History Books

If you're a girl who dreams of writing books, check out this cool one by a 12-year-old. Read it from cover to cover. Look at the photos. See how it's organized. You'll not only get inspired and get a feeling for what it takes, you'll also learn alot about soccer. Good job, Leah!--Catherine Dee, author of The Girls' Book of Wisdom and The Girls' Guide to Life

As an author, I meet many, many people who tell me, "Oh, I'd love to write a book!" But they never do it. They need to take lessons from Leah Lauber. She wrote a book chronicling her amazing journey following the extraordinary accomplishments of the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team. Passionate about soccer, Leah attended many of the history-making soccer matches not just as a fan, but also as a reporter. She interviewed her role models: Mia Hamm, Lorrie Fair, Cindy Parlow, Briana Scurry, and many other team members. Leah incorporated these interviews and game coverage into articles she wrote for Florida's largest newspaper, the St. Petersburg Times.

These accomplishments are admirable. But there's more to this story ... Leah did all this when she was just 12 years old!!! By following her twin passions for writing and soccer, Leah first achieved her dreams of meeting and talking with her heroes, attending the Women's World Cup, and reporting for a major newspaper. Then she reached her dream of writing a book. And what a book! Colorful photos and vivid writing truly bring women's soccer to life.

As you read "Soccer Dreams," you'll get caught up in the excitement of the sport and the thrill of the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team victories -- whether or not you're a fan. Leah's book makes you feel like you're right there in the middle of all the action. The book brims with added bonuses. Page 6 features reproductions of autographs Leah obtained from members of the national teams from both the U.S. and Norway. Section 3 is an absolute goldmine -- here's where you'll find Leah's unedited interviews with the national soccer team players.

Get this book for your daughters, it will inspire them to follow and reach their dreams. Get this book if you love soccer. Get it if you enjoy the thrill of a game, a good read, or a close look at sports history. I give this book 5 stars plus. An inspiring, motivating masterpiece!

-- Graciela Sholander (...)

I began this book with some skepticism. I'm not at all a soccer fan and was afraid I'd find it boring -- or poorly written, given the author's young age. But Leah Lauber won me over by the second page! Her fresh voice, enthusiasm for the subject matter, and beyond-her-years writing skills make Soccer Dreams a pleasure to read. I was hooked by her chutzpah in dreaming big dreams and finding ways to make them come true. And I learned a lot about the sport and the women who play it. Lauber's book gave me a new respect for these outstanding athletes, not just for their prowess on the soccer field but for their character, loyalty, and sense of teamwork and camaraderie off it. Lauber's journey covers not only her trek across the country to follow the team through the realization of its dreams, but her own increasing skill and confidence as a writer. I expect we'll see more great things from this talented young author.

When I got ready to read Soccer Dreams, I wasn't sure if it was something that would interest me. I'm not much of a sports person and know almost nothing about soccer. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I didn't need to know anything about sports at all to enjoy the book.

While the book is about 12-year-old Leah's experiences reporting on the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team for the St. Petersburg Times, it is also about a girl following her dreams. Leah takes the reader with her as she applies to be a reporter for the newspaper's X-Press Team -- a select group of kids who write a special section of the paper on various topics for other kids. A soccer player since she was seven, Leah is able to meet the players, cover the team's practices and be there for their victory at the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup Championship. Like any good book, the story has its ups and downs, its victories and defeats, but it is real life, and seeing it through Leah's eyes makes it all the more real.

I very much enjoyed reading the book, as well as seeing the letters and newspaper columns she wrote, the tickets she saved, and the color photographs her father took of her adventures. Her writing style is clear and natural and she knows how to tell a good story. If she writes like this now, I can't wait to see what she will do in the future!

Twelve year old Leah Lauber was more than an enthusiastic soccer fan -- she also landed a job as a Junior Reporter for the St. Petersburg Times covering the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cub. Soccer Dreams is the unique story of how for one year, a young girl covered the story of how the team prepared for the event, and how they went on to win this prestigious soccer event. Written with the help and assistance of her family (Leah's yonger sister Nicole and her grandmother, Nanny Pat Lauber, transcribed hours of Leah's interviews and recorded comments during seven different sessions with almost every member of the women's team, and her mother, Rya, worked on the book's cover design and her fahter sorted through hundreds of photos and scanned them into the computer for use in illustrating the thoroughly engaging text), Soccer Dreams is "must" reading for all young soccer enthusiasts and would be a popular addition to any gradeschool, junior high, or community library Sports collection.

