Kansas Books

Any one who has been involved in youth ministry or even has been involved with students will be able to laugh out loud at these jokes and illustrations. They are so true that I could relate to nearly every situation. Consider two of my favorites: you might be a youth workewr if you've ever convinced the church treasurer that water balloons and bungee cords are minsitry expenses; If someone says "lock-in" but you hear "purgatory", you might be a youth worker. I guarantee that you will love this book and that it will provide countless hours of humor. It is especially good for those days when you really feel ministry taking a toll on you. Enjoy!

Diane Stafford offers excellent career advice in Your Job, advice that outplacement firms charge executives thousands of dollars for their services. Professors who teach corporate communications, technical writing, or job-search courses would do well to make her book required reading to supplement the often out-dated advice in textbooks. All serious career searchers, whether down-sized executives or college graduates, should buy, read, and heed Diane Stafford's advice.

A book that has stood the test of time. First released in 1965, it hasn't dated at all. A true account of the brutal slaying of four members of a rural Kansas family and the subsequent apprehension of the murderous duo. A fascinating, highly-engaging, harrowing, and moving tale of evil that lurks within the hearts of men.

The book proved to be highly controversial upon its release since it seemed to make a genuine effort not only to understand the social factors that help shape the making of a psychopath, but also to understand the points-of-view, however horrifying and disgusting as they maybe, of the perpetrators of the crime.

Though, this novel does not overtly give away the fact, but Truman Capote got deeply involved with the killers who had slain the Kansas family. In particular, he felt very strongly for Perry Smith, whom he thought had a very similar childhood as his own. Capote used to say that Perry and him lived in the same house as children, and the only reason their lives took different directions was the fact that Capote chose to exit that house from the front, while Perry chose the back door.

This was an amazing story. I had seen the movie "Capote" and decided that I must read the story myself. It was amazing. Held my interest from page one. I couldn't put it down. It came out in the 50's but is actually timeless. I highly recommend it.

I read this book because it is on the Modern Library's Top 100 Non-Fiction List. I thought for a true crime-drama, that the story was very well written. I think he gives the reader a glance into the mind of a psychopathic murderer. He gives sympathy where sympathy is due; to the unfortunate Clutter family that was tragically murdered. The man who can kill for no reason other than just to experience the thrill of killing, is a man that doesn't deserve to live. The same goes for his accomplice. I was glad in the end when they were hung. Neither man seemed to show any remorse.

Capote is good at giving an unbiased account of the story as well, he seems to tell both sides of the story, from the beginning how the Clutter family lived, to the killers and what motivated them. There's enough information to give the reader, either empathy or profound disgust for the killers. For example when the jurors are deliberating, Capote gives us dialogue from two journalists; one feels sympathy for the murderers, the other only contempt and disgust. But without a doubt when the book is finished the most profound sympathy is for the murdered family, as Dewey imagines how Nancy Clutter would've been as a young beautiful college student. It's tragic, but it also makes for a very good read.

Now, I know this book is historically significant as one of the first "true crime" novels - a founder of the non-fiction novel genre - but that wasn't really important to me. I prefer to read things without historical context and judge how they hold up to modern standards. That said, I enjoyed the book a lot. This novel took an interesting twist from the usual crime story fare: the reader knows up front who was murdered and who did it. The only questions are "why" (and to some extent "what exactly happened"). Risky, I think, because it is tough to build suspense when the outcome is certain. But it worked well here for the most part.

The beginning was by far the slowest section of the book, with Capote taking his time setting up the scene and describing the family. I know he tried very hard to get us attached to the characters quickly - perhaps a little too hard? Things really started to pick up around Part 2 when Capote set into a detailed profile of the killers. This was interesting stuff! The organization was executed well, and I liked the shifts between character perspectives.

The third part blew me away. I won't say much about it, except that I would have cried if I hadn't been on a plane at the time. It was that moving. The last section was mostly just intellectually interesting. The book left quite a bit for me to think on. Unfortunately I don't want to share those thoughts here, because I'd be giving away story elements!

In the end, I think, Capote wanted to use his book as a commentary on the death penalty and American violence. For me, it didn't exactly succeed in either of those aspects. But what it did do was to provide a sound, well-researched and interesting psychological profile of two very different killers involved in the same crime. Yes, some parts dragged, and (I felt) the writing was at times flat, but all in all a worthy read.

The classic true crime book written by the famed Truman Capote earned its place in history as the first book of its nature - an attempt to combine journalism with storytelling for the purpose of creating a compelling tale. In this sense, the book doesn't disappoint at all. It was well chronicled and sometimes even overly inclusive of the facts, testimonies, and articles published from various accounts surrounding the murder that this book covered.

