Atlantic Monthly Books

I got this as a Christmas gift for my parents. Its illustrations are really nice & its informative. I thought this would make a great coffee table book, plus it was diffrent than your average nature photo book. My parents loved this book. Its a great addition to any nature lovers collection.

...a Very good book. The ilustrations are fantastic and the historical backgrounds on each species are very good.

Reading about extinct animals is always a bit of a sad and revolting reading but it's also a very interesting one. Read about this book on Bill Bryson's "A Short History of nearly Everything" so i bought it.

Very satisfied.

I'm enjoying the reading very much. But a little disappointed because I expected many more animals. It's completely understandable that the authors decided to write only on the species they chose. Also is very disappointing the lack of data about the extinct species, although it's not to blame on the authors, who made a comprehensive research.
The fact that the authors have chosen to write and draw only on those animals which they could find preserved guarantees great quality and accuracy reproduction. But I think it could be expanded in another book which dates back to the first migrations, or at least the lapse of writen history. Of course, there will be even less biologic data, and reproductions will be based on bones and semi-fossils, but it would have an even bigger impact.

I found this to be an excellent, but simple book. I say it in this way in that it is one that is a quick overview of the species involved, but also one that makes me appreciate what has been lost. It's not an in-depth biological study nor is it intended to be.

It's also has two sides in that it shows the wonder of nature and how amazing it is, but by the end of the book, it left me depressed. So much has been lost and this book makes me appreciate it. It give me the motivation to do what I can, however little that is, to perhaps help prevent this in the future.

I read this book several time and every time I went, "Wow!"

Beautiful, interesting, well-written book, but it is clearly not intended as a scientific monograph, so if that is what you want you'd better look elsewhere.

Most of the species covered are rodents and birds, with some reptiles and larger mammals thrown in. All are beautifully illustrated.

While there are certainly many species in the book wiped out by direct human action (hunting & habitat destruction) in recorded history, most of the lost species seem to have been wiped out by indirect human action--the introduction of rats, cats, and foxes to the (usually) isolated island habitats by modern humans meant the end for the species which had evolved without these creatures. Interestingly, many of the species seem to have barely survived only in niche habitats even before the arrival of European colonists, etc. Two other species seem to have been wiped out by a volcanic eruption and a hurricane, respectively, in their very small habitats.

The book also records many instances of the last known specimens of clearly endangered species being killed by hunters and museum collectors (!), often identified by name. While it makes you wonder what makes these people tick, it sure seems like any species reduced to a handful of survivors didn't have long for this world in any event.

And the good news? Well, it sounds like many (by by no means all) of the lost species are survived--at least for now--by closely-related species. Hopefully we'll do better with these survivors!

tale is rememberable, ironic, and literally un able to be put down,one of my favorited next to Philip Pullman's series of "his dark materials".read and find out for yourself, start may not be as appealing, but the book will easily flow from there a re read fav. happy reading

Set in a prehistoric fantasy setting of ice and snow, "The Woman Who Loved Reindeer" refers to its two main characters: the young Caribou and the child she names Reindeer. As someone who experiences prophetic dreams, Caribou lives alone until her sister-in-law brings to her a golden-haired child. Claiming that it is not her husband Visjna's child (Caribou's brother), Branja begs her to take in the child - before Visjna returns from the season-long hunt and so that the child's true father cannot come to claim him.

Caribou is initially disdainful of such a request, but the tiny infant soon warms her heart. Due to his love of the reindeer herds, she names him after them, and goes about raising him to the best of his ability. But soon it becomes clear that he is no ordinary child. After a terrifying run-in with a golden reindeer that results in her brother's death, Caribou begins to notice more and more abnormalities about him: he neither cries nor laughs, bleeds golden blood, has inhuman reflections, and cannot understand the concept of love. But Caribou loves him deeply, and when she begins to suspect he is one of the spirit "daimons" she is terrified that she will loose him forever. When the seasons change, he takes reindeer form in order to travel with the herds beyond the dangerous Burning Plains and the Lands of the Broken Snow.

But Caribou's lands are in jeopardy with a range of natural disasters that threaten the people. Having never been particularly close to them, Caribou is prepared to depart with Reindeer to safer lands - but years of service as a wisewoman makes her sympathetic to those that come to her for help. She convinces Reindeer to lead all those who want to on the perilous journey to safety, and with her guiding dreams she leads her people onwards. But throughout the trek is her ongoing pain: on whether or not Reindeer can come to love her, and whether she can trust him to fulfil his promise.

"The Woman Who Loved Reindeer" is another wonderful story from Meredith Ann Pierce, whose beautiful language, meaningful stories and rich themes make for essential reading. Her landscapes are wonderfully invoked, with everything from the languages to the details of clothing and utensils described make the entire setting a rich and realistic setting. Her use of real folklore (most of which is Scandinavian and Nordic) helps to create a sense of resonance and the feeling that this is a `real' part of the world's mythology in her use of daimons, trollwomen, sea-maids and Firekings.

