History Books

We have here an engaging chronicle of the last years of G. I. Gurdjieff's life set against the tragic backdrop of war, its madness, shame and deprivation. Paris was under Nazi occupation for over four years during the Second World War, beginning in June 1940. All during this period, Gurdjieff continued to live in his small apartment at 6 rue des Colonels-Renard, where he met regularly with his students.

There are thirty-two transcripts of these meetings, which were attended at great hazard, with spies and checkpoints everywhere. The discussion is focused on the spiritual work of self-remembering and self-observation which Mr. Gurdjieff is teaching. He is not interested in "who wins war . . . all have ideals, all have peaceful purpose, all kill." He has seen enough of war and revolution, what he calls man's "chief particularity. . . the periodic arising in them of. . .the urgent need to destroy everything outside themselves". For him, war is the result of the slavery that men have accepted and embraced as their lot. There can be just one solution to war and that is to teach men and women how to free themselves from the hypnotism of contemporary life.

Alongside Gurdjieff's quiet discussions with his pupils, we hear Hitler's historical justifications, the fumbling and surprise of politicians and military men as France's defenses fail and she is overrun, the rationalizations for collaboration and the calls for resistance from her intellectuals on the right and the left. The author has faithfully drawn a picture of the crisis Hitler represented for the West. He points to the passive support Hitler received from the elites of many countries. They admired the new "barbarians" and hoped the Germans would deal a blow to communism. We also hear brave accounts of the resistance, and the challenge to action facing writers like Albert Camus, Andre Malraux, and Francois Mauriac. We see Charles de Gaulle, with his difficult personality which isolated him from the rest of the French military before the invasion, and how well it suited him for the historical role he would eventually play, pressuring Churchill and Eisenhower on behalf of the Free French Forces.

With these two perspectives, author Patterson has given us a new point from which to see those conflicted times. He casts new light on the often puzzling mystic and teacher, Gurdjieff. This is a remarkable meditation on war and I recommend it highly. It was nominated for the National Book Awards in 2001. Well researched and documented, it is an extremely interesting read and it will be welcomed by serious students of the Gurdjieff work as well as general readers.

In Voices in the Dark, William Patrick Patterson takes us to Gurdjieff's meetings in Paris during the Nazi occupation. The records of the meetings are interspersed with accounts of the historical events taking place. Gurdjieff's oft-given instruction to the student to "outwardly play a role and inwardly not to identify" takes on a new importance during these times. Yet the problems of a student of the Fourth Way seem the same as always from the perspective taken in the meetings: work with attention, struggling with self-love and vanity. The timelessness of the teaching brought by Gurdjieff, a work in life, is brilliantly illustrated in this book.

With the possible exception of Mr. Patterson's autobiographical Eating the `I', Voices in the Dark is his best book to-date. A strong opening immediately takes the reader into the Paris of World War II, and into the emotional and psychic turmoil that characterized that time. A turmoil that is all the more striking with its relevance to our current "age of terrorism." This topic alone would be worth the price of admission, but Mr. Patterson deftly interweaves this with two others. One is a seemingly minor theme - the role of the occult in Nazi Germany - though this takes a surprising turn as its impact on western occultism in general is exposed. The third stream consists of previously unprinted transcripts of G. I. Gurdjieff meetings with students in the midst of the Nazi occupation. Interestingly, there is little commentary connecting these streams; the relationships are built by juxtaposition.

The story of occupied Paris is based on the experiences of such luminaries as Charles De Gaulle, Jean Paul Sartre, and Albert Camus. Mr. Patterson allows these protagonists to speak for themselves, quoting from diaries, transcripts and letters. Personally, I was most struck by the words of Jacques Lusseyran, a blind resistance fighter, who rose to become leader of an entire network.

Interspersed through the storm of events impacting Paris is the quiet nexus of meetings conducted in the face of curfews, privations, and Nazi checkpoints. Despite the incredible barriers each person faced in simply attending meetings, there is no mention of these external events. Yet these same events lend the context in which real questions arise.

Mr. Patterson presents us with authentic voices, which reflect both a particular moment of history and the recurrence of experiences throughout time.

Voices in the Dark is a rich collection of notes from Gurdjieff's meetings in Paris during the WWII Nazi occupation. This is essential material for anyone who studies Fourth Way literature and a good introduction for those would like to start.

As with his earlier book, Struggle of the Magicians, Mr. Patterson carefully weaves the meetings in a historical context. But unlike the former book, he adds an additional element that consists of `voices' from prominent leaders (from both sides), writers, and philosophers of the day. I would have thought that, given the dangers and rapid changes people lived with on a day-to-day basis, many of the questions in the meetings would have focused on how to live and survive during those dangerous times. However, it seems that, because of the difficult and life-threatening times, students were doubly serious about their inner work. The context - the dangerous situation - makes what was spoken of during the wartime meetings that much more rich, important, and insightful.

