History Books

I was lounging around at my grandparents house and saw this book on a bookshelf in one of the old rooms that nobody ever goes in anymore. I picked it up, and out of curiosity at the title, decided to read the first page...I must have sat there for HOURS reading! It is so hilarious (and at times not so hilarious.) It is also incredibly insightful. I just finished reading it today (I started 2 days ago) and have demanded that all my other 19 and 20 yr. old friends read it...it's THAT good, and still a great book even now in 2002, and even for us kids who weren't even alive until the 1980s! READ THIS BOOK!!!

I was very young when I read this book, still in grade school. While I admit, much of the rhetoric and philosophies concerning the sexual revolution were indeed lost to me, being that I was so young; I took with me, unto adulthood the humor and witty excerpts, which are indeed both so simple and clever. Years later, I still make references to this book; whether I regard it in terms of how it introduced/helped me, personally examine and evolve my ideas of sexuality or how much it still makes sense, it is a classic work of art. Read this book!!

Those who Get It should be printing up and handing out this book like Gideons. Every home should have one. Allan Sherman succeeds, as very few authors have, in laying out the terms and conditions of our domestication, and exhibiting nakedly the sad state of slavery under whose shadow we furtively fornicate. This is a hilarious book, which is a symptom of the wisdom it contains. In order to unravel the mystery of how the Sixth Pleasure got so screwed up that a sexual revolution was necessary, Sherman disentangles threads of politics, religion, and culture, all with a light touch and human sympathy. There is no other book that you need more urgently to read.

I'm just about finished with this book, it is absolutley the funniest book I have ever read. His detailed history of the "corruption" of our minds starting with the dawn of man is wonderful. The only tragedy to this book is that he isn't alive now to see how things have progressed since 1973. . .

It is an absolute must-read.

While Allan Sherman's musical offerings are witty and fun, this book is one of the most amazing documents ever published. Like most of the other folks here, I first read it when I was young (16) and have bought and lost (as loaners) several copies. I found a hardcover in a used bookstore about ten years ago and will never let it leave my house now, as replacement copies are amazingly expensive and hard to come by.

I consider it the funniest book ever written, and this comes from someone who absolutely adores Twain, so take that as extremely high praise.

Excellent book with many historical pictures and historical comments of the war's effect on the art of many countries.

"Rescuing Da Vinci" by Robert M. Edsel.
Subtitled: Hitler And The Nazis Stole Europe's Great Art, America And Her Allies Recovered It". Laurel Publishing, LLV, Dallas, 2006.

After borrowing this book from the Plymouth Public Library, I was initially disappointed when I opened the book. It seemed that the book was all pictures and NO text! The book has some 300 pages and I would estimate that there are some 25 full pages of text, including the index and bibliography in the back of the book. Having said all this, it is my opinion, after having read the book that all those pictures were required to tell the complete story.

Page after page, photo after photo, I would find a painting or sculpture that I recalled from my art history classes, which was a long time ago. The book would show the 1940s picture on one page, with a person, perhaps in a period German uniform, "collecting" the item. And, then, on the facing page, often in full color, would be a present day view of the object. See, for example, pages 204 and 205, were Jan Vermeer's "The Artist's Studio, 1665-1666" is displayed on page 204 in black and white and in full color on page 205. This mixture of historical fact and present day view is carried out throughout the book.

The book begins with an explicit condemnation of the Nazi conquest. It is shown that the Nazi Germans prepared rather extensive documents identifying the art works of various nations and earmarking those works for transportation to the Third Reich. This is an amazing example of the arrogance of the Teutonic thoroughness of Hitler, Göring and the rest of the Nazi leadership. Speaking of Göring, it would seem that at the height of the war, his country "cabin, called "Carinhall", probably had more and better art than most museums in the western world. Page 45 records that Göring had a collection of approximately 1700 paintings. Sadly, there are too many pages in the book showing or identifying works of art that had been destroyed or had been lost. Page 285 shows, for example, Raphael's "Portrait Of A Young Man, 1516", which is still missing.

Still missing is the so-called "Amber Room" which was once located in the city of Königsberg in what was once Prussia. There are entire books, available on Amazon, dealing with the lost Amber Room. With the emphasis on the sins of the Third Reich, little notice is taken of the fact that the Soviets stole the entire city of Königsberg, which is now called Kaliningrad. In fact, Kaliningrad is a tiny piece of Russia, (the so-called Kaliningrad Oblast) stuck between Poland and Lithuania. In Kaliningrad, Russian is the official language and the postage stamps are Russian. Interesting.

