Kentucky Books

I am half way through and am pleased with the connection the author allows me to have with the historic characters, filling in details about clothes, pilaging, caches, romances, personal battle habits and effectiveness. Exciting for me, I live in the region of this retreat. Civil war buffs, metal detectorist, American history enthusiast...add it to your library.

I began reading this book and could not put it down. This book really
made pieces of the puzzle fall together. If you are into Civil War History---you have to have this book. If you are into Kentucky History--
you have to have this book.

Lewis Nicholls' book "A Masterful Retreat" is a fascinating and revealing account of a little-known but significant aspect of the American Civil War: the Union Seventh Army's retreat, and ultimate survival, across the southeast wilderness of Kentucky in 1862. Others have already given a more than satisfactory synopsis of the book, so I will only say this: reading "Retreat" filled a gaping hole in my knowledge of the Civil War. The book focuses on US General George Morgan's withdrawal from Cumberland Gap, his strategic and tactical reasons for doing so in the face of ambiguous orders from superiors, and CSA General John Hunt Morgan's (of Morgan's Raiders fame) attempts to harass and delay the Union's retreat. This story in itself is riveting; however, what really makes the story and binds it into a cohesive, relevant whole is the background behind both Armies' presence in Kentucky, and Kentucky's under-appreciated role in the Civil War. The story gives us snapshot after snapshot of a conflicted state, a borderland with sympathies on both sides. Reading this made me realize how, but for the grace of God and a few missteps on the Union's side - or fewer on the Confederate's side - Kentucky could have been lost, or even torn apart, as ultimately was the case for Virginia.
There is only one potential flaw in this otherwise brilliant study of Civil War history, and that is the absence of maps. A few more would help the reader follow the retreat. But even this lone complaint is mitigated by Lewis Nicholls' wonderfully descriptive account. One feels that he or she is actually with the the Seventh as it marched along the hot, dusty trail along the Little Sandy River. It is easy to empathize with the soldiers, to sense the dryness of the throat, and fatigue in the aching muscles as they struggle with their cannons; one also feels the overwhelming sense of relief as they approach Greenup and the scouts send word back: "Ten miles to the Ohio River!" Maps become unnecessary in light of such descriptive narrative.
Finally, one must be inspired with Lewis Nicholls' decision to write this book. In the introduction, Nicholls describes the historical marker near the Greenup Courthouse that notes the event of the retreat. He tells how he tried to research the retreat, but found that no books seem to address the subject, even in Kentucky. So he decided to write it himself. Its this sort of intellectual curiosity that enables such obscure but vitally important aspects of American history come to life. Now I feel like going out and writing a book of my own. Great book!

The author does a masterful job of weaving a remarkable lesson in history. Throughout the book, Judge Nicholls evaluates all command decisions against the "Nine Principles of War":

Mass (concentrate combat power at the decisive place and time)

Objective (direct every military operation towards a clearly defined, decisive, and attainable objective)

Offensive (seize, retain, and exploit the initiative)

Surprise (strike the enemy at a time, at a place, or in a manner for which he is unprepared)

Economy of force (allocate minimum essential combat power to secondary efforts)

Maneuver (place the enemy in a position of disadvantage through the flexible application of combat power)

Unity of command (for every objective, ensure unity of effort under one responsible commander)

Security (never permit the enemy to acquire an unexpected advantage)

Simplicity (prepare clear, uncomplicated plans and clear, concise orders to ensure thorough understanding)

The crisis chronicled in this book resulted from the Union's decision to seize and hold the Cumberland Gap, followed by the Confederate commander's decision to exercise the principle of manuever. I am reminded of the Patton quote, "Fixed fortifications are monuments to the stupidity of man." After the Union 7th Division captured the Cumberland Gap, they were quickly surrounded and cut-off from the south, west, and north; and the east was never considered a realistic route of escape because the terrain was judged to be impassable.

The author does an excellent job of presenting how conflicted, ambiguous, and dangerous life in Kentucky was during the Civil War. Even though the state officially aligned itself with the Union, "the central bluegrass region was strongly sympathetic to the South." Kentucky was a slave state in the non-slave North. He argues that Kentucky was simultaneously pulled toward the North and the South because of historic economic ties. Additionally, "Kentuckians were pulled toward the North as a direct result of more family and friends residing in the Northern states."

