California Books

I visited the Salton Sea to photograph birds and found it impossible to describe, telling friends they had to go there themselves to experience the place and the people. Now I tell them to read this book. From the creation of the Sea to the creation of Salvation Mountain, deBuys tells it's colorful history in a prose that fills you with the sounds and smells and people of the Sea and Imperial Valley. Anyone with an interest in man's unlimited folly, vision, corruption, and the coming environmental train-wreck in southern California needs to read this book.

*Winner of the 2000 Norris and Carol Hundley Award from The Pacific Coast Branch of the American Historical Association.

*Winner of the 1999 Western States Book Award for Creative Non-Fiction. *Winner of the 1999 Clements Prize for the Best Non-Fiction Book on Southwestern America.

Bravo! Salt Dreams is the first of its kind to wrap up all of the issues surrounding the Salton Sea and Colorado River delta in one volume. The best since Cadillac Desert in its cinematic portrayal of a complicated host of issues. Awesome writing on the heroism of US Fish and Wildlife staff. My only criticism is that Congressman George Brown is slighted; Sonny Bono often called him "Mr. Salton Sea". Certainly, a book Mr. Brown would have loved.

Superlative read revealing the vast natural beauty of the desert and its inhabitants and man's irreversable errors in judging it as a fallen Eden. Together with Cadillac Desert it ranks as a southwest water classic. Beautiful writing and stunning photographs.

I've been a fan of Stephen Turnbull's informative and beautiful Samurai books since the early 90's, when I discovered his books in my local library. This is one of his best, much better than many of his recent works. If you're interested in the Ikko-Ikki sects, the warrior monks, or the conquests of Oda Nobunaga, this book delivers!

Really informative. I was actually surprised! Some really nice pictures in the book also. After reading, I now have a thorough understanding of Samurai, warrior monks, japanese warfare, etc.

With lavish illustrations and comprehensive text, "Samurai Warfare" by Dr. Stephen Turnbull gives the reader an overveiw of Japans elite soldier caste from the earliest use of the term to the advent of gun powder in Samurai warfare.
For those just delving into this ancient and mystic age in Japans history, Samurai Warfare offers the reader an easy to understand primer in the history of those responsible for enforcing the will of the Emporer and Nobles

Although very brief, and covering a lot of ground, this book takes a new look at some familiar topics (familiar to students of Japanese military history, that is!). There are some fascinating surprises here, such as the Kuniyoshi illustration of a samurai musketeer with a rather ominous-looking gun and sashimono. The color reproductions of key paintings are extremely detailed and sharp.

After the concise overview of the dynamic changes in samurai warfare over the centuries, Turnbull rewards the reader with informational case studies toward the end of the book. Although somewhat short on specific details and explanatory maps (maps at more frequent intervals during the campaign study would have been helpful), the strength of the book lies in its analysis of the specific construction of the hatamoto of certain daimyo. In addition, the analysis of the Battle of Anegawa (along with additional research by the reader) provides a good reference for scenario construction by gamers and hobbyists. Overall, Turnbull provides an inspirational resource.

This is a travel guide with an attitude. And Bonnie Stone's attitude is, "How unique is this?" I've lived in the Antelope Valley eight years, and Bonnie has unearthed destinations and facts that I've never heard of. We have out-of-town guests coming from New Jersey, and I bought a copy for them, too. Who can resist a guidebook that lists "the world's only drive-through earthquake fault"? (Yup,it's the San Andreas.) This book's a keeper!

Years ago while in high school I would bus to Lancaster to play basket ball and run track and always thought, "Who would ever want to live in this burning desert with its torrid heat, high winds and blowing dust." I now live in the Antelope Valley and am enjoying it immensely because of Bonnie Stone's new book about the Antelope Valley. If you enjoy history, like finding new nearby places to visit or just learning everything about the area around Lancaster, Palmdale and Mojave this is the only book you'll ever need.
The other day I looked for interesting places to take my 8 year old grandson and settled on The "Milestones of Flight Air Museum" listed in the book. It was a great trip. I am looking forward to visiting many other interesting places mentioned in her book. It would make a very nice gift for anyone living in southern California.

As a mom of five children, I'm always on the lookout for things to do in our area. I came across this book and feel that I found a treasure trove of information. We've already seen the Vasquez rocks and an Air Museum based on her recommendation and the kids are really loving it. This is a good book for family fun.

