Stations Books

These are so much fun to do together, and it is a great time to elaborate on things your child doesn't know. WE LOVE BRAINQUEST!!!

I love all the Brain Quest! My kids love them and ask me to read them questions at bed time! Great way to conect with your kids. Recomend with way high up two thumbs!!
Caring Mom on the Coast

My daughter loves reading this on car rides. We keep her current and next grade level decks in the car, within her reach. They are great educational items that can stay in the car and provide a learning experience when they would otherwise be bored.

My son loved the Q&A format of these cards and we exchanged "high fives" every time he got a "genius point." The cards include a good mix of super easy questions to more challenging ones--all targeted for a specific age level. It would be a stretch to call this game "educational" but the back and forth interaction between quizzer and quizzee provides great family fun. This works very well as a game to pass time in the car or on the airplane.

We have been using Brain Quest cards since the 2 to 3 year old pack. They provide a great way to introduce information to your child such as the difference between urban and suburban. They are portable so you can bring them along with you and use them to pass the time. I find that they give us a chance for one on one that is education and at times very funny.

I have never heard of Brain Quest, but decided to buy as stocking stuffers, thanks to Amazon's suggestion and other user reviews. They are a real hit with the kids, who have a blast asking each other knowledge questions to test their skills!

Our boys love all the Brain Quest products. Parents will appreciate the design of this product - All question cards are attached at the bottom, so it is very easy to collect the cards and return them to the box. Anyone who has searched throughout a house or car for missing game pieces will understand the value of this "neat" game.

My kids read this in car and during weekends, and learn so much. I have a collection of Brain Quest.

I bought these for our oldest son who was starting 4th grade. He can't get enough of them. The cards are also great for the car. We recently took a 4 hr. trip and the kids loved being quizzed. My husband and I also participate, because there are a few things you forget over the years! They really are a wonderful way for kids to learn in a fun way. I previously bought the 2nd grade ones and now also bought the kindergarten cards for our 2nd son. I will definately be buying each set through the years!

My kids love Brain Quest and we have used it for each of them from K through 4 so far. There are 1500 questions and answers. The questions are age appropriate and are challenging but are no so difficult as to discourage children. My son will pick up "the deck" (this book is really a stack of cardboard quiz card bound at one corner) and quiz himself for fun. What he didn't know before he might now. I highly recommend this educational tool.

The voice of Ollie Ewing in Sudden Times is haunting, terrifying. With morbid curiosity and creeping anxiety,the reader follows Ollie's dark journey and witnesses his psychological disintegration.

This is not a novel that I would recommend because I "liked" it; it is a novel that is uniquely constructed and well deserving of recognition. Take a risk. Lock your door. Read Sudden Times....

Meet Ollie Ewin, the young Irish carpenter who narrates this book. Ollie is a troubled lad, who has hallucinations during the day and cannot sleep because of his nightmares. We first meet him as a lowly clerk in a supermarket and are made part of the terrifying past that haunts him. But the details are never spelled out and one can only guess at the outlines. Then Ollie goes to London and the whole story congeals and unfolds. Ollie blames himself for some of the terrible things that happened that time in London while he is unable to understand the others. He is caught in a swamp of vicious crime and it slowly drowns him. The story escalates until it ends in a nasty persiflage of justice.

First of all, the author shows courage in starting a book with events that make little sense, trusting that the reader will not give up on him. Secondly, he shows incredible imagination in placing us into the tortured soul of this young man and succeeding in making us feel it. And, in addition, the language is superb.

This is a must-read!

Dermot Healy is amazingly talented. I have now read three books by him - 'The Bend for Home', 'Sudden Times' and 'A Goats Song' (still my favorite of the three). Each time I read him, I am stunned by how, well - perfect - his writing is. His characters tend to have lost thier minds (madness, drink, drugs,or some combination), and the line between what's 'real' in the novel and what the character is hallucinating is never clear. Why do they go about things the way they do? Well, because people do... Like many of Angela Carter's creations, Healy's characters are appealing and attractive, yet at the same time annoying and almost repulsive... In the end, the reader is offered no explanation of what went on - if the character himself doesn't know, how can he explain it to US? He told it to us the best he knew how, anyway. The books have some very undefineable beauty to them. I don't understand why Dermot Healy is not more widely recognised than he is.

