United Kingdom Books

This is an extremely well written and thoroughly researched book. As usual, John Davies writes in a style which holds your interest while exploring a wide (sometimes vast) area of historical subject matters. Other countries should be so lucky to have such interesting, competent and even-handed scholars writing their histories. Highly recommnded.

While Scotland and the medieval periods is my area of history, I often have need to know what is going on in England, Ireland and Wales, to fully understand what is going on in the 'big picture'. The history of Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland did not happen individual vacuums, you so need to know all their histories to fully comprehend external pressures as well as the inner problems of each nation. So I have found this a wonderful work for reference on Wales.

It covers the history of the country from the dawn of time to 20th Century. So if you wish to know about Ffynnon Beuno or the Rebecca Wars, this is your book.

Excellent reference for Historical writers.

Even in the great 'Celtic revival' of the past generation, where the cultures of the Celtic fringes of Britain and continental Europe have re-exerted themselves in various political and non-political ways, the Welsh revival has been late in coming, and a little less forceful in affect and event.

Perhaps history is to blame here -- the Welsh have been only marginally protected by geography; the mountainous area was difficult terrain to conquer, but the supply lines to those mountains were relatively easy to maintain and sustain, unlike the trek to the northern reaches of Scotland or crossing the sea into Ireland, areas that (however much English history might want to contradict this statement) never were completely conquered and subdued, remaining under the hegemony but outside the total control of Londinium/London from Roman times to the recent past. Wales was never so fortunate. Indeed, it is a miracle that the Welsh survive. The Scots lost land, language and independence, but retained administrative and legal systems separations that preserved many aspects of nationhood. The Irish never completely lost independence. The Welsh, however, lost everything of nationhood, and barely sustained an independent culture. Thus, when the 'nations' of the British Isles began to re-exert their independent interpretations of history, the Welsh were among the last.

However, sometimes the last shall be first. In terms of quality of writing and interpretation, the volume by John Davies, `A History of Wales', is indeed in a class of its own in terms of Welsh history. Dafydd Elis Thomas read into the `Hansard' (the British Parliamentary equivalent of the `Congressional Record') that this is 'the greatest of book of Welsh history ever written'.

It was, in fact, originally published in Welsh, under the title of `Haynes Cymru' in 1990. From the Ice Age to the 1980s miners strikes and efforts to reassert a national identity, Davies traces in some detail a history of Wales from a Welsh perspective, inextricably tangled with English and continental history, but nonetheless deserving of its own perspective as one of the last major surviving Celtic groups.

`A number of factors, the increasing prominence of the European dimension in particular, have caused the devolution issue to return to the political agenda.... From 1911 to 1981 the number of Welsh speakers declined census by census. In 1991, however, those claiming a knowledge of the language were marginally more numerous than had been the case in 1981, and the increase among the younger age groups was especially remarkable.'

Davies confesses that he contemplated writing a different book in English, as this was meant to be a Welsh book, and he would have envisioned a different book had his first thought been in English. However, given the demand of non-Welsh readers to read the same history treatment as those who do read Welsh, Davies consented to a translation rather than a re-write.

The time frames are not the same as those of standard British histories, which tend to follow the broad sweep of royal affairs. While there is some parallel of necessity, the time factors and dates here have far more interest to the direct concerns of Wales than to the rest of Britain.

The reader should also be prepared for an array of names, of both persons and places, that are very confusing to the average reader of English -- Gwydir, Llangeitho, Aberffraw, Catraeth, Llantwit, Penmynydd and Llyn Cerrig Bach. However, it is worth the effort to learn these names and places. Particularly in America, where so many people have Welsh ancestry (the Jones now outnumber the Smiths in America as the greatest number of people by last name, and Jones is a Welsh name by and large), this is part of the collective history of America, too.

Well written, well researched (Davies was educated in Wales and at Cambridge, taught Welsh history at University College in Wales), this is perhaps the currently-accepted definitive history of Wales available today.

Well written and well researched. It is an exhaustive history that will not exhaust you. I am reading it for general interest and find it hard to put down.

John Davies covers a lot of territory (in terms of time, if not in space) in his "A History of Wales", originally published (1990) in Welsh as "Hanes Cymru". This will probably stand as the definitive general history of this fascinating country for years to come.

Beginning with the earliest evidence for human occupation of Wales, Davies brings us up to the end of the 1980s. Each of his ten chapters covers a particular time period, and each chapter title features three place names that represent, and figure into, the theme of that chapter/period. Davies touches on nearly every aspect of Welsh history--the political, the social, and the cultural. If some themes garner less attention than others, that is to be expected in a survey of this kind. One theme, of course, dominates this volume (as it should), and that is the relationship between the Welsh and their much more populous English neighbors to the east. That the Welsh were able to resist English domination for so long is miraculous; despite eventual English hegemony, the Welsh have managed to preserve their language, while over the past century there has been a revival of Welsh culture.

