Douglas Books

Weighing in at a mere 131 pages, Douglas Bauer's book is the Cassius Clay of my craft shelf. And though I am tempted to take this boxing metaphor farther, tempted to say things like, "it floats like a butterfly stings like a bee", and draw parallels between its eight chapters and the eight fast rounds Ali went with Sonny Liston in 65', I'll check myself and simply note the elements of the book that I found most helpful.



The language is so wonderfully straight forward and the examples so clear that I used the chapter on dialogue with a group of high level 8th graders who are working with me on an independent study. We were able to have a wonderful conversation about "TV Dialogue" and how we can best to avoid it in our writing. They were quick to point out how rampant this sort of mundane dialogue is in adolescent and young adult fiction.



Along with clear language, the chapters in Bauer's book are concise. Despite their brevity they draw on a wide range of other craft books and essays. In the dialogue chapter, Brauer mentions Dillard's "Notes for Young Writers." A few of my young writers became curious about Dillard and her work. They expressed an interest in this book, and if I wasn't so personally biased against Dillard's other essays I might have taken it on myself.



This anecdote points to the fact that Brauer does not shy away from the words of others on the subject of craft. To the contrary, this book excels at pairing down those words to essential ideas. He draws from Booth's "The Rhetoric of Fiction" and E.M. Foster's "Aspects of the Novel." He quotes from Gardner's "The Art of Fiction" and Joy William's "Why I Write." I am sure that there are others that he mentions, but those are the ones that I personally underlined in the text.



The two most useful chapters for me, the chapters that answered questions I have long harbored concerning fiction, were chapters 5 and 6. These two chapters examine the issues of what Bauer calls "High Points" and "Sentiment versus Sentimentality."



I especially liked his treatment in the chapter, "High Points," of television violence, "the sort of violence with no accompanying long-lasting emotional consequences." It in some ways resembles television dialogue in that it draws the reader's attention to something that has no real importance to the characters or the story. It is interesting to me, as somebody who has not lived in a house with a television for over a decade, to see how television affects the way people write. I also cannot help but to think that it also changes the general public's expectations of stories.



The chapter on sentiment versus sentimentality, cleared up very nicely the differences between the two. I had always thought of sentimentality as something I could recognize, but nothing I could clearly define. I believe Bauer makes a comparison to pornography--we know it when we see it. But he does not stop there; he gives clear examples of how sentimentality can be avoided and points the reader in the direction of people who define this boundary.



"The Stuff of Fiction" is not the end all and be all of craft books. But it is for me at this point one of the most valuable books on craft I have read. It is a book I can draw from as I teach my students about some of the elements of fiction. It is a book that answered some fundamental questions I have had for some years now. Lastly, it is a book that points the reader in the right directions, bringing into view not only some of the great writers and storytellers of the West, but also the great works by others on craft.

This book picks some of the finer points of story/novel writing and analyzes them with great elegance and insight. It does so in light of specific in-depth examples. For instance, on the issue of pinpointing exactly where to end a story, it discusses alternative stopping points and the emotional impact they are likely to have on the reader. What you learn is inspiring but also eminently practical, both in the narrow and broad senses. It is not as comprehensive as "The Art of Fiction" by John Gardner or "Getting the Words Right" by Theodore Rees Cheney. It is, however, just as inspiring and satisfying.

What a beautiful book! I can't remember when I've read such an eloquent work about the craft of writing, making me wonder why any of us pay any attention to advice about writing which arrives in less artful form ("the long half-life of sorrow" is one of the many well-turned phrases which clings to memory). This essay collection (nonfiction writers have as much to gain as fiction writers from reading the book) is elegant, compelling, succinct, and breathtakingly clear without being condescending. The author (who also writes gorgeous fiction) covers all of the most important aspects of craft--openings, dialogue, character, high events (dramatic moments), sentiment vs. sentimentality, and closings, and includes advice from the best of the other writing "gurus" and wonderful passages of first-rate literature to illustrate points made. The Stuff of Fiction is truly a book for writers at all levels. I felt an immediate need to underline when I began reading; the book made me seriously re-think a novel on which I'm currently working. What more could a writer ask.

