Books Books

I bought this for my autistic son when he was small as a way to help engage him. We sang and read together every night for months. It left such an impression on me, that when I discovered that my son had lost the CD, I became a little panicky. I really think Philadelphia Chickens is destined to be a children's classic. If you want to delight and entertain, this is the way to go. The Boyton/Ford collaborations have become my new favorite baby gift. If I know you and like you and you're pregnant, you better make room on your bookshelf 'cause you're getting these CDs. They are just too much fun.

"Cows, we're remarkable cows, and wherever we go it's a Fabulous show, Yes we are Cows - COWS !!!"

We have to here this song ever time we get buckled in the car and start down the driveway, and It never gets Old, great Cd Fun,fun,fun !!

We purchased this along with Blue Moo for our 4 yr old grandaughter and we love them both. Have loads of fun dancing with her to the music.

MY whole family LOVES this CD. There are only about 3 songs that we generally skip over, the rest are all really really great!!!! I would recommend this for anyone with kids who wants to also enjoy music with them. It's not boring at all!!!!

After recently purchasing another copy of this to give as a birthday gift I am reminded of how much our family has enjoyed these songs over the years. As a child, I remember listening to Free to be You and Me and I believe Philadelphia Chickens belongs in the same category-it is creative and fun-it is a classic!

Without a doubt, the greatest narrative ever written on The War Between the States. Anything else is just fluff. 'The Longest Night' and 'Battle Cry of Freedom' don't even come close.

I was initially intimiated about the prospect of launching into just one volume of Foote's narrative and so I made the mistake of buying only the first book -- I should have bought all three volumes at the start! It takes about 50 - 100 pages to get into Foote's style of writing, and at times he turns a quirky phrase from the '60's (1860's), but this is enjoyable reading, bar none. If there was ever a way to learn the history of the American Civil War, this would be the way to do it.

I've spent nearly a year making my way through the three volumes, sometimes on airplanes, some of it as 5 - 6 pages before going to sleep. My biggest regret is there is no Vol. 4. I will miss Mr. Foote. The richness of detail and the descriptive character achieved by Foote makes you feel as though he lived in the period and knew many of the characters personally. You will come away with vivid and lasting impressions of Lincoln, Grant, Davis, Lee, Johnson, Jackson, McClelland, Custer, Semmes, Porter, Sherman, Sheridan, and countless others who defined these years. The series is not a dry recitation of facts and figures, but a storytelling of the war with enough statistics to provide a sense of scale.

Imagine the year is 1899 and you are a young man or lady of 12 or 13, sitting with your aging uncle who had lived and fought through the major battles of a war on the verge of being forgotten. He shares with you his remembrances and vast knowledge of what happened on the major battlefields and political stage (and behind it) during the war. He is a master story teller. You are enthralled and look forward to each evening's session. That's what Foote offers to the reader.

The books have some flaws -- a lack of maps, no program of players, ambiguous chapterization, shifting time lines and locations. While there are large scale maps inside the covers to convey the flow of the entire war, there are not enough maps for the individual battles. You must dog ear those map pages for reference. I'm not a history buff, so I constantly had to keep asking myself "who was that general?" as Foote leaves one theater of the war and then returns to it several chapters later. A suggestion -- get an index card and each time you meet a major player, write the name, side, title and use the card as a book mark. The problem with shifting time lines and locations is unavoidable in such a vast work. Foote generally does a good job to tying overlapping periods to each other, but you need to keep alert on our own.

There are few books I would ever consider reading again, but these will stay on my bookshelf for just that possibility.

There are two types of reviewers for this trilogy. Those who rate it five stars and those who have no soul.

I am about half way through and find these volumes excellent. They not only address the battles fought, but also address the political climate how people from the North and the South felt about the war, their leaders etc. It is interesting to be made aware of the annimosity that existed toward the "press." It is also interesting to hear how the press on either side was willing to print information that may prove detrimental to military activity and probably help to contribute to the many deaths experienced on both sides. And I mean the southern press printing about the movements of southern forces and the northern press printing about troop movements of the northern armies. Also, it comes across to me that Foote presents a relatively fair and unbaised narrative of both the North and the South. Excellent reading especailly for you history buffs. However, be ready to have fun trying to keep track of all the different generals etc. It is a little like alphabet soup.

