Washington Books

The title of this wonderful novel is taken from The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico by Miguel Leon-Portilla. Specifically it refers to the dogs that came with the invaders who destroyed the Aztec culture.

Helena Maria Viramontes's novels and stories are informed by her childhood experiences in East Los Angeles and the impact of Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers on her family.

This novel tells stories of Ermila, Tranquilina, Ana, and Turtle; orphan, charity worker, concerned older sister, and homeless gang member passing as a man. The women are connected by neighborhood and to an extent their own interactions. Plot is less important than the aura of East Los Angeles and most importantly the complexity of the four main characters.

Freeways are a structural element. Viramontes interviewed in "La Bloga" said: "I realized that the structure of the novel began to resemble the freeway intersections ... And like the freeways upheld by pillars, I realized I had four pillars in four characters of which most other characters orbited around."

Viramontes is sympathetic to the underdog., The freeway isolates the neighborhood and the characters. The characters struggle to build their own communities on their own terms despite the fear of dogs, the isolation of their neighborhood, and the fictional Quarantine Authority. Throughout, Viramontes is a master at creating mood through detail:

"The storm left the night bleak and all raw nerves. The bottles chink-chinked as she continued her aching walk. The run-in with the cholo chilled her into a wintry mood - she felt the loneliness of a last leaf awaiting its fall from a bare sprig. Her mental compass gone awry, she resolved to depend on her instincts. The woman found herself following a slavering dog that suffered a rash on its flanks. Sniffing and pawing around the storefront doors, parked cars, abandoned metals and throwaways, the dog resented the intruder, looking over its shoulder periodically to make sure she kept her distance from any edible discovery."

Altogether this novel captured my imagination. If you have any interest in Chicano culture, it will do the same for you.

Robert C. Ross 2008

In 1985, Arte Público Press published Helena María Viramontes' first book, "The Moths and Other Stories," which has become a classic in Chicano literature. Since then, her short stories have appeared in more than 80 anthologies.

Viramontes published the novel "Under the Feet of Jesus" (Plume Books) in 1995, about a makeshift family of migrant workers. It was met with great critical acclaim and now graces many high-school and college reading lists.

Now, fans of Viramontes' writing can delight in the publication of her new novel, "Their Dogs Came With Them" (Atria Books, $23 hardcover). It possesses Viramontes' trademark poetic grittiness, with well-drawn characters who almost leap from the page.

The novel is a heart-rending but hopeful portrait of lives that are rocked by the turmoil and violence of East Los Angeles during the 1960s.

Asked whether she saw some form of redemption arising from her mostly female protagonists' struggles with poverty, bigotry and governmental abuses, Viramontes responded with characteristic candor:

"If I didn't want to recognize the redemption of their everyday ordeals, why write about them in the first place? I marvel, truly marvel, at the everyday, ordinary ordeals of human life, and I want to give justice to an existence that very few people or readers acknowledge."

In many ways, this sentiment is emblematic of Viramontes' perception of writers and their role in society. She asserts that "serious writers have the responsibility to try and disrupt patterns of thought and behavior that damage the integrity of life. That's why most writers do their best work while living on the fringes of a society."

With respect to writers of color such as herself, Viramontes provocatively adds: "Because our communities are constantly bombarded with inhumane violence and racism, I think we writers write with greater urgency." She takes this role seriously: "The greatest compliment to a writer is if a reader is disturbed enough to begin questioning his/her own beliefs."

In choosing the setting and era for her new novel, Viramontes did not need to stray far from her roots. She was born in East Los Angeles into a large family that always extended to relatives and friends who had crossed the border from Mexico to California.

While attending Immaculate Heart College, she worked part time at the bookstore and library to help pay for her education. Viramontes eventually earned her master of fine arts degree from the University of California at Irvine.

She has gone on to win many awards, including the John Dos Passos Prize for Literature, a Sundance Institute Fellowship, and the Luis Leal Award for Distinction in Chicano/Latino Literature.

Today, Viramontes is a teacher and mentor to many young writers. She is a professor of creative writing at Cornell University.

Despite well-deserved acclaim, Viramontes does not pretend that writing is easy. "Their Dogs Came With Them" was more than a decade in the making because teaching and life's other demands often devoured her attention.

