Kansas Books

This is the first book I've read by this author (although I read a lot of mysteries), and I liked it so well I intend to read all the books in the series. I started in the middle of the series, so I'll have to go back to the first book and start reading them in order. I don't think you have to, however -- nothing seemed to refer back to something you'd need to know.

I'd classify this book as a cozy police procedural -- cozy because it takes place in a small college town in Kansas (we never learn quite how small, but the college has 10,000 students). The story begins with a divorced mother struggling to keep going to work (she's a church organist) despite a case of the flu. She arrives home feeling wretched to discover that the furnace in her old house has broken -- during a particularly bad cold spell. She calls a repairman, who turns out to be a pretty scary looking guy. Is he dangerous? Not long after this, her young daughter discovers a corpse in the basement -- is it the furnace guy? His face is unrecognizable. Why would he end up dead in her basement? And then there's her ex-husband -- we don't really trust him. Is he up to something? Something criminal? Is he connected to the murdered man?

The chief of police, Susan Wren, struggles to discover who killed the man. She's very short-handed because of a flu epidemic in town. The man she wishes were there is home sick in bed with the flu, as are many of her police force. In order to find the killer, she has to discover who the murdered man is, why he was killed, and why in this woman's house.

This mystery has a very vivid sense of place -- you can practically feel the cold as you read it, and you can imagine yourself there and imagine all the characters, although little description is given of their appearance. It was the kind of book you could hardly wait to get back to reading. The ending was a complete surprise, but if I had to fault the book, it would be that I had a hard time believing that this person committed the murder and for the reasons stated. Others might not have that problem, however. And it is fairly typical of mysteries that unlike murders in real life, where the killer is either a total stranger (serial killer) or someone fairly obvious (like someone close to the victim or a drug dealer), in mysteries the author has to make it not so obvious or else it wouldn't be any fun at all. Another minor problem involves an odd happening early in the book that never really gets explained. I guess it was simply a red herring.

This is the first Susan Wren mystery I've read, though it isn't the first in the series. Charlotte Weir proves herself to be a very good writer. She writes very clearly, and is an interesting and pleasant read. Characters are varied and very well constructed. There were a couple cases where I thought she phrased something strange (like the cold ripping her face off, or something akin to that). That would take my concentration away from my reading. I think she crafted her plot very well. But I think in this book she used too many characters. I was losing track who was who. I was setting the book down a lot and not getting back to it for maybe a week at a time. Maybe the character confusion came because of my slowness in reading it. I'll buy another and try it.

Caley James has a few problems as the holiday push down on her. When things are bad, the can get worse. Her furnace goes bonkers, then her youngest child discovers the repairman dead.
Police Chief Susan Wren answers the call for help in the frigid weather, the coldest on record for Hampstead, KA. This novel is packed with great characters you'll meet on the street in any small town. At times, the story wanders from the murder and its investigation, but in the end they come together for a great conclusion.
Wrap up in a down comforter when you read A COLD CHRISTMAS.
Nash Black, author of TRAVELERS and SINS OF THE FATHERS.

Hamstead, Kansas had rarely seen a never-ending cold snap like this one. With Christmas a few days away, wind chills put the temperature at about 30 below, townfolk were dropping like flies from the flu, and there just wasn't much holiday spirit in the air. That was certainly true at Caley James' house. She had caught the bug, big time, the house was falling apart, her ex was no help at all, her three kids were living in front of the television eating cold cereal, and that's when the furnace decided to die. Life had definitely hit rock bottom, and just when she figures things couldn't get worse, her four year old daughter finds the furnace repairman, Tim Holiday, dead and badly burned in the basement. Police Chief, Susan Wren, missing more than half her force to the flu, takes on this case herself, but immediately hits a brick wall. Nothing about this murder makes sense. Who was Tim Holiday, and why did he seem to be trying to keep his identity a secret? Though she claims she'd never seen him before, what is his connection to Caley? And why would anyone want him dead? Add to that, two more possibly related murders, and Chief Wren has her hands full with a whole town full of suspects and too many unanswered questions..... Charlene Weir is back with another installment of her Susan Wren mysteries and A Cold Christmas is definitely her best book so far. This is a short, fast-paced, very readable novel full of atmosphere, smart, crisp writing, strong and engaging characters, riveting scenes, and enough twists and turns to keep readers guessing to the end. Ms Weir does not skimp on the secondary story lines, and at times the plot veers off in too many directions and becomes somewhat confusing, but she pulls it all together and ties up the loose ends neatly with a cliff-hanger ending that will leave fans waiting and wondering. So put up your feet and get comfortable, A Cold Christmas is an entertaining mystery you'll have to finish in one sitting.

Susan Wren is Chief of Police in Hampstead, Kansas. Caley James, organist in the Lutheran church, slumps over while playing for choir practice. She has a high fever. Dr. Baylis Cunningham determines she has the flu. Chief Susan helps her home. Caley has three children - Zach, Adam and Bonnie. Zach is old enough to watch the Littles as Susan calls the younger two.

Caley's furnace quits in the dead of winter. Tim Holiday comes to repair it. Caley almost doesn't let him in as he's creepy. But, he gets the furnace working. Later he has to come back because the blower won't turn off and now the house is too hot. Caley has sent the three children with her mother-in-law Ettie Trowbridge. Her ex-Mat shows up. What else could go wrong.

Well, Tim Holiday is later found dead with his head and arms in her furnace. He actually died of a gun shot wound.

Her neighbor across the street, Pauline Frankens, told Chief Susan that she saw Tim Holiday coming and going from Caley's house probably five or six times. Caley had told Susan he was only there twice.

This book is small-town life in all it's glory. Ida Ruth from the Lutheran church was trying to get Caley fired as she didn't think a divorced worman should be playing the organ.

Chief Susan starts investigating Tim's murder. More deaths begin to happen. Some appear to possibly be accidents, but Susan begins to wonder what is going on.

I like this series and really like Chief Susan. She is unsure of whether she should stay in Hampstead or go back to San Francisco. Her husband of four weeks died some time ago and Susan is still trying to put her life together.

The dispatcher Hazel and officer Luke Demarco play big roles in the police department in this book because most everyone else is out with the flu.

The author has done a fabulous job setting up the story as well as the setting and characters. I am looking forward to reading many more books in this series.

I highly recommend this book.

My mother recently died and I finally started digging into the past that she could never speak about. Although painful to the reader, I am glad that someone was able to collect these witnessed accounts. The little I learned from my mother over the many years was exactly as the accounts I have read.

Forgotten Survivors tells the chilling, moving stories of Polish people who suffered at the hands of the Nazis, who were taking over their country. The people in these pages come to life as you learn where they were at the time they, or their family members, were seized by the SS and taken to concentration camps. You learn how some managed to stay under the Nazi radar, how others tried to escape, how they survived to tell their incredible stories. I couldn't put it down. The author has done a tremendous job compiling their stories and presenting them with each one's individual voice. It's an important contribution to the history of the Holocaust.