If you want to understand more about how a good piece of realistic fiction is put together, read this book. It provides both rules and the wisdom to make it clear that if a writer is on the right track, he or she can go ahead and break those rules.

*The Stuff of Fiction* explains to ordinary readers what has gone wrong when a book suddenly turns unsatisfying (for example, when it doesn't know when to end), the book gives new writers a set of guidelines to keep in the back of their heads while they are slaving away, a kind of frame to check the day's work against, and the book offers experienced writers a welcome articulation of the things they have been trying to do since they began this strange line of work.

The book explains how to start a story (maybe at the beginning, maybe not), how to write dialogue that doesn't thud or crawl on the page, how to create characters with mixed blessings and curses (like a human being in other words), how to give drama its necessary subtlety, how to create sentiment not sentimentality (a discourse on how to write with taste, which is kind of like explaining how to play jazz, but amazingly it really works), and how to end a story. Bauer uses examples effectively--taking apart work from Denis Johnson, Toni Morrison, Alice Munro, and yes Wm. Shakespeare--and writes directly but also elegantly.

Douglas Bauer is the author of three novels, each of which I loved (he never does the same thing twice, but since the prose always contains the same steely twists, you know it is the same guy), and teaches at the Bennington MFA Program.

Writing programs, take note--instructors can cut to the chase by judicious use of this handy and straightforward volume. I won't say it's the Strunk and White of contemporary realistic fiction writing--only time can tell that--but it's as close as I can imagine. Full disclosure requires me to say that I know Douglas Bauer personally, but honestly, I would say all of this if I didn't know him. It is a terrific and useful volume.

For the beginner or the serious amateur or anyone serious about writing fiction, this is the book to read.

An interesting read for trailer aficionados, novices, RV and even tent camping enthusiasts. Excellent photography, engaging and concise history. I keep a copy in my teardrop to lend to campers who ask for a tour and more information. This book's "tiny trailers" are non-teardrops like Shasta, Serro Scotty and other "canned hams." Good value, great book.

A wonderful book with illustrations and descriptions of modern and historical teardrops. Shows a wide variety of teardrops and tiny trailers. Lots of detailed pictures.

I like the book. I do wish it had more information on building teardrops in it. It does however have some beautiful pictures in it that have given me some ideas when I do start to build mine. Overall it is a good book.

The photographs in this book are incredible! And besides the beautiful photos the text is well written. It also includes sections on Canned Hams and the Silver Sisters.

Another Douglas Keister book full of high quality photography and great reading. For the teardrop purists there may be some trailers covered that you don't like but for everyone else, you'll appreciate the coverage of the smaller canned-ham trailers.

They love each other, it just take time to figure it out. I wasn't able to put it down.

Well, if I encounter a poor book by LB I will let you know. This is an author I plan on buying (if I haven't already!) every title she has written. Real people, real situations, a real gem. Read this book.

Nick Nolan "Nail-em Nick" from his bad boy club days has come a long way from Cherry Lane. No longer the scrawny boy who always got picked on by the local bully Butch Polnecek, he is a very sucessful lawyer who now takes on the big guys in court & wins.

To Olivia Polnecek, Nick has always been a hero, forever saving her as a child & now saving her from a house fire. He doesn't know its Olivia when he rushes into the burning house next door. When he realises he does the thing he does best, saves her again. Only this time the cost might be to high for him to pay.

I love this trilogy. I enjoyed the meet-ups with the other bad-boys at the end of each book. I will miss these characters, to me that is what makes a book good, the story & characters stay with you after you turn the last page. I'm sorry to see it end.

Millionaire Dad was the best in my opinion and Lone Rider was pretty good. Ok its a tie for second between Lone Rider and Fiance. But good by Banks is very good indeed.

