Florida Books

I have known Clyde Butcher for over 13 years. This second printing of Clyde's first book shows Butcher at his best. The images are stunning and seemingly leap right off the page. The book is beautifully printed and bound. You will love having it in your collection.

Mr.Butcher is a local artist here in Miami, and his work is stunning in its scale and detail. His use of large format cameras allows him to create an image that literally engulfs the viewer. If you have the chance to see a show of his, absolutely go and stand in front of his images. You'll swear you are in the everglades! His work is reasonably priced as well. He is truely a credit to his art and to the community,as he has a sincere desire to raise awareness of the environmental issues of the everglades. In short, buy the book.

Finally, an accurate account of the drug situation that took place around Miami, Bahamas and originating in Columbia. Interesting to read of the stand the Bahamian government played in all the dealings. An excellent read!

While reading the book you feel like you are there. Excellent book

This is a most worthy men-at-arms series; like the book's description says, it shows the much more colorful side to the uniforms of the Confederate Army. One man depicted in the color plates for Volume One that I found particularly interesting was a soldier in the Union Light Infantry, a SC unit based on the British Black Watch (42nd Royal Highlanders).
The plates are pretty much the highlight of this series, and show realistic looking soldiers surrounded by beautiful women and scenery, and baring all their various weapons. The text, nonetheless, reveals numerous interesting details. This is an excellent source on the uniforms and appearances of the soldiers of the Confederacy.

Osprey Publishing has issued Volume 5 of their popular book, The Confederate Army 1861-65. A part of their sprawling Men-at-Arms series (this is book #441 in that series), this one covers the uniforms and arms of troops from Tennessee and North Carolina. Written by Ron Field and lavishly illustrated with Richard Hook's watercolors, this book is a worthy addition to the Osprey family. Retailing for $15.95 here in the USA ($21 in Canada), the book has 48 pages, nearly all of them with period photographs or full color drawings.

The new book focuses on each state's antebellum militia and the hastily organized volunteer regiments that were pressed into Confederate service in the initial stages of the war. Using contemporary newspaper accounts, letters, state and local records, and early photographs, Ron Field presents an extensive array of early war military units, their uniforms and accoutrements, drawing heavily upon primary descriptions. He also takes a cursory, but interesting look at how the transition occurred from locally supplied clothing and equipment (which often varied widely from company to company) to state-issued regulation Confederate uniforms, particularly in North Carolina, where, by the end of the war, the term "ragged Rebel" would be made obsolete from the vast stores of supplies held by the state.



Field starts with Tennessee, looking at the outfitting of the militia and early volunteers in 1861, and examines the role various ladies aid societies played in clothing the soldiers of the Volunteer State. He then discusses the role of the state's Military and Financial Board in taking over the administration and logistics of supplying the troops. Field then shifts his focus to North Carolina, again discussing and characterizing the antebellum militia and contrasting them to how the state later took charge and made its forces appear more uniform in appearance. He also briefly compares winter clothing to summer issue for troops from both states.



The book includes a select bibliography for readers wanting to dive a little deeper into the outfitting of Confederate troops from Tennessee and North Carolina. The index is comprehensive, as is the discussion that accompanies the Richard Hook's illustrations. All in all, The Confederate Army 1861-85 (5) Tennessee and North Carolina (ISBN: 9781846031878) maintains the tradition of excellence we have come to expect from Osprey, and is well worth the modest investment.

I had such a good time reading this book. The tales remind me so very much of a former pastor of mine. It was a delight!

Very easy to read short stories from an ordained pastor, who has experience of many years of teaching as well as out in the field missionary work. His story telling is unparalleled, funny but always with a solid Christian based message.

I have personally known Dr. Gordy for a number of years and have had the blessing of receiving his powerful preaching and seeing his positive witness in Christian service. You can be sure,the stories he tells in this book, as humerous and unbelieveable as they sound, are true.

Salem's work is the first of its kind, and will be the one everybody is responding to for years. It is, quite simply, brilliant. How does the idea of Lebanon emerge in literary texts? What different concepts of Lebanon contest with each other in art and literature? What is Lebanon, and what is a "nation," anyway? The book treats literature, history, and politics together in one lucid, intelligent narrative. Salem's breadth of knowledge about the subject, and her ease and familiarity with the cultural landscape, are impressive. The argument contains a strong critique of power and of business interests that make capital out of war and suffering.

Many of the works of literature, drama, and music Salem discusses are analyzed here for the first time in English-an invaluable resource. Kahlil Gibran, something of a founding father of Lebanese culture, is treated unsentimentally and taken seriously, something that doesn't usually happen at the same time where he is concerned. The musical theater of the Rahbani brothers, the singing voice and iconic figure of Fayruz as well as the music of Marcel Khalife, Majida al-Roumi, Julia Boutros and others, Aql's poetry, the novels of Elias Khoury, Rachid al-Daif, Hanan al-Shaykh, Hoda Barakat, and many more, all get sophisticated critical attention here. Literature of the Lebanese civil war (1975-1990), of the Reconstruction period following the war, and right up to "the elusive present" are evaluated. Gender is always present as a thread of analysis. I am excited by the critique of Lebanese television programming in the satellite age and other aspects of mass media and pop culture-Salem is on the cutting edge of cultural studies.

