Henry Books

Love this book as do my kids. Boys love diggers, but my daughter loves this book too. Simple to understand and the big brother wants to teach his little brother to be a Digger Man too! I gave this as a gift in conjunction with a "digger" toy and everytime my son plays with it, he also wants to read this book.

My 2 year old son is fascinated with this book. He finishes the sentences on each page as we read it to him. It was one of his first non-board books. We place it on a shelf along with other "fragile" books and the "place of honor" makes it seem extra special to him - so he is very careful with it.

My older son loved this book and now it has become the favorite of my younger son who is now 3. We have it memorized because for awhile there we were reading it every night. It is sweet. It is imaginative. It is all boy! It's wonderful!

We got this book at the library and my 3 year old boy loved it nearly to pieces. I am looking into getting one he can keep, or maybe giving the library the new one and having him keep the torn and taped one! He has it memorized and "reads" it over and over to himself and his little sister. This book not only fascinates the little "digger men" that like to read it, but also teaches values such as hard work, good maintenance,productivity, and taking care of little brother. Your own little "digger man" will be sure to love it.

My boys love this one! My 3 yr old and 20 month old have me read this to them EVERY night! Such a great little book about diggers!! We love it!

Gary Henry has written a devotional book that really motivates a serious believer to diligently seek God. I am going through the book for the second year and have purchases several for friends and family.

This book gives thoughtful ideas and counsel based on the Bible. It gives help, encouragement and cheer based on scriptural principles.

I so enjoyed my copy of "Diligently Seeking God" that I purchased copies for everyone in the family this past Christmas. This little book is easy to pick up, read and meditate on the well-written articles. Gary Henry has an obvious deep love and faith in our Lord and it shows on every page. I highly recommend this to anyone to use as a daily devotional. It will inspire you to pick up your Bible and study further. Thank you Gary for an inspirational book!

This is an excellent devotional book. It makes you think about increasing your seriousness about your relationship with God. I'm so glad I bought it as it has excellent entries to read and think about.

"Let us not look back in anger or forward in fear, but around in awareness." ~James Thurber

Gary Henry presents daily moments for reflections in "Diligently Seeking God" where we can find inspiration for any day of the year. September 30 is titled: "On Not Missing the Moment."

Here we find three paragraphs exploring a perspective on time, ideas from the apostle Paul and Jesus' perspective on the future. A verse begins each page and then the paragraphs are followed by a wise quote.

Some of the selections include enlightening information on:

Our Deepest Need, Our Greatest Reward
The Joy of Fulfilling Our Purpose
The Ultimate Paradigm
Silence and Solitude
Inner Strength, Inner Light

Gary Henry presents his thoughts along with biblical wisdom and inspirational quotes. I especially loved the quote by David Smith: "The love of God is the ultimate reality, the deepest and strongest force in the universe; and it is revealed to the man who resolutely girds himself to the conflict."

~The Rebecca Review

This is a well written, well-researched, and highly entertaining account of one important part of the history of the rigid airship--a history that really shouldn't have ended. The US Navy originally planned to use Zeppelins as airborne aircraft carriers--carrying reconnaissance aircraft. Two were built and both met with bad luck. Had the Navy been successful, worked out the problems, and advanced the technology, it would have been unlikely that the Japanese could have moved their fleet unseen to within striking distance of Pearl Harbor. They made great defensive weapons, lousy offensive ones. Additionally a serious plan was afoot to finance a fleet of cargo Zeppelins for the Pacific. The beasts may be slow but they are faster than large surface vessels and are terrific heavy-haulers. They also don't make a mess of the ocean or ruin whale communications.

This book is a great way to get a sense of an extinct technology that might have been not only workable but also preferