Anne Books

I am an ancient programmer switching from C to .NET. I have read a lotta books in my time and this is the best presentation and layout of a book I have ever seen. Its easy to read. Content is great. I wish I had found it first in my conversion to .NET. I am so impressed that I am checking out the other Murach titles for something to buy.

I needed to learn ADO.NET for my job and this book was the best on the topic I read the entire book in about 3 weeks. Everything is explained wonderfully. I love how the examples are laid out on the right with explanations on the left. I also really found the program files extremely helpful. I opened each chapters program and followed right along with the book. All the examples are already created so that you can see how they work and even modify them.

I liked this book so much that I also bought the ASP.NET, SQL, and Visual Basic 2005...all topics I need to brush up on. As far as I can tell these other books follow the same great format.

From someone who thousands of dollars worth of technical and programming books...these are great even for beginners. However if you are not familiar with vb2005 get murach's visual basic 2005 to read first.

As with the other Murach Press books I have reviewed, this book is extremely readable. It shows step-by-step how to develop database applications with VB. NET 2005 and ADO.NET. This book is best suited to someone new to database development with Visual Studio 2005 but that has a passing familiarity with VB syntax. If you are unfamiliar with flow control statements and VB syntax, you might want to look at Murach's "Visual Basic 2005" book first. I highly recommend this book for entry to mid level developers.

ADO.NET is a huge and sometimes daunting topic to attempt to cover, but in traditional Murach fashion, this book has the capacity to make its reader an expert if read cover to cover. All of the important topics are coverered, including use of the base objects, data binding, typed vs. untyped data sets, and most importantly (in my opinion): use of object data sources.

The best part of Murach books (including this one), aside from the paired page layout, is that they make no assumption about the reader's skill level, and cover enough background on each topic to ensure that you will come away with a thorough understanding of not just what and how, but also why.

Both beginner and expert programmers alike will find this book extremely useful, and it's a great addition to the Murach family of programming reference and tutorial books.

I am a C# developer but when I started browsing this book I couldn't help it but to continue reading it. It is not only about the VB language itself, but instead, how to use it so solve software problems. It teaches how to better write software, best practices and approaches.
This book doesn't cover all the theory in the world about a topic. Also, not all topics. But it tells you how to use them and what to watch for.
I am glad to have read it.

Richard Lambert went to England to fulfill his dead wife's wish, never knowing that he would be reunited with her, albeit 700 years in the past. Meanwhile, in 1214, a very brutal Lord Richard de Lambert wreaks havoc and terror along the Welsh border. His wife Eleanor, knows him for the monster he is and doesn't really care for him. Ambushed and mortally wounded, Lord Richard's body brought home to Eleanor, and he is pronounced dead. When the priest comes to perform last rites, he finds Richard still alive. Reluctantly, Eleanor tends to Richard and as he eventually begins to heal, she finds this Richard is completely different.

This new and improved Richard, the one from the future, who fell down and most likely died while exploring the medieval keep took the place of his namesake. Richard's mind is from the future, but his body is now that of a younger man (a body better than he ever had in the future). Eleanor is the picture of his beloved deceased wife, but looks at him with fear and much less than affection. Not knowing the language, old French Norman, he must find a way to communicate and win the love of his wife while surviving in a land that would label him possessed while he tried to acquire the skills of a warrior to survive. He is faced with insurmountable problems in order to disguise his true identity and convince Eleanor of his love, and to overcome the treachery that abounds in that period.

This is a fascinating book! It is fast paced and quite intriguing. I have always thought that the more believable time travels were such as this, where it is the soul transported, or the `essence' of the person rather than the body that gets catapulted back into time. Ms. Kelleher appears to have done a marvelous job of research in describing the historical elements of the time period. All lovers of time travel should look to acquire this book for their keeper shelves! Superb read!

This is probably one of the best time-travels I've ever read. It's rich with history, and the characters are completely believable. I thought the author did a particularly great job with the hero--I could really fall in love with him!

I hope they'll do another print run of this book for those of you who haven't read it yet -- it's a wonderful blending of accurate history with romance. It reminded me a bit of Twain's "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court," with the hero's modern sensibilities hitting up against a medieval environment. I adored the love story, and found it easy to suspend disbelief because the author did a great job of having the romance unfold naturally. Full of visceral detail, this book almost made me wish I could step in an English castle and vanish into the past.

