History Books

Company level actions in WWI. Written by Rommel after WWI, there is nothing about tanks in this book but plenty about taking the initiative and aggressive maneuver. The core of Rommel's later style of warfare is on display here. The English translation is very readable.

Another necessary read for the study of the Second World War--this may be one of the most accessible texts for those just beginning to study the period. The maps drawn by Rommel are useful and clearly annotated: a good model to learn from. His analysis of the actions could be longer, however much they may be implied in the accounts; some passages could have deserved more commentary. I suppose he left that to the military-pedagogues whom he assumed would be able to pick up the baton in the classroom. Infantry Attacks is focused and avoids unnecessary didacticism and borderline self-aggrandizement present in some of his other writings. In sum: accessible, concise and engaging. Highly recommended.

Erwin Rommel first learned his trade in the Great War as an Infantry commander. In this work he discusses individual actions he took part in and the lessons he learned regarding modern combat. Most of these lessons are still relevent today, which shows just how observant he was.

The book is illustrated with sketches which were originally published with the book, which is fortunate as the drawings and maps make it possible to follow Rommel's line of thought as he refights these battles. It is not a light read and if you are not interested in military history you probably will not want to put the necessary amount of work into it.

I have no complaints. In response to another review, German troops, specifically those under Rommel's command, are made to look far more competent than most troops of other nationalities Rommel encountered because by all accounts they were. Rommel's men wouldn't have surrendered in the thousands to 3 officers, nor been so lax in sentry and recon duty. When he encounters worthy foes he gives credit where it is due, in one case calling them "men in every way" to paraphrase. But the aggressive fighting spirit and competence of Rommel's men is shown time and time again. Volunteering to run out on a bridge under enemy fire and chop wires leading to bombs with a hand axe (for all that Sergeant knew the wires could have been electric and the bombs could have gone the second he got near one), swim a freezing cold, rapidly moving river alone to infiltrate enemy lines etc, this is what his men would do for him.

The tone is largely a matter of interpretation, I believe that at the time and place the book was written it was not so much braggadocio as it was lack of false modesty, and rightful pride in his and his men's accomplishments. In America many will interpret this as shameless bragging.

I see nothing wrong with the lessons of building fortifications to prevent casualties and conducting constant reconnaissance. However those are not by any means the only lessons in the book. Rommel's use of "supple infantry tactics" against often numerically far superior, and firepower-superior (though as mentioned before inferior in competence, aggression, and bravery) enemies, and his use of diversions, sneak attacks and generally concealed movements are timeless applied lessons of warfare straight out of Sun Tzu's "Art of War".

His use of overwhelming concentrations of pinning fire, combined with the above, helped him limit casualties while flanking the enemy and capturing prisoners in the many thousands in total. He scarcely lost a battle even though he often didn't have the support of artillery during an attack due to materiale shortages. He was a very aggressive commander who always took the initiative when given the chance, something that paid off time and time again. He wasn't incautious, he simply knew an opportunity when he saw one, and was bold enough to exploit these situations.

The principal players of the Second World War paid their dues in the First, and Erwin Rommel was no exception. The man who would later become "the Desert Fox" and win worldwide acclaim as one of the greatest generals of all time began his combat career as a young lieutenant in the army of Wilhelm II, indistinguishable from thousands of others who crossed the French or Belgian frontier in 1914. Four years later he was one of the most decorated soldiers in the Imperial Army, holder of the "Pour le Merite" (the highest Prussian award for bravery) and a firm believer that "positional [i.e. trench] warfare" was for fools. His credo could be summed up in the old Prussian maxim: "Never ask how strong the enemy is, only where he is -- and march to the sound of guns."

Rommel published ATTACKS in 1937, when he was a lieutenant-colonel in the Reichsheer and commandant of the military academy in Weiner Neustadt. At the time he was already famous in the German army for his 1914 - 1918 exploits, but ATTACKS brought him international acclaim, at least in military circles. In Germany the book made him quite wealthy, and in a sense one can see why: compared to the turgid, half-mystical reminiscences of some of his contemporaries, ATTACKS is entirely without introspection. It is simply a recounting of the innumerable small-unit actions in which Rommel participated in during the Great War. The book's methodical, matter-of-fact style reflects the personality of its author, who was not inclined to philosophizing. The "whys" and "wherefores" of war mattered to him not at all. Unlike Ernst Juenger, who also won the Pour le Merite and wrote postwar accounts of his exploits (THE STORM OF STEEL, COPSE 125, WAR AS AN INWARD EXPERIENCE) Rommel wasn't interested in the "inward experience", just the fighting. He was a soldier's soldier.

