History Books

Since I will be seeing the Dahli Lama in September, I wanted to catch up on some of his story. He seems to be a very sincere and intelligent man with the well being of his people at heart. I was quite ignorant of the history of Tibet and found the book very interesting and well worth the read.

Don

Knowing nothing at all about His Holiness The Dalai Lama or Tibet/China relations I was eager to learn more. As a convert from Catholicisim to Buddhism, I was pleased to read that the Dalai Lama considers himself to be just a regular human, who was chosen to fulfill a specific role. After reading this book, you get the sense that he would be a very pleasant person to talk with.
On the downside, I was absolutely shocked to read about what the Chinese Government has done to Tibet and its people. Tibet is a peace loving country and to be in the army, was the lowest form of life. A 17 point 'agreement' was drawn up by the Chinese for Tibet. Members of the Tibetan delegation were forced under duress to sign the agreement and phony Tibetan state seals were used. Large Tibetan estates were confiscated and redistributed by the Chinese. After monks and nuns were arrested, they were forced, in public, to break their vows of celibacy with one another and even to kill people.
The Tibetan Freedom Fighters were no match for the Chinese army. Besides using bombers to obliterate towns and villages, the Chinese army also crucified, disembowelled, beheaded and buried many Tibetans alive. In order to prevent Tibetans from giving praise to the Dalai Lama on their way to execution, the Chinese tore out their tongues with meat hooks.
It was really disheartening to read about what happened to these people. I think this is a book that everyone at some point needs to read. It really opened my eyes.

Beginning in a world that was so alien to our present society, the current Dalai Lama commences his autobiography 'Freedom in Exile' with a detailed description of life in pre-occupied Tibet; a society that had managed to remain untouched by the effects of modernization and secularism that have moulded our civilization into its present shape. He retails his own experience of living in monastic Tibet, from his `discovery' as the 14th reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, to his eventual enthronement as the supreme leader of the remote nation.

However, it was with the 1950 occupation of Tibet by the People's Liberation Army that forced Tibet into the eye of the international community. The invasion by China and the subsequent demolition of Tibetan society piece by piece, and life by life, is recounted in astonishing detail, as is the inspiring efforts by the Dalai Lama in attempting to challenge the actions of the Communist Party of China, which included several personal meetings with the seemingly amiable Chairman Mao. Engrossingly, he explains the chain of events which eventually led to his exile from his native land, and his life-long commitment to championing the people of Tibet against Communist oppression.

The Dalai Lama is clearly a formidable writer, and details his life in an immensely holding fashion. While the Dalai Lama is a religious leader, and while there are sections of the book which explain Buddhist thought, `Freedom in Exile' is not a religious work, nor even a book about religion. It is, however, the self-told life of an influential, and seemingly incorruptible, political figure who defends his homeland and its people with an all-too rare intensity While it an obvious fact that an autobiography by the Dalai Lama will be biased towards the Tibetan cause, it is a much maligned truth that not all situations have two equally opposing positions. Anyone who takes the time to read this book should conclude with the same opinion.

Seeing the Cultural Revolution from the eyes of the Dalai Lama is very interesting and sets the stage for a very sad and imformative story.

This was the first book I had ever read by (or about) the Dalai Lama. I thought it was a great introduction to his life and his way of thinking. Overall I thought this was a great book. I think everyone should read it.

This wonderful book tells the remarkable story of one of the most interesting women of all time. It is wonderful "read" and as colorful as Frida herself.

I read this book when it was first published and it changed my life, the way i looked at art and the way I approached my own art. Frida was an enigmatic personality, a genius of the surreal emotions we have. I adore her and her art. The book by Hayden Herrera was so thoroughly researched that if you end up visiting Coyocan, you will feel familiar with it and the cultures that surround it. Wonderful biography, well written, well researched and what a great service the author has done in educating us on an incredible artist that would have otherwise been hidden behind the shadows of her husband.

This is a paintakingly detailed biography, yet rather than making for tedious reading, it flows smoothly from the pages...Hayden Herrera has done an incredible job with the story of Frida Kahlo, the most famous Mexican artist in history.