The Swamp is fascinating, relevant, timely, and compelling. It's not just a scientific study of the Everglades but a history of Florida. It's a must read for any Florida resident or anyone with an interest in the Everglades but anyone with an interest in ecology or American history should also enjoy it.

Unlike the broad and shallow Everglades, "The Swamp", by Michael Grunwald, is broad but deep. In a manner that is horrifying, entertaining, and informative, the story is broad, comprehensively covering almost the geologic origins of the southern end of the Florida peninsular through to the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, aka the Compromised Everglades Replacement Plot, aka CERP. At the same time there is a tremendous depth, from the lowest, basest greed of man, up to the loftiest and most selfless of man's ideals. Some goals for draining the swamp, such as creating arable land for food, shelter and the pursuit of the American dream, appear to be good, even if the plans and programs to achieve the goals are ill conceived, poorly planned and inadequately implemented. Most sides of the issues are treated with sensitivity, understanding and in a equitable manner. While a sad tale of man's relationship to the environment, some hope is presented. For the hope to blossom into actuality you need to read this book and act to avoid the mistakes of the past and make progress to the achievement of a sustainable planet for all of us now, and for our future generations. The Swamp is one really big canary-in-cage-in-a coal-mine.

The information contained the book will allow any reader to develop a comprehensive understanding of the historic and current circumstances affecting the everglades national park ecosystem health. It is also entertaining, a fun read.

Grunwald is a captivating author. The Swamp takes time to digest because it is rich in history but it's well worth it. It's interesting to see how history repeats itself.

The Swamp: The Everglades, Florida, and the Politics of Paradise

Once dismissed as a dismal swamp fit only for alligators, snakes, flamingos and Indians, the Everglades has become a battle ground in Florida's continuing tension between development and conservation.

In "The Swamp: The Everglades, Florida, and the Politics of Paradise," Michael Grunwald writes a well-researched and fluently written history of America's unique ecosystem. The United States bought Florida from Spain for $5 million. A hundred years later, nearly $8 billion was proposed for a comprehensive development and restoration plan for the Everglades that has yet to be completed.
Along the way, a cast of colorful characters influenced the story, including Henry Flagler, John D. Rockefeller's partner and the builder of the "impossible' railroad from Palm Beach to Key West; Spencer Holland, Governor Napoleon Bonaparte Broward, and environmental secretaries from several administrations.
There were villains: "Big Sugar" and other agricultural interests that wanted to dump (and still do) their wastes in the headwaters of the Everglades; the railroads, which consumed rights of way as political payoffs; and the "Plumers," - hunters who almost exterminated Florida's native birds so wealthy women could wear feathers in their hats. Andrew Jackson's administration fought three wars of attrition against the Seminoles in what was America's first Vietnam. And there were heroes and heroines: Marjory Stoneman Douglas, who started out writing public relations pieces for developers and ended up in her `nineties and beyond as "The Mother of the Everglades"; and Ernest Coe, another visionary environmentalist.

The Everglades, and a proposed Jetport within it, influenced the outcome of the 2000 presidential election. It has pitted the powerful sugar industry against environmentalists, but also forged strange political alliances including that of lobbyists for U.S. Sugar and the Sierra Club. Grunwald, a political writer for the Washington Post, interviewed dozens of current and former political leaders to get an insider's picture of the wheeling, dealing, and chicanery that went into the 2000 Florida presidential election in which Al Gore, the Nobel Prize winning environmental champion, found himself on the wrong side of the environmental fence.

In summary, Grunwald has done a yeoman job in compiling this important book based on extensive journalistic and historical research.

