States Books

Twenty four years ago, I was a ten year old girl who saved every last penny to save $35.00 to buy the Little House on The Prairie boxed set by Laura Ingalls Wilder. It was my love of the TV show that started the savings venture...I heard it was based on a true story and I needed to know all the details. What happened when I received those books, and read them one after another that year changed me into a fan of the show, into a full fledge Laura Ingalls Wilder enthusiast. Why? Because of the simple beauty of the pioneer tales within. Stories that show that even when things are worse than you or I can imagine, family and faith still bring hope and contentment. Little Town on the Prairie is one of my two favorite stories. Even as a ten year old I loved watching Laura turn into a lady in this story. Its been several years since I read this one, and taking a break from my regular readings seemed a good idea. I noticed that I picked up new little things this time around. I can read different things into that meeting with Almonzo where he and Laura change cards, I can feel the shame and tension in the school house scene where Laura defends Carrie to Ms. Wilder (I think I felt this horror anew from a parents perspective) and I also noticed Ma's prejudices against the Indians more keenly as well. There was a scene I even felt uncomfortable with. In a social gathering at the school, some of the town's men dressed in black paint and acted like "darkies" to the amusement of the audience. I think Laura herself, would flinch from that in this day and age. But again, it only emphasizes the times the Ingalls family were living in, and how far this country has come. The country has made mistakes along the way (slavery and the Trail of Tears, for example). But where we are now is in no little part, due to the efforts of the brave pioneers like the Ingalls family. This is a historical, christian, pre-romance, and tale of growing from child to woman all in one and there is no doubt in my mind, why this remains a beloved story to children and adults everywhere today.

For this book review I read Little Town on the Prarie by:Laura Ingles Wilder. This book is good reading for preteen girls. The story is historical and is about living in the pioneer days.

In this book Laura and her family work hard to send her older sister to Collage and keep her there untill she finishes. Laura and her little sister Grace have to go to school when they move to town for the winter. Laura is very exited about going to school because she wants to get her teachers certifacit when she is sixteen. To find out what else happens you will have to read the book.

This book was fun to read and kept my intrest. It was a little confusing at timeskeeping up with who was talking. It was very interesting also to learn about how they lived back then. Over all it was a good book and I would consider reading it again.

Laura Ingalls thought that being thirteen was difficult, but now she is on the cusp of her fifteenth year, and things around her are changing like crazy. After a difficult winter full of one blizzard after another, Laura is happy to be back on the claim shanty with her family, away from the hustle and bustle of town. But she knows that her family will most certainly head back to De Smet to live in the shop before winter comes again, to protect them from the harsh weather that may lie ahead. Weather aside, however, Laura can't believe how many new things are arising. Especially the most important one of all - changes for Mary.

Laura couldn't be happier to be back in school again. After so many months of studying on her own, she is thrilled to be back in the classroom with her old friends Mary and Minnie, and Ida. But there's someone new in the classroom. A person from Laura's past who makes Laura shake with anger - Nellie Oleson. Laura, however, is determined to ignore the nasty Nellie and study as hard as she possibly can in order to gain her teaching certificate, and help to send Mary to college. But even without her being a part of the workforce, Mary is able to go off to college, and Laura couldn't be happier - or more devastated. But seeing how much Mary loves college, Laura resolves to study even harder, and begin earning the money to assist in keeping her there. Of course, Laura never imagined that things could possibly stand in her way. Such as the selfish new schoolteacher who thrives on taunting and humiliating both Laura and Carrie in front of the other students; and working as a seamstress in town. But the most shocking of all, is Almanzo Wilder's sudden interest in young Laura. Almanzo is a handsome fellow, whose Morgan horses are the talk of the town, and now Almanzo seems to have taken a fancy to Laura - something that leaves her confused and excited at the same time. But no matter what, she must remember to continue her studies, or else Mary may have to return home before her education is complete.

It seems strange to bear witness as someone ages, but that is exactly what readers have had the opportunity to do as Laura Ingalls grows in age, height, and maturity. The love she holds for her family is so refreshing and charming, and truly keeps the reader's interest peaked; while the constant maturity Laura displays in each and every one of her decisions is just unbelievable. Laura has completely grown up before our eyes, and each year she just becomes more and more lovable. The inclusion of facts regarding the changes taking place during this era are interesting, and present a fun learning experience for readers; while the sudden budding romances springing up around the young people of De Smet indicates just how much older these characters have become. Almanzo Wilder has grown on me over the past few books, and I love reading the scenes where he is present; and Nellie Oleson, as nasty as she is, will always remain a fun character whom you absolutely love to hate, but hate to love. This series just gets better and better!

