Bishop Books

We were given this book on the last day of Comic Con 2008. It is a great book for family bedtime story nights. The chapters were just the right lenght. The story line held my 7 and 9 year olds' attention. The illistrations are very colorful and compelling for a children's book. I also appreciated the occasional complicated word choices so we could have vocabulary discussions. My girls could identify with the characters and the trying social times that occurred but the adventures were not too scary for bedtime. I'm looking for the next in the series.

this is a wounderful written book and the art work is ,as my grandaughter would say, way cool. lookin forward to getting more of debbie bishops books.

My 10 y/o daughter loved this book. She has dyslexia and cannot read it on her own, but she has insisted that I read it to her twice so far. She loved the colorful pictures.

Chloe, Tip, and Darling are three fairies who live on the wrong side of the tracks...er...pond. Bladderwhack Pond that is and unfortunately they just don't fit in with the other young fairies from Penstamen who have the best hairstyles and wear the best fashions. Chloe in particular is a butt of the jokes from the Penstamen `clique', especially Monica who never lets Chloe forget she is an orphan. To make mattes worse, an evil little Fairy, Mr. Snivels, has broken the dam causing Bladderwhack to be flooded, including the school, forcing Chloe, the inquisitive Tip, and the chubby little Darling, to have to attend school in Penstamen. Could things get any worse? You bet they can!

Chloe constantly finds herself running into Prince Peter, sometimes literally, and Peter seems to like Chloe, much to the agitation of Monica who is dying to meet the Prince. A chance find of a History of the Heatherworld book convinces Chloe that the ancient prophesies are already in motion and that a secret entrance to the Heatherworld, the realm of the Wicked Witch Halga, is located at the bottom of Bladderwhack Pond. Chloe is convinced that she will find her long-lost mother somewhere in the Heatherworld and the three friends now begin a perilous journey, encountering fire-breathing Dragons, hordes of trolls, hungry crows, and the evil witch Halga herself, in order to uncover the ages-old mystery and reveal the truth about Chloe and her past, once and for all.

The Fairies of Bladderwhack Pond is an honest-to-goodness fairy tale but updated for modern times. We see the young fairies Chloe, Tip, and Darling, facing the problems of peer pressure and humiliation when they are not able to dress as nicely as the more upscale Periwinkle fairies. So with this book you really get an old-fashioned fairy tale told with today's tribulations. It's a light, fun read, filled with humor, wit and charm. While any kids in the 7 - 14 age range would enjoy the story, I think it especially speaks to young girls who can relate more keenly to the problems endured by the main characters. The book is beautifully illustrated by Andy Park and features a number of full-page illustrations that perfectly complement the story written By Debbie Bishop. The pair have created a story with lively characters that come to life before your eyes.

One note is that Amazon's description is incorrect. This hardcover is actually 152 pages, not 96 pages. Unless for some reason there is a different version...Highly recommended!

Another fabulous book from Debbie Bishop! The Fairies of Bladderwhack Pond is a great story for kids and teens alike! This wonderful fairytale has modern references to kids as they live today. It's like Harry Potter for girl's today! Debbie has created a really fun book that kids will cherish!

Many books have already been written about the tragic events of East Timor between 1998 and today, namely since when the regime of president Suharto of Indonesia collapsed, and the territory started on its slow, exciting, yet very painful path towards independence. Some books are more academic, others more journalistic and speculative. This book by Arnold Kohen, a long-time East Timor expert, makes it clear that the author is no academic or journalist in search of quick success. He is someone who has followed East Timor for a while, and has also been active and become known as a prominent East Timor lobbyist. He has now been able to recollect in this book some excellent material, excellently edited, about Monsignor Belo's role in the struggle for independence. The book is written in a vivid style, it is chilling, it is direct, yet (despite the rather eye-catching and shocking title) without leaving the place to any sensationalism... All the book says is, very unfortunately, totally true. Whether Bishop Belo's struggles could be defined as "epic" is another matter. Meanwhile, this book makes a strong and meaningful contribution to knowledge on the recent events, and also makes excellent, educative and even pleasant, if shocking, reading.

Please note that the introduction is by "The Dalai Lama," NOT The "Dali Lami", as it currently is written above. This should be changed. There are an additional reviews of this book in Library Journal of May 15, also Publisher's Weekly May 10, 1999.

