History Books

Animal Farm and 1984 are both so well known (and incidentally one could check other editions for more detailed individual reviews) I shall limit myself to saying this about the works themselves: both are very powerful and 1984 ranks among my top books of all time. As for the edition itself, I would suggest to someone who is interested in either of these novels and does not yet own a copy of them to buy this edition. Even if you have a copy of one, I for example had the signet classic of 1984, this is still a good option. You get an attractive hard cover that conveniently has both the novels for a decent price. In addition the overall quality is good. The text is extremely readable due to a nice font size-a big improvement form the mass market editions.

For me the edition is so cool, besides the special content and masterpiece by George Orwell. So fast was the delivery of the item. Yet i haven't enough time for finishing it, but I'm sure that it'll be a great time.

This is a very nicely published edition of both of George Orwell's landmark novels. Many of us were required to read these in school, but they are all the more meaningful in today's political climate. While the left may tend to want to cite these novels the most (the Patriot Act as "Big Brother"), there is probably more ammunition for the right, particularly in today's politically correct culture. Think former N.O.W. executive and conservative lesbian Tammy Bruce's book "The New Thought Police". A good historical/political read regardless of your political persuasion.

So you could go borrow the book at the library or buy the paperback, get the content down, and be done with it. But for same reason people buy very expensive European cars, there is something attractive to looks of a exterior that makes the consumer want to own, not rent, but possess. I love both books by Orwell, and this edition is one to show off.

This is a handsome republication of Orwell's two most renowned works, Animal Farm and 1984. Even if you're just looking for 1984, this edition is to be commended; it comes with a fine introduction by today's leading Orwell enthusiast, Christopher Hitchens, and the reward of including Animal Farm requires very little in the way of additional effort or expense on your part. At 80-odd pages, you may as well pick it up in the same volume, and you're virtually certain to be glad that you did.

I'm not alone in being of a generation that was first required to read Orwell in my student days (Middle School, in my case.) It seems that there was a lot of literature churned out then, accessible to if not directly aimed at children, with the horrors of totalitarianism as its theme. In addition to reading Orwell, we were also reading Huxley, Bradbury, and Verne -- the youth-oriented John Christopher books being yet another example. The generation that lived through Nazism and Stalinism clearly wanted the younger set to be aware of the horrors that could be, and to remain on guard against them.

It doesn't seem to be quite that way anymore. Orwell's name is invoked today, but often in trivializing contexts: "Big Brother" is now a brain-numbing reality show, and "Orwellian" is a convenient and often hysterically-applied charge to political opponents. Some complaceny does seem to be inevitable: we are now further removed from the days when the likes of Hitler and Stalin killed tens of millions. Still, regimes arise that are nearly as horrific on a local scale, from Pol Pot to Saddam Hussein to the Taliban, and are real enough that Orwell's book is no joke. Orwell deserves attention if for no other reason than to sensitize us to the bad form associated with invoking his name in a trivializing context. There was a political ad on Youtube last year from an Obama supporter that cast Hillary Clinton on a giant Big Brother-like screen. I'm not in the least a fan of Senator Clinton, but associating her image with those of 1984 -- as was also done in an infamous Apple Computer ad -- trivializes Orwell's message in a deplorable way. Orwell wrote his novel to warn against real dangers that his generation lived through, and which others might yet, not as a marketing ploy to be used in selling either computers or nearly indistinguishable democratic political candidacies.

The main reason I am writing this review, however, is that re-reading Orwell in my 40's is a stark reminder that his novels are more than political parables, but are worthy literature. I hope that those reading these reviews will be aware of this, and not shut their minds to a rewarding literary experience.

As a kid, I was able to perceive the pedagogical intent of these books, but less so was I able to appreciate the literary artistry. 1984 in particular passes the Nabokovian test of creating a fully believable, if terrifying, alternate world. Beyond that, on nearly every page, Orwell leaves an image that just might stay with you forever. Small wonder that so many of the terms in 1984 ("Big Brother," "Newspeak") have burrowed their way into our lexicography.

Orwell was a man of the left who understood something that many of his compatriots did not; that what had arisen in the Soviet Union was a regime unprecedented in its horror (arriving before, and ultimately outlasting, its horrific mirror image, Hitler's Third Reich.) At a time when others on the left simply refused to believe in the reality of the USSR, he looked at it unflinchingly and wrote what it was really about.

Also, in childhood, I was not able to fully appreciate that Orwell's books simply weren't negative-utopian nightmare-fantasies, but paralleled actual events in the USSR with chilling accuracy. I knew, at some level, that he was satirizing certain events and characters in the Russian Revolution, but only in adulthood was I able to closely recognize nearly every episode and character in Animal Farm. Those familiar with USSR history will find it all here in the two books: the rewriting of the past to reaffirm the infallibility of the Party, the sudden reorienting of national propaganda to suit the latest twist of foreign policy, and the complete elimination of all references to those unfortunate souls decreed never to have existed.

Truly, the thing that makes 1984 terrifying now, is not what was imagined in the novel's construction, but what was real in its sources. It exaggerates even relative to the Stalinist state -- but not by much. It is this recognition that makes it a chilling read today.

1984 is the more vivid and evocative of the two novels. Excepting one passage (Goldstein's dreary history lesson about 2/3 of the way through) it is riveting almost throughout its 300 pages.

A few notes for younger readers: The moral of Animal Farm is not that Napoleon was simply a bad apple, but rather that the system adopted by the Animals ensured that ultimately such a tyrant would dominate. (I find the end of Animal Farm to be something of a false note; in the end the pigs prove no better than, and resemble, the humans they replaced, but this understates the tragic reality that the USSR was worse still than that which it replaced.)

As I close, I leave you with one random question about 1984: how come it never occurs to Eastasia and Eurasia to combine against Oeania? Given that Oceania keeps flipping its allegiance from one to the other, you'd think they'd ultimately catch on and both decide to attack Oceania at the same time.

Silly questions aside, this book is highly commended. Worth re-reading again, especially if you only have read Orwell when as immature as was I.