I was greatly interested in the pyschological picture painted of the two men who were guilty of the murder and I was also equally interested in the way the book was organized. From the beginning, the reader not only knows exactly who was to be killed, but also who was to do it.

On the other hand, the way the story was told was through what seemed to this reader to be long winded paragraphs portraying things such as the architecture, weather, or setting which didn't seem to add to the story in any way for me (though, in his favor, I must say that it also didn't take away from the story either).

Also, while I am someone who is 100 percent against the death penalty, it was somewhat off-putting that the last half of the 4th part seemed to be nothing but propaganda against the death penalty. I did feel that this took away from the author's intent which I understand to be to tell the story, as objectively as possible, presented as factual while still making it compelling. Besides the death penalty propaganda, this was achieved.

Since his writing of this book, more true crime stories have followed, some in which this reader even prefers. However, one must take into account while reading this book the risk Capote took while undertaking such a risk in writing and appreciate and respect him as an author for making that risk work.

It was just a normal day for Aeriel, a servant, having to complete her chores. This time she was with her mistress, Eoduin, collecting flowers upon a mountain.

Both girls were told numerous times about the dangerous creatures that roam the earth, although neither ever took them seriously. But one story, the one Bomba had so urgently told them, about the Darkangel, the vampyre who takes the souls of innocent, beautiful women, became a reality for the girls.

While up high in the mountains, with very little capability to see or hear, the Darkangel swoops down to capture Eoduin.

This does not bode well with Eoduin's parents or Aeriel. Wanting to seek revenge, Aeriel goes back up the mountain to confront the Darkangel, only to discover that he captured Eoduin to become his thirteenth bride. Unable to complete her task, the Darkangel then captures Aeriel, not to become his bride but to be his servant.

Aeriel soon learns that once the Darkangel captures his fourteenth bride, his powers will be fully developed.

And so begins Aeriel's journey to not only save her life, but the lives and souls of the thirteen other girls -- and to prevent the Darkangel from seeking his last bride.

From the very beginning, readers will be enticed by the dark and mysterious world created by Pierce, where no one is safe. The author's great use of detail creates vivid images that will haunt the reader and leave them wanting more.

Reviewed by: Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen

this book cant be judged by its cover though it did draw my attention when i saw it laying on a book shelf at the library. the cover made me wonder.
the summary gives you the story but the adventure you have to read the book to get. it doesn't sound copied from another book or stolen from another fairytale.
at first it sounded like it was going to be a romance book, but it is really not. i would rather put it under "adventure". i liked that the girls journey was long and had a bunch of issues along the way. i was sure i knew the vampire's fate, but i was wrong. some pieces were predictable and some made me, like, 'oh, wasn't expecting that'. this is not your average fairytale.
i think adults would find it boring and too easy to read. but hey, it depends on the reader right?
i advise you to read the next two books in this trilogy if you like the first. actually even if you don't like he first you may find your self wondering about the fate of the vampire and his wife at night. you can likely pick them up at your library.

This is a beautifully written fairy tale that teaches young girls to stick by evil, animal and women abusing men because there may be that "small spark of good"...and even die for them if necessary. I cannot believe how horrifying the end is. THINK PEOPLE. Just because someone writes something amazingly well does not mean that the message is a good one. Enough of this beauty and the beast trash. Too many women in this world are sticking by "monsters", waiting for that little, tiny spark of good to surface. What a shame that this much talent was used to foster such a dangerous, tired message.

Wow, I really just don't know where this story lost my interest. The concept as pitched on the back cover was intriguing. The writing, though it felt a bit forced and overly complicated to feel old and fantastical had its charms. The story itself was completely creative in just about every way if not a bit of a beauty and the beast rip off. Yet...although I can't quite put my finger on it I just could not commit to this book. I finished it, but really disliked it. The characters were far from engaging and because of the cardboard style of writing I just could not relate to a single one of them. This might have been helped with a bit more romance or at least sexual draw between the icarus and main heroine but most of the book was spent with her wondering around the castle or on her quest. Some of the storyline was just plain weird like Never ending story meets Clive Barker (I mean...ripping out hearts and switching them...huh?) Maybe it was too far removed from reality for me to appreciate it for what it was. I would not recommend this to teens unless they are appreciators of the classical fairytale stories. I do not feel compelled to read the other installments. If you are looking for a supernatural/dark romance YA novel this is definitely not it. I would then direct you to The Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer, the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead or the Tithe Modern Fairy Tale series by Holly Black.

