Audio Books

This is a truly excellent reference book for anyone interested in the history of Biblical interpretation. Indeed, the book might more accurately be called "How the Bible has been Read," since for any given section, it gives an overview of traditional readings, both Christian and Jewish, followed by recent scholarship and biblical studies. The latter includes advances in linguistic and archeological scholarship. Kugel writes in a clear conversational style, the product, no doubt of years of university teaching.

Though I have only read about a hundred and fifty pages, I have found Kugel's scholarship outstanding and his writing clear and easy. As a catholic priest it has been a wonderful exposure to good Jewish thought and scholarship. I have found the contrast between the ancient inperpreters and modern scholars extremely helpful. I would be more conversant with modern scholars and not so clear on the more traditional. It is a great help to interpret sections of the Hebrew Bible.

Rev. Joseph Madden

This book attempts to integrate both traditional and modern views of the bible. It does this well. It creates layers of meaning that transcend the theological and is well worth reading for those not immersed in a particular theological approach to the meaning of this complex book

Well researched and written book. Understandable by layman as well as biblical scholar. Most enlightening and informative.

Thank you James L. Kugel. I have longed for guidance in understanding the complexities of the Old Testament. Very informative and readable.
Highly recommended.

This is an awesome book. It is filled with down to earth talking mixed with bibicial scriptures to back it up. She breaks down the bible in a way that I have never thought of.

I just started a book club and this was our first read. What a start. This book really made me look at my singlehood and embrace it until God is ready to bring that help mate into your life. I recommend it for ever near or at that 30-something, single stage of their lives.

This book is a definite must for all females young and old. I was truly touched and changed in all sorts of ways. A patient of mine gave me this book to read and I bought another one and gave it to a woman that considered herself my enemy because I have the man she wanted. I love how she takes us through the scripture and shows us how God wants to mold and shape us as the unique and beautiful queens that we are. One thing that stuck out to me "There is no dating in the bible" Brings you back to the scripture: Train up a child in the way that he/she should go" most of us can't get a mate because we don't have the knowledge of what relationship is about other than being apart of your own immediate family. You got to bring some to get some.

Thank you Michelle for your guide to godliness.

I am a 24 year old single woman and I am just beginning to feel the woes of singleness. Unfortunately, it's not always easy to find someone you can really talk to. Everything I needed was in this book. If you want to be content in singleness, and if you want to be the complete individual that God intends for you to be, get this book. Michelle has great biblical and spiritual insight. She doesn't just talk about her experiences or what she thinks, she comes from the Word and writes according to divine revelation from God.

I had just departed from a 5 yr relationship when I read this.
It set my feet on a higher spiritual plateau. The title of the book was deceiving (as most of her titles) and had me thinking I was on my way to my next relationship. However, it set my sights on not just the right man, but THE MAN, the Lord!
It was refreshing, empowering and encouraging. Despite the fact that Mckinney has never been married do not let that discourage you. She comes from the only knowledge that matters and that is the WORD. Everyone has not been destined to get/be married; also, who else to minister to someone except the one who is in the same season with you...what an encouragement. Its such a catch 22 - to always hear women bemoan their singlehood and not having a mate but they have not excelled in the principle things (that is delighting themselves in the Lord and learning to please Him.)
What an embarrassment to God for women/men to continuously pursue a thing so much that we forget about all He has blessed us with and who He is and the provisions He made and the great love He has for us to send Jesus to die for us.
Its like saying "Lord, you are not enough, you haven't done enough" and throwing a temper tantrum...ok, off my soapbox - sorry.
Back to the book, it helped me to fall more deeply and more intimately in love with the Lord. Another book that helped me with this is McKinney's book - The Secrets of an Irresistible Woman A MUST READ.

What an incredible book!!!! WOW!!!! I admire the man behind this book, Les Brown. He is real! He asks you questions to get you to think of where you are and where you want to go. IF you have not found success, regardless of the "excuse", this is a must read!!!! It is Powerful!!!!Les Brown really makes you figure out where your place is in this world. You have one, you just have to find it. Thank you Les Brown. God Bless you!!!!! My husband is suppose to read this book next.....I think I might have to get him his own copy. :)

I purchased Les Brown's "Live Your Dreams" when it first came out and it made a great difference in my life. I started having more confidence in who I was and it helped my reach beyond anything I previously thought I could accomplish. Since then I met a young man who I feel could benefit from "Live Your Dreams" and absolutely had to buy it for his birthday. I hope that this title will eventually be brought back as a CD. I feel anyone could find peace and confidence in themselves after listening to Les Brown. He offers hope and possibilities.