-- 30 --
Postscript

"Florida buys Big Sugar" In the July 7, 2008 TIME Magazine, Michael Grunwald writes that the administration of Florida Governor Charlie Crist has made an offer to buy the US Sugar Corporation,including over 180,000 acres in the northern Everglades drainage area, for $1.75 Billion. Grunwald notes that what Crist's deal can do is "change the political ecosystem." He adds "by essentially bribing US Sugar out of business, Crist not only frees up its land but also eliminates an implacable obstacle to restoration."
(Hopefully, similar arrangements can be reached in other states where agribusiness threatens the economy --timber, railroads,chemicals, and so forth)

my how amazing this book is just goes beyond any human comprehention i am wiccan and i must say that this book has helped me learn of other riligions simmiler to mine and the rituals are grate.
(pleas excuse my spelling lol)

I can certainly appreciate the excitement that a lot of readers have expressed about this book--I felt the same way when I read it years ago (the book was first published in 1978 as *The Teachings of Taoist Master Chuang*). But I was schocked to see that the book has been reprinted, because, to put it mildly, it was not very favorable received in academic circles. Now, for many readers, this won't mean a thing, and may in fact be a mark in the book's favor. That's cool. But if you are interested in the history of Daoism, or in good ethnography, then you may want to read an old (and infamous) review article on this book, published in 1980. It's called "History, Anthropology, and Chinese Religion." [Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 40, No. 1. (Jun., 1980), pp. 201-248.] This is an *extremely* harsh review of the book, and in many ways a petty one. But it makes many damning points. For example that Saso gets his history very wrong. But perhaps more importantly, he does some strange things for an ethnographer, like introducing material from the published Daoist canon for Master Chuang to comment on--material that Chuang had never seen. This calls into question just what kind of Daoism Saso is learning, in the book. But, it's an exciting book, it gives some views of Daoism that are valuable, etc. Just FYI, caveat emptor, etc.

This is a real useful book. The beauty of it is that it gives us a deep look at the actual life of a Taoist master. Not a god, and not a perfect person, but a serious and committed Taoist who spent a lifetime practicing Taoism. That's a lot different from the average Taoism book, which is long on the vague restatement of philosophic theory and short on specific application of such theory. Want application? Here it is.

This is a totally unique book in that it provides copious details as to how a Taoist priest actually functions. Not theory but an actual diary of sorts. That's unique. For anyone who wants to go beyond the beautiful words of the ancients and discover how Taoists apply them, this is the book for you. That's important.

I give it my full support, and all 5 Stars.

TAOIST MASTER CHUANG (c. 2000) by Michael R. Saso, is a book of Taoist religious ritual and liturgy to control and exorcise evil spirits as practiced by the grade four Cheng-i Meng-wei sect (One Auspicious Alliance) priest, Master Chuang. The author, Professor Michael R. Saso, acted as a "participant/observer" on Taiwan as he recorded the style of magic from the Ch'ing-wei sect (The Heavenly Pilot, a Tantric Taoist order from the Tang Dynasty), from manuals originally in the collection of Wu Ching-ch'un, and as interpreted and practiced by Master Chuang.

The book TAOIST MASTER CHUANG contained the interesting 4th century Mao shan sect (Highest Purity Order of the Yellow Court Canon) rituals of the Tao of the Left black magic (Chapt. 4) and the Orthodox rituals of the Tao of the Right 'Thunder Magic' (Chapt. 5); and instructions of the use of the 'Lu' which is a register of spirit names. The Heterodox Tao of the Left black magic emphasized rituals to summon the six evil chia spirits; while the Orthodox Tao of the Right used 'Thunder Magic' to deflect those spirits. And the ritual of the 'chiao', bringing the priest into direct contact with the Tao itself, was explained to be dependent upon fasting, and a diet of simple foods, whole grains, and vegetables to alter the body's internal alchemy to become receptive to the required ritual. Also included were the drawn Talismans, finger-formed Mudras, and the chanted Mantras of all Ch'ing-wei sect rituals.

The book TAOIST MASTER CHUANG revealed that esteem and validity amongst Taiwanese Taoist priests seemed to rely on the possession of antique manuals, and that priests were constantly stealing each others books to gain knowledge of the name and descriptions of different spirits and the talismic charms and mantric incantations to control them; plus how to learn to perform various funeral and birth rituals. It appeared that being a Taoist priest in Taiwan was no different than any other vocation and individuals fell on Taoism as a means of making a living.