This book made me ponder what is truly important in life. And I recognized that it's not the `outer' things that are important (which we tend to give so much value to), but all the seemingly `little' inner things that we take so much for granted in ordinary life.

One of the things that Mr. Gurdjieff said in a wartime meeting - which has stayed with me for a long time after reading this book - is that God does not exist for a person while his or her parents are still alive. I don't know why, but this statement, in particular, really struck me. After a long period of contemplation and the recent event of a family member becoming ill - perhaps terminally - I have come to a far deeper understanding of what this means and its implications in terms of my own spiritual study and growth. Given this recent insight (some months after having read the book), I'm now certain that a first reading has only scratched the surface of the book's potential value for me. The material provided here really warrants further, serious study.

"Voices in the Dark" gave me a greater appreciation of the Work. The people who were in the Work continued their self-exploration even though they were in the midst of WWII. It must have been very difficult under these conditions of war to keep to one's spiritual aim, but it showed what Gurdjieff's students valued. For most people, however, the war became the focus of their lives. This juxtaposition was beautifully illustrated by the interweaving of what was happening in the war through the writings of people of that time and the transcripts of meetings that Gurdjieff held with his students. Reading this book reminded me that hope needs to be placed in consciousness and Being and not on the external conditions. For that reminder I am grateful.

I purchased Lou's book after I had found his website when I was planning my latest trip to Walt Disney World. After looking at his site and even signing up for the forum, I knew I had to purchase this book I'd been reading about! And I am so glad I did. The trivia is fun if you're reading alone or if you take turns reading with a partner and it's multiple choice too. Even more, the answers are found following each section with a short statement to provide further information about the correct answer. What I really love about this book is that the layout makes it a simplistic read that doesn't get boring. Even though it isn't a guide book, anyone (or any family) planning to take a trip to WDW can benefit from the exciting learning experience the book has to offer. It is a must read for first timers and fanatics!

Fantastic book! What you may have thought you knew...but didn't! An interesting book of facts that help you understand the making of Walt Disney World. A must have book for Disney mania! Volume 1 is just as interesting!

Just received the Walt Disney Trivia Books, Volumes 1 & 2. I've read through both and cannot wait until my next WDW vacation. Thank you, Lou, for writing the best Disney trivia books ever. Just one question, when will there be a third?

My son and I love this book and we've only read the first section. We can't believe how much we're learning and how much we didn't know. We're enjoying finding out all the "little" things we never knew about Disney World.

The Walt Disney World Trivia Book is like the friend I've always wanted who flies me down to Disney (for free!)and proceeds to take me through every park, attraction, and resort, telling me things I never knew about my favorite place. With a loyalty only a true Disney connoisseur can possess ("ever hear of some guy named 'Bugs Bunny'? Hmph. Me neither."), Lou presents his information the way I like it-it's personal, frank, and fun. Kind of like Lou himself...drop him an e-mail, and you actually get an answer! If there is one Disney informant to swear by, it's Lou Mongello. Some of his facts I knew, some made me laugh, and some made me realize that perhaps I'm not the Disney expert I make myself out to be. All I know is that those around me will have to endure new rounds of Disney fact-spouting. I almost feel bad for them. They had assumed they were safe after our (sniff!) last Disney trip in 2005. Although I shouldn't really mourn the trip's passing; with the WDW Trivia Book, I'm there all over again.

The Weeping Chamber was one of my first Christian fiction reads. And it surprised me. This genre is very A-typical. But this book takes you on a historic journey with enough weight and mystery to keep you turning the pages. I liked everything about it, especially when the past becomes unraveled and we see the pain our character is hiding. I've loved this book for 10 years and still do.

THIS BOOK IS VERY WELL WRITTEN. I LIKE THE MAIN CHARACTER BECAUSE HE IS HUMBLE AND DOWN TO EARTH. JESUS IS VERY WELL DISPLAYED. YOU WANT TO STEP INTO THE BOOK AND MEET THESE CHARACTERS. SCRIPTURE IS PLAYED OUT PERFECTLY.

For years, I've enjoyed Brouwer's mysteries and thrillers. His prose is tight, and he creates memorable characters. I picked up "The Weeping Chamber" wondering if his style would be complimentary to a historical novel. I expected it to be a bit more religious in tone than his previous work, and worried that I might not enjoy it as much.

I should've known better.