One of those hybrid sort of books. Throw in fantasy, horror, and a bit of SF, and see what you get. Something like a little of the later Tepper, perhaps. Slightly phantasmagorical, or something like that.

Anyway, I didn't find it too compelling, and struggled through the maid's quest for her boss who has been taken by the Darkangel vampire guy.

The book was in good condition and was shipped in a timely manner.
The story was not to my liking and does not compare with the author's
book "The Bronze Horseman".

For me, this book started off a bit slow. I thought it was kind of cheesy or too intense in the first bit. But it didn't take long for me to get so involved in it! It is a long book and I read it very quickly because I had to know what would happen. It is a very real book and I really connected with the characters. It is great! As are her other books, but this is her best in my opinion.

I had read her "Bronze Horseman" and "Tatiana and Alexander" so was curious to see how her first effort was. It was long, as are all her works. After a slow start, it was worth reading but don't expect everyone to live happily ever after. In that it is like real life, but some readers don't like that in a fiction book. I enjoyed it and was glad that I read it. Not as good as the others I read, though.

This was by far one of my favorite books ever! I have already read it several times and I just ordered a new copy. Once I started this book, I could not stop reading! Truly a great story :)

This story left me depressed and frustrated. I felt compassion for Tully in the beginning, and kept reading, waiting for the book to show Tully rising above her abused past, but by the end of the book I only felt sorry for the 'victims' of Tully's selfishness and destruction. If only there would have been a few more silver linings in the never ending dark clouds. It is an interesting depiction of what it would be like to care about a person who comes from an abusive past.

This is such a great book. I loved the raw reality of it. Painful at times, recalling the angst of youth. I've given this book to two girlfriends I thought would especially enjoy it. Well written, can't wait to read Laura's next one.

This book is written from the point of view of a little girl, Evelyn who, at the age of 10, thinks her home in Kerrville, Kansas, is the center of the world. She lives alone with her 26 year old mother Tina, barely making ends meet. Together, the two of them grow up, Evelyn maturing faster than her mother most of the time.

The writing is light and fun, changing as Evelyn herself grows. She has many challenges to face through her teenage years, and a lot of the time, she's going at it alone. She shuffles through different relationships through high school, but generally, she faces things head on without much help. Evelyn's journey is sure to keep you hooked and turning pages, anxious to see where life is going to take her next.

Slightly wordy and slow, but so full of truth. I related to these characters even though I have not lived this kind of small town, Kansas life, which includes confusing messages from God and President Reagan. The author is wonderful at depicting some of the enduring ironies that exist now and in the 1980's. Having grown up in this Era, I am reminded of the many questions that were looming right before my eyes. I found myself curious and anxious to find out this heroine, Evelyn, would mature. Who would she choose to forgive? Would she be a Christian, a biologist, or both? Would she become "life-smart" or just stay "book-smart"? Would she learn to be empathetic or judgmental? Would she become open-minded or bitter? Or, will she be able to find the perfect balance?

I read The Rest of Her Life first, Laura Moriarty's latest novel. It was so good that I wanted to read everything Moriarty's written. Unfortunately there was only one, The Center of Everything, but it's a fabulous one. Moriarty is a beautiful, elegant writer with well-drawn characters that you can relate to. Evelyn, the main character, is wonderfully funny and very real, someone you'd love to have in your life.
The story grabbed me in the beginning and held me til the end. A fabulous read.

An okay book. The main character young girl could have had a little more depth to her but all in all a decent weekend read.

THIS BOOK KEPT ME GLUED TO THE PAGES. ALL I CAN SAY IS I WOULD NEVER WANT TO BE A GUARD IN A FEDERAL PRISON!!

I remember reading this back in 1996. I still remember some of the stories I read from here. An involving read into the life of the prison system in the 90s.

When I finally decided to read "The Hot House," I didn't expect to get halfway through it. I'd attempted to read "Confessions of a Spy," about Aldrich Ames, and it was more boring than water soup without salt! When I got close to half of the book, I could've cared about Ames about as much as I cared about Russian vodka. So needless to say, I wasn't looking to actually finish this. Pete Earley surprised me this time with a highly interesting and even more informative read about Leavenworth.

If you plan on reading this, then get visions of movies like, "Shawshank Redemption" and "Green Mile" out of your head. Movies provide great entertainment, and you sit and eat hot and buttered popcorn with an ice-cold soda the whole way through them. So the only message you get while watching a prison movie might be, "Prison is no fairy tale world." Well, DUH!! Please tell me something not so palpable. Pete Earley does just that. He takes the wardens, the guards, as well as the inmates, and he gets his story. I could tell from the beginning that it wasn't just about stating the obvious.