Many Americans have probably never heard of East Timor, and most of us--including those who are active followers of world affairs--would probably have some difficulty pinpointing it on a map. Arnold Kohen does a remarkable job of introducing this unfamiliar land. It's very hard not to feel sympathy and a healthy dose of admiration for the inhabitants of this long embattled nation. The book simultaneously serves as a hagiography of East Timor's heroic favorite son, and Bishop Belo's extraordinary life greatly enhances the work's inspirational level.

Among East Timor's striking characteristics is the fact that it may be the strongest seat of Catholicism on Earth today. Over 85% Catholic (less than half was in the 1960's) its rate of practicing members puts most other countries to shame. The cathedral's 6 a.m. weekday Mass regularly has an overflow crowd of 1000+. John Cardinal O'Connor once told Bishop Belo how envious he was at East Timor's teeming seminarians. Even its Indonesian occupiers concede the Church's massive influence. Although they disdain Bishop Belo for his tireless devotion to human rights, they often unhappily allow him to mediate disputes with Timorese resistance fighters.

The East Timorese greatly need this faith because the world has turned a blind eye toward the genocide inflicted upon them. Those of us in America who seethed under the reign of Bill Clinton probably never realized how culpable he was for tacitly approving these crimes against humanity. The author on numerous occasions sites examples where the United States after decades of inexplicable silence at Indonesia predation became a veritable proponent when Clinton--abandoning his campaign rhetoric about the suffering East Timorese--wanted expanded trade with the highly populated interloper. Bishop Belo is probably the only person in history to be awarded a Nobel peace Prize without a word of praise or congratulations from the Unites States Government because it was bestowed at a very inconvenient time for pending trade deals.

The island nation faces an uncertain future, and all Catholics and others concerned with human rights should monitor the situation closely. Despite the unending brutal assaults bravely endured by the East Timorese citizens, their bold faith is a good omen that eventually their struggle will be victorious.

Now that Archbishop Belo has been driven into exile, and his beloved Timor transformed into an abbatoir, this superb book is more important than ever. I will not praise Belo, save to say that I hope that he is eventually canonized. I will just say one thing. This book reveals such a consistent record of perfidy, stupidity, and cupidity on the part of the United States government as to make even the most patriotic man or woman ashamed of being an American. As readers of some of my other reviews will know, I am fairly Conservative Republican. Reading of Fords, Reagans , and Bushes short-sightedness and incompetence in the matter of Timor saddened and enraged me.The only ( slight)point in their favor is that the Democratic Presidents, Carter, and Clinton, were just as bad; Carter through simple incompetence, and Clinton through cowardice and greed. Let it be asaid and said plainly: The Clinton campaign became so dependent on the Riady families money that they turned blind eye to the atroicities occuring in Timor. With the laudable exception of a few republican members of congress such as Malcolm Wallop and Frank Wolf, practically no American public figure-Republican, democrat, or independent- has spoke out on the horrors occuring in Timor. Now, when it may well be too late, the world has begun to wake up.It is time for all men and women of good will, of all political and religous faiths, to cry out "Enough". We cannot be so dependent on the raw materials and sweat shop produced sneakers and toys emanating from Indonesia that we would let theese horrors continue. I am going to phone and write every member of congress I know, asking them that they vote to discontinue ALL foriegn aid to Indonesia. I will also openly ask ALL presidential candidates- Republican, Democratic, and independent,if they will continue to support our bankrupt policy toward this outlaw state, Indonesia. I hope EVERY responsible American does the same.I beg my fellow Americans;have the courage to read this book, and the sensitivity to be outraged by what it contains.

From the Place of the Dead: The Epic Struggles of Bishop Belo of East Timor By Arnold S. Kohen

Review by David Hinkley, former Chairman, Amnesty International USA

Arnold Kohen's moving biography of Roman Catholic Bishop Carlos X. Belo of East Timor illuminates one of modern history's most horrific human rights tragedies. Belo, the first Catholic bishop ever to receive the Nobel Prize for Peace (1996) is revealed as a great humanitarian in the tradition of Archbishop Romero and Desmond Tutu. In this age of cynicism and disillusionment, Belo exemplifies the power of faith, dedication and indefatigable effort to reshape the history of a terrorized and nearly forgotten people.

