C Books

The writing in this book may well be described as a cross between PG Wodehouse and Evelyn Waugh. If you enjoy those authors you will enjoy Saki.

Hector Hugh Munro, who used the pen name Saki, is, along with Guy de Maupassant, O. Henry and Anton Chekhov, one of the most best writers of short stories in literature. This collection is well worth reading. I rate it at four stars because compared to the other aforementioned writers it has too narrow a focus. Saki's stories are almost unfailingly humorous and concerned with the foibles of upper middle class British society in the period from about 1890 until 1915. In this sense they lack the variety of O. Henry, the poignancy of Maupassant and the scope and harsh reality of Chekhov. The humor is also very, very British. This evaluation may be a bit unfair especially since all the other reviewers have given it 5 stars.

Having said all that, the stories are still very enjoyable and a delight to read. Many of the stories are about cynical young men, children behaving badly and often involve animals. Some are quite clever and funny in any culture. Most of them are quite short--three or four pages--and thus can be read in a brief period. One can read them while eating a meal, when riding on a bus or train, or in any situation where you have a few minutes to spare.

The book is divided into six parts, but this division is largely artificial and without real meaning. The first part (Reginald) deals with the affairs of a young man of that name. Reginald is a young man given to making sharp repartees to disrupt dinner parties. For example in the first story, which bears his name, he asks guests to their utter confusion, "What did the Caspian see?" In Reginald On Besetting Sins we find, "the cook was a good cook as cooks go; and as cooks go she went."

Part three, The Chronicles of Clovis, deals for the most part with another young man, the irrepressible Clovis, a seventeen-year-old scamp. Here we find perhaps Saki's most famous story, The Unrest Cure. Clovis is riding on a train when he overhears a man saying how boring his life is. Noting the man's address Clovis vows to make it less so. Upon arriving home the man receives a telegram saying that the bishop is coming to his house and his secretary will arrive shortly to make the arrangements. The secretary, Clovis of course, soon arrives and begins disrupting the life of the household. He informs the man that the bishop has arrived and is in the library and that the real purpose of the bishop's visit is to kill all the Jews in the town! The man is horrified and proposes to leave to get the police but Clovis tells him that the house is surrounded by people (including boy scouts!) with orders to kill anyone attempting to leave. Shortly thereafter local Jews began to show up in response to telegrams sent to them by Clovis. Chaos abounds and the man's boredom is definitely cured.

Saki's descriptions of people get right to the point: "He has delightful hair and a weak mouth. I shall take him with me to Homborg (sic) or Cairo." He describes a corpulent musician getting up from a nap thusly: "the musician's flabby redundant figure sat up in bewildered semi-consciousness like an ice cream that had been taught to beg." Then there is this description of the Salvation Army: " It was quite interesting to be at close quarters with them, they're so absolutely different to what they used to be when I first remembered them in the eighties. They used to go about unkempt and disheveled, in a sort of smiling rage with the world, and now they're spruce and jaunty and flamboyantly decorative, like a geranium bed with religious convictions."

Some of the better stories include The Lull about a politician who takes a respite from campaigning with the help of a precocious little girl; Dusk, a story about the dangers of believing people who ask you for money; The Story Teller, in which a man on a train tells a story to some children that they will never forget; Forewarned, in which a young woman who has been living isolated in a rural area all her life suddenly goes to visit in the city and finds the politics too much for her sensibilities; and Hyacinth, in which a small boy by that name disrupts an election.

The best story in my opinion is the one that isn't funny. The Image of the Lost Soul tells of a church statue (the Lost Soul) and a small bird who become friends. But there friendship proves fleeting and the church bell rings out the moral--"after joy comes sorrow." The last few stories are about war (Saki served in WW I and was killed by a sniper in 1916) and tend to be more reflective.

All in all these stories should not be missed.

For a perfect summer read try picking up an old favorite... this collection of the work of Saki (real name: Hector Hugh Munro) includes over 130 short stories, three novels and three plays and sports an introduction by Noel Coward. Though written 100 years ago, this vast body of work is amazingly fresh and contemporary. Many of the stories are under four pages long, but they manage to paint amusing pictures of the privileged class as seen through the eyes of an obviously gay, brilliant and somewhat bored young man who uses a sharp knife to pry up the upper crust and expose what's beneath. Sample the stories - his work is available on line - [.........]

