Gray Books

This is a good book to read for anyone wanting to see how a good man dealt with adversity. Allen places much emphasis upon Davis' Christian faith, and how it helped him to be the sort of man who can be worthily imitated. The book also contains a goodly amount of historical information which is not commonly known. It could have used some tighter editing, as there were a few points where I was not quite sure about whom Allen was writing, and had to go back and re-read the paragraph, but, all in all, I was both informed and edified by this book. About the review by Kirkus, I can only conclude that that reviewer is an anti-Christian, anti-Southern bigot, as he obviously had already decided about the book before reading it.

Felicity Allen's recent biography, Jefferson Davis, Unconquerable Heart, transcends mere history. Such a sensitive and comprehensive work, therefore, may perplex the hardened historian, who is often pleased only with cold chronological facts that fit comfortably into his own predispositions. Allen's intricately documented work has the touch of a true poet who deftly and profoundly reveals not only the heart and soul of a great (and often misunderstood) American but also a way of life gone forever.

No scholar can fail to appreciate Allen's exhaustive research,, nor any layman fail to be amazed at her mass of fact and significant detail. But if fact is the body and bone of biography, truth is its revelation. And this is the outstanding accomplishment of Felicity Allen: she has recovered the heart and soul of an honorable and courageous American patriot who thought and fought and fell with his young nation.

Oxford Stroud

What Mrs. Allen succeeds so brilliantly at is showing the human side of the man. I must admit that I was no fan of Jefferson Davis in his role as the President of the CSA. However, thanks to Mrs. Allen, I was able to see him in a much different light - as an American patriot and a human being. In the passions that colour anything dealing with the War of Northern Aggression, it is sometimes difficult to remember that everyone involved had a life before that tragic conflict. I can't help but be grateful for the way in which Mrs. Allen brought that point home in her book. While I will still take issue with many of his wartime decisions, I can't help but be proud that our nation produced a man like Jefferson Davis. Thanks for the insight and the education Mrs. Allen!

Since becoming interested in the 19th Century, and the oasis of information concerning that time period, I'm still baffled as to why the 21st Century historian cannot understand the greatness of men like Jefferson Davis. All the modern historian can do is point out cultural problems of times past (slavery: as if the South was the only place on earth that had them). After reading the standard review from Amazon, I had to chime in on this great book. I've read William J. Cooper's Jefferson Davis as well as Jefferson Davis himself. Is it not interesting that modern day Jefferson Davis antagonists' (Just read James Mcpherson's preface in 'The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government") can only talk of slavery, as if this is the only motivating factor which drove J. Davis to become a relunctant secessionist, while ignoring our own cultural problems that are far worse and grandiose in scope. Modern day/ post-modern historians cannot grasp the larger picture of history. Their worldview does not allow for such truth gazing. F. Allen does a supurb job of showing us a Davis who was triumphant, depressed,ultimately defeated, caring for Negros, and a dedicated Episcopalian who knew who his Saviour was. Many of J. Davis' associates supported gradual emancipation (Bishop Meade of Va and Bishop Leonidas Polk) as to help assimulate the Negro into society. The Northern invasion of the South precluded any such cultural assimilation to take place. Read this book- It is partisan, but isn't every historian coming to work the task of history with his/her presuppositions? F. Allen is not ashamed of this and her logical conclusions about the man and his times is as accurate as a historian can get. Cheers for independent scholars who have not abdicated the task of passing story to fellow countrymen!

For those of us who travel to London to buy anitiques--or who daydream about doing that, this book is priceless. It offers so many good tips about where to shop for what, and it is written in an accessible, light-hearted style. What beautiful photographs accompany the text!

In addition to sharing an insiders knowledge of the London antique scene (with good, clear maps), this is also an attractive book with numerous beautiful photographs and interesting commentary. It is a worthwhile find even if you aren't going antiquing in London. If you are, it is essential.

I love this book,it's brilliant! What I love best about it is: 1) it identifies areas in London that have antiques areas
that I didn't know about and 2) it has web sites and URLs of dealers that aren't easy to find with an internet search engine. I'm no stranger to London having grown up there and a regular visitor, but this book covers the antiques world in greater depth than I knew existed; and when I can't be in London, I'm a constant internet shopper and having all these website addresses
is wonderful!

I found this book very helpful and informing. A veteran antique dealer who has been shopping london for 15 years, I discovered places I had never visited before. It was easy to read and to use. A must for antique shopping in London!

With the subtlety of an impressionist brush, a picture quickly emerges of love, intrigue, and a passion for the people of Croatia. Lovers and Mad Men takes the reader on a detailed tour into the inner workings of the Croatian Nationalist Movement as it gains power as a political force. The reader is whisked through the back streets of world capitals and into dark alleys for clandestine meetings with the leaders of terrorist groups. Keeping just steps ahead of the dreaded Yugoslav secret police, you go with the Busics to meetings in smoky cafes and bars. You can almost taste the Slivovitz. Busic then keeps the reader by the hand as she details the inner workings and hard life of a committed member of a subversive group. She opens her emotional being for all to see as her passion for her lover, Taik, and the Croatian people grows. It may read, at times, like an action packed fictional work of Ian Fleming, but it is all true, as experienced by a regular girl from Portland Oregon. Take this one with you on that long plane flight. With this book, you won't mind economy class.

