Hart Books

If they gave out book awards for Best Portrayal of an Actual Person Known by the Author, Gerald Durrell's second book of animal-collecting adventures would definitely be on the short list. In 1949 he returned to the British Cameroons, site of his first expedition (as chronicled in THE OVERLOADED ARK. (see my review)), and there the District Officer, learning that he planned to leave his partner at their base camp in the forestland and try his luck up-country, advised him to go to Bafut. This grassland kingdom was ruled by a native potentate known as the Fon, whom the D.O. said Durrell must be sure to get on his side if he hoped to succeed. The best way to do that was to prove he could carry his liquor!

Durrell's experiences in Bafut are told with his typical delightful style and trademark wry humor, particularly when he teaches the Fon, his wives and children, and his chiefs and councillors how to dance the line portion of the conga. (The book's title comes from his name for the pack of "six thin, ungainly mongrels" and four hunters whom he employed, and the hunters became very proud of it; he describes one of them, in an argument with a local, indignantly exclaiming, "You no go shout me like dat, ma friend! You no savvay dat I be Bafut Beagle?") As always, his love of "all creatures great and small" shows through even during such misadventures as when he is bitten by what he supposed was a harmless blind snake, but, as he tells his cook, "'e get eye," a thing no member of the supposed species ever possessed. But the best scenes are those in which the Fon appears. Roguish, irrepressible, and an indiscriminate lover of drink in every kind and combination, he still proves to be the best ally an animal collector could hope for--and a lover of the outdoors as well, as when, clad only in a loincloth and armed with a spear, he takes Durrell to see the evening emergence of a colony of galagos, tiny arboreal creatures locally known as shillings. All Durrell's books are great fun, but this is one of the best.

I loved this and only wish I could also get it in print. Though things have no doubt changed in Africa, there are no doubt still funny stories and people there as on any other continent, and I'm glad Mr. Durrell chronicled these.

First of all - you have to rememebr that this book was written several decades ago...and that things ahve changed a lot since then in Africa.

The scenery is graphicaly portrayed - and the incidents that occur in Durrell's animal collecting adventures are classic Durrell humour!

A great book for anyone who loves African animals with fantastic descriptions not only of the animals - but also their temprements and traits!

A good read for a rainy day.....

This book was published in 1954 and I guess that the actual collecting trip must have been in the late 40s. The Africa presented here is a weird mixture of Hollywood movie and anthropological journal. Durrell is quite respectful of the Africans and their culture, but this doesn't prevent him from sitting down and getting repeatedly sloshed with the local king. On the one hand, Durrell never refers to the people of Bafut as savages or anything overtly pejorative, but the 'Bafut beagles' of the title refers to both the mongrel dogs that help him to collect animals and the Bafut hunters themselves. He recounts telling off the hunters for being superstitious, but he never comes close to stereotyping these people. He communicates with the people of Bafut in pidgin English, which is at first a bit difficult to read, but after you get used to its conventions, makes a lot of sense.

Durrell's affection for Africa, its people and the animals that live there permeate this narrative. I am left wondering how similar or different Cameroons is 50 years later. The descriptions of the landscapes and the various animals that are collected contain just enough detail for you to form a picture in your mind, but not so much as to make the picture too literal and therefore somehow limited.

I believe that this was Durrell's first book. If so, I can imagine that he won an immediate audience for his subsequent books if only because his self-description is so winning. He presents himself in a classic Edwardian combination of self-deprecating humor, occasional bumbling, eccentricity, earthiness, but finally practicality and capability. I grew to like him more and more as the book progressed and look forward to meeting him again in later books. He returns to Bafut with his wife in A Zoo In My Luggage.

Book was very well written. Author effectively communicates with novice users in a 'For Dummies' style without being patronizing or condescending. By 'For Dummies' style, I mean that he literally defines which menu option to click, etc. in a similar manner to the popular series.

Intermediate to Advanced users will probably find this book to be a bit unwieldy, not because of the material presented but because of all of the detail given for the benefit of the novice user.

I would absolutely recommend it for someone just getting their feet wet in the VB.Net web development arena.

Beginning Visual Web Programming in VB.Net is well worth a read. The book is very straight forward and the examples are such that they guide you through quite easily so that the reader can follow along without much trouble. Chapters 7 and 8 are really nice with their XML information and examples. XML is great if you need a pages that load fast and are efficient.The descriptions that come in these chapters increase your understanding of why it is such an important part of the overall structure. MSDE I personally find can be a bit of a pain when setting it up but with this particular book things seemed to go ok. Overall the book is definately worth reading and will only help in your knowledge of .NET programming.