And, of course, on a more mundane, but very telling level, there are the 5000+ bells that were stolen and the Dutch trolley cars being prepared for reparation to the Netherlands.

I have always been a museum addict. If the Metropolitan Museum of Art would let me place a cot somewhere, I would probably take up housekeeping. So, it was extremely rewarding to read this story of how so much of the stolen art from WW2 was found, protected, recovered and finally returned to rightful owners. These "Monuments Men" should all have received medals. The world owes much to them for making so many artistic marvels again available.

The illustrations are quite good. Many are available in other sources but so many, at least for me, were viewed here for the first time. The attempts to protect many objects - e.g., St. Marks in Venice - were also interesting. When I visited there a few years ago I was very appreciative.

Mr. Edsel is to be commended.

This book shows and tells another side of war. It is the story told in picture of Hitler and his Nazi thugs pillaging Europe and stealing priceless art objects, painting, statures, books, even ancient scrolls then hiding them in caves and bunkers in Germany. What I loved about this book were the photos of US Army units rescuing those stolen art treasures then returned them to the towns, churches and cities. The author has done an exemplary job of finding photos and stories which has made this an important work. Photos I've never seen and story I have never heard about. I think this book needs to be in every high school library in the country. Students need to be shown how our American Army worked to recover all this lost art. His book made me proud to have serviced in the US army.

Thank you for writing this book

I was really surprised by this book. I thought it was going to contain more text but it's really all about the art and the people who rescued it. The result is a very impressive, easily readable 'coffee table' style book that's beautiful and informative. Teachers should grab this up for the classroom and it also would make a great gift for anyone interested in WWII and it's aftermath. I can't say enough about the photos and the story they tell. Bravo!

Excellent book. meticulously researched. Easy reading. I wasn't aware some Jewish people were slaves. I recommend this book. It was an honor to Ann Kirschner's mother.

The story of Polish Jews who were lucky enough not to be sent directly to the death camps, yet unlucky enough not to make it onto Schindler's list or find some other long-term refuge. Writing mostly about her mother's family as they lived for six years on the precipice, Kirschner produces something amazing: an important piece of scholarship that never feels like a historical tome. Rather, it stands on its own as a deeply moving, character-based story that will leave you wanting to revisit passages about remarkably brave and beautiful people -- some survivors, some not -- who were nearly forgotten by history. Despite Kirschner's proximity to the story, she never forces herself into the narrative; rather, she weaves personal elements into the story only when they can add a new and critical dimension. The result is a book that deserves to be dog-eared and passed around repeatedly.

Ann Kirschner meticulously weaves the story of her mother's survival with the overwhelming accounts of the Holocaust...a fine balance between biography and history lesson.

This is a very moving tribute written by a daughter about her mother. It is also well-researched and well-written, shedding new light on the movement of mail through work camps and even concentration camps. Sala's story of survival and redemption is remarkable, and the reader can well imagine the emotional roller-coaster the author must have experienced uncovering her mother's story.

I was so moved by this book I will include share my heartfelt comments to the author.
Just want to THANK YOU for such an amazing book! Your decision to share your mothers personal life with readers who benefit so from your investment of labor and emotion is generous and to be admired! When you were complete it must have looked like E=Mc squared did to Einstein! Simple on the surface with the complexity of the universes author within. My highest regards to you and Sala Kirschner.
Glenn from Tampa Fl and sometimes Lake Tahoe Nv

Stalking Irish Madness:Searching for the Roots of My Family's Schizophrenia is an incredible book. This year I've read 115 books to date and this is the best one. I read it in one sitting because I couldn't put it down. Patrick Tracey is an excellent writer and storyteller. What makes this book incredible instead of just good is that it is well written, it takes you on a journey, it is very interesting, it teaches you about the links between mental illness and the Irish, and it touches your heart and soul.

This book is for everyone. You do not have to be Irish, or have schizophrenia or any other mental illness to benefit from this book.

This book is a very important book because it has the potential to help millions of families. Every family has some secret in their family tree, whether it is schizophrenia, or alcoholism, or drug abuse. Every family has issues that are hidden and not discussed. I say this is an important book because I hope people will use this book as a catalyst to help them start talking to their family members about these issues and get them out in the open. If you have alcoholism or schizophrenia, or depression that runs in your family, evey member should know about it so they can make decisions that could affect their well being and the well being of future generations.