I wanted an objective account of the civil war and an objective description of the battles, but Foote's three volume books is anything but objective. He is an engaging writer and, as another reviewer points out, brings the characters back to life, but Foote makes confederate thugs like Stonewall Jackson look like lovable, eccentric and courageous heroes. He portrays the confederate soldiers as poor, under-equipped soldiers full of valour, but then paints the union soldiers as over-equipped soldiers, lacking in courage and drive, who are there only for the experience and who pillage civilian homes when they go into southern towns (see the battle at Federicksburg for an example).

I note another reviewer commenting that Foote's view is not apparent in the books, but to me it is very clear he is rooting for the confederates. For example, on page 19 of the second volume, he writes "Texas was decontaminated" and the only bluecoats were Magruder's prisoner (this was about Magruder winning the battle at Galveston for the confederates). Only those in support of the confederate would say that Texas was decontaminated when Magruder won. If the writer was objective, that phrase "Texas was decontaminated" would not have been inserted. It's not even necessary!!

There is also a little too much detail. I can do without how many men are in each division and how many men were killed, wounded or captured.

I do not intend to read all three volumes because of his pro-confederate tone. It was a struggle to finish the first volume without wanting to throw the book at something (I am not pro-union, just anti-confederate). I am reading the second volume only so I can read about Stonewall Jackson's death. I am not sure how Foote has portrayed his death, but I'm sure with his pro-confederate feeling, it will be a glorious death!!! To me, Stonewall is a hypocritical thug and murderer and I will delight in reading about his death, however, glorious it might be to Foote.

I think this book was read to me in school many many years ago. I remembered it as an adult and purchased it for sentimental reasons. I think it reminded me of The Secret Garden in a way. The seashell cottage was the perfect hideaway that every little girl could dream of making her own. I loved the story of Mandy and found myself wistfully wishing that I had a place like that as a child. What a wonderful story that Julie Andrews has created. I will cherish it always and keep it to pass down to the young girls in my family.

I read and reread this book about 5 or so times as a child. I simply loved the adventure of it all about the protagonist discovering a home away from home that she could call her very own. This is a fascinating tale for children who love to live in their adventurous daydreams and who love secret hiding places of their own where they can just "be". Although this is a book I would reccomend to children, I wouldn't reccomend it to adults as the plot and drama is very minimal. Adults would be bored of this whereas most children, especially little girls, would be fascinated by the simplicity and beauty described within its pages.

Mandy is obviously the protagonist of this story. She is an orphaned child living in an orphanage with other children of the state. She has a friend that she bonds with over time and gets along farily well with eveyone else, as well as the staff, until the day that mandy climbs over the wall of the orpganage and discovers an abandon cottage! She decides from that moment thatthe cottage is hers and her secret hideaway. She begins to do things that are uncharacteristic of her such as lying about where she has been, stealing from the orphanage supplies to take and supply her new home with, and is suddenly secretive with everyone, even her best friend. Read on to find out about Mandy and what she goes through as a child trying to make a cottage into a home and keep her secret place just that... secret.

Although this book is aimed to appeal to girls approximately between the ages of 7-13, I was in college when Mandy was first released. Being a hugh fan of Julie Andrews, I of course bought the book and was amazed that I could not put it down! To me, a great book has the ability to transport the reader from their day-to-day life into another time and place. I was mesmerized by this charming story from beginning to end as I am sure every child who reads it will be. Mandy is not only a sweet, likeable orphan, but she is very positive role model for children, showing that if you try hard enough, you can make your dreams come true. I admire Mandy's spirit and courage to go after her dream of someday having a real family.
I had read that because Julie Andrews lost a bet to her teenage step-daughter Jenny, that her forfeit was to write her a story, which turned into this wonderful book! Lucky for us readers, the result of that bet gave us our first glimpse at yet another one of Julie Andrews' many talents.
It's been 30 years now since I first read Mandy and I still have my original version of this book in a prominant place on my bookshelf, along with a hardback copy of Mandy and each updated version that has been printed. All the young girls in my family have read this classic book and loved it as much as I do. I only hope someday a movie version of this beautiful story is produced.

I purchased this book with my own money when it first came out thirty-six years ago. I was eight years old. I still have it on my bookshelf and shared it with my own children. This is truly a classic and I hope that someday it will be adapted for the screen!

This book reminds me a lot of "The Secret Garden" without being quite as preachy and overly descriptive. My two daughters absolutely love this book and consider it one of their favorites.

