Gregory Books

Professor Urwin has contributed a priceless addition to the collection of great American historical letters. Perhaps one of the best compilations of Wake Island information that at no time reads like the encyclopedia it resembles.
This is a huge and potentially intimidating book that is worth every bit of its seemingly steep price tag. Invest in your brain, you get what you pay for and then some!

REVIEW EVERY BOOK YOU READ, AUTHORS DESERVE YOUR OPINIONS!

Author Gregory Urwin spent years researching the epic defense of Wake Island using uncovered documents, personal interviews of civilian and military survivors, diaries, library archives and just plan hard leg work. The author to this day still honors those that served at Wake by staying in touch with the survivors at their yearly reunions and was instrumental in making the documentary on The History Channel become a reality. 'Facing Fearful Odds' brings the battle to life again through the eyes of those that were there and gives a balanced view on the Devereux-Cunningham contravercy which showed beyond doubt the shabby treatment given to the Navy Commander. The book is a must read to anyone who wants to learn about dedication, friendship, survival and love of country.

Most people only know about wake Island from the William Bendix movie made in 1942 when very few facts of the battle were known. What was know was that in 1941, as most American outposts in the far east fell in hours, this small Island with a garrison of some 450 marines and a few airmen held out for weeks and became a symbol of hope for Americans in a world of otherwise bleak news. The papers called this unlovely rock "The Alamo of the Pacific" in rememberance of that other famous last stand.
What Dr Urwin goes into is the detail beyond these facts, having interviewed survivors from both sides of the battle and poured over navy records he takes Marines who were little more than faceless icons, and made them human, with fears and hopes and lives all their own, and in so doing makes their stand more iconic. He gives them lives and personalities with annecdotes and humor as remembered by their friends in later years that shows them as a uniquiely American force.
Is it a big book? yup. Is it easy to read? Oh Yeah! The early chapters are about the finding, losing and refinding the atoll known as "Wake," then going into how it was developed in an attempts for commercial air travel in the 1930's. These chapters were so easy to read I found myself wondering if there were books on this, A topic I'd previously had no knowledge of or desire in. The writing is that good.
"What better way for man to die, then facing fearful odds, for the ashes of his fathers and the Temples of his gods." yup, sums it up well.

I am a student in one of Dr. Uwrin's classes and he assigned this book for us to read. Usually I get annoyed when this happens because it is usually a way for teachers to throw their ideas further onto students and make them pay (literally) for it. Urwin's is one of only two professor written books that I have enjoyed reading for class. Dr. Urwin's writing is extremely clear and easy to follow, and he grips the reader. The language is not the pompous scholarly language one usually finds in books like this. You don't have to be a student of WWII to read this, anyone could pick it up and read it without problems. And to answer someone's musing that if Dr. Urwin's lecturing is as good as his writing, it is and then some! READ THIS BOOK!

The title, Facing Fearful Odds, is taken from Macaulay's "Horatius at the Bridge" (a poem I lovingly remember reading as a schoolboy), and it's evocative of the dramatic siege of Wake Island in the immediate aftermath of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Gregory Urwin is a fine writer who vividly portrays the drama of a handful of Marines and civilian construction workers who repelled daily assaults by the Japanese navy and air force for 16 harrowing days before finally capitulating to overwhelming force. In stunning detail, the author depicts the frantic preparatory events leading up to the siege, the fierce resistance, and the bitter aftermath. It is sad that these heroic events are little known by today's generation.

What is compelling about Mr. Urwin's account of the Wake Island story is his depiction of ordinary men thrust into extraordinary circumstances. Although the Marines were volunteers, many of them joined the Corps to escape the Depression, and many of them never expected to find themselves in such a perilous position. Nonetheless, like Horatius at the Bridge, these men did more than their duty.

Facing Fearful Odds describes how the United States failed to marshal its considerable resources during the year and three months that Europe had been at war; we were dreadfully unprepared militarily, economically and psychologically for the sudden impact of the terrible defeats Japan dealt us. If we view the events of late 1941 in the context of the smug condescension most Americans felt toward Japan, and the fact that we woefully underestimated Japanese military prowess, we can begin to understand how shattering Pearl Harbor was. Americans were angry as hell and damned scared.