The writing is clear and concise, a testament to Davies' skill as both writer and translator. Davies has included a wealth of maps and graphs to illustrate many of his themes. If I have one complaint about "A History of Wales" it is the complete absence of photographs and other illustrations that would have benefited Davies' narrative immensely. That being said, however, this is a fine introduction to a part of the British Isles that we in the US hear very little about. Four and a half stars.

Rick Steves gives excellent advice on what are the best sites to see, which are not worth your money, and secrets to make your tour of the city enjoyable. His advice on places to stay are very accurate too. If you are going to London and want a heads-up on the city then I highly recommend you get this book.

I am in London right now delighted with how helpful this book is. Many guide books try to give too much information and end up more like phone books. This book is perfect in that it gives you the most important information about what is worth seeing. His tips on saving time and money are right on. This is the best book you will find for a visit to London.

I loved this book. I used it to help plan my trip beforehand and it helped me re-evaluate the plan when I couldn't cover all the stops I wanted.
The information was very accurate with great tips.

My wife and I went to London for a week and this book was excellent for time management to see what we could actually pack in and what was worth checking out. Additionally, Rick's writing style is great and we often found ourselves laughing at his commentary that was right on the mark.

My wife and I returned for our 4th trip to London last spring and the most current edition of this book has always gone with me. I tear it apart while I'm there, taking sections with me for the day as I explore. It is updated annually so I always get the newest version before I leave. Rick's guides are not comprehensive - they don't list every hotel or eatery - but they do filter out the best ones in each area of town and that is what I want in a guide book. Recommendations on hotels, sites, local culture and transportation are more valuable than those on eateries. Maps are simple but accurate, providing enough direction to keep you from getting lost while still encouraging you to wander a bit and discover your own gems. There is a heavy emphasis on history, the arts and experiencing life with the locals. The abbreviated tours - like the one of the National Gallery - help you see the "best of" the site when you don't have time to see it all. First timers, don't leave home without it.

I passed on this book when it first appeared figuring a mere concert list wouldn't be very interesting, what a blunder! This book is far more than a concert chronology, it's an enthralling history of the band, bursting with photos and short essays on the people, places and events that make up Who history. This was clearly a labor of love for the authors, and if Who fanatics have been able to find a few errors scattered around, big deal, I'm just glad the book was reissued as a sub-compact paperback updated to the shows following the death of John Entwistle. As the surviving members of The Who have chosen to "Defiantly spit into the abyss" and continue to tour to critical and public acclaim, further editions of this fine book are entirely justifed. And boy was I thrilled to recently find I still have a ticket stub from a Who show thirty years ago documented in this book. There are maybe half a dozen essential books about The Who and this is one of them, if it's the only one you buy then you've made a good choice, it's outstanding whether you're a new Who fan or a grizzled Wholigan.

Seem to be reading and listening a lot to the Who, and this book was an impulse buy.

For the fan, this is a way to walk through history with the band, from the earliest beginnings as the Detours, and even before with Daltrey's founding of the group, and Townshend and Entwistle's affiliation with others.

A lot of stories, memorabilia, set lists, and very interesting stuff.

I really enjoyed this book. Especially the great photos included.
I bought my copy in London, so it was nice to travel parts of London and see a few places where they actually played! But it's really only for die hard fans of the band (like myself, I guess). Also interesting are the set lists to the shows they played.
I'm no good at writing reviews, but I'll highly recommend this one. It's worth the price. A thanks to Irish Jack and Joe McMichael for making it.

And of course The Who. The greatest band in the world.

First thing you should know is that while this is a thick book, it is also small; around 6" x 5", which is quaint, and not a flaw in anyway, just a surprise. There are lots of great pictures, reviews, accounts, and set lists provided.

The flaw, to my mind though, is that there are no references about circulating RECORDINGS of these shows. Most of the hardcore fans who would buy this book probably collect tapes, bootlegs, and cdrs. Most of the time a setlist or stage comments are provided for a show it's because a recording exists. I would have loved it if the authors could have aknowledged this with brief comments like, "A clear, but distant audience recording exists for the first 80 minutes of the concert" or "A mixed soundboard recording of this show has been bootlegged and rereleased many times." There are websites with this kind of information and other highly collected bands, such as Led Zeppelin, have entire books devoted to the collection of unreleased material.

If you're a fan you're guaranteed to enjoy this book regardless, so get it!

If you get an opportunity to see The Who (now on tour - summer/fall 2000) please do so. Other than Bruce Springsteen, they are without peer on stage.This book does a fine job of detailing Who gigs from the early 1960's (as the Detours)to the 1996-1997 Quadrophenia tour. The authors recap the songs, the stage "happenings" (smashed guitars, onstage feuds, etc.)and other "Odds & Sods". It's kind of like a baseball box score for Who fans! If you're already a Who fan (or are an aspiring one) this is THE book for you!

