Mississippi Books

Excellent photos of Ohr's work, text good but oddly my copy did not have copyright/publishers info that is usually behind the title page of all books (?). I am considering returning book to Amazon but am not sure if this is a printing flaw or intentional.

A must have for any person that appreciated the work of George Ohr.
Thank you Robert A. Ellison Jr. for this amazing book. If you can't see
the actual work this book is the next best thing.

The book is beautiful and the photos are superb, but I was somehow led to believe I'd find photos of early utilitarian pottery in this book and I did not. I will use the book. It does enhance my knowledge of George Ohr and his work, but I wanted to see the really old pieces from his work with his mentors and beyond.

If you like pottery and George Ohr this is an outstanding book. Amazing photo quality of some of George's coolest work..He was truly one of the worlds best at what he did..This has become one of our favorites, and we found it for less money on AMAZON.COM!!! Thanks,TESSRS

Ohr does break the mold when it comes to art pottery. Whereas other potters, no matter how innovative or imaginative they are, stay within certain classic forms for vases, bowls, goblets, etc., Ohr often departs radically from the forms. His art pottery is perhaps best considered as free-form sculpture inspired by, but not made according to, traditional pottery. Thus, a "pot" has "elaborate configuration: sharp bends, angles, blades, swirls, and quasi-cylinders [making for] complexity from every angle." Another "pot" has "crinkling result[ing] in dramatically deep three-dimensional spaces...[which] radiate highlights that contrast with the dark-brown glaze...[giving] this piece...a brooding, enigmatic presence." The foregoing quotes are from captions of two of the color photographs of individual pieces of Ohr's pottery on nearly every page. The work is a tour through Ohr's artistic career from "The Early Years" to "A Final Phase" noting and illustrating phases of development and points of his individuality. With their colors and polymorphous, though mostly rounded, shapes, Ohr's pottery/sculpture has a deep earthiness, as if plucked whole from the ground's depths, though they patently demonstrate a clear, singular vision and matching consummate skill.

Sadly, this book is "more of the same": poke fun of the hillbillies. It seems written from an MFA grad-student approach with an NPR polish applied. Light and witty, urban, no real feel for the subjects. Humor is great, of course, but here it doesn't quite work: there's a disconnect. A bit of a snotty tour of the South.

Sure, I had some laughs and learned some things, but...

The old Ten Speed Press books on white trash cooking are funny yet also connected, so it can be done.

I bought this book while exploring southern culture awhile back. I usually hang on to books more than I should. But this thin, slick little thing got sold.

In contrast, Grady McWhiney's "Cracker Culture" is insightful, original and astonishing. And I've kept it.

Cool book. Great for the lay reader and also for use in the classroom

"Every so often, a book comes out that is entirely, refreshingly new -- not just in approach and style, but in idea, scope and theme. Rodger Lyle Brown, while doing doctoral work at Emory University, decided to weave his journeys to Southern festivals into a tale that has most ambitious task: to show that the way Southerners celebrate history and heritage is part of a tapestry of melancholy that illustrates the fading of community. He succeeds mightily....For anyone interested in the South, social history or the human condition, this is a book that is not to be missed." --Ted Anthony, Associated Press National Writer. April, 1998.

The author somehow loses his direction from the time he came up with the idea for the book and the time it was written...Though there is a dearth of books in this particular area, Brown misses the opportunity to make it a really spectacular piece, by getting off on lofty,philosphical,anthropological rhetoric which the lay person will find particularly boring. The historical origins of the festivals and the information about the festivals themselves was particularly good....Is this man a true Southerner? His depracating remarks about some of the festival participants would indicate that this is not the case. How can he in good conscience ridicule his Southern "kin"?

Roger Lyle Brown has successfully penetrated the mass psyche of the Southern festival culture. At first glance, one might not consider "festivals" to be an engaging topic, but Brown explores this subject like a psychoanalyst, providing real insight into the southern mind via one of its most cherished traditions - the festival. A unique piece of work.

Retired aviator Wolfgang Samuel has produced another enjoyable,readable collection of stories by cold war era combat pilots. The stories are uniformly interesting, some covering well-known events, such as the Berlin Airlift, others on topics seldom covered in similar works. The chapters on strategic reconnaissance are very good, and will be an eye opener for younger readers. Overall, a great read for those interested in military aviation history.

Wolfgang Samuel does it again... After penning German Boy, a book relating his own experiences as a German youth fighting for survival at the end of WWII, Samuel examines the post-World War II Cold War through the eyes of American air force flyers. As a reader, I found it refreshing that throughout the book Samuel allowed military aviators to tell their own stories. But more importantly, he puts the events and activities into historical context so that readers who are not steeped in the history of the time understand the critical importance of the Cold War air effort documented by him. Early on, we hear American flyers saying "I Always Wanted to Fly" but I found the stories to be about commitment, motivation, dedication and the determined fight for the very freedoms we enjoy everyday. This book is a must read for history buffs and an adventurous, exciting and engaging work for any reader interested in the Cold War.

What exhilarating suspense could I possibly find in a title such as I always Wanted to Fly? I always wanted both of my feet on the ground. So, I played it safe and fastened my seat belt for the trip. I knew from previous readings that a Wolfgang Samuel book is always loaded with hair-raising details that easily bring emotions to the surface. And it did; as in the past, a thoroughly rewarding experience.

