Washington Books

The interest of this book goes beyond architecture or urban planning; it places the emergence of a modern city in the context of the wider power relationships of the time (imperial and otherwise). The illustrations and maps are very helpful. A superb resource for not just for those interested in Istanbul, but for anyone trying to understand cultural change in modern Turkey and the Middle East.

Zeynep Celik does an excellent job in summarizing the Ottoman politics in the 19th century and relating the social and economic structure of the empire to Istanbul's architecture and urban planning. The book consists of seven chapters, which include her clear analysis of the regularization of the urban fabric, transportation and some grand schemes proposed by the european architects and planners. She makes references to other european cities, and makes good comparisons for what certain things did/ did not work for the replanning of Istanbul. The book is very easy to read, comprehensive and very illustrative. The maps, diagrams and photographs are very revealing. Great work!

During the 19th Century the imperialist powers of Europe redeveloped their capitals on a grand scale. The Remaking of Istanbul details the attempts of the later Ottoman sultans to apply Western planning principles to their ancient capital in a similar fashion. Celik provides a historical survey describing the disintegration of the regularized Byzantine street network under the Ottomans, and also explains how the placement of mosques, bathes and other public spaces prior to 1800 presented problems in revitalization plans. Transportation issues are given their own chapter, where the inequity of tram service in the old city compared to the new suburbs and Ottoman attempts to regulate ferry service are discussed in detail. Perhaps the most intriguing element of the book is the section devoted to grand schemes which never came to fruition; the scope of the plans, which involve fantastic bridges, expansive squares and broad boulevards, will surprise readers who know modern Istanbul. An architectural historian by training, Celik includes a chapter on architectural pluralism detailing the myriad of styles that appeared in Istanbul during the period and the controversy they caused. The political and economic situation of the Ottoman Empire during the period is repeatedly touched on, and the disparities in wealth and influence between the city's Muslim and Christian populations and the crippling effects of Ottoman concessions to Western concerns are addressed at length. More than just an architectural history or a planning survey, The Remaking of Istanbul tells the story of how the Ottomans, in their rush to modernize their capital along Western lines, would find themselves strangled by the pursestrings of the European nations they had commissioned to carry out the work for them.

Unrivaled militarily as he is, an American cowboy has got bogged down in the quagmires again and again.
Seemingly, cowboy has had troubles fighting in the Orient, and then, what could be the reason, I wonded.

I think the author suggests that with 'hard power' of Amrican military strength, closely combined with 'soft power' of Oriental mentalism, an American cowboy could lead and rule this world again in 21st century also, through his spiritual rise of morality based on Christian love.

When I read this novel last week, I felt it is so sincere and eclectic approach to the piled-up karma of America in the Oriental sense of meaning. I thought this book is largely based on the real experiences of author, including a sad love affair, and various first-hand experiences with a famous Korean psychic concerning the coming future of the USA now at war on terrorism.

There seem to be two types of history. There's the official version, usually written by the victors; and there's the account of what really happened, to ordinary people in daily life. In "Rise, and Fight Again" Charles Bracelen Flood delivers four hundred pages of the latter, and does so in that rarefied way that lets history flow like a novel. His primary research centered on the diaries of regular soldiers and militia men, and so we come to know the names and thoughts of human beings lost to the pages of the official versions. This is consistently exciting and insightful writing.

Flood ends his five-part book with Yorktown, as he had to. But the first four parts are not about victory, but crushing, debilitating defeats for the Continental Army, ranging from September of 1775 to June of 1780.

Some of the defeats are governed by simple bad luck, despite the very best of human determination. Others find roots in hubris, stupidity and outright cowardice. Flood varnishes nothing for the sake of myth, the most notable being Paul Revere, probably the most endearing image of the American Revolution. His alarming ride at the start of conflict was to be his finest hour. His later service was stained by a lack of fortitude, likely desertion and, at Revere's own request, a court martial.

So much of history concerns people who succeed because they didn't know what they were trying to do was impossible.Flood describes American fighting squads living on green peaches, shoeless in the winter, and in one case literally naked in crude winter quarters. In 1780 massive defeats in the south decimated all American forces below North Carolina. He notes state and federal treasuries spent dry, with no way to re-supply troops, much less pay them. It's not surprising, then, that towards the end of the war British generals were utterly astonished by an enemy that just didn't know when to quit.