Written in the late 1970s' (when many of Frida's friends and intimates were still alive to interview), this excellent book combines letters (to and from Kahlo), first person anecdotes and historical records (along with a decent selection of photos and paintings), to create a sweeping portrait of a very, very interesting life.

Everything you ever wanted to know about Frida (and maybe some stuff you didn't), is in this book.

"Frida" is highly recommended to anyone who enjoys Frida's work or just wants to know more about a very interesting, opinionated, talented, brutally honest (especially with herself), yet very vulnerable) woman.

I learned about Frida when I took art history in college. I always wanted to know more about her because of her art work. She was so passionate! Although she was considered an abstract artist. Her art was very REAL. You can feel what she feels by looking at her art. This book really helps you understand what happened in her life and attached the painting that went along with that specific period in her life. Very well written.

I bought this book after re-watching the movie taken largely from this exhaustive biography. As someone who has read many bios, let me say that this is a refreshing and encouraging alternative to the fawning and excessive grocery store drivel and/or the dull and fact-filled dissertations that describe most biographies. Hayden Herrera manages to combine a staggeringly comprehensive detailing of Kahlo's life with an easy prose that makes for an engaging read. I know far more about this artist than I could've imagined and it is largely first-hand accounts either from the pages of Frida's own diaries and numerous letters or the people who were there. Herrera keeps her personal opinions regarding the events to a minimum and allows the events to speak for themselves. The life of Frida Kahlo needs no additional padding or maudlin tricks to engender a connection to anyone with a heart and soul. When the author does speculate, it comes from someone who has clearly studied her subject thoroughly and backs up her theories with a wealth of compelling evidence and sensible arguments. While her appreciation for Kahlo is obvious, Herrera does not stop short of being critical, questioning Kahlo's motives, and revealing the stark humanity and insecurity that Kahlo tried to obscure with her public persona as the confident, outspoken, provocative enchantress sporting her exotic Tehuana finery.
However, the best use of Herrera's research and the clear compassion and empathy she has for this incredible woman is when she analyses Frida's paintings. I found myself continuously turning back and forth from the detailed observations and interpretation to the paintings and trying to understand what the author is talking about. It was fascinating reading and a wonderful exploration that shed light into the depths of Frida's intensely personal art.
Two last notes: First, the version I bought does not sport Salma Hayek on the cover but instead one of Frida's many self-portraits. Apparently the publishers corrected this unfortunate decision based on movie marketing. Second, I was fortunate enough to take in the amazing exhibit of Frida Kahlo at the Philadelphia Museum just a few weeks ago and it was a moving and special day. Seeing the actual frames dripping blood, the size and grandeur of some of the works juxtaposed with the smaller works, and the sheer emotionally gravity of her art was something I'll never forget. Having read much of this biography by that time, I was able to bring that much more to that exhilarating opportunity.
Frida Kahlo was not just an extraordinary artist but was moreover an extraordinary person. Herrera's heartfelt, deeply researched, and brilliantly written biography allows those of us who never knew her to feel as if we have and to share in the universal quality of her painful work. That alone makes us better people for having experienced it.

this is a lovely children's book. Adults like to look at it too! Interesting pictures and nice story.

This children's book is a great gift for anyone with a heart who loves to garden. The little girl in the story must go to live with her uncle during hard times. He is a gruff baker but his little niece brightens his world with her loving charm and amazing gardening skills.

This is a book is written as a series in letters and has a lot of great pictures. It is about a little girl whose mother and father don't have jobs. She also has a grandmother who gave her, her love for gardening. Lynda-Grace (the girl) has to go live with her uncle who never smiles. When she gets there she finds out that her uncle own a bakery and has helpers. One of the helpers name's is Emma. Emma and Lynda-Grace and Emma have a scheme to make Uncle Jim smile! Read the book to find out what happens!

This is a really good picture book. As I said before, it is in teh form of letters from Lynda-Grace to her parent's and grandmother. It is a fantastic book for all ages!


Give "The Gardener" a try!