As always, Brouwer refuses to fit into preachy boxes. Yes, this is a beautifully written and researched book. It never feels heavy-handed in its details, and yet it feels utterly believable, breathable. Even better, though, it deals with very human struggles. We meet a man named Simeon, who has faced personal grief and resulting guilt. He's lost a child, and his marriage is estranged. Cautious in nature, he's not sure what to think of this new "miracle worker" from Nazareth. Is this man insane, or is he truly God's Son? Soon, Simeon is caught up in the intrigues of those last days of Jesus' life, even intersecting in an unexpected way.

If you want a book that captures the feel of Israel in Jesus' day, and if you want a book that makes those days seem as humanly pregnant with emotion and struggle, then you owe it to yourself to pick up "The Weeping Chamber."

I keep a list of books that have made a strong and marked impact on my life, and this book is very near the top of the list. I found this book in a catalogue and started reading it without any expectations of greatness, but this book made a large impact on my life. Weaving the familiar story of Christ into a person's life, Brouwer threads the pages with truth about God and His love and power. It is not a fast-paced book, but an almost relaxing read. Of course, there are plots turns that will keep your attention, but the soothing way the words flow as you read of the struggles of Simeon is beautiful. I have read this book many times, and I still love it.

This is a great novel--and I'm not too much of a novel reader. I could tell you about the story, but you can read the comments provided by Amazon to get that. I don't have anything else to add to that part. I write the review not to tell you the story, but to tell you that it's a great novel.

I picked this up off a 2-dollar shelf or something--I assure you that this is not the kind of book I would look at and say "Mmmm...now THAT looks interesting." Rather, it is more likely that I would look at this book and think "Mmph...not for me." In retrospect, it is quite remarkable that I bought it at all--regardless of the low price.

So, since I now had the book, I might as well read it, right? So I did. In two days. I don't think I put it down when I had free time. The book is such an easy read, and very entertaining. I was truly impressed by the book. I guess it is one of those books I could call "heartwarming," or "precious." Believe me, coming from a guy, that's quite a compliment (winks). I think I even teared up at the end. Again--coming from a guy, that's kinda impressive, don't you think?

I'm sure the girls are ready to buy it now...just because it made a guy cry...

But guys--don't be turned off becuase I used patty-cake terminology like "precious" to describe this book. It's a great book. It's an entertaining read. It's captivating. It's interesting. It's good. It's not a long book, and I'm pretty sure that if you pick it up, you won't put it down...at least not until you finish it (or it makes you cry too).

Great book.

Zirin was an important discovery for me. As a kid, I followed professional baseball and basketball with a very childlike passion. Later I got disgusted with the general state of the corporate franchises and drifted away from any interest in watching sports in any form. After being assigned as a teaching assistant to a course on the history of sports in the modern world, I picked up Zirin's first book and this one to help me appreciate the political side of professional sports. I'm of the audience Dave Marsh of XM Radio had in mind when he wrote that "the people who need to read Dave Zirin most are people who don't think sports is important at all. Zirin knows it is and he continually shows how it fits into the rest of our world."
I believe Zirin also has much to say to those who already understand the importance of sports. The debates over race, class, business, jingoism, steroids, and so on, that rage within the world of sports bear directly or indirectly on just about every area of politics and public life. In all of these essays -- which explore the political underbelly of major league baseball, the NBA, the Olympics, soccer, and more -- he shows a fine understanding of the precisely these kinds of connections and the ways people with political influence routinely use sports for their own ends.
Zirin has strong opinions, and that in itself is not unique. But he expresses his arguments more cogently and supports them more effectively than any other opinionated sports commentator I've ever heard. This is what enables him to engage and challenge the preconceived beliefs of every one of his readers. Furthermore, he's an outstanding writer. Welcome to the Terrordome frequently had me outraged over a fact or quoted statement and then, sometimes on the same page, I'd be laughing out loud at a particularly funny or audacious turn of phrase. Whether or not we agree with Zirin should not make or break the book's significance. If we really want to challenge our sometimes ossified views of the world, we've got to seek out writers like Zirin, who offer perspectives entirely lacking in the weak analysis, calculated outrage, and narrow political perspective on offer in the overwhelming majority of mainstream political commentary.
My only complaint is that there should have been some endnotes, not just to document the quotes he uses but also to help orient the book in relation to other writings on sports with which Zirin is in dialogue in his essays.

I enjoyed the book. I am glad to know about the authors website to get his new writing. I thought the book was insightful and great for a fan like me.

Sports are the world's great distraction, especially in the United
States. To really understand American culture, and other cultures too,
you have to understand sports to get why people get so very fanatical
about them. In a sense, they are a form of reality TV, except they
envelope so much more. It is very easy for radicals to dismiss sports
as a distraction from more important things, like changing the world,
but in a sense, by dismissing sports, they also dismiss sports fans,
which is a great deal of people. It's also important to understand how
sports is used to distract people, and why athletes are told to shut
up and be good soldiers. So having said all that, when Dave Zirin put
out a sequel to his first book, "What's My Name Fool?", I read it as
fast as I could.

