2D Books

The Red Hand of Doom is one of the better campaigns wizards has released. It is very long and drawn out and the new "Big Battle" system displayed in the heroes of battle book is used. The new encounter layout is kinda there but not really. Statistics for each encounter is in the back of the book but there is no info on Tactics with them or map layouts. The Artwork for the book is fantastic. The overall Quest is based around the son of a dragon and his army attacking some frontier lands in order to...well no real spoilers here so buy the book and run the campaign. It can be placed in any of the 3 campaign worlds wizards offers and there is info inside telling you how to do it. It can also be slipped into any campaign with ease. The outlying areas are fleshed out and the maps as well as statistic blocks can be downloaded from wizards web site. Do yourself a favor if your a dm looking for a good campaign and buy a copy of "The Red Hand of Doom," especially now that it can be had for really cheap used. There's no excuse not to own this instant classic.

From the begining of this adventure the heroes are running to save the realms from an invading horde the likes that haven't been seen since the fall of the gods.It is one of the best and most harrowing adventures I've been through in a long time.

I haven't yet had a chance to run the adventure, though I look forward to doing so. I love the usage of Victory Points, and the rules are clear enough as put forward in the adventure to not require Heroes of Battle. I found the plot comprehensive and believable, the presentationw as excellent. All in all, I very much like the adventure, and I can't wait to run some PCs through it.

While this can be considered a campaign (it took my crew a year to complete it, but we started off at 1st level and worked up to the main plot) this adventure is simply the best I have ever run. I loved the open concept, epic battles and interesting characters and villains. My players did not feel railroaded at any time but neither did they feel it was a cakewalk. My only suggestions are firstly, that DM's let their players know they will not have a lot of downtime to create items so avoid those feats until after the campaign. Secondly, DM's need to prepare and understand the tactics and intelligence of the main characters. Many of the villains escaped and came back as secondary foes later on in my game. If your party kills a dragon the first time they see it...they were super lucky or you as a DM screwed up.
Finally, there are countless plot hooks that you can use at a later date. Many of the opponents were defeated but not killed in my game and alliances between the good PC's and evil villains were an interesting roleplaying aspect.
In the end, we relied heavily on miniatures to help visualize battles and I scanned and enlarged the many maps provided into full sized (to scale) battle maps that the players were in awe of. This is truly an A+ adventure and I would run it again, anytime. Enjoy this book!!!

I, as a DM, thought this adventure was amazing. Epic, well-done and well-put together, with a really interesting storyline and a good variety of monsters and battles. The climax and conclusion were amazing---they have such good mechanics for doing a battle for an entire town, and the concluding dungeon crawl was appropriately awesome for the high-level characters that have come out of this module by that time.

However, my players had a few issues that they brought up with me. First, they thought the free-form nature was too much. Let me explain... they felt that there definitely was a "right way to go," but that they were left on their own to find it, so they had to rely on NPC hooks and (in one player's words) "being led around by the nose by the DM." I strongly suggest giving the players a patron who directs their actions, making them more of a special task force than a bunch of adventurers who happen to wander into the middle of an invasion and just so happen to run off in the direction necessary to stop the invasion four or five times in a row.

And on that last note, you really have to integrate this adventure into your campaign, otherwise the players will not care about the vale that they're saving at all. One of them suggested just leaving and letting the goblins take over the vale; now, this isn't practical because then there would be a nation of bloodthirsty hobgoblins with demonic support ready to march on the _world_, but that is not clear at all from the first 2/3 of the adventure. Especially since the players really didn't care if this town fell or not, it was a bit of a problem.

A final problem is that goblins and all their associated monstrous foes just aren't very exciting enemies. You kill goblins at first level, so a goblin army---while certainly a problem---doesn't _feel_ like it should be a big deal for even 5th-level characters. Now replace them with aberrations with mind flayer leaders, or some kind of psionic threat, or perhaps an army of awakened constructs, or... then it might be cool. But the PCs really didn't get much out of taking on an army composed mainly of CR 1/3 baddies, and that seems quite understandable.

All this can be fixed with some work on the DMs part, and I do suggest doing that since the whole adventure is a really well-done framework. I am considering using this in an Eberron campaign I'm running now (a new group), with the following changes:
* The goblin threat is replaced by the Lord of Blades, who has achieved the ability to create a warforged army that is seeking to destroy all of human civilization and replace it with a warforged-supremacist state.
* The PCs are special agents of House Cannith, which understandably feels responsible.
* Dragons (who are the rare, high-level baddies of the horde to supplement the goblins) get replaced by abberations being summoned from Xoriat, or perhaps demons/high-level undead/a psionic threat like the quori.
* The war becomes part of an even larger context in which the Mark of Death is returning, with the Blood of Vol having forged an uneasy alliance of convenience with the Lord of Blades to use the warforged's kills as undead-creation material.
* Many of the characters' favorite locations are destroyed or seriously threatened---I'm thinking of starting the campaign out with a large, well-coordinated warforged terrorist attack on Sharn that leads to the imposition of martial law and concentration camps for warforged.

So with changes like these (adapt for Forgotten Realms or your own campaign setting) I think you can use the RHoD's very good core framework and plot sequence, while fixing the problems that my players had.