When Viramontes could make time to return to her novel, she sometimes suffered from writer's block. But she did not give up:

"I just kept my fingers close to the keyboard, walking distance close, just in case something would happen. I had to pay close attention. I reminded myself that a novel begins by one word following another."

Viramontes also observes: "Writing novels is certainly not for the fainthearted, and writing them on a university schedule can be brutally challenging."

We can be grateful for her perseverance. "Their Dogs Came With Them" establishes that Viramontes is simply one of our finest chroniclers of the ordinary but heroic ordeals of human life.

[This review first appeared in the El Paso Times.]

As a graduate student at Harvard in literary studies, I was shocked and saddened to read such an ill-informed review of Viramontes' second and astoundingly luminous novel.

Not only was the review factually incorrect--for this is Viramontes' second novel (not her first, as the reviewer claims), but, far more gravely, utterly incapable of appreciating the artistic power of a truly original and monumental novel. American literary scholars have already heralded Viramontes' new work as the "Middlemarch of Los Angeles," justly comparing it in power and scope with the greatest works of nineteenth- and twentieth-century literature.

Viramontes stands out among the even most talented of contemporary writers, and her work (including her first novel, "Under the Feet of Jesus," and her many wonderful short stories, including the widely anthologized "The Moths") has already earned her an unforgettable place in the canons of American and world literature. Her work is regularly taught alongside that of Joyce, Steinbeck, and Cisneros, and she is legendary for her innovations in prose and poetic intensity. "Under the Feet of Jesus" has been cited as a "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Woman," and is now an indelible part of our literary heritage and one of the most groundbreaking novels in decades.

"Their Dogs Came With Them" is Viramontes' "Ulysses"--a contemporary, multi-lingual, prismatic epic that bears no resemblance to the flat, one-dimensional easy-read novels that Publishers Weekly review seems to favor. The Publishers Weekly review seems to have read the novel haphazardly or perhaps not at all, as it gives no sense of the Viramontes' careful construction and dynamic interweaving of multiple narratives and perspectives--the novel is not 'loosely constructed' (a complaint that was, incidentally, often leveled at Joyces' "Ulysses" when it first appeared), but rather innovative, unconventional, and poetic in the best sense of the word.

Viramontes' novel grows out of its characters and the brute materiality that affects them, and its style is as complex and materially present as the story of Los Angeles life that it tells. The alleged "difficulty" of the novel lies in its challenges to the traditional tropes and characters of American literature--in its original voice, unique form of storytelling, and in the brilliance of its form. Viramontes' rich language demands our attention and, like other great writers, challenges the conventional ways in which we have learned or become accustomed to read.

While Viramontes' first novel was a lyrical tour de force, this current work is of a darker and textually different tone. The depth of the novel lies in its ability to characterize and describe in ways that surprise and illuminate, to render without merely 'reporting.' Traditional tropes of American and Latino literature are displaced, meditated on, and reworked, while Viramontes' lucid and ever-metamorphosizing style evokes the unique subjectivity of each of her characters and the fractured temporality of their experience. Any serious reader seeking unconventional beauty and innovative form will appreciate the texture of "Their Dogs Came With Them," as well as its refusal to conform to conventional storytelling.

Yet Viramontes, like Joyce, never sacrifices content for form, or a powerful portrayal of characters for her ever-deepening linguistic artistry. In its texture and intricately imbricated layers of narrative, it is constructed with genius and care. The ethical and esthetic value of this novel lies in its refusal to sacrifice or to romanticize the baffling, 'frustrating' and incomprehensible violence of urban life in twentieth century. The novel's form demonstrates and reenacts the violence it describes, revealing and rehabilitating the difficulties and frustrations of trying to tell stories about the ignored and the oppressed.

To read and review this novel with no ear for artistry or innovation, and with utterly no appreciation for Viramontes' rich legacy in American literature, as Publishers Weekly has so unfortunately done, is not only to do a great disservice to Viramontes and potential readers, but also to miss what may be the first true masterpiece of twenty-first century literature.

In her two previous books, Helena Maria Viramontes stuns readers with her precise language and uncompromising insights. Their Dogs Came With Them has been long in coming but worth the wait. With this novel Viramontes has certainly created something new and powerful. She offers up the talents and gifts of her first two books and adds a breathtaking use of structure, all of this in the service of a striking story. Many writers are defeated by Los Angeles when trying to write about the city because it suffers, for sure, from muliple-personality disorder. But Viramontes is a master, and in her hands, she turns L.A.'s kinetic energies into a tool for her own purposes. In this vision, the city and the characters are scarred, but not hopeless; battle weary, but resilient. Indeed, Viramontes has written a novel for each of us who have fallen to our knees, but knowing we would stand again, and taller.