This book has two things to recommend it:
1) It contains such an amazing, almost incredible story that it made me want to do research just to find out more about Croatia in general and this hijacking incident specifically. I found myself completely believing Julie, and wondered what I would read somewhere else. It is an odd mixture of romance, memoir, tragedy, history, prison story, and even comedy!
2) Julie Busic is an outstanding writer. I loved her unique style and tone.
I think everyone, no matter whether they were "for" or "against" the author, would enjoy this story.

In 1969, Julienne Schultz, a young American nurse living in Vienna, met a Croatian man by the name of Zvonko Busic. Taik, as he was known to family and friends, had been banished from Yugoslavia for "revolutionary activities" stemming from his desire for a Croatia free from Serbian rule. Julie was entranced by his passion for his cause and for life in general; it was not long before she fell in love with him. At his request, while on a trip to Zagreb (the Yugoslav capital) she threw a packet of political leaflets from the top of a building. She was caught and served six months in a Yugoslav prison, waiting to be tried for the distribution of hostile propaganda. After her release, she was reunited with Taik. Banned from Austria, they lived in Germany for a time, where they were married, before moving to the United States. Taik, however, had not given up on his cause, and eventually he decided that the only way to force the world's attention to the Croatian plight was with a highly-publicized hijacking. Though Taik and his fellow hijackers, including Julie, fully intended that no one would be harmed, a police officer was killed by an explosive that was never meant to detonate. As a result, Julie and Taik were tried for and found guilty of murder. She served thirteen years and was released in 1990. He is still in prison.

Lovers and Madmen is Julienne Eden Busic's memoir. It is a fascinating and well-written account of her life leading up to the hijacking of TWA Flight 355 on September 10, 1976, and the event itself. Julienne's take on the politics involved is especially interesting, as she is American--she was forced to come to terms with the realization that, in much of the world, the rights that we consider incontrovertible, such as free speech, are unheard of. The terrorism aspect is also worthy of note. Hijacking the plane was, of course, a terrorist act, albeit one meant to command attention, not elicit fear. The reasons behind the decision seem almost nonsensical--until one takes into consideration that these events happened twenty-five years (almost to the day) before the attacks on the World Trade Center. From a pre-9/11 perspective, hijacking was a much less sensitive action; it was not so personally insulting to Americans. When one looks at it that way, Taik's reasons don't seem so illogical--though they won't convince you that the hijacking was a good thing.

Julienne has a lovely, poetic writing style, and she tells her story earnestly and elegantly. Her style brings to mind Abundance by Sena Jeter Naslund; though the genres and contents of the books are quite different, if you liked Abundance, you may also enjoy Lovers and Madmen. It is, of course, a memoir, and as a result the story is somewhat skewed toward the author's perspective of events, which is to be expected. A few less-than-favorable details may have been omitted. Nonetheless, it's a provocative book, especially now, when terrorism is such a concern to Americans.

The Busics' story is one of devotion, loyalty, and above all love--not just between husband and wife, but also the love of home and country, the desolation one feels when it is taken away, and the sacrifices one will make to protect it. It is an engaging and touching story that will make you think. I highly recommend it.

Scene: 1976. French sharpshooters surround an American aircraft parked on the tarmac of an airport outside Paris, while inside a blonde, pretty American girl - an educated, nice girl anybody would be pleased to have for a daughter - struggles to make things as comfortable as possible for the hijacked American passengers. Kind of movie-of-the-week stuff. Except ... she's not a flight attendant. She's one of the hijackers.

This dissonance between who Julienne Eden Busic is and what she appears to be, indeed what she was growing up in a small Oregon town, forms the essence of her unusual and illuminating memoir, Lovers and Madmen: A True Story of Passion, Politics and Air Piracy.

In language that is luminous, thoughtful, original and flayingly honest, Busic describes her transition from apolitical schoolgirl to revolutionary and the catalytic agent: love. But in Busic's rendering, the line between love and fate blur.

She meets exiled Croatian dissident Zvonko "Taik" Busic on a street corner in Vienna, though "meet" is perhaps the wrong term -- he seems to be stalking her. Yet he's late for their first date, careless about time. In fact, without in any way being violent or overbearing, he moves early to assert dominance in their relationship. "In truth ... I am too fond," Juliet says to Romeo after agreeing to marry him after only one meeting. "And therefore thou mayst think my `havior light: But trust me, gentleman, I'll prove more true than those that have more cunning to be strange." Julie and Taik's romance has that quality, if not so much the passionate declarations of Shakespeare's famous lovers, still the sense of the hand of fate trailing downward, touching one then the other, almost as if at random, linking them forever together, no matter how high the cost.

And the cost is very, very high. Julie first does six months in a squalid Yugoslav prison for smuggling and distributing revolutionary leaflets inside that then-Communist nation. When she is finally freed, upon bathing, she leaves a scum of dirt in the bathtub, so filthy is she from her ordeal. Taik neither congratulates her on her stamina nor thanks her. It seems that, so ingrained in him is the idea that one suffers for one's convictions that he doesn't even acknowledge her sufferings for his.



And his conviction is that people should be allowed to express their own culture in their own country, to be free men on the land on which they were born. Busic paints him as dark, foreign, next to her open, American blondness. But such convictions as his are quintessentially American. Which is why, when the idea of a non-violent hijacking occurs, it is upon American soil that it is hatched and the plan is to educate Americans, who have been kept largely in the dark by U.S. media, of the plight of the Croatians, this annexed people caught up in the country-carving that occurred in the wake of World War I.