Much like his first book, "Welcome to the Terrordome", (Chuck D
does the introduction, since the title is taken from a Public Enemy
song), the book is broken down into chapters exploring different parts, exploring
politics in the sports world. Roberto Clemente was a Hall of Fame
right-fielder for the Pittsburg Pirates from 1955 to 1972. He is often
described as baseball's Latino Jackie Robinson, in that he never shut
up and never backed down from disrespect. He was outspoken on issues
of the day, like racism, segregation, colonialism in Latin America,
civil rights, the war in Vietnam, and media mockery of minority
players. Clemente was instrumental in winning a World Series for the
Pirates in 1960, yet finished 8th in MVP voting because of his Puerto
Rican heritage. When non-white baseball players had to eat in the bus
while in the South, he led a protest against segregation and demanded
that all players be treated the same. He died in a plane crash on his
way to deliver relief supplies to victims of an earthquake in
Nicaragua a year after his retirement and remains one of the best players to ever play the game..

Another topic is how Major League Baseball sets up minimum wage
baseball sweatshops in the Caribbean and Central America, where the
only options are the army, the factory, or baseball. In the so-called
"America's Game", baseball, nearly a fourth of the league are foreign
born Latinos. During the World Baseball Classic, sponsored by MLB in
an effort to show-case homegrown talent, the Team USA was trounced by
Latin American teams. Interesting statistics like how 6 of the last 10
American League MVPs have been Latino, and here's why. In the
Dominican Republic, US teams run "baseball academies", where young
boys who have dropped out of school attend to get trained how to play
baseball, some coming with soapboxes for shoes and tattered clothing.
99 out of 100 don't make it to the MLB who attend these academies

Around the world, soccer, or football as it's known outside of
the States, is by far the most popular sport. It's famous by soccer
hooligans in Europe, full-scale riots in Latin America, and national
pride all over. Players like Diego Maradona are heroes in the third
world, for standing against corporate globalization, war, and famously
"avenging" the Falkland War in 1986 World Cup against England. In
2002, he attends the protests against the Summit of the Americas,
where he says that Argentina will never enjoy the fruits of corporate
control. Another famous player, Ronaldo of the powerful Brazil team,
goes to Palestine to meet with a Palestinian boy who wrote him a
letter asking him to meet with him, and brings international attention
to Israel's travel bans when he is stopped from meeting with him.

Most famously, Zirin goes into the famous head-butt incident at the
France-Italy World Cup when France's Zidane headbutted Italy's
Materazzi. Materazzi comes from an Italian fascist club, and Zidane
instantly becomes a hero in much of the Third World for responding to
Materazzi's racist taunting. It follows a culture of right-wing and
left-wing organizing in soccer fans, where political parties and other
organizations try to recruit fans at matchs and brawls often break out
over politics. (I've often wondered why there wasn't much organizing
at sporting events in the US when it seems so obvious.) The Prime
Minister of Italy even comments that "The French team is made up of
Negroes, Islamists, and Communists." In effect, people of the Third
World root to beat First World teams because of the history, and cling
to the ideals of hope and pride and dignity through them.

The world of sports is not a separate world, nor is it just for men,
and nor is a perfect world of saints. Just like all aspects of the
world we live in, the best thing to do is to understand it and
understand the people who follow it. I think I've just about always
fit into my work situations pretty fast by being a die-hard
Philadelphia sports fan, particularly the Eagles, as well as just about
everyone in this city is as well. When Donovan McNabb says that black
quarterbacks are criticized different than white quarterbacks and that
there's racism in the league, I applaud him for stating the obvious
when others are afraid to do even that. Left-wing sports fans might be
few and far between because of many on the left's complete rejection
of sports fans in general, but sports writers like Dave Zirin remind
us that the there's social justice in everything in life, if you look
behind the scenes a little bit.

The politically charged sports book Welcome to the Terrordome by Dave Zirin. The book covers the connection between social and cultural issues and sports, and it's really a great read. Among the topics Zirin connects are race relations in baseball thru Roberto Clemente, public financing of stadiums and how politicians often exploit sports figures.

While the title suggests a book about public financing battles of sports arenas, it really is suggestive of a broader context of sports and poltics. If you are reading only for the stadium connection this book might be a disappointment, but otherwise it was a delightful bonus as Zirin hits many aspects of sports, sports figures and sports coverage in the context of politics and life.

Not a book for a sports fan, but more for politically aware and interested people who enjoy sports or understand the large role it plays in our society.

A very interesting book that will leave you thinking, observing and expanding how you see the sports world....and isn't that pretty much why you would read in the first place?