I bought this book as a result of the fact that for two days in a row, I had the privileged to be at a seminar given by Les Brown at Jesus House DC, Live and uncensored. After listening to him, I purchased most of material including this book. Reading the material simply brings him back live to my mind. It is as if he was right there next to you talking to you; showing how and why you CAN DO THIS! You have potential. You can make it; here is how. Then he explains the steps to achieve your greatness. This book is a must to any one who wants to make it to the top. My heartfelt Gratitude to both Les Brown and Pastor Ghandi of Jesus House DC for exposing us to such priceless and tremendous knowledge.
Dr. Israel King,Ph.D. Author of How To Keep A Man

Les Brown is phenomenal and very motivating. I love this book and would recommend it to anyone.

I first saw Les Brown on PBS television while he was giving a motivational seminar. I couldn't change the channel. He was so good. So motivating and fun to listen to, I just had to hear every word he had to say.
When I saw his book, "Live your Dreams" in the bookstore, I knew I had to buy it. It was a great investment.
The book is entertaining, honest, extremely enlightening and of course, motivational. I enjoy this book so much that I can't recommend it enough. Anyone who wants to go against the odds and be successful in life will need the right motivation and attitude. Les Brown's "Live your Dreams" gives you that much needed boost in moral support.

As a university instructor and entrepreneur, I wholeheartedly recommend this book. The one page strategic plan is brilliant and very doable by anyone in just a few hours time. Simple and straightforward - that's what this book teaches and that's what you should do to succeed....so Read this one for sure.

I must say that the simpler management frameworks are the ones that stick with me. This book puts forth a few key management principles that are helpful for most companies.

This is by far the best business book I have ever read, and I have read many. This book is full of "roll up your sleeves" "get er done" practical tools and techniques. All referenced forms are available on Harnishe's website as well. The book is so readable, succinct and full of "Well Duh!" techniques and procedures that I found myself amazed that these basic techniques are not being used in more businesses.

This could be the only "how to" manual any consultant would ever need to initiate transformational changes within client organizations.

I have met Verne and have attended his workshops in the past, so I am a little biased; but, his book is really good. If you are a business owner or leader, his ideas will really help you grow your business. Not only grow in terms of revenue and profits, but also in terms of employee satisfaction and productivity. Do yourself a favor and read this book!

Bring organization to your organization. Hold people accountable for their work. These are some of the biggest problems I hear over and over from entrepreneurs who have emerged from the start-up phase and are trying to grow their business into a profitable machine. This book is an easy read and gives you all the tools you need. A must have for anyone looking to take their business beyond their garages.

Judged from a man's point of view, Mistress of Mellyn succeeds on a number of levels, most of them tied in with the "whodunnit" factor of the book.

It is almost as though Victoria Holt gave REBECCA a good read and then thought to herself, "Gee, I could take that same plot and make it much, much better." So some elements of the famous Daphne Du Maurier story repeat themselves here--the forbidding mansion, the sexy master of the house, the elderly servant mumbling gloomy, doleful advice like a Cornish version of Maria Ouspenskaya. You'd think that she (Holt) would have changed the setting a wee bit though, I mean move it away from the cliffs of Cornwall, for heaven's sake, you're just asking for comparisons!

And yet think of how different REBECCA would have been had Rebecca and Max de Winter had a little daughter! Which is pretty much what happens here. Little Alvean is sort of like Miles and Flora in Henry James' THE TURN OF THE SCREW, and Martha Leigh is a bit like the governess who worried about her charges so in James' 1890 novelette. When "Marty" first meets her and tries to find out what her lessons should be, the little girl is rude, disrespectful, and totally spoiled by having been allowed to run free. Plus her father's aristocratic snobbery towards the middle class has infected young Alvean so she feels no compunction about telling Martha that she doesn't have to listen to her.

The whodunnit aspect comes towards the end of a long and suspenseful story. The very last person in the world who you would suspect, turns out to be the killer, a mad monster whose actions seem incalculably cruel. Only later do you begin to piece it together and to feel even a little sympathy for the murderer, who was coming from a very tough place which Victoria Holt sketches out pretty well. Anyhow, I liked it, but I can see how if you read 50 of these books they would all start to seem the same.

