History Books

Crazy Horse has held a deep and sacred passion for me since childhood, I thoroughly enjoyed Mari Sandoz's book but can not understand why her account has Hump dying at the hands of the Snake's and in a time frame before Crazy Horse's own death(1877), one has only to read Dee Brown's "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" and view a photo of Hump dated in 1890 at Fort Bennett, South Dakota, additional research indicates that Hump died long after Crazy Horse. It would be greatly appreciated if someone could clarify this for me.

I must say what a noble man. I just wish there was more about him. it was a beautiful story. one that should be read in every highschool along with sitting bulls bio, black elks six grandfather etc.

The 5 star reviews are right-on. When I first read "Crazy Horse" six years ago, I ranked it as one of my two favorite books ("Grapes of Wrath" being the other). One hundred books later and it still retains that ranking in my list, along with Grapes and, now, Katz's "Battleground" (a bullet-proof presentation of Jewish claims to Eretz Israel) and Fischer's "Paul Revere's Ride" (which brings that event to life brilliantly). Sandoz writes and retells magnificently. This is a great book.

I had never read Mari Sandoz so I can't compare this to her other books. The writing style is unique and pleasant. It is a very interesting, and unfortunately sad story about Indian life on the great plains. The book seems very well researched and therefore more interesting to read since it is about history. The Indians suffered strategically from a lack of organization, but their whole life style was about independence and in fact a much more pure form of democracy in selecting and de-selecting their leaders. In reading the story with regard to the lies and deceipt of the white men it reminded me that world politics and war is no different today than then. Crazy Horse had attributes that leaders should aspire to, he wanted to help his people and he was not vain about himself as leader. In the end he was tricked into surrender by his own people.

I thought it was one of the best books of Indian life and history that I have read.

Little is known about Crazy Horse in comparison to other legendary chiefs, warriors and heroes due to the quiet-spoken and solitude-seeking nature he possessed. Indeed, Crazy Horse was considered "strange" due to standing true to his ideals and who he really was, instead of the conventional ways of others no matter how traditional. Born of lighter hair and skin, young Curly stood out as different from the beginning of his days. Most humble and purely strong and good-hearted, Crazy Horse grew to be the truest and most brilliant leader of the Lakotas. Self-sacrificing even to the bitter end, Crazy Horse earned his place of honor as a hero to be respected.

Combining interview information of Eleanor Hinman with survivors who knew Crazy Horse, with Mari Sandoz's meticulous research, gives "Crazy Horse: The Strange Man of The Oglalas" clout in accuracy of detail and fact in the day and time of Crazy Horse. I very highly recommend this book.

This is a must-have in your personal library. A complete book from E. Allan Poe. AMAZING!

As a child, I couldn't put any of Poe's short stores down, now a few decades later, nothing much has changed. I was thrilled to add this book to my collection, it is well made, and comprehensive collection. All of this at a great price.

The book arrived just in time and it is in excelent conditions. This edition contain all my favorites works of Edgar Allan Poe. I recommend it!

Despite all who have attempted the genre since, Poe remains the supreme master of the horrific short story. From this collection I select "Berenice" to comment on, not only because it is a classic example of Poe, but also because it deals with a subject so typically his, that of obsession.
There is little point in trying not to "spoil" a Poe story by avoiding telling the final outcome, for in this story, as in much of his work, the fascination lies not in a teasing or elaborate plot leading to a surprise revelation, but in morbid, gristly dwelling on the awful texture of misery, melancholia and near madness. One can read them repeatedly, and they still taste satisfyingly rank and vile.
In this short story of brooding obsession, Egaeus looses his wife, Berenice, to illness, and in a fit of abstraction and obsession opens her grave and rips out the part of her that his mind has fixated upon: her teeth. Nasty and simple, but unforgettable.
There is little joy in Poe's world. Love, hope and happiness are only shown as a prelude to loss, to provide a fading dusk against which the blackness of the tragic end stands out more clearly.
It's interesting that some of Poe's readers complained to the editor when Berenice was published in the Southern Literary Messenger in 1935. This was early in Poe's career, and he reports the subscription list of this periodical as 700. In December of that year he was made editor, and by the time he left the subscription list numbered 5,500. Obviously then, as now, there was quite an appetite for horror amongst readers.

