Clouds Books

The Liberty Letters: Personal Correspondence of Catherine Clark and Meredith Lyons: Pearl Harbor, 1941- was a really good book. I enjoyed it alot. I learned about how The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941. And about polio because one of the girls brothers has it.
I liked the book and might read another by Nancy LeSound.

Rachael

This is a very short read and a good book for anyone wanting to change bad habits. As a psychologist, my only complaint would be that it focuses too heavily on religion as the answer to changing bad habits instead of using modern psychology. With this said, religion has been shown to be a very powerful form of helping people to change. If you are comfortable with a self-help book based heavily in religion then it is a good and quick read.
Anthony Gunn, psychologist and author of Fear Is Power: Turn Your Fears Into Success

My highschool librarian talked me into reading this 'old' book about 4 years ago, and I absolutely fell in love with it! The story may have been printed years ago, but the only thing stale about it is the book cover, because this jewel has been out of print for a while.

The story begins with Delight moving to Alaska to live with her brother who runs the base there. She soon meets Lt. Bill Mason who saves the day for her on more than one occasion, and Captain Steele who would give anything for her attention. Soon Delight catches on that there is something deep hidden between the two men, causing their strong dislike of one another. But as she draws closer to finding out the dark secret, she comes to realize that her own past--and future--is caught up in this web of mystery as well.

I also agree that Behind the Cloud is an wholesome and entertaining novel, with just the right mixture of mystery and romance. I highly recommend it for readers of all age groups!

When Delight Tremaine joined her brother in an Alaskan air base, she was warned that the young officers there were starving for the company of an attractive girl. She promised to just be "Best Friends with all of them". But she did not reckon meeting Lt. Bill Mason, so handsome and yet so maddeningly aloof. Neither did she expect to meet Captain Steele, who was hard as his name.

Delight suspected that the hatred between these two West Pointers was deep. Was it a girl? Was it a passed up promotion?

Behind the Cloud is a wholesome and clean romance novel - typical of an Emilie Loring creation.

Just finished reading "Bound for Inca Snows" last night. I loved the title and how its meaning was revealed. It's a great story and well told. The narration by each of the main characters was very enjoyable and added more dimension to the story. The rich detail brought it all to life!

This historical fiction, Bound for Inca Snows begins with the boy Ninan, son of the Inca ruler Huayna Capac, witnessing a fight between his parents about surrendering his baby sister, Kaya, to the priests of Inti, the Sun God.

The stories of Ninan and Kaya are told in succeeding chapters: Ninan, the son and heir to the ruler, traveling all over the empire; and Kaya, a sequestered religious seer and weaver in the mountaintop retreat, Machu Picchu.

This fascinating period in history, the late 1400s on the west coast of South America and the Andes, saw the Inca Empire at its height. The Inca were renowned for their stone construction, roads, medicine, agriculture, and irrigation, the organization of their society, weaving and other crafts.

Smith brings this period alive, with insights into the religion, daily life, festivals, ethics, mythology, and social structure. The brutal sacrifices of the children of nobility, wars and punishments are also woven into the story. The beauty of the people, the myths and legends, and Kaya's visions make the book magical.

Smith's extensive research creates a strong foundation for the story of two engaging people, a society and culture that was doomed.

Armchair Interviews says: Bound for Inca Snows conjures up visions of the past glory of the Incas, with real people and incredible detail.

I acquired this book after enjoying other books in The West and the Wider World Series (Harris' The Sins of the Father, Seaman's Paper Airplanes in the Himalayas). Unlike the other books, The Cloud and the Light provides little insight into the relationships and the interactions between cultures. In part, this is due to the others being written by children of missionaries, authors exposed to both worlds as a child. A large part, however, seems to be Dr. Kawano's desire to be positive and not critical. He speaks against the horrors of radiation poisoning, suicide and smoking, but seems hesitant to criticize any person or cultural group. The absence of comments regarding America's use of the bomb are notable.

The first chapters of this autobiography provide revealing descriptions of what it was like to live and to provide medical care in Nagasaki during and after the bomb. The middle chapters, however, focus on other aspects of his life - his work in neurology and his support of suicide hotline and anti-smoking campaigns. The final chapters provide more wartime background and address how Dr. Kawano became a Christian.

Readers interested in "inspirational" lives may enjoy this book. Those interested in Japan and Japanese medicine during and immediately after the bomb should read the first chapters. Most will probably find the translated prose readable but dry.

THE CLOUD AND THE LIGHT Memoirs of a Japanese Christian Surgeon from Nagasaki

The West and the Wider World Series, Vol. XII By Martin Kawano, M.D.