Then, a few gritty Marines and civilian construction workers - every one of them a regular "Joe Everyman" with whom any American could identify - held off the mighty Japanese navy and air force for more than two weeks and dealt them a stunning, crushing blow. That we ultimately lost Wake Island mattered little. That these brave men showed the world that Americans could - and would - fight back meant everything to the people at home and to those in the service. These few men lifted America from its fear and helped focus its anger in a powerful resolve to defeat the enemy.

The Marines of Wake Island were expendable, and they knew it. Mr. Urwin enables the reader to imagine why a man would willingly put himself in harm's way knowing - with near certainty - that he was unlikely to survive. One could argue that the man doesn't have a choice, but of course he has a choice - he can surrender. Urwin shows us that the willingness to fight and not surrender came from something more than patriotism. Though they fully expected to die, it was a matter of pride; though they believed no one would ever know it, they were determined to make the enemy pay dearly for American lives. They knew if they did that, someone else might live a little longer.

Facing Fearful Odds is about defiance in the face of certain death, of abject determination to make the enemy pay a terrible price for their arrogance. The men of Wake Island didn't save the world - that was for the men and women who came after them to do. But they saved America's face. Guam surrendered immediately. Wake Island did not.

Several weeks before the battle of the Alamo, Mexican troops marched into San Antonio demanding a siege cannon that the Texan rebels held. The Texans' reply was, "Come and take it." Implied were the words, "...if you can." Gregory Urwin gives the reader a rare opportunity to know how the men of Wake Island felt when they made the Japanese Navy "come and take it."

I am a Catholic priest, and I stumbled across this book on Amazon while searching for bereavement resources for a family that had just lost a child. In it, a devout Catholic father graphically walks you through his family's experience of suddenly losing his seven year old son. It is heart wrenching, deeply moving, and beautifully inspirational. It's a relatively short book, and easy enough to read, but the average reader may be shocked by the extraordinary faith of the author and his family. It is loaded with solid orthodox Catholic teachings, without minimizing or taking away any of the real pain that they suffered. It is definitely one of the greatest pastoral resources I have ever encountered. Highly recommended for clergy, bereaved individuals and families, and support groups.

We just lost our 13 year old daughter suddenly almost eight weeks ago today. Still awaiting to hear from the medical examiner what caused her untimely death. She collapsed after a snow shoe trek at Environmental Camp in the White Mountains of NH.

I have bought a number of books during these painful weeks, and this book was the only book that I felt I could have written - at least the first few chapters. It was like what we experienced was written down and black and white. He describes everything perfectly.

I loved the book because it gave me great comfort that we WILL feel joy one day ... we don't know, nor can we even begin to think we will ever feel joy again.

One of my favorite lines in the book was ...

Our friends brought us God's presence and love. They did not solve our problems, as if grief we a problem to be solved. They did not dispense pious phrases. Our friends allowed us to be in as much pain as we were in and did not trivialize it by trying to move us beyond it ....

Our friends, family, community, were a blessing from God during the darkest days of our lives and they continue to be. This book is such a comfort to anyone who has lost anyone ... or even more importantly for people who want to know how to help people like us who belong to this `club' ... it is a win/win for anyone reading it. I read it in two days!!!

The specific circumstances of our son's death and his age were different than Mr. Floyd's child. The feelings and the pain were not. These events test you and your relationship with God as Mr. Floyd writes and he is on the mark.
I have bought this book for others, who have lost a child or loved one.

This book brought healing to me that I could not imagine would ever come. I pray blessings over Mr. Lloyd and his family for being so honest and open about his son's death. I lost my 11 month old son to a very rare infection in July 1999. This was a very sudden death, as we found him dead in his crib. I highlighted and still read over this book and each time, I am healed even more. THANK YOU, THANK YOU Mr. Lloyd for teaching me that it's o.k. to be brutally honest before God- you showed me that that is when the healing truly comes. Everyone should read this book.

This book is the attempt of one father to come to terms with the anguish, the heart-break, the devastation, and the questions that arise when tragedy strikes. Others books have attempted the same. The great English apologist C.S. Lewis wrote a book entitled The Problem of Pain, exploring these difficult questions. It is interesting to compare it with a book he wrote later, after his wife died of cancer. His A Grief Observed does not so much refute what he wrote earlier, but in many ways goes far beyond it.