"There was a time when the sun never set on the British Empire. From Ceylon to the Americas, England ruled, bringing her lifestyle to Crown colonies around the globe.

Being stationed in India or Egypt, however, was no excuse to relax the standards of living to which British Army officers were accustomed. Living 'under canvas' did not mean roughing it. Instead, they brought their homes with them, packing cunningly constructed, portable furniture suitable for any elegant tented dinner.

Today, campaign furniture's elegance and simplicity have made it a must-have item for decorators and antique lovers. Nicholas Brawer's new book British Campaign Furniture: Elegance Under Canvas (Abrams) provides a fascinating history and a guide to collapsible decor."

I just had to have this book. The subject matter was unusual and touched on the social aspects of camp life in the British Army.
The pictures are fabulous.

This is an excellent review of British Campain Furniture.

Each piece is photographed in colour and/or Black & White, discussed and given brief measurements. The "disembled" photos are of great use to anyone who wishes to reconstruct any of the items from the book, as well as satisfying the just plain curious. Some of the gadgets are fantastic.

Unfortunately, like most books of this type, the author is limited by the pieces that he can access within a year or two. I know there were 'Campaign' folding rocking chairs, and I an certain that there are other examples of furniture, with other systems of assembly ( Louis Vouton made a folding-bed-in-a-trunk for the Brazza Expedition in Africa in the late 1800's which survives - there is a single picture in 'Treasure Chests').

I can only hope that the author will be encouraged to keep looking & photographing, and that we may see a second volume in years to come.

Sorry Amazon, you just don't have enough stars........

"If you were a British officer during the 18th or 19th century, your home had the look of a proper English residence, with desks, chairs, sofas, chests and fancy bedroom suites--even if you lived in a tent.

'The only real difference between fine household furniture and its campaign counterpart was that the latter could be quickly folded up, packed away in boxes, transported, and--without the use of nails, tacks or tools--reassembled...,' Nicholas A. Brawer writes in British Campaign Furniture.

How the furniture can be taken apart and stored is fascinating. One dining table and set of four padded chairs and a chaise lounge can be broken down into pieces that fit into two small crates.

There are pictures of the furnishings set up and stored. Often officers lived better overseas than at home. One cartoon depicts a British officer and his wife dining in their home overseas, with a half-dozen servants waiting on them, and then dining at home after retirement, with only one housekeeper.

Nearly half the book is a portfolio of the furnishings and detailed descriptions of manufacturers and furniture makers."

This book is a must have for anyone interested in English antiques, social, military, or naval history. I have never seen another book on this subject and it is filled with very interesting "before" and "after" photographs of dozens and dozens of pieces of campaign furniture "assembled" and "disassembled." I imagine this book has been a great hit in London.

Brownlow's massive biography does a very good job of painting a comprehensive picture of the great Lean--arrogant, demanding, selfish, and absolutely brilliant first as an editor and then as a director. Lean had no patience for what did not forward the story, and his movies were the better for it. One gets the impression, however, that the same was true for individuals in his life who did not help him achieve his own goals.

A bit clunky at times in regards to readability, this is still a first rate book. The sections on Brief Encounter, the Dickens' films of the 40s, and Lawrence are excellent.

This extraordinary biography by Kevin Brownlow, reflects the life and inspiration of one of the great artist in movie screen history.
Page by page, we can take a look along the David Lean?s mind and the way he was inspired by the subjects and the way a big project became alive.
From the black and white to the beautiful color, from the photography created by Frederic (Freddie)Young to his partnership with Maurice Jarr? and the insistence from Lean to
compose the exact music for Doctor Zhivago.
Every important film, such Zhivago, The bridge on the river Kwai and Lawrence of Arabia, were written through many chapters and the conception of those films as unique, the casting and the making of those titles are unforgettable.
Also, we have David Lean as a human being, with his failures
as father and husband, but the intimacy of his life is only
upgrade by his conception of his films.
Every moment in his films was special.
He directed every dialogue and moment as unique and all those
were the equivalent of the best.
This great book written by Brownlow is one of the best biographies ever written.
The heart and soul are alive along the pages and there is no moment when the book becomes slow or uninterested.
The same proportion we have in David Lean movies.

I adore this book. I have been reading it as of late, and I love the book (and David Lean) even more. I have always detested biographies of filmmakers that are far too academic in their tone; that professorial tone where they analyze the films ad nauseum, and are constantly talking about symbolism and other completely useless things. This book spares us of that. It is meticulously researched, with great antedotes and quotes from the master himself. It talks about Lean's childhood, and you realise what Lean had to overcome to become one of the greatest filmmakers ever. It's a shame this massive book is out of print. Like a reviewer said earlier, we're constantly given fluff pieces of talentless whores like Spears, Lohan, etc., but here is a real artist whose films still inspire people today. Thank you, Kevin, for writing such a great book, and, of course, to David Lean himself...