All creatures were not created equal. The flyers were brave men by virtue of their wanting to fly while aware of the perils. They were heroes because of what they did while flying under the horrors of battle. And they were brave and heroic again and again. Others, unlike them, although devoted and dedicated, tended to their menial undertakings, other than combat, while having both feet safe on the ground and the mess hall within reach.

I Always Wanted to Fly describe the missions in such vivid details that the reader is flying right along with the crew and experiencing the thrills of victory as well as the agony of all that goes wrong. A reader that always wanted both feet on the ground may be undeserving of either; for even in defeat there is the thrill of having done your best and one can only do that by been there flying the mission in flesh and blood. Oh, but the reader can surely gain a fuller appreciation of the brave and heroic deeds of our airmen in their many war missions, whether COLD or HOT.

This book is four stars.

I was sort of expecting Colonel Samuels to write about his flying, kind of like a follow up to his very excellent book, "German Boy". However, Author Samuels only gives a few snippets about his flying for the USAF. Well over 95% of the book is about flyers and a small amount is about the aircrews.

The USAF was born in the late 40s, a result of military reforms by President Truman. The USAF found itself quickly involved in the Korean war. Samuels give a write up to the raids the B-29 bombers made on North Korea. Generally, the day light raids by the B-29 bombers were a debacle. The world war two era B-29 bombers stood little chance against the highly advanced MiG-15 fighters. The raids switched to night time bombings. Author Samuel gives stories from both the pilots and enlisted aircraft gunners point-of-view.

Author Samuels covers stories on the F-51 (ex WWII P-51) ground support and B-26 attack missions in Korea. Note, the stories on the F-51 are rather lacking in detail. A big problem of the F-51 was it had a water cooled engine and many were brought down in the ground support role by simple bullet holes in their radiators. This does not make the book and the excellent WWII fighter ended its days as only a fair ground support aircraft in Korea. The A-1 Skyraider was a better aircraft for ground support but was not assigned to the USAF at that time.

Author Samuels does give a bit of writing to the RB-47, RB-45, and the interwar period of 1954 to 1964, before heavy involvement in Vietnam. This is during the hard cold war era. Space craft really had not been invented yet and so it was left to the crews of the RB-47 to fly spy missions in Russian air space. More than a few RB-47s come back with cannon holes.

Samuels does write about Thule (pronounced Thew-Lee) AFB in Greenland. There are prisons in the USA that had better conditions than Thule. The grim living conditions and unsanitary conditions were most unpleasant.

Samuels does not write about the conditions of the USAF at their normal bases during the 1950s to 1960s period. This is a little strange. There is no comment on the lives of the officers in USAFE (Europe) nor of the fairly laid back life style of SAC before Vietnam.

Samuels does give chapters of his writings to Vietnam. Basically, the USAF needed follow up aircraft for the type of fighting it saw in Korea. Instead the USAF had some of the worst aircraft for the mission it ever had. The F-4 Phantom was an outsized aircraft that left a smoke trail that could be seen from 50 miles away. The F-104C could not turn. The F-105 neither could turn nor fly faster than a MiG.

Vietnam was a borderline debacle for the USAF. It was reduced to using ex-Navy A-1 Skyraiders and surplus B-26 bombers for some close support missions. The new generation AC-130 gunships are mentioned in passing.

"I always wanted to fly" is a book about the first generation USAF, the USAF of 1947 to 1973, the end of Vietnam. The book is about the pilots, some is written on the aircraft, and little background is given on the enlisted crews nor of the typical living conditions they enjoyed at the typical USAF bases.

A much better book on the Cold War is "Blind Man's Bluff", the story of the US Navy submarines during the Cold War. While RB-47s were being chased by MiGs and F-51s were having holes punched through their radiators the US Navy nuclear submarines were pushing around the Russian Navy like a 600 pound gorilla knocks around a 5 pound monkey. The cold fact of life was the US Navy was much better than the Soviet Navy and the Soviets knew it. Conversely, the MiGs knocked around the USAF recon aircraft on a regular basis.

Still, "I always wanted to fly" is a very good book on the people who helped keep this nation free from 1947 until 1973. These people used what is often second rate equipment to the best of their ability.

Author Samuels writes in a fast and flowing style that is never boring. This book is a four star work.

In this extraordinary book you learn what it cost America to maintain our freedom - the many lives lost of airmen who flew what they called reconnaissance against the Soviet Union and Communist China. I never knew much about this secret war. Well, I Always Wanted to Fly, tells you all about those brave men who flew the RB-45 and the RB-47 in the coldest years of the Cold War. It tells you about the picture takers and those who gathered the electronic intelligence. At times their cold war flights got pretty hot. Samuel takes you along on one of those missions high over the Barents Sea, lets you experience what Hal Austin and his crew felt when they turned south, heading for Archangelsk. I admire those men and Samuel told their story beautifully. This is a book you don't want to miss if you have any interest in Cold War reconnaissance. I call them spy flights.

