Atlantic Monthly Books

Leslie Cockburn is definetly well versed in the subject of foreign affairs in genera l.

On her Book OUT OF CONTROL the author demosnstrates how dangerous it is for the Uni ted States to commit awful mistakes on matters of agresive policy, low intensity warfare, an d cowboy type blunders that cause pain and suffering to very poor, naive peoples, in co nditions unimaginable to the average American Citizen.

Studying this book ought to be a must for anybody interested in US Relations with third world countries.

It brings to min d the question M-? did Americans actually learn anything from Viet Nam ?.

The book actua lly demonstrates the possibilities of another Viet Nam, despite the so called "modern warfare". War essentially is hell, and the United States may drive itself into a situation where man to man combat is indispensable, and modern electronic gadgets are seco ndary to traditional fighting.

Writing this book requiered courage and dedication to t he extreme of risking the authors phisical life in Central America, and perhaps her professi onal life en the United States itself.

If only must politicians in Washington would learn from Ms. Cockburns book, then we, in the third world would fill safer.

Enrique Carreras< P>June 20th, 1998. From MAILER-DAEMON Sat Jun 20 13:40:12 1998 Received: by zephyr.amazon.com id NAA30422; Sat, 20 Jun 1998 13:40:12 -0700 (PDT) Received: from localhost (localhost) by amazon.com (8.8.5/8.8.5) with internal id NAA22875; Sat, 20 Jun 1998 13:40:12 -0700 (PDT) Date: Sat, 20 Jun 1998 13:40:12 -0700 (PDT) From: Mail Delivery Subsystem Message-Id: <199806202040.NAA22875@amazon.com> To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/report; report-type=delivery-status; boundary="NAA22875.898375212/amazon.com" Subject: Returned mail: Host unknown (Name server: oal.com: no data known) Auto-Submitted: auto-generated (failure)

If you are interested in falconry at all, this is a MUST READ! The story takes you from the hack site to the beaches of Texas. I ordered this book for my boyfriend (now husband!) many years ago based on a review that I read in Sports Illustrated. I recently read it again and it was better the second time around (maybe because I know more about falcons, falconry and especially falconers than I did before!). It is a great story, it wont take you long to read and anyone who has ever loved a bird and let it go will really appreciate it!

Sometimes the old stuff is the best stuff. That is certainly the case with Nick Lyons earliest fly fishing collection, The Seasonable Angler. While Lyons recent works are, in the main, slightly different versions of his monthly column in Fly Fisherman Magazine, this slim volume seems fresh and original. Lyons writes about his fish-crazed childhood, about finding time to fish as a young father and family man, and about his evolution from a spin and bait fisherman to the fly rod. There is a wonderful tale about one opening day when Lyons was a little shaver. Loaded down with enough gear to mount an Arctic expedition he takes the train to his favorite river and proceeds to catch "green perch"; in fact, out of season bass...as a somewhat intimidating game warden explains.

In The Seasonable Angler there is little of the sanctimony that mars and marks much of what is found in today's fly fishing writing. Lyons is not rabid about "catch and release", he occasionally takes a few fish for the frying pan. Nor is he a "fly rod snob" who groups spin/bait fishermen in the same category as Neanderthals.

The writing in this book is fresh, there's barely a whiff of a "formula". The Seasonable Angler feels like writing for writing's sake, not another collection of 1,500 deadline-driven words. Thoughtful, humorous, somewhat nostalgic, this might be my favorite of Lyons works.

Coming from Mars to further his history, must later go back. Short review, great book

Michael Bamberger is the guy whose awesome respect for the integrity of the game forced him, against his better judgment, to abandon his role as a sports reporter and snitch on Michelle Wie at the 2005 Samsung World Championship. On her third round, Wie inadvertently dropped her ball from an unplayable lie one squinchteenth of a percent closer to the 7th hole cup than allowed. Bamberger turned her in -- however, he did so a day AFTER she signed her round 3 scorecard, when the mistake could no longer be rectified. In consequence, the 16-year-old Wie was disqualified from her first tournament as a professional. If you'd like to get inside Bamberger's head and see what makes him tick, by all means read this book instead of removing it and microwaving in a bun, as one fan has suggested.

Wonderful look at an area which is often overlooked for it's beauty and rich culture because of all the constant turmoil of the region. Glass grew up with some of the language and culture. This is obvious as he explores in-depth the areas he travels to and attempts to reproduce the travels of those before him. I thought the book was a good mix of history and culture intertwined into his daily travel and musings. The book is somewhat of a cathartic reminiscence as he relates his humbling time of kidnapping. But as such the recounting helps to bring stark reality back to the nature of that region and force us to consider the reasons 'why' pain and suffering are necessary in such a mythical and adventurous place. I've recommended this book to two friends who are news correspondents and love to travel. Thumbs up!