Kohen, formerly an investigative reporter with NBC news, skilfully balances lyrical evocations of a lush land, its tortured people and their unsilenceable champion with incisive analysis of the political and church forces with which Belo has contended in his successful struggle to bring his people's plight to the world's attention. Since Indonesia invaded the island territory, for centuries a Portuguese colony, the Indonesian army's campaign of brutal suppression has left an estimated 200,000 dead, of a population of less than 700,000. Beginning with the acquiescence of President Ford and Secretary Kissinger at the time of the 1975 invasion, through provision of deadly OV10 Bronco counter-guerrilla planes and other military hardware, the United States has played a complicitous role. This has only recently been mitigated - and to a lethally insufficient extent - by Clinton Administration diplomatic overtures to Jakarta.

Such examinations share these pages with indelible images of Belo the man. Among the most emblematic is a glimpse of Belo the boy athlete and mischief maker donning a grapefruit bishop's hat in a foreshadowing of his astonishing future. Belo's great love of East Timor's young people and his sardonic wit emerge as defining traits, along with the courage to confront a combination of forces that would wither almost anyone. Against a backdrop of genocide and international intrigue, Kohen has created a luminous, touching and fascinating portrait of an inspiring and unforgettable man. This one is for the ages.

This is an outstanding resource for teachers, students, and parents. It clarifies the process and purpose for goal setting in a student-friendly, organized format. The strategies and examples are well-developed and relevant, making it far more likely for students to experience success.

Since we began implementing goal setting using many of the suggestions and resources in this book, students in our school district have become more engaged in learning and accept a greater responsibility for their academic growth. Teachers repeatedly comment that their students are far more motivated since they began setting classroom and student learning goals. We highly recommend this resource.

A workbook designed to help students in grades 5 - 12 to succeed, with a goal of changing lives, "Goal Setting for Students" is a must have for every teacher, troop leader, tutor and parent. If every educator utilized this program we would have a future filled with successful, responsible adults.

In eight chapters John Bishop has created a tool for helping students in understanding success, goal setting, stretching goals, positive attitude, taking responsibility, the value of determination, managing time and keeping goals in mind. In each chapter are key words and lessons on each topic, activities for the individual and for the class, home activities and reviews. All of this is presented in a concise and easy to follow format and written in such a way as to encourage the student's interest. Each page is eye-catching and interesting, certainly not boring nor childish but aimed at this precise age group.

Teachers will easily find ways to integrate this program into their lesson plans, and find that it does not take up time, but rather will help save valuable class time and alleviate frustrations. Students will come away from the program with a new attitude toward goals and responsibility. Through "real world examples" students are given something to think about in regards to the chapter topic that they can relate to and will set them thinking of their own dreams and goals. Famous quotes and proverbs are found throughout the book lending additional points to ponder, such as this one from Mahatma Ghandi, "Real education consists of drawing the best out of you."

"Goal Setting for Students" will help draw the best out of the students you know.

One thing I learned is how to be successful and what success is.

Goal Setting For Students is an effective educational tool for teaching young people how to focus on specific goals in order to increase their chances of academic success. Ideal for any school curriculum, as well as home-school instructors and/or self-study, this consumable workbook is filled from cover to cover with diverse activities to reinforce its message of working for whatever needs to be achieved. From learning how to set realistic goals; to measuring academic progress; to walk-through examples, and more, Goal Setting For Students is an ideal motivational tool for any student regardless of academic subject matter.

I'd rate it with more stars if I could.

Goal Setting for Students is a nice, 68 page book that will help every parent get his or her child started on goals and achievement. The layout is simple and easy-to-read, and each chapter offers questions, with do-able and interesting activities, plus a final review at the end to recap what was taught. The book encourages children and teens (the book is for 5-12 graders) to invest in themselves, and why.

I tutor kids in my home (though I don't have children of my own), and can't wait to show this guide to parents. If your child seems "lost" or is not achieving on a level you'd like them to, this book is a great place to start.

What a valuable yet inexpensive investment!

John Bishop has zeroed in on a problem with kids--they have no purpose and no direction.

Parents: Goal Setting for Students will help you to help your child.
Teachers: Goal Setting for Students will help you to help your students.

Even though the age range is for students in grades 5-12, if you have younger students or children, I'd buy it anyway. The tools in here are great for almost any age.

What a legacy to leave your children: success and direction

Scivias is a book that unfortunately is not very well known. This is a work a Christian should not ignore, as well as all the work of St. Hildegard von Bingen. The whole book shows that this is really heavenly inspiration, no doubt that Saint Hildegard had the gifts of the Holy Spirit, since she had the gifts of prophecy, healing, etc. She is one of the most amazing persons born in the world.