Dr. Orloff tackles issues dealing with difficult people and situations in everyday life. She shares how these situations stress us and lower our energy levels. With exercises and discussion, the reader is lead on a path toward a healthier life. The book is interesting without a dull moment. Anyone reading this book is sure to benefit

Heard the author speak and love the book.
Am also a Psychiatrist and agree with her views.

Positive Energy: 10 Extraordinary Prescriptions for Transforming Fatigue, Stress, and Fear into Vibrance, Strength, and Love
Dr. Judith Orloff's book has given me so many important insights about myself! One of the most important is how to act in order to maximize my positive energy. This has an impact on practically everything I do AND the things I choose not to do! Sometimes when my awareness of my true needs are a bit clouded I use one of the other things that the book has taught me: my intuition. It's so amazing that all the answers to our questions are within us but sadly enough most of us never listen to our inner voice. Earlier, I could hear my inner voice from time to time, but the voice was so faint that most of the time I chose not to believe it. After reading the book I now realise that it's the true me that is trying to tell me something important. Today its voice is a lot louder and I LISTEN carefully!
Thanks for teaching me all kinds of wonderfull things, Judith:-)!

Peter Rahm
Malmo, Sweden

What a perfect book at the most perfect time. I was skimming bookshelves and thought..."this looks good, give it a try". My intuition was right on. Dr. Judith Orloff presents in a very easy to understand and conveyed way multiple ways to promote positive energy. She is unique in her approach and dares to enter the world of sexuality for which I truly applaud her. It was such an easy and enjoyable read and I actually feel better for it. Being a therapist myself I know that I will use some of her techniques with my clients and most definitely with myself.

I received this book as a gift, and I really enjoyed it. Many of us sometimes come into contact with the people Dr. Orloff refers to as energy vampires; those people who leave us feeling tired and drained.

She provides us with 10 prescriptions for boosting our energy and combating energy vampires. My favorite is "find a nurturing spiritual path that fits your own beliefs and inner stirrings."

If you like this book, you'll also like the inspiring and thought provoking Wake Up to Powerful Living: 12 Principles to Transform Your Life!.

I think all women should read this book and share it with others (family and children). Not only does Mr. Bach discuss how saving a little here and there can help with retirement, but he also gives women inspiration to live out (and especially to finance) their dreams. A wonderful book.

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to become wealthy and this book details how easy it can be. If you're looking for glitz and glamour and "get rich quick" this isn't it. There's no such thing as an overnight success. Read David's book and get going on the road to wealth.

Love all his books - bought this, gave it someone and had to buy it again. It all depends what level you are on. Not too much non-common sense, but good for women to read.

I bought this book because I heard so many positive things about it. I am in my 50's, five years ago I went from having the wonderful life that all women dream of. I had the beautiful home in the suburbs, 2 beautiful children, friends, you name it I had it. Then I lost it all in the blink of an eye. I had relied on my husband to handle all the finances I couldn't tell you the balance in the check book. All I knew was he made the money and I spent it. Thank the Lord I was a RN, but I hadn't worked in quite a few years. I am not going to go into detail what happened but when I said I had nothing but the clothes on my back I mean just that. I have been working two jobs for the past five years making good money but I have NOTHING to show for it. By reading Suze book I was able to identify myself, it is so easy to understand that someone like myself with NO understanding of finance can take her suggestions and work them into my present life. It is going to take discipline on my part and learning to say NO to my children is going to be the hardest. But, I need to take care of myself. This book was just what I needed to read. I highlighted areas, I keep going back and re-reading certain sections. I keep it next to my bed. Buying this book was one of the best things I have done for myself.

Smart Women Finish Rich is a bit different from other financial books I've read. I have to admit I was surprised with how well David Bach addressed both the emotional and intellectual relationship women have with money. His grandmother taught him well.

I am going to say that Smart Women Finish Rich is more for a financial beginner than a woman with financial savvy. It's a well thought out system of gaining and keeping control of your financial self-sufficiency. Bach has filled this book with definitions, resources, quizzes, systems, exercises and tables. I was impressed and give it a must read if you're serious about becoming more financially organized.

David Bach addresses both the heart and the head in Smart Women Finish Rich. He used the lessons he learned from his grandmother, and his mother, as inspiration. After growing up with two such powerful role models, he was surprised by the number of financially uniformed women. Many of the women who came to him for financial advice, had no clue about building financial security.