The plan seems naive in retrospect. Post September 11th, chillingly so. Yet, in an odd way, still "necessary" from the revolutionary perspective. Even after the fall of the Iron Curtain, the recent Balkan bloodshed, the emergence of Croatia as an independent nation, Americans still aren't quite sure what it's all about, whose side to be on, can't understand such bloody, nationalist feuds.

Perhaps, in addition to her fateful love for Taik, this sometimes irritatingly innocent American naiveté is what propelled the author toward her revolutionary destiny. To many world citizens, America must seem like a fat and innocent child, the majority of its citizens largely unaware of the sufferings and political machinations affecting the daily life of most other residents of this planet. Once made aware, however, some Americans chafe at their confinement in the playpen, feeling, with George Bernard Shaw, a longing for "the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap, the being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy."

Julie Busic, with her Master's degree in German and linguistics, served thirteen years in a federal prison for her role in the hijacking. Taik, gray-haired now but still buttressed by his convictions, the support of Croatian nationalists who consider him a hero, and, not incidentally at all, the remarkable love of his wife, Julie, remains imprisoned in a country, the United States, still reeling in shock that political struggle can touch its residents so personally.

Lovers and Madmen is a travelogue of the underground revolutionary life. Julie and Taik move from city to city, sometimes ushered out by security police, sometimes ducking under windows in fear of bullets. They drink wine in Paris with a gentle, artistic dissident who would later be assassinated, scrub floors in dingy Cleveland apartments to scrape together a living on the run, collaborate with Irish revolutionaries. And throughout, they endeavor, together, to discover, what is this thing that has touched and joined them: this fateful love that endures, across oceans, cross culture, behind bars.

I am amazed at the brilliance and positive approach of Jack Canfield.

This collection of works by the various authors offers the listener an opportunity to have an easily accessed master mind group in the field of human growth. The morning commute's blahs are a thing of the past when the driver plugs in a tape or cd and visits with the likes of Jack Canfield, Marianne Williams and the others. Each offers a conversational monologue which address basic human perceptions and attitudes. Whether at home or on the road, each tape is a treasure of information which offers the listener tools to reshape basic views of life. These tapes are well worth the value. They are like good traveling companions. You welcome their presence, and delight in their gifts. I strongly recommend it to anyone.

This collection of works by the various authors offers the listener an opportunity to have an easily accessed master mind group in the field of human growth. My morning commute's blahs are a thing of the past when I plug in my tapes and visit with the likes of Jack Canfield, Marianne Williams and the others. Each offers a conversational monologue which address basic human perceptions and attitudes. I have listened to all the tapes at least twice and will listen to them again and again. Whether at home or on the road, each tape is a treasure of information which offers the listener tools to reshape basic views of life. These tapes are well worth the value. They are like good traveling companions. You will welcome their presence, and delight in their gifts. I strongly recommend it to anyone.

This set of tapes is diverse enough to keep me interested and also very inspirational and hopeful.. Makes a long drive feel more useful!

From what i have read Grey is a very intelligent writer who really has some great nuggets of information but i wish more of his material was original instead of expanding on other's writings so often.

This is an outstanding contribution to strategic studies, a comprehensive placing of virtually all theorists and historians of war and strategy, and hugely thought-provoking. Yet Gray never forgets that practice is primary, noting the `authority of practice over theory'.

He uses Clausewitz's method, defining strategy as `the use that is made of force and the threat of force for the ends of policy': it is about objectives, effects. The nature and function of strategy and war are unchanging, though their characters change constantly. "Every war is both unique yet also similar to other wars." Strategy is in every conflict everywhere.

Tactics, by contrast, is the use of instruments of power in action. Strategy proposes; tactics dispose. "War is not `about' economics, morality, or fighting. Instead, it is about politics."

Strategy's dimension are politics, ethics, military preparations, people, technology, time, war proper. Technological changes alter the character not the nature of war: "Technology is important, but in war and strategy people matter most."

Gray analyses strategy's components, its various environments, land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace. Seapower, airpower and spacepower function strategically as enabling factors: a war's outcome may be decided by action at sea, in the air or in space, but all conflicts have to be finally resolved on land, where people are.

He illuminates wars from the Punic to the Boer, but focuses mainly on the 20th century's excessive amount of war experience: wars between empires, still all too possible, and wars against nations, opposed by wars for national liberation and independence. He writes, "how truly heroic is Mao's message of eventual success through the conduct of protracted revolutionary warfare." Success can mean just stopping the enemy from winning.

We can check the quality of his approach by assessing the strategic conclusions it generates, despite his overmuch reliance on histories emanating from State Department and Foreign Office. He shows that bombing Germany before defeating the Luftwaffe was a costly error. He proves that the atomic bomb did not defeat Japan in 1945; Japan was already defeated. He praises the Soviet Union's prudent and successful practice of nuclear deterrence.

This book is not light reading. A good background in 20th Century military history as well as Clausewitz is necessary to get the most from this very impressive work. So why bother? What are the uses of Neo-Clausewitzian Strategic Thought?

In the post 9-11 world there is no better way in my opinion to understand the Al Qaida threat. Professor Gray published this work in 1999, but his views and methodology remain as important as ever.