I'm really impressed by the thoughtfulness of the organization and writing in this book. Where the reader has questions that require deeper explanation the exposition is there. The content is well researched and the author has obviously spent the time to do some complex information distillation for us. An ideal book for anyone looking to start with VB.NET programming. And well worth the look for those already using the platform who want to broaden their understanding.

The title says "beginning" but the authors actually take you to very important topics that are at the forefront of much Internet activity. Namely XML and Web Services.

The book goes through a lot of necessary but mundane stuff concerning user interfaces, server control and ADO.NET. Yeah, to know VB.NET, you need this material. But more significant is the long exposition on XML. It is now a de facto standard for markup of structured data. Within the entire .NET portfolio, it is pervasive. And also in the J2EE world. The book shows how Microsoft has integrated web development and VB.NET tightly into using XML. Well worth understanding.

The other big buzz is about Web Services. Here the discussion is not as indepth. The basics are covered. But Web Services Description Language is only tangentially invoked. And what is seeming to be a more powerful language, Business Process Execution Language, doesn't even rate a mention. Perhaps this is why the title says "beginning"? There could well be a sequel in the works, to cover these.

Catholic and Loving It is an interesting reference work for young and middle aged Catholics. I believe anyone growing up post Vatican II (anyone born 1960 and later) has most likely missed out on the whole-life Catholicism of the generation prior. Those popular devotions/practices/lifestyle choices our grandparents may have kept, but our parents threw out with the VII changes are now coming back into vogue.

If you have never heard of St. John's bonfire, St. Elizabeth cookies or the Feast of Sts. Adam and Eve, then you will find much to interest you in this informative, yet still entertaining book (although the authors' lawyers will be unable to confirm or deny that there is humor in this book).

If you are young, Catholic, and curious, buy this book.

The authors of Catholic and Loving It regularly shared faith with roughly 25 fellow students at the University of Notre Dame in the early 2000s. They worshipped and prayed together, organized processions, and sang hymns in the dining hall. They celebrated Christ "with the traditions of an ancient, global church," a practice that provided them "a beautiful life in which God became ever more completely `the joy of our youth.'" Their inspiration grew, in part, from the Church's recent teachings on popular devotions. Speaking of "our little book," the authors explain their desire to make accessible the customs praised by the Second Vatican Council. By extending the faith beyond the official liturgical context, they write, "all of life can be evangelized."

They proceed to offer detailed recommendations for enriching daily life, from creating an in-home altar to practicing an ancient Roman ritual of blessing herbs on the Feast of the Assumption. The Christmas Eve segment examines the history of Christmas tree ornaments and explains Bavarian customs involving acorns, candy canes, and eagles. The Feasts of Our Lady section includes subheadings of "waffles" and "evening Angelus" for the Annunciation and a sidebar on analyzing the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. There are also recipes, as one for mulled wine for Saint John's Day and kuchen and punch in celebration of Saint Sylvester (Dec. 31.) In short, this book overflows with ideas for individuals, families, and faith sharing groups in search of the same sort of "beautiful life" found by Salesmann, Narendran, and their friends at Notre Dame.

While there probably are a good number of handbooks that cover a wide range of material concerning Catholic doctrine, liturgy and devotional practices, I cannot recall one that focuses on traditional Catholic devotions quite in the same way "Catholic and Loving It" does. This modest sized work is a wonderful compellation of Catholic popular piety, which many of us may or may not have been familiar with growing up. Sabitha and Andrew do a fine job surveying this critical aspect of the Church's life and offer many examples and suggestions of how ordained, religious and lay faithful might more thoroughly and personally inculcate the Gospel into their daily lives, from St. Benedict medals, to blessings for the household and more. I especially appreciate the inclusion of recipes for either dishes traditionally associated with certain feasts of the liturgical year, or recommendations for more novel dishes to celebrate the occasion. In summary, a helpful book for Catholics desiring to better fill their lives, especially domestic lives, with venerable (as well as reverently creative) forms of Catholic devotion. This could make a fine supplementary wedding gift to a Catholic couple eager to foster a household of prayer and devotion.

Consisting of an overview of the liturgical year and the pious practices that come with the different feasts and seasons, "Catholic and Loving It" is a great basic introduction to the the how's and why's of said practices. While its very down-to-earth language makes it a very accessible, that accessible reading comes together with a very practical quality in the copious inclusion of prayers and blessings for different occasions. You can find everything from a blessing for an advent wreath and bread, to the not-so-common sounding things like blessings for beer.