Which is interesting since in terms of plot, it has several Biblical echoes - in particular Noah's Ark and the story of Moses. Caribou's people are driven from their homes by natural disasters (like the flood) and forced on a long journey to safety and freedom, which at one stage involves a land-bridge being risen above the waters (like the parting of the Red Sea). Caribou throughout is a wise and determined leader - disciplining those that deserve it, encouraging the unfaithful, and seeing through her promise no matter what the costs.

Some things don't quite gel together: the move from a mother/son relationship to lovers between Reindeer and Caribou is never quite drawn out or explored properly (surprising considering the changing feelings of love is the main theme - in fact the very title - of the book) and a second love interest is introduced only to be pushed to the side. And we never really learn anything conclusive about Branja's fate. But for any fans of fantasy, storytelling, or Meredith Ann Pierce, this is a must-read.

This is one of the best books I have ever read (just under Tamora Peirce's books). I read it a while ago, when i was in 5th or 6th grade. Even then i loved it, although it had some parts that i couldn't understand. I read it again recently, and i STILL LOVE IT! you know that a book is awesome if you read it once and then again, a long time later. That means that the book is truly awesome! It is about a girl who falls in love. The one she is in love with, however, is not really human. There is a great story-line, and it all fits together eventually. It is great, and i recommend it to anyone over the age of 11 that is mature. IT RULES!

I wanted to like The Woman Who Loved Reindeer, but the emotional tone of the book is as cold as the tundra where it's set. The heroine, Caribou, is a resourceful and realistic young woman, her interactions with her neighbors are believable, her turmoil over her relationship with her supernatural fosterling is clearly depicted -- and yet, I couldn't bring myself to care about her very much. Only at the very end of the book did I find myself involved at all.

It's well-written, well-constructed and apparently well-researched, but to my mind, it lacks heart.

I had read Pierce's Darkangel Trilogy, and enjoyed it very much, but I didn't check this book out of the library the first time I saw it because I wasn't interested in a book titled "The Woman Who Loved Reindeer." I mean, come on - a woman who loved animals? However, I finally decided to give it a try (I was desparate for reading material). Boy, was I glad I read it. I liked it so much I bought not one, but two copies of the book (because I didn't like the condition of the first one).

This novel is by far my absolute favorite book. It appealed to me because of Pierce's writing style. Without you knowing it, she brings you into the story and into the character's minds and hearts (mostly the main character's, Caribou). I loved the romance - described not graphically, but brough out just as powerfully as if it was. Pierce's use of imagery, and her knack for describing feelings and actions incredibly well using few words, really empowers the storyline. A few small words, in this novel, can reveal to the reader the character's soul. There is really no good way to convey my feelings toward the way this book was written. The plot was engaging, but it was really the author's distinct writing style that made me enjoy this book so much. After all, it is my favorite book (and I've read many books of all different genres, by many excellent authors). I especially recommend this book to people who enjoy reading light romances - not as in comical, but as in more based on emotions than physical actions, if you know what I mean. You'll be able to feel and know the sorrow and love Caribou has for her daimon - a guy named Reindeer (the book wasn't exactly about animals after all ;). In any case, if you read the book - AND YOU WILL - everything will become clear. *A suggestion to the publisher: If you want people to buy your books, give them titles that aren't so misleading, please.* I can't imagine not having read this wonderful, romantic, and adventerous story. Goes to show you can't judge a book by its cover (even though people, including me, does it anyway). This book received my highest recommendation!

And it all started because of the Stamp Act!. This book was a revelation to me since I knew just a few things about the American revolution. The book is very well written and it clearly explain all the facts, all the decisions and mistakes that led Britain to finally accept America Independence. This is a delicious account of diplomacy and strategy, political and military, and it was also a great introduction to a great gentleman of those years, Benjamin Franklin, whose life really is an inspiration.

Essential to understand the perspective of George III and the judgments the English made leading up to the Revolutionary War. Excellent treatment on taxing authorities of the parliament and the separate colonies.

This is a brilliant book - well researched, very well written and a powerful read!

Drawing on a wealth of British primary sources, Don Cook shows clearly that King George III and his Generals and Admirals were fighting two wars between 1775 and 1783; one against the American rebels and another, equally important conflict, against a Parliament and British press that had a great deal of sympathy for the Americans.

As the war progressed and the British Army and Navy were unable to subdue Washington, his Continental Army and Navy, and a host of State militia forces, opposition to the conflict in Parliament and among the British people grew. That opposition undermined the war effort by causing the Government to send mixed signals to commanders in the field regarding the use of force and negotiations against and with the Americans.

Certainly, the Americans had a great deal to do with British political setbacks, for as the British suffered defeat after defeat, first at Bunker Hill and Boston, and later at Saratoga and Yorktown, the King and his Government found it harder and harder to continue the war.

Don Cook's brilliance is in compiling a narrative that is crisp, clear and extremely compelling.