Leanne Banks has long been delivering wonderful, sensual category romances, and this is easily her best one yet. Oliva loved Nick when they were kids and he became her hero when he defended her against her bully of a brother. Now they are adults and circumstances have made him her hero once more. Only now, puppy love has given way to something much more intense. Too bad neither one of them wants to be involved!!
Ms. Banks' writing is very strong, her pacing excellent, and her love scenes should be read with a cool glass of water (or your significant other) nearby. I admit to being a fan of hers, but this was easily her best book yet. Give it to yourself as a post holiday treat and you wont be sorry!!!

I read this book because I knew it had some of the same themes of mortality I am currently encountering in my life. Hobbie very deftly discusses people in an unsentimental way that is a testament to his understanding of humans. Bravo! I recommend this book highly!

This is a brave book, full of sensous delights, well-made sentences, and sadness. The author seems to be very knowing, very mature, and very sad--all traits that popular culture refuses to admit exist. (thank god for good, honest books!) reading this book is bracing, enlightening and, at times, frightening.

Everyone Henry Ash knows seems to be falling apart from grief. Trying to contend with difficulties, they all go their separate ways. After their daughter's death from cancer, Henry Ash journeys to his sister-in-law's summer home in Vermont. Henry's spouse Elizabeth, unable to move on from her own personal mourning, is touring England with a friend. Elizabeth's sister Mary is still recovering from the sudden death of her spouse Fitz, who died in the Vermont home. Helen arrives at the Vermont home, seeking Fitz.

In Vermont, Henry finds Fitz's presence everywhere, especially after finding the man's personal journal. It seems that Fitz was writing about his complex and agonizing relationships with Helen and Mary. Everyone seeks solace, honesty, and forgiveness, but can any of them reach out to grab what they desire?

THIS TIME LAST YEAR is an incredible novel that digs deeply into relationships, especially those involving individuals recovering from the loss of a loved one. The characters feel so genuine that readers will believe they are reading about a friend, a relative, or even themselves. The poignant story line is moving, extremely deep, and yet never slows down for even a paragraph. Award winning Douglas Hobbie is one of the top novelists of the decade and his latest novel enhances his deserved reputation as a first rate writer.

Harriet Klausner

The Kirkus review and Ms. Klausner are not engaged in hyperbole; this is a gem, and you should treat yourself to it. It is rare to find a writer who can speak so genuinely through such a rich, varied and nuanced cast of characters. In addition to this skill, Mr. Hobbie knows how to tell a story through these characters so that you care both about the people, and how the narrative is resolved. I was especially drawn to Henry's relationship with his son. The impact and reverberations of a death in the family are realistically portrayed (and anyone who has ever travelled with a friend will empathize with Elizabeth!). Both the NY Times and the Boston Globe reviewed this book strongly, but also both did so in brief. This book deserves a bit more time and attention; writing like this ought to be heralded and celebrated, not merely noted in passing.

For readers who appreciate eloquence, the texture of words formed into thoughts and imprinted images, I recommend all of Douglas Hobbie's books, and recommend that they be read in the order written--"Boomfell," "The Day," (I think this is the title), "Being Brett," and "This Time Next Year." You will then understand the sadness and the life-affirming feeling that permeates this author's latest work. Mr. Hobbie recognizes that pain and loss can evolve into growth and perhaps lead to healing, while tightening already strong bonds between individuals. As a cancer survivor, I can tell you that these novels are sometimes not easy reads--but they are so genuine and enlightening that they are well worth the effort, given the author's themes and the depth of his feelings.

I absolutely love this book. It a clear favorite in my collection of Pulp and Pin-Up art!

Compiled by Douglas Ellis and an enthusiastically recommended addition to personal and academic American Popular History reference collections, Uncovered: The Hidden Art Of The Girlie Pulps is a risque presentation of the erotic art of the "girlie pulp magazines" the were published in the 1920's and 1930's. The predecessors to the "girly magazines" of today, some of these pulp magazine titles were so racy (according to the standards of the time) that they were seized in police raids. The informatively presented story of these magazines (printed and marketed simply because sex sells), is enhanced with an extensive gallery selection of full-color pin-up images and is what distinguishes Uncovered: The Hidden Art Of The Girlie Pulps as a unique book of erotica images that pushed the envelope of social mores of their era.