The subject of the book, Master Chuang Teng-yun (Chuang who ascends the Clouds) despite his alcoholism and bad temper, was a first rate expert on Meng-wei orthodox Taoism and a conscientious adherent to all the proper liturgy and rites of Ch'ing-wei Thunder Magic. Master Chuang was also one of the few advanced ordained Taoist priests on Taiwan who knew how to perform the rituals properly. Such as the dance of the Ho-T'U at the end of the Chiao festival which would bring the priest in direct contact with the Tao itself! Or the proper interpretation of the eight trigrams of King Wen; the Lo-shu (the octagon design you see on placemats at Chinese restaraunts).

Regardless of any scholastic short-comings, the book TAOIST MASTER CHUANG is an important work for the lay student of escoteric religious Taoism, contained a great depth of information which will require several readings, and should be read in conjunction with 'SEVEN TAOIST MASTERS: A Folk Novel of China'(c.1990) by Eva Wong

Damn this book is Flawless it has Olympic stats it has some stats on the old players. The Only thing missing was 1892-1917 stats for players who did not play in the NHA or The NHL. I love the sections on the stats it has the players complete minor league and college stats as well as his Pro stats. It has the place he was drafted and all the transactions. This book has a wrap up of the Draft from 1965-1998 and does a fantastic job at it. The Stats and the Draft coverage is the best.

this book has anything and everything you want to know about hockey its almost to much stuff

If you like hockey, hate hockey, or do not know anything about the inarguably-greatest sports ever, then you definantly need this book. It's a great price too, believe it or not, and it's my personal bible. Anything I need to know about hockey is right here, every single player and all.

This book can tell you everything you every wanted to know about hockey and the tradition of hockey. You get to see so many stats about all the teams and the players of the NHL. A must have for all Hockey fans and players of the wonderful game.

I'm one of those schleps who had the misfortune of investing the CDN $70.00+ dollars on this book when it first came out, only to learn that many of the (in particular non-NHL) statistics were inaccurate or missing completely. This is understandable for the very early players, but still, it seems as though more effort should have been put into this initially. I am interested in the old Hamilton Tigers franchise, and prior to getting the book had already done some research into the early careers of some of the players. Right off, I noticed that there were problems with the Leo Reise and Goldie Prodgers listings. These--and no doubt innumerable others--were rectified in the later edition, but that is little consolation for me. I made my investment, and unless I can find the revised edition cheap, I have no intention on blowing more money just to finally get what I should have gotten in the first place. Still, it has been a useful book at times, so it's not a complete loss, I guess.

I had the the privilege of meeting Mr. Michael Korneblit during a recent book signing at the Holocaust Museum in DC. He personally shared what the book is about, then apologized for "making me cry". I could not wait to read the book! Let me admit that I am an audible learner and not an avid reader, but this book is a turning point. It is easy to read and definitely holds one's interest. The authors wisely chose, in this case, to focus on the love story more than the atrocities of the holocaust -- yet certainly get the point across. This is a lovely story about commitment and integrity tested to the limits. God bless these families and all survivors or relatives of those lost. Thank you for this book.

In the small town of Hrubieszow Poland, two lovers Meyer and Manya attempt to escape to terrible hands of the German Nazi Soldiers. When many atempts to escape fail, both lovers suffer deportation, seperation, and close-to-death situations. Going to camps such as Flossenburg and Aushwits both Manya and Meyer struggle to hold on, but at the same time rely on one day being together back in Hrubieszow. When both of them believe they will never be reunited with they're families after the war has ended, Meyer and Manya's son Michael Korenblit finds out some informations on his mothers family while making this book.

This book is the most amazing, Holocaust book I have ever read. There is not one book that has takin my breath away or have drawn tears to my eyes such as this one has. Imagine having nothing to hold on to, Do you think Manya and Meyer would have survived without one another? As hard as it got, thoughts of being with eachother kept Meyer and Manya still holding on. I recomend this book to anyone, because out there there really is a God and if you ever loose everything, faith is one thing you cant loose.