For the many people new to the Antelope Valley of California, this book should be a "MUST HAVE". It is a humorous, accurate guide to the many unusual things to see and do within a short drive from home and available at low cost or free. You think there is nothing to do in the desert north of Los Angeles? Yes, there is, and Stone shows you how to find those things. People who have lived here for years will also find much information they may not have known. This book will be especially useful for families.

An interesting, informative, and practical guide to the Antelope Valley and High Desert Area of California! Provides a delightul mix of historical and contemporary information. Highly Recommended!
--Steve Michiels
(Antelope Valley native)

Kudos for courageous research broaching a very historical, controversial, multidemensional,emotionally charged and confusing topic[race matters]with tremendous personal responsibility,candor with clarity,and intellectual and emotional maturity. This is a ground breaking piece of work that deserves investigation and recognition.

Silent Racism is a powerful book. Racism IS THERE though we are NOT AWARE. Trepagnier has brought an important concern to the forefront and addressed it head on.

This is an amazing book. Anyone concerned about race and racism should read it! Trepagnier's interviews with white women who are "well meaning" and concerned with racism are enlightening. For example, some of the women discussed (oftentimes, somewhat unconsciously) stereotypes that they have about African Americans. The author challenges readers to stop thinking of ourselves and other people as being in the categories of "racist" or "not racist." Doing so discourages us from becoming what Trepagnier refers to as more "racially aware." I encourage people to read the book, buy it for others, and TALK about the issues it raises. It's one of the ways to increase racial awareness. Given many recent events reported in the media, it's clear that racial awareness is a worthwhile and important goal.

Written by a person who seem to have spent some time studying the subject. She identifies the major issues blocking most people from understanding their internalized feeling about people of color. Although she writes mostly about the relationships between Whites and Blacks, she does state the other people's of color are affected in a like manner. I do wish to point out that the relationship between Native (Indian) Americans and white American society is still predicated on the stereotypical views of the western world. Perhaps it is easier to view what has been done to Native people if this continent is continued to be viewed as empty, or sparsely populated. Then manifest destiny and doctrine of discovery seem to be easier of the social pallet of America. If the world view of Native people is not taken into consideration I doubt that there will be much progress in the relationship status of Native Americans and whites in this country. I believe our society needs to do a lot of work to get over its fear treating Native people, and all people of color, with more dignity

It's disconcerting to realize that sometimes my best efforts at NOT being racist have been just that. This book helped me realize the necessity of self-examination to expose those ways in which I'm participating in the racial divide, not by obvious acts of prejudice but by leaving my assumptions unchallenged. This is a very important book.

Ms. Boas has put together an exceptional book on the Society of Six Painters. It is generously illustrated with carefully chosen examples, most in full color. Close ups, with full bleeds, lead each chapter and will take your breath away. In addition, the book contains many black and white images of the artists working and hanging out.

I'd say roughly half of the book is on Selden Gile and why not? He was likely the most prolific and arguably the best of the group. Ms. Boas describes how the group got together and how they were influenced by European artists, a few California painters as well as Bellows and others. One gets some idea of the personality (even drinking habits!) of each of "the six" as well as their camaraderie, working methods, palettes and materials. On page 97, there is a reprint of the group's manifesto (primarily Clapp's handiwork). It may be the best description of "what makes a painting good" that I have ever come across. In addition, the book is littered with quotes and excerpts from letters. One thing I particularly enjoyed were the many quotes by Diebenkorn and Thiebaud describing the Society's work. I highly recommend this book.

Hazou Gallery, Elie (art dealer) San Diego, CA
This has been a great reference book for me. I own three artists in this remarkable group, The Society of Six. In addition to all the information in this valuable book, the price was great.

I give this book 10 stars! Nancy Boas did a superb job cataloguing the history of this unique & historical California art movement. As one of America's foremost buyers of the Society of Six paintings, I can say this is a "must buy" book. www.LawrenceBeebe.com

While many books and much attention has been given to the Impressionists, little mention has been offered to the Society
of Six - California Colorists. The beautiful illustrations and enlightening text provide a case history for the needed aware-
ness of these talented and innovative artists. Nancy Boas has
obviously done a tremendous amount of research resulting in a
spectacular and much needed work on our California art history.
A perusal of this title will be richly rewarded.