What we do now, the decisions we make today, affect our children and grandchildren.

If Mr. Tracey can tell the whole world about how his family has been affected by schizophrenia we all can confront our relatives and find out the hidden issues that are lurking in our family trees.

After I finished reading this book I was very grateful to Mr. Tracey for having had the courage to share his story. He made me feel better about my own family. We all have issues that we are ashamed of in our family and that we tend to hide for one reason or another. This hiding and shame accomplishes nothing. It doesn't make the issues go away; they just fester under the surface. The truth does set you free.

I am American. I was born and raised here, and I am Irish and Lebanese and I have issues on both sides of my family tree. My Lebanese grandmother didn't bother to tell the family that she had Mediterranean Anemia. It was just lucky that none of us had children with others who also had Mediterranean Anemia because then the children would have had to have constant blood transfusions. Her keeping quiet didn't make it go away it just put her grandchildren and great grandchildren in unnecessary danger.

On my Irish side of the family, my great grandmother was put into a mental institution after her young husband died of a heart attack, leaving her with 4 children to raise on her own, the youngest was a newborn. My grandfather was told his mother had died. He never knew the truth about his mother. She lived a long life. He could have gone to visit her. We only found out the truth a few years ago, and we still don't know what the diagnosis was. So, my Irish relatives decided to tell my grandfather he no longer had a mother rather than tell him the truth.

This is what I am talking about. And this is why this book is so important. Read this book and give copies of it to your relatives. Use it to start the conversation about the difficult issues in your family tree. Our relatives who know the family stories and secrets won't live forever. Use Mr. Tracey as an example and start talking.

They say we all have a book inside of us, but i doubt many could match this for its original subject matter. Mr Tracey lays it bare for us all, as they say, "warts un all". I doubt many of us would like to even delve this deep into our past and then reveal it in print to the world.

I think this book should also be read as an insight into Pat Tracey himself and the complex issues that he has had to deal with in writing this book and into the serious issues which are literally ignored by society in Schizophrenia.

It was an excellent read and i loved travelling with Pat on his journey and the way he brought it to life, i hope he brings us something else(he touched on alcoholism and drugs in his life) as he can certainly tell a story like only the Irish can, candid, with humour and emotion.

With heartfelt courage Patrick Tracey chronicles his family's present and past history with the mental condition, schizophrenia. The disease descends from his mother's side of the family with roots originating back to Ireland's County Roscommon. As a child Tracey hears tales of his institutionalized grandmother leaving the house in morning and returning home at night with her teeth completely pulled out, enacting what voices in her head told her. He goes on to describe in detail how during his college years he witnesses two of his older four sisters descend into madness, each during their early twenties. Thirty years later Tracey sets forth in a camping van back to Ireland to hopefully meet relatives and find some answers. Recently becoming aware that Ireland had the world's highest rate of mental illness up until the 1960's, Tracey discovers plenty of local lore on his travels, including tales of fairies living in ancient caverns that capture people's minds and well water in a valley of Gleanna-A-Galt holding healing powers. He attends The Hearing Voices Network conference and meets people that have learned to control the voices they hear and are able to function drug free with the disease. Tracey separates fact from fiction for the reader and comes up with an interesting accumulation of information about schizophrenia's past and future. This book is part travelogue, part psychological and genealogical history, and part one man's own, and often difficult, self-discovery. It places a humanistic understanding on mental illness, which statistics show one in every four people worldwide suffer from some type, one in one hundred from schizophrenia, the most severe form. It gives some hope, however small, to the future of schizophrenics and their families. Tracey's amazing ability to tell a story with humor, passion and insights into this disease, makes this book one all should take time to read.

