Texas Books

This book is a very witty and entertaining read. Chris Wham has managed to create characters that invite both ridicule and empathy. It was refreshing to find a book that articulates many of my frustrations at our country's current climate of religious conservatism.

Mr. Wham's witty and astute discourse on the trials and tribulations of the search for spiritual meaning revolves around the sometimes surreal dreams of no less an Entity than God Himself. Or should I say Herself? Or Itself? It all depends on what day it is and what pancake you're looking at. But that's okay. After all, aren't we all a little confused sometimes about what God is and where that confusion takes us in our search for spiritual answers? While The Miracle Pancake of Delgado, Texas doesn't give any perfect formulas about where to find the answers to our spiritual questions, or what those answers might be, it does give us a number of entertaining choices to ponder and pokes some good fun at all of us in our search.

A quick read, incredibly funny...Wham manages to get in equal jabs at psycho-babblers, artistes, action flick heroes, football players, and everyone's favorite, the TV preacher. The story gets in close, juxtaposing true believers against the sleazy suits dying to make a dime off anything. Truly the best book I've read in a long time.

I devoured this book. One of the best works of fiction I have read in a long time. The characters are quirky and real-straight out of Texas. Chris has written a book that is funny and entertaining but it also has a great message. Read this book and pass it on.

I am related to General William L.Cazneau 1807-1876 and his wife Jane McManus Cazneau 1807-1878, the subject of this book. I met the author in November 1999 in Texas. A great amount of research has gone in to this book and it took years to collect it all. I am a direct descendent of General Thomas Nugent Cazneau 1812-1873 of California, brother of William. I am sending copies to libraries and friends. God Bless You !!

History is a passion of mine and this book is so very good. I can not imagine how long it took to do all this research. It gave me a different understanding of our government history. Just to think if our politions had had the foresight that Jane McManus and Aaron Burr had, Cuba, Doninican Republic, and Mexico just to name a few, could have been States today. I would love to have been Jane because she was so smart and brave. I found her one of the most fascinating persons in history. I loved this book.

History is a passion of mine and this book is so very good. I can not imagine how long it took to do all this research. It gave me a different understanding of our government history. Just to think if our politions had had the foresight that Jane McManus and Aaron Burr had, Cuba, Doninican Republic, and Mexico just to name a few, could have been States today. I would love to have been Jane because she was so smart and brave. I found her one of the most fascinating persons in history. I loved this book.

Linda Hudson has done a wonderful job of following the travels and trials of Jane McManus Storm Cazneau from her youth in New York to her involvement in Texas land deals in the 1830's and her mission to Mexico City in the midst of the Mexican War in the 1840's to her life in Eagle Pass, Texas, (which she somehow did not at first realize was literally the middle of no where) to her exploits in Cuba and her return to New York City to play a role in the presidential campaign of 1852.

She has shown the complexity of the politics of the times especially as they relate to the question of slavery and its expansion into Texas. She has also related the very complicated life of a woman who was liberated long before being a liberated woman was considered cool. In doing so, she has created a far more complex view of society in the United States in the middle of the 19th century than many historians have uncovered...or been willing to admit to having uncovered.

It is a wonderful trip into the history not only of the United States but also of Mexico and the Caribbean that she has taken with Jane Cazneau and that she allows the reader to share.

I am a screenwriter. And I find that Vladimir Propp's structure works great for my stories. Have a look at it and try to apply it to any modern movie:

