Living History Books

Author Jane Hampton Cook provides a wonderful history of the Revolutionary War through this book. While it is formatted as a devotional with daily readings, scriptures, and prayers, it can also easily be read as a novel. Ms. Cook gives us a glimpse of what the Founding Fathers faced as they were forced to stand up and live loudly for the cause of freedom. By relying on the Founders' own writings, we get a glimpse into what they thought and felt as they came together to bring the United States of America into being. There are stories here from many of the better-known founders such as George Washington and Benjamin Franklin but also glimpses of the lesser-known yet equally important individuals that made up the revolution. She also incorporates a "Sabbath Rest" at the end of each week which features an excerpt of a sermon from the period. A great book for individual or family reading.

Each of these 365 stories pack a big punch. True stories from the Revolutionary War are told with dramatic narrative style, include historial details and deliver biblical insight. Read it and expect to be intrigued and inspired.

I purchased this book about six months ago and haven't put it down since. OK, I have put it down, but constantly pick it back up. It is there for when I am upset or when I am happy, when I need inspiration or when I feel inspired, and when I want to escape or want to be embraced. There are 365 different inspirational stories - one for each day. To be honest, I have cheated and read several in one day, but that is not a problem because the stories continue to inspire even when re-read. This is not just for Revolutionary War buffs or military war hawks, but for any person who wants to know what inspires Americans in any generation. Thank you, Ms. Cook.

If I were lost on an island and had only one other book (besides the Bible) I would hope it could be; Battlefields and Blessings. I love the well-researched historical facts coupled with Biblical impact on every page. We live in an awesome country! What a great way to start or finish a long day. I thought I was well studied on the Revolutionary war but...every page was packed full of insights I hadn't a clue. I highly recommend this book for people who love Jesus and have an interest in our country's history.

Jane Hampton Cook, has compiled, and edited a unique collection of writings of inspiration and courage. These writings are from the years of the Revolutionary War, a period when a committed group of men and women joined forces in a cause to maintain a freedom to exercise the personal conviction of their faith.

Viewpoints expressed by key players of the Revolution are included in this amazing collection of inspiration and challenge. George Washington, Samuel Adams, Nathaniel Greene, Henry Knox, Benjamin Franklin, Martha Washington, Abigail Adams, John Adams, and King George III are among those that bring life to these individual examples of courage, conviction, and commitment.

Excerpts taken from original manuscripts, letters and speeches add greatly to the genuineness and authenticity of personal faith exercised in the decisions made during this period. These unique devotions include anecdotes that demonstrate the uplifting power of faith and reveal the personal battlefield of faith met by the leaders of the Revolution. The format of the book is designed for daily devotional use. Each week includes six days of stories built around individual faith and courage and are dsigned for reflection and contemplation. Each week includes a feature "The Revolution Today" directly related to incidents and issues relating to the war. The seventh day is dedicated to "Sabbath Rest" and features a sermon from a minister of the era. This is a book of patriotism and spiritual insight. It is the prayer of the author, Jane Hampton Cook, that: "As readers consider the meaning of the American Revolution, may they also experience a revolution in their own hearts one devotion at a time."

As a genealogist, I have a particular interest in these types of publications. Guillermo Baralt has collected priceless information on Puerto Rican history.

I have a lot invested in this book as my mom's family comes from hacienda life and are from this area of the island. It helped me flesh out a better picture of my ancestral movements. For my mom and aunts, reading this book was like reading a diary. This was their life experience. Thanks so much for translating this. It can be enjoyed by any serious historian of the Caribbean.

Historically, factual, fascinating, a wealth of information culturally, and a must read (required) for all Puerto Ricans, Newyoricans, and ANYONE interested in the history of the founding fathers of the New World!...I found this book, while researching the archives online at the New York Historical Society's Library. But, it only showed the original, which was written in Spanish. The history and clarity of the subject matter contained in this book is long overdue, and covered the subject spectrum 100%!


After speaking with my brother, whose first visit to Puerto Rico (at a ripe old age of 49), included a visit to 'Plantation Buena Vista,' he told me about the rich history that he saw there, and that he was totally fascinated by it! I again, researched this book online at [...], and saw, that it was redone in English, so that, I could read it!