I had my kids read this when we studied the fall of Rome. For fun, we also watched the Disney movie "Mulan" in which the Huns are wonderfully big and dark and evil. Simultaneously, we were reading "real" history texts linking the building of the Great Wall of China, with movement of the Huns west, with the Huns pressuring the Teutonic tribes outside the Roman empire into the Roman empire... We were making interesting historical speculations. I like what another reviewer said about comparing it with The Trumpeter of Krakow. I do history chronologically and I would put Trumpeter a bit later in my medieval studies, but it's a superb comparison of POVs to make again and again for middle schoolers.

There is a theory that the Huns developed the stirrup which was necessary for knights to be able to fight in heavy armor on horseback--here come the middle ages.

I won't use this book with older kids because there is just more important literature out there to read, but I am glad I used it once.

This book is a classic in my family, who are of mixed Hungarian and Scotch-Irish descent. While it is far from accurate history, it is a beautiful legend of the origins of that curious non-Slavic race called the Magyars. Seredy's grasp of myth is readily apparent; her prose is simple enough for an eight- or nine-year-old to understand but she never talks down to the reader, since she uses the universal, spare language of the epic poet. This book was richly deserving of the Newbery Medal and remains a must-read for young adults (and old adults) today.

This is a story that a tribe called the Huns and Magyars. They have to leave the location they are at now because they are running out of food. They are going to the promised land so they can have food and game to hunt. They would find the white stag and they would chase him but then he would just dissapear into thin air. That is the story of The White Stag.

The beautiful story arc pits the Magor tribe against the followers of a man we come to know Atilla the Hun. This book had me on the edge of my seat as a child, and has a great ending!

Late, late in this book, Seredy uses the word "Hun," at which point (as a child of 9), I figured out that Hunor and Magor were the founders of *actual* tribes, including Atilla's Huns. Up 'til then, I'd assumed it was pure fiction created by Seredy. Her subtle approach has always impressed me about this book.

You know what's wrong with most Newbery Award winning books? They're just so darn pro-peace. Didn't used to be that way. Why take the fascinating novel, "The White Stag" as an example. An amazing story that decides that Attila the Hun has gotten a bad rap. In this book, he's still a psychopath, but he's a psychopath with a mission. If you find yourself unfamiliar with this literary work, allow me summarize the major points found within.

To find their promised land, the Huns go on a years long rampage of pillaging and murder in the hopes of finding their own place to live. It's like the Old Testament but without any of the good moral lessons. For its 1937 publication, the book is remarkably pro-genocide. As it briefly explains, the Huns find themselves in a kill or be killed mentality. People who see them coming fight them instinctively so that the poor Huns are forced to become blood-thirsty. They search day in and out for their own place to live, guided by their vengeful god Hadur. In this light, Attila is the Moses that finally leads his people to a land flowing with milk and honey. Whatta swell guy.

You may have picked up on the fact that I'm being sarcastic. But how can I help it? Just note the fate of pacifism. When Bendeguz, father of Attila, decides that maybe the Huns should settle down in a rather nice land they've come to own and not go about slaughtering the innocent, he is berated soundly by the blind seer Damos. Those who fight others without provocation are holy. And those who would rather not go around killing, "will be punished for their weakness... Long after the Huns have found the promised land, they will be still homeless wanderers in the wilderness". Um... okay.

There are things to like in this book, of course. The prose itself is evocative and lovely. If judged on the placement of words alone, this book deserves the Newbery. And Kate Seredy's illustrations are impressive, there is no question. They're a series of beautiful 30s illustrations, akin to the kinds of graphics you'd normally find in a Socialist rag. If you can possibly locate a copy of this book with the original illustrations, you will not regret it. It's just the moral of the story I have difficulties with. It's supposed to be: Have faith in yourself and your beliefs and in the end all will turn out well. Instead it comes off as: Kill lots of people because you're certain your god is the best, and all will turn out well. Lots of other people will disagree with me. But regardless if you're a hawk or a dove at heart, this book comes off as little more than a beautiful immoral tale.

I've read Elvis and me probably about 7 times and I never get tired of listening to this love story. Elvis by the Presley's was very interesting and I finished it in one night. I am also going to buy the dvd version and encourage anyone interested in Elvis' family life to do the same.

Priscilla Presley is best known as the 14 year old girl that Elvis met and became infatuated with when he was in the army in Germany. She ended up living with him in Memphis and marrying him when she was 21. Six years later they were divorced but stayed friends to bring up their daughter Lisa Marie. Priscilla went on to become a well known TV and film actress and the woman who saved the Presley estate from near bankruptcy. This book could be an exploration about the author's life both pre- and post-Elvis and about the difficulties of living with such a well known name. Recommended.

I really enjoyed this read.The stories were fantastic and who better to write it than his family!