I didn't so much read as devour Stalking Irish Madness: Searching for The Roots of my Family's Schizophrenia, in which writer Patrick Tracey travels to Ireland to unravel the origins of his Irish-American family's multi-generational struggle with schizophrenia. Two of Tracey's sisters, his uncle, his grandmother, and a grandmother several generations back have been victims of the brain disorder.
Tracey had the discipline to hold back the drama and fireworks that many writers would have been tempted to include in a book about schizophrenia. His love for his sisters is so palpable and sweet that it makes what happens to them stand out starkly and heartbreakingly in a way that histrionics could not.
The structure--part memoir, part history, part Travels with Charley, part detective nonfiction--and Tracey's insight, honesty, and sense of humor make the book a page-turner. He writes easily about the dry stuff, which all too often writers can make stultifying: history, medicine, mythology. Tracey's journey through Ireland past and present is a worthy read unto itself.
Stalking Irish Madness: Searching for The Roots of my Family's Schizophrenia will share space on my bookshelf with others that have changed my way of looking at the human brain and helped me understand a little about what it's like to live with mental illness or mental differences: An Unquiet Mind by Kay Redfield Jameson, about bipolar disorder; and Temple Grandin's Thinking in Pictures, about autism, among them.
The book is a beautiful gift to Tracey's sisters; to families whose pasts, presents, and futures have been and will be marked by schizophrenia; to all of us who have struggled or have loved anyone who has; and to all who are seeking understanding about ourselves and about love.

American journalist Patrick Tracey sets out to trace the origins of his family's multigenerational struggle with schizophrenia. The disease runs on his mother's Irish side, claiming a third great-grandmother, a grandmother, an uncle, and two of his four sisters. Stalking Irish Madness interweaves his personal quest with history, science, and lore, as he hunts for answers in Ireland.

Tracey has a fascinating story to tell and does so with engaging prose. He sheds light on this debilitating familial disease. For those aspects, he earns a five-star rating. The publisher is to be commended for including an index, something that is often not a consideration in a commercially published family history memoir. A drop-line chart, showing the descent from the author's third great-grandmother, Mary Egan, to the author would have been a welcomed visual addition.

But where the book falls short, surprisingly, is in the genealogical research, which is why this book receives only a three-star rating. Other than to cite family lore, Tracey never provides the generational links or names from his grandmother to his third great-grandmother. "From what little my grandfather said, and the small bits my mother added, it all started with the Egans.... I have a name Mary Egan" (p. 70). From this same family lore he has a place, Kiltoom Parish in Co. Roscommon, and for Tracey that's apparently enough for him to begin his eighteen-week search in Ireland. There's no indication that the author did research in American sources to confirm the generations between his grandmother and third great-grandmother to ensure the information handed down was accurate and sufficient to make the trip worthwhile.

On page 236, the author references a passenger list of the ship Anglo-Saxon, showing a John Egan and "Mrs. Egan" arriving in Boston in 1847. Since he does not detail what, if any, additional searches he did in American records, it leaves the genealogical reader wondering how he concluded that this John and "Mrs. Egan" are his ancestors. Other than ages, there's no further identifying information, and curiously, the "country to which they severally belong" is England, not Ireland, as other passengers on that list were recorded.

Tracey spends much of his time searching Egans in Ireland, rather than his third great-grandmother's birth family for genetic links to schizophrenia. His research in Irish parish records evidently dead ends when he can't find any children born and baptized to a Mary and John Egan before they emigrated, so he's unable to determine her maiden name.

The author claims he is "not enamored of genealogy" (p. 126), which is understandable when a person not well versed in genealogical methods and sources quickly feels the agony of defeat from not knowing how to conduct sound research. When he finds a Mary Gallagher Egan in the parish baptism records (he gives no husband's name), and she is the mother of Brigid, baptized in 1835, he states, "Since my Mary would've been twelve or thirteen [based on the age of "Mrs. Egan" in the passenger list], it's more likely Brigid was a sister, or a cousin." He offers no foundation for this speculation, and apparently does not comprehend that Brigid is an Egan. Unless Mary's maiden name is also Egan, these two aren't likely to be sisters. Then the author adds, "There was no Brigid listed on the passenger records of the ship that carried John and Mary to America. Whoever she was, I suspect she may have perished in the journey out of Ireland" (p. 125-26). Again, there's no foundation for the speculation. Genealogists, of course, realize that if a Brigid did board the same ship with John and "Mrs. Egan," she would have been recorded on the passenger manifest, and if she did perish on the journey, more than likely, her death would have been noted on the list, too.

Granted, most readers probably aren't as interested in the details of Tracey's search as genealogists would be. But the lack of genealogical facts makes us wonder whether he's even tracing the right ancestors, in either Ireland or America. For a book that focuses on family history and genetic links, it's astonishing and disappointing that the author, a journalist, apparently did not attempt even the basics of U.S. genealogical research. He falls into the typical novice trap of eagerly hurdling the ocean without methodically documenting each generation and securing enough identifying information to link immigrant ancestors to their place of origin.

