New York Books

Mickey Mantle's wife, Merlyn, and their sons tell the unique and inspirational story of their very separate, often harrowing private lives with the husband and father that was there for them through their lives before cancer took him away. Merlyn and the boys discuss how the effects of alcohol and the spotlight of fame play a role on him and how they all came to be. Merlyn talks about Mickey Mantle the most because they were the closest, and she discusses what she went through as a wife and as a mother. The boys tell their vivid stories of what they can remember while the father was emotionally and physically absent. The dexterous Mickey, played ball everyday and is still a very well-known name in the histroy of baseball. This story explains his lief and career while alcohol impacted himself physically, hi gamily, and his life mentally. It also touches base on his career achievements and how he became the amazing Mickey Mantle.

I'm only 13, and Mickey Mantle is my favorite baseball player to live. I have read about 6 books on the "Commerce Comet" and this book is exceptional. In the first chapter the Mick talks about his alchohol abuse. Then Marilyn talks about her highschool sweetheart. This is a great book.

This is a truly moving, inspirational and heartrendering book. It reads like a Greek Tragedy, but is so real because the Authors were there. Written by Mickey's wife Merlyn, and his 3 surviving sons, it is by far the most honest work regarding Mickey. This book is so much more important that that trashy, tabloid like "Mickey Mantle: America's Prodigal Son" by Tony Castro, that I would suggest you never bother with that thing. Besides, Castro took most of his book directly from this one.

This story is also one of the finest studies of the dysfunction in an alcoholic family, with all the roles being lived out and understood by the participants. These are real, caring and heroic people, not because of baseball, but because they became winners in life by facing their problems together. A great, great book!

I have read several books on Mickey Mantle and this one is one of the best. Mickey's story is one of the best in baseball and he remains one of the most popular players in history. This book is an excellent look at the effects of fame and alcohol on the family and how the family members came to grips with things. The stories presented here are told by his wife Merlyn and his sons. Through his family, Mickey's story lives on and he continues to inspire us.

I have read most of the books written by Mickey and when I picked this one up I was not quite ready for it's contents. The first chapter, written by Mickey himself address his views on his alcoholism and subsequent recovery.

The following chapters by Merlyn and one by each of his surviving sons was indeed an eye openner into his private life. A lot of information I had not known before was given first hand by his family members.

It took a great deal of courage on their parts to put this book into print and although their lives were not what we might have imagined, it still showed Mick's heart felt side and the love he held for his family and the respect and love they hold for an American Icon.

A must reading for Mantle fans and a true story of courage.

My oldest daughter loves this book. The entire series by Esther Averill is terrific!

Great book for any cat lover

author of "Hobo Finds A Home"

What a wonderful book! I didin't want it to end. The cat characters were wonderfully realized, very "cat-like", with distinct personalities and catty quirks. The slightly primative illustrations were charming and enhanced the narrative. I loved the story, and look forward to reading the rest of the "Cat Club" books!

I'm hoping that The Hotel Cat will soon join the other Cat Club reissues. Somewhere over the years I lost my original copy and recently replaced it with a used one I came across on EBay, but I'd love a new copy that would hold up long enough for my children to pass on to their children. If I read this book once I read it a thousand times, and I'll never forget the fifth-grade book report I wrote---or the crude mobile I created for which my mother helped me knit a little red scarf for Jenny! The illustrations and the story captivated me, transported me to a place I could only imagine, and inspired me to ask my parents all kinds of bizarre questions that they probably never could have expected---like what's a hornpipe dance and why is it called that?! A real treasure.

The other day I came across a copy of "Jenny and the Cat Club" at a bookstore and was overcome by memories of the hours I spent with the Cat Club as a child. "The Hotel Cat" was the first of my experiences with the Cat Club, and has always remained my favorite. For several years in grade school I would check it out over and over at the library to have the pleasure of reading it again and again. At one point I became convinced that my own three cats had a secret club with the other neighborhood felines! Eventually of course I moved on to longer and more difficult reads, but I never forgot Tom and the other Cat Club members. Sadly, when I looked for "The Hotel Cat" at the library a few years ago I discovered that it and the other Cat Club books had been sold or donated due to a low check out rate. Since then, I have been looking for my own copy of Cat Club books. Now that they are being republished, I absolutely plan to buy a copy of each so that I can pass these wonderful books that meant so much to me on to my own children some day.