I think this is an incredible book and I don't think the Editorial Review does it any justice. The Editorial Reviewer understood that the story was incredibly moving and wanted it to be written more fairy tale-like, however it is not any fantasy-like because it is and was SO REAL and I think Korenblit perfectly captures its highly-emotive atmosphere. I suggest this as a read not only for historical information about the Holocaust but as an overall life-lesson that love can make you strong and that among all evil there will always be some good.

I met M. Kornblit, received his book, and read it in two days! It caused me to be thankful for every minute I live in a peaceful country, every morsel of food I partake, every single material thing I have...It is truly the most unforgettable book I'll ever read.

I'll admit that this book started out a little slowly for me, but by about chapter 18, I began to be drawn more and more into the story of teenage sweethearts Manya and Meyer, Manya's little brother Chaim, and their friends (even though the writing style employed wasn't always that dramatic or riveting). The story begins when Manya and one of her brothers, Chaim, make the very difficult decision to leave their family in the hiding place in the wall of their house in the ghetto of Hrubieszow to join Meyer's family hiding in a haystack, in 1942. Perhaps I would have been more drawn into the story initially had it begun earlier on and slowly introduced the characters and situation, instead of starting off rather in media res. And perhaps the events might have come even more alive for me had the book been written in the first person instead of by two secondhand parties. It also kind of kills the dramatic surprise by revealing at the beginning that Chaim was discovered in early 1982, with the reader knowing all along he survived instead of only saving it for the epilogue, when it would have had far greater dramatic effect.

All that said, however, the book does a rather good job at conveying the increasingly trapped and horrific situation the characters found themselves in. Many of the decisions they made, and breaks from outsiders they got which ended up contributing to their eventual survival, could be attributed to only luck, since many other people in similar situations might have had far different fates for making or not making those same decisions. After leaving the haystack, Manya, Meyer, and Chaim returned to the new ghetto in Hrubieszow, where they were put to "legitimate" work, though always in constant danger of brutality and deportations. Sometime in 1943 (the book isn't very good at all about giving a specific timeline of when exactly a lot of this stuff happened), Chaim was taken, and then a bit later on Manya, Meyer, and a few of their friends were deported as well. Initially the young lovers were in the same camp, but were eventually separated, promising to meet again in Hrubieszow at the end of the war. The two of them went through a seemingly endless stream of camps over the next two years, suffering bestial treatments and conditions, but got through with a little help from their friends, and, most importantly, their love for one another. Under such intense times, what would have been just a routine teenage romance in ordinary time turned into something much more serious, emotions magnified as people turned and clung to those they already had a powerful connection to, nurturing and keeping alive the one remaining thing that they still knew for sure, that kept them sane, human, hopeful, normal. It seems amazing to people living in comfort in the present day that love could have survived and even flourished under such awful inhuman conditions, but after reading a powerful story such as this one, it doesn't seem like a surprising phenomenon at all.

Please say this review is helpful to you. They told me that if I post another unhelpful review they're going to kill my ferret.

It was obvious to anyone who has known Peyser that something like this was bound to happen. I refer, of course, to Peyser's bout of aphasia during his freshman year at the College. Clearly this mysterious illness has returned in book-length, perhaps even a global, form. We may never really know what Peyser is up to in this book. Oh, for some Young and Champollion to decode this, the Rosetta Stone of post-modernism!

I don't usually tolerate so-called theory, but this was fun!

Don't let the title fool you--this is a down-to-earth, engaging work that deserves to be read by a much larger audience than the academic field it's probably relegated to.

This is a powerful, bleak book. None of the writers Peyser deals with is particularly optimistic. The possible exception is Howells but there is a dark undertow even to his work which Peyser makes sure we see. So a book about utopia is also a strangely, depressing read. 40 years or so after Brooke Farm, who would have thought things would have gotten so sad? Of course it was the turn the century and the best of the Western thinkers were thinking sad and pessimistic thoughts. And now here we are at the turn of another century and we have this powerful, bleak book. Have we come all that far after this century of bloodthirsty carnage? Is Utopia even further away than it was 100 years ago? Read Peyser's powerful, bleak book and see if you can answer some of these sad questions yourself. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

You know, this is not the sort of book I would normally read. But there it was, suddenly, on the coffee table one night. How it got there I have no idea. Just curious, I began to leaf through the pages, and the words began to resonate with me. Unable to sleep, I read it through in one sitting by candlelight. The next morning, I began to look at things around me differently. First, I removed several unessential appliances from the house in an effort to simplify my existence. Then it became time to de-clutter and I threw out several items I realized I had no more use for. Then, and this all seemed so logical in light of the things I'd read, I divorced the wife and sent her on her why. Sure, she cried a bit, but I knew I was doing the right thing. And I've never regretted it. This is, indeed, one of the best books I've read all year.

