B Books

This massive coffeetable book does exactly what it sets out to do: photographically chronicle the 20th century, showcasing the famous and the not-so-famous. Along with familiar images such as the flag-raising at Iwo Jima, the Buddhist monk immolating himself, the sailor kissing the woman in Times Square on V-J Day, the kneeling girl screaming over the body of one of the Kent State dead, and the man facing down the tanks in Tiananmen Square, there are lesser-known images such as Soviet soldiers leaving Afghanistan in 1989, an alternate scene of a flag-raising at Iwo Jima, a very young Dick Clark sitting among the chart-topping records of 1957, old men lining up to get their social security benefits, and a Muslim groom and Christian bride picking their way through the rubble of Beirut on their way to crossing the Green Line so they could reach her church and get married.

Instead of dividing the book up by decades, it goes by historical era--1900-13, 1914-19, 1920-29, 1930-39, 1940-45, 1946-63, 1964-75, 1976-92, and 1993-99. After all, more often than not things from the previous era are still influencing a new decade, such as how the Seventies were by and large a continuation of the Sixties instead of an entirely new era. Each chapter begins with a short essay by a prominent historian, and each features a "Turning Point" section, focusing on subjects such as space travel, discovering our prehistoric ancestors, closing the gender gap, outlaws, bandits, and mobsters, civil rights, and the conquest of the atom. Each chapter ends with a requiem, highlighting some of the prominent people who passed away during that era. In addition to the usual suspects such as James Dean, Thomas Edison, Amelia Earhart, Dr. Benjamin Spock, Charlie Chaplin, and Susan B. Anthony, there are also some lesser-known personalities, such as Albert Woolson (the last surviving Civil War vet), Martha the passenger pigeon (the last of her kind as well), Sen. Cornelius Cole (the last surviving person who voted in President Andrew Johnson's impeachment trial), Aimee Semple McPherson (the now-largely-forgotten evangelist who faked her own kidnapping in the Twenties), and James Naismith (the inventor of basketball).

This is a great book for all those who are interested in 20th century history, and many of the images are bound to bring back memories the readers, whether they were born in the early century, at mid-century, in the later decades of the century, or anywhere in between. (Although it should be noted that some of the pictures are a bit disturbing and graphic and might upset children or even some adults, such as the ones on page 8 and page 178.) One wishes the book were even longer and had been able to include even more images of the past century; there were a couple of events and images I was rather surprised to see excluded, such as the killing fields of Pol Pot's Cambodia, the Armenian Genocide, the fiery end to the stand-off in Waco, the disastrous U.S. excursion into Somalia, the Black Power salute at the 1968 Olympics, and the war in Bosnia. Still, in a book this size, one can't expect absolutely everything to be included, and all of the images that are included are stupendous.

I first noticed this book in fourth grade, as my teacher liked collecting interesting books. I ended up reading it cover-to-cover about 6 times. I am a major fan of history, and always have been. I am in the seventh grade now, and when we talk about things in history class, some of the beautiful pictures still come back to me. I also really like how the written part of the chapters are written by authors like Avi. This falls in the class of my "most favorite books of all time," including the Ender's Game series by Orson Scott Card, The Breadwinner, and any and all E.L. Koningsburg books. A great read!

I bought this book for my 85+ year old mother in law for Christmas 2005. She loved it so much, she later asked me to help her find one for a close family friend. A few weeks later, her sister Corrine came to visit, and they poured over the pictures in her copy of the book - "remembering when" they had seen this or that. They especially loved the pics of San Francisco in 1940's when they were young and going clubbing. I later ordered (yet) another copy for Aunt Corrine's 87th birthday - and she just loved it! It's so hard to buy gifts for someone over 80 - this is a sure fire hit!

Life has done a superb job of pulling the whole century together into one book.I wont't tell you what picture was the first picture the started the book off with.But I'll tell you this;they got it right! This in not only the most important and best picture of the 20th century, but also; the most significient picture to portray what man has done;ever.Check out the book and see if you don't agree.
It must have have been a difficult,but rewarding, task to decide what to include and what had to be sacrificed.Everyone must have their favorite pictures of the century and will find many of them in the book.A very good balance was made between text and pictures.
An excellent book to have or to give as a gift regardless of r age.

Life has done a superb job of pulling the whole century together into one book.I wont't tell you what picture was the first picture the started the book off with.But I'll tell you this;they got it right! This in not only the most important and best picture of the 20th century, but also; the most significient picture to portray what man has done;ever.Check out the book and see if you don't agree.
It must have have been a difficult,but rewarding, task to decide what to include and what had to be sacrificed.Everyone must have their favorite pictures of the century and will find many of them in the book.A very good balance was made between text and pictures.
An excellent book to have or to give as a gift regardless of age.
There are other similar books;but none better.What else would you expect from TIME!