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

I read this book to my two sons, 7, 9 and my husband, during long drives. We all loved it. Even though the main character is a girl, my boys were interested the entire time and identified with Laura. The descriptions are great and the characters are well-drawn. We're now reading These Happy Golden Years and my family is loving that, too. I recommend this book for a family to read together.

This is a charming, entertaining, and educational story about what life was like among homesteaders in the Dakota territories in the 1880s. I mostly agree with the other positive reviews here. But there is a teaching moment in this book that should not be overlooked. The parents in this book are paragons of virtue, and their behavior matches the highest standards - standards of 1880, not 2006. There is a short scene during one of the "literaries" where several men perform in blackface. Although it occurs with innocent intent, modern readers might find it in questionable taste if they don't allow for the historical context.

If they're smart, parents and teachers will embrace this as an opportunity to open a discussion with children about changing standards, and the work it took to improve those standards.

This book was published the year I married....I received SIX copies as shower gifts! It was a sign....I was destined to use this cookbook forever. And, so far,that has been the case.
I have found very few recipes to disappoint and many to thrill. The steamed lobster with ginger and scallions is always amazing-especially with lobster fresh off the boat. Singer's stuffed lobster is excellent, though not for the squeemish as you need to kill the bugs before you cook them. Jerry Giorgio's stuffed mussels are also a crowd pleaser.
A friend recently cooked Chicken Adobo for our book club and everyone took the recipe home. Katherine Hepburn's Brownies are delicious and a perfect end to every picnic. And where else was I to look when assigned to make matzoh ball soup for my daughter's kindergarten class?
If you love to cook, you will love this cookbook.

Molly O'Neill's New York Cookbook is a celebration of the New York Food world. She is the food columnist for The New York Times Magazine and spent five years working on this amazing book. The first recipe I tried was "Katie's Café au Lait Cheesecake with a Mocha Crust." The ingredients looked delicious with cinnamon and chocolate wafers for the crust and a rum and coffee flavored filling. I made it for Easter and everyone was very impressed.

Since the author is a food columnist I knew she would be selecting winning recipes and so I felt confident enough to make the recipe for a big occasion without even trying it out at least one time for myself. I was very pleased with the results and can recommend the recipe to you for any occasion.

Whether you are interested in trying lots of new recipes or you just enjoy reading cookbooks, the New York Cookbook has so much to offer. Page after page of delicious information mingle with the even more delicious recipes. Some of the fun recipes include:

New York Penicillin - a chicken soup made by Aunt Marie Stacey. This stock/soup is then used in a variety of recipes and is very easy to make.

Irish Soda Bread - Make two loaves of bread in no time at all.

Simple Fresh Tomato Sauce - The perfect sauce for pasta made with fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic, oregano and a little brown sugar.

Shrimp Fried Rice
Shish Kebabs
Meat Loaf
Rosemary Chicken
Chicken Paprikas
Pan-Fried Sole
Yoko's Japanese Salad Dressing
Marrakesh Carrots

Some of the sweet treats include: "Coney Island Fudge" made with cream and semisweet chocolate, "Zoe Morsette's Oatmeal Macaroons," "Aunt Olga's Cardamom Cake," and "Katharine Hepburn's Brownies." If you love ice cream, you may want to try out the recipe for Hot Fudge Sauce and Butterscotch Sauce.

A few of the highlights in this book include:

Food Walks - Wander through food markets
A Few Essential Ingredients in Italian Cooking
Manhattan Clam Chowder
In Search of New York Steak
A Trip Down Menu Lane
Festivals

The New York Cookbook is an extremely well-researched feast that will satisfy the cerebral appetite as well as please your family and friends when you try out the delicious recipes. These recipes have been created by some of the best cooks in New York and you can use them with confidence, knowing you are making something wonderful for dinner or dessert. This cookbook was a wonderful gift from a friend who loves visiting New York and I already have plans to buy copies for friends and relatives. This is a highly collectible cookbook with recipes you will look forward to making year after year.

~The Rebecca Review

As a native New Yorker, I consider this a classic ... wonderful anecdotes and recipes from a vast array of people who live in the city. Molly's affection for the city is evident (her brother, Paul, played for the Yankees), and her knowledge of both food and the city makes this cookbook a gem.

This book has the best spaghetti sauce recipe --my husband and I loved it--it was a way to bring NY cooking to Hawaii since there are not many good italian restaurants out here like in NY, which I miss. On the downside, not all recipes were good. For ex, I did not like the Madison Square burgers nor did I like the Pad Thai noodles (I tried recipes from Keo or Cooking light for Pad Thai which were better). I will try some more recipes from this book and hopefully will have better luck.