Hildegard von Bingen, one of the prominent German mystics in the Middle Ages, stands as an anomaly amidst the whole host of Christian mystics. One reason to account for this is the fact that instead of advocating reform of the church in a confrontational manner, she often deflects it by recourse to God's voice. The voice that speaks in Scivias is more often than not the 1st person voice of God, and the persona of Hildegard the receptor of the visions occupies technically the position of a third person glossator and observer. On top of that, the chief focus of her 'reform' is of 'ordo virtutuum', a reform that works from within as opposed to the outright opposition(or confrontational gestures) offered by English Lollards in their translation of the Latin Vulgate into the vernacular Middle English tongue, or the Beguines' usurpation of the Catholic church's monopoly to Biblical interpretation.

Another reason to account for her special status as a medieval mystic is the absence of any so-called phenomenon of stigmata, trance-like swoonings, fleshly ecstasies like those of Margery Kempe or Teresa D'Avila. Hildegard received these purported visions without the influence of drugs and she transcribed them in a state of clarity unlike any other female mystics of her time.

What I appreciated about this edition was that they placed the pictorial depiction of her visions side by side with her writings and expositions of their meanings. The pity however is that these pictures(illustrated plates in the original medieval manuscripts) are not coloured, and one suffers from disappointment since he is not able to re-construct exactly the details(right down to the colour and shade Hildegard mentions) as in the original. Barbara Newman's introduction was extremely helpful, owing to her academic expertise in the field of medieval mysticism. Personally speaking, I bought this for the sake of an academic paper, but anyone else who is interested in the background of medieval mysticism and esoteric wisdom will find Newman's introduction enlightening and useful to set the whole work in the right context.

Hildegard was one of the most famoust mystics of the medieval period. A rarity amoung women of that time, she conversed with learned theologians and even the pope, was given considerable autonomy to learn and teach, and was a very gifted writer, poet, theologian, mystic, and scientist.

Hildegard's visions, which are included in this collection, form a larger set of works of hers which include poems, songs and music, and various encyclopedias. Hildegard was a very learned woman for her time.

Her visions are very complex and involve many elements and themes. Some deal with classic theological motifs from the medieval period, such as the Church, Christ, heaven and hell, the last judgement and the fall. Others deal with the relationship between man (the microcosm) and the universe, while others deal with the mysteries of the Triune God and God's prescence in nature.

Most striking in Hildegard's visions is the intimate connection between man, God, and the creation. Mathew Fox rightly said Hildegard is a creation mystic; for her, the divine spirit fills and energises the universe, and the Earth itself is seen in terms as our mother and as sacred. Hurting creation is in fact a way we hurt ourselves, an ecological ethic which can certainly say a lot to us in this time, where our greedy carelessness towards the world and its resources threatens to imperil our very survival as a species. Hildegard also quite rightly and perceptively understands the goodness of creation in terms of the goodness of God, whose abundance is given to us freely out of love. Our sin in Hildegard's system very much boils down to our selfish tendency to only see ourselves and our wants, rather than our relationship with the creation and the creator. In this way, Hildegard speaks to us today as the prophet, who warns us of the spiritual and material destruction and doom that will come to us if we continue to live in our wicked ways; demythologized and interpreted in our context, this can be read as a prophecy to our own destruction if we do not turn from our sinful selfishness which manifests itself in the reckless way we hurt and exploit other people and the environment merely to sate our own desire.

Hildegard's work is filled with beauty and colour and is greatly enjoyable also as fine art, and indeed, Hildegard is as much a great artist as she is a prophet and mystic.

This collection of her works is quite good and takes us through the main cycles of prophetic visions.

Rather astonishig how it pulls old testament and new together making excellent sense of items that formerly seemed to make little sense. It told me things I was not even aware of dealing with my own Catholic faith.

This book is very deep. I have found it to be an inspiration to live a better and more holy life. To love others increasingly.
God shows his control of the world, yet, we believe we have control, we do to an extent. A profound book ready to get you on track with faith in HIM.

Highly Recommended !