A "must read" for any boy who craves adventure stories. No elves or dragons or monsters - just a real picture of life of a small boy on the Indiana frontier. If you enjoyed the Little House on the Prairie books you'll love this.

This is such a good book to share with modern Hoosier children. It gives them a taste of what life was like for some of the early pioneer children living in Indiana. I have read this book to my fouth grade classes for years, and they always love it.

The Bears of Blue River is a book I can heartily recommend parents to buy and read to their children. This book, about the many pioneer outdoors experiences of young Balser in the 1820's, is a great way to introduce youngsters to life in a simpler, yet challenging time. My children are captivated as they hang on every word of Balser's bear hunting exploits in the forests of the then-young State of Indiana. My Mother, who is 91 years of age, purchased the book for my young son, and wrote in the forward "Your Grandpa Wayne liked these stories when he was a boy". Eighty-five years later, his 12 year old and 4 year old grandsons are equally enthusiastic. Don't miss this one for your sons!

What a great book! My husband enjoyed the book when he was a boy. We shared it with our children. They loved it,too! Great adventures.

In 1953 I started first-grade in southern Indiana. My teacher, Pearl Monroe, read Charles Major's 1900 Bears of Blue River to us. She, also, read it to my father in a one-room school house. It was my favorite book. There was one sad part in the book where Mrs. Monroe always cried. She would have an older student finish the chapter. In about 1980, I read it to my kindergarten age son. I also cried when the Polly died in an explosion that killed the dreaded Fire Bear. About five years ago, in a used book store in Colorado. I read it to my father who was in his 80's. Together we enjoyed the memories it brought back. This year I started teaching fourth-grade at the Odessa Christian School here in Odessa, TX - having just retired after 21 years with the pubilc schools. I just finished reading this marvelous adventure story to my class. They all acclaimed that it was the best book they ever heard read. I highly recommend this book and the sequel, Uncle Tom Andy Bill. Donald Potter

This is the "Base" novel to the series. Introductions are made as well as history. The next book to read is "The Captains"

This new series is the answer to my prayer. Griffin is one of a handfull of authors who really KNOW war, whats involved and what actually happens. He dosen't just describle battles or campaigns, but tells you about the REAL people who do the fighting to make our country safe and strong. Alot has been said about the details of military life and how it affects the combatants and thier families both during war and peace times,but Griffin lets you actually see it. When Tom Clancey said Griffin was a great writer, it said alot about both mens abilities

First off, this book is a novel and the genre is drama, not war. It is not about war but about the culture and relationships, history and traditions of men who prepare for and fight wars.

This book and its series is set against a wide variety of military challenges and most of them do not fighting another country. A series of careers overlap through through these challenges and the cast of characters grow to respect, loathe or just get along as they push through competing agendas and common projects. Some characters spend long periods of time in career lulls, others seem to have the right blend of traits to push past the rest only to succeed or fail under circumstances they have little influence in shaping. The fortunes of war effect soldiers in peactime as well.

The most interesting aspect of these novels is that the author lets readers get into the consiousness of almost every sort of solider. The reader meets the various characters as they meet one another and sees and thinks what they do from their various perspectives. They tell their own stories, ambitions and worries so you know whats going on in their minds. At times, the reader gets to walk in the shoes of the young private thrust into new situations, then the reader is in the head of a more experienced soldier who meets private. There are the career elisted men, the younger and older officers, the career trouble makers and cilivians who have put on uniforms, there are men whose sons are fighting beside them or wives who worry about them both. There are men who advance quickly and men who the war exposes as being out of their league.

Generally, the men must form quick impressions of their comrades. Then the impressions change or deepen. Men of oddly different backgrounds form deep friendships or intense animosities. Men find one another personally challenging, useful, an obstacle or whatever. The reason this is all important is because their lives and the future of the country hangs on every decision they make and this is what makes for such interesting and compelling reading.

There are countless tomes about battles and campaigns but very little exploration, of how comrades of the same uniform interact with one another, bond or form relationships. How can the shakey events of a single hour one afternoon effect two mens' careers and create an unalterable bond that no other influence can break. How can a lifelong relationship be broken in the same amount off time.

While this novel is unlikely to fill in your knowledge of any particular battle, it may inform your understanding of every other historical book you read by letting you get into the heads of men at every level of the fighting.

This series is much more broad that The Marines series in its time span and focus. I actually only involves so much actual fighting as to give the basis for forming judgements of mens characters in peace time. The Marines Series focuses more on military operations even if it involves very little fighting.

Awesome stuff.