Cooks Magazine recommended this cookbook as being very authentic. I bought it because of their review. They were absolutely right. The recipes are original/authentic New York complete with history and original photos. It's a great read even if you never make any of the recipes.
I highly recommend this book.

Wow! What an awesome book. My 10-yr-old son had to pick a book of Historical Fiction for a book report for school. We chose this one because it seemed familiar to me, then came to realize that I read it when I was a kid under the title "I am David". We took turns reading the book aloud, my son was so into it. Every boy, actually every kid, should read this book, if only to appreciate freedom and opportunity and the love of family.

a very poignant story of a boy who 'escaped' from a concentration camp. His trip to where, he doesn't know, gives so much insight to what would be going through a child during this era of time. He doesn't know anything about the outside world. This is often times humorous and then sad at others. It is a powerful story that should be read by all. There aren't really any EXCITING parts but plenty of in depth story. Mrs. Holm brings a story to paper that will not be quickly forgotten.

When freedom is near,all, young David has to think about is how to get away without being caught. I will encourage the young people to read this book because it is a really good and easy book. In this book you will find out what David had to go through in order to get his freedom, and what dangers he had to confront on the way.

This book is about a twelve-year old boy named David. For all his life he was in prison and did not know what the outside world looked like. When David finds a great opportunity to escape many problems occur and needs to find a way to be free and safe from his old life.The title of my book was North to Freedom by Anne Holm. This book will catch your attention and will end you up with a thought of children all over the world,
and how they are being abused and kept in prison.

Some good facts about this book were, how David had help
from the guards. " You must get away tonight", the man had told
him" (Holm 1). I liked the fact that David wasn't alone in prison that there were people that cared for him, this shows that not all men that keep children in prison are bad. In David's way to freedom, he found many honorable men that helped him reach his goal. " ...I'll give you a lifebelt, and you must try to drift ashore.." (Holm 25). Here David was found by and Italian man that was headin to Italy, but the kind man left
him on board and gave him a lifebelt were he could reach Italy without being caught.

There were also many bad sides to this book. Some facts I did not like were that it ended to fast and not to much detail was given. The end of the book was kind of "weird", I would have not expect it to end the way it did. There were some points of the book that I did not like, for example, when David was suffering on his way and the fact that he was scared of people. Also that David was a chicken in some parts of the book, he was scared to help other and was a little selfish.

In conclusion, the book was interesting to read. It had many ideas that shows the world about how little kids like David suffer because of mothers errors. I would give this book an eight, form a scale of 10. It is a really good book, I liked the way it was explained even though details were needed it was very good explained and there were a lot of interesting parts. I liked this book because it caught my attention and wasn't hard to read. I learned that David fought for his freedom and this story makes me think about the American dream, freedom.

This is an engaging historical fiction novel. Set in post World War II Europe, it is also published under the titles David, and I Am David. With the help of one of the prison gaurds, 12 year old David escapes from a communist labor camp in Bulgaria with no idea what to do other than go to Denmark. The story weaves in many important themes, such as freedom, beauty, truth, and love. There are many intriguing characters, like Johannes his fellow prisoner, the family of Maria, a Danish lady in Switzerland, and a dog named King. As David crosses countries and borders, his understanding of life, God, and the aforementioned themes grows as his journey progresses. Through it all he is determined to remain true to himself. Truly an engaging read, and a good study on physical and cultural geography for kids.

I have a copy of this book from the UK that is called I Am David. It starts with a man telling David, "You must get away tonight. Stay awake so that you're ready just before the guard is changed. When you see me strike a match, the current will be cut off and you can climb over -- you'll have half a minute, no more." This starts David's journey not just to freedom and home, but also to learning how to live as a regular kid after only living in a concentration camp. It's a serious book but one that should be read.

Sam is a basketball hero. He is from a small Maine town, and he dominates his high school team. After winning the championship, he makes a statement that the next year it will be not only the boys' team but also the girls' team bringing home a trophy. It is a bold statement, although the girls' team is also very good, but Sam is determined to make it a reality.

The key element in Sam's plan is Deanie, most often called The Mutant by the student body. She shaves her head, has tattoos, and wears chains through the rings in her face. Despite her weird appearance and antisocial behavior, Deanie is a powerhouse on the basketball court and pushes her team to win.

Sam finds himself intrigued by Deanie, especially by the fact that she seems to hate his guts and repels any advances by him. He continues to try to find ways to become her friend.

When Deanie does start to let Sam into her life, though, he finds himself horrified by what he sees. He begins to wonder if his affection and attention will be enough to pull her out of her bad situation.