Anne Kelleher knows how to draw a reader into a story. From the opening battle scene, I was completely hooked. Indeed, I had to read that paragraph several times - it is the most gruesome, and I imagine, the most realistic description of a medieval battle that I have ever read. There is a gritty reality to the entire narrative, the author gives the impression that she has studied this period in great detail and displays an admirable ability to transport her readers there. Her writing is clear, crisp, and evocative. It is a charming story without a hint of the corniness, so often found in this genre. I highly recommend this book to my friends - even to those who are wary of reading romance or time travel!

I would like to be able to share this book with more people. Any chance that the publisher will print more?

Did you ever wonder how in most time travel stories, the time-traveller always seems to fit in so seemlessly and effortlessly into their new environment? Did you ever wonder how time-travellers always seem to be able to speak the language of whatever environment they are thrust into? Did you ever wonder what it would really be like to find yourself in another time, where you didn't have a clue what anyone around you was saying?

In her latest novel, A ONCE AND FUTURE LOVE, Anne Kelleher has created a story which actually seems to take the reader into the past, with all of its uncomfortable realities, sights, sounds, smells, and customs.

Anne Kelleher's novel revolves around a middle-aged 20th century man named Richard Lambert, who after his wife passes away, travels to England only to fall to his death while exploring a medeival castle, and awakens in the body of a cruel, young ancestor in the 13th century. But unlike most time travel stories, Richard quickly realizes that he cannot speak the language, has no understanding of the customs, and has to deal with the reality of a 20th century man finding himself in a barbaric and primitve period with almost no understanding of the world around him. And to make things even worse, the body he finds himself in is severely wounded, near death, and it quickly becomes clear to him that everyone around him would rather see him dead that alive.

As in her previous three novels, Anne Kelleher demonstrates that her sense of the medeival world is detailed and acute. She forces Richard to deal with the harsh realities of the time period that he has found himself in, from the smells of the people around him and the ill tasting foods, to a 13th century wife who both fears and loathes him as a slave would feel towards its master.

The only convenience Anne Kelleher takes is to have Richard conveniently wounded in the neck long enough to slowly pick up the language and get some sense of bearings in his new world. But aside from this, her writing is extraordinary with almost poetic imagery and detail.

A ONCE AND FUTURE LOVE is clearly one of the best works of its type that has been written in modern literature. Kelleher's novel is far beyond just another time-travel romance.....rather, it is a story which truly makes the reader feel that they have visited the world that she has created, and by the end of the novel, makes the reader want to go back for even more of an absolutely unique experience.

A classic from 1989 this book tells Christians how much God loves them. With the big idea of our lives are not futile. Our failures are not fatal and our deaths are not final. Each chapter of this book begins with an personal illustration from the author and then moves into the life of Christ. I have read this book at least three times. Each time I read it this book stirs me. I don't know how many tears have fallen while reading this book. If you have never read this book I strongly encourage you to do so. You will not be disappointed.

So easy to read and understand. The chapter tilted 'The Golden Golbet' gave me the simplest picture of God's love and grace for me. I have read this book three times and continue to give it as gifts to people I meet.

I bought the book as a gift, but decided to read it first to see if it was ok to give...I was certainly surprised, I was even brought to tears in a lot of chapters...especially when Max does a re-telling of the ruler's daughter in a modern setting. Wow!

Makes a great gift, for others & one's self!

I have several of Max Lucado's books, and have never been disappointed. This book puts Jesus death and resurrection in language and thoughts we can under today without losing the biblical meaning. He creates a clear picture and stirs up emotion. Most of the time he brings in someone else's point of view that maybe you hadn't thought of. I highly recommend this book, I read it every Easter.

In six hours Jesus accomplished his redemptive work and in so doing brought meaning to man's life. Max Lucado weaves contemporary stories together with Biblical events to bring a fresh and multi-faceted view of how people were affected by what Jesus did. There's the prodigal son, the woman caught in adultery, the widow of Nain, Lazarus, the thief at the cross among others. All saw new meaning to life, experienced forgiveness from God, and the promise of resurrection and eternal life when they came to the Saviour. The last chapter was the most touching and described the final glance as Max's dad lay dying, paralleling it with the final look by the centurion as Jesus died on the cross.