Anyone interested in the Revolutionary War or the linkage between political and domestic opposition to a war and commanders in the field will find this a great read!

other side of the Atlantic.
It is not reasonable to assume that a small island 3,000 miles away could hold indefinitely, as a colony, a continent filling up with the best & the brightest of their own race. Ben Franklin felt that America would become fully independent, but long after his death, sometime in the 19th century & hopefully peaceably.
By 1765, the colonies already had a 100 year tradition of self-government. When England became embroiled in it's own civil war in the 1640's the population of Europeans in America was 5,000. A decade later it was 40,000. The neglect of England created strong, democratic, capitalistic roots, stronger than those in Great Britian. When Britain "rediscovered" it's colony it found a relatively properous population of loyal British subjects. They were seized on as source of
revenue for the crown & the seemingly constant wars Britain was involved in. This was fair as Britian spent considerable money defending the colonies from native Americans as well as the French & Spanish. It is when these taxes became onerous or an impediment to commerce ("intolerable") the time frame for independence became much shorter.
Don Cook navigated through a vast amount of reference material to put this book together. This is not a textbook but I would recommend it to high school & college students studying American history. It is very readable as it takes the reader through the blunders, mistakes & miscalculations of the British Parliament, military establishment & most important the crown of George III. It was he, above all men who could have prevented the war. He was too proud, stubborn & unable to compromise.
Ben Franklin is the main character. He had spent most of his adult life before 1775, as an American, living in London. In fact he preferred it to home. His frustrations, humiliations & relationship with the government, turned him from a loyal subject to a rebel. By that time, back in America, John Adams, Sam Adams, George Washington etc. had also made the same decision. A decision that shook all of Europe & France, in particular, in a few short years.

What a joy to read. Cook has an excellent narrative style that educates and entertains. The Revolutionary War was truly a giant jigsaw puzzle with thousands of people playing a part. This book is a fast-paced lesson in what was happening in England before and during the war. Examples: Benjamin Franklin being hauled up in front of the King's advisors (Privy Council) to explain why the colonists were destroying tea, and unwilling to pay taxes, will forever heighten your admiration for Franklin. The in-fighting in Parliament was downright funny in places as well. I could go on. But there was a tremendous amount of material here that I have not seen in other history books. Outstanding.

Easily readable history of the bloody AoT failure at Franlin and Nashville. Short on some details but more than makes up for it with wonderful first hand stories.

As a Civil War buff, I cannot count the number of books about the Civil War I have read, including Shelby Foote's monumental work and Bruce Catton's volumes. This book is quite simply the best book on the Civil War I have ever read. For the first time as I was reading about the war, I could picture exactly what was going on.

Groom focuses on details where it is appropriate and the backs out to give overviews of the campaign. This allows it to be enjoyable for the reader who is more familiar with the war as well as someone new to reading about Civil War events.

I have to confess that prior to this book, I saw the Western campaigns are boring and nothing more than background to the more important battles on the East. This book changed my perception on that issue.

Bravo for Mr. Groom's balanced account of Jospeh "I'll retreat instead" E. Johnston's favorite whipping-boy, John Bell Hood. While Wiley Sword offers a character assassination, Groom gives the reader first-rate balanced analysis. Those who regard Sword's work as the high-mark for this topic owe themselves a peek at this book - especially around pages 200, as Groom offers a blow-by-blow rebuttal to all Hood's attackers. Groom does not necessarily defend Hood, but more offers a genuine presentation of ALL the facts. Matter of fact, if I recall correctly, Sword's nonsense is not even noted as a source by Groom!

This is a fine account of the final campaign of the Army of Tennessee and has some welcome insights particularly into the fine qualities of General Thomas.

However, for those readers looking for greater detail and for outstanding maps of the various regimental, brigade positions, then look to Wiley Swords, Embrace an Angry Wind or The Last Hurrah. In this reader's opinion a much more exciting and detailed accounting of this last great movement of the Army of Tennessee.

Considering Groom's talents as a writer, I was disappointed in this book. I got so bored with it that I practically had to make myself finish it. The campaign itself is a very interesting one, but the book does not read that way. That being said, the book does serve as a decent introduction to the Army of Tennessee and the campaign, but just is not in-depth or compelling enough for most buffs, I would think. This book is useful as a start, but if you find yourself interested in the campaign after this book, move on to Wiley Sword's The Confederacy's Last Hurrah.

The loss of the U.S. Mail Steamship CENTRAL AMERICA in a hurricane off the Carolina coast in 1857 still ranks as the nation's greatest peacetime disaster at sea -- 425 lives were lost (most of them passengers from the California gold fields) as well as an unbelievable amount of gold in the form of newly minted coins from the San Francisco Mint, assay ingots of many types, raw nuggets, and dust. Thompson, a multi-disciplinary "research engineer," spent years searching methodically for the deep-water wreck and finally located it and began recovering materials from it in 1989. Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea told that story in technical detail; this is the pictorial version, and a gorgeous volume it is. In addition to all that gold in all its many forms, the researchers used a robot to bring up passengers' trunks, discovering books and newspapers that were still readable and clothing that had faded but still maintained its structural integrity. A fascinating work in marine archaeology.