I haven't had this book for more than a month and already I've used it a ton. I love the layout and the great tips. There isn't any topic I can think of that he doesn't cover. It's a great, great book.

In How to Cook Everything, Mark Bittman has written another thriller that hooks you from the first page and doesn't let go till the last. The plot moves swiftly and the suspense is unrelenting. More than the recipes, you really care about the characters and the predicaments, mostly culinary-related, that Bittman confronts them with. This is not a novel for the faint-hearted: there is loss, pain, violence, and especially, many gut-wrenching recipes that will test your strength and maturity. But if you stay with it, and it's hard to bail anyway, you'll end, I think, with a sense of having read something special, and joyful.

I first began my affair with cooking and baking when I was in high school, learning from an original printing of HTCE that lie forgotton in my parents' pantry.

Now, together with the love of my life in our first apartment, this new version is the nightly answer to the question, "What's for dinner?" (and, perhaps even better - "How can we use that xxx we picked up at the farmer's market?").

Love it.

I gave away my first edition of this book as soon as I got the new one. Much to my dismay, I discovered that the entire beverages chapter has been omitted from this new book.

If you have room in your heart for only one cookbook, this is the one. With 2000 recipes it really does have everything. With variations. It's got vegetables from A to Z, with several recipes for each, primers on meat, fish and fowl, on stocking the kitchen and preserving your tools.

Bittman, author of the Minimalist column in the New York Times, has overhauled the original to reflect the changing times. Almost half the material is new, showcasing more international dishes, more vegetarian fare, and a tighter organization. Best known for keeping it simple - fine food, with minimal fuss - Bittman would like to see the home cook spend an hour a day cooking but most of these dishes can be made in half that time.

If the dishes are inspirational, the organization is breathtaking. Organized by course, each chapter begins with "essential" recipes, the "building blocks," and icons accompany every recipe, indicating fast (under 30 minutes), make ahead, or vegetarian. Charts and sidebars abound, offering ideas for using different techniques with similar ingredients or the same technique with different ingredients.

As always with Bittman, the watchword is variation, the goal is inspiration. Cooks of all levels of experience and interest will spend hours with this book and never run out of new ideas and new tricks.

For Westchester County history buffs, this is a well documented book that is easy to read and informative. If you've attended Kings College in the early years as I have, you will appreciate the section on the now non-existant Briarcliff Lodge.

Those who value the Hudson Valley's unique history and beauty must use this book to fight for restoration, preservation and conservation of the human landscape of our precious River!

If you have a love of the Hudson River Valley and you wonder what happened to structures you've heard about, but can't find, then you'll enjoy this book. I was also fascinated to learn of buildings I never knew existed and what is being done to save some derelict buildings still standing that are near collapse. This is a very well researched book too. I'd call this a savory read if old structures or the Hudson River shoreline is of interest to you.

This book is chock full of information about abandonded places(obviously within the Hudson Valley Region). I honestly wish there were some more detailed photographs of some of these places, but i imagine i might be able to find them on the internet somewhere.Dont get me wrtong There are alot of photographs of the locations and places, and a color plate section in the center but they are like brief narriations of places that could be shown in so much more detail. I can honestly recommend this book to anyone interested in urban decay, preservation of old places, or interested in those abandonded places from times past. Urban Explorers might also find this book of some use as well.

Ruins (mainly abandoned buildings): eyesores or "romantic embodiments of a historical past"? The authors, in this superbly written and magnificently illustrated book, argue passionately for the latter, and have chosen 85 sites found in the Hudson Valley between Albany and Yonkers to prove their point. Old mansions, mills, manufacturing plants, railroad stations, even Sing Sing prison are described in historical detail and lovingly photographed; scores of black and white photos and a center section of nearly 20 color prints accompany the text. And it's the text that really makes this a stand-out book in the field of local history: the historical sketches for most of the sites are thorough and elaborate in scope. In tracing these ruins of the Hudson Valley, which are many and varied, the authors also trace the history of "ruin appreciation" itself, from early artistic projections to modern debates over urban renewal vs. preservation. This is local history at its best.

I am so impressed by the wealth of information contained in this book! I am an artist in many forms, and wish I had known this information when I first moved to NYC. The book is written in an easy-to-read personable style - it feels as if the author is your good friend helping you to make it in NYC. Along with contact information of many resources, the author also includes anecdotes, quotes, and personal stories that liven up the read. I rate it a 10 out of 10!