During the War, Rommel served extensively in France, Rumania and Italy, and ATTACKS recounts in great detail his many offensive exploits, where he distinguished himself not merely with his aggressive style but by his habit (repeated in World War II) of leading from the front. Utterly fearless, possessing unlimited physical stamina and seemingly immune to pain (his gunshot wounds are described merely as events, like losing the sole of a shoe; the only thing that seems to have caused him real discomfort in the whole war was getting a foot smashed by a boulder in the mountains) Rommel was the ideal junior officer under any conditions, and was rightly worshipped by his men - another trait he enjoyed in the '39 - 45 war. He was further distinguished by his nobility and chivalry, qualities which are more responsible than his military genius for making him beloved among his former enemies. Today, Rommel is the only one of the myriad generals who achieved fame in Nazi Germany who is officially honored by the present day German government.

The strength of ATTACKS lies not merely in the nature of what is being described (battle and more battle) but in the fact that Rommel has no artistic pretentions: he simply records what happened without sentimentalizing or succumbing to the Germanic curse of using 1,000 words when two hundred would suffice. This, however, is also the book's great weakness: all these skirmishes, raids, marches, countermarches, midnight conferences, attacks, retirements, hand-grenade fights, machine-gun duels, artillery bombardments, and climbs up mountain slopes in the rain, snow and blazing sun begin to wear down the reader over time. If it is possible for combat to be monotonous, Rommel occasionally manages to make it so, if only by the staggering amount of it he actually experienced. If Juenger was often turgid and romantic, he was also willing to discuss the lighter side of war - the pranks, the drinking, the philosophical bull-sessions and the endless war against rats, boredom and Prussian discipline. Such humanistic moments would have been welcome in ATTACKS, but Rommel was not inclined to dwell on them. (The closest thing he displays to a sense of humor is contemptuous jokes at the expense of the French and the Italians, neither of whom seem to have impressed him with their soldierly ability.)

So, if you are looking for a pure combat memior, penned by one of the greatest soldiers ever, ATTACKS is the very definition of the bill. But if you want a look "under the helmet" into the mind and soul of a great fighting man, I would suggest supplementing ATTACKS with Juenger's more layered STORM OF STEEL. After all, nothing is more Prussian than obtaining a "total view" of a military situation!

This is the best Civil War story that I have ever read. Lynn Austin did a fantastic job of writing the true feelings of one young girl. Caroline never agreed with slavery, but it is all she has ever known. This book follows her decision to do something different that will change the world. I found this book very well written and I couldn't set it down. I love books that tell the story of the Civil War. This story outshines anything else I have read about this time period. Lynn Austin is an truly amazing and gifted author who is able to intertwine Gods love through every theme in her books. This is a must read for any fan of History, or Lynn Austin.

This story was put together perfectly. Excellent. I could read it again. If you like civil war period fiction you'll probably love this.

this was a great series and I've started passing it around. Great story and characters.

Thanks!

I read this book in 2 days and couldn't put it down last night until I finished it at 2am. The author gave great details on the war and the characters that you feel like you're part of the story. I also like how the character, Caroline Fletcher, stood up for what she believed and still fought to save her family, even though they didn't agreed what she believed in. I also liked how the author compared the civil war to Bible times. It' never occurred to me how similar the war is to the Egyptian times. Overall, this is a great book that can't be put down without finishing it. I'm looking forward to reading more of Lynn Austin's books.

I picked this book up after reading another Lynn Austin book, Hidden Places. I was engrossed from the first page. I read it in one day. The characters were great, especially the main character. It challenged my views of the Civil War and slavery. It was excellent. The other two in the series are wonderful as well. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

This book was difficult for me to rate, since it is really a compilation of three separate books into one volume. The first two books I would give 3/5 stars, while the third book (the one actually entitled "Coming Into the Country") is superb and deserves 5 stars. Thus, my averaged 4-star rating.

