George Books

This book is a great read for anyone interested in survival. George Sigler happened to be a guest speaker at a pilot meeting in Vero Beach, so I went with a friend to hear him talk about the book. You could not hear a pin drop in the audience as he described his tales of adventure. He is a fasinating individual with a lot of spirit. He adds bits of humor to the book to perk it up to his audience. Great book!

I loved the book. A true story of a man with the determination to help people survive if stranded at sea.

That Mr. Siglar is no great writer is the only reason the book doesn't get five stars from me. I can't help but believe the book would have been a significanlty better read if he had written the book sooner than 26 years after the event, but writing to one side, the book still contains some very valuable information. It just isn't structured as well as I would have liked.

However, any student of sea survival should definitely read about George and Charlie's experience sailing a ZODIAC boat (Its unfair to call it a Raft) across the pacific with nothing more than a survival kit prepared by Mr. Siglar. No food (really) no water, just the kit. There is nothing like first hand accounts to inform students of the realities of any situation, and Siglars account (like Steve Callahan's Adrift) is full of the things you never think about unless you've been there.

My advise, pick one up.

Great book, George Sigler is truly a modern day adventurer. Although it is about the serious topic of survival, the author wanting to test his survival kit on a real-life situation, George has managed to tell his story in this very entertaining, and sometimes hilarious, book. He is, and we are, lucky he survived to tell the story.

I didn't want to give this a low star review as i have never seen this book. I ordered it, but was then told it was not available. Then Amazon sent me an email asking me to review it!!!

I'd love to say something about this book as I am a huge Alan Moore fan but haven't read it.

This is more a book-length conversation between two friends than an interview. But it is a thorough and enjoyable conversation, enhanced by the obvious intimacy of the participants. Khoury is able to get stories from Moore than no journalist would be able to elicit. Various artists who've worked with Moore contribute graphic retellings of their experiecnes with him. In addition there is a substantial bibliography in the back of the book which would prove useful to colelctors and scholars. This book is a must-have for any serious fan or student of Alan Moore's work.

This is the autobiography of Alan Moore, in a way. George Khoury has taken the 50th birthday (and semi-retirement) of Alan Moore as an excuse to conduct a massive interview that stretches from his childhood to today. Moore's personal life, career ups and downs, and all of his stories and characters are discussed. It's exhausting --- but in a good way. For the Alan Moore fan, this is the Holy Grail.

Most of this information has been covered before elsewhere, but not with this kind of depth and inter-connection. Take Moore's family, for example. In other interviews, he's spoken about his marriage, divorce, and daughters. But here, with years of hindsight, he describes these events in a way that is respectful, humorous, and free of gossip. It's all very matter-of-fact, but never dull. The more important topics --- the comic books --- are approached in the same way. Moore is proud of his body of work, but he is honest about disappointments and unrealized ideas.

In the later sections, he gets into his exploration of magic and occultism. He sounds like a professor who has decided to experience his topic of study first-hand rather than reading about it. He's trying to find the source of human creativity, but without pretension. It's fascinating to read about. It gives you an insight into how and why he's created so many amazing comics over the last few decades.

Finally, this book is full of extras. Alan Moore's daughters get the first and final word of the book. Collaborators get small interviews and comic pages to comment on their relationship with Moore. There's a long bibliography at the end that covers 99% of everything he's done, and a sample of one of his scripts (which has never been illustrated).

Just outstanding. The longest most in-depth interview with Alan Moore ever takes up the bulk of this tremendously impressive effort and makes this book Moore's almost-autobiography...
Tributes in comic book form are smattered throughout, by some cohorts-in-creation including Neil Gaiman/Mark Buckingham (who provide an utterly charming, affectionate 2 page strip; Rick Veitch (a sublime dreamy sequence); Dave Gibbons and Brian Bolland who each write/illustrate warm fuzzy funny one-pagers... Also peppered throughout the book are rare works by Moore including Pictopia, a powerhouse short story-comic that illustrates the state of the industry from the 80's until recent times, that Moore's current ABC line (Tom Strong, Promethea, Top Ten, etc) provides the antidote to...