If I were asked to contribute anything to this book, I would just say, that I would have liked it to be broader to include more chapters! Perhaps, a sequel to this book can be written! Or, maybe even, it should be made into a TV Series...muchas, Alex Haley's TV miniseries, "ROOTS!"

The ongoing saga of the Buena Vista Plantation, rich cultural history of the Vives Family and Puerto Rico after the turn of the century, is equally, and, even more, compelling a story!

Thank you Amazon for providing this book, as it filled in the facts that not being able to read comprehensively in Spanish has cost!

I received this book on Saturday and finished it Sunday . An excellent, detailed account on life in a Puerto Rican Hacienda. Wonderful illustrations of people of the time and details of sophisticated equipment used in those time. A true picture of how life was then. My grandfather was a farmer and worked on a plantation so this gives light to some of the stories he told me about. An excellent books for anyone that wants to know about their roots and is especially interested in the Ponce area although this was probably typical of all plantations. A must read!!!

If your really into history Colonial days you should really put your hands on this one. It takes you on a drive full of feeling to that era. Im Italian and it made me recall my grandparents village in Palermo... I give Gullermo A. Baralt an A+

(From Planeta journal): This new English-language translation of an established Caribbean classic traces the history of the Buena Vista estate in the foothills of Puerto Rico's central mountain range. Now a living history museum, Buena Vista gained its initial success producing food for the town of Ponce, proving that raising crops for local consumption could be as profitable as sugar or coffee for export. The text spans almost a century -- a time in which slavery ended and technology expanded at a phenomenal rate. This is an exceptional book, one that any visitor to Puerto Rico should read before making an obligatory visit to the island's Living Museum of Art and Science.

I cannot believe how beautifully this book was written. Even as a Chinese educated in China, I was fascinated by this little book. It is not only about Chinese language but also about a people, a nation, and a civilization. This book made me re-think about my cultural heritage that I am extremely pround of already. I recommend this book to anybody who is interested in China and humanity in general.
Thank you Cecilia Lindqvist. Your professional expertise inspired me and your lovely sense of humor made my days.

CHINA : Empire of Living Symbols. By Cecilia Lindqvist. Translated from the Swedish by Joan Tate. 424 pp. New York : Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc., 1991 (1989). ISBN 0-201-57009-2 (hbk.)

Although Cecilia Lindqvist is a professional scholar of Chinese and was in fact a pupil of Bernhard Karlgren, one of the greatest sinologists of the 20th century, she is one of those rare scholars who, instead of devoting herself exclusively to academic publications, has not been afraid to produce a book designed for the general reader.

Her book, though founded in a specialist knowledge of both Chinese and China, where she lived for many years, is written with a light and engaging touch, is magnificently illustrated with numerous photographs, both black-and-white and color, line drawings, maps, Chinese characters, etc., and is so beautifully produced that it could be read or browsed with interest by anyone.

Her book attempts so many things, and succeeds so well in them all, that it would be difficult to overpraise it. It introduces us to the pictorial element of the Chinese script in a more engaging way than has ever been done before, and becomes in fact a painless way of acquiring a vocabulary of the basic building blocks which go to make up Chinese characters.

It relates these basic pictograms to a wide range of topics in Chinese cultural history in a sumptuously illustrated series of chapters dealing with - Oracle Bones and Bronzes; Man, Mankind; Water and Mountains ; Wild Animals; Domestic Animals; Carts, Roads, and Boats; Farming; Wine and Jars; Hemp and Silk; Bamboo and Tree; Tools and Weapons; Roofs and Houses; Books and Musical Instruments; Numbers and Other Abstract Characters. It also includes a chapter on Meaning and Sound which traces the development of Chinese writing from the early pictographs through to phonetic compounds.

The book is rounded out with a gallery of superb color photographs; a section on Character Stroke Order; a really excellent Bibliography of both Western and Chinese books (which unfortunately gives only the pinyin and lacks the sinographs for the latter); a table of Dynasties and Periods; and a full Index.

The book is a curious size, having been made 8.5 by 8.5 inches to accomodate its many photographs, is bound in full linen, stitched, and beautifully printed on a very strong smooth ivory-tinted paper.

