France Books

This book has been one of the many reasons I fell in love with Paris.

In fact, it taught me how to explore Paris on my own during the 5 years I lived there. Beginning with this book, I learned how much history and cultural wealth is hidden in every corner of the city, ready to be discovered. I learned to explore the building façades, their inner patios that sometimes hide gardens, statues and even centuries old temples. I have explored parkings for outstanding discoveries (like the medieval wall on the underground parking on rue Mazarine), etc.

I learned enough of the city history to get me curious and start reading on my own about the kings of France, the history of Paris architecture, and so much more.

I have both an older edition and the audio guide, which is excelent for use when walking alone. However, I noticed that on the latest edition, the walk on rue Moufetard is gone (at least that's how it seems from the index here on Amazon"). Pitty, because I loved the region and the walk itself.

The only danger is that if you go to Paris with this book, you may never want to leave again, like I did.

I've taken this book to Paris three times. Our local library discarded the book and I was so upset. It's wonderful to use in Paris or to remember my trips. I was so excited to find in newly published. I have already got one, which I passed on to a friend going to Paris, now I'm ordering another.

This is a terrific "off the beaten path" type tour guide. These tours take you to areas that other tourists just pass through on their way to the Eifel Tower and Louvre. With this book you experience the real Paris, not the tourist's Paris.

At the beginning of each tour (allow one per day), find a bench in one of the many small parks and read the introduction to the tour. While you take in the sights, smells and sounds of the area, you'll learn a bit of history to set the stage for the tour. The walks are slow and intend for you to really look at your surroundings as you read about the history, architecture and people. I wish there were guides like this for every city!

I was fortunate enough to stumble upon a much earlier edition of this wonderful little guide to the Paris these authors obviously love. The distaff side of the Landes clan has a keen eye for detail and a sharp nose for the unexpected tidbits that make visiting any city a delight.

Directly as a result of following one of the walks I have found a club that is now, years later, a regular stop anytime I am in Paris. Everyone who has an interest in the quiter, more intimate details of Paris should take these walks. The authors' love of the city and their simple love of city life shines through in each of them.

This latest edition is, if possible, an improvement on the previous ones; adding the perspective of a new co-author has improved the product.

The Pariswalks audiotape is an immensely entertaining and educational way to wander through Paris neighborhoods. You can, for a change, SEE what the guidebooks are talking about WITHOUT having your nose in the book the whole time. The narration is humorous as well as informative. Because this Pariswalks audiotape is so good,I have given theLondonwalks audiotape on faith for Christmas to someone about to head for London. I will never travel to Europe again without first checking to learn whether an audiotape is available for my destination city.

This book is comprised of a translation of Book V of the Codex Calixtinus, and abundant notes, commentary and introduction of same. If you have traveled to Santiago, then you have most likely already read extensive quotations, citations or information from this work. It is probably the single most important historical source of information about the pilgrimage. Or at least the most famous.

The translated work itself is only a small fraction of the total book. I urge you to go to the effort of reading the Notes to the Codex. Do this at least for the value for money in the experience since the Notes section is almost twice as long as the actual text. Even past that, I found the notes good reading, and only wish that they had been published in situ with the text and not at the back since it would have saved me a lot of really endless flipping back and forth.

The book is also published with a Hagiographical register of the relevant saints and a Gazetteer of the locations. Either of those sections might be of more use to the prospective pilgrim than is the text itself. I have to say that reading the Codex after I completed my trip made it funnier and more illuminating.

This is one of those fabled must-reads if you are interested in the Camino. If you aren't, it still might be interesting as an example of medieval travel writing. Melczer seems to do a good job with the book and the translation. Recommended.

I personally knew Mr. Melczer both as my instructor and later as a friend and I simply cannot say enough about this man. Studying in Spain with Mr. Melczer in 1990 I can say he truly opened my eyes to history, art and culture. I took copious notes, but I realized I could never fully "absorb" the knowledge that this man imparted to his students. He inspired me to enter the field I am in now.
This book is an excellent presentation of one of the most remarkable journeys traversed by so many people throughout history. The research is excellent and the reading is very clear. This book is a must for any person interested in Spanish history

DO NOT buy this book if you are looking for a modern guide to the Camino.

DO buy this book for a scholarly translation and background of the pilgrims who went before you on the Camino (the guide was written in approx. 1160 AD)! The large introduction is packed with detailed information about the history/legends of St. James and his tomb from the time of Christ through early Church fathers, early Spanish history, Islamic invasion and subsequent withdrawal, and the French connection. There is detailed history on pilgrim routes, what they wore, where they stayed, and more. A great read prior to walking the Camino!

As a collector of guide books about Iberia, I found this volume exceptionally revealing, practical and poetic.

When you are not sure of the details of any particular Camino miracle, you need go no further than William Melczer's guide. The Codex Calixtinus is the source of all those stories you read in the other English language books. Melczner's guide is the first complete English translation of Book Five of the Codex Calixtinus - the original medieval pilgrim's guide.

This is a scholarly, extremely well documented book. The entire book is 345 pages. Of this, the actual translated Codex is 50 pages. The introduction and notes demonstrate a through knowledge the medieval pilgrimages. The book includes a haigographical register and gazetteer as well as bibliograpy and index. I had to go to my unabridged dictionary to find out that haigography is the study of saints. The gazetteer contains a short explanation if each place name. Both the haigraphical index and the gazetteer are quite helpful when doing any Camino reading.

