considerably. One will also notice that the author incorporates various tactics found in Sun Tzu's The Art of War, placing them in the thoughts and observations of both Wolf and, at times, several other characters. Sadly, the storyline suffers from a lack of proper editing that detracts from the reader's experience.
Grammar and spelling are a major issue at several points in the book, forcing the reader to reread certain portions of the text in order to determine what the author is trying to say. This problem could have easily been avoided with proper editing, and the overall story would have improved dramatically. However, the author's writing style does an admirable job of portraying characters and events throughout the book, often incorporating several perspectives on any given event. While at times his switching between characters is a bit rough, the concept is quite advanced and he was able to produce the desired effect with little error.
`Crucible of Empire' is an enjoyable historical novel that provides a fresh look at the events surrounding the Spanish-American War. Although the ending is a bit abrupt, the story flows smoothly and, excluding grammar and spelling, with only negligible error. The historical details included amplify the story and make the characters and events seem more realistic. Edwards' `Crucible of Empire' is recommended for anyone looking for an interesting read concerning war, the Spanish-American War, or a good novel in general.

While the idea of a part Japanese/Seneca Indian Cavalry sergeant is a little far fetched the story stands up well. The characters are well rounded and real people with real problems and feelings. The research seems to be flawless and the story flows well. The only thing I would have liked was a final chapter about Elijah and what he did after the war, but I guess the author was leaving room for a sequel...

If you like a good story this is a good one and I will look for other works by this author!

If you like your historical novels historical, CRUCIBLE OF EMPIRE will leave you feeling like you got your money's worth.
I found this book to be unique in several ways. The first being in the way it dealt with Theodore Roosevelt. He isn't placed on a pedastel, nor is TR depicted as a buffoon. There is no doubt that Roosevelt had a huge ego, but he was also a talented leader. Edwards' balanced portrayal of him lets you see his good and bad traits.
Those of you who read Bernard Cornwell will like the battle scenes in this book. They seem to be historically accurate, and Edwards does a rousing job making you feel the fear and exhilaration the American soldiers experienced as they fought the Spanish army from Daiquiri to Santiago. Edwards recounts the battle of Santiago clearly and crisply, and though he tells it almost hour by hour, the story never gets bogged down.
The lead character was kind of unique as well. Sergeant Elijah Wolf is a Seneca Indian, whose ancestors include a samurai warrior. (definitely never heard that one before) Wolf is a no nonsense soldier, who knows the art of war. And yet, he isn't depicted as some indestructable, sword wielding, super hero. He comes across as real, and the way Edwards has him interacting with actual historical figures such as Theodore Roosevelt, John J. (Black Jack) Pershing--who served in Cuba as a lieutenant--and General Rufus Shafter, who commanded the American army in Cuba, is quite interesting, and makes you feel like you're right there.
Once you finish the book, you will wonder how America ever won the war. Our army wasn't prepared, the navy was under orders not to risk losing even a single ship, and though history has glamorized the Rough Riders, you will be amazed that a bunch of 3 week wonders even managed to fight an experienced Spanish army, let alone do as well as they did.
Without giving anything away, I liked the little conspiracy twist outlining who sunk the Maine, and why. Obviously a deviation from actual historical facts, but this is fiction, right?
All in all, a good book about a war that hasn't received much coverage. The way it ends leaves you feeling there will probably be another book. Hope the wait isn't long.

I really enjoyed this book. So much so, that after reading it, I went to one of Edwards' book discussions. His presentation on the Spanish-American War was very interesting, and you can tell that his knowledge of this often forgotten chapter of American history is rather extensive. His main character is a Seneca Indian named Elijah Wolf; a soldier's soldier, whose frustration with his superiors at the way the war was planned and executed, makes you wonder how we ever managed to win. If you're a historical buff like myself you will glad to know that CRUCIBLE isn't like certain other books being churned out by so-call historical novelists, whose works these days seem to resemble soap operas. For one thing, Wolf doesn't spend half his time chasing women, or swilling scotch. He doesn't look for the exception to every rule, and for those of you who appreciate the fact that not all soldiers use the F word in every other sentence, I think there are less than a dozen profanities in this book, the harshest of which was "bastard". Teddy Roosevelt is featured prominitely in the story, and I liked how Edwards presented both the good and the bad sides of TR's personality and character. There are other actual historical figures throughout the book as well, including Lt. John J. (Black Jack) Pershing, who later gained fame as the commanding general of American Forces in Europe during World War I. As I said, I really enjoyed the book, and I'm not giving anything away by saying that Edwards did a nice job of setting it up for a sequel. Can't wait!

For most of the Star Wars universe fans, the most interesting things you can read about are the characters of the original trilogy. After Boba Fett, Darth Vader etc. now is Biggs, the friend of Luke who died at the Death Star.
In addition to that the art-work is really good, so if you like Star Wars universe you will enjoy it a lot.
Another good comic-book of an excelent series.