Anyone who, after reading the book, would like to learn more about China's culture or writing system, will find that the fully annotated Bibliography with its extensive list of interesting works for further reading will provide many leads. These range from general books on the science and civilization of China up to such things as specialist Chinese dictionaries of the ancient bone and bronze forms of the characters.

Lindqvist's love of China, its people, language, and culture shines through on every page, and her book is clearly a labor of love. It can be recommended without reservation as a marvelous introduction to one of the richest and most fascinating cultures on earth.

Glad to see it was translated from Swedish. It is quite good, I have seen other interpretations of some characters than the ones she gives. Also I was hoping she would cover more characters. Still a very interesting book.

Tom Anderson
Anderson Analytics, LLC
http://www.andersonanalytics.com

If you only have time or money to get one book as an introduction to Chinese culture--try this! Cecilia Lindqvist shows the reader how Chinese characters are derived from reality. As she does so, Lindqvist describes Chinese history, geography, art, music, customs. The book includes excellent reproductions of Chinese art and pictures of everyday life. Reading this book feels like touring China with a knowing and chatty guide. She takes you not only around an enormous territory, but through 6,000 years of civilization.

When I was a kid I though that the Chinese written language was impossible to learn (unless you were born there) and that the signs were just a bunch of arbitrary strokes impossible to remember.

All this changed when I picked up this book in the 1990s. I then discovered the connection between the Chinese culture and history, and the written Chinese language. It is thick with carefully chosen and categorized stories, often experienced by the author herself, about how a Chinese character reveals something about Chinese history, thinking, or everyday life in ancient times. The Chinese themselves are often strangely unaware about the etymology of their Hànzi characters, since the school system encourages rote learning. Its richly illustrated by drawings and photographs that shows similarities between something and the character representing it. E.g. how the character for "well" resembles the ancient Chinese way of constructing wells, quite different from western ones.

What this book is not:
- Its very, far from anything like a textbook in Chinese writing. But it may be the best soft introduction to such a topic. Its well suited for people that want to know something about the Chinese language, but don't want to spend time studying it.
- Its not a dictionary. It covers 500 characters in 350 pages. The characters are not selected because of word frequency, or usefulness in everyday life etc. Many characters covered are really rare.
- It doesn't say anything about how the signs are pronounced. It is strictly about how the Chinese culture embedded in the written language.
- If you stop reading before the last chapter you will believe that the Chinese language are mostly made up of ideographs or pictograms (a picture of something in the real world). In fact more than 90% of Characters are made up of Radical-Phonetic signs (explained in the final chapter) and character do not resemble anything "in real life". To "unlearn" this misunderstanding I will recommend J. DeFrancis: "The Chinese Language: Fact and Fantasy"

Because of this book, I moved to China and studied there in 2005. Without getting inspiration from this book a few years ago, I would never have thought it was worth even trying to understand the Chinese language.

This was an incredible book! It has changed my life. It is apparent that the author intended for this powerful book to be used alongside the Bible for the purpose of not only laying out the truths of God's Word, but plumbing the depths of Christianity itself! The author does not try to bury the reader/student in theological discussion, but clearly lays out the true tenants of the Christian faith in a question/answer format. Looking for truth? Here it is...

In his book, Norman James has exhasutively searched the Scriptures for clear and accurate answers to the fundamental questions of the Christian faith. This book is not only a necessary part of the Bible-believing Christian's library, but also a useful guide to the lost soul. It will guide the one who is seeking truth step by step to a knowledge of Christ in a way that anyone can understand.

Whether you are a new believer or a veteran of the faith; this book is not merely one for the coffee table or the book shelf... It is a book which equips each Christian with the living truths of God's Word and Biblically answers the fundamental questions which face each of us in our walk with God.

I found this book to be a very useful and practical guide for understanding the Christian walk. Its question/answer format made it easy to read and comprehend. The book was also packed with scripture references, so I could follow up with Bible study of my own. Great reading!

The perfect choice for teaching basic Christian Doctrine to new believers. Covers the primary foundation stones as listed in Heb.6:1-2 as well as understanding the workings and life of the church. A must for anyone serious about growing in their Christian walk!

'A Covenant of Love' is a great book! The characters are extremely realistic, and the plot is wonderful! I loved it!