While it may sound a little out of place or over-the-top for some, making an effort to revive and live out said practices makes me think of three things. First, it makes us aware of how truly efficacious the practice of prayer is. Is it superstitious to have bread or beer blessed? No, if anything, it is a sign of faith that we are heard when asking for a health of soul and body even in the smaller things. Second, that the practices, occasions of joy and feasting that the books point out, are ultimately directed to Our Lord. Why is it significant to get together with friends to celebrate a feast day? Because in the people we love we are, through the grace of God, trying to see Christ in others and be Christ for others. In other words this joy is a joy that is based on Christ. Finally, that said practices are ultimately only an exterior sign of the interior life, of love lived out in a relationship to our Lord. Would dedicating a garden to Our Lady be fanatical? It's not meant to be, if anything it can be a sign of honor, veneration, and devotion, just as we would honor our own mothers.

All of the above not to mention the book cites solid sources for their practices--the official book of prayers of the Church, the Catechism, discourses of the Holy Fathers, the lives of the Saints, and finally (yet very appropriately), their own personal experiences growing up Catholic--giving the reader good background to look into. Thus, I think the book is an invitation for the average joe Catholic to look deeper into the practices of the centuries, an reminder to the more experienced one of what we have in our treasury, and to all a call to, as one of the authors often quotes St. Gianna saying, "be living witnesses of the greatness and beauty
of Christianity."

To most American's this is a great book. How many know anything about the Britsh European Army in WW2. This book begins to explain Britsh Generals', besides Monty. For that alone it's worth the price.

Stephen Ashley Hart does well in this study to shed light on some of the constraints that governed Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery's handling of British and Canadian forces in 1944 and 1945. He is most convincing in the course of arguing that Montgomery's emphasis on "grip" and caution stemmed from a sense that in general, the campaign would be won by steady progress rather than dramatic strokes. Hart does less well in reconciling Monty's demand for concentration with the flaws of his operational methods, particularly a fondness for one-corps attacks that negated manpower advantages and the 21st Army Group's fondness for repeatedly passing units through the lines to continue the attack. He is also not convincing on the question of the British Army's manpower situation; it is well-known that the American army also struggled to fill its ranks as the campaign dragged on. There are two major flaws to the work. One is that there is almost no comparative analysis of the effectiveness of the Anglo-Canadian army's methods vis-a-vis the American army's. It's all well and good to contend that those methods saved casualties, but Hart advances the claim in a vacuum. Second, Hart largely ignores Montgomery's effort to secure Eisenhower's backing for a single thrust into the Ruhr on the northern end of the front. To the extent he touches on the matter at all, it's to say that Montgomery was acting mainly in the service of long-term British interests, in particular his country's need to end the war in 1944. But the logistical risks involved in the single thrust (as highlighted by Weigley and many other commentators) would seem to fly in the face of Montgomery's customary preference for caution. All in all, however, this is a valuable work.

This author's study attempts to cut through all the focus on Montgomery's odious personality by a careful study of how his command of 21st Army Group in Northwest Europe, 1944-45, actually operated. There are two chapters devoted exclusively his relationships with his two army commanders, Dempsey with the British 2nd army and Crerar with the First Canadian Army. There is much rich detail in these two.

In his introduction, he outlines what problems Montgomery grappled with before the campaign began. They were: British uncertainty of Overlord's success, British war weariness after almost five years of conflict, his army was the last British field force and couldn't be lost, the morale of civilian conscript soldiers fragile viz the Germans', he couldn't sustain heavy casualties and maintain morale. As a consequence, his methods were appropriate to achieving British war aims. His goal was to obtain victory within the larger Allied effort with tolerable casualties while maintaining a high military profile. His task was not winning battles but winning the entire campaign.

Thus, Montgomery's handling of the 21st was hampered by: limited tactical abilities and mercurial morale of "unmilitaty" soldiers, weak staff officers, poor performance of Allied material, weakness of British resources--especially manpower, limited British war aims. In addition, the bitter fighting in Normandy blunted the edge of his army group. The constant hard fighting, limited space and no opportunities for divisions' rest and replacement, skilled German resistance, defensibility of bocage terrain, frequent harassing fire, motar attacks, sniper fire, marked superiority of German armor, lack of successful advances, frequency of local reverses causing troops to attack objectives they had previously conquered, steady stream of casualties destroyed small unit cohesion, severe casualties among officers wrecked effective function of units, lack of sleep, physical exhaustion and trauma of combat all wore down the armies by the end of six weeks.

In regard to poor staff work, Alan Brooke confided to his diary that the loss of so many fine officers in the first world war limited the ability of the army to have competent, experienced individuals to handle these trying positions. The fine book by John Ellis on the battle for Cassino related the British staff work was so inept it couldn't handle simple tasks like planning proper sequencing of road march approaches to battle.