Martha Leigh is the central female character of this delightful story. The tale is told, mainly in the first person, with added dialogue.
After the death of their father, 20 year old Martha and her 18 year old sister Phillida, are taken to London by their aunt Adelaide, for 'a season'. At the end of that season Phillida had married, but after four years of living with her aunt, Martha still had not found a husband.
"There are two courses open to a gentlewoman when she finds herself in penurious circumstances ...." aunt Adelaide had said. "One is to marry, and the other to find a post in keeping with her gentility."
Thus, one of aunt Adelaide's friends suggests that Martha should become governess to Connan TreMellyn's daughter, Alvean.
Martha arrives at the house, Mount Mellyn, to find her employer is a cold imposing man, and his daughter is resentful towards her. The house itself is a 'cold brooding house on the Cornish cliffs'.
It was only Martha's growing love for Alvean and an unwilling attraction to Alvean's father that made her stay on and try to solve the mysteries which shrouded their lives.
What eventuates between Martha and Connan TreMellyn is a little predictable, however the journey towards the outcome is a delightful read; and, there is a wickedly surprising 'twist' at the end of the book (which I'm not going to spoil for you).
The book is very well written, and I found the characters very interesting.
The author of my copy of this title was Victoria Holt. This was one of the pseudonyms of Eleanor Alice Burford. After marrying she became Eleanor Alice Hibbert. Others she wrote under included Jean Plaidy, Ellalice Tate, Kathleen Kellow, Elbur Ford, Philippa Carr. She wrote almost 200 books under these names!

Her books are VERY addictive!

Sadly, most of her books are out of print at the date of this review. Some can be purchased on the Internet or from second-hand bookshops.

This is the first Victoria Holt book that I read, and I think it was where I should have started. I have always liked the stories of Jane Eyre and Rebecca, so this one sounded interesting. It lived up to expectations. It is about a governess that finds out she is in much more than she bargained for. The house she is living in is filled with history and mystery. Her employer, with whom she falls in love, is very much the same. With twists and turns, and a huge surprize ending, this book is one you will remember for years to come.

Don't listen the O'Brien review above, this book is far from "campy" (a pretentious term pretentious people use to justify reading romance and popular novels)...yes, this book does owe a lot to Jane Eyre I suppose but the vivid characters, chilling suspense and romance make this a treat you won't forget. Miss Holt proves herself to be a writer of enduring power and imagination. Nothing "campy" about that!

What happened to Alice, mistress of Mellyn? Was she just a high-class skank who ran off with philandering neighbor Geoffrey? And what is the mystery of the leper's squint?

This is a fine combination of "Jane Eyre" crossed with a dash of Du Maurier's "Rebecca." For a romance novel, a genre that I normally despise, this is quite a fine read. Victoria Holt (aka Jean Plaidy) knows how to keep her plots moving swiftly and her surprises juicy.

This is my absolute favorite novel by Victoria Holt. I cannot praise it any more than anyone else has.

But I must correct the amazon description of "However, Holt creates elaborate characters and sets the narrative in the fabled and romantic Black Forest of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the time of the Napoleonic Wars."

The book is set in the Black Forest, yes, but the Black Forest is in Germany(and technically was in Bavaria, which was a kingdom within the German Empire after the unification of 1870), and the book was set in the Victoria era.

I love it when an author can write a story about two people in love and keep the story clean without explicit sex. This author knows how to write a love story that will keep you reading from one page to the next until the end. I'm very impressed with her work on other novels as well as this one.

This is one of my favorite Victoria Holt books. It's romantic, there's intrigue, lies, allies, spies, murder plots, a villain, a hero, and everything in between, using the Black Forest and the mythological characters that the heroine and at times, damsel in distress, Helena Trant, grew up with as a back drop. The forests were in her blood and wasn't afraid when she got lost in the mist.

And here comes a hero to literally sweep her off her feet. A man of many and mysterious identities.

These two discover what Shakespeare knew all along: "The course of true love never did run smoothly".

Both are lied to and deceived by people they thought they could trust, and ironically, some of those same people bring them together again.

No one weaves a story like Victoria Holt. As far as I'm concerned, she only has two worthy peers: Phyllis A. Whitney and Mary Stewart.

If you want to be taken to another place and time, and believe in love and fairy tales, this is the book for you.