Wow! This was a beautiful story. I was impressed by the historical accuracy and the captivating story line. It was unlike any other romance novel I have seen. You will feel as though you really know this family, the characters are well rounded. I read this book straight though. I cried and rejoiced with the Rocklins. This book will teach you a little about Civil War history, a little about the south, a little about love and a little about the grace of God. I strongly recommend this book as well as the rest of this series.

I so enjoyed this book that I bought the whole series and readily await the next book. Loving the history of the Civil War, I found this series to be factual about many events.The fun in this book entials the roller-coaster emotions you experience with the character Clay. It is a love-hate relationship.

"A Covenant of Love was written by very popular Christian writer, Gilbert Morris, writer of the "House of Winslow" series. First of the Appomattox Saga, a series about the Civil War in Virginia, this book is very realistic. It is a novel with much history, romance, and adventure in it. Part One of the book is written in the summer of 1840, part two in 1849, and part three and four in 1859 and 1860.

Clay Rocklin, a headstrong and passionate man, is the main character of the story. He is rough and very competitive with his cousin, Gideon Rocklin, and loves to win. Having a restless spirit, he drinks and goes out all the time, which shames his family greatly. Later on though, he finds the Lord and starts a new life following Christ. Gideon Rocklin is Clay's cousin, who is almost an exact opposite of him. He is steadfast, responsible, and at the top of his class at West Point, a famous military school. He falls in love with Melanie Benton and they get married, much to Clay's dislike, since he loves Melanie, too. Melora Yancy is the young girl who leads Clay to Jesus. She is pretty, bright, and loves to read.

The story begins in the summer of 1840 in Virginia, when nineteen-year-old Gideon Rocklin, from the North Rocklin's, comes for a visit. The Rocklins were separated into the Southern and Northern Rocklins, when one of the Rocklins married a Northern woman. Nineteen-year-old Clay of the Southern Rocklins, is in love with Melanie Benton, as is Gideon. Melanie at first cannot decide between them and so flirts with both of them, trying to keep both of their attentions. But when Melanie finds out that she is in love with Gideon, she agrees to marry him. Clay, in frustration and anger, starts drinking, gambling, and shames the family. Will Clay ever have peace in his heart? And with the coming Civil War, will he be able to know where his loyalties lie?

Terrific book, as I said very realistic. I read this book in one night for I was in agony with Clay and was wondering throughout the whole book whether he would ever have peace. My favorite character is probably the calm and pretty Melora Yancy. I do hope she comes out more in all of the rest of the books in the Appomattox Series. I have also read the second book, "Gate of His Enemies". Unfortunately I still haven't read any of the other books though I hope to get them soon!

This book captured my interest immediately because it wasn't like typical romances that have little action or plot development. I enjoyed the intertwining lives of Clay and Gideon Rocklin, following their marriages and decisions as war breaks out between the North and South. This civil war drama twists and turns without leaving you lost. The characters aren't sugary sweet with little relevance to real life. A sure Winner!

My mom gave me this book for my birthday, and I read it, and I was like, totally, amazed! It's like so good, and it teaches you how to party with Satan! Rock on everybody!

this book will give you tips on how to not let Satan get you. anyone who wants to read a feel good holy Jesus book look no further. this is one of the best little books I've ever read

Reading this book opened my eyes even more in recognizing the enemy and what he and his spirits try to do to the saints daily. This book re-affirms that God has not given us the spirit of fear. Reading this book assists in "polishing" the armor that we already possess and making us strong soldiers in the army of the Lord.

Dr. Thompson's insight into spiritual warfare is phenominal. This book is very easy to read ( I read it in one day ) with many scripture references which allows the reader to have a better understanding of God's Word. Anyone who is "going through" and wants to be delivered should read this book.

Dr. Thompson presents a message of hope and victory through life's storms and battles. Her spiritual insight, biblical knowledge and personal experiences invigorates and releases the power of the holy spirit to liberate us from Satan's chains of bondage and dispair.

The title is "The Improving State of the World" and Goklany shows the state of the world
is improving. By nearly every measure of human wellbeing, we are better off than we used
to be. Life expectancy is increasing. Starvation and malnourishment is decreasing. The air
is cleaner. The water is cleaner. Child labor is less prevalent. Literacy is increasing.
Personal income is increasing. There are many more. The good news applies to the world
as a whole, the developed world, and the developing world. But this is not just cheering
for the status quo. He identifies the exceptions to the general trends, and does it for
each of the measures of wellbeing. Most of the exceptions are in Africa south of the Sahara,
and in the former soviet empire.