This is not a book I would carry with me, but certainly one that is enjoyed after doing the Camino. For those who have time, it supplements any historical reading one may do before the Camino.

I cannot think of a better way to introduce the poetry of Edna St. Vincent Millay than this small volume. The selection is excellent and of interest you the young reader. The commentary is quite relevant as are the pictures which accompany it which by the way are worth the price of the book alone. I find that often now, our young people go all the way through the early grades in school and many of them have never heard of Millay much less read her poetry. This was the sort of stuff my generation and the generation before it grew up on and cut our teeth on. I do not feel I am any worse for the wear. I am fearful that we are bringing up an entire generation (rightfully or wrong, although I feel it is the later) of young folks who will have no appreciation to this great art form and will miss a lot. This book helps. This entire series helps, as a matter of fact and I certainly recommend you add this one and the others to your library. Actually, it is rather fun reading these with the young folk and then talking about them. Not only do you get to enjoy the work your self and perhaps bring back some great memories, but you have the opportunity to interact with your child or student. It is actually rather surprising what some of the kids come up with. I read these to my grandchildren and to the kids in my classes at school. For the most part, when I really get to discussing the work with them, they enjoy it. Recommend this one highly.

The illustrations and the poetry create feelings and emotions which go beyond the pages. Mike Bryces illustrations pull you into the poetry with a style that is breath taking. The poetry will linger in your mind the illustrations in your heart. You will find yourself going to it time and time again.

This will be a reallly personal review.
I first discovered Edna in my senior high school humanities class. When I first read it I thought, "That's so real! That's me! I can relate to that!" She so eloquently put what I wanted to say but was not capable of in my late teens and early 20's into words.
Now that I am past the dating years and finally read a short bio on the author I realize that all I really liked about her writing was that she was a modern day "fast girl" (if you catch my drift). I really feel betrayed because I thought I was so literate and now I wonder what liking her poetry so much said about me.
So now I feel for the author beacause she chose to live in the fast lane and then dull the pain and escape into drugs and alcohol... which maybe was the better choice for her if infamous was on her list of things to become.
Though I do recommend her reading strongly in general because it's romantic and interesting and delightful, I don't think it's appropriate for "young people" with lines like "What lips my lips have kissed"... Unless ofcourse instilling Catholic schoolgirl guilt into your child is at the top of your priority list... or you want to give her poems to read to her boyfriend... or something... use your discretion...

I opened this book at weekly Storytime...my son likes to play with the trains while my daughters listen to the story.. I thought, "I'll just look at this for a moment" and I was transfixed for the entirety of storytime.

Yes, as the other reviewers have stated the illustrations are amazing, the poetry.... mind opening. Another facet of this book is the brief and compelling biography of Edna St. Vincent Millay.

I knew very little about her... now that I know the little that I know from this book, I am hungry for more of her work as well as more of her life.

Excellent book -- I am going to look into other titles in this series as well (The Poetry for Young People ) to see if the others are as above average as this one.

Each illustration could be the focus of additional conversation: I see myself reading these poems repeatedly with my children. They are simple, elegant and timeless.

Picked up this up recently while browsing my local bookstore and was taken aback by the beautiful artwork found in this collection of Edna St. Vincent Millay's poems. I bought it on the spot! Not only are poem's heart-wrenchingly personal and affecting, the watercolor's are a feast for the eyes. I've shown this book to many of my peers who share my enthusiasm and have consequently picked it up as well. Strongly recommended!

An excellent and very needed book in the English speaking world where so much of what we read and learn is from the British point of view with all the prejudices of the British thrown in. A valuable book for those who wish to get a more balanced view of the war by reading about both the British and the French. A caution, however, as one finds the british accounts onesided, there are moments in reading the book where i got the feeling the author was anti-British. But it doesn't detract from the overall excellence in providing a seldem heard aspect of the war.

Most histories of the First World War have focused on the British or German perspective. This is a history of the French operations, which provided the bulk of the resistance to the Germans on the western front.

Histories of the First World War suffered from partisan books written directly after the war that gave a caricatured version of operations. They suggested that French and British generals failed to appreciate the impact of modern technology and simply used men as cannon fodder. This book is one that seeks to counter that view and show how the French commanders reacted to the success and failure of operations and developed strategies which evolved during the war to lessen the loss of human life and develop more efficient methods of attack and defence. In fact the year of 1914 saw one of the French Armies considerable triumphs the defeat of the German movement through Belgium aimed at outflanking the French line. This success occurred when the Germans devoted the majority of their army to the western front in an attempt to gain an early victory. England at the time had only mobilised a small army so the defeat of the Germans was a remarkable victory.

One of the interesting points made by the book is that some 50% of the French losses occurred in the first year of the war before the development of the trench system. The reason of course was that before the development of the trenches when there was the war of movement infantry were much more vulnerable to artillery fire. In 1915 when the French attacked again and again in an attempt to aid the Russian offensives the losses were although substantial far less than in the disastrous first year. The losses suffered in resisting the German offensive at Verdun again were again less than in 1915. It was only in 1918 that France carried out the series of attacks that finally led to Germany's capitulation that the casualty figures increased to levels close to 1915.

The book is interesting as it shows how the French developed tactics over time. The rolling barrage to protect the infantry in its advance. The notion of the flexible defence so that infantry was kept away from the front line to avoid the heavy losses which resulted from opening barrages and instead using counter attacks and the holding of key points to inflict casualties on the attacker.