I have read some Holt novels I didn't even feel were worth bothering to review because of my lukewarm attitude toward them. This is far from the case with On the Night of the Seventh Moon. If you don't like filthy romance books full of corny, eyerolling garbage like Stephanie Laurens seems to insist on dishing out, complete with their relentless bludgeonings of copulation scenes and weak plots, I urge you to pick this book up instead.

From the beginning I was mesmerized by Holt's characters and rich, complex weaving of romance and the evildoers who would keep Helena and Max apart for a decade until they find each other again. In fact, everything about this book had me so enthralled that I couldn't put it down until the very end. Holt has the ability to write adventurous romantic novels that don't make you want to throw up when you read them, and that's something most authors can't lay claim to. If you like your books clean and well-written, Seventh Moon is destined to become one of your favorites, and I would never steer you wrong about that. I know you will really enjoy this particular novel, because it is just that outstanding.

This book is a real love, adventure, and mystery story. I have loved this book sense I first read it and I read it at least once a year. If you're one of the people who are picky about what to read and you have many different tastes this is a book that you can read and love.
It has a wonderful plot and a well written one to, it's set in Prussia and in England. It's really hard to explain this book when there are so many things going on (although when it's going on you don't get confused like other books of this time) Murder, Passion, True love, and many rememberable people that you'll fall in love with over and over again. From England, to her mother's home land, to the arms of a hansome Prince not wanting to be known.
It's a beautiful book and I would say that if you read this you'll be very pleased. Hope you like it!

Sam is a basketball hero. He is from a small Maine town, and he dominates his high school team. After winning the championship, he makes a statement that the next year it will be not only the boys' team but also the girls' team bringing home a trophy. It is a bold statement, although the girls' team is also very good, but Sam is determined to make it a reality.

The key element in Sam's plan is Deanie, most often called The Mutant by the student body. She shaves her head, has tattoos, and wears chains through the rings in her face. Despite her weird appearance and antisocial behavior, Deanie is a powerhouse on the basketball court and pushes her team to win.

Sam finds himself intrigued by Deanie, especially by the fact that she seems to hate his guts and repels any advances by him. He continues to try to find ways to become her friend.

When Deanie does start to let Sam into her life, though, he finds himself horrified by what he sees. He begins to wonder if his affection and attention will be enough to pull her out of her bad situation.

I liked Sam's family. They were down-to-earth and very solid, despite their problems. I also liked seeing Deanie's evolution from the beginning of the book to the end, when she had things much more together.

It was hard for me to understand, though, why Sam was so attracted to Deanie and why he continued to pursue her after she continually repelled his advances. It's hard to believe any high-school boy would be that persistent in the face of so much rejection.

"One on One" tells the coming-of-age story of two unique teens. Sam Styles is a popular basketball captain, aiming for the championships, who also has his own unpopular ethical code amongst his peers. Deenie Gauthier is a "townie" who is also a basketball star, but whose poverty and attitude have made her an outsider. Sam becomes intrigued by her, and they begin a mercurial relationship which eventually becomes sexual. The contrast between Sam's close-knit family is made more poignant when compared to Deanie's abusive homelife. But Sam has his own scars, and though the two are made for each other, their union will not be an easy one.

Only two things bothered me. Every few pages we get yet another description of Deanie's appearance. The reader "gets" that she's unusual looking but still beautiful without her skin being compared to a narcissus petal or fine wood constantly. If the reader doesn't like the character or feel sympathy, they'd have put the book down by now. The other was that there were an excessive amount of sex scenes. I'm not a prude, but it got a bit tiresome; there are only so many ways you can describe certain sexual acts that teens perform. I would rather have had more basketball scenes - and I'm not a jock.

Please buy this book!!! I can think of no other way to get Tabitha King to write a second piece to this tale. I am a big reader and love series books. After reading all of Jennifer Weiner's books last month I was looking for someone else, on her website or a fansite of Jennifer's it mentioned Pearl. I went to the library and picked up a copy. Read it immediately and loved it instantly. I told my husband that Tabitha King writes like her husband, always leaving you with wanting more. I went to the trusty WWW and found that there was a whole series to be read and I happened upon them in the middle with Pearl. After work I was at the library picking up the remainder of the series. I didn't read them in order, you don't have to, they work well independently. One on One was the last for me to pick up. I read it in no time and lost much sleep because of it. I took it to work with me and was HAPPY to be in a 1 hour traffic jam so I could have more time to read it. I was captivated by Sam and Deanie, and hungry to know more about Pearl and Reuben. I did something I have never done. I did't put it down. Upon finishing it I started back on the first page again. She writes sex scenes like they should be written, raw, real, and not perfect. I want more from her...that is why you have to buy this book. Hopefully she will see there is a surge in her sales and decide to feed her fans with MORE. I am just upset I didn't know her work until now. She is just amazing. Buy it.