In an extended memoir, Dr. Martin Kawano reviews his life from the rare perspective of a Protestant inter-denominational surgeon who, while a medical student, survived the bombing of Nagasaki. This intensely personal account casts more light on the bombing and its immediate aftermath than other existing classic works.

Dr. Kawano had studied Protestant theology, but set these pursuits aside to join the army. Following his stint in service, he began medical studies. He has been a surgeon all his professional life and a crusader against smoking. In his world-wide service as a social reformer he worked with many well-known people such as Maria Von Trapp and the daughter and granddaughter of Albert Schweitzer.

"Like my father Albert Schweitzer, who influenced him, Martin Kawano has made his life his argument. From the time when as a medical student he miraculously escaped death from the atomic bomb which fell on Nagasaki, his life has unfolded in steady service to mankind. From his studies in the USA, Germany, Switzerland and Canada, he has brought back to Japan unique capabilities for helping where he sees the greatest needs, without consideration for his career or his personal life. His story is inspiring, the testimony of a man with unwavering faith and dedication." Rhena Schweitzer Miller, 1996

After the core rulebook, this volume contains the two key volumes of the now OOP series. Cloud Captains is the dramatic heart of Space: 1889 and Conklin's Atlas is second only to the core rules as the definitive sourcebook of the S: 1889 universe. If you are intending to play the game, buy this book.

If you are planning to play Space: 1889, this is THE supplemental book to get. It gives much greater detail to Mercury & Venus than the rulebook, and adds to the information on Mars. The information on Victorian Earth is lacking, though the travel times and world maps of 1889 Earth are helpful.
Cloud Captains provides interesting detail on Karkarham, "the Casablanca of Mars" - where just about anything goes. It is a great place to set a campaign for ribald adventurers.

The first two books in this trilogy were both in the 5 star category. Scott Rohan's weaving of the past, the mundane and the mythical into a wonderfully detailed and evocative magic-carpet is excellent. This sort of skill hasn't been seen since Zelazny. I found this book less entertaining than the the first parts of the trilogy, because Rohan has chosen Europe as his canvas. He does it well, but it is an overworked canvas, with nazi-villans, again. With the whole of history to draw on, there are plenty of other disgusting characters available. I preferred Fisher as a man still learning to come to terms with himself. The publishers have not re-issued the earlier parts of one of the best fantasy series of the last twenty years. These books have been inadequately publicised and have not recieved the degree of aclaim they deserve.

It's obvious that author Michael Scott Rohan has become very comfortable writing in the world of the "Spiral" that he's created. This is his third book he has written using this world and the same main character and it shows. This one definitely flows a lot more smoothly and his confidence is also reflected in the character of Stephen Fisher. No longer the self doubting hollow man (thank god) that he was, he is now the CEO of a major shipping company and can move between the "Core" and the "Spiral" with relative ease. Luckily Mr. Rohan has the imagination to come up with quite a challenge for his main character or it could've gotten boring watching Stephen Fisher swagger through life. One thing I did miss though was there wasn't the boat trips on old sailing ships that served as a catalyst in the first two books. Despite that though this book does seem to be an overall step foward for this series. I knew this was a good one when I kept being late because I just couldn't put the book down and wanted to read "just one more page". I hope this isn't the last we've seen of Stephen Fisher, the "Core" and the "Spiral". =: )

Ok, so what gets your attention more quickly and faster than a dead body? That's how Clouds Over Mountains starts. Perry Mason goes in front of the civilians and Navy officers to re-account his story of what happened that night. Perry tells them that it was a foggy evening when Seaman Franks shouts that he spotted something propped up on the dock. When Perry and Franks go to investigate what was on the dock to their surprise they find the body of a man.

Koji Imaichi wants to figure out why Navy pilot Yasuo Saito so many years ago disappeared, especially after surviving the attack by the Americans on the Navy carrier Akag at Midway. So Imaichi, an ex-cop decides to pose as a reporter to get answers from Saito. The problem is when Imaichi shows up at Saito's doorstep in Japan; Saito gets scared and runs away. The chase is on now. Imaichi follows Saito from Japan to his childhood home and finally to Hawaii. Just when Imaichi thinks he has lost track of Saito a new twist gets thrown in the mix and you won't believe what it is!