If you want to understand the "culture" of the military, read this book. Then, if you liked it, read the whole "Brotherhood of War" series, of which it is the first book. I spent four years in the Navy (one in Vietnam), but I never really understood the positive side of the military until I read "The Lieutenants." It's easy to find novels that are critical of military values, and it's easy to find patriotic "action" novels that just accept those values without exploring their origin or purpose. The strength of "The Lieutenants" is that it gets inside the heads of a wide variety of soldiers, not just the five main characters. There are good guys, bad guys, and then there are "the warriors." The focus of this book is to explore the values of the small cadre of professional combat soldiers that exists within the Army, thriving in wartime and and struggling against the bureaucracy in peacetime. Yes, this novel has many flaws. The author has his odd obessions and I'm sure most readers will find at least one thing to dislike. But after re-reading this novel for sixth or seventh time over a 20-year period, I have become more tolerant of these weaknesses. W.E.B. Griffin has a unique grasp military culture and is a strong advocate of its often harsh codes of conduct. His writing caused me to re-consider my own experiences in the military and has had an effect on my political values. There are not many books that I can say that about. So, in my opinion, if you can get past the flaws, there is much of value here for anyone who wants to examine their own attitudes towards war and warriors, and perhaps even their own "warrior nature."

W.E.B. Griffin's "Brotherhood of War" follows a couple of career Army officers from the end of WWII until Vietnam. "The Lieutenants" is the first in the series, and shows the two main men, Felter and Lowell, at the beginning of their career. Felter is a Jew who is commisioned because he knows languges desperatly needed in Eastern Europe. Lowell is promoted from private to second lieutenant because a general needed a polo player. The two misfits are regarded with scorn until a tour in Greece as advisors, where they end up seeing more action than they did in the war America was 'officially' involved with. I loved how need of a polo played out weighted the needs of the Army; that is what I saw a lot of when I was in the Army. Lowell's wife's fruelin Elsa Berg's story was one I have seen several times while I was in Germany. Well, not exactly; the girls I saw were not displaced because of any wars. But they were gold diggers. I really felt bad for Lowell, because he was promoted way past his ability, and then stuck with it in a nearly immpossible situation (an inexperienced officer as an advisor in Greece). But that made it even better when he kept getting the upper hand over his superiors later on. There was not a plot that strung the book together, it is more character drivin than anything else. One thing I was disappointed with was that there was little combat scenes. Only two or three that I could count. It had more to do with the decisions involved n the outcome of battles than it was the actual fighting. But it is still interesting for anyone interested in the military, and should be a must read for any one actually in the service.

My two-year-old niece insists that her mother and grandmother read this book to her several times a day. When I went to visit, I saw this book and immediately remembered enjoying it as a kid. Our neighbor read it to me to comfort me one day when I was upset because my dad had locked his keys in his car, we were locked out of the house, and I was upset because I had stepped in a puddle and my pants were wet to the knee. (I think I must have been 5 or 6 at the time) Mom tells me the neighbor read me this book while we waited for her to come home with her keys and let us back in the house, and it calmed me down.

I bought this for a first grader that I mentor and she has enjoyed it so much, in fact she has read it at least six times

This is another terrific book by Syd Hoff that brings back childhood memories. I loved it then and I still love it now. My kids enjoy reading this book over and over again. It is filled with colorful pictures and the story line is so cute and fun. Another great book by Syd Hoff.

I bought this book for my Grandson,and he loves it.His little Brother wants him to read it to him now too.I love to buy books for my Grandchildren.I am a avid reader and I want them to have the same experience.This is a great book.It is easy to read,even for a early reader,and it is also so cute.All my kids have loved it.It has been around for years.

This book is a classic. My kids always pick it out at the library to read.

I have to give this book 5 stars. Mary O'Hara wrote an incredibly beautiful story about a struggling family. Many of the details of the story are so true to life. As an adult reading this story, I found the details about the parents to be more interesting than the story of the horse and the boy. O'Hara really understands the concerns of a parent for a struggling child and it's very true to life in the book. Many important issues are touched upon in this book too; responsibility for our domestic animals, love for people and animals, doing our duty in our every day life are all there with out being mushy and sentimental. O'hara also paints a vivid picture of Wyoming and old-time ranch life. It makes me wish it was still like that, so I could visit it. This is another great book for a read aloud family time.

Although he made his audio book debut just two readings ago, stage, screen and television actor Michael Louis Wells is in full command of the metier with his narration of the classic My Friend Flicka. Many will remember the story as a film with Roddy McDowall, as a TV series or as a current film. Wells is on a par with all of the actors who have undertaken bringing this touching tale to life. The reason for the story's many incarnations is obvious - it is one of our best-loved books and well deserves its place among others that are enjoyed from generation to generation, such as Treasure Island and Mutiny on the Bounty.