In many ways Flood's central point is that the revolution was not so much won by soldiers, as just by people who acted upon a visceral awareness that grew into full consciousness. The rebel forces were the Continental Army, by name and definition, but this was an army very often of women and children, of barely trained farmers, of legitimate soldiers with no uniforms.

In 1775 European armies were very much based on aristocracy. An officer was granted a commission and promotion based far more on his pedigree and social rank than his battlefield valor, or his intellect. To whatever extent the Continental Army resembled its enemy (after all, many officers and soldiers, including George Wahington, had served in the British military), by the end of the war that resemblance had faded. Flood writes about an aristocratic German fighting for the British at Yorktown, who was furious that he had been defeated by "peasants, money-grubbing merchants and shopkeepers."

Two hundred thirty years is a blink in geologic time, and only a very little span in human history, and yet in that time the United States has become the most formidable nation in history. It is profoundly to our benefit, especially now, to understand what can be accomplished by people who perceive an injustice and who are compelled to action, regardless of the sacrifice or circumstances.

One final point to screenwriters and producers. These are engrossing stories of human will. Any of the four have the potential to be an excellent film or television project.

A must read for every history buff. This book is so interesting, I could hardly put it down. During the first part of the book I had to keep reminding myself that they DID win the war, because the first part chronicles their losses. The second part gets so exciting it's breathtaking, they have all these victories. I highly recommend this!

One of my 3 favorite books on the American Revolution, "Rise & Fight Again" focuses on four disastrous American defeats --- the Battles of Quebec, Fort Washington, Penobscot, and Camden-- and in doing so, captures more of the desperate spirit of those times than generally comes through in accounts of American victories. The reader comes to appreciate how nearly we lost this war.

Flood has laced his military history with the personal observations of folk who experienced the war first-hand-- Alexander Graydon, George Little, Otho Holland Williams, William Hutchings, among many others-- and the reader meets them not just as military characters, but as humans with interrupted lives, who keep re-emerging, sometimes with bewilderment, in the torrent of events. I found myself caring very much what happened to these people, and wanting to know more.

Flood's style of narrative is strong & sharp-flavored, and his pictures vividly drawn:
"Along the trail men were sitting in the snow, unable to stand. Some were coughing, many had extreme constipation, all were starving. Here and there was a man who had passed out on the march, pitching off the trail, lying facedown in the snow..."
He breaks his chapters into vignettes, and the reader races along. It's hard to put it down once you start reading.

While Flood employs a good deal of imagination in fleshing out the unknowable details of the stories, his bibliography and footnotes testify to this being a thoroughly researched book. He has quoted generously from letters and diaries, and provides several maps and a section of portraits. This is an excellent read for someone new to the history of the American Revolution, likely to give them an appetite to learn more, and is just as fine for the Rev War scholar.

This book is mostly unknown, although it is, in my opinion, one of the greatest novels ever written. The accuracy and depth of the historical reconstruction give a keen insight into the times of italian Renaissance, providing an extraordinary and original portrait of the great genius and his lonely wanderings through late 15th century Italy. The insight the author manages to give on the artistic and scientific thought of Leonardo are unique, and rival any scientific text. The sublime reading pleasure is hence greatened by the wealth of knowledge which can be extracted from this wonderful book. A pity the author is greatly unknown, not only in this but also in all his other works.

I have never picked up a book and been touched as I have been with this one. The other reviews are accurate, this book is one of the the greatest novels I have ever read. The insight into the mind of Leanardo is amazing. I will cherish this book forever.

I first found this book in a college library over 16 years ago. I've since seen only 3 other copies of it. This is a great pity, as it is surely one of the best written novels any where in the world. Dmitry Merezhkovsky has recreated the conflicted life of Leonardo: genius on one side counter balanced by the pagan world in conflict with the fanatical religous climate in which he lived. If you want to submerge yourself in Leonardo's world, I highly recommend this book for doing so.