This book is inspiring and explains the anchor points that you should hold onto when life's hurricanes hit. That basically Jesus has done it all for you on the cross, and that your life is not futile, your failures are not fatal, and your death is not final. Jesus has purchased you with His Blood, and promises you forgiveness of sins if you come to him, and not only that, but eternal life. Therefore anchor your soul to the Rock of Salvation and He will hold onto you throughout life's storms.

I also read this book when was was 10 or 11 or so and loved it. I'm in my mid-20s now and I still think about it, how cool it would be to have a magic bookmark and travel inside of books. The less than great review listed on Amazon was likely not truly written with kids in mind.

I'm buying a copy used if I can!

The book I read was Travel Far Pay no Fare. The book was about this boy named Owen and his mother was Nan-Ellen Noonan. They live in Boston. But then Nan-Ellen got married to her brother in law and they had to move to Vermont to live with his soon to be step-father Jack and his soon to be step-cousin Parsley. Parsley liked to read a lot. Nan-Ellen thought she was adorable. The worst part was that Parsley had a lot of cats; And Nan-Ellen was allergic to them. One day Parsley told Owen that she had a bookmark that let her go inside books, and of coarse Owen doesn't believe her. Then one day he gets sucked into the book. Now he believes her. Once again something is wrong through Parsley's eyes and she wants to take things into her own hands. Things don't work out so she blames herself, so she said she was going to trap herself in a book. She didn't have the bookmark anymore though Owen did and you have to have it to get into and out of the books, and it also expires September the 1. So Owen has to go inside the book and try to save her.
The main character in this book is Owen. Owen is in fifth grade and he has his whole life planned for him until his Uncle Jack comes along. He is a great kid and he loves to play outside and he loves to watch TV.
The problem in this story was that Parsley traps herself into a book. Owen goes into save her because he realizes that he loves her and his Uncle Jack.
Because he realizes this, he knows that he has to go in the book and save her. In the end he does save her and they can't use the bookmark because it's already September 1So everything is back to normal and the way they should be.
This book was a great book and I would defiantly recommend this book to someone else because at the same time you feel like you are jumping into the book when you are reading it.

I read this book when I was eleven years old (ten years ago). I have thought about it a ton of times because I absolutely loved it. I became so close to Owen and even started to adore Parsley. I recently looked it up to purchase this book for a friends ten year old son and I am amazed that it is out of print...

A wonderful read aloud! Clever use of time travel with a bookmark. I wanted to order for my new library! I cannot believe it is out of print! Kids love it!

I loved the adventure in this book. The charachters were interesting, and I loved the cats!

This beautifully written book is poetry and artwork, sharing a significant story we all need to hear.

Under the Quilt of Night is a wonderful example of poetry following the escape of slaves on the underground Railroad. Excellent example of voice for young writers. Beautiful pictures.

Excellent, very informative and well written, illustrations are vivid and colorful

I use this book on a reqular basis with my 5th grade class when we are discussing slavery and the Underground RR. It is an awesom book. We also read The Barefoot!

UNDER THE QUILT OF NIGHT, written by Deborah Hopkinson, is a wonderful story of the journeys taken by slaves long ago on their path to freedom. A runaway girl flees with other slaves during the darkness of night, waiting, listening, and looking for the opportunity to continue fleeing toward safety. When she spots a quilt hanging outside a house, she knows she's found a safe house in which she will be fed and sheltered. At the end of their travels, they meet freedom.

This is a wonderful story capturing events I'm sure happened many nights during the times of slavery. The writing flows fluidly and is set up in several poem-like passages throughout the book. The illustrations are wonderful, clearly showing the darkness of the night, the emotions of the characters, as well as the symbolic nature of their plight. This is a book I'd highly recommend to parents, teachers, and librarians for older children as everyone should study and know about The Underground Railroad.

Children at the lower end of the projected age range may not enjoy the book as much if reading alone because the colors are more somber than most kids' books. However, if read with an adult or coupled with lessons on the Underground Railroad, it may be more enjoyable to them.