President Lincoln is reported to have said that he hoped to have God on his side, but he had to have Kentucky. "Kentucky's unique geographic position in the Union made it necessary for the Union to station thousands of troops in the Bluegrass State during the war. However, these troops treated the Kentuckians like a conquered nation instead of a loyal state ... the shabby Federal treatment of so many Kentuckians sympathetic to the South drove many Kentuckians into the Confederate camp."

The author's presentation of a wealth of ancillary insight added significant depth to the reader's experience. One such interlude is how Confederate General John Hunt Morgan was assigned the mission of finding Union General George Washington Morgan, and delaying him until the Confederate main force could converge and destroy the 7th Division ... "John Hunt Morgan was a free spirit and allowed his men to plunder Kentuckians suspected of supporting the Union ... What better way to keep Morgan from infuriating the Kentuckians than by sending him to eastern Kentucky where there were fewer populated areas, and thus, fewer civilians to infuriate."

The collection and collation of eye-witness accounts, maps, and re-enactment photographs was obviously a labor of love for Judge Nicholls. The volume of personal correspondence, embedded reporter dispatches, and commander reports used to demonstrate the flow and character of events was invaluable. One such account described the hot dusty march - "These sands and these rocks and hills had drunk no water for near two months. Columns and clouds of dust - finer than the finest flour, rise at every foot-fall. It covers you - it fills your eyes and they burn and itch - you wipe and rub them and you add more dust. It fills your nose and mouth and throat - you thirst and get nothing but stagnant, tepid water; but on you tramp, tramp, tramp."

The book presents a key decision by Union General George Washington Morgan that continues to haunt me. "Morgan ordered ... a young officer with two or three men on a mission of deception. Morgan composed a bogus message authorizing the officer to purchase food for the entire 7th Division. Morgan stated in the message that it was his intention to cross the Ohio River at Maysville, Kentucky. [The officer and his men were dispatched towards Maysville] ... Morgan figured the Confederates would capture the officer, and his detail, along this route. In fact, Morgan counted on it! The Confederates did, in fact, capture the small detachment and they studied the bogus message."

The answer to whether this ruse worked is on page 80.

I wonder how this decision would be treated today by the Main Stream Media? Perhaps ... "General Lies, Troops Suffer ... General Morgan intentionally sent a detachment of his men to their operational demise. With misanthropic intent, they were condemned to spend the remainer of the conflict fighting deprivation and disease at internment camps like Andersonville."

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. As a history teacher, I highly recommend this book. The author's knowledge and understanding of the area adds to the tone of the book. Even if you are not from Kentucky, you will enjoy this story!

In one of the old TV "Avenger" episodes, John Steed was about to be shot by a firing squad. Steed helped the nervous commander of the squad with some trifle, saying in his prim British manner, "It is important to do these things well."

Keven McQueen has told his stories well. With his keen eye for detail and an incisive sense of humor, he has taken old stories from the dry, dusty pages of newspapers and made them highly interesting. He writes well.

As a great-grandchild of a near-victim in Keven's book and a writer of such stories myself, I am qualified to say that "Murder in Old Kentucky" is an fascinating, entertaining and accurate portrayal of historical Kentucky and even the rest of eastern United States.The Courage Place

Have you ever been reading along only to start laughing so hard that you actually dropped the book? Well, I just did. The author who gave me that unique literary experience is Keven McQueen and the book is Murder in Old Kentucky.

The book chronicles eighteen true crime stories from Kentucky's bloody past, and as the author points out and then proves, "most tragedies are entwined with moments of comedy." I loved it! When the book isn't hilarious, it's plain interesting and the quality of the writing is absolutely exceptional, making this author a standout in the genre.

A tiny sampling:

"....Richard Shuck soon lived up to his reputation for not being terribly bright. Later that afternoon, he rode to Owenton, where he could not have drawn more attention to himself if he had walked around on stilts and worn a crimson sandwich board reading 'I am a murderer.' Indeed, his actions are an encyclopedia of things one should not do after committing a homicide...."

"The hanging went without a hitch -- so to speak...."

Enjoy!