I found the first two books very interesting and readable, but they tended to delve off into a more philosophical orientation describing the history of Alaska, which I deemed long-winded at times. The third book, however, kept my attention perked and was just what I was hoping for when I purchased this book -- a look into the life of an Alaskan bushman -- since it was told through stories of people the author meets along the way during his long stint in the bush, which complimented his writing passion.

A good book and well worth the read.

My wife and I like to listen to a tape while we read the book. We are rereading this book that way. It is a classic and a good introduction to Alaska, where we have lived and worked and touristed.

Want to read about the realities of the 49th state????
Want to really learn something about this region???
Want to get good visuals????????
If NOT don't read this book!!!!!!!!!!!!

This book is a wonderful relic, the last plausible vision of a living American frontier. In the mid seventies, McPhee went to Alaska to do a few pieces for the New Yorker. He met a lot of trappers, prospectors, and "river people" who'd built moss-chinked cabins and whose individualism, gruff hospitality, and happiness he admired. McPhee made a plea for democratic access to Alaskan land. He argued that land far from roads should remain fair game for homesteaders in perpetuity.

It is odd to read an ode to Alaska's wild immensity at a time when islands are being evacuated in the Aleutians, polar bears are drowning, and the permafrost is melting. The question these days is not whether Americans can still choose to live in more or less untainted outback. The question is whether that outback will soon be transformed beyond recognition, not by oil drilling, but by climate change.

What Coming into the Country offers the twenty-first century is escapism and nostalgia. McPhee's account of the political squabbles over the location of Alaska's capital has lost its relevance, but the rest of the book still comes to life. We meet a mix of clannish Christians, proud native people, and prickly bootleggers in the small, dry town of Eagle. McPhee's tale of a man's survival in sub-zero weather after a plane crash constitutes a minor classic of its own.

The book reminds us how powerful the frontier fantasy remains in American psyches. Can it be harnessed as a metaphor? Can the dream of self-reliance on a private patch of woods help motivate us, indirectly, to cut carbon emissions? It has motivated us to go camping and conserve some wild lands even while ruining others. Still, I suspect that as the environmental movement shifts in response to global warming, we may have to jettison the frontier fantasy. It depends too much on a view of nature as more powerful than man. Whether or not we agree with Bill McKibben that we have arrived at the end of nature, we know that everything is responding to elevated temperatures. There is no untouched patch of land left in Alaska. The romance of a homestead sours when the flora and fauna are marching north past the log cabin, driven by coal and oil fires from all over the planet.

I traveled to Alaska in 2006 but lived there in the early 70's. Why I delayed so long in reading "Coming into the Country" I don't know, but John McPhee has taken me back to that earlier day. Both his character and place descriptions are wonderful and make me long for the cabins, the ice break-up, the dogs, the bush planes, and the 55 gallon drums. The Anchorage of today is much changed, but the bush is still there -- Thank God.

this is the the best concised book on the blues. few books provide so much insight in so few words

this is a serious history of the blues treating the blues with the same respect & seriousness given jazz, classical and other forms. it is a wonderful book combining interviews with blues legends like muddy waters and howling wolf with in-depth musical and cultural analysis.

for serious blues lovers or the novice looking for a deeper understanding of the music's roots, the culture that spawned and the incredible musicians who created it.

Robert Palmer explains on this fantastic book, the origins and development of one authentic and unique american art form.
Palmer tells in a fascinating way the origins of the blues, from the age of slavery and its complex polyrithmyc african roots through its development in the Deep South plantation-based economy era, to its final consolidation and world spreading in Chicago's Southside.
Read how Charley Patton developed the genre, along with other gifted musicians like Tommy Johnson from the then almost unknown musical traditions of afroamericans on Mississippi's Delta to finaly create a true american tradition. Find how the amazing and legendary Robert Johnson , took the torch from Patton and made a whole revolution, exploring new musical forms for blues guitar playing. Discover the development of other blues scenes in Helena, New Orleans, Memphis, Detroit and more; and finally the emigration in 1943 of Muddy Waters to Chicago and the cultural revolution he provoked on a global scale when the blues gets electrified and brought to the big urban centers of America.

What are you waiting for!!!, stop reading and buy this book!!!.