If you've never read anything by Moore, this book is the perfect launching point into his ouvre; if you've read everything by him, you'll enjoy it even more...

This new book is a one-of-a kind masterpiece of photographic work. There are a hundred or so photographs and they show a true view of life in the Appalachian region. They are timeless and haunting. There is a wonderful section in the back called "Oral Histories" where each person photographed tells a story about their life-which is captivating in itself. That, combined with the top-notch photographs, makes this a unique treat-beautiful images and intriguing stories from real lives. It will appeal to photographers and non-photographers alike. The images look like they could have been taken in the 1940's, but are from the last 25 years or so. Mr. Barnwell obviously spent much time getting to know these people, even being invited into their homes to record private moments in their lives. They are not the stereotypical views most photographers from outside the area do, or the exploitive poor-white-trash portrayed by other photographers like Shelby Lee Adams. But they are not simply a romantic view of days gone by, either. Rather they capture the true heart and soul of these amazing people-showing the beauty and the flaws in unflinching detail. The images are not only stunning but extremely well reproduced. The book is well organized, beautifully designed, and has wonderful production qualities. It's also a bargain compared to prices of similar quality photo books I've bought.

Wow! What can I say. This is one beautiful book. I'm 70 and grew up living this lifestyle. I still have a farm here in Kentucky. Finally there is someone who "gets it" and shows Appalachia as it really is. Mr. Barnwell understands the people and connects with them. Through touching photographs and captivating conversations he portrays the heart and soul of the region and it's people. You know, this is how people across this great country used to live, it's just that it hung on here longer due to the isolation. So if you want to see how you father, mother, grandparents, and great grandparents lived, take a look at this book. It is one of a kind from what I've seen. I can identify with every scene, but I think folks everywhere can too, even if they weren't raised here. I think great pictures can transcend culture and be meaningful to anyone with an appreciation of life. It's one of the prettiest done books I've seen as well-great print quality and design. Folks will look back on this a hundred years from now and realize what a masterpiece of work Mr. Barnwell has created, capturing this life the way he did. I highly recommend it!

The quiet pictures in Tim Barnwell's The Face of Appalachia are full of small revelations. Ernest Rector, a fiercely intense elderly man, glares at the camera. One arm supports a large portrait of Jesus. The other cradles a framed magazine cover showing Johnny Cash with his wife, June Carter. You'd think he was encircling his family.

"When Bill Taylor was sick," Rector recalls, "a bunch of us went over to his place and shucked and put up seven hundred bushels of corn so his hogs would have something to eat over the winter. We didn't get a penny for it, and didn't expect it either. ...Today, if you were dying of thirst, you couldn't get a man to give you a drink of water for less than a dollar."

That story has nothing-and everything-to do with that picture. It's one of 85 brief oral histories Bramwell has appended to the more than 100 duotone portraits and landscapes here. This captivating book makes you wish more photographers wrote down what the people they picture have to say.

Barnwell's studious, scrupulous achievement is worth a long look.

Tim Barnwell has done an excellent job of choosing pictures for this book. It's in black and white and is well done. The past comes back quickly in our minds. It's hard to believe that people still live like this in our day and time much less that they choose to live this way.

Appalachia hasn't changed much over the years when it comes to the rural areas. These people look like they could have lived a hundred years ago instead of the 1980's! Gardening, quilting, plowing and haymaking are still going on today but it seems much easier in the modern world then these pictures show.

The people remind me of my grandparents. They make me want to go visit them. I'm glad there are people who want to remember and pass on the old ways.

Any one interested in farming and rural things will enjoy seeing this book. The conversations are very real and believeable even in today's world.

Jansen's voice is as delightful as ever, looking at where we've been to try and figure out where we are now, without the soft focus lens that so often accompanies a nostalgic look backward at baseball's early days, or California's. It was a tough and sometimes ugly past, and George captures it all with humor, insight, and honesty. I've bought one book for myself and one for a baseball fan friend of mine.

Matching George's honesty, I'll admit I know the author, but even if I didn't, I would have bought this book!