Category: treasure hunting

Boats: SS Central America and a big, capable ROV

Heroes: Tommy Thompson

Location: USA, Midwest and East Coast

Synopsis: Coffee table companion book to Gary Kinder's excellent Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea. Thompson has put together a very good set of photos and descriptive text that doesn't overlap the Ship of Gold story. It's great to see the systems and treasure recovered that you read about in detail in the earlier book.

Tommy Thompson is one of those unusual individuals with the fantastic mind of an inventor/engineer, yet with the ability to work with people to bring out their best. Our government should take note of this man, or hopefully they have, and give him the freedom to let his mind find solutions to many of our problems, as he has shown he can do in this book. It was an adventure, filled with suspense and I would recommend the picture book to go along with the text so you can see the magnificent photos of his find.

Tommy Thompson is one methodical scientist. He found a ship that sank in the Atlantic Ocean in 1857 that had eluded searchers for 130 years. He has taken the same methodical approach in creating this book "America's Lost Treasure".

Gary Kinder wrote a 1998 bestseller on Thompson's search entitled "Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea". It is one of the best pageturners I have ever read! More amazing is that it actually happened! The ship was the United States Mail Steamship "Central America" which was making rounds between the Atlantic coast of Panama and New York City during the California Gold Rush era. She was a side paddlewheeler steamship and was hauling a huge cargo of gold ingots, freshly minted gold coins, gold nuggets, and gold dust along with 38,000 pieces of mail and 578 passengers. Much of the gold was being brought to New York to shore up the bullion holdings of banks that had been putting out too much paper money without the available gold reserves to back it. Most of the passengers were returning from the Gold Rush; many were women and children. The ship sank after a heroic battle with a hurricane in 1857 off the Carolinas taking about 425 lives with her and all the gold. Both books chronicle Thompson's epic adventure finding the ship and recovering the gold down 8000 feet underwater where even the US Navy couldn't effectively recover items. Kinder's book clocks in at over 500 riveting pages but, is largely without pictures of all the incredible finds. "America's Lost Treasure" fills in that photographic void quite admirably in it's 186 pages.

"America's Lost Treasure" is broken down into a background history of America at the time leading up to the Central America's sinking, a detailed account of the CA's fateful last voyage, a background of the equipment and people involved in the search and rediscovery of the CA, the discovery of the ship and the 'Garden of Gold', a review of the personal items found at the bottom other than the gold, and a section on the other scientific discoveries made at the site such as decay processes and new species of life found. There are hordes of very appropriate photographs that perfectly illustrate the topic discussed in the very readable and concise narration. The page layout is very well done and makes full use of the book's ten inches by ten inches size. Particularly interesting is the discovery and opening of several intact passenger's trunks revealing intact clothing and still visible photographs! The gold, however, is the expected showstopper.

Overall, I can't recommend this book enough when read in companion with "Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea". Some people will bristle with disfavor on the efforts in general to recover items from this wreck feeling it is a desecration of history and wrong. I couldn't help but be astounded by the disciplined and rigorous scientific and engineering skills put on display in the efforts. This is an absolutely fascinating pictorial account of a remarkable period in the history of America. It will rivet your attention from beginning to end and have you looking back at sections again and again. It is one of the best coffee table books in existence. The lost treasure found is truly breathtaking and this book is an absolutely worthy account of it! VERY highly recommended!

Tommy Thompson is one of those unusual individuals with the fantastic mind of an inventor/engineer, yet with the ability to work with people to bring out their best. Our government should take note of this man, or hopefully they have, and give him the freedom to let his mind find solutions to many of our problems, as he has shown he can do in this book. It was an adventure, filled with suspense and I would recommend the picture book to go along with the text so you can see the magnificent photos of his find.

The pursuit of happiness. If you browse the shelves of your local bookstore or library, you are sure to find a couple dozen titles that claim to have the secret to happiness. Surprisingly though, when you look past the cover these books don't seem to agree on THE way to gain happiness. After reading a few of these titles it becomes very apparent that no one seems to even agree on what constitutes happiness. Some believe that material possessions are proof of happiness while others think that happiness is a state or mind. Still others say that happiness is merely an illusion.

The conflict over the definition of happiness, how to achieve this goal, and whether happiness is even attainable isn't new. The questions and the quests are likely as old as human life. Happiness: A History looks at these questions in more detail from a historical perspective.

The journey starts with the Greek world where happiness was seen as grace (primarily abundance of material possessions) from the Gods that could easily be taken away. There's an interesting little story that basically illustrates the notion that only at the end of one's life could it be determined that the life had been happy. Other cultures, as evidenced at Pompeii, viewed happiness as synonymous with physical pleasure.