The reason for this is that the grammar of war changes (the ways we fight it, the increasingly complex "elements"), while the nature of war remains the same. Politics and political goals have always been the core reasons for the violent struggle of wills between polities which we call war. That was true in ancient times and remains true today.

Following Clausewitz and Gray I think one could make a very convincing case that Al Qaida is waging war in three forms simultaneously-- guerrilla war, terrorist war and revolutionary war which all put heavy emphasis on the political. With this in mind our MAIN weapon against Al Qaida should be our foreign (political) policy, not an emphasis on high-tech, military responses against obscure targets, the resulting "colateral" destruction only hurting our political policy and playing to the goals of our enemies. Such are the nuances of Clausewitzian strategic thought, far from the "war-as-ideal Mahdi of Mass" strawman usually portrayed by the great strategic theorist's detractors.

Of interest also are Gray's appreciation of the contributions of John R. Boyd, his untangling of the confusion surrounding the term "Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA), and his comments on the little known (or understood) impact of the Second Smuts Report of 1917.

In all this book is a great work in strategic thought of high intellectual merit. Of interest also is a recent article in the Spring issue of Parameters by Gray on Asymmetrical Warfare.

Edit of 23 Feb 08 to add links. This book remains priceless & relevant.

First published in 1999, this is an original tour d-horizon that is essential to any discussion of the theory and practice of conflict in the 21st Century, to include all those discussions of the alleged Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA), the need for "defense transformation", and the changing nature of civil-military relations.

I am much impressed by this book and the decades of thinking that have gone into it, and will outline below a few of its many signal contributions to the rather important questions of how one must devise and manage national power in an increasingly complex world.

First, the author is quite clear on the point that technology does not a revolution make-nor can technology dominate a national strategy. If anything-and he cites Luttwak, among others, with great regard-an excessive emphasis on technology will be very expensive, susceptible to asymmetric attack, and subversive of other elements of the national strategy that must be managed in harmony. People matter most.

Second, and this is the point that hit me hardest, it is clear that security strategy requires a holistic approach and the rather renaissance capability of managing a multiplicity of capabilities-diplomatic, economic, cultural, military, psychological, information-in a balanced manner and under the over-arching umbrella of a strategy.

Third, and consistent with the second, "war proper" is not exclusively about force of arms, but rather about achieving the national political objective by imposing one's will on another. Those that would skew their net assessments and force structure capabilities toward "real war" writ in their conventional terms are demeaning Clausewitz rather than honoring him.

Fourth, as I contemplate in this and other readings how best to achieve lasting peace and prosperity, I see implicit in all that the author puts forward, but especially in a quote from Donald Kegan, the raw fact that it is not enough for America to have a preponderance of the traditional military and economic power in the world-we must also accept the burden and responsibility of preserving the peace and responding to the complex emergencies around the globe that must inevitably undermine our stability and prosperity at home.

Fifth, it is noteworthy that of all the dimensions of strategy that are brought forward, one-time-is unique for being unimprovable. Use it or lose it. Time is a strategic dimension too little understood and consequently too little valued by Americans in particular and the Western alliance in general.

Sixth, it merits comment that the author, perhaps the greatest authority on Clausewitz in this era, clarifies the fact that the "trinity" is less about people, government, and an army, than about primordial violence, hatred, and enmity (the people); chance and probability on the battlefield, most akin to a game of cards (the army); and instrumental rationality (the government)-and that these are not fixed isolated elements, but interpenetrate one another and interact in changing ways over time and space.

Seventh, the author devotes an entire chapter to "Strategic Culture as Context" and this is most helpful, particularly in so far as it brings forward the weakness of the American strategic culture, notably a pre-disposition to isolationism and to technical solutions in the abstract. Perhaps more importantly, a good strategic culture with inferior weapons can defeat a weak strategic culture with an abundance of technology and economic power.

Eighth, and finally, the author courageously takes on the issue of small wars and other savage violence, seeking to demonstrate that grand strategy applies equally well to the savage criminal and warlord parasites that Ralph Peters has noted are not susceptible to our traditional legal and military conventions. While he does not succeed (and notes in passing that Clausewitz's own largest weakness was a failure to catalogue the enemy and the dialog with the enemy as a major factor in strategic success and failure), the coverage is acceptable in making three key points:

1) small wars and sub-national conflicts are generally not resolved decisively at the irregular level-conventional forces are required at some point;

2) special operations forces have a role to play but lack a strategic context (that is to say, current political and military leaders have no appreciation for the strategic value of special operations forces); and

3) small wars and non-traditional threats-asymmetrical threats-must be taken seriously and co-equally with symmetrical regular conflicts.

At the end of the day, this erudite scholar finds common cause with gutter warrior Ralph Peters and gang-warfare iconoclast Martin Van Crevald by concluding his book with a quote from Alexander Solzhenitsyn: "In the Computer Age we will live by the law of the Stone Age: the man with the bigger club is right. But we pretend this isn't so. We don't notice or even suspect it-why surely our morality progresses together with our civilization."