This book is a very good companion to the DVD set. I enjoyed both and felt I got to know lots more about Elvis and Priscilla (a talented and charismatic woman in her own right). However, I was wondering why there is so much of the excellent Jerry Schilling in the "Elvis by the Presleys" DVDs and nothing from, or about, Jerry in this companion book. Jerry was clearly a great and devoted friend to Elvis for so many years and he is mysteriously missing from this book -- even in epidodes which we know he was involved in (as he tells the stories himself in the DVD's). Most notable of these episodes is Jerry's relating of the time that he and Elvis went to see President Nixon at the White House so that Elvis could volunteer his services to combat drug abuse. Jerry tells the story so well in the DVD, yet his presence at this event is omitted in the book. Priscilla fans will be delighted by a fascinating photo of a long letter written by the teenaged Priscilla to Elvis from Germany when she was about age 16. Anyone who reads it can never believe any of the nonsense out there about Priscilla's parents wanting or encouraging her to live with Elvis at such a young age. The letter makes it clear that she is most determined to do this despite strong resistance by her father (especially) but she intends to persevere until she convinces him to let her leave Germany and finish high school in Memphis. All in all, the "Elvis by the Presleys" book and DVD set are highly enjoyable for the true Elvis fan.

Fairly interesting. Some side stories from family members & friends some photos that weren't very interesting (photos of everyday objects with no real importance to the story of Elvis). Funny that they focus so much on his spiritual side, considering that they are into the "Church of Sciencetology" (or however you spell it). Can't imagine anyone being serious about that group. But it makes me wonder how Elvis would have felt if he'd known about his ex involving his daughter in such a group. I hope on some level these women believe in something other than aliens conjured up by some science - fiction writer. Anyway I just thought it was funny that these two would focus so much on that side of his personality. The book was ok but not as interesting as I thought it would be when I ordered .

It is easy to follow, no hard core Psyc stuff. Good for class, good examples. I enjoyed it.

i think this is the most interesting psych text i have read. i got it for a 4 week online class and had to read it cover to cover in less than a month. it was easy to read and has review sections within the chapter to make sure you are getting the information, and the author has a lovely sense of humor. I would reccommend this book very highly. the research is current and sound and he gives many perspectives on the same issues. there are some issues i had with how he organizes information, because it can be a bit confusing how he goes from general to specific then changes topics completely, but how else are you going to cover everything? Love the format, get the study guide too if you can.

then this book is what you're lookin' for! It's a little bit wordy in some parts, but very thourough in explanations. Photos are great as well. Great book for introducing someone to Psychology.

i am currently in psychology for the third time,(due to it had been too long between college classess) i think the book is informative and not too hard to read (if you have too!)

This Lecture Notebook was in excellent condition when i recieved it. I was very satisfied with the business that you have shown me. I recommend this to all Psychology students. Its good for Intro to Psyc.

Got this book for an object oriented programming class. I have had very little programming experience, but the book has helped greatly in both learning Java and learning some of the fundamentals of coding.

This book has an extremely dry writing style and often does not explain things well to a beginner. Additionally, the book is very "fat" and heavy especially when carrying it around or to class.

I bought this book motivated by the good reviews that i saw on amazon. I was very pleased not only with the wealth of information(Fundamentals, OOP, MVC, JDBC, JSP/Servlets, JavaBeans, Swing/Advanced Swing, Collections etc ), but also from the presantation which is consice and very easy to follow. This was the text that did it for me. I struggled with other texts and the presentation was always missing something to say the least. Thanks to this book i was able to move to the world of J2EE and my biggest problem was dealing with application servers than with the java language itself.
My current position demands some C# .Net development and once again i am struggling with horrible incomplete Books that neglect to provide the hole code assuming previous knowledge.
I thought that may be Liang has written something about C# (Unfortunatelly not), but i was sad to see that there is
some critism which i consider unfair -not so much for the author but -for those who are trying to learn java.
I dont Know how to strech this more but listen: There is no better intro
book in programming. May be an experienced teacher has objections about the right positioning of the chapters but believe it or not after reading the first 7 chapters you are able to skip to any chapter you want(At the beginning of the book there is a flow chart that helps you guide your study according to your needs). Also dont forget that it is a programming book which tries to teach tough theoritical ideas in a practical way and dont fool yourself that there is a
way for doing this without your ability to understand.
Finally i saw that someone suggests a well-Known book instead of Liangs. I already own that book and its really confusing . A ton of information mixing together without making a specific point. If you dont beleive me just check the review for the book.

I saw Dream a Little's review and came to the conclusion it may be peoples learning style that determines if they like this book. I am new at programming and the book used in the college course I took was Deittel's 7th ed. Java How to Program. This book left me with a lot of unanswered questions that other books I had checked out from the library could not answer. I was about to give up when I stumbled upon this book and was amazed and wishing I had found it sooner in the semester.
I found it explained a lot of the basics very clearly. It also had a lot more understandable examples given. Even though Deittel's book is over 1500+ pages it came nowhere near as good as the examples I found in Liang's approx 700 pages.
I was a bit spooked at the price when I bought it, wondering if I was going to regret it. But after using the book I concluded this maybe one of those instances where you get what you pay for.
Liang uses a lot of diagrams to show how the pieces fit together as well as simple to understand explanations.
If you are already a programmer in Java then I doubt this is worth the price, but for the beginner/novice who likes to see how the pieces fit together and wishes to understand why things go in the order they do, then this maybe the book for you.
If I later move to another language, I will be looking to see if this author has anything written in that category as well.

I highly recommend the Deitel Java: How to Program book instead.

Liang over and over again introduces terms that he has never defined. He does not tell you why code is the way it is. He is terse, and there is just no true explanation.