I intend to purchase every book this author ever writes. I could not put this book down until completed. McQueen writes about murders that this KY native and avid reader of true crimes had never even heard of before. His book in not only informative but also entertaining to read. I was frequently laughing out loud at his dry sense of humor. This book shows that the "good old days" are nothing more than a prevarication, and that wife beating, child rape, abduction and murder are nothing new to society. This is a must read for any true crime fanatic. This is not one of those books you buy, read once and throw to the side. I will read this book again just to enjoy his use of language. His writing style is unique, witty, cynical, comical and truly enjoyable.

Kentucky literature is very popular in our area and Mr. McQueen's books are both well researched and entertaining. I work at a public library and his books are checked out as quickly as we can display them.

Murder In Old Kentucky: True Crimes From The Bluegrass by Keven McQueen is an interesting collection of memorable stories taken from historical homicides which took place in the Commonwealth between the years 1826 and 1937. Included is the murder of the famous Beauchamp-Sharp, the "Ashland Tragedy", and the Lucretia Mundy poisoning. Exceptionally well written, Murder In Old Kentucky is very highly recommended to true crime buffs, students of criminology, and anyone interested in the darker side of Kentucky history.

I agree with the other reviewer that the more interesting stories are at the end. Pressey has some writing talent, but needed an editor or proofreader as there are a few errors like "she couldn't bare children" in there. (That may not bother other people like it does me! It just takes me right out of the story and into my editor's hat.) Clearly her family has some openness to the spirit world or they wouldn't have had this many experiences. I was hoping for more of a long-term haunting story, though, and this is more a collection of shorter stories of individual experiences. If that's what you're looking for, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Perhaps I should have started at the back of the book, because the good stories are there. The first few stories are so mild and "un-scary" that I almost put the book down, but I prodded on. It was worth it, because the book gets better as the stories progress. Still, the book is smaller than Amazon states, it's only 139 pages, and a small paperback. I read it in a few hours and I think the price is a bit steep for that size book.

The stories are believable and well-written. As someone who also has a "haunted family," many of the stories told in this book sound familiar. I should also add that I'm glad the author commented that newer houses are just as apt to be haunted as old ones. I have lived in new houses with many spirits, while the house we are in now is 117 years old, and completely still. So her observations in that regard are spot on.

I'm giving this book 4 stars because the stories in the beginning of the book aren't so hot, and the book is too small for the price. Otherwise, it's a good read and hopefully she'll market it at some of the B&B's she visited.

I love this book !

It's very well written and holds your attention throughout. I highly recommend this book. Congratulations Rose.

Bill Bean Author of Dark Force

I loved this book... each and every story was very chilling. This will be one I'll read again and again!

I bought this a couple of days ago as a gift for a friend's Halloween birthday party, but one rainy afternoon and three coffees later and it looks like I'll have to find her another gift! This book is written like a collection of short stories that are easy to read and leave you wanting to know more about this intriguing family. It's a captivating page-turner that is guaranteed to raise the hairs on the back of your neck and make you want to leave the lights on in the dark. Highly recommended. Actually, I'm just going to buy another copy to give to my friend, it's *definitely* something that she would like too.

Ruth Ann Musick, The Telltale Lilac Bush and Other West Virginia Ghost Tales (University Press of Kentucky, 1965)

Musick presents us one hundred ghost stories from her extensive folklore collection. She makes no effort to doll them up (though she does say in her preface that she edited them, some heavily, to take out redundancy), and so they often read quite plain; those looking for a Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark-esque compendium will be disappointed here, as Musick chooses the stories she presents in order to illuminate a specific type of ghost story or a specific set of commonalities. I would think this would be of most use to a writer who's looking for an interesting subplot or the like; there's a great deal of primary source to be mined here. ***

I bought this book "Telltale Lilac Bush and Other West Virginia Ghost Tales" for my Grand-daughter, and started reading it myself, we both really enjoyed it, I am 59 and she is 11. This is a great read for anyone.

I have wanted this book for awhile and Amazon is where I found it, and I really like the book and it is in excellent condition.

Simply put, this book scared the crap out of me when I was little, and largely influenced my fascination with the horror genre all together. Who knew WV had such great lore?

This book, is simply put, perfection. I remember reading this book when I was in middle school, and I have kept a copy with me since. Now being almost 30 years old, it shows that this book can make an indellible impression on people.