The subtitle is "Why we're living longer, healthier, more comfortable lives on a cleaner planet".
The reason is technology, economic growth, human capital, education, the rule of law, and
private property, all linked together in many interconnected "virtuous cycles." For example,
economic growth means more money to buy technology such as fertilizer and tractors which means
more food and less hunger, and time for education so more children can make even better
technology and sell it for less to more well fed, less sick, longer lived people who can use
their energy for economic growth. With better infrastructure, less food rots before it is eaten,
so less land is needed for farms so there is more room for biodiversity. With economic security,
families tend to be smaller. Each improvement makes improvements in other areas more likely.

The book was published by Cato Institute, the well known conservative think tank. Liberals
should consider the message, rather than the messenger. You don't get up before dawn and look
west just because Hitler said the sun rises in the east.

It is easy to evaluate the arguments and check the claims in the 420 pages of text. There are
85 pages of notes. Most of the links in the virtuous cycles are fully explained by statistics.
There are a few places were Goklany resorts to qualitative explanations, but these are clearly
stated to be not quantitative. The statistical data is used more fairly than in any other work
I can recall. Almost all the time series analysis uses all the data available; the few exceptions
are explained and justified. He uses data from advocates of positions opposite what he will
conclude. For example, he accepts the data from IPCC and uses it in his analysis that shows
adaptation to changing climate is better than intervention to try to prevent the change. He uses
consistent rules for fitting trend lines. Sometimes, there are different statistics that seem to
be about the same reality. He sometimes explains why one source might be undercounting or
overcounting. He often will do the analysis with both sets of data.

Some of Goklany's arguments clearly follow Maslow's hierarchy of needs. People do not care about
the environment when they are hungry. People do not care about quality of life next year when
they are concerned about surviving this year. Economic growth allows people to care about the
environment. Technical advances allow them to do something about it.

The tone is level and matter of fact. This is not a hate book, but some will hate some of the
conclusions. He presents the arguments for other conclusions fairly. Those that reach other
conclusions are not portrayed as evil or stupid, or even as paid shills of some vast conspiracy.

The book is optimistic about our future, with the emphasis on what is good for people. He does not
praise or deplore large families, but notes the strong trend towards smaller families as wealth
increases. Wealth brings health and less infant mortality, so an increase in population, but
increased family size happens only for a while.

The conclusions Goklany reaches will seem correct to more conservatives than liberals. The book will
not appeal to the extremes of either political wing, but it could be a big help to most of us
in the middle that wonder what we can do to help humanity.

This is not an entertaining read. There is a lot of information to absorb. There are many steps in
some of the virtuous cycles. Some of the vicious cycles Goklany debunks have to be examined in
detail to show they are wrong. You do not have to read it straight through to benefit from this
book. The next time you are invited on a crusade or bandwagon, pause and check it out. Use the
detailed index and find out all sides of the issue. You might find enough information to satisfy
yourself in just a few pages. But most things influence most other things and you might want to dig
deeper. You might find you have read half the book by the time you cover all the issues that are
related to the topic that was your starting point.

This is an important and excellent book. I highly recommend it.

Finally someone has taken the time to document how things have improved. Easy to read, lots of good information.

Many believe that globalization and growth are degrading the environment and, ultimately, human desires, but THE IMPROVING STATE OF THE WORLD: WHY WE'RE LIVING LONGER, HEALTHIER, MORE COMFORTABLE LIVES ON A CLEANER PLANET is the first to analyze long-term trends from a range of indicators of environmental health, offering up data drawing important links between economic growth, technological change, and free trade - which have actually helped foster a 'cycle of progress' leading to improvements in the human condition. THE IMPROVING STATE OF THE WORLD is a milestone study highly recommended for college-level holdings strong on social issues and environmental and political affairs: it is especially recommended for college-level classroom debate and is unparalleled in its scope.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Indur Goklany has written a very convincing and fact-filled work arguing that Mankind is thanks primarily to technological development on a progressive path towards greater and greater well- being. As the subtitle of the book says he argues that we are living longer , healthier more comfortable lives on a cleaner planet.