1.. A member of a family leaves home (the hero is introduced);
2.. An interdiction is addressed to the hero ('don't go there', 'go to this place');
3.. The interdiction is violated (villain enters the tale);
4.. The villain makes an attempt at reconnaissance (either villain tries to find the children/jewels etc; or intended victim questions the villain);
5.. The villain gains information about the victim;
6.. The villain attempts to deceive the victim to take possession of victim or victim's belongings (trickery; villain disguised, tries to win confidence of victim);
7.. Victim taken in by deception, unwittingly helping the enemy;
8.. Villain causes harm/injury to family member (by abduction, theft of magical agent, spoiling crops, plunders in other forms, causes a disappearance, expels someone, casts spell on someone, substitutes child etc, comits murder, imprisons/detains someone, threatens forced marriage, provides nightly torments); Alternatively, a member of family lacks something or desires something (magical potion etc);
9.. Misfortune or lack is made known, (hero is dispatched, hears call for help etc/ alternative is that victimised hero is sent away, freed from imprisonment);
10.. Seeker agrees to, or decides upon counter-action;
11.. Hero leaves home;
12.. Hero is tested, interrogated, attacked etc, preparing the way for his/her receiving magical agent or helper (donor);
13.. Hero reacts to actions of future donor (withstands/fails the test, frees captive, reconciles disputants, performs service, uses adversary's powers against them);
14.. Hero acquires use of a magical agent (directly transferred, located, purchased, prepared, spontaneously appears, eaten/drunk, help offered by other characters);
15.. Hero is transferred, delivered or led to whereabouts of an object of the search;
16.. Hero and villain join in direct combat;
17.. Hero is branded (wounded/marked, receives ring or scarf);
18.. Villain is defeated (killed in combat, defeated in contest, killed while asleep, banished);
19.. Initial misfortune or lack is resolved (object of search distributed, spell broken, slain person revivied, captive freed);
20.. Hero returns;
21.. Hero is pursued (pursuer tries to kill, eat, undermine the hero);
22.. Hero is rescued from pursuit (obstacles delay pursuer, hero hides or is hidden, hero transforms unrecognisably, hero saved from attempt on his/her life);
23.. Hero unrecognised, arrives home or in another country;
24.. False hero presents unfounded claims;
25.. Difficult task proposed to the hero (trial by ordeal, riddles, test of strength/endurance, other tasks);
26.. Task is resolved;
27.. Hero is recognised (by mark, brand, or thing given to him/her);
28.. False hero or villain is exposed;
29.. Hero is given a new appearance (is made whole, handsome, new garments etc);
30.. Villain is punished;
31.. Hero marries and ascends the throne (is rewarded/promoted).

This structure works for many stories and films. I do recommed the book for any writer and screenwriter especially for those who write modern fairy tales. It's a must!

This is the first work to systematically characterize and describe a corpus of folktales. It includes a list of possible plot twists, in their correct chronological order for any story, and numerous examples from actual Russian fairy tales. This translation in particular reads well and makes a point of not departing from the text's literal meaning in any significant way. I would highly recommend this work for anyone interested in folktales or oral literature in general.

This seminal work is essential for an understanding of structuralist theory and the theory of folklore. It differs from the psychological view of the folktale in its descriptive ability. This theory is based on objective description and sytagmatic conjunction and complementation. Because of that, it is more applicable and flexible than any psychological dissection. Also, two people will reach roughly the same conclusions with this method- something impossible with a psychological approach. This is excellent for anyone interested in attacking the down and dirty working parts of a narrative.

This is an attempt to work out the underlying structural patterns (types of characters, what they do, how they are ordered) of Russian folktales, based on classic collections made in the nineteenth-century. If you are fortunate enough to have read a large collection of such stories -- preferably in translation, not "retold by ..." -- you will soon see the point of Propp's argument. Other European, and some non-European, traditions provide an almost equally good starting point, although the examples often are not so close as to be immediately convincing. Ideally, "Morphology of the Folktale" would be bound with at least a selection of the Russian folktales Propp analyzes, but this does not seem likely to happen.

Taken by itself, however, Propp's exploration is going to seem both dry and confusing. Try to imagine a book about the five-act structure of Shakespeare's tragedies being read by someone who had never seen or read a play before, and you may understand the problem.

Although Propp's exposition sometimes seems labored, he presents a convincing case that at least some oral prose narratives are built up of a stock of situations and events which can be slightly reordered, multiplied, and otherwise complicated, but amount to a "language" (a vocabulary, grammar, and syntax) of story-telling. This puts a new light on the problem of the distribution of folktales, and how they develop variants, two of the great issues of folklore studies in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Despite its origins in a single body of oral literature, Propp's methods have been applied to other literature with known or suspected oral roots, sometimes with slightly contradictory results. I know of at least two different Proppian analyses of "Beowulf," for example. This is due at least in part to Propp's attempt to introduce fine divisions between similar plot elements, which, again, seem to work better with his source material than with other groups of stories. (And "Beowulf" has long been recognized to include elements later found in European fairy tales, so the possibility of applying Propp's structures was more intriguing than revolutionary.)

