Ambrose Books

Books-Under-Review-->Reference-->Biography-->A-->Ambrose
Related Subjects:
More Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250

Ambrose Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

German Boy: A Refugee's Story (Willie Morris Books in Memoir and Biography)

Published in Hardcover by University Press of Mississippi (2000-11)

Author: Wolfgang W. E. Samuel

List price: $32.00

New price: $24.16
Used price: $6.84

Average review score:

History through the honest eyes of a child who helped America become great

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-11

I have always been interested in WWII history and this book is excellent as it deals with the consequences of war. Wolfgang was blessed with an incredible memory and this book tells the story of the time from 1945 to 1950 in Germany and how things were. I will not recap the story since others have done it so well, but this is in the top 10 of the hundreds of books I have read.

Don't hesitate to buy this book.

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-17

This is a great book. I gave the book to a few German friends who lived in Germany during the war. They could identify with the author's experiences.

The author became a U.S citizen and fought in Vietnam. I would have liked to read about the author's experience in this country, and his experience, as a pilot in our Air Force.

A well written book and interesting too.

WQonderful first hand account

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-25

Wonderful and descriptive first hand account of living through WWII in Germany and the life there afterwards.

A compulsive pageturner

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-06

The author, who was 10 years old and living in eastern Germany when WWII came to an end, has an amazing memory for telling details and an irresistibly engaging personality. His memoir of that dreadful time is framed as a tribute to his mother, who certainly deserves it, and an unforgettable lesson in history as it is really lived. Once you start reading this book, you will be unable to put it down and you will never forget it.

Should be Required Reading for All Youths

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-18

This harrowing memoir should be required reading for all children. Perhaps, as adults, they will think hard and deeply before embarking on war. The description of life at the end of WWII and postwar Germany are harrowing. The reader cannot help but wonder how he or she would or could cope in the same situation.

I found the comparison among the American, British and Russian zones in postwar Germany to be fascinating. I hope that the friendliness and genorosity which have historically characterized Americans have not been lost in our recent imperialist adventurism and immoral acts.

Up Front

Published in Hardcover by W. W. Norton (2000-12)

Author: Bill Mauldin

List price: $24.95

New price: $9.95
Used price: $3.90
Collectible price: $24.95

Average review score:

One of Bill's BEST!!!!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-12

I had an original post WWII copy of this book and gave it away when I moved from W.Va..... Boy, was that ever a mistake!!!! I needed a copy for an event here honoring the Veterans, and so I was very pleased to see this one in print..... Bill looks at war from the dogface's perspective, and I'm quite sure there's a Bill Mauldin in Iraq somewhere.... but he's tied to the Internet and I'm not sure if we'll get good pen and ink sketches outta him now..... Bill had the way of seeing the ironic, the humerous, and the just plain sorry, in the average G.I.'s battle to survive....... I'd recommend it to school teachers for a look at WWII (AND I'd hustle up some of the last survivors... that first hand look isn't going to be with us much longer).............the Students would actuall LEARN something useful!!!

Marvellous

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-26

I am very satisfied with my purchase.The book itself is a pleasure to look at.The drawings are just as funny as I found them as a kid.The writing itself is new to me,but superb.It will allways be among my favourit books.Again marvellous

The Face of War

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-22

Indispensable depiction of the face of the Second World War. War and the pity of war. The humour is in the pity.

In Memory of Our Fallen and Our Gold Star Mothers

Helpful Votes: 120 out of 136 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-26

It's a gift, the ability to draw, to have perspective, to create, to be able to portray human misery as humor, for a reader to see the image and words and turn to laughter. Bill Mauldin had this gift that gained prominence in a time of war where talents rise to their greatest heights or sink to their lowest depths.

Truth is portrayed in humor or the humor isn't funny. Sergeant Bill Mauldin, an infantryman, barely twenty, and serving in Italy picks up a pencil and anything he can draw on, and begins to sketch two characters named Willy and Joe, two, brave, disheveled, irreverent, likeable and crusty infantry soldiers that give meaning to the names infantrymen were referred to as: ground-pounders, dogfaces, legs, and grunts. Mauldin portrays their grim and grimy existence with fatalistic pictures and captions--or grunts. One called "Breakfast in Bed" finds one of them waking up under a cow's utters, or the one where both are in a rain-filled foxhole and Willie touches Joe's shoulder saying, "Joe, yesterday ya saved my life an' I swore I'd pay ya back. Here's my last pair o' dry socks," or with rain pelting down on a scrawny dog facing the opening of their make-shift shelter, one of them says: "Let'im in. I wanna see a critter I kin feel sorry fer." My all-time favorite is a drunk German staggering toward a hidden Willie and Joe, holding a bottle of schnapps, unaware that he is wandering into American lines: "Don't startle `im, Joe. It's almost full."

These cartoons show the comradeship that soldiers developed for each other that would last a lifetime. Each man knew each other better than his own family or spouse ever would, and they could see the good and the bad in everything. They would carry a wounded lieutenant back to safety because he wasn't a "salutin' demon," or curse the Germans as vile, evil Nazis for scuttling a large keg of cognac before their retreat. These soldiers were miserable without being despondent. They were scared without being cowardly. They complained about their predicaments, but carried out their mission as American soldiers always do--attacking silently. The viewer cannot help but feeling empathy and admiration for soldiers who sometimes spent thirty months "in the line."