Smart Women Finish Rich is easy to understand. I read it and "got it." This is a "how to" book that involves a commitment on your part to read, work and put the assignments and lessons into daily practice. Bach has carefully given us valuable financial keys, now it's up to us to follow through.

What you'll get out of this book is going to depend on what you're willing to put into it. It's a book that has the potential to give you a great foundation for financial self-sufficiency.

Here are some of the areas I found particularly useful:

1.The first exercise, "Financial Knowledge Quiz" is a great practical place to start. I found it to be thoughtful and quite an eye-opener. I learned about how well (and sometimes not so well) I understood the role money played in my life.

2. David Bach is adamant about pinpointing the reason money is important to you. To find this out, you'll need to examine your money values and ask yourself if your financial behavior matches those values. He provides a simple but thoughtful exercise called the "Values Ladder."

3. Smart Women Finish Rich is a great blend of exercises, systems, quizzes and practical "real world" information. For example, the "Finish Rich File Folder System" is a simple, easy-to-follow and yet an organizational time saver.

I definitely give Smart Women Finish Rich five stars! If you're ready and serious about getting your financial house and monetary priorities in order, this is the book for you!

This book openend my eyes to the plight of the persecuted Christians in China and all over the world. It gave me a new appreciation for the freedoms we have as Americans.

THIS book is SOOOO Good.. its one of the Best Books EVER. I Was in YWAM and they made me read it.. And I Did NOT want to FINISH IT.. i wanted this book to last Forever.. its That Good. His True to life Stories are Inspring and Amazing!. Will Motivate you to Seek after God all the More.

I loved what Brother Yun said when he said "Chinese Christians are persecuted by beatings and execution and Western Christians are persecuted by slander." The book really make you look at your walk with Christ. The book was well written and keep my attention.

A little over a year ago, I read Randy Alcorn's novel, "Safely Home." And it was based on Chinese Christians and the persecution they might go through in China. And my first thought was how rough that has to really be. Being a master storyteller, Randy Alcorn barely scratched the surface, and he could've really gone deep. After my dad read "Safely Home," he found this book, "The Heavenly Man," and basically told me, "You've got to read this! This is amazing!" If you think you're some kind of victim just because you've been made fun of for your Christian faith, wake up! Christians like Brother Yun know something about suffering, and how to rejoice in the process. HUH? Read on!

And this really is nothing short of amazing. Brother Yun started preaching at the age of 16. Like in Alcorn's book, there are church house meetings. And the Chinese government hates Christians, and has ways of dealing with them. So for those of us who have these ideas of being a simple POW with just a few beatings, it goes a lot further than that. The torture that Brother Yun suffered is nuts! And this guy can rejoice and witness to his cell mates about the glory of God. Seeing miracles, and experiencing them, and you'd have to be crazy not to believe in God.

Yun makes it clear that when we are in God's will, God has us exactly where He wants us. It is a reminder to stay in the will of God and to keep focused on the reward God has for us. And being in God's will means to be ready for everything God has for us here on Earth. That means that we'll probably do some suffering, and that we will bear our own cross.

Would anybody line up for the testimony of Brother Yun? All I can say is WOW! This is an amazing life. A true eye opener!

After reading this book you'll understand why some believe that Asia may become the next center of Christianity. With the West becoming more secular and morally bankrupt, God is moving in China to spread the Gospel. Who would have thought that Korea, formerly a primarily Buddhist country, would become a Christian nation that sends out multitudes of missionaries? In the same way, God is using the Chinese house churches to spread the Gospel not only throughout China but also throughout the rest of Asia and beyond. The story of Brother Yun shows how the Gospel began to grow in China under persecution. This is inspiring and motivating. However, it was hard to relate the sold-out Christianity of the Chinese house churches to the soft, laissez-faire Christianity we know in the West. May God bring revival not only throughout Asia but also to the West.

This book is the Bible of all Reiki books. I highly recommend to add it to your Reiki library.

This book is wonderful for someone who is learning Reiki. It has been invaluable to me. Steve has some different ideas from some of the other Reiki people I have read, and everything he has taught has worked really well for me. I have gotten all the attunements and have used them, and they work beautifully. They are relaxing to do, and make me feel very peaceful and calm and balanced afterwards. I try to do an attunement every week, as I feel it helps my Reiki get better every time I use it. I am just starting with Reiki, and have already helped several people and animals with it, as well as helped myself MANY times with it. Reiki is wonderful! Steve's books are easy to understand and apply, and are very practical. Another thing I really love about his books and DVDs, is the fact that he has answered all the questions I normally have that I can't get answered. It's like he has really considered all the things that might come up, and covered them so you're not left hanging. His style is simple and down-to-earth. He is just excellent at instructing on Reiki. I very highly recommend both his books and attunements.