This book is a collection of gripping accounts of what real people experienced during this horrific chapter in history. There's the story of Jan Komski, who tried to escape from a concentration camp with a friend dressed in an SS uniform but failed. . .the story of Lilka Trzcinska-Croydon, who describes in detail what it was like to be transported in a cattle car and then transformed into a camp prisoner with a number branded on her arm. . .stories of families separated, children plucked out of their daily lives and sent off into a world of terror where they were confronted with endless harsh realities, where survival was the only goal. This book brings the Holocaust to life with sometimes moving, sometimes chilling, realism and honesty. The author takes great care to let each individual voice be heard. And each story is filled with such suspense, made even greater because each story is true. Though I'd always heard about the atrocities people endured during the Holocaust, this book gives a voice to some of those people who managed to survive against incredible odds. I highly recommend it.

First things first: buy this book. Read it. Give it to friends. Require, before anyone talk to you about Nazism, about Polish-Jewish relations - or, for that matter, about heroism or human suffering - that they read it. Demand that lecturers, students and journalists know it before they attempt to speak with authority on World War II. If they aren't familiar with it, acquaint them. You may want to carry a copy for that purpose.

Many of us have sat around a dying fire, or an emptying bottle of vodka, while Polish loved ones recounted their WW II experiences. We've wanted others to hear these sagas before being quick to judge. We've used these narratives to inspire ourselves: "If he could survive that, I can get through this." Now such stories are available in book format. It's high time. What took us so long?

"Forgotten Survivors" presents twenty-eight, first-person accounts of Poles who lived through WW II. Now-and-then photographs illustrate each account; there are also fifteen Jan Komski drawings of concentration camp scenes. Tellers include former camp inmates, slave laborers, underground fighters, and Zegota members.

As much as I appreciate this book, and that is very much, there are aspects of it that either troubled me or will trouble others, or at least deserve comment here. First, of course, there is the title. These stories are powerful, and they are transcendent. They are valuable today, and they will be valuable as long as human beings face life-and-death challenges.

The polemical title does not best serve these accounts and their authors. The word "forgotten" implies that important audiences have ignored Polish suffering. Another way of understanding post-war discourse is to acknowledge that Jews have done an admirable job of broadcasting and canonizing their story, and Polish non-Jews have, for whatever reason, been less successful at this.

Our best strategy is to honor our own story, not blame others for honoring theirs. "Heroic Polish Survivors," would have honored the narrators in this book, without positioning them as a rebuke in a feud whose importance - unlike the stories themselves - is transitory.

"Christians" is also problematical. Some Poles were neither Jewish nor Christian, and suffered under Nazism; some were openly hostile to organized religion. Many Polish Socialists were not Christian and were heroic in their resistance to Nazism.

These Poles do not deserve to be "forgotten" any more than their Christian fellow nationals do. The term "non-Jewish" - one Lukas does occasionally use - acknowledges the impact of Nazi racial policy without eliminating the stories of non-religious Poles.

Readers concerned with ethnographic technique will be frustrated by Lukas' omission of his transcription method. The accounts do bear many of the hallmarks of oral personal experience narratives, including colloquial language and lacunae where readers expect orienting details.

But some editing surely took place; there are none of the pauses or repetitions found in raw transcripts. Too, two separate accounts use the rare words "hegira" and "leggings." One wonders if Lukas didn't insert those words into the accounts while editing.

With the exception of Irena Sendler, all narrators emigrated to Canada, England, or the US. An ethnographer will want to know how survivor accounts told by Polish emigres differ from accounts told by survivors who remained in Poland.

Most narrators are highly placed, white-collar workers: college professors and engineers, for example. These narrators are not representational of a nation whose wartime population was majority agricultural. I wondered, as I read, have we become so intimidated by negative images of Poles that every Pole who survives WW II must be shown to be a high status, model citizen?

In the United States, piety is observed in discussions of the Holocaust, as many Jewish writers have protested. Some readers will be shocked to read Poles who lived through the Holocaust speak of their Jewish neighbors less than reverentially; others may welcome the frank humanity in these accounts. At least two Polish survivors recount being slapped or beaten by Jewish police or capos. One survivor who risked her life to help Jews reports being annoyed by "those hands stroking their beards" during a tense meeting.

"Non-Jewish Poles were just as likely as Jews to suffer at the hands of the Nazis," reads the book jacket. Page one of Lukas' introduction implies that Poles as a group and Jews as a group "shared" - a word he uses twice - equal fates. They did not, and histories of the Nazi era in Poland must state that clearly.

It must be stated clearly because it is true, and it must be stated clearly because there have been attempts by the Soviets and by government and popular culture entities in the US to dejudaize the Holocaust. Irena Sendler's account acknowledges the difference in scale: "Hitler created hell for all of us in Poland. But the kind of hell he made for the Jews was even greater" (166).

Like others interested in the Holocaust, I have pored over hundreds of photos of Polish-Jewish victims, both those who perished, and those who survived. I've often thought to myself, "He looks Polish; I could never differentiate this person from a Polish non-Jew by their facial features alone."

Gazing at the Poles in Lucas's book, I didn't encounter a population completely alien to the Jews in other books; I saw heart-wrenching sameness. One Polish narrator reports that he "looked Jewish," and he exploited this in his underground work helping Jews.

He's not the only Polish non-Jew in "Forgotten Survivors" who looks very like the Polish-Jewish portraits of innocence, endurance, and courage in other volumes. Wordlessly, these photos testify: Poles and Jews are not so separate as many would insist.

In the end, it is the power of the stories that matter, and these stories are among the most powerful you will ever read. Not only Poles, or students of Nazism, but anyone interested in examining cruelty, heroism, and simple, blind, fate, will find this book rewarding, fascinating, and humbling.

Owing to obvious misunderstandings, the very title of this book needs clarification. The concept of "forgotten", not elaborated by Lukas, goes far beyond which side has done a better job of presenting its sufferings to the American public. It goes right to the heart of (1). Which side has the power and influence to get its message out, (2). Which side is in a position to control the very language of the debate, and (3). Which side has the political clout to have its sufferings enshrined in American educational law. As for (1), American Jew Novick pointed out in his book, THE HOLOCAUST IN AMERICAN LIFE, that Poles "never had the political, cultural, or financial resources to press their case." As for (2), George Orwell noted that those who control the language control the debate. Note contemporary Newspeak, in which there is no generally-recognized term for prejudices against Poles, only Jews (anti-Semitism), no special term for a massacre of Poles, only Jews (the pogrom), and no special term in existence for the German genocide of Poles, only Jews (the Holocaust). In this review, I use the term Holocaust (sensu Universal) to include ALL victims of Germany, including Poles. As for (3), are we supposed to believe that it is by accident that American children are required, in many US states, to learn about the murder of 5-6 million Jews in appreciable detail, as if it were something higher than the sufferings of others in WWII? Finally, the fact that Jewish spokesman have forcefully opposed the teaching about the 2-3 million murdered Poles alongside that of the 5-6 million murdered Jews (except perhaps as a footnote in order to deflect the argument) should serve as crowning proof that "forgotten" is FAR more than simply a matter of which side has done a better job of communicating its sufferings to the general public.