This is the encyclopedia of cartoon voice. Details beyond details. Not only does this tell the story of the voices behind the cartoons, but also the obsession of the author (from Central Illinois of all places) to track all of this information down over a number of years and put together a one book history of some of the best loved character voices from our cartoon memories.

My 13-year-old son loves this book. He had a blast thumbing through the pages and seeing the faces behind the voices of some of his favorite cartoons, both old and new. We were all blown away by a few of these incredibly talented people when we saw the vast array characters in their resumes! Really amazing talent ... would be fun to see a color version of this with more photos of the recording sessions.

The biographies, anecdotes, credit listings and photos of actors who served as the voices for popular cartoon characters are packed into The Magic Behind The Voices: A Who's Who Of Cartoon Voice Actors, making it a fine survey of voice actors and their work. Even a decade ago, many in the profession didn't even consider voice actors to be 'real actors': Magic Behind The Voices provides excellent insights from early cartoon voices down to the animation of modern times.

TIM LAWSON's long awaited book on CARTOON VOICE ACTORS fills a void plain and simple! We needed this book to find out a little more about the talented cartoon voice actors of the GOLDEN AGE of cartoons and also to learn a little about today's artists. GREAT BOOK! Congrats TIM and ALISA! Rick

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book from cover to cover!!! I give the book 5 stars BUT they did leave out MANY voice-actors who i felt held higher precedence over others. There is the inclusion of several one show or one character voice actors in here, like Chris Sarandon and Wally Cox in favor of several legends that aren't discussed. Some of the legends missing are Stan Freberg; Hal Smith; John Stephenson; Howard Morris; and Henry Corden. However, the book is still 5 star material because the subject matter is rarely spoken about in many publications and since this book is a 2004 copyright, it's fairly recent. I was earlier complaining about some of the legends being left out which is a shame...BUT there ARE many other legends included in this book, too. There are also write-up's on current voice actors who have tons of credits under their belt already. The voice actors of whom i enjoyed reading about the MOST were my favorites to begin with: Mel Blanc; Daws Butler; Don Messick; Paul Frees; Paul Winchell; and June Foray. Bill Scott is spoken about in here...which is a rare treat. He is typically thought of as a cartoon writer and director instead of a voice actor BUT he gave voice to many characters on the Jay Ward cartoons with "Bullwinkle" and "Dudley Dorite" being his Top-2 popular roles. I learned a lot about Jackson Beck and Nancy Cartwright and i learned some things about Jack Mercer, Charles Adler, Dayton Allen, and several others. The bottom line is, the voice actor rarely gets time in the spotlight and THIS book and others like this go a long way in spotlighting cartoon voice actors. The book gets 5 stars on subject matter and 4 stars on it's not including several key voice actors who made the field into an art form.

I've heard people talk about the best approach to reading Faulkner, and the best book to begin with. I don't think this is a good book to start with - too much of Faulkner's previous work crowds this text for it to make sense to someone without exposure to some of his earlier work. But I think the Snopes trilogy, and especially this book, is some of Faulkner's most important (and most neglected) work.

The Snopes trilogy follows the fortunes of the Snopes family, and especially Flem Snopes, as they invade and virtually conquer Faulkner's fictional Yoknapatawpha County. The trilogy starts with The Hamlet, published in 1940 before Faulkner was a Nobel laureate and a famous author. This book is often considered one of his great works, and I recommend it. The second book in the trilogy, The Town, is a bit less interesting because it focuses so much on Gavin Stevens and his obsession with Eula Varner Snopes and then her daughter Linda. I suppose I got a little tired of the dirty old man staring at the little girl thing.

Anyway, in The Mansion, Flem has risen to the presidency of one of Jefferson's two banks. He lives in the old Sartoris mansion (hence the title) with his daughter (since his wife committed suicide at the end of The Town - sorry to ruin that book for you). As the book progresses, Gavin Stevens moves closer to Linda, though they don't seem to end up together. And Mink Snopes, a cousin of Flem who killed his neighbor Jack Houston in The Hamlet, is getting out of prison (through the intervention of Linda Snopes and Gavin Stevens), and he wants to kill Flem.

Basically, the book jumps back and forth between these two components: the Gavin/Linda exchanges, and the Mink Snopes quest for revenge. Mink is an illiterate sharecropper who seems incapable of sympathy or remorse for his earlier murder or the murder he wants to commit. But in this book you start to feel bad for him. Sitting in a truck, hitching his way across Mississippi to buy a gun, he has to ask the driver to do the math for him to help him figure out how old he is after being in prison for almost forty years. He's too old to be useful to anyone, and so out of touch with the changes in the world around him (cars, for instance, were a novelty when he went into prison) that it seems a miracle that he finds someone to sell him a gun. He has enough principle not to steal from the former-Marine preacher that he runs into, and the preacher gets him his stolen money back and finds him a ride to Memphis.

For me, this book is worth reading for Mink Snopes. He's almost/sort of a sympathetic character here, and the whole trilogy starts to unravel a little when we get inside the head of a Snopes, and we start to feel bad for him. He has a lot of real problems - he's a terrible racist, though near the end of the book he goes to work for an African-American cotton farmer and seems to be social with them. But he rescues this book from being just the fantasy of an aging writer about a voluptuous young woman.

I should also mention that this book really ruins Ratliff as a character. The whole business with the tie really annoyed me, and made this homespun Socrates into a hick.