I'm a novelist myself, and began reading Stephen King at the age of ten. About seven years ago, I was browsing through the S. Kings at the library looking for something that I hadn't read fifteen times when I ran across One on One completely by accident. Because the particular S. King that I was looking for wasn't on the shelf, I decided to "broaden my horizons" and take it for a "test drive," and what a decision that was! I couldn't put it down - I read it cover to cover twice, then bought my own copy. I've since ventured into Tabby's other offerings and they're equally wonderful, but One on One will always be my favorite read - and my favorite inspiration.

Tabitha King has a wonderful talent with bending the written word in such a way that it captivates the reader to the point of not being able to put the book down until the very last page. Unfortunately, though I am a great fan of Stephen King, Tabitha gets very little of the spotlight and I am disappointed that none of her books are available to buy as new books.

I ordered this book for myself after having read a borrowed original first edition hard cover from a friend.
The story is wonderful and inspiring, and I wanted to own this book. This soft cover reissue version is O.K.,
but the photo reproductions in it are shamefully bad. I'll continue to search for an original copy ...

I read this book in middle school YEARS ago, well, ok, I wore this book out in middle school. When I saw it on Amazon I had to get it! What an amazing, inspirational story. Anyone with an interest in flying or history will find this a fantastic read!

An excellent and accurate story of a historical figure, Douglas Bader. It was interesting to read and thoroughly enjoyable.

This was one of the first war ace biographies I've ever read, back when I was fourteen.

It's a pleasure to see it published again, to replace my old copy.

Of course, Mr. Brickhill seems to be a huge fan of Bader, but who in England is not, even those who realize that Bader had a difficult temper, but a difficult temper that was responsibels for getting back in a warplane in war tiem RAF without both legs!

Good read, a classic.

I read this book when I was 9 yrs. old and now that I read it again I think that this is one of those books that I will keep and read over and over.
This is a riveting story that makes you feel like you are there experiencing the events yourself.

This book has a very detailed description of the whole event. Well written in a typcial novel style, the book goes through all the happenings in a manner that keeps the reader engaged though I felt this book could be shorter and still have the same sort of impact as it does.
An ideal book for a future movie script on an important event in the history of islam.

Overshadowed by other world crises in 1979, especially in Iran, the siege of Mecca has been largely forgotten. But it should not have been forgotten because it has set the stage for much of the terror that has ensued in the last 28 years. It was not exactly the birthplace of Al Quieda and Bin Laden but it gives a great insight into the trouble nature of the extremist regime of Suadi Arabia and how Saudi Arabia made a 'deal with the devil' by bringing in extremist cleric to help root out the more extremist people who had taken over the mosque. Rumours that a relative of Bin Laden was involved, the story of the beheadings of those who had participated, the claim that the French special forces called in to help converted to Islam so as not to 'offend' the Saudis and the story of the assault on American embassies throughout the Muslim world in the days that followed are all covered here.

The book begins with a discussion of the history of Saudi Arabia and its extreme religious foundations, its apartheid like legal system for men and women and the origins of the Wahhabi movement. THen the story jumps forward to describe the radicalization of several groups of Muslims, including Juhayman Said al Otaibi and his brother-in-law Muhammad bin abd Allah al-Qahtani as well as other gulf Arabs and even some African-American Muslims. On November 20th, 1979 this group of men invaded the Al-Masjid al-Haram mosque in Mecca, the Grand Mosque, and in the battles that followed some 250 people were killed. Saudi National Guardsmen were shot down easily by the well armed and trained rebels. This necccesitated the regimes work with the conservative cleric Sheikh Abdel Aziz al Baaz and the calling in of non-Muslim foreigners to help with the siege.

This is an expert story and the author not only tells it well but relates its history, its context and its aftermath, trying to show how this was pivotal in the increasing rise of Islamist terror in the Middle East that eventually culminated in Sept. 11.

Seth J. Frantzman

Purchased: May 2008 (Kindle)

Pro: Fast-paced, concise story of an intriguing event. Illuminates the present state of affairs by presenting convincing evidence that the leader "...Juhayman's multinational venture,...was a precursor of al Qaeda itself."