Nancy Boas has done the American art scene a great service by producing a beautifully illustrated and printed book about six rugged individualists who did much to build a California school of painting in the early 20th Century. While they are often referred to as impressionists, their paintings are generally far more adventuresome, ambitious and challenging to the viewer than the relatively tame and accessible impressionist school. Whether they had any direct influence from the Fauvists or the Blaureider colorists, they have more in common with those post-impressionist Europeans. Ultimately, it doesn't matter much how they arrived at their approach to color and painting, it was the California landscape and climate that determined their subjects and color they used to interpret them.
Boas' handsome book does particular justice to the work of Selden Gile, who was the most aggressive and and insistent in his use of primary colors.
This is a terrific and important addition to any artbook collection.

This is a very unique approach to a book about uniforms. Instead of just several still pictures with brief captions, this book gives stories that make the uniforms really come to life. As an avid reader of Napoleonic books and collector of miniatures, I give this two thumbs up for the vast number of uniforms it covers, the nationalities (there's more than the French) represented, and the stories/information that you learn from the author. A great read and great reference overall.

A "must have" for all military historicans, military miniature collectors and Napoleonic miniature wargamers!

A very worthwhile book for the wargamer and modeller. Pictures were highly detailed and provided a good reference source. Outstanding book well worth the money.

This is a wonderful book with over 100 color plates. I counted and this does not include the blow-ups of many parts of these that are presented separately. The quality of the plates varies as three different artists were involved in the project, but even the worst are quite good. There is a definite bias to the uniforms of the French and its allied nations (see the list below). Accompanying nearly every plate is a page describing the scene and its circumstances or perhaps general information about a battle, campaign and uniforms. The one thing I would have liked when I was thinking of buying this book was a better idea of what was in it. So below I have summarized the sections and plates. The plates are of French troops unless otherwise stated and where there is more than on plate it is recorded (#). Some Plates have no accompanying information (eg chapter title pages) and so I have not described these.

Before the Empire: Lasalle at Vicenza; Lasalle and 22nd Chasseur and 15th Dragoon vs Osman Bey's Mamelukes; 10th Hussars.

1805: 19th Dragoon at Elchingen; 18th Dragoon at Elchingen; General Pajol and 6th Hussar at Ulm; The Great Charge at Austerlitz.

1806: 7th Hussars and 5th Hussars vs the Queen's Dragoons (Prussia); General Colbert, 10th Chasseurs and 3rd Hussars at Jena; Marechal Davout and line infantry at Auerstaedt; Lassale, 5th and 7th Hussars.

1807: Gendarmes d'ordonnance; Murat and D'Hautpool's Cuirassiers at Eylau; Murat and the 13th Chasseurs at Eylau; Baron Lepic and the Grenadiers a Cheval at Eylau; Murat, aide de camps and Espagne's Cuirassiers at Heilsberg; Napoleon and staff reviewing Lasalle's cavalry at Elbing.

1808: Isemburg Regiment; The Emperor's household; The Emperor's Berlin.

The Peninsula, 1808-14: Lasalle and the Polish Chevau-Legers; Lasalle, Gendarme d'Elite and Dragoons at Medina de Rio Seco; Garde de Paris(2); 10th Chasseurs vs the Infante Regiment (Spanish); 10th Chasseurs; 2nd Hussars(2); 13th Cuirassiers; Gendarmerie de Espagne(2); Neuchatel Battalion; Foot Artillery; Young Guard; Isemberg Regiment; Vistula Legion(2); Chasseurs de Montagne.

1809: The Bavarian Troops; General Coehorn, Corsican Tirailleurs and the 14th Chasseurs at Ebersberg; Jordi's Regiment (Austrian line, 'German') vs French light (24th?) at Aspern; General Espagne and the 4th Cuirassiers; Pontooners; The Baden Infantry 1809, 3rd Baden Regiment vs Austrian Line 'Hungarian' (2); 1st Chasseurs a Cheval(2); Fusiliers of the Guard(2); Artillerie a Pied of the Guard.

In Garrison 1810-13: Berg Chevau Legers(2); Nansouty's Cuirassiers(2); 11th Hussars; King Murat and Neapolitan line regiment and Neapolitan Grenadiers of the Guard(3); 30th Chasseurs.