In "Feud in the Icelandic Saga" (1983), Jesse Byock reviewed efforts to apply Propp's methods to the Sagas of the Icelanders, another body of prose literature supposed to be grounded in oral techniques. He argued that a different approach is needed to their formally realistic stories about personalities, and the functioning of society; which does not diminish the validity of Propp's approach to the wonder-tale.

Excellent map/manual for someone with stamina for mountain biking. Intresting geographiacal, geological, meteorological information with incredible personal touch and wonderful pictures. I recommend this book to any audience. This book is even good on rainy days to crawl in bed with-good reading. You'll love it! Besides, you want to see the baby picture of Chuck on a wooden horse, he is adorable! Those dimples and ray in the corners of his cutest eyes....

Reading Chuck Cypert's book is like sitting in a cozy living room talking with an old friend. His writing style tells the reader all they need to know about the trails, while at the same time providing lot of smiles. Anyone that is interested in mountain biking, from absolute beginner to thrillseeking pro will enjoy and benefit from this book.

Since I am the author I think this is the best trail guide book on the market for my two favorite states, Oklahoma and Texas. I worked my ...off on this project, it is the second guide book I have done about mountain biking in these two states, actually the second edition of the same book.

I had such a blast working on this project but was quite glad to see it finished. Now I have a blast going back and rereading it and remembering what fun I had while out on research trips. Most were a pleasure, I got to meet some great folks and do some very excellent riding, though there were a few trips that bordered on miserable due to bad weather or general fatigue on my part as I neared the end of traveling for research.

My hat is off to the many bike clubs and excellent shops I encountered along the way, and all the super people who helped me complete this project.

Thanx to you all, hope to see you and ride again soon.

Chuck in DAllas

This is a well written book,If you wanted to take the ultimate vacation,grab your bike,a bottle of gatoraid and this book,and head for the hills.
the author has taken the time to rate all aspects of the trails from length, to difficulty.He even decribes the scenery.
The maps are first rate and are a nice addition.For those who are new to mt biking the glossary in the back of the book will come in handy when you get around all the hardcore bike freaks and will enable you to hold your own with them!
To sum it all up,. I would recomend this book to anyone with the slightest interest in oklahoma or texas,or cycling in general.

I am eighth grader. This memoir tells you how Kathi Appelt misses her old life when her loving father and mother were together and happy. It goes through many feelings and emotions of a young teenager and how she copes with change. Kathi gains a new family and loses part of her old one. this book also talks about how her dad included her and her sisters with his new family and how difficult it was for them. I recomend this book to any teenager or anyone who is experiencing change in their life.

I teach sixth grade, and my students and I love this book. What a great book to spark writing. There are many vignettes that can be read aloud in isolation or in patterns. Sensory details, concrete language, and a poetic style make this book a winner for many purposes. I often use its passages to get my students writing. Kids like reading it because of the shortness of each vignette. But don't let the shortness fool you--they pack a wallup.

When you look back at your childhood, you remember the great things, the bad things, and even sometimes the unusual things. The book My Father's Summers: A daughters Memoir by Kathi Appelt, is a fascinating arrangement of Kathi's childhood memories. While reading this memoir you know all of Kathi's feelings and emotions when she is going through anything, such as staying with her dad and new mom and brothers. The memories are the good, bad and random things she remembered about her life. All ages would enjoy reading about Kathi's ups and downs in her early days. What I loved about this book is that it made me feel as if I are watching Kathi live her life because of the wonderful format her life as been presented in this book.
Each page is a different day in Kathi's childhood that narrates a different amazing adventure that Kathi takes you on. The adventure started on her 11th birthday when her dad sent her a letter from Arabia saying happy birthday. It ends with a great black and white photo of her young dad hold her as a baby, still loving her, more than ever. "It's clear he is happy to be holding me, hanging on to me. Despite everything, that was always clear." There are remarkable black and white photographs placed through out the book helping the reader recognize what Kathi is explaining and gives a good image of what life was like when the story is taking place.
When you read autobiographies of people who are reflecting on their childhood, they usually cover only happy and sad points in their life. However, in My Father's Summers: A daughters Memoir, Kathi writes about anything that she can pull out of her mind to put on paper. On every page that goes by, a day goes by and more events happen to her. She includes every bit and end of her life. This memoir keeps you on your toes about what event is going to happen next, or what her next birthday will bring. Nothing is boring and everything is so real.