-Cudo

Additional comments related to sports entertainment and operation in the Gameops.com Editor's Blog, www.blog.gameops.com.

Amongst sports writers David Zirin is a man among boys. He hasn't just mastered a single aspect of the genre; he has reinvented it with the complete package, which is showcased in Welcome to the Terrordome. Zirin combines acerbic wit, original insights (which is rare in sports journalism), a higher understanding of 20th century social history and an infallible drive to deliver "untouched" goods (partly allowed I suspect by the nature of the non-profit publishing company of the book). It's a breath of fresh air as his motives are only to inform and influence and not to sell anything or apologize for anyone.

The best part of Zirin of course is his ability to recognize and extrapolate on sports as a microcosm for important societal issues such as race, social and economic inequality. While I don't necessarily agree with all of Zirin's opinions, I found myself often putting the book down just to logically think through his positions and how they refute or support my own beliefs. I consider myself well versed in both sports history and social history yet I constantly was introduced to new events, people and history within the varied topics Zirin covers (Bonds, Olympics, Ali, Cycling, Clemente, etc.). To top it off Zirin has a great sense of sarcasm and I laughed out loud numerous times throughout.

This book is important because it has a potential to reach an audience not normally associated with higher-level intellectualism; namely sports fanatics. This is part of Zirin's overall argument in the sense that he criticizes modern sports athletes for not using their leverage to tackle social issues but are instead highly paid slaves of the corporate world.

Bottom Line: Full of energy and insight and should be read by anyone (including non-sports fan) who are interested in how the sports world is interconnected and related to various aspects of social justice. Genre defining.

I think THE WILD COUNTRY OF MEXICO looks great. The author's style is filled with intimate details, and he's able to take me places I'll never get to go to.

Looking beyond tourist haunts, photojournalist explores inner beauties of Mexico's largely unexplored regions which contain some of the most dramatic landscapes in the world. Wonderful color photographs and Spanish/English essays. -Pioneer Press

Al abrir las paginas relucientes de "La tierra salvaje de Mexico," se vera vislumbrado por la riqueza del tejido historico que caracteriza a Mexico. El libro es un rico contenido de templos de la cultura Maya, cara indegenas, ritos antiguos, pueblos, bosques y montanas virgenes. -La Onda

En THE WILD COUNTRY OF MEXICO/La tierra salvaje de Mexico el fotoperiodista John Annerino captura a bellezo y el espiritu de la gente nativa y de la tierra salvaje que ellos habitan por medio de imagenes vivas e imponentes con texto en ingles y espanol. Viajamos a troves de seis regiones distintas de Mexico: las remotas selvas de Chiapas; las ruins maya de Quintana Roo; la Sierra Volcanica Transversal, una meseta hobitada que es la tercera mas alto del mundo; la Sierra Madre Occidental, el hogar legendario Canon de Cobre; la rica bioregion de Baja California, y el Desierto Sonorense, uno de los grandes desiertos del Nuevo Mundo. Aqui esta una evococion brillante de la gente y de los lugares en las areas de Mexico que son poco conocidos y rara vez visitodas. -La Casa del Libro

John Annerino's odyssey through Mexico is recounted in THE WILD COUNTRY OF MEXICO, a photo book with extensive text in English and Spanish. Annerino skips the cities and concentrates on lesser-known areas. The scenery, of course, is a knockout, but Annerino's photos of the people are the ones you will remember. -Union-Tribune

This is a great book, covering just about everything you could hope to know about the first six seasons of the show. I really enjoyed the writing by Colucci and the actor/producer/director/guest star anecdotes. I don't care for the format of the book, though - the episodes are usually covered two-to-a page, in column format (yecch). Some of the interlude pages are kind of cheezy (i.e., there's a page listing all of Will & Grace's various boyfriends) and some of the pages with behind-the-scenes info (i.e., the decor used for Grace's office and Will & Grace's apartment) have a corny-looking layout. Hopefully by now this book has been expanded to include the last two seasons and the historic Finale, and the aftermath of this groundbreaking sitcom. Incidentally, "Will & Grace" was remarkably consistent - the first five seasons were consistently great. Season six slipped a bit, probably due to the writers having to work around Debra Messing's pregnancy, but Season 7 came back stronger than ever. The last season of most sitcoms is, predictably, never the best, but the earlier seasons more than make up for it. This book does capture the magic of Seasons 1-6. Thanks, Jim Colucci.