Homestead took me to a different place and time. I've always been curious about my own family history and could only imagine how things must have been in earlier times and the challenges people faced settling our nation. Betsy Thomas smartly crafts a gripping tale about homesteaders, Nate and Melissa, taking you on a virtual tour of their lives in the mid 1800's. I found a sense of wonder at how people looked out after one another in a time when danger and survival were a way of life. Neighbors giving of themselves from what very little they had and a longing for that kind of community today. I actually read the whole book in one day as I found myself turning page after page, smiling at times, tearful at others. I know I will revisit Catawba from time to time and I know you'll want to too!

Betsy Bishop Thomas brings to life the raw, hardscrabble frontier of pineywoods West Florida in her revealing novel, Homestead, published by Father & Son Publishing, Inc., Tallahassee. And her subtitle tells it all: An Epic Rich With Emotion In the Post Civil War South.
Rather than merely imaginative writing, Thomas craftily turns her own family ancestry-dating from her grandfather's homesteading in the Florida Panhandle in the 1800s-into the real hard but rewarding life in the region centering on Santa Rosa County. Here characters are delicately sculpted from the realities of the time when pioneers drew their sustenance from the precious closeness of the land, and its many laborious hardships tested in their beliefs and faith in God and the Hereafter.
More, she's crafted a touching love story and the evolution of a family, tracing the lives of Nate and Melissa York from their quick courtship, marriage, death of a their first child, and building a home that serves as a haven for other youngsters once dogged by mistreatment by others. There are many layers on trouble and conflict involving other interesting characters flooding their wilderness lives. And in their travail-including building a homestead and a church, an illicit affair, revenge, murder on the Yellow River, a fire that nearly claims their lives-they grow toward as shared common religious faith that is the central theme of their human values.
Yet the real value of Thomas' epic comes from the detailed hardships of their struggle and the speech patterns and wilderness culture-word pictures capturing the old lost times the westernmost corner of the Florida Panhandle, also illustrated a profusion of telling sketches by artist Georgia Williams.
Peggy May of the Northwest Florida Daily News says of Homestead: "Overall, an interesting read, with the author peeling back many layers of various characters' heroics, as well as their shortcomings and perversities, demonstrating, sometimes graphically, that the 'good old days' were sometimes far from good."
The author captures the essence of her revealing, trouble-laden story in the concluding lines: "The house was safe, too, and when Nate thought about it a little more on the way to the house, he knew he couldn't leave. After all, they were keepers of the land. They were strong, hearty stock who had their God to see them through, They were homesteaders, and they would never leave!"
A Florida State University graduate and retired Florida social worker residing in the Fort Walton Beach area, Betsy Thomas casts in fictional structure many of the experiences of her ancestors, yet she's quick to point out most elements of the story are entirely imaginary. Besides an FSU journalism degree, Thomas earned a Master's in Public Administration at the University of West Florida in Pensacola.

With her gifted pen, Betsy Thomas takes us back to the time of homesteading in the Florida Panhandle. We live with Hank and Melissa in their little cabin, sharing their toil and pleasures in the everyday style of the era. We have no nextdoor neighbors, but family can be summoned by bell, or gunshot, in time of need. All the characters have individual personalities marked with virtues and weaknesses that make them real. The story line moves forward building interest page by page.
Thus, with a setting carefully researched; characters that are true to life; and a story to tell, we have a book to enjoy from beginning to end.

I started this book with the idea that it was a book about the past that would simply serve as a History lesson. WOW was I wrong. What a History lesson I got!!! The author got inside of my head and planted visions of the characters and their surroundings. For three days (thats all it took me to read it because I couldn't put it down) I lived with the characters.I began to think of them as real people and became enthrawled by their lives and the drama surrounding them. I began to look at my everyday life in a whole new way. Great read!!! Recommended!

From the first page, this book takes the reader to another place and time. The characters are described and developed so well that they become real and the reader becomes emotionally attached and unable to put the book down. I found myself late for apointments, and buring dinner because I was so wrapped up in what was happening to Nate, Melissa, their friends and families. Just when I thought I knew what was about to happen, the author would throw a curve. Homestead gives the reader insight into Southern life in the mid 1800's in a most unique and intertaining way. This book has it all and is perfect for summer reading or a special gift. My new favorite!

Written in a conversational style, Dr. Bishop guides us through a delightful process of decluttering and organizing our home environments--to Assess, Zone, Unload, Rearrange, & Enjoy. Chapters address creating organized rooms and work and storage spaces throughout the home. This comprehensive manual is equally valuable for the numerous checklists for project planning and for documenting important family and household information. Also includes extensive, useful Resources, Appendix, and Bibliography sections.