I'm a big fan of the blues. I even play a little country blues on the guitar. That being said, I was really looking forward to reading this book. Unfortunately, I have found this to be a really dull read. The book just seems to ramble along, trying to romanitize the blues instead of just giving the facts. I already understand the magic of the blues. I didn't need a book convincing me of that magic. It was also difficult to keep track of the chronology of the development of the music.
The author talks a lot about African rhythm when, in fact, African rhythms have little to do with the blues. Discussions of rhythm would be more appropriate in a book about jazz. I found myself skipping ahead in hopes of finding something interesting. Alas, I did something I don't often do once I start a book--I stopped reading it.

Robert Palmer's book "Deep Blues" is nothing short of an anthropological journey to find the genesis of the blues. He does an excellent job of highlighting the various early popular bluesmen, men such as Tommy Johnson, Charlie Patton, and Robert Johnson. He details life working on the plantations of the deep south, life on a Saturday night living it up in the various juke joints of the south, and the personal lives of early blues singers which led to the creation of the blues, and by extension, American music as we have come to know it.

The book begins by going back to the western coast of Africa, where the slave trading occurred, and Palmer details very well the oral music traditions of people from the various tribes and countries, presenting styles which could be found in the music of the eastern and southern United States from the late 19th and on into the early 20th Century. He highlights, in great detail, the sounds and how they were made in the mouth by particular tribes in Africa, and in what areas of the country and these sounds began showing up performed in field hollers done by workers on plantations throughout the south. I do not use the word anthropological lightly, as Robert Palmer does a magnificent job of highlighting the blues tradition from it's specific oral traditions in Africa, to it's nascent phase in the early 20th Century, to Muddy Waters' time in the Delta on up through his success in Chicago, to Sonny Boy Williamson's King Biscuit Time radio show and beyond.

Various interviews abound from people and relatives of the blues musicians and by articles from early periodicals detailing their lives, so by the end of the book one really feels as though we were on the freight car with Robert Johnson traveling and avoiding the hellhound on his trail.

A book for anyone who truly loves the blues. Being a book just shy of 300 pages however, only so much detail can be given, which is why this will probably not be the last book on the blues I own. 4 1/2 stars.

If you ever wondered what is the source of many details about the New Testament era that aren't found in the Bible, this history may be it. Eusebius tells us what happened to the disciples of Jesus in later life, how the early Christians were persecuted, and much more. This translation and commentary by Paul Maier makes this great work very accessible and is attractively produced. If you aren't a Loeb edition type this is probably the one for you.

I have always been a great fan of history and have read the works of Gibbon, Durant, and Paul Johnson and noted that they all referenced Eusebius for the first few centuries of Christian history. I decided that I wanted to read this to see everything that he had to say instead of just reading the quotes others used. I also have a great interest in early Christian doctrines and the major heresies and thought this would be a good place to start.

First of all, I thought the translation was excellent. The prose was very understandable and clear. Note that this is the only translation that I have read, so I have no comparison. I also liked the commentaries that the author put in after every chapter to put things into context and to update historical errors that Eusebius made.

I found the extra biblical stories of the apostles fascinating. I also learned a lot about the early church fathers and the early heretics. Eusebius extensively covered the persecutions that the early Christians endured.

As far as doctrines, he didn't go into much detail, except when explaining the heresies; and that was explaining what they didn't believe. The most enlightening section on his beliefs was in the end when he gave a Panegyric on the building of some churches. Here I was able to get a good feel for his beliefs in God. Maier did note that he trimmed this section a bit due to its "excessively eulogistic verbiage". I would be interested in seeing all of that section for doctrinal reasons. I'll have to look elsewhere. As far as I could tell, that is the only section he trimmed.

I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in early Christian history. It is clearly a must for anyone interested in the subject.

Be one of the few to read the Church History by Eusebius. Paul L. Maier has done a very good job with his translation and commentary. I am only a simple man who is a poor reader, but if I have read this book there is no excuse why all of our church leaders can do the same. Yet I have talked to no one who has read the church history. Before Paul Maier, it was hard to read and understand, but now we can. There is no way to judge these words that Eusebius wrote, he was a believer and wrote what he preceived to be true. What we can do is read about others who he wrote about. The main one in my preception would be Josephus who gives the history of the Jews. Onced you understand the history of the Jews and the history of the church, then you may make your judgements. In my opinion Josephus and Eusebius are the first on the lists.
Like other histoians, Esuebius knows nothing about Jesus that is outside the Bible. Jesus a Greek name for Savior, and no parent names their son Savior, yet the history of Christianity is built on a Savior with no Human name. Unlike Jesus who doesn't appear in history James the Brother of the Lord is talked about alot, both by Josephus, and other historians who Eusebius quotes. This is worth reading. Be one of the few or the first in your group of friends or ones who call themselves theologians and you will amaze them with your new knowledge.