The layout of the text is also in black and green, and that's it. His code is hard to follow compared to the Deitel book.

I'm truly shocked at how people seem to like this book. It's unintelligible in my view. I dread reading it and actually read the Deitel book instead.

I've only heard audio portions of this book so far and I've enjoyed it immensely. I'm a huge Yankee fan and I love the way Joe manages them - and George Steinbrenner for that matter; calm, clear, focused, patient. However, I just wanted to respond to Bill from NY, who said that Joe Torre can not write and that the book wasn't very "inciteful".
Note to Bill: buy a dictionary before you "right" off a review in haste.

This book offers good advice for managers of most professions. It may be simplistic to say that the baseball industry strategies will apply to all areas, but one of the first things you learn IS that it will apply to most areas -- because it deals with one long-time commonality -- people. Joe Torre shows that his insight and respect for others really does work and that it is NOT just money.

Coaches not only bring winning teams to victory, but they influence the team and individual to aspire to their highest potential. The art of coaching sculpts people into personal success with the clay of trust, encouragement, insight into individual psychology, and a thorough knowledge of the activity coached. Joe Torre, the manager of the New York Yankees baseball team who brought the players to championship at the World Series, weaves together these factors to show how business people can reach the same level of personal success. His wisdom applies to any activity that relies on an individual's extra push to succeed.
"How do you make it happen? As an individual, you work relentlessly on the fundamentals of the game-whatever you game may be," he notes in the book. The mechanics of the game or business lay the groundwork, but the variables of talent, interaction with coworkers, attitude and relationship skills count even more. "In order to build teamwork, you must acknowledge each individual's worth, letting him know that this role, no matter how seemingly minor, is a vital cog in the team's efforts," he writes.
In today's work environment, where getting to know fellow workers may be subordinate to getting the job done, and where the focus is on production rather than people, Torre's ground rules of knowing the people who work with and for you may seem radical. But, he says, they are essential.
His blend of common sense, experience and psychological insight make this book a productive and instructive use of time for managers or anyone wanting to succeed in business. He shows how the complexity of mind, emotion, heart and talent work together to build success, and he emphasizes the power of the mind and attitude on performance. The dreams and goals deep within the individual can win out, he insists. He encourages bravery and persistence to carry on in a world that can make it easy to douse the flame of a dream for the banality of safe routine. In the end, success in business and in life have meaning to the individual because of the struggle to get there. "(O)nly you know how many small triumphs and snarls went into that big victory, how many months, years, or decades of sweat and sorrow preceded that breakthrough. That's baseball, and that's life," he notes.
And that's Torre's attitude in a book worth reading.

Joe Torre distills his management and "team player" philosophy into twelve keys. These insights elegantly deal with ways to inspire critical qualities, including trust, commitment, optimism, resilience, excellence, patience, integrity, respect, leadership, teamwork, and camaraderie. Torre illustrates his beliefs and advice with pertinent anecdotes told in a detailed, witty, heartfelt style. Torre, who has won four world series titles as manager of the New York Yankees, draws on his experiences as a player, manager, and leader. He includes the lessons he learned when he reported to a demanding team owner. The book delivers what it promises and offers an engaging behind-the-scenes look at professional baseball. We [...] recommend this book to executives, managers and employees at all levels in any kind of business. Since it never relies on macho clichés, both men and women will find it satisfying and worthwhile.

Read JOE TORRE'S GROUND RULES FOR WINNERS:
12 KEYS TO MANAGING TEAM PLAYERS, TOUGH BOSSES,
SETBACKS, AND SUCCESS by Joe Torre with Henry
Dreher . . . Torre, in case you're not a baseball fan, is the manager
of the New York Yankees . . . this book tells how he has
applied commonsense principles to become perhaps the
sport's best top skipper . . . nothing overly profound here,
but it all did make sense to me . . . and I liked how he related
baseball examples to business, family and life situations.

There were several passages I particularly enjoyed; among them:
* In any business, workers up and down the hierarchy want nothing
more than to be treated fairly, to feel that they aren't getting
the short end of a manager's stick. My second baseman in 1966,
Mario Duncan, once was quoted as saying about me, "He doesn't
play favorites. All twenty-five guys are his favorites." It was kind of
him to say, and I believe that it's true. Managers who make it
their business to keep personal preferences to themselves, to
show regard for all employees, and to be scrupulously fair about
opportunities, promotions, and perks, will be rewarded with a
bunch of highly motivated team players.

* During my eight years as a player with the Braves, I was fortunate
to hit behind baseball's all-time home run king, Hank Aaron. One
day, Hank and I were talking about batting slumps when he made
a comment that's stayed with me ever since: "Each at bat is a
new day."

* "I hang pictures," is a phrase I've used whenever I start a new
job. . . . When I first managed the Mets in the late 1970s, Boyer,
then the Cardinals' manager, visited me in my clubhouse
office. Kenny noticed all the personal pictures I had hanging on
the walls. "Wow," he exclaimed. "You expect to be here for a
while?"

"When I start working somewhere, I just assume that I'm going
to be there forever," I said. "It's the only way I can do my job."

I have reread this book over and over again in the last 8 years and wish I had discovered it when it was first recommended to me almost 20 years ago. Every time I reread it I find new ideas which speak to me and new passages to underline. Dr Storr writes wonderful prose, never wastes a word and is marvellously readable and incisive. An extraordinarily wise book that I hope will still be in print a century or more from now.