My only dissapointments are, that it may be the most complete listing of paranormal stories on west virgina folklore, It can never house all the stories out there. Simply put, there just isnt enough room.

Another dissapointment, is that people from outside of the region, have no clue about this book, its existance, or just what a good read they are missing out on.

No matter the books current cost, its worth every penny and then some

Enjoy

Viro Los Diablos

Wendell Berry reveals the hardy Depression-era souls of the Kentucky soil in their intimate rhythms of survival and subsistence. Stretched to their limits by the harshness of tedious labor, they remain decent, sociable, collaborative, resilient, and committed. Their modest dreams are often crushed, but they persist by honoring the traditions of their ancestors.

Wendell Berry's fictional town of Port William, Kentucky has proven to be fertile ground for a legacy of graceful, lovely stories about the place and its citizens. Berry has a knack for honing in on the key moments in his protagonists' lives when they reach very personal revelations about themselves and those around them. Add to this a gentleness of style, whether the stories are funny, tragic and/or all points inbetween, and you have narratives that stay with you after you've finished reading them.

This collection of stories about Port William spans the late 19th century to the tail-end of the 20th century. Most of the stories have been anthologized in other collections, but taken together here in chronological order, this anthology makes for a novel-like whole about people, their town and their ways of life that are either gone or gradually disappearing. Rather than sadness, though, the overall sense I get from Berry's tales is one of gratitude that such lives and such times came to pass and that they could be chronicled.

Idealized and parochial visions? Perhaps, but in a USA that these days seems so broadly fragmented across social, political and geographic lines, and where so much time and energy is spent detailing the worst aspects of an American dream gone wrong, it's heartening to read fiction by someone who remembers the good if flawed humanity that we all possess. This anthology and Berry's other fiction about Port William are storytelling at it's best. Recommended.

As surely as the Kentucky River runs through the fictional community of Port William, so the theme of "Membership" runs through these wonderful Port William stories by Wendell Berry. He writes of membership in family, in community, in human industry, in each others' lives, in the past, in the present.

This collection of short stories centers on those now-oldest residents of an up-to-mid-20th century Kentucky farming community who still are of an age to remember and of a bent to cherish ancestral roots, traditions, and habits, and by so doing have brought the past along with them to familiarize and to endear the present. These slices-of-life accounts lovingly highlight a community's stories that have, in their joyful retelling, become part of its lore. They laughingly reminisce over both the serious and silly everyday dilemmas of past-unintended folly. They record the ingrained farm-work ethic of a time now likely gone forever. They revel in relationships of ordinary people doing ordinary things with family and neighbors. And, yes, these stories even include occasions of deaths of and among loved ones of the "membership." It is not the events, themselves, however, that are exceptional; it is Berry's telling of them.

Having read Jayber Crow, Hannah Coulter, The Memory of Old Jack and now That Distant Land, I feel as if I have been poring through family albums that have been unearthed from Port William, KY. And from these I have come to know several generations of strong, gentle, principled people whose lives, by choice, have been pretty remote and mostly detached from the rest of a changing world. These are people of good heart who are intimately linked to each others' care and well-being. This carefully constructed fictional genealogy of the Port William membership comes from an author who, to say the very least, certainly has a way with words! Even if you have not read any of Wendell Berry's work, you will nevertheless be enchanted, I believe, and drawn into the sweetness and the cadence of these beautifully told tales of family, heritage, community, and, of course, membership.

As usual, Wendell Berry continues to prove his place in the American literary tradition; if only his place were more widely recognized. His prose flows onto the page as natural as flowers spring from the soil or rain falls from the sky. I think that is an apt comparison since many of his stories consider the relationship between man and nature. "That Distant Land" is a collection of twenty-three stories, many of which have been published previously. They are brought together marvelously, arranged in chronological order from the 1880s to the 1980s, flowing in and out of time with the neighboring stories.

Berry's fiction focuses on the invented town of Port William, a small farming community in Kentucky. For those who have read his novels, the characters and the town are familiar; for those who haven't, Berry's world is so infused with natural grace that one automatically feels at home in Port William and among its inhabitants. "That Distant Land" gathers together assorted stories about Port William's characters, some that are familiar and told from a different perspective, and some that might be unknown, but no less familiar.