My mom bought this book last year for my daughter, now 6. My daughter loves gardening and "old-fashioned" books, and really enjoys the story and the pictures. She focuses mostly on Lydia's garden and cat. I cry every time I read it, because I focus on the little girl leaving her parents. My mom used to read this at a parenting group she ran at a women's prison. She said all the women were touched by it, as they had the experience of sending their kids away to live with other people. My mom pointed out that while Lydia's letters are very brave and positive, the pictures often show the sadness and loneliness of Lydia's situation in the first half of the book. So this is a very complex and thoughtful book, but still simple enough to be enjoyed by young children.

The time of this story takes place in the mid 1930s and the family of the little girl of the story has had some hard times as so many families did during those horrible years. Briefly, the little girl is sent to live with her uncle Jim in the city until her father can find work and get the family back on thier feet. The author has chosen to tell this story via letter written back home to the little girl's family, by the girl herself. The story is through her eyes. The story is excellent, as it points out just what one person, even a little one, can do to change people lives. The running theme throughout of course is the little girls love for gardening. I certainly will not go into a blow by blow account of the plot, etc. as that has been done here several times, and done quite well. The text though, is quite readable and the illustrations are great. One other theme, other than the gardening, that runs through the story, is the fact that the little girl seems to be quite concerned over the fact that uncle Jim never smiles. In the end....well, you will have to read the story yourself, does he or does he not smile...you figure it out! Love this book and recommend it highly.

This book was assigned to my Historical Research and Analysis class and I ABSOLUTELY loved it! The only downside was that it was only the first part out of a 2-part series.

This particular part accounts for Ginzburg's first 3-4 years in the Russian Gulag from 1937-1941. It is a a great read, though a few things should be taken into consideration.

-Ginzburg spent 18 years in the Russian Gulag. One must remember that this is a memoir and that she is writing things as she remembers them (about 20 years after the fact) which means it is not all true. Also, she writes that she was taken before her husband, when in all actuality she was taken after him. Whether it be that she forgot, or that she chose to do this, is not necessarily important, what is important is that it gave her character one of more importance than it really had. (Her husband at the time was an important communist official in Kazan and she was a university professor/journalist. There really are alot of factors that question the legitimacy but I'll let you take a source analysis class for that!

Also, it is a bit fluffy, if you really want to know about what happened at the Gulags. The second part of this memoir is much more detailed and not so pg-13 if you can call it that. If you want to read something horrific I would suggest Elena Glinka's 'Kolyma Streetcar'

Overall it is a great book, I am in the middle of reading the second part and it is just as good as the first. If you can, get them both, you won't regret it!

I actually read this book and its follow up, Within the Whirlwind 10 years ago from the library. It has haunted me so much ever since I simply had to get it. It annoys me so much that there are so many commie - lefties in the west when there are grotesquely awful parables of what totalitarian societies do to their own people.

This is a book I probably wouldn't have read at all, but it was a book club selection at our local university, Ferris State. Considering the awful and primitive conditions of Ginzburg's 20-year ordeal, the writing is very genteel, and even peppered with quotations from various Soviet poets and writers, and even some original verse from the author herself, which she composed to break the monotony and dreariness of her two years of solitary. The 18 yrs she spent subsequently in the Siberian labor camps of the Stalinist era is given less attention, but the horrors and the dangers - of starvation, rape and all manner of brutalizations - are made clear enough. I found it odd, and surprisingly refreshing, that, in spite of its subject, the language of the book remains G-rated, perhaps because of when the book was written (first published in 1967), but more probably because it is, as Ginzburg states at the close of her narrative, "the story of an ordinary Communist woman during the period of the 'personality cult'." There is nothing ordinary about Eugenia Ginzburg though; to pampered westerners like us, her story is nothing short of extraordinary. She survived several brushes with death and remained a loyal Communist, living into her 80s. - Tim Bazzett, author of Love, War & Polio

Reading this book you can vicariously experience what it was like to spend time in the Stalin prison camps. For me this book rounded out the picture I had from reading the Gulag Archipelago. The book is educational, easy to read, and enjoyable reading.

I think Solzhenitsyn wrote about the following also. I quote from the Ginzburg book: "When a human being is isolated ... he achieves a kind of spiritual serenity" and "...especially solitary confinement, ennobled and purified human beings, bringing to the surface their finest qualities, however deeply hidden". For some time now I have thought that violent criminals should be put into solitary confinement and not permitted to communicate with others. Instead of mollycoddling these perpetrators of evil, they need to be forced to ponder at length about what they have done. I think if anything could do so, solitary confinement might ~rehabilitate~ them. I know Ginzburg and Solzhenitsyn were not violent criminals but I think it worthwhile to try to extrapolate from their experience.