Con: Considering how hard it is to get accurate information about Saudi Arabia, I was initially suspicious that I was reading another "A million Little Pieces". I suggest scanning A Note to Readers at the end of the book to better understand how information was gathered.

Overall: Buy it now

The "Siege of Mecca" is a book that every serious reader should read. If you are an advocate or a beach comber or a pretender, you don't need to read this book - you wouldn't enjoy it because it would not suit your interests or needs.

For "Serious Readers" (i.e. people who read everything including cereal box ingredient lists or those tags on mattresses and then think about it) the "Siege of Mecca" is simply a delight. It describes one of those weird historical moments (like the Bonfire of the Vanities) that seems to represent much more to the future than it did in its present. As far as this Serious Reader knows, Trofimov provides the most complete, dispassionate, and interesting description of this incredible act of stupidity and/or courage. It appears to be one of those "tipping point" moments in history to use the current hipster jargon.

For English readers, the writing may seem just a bit ragged. Trofimov's grasp of the English (American) idiom is a bit . . . lubricated, shall we say? It slips just a bit now and then, but Mr. Trofimov's facility with English is much better than my skill with his native language, so I'm quibbling here. Sometimes his expressions are quaint, quirky, or merely violate the grammarian's whip, but in the spirit of Strunk and White, it nonetheless works. Get over it and focus.

This book also provides one of those incredibly interesting tangents on the Global War on Terror. After you read this book you realize that there is a lot more going on than the New York Times, National Public Radio, or the current Presidential Administration is telling you. This is flip: If you like the really "good" restaurants, the ones even the cool guys don't talk about, this is the book for you. The "Siege of Mecca" is the truth, or at least the Current State of the Art.

I highly recommend this book.

I was prepared to dislike this book, suspecting an "action pack thriller", full of loopy historical inaccuracies, if not outright fantasy - all because of the jarring black and red cover. Instead I found a lean, scholarly, and almost certainly dispassionately accurate account of one of the more important and not very well understood events in the last quarter of the 20th Century. It is written in a fast-paced action style, flipping back and forth among the major actors in this drama, but that enhances and does not hinder his story. Ramifications of this siege are affecting us today.

Mr. Trofimov knows his subject well, amazingly well. He deftly describes the numerous disparate historical antecedents to the taking of the mosque by Islamic fanatics, and the reactions of the major actors. The Ikhwan, the religious brotherhood which was instrumental in Abdul Aziz's conquest and consolidation of what would be the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and his decision that they overstepped their limits, and so he had to mow them down with borrowed British machine guns in the early `30's, leading to a sense of martyrdom in the remnants of the defeated communities. America was tired of "foreign adventures," Vietnam being the prime reason, and therefore the CIA was severely constrained, with the coups it directed in Chile and Iran very much in mind. There was the Kingdom itself, being overwhelmed by the "future shock" of oil revenues, and the attendant rapid "modernization," with its own ills, inevitably leaving some people behind

As with many events of this magnitude, ironies abound; they are described but not overplayed. The Royal Family must obtain a ruling from the Ulema, the chief religious body, that force can be used to remove the rebels, yet philosophically, the Ulema is in large measure in agreement with the complaints of the rebels. For days virtually no one knows the exact identify of the people who seized the mosque, so the United States insists it was Iran, and the Shiites; meanwhile Iran is insisting it is the United States and the infidels. Perhaps the best trained Arab force that could assist the Saudis is the Hashemite Jordanians, but they can not be used since they were once rulers in the Hejaz, were defeated by Abdul Aziz, and if they returned, "may not leave." Eventually the Saudis turned to the French, "because they were discreet and could keep a secret," which also proved false.

I found the section of the French involvement particularly fascinating, since it dispelled the rumors that had dominated this topic, and described in an authoritative manner the exact nature of the fairly limited intervention (3 men, and supplies). Characteristically of Trofimov's account, he states the facts which he could ascertain, but does not speculate whether Barril, one of the three Frenchmen, actually entered Mecca.

Equally important was the depiction of the immediate ramifications throughout the Muslim world, who blamed the United States, in large part because of Khomeini. US Embassies in Libya and Pakistan were burned, with loss of American life.