I especially enjoyed the stories that told of Ptolemy Proudfoot and his wife, Miss Minnie Quinch. "A Consent", the story of their odd courtship, is a story that leaves your soul beaming at the simplicity and overwhelming power of love. The Proudfoot-Miss Minnie stories add a dimension of humor to this collection that is absent in other stories. Berry does not rush any of these stories along; some are short, light-hearted anecdotes - others are long, meandering wanders through time and memory. Perhaps the two most poignant stories in the collection are "Fidelity" and the title piece. Centering around Burley Coulter and Mat Feltner respectively, both are about the end of life, of the memories and people who shape our lives and the memories we will leave behind.

While telling his stories, working his way through the history of Port William, Berry affirms time and again a world alive with possibilities, to be what it is and also what it once was. A farmer in the oldest tradition, he is in love with the land and saddened by the 'advances' technology and urban growth have created. "That Distant Land" brings this home as it covers nearly a century of change in the world, and the decay that inevitably hits smalltown America, whose inhabitants feel that perhaps they have nothing left to offer their children that would entice them to stay and carry on their way of life. Berry, time and again, offers this hope, perhaps as a way of challenge.

I have deeply loved all of Berry's fiction. That Distant Land is particularly satisfying for showing the unfolding of many of his characters in a linear historical progression. The wealth of inter-relations and the handy genealogical tree of the characters brings all the characters into a full richness.

I have read several books related to WWII nursing history. This was one of the most original stories I have come across. Well Written and very much worth the read. Not one of the Vets that I spoke with from this era had ever heard of this story. It was a great bit of little known history.

Albanian Escape was exciting, quick-paced, and inspiring. After crashing behind enemy lines, this narrative of a group of brave women, written from one surviovor's perspective, was everything an adventure story could be. An unexpected turn of events leads to a challenge, a journey behind enemy lines during World War II. Throughout, the physical strength, courage, disciple and patriotism of the servicewomen remain steady. I loved hearing about the descriptions of covert radio transmissions, the long walks in the dark and the unfamiliar food eaten gratefully by the characters. The story read like a story, yet one knew IT HAD REALLY HAPPENED, because of the threat of Hitler's armies and that there was much at stake if these people were captured. Another angle of the narrative which interested me was the fact that Albania, recently in the news because of the wars in the Balkans and Kosovo, was the poulation the nurses came in contact with. I learned a lot about the way political loyalties were very fragile and unreliable during a war. For example, In the book, there were three main groups of citizens in Albania: those loyal to the Germans, those who wanted political independence from the dictator of Albania at the time, and those who were loyal to the Allies. Therefore, the issue of who was friendly was a complicated one for the Americans. Reading about Ablania, I gained insight into current events in my own world. I recommend this book highly to readers of all ages, especially those who want to learn about what it was like during World War II.

Mrs. Mangerich, I was moved, ok, maybe I'm a bit partial, but I loved it... Mrs. Mangerich, my grandfather gave me this book, you know your cousin, I thought agh, another war-story. But I got into, drove my friends nuts talking about it, i loved every aspect of the story. The drama, and the way the story was written was beautiful. I was impressed, truly, especially considering I'm only a teen and you managed to captivate my impaitent mind... 5 stars all around, I hope to see you @ the family reunion!

This was very important for me as my father, who is now deceased, was one of the medics on board the aircraft. Information on him that was unknown to me was brought to light in the book. It is well written and i am thankful that this piece of history that involved my father was recorded for the future.