I would love to detail all of the specifics of what I found interesting and helpful from the books and DVDs in this system, but that would surely take up more time and room than this space allows, lol. Suffice it to say that those Reiki recipients whom I have been working with for some time have commented that they notice an increase in Reiki power -- and they didn't know that I had been doing further study with Steve Murray's Usui Reiki system products; they simply knew something was different. As a newly-signed author myself, I love his writing style; Steve is straight to the point without unnecessary wording --- I like and appreciate that.
Steve Murray's books and DVDs and absolutely priceless and will remain in my personal library as invaluable reference materials in the years to come. I do and will recommend them to anyone that I believe would be interested. I also see that his new book and DVD will be released soon. I plan to purchase and study those also ;)
Namaste,
Raine

I WAS NOT LOOKING FOR THIS TYPE OF BOOK BUT INSTEAD LOOKING FOR PSYCHIC PROTECTION, OTHER BOOKS HAVING TO DO WITH GETTING YOUR INTUITION BACK ETC AND THEN CAME ACROSS THIS ONE. IT WAS LIKE THE UNIVERSE WAS TELLING ME SOMETHING AS I HAD NO INTEREST IN REIKI..I AM SO GLAD I BOUGHT IT. STEVE MAKES THIS ENERGY HEALING AFFORDABLE FOR EVERYONE AND HIS BOOK WAS SO EASY TO READ. NEVER HAVE I READ A BOOK IN ONE NIGHT SO I KNEW THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS MEANT TO BE FOR ME. RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO EVERYONE AND ANYONE WHO HAS AN INTEREST IN BEING A REIKI STUDENT/HEALER.
THANKS ALOT STEVE FOR MAKING THIS POSSIBLE FOR EVERYONE.

I really liked the book it was an easy read. The chapters were short and informative which kept me focused. It answered my questions I had about Reiki in a how to manner. It gives you in depth directions and illustrations on how to do Attunments. Steve Murray's knowledge and insight is really reflected in the books words. Anyone interested in learning Reiki or anyone wanting to know about Reiki should get this book.

This is absolutely a lovely book. The illustrations are soothing for bedtime, and the rhythmic story makes for a perfect bedtime story. I have been reading this to my son since he was born, and he still loves it at 3 years old. Great bonding experience with this wonderful story.

This is a great book that I would recommend to all for those quite moments just before sleep. This gentle story leads you through an array of animals as they settle down for the night. I find the pictures great and the gentle rhythm of the book a delight. I could not as more of a bedtime story.

I read this book to my daughter many nights from the night she was born until she was old enough for chapter books. She loved the cadence of the rhymes and would repeat them along with me as she got older. Now my oldest step-daughter is having her first baby so this is one of the books we got her - we hope it will be a favorite in her house as well!

I love this book -- it is to soothing for both adults and children. Beautiful pictures and sweet, simple rhymes.

we've been reading this book every night for a very long time, and our daughter still likes it very much. she looks forward to it ...

This book will open your mind on how to launch a bew business or innovative product or server. However the authors could write this book in a more simple way and not with a hard to read english text.

Before reading the book, “The Ultimate Competitive Advantage” it seemed to me that most management books were written for “big” business problems. Most authors quote one case after the other to make their own case. A collection of postmortem reports of different companies to tell you how they failed.

This is the first book that has taught me however small a business may be, its success depends on competitive edge it creates with its own resources. There are numerous ways that even limited resources can create an added benefit for the customers and increase my business. The example of “free cold water” on an off beat road is one such method in the book to remember as a simple but brilliant solution to attract customers and add value for the customers. The authors give a set of tools to help one think in a different manner. I recommend this book especially to young person trying to get their business started and also those seeking to break out of dead end situations. A great work!

Mitchell and Coles have done businesses a tremendous service in writing this excellent book. They have done so by providing a practical toolbox of ideas with which to stimulate entrepreneurs, business leaders and managers to enhance and improve their business prospects in today's very competitive marketplaces.

I must admit to having struggled with this book for a long time. Not because of difficulty in reading and understanding. To be sure this is a very lucid and comprehensible book and is accessible to all levels from a twelve year old bringing out his lemonade stall for the third year in a row and adding iced tea to his product range to the CEO of a major corporation.