In fact it is clear that the French became frustrated with the English under Haig who launched his Somme offensive without using the sorts of advances in strategy that had been developed by the French and Germans thus turning that battle into a costly stalemate. One of the attractions of the book is that it shows the history of the English campaign and issues though an observers eyes.

The book also reveals how close the Germans came to victory in 1918. If Ludendorff had been able to move more quickly to separate the English and French armies in detail he could have won. Instead he relied on costly staged offensives delayed so much that the French and English were able to hang on.

Despite the loss of the major industrial section of their country the French were able to turn their country into an arsenal producing ¾ of the weapons that were used by the Americans. Huge numbers of tanks aircraft and heavy artillery.

The book also shows clearly the importance of the operations in Macedonian in hastening the end of the war. The attack on this front in `1918 led to Bulgaria being forced out of the war. This broke the German supply line to Turkey which meant that the British under Allenby were able to advance from Egypt easily also defeating that country. Lastly the surrender of Bulgaria opened up yet another front that the weakened Austro-Hungarian Empire could not hold. One of the more interesting books on the First World War which is valuable in giving another perspective on the conflict.

Robert Doughty's 2005 "Pyrrhic Victory" may be the most extensive English-language account available of Franch strategy and operations during the First World War. Doughty has combed a variety of archives to document that, contrary to popular myth, France sought throughout 1914-1918 to execute a coherent strategy of fighting a multi-front war in order to maintain pressure on Germany. Moreover, France executed this strategy despite increasing shortages of manpower, a ferocious battlefield learning curve for its general officers, and several crises of confidence.

France understood itself in 1914 to be at a distinct disadvantage in population and industrial base with respect to Germany. This disadvantage drove France to seek out allies throughout the war. France would rely on the huge but unsophisticated Russian Army to force Germany to fight a two-front war and on a reluctant Great Britain to help defend France itself.

In 1914, France and Britain narrowly avoided defeat in a war of movement that culminated in the miracle victory at the Battle of the Marne. As the Western Front stabilized into hundreds of kilometers of opposing trenches, France and its allies would spend the next four years trying to break the stalemate in France while applying pressure on German and its allies through operations in Turkey, the Balkans, Italy and Eastern Europe.

Doughty recounts the tense struggles between French civilian and military leaders over the best way to identify and carry out a winning strategy. The inability to impose a decisive battle on the Western Front in 1914 led to experimentation with siege tactics, renewed offensives in 1915, and a reluctant acceptance of a strategy of attrition by 1916. A premature return to a strategy of decisive battle in early 1917 nearly broke the French Army. France leaned heavily on the British Army to carry the load during much of 1917 while suppressing mutinies and scraping the bottom of its manpower barrel. Key changes in leadership, especially the elevation of Generals Petain and Foch, enabled France to ride out the supreme crisis of renewed German offensives in early 1918. The arrival in numbers of trained U.S. troops on the front lines by summer 1918 enabled the Allies to go over to the offensive and finally defeat an exhausted German Army.

Doughty's narrative makes clear what a close-run thing the Allied victory was. Despite a total nation effort to field and equip an enormous Army, France had been bled white by 1917 and was completely exhausted in the military sense by 1918. The maturation of a mass British Army on the continent, and the creation of a mass American Army in France, both events fostered by French leadership, enabled France to persevere to a pyrrhic victory that may have gutted its national resources and will for a generation.

"Pyrrhic Victory" is a scholarly work written perhaps as much for other scholars as for the general reader, who may find it a long dry effort at over 500 pages. Doughty has included some good maps; this reviewer wishes he had included a few more. Doughty's discussion of French strategy and operations might have included more commentary on corresponding German actions, making the external context of French actions a little clearer.

These minor criticisms aside, this is an exceptional work of military history, very highly recommended to students of the First World War, especially those seeking insight to evolving French strategy.

As has been noted there are a rash of english language books on the Anglo and American participation of the war. The battle of the Somme and the 1918 offensive are covered in detail in most books on the war. Anyone with a serious interest knows about the destruction of the British regular army and England's officer class. We read about the war at sea because of England's involvement.

Few books have concentrated on the French aspect except to mention the Mutiny's, the miracle of 1914 and of course the mention the damage done to the French nation by the death of so many Frenchmen.

THis book is parhaps one of a kind then because it gives the English language reader insight into the French strategy. Mostly a strategy that hs been mocked or passed over. Most have viewed the 1917 offensive as one more ill-concevied blood bath leading directly to mutiny. Many know about Verdun, however the rest of the front, some 70% of it was manned by Frenchmen. The French army shared the burden of the war on the western front. Here we are given a fuller picture of the french general staff, of Foch and Petain and of the french strategy in more minute detail. Keegan and others have done wonderful books on WWI, the more specific study will sppeal to those with a genuine interest in the period. A worthwhile read.

Seth J. Frantzman

Despite the fact that the French Army carried the bulk of the Allied war effort on the Western Front in 1914-18, it has rarely received its due in First World War historiography. Brigadier General (ret.) Robert A. Doughty, head of West Point's history department for twenty years, seeks to correct that omission in his Pyrrhic Victory: French Strategy and Operations in the Great War. Overall, this is an erudite, well-written book for professional military officers and historians and an essential addition to any serious library on the First World War.