I'm going to be a police recruit in the NYPD in the upcoming months, and wanted to know more about this line of work..Armed & Dangerous would be the book to read. This book is for anyone wanting to be a cop, marrying a cop or the friend of a cop...Gina pulls no punches. She is gritty, raw and honest in her writing, which a lot of other police novels lack. I'm currently reading another police novel now, and its so hard to get into it. Gina raises the bar on all other novels..if you never pick up another true crime novel, read this one!!

Riveting, disquieting, amazingly well written. I had to check the cover a couple of times to make sure it wasn't written "with Joe Shcmow." Ms. Gallo names names and leaves out no details about how she managed to function, survive, succeed, and retain personal dignity within a most wretched hive of scum and villany.

This was an interesting book, however I would have liked to see a little more of the positive side of being a policewoman. There had to be something positive about the job, or she wouldn't have been a policewoman for so many years.
Having a policeman for a friend, I did appreciate some of the insights into how they may feel different from "civilians".
It's a very sad tale of how many people live and how instead of the police being encouraged become discouraged.
I struggled with how to rate this book, because it's discouraging and haunting, with no upside I wanted to rate it a 3, but Gina does a good job of writing and relating her experience, so I rated it a 4.

I'm a retired police Sgt. my wife Ann Jillian an actress, and we just finished reading "ARMED AND DANGEROUS" by GINA GALLO. This book is FANTASTIC! It's easy to know that Gina Gallo was the real police and did real police work - that's a given, but her talent for putting it all in her book is something only a GREAT WRITER could do. This is a real page turner, we could not put it down until we finished it. My wife and I highly recommend this book to anyone. Thank you Ms., Gallo for an excellent book. Mr. Mrs. Sgt. A.& A Murcia. Los Angeles, CA.

At last, an interactive experience of life in big-city law enforcement! In a relentlessly authentic voice, Gina Gallo translates every nuance of the police experience into an unparalled copspeak primer for those who've never worn the badge. Forget cop stories as a spectator sport. Gallo pulls you into the action with "the real police", presenting the reader with the same visceral punch, emotional blindsiding and residual angst that haunts anyone who's been there. In my years as a Chicago homicide detective, job success often depended on equal parts of tenacity, intelligence and guts. Gallo's book provides this in spades along with an unflinching scrutiny of our own vulnerability. This book elevates cop docudrama to a new art form. I'm proud that Gallo is one of our own, even prouder of her courage and talent in telling our stories.

Seller had a great price for the product and she was very honest about the condition of the book.

This is a must read for anyone who wants to know how God can change their life forever. What divine wisdom is spoken by this saint of the Church!! Her "Little Way" to serving and loving Jesus is persuasive to anyone struggling with the "how" of living a Christlike life.

"Story of a Soul" is a collection of three manuscripts written by Therese of Lisieux near the end of her very brief life. Therese lived in France at the end of the 19th century and spent nine of her twenty-four years in a Carmelite cloister, yet this simple woman and her "little way" have touched millions of lives in the years since her death.

Therese lived and preached a spirituality based on the scripture passages that urge becoming like a little child, living a life of trust in God. While she never did anything the world might consider "great", she made the most of the opportunities presented to her. She took advantage of offering to God little sacrifices such as sitting straight in a chair without resting her back and going out of her way to be kind to a fellow sister she did not particularly care for.

From her earliest years, she had an intimate relationship with Jesus. Although she was very close to her family, She writes, "I knew how to speak only to [Jesus]; conversations with creatures, even pious conversations, fatigued my soul." In her final year, as she was dying from tuberculosis, she welcomed her suffering even as she experienced a crisis of faith which plunged her into a dark night of the soul.

The three manuscripts that comprise "Story of a Soul" each have a different tone due to the fact that they were addressed to three different people in response to three distinct requests. Manuscript "A" is addressed to Therese's sister Pauline, also known as Mother Agnes. She was a Carmelite nun as well and at the time was the Prioress of the convent. Mother Agnes had asked her to put down on paper her recollections from her childhood. It was intended as a "family souvenir" and as a result has a very familiar, sentimental tone. In it, Therese tells the story of her life from her earliest remembrances through her profession as a Carmelite.

Manuscript "B" was directed to another of Therese's elder sisters, Marie, who also resided at the Carmel cloister. Sister Marie of the Sacred Heart later recalled that "I asked her myself during her last retreat (September, 1896) to put in writing her little doctrine as I called it." The shortest of the three manuscripts, it contains the heart of Therese's insights. It consists of a letter to her sister in which she explains that "Jesus does not demand great actions from us but simply surrender and gratitude," and a love letter to Jesus in which she confides her desire to be "the warrior, the priest, the apostle, the doctor, the martyr." Using the metaphor that St. Paul established in 1 Corinthians 12 of the body of Christ with its many parts, Therese comes to the conclusion that in order to fulfill her desire to be all things she must be love. "I shall be love. Thus I shall be everything, and thus my dream will be realized."

In Manuscript "C", Therese returns to the story of her life, this time at the request of Mother Marie de Gonzague who had taken over as Prioress. It tells of her remaining years at Carmel up to three months before her death in 1897 when she no longer had the energy to write. In her final words she exclaims "I go to Him with confidence and love . . ."

Therese never intended any of these words for publication, yet in the last months of her life she seemed to have had a premonition that her words would eventually do much good in the world. "Story of a Soul" provides a blueprint for a life lived in relationship with Christ. Therese comes across as extremely human, struggling with life as all of us do, yet she had such trust and faith. We are wise to learn from her example.
[...]

Really enjoyed reading this book. Excellent akutobiography of St. Therese. What a beautiful life she lead. Everyone should read this if for nothing else than inspiration from an extradorinary woman. You don't have to be a religious person to get something out of this autobiography.

Therese of Lisieux lived a very sheltered life. As we begin the book she actually seems to be spoiled by her family. Her parents were financially secure and devoutly religious. Therese knew she wanted to be a nun from the age of three. She had bouts of poor health and she suffered the loss of her mother early in her life. And then the sisters she relied on left one by one to join the convent. But she also had security and love from her family. She also had an incredible sense of self-direction.