A theoretical and theological reflection of suffering is one thing. A first-hand personal account is another. A Grief Unveiled is of the second type. Not that theological and biblical reflection is absent. But this is the very personal and very moving account of how one father copes with the worst pain imaginable, moments after the event, hours after, days after, months after, and years after. What does the journey of grief look like from the inside? This volume is an unforgettable account of one long and painful trip through grief.

For anyone who has experienced any comparable tragedy, the book will echo similar thoughts and emotions, and will bring forth many tears. The book does not over-sentimentalize, but neither does it over-spiritualize. It is brutally honest and totally real.

Anyone who suffers will resonate with these moving chapters. Yet it is not just a book about sorrow, grief and pain. It is also a book about hope, joy and victory. It is the story of a radiant faith; a faith that takes a terrible hammering, but a faith the survives and grows and triumphs. But it is triumphant faith because it has as its object a triumphant God. Indeed, God is the real subject of this book in many ways. It is only because of the great love, grace and mercy of God that the Floyds can make it through the valley of the shadow of death.

The opening chapters are the most painful. Descriptions of the accident. Cradling a dying boy. The nervous wait at the hospital. The bad news from the doctor. Watching a lifeless boy in a casket, bandages over the eyes, because the organs were donated. The burial. The days immediately thereafter.

The grief seems unbearable. But with time comes some relief. The hole in the soul is always there. It will never disappear. But the intense pain and grief slowly, and surely, begin to subside. And through it all, one believer's relationship with his God is sorely tested, but in the end, vindicated. And with it comes the spiritual understanding that comes with the suffering, the realization that the God we serve is a suffering God.

God the Father knows all about suffering. He too lost a son in tragic circumstances. And Mary, the mother of Jesus, also knows the heartbreak of losing a beloved son. But as Floyd makes quite clear, Good Friday is followed by Easter Sunday. John-Paul is not dead, but alive, waiting for the glorious reunion that will one day take place. The promise of the resurrection is the believer's hope. And the resurrection of Jesus is the guarantee that we too will one day be raised.

But it works both ways, There can be no Easter without Calvary. Suffering is the path chosen by Christ, and it is the path his followers must also accept. The hard questions may never fully be answered. But the ultimate answer to the problem of suffering and evil is not a proposition but a person. Jesus, who is acquainted with grief and familiar with sorrow, is the only one who can offer comfort and hope to those who suffer.

If God can take the most horrible and painful event in human history, the cross, and turn it into the most glorious and blessed of events, then there is hope for us as well. Suffering can be redeemed. It can make us more like the one who knows all about suffering.

This book is a testament to the way the death of one man two thousand years ago becomes the basis of hope for everyone today. This powerful story will help those who are suffering to make it through. And it will help all of us to get our priorities a little more straight, and help us refocus our attention on what is truly important and of value in life.

What a blessing to listen to these sermons of my brother in Christ Dr. King. Never throughout my life did I hear these. Why?

America, wake up!!! You are a great nation, because of the freedom bestowed upon us by none other than Jesus, the Messiah (Christ).

And those people, brought here as slaves (believe me I've heard it ad nauseam going through school, but just listen), have helped make us a great nation!

Now listen - we are ALL slaves - every one of us. To who? To ourselves!

If you think I'm a religious zealot - absolutely, freakin' not. I am a former slave, that's all. No more, no less. Saved by the blood of the Lamb. And now filled with the love of His Spirit, and loving my fellow man, regardless of color or background.

I look forward to meeting you in heaven Dr. King!

(Let's pray for Dr. King's constituents, that they would come to know the Lord, and love all, black and white, and gain God's strength as Dr. King did.... and keep loving one another, faults and all - 'cause we know we all got faults, but our hearts should be turned towards perfection! Thank you Jesus, King of kings and Lord of lords!!!)

I have had A Knock at Midnight in book and cassette tape form for many years, and at least twice a year I listen to them. The sermons are timeless, and make clear that we were in the presence of greatness when Dr. King was alive. Listening to this CD truly is inspirational. I have given them as gifts for years, and always receive heartfelt thanks.