Seeing Sunny Again
The Fade-away is, as one of my mentors used to say (that would be James N. Frey [not the fibber], author of How to Write a Damn Good Novel), a damn good novel. As someone who still manages to read most days, I am always grateful when I come across a book that I look forward to `getting back to'. I do most of my reading on the train during my commute and The Fade-away is such a book. It provided a wonderful antidote to the cell phone yakkers and other boors that take the train these days. On a superficial level the novel is about baseball, but baseball is a metaphor for life and Jansen has a lot of wonderful insights into both. Set in the turn of the century, not the last one, but the one before that, and told from four disparate points of view, The Fade-away is well-written with intricate period detail and believable characters who filter what happens to them and those around them through what I consider to be properly-adjusted period attitudes and biases, rather than our modern ones. As a sometimes writer of historical novels I know how tricky this can be. A balance must be struck between old, sometimes extinct, attitudes, which are needed for authenticity, and new, 21st century attitudes, which must be acknowledged in order to entice and hold, not repel, the modern reader. The Fade-away does this. I would term The Fade-away literary fiction due to the sophistication of the characters and situations. It tells the story of the Port Newton Athletic Club baseball team, which is tired of losing. At the urging of Foghorn Murphy, they start down a new path, echoing modern sports scandals (Bonds and his alleged steroid use, coaches betting on games, etc.) along the way.

George Jansen's rendering of minorities living in the white man's world back when people settled their differences (or acted out their hatred of the `other') with their fists, seems to be right on target. It was a time when life was a little crueler, but despite that, men (and women) still strove to lead lives of dignity, or at least to appear to do so. Jack Dobbs, aka, The Chief exhibits the former quality right through to the end. And speaking of "the end", hundreds of endings are available to the writer. There are no rules. Jansen chose one that has the unmistakable ring of truth to it. The sweetly sad and wonderful world of The Fade-away won't fade away in this reader's mind for a long time to come.

George Jansen's "The Fade-away" is a keeper, a book readers will want to tell friends about. Whether fans of baseball or simply fans of a good tale--both winsome and wistful--readers will find "The Fade-away" rewarding. Port Newton, California is at the turn of the twentieth century a town failing fast, cllinging desperately to its ball team as a means of salvaging its future. And many of its male citizens are holding furiously to the team as a means of staving off their own diminishing skills and prospects. Fished out of nearby Carquinez Straight is nearly-drowned J.P. "Jack" Dobbs, an enigmatic Indian and one-time professional ball player. Like many of his rescuers, he is on the downward side of fortune. First the team, then the entire town looks to "Chief" Dobbs to bring them victories in their bitter rivalries with neighboring towns. Through the eyes of the town's doctor and his precocious daughter, the town's restless entrepreneur--and his barkeep--and the town's newspaper, Jansen provides his readers with differing perspectives of the "goings on" in Newton as its citizens flirt with selling their souls for success, attention, and a renewed sense of their own worth. It is the classic struggle between innocence and larceny, between playing the game straight and doing whatever it takes to win--with a fascinating series of twists and turns involving love, envy, avarice, ambition, hope, and despair. This is a wonderful story, well-told and filled with quirky, but well-drawn and believable characters. Jansen exhibits a keen ear for the language and a deft appreciation of the values of early Port Newton as he explores the fragility of lives, loves and relationships there. "The Fade-away" deserves wide-circulation.

You don't have to be a baseball fan to enjoy The Fade-away. It is an engaging story about people and life in small-town California in 1900, a time when baseball was played mostly by regular people. If you are a baseball fan, particularly of its history, there's a healthy dose of early baseball stuff. But it is not a fairy tale of sports heroism; it's about people who are, in the author's words, flawed and incomplete.

It wouldn't take much detective work to learn that I'm a friend of the author, so I thought I'd get that out of the way. If a friend of yours has ever written and published a novel, you may have struggled through it, and then thought up something polite to say. I knew that would not be the case here, having thoroughly enjoyed George Jansen's first novel, The Jesse James Scrapbook, and then waited anxiously for his next book. In this second novel, he has further refined his distinctive, multiple-viewpoint, mosaic style of storytelling. I read it nonstop, cover-to-cover, and when I was finished, went back to savor some of my favorite parts.