Saki is the consummate stylist and chronicler of a stuffy Victorian England nearing the end of its reign and world dominance. He savors the comedy of manners with all its many class-based restrictions and inbred peculiarities and finds ways to highlight--through ironic twists of fate--the inherent and underlying pathos of a people so stuck on themselves they frequently are tripped up on their own vanities.Therein lies the "beauty" of a Saki short story: he fleshes out the quirks and peccadillos of human nature--its pomp and its farcical facets--and we come away the better (and ennobled) for it. If it's a Saki story--there's subtle mirth and magical missteps awaiting the reader.One wonders what great additions to his rather slim body of work there would've been had he not perished--fighting in the war that was supposed to end all war: World War I.... A man of "privilege" who purposely sought no special dispensation during the vicissitudes of warfare when mustard gas hung ominously in the air and men were often taken by disease sooner than they were by enemy fire. A short life it was for the "old boy," H.H. Munro...one that lives on in his brilliant body of work....Well-told tales that will live on as long as questing readers come calling at the "House of Saki."

Saki (H.H. Munro) writes with a facility and style that guides the reader unerringly to the surprise denouement in which propriety is set on its head. His bitingly clever turns of phrase are made bearable by his eagerness to challenge and thwart the norms of society.

The 5 star reviews are right-on. When I first read "Crazy Horse" six years ago, I ranked it as one of my two favorite books ("Grapes of Wrath" being the other). One hundred books later and it still retains that ranking in my list, along with Grapes and, now, Katz's "Battleground" (a bullet-proof presentation of Jewish claims to Eretz Israel) and Fischer's "Paul Revere's Ride" (which brings that event to life brilliantly). Sandoz writes and retells magnificently. This is a great book.

I had never read Mari Sandoz so I can't compare this to her other books. The writing style is unique and pleasant. It is a very interesting, and unfortunately sad story about Indian life on the great plains. The book seems very well researched and therefore more interesting to read since it is about history. The Indians suffered strategically from a lack of organization, but their whole life style was about independence and in fact a much more pure form of democracy in selecting and de-selecting their leaders. In reading the story with regard to the lies and deceipt of the white men it reminded me that world politics and war is no different today than then. Crazy Horse had attributes that leaders should aspire to, he wanted to help his people and he was not vain about himself as leader. In the end he was tricked into surrender by his own people.

I thought it was one of the best books of Indian life and history that I have read.

The strange man of the Lakotas made very little contact with the "white man" and remains a mysterious character of native American culture. Not much is known about him, his birth, his death, his burial.

Sandoz attempts to document as much history is known about this man, and she puts it in the form of a novel. It is easy to read and entertaining. Yet it includes historical facts, events and characters. While it is difficult to pen a biography about someone who so little is known about, Sandoz documents all that is known about him in this book. Many of the facts were taken from interviews with people who knew him and lived with him. Those people are all long gone. The only comprehensive memory of Crazy Horse is this book.

Little is known about Crazy Horse in comparison to other legendary chiefs, warriors and heroes due to the quiet-spoken and solitude-seeking nature he possessed. Indeed, Crazy Horse was considered "strange" due to standing true to his ideals and who he really was, instead of the conventional ways of others no matter how traditional. Born of lighter hair and skin, young Curly stood out as different from the beginning of his days. Most humble and purely strong and good-hearted, Crazy Horse grew to be the truest and most brilliant leader of the Lakotas. Self-sacrificing even to the bitter end, Crazy Horse earned his place of honor as a hero to be respected.