Pivotal to O'Hara's story is Ken and his seeming laissez faire attitude. Where his mind is his father, Rob, certainly doesn't know. He's a young boy who would much rather just look out a window than study his arithmetic. He should have studied because his report card is so poor that he's doomed to repeat a grade. Rob undoubtedly wonders whether he'll even catch on the second time around.

Their home is Wyoming's Goose Bar Ranch and Rob is working hard to make a go of it. He doesn't need a son who seems given to daydreams. Then, along comes Flicka, a beautiful chestnut filly, with a wild streak inherited from her sire. Ken is certain he can tame Flicka, and so begins the unforgettable relationship between a boy and his horse.

O'Hara wrote a follow-up to her story, Thunderhead, but it never achieved the popularity of My Friend Flicka, a timeless story to be enjoyed over and over again.

- Gail Cooke

On the Goose Bar Ranch in Wyoming, between the World Wars, former Army captain Rob McLaughlin and his Eastern blue-blood wife, Nell, are raising two sons and an ever-growing herd of thoroughbred horses. Rob, a stern but loving father, doesn't know what to do with younger son Ken. The boy daydreams constantly, and for that reason just failed to be promoted at his boarding school. Why should Rob give small Ken a colt of his own, as he already has older son Howard, when Ken can't do anything that demonstrates he's responsible enough to be trusted? Yet a colt is what Ken wants more than anything else in the world. Until he finds out what happens to male horses when they're two years old - after which he decides he'd rather have a filly.

Not just any filly, though. Flicka, born to the half-wild mare called Rocket. Flicka is faster already than her sire, the ranch's stud horse Banner, and Ken believes he'll be able to train Rocket's "bad blood" out of the yearling. Rob thinks his son is (to use his word for it) dumb, for a lot of reasons that now include choosing this filly that Rob is sure will turn out to be just as "loco" as her dam. Untrainable, and downright dangerous to those who try to handle her.

This novel is a perfect example of the type of children's classic that, when read by adults, proves to have depths and layers its target audience never perceives. I know I read it as a young girl, and enjoyed it as both a good "horse story" and coming of age tale. But in reading it again now, I was amazed by the detailed and multi-faceted characters of Rob and Nell. Their love story is one of the most interesting I've read, because the author not only captures the tensions between these two very different people - she also captures the way that raising their children, who are (for better or worse!) a blending of those differences, affects their relationship. No wonder this book is still in print more than 60 years after it was first published. Simply wonderful!

This is a very good book. My granddaughter really enjoyed it.

I am in the middle of lstening to this book. Its detailed descriptions of ranch life and horses are quite compelling. But what surprised me was the absolutely accurate description of a boy with ADD. This book was written some two decades before attention deficit disorder gained anyone's attention, but O'Hara's descriptions of Ken's behavior are absolutely consistent.

And then O'Hara answers the question of what to do about the condition: give the kid something he really wants to do and stand back. Of course, it helps that Ken has two wise and good-hearted parents; but then, maybe that is the start to solving most problems that children have.

A fine book on many levels, and a fine companion on the road for adult and child.

The book arrived quickly, was reasonably priced, and was in great shape. My son loves Calvin and Hobbes! He really enjoyed it and I enjoyed not worrying about finding the right gift. It was the exact book described in the ad so I was sure he didn't have that one and the condition was excellent.

Thank you very much

Very funny. My son is finally reading. He is enjoying himself while learning new vocabulary.

Calvin and Hobbes is one of my favourite cartoon series, and it is one of the few which can be equally enjoyed by adults and children alike.

Bill Watterson has a M.A. in Political Science, which suggests the reason for the names of the main characters. Calvin is of course named after John Calvin, the Reformed theologian who advocated Predestination, and Thomas Hobbes, the English Political Philosopher Thomas Hobbes who argued for 'The War of all against All' in his social contract theory.

Calvin is a somewhat dysfunctional six year old who is a constant headache to his parents, babysitters, teachers, and classmates. Calvin seems to embody several classic types of rebellious children in one character. Addicted to TV, hating girls, engaging in games which destroy the family home and engaging in wonderful fantasies make many of the high points of the series, which are darkly funny and often have a deeper satirical message about our world to the adult reader. To the younger reader, they no doubt will be delighted when Calvin makes his own time machine, goes back to the dinosaur age or becomes 'Spaceman Spiff' who fights evil aliens, or the 'Get Rid of Slimy Girls' Club Calvin forms with Hobbes.

This is a delightful comic to own and enjoy, for adults and children alike.

Probably one of my favorite Calvin and Hobbes stories is about Calvin's Duplicator/Transmorgrifier/Transmorgrifier Ray. The kid's imagination is completely limitless. And, Mr. Watterson, if you're reading this review, you should make a story where Calvin has his birthday party. Five stars to ALL Calvin and Hobbes books!!!