This book consists of ten chapters, with one on pre-war doctrine, eight that each cover about six months of the war and a conclusion. The initial chapter on transformation examines pre-war doctrine and strategic planning. Despite first-rate intelligence on German order of battle, the author notes that the French expected an invasion of Belgium but thought that the Germans lacked the reserves to make a deep penetration. The French Army was also fairly well equipped for war, but the neglect of heavy artillery was a serious omission. Furthermore, the author notes that initial combat on the borders indicated "the bankruptcy of French tactical doctrine and the inadequacy of their artillery," although these flaws were not immediately apparent to General Joffre, the French commander-in-chief. Indeed, the author paints a poor picture of Joffre in August 1914, as a commander who blamed others for his faulty operational plan, failed to concentrate his forces and ignored intelligence about enemy intentions. On the other hand, Joffre showed marked improvement in September 1914 by effectively utilizing France's railroads to mass forces for the Battle of the Marne - a victory which the author notes to Joffre's credit.

Once the war shifted to a static phase in 1915, the author notes that the French failure to defend vital coal and steel regions at the start of the war hindered their long-term war industrial potential. It is not uncommon that military men ignore economic factors until they are faced with shortages. As the French Army gradually shifted to an offensive strategy in 1915, the author describes how Joffre succeeded in creating a substantial reserve force but that the early attacks were costly failures due to limited artillery support. Two competing offensive doctrines emerged: Joffre's "continuous battle," which envisaged a massive `big push' style attack, and the "methodical battle" advocated by younger generals such as Foch and Petain. While Joffre believed that a decisive breakthrough on the Western Front was possible, more realistic officers such as Petain realized that it was no longer possible and that the conflict had become a war of attrition. However, Joffre set the strategic agenda well into 1916 and he adamantly opposed diversions such as operations in the Mediterranean that took troops away from his `big push' offensives on the Western Front. It was not until near-disaster at Verdun that Joffre realized the demands of attrition warfare and promoted defense-in-depth against German counterattacks. Also, by 1916 the French Army had finally corrected its deficiencies in heavy artillery, which transformed its operational potential. Yet unlike Germany, France did not opt for total war as Germany did, with its political leaders placing limits on bombing German cities and the use of chemical warfare.

By the end of 1916, French officers such as Nivelle, Petain and Foch had developed new methods of infantry-artillery coordination that enabled the French Army to launch short, but effective attacks. Nivelle became a little too enamored of these new tactics and when he replaced Joffre, he attempted to use them to achieve a major breakthrough in the ill-fated Nivelle offensive. The mutiny that resulted from Nivelle's poor judgment nearly broke the French Army, but it was Petain that saved it from dissolution. Petain adopted a new program for the army that emphasized material over haphazard use of infantry and this program emphasized aircraft, heavy artillery, tanks and chemicals. Ultimately, Petain found the material key to victory but it was Foch - who finally became the unified commander of Allied forces in the desperate days of 1918 - who found the morale key to victory.
Pyrrhic Victory also offers readers a very different perspective on British actions. From the French perspective, the BEF was not pulling its fair share of the load in 1914-15 and British offensives were rather puny. While the author does not denigrate the British, Belgian or American contributions to victory, this book helps to illuminate the major role played by the French in achieving that victory. Although starting out wrong-footed, the French Army survived a major offensive by one of the best armies in the world, adapted and eventually developed the means to push that enemy off its soil. While the price of victory was crippling, there is no doubt that the French Army in the First World did far more than merely `survive' until the Americans came to `rescue them.'

I bought this book because I enjoyed Dumas' other works. Although "Queen Margot" certainly has much to recommend it: intrigue, romance, action, I did not enjoy it as much as "Three Muskateers" or "Count." The ending is especially unsatisfying.

Alexandre Dumas pere was a master of story telling. If he was still living today he would definitely write some of the most popular television series. This is how this novel reads, as a TV series, and this is also how it was written, since it was first released in 2 page instalements in 19th century french daily newspapers. Every page ends in some sort of dillema or with an item a suspense. There is never a boring moment. Of course, even if this book is based on actual historical events, it cannot be considered a true rendition of what really happened. Nevertheless, Dumas succeeds in making his characters so alive, that you feel you are living through the intrigues with them. You feel what they feel. A true masterpiece of literature, in any language; and by the way, the book is a thousand times better than the movie.

Queen Margot is missing nothing. I read it after falling in love with the musketeer series, and was overjoyed to find that it was as good as the others.

When I started reading this book I thought it would be classic, boring, long story about some french queen - I was wrong. I could not stop reading it before I finishad. In my opinion every one who likes interesting books should read it. I am sure he will not regret it.

If you have read this book and if you loved it like I did, I highly recommend the rest of the series. The Forty-five guardsman and Chicot the Jester follow this book in the history of the reign and fall of the Valois. Chicot is an amazing character. I recommend trying to locate these books. The Diamond Necklace also is about the fallen Valois just before the french revolution

Unfortunately this book did not live up to the rave reviews for me.
While the basis of the story was solid, I had a hard time believing that this elderly woman, that was raised more than well grounded, raised a child that would be so self involved that had not insist that she take her on the (2 hour) drive to the airport.
Perhaps more attention could have been placed on the "bones" instead of the foilage.