Mauldin goes further than just making us laugh at the miserable existence of two men trying to stay alive. His real success is that his humor defines the very best and most humane in the human character when it is engaged in its most destructive behavior. It is also timeless. Seventy years later, civilians and servicemen can still see the gallows humor in Willie and Joe's death-defying predicaments.

"Up Front" is Mauldin's account, of what he was doing when he created a particular drawing, why he made sure to include medics, engineers, chaplains, and even Tommies. The writing is matter of fact, well-written, and interesting, but without fascination. That was saved for the cartoons. The author is explaining each one in his text. It's the drawings and the captions that make this book a winner and a conversation piece.

Bill Mauldin died January 22, 2003. Willie and Joe occupying a foxhole filled with water and several cubic feet of complaints, live on.

Think about this the next time you put on a pair of dry socks, and marvel at the simple pleasure of just how good they feel.

May 26, 2008 Memorial Day (observed)

In Memory of the Fallen and all our Gold Star Mothers--especially today.

My Favorite War 'Novel'

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-03

Of course, this is not a novel. It's a collection of cartoons as they appeared in the Armed Services newspaper Stars and Stripes. The cartoon began to appear in 1944 as the invasion of Europe was underway and millions of Allied troops were fighting their way through Italy and France and into the heart of the third reich.
After a few false starts, Mauldin settled on two characters, Willie and Joe-infantry men. Willie and Joe (who were barely distinguishable from each other) were concerned with all the things that veterans said concerned them during the war. Lousy food was as much of a concern as enemy artillery, fear of cold, wet feet as annoying as the fear of death.
The cartoons, and Mauldin's self-effacing recollections together form a kind of narrative that is at once immensely personal and deeply historical. Mauldin was a pioneer. It was ten years before Cornelius Ryan The Longest Day: The Classic Epic of D-Dayturned personal narratives into history and almost forty before Ken Burns came along.The War - A Film By Ken Burns and Lynn Novick
Mauldin was, in effect, the only war reporter who was relatively uncensored. Since his cartoons carried no strategic information, his only worry was the military's possible perception that he might be lowering troop morale with his swipes at the brass and the rear-echelon. Fortunately, some American sensibility that 'it's good to laugh at the boss even if the boss is us' prevailed.

Up Front was one of the few books that my parents kept by their bedside. This is the book that helped the post-war generation remember the war as it was fought by the men who did the hard work. A quiet masterpiece.

Lynn Hoffman, author of bang BANG: A Novel

The Journals of Lewis and Clark (Lewis & Clark Expedition)

Published in Paperback by Mariner Books (1997-04-30)

Authors: Meriwether Lewis and William Clark

List price: $14.95

New price: $4.68
Used price: $0.81
Collectible price: $14.95

Average review score:

An OK read but slightly boring!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-18

I am not an accomplished reader so it has to really hold my attention to finish a book. This book is written exactly from L&C's journals. Lots of mispelled words and some confusion. Sometimes hard to follow. Sometimes the minute details are a bit much. They don't really expound on things. I guess what they go through on a day to day basis is somewhat mundane at times. Overall a decent read IMO...I wouldn't get it again if I knew what I know now. Oh well. Enjoy!

Fascinating Story, Can't Stop Talking, Use Google Earth!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-01

I read books in a wide variety of topics. I decided to read about Lewis and Clark because I felt I just did not know enough about it and I felt that I should. When I received the book, I opened it and was fearful that I made a mistake because it was made up of journal entries, day by day in Lewis and Clark's own words. I started reading and I found myself immmediately engrossed in the story. I mean immediately. You can read the letter from Jefferson containing the instructions and mission of the expedition- just fascinating. Then you get the story of the expedition, day by day, straight from the horses' mouth. I could not put this book down. I could not stop talking about it. I used Google Earth (so cool!!!) to follow the Missouri River into the Rockies, across the mountains, finally to the Columbia to the Pacific and then back. Canoeing up rivers, down rivers, fighting bears, trading and smoking with indians, fighting with some indians, at times overheated, at times freezing. Surving on the land with strategy and forethought. I learn an incredible amount of information about that time in our country's history. I was blown away. And the greatest part, I had to keep reminding myself of, is that it was absent all of the politically corrected revisionism we read today. This story is straight from them. They are sitting down at night and recording what they experienced in 1804 (05-06). Those notes are delivered to you via an author Bernard Devoto who uses only the most relevant parts of the journals (leaves out the volumes of strict scientific research data). Then, when he has to make the occasion insertion of a letter or two to make sure a misspelled word is not misinterpreted, he gives very clear instruction on how he has denoted the change. He also, upon occasion will give a summary of events, or a note of interest.
The end result is a splendid story, rich in historical information, written by the men who lived it, about one of the most important events in our country's history. I leave you with this excerpt, logged Sunday August 18th, 1805 by a man who is in the middle of the American West, where no white man has tread before, trading and smoking with Indians, shooting bear and deer to survive, canoeing upriver for 2000 miles;
"This day I completed my thirty first year, and conceived that I had in all human probability now existed about half the period which I am to remain in this subluminary world. I reflected that I had as yet done but little, very little indeed, to further the happiness of the human race or to advance the information of the succeeding generation. I viewed with regret the many hours I have spent in indolence..."