When you get right down to it, is there anything better than Calvin & Hobbes? In this compilation or any of the others, you get lessons in quantum physics, nostalgic looks at the agony of grade school, observations in human nature, and a bit of the "thing under the bed" style horror. All this and you'll laugh yourself to the point of wetting your pants.
The Calvin & Hobbes strips are hysterical. But beyond that, they are poignant and often bittersweet, reminding us of the children we once were and of the rich fantasies that come with childhood.
Behold Calvin, utterly impish and wise-beyond-his years. His snowmen displays, at times morbid at times downright surreal, could fill a collection of its own.
Calvin fancies himself the smartest boy in the world. And who can argue with him, other than his long-suffering parents and his faithful friend Hobbes, a tiger who may or may not be real.
Hobbes is the pentultimate friend. He is Calvin's confidante and his patient ear, but he is also the first to pounce on the boy or to challenge his sordid views of the world. Together, the pair ponder the meaning of life, question the adult world, or sneak off to explore the fascinating landscapes of childhood found under dead logs or under rocks.
If I were banished to a small island with only scant supplies to get me through my days, this book would be among the items in my trunk. I have had this collection for ten years or more and I've gone through it a dozen times. I'll go through it a dozen more before it's battered to the point of unreadable.
Watterson is an absolute genius. But as you fall into the world of Calvin & Hobbes, you'll forget that they were created by a mere man at all.

How refreshing to read the beautiful stories in this book about the men on this earth who take the place of Jesus - our Roman Catholic priests! Sadly, some of our priests have fallen away from grace and although it is important that this scandal be brought to the forefront, there are also many, many wonderful, kind, compassionate priests whose stories must be told. This book does just that. It tells story after story about these wonderful holy men and how seriously they take the souls that are entrusted to them. God Bless Them and we must remember to pray for them always!

Well written and edited descriptions of encounters with priests that has helped open eyes and minds and hearts to the readers. Articles are brief and descriptive and appeal to the reader. Each little story is a book in itself and makes it hard to put the book down. You read of one story and right away want to go to the next one. Thank you, Sr. Pat Proctor, for a well done work.

i bought several copies to give as gifts to other catholics. each story is different and filled with true heart warming
acts of love and encouragement.

It's long overdue, this book of tributes to the quiet, humble and unsung heros God has called to the Catholic priesthood. God knew what He was doing when He chose these men, sometimes surprising them in the process. One hundred and one stories that affirm what most of our priests truly are, another Christ. Pick any story, and the love of the Lord for His people shines through each of these 101 priests. A book of sheer joy.

With all the scandal in the church it's easy to forget that the few priests found guilty are NOT the majority! This book reminds you that the church has so many dedicated wonderful priests that are working for the Lord and Our Lady and doing HIS will! Just a wonderful inspiring book of wonderful dedicated priests! Be not afraid! should be the secondary title as Pope John Paul II has led the way and these wonderful priests have followed...

As a Vietnam combat vet I cannot be objective about this book. As I read it, I couldn't help comparing it to my own experiences of re-integrating into civilian life following my service. As I read The Bonus Army I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the sacrifices these men and their families made, not just in war, but in the aftermath.

Paul Dickson and Thomas B. Allen set out to chronicle an event, but wound up giving us a look at how politicians deal with the pesky problem of what to do with returning veterans. One of the most shocking aspects of The Bonus Army is how quickly the same men who cheered from the grandstands as these soldiers went off to war in 1918 now wanted them washed away and forgotten.

As an American war veteran I am grateful to Dickson and Allen for writing this book. It should be read by every returning Global War On Terror (GWOT) vet. Like freedom itself, when it comes to holding government to their promises after the trumpets fade, you only get what you are willing to fight for.

I knew little about the Bonus Army, other than Patton's role in breaking up their camp in Anacostia. Little, indeed. This book brings to life a rich period of U.S. history where the nation--or parts of the nation--came together in a period of economic desperation. There are a few villians, but far more unexpected heroes of high and low station determined to see fellow American treated with dignity and respect. This is truly a wonderful read that places the veterans in the Bonus Army in the same tradition as those who kept our republic alive at Valley Forge.

In the Prologue, the authors state victorious war veterans have long vexed politicians noting that "Early in the Revolutionary war, the Continental Congress provided for both disabled veterans and the dependents of soldiers killed in battle" and that "The last surviving dependent of the Revolutionary war continued to receive benefits until 1911." The authors write "By1932, the amount paid to Civil War (Union) veterans and their survivors amounted to twice the cost of the war." After World War I, in 1924 Congress passed a law that granted the WWI veterans a bonus. However, payment of the bonus was constantly delayed. The end result was the WWI veterans formed a bonus army that marched to Washington D.C. in 1932 to lobby for the bonus. Historians have given only passing references to the bonus marches, however their significance was great and their influence continues to today.