What a pity it is when "biographies" of no-talent flashes-in-the-pan like Madonna, Ashley Simpson, Brittney Spears, ad naseum, are ubiquitous, but Kevin Brownlow's fascinating and throughly-researched biography of a true genius is out of print. What does this say about our culture's priorities? Not much. Oh well . . . fortunately a few copies of this marvelous book survive. If you're interested in great movies ("Lawrence of Arabia," "Doctor Zhivago," "Summertime," "Great Expectation," etc.), great stars (O'Toole, Sharif, Katherine Hepburn, William Holden, Robert Mitchum, and a host of other great stars -- AND great actors), or, perhaps, one of the greatest film directors of the twentieth (and probably any other) century, do whatever you have to do, but grab up a copy of "David Lean: A Biography" as quickly as you can before the remaining copies disappear altogether.

A simply marvellous biography of a cinema titan. It's the product of many conversations between Lean and the author, a great film historian and no mean director himself, having made the gorgeous Silent Era documentary "Hollywood" (is that ever coming out on DVD?!). For this reason the tone is very chatty, with so much quotage from Lean himself that it's nearly an autobiography; and Brownlow's knowlege of real-world production lets him know just what questions to ask. It rather reminded me of "Hitchcock/Truffaut", another filmmaker-to-filmmaker conversation. Mind you Truffaut didn't bother quite so much with Hitchcock's love affairs, but one can always skim. It looks intimidatingly massive but this is more because of the lavish illustrations than excessive wordiness. Great read, inspiring and full of useful tidbits.

"No man travelleth by the waie without his sword or somesuch weapon except the minister who commonly weareth none at all unless it is a dagger or a hanger at his side." - Aylward [English Master of Arms]

Terry Brown's `English Martial Arts' is an outstanding book about a little known topic. Beginning with an excellent overview of the background of English Martial Arts, we are then introduced to the weapons of the English man at arms:

>>Broadsword
>>Quarterstaff
>>Sword & Dagger
>>Sword & Dagger vs. Sword & Buckler
>>The Bill
>>Bear-Fist Fighting
>>Stances

Terry Brown then introduces us to the `Principles of True Fighting' and demonstrates the techniques of the weapons listed herein. A series of clear photographs demonstrates the effective application of techniques, allowing the student to develop sufficient basic skill to seek entry to `The Company of Maieters' [http://www.maisters.demon.co.uk/] as a Free Scholler.

Finally, English Martial Arts closes with "Words of Wisdom" from the English Masters of Defense such as Silver, Godfrey and Lonnergan.

For any Scholler of the Arts of Defense, English Martial Arts is a `must have' resource.

This book gives an introduction and brief history of English Schooles of Defense. The history was a fun read. The practical sections, which contain reconstructions of various CQC techniques as the records indicate they were taught, are presented in a clear pictorial format which makes them easy to learn and analyze. If you are interested in historical combat, this is a book you will reference again and again.

I find 'English Martial Arts' to be very clear and sharp in its accuracy, presentation & applications. Also it is very well balanced in strategy and tactics. The photography and explanations are superb. With some imagination and practice, much of the book can be applied via cane or fist, as well as the great traditional usage. Yet this excellent book is quite streamlined. 'Simplicity is efficiency's best friend' ---

How wrong could I be. Having practised re-enactment martial arts for 24 years I thought I'd seen it all... you live and learn.

The techniques described in the book are brutal to say the least. The knee stamp when the opponent is down is my favorite.

There are chapters divided into historical references for each weapon(including fists). Adding to this there are clear photographs of the strikes and blocks.

If you are re-enacting later european medieval history this is the book for you.

I read through the book and I must say that it is pretty good. I've read the original manuscripts from which this book drew its techniques and the stuff for the long and short weapons (like the broadsword, dagger, pole-arms, ect.) are very precise and accurate.
His first few chapters are an overveiw of some of the historical roots of English Martial Arts. Not bad.

*edit* I had to edit this reveiw because previously I mentioned that there was no evidence for the blocks in the pugilism described in this book. Mr. Terry Brown sent me solid evidence that contested my statements, therefore I must change them. It seems that the boxing of the older world is indeed a bit different from the boxing of the modern world. I would change the review to five stars but it wouldn't let me do so.

My advise is this, if you want to train in an all european martial art I suggest training in western boxing, catch wrestling, and take the general concepts of what is demonstrated with the long and short weapons and apply them to a machette, bayonette, and military knife. Don't dress up in anachronistic clothing either....the key is to train for battle not play dress up. Rather, one should wear either BDU's, street cloths, or a loose-fitting "uniform" which consists of sweatpants and a t-shirt which has the name/symbol of your school on it.