This book takes a different approach to improving your tennis game but I think it's a good one. The author is straight-forward and doesn't hold anything back. While he does give detailed instruction on the actually playing of tennis and covers all aspects of play he highlights the ways to really improve your game by your positioning, attitude, thinking, etc. He goes beyond the typical "hit the ball this way" method present in many tennis books but breaks down tennis play into easy to understand logic. There is a lot of information in this book but nothing a persistent, and hard-working tennis players can't handle. You will benefit most by reading, then using that instruction on the court then reading some more and applying your new instruction the next time you play. Take it one step at a time and I think you'll benefit.

The only problem readers will have is deciding which piece of professional advice NOT to highlight. By the time you're finished, your entire book may be streaked in bright yellow, like mine.

This is the only tennis book you'll ever need: it's perfect for beginners, yet contains enough tips from his professional days and those of his fellow legends that the most advanced players will also find it useful.

Burwash shows why his tennis instruction is famous in upscale resorts and clubs the world over.

When I first started playing tennis about 4 yrs ago, I E-mailed my mother a list of tennis books and said, 'buy 1 of them for my birthday.' Mom is great so she bought all of them. I flipped through them all, but I read, studied, and re-read Peter Burwash's book. I am now reading it for the 4th time and every time I get something new out of it. He discusses strokes, strategies, fitness and attitude. He does it all in a way that is easy to understand. I began taking private lessons last year and it was amazing how many things I learned that I quickly recalled from this book.

You cant go wrong with this book. From a beginner to an intermediate player, this book is a constant companion and contains help for everyone.

As a long time recreational player, I found this book to be an excellent source for improving my overall game. Instead of dwelling on how to hit the ball, Peter Burwash introduces the concepts needed to move your game up to a new level. With numerous concise descriptions of court positions, percentage tennis and mindful observations, Mr. Burwash gives you a set of tools to take what you already know and move your game up to a level where you will win more points and matches. I had always concentrated on hitting the ball and having fun. This books shows you how to do those same things with a purpose. I have tried many of his suggestions with great results. Highly recommended for a player ready to put brains before brawn.

This book gives a real life glimpse into the mind of an ex-KGB agent. It is fascinating to see how badly managed the KGB truly was during the cold war.

fantastic! informative! riveting! find out what really went on during thoze years in th CIA & KGB. one of the best books i have ever read.

This book offers a glimpse into the mind of an ex-KGB agent. It is amazing to learn how truely disorganized the KGB was during the cold war.

I think this author was trying to get some [easy] recognition with the title he chose, maybe making the reader think it was similar to the Kessler book Moscow Station. Unfortunately for this author that is where the similarity ends. The author was the KGB station Chief for the Washington D.C. USSR embassy for a number of years during the cold war. He promises on the dust jacket to provide the reader with an inside account of the methods of the station and a run down of the missions they took part in.

The author does a good job in providing the reader with many of the interesting tradecraft bit about the KGB in the U.S. and how they operated in Washington D.C. against the FBI. The author also does give us some insight to a few of the operations that the KGB ran; it just seams to me that this is a sanitized version of the events. I wanted more details on the intelligence they were able to gather and more of the operations they ran. I finished the book think this was a nice first step, but a fuller "confession" was needed.

Overall, the book is adequately written and does not drag or stumble. If you are interested in KGB operations in the U.S. then this is a nice start, but definitely the definitive account

Joe Passonneau has combined history, planning and architecture in our nation's capitol that has a certain relevance to every serious, large city in the country. What you really learn here is how architecture and planning can work together in a creative relaltionshiip and both better for the experience. If the elected officials were crafting laws with the same care, concern and perhaps even love, that architects, planners and a host of other insightful non-professionals were using to build Washington, DC, we would all be better off today.

The maps alone are glorious and probably worth the price of the book itself. Study them and you will start to understand and appreciate the historic process by which cities either reinvent themselves or fail to do so. Architects, planners and history buffs should own this book. Period.