In the second paragraph on the first page this book talks so much sense. It is to the point, easy to read and easy to apply these techniques to our equine friends. I would thoroughly recommend this book to everyone who has any kind of interaction with horses on a daily or irregular basis. It is the platform for the 'perfect partnership'. YC

I really enjoyed the book. I am a new horse owner and found the book to be very helpful.

Very good reference book. Author presents from the horse's point of view which is how the title reads. As usual, however, the one problem that my hose developed is missing. But that may be expected since horses don't often read.

Whether you're a beginning horse trainer or more advanced, and no matter what kind of training you are into, this important reference guide will teach you to communicate with your horse.

Gincy has provided a wonderful resource for all horse owners whether beginners or seasoned experts. No matter what discipline you are involved with, this book will become a favourite. It applies to horses beginning their education as well as seasoned competitors, ridden or driven, and just much loved family pets.

The basis for all relationships with our horses is communication. Gincy explains clearly how to read what your horse is saying to you and how to clearly communicate your instructions to him.

This book, like Gincy's others, is full of Gincy's very perceptive insights into equine behavior and motivation. At the same time, she generously cites highlights from the work of other successful trainers and instructors. She totally understands and loves her subject. She isolates each 'problem' or unwanted behavior, explains what it means and not only tells us how to change it but also what not to do.

For the beginner, this book provides a ready reference to cover hundreds of situations that arise in our day to day association with our horse or pony. For the experienced horse person, it is a compendium of knowledge that is so far unequaled in training literature.

Aside from all that, it is an entertaining read.

Jessie and ponies

This personal narrative set in the midst of global history is a tremendous story. A touching and humorous account of an unforgettable era, told with skill. Couldn't put it down until it was finished. One reads it thinking, "This would make a wonderful movie."

This book is a compelling story about a young man who grows up on the outskirts of Birmingham, Alabama on his family farm and goes on to serve his country in World War II. Sacco made the unique decision of telling the story in his father's voice, which adds to the authenticity of the account.

This tactic also makes the writing come across as glib in places. While the elder Sacco tells anecdotes about bad food, and seemingly endless hours of drills in all types of weather, he glosses over some of these hardships as the story moves on. The book would have been strengthened a bit if the author had filled in some of those gaps for the reader. The liberation of Dachau gets surprisingly few pages, as one would expect this event to be the pinnacle of the young soldier's life.

However, there are a number of places where Sacco's first hand account proves very effective: The story is full of wiseacre remarks about the shape of a woman, and while these types of comments aren't acceptable in our time, in most circles, they add to the realistic feel of a group of young GIs serving half a world away usually without female companionship.

Sacco's account of the group dynamics in his unit is fascinating. There are a number of anecdotes about race relations in the Army. The elder Sacco seems to pride himself on having been more enlightened than some in his time, in part because he himself experienced prejudice. Finally, his account of falling in love with a young woman named Monique during a stint in a small French village on the border with Germany is truly riveting.

In sum, the book seems to serve as a realistic account of military service and of the horror of war. And while I was disappointed by the casual telling of the story in some places, one has the sense that the elder Sacco's sense of humor, combined with his ability to minimize certain aspects of his tough experience, helped to keep him going during some of the most harrowing experiences of his life. Indeed, the author's style provided plenty of comic relief. This book is more for those who like biographies rather than those who want a straightforward account of the facts and dates associated with these historic events.

