History Books

WOW! When people stress the weight of this item, they are NOT kidding! I received the package in a half-open box. Luckily, the content inside was well wrapped! Not only is this a collection of Gary Larson's work throughout the years, it also has a fascinating history about him as well. In addition to his cartoons, there are also some pretty cool tid-bits throughout the book. For example, when someone wrote a letter to Mr. Larson explaining that his humor is sick and demented. Hahaha... there are copies of such letters in these books. AWESOME PURCHASE! I bought it for my husband as a birthday gift. Any Far Side follower MUST have this purchase!!!!

Great anthology of Gary Larsons work takes forever to go all the way thru it but it is worth it. Great exercise just lifting the boxed set

I would love to reccomend this fantastic collection of one of the greatest ever comic artists, except for one thing...
The Far Side should be enjoyed under the covers, by flashlight, when your parents say you should be asleep. That's how I remember enjoying the Far Side. If you really want to LOVE this comic, buy the smaller, more portable books to snuggle up with. Happy reading!

At last the complete Far Side collection is contained in one set. Every cartoon drawn by Gary Larson is included herein. Far Side fans will revel in the fact that they no longer have to pour through old microfilm versions of local newspapers at libraries to find all the off the wall, bizarre humor of cxavemen in outhouses, or bears, cows, sheep all behaving like nerdy humans, or any of the other strange concoctions Larson came up with. This set is rather expensive, but the tru fan will find the money for it.

"Every one of these cartoons is just something that drifted into my head when I was alone with my thoughts. And, for better or worse, I `jotted them down. It was only later, when perhaps I received an angry letter from someone, that it struck me: Hey! Some one's been reading my diary!"
Gary Larson, from the preface to The Complete Far Side

How do you explain 'Far Side'? A brilliant comedic view of the absurd and unusual? An inspiring cartoon that entertains and inspires? My family loves cards and for each birthday we all receive more than a few cards, and most of them are from 'Far Side'. We look forward to those cards. At Christmas there are calendars and mugs. We are a family of Far Side. But it took my best friend to give me the gift of Far Side that is impressive.

When the first Far Side appeared millions of us could not get enough. The cartoons debuted in January 1980 and we have bought more than 40 million Far Side books and more than 60 million calendars. The demand for The Far Side has been insatiable. I received the hefty, deluxe, two-volume slip cased set as a gift. The slipcase is gorgeous with a lovely ribbon surrounding it. The volumes are printed in full color, milled paper, The Complete Far Side is a superb gift that takes its place alongside collector's-edition art books.

"A masterpiece of comic brilliance, The Complete Far Side contains every Far Side cartoon ever syndicated -- over 4,000 if you must know -- presented in (more or less) chronological order by year of publication, with more than 1,100 that have never before appeared in a book." publisher.

There are more Far Side cartoons in these volumes that Larson created after his retirement: 13 of them appeared in the last Far Side book, Last Chapter and Worse, and six cartoons that ran as a special feature in The New York Times' Science Times section as The Far Side of Science. Gary Larson offers a glimpse into the mind of The Far Side in quirky and introductions to each of the 14 chapters. Complaint letters, fan letters, and queries from readers appear. Actor, author, and comedian Steve Martin offers his thoughts in a foreword, and Gary Larson's former editor describes what it was like to be "the guy who could explain every Far Side cartoon."

During its 14-year run, The Far Side was syndicated to over 1,900 daily newspapers. It has been translated into a total of 17 different languages.

For his work with The Far Side, Gary Larson received the Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year from the National Cartoonists Society in both 1991 and 1994. The National Cartoonists Society also named The Far Side Best Syndicated Panel in 1985 and 1987. In 1993 The Far Side was awarded the Max & Moritz Prize for Best International Comic Strip/Panel by the International Comics Salon. In 1995, Larson's animated film Gary Larson's Tales From The Far Side won the Grand Prix at the Annecy International Animation Festival in Annecy, France. His second animated film, Gary Larson's Tales From The Far Side II, premiered in 1997 in the United States at the Telluride Film Festival and in Europe at the Venice International Film Festival.