"Will & Grace: Fabulously Uncensored" is a must-have item for every fan of the now-defunct but forever-classic television program, but it will also be of interest to the casual reader who may be curious about the "behind-the-scenes" makings of a modern sitcom. This book is dense with anecdotes, factoids, and gossip; it outlines the fascinating history of the inception and casting of the show, along with exhaustive information on how the episodes are put together, from initial writer's conferences and cast readings, through rehearsals and show tapings, including furious last-minute script rewrites, and, at least in one instance, the firing of a guest star during the performance. I would offer, however, a few words of warning: the book only covers to the end of Season Six (a "W&G" quiz featured in the book's appendix contains a couple of incorrect answers due to further developments in Seasons Seven and Eight); and the proofreader for this tome should be shot -- I stopped counting typos and misspellings after I reached a dozen, and I wasn't even a third of the way through the book. The wary should, of course, be more concerned with the former than the latter, and I offer it only as a cautionary note to avoid undue disappointment. Otherwise I highly recommend this book to all!

This book is great for people who are obsessed with the show. The colorful (and I mean COLORFUL) pages are filled with photos, episode summaries (seasons 1 -6), cast and character bios (on minor characters as well), witty quotes and a lot of behind the scenes articles and tidbits. It makes a great coffee table book to pick up and flip through and relive the laughter.

What more can I say that hasn't already been said in these other 5 star reviews?

If you loved those crazy characters...you'll love the book. You'll learn fun tidbits & laugh as you recall your favorite moments from the show.

I bought this book not expecting much. Maybe a few pictures and a few words from the actors. I had the Friends magazine and it didn't do anything for me. I felt it was just something they put out there to make money and so didn't put a lot of content into it. But being a Will & Grace fan, I figured I must buy it just to complete my collection. Boy, was I wrong!! This provides you with a colorful history of the whole series. It contains a LOT of information. I am sooo glad I bought this! It is worth the price. If you are even a remotely a will & grace fan, you need to get this. You will thoroughly enjoy this!

I had been reading about the genius of Zora for several years, but I had no idea of what she was about. I heard Valerie Boyd speaking about her biography on Zora C Span. She spoke about Zora with such love and respect that I felt that I had to get the book. In Boyd's hands, what is generally portrayed as a tragic life becomes a story of triumph. In spite of poverty, sexism, and racism, she was able to produce important literary work which is now being recognized as such. The story of her early life in the south, her life in Harlem, and her later years make a great read. I loved this book.

Morris Johnson

While Zora Neale Hurston was truly a great writer, she also did an amazing job of documenting her beloved Florida's history. Taking advantage of President Roosevelt's W.P.A. project and doing her best to get around Florida noting stories of black America that are still available to us today.

'Wrapped in Rainbows' does a terrific job of wrapping all of this plus her excursions to New York and her otherwise sad life in this very well written book. Good luck getting out of this book without a tear shed. I feel this is a must-read for anyone wanting to know the life of an author or of life in Florida during Zora's lifetime.

A side note: Something not mentioned in this book or anything else I've read about Zora is if she ever ran across her contemporary and, I feel Northern doppelganger, Dorothy Parker. Though both had different career milestones, both were also after certain career and personal goals that were never met and both were nearly the same age. This is something that really dogged me while reading the book and noticing the similarities. The big difference between the two is that Parker was a depressed sort and Zora did her best to keep looking up. As well we all should.

This is a very good book on the life of Zora Neale Hurston. It is very detailed and written very well. If you are interested in the life of this famous author this is for you.

Valerie Boyd blew breath into Zora Neale Hurston's remarkable accomplishments. I felt as if I was riding alongside Zora while Boyd narrated the different scenes;Zora was like a felt tip pen, as creative as could be. Of course, I wasn't ready to get off the ride, but I believe Zora lived a fulfilled life with little bumps and potholes or life lessons along the way.

Valerie Boyd does what most biographers cannot; she makes facts as savory as fiction. As a great admirer of Zora Neale Hurston--the woman, I had long been searching for a piece of work that captures her emminence and vitality. I stumbled across "Wrapped in Rainbows" at Borders and resolved then and there that I HAD to have it. I do not at all regret this choice. Order this book, and I guarantee that it will be one of the best investments you ever make! The chapters on the Harlem Renaissance and Zora's involvment with it are magical, and the sections detailing Zora's friendship and eventual fued with Langston Hughes are fascinating. I can't say enough positive things about this biography. If you admire the spunky and talented Ms. Hurston, you will NOT be disappointed.

Well, I know my Presidents now, that's for sure! I had great fun learning them, too, sitting on the couch with my husband one afternoon. The two of us went through the book, working through it and giggling at the references all the while. It was a lot of fun and we learned every president during the read. I planned to buy it, learn them, and then relist the item. But, I decided to instead hold onto it for when my nieces come over. I am always hunting for new ways to entertain them and this will keep them busy for sure! :) Lots of fun for all ages.
I highly recommend that you buy it and have as much fun as we did, and learn a little something, too! 5 stars!