Combining interview information of Eleanor Hinman with survivors who knew Crazy Horse, with Mari Sandoz's meticulous research, gives "Crazy Horse: The Strange Man of The Oglalas" clout in accuracy of detail and fact in the day and time of Crazy Horse. I very highly recommend this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and couldn't recommend it more. If you are a Native American history buff, or have any interest at all in the so-called Indian wars of the Great Plains, this book is a must-read. It is written in the vernacular of a Native American who speaks English tolerably well, and I believe this adds a great deal of character to the writing. The story of Crazy Horse's life is a sad one filled with the mistrust and back-stabbing deeds of his own people, along with the well known deeds committed by the American settlers and soldiers. Crazy Horse's ultimate downfall was aided by the restraining hands of his own people, as foretold by his vision. A sad ending to his life indeed, but Sandoz's re-telling provides a fascinating work of history. One word of advice to the reader: A much better understanding of the events that occur in this book can be had by "pre-reading" a good, concise history such as Indian Wars by Utley and Washburn.

This is the third copy of this book that I have purchased for relatives affected by prostate cancer. All have praised it as an invaluable guide to their own treatment, as it allowed them to participate in their own care and decision making.

This is definitely a great source of information about prostate cancer and how to modify diet to minimize the effects of the malady. This basic approach should be common knowledge, perhaps more widely taught in schools, for all men around the world, of all ages, but unfortunately it is not. What I find most interesting is the various foods that can shrink prostate cancer cells, and should therefore be consumed regularly, such as broccoli, tomato paste, watermelon, and soy, and also foods that feed or cause growth in those cells, and therefore should be avoided, such as red meat and dairy fats. Although I have not finished the book, it is rapidly affecting my personal food preferences. I don't know for certain if I am accomplishing what I intend, but I get a pretty good sense of optimism from reading this book.

Dr Walsh's book is a must read for the older American male. Well written and quite detailed, it is easily understood by senior men regardless of their educational background. Reading this book should be recommended by primary care physicians to patients with an abnormal PSA who are referred for an urological consultation.

By the time you are purchasing this book you probably are on your way to having a biopsy or, more likely, have received the report and its not good news....This book is the most comprehensive of all that I've looked at since my own biopsy, though one warning is to keep in mind that surgical techniques have still improved even further since the book went to press a couple years ago....The stress on incontinence after the radical prostatectomy may be overwrought -- or at least I became overwrought with anxiety until I actually spoke with several men who have had the procedure (robotic surgery) in recent months. Compared with those who shared their stories with me who had surgery four to seven years ago, it seems like night and day. So maybe talk to a few folks before reading this book, or else you are likely to despair more than you need to. Very well written, filled with all the detailed information you'll want to know.

Excellent book. It contains everything a man needs to know. This cancer is beatable but each of us needs to take a couple of basic steps to protect us from this desease. It calms the person who is undergoing a removal of the prostate. It need not be life-threatening. Yes it will be painful and bothersome but nothing a man cannot withstand.

It is true that great things come in small packages. The words of wisdom in this book are worh their weight in everything that you could ever want for yourself.

Serendipity drew me to this powerfully poetic and unadulterated book back in the 80s and I've read it at least once a year since that time. It was the answer to a prayer then and it has provided me with answers to countless prayers since. I simply can't imagine navigating life without this treasured guide to life. Do yourself a favor: don't just read it - Trust it. "Some things have to be believed to be seen."

Don't lose this Key: use it!

This book is as close to a perfectly written book as I have ever read. This book is an exquisite and wonderful gift to any human being. You are doing yourself a great favor by reading this book.

I like this chestnut from the good ol' days of self-help advice. The "secret" before infomercials and toll free numbers. Pleasantly repetitive. These days the self-help gurus are flying around having seminars, living in mansions, making guest shots on Oprah. In the 1950s Venus Bloodworth lived quietly in Georgia with a psychiatric practice and occasionally taught lessons to women confined in a nearby state prison. Good one for a night stand in a guest room. Maybe your lost teenager will pick it up.

This book is a metaphysical classic written for the beginner and the advanced student alike. The beginner is given a clear outline of tools and practices that focus their energies in specific, soul-enhancing directions. The advanced student is reminded of the basics that enticed them into a deeper exploration of the underlying principles that govern the visible domain. We're never too advanced to revisit the basics, and our life is never so far off course as to be beyond the help of such a solid presentation of spiritual principles.