One of the best books I have read this year is Jeffrey Lent's "In the Fall". So when I read the appraisal of this Author's work not only by Mr. Jeffrey Lent, but Roddy Doyle, and others, I thought the chance I was taking on an Author new to me was minimal. The man who wrote this book, Mr. Dermot Healy, has produced a work that will be on any short list of favorites from 2000 I will have. This book is unique and unconventional it is extraordinary. Some of the commercial commentators felt the need to go beyond what the jacket provides, and into events in the book. That decision was unnecessary, but thankfully it in no way detracts from the book. There are no simple explanations for this work, and were the story line known to you, because of the way Mr. Healy delivers his tale, little would be lost. This is a book that can be read and read again.

The book is written in the first person and that is about the only conventional aspect of it. The book is laid out in an eclectic manner. Actually it is presented in a bewildering pattern less structure that initially left me lost. Going back and reading a passage again does not help, because the subject of the book is lost, and the Author puts to paper the thoughts of what a person in the various frames of mind this individual goes through, would look like were thoughts visible. Once you get in step with the Author and his character everything makes sense, what seemed random is not, what was seemingly fragmented becomes perfectly assembled. This book does not say what it is like to feel a certain emotion; it causes the reader to feel as though he or she was experiencing the events themselves. The feeling when the book is read goes beyond the vicarious to something more akin to immersion.

The Author then demonstrates how masterfully and with what range he can craft language, how versatile he is, when, toward the end he lays down courtroom conflict between defense counsel and witnesses that is as well done as any such exchanges I have read. The dialogue is sharp, terse, and delivered in a hyperactive exchange. The Author demonstrates with ease what so many crime story pretenders struggle to produce and generally fail.

The book is brilliant, the Author a writer of incredible range, and he offers a reading experience you will not forget, and one that you will be hard pressed to repeat.

Stunning in its raw power, this novel, unlike many other Irish novels, draws its power from its simplicity, rather than from lush description or the accumulation of details. Stripping language to the bare bones here, Dermot Healy draws the reader, without embellishment, directly into the confused mind of the main character, a carpenter named Ollie Ewing.

Ollie has just returned to Sligo, almost mute with shock from unspoken, terrible events which have befallen him while in London, where he has been working as a day laborer on construction sites. The narrative shifts back and forth in time and location, revealing Ollie's paranoia through flashbacks, brief scenes, and dialogue, which sometimes seem to have no context other than their revelation of his suffering. He is clearly trying to hang on to his sanity--and is only marginally successful--as he talks to the reader in quiet, almost confessional tones. Using unadorned, simple language, he describes things he sees that are not there and voices that no one else can hear. Never wasting a word, his earnest narrative forces the reader to share his thoughts while interpreting his state of mind.

Gradually, the reader learns of Ollie's almost paralyzing experiences in London, where he lived with a friend, Marty Kilgallon, in a trailer at an old construction site. Through Marty, Ollie learns firsthand about the protection rackets and extortion on construction sites, the common use of murder as a weapon of enforcement, and the unsympathetic judicial system. When his friend disappears and does not return for six weeks, Ollie gets caught in a whirlwind of violence and learns the true meaning of hell.