This set of Dr. King's sermons/speeches is a dream come true. To hear his powerful words coming from his own mouth is so inspirational. I'm really glad I purchased these. Arthur Dunklin, Ph.D.

It's hard to believe Martin Luther King was 39 when he died. His eloquence can be heard in his famous speeches but the fullness of who he was, his spiritual depth, can only be heard in his sermons. These CDs are inspiring and profoundly moving. He is one of the greatest American preachers of all time and the greatest in the twentieth century.

The sermon series is awesome!!! Each sermon has an introduction that gives the listener valuable tidbits about the sermon. You can feel the effect of MLK's powerful oration abilities. All of the sermons are still relevant today and anyone who has a pulse can benefit from listening to the set.

This author's debut novel is a winner! I honestly couldn't put it down until I'd finsihed it. The story was intriguing and very suspensful and it had me turning page after page. I loved the way he brought the characters to life. Hope to read more by this talented new author.

This author's debut novel is a winner! I honestly couldn't put it down until I'd finsihed it. The story was intriguing and very suspensful and it had me turning page after page. I loved the way he brought the characters to life. Hope to read more by this talented new author.

AT Dawn They Sleep by Gregory B. Trotter was a wonderful book that I had a hard time putting down. I wanted to know what was going to happen next all through the book. It really held my interest! I can see this becoming a movie in the near future. This author has a gift!

AT Dawn They Sleep by Gregory B. Trotter was a wonderful book that I had a hard time putting down. I wanted to know what was going to happen next all through the book. It really held my interest! I can see this becoming a movie in the near future. This author has a gift!

I began reading the book one afternoon, just to get a gist of it when I discovered I could not put it down. I read the entire book that day. As indicated above, AWESOME really doesn't describe the book. Should be a "must read" by everyone.

My professor used the 5th edition in the Digital Elec class many years ago. I write software but have been trying to make the transition to logic design ... picked up the latest edition for refresher

Great book

You can gain the basic digital logic design knowledge using this book in no time! that is not always sufficient for people who wants to get A grade rather you can just make it your introduction and so soon move to part two (that is up to your current course).
My advice is : get this book unless you have passed this level!

This is the best book to understand Digital Electronics with clear and simple explanations. The salient feature of this book is that it has lot of applications sprayed throughout which keeps the reader attentive and interested. A "Must Read" for graduate/undergraduate students in any university in the world.

I used this book for a course on Digital Electronics. Its great. The book has a great typeset, clear and crisp fonts that go easy on the eyes, well structured (such that you read what you need in order to understand the next chapter). The book is illustrated with apt diagrams. I would consider this book to be beginner-intermediate. This book is a good starting point for learn digital stuff, and a good reference after you learn digital stuff. Its hard to find a book as good as this one.

This is the best book to understand Digital Electronics with clear and simple explanations. The salient feature of this book is that it has lot of applications sprayed throughout which keeps the reader attentive and interested. A "Must Read" for graduate/undergraduate students in any university in the world.

I was asked what book I would recommend for a summer read and I replied "Rainbow Season". I read this book for the first time in 1982 and I still think it is a wonderful read.

The amazing thing about this novel is that the plot is simple and clear, no twists what so ever, and yet it was captivating in that their romance is so pure.

I have worn out more than one copy of this book. The author creates characters so steeped in the late 1800, mid-western culture. Maybe it just appeals to my mid-western roots, but I found this simple tale so romantic, heartfelt, touching and hopeful.
Sarah works and lives on the farm with her parents. Content with things, secretly a wild romantic, and tragically in love with her sister's husband. Or so she thinks.
Digger Turner is the misunderstood man, seen as trashy and bad. With an ingrown sense of fairness, both Sarah and her father see something different in Luke "Digger" and offer him something he has never had before. A chance.
Through unexpected tragedy, Sarah finds herself needing Luke. His honor keeps him by her side. Her circumstances offer him his dream. Together they find love.
It is the most romantic, loving story I've read. Honor, redemption, love and committment in the truest sense of those words.

Wow! This book is not only well-written, it is also one really HOT love story! The sexual tension and build-up between the main characters is incredible (can you say anticipation??!). I absolutely fell in love with Luke's character. He is the quintessential gorgeous, haunting, tortured man that only the love of a woman can save and redeem. Thank you Lisa Gregory!!!