Then the philosophers, the religious practitioners, spiritualists, and eventually the scientists join in on the discussion. Some wonder if we deserve to be happy; others see it as our divine right. Many produce solid plans about how to gain enlightenment, material wealth, or success- defining each as true happiness. Others suggest that happiness is a journey not a destination. Together, they set the stage for the confusion in our own present.

This is a terrific book, and an amusing, provocative, and delightfully lilting read. McMahon echoes the suggestion of Paul Johnson that Enlightenment rationalism's undermining of religioous faith left a vacuum that has been filled by worship of artists and intellectuals who, we are to imagine, feel deeply, and both suffer and exult so much more transcendently than we Muggles. While the first two-thirds of the book are a treat themselves, it is the final third that bears the book's importance. It is here where McMahon exposes the many hollow spaces that we delude ourselves to be the residences of "happiness."

There is no doubting Mr. McMahon's ability to write, research, and disect the crux of human happiness. What makes this a difficult read is getting through his ego that he injects throughout the book, and just focusing on the content of his research. In my opinion, Mr. McMahon should have taken more of his editor's advice and streamlined his verbosity. If you can get through all of that, it is worth the time. The book can be both therapeutic and educating.

If I find a good book, I make a lot of notes. This is such a book. I made plenty of notes. What was new for me was the popularity of happiness books during the "dark" middle ages. I have to admire the thoroughness the writer has done his job. Major philosophical and theological ideas are nicely represented. I do not give easily five stars as you can find out, but this book really deserves it.

The proliferation of new books about "Happiness" (many of the "how to" category) and the numerous reviews of what has been written in the past about its "pursuit", may just show that either we do not know, or have failed to achieve that supposedly ultimate goal of human existence. The thouroughly documented and elegantly written "History of Happiness" by Darrin McMahon is not one of the crowd. It is brilliantly written and a pleasure to read, even by those who "don't care" (aren't there any?) about happiness and/or the literature concerning it. Starting with the meaning of the word (related to happening, haphazard and perhaps)we go through ancient philosophers, religious leaders, medieval scholars, to end up with modern democracies and the promises of the "false prophets", political innovators and dictatorial demagogues. Prof. McMahon is not only a spectacularly well-informed academic but an inspiring and brilliant light on a subject that - well - is truly everyone's concern.

This is an interesting travel book to read about Edmond O'Hanlon journey into the Amazon. Edmond manages to sucker a friend of his to come along on his crazy journey into the Amazon. His friend has no idea what he is getting himself into. It is an easy to read book with lots of English humour in it. Many time I found myself laughing. If you like travel books with adventure then this is a good read.

dry british humor. The funniest passage ever written may be Simon's tirade when he has had enough and tells O'Hanlon he wants out of this miserable trip. O'Hanlon is the master of travel gone bad.

Reading Redmond O'Hanlon is like going on the worst camping trip ever, (bees, mosquitoes, ants, snakes and cannibals) without leaving your own living room. O'Hanlon has such a gentle way of describing the worst possible situations as though they were just par. I am glad I don't have to wade up piranha infested waters, but I am glad he did and lived to tell the tale.

Endearing. After reading this book I went and found all his previous and current publications. He gets better and better.

"In Trouble Again" by Redmond O'Hanlon is a book about exotic travel, exploration and adventure in the remote Amazon jungle and along its rivers.

O'Hanlon continues the flourishing line of eccentric English explorers who did so much to penetrate the far reaches of the known world a century or so ago - and indeed into the middle of the 20th century. To a man (and, with a few notable exceptions, they were mostly men) they relished hardship, discomfort and danger in the hope of extending the range of human knowledge of the physical and living worlds - and testing their own limits in the process.

It is a pity that similar challenges are disappearing for young men today, although not entirely as this book proves. O'Hanlons adventures would not have been out of place in the 19th century, yet the expedition described in the book took place in the mid-1980s.

The book describes O'Hanlon's expedition into the remote Amazonas jungle of Venezuela. Although the term "expedition" is perhaps too strong a term to describe a trip with idiosyncratic guides and companions that frequently went awry. He also encounters frightening animals and inhabitants. As a treat, the Yanomami inserted a long blowpipe into his nostrils and blew in yoppo, a mind-altering drug, during an evening hanging out in one of their villages. He met the dreaded assassin beetle, carrier of Chagas Disease.

However, the misadventures are very entertaining. O'Hanlon woke one morning to find his testicles looking like a bunch of green grapes. They were covered in ticks from a tapir killed the previous evening for food. Apparently some ticks migrate to the genitals of a new host because they have learned that the genitals are the only part of the body that a tapir will not scrape against a tree to dislodge parasites.

Anyone who has travelled down the Amazon and into its jungles as a conventional tourist will recognise many of the things described in the book: palm trees covered in long thorns, eating piranhas, the sounds of frogs, fire ants, curare arrows and much more. I highly recommend reading the book either before or after undertaking such a trip.

Redmond O'Hanlon is a good travel writer, bringing the reader into his canoe as he faces a torrent of dangers and unpleasant situations. His British humour is very well placed in presenting some of the absurb situations he gets himself into. Especially with Simon as his sidekick (which gives the reader a somewhat normal view of things), the story is quite captivating.