This book was ordered for my son, who is a teacher, for Christmas and it came in plenty of time. Thanks so much.

This book is the best and most fun ways to learn about the American Presidents that I have ever seen. For each president from Washington through Clinton, there is a brief caption regarding his life and accomplishments. There is also a drawing taken from a photo or portrait, a cartoon style drawing and associated play on words to aid in remembering the name and whom they succeeded. For example, the cartoon for Dwight Eisenhower shows the Eiffel Tower with eyes on it being held by a tree with eyes. The caption is "The tree-man is crawling up the side of a huge tower that has eyes on it. It must be the eyes-on-tower!" The cartoon for Harry Truman, who preceded Eisenhower, shows the tree-man.
One of the best books for learning history and social studies, I strongly recommend this book. If my children were of a suitable age, I would buy it for them.

After one night, I knew all 43 presidents of the United States in order without looking. This book is AWESOME!!! :D

I had to memorize the presidents in the fourth grade. I'm in college now and I can still remember everything from this book. Not only does it work, but it's fun to look at the pictures and learn the presidents. People of all ages can learn from this book.

1945 is an alternate history novel that deals with the story of what might have happened if Japanese militarists had success with their coup on the night before Emperor Hirohito's surrender declaration was broadcast. This is an interesting, unique point of divergence from our history that results in an amphibious invasion of Japan without involving something happening to the Manhattan Project -- which was far too large an undertaking to be derailed by something like lightning prematurely detonating the Trinity device or that device simply failing to detonate, as is the case for at least two other "Invasion of Japan" alternate histories that I know of.

In any event, with the Japanese surrender called off, the United States prepares Operation Olympic -- the invasion of the southern home island of Kyushu -- and Operation Coronet -- the invasion of the Kanto Plain. We're introduced to the two "main" characters in succession: An infantry lieutenant transferred to the Pacific theatre from occupied Germany and a one-armed Japanese-American (Nisei), veteran of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, who volunteers to be dropped into Kyushu on an OSS mission.

Though the story is interesting, Conroy does an overall poor job of developing his "main" characters. I put the word main in quotes, because although we do get to see them more than any other characters in the book, they're never developed much beyond what we're given in the first few paragraphs of their introductions and there's so many other secondary and tertiary characters used to show how the invasion is progressing that none of them are ever fleshed out either. Instead, we're left with a stream of characters who do little more than illustrate what's going on. A reader can easily understand what someone's doing and how, but will never understand why they're doing it or what's going on in their heads beyond the standard cardboard characterizations of "a family back home," "duty to country," and "just wanting to get home."

At times, Conroy seems to want to go into a historical viewpoint, showing what's happening and why, but because of the way he tells the story, he uses a cardboard character to demonstrate. It's not ineffective, but it's not as effective as it otherwise might have been, either. Because Conroy takes this approach, he has characters knowing things and sharing information that they would have no way of knowing in the first place. There are two glaring instances of this: One, when an American infantry captain shares news about a Japanese balloon bomb that knocked out power to "some super-secret military facility in Hanford, Washington," (something few people know even today, and if it's so super-secret -- why are you talking about it?)and when a Japanese officer bemoans the ineffectiveness of kamikazes by pointing out the plight of the Laffey, an American destroyer that was struck by several Kamikazes during the battle for Okinawa.

The most intriguing character is the Nisei, and I have to give credit to Conroy for writing about a character with a physical disability, which he does very well. Small mentions about his difficulty wheeling a bicycle along really sell that characteristic for me. But I don't get to know as much about the character as I'd like to, which is a real bummer. There's also a completely random romance thrown in at the end of his story, which simply reeked of fanservice and a desire to have things go well for the man.

Despite his weaknesses characterizing things, the story progresses logically. Though a major plot point is telegraphed early on when we're told that the Nisei has been ordered to investigate happenings around Nagasaki, most of the rest of the story unfolds with a minimum of heavy-handed foreshadowing, a major problem with many alternate history writers. Each character does a great job of speaking from their own point of view, even going as far as to express wrong information -- something difficult to have your characters do without confusing the reader -- but which Conroy pulls off very well.

Factual and historical matters are on target, as far as I can tell, and although I thought he stretched things early on with civilian protests in the United States, he provides an excellent reason for them and they never factor into the story as I had feared they would. (That's a personal peeve of mine with most AH invasions of Japan -- it doesn't jibe with the time period and the fact that returning soldiers from Europe and the end of rationing would defuse most homefront tensions.) Conroy doesn't bring too much in the way of historical grudges to bear -- he doesn't wholly indulge in historical wankery by having a mass replacement of Pacific Theater generals by their contemporaries from Europe. There is one replacement, and it's foreshadowed fairly heavy-handedly, but it wasn't as jarring as I feared it would be.