Graham Worthington, author, Wake of the Raven

I've bought a few complete Poe collections over the years, and this one is my favorite. The font size is not squashed down to save pages at the expense of my eyes, and it does seem to be complete. It's also an attractively put together book.

Poe is essential reading for anyone interested in horror, and for any apsiring writer. He not only is a master of horror, but he's credited as being the inventor of the detective story.

"The Raven", "The Pit and the Pendulum", "The Cask of Amontillado", "The Black Cat", "The Masque of the Red Death", "The Murders in the Rue Morgue", and everything else you're looking for plus stories and poems you may never have heard of yet are all in here.

This is a great volume at a great price. I'd also recommend: The Best of H. P. Lovecraft: Bloodcurdling Tales of Horror and the Macabre, Cold Streak, It (Signet Books), Coraline, & Edgar A. Poe: Mournful and Never-ending Remembrance.

Sin duda es una de las mejores novelas que jamás se han escrito.
En ella se puede encontrar un relato sobre las guerras
napoleónicas y la participación de Rusia en ellas, pero también
un retrato de la vida de la alta sociedad rusa de la época. Estas
situaciones tan diversas están narradas con una gran viveza.
Aprovechando el trasfondo histórico de la novela, Tolstoi nos
proporciona también sus visiones sobre la Historia y
el papel que los hombres representan en ella. Estas impresiones

no rompen la narración, sino que la complementan de forma
magistral.
El gran volumen de la novela puede asustar a algunos lectores,
pero en el caso de esta novela merece la pena: cada página se
lee con verdadero placer.

Sin duda es una de las mejores novelas que jamás se han escrito.
En ella se puede encontrar un relato sobre las guerras
napoleónicas y la participación de Rusia en ellas, pero también
un retrato de la vida de la alta sociedad rusa de la época. Estas
situaciones tan diversas están narradas con una gran viveza.
Aprovechando el trasfondo histórico de la novela, Tolstoi nos
proporciona también sus visiones sobre la Historia y
el papel que los hombres representan en ella. Estas impresiones

no rompen la narración, sino que la complementan de forma
magistral.
El gran volumen de la novela puede asustar a algunos lectores,
pero en el caso de esta novela merece la pena: cada página se
lee con verdadero placer.

Sin duda es una de las mejores novelas que jamás se han escrito.
En ella se puede encontrar un relato sobre las guerras
napoleónicas y la participación de Rusia en ellas, pero también
un retrato de la vida de la alta sociedad rusa de la época. Estas
situaciones tan diversas están narradas con una gran viveza.
Aprovechando el trasfondo histórico de la novela, Tolstoi nos
proporciona también sus visiones sobre la Historia y
el papel que los hombres representan en ella. Estas impresiones

no rompen la narración, sino que la complementan de forma
magistral.
El gran volumen de la novela puede asustar a algunos lectores,
pero en el caso de esta novela merece la pena: cada página se
lee con verdadero placer.

Sin duda es una de las mejores novelas que jamás se han escrito.
En ella se puede encontrar un relato sobre las guerras
napoleónicas y la participación de Rusia en ellas, pero también
un retrato de la vida de la alta sociedad rusa de la época. Estas
situaciones tan diversas están narradas con una gran viveza.
Aprovechando el trasfondo histórico de la novela, Tolstoi nos
proporciona también sus visiones sobre la Historia y
el papel que los hombres representan en ella. Estas impresiones

no rompen la narración, sino que la complementan de forma
magistral.
El gran volumen de la novela puede asustar a algunos lectores,
pero en el caso de esta novela merece la pena: cada página se
lee con verdadero placer.

Sin duda es una de las mejores novelas que jamás se han escrito.
En ella se puede encontrar un relato sobre las guerras
napoleónicas y la participación de Rusia en ellas, pero también
un retrato de la vida de la alta sociedad rusa de la época. Estas
situaciones tan diversas están narradas con una gran viveza.
Aprovechando el trasfondo histórico de la novela, Tolstoi nos
proporciona también sus visiones sobre la Historia y
el papel que los hombres representan en ella. Estas impresiones

no rompen la narración, sino que la complementan de forma
magistral.
El gran volumen de la novela puede asustar a algunos lectores,
pero en el caso de esta novela merece la pena: cada página se
lee con verdadero placer.