There's no denying that the most compelling aspect of the book is the stories of his afflicted two sisters. Just watching them become stricken with schizophrenia on these pages is heart wrenching enough; one can only imagine the anguish the author and his family must have felt to witness it in person. It's not at all surprising that Tracey felt a need to search for the roots of the family's madness. It's unfortunate that he didn't consult a skilled genealogist who would have established his correct lineage and might have been able to help him achieve greater success.
--Sharon DeBartolo Carmack, Certified Genealogist

"Look in your heart. What's there?"
"What's there is trying to keep my family together. Trying to heal the rift in my family. It seems like all my life, I've been trying to make sense of it, to piece it all together."
"Like the quilt?"
"Yes, like the quilt."

Hannah Chelmsford has to hold her family together. That is why she has never been able leave her father's house, to find a separate life for herself. She has become aware of the fact that her family is painfully broken, that there is an undercurrent of secrets and anger in her house, and that she, who has been the one to take care of her brothers and sisters since her mother's death, has to hold all the pieces of her family together, like the many pieces of a quilt.

Set in the post revolutionary war era, A Stitch in Time is very opulent story, abundant with human feelings. Hannah's family has long struggled under a heavy secret, a secret that destroyed her parents marriage and even now seems to be tearing apart her family. Hannah and her two sisters, Abby and Thankful, are making a quilt. At first, only pieces for family are going to be put into it, but they decide to add people who have meant something in their life, those whom they trust. When events tear the sisters far apart, their parts of the quilt link them together, and Hannah hopes that some day the quilt will bring them together again.

I love how Ann Rinaldi weaves so much into the story, which I couldn't put down until I had turned the last page. Nathan Chelmsford, Hannah's father, is distant, cold, indifferent, overbearing. He refuses to allow Hannah and Abby marry the men they wish. He is cold and indifferent to Lawrence, because he wishes to paint rather than become a merchant. He is cruel and hardhearted to poor Cabot, whom he seems to hate beyond all things. To Thankful, the only child to inherit his one blue and one green eye, he places all his fatherly love, seeing her as his only perfect child.

Abby elopes with a young Southerner. Lawrence, Hannah's older brother, goes west with their father and Thankful, where he hopes to paint the Indians. Guilt and anxiety plague Hannah, who fears for Thankful's safety. But what could she do, when spiteful and vindictive Thankful threatened Abby's happiness if she was not allowed to go west with her father?

Louis, a young man Hannah was once engaged to, shows up at her door, asking her to take in a half-Indian baby, Louis' child, whose mother was killed by Kentuckians during a raid on a Shawnee village. Can Hannah take the baby for Louis, when there will be danger both to her and the baby in Salem? Many of the townspeople have loved ones in the west, loved ones who are in constant peril from the Shawnee Indians . . . What if they take out their anger and fear on the baby?

And Richard Lander. Hannah's good friend since childhood. Already, he has asked her to marry her twice, once when she was four and he was ten. She has such confused feelings for him, especially when rumors spread about the mysterious destination of his ship, which only his investors, his crew, and he himself know. Can she learn to trust him, and to place her heart in his hands?

This is the first book by Ann Rinaldi that I have read, but I enjoyed it very much and look forward to reading the two other books in the Quilt Trilogy, Broken Days and The Blue Door. I think anyone who enjoys historical fiction would love this story, which gives a very accurate depiction of the post revolutionary war era in Salem, Massachusetts, and the kind of life the townspeople would live during that time. This is definitely a book better suited to teenagers than younger readers, because it deals with some mature and serious subjects.

The story of a rich New England family in the post revolutionary war era. It centers around three sisters who are beginning a quilt together. Only people who have touched their lives will contribute a piece of fabric to the quilt. The sisters seperate but you realize the families will be reunited in books later in the series. This novel seemed more contrived than most of Rinaldi's novels but still thrilling. Worth a read but if you haven't yet become a Rinaldi fan I would recommend Cast Two Shadows or A Break with Charity first.

I really enjoyed reading the book, A Stitch in Time. I would mostly recommend it to somone who enjoys historical fiction, like me, but the themes of trust, family, and romance can be enjoyed by all. Teenagers ages 12-16 would especially like it because they could see what life for someone their age would be like in the late 1700's. The plot has many twists and turns and has a surprise ending. This book has two sequals that are also worth reading!