The mindset and belief system of the early Soviet Union, as defined by the Bolsheviks' neurotic obsession with the ideals of perpetual revolution and the existence of nigh-infinite capitalist and ideological foes that constantly threatened the continued subsistence of the Soviet entity, cannot realistically be classed as rational or conducive to internal stability; with nervous eyes turned forever to the capitalist West, it was only a matter of time before terror of internal enemies gripped the Soviet hierarchy. When, in 1934, Sergey Kirov, a top Party official in Leningrad, was assassinated under dubious and mysterious circumstances, Josef Stalin, then leader of the Soviet Union, took advantage of the killing in order to brew an intense horror in the hearts of the Russian people; no longer simply assailed by their external Capitalist foes, Stalin led the people to believe that they were also threatened by more dangerous enemies with the Communist Party itself. Using the killing of Kirov and the ideal of internal foes, Stalin was able to launch a brutal and hideous campaign to eliminate dissenters with the Party, while numerous innocent Party members found their lives obliterated as they were caught in what has become known as the "Great Purge." First thrown out of the Party on charges most often both false and ludicrous, these unfortunate souls then found themselves jailed under horrific circumstances, many being sent to perish in labor camps in remote Siberia; by the time of Stalin's death, roughly 5 million Party members had been detained in such a way. Eugenia Ginzburg, an editor for a newspaper in Kazan, was one such victim of Stalin's senseless purges; arrested in 1937 following years of police harassment, Ginzburg was sent to numerous prisons where she endured abysmal treatment before finally being detained in Siberia until 1953. In documenting her horrific ordeal, Ginzburg amply addressed not only the confusion of the purges and the inhumanity of the prisons, but also explored the sheer motivating power of fear in the actions of all classes and ranks; irrational fear, it is shown, was what ultimately fueled the escalating madness and accusations, and destroyed forever the lives of so many.
At the time of Kirov's assassination, Eugenia Ginzburg was leading a successful life as a member of the Communist Party, even marrying a top Communist official of Kazan. As she so eloquently and persistently notes throughout the account of her struggles, Ginzburg was nothing save a loyal and dedicated Communist, adhering to and accepting the Party's line of policy. Such an upstanding member of society surely could not have been dragged into the insanity of the purges, yet she was; although she amply demonstrates her loyalty to the Party and complies fully with her early accusers, vying to convince them of her ideological orthodoxy, she is nonetheless made the recipient of increasingly outlandish charges. This is pivotal, as the reader begins to understand all along that the purges were not, as popular rhetoric espoused, an attack upon dissenting and criminal elements within the party, but a monstrous, all-consuming, bloodletting of the entire Party in which any and all could become victims; even the officials that prosecuted the accused and the guards who abused them often found themselves becoming victims themselves and sharing prisons with those they had wrongly imprisoned. Even the wife who, out of blind loyalty to the Party, denounces her husband when he is arrested as a traitor is herself later accused and jailed. Similarly disturbing is the fact that mere association, however indirect, with anyone suspected of being a traitor was enough to end one's life and lead to one's arrest; Ginzburg's brief association with Elvov, who was himself wrongly accused of treachery, was the key factor in her expulsion from the Party and subsequent sufferings. As such accusations by association continued, the purges assumed the heir and hysteria of a witch hunt, with friend turning against friend in desperate self-preservation; Ginzburg is herself forced to endure the treachery of one of her greatest friends, who under pressure and in looking after her own interests validates the charges leveled against Ginzburg. It is perhaps one of Ginzburg's most admirable qualities to never herself accuse any innocents in the way she was denounced. Gripped by such extreme levels of terror and paranoia, the Communist Party simply turned its aggressions upon itself, fueling a terrible madness that only grew in intensity and senselessness the longer it continued. Indeed, these purges served only to