This book, Albanian Escape, The True Story of U.S. Army Nurses Behind Enemy Lines, by Agnes Jensen Mangerich as told to E.M. Monahan and R.L. Neidel is a great story, well written, and historically relevant today. It is relevant to today's debate on women in the military and their ability and stamina to deal with hardship and come out winners. And it certainly has relevance to today's problems in the Balkans. While the story is told from the perspective of one of the nurses, it does deal with the other 12 nurses involved, the medics and the plane crew; the Albanians willing to help them escape German-held Albania and the British SOE and American OSS officers detailed to help them escape. The authors were able to trace down actual reports from the Bari Air Base, Command Communique concerning the incident and reports from Lt. Duffy, SOE and Capt. Smith, OSS, intertwining these very well in the account. One mystery remains in this book--regarding why the pilots did not have the password for the day which prevented them from getting the information they sought from the Bari Air Field about the time they were due there and the copilots unwillingness to talk about it to Jensen when she mentioned to him that the radio operator had told her that the pilots had tried to radio Bari. I also understand that Monahan and Neidel were telling Jensen's story, but it would have been great if some of the others in the group could have been contacted to hear their perspective of this event. Unfortunately, we hear from the Veterans Admiinstration that we are losing 1000 WWII Veterans daily in the U.S. and it is not easy to find such people if they didn't keep in touch. But an awful lot of good stories are going untold. As a retired Army Nurse, Korea and Vietnam era, I had to smile alot at some of the dialogue, and think how typical it was of military nurses in every generation when the going got rough. I believe the writers did a great job of telling Agnes Jensen Mangerich's story and I would recommend it to all who have an interest in military history and particularly women in the military and military nurses. We're blest this year with both this book and Norman's We Band of Angels--Great Readings. Ira P. Gunn, MLN, CRNA, FAAN, LTC, US Army Retired

This is a great reference book on both early origins on distilling in America and the Beam family - who comprise a large branch of the founding families of Bourbon distilling and still have many members working at various distilleries throughout Kentucky. A entertaining read and great reference for anyone who is interested in bourbon.

What a great book! I loved it and couldn't put it down. I feel like I was right there with Pacult as he traveled around with Booker Noe. I am not a bourbon drinker, but this book made me wish I had a little bit to sip as I was reading it. Alas I finished reading the book before I could purchase some bourbon.

I read American Still Life this Summer. It reads like a Michener novel. I prefer reading non-fiction but most non-fiction is boring and tedious. So I was pleased when I had a chance to read this book. It's a strong testament to our American founders and to the Beams, American icons, who 'took the pain' out of the daily struggles. Great Read!

This book captures a truly unique American product, and a family that was integral to the creation of the industry. As I write this review, Booker Noe's death was just recently announced. The personalities of the larger than life characters like Booker are wonderfully captured within the narrative. Even if you're not a fan of bourbon (philistine!), you'll come away with a great appreciation for the definitive American spirit (both the drink and the people).

This book kept me enthralled for an entire weekend. A great look at a family that created an entire industry with a distinctly American product, Bourbon.

As the story of a facinating family, the author gently takes you through the many generations of the Beams without getting you lost in a morass of detail. You remain excited waiting for the next turn in their fortunes, and you get a wonderful look at the many personalities involved in building the Bourbon industry over time in the process.

When I think about the book from a business standpoint, Paul Pacult succeeded in conveying the patience and the passion these people have for their product, and how they manage to maintain that passion, literally over generations. In a world of managing quarter to quarter, the Beams are a refreshing change.

A very-well written, facinating look at a piece of Americana. I heartily recommend it.

In the 1st book in the Bert and Nan Tatum mystery series, we are introduced to twins that get sucked into a mystery. A handsome stranger approaches Bert on the street, and thinking he is speaking to her sister, she plays along. He flatters her, telling her how beautiful she is, and promises to call later. Speaking to her twin later, it seems as though Nan has no idea who this mysterious stranger was. And when the two are watching the news together later that evening, they find that the man has been murdered. Who was this strange man with a crush on Nan? And why was he murdered? The twins follow the clues to a mystery in their past, and find that indeed, their past has come back to haunt them.

I picked this book up while browsing the mystery section in my local library, and was not disappointed with this great addition to the cozy genre. This book is different from many other mysteries, as it is told from both viewpoints of the twins. The chapters alternate between the two viewpoints, and give a refreshing perspective to the story. The mystery was great, and kept me guessing to the end.

Enjoy!

The only problem with Double Murder, is how will these two gifted writers ever top it! Tight, quick plot, unique insight. A real page turner. Both Mccafferty and Herald are terrific writers on their own --together they may well be dangerous. Give it a 10 only because a 20 is not available

Identical twins Bert and Nan Tatum are used to being mistaken for each other. So when a stranger approaches Bert on the street, she assumes the stranger is looking for Nan. Only later does she find out that Nan didn't know him either. By that point, he's dead. Nan, curious as to how a complete stranger knew them, drags Bert into the investigation. But it's soon clear that they are both in real danger and the only way to get out alive is to solve the case themselves.