Eusebius wrote from the 3rd century of things available to those of his time, some of which later became otherwise unavilable to us, and of the views and knowledge of early church members. Eusebius erred in some statements, but his statements that erred also reveal the mindset of some of the early church. This stimulating and informative work fills in gaps of information not otherwise available to thinkers on historical and spiritual matters.

Historian Maier Maier also happens to be a gifted author and his translation of "The Church History" by Eusebius is both very readable and informative. The fourth century church historian Eusebius gives readers a glimpse of the church at a time emerging from Diocletian's persecutions through its triumph after the Milvian Bridge. Not only was Eusebius a witness to some of these events but he also left us a valuable if certainly imperfect record of the centuries of Church history preceeding him by utilizing the writings of ancient historians (ex. Josephus) and early church leaders. His writings range from brutal stories of persecutions to the war of ideals with various heretical groups. Maier comments on each of Eusebius's books in this voulme and points out errors or adds historical commentary. On the whole, while not perfect, this book is highly recommended by me. I also recommend Maier's "In the Fullness of Time" and his surprisingly but very good historical novel "The Flames of Rome."

Claire's book on his time with the LA Dodgers is a great read for any baseball fan. He provides a clear picture of the behind the scenes events in the front office of one of the most revered sports franchises.

Fred Claire writes about his days with the Dodgers-- and does it well. The book flows together in a way that makes you love reading, with in-depth stories and experiences, one of the best GMs of all-time amazes baseball fans with his profound book.

How many times have true baseball fans wanted to be a fly on the wall in a baseball general manager's office? Fred Claire's book, "My 30 Years in Dodger Blue," does just that. It is an interesting, informative and very entertaining look at baseball from the inside out.

This behind the scenes look at how a baseball organization operates includes an insiders look at the game. Much like a ballplayer who does more for his team than shows up in the box score, Claire's book takes into account the personalities that make up an organization. He explains player transactions and some of the politics that are part of every team.

In short, "My 30 Years in Dodger Blue" is a must read for die-hard baseball fans as well as casual fans who would like to learn more about the game. After reading this book, I sincerely hope that Fred Claire will grace us with another book about baseball. It would be well worth reading.

I am a big Dodger fan and found this book very interesting. The book focuses mostly on the 1987/88 seasons and the Mike Piazza trade. I don't read a lot of books and I found this one interesting and an easy read. The chapters are short and the language is very easy to read. I actually read the whole book over a weekend.

Fred Claire's story is a virtual travelogue of 30 years of baseball history, a blast for anyone who loves baseball, especially Dodger fans. He brings a variety of perspectives to his story, falling for the game as a boy in Ohio, covering the game as a beat writer for the Angels and Dodgers, becoming an insider as the Dodgers' publicity director, and building a world championship club as a general manager.

Along the way, Claire recounts unforgettable stories, everything from his own one-game Spring Training "tryout" to signing World Series hero Kirk Gibson, from the release of Orel Hershiser to the day Tommy Lasorda nearly gave up bleeding Dodger Blue to join George Steinbrenner's Yankees. Claire also shares a behind-the-scenes look into the business side of baseball, tracing the Dodgers' evolution from a family-owned business under the legendary O'Malley family to a piece of Rupert Murdoch's Fox empire.

Claire remains connected to the game through a radio show and column for [...] If you've heard or read his work there, "My 30 Years in Dodger Blue" won't disappoint.

If you've never read Liz Curtis Higgs and enjoy fiction set in Scotland, this is a great book. It is the final book in the series, so I would recommend reading the first three. Although, if you read just this book, you won't feel stranded. Mrs. Higgs definitely allows her books to stand alone.

I noticied that this book got a 5 star rating, however I wasn't real thrilled about it. Perhaps if it's not a challenging book or somewhat instructive, I want it to be happy. On the back cover it talks about passion and revenge, lost innocence, shattered dreams, sorrow and shame. It needed really strong writing and a good ending to counter all that.