The first half of the text gives an excellent account of the 1932 bonus march. They called themselves the Bonus Expeditionary Force (BEF), and they traveled in freight cars, state trucks, private autos, motorcycles and some even walked. They began arriving in June 1932, and upon arrival in Washington they were politically supported by the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars as well many members of Congress, principally Wright Patman. Fortunately, in 1932 the Washington Police Chief, Pelham Glassford, was a competent and fair chief who looked to the welfare of the bonus marchers. The BEF Commander-in-Chief was Walter Walters who was also competent, and was able to exercise control of the BEF that could have become a vicious mob. The major issue was by law the bonus couldn't be paid until 1945. However, by 1932 the nation was mired in the Great Depression, and many veterans desperately needed the bonus. However, the bonus exceeded the income of the government so both Presidents Hoover and Roosevelt vetoed early payment of the bonus.

The military erroneously thought the 1932 bonus veterans consisted of ex-criminals, radicals and non-servicemen and; were controlled by communists. However,Walter Waters bitterly opposed the communists. The BEF and splinter groups were encamped in Washington in vacant buildings plus 15,000 veterans and about 1,100 wives and children were camped in tents and shacks at Anacostia. Most interesting was the fact that at Anacostia and in the other camps, the color line didn't exist. The text contains several interesting personal stories. After the veterans made several attempts to secure payment of their bonus, Police Chief Glassford was told that beginning July 22 and completed by August 4, the bonus veterans had to be out of their camps; the Army now had control of the bonus armies. The army burned camp Anacostia and used tanks, bayonets and tear gas to expel the vets and their families from Washington. Two civilian casualties were attributed to Army eviction activities.

The text next covers two subsequent bonus marches on Washington in 1933 and 1934. In order to keep veterans from camping in Washington, the administration set up work camps for veterans in South Carolina and Florida. The hurricane that struck the Florida Keys on Labor Day 1935;was devastating and especially hard on the veterans in work camps on the Florida Keys. 259 veterans lost their lives. U.S. Government officials tried to cover-up the government's failure to take proper measurers to prevent lost of life maintaining it was due to "an act of God." Most interesting Ernest Hemmingway who lived on Key West wrote an excellent critique of the government's failure to take proper actions to evacuate the keys and avoid injuries and lost of life. The text provides an interesting account of this sad affair.

On January 27, 1936, Roosevelt's veto of a new bonus bill was overridden and the cash bonus finally became a reality. `The new bill differed from the earlier Patman bills in that this bill called for the issuing of bonds in $50 denominations.... that could be redeemed on June 15 or held at 3-percent interest to maturity in 1945."

With the United States entry into, World War II, Congress introduced legislation to provide benefits for the men and women in the military. By the end of 1943, 243 bills on veterans legislation were pending before Congress. Amazingly beginning on December 15, 1943, a special committee of the American Legion drafted a rough version of veteran's legislation laying the groundwork for what eventually became the GI Bill of Rights. The bill was signed by President Roosevelt on June 22, 1944 and provided six benefits: education and training; loan guaranty for a home, farm or business; unemployment pay of $29 a week for up to fifty-two weeks; job-finding assistance; top priority for building materials for VA hospitals; and military review of dishonorable discharges.

The text ends stating "Millions of Americans have since peacefully marched on Washington in support of various causes, their way paved by the veterans of 1932." This book is excellently researched, well written and hopefully will place the bonus march in its proper place in American history.

If you went to college or bought a house on the GI Bill you can thank the Bonus Army, a ragtag group of WW I vets who converged on Washington, DC in 1932 demanding payment of their dollar a day bonus promised to them after years of political wrangling. They were called communists, criminals and freeloaders by the president and members of congress during the worst years of the depression. President Hoover used US troops commanded by General Douglas MacArthur to drive them out of the city and the American voters were so outraged the incident helped carry FDR to the White House that fall. It would still be several years before the bonus was paid but the saga of the bonus army paved the way for the GI Bill of Rights and provided a model for every mass protest held in the capital since.
Dickson and Allen provide a stirring narrative with an all star cast that includes Herbert Hoover, George Patton, Douglas MacArthur, Andrew Mellon, Dwight Eisenhower and J Edgar Hoover.
The Bonus Army has faded from view over time and this worthy book brings an important era in or history back into focus.

Allen and Dickson have written a very compelling book on the history of the Bonus Army, veterans from World War I who converged on Washington in 1932 and subsequent years to demand their promised payment known as the "bonus". The authors give us a good background as to who some of these veterans were, what conditions were like in the country during the years of the First World War and the next two decades after that, who some of the major players were in the debates and issues concerning the Bonus Army and their time in the nation's capital, and lastly how our nation would treat veterans of future wars.