J Douglas Bottorff, author of The Whisper of Pialigos

This is the most Catholic and scholarly biography of Padre Pio to date. Yes, the author on one or two occasions gives some personal reflections of his own from a Protestant perspective. But the other 99% of the book is a thorough and unbiased account of Padre Pio's life, using only verifiable facts, with references and footnotes. The strength of this biography is that it is not sensational like other biographies of Padre Pio. His life is dramatic enough; it does not need to be stylized and watered down to a human level. The facts of his life stand on their own.

I've read several books about Padre Pio and was somewhat skeptical about this one because the author is a Lutheran minister. Perhaps that's why C. Bernard Ruffin took such pains to provide a well-documented and balanced approach to the tale of this great saint. Other books, written by Catholics, failed to tell the whole story of the Church's persecution of Pio. Ruffin lays it all out and it is astonishing! Pio's detractors were priests who were jealous of him and an archbishop who had a history of rewarding priests convicted of child molestation, selling church artifacts for personal profit, and questionable sex practices. When the truth was finally revealed, punishment was light. The archbishop was allowed to retire early with all benefits and a few wrists were slapped. But if Padre Pio had had his way they would have been forgiven totally.
No matter how badly he suffered through this time, he never said anything to harm his "Mother Church" and he remained in complete obedience to Church authority. In fact he would be sad that I am pointing out the character of his detractors. Sorry, Padre.
All in all this is a book I couldn't put down. Several pages of photos, including one of his parents, makes the book a good read.

I just finished reading this book. Most of it was very well done, but the author who is non-Catholic had a bad habit of inserting irrelevant material relating to Martin Luther and other Protestant luminaries in order somehow to bridge the chasm between the holiness of St. Padre Pio and the religious experience of these other individuals. It all has the smell of an ecumenistic work, a suspicion given added weight by the liberal nature of the publishing company. St. Padre Pio was a great saint for modern times. Like all saints he loved all humanity, but his personal love for souls did not, in any way, include acceptance of the errors they espouse. It is inexplicable that this author, who apparently believes what he has written about the saint, did not at the end adjure the errors of Lutheranism and enter the Catholic fold.

This is possibly the best book currently on the life of St. Padre Pio. It is very well researched and well written that you honestly get a true glimpse of the man in my opinion.

The book was written by a non-Catholic which can dispel some people's fears that the book is a fanatical work to boost the Padre Pio simply because of his faith.

After reading this book there is little way anyone can doubt the amazing activities which took place around this man. Jesus was surely using St. Padre Pio.

I highly recommend this book for religious and causal readers alike.

I thoroughly enjoyed this very delightful and inspiratonal book. It was really very well written and I would recommend it to any reader interested in knowing about the saintly soul Padre Pio. I was not able to put the book down once I started reading it.I highly recommend it to any reader interested in knowing about a Christ-like man of the 20th century.

Pass on this one. Monticello itself takes a back seat to the Levy saga of buying the estate.

Saving Monticello by Marc Leepson is a definitive history of the fate of Thomas Jefferson's home from the time of Jefferson's death in 1826 at the age of 83, to 1923, when the home was purchased and turned into a memorial and destination for visitors.

Thomas Jefferson's Monticello is perhaps the most elegant and unique home in America. What happened to the marvelous home is a fascinating story that Leepson tells in ground-breaking depth. In his old age, Jefferson found himself about $100,000 in debt (some $1.6 million in today's dollars), mostly due to overspending over a period of many years. Tragically, Jefferson lived long enough to realize that his business mistakes were going to result in the loss of his beloved mansion, and that his daughter and grandchildren would be left destitute. Even while Jefferson still lived, Monticello began to fall into disrepair.

After the old man died, the house sat neglected for a number of years until it purchased by a most unusual man: Commodore Uriah Levy of the United States Navy. A New Yorker and proud descendant of Spanish Jews, Levy lived in the house only part-time, but did much to preserve the home from ruin. He lost possession of the home when Monticello was confiscated by the Confederate government due to Levy's active-duty service in the U.S. Navy.