I concur with the excellent reviews preceeding mine. This is a beautifully written account of the guys from the 192nd Signal Battalion from basic training to the end of World War II. I'd like to identify three significant elements undergirding this excellent account of the incredible fortitude of teenagers turned warriers in a brutal environment. First, Joe Sacco and his buddies had the immense good fortune of being under the capable direction of First Sargeant Ernest Thomas. His presence in the background is a constant element in keeping these young men the best that they could be. Next, Joe Sacco and his buddies were among those who forever identify themselves as members of "Patton's Army". Through Joe's eyes we can appreciate the inspirational leadership he offered in the worst of times. Last, these guys were such good guys--in their treatment of little children, a child German soldier, and others, it makes one so proud of all those very young American soldiers who could see the worst, and yet keep their faith in the importance of each human being.

Superbly written! At once epic in scope and intimate in detail, WHERE THE BIRDS NEVER SING effortlessly transports even a casual reader on an emotional and unforgettable journey. Author Jack Sacco masterfully recounts the true story of his father, Joe Sacco, an American GI in World War II. Instead of using the tired genre of third-person documentary-style writing to tell the tale, the author speaks in the first person, through the eyes of his father. The result is one of the most powerful and honestly moving accounts of the human drama in World War II in recent memory.

The story begins in 1943 on a farm in Alabama, when the young Joe Sacco receives a letter informing him that he has been drafted into the service. From there, it seamlessly moves through his training with the 92nd Signal Battalion, shipping out to England (where the soldiers witnessed the stirring and famous speech by General Patton), landing at Omaha Beach in Normandy, surviving the Battle of the Bulge and fighting their way across Nazi Germany to eventually arrive at the notorious concentration camp at Dachau by war's end.

The book, already powerful and moving up until that point, then takes the reader to a new level of realism as horrifying details of the camp are revealed. Considering all he had seen and experienced since landing at Normandy, the emotional response of the young Joe Sacco to the carnage inside Dachau may leave the reader near tears. Rarely, if ever, has there been a written account of the reality of the concentration camps so graphic, gripping or compelling. As if that wasn't enough, Jack Sacco has included actual historic photographs his father took during the dramatic liberation.

All along the way, the author crafts memorable and beautifully written scenes, from the terrors of battle to the tranquility of a snowfall in the forests of Alsace-Lorraine, from the sorrows of the death of a buddy to the simple joy of decorating a makeshift Christmas tree with gum wrappers. In describing the emotions of the men before leaving Dachau, Sacco writes, "Now, after a year of combat, each of us finally and forever understood why destiny had called us to travel so far away from the land of our birth and fight for people we did not know. And so it was here, in this place abandoned by God and accursed by men, that we came to discover the meaning of our mission."

This is not another book about World War II. It's an intimate journey into the heart of an American soldier, and as such, it is as triumphant as the men it depicts. Readers will not only delight in WHERE THE BIRDS NEVER SING, they will gain a new appreciation for the accomplishments of their own fathers, uncles and grandfathers who may have served in World War II as part of the Greatest Generation.

Where The Birds Never Sing is the story of Joe Sacco's years in the army during WWII as written by his son Jack. From the time he was drafted until the time that he returns home we live with Joe as he experiences everything from basic training to the liberation of Dachau, which left Joe and the men of his company, soldiers who had witnessed everything that war has to offer, speachless and sickened. It also, as Joe so eloquently tells us, brought home, all too clearly, to these soldiers just why they had left their homes to "fight for a people we did not know."

A remarkable story about a remarkable man. This book must be read by all who are interested in "The Greatest Generation."

A beautiful tribute to those who have given their lives for our country. The pictures chosen reflect the dignity and beauty of this final resting place better than any words can. Excellent historical documentation. Everyone should own a copy for their personal libraries.

Where Valor Rests: Arlington National Cemetery: is an inspiring tribute to hundreds of thousands of our uniformed men and women who served this nation - in war and in peace. Arlington, like other military cemeteries at home and abroad, is ground made sacred by their dedication, their lives of service, and their sacrifices. This book tells the history of Arlington Cemetery and through it the history of many from our nation's heroes, ordinary and extraordinary. The selection of photographs is excellent, and Rick Atkinson's essay informative and inspiring.

Where Valor Rests: Arlington National Cemetery Outstanding in pictures and facts. The emotional response evolves as one gets further into the content. What a tremendously powerful book!