In my home, if you don't love Jane Austen you just don't fit in. I support my mother who has loved Jane Austen since childhood, having read every one of her novels many, many times. I, myself, have only read them a few times. Not only has my mother read Jane's novels, but also read just about every biography written about her and the letters Jane shared with her sister and other family members. I really thought there was nothing left in the realm of Jane Austen that my mother might enjoy until I saw this book in the library. With a title like "Jane Austen for Dummies" I was a little hesitant. However, as my mother read the book, cross referenced the material with data in the biographies and letters and the re-read the novels I learned that this book was well done and a must have.

For those who are not quite so in to Jane Austen as my mother, let me share with you some of what this book contains. You learn about the do's and don'ts of society in the 1800s. You learn about child rearing and parties and how young ladies behaved in company. After you read this book and then watch one of the Hollywood movies based on a Jane Austen novel you'll shout out loud "She would NEVER do that!". You might even attempt to read some of Austen's novels with a new understanding of her wit and charm. Even if you don't care for Jane Austen novels, if you enjoy the occasional "historical" novel, read through this book. You'll enjoy it immensely and get a chuckle as you see modern authors subtle mistakes.

"Jane Austen For Dummies", by Joan Klingel Ray, manages to be a gentle introduction to Jane Austen for those unfamiliar with her work, and a goldmine of interesting information for those already addicted to her novels.

In carefully chosen, sometimes tongue-in-cheek prose, Ray introduces the reader to Miss Jane Austen, the author. We find out why her carefully crafted novels have been such a continuing success all these many years. We learn the social manners and customs that underlay her romantic comedies. We discover the harsh realities of the politics of courtship that provide the drama in the lives of Jane Austen's distinctive heroines. At the end of the book, Joan Klingel Ray offers her opinions on the sequel novels and various film adaptations of Jane Austen's work. Although dated 2006, Ray was able to forecast the productions aired on PBS Masterpiece Theater in 2008.

Ray uses the "...For Dummies" format to good effect. The student in a hurry can scan through the principal points, while the Jane Austen fan may wish to linger over some of the trivia and the literary criticism. Although the popular novels "Pride and Prejudice" and "Emma" get their due, so do the more complex "Mansfield Park" and the rather abbreviated "Persuasion", written when Austen was already suffering from the disease that killed her. This reviewer thoroughly enjoyed the tour, although he wishes Ray had been a little less harsh on the visually lush but compressed storyline of the 2005 film version of "Pride and Prejudice."

"Jane Austen For Dummies" is very highly recommended as a study guide for high school and college English Lit students, and for Jane Austen fans looking for the next good read.

This is an awesome book. Everything you ever wanted to know about Jane Austen, her novels and the customs, environment, habits, etc. for the settings of her novels as well as for the setting of her own background is in this book. I practically read it from cover to cover when I first sat down with it. I had gotten it from my local library, read it, told a friend about it, loaned the library copy to her, bought my own copy. She read it from cover to cover also - couldn't put it down. Fascinating!!

Answers such questions as:
Why were some ladies/'Ladys' referred to by their last name and why were some referred to by their first name - i.e. Lady Jane or Lady Smitherman (if the lady was a LADY and her name was Jane Smitherman)?

What was the MAIN indicator re: whether a man was wealthy or not?

Lots of information defining each main character of each of her 6 main novels throughout the book.

If you are a Jane Austen aficionado or just want to know more about her and/or her writings - GET THIS BOOK!

A fantastic, light, accessible, engaging, and easy-to-read guide to Jane Austen, her life, her world, her novels, and her impact on our world. I have read all of Jane's books and some of her biographies, but this book still provided new information for me, explaining things I only had a vague idea about (concerning her characters and the world/manners). Whether traveling through Gregorian England or contemporary England, this book is a real help. My only complaint is that the author does do some interpretation of Jane that I might disagree with (i.e. characters, etc.) without making it clear that it was interpretation. Otherwise, a great read, for both the seasoned reader and the reader just beginning to dabble in Jane. I definitely will be recommending this one to friends. Grade: A-

Interesting background. More indept than I thought as it included societal and economic restraints

Anyone with a background in Boy Scouting will love and appreciate this book. Oh my gosh, the memories that it brought back. I will definitely read this again.