Or maybe it should be a prequel to Rogue Squadron. The story of what happened before and during A New Hope.

I am an original Star Wars freak, grew up, then got hooked back into Star Wars (I'm 37). I have been gathering up comic/graphic novels wherever I can find them, and I must say, this is my favorite series (other than the Clone Wars series). I like the deeper dimension this book and the other Empire volumes bring to the Star Wars universe. The storyline is quite full, compared to the skimpy (almost silly) story lines from other comics (Marvel comes to mind). One can actually relate to the characters; I am a female so of course I like the emotional relationships between the characters and the character development. The artwork is very nice too, and one can almost imagine them being real (if that makes sense). This particular story tells how the rebellion gathers speed, appealing to people's sense of right and wrong and how they actually stand up and do something about it. Great story.

Biggs Darklighter isn't a very well known character. Rogue 3 in A New Hope, we know he was Luke's friend from Tatoonie that gave his life protecting Luke during the Battle of Yavin. This graphic novel, which collects Star Wars: Empire, issues #8-12 + #15, gives us Bigg's background, motives, and an in depth look at a fascinating man.

This graphic chronicles Biggs from the time he was a youth on Tatoonie, until the fateful Battle of Yavin, with many interesting notes in between.

Nor is this simply the tale of Biggs Darklighter. Luke Skywalker and "Hobbie" Klivian both have prominent roles.

There is also a small series called "The Short, Happy Life of Roons Sewell". Originally printed as Empire #10-11, it is composed of Roons Swell's eulogy, delivered by General Dodonna. Though this eulogy and a series of flashbacks, we see Roons Sewell's path to becoming a hero of the Alliance, a haunting, interesting tale.

Both these men had different lives, and took very different paths to becoming martyrs for the Alliance. Both men were brave and became icons of heroism.

The writing is flawless, the art is bold, and the story haunting. Highly recommended.

Dragonwall, is the second book in the Empires Trilogy, and deals primarily with Shou Lung (located to the far east of Faerun), and its inhabitants.
Picking up from where Horselords left off, the book sheds light on General Batu, leading the imperial forces in the defense of his homeland against Khahan Yamun and the Tuigan army.
Whereas Horselords looks at the story from the point of view of Koja and the Tuigan, Dragonwall looks at the continuation of the same story from the point of view of General Batu and the Shou Lung. It's not bad, just a bit unusual, and it does take some getting used to.
The plot as a whole is excellent! The book is so incredibly well written that the reader feels that they have been transported to another plane of existence and are actually present among the characters, seeing what they see, feeling what they feel, sensing what they sense. Moreover, Troy Denning does a great job of presenting the distinct culture and civilization of the peoples of the Orient. He has done a great deal of research in order to provide such an accurate and lucid description of the Chinese-like people.
Red Wizards, Gnolls, epic battles, sieges, political intrigue, blackmail, assassinations, and betrayal are all about.
In conclusion, Dragonwall has something for everyone, and is strongly recommended to all Forgotten Realms fans, especially Eastern/Oriental enthusiasts.

This books holds the second dimension of the 3 dimensional gem called "The empires triology". Leading you to view the desicions and lives of 3 leaders all engulfed in a sweeping war makes you think a bit about right and wrong, winner and loser. Almost as good as "Horselords" this book opens a gate to the land of Shou Lung, it's court and it's field. As a young general attemps to hold the kingdom's borders from the sweeping horde of Tuigan barbarians, while his wife attempts to save his reputation and command from the hands of spy sent to undermine him.

A book that engulfs you in battles and conspirasies. A Must BUT can be fully enjoyed only after reading "Horselords".

This is an absolutely amazing novel. The second book in the Empires trilogy, it completely avoids the "middle book syndrome". Most 2nd novels in a trilogy are about nothing and contain a whollllllle lot of travel, but this book is a very personal tale.

Batu is a general in the Shou army who is charged with stopping the Tuigan invaders. His wife is left behind to deal with the court. Out of these 2 simple plot devices a fascinating tale unfolds.

Without revealing anything I will say this, the novel is a very personal journey by Batu as he tries to deal with the invaders. The pleasant thing about this tale is the unexpected twists it takes. What you expect at the beginning of this story is not what you get at the end. Being that it is the 2nd book in a trilogy there are some things that you know MUST happen, such as the Tuigans continuing on to battle Cormtyr in the 3rd novel. This does not mean that a very powerful battle does not occur. It is the results of the battle and its fallout that are surprising.

All of the characters are interesting, and seem like real people. In fact, it is the honest portrayals that make this such a good book. After everything that Batu goes through his responses seem real, not as if they were manipulated to fit an outline.