This book is so captivating a just can not put it down. I just got a week ago, and I am almost done reading it. Then of course I will have to pass it along to my sister to read when I am done with it. Liz Curtis Higgs is a wonderful writter, and this finale to the series is just supurb.

Davina McKie is the only daughter of Jamie and Leana McKie (the subjects of Thorn in My Heart, Tender is the Rose, and Whence Came a Prince.) Davina has not been able to speak since she was younger, but has found ways of communicating, one way throw a fiddle.

Her younger brothers are sent away to school, and as they have always protected Davina Jamie is worried about her. Then he sends her to a cousins house on the Isle of Arran for the summer. Davina has the time of her life getting to know her cousins who are just about her age, when a request was made to play for the Duke of Hamilton.

While there she meets Summerland McDonald who takes a shine to her. Unfortunately this leads to several tragedies that befall her while on the Island.

While there are some cheerless parts of the book, the way that the book ends makes up for it.

Much like Francine Rivers, Liz Curtis Higgs' stories are able to reveal one's true heart and nourish the soul. Bravo.

I had never heard of Sears homes until I found out that a home I had previously lived in, was one! Since that day, I have read and researched these fascinating timepieces and how they fit into our American history. Whether a history buff, architectural/house buff or if you simply love to learn, Rosemary Thornton's love for these homes and their value comes through in her books, teamed with her obvious extensive research, to provide a wonderful read. Any book where you can feel the authors passion, and have it rub off on you, is special. I also own, and recommend, her book "Finding the Houses that Sears Built", which has some of the same information, but more pictures of actual home styles and plans. Both books are worth it! I have officically become a Sears Home advocate!!!! Thanks to Rose!!

This was a very helpful book as I was able to find the home I was purchasing in Saranac Lake, NY. It's really exciting to know more about it's history. This is a must-have book if you are interested in learning more about the Sears homes.

I am from London in the UK and until not so long ago have never heard of Sears homes. Searching for authentic historic houseplans on the internet I soon learned about Sears homes. I have never knowingly laid eyes on one but immediately felt it was something I needed to find out more about. Before long I arrived at this book. I ordered it not really knowing what I was going to get and I have loved and treasured this piece of literature ever since. I could not put it down first time around and not the second time around and still flick through it every other day unable to shelve it away in my library.
What I loved most about the book despite the intricately researched contents is the love and passion the author manages to convey already on the very first page. I think this is what grabbed me most, Rosemary's love for these homes immediately 'infected' me. It is written in a light-hearted way (for lack of a better expression)as if she talked to each reader personally. She touches on so many different aspects but at a dose that leaves one with sparks and fireworks inside one's head, buring to turn the page and 'hear' more. The book made me want to book a flight ticket into the heart of Illinois and start searching for these homes myself. Rosemary, one part I particularly loved was your little stories from people or relatives of those who built these houses and lived in them. I wished I could read endless pages of such testimonies as they really injected life into the pictures in your book. It fulled my imagination of the times and circumstances when the houses were built and about the people who built them.

As I mentiond, I have never actually seen a 'live' Sears home and as far as I know we don't have a European counterpart, none of such iconic status anyhow, but my partner and I are researching to have a replica built for us here somewhere in the English country-side (pending planning permission, I suppose). I personally feel that it is most splendid that Americans all over the country recognise their architectural and socio-cultural heritage and start preserving these great homes for all future generations to enjoy in the same way we can or even more. I bet there are hundreds more out there waiting to be discovered and I hope there are plenty of people who will start 'scratching' on the surfaces of their own homes to find out if they are inhabiting one such great treasure. Sears homes, and for that matter all historic homes, have found a great benefactor and ambassador in Rosemary Thornton and as an outsider, if I may say so, I commend the work she has done and I truly hope that she will keep it up for decades to come and inspire many more to join her in her efforts to educate and preserve!

I only wished, Sears would still sell and build these old homes especially now with the internet, we would have ordered one in a jiffy!
Thanks Rosemary for endless inspiration and for spreading so much love and joy over what is basically four walls and a roof!
I can't wait for your next book to come out and if you ever fancy coming to lecture in Europe, be sure to let me know!

My recommendation to everyone, buy it, read it, fall in love with it and read it again and again and again and...!!!