Georgina (Georgie) who is 80 years old, and shares her birthday with the Queen, is one of the 99 privileged Commonwealth subjects who have been invited to Buckingham Palace for lunch. Georgie lives in Canada and has, all her life, felt close to Lilibet and has been looking forward to this once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Telling her family she can take perfect care of herself, and not to worry, and not to expect her to call them til she returns, Georgie sets off for the airport. En route, however, she has a car accident and ends up down the bottom of a ravine, not too far from her home. But no one knows what has happened. Flung from the car, with a broken leg and arm, ribs, and who knows what else, Georgie has to rely on mind over matter to keep herself alive. She talks to us, she tells us of her life as a child with her sister, mother, aunt and grandparents and a father who was too entrenched in his own life to notice his daughters; she tells us of her own marriage, its sorrows and its joys. She talks to Lilibet, reminding us that only the Queen will be missing her right now. She laughs, she cries, as she celebrates the lives of all those she has loved.

This is a powerfully reflective book, addressing the biggest question of them all, `what is my life worth'? The author keeps a tension between the past, the present and the question-mark of Georgie's future which hangs so precariously in the balance.

Here is a truly elegant novel..a very captivating story of one woman's life whilst she lays on the cold hard ground after her car catapults down a ravine. SImple prose, simple story yet very moving..very well written with more attention to emotion rather than description. Lovely story.

Poor Georgie Whitley. She's lying at the bottom of a ravine, having backed off into it while leaving her house for the airport. This isn't a spoiler; it happens in the first few pages. And the rest is brilliant. This is one of the finest books I've read. I cannot recommend it highly enough. You will laugh, and I expect you will cry, and you will miss Georgie terribly when you must come to the end of a book. Whatever Georgie's outcome, it occurs to me that finishing a book is like a little death. You can re-read something, but it will never be new to you again, and if you have been as absorbed by it as I was by this one, you will grieve a little. Buy "Remembering the Bones." Now.

80 year old Georgina Witley has been invited by the Queen, with whom she shares a birthday, to join her and other invitees from around the Commonwealth, at a special luncheon at Buckingham Palace. Having declined an offer by her daughter to drive her to the airport to fly from Canada to Britain, she loses control of her car, just close to her home and lands, relatively unhurt at the bottom of a ravine. Unable to do more than wiggle an arm and one leg, and realising that people think her to be in the UK, she resigns herself to the fact that she is unlikely to be rescued at any time soon, and fills in the time by reliving her life from the beginning, and what a life it has been. I really related to a lot of the aspects of this story and highly recommend it as a superb read which will strike chords with many people.

Great book for students as well. problem based. Excellent for Sub-I's. Fast pre-read for interns. Has most pediatric specialties, including NICU. Nice Primer on vents. I let my interns borrow it for primers on vents. Nice bits about congenital heart defects as well.
You see?
harriet is not the only pocket book.

The saint frances series proves to be a great hit ! I was exposed to these guides with the inpatient medicine guide, and it was obvious to me that the pediatrics guide won't let me down. Among the leading features - great ambulatory section, excellent metabolic diseases panels ( who has the time to read nelson's section on metabolics ? ), very concise sections in neonatology, ID and emergencies... the list goes on. Recommendations for the future - an additional section on normal growth and development would be a good addition.
In summary - a must have for students during clinical clerckships, the problem oriented approach is very helpful when preparing for the oral exam, for written exams - nelson's still no. 1, but this book is a great adjuvant.

The Bottom Line: This book is a must have in every white coat for Pediatric
clerkship students, and for interns as well. Covers all the basic topics,
and even a few that are more advanced. Great chapters that are full of
useful information are the hallmark of this book. Also would be great for
"bullet" presentations for students and residents for teaching. Excellent
job on the first edition!!

The Sain Frances Guide is an outstanding pediatric reference, which should be more widely used than some older and more established pediatric pocket references. I have recommended the Saint Frances Guide to my residents, and I feel that their fund of knowledge and grasp of the issues in pediatrics has improved as a result of their exposure to this book. Dr. Migita had brought together a compendium of excellent material covering a broad spectrum of relevant pediatric health issues, yet does this in a concise and easy to read manner. Without reservation, I think that this pediatric handbook is second to none.

This book would be well-suited for students on their
pediatric clerkship. It is a nice, portable handbook
that covers the basics of pediatrics while not getting
bogged down in the details that are often beyond the
scope of medical students. I think that this book
would be most useful to student in the clinic and on
the wards when they are between patients and need to
quickly review or learn the basics of pediatric
illnesses. The cardiology section of the book is
especially useful for students as it clearly explains
the essentials of pediatric heart disease while also
providing a graphical representation of each murmur
and sample EKG findings associated with each defect.
The Hot Key and mnemonics are helpful in purveying the
nuances and important pearls of pediatrics to those
who are new to the specialty. In general, I cannot
think of any weak points with this book. I think that
it would be an excellent book for students on their
pediatric rotation.

Grace is a little girl that likes to have fun. She enjoyed playing with her friends. She seemed to enjoy her childhood.

After School ended in the spring, that meant summer was just around the corner. Grace being creative wanted to enjoy the summer. Grace turned her backyard into a Circus. Graces' friends made a huge circle with strings and pegs. The Grace found old flowery and bright dresses as well as bright scarves to use as circus clothes. She even had a black hat which she called a opera hat which was turned into a top hat. This hat was for the ringmaster. The hat belonged to her grandpa. She also used his cane as a magical wand.