UNCOVERED is the kind of book that revives that old line people used to use with PLAYBOY magazine: "I don't know about you, but I just buy it for the writing." In fact, UNCOVERED is a perfect balance of pulp-magazine scholarship and wild pin-up style cover illustrations, impeccably reproduced in full color.
I've been following Douglas Ellis' work for quite a long time now, and it's always been first class. With this one, he's achieved the perfect balance of art and story, sharing the history of the '30s girlie fiction magazines and their creators with a breeziness that belies what must've been an incredible amount of research, and sharing also some of the rarest and most appealing pulp covers I've ever seen.
You don't have to know anything about pulp magazines to enjoy UNCOVERED. Anyone who enjoys classic pinup art or weird American pop culture will find this opulent book to be a great addition to his or her home library as well. Highly recommended.

This is an outstanding anthology of cover art from the depression-era "girlie pulps" by such highly worthy (and undeservedly obscure) artists as H.J. Ward, Norm Saunders, and Enoch Bolles, among many others. To the best of my knowledge there's no other great source of their work in print (especially Bolles), but they're very well served here, and very little of the work seen here is reprinted elsewhere. The text is diligent, thorough, well-written, and interesting, covering the rise and fall of the magazine niche-industry that produced these amazing visual works; it is scholarly and will be of great interest and service to students of the subject, but the broader appeal- pun intended- is in the more than four hundred color images. These are beautifully reproduced at a generous size, and on slick, high quality pages. The overall design of the book is also excellent.

I'd like to see another volume, perhaps including some of the interior art, if it's worth seeing. I've also been waiting for years for someone to do "The Art Of Enoch Bolles"- how about it, Mr. Ellis?

The author's review below is very informative and interesting, with much more information about this worthy book.

As the author of this book, I thought I'd post a brief description of it here. UNCOVERED contains over 400 pulp cover reproductions, all in full color. In addition, the history of these magazines -- their publishers, artists, writers and their struggle to survive -- is examined in 30,000 words of text, covering titles such as SPICY ADVENTURE STORIES, SAUCY MOVIE TALES, GAY PARISIENNE, VICE SQUAD DETECTIVE, LA PAREE STORIES, PARIS NIGHTS, SCARLET ADVENTURESS, SNAPPY DETECTIVE MYSTERIES and many others. Although there were many players in the field, during the 1930's it was dominated by the magazines of Harry Donenfeld, who would later go on to greater success with the company that eventually became DC Comics. Over 100 different titles (many very rare) are pictured, by 50 different artists -- among those artists heavily represented in the book are H.J. Ward, Earle Bergey, H.L. Parkhurst, Enoch Bolles, Peter Driben, Norman Saunders and George Quintana. Others whose work is reproduced include Gene Pressler, Zoe Mozert, Charles Wrenn, Worth Carnahan, Jack Greiner, Allen Anderson, R.A. Burley, Fred Craft, Archie Gunn, Cardwell Higgins, Seymour Marcus and Joseph Sokoli. Unlike the later pin-up magazine cover art of the 1940's and 1950's, most of this art has never been reprinted and has been hidden since its original publication. In choosing images for reproduction, I made an effort to try and avoid duplication of covers reproduced in other pulp histories. Each image was carefully scanned and cleaned, for the best reproduction possible.

I tried to do as much research as possible using period sources, such as the writer's magazines and newspapers of the time, and various books published by censorship groups. In the process, I've corrected some errors that had crept into previous pulp histories. Unlike most books of its kind, UNCOVERED is fully footnoted and indexed.