A great collection of Rumi's poetry from 7 different translators, some with a very literal, scholarly style of translation and some with a more free-verse style. This is a great introduction to Rumi and will also be well-loved by those of us more familiar with his poetry. Has some great footnotes about Sufi mysticism and teachings. I love the beauty of this little book, from the calligraphry on the cover to its sewn-in ribbon bookmark. The compact size of the book makes it easy to carry into coffeehouses for inspirational reading.

This poetry book is among my top favorites. The poetry of Rumi gleams and sparkles with meaning for modern times ... amazing as it was written in the 1240s A.D. The natural imagery used is always surprising. He never fails to capture human emotions and the human condition, using original and sometimes highly provocative but very 'on-target' terms.

The subject matter of each poem is varied, although the theme of the book is 'work' ... it really is about much, much more than work. I can not praise the themes of the poems and contents of this book enough. One outstanding poem uses "grapes" as imagery. Rumi describes for the reader, "How It Is with Grapes". When they are immature they jostle competetively in the bunch ... after maturing, the grapes soften, the skin rips open and become one juice. Rumi reassures us, it is just the same with humans. We are also told some grapes grow stone-hard but the secret to that sour tightness remains hidden. What is more important is ... that we grow ... with each breath ... through the help of the heart master.

Another poetic masterpiece is "Die Before You Die". We are told about a riddle, that the opener and that which is opened are the same ... Rumi states, "The day and the daily bread that comes are not to be worshiped for themselves. ... That it is the ocean inside the fish that bears it along, not the riverwater. ... The time-river spreads and disappears into the ocean with the fish." "Be one of G-d's fish who receives what it needs directly from the ocean around it - food, shelter, sleep, medicine." In conclusion, "A seed breaks into the ground. Only then does a new fig tree come into being. *That's* *the* *meaning* *of* *die* *before* *you* *die*." This is truly phenomenal poetry that has been tested over time. It is 800 years strong and still filled with enlightenment and human insight into the phenomenon called "Life".
Erika Borsos (erikab93)

This was a wonderful read on poetry, and I especially enjoyed the creative imagery, the recognition of the meaning and value of work and the subtle weaving metaphors as the author worked to uncover the underlying truths of all of our lives.

Scissors, Paper, Rock is an unusual novel. On one level it is about dying - from AIDS, cancer, heart failure, war. Death comes in so many different ways, yet it results in loss, both of the deceased and of the memories that lived with that person. Death changes people in unique and complicated ways. Johnson explores this theme with tenderness and grace.

He also explores the role of myth in history. Are those things that we know as true really fact, or are they those things that we believe are true because they define who we are. Are our parents really who we believe them to be or is our understanding of them based on the stories that they choose to tell? Does this lessen the power of the stories or lessen the veracity of the story tellers? Johnson very adeptly addresses this theme.

Among these deep levels, there is a story of a family in rural Kentucky and their lives together and separately. The characters are well portrayed and the background is very true to life.

This is not an easy book, but it is well worth your time.

No other book has ever moved me the way this one did. Picture this: me, 20, working at a mall kiosk on Christmas Eve, and crying as I read this beautiful, moving work. It was not my finest public moment, but the book should not be faulted. The story of Raphael and his difficult relationship with his distant father is one that you can feel. This is the best work of gay-themed fiction that I have ever had the pleasure of owning. It is a must buy!

Author Fenton Johnson tells a moving story peopled with colorful, believable characters. Raphael, the gay son of Tom Hardin, returns home to his dying father. Each chapter is a complete and satisfying story. The stories are told from perspectives of various family members at different points in their lives. The chronology is not linear, engaging the reader's attention in interesting ways. Johnson convincingly presents the emotions of human relations, against the detailed backdrop of one southern family. He transports the reader into the world of a son striving to come to terms with his father before it is too late.

Setting out on a journey to Europe, Ms. Jin and Dr. Hahn, who loved with each other a great deal were in search of heroes, and finally a real cowboy hero just like a Shane who had overcome the wicked ones once and for all.
Really moving and somewhat philosopical novel, I think.

To me, this novel is so romantic and moving indeed. Dr.Hahn and Ms. Jin love with each other so devotedly. Ms Jin seems like a 'blue bird' who is pretty and pure-hearted, dressed in blue at all times. In a close pair, they travel around Europe in search of a hero, finally seeking for a real cowboy hero in the United States.