By the time he returns to Sligo, he has come to believe that there is a "glass sprinkler" machine, operating at night, which sprinkles glass over the streets of London, that the flecks in people's eyes are aliens, and that his own image in a mirror is someone imitating him. Though Healy's style is often difficult to follow, as the reader tries to piece together the events that are responsible for Ollie's current state of mind, Healy's use of detail is stunning. Casually inserted, bizarre observations about common aspects of life help create Ollie's inner life and illustrate his existential helplessness. The essential unfairness life, the power of chance, and Ollie's victimization catch the reader in a whirlwind of emotions, and his plaintive voice, crying out from all this, is unforgettable. Mary Whipple

Scathing, deeply poetic rant of obssessive love forced into obssessive hate. Deep and lasting, based on the author's actual experiences.

this book is my bible and comfort, its a shame it is so often overlooked

Simply breathtaking - a unique account in magical prose poetry of all consuming love, which you will return to again and again. Almost too painfully visceral at times, snapshots of sheer beauty leap out of the page as you ride the non-stop vertical drop on the rollercoaster of their relationship - not for the faint or hard hearted.

In this incredible piece of prosaic poetry, Smart tells the story of the greatest love affair of her life. This book literally rips you from the passionate highs of ecstatic love to the agonizing lows of a love that has ended. Born into the high society, this is Smart's account of her great love for the poet George Barker, and told as powerfully as any love story that I have ever read

This book is the source to all of your questions regarding Construction Management. This is a "must buy" all the way! The teachings of this book are valid and mandatory for all Builders, Sub Contractors, and General Contractors. If you want to do things right and boost your potential, than read this book.

I purchased this book for my son. He said it was very helpful and very informative. It tells you exactly what you need to know.

Upon graduation from Georgia Tech's building construction program in 1982, I went to work for Nick Ganaway. One of the many reasons I selected his company was his obvious knowledge of business. Even more, I appreciated the motivation he placed in us (and himself) to always become better as contractors and as businessmen. We met frequently to "log in" new discoveries, efficiencies, risks, and methods of profitability that he had wisely accumulated for us. As I "ventured out" into the world and developed my own business with very little experience, I quickly noticed that although I was a "great" project manager that running a construction company was an entirely different issue. For example, do you understand the unique requirements of the construction firm owner? Terms in the project owner's construction agreement that can unfairly shift major risk onto your plate and what to do about them? How to ensure that you get paid for change orders? What to do when hard times suddenly strike (and they will)? After 25 years of experience in operating a commercial construction company, Mr. Ganaway explains chapter-by-chapter these and every other risk area you must manage if you are going to survive in construction. I know these explanations well as they ring in my mind from discussions with Mr. Ganaway concerning my very first projects and through calling for help with running my own construction business. You will feel like you're having these same discussions with him as you read this book. Every contractor, project manager, and construction student should read it. Today I use this very text to teach our students at Georgia Tech's building construction program how to run a business, as well as consulting in the same area. His principles work!

An added bonus to this text is the final chapter, where Mr. Ganaway makes the case for specializing in chain store construction. To "outsiders" who have not reviewed this market segment, I think you will be surprised at the benefits. If you are not already specializing in a niche market, this chapter is sure to start you thinking about it.

This is the first straightforward, down-to-earth book on how to run a construction business that I have come across. A realistic account of what it takes to start an enterprise and what it's like to be a contractor. Anyone contemplating starting their own construction company should read this before attempting it and every contractor already working at it should study Nick's work to learn how to do it better and to realize that they are not alone when they discover just how challenging and difficult the struggle for success can be. Everyone associated with the construction industry should read this book to gain an understanding of how the business really works.



Thomas, C. Schleifer, Ph.D.

Visiting Eminent Scholar
Del E. Webb School of Construction
Arizona State University

Author, Construction Contractors' Survival Guide

If you are a person that is just starting out in the Construction industry, this book can help guide you in the right direction. Many mistakes that I have made in the past 10 years are covered in these pages. I wish I would have had this book back then. It would have made our company grow and prosper without the glitches. I highly recommend this book.

I love these books. It is really helping my toddler to understand what not to do.

My 28 month old loves the books in this series, and we have unfortunately needed them. He related to the pictures of the injured and offended, and it has really helped his behavior. This one focuses a lot more on what feet should do, more so than the Teeth Are Not For Biting does with the teeth, which is good and bad.