If reading from beginning-to-end is not your style, start by learning Dr. Bishop's philosophy of AZURE-ing (p.340-41) and move to Chapter 4 to create your own Personal Decompression Chamber. Then, in your personal care retreat, read the remaining chapters that will guide you in the process of organizing your other home environments, and simplifying your life to enjoy it more!

Household Winners for Working Women is the most complete personal organizational tool I have found to declutter my home and my life. Dr. Bishop knows just how I think and gives me step by step instructions to enable me to succeed. As a working mother, I have no time for extra projects and this book gives me plans, charts, lists and examples of how to organize and declutter! Mealtime was always a stressful time for me. Now, with the menus and shopping lists, mealtime is a pleasure for my entire family! My hat is off to Dr. Bishop - excellent work and presentation!

A. Kingsley Bishop has thought of everything! You name it and she can tell you VERY SIMPLY how to organize it. I have always been a very organized person myself, but I am constantly looking for new ideas. This book definitely provided me tons of great new strategies for organizing my home, better yet my entire life! Bishop is brilliant! If you want to save yourself time , money, and a lot of stress then READ THIS BOOK!!!

As a business owner, I pretty much am the "follow the rules and keep the integrity to get success" person. My shelves are lined with Steven Covey and Anthony Robbins materials. Dr. Bishop is fast becoming a part of that setting. As a woman, my need to keep order in my household (my primary concern), begins with excellent organization. Every chapter in this book is dedicated to bringing order to your life. Buy the book, use it faithfully, and see true order begin to take place. What an author!

Bishop gives busy women easy-to-use tools to bring every area of their lives under control. Whether it's your car, your linen closet, your kitchen, your closets, your entry way, your garage -- there are strategies here to master the mess. She also provides a formula for creating your personal decompression chamber. This book is a treasure; get it today!

Marilyn Ross, author of Shameless Marketing for Brazen Hussies

I grew up eating pies. My mother is a cracker-jack pie baker and the crust you can bake from this book beats hers hands down! My sisters both bake pies, too, so the competition is stiff at holiday time. I baked a Tar Heel Pie using the crust recipe from this wonderful book for Mother's Day and my sisters threw out Mama's recipe and asked for mine. It's good stuff. I want to try the chocolate pie recipe. The vanilla custard is drop dead good and the apple is a blue ribbon winner. Great book.

Use this book and you will make wonderful pies! Our family loves the apple pie and the chocolate cream and the banana cream. But the best thing is the crust recipe. You'll get a reputation for really knowing how to make pies! This is a succinct little book at a minimal price. My only surprise is that they did not use Clearjel as a thickener. It's Great!

By following the directions in this book, I made my first successful pie after numerous semi-failures. Not only is the book thorough, it tells which ingredients work best (i.e. a combination of butter and shortening for a tender and tasty crust), and why one method is better than another. The pie recipes include a number of types. I want to try them all.

I was skeptical that this book was going to produce better pies than the ones I make out of How To Cook Everything or Williams Sonoma's Pies and Tarts but it does. From a thorough but brief discussion of why you use the ratio of fat to flour suggested and why you really use both butter and vegetable shortening (they melt at different temperatures so there is separation in the crust at more then one point in the baking, which makes the crust flakier), to discussions of the best types of apples to use for apple pie, and which spice combinations tested best. These are instructions from people who tested pies every way you can think of, and found out what worked best for each part, offered up with explanations of why it works best.

This is a concise, short book, and the best primer on pies you could ever have. It's going to make all my pie-making better, even when I dig back into the big books. People noticed an improvement from my already great pies with the first one I baked out of this small collection. Worth every penny.

Use this book and you will make wonderful pies! Our family loves the apple pie and the chocolate cream and the banana cream. But the best thing is the crust recipe. You'll get a reputation for really knowing how to make pies! This is a succinct little book at a minimal price. My only surprise is that they did not use Clearjel as a thickener. It's Great!

This book is a unique piece of literature from the Great War. What sets this apart from others, like Sassoon or poet Owen, is that it gives a picture of how it was not only at the front, but also at home, and that it includes a woman, Vera, in it who communicated with her 4 closest friends through letters. An excerpt of these letters is, in edited form, available in this book.
The letters, written real-time one could say, in stead of polished as novels are, give an interesting insight on how life was back then, how youth thought, how war affected the people of the generation swept in it, and how human nature somehow manages to conserve its hope for the future. The fact that all 4 of her friends died in these events and that their generation is almost no more, makes the title and this war stand even more apart. Essential reading.