The cirus parade included rolling around, sommersaults, leapgfrogging, strength exercises, face painting, clowns, jumping rope, jumping through hula hoops, magical tricks and spraying silly string. At the circus ended Grace introducted all the performers for them to take a bow. After a snack, everybody wnet home. Grace wore the top hat at dinner time and while taking a bath.

Grace was very happy at the end of the day. She was not even disappointed when her grandma refused to have tightrope walking along the clotheslins, trapeze acts, hanging from tree limbs, or any form of fire-eating. This was not a conflict as the resolution was that there will still plenty of circus acts to perform.

That night Grace asked her Nana at bedtime if they can go to the circus the next day, Nana replied certainly. The next day they went to the park where a big striped tent was standing. Their were a lot of children at the circus that afternoon. Grace was so excited as she saw a real band playing circus music, circus clowns walking on the tight rope, horses and many other acts.

When Grace went to the circus that afternoon she took her black top hat. The most exciting part of the circus the ringermaster noticed Grace's top hat and requested that she join the circus as his assistant ringmaster. Grace was given the meagaphone and told to announce Horatio the Fire-Eater. She was that close to him that she could feel the heat. Before going back to her seat
the ringmaster requested that everyone give Grace a big hand.

After the circus Grace headed back home, she was thrilled that she had been in a real circus.

Grace, a confident, happy, and imaginative little girl many of us have come to know and love from "Amazing Grace" and "Boundless Grace" is back! This time, however, we are treated to a chapter book, which is both good and bad news. The "bad" news is that the wonderful illustrations of the first two books are reduced to an occasional black-and-white sketch; OK, this reviewer will admit he has been spoiled! The good news is that readers of Mary Hoffman's earlier books ready to move on to the challenge of a chapter book have this new volume. Needless to say, the good far outweighs the bad.

"Starring Grace" continues the theme of how Grace excels, thanks to her perserverence, confidence, and support from a loving mother. School is out, and Grace and a handful of her friends who are unable to be afforded the luxury of summer camp have to find ways to keep themselves occupied. First, the children imagine the old house behind Grace's backyard is haunted and that its reclusive owner is a witch. When the elderly lady tells her surpising story, Grace and her friends realize she is not at all what she appears to be; they all become friends. However, the elderly lady's backyard, with its overgrowth of weeds sets the stage for the next adventure, a safari. Then, reaching for the stars, Grace imagines she is an astronaut, before returning to Earth as a doctor, just as she did in "Amazing Grace." After playing detective, Grace and her friends build a time machine; once again, Mrs. Myerson, the elderly lady, reveals important details of her life from which everyone learns. The book ends with Grace trying out for a role in a play, just as she did in the first book.

This is a story told with great sensitivity, with several surprises and plot twists to make for entertaining reading. "Starring Grace" is a star - a gold star.

Grace is a little girl that likes to have fun. She enjoyed playing with her friends. She seemed to enjoy her childhood.

After School ended in the spring, that meant summer was just around the corner. Grace being creative wanted to enjoy the summer. Grace turned her backyard into a Circus. Graces' friends made a huge circle with strings and pegs. The Grace found old flowery and bright dresses as well as bright scarves to use as circus clothes. She even had a black hat which she called a opera hat which was turned into a top hat. This hat was for the ringmaster. The hat belonged to her grandpa. She also used his cane as a magical wand.

The cirus parade included rolling around, sommersaults, leapgfrogging, strength exercises, face painting, clowns, jumping rope, jumping through hula hoops, magical tricks and spraying silly string. At the circus ended Grace introducted all the performers for them to take a bow. After a snack, everybody wnet home. Grace wore the top hat at dinner time and while taking a bath.

Grace was very happy at the end of the day. She was not even disappointed when her grandma refused to have tightrope walking along the clotheslins, trapeze acts, hanging from tree limbs, or any form of fire-eating. This was not a conflict as the resolution was that there will still plenty of circus acts to perform.

That night Grace asked her Nana at bedtime if they can go to the circus the next day, Nana replied certainly. The next day they went to the park where a big striped tent was standing. Their were a lot of children at the circus that afternoon. Grace was so excited as she saw a real band playing circus music, circus clowns walking on the tight rope, horses and many other acts.

When Grace went to the circus that afternoon she took her black top hat. The most exciting part of the circus the ringermaster noticed Grace's top hat and requested that she join the circus as his assistant ringmaster. Grace was given the meagaphone and told to announce Horatio the Fire-Eater. She was that close to him that she could feel the heat. Before going back to her seat
the ringmaster requested that everyone give Grace a big hand.

After the circus Grace headed back home, she was thrilled that she had been in a real circus.

I liked when Grace and her friends went to the other yard
and pretended they were in the jungle.Because they got
suppiles and stuffed animals and pretended they were real.
At the end they pretended that the yard was a secrect
garden and cleaned it up for the old woman. That is why I like the book.

C.C.

What better way to elevate and captivate elementary readers than to provide them with a chapter book that utilizes a character familiar from the pre-school years!!! "Starring Grace" takes Grace to another level, a story rich in language and real-life situations.

The book does not "talk down" to its reader; in fact, it uses vocabulary that is challenging and enlightening: troupe, megaphone, eccentric, conspirator, machete, paramedic, tibia, bougainvillea, and trilby, to list a few. It also presents concepts that can spurn discussion as well as enhance the reader's life experiences: witness protection, internment, and divorce.

Grace's adventures also display cooperativeness and the power of a child's imagination.