This book explains why some are singletons and that they can lead happy fulfilled and creative lives.

From the point of view of understanding literary history and artistic creativity as well as as a psychological text this book is endlessly interesting.

Storr presents some strong arguments in this book - but I think many of them are based on false myths.

Storr proposes to shatter the myth that we need healthy partnerships to be happy. But the reality is, contrary to what Storr says, people ARE alone, most people experience a great deal of solitude or loneliness, whether they have others around them or not. There are many aged people for example who have plenty of solitude, but it is not necessarily fruitful or satisfying. A great number of people are starved of good company, and not starved of solitude at all.

Storr names a list of MEN who lived solitary creative lives - but were any of these men fathers? What were their responsibilities to other people? What did they see as their responsibilities in relationships? I have read the lives of several of the philosophers he mentions - most of them had moments of INTENSE connection with other people, they had lovers, companions, and intellectual soul mates throughout their lives with whom they shared ideas and passions, people who inspired them and encouraged them. These thinkers read widely and were taught by many people with whom they engaged intensively. Their solitude was something they chose to get their work done, but their work is NOT the product of solitude , this is a MYTH, there is NEVER a sole genius creator, these men were influenced by many, many people. Many of them COULD write and think because there was SOMEONE ELSE making their lunch and doing their washing. The fact that they COULD have time to write was because of their privileged position in society - that they were wealthy and male. Storr neglects all this and is not aware of all the cultural and socio-historic embeddedness of his own argument.

We really ARE nothing without others - those who have loved and supported us, even if we do spend time on our own.

I have always been a solitary man, someone who likes to be alone, reading and writing, and who prefers solitude becasue I thrive in it. I've never had a ton of friends, and still don't, though I always had a few close ones. Some people say there is "something wrong" with me and that I need to get out more and be more social. Thing is, I don't find that satisfying. I find more satisfaction in solitude, reading and thinking and writing, than I do in "working the crowd." So prevalent were the voices of such critics that I often wondered if they were right; I also began to hate myself.

Mr. Storr's book, I'm glad to say, changed all that. Contrary to popular opinion, Mr. Storr says it's a sign of health if one can be alone for long periods of time; he also suggests that a person is deficient if he can't handle being alone and instead has to fill his life with friends, parties, lots of distractions, and the like.

The fact is, many great writers, philosophers, poets, musicians and artists were very solitary people with few or almost no deep, intimate personal relationships. The humanities would not be what they are had it not been for those solitary men and women who were alone a lot, people who were able to search deep into themselves and listen to what their souls were saying--in solitude. Large sections of Amazon.com, the college library, the fine art museum and symphony hall would not exist had it not been for the men and women in this book.

I can't recommend Mr. Storr's book enough. If you enjoy a solitary life and doubt that you are "normal" or "sane," or if people are always on your back about spending time alone or about how you don't have a lot of intimate friendships, you have nothing to fear: it's perfectly normal to want to be alone, especially if your gifts and talents demand that you be alone.

All in all, Solitude: A Return to the Self was a major discovery and I'm looking forward to reading it again. This book was a rare find. I can't remember a book having this much of an impact on me. If only Mr. Storr were alive so I could thank him for this fine book. Very highly recommended.

This is a very good book; however, I would have liked it more if the author had delved into details about the temperament of the solitary artist and less on the psychological aspects of mothering, attachment, and so forth. Unfortunately, I also found some faults in the book when regarding his distinctions of the "types" of artists. I do not think that all poets and writers are dramatic extroverts; I for one am both, as well as a musician and an artist, but I am HARDLY an extrovert! (I am dramatic though, but moreso in private).

Rilke wrote, "I implore those who love me to love my solitude," and Storr explains why a creative (or ordinary) person might utter or wish to utter such a request. This book is restrained in its tone, but Storr's agenda is not neutral -- he clearly objects to what he sees as a social convention that undervalues solitude and overvalues relationship. Another reviewer's insistence here that solitude and "loneliness" are the same thing only confirms Storr's point. I believe that much of what people call loneliness in this culture is actually alienation, and that alienation is the result of people's deprivation of the alone time that helps nourish the self. I give it 4 stars rather than 5 only because I believe some people will find the analytical jargon off-putting.

This biography of Patrick Cleburne proves to be very readable and insightful. The book appears to be well researched and its obviously that the author favored his subject.

Cleburne appears to be a very controversial even while he was alive. Perhaps because of his foreign birth, he was more sympathic about the conditions of the blacks and made proposals that didn't go well with his fellow southerners. The book revealed that he was a superb leader and intelligent commander. His superiors definitely didn't aid their cause by keeping him just as a divison commander when he could have been an excellent corps commander - in an army where corps commanders were not well regraded.

The author painted a vivid and complete picture of this general whose reputation have grown considerably since the Civil War among all Civil War readers.

This is a very good book. Patrick Cleburne is my favorite civil war general, and this volume gives a very even-handed discussion of his life, from Ireland to Franklin, Tenn. In particular, it gives considerable space to his growth as a leader. The discussions of Shiloh and Franklin are very good, and understandable. The book gives attention to the General's private life, especially his tragic engagement to Miss Tarleton. In depth but not dry or overwhelming, STONEWALL OF THE WESTis a great introduction to this Commander of the often overlooked western theater!