I think this is a flawed book, but interesting to people who are looking for more from Faulkner. Like another reviewer said, a lot of Yoknapatawpha shows up in here, such as Jason Compson from The Sound and the Fury and Clarence Snopes, who has a small but funny part in Sanctuary.

If you're looking for a good Faulkner book to start with, I think Light in August is good but a little long. Or Sanctuary, because it's so sensational.

William Faulkner wraps up the epic saga of the Snopes family by telling the story of the monstrous Mink, a convicted amoral murderer and victim of counsin Flem's conniving ways. Several other characters from various other stories come and go, allowing Faulkner to wrap up another Jefferson tale or two. As is the case with all of Faulkner's tales, the story has a deeper significance to the human condition. Highly recommended.

"the mansion" is faulkner's memorable conclusion to the excellent snopes trilogy. Although it can be read on its own, it is best appreciated as the third in a series.

Let me first start by commenting on the trilogy as a whole (you can see my reviews on the first two books). This trilogy provides excellent overall background to all the novels of faulkner. In it he talks about most of the main characters of yoknapatawpha county, mississippi which run through all of his work. "The mansion" in particular ties many of these people and history together. In addition to that, it tells the fascinating story of the snopes family.

In "the mansion" faulkner retells most of what has occurred in the prior two books. This allows the reader to enjoy this novel on its own. For the trilogy reader he makes it interesting by changing the point of view. In "the town" v. k. ratliff tells the story of mink snopes and his murder of jack houston. In the retelling in "the mansion" the story is told by mink himself; a totally different perspective. Faulkner also, in sections of the book, reverts back to the omniscient narrator in this book whereas in "the town" 3 individuals tell the story from their perspective. point of view is one of the most intriguing aspects of faulkner's style.

In this novel, he concludes the stories of the main snopes' characters and other characters in the trilogy. There is a clear air of fate that doesn't appear in the other novels. The story centers on mink, linda, and flem. Each ones destiny is irreversible. Even gavin stevens is fated to become a co-conspirator in murder.

As before, we never see into the head of the main character, flem snopes. He has clearly become bored with life as he defeated everyone in his way to becoming the most powerful person in jefferson. Why, at the end he takes no steps to save himself from mink is described by ratliff like rules of the game he has been playing. Is he also bored with life?

Faulkner is a masterful writer. This trilogy is not his best work, but it is excellent literature.

This book (The Mansion) was my first experience with William Faulkner. I plan to read more. Despite his tendency towards long sentences that are impossible to parse, Faulkner has created an extremely compelling story chronicling 40 years in the history of a family and a town in the deep South. Having been raised in the South (although certainly long after the setting of these events), I found many of the characters, and certainly some of the attitudes towards the rest of the world, eerily familiar.

This epic of the rise and fall of the Snopes family illustrates the tremendous impact a single family can have on a community, especially when that family is driven by naked ambition. In the course of his narrative Faulkner also reveals how the inhabitants of a small town in the South viewed such events as World Wars I and II, the New Deal, and the beginnings of the Civil Rights movement.

Although this book is the last of a trilogy, I found it to stand on its own very well. In fact, the first chapter stands on its own and is worth reading all by itself - in my view it's a near-perfectly constructed short story.

Surprisingly enough, I found The Mansion to be the best novel in Faulkner's impressive Snopes trilogy. Flem Snopes, the devious and underhanded antihero of The Hamlet and The Town is on a crash course with Mink Snopes, the unbalanced family member whom Flem allowed to be imprisoned for murder nearly four decades earlier. The paths of these two characters converge with fascinating inevitability, as Gavin Stevens and Linda Snopes finally arrive at a crossroads in their own relationship. The Mansion is a satisfying conclusion to a story that spans over forty years in the history of Jefferson, Mississippi; the Snopes trilogy is a must-read for Faulkner fans.

I had to write a short review on this book. Seeing as I am a current (and lifelong) gay resident of Mississippi, I was delighted to find a history of the places that I frequented during my youth. The book is titled after a line in the movie "Ode to Billie Joe," which was based on the song of the same name by Bobbie Gentry. I of course, remember this song and how all of us speculated on exactly what was thrown off the Tallahatchie bridge. I have a really special(?) memory of the movie, because it was the first time I ever took a girl on a date, and lo and behold, it was a movie about a gay man in Mississippi. (Did anyone ever ever think that the song or the movie might be about being gay in Mississippi?) Talk about irony. I may be somewhat prejudiced about it but I really believe that this book was written not just as a history of the gay experience in the South, but as a pointed evaluation of what has actually changed regarding homosexual life in Mississippi. There have been a number of books detailing the gay experience in Mississippi lately (Mississippi Sissy is the first one that comes to mind), but this one is a real history of what has happened to gay Mississipians in the last 40-50 years. I especially loved the detailed investigations into the experiences of Jon Hinson and Bill Allain. And I want to thank John Howard for bringing to the fore the modern institutions and expressions of gay life in Mississippi. The majority may hate us, but we're here and we're still queer.