Gary Larson has always made use of biology and science. It seems he likes to put animals in human situations, like the praying mantis woman accusing another of having an affair with her mate and being told "Surely you know that I would only eat my own husband", or the cow with a bib and knife and fork sitting behind a big pile of steaks proclaiming to the herd that they tasted a bit like chicken. Surreal, crazy talk, if you like it you'll love it. Some people never understand the humour. It can vary from simple & obvious, to oblique and obscure. However, most of my family and friends understand the humor all too well:-)

It has taken me awhile to read every page of these two volumes. A laugh out loud and/or guffaw, but always, always a smile on my face when I was faced with the humor. Some are so obscure that I am still wondering what they really were all about. but I enjoyed them all the same. This is a gift of a lifetime. My family when visiting all seem to veer toward the two volumes in their slipcase perched so invitingly on my coffee table. One of us will start reading out loud, and soon we will all be engulfed in laughter.

Highly, Highly Recommended. prisrob 07-22-08

Last Chapter and Worse

Unnatural Selections

Not traditionally a fan of historical fiction, I found this book intriguing and well written, and I wanted to continually turn the pages to the end. It paints the fascinating story of a real woman, her feelings and her life during a difficult time and difficulties that all during that time period had to endure. My book club even called the author, who spoke at our meeting via phone; Ms. Turner gave us more than an hour of her time, providing much background and perspective to the story.

This is absolutely one of my favorite books. I don't typically enjoy historical fiction that much, but I've read These Is My Words twice and loved it both times.
I felt totally connected to Sarah, like I was going through all the good and bad times with her. I laughed, I cried, it was great. I couldn't put this book down, and felt so disappointed when it was over! In the following days, I actually felt like I missed Sarah, like she was a person that I actually knew!
This book is fascinating storytelling and wonderful characterization at its absolute best! I've loaned it to every woman I know, and they've all loved it too.

This is a story that you can't put down. Written from an honest heart, you really feel like you are living the story with the characters.

These is My Words is filled with wild west high adventure. It is fast paced and reminds me of watching an action movie. Sarah grows from not understanding what is love. How it is demonstrated etc... to a profound understanding of a healthy marriage relationship. Filled with woman's issues: child bearing & rearing, pregnancy, marriage, courage, strength, meekness, life and death. A woman's classic.

This book is great. It has everything ----- humor, sadness, romance, and just pure true grit!! Sarah and Jack are exceptional characters. I couldn't put the book down, but wanted more when it was over.

This book is a hilarious romp through the world of B-Movies and television. If you want to act, or love the world of professional make-believe, or if you just love a good belly laugh, THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU!!

Bruce is my hero. This book is about his road and rise to a "b" movie actor. Very enjoyable. Not just for Bruce Campbell fans.

On this paperback edition, the first review quoted is from the magazine Fangoria. This tells you all you need to know about the subject of this book (if you've never heard of Fangoria - there's nothing in this book for you....). I've always had a soft spot in my heart for Bruce Campbell - when in the theatre to watch Congo, I couldn't help but exclaim "It's Bruce!" when he appeared on the screen (the highlight of that movie, unfortunately).

Bruce has had a varied and interesting Hollywood career - growing up with former ham-meister director Sam Raimi, moving from movies to TV, directing and even producing shows, etc. This entertaining and informative biography traces his life through childhood in the 'burbs up to Raimi's breakthrough with Spider-man. Perhaps the most entertaining part of the book is the last chapter - added since the original hardcover edition - documenting his book-signing tour, which straddled the Sept. 11 attacks. He brings a genuineness and even warmth to the subject matter, telling his stories in conversational ways.

Those that are looking for inside dirt on Sam Raimi, the Cohn brothers, or other Hollywood big-wigs will be disappointed. Instead, we are treated to affectionate and amusing stories about co-stars and others in the business. That's not to say that the book is dull or syrupy .... no, there is ample inside information on how to make fake blood (and how it solidifies if left on your clothes), near-death experiences on the set, and even an undercurrent of bitterness that Briscoe County Jr. never got the ratings he thought it deserved. What`s missing for me is his information on his later starring vehicle - Jack of All Trades, which I liked but which was largely panned by critics and viewers alike. But no matter. It`s a thoroughly enjoyable read with lots of illustrations and pictures sprinkled throughout (including some good `blackmail` pictures with a cheesy teenager `stache.