In an outstanding review of this book in 'Foreign Affairs'James Suroweicki suggests it is the Industrial Revolution that is at the heart of the economic and social transformation which is the subject of this book.
"In the West, above all, the effects of this transformation have been so massive as to be practically unfathomable. Real income, life expectancy, literacy and education rates, and food consumption have soared, while infant mortality, hours worked, and food prices have plummeted. And although the West has been the biggest beneficiary of these changes, the diffusion of technology, medicine, and agricultural techniques has meant that developing countries have enjoyed dramatic improvements in what the United Nations calls "human development indicators," even if most of their citizens remain poor. One consequence of this is that people at a given income level today are likely to be healthier and to live longer than people at the same income level did 40 or 50 years ago.
But Suroweicki takes objection to the idea that it is unregulated free market which alone can deal with environmental problems and points out that it is only through various government initiatives that the quality of air and water has improved in most Western cities.
This book does a good job of debunking the work of the doomsayer demographers of the Ehrlich, Club of Rome school which were at the heart of public awareness in the nineteen seventies.
To do this it amasses a tremendous amount of evidence as to the generally improved quality of life in most geographical regions. It does note the exceptions in sub- Saharan Africa and Russia.
Yet it does not give sufficient attention to such possibly catastrophic processes as nuclear proliferation. Nor does he consider the full effect of radical fundamentalist Islam both on the standards, level of economic development in Islamic societies- but on their general capacity for bringing through war disruption and even disaster to the world.
Nor does he consider the damage wrought by new technology on the family, and the overall mental health - profile of mankind. The great growth in mental illness, primarily Depression certainly is related to disruptive effects of new technology.
Thus while presenting a very convincing case that technological progress has given us longer, more prosperous lives Goklany does not reckon fully the negative consequences which have also come with this.

Probably one of the most important, well written, and throughly researched books on the topic of human development and the way we interact with our environment to come out in the past decade. It is a detailed and unapologetic look at what is really going on and where we should properly focus our attention in the future.
It is a brilliant answer to the eco-doom "best-sellers" that have proliferated recently. Highly recommended for those who want to KNOW, not just pontificate and pursue a political agenda.

This book is absolutely fascinating in both scope, depth, and its incredible political insights. Every Jew should read this book.

Chaim Herzog, one of Israel's greatest statesmen, served as President of Israel from 1983 to 1993, after a distinguished career in both the British Army during World War II, the Israeli Army during the War of Independence, a key mastermind behind Israel's intelligence services and Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations, between 1975 and 1978.
Chaim's father Rabbi Rabbi Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog, was Chief Rabbi of Ireland from 1919 to 1937 (and later, of Palestine and Israel).
When Chaim was three years old he witnessed a man on a horse and cart being shot dead outside his house during the Irish Civil War. During his studies for a legal degree at London University College in the 1930s Herzog describes the hostility faced by both the Communists with their irrational hostility to Zionists who they labelled "exploiters", "aggressors", "Fascists" and "colonialists", and the hostility by the Fascists who supported Hitler and Nazi Germany.
Herzog also describes the pro-Arab policies and attitudes of the British colonial administration of Palestine, who clinging to Lawrence of Arabia fantasies, sided with the Arabs and prevented Jews entering Palestine, even during the Holocaust.
Herzog writes of his experiences as a soldier in the British army fighting the Nazis during World War II.
participated in the liberation of several concentration camps as well as identifying a captured German soldier as Heinrich Himmler.
After the war Herzog joined the struggle for Jewish Statehood in the Land of Israel, against the Arabs and their British colonial allies.
Herzog recalls how the law forbade both Arabs and Jews from carrying arms, but the British regularly arrested Jews for carrying arms and seldom apprehended or disarmed armed Arabs.
It is ironic to read of the co-operative co-existance between Iran under the enlightened Shah Reza Pahlavi, when we see that today Israel's most implacable and genocidal enemy is the Iranian regime of Khamenei and Ahamdinejad.
He also deals with allegations of racism against Israel reflecting "It's rather sad that there is distrust between American Blacks and Jews today and that many prominent Blacks seem anti-Semitic. Israeli society is definitely not racist: We have a large black Ethiopian population, and there is much intermarriage".
Herzog explains the Soviet role of encouraging Arab aggression during the Six Day War, and a United Nations that did nothing to stop Arab plans to annihilate Israel and her people but stepped in to stop Israel from completing her victory over the Arab aggressors once Israel was clearly winning.
He also outlines the role of the Soviet Union in instigating and initiating Syrian and Egyptian aggression against Israel before the Six Day War.