In her book Saint Therese describes souls as similar to different types of flowers. Some are roses, others lilies, and some like orchids, for example. And all can be equally pleasing to God in their own way, when seeking his role for them. People have different talents and different struggles, but these characteristics do not mean that any type is more valued than the other.

Saint Therese describes the Christian Church as one body, and how she wants to be the heart that loves. She writes frequently of the many ways that God is love. She believed that heaven for her would be to be able to help people on earth after she died. She writes that any sacrifice in daily life can be offered to God, for the conversion of souls, or help of others, whether it is the suffering of an illness or loss, or the performance of a mundane daily chore. Therese also writes much she preferred to speak directly to God as a child when she prayed instead of using formal liturgy.

This is the final volume in the "Ages of Middle-Earth" series and it was actually the first written. Although published in two volumes The Book Of Lost Tales was originally written as one. Tolkien expands in this second volume the stories of Middle-Earth as they unfold during the first four ages. For years Tolkien had been a scholar of mythology and he used his studies to transform ancient Earth mythology into the fantasy we know today. So if you love fantasy, whether you are a Tolkien reader or not, you will love this remarkable first attempt at reshaping modern fantasy.

The Book of Lost Tales 2 is a fantastic continuation to the first, taking place right where it left off this book goes in deeper than the first. The Book of Lost Tales includes 6 tales that where apart of the first but explains it with greater detail. This book was edited by Christopher Tolkien, the author's(J.R.R. Tolkien) son. All of the six stories include many notes that help you with the story, and 4 of them include a commentary that Christopher Tolkien wrote. I found the commentary and notes to be very helpful and enjoyable although he refers a lot to The Simarillion so one who has not read that might not understand some of it, and infact the stories that are in The Book of Lost Tales 2 are briefly in The Simarillion, which is also a very wonderful book. These books can be at sometimes a little difficult to read given the ammount of detail and information that they give you, sometimes it is hard to organize all of it but as you read on more things fall into place.

I highly recommend this book, although suggest reading The Simarllion before hand, J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy world is quite enjoyable and his writings are full of detail. I also found the appendix and index of words quite useful and very nice to have, it tells you where all the names come from and have referances to where you can find them in this book and others. If you have read Lord of The Rings then you will find referances that are from this book and also The Simarillion that you did not get before.

Overall I thought this book was very enjoyable, although some what tedious at some points, and I recommend it to all fantasy and Lord of The Ring fans.

If you like the silmarillion and book of lost tales one, than you cannot wait another day to get this. If you are like me and REALLY LIKE this whole middle earth thing with the trees, music of the ainur. etc, then you absolutely have to read this.

The first lost tales was the first half of the silmarillion, and of course part 2 of lost tales is the rest of the silm. Though a lot of these works are unfinished(certainly the whole tale telling itself with eriol and gilfanon?, yet some seem very finished like the fall of gondolin.

Some people don't think peter jackson did not do a good job with the lord, yet they do admit it was still a pretty good movie. I did not find return of the king NEAR as good as the other 2 movies, but I think that Pete was the best choice as director.

Now the point that I wanna make is that with all of the material from the book of lost tales part 1 AND 2, the silmarillion, unfinished tales, and all the annals I think Peter Jackson could make another epic movie doing 1 of 3 things, or something that I'm not thinking of. It doesn't matter how these are made, I just wanna see them on screen.

1. Make a two-part movie 6-7 hours in total.
2. Make a 3 1/2 hour or 4 hour movie
3. Pick a certain tale like turin or luthien

Any of these things that I have suggested are acceptable to me, but I would be open to any way possiblre to put this on screen.

I honestly feel that with the very strong emotions in these books it could be better than the lord of the rings movies.

`if he could indeed destroy with his cunning the happiness and glory of the Gods and Elves...'

When the hateful god Melko marred the world, the Valar hid within the blessed land of Valinor, abandoning the Elves and Men of Middle Earth to slavery under his terrible rule. This was the time of great heroes who challenged Melko's impossible might. Beren and Lúthien entered Melko's hall to pluck his most prized possession from his crown. Cursed Túrin became a feared enemy of all evil creatures. Tuor fought to save a beleaguered realm. The mighty kingdoms of Gondolin - ruled by King Turgon - and Menegroth - ruled by King Thingol - long provided refuge for the few free people. Finally Eärendel risked all to beseech the Valar for aid. These heroes made terrible sacrifices to rid the world of the greatest evil it has ever known. Ashamedly, as magic faded and the Elves fled from the world, Men forgot these great deeds.

Ages later, the English mariner Eriol sailed to Tol Eressëa, the Lonely Isle, where Elves welcomed him as guest. In grand oral tradition, they recounted to Eriol the tales that should never have been lost.

Anybody who enjoyed The Book of Lost Tales Part 1, which should be read first, will love Part 2. It is also helps to first read The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, Unfinished Tales, and, most importantly, The Silmarillion.

Christopher Tolkien continues to expertly assemble and present his father's works. His precise commentaries are essential to understanding J.R.R. Tolkien's mythos.

Some of the stories in Lost Tales are much more detailed than their final versions in the Silmarillion. Lost Tales is a treasure trove of rejected content that really fleshes out the myths.

The Book of Lost Tales Part 2 has six sections.

`The Tale of Tinúviel', one of Tolkien's most popular stories, tells of the triumphant love between Beren and Lúthien. This version is shockingly different than that found in The Silmarillion, and it contains much more dialogue and plot.

`Turambar and the Foalókë' is the stirring tragedy of Túrin son of Úrin (or Húrin). Cursed as a child, Túrin rages against fate with heroic intensity. This account is wonderfully detailed.

`The Fall of Gondolin' recounts the final days of King Turgon's fair city. Ulmo (the only Valar to intervene in Middle Earth during this period) sends brave Tuor upon a divine quest to bring counsel to the doomed realm. This Lost Tales version is staggeringly well detailed. The final battle for the city (summarized in a few sentences in The Silmarilllion) here receives tremendous attention. This action-heavy scene is definitely a highlight of the book.