When I read the book summary and concept for Clouds Over Mountains I was very interested. I didn't realize through that Clouds Over Mountains would be better than it sounded. The characters were great as well as the storyline. Plus I didn't figure out what the secret was that Saito was hiding till Mr. Joseph wanted the reader to learn it. I do have to admit that when I first picked up this book I was like ok so it might take me a while to finish reading Clouds Over Mountains but it moved so fast and smooth that I had more trouble putting it down than I did picking it up. A big credit to this fact is Mr. Joseph's writing style. Also when I found out this was Matt Joseph's first novel; I was like I hope there is more to come

The December 7, 1941, Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was one of the pivotal events of American history, an event that not only changed the course of World War II but also greatly impacted the futures of America and Japan for generations to come. In Clouds Over Mountains, author Matt Joseph revisits that tragic day from both the American and Japanese points-of-view.

Yasuo Saito, who became one of Japan's finest wartime pilots despite his humble beginnings in rural Japan, has lived with what he considers to be a shameful secret for almost fifty-three years. He lived a quiet, self-contained life all those years but, fearing that his secret is about to be exposed, he decides that personal honor and loyalties require him to return to Hawaii's Pearl Harbor one last time.

Margaret Roberts, one of the FBI's most successful female agents ever, has reached the point in late 1998 of being considered for the agency's top spot, a mixed blessing because of the personal embarrassment resulting from the media investigation into her past and qualifications for the job. Roberts, hoping to relieve some of the tremendous stress she is under, looks to a few days in Hawaii as the way to go but finds herself there when an unusual crime makes headlines around the world: a body has been found on the U.S.S. Arizona memorial with bloody footprints leading away from it. Because of the location of the crime scene, the FBI assumes jurisdiction over the investigation and Roberts is immediately in the thick of things.

Clouds Over Mountains is an intriguing mystery, one that keeps the reader guessing for a while, but its real strength is that it is a strong character-driven mystery and not just a simple whodunit. Yasuo Saito is old-school when it comes to issues of personal honor and he has struggled for most of his life to reconcile himself to a decision that he made during the war. Through Saito's efforts to explain the life that he has lived for the last five decades, the reader is taken inside a pre-World War II Japanese society very different from the modern Japan we know today. It is an interesting look at what American history will always characterize as a "sneak attack" from the viewpoint of those responsible for the attack and a reminder that both sides suffer greatly during any armed conflict.

Clouds Over Mountains is about family loyalties, patriotism, personal honor and shame, and desire for atonement. As in the best fiction of this type, history is simply the backdrop used to share the lessons learned by those who were there to experience it. This one took me to a world I was not at all familiar with, and I'm glad I made the trip.

I've been to Papua New Guinea, and I found this a very enjoyable read. Isabella Tree lets you get to know the people she meets, and her writing style really takes you along with her. This is just a short note to say "give this one a try."

Islands in the Clouds is one of the better travelogues to come out as part of the Lonely Planet Journeys series. Tree gives a good overview of the history, sociology and culture of the highlands of Papua New Guinea in an well-paced, beautifully written tale. Adding to the value of the book is its Tok Pisin glossary, which makes for a nice introduction to the pidgin/creole language of PNG.

the guy who wrote the book was the brother of one of my aunt's very dear friends. she let me borrow it a few weeks ago and i got a big kick out of it because i'd heard stories of the people involved, specifically the sister, irja. i'd recommend it to anyone who likes hearing stories from relatives. this wasn't written like a technical history book. it was written like your grandparents are sitting around one day giving you their history.

This was an interesting story about an era in American and Soviet history about which I and most people are unaware, told from the perspective of two people who lived the story. It's a warm, human story of a young idealistic couple traveling from the American depression to a new country, Karelia, a Russian province, to create the perfect society and their disillusionment when the Stalin regime dashed any prospect of achieving that dream.

Easy to read. Easy to understand. It demonstrates God's love and grace thru the gift of contemplative prayer.
A must read for anyone starting the journey. Of course everyone is in one of the 'stages' of the loving search: a "beginner, only a beginner, or just a beginner".
Provides examples on understanding Scripture at the allegorical level.
Warm, friendly, loving. Much more effective than 'great' theological disertations.

As one who loves the Cloud of Unknowing, my impression was that the author indeed understood that work very well - and assumed that readers would as well. Wishful thinking, indeed! This book is a series of loving, sweet, but rather unsatisfying meditations. It is obviously an attempt to make the Cloud understandable to any reader, but that is a task doomed to failure. The Cloud was written for one the author had judged to be called to the contemplative prayer that is a sheer gift of grace, and therefore assumed a strong liturgical and prayer life, an understanding of sin and virtue, etc. One could read this entire book and not have a clue.