Having spent a portion of my youth in Mississippi, I was certainly
interested in the notion of a study devoted entirely to the state's
gay 20th century history. Unfortunately, I felt that the book lacked
focus and organization in the presentation of material. Sub-headings
of the book began focused but digressed into unrelated topics. The
shifting of person was bothersome as well. In first person, the book
was intimate. In third, it was analytical. Swinging both ways jarred
the flow terribly. Howard seemed bound by awkward ... All told, the
subject material was fascinating but lacking in a cohesive and
professional layout.

This is, to my knowledge, the first widely-available book of its kind, and it's good. The aspects of it with which the reader may disagree or take issue simply underline the need for further work in this area, and when it's published the writer will have Howard to thank.

Men Like That is a wonderful book about Mississippi gay history. It is written by Dr. John Howard, whom himself is a gay Mississippian. Dr. Howard delves into history of gay Mississippi, something even gays in Mississippi have no idea exists, providing a sense of pride in our own community that no other person, author or otherwise, has been able to do, or tried to do. Often is the case, the Southern states are overlooked in their roles in gay history. It took a gay man from Mississippi, to bring to light Mississippi gay history. Thank you Dr. Howard.

"Men Like That" takes us on journeys to places that have rarely been written about before--to sites of queer culture, to places in the heart and mind, to relationships that defy categorizing. Anyone--gay, straight, or otherwise--who has felt isolated because of their sexuality, and whose isolation was lessened by an unpredictable connection with someone else, will benefit from this well-written, well-researched, and fascinating book. Perhaps Howard's most important contribution to the history of queer life is the fact that he questions identity as the primary category for queer folk to attach to, and he makes that challenge with historical evidence, not ideological platitudes or post-modern LitSpeak. The deeply humane premise--that desire links us, one and all, to create connections with others and so to make communities that may not be mappable--asks readers to consider desire at once on its own terms, and as embedded in the curious and mundane stuff of daily life. The book aims most of all to contribute to a better understanding of the human condition, which is, in my view, a relief.

Some might say Ambrose is the poor man's William Manchester. Certainly American Caesar, Manchester on MacArthur in the Pacific, is perhaps a better book. Better perhaps because of its more fascinating subject. Or better because of its more personal tone. MacArthur was certainly a poseur and so the Pacific campaign was often just all about him. And that gets us to the crux of the matter - bizarre as it may seem, this is not really a book about Ike. Or perhaps it is, in that Ike was there, but he was not really there. Someone once wrote that all men have in them a wild red dog, that once let out they become dangerous, but also capable of true greatness, or true evil. What stops most or at least many from letting that dog out is ambition. What drives a proud capable man to write a carefully crafted flattering letter of apology to a superior? Ambition. What drives us to keep our mouth shut at a crucial time? Ditto. Ike was so ambitious that he didn't see the title of Supreme Commander, Allied Forces as the pinnacle of his career, and he was right. So, the prototype of the modern politician, Ike the General here is the master deal maker, compromise maker, a fairly pro-Anglo American general running the Anglo-American coalition. By the fact that he was willing to say or do almost anything to keep the coalition, and thus his own reputation and future prospects, alive - amd that he succeeded, handsomely at times - is testimony to how shut up that wild dog was.

Thus is a long read, and often, especially with the rather prosaic Ambrose style, quite dull. But don't let that put you off! Once you have slogged through the prologue and rather turgid Italian campaign - why were the allies in Italy? Answer: because they were in North Africa. Why were they in North Africa? Something about promising Stalin they would attack somewhere in 1943 - what a great reason! - you start to appreciate this long journey on into France with Patton, Bradley and Monty et al. Ambrose, Ike's official biographer, who met him personally near the end of his life, is about as pro his subject as it is possible to be. Perhaps Ike's steadiness rubbed off as Ambrose also manages to give most of the Allied commanders a fair shake (or benefit of the doubt, if you like). So, little intrigue, a long, complex campaign - if you aren't a huge fan of Ike, and I wasn't right off the bat, you will come away with a certain appreciation of his talents - perhaps he was indeed the right man for the job.

Stephen Ambrose has written some of the best WW@ history ever and this is no exception. Here we see the REAL general Eisenhower, the doubts along with the confidence, the heartaches along with the triumph. For a rare glimpse of the higest levels of command in the most important moment in the twentieth century, this is it.

I was not aware of the fine writing of Ambrose until I read "Citizen Soldiers" and in "Supreme Commander" he does yet another job of putting the reader right there besides Ike as he learns, commands and most importantly earns the trust of all who comes in contact with him.

Many of Ike's compatriots questions his skills as a soldier but all are certainly of his positive human skills at bonding a diverse group to attain the goal of defeating the enemy, in this Ambrose describes well. And from this experience at war time an outstanding president is groomed. I think Ambroses' "Eisenhower: A soldier and President" will have to be my next purchase.

One point I'm a bit disappointed is the fact that Ambrose does not spend much time dealing with Ike's rols in the debacle of Hurtgen Forest, the problems with Repple Depple, and the problems with the problems caused by Segragation in the Army, several of the areas that Ambrose had detailed discussions on in "Citizen Soldiers". But all in all, an excellent read.

Ambrose edited the Eisenhower Papers project for many years and finally turned his talents on writing a military biography of Ike. The Ike opus is infinitely superior to Ambrose's earlier biography on Henry Halleck and his research and knowledge about his subject is obvious throughout.