Lukas has done a great deal of commendable work to counter the foregoing trends. This book is an anthology of Polish survivors of German Nazi persecution, a persecution that cost the lives of 2-3 million Poles, including over half of Poland's prewar intelligentsia. WARNING: The descriptions of German methods throughout this book are often graphic, and may upset the sensitive reader. The content focuses on the September 1939 German conquest and five-plus years of occupation, the unrelenting German terror, the mass executions, Gestapo methods, the hellish German concentration camps, Jan Komski's paintings of Auschwitz (pp. 58-on), the atrocious treatment of Polish forced laborers (2 million of them), Zegota, the betrayed Warsaw Uprising, and the "liberation" of Poland by a new occupant (the USSR).

The 5-year survival rate for Poles at Mauthausen Concentration Camp was only 8 out of 200 (Antoni Palmowski, p. 109), and the several-month survival rate for Poles incarcerated at Auschwitz, following the foredoomed Warsaw Uprising, was still a small 300 out of 3,000 (Stanley J. Sagan, p. 163). Such was the starvation in the work camps of Flossenburg concentration camp that Polish inmates killed and ate a German shepherd guard dog that belonged to one of the SS men (Paul Zenon Wos, p. 217).

Some seldom-discussed German barbarities are mentioned throughout this anthology, including the bleeding of Polish children for blood transfusions to wounded German soldiers (Bozenna Urbanowicz-Gilbride, p. 198), and the sterilization of Polish forced laborers (Katherine Graczyk, p. 34; Bozenna Urbanowicz-Gilbride, p. 197). No one mentions the KL Warschau extermination camp, where some 200,000 gentile Poles were gassed and cremated Auschwitz-Birkenau-style.

Various incidental details, while not intended for this purpose, help rebut common Polonophobic mischaracterizations. For example, the well-worn tale of Polish cavalry charging German tanks, originating from wartime German propaganda, is once again refuted (Notes, p. 212). And, contrary to accusations, Polish Jews were actually walled off into ghettos by the conquering Germans (Barbara Makuch, p. 85), not by the prewar Poles. The shortage of food in the countryside (Jan Porembski, p. 134), caused by German confiscations, enables the reader to understand why some Poles did not help fugitive Jews, and even betrayed or killed Jews who stole food from them. Against the claim that the German-appointed Polish police were collaborationists as such, it turns out that 90% of them were involved in the Polish Underground (Paul Zenon Wos, p. 214). The Jews of Torczyn (near Warsaw) were initially trusting of the German conquerors (Halina Martin, p. 91, 99), adding rebuttal to the argument that Polish Jews immediately feared Germans, and that this (imagined) fear is what drove the widespread Jewish-Soviet collaboration in eastern Poland that occurred in the first stages of WWII. The actions of incarcerated Poles against incarcerated Jews, simplistically blamed on anti-Semitism, must be balanced by the actions of incarcerated Jews against incarcerated Poles (Dr. Stanley Garstka, p. 26).

Finally, consider the "All Jews Were Victims of the Nazis" argument, a common rationalization for the primacy of Jewish sufferings in American social studies classes. Antoni Palmowski (p. 113) describes the fate of Jews brought to Mauthausen Concentration Camp: "Early in 1945, new transports, mostly from Auschwitz, arrived...What was unusual was that the Jews were clean, blue and gray striped prisoner uniforms....The Germans began to treat Jewish prisoners much better than before. They even increased their rations. We joked that the Germans `smelled' the end of the war, which they realized by now they could not win." It is obvious that not all known Jews were slated for extermination, even among already-apprehended Jews, and the killing of every last possible Jew was clearly NOT a priority of the dying Third Reich.

Great boook published by the Kansas City Star newspaper. There are plenty of new copies all over town at every chain book seller. Put the cash you would spend on a used edition toward a plane ticket, fly here and eat some GREAT barbecue. During your stay, buy the book at the corner bookstore. Or go to www.thekansascitystore.com, the Kansas City Star's online gift shop.

When most authors sit down to pen a book on barbecue their purpose is to share with the reader what a taste of barbecue food is like. When Doug Worgul authored The Grand Barbecue, it wasn't just the food he wanted to share but a taste of the entire barbecue world of Kansas City. And he does such a complete job of relating the entire experience that I swore I could smell a slight hint of sweet barbecue smoke when I finally put his book down.

In The Grand Barbecue, Worgul has assembled the ultimate book on one of the major regions of barbecue ­ Kansas City. Hours of painstaking research show through, beginning with the thorough recount of barbecue history in the first chapter where he traces the roots back to the days of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson and then follows its spread until it reaches Kansas City. In Chapter Two, he introduces the icons of Kansas City barbecue like Henry Perry, Ollie Gates, Arthur Bryant and Rich Davis, and adds to that tales about the city's great restaurants like Fiorella's Jack Stack, Lil' Jake's Eat It and Beat It, L.C.'s and Oklahoma Joe's.

Chapter Three is titled "The Barbecue Life" and it is here that the uninitiated get a feel for what makes barbecue a passion for many rather than a label for a food style. It's here that we get to meet three people who made barbecue a lifestyle ­ Carolyn Wells, Ardie Davis, and Paul Kirk. He ends the chapter with a look at the three main Kansas-City area barbecue cookoffs ­ the American Royal, the Great Lenexa Barbeque Battle, and the Blue Springs Blaze Off ­ and the local tradition of tailgating at Arrowhead Stadium.

Worgul finishes with a pair of obligatory chapters - "Barbecue for Backyard Beginners" and "Barbecue Nation" ­ which are handled well. The former is a fairly complete chapter on the basics of barbecue and the latter a brief acknowledgement of the other barbecue regions.

If you've ever had the pleasure of experiencing Kansas City barbecue, you will truly love this book, and the [money] price tag probably won't bother you a bit. If you're curious about the subject, this book communicates all that goes into making Kansas City the great barbecue city it is. You'll have to tolerate some tub thumping about Kansas City being the barbecue capitol of the world (please, I cannot take sides here), but I still know you will enjoy it.