In `The Nauglafring', Elves and Dwarves battle over cursed gold. This early-abandoned tale flatly contradicts much of Tolkien's other work.

`The Tale of Eärendel' tells of the legendary mariner who now sails the firmament above Earth as a radiant star, bringing hope to men. J.R.R. Tolkien never wrote this story, so this section consists of outlines, poems, and heavy commentary.

`The History of Eriol or Ælfwine' delves into Eriol's life. It clearly identifies Middle Earth as our Earth; for instance, the origins of England and Ireland are spelled out and Rome is presented as an Elvish enemy. Although enlightening, this thoroughly explained setting lacks the mysterious grandeur of LoTR's Middle Earth. This tale was never finished, and Christopher Tolkien shows superhuman diligence in piecing together jumbled outlines and narrative fragments. It is densely commented and makes a slow, though worthy, read.

The Book of Lost Tales shows the devotion J.R.R. Tolkien had for his craft. It is a perfect choice for any Silmarillion fan.

-Zach Zelmar

`The Book of Lost Tales, Part One and Part Two' by J. R. R. Tolkien, edited by son, Christopher Tolkien, is, according to the editor's Foreword, some of the very earliest works written by Tolkien on the mythology of Middle Earth. Many, it is stated, were drafted in the 1920s, nearly ten years before the start of `The Hobbit'.

This is an important fact, as it means that they were not written to `fill in' details of references made in either `The Hobbit' or `The Lord of the Rings' (LOTR). It means that both of these published novels were narratives of a preexisting world of Middle Earth with a history stretching back thousands of years, to the very creation of the world. This supports the sense of historical depth one has when you read both novels. Early in the Foreword, editor Tolkien addresses this very aspect and the danger that the great depth of history felt in the novels may not transfer to documents that lay out that history. I personally do not sense that danger when I read these works. The intellectual effort required to understand the text and tie it together with all the Tolkienania that has gone before is more than enough to keep me busy. This is the basis of my title for this review, `Fantasy for Grown-ups'.

My experience is that neither `The Hobbit' nor `LOTR' books or movies had a strong appeal to the same audience as the literal and virtual comic book works such as Spiderman, Superman, Batman, Star Wars, Lara Croft (Tomb Raider), or even Indiana Jones. The world in which Middle Earth is set is much more subtly different from our world or the world of `Long ago, and far, far, away...' Even in `The Hobbit' one gets hints that the world of Middle Earth is not our comfortable sphereical planet with a different geography but the same physics, chemistry, and biology. One gets the sense that while the great `Gandalf the Gray' may be called a `wizard', he is not a wizard in the same sense as Merlin or a wizard of `Dungeons and Dragons'.

The most important difference between Middle Earth and our world is that this continent is in the center of a great disk surrounded by seas across which are the undying lands including the Elven island of Eressea and Valinor. The next major difference is that there are beings, primarily elves, which walk the earth and which are literally immortal. That is, they cannot die by natural causes. They can, however, be killed in battle, as seen in `The Two Towers' movie with the death of the elven archer allies helping to defend the Hornburg with Aragorn, Theoden, and the Rohrrim. It is also interesting to see that Gandalf possesses an immortality of an entirely different order, as he survives the great battle with the Balrog in the mines of Moria, a battle that would have killed any ordinary immortal elf.

It would have been interesting to see Tolkien deal with immortality in the same way that John Boorman did in his script for the movie `Zardoz', an easily underestimated movie. (Oddly enough, Gandalf is most like the characterization of Merlin in Boorman's movie, `Excalibur').

Another big difference is that the physics of this world is different from our world. Light, for example, simply does not behave like our notions of light. It is much more like a liquid that can be captured in the Silmarils or in the vial give by Galadrial to Frodo in Lorien. This is part of the reason neither Gandalf nor any other character, even Sauron, seems to use much `magic'. What may appear to us as magic is simply bending the different laws of physics to the will of the magician, as Sauron does in creating the One Ring.

These two books are yet another step removed from the `popular fiction' of `LOTR'. `The Silmarillion' was one step removed in being much more like Hesiod's mythology than Homer's epics. The `Unfinished Tales' were another step removed in that they were close to being stories with extensive editorial annotations. These two volumes, which are really one work in two books are reconstructions of even cruder material. Reading them may be about as much fun as reading Frazier's `The Golden Bough'.

Now, reading `The Golden Bough' can be fun for a particularly intellectual interest, but it takes just a bit extra to gain the same pleasure from these works, as they are not stories from a historical mythology which may explain genuine primitive thought and beliefs. They are make believe! They just happen to be of a type of make believe which is more different than just about any other fiction you can imagine.

The greatest insight I get from these myths on the early history of Middle Earth is on the origins of Tom Bombadil and the Ents. While neither is mentioned, there are ample hints that both are beings who sprung up from the bones of Middle Earth itself, independent of any efforts by the Valar. This explains the total difference between Bombadil and every other character in `LOTR' aside from Treebeard and the Ents. The Elves, the Wizards, Sauron, dragons, and probably dwarves, hobbits, and men all arose out of immigrants from `The Undying Lands' or were created by the Valar.

I find the single most interesting character in these pre `LOTR' stories to be the Noldor (elven) leader Feanor. He seems to have the air of Prometheus about him in that he defies the gods (the Valar) without being an evil force like Melkor / Morgoth or Sauron. When Feanor is not on the stage, my interest drops several notches.

These are the first two volumes of the twelve volume `The History of Middle Earth'. While several of the volumes seem independent, I would not venture to read any of them without having read `The Silmarillion'. They will make very little sense without this background in hand.

This is a great read. It brings another perspective on the war in Iraq.

First off, full disclosure. I have met Kimberly, and we have exchanged emails. I respect her as a journalist, and now as an author.

Her book is a quick read, but not always a pleasant one. In her brisk style honed as a broadcast writer conveys a candid and authoritative narrative. I found three themes of particular interest.