I've already used several suggestions...including signing up for focus groups. And you don't have to live in NYC to make money on focus groups. Also, I found the book to be generally helpful to making my life easier, richer and fuller...economically! Amy Harrell is an resource angel!

I met the author last night by coincidence in a seminar that we took togheter, i was amazed with the ideias and resources on the book that i didnt hesitate at purchase the only copy that she had it on hands. It is amazing how she divided the topics and make them really clear and extremely helpful . I took couple hours to read it and now im working on the ideias of the book.

THE BEST LUCK FOR YOU AMY HARRELL :)

Liege Neves

A fellow performer recommended this book to me and it has become an invaluable part of my life. It goes well above and beyond other books for artists living in the city - it's a guidebook to every aspect of an aspiring artist's life, from finding an apartment to bargain shopping to making a living through odd jobs to general ways to have a full, rich life on a small budget. A must own!

Most people come to New York like it's the Emerald City, where all your dreams can come true. While that may be true and there are a tremendous amount of opportunities here in this vast jungle; New York does not come with an owners manual. Sure there are are lots of books telling you where to eat, shop, site see, and catch a show, but for a newcomer to this city, especially an artist you'd be hard pressed to find any kind of comprehensive "how to" book.

Soooo many artists, actors, dancers, painters, performers come to New York for school or after they've completed school ready to take on the world, but the sad truth is that these kinds of jobs at the very entry level (if you can find them) don't pay a whole hell of a lot. You want to be here, where it's all happening, NYC, the center of the universe, but ya gotta eat, ya gotta have a roof over your head, ya gotta pay the phone bill so your agent can reach you. How do you do this all the while trying to pursue your dream as an artist?

Do you do the old cliche of waiting tables until you're lucky enough to serve huevos rancheros to Scorcese and he decides he MUST cast you in his next movie and then you can throw away your apron and order pad? Is waiting tables the ONLY WAY?

Most of us live in "the real world" and not the one with Puck, and we have to eek out a living and still make time for pursuing our "dream" so how do we do this?

"I'm Here, Now What", the artists survival guide is a comprehensive guide to pursuing what you love in the big city without going broke and enabling you to live, eat, feed yourself and still make time to do whatever artistic thing you love to do. It is filled with tons of resources that can guide you, point you in the right direction and help you find freelance work, roommates, housing, places to eat, drink, network, socialize, and get connected.

If you're an artist in NYC this is an invaluable resource that can be your own personal Ellis Island welcoming you to this fabulous city and providing a light in the tunnel.

Immanuel Ness' vivid descriptions of three labor struggles among immigrants in New York City provides an alternative both to the mindless boosting of the city as a paradise of gentrification and to some of the more overly optimistic characterizations of labor found in academia. Far from being a new paradise, for these workers (driving black cars, working in green groceries, and doing supermarket deliveries) New York offers working conditions not much different from some of the worst in the world. Employees at the green groceries are locked in the freezers as punishment. Delivery men earn about $100/week (in NYC!). And so on. But Ness' real focus is on the logic of their organizing to improve the conditions and pay. Because these workplaces are characterized by tight-knit, immigrant communities isolated from the rest of the population, they are better able to build bonds of solidarity than, say, workers at Wal Mart who go home at night to various suburban developments. In all cases, organizing began as self-organizing, rather than union-driven campaigns. Nevertheless, the supportive (or not) role of unions is crucial. In the case of the green grocers, some support is found, until the untimely death of a crucial organizer. For the delivery men, the union actively opposes their interest. Only in the case of the black car drivers is there a relatively happy ending, in which they found a local that was comfortable working with their organization on an enduring basis. But even this is tempered by the material in a chapter on Post 9-11 working and organizing. 9-11 triggered an increase in state surveillance of immigrant communities and 'grassroots' racism among the wider population that had an extremely negative impact. The future of these efforts is highly uncertain. I strongly recommend this book to people concerned with labor organizing, contemporary immigrant life, and general interest in cities. My only complaint is that in the conclusion Ness invokes some crude Marxist formulations about the centrality of class over culture that are contradicted by his own material--there is no evidence that workers in New York are uniting on the basis of class. Instead, the workers described joined together through a mixture of class and identity, and efforts to knit them together with each other or with the traditional unions based in slightly better paying jobs (staffed mostly by US citizens) will require considerable cultural work.