This book has been out over a year now, but I had not really heard anyone talking about it. Recently, while on a trip to Kansas City, I saw the book on a shelf in Oklahoma Joe's BBQ.

What a FUN read. This is definitely not your typical BBQ book. Those would be the one's full of recipes and nothing else. This is a book - book. It's full of people, tales, facts, information and fun about BBQ in general.

If you're a fan of Q, this should be on your shelf. If you're just getting into Q, I might recommend a couple of other books first, but I would come back and buy this.

This would be one of those "table top" book. Put it out and let your friends browse through it. The photos and articles are very, very well done.

Thanks to the author, Doug Worgul, for a magnificent read

I dropped this book off to a friend of 25 years around 7pm one evening on a work night. He called me the next day and said he was up till 3am reading it & it was awesome. He couldn't put it down & was very impressed with the many venues: history, how-to, competions & dates, ect. I went out and bought one for myself after hearing this & could not agree more. I WAS SO IMPRESSED I BOUGHT 9 MORE & HAD THE AUTHOR SIGN THEM & I GIVE THEM AWAY AS GIFTS. A great coffee table book or convesation piece for the bar-b-q enthusiast, rookie or kc native!

I loved the book: a great assemblage of ephemera and lore, very well done. Worgul's work is worthy of comparison to Lolis Elie's Smokestack Lightning, though the former is a proudly provincial book while the latter surveys the greater barbecue world. The Grand Barbecue has earned a place of honor on my shelf.

Intriguing, enlightening, excruciatingly detailed...if you have a passion for mlb history you will not be able to quit this exhaustive analysis.
It exposes how, nothing less than corruption was overlooked for the benefit of the continued success of the Bronx Bombers. Jeff Katz is a baseball scholar that has written an exposé that captures all the details while keeping you captive for more!

"The Wrong Half of the Yankees" is about the bizarre relationship between the New York Yankees and Kansas City Athletics in the years 1955-1960. The principal characters are A's owner Arnold Johnson and Yankees co-owners Del Webb and Dan Topping. The 3 had deep interests in the Automatic Canteen Company and Topping/Webb sold Yankee Stadium to Johnson. The Yanks main farm team was in KC. Del and Dan just happened to include in the Stadium deal the sale of the Kansas City ballpark to Johnson as well! Moreover, Del and Dan then strong-armed the American League to rubber stamp Johnson's purchase of the moribund Philadelphia A's and to approve the franchise shift from Philly to KC. This, despite the fact that higher offers were on the table, with at least one from interests that might have kept the A's in Philly. Once Johnson was safely ensconced in KC, the teams engaged in some 20 trades, nearly all favoring the Yankees. The fodder for a fine baseball story is all here but author Katz takes far too pages to tell it. Included in the text are a history of the Philly franchise and infighting twixt various members of the Mack family, who had controlled the A's for decades. The result is an almost deadening load of information which might have been fascinating had it only been served in smaller portions. WHY is one of those works which cry out for that proverbial stern editor with a sharp blue pencil to trim down the text. Not until Chapter 11 does Katz cover the good stuff: those trades. These encompass the period when this reviewer was just a kid- and a Yankee fan. Even a boy could smell a rat at some of these transactions. Most may cavil at the lopsided deal for Roger Maris but this observer recalls the round trip trades for pitcher Ralph Terry. A young RT plainly needed seasoning and wasn't going to get it in the Bronx bull pen, so he was farmed to the A's in 1957 (the Billy Martin trade). In 1959, the by then seasoned Terry was back in pinstripes! Even a 12 year old Yankees fan smelled something fishy. A nice inclusion is the images of 78 trading cards for many players. Included are 4 of Harry "Suitcase" Simpson and the '57 card of pitcher Art Ditmar listed as a Yankee -but plainly in an A's uniform! The back of that card actually acknowledged the misprint The bottom line: Insufficient space is given to the trades, far too much to kvetching about franchise shifts, stadium deals and Mack family squabbling. One suspects that some of the text qualifies as mere filler. A scaled down WHY would be excellent as a feature article in a magazine. As a full length, 200 page book it falls short.

I grew up as a Yankee fan in the 1950s and it was obvious that this was going on. Kansas City never had a good ball club but whenever they got talent they traded the player to the Yankees for very little in return. Sometimes it was just cash. The biggest gain was when KC got Roger Maris from Cleveland and after one strong year with KC he was tradedf to the Yankees where he hit 39 home runs in 1960 and 61 in 1961. The As were essentially a farm system of the Yankees but instead of being sent down to the minors a Yankee who needed seasoning was traded to KC where he could face major leaguers including the Yankees. When the Yankees thought the player was ready they brought him back. Here are some of the Yankees that went back and forth: Norm Siebern, Bob Cerv, Irv Noren Marv Throneberry, Hector Lopez. The Yankees got Bud Daley and Bobby Shantz in addition to Maris from the KC As. Billy Martin was traded to KC but only because the Yankees thought he was a bad influence on Mantle. They didn't plan to ever bring Martin back.

Of course the Commissioner ignored the obvious as he let the iwners do whatever they wanted. I never could understand why Kansas City wuld do this. This book explains it all as the KC owner seemed to share outside business interests with Topping and Webb, the Yankee owners.

If even half this well-researched, well-written, and well-argued volume is true, then-Commissioner Ford ("It's a league matter") Frick, who seemed to spend more time jerryrigging the obstruction of any attempts to break Babe Ruth's records than he did shepherding baseball, was derelict in his duties as the steward of the game. And, an awful lot of baseball fans---in New York, Philadelphia, and Kansas City alike---were had.

The incestuous relationship between Arnold Johnson and Del Webb should have been one of baseball's most grotesque scandals, enough to make the dubious manner in which the eventual Yankee sale to CBS went down (reference Bill Veeck, "The Hustler's Handbook") resemble a gentleman's agreement. Baseball government's apparent silence/inaction during the height of that relationship (although, to his rare credit, then-Cleveland Indians general manager Frank Lane did harrumph to anyone who'd listen---unlikely, considering Lane's own dubious ways of running the Tribe in those years---that, if he'd known his prime young right fielder Roger Maris would end up a Yankee, he wouldn't have swapped Maris to the A's himself) should be considered at least as much a stain on the great and glorious game as were such affairs as the gambling scandals of the 1910s-1920s, the Pete Rose contretemps, and today's contretemps over actual or alleged performance-enhancing drugs.

Yankee haters won't like this, but the shameful story of the 1950s Yankee administration viz the Kansas City Athletics makes the worst excercises of the Steinbrenner era seem tame aberrations. I'd thought for a long time that a good book needed to be written about that story, and here it is.