I liked Sam's family. They were down-to-earth and very solid, despite their problems. I also liked seeing Deanie's evolution from the beginning of the book to the end, when she had things much more together.

It was hard for me to understand, though, why Sam was so attracted to Deanie and why he continued to pursue her after she continually repelled his advances. It's hard to believe any high-school boy would be that persistent in the face of so much rejection.

"One on One" tells the coming-of-age story of two unique teens. Sam Styles is a popular basketball captain, aiming for the championships, who also has his own unpopular ethical code amongst his peers. Deenie Gauthier is a "townie" who is also a basketball star, but whose poverty and attitude have made her an outsider. Sam becomes intrigued by her, and they begin a mercurial relationship which eventually becomes sexual. The contrast between Sam's close-knit family is made more poignant when compared to Deanie's abusive homelife. But Sam has his own scars, and though the two are made for each other, their union will not be an easy one.

Only two things bothered me. Every few pages we get yet another description of Deanie's appearance. The reader "gets" that she's unusual looking but still beautiful without her skin being compared to a narcissus petal or fine wood constantly. If the reader doesn't like the character or feel sympathy, they'd have put the book down by now. The other was that there were an excessive amount of sex scenes. I'm not a prude, but it got a bit tiresome; there are only so many ways you can describe certain sexual acts that teens perform. I would rather have had more basketball scenes - and I'm not a jock.

Please buy this book!!! I can think of no other way to get Tabitha King to write a second piece to this tale. I am a big reader and love series books. After reading all of Jennifer Weiner's books last month I was looking for someone else, on her website or a fansite of Jennifer's it mentioned Pearl. I went to the library and picked up a copy. Read it immediately and loved it instantly. I told my husband that Tabitha King writes like her husband, always leaving you with wanting more. I went to the trusty WWW and found that there was a whole series to be read and I happened upon them in the middle with Pearl. After work I was at the library picking up the remainder of the series. I didn't read them in order, you don't have to, they work well independently. One on One was the last for me to pick up. I read it in no time and lost much sleep because of it. I took it to work with me and was HAPPY to be in a 1 hour traffic jam so I could have more time to read it. I was captivated by Sam and Deanie, and hungry to know more about Pearl and Reuben. I did something I have never done. I did't put it down. Upon finishing it I started back on the first page again. She writes sex scenes like they should be written, raw, real, and not perfect. I want more from her...that is why you have to buy this book. Hopefully she will see there is a surge in her sales and decide to feed her fans with MORE. I am just upset I didn't know her work until now. She is just amazing. Buy it.

I'm a novelist myself, and began reading Stephen King at the age of ten. About seven years ago, I was browsing through the S. Kings at the library looking for something that I hadn't read fifteen times when I ran across One on One completely by accident. Because the particular S. King that I was looking for wasn't on the shelf, I decided to "broaden my horizons" and take it for a "test drive," and what a decision that was! I couldn't put it down - I read it cover to cover twice, then bought my own copy. I've since ventured into Tabby's other offerings and they're equally wonderful, but One on One will always be my favorite read - and my favorite inspiration.

Tabitha King has a wonderful talent with bending the written word in such a way that it captivates the reader to the point of not being able to put the book down until the very last page. Unfortunately, though I am a great fan of Stephen King, Tabitha gets very little of the spotlight and I am disappointed that none of her books are available to buy as new books.

I love these books. I bought the President's Daughter back in middle school and many years later decided to complete the collection. Like someone else said, it is my go to book. I can read it over and over and still find new things in it. It is actually also how I learned how the election worked!! The first is the best in the series, but anyone who reads this will not be disappointed by the quality of writing, depth of the characters and knowledge gained about a presidential family. Meg is a delight!

Most teens are embarrassed by the things their parents do. But in Meg Powers' case, she and her family are under constant national scrutiny, for her senator mother has just announced her candidacy for president.

Although dealing with the issues surrounding Katharine Powers' campaigning and frequent travels, the Powers family is still refreshingly normal. Meg and her younger brothers regularly compete with dinnertime witticisms, and she and her best friend Beth spend embarrassingly long hours dreaming about the day that handsome and popular Rick will ask one of them out.

Firmly entrenched within '80s pop culture (references to things like Tab and Joan Jett are sprinkled throughout the book rather liberally), this story is simultaneously set in a time that has yet to come -- making it something of an anachronism, but a fun and quirky one.

This book is a sooooooooo cool! Sixteen year old Meg has two brothers. Her mom is a senetor.One day her mom decided to run for president. Meg is than thrown into getting used to everyday life being the presidents daughter while still juggling homework,friends,boys and family life. This isn's a book you will soon forget.

