Hart Books

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]

I bought Dark and Dangerous primarily for the Celeste Anwar story, but all the stories in the anthology are really good. There are a few annoying typos throughout--which seems to be a common occurance for books published through NCP, but it shouldn't stop you from reading if you're into paranormal romantica.

Dark and Dangerous does have a "carnal rating", so its expected that the sex scenes are going to be quite graphic, however one of the scenes in Beauty Ravished is so over the top it comes across as poorly written... I literally cringed while reading it. Overall, however, each story is well worth reading and contains a different paranormal element: werewolf, ghost, vampire, and mages. I give it 5 stars. A great book to carry with you out to the pool!

On the downside, I find it tedious to buy from New Concepts Publishing because it takes so long to receive their books. After three months of having Dark and Dangerous on order, the delivery date came and went without receiving anything. I ended up buying the book used on another auction site. It's a shame, really, because NCP have a lot of print books I'd be very interested in buying, if only they could get their product out in a timely manner.

OH MY GOD! This book is truly Dark and Dangerous! And Delightful!! LOL LOL Each story is FAN-tastic!! Buy, Buy, Buy! LOL

I am so ambivalent about this book. It adheres to the genre that I really, really like: Romantic, erotic, paranormal fantasy. The story lines are exactly that. BUT I felt the stories, especially "Beauty Ravished," seemed hurried and the plots skeletal frameworks for the erotic scenes. I kept wanting all the stories to be more fully fleshed out; each had the potential to be a solo book. The erotic scenes are great. The endings, for the most part, are way too abrupt. When I finished "Beauty Ravished," my jaw just dropped. I couldn't believe that was the end! I kept saying to myself, "And then what?" Finally, unlike previous reviewers, I found the numerous misspellings, missing words, incorrect words, and grammatical faux pas to be really jarring. To sum up: a great idea for an anthology, great plot outlines, but everything seemed careless, rushed, and skimpy.

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

This collection of stories is sure to entice the most selective of readers to venture to "the dark side" of romance and erotica in their books.

In Beauty Ravished, by Celeste Anwar, Cherry Roman has taken what little savings she has, after being laid off at work, and splurged on a vacation adventure that she hopes will help her relax and enjoy life; not worry about what happens next. When she arrives at her haven, she finds that strangely enough, there seems to be no women present and the manager of the resort is happy about her being there. Neither can deny the eruption of passion they experience upon meeting, and Cherry is in for the shock of her life when she discovers just what kind of man, or is it beast?, Nigel Francoeur is.

What a hot tale! Cherry and Nigel are immediately attracted to one another, their passion for one another a conflagration that is sure to singe the fingers of the reader. Ms. Anwar takes the world of the werewolves and shifts things around just a bit to satisfy her story and her readers. The descriptions of the behavior of the male werewolves show the animal instincts often lacking in shape shifter characters. The details of the mating game being played out in this story are well done, making one shiver in fear, or desire, at the concept and the events unfolding.

In Dream Shadows by Angelica Hart, the next foray into the dark side, readers meet Violet Haze, born of the sun caste, who has been trained to be a willing wife to some lord lucky enough to win her in the nuptial auction. She longs to be free to enjoy the life she so desires, and to use her magic to keep the Light strong. She prays that it will not be one of the Dark lords who feed on fear that wins her. During much of her life she has experienced such intense erotic dreams that she finds some escape from her unhappy life. However, when she meets the man from her dreams, how can she be sure he is of the Light and not of the Dark?

Violet is full of spirit and fire that reveals itself on every page and in every encounter. This reviewer laughed aloud at her antics to try and avoid being bought and mated at the nuptial auction. Her confusion is real when she is confronted with both Darth and Ash, and has to figure out who is the evil one and who is her savior. The electricity between she and Ash, both in dream and waking states, crackles with energy, burning them from the inside out, and will wreak havoc on the reader as well.

In Blackthorne's Light by Marie Harte, Trey Blackthorne is a vampire born of humans, whose duty in life is to rid the world of people with evil souls. His is an empty life, with no satisfaction for him, and he hopes to some day find what he needs and desires. Adara Vansant is a reporter for a racy women's magazine who is doing a series of articles on "bad girls" and their adventures in the dark and erotic sex scene. When she visits a nightclub, Vampland, which caters to this crowd, she never expects the erotic attraction to owner, Trey. But is he her sensual salvation or her worst nightmare?