It was further enhanced by the appearance of characters from the 1st novel, who come across as true to their portrayals in Horselords.

If you want a really good story with action and personality read Dragonwall.

Upon finding out this book is no longer in print, I felt upset-- upset that so many lovers of fantasy literature will never be able to read it. Fans of AD&D novels who are forgiving of the weaknesses of the genre will be shocked to find those weaknesses missing here. DRAGONWALL is a study of a man who struggles; he struggles between duty to empire and duty to his ancestry, love of family and love of emporer, and the hateful but necessary arena of politics versus the glorious but hardship-ridden theatre of war. Stunningly, this book satisfies on a variety of levels; the intrigue of court politics is intricate and suspenseful, the scenes of battle are breathtaking and involving, and the personal struggles wracking the protagonist make you understand him deeply. You will admire him and suffer with him. If any "fantasy" novel can bridge the gap between entertainment reading and literature, this is the one. Try to find it--it's incredible.

I wouldn't say that social history enters much into the book. The authors have written a straightforward translation and interpretation of the Ottoman archives laying out patterns in revenue from land taxes and customs fees. Reading like a series of focused essays without quite as much synthesis as I would like, still it was a worthwhile read. Most valuable were the new insights I got into the relative importance of trades routes and the organization of land ownership and taxation over time. Also interesting to see was the primacy of slaves and silk in the customs revenue stream, and the impact of commercial motives on Ottoman military expansion. All in all, this is a fine book for those wanting deep knowledge of the early Ottoman economy, civil and state.

People often avoid books like this because they are not as easy readers as "popular" history books, which often do rely on other people's research. Inalcik's work is amazingly detailed and accurate in details. This book is one of his many valuable contributions to this field. Understanding the economic and social forces at play in this time period has an importance beyond the Ottoman history, as most readers of this book would agree.

According to my knowledge this is the best book ever written about Ottoman History. Instead of reading nonscholar books like Lord Kinross's Ottoman Century's I recommend it to everbody. This book studies economic history of Ottoman empire which is essential to understant political history and so on. A must read for all interested about Ottomna history.

if someone wants to investigate ottoman history Inalcýk's books may be sophisticated guides for him.He managed to approach with a new methodology to ottoman history with a special emphasis on social and economic life.He wrote a lot of papers and books stemming from his own archieval studies which became main sources for ottoman history studies. In this book Ýnalcýk discusses the most neglected period of ottoman social and economic history,with little attention to political history that had been widely discussed by his collegues before.

I cannot write a review as I have not received my order yet. the order was shipped on january 30, with estimate arrival date March 08. My tracking number is GM01088134011894499. I tried your link WHERES MY STUFF but got nowhere.My credit card has alçready been charged with this item.Please advise if another arrival estimate. Thnk you

have actually not been able to start reading but know by title, will be great. thanks.

Wonderful telling of the life of the last true Habsburg emperor. Although the author allows you to be sympathetic to Francis Joseph, he makes no excuses for his shortcomings as emperor as well. I bought this book as a guide for an upcoming trip to Austria and eastern Europe. It not only made me look forward to my trip but with the historical events that I got from this book in mind, I had a deeper perspective of the many sights that I visited on my trip. An fascinating read.

I found this novel to be an accurate novel of the last 100 years of the Hapsburg Dynasty and their trials, family sorrows and the effects of their autocratic power upon the people they governed throughout the late 19th and early 20th century. While i believe at times the Emperor felt he was ruling in the best interests of his loyal subjects that remains to be seen in the last part of the 19th century and of course leading up to that fateful day in June at Sarajavo when Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie were murdered by an Anachists Bomb and set the tone for the debacle of World War I which of course destroyed the last remaining vestiges of European Autocracy and Dynastic inheritance. While i do favor people having a say in how they are governed it seems that when the monachy is overthrown as in Imperial Russia; the individuals that take over the rule are far worse than their "Annointed Predecessors" . After all the gulags of Josef Stalin were far worse than any "fortress" of the Tsars.

Fantastic story of the Brynner family. The pictures themselves are quite an interesting aspect of the book. I gave this book to my mother-in-law for her birthday, as her favorite movie is "The King & I".

Rock Brynner proves himself to be a very capable historian and writer. To put this together was an amazing labor of love. Not only is the text riveting, the photographs are wonderful, and there are a lot of them.

The book's title clearly fits. The Bryners build an empire and travel widely. The book describes both across 4 generations.

This family was certainly where the action was over these generations: shipping, mining, and entertainment. (Now, Rock appears to be a free lance academic, similarly, a reflection of our times.) A fascinating timber deal may have been the precipitating element in a Russo-Japanese War, a war which sewed further disconent with the Tzar and spurred his downfall.