As an historian, Jansen really does his homework. He thoroughly researches the time and place in which his story is set, but then he doesn't turn around and beat you over the head with what he's learned. Rather than getting a history lesson, you comfortably settle into that time and place, and come away with the feeling that you've been there.

The Fade-away is LOL funny at times, but mostly poignant. It is sweet, but honest. Its characters are far from heroes, but you might find yourself loving some of them anyway.

This is my #1 book recommendation! Mind-blowing! Expose on the corrupt, IMF/WorldBank/Ex-Im/multinational corporation/defence industry led ABUSE of environment and indiginous peoples world-wide. A MUST! for every single person in US and Europe, First World.

Ever wonder just how the rich get richer and the poor get poorer? Well, Susan George goes the distance in explaining both the how and the why of this phenomenon, on a global context. Her book, A Fate Worse Than Debt, outlines just how a few select countries continue to accrue wealth, while a vast majority sink deeper into the abyss of poverty and insecurity.

Ms. George sees debt as the great, unsung cause of increased hunger, a lack of food security, and a generally deepening level of misery for the vast majority of the world's population. She approaches the topic from the standpoints of food security, economic development, and equity. All three, she has found, have a common cause: crushing debt burdens imposed by rich country donor elites and their rich counterpart recipients in the poor countries. She sums up the situation best by saying, "The elites, either out of stupidity, cupidity, or lack of foresight, racked up debt, and when they could not pay, transferred the burden to the larger nation." Though she goes to great lengths to distance herself from the 'vast conspiracy theory of history', what she documents throughout the book amounts to a veritable conspiracy of criminal proportions. In her defense, every single assertion she makes about how the economic (mal)development assistance programs worked back then, as they still do now, were later fully corroborated by an entrenched member of the economic development establishmment in his memorable book, Confessions of an Economic Hitman.

Ms. George explains the problems in very clear, common-sense terms using the then available information. Since then, the problem has gotten much worse, however, but the debtor nations are making payments on their debt. The truly shocking thing was to learn the true nature of this debt- almost all of the nations involved went into debt in an attempt to finance prestige projects, ape the West through misguided modernization schemes, or to purchase things they did not really need, meanwhile very basic needs such as for infrastructure, health and education (those things that really would have helped the poor) went unheeded.

While there is little historical depth to the book (again, her attempt to distance herself from the Vast Conspiracy Theory of History), she does present example after example of how official development assistance hurts the people all involved say they are trying to help. As such, it does much to dispel the prevailing notion that many in the Third World are simply do-nothing deadbeats looking for a handout to squander. Instead, many hardworking people in these countries have found it harder to make ends meet because they are burdened with the consequences of someone else's stupidity- they literally pay for the idiotic ideas that their leaders put into motion.

In the end, the issues she presents boils down to a question of priorities and self-interest. The needs and wants of a rich and elite minority (often educated abroad and having sizable assets in other countries) in-country take precedence over the very real day to day needs of the poor majority. While investments in economic growth uniformly benefit this minority and the foreign investment community, economic development could (and indeed would) benefit everyone, rich and poor alike, by setting the stage for continued, sustained growth. In the two decades or so that this book has been around, we have seen the consequences of such destructive self-interest. In Brazil, for example, you have a rich and isolated minority living in fear of poor hordes pressing upon their gated, high security communities (or is this the USA!?!). Everywhere one looks, we now have a polarized world rife with conflict, but as long as debt gets serviced, no matter how crushing the burden on the average citizen, no intervention (economic or military) is required. Perhaps it is time that all of us thought about a more enlightened self-interest, one that would avert total disaster- aka The Economic Apocalypse, as opposed to managing small (but increasingly more frequent) economic disasters here and there.

Anyone looking to understand some of the economic reasons for the failure of official development assistance to the Third World must read this book first. The book also contains a list of highly informative source materials, though somewhat dated, for further reading. In sum, this book does much to release some of the hot air surrounding techno-economic fixes to many of the problems in the world. We really can't rely on technological quick fixes or economic palliatives to bring relief to much of the suffering humanity when self-interest works counter to these measures.