Excellent!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-18

I would use one word to characterize this work: Timeless. To relive the great expedition through the words of Lewis and Clark themselves is a fantastic experience. I think that most people who enjoy American history will love this book. People who are not inclined to read or enjoy historical non-fiction might find it tedious (such as students forced to do so for class assignments), as it is long and detailed.

I previously read Ambrose's "Undaunted Courage" (which itself is excellent), which contains many passages from these journals, but the journals themselves are unsurpassed.

I can scarcely express how much I love these journals.

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-13

I recently took a college class about the hidden history of the West--and it was a great class, one of the best ever--but one of the books we read in there was all about the Native American perspective of the Lewis and Clark expedition and while it was interesting to hear that take on the subject, I couldn't have been more at odds with the discussion that followed, most of which had to do with the low characters of the men of the expedition, the subversive agenda behind it all, and the thought that the world would have been a better place if the entire undertaking had never taken place.
That's because, to me, there has never been anything cooler than the Corps of Discovery, than the journey West, than Lewis and Clark and their whole ragged crew.
Actually, I take that back: the journals they kept...those are even cooler.
From Lewis's insightful reflections, to Clark's lyrical descriptions, to their hilariously bad attempts at spelling, to the thought of moving unknowing into America at its most pristine, these journals have it all. This is the quintessential American adventure story, an amazing account of men against the unknown. This edited collection of the journals, well-compiled by Bernard DeVoto, is one of the greatest things I have ever read, and ever since reading it, I have had an undeniable love for Lewis and Clark, and for their expedition.
Words fail me, but they didn't fail these guys, because here is the West of 1803, vividly rendered for us all to see today. When I first read these in 1999, they convinced me to move into the wild, onto the water, and I spent seven months afterward living out of a canoe...keeping a journal of my own.
If you haven't read these journals, do yourself a favor, and do so now: read them. DeVoto has already made it easy for you, by picking out all the most interesting parts, and by putting them in context with a well-written introduction. You need this book, and you may not even know it.

28 months to the sea and back

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-02

This work has been edited for the general reader. Many entries have been considerably shortened in the hope of gaining a wider public. For the most part only the highlights are kept, being the actual journal in its full version is so extensive. Most of the original punctuation's and spellings are kept (this gives it a feel of nostalgia). There is repetition. But this, I would think would be impossible to overcome. DeVoto has "produced a straight forward text which could be read without distraction".

The introduction is lengthy; discussed are: the importance of the Louisiana Purchase; the history and purpose leading up to the exploration; earlier expeditions, such as Thompsons' and Mckenzies'; and Lewis' and Clark's background. This was said of these two great men: "The two agreed and worked together with a mutuality unknown elsewhere in the history of exploration and rare in any kind of human association", and "Ingenuity and resourcefulness [by Lewis and Clark] in the field are so continuous that a casual reader may not notice them".

Each chapter is identified by the author whose journal it is taken from, such as Lewis, Clark, Biddle, Orduray, and others. The journal writings have been left as original, giving it that early America mystique. On the 14th of May, 1804, 32 men embark in search of a trade route from the Atlantic to the Pacific:

Dangers lurk around every curve. Indian, grizzly, and immense animal herd encounters are prevalent throughout the journey. To think of the rich bounty contained in the wilderness of the past is beyond comprehension. With leadership that is both strong and wise, Lewis and Clark take this large party of men on a blind epic journey. And on looking back, it was relatively safe. The treatment of the Natives is to be commended, even though many tribes were untrustworthy and warring to other Nations. Trade with the Indians was essential if they were to survive. Also recorded were observations and behaviors of the different tribes. A few of these tribes possessed a huge wealth in horses. Lewis and Clark's party purchased these horses both for traveling overland (which I was never aware) and for food. They did not seem to be displeased with eating horse-meat, dog or roots, which they bought and traded for. The days spent on the Pacific coast were to be the most miserable. The medical remedies used were almost comical; some that were proved beneficial have since been lost through time. The journey ends over 28 months later on the 25th of September, 1806.

I don't know if we can understand completely, how important this expedition was for our country. The undertaking involved in putting this book together from the hundreds of pages of numerous journals is truly amazing. And finally: Appendix I contains Jefferson's instructions; Appendix II is the personnel (32+); and appendix III is the list of specimens brought back.

Wish you well
Scott

9 Life Altering Lessons: Secrets of the Mystery Schools Unveiled

Published in Paperback by Reality Press (2007-08-03)

Author: Kala Ambrose

List price: $19.95

New price: $10.95
Used price: $8.95

Average review score:

So much to share

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-08

I was familiar with Kala as a very talented interviewer and teacher, and I have long been aware of mystery schools--though not seen it recently spoken of in popular reading. Still, when I picked up "9 Life Altering Secrets" I was rather surprised by the volume of information introduced/reintroduced in this small book.