Craig Symonds has written an excellent, full biography of Confederate general Patrick Cleburne. He opens the biography with a very dramatic account of Cleburne's last engagement, at the battle of Franklin in November 1864, where he was killed. This really sets the mood for lively chronicle that follows.

Cleburne was born in Ireland in 1828 and came to the US in 1849. Although he had failed the apothecary course at Trinity College, Dublin, he began working as a druggist's clerk in Helena, AR. He also studied for the law. Appointed brigadier general after seizing the Little Rock Arsenal with his self-formed unit, the Yell Rifles, he saw action at Shiloh, Richmond, KY (where he was wounded), and Perryville. Promoted to major general, his military abilities and leadership qualities received high notice: for his brilliant and dogged defense of Ringgold Gap at Chattanooga against persistent Union attack he was formally thanked by the Confederate Congress. It was after this that he committed what is probably the most controversial act of his life: signing a petition (with 13 other officers) expressing the belief that blacks should be used as fighting men in the Southern army. Symonds discusses this incident at length, of course, and whether it was an act of bravery and foresight or one of naivete, it hurt Cleburne's reputation (he never got another promotion). Fighting under Hood, he was killed at Franklin.

Symonds is an excellent writer and presents his subject with verve and great narrative skill. It's a scholarly biography, but written with the general (though interested and informed) public in mind, and not just other scholars. Worth a spot on anyone's Civil War shelf. Highly recommended.

Had Patrick Cleburne fought in the Army of Northern Virginia instead of the Army of Tennessee, we surely would be overwhelmed with biographies of his greatness as a general. Because he was a general officer in the Army of Tennessee - the army most Southern writers have traditionally ignored and treated as the red headed step child of the Confederacy, there are far fewer books on him than his accomplishments would seem to warrant. Fortunately, Mr. Symonds has written an excellent biography of the general which puts his impressive accomplishments into perspective and begins to give this extraordinary fighting general his due.
The main focus of Symonds' work is on Cleburne the general, but he gives enough background of his youth in Ireland and his migration to and adoption of America as his new home to sketch what shaped his character and what motivated him to fight in the Southern cause. Cleburne emerges as an immigrant eager to assimilate and make the customs and mores of his new home his own; a man grateful for the opportunities and acceptance he received in Arkansas, and genuinely, if uncritically, committed to fighting for the cause of his adopted home.
Symonds also addresses Cleburne's role within the morass of intrigue that plagued the command structure of the Army of Tennessee. He shows Cleburne to have been one of the anti Bragg cartel, not as a primary mover, but because of his loyalty to his friend and mentor General Hardee (a principle Bragg opponent), and perhaps even more so because of his habit of candor that showed little regard for political expediency. This was damaging to his career, and perhaps among the principle reasons why he was never promoted above division commander, despite the fact that he was the brightest shining star in the army. He likewise touches on Cleburne's remarkable plan to enlist slaves in the Confederate army - offering freedom to any man and his family who would fight for the South. While Cleburne's reasoning showed clarity and logic, his judgment in presenting the plan to his fellow Southern officers showed amazing naiveté and foolhardiness, and further damaged his hopes for promotion.
But the reason there is a biography of Cleburne is the battles. Symonds traces them from his first minor engagements, through Shiloh, his first major battle, all the way to the final tragic, futile charge at Franklin. He shows how Cleburne's skills as a general developed; from simply a brave and bold leader without any great military skill at Shiloh, to an outstanding commander of men who creatively defended against overwhelming odds at Chattanooga, and became the armies designated rearguard, repeatedly saving it from destruction..
Symonds biography of Cleburne is well written and engaging. It makes a good beginning in putting General Patrick Cleburne back into his rightful place in the pantheon of Southern heroes. If you are a serious student of the Civil War, you should not consider your library complete without a copy. I highly recommend it.

Theo Logos

For many years the officers and men who made up the Army of Tennessee have played second fiddle to Lee's eastern army. The very title of this book clearly illustrates this point for one never hears a general in Lee's army referred to as the Cleburne of the east. Finally though, thanks in large part to the efforts of historians like Thomas L. Connelly and Shelby Foote and the diaries of Sam Watkins, the brave men of the Army of Tennessee are being given due credit.

Craig Symonds has added his name to the above list with this excellent study of General Patrick Cleburne. No study of the Army of Tennessee would be complete without a study of one of its best generals, and therefore this biography is a very important addition to any Civil War library. Best of all, the author writes in a flowing style that helps make this book a joy to read.

Unfortunately, much of Cleburne's personal correspondence has not survived but Symonds has done an excellent job of digging up what does exist. Fortunately, the Irish general was very precise with his battle reports and the correspondence of many of his close associates does still exist. Working with these sources the author weaves together a fascinating story. He doesn't dwell on the logistics of various battles, which tends to make for dry reading but instead describes very concisely the part Cleburne played in the battle

Symonds also deals in some detail with Cleburne's personal life, from his early life in Ireland to his engagement. There is also a good deal of attention given to Cleburne's close friendships, both before and during the war, and his political beliefs and activities. Of course, Cleburne's proposal to arm and free the slaves is also dealt with in detail. From his own formulation of the plan, to the icy reception it received, to the possibility that his proposal may have been partially responsible for his lack of further promotion, the plan and its ramifications and insights into Cleburne's personality are closely examined.