Havel, president of the Czech Republic, first president of free Czechoslovakia after the Velvet Revolution, is portrayed in an attractive light by Kriseova, who evidently knows Havel fairly well. In any event, the glossary of names is useful for anyone trying to get a better grip on the personalities involved in Theater of the Balustrade and in the Velvet Revolution. A fast paced read, indexed. OP hunters: St. Martin's imprint is also on some versions of this book

The Introduction gives a short history of spying in America. The Civil War spies were amateurs from other varied backgrounds, just like the soldiers. Chapter 1 tells the story about President-elect Lincoln's secret journey to Washington. Chapter 2 tells of William A. Lloyd, a businessman who traveled to the South with his wife and maid. His information was passed to his courier Thomas H. S. Boyd for delivery to Washington. Boyd often used released prisoners to carry back his information. Chapter 3 tells of Rose Greenhow's spying in Washington, where she was the intimate friend of the Senator from Massachusetts. Her reports were corroborated by the news in Northern newspapers. Page 66 tells of the prewar partnership between William P. Wood and Secretary of War Edwin Stanton! The activities of Belle Boyd sound like a work of fiction if they weren't known as fact (Chapter 4). Chapter 5 tells of Confederate spies. Pinkerton's men were told to look at a man's shoes. Northerners wore the new style of different shoes for left and right feet, southerners wore the old style with the same shoe for either foot. The Confederates' early successes were due in part to better intelligence (p.92). Thomas N. Conrad led a colorful life as a Confederate spy. His haircut and mustache configuration (p.95) suggests he acted as a false double, and was involved in the Booth plot.

Chapter 6 tells of other Union spies, such as the talented Timothy Webster, Pinkerton agent (pp.125-130). Were his real exploits greater than the fictional James Bond? But Webster's luck changed after he was laid up with rheumatism. Chapter 8 tells of Benjamin F. Stringfellow, another colorful Confederate spy who had an interesting career. Chapter 9 tells of the Secret Services. By early 1863 the Union's intelligence was now better than the Confederates'. Gettysburg was a Union victory, not a draw. Chapter 10 tells of Lafayette C. Baker and his work in counter-intelligence. Chapter 11 tells of counter-intelligence in Europe, and the Trent Affair. Page 208 explains diplomatic appointments then; would today's news media report this?

Chapter 12 tells of the "Northwest Conspiracy". The bankers and merchants of New York City were the economic partners of the Southern cotton planters; profit was more important than the principle of Union (p.211). There were uprisings against the Conscription Act, the worst was the Draft Riots in July 1863. Opponents of the war wore the head of Liberty from a penny; hence the name "Copperheads". Chapter 13 tells of the attempts to raise an insurrection from Copperheads and Confederate agents and prisoners; it failed (pp.235-7). The raid on St. Albans VT was a success. Pages 247-250 tells of the attempt to burn Manhattan. Chapter 14 tells of the attempt to raid Richmond and free the Union prisoners. Colonel Dahlgren was killed, and his orders to kill Jeff Davis and his Cabinet were published. The US Government denied this as a fabrication or forgery. This angered many Southerners, and may have inspired John Wilkes Booth's fatal attack. Lincoln believed he would not be assassinated because the assassin would in turn die. No government would order such a thing, and only a madman would do it (p.273). The rest of this chapter discusses the conspiracy, and the capture of JW Booth.

The last 9 pages of Sources list many books as reference.

Jill Jonnes' debut book will be of interest to all residents of New York City, past or present. It also contains important lessons on failed welfare policies and insurance practices.

She delivers sweeping historical background on the creation and ethnic make-up of the Bronx, overloaded with names and statistics, showing her abilities as a researcher. The Bronx was once a well-kept borough, but over the decades the ethnic mix changed and with it, the average income level. The Bronx began a long decline, unchecked by politicians. By the mid 70s, fueled by rampant crime, drug abuse, and a welfare policy that paid out $2,000 to $3,000 in emergency funds to victims of fire, the city was set ablaze. In a ten-year period, a staggering 80% of structures in the South Bronx were damaged or destroyed by fire--predominantly by arson. This left a city landscape reminiscent of nuclear holocaust.

But as the title, We're Still Here, hints, the city still lives, and a motivated group of concerned residents and politicians fight to resurrect their home. It's worth trying to locate a copy of this out-of-print book for the fascinating and complex history of this storied borough. -Christopher Bonn Jonnes, author of Wake Up Dead.

This cookbook - like all of Marilyn Moore's cookbooks - provides clear, straightforward recipies that can be mastered by cooks of all levels. From fancy fowl recipies suitable for holidays (and presented as such) to daily recipies, such as roasted chicken and vegetables - it doesn't disappoint. A nice array of side dishes - plain to fancy - are also presented.

Not a big cookbook, but a quality book