I've been looking for maps that depict DC through the years. I live in SouthWest DC in one of the few new buildings that obviously took the place of many things that were here before. This book has been so helpful in showing the development of DC through the years. Between maps I've never seen before, plans and photos, this is a must have for anyone who wants to see the changes in DC in the past two hundred years.

As the title suggests, Washington Through Two Centuries is a terrific book for those interested in examining Washington's evolution over 200 years. I would caution however that it may not be a great book for someone who wants a condensed, easy to read story. More of a reference guide than a coffee table book, it takes a bit of time to digest.

Mr. Passonneau's book on Washington successfully covers the planning history of this country's capitol city, and essentially uses it as an illustration of how planning can guide development of a city on many levels. The maps in this book are the culmination of a thirty year project which, because it involved historically accurate hand drawings of the facades of all of the buildings in the covered area, is certain never to be undertaken again. Thus this book is not only extremely informative and interesting from historical, social and political perspectives, it is in itself a beautiful work of art, a feast for the eyes.

Thanks to Dr. Cosby and Renee Pouissant we now have a fabulous book allowing elders, who have lived history, to tell us the truth about American History. At last a book that respects our elders and allows them the opportunity to express the truth of their experiences. It is entertaining, historical and informative. Once you start reading you can't put it down and when finished you are ready for the next edition. It is refreshing to read about courageous people who have been given the freedom to express their truth rather than stories that pretend to know their truth. Every school should have this book in their curriculum and the pattern of this book should be the impetus to get people of all ethnicities to respect their elders and learn from them.

This is a wonderful book of advice from wise African-Americans.
I recommend this book and another book called SURVEY OF 300 A+ STUDENTS,
by a wise African-American at Harvard (Kenneth Green).

This is one of those rare books I simply could not stop reading! I highly recommend it. The interviews are intimate and illuminating, and I think young adults in particular will be inspired, though middle-aged ones like myself can take heart in how much these folks are STILL achieving well after 70. While I enjoyed getting to know some of the famous people in a new way, I was especially impressed by stories of "unfamous" elders like the educators Jayme Coleman Williams and McDonald Williams, people who have had tremendous, sustained impact in their communities. The best part is, you can access even more of the work of the National Visionary Leadership Project at their web site, VisionaryProject.com

I enjoy reading this book. Really. The reason I gave it the four stars is that there wasn't enough of them. Mostly it had stories from famous people that we already know on. What I wanted to read was from people who are not as famous. Who had a lot of things to tell. I pray there is a sequel.

This was a very good book that all people should read. It contained a live interview with me, my wife, and her family in chapter 13.

This book by Leon Dash makes you think. It not only givess accounts of interviews given to him by young girls not all of whom wer pregnant but it givees statistical data.

I read Leon Dash's book "Rosa Lee" as a college assignment. He is an exceptional writer who cuts away all the preconceived ideas and misconceptions. I was thrilled to find another book by Leon Dash. This book, "When Children Want Children" opened my eyes to the plight of many young people in poor neighborhoods. "When Children want Children" and "Rosa Lee" should both be required reading for all teachers and parents. We cannot overcome the problems of teen pregnancy and drug use until we understand where the people are coming from. Leon Dash goes straight to the source to find answers.

Dash outdid himself again I read Rosa Lee: A mother and her familiy in Urban America, and enjoyed it so greatly that I couldn't wait to get my hands on another of his books he is a great writer and his books are worthy to be read. Dash goes to the heart of the problems facing teens in poor urban communities, he looks at the future, the present and past of these children's lives in order to offer real views of their existence. The fact that he goes into and moves into the community in which these young people live, gives him great credibility because he is not writing from a far off perspective, he is right there in the eye of the volcanoe. This book was very good and deserves to be read over and over. I hope Mr. Dash continues to write about the plights of the urban poor because their's is a story that must be told and must not be forgotten.

Very funny! Amazingly detailed memories. A great read-aloud for the whole family.

The author's vivid descriptions of the mountains and terrain, the weather and the trials and tribulations of hiking, camping, building log structures and the camaraderie of such an outstanding troop is nothing but masterful ! What the author has produced should be a legend for all those presently in scouting. I truly doubt that any other troop has ever been or will be as dedicated or productive as 511. Braman has really chronicled the true spirit of scouting in a way that will inspire future generations of scouts, even though I doubt that it will ever be equaled. Where "The Fuzzy Marmots Grow" is a work of art. This book was a pleasure to read, it captivates the reader and it's hard to put down. I certainly enjoyed it

This delightful memoir of boyhood is a chronicle of humor, nostalgia and charm. It's story-telling at its best. Unequivocally recommended to those who enjoy remembering, reliving, the spirit of youth - when the miracle of adventure was an everyday occurrence. Lovingly conceived, deftly written.