Reviewed by Tee C. Royal
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

I'm soooo happy that I bought this book! It's a very thorough combination of a library of signs we can use to communicate with infants, beautiful music to use with the signs, and a lot of VERY GOOD ideas for crafts to accompany the related topic. The author was right, "Roll the Ball" is a HIT in any small child class. The book also has an index of related sources, websites and ect for signing for children. Though this book is designed for "babies" I think it's also good for toddlers (or the almost walking age). I mentioned this book on a discussion for small children and the discussion about the book is REALLY picking up!

Tim's Kids
Children's language circle
Japan

I am very excited about this book as I am a music teacher always looking for new things. Although I haven't yet incorporated this in my classes I cannot wait to start as the ideas in this book has given me renewed enthusiasm and I feel energised again.

This book and the music CD is a staple at our house. My daughter has loved all the music since she was under 1, and now she is 2 and still asks to listen to it. My daughter started signing at 7 months and knew more than 25 signs at a year old.... and I owe it all to the Sing and Sign program. It is fantastic! You can't go wrong with this book... especially since it also has a great music CD to listen to anytime.

I am a music therapist in Kansas City and also a mom to a 3 year old and 1 year old. This book gets as much use in the classroom as it does at home!

I teach special needs children ages 3-12 and I have used this book and the accompanying recording in all my classes. Several teachers have purchased the book themselves! My own children love the songs and and the signs. I get frequent requests at school and at home for the Baby Sing and Sign!

I was lucky enough to take this author's class with my son in KC. After a few months of signing to him, he began signing nonstop around age 11 months. It helped immensely to reduce his frustration (and mine!) in communicating his needs and wants. He learned new signs quickly and his vocabulary/recognition of new objects grew immensely in the months to follow. Now that he is 2, his verbal skills are highly advanced (he speaks very clearly and can compose complex sentences), and I firmly believe this is due to the strong language base he started with the signing programs.

The songs and games in this book are still some of his favorites! Glad to see this great resource is available to parents everywhere! Thanks Anne!

Bought two of these books as gifts for Christmas for neices (ages 13 & 14). Great book! Wish I'd had this at their age!

Haven't had much time to even try any of the recipes in the book. But have looked all through it, have used some of the great tools the book comes with. I like the simple ideas using the simple kitchen items. Would be great fun to have girls do at a slumber party. Or just a little mom time, which is what I got it for. I would recommend this book to anybody who likes to take care of themselves, naturally, and have fun while doing it. This would be great to have while watching a good movie too! Hope this helps.

When I first bought this book, I was worried that it wouldn't be worth 20 bucks because it had only 7o pages, I was sooooo wrong!
This book is my first spa recipe book, if i could describe it in one word, it'd be wow. Just wow. The nail buffer that comes with it is soooo cool. I never new how to get rid of the ridges on my nails and make them shiney until i read this book and used the nail buffer.This book changed a part of my life! A biiiig part. It even comes with pumic! The miracle of this rock is fantastic, it removes dead skin cells(doesn't hurt a bit) Though i should tell you, it may be kind of a challenge to find rosewater and citric acid. (i havent found it yet but i just got this book 2 days ago.) Anyway, EXCELLENT PRODUCT! a must-have for spa lovers or people who are really tense.

this book is really cool. it gives you great directions and as a whole, picks recipes that include ingredients you could find at home. it also includes essential oils and other must-haves. this book is really fun and would make a great gift.

I have to say, I'm a sucker for Klutz books. They give simple, easy to read instructions, and you get all of the supplies to do it with! How fun!
The Body Book is my favorite book of all, though. It has tons of recepies for your skin, hair, face, hands, nails, and feet. All the ingredients I have tried so far have made a signifant difference after I tried them! The book includes three essensial oil bottles, a shower cap, tools for your nails, a foot scrub, and a face brush. The pictures in the book are beautiful as well, which makes it all the more worthwile to read. Who would I suggest this book to? Girls 12 and up, teenage girls would especially love it, but I'm sure many women would too! It makes a great gift!