It also introduces the reader to events in history: the first landing on the moon and the horrors of World War II (implied). The problems of the elderly and that group remaining vital in their "declining years" are also addressed within this simple framework of good storytelling.

And who would think that this would come from a book with such chapter titles as: "Grace and the Big Top", "Grace Goes on Safari", "Grace Blasts Off", and "Grace the Detective".

I will, most definitely, be adding this one to my classroom library and my home.

I recommend that you do the same.

This is a collection of stories that make the days leading to the Normandy invasion come back to life. It is a good companion volume for the movies "Yanks" and "The Longest Day."

General Eisenhower relieved stress by hitting an imaginary golf ball in his office; General Montgomery named his two dogs Rommel and Hitler; Churchill's wife Clementine often sent him notes signed "Love from Clemmie" with a small drawing of a cat.

Several days before the troops sailed for France, security was intense. A British soldier who knew about the invasion sneaked out of his camp and hitchhiked to see his parents and girlfriend. Along the way he bought drinks and told several American soldiers details of the coming invasion.

When he was discovered missing, a quiet but intense manhunt covered the area. He was finally found and interrogated. The American base where he had stopped was cordoned off, and the people who gave him rides were found and volunteered to stay inside their homes for several days. Later the British soldier was sentenced to ten years in prison.

A British newspaper published daily crossword puzzles, and one contained the words "Utah," "mulberry," and "Omaha," all key words describing D-Day operations. Frantic British intelligence agents interrogated the author of the puzzle, a school teacher. Years after the war it was found that his students gave him suggestions for his crossword puzzles. Utah, mulberry, and Omaha were terms that they had heard by spending time with soldiers.

In spite of extraordinary security measures, there were other leaks. Three days before the invasion, a Teletype operator practiced typing the invasion news. By mistake the news went out worldwide and was read on hundreds of radio stations.

The British people knew when the invasion was at hand. They had become accustomed to seeing lines of jeeps, trucks, and trailers laden with backpacks and equipment along the roads. The olive drab uniforms and vehicles became as ubiquitous as the green of the spring countryside. Then overnight, the crowds of GIs that had milled through the towns disappeared. After months of hearing vehicles roaring through streets and voices of soldiers that filled the shops, the towns were strangely quiet.

On the night before the invasion, General Eisenhower and his driver, Kay Summersby, watched rows of C-47 transport planes roar into the sky from an airfield outside Newbury. The planes were heading for Normandy carrying airborne troops. As Eisenhower and Summersby walked back to the car to leave, she noticed tears in his eyes.

General Rommel was celebrating his wife's birthday in Germany when he heard news that the Allies had landed at Normandy. During the drive back to France, Rommel sat impatiently in the back of his speeding car punching a gloved fist into the open palm of the other gloved hand.

this is one fascinating book which I recommend to anyone interested in WWII. Its uniqueness resides in the way the author approaches D-Day, allowing the reader to get to know how those pre D Day days were lived by civilians, soldiers, secret agents and leaders of the great assault. Now I know what Churchill did , what was on Eisenhower's mind when he decided what he decided, what de Gaulle thought and how he acted, how the germans were fooled time and time again by allied intelligence, how important secret agents work was for the success of the invasion and it also accounts for the work of many unknown heroes. A great book, a great approach of D Day.

No doubt one of my favorite books of all time.
I got this book as a birthday present a year or two again, and kept on putting it off. I don't know why, I'm interested in the war, I just didn't start it for a while. But when I got into it I knew that I'd love it. It was researched down to... well, let's just say that if it's a minute detail that happened back then, it's in the book. And you can prove it by looking at the bibliography! But the book is so emotional and intense that once you get into it there's no putting it down. I loved this book and would recommend to anyone.

David Stafford is an unusual historian. He writes analytical books that study the Second World War, mostly from the perspective of the intelligence war and the partisans. He writes clearly and intelligently, and spends most of his time analyzing the various parts of the war, and their meaning. This book, by contrast, is something that is for Stafford completely different: instead of the intelligence war, and instead of analysis, Stafford instead focuses on showing us the world or a large part of it during the ten days leading up to the D-Day invasion.

The book focuses on various people in various walks of life who did various things during the war. The book is divided into chapters, one for each of the 10 days, the last being D-Day itself. Each of those chapters is divided into sections, each of which highlights the daily life and experiences of someone involved, directly or indirectly, in the war. They range from a Canadian infantry lieutenant and an American paratrooper to a British female code clerk, an SOE operative in France, all the way around to a Jew hiding in someone's house in France and a Norwegian resister in prison for assisting in the publication of an underground newspaper. Each of these individuals is followed through their daily lives, the soldiers preparing for the invasion, the rest wondering when it would happen.

One really unusual and interesting wrinkle that Stafford manages to incorporate is that the characters he chose to follow weren't all survivors of the events covered in the book. This involves a little harmless invention of presumed emotions and thoughts, but frankly that's overshadowed by the uniqueness of what he writes. For instance, one of the pictures in the picture section shows Sherman tanks lined up in an English village, with housewives hanging washing out to dry right next to them.

It's rather surprising that at this late date someone could write something unique on D-Day and the campaign in France. The fact remains, however, that this is a very unique book, and a very interesting one.