However, some of his descriptions and stories did leave me with the feeling that he may have augmented the danger of situations to make the story more interesting. He also blew up the stupidity of some characters, giving in to what sounds like basic stereotypes of indians and the fears white people have of indians.

Overall, this is a decent book. If you are into Amazon travel, this is a nice adition. However, if you just want an intro to the Amazon through the eyes of an adventurer, there are better books, such as David Campbell's (1st person, more scientific pop writing with lyrical qualities) or Candice Millard's (old travel, relating Roosevelt's exploration in the Amazon).

good book club . lots of similar experiences between blind wife and soldier husband.

It is only March and I have already voted this book for my Book of the Year Award, which I normally select toward the end of the year. This book was beautifully written. You could see the human emotions coming through the characters and it made me want to keep turning the pages to see what was going to happen. You feel both sorrow and joy in the characters. Frances Itani knows the human heart and displays it so well on paper. Great job! I am going to make this book a part of my permanent library.

Canadian author Frances Itani had a promising idea to write about the education and early life of a girl struck deaf in infancy, as her own grandmother was at the turn of the last century. And it was an intriguing one to contrast her silent world with the cacophony of the western front in World War I. The novel that results contains interesting characters and effective passages, but it is too diffuse to really work.

Grania O'Neill -- the name is an anglicization of the Irish for "love" -- loses her hearing at the age of five as a result of scarlet fever. She wakens to a world shaped and contained by words, but where language is deceptive and words have to be agonizingly relearned. She has an ally in her grandmother Mamo; the relationship between the two is the most lovely thing in the book. But I found the early chapters repetitive and could never enter fully into Grania's world. I was more interested in the relatively brief section dealing with her time at a special boarding school and the battle between the two theories of education for the deaf: sign language and the oral method.

As a young adult, Grania falls in love and marries. But it is 1915, and her husband Jim goes off to war as a medical orderly. The unusual perspective makes some of the war writing quite powerful, occasionally approaching the intensity of classics such as Sebastian Faulks' BIRDSONG. And the scenes back in Canada show something even less often written about, a picture of wartime life on the home front. But the fact remains that there is an ocean between Grania and Jim, and their parallel stories barely connect. Still, a few touching episodes do manage to bridge the gap, as when one of their friends returns wounded and mute, and Grania teaches him once more to talk.

This is a book that needed to dwell in language and sound, and above all in silence. It calls for an almost abstract style that can handle ideas and sensations rather than events -- poetry rather than prose. The steady narrative that Itani offers contains much that will interest and even move its readers, but for this reader at least the most exciting promises are lost.

A beautiful book. So wonderfully written that savoring the words was a joy, never mind the sensitive yet powerful story. Though the topics -- deafness, World War One -- suggest a very grim work, it ends up being a powerful affirmation of life.

This book deserves to be much more widely known than it is; it's an excellent example of how even good books deserve ample promotion, as I think that it's a lot better than some major recent best-sellers. I was pleased to see in a bookstore recently that it's won an award.

A great novel!

This book, by Francis Itani, revolves around the world of a girl/woman who as acquired deafness through childhood illness. The setting is initially in Ontario, Canada in the late 1800's and then eventually alternating between Ontario and the European theater of World War I.

I must admit I had some difficultly getting into this work, but I persevered and I'm glad I did, because this book is truly a magnificent read. Once committed, I could barely stand to put the book down.

As with all great books, what makes this book special, is the quality of the writing. The prose just seemed to flow effortlessly off the pages as time melted away. You learn things about deafness, quietness and darkness that you never really noticed before; you begin to appreciate what people without hearing have to endure to get through an hour, a day or a lifetime. There were a couple of occasions in this book where I was taken aback with a new revelation regarding deafness; where I would just let this book slip to my lap and think about what I'd just read.

There are parts in this book that are not for the faint of heart; some of the description of the trench warfare in France and Belgium are very graphic and disturbing. (but, most likely, accurate)

All in all, a story that is quietly beautiful and at the same time beautifully sad. Really, one of my favorite books. If I had to compare it to another book for quality, beauty and heartrending appeal, then I'd pick Charles Frazier's " Cold Mountain". Both books have that intangible timeless aura to them that separate them from their peers.
Highly recommended!

Every now and then my life gets so jumbled, or my hormones rise or fall and depression sets in, and I just need a rousing good laugh. That's when I pick up this book. It has never failed to at least amuse or, more often, to induce a tears-in-my-eyes unrestrained laughing fit. While this can be disconcerting to co-workers in nearby cubicles, it nevertheless works wonders for my sour moods.

Totally loony in a restrained British (or in this case, South African) manner, this tale of apartheid, fetishism, gender role swapping, gigantic firearms and novocaine in the mythical South African town of Piemburg is quite simply a hoot.

That it works better than Prozac as a mood leveler (Fair warning-- I'm not a psychiatrist, I just play one on Amazon!) is a wonderful bonus.