It examines in depth their war with censorship groups (particularly in New York City) which sought to shut them down, and which were often successful in causing these magazines to be banned from the newsstands and, in some instances, seized by the police as indecent and burned. These groups were ultimately successful, and though the girlie pulps burned bright for awhile, by 1940 their flame had all but been extinguished. Sold "under the counter" when first published, their art and story has remained hidden from then until now.

Though focused on the risque pulps of the day, I think that almost any fan of the pulps will find much of interest in reading UNCOVERED, as many of the publishers, writers and artists crossed over into "traditional" pulps as well. The tale of how some spicy pulp publishers continually changed company names in an effort to stiff their authors on overdue payments is, for example, also typical of some of the more mainstream pulp publishers. And contrary to popular belief, other spicy titles actually were at the top of the pulp food chain in payment rates. The spicy pulps were only one segment of the larger pulp industry that supplied reading material for a significant portion of the population during the 1920's and 1930's, but their heretofore untold story is intertwined with that of this larger industry.

You can't learn to swim by reading about it and the same goes for Visual Basic. In the end, you have to write some code. And that's often the rub. What can you develop if you have no clue about how to start? Hergert gives interesting, small apps to practice on that become increasingly more complex. My approach is to type in his code, watch the results and learn to understand the how-to's and the why's. Then I do the whole thing all over, solo. That's how I find the gaps in my understanding of the project and the language. This book is ideal. Thanks Doug!

Calvin Trillin once warned against eating at any deli with New York in its name; I've learned not to buy any programing language books with "days" in its title. This book employs a teaching technique I consider ideal: assume the reader knows nothing. In the hands of a clear and thoughtful writer such as Hergert, even advanced learners, who may space out occasionally, never feel talked down to. I've skimmed the sections I feel competent in and pored over the areas in which I have difficulty. In both cases, I've obtained the security of knowing that what I've learned I know thoroughly. The index is skimpy and keyword list incomplete; though you can make do with VB help, I recommend a reference book as a supplement. I use the VB Superbible (only because I bought it to use it as an instruction manual first). But as an instruction manual, I consider the VB Bible unsurpassable.

The book is one of the most clear, comprehensive, and practical programming language books that I have read in my twenty years in the industry. This book is especially ideal (but not exclusive) to people making the transition from other programming languages.

This is an excellent book whether you are an absoloute beginer or you just want a reference book for the things you don't yet know. A recommended buy.

This is a very good book. There's something the author could improve on in the next version. Examples in the book don't seem to encourage good programming practice. E.g., two consecutive if-blocks should be combined into one if-elseif-block for performance reason because only one IF is valid judging from the context. Some identical processing is done on the WHILE line rather than before the loop. Performance shouldn't be a concern for a beginning programmer but if it doesn't take much to teach, why not? Other than this, this is a very well written book.

The authors did their apprenticeship with an addition to the Overlord hagiography, and have now worked up to the Vietnam era. In due time, we may expect a re-write of Fallujah and Abu Ghraib. Well, as boys say when they play Army: we killed more of them than they did of us.

This style of - writing the book and backing it up with the oral history is very effective. The authors have done a superb job of not only telling the story of the troops in combat, but placing it in a context that clearly shows how the war was faught and lost - in Washington - and by (political) extention, the streets of America. I was there in 1967-68 and experienced much of the story being told. The authors are historically faithful in its presentation and artful in the way they humanize the way "it" happened. Particularly for those who were there, this is a must read.

Having lived through the what the author is writting about I found the information to be right on target. It is laid out in good time date order and kept my interest. I rate this book to be one of the better books written about Khe Sanh for that period of time.

LBJ came to see Khe Sanh as a place reminicent of the Alamo and the Texas Rangers, Texas pride on the line, clouded thinking at best, but this an 'good' ole Bob McNamara controlled much of his decision making.

One of the main issues this book addresses is the question of 'why' this area so important to the NVA, was allowed to become of prime importance to us. The other question of just 'why' after the sacrifices of battle which was an American victory, did LBJ immediately have Khe Sanh evacuated; with hardly any media coverage or American public attention to the hardwon U.S. Marine victory.