This book details some of the men who made up the bonus army and where they came from in their move towards the nation's capital, with special emphasis on Walter Waters and his group of men from Portland and their journey eastwards. In addition to these Bonus marchers we learn of Pelham Glassford, the Washington D.C. Police Chief who oversaw the gathering veterans, citizens and groups who gave aid to the veterans on their journey to Washington and while they stayed in the city, politicians like Representative Wright Patman who became a leading advocate for the veterans in the halls of Congress, and of course other political and military figures who would play crucial roles in the issues and events surrounding the Bonus Army.

We also learn of how America perceived these veterans as they marched towards Washington and during their stay there. One of the constant worries of some in power at the time, those in the Hoover Administration, the Congress, and the military was the threat of communism, i.e. the Red Scare. Some believed many of these veterans weren't real veterans, believing many had criminal backgrounds and held communist views who wanted nothing less than to incite violence in the nation's capitol or even overthrow the U.S. Government. These worries were vastly over exaggerated as there were very few communists in this group of veterans, and those that were had little or no influence. These were loyal Americans who had fallen on hard times and needed and deserved some help from their government.

The events of the end of July 1932 have garnered the most attention and left the most indelible impressions on the minds of those who have any knowledge of the Bonus Army. This was when the military was called out to disperse the veterans who had encamped in vacant city buildings as well as the larger concentration of veterans who had gathered at sites like Camp Marks on the Anacostia River.The use of force to disperse the Bonus marchers became a damaging symbol that left a stain on the Hoover Administration as well as the reputation of Gen. Douglas MacArthur who had led the effort to rid the city of these veterans. The authors of this book are fair in spreading blame and correcting some myths that had developed after these events, for example there were not upwards of 100 casualties in this event, which is detailed in one of the appendices at the end of the book.

Even FDR did not support the bonus payment, but his veto was overridden by both houses of Congress in 1936, thus the bonus became a reality. But the real accomplishment, as the authors mentioned, was the piece of legislation known as the GI Bill passed in 1944, helping veterans from the Second World War to secure the needed and well-deserved assistance from the federal government to help them fit back into civilian life. As the authors believe, the Bonus Army of 1932 and those that followed had led the way in securing even greater promises for future veterans who deserved and still deserve the thanks from a grateful nation. Allen and Dickson are to be commended for writing this compelling and important book on an often all too summarized period in American history.

Brandon Mull has become one of my favorite authors in just a few short months. I picked up the first book at the end of the school year at the book fair where I teach and have been anxiously working my way through the series and am looking forward to the next.

Mull takes you to very real places with his exotic twists for a magical adventure and its all about kids and how they learn to cope with adult responsibility. To put such a learning tool in ones writing is a gift. Thank You for writing Fablehaven.

If you liked the original, the second and third books in the Fablehaven series go hand in hand. In this one, Fablehaven is again under threat of being completely overthrown by the Society of the Evening Star. A mysterious plague has started turning both creatures and caretakers alike into shadows, and Kendra and Seth have to race to marshal the few remaining good creatures (and a time-traveling former caretaker) in an assault on a demon stronghold.

I loved the other books in this series but this one beats the others out by far. Brandon Mull knows how to keep a reader caught up in the book. It was hard to put down and now I can't wait for the next installment.

For what it is, this book is excellent. However, if you're looking for a fantasy novel that's more adult, this probably shoudln't be your first choice. Mull's focus tends towards younger children(or so it seems from reading his books), which by no means is a bad thing I might add. The books in this series are definitely accumulating what I would term 'adultness,' however they are far from something along the lines of Sword of Truth, or Lord of the Rings.

Regardless of all of this though, the books remain an extremely enjoyable read, and I would recommend them to anyone who wants something to read that isn't overly complex or to somehow who just wants a quick read of a good book.

Brandon Mull is getting hotter
With books as long as Harry Potter
This one goes four seventy seven
For kids above ten or eleven

There's danger lurking everywhere
Friend or foe is now unclear
With darkness taking over light
And fewer folk to lead the fight

A plague of shadows spreads its wings
O'er Nipsies and all other things
There's no time left for talk or tact
Just find the missing artifact

Fantastic creatures, deadly foes
Centaurs with arrows and bows
See them change before your eyes
The dark forces are on the rise

Knight of Dawn or Evening Star
No one knows which one you are
Or is it what everyone thinks?
Can the traitor be the Sphinx?

Vanessa's in the Quiet Box
Dare they open up the locks?
Oh, the secrets she could tell
If released from her private hell

New characters and distant places
Returning long forgotten faces
Battle lines are drawn and crossed
Could it be Fablehaven's lost?