The memory of our childhood is like a collection of snap shots that capture not only high points but unrelated odds and ends that are preserved for reasons we can not even suspect any more. An autobiography tries to connect all the dots and provide a smooth narrative flow, filling in gaps the way the scientists in "Jurassic Park" spliced in other genes to make a complete strand of DNA. However, the artificiality of such life stories and the way they lose reality but making all the pieces fit is revealed by Kathi Appelt's "My Father's Summers: A Daughter's Memoir." What we have here are a series of prose poems that provide brief glimpses at the bits and pieces of a life more vividly than would a complete autobiography.

"My Father's Summers" are created for Kathi and her two younger sisters when the absence of her father working half a world away in Arabia turns to a smaller but more devastating move across town to a new life with another woman her sons, suddenly stepbrothers for a little girl who cannot understand what has happened to her family but who can appreciate the emotional pain. Against such stark moments as the whispered insinuations that her mother was not a good wife or the constant connections between life in general and what had happened with her father (e.g., the idea that crabs leave one shell to find another), there are touches of wonder, such as the sweet boy with brown hair and deep brown eyes who made sure Appelt had been kissed before her 16th birthday.

There are a couple dozen black & white family photographs scattered throughout the book, some tied specifically to the prose poems and others just showing Appelt, her sisters and her parents (but, somewhat surprisingly, none of Karen, the best friend of which she often writes). While there is a rough chronological structure to the arrangement of the prose poems, the topics go where memory takes and other tenuous connections take them; at one point the photographs of Appelt are going backwards in time. Memories are unstuck in time.

The description on the front flap of "My Father's Summers" describes it as a "memoir of coming-of-age in Houston, Texas" and sometimes it is difficult to think of it in those terms because the title and the revelation that Appelt's father found a variety of ways of being absent from his daughter's life becomes the dominant element of the book. Even when she does not write explicitly about her father and his absences, he is a presence, even when the death that ends the story is not his own. The poignancy of Appelt's work will have a resonance beyond that for the daughters of divorce or those who grew up in Houston or some similar place, because these remembrances combine the bitter disappointments and unforgettable delights that make up the life of any child.

I stayed up reading this book and then stayed up another night re-reading it. Often, I felt the pang of something so profound and felt on the verge of tears, even in its funniest moments. The book is hilarious, and yet heartbreaking. It offers a glimpse into a time and the people and the bit of America that seems filled with dreams and nostalgia. It's an addicting read.

I loved this book. It was about where my mother as born a raised. We readed it aloud to each other. We laughed all weekend. I could just see all the people he wrote about. My mother knew some of them. I readed it a couple of times. Laugh every time.

Mr. Swift has written a humorous, pathos filled and somewhat haunting view of a young man growing up in a very remote cultural part of Texas called 'The Big Thicket'. The stories of his family members, characters within the community and his journey with all these people in becoming the individual author that he is today are compelling and touching. The photos by Lynn Lennon are reminiscent of Eudora Welty's during the depression. This is a must read for lovers of Southern literature. Ed Swift presents a riveting study of this uniquely classic portion of Texas.

This is a poignant memoir but not at all in the sappy, cliched way. Mr. Swift eloquently brings a sense of place and culture for this area of the South. His portrayals of his characters are entertaining and are real tributes to their individualities. Even if you don't know eccentrics like these, you will finish reading this story deeply appreciating unique traits of those who are influential to you.

The book is about a 12 year old girl named Jill and she goes to her grandmother's texas ranch every summer and expects to see her best friend B.J , but this summer she is in for a big suprise. She finds out that B.J not only looks better , but is into boys , nailpolish , make-up , and not into climbing trees and riding bikes. Jill is going through a rough time this summer and gets talked into doing alot of things she does not want to do , but she learns that their is alot more to growing up then boys and make- up , you also learn lessons. So I would recommend this book to anyone. I loved it i read it 3 times.

The book is about a 12 year old girl named Jill and she goes to her grandmother's texas ranch every summer and expects to see her best friend B.J , but this summer she is in for a big suprise. She finds out that B.J not only looks better , but is into boys , nailpolish , make-up , and not into climbing trees and riding bikes. Jill is going through a rough time this summer and gets talked into doing alot of things she does not want to do , but she learns that their is alot more to growing up then boys and make- up , you also learn lessons. So I would recommend this book to anyone. I loved it i read it 3 times.