James Braman's book is a delightful, charmingly-told story about Boy Scout Troop 511 of Bremerton, Washington. The boys' rollicking adventures as they explore the wilds of the Northwest and venture forth in their ancient Fageol bus to view the wonders of Grand Coulee Dam are thoroughly entertaining. At the same time, the book subtly provides a recipe for building character and a foundation for success in life--simply bring together strong, caring leaders and eager, adventurous youth, and the effect can be powerful and lasting! Where the Fuzzy Marmots Grow is an enjoyable read for everyone--from preteens to grandparents.. Highly recommended!

Sell is admittedly an outsider, always studying Boeing from the periphery of a neutral journalist, or family member of one employed there, yet he manages to deftly describe the essence and culture of Boeing as a longtime employee would. He understands and conveys the conservative approach Boeing has always taken toward state governmental affairs, and presents Boeing as above reproach in these matters, a reputation Boeing has gone to great lengths to ensure. I appreciated the detail to which Sell went to explain the legislative aspects of growth in Washington state and Boeing's occasional collisions with it - a good read whether one is interested in the evolution of Boeing from Bill Boeing's hobby shop to the economic powerhouse it is today, or if one is interested in the impact of growth. Sell also slips in delightful, but subtle witticisms.

A great read, especially considering recent events (Boeing leaving Seattle.)

This is a balanced and even-handed look at an issue that is confronting communities all over the country: How to deal with the costs of growth without losing the benefits. A good read.

Sell's book cuts through the fog of loyalty to green or greed parties and explains the paradox of growth with facts not fictions. Everyone has something to learn from this book. Sell makes both sides of the growth issue stand naked before the mirror and it isn't always pretty. "Wings of Power" is a well written and thoroughly researched book that, unlike most of this genre, is not devoid of humor.

this book centers on the life of Lue Gim Gong. he leaves his home and family to make a better life for all of them in america. the narrative switches between gong's mother, his patron in america, ms. fanny, and sheba, a daughter of slaves who comes to work in ms. fanny's house in florida. i enjoyed the different points of view and the glimpses into each woman's life, but Faith, this was SUCH a depressing read. it seemed to me that for every piece of good fortune these families experienced, they suffered yet more loss. from the prejudices of the superstitious clans in china, to those against asians, african americans and women, reading the stories of these women made me appreciate my own life, and made me realize how very much i take for granted.

I had a lot to reflect upon after reading this book. I was most surprised by when I realized about 3/4 way through that the book was essentially a biography. I wish the book jacket had highlighted the fact that Lum Gim Gong was a celebrated Chinese horticulturalist in Florida, and the author used her extensive research into his life to create this book. I would surmise that since all of his journals were destroyed, she moves the viewpoint to other characters and writes a novel to better draw the reader into the story. The book has one drawback in this hybrid form--it doesn't have a climax, as one would expect in a novel--but continues on a little long in the end to get all the biographical details in.

I loved the descriptions of life in a village in China, the New England town, and the Florida orchard. Sometimes the frequent change of view point between these very different societies feels abrupt, but it highlights the cultural disruption experienced by the characters as they move between these worlds. A strong underlying theme of the book is the dichotomy between how we treat people versus plants: 19th century society forced a separation between people of different races and between genders but the plants are improved and made stronger when they are combined and crossbred. This theme is made more poignant with the realization that the author has a Scottish American father and a Chinese mother and has probably lived with some of the discrimination described in the book.

Wooden Fish Songs is a fascinating story that weaves together the worlds 19th Century China, New England and the post-Civil War South. McCunn's extensive research makes this true story come alive and her talent makes the three women who tell the story real and believable. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Chinese literature and culture. This book portrays the difficult life not only for the Chinese immigrant in America, but also for the family left behind. I recommend this and any other of McCunn's works.

I received a copy of Wooden Fish Songs as a gift from my father, who is a familial descendent of Fanny, and the New England people with whom Lue Gim Gong lived in America. Many of my father's recollections about his relatives were given to the author as the book was written, and helped to maintain the story's factual basis. It is a moving historical account of the difficulty and pain encountered when east/west cultures came together, when differences in peoples were terribly feared, and when cultural mores and expectations within the family were not to be challenged - even for love.