I LOVED this book as it says in the title its the perfect book. I first found it when my school librarian reccommended it for a trip i was taking at first i was skeptical i mean come on "The Quilt Trilogies" where do u get a name like that? when i picked it up BOY did i feel stupid! I couldnt put it down and was really really upset when i finished it (i wanted more about Hannah and Richard!:( ) i had to wait 2 days to go to the library to get broken days i was disappointed with it it wasnt nearly as good as A stitch in time to me at least id reccommend A Stitch in Time to any one who can read not just historical fiction readers btw from how she describes him - if he didnt have long hair Richard sounds kinda hott!!!

This book was great! WOW! To tell you the truth, it wasn't one of the best Ann Rinaldi books I've ever read, but hey, it passes. Fifteen year-old Hannah Chelmsford has a mixed up life: a seperated family we could call it. Her father is a mean old man who won't allow either Hannah or Abby(his oldest daughters) to marry who they wish, he won't let his son Lawrence marry or paint, and his youngest son he hates beyond all things. Thankful is his favorite, and the only "perfect" Chelmsford in her father's eyes. Well, Hannah's mother is dead, and she takes it as her job to hold the family together. She even starts on a quilt with her two sisters. They each have a cloth, and patch together peices of people they love and trust in their lives. When her youngest brother, Cabot, runs off to sea, a secret about their mother is revealed, and Hannah finds her true love, Richard. Later in the story, we find out that when father, Lawrence, and Thankful were on their trip west, Thankful is taken by Indians. Read this to find out the rest...it's great!

My children both wanted Sugar Gliders and based on Amazon book recommendations, I bought the book. Both children are reading it. It is easy to read, full of good information even if some is out of date, and will help us make the decision about whether a sugar glider is the right pet (s) for us.

this is a really great book to know more on suggs they go into detail about what is good for them and what is not. I would recommend this book if your thinking about owning a sugg or even if you already have them, the more information the better,

Sorry, I can't help you. This book was a gift to a friend who has a Sugar Glider. She loves it.

Very good book and it has a lot of info that you need to know it has most the info I already knew but a very good book for someone who needs some Questions answered.

There is some information in this book that is outdated, particularly the part dealing with Sugar Glider nutrition. We know a lot more about the nutritional needs of Sugar Gliders than we did when this book was published in 1997. For example, MacPherson suggests it is fine to feed cat food to Sugar Gliders. That idea has been debunked for some time.

It's an OK book to start with if you know absolutely nothing about Sugar Gliders. And it's only good because no new books with updated Sugar Glider information have been published recently. There is, however, a ton of solid, up-to-date information about Sugar Gliders available on the internet.

The only thing I would add is that while I do not always blindly agree with everything John Poole says, his books should be required reading by all military personnel at all ranks. No 21st century warrior should be unfamiliar with his works.

This work is a very extensive examination of the tactics used by Arab small units. It goes into vivid detail about their ambush techniques as well as other aspects of how they fight. The only serious issue I have with it is it is difficult to read at times. Mr. Poole uses many quotes especially block quotes which are very useful and come from legitimate sources. However, these quotes hurt the flow of the book and make it very choppy to read. If you can work past this flaw though it is a great resource.

This book is excellent. It should be required reading for both military Officers and Non Commissioned Officers. This book gives an ever day insight into the tatics used by Mid-Eastern terrorist.

If you want to truly understand how difficult it is to fight and win in the Middle East, then this book is required reading. Far too often we get watered-down information out of the press and on the Internet but the tactics of our Eastern adversaries go unmentioned. We know of suicide bombs, but where did this tactic originate? Which group in the Middle East is the most proficient at close-range combat? Where does Al Qaeda excel and what is the role of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard? Are Sunni and Shia groups always adversaries, or will they work together when faced with a common enemy?

This book gives countless examples of diffent tactics in different areas of the world from Afghanistan to Chechnya to the Levant. It illustrates the strengths of our adversaries and addresses our own weaknesses as a "Western" army. Finally, Poole makes recommendations on how we can win this fight through better light infantry tactics and restrained use of preparatory fire and air power.

It is in my opinion the best book yet on this "4th Generation" warfare. It is an outstanding read and will make you an expert amongst your friends when discussing the current state of military affairs in the Middle East.

I would highly encourage any person who is Battalion staff or lower to read this book. All Army and Marine personnel should read this book on the jet flying them to Iraq or Afghanistan. This book will give a typical soldier or marine a good snap shot of how the Eastern combat mind thinks. Also, unlike much propaganda to the contrary, the Islamic soldiers fight using Eastern techniques. There is more hand-to-hand fighting than in the past. American's just can't call in their massive fire support because the targets may not be easy to hit.