Her description of military medical practices is fascinating. She gives a detailed yet comprehensible explanation of the life-saving methods practiced by corpsmen and medics on the battlefield. Procedures immediately after the explosion are clearly spelled out, and I think that has to be a comfort to anyone who has a friend or relative in harm's way.

She also tells us about the long and agonizing rehabilitation process from start to finish. Too often we only hear about the tragic incident and then the outcome, whether it's happy or bittersweet. The gut-wrenching middle gets left out or short-changed. But Kimberly clarifies the recovery process without being maudlin or grotesque. This book is highly recommended for anyone facing long recovery from serious injury (and for their family and friends).

Kimberly's decision regarding the choice of psychotropic drugs versus counseling is instructive and can be a guide to others in similar situations. She recognized, or perhaps just sensed, that she did not need drugs. Of the three states of mental health problems -- stress, distress and disorder - she was battling the first two, but not the third.

Her counseling references also are in stark contrast to the situation for many active military personnel. DOD recognizes other mental health professions for independent insurance reimbursement, but not certified counselors. This is a disturbing disincentive, particularly at a time when the shortage of mental health care services for military personnel and their families is well documented. Maybe her book will prod (or shame) the military establishment into making counselors more readily available to service personnel and their families.

Her editors let her down in a few places (dropped words, redundant passages), but otherwise "Breathing the Fire" is a good story told well, with interesting information and revelations for just about any reader.

This is an excellent book, contemplative and moving in its detailed descriptions of a U.S. news reporter's first hand experience of war. Dozier's discussion of her near death and recovery from severe injury and loss is as captivating as it is frightening. Written in the prose style of a scrupulous reporter but with the rhythm of fiction, the book brings the reader into places of desire, anticipation, shock, betrayal, anger and triumph.
Breathing the Fire is recommended for anyone concerned about the Iraq war -- a real war that permanently affects the lives of journalists and photographers, soldiers, translators, health care workers and their families.

Remarkably unflinching - Kimberly Dozier's narrative voice in "Breathing the Fire" describes her road to recovery after being seriously injured on Memorial Day 2006 by a horrific car bombing in Iraq which killed four others, including the CBS cameraman and soundman she worked alongside. In meticulous detail, Dozier dissects the details of the bombing and day-to-day decisions around her medical care and rehabilitation, and punctuates them with her observations and feelings, allowing a rare peek into the mind of someone who has survived an extremely traumatic experience. Even after she learns how to walk again and returns to the newsroom - the author learns that there is no textbook for adjusting to a "new normal" and how to respond to people as they react to seeing a walking miracle. The book sheds light on the experiences of many struggling to recover from the wounds of war. You also learn what drew her to journalism and led her to be a foreign correspondent in a war zone. Readers are introduced to a wealth of supportive people who played pivotal roles in her recovery - from Iowa National Guardsman Staff Sgt. Jeremy Coke who tied the tourniquet on her leg after the bombing that saved her life, to her friends at CBS, innumberable medical and rehab personnel, her parents, and her boyfriend, Pete. Destined to become one of the critical memoirs chronicling the Iraq War.

I read this book thinking, "I am not sure if I can relate to this". War stories are not my reading genre of choice. But, I had met Kim over the phone one day and so received an e-mail from her letting me and all her address book addressees that her book had been published. So, I ordered one from Amazon not quite knowing what to expect. This book is so NOT a war story. It is the courageous story of a woman with a goal who achieved that goal, a goal which led her into combat where a life-changing event changed her life forever, as well as so many other lives. I was drawn in the moment I started reading. Kim's writing is clear, concise, factual, with just the right amount of emotion and personality. She lets people in to her very personal yet very public experience without a hint of self pity or any reference to a "poor me" attitude. The book is an inspiring one about a woman of intelligence, bravery, dedication, and love who dared to follow her dream, went through a nightmare, and is today a source of strength to people chasing a dream or living with their own struggle.

This is the third, excellent volume in the author's series that follows the detective work of Major Abel Jones during the Civil War. This time, the author's masterful style immerses you in April, 1862, with its odd speech (to the 2007 ear), its stomach-turning savagery in the Battle of Shiloh, and its well-mannered relationship between Union and Confederate officers off the battlefield. Someone has brutally slaughtered forty slaves, men, women, and children, in the no-man's land between Union and Confederate lines. General Grant sends Major Jones on a hazardous trip through the lines with a request that Confederate General P. G. T. Beauregard cooperate in investigating this terrible crime. Beauregard agrees and assigns Confederate Lieutenant Drake Raines to aid Jones. The two officers follow a frightening path as they track down the murderers and barely prevent another mass killing. The story is full of action, and the plot twists wonderfully.

I loved the first Abel Jones Civil War mystery (Faded Coat of Blue), but was sorely disappointed by the second (Shadows of Glory), so it with great relief that I can report that this third in the series displays much (if not quite all) the skill Parry brought to Faded Coat of Blue. The story kicks off with a serious bang, as the first thirty pages or so throw Major Abel Jones into the messy battle at Shiloh in early April 1862. From the very first sentence ("I remember the smell of men burning"), the reader is immersed in the chaos and confusion that is war, and it's hard to imagine any work of nonfiction\ able to compete with the "you are there" sensation these pages impart. In this in initial bloody action, the ever-stern Jones rounds up as many of those fleeing the battle as possible, and rallies them into a little unit, fighting through the day.

It's only after the battle that we finally learn the purpose of his foray into the front lines. As outlined in the previous books, the Welsh immigrant and former soldier Jones has been transformed from an army clerk into a special agent of President Lincoln's. Here, he sent is to investigate the massacre of forty runaway slaves, an atrocity discovered by advancing Union troops in Tennessee. Jones meets with Generals Grant and Sherman (and his friend Dr. Mick Tyrone), and is escorted to the Confederate side as an emissary to General Beauregard to discuss this heinous crime. Of course, this isn't as simple as it sounds, and Jones goes through a few adventures before he's able to team up with an young aristocratic (and Harvard educated) Southern officer to unmask the killers.