For any student of the war this would be a worthwhile read, but for anyone with a particular interest in the Army of Tennessee it is an indispensable read.

I could not get into this book at all. Slow, slow starter and I could not even finish it. I gave up at page 123. This is the first I have read in her series and will not read another.

Disappointed.

Laura Lippman consistently delivers well written, suspenseful novels and she does not disappoint her readers with the Sugar House. It is one of my favorites by this author. Her only flaw is her persistent P.C. bigotry towards certain individuals. Without this, her books would be even better.

I just discovered this author and enjoyed this book very much. You don't have to read the first Tess books to enjoy this one which is always a plus with a series. The plot was unusual and the characters were realistic. I liked Tess and I was interested in her city and the situation. Lippman gave me some points to ponder as well as some medical conditions that I have researched a bit. That's always good to have someone stretch your mind a bit and that's what Lippman did with me. I recommend this book to folks who like mysteries and folks who read for pleasure as well as to learn a little something every now and then.

If you love Baltimore, you'll love this book. It's a bit less direct than her earlier books and this is probably an improvement. She's getting better at spinning together more complicated plots with more complicated narratives.

When her brother goes to jail for killing a Jane Doe and he himself is killed, Ruth Denbrow hires Tess Monaghan to find out the truth regarding the Jane Doe murder. Sometimes the truth is more than you expect because this investigation will reveal some truths hidden by Tess's own father.

This is the fifth installment in the Tess Monaghan series set in Baltimore and Lippman is superb! In addition to solving murders she tackles issues such as eating disorders, shady treatment centers, liquor licensing and family relationships. Sugar House is a little slow starting but soon delivers a powerful punch and perplexing plotline. This is a must read for every mystery fan.

A very interesting book. Many of the texts are foreign to me but a learning experience throughout my reading. I enjoy reading about the many types of religious cultures. This book kept me motivated to learn more about how Tibetans view life after death.

This is not the Richard Gere "pop Buddhism" approach. This is the work of an English academic in the early 20th Century, as he uncovers an "Oriental" classic for a Western audience. Evans-Wentz even brings Carl Jung into the picture for the Westerners, as Jung's psychology was "New School" at the time and offered a sublime link between Oriental and Occidental thinking. I hold this book in the highest regard, not because it is a mystical Buddhist text, but rather because it offers tips for daily living and and self-actualization. As with most quality philosophical doctrines, this book is a paradox...a book of the dead that is really an abstract book for the living, regardless of religion or nationality. It is a refreshing and enlightening break from an increasingly fundamental world.

First published in 1927. Translated by LAMA KAZI DAWA-SAMDUP. Edited by Dr. W.Y Evans-Wentz, formerly of Jesus College, Oxford who spent the rest of his life dedicating himself to following the teachings of this very translation. This writer is the one who first produced the teachings of 'The Tibetan Book of the Dead' to occident man in the west. It still remains the definitive edition to this day. The book also has many footnotes and an important lengthy introduction by C.G. Jung to introduce the occident mind to the nature of the book. The footnotes are the helping hand in reading and understanding the text.

This is a book about the raw mind. It may take you many lifetimes to understand. You may understand it after the first reading. There are no devices, tools, sects, schools or Gods used to get you there. This is a book about your mind. The mind is the only device you should need along with the book to bring you to the understanding of - knowing the nature of reality. Then when you are done with the book pass it on and use the only tool that this book expounds on. The mind.

I have not even attempted to read anything else since I found this book. That is because it is definitive. The book only needs your mind. Nothing else. That is why this book is THE definitive book of the mind. Christians should not be afraid of this book in any way shape or form. It is good natured, good willing and does nothing more than help expand your goodness.

It is through the book of the dead that you will learn the book of life.

As the recently deceased Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi, of Tiruvannamalai, South India, admonished Evans-Wentz when he sojourned in his ashram he said - "Each of you should ask yourself, 'who, or what, am I?' Why am I here incarnate? Whither I am destined? Why is there birth and why is there death?'"

This book has never been equaled by any other book. And I am not just talking about within the confines of theology.

This is THE book.

This translation deserved the good reviews. The text has been summed up well in other reviews. A word about the author seems appropriate. It is worth pointing out that W.Y. Evans-Wentz was an American (one reviewer stated that W.Y. E-W was English).The confusion here stems from the fact that W.Y. E-W went to Oxford, England, as a Rhodes scholar. He was a very articulate and erudite man - well versed in the Western classics, Western mystery tradition etc. - and in his footnotes, he made frequent cross references to such.

A few people now fault E-W' work - because of the universal sweep of his intuitions.It has even been suggested that he corrupted the purity of the Tibetan teachings - by his inter-cultural or trans-cultural horizons.Some Tibetan Lamas (i.e. Trungpa) have faulted E-W's work on such grounds.Western afficionadoes of Tibetan Buddhism - people who like to imagine themselves among the elect(Professors and pop followers alike) have chimed in.