I agree 100% with the previous reviewer, about this book changing your life. This book, along with others like 'Man Made Famine' show the truth is worse than fiction. And pseudo liberals like Sting with their cheesy 'sponsor a child' stuff is NO GOOD.Makes us first world feels less guilty about the 'third world' (which means, the overexploited Non white world). And this books goes real deep, with the facts and quotes (from Banks, Multinations the power brokers) and leaves us with the question. What Price for Peace, am I prepared to allow say, Ghana develop it's Gold and Diamond mines knowing that if it does it put my Middle Class standard of living at risk? Really what is the price of peace.
serious reasonings.
Zeech

Must read for all students, taxpayers, inhabitants of 1st world countries. Shows how WB is corrupt and devastating down to its CORE! Before you turn on TV one more time, MUST read this.

All of the Mongo books are just spine tingling from beginning to end ....I really wish he'd write more!!This was my favorite Mongo mystery but the Veil books are even better !!!!!!!!!!Buy it!! read it11 now!!!You wouldn't regret it .......but be prepared to read it from statr to finish in one sitting!

Mongo Frederickson, ex-circus performer, ex-college professor, detective and dwarf, answers a call from a hospital acquaintance and finds that Phil Statler, his circus mentor, is now a patient. He has become a homeless alcoholic patient who is close to dying. Mongo comes to the rescue and Phil recovers only to tell a sad story of the circus's financial decay and it's forced sale.

On a mission to rescue Statler, Mongo flies to Palmetto Grove, Florida where many circus players have retired. He talks the residents into funding the repurchase of the circus and putting Phil back in charge as manager. Not quite coincidentally, Mongo also manages to kindle an affair with Harper Rhys-Whitney, the snake trainer. Or maybe Harper does the kindling. In any case, Harper is now a bit on the wealthy side, so she and Mongo fly off in her plane to track down the errant circus.

Little does Mongo realize that, on his quest for the circus, he is about to cross the paths of a violent murderer, a crypto-biologist, the world's greatest lion tamer and an illicit arms dealer. Deadly mysteries seem to surround Phil Statler's old circus. Most of them seem aimed right as Mongo and Harper.

George Chesbro spins a fine tale of Mongo's exploits, mixing a lot of detective fiction with a dash of science fiction and a dollop of just plain weird. It may be hard to imagine a dwarf as a hard-boiled detective, but Chesbro pulls it off with flair. Mongo not only out-thinks, but also out-fights, most of his opponents. Nor is that the sum total of his skills (just ask Harper). "The Fear in Yesterday's Rings" is great fiction read regardless of what genre you decide it's in. First time Mongo readers are in for a pleasant surprise.

"After my last divorce, I decided that either my husbands had lied when they told me they didn't mind my snakes, or I just wasn't cut out to be somebody's wife."
- Harper Rhys-Whitney, love of Mongo's life, herein

Phil Statler, Mongo's old boss from the circus, once again brings Mongo a case, but this time he *is* the case, turning up as a destitute patient in a hospital where one of Mongo's friends works. All Statler has left in the world are the posters from the circus, having gone bankrupt through refusing to modernize - which would've meant converting to a format suitable for indoor arena performances, sacking many performers who couldn't find other work.

Mongo really *owes* this man, so he begins scouting around among his old circus cronies in Florida to find out what happened to Statler's Circus after the foreclosure and whether he and his friends can buy it back as an investment. In the process, Mongo renews his relationship with Harper Rhys-Whitney, snake charmer turned herpetologist, legendary crusher of strong men's egos, and she joins the investigation. (Much of the story, as opposed to the mystery, has to do with Mongo's near-phobia about romantic relationships; he has issues with becoming dependent on anyone. Fortunately, Harper is used to men with issues, though mainly to do with lying about not being nervous around her snake collection.)

Instead of finding a run-down outfit bought as a tax writeoff and ready for resale, Mongo and Harper find that World Circus is staffed by first-class performers with a cover story that doesn't make sense. Why are they - particularly Luther, who seems a rival for the best animal trainers in the world - apparently content to travel in obscurity with a second-tier circus instead of achieving fame and fortune with Ringling?