This reviewer thoroughly enjoyed the slight twist on vampire lore found here. Trey was portrayed in a new light from what is ordinarily found in vampire tales. One is bound to empathize with him in his lonely and empty existence. When Adara comes into his life, the change in him is brilliant to experience, and the love they feel for one another is easily felt and understood. The plot is well thought out and flows smoothly, and will satisfy even the pickiest of readers.

In The Dark One by Goldie McBride, Samantha Lancaster heads to Europe for a tour of reputedly haunted locations, a trip she had planned to take with her mother, until she died in a car crash on the way to the airport for this very trip. She ends her travels at the Chateaux du Beauchamp in France and gets more then she bargained for upon arrival. Gerard, Count du Beauchamp was a powerful warlock in his day, cursed by fate to spend eternity neither living nor dead. When he meets Samantha, he finds out that not only can she see him and talk to him, but that she may be the very answer to his desires, and only she can break the curse he's lived with for centuries.

What collection of dark tales would be complete without a sexy ghost (or is he?) warlock? The story behind Gerard's existence is complex and developed quite thoroughly, giving enough information to make readers understand his predicament. Samantha's background is also intricate, making one feel for her and why she is so drawn to this particular site on her tour. These two characters are meant to be together, and the story proves that without a doubt. Their feelings for one another won't be denied and how their romance in concluded will make readers be thrilled for them.

It is hard to pick a favorite story out of this collection. Every one is delightful and will enthrall readers. They are all equally sensual, written so well that the passion leaps from every story to captivate and inspire readers. Be sure to have a cold shower, or a warm and willing partner, readily available upon finishing this collection of erotic fantasies.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, October 2004. All rights reserved.

I highly recommend this book (I have the '07 edition). It has flow charts, an outline, short answer questions, and multiple choice. It's a great review before finals. Definitely worth it's price too.

A great overview of Evidence Law in the U.S. courts system. I like the outline in the first pages. The price doesn't hurt either!

At six-hundred pages, your average overworked law student is not too keen on reading another 40 pages a night, especially with a full slate of classes. That being said, this book contains a "Casebook correlation chart," which helps you decide which part of the book to read in the approximate order of your own textbook. It covers: Green Nesson, "Evidence" (3rd Ed. 2000); Wellborn, "Cases & Mat..." (1st ed. 2000); Mueller & Kirkpatrick, "Evidence Under the Rules" (4th Ed. 2000), and Waltz & Park, "Evidence" (9th Ed. 1999).

I would suggest checking this out of your law library instead of buying it and reading the relevant parts of the "Capsule Summary" (79 pages) if you're pressed for time and you want a nuanced overview of Evidence.

The rest of the book is nicely outlined, but way too much information for the average to under-achieving student. However if you want it for clarification on certain rules, or just having it in your bookshelf would make you feel better about Evidence, you can get it so cheap that it can't hurt.

I wish I had been using this book all semester. It was very helpful in preparing for my Evidence final; it shows how to apply the rules of evidence, and more importantly, how the rules work together. It acts like a roadmap, showing you which rule to start with and how to work through any of the tricky situations the professor may toss at you. The exam tips were very helpful in highlighting key issue-spotting areas and things the professors will commonly use on exams (quite accurate). I highly recommend it!

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....

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.

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.

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.

I really enjoyed reading this book. Of course, as a couple of the other comments pointed out, this book is not an in-depth presentation of life in a trappist monastery. But it is not pretending to be such a thing. This book gives a nice taste of life in the monastery for a monk and for a retreatant. You get just enough of the taste of the history of this monastery to whet your appetite for more.
If you're interested in more, the author has a large, photo-illustrated history of Gethsemani. There are other books on trappist monasteries as well. If you've ever been to Gethsemani and had the pleasure to hear Fr. Matthew's evening talks, you'll want to look for some of the books of his writings. Matthew Kelty is his name.

Also, I have read another book in this same series (A Week Inside) on a Buddhist Monastery. Very very interesting. As with Making a Heart for God, it gives you enough of a taste of Buddhism, the monastery itself and a retreat inside the monastery to whet your appetite for more.

I hope to find more books in this series.

I don't know that this would be a very good description for
"Making a Heart for God." I see it more as a glimpse at what
life is like at the Abbey of Gethsemani. It is bits and pieces
of what the author has seen and heard while on retreat. It is
something to give the reader just a taste of what the life must
be like for the monks. As such, it told me quite a bit. If I
would want more, I would most likely look for something written
by a monk who lives in such an abbey. That would be more likely
to have the details about day to day life.