He describes the religious respect that Israel showed towards Moslem and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, with Moshe Dayan even handing over control of the Al Aqsa Mosque built on the Temple Mount (Judaism's holiest site) to the Moslem religious authorities, the Waqf.
This in contrast to Arab desecration and destruction of Jewish holy sites after the Jordanians captured the old city of Jerusalem during the War of Independence.
But Herzog's finest hour was no doubt his heroic stand taken as Ambassador to the United Nations during the shameful proceedings the led to the totalitarian dominated United Nations equating Zionism with racism.
Herzog told truth to power and did Israel and the Jewish people proud when he told the UN when the committee met to vote on the evil resolution:
"We shall survive this shameful exhibition,...and I thank the delegates who have expressed themselves against this pernicious resolution. We shall not forget those who voted to attack our religion and our faith. We shall never forget."
If only Israel had such diplomatic representatives who could stand up for their nation today.
At the General Assembly Herzog pointed out that : "Zionism is the name of the national movement of the Jewish people and is the modern expression of ancient Jewish heritage...Zionism is to the Jewish people what the liberation movements of Africa and Asia have been to their own people. Zionism is one of the most dynamic and and vibrant national movements in human history. Historically it is based on a unique and unbroken connection, extending some four thousand years, between the People of the Book and the Land of the Bible...We put our trust in Providence, in our faith and beliefs, in our time hallowed tradition, in our striving for social advance and human values, and in our people wherever they may be. For us, the Jewish people, this resolution based on hatred, falsehood and arrogance is devoid of any moral or legal value".
He cover his role in preserving Israeli national unity and representing Israel to the world, as President of Israel from 1983 to 1993.

Sadly his optimism stated towards the end of the book about how the "peace process" with the PLO and Arafat would succeed because the Arabs know they are economically dependant onm Israel and that terrorist activity would militate against their political aspirations would prove to be wrong.
He did not reckon on the Amalek-like hatred that the Palestinian terrorist groups and their supporters have for Israel, a hatred that means they would rather destroy themselves and their own society than leave in peace.
It is tragic that Herzog did not live to see how wrong this false optimism was, he died in 1997, three years before Arafat launched the murderous intifada against the Israeli people, as a response to Barak's offers to accommodate their demands and aspirations.
The rise of Hamas and Islamic Jihad and their determination to murder Jews has again proved the futility of talking to terrorists or trying to accommodate those who want Israel destroyed.
I do however have hope that if Israel stands firm and demonstrates her will to survive and not be victimised, an accommodation can be reached with moderate Arab states like Egypt and Jordan, which will include the future and welfare of those Palestinian Arabs who do want peace and coexistence.

A wonderful autobiography of Israeli statesman, diplomat, spymaster and politician, Chaim Herzog. Chaim Herzog was among a very fascinating family that included the Chief Rabbi of Israel in the 40s. Chaim himself served in numerous posts, finally becoming President of Israel in the 80s. This narrative covers every aspect of Israeli history from its high points to its low ones. Chaim has been central to every major event in Israeli history, from the siege of Jerusalem in 1948 to the Ethiopian airlift. His smart, to the point, autobiography pulls no punches in its incisive critique of Israeli society today and the mirror of the past. For instance he takes to task such luminaries as Golda and Dayan, while criticizing the rise of `fundamentalism' in Israeli society, painting a not so pretty picture of today's Yeshiva attitude towards serving in the IDF. He explains how the Rabbinate was actually more liberal in the 1940s then it is today. This is a wonderful tour de force on Israeli history, from someone who was central to Israeli policy for year. Not an apologists account, Chaim equally praises Ariel Sharon for his Unit 101 strategies as well as Peres for his inventive ideas. Probably no one in modern Israeli society could be so unbiased as to see the vital gifts that both Sharon and Peres have given to Israel. A must read for anyone interested in Israel or the modern political situation in the middle east.