Jill goes out to the country to visit her grandma every summer. She has a friend out there namesd B.J. Their best friends. They tell stories to eachother and the latest information about the ranch. Jill is mad at B.J. because she is acting more mature by wearing lipstick, dresses and nailpolish. She is also hanging around with boys. All the things Jill doesnt do yet. So Jill doesnt really hang around with B.J. because she is haning around with the new boy in town Trey. Jill is just doing her own thing. Trey was looking for B.J. one day and Jill was the only one there so Trey hung around with her and she found out that Trey was pretty cool. So Trey showed Jill some of his stuff on astronomy which was his hobby. And Jill thought it was really cool. The fourth of July is a big thing where Jill's grandma lives. There are fireworks a party and lots of fun. Well something happens to Jill and Jill told B.J. her secret. Jill and B.J. havnt been very close this summer so you'll have to read the book to find out the end.

Being from Hawaii, I feel the author does a good job of bringing the situation to life. It's as if I were there with the characters. I recommend it to teachers, librarians and parents.:>

An excellent book from the point of historical accuracy with full footnotes, bibliography, and exhibits. But,it is also enjoyable reading as a pure biography providing insights into the complexities of a wartime marriage with lengthy separations. The postwar trials of the Love family, while not unusual for a relationship of any duration, add depth to the story and make it more than just another World War II, or Rosie the Riveter book.

"Rickman's delightful writing style transports the reader right into the high-flying life of World War II pilot, Nancy Love. A compassionate, yet honest, focus on the human side of our hero makes this a captivating and educational read. Detailed research, including many first-hand interviews, gives Rickman a commanding grasp of her subject. Warfare, aviation, women's rights and family matters all join together for a portrait that informs and inspires."

One who chooses to read this story presumably is interested in the subject matter. It is, indeed, a compelling story of a young woman who wanted to fly since riding a in barnstormer's plane as a teenager. Bartering and bargaining her way through flight lessons, she parlayed her love of flight into a job as head of the Women's Airforce Service Pilots of WWII. Along the way, Ms. Love managed to have a happy and fulfilling domestic life as well.
Ms. Rickman wrote the story based on hours of interviews and intensive document research. She did a great job of making factual/historical a good entertaining read. I laughed out loud at more than a few passages and felt a range of emotions as I read of the trials, thrills and perils of flying in the forties. Included are many nice photos showing the fashion of the day. "Ladies" wore dresses, silk stockings, and heels to pilot those airplanes. Imagine working the pedals and controls dressed like that. Sarah Rickman transports us in space and time with her vivid descriptions of open cockpits, near misses, and battles with the "boys' club" mentality. I recommend this book.

Award-winning author Sarah Byrn Rickman presents Nancy Love and the WASP Ferry Pilots of World War II, the fourth installment of the "North Texas Military Biography and Memoir Series" published by University of North Texas Press. Nancy Love and the WASP Ferry Pilots of World War II tells of the women who served their country as ferry pilots when the United States needed them most, during World War II. A trailblazing figure for women's service in the military along with her rival Jacqueline Cochran, Nancy Love was a dedicated and determined aviation enthusiast and served admirably as the Executive for the unified women's programs under the name Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). Extensive notes, a glossary of military and airplane terms, and an index round out this captivating biography of a truly extraordinary woman aviator.

I'm almost finished reading this book and I must say that it is one of the best books about the Kennedy assassination. It has everything from the detailed history of the Zapruder film to a 16 page color section that includes the famous photos by Mary Moorman, James Altgens and Phil Willis, to over 100 black and white photos and diagrams of Zapruder frames and rarely seen photos and still frames from other movies made that day. I took the advice of another review on this board and bought the book with the DVD 'Image of an Assassination'. When the book references frames from the Zapruder film you can view the DVD to see exactly what it is the author is talking about. What else can be said about a book that comes in it's own wrapper. Probably a lot. A treasure.