I am an afficionado of books about monasteries and convents and the contemplative life in general. As such I was excited about getting an indepth look at the Trappist Abbey, Gethsemani. Unfortunately it was a much more simplistic description of abbey life than I had expected. Except for the detailed and good description of lectio divina, the text was pretty superficial. I especially hoped to find explanations of how 25 disparate men could learn to live together peaceably over the long term. The book told me that this was indeed a challenge for folks who have committed to never leaving, but the author never got into the kinds of interactions that moved the monks toward unity and those that disrupted the process. I was disappointed.

Making a Heart for God by Dianne Aprile surprised me, delighted me. I was expecting an in-depth day-by-day look at a monk's week, the perspective being from a lay person (albeit a person with much experience at the Abbey of Gethsemane) looking in on a religious person's life. And that is what I got but, oh, so much more! "A Week Inside" includes a look at the retreatants at the Abbey as well, as their days intertwine with the schedule of prayer and work that is the mainstay of Cistercian life. From her arrival to her departure, I felt as if I was following Aprile around the monastery, talking to monks and retreatants, praying the liturgical hours, keeping silence at the appropriate times, learning more and more about Benedictine spirituality. Her focus on a few brothers in particular was heart-warming, and showed the stuff of which they are made - flesh and blood, heart and soul - like the rest of us. I was as reluctant to finish the book as she was to leave the Abbey! Note: Aprile includes the daily schedule of Gethsemane as well as a lenghty list of monasteries and abbeys that welcome retreatants.

This is the DATABASE of the MNF Trail Network. This book includes the following: Trail #'s (TR#); Trail Names; WVa 10 Highest Peaks; Type of Trees; When & How to enjoy hiking & backpacking; MAPS; structure and use
of the 'Guide'; Ranger Districts; Table of Trails (notes/intersections/distance/elev. min-max/TR#) THEN......a thorough detail of each TRAIL (TR#, Trail Name. Scenery, difficulty, distance, conditon, elevation, segments, access, photographs). Recommended literature, and solicitation to "help improve this guide".

Not my cup of tea, way too detailed nothing about horses which is why I got it.

Unlike some guides, which are really a list of the author's favorite trails, this one lists all of the trails in the Mon. Anywhere you want to go, this guide will tell you what the trail is like and how to get there. Overall, it is a very useful book.

This is a very good book for MNF hiking. It also includes information about which trails would be good for ski touring. It includes good trail descriptions, topo maps, area maps, contact information and some photos. There is also a trail rating system for things like scenic beauty, which I found to be helpful.

The trail descriptions refer to the topo maps in the book and include highlights of the trails. The trails are also marked on the topo maps in the book.

The book is divided by Ranger Districts within the Forest, which makes covering this huge area of forest more manageable. It also includes information about other areas in the Forest such as Blackwater Falls State Park.

Having used this guide I definitely recommend it. The only downside to such a comprehensive book is that it is a little bit too heavy to be carried on the trail. I have used it for planning purposes and have purchased the USGS topo maps to carry while hiking.

The book was so romantic and the story was beautiful. Night Hawk is a dream guy!

This story was wonderfully touching and romantic. You could really feel yourself being pulled into the feelings of love and desire between Night Hawk and Sarah. The bantering between each other as Night Hawk was able to gently bend and submit Sarah to his ways was touching and believeable. The history of Cheyenne beliefs and the Christian beliefs Sarah was brought up with, was woven into warm comparison of the two. So Sarah found it easy to adapt to the Cheyenne ways and beliefs. This story is full of so much tenderness that it's definetly one you will want to own. It's a keeper.

This was my first C. Hart novel and I have since been a faithful reader. This is a wonderful story about romance and the true meaning of love as it conquers all obstacles. The setting is woven around several battles and historic figures that were historically correct and added balance and authenticity to the storyline. Flame is the vision every woman would like to be, Nighthawk is the dream lover we would all cherish. Together they weave a story of infinite beauty and love that touches your soul and leaves you wanting to revisit this story many times again.

This was my first Catherine Hart novel, and I really enjoyed it. I found the tender love and the dialog, between the heroin Sara and Night Hawk quit believeable. I found myself truly lost in the story. Very good read with lots of twists and turns. I couldn't put it down.