For the neophyte, the path is aptly opened; for anyone 'long on the road', the new perspectives or reminders are equally beneficial. Kala's book is so packed with information that one must 'sit with' that it took me quite some time to savor.

One of Kala's insights that I most enjoyed, was the perspective that we are surrounded by the energies that we put forth in our thinking. If we cultivate this surrounding field with negativity, that is what we breath in--perpetuating our negative experience of the world.

"9 Life Altering Secrets" has many more gifts to offer.

I am thankful to Kala for bringing these schools of spiritual introspection back to the forefront...and for sharing from her own learning and insight.

CG Walters author of Sacred Vow

Life Lessons and Mystery Schools

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-28

9 Life Lessons by Kala Ambrose

This book explains about esoteric teachings and clarifies that the teachings are available to everyone, but especially those with an open mind and heart. There are many "pearls of wisdom" as the author mentioned, throughout the book that enlighten the reader and help to reveal the mysteries of the universe. I was very curious to find out what mystery schools were and also learned that I was a Neophyte, or a student who has just become aware that they may be more than what they previously considered themselves to be. The book is a pleasure to read, with beautiful language and a deep sense of calm and peace. A favorite quote of mine: "Some call me a teacher. I like to say I do not teach, rather I help souls remember who they are."

...a revelation for the soul.

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-23

This book is an introduction to the willing student who is truly open-minded and interested in learning to connect to the magical energies that surrounds us. Kala Ambrose explains, in nine easy steps, this spiritually rewarding process:

From Lesson 1, where she explains that we are here to learn and grow, and that which we haven't learned we repeat until we have fully experienced the lesson; To Lesson 9, in which she sums up her teachings by allowing the student to become aware that "all is revealed in the journey, not in the destination."

Her tender thoughts and words of wisdom go beyond the traditions of reaching the mind and extend to the deeper subconscious where the soul rests.

Remembering Life

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-15

Author Kala Ambrose is a teacher at the Stella Maris school who uses this book to share what she calls esoteric teachings, wisdom teachings, enlightenment teachings, or mystery teachings. Her aim is "to help you remember what you already know at a soul level," information as old as humanity culled from the ancient Greeks, Sumerians and others. Two chapters I found to be extremely powerful were Lesson Two: We Are The Creation of Our Thoughts and Lesson Five: We Are Greater Than We Remember Ourselves To Be. Fascinating stuff for the neophyte or those with a background in the subject.

Life Altering

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-19

Where do I start? How about, from the bottom of my heart thank you Kala! I finished this book a while ago now and it has had, and continues to have, deep and profound implications for me. I was going to write this when the positive changes started to peter out or stop but they just keep on coming. What did I learn? In short, I discovered self-love. And it is truly transformational. Without love you feel like a hungry ghost, I've been searching (and discovering) for such a long time without any, or very little, permanent change. I would discover something, that good feeling would be fleeting, or I would know the information I'm learning is truly wise, however, like a ghost it would just pass through me. Love has the most potent seed of, dare I say it, life-altering power imaginable, and it is this book that gave me the breakthrough I really needed. To those who can relate to these words I can't recommend this book enough.

The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary

Published in Hardcover by Univ of Georgia Pr (2000-07)

Author: Ambrose Bierce

List price: $34.95

New price: $149.99
Used price: $70.63

Average review score:

Attempting to do it justice

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-10

If poetry and sarcasm had a wild affair, and the more feminine of the two (poetry, I suppose) had a love child nine months later, it would take form in this book. Bitter Bierce defines everything from Saints ("a dead sinner revised and edited") to Egotists("a person of low taste, more interested in himself than me") with a snarl of disgust, appreciating only the flaws in our pitiful species.
*(this is where the disclaimer should go) Not recommended for anyone of the Judeo-Christian religion, Politicians, or anyone with an ounce of optimism left in their lives.

Bitter Bierce at his very best...

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-05

Also known as "The Cynic's Workbook" this collection is classic and belongs in any library. Ambrose Bierce, like Mark Twain and few other of his contempories, had a biting wit that always left a mark.
Here is just a taste of his humor.

Philosophy: A route of many roads leading from nowhere to nothing.

Eulogy. Praise of a person who has either the advantages of wealth and power, or the consideration to be dead.

Good good stuff.

A classic

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-30

Still haven't found any real competitor for the Devils Dictionary.

Sheer honesty abounds. The insurance agent that came by my place rapidly deflated when I showed him the entry for "insurance" while (to his credit) acknowledged its veracity...

"an ingenious modern game of chance in which the player is permitted to enjoy the comfortable conviction that he is beating the man who keeps the table."

(followed by a vicious, fictitious and brilliant dialogue between an agent and perspective mark wherein said agent tries to overcome the mark's observation that by the agent's own actuarial tables a home owner without insurance would most likely save the full value of the house in premiums well before any loss... )

And that's just one of hundreds of essays. One of my intellectual heroes.