John Burgess, on his CrossRoads Arabia website, pointed out some (relatively minor) flaws in Trofimov's book, citing the reason that the Bedouin were settled was not, as Trofimov contends, to better perform their ablutions, but rather to stop their raiding. I'd add a couple of my own: the Nejd would never be described as the "central Arabian highlands" (p14), and, of course, 1400 is not the first year of new century, 1401 is.

On a personal note, I traveled by road in the Asir, from Abha to Taif, one week prior to the taking of the mosque, and may very well have passed some of the participants. On that trip, at a police checkpoint, was the only time in my 20 years in the Kingdom, that a Muslim did not give the proper response to my "As-Salaam Alikum" greeting; the followers of Juhayman believe(d) that a Muslim should not respond to an infidel when he gave the traditional greeting.

In Trofimov's summing up, he correctly identifies Juhayman's deed as only one of the currents which lead to the formation of Al Qaeda. He also points out a second one, arriving from Egypt, in the person of Ayman Al Zawahir (who had been inspired by the execution of his hero, Sayyid Qutb). Of course, a third could easily be postulated: the unintended consequences, a/k/a "blowback" in CIA jargon, of America and Saudi Arabia funding and arming Islamic fundamentalist to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan. And a fourth: the CIA coup against the democratically elected government of Iran in 1953.

Epilogues can be used to examine some of the "what ifs" of an event. One of the rumors concerning Juhayman's capture stated that he had asked: "But where are the armies of the north"? Trofimov does not cover this, and only alludes to the self-delusional nature of individuals who succumb to millennial dogmas; the alleged Mahdi believes that he is "bullet proof," with the attendant fatal consequences. How many of my fellow citizens believe in the "rapture," the postulated end of the world when Christ returns, and would actually like to hasten the date? And "what if" they took concrete actions to accomplish this goal? Our own Juhayman...

Trofimov account is almost certainly the best account we will ever have on the seizure of the mosque in Mecca in 1979, and is highly recommended.

Simply put, This is a novel that reads you. Lawrence Hill's Someone Knows My Name is the first book that I purchased on my Kindle- a Father's Day gift. I couldn't put this book down! The Kindle with its built in dictionary allows you to surf the net while you are reading and learn more about the historical characters and places deepening your understanding (few people other than historians and scholars are aware of the Black Loyalists for example) .

Every person of African descent should place this on their must read list (Science says that includes you- regardless of your race or nationality). From the moment you flip the first pages, or push the toggle bar, this historical novel challenges you to consider anew ones understanding of humanity, identity, and faith as you follow-or more accurately "journey with"- Aminata Diallo, an African girl sold into slavery.

From the home of her loving parents and her small village to the waiting slave ships and the middle passage to a different world, "we" journey with her coming to know the horrors of the slave trade in a profound way. Yet, Someone Knows My Name is also a story of liberation, of abiding faith, and of courage and survival. The themes of Exodus and migration are present throughout reminding us that life and faith are a journey. In the words of one of the novel's characters, Daddy Moses, "It doesn't matter what we call your soul....What matters is where it travels and who it lifts up". Someone Knows My Name will continue to travel with you long after you read its final lines and it will indeed lift your soul.

You may want to purchase this book as a hard copy so that you can pass it on to others that you care about.

Historical novels, such as "Someone Knows My Name" and "Ama: the Story of the Transatlantic Slave Trade" by Manu Herbstein, are perhaps the least appreciated genre in literature. Once you pause to read Someone Knows My Name you will find yourself searching for more.

This is one of the best books I have ever read. From the first page I was captivated by the lives of the characters. This book challenged my thinking beyond belief and pushed me to wonder what I would have done in many given situations. It shows the amazingness of human resiliency and the disgustingness of those who have lost all humanity along with those in between. In researching the details of the book it very historically accurate which adds to the allure of this book. For anyone who wants to challenge their mind and soul...this is a must read.

Usually when I read historical fiction I find that the history is interesting, but the writing is poor; or the reverse. In this case, I found both the writing and history to be superb. It's the first time in years I've read a story so well told that is based on so much research. I can't wait for the paperback to come out so that I can buy it for friends.

Lawrence Hill did a great job telling one of the many stories about our past and how we got to this country. Some may find the book hard to follow but he is a great talent that told the story of what it was like during the passage, the arrival and then freedom of our people. Although a bit meaty, I would say it's a great read and one for the collection.It has increased my thirst for more about history in general.

Wow! Book arrived in perfect condition and delivered as promised.
I couldn't ask for more.

Thank you.