I read this novel, and thought that it is such a pure-hearted love story between Ms. Jin and Dr. Hahn. Amid their sublime love affair, they are in search of a hero on the old continent of Europe, and finally in the USA, just like a Shane who overcame the wicked evils single-handedly. I'd like to present my friends with this novel.

This book includes a great selection of climbs in the Cascade Mountains. From classic routes up Mt. Rainier and Mt. Baker to more obscure climbs in North Cascade National Park, it has it all. The descriptions are clear and contain all of the pertinent information to get you to the top! The pictures of the routes and the graphics of the rock pitches are extremely useful. The history behind each climb also adds to the overall enjoyment of the climbing experience. It is a good resource for the beginning climber as well as the advanced. Read it and hit the hills!

This book has a great selection of climbs from glaciered peaks like Mt Rainier to remote rock climbs in the North Cascades. The pictures of the routes and the graphics of the rock pitches are excellent. The histories of each climb add to the total enjoyment of doing a route. It is a pleasure to read and a real asset for the climber.

This guide thoroughly describes several climbs in the cascades of Washington, ranging from simple walk-ups to technical rock climbs. It gives detailed information on the best climbs. I have used it extensively on numerous climbs and find it informative, current, easy to read, and very helpful. The maps and pictures with routes are especially helpful. Almost every major climb in the North Cascades is covered and the history section preceding the description of each climb is very interesting. This is a great book and a must for any mountaineer in Washington, whether they be a beginner or a seasoned climber.

On the train to work in Manhattan, the Brooklyn Dodger runs into Hummer Fish from high school. They discuss how friends and relatives are doing like her dead grandfather of three decades. Finally Queenie informs Hummer that she will be fired from her proofing job at a calendar making company for missing that the start of daylight savings was placed on the wrong Sunday. Hummer hires Queenie to find his girlfriend, stripper Trigger Happy.

Queenie locates Trigger in her apartment, but wonders if she can collect a fee since the stripper is dead. NYPD Detective Olds suspects Queenie killed Trigger. Though she sasses the cops at every moment, someone stalks her while she makes the rounds (food and drink that is, not amateur sleuthing) of the two boroughs. On her trek to not smoke, not stay up all night, and not get laid, she meets a private detective who appreciates a woman with a New York mouth and willing to prove her innocence though Queenie knows not getting laid seems impossible.

This offbeat crime thriller is a delightful satirical slice of New York starring a tough-ass female who uses profanity as a greeting and symbolically rides the F-train. The story line never takes itself seriously as Queenie prefers bar hopping in Coney Island, but knows she must find the killer before either Olds arrests her or the culprit gives her a permanent home in the ground where she will stay out late forever. Louisa Luna provides a fun wild New York joy ride starring a BRAVE NEW GIRL.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Leslie Van Newkirk for Small Spiral Notebook

If she wore the latest couture instead of three dollar flip flops, she could be a fashionista. If she ordered Cosmos instead of "red eyes" and whiskey shots, she could be a sophisticated spy. And if she were beautiful, she'd have a shot at being a Bond-girl bombshell. But Queenie Sells is not any of these. She's an aging, dysfunctional, not-quite-hipster from Burning Grounds, Brooklyn, and courtesy of Louisa Luna in Serious As a Heart Attack, she's one of the most refreshing heroines to shamble into the mystery genre. Queenie drinks, smokes, passes out, and wears clothing pulled from a festering laundry bag. But Luna manages to make Queenie endearing, rather than annoying; and although occasionally Queenie's internal philosophies border on the naïve, it's satisfying to follow a protagonist that has such confidence, yet still manages to do everything wrong (the antithesis would be the chick-lit heroine in so many novels today, who, despite her insecurity and bumbling foibles, somehow secures her own rightful position at the top of the career heap).