Actually, the book's one significant weakness is that there is a great deal of buildup to the mystery, but once the investigation is underway, the killers are identified with very rapidly (not to mention that the answer seems obvious the moment the villain is first seen). As in Shadows of glory, the emphasis is much more on mood and atmosphere than actual suspense. Much of the story seems designed to have Jones come to the realization that slaves are humans too, and perhaps are worth fighting a war over. To that end, a number of the supporting characters aren't nearly as well realized as they are in either of the two earlier books. Jones' Confederate liaison is a textbook golden-haired young Southern gentleman, and there are a smattering of basic rednecks and slave types as well. One notable exception is the Barnaby B. Barnaby, the Cockney gentleman's gentleman to Jones' liaison, who provides comic relief and a vivid voice. Of course, the strongest voice is Jones' own as narrator, and his telling is robust with the Welsh idiom, cadence, and priggish prejudice of the earlier books. Phrases like "he was as full of tricks as an Irish barrister" abound, and add much to the story.

All in all, the book is satisfying reading, if not as outstanding as Faded Coat of Blue, which just had everything going for it. The series continues with , Honor's Kingdom and Bold Sons of Erin which I will definitely be seeking out.

I'm always wary of historical novels, since they have a tendency to transfer 21st Century sensibilities to their subject matter. Owen Parry (whose real name is Ralph Peters, the great Russian expert and strategic thinker) avoids that, creating a hero and a story which live and breath the Civil War era. I was impressed, although not overly so, with the first book of the series, but I am increasingly moved by every addition to the series.

Major Abel Jones is pompous and priggish and if weren't so clever in solving murder mysteries, he would be a classic comic figure (one on-going theme is the pride this Welshman takes in his singing voice, when it's obvious (though not to him) that it's rather awful).

The walk on parts of various historical figures is impressive. I always judge the walk ons in historical novels by using as my gold standard the Abraham Lincoln in George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman series: lovely little vignettes which both capture the essence of the man and allow the reader to see his hero in a new light. In River Jordan, Parry manages a General Grant who is every bit as real as Fraser's Lincoln. That is the first time I can say that about anyone's novel about any era.

I've traveled in Wales, know Welsh history back to the early Middle Ages, and even studied the language some years ago. I recognize Owen Parry's Union officer, Abel Jones, as the counterpart of some of the sturdy people of that splendid land. I've now read all three of Parry's Civil War mysteries available in paperback, and each new one has been better than the last.

The only mystery writers of comparable talent who've dissected the physical, mental and moral tragedy of war are Charles Todd and Reginald Hill. But Parry, writing in the voice of a deeply religious, highly puritanical Welshman of the mid-Nineteenth Century, is unique. I doubt that there are very many better first-person stories out there in any genre.

The plot and characters of this latest novel have been covered by other reviewers (with whom I soundly agree). I only want to suggest that if you haven't yet heard the voice of Abel Jones, go thou and do so.

There is something sublime about this book.

It would be easy for Parry to follow the easy path to Civil War fiction that so many other authors have followed. But, instead, he chooses to probe the depths of slavery and abolition and Union versus Confederacy.

Although this book is billed as a historical suspense/mystery novel, it is far more. The murder plot is merely a device the author uses to explore the depths of human character and the interplay between Whites and Blacks during the Civil War. All of Parry's characters are very human, including his main hero and his major villain. The terrors and bloodlust of war are portrayed vividly. And, to Parry's credit, not all of the action takes place on the battlefield.

Main character Abel Jones is a Welsh major hired by President Lincoln to solve the mass murder of some Blacks barely over the Shiloh battle lines. To do so, he must coordinate his activities with officers from the Confederacy. The Union blames the Confederates for the murders and the Confederacy blames the Union. But Abel is Able as he solves the dilemma. But, as I said, the mystery plot is secondary.

Abel struggles with the line between Christian non-violence and wartime bloodshed. Some characters struggle with loss of life and property while others struggle with the concept of true freedom.

The only negative to this book is its obvious setup at the finish for a sequel. I don't dislike sequels or series novels, but the setup is too obvious.

Nonetheless, this book is glorious and there really is something sublime here that I can't pinpoint. A treasure.

I was unfamiliar with the Kindertransport that moved 10,000 Jewish children to safety from the Holocaust. This biography brings that event to life through the memories of Lisa Jura. At 14, her parents sent her to London and the book covers that wrenching journey and the next six years of her life. Growing up during the blitz in a refugee home with 31 children makes a fascinating book.
Lisa's devotion to music weaves the story together as she strives towards her parents' dream. Becoming a concert pianist seems unachievable under the circumstances, but this touching biography details Lisa's progress towards that goal. This account has appeal for both adult and teen readers.
I also recommend In The Shadow Of The Cathedral: Growing Up In Holland During WW II by Titia Bozuwa

author of Cooking Jewish: 532 Great Recipes from the Rabinowitz Family

from the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles
August 30, 2002

Vienna, 1938. In the city of Mozart, Schubert, Beethoven and Strauss, 14-year-old musical prodigy Lisa Jura looks forward to a promising career as a concert pianist. Hitler has other plans. With the breaking of glass on Kristallnacht, Jura's dreams are shattered.

Internationally celebrated concert pianist Mona Golabek, with journalist and poet Lee Cohen, has crafted a loving, lyrical tribute to her mother, Lisa Jura, in "The Children of Willesden Lane: Beyond the Kindertransport: A Memoir of Music, Love, and Survival."

Jura was one of 10,000 Jewish children saved from the Nazis by the British and sent on the Kindertransport to safety from Eastern Europe. Already being compared to "The Diary of Anne Frank," this simultaneously heartbreaking and uplifting tale weaves together the stories that Golabek's mother told her about prewar Austria; the gut-wrenching separation from her family; life at the orphanage on Willesden Lane; and the power of music to help her survive.

As Jura's mother, Malka, puts her on the train, she says the prophetic words that will sustain and inspire her daughter and future generations: "Hold on to your music. Let it be your best friend."

In a world turned ugly, the beauty of music becomes Jura's strength, and, against tremendous odds, with the help and encouragement of the 30 other displaced children at the orphanage, she wins a scholarship to London's Royal Academy.