Richard Trask's objectivity must be maddening to the conspiracy nuts since he clearly doesn't give credence to their silly theories, while at the same time he doesn't openly criticize their ideas. He isn't looking for a fight. He simply researches the objective photographic history and refuses to jump on the bandwagon of insanity currently awash in the country by those claiming the Zapruder film has been altered. I was glad that he did not spend a lot of time in this arena, it would have cheapened the high quality of work Trask is known for. ALong with "Pictures of the Pain" Trask must be ranked among the great photographic historians of this case. I highly recommend this work

I whole-heartedly agree with Mr. Von Pein's extremely comprehensive review. If you are into the photographic and film record of the Kennedy Assassination, as I am, than Mr. Trask's published works will satisfy your desire for an in-depth analysis of the major photos and films taken during the November 21st-November 22nd period of time. All three of his books are worth the investment for the wealth of photos they contain and the analysis of those photos.
As to NATIONAL NIGHTMARE, I liken it to that first cup of cold water after a long run. It is satisfying and quenches the thirst. Mr. Trask approaches the history of the film and his analysis of it with no agenda. He is not out to change anyone's mind as to "who dun it," unlike David R. Wrone, who does a good job of describing the history of the film in THE ZAPRUDER FILM: REFRAMING JFK'S ASSASSINATION, but then goes off into the wacky world of Zapruder film tampering by unknown conspirators. I consider myself a historian, an as such, am much more impressed with Mr. Trask's objective approach to his subject. One gets the impression that he discounts the conspiracy theories in favor of the Warren Commission findings, but it serves as an undercurrent, not as a presumptious raison d'etre for the existence of the book. Mr. Trask simply presents the photographic record in wonderful detail, leaving the theories for the reader to muddle over.
This is really an extaordinary book, and my hope is the Mr. Trask (I hope you're reading this, sir) publishes a book of all 400+ frames of the Zapruder film in the largest, clearest, most colorful format that technology can provide and takes a page to analyze each frame of the film. One frame per page accompanied by a page of analysis would amount to a holy grail of sorts for me and no doubt for all those who understand the importance of analyzing the history of November 22, 1963 through the numerous photographs and films taken on that day.

I love reading Richard Trask's books about the JFK assassination; and this one, published in late October 2005, is certainly no exception. It's very informative and definitely a worthy addition to anyone's collection of written materials surrounding the shocking murder of President John Kennedy in November of 1963.

"National Nightmare On Six Feet Of Film: Mr. Zapruder's Home Movie And The Murder Of President Kennedy" is a softcover volume containing 392 pages packed with just about every conceivable piece of information revolving around the infamous 26-second color motion-picture film taken by Dallas dress manufacturer Abraham Zapruder on November 22, 1963, which is a film which shows, in all its morbid detail, the assassination of an American President in broad daylight on a city street in Dallas, Texas.

Mr. Trask details the full history of the film and provides a good deal of background and biographical information on Mr. Zapruder, an ordinary Dallas businessman, born in Russia, who, by pure happenstance and coincidence, turned out to be the amateur filmmaker whose name will forever be associated with the death of JFK.

But, if it weren't for the prodding of his secretary, Lillian Rogers (who encouraged Zapruder to go back home and retrieve his 8mm Bell-&-Howell movie camera shortly before the President's motorcade arrived in Dealey Plaza), that brief and awful 26 seconds in history would probably have never been captured through Mr. Zapruder's lens.

Like Richard Trask's other books on the JFK assassination which focus attention on the photographic aspect of the tragedy, the text of "National Nightmare" is ever-readable, easily-understood, and refreshingly-non-biased when it comes to taking a "Conspiracy vs. No Conspiracy" position by the author. Mr. Trask lays out the facts and leaves it at that.

This book's endnotes/footnotes are all positioned at the back of the book in one separate section, so as to not clutter up the main text of the volume. (So keeping two bookmarks handy is recommended, because a lot of interesting info can be gleaned from some of these endnotes too.)

One big surprise to this writer when perusing this book was seeing a COLOR version of the Robert Croft photograph printed on Page 67 (within a 16-page spread of mostly all-color photos and Zapruder Film frames). I had never seen the Croft picture in color previously. And it's an excellent-quality print of that famous amateur photo that I found in this volume, too. The picture is needle-sharp and the color is virtually perfect.

The Croft photo, by the way, depicts the President's limousine on Elm Street, just after the car has made its sharp left turn from Houston Street in front of the Texas School Book Depository. It was taken at a point equivalent to Zapruder frame #161 (per this book's text and captions), which is just about the time the first gunshot was being fired in Dealey Plaza.