The best kind of school that you can find will be rooted in Tradition but open to Innovation. This way you won't "re-invent the wheel" but at the same time you won't be stuck on the outmoded and anachronistic. I call this Renovation.

Overall the book isn't bad and its a good way to connect with your English roots. Learn from the past, be willing to innovate, and act in the now. This is the best advise that I can give.

Also, check out www.amerross.com . ROSS Concepts have some good stuff (like clubbells and biomechanical exercises) that can transfer into ANY martial art and are invaluable to the western martial artist.

I have been a professor at Hiroshima Shudo University for more than 17 years teaching American law and politics, primarily to Japanese students but also to foreigners in Japan. Over the years, I have read and discussed much of the history written about WWII and Japan. I do not know Hadley personally but I wish I did. His book is one of the most well-balanced and well-researched books I have ever read about the war in Japan. If I had a Japanese translation of Hadley's book, I would teach the book in my seminar course.

I agree with much of what has been said by other reviewers, except to add I think this book will appeal more broadly than the author has anticipated. It is in essence a very enjoyable and well paced read. And what a great movie it would make!

I had the privilege of sitting in a coffee shop with Dr. Hadley and receiving a signed copy... He is a fantastic individual and an inspiration.

The story of the Jordan crew, the fate of the men and the feelings and reactions from the villagers themselves is portrayed just as it was, no war heroes, no glories of war, but instead, the horror of what it was like on both sides. In the book, one of the crew specifically tells Hadley 'don't portray us as heroes'. There are no heroes in this book, only casualties of human experience in times of intense fear and suffering. Those who follow orders and those who suffer from following out those orders - on both sides, are caught afterwards with the confusion of the people they became or were capable of becoming. Grandmothers with spears, given the chance to take revenge on their enemy... an account of what war really is for both sides.
All should read this book. To reflect, to take a stand against war and the people it creates.

Prof. Greg Hadley has thoroughly researched the story of one particular B-29 crew; "the Jordan crew", whose lives were irretrievably changed when they were shot down by anti-aircraft fire over Japan on the night of 19/20 July 1945.

The story of these men runs as a single thread through the complex tapestry of the USAAF bombing campaign against Japan. This book includes an informative historical treatment of this campaign and the lives of the people it affected.

After setting the historical scene, the book describes how the Jordan crew, hailing from diverse backgrounds, were welded together into a fighting unit. They flew their first combat mission in early February 1945, participating in the campaign of high-level B-29 precision raids against industrial targets. These raids were frequently impeded by strong winds and obscured targets, and desperate Japanese defence. The Jordan crew later helped enact the dramatic US change of tactics to low-level fire raids on urban areas by night. They watched from above as the largest Japanese cities blazed, one after another.

As the Jordan crew's battle-experience increased, the reader gets an alarming impression of the toll that this relentless campaigning imposed on their individual performances and cohesion as a crew. The danger of flying the Air Force's most technically ambitious aircraft in the hostile skies above Japan is brought home very well.

The Jordan crew were finally shot down during a mission to lay mines in the waters off the Japanese west coast. (The book has many interesting details about USAAF mining campaign, which made an enormous but largely unsung contribution to crippling the Japanese war economy.)

The loss of their B-29 probably hinged on one seemingly trivial decision, made as they climbed away from their minelaying run that night. After deviating from the official mission flight plan (possibly to steer a faster "direct" route towards home) they were hit over the city of Niigata by a crack Japanese anti-aircraft unit, recently transferred there from Tokyo after that city had been virtually destroyed.

The Jordan crew were the only B-29 crew to be shot down over Niigata during the war. (Ironically, Niigata had been "quarantined" to remain in a pristine condition as one of the US's potential A-bomb targets! However, the A-Bombs were dropped elsewhere, and Niigata became one of the few large Japanese cities to survive the war without being razed.)

Hadley's persistent detective work has uncovered the true story behind the murder of two of the parachuted crew-members by Japanese local-defence militias (the "Field of Spears" of the book's title). These crimes were covered-up at the end of the war, when an impressive grave was hurriedly constructed for the "crash victims". US grave-recovery personnel never had reason to believe that there had been an atrocity. (Tragically, at least one of the Jordan crew also decided to go down with their ship, rather then bale out and take their chances as prisoners of the Japanese.)

The photographic coverage of events on the ground is one of the strengths of this book. One poignant time-lapse photo really brings home the tragedy of war. It shows the blazing bomber descending rapidly across the night sky while Japanese children wearing "anti-fire" hoods look on in fascination. Hadley has even located photos of the actual capture of the surviving crewmembers. Other startling photos illustrate the high degree of regimentation and propaganda-incitement of the civilians; very reminiscent of modern-day North Korea. These civilian militias were waiting on the ground in a state of fear and anger as the "parachutists" drifted down from above. (Paradoxically, some of the Jordan crew had their lives saved through the intervention of regular Japanese Army soldiers calming down the frenzied civilians.)