This is one of the very few books that addresses the issue of worker organizing and the importance of migrant workers to the oranized labor movement. The AFL-CIO increasingly recognizes the need for immigrant workers as they form a larger part of the labor force in low-wage jobs amenable to organizing. Unions have a range of responses to this newfound worker militancy, from complacency to building power and support for workers otherwise left to their own. Unlike other books, Ness shows that migrant workers from similar backgrounds tend to have strong ties to their co-workers. In fact, these strong ties contributes to solidarity and the will to confront rapacious employers. Surely U.S. workers have much to learn from migrants whose bonds of solidarity are reinforced by common religious, national, language, and ethnic identities.
U.S. workers are no less militant if confronted with identifical circumstances as immigrants. However, the rise in contingent work contributes to fewer bonds of solidarity as native-born frequently move from job to job as they seek out individual gains--mostly without success.

The case studies in this book will be instructive to international unions in seeking out new strategies for organizing immigrant and native-born workers alike. This book is the most important contribution to the literature on labor organizing in recent memory, and provides the basis for understanding the labor struggles of the early 20th century when mobilized immigrant workers formed unions and were consolidated by the national unions. This book offers hope to all of us as the government seeks to marginalize immigrants through imposing draconian laws and weaken their legal status as workers.

No other book brings to life the work and struggles of new migrants in the United States. Ness sets the stage for the impending crisis that the labor movement will most certainly confront in the years to come. The book is eye-opening political-economy that points to new strategies and directions for the labor movement and the broader the working class. Striking is the absence of unions, labor institutions, and a party capable or willing to support the new realities of what is effectively the post-NLRA era.

This book is far and away the most important book on labor in many years. While it covers immigrant laborers in the U.S. the book can be applied to U.S. workers as well. The book counters the intuitive notion that migrant workers are too afraid to organize. In fact they are the most likely to organize! Then the book provides a road map for all labor organizing, both immigrant and U.S.-born workers. Of all the books I have read, this book provides the most theoretically sound approach to labor organizing and mobilization in a clear and concise manner. The book is accessible to any reader and, without hubris or jargon, explains in a clear way that it is workers who organize first. Power is consolidated for the workers by unions. But even without unions, the book shows us that workers are more willing to take risks and are much more militant than their unions. Written clearly, the book is the best book on immigrants for university students. In my class, I found that students were so enthusiastic that the book in fact sparked discussion without my intervention. Bravo to Ness.

Professor Immanuel Ness brings a lot to the lectern in this story of spirited, but impoverished immigrant workers organizing in New York City. Ness is a professor of political science. He's written widely on cities. And his years as a union organizer give him instant street credibility.

All this experience and knowledge is effectively woven into his book, Immigrants, Unions and the New U.S. Labor market The title is accurate although Ness rarely strays far from the battles in New York's five boroughs. New York is a kind of testing ground. Immigrant workers in New York City make up more a than half the labor force. The low wages of these immigrants explain why New York County has the biggest spread between rich and poor in America -- It's in these organizing campaigns that the struggle to keep America from sliding back to the pay and conditions of the Gilded Age are being determined.

Ness focuses on three campaigns: Mexicans who work in Korean deli's, Pakistani limo drivers; and west African grocery store workers. With dozens of candid interviews, he takes us inside these immigrant communities, to hear the voices of New York's most silent workers.

Everyone knows that immigrants have it hard. But Ness forces us to see just what it means to be delivery man from Mali and be forced to live on $1.00 an hour - plus tips of course - while working for A&P's Food Emporium.

These workers are so exploited they aren't even permitted the status of workers. They're "independent contractors" "a fiction that allows employers the right to ignore the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (1938) regulating minimum wage, maximum hours and safety conditions. The upshot is that the grocery baggers from Mali wind up making that $1.00 an hour - which is more than they would make in Mali but not as much as Americans made a century ago. .

Ness shows us how these immigrants nevertheless have been able to come together to demand dignity, rights and a few extra dollars - at great risk, despite threats of physical harm, deportation, and job loss. It's not exactly workers of the world unite. But a triumph of the resilience of traditional social bonds which somehow survive even in the Global City. Plus it turns out they can mobilize a lot of outside support - the Mexican workers in Korean deli's got help from State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer who obligating sued the employers for back pay; a formidable community campaign sprang up on the Lower East Side to support the workers when they went on strike; the Mexican Consul-general got involved, too.