I have read and reread (and loved, especially the first one) all three Meghan Powers books in their original editions. I am grateful to Hawk Publishing for reprinting these three books (now called the "President's Daughter" series) so that more people can enjoy them, but I do feel that people should know that these reprints are not high quality. They are trade paperbacks with bindings that seem sturdy enough, but the text is not at all crisp -- in fact, it looks like the publisher may have enlarged the pages from the original mass market editions on a Xerox machine and then reprinted these new editions from those copies. I am basing this guess on the fact that the text looks enlarged and somewhat blurry.

The covers of all three of the reprint editions are hideous; the first one shows a girl who looks to be about 8 or 10 years old instead of a teenager. ...

If you can get past all that, these books are marvelous to read. The first book in particular was very entertaining and educational to boot. I learned a lot about the nomination process used at the Democratic National Convention. Meg's "voice" is unique and distinctive, and a lot of the book is laugh-out-loud funny. Again, I am grateful to Hawk for reprinting these, even if the quality is a little disappointing.

I first read the first two books when I was in high school...in the 80s. I enjoyed them then, and sorely regret loaning them to a younger cousin when I got to college and was ostensibly 'too old' for them. My local bookstore didn't carry "God Save the Queen," so I've never read that one.

I'm 36 now, and I've read one heckuva lot of books. But two of that stay with me are "The President's Daughter" and "White House Autumn." Like the very best in young adult fiction (Harry Potter, etc.), the themes are universal, the characterization is excellent, and the glimpse into another world is fascinating.

Really great SF! Accurate historical context and well written. One of the best SF books I have read, and I have read hundreds.

I don't know why I haven't heard more about this book. I stumbled across it purely by accident but have been surprised to find it is one of the best reads I've had in this genre this year. Glad I found it.

For a very long time, this book was "Unavailable" or "Out of Print". Naturally, I found that intriguing. When this book became available to order, I wasted no time. I feel my wait was certainly rewarded.

Michael's prose is magnetic. It's as if I'm drawn to read faster and faster. These types of reads are rare, to me. Character development was effective, and the storyline is wonderful, even if controversial.

To anyone who likes Cold War books, this is a must-read. For those who want a good story to read, pick this up. I know your money will be well spent!

If you like Historic Fiction, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Spy novels, Cold War Political Intrique, or even action works (to a lesser extent) then this book is for you! It welds the aforementioned genre's together and is a perfect rainy sunday afternoon read. Hard to put down, and a fascinating scenario! I had to read it two times to be sure I didn't miss any details. Totally believable plot line and excellent characterizations, as well as interesting details on the space programs of the era from both the US and Soviet perspectives. I heartily recommend Red Moon.

So far I am about half way through the novel and it is a good read.

This book has a very detailed description of the whole event. Well written in a typcial novel style, the book goes through all the happenings in a manner that keeps the reader engaged though I felt this book could be shorter and still have the same sort of impact as it does.
An ideal book for a future movie script on an important event in the history of islam.

Overshadowed by other world crises in 1979, especially in Iran, the siege of Mecca has been largely forgotten. But it should not have been forgotten because it has set the stage for much of the terror that has ensued in the last 28 years. It was not exactly the birthplace of Al Quieda and Bin Laden but it gives a great insight into the trouble nature of the extremist regime of Suadi Arabia and how Saudi Arabia made a 'deal with the devil' by bringing in extremist cleric to help root out the more extremist people who had taken over the mosque. Rumours that a relative of Bin Laden was involved, the story of the beheadings of those who had participated, the claim that the French special forces called in to help converted to Islam so as not to 'offend' the Saudis and the story of the assault on American embassies throughout the Muslim world in the days that followed are all covered here.

The book begins with a discussion of the history of Saudi Arabia and its extreme religious foundations, its apartheid like legal system for men and women and the origins of the Wahhabi movement. THen the story jumps forward to describe the radicalization of several groups of Muslims, including Juhayman Said al Otaibi and his brother-in-law Muhammad bin abd Allah al-Qahtani as well as other gulf Arabs and even some African-American Muslims. On November 20th, 1979 this group of men invaded the Al-Masjid al-Haram mosque in Mecca, the Grand Mosque, and in the battles that followed some 250 people were killed. Saudi National Guardsmen were shot down easily by the well armed and trained rebels. This necccesitated the regimes work with the conservative cleric Sheikh Abdel Aziz al Baaz and the calling in of non-Muslim foreigners to help with the siege.

This is an expert story and the author not only tells it well but relates its history, its context and its aftermath, trying to show how this was pivotal in the increasing rise of Islamist terror in the Middle East that eventually culminated in Sept. 11.