The Brazilian Sound is good as far as it goes - a who's who list and discography of 20th century Brazilian music. Although, the book has the feel of a junior college textbook, it's written in plain language. It would be a relatively easy read if it were not that a parenthetical list of Brazilian names breaks up every third or fourth paragraph. There are some very informative passages - notably the chapter on Bossa Nova and the "Escolas de Samba" section of Chapter 2. At their best, the authors provide clear and comphrensive explanations of the geneology and sociological context of the music.

Unfortunately, unless a person is willing to spend countless shopping hours and a couple of thousand dollars building up collection of Brazilian records, he or she will gain almost no insight from this book into what the music feels like. The authors describe individual works and artists in only vague terms - terms often identical to those previously used to describe others. They beat the term "syncopation" into irrelevance - it's clear only that all Brazilian music is syncopated. The authors habitually refer to folk music genres and song forms ala "Composer X's work is all based on the Y song form..." But they provide no practical examples or definitions of those genres or forms.

The authors stridently dumb-down their text, accepting as axiom that one has to "hear it to believe it" and that it is meaningless to describe Brazilian music in technical terms. They generally refrain from even using common musical terms - bar, measure, pulse, key, etc. - to give the reader a clearer understanding of Brazilian rhythmic and harmonic structures. They use few effective musical comparisons or verbal metaphors. It is understandably difficult to describe music in writing. But it is possible. Judicious use of metaphor, comparisions, and technical descriptions would have greatly fleshed out what in the end comes off as a skeletal text.

This 1998 edition serves as the update to the first, apparently published in 1990 or 1991. However, the amendments appear to have been quite minor - embodied by an isolated paragraph here and there, and four meager pages in the final "More Brazilian Sounds" chapter. It's as if nothing has really happened in the evolution of Brazilian music since 1990 - an impression that must be wrong.

The Brazilian Sound catalogs decent research, but is neither good writing nor effective music history.

The best book about Brazilian music in English, "The Brazilian Sound" is a beautifully written, in-depth guide to samba, bossa and other Brazilian genres. Many of the reviews below are on the mark, but BGB from WA seems not to have read the book (or to have read a different book!). The 1998 edition substantially upgrades the original 1991 version. There is much added in terms of early history, capoeira, racial issues, choro, and the blocos and afoxes in Bahia. There is more on important artists from the 1990s, like Marisa Monte, Daniela Mercury, Carlinhos Brown, Chico Cesar, Chico Science and Karnak, though these additions are in various chapters, not just the final one ("More Brazilian Sounds"). One needs to have actually read the book to know that, of course...The music is nicely described, in both musical and cultural terms. One gets a strong sense of how it sounds, and a clear understanding of its rhythmic, harmonic and melodic ingredients. Some of the writing is rather encyclopedic, dispensing a rather staggering amount of information, while many sections vividly convey a sense of the music. I often felt I was at a bossa nova club in '59, at an escola de samba rehearsal, watching one of the 1960s song festivals, or attending a forro party. "The Brazilian Life" brings to life both the current and past greats of Brazilian music. As a result, I added quite a few CDs to my collection, especially of artists like Milton Nascimento, Pixinguinha, Jobim and Marisa Monte. I can't recommend this book highly enough.

An excellent book for anyone who wants to explore Brazilian music beyond the well-known classics. Helps place current and past musicians in their historical contexts; helps you understand who influenced whom, etc. The book will pay for itself just by helping you guide your ever-growing collection of Brazilian CD's (hard to stop once you get started)!

A lively and well-written book, The Brazilian Sound provides a broad overview of the remarkable spectrum of musica popular brasileira, from samba, bossa nova and forro to tropicalia, choro and Brazilian rock. It takes us on a journey both through the evolution of Brazilian music and the history of Brazil, and places artists like Jobim within a cultural context that helps us appreciate their music all the more. One comes away with a solid grasp of the major artists and genres of Brazilian music, as well as their impact on the "North American Sound." There is an extensive glossary at the end that is worth the price of the book alone, and an exhaustive discography.