But why would anybody bother with a *circus* as a cover for an illegal operation while keeping up the maintenance on a lot of dangerous and expensive animals? Why buy a circus just for the equipment and the animals while replacing all of the human performers?

Couldn't have anything to do with a mysterious string of serial killings along the circus' old route, could it?

Much better handled long-term relationship issues than AN AFFAIR OF SORCERERS, the only other Mongo book up to this point to set him up in a romantic relationship of any kind.

Robert Fredericksen was born a dwarf and, until Phil Statler of Statler Brothers Circus hired him, Robert was quite insecure. Under Phil's guidance, Robert became Mongo the Magnificent, a world-renown acrobat and one of the main features of the circus. He used his earnings to become a criminology professor and private investigator, again earning acclaim. Now, years later, Mongo has retired from the university and, along with his retired-policer-detective brother, Garth, they run a private investigations firm. Then, the past all comes back, when Mongo gets a call from an emergency room doctor, and finds out that his former boss/mentor, Phil Statler, is near death, after losing the circus and living on the streets as an alcoholic. Mongo decides to find investors, among his former circus colleagues, buy back the circus, and make Phil the manager. Mongo gets his backers, and falls in love with the snake-charmer-turned-herpetologist, Harper Rhys-Whitney, and goes hunting for the circus. But, who, and what, will end up hunting him? The answer is weird and fascinating.

This book is very fast-paced and well-written, with fascinating and credibly incredible characters. While a few mysteries are "telegraphed" (i.e., can be solved before Mongo does), there is lots of suspense and a heavy dose of the bizarre. I highly recommend the book, and it would make great reading for a long ride on a bus, train, or plane.

REVIEWED BY CHARLENE KNADLE
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
SUFFOLK COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

CHARLENE KNADLE RECEIVED HER BACHELOR'S DEGREE FROM HARDING COLLEGE, MASTER'S FROM STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY, AND DOCTORATE FROM ST. JOHN'S UNIVERSITY. SHE IS A POET (DANDELION SLEEVES: POEMS OF NATURE AND ORDINARY LIFE; LOCAL COLOR: THINGS, PLACES, PERSONS, EXPERIENCES) AND NOVELIST (PAPER LOVERS) WHOSE WORK HAS BEEN NOMINATED FOR A PUSHCART PRIZE. SHE EXAMINED THE WORKS OF PAT CONROY FOR THE 11-VOLUME LIBRARY REFERENCE WORK,POPULAR CONTEMPORARY WRITERS.


George Giannaris describes his book, Ferry Tales, as being "primarily for my children," yet I have seldom read an autobiographical work that seems more of an offering to the world. (Most recently, I found that quality of voice in the late Nuala O'Faolain's Are You Somebody? The Accidental Memoir of a Dublin Woman and have since read upwards of a dozen such books.)
Giannaris doesn't disguise autobiography as fiction, the way Khaled Hosseini, in most of The Kite Runner, seems to. The book is straightforwardly about himself, yet there is a "storybook" feel to the narrative as he relates incident after incident. In the process, the unique characteristics of colorful characters become exposed. His experiences are varied, intertwined with the lives of others, and lived for long durations in different locations--Brooklyn, Queens, both forks of Long Island's east end, and across the ocean in Greece, among others. He has felt included and loved, chastised and shunned; he has seen himself as the "outsider" and as the center of action; he has felt enormous pride and keen embarrassment at members of his family. In short, he invokes a sense of the universal, stimulating in readers memories of our own related but very different lives.
The book is peppered with humor--both smiles and guffaws, all of it organic, none forced. An occasional phrase seems both perfect and admirably witty, some bordering on the literary. And there are passages that suddenly and unexpectedly draw tears.
George Giannaris writes of his own life, yet he often mysteriously seems more observer than actor, even as he lets the reader in on his inner responses and outer reactions. Most of the time we notice his generosity of spirit towards others, even as he lays bare the truths of his humanly angry or mean-spirited feelings.
Educated as an electronic engineer with an emphasis on computers, Giannaris nevertheless has stayed with the family business, that of running a Greek restaurant, The Hellenic, located in proximity to the ferry that runs between the eastern end of Long Island's north fork and Connecticut. Relating to so many familiar and new customers on their way to or from the ferry forms the basis of many of the scenarios of the book, hence the title. Yet the heart of the matter is closer, with fellow workers, family, friends, the pressures of sixteen-hour, non-stop days, and with recreational experiences (boating, spear fishing, diving, day trips to exotic places). George Giannaris seems to be one "on whom nothing is lost,"* who is able to recognize the significance in the every-day even as he lives it. The wisdom he weaves into the telling of each true tale of himself teaches and rewards us, even as, entertained, we read with our feelings close to the surface.