Earley wanted to paint a picture, no matter how warped or confusing it got. He goes beyond the rapes, beyond the killers. He carves into some serious meat, and discovers some serious cuts when he does so. He specifically takes the lives of 5 or 6 inmates, and there are chapters on them, interviews and all. Thomas Silverstein, an inmate who has been locked away with no human contact, is one of them. It is also very into the job of Head Warden, Robert Matthews, the first black warden at Leavenworth. He also notes that there are guards out there who really do want to make a difference, and will actually go to certain lenghths to do so.

Any prisoner would probably tell you, "The system is a joke!" And to them it is. People on the outside are the bad guys because they might not want to live by our rules, the rules of society. Pete Earley tells both sides of the story. This time he does it very well. I'm glad that this one was actually worth picking up. There was nothing in this that resembled cardboard. It showed the blood and guts, and it got pretty interesting!

Without a doubt, this is the best book I've yet to encounter when it comes to taking an inside look at life in a real maxmimum security prison.

Leavenworth Federal Prison is located, obviously,in Leavenworth Kansas and is the oldest federal prison in existence. Built in the late 1800's, Leavenworth is a maximum security facility where the sometimes mundane work-a-day-world that most of us have come to know ends abruptly and a new society emerges as a timeless, unslayable demon from the depths of one's worse nightmares. Although this society hidden from the outside world does have rules established by the prison system, there is a sub sub-culture that the prisoners must deal with every day. This is truly a story of the survival of the fittest.

This book was not written as many others have been, in a biased, sterile, sociological style that would be right at home in the politically-correct atmosphere of a classroom. This is a no-nonsense, in-your-face, account of what things are really like for those doing hard time. If you're a soccer mom or other politically correct weasel, do yourself a favor and stick with the lofty, fantasy world that you have locked yourself into. If, on the other hand, you seek knowledge and enlightenment as close as one can achieve without actually being a part of the event, buy this book; you'll find it hard to put down.

The author, Pete Earley, was given complete free and unsupervised access, day and night, to any guard and prisoner who would speak with him. Although he initially was met with suspicion and distrust from both the guards and prisoners alike, he proved himself to be a stand-up guy and was able to establish a rapport. Pete roamed the yards and cell blocks alone: no weapons, no protection. He was literally at the mercy of anyone who wanted to harm or kill him.

To his credit, Pete chose not to take sides. From turning down offers from the guards to drink and shoot with them to refraining from indulging in the prisoner's home brew, Pete walked the middle road and reported fairly. The result of his efforts has produced a book of unparalled interest and value.

Pete focuses upon a half-dozen prisoners and guards to tell their individual tales of life, crime, emotions, frustrations, hatred, fears, and interaction. When one combines these aspects with the bureaucratic nature of the federal prison system, one ends up with an environment nearly too insane to believe. Reality is always stranger than fiction.

While it is perhaps interesting to read the perceptions of those who have already absorbed the book, this is a literary accomplishement that you must read and ponder for yourself. The book is intertaining and describes well the emotional toll inflicted upon both sides. I believe you won't want to put it down.

This book was written by a civilian (a person who was neither a correctional employee nor an inmate) about life in a federal correctional facility. It is held in such high regard as a factual and honest account that it was recommended by the instructors from the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. Since personally reading The Hot House more than ten years ago, I have purchased copies of The Hot House and "Games Criminal Play" for every friend who has been hired by, or who has considered applying for a federal, state or county prison or jail facility. Each person who has received these books has given them rave reviews. This book should be required reading for anyone considering a career in corrections and it is certainly worth reading for those of us who don't work in the field!

I loved reading this book. It is full of great stories of near misses and high adventure in the face of certain doom. This book was given to me by someone who thought it looked "boring" and it had been left to them when the former tenant moved and was not bothered to take it with them. Their losses were my gain. I will read it again. Personal accounts are always subject to mistaken remembrances, fantasizing, over-indulgences, etc., but this story still rings true. As the son of a WWII US army infantry veteran, I am sure that my father would have enjoyed reading this book. Thank goodness this information was resurrected and preserved.