The only "criticism" I have is that Ambrose is blatantly biased in Ike's favor and makes no bones about it. The first words in his introduction are, 'Dwight Eisenhower was a great and a good man," which is undoubtedly true, but a biographer should take more pains to disguise their own feelings. There is very little criticism of Ike in Ambrose's work, which borders on the hagiography. Perhaps a bit more of Harry Truman's invective towards Eisenhower could have infused these pages.

Still, Ambrose is a wonderful writer and his works are always fun to read and informative. This is an excellent look at Eisenhower in World War II, even if it is a completely uncritical examination.

This is one of Stephen Ambrose's first efforts after working with Dwight Eisenhower on Eisenhower's personal papers (The Supreme Commander first published in 1970). It is obvious that he was still very much infatuated by Ike's persona at this point in time. As such The Supreme Commander can tell almost as much about Stephen Ambrose as it does Dwight Eisenhower. As other reviewers noted, the criticism of Eisenhower's Hurtgen Forest campaign, the army's replacement policy, and the segregated army of WWII that appears in Ambrose's later work, Citizen Soldier, is missing in The Supreme Commander. Thus one can track Ambrose's maturing as a historian with the passage of time.

Still, even this early offering by Ambrose has his unique narrative style and helps to much to explain how a newly minted brigadier general on December 7, 1941 bypasses many more senior general officers to become a five star general of the army, and the Supreme Commander of Allied Forces, Europe by June 6, 1944. There were many general officers that had a better grasp of tactics, e.g. Patton or perhaps strategy, Alexander or Bradley but none had the understanding and patience that Eisenhower had in building and maintaining coalition forces in a prolonged conflict. He gathered able officers from all nationalities and supported the combined effort not national ambitions. This often frustrated other American generals such as George Patton but it was the course to take. He often supported and backed his commanders even other were calling for the heads - again see Patton. Eisenhower knew who he needed for ultimate victory and insisted upon having their services.

Eisenhower wasn't perfect. He made mistakes such as the deployment of forces that led to the debacle at the Kasserine Pass in North Africa, and his over confidence in December 1944 that the Germans were through and could no longer launch a major offensive. However, he learned from his mistakes and attempted to profit from them. For example turning the early diaster of the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944 into an opportunity in January 1945 to squash what remained of the German Wehrmacht in the West.

All in all, a good but not perfect early effort by Stephen Ambrose and an enlightening one as it shows how he develops into one America's favorite historians of 20th century events.

In this day and age it's nigh impossible to get a child away from the TV, what with a bazillion channels, cartoons coming out of a lot of them, always on. Then there are video games galore. Star Wars Battlefront, Halo, who knows what else. Then, of course, there are toys, which are all high tech these days, but even the ones that have been passed down through the years, take up you little one's time. Not to mention little friends who want your precious to come out and play. Add all that up and what chance does a CD of Timeless Folktales from Around the World have of getting some serious listening?

Almost none, one would think, but that's not true. Yes there is no video, no whizz bang, slap dash, shoot 'em up, faster than the speed of light travel on this CD. Only stories here. Wonderful stories that will open your child's imagination, take her to a place she could never go in front if that TV, even if she does have a controller in her hand.

So how do you get your little one to listen. Just before bed, that's when. When your darling is snug under the covers, that's when she can really get into the Spider Anansi, the Trickster and how he gets tricked by the Turtle. Or maybe she would identify with the poor Selkie Bride or The Boatman's Howling Daughter.

There are eight delightful tales on this CD, perfect to play just before dream time. After all there is a lot more to live than TV and Video games, so why not open your child's mind to the world of imagination. Get here her started here, you won't be sorry.

Reviewed by Captain Katie Osborne

This is a charming collection of eight folktales from around the world, which can be enjoyed by anyone above the age of three. Written by Amy Friedman, and produced by Friedman and Lori Ada Jaroslow, the background music was composed by Laura Hall of "Who's Line is it Anyway?" fame.


1. A Sense of Theft
Narrated by Lori Ada Jaroslow, Broadway Performer
Setting: Eastern Europe

There was a young lady named Zena
Who worked every day as a cleana
Baked goods she'd inhale
Without closing the sale
Which was thought to be a misdemeana

2. Anansi and Turtle's Feast
Narrated by Rick Hall, Actor
Setting: Africa

There once was a spider, Anansi
Who'd trick you if it took his fanci
He hated to share
Any food that was there
Be it yams or buffet fanci schmanci

3. The Selkie Bride
Narrated by Lauren Tom, Actress
Setting: Scotland

A fisherman once caught a seal
Who turned out to be quite unreal
As shedding the skin
Showed a woman within
Though she got the raw end of the deal

4. Two Frogs from Japan
Narrated by Jack McGee, Actor
Setting: Japan

There once was a frog from Kyoto
Who sought other places to go to
His friend from Osaka
Was on the same tracka
Both wishing for a telephoto

5. The Clever Girl
Narrated by Charlayne Woodard, Actress
Setting: Former Czechoslovakia

A farmer once had a fine daughter
Who was smarter by far than she oughter
The magistrate tried
To suppress his bride
But he found that his rules held no water