Thereafter, in the hands of the feared Japanese military police, the men suffered continuously harsh treatment - intended as retribution for the enormous damage which was being inflicted by the B-29s all over Japan. The captured bomber crews were classified by the vengeful Japanese essentially as war criminals. They received even worse treatment than the pitiful conditions applying to other POWs of the Japanese Empire. The reader can only be appalled at their plight, as described many years later by the still-affected surviving crewmembers.

The atomic "secret" provides another fascinating aspect of this book. The crewmen had been briefed that in the event of capture, they should not attempt to "hold back" information from the Japanese. - It was well understood that silence could easily prove fatal, so alarming the enemy with true tales of overwhelming American technical superiority was probably the best course anyway.

However, the Jordan crew knew something special. At their island base on Tinian, their B-29 had been parked beside the 509th Composite Group - the Atomic bombers! The men in the Jordan crew had heard members of this elite unit talking about "winning the war with one plane"...

As Hadley explains, the Japanese were keen for information on the atomic threat...

It is unlikely that the Jordan crew could have "honestly" related any more than a few general details about the Bomb to their interrogators, but Hadley brings the story to a climax by presenting several intriguing facts about Japanese fore-knowledge of these epochal weapons.

Then suddenly, the war was over, and the B-29s began dropping Prisoner-of-War relief supplies instead of bombs. The liberation of the POWs ended the nightmare of their captivity, but it is clear that nothing could calm their memories in the decades that followed.

However, Hadley's thorough exposition of the tale does offer later generations the chance to understand the fierce emotions, stresses and terrors of those times, and to gain a new appreciation of those who survived.

"Field of Spears" refers to the field in which rural Japanese lynched US fliers of a downed B-29 bomber during World War II. That airmen who bailed out over Japan were likely to meet such a fate was understood by US commanders, who advised air crew to surrender to the Japanese military as their safest option. As the possibility of an Allied invasion of Japan loomed in 1945, Japanese civilians -- including housewives working in weapons factories -- armed themselves with bamboo spears and farmers also had at their disposal a range of sharp tilling instruments.

The Jordan crew, whose B-29 was hit by anti-aircraft fire over Niigata in July 1945 after dropping mines into Niigata Port, was made up of twelve people, of whom four didn't survive the crash or its aftermath. Professor Gregory Hadley, in "Field of Spears - The Last Mission of the Jordan Crew," diligently and faithfully describes and analyzes the events surrounding the crash.

Hadley also provides valuable accounts of conditions in Japan that led to the prosecution of a disastrous war, of US Gen. Curtis LeMay's planning of the B-29 firebombing of major Japanese cities, and of the Allied POW experience, including torture. He brings matters to life and to the present by relaying the mood of those of his students who would fight North Korea in the name of the emperor. There are also several fascinating historical asides, such as on the misinformation that Tokyo was a nuclear-bomb target.

I gained the feeling of what it would actually have been like to fly in a perilously complex and overworked B-29 and felt I was glimpsing the personal and professional lives of the crew, before and after their last run.

Those who seek balanced perspective and reasoned probability in history can look to "Field of Spears" with confidence and be rewarded. They will gain cultural insights lamentably absent in earlier monographic works. Hadley raises the research bar in his field and others will have to try that much harder to clear it. He literally dug up some of his facts. This is ever important as many still muddy the historical waters of the Pacific War, deliberately -- old soldiers online; some of those on the political left and some on the right -- or through secondhand scholarship.

Japanese should admit to the lynching. They should say, "This is how we felt, and this is what we did." More than a half century after the event, there's no need for them to prevaricate or obfuscate. Hadley's book brought to mind Yoshihiro Hattori, the Japanese high school student who was fatally shot on Oct. 17, 1992 by the owner of a house he had mistaken for the address of a Halloween party in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Hattori wasn't even on a bombing run. Jurors sympathized with the shooter. But moral relativism, as tempting as it is to ponder, isn't helpful. War is a human condition which, like extreme hunger, dehumanizes. We can't do better than to say what we did, in the hope that our children will learn from both positive and negative example.

Several photos richly illustrate the book and the cover photo of a captured, blindfolded flier held by what appear to be farmers and police is brilliantly atmospheric.

[...].