1812: General Chouard's Carabiniers, 4th Lancers and Chevau-Legers; General Montbrun and the 9th Hussars; King Jerome, Grenadier Guard and Kings Lifeguard (Westphalian); Westphalian Hussars; 7th Regiment (Westphalian); 2nd, 5th and 6th Regiments (Westphalian); General Pajol, 2nd Chasseurs and 9th Polish Lancers; Saxon Chevau-Legers(2); General Gudin and sappers at Valutina; Russian Guard vs 12th Line; Portuguese Legion(2); 1st Voltigeurs of the Guard(2) and Novgorod Cuirassiers (Russian, 1); Saxon Brigade (Lifeguards, Von Zastrow Cuirassiers(2)); Dragoons of the Imperial Guard; 2nd Regiment of Grenadiers; Croats in the Grand Armee(2); Hessian Chevau-Legers; Baden Hussars(2); Lithuanian Tartars.

1813: Naval Artillery; Jerome Napoleon Hussars; 13th Hussars; Field Hospitals and Medical Care; The Krakus (Polish).

1814: Guards of Honour(2).

1815: Allied Forces 16 June 1815 (Brunswickers, British 92nd(2)); Wellington's staff at Waterloo; English Horse Artillery; Red Lancers(2); Young Guard.

very good book and excellent color plates, but a bit scewed towards french uniforms and some important nations missing. no austrians for example.

Eileen Goudge writes books. Good books. Fiction books. So when I found this cookbook on the "New Book" shelf of my library in 2005, I was a bit confused, but had the good sense to check it out. And have since bought my own copy.

I own far too many cookbooks, but this one is kept on the 'short shelf' of books I use regularly. Yesterday I made the Velvet Bundt Cake for my daughter's teacher as a gift. The recipe comes together easily and bakes into a fragrant cake with a beautiful texture. I've never actually gotten around to making the glaze for the cake - it's heavenly alone, but I'm sure glaze fans will enjoy it :)

The Chocolate Swirl Cake is also a family favorite. A vanilla cake batter is made, half is put in the bundt pan, and then chocolate syrup is stirred into the remaining half and poured over the vanilla. The cake bakes into a beautiful and delicious creation. Again, half the time I never get around to making the simple glaze, but I feel it doesn't suffer a bit. Guild the lily if you must... The swirl cake includes the steps to make your own chocolate syrup - it's fast and easy, and I recommend you make the homemade over store-bought if you have the time.

My favorite bread is the Alabama Light Bread - the texture of the finished bread is amazing, and a favorite to give to friends.

Other favorites from the book include: Tennessee Jam Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting; Cappuccino Cheesecake; Fudge Meltaways; Blackberry-Peach Pie; Jam Tart; Eggnog Bread; Gingerbread with Lemon Icing; Angel Biscuits; Oatmeal Bread (heaven!); Cinnamon Bread.

Eileen Goudge's SOMETHING WARM FROM THE OVEN (0060740418, $24.95) represents the author's debut as a cookbook author - but she's no newcomer to publishing; she has eleven popular novels to her name. She discusses the sum of the techniques and tricks she's absorbed over the years, blending basic information with the best recipes from her personal collection and adding some inspiring stories from her family baking adventures. Pecan-Cranberry Pie, Raspberry Marzipan Cheesecake, and Cherry-Cream Cheese Bread are only a few of the delights in SOMETHING WARM FROM THE OVEN: BAKING MEMORIES, MAKING MEMORIES.

I have been a fan of Eileen Goudge's romance novels for some time. She's a prolific writer with fans from all walks of life , and from all around the world.
So. when I heard that she had written a cook book, I thought "just what we all need - another cook book!" But, was I ever surprised.
This book is about baking, and as I began to browse through the many recipes with titles such as Fudge Meltaways, Pecan Sandies, Nanny's Swedish Rye Bread, and Mom's Gingerbread with Lemon Icing, I was immediately transported back to my childhood, with warm remembrances of coming home after school, and inhaling those sweet smells from the oven that we all, as kids, coveted from our mother's and grandmother's kitchens. I have already tried about half a dozen of these truly delectible desserts and breads, and cannot wait to try many more. I mean, come on - Blue-Ribbon Chocolate Cake with White Chocolate - Creams Cheese Frosting! So what's another couple of hours at the gym!