Great background info on the making of everything up to and including Evil Dead (well, and many subsequent flicks and tv shows). Campbell, silly to the core with serious on the side, celebrates the B movie world in all of its glory. Lots of fun facts about Sam Raimi included. I'm guessing, though, that a reader's enjoyment of this material is directly proportional to his/her appreciation level of Campbell's ouvre (i.e., not for everyone, but if you get a kick out of Cambpell, it's a must-read).

Such a great read, I mustve recommended it to at least 100 people who have all enjoyed it. Such a fun time to be had making your way through this one. I love the emails from fans he has included too. Also the paperback has a bonus chapter updating you on his book tour from when the hardback came out.

This is one of the most intimate and exceptionally written books about combat I have every read. Eugene Sledge portrays the war in the Pacific in such a way that you feel the pain and suffering of the men who sacrificed everything for eachother in combat. You will be humbled by Sledge's memoirs. A must read for all.

There are so many reasons to pan a book like this, writting, viewpoint, historical accuracy, but this book gets 5 stars in all catagories. So true, so full of action, so sad, so much to say. My true interest lies on the Eastern Front between Germany and Russia, but this was so good it is my favorite of WW2 in spite of the subject matter. Wow.

I have told people that war is the Second worse thing that could happen to a human. The first? Slavery - which is the battlefront against Hitler's National Socialists and the Imperial Japan in World War II.

That's where this story takes place. I have read few books that convey the realism and horror of war so well, without reservation. This is one.

Eugene B. Sledge, an Alabama boy, heads into War in the Pacific as a member of the U.S. Marines. He lands with the famous 1st Marine Division - 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines. His training was concentrated and intense - but still nothing prepares one for the onslaught of Pelilieu. He was a vet when he hit Okinawa where the fighting got even tougher. The image that sticks with me about Okinawa is a Marine who has to head back to get ammo. He slips in the mud and slides down the hill, rising to discover that he was covered in the maggots uncovered by his slid that were gnawing away at the dead bodies in the mud. This Marine, inured to death and destruction, is rattled badly. That image has stayed with me to understand the horror of this generation's sacrifice and their quiet acceptance of Duty.

By the time Sledge hit the hell of Okinawa, he was a combat vet, still filled with fear but no longer with panic.

I can't go into detail since I didn't read it myself, but my dad enjoyed it a lot.

I have wanted this book for some time. The seller gave a fair price and good service. I received the book in good shape, as advertized.

How much do you love movies?

If you are anything like me, the answer is simply, "a lot". As lovers of film we've all sat around and thought about making our own films. Invariably though, the discussions and daydreams of movie glory fall to the way side. You see the truth of the matter is none of us love film as much as Lloyd Kaufman, head of Troma. Lloyd never let those dreams of filmmaking go. How do I know this?...

Because I read Lloyd's book, "All I Need to Know about Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic Avenger". In this funny, inspiring, and often times touching how-to/autobiography Lloyd goes over his early years of making films like " Squeeze Play" all the way up to recent cult films such as "Tromeo and Juliet". The book covers all the ups and downs of his filmmaking career as well as having many helpful tidbits for aspiring filmmakers.

The one thing that I always find myself thinking about when I reflect back on reading the book is how amazed I am by how much Lloyd Kaufman loves the art and spirit of film.

If you feel the same way about film or are just simply looking for an extremely fun read about fighting for your dreams, please pick up "All I Need to Know about Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic Avenger".


You'll be glad you did.

...and so will Lloyd.

This book is great. I know, a pretty simple statement, but it's true. Nothing else needs to be said. It's fun, hilarious, entertaining and it also give you a sense of how independent film, REAL independent film, works.

It's great for anyone too, even if you've never heard of Troma or the Toxic Avenger or anything like that. You feel more like Lloyd is talking directly to you vs. just reading some garbage he claims he wrote.

Buy this book, than read it, than come back here and write a similar review because you'll love it so much.