The book was originally written for the survivors of Bidermann's regiment and division, not for the general public. Bearing this in mind you will have a better understanding and feeling for the author's account of his experience of fighting on the Eastern Front during WW2. At times you might find the narrative old fashioned and even cliched but this is definitely not the case, it has to be taken in context of when and why this book was first written. This is a combination of a combat history of the 132nd Infantry Division and the author's role and experiences in the fighting on the Eastern Front. The author, Gottlob Herbert Bidermann, won the Iron Crosse First and Second Class, the Crimean Shield, the Close Combat Badge, the German Cross in Gold, the Golden Wound Badge (wounded five times), the Honour Roll Clasp and the Tank Destruction Badge. What is remarkable is that the author survived five years of combat on the Russian Front fighting in Crimea (in Manstein's legendary 11th Army), Leningrad and later in the Courland Pocket under the most attrocious conditions. I found his stories about his early years fighting with an anti-tank section using the Pak 37 "doorknocker" very interesting, I had always believed these weapons to be next to useless on the Russian Front however I was surprised. Generally, I found this book to be a very fascinating account of the fighting conducted on the Eastern Front from the perspective of a young German soldier. It offers some very interesting insights into combat and its effect on men who in the end just tried to survive against immense odds, but also some light moments which reveal the true character of the typical German soldier. The last chapters deal with Bidermann's imprisonment in various camps in USSR and the many hardships that the German soldiers suffered there. There is a number of absorbing black and white photographs supplied from private sources that give the book a human touch. The only real problem that readers may find with this book is the lack of maps detailing the movements and battles of the 132nd Infantry Division. Overall this is the sort of book that should be in the library of every serious reader or student of the war on the Russian Front during World War Two.

There's not much more I can add to all of the glowing reviews for this book. I'm fascinated by WWII history and have read many accounts, and this is a rare and excellent look from the German soldier's point of view.

I would have given it 5 stars but for one thing: the publishers have included only one map. This book needs many more maps to illustrate the remote locations and battles described by the author.

Unfortunately, this is often the failing of too many historical books about various wars. This book has a single map at the beginning, illustrating a vast area from Finland down to the Black Sea in almost no detail. It is nearly useless for understanding the movements of the troops as described.

I would strongly urge the publishers to include more maps for the next edition -- surely there will be one?

A few things stood out in this book,
1. Bidermann was envious of how well the Russian soldiers were outfitted from boots, jackets, to weapons and trucks.
2. By late 1941 the fighting was already tenacious in Russia.
3. By late 1942 - early 1943 it seemed that the Russian air force was unopposed.
4. On the eve of invading Russia, there divisions main source of mobility was either by foot or horse, and from the very beginning if they could acquire the enemies equipment they would because that was all that was available - Bidermann even commented how they preferred the Russain trucks (Fords via lend lease I am sure) because it was easier to get maintence parts - this was already standard operation by September 1941 ! !
5. Several examples of how strict discipline was in the German army.
6. Bidermann described VERY vividly the deprivations they lived and fought in starting with 1941. As one example - he wrote about how taxing it was to be out doors 24 hours a day for months - in the rain, mud, snow, heat, etc - always outdoors.
7. When his unit entered Latvia he commented that he was finally in familiar surroundings as far as the farms/buildings and people. My parents are from Latvia, and even though we are not slavic, and embrace the west not the east, I found it interesting that an outsider could see a difference between the Russian landscape versus the Lavtvian.
8. I have ready several German accounts about fighting on the eastern front, and they do mention fighting Bolshevism, but Bidermann is the first author that conveyed to me why the Germans fought so tenaciously in Russia once the war got under way. ( I have never come across a satifying explanation that compeled the comon Germans to attack France, Norway, Belgium, Greece etc.)
9. In describing the hardship, heartache, fear etc.Bidermann is actually quite a good writer. He was not merely repeating events as he experienced them, but portrayed the experiences in a way that takes you there. I have recently read Tigers In the Mud, Black Edelweiss, Soldat by Sigfried Knappe, and Death Traps - all personal accounts, all books I liked and recomend, BUT Biedermann is the most taleneted writer.

This book is a personal account which I very much enjoy reading about, but interspersed is also unit movements and the like. These sections are not too long, and I quickly skim over them because I am not interested in large troop movement type history. The book also had a map that was ok, but Bidermann mentions many cities where he was, but are not shown on the map. Also, the names of most cities in Latvia are the German version not Latvian, so despite being fluent in Latvian I have to do some studying to figure out where he is. For non- latvian speakers they would have to find a German-Laltvian translation.

I bought this book based on reviews on Amazon.

What interested me was that the book was not written to be sold to the masses and make a million dollars, but rather it documents actual events that occurred on the eastern front to this infantry regiment. The book is written for the most part in third person.