weaken the Communist party, greatly harm the economy and agriculture, and, more vitally, to drive away potential members who were horrified at the thought of being caught in the killings. Far from strengthening the Party by eliminating its enemies, Stalins purges only weakened it and left it with a cloying odor of death and suspicion. The pervasive influence of fear is evident throughout the account, and it is quite apparent the even the most vile interrogators or guards likely act as they do out of fear for their own lives, often to no avail. So it was that Stalin's terrorism against his own people drove those within his own government to new heights of irrationality, cruelty, and falseness.
In detailing her early troubles before her arrest, Ginzburg, despite her continued assertions of loyalty and railings against the absurdity of the suspicion laid upon her, is accused of increasingly severe charges ranging from "lack of vigilance" to a later accusation of being the ringleader of a terrorist network; yet all the while Ginzburg remains devoted to the Party, refusing the advice of her mother and friends to flee, desperately believing that she could clear her name through the legal practice. This naivety, or refusal to recognize the reality of the situation or to see fault with the Party, led ultimately to Ginzburg's travails; most commonly, those wrongly accused believed their case merely to be a correctable mistake, while the innumerable others locked away must surely have been truly guilty. In her continued astonishment at the absurdity and irrationality of the process of the purges, Gunzburg vividly illustrates the clash of a ration mind with an inherently irrational and violent system. The level of ignorance toward the intent of the purges is perhaps best illustrated when Ginzburg learns that the vans she sees throughout city do not carry milk as he had believed, but instead contained prisoners; the unwillingness to see or believe in impending doom led many to their demise in this period. Even Ginzburg's disdain for Stalin, the worship of whom by the persons around him genuinely disturbing her, was not enough to overcome her deadly faith in the Party.
Of particular note throughout Ginzburg's account is the juxtaposition of the illegal and immoral force, coercion, and violence of the purges with the absurd pursuit of legality by the interrogators. Although the interrogators and other accusers know the charges leveled again those such as Ginzburg are false, or that their "confessions" are similarly falsified, they nonetheless insist upon obtaining real signatures for said false documents. When the prisoners refuse, they are subjected to various forms of physical and mental abuse, ranging from extended periods of intense interrogation with food or rest to more wrenching mentions of the prisoners' families. Many interrogators work themselves into murderous rages in pursuit of signatures for their false confessions, perhaps out of fear of not obtaining them or out of sheer contradictory nature. One cannot but be amazed at the level of bureaucratization of the purges, an essentially illogical and illegal proceeding; like the Holocaust, it is disturbingly evident that the central government held no reservations for their actions, nor any desire to bury them away. It is the ability to carry on such an open and grand persecution that perhaps best illustrates Stalin's immense dominion at the time, a dominion he gained through overt terror such as that which Ginzburg encounters.
Although Ginzburg wrote her account of her imprisonment and travails, during which she learned that relationships formed in such horrific circumstances often proved closer than any others and that when reduced to such a state all people must be accepted, her memory of complex events and names astounds the reader; names of those that Ginzburg only ephemerally interacted with decades ago are still fresh in her mind, as are conversations and poems. One may deduce that such extreme and trying events as those experienced by Ginzburg indelibly imprint themselves upon the mind forever, as evidenced the Ginzburg's ability to produce entire sections of books from her mind at command; one could simply never forget such vivid suffering or trial. That, then, is the most important aspect of Ginzburg's account. The Soviet purges, a terrible period of internal destruction and death on a massive scale, is here presented in all its horror and grittiness from the perspective of one who endured them personally; in this way, such a monstrous and massive event becomes personal, thus far more moving and instructional.