Such people forget (or prefer to ignore) the fact that W.Y.Evans-Wentz spent many years studying and working with Tibetan Lamas. Be assured, W.Y. Evans-Wentz' projects had the blessing of his Tibetan co-worker - Lama Kazi Dawa Sammdup. There are those who would argue that this blessing did not extend to the commentary material - subsequently added by E-W, after his work with the Lama. But how E-W presented the material to a Western audience - was his business.

Death is most certainly a universal experience - and E-W placed it in a truly universal context. Is that so surprising?
The Jungian commentary appended to the first ed. of this text has also come in for criticism (some editions now delete it). But Jung had something - when suggesting that we ought to read the TBD 'BACKWARDS' - to understand the difficulties modern minds get into - when trying to approach such territory. Still, as E-W points out, late medieval Western culture had a similar perspective on death. It was part of life, we similarly understood the need to 'live our dying' - and the need to 'die-in-life' to find the greater spiritual life. There are chapels in Europe, constructed entirely of human bones. It looks morbid to modern people - but, in fact, it signified a triumph over death. Death is the greatest adventure. Whatever we may be doing, death is the ultimate destination that awaits us. Many European cathedrals have a 'memento mori' - an image of death, saying: "I was as you are;as I am, so shall ye be. " Will you be able to pay the ferryman - when the boat comes?

This is the original "Tibetan Book of the Dead". All other versions are a toned-down version of this work by different authors who want to accommodate people who do not want to put the work in. You need to put the work in. No one can spoon-feed this kind of wisdom to you.

The Tibetan Book of the Dead is an extremely authoritative translation of the original texts of the "Bardo Thodol" by Lama Kazi Dawa-Samdup who schooled W.Y.Evans-Wentz in Tibetan Buddhism. The book is an extremely important piece of work for both the scholars of psychology and religion, and the lay person who has the time to spend working on it. The book is also the reality behind the "Necronomicon" which has been popularized by fiction writers, such a H.P.Lovecraft, but has been completely taken out of its true context.

To begin with, this book is a beautiful book once you truly understand the message that it is trying to convey to the reader - or more correctly, when the reader correctly understands the message that is being conveyed. It has a primordial air to it and is certainly ancient in its wisdom and understanding. The book was translated in the early 1900s and was first published in 1927. Be warned - this book is exceptionally difficult to read because the standard of grammar used is of the highest acumen humanly possibly. Evans-Wentz was a Doctor of Literature, a Doctor of Science and a Master of Arts. If you don't have a full size Oxford dictionary, then you will have trouble reading it. There is also a difficulty in the translation. There are many Tibetan words that do not exist in English so Evans-Wentz sometimes derives a more descriptive meaning behind the message that is trying to be communicated to the reader. Dr. C.G. Jung has written an introduction at the start of the book which is mostly concerned about explaining the Tibetan meaning of the words "Soul" and "Mind". It is for reasons like these that the book requires multiple readings to fully absorb the information that is being presented. So what exactly is The Tibetan Book of the Dead? It is a corpus with several teachings. Tibetan Buddhist monks believe that if you understand the meaning of death then you will understand the meaning the life. It expounds in detail on the illusions of the human mind and gives a context for working out many questions that are philosophical and spiritual in nature.

The book is essentially split into three parts. The first part has introductions from various students of theology, psychology and Buddhism. Evans-Wentz then explains the nature of the book and gives a rough breakdown of what we will find in the "Bardo Thodol" and how it is used to help the dead find their way to Nirvana during the after-death ceremonies (like an Irish wake) but also how the book can be used as a guide for the living, which is its true intended purpose. The middle part of the book is the "Bardo Thodol" translated directly into English and third part covers the topic of Buddhism in general with references to the different schools of thought and Christianity.

The middle part of the book, the actual "Bardo Thodol", is split into three parts. There is an introduction at the start which explains the entry into the "Chikhai Bardo", the first of the Bardo regions that one automatically enters at the point of death. Then there is the second phase of the "Bardo Thodol", the "Chonyid Bardo" before the final phase of the "Bardo Thodol" the "Sidpa Bardo". Essentially these three areas can be explained as - the moment of death and the dawning of the light or nirvana, the karmic illusions of worldly things and finally the rebirth process. However do not think that this means that everybody is reborn or that Tibetans/Buddhists take reincarnation literally. It is all part of a thinking puzzle. You have got to work out things for yourself. There are hidden meanings in there. You must compare the different concepts in this book to find out what it really means! Question the "Bardo Thodol". Question what it teaches! Question what it says about itself!

The Bardo Thodol is a technical and thoroughly scientific examination of consciousness that is still highly regarded as one of the most logical and controlled methods of understanding the mind and its relation to the world of phenomena. At first glance the book may seem horrid, uncanny and evoke a fear by the mere mention of the word "death", but this is a book about the living, dedicated to life and expounds on some of the most important questions that man can ask himself. It is extremely satisfying and worthy of repetitive readings. There is a pile of footnotes to help guide you through each page.

Enormously recommended! ! ! !

(As a side note Evans-Wentz wrote several other books to follow up on this one. They should be read in the following order - (1)The Tibetan Book of the Dead, (2) Tibet's Great Yogi Milarepa, (3)Tibetan Yoga and Secret Doctrines and (4)The Tibetan Book of the Great Liberation.)