The authors succeed in bringing the music to life, whether they are conveying the playfulness of the choro musical style, placing the reader at an Olodum concert in Salvador, or describing a samba-school rehearsal on a "hot and humid night in Rio de Janeiro." For the latter, they write, "Surdos (bass drums) pound out a booming beat, and their incessant drive provides the foundation for the rest of the bateria, the drum-and-percussion section that will later parade triumphantly during Carnaval. Snare drums called caixas rattle away in a hypnotic frenzy, and above them tamborins (small cymbal-less tambourines that are hit with sticks) carry a high-pitched rhythmic phrase like popcorn in an overheated pot. Enter the sad cries and humorous moans of the cuica (friction drum), the crisp rhythmic accents of the reco-reco (scraper), and the hollow metallic tones of the agogo (double bell). Other percussion instruments add more colors, the ukelele-like cavaquinho adds its high-register plaintive harmonies, and the puxador (lead singer) belts out the melody...." Such vivid and elaborate descriptions helped me make sense of the wall of sound that is samba, and made me want to book the next flight to Rio de Janeiro for Carnaval.

The second edition adds more historical information and brings the book up to date with musical developments in the `90s. There is extensive additional information about the origins of capoeira (the Brazilian martial art which is accompanied by music in training and which is gaining increasing popularity all over the world), and about racial issues in Brazil as reflected in popular music. There are new profiles of contemporary artists such as Marisa Monte, Nacao Zumbi, Karnak, Daude, Chico Cesar, Daniela Mercury, Timbalada, and Carlinhos Brown. The descriptions of Bahian percussionist-songwriter Carlinhos Brown's collaboration with Sergio Mendes (on the 1992 album Brasileiro) and his groundbreaking 1996 solo album Alfagamabetizado are especially memorable. This is a classic study of Brazilian music, a must for any world-music aficionado.

You could fill a book with all the information I _don't_ know about Brazilian music... In fact, these guys already have! Concise, conversational, informative and very well laid out, this is an exceptionally readable book. Chapters on samba, bossa nova, tropicalia, forro and jazz include focused biographical sketches of dozens of key artists, as well as succinct historical information about the progress of Brazilian music from its European and African folk roots into its bewildering and often beautiful modern offshoots. The book's focus is nonpartisan: although there is plenty of room for aesthetic criticism within the various styles, the authors generally hold their preferences and dislikes to themselves. They do, however, give readers a good sense of which recordings might be best to check out -- an invaluable service considering how little of Brazil's vast musical output makes it to the United States. Highly recommended! Certainly the best English-language guide to Brazilian pop that you will find in print (online is a different matter), this is great for casual listeners and hardcore fans alike.

Bailey provides a compact and highly competent study of the post Atlanta campaign with Hood sparing well with Sherman initially then turning north in his great desperate gamble while Sherman marches through the heart of Georgia virtually unopposed except for Wheeler's undermanned cavalry. Bailey captures the strategy and politics very well with a big picture view of the situation. She captures the odd situation of Hood going in one direction with Sherman in the other. Hood, the great fighter seemingly moves without consultation although Beauregard is placed as the department commander by Davis, which had as much control as Johnson had of Vicksburg in that campaign. Bailey captures the desperation of Hoods movement with failed logistics, supplies and a virtual mythical expectation of troops from the TransMississippi. Bailey covers the hopes and political implications of a Lincoln re-election that is fascinating. She also details, with his movements, Sherman's desire to subjugate the south along with his views on black troops and the infamous desertion of black followers by union Jefferson C. Davis. The controversial failure to close the trap at Spring Hill is well discussed as well as the tragic battle of Franklin and the battles of Nashville where the outnumbered Confederates put up a desperate fight to total collapse redeeming General Thomas. The Nashville desciption of battle is economically told but captures the main aspects particularly recognizing the first use of black union troops in battle who fought bravely but were initially sacraficed in a desperate ill perceived frontal attack. A very well written book that gives a highly competent overview of the final campaign of Hood, Thomas, Sherman and President Davis as far as a real confederate threat in the west. In her efficient writing style, Bailey closes with a very good but brief study of the post war controversies between the generals and politicians.

Bailey's Chessboard of War is the best accounting I have read of Sherman and Hood. The book is balanced, well written and objective. Its inclusion of the participation of black soldiers and the Sherman's slave camp followers was particularly welcomed. Although Bailey is from Cleburne TX and is an admirer of Patrick Cleburne she also gives George Thomas his due. Rarely is that done. An impressive piece of work.