I met Chaim Herzog in 1996, after the publication of his book and just before his death. I knew that he was one of Israel's formost warriors/statesmen, but of his life in between, well, I realized that I knew nothing indeed about him until I began to read his memoir.

The title "Living History" is perfect in all its sense. It's a fascinating account of his and modern Israel's story.

Chaim Herzog will always be remembered in my heart as the man who defended Israel's rights on and against the world's stage; the United Nations. I would like to transcribe for you a direct quote from his speech on October 17, 1975, when the UN was about to formally vote on institutionalizing the notion of "Zionism is racism":

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"We have listened to the most unbelievable nonsense on the issue of Zionism and from whom? From countries who are the archetypes of racism.

...How dare you talk of racism to us, we who suffered more than any other nation in the world from racist theories and practices, a nation which has suffered the most terrifying holocaust in the history of mankind.

...This is a sad day for the United Nations. The Jewish people will not forget this scene nor this vote.

We are a small people with a proud history. We have lived through much in our history.

We shall survive this shameful exhibition, . . . and I thank the delegations who have expressed themselves against this pernicious resolution. We shall not forget those who voted to attack our religion and our faith. We shall never forget."

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Of course, his entire memoir is not written out as angry as he was when his role was as Israel's ambassador to the UN, but his writings are just as passionate.

For anyone interested in the history of the modern state of Israel, this is a must read. He was there at just about every important turn and twist; (British intelligence officer in) World War II, Israel's War of Independence, at David Ben-Gurion's side, the Six-Day War and the Yom Kippur War, the "Zionism is Racism" debate, and as the president of Israel for ten years -- through a national unity government and the Intifada.

Simply an amazing life.

I highly recommend this book. It covers the psychological aspect of living under the current regime in Burma, which many people studying and following the events in Burma forget to cover at times. I even recommended this to my parents. We're Burmese. It's well written and thought out, and the author is knowledgeable about the people.

Cristina Fink's book Living Silence: Burma Under Military Rule is a hard-hitting examination of what life was (and perhaps still is) like under the repressive rule of the Burmese military. Using an extensive set of interviews, and the underground writings of dissidents, Fink outlines and looks at the real psychological consequences of years of repression. Perhaps the closest real world example of what Michel Foucault would call a "carceral society". Fink brings the Panopticon to life. My understanding of the issues in Burma was greatly enhanced by reading this book and I recommend it highly.

Miguel Llora

The book can provide an insight of Burma under military rule.
The author has learned much about real concerns and issues in the country. The interesting is that the author was able to inform the rarely known rituals of the Junta. Many interviews were done and good and first-hand informations can be seen on the book.

This book takes one to a country that is "a world apart" in a multitude of ways from what we know here in America. A fascinating read that is sure to captivate and enrich the reader with newfound knowledge and awareness. A brilliant debut by an author I hope we'll see much more of in years to come.

A facinating, well written book that sheds light on an area of the world I knew little about. I usually find scholarly works somewhat dry and hard to get through. This book was hard to put down. I won't launch into a lecture on why you SHOULD read this or try to impress with my newfound knowledge of the struggles of the Burmese people. I will tell you that this a great, readable book that will educate you and hold your interest. Buy it.

Despite the boring cover, this is a great book on quilt history with wonderful photographs. I urge you to buy it. It's a steal at these prices.

A beautiful, colorful coffee table book with quilts of every imaginable design, color, shape, and size. Most old, some new with a comprehensive look at the history of America thru quilts. Also, a unique look at how to live with you quilts in a decorative way.

It's called "Living with Quilts" but the real question is how did we ever live without them? This fascinating book caters for the real hardcore quilters like myself, yet is accessible too to those uninitiated in this fascinating craft. An ideal coffee table book for those expecting middle aged women or gay visitors.

This book has some very nice photos of some very nice quilts. It shows how much quilts are a part of American life/culture. I also like that she has chosen to show some modern examples such as the domestic violence quilt. It shows traditional ones as well as contemporary.

I own many quilt books, ones with patterns, coffee table quilt books, etc. This book has the most interesting and extensive history of quilting I have ever read. It is a visual feast for the eyes. I was a little skeptical at first because I had read that Pyllis George was not a quilter, but she really knows her subject matter. Two thumbs up!