Overall, it's better than most alternate history novels out there today.

I am not usually drawn to alternate history but I found Robert Conroy's 1945 to be a provocative treatment of the possibility of the die-hards grabbing control of the Japanese government and leaving America no choice but to stage a costly invasion. Conroy provides plausible portrayals of the important historical players: Truman, Marshall, Macarthur, and Nimitz as well as Hirohito, Anami, and Homma He also portrays the brutal situation faced by his fictional infantrymen and sailors. This story brings up some interesting permutations such as the course the Russians would take and the use of atomic bombs after the first two were dropped.

The story also worked as a war espionage novel and particularly the exploits of the one-armed Japanese-American OSS agent were satisfying.

I've enjoyed Conroy's other alternative histories, especially 1862: A Novel. But, this novel rates as his best. The book is well researched and his characters are believable. He also explores some interesting points that reflect on current conflicts and policy. For instance, had the war with Japan continued with high casualties, would the American public continue to support the war? What would US policy towards the use of nuclear weapons have been had the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs not brought peace? What would war on the Japanese mainland have looked like? This was an enjoyable and thought provoking novel. Highly recommend. Download for your Kindle: Amazon's New Wireless Reading Device today!!

This book is interesting both from a Grand Strategy perspective right down to the experience of the "grunt" on both the Japanese and American side.

Conroy does a good job of showing a plausible sequence of events starting with "what if Japan hadn't surrendered after the second Atomic bomb was dropped?" right up to one possible final outcome. I especially liked the political intriques in the upper eschelons of the government and military.

However, the book really comes alive when Conroy describes the experience of the foot soldiers and sailors involved in the conflict. I got a real sense of what it would be like to have been either an attacker or defender had the war with Japan progessed to an invasion of the home islands. And this was with language cleaned up quite a bit! I was almost sad to see the story come to an end.

Like all good alternative history, 1945 gives the reader a better understanding of the real historical turn of events, and how tenuous the threads that bind events together really are.

This is the first book written by this author that I have read - this book has made me want to read more of his books however. Mr. Conroy's look at how WW II would have played out had the Japanese not surrendered after the dropping of the atomic bombs is enjoyable and interesting. His writing style causes you to become attached to each of the characters of the book. I especially enjoyed: the author's opionion of how the leaders of both the United States and Japan would have acted and what their decisions would have been as the war continued; his portrayal of the reactions of the citizens of both the U.S. and Japan to the continuing war; and the actions that other countries, especially the Soviet Union, China, and England would have taken as the war wore on.

This book honors in simple verse and vivid picture, the triumph of the underdog. For young and old, it celebrates that persistence can materialize and that "losers" can win and that even odd-balls can overcome poor odds. Give this as a gift of encouragement to those (male and female) that may "think" there is no hope and let them witness that even when they feel as though they may "standing out in the field, alone and hopeless" the power of BELIEF can, will and does manifest into a life victory. A sweet story of success against all odds.

My husband and I are expecting our first child in June. I bought this as a gift for my husband to read to the baby. He was so excited to receive this! He read the book and immediately declared it, "Wicked Awesome." Get it! Every other line rhymes, and they are are not simplistic. We both have our degrees in education and feel this a good book to help develop children's personal histories.
Get it!

Our small grandson received one as he joined his dad and grandfathers (yes, one lives near Denver) for the current World Series. In his Red Sox regalia, he wanted it read to him again and again. His great-grandfather had seen the last Series before this one, just like the book talks about, and anyone with children who need to be raised as True Believers should make sure they have a copy to pass on to their children in the future.

Although this is a children's book, people of all ages will delight in it. The illustrations are genuine masterpieces.

The book warms up with a Red Sox game in 1918. Somebody's Great-Grandfather watches that game and celebrates the Red Sox' 2004 victory, poignantly reminicing about that 1918 victory. At the time of this review, Boston is celebrating the 2007 Sweep in the World Series against the Colorado Rockies! Go Boston!

Dirty Water was the anthem of the 2007 World Series. The Standells' classic was very a propos!

The illustrations bring history into the picture, literally with the Duck Float Parade; the 1918 lineup and the excitement of the game! Varitek, who helped the Red Sox barrel into victory in 2004 was also part of the Victory Team in 2007! Go, Boston!

I recommend this book for everyone. If you like good baseball and you love Boston, then you want this book. It will hit a home run into the hearts of all readers, just as Lowell hit that winning home run in Game 4 of the 2007 World Series! Go Boston!

Excellent book for any Red Sox fan young or old. Great story for the young, great nostalgia for the not-so-young! A must for any Bostonian!