Considering all these factors, the author concluded Montgomery's caution and reliance of firepower justified. The author feels he was not a "great captain" of history because he failed to exploit ruthlessly any success gained, he had serious deficiencies in fluid battles, and had limited ability to adjust his methods to changing operational situations.

Relying on the "set piece" battle, Montgomery outlined its principal components. 1. A master plan, 2. Concentration, 3. Fire-power based attrition, 4. Methodical and cautious approach. These were coupled with "alternative thrusts" to keep the enemy off balance. Other components he felt were: administration, airpower, initiation and balance. Ancillary components were: grip, surprise, flank protection, flexibility, cooperation, simplicity and the assimulation of combat lessons.

In truth, while the British army published doctrines, their actual employment rested with the idiosyncratic interest of individual commanders. There was almost no emphasis between the wars by the British army on operational art. The Germans were superb at this aspect of warfare. The author defines it as "the planning, preparation and conduct of a series of coordinated, synchronized battles by large formations (army groups down to divisions) within a given theater to achieve the objective of decisive victory set by military strategy." Hence, the only way for the British army to fight was with an attritional approach.

This book is not whitewash of Montgomery, nor is it another attack on him. The author doesn't blink at Montgomery's pettiness, glory grabbing, suspicion of everyone except Allan Brooke, impossible vanity, rudeness, and other objectional aspects of the man. But, he does look at what happened in the campaign in a relatively even-handed way. I recommend this slim volume with its extensive bibliography to anyone interested in WWII, military history in general, or wishing to better understand command.

Ashley Hart's "Colossal Cracks" is a thorough and thoughtful study of the operational approaches taken by the 21st Army Group in NW Europe during 1944-45. In a very logical and quite balanced manner Hart tackles a thorny issue likely to raise dander of some. Basically his thesis was that the methods employed by 21st Army Group under the tight "grip" of General/Field Marshal B.L. Montgomery were not only appropriate but contributed significantly to the overall Allied victory in the West. Moreover, Hart argues that these methods were employed 1) because of their commanders' experiences with similar methods when commanding the British Eighth Army in N. Africa and 2) because they fit the logistical realities facing the British/Canadian Army Group at that point in the war. With respect to this latter conclusion Hart provides ample compelling evidence that the manpower shortages facing Britain and its Commonwealth forces were indeed dire with respect to infantry riflemen reserves (while US forces was certainly not close to tapping their manpower resources) and thus Monty's perceived caution, oft maligned to overly so, was a generally appropriate response to this issue. Hart does not forgive Monty for failure to take aggressive advantage of situations as they arose - a misgiving Monty is certainly guilty of - but rather tries to place Monty's actions within a larger more complete context that included not only Monty's personality traits - which often form the basis for criticism of his generalship - but also theatre level, nationalistic, and post-war projection issues. Intimately related to the manpower issue (and linked morale issues which Hart also does affine job assessing) is the issue of how Monty chose to make up for these deficiencies with what the Germans called Mater**** and Monty termed "Colossal Cracks"; namely the employment of metal rather than men. Hart makes a point for what should be obvious, and apparently was to Monty but historians have since forgotten - if you have material superiority why waste human life? By employing the combined arms strengths of the Allied forces Monty could not only save manpower he could ill afford to lose, but also maintain morale that had a positive feedback on troop performance. Hart makes clear the rationale behind this approach and places Monty's decisions to employ these tactical approaches to the theatre strategy as a whole.

In the end, "Colossal Cracks" is a fine study, a bit academic at times but still quite readable and certainly worth a read to the more serious student of WWII, whether interested in Monty and controversies surrounding him or the tactical and strategic operations of the British/Commonwealth Army Group on the Continent. Of added value is Hart's inclusion of lengthy discussions of 1st Canadian Army and Second British Army actions within the 21st AG and Monty's "grip", as well as the influence their respective commanders - Generals Crerar and Dempsey, respectively - on operations of these armies and their contributions to AG influences on theatre activities. 5 star effort of historical literature, 3.5 star effort for engaging prose; overall 4.5 stars!

[This review is of the original Praeger Press hardback version of this Stackpole production]

At the last minute prior to graduating, my school informed me that I had to take one additional class before graduating. This was a huge surprise to me. This was a class that should have been completed long ago. While I could have been very angry and disgruntled by the mishap, I instantly contact Amazon and the book seller to get started right away. Thanks to your expeditious response, I am well on my way to successfully completing this course and graduating on time. Thank you a million times over.

Kay

I use this book for my Drugs and Behavior class and it was good..it has a lot a information and its an easy read...i just wish all my textbooks were as good as this one!