"Each kid saw something in my mother's music that reminded them of what they had left behind in Czechoslovakia, in Austria, in Germany," says Golabek, a Grammy-nominated artist, "and that's what I tried to do in the story, not only to pay homage to my mother, but to all these kids and to their bravery."

The book opens with Jura's tantalizing daydream of performing in a great concert hall and closes with the fulfillment of that dream, as she makes her debut before an exhilarated crowd. And in between, the pages burst with melody: Jura pounding the cadenza of the Grieg "Piano Concerto" to drown out the sounds of bombs during London's blitz, Jura visualizing Chopin fleeing a flaming Warsaw as she struggles with the somber coda of the "Ballade," Jura remembering her mother's Sabbath candles as she plays the solemn opening of Beethoven's "Pathetique."

"My mom and her mother never cared if a piece is in C major. What really counts is the passion behind it, the image. If it's `Clair de Lune,' imagine the moon over a desert island. That imagination allowed her to survive the horrors of what she experienced, because a C-major chord will not inspire you through the horrors. It's the moonlight, the idea that maybe the composer wrote it for someone he loved. These things inflamed her imagination, and that's how she inflamed mine."

And now Golabek's book will inflame the imagination of a whole new generation. The Milken Family Foundation, together with Facing History and Ourselves, an educational organization that teaches tolerance to 1 million students annually, are working with Golabek to bring the story to schools across the country by developing a companion curriculum guide.

Plans are under way to launch the book in Austria, and make it available to teachers as part of the now mandatory four-year Holocaust education program for students.

The saga of Golabek's 18-year struggle to get the story published is almost as harrowing as her mother's story itself. "It went through many, many writings; many, many ups and downs, starts and disappointments," Golabek says.

Now the accolades and offers are pouring in. On Sept. 24, she will be an honored guest speaker at the California Governor's Conference for Women at the Long Beach Convention Center and will appear at Beth Am on Nov. 17 with her sister, pianist Renee Golabek-Kaye, and Jura's four grandchildren, all musicians: Michele, 16; Sarah, 14; Jonathan, 8; and Rachel, 7. Brandeis University will honor her at the Skirball Cultural Center next March 31.

Last week Golabek was interviewed on NPR's Morning Edition and was the subject of a feature story by Andy Meisler of the New York Times. In the planning stages is a concert next year co-sponsored by the U.S. Holocaust Museum and the Austrian government. And, of course, Golabek is considering movie offers.

On her syndicated radio show, "The Romantic Hours," which highlights stirring writings against a musical backdrop (Saturdays at 10 p.m., 105.1 FM), Golabek often quotes the poet Jean Paul Richter: "Life fades and withers behind us, but of our immortal and sacred soul all that remains is music."

"That was a quote my mother taught me, and the whole reason why I wrote this book and why I created `The Romantic Hours' was that my mother felt through words and through music our souls would be immortalized."

This is one of my all-time favorite books. If you are a musician, you will fall in love with it. The story is inspiring and moving and will make you appreciate music to the greatest extent possible.

Full of history. Easy to follow. Great read for young and old alike.

This is a story which every parent should read to their children. Talk about the history of WW2 and discuss the extremes of humanity. A book which once read you will never forget.

This book is a very interesting account from the Sub commander. The first hand accounts described by the writer are what makes the book a cut above most.

The man has done it all, i.e., fantastic submarine skipper, Medal of Honor Recipient, and writing skills to match. This book is a classic, and anyone interested in WWII submarine warfare absolutely must have this book in his shelf!

Outstanding read---puts you on the submarine, with all the tension and excitement---and yes, the inherent boredom. I'm a former submariner and my old CO (Dennis Oltraver, CAPT, USN---who went from E-1 to O-6---so quite a man in himself) knew O'Kane and copied much of his leadership style. In turn, I copied my CO---when I read Clear the Bridge, I was amazed at how I knew what O'Kane would do (particularly on personnel issues) before I read the next paragraph---I learned from someone who learned from him. Sadly, CAPT Oltraver died of cancer, or I would thank him for his legacy of leadership, some of which was learned from a master leader and legend, RADM Dick O'Kane. This book is as good as Ed Beach's Run Silent, Run Deep---and in some respects better---for his is a first person account. Highly recommended.

This is a great book. The fact that is was written by the Captain of the Submarine makes it that much more meaningful. I couldn't stop reading it, but my one complaint is that it is very technical and lacks some emotion. The author, being a "career navy man" uses abbreviations and phrases that don't mean much to the layperson (and the glossary doesn't help much in this regard) and there is an overall lack of "passion". There is very little discussion of his personal feelings or the mood on the ship. For example, he describes a depth charge attack (a crack and a boom and pressure through the hull) as something that made the men realize the training exercise did not approximate reality (or that the real thing was nothing like the Hollywood version). I thought a depth charge attack was one of the most terrifying ordeals in a submarine and as a result was very interested in reading what it was like by someone who was there first-hand, but it gets very little coverage.

However, knowing that the events were real and the people were real makes this book an excellent read. I recommend it.

O'Kane's the real deal, sailor, warrior, leader, survivor and writer.

This is his story and that of the USS Tang, one of the most successful submarines operating in the Pacific. O'Kane was one of a new breed of submarine skippers who traded caution for results with great success but at huge risks. One of the most effective tactics was to take the surfaced submarine into the middle of Japanese convoys at night, attacking multiple ships and then escaping to the depths.

The action is heartstopping and explains why the Navy pulled some of the more conservative older skippers out of their boats and replaced them with men like this. But the story is much more than simply tactics and bravery above all expectations, it is a story about true leadership. Young MBA's would do better asking themselves what characteristics of leadership did O'Kane and his officers utilize to achieve so much with so very little in tangible rewards to offer their crews. There were few rewards for the truly outstanding sub crews, congratuations, a sense of team and the dubious honor of being sent back out on patrol as soon as possible.