I K.D TOWNSEND
WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO HAS BOUGHT MY BOOK.
I WANT YOU TO KNOW WHY I HAVEN'T WRITTEN A BOOK IN AWHILE.
THE GOVERMENT HAS SEIZED MY BOOKS AND HAVE USED THEM AGAINST ME.
I HAVENT SINCE THEN FELT THE DESIRE TOO WRITE FOR A LONG TIME.
I NOW HAVE BROKEN DOWN MY WALL OF SILENCE. AND HAVE STARTED ON MY NEXT BOOK ABOUT THE FEDERAL GOVERMENT AND MYSELF.
I HOPE WHEN THE BOOK COMES OUT YOU WILL READ IT.
IN THE MEAN TIME ENJOY MY OTHER BOOKS.
ONCE AGAIN
THANK-YOU

K.D TOWNSEND
AUTHOR

M.S Townsend, portrays the hurts of childhood from men, into her adulthood. She gives us all strenth to fight for a better world.
I would highley recomend this book to everyone to read.

M.S Townsend book touched our lives with her own life of sufferning. By showning the world that all of us go threw tragedy and survive. and if were lucky with a smile on our faces.
I enjoyed reading this book. and would recomend it too a friend.

I enjoyed this book very much, in life's everyday struggles its kind of comforting to know that your not alone and that other people go threw hardships like you. The author has brought this out so well in her book .I would recomend this book to anyone.

Mary

This author has style and grace, her book touches the human soul and makes us all look within too places we wouldnt want to travel.

The book is only 105 pages long, but it explains the US/British foreign policies that wanted the war, how the evidence necessary to invade was manufactured, and also the misreporting of the war by the media. It's extremely concise and valueable. The author even manages to squeeze in some semi-tangents that are important. My favorite one is the discussion of the Democratic Party and their belligerence - I just get tired of hearing that the Democratic Party is an anti-war party.

A third of the book is devoted to explaining why the invasion was sought after (as well as the occupation of Afghanistan). Then the book moves to focus on the realities of the war's fighting, and how it is covered. After the end of all "major combat operations" in May 2003 the continued attacks on US troops was blamed on Hussein, who was captured in December 2003. After the fighting continued, it was blamed on foreign interference. The administration said a provisional Iraqi government was needed. After the "free" elections on January 2005 the fighting continued. Since then, the administration has been blaming it on al-Qaeda and other foreigners, which Arnove shows not to be the case. These steps of blaming a domestic resistance to other causes is strikingly similar to that of Vietnam. After facing continued resistance, our policies changed to describe and fight those false causes (strategic-hamlet program-->search-and-destroy operations-->pacification program-->Operation Phoenix-->Vietnamization (which was only initiated after the Tet Offensive of 1968 awakened people to the grim truth of the war). Also discussed in this portion of the book (what's really going on over there) is the liberalization of Iraq's economy - It's straight from the IMF/World Bank playbook. The last section of the book argues, after looking at why the invasion occured and what's happening there now, that we should leave Iraq and provide aid until they're back on their feet.

I'd also recommend that an interested reader look into Bush in Babylon: The Recolinisation of Iraq and America's confrontation with revolutionary change in the Middle East, 1948-83.

Q: How many pages does it take to make a compelling case for immediate withdrawal from Iraq? A: Apparently not many when you have logic on your side!

It is a myth that Bush & Co.--though misguided--had the best of intentions at heart when they ordered the military invasion of Iraq in March of 2003. And this unfortunate myth prostrates the antiwar movement when it deludes itself into believing that a bloody occupation stemming from an illegal war can somehow be salvaged into something beneficial for anybody besides Halliburton.

Anthony Arnove's book explains the real roots of the Iraq war in the context of power and profit (not misguided humanitarianism), summarizes for the reader three years of blood-spattered occupation history, provides eight excellent reasons for immediate withdrawal and then discusses the ABC's of anti-imperialist struggle drawn from the history of the Vietnam War.

This isn't a catchall antiwar book to give to your chicken hawk uncle at the next family reunion. This is a book for the 50 million Americans who already consider themselves part of the antiwar movement and want some real answers about stopping the blood-letting. Or as the author puts it, "...the U.S. left in particular needs far greater clarity about the reasons for the war, the political context of the war, and an effective strategy for ending it." (page 98)

This is the most articulate, politically sophisticated yet easy-to-read appeal to bring our loved ones home now that I've read since the war began.

But don't trust this synopsis--read the book.

This outstanding book makes the case for the immediate withdrawal of all foreign troops from Iraq. This would meet the democratic demands of the Iraqi people, and also of the American and British peoples. In a September 2005 New York Times-CBS News poll, 52% supported the immediate withdrawal of US troops.

Arnove sums up, "Every single argument the Bush administration made to justify the invasion of Iraq has turned out to be false. Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction, posed no imminent threat to the United States, and had no connection to al-Qaeda or to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Iraq was attacked not because it had weapons of mass destruction, but because it did not (a fact that has not been lost on other potential targets of U. S. intervention). U. S. soldiers were not greeted as liberators, and the occupation has not paid for itself, or required few troops, or been quickly concluded. Nor has the occupation made the world safer or reduced the threat of weapons of mass destruction. Indeed, it has made Iraq, the Middle East, and the world far more dangerous."