A great read, very uplifting.
Captures the positive difference that Eagle Scouts and Boy Scouts create in our world.

This is a priceless book for someone who is into scouting or who is an Eagle Scout. I bought this book for a family member who was extremely pleased. I would highly recommend purchasing this book!

A second class scout, I left Scouting at 16, became a father at 21, joined as an adult leader when my eldest of two sons turned 11. Two months later, the Scoutmaster announced at a Court of Honor that his job had gone away and I was taking over as Scoutmaster, and I was too surprised to say no. Steve came home from his first meeting and announced that he was going to be an Eagle Scout as soon as he could, and two years and 4 months later, his mother pinned his Eagle on his shirt, and I, as his Scoutmaster, MC'd his Eagle Court of Honor. His younger brother took a longer route, with more encouragement, and after I despaired of his ever getting there, he decided he also wanted the honor, and had his board of review the eve before his 18th birthday. I bought 3 copies of the book, after reading it, to give one each to my two Eagles, and one to the troop, which I still serve as a troop leader and counselor for several merit badges, in the hope that it will encourage several more boys to achieve. Years later, their Eagle awards opened doors for my sons, and in a way, I am still "paying thier dues".
As an adult leader, I have organised and led our sons and others to most of the high adventure bases, and many other high adventure trips, and as many of those quoted in the book, get more out of Scouting than I put in.

Legacy of Honor: The Values and Influence of America's Eagle Scouts This is a great book for all Eagle Scouts, both new and old. Makes a great gift for a new Eagle. Solidifies the importance of the rank of Eagle latter in life. I bought two and gave them to knew Eagles. It was a great hit. Not likely to be a duplicate gift and something to refer back to as the scout gets older.

This resource is for anyone desiring to deepen their faith in Christ and receive a deeper understanding of the knowledge of the Truth of God's written word.

This item was delivered in a timely manner in very good condition as was stated. I am very pleased - Thank you

This book has been an excellent resource for my bible studies. It's very informative and priced reasonable. I recommend it to all who study the bible. I appreciate the preview on the store site, it sealed my purchased. I'm not disapointed I bought this book.

This is the best bible dictionary I have ever purchased. The definitions
are easy to understand. It is well worth the money.

What a difference when used in conjunction with your Bible. This is an excellent tool for study

I could not put the book down.....fast reading and great stories and lots of humor.....one heck of a story teller....

As a Red Sox fan, I was ready to read this and get whacked in the face with the hubris usually shown by anything Yankee. I was surprised by the balance shown. Marty Appel knows more about baseball than a lot of people running the game now. He was born about 30 years too late as people like Epsteil, Beane and Riccardi get to run ballclubs, while Mr. Appel 30 years ago had to come up through the ranks with Steinbrenner's Yankees no less. Mr. Appel also wrote an excellent biography on one of the first superstarts of baseball back in the 1800's--King Kelly. I recommend both books highly.

Marty Appel served in the Bronx Bombers' public-relations office for nearly nine years, and was the PR director during the tumultuous early George Steinbrenner years (from 1974 to 1977). Appel's "Now Pitching For the Yankees" recalls the turmoil of that period -- and Appel's ability to function under pressure --with wit, a keen eye for detail and sensitivity.

None of the long hours Appel spent at the ballpark, the turmoil he witnessed, or the high-pressure tactics of owner Steinbrenner have dimmed his appreciation for his colleagues and bosses. It comes through in the pages of this warm, often touching memoir.

The boldface names are there -- including Steinbrenner, Mickey Mantle, Billy Martin, Joe DiMaggio and Reggie Jackson -- along with less-famous but pivotal Yankee characters like clubhouse man Pete Sheehy, team execs Michael Burke and Gabe Paul, and Appel's mentor in public relations, Bob Fishel. (It even mentions the writers: Appel's anecdote about one scribe's losing battle with bladder control in Boston is priceless.)