6. Searching for Fear
Narrated by Poppy Champlin, Comedienne
Setting: North America, but has Turkish origins

There once was a fearless raccoon
Who marched to a different toon
He hunted for fear
With never a scare
Until faced with the time opportoon

7. Rabbit on the Moon
Narrated by William Thomas Jnr., Broadway Performer/Actor
Setting: India

Here, Buddha's disguised as a Brahmin
Seeking animals willin' and charmin'
When instead of some rice
A supreme sacrifice
Turns out to be somewhat disarmin'

8. The Boatman's Howling Daughter
Narrated by Kathleen Wilhoite, Actress
Setting: North America

There once was a girl named Sal Fink
Who was tougher by far than you'd think
When HER temper flares
She wrestles with bears
And generally kicks up a stink



Note: Some tracks are not in the order they are listed on the CD.


Very entertaining, and skillfully narrated by a talented group of performers, this would be an age appropriate gift for a budding storyteller on your list.




Amanda Richards, July 31, 2008

The CD is pretty short, and the stories were OK. Their original, never heard most of them, but most of them just didn't appeal to me.

This review refers to "Tell Me A Story: Timeless Folktales from Around The World"(CD)

So, one of the really cool things about writing reviews at Amazon is that every once in a while, I will receive a book from an Author or publisher in hopes of a review. I don't review every single one I receive, but every once in a while I get one that I not only can't wait to share with Amazon book shoppers, but as in this case, one that I can share with my entire family. I received this one from producer of this fine CD, Amy Friedman, and I'd like to say thanks so much, for a thoroughly enjoyable read.

I took this one with me on my errands outing the other day, and popped it in my CD player. First off all I became so enthralled with these marvelous stories that I was glad I was alone and didn't have anyone with me chit chatting as I listened.Although I am sure any listener would be under it's spell as well. The other thing is that my errands took much longer then anticipated as at each stop, I couldn't get out of my car until I finished the story I was listening to.

The title says much about this book. The readers are professional), will tell you the stories and you cannot help but to fall into a trance by their lulling and often animated voices. These great folktales take place in all different parts of the world and the readers capture the personalities of the people or animals, the accents, the fun and the lessons learned exquisitely. The stories each are not only a joy to listen to, but will leave you with some kind of moral or life lesson learned in a entertaining way. These tales transcend age and time, and offer a glimpse into various countries and cultures that will leave the reader a little more enriched.

There are 8 tales ranging from about 5 to 13 minutes. Well over an hour to get lost in. Although this is classified as a children's book. I have to say that whatever your age, you will enjoy these stories. I even think, the very young will get something out of these tales. Only one,"The Boatman's Howling Daughter", an American folktale may not be suitable for the very very young, as there is some violence(think something akin to Peter Pan and the Pirates). Among some of the other tales, I really enjoyed "A`Sense of Theft". A delightful tale of a poor woman on trial for "stealing" the wonderful smells from the Baker's shop. How will the judge handle this case. Also included is "Rabbit on the Moon", an excellent learning lesson, "The Selkie Bride", what will we do for love?, "Anansi and Turtle's Feast", "Searching For Fear", "The Clever Girl", and "Two Frogs From Japan", a tale that might make one think about where to find happiness.

The CD quality itself is excellent, with some great music to set the mood of the tales as well. It includes a booklet, with story synopsis and great illustrations and bios of the narrators.

Highly recommended. Take it in your car the next time you are chauffeuring the kids around. For once, the ride will be peaceful as the kids(and you), get swept away to far away lands and olden times. Makes a great gift as well, one that could be passed down from generation to generation, that is if anyone can actually part with it.

Hopefully this will be the start of a long line of the CDs, with more lovely tales to come....Enjoy the read.....Laurie

Wonderful and hypnotic is what I would call this. The first story I played for my two girls (6 and 8) in the car on the way to school. It was the first time they ever made it the whole ride in total silence. After just the FIRST story, they begged for me to play it again, but it was time for school. When I picked them up, they asked right away. So So this is what we have done the last three days; listen to a new story on the way to school. I'm only on the third, The Selkie Bride. My oldest daughter rushed into school and immediately began telling the tale to the first friend she ran into.

I can't say enough good about this. The children are captivated and it provides great discussion topics, for example, after the SECOND time we listened to A Sense of Theft, I asked my daughters what they think the judge felt about the case against Zena. I, myself, had to run errands today and listened to the rest of the tales. The depth, the humor, the underlying celebration of the human spirit, all in such clever packages is something I will always enjoy bringing to my children.

This is one of Wilson's earlier works and far removed from his later scientifically themed books. It's standard by the book mystery/thriller fare with stereotypical characters involved in a somewhat intriguing plot. The cop couple both do and say preposterous things and the twists are fairly predictable and the true murderer isn't too surprising. Wilson stalls his suspense quotient however with too much pandering dialogue. Not a bad book, but not a great one either.

The book is about a serial killer that has killed many victims in the south, ranging from Lousianna to Mobile. When Brett finds out that the killer has killed one of his old girlfriends he feels compelled to get to the bottom of the case. While searching for the killer, Brett and Paige find themselves in a situation that may eventually cost them their lives.