*Henry James

Though the phrase is too often used in literary circles, this first effort by George Giannaris is truly a “must read” for anyone seeking pure entertainment or good-natured “post-read” discussion. Insightful and poignant at times â€Â" laugh out loud hilarious at others â€Â" Mr. Giannaris’ gift to the reader is his ability to make us all look at life with a different perspective and newfound appreciation. Whether focusing his thoughtful point of view inward with total honesty and self-deprecation, or looking outward with the eye of a “comedic” sociologist, his descriptive prose is both observant and enlightening. I, for one, am anxiously awaiting his next literary effort.

If you are Greek, know someone Greek, or even if you know nothing about Greeks, you will get a real kick out of this book...Entertaining to say the least. Excellent, fast reading, and most of all REAL... I'd recommend it to everyone.. Young and "older". Believe me, you can relate to it. I'm buying several to give out as gifts. Nothing like a feel good gift.

I read this book a few days ago and enjoyed every chapter of it. The stories, mostly independent of each other, have a common theme; how the Cross Sound Ferry impacted the business, it's location, and the funny stories that surround its history. The biker midgets are a classic and a must read!

This book is a great story of the daily life of a single soldier's (Mr. Justice) time in Korea. It is not a blood and guts dime fiction novel and it's not a dry history lesson. I just couldn't put this book down. The book truly makes you feel the experience of being there. A few times I left the house after reading and just expected it to be cold outside, september in Houston is never cold. There are a number of photos that really helped visualize what I was reading. I recommend looking through all of the photographs first so you can put faces to the names as you read the book. I would think this is a must read for anyone interested in military history, anyone who was there or anyone who had family there. Thanks to God for letting this man survive and giving him the courage to write his story.

If you are seeking a book that will make you feel all warm and cozy while you get ready for bed... this isn't for you!! If you like real life experiences, intense action, and actual historical facts then this is all you need. I have read this book very intently and it will definatly keep you on the edge of your seat. I believe that you will recieve something very special from this book, an understanding of something much larger than a date in history. Perhaps a newfound respect for those brave men who faught in this War and the initiative to make sure that their memory is not forgotten.

I love ya Grandaddy. We'll Get That Coffee Soon.

MERELY WRITING THIS BOOK WOULD BE MORE COURAGEOUS THAN I COULD BEAR. LIVING IT?? AT A TIME IN THE USA WHEN ALL ENJOYED A CARE FREE LIFESTYLE, IT SHOULD HUMBLE ALL OF US WHO DID NOT SERVE OUR COUNTRY. BUY THIS BOOK AND YOU'LL HATE THE TIME YOU ARE NOT BEING ABLE TO COMPLETE READING IT. I BOUGHT THREE ADDITIONAL BOOKS AS GIFTS FOR MY RELATIVES AND THEY COMMENDED ME AS THEY TOO, DID NOT WANT TO PUT IT DOWN. PERSONALLY, I THINK IT SHOULD BE MANDATORY FOR EACH NEW U.S. CITIZEN TO READ "GEORGE" TO BETTER APPRECIATE WHAT OUR SOLDIERS HAVE DONE FOR OUR RIGHT FOR THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS, LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. MAY GOD BLESS AMERICA.......

I read a lot and, I've read a lot of war books and western novels. However, I have not read one before "Fightin' George" that was so discriptive I almost believed I was there with the author! Once started, I could scarcely put it down. I rushed through my studies just so I could pick up the coveted book once more! I often wondered what it was like to fight for your country and now I know. What an excellent true to fact book of a soldier on the frontline. Mr. Justice has done history a great favor by discribing the human element of warfare. I congradulate him on a superb job well done!