My struggle was with trying to make overarching sense of what lessons the authors were trying to encourage readers to learn. It became clear to me after several periods of reflection upon completion of the text. The crucial significance of this book in a practical way lies in understanding how deep into national economic systems the process of globalisation has seeped. We see the reults in our everyday lives, how quickly new or improved products come into the marketplace. We see how quickly established businesses change or die, we see cheaper and better products come from remote parts of the world leaving us a greater part of our disposable income to spend on the things we would prefer to spend on them.

It is clear that in life and not just in business the process of change has quickened and that as individuals we must be more adaptable and more attune to the world around us to the opportunities that exist. It is as if we need to become our own business in ourselves.

Mitchell and Coles focus on but one part of this continuous change and that is on the business model. Their strong focus on this area has great strength but we must also learn the broader lesson from their well researched work. To survive in today's world we must not only accept change but we must embrace it as people, as workers, as entrepreneurs. It is as Schumpeter pointed out inherent in the nature of capitalism. But, to be sure it is inherent in the nature of all life, as Hayek observed. We must change or die.

I would heartily recommend this book to everyone, for there is much to be gained from within it's pages. Mitchell and Coles have produced an excellent book which far and away exceeds it's remit as a business book.

The Ultimate Competitive Advantage is a gold mine with a rich vein of unusual ideas from Mitchell and Coles' nimble minds. Its stated purpose is to help readers develop and implement a superior management process for continuous business model improvement. The book goes ahead to do just that.

The authors' approach make deliberate what used to be an accidental, hapazard, uncertain and hard to repeat process.

This book, like Mitchell and Coles' others, is best used as a workbook. After each chapter, several questions are posed to stimulate your thinking, and 95% of the value of the book will be unlocked for you when you take the time to think through them rigorously. Serious entrepreneurs looking for fresh ideas for getting out of the rut and improving their businesses will.

This is a practical book, but it is not a "how-to-book" instead, it deals with the what, when and why; with such tangibles as pricing, cost of doing business and benefits to stakeholders. The authors- Donald Mitchell and Carol Coles researched and found out that unsuccessful companies doggedly apply outdated business models while the successful ones improve their models every 2 to 4 years. The book provides a straightforwad and a systematic method which any company can use to review and improve its business model basing on its key components: pricing, cost of doing business and benefits to its shareholders.

At one time, this was my favorite redwall book. It was also the first redwall book I read all of. In this book, the fearless badger lord Urthstripe the Strong leads his army of long patrol hares in a battle against the cruel Ferahgo the Assasin. Read this book, it's great!

While the book itself is very good (according to my 12 yr. old son), the size is different than the rest and he likes things orderly (especially since there are so many in this series) so we ended up going out and purchasing the same book, but by "Ace" publishers so they would all fit on his bed shelf.

The Book of Salamandstron



Salamandstron, written by Brian Jacques in 1992 and published in 1993, is the fifth book in the Redwall Series. Like all Redwall books, Salamandstron is an animal adventure saga, which picturesquely describes a stunning tale set in medieval times. Intently, because of the strength of the story line, the reader will continue on through the book, like a bookworm, to find out what happens in the end When finished the person who examines this book, will have perused 391 obsessive pages, which, as interpreted, would have taken the reader through the world of Redwall.



Since the book, at times, tells five different stories, there are several different main characters and several antagonists. The first main character to be introduced is Lord Uthstripe the Strong, the Badger lord of Salamandstron, a mountain fortress. The Badgers lords of this massive mountain are mysterious characters. They are fierce fighters and reckless worries, who at times can be possessed by the terrible blood wrath and kill all in sight. Uthstrip's adopted daughter Mara, at the beginning of the book, was not content with her life at Salamandstron. The military fortress was strict and forcible, and Mara did not like her restrictions. Samkin, a young squirrel, contentedly lived at Redwall Abbey. In the beginning he was very mischievous and many times because of his carelessness, almost caused serous injuries. Ferahgo was an evil, cruel, pain-causing tyrant, who was the assassin weasel and chieftain of the horde of corps makers. Cruelly he Murdered Urthstripes parents and caused Urthstripe and his albino brother to be separated. Ferahgo's son Klitch was just as evil and crafty as his father. Fighting against each other, both wanted control of Salamandstron. Another enemy (although not a living creature) gets introduced about half way through the book. A terrible sickness called Dryditch Fever takes hold of the Abbey. It almost wipes out all. Although the characters all have different story lines within the book, each one is tied together in the end.