Appel also reflects on his vibrant post-Yankees career, including a bittersweet period with the Atlanta Olympics and a still-thriving stint as a baseball author (subjects include early baseball star King Kelly, former Commissioner Bowie Kuhn and former Yankee captain Thurman Munson).

"Now Pitching for the Yankees" is a good find for anyone who loves baseball, cherishes its history and appreciates the people behind the scenes who make it happen.

Only if you really know your New York sports would you realize that Marty Appel's in a much more unique position to write a tell-all book about the 1970s Yankees than many other athletes. During his progression over 10 years from Yankees' fan-mail gopher during the Horace Clarke years, to PR director during the 1976 World Series, Appel had once-in-a-lifetime encounters (with the likes of Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Mike Burke, Gabe Paul, George Steinbrenner and ... Oscar Gamble) every single day.

"Now Pitching...", finally out in paperback, shows Appel's origins as a Yankees fan when everyone else was rooting for the Brooklyn Dodgers, and how he turned his love for the game into a career (when everyone else was watching the NFL). Most of the book covers the Yankees from 1968 to 1976, Appel's reign. Although many of the stories are familiar to baseball readers from what seems like 100 other books, only Appel is giving you the inside view. Nowhere else will you get such insider detail about Oscar Gamble's infamous haircut, Sparky Lyle's theme music, or George Steinbrenner's management style.

The book flags a little -- only a little -- when Appel leaves the Yankees and makes his mark in other ventures, such as team tennis and local NYC broadcasting. The most interesting part focusses on Appel's brief fish-out-of-water turn with the 1996 Atlanta Olympics organizers.

Marty Appel's been a very lucky guy -- who else gets to be friends with both Mickey Mantle and Billie Jean King? "Now Pitching for the Yankees" is several cuts above your standard baseball autobiography.

Posted 5:49 p.m., December 12, 2001 - Bruce M.
If I may add another book to the list. The best baseball book that I've read this calendar year is Marty Appel's Now Pitching for the Yankees. Marty worked in the Yankees' public relations department from 1968 to 1977, and shares loads of funny and insightful stories about the CBS Yankees and the Yankees of the Steinbrenner Era. The book is well-written, flows smoothly, and strikes me as honest without "hatcheting" people in and around baseball. I'd recommend the book to both Yankee and non-Yankee fans.

I ordered this book from Focus on the Family and began it in 2007. Every day challenged me to pursue Christian living on a higher level. Some days gave me historical glimpses that contradicted the teachings that have been politically taught in schools. There were a couple of instances wherein ancient Hebrew dates may have been presumed rather than known for certain but all in all I highly recommend it to Christians who are determined to know the truth.

It's an awe inspiring book. I can't just read one a day and I've given out several to friends.

The One Year Christian History is not an exhaustive "greatest hits" of Christian History nor is it intended to be. What it is is a book that offers bite-sized glimpses into the people and events that make up the rich history of the Christian faith. Although I would not recommend this book for anyone looking for an in depth daily devotion, I would recommend it for anyone who wants an interesting book laid out in an easy to read format for daily reading.

This book was given to us by friends. It is fascinating, and the stories are inspiring. We read it every day as part of our devotional. We have given copies to friends and adult children. Very worthwhile.

"The One Year Christian History" presents 365 stories of importance to Christians down through the ages. They range from the Christ's Passion in 33 A.D. to the stories of reformers, missionaries, soldiers, pacifists, hymn writers, martyrs, and others. The list covers topics as varried as pacifist Anabaptists who died for their faith to the conversion of Mitsuo Fuchida (see the book "From Pearl Harbor to Golgotha") to the inspiringly sad letter a martyred missionary wrote to her family during the Boxer Rebellion. People as diverse as G.F. Handle, William Wilberforce, Billy Graham, and Gladys Alyward appear in the book. While not perfect and leaving out many important Christians and events, I recommend this volume as an interesting and fascinating roll through events in Christian (especially Protestant) history.