Both LBJ and Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara, are seen here through many of their flaws, some of which eventually caught up with both of them. Unfortunately, so many American fighting men were dead beyond any help by the time of that reckoning.

Both LBJ and McNamara were fancifully out-of-touch "during the bloody 77 day" seige with the real events of Khe Sanh, the DMZ, Route 9, and the NVA massive military staging taking place in Laos. For all their study and statistics LBJ and McNamara were obtuse in many of their decisions. The manner in which both LBJ and McNamara ignored experienced military men are fully discussed, too.

And the link between TET and Khe Sanh in 1968 is examined, a fact that for few Americans may realize or recall they both took place at the same time, with Khe Sanh being a set piece of TET. It was both Hanoi and the NVA's desire to destroy the Americans as they had the French at Dien Bien Phu in May, 1954. Their desire was to 'annihilate' the Americans at hills 861, 558, 881 N & S, among others and thereby force us forever out of Vietnam, even saying they would kindly then offer a 'red carpet' which we could use to leave. But with their failure at Khe Sanh and TET, 68, that did not happen. With our 24/7 air operations and supply a turnabout for the NVA and General Giap came about, and represented a major blow to Hanoi's thinking.

The main element for me in this book is its arrangement, with each chapter being keyed to its audio CD counterpart. The ability of being able to read the text and then go directly to a CD helps reinforce what you've just read. Unique, on CD 2, an actual mortar, RPG, and artillery attack is captured for the listener to experience. This story and the USMC will stick with understanding and pathos most reader's memory.

As a Vietnam era veteran I can truly recommend this book. Books such as this are rare concerning Vietnam and especially, the battle of Khe Sanh.

Semper Fi.

My cousin was at Khe Sahn with the Marines. A year later I was all over the central highlands with the Army. I was in Vietnam for nearly 3.5 years and this book just backs up what I have been saying for years. I went to Vietnam 40 years ago, today.

Politicians should do the poli-tick-ing ...and soldiers should do the killing. You cannot run a war from across the world either by telephone or by proxy. Every time Washington tries to take the reins, the soldiers in the field lose. They lose against the enemey...and they lose at home. Things are spinning up on the home front just like in the late 60's

Watch TV news and night...and the simularities between Nam and Iraq are stunning. Same Stuff Different Day.


Great book by some good authors that "get it"

Thank God for this book. I am going through hell with anxiety and clinical depression. This book has coping strategies. I think most readers know something about clinical depression. Yet it is the combination of clinical depression and anxiety that is so devestating. This book attacks the combination.

The hardest part is that one can't stop when in this sickness. The only solution is to keep going. Hence, the perfect title for this book which is "When Going Through Hell, Don't Stop." If one stops, then one drowns in the condition.

I appreciated his thoroughness. Lots of web sites to contact for all types of depression. Also a strong focus on spirituality. It gives everyday help.

When Going Through Hell...Don't Stop! is a monumental work. It offers a compelling story of one person's valiant struggle against a life-threatening depressive illness as well as a comprehensive self-help manual on treating depression. What I liked most is that the book is so accessible. It lays out practical coping strategies that a person suffering from depression or their caregiver can use on a daily basis. I also like that the author was healed by spiritual intervention, showing that alternatives do exist when drugs don't work. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is struggling with depression or anxiety, or to anyone who wants to give a loved one with a depressive disorder the gift of hope.

This book was very easy to read. It was helpful to know how the author felt during his depressive episodes and how he managed his symptoms. I learned a lot about the different Depressions (and its symptoms). And how to find help and support while I am battling my Major Depression and Anxiety. I feel that I am not the only one who suffers from Depression. The Depression and Anxiety rating chart is an excellent idea and it helps me track my moods on a daily basis.

Since reading When Going Through Hell...Don't Stop I have put its coping strategies to use in helping a good friend recover from depression and anxiety. So far, there has been definite improvement in his depression. Everyone involved is thankful for Mr. Bloch's sound words of advice. This book has a wellspring of information to offer for anyone who is suffering from depression or their friends and caregivers.