Opening at Salamandstron, the story begins with gloom. From the first, as Urthstripe reveals his anxiety for Mara with the words "Any sign of Mara yet?" it tells of Mara's discontentedness with the strictly ruled life she is living. It opens with her gone on one of her frequent run-a-ways. When she returns after two days absence from the mountain she brings two vermin, one of them Klitch, who falsely befriended her. Urthstripe throws the weasel and his companion out of the mountain, and Mara becomes so angry that she runs away for good. Accidentally (at Redwall) Samkin finds the skillfully crafted sword of the Legendary Hero, Martin the Warrior, but two stoats evilly steal the magnificent sword. The vermin were part of Ferahgo's horde but deserted. Samkin and Arula (Samkin's mole friend) chase after the stoats because the sword, which they took, represents the spirit of Redwall and could not be lost. They met some peculiar friends. Back at the Abbey Dry Ditch Fever broke out. Everywhere, from Salamandstron to Redwall Abbey trouble seemed to be taking hold of the good guys.



As the book continues the troubles grow worse. Mara, after being chased by Ferahgo's horde, escapes, but was betrayed into the hands of King Glagweb, the head of a cannibal toad tribe. Unfortunately she and several shrews, which were also caught, were going to be served up at a special occasion. Back at Redwall Thrugg, a brave otter set out on a journey to the mountains of the north to try to find the Icetor Flowers, which will cure any sickness. Sadly, however he gets trapped. Attacking him, a horde of crows in a pine forest almost overwhelmed Thrugg and his little friend baby Dumble. Samkin and his mole friend Arula were still persistently chasing after the vermin who stole the sword, when, one died of Dryditch fever and the other was killed by Ferahgo's tracker rats. The head of the trackers took the sword and headed back to Ferahgo's horde, but Samking and Arula still followed. They followed to get back the sword, they followed for their friends at the abbey, and they followed to slay the takers of Martins legendary blade. At Redwall Abbey, as dry ditch fever took victim after victim, all but two or three animals were stricken. At Salamandstron there was great famine because Ferahgo who besieged the mountain somehow destroyed or poisoned all the mountains food. Will Redwall Abbey be wiped out, or will Thrugg get back in time with the Icetor flowers? Will Mara and her friends be eaten or will they find a way to escape? Will Samkin retrieve the great sword? Will Salamandstron hold out? To discover what happens, READ THE BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



If The book Salamandstron is amazing it is because it seizes and holds the readers attention. Having a good story line, this book is extremely well written. Undoutedly, another reason this book is so good is because Brian Jacques uses very descriptive adjectives and excellent verbs as illustrations for every scene. The story builds up suspense. Throughout, it never contradicts itself. The story is very vivid. Salamandstron is not just a book, which might be ok to glance over; it is a must-read saga.

What would you do if you were being attacked by an army of vermin, or your abbeys most prized possession, or if your abbey was being threatened by a deadly disease? Would you defend yourselves, find an antidote, or would you go after the possession? Well that is exactly what the charaters in this story did. This little world is filled with badgers, hares, vermin, mice, moles, shrews and squirrels. Also thisworld is also filled with a volcanoe, woods, seas, dunes, lakes, rivvers and enormous mountians.

In this fantasy a bagder named Mara left her home because her strict father was always punishing her. When she left, her friend ccame along with her. His name was Pikkle. On their journey they met two vermin who became frineds with them so they woild lead them to Salamandastron )(Mara's fathers fortress). There had been many rumors that there is a great fortune somewhere inside the volcanoe. So now the vermin were going to attack the fortress. Another two vermin acted as if they were lonely travelers (but they really weren't) and went to Redwall and the Red wallers accepted them. They tricked the Redwallers and stole the sword of Martin the Warrior also killing one of the Redwallers. When the vermin escaped one of them died of a deadly disease. He got the disease while at Redwall and now the Redwallers are at great risk.

What will happen to everyone? Will Salamandastron survive? Will the Redwallers perish? Will they get the sword back? This book was relly good and every time it would sound good, it would change to someone else. I would really recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy, action, and adventure. This is the fifth book of the 17 book series.

-Peyton

I like salamandastron for many reasons.0ne is the book has lots of action .the bookis writen by Brian Jacques.This book is fantasy because animals have human abiltys.brian writes many more books.