Seth J. Frantzman

I was prepared to dislike this book, suspecting an "action pack thriller", full of loopy historical inaccuracies, if not outright fantasy - all because of the jarring black and red cover. Instead I found a lean, scholarly, and almost certainly dispassionately accurate account of one of the more important and not very well understood events in the last quarter of the 20th Century. It is written in a fast-paced action style, flipping back and forth among the major actors in this drama, but that enhances and does not hinder his story. Ramifications of this siege are affecting us today.

Mr. Trofimov knows his subject well, amazingly well. He deftly describes the numerous disparate historical antecedents to the taking of the mosque by Islamic fanatics, and the reactions of the major actors. The Ikhwan, the religious brotherhood which was instrumental in Abdul Aziz's conquest and consolidation of what would be the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and his decision that they overstepped their limits, and so he had to mow them down with borrowed British machine guns in the early `30's, leading to a sense of martyrdom in the remnants of the defeated communities. America was tired of "foreign adventures," Vietnam being the prime reason, and therefore the CIA was severely constrained, with the coups it directed in Chile and Iran very much in mind. There was the Kingdom itself, being overwhelmed by the "future shock" of oil revenues, and the attendant rapid "modernization," with its own ills, inevitably leaving some people behind

As with many events of this magnitude, ironies abound; they are described but not overplayed. The Royal Family must obtain a ruling from the Ulema, the chief religious body, that force can be used to remove the rebels, yet philosophically, the Ulema is in large measure in agreement with the complaints of the rebels. For days virtually no one knows the exact identify of the people who seized the mosque, so the United States insists it was Iran, and the Shiites; meanwhile Iran is insisting it is the United States and the infidels. Perhaps the best trained Arab force that could assist the Saudis is the Hashemite Jordanians, but they can not be used since they were once rulers in the Hejaz, were defeated by Abdul Aziz, and if they returned, "may not leave." Eventually the Saudis turned to the French, "because they were discreet and could keep a secret," which also proved false.

I found the section of the French involvement particularly fascinating, since it dispelled the rumors that had dominated this topic, and described in an authoritative manner the exact nature of the fairly limited intervention (3 men, and supplies). Characteristically of Trofimov's account, he states the facts which he could ascertain, but does not speculate whether Barril, one of the three Frenchmen, actually entered Mecca.

Equally important was the depiction of the immediate ramifications throughout the Muslim world, who blamed the United States, in large part because of Khomeini. US Embassies in Libya and Pakistan were burned, with loss of American life.

John Burgess, on his CrossRoads Arabia website, pointed out some (relatively minor) flaws in Trofimov's book, citing the reason that the Bedouin were settled was not, as Trofimov contends, to better perform their ablutions, but rather to stop their raiding. I'd add a couple of my own: the Nejd would never be described as the "central Arabian highlands" (p14), and, of course, 1400 is not the first year of new century, 1401 is.

On a personal note, I traveled by road in the Asir, from Abha to Taif, one week prior to the taking of the mosque, and may very well have passed some of the participants. On that trip, at a police checkpoint, was the only time in my 20 years in the Kingdom, that a Muslim did not give the proper response to my "As-Salaam Alikum" greeting; the followers of Juhayman believe(d) that a Muslim should not respond to an infidel when he gave the traditional greeting.

In Trofimov's summing up, he correctly identifies Juhayman's deed as only one of the currents which lead to the formation of Al Qaeda. He also points out a second one, arriving from Egypt, in the person of Ayman Al Zawahir (who had been inspired by the execution of his hero, Sayyid Qutb). Of course, a third could easily be postulated: the unintended consequences, a/k/a "blowback" in CIA jargon, of America and Saudi Arabia funding and arming Islamic fundamentalist to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan. And a fourth: the CIA coup against the democratically elected government of Iran in 1953.

Epilogues can be used to examine some of the "what ifs" of an event. One of the rumors concerning Juhayman's capture stated that he had asked: "But where are the armies of the north"? Trofimov does not cover this, and only alludes to the self-delusional nature of individuals who succumb to millennial dogmas; the alleged Mahdi believes that he is "bullet proof," with the attendant fatal consequences. How many of my fellow citizens believe in the "rapture," the postulated end of the world when Christ returns, and would actually like to hasten the date? And "what if" they took concrete actions to accomplish this goal? Our own Juhayman...

Trofimov account is almost certainly the best account we will ever have on the seizure of the mosque in Mecca in 1979, and is highly recommended.

Purchased: May 2008 (Kindle)

Pro: Fast-paced, concise story of an intriguing event. Illuminates the present state of affairs by presenting convincing evidence that the leader "...Juhayman's multinational venture,...was a precursor of al Qaeda itself."