I have been interested in Vera Brittain since her autobiography, Testament of Youth, was featured on Masterpiece Theatre in the 70s. I came across this new book by chance when looking for Testament, which my book group is reading and enjoying this month. This collection of letters not only recaptures Vera, her brother, and three close friends, it adds great dimension to their WWI experience. This is a book I will treasure a long time.

Anyone who is interested in WW1 and the men and women who lived it, should read this account of the war first hand!

This is what the war really meant to people, both in and out of the trenches, for these are the letters written from and to them.

A thought provoking book, that it is true, is even more shocking.

It is about a generation of people that we should never forget.

Ever since 14 July 1988 when I read Chronicle of Youth with absorbed attention and keen feeling I have been fascinated by Vera Brittain. This fine work, without duplicating Chronicle of Youth, sets out the letters written by her and her brother and friends till all her correspondents were killed in the war. This is a poignant work, well worth reading. One stands amazed and impressed by the eagerness of these Englishmen to serve their country, even though they knew the hell that the Western Front was, and though so much was repellant about the condition under which they soldiered.

Anyone who is interested in WW1 and the men and women who lived it, should read this account of the war first hand!

This is what the war really meant to people, both in and out of the trenches, for these are the letters written from and to them.

A thought provoking book, that it is true, is even more shocking.

It is about a generation of people that we should never forget.

When I was a theater major all of the best students used to pitch THE MUSICAL COMEDY MURDERS OF 1940 as an elective production, and finally I figured out why, it's because there are so many great parts to shine in. There's the wisecracking theater pro, very much like the guy Michael O'Shea plays in Barbara Stanwtck's LADY OF BURLESQUE, and there's Eddy McCuen, also a wise guy sort of young comic type like Danny Kaye. Straight boys love to play Eddy McCuen to show that they, too, can be flip and withering like William Powell playing Nick Charles in THE THIN MAN movies, and still invincibly heterosexual. For the girls, there is an even wider range of female parts, from the strange little German maid, --Helsa, Hilda, or Helga (for much of the fun is seeing how close Gernman names are to each other) to the millionaire owner of the Hudson Valley mansion in which our play is laid, and the Martha Raye comic lead, who winds up with the guy, if that isn't giving too much away.

The jokes are laid on thick with a trowel, and none of them are very funny but when there's so many few audiences are able to tell. They'll laugh anyhow. The story takes place in a vast library in the mansion, filled with dusty books and secret passageways (the shelves revolve if you know which button to press), for this is a takeoff on CAT AND THE CANARY type plays, like John Ashbery's verse drama THE PHILOSOPHER which we would often use on the same set. In one semester, our set designer flew the coop to Provincetown, absconding with the funds for building the tall bookcases with the slowly revolving doors cut into them, so we got two freshman, thrilled to be in a play, posed as the doors, their all white overalls painted to look like rows of books, they were kept back to back throughout the entire play, and occasionally at crucial moments they were directed to spin about, shoulderblades constantly touching, silently and ominously, like a door opening into a dark hallway.

It worked!

Better than the play. The problem is that most of your audience will actually be able to guess the killer. And though they'll be in tears of laughter from the rapidfire "humor," they will still wind up feeling a little cheated because John Bishop is no Ira Levin or Peter Schaffer and sometimes, when he reaches for a joke, he just pulls down a groan.

i am a directing major at Stephen F Austin State University and i am directing a rendition of this show for a summer community theatre. it is very funny, a little risque, and lots of fun

THE MUSICAL COMEDY MURDERS OF 1940 is not the typical who-dunnit murder mystery. Sure the show starts off with someone getting killed in the first scene by an unknown murderer. However, as the guests arrive and the snow falls, the audience soon learns this isn't your average "party". No, this is supposedly an audition for a "backer", an "angel", a patron of the arts for a new show and the people involved include the director, producer, a few actors, a dancer, and a comedian. The mystery keeps you guessing for awhile who the real killer is, but there are several twists and lots of theatre jokes. With all that and a sidekick who turns out to be a hero, THE MUSICAL COMEDY MURDERS OF 1940 is a show not to be missed.