In this book, Lloyd Kaufman, president of the impossibly quirky Troma Studios, shares insights and practical advice about making low-budget (or no-budget) feature films. Lloyd's writing style is just as unusual as the movies he directs, as he meanders aimlessly from self-deprecating autobiography to detailed, spur-of-the-moment instructions on how to fake an onscreen head crushing or make actors appear to vomit green foam. There's also plenty of out-of-place crude and scatological humor peppered heavily throughout. I wouldn't have expected anything else from Kaufman, whose unfathomably eccentric (but amiable) personality and genuine love for the art of do-it-yourself filmmaking shine through on every page. Fans of Troma, young and old, owe it to themselves to read this book. It really is an inspiring read for all of us who have the filmmaking bug but often become too easily defeated by lack of funds or crew members. Long live Troma!

if your a fan of troma or just a fan of movies this is the book for you.it tells the story of how Lloyd started the greatest ( and longest running )independent movie studio in the world ( or any other world for that matter)not bad considering they started off in a broom closet.there movies rock Lloyd is the man just buy the book

[...]I got this book as a birthday present in Christmas of '05, back when I was entertaining ideas of becoming a filmmaker in addition to just being a critic. While the need for actually putting something up on the big (or little) screen has passed for the time being, I am forever grateful for the spell due to the fact that it put this book (and Lloyd's equally engaging MAKE YOUR OWN DAMN MOVIE) in my possession. When I was done reading it, I knew two things: Lloyd is an amazing human being, and the only limits for success are those we put upon ourselves.

No matter what your passion is, Lloyd Kaufman gives you the inspiration to go out and damn well do it. Don't have the money to do it? Find a way to make it happen regardless. You'll never have all the money you want/need to do things the way you want to, unless you sell your soul to the godless corporations, so just kick that imagination of yours into high gear and get the job done. I recently edited a horror film reference book - a lifelong dream - and much of that inspiration came from meeting Mr. K on and off the page.

I have met Lloyd several times since at various conventions and am always impressed by his passion and his accessibility to his fans. He is constantly surrounded by adoring admirers, but he takes the time to acknowledge each one of them and everyone who comes in contact with him feels that they have had a "real" moment with Lloyd. That is a true gift. But if you want to spend some quality time with the great man himself, pick this book up. You'll have a new best friend and a new hero to look up to.

For most of its length, Bridge of Birds felt like a meandering dream, along the lines of, "so my mom was making pancakes using rice, but then my brother ate all the flour so we had to go to the store, but it was a hardware store...." Then, on page 238, I realized that the story had suddenly condensed towards a fun and engaging purpose built upon all of the pleasant, rambling adventure that had been laid out. Recommended as a diverting tale, but don't expect it to feel like it's going anywhere until near the end.

The opening chapters of this book are very good, and set up high expectations for the rest of the story. The author invokes mythology, history and superstition, and infuses them into the affairs of a small Chinese village. The action begins when the children of Ku-Fu fall into a mysterious death-like coma. The hero, Number Ten Ox, hires the sage Li Kao, and together the two set off on a quest to find the Great Root of Power, which is the only known cure.

The end is wonderful, surprising and mythical. There is a twist, a mystery is solved which turns out to be much more than the original mystery, heaven itself is happy, and loose ends are tied up in a satisfying manner.

So then, why only three stars? Because honestly, aside from the first few chapters and the last few, the rest of the book is riddled with flaws - so many, in fact, that I almost gave up on it. For one thing, there turns out to be not one quest, but a tedious succession of them, into dark labyrinths from which there is no escape, etc., etc. Throughout the many adventures, the protagonist tends to be passive, allowing himself to be led by Li Kao, who is clever but not really likable. There is not a realistically-drawn female character in the book, and the humor is tasteless and sometimes mean. All of these things spoiled my enjoyment of the book. However, I am glad that I finished it, since the reward at the end was worth it.

Anyone who is a fan of Terry Pratchett should look into the three Master Li and Number Ten Ox stories. Of which, Bridge of Birds is the best.