This was an excellent book. I actually found it in a dollar store, but by the end of the story, I was feeling like I had cheated Wilson out of a few bucks--it was that good.

Underrated (and somewhat unknown) Charles Wilson has done it again! "When We First Deceive" is a superior novel about a small Mississippi town's attempt to hunt down and stop a serial killer that taunts police with mysterious clues. When one of the deaths turns out to be the former lover of the town's young police lieutenant, things heat up fast!

Husband and wife law officers, Lt. Brett and Officer Paige Dunnigan, are the central characters in this pot boiler. Wilson, however, does a fantastic job of developing other characters quickly and effectively in this extremely fast "read". You find yourself almost meshing into the storyline because you get to know these people so well!

Not being one to give away much of a plot when I write these reviews, let me suffice to say that this book will have you scratching your head throughout. Just when it appears that the crime will be solved, another "twist in the road" appears. Who is it that's really responsible for the deaths; the local cororer, the FBI agent, the sheriff, or perhaps even Brett Dunnigan himself?

If you've read any other books by Charles Wilson then you already know that he's a master storyteller. If this is your first Wilson book, then you're in for a great treat and you'll quickly find yourself looking for some of his other works as soon as you're finished. Especially recommended would be "Nightwatcher"!

This story is about a serial killer and maybe another killer. Brett & Paige are Officers of one of the Law enforcement agencies tasked with dealing with this serial killer. They find themselves vicitims of this serial killer in a way you would not believe. The truth must prevail. There are plot - subplots and more subplots in this book. It is exciting, thrillings and keeps you guessing. One thing you will do after reading this book, is, re-evaluate who your real friends are ?

This is a great work of literature that we enjoyed a lot. Though it is an especially good book for younger ages, we think it could also be good reading for adults. The southern dialect may be hard to read sometimes but it is still enjoyable. It is a great adventure story that was worderfully written by Mark Twain. There is much suspense that will keep your eyes glued to the pages. We hope you will read this book and enjoy it.

I recently learned that there are some "sanitized" versions of "Tom Sawyer" out there and almost blew a gasket. YOO-HOO, SOMEBODY!! ONE DOES NOT "SANITIZE" MARK TWAIN! Putting out a bowdlerized version of Tom Sawyer is an abomination on the level of "colorizing" vintage films. "Tom Sawyer" is a classic that should be read uncut and uncontaminated. Twain is an American legend, who created in his eponymous hero an American icon, and as if Tom himself were not enough, Twain went even further and introduced us in these pages to the incomparable Huckleberry Finn. Is there anyone who has read "Tom Sawyer" who hasn't on some level identified with its hero? Tom is a lovable rogue, an incurable romantic who has to deal with his loving and nagging Aunt Polly, chafes under the constraints of school and its tyrannical headmaster, cons his friends into whitewashing Aunt Polly's fence (probably the best loved chapter in the book), runs away with Huck and turns up safe and sound at his own funeral, saves a condemned man's life, and like every other red-blooded American boy, searches for buried treasure (and unlike any other red-blooded American boy, actually finds it.) Twain created some unforgettable secondary characters; Tom's Aunt Polly, his smarmy little cousin Sid, Becky Thatcher who loves/loathes Tom by turns, and the wicked Injun Joe all stand out, but in Tom and Huck, Twain created two of the best loved figures in American literature, of their own time, our time and all time. The book deserves to be appreciated in all its unsanitized glory; this is the version to read.

Can your remember when you were younger and your Grandfather would tell you stories of his childhood? Well if he did, it probably wouldn't sound like Tom sawyer's childhood. The story The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is the story of a boy named Tom Sawyer and the adventures and problems he faces with his friends. Whether it was his first love or trespassing and getting caught by adults he faces all kinds of childhood problems. The story also includes his family Aunt Polly and his half brother Sid. The other characters who are in the story are Becky Hatcher and Huck Finn. The author Mark Twain included parts of his own childhood into the story. He also used most of the characters to show personalities of his own family.
I would recommend this book to readers who are in sixth grade or higher. while most of the content in the book is appropriate, some of the slang term they used would not be understandable to younger readers. For example, the word "lick" appears many times in the story. The word has many meanings like to beat up or to call oneself. It shows that in some quotes like " I'll lick you good" or "that's the name they lick me by"
Overall, This was a great book. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in adventure or comedy genre of books. i hope this review helped you out and i also hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did.

THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER would receive four stars instead of three--IF Mark Twain didn't put romance in it. Tom skips school and has some incredible times with his friends Huck Finn and Joe Harper.
Some of these adventures are re-enacted fantasy (such as playing pirates) and some are real (such as witnessing a murder). Kids of all ages will therefore like how they head to an island for their piracy. Of course they have so long a fun-time there that they are presumed dead--only to return in time for their own funeral!
The murder is bad news but discovering treasure is good news--beyond their wildest dreams. Twain was quite the dreamer himself so I recommend this book for ages 8 & up. Younger kids can "fast-forward" past Tom's engagement at age 13!

I read an awesome book called The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. If you read this book you will get sucked in like a vacuum. Its about a boy who gets in trouble a lot. His favorite thing to eat is an apple. My favorite part is when Tom gets lost in the cave. When they were lost Tom found the...... You will have to find out so read the book.