See also (and also my lists):

The Search for Security: A U.S. Grand Strategy for the Twenty-First Century
Beyond Declaring Victory and Coming Home: The Challenges of Peace and Stability Operations
Security Studies for the 21st Century
War, Peace, and Victory Strategy and Statecraft for The Next Century
Strategy: Process, Content, Context: An International Perspective
War and Peace and War: The Life Cycles of Imperial Nations
Strategy: The Logic of War and Peace, Revised and Enlarged Edition
Race to the Swift: Thoughts on Twenty-First Century Warfare (International Series on Materials Science and Technology)
On Strategy: A Critical Analysis of the Vietnam War
The Systems View of the World: A Holistic Vision for Our Time (Advances in Systems Theory, Complexity, and the Human Sciences)

I gave my son "Bear Cookin': The Original Guide to Bear Comfort Foods" and "More Bear Cookin': Bigger and Better " for Christmas. He's moving out this spring for college and I was looking for a couple of cookbooks to kick-start his collection. He knows his way around the kitchen, but his experience is from cooking by my side without written down recipes. I wanted simple homestyle recipes, with no-nonsense ingredients and instructions. He's a big boy, more of a cub than a bear, with a big appetite and I wanted something he would actually use.

These cookbooks deliver exactly what I wanted and more. The recipes were collected from family and friends, delicious and traditional and hearty, with easy to find ingredients and easy to follow instructions. Each recipe is lovingly introduced - the book sprinkled with helpful tips, serving hints, food tributes and the author's down to earth humor and charm. The cookbooks aren't fancy and filled with pretty pictures, but what you do get is something that can actually be used and enjoyed. I would heartily recommend these cookbooks for any cook that appreciates inventive, homestyle cookin'. I've ordered copies for myself.

The "Bigger and Better" is an accurate description of the second cookbook from PJ Gray; the second cookbook includes emergency substitutions, recipe equivalencies and recipe terminology. Haven't tried any of the recipes yet, but several definitely caught my attention. The "Candy Bar Smoothie" is something I wouldn't want to fix on a regular basis, but it's perfect for a special treat. I had to laugh at the "Deep Fried Twinkies" recipe. I'm sure this will be a popular one for my son. I have a secret passion for succotash, so the "My Succotash Wish" will be a favorite indulgence. Then for something a little more substantial - there's a no-frills "Big Fat Greek Spinach Pie," the entertaining and simple "Honey, Lick my Chops" and the interesting "Peanut Butter Beef." Oh, and the "Bali Hai Pie" I'm actually making for dessert tonight! Coconut, pecans and pineapple. Yum!

Can you tell I wrote this review while I was hungry? *grins*

I purchased the follow-up to "Bear Cookin'" on a whim and was very pleased with the purchase. I found that PJ Gray's writing style and great stories that intertwine with his recipes makes for, not only, good cooking but an overall great read! I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cooking, especially for groups or parties. The recipes are easy to work with and the ingredients are generally what most people would have in their pantries already, which makes the recipes just that much more appealing. I've already purchased several copies for friends and have recommended this book to many people, from experienced cooks to novices. Definitely a great buy!

Thank you so much, P.J. you sure know how to please the stomach.

Recipes are tasty and easy to follow. How about more of the same.

There are cook books and then there are Cook Books! This was not only full of lip-smacking recipes that made my stomach growl but it was also a delight to read! This has definitely earned a place in my kitchen book case.

Thanks for the great insight to the southern way of keeping my man full and satisfied!

I was uncertain about the merit of this title before I purchased, but I need not have been. Author Bruce Allardice has created a worthy supplement to Ezra Warner's "Generals in Gray."

The presentation format of "More Generals in Gray" is very close to that of Warner's classic reference works, but in single column vs. two columns for Warner's books. For most of the 137 entries a photograph, sketch, painting of the person is provided, except where ones were not available. The author provides background information including birthdate, state, parents, education as well as prewar occupation. Following this is a description or relevant military career, ranks achieved, commands, postwar life and death. Allardice closes each biography with a description of what sources led to the inclusion of the particular figure as a general. Notes and sources are provided after each entry as well.

One caveat is that the reader should not expect to find a large list of generals overlooked by Warner, that is not the direction of this work. Instead, Mr. Allardice has cast a wider net to include those who would be legitimately rejected by the earlier criteria. He carefully provides detailed criteria and explanation for his additions. Most names here are men who were either never really promoted/confirmed or who were generals in state service or appointed in the Trans-Mississippi by E. Kirby Smith.

This brings us to the strength of the study: the inclusion of men acting as generals who were either appointed by Kirby Smith or who led state forces as generals in actual campaigns. Both of these are indeed generals in the true sense of the word. Those studying the Trans-Mississippi will definitely find the backgrounds provided here beneficial.

The less exciting entries for the reader are those appointed very late in the war (e.g. March 1865 or later) but never confirmed and really never served in the capacity of general. In addition, there were those referred to as generals in various Confederate post-war histories, but whom the author demonstrates did not really achieve the rank. Though it is perhaps a thankless task, the author is to be commended for setting the record straight with regards to these men.

As a bonus, in an appendix Mr. Allardice lists another ~135 individuals sometimes referred to as generals by less authoritative sources. In one or two sentences for each he explains the reasons for excluding them.

"More Generals in Gray" is a well-written and organized supplement to Warner's work. This volume will appeal the most to a narrower group of civil war enthusiasts and particularly those studying more obscure engagements. Note that now is a good time to obtain inexpensive remaindered copies.