It was during this time that Monticello entered its darkest period. Levy died during the war, leaving a complicated will. That and the Confederate seizure led to a clouded title and a lawsuit. For some seventeen years, the property was not only neglected, but openly abused. A trustee in Charlottesville, hostile to the Levys because they were Jewish and Yankees, hired a slovenly caretaker who stored grain in the parlor and allowed students from the University of Virginia to wreck the place in drunken parties. By the time Jefferson Levy, a nephew of Uriah, took possession of the house in 1879, Monticello looked like a haunted house.

Leepson's account of Jefferson Levy's restoration of the mansion gets a little tedious at times, but that's a forgivable sin in a book that aims to be the last word on a topic that's received very little attention. The struggle between Levy and those who wished to make Monticello a shrine lasted for decades and involved unsavory levels of anti-Semitism and gender politics. Eventually, Levy fell on hard times and sold the place to the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation which continues to own and operate Monticello today.

It's interesting to realize what a close thing it really was to losing Monticello altogether. Although the Levys weren't cuddly or lovable characters, it was they who stood between Monticello and ruin for years in which other Americans could not have cared less what happened to the place. Thanks to Saving Monticello, the saga of the Levy years at Monticello can now be known and fully understood. This book will be of great interest to anyone interested in Monticello or in historic preservation in America.

This is a great book. A saga that is more than the story of how Monitcello was passed on through the years, but rather, a reflection of broader political and social history from the 1830s to the 1920s. Very detailed; interesting facts; some surprises; and as one editorial review has noted "rich with memorable, larger-than-life characters." If any serious Hollywood producer happens to be reading, the book offers a terrific story that could be made into a movie. I can't wait to read Marc Leepson's next book.

I highly recommend Marc Leepson's book 'Saving Monticello' because it gives credit to the Levy family without whose help and stewardship Monticello may have been erased forever.
His detail and insight of story serve to hold the reader's interest of not only Thomas Jefferson, but of the history of the time. Mr. Leepson very patiently educates us about the Levy family and their unwavering loyalty to Monticello. I had often wondered what had happened to Monticello during the years after Jefferson's death until the Memorial Foundation took it over and now is supplied to us a fascinating history, a thread which we must all be tempted to follow and remember as part of our own history. I cannot imagine looking at Monticello in the same way as I did before I read Mr. Leepson's, "Saving Monticello".

I have just finished reading "Saving Monticello" and want to say just how much I enjoyed it. I am a long-time fan of Jefferson and particularly his architectural endeavors (the subject of my master's thesis) so I go out of my way to find new items on the subject. It was great to learn about those "lost years" of Monticello that up until now have barely been touched on and I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in American history. The author has clearly delineated what a tenuous hold we sometimes have on important landmarks and how easily they can be lost to future generations if we are not careful.

I think this is the best book written on the topic of third culture kids. The book is insightful and answers questions that are just under the surface for both kids and those who love them.

This book discusses emotional and identity development of children growing up in foreign countries and re-entry issues. This is an excellent book for those who have lived abroad during the developmental years 0 - 18 and for parents. A must read!

This book was recommended to us and I would recommend it to anyone living outside their own culture with kids. The information is very valuable to helping children adjust and understanding how growing up outside their culture will affect them.

If you have lived in a country other than the country your parent(s) are from for a significant period of time as a child and then had to move back (or to another, very different place)...this book is for you. Like many other tck's, I have always felt out of place and just thought I was different or weird. I could never understand why my parents never had the same sentiments. Now I understand that the way I feel is a normal outcome of the way of life I had as a child. This book is also a great reference to those serving in the military with children, moving constantly both within the US and around the world. It puts the missing link in place and explains the complex emotions that child tck's experience as adults. It all makes sense now, and I can even understand why I married a Frenchman and why we're planning on moving back to Europe!

Being a child living in between a passport culture and another culture which one is daily relating to, needs not be a negative experience. There are certainly some unique issues for such cross cultural dwellers but with good preparation, communication, support systems, family functionality, the life of TCKs can be incredibly hopeful and beneficial.