Before you end up all bemused
Read one and two, you'll be enthused
This is the best, book three of five
What next will Brandon Mull contrive?

I want to see this on the screen
Drinking in each thrilling scene
Surround sound and soundly cast
From Fablehaven to the last



Amanda Richards, June 29, 2008



Rise of the Evening Star (Fablehaven)

I found this to be a wonderful piece of work and have lent it to several friends who were diagnosed with cancer. Monsignoir Velo's reading was very delightful and I give him a lot of credit for being able to read his good friend's memoires.

Beautifully written. As Cardinal Bernardin reflects on the last three years of his life, he shares the importance of embracing prayer, family, suffering, beauty, reconciliation, pain, and forgiveness in order to appreciate and completely enter into the fullness of peace.

For anyone who feels lost or alone in life or frustrated, angry, or scared at the thought of facing death, I recommend this book. Love and peace pour out of the pages as the author shares his life experiences, struggles, and genuine concern for others. He shared his love with countless people he encountered in his life, and his love continues to be shared after his death to any reader who has the opportunity to read this book.

The book is quite short (can easily be read in one sitting) and is incredibly focused and well organized. The book title, chapter titles, and introductory letter are handwritten by the author and really add genuineness to the book. Highly recommended.

Joseph Cardinal Bernardin made a very large impact on the City of Chicago. A simple, humble, very human being, he was greatly loved by all Chicagoans. At the end of his life, two huge events impacted his life, being falsely charged with sexual molestation by a young man, and learning that his life was soon to end as the victim of cancer. This book is a moving, eloquent statement of how he dealt with these and how his faith in God was tested and ultimately made rock solid. It is an inspiration to all who who are faced with burdens beyond their strength.

I have purchased this book several times and recommended it on numerous other occasions. I bought it first for myself, and on the other occasions for friends, family members and acquaintances who were dealing with serious illness and end of life issues. The feedback received from each recipient has been very positive. Cardinal Bernardin leads the reader through his last days of life as he deals in a very graceful and touching way with terminal cancer, life's issues and personal spirituality. It's not long until the reader feels he or she is walking the journey with a close friend. Through his experinece, Cardinal Bernardin helps the reader deal with his or her own mortality in a peaceful way. He is still ministering to us. I highly recommend this book for all those dealing with illness, family members, ministers, and healthcare professionals. Incidently, You don't have to be Catholic to fully appreciate this book.

Those of us losing our eyesight and who love to read often turn to the audiobook. It is like having a wonderful text read to us at bedtime as we listen on levels spiritual and psychological unreached by silent reading. Please notice the audiobook of this present precious text of peace is read by a Monsignor, a close coworker of this blessed Cardinal.

The false accusations of abuse made against this great American Cardinal were quickly cleared up, and this slim volume insightfully and clearly records that process and the holy process of reconciliation with his false accuser, in a lesson for us of peace and reconciliation and of forgiveness of those who most completely destroy us. The Cardinal truly lives and demonstrates for us the promise we make each time we pray the Our Father. Forgive us in the same way that we forgive those who have trespassed against us. Forgive us with the same forgiveness we show others. Just as we must do unto others what we want others to do for us, JEsus also calls us actively to forgive others in the same way we want the Father to forgive us. This saintly and courageous Cardinal Forgave the disturbed young man who falsley accused him of abuse, and this book well displays the process, that we might also learn to forgive, in the Love of God, in our interpersonal relationships and national policies.

How many times must we forgive, o Lord. Not seven but seventy times seven.

We need in our national Catholic Church this voice now more than ever. Read this book and weep and become renewed in our Gospel mission to love and to forgive and to spread the good news to the poor and liberation to the captives. Sight to the Blind. In this time of unjust war and overwhelming violence, we need to hear this book.

Yet some Catholics for political reasons continue to condemn this saintly man (while silent on Cardinal Law), eagerly assuming the accusations true, or some association with others similarly accused, in order not to hear the exhortation by this great Cardinal that the right to life does not end at birth, but at a natural and God given death. The right to life must be supported at every point in our life and in every aspect of life. This great CArdinal elaborated for our edification the seamless garment explanation of the right to life.

Womb to tomb.

Please read this book.

I must rush to Mass now, and I bring this book with me to help my confused prayer. I thank God this great and holy and courageous Cardinal left us this Gift of Peace in the weeks before his untimely death. As head of the USCCB at the time of the crafting of the prophetic letter The Challenge of Peace, his courageous voice is needed now more than ever. Yet we have this, his abiding Gift of Peace, and that strong letter for peace. Take and read.

Pray for peace. Receive this Gift of Peace.