Ezra Warner's classic 1959 volume tells us the stories of the 425 Confederate General Officers about whom we can't argue as to whether they were, in fact, a General; this volume tells the stories of several about whom we CAN argue. Warner gives the criteria, and this book does, too; a man had to be nominated to General Officer rank by President Davis, AND confirmed by Congress.

The reasons to be here, not in Warner's book, are several; most commonly, a man could be a General of state militia, nominated by the Governor, confirmed by the legislature, not a General of the Confederacy. [President Jefferson Davis makes this book that way]. These militia officers can be seen as the equivalent of modern National Guard Officers. In some cases, there was a disconnect between the President and Congress, in others, there is doubt as to who appointed the man, and when. Thus we have the first Hispanic General, Santos Benavides--some records have him as a Colonel, others as a late appointment to Brigadier General. [The first American Indian General is in Warner's book--no doubts about Stand Watie].

A special case is that of nine officers appointed to Brigadier General by General Edmund Kirby Smith using his expanded powers as Commander of The Transmississippi Department. Communication between Richmond and the West was most difficult after the fall of Vicksburg in July, 1863; Smith was, thus, in a situation unique in American history. These nine men are but a small part of a most complicated story; Warner lists them in an appendix; here they get full honors.

In these reviews, I try to differentiate between books for the general reader, and those for "people like me". This book falls, I think, somewhere in between. It is superbly done, well written, well illustrated; a most respectful account of men deserving full respect, even if they aren't a "big name". For those poor folks who are like me, this book is, indeed, essential. You know who you are....

I have owned and used Mr. Warner's classics Generals in Blue and Generals in Gray for over 40 years. Mr Allardice shows us the men appointed General by the various Southern States. This book proves the point the Government of the Confederacy was still having growing pains; the point being the generals from the Trans-Mississippi not being confirmed by the CSA Senate, in Richmond, Va. This is a great book for the Civil War Buff. It is a must need in your War Between the States Library.

A tome devoted to biographical sketches of 137 men united only by their arguable status as Confederate generals sounds like one of the ultimate Civil War "buff books". It is a pleasant surprise to open its pages and discover no dreary catalogue of minutiae. Instead, the author has condensed years of research into a series of sparkling capsule lives that reflect the wide range of characters and events in America's bitterest conflict.

Each of the subjects has some claim to having held the rank of general in the Confederate military but not enough of one to have earned listing in Ezra J. Warner's authoritative "Generals in Gray". However solid or dubious their entitlement to the highest rank, however, they form a cross-section of important and interesting Southern officers and citizens. They came from a variety of backgrounds. Ten were born in the North, nine in Border States, nine abroad (including one veteran of Napoleon's Grande Armee, whose unit's performance in the defense of New Orleans fell short of Napoleonic standards). Not all had embraced independence eagerly. Michael Jefferson Bulger, for instance, voted "no" in the Alabama secession convention but nonetheless enlisted in the 47th Alabama Regiment. At Cedar Mountain, he suffered wounds to his arm and leg, binding the latter with corncobs and suspenders. At Gettysburg, he was captured after being left for dead. Following such mishaps, he ended up living to age 94, enjoying a placid post-war career as a farmer and occasional politician.

In contrast to the indestructible Bulger, Edward Gantt was a fire-eating secessionist who resigned his seat in the first Confederate Congress to raise a regiment in Arkansas. After being captured with the garrison of Island No. 10, he returned home on parole but then experienced an astonishing change of heart. In late 1863, the formerly rabid states-righter slipped across the Yankee lines and spent the rest of the war urging his former countrymen to lay down their arms.

Many more such tales are told here. The author has a keen eye for incisive facts and quotations, and his writing wastes few words. For the serious student of the Civil War, this work is a valuable reference. For everyone else, it offers hours of fascinating browsing.

Ahuva Gray's story of her love for the Jewish faith and the people of Israel at times brought tears to my eyes. Her honest portrayal of the difficulties involved in the conversion process, as well as her respect for her Christian roots, was refreshing. I enjoyed the book immensely, and it reminded me of why I once wanted to convert myself . . . and why I still may do so some day.

As another reviewer has already pointed out, conversion stories are often somewhat derisive -- offering stark contrast between the writer's former life (totally evil: degenerate and unspiritual) and his or her new, improved, Jewish life (totally perfect: rich & spiritually fulfilling). Ahuvah Gray's story is different.

Readers will surely find it wonderfully refreshing to discover that Gray's Jewish life is rooted firmly in the teachings of her Christian grandmother. Gray's Judaism is not a rejection of Christianity, but a natural outgrouth of her quest for Emes, truth, begun years before she ever set foot in eretz Yisrael (Israel).

Having just come from hearing Gray speak in person in Toronto, I have witnessed first-hand how many people, Jews and non-Jews alike, were moved by her words. The Jewish world needs more dedicated, spiritually energized "pilgrims" like Ahuvah Gray, and I am proud to be able to call her MY sister, the Jew.

I have read a number of articles and books where converts or returnees to Judaism describe their spiritual journey. Some authors describe their journey as a journey from "darkness to light." For example, the author was living a materialistic and hedonistic life, and he discovers the spiritual richness and idealism of the Torah path.

For other authors, the journey was from light to an even brighter light. For example, someone living a life dedicated to altruistic values discovers that not only are these altruistic values rooted in the Torah, but that the Torah path actualizes these values in a practical and holistic way.