Great book if your toddler has been kicking lately. Teaches good behavior as well as phrases that you can use to stop bad behavior. Highly recommend this book.
Beth

Bought this for my one twin who likes to kick. I think he is getting the point :-)

We bought this book for our 19-month-old daughter when she hit and bit another child at school. At the time, she used to kick me when I changed her diaper, and her daycare had a copy of this book, so I bought it, along with "Hands Are Not For Hitting" and "Teeth are Not For Biting."

All three books are great. They are very simple, straightforward, with pictures and language toddlers can understand. The repetitive phrases like "Ouch, Kicking Hurts," and "Feet are not for kicking people," are phrases my daughter has remembered, and that we have adopted in our house in the event that she hits or kicks, as many kids this age tend to do from time-to-time.

Our daughter just turned two and still loves to read these books and has retained the lessons therein. It's a great series.

Side Note: The "Hands Are Not For Hitting" that we ordered here from Amazon is NOT a board book, and it's language is a little more advanced for a very young toddler, but you can "customize" the language and your little one will still love it!

For most presses, East European studies is a dying breed, consigned to the periphery by Europe's metamorphoses and other global challenges. However, Granville (history, Stanford Univ.) examines an event that retains stinging memories almost 50 years later--the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. The author explored archives accessible only after the Cold War, and had extraordinary cooperation from archivists in Moscow, Budapest, and elsewhere. Kadar, Nagy, Rakosi, Tito, Khrushchev, Eisenhower, Dulles, and other personalities, as well as arcane communist and democratic bureaucracies, are revealed through countless archival fragments. Granville is at her best telling the interwoven story of 1956. Ultimately, Granville's analysis leads to a no-fault conclusion, suggesting that misperceptions and misconceptions among all actors led to the disastrous outcome. Recommended for graduate students and above.-- D.N. Nelson, University of New Haven

Johanna Granville is one of the most industrious and talented of the scholars who have seized upon new archival opportunities to deepen our understanding of the Cold War. For _The First Domino_, the author has scoured archives in Europe and the United States in an effort to find out how the principal actors arrived at decisions regarding the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. Matters, as she writes, were not as simple as they once appeared. Nikita Khrushchev and other Soviet leaders bad difficulty, for example, deciding whether or not to suppress the uprising by force. In fact, they voted not to intervene one day (October 28)before they ordered decisive military action (October 31). Some of what she has uncovered is already known: that Imre Nagy denounced some of his countrymen during his years in Soviet Russia (1930-44) and that he did not invite the initial Soviet invasion of October 23-24. But thanks to Granville's linguistic abilities, she has shed new light on the seemingly inexplicable conduct of Poland's Wladyslaw Gomulka and Yugoslavia's Josip Broz Tito. Moreover, she has helped to clarify Janos Kadar's decision to betray Nagy and the revolution. In a particularly compelling chapter, Granville examines the role the United States played before and during the revolution. She concludes that the Eisenhower Administration's talk of "rollback" and "liberation," when combined with U.S. intelligence operations and psychological warfare, may have led Soviet leaders to fear a U.S. intervention and, thus, to opt for a harder line. Above all, however, Granville reminds us of historical contingency. Those who have studied the revolution have sometimes taken the view that Hungarians and Soviets acted out of necessity. Granville herself thinks that given Hungarians' historic detestation of Russia and communism, revolution was bound to erupt; and Nagy's "trial and probably ... execution were inevitable." She should have written "were very likely," because elsewhere she observes that if the Soviets had removed Stalinist dictator Matyas Rakosi sooner, there might not have been a revolution; and that had there been no Polish crisis of October 19-20, Budapest's students might not have demonstrated on October 23. "No event," she wisely concludes, "is ever predestined; individuals can make rational choices to change the course of history at any given moment." ---Lee Congdon, Professor of History, James Madison University._History: Review of New Books_ (Summer 2004),v 32, i4: p 147.