This book is great for privates, sergeants, lieutenants, and captains. I don't know if the advice will be taken if it's read at the level of battalion or above. That is where the "rubber no longer meets the road". The staff disconnect from the soldiers begins.

For all war fighters this book is a must read. All ROTC departments, Marine, and Army infantry should have this book as required reading.

Torpedo Junction is a very educational and interesting book about German submarines destroying numerous ships and their cargos and many deaths. It is historically accurate and enlightening. Once you start this book, it is difficult to put down.

I recommended it to anyone interested in history, WWII and what happened on the East Coast of the U.S., particularly from New Jersey to North Carolina.

The U-boat war off America's coast "Operation Drumbeat" was merely one of Germany's U-boat operations. This book is an interesting read. I, like others, wasn't aware of the magnitude of U-boat operations off America's coast. It's a great account. It's limited to that operation. There's hardly anything beyond Operation Drumbeat...but that was the book's intent. It's a good account.

Ultimately how good I like a book is if I'm committed to finish it. Torpedo Junction by Homer Hickman is a book I had to finish, but I was so interested in what it revealed I hardly wanted it to end. Many factors were at work here. First, Mr. Hickman's writing is so clear and linear that it belies the painstaking research such an easy to read factual narrative requires. Thank you Mr. Hickman for doing the work so I could both be reviled and astonished!

This little known yet very tragic part of World War II played out right at our doorstep. Because of Japan's audacity to hit us with one massive surprise salvo the even more insideous U-Boat war on the U.S. coastline played out largely unknown to the general public. For months that seemed to drag on and on the Germans sank boat after boat after boat. Maybe for our protection or maybe because we couldn't quite get a handle on how to stop the German U-Boat threat the mounting damage was kept quiet. It was a tremendous tragedy which caused great loss of life as well as massive destruction of resources. With Torpedo Junction we can finally see how close to home death truly came. Also, we get to know the true courage of those who protected our home shores so we could both support the war effort as well as keep that all important semblance of a "normal life" at home. To know the facts surrounding the North Atlantic U-Boat war helps to rectify those long years of not talking about it.

I recommend this book as both educational and entertaining. As with Rocket Boys I was pulled inside a time and place as if I was there. Storytelling really doesn't get better than this.

As the U. S. Coast Guard Cutter Dione's lead soundman during period of Hickman's book I can attest that he did a wonderful job telling our story about some real hazardous duty. Homer's collaboration with our Radioman 1st, Swede Larson really paints the futility and danger of our sub chasing before and after convoys. I'm so glad Homer wrote about us. Now maybe we won't be forgotten.

Reads like a Clancy thriller. I recommend this book along with Michael Gannon's "Operation Drumbeat" so one can understand the havoc wreaked by German U boats along the Eastern seaboard against totally unprepared and in many cases complacent ships in the early days of World War II.

A great read, especially if you are from this area. I had two uncles who were raised at the Home so heard many stories. I just wish they were still alive so they could read this book. I do wish I knew where to go for additional history. JB

Twelve Mighty Orphans certainly captured not only my attention but my heart. Dent brought to light not only a completely different era of high school football but a story of underdogs fighting for glory. I fell in love with the story line and the individuals who made this a must read. This team and school epitomized the era in which the story took place.On a side note I loved the discussion and the political nature of high school athletic associations which Dent related as well as the manner in which the football players were treated in comparison to the rest of the student body.

While I hesitate to call this hoosiers or seabiscuit it certainly falls in that 2nd tier of quality sports books.

Wonderful book, there were more than just twelve mighty orphans! The entire home was fullof mighty orphans, all overcoming the death of their parents in one way or another. I played football against the Masonic Home Mighty Mites in the 80's, they were still a tough bunch of kids when we played them. I remember my father telling me about the tough and mean team they were sporting in the fifties, so this kind of hit home for me. I personally could not put the book down once I started reading it. If you like high school football in Texas this is a must read!

Maybe it's because I am from Fort Worth, and I consider myself to be an AMATEUR local historian; however, I just could not put this book down! I read the entire thing in one night, because I couldn't stop. The story is gripping...makes you laugh, makes you cry. This should definately be made into a movie, if it isn't being done already.

Occasionally I'll drive by the Masonic Home and imagine it in all its football glory.