I had the oportunity to be in the Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 as Roger Hopewell for my high school's fall production. It is just hysterical! This light-hearted comedy takes place in Chappaqua, New York where a group of people get together to work on a new Broadway musical. As the actors, composer, director, producer, lyricist, hostess, and police collect clues more and more laughs come your way. This play is definitely worth reading as well as seeing.

With a murder in the first two pages and many more to come, one would expect the MUSICAL COMEDY MURDERS of 1940 by John Bishop's play to be a typical murder-mystery. But, Bishop has chosen place his murderer deep within the world of actors, directors and theatre producers. Which can only mean one thing...unstoppable egos and unrelenting laughs...and a mystery that's not half-bad, either!

I just love the Images of America series. I have spent pretty much my whole life in the Groton, CT area, and have all the books about Groton and the surrounding towns. So, I was just THRILLED when I saw a historic 'Images..' book about the Groton/New London Naval Submarine Base. This base has been at the center of my entire life. My father served on subs for 20 years, my step-father for 22 years, and my husband is currently a Lieutenant Commander stationed in Groton on subs as well.

My dad managed to spend 18 of his 20 years in Groton, so the subase became a second home to me...it's so cool to see photos of the base in it's early days, and to actually see the growth and expansion of the base through pictures. I learned so much about the whole facility, and now look at certain buildings and areas with a whole new outlook. I know what used to be in places, and things that were torn down so newer buildings could be erected. If you have any ties to this base, I DEFINITELY recommend this book. Even if your not overly interested in the history, the photos alone are worth buying the book for. Very, very interesting.

Arcadia's Images of America series of books are beautiful collections of photographs centered around a single subject. Here they've given this treatment to the home of American submarines, the base at New London, CT. As is usual in these books, they start with the first pictures available (which probably came from before it was a base at all), through the initial uses of the base, i.e. a coaling station for the Navy, and the first submarines.

The first was the USS Moccasin (SS-5), built in 1903 and in New London shortly after that. In 1916 it became the Submarine Base, it had a flotilla of subs being used in World War I. Gradually it grew to include the school that by World War II was producing the crews to take the war to the Japanese.

As usual, I find it difficult to see where they could have found all the photographs reproduced in this book. The normal layout is two pictures per page, so there are probably a couple of hundred pictures in this little book. It's a fascinating book.

Born in New London 76 years ago while Daddy was attending Submarine School, returning in 1937 while my father was in charge of the landmark submarine escape training tower standing 100++ feet tall on the base waterfront and then taking command of a locally built and one of the first WWII famed fleet subs, and then returning a third time to attend "Sub School" myself, I feel kind of close to "The Base!" And immensely relieved that it was spared the ignominy of being shut down recently by a somewhat ignorant decision of the Dept of Defense. This book, rushed to completion to help influence the reviewing committee, is excellent, a superb photographic compendium of the cradle of the superb US Submarine Force. The contribution of this Force and this Base to victory in first the Pacific WWII and then the Cold War is immeasurable. Author David Bishop, intimately familiar by both profession and interest in Sub Base, New London, has compiled a photographic essay that is to be treasured by all proud wearers of the twin dolphins (the submariner's qualification insignia) as well as the vast number to whom submarines and submariners are fascinating subjects. Well done!

Bishop beautifully captured the history of the New London Subase in such a way that I felt as through I'd just browsed through photographs stored in my grandfather's old military footlocker! I enjoyed reading the factual and interesting captions under the chronologically arranged photos. It was refreshing to read a historic depiction (of the subase) that maintained a personal and intimate look into the faces and places that shaped the "submarine capitol of the world".

I am a submarine fan and live near the Naval Submarine Base New London, in Groton, CT. The base has a long 137 year history, the first submarines having come from our area of Connecticut. It is home to many of our U. S. submarines, the Submarine Force Museum and the Naval Submarine School. Often as I drive by the base, I wonder what it looks like inside. So when a recent newspaper article mentioned this book. I decided to get a copy. This is the first book I have seen with so many old photos of the base and old submarines. I enjoyed it and the look back in time it provided. I was amazed to see how the base came into being and its evolution from a rural site in 1868 to the home of the sub base and school it is today.

Photos of the old submarines as well as the old wooden buildings that were there years ago are fascinating. There are maps included that show the base in 1868, 1915, 1919, 1944 and 1988. These maps really help place the old and new buildings and show how the base expanded. This book is a true history lesson. It would interest anyone who was ever stationed at the base, submarine aficionados, World War II history buffs, and folks like me, who just wondered about the base.