Kansas City is certainly not up to date. The city's citizens are constantly being made the patsies in any deal, whether it involves the organized crime of the Pendergast era, the attempt to stop light rail in the city or the building of its baseball/football complex out in Independence. Author Jeff Katz shines a bright light on baseball's cold-war era, focussing on the horrific collusion scandal of the 1950s, whereby the hated New York Yankees swiped all of KC's good baseball players under a secrecy that rivals today's steroid cover-up.

Of course, the citizens of KC always knew what was going on but couldn't stop it. Organized crime flourished and KC was appalled. Did they do anything about it? No, not for years.

The citizens knew a ball park belonged in KC's downtown, but they couldn't stop the building of two stadiums in Independence. Now, KC is in deep doo-doo trying to revive its downtown, after once again refusing the chance to move the stadiums there and with the "great" Sprint Center for basketball and hockey way behind schedule.

Katz, in his poorly-titled book, uses mostly contemporary 1950s newspaper articles to build his case against the Yankees during a time when they were using the Kansas City A's as a "minor-league" outlet for fire-sale bargains. Maris, Lopez, Maas, Trucks, Dickson and many more good KC players became Yankees because the Yankees controlled the KC team and Commissioner Ford Frick and even the United States Congress allowed it to go on illegally for years. And the KC fans? They let it happen too, just as they might let a great light rail plan be emasculated by the city's so-called power brokers here in 2007.

I feel very sad for Kansas City fans. They get dumped on so easily, but they always seem to smile and forget. Maybe that's what makes this city so easy to fool. Maybe being the perfect patsy makes KC great in some, warped, crazy-little-woman way.

by Larry Rochelle, author of TEN MILE CREEK, DEATH AND DEVOTION, CRACKED CRYSTALS and BLUE ICE

As an amateur military historian I found this book very enlightening and informative. It has provided me with a more balanced view of the Luftwaffe than I had previously. In a couple of instances I felt that he glossed over the downside to some of the Luftwaffe's interwar decision making, but otherwise found the book balanced and interesting. I plan on reading more of Corum's books.

James S. Corum has written a scholarly study of German air power ideas and operational doctrine in a well-researched history of the German air power from 1918-1940. In addition, the text provides an understanding of the human dimension in the development of the Luftwaffe beyond the usual stories of Herman Goring and the Nazis.

The author notes, "In the years immediately following World War I, it looked to the world as if Germany had been completely disarmed as an air power. On the surface, this was so. Yet, in the long-term view, the Allied powers failed miserably in their effort to disarm Germany." While their air power was disarmed, the Germans could not be stopped from thinking and studying. The text narrates how "General Hans von Seeckt and his small group of airmen succeeded in keeping air power as a central aspect of warfare." After WWI, a select group of German officers made a detailed analyzed of WWI army and air power experience. Foreign air power developments and doctrine were also studied with foreign articles and manuscripts on air power translated into German.

Corum notes "Although Germany was denied an air force, it was not denied civil aviation or aviation technology by the Versailles Treaty. This gave the Germans an inherent advantage in the air, for Germany in the interwar period was a world leader in aircraft design and technology."

By 1925 German air power operational doctrine was well advanced so that aircrew training and aircraft developed was needed. Most interesting was the text's description of the formation of the "Shadow Luftwaffe." In 1925, under a 1922 treaty with Russia, a German air base was built at Lipetsk, Russia. From 1929-1933, several hundred officers, NCOs, and civilian employees were there as students, instructors, ground staff and test pilots. Airmen at Lipetsk would test tactics and doctrine by dropping live bombs on simulated targets. Fifty modern fighter aircraft were smuggled in from the Fokker factory in Holland. The text notes that an advantage of the Shadow Luftwaffe was the close and effective cooperation between those who developed doctrine for the aerial war, those who developed and built weapons and prototypes and finally the actual producers of the weaponry.

When the Nazi party came to power on 30 January 1933 and rearmament openly began, the text notes, "a new group of air leaders came to the fore" and inheriting "a sound foundation and built on it." The author states, "the years 1933-1936 were of foundation-building. Several major personalities dominated the Luftwaffe organization and played vital roles in creating new concepts of air power..."

The text narrates the discussions of air power philosophy and doctrine. By 1934 an effective operational doctrine for a small to medium-sized German air force was developed. Contrary to Post-WWII Allied historians, the Luftwaffe was not limited to being "merely a tactical air force geared to army support operations." On page-139, the author states "Regaining control of the air by defeating the enemy air forces was the primary objective" and Lieutenant-General Wever, Luftwaffe chief of staff, stated "Only the nation with strong bomber forces at its disposal can expect decisive action by its air force."

Lack of a German air force in the 1920s pushed "German military personnel and civilians to seriously consider how one might conduct a passive defense that would minimize the effect of a strategic bombing campaign..." As WWII Allied bomber crews would sadly learn, flak would "become the core of German homeland defense". Effective flak artillery was developed with flak battalions placed under Luftwaffe command. Civil defense was also a part of air defense doctrine with civil defense drills being conducted as early as 1936. However, the core of the Luftwaffe's air defense doctrine remained an offensive air campaign in order that home defenses would not be put to the test.

The book's account of the Luftwaffe's 1936-1939 involvement in the Spanish Civil War is fascinating noting "For a relatively modest investment, the German high command reaped some substantial strategic gains from its involvement in Spain." For example, they learned that even in circumstances of general air superiority bombers must be escorted by fighters; a lesson that the Eight Air Force learned at great cost in 1942-1943. Also in Spain, "Air power strategy, tactics and doctrine were tested and corrected so that when WWII began, the Luftwaffe was better prepared for war than any other major air force. Interestingly, while widely covered and reported in the press, France, Britain and America paid little attention to the lessons Germany was learning in Spain.

The book states in the early years, "Goring let the seasoned professionals do their job, while he provided an inexhaustible supply of fund." However, in the late 1930s politics became prevalent resulting in some poor appointments such as Jeschonnek, 1939-1943 air chief of staff, who overemphasized the dive-bomber at the expense of developing the heavy bomber and strategic air warfare. Equally disastrous was the appointment of Ernest Udet chief of the Luftwaffe Technical Office and who was totally unqualified for his position.

Author Corum notes "Rather than being a weakness, the Luftwaffe's doctrine of war developed painstakingly during the interwar period was one of the strengths of the Wehrmacht." The text closes stating "Despite the failure to develop a naval air doctrine and the poor guidance of Hans Jeschonnek, the Germans were able to gain the aerial advantage over the Allied powers in the first years of the World War II not because they had overwhelming numbers of aircraft, but because their conception of a future air war and the training and equipment required for such a war was far more accurate than their opponents' air power vision."

Students of military history will enjoy the text. However, today's military planners should consider the basis lessons from how the Luftwaffe was developed 1918-1940.