From the start, the war on Iraq was a huge lie. As Arnove writes, "The attacks of September 11, 2001, provided the pretext the Bush administration needed to portray an offensive war to reshape the Middle East as a defensive measure to protect the people of the United States."

Everything we are told about the war is untrue. For example, we are told that the occupation troops conduct a humanitarian war on the ground. In reality, the USA is waging war largely by massive, unreported, bombing: the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing alone dropped more than 500,000 tons of bombs on Iraq between May 2003 and December 2005. We are told that there is no national resistance attacking the foreign occupier, just terrorists attacking civilians. In reality, for every attack against civilians, there are a hundred against the occupying forces.

British governments have always lied to us about matters of war and peace, of security and the national interest. This Labour government is different only because its lies have been more stupid, so that we have rumbled it more quickly.

Arnove's book lays out, in a pretty straight-forward manner (105 pages, not counting the foreword, afterword, appendix, acknowledgement, and notes) the case for pulling all U.S. troops out of Iraq immediately. I read a few other books about Iraq before reading this one, and I would suggest that to any reader, just so they have a frame of reference while reading it. Arnove tries to use well-known quotes and facts to support his argument, and this helps, but there is still so much information on such a complex issue, that I think it would be difficult to read this and fully comprehend it with no prior knowledge of Iraq.

Arnove makes a very compelling case. What's sad is that he's using readily available information to make it, and yet we're now sending more troops to Iraq.

I think the only fault of the book is expecting that it will drive people to action. Arnove isn't really presenting anything new, just laying all the facts out for us in a very clean, logical way, almost like he's writing his thesis. While this style might work if Arnove were a lawyer convicting Bush of war crimes, it just serves to further highlight how this administration works above the law and gets away with it. Even with this much clear evidence against the war it continues on.

This should be mandatory reading for anyone who has bought into the lie filled Bush regime change rhetoric regarding Iraq. A Neocon filled US administration which has been proven wrong in virtually every single one its Iraq pre-war and current engagement contentions.

From "Mission Accomplished", to "Bring It On", to "...the insurgency is in its last throes..." to lies about active WMD programs, lies about Yellow Cake material from Niger, lies about Saddams mythical connections to Al Qaida and 911, this book helps unearth many of the utterly false, and utterly illogical claims told by the current Bush Administration in D.C. regarding their oil based, "Project for the New American Century" military actions in Iraq.

Another reviewer above stated the following, "Suppose the US pulls out and Mr. Arnove is proven wrong. A civil war breaks out."

Hello, a civil war had already broken out in Iraq in case you missed the last 3 years of activity over there!!! That's what the insurgency is, it is a Civil War action! A civil war initiated solely, 100% by the Bush Neocon doctrine in Iraq beginning in April 2003. As far as the war spreading further in the Middle East, there was no war in Iraq prior to the US military illegally attacking that country in 2003. Again, there was no war there! And there is nothing to indicate that our continued military presence in Iraq is reducing the insurgency after 3+ years of occupation. In fact, all logical signs are that it is merely fueling futher insurgency recruits and fueling further deaths in that civil war.

And what happens if the Iraq Shiite cleric Al Sadr, an extremely anti-US fundamentalist, is eventually elected the majority leader of Iraq, which could easily happen given that he's in the majority Shiite sect. Do we then remove him from power because Iraq elected him in a "democratic" fashion, but we now disagree with whom they elected?

The attempt at analogy between US highway deaths versus military deaths is comparable to believing that "Fox News" is "fair and balanced" reporting. If you believe that you probably also believe that there is no civil war yet being waged in Iraq too, LOL.

Very good read, and if you want further information on the real motives behind the Bush Administrations Iraq regime change, do a google search on "The Project For a New American Century" and read up on the true motives behind this illegal war of Don Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz and other Neocons whom Bush has surrounded himself with.

Certainly the warmest and friendliest guidebook out there, this one also happens to be the best. Although he may or may not have written the entire book, it sure feels like Rick Steves is there page after page talking to you one on one, telling you all about the places to go in and around London. Leaving little out, covering things you'd never think of on your own, this is a book to buy and pack and take with you. Well worth the price!

Went to London. I wasn't able to see everything, but this helps get you on your way. Going back soon.

Had the opportunity to visit london for a short stay. Book was an imense help on finding a hotel ways to move around.

This book was excellent. I found it very helpful in finding places and in getting background information about the places I wanted to see. I would recommend this book as one that you should purchase when Planning a trip.

I am a big fan of Rick Steve's guidebooks so understand my bias. We used this 2006 version in Dec 2006 to find lodging, a few restaurants and many of the walking tours. All information was still up to date and excellent. However, please note that the 2007 version should come out in Jan 2007 or close to that time and will be even more current. Great tips and easy to read information on days and times that sights are open or open late is essential and very helpful in planning the trip.