Dr. Granville's book is without question a first-rate, well-researched monograph. She uses Hungarian documents that even Hungarians have not read, sometimes presenting them in dialogue form (Chapter 3). The books reads like a novel in some places. (...)

This long-awaited review of archival records dealing with the Hungarian uprising of 1956 is destined to appear on numerous Cold War historians' bibliographies. It is a meticulously researched study, a grand example of erudite scholarship in its truest sense. Dr. Granville's examination of declassified documents is exhaustively and exhaustingly thorough.

Johanna Granville's The First Domino: International Decision Making during the Hungarian Crisis of 1956 (...), a pioneering work on East European Cold War history, confirms that when President Eisenhower had his chance to redeem the Republican campaign pledge to "roll back" the Soviet occupation of Hungary, he failed and thus perpetuated that occupation for three more decades.
This is a remarkable study of Cold War history because the author, at home in Russian and other languages, has availed herself of recently opened Soviet and other archives to describe how Hungary became the first "domino" in a process that "resulted ultimately in the Soviet Union's loss of hegemony over Eastern Europe in 1989."
The Hungarian revolt resulted in more than 2,000 deaths and the flight of over 200,000 refugees to the West. It is worth noting that a far smaller group of earlier Hungarian refugees, who fled to America from a Nazi-endangered Europe, helped build the first atomic bomb during World War II.
Chapter 6 of "The First Domino" is the most fascinating, since it explores U.S. psychological warfare and covert activities in Eastern Europe during the 1950s, including broadcasts by Radio Free Europe.---Washington Times, March 21, 2004 by Arnold Beichman, Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University

Cord is an imperial marine in trouble. When you insult the wrong officer, you get assigned to Gehenna Station, a remote outpost on a barren mining planet. Lieutenant Cord's new "platoon," six marines and a droid, have a suicide assignment. They must battle the planet's raptor population. The fast-moving dinosaurs, introduced to the planet via pirated genetic material, kill marines. Assignment to the "Punishment Platoon" may well be a death sentence!

The bad news gets worse. The murderous Quog, an alien race that competes with humans for the resources of the universe, have plans for the planet. How can Cord's platoon stop the Quog when they can barely stay alive themselves?

J.R. Hume's science fiction tale is a fast-moving romp. Dinosaurs! Marines! Aliens! The pulp elements are great fun. But the author holds the story together with serious notions, weaving subtext and action seamlessly. At its heart, Gehenna Station is a story of men-at-arms. The characterizations go beyond the genre's clichés. The dialogue is funny and irreverent. The author's vivid sense of action punctuates the pages. And watch for the author's clever use of a card game ("Scrag Solitaire") to weave a sense of fate and theosophy into the narrative.

If you enjoy a good adventure with great characters you'll like Gehenna Station. Lots of fast paced action with great attention to detail. The evolution of the planet and it's resident life forms are very well done. I could identify with the characters and can imagine both pre-quels and especially sequels to this story. A great read.

A fun, action packed, story of mistreated Marines who nontheless uphold the traditions of the Corps. It was easy to identify with the characters and I found the raptor encounters very exciting. Hope to see more from this author!

For me (and I've read quite a few sci fi novels) this story was an exciting, edge-of-my-seat, page-turner. The whole story moves along at a brisk pace without any uncomfortable lulls.

Despite the rapid pace of the unfolding events, the author did a wonderful job of fleshing out the main characters and I became very fond of all of them. It therefore really bummed me out when some of them met unfortunate ends. Any author who can make you care about the characters has done his job in my book.

Something else the author did very well was get all the little details right--or at least make the sci-fi details believable. Whether it was the plant descriptions or animal behaviors; or the functioning of power modules and field generators in shuttle craft; or the situation-specific marine jargon, it all rang true to my ear. Too often, I'll be reading a sci-fi novel and be pulled out of the moment because the author fumbled a detail, but that never happened in this book.