As textbooks go this wasn't bad. It is up to date and gives an excellent overview of substance use and abuse. I found it to be engaging. It presents the information in a very matter of fact/non-judgmental way. The title is a little misleading in that the text focuses on United States society, not society in general.

This text combined with the DSST for Drugs and Alcohol were great resources to prepare for the DANTES test. If I wasn't familiar with the terminology from the DANTES review then it could be easily located in this text.

I just finished this novel and enjoyed it immensely. I decided to thank the author and encourage him. He grabbed my attention with excitement in the first chapter. He then gave enough time to develop his main characters so little by little you came to enjoy and appreciate them. With that well accomplished, he resumes the plot and direction, moving it along skillfully.

The author clearly has a grasp of the culture, customs, and people of the Middle East with emphasis on the history and politics of Turkey. I found his grasp of the Turkish language engaging. I also found the plot very believable for that time period and equally applicable to the many dangerous possibilities we are faced with in the region today.

Being knowledgeable in the field of espionage and the intelligence community, I felt a comradeship with his field agents. They are authentic and like many I have known. There was a definite closeness only developed thru respect for each other's competence. This ultimately allowed them to resolve a complicated and dangerous mission in a real life style.

The author, thru these characters of B.K., Nate, Dan and Bull, illustrates the training, dedication, and service provided by many field agents in the intelligence Community.

A GOOD READ AND I RATE IT FIVE STAR AND HOPE HE CONTINUES WITH SEQUELS.



J. Farrell
F.B.I. (Retired Agent )
Palm Desert, California

Dan Dailey and Jim "Bull" Bulliard, US defense intelligence (DIA) agents, track down a missing biological weapon throughout fascinating and mysterious Turkey. With little to go on, they must glean clues on the whereabouts of the bio payload from American and Turkish sources, some good and some nefarious on both sides.

They learn that the weapon has fallen into the hands of `the viper,' a Kurd terrorist bent on destroying the relationship between the United States and Turkey. The chase is on to stop the worst disaster in US-Turkey history.

Authentic language, geography, and interesting characters, as well as the intensifying plot, distinguish this new entry in the techno-thriller genre.

Author DeHart relies on his language skills and experience 20 years as a counterintelligence agent to write a very believable and picturesque story of intrigue in the middle east in his first novel.

A fast read. Started it late at night and could not put it down. Picked it up in the morning and read straight through to the end. Very exciting. Really enjoyed the scenes in Turkey. Felt like I was right there. I particularly liked the characters of Dan Dailey and his associate Bull. The addition of a female agent, Nateesha Morales, really interested me too. Even though this is a "man's book" with the military jargon and all, women who enjoy thrillers, will like this book. The characters all worked great together and the plot moved right along. Can't wait for the sequel!
Donna

Sadam Hussein may not have WMD's, but "Adnan Kurtoglu," code named The Viper, does and he's ready to detonate the worst disaster in Middle-East history.

DIA Agents Dan, Bull and Nateesha face their deadliest foe in their history of assignments with the Defense Intelligence Agency. Their "US EYES ONLY" mission on this sojourn is to locate and neutralize a Kurdish terrorist who may have stolen the anthrax payload from a decommissioned Jupiter missile; a BIO warhead that was not supposed to be in Turkey. They have four days to complete their task before the NATO Foreign Minister's Conference is held in Izmir. Their troubles accelerate when they are ordered to find the warhead, without the knowledge of the Turkish National Intelligence Agency (MIT) or the NATO Headquarters in Izmir.


Author Dave DeHart lives in Oregon with his wife, Wendy. He retired from US Army Intelligence after a twenty-year career as a Counterintelligence Agent. He served in Turkey, Korea, Italy, Germany and Vietnam. Dave is a Turkish linguist, and was an interpreter/translator for COMLANDSOUTHEAST in the 1960's.

Gary Hart's proposals for America's "large purposes" for the 21st century should find support from both the left and the right. While he makes it abundantly clear that he does not support the current administration's actions, his proposals and and worldview can be satisfying to Democrats and Republicans, at least if they are not too close to the fringes. This is a book about ideas, not a compilation of proposed programs, so it can be argued that it is naive. Hart does provide some examples of how the ideas might be implemented in practice, but there is clearly much more work to be done. Since such work should be done on a bipartisan basis, I believe he was correct in keeping the book short (and even repetitive, as it was) and concentrating on grand strategy. In summary, I found the book inspiring during a time when there is so much partisan bickering. I strongly recommend it to anyone who wants to see how we can move forward in America united, not divided.