A Beautiful Mind

Helpful Votes: 16 out of 16 total.
Review Date: 2006-04-25

If truth is beauty, and beauty truth, this is one good looking book. As an aspiring cynic, finding this book was akin to Ahab finding the whale. (I have no idea what that means). I don't think this book could be written today. Most of Bierce's definitions have become accepted fact. The book belongs in the library of everyone who believes Political Correctness is the beginning of the end of the world. Without the ability to communicate honestly, we are doomed. If you don't agree, you're just a bigoted fool. (see Bierce definitions). A great, funny, lucid book.

Great Gift

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-01

This is a great book. The sarcasm and the definitions are the best. If you know someone who is a book lover or just enjoys quick wit-this book is for them. I bought two more just for gifts. It's one of those books that you can always pick up and find a smile...

New Cook Book, Bridal Edition (Better Homes & Gardens)

Published in Hardcover by Better Homes and Gardens (2004-12-14)

Author: Better Homes and Gardens

List price: $29.95

New price: $18.76
Used price: $7.47

Average review score:

great recipes!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-03

perfect, was a gift for a bridal shower, but after purchasing and fingering through some of the pages, fell in love w/ the book myself! Will definitely put on my personal registry or reccomend to a freind.

New Brides Loved it!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-15

Have given several to new brides either for a shower gift or wedding present - they thanked me several times and said it was the best basic book they received - daughter-in-law bought her own before I could get hers shipped to her!! Says it the best way to prevent ruining expensive cuts of meat.

Best Cookbook ever

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-12

I love love love (can't say it enough) LOVE this book. I have a lot of cookbooks that I have been given. I am just starting out in the whole cooking thing and this is the best ever. Tells me everything I need to know. I think this tis the perfect book for beginners and advanced. Has very detailed info I bet A LOT of people don't even know about. Different cuts of meat how they should be cooked. Just a great book.

Awesome Cookbook

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-04

This is the best cookbook I've purchased. It covers so many diverse topics and gives you so many different recipes, and they are all pretty simple too. IT's also great for newlywed couples b/c it gives you a whole bunch of meals for two.

Wonderful recipes for EVERY OCCASION

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-13

My daughter checked this book from the library to read, (hotel management major) and asked for a copy for her birthday. What a wonderful read. Excellent tried and true recipes, illustrations are colored on glossy paper. Lots of tips and tricks. Just a wonderful, "first bride" cookbook to have but great for everyday occasions.

Nixon, Vol. 3: Ruin and Recovery, 1973-1990

Published in Hardcover by Simon & Schuster (1991-11-15)

Author: Stephen Ambrose

List price: $27.50

New price: $27.50
Used price: $7.30
Collectible price: $48.35

Average review score:

Stellar Work on Nixon and Watergate

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2004-08-15

To fully understand Nixon, I highly recommend first reading volumes 1 and 2 of Ambrose's work. If, however, you are more interested in the Watergate affair, this volume certainly stands on its own.

This is the final part of Ambrose's definitive three-volume biography of Nixon. The destructive tendencies wonderfully described by Ambrose in the first two volumes come to a head in Ruin & Recovery. Ambrose takes the reader through the unfolding of the mess that was Watergate.

Even though we all know the ultimate outcome will be resignation, the author manages to maintain enough tension and suspense to keep the reader engrossed. In the wake of resignation, Ambrose follows Nixon's remarkable comeback as an elder statesman.

If an affordable copy is not currently available, be patient. Because this book is out of print, it will be more expensive than you might expect, but you can find it for $20 to $30 if you look around.

Interesting and informative

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2005-04-01

For a guy that didn't grow up during Watergate, I found the third volume in this series to be a real page turner. Ambrose does a good job of telling you what happened, why it happened, how the public saw it and all the ways Nixon tried to keep the public from seeing it all.

Ruin and Recovery is a great subtitle for this volume because Nixon truly did recover. There were a few things he never lost... his ability to guage the American people and how they felt about candidates and the ability to breakdown foreign affairs. It was good to see that in the final years of his life he was called on as an expert on both.

I'm going to say it..."I ADMIRE RICHARD NIXON." Obviously I don't admire his Presidency or his decision-making during Watergate... but... for the most part I feel he was an idealistic, patriotic person that took a bad path and ruined his place in history at least when it comes to his Presidency. He did many things that Americans should respect though and it's high time we did.

I am glad he has made a recovery in the minds of many Americans and as I read this final volume I think I saw Ambrose almost making a case for Nixon being a kinder, gentler person who should be slightly more respected in American history.

Everybody makes mistakes and true Nixon made a big one, but I think in this final volume Ambrose almost makes a personal peace with Nixon and in a way advises Americans who resented Nixon to do the same.