This book provides a unique account of the Viet Nam war seen through the eyes of psychiatrist. Doug Bey's account of treatment in the battlefields and the sidelines was compelling; I read it cover to cover and ignored all other demands until done.

I was captured by this journey of war that unfolds in stories both large and small with the insightful commentary that comes from the original experiences, tempered by long years in the field of psychiatry.

While this memoir is rooted in the Viet Nam experience it has implications for the current men and women in the armed forces and should be required reading for those involved in the treatment of mental illness and the trauma of war.

However, the heart of the story remains one man's voice telling us the stories of war with all it's characters, events, and personal change. It's a gem of a book.

We all know, or knew, someone in Nam. An easily readable, enlightening chronicle of the time with touches of humor. I highly recommend this book.

Great narration of life in a support unit in Vietnam, the problems faced when returning home and the lasting effect on the lives of those who served. Very much enjoyed and appreciated.

War memoirs rarely show up on my reading list. Therefore, my enthusiasm about this book is not based on widely comparative reading in this area, but rather on the merits of this book itself. I really enjoyed reading this book, viewing familiar material from a completely different perspective than I would ever have had from my own experience, and it is a darn good read as well. Bey was a young psychiatrist in his early 30s when his induction notice arrived. His time of military service included a tour of duty in Vietnam at the height of the war, 1969-1970, reflections on which form the heart of this book. Bey was one of a small group of psychiatrists assigned to combat divisions (Wizard 6 was his radio handle). Each of these divisions had one psychiatrist, one social work officer, and several social work and psychology techs. These teams of mental health specialists found themselves in the strange position of helping others adjust to an environment that was itself plainly bizarre. Bey relates these initial impressions in a masterful chapter, "Stepping Through the Looking Glass," drawing the comparison to the Lewis Carroll classic. As just one example among many of the young doctor learning the rules by which this strange world was governed, Bey relates a time early in his tour in which he was requested by a military court to evaluate a prisoner charged with criminal offenses. Bey dutifully wrote a lengthy evaluation, stating in as many ways as he knew how that this prisoner suffered from a personality disorder, not a mental illness, and was therefore likely to repeatedly criminally offend. Surprised that the court let the man off, Bey found out that the court had not read his evaluation at all, but surmised from the heft of it that this man had genuine psychiatric problems. However, they were so miffed at having to let this criminal offender off the hook that they really threw the book at the poor guy following in the docket!
There are many very interesting features of this memoir. Bey deals very forthrightly with issues of racial, class and cultural differences in relation both to military justice and to psychiatric and mental health issues. He approaches these issues with a clear, personal point of view, but is refreshingly aware of the strengths and limitations of his own perspectives. He also recognized the peculiar position he and his fellow medics were in as relatively high-ranking officers who had no long-range military career goals. Their indifference to military protocol was sometimes comical, sometimes rebellious, sometimes useful in getting things accomplished outside of channels, but it was also always a position of privilege.
One of the things that surprised me in this memoir was the almost complete absence of any discussion of politics. Although Bey does suggest that he was politically very conservative (just to the right of Genghis Khan, he says...) and generally supported the war effort (albeit, with grave doubts about the way the war was being conducted) candid discussion of war politics simply does not come up, either in the direct talk among the officers or in Bey's own interpretive narrative. The nearest to it is one episode in which, at the behest of a black fellow officer with whom he was very close, Bey attended a meeting of black enlisted men and relates the speeches presented there, which focused on their anger and resentment at fighting for the freedom of Vietnamese while having freedoms denied to them in the USA. This episode is related, however, not in the context of discussion of the war itself, but of racial tensions within the military. The main sense one gets here is that, aside from brief episodes of extreme action, the war was experienced by the soldiers themselves as grindingly boring. I suppose this strikes me so strongly exactly because, as I remember those years, heated discussions about the war seemingly consumed us stateside, and this brings home again the chasm of difference in perspective between those who actively participated in the war and those, like me, who did not.