As a former member of the 3rd Old Guard Infantry, the ceremonial unit at Arlington, I very much appreciate the great photographs and fine writing that went into this beautiful tribute to the Garden of Stones. I visit my brother, my father-in-law, and a half dozen brothers-in-arms at Arlington at least once every year. With this book I can visit that hallowed ground more often. It's a wonderful tribute to the fallen and those who tend the fallen at Arlington. bb

Stunning pictures and moving text combine to give you an awe inspiring tour of probably the most revered area of the United States. You may have visited Arlington on a tour of Washington D.C., but Rick Atkinson and National Geographic takes you past the tourists and delivers a book that shows the care, dedication, and honor that envelopes the cemetery.

Contents:
Preface
Essay
History
Final March
Autumn
People
Caring
Salutes
Ceremony
Sacrifice
Tomb Guards
Services
Afterglow
Afterword
About the Contributors
Photography Credits

Beginning with the history of Arlington, which was once General Robert E. Lee's estate, and ending with pictures of Arlington at night, Where Valor Rests: Arlington National Cemetery is a beautiful, lovingly photographed book. The Afterword tells you that after every internment, this book, along with the flag, are given to the family. And I can see why.

I've been to Arlington, but not the Arlington presented in this book. That Arlington is populated with people that dedicate themselves to the care, maintenance, history, ceremony, and protection of 300,000 graves of the fallen. Exquisitely photographed, this book brings you more than a tour ever could. You see the cemetery in all seasons, you see veterans of World War II honoring their comrades, you witness the burials of soldiers who served in Iraq and Afghanistan (Section 60). You learn that ever since July 2, 1937, every minute of every day, someone has guarded the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Every. Single. Day.

Think about that for a moment.

There are pictures that show the guards in snow, at night, and other times when not a single other soul is in the cemetery.

It was difficult for me to read the captions on those pictures.

While I have read a few books this year, none of them affected me like this one. None of them included pictures like the ones that are in this book. This is an amazing tribute to Arlington National Cemetery, the 300,000 interred, and those who protect, care, and serve within its boundaries.

An incredible work. One that everyone should experience.

Ever since I was a child, I have dreamed of going to visit or to live in Africa. I don't know why. I have this fascination with Africa, its culture, history, and its wildlife. But at my age and with my income the dream may not ever be possible except this one exception.

Wilderness Family is the first book that truly made me feel that I actually living in the bush of Kruger National Park. The stories shared in the book drew you into this family's lives. Rather than looking at them as an outsider peering through the window at their lives, you felt as though you were part of the family.

You could sense Leo the lion, Wolfie their dog and the way those two animals had a real relationship. It was so humorous to see Leo, this growing lion being submissive to the dog and actually thinking it was a dog at times.

It is a book that I will feel a need to pick up and read again and again as my thoughts will surely wonder to Africa and I will use it to slake my desire to be there personally.

I recommend this book to everyone. There is joy, laughter, sadness, all the emotions there is in this book, but it will happen because it dares you to live their lives with them.

I agree with all of the earlier reviews of this book - it is a must-read! My family had the privilege of visiting Kruger Park last November. Ms. Kruger does a wonderful job of capturing what it feels like to be there. I highly encourage anyone who can to make the trip - South Africa is a beautiful country that shouldn't be missed.

The question is - where do you go from here? After this book you have to take a break before launching yourself into any other read just because there's so much verve and life to this book, it lingers in you for days. You laugh with it and you cry with it. Extraordinary book!

This is one of my favorite excape reads. I've read it many times and each time get just a bit more out of it as well as the feeling of being there and wishing I was. It's an incredible adventure written with humor and honesty. Life was not easy and it certainly wasn't dull. Ms. Kruger displays the courage and humility it takes to survive, sometimes alone, as part of Africa's protector. The interaction between humans and animals, even the fearful-for-her snakes speaks volumes. It's a book I don't want to end. Imagine raising children to appreciate life in this incredible location! Wonderful.

Probably one of the most touching and stirring non-fiction books I've ever read, I finished it far too quickly. Kobie Kruger is a very talented author, with a natural talent for engendering empathy to her deepest maternal love for both animals and her children.

I found myself in tears at their losses and beaming at their joys, and craving a life in Africa, far from telephones and the other modern annoyances of society.