Really an enjoyable series of books that I would recommend to anyone willing to spend 1900 words delving into what made Nixon both good and bad as a person and politican.

best book ever

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 22 total.
Review Date: 2000-03-13

it was the best book ever my bum is on the swedish! my bum is on the book hehe

Well balanced with the focus on Watergate

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2002-08-31

This third volume of the Nixon series is dominated by the Watergate scandal, with Ambrose skilfully detailing how the great election victory in 1972 slowly unravelled, as the full weight of the media and Democrat-controlled Congress worked to expose the whole tawdry episode. During this era, there was also the bombing of Hanoi followed by the Vietnam ceasefire, and summits with the Soviet leadership, but Watergate overshadowed all. Ambrose makes it clear that Nixon reinvented the story over and over, and bears a large burden of blame for the predicament he found himself in. He also makes clear that this was the opportunity for Nixon's arch enemies in the media and Congress to go for blood. The descent into the nightmare of possible impeachment and eventual resignation reads like an inevitablity, that Nixon lasted till August 1974 said a lot about his tenacity and stubborness in the face of relentless adversity.

The recovery of Nixon was never fully realized, although he was an authoritative elder statesman in later years, and Ambrose shows that Nixon had regained a fair amount of respect in his later years. Since his death the left has continued to disparage and villify his legacy, but as hard as it is to defend Nixon at times, he was still a statesman to be reckoned with, and his foreign policy record, especially with his China trip, is one of distinction. The eastern establishment despised Nixon, but he did not cater to them, it was the silent majority that was his constituency. One finishes this book wondering where America would have gone had the Watergate scandal not occurred.

Watergate happened in a democracy!

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2002-03-25

Stephen Ambroses third Nixon Volume : "Ruin And
Recovery" takes on into the heart and soul
of democracy.
Cynics accustomed to political scandal might
be bemused by Watergate. What was all the
hullabaloo really all about?

Ambrose puts it something like this in the book:
To the british, with their official Secrets Act, nothing
that Nixon had done seemed that out of the ordinary,
much less illegal. The Italians simply threw up their hands
at the crazy Americans. To the French. Watergate
confirmed their suspicions about the naive Americans.
In west Germany, the frequent comparison of Nixon
to Hitler by his enemies in America showed either
how little the Americans understood Hitler,
or how little they understood Nixon, or both.
Nixons friends in China, could not understand
why he just didn't shoot his critics.

But in a democracy you must play by the law,
and you must trust and have faith in the wisdom
of the election process.
Watergate was all about how these things were
violated and how american democracy proved strong
enough to recover.
Ruin and Recovery reads like a detective story,
absolutely undeniable brilliant stuff.

Twenty-Five Yards of War: The Extraordinary Courage of Ordinary Men inWorld War II

Published in Hardcover by Hyperion (2001-11-28)

Authors: Stephen Ambrose and Ronald J. Drez

List price: $23.45

New price: $49.03
Used price: $4.74
Collectible price: $23.45

Average review score:

From the view of the fighting man

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-15

This book helped to strengthen my appreciation for what the men in the trenches had to deal with day to day. This is one of the most harrowing books you will read, but it is well written, fast paced, and gives you a clear look at what the horror of war.

Personal Accounts of True Patriots & Heroes

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-07-17

Ron Drez is a US Marine Vietnam combat veteran but rather than talk about his own heroic accomplishments he shares twelve stories of WWII. The Twenty-Five yards of war from the title refer to the individual in combat and how major events of conflict impact the individual. Some of the events such as Doolittle's raid over Tokyo and the sinking of the USS Indianapolis are well known but some of the stories are much less familiar. By seeing events unfold from the soldier, sailor, airman, and marine's perspective you feel like you're part of the battle. The book is well-written and each story keeps your attention. One of the great surprises of this book involved the actions of Navy flyers during the Battle of the Philippine Sea. After the Marianas Turkey Shoot where over 350 Zeros were destroyed, the Japanese made a run to escape. The Task Force 58 commander decided to try to intercept the naval force with airpower but the distances involved meant that the Navy pilots would be flying "one-way" missions and ditching at night on the return leg. Almost eighty aircraft splashed into the ocean on the return flight and the next day, half of those pilots were recovered along the path of their flight. You'll learn similar facts in the other eleven stories. You won't be disappointed.

Twenty Five Yards of War

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2004-12-08

As a generation-Xer who has had very little past interest (other than viewing Saving Private Ryan) in the facts and realities of WWII, this book was an eye-opener. The personal stories of the very real men who fought this all-important war against often seemingly insurmountable odds are astounding. My grandfather was a navigational Officer in the Royal Navy during WWII and when he was alive he would not share most of his experiences. Now I understand a bit why this was so.

I have a much deeper respect and admiration for the veterans of WWII and will take the time to show that admiration and appreciation for the rest of my life thanks to this book. Mr. Drez is an outstanding author and I recommend this book heartily.

Twenty Five yards of war

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2002-03-12

This book is a easy read, filled with many many facts previously not read, and the short stories of various battles, with specific people was EXCELLENT. Best author since Ambrose I've read in years.

The Success of Twenty-Five Yards of War

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2004-04-14

In Twenty-Five Yards of War, Ronald J. Drez tells the heroic stories of 12 men who have shown inspiring courage in their contribution to the United States' World War II effort.

It was interesting that those men and all who contributed to the war were named "Warriors". These warriors were "called upon to bear unswerving allegiance to the nation...and to surrender part of their own rights and freedoms so the people they protect can better enjoy their own. And this service is predestined to be forgotten". This quote awakened me to the tremendous gratitude that is owed to all those who have unselfishly fought for their country. The warrior theme was appropriately carried out throughout the book. In every story, each soldier, no matter what branch he was in, pushed himself to the limit to get that victory for the U.S. He never worried about whether someone back home would appreciate his deed.