Patwant Singh's book "The World According to Washington" offers an insightful look at America's foreign policy and the controversy surrounding it. Although much contemporary political writing focuses solely on the American perspective, Singh provides a unique viewpoint through which we can examine the actions of the United States. In viewing America from a global context, we are able to gain insight into the true ramifications of America's foreign policy. I highly recommend this book.

Noted Indian writer Patwant Singh's book, The World According to Washington: An Asian View, provides a welcome antidote to the self-centered world view of the Bush administration.
A friend of the U.S., he has written it in an effort to call attention to widely held opinion, here and abroad, that unilateral policies serving the military-industrial complex have undermined U.S. credibility and jeopardized its security. These policies as realized in Iraq have brought esteem for the U.S. to a low point in Asia.
After a brief review of the history of U.S. involvement in Asia, his analysis includes Asians' profound disappointment in the current administration's contempt for treaty-constraints, especially concerning nuclear non-proliferation and global warming. Further, he highlights ironies Asians see that Americans seem to miss: the U.S. warning Iran not to intervene in Iraq's internal affairs, for example. It is no wonder that other nations fear that opposition to U.S. policies will cause them to be labeled "terrorist" and treated the same as Iraq.
While many people in the world admire American freedoms and generosity, Singh says "after September 11 this dream has soured, as U.S. xenophobes have turned against fellow-citizens of different appearance and colour." Unfortunately this seems to confirm Asian suspicions that racism at various levels of decision-making underlay the way in which military power has been misused in Vietnam and elsewhere.
Denial of safeguards to the rights of prisoners labeled "enemy combatants" at Guantanamo weakens the rights and freedoms of Americans as well. It is not only the impact this has on world opinion, especially in the Muslim world, Singh says, that is important.
Asians have come a long way, and their creativity and innovation now can match the West's. Therefore they ask to be treated with respect. This important book is an appeal to U.S. policymakers' intelligent self-interest.

Criticism From a Friend of America -

Distinguished and prolific Indian Author Patwant Singh tells us in his introduction, "I admire America. I have been visiting it regularly for over 40 years. I have long and enduring friendships there, and relish the welcoming warmth I experience each time I visit." Written by a friend, this unrelenting explanation of how Washington is viewed from Asia -- and why-- is particularly urgent now as America's economic position becomes more dependant on India and China, and political tensions in Asia escalate. Globalization, an unstoppable force for both good and ill, has destroyed any possibility of American isolationism. In spite of overwhelming military might, The United States cannot control the world. In his final chapter "The Pitfalls of Power", Patwant Singh gives us a unique view of ourselves. This is how others see us; we would do well to take heed.

Pamela de Maigret

There is nothing in Patwant Singh's professional background which would give a clue to his mastery over international intrigue and geo-political issues. Yet, clearly he is in command of his facts. He also has the ability to present them clearly and in a racy, readable style.

The book also makes a persuasive case of how America, enamoured with its own power, has become a modern East India Company. Asians sometimes joke that America is not a nation, it is a corporation. Patwant Singh provides serious evidence and analysis to back that view.

What he says here is not new to Asian audiences anymore. In the recent years, an astoundingly large number of anaysts and intellectuals have more or less accepted that America is behaving irresponsibly. Many Asians are now resigned to an inevitable confrontation with America, over an issue or a non-issue, sooner or later. Patwant Singh however illustrates that this is not a recent change in American thinking - for the lst 60 years America has been consistently (and constantly) at war with the world. For USA, the 2nd world war apparently did not end in 1945.

At the same time, it must be added that the book does not offer a counterpoint. The conclusion about America does not build up through the chapters -- it is there right from the beginning. Patwant Singh then merely keeps adding the facts and analysis that would prove his point. This may make it difficult for an ordinary reader to make an informed or neutral assessment of his thesis.

Also, while the book proposes to offer an Asian view, most of the material appears to have been taken from Western sources. One can understand the reasons for this: the entire Asia does not publish half as much material as America alone does each year. Asian researchers are therefore wily-nily dependent on Western writers for their facts on international events.

Nevertheless, it is an excellent book, particularly relevant because it is written by an Asian.

This book has also been published in India by Rupa & Co., Delhi.