This is political farce with a vengeance. The back jacket on the paperback says this book is not a political book in any imagined sense of that term and that's essentially true. The author's position on the old South African regime is pretty clear from the word "go" but it never dampens the fun.

The book is so over the top that its characters come off as cardboard cutouts of a caricature--yet, somehow, Sharpe still finds a way to imbue them with enough connective personality that we are drawn into the farce willingly. The book is extremely funny--I laughed out loud at least twenty times. It is a rather crude undertaking--but then again, so was the old South Africa, and this books achieves the unique aspect of being extremely sexually explicit while never actually rendering an actual sex scene--not for want of trying on the "heroines" part.

All in all a lot of fun is the crudity and explicitness don't put you off. If that's the case, seek humor elsewhere.

I enjoyed it enough that I have ordered another couple of Sharpe's books to see if they are as good. I have high hopes on that score.

This decidedly intemperate dark jewel has been criticized for, among other things, being short on a coherent logical plot. Fair enough. And saturated with unsympathetic characters. Point taken. So what? If you can find a better written rant of absurd, politically incorrect, howlingly hilarious black (as in motif, not ethnic) humor by all means set Riotous Assembly aside and go with your more entertaining discovery, and be so kind as to post its name here so that we may all partake.

Compared to Riotous Assembly, Mel Brooks' best sounds like a grim Savonarola tract.

In many respects, apartheid South Africa provides a great setting for farces and satirical novels. Tom Sharpe ably exploits the possibilities in this tale involving an interracial affair, a bishop who ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time, and a murder investigation by irredeemably dumb and racist Afrikaner policemen.
Parts of Riotous assembly are very funny and Sharpe maintains the hectic pace of the narrative throughout. But in the end, I was disappointed with this book. My dissatisfaction had nothing to do with being an Afrikaner or with an aversion to dark humour. Carl Hiaasen is one of my favourite authors, and I thoroughly enjoyed the movie version of Sharpe's Wilt. My problem was with the characters, who seemed to have no personalities whatsoever beyond the stereotypes they represent. To truly enjoy a book (even a farce), I have to develop an interest in or establish some kind of rapport with the characters, and in the case of Riotous assembly this never happened.

If you're ever in the mood for a hugely over-the-top farce about apartheid-era South Africa, well, this is the book for you. Sharpe spent a decade there before being deported as a subversive, and after reading this unrestrained comic pummeling of the RSA, one can only wonder why it took the authorities so long to give him the boot. Indeed authority is target number one in this fast-paced story set in the small city of Piemburg. It all starts when an elderly semi-aristocratic Englishwoman calls the police to report that she's shot her Zulu cook. Refusing police Kommandant van Heerden's best attempts to cover up the matter, she reveals that the cook was also her lover, which so appalls him that he immediately declares a state of emergency and mobilizes the entire police force. And so begins a massive comedy of errors, in which a "Kaffir-Killer" Konstabel Els plays a large role, as does the slimy Luitenant Veerkamp, and matters take a turn for the utterly bizarre, as rubber fetishes, bondage, a drunken bishop, porno films, cross dressing, and penile novocain injections are all introduced to the plot. As one might surmise from such a litany, the plot spins ever more wildly out of control until events come to a head at--appropriately enough--the insane asylum. All the antics are intermittently funny, and it's somewhat refreshing to see the horrors of apartheid treated with rather less than the usual gravitas. Worth a read if you've got a special interest in South Africa or a soft spot for broad farce, otherwise not all that noteworthy

If you or someone you know and love is looking for great material for a speach competition, try the stories "Dynamite" and "Another Tale of Uncle Mike." I used them to get to the state competition. The book is all-around hillarious with great little tips such as how to out-drink an Irish wedding party when they have a few hours head-start. It also has some great lines such as "none of us were seriously hurt, except for Terry, who had part of a hash pipe blown up his nose, something they had a hard time understanding at the emergency room." Buy it and laugh.

PJ O'Rourke has always been one of my favorite cultural and political commentators. An unrepentant Libertarian Republican who used to be an unrepentant Marxist radical, O'Rourke is a conservative who writes with all the wit and verve that, supposedly, only liberals are capable of. P.J. O'Rourke is the Al Franken of the American Right, if Al Franken were actually funny. Age and Guile Beat Youth, Innocence, and a Bad Haircut is made up of O'Rourke's previously uncollected writings over the past three decades. As such, the book begins with a few choice pieces from his angry days as a Marxist journalist in the early '70s (where, it must be said, O'Rourke still writes with a wit that proves that funny is funny not matter what the ideology) moves on to cover his brief period as an adherent to Concrete Poetry (an art form that he admits still having no idea what to make of) and finally closes with a few of his recent essays as Rolling Stone's Foreign Affairs Editor. Best of all, O'Rourke includes a few short stories that he wrote and published while editor of National Lampoon. The stories, all dealing with his past as a '60s radical, are a perfect mixture of radical nostalgia and modern day clear headedness and, along with an unexpected pathos for his lost characters wandering through the political wilderness of protest, they also rank amongst the most hilarious of O'Rourke's writings, perfectly displaying his trademark style of detached irony and self-depreciating wit (one can always sense O'Rourke saying, "Can you believe they actually pay me to write this stuff?"). Perhaps most nicely, the pieces in this collection are arranged by chronological order so that the reader literally goes through O'Rourke's political and literary evolution with him over the course of the book. As such, we're provided with a nice view of the political odyssey of both O'Rourke and America over the past 30-odd years. If one thing remains the same it is that O'Rourke, whether conservative or liberal, consistently refuses to accept anything at face value. He remains, always, the eternal skeptic. And we, as readers, are all the better off for it.