AFTER SAMPLING THE MICROWAVE CRANBERRY PUDDING WITH BUTTER-BRANDY SAUCE(YUM) AT A BOOK SIGNING, AND THEN HAVING THE GOOD FORTUNE OF TRYING THE CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE TART AT THE NEW YORK CHOCOLATE SHOW, I WAS HOOKED. THIS LADY BAKES AS WELL AS SHE WRITES. BUY THIS BOOK AND SEE FOR YOURSELF.

What a wonderful surprise. This is a cookbook for everyone. Not only are the recipes that I have tried easy to put together and delicious but above each recipe is a short memory from the author about her family. Her tips for better baking are very helpful. So far my family's favorite recipe is the Apple Crisp, page 198. It is so good warm and just as good cold the next morning. Thank you Eileen for sharing your family recipes and your lovely memories that go along with each one.

Mark Doty in his latest collection of poems, continues to delight and entertain us with his brilliant style of writing that is elegant, compassionate, and unabashedly, and proudly gay. These poems are of a universal language, speaking to all sexual orientations, for they are not all gay themed verses. Doty's poems are always a real pleasure to read for they speak from the heart on subjects that are important and of interest to many of us who share his same ideals, thoughts, and feelings. I have always been a fan of his poems for that reason. As he describes the degradation of Walt Whitman's vision of a democratic America in "Letter to Walt Whitman", or of the joy and entertainment that "Little Kaiser" brings to so many people in "Private Life", I can not help but smile at the joy he sees and experiences in trying to get close to Whitman, and in exploring the inner thoughts of "Little Kaiser". I have to admit I am a little prejudiced toward these two lovely poems, for each has references to companion parrots. I loved the poem, "Letter to Walt Whitman" that Doty wrote after touring Whitman's home in Camden. He was trying to find something there that would make Whitman seem more real and still alive. He did when he discovered Whitman's parrot preserved by the taxidermist's wax, and wrote, "Then one thing made you seem alive: your parrot." And in "Private Life" we learn all about "Little Kaiser" the African Grey parrot, who has been a fixture for many years at the local headshop on Commercial Street in Provincetown. Doty has a way of describing all life beings with the beauty they so rightly deserve.

This sixth book of verse by Mark Doty is one I will be returning to many, many times. The poems in this collection cover a wide variety of subjects, and this creates an opportunity for everyone to find one of interest to them that will definitely become a favorite. The several poems he writes about Provincetown, a town I have come to care about and call a second home over the past quarter century, are my favorites. Doty seems to have the same feelings for this special place that I have. It is the beauty of his words that keep me looking forward to and eagerly awaiting his next collection of poems. A Real Pleasure!!

Joe Hanssen

I typically don't raise issue with others' reviews. After all, most have been taught that a poem can have many interpretations. Yet to think of "Private Life" as a compassionate description of a beautiful caged creature is missing the point entirely, I think. In the first stanza, the speaker describes Little Kaiser (a caged parrot in a popular tourist destination) as being "confronted" by the noisy hecklers and insensitive tourists who pass him every day, acknowledging, "He doesn't seem to mind," the operative word there being "seem." Two stanzas later, we learn that his cage carries the warning, "I bite." [Obviously, he does mind.]

Then the speaker passively suggests, "He couldn't be said to be/lonely; all day the world comes to him." How could anyone who gets so much attention be lonely? When the speaker then describes the pedestrians as an "endless procession of faces, only a few of them known," the parrot takes on a much more human quality, and that's where the parrot turns into a metaphorical vehicle to describe the human condition in general, but a gay man's condition quite specifically. This metaphor gathers momentum in the last 5 or 6 stanzas, describing his tail as "stunning red,/a frank indulgence of the private life." [wink, nudge]

When the speaker shifts focus from the subject to the speaker ("What does Kaiser dream?"), (s)he develops a more philosophical posture rather than the one of the passive journalist from the beginning of the poem. First we are asked to imagine what Kaiser's not dreaming ("Probably no original paradise;/this little trooper was born in a shop."), invoking of course the story of the heterosexual, biblical Creation, of which we gay men obviously don't have an equivalent. Rather, we have been asked to acquire a gay culture that we're repeatedly relegated to and blindly accept.