I took this book along on a recent vacation and was thoroughly absorbed in it. I love Cornelius Ryan's writing style. He keeps it moving and made me feel as if I was there. I can give no bigger compliment than that. I have read almost all of Stephen Ambrose's books and numerous other WWII books, I rate this book up there with them all. It is a must read for the serious WWII reader.

Not for the experienced WWII reader but a nice overview to put in your library. This book is still light reading in comparison to books like "Hells Gate"about the Cherkassy Pocket, Not the definitive book on the topic as I say but still good reference material. In the light of new material available and better divisional and unit accounts keep reading what is coming out now and build your knowledge one book at a time.

Ryan does such a superb job in knitting together the state of so many things happening in the city prior to being abandoned by its leaders and being taken by the Soviets. Mayhem, confusion, lies, and destruction abound, whilst life somehow continues for so many. This is very well researched, supported by many first hand accounts, and recounted in mesmerizing fashion. I've read Beevor's book too, "The Fall of Berlin 1945," which is also a fine account, but this one tops it.

When I first read this book 25 years ago I could barely put it down, and I've read it several more times since then. This is simply the best single title on the battle for Berlin.

Cornelius Ryan is a wonderful writer and throughout this and all of his books you can picture the events that unfold. I could not put this book down and spent several late nights because of this. I would highly recomment this book to anyone interested in history, military or otherwise. I have to say I was amazed at the service I received from Amazon.com. I ordered this book on a Sunday and received it on Tues. all the way to Cave Junction, OR. Thank you! Rudy

Excellent how so manay different events were put in such a good sequence.

This is one of the most unbelievable stories I've ever read. It's written with superb simplicity, making it a rapid and engrossing page turner. What a great gift Bardach has given us in writing this book about his horrific and heroic experiences. This is the best account of any world war 2 camp survivor, period. He clearly illustrates that the Soviet Union was about as horrible a place to be as Europe at the time. The book is as well written as the story is interesting. Fantastic. Thank you, Janusz!

I read this after reading The Unquiet Ghost: Russians Remember Stalin. This book may be bleak and shocking, but remember, the author survived! It is an amazing, gripping, shocking story about humanity. I loved it.

The most important thing that I gained by reading Janusz Bardach's book is that the will to survive is as important as food when it come to survival. More times that he imagined, he survived because he felt that he would, like he had a special angel or just more "good luck" than other people. It doesn't matter if it's true, it only matters that you believe it.

Luck is also helped by brashness and the will to succeed. His story about becoming a medical assistant, though he had absolutely no formal training, reminds me of Solsenitsyn's tale of how he survived the Gulag by lying about having training as a nuclear engineer. It's the ability to adapt that keeps you alive. Goebbels said that if you told a big enough lie enough times, people would begin to believe it. The only way to survive in the Gulag was to lie to yourself and everyone else.

Since so many of the NKVD were corrupt and brutal, the only way to survive in there world was to also appear to be corrupt. Stalin sent so many of the NKVD and those who worked for them to prison, that they were well cared for by their ex-comrades, because they knew they had a good chance of joining them. Who could survive better in a criminal state within a state then a criminal?

This is a story of hope without all the 'hearts and flowers'. It just the true story of what went on, warts and all (lots of warts).

I can't really say anything that hasn't been mentioned already, and I think that it would be inappropriate to give away any of the plot.

This is simply the most fascinating story of survival of any that I have ever seen. It is incredible as well as inspiring. It teaches you to value your life, and the relationships that you have with the people you care about most. There were so many instances when he could have resigned to his fate and accepted death, but instead he kept going. Millions of people died in prison camps during the war, and unfortunately all of their stories cannot be told. But to understand what they had to go through in their fight for survival, nothing beats this book. Besides telling his story, it examines the history and psychology behind what happened to him. And overall I believe that it is a valuable read for anyone interested in Russian Gulags or prison camps in general during WW2.

Janusz Bardach, who became a plastic surgeon in Iowa City, Iowa in 1972, recounts his experiences in the Gulag in this bleak tale of survival reminiscent of Solzhenitsyn's The Gulag Archipelago. A secular Jewish man and supporter of Stalin and communism living in Poland In 1939, he and his family fear their future as Germany's military forces are set up along the border. He is eventually drafted into the Red Army, but when he inadvertently gets his new tank stuck in a river, he's arrested and given a sentence of 10 years of hard labor. He, like the other prisoners, spends most of his time working to meet ridiculously high work quotas, while in a constant state of starvation. He travels from camp to camp during his six years in captivity working in various work situations including a mine, the forest felling trees, and as a medical assistant working with tuberculosis patients (which he eventually contracts). Once he recovers, he's sent to work in a psych ward, where the main focus is exposing the "fakers," those trying to get out of work. His job is to inject them with a seizure-inducing drug, which he does reluctantly. With a little help from his one surviving family member, Polish army officer brother, he is eventually released and finds out the fate of his grandparents, parents, sister and girlfriend. They were all executed.