This wonderful book gives you everything you always wanted to know about Sears houses. It has photographs of various models as well as some interior views. It shows ways to indicate if the house is truly a Sears house (and not a Montgomery Ward house)! It tells the cities which had a Sears Modern Homes Sales office (where there is likely to be more Sears houses) and the prices that the houses sold for. Includes testimonials and frequestly asked questions about Sears house. Nice book and interesting reading.

I just finished reading The Houses That Sears Built. I was unable to put it down. I grew up in a Sears house, but I did not know anything about them until I read this book. It is obvious that the author did her homework while researching the subject.

I read If Olaya Street Could Talk because it serves as John Paul's partial autobiography. We had been friends in Atlanta in 1970, both having returned from a year in Vietnam. His job as a hospital administrator in Saudi Arabia involved much in the way of politics. The descriptions of life in Riyadh, travel to remote areas of the Kingdom, the Bedouins, and relationships with Saudis, both special and antagonistic, are first rate. I especially enjoyed "meeting" his wife, Mary, and reading stories of their family experiences which ranged from comical to dead serious. John Paul Jones had the unique perspective of living & working in Saudi Arabia on 9/11 and in 2003, when the war in Iraq began. The last couple chapters are quite the "page turners".

Having lived in Saudi Arabia--Riyadh to be exact--on two different occasions over a twenty-year period, I found "If Olaya Street Could Talk," a most interesting narrative on the life of an expat. I think Mr. Jones was wisely cautious in not mentioning names in his narrative, and did a rather masterful job in tiptoeing around sensitive issues, while at the same time giving the reader a feel for the excitement and frustrations that are part of living and working in that part of the world. And as cautious as he was, I understand that his book is still haram--forbidden--in the Kingdom. Yes, as fascinating as that part of the world is, it is still a long way from being an open society. Regardless, I recommend this book for those who have and have not been to that part of the world.

Bruce M. Petty

I have just finished reading "If Olaya Street Could Talk" and highly recommend it to anyone interested in Saudi Arabia. It will have special appeal to any "expats" who have worked in Riyadh or at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital. I worked there in the late 70's and while I don't recall ever meeting John Paul Jones, he has managed to capture the essence of the dramatic changes that many of us, including the Saudis, experienced on a personal, cultural and societal level. It is a rare pleasure to read something positive about living in Saudi Arabia, its history and the Saudi people.

Congratulations to Mr. John Paul Jones for writing an excellent book on Saudi Arabia for us western readers. At last here is a book that rings true. I have a chance to go to Saudi Arabia in December and was in two minds about it, but after reading "If Olaya Street Could Talk"...I will take up the offer, and who knows, I might even visit Olaya Street. Moving on to another matter, I am sick to the teeth with this pushy Jean Sasson person who is for ever singing her own praises at every given opportunity. I have read two of her books about Saudi Arabia, both are tabloid sensationalism, and do not ring true at all. This woman is now trying to steal the thunder of Mr. John Paul Jones's success by posting and advertising her own trashy books on his review pages.

The diplomat and author Sir A.T. Wilson once wrote,"Arabia retains to an extraordinary degree the power of conquering hearts," and it is obvious that the heart of John Paul Jones is one of those conquered. In this lively and thoughtful work the author celebrates the freedom of the desert - a place where you can drive without restraint in any direction for days on end, the beauty of the unpolluted night sky and the allure of ancient places, where the generosity of the poorest nomad who will slaughter his last sheep for a total stranger because that is what you do for a guest still lives.

But all is not romanticism in this book and as he writes in any population there is a 10% that will cause 90% of the problems and he is very explicit about this ten per cent - be they smug Americans or sanctimonious Saudis, that disappoint one's hopes and expectations. Mr. Jones is a perceptive realist who writes clearly about those trouble makers without losing sight of the vast majority of Saudis, Americans and others who made his 25 years in Saudi Arabia such a delight. I would heartily recommend If Olaya Street Could Talk to those relative few of us expatriates who ever lived in Arabia for any period of time and also to the many who ever considered what it would be like to live in this most astonishing desert kingdom.

Interesting, detailed story. Typical Kertzer. A must read for students of Italian, Church and/or Jewish history.