The speaker then asks, "should he prefer a single,/perfect other?"...pointing to the cultural stereotype (accepted by gays and straights alike) of the idea that gay men are promiscuous and not easily tied down: "one human form/after another bent over him/in momentary delight, while he takes//their measure, and mouths a limited vocabulary, all greeting and praise." But that's enough communication for our parrot/gay man, the speaker's last description giving it to us most plainly just in case we missed it already: "promiscuous singer, whose tongue/lifts and curls out to the world, performing/all night in his blanketed cage."

Doty has dealt with similar subjects before, lamenting over such gay conundrums as the "austere code of tricks" or that "we are all on display in this town, sweet machines, powerless, consumed." But with "Private Life," [even the title suggests you look beyond the parrot, as Doty's title has] he's turned the sensitive, curious descriptions of a gay man at odds with his own "culture" in addition to the world itself into a more honest, indeed, unflinching, look at the way we move and process and feel...or (unfortunately) do none of these things.

Doty's sixth book of poetry shows his elegant and strong style while exploring both public and private life. These poems luxuriate on the tongue and in the mind, and boldly paint vivid images in the readers' minds. Winner of a Lambda Literary Award for poetry, "Source" is a delightful example of Doty's works.

I don't mean to sound cranky, but I'm tired of hearing the words "beautiful" and "moving" in relationship to the work of Mark Doty. Of course his poems are these things, but they're much, much more. They're rigorous in their thinking; they're relentless in their questions about perception and mortality, and revolutionary in their evocation of a social and metaphysical vision. This is a poetry of ideas. It's a poetry that rolls up its sleeves and takes its reader gently--but FIRMLY--down "into the source of spring."

Mark Doty's, one of America's premiere poets, has done it again with his newest collection of literary gems, "Source".

Doty's poems cover a range of topics, from dead wildlife to working out, all exude a personal flair that enlightens and illuminates our existance while sharing his. His poetry both confounds and inspires; you read and question the meaning, and then, find a diamond mine of a line you cannot let go, and mentally ponder the treasure. Some poets aggreviate by not allowing access into their lives or meaning with their work; Doty opens the door, doesn't shy away from honesty or complex thought, and allows us to wander through his charming maze of words.

As a reader of his work, it's nice to see him returning to old familiar themes, especially those that mention Wally, a heart's love who perished due to AIDS. While we may write and write about those songs that inspire us, perhaps there can be never enough said about some things, and Doty casts a beautiful literary light on those topics with each passing year.

Source is an excellent add to your poetry collection.

This is a MUST HAVE for anyone who grew up in Southern California. It is a marvelous trip down memory lane. The pictures are a treat and the information reminds me of all the good things of my childhood. I have given several for gifts and everyone has loved the book as much as I do.

You don't need a team of NASA scientists or H.G. Wells to go back in time.All you need evidently is $22.05.That is what this gem cost at the time of this writing.For the price of a large pizza with everything you get a treat for the mind and heart.I defy anyone over 40 to read this and not feel as if their soul has not been dipped in chocolate and coated with sprinkles.I know that this world would be a better place if their were more people like the Master of Mid-century memories....Charles Phoenix.

For any one hooked on The Atomic Age this book is a "sun - fun" trip through Southern California - when Southern California was younger and more innocent. The book is filled Interesting bits of history and fabulous photos of an era long gone. Charles Phoenix obviously did his homework and researched the material extensively. The wonderful trip down memory lane takes you through some of Southern California's most famous attractions, including a brand new Disney Land, Knott's Berry Farm, and an Ocean themed amusement park that once stood at the Santa Monica Pier. Also on the trip are malls, housing developments, zoos, and themed restaurants. You won't be disappointed with this truly delightful journey.

Our library just added this book to their collection and I began reading it out of curiousity. It's fabulous - filled with great pictures and chock full of unique facts. Reading it made me feel like I stepped back in time. Great coffee table or gift book.

This book is, well, fun for anyone with a Los Angeles childhood, like me. However, for anyone who loves kitsch and Californiana, this book is well worth the price. Sun, Fun and Fantasy" takes an indulgent, loving look at a time and place that's largely been torn down and paved over. The author gets more than five stars from me for his accuracy--I couldn't find one error, based on my memory, my extensive reading about California, and yes, my picture postcard collection!