Much of the book, which is quite long, is outstanding and certainly provides a glimpse of what it may have been like to be a German soldier flighting on the eastern Front. That said, many pages I found dry and uninteresting. I found myself skipping a few lines here and there - especially in relation to divisional history, etc.

If you are wanting a spine chilling account of warfare - don't buy this book. It cannot be compared to, for example, "Sniper on the Eastern Front" (which maybe a true account or fiction; I'm not quite sure). If your interested in history, would like to try and understand why the Germans fought as they did and what living and fighting was like in Russia, then I'd recommend you buy the book.

I'd say that 60% of the book is interesting, whilst the remaining 40% will make you a little sleepy. That said, the 60% is well worth reading. My opinion only and others will no doubt think differently.

After all is said and done, just read the thousands of pages that the U.S. government, through the FBI, the U.S. Attorney's office and court records, was forced to release about this case. It is their own words about their own deliberate withholding of evidence, fabrication of evidence, deliberate perjured testimony and numerous other violations of U.S. law, rules of evidence, and other assorted felonies.

This book, along with almost 50 fawning reviews, merely illustrates the effectiveness of propaganda in spreading mass ignorance. The reviewers are so sure that Peltier is innocent that the facts don't seem to matter. They would just get in the way, as in Peltier bragging about shooting a man in the head who was begging for his life (heard by four others), as in 15 federal judges affirming the original conviction (not one dissenter), and as in incontrovertible evidence that linked Peltier's rifle to the crime scene. I doubt these people are even aware that six months before he murdered two injured and helpless Federal Agents, Peltier put a gun in AIM member Anna Mae Aquash's mouth while interrogating her about being an informant. AIM leaders later had her executed (gun to the head again) partly because she was one of the four who heard Peltier's boast. Anna Mae knew too much.

Yes, ignorance is truly bliss, but truth can cure ignorance. If you want to discover the truth about what happened that day, read American Indian Mafia.

This is a true story of an Indian who is in prison
just because he's an Indian. I real eye opener and
interesting facts about the Indians here today.

The rhetoric of the other reviews aside, Prison Writings would make for a compelling story had Peltier included some truth to support his allegations surrounding the events of June 26, 1975 on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota.

By way of a brief background, Peltier was represented by capable and experienced counsel and during his trial the jury heard that FBI agents Jack Coler and Ron Williams were following who they thought was another wanted person. They actually followed Peltier and two teenagers who began shooting at the agents who were then trapped and exposed in an open area. Peltier was joined by several others, including Dino Butler and Robert Robideau who also fired on the agents from another direction. Both Coler and Williams were severely wounded and unable to defend themselves. Peltier's jury heard that Peltier, Robideau and Butler went down to the wounded agents and shot them both in the face at point-blank range with a high powered rife. The jury believed the testimony they heard and Peltier was convicted for, among other things, aiding and abetting and sentenced to two consecutive life sentences. He later received an additional seven year consecutive sentence for an armed escape from Lompoc federal penitentiary. (In a separate and earlier trial, Dino Butler and Robert Robideau were acquitted of the murders. However, this review relates specifically to how Peltier portrays the facts surrounding these events in Prison Writings. There is much more to the entire saga.)

It's important to place Prison Writings in its proper chronological context. Prison Writings was published in 1999. An important related book touted by Peltier and the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee (LPDC) that "immortalizes Leonard Peltier," In The Spirit of Crazy Horse (ITSOCH) by Peter Matthiessen was first published in 1983 and in 1992. A film, Incident at Oglala (Incident), narrated by Robert Redford was released in 1992. Collectively, these sources, in addition to the many public statements made by Peltier, Butler and Robideau, demonstrate that Peltier is not only fabricating the history of his own case but knowingly lies about certain events.

There are many more, but for example:

The scene:
Peltier initially claimed he was in the AIM camp to the south of the Jumping Bull property, heard shots, responded and "I fired off a few shots above their heads, trying not to hit anything (p.125)." And also "I didn't see their agents die, had no hand in it..." (p.127). Yet in a CNN interview in October, 1999 Peltier admitted being there and told interviewer Mark Potter "I don't know, just two people laying there. I mean, the car door--the car door open and stuff."