What is so unique about this book is that it is a good old-fashioned believable love story. The main characters are flawed, as in real life. Another unique aspect of this book is that the hero is just as vulnerable as the heroine. He is not described as an emotional "rock", always there to save the day. Lisa Gregory, aka. Candace Camp has shown in this novel that there are no social barriers in love and that everyone deserves a chance to live down a bad reputation. I have read this novel four times. I believe anyone who reads it will end up reading it again and again. Truly a tasteful, sensitive, well-written novel.

If Hawaii or the aloha shirt has ever gladdened your heart, you'll want to own THE ALOHA SHIRT. Dale Hope conveys the TRUE SPIRIT (colorful, soft, peaceful, flowing) of the Hawaiian Islands by presenting both the fascinating history of the aloha shirt and 500 or so beautiful illustrations. These illustrations are so varied and exquisite that you'll get high just by perusing them. They also help you see how the aloha shirt can be an art form in and of itself. Hopefully, this book will inspire people to wear their aloha shirts more often -- not just when they visit Hawaii -- and to buy the new ones that are being created by the best artist designers.

Dale Hope grew up in the Hawaiian garment industry, taking over his father's clothing business at the age of 26. As the art director of Kahala Sportswear, Hope oversees the creation and manufacturing of 150 new Aloha shirt designs annual. In The Aloha Shirt: Spirit Of The Islands, Hope collaborates with writer Gregory Tozian to offer a magnificent, coffee-table artbook dedicated to the history of the unique and famous Hawaiian shirt style. This impressive treatise covers the history of Hawaiian clothing, the evolution of the tailor shop into the modern clothing factories, the designers, textiles, printmakers, and retailers that made the Hawaiian "aloha shirt" famous around the world. There are chapters focusing on Duke Kahanamoku, celebrities, shirt makers of the 60s, labels and buttons, and aloha shirt collectors. Profusely and beautiful illustrated, the text is informative, at times fascinating, and highly recommended for students of American clothing history and fads in general, and Hawaii's contributions to the garment industry and American popular culture in particular.

I loved this book, it is helpful to my collecting and my selling. It has wonderful pictures, and I love the section on '60's makers and just the way it is arranged in general is helpful and makes for fascinating reading. The only thing I would like to see with this book is a name index; this would make it so much more helpful as a reference. I do highly recommend it though, as a reference or just as a coffee table book.

Wow, what a book!! Having been previously lightly infected by the `Aloha Shirt' bug, after having read this beautiful book, I became incurably and terminally struck down. Profusely illustrated from the collections of many well-known and extremely lucky collectors, this book has become my bedside bible. The research is also first-class, following the development of the Aloha shirt from a fun thing, to a full-blown industry. I now live and breath THE shirt. Buy this book and like me, change your life.

The Aloha Shirt: Spirit of the Islands is unique, as a historical and artistic book documenting the Aloha shirt, from its historic beginnings as a cottage industry, to the multi-billion dollar industry it is today. This definitive text has been extensively researched, with textile artists, designers, garment manufacturers and their families and friends all contributing to the consistency of the history as researched by Dale Hope. An educational and artistic book bringing over 500 aloha shirts with their Hawaiian inspired origins paralleled with the history and times of Hawaii. For those who have memories of Hawaii, and for those who share their memories to others, this elegant coffee table book is a "must have" for all!

I found this wonderful resource as part of research for my own guide for parents on interactive media in young childhood. A mother and excellent reporter sought answers to her concerns about the place of media on her little child. She offers us a readable and balanced summary of current knowledge. Together with Into the Minds of Babes: How Screen Time Affects Children from Birth to Age Five, by another concerned mother, we get an excellent picture of how babies actually interact with media, commercial claims aside. Highly recommended.

My title pretty much sums up my thoughts, though I'll add that this book focuses on baby TV rather than consumer culture broadly.

One of the key points the other reviewers may have missed is Thomas' finding that most of the marketing people and product designers she interviewed seemed genuinely interested in making a good product for children -- they too seemed to misunderstand the research, subconciously recalling the bits favorable to their beliefs and discounting the opposing studies. Many just did not have time to think about the culmulative effects of what they were doing. The book seems as much a call to stop and think about the big picture as an indictment of an industry.