My hope is that this author will produce follow-up volumes from the '60s and '70s.

Giving this book a 5-star rating isn't enough; I haven't been this affected-- intellectually and emotionally-- by anything I've read in a very long time, so I wish there were some way to reflect the significant difference between an "A" and an "A+," which is what "Struggle for the Holy Land (Arabs, Jews and the Emergence of Israel)," by William Hare, deserves. First published in 1995, this book is more important and timely today than ever before, as it seeks to promote the kind of understanding and a perspective of the Middle East that is so vital if we are ever, in our efforts as a community of Man, going to be able to effect any semblance of global harmony at all.

William Hare writes from the enlightening perspective that merely understanding the issues and current events in the Middle East is not going to bring about a resolution of the problems that are rooted there, and ultimately have a far-reaching effect on all of the nations of the world; these are scholarly pursuits, but ineffective in realizing any real change in the near (or distant) future. Hare points out that what the situation requires is a thorough understanding of the people involved-- the history, culture and psychological aspects of who they are, and most importantly, "why." And he does it by tracing the roots of Zionism and the genesis of Islam, by going back and determining the cause and effects of the attitudes and actions that have brought us to where we are today.

Hare gets to the heart of his subject by offering an objective examination of historically significant events from the perspective of both the Jews', as well as the Arabs' side, and moreover, the effects of one upon the other, as well as how the world powers of specific times influenced that history, including the involvements of the likes of Czarist Russia, the Ottoman Empire, Britain, America and, of course, the devastating effects of Hitler's Germany. It's a comprehensive, cohesive and thorough treatment, with a depth that transcends the achievements of similar attempts by others, and is even more extraordinary when the fact that Hare's analysis covers a period from Biblical times to the present, inclusively, is considered.

What really brings this book to life, however, and what sets it apart from most histories, is the way Hare brings the situations, and especially the people involved, so vibrantly to life. Typically, works of history are rendered in terms of dry academia; Hare, on the other hand, uses the voice of the novelist for his presentation, which makes historic figures like Einstein, Muhammad, Chaim Weizmann, David Ben Gurion, T.E. Lawrence and Harry Truman (to mention just a few) seem larger than life (as, indeed, their respective accomplishments make evident that they were), while affording and investing the reader with intellectual stimulation, as well as the emotional connection that makes this book so thoroughly involving on so many levels.

From the first chapter, which offers some succinct insights into Albert Einstein and his views on and involvement with Zionism, to the final chapter, which concludes with the dramatic depiction of Sir Alan Cunningham, the British high commissioner, presiding over the ceremony marking the end of British rule in Palestine, Hare's account is riveting and stirring in a way that makes history seem like a tangible entity rather than merely words on a page. His approach is similar to that of Shelby Foote, who so successfully brought possibly the darkest period of American History to life in his trilogy "The Civil War." Like Foote, Hare has the ability to "put you in the room," as it were, making you a part of the action rather than just an observer, and his style is tremendously effective, including his use of contemporary frames of reference, like films, to draw comparisons and correlate especially significant events.

A scholarly endeavor executed artistically can be entertaining as well as educational, and this book certainly is all of that; but more than that, it can be important in a way that supersedes any and all of it's most worthwhile considerations. And this book most certainly is that, as well. One of the most engaging and thought-provoking chapters is Hare's emotionally charged account of the Holocaust, which alone takes this book to an even higher level of significance. Like Steven Spielberg's film "Schindler's List," this particular chapter, especially, makes this book important in that it serves to preserve the memory of that which must not be forgotten at any cost; and it is decidedly the efforts of artists and scholars like William Hare and Steven Spielberg that guards against this kind of history repeating itself. And that, in itself, is a remarkable achievement by any form of measurement.

Sensitively and sensibly written and presented, "Struggle for the Holy Land (Arabs, Jews and the Emergence of Israel)" is an entertaining, educational and important book that should be required reading for everyone. William Hare is to be commended for his astute insights into the human condition and his studied and conclusive perceptions of the whys and wherefores of the world in which we live; and hopefully, through his considerable achievements here and the importance of this book, he will receive the kind of acknowledgement he so richly deserves. This is a book that belongs in everyone's library.