"The new book "My Sister the Jew" by Ahuvah Gray is in the second category. Ahuvah Gray, granddaughter of African-American sharecroppers, and a former Christian minister, is now a Torah-observant Jew living in Jerusalem. For Ahuvah, the journey to Torah and the Jewish people was a journey from light to an even brighter light. Her parents and grandparents raised her with ethical and spiritual values, and as an adult, she discovered that these values were rooted in Judaism. She also discovered that the Torah's path of mitzvos - ethical and sacred deeds - enabled her to further actualize these values in her daily living and in all aspects of her existence. In this spirit she writes:

"Spending much time in other people's houses leaves me in awe of religious Jewish women. Our homes are a daily sanctification of the Name of Hashem (God). I came from a fine family. I saw love and kindness and devotion to the poor, and I was raised with values of strict morality and refinement. Yet when I enter a Torah home, the daily, moment-to-moment sanctification of God's name that I experience far surpasses anything that I was raised with."

The book contains a number of moving stories about the spiritual faith and loving deeds of her parents and grandparents. These stories about her family challenge the negative stereotype that some Jews have about African-Americans. For example, Ahuvah lives in Bayit Vegan, Jerusalem - a neighborhood where the majority of residents are Haredi - traditional Orthodox - Jews. Through knowing Ahuvah, and hearing the stories of her family, the residents of Bayit Vegan developed a deeper appreciation of her African-American roots. In fact, on the night of the Festival of Shavuos when Jews commemorate the giving of the Torah, Rabbi Leib Heyman, the rabbi of the Gra synagogue that Ahuvah attends, shared with the congregation the following remarks regarding Ahuvah's family background:

"In our own neighborhood we have a genuine giyores, a righteous convert. This remarkable woman was taught the twenty-third psalm by her grandmother at the age of four. Her grandmother would read psalms to the sick and elderly in her town in Mississippi. The giyores's mother used to feed and care for the sick and homeless in her own home. With such role models our friend grew to maturity, with her love and admiration of the Book of Psalms growing too. She recited Tehillim (Psalms) daily - until her love for the Almighty grew so strong that she felt compelled to convert to Judaism."

The stories in this book also challenge the negative stereotypes that some Jews and Gentiles have about Orthodox Jews, in general, and Haredi Jews, in particular. For example, Ahuvah tells story after story of how the residents of Bayit Vegan took her into their hearts and homes even before she completed her conversion. They also encouraged and supported Ahuvah when she experienced some unusual difficulties with her conversion process. Ahuvah points out that whenever she tried to express her appreciation and gratitude for their many acts of loving-kindness, they would reply: "Ein davar (it's nothing)." They would then add: "We learned how to treat our guests from Abraham, our Father."

As a child, Ahuvah dreamed of walking in the footsteps of Abraham. And it was God's call to Abraham to begin a new journey that inspired her own journey to Judaism. She writes:

"When people ask me what made me want to undergo the difficult and radical transformation of becoming a Jew, I tell them, 'I was inspired by God's divine call to our father, Abraham.' That call represented an awesome spiritual summons to Abraham and to all those who followed in his footsteps. 'Lech Lecha,' the passage begins in Hebrew... 'Go for yourself from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father's house, to the land that I will show you.' Only God - the great artist of the universe - could bring about the first imaginary steps in the secret thought-life of a little Black child and lead her all the way along a path which grows clearer day by day. I really don't know where I would be if not for the awesome spiritual power contained in God's call to Abraham and to all those who follow in his footsteps...And so I left my native land, my family, my relatives, and my father's house to go up to the Land of Israel, the land of my ancestors, the land of my soul."

In this autobiographical work, Ahuvah Gray shares with us the story of her "homecoming." It is a story that can offer each of us renewed faith and courage, for we are all on a journey to the "land of our souls."

____________________

Yosef Ben Shlomo Hakohen is the author of "The Universal Jew" - Letters to a Progressive Father from His Orthodox Son (Feldheim Publishers). He also directs the study-program "Hazon - Our Universal Vision"(...)

Jews understand that Dovid haMelech's soul-searing appeals to HaShem speak to the ages and every possible circumstance. Tehillim also speak to hearts joyous and broken wherever they may be. One of those hearts belongs to the granddaughter of Mississippi sharecroppers, and the book, My Sister the Jew, is her story.

Southern inflections in the speech of Ahuvah Gray's speech endear her to audiences from Detroit to Jerusalem. Her unique road to Judaism is now in written form, and equally charming. The language she uses to explain her path from a Protestant minister to an outspoken lover of Torah is predicated on the words of the Psalmist: "The L-rd will guard your departure and your arrival, from this time and forever." Those words carried the former Minister Delores Gray of California's Strait-Way ministry to her heartfelt life as a Torah-observant Jew in Jerusalem.

Raised on the Psalms by a set of astonishingly decent and G-D-fearing parents, the author has been able to quote whole chapters and select specific verses in times of crisis and pleasure since childhood. An avid prayer, Ahuvah used a Hebrew siddur long before she realized her soul is Jewish. When a 1994 California earthquake flung Ahuvah from her bed and she became locked her out of her apartment in nightclothes, she prayed for G-D to spare her some shame and to let her back inside to put on street clothing. When she attended a sound and light show about the giving of the Torah, an earthquake of another kind clued her in to her prayerful nature. (...)