The description of various engagements may seem a little dry and technical to someone who has not been out on the sea on a dark night trying to make sense of faint shadows and movement. For fans of surface warfare who think subs are like hunting with poison gas the descriptions of night surface attacks in the middle of escorted convoys will fully dispell that image.

The book is a great reminder of the incredible courage of those who have gone to sea to defend our country for more than 220 and those who continue to do so today.

Constance is a book about a girl who moves to America and starts out on fresh land. i love romances and this book is very romantic! Constance is a complete flirt! Theres many twists in the book but i still liked it very much. basically its about a girl who grows and learns about her new home theres indians and a great sickness and many romances. enjoy!

This book was given to me when I was nine, and is a long-standing favorite. I'm now in my late teens, but every November I read it again for old time's sake around Thanksgiving, and every year I love it. It speaks many truths about life in general, and Constance is an engaging and highly relatable character. I looked online out of interest to see if it was as widely read as I thought it should be, and thankfully it appears to be. This book would make an excellent gift for a young girl; it is gaurenteed to be a book she will read over and over again and always hold a special place in her heart.

I picked up "Constance" somewhere - I have no idea where, but my copy is old and yellowed and falling apart. I read it and fell in love with it. I must say - my old copy has a fantastic cover and I much prefer it to the one depicted here. But that's by the by... =)

I'm teaching my (7th grade) son the 1600-1850 time period this year and was able to pull "Constance" off the shelf and introduce him to its delights. It has been the ONLY book he has begged me to continue to read to him outside of planned school reading times. WOO HOO! It warms the cockles of this mother's heart. We've laughed at the funny bits, sobbed our hearts out at the sad bits, and marveled how these people, with their numbers decimated that very first spring, worked together to make a successful community.

We'll be finishing the book tomorrow. I drove him bananas by reading the first sentence of tomorrow's reading, telling him WHO proposed but NOT what the answer or consequence was. He says I'm an evil mother. =D I laughed with joy at his enthusiasm for the book.

I got this book on a trip to the East Coast when I was ten years old and fell in love. It was my favorite book during all of my early teen years; and though I haven't read it in years, I think it will always hold the place in my heart as my favorite book.

I read this long before I knew a key fact about Constance Hopkins, and I thought it was terrific. Of course, I still do. The tone of high spirits forced into apparent submission is perfect. I do think the cover illustration on the Beech Tree edition is awful; the cover on the Dell edition is far better.

Key fact: she is my nine-times-great-grandmother. (Patricia Clapp, the author, is also descended from Constance.) I have dug around in other books and on-line sources about Plimouth Plantation, and the historical facts are dead-on. I don't at the moment remember whether "Constance" mentions that her father was not a Puritan, Dissenter, Separatist; he came not for religious reasons but because he wanted his own farm. Constance, her husband Nicholas, and her brother Giles left Plymouth for the same reason in 1644 -- and also because they were fed up with the Puritan oligarchy in Plymouth.

So her family represents, in many ways, the American quest for independence and farmland -- the Jeffersonian ideal of the free citizen. (Constance's descendants were still farming as late as 1940, though my father left the farm in 1921, finding farming a new form of tyranny.)

This was a wonderful addition to my Christmas advent celebration (audio version)! Others have explained the story line, so I'll only add that I found the quality of the narration and sound to be excellent (one demon has a very funny/cheesy voice, but upon reflection, it seems appropriate that a lesser demon would have to pretend to be scary since the poor things have no true power over us!) This production reminded me of the excellent Focus on the Family Radio Theatre productions which I also enjoy.

I love the fact that this story is presented in visions of warfare and heavenly battles since it is so very easy to forget that the battle that has raged since the beginning of time hasn't ended yet. We are still called to be warriors; remembering that our enemy is not flesh and blood and our weapons are not made by human hands.

Listening to this story will put you in a place of awe and wonder and maybe even cheering out loud for our conquering King! There is love, truth, and redemption in this story. A genuinely uplifting way to prepare for Christmas!

p.s. For those who critique everything "spiritual" by requiring that every word come from the Word and be filtered through your doctrinal beliefs, you are missing the point entirely. God's story didn't end hundreds of years ago when the Bible was written, nor does the Bible contain every bit of human, much less spiritual, history of the world. Nor does it contain all of the future (after all, it doesn't mention each of us who passionately believe and are "on mission" for Christ in this day and age,) and we are very much a part of God's cosmic story!

A Cosmic Christmas is without doubt one of the best books ever. I'm 11 years old, in the 4th grade, and want the book for Christmas. Even if you're not a Christian you should read a Cosmic Christmas because it is so entertaining. The plot makes you want to keep reading and holds you in suspense. This book is a major contribution to our world literature, and I think it is just as good, if not better, than Harry Potter.

Max Lucado looks at the Christmas story from a very different angle in his first novel. Loosely based upon the scriptures, the story tells of Gabriel being summoned by the Lord to go to Earth and deliver a great message3 that is reminiscent of the opening scenes of "It's a Wonderful Life". There are some fictional angels who appear now and then, but it helps to flesh out the story. The most poignant scenes are when Gabriel does arrive on Earth and actually is protecting Mary from Satan just before the birth of the Messiah - this is, of course, a fictionalized account.

However, the book does have its drawbacks. First, the size and shape of the book make it awkward to hold and read. This sounds petty, but it was a real problem for me. Also, the illustrations did not add to the story and were misplaced. I could have done without them. Most importantly however is that the book is just too short. There are not enough details and it really feels more like an outline than a compete story.

Why 3 stars?:
While Lucado's first novel is an interesting take on the story of the Nativity, it was not designed particularly well. It will make a nice addition to Lucado fans' bookshelves, but otherwise it could be skipped.

what i understood the intent of this book to be was that lucado wanted to convey the message of the vast love of God. i think he did this exceptionally. the books reads quickly (about 2 hours), and is worth buying for your personal library.

I am especially intrigued by how lucado described the Godhead (oneness) -- very accurate!

I always imagined Jesus' birth as a peaceful event, lambs lowing, all's right with the world. This book opened my eyes to other possibilities and it's probably much closer to the truth.