This marvelous book came into my life almost twenty years ago and remains my favorite book to this day. I have reread many sections many times, and even with the advances in science that have arisen since the publication of this book, it remains deeply informative and philosophically rewarding. For all those who seek to investigate life on earth from its many facets, this is a book to treasure. I only wish Guy Murchie had lived long enough for me to thank him personally!

Murchie's grasp of the topics and his fluid writing make this an enjoable adventure into our world and ourselves. A little science, a little philosophy come together to help the reader evaluate his/her place in the cosmos.

This book is a lyrical synthesis of science, philosophy, and religious traditions that could only be authored by a visionary & poetic personality of the highest caliber. Guy Murchie spent seventeen years pulling this 650 page book together; and the labor of love & dedication really shows through the entire text - his erudition is vast, yet completely accessible.

The Seven Mysteries of Life is structured as a triad: Body, Mind, and the Seven Mysteries. In this non-linear exploration of the fabric of existence, Murchie weaves and interconnects the evolutionary immensity of the universe such that, in the concluding chapter, the purpose of our lives on this earth is convincingly described as a soul-school (a spiritual boot camp I suppose).

Not only does Murchie elaborate on our accumulated knowledge of life, world, and universe; he crystallizes it all into little gems of wisdom. This book might be looked at as if it were a unification theory of mystery and existence; its incredibly comprehensive scope will certainly alter the way you look at the reasons for your existence.

Infinite thanks to Guy Murchie for this vastly generous labor of a lifetime . . .


Parataxis

Extracts: A Field Guide for Iconoclasts

The Cloud Reckoner

I searched for a book like this one day, and on that day, the first day found this book. And I dont think I could have found a better book in years of searching. Fate brought this book to me.

This book explains the physical and spiritual worlds together as a flowing entity. I have never read a more enticing book about scientific explaination mixed with spiritual exploration.

My life was changed by this book, and I am more than happy by what I learned reading it. The things I'd like to say about this book can not all be described in one review.

My son is a philosophy student at Duke and insisted I read this book. Of course, I resisted diving into a 650 page book, but I have to admit that it was facinating.

As a former science student (zoology and dentistry), we often do a little "recreational arguing," but this book really ties alot of things together.

No, it won't answer all of lifes questions, but it sure will make you think about a lot of coincidences.

Skip around, read the sections that interest you, go back to some chapters.

Great, great book.

If you are a fan of just about any kind of music, you've heard a Fender Strat. This book covers all the details of one of the music world's most iconic images, the Fender Stratocaster. This is another book that I can't seem to put down. This book will make you want to run out and buy a Strat even if you can't play. I am just really learning the guitar after first picking one up over twenty-eight years ago. Buying this book really helped my decision to buy my first Strat, and it probably won't be my last.

This is a must-have book if you are a collector, musician, or a fan of Strat-playing musicians.

This is a very well researched and well written book. All of Tom Wheeler's guitar and amp books are terrific. I also have the companion Fender Amp book which is a "must have" for enthusiasts and collectors.

Incredible book. The whole story of the Fender Strat and Fender Musical Co., beautiful pictures and a deep analisys on different versions of who designed what!!! A lot of people have different versions of the story but at the end the picture is so much clearer. I tell you, this book is only for hardcore strat fans or collectors. 100% Recommended!!

Sometimes I think the rarest book of all is any good book on musical instruments. The market is FULL of make-a-quick-buck enthusiast books with poor content, bad writing, and indifferent quality. This one is a refreshing exception. It's a sweeping survey of the strat's history, but it's a good one, is very readable, and the pictures are excellent. I have to agree with another reviewer, though, that the accompanying CD is forgettable. It doesn't detract from the book itself, however. Well worth your while.

The Stratocaster Chronicles: Celebrating 50 Years of the Fender Strat

I ordered this book for my son-in-law. He is a working musician, the owner of 30+ guitars, and the Strat is his favorite guitar (he owns several). The book arrived when promised and in perfect condition.
Having been a guitarist in my own younger life I perused the book before wrapping and mailing it. It's a stunning beautiful look at the iconic guitar of a generation, and one which continues to stun us with the purity of its sound and the simple beauty of its shape.