This was an amazing fantasy novel. It's entertaining, hilarious, and heartwarming. The detail of ancient China, its traditions and beliefs are very vivid, and there are "feel good" parts to it that remind me of a Disney/Pixar movie (terrible analogy, I know, but that's what comes to me when I think of the feeling it gave me). The solutions that Li and Ox come up with to get themselves out of their various predicaments are clever in their conception and exciting in their execution, and I'm very interested in reading the next books in the series.

I first read this book about 20 years ago. I read the two reviews that gave it only one star because I was curious why their reaction was so different from mine. After reading the two reviews, I believe I understand the problem.

It's called Fantasy for a reason.

It's not Literature, and it's not a History of ancient china.

Barry Hughart taught me that ancient wise men don't see themselves as "Ancient Wise Men". They see themselves as the little boys they once were (as do we all). They pass gas like the rest of us, sometimes they drink too much like the rest of us, and sometimes they are immoral like the rest of us.

Number Ten Ox may not have been the perfect foil for Kao Li, but he wasn't too far off the mark. His awe at Kao's "wisdom" (more often than not just common sense) and his willingness (and almost desire) to be proved to be less intelligent than Kao tells us a great deal about human nature.

By the end of the book I had reached the conclusion that there was little difference between Number Ten Ox and Kao Li, and that they, of all, knew that best. They each had their roles in a highly structured society and they played them to the hilt, trying their best to do good despite society's nonsense.

I loved this book 20 years ago and I love it still. I don't always want High Brow Literture. Sometimes I want a good, fun, frolic in the pool. The Number Ten Ox stories are the later.

I purchased this book for my middle school daughter. Boy did it show how hard life was for early Americans traveling across the Oregon Trail. This book is a great way to show today's kids how easy they really have it!

Across the Wide Prairie (Oregon Trail) / 0-590-22651-7

I love Oregon Trail stories, probably as a remnant of my childhood obsession over the video game series of the same name. I couldn't wait to read this installment of the Dear America series; I read these as an adult, but try to review them as a prospective parent would, because I know that these are targeted as 'children' books.

The Good: The Dear America formula works very well here. The diary format is well-suited to a long journey, particularly realistic here as the main character sits down by the fire at the end of the evening to record the days' experiences. The day-to-day is gripping and never boring, as Hattie details the hardships of the trail (very realistically, I might add), various illnesses and weddings along the way, hazardous river crossings, genuine concerns over food and supplies, and other gripping details. The author tends to provide a 'fair and balanced' view of the world around the settlers, and treats American Indians with relative fairness (I would have liked a little more, but I'm picky) and somewhat lavishly handles the Mormon settlers to Utah as decent people looking for their niche in the world (this is more a 'religious tolerance' view than a dissection of polygamy - it IS a children's book, after all).

The Bad: The adults are morons. I realize this is a common trope of children's literature, but it made me want to scream. In specifics, the parents and friends of the author are all sensible, caring adults (so no worries that your child will become disrespectful after reading this), but in general the adults act so foolishly as to not deserve to make it to Oregon. To provide conflict, the author has provided us with an elderly couple plagued with grief-inflicted kleptomania. The adults are aware that the elderly woman is stealing supplies, clothes, and so on, but choose not to embarrass the poor woman in the name of 'Christian charity'. This is the modern American author failing to see things from a historical perspective - when a stranger steals your child's sweater and your cooking pot, that means that your child catches cold (and dies) and you don't eat that night. People didn't exactly own five of everything, and certainly not when travelling cross-country. Parents are also so insipidly stupid as to let their children play with guns and explosives, and several nameless children die as a result. Again, this is Bad Writing - I cannot imagine that the majority of parents didn't properly instruct their children in the handling of a dangerous and crucial tool like the family gun, or failing that, didn't at least make it clear that the gun was 'hands off!' (Think 'Little House on the Prairie', and you'll know what I mean). None of these bad points detract from the book as a fun and educational book for children, but as an adult reader, it may cause a wince or two on your part.

This is one of the best Dear America books. A young 13 year old Hattie Campbell travels with her family west on the Oregon Trail. She encounters numerous difficulties. She creates a soup out of local plants and accidentally includes Hemlock which kills several children, sees an accident which causes people to fall into a river while crossing along with several marriages, births and deaths. This book is well detailed and not as thin as some of the other books are. It is very good.