Another outstanding contribution to 20th Century military history by the Univ. of Kansas Press. God bless them, they publish some great monographs. Proessors Corum and Muller of the School of Advanced Airpower Studies at Mawell A.F.B. know more about the Luftwaffe than any people in the world, except maybe Horst Boog in Germany. And since all you can get by Boog is the incredibly expensive volume he worked on in the WWII history they are writing in Germany, I am very happy with Profs. Corum & Muller. I wonder if they are happy at Maxwell A.F.B. or would rather be at some Big 10 school writing their stuff? Anyway, Corum's book is an excellent look at how the German operational air war was created. Quite readable, it has flat out some of the best general discussion on the Spanish Civil War I have ever read, going beyond just air operations. Corum understands that air operations necessarily include strategic, tactical, and naval operations, and goes into German naval air operations even while the Kriegsmarine itself put so little effort into a fleet air arm. Good discussions of all of the key characters, and this is another book that makes it clear that someone has to get around to writing a book on Manfred von Richtofen. This book is not for the casual WWII reader, and coming to it with some knowledge of German air types is helpful. All in all I enjoyed the book, and would recommend it to students of the Luftwaffe or WWII air operations in general.

In a severely overcrowded field of books on WW2, this book is a shining jewel. Revolutionary, concise, and clear, this book explodes the commonly accepted myths about the Luftwaffe, while revealing the truly innovative minds at work in the Reich Luftministerium and the General staff in the interwar years. Thought provoking and generally excellent scholarship abounds in this single volume about the critically important doctrinal development of air-power theory, not only in Germany, but in all major combatant nations before world war two. One way to understand this books's value is that by reading this one book anyone can clearly understand the basics of air-power doctrine and the way it evolved in the Luftwaffe. I eagerly anticipate reading the necessary follow-up volume from J. Corum which will complete the groundbreaking work begun in this book.

The focus of this book is on the interwar development of German air operational doctrine. Corum demonstrates that the Luftwaffe was not just a ground support air force but capable of strategic operations, including air transport (Franco's troops in 1936) and airborne assaults. In fact, he points out that Anglo-American obsession with strategic bombardment hindered their operational doctrines until 1942-3. Corum points out the biggest German deficiencies as lack of a true naval air arm that could have been decisive in fighting Britain, Udet's obsession with dive-bombers that delayed the deployment of the He-177 and the Ju-88 and strategic misdirection from Goering/Hitler. There are two interesting chapters on lessons from the First World War and the Spanish Civil War. Also interesting is discussion of how the Germans were able to develop not only doctrine, but new fighter and bomber designs under the noses of the Allied occupation forces. The one area in which the Allies succeeded in inhibiting the Luftwaffe was in limiting the German civil aviation industry's engine development programs; when the Luftwaffe went public there were very few engines to choose from and these were less-advanced than Allied models. Weak engines plagued a number of German aircraft designs. There are no maps.

As a mother of a toddler and a brandnew baby, you know it's important when I've squeezed out a few minutes to review this book. This is my new favorite gift for baby showers. Not only did Barbara help me regain my sanity, she has also affirmed my motherhood, inspired me to be the best mother I can be, and given me a set of tools and a direction to go in. I also highly suggest the other books of hers I've read...Mommy Manual and Lord, Please Meet Me in the Laundry Room. I've been telling all my friends about these books. They are written by a very wise woman!

Lately, I've read a lot of mommy-type manuals, but this is by far my favorite.

I'd call this a "girlfriend's guide" to being a mommy, except that other "girlfriend guides" tend to be catty and bitchy...and Curtis' guide definitely is not. But if you've ever wanted friendly advice from a mom who's been there and done that, then The Mommy Survival Guide is for you.

I giggled, cried, and dog-eared my way through this book. (In fact, so many pages are dog-eared, I've made the book twice as thick as it was originally!) I found truly practical tips for raising happy children, and lots and lots of advice for hanging in there when the going gets tough.

I disagree that The Mommy Survival Guide is just for Christians. Yes, Curtis is a Christian and she speaks freely about Christianity. But she's also lived on the other end of the spectrum, as an addict and as a New Age seeker. This is just one more area where readers can benefit from Curtis' experience. So unless you feel true hatred toward Christians, I think you'll enjoy this book.

I highly recommend The Mommy Survival Guide; it has become my new favorite to give away at baby showers!

"This book by self-proclaimed megamommy of 12 children is a breath of fresh air for those used to reading parenting books based on guilt. So many times, I read the most well-meaning "how-to" book on parenting and feels so overwhelmed, I never get around to implementing any of it.

The chapters are short, and easily read. Interspersed with the chapters dealing with the practical, humorous and philosophical sides of raising children are witty or profound quotes and suggestions to other books and resources.

This book reads like a collection of magazine editorials or blog entries. It isn't so much a system of parenting as it is an inspiration to parents, particularly moms. While the tone of the book is encouraging and inspirational, it is spared the treacly sweetness of say a Chicken Soup book by the author's reality, humor, and guidance.

The book manages to explore topics not often found in Christian parenting books: post partum depression; not controlling, but guiding your children; and letting go of the need to be perfect, or your children to be perfect. And then it hits on a few topics you don't see discussed in too many secular parenting books either: the clear and easily seen differences between boys and girls; the need for a healthy competition; and ways to point your child to Christ .

The last part of the book alone is probably worth the purchase price if you struggle with being a parent. There are several chapters on what to do after you realize your inadequacy as a parent; how not to beat yourself up; how to acquire new skills (the author used to watch other mothers at a playground, and try to emulate them); and the permission to start over, every day if you have to.

This is a nice book to read as part of a devotional; while waiting in the school pick-up lane; or anywhere else you want to read a few brisk and helpful words about your job as a mother."

This book is a delight to read and would make an excellent gift for mothers in all stages, from mothers of babies to mothers of slightly older kids, and it is one that mothers will want to keep and reread as their kids grow older and the mothering quandaries change, since Barbara talks about struggles and experiences with her adult children, too.

Barbara includes tips for handling toddlers and helping them reach their full potential, tips for mothers who feel lost or like they aren't living up to their own potential as mothers, and Barbara shares her philosophies and personal stories about gender roles, prodigal children, instilling moral values, and above all, she encourages mothers to place themselves and their children in God's hands.

This is very definitely a Christian book, and while I think non-Christians would enjoy a lot of the essays ands information in this book - it isn't the first book of Barbara's I'd recommend for a non-Christian. Try The Mommy Manual instead of you are not a Christian. Chapters such as "What They Really Need Is Jesus" will probably not be helpful to non-Christians.

Overall, this is a great introduction to Barbara's philosophies and her personable writing style - when I read her books I really feel as though I am sitting down for a nice cup of tea with her, and I think mothers will really enjoy her warmth and her frank style of writing.