"Struggle for the Holy Land" by William Hare is a fulfilling historical narrative for American readers who are interested in the Middle East conflict but are overwhelmed by the deluge of information on the subject. William Hare's work provides an objective introduction to a subject polarized by advocacy. Broadly balanced, it unravels the complexity of the Middle East by elucidating complex personalities that have either influenced or have been influenced by its tragedy.

Starting with Einstein's wrenching emotions over Israel's existence, William Hare skillfully weaves Theodor Herzl's passion for the Zionist movement, David Ben-Gurion's sacrifices in Palestine, and Chaim Weizmann's influence over the British empire in a memorable portrait of struggle for a Jewish home then state. Israel's birth couldn't be better or more objectively presented for the casual historian from the Jewish point-of-view. Arab readers will certainly benefit from this objective portrayal of the people who have influenced the conflict currently affecting many Arab nations.

The book also describes the character of the Arab opposition to Israel through Mohammed Ali and T.E. Lawrence. Apparently targeting Western readers, William Hare selected two personalities who personify both a fighting spirit and sophistication. The poignantly perceptive focus on primarily non-Arabic personalities to represent the Arab point-of-view in the book underscores the reality of Arabs today who are yet powerless to voice their own grievances and concerns. Though the Arab voice remains wanting, Arabs are pained to find a more noble or more relevant representation of character and struggle than through Mohammad Ali and T.E. Lawrence.

Engagingly easy to read, I recommend "Struggle for the Holy Land" to anyone concerned about the history of the Middle East conflict.

In "Struggle for the Holy Land: Arabs, Jews, and the Emergence of Israel", author William Hare provides an in-depth, absorbing, and immaculately researched history of the formation of Israel. The facts are backed up with an extensive bibliography and a through index. Beginning with the roots of Zionism in the late 1800s, Hare explores the major figures involved in the creation of the Jewish state.

The author traces the growth of the Zionist movement following the publication in 1896 of Theodor Herzl's pamphlet "Der Judenstaat" ("The Jewish State: An Attempt at a Modern Solution of the Jewish Question"). The Zionist movement is examined and the philosophical split between Political Zionism and Cultural Zionism split are both discussed. The information regarding the efforts to choose a country other than Palestine is particularly fascinating.

This absorbing book offers an unbiased approach to the historical and sociological factors that contributed to the formation of Israel. The establishment of the Jewish congress in 1897, and contributing factors such as the Russian pogroms, and WWII are included. Major characters and countries are all covered here--Chaim Weizman and his relationship with Britain and Balfour, David Ben-Gurion, and the Peel Commission's decision to create a "partition of Palestine into an Arab state and a Jewish state." The author also examines how the world tried to cope with the growing unrest in the area--one of the most infamous methods of restricting immigration was the "White Paper Policy" that restricted the number of Jewish immigrants to Palestine. Consequently "little death ships" loaded with Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany were turned away without its passengers being allowed to land.

Packed with information, the book yields new insights to an all-too familiar problem. We know how the book will end ... the reader cannot but be aware of the tragic situation and the continuing violence between Israel and Palestine. Yet somehow, in spite of being all too aware of the current situation, the book lends great insights for readers and also a sense of tragic inevitability to one of the most troubled regions of the world--displacedhuman.

William Hare has an extensive background in journalism and interest in world affairs, and it is evident in this book, "Struggle For the Holy Land." Through his investigation, he presents a succinct and thorough report on a complex topic in which solutions to the Arab and Israeli conflict have eluded the world's top leaders. Hare puts the conflict in proper context with an emphasis on the Arab and Israeli leaders who shaped policies generations ago. Particularly compelling are the roles of T.E. Lawrence, David Ben-Gurion and Zionist leader Chaim Weizmann. While much has happened since the book was written in 1995, it remains, in my opinion, a definitive look in historical terms. If anything, it explains well the events that led to the bloodshed we see today. I highly recommend it.

This was absolutely the BEST book I have ever read regarding the history of the conflict in Israel. I had been unable to find books about the early history of the area that didn't seem biased toward one point of view or the other. STRUGGLE FOR THE HOLY LAND provides a point of intersection in which the interests and aspirations of each side are carefully evaluated. William Hare is truly a talented author with a gift for presenting complex historical events in a way that even the non-history buff can understand and enjoy. Your only disappointment will be when there are no more pages to read! A rare find!