_Constructing Lebanon_ is an ambitious, original, outstanding work. It is also an accessible, interesting book-not just for the specialist in literature or the Middle East, but for any intelligent reader.

Political histories of a nation usually ignore its literature or, at most, compress it into an ancillary chapter. For Elise Salem, however, the writings of Lebanese authors are inseparable from the origins of their country and the record of its recent turmoil. A Lebanese native now living in the United States, but frequently returning to the land of her origin, Salem possesses a unique perspective to write such an analysis. She knows the country's brief history and its political complexities intimately. A literary scholar, she demonstrates extensive and perceptive reading of a wide range of fiction, poetry, and drama, as well as awareness of musical theater productions. Her achievement in this book lies in her ability to demonstrate interrelationships, the ways in which literature has been a source of national identity and serves as an ongoing commentary on unsettling events.

Although the book's subject is Lebanon, Salem also hopes that it will be considered a representative study, with a methodology and a manner of understanding that can be applied to other nations. She notes that those who govern rarely consult their nation's body of writing, and she considers that a mistake: "Artists and intellectuals, often historically in a dubious relationship with the state, not only continue to imagine and hence extend the discourse of the nation but, in more palpable way, participate in remembering, recording, and transforming it."

Salem's eloquent Afterword reiterates, frames, and adds a rich dimension of commentary. It concludes with this possibility: "[These] provocative narratives suggest a new language, vocabulary, style, approach, and thematics that expand the possibilities for Lebanon. They are, after all, the nation's stories and, through fictions, the most telling." Literature was central to Lebanon's origin. Salem's hope is that it will be equally important in helping it face its present crises.

This book was superbly written by Seth Bramson. It is a five star book which I highly recommend. This book captures valuable historic photographs with precise detailed information educating us about the history, architecture, and important people of Coral Gables years ago.

this book also shows me a lot of old photos of the miami areas around old coral gables.

This book is an excellent resource for both the professional historian and archaeologist and the general reader, and I highly recommend it for several reasons.

First, the book provides both a synthetic treatment of Creek cosmology and beliefs and the original stories, myths and legends, in multiple versions, as told by Creek informants themselves. No history can be complete without the inclusion of multiple viewpoints, and Grantham is careful to include all known versions of each Creek tale for comparison and comprehension.

Second, the book makes an excellent, concise, comparative study of the beliefs of the Creeks and those of other Native American groups of the Southeast and elsewhere, and is quite good at noting elements which are common to them all. In terms of understanding the growth of Creek culture as such from those Native American groups encountered at the time of contact, this comparative study is both important and helpful.

Third, Grantham covers not only the "myths and legends" of the title, but the actual ways in which these tales were incorporated into the daily lives, practice, and ritual of the Creek people, and in which their systems of belief were reflected in their daily lives. It helps the modern reader, specialist or interested layperson, remember that systems of belief are a part of daily life in a way that many traditional archaeological or historical studies do not fully recognize.

For anyone interested in Native American cultural studies, history, or archaeology, particularly those cultures of the Southeast, I highly recommend this book.

Dr. Grantham, a Creek Indian himself, spent years carefully researching SE Indian myths and legends, and has pulled together both the modern and the ancient into one book. If you are a professor or just interested in Creek Indian myths and legends, buy this book! The book is well organized, reads beautifully, and is perfect for professors seeking to teach this subject. The organization of the book enables the student to refer back and forth through various topics, and includes a useful dictionary and phonetic guide. It is excellent for the classroom or your personal library.

I've had this book for about 20 years and loved it. It's not for the inexperienced cook, but it is well written and it is easy to follow. It challenges even the experienced cook. Great illustrations of final presentation makes deciding what to serve easy. Wonderful book and now I have to replace mine, because mine was destroyed while overseas.

I have had this cook book for about 12 years now and am always pulling it out for new ideas and yummy recipies. Even though I'm no longer a novice and can cook without a recipe now, this book has been one of my favorites since I purchased it. It has color photos and detailed instructions to help anyone prepare successful, mouthwatering recipes. I like the fact that The Creative Cooking Course book not only covers all areas of the culinary arts, but general information on tools, kitchen arrangement, equipment, as well. I highly recommend it! D. Wood - Atlanta, GA

This book collects so many important and pivotal works. I bought it for a literary theory class nearly ten years ago, and I've returned to it again and again.

I would just like to point out that seminal essays from both Saussere and Derrida ARE included in this survey of critical theory. Background information and suggested further readings are provided for both theorists as well.

If you want the best of the "local skinny" then study Claiborne Young's guides that range from NC down and around Florida to the northern Gulf of Mexico. He writes and reports from personal visits and calls them as he sees them . . with no advertising clients interests to serve or cater to.
Another MUST and his Florida Keys guide is really up to date covering storm impacts from 2004 and 2005.

Super book and a must have book. If Claiborne says be cautious in an area, you better be cautious. We used it extensively and it is a must have book. A little more information on best places to stay for taking a trip to the Bahamas would be a good tie-into that route. St. John's River