I first discovered P.J.O'Rourke in the pages of various automotive publications. In addition to being a well-known political humorist, he is also an automotive enthusiast, as am I. This book, the second of his that I have read, is quite good once you get past the somewhat slow start. The second half of the book ("Drives to Nowhere," "Bad Sports") is wonderful. O'Rourke is a master of simile, metaphor, and analogy. Only the fiction writer Tom Robbins compares to him in this regard, in my opinion. I had my wife read a selection from the book, and she enjoyed it so much that she started reading it aloud to me. We laughed so hard our jaws hurt and our eyes teared! Whether you agree with his political bent or not, you cannot help but to enjoy the man's way with words; he is a true wordsmith. He can really "turn a phrase," as the trite expression goes. I can't wait to read more of his prose.

I first got into PJ O'Rourke when I started reading his book "Republican Party Reptile" and realized that I could laugh heartily at his wit, as opposed to the often divisive rhetoric of Rush Limbaugh and Fox News Channel. O'Rourke is equally scathing in his approach to "born-again" nutjobs as he is to "pinko" enviromentalists, and his is a style of writing I wouldn't mind trying to emulate in my own belated (and as yet unpublished) career as a writer.

"Age and Guile" caught my fancy because I had heard it was a collection of his pieces from over the years, and I tried to find it at the local library and various bookstores, but was unlucky in my pursuit. I ended up checking out a Books-on-Tape version of the book, read by Norman Deitz, and I was quite pleased.

The early material is amatuerish, to be fair, but there are nuggets of wit to be found amongst the "juvinelia". The Truth About The Sixties was actually one of my favorite parts of the book, I found it very involving and fascinating to hear. The rest of the book tickled my funny bone. I just don't have enough good things to say about this book.

So, I ordered it on Amazon, and I've recieved it, and it's joined my collection of P.J. O'Rourke books. A liberal at heart myself, I agree with a previous reviewer that O'Rourke celebrates individual freedom and doesn't care for those who try and take it away. I only hope I can be as good at conveying that in my own writing, he's certainly one hell of a teacher.

First and foremost: it is worth noting (and it pains an saddens me that this is the case) that the phrase "Youth, Innocence, and a Bad Haircut" is the first time I have seen a three-item list with correct grammar in a book printed in America after World War II.

Second, and not quite so foremost: P. J. O'Rourke is a very, very funny guy. He is completely politically incorrect, in most cases, and is therefore more than happy to pull out the jokes, puns, and other humorous concepts his more liberal colleagues have left to the dust.

Third, and not really far up there on the scale, but still worth mentioning: in most ways, P. J. O'Rourke is a tremendous boon to the right-wing American. He's not afraid to take pot-shots at just about anything, including fellow members of the right (Pat Buchanan is roasted almost as often as Bill Clinton), and he's not afraid to admit his mistakes, such as endorsing Clinton in 1992.

Combine those, and for most of this book you have a tremendously funny read, an almost literary roasting of such things as book tours, drinking, stupid sports, Whitewater, various makes and models of automobile, and the like. Unfortunately, it's the part that falls outside the realm of "most" that keeps this from being one of the finest political collections of the past decade. There are times when O'Rourke, who seems to be sitting right on the Libertarian partyline, veers far off to the left, and if he is to be trusted he was stuck out there in at least one case by the head of the Cato Institute (making me wonder how Libertarian they truly are), and he also has many of the strange and illogical hang-ups that keep me from ever wanting to vote Republican. He also, and he is well aware of it, asks a lot of our indulgence in the book's second section, a collection of short stories published (well, most of them) in the National Lampoon during his tenure as editor in chief there. Anyone who still wonders why I abhor the very idea of self-publishing need only read the section "The Truth About the Sixties and Other Fictions" in this book. It's shameless, awful, contorted, constipated prose, and O'Rourke is fully aware of this, and even says so in a few places.

But if you skip that section, and immediately stop reading any time you find one of those places where conservatives suddenly dismiss anything relating to logic (I have often theorized it's remnants of too many drugs during the sixties), this is most definitely a worthwhile book. Both the automobile and sports sections brought forth guffaws. And if you've ever heard me guffaw, you'll know that's soemthing to stay away from.