"Velcome Captain. You are the new Vizard-Ya?" "Ya. I mean, yes sir." "Vell, I must tell you dat I don't know if I believe in psychiatry." "That's okay, sir; I'm not sure I belive in colonels." This interchange took place in 1969 when Doug Bey M.D. aarrived at the base camp of the 1st Infantry Division (The Big Red One) in Di An, Vietnam, to begin a one year tour of duty. His reponses to the U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel with the German accent are vintage Doug Bey. They show his quick wit and his way with words, his irreverence and his college-wrestler toughness.
I write with familiarity because Doug and I took psychiatric residences togther at the Menninger School of Psychiatry in Topeka, Kansas. We were goth in the Berry Plan, in which the Army allowed us to complete our training but then expected us to go on active duty for two years. Doug and I both ended up in Vietnam. I was hospital based at the 67th Evaucation Hospital in Qui Nhon.
Being assigned to a division meant that Doug had a Jeep and the freedom of movement to get a good pulse of the whole unit. His radio call sign was Wizard 6. He and his talented techs took care of all kinds of emotional problems but found the so-called combat fatigue of previous wars less prevalent in Vietnam. Instead were acting up personality disorders, racial issues, communications problems between officers and the often quite young soldiers, alcohol and drug problems, and anti-establishment attitudes reflective of the anti-warm movement in the U.S.
In Topeka Doug had studied the psychology of organizations under Dr. Harry Levinson. Doug applied the techniques of organizational case study to the 1st Infantry Division. His goal was to find stress points, such as abusive officers or nonsensical regulartions, and to try to deal with such problems before they became major. This emphasis prevades the book and provids exceptional insights of a unit at war.
Doug also writes of his own coping devices in an unpopular war far from home. He tried to forget about home, immersed himself in his work, developed relationships with his colleagues, observed and kept notes, isolated negative feelings and stayed away from war politics.He also admits that he overused alcohol to self-medicate. He reports one frightening experience when he was to intoxicated at the time of a Red Alert that he mistook a friend for the enemy and pointed and pulled the trigger on his .45. What saved a tragedy was that he forgot to remove the safety. Throughout the book he is unsparing in presenting his own failings, which makes his story ring true.
He writes of how his Vietnam experiences affect him even to this day. He has a lifetime of things to ponder, such as the obviously battle-hardened infantryman who barged into Doug's office and announced that he wanted the doctor to know that he was gay and who then ran off; or the grieving crowd around a Vietnamese boy who lay next to his mangled bicycle, the victim of a US military truck that didn't stop.
Doug also compares and contrasts Vietnam with Iraq. His disquieting conclusion is that the two conflicts are becoming more and more similar.
This book has value not only for the people with military interests but also for mental health workers. The descriptions of the smells and noises of the country and of the people and their sad plight rang so true to me. I found myself nodding my head in agreement as I read. Doug really got it the way it was. My biggest disappointment is that I didn't write this book. But I'm glad somebody did.

Ed Colbach M.D.

it even includes info on the Krasnogorsk-3!
Good stuff here, lots of production prep tips, notes on all major makes of 16mm movie cameras plus the expected chapters on lenses, lights, and so on. Plus stuff like low-cost tips and tricks for filters, making your own stuff. Having this book is like having a nice next-door neighbor who you can stop by and ask questions.

If you've just bought your first 16mm camera or thinking of hiring one for a shoot, this book is invaluable. It's a fascinating subject and Douglas Underdahl manages to make it funny too!!! There's also plenty of advice for the first time director. What more can I say? The book makes you want to grab your Bolex, run into the street and start making a movie!!

Fantastic book, the best I've ever read on cameras and experiences with cameras. I wish Underdahl would write more. HIGHLY recommended! (Review entered on behalf of Jeff Hill.)

this book covered all of the major and minor parts of the different cameras.an easy read...and a must for all new film students!!!!!