In this book we get glimpse of the founding of a Russian city, how a clever hardworking immigrant could make a fortune and how tenuous that fortune could be. We see how events in Moscow and St. Petersburg affected people across many time zones and countries.

The mobility of the early generations is interesting. They easily move from Hong Kong to Japan, to Russia, to China and back again. These foreigners found not only businesses, but cities in these places. The paperwork seems to be mininal to nonexistent. After the revolution, leaving was problematic (but solved). Later generations circumnavigate the globe, but citizenship is a mobility issue.

Due to her own personal heartache, Yul's mother moves and these moves keep Yul one step ahead of political upheaval. Living with his mother, he was exposed arts at home and in Paris. His uncle provided a stable father figure. Had the divorce not occurred, would his father's influence have prevailed and would he have been a businessman or have been purged along the way? Were it not for his eventual fame, this particular book, this amazing story, would never have been told.

Rock points out how art immitates life (or is it the other way?) through the irony of his sister singing Madame Butterfly which is a parallel story to her grandfather's. He shows the themes of "leaving behind" (otrecheniye) and returning to place through the generations. I love how he refers to Yul's status as a faux monarch, and how the real ones relate to him.

This is a wonderful book. In reading it you see the impact of history on people's lives. You learn more about Yul Brynner (didn't know he did so much directing, spoke so many languages, knew mobsters) and the interesting life of Rock.

Empire and Odyssey, by Rock Brynner, is a most delightful read of non-fiction. To tell the most extraordinary story of his family, starting with his great-grandfather, Jules, Mr. Brynner has masterfully woven in the last 150 years of Russian history. His eye-opening observations are clearly the product of a facile and scholarly mind, but the reader is unaware of this richness thanks to the author's obvious talent for storytelling. The book hits the ground running with Jules sailing aboard a pirate vessel to find his way to Shanghai, where he lays the foundation for a trading company. By way of Japan, he is one of the founders of the city of Vladivostok, and there he deals with Tsar Nicholas II, who determines to build a railroad from St Petersburg, to this Wild East seaport town. The author uncovers the reasons for the resulting war with Japan, that ultimately precipitated the Bolshevik Revolution. His grandfather Boris struggles to outwit the Soviet beauracracy, for the Brynner Empire, and for his family's survival.
The Brynner patriarchs' remarkable love lives counterpoint the politics and industry, as they surround themselves with beautiful, strong, intelligent women, who fight for what they want, alongside their husbands, or without them.
By the time the story focuses on Mr. Brynner's famous father, Yul (after Jules), the reader is treated to anecdotes of Mikhail Chekhov, Jean Cocteau, Cecil B. DeMille, Rogers and Hammerstein, Marlene Dietrich, Frank Sinatra, and other titans of 20th century show business, providing unique and candid insight into the nature of celebrity.
The author finally turns the lens on himself, and the weight his family's legacy has had on his own life, which is no less remarkable. Bartending for the Rat Pack, chauffeuring Sam Giancana, bodyguarding Mahummed Ali, road managing The Band, and poignantly returning, on invitation as the Brynner scion, to Vladivostok, wearing his father's cowboy boots from The Magnificent Seven.
Empire and Odyssey proves that fact is more fantastic than fiction. Fast paced and entertaining, I recommend it to anyone. It left me wanting more. I hope Mr. Brynner will return to extract additional exquisite ore from this mother lode.

Rock Brynner's biographical history of his amazing family has to be one of the most exciting non-fiction books this year. This is not a tale that could have been told in a magazine article (unless it had filled the entire magazine) ! Yet this reads as swiftly as a really compelling article in Vanity Fair magazine. It is like Dr. Zhivago, Around The World In Eighty Days, and Horatio Alger all rolled into one, starring Yul Brynner no less, with equally superb supporting roles played by his own father, grandfather, and heroic scapegrace son. Heroic in the last case, because the latest Brynner is a first-rate historian who gives the reader a beautiful historical sketch of the fascinating but little-known part of the world that has been called 'Russia's Wild East.'

The actual story of all the members of this family is as, or more astounding than anything Yul Brynner performed on the screen, which is saying quite a lot. When the story moves to Yul and Rock it is peppered with new cameos of many of the most intriguing people of our times. As for Yul himself, his Superstar status is not in the least bit diminished by all this elaborate detail - it only becomes more awesome. Hollywood usually glamorizes it's subjects but Yul was that amazing exception, the real thing ! One also discovers that it was not such a stretch for him to play an unusually admirable King, or Pharoah since he had a good assist from his own life and from his own DNA. His immediate forebears also all looked as if they had stepped off movie screens, were natural leaders, and lived very thrilling, demanding lives. It is a something of a miracle that they all survived the swirl of major historic events that they did live through.

The biographical and historic material by Rock is beautifully researched, well balanced, and described with bright wit and economy of phrase. Yul and the ancestors would be truly proud !