Con: Considering how hard it is to get accurate information about Saudi Arabia, I was initially suspicious that I was reading another "A million Little Pieces". I suggest scanning A Note to Readers at the end of the book to better understand how information was gathered.

Overall: Buy it now

The "Siege of Mecca" is a book that every serious reader should read. If you are an advocate or a beach comber or a pretender, you don't need to read this book - you wouldn't enjoy it because it would not suit your interests or needs.

For "Serious Readers" (i.e. people who read everything including cereal box ingredient lists or those tags on mattresses and then think about it) the "Siege of Mecca" is simply a delight. It describes one of those weird historical moments (like the Bonfire of the Vanities) that seems to represent much more to the future than it did in its present. As far as this Serious Reader knows, Trofimov provides the most complete, dispassionate, and interesting description of this incredible act of stupidity and/or courage. It appears to be one of those "tipping point" moments in history to use the current hipster jargon.

For English readers, the writing may seem just a bit ragged. Trofimov's grasp of the English (American) idiom is a bit . . . lubricated, shall we say? It slips just a bit now and then, but Mr. Trofimov's facility with English is much better than my skill with his native language, so I'm quibbling here. Sometimes his expressions are quaint, quirky, or merely violate the grammarian's whip, but in the spirit of Strunk and White, it nonetheless works. Get over it and focus.

This book also provides one of those incredibly interesting tangents on the Global War on Terror. After you read this book you realize that there is a lot more going on than the New York Times, National Public Radio, or the current Presidential Administration is telling you. This is flip: If you like the really "good" restaurants, the ones even the cool guys don't talk about, this is the book for you. The "Siege of Mecca" is the truth, or at least the Current State of the Art.

I highly recommend this book.

This is another book I read cover to cover in one sitting. I'm sad that it's over. The thoughtfulness and ethics and, well, honor of the writer touched me. Lots of cool insider info without compromising security. No bitchy backstabbing. No gratuitous back-slapping either. A very easy read that I couldn't tear myself away from. A couple months back, the current president was in my city for a couple of hours and the amount of disruption to traffic was startling. I now have far more appreciation for how difficult these visits are and how much orchestration they involve.

I wanted to get a little more background on the life of a Secret Service Agent. I found this book filled with interesting tidbits of information. It was an easy read that I found entertaining, as well. His recounts of what it was like working around the Reagan administration, the Pope's US visit, etc. kept me interested for several hours worth of reading. It personalized some of the details that the public often may not realize.

This book is well written with just enough detail to keep you in every scene. It hooked me from page 1 and kept me interested all along.

If you have any interest in the presidency of Ronald Reagan or the Secret Service, I highly recommend this book. The tone is very matter-of-fact, but what comes through is what an honorable person Joseph Petro is. He lost out on a possible N.F.L career when he was drafted for the Viet Nam War, but our country, and especially its elected officials during the time of his service, gained a great deal.

A very engaging book.

I found this book extremely enlightening as to what life as an Agent in the USSS will be like. Petro does a wonderful job at writing about what he is allowed to disclose yet still keeping the reader engaged. If you are interested in the USSS, you should read this book during your application process since little is know about the Service.

I grew up on the south side of Chicago during the 80s and had many friends who were "taggers" and got up every chance they got. They had spray-cans, hollowed-out deodorant sticks somehow replaced with ink, fat markers, Griffin, and who knows what else. Though I myself wasnt a graffiti artist or writer or tagger, this book is a great ride down memory lane for those of us who grew up on the streets. For those of us of a certain age, this book, "Subway Art", along with movies like Breakin' I AND II, Beat Street, original hip-hop and old school house music were all of a specific time and place. This book will make you want to break out the Pumas with the fat laces, bring out the tile and start back-spinnin', but it is also one of the the earliest, most definitive and detailed books on graffiti ever.

Wow, this book just took me back to my days in the Bronx and the 2 line.
All the greats are in this one..Doing those T and B's and hitting the yards, and dodging the DT's Now those were the great days of the BRONX.
Long live
MIKE170..TAV 1..ALE..AJAX..SUPER SEX..BLADE..COMET..FUZZ..POPEYE..
MIKE 170....

I started doing graff back in the late 90's; I was 14 at the time and to be honest with you; like all great writers we were all toy's at one time but has time went by and we got better with our skills, we all have read this book at one time or another. On with the book review.
This book is just simply AMAZING...you have old school pieces from the Godfather of Graffiti: SEEN, BLADE (which he has painted 5,000 trains during the golden age of the MTA in NYC; since I saw the graffiti scene on the trains at the tender age of six and seven in NYC, I was simply amazed at that age on how people could sneak in at night and do this with spray-paint but I digress), LADY PINK, and the list goes on. If your just starting out in graffit, this is a great book on to connect letters, bubble letter's, block's, and some old school color schemes, though I would not call it the Bible of Graffiti, it is pretty darn close to it. Check it out.