As a native Oregonian, the attraction of reading a diary of one who made the Oregon Trail journey was met with eager anticipation. Early on, the diary though very interesting, soon became a series of calamities that left the reader thinking, what else could this poor family possibly endure? As the journey continued, it became apparent that the author had taken great liberty and creative license to spice up this historical adventure. By the end of the diary it was discovered that this work was fiction, which resulted in great disappointment, leaving the reader feeling mislead. As a work of fiction based on possible Oregon Trail experiences, this book proves to be entertaining, however it is not a true diary.

It has been years since I have read this book. I can still, to this day, remember the effect this book had on me. I was eight or nine at the time. I remember reading the diary entries and feeling as if I were right there next to Hattie, walking in the dirt or the snow. I cried at times when something bad had happened to Hattie or the people around her. I felt compassion, and found myself wanting to reach into the book and help the people myself. I learned many things about life in that time period that I had never known. I had learned about pioneers in school, but I never imagined that it would be as hard or as rewarding of an experience for them to go through.

The book made an impact on me from page one. I highly recommend it.

This was my 8th grade son's summer reading. He could not stop reading it and it caused him to initiate a lot of conversation with us about the holocaust. Since it was from the perspective of a girl his own age, he really identified with it.

I have just started reading more accounts of World War II and really enjoyed this survivor story. It is a big account in a small package. It is not about the gory details, but more about the emotions behind them. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

this book was awesome. i read it in a day. very hard to read, but you have to do it. buy!!!!

The book shows plenty of emotions of their loved ones being lost. Livia wrote her memory into a book, like most Holocaust survivors did. Most people are unaware of the presence of the Holocaust or just were uninterested. Like most Holocaust books they show the nightmare they experienced. Elli gives the reader an idea that they have hope to survive.
Some people read certain Holocaust books that fits their writing style and her Livia gives the reader the first person point of view.
We chose this book for our English class and we presented how they were killed like if one person in the barrack did not cooperate with the SS officers, the entire barrack was sent to gas chambers.
I recommend readers read this book.

This book is so powerful. I have read many stories of Holocaust survivors, but few if any have presented such a vivid view of the horrors the Jews faced. Some parts were disturbing, but they describe true history, so they are definitely important to read. If you're interested in the Holocaust, this is a great read.

This work of fiction has fooled too many 'historians" to mention here. Proof? Just double-check Sajer's facts. For example, Sager claims to have witnessed a daylight Allied air raid against Berlin in the spring of 1943, before the Battle of Kursk. Sorry, Sager, but the first Allied daylight raid against Berlin was flown in March 1944. Then Sager claims to have seen Hitler Youth lads fighting alongside his panzergrenadier unit at Kursk. No Hitler Youth fought at Kursk, and Germany never clothed its grenadiers in HJ uniforms. After Kursk, Sager claims to have fought at Konotop, but the history of the German 183th Infantry Division [Weg und Schicksal der 183rd Infanterie-Division] , which defended Konotop in September 1943, makes it clear that no German armored or panzergrenadier units supported its efforts and the detailed situation map (a copy of an original) in the book does not depict the Grossdeutschland Division anywhere near the town. Similarly, Sager makes no mention of the Grossdeutschland Division's epic battles fought at Kirowograd, Rownoje, Cornesti, or even Targul Frumos. Instead, he claims to have spent much of this period of the war with his panzergrenadier company fighting Soviet partisan bands, a mission not typically assigned to elite panzergrenadier formations and one not mentioned in the Grossdeutschland Division's three-volume detailed factual history, by Helmuth Spaeter. Spaeter by the way went to his grave believing Sager was a fraud. Unfortunately, so many lazy historians (mostly American) have quoted Sager's bull as fact in their own manuscripts that they have a vested interest in perpetuating the myth of the Forgotten Soldier. Read Sager's book for fun; enjoy the novel. But even as a novel, the Forgotten Soldier can't hold a candle to either "The Cross of Iron" (Willi Heinrich) or "If This Be Glory" (Hasso G. Stachow), two of the very best novels on the German experience on the Eastern Front in WWII. Of course, Heinrich and Stachow fought on the Eastern Front; Sager didn't, and that makes a world of difference in terms of authenticity and accuracy.