Ness' most surprising finding is that American unions - the institution you might expect to be leading the charge on behalf of the most exploited workers - the established unions - are mostly missing in action or actively undermining the immigrant organizing campaigns. There are some splendid exceptions, like Ernesto Joffre the former Chilean miner, jailed for subversion under the Pinochet dictatorship who went into exile here in New York and became head of an exemplary garment workers local. But mostly organized labor is too busy patrolling its jurisdictional boundaries to give more than perfunctory help. Almost immediately after Joffre's untimely death, his parent union liquidated support for the organizing campaign. A shady longshore union located in New Jersey wound up with sweetheart contracts with several of the Korean deli's.

Ness' accomplishment is dual: anthropology of New York's newest immigrant communities and a political science of the city's unions. It adds up to the most valuable account yet of the astringent realities of immigrant organizing in America.

A book that stimulates the mind and the heart !

Saying good things about Hartmann, I feel too insignificant in life to say. But he is more than a Doctor; he's one of the most insightful social observers we have today and he's funny, too. I don't care if Hartmann does think I'm wonderful, brilliant, and handsome; I'm going to put the country's interest above mine and say: 'Turn off the tube and read this book!'

I liked this book very much, and what especially moved me was that it wasn't written by some professional writer, but by a grandfather, like mine. This book was also very personal. At some times this book was very sad, however, it wasn't as sad as some other Holocaust books that I've read. I would like to recommend this book to someone who wants to read about Holocaust, but doesn't feel like buying tissues.

I could not put this book down. I read all night. I cried for much of the next day. This is one of those books which examines the most profound aspects of the human condition. Dr. Hartmann is a real person, whom many people have come to know a little about through his story. What this book did was enable us to see him as part of a family - a genetic family and a family of humanity. This is the sort of book which it is important to guide younger people to. As we leave behind the century which saw the enormous destruction of world wars, but where genocide is all too constant still, this is the sort of book which is necessary so that we don't forget. I cannot speak highly enough of this book.

I was very touched when I read the book about Dr. Hartmann's life story. Dr. Hartmann is a courageous man and I like his answer that God gave man free will and it's men NOT God to blame for the Holocaust. I sincerely wish Dr. Hartmann many more years, he is an inspiration to us all!

I strongly recommend this book to any one who would like to see what the South Bronx was during the 70's and 80's and how life was around when growing in these areas. I look back and see what I experience and how much different is today than those days when growing up.
Going to bed and thinking if you will wake up alive or if the Fire Department will be rescuing you. It's was hard growing up in the South Bronx in those days, but now that it has been in the redevelopment stage, the South Bronx has been recovering from those years of neglect ion to the people of this area.
Mr. Rosenthal's has done an amazing job in capturing those moments during that time.

Rosenthal has produced an excellent book about one of New York's most troubled neighborhoods.Working in the South Bronx for many years I've witnessed firsthand the struggles of area residents against the tide of arson and crime.Rosenthal's photographs tell the story of the survival of the human spirit in one of the most devastated areas in the country and the efforts to rebuild it.

In The South Bronx Of America is photographer Mel Rosenthal's intimate documentary of severe and widespread poverty in New York's South Bronx, a neighborhood of ethnic diversity united chronic conditions of urban distress. Enhanced with informative essays by Grace Paley, Martha Rosler, and Barry Phillips, Rosenthal's photos also provide evidence of human joy, strength, and pride to be found in even the most abject circumstances. In The South Bronx Of America is an impressive contribution to contemporary American studies and will prove to be of intense interest to students of photography, ethnic studies, and urban culture as well.

I'd strongly recommend Mr. Rosenthal's work to anyone who is interested in the devastation suffered by those in the South Bronx during the 1970's and 1980's as well as those who have an interest in "urbicide."

Based on what was available, I felt for a long time that there was a great gap in books available on the Bronx; either they spoke of the grand old days or focused solely on the destructive elements of the Bronx experience. Or, in other words, there was little on the lives of those who were trying to make a "go" of the place, despite the inexorable forces arrayed against them.

Mr. Rosenthal's work fills that gap in a diligent and eloquent manner.