Most books published about D-Day give scant mention to the background of the invasion, and concentrate on the invasion itself, and its aftermath. This extremely well-written book covers the 10 days that preceeded the invasion, through the lives not only of the important political and military folks involved, but also the common people. We share the lives of paratroopers, ground troops, signal interceptors, spies, prisoners, and others, and learn about their contributions, however small, to the ultimate success of the invasion. It is writing of personal history at its best, and we do get to be informed as to what happened to these people we grew to care about after the invasion. Several of them are still alive, and they, and the multitude of others who have gone to their rest deserve our eternal gratitude for what they all did for us that glorious 6th of June, 1944.

The work of Stephen Mark Rainey has soul, depth, character, and the ability to make you care about the characters, which makes his power to terrify that much more awesome. He has his own distinct voice and beat, but some of his work--as with The Last Trumpet--is so uncannily Lovecraft that one has to wonder if Mark has some hidden talents he's not telling us about, such as channeling the untold words of the dead. To name a few favorites: 'Threnody' is a wonderful execution of a brilliant premise and 'The Fugue Devil', which has to be *THE* Stephen Mark Rainey classic-- terror and heart in perfect harmony. Unforgettable.

I'd recommend his work to anyone.

Rainey does what so many Cthulhu Mythos fans cannot - he takes the idea of unknowable horror, things that see us as nothing, and places that idea firmly in the modern day without doing a Lovecraft pastiche. His stories in this volume are all connected by locale, but range in horror from trapped heroes, doomed to a grisly fate, to a feisty futuristic heroine, fighting for survival after the stars have become right. Satisfying work, set in the Mythos, but without the standard trappings so many authors feel necessary to throw in (the million moldy volumes, rattling through the entire Old One pantheon, etc.). Highest recommendations. I've just ordered Balak, his novel, after finishing the collection, and can't wait for it to arrive!

The Last Trumpet is a bone chilling collection of short stories by Stephen Mark Rainey. All the stories though different, are inter-connected in an interesting way. A treasure worth keeping in your library. Very well written, it's true horror at it's finest. If you like all things Cthulhu as I do, you won't be disappointed. Breathes new life into the mysteries of "Avante Garde" 20th Century music.

really interesting read. rainey has a way of making something seem very fresh. his plots always seem original, even when they are not. great stories. great descriptions at times. what rainey is really master at, however, is the angle. he writes a story from a certain angle, making it very intersting. his stories are at their best the most refreshing stories i read in horror. very enjoyable

What a bore and nuiscance it is to read through the piles and piles of Lovecraft pastiches that have accumulated in the past decades. Sometimes one is left to wonder why ever H. P. L. encouraged anybody at all to contribute to his phantastic creation, forgetting too soon about some of the writers who have really done a lot to expand the mythos in its masterminds' sense, and to keep it alive through now almost 80 years, people like Fritz Leiber, Ramsey campbell -or Stephen Mark Rainey.

Not too full of hope, but impressed by the overwhelmingly positive reviews the book got, I started to read through the first story, and actually became so absorbed that I could not stop until I finished the last page. It is true, Rainey has managed something all too rare: to write explicit Cthulhu-Mythos fiction without being derivative (at least as far as it is possible), bringing in a whole lot of new -and not so new- interesting aspects and ideas with an originality and, particularly, quality of style that would have made H. P. L. proud !

Although the last of the stories seemed to me a little bit like one might imagine the multiplayer mode of the upcoming Doom III-game, it nevertheless gave me some quite unpleasant nightmares (and usually I did not get any from reading horror fiction since I read "The dreams in the witch house" by Lovecraft at age 14).

But to get to the point: Rainey's stories are all centred, in a way, around an imaginary Virginia County, surrounding the (fictious) town of Beckham, and around a couple of protagonists that are, often in a subtle way, connected to each other. But apart from that arkhamasque resemblance, the similarity to Lovecraft's imaginary Massachussetts realms ends. The southern background and the distinctly postmodern settings of the stories leave little room for comparison to Lovecraft's creations. A major influence on Rainey's book was obviously the role of SOUND in the opening of vistas into the great (and terrible) beyond, influenced (admittedly) by H. P. L.'s "The music of Erich Zann", and, certainly, some of his other, less explicit, stories & a variety of other sources. Whatever the origins, the idea is presented with overwhelming originality and a sense of weirdness that reminds of some of Ramsey Campbell's best and most disturbing stories in places. All of the stories, which Rainey published over a long period of time, are interconnected in a complex but enjoyable way, with a lot of cross-references, so that one is almost left uncertain whether this is a collection of short stories or a caleidoscopic novel.

The more playful of readers may also expect a lot of really enjoyable Mythos in-jokes that offer some relief from the partially almost unbearable darkness of the stories (be prepared e. g., to meet a certain ghoul named "Richard" under the most appropriate circumstances in a story that would have found the approvement even of Lord Dunsany himself, if he'd been in one of his most sinister moods).

Rainey manages easily to write in an almost dreamy and surrealistic Dunsanian, as well as in a realistic, dialogue-and action-based, stephenkingesque manner, but always keeps far away from merely copying these or any other writers, particularly never-ever copying H. P. L. himself. Read one of the deceased Lin Carter's stories (whose work as an editor I admire, but, frankly, not his writings) and compare it to one of Stephen Mark Rainey's best efforts as "To be like them", "Sabbath of the black goat" or "The fugue devil", and you will immediately recognize what unfathomable abyss lieth inbetween.

Highly recommended. I'm certainly up to buy anything the man has ever written.