For parents who recall the early days of "Program Length Commercials" (PLCs) like He-Man, and Transformers, and G.I. Joe, one might think that Strawberry Shortcake and the new Care Bears are nothing new, but Thomas points out that the trend is towards marketing to ever younger kids -- a phenomena called "kids getting older younger" (KGOY). She also raises serious issues about commercial culture sneaking into preschools via free products and materials, lending a sense of the school's endorsement of the commercial message.

A disturbing read that reaffirms one's desire to spend as much time as one can with one's kids in "free play" with generic toys.

I wish everyone who is planning to heap junk, I mean, presents on my children would read this book! I learned so much and I really enjoyed what a good writer the author is. It was like reading some of the very best feature articles in Newsweek. She provided very eye opening statistics about the incredible commerical success of baby products and contrasted it with the scientific knowledge that exists for how unlikely most of these products are to help children's thinking abilities develop. I am especially glad for the gathering of evidence for how TV/DVD viewing negatively affects very young children, a slap in the face to the juggernaut industry that now exists to crank out such product. Other parts of the book include relevant interviews, realistic offerings for how to live and cope with the information, and interesting information about how marketers view Generation X parents so that those of us who are that market can avoid traps! I wouldn't say that was necessarily the author's agenda - but it is mine and I think this book has helped with that!

If I had a lot of money, I would give this book to all my friends who have young children or are about to have children. If you have ever suspected that something is deeply wrong with our consumer/TV culture - especially where our children are concerned, this helps you put a definite finger on it. We and our children are being manipulated and harmed by money grubbing companies who hide behind "learning" as a way to rake in the cash. They both incite and take advantage of parents' concerns that they are simply not doing enough for their children and that they can somehow boost their children's IQs/talents by putting them in front of gadgets and videos. Some of the questions and research findings presented in the book have recently been supported by a U of W study showing that videos such as Baby Einstein are not helpful for infants and may even delay language development. The marketing profiles of the different kinds of moms out there, depending on their age and income/education level, are spooky. Marketers and the companies they work for know all about you and what makes you tick and spend. Some people call this free-enterprise, but some of the marketing and R&D you will read about in this book are completely unethical and some are really asking for a class action lawsuit. Squash consumer culture. Turn that TV off and talk to your baby, go take a walk, go to the park,...

I gave this book five stars because of the all the reasons mentioned by the previous reviewers. After reading Michno's accounts of the battles in my area, I am left with the impression that he's been out here walking the battlefields himself.

That shows the kind of dedication needed to make a reference book like this really valuable. If you don't already have a copy, you'd better get one. It's going to be a classic.

For anyone interested in the late 19th century, this will be an invaluable reference and a healthy counterbalance against some of the politically correct fantasies being churned out by Hollywood and the scattered remains of our once great educational system. I use mine all the time and learn something new every time I pick it up.

Excellent chronological record of the relevant actions of the frontier army from the offical govt/public record.

If you are interested in ALL the battles and skirmishes in the west, this book is for you. I was amazed to see how many fights took place in my part of the country. The author has done extensive research, but I could do without the occasional editorializing when defending the U.S. Cavalry.

Many books call themselves an encyclopedia of this or that but turn out to be simply random collections of information on their topic. However, Gregory Michno's Encyclopedia of Indian Wars: Western Battles and Skirmishes, 1850-1890 really is a miniature encyclopedia of the Indian Wars fought between the U.S. Army and various Native American tribes or groups during the period when Euro-Americans came to dominate the western United States.

The bulk of the book (345 out of 438 numbered 5x9" pages) consists of brief descriptions of 840 major and minor battles and "firefights" that occurred in twenty Midwestern and Western states/territories and adjoining parts of Mexico. The descriptions are arranged chronologically within each year, 1850-1890. Drawing largely on Army after-action reports, Mr. Michno's narratives are heavy on facts for each event: when, where, who, casualty counts and immediate results. By providing the names of many Army officers and NCOs as well as significant members of their Native American opposition it is possible to get a feel for some of the participants' careers over a number of years.