The book kept me engrossed in a way that truly made me excited about history, especially World War II. I had learned about the Doolitte Raid, Battles of Midway and Tarawa, Invasion of Normandy, Battle of the Bulge, and Iwo Jima, but the book expanded upon that knowledge in a way that was clear and easy to read. Also, focusing on one person's experience at each of the battles helped me to have a better understand of what hardships and successes the soldiers went through.

I encountered, for the first time, information on the development of U.S. submarines, like U.S.S. Barb, throughout WWII. I was shocked at the number of deaths occurring on both sides of the war. After every battle the numbers were listed off in the range of hundreds to thousands of men. It was sad for me to think that each man probably had a remarkable story to tell just like the 12 men featured in the book.

Overall, the book was exciting, and was good for me in clarifying basic information. For example, I correlated, for the first time, that The Battle of the Philippine Sea was the same thing as The Great Marianas Turkey Shoot. The book is a good read for someone who is interested in World War II.

Chicken Soup for the Soul Recipes for Busy Moms (Chicken Soup for the Soul)

Published in Spiral-bound by HCI (2006-10-01)

Authors: Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and Mr. Food

List price: $19.95

New price: $2.87
Used price: $2.34

Average review score:

Great for everyone

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-12

Not a clunker in it. All of these recipes are great. (I haven't tried them all, but I have read the book cover to cover)I have 6 boys age 4-20 and they have loved all of the ones we have tried. They are easy, nutritious, and fairly inexpensive and FULL of flavor. The inspirational essays are wonderful and inspiring as well as humorous. This is in the top 5 of my cookbooks.

Terrific!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-02

As a busy working mom (who isn't these days!), the title attracted me to pick up this book having read many of the other Chicken Soup books years ago when I had time to read! I had my 8- and 10-year old sons look through it and bookmark recipes that interested them. I'm pleased to say that they bookmarked virtually the entire book! They love to cook with me so we'll have fun trying these fun and easy recipes. Great photos that show what the finished product will look like, too!

A must for moms with young kids

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-27

I bought this thinking I was going to give it away as a gift, but after looking through it I decided it was perfect for me. I love it!

It's not easy cooking with a child hanging onto your ankles...

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-11

The stories in this book help us to share our experience as busy moms,
with lots more than cooking on our plates. I appreciated the suggestions for more than the usual kid-friendly macaroni and cheese or pizza that the kids prefer, and added new dishes to my repertoire. The format of the book is wonderful, with laminated large pages that make it easy to prop the recipes on the counter while cooking with baby in hand. Try the Tortilla Soup--it's an instant hit with both adults and tots,tasty and healthy. The accompanying stories with each recipe gave me insight into the lives of other busy moms(and dads). Cook a little, laugh a little with this wonderful book.

Delicious, nutritious, and heartwarming

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-06

Reviewed by Vicki Landes for Reader Views (2/07)

Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen team up for a tasty new addition to the scrumptious Chicken Soup for the Soul series, called "Recipes for Busy Moms." Targeted at the modern, on-the-go mother, this delicious collection includes quick and easy instructions for breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as snacks, sides, and desserts. Many of the recipes are new takes on the classics (no more whining during meatloaf night) while others are freshly new and promise to be lots of fun. The extra tips on food preparation and healthier alternatives to the already good-for-you recipes add even more to the mix.

In addition to recipes perfect for someone who doesn't want to spend all day in the kitchen, the book is sprinkled with inspirational stories that speak to the souls of both new and experienced moms. Tickle your palate with anecdotes on achieving (or not achieving) supermom status, the automatic "yuck" response, and never living down an unsuccessful recipe. Savor the bittersweet ache of children leaving home for college, marriage, or military deployment while taking comfort in family recipes and traditions. Both stay-at-home and working moms (and as this book says, "every mom is a working mom") will appreciate the wit and humor stirred into this compilation that you learn only by being "mom." "Recipes for Busy Moms" isn't just about putting together a meal; it's about family memories - the good, the bad, and the messy.

Canfield and Hansen serve up a richly flavorful read with a side of hearty laughter worthy of any dinner table. Instead of a cookbook with the same old boring things, "Recipes for Busy Moms" is chock full of the spice of life. "Being able to pull into a fast-food, take-out lane or pop another frozen entrée into the microwave can be a life-saver, but when a family sits down for a meal together, the experience feeds more than a hungry stomach." Why put off quality family time any longer? "Recipes for Busy Moms" satisfies!

Your Life Manual: Practical Steps to Genuine Happiness

Published in Paperback by Revolution Mind Publishing (2006-03-01)

Author: David Ambrose

List price: $20.95

New price: $17.91
Used price: $13.40

Average review score:

happiness as a revolutionary tool!

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-10

Rebeccasreads highly recommends YOUR LIFE MANUAL as a provocative, profound & valuable resource for looking at your life, your right to happiness, & how to get there through positive affirmations.