Pollock and Van Reken have created a very readable and enjoyable account of the lives of a third culture kids. Clearly they have much knowledge and exposure to TCKs and have pulled together their many thoughts and reflections to give us the full picture of such an experience.
The book is both practical and insightful with many lists and suggestions for families. The personal vignettes and testimonies make the explanations more real. Though, it would have been more helpful to have more background information about the testimonies to place in proper context.
I appreciate the attitude of the book that there are challenges as well as great benefits and the choice lies with individuals to take responsibility for their own actions. Often reactions to life reside inside themselves rather than in outside events and situations. (p.181)
The book paints a nice picture of the TCK's family and experience but it gives very little guidance in actually helping and counseling such kids who may not have positive outcomes from their time abroad. It would be valuable to have a second volume of specific counseling techniques, interventions, and therapy guidelines to better serve TCKs and ATCKs who struggle from a less than ideal experience.

Unlike the earlier Fulghum books I've read, this one isn't really a collection of Fulghum's writings, but instead is a collection of stories that were sent or told to him. Fulghum's role here is more as an editor, presenting other people's stories. But what stories! These stories demonstrate the vast diversity of love, and show us that love can take as many forms as there are different people. Some of these stories are sad, others poignant, and many are incredibly romantic. Scattered in between these stories are comments by Fulghum, under the heading "Perspective," where he discusses his impressions of the stories or relates stories of his own. This book is easily as reflective as any of his earlier work, but has fewer "laugh out loud" moments. It provides some interesting perspectives on relationships, and certainly is a must read for anyone who consideres themself to be a romantic.

This is a brilliant little book about how the love bug can strike each and every one of us in unique ways. It's an easy read that can be digested not just by the scholar but by the common man. It's a hopeful book. More books like this should be written.

Jeffrey McAndrew
author of "Our Brown-Eyed Boy"

Of course you'll love this book because it's a true reflection of so many facets of romantic love. And I also personally love it because I wrote the story in it about Danny O'Neal. I don't remember the title of the story, but I'll never forget my accurate description of Danny "He was like Peter O'Toole with a double dose of testorone and a Tommy Lee Jones smile." (:sweet memory and sigh here.:)

I want to make one correction that made a few people from Oklahoma and Arkansas upset. I signed it as Lilly from Fort Smith, Oklahoma. There is a Fort Smith, Arkansas about 5 miles from the Oklahoma line. I did that in a foolish attempt to make sure Danny knew it was really me because Fort Smith, OK was a joke between us. I wrote my story in about 1991. 16 years later - Danny O'Neal remains the most fascinating, thrilling romantic memory of my life.

And, also since I still haven't heard from Danny in all these years, I'm hoping if he ever googles his name, this review will come up. Please forgive me.... but at the very least I want him to know how much he delighted me and that story ws no doubt only chosen because of how wonderful he was to me. :D

Wishing magnificent, thrilling love to one and all,

Lollie aka Lilly.

This book looks at love from all the angles possible. Its an amazing reading. I would recommend it for all those with romantic soul.
Lucia Racekova
visual merchandiser

It's a keeper on my "good book" shelf, hardback with a bookplate, the whole nine-yards. What I love is his selection and the understanding gained that love means different things to different people and (most importantly) at different times in their life. That lesson has helped me cope with troublesom relationships. I loved them for a reason at the time and that time and that reason fulfilled my need. It was enough. That is what I learned.
I don't rate this book up with Fulghums' previous books mostly because it is a compilation with commentary and not pure, chapter after chapter Fulghum. That may seem like a technicality, but it made all the difference for me. It still has the same wit and charm of any of his other books.
I found it difficult to sit down and get through the whole thing and feel "absorbed". It's the kind of book that you can read a few stories, put it down and come back to as you feel the need. I really couldn't read it straight through. I attribute that to the nature of it though, and not to Fulghums' writing.

Powerful, moving, honest. The best kind of writing is the kind that comes straight from the heart. You can feel the anger, pain and love flow over the pages. A story that takes you inside the heart of one who lost so much on that day and fought so hard to get to the truth of what happened and what culpability level of our government. Gripping, hard to put down, you know you should just read it. You won't regret it.