The alibi:
For the better part of nearly two decades Peltier had offered only one alibi about who was responsible for the final killing shots to the agents' faces. He claimed that someone they all knew but would not identify (Mr. X), had driven to the reservation that day in a red pickup truck to deliver dynamite and that it was Mr. X who engaged the agents initially and then, once wounded and unable to defend themselves, killed the agents and drove off. In Incident Robideau is filmed pointing to the area where Mr. X murdered the agents and drove off in the red pickup truck. This claim was so far-fetched that not even Peltier's trial lawyers wanted to go near it, but they did their best to create confusion with the jury over the alleged red pickup truck. Matthiessen, although skeptical himself, spent a great deal of time on Mr. X in ITSOCH. However, in a 1995 interview with News from Indian Country, one of the three participants, Dino Butler, publicly said that the Mr. X story was a lie; "Well, there is no Mr. X. There was no man coming to our camp that day bringing dynamite." "To create this lie to show that someone else pulled the trigger." " That is totally false. Totally untrue. That never happened."

It should come as no surprise that Mr. X. and the red pickup are never mentioned in Prison Writings.

Aiding and abetting:
Peltier tries to convince the reader that the "vague crime of aiding and abetting" (p162) was somehow later added to the charge of murdering the agents. Yet, during one of the many appeals (one dealing with this specific issue in 1993), the appeals court stated that "Peltier's arguments fail because their underlying premises are fatally flawed. (A) the government tried the case on the alternative theories; it asserted that Peltier personally killed the agents at point blank range, but that if he had not done so, then he was equally guilty of the murder as an aider and abettor."

Preplanned assault:
Peltier lays the groundwork for claiming that according to a document obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, the government "...had been gathering in the area for a preplanned paramilitary assault on the Pine Ridge reservation," (p.129) comprised of "...dozens, maybe hundreds..." (p.127) of law-enforcement personnel. The document (dated April 24, 1975) he refers to (the noted "sanctioned memo") says nothing of the kind and related to the 1973 takeover by AIM of Wounded Knee. Ironically this memo was still being circulated around FBI headquarters in Washington D.C. even after the murders of agents Coler and Williams with a date at the bottom of the memo of August 11, 1975. This memo is not even in the same universe as Peltier claims. This assertion was so outrageous even Matthiessen shied away from it by claiming after all his research that the initial shooting at the agents was spontaneous, neither a pre-planned government event nor premeditated ambush of the two agents. "...if there is another persuasive explanation of the location and position of their cars, I cannot find it." (ITSOCH p.544).

Further, it was well documented that when the agents were first pinned down in the open field, Agent Williams made desperate calls for help and assistance over his FBI radio. These transmissions were overheard by a number of individuals who all confirmed how quickly the shooting started, and ended, and that the nearest agent was about twelve miles away. That FBI agent, Gary Adams, responded with a BIA officer, the first two to even reach close to the scene. They were also shot at and had to back away to Highway 18 and await more assistance. In the meantime, Coler and Williams were murdered and Peltier and the others escaped.

Robideau:
Robert Robideau who has been assimilated and rejected by the Peltier organization several times over the years has made damning admissions. Robideau stated publicly on numerous occasions, and in emails to this reviewer, that he's the one who actually killed the agents:

"As far as I have ever been concerned the killing of the agents was justified..." "They were shot in the head at close range..." "I have no remorse..." "I am "Mr X" (which is no lie) and I did kill them with honor befitting a warrior, but they died like worms." "I thought I already told you that I killed the agents."

Of course Robideau has the constitutional protection against double-jeopardy, but this reviewer believes he is even too much of a coward to shoot two severely wounded and incapacitated human beings. But whether he killed the agents himself is immaterial; the Peltier jury heard and accepted the testimony that the three older Indians, Robideau, Butler and Peltier went down to the wounded agents and murdered them by shooting them both in the face.

Of course, Prison Writings suggests none of this but hides behind fabrications and outright lies to further the folklore surrounding Peltier and perpetuating The Myth.

What it does do however is firmly establish that Peltier did not remove himself from the scene of the crime.

Prison Writings is self-serving drivel and should not be used to document in any fashion what happened that June day at Pine Ridge. Anyone interested in going beyond The Myth should spend some time reviewing the very detailed appeals that cover every aspect of this case.

[...]

Leonard Peltier, United States Prisoner 89637-132, has been imprisoned since 1977 for the deaths of two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge Reservation of the Lakota Indians during the 1973 siege at Wounded Knee, South Dakota. Most likely the scapegoat for the deaths during a blundered surveillance attempt, Peltier has been a cause celeb during the final throws of every president since Jimmy Carter as many supporters - including the U.S. Prosecutor that put him in jail in the first place - come together to call for his parden.