One of the most useful features is a 32-page introductory section of state/territory maps showing the locations, tied to accompanying lists and page references, for every action described in the book. This allows readers to locate all the events in a particular locale regardless of when they took place.

A conclusion and appendix section has several interesting statistical tables summarizing the intensity of the actions in terms of numbers of actions each year, the number of combatants involved and casualties incurred. Twenty-two pages of reference notes, a 16-page bibliography and a 27-page index increase this book's value as a reference for further research or reading. In my opinion the most interesting of the scattered black and white photos of those showing the battle sites in recent years, but the photos are not a strong part of the book. There are no maps showing more detail than the simple state reference maps.

Some reviewers lament the author's supposed apologetic view of the Army's involvement, but I didn't read the book that way. The dominant perspective is that of the U.S. Army and other non-Indians because it is mostly from their records, the only ones available in many instances, that the descriptions are taken. The bulk of the narratives are summaries of facts included in the reports (the weakest link, as in any such war, being the casualty count inflicted on the adversary). If anything, the facts often portray the Army poorly in that its often impossible to glean from the description any rationale for the Army initiating a particular action - and sometimes getting beaten - and there are numerous occasions mentioning non-combatants (primarily women and children) being injured, killed or taken prisoner (i.e., hostage).

I don't think the author's perspective on the infamous Wounded Knee Creek action on December 29, 1890 is apologetic of the Army, just politically incorrect. That's because Michno points out not only that the Lakota suffered 128 killed and 33 wounded (a lerge number of whom were non-combatants), but that the Lakota, in turn, were not passively massacred but inflicted 60 casualties (25 KIA, 35 WIA) on their 7th Cavalry adversaries. That was the largest number of casualties suffered by the 7th Cavalry apart from the Little Bighorn battle. Who knew?

My main complaint is that the day-by-day format sometimes makes it hard (despite references to prior or subsequent related events) to trace a particular multi-day or even multi-week or month campaign. For instance, the 1877 Nez Perce War is hard to follow because unrelated events elsewhere are intertwined in the same months. If the author revises this book I'd like to see a reference section with maps and a listing that groups significant campaigns together in some fashion.

Highly recommended as background reading and a reference to keep for anyone interested in the Indian Wars, American history or military history. Makes an excellent companion book when touring historic sites associated with the Indian Wars (I bought my copy on a visit to the Little Bighorn Battlefield last spring).

If you live in the West this book is absolutely fasinating. The familiar small city names and familiar places, together with an excellent set of maps adds depth to your understanding of your surroundings. But be prepared for an unflinching look at some very brutal episodes though, this is not a sanitized Hollywood version of the West. This is the real deal from a real deal historian.

I have been following Greg Brown's columns in AOPA Flight Training for a while now, but I would have never guessed that if you read a handful of these short, factual-yet-full-of-emotions stories one after the other, you can get a complete picture of what general aviation is all about. Highly recommend this book to everyone, pilot spouses or parents above all.

I've followed Greg Brown's column in numerous aviation magazines over the years, and have always looked forward to reading his latest adventure. Now, with "Flying Carpet", he has detailed stories and events from his past that have served to educate, enlighten, and amuse both aviators and non-aviators alike. I thoroughly enjoy his writing style, and am always recounting something he wrote to someone else to emphasize a point or provide an example of some aviation-related subject. I love the fact that he relates his stories as if aviation was a sort of pagan religion, and he, and all other pilots, are willing followers. He truly highlights the romance and passion that flying evokes in those of us do it, and stimulates curiousity in those who don't. I highly encourage anyone to read this book, whether you're a pilot or not.

Full of fun interesting stories but not a book I would want to read again. The books sounds like it is a collection of Gregs adventures that may have been published somewhere before.

This book was purchased as a gift. I do not know if it's been read or not.

I am a student pilot and have been reading just about everything I can get my hands on that has to do with flying for the past two years. I first learned of Greg Brown through his Flying Carpet column in AOPA's Flight Training magazine and enjoyed his articles and writing. I stumbled upon this book through a search on Amazon and am so glad I did!

The book is extremely well written and you can tell through each page how deep Greg's passion is for flying and for sharing it with those around him. I felt as if I were along for the ride to all of the wonderful destinations he has been to.

I highly recommend the book not only for those interested in flying but the non-fliers alike!