Luna's third novel showcases Sells's unique ability to sniff out trouble wherever it brews. As Queenie says, "Sometimes people told Queenie things. She noticed it when she was in high school, even after she started going to Boston for day school with the rich kids; the kids in the neighborhood, the mill kids, would still find her, not ask for anything, just talk themselves hoarse, tell her all their secrets." And of course, this characteristic makes her a perfect candidate for a reluctant private eye. But before Queenie can get her sleuth on, she's got other messes to make - getting fired, getting home, and getting wasted in that order. However, a happenstance meeting with her old friend Hummer gives her a second chance at making a few extra bucks. Her mission is to find out what has happened to his mistress, Paper Doll stripper Trigger Happy, who had disappeared the week before. As with the "mill kids," Queenie's in her element at the Paper Doll and is able to wrangle some information from another stripper, Baby. But in Luna's words, "It was a little after ten, and Queenie made a professional decision that if she was going to do any more research for the night, she would have to be drunk." This description sums up Sells's character throughout most of the novel, although her diversions into inebriation give Queenie, a kind of lucidity and purpose for her task, like Popeye when he eats his spinach to fight the bully Bluto.

Written in the same sparse style as her previous endeavor, Crooked, Luna has a knack for characterizing the marginal - lost, deluded, crazy, and criminal people hovering on the fringes, bumming cigarettes from the rest of us. But whereas Crooked was engaging, if somewhat humorless, Queenie's comedic witticisms keep Serious As a Heart Attack from becoming too staid. Furthermore, like Jonathan Lethem and Collin Harrison's city nocturnes, Luna takes us on a Manhattan-Brooklyn detour, dragging us through neighborhood joints that we would not likely venture into without our literary guide. Yet this Brooklyn balladist doesn't philosophize. Her main character tells it like it is and most of it ain't pretty.

At times, Ms. Luna's prose is repetitive. And occasionally, the reader may wish that there were a little more to the plot or that some of Queenie's unraveling threads actually turned into secondary storylines, instead of meandering and then fading away. But these are insignificant criticisms in light of a very entertaining book. I'm willing to bet that more than a few fans will follow Queenie's progress, if only to sit on the sidelines and hope that she gets her life together. Which begs the question for the future: if Queenie Sells ever cleaned up her act and became a more traditional protagonist, would she be nearly as much fun?

Anyone interested in the human condition -- anyone who has been on a bus or subway at 10 o'clock on a Wednesday morning and observed a young woman, though seemingly not deranged but clearly drunk, sloven and discombobulated, and wondered to yourself: "what's her story?" -- this book is for you. They say there are some 14 million stories in the naked city, and while Louisa Luna only has room to give us one example in "Serious as a Heart Attack," it is clear from her sensitive attention to detail and the poignancy with which she shares her characters with the reader that she has the guts and talent to tackle the next 13,999,999. In her third novel, Ms. Luna proves once and for all that not only is her talent serious, but her intensity is indeed like a myocardial infarction.

This is a great resource for any English teacher planning to teach one of these 3 plays. The lessons are very well-written and creative with step-by-step instructions! Excellent resource for any teacher who wants his or her students to learn through performance!

I have used this book to teach Macbeth to 7th graders, and I know several high school teachers who swear by it for grades 9 - 12. It contains helpful critical articles to keep teachers up to date on the latest research in the field, as well as day by day lesson plans. Each unit plan is for about 30 days and contains a variety of performance, film analysis, and close reading lessons as well as quizzes, project topics, and final assignments. Lessons can be easily adapted to fit any grade level, required lesson plan structure, or set of state standards. This is the only book you need to buy.

Do you have HS students who just don't get Shakespeare? Don't even bother because of the language? Here's the book to break the Shakespeare language barrier. I bought this book for a "secondary English class" at college, since then I have bought one for a friend who teaches drama and I have suggested it to all the 9th and 10th grade English teachers at my high school. The three Shapespeare plays this lesson book covers: Midsummer's Night Dream, MacBeth, and Romeo and Juliette. The authors set it up nicely with a calendar for each selection and approximately 22 lessons in each selection. They provided the objective, the materials list, the lesson, any handouts, homework ideas and questions for reflection. All lessons are formated to include some form of kinesiology, i.e. the students wll have to get out of their seats and move around. Some of my favorites...tossing lines, yelling insults, building a shoebox set and stressing the subtext. There are also many essays in the beginning to help the teacher discover more about the connection to main themes and ideas within the Shakespeare experience.

And the best thing was...I am now using some of the ideas for other text which are difficlt for the HS student!