. I had always thought that Gary Hart was one of the more thoughtful Democrats on the scene and have always regretted the ritual gutting the press inflicted on him when he was otherwise well positioned to become the President in 1988. I understand from my fellow political junkies he is considering running for the 2008 election. I'm not sure whether this book is part of his campaign strategy--it seems all candidates write a book, or like Kennedy, have a book written for them, before running.
. Sen. Hart starts with a reasonably good idea, that American exceptionalism-America means something by virtue of its distinct democratic, tolerant and egalitarian values-should be the basis of American foreign policy. This is an idea that most Democrats and Republicans could agree upon. Unfortunately, the book quickly bogs down in platitudinous observations. By page 50, I found it increasingly difficult to read; one can only see the same repackaged idea so many times before looking for something else to read.
. Good try, Sen Hart. Please develop your idea further. It's worth discussing; it's just that this book didn't do it.

Gary Hart's "The Fourth Power" only whets my appetite for more from this giant of a political philosopher. This is the most important book on "grand strategy" for this country since George Kennan's work that led to the "containment policy," which served our nation's foreign policy and leadership in the world for a half-century. Since the fall of communism, as we then knew it, the U.S. has been adrift and devoid of a centering philosophy, subjecting us to the whims of individual presidents. This is dangerous, and Senator Hart's thinking should be employed to help us see the need for a unifying theme, based on our unique principles, and to guide us in adopting one as a democratic republic.

The United States and the world around us is changing. For half a century the world situation was framed as part of the super-power struggle between the Soviet Union bloc and the so called Free World. Even the smaller countries, Cuba, the little African states, Israel and the Middle East had overtones of the super-power struggle.

Then it all changed. And we are still formulating what we are going to do. There is a view that the country under George W. Bush is heading towards building an Empire. The United States has poweres economically, politically, and militarily. Mr. Hart argues that there is a fourth power - principle.

We are heading into a strange new world. The rise of non-governmental organizations like Al Qaeda present a new kind of threat. The rise of a united Europe, bigger with more people, more money than the United States - there is no one else in the world big enough to go to war with the US. The problems of AIDS throughout Africa and explosively growing in Asia present a future bleak for most of the world.

Mr. Hart suggests a strategy for the United States to follow based on building on American principles of participatory democracy. I wish I could hear more of this debate from the two people running for President rather than the opponent bashing that seems to occupy most of what I hear.

The Christianity and even more the Islam have abolished to idolize woman as a goddess. However this was the daily use in the Greek, Roman and Egyptian religion (sorry to remember, that the Aztecs tore the heart of young virgins out of the live body). Newton has reversed this development - he told us, to idolize women again. I visited the Helmut Newton exhibition A GUN FOR HIRE in the "Museum for Photography" in Berlin, near the Station ZOO, Jebens-Street 2. Sometimes I thought Newton is cynical, contemptuous against women, emphasizes the power struggle between the sexes too much. After the reading of his autobiography I thought: "What a humorous, witty person! " After having the pleasure to watch the film of his wife on his work, I thought, oh God, I get dizzy by this hand-held shaking camera. After the reading of the museum catalogue A GUN FOR HIRE I always get quiet again. Newton was skilful. He regarded himself as A GUN FOR HIRE self ironically, as an unfortunately rentable killer because of the kind money. But if he had carried out a banal "killer" order with the necessary simple, most childish aesthetics guidelines for any fashion magazine, showing the models in a predefined wardrobe sales beneficially - then he afterwards extended the dialog with a lady in most cases after completion of this obedient work for the capitalist system of the chewing fan heating - then he enlarged the dialog into the direction of more human, erotic, adult and no longer infantile situations, real and no more prudishly, running free experimenting for new emotion and aura. The growing picture collection from the vermiform appendix after that official work peeled out that image, that unique art form, which everyone connects now with the name Helmut Newton - a milestone in the history of photography. Before the visit of the exhibition A GUN FOR HIRE (in the long night of the museums in Berlin, January 2006) I went astray in that nightmare of holocaust stele field in Berlin. Newton had managed to escape from the insanity of the Third Reich. Newton's work could have never resulted under the thumb of any ideology. At first in the private, thereupon in a society, where is the liberty to make something new, it was possible for him, to make what could correctly be described as "making a woman to an idolized goddess" again. A GUN FOR HIRE is the reminding bequest which, shortly before his death, he bequeathed to that town which had dropped him 1938. I hope, that Berlin people (and many more) will awake and learn, what he wanted to show...