We are accustomed to viewing excellent documentaries on the TV and the big screen. It is nice to find a literary documentary just as enjoyable. The mid 19th century was an incredible time for change. Europe was adjusting to the post Napoleonic ideals of political and religious freedom. The United States was fighting against the secular immorality of slavery. Prussia was building a military machine to dominate Europe. Italy was struggling with a unification which would require shedding the medieval yoke of the Catholic Church. In the midst of these changes a 6 year old Jewish boy , Edgardo Mortara, is kidnapped within the Papal States under orders of the Inquisition. The charge is that the boy has been secretly baptized. The baptism cannot be undone and therefore the boy cannot continue to live with his Jewish parents. Governments from around the world protest the kidnapping and Pope Pius IX responds with traditional dogma. This is a wonderful researched narrative which brings together themes which will be of interest to Christians, Jews and any reader curious about the changing role of the Roman Catholic Church in this period of European history.

The excellent DVD, "Secret Files of the Inquisition", (available from Amazon and Netflix) dramatizes part of this story and includes commentary by the author, David Kertzer.

Simply one of the most insightful books I have ever read. Thank you Mr. Kertzer for illuminating this fascinating event in our history.

Douglas Wood has already summarized and evaluated this book, justly praising its historical worth. I'd like to add a note about its shock value; in a moment of history when anti-semitism seems to be a joke in some people's minds, surely this is a book that might make the pain and folly of bigotry "real" in terms of a single family, and therefore accessible to readers who can't empathize with mass tragedy.
It's also quite a thrilling book to read, by the way, a better detective story by far than Dan Brown could manufacture.

A Jewish family's illiterate Catholic housekeeper sprinkles well-water over an infant child and furtively mumbles the baptismal sacrament. When the Inquisitor learns of the deed, he orders the kidnapping of the then six-year-old Jewish boy. This foul deed is almost certainly sanctioned by the highest levels of the Catholic hierarchy. The police forcibly remove the child from his family's Bologna home and swiftly transport him to the Church's House of Catechumens in Rome for reeducation. Despite all protests from the boy's family and the Jewish community and in the face of a destabilizing international uproar, the Holy Father refuses to yield. By holy grace, the boy has been miraculously saved and the Church keeps him, inculcates him in the Catholic Christian religion, and assiduously converts the boy.

The boy kidnapped in the name of religion? Edgardo Mortara. The Holy Father in question? Pope Pius IX. The year? 1858. That's right 1858, not 1458, not 1658, but smack dab in the middle of 19th century Europe.

Historian David Kertzer tells the complete tale in his excellent work, `The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara.' As Kertzer relates in the epilogue he learned to his surprise that there was no reliable work on this topic. Kertzer sets out to remedy this gap and succeeds by examining the episode in fine detail. Using detailed court and police investigation records, Kertzer explores numerous evidentiary questions such as whether the baptism took place at all, whether the proper conditions for a valid lay baptism existed, who put the girl up to it, and how did the Inquisition find out about it?

The story is told against the background of the movement to unify Italy under secular rule. And here is yet another surprise for the uninitiated reader, including this one: until 1861 the Pope was still the temporal ruler of a wide swath of the Italian peninsula (this rule continued on a lesser scale to 1870). The treatment of young Edgardo was one of the factors that helped build support across Italy and internationally for the Risorgimento or Italian reunification.

The episode also hastened Pius IX's evolution, shall we say, to reactionary beliefs. Pius IX not only made papal infallibility part of Church dogma, but he also issued his infamous Syllabus of Errors in 1864, a broad attack on rationalism, science, and religious freedom - really a frontal assault on the Enlightenment and most other signs of progress in the previous three centuries. If Kertzer's book does nothing more than direct his reader's attention to this astonishing document, he has succeeded in the historian's task.

Kertzer examines the trial of the Inquisitor in detail and the formidable difficulties facing the prosecution. For example, what crime did the Inquisitor commit when his acts were legal at the time he committed them? Would the new government prove willing to violate the fundamental principle that the accused must have had notice of the illegality of his acts?

As for Edgardo, he remained with the Church fathers until he reached his majority and by then his conversion had firmly taken hold. He went on to become a famed proselytizer for Catholicism especially among the Jewish peoples. This role may help explain why this story has remained untold: it embarrassed Jews and Catholics alike.

Some readers may find the detail devoted to the investigations and trials to be excessive, but bear in mind that Kertzer is writing the seminal history of Edgardo's kidnapping. A fascinating tale full of surprises, very highly recommended.