This book is a lot of fun. The "gimmick" of alternating chapters from Bert and Nan is part of it. It took me awhile to get used to it, but it brings out the humor in the different points of view. The authors, identical twins themselves, have done a good job of creating very great characters. Nan and Bert are very different, and the other characters are also well defined. The plot moves along at a quick pace and reaches a logical conclusion. A great first novel in an enjoyable series.

When identical twin Bert Tatum is approached on her lunch break from a handsome man who seems to know her (though she's never seen him before in her life) she doesn't think much of it. It happens occasionally that she's mistaken for her twin sister, Nan. Unfortunately, when the stranger shows up murdered on the local news and her sister claims to also have never met him, the mystery begins!

The twins both get themselves involved in an intricately-plotted puzzle that involves a murder from their childhood somehow tying-in with the current tragedy. Twists and turns abound and the writing is sassy and enjoyable.

The interesting thing about the book is that alternating chapters are written in the first-person by each of the twins, giving each part a unique perspective on the goings-on. It's particularly fun when chapters overlap and you can see either the similarity or complete difference in both Bert and Nan's points of view.

A charming and quick read, I found it difficult to put down! It's also the first book in the series so it's a great place to start if you're interested! I've purchased the second and am eager to start it!

I love mysteries and "snack" on them the way others indulge in junk food. I'm addicted, and in Double Murder I found a mystery as good to read as chocolate is to eat. (And with the possible exception of sex and sports cars, very few things are as good as chocolate.) With Double Murder the reader gets a bonus--not only a great mystery but a glimpse into the world of twins. The authors do for twins what Tony Hillerman does for the Navajo Indians and Elizabeth Peters does for Egyptology. What's next on the twin authors' list of mysteries?

Although published in 2004, this book is a timely read. It makes a compelling case why the recent Supreme Court decision (in June 2008) about Guantanamo prisoner's rights is indeed in line with the United State's Constitution, why the treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo has been unconstitutional, and how the denial of their human rights is another example of the Bush administration's war and constitutional crimes.

Anyone who cares about American morals, and the importance of upholding human and Constitutional rights, will appreciate this book.

With the exception of those on the payroll of the United States Government, Michael Ratner (with staff he directs at the Center for Constitutional Rights and volunteer lawyers he assembled) knows more about Guantánamo than anyone.

The book is a quick read at 93 pages of text.

For those who have grown up believing that the rule of law is central to our democracy, it is a chilling read.

Published in mid-2004 it reviews a broad array of the issues which had arisen as of that time and which continue to inform the realities on the ground at Gitmo today. It provides a careful analysis of the ways in which "rule by executive fiat" deviated from the U.S. Constitution, the entirety of the Anglo-American legal tradition, the Geneva Conventions, and international law.

He discusses how a great percentage of persons were selected to be prisoners at Guantánamo, a great many by bounty hunters capturing persons far from any battlefield, the bounties paid for by U.S. tax dollars. He discusses extraordinary rendition of prisoners rendered to countries known to torture, the "outsourcing" of torture.

He recounts the abuse and torture suffered meted out to those interrogated at Guantánamo and links the methods used there to those later made infamous by the exposé of interrogations at Abu Ghraib.

The more serious reader will appreciate the 66-pages of primary source documents collected in the appendix covering a broad range of topics from the original lease of Guantánamo from the Cuba to relevant parts of Geneva Conventions to a series of memoranda issued by various departments of the executive branch which framed some of the major issues that the detentions at Guantánamo present for our country.

For anyone concerned about the state of our democracy, this is an important book.

This book provides a really concise, clear and powerful explanation of the American interrogation camp at Guantanamo Bay Cuba. The author who represents some of the detainees and has interviewed them paints a vivid picture of their hideous treamtment. He demonstrates that the camp is not only outside the law, but a threat to the safety of us all. If you want to know why Guantanamo has become iconic in the Muslism world for everything wrong with the US, read this book.