Best War Book
This is not an anti-war book.
It is an eye witness account of war.
Read this book whether you hate or love war.

The best "ground" WWII book I have ever read. I'll never forget this book as long as I live.
You'll discover a whole new world if this is your first German/Russian WWII book.

Echos of Remarque's "All Quiet on the Western Front" - this book's actual accounts will leave the reader mentally drained. The graphic reality of combat on the Eastern front are jaw dropping. Combat experiences are conveyed expertly without self-praise nor self-loathing - just the facts and the struggle. Politics are abscent. The story shows a man's journey and his witness to the horrors of war in depths that could never be duplicated in other forms of media. If done in film it would be "Saving Private Ryan" to the factor of ten.

A prize book in my personal collection.

Awsome - the one word I use to describe this book.

Debates exist whether this book is non-fiction or fiction mainly due to the inaccuracies regarding specific details, some minor such as uniform markings. However, after researching this topic I came across a letter to the Editor of "Military Review", printed in the March-April 1997 edition, by a Douglas E. Nash. Nash eventually located Sajer and brought up some critical points that skeptics thought up regarding Sajer's inaccurracies. Sajer basically replied that what he wrote was concerned with what he experienced first-hand, and that he did not intend to write a tatical, encyclopedia-type war book.

After learning about this, my anxiety was gone - since I was concerned that the graphic, lucid, and gripping battle descriptions in this book may be all imaginary. But they are all true. It is amazing that anyone could survive a major battle on the Eastern Front after reading what Sajer and his fellow soldiers encountered. A must read.

Awesome book. This book provides a unique blend of science, politics, people, history, warfare and interpersonal relationships. I am a mathematician with a minor in physics and a former US Air Force officer. I recall most of the names of key players (scientists, military, political) in this book but I never had a concept of how they were all related. This is quite a tome but I just had to sit down and continue reading several times a day. I still cannot believe how Rhodes was able to do the research required for this book and then make it so readable. My high school chemistry teacher took a group of us to hear a lecture by Niels Bohr in the 1950s but I never realized what a genius he was not only in science but in predicting the political consequences of building and using the atomic bomb until I read Rhodes work. The epilogue chapter is a must read and contains many very fundamental and philosophical thoughts that must still be addressed today.

Richard Rhodes provides the definitive account of the making of the Atomic Bomb. This book covers the characters, the technological dilemmas and all of the politics involved in making the atomic bomb. Starting with the various scientists and their backgrounds Rhodes takes us through the major players and their contributions towards the bomb. The book at times does get a little heavy on the physics but it is worth the detail for putting into context how the scientists came together to develop the bomb. The beginnings of the military industrial academic complex are developed and its crystallization becomes clear through people like Bush and Compton. While daunting at times given the sheer volume of the book it is worth taking your time to understand one of the greatest stories in the 20th century. This is truly the best account and a must read for those who want to understand how the 20th century and beyond was shaped by the work of the Manhattan Project.

I'm only half way through the book. However, it is making all the physicist that I read about in my science courses come alive. It is a great read.

This book is exciting to read and technically detailed. It gives a history not only of those involved in the production of the actual bomb, but of the physics and discovery of the atom and its components. No text book from walker or lectures from feynman can compare in how engaging this book makes the science and history. Since I have nothing but approbation for this book, my only complaint is slightly manufactured so as to make this more of a review. I wish that the book went into more details towards the end including maps and diagrams of the enrichment facilities. He may include that with other book and certainly this was long already, but that lack of details towards the end made the reading and experience slighly rushed.

Great book if you are interested in the subject of science and nuclear physics. The book does a good job of explaining a lot of technical jargon in layman terms and tells a compelling story of the scientists involved. I read this book back in school and fell in love with the side stories and the footnotes in the making of the bomb. The later parts of the book are a bit of a drag and it is easy to get bored. A couple of friends who i recommended this book to did not like it as they felt it was too heavy and they were not really interested in science as much :).