This book is great for anyone interested in fireworks. It gives you a special appreciation for fireworks.

George Plimpton is either the black cat or the leopard of the literary world. Or both. Like a black cat he has 9 lives -- or more. Unlike the leopard, he can change spots.

In his earlier books, Plimpton has written of his participation in a variety of sports from football "The Paper Lion" to baseball in "Out of my League" to professional golf in "The Bogey Man." He changes literary spots by publishing such diverse works as "Writers at Work" and "American Journey; the Times of Robert Kennedy."

In FIREWORKS he breaks new ground. He is the "unofficial official" Fireworks Commissioner of New York City and he takes his job VERY seriously.

He begins with a bang. His personal memories of childhood and adulthood firecracker expeditions, covering both successes and traumas. In the second section he relates the history of explosives and follows this with accounts of "fireworks families" in the United States.

The books bursts with glorious illustrations. I can't pick a favorite picture! This isn't a cheap book, but it's worth every penny.

I read this book because I enjoy Plimpton's vicarious lives. Fireworks didn't interest me a bit. They do know.

I think this book provides a great deal of historical background on fireworks. It also talks about the most prominent families in fireworks

George Plimpton is either the black cat or the leopard of the literary world. Or both. Like a black cat he has 9 lives -- or more. Unlike the leopard, he can change spots.

In his earlier books, Plimpton has written of his participation in a variety of sports from football "The Paper Lion" to baseball in "Out of my League" to professional golf in "The Bogey Man." He changes literary spots by publishing such diverse works as "Writers at Work" and "American Journey; the Times of Robert Kennedy."

In FIREWORKS he breaks new ground. He is the "unofficial official" Fireworks Commissioner of New York City and he takes his job VERY seriously.

He begins with a bang. His personal memories of childhood and adulthood firecracker expeditions, covering both successes and traumas. In the second section he relates the history of explosives and follows this with accounts of "fireworks families" in the United States.

The book bursts with glorious illustrations. I can't pick a favorite picture! It's an expensive book, but it's worth every penny.

I read this book because I enjoy Plimpton's vicarious lives. Fireworks didn't interest me a bit. They do now.

Very funny, entertaining, and historically pretty accurate. George McDonald Fraser is a former Gordon Highlander who served in Burma among other places and has also written a few hollywood scripts. Flashman is the character from "Tom Browns Schooldays", is expelled from Rugby for drunkenness , joins the army and is sent to India... Royal Flash is what "The Prisoner of Zenda" should have been, hilarious and adventurous. Flash for Freedom and Flashman and the Redskins are the pick of the bunch. McDonald Frasers book "The Pyrates" is great for anyone who has ever watched an Errol Flynn movie....

I have enjoyed all of the books by George MacDonald Fraser over the years. His "Flashman" series is wonderful! They are, without a doubt, the finest historical fiction I have ever read. I have taken the time to research many of the incidents where Fraser has inserted "Flashy" and have found that his dedication to the historic context is quite accurate. Often I feel that I have to research the outrageous events related in the story as they seem outlandish and impossible- but I always find that history is stranger than any fiction. Many times while listening I am struck by the sheer genius in stringing together so many seemingly unrelated events into a fantastic tale! My highest reccomendation.

The novels involving the Flashman character are some of the most entertaining, enlightening and engrossing stories of the Voctorian era worldwide. I await Mr. Fraser's spin on how Harry Flashman philanders his way though the American Civil War. It will be a great story. When is going to happen, George?

George MacDonald Fraser is a first rate historian who has published several history books. With his Flashman series he puts his man Harry Flashman into actual historical events of the last century. These books are richly documented and have extensive footnotes... But that is not all.... The Flashman papers (as all of these books are supposed to have been written by Harry Flashman, retired in his mid 80s and early 90s) tell the story of a decorated war hero, a knighted soldier, and a beloved national figure, who is really a world class cad and scoundrel who won all of his awards and honors in spite of the fact that he is at best a womanizing coward! These are funny and entertaining while showing you actual historical events in great detail. All that is left is to wonder A) how Flashy got into the situations, and B) how he will get out of them. I highly recommend the entire series!