This enormous volume is a must for any fan of Marilyn's. There are over 400 pages of beautiful, high-quality photographs and photographer notes. Known as 'The Complete Last Sitting' (although it wasn't her last), the photographs are among the most stunning and haunting of the screen legend. Taken by photographer Bert Stern for Vogue, the session was a milestone for Marilyn. After winning her battle with Fox and being rehired for Something's Got to Give, the shoot was in many ways a celebration. At 36, Marilyn is luminous. Prior to the days of plastic surgery, she is as real as it gets. She doesn't try to hide her flaws. Scars, wrinkles, and smile lines are not hidden. The orange 'X's you see are where Marilyn scratched out the negatives, unhappy with anything but perfection from herself. They also serve as a sad reflection; that the most beautiful creature on earth thought she was anything but. These priceless pictures tell countless stories, frozen in the camera lens. The book is worth buying if only to view an actress who was so totally in control that she could convey a thousand different feelings with the arch of an eyebrow, the curve of a lip, or the slightest posture change. She is brilliant.

I love Miss Marilyn... This was a very interesting book! Beautiful pictures...as was the woman. I would say my only complaint was the fact that it was very obvious Marilyn did not want to have some of the pictures every published. But all in all the book is beautiful...and amust for MM fans.

I am so happy I finally bought this book. I was hesitant to spend the money on something not entirely useful but it's breathtaking and so refreshing compared to all the red lips/platinum hair shots we see of her. The book is thicker and heavier than I imagined and has found it's place on my coffee table, partly because I can't move it around so easily. I am so so happy with this purchase!

The book is very well made with great quality paper. There is a little introduction by Bert Stern at the beginning and then all the pictures of the last sitting in chronological order. You can see big images, the ones that Stern thought were the good ones, and then the little ones which are very interesting and funny too. It's an incredible book, you can see a new Marilyn, more mature and prettier on the inside and on the outside.

Come ho detto nel titolo, è il migliore libro di foto su Marilyn che c'è in circolazione, lei è assolutamente spendida, in uno stato di grazia che l'obbiettivo del fotografo Bert Stern è riuscito in pieno a mostrare.
Questo grande libro con tantissime pagine e tantissime foto che ci mostrano Marilyn bella come non lo è stata mai è per tutti i grandi fan consigliatissimo avere!
compratelo!!!!!

A must read for even the most casual fan...is there a casual Ramones fan?

Monte details all of the travails and hard work in an honest fashion, but without a "woe is me" attitude at being the guy out of the spotlight. And in doing so, it gives you a deeper appreciation of what the band was, warts and all.

Lots of photos and memorabilia too.

Worth every penny.

What an entertaining book! I'm half-way through it and enjoying every minute. You get a real sense of the various personalities that made up the Ramones roster, which changed over the years. Johnny - the hard-on; Dee Dee - the Crazy; Joey - the freak; Tommy - the oppressed; and Marky - the over the top alcoholic. I personally love the oral history format. Johnny, Joey, Tommy, Marky, Ritchie and Monte, their tour manager, all contribute their stories. For some reason, Dee Dee doesn't personally contribute but he comes through vibrantly in the stories of his band mates.

I'm not a fanatical fan, but after seeing the Ramones documentary: End of the Century - The Story of the Ramones, I knew I had to read this book. The only down side is realizing that the three core band members - Joey, Johnny and Dee Dee - all failed to see age 50.

The Ramones' popularity keeps growing--it's a shame that Joey, Dee Dee and Johnny didn't live to enjoy it. As a result of their popularity, so many--TOO MANY--Ramones books have been written and it seems like a new one comes out every month. If you are a die-hard Ramones fan, this is the ONLY book you need. Monte was with them from the beginning to the end and was partly responsible for making them the best touring band ever. He tells it like it was, and it is a fascinating read. Buy the book!

This is the best book on The Ramones, period. I absolutely loved it!! The pictures are so cool and the stories are even better. I recommend this book to anyone who loves The Ramones. Great purchase.