I'm just sorry there isn't a follow-up to this novel since I really enjoy the characters and the hair-raising situations they get into. There certainly seems to be the potential for a long-running series of adventures with this now battle-hardened crew of outcasts.

I must admit that I am not a big Sci-fi fan. My interests lean towards WWII history. But after reading this book, I know I will be picking up more sci-fi! The storyline really keeps you motivated to keep on reading! I would recommend this book to anyone! Can't wait until JR Hume publishes more books!

This is a really sweet book. It is a compilation of mostly lectures and notes from Kalu Rinpoche's teachings. Many times during the first read-through, I honestly felt as though this master was in the room, speaking the words on the page directly to me - evidence of the truthfulness in his words. The format of the book is such that each chapter builds upon the last, going from some very fundamental teachings (examining our situation) through the refuge vow, and all the way up to the esoteric mahamudra teachings. There is also a chapter on the challenges of dharma practice. Appended is an actual visualization practice, ("sadhana" in sanskrit) of the tantric deity of compassion, along with instructions. Among my own books, this is one I keep on the "reference" shelf.

The book is well organized by the designer and leads the reader gently along the path to a fuller awareness of their potenial for true liberation. The glossery is replete to a point this book becomes a valuable reference, one that will be handy on the shelf for years for anyone who is interested in Tibetan Buddhism, vajrayana and getting enlightened. Kalu Rinpoche IS (was) on of the most respected teachers on the topics the book covers and he was one of the first persons from Tibet who took seriously the interest of Westerners in this topic field and who saw in them the potential for development equal to or better than that of the Tibetans themselves. Generous in his willingness to share his knowledge, he stands above all other teachers in his compassion for all sentient beings. The photographer, Sherab Ebin, adds greatly to the wonders to be found in this volume and was the great Kalu's first Western translator. One of the beauties of this work is that it is well typeset and generously illustrated, making it user friendly.

In this no holds barred book on how to overcome the faults of the past and anticipate with confidence full liberation in the future, the greatest joy is the care taken in the design, so comforting exactly when you've just been put to the Rinpoche's test and realized you're not top in the class. Guess that is what compassion in action is all about. Highly recommended for all who seek solutions in today's life that will last beyond this impermanent lifetime.

This is a very lovely book with lots of useful information on Vajrayana and Mahamudra. Its style matches its title. The author is famous as a great Tibetan Buddhist master and the book supports this view. He is gentle in his writing and gets one's attention by whispering. I've heard of this technique before--when people are actually together in person. It can really work, oddly enough. I like this book better than his other works that I've read: "The Dharma" and "Luminous Mind." It's well worth your time and effort to read. I took a few quotes from it as well (possibly from an earlier edition):
"In seeing that all appearance (not only one's mind and emotions) is luminous, unimpeded suchness, one recognizes that all internal appearance, which is also arising from the mind, is only mental projection." p. 14

"Dynamic, empty, and unobstructed luminosity...empty, clear, and unimpeded nature of the mind itself... p. 22

"It is possible that one can practice while still actively involved in the world. Such a combination of spiritual practice and worldly activity allows the aspirant to use his or her faculties in a very skillful way." p.164

I think the cover of this book represents the book accurately: at first, you see a stern, wizened Kalu Rinpoche staring at you; the book, too, seems like a dry, dogmatic text expounding on things you may have read before. But the picture also captures Kalu Rinpoche's immeasurable awareness, the clarity of gaze and of his mind. And so the book, too, has such an immense scope, with such lucid explanations and discussions, that you will continually return to this book and find your previous understanding of the text was limited. This isn't a book for beginners, because it is not "fluffy" in any way. But it is an inspiring read, and fascinating, which sets it apart from so many other books on Tibetan Buddhism.