My only complaint about this book is that because I have read her other published books, and enjoy reading her blog regularly [], I have already seen nearly all of this material in some form or another. So as a regular reader, this was like a compilation book in which I got to enjoy some of Barbara's best essays, revamped a bit. For that reason, I'd say this would be the best of all of her books to give as a gift, but for fans of her writing that have been reading for a while, I might instead wait for Mommy, Teach Me!, out later in 2007, which promises a wealth of practical information about raising little ones.

Motherhood is full of difficulties. We mommies have good days and not-so-good days. On the good days, I praise God and give myself a little pat on the back. However, it is on those not-so-good days that I need a friend to come along side to encourage me, help me find a solution, and/or offer some much-needed perspective on a situation. Barbara Curtis does just that in her latest "mommy" book, The Mommy Survival Guide: Making the Most of the Mommy Years (MSG).

Curtis writes as only a real mommy can. I connected with her from the opening page:
"Once upon a time I was a pretty normal mom. But that was before I ended up with 12 kids. When did I begin to change? Was it with Number 3? Number 4? Maybe Number 5? I don't know. For a while, with babies arriving every 15 to 20 months, it all became a blur. And yet at the same time it all became clear, as though I could finally see what was the important part of being a mommy. So many things I thought really mattered turned out not to matter at all. And so many things I hadn't thought of turned out to be the most important things of all."

MSG is divided into six sections:
* The sooner you surrender, the better.
* Kids will be kids--let them.
* A little bit of Mommy goes a long way.
* Less is more--really.
* When the going gets tough, just keep going.
* Anything can happen, but God will be there too.

One of my favorite aspects of Curtis' writing is her honesty regarding motherhood. Curtis understands its demands. She has struggled through relinquishing her rights in order to be a better mother. This makes MSG stand apart from other popular mommy books. Curtis never advocates taking a "mommy vacation." Rather, she is honest about the sacrifice and selflessness it takes to become a great mother with great kids. She shares a bit of her own journey in surrendering to motherhood. For example, she writes of how her frustrations diminished after she changed her attitudes regarding sleep. She explains, "So, yes, motherhood will change you--if you let it. And believe me, you do want to let it change you, because when you've refined the art of not thinking of yourself, you will very much like the person you become."

MSG is also incredibly practical. Curtis writes about those topics that weigh heavily on most mommies' minds: sibling rivalry, teaching self-control, television use, simplifying life, and much more. Each chapter has some nugget of wisdom or advice or a simple tip that a mommy can use. In addition to sharing her family's stories and experiences, the end of each chapter includes a list of ideas, fun stuff, things you need to know, or a helpful resource to check out. Not only is she a mother to 12, Curtis also homeschooled her children and is a trained Montessori instructor. She has years of experience from which she shares her thoughts on child training and teaching. She offers advice for saving time, having fun with the whole family, and helping kids through tough times, to name a few.

Ms. Curtis is also a born-again Christian who is not ashamed of the gospel. About midway through the book, Curtis shares her testimony and how she came to know Jesus as her personal Lord and Savior. She shares how she gently guides her children to know Jesus. Scripture is sprinkled throughout the book. It is the last portion of the book, however, that Curtis shares how a Christian mommy can use the gospel every day. Curtis does not gloss over sin, but she offers hope to the mother who sins against her children. She encourages moms to apologize, ask God for forgiveness, and receive a fresh start. She writes, "Parenthood is really a matter between you and God anyway, because it's part of our stewardship. Our children are not our children but God's children given to us for a brief span to prepare them for the rest of their lives." On those days that we feel like failures or "bad" mommies, it is good to be reminded of the truths we already know and encouraged to go to Jesus.

I enjoyed reading this book. The chapters are relatively short--good for mommies who do not have tons of time for reading. MSG is interesting, encouraging, and helpful. I am happy to recommend this book to my mommy friends.
Learn more about Barbara Curtis (.....)

This book is written in an unusual style that can take a little getting used to. At first I found myself irritated by the David-Mamet-Style dialogue and continual vague references to the past with little idea of what was being referred to (I checked to make sure this really was the first in the series). Sentences like "Beloit. Atchinson." can be quite annoying, but I wouldn't let that stop you from reading this excellent mystery.

Set in Kansas City as World War II is beginning in Europe (Germany has just bombed Poland, setting off the war), the lead is a female private investigator. Dorrie Lennox is tough (carries a switchblade and swears like a sailor), but also vulnerable and likeable. She has been asked to trail a woman that she is told is the client's girlfriend, but while she's doing this, late at night, she sees the woman jump off a bridge into the Missouri River (to her death). She is asked to continue her investigation, to find out more about this woman. Something is definitely off, and Dorrie finds herself with a lot of unknown enemies that may be taking interest in her work for different reasons -- in other words, it's more than one person/group who is trying to influence her behavior. Gangsters play a role, as does a fast-talking journalist and a law firm. Her employer, an Englishman whose lungs were severely damaged by poison gas during WWI, is not able to provide the usual guidance because of health problems.

The more I read this book and adjusted to the style, the more I enjoyed it. I must say that although it was well-plotted, some of the things that were supposed to surprise the reader did not surprise me. On the other hand, after all the mysteries I've read, I think I'm not the average reader, so most would probably be surprised.

I can hardly wait to read the second in the series to find out what Dorrie is up to and how her fragile romance is going.

I have lived in Kansas City nearly all my life, so I loved the fact that Lise McClendon's gritty private eye Dorie Lennox has taken up her profession in a rough and tumble 1939 K.C. that I had only heard whispered about. In 1939, The Mob was learning about how to fleece the citizens in other ways after prohibition; the average citizen was scrambling to live on slim wages and a glimmer of hope after the big depression; gambling and race tracks were legal, leaving the cops to find other ways to hassle the citizens, both crooked and law-abiding.

While tailing a beautiful blonde, Lennox witnesses the girl's suicide by jumping from a bridge into the Missouri River. The death of this woman, the girlfriend of a client who doesn't seem all that broken up when he hears of her death, puts Lennox onto a mystery that includes missing money, corrupt lawyers, murdered witnesses, infidelity and double crosses.

Lennox has to mix it up with some mighty shady characters, some of whom definitely do not treat her like a lady, but slowly she digs up the secrets in a desperate attempt to save the life of her mentor and partner, who has been fitted for a frame by some very cleaver, devious crooks.

There is a definite film noir feel about this book, and I really enjoyed it. I'd like to see other books about Dorie Lennox. She is a really cool character.

I am a huge fan of the Alix Thorssen series, but I have never been one for historical stuff. Imagine my surprise when I took a chance on McClendon's latest. I love Dorie Lennox even more than Alix, and I did not think that was possible. I can't wait to read the next one!