This book is a GREAT read for any Ramones fan, but it was very heartbreaking in the end to see how "the remaining band members" treated Joey at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction. I only wish Joey's mom and brother would have stepped up on stage to accept that award for Joey. He indeed was the most kind hearted soul and he deserved more recognition then what he got that night. May he rest in peace.

One of those books every home needs on the shelf. By the way, read it.

I have made it a habit this year to get through many of the classics on audio book during my daily commute. I picked Pilgrim's Progress since it was one of the most influential English books ever published, and I wanted to see what it was all about.

The audio book was published by Blackstone Audio and the reader was Robert Whitfield. The reader did an excellent job and was very easy to listen to. He did some characterization with his voice that made it easy to know which character was speaking. I was a little worried about the older style English, but it gave me no problem. It probably helps that I am familiar with the King James Version of the Bible. Overall, listening to this book worked out very well.

This is the first book length allegory that I have been through and I thought it was an excellent way to teach. There is no doubt which principal each character is supposed to represent by their name, and their actions represented that well also. I can understand why so many families had this book in their libraries. As far as Christian doctrine goes, there are a few things that some would disagree with, but most of the principals taught are still generally accepted today. The path to God's presence is filled with opposition, but there is help available and the reward is worth it.

I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to understand an important part of our heritage, and to see what an effective tool allegory is.

I love this book. It was written from a jail cell in the 1600s. This version is the original so the text is difficult to read at first but I would not want a watered down modernized version (which can be purchased). I find if I read in chunks it starts to flow nicely. The characters have names like, "Evangelist", "Piety", "Talkative", "Faith", etc. So you know just where someone is coming from. I have marked up this book with pencil just like I do my scriptures! It is like reading one long parable in story form! Cool book. I'm glad to have found it.

We've read this book to our son and he has really enjoyed it. He doesn't yet fully understand everything and we had to stop and explain a lot to him, but it is something that we plan on reading over and over again as our kids continue to grow.
I read a review that stated that a main flaw in this book was the lack of one on one relationship with Christ. I can understand what they are saying, but I think what you have to keep in mind is that while we are here on earth and in our day and age we do not physically see Christ. He was once here walking and living on this earth, but He is now in heaven. He uses other means now to maintain a personal relationship with us. For example, we can know Christ through His word and through prayer. Just as in the book, He often also sends other Christians along in our life to help us and encourage us. This book is a good example of a walk of faith. We can't see and physically touch Christ right now, but when we are in heaven we WILL see Him just as Bunyan talks about in the book. Christian persevered in his walk without physically seeing Christ and he was rewarded in the end for his faith. For now, how much greater our reward is for those who have not seen Him and yet believed!

Every christian household should have this volume to read and share with the famiy. It never fails to bring me to tears when pilgrim falls before the cross and looses the burden of sin. It is a must have for every christian library and the additional insights from Bunyan are a added blessing!! I cannot say enough good things .....

We bought this for our young children (5-year old and 4-year old) as they were excited by the Pirates of the Caribbean movie trilogy.

We bought this book along with Pirateology: The Pirate Hunter's Companion last year. We take the books off the shelf every couple months and read through them for bedtime. The books will stay in our collection for years to come.

This book helps introduces kids to a large amount of new vocabulary but, more importantly, covers so much ground that it acts as a fantastic springboard to further study history or science.

This is an all around excellent book, I am completely satisfied with this purchase, and I highly recommend this book for the pirates enthusiast in your family!!

My adult daughter is mad about pirates. Her niece and nephew (6 and 10) bought this for her for Christmas. It was a hit.

This book is so interesting! I love it! My 5 y.o. daughter even loves this book!

I bought this for my 7 year old nephew who had a newfound fashion for all things Pirate. Being a book (at a birthday party) it didn't get his full attention until later on when he asked his parents to sit and read it to him.
Now it's a year later and I found out the book was a tremendous success from the get-go. He brought it into school to share with the class and every kid there wanted his own copy so phone calls were made and the hunt was on. A few parents were able to get a copy. My nephew and his friends dressed up as pirates and went together to see the latest Pirates... movie. Later my nephew was huddled with his special book, relishing all the details it provided. This book is interactive by design which makes the reading all the more personal and imaginative.