"Not since Eudora Welty photographed rural Mississippi in the 1930s has anyone caught so memorably a people and a place as Mel Rosenthal has done in this unforgettable record of the South Bronx." --Willimam Jay Smith, former Poet Laureate of the United States and author of The Cherokee Lottery

"Rosenthal's disturbing stories and portraits of life in this neighborhood during the 1970s and 1980s are the work of an activist's committed lens, revealing how public money does not always result in public progress." --Doubletake

"Rosenthal's protraits convey the still vibrant life of a community hurtling toward ruin." --Erin Christman, Ruminator Review

"The photographer doesn't just give readers the clichés of burned buildings and homeless people. We see the richness and complexity of life that the South Bronx supported, even during its darkest day, and that may be the book's most significant accomplishment." --Damaso Reyes, The New York Amsterdam News

"Whatever historians may conclude about factors involved in the deterioration of the South Bronx, the juxtaposition of photographs of burned out buildings with vibrant portraits of South Bronx residents makes Rosenthal's book a provocative historical and sociological document." --Leslie Cohen, The Jerusalem Post

I know Patrick and this book shows the real spirit of his love of what he does

Patrick captures the mood and the moments in this beautifully put together book. If you're into fashion, the models, backstage access and the special moods and moments that only a photographer like Patrick can capture, than this is the book for you. What a great coffee table book.

The photos and editorial combine to make a great evening read. The energy from behind the scenes came alive from the pages of this book. Highly recommended!

This is a superb photo essay in every way. McMullan has mastered the art of pacing his photographs so that he mixes models with celebs with text in just the right blend. The attention to detail is exceptional, in the corner of a shot you catch an assistant scurrying or another photographer straining and it really gives that added sense both of tension and just how much the drama is a group effort even if the designer or the model is in the spotlight standing supreme ultimately. Cropping out the periphery might have made the shot a better sensationalist moment but at what a loss to the real feel of the event, and it is the sheer realism that is conveyed that I was most impressed by. My God how ugly some of those celebs came across: in one photo Jennifer Lopez must have been ill, or is that how she really looks caught without make-up! In others the celebs were just so unexpected: Leo DiCaprio so young and Matt Dillon so baby faced. The other emphasis that really hit home was the incredible sense of movement which McMullan really nailed. This is the work of genius!

Makes you feel like you are living and breathing the excitement and creativity of Seventh on Sixth, from the controlled chaos of backstage to the seamless perfection of the shows themselves. Patrick McMullan's photographs are stunning, and extraordinary in that they so realistically capture the very essence of Fashion Week's explosive and beautiful frenzy. A must have, must read, must see!!!

I have read articles by Fran Capo in the past and liked them so when I saw her name on this book I decided to give it a shot, even though I am not a history buff. I thought it was fantastic. Most books about history don't hold my interest. This book was easy to read, light, diverse and sprinkled with humor. It also shed light on many events that I thought I knew what happened. One of my favorite stories was about Captain Kidd. This story revealed many things about the old pirate that I would have never guessed. I read some of the stories to my daughter as well and they kept her interest and taught her history at the same time. The back of the book has a truck load of facts that could win some points in a good trivia game. The book was a fast read, entertaining and I highly recommend it to anyone who would like to know more about New York, or just wants to be amused by some pretty wild stories. Great!

This book is a wonderful excursion into the sometimes wacky history of New York City! I lived here all my life and their were many things I did not know about which I learned while reading this fantastic book. It's a roller coaster ride of the most unususl, yet true stories that must be told! It.s a great book for anyone, but if you live in NY, You NEED this book...

I've been reading Frank Borzellieri's work for several years and his writing is outstanding. His other book "The Unspoken Truth" was a political treatise. I'm so happy he wrote a quasi-history book like this. The stories in "It Happened in New York" are fascinating. The Blackout of 1977 was chilling and frightening. The Cardiff Giant Hoax was humorous. Willie Sutton robbing a bank; Niagara Falls drying up. Fantastic! Plus, I never knew that there were witch trials in New York. I thought they were all in Salem, MA. This book is terrificly entertaining and at the same time informative. These events are treasures, as is this book. Great job again, Frank!

Fran Capo's book told me things I had learned about in school, told them much better. Her work beats all the textbooks. She should write more books like this one.

For those of you looking for a good story, you won't find it here. You will find MANY stories. All of them very good. For lovers of history this is a must book. It is very factual and unlike most factual books, it is enjoyable reading also. Ms. Capo has a way of telling history and making it fun. And it told me many things that happened in history that I didn't know about. Where can you go wrong? This is a keeper book for anyone who enjoys reading. And for anyone who enjoys history. This is not a book you will want to trade in at a used book store. This is one you will want to keep on your bookshelf forever. Do yourself a favor and go out and buy it today. I did.