A gem -- no other word for it. In more than six decades of Civil War "buffdom," I've never seen a clearer, more complete, more reader-friendly book on any segment of that war. There is not an unnecessary word in it, but it leaves nothing unsaid. Truly a small masterpiece.

This book is a very thorough and detailed account of two of the Civil Wars' most important and consequential campaigns, but sadly two campaigns about which relatively little has been written. Sherman's march to the sea and Hood's campaign into Tennessee destroyed the last hope for the Confederacy in the Deep South, and did much to undermine the confidence of Lee's army. Without Sherman's psychological victory over the Southern psyche, and without Hood's rash attacks on Franklin and Nashville, the war, at least in that theater, would probably have been prolonged for at least another year. Both men, in their own way, contributed to the war's ending, and this is one of Bailey's main focuses.

This book provides a detailed narrative of the operations of both generals, and discusses how the actions of each affected the other, as well as the ramifications of Hood and Sherman's respective movements. Sherman comes off looking quite well, though not perfect, while Hood comes across as a tragic sort of hero who was too impetuous for his own good. Through it all Bailey remains objective and fair, and provides the reader with a very good look at the "chessboard" of the late Civil War.

Anne J. Bailey's The Chessboard of War doesn't break any new ground on the subject that it covers, nor at only 181 pages does it make any attempt at being a comprehensive and detailed campaign study. Joseph T. Glatthaar and Burke Davis have written defining books on Sherman's March to the Sea, and Wiley Sword's The Confederacy's Last Hurrah is the definitive volume on Hood's 1864 fall campaign in Tennessee. So why read this book? In a word: perspective. Bailey has grasped the direct connection of Sherman's historic march through Georgia and Hood's desperate last ditch gamble offensive campaign in Tennessee, and has written about them together, as part of the same piece. Sending General Thomas and a portion of his army back to Tennessee to take care of Hood was a crucial element of Sherman's plan to march on Savannah. Bailey puts the pieces together, and assesses the success and failure of the players involved.
Bailey writes well and her book is a quick and easy read. While Chessboard does not cover its subject in great depth or provide any startling or controversial new takes on any of the commanders involved, it does serve as an excellent introduction to this material. It also provides continuity, allowing the reader to keep track of the two mighty armies that struggled for months over Atlanta, and see how their fates were still connected even after disentangling from each other and moving in separate directions.
I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in how the Civil War was won in the West. For the novice, it is a quick yet accurate introduction to the subject of Sherman's and Hood's 1864 Autumn campaigns, and for the more serious student it provides an excellent perspective that has not been much explored elsewhere.

Theo Logos

Well, it appears that fun and creative writing runs in the Buffett family. This latest book from Jimmy's sister Lucy is a an enjoyable way to spend a rainy afternoon. Great stories and terrific southern recipes with a flair. Lucy's storytelling like her brothers is so visual you can see and feel the environment she is writing about, whether it's a busy kitchen or relaxing on the deck with some fresh fried shrimp, a cold Land Shark and the boats cruising by on the river. Great fun...worth the price of the book for the stories, and the recipes are a bonus. WARNING: Recipes are not for the weight concious, but the reading is for everyone.

This is my second purchase of Lucy's book. We love her and her great restaurant down here in LA (Lower Alabama).
We use the recipes quite often...(have you tried the fried oysters?)

I gave a copy as a birthday present to my good friend, a catholic priest here in Mobile. I am sure, with his love of cooking, he will be using all the great seafood recipes during Lent next year.
I recommmend this as a gift for anybody who likes good, simple, delicious food.

A great read and wonderful recipes - not only food, but lots of drink recipes as well. You must try the Mo' Perfect Margarita!

I have never enjoyed looking and reading a cookbook as I have this book. Originally I was going to buy the book for my daughter in law who is from the MS. coast and loves Lulu's and is now living in Kansas City, MO, as a rainy day wishful thinking type gift. At the last moment, I decided to buy one for myself and am so glad I did. My daughter in law loves her book and thanks me everytime we speak.
I highly recommend this cookbook.

I love cookbooks and this is a great addition to my collection. Yummy looking recipes and great stories to go with them.