Phil Sheridan's battle against the Confederates at Trevillian Station is covered in 391 pages with maps, photos, orders of battle, statistics on loses, an excellent bibliography, and index. Author Eric Wittenberg has done an outstanding job of narration, explanation, and interpretation of the battle. (Wittenberg's knowledge of the Union cavalry adds to the book immensely, as does his keen appreciation of the landscape.) This text is a treat for Civil War buffs and would be a great addition to the library of descendants of those on both sides who were participants.

It is about time that a true scholarly description of this long neglected but fascinating battle has been written. It destroys quite a number of myths! Sheridan was not invincible. The Confederate Cavalry did not die at Yellow Tavern with J.E.B. Stuart (it died at Appomattox with the rest of the ANVa). That Wade Hampton was a capable and perhaps more suitable cavalry commander for that period of the war. I bet that with even numbers that Hampton would have trounced Sheridan. As it was, outnumbered he stopped Sheridan cold and hurt him bad.

The battle is exciting, complex and had Hampton had just a little more strength Sheridan would have been in bad trouble; as it was he was hard pressed to claim any real results.

It is also hoped that this draws more attention to the preservation of this battlefield, which is in pretty good shape- but the bull dozers will come eventually.

This is a book for learning Civil War personalities, style of command, how cavalry fought in the civil war and documents this battle superbly. Well done and well worth the price od admission. I'll be on the outlook for more by Messr Wittenburg.

Mr. Wittenberg is the author of several books on cavalry operations in the Eastern Theater, all well documented, informative and very readable. This book is my personal favorite. He hits the "sweet spot", balancing a solid battlefield history with personal experiences of the participants. The history set up an experience, which amplifies and explains the history bridging the story to the next incident. The result is an informative history of Sheridan's cavalry raid in June 1864 with an in the saddle feel rarely found in nonfiction books.

The heart of the book is the battles of Trevilian Station on June 11 & 12, 1864 and Samaria Church on June 24, 1862. Trevilian Station is Sheridan's attempt to cut the vital Virginia Central Railroad and Samaria Church is Hampton's attempt to capture Sheridan's wagon train. The two battles do not stand-alone but exist in Sheridan's cavalry raid, with the raid firmly placed in Grant's Overland Campaign. This means that the reader never forgets the total operation and the war. Very often, battle histories do not include or spend very little time on the larger issues causing us to miss this vital information.

This raid contains a who's who of Eastern cavalry personalities: Philip Sheridan, Wade Hampton, Fitzhugh Lee and George Custer are well known, Thomas Rosser, Matthew Butler, Alfred Torbert, Wesley Merritt and David Gregg much less so. Each man has an interesting word portrait with a detailed account of his role. Mr. Wittenberg draws some interesting conclusions about the battle and the men. As always, his conclusions are well supported and thought provoking, making for a book that is both an introduction with something for the more knowledgeable too.

A useful and vivid study of the largest all-cavalry battle in the Civil War. The author's trenchant criticism of Sheridan is especially interesting as he does most of his work on Michigan cavalry--thus can't be accused of Southern partisanship. It's a long and detailed account, including plenty of quotes for human interest as well as an assessment of the battle's tactical and strategic import. In a larger context, it works well to fill a gap--cavalry actions get less scholarship than I think they should--and to offer a perspective on Sheridan that differs slightly from the norm.

Mr. Wittenberg makes a convincing case for the decisiveness of this cavalry battle and campaign, and his evaluations of Sheridan, Hampton, Fitz Lee, and others are fair and incisive. He did not need to prove his stature as an authority on the cavalry of the Army of the Potomac, but clearly has done so with this volume and with his subsequent works.

I had the chance to visit the Trevilian battlefield recently, and used this book as a guide. In spite of the paucity of markers (maybe that's a good thing!), it was easy to follow the action using the author's excellent endnotes, maps, and descriptions of terrain.

A local preservation group recently purchased a large portion of the June 11 battlefield, which is a very good sign. Anyone interested in the Civil War's eastern theater should not miss this book.