This book consists of interviews of Michael Ratner, President of the Center for Constitutional Rights, by writer Ellen Ray, plus relevant UN and other documents. Ratner was co-counsel in Rasul v Bush, which the New York Times called "the most important civil rights case in half a century" because on 28 June 2004 the Supreme Court ruled against President Bush that the US military could not hold what it called `enemy combatants' indefinitely, without charge and without access to legal representation. The Court ruled that the prisoners had the right to challenge their detentions in civilian courts.

The Bush government then set up `combatant status review tribunals', supposedly to decide whether the detainees had been correctly designated as enemy combatants and therefore were being rightfully detained according to the laws of combat. However, the administration breached the Supreme Court's ruling that the prisoners had the right to challenge their detentions in civilian courts, since all the tribunals' members are military officers.

Guantanamo is `an interrogation camp', which is flatly illegal, under US and international law. It harks back to Stuart Britain's offshore penal colonies which were beyond the reach of law, forms of executive imprisonment which the 1679 Habeas Corpus Act made illegal. The US detention centres in Iraq, Afghanistan and Diego Garcia and on board US aircraft carriers are modern Devil's Islands.

The International Committee of the Red Cross has reported that US forces had inflicted on the 550 prisoners illegally held at Guantanamo Bay psychological and physical coercion that was `tantamount to torture'. It said, "the construction of such a system, whose stated purpose is the production of intelligence, cannot be considered other than an intentional system of cruel, unusual and degrading treatment and a form of torture." At least three children, between 11 and 13, were held at Guantanamo; some are still there today.

The British state is guilty of collaboration and connivance with these illegal US state actions. British courts, like US courts, are using as evidence statements made under duress and torture in these US-run camps, thereby condoning the use of torture.

You need to read this book. Since the suicides of last week, the US government has sealed off Gtmo from the world - no lawyers, no press. It is vitally important that we understand what is going on there and close Gtmo down. Michael Ratner and Ellen Ray have collaborated to produce a highly readable "primer" on this disgraceful period in US history. I used this book in my human rights courses.
Susan Gzesh, Director, Human Rights Program, the University of Chicago

Written by Ray Mulesky, Thunder From a Clear Sky is the breathtaking true story of Confederate cavalry officer Adam "Stovepipe" Johnson, who led the first Confederate raid across the Mason-Dixon Line to seize the river-port community of Newburgh, Indiana during the American Civil War. Not a shot was fired. A highly accessible true story of how an ordinary man proved capable of a military master stroke, and the fallout thereafter when the territory he claimed was retaken by Union troops. A welcome contribution to Civil War and military history shelves.

This book is a fascinating story. The author puts you into the story. You can almost smell the gunpowder.

Although I'm only mildly interested in historical books, I truly enjoyed reading this book. The book's ability to engage my interest was through taking a true story with real people from an ordinary place and telling the story of how they acted and what happened when the history altering civil war directly touches their lives through one man's actions. Very thought provoking! The writing so skillfully weaves details from historical research with the people involved in this event that it is both enjoyable and informative. Great book!

I have read a lot of books regarding the Civil War. Being a history buff, I'm always looking for more. Living in Southern Indiana made this book appealing because it is local history. More interesting is that it takes place basically on "the line" between the north and south. With only the river separating the strong beliefs on both sides of the War, the story is true for so many borderline areas. Ray writes in a way that makes the reader believe they are actually witnessing the raid and I was able to relate easily to the feelings that the characters were feeling. When he described the chaos in Newburgh and the clear conflicts with the inhabitants, it was very easy to get wrapped up in it all. He also takes the time to give a full narative to the people in the story so that the reader understands throughout how they fit into the book. It is a very well researched historical account of the struggles of the people during that time. As someone who constantly has a non-fiction book in progress, I highly recommend it.

Adam Johnson's Confederate Raid on Newburgh, Indiana, was a little-known footnote to history even in the communities where the story unfolded. Most who knew about the raid knew only about Johnson's use of a phony cannon battery to deceive the Indiana homeguard into giving up the town. Thunder From a Clear Sky is the equivalent of a backstage pass into the workings and reasons behind the raid. Told in a story-telling style, this book is a wonderful example of what is possible when a talented researcher and writer dusts off a forgotten gem. The book has single-handedly sparked a revival of interest into Adam Johnson's amazing life story.