Readers will learn in the book just how hard working this woman is, in body and in spirit.
(...)Through earthquake and heartache, My Sister the Jew explains how King David's words soothe the soul of this former airline and travel agency executive (...)

The strength of Ahuvah Gray's biography lies not only in her drive to become part of the Jewish People, but also in her personal history. It is full of heart-rending losses. In contrast to the sadness, wonderfully close-knit relatives, friends, and colleagues populate her life, and the relationships bespeak the nobility of her soul.

Ahuvah Gray's life is blessed with peace and acceptance. The very title of the autobiography is taken from her sister Nellie's congratulatory and affectionate greeting in a letter to "My Sister, the Jew." A lesson in abounding ahavat chinom, hers is a story of great spiritual wealth.

Reviewed by Yocheved Golani (...)

A study in the perserverance and dedication of a group of people to bring the wolf back to its own enviroment in the wildernesses of Yellowstone Montanna. Full of information this book will elate you as well as sadden you, but the winner here of course is the wolf who once more runs free on his land.

Jim Brandenberg always brings the wolf into our homes vividly and with great skill through his photographs, and in this book, these exquisite photos are paired up with the informative writing of Stephen Swinburne. Swinburne covers an excellent range of topics in this short (but highly-informative) book, including the history of the wolf's extermination in this country, early conservationists, wolf behavior and social structure, myth-busting, the Yellowstone project, and the wolf's future prospects.

He brings in quotes and information from Leopold, Mech, Bangs, Askins, and many other notable figures in the wolf conservation movement to give correct facts and information. I wouldn't call this a book for younger children; it's written at perhaps a teenager's level, and younger children might find the statistics and assorted other information boring. However, Swinburne does cover the bittersweet story of wolves Numbers Nine and Ten, which personalizes the struggles wolves today face.

Swinburne manages to succinctly cover most of the important issues in this relatively brief book (about a half hour's read, perhaps 45 minutes,) and it's a great way to educate yourself or someone else on the basics of wolf conservation. Highly-recommended!

I just took a look at this book and was so impressed. The subject is fascinating, of course, but I'm especially taken with the clear, cogent writing, the terrific quotes, and the truly remarkable photographs. I definitely recommend this for any kid (or adult, for that matter) with an interest in wildlife.

My 7 year old and I read this book together recently and I think that I learned as much as she did.

I knew about reintroduction of wild wolves into Yellowstone but this book told the whole story. Get ready to be impressed with personal sagas of determination and bravery on the part of people who care about wild things.

In 1973, while on a field trip in Jasper Park, Alberta, I saw two wild wolves (a white and a black) bounding and romping in the snow. I will never forget the wildness of that sight. This book is richly illustrated with photographs of wolves that give you a glimpse of that wildness.

Get this book and read it with a child to share what Rachel Carson called that "sense of wonder" that children have. Be prepared to explain why we systematically exterminated the wolf from its range throughout the United States and why we paid people to kill wolf puppies.

This book is a moving, thoughtful lesson in ecology for children of all ages.

"There are three types of people in the world. Those that want to change and have the self discipline to do so provided they have the right information and a clear path to follow. The book, Passionate Action, is the best system and path I have seen in over 3 decades of self improvement study!
The second type of person wants to change, needs the right information and a clear path to follow but lacks the self discipline to do it alone. Passionate Action coupled with the professional coaching of Doug Gray is the right answer in that case.
The third type of person also wants to change but finds it very difficult to take action on their own. In this case considering the personal coaching services of Doug Gray is the right alternative."
Joe Murtagh, The DreamSpeaker: International motivational speaker and trainer.

"Passionate Action" is a well-written guide to getting our lives on track, finding out what we are passionate about and using our passion to bring about success in our lives and our work. This is a fun read that guides us through five important steps to self-improvement. The author is a coach and in this book he expertly coaches us to fulfill our best life performance. I particularly enjoyed his guided visualization called FUTURE SELF where the reader imagines his/her self 20 years from now. This exercise was powerful and insightful.

In "Passionate Action: 5 Steps To Creating Extraordinary Success In Life And Work", ICF-certified coach, speaker and leadership trainer Doug Gray has written one of the best self-help, self-improvement instructional guidebooks for non-specialist general readers seeking to enhance the quality of their lives, the productivity of their endeavors, and their enjoyment of what daily life has to offer them. Replete with real-life examples and self-coaching techniques, readers will learn the five basic steps for an 'action-based' lifestyle. These critically important steps include learning how to 'get moving' toward fulfilling their aspirations and goals, how leave behind familiar but inhibitory habits or dysfunctional behavior, confront life's inevitable challenges with confidence, the value of obtaining wisdom and expressing compassion, but perhaps most importantly of all, learn to appreciate the values and rewards for themselves of service to others. If you have only time in your crowded schedule for a single 'self help' book, make it Doug Gray's "Passionate Action".

This is not your typical self-help or business book. First of all, it is beautifully written & easy to read. The exercises scattered throughout are unparalleled in helping a busy mind focus directly on challenges, strengths & weaknesses (real and imagined), and how to sort out possible options to come up with a realistic, doable, and fulfilling course of action. A great professor once told me that coming up with the "right" answers isn't nearly as important as asking the right questions. Doug's book provides them and is like having your own team of business experts brainstorm with you.
Barbara Lehman