There are other sources for an in-depth understanding of the events that led to his imprisonment such as Peter Mathiesson's *In the Spirit of Crazy Horse* and the Robert Redford film *Incident at Oglala*. But Prison Writings is a must read in any study of not only the Wounded Knee incident, but the American Indian Movement as a whole and native issues throughout the country.

This book weaves Peltier's life as a prisoner in the U.S. prison system with his account of the events of 1973 and his views on the state of affairs for Native Americans as a whole. Peltier's life evolved from an aimless youth on the reservation to a political activist, and at times it seems that his life sentence is a natural extension of this progression - as if his destiny was to suffer for the cause.

When you look at the evidence of all that transpired at Wounded Knee in 1973 and the years that followed, including what happened to other activists such as Annie Mae Aquash, and the now revealed manipulation of evidence by the FBI and the all-out war against Native American activism in the 1970s, Leonard Peltier's *Prison Writings* become somewhat of a manifesto and call for a better future.

>>>>>>><<<<<<<

A Guide to my Book Rating System:

1 star = The wood pulp would have been better utilized as toilet paper.
2 stars = Don't bother, clean your bathroom instead.
3 stars = Wasn't a waste of time, but it was time wasted.
4 stars = Good book, but not life altering.
5 stars = This book changed my world in at least some small way.

Judaism is a religion/culture, not a "race."
How can Jewishness be a race when so many millions of Jews throughout
the centuries have renounced their Jewishness-and become non-Jews?!

Look at all the Jews marrying in churches-and raising their children
as non-Jews. This has happened throughout the centuries in Europe,
North and South America and elsewhere. (Many of these same people
became virulent Jew-haters.)

Jews account for nearly 50% of America's Nobel Prize-winning scientists
-and for a great many of Europe's(especially Germany's)as well.
In fact, Olivia Newton-John's grandfather was the great German-Jewish
physicist Max Born.

Sylvester Stallone, actress Joan Collins, Jane Seymour,the late Pamela Harriman, Sen. John Kerry, Palm Beach's Pulitzer family, Caroline Kennedy's children, Ali MacGraw, Olivia Newton-John, Diane von
Furstenberg, President Sarkozy of France are just a few examples
of people who are descendants of formerly-Jewish families.

The Jewish "brain drain" continues...

Jo Rueber

I read both of Bryan Rigg's books. I was amazed that so much well researched history could be told so well. If my college history text books had been so well written I might have actually enjoyed history.

I think both Rigg's books are MUST reads for everyone who wonders how the Third Reich happened and want to understand the pschy of that time in history. Bryan's excellent work adds an other element of understanding to the era. If we don't know and remember we will repeat it, or something like it or something worse, somewhere, sometime in our and our childrens' lifetime. Never again!

Besides this book being written with juvenile flair,it's obvious to us who know better that it's nothing more than a throw together with a catchy selling title.Anyone who is well informed on this subject will easily spot the rampant bias and shaby research.Mr. Rigg should go back and review his account of the Wannsee conference.At no point in the minutes of the W. conference is there talk about murder or extermination or anything else.Perheps Mr. Rigg should take up a career in fictional novels?I wouldn't even bother with this book.

I am a life-long Gentile-Christian, and a 3rd Generation ethnic German-American.
Proud of it.

In terms of the January 1942 Wannsee Conference, how does a person
"act Jewish"?
How does one becoming a Jew "terminate Germanic- Aryaness"?
Read the book.

Bryan Rugg's book is an excellent treatise on "how to hide
one's Jewishness, of whatever degree" and still serve the German
Fatherland.

Air Marshal of the Third Reich, Herr Milch, had a tough road to navigate.

Buy this book.Again: an excellent treatise.

Take the word of this German-American Gentile,and a Christian, this book ist seir gutte.

Excellent Historiography.

It's more than worth the money. You have your orders. BUY THIS BOOK!!

Tell him Herr STAGE sent you.

I have always been more interested in Jews that were/are fighter than with the view of Jews as victims. Jews have been fighters since the days of the Maccabees thousands of years ago and even during the holocaust the Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto held off the German army longer than the entire country of Poland. That is also why Israel is so feared by Arabs and Muslims when they occupy prob less than 1% of the middle east. The Jews and Germans of Jewish ancestry who fought for the 3rd Reich were courageous men and had a double challenge on their hands. They saw them selves as Germans first just like the Jews of the US civil war who fought for the South. They were Southerners first and Jews 2nd. This has always been a difficult thing for both Jews and non-Jews alike to understand but I feel that Dr. Rigg's book has really bridged that gap. The book does have a textbook feel to it but the information and research that has gone into it will make it seem like you are reading the Da Vinci Code. I loved it!