Highly recommended for anyone who knows Helmut Newton only by reputation. This doesn't show his most graphic work, but it has a nice range of his early editorial photos, fashion campaigns, absolut ads. This book is a great example of showcasing Newton's talent as a photographer. Instead of focusing on his sometimes intense sexual images, this book focuses on the composition, layout and colors his photography had. Don't worry, you Newton-lovers, the sexuality is still here for all to enjoy.
Newton is one of those photographers whose intense images and reputation can overshadow the actual brilliance of what's important...the photographs. If you are mostly familiar with his black and white photography, the colors in this book will take your breath away.
Don't be shy, this book will make you appreciate what a true talent Newton was without shocking you.

While i like HN work and always pick out his style even if i dont know a particular photograph, this book was downright disappointing. Its like someone assembled pictures which weren't good enough to be included in any of the other (previous) books just to sell it to suckers who will buy anything by HN. However, i absolutely adored the 4 or 5 pics of Monica Belucci and bought the book solely on account of them.

While I am always happy to grab a book full of naughty Newtons, it would have been even more wonderful to see the complete series of images that the undisputed master of kinky chic had created for the various euro fashion giants....some campaigns being a one season adventure, while others scandalized for years. The amount of advertising that he shot for french designer Yves Saint Laurent alone ,could easily fill a book. It was the perfect marriage of designer and imagist, followed very closely by Newton's ads for Thierry Mugler's erotically charged fashion fantasies. Sometimes it's hard to tell who came first, Newton or Mugler! In any case, Newton's unique imagry clearly remains unchallenged, even at their most commercial and subtle. The perfectly over groomed mannequins posed ever so precisely to convey roles of power, dominance , discipline, torture, fetishism and erotic menace...are all here. The acres of flawless,palest skin, highest heels, blood red lips, cold, smokey eyes often expressing a complete indifference to anyone looking on. The spectacularly graphic and bold compositions combined with the clever use of the blackest shadows as design devices instantly helps to define a Newton photograph. Many of the images showcasing his legendary wit and black humor, not to mention social and sexual comment.There's an amusing series shot for a calender with wickedly suggestive teenage lolitas posed at the ready in a desolate , dusty desertscape showing newton's playful and light hearted side.....very tongue and chic...and clearly inspired by one of his favorite themes, American Pop Culture. One missed opportunity for an amazing campaign would have been Helmut Newton for Tom Ford's Gucci....I can't imagine a more perfect union: A Newton "driving' a Ford to ecstasy....both men forever fascinated with drama, controversial lust and impossibly decadent glamour. If there was indeed some tests, it would be terrific fun if they ever surface. Paging mr. Ford....

I recently met the author Lawrence Hart at the Anglican Pacifist Fellowship annual conference in Canterbury (July 2008).
Having had the opportunity to listen to one of his lectures, and talk with him over the conference, I was impressed enough to buy his book (through Amazon.com).

As I am British (living in the UK), my concern was would this book have such a heavy US bias, that it would not be of any interest to the UK reader.

While Lawrence does use the Iraq war as a case study, and he does indeed criticise the US government, he does make a number of valid points that would be of interest to readers whatever their nationality.

As someone who is a Lay Reader in the Church of England (I lead worship, preach and teach the Word of God), Lawrence not only writes from a spiritual dimension, but he does so in a way that keeps the readers interest alive (some books on spirituality are so boring, that you pray for them to end).

My opinion, is that this book should be required reading for all those who study Christianity, particularly those who are involved in the ministry of the Word of God

David Ramanauskas

www.Christian Pacifist.com

I had so much hope for this book, based primarily on the subtitle. However, I didn't have to read too many pages to realize that I had been deceived. This focus of this book has far more to with criticizing President Bush and American war policies than it has to do with any type of Christian Spirituality. Additionally, it smacks far too much of leftist politics. This is borne out by the fact that there are nearly as many references to Noam Chomsky as there are to Jesus Christ. I am certainly no fan of the current administration or of America's abuse of military and political power, but few are. This tired criticism that encompasses nearly half the book is not helpful for anyone struggling with the real issues of faith and violence.
All that aside, what I really find disturbing is the author's implicit rhetoric which discounts the Christian faith of anyone who disagrees with or doesn't quite measure up to his pacifist views. He makes that statement that Lao Tsu (often called the Father of Taoism) showed himself to be more Christian than many professed Christians (p86). He bases this assessment not on Lao Tsu's profession of faith in Christ (which he did not make), but on a short statement on weapons, killing and victory in battle. By this assessment, it's how you feel about the tragedies of war, above all else, that makes one Christian. How is this helpful for anyone who is struggling with the real issues of what it means to follow Jesus Christ?
It was my hope that this book would look at the historical (rather than the contemporary American) aspects of war and how genuine Christians have struggled with this issue over the last 20 centuries. Instead, this book turns out to be nothing more than a rehash of the same liberal pacifist dogma that has been around for decades. And let me be clear, it's not that I necessarily disagree with the author's views on violence, it's that he simply does not effectively deal with the real angst many Christians have with this issue.