In "Wake Up Call", Kristin Breitweiser offers poignant, first-hand insight into the grave inadequecies, corrosive power struggles and chilling lack of democracy of our pre-9/11 government, as well as a piercing account of the blatant failures, deception, and exploitation of the Bush administration afterwards. Beautifully written with a generous, sensitive depiction of her personal life both before and after she lost her husband in the Tower 2 calamity (which she witnessed first-hand), Mrs. Breitweiser's thorough depiction of a country still frighteningly vulnerable to Al Quaida and other terrorists will make any reader sit up and take serious notice. The tenacity and determination of "The Jersey Girls" in the face of unspeakable personal tragedy and their ability to take on the enormous flaws of the Bush administration is an inspiration to all of us.

Although the author tends to be repetitive and her alternative energy source argument would bear much more weight if she were to drive something other than a huge SUV, this book is a must for every American citizen. It could easily become an important Political Science college textbook if it hasn't already.

K.V.D. San Jose, California

This lady is certainly to be commended for maintaining her stamina to accomplish what she did with so many things going wrong. Anyone who has the disgusting attribute to slam these ladies when they were working for others as well as themselves needs to sit down in front of a mirror. There are so many reasons and more all the time actually that there should be another REAL investigation into the whole terrible tragedy of 9-11. I fully agree with them and applaud all they have done and are still trying to do. They say "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" and "God doesn't give you anything you can't handle" and I guess that would seem to be true in this case, however, as I know from my own life, no matter what kind of battle you are fighting it does take its toll on one's body. Good going to all you ladies who participated in this and what a wonderful book that was. Well written to the point I could hardly lay it down!

Kristen Breitweiser gives us a compelling view of our government through the eyes of an average citizen. She takes us on a journey thorough her life with her husband before 9/11, through that awful day and then through the aftermath. Kristen and other 9/11 widows have been fighting for truth and accountability for the attacks since that tragic day and have had to overcome hurdles every step of the way. Kristen's strength and determination is inspiring.

I usually don't go in for biographies and I believe all the attention on 9/11 has been a distraction ... that being said, this booked really rocked me. The author is completely "real" and human. Within a few minutes you are identifying with her life and her hopes and dreams. When the tragic death of her husband and thousands of others occurs, you feel her shock and pain.
This book points out why 9/11 is important. Not only do we need to come to grips with people in the world who want to do harm to Americans - we need to come to grips with a government that utterly failed Kristen, the other 9/11 survivors and victims, and all of us as citizens.
The book is riveting and revealing. I encourage anyone who cares about our country to read this book!

This is a superb introduction to ancient warfare and can serve as a springboard for further studies in ancient history. The artwork depicting the uniforms of various armies of that time is well done and the narratives, diagrams of battles are really helpful and informative.

Loved the book. The sketches and battle tactics illustrated made them come alive for me. Gave me a much better insight into the whole thing. And the delivery was fast, even with free shipping.

As I researched the equipment and modes of Greek warfare while writing the historical novel "Maccabee," I consulted numerous excellent sources, but John Warry's book was without a doubt the best. It became my virtual bible for the staging of the battle sequences between the Jews in the Maccabean Revolt and their Syrian enemies who employed the Greek methods that had worked so well for Alexander the Great. Warry's explanations of military techniques in their historical context as well as the wealth of illustrations makes this a valuable resource for anyone interested in ancient warfare.

This is an excellent introduction to ancient warfare. It is lavishly illustrated, and provides excellent diagrams to support some of the concepts such as how a phalanx of Greek infantry manoevered and then moved into combat. The book covers the technology of the times, but also looks at tactics and gives an overview of the politics that lead to the various conflicts. I would higly recommend this book for beginners in the field of ancient warfare such as myself. My only reservation, is that while the primarary authorities are extensively referenced in the text, I would have liked to see a bibliography (although the glossary is great too!) Highly recommended for beginners or those with a general interest in the topic.

I just got this for my son and I ended up reading it first. I am sure during this X'Mas both of us will want to fight for the book. The pictures and the drawings are of the highest qualities. I love the descriptions of major wars. I just wish that the author has given it more explanation of the drawings for the major battles like adding more legends. Also, it is kind of hard to read/understand the numbers and types of soldiers for both sides on the battlefield. But all in all, this is a great book that I suspect I will read and re-read many times.