My Father, Leon Pickett, was the oldest living member of he Mighty Mites until April 2, 2008. I cherish this book, I cherish the wonderful memories.
Sarah (Pickett) McGarrahan

I loved the movie, and when I saw that the book has been reprinted I ordered it when I got the 25th anniversary DVD.

Here's the good... The artwork is excellent, and I especially like the 2 page photo of Jen & Kira in the first few pages of the book. The great thing about the book is the reflection of Brian when he was asked to work on this movie in a brief intro at the beginning of the book. What I also really like about the book is that it requires a bit of understanding how its written.

It's written from the point of view of Augara which makes it a fun read but its not a simple mindless read. The book explains a lot about the world itself, a little Gelfling history and the arrival of the Mystics and Skeksis. The book focuses on the world itself less so than on Jen and Kira.

If you like the movie, you will probably like this book. Highly recommended.

Combining the talents of Jim Henson's storytelling with Brian Froud's exquisite art, The Dark Crystal is an amazing film. The World of the Dark Crystal is a must-have companion piece to the film. On its pages are inscribed in detail the epic story's conceptualization and the process of designing its beautifully imagined characters and creatures. The book contains rare artwork by the ingenious fantasy artist Brian Froud who designed the complex and immense world of the Dark Crystal, a world whose people feel culturally authentic and utterly believable, a world where the landscapes feel familiar and yet completely alien at the same time. It is this fabricated universe, this artificial sense of reality that makes the Dark Crystal such an enduring classic.

Never before had movie audiences been transported to an entirely new world, a world without any human contact, a world divided by two opposing principals, a world that was so fragile and yet so savage. In The Dark Crystal, we see the evolution of imagination and a physical, tangible representation of duality. We see the importance of balancing logic and faith, science and spirituality, self-preservation and sacrifice. The triadic images found in Brian Froud's artwork express the importance of social, spiritual, and psychological equilibrium. This is a spiritual philosophy shared by many cultures and religions including Druidism, Buddhism and even in Christianity. This is also reflected in the design of the characters and the sets that at times resemble, in physical appearance as well as in architectural design, those of different ethnicities but both Froud and Henson avoid racial profiling. Instead they've created a rich and majestic vision of a world that never existed and still it is so believable that we feel as if we are seeing the documentation of a recently discovered alien culture.

Along with Froud's artwork, the book includes informative descriptions of the characters, creatures, and flora and fauna of this fantastical world. There is also a new introduction by Froud and a facsimile booklet featuring original concept drawings that were used as a tool in marketing the film to studios. In conclusion, The World of the Dark Crystal is a wonderful addition to any fantasy fan's collection, an inspirational look into the mind of an artist, and an essential collector's item for all those who love the film.

Also recommended:
Faeries (25th Anniversary Edition)
Good Faeries Bad Faeries
Goblins!
The Goblins of Labyrinth: 20th Anniversary Edition
The Runes of Elfland

This book does a great job of enhancing the experience of watching The Dark Crystal. Objects that are only seen for an instant or merely in the background are explained in detail in this beautiful collection. My only complaint? There's lots of white space on some of the pages, which makes it feel like less of a guide to an ancient world and more like a textbook.

Even so, highly recommended for fans of the movie, faerie stuff in general, or just great artwork.

Brian Froud, the creator of the Dark Crystal, is a Genius.

This book is a small Bible.

Well written, and with images so refined it makes you wonder if it is all "human" made.

All your questions about the Dark Crystal will be answered.
The information contained in the book seems almost sacred,
as for the capacity for the human mind to understand it all,
that is yet to be proven...

This book is an amazing tome for anyone who grew up in adoration of The Dark Crystal. Brian Froud's illustrations and concepts are gorgeous and so incredibly creative. This book is delivered as a history of the World in which the film takes place. It is narrated by Aughra, "...the first and last," who witnessed thousands of years of creation and destruction. She monitors the cyclical suns, a spectator of the conjunctions that bring the wise urSkeks, and their division a thousand years later into the cruel Skeksis and the mystical urRu. Aughra alone knows the long history of the crystal and throughout the pages, describes life throughout the ages. There are so many subtleties that the book describes that I can't wait to watch the film again, knowing the significance of the shapes of rocks, the intricate details of the clothes the characters wear, and the elaborate symbolism peppered throughout. The art is gorgeous and the insights into the World of the Dark Crystal shed a new light on the film and its philosophy. Bravo!