This classic book, along with "Broken Windows: Graffiti NYC" is all you need to know about NYC graff. Anyone up needs both of these books. Knowledge is king!

Subway Art. What can I say? This, Style Wars, Beat Street, Break Dance... they all had their influence on me (& a whole generation) back in the day.

Hip Hop isn't what it used to be, though. Most of what we hear these days is mixed up with R'n'B, commercialised, repackaged and shipped for your dissatisfaction. If you ask me... when it comes to Hip Hop, stick with the old school.

I was brought up in Melbourne, Australia, and did quite a bit of graffiti there during the 1980s. Melbourne had plenty of weird & wonderful characters who were into graff back then. The vast majority have gone their separate ways. But there's always the rare psycho who's still bombing (I'm not referring to the younger generation - but to old school dudes who are still around). There's also those who got into graphic art and made a career for themselves out of graff.

I recommend checking out some of the original Vaughn Bode cartoons for yourself through a simple Google search.

Additional to this, I recommend Getting Up: Subway Graffitti in New York" by Craig Castleman. It has some pictures of trains and so on, but it is more for the reader. A copy was stolen from a local library near me - go figure.

And if you're ever in NYC... Check out the Hall of Fame. It's located on the corner of 106th Street and Park Avenue.

Ivan Doig is one of the leading writers of the modern American West. I have read, and thoroughly enjoyed, at least four of his novels. THIS HOUSE OF SKY is a memoir of Doig's youth in the hard-scrabble high-country of central Montana in the 1940s and '50s. Despite the hardships Doig's parents encounter, the book is a heart-warming story of decent, hard-working people who personify the pioneer spirt and work ethic so central to our myth of the American West. THIS HOUSE OF SKY shows that in large measure that myth is grounded in reality, although it also betokens some of the places where reality trumps the myth.

As grand as Doig's story is, the telling of it is less so. THIS HOUSE OF SKY was one or Doig's first published works; so far as I can tell, it was his first book-length work other than edited anthologies. For my taste, in THIS HOUSE OF SKY Doig is too idiosyncratic in language, style, and syntax; ultimately, the book seems overly contrived. Especially grating is the frequent use of nouns in various verb forms: for example, "epitaphed", "prowing", "monumented", "embered", "croupiered", and those few are just the tip of the iceberg.

After reading THIS HOUSE OF SKY, I read "Heart Earth", which Doig wrote 15 years later as a sort of continuation of his memoir, a kind of appendix to THIS HOUSE OF SKY. "Heart Earth", too, has a distinctive style, but it is much more accomplished and less mannered. Likewise, Doig's novels, for the most part, are better written than SKY. So, to demark SKY as a less mature work of Doig's, I have given it but four stars, despite the richness and wonder of the story itself. But having said that, if you love the West and treasure stories (especially true stories) of plain, straightforward, hard-working folks who just lower their heads and do what has to be done, with wry humor and gumption, you undoubtedly will enjoy THIS HOUSE OF SKY.

This magnificent book is a must read for anyone who cares about humanity; who loves people and wants to ride with them. It is more than that. It is the feel of Montana, of the West, of the people who built this country and the hard, blistering work they did. Don't miss this book. You'll love it and hate when you must put it down.

Of the three best books I've read in 2007, this probably ranks number two. It took me a little while to get into it, but the wait was well worth it. Ivan Doig is a magnificent writer and his talents are well displayed in this book. The other two books were The Good Old Boys, by Elmer Kelton, and The Missouri Riders, by George Banks.

This book was one of the few memoirs I have read when in the end I placed the book down and sighed "wow." What a wonderful story. The author rolled experiences together in western Montana with his dad and grandmother and turned it into a lovestory for fathers and grandmothers, for people of Montana, and all that using very little dialogue. (That gave the book a sense of truthfulness, as who can recite full conversations that took place years ago?)

The constant struggle with man against nature, man against man and man against himself come alive in these pages. Despite many obstacles of every kind, his father never abandoned him and sacrificed what he had to to raise his son and to give him what he needed. Montana and its bittersweet closeness never leave the reader; its isolation and wide open sky are always in the background. Thus the title is so perfect for this beautiful memoir.

This was my first Doig book and I will definitely read more of him. I definitely consider this book one of the top ten in American 20th century writing.

This is my all time favorite book. Period. Beautifully written, thought-provoking. It will make you want to move to Montana. It will make you love open sky and a horizon that goes on forever and the importance of family.