Some of his chapter titles are:
Bringing It Down To Earth
Everything Has Consequences
Our Lives Are Our Own Responsibility
Pump Up The Positive. Neutralize The Negative
Sometimes, What Is, Is
Forgiveness Is For You Not The Other Person
Good Selfishness
Truth And Apologies
Personal Freedoms

YOUR LIFE MANUAL also shows you how to fulfill your responsibility by living that happiness & taking it out into our global village to facilitate a better world for all.

Thoughts based on the concepts behind 'Your Life Manual: Practical Steps to Genuine Happiness'

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-18

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3B1HS40UQPAQL This is a video I put together containing thoughts and concepts based on the contents 'Your Life Manual' and some of the ideas that led to its writing. We can all achieve of happiness and live a fulfilled life. Here are some of the essences (SN-sez) of happiness.

It Might Change Your Life

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-19

If you would like to take charge of your mind and your life, this is the book for you. David Ambrose provides you with a blueprint for achieving this in his award winning book, 'Your Life Manual: Practical Steps to Genuine Happiness'. The author cares deeply about your contentment and joy and the world at large. This comes through loud and clear as he gently but firmly delivers his promise to show you the way to genuine happiness.

The book is down to earth and very readable. Take your time with it. It's worth savoring and slowly digesting the teachings. It lays out a philosophy, provides you with a foundation, and offers many practical methods to help you become happier.

I have read many books on happiness, but this book distinguishes itself from the others. I will read it again. You should read it too. It is a very important book. It just might change your life.

A book to be read over and over again!

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-06-21

Reviewed by Michelle Anne Cox-Lomas Ph.D. for Reader Views (6/06)

How would you like to own a step-by-step manual containing all you need to know to increase your ability to have genuine happiness, love, peace, freedom, harmony, and the greatest amount of joy you have ever known? How would you like to be free of negative, self-defeating thoughts and feelings, insecurities, anger, resentments and guilt and put them behind you forever? How would you like to rid yourself of all of the anguish and never have it return to you again? Now you can have it all! The world is truly blessed to have this fantastic manual written by David Ambrose. "Your Life Manual - Practical Steps to Genuine Happiness" teaches you, entertains you, and totally enlightens you with all you will ever need to know in order to have the inner-peace that you have been seeking for so long.

From the first word to the last, this book is hard to put down. I took this book to bed with me every night for 3 weeks straight and it still sits on my nightstand so that I can pick it up again and again every time I need a refreshing thought to ponder over, or, a good kick in the butt to remind me that I am living in this world so filled with negativity, but, I don't have to be OF it. I am able to choose a better way of being and allow myself a more positive perspective on what is happening in the world around me.

You can literally pick up this book and turn to any page, for whatever page you turn to is going to give you the inspiration that you are seeking. I encourage you to do like I do and keep a copy of this fantastic book by your bedside. Reading this book, just before you go to sleep, will fill you up with insight, inspiration, enlightenment, and lead you into the peaceful truths of the soul. You will have the best dreams and the most peaceful night's sleep you have ever had. Reading the truthful words, stories, principles, and insights in David's book was like taking a Guardian angel to bed with me each night. The only problem you might have is in knowing when to stop reading, because this book that good! But, take it from me, one chapter at a time is the perfect way to easily absorb and learn from David's book. Read and listen with your heart, to David's wisdom and insights, and tuck yourself in. Allow your mind to absorb the hope, peace, agape love, and wonderful wisdom. You will truly feel the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual security each chapter will bring into your life.

I learned so much from "Your Life Manual" that it's hard to explain it all to you here, for it would take a personal book from me to share all of the positive stories that have happened in my life since reading this great book. But, to put it all in a cliff note form for you - this book does what David says it does! You are going to be happier, healthier, love yourself and those around you more, have a better perspective on life in general, and be able to get out of bed each day with a skip to your step and a smile on your face because you know that the positive steps you have learned through David's book is helping you to build a fantastic foundation for your day. And, that foundation is going to get better, happier, and stronger each day for the rest of your life!

"Your Life Manual - Practical Steps to Genuine Happiness" is a book that you are going to want to read over and over again! Get yourself a copy today and if you love someone, get them a copy too! Spread the word and help to bring more love, light, and genuine happiness into your life and all those around you. It's easier than you may think. It's time to be enlightened and have fun too!

An accessible and philosophical introduction to living purely and properly in an ever-changing world

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-08

Your Life Manual: Practical Steps To Genuine Happiness by David Ambrose is an accessible and philosophical introduction to living purely and properly in an ever-changing world. Engaging readers by using a simple basis which teaches how to stop sabotaging ones-self, minimize the negative effects of things which have gone wrong, discovery of reasonable and practical philosophy for living, finding what the difference between transitory and real happiness, rediscovering the things which make on really happy, taking charge of one's life, and changing the surrounding world, Your Life Manual is an advanced "how to" manual offering an insightful understanding of life and its true pursuit. A welcome addition to any personal self-help or self-improvement reading list, Your Life Manual is ideal for anyone searching for a more productive and meaningful philosophy for themselves.