Written by an Episcopal priest, Hell's Abyss Heaven's Grace: War and Christian Spirituality is a strident call to the power of nonviolent resistance, rather than war, to change the world. Scrutinizing "Just War" theory as well as America's tainted history of war, conquest, international theft and exploitation, Hell's Abyss Heaven's Grace calls upon the need Christians have to live in accordance with the Gospel. Looking to images of Christian leaders around the world who apply nonviolence methods to resist, Hell's Abyss Heaven's Grace embraces the weapons of truth, courage and faith as paramount virtues in keeping with God's law. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (7/06)

In "Hell's Abyss, Heavens Gate" Lawrence Hart focuses on the theme of war and Christian spirituality. His purpose is to show that when faced with a choice, there is only one for the Christian, the way of peace. He goes on to examine the holy or just war within the context of American history. He uses the current war in Iraq as a case study. He then explores the conscience of a Christian pacifist.

Hart discloses the workings behind the scenes that have influenced our involvement in Iraq. He forcefully questions the motives of U. S. business interests and their impact on the political decisions made during the Korean Conflict, the war in Viet Nam, and now the action in Iraq.

Hart draws heavily from other writers using their works to reinforce his conclusions. He has credited their works and has provided extensive notes for each chapter. I personally appreciated Hart's broad base of sources as a resource list for future reading.

During my high school years I was too young to be drafted but as I turned 18 and registered for the draft, I listened to friends who talked about becoming "conscientious objectors". I thought I would be doing the patriotic thing by serving my country in the service. In the year 1951 about to be drafted during the Korean conflict, I selfishly, was looking out for my own safety. Rather than waiting for the imminent draft call and the risk of being sent to the front lines in the army infantry, I joined the Navy. I was never assigned combat duty while in the Navy. I don't think I ever considered what I would do if confronted with killing an enemy.

I am now faced with a new sense of compassion that calls for a life of reconciliation, justice, and peace. Hart reminds the reader of the instruction in the Catechism from the Book of Common Prayer that reads: "The mission of the church is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ." The unifying theme of Hart's writing calls for "...a conscience that compels...the Christian to do their best to love as God loves, to champion the cause of the poor and vulnerable, to pursue peace, to overcome evil with good, to insist on integrity and truth, and to vigorously oppose injustice and violence."

Hart sums up his concerns in a clarion prophetic wake up call to the American people. "Unacknowledged avarice, arrogance, and aggression will lead to the inevitable decline and fall of the American Empire as it has with all others before it."

This is a moving call to examine nonviolent resistance and should be read by Christian leaders, educators, and opinion makers. It is a book destined to leave an impact on the readers of this generation and generations to come.

Liddell's book is enjoyable and well-written. However, it was written prior before a lot of relavent material on T.E. Lawrence was made public. Mack's biography of Lawrence (PRINCE OF OUR DISORDER) is much more comprehensive. All in all, however, it is a book well-worth reading for anyone interested in tracing the entire evolution of T.E. Lawrence's legend/story.

Sir Liddel-Hart knew TE personally and admired him greatly. Liddel-Hart began this work as a general work on the Arab revolt but ended up waxing poetic about his longtime friend and hero. At times it may be a bit too gushing but the fact that TE was an incredible individual is without dispute and Sir Liddel Hart would not be the first to succumb to hero-worship. TE Lawrence's story is one with many lessons about a people who have grown weary with being ignored by the world. TE Lawrence saw himself as a savior of sorts for such peoples in the Arab world. His contributions to irregular warfare are numerous and Sir Liddel Hart is the perfect choice to bring those lessons to us in describing the life of Lawrence. The language is grand and sweeping making it an easy and enjoyable read while telling us much about the life and campaigns of TE Lawrence. A great resource for anyone interested in his life or in his contributions to military history.

While not the best biography on the subject (that honor would go to John Mack's A Prince of Our Disorder), this account, while laudatory in the extreme, has the advantage of having been written by someone who actually knew Lawrence, and who had his subject's input. If it sound at times like a Boy's Own Adventure volume, it also has the immediacy which many other accounts lack, and one gets the feeling that Liddell Hart harbored a deep admiration for his subject.

I strongly recommend this book. Unlike most of the bio related books you can read on Lawrence, this one is dedicated to how he waged war (and written by an expert in warfare). Lawrence's methods were so advanced that they resonate to this day. For example, he developed methods of system disruption that incapactitated a "modern" army and threw an empire into disorder. You can see these methods in play today in modern Iraq. Well worth the time you spend.