Other highly-recommended publications authored by Richard B. Trask (centering on the photography of President Kennedy's assassination) ..... "Pictures Of The Pain" (1994) and "That Day In Dallas" (1998). The latter is a condensed version of the former, focusing attention on just three of the photographers who took pictures in Dallas on the day JFK was killed (Cecil Stoughton, James Altgens, and Jim Murray).*

* = Although condensed into a smaller number of pages than that of its predecessor "POTP", "That Day In Dallas" does contain "revised and enlarged" material throughout its limited number of chapters. And the specific photographs represented within that volume are unrivaled in their clarity and quality of physical presentation, in this writer's personal opinion.

I truly enjoyed both of those books, and was very glad to see "That Day In Dallas" come out a few years after "POTP", because "That Day" provides a larger-print format for many excellent-quality assassination-related photographs, including several pictures you're not likely to see in any other book on the subject.

As a companion piece to "National Nightmare", I would also recommend highly the MPI Home Video DVD "Image Of An Assassination: A New Look At The Zapruder Film" (released in the summer of 1998), which contains four "digital" versions of the entire 26-second Zapruder Film in various formats, including "zoomed-in" variants and a previously-unseen "Widescreen" version of the movie, which includes the imagery between the "sprocket holes" from Mr. Zapruder's "camera original" film.

That DVD also contains some valuable and collectible "bonus" video programming, including interviews with Zapruder associates, as well as the March 1975 "Good Night America" program (hosted by Geraldo Rivera), during which U.S. audiences first saw the horrifying images of Mr. Zapruder's movie. The DVD also has a crystal-clear video copy of the Live interview that Abraham Zapruder gave on WFAA-TV just hours after he had filmed the assassination.

Many of the above-mentioned items from that "Image Of An Assassination" DVD are also referenced by Mr. Trask throughout the well-written pages of "National Nightmare".

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In "National Nightmare On Six Feet Of Film", Richard Trask has admirably filled in yet another in a seemingly-never-ending series of pieces of subject matter that comprise the wide and varied fabric that form the mosaic of literature covering the topic of the John F. Kennedy assassination.

Nowhere can be found a more detailed and fact-based history of Abraham Zapruder's historic film than that which resides within these 392 pages.

If you're looking for a book that covers the basics of Southwestern cooking in simple and easy-to-apple recipes, there are plenty of good options out there. This isn't one of them. Pyles's recipes tend to be very time-consuming and, frankly, over the top. That said, when it comes to sheer culinary brilliance, I've seldom read a cookbook that rivals this one, and have never once read one that surpasses it.

For just one example, Pyles knows how to use chiles with an astonishing finesse. If you find it hard to believe that chiles could contribute something to a dessert besides a little menu-skimming novelty, his ancho-infused flourless chocolate cake might change your mind. Cascabel aioli, chipotle brioche, pasilla-corn salsa... each one uses the strengths of the respective chile expertly and artistically.

That's just one example, and you can find others on every page of this book. If you need good recipes, you can probably do better. If you're looking for ideas and inspiration, this is as good as it gets.

I own six other cookbooks and often my girlfriend has told me just use this one. Pyles is a mastermind. Elaborate but easy to follow recipes. Deep history and personal experiences make this not just a cookbook but a Texas experience. Some favorites are Smoke Pheasant Salad with Texas Goat Cheese, Whole Wheat Tortillas, Barbequed Duck Tacos and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. You can not miss with this book!!

Hell yeah! This is what Texas cuisine is all about. If you like Rick Bayless or Jane Butel, then you will definitely be impressed by this book. The recipes are complex and rewarding as Stephan creates dishes that are both original and traditional. Best thing is that he insists on using native southwestern ingredients in all his recipes. Mas tequila, baby!

Once you have tried a single recipe from Stephan Pyles' "The New Texas Cuisine," you will undoubtebly be starstruck by the culinary brilliance that Mr. Pyles brings forth through his creative dishes that blend the flavors of Mexico, France, Tex-Mex cuisine, and Barbeque into savory meals. Like other well known Southwestern chefs such as Mark Miller (owns Coyote Cafe) and Dean Fearing (owns The Promenade), Chef Pyles uses many ingredients that are native to his Texas area. This results in authentic tastes that trully match the title, "The New Texas Cuisine." If you are familiar with the work of Chef Miller, Chef Fearing, or the great Mexican tastes of Rick Bayless, dive into Chef Pyles' Southwestern odyssey. This book will satiate the most avid fans of Southwestern cuisine.