One O'clock Jump by Lise McClendon shoved me into the past and had me seeing the world as a black and white movie. I was shocked when I looked up from the prose to find myself in 2001. The book is a solid mystery filled with interesting characters and great writing, but what grabbed me the most was the sense of place and time created by the author. I'm not a fan of historical mysteries....... well, except this one. I sincerely hope this is the beginning of new series, because I want to enter this world again. Terrific book!

Travel back in time to a simpler life when escape from poverty was part of the American dream. That road to success sometimes took a drastic fall, in the case of Iris Jackson, it is off the Hannibal bridge.

For P.I. Dorie Lennox, the investigation becomes personal when she is threatened and told to quit the case. As she continues digging for answers, more people enter her investigation, each creating questions that need answers. Answers that always seem to come with pain. Quite often to Lennox's body.

Lise McClendon has captured the flavour of prewar Kansas City and blended it with exciting intrigue that carries us along to its emotion-filled conclusion.

This book becomes a splendid page turner as the mystery deepens. It is really quite a decent read.

I'm an artist and I needed to see exactly where certain muscles would be in different positions and this book is great for that. You can't always tell where a superficial muscle lies on the human form because there are other muscles underneath them causing more bumps/wrinkes/etc than you'd expect. So this book was a big help and I recommend it to any artist out there wanting to learn muscles!

...exactly the surface anatomy reference ive been searching for. as a 3d artist it is essential that i reproduce human figure in an accurate and believable way for this you need effective reference. this book has it in spades.

This is easily one of the greatest anatomy for artists books I've found. It covers various landmarks and on the opposite page uses a unique way to visualize the underlying muscle structure of the same pose. A must have book for any Artist!

This book is extremely useful for anyone trying to master the interplay of muscle as it affects surface form

This book is useful for artists such as painters and sculptors trying to accurately represent a muscular male body in different poses (like greek sculptures - Atlas, The Thinker, etc). Every page shows the model in a different position comparing the same pose in the "buff" with and without the painted muscles.

I am in Kansas and new to bird watching. I set up a Martin Hotel in my back yard, then a bird feeder... All kinds of birds I'd never seen before (Being from Arizona) started showing up. After watching some of their personalities emerge to me, I became more and more curious as to who these beautiful and fascinating creatures were. I ordered this book and got my answers! I love the way it is so easy to use, how it is listed by colors, which makes it exceptionally easy to find the bird you are looking for. If your an an advanced bird watcher, this probably isn't the book for you. But, if your new to this, as I am, this is the perfect starter book.
I love the little notes at the bottom of each page with some of the author's observations of that particular bird. Like the cow bird, now there is a bird who has parenthood down to a science. Lay the eggs in another birds nest (different species) and let them raise it! ;-). Get the book, for the price you can't go wrong and the photos are beautifully done.

Easily divided into colored sections so you have a basic starting place to determine the bird you're trying to identify. Great, clear photos.

This is a terrific little book with the best photographs of birds I have seen in a field guide. Organized by color of bird, so a novice can figure out where to start to ID what he is looking at. Has basic info on each of the 115 most common Kansas birds. If male and female are different colors, then they are listed seperatly, each with a small inset photograph and page number of the mate.

This is a tiny book that has less information and fewer birds than I expected. Just looking out at my bird feeder, about half the birds I see can't be identified by looking at this book. I also don't like the classification system...if a bird is half black and half brown, should I look in the 'black' or 'brown' section of the book? I think this is intended to be a 'for dummies' level of book, which is fine because I am a complete novice bird watcher, but I still don't find that it gives me the information I'm looking for. I would like to see more variation within a bird type, rather than only see one photo and try to find a bird in real life that matches it.

My husband and I have enjoyed using this book as "amature birdwatchers" - the orginization by color and size are great. The author also offers comparisons when you might be stumped. We've since purchased other books by Stan Tekiela such as Trees of Missouri (since there isn't yet a Trees of Kansas available) as well as bird guides, as gifts, for people in other states. It may not be as comprehensive as more experienced birdwatchers would like; however, it is a great resource for those of us peaking out the window at the feeder.

I can recommend all mr Citino's books. It is on the operational level that a battle/war is won and mr Citino's ability to explain and analyse operational warfare is unequalled.

In this follow-on to the author's "Quest for Decisive Victory", Citino analyzes how armies from World War 2 on achieved or failed to achieve decisive victories, including many cases rarely mentioned in other military histories. Although not quite meeting the extremely high standard set by the earlier book, it is still an outstanding book. Its footnotes will tell you what books to read to learn more about a particular campaign, and giving the strengths and weaknesses of each, which I think is extremely helpful. If you have any interest in an operational analysis of modern campaigns, but this book.

Robert Citino has written an excellent military history that has descibed the development of combined arms warfare. The first section of the book, Citino compares the military doctrines of the United States, Germany, Britain, and Russia during the Second World War. Citino believes that German military doctrine was severely flawed since it was mainly adaptable to wars in Western and Central Europe and did not make logicistical provisions for the campaigns in North Africa and Russia. Citino also praises Russian military doctrine for being able to plan for the mass encirclements of the German army in 1943-1945, but criticizes the Russians for lacking personal intiative in combat. Citino also criticizes the British for only attacking with tanks and showing no personal intiative on the battlefield. However Citino praises the American for being flexible and massing their forces on a single point during Operation Cobra.
The second part of the book, Citino praises the personal freedom allowed officers to conduct battle in the Israeli and Indian armies and writes about the lackluster performance of the Iraqi and Iranian armies that lacked competent officers. In the closing chapters of the book, Citino believes that the victory in Operation Desert Storm was due to superior firepower as well as tactics while Operation Iraqi Freedom was dangerously based on the assumption of internal rebellion and was eventually won by the use of armor. I would reccomend this book for anyone who believes that technology can replace officership and armor.

Despite all of the new technology, the rules of warfare always remain the same. In Blitzkrieg to Desert Storm, Citino analyzes every major military campaign from WWII to the present. The details are amazing. Most history books just tell you what happened, Citino tells you how. Every major battle is broken down into divisions and corps with a complete description of their objectives, capabilities, and commanders. His narrative tone makes book the enjoyable and entertaining while at the same time, informative and stimulating. This book is a must read for anyone interested in topics such as 20th century history, military history, or modern war studies.

This is an interesting and provocative book, well worth reading; see the other reviews for that. Unfortunately, it makes very clumsy reading. I think this was not Citino's fault. This seems, in fact, to be the worst edited book I've ever read. The main problem is not typos but repitition: Citino will often say virtually the same thing in virtually the same way within paragraphs. (See for example the comments on the US M3 tank on pp. 58-59.) This is the kind of understandable mistake a writer makes in the course of writing a book, and it is why publishers hire editors and pay them (albeit not very well). This book was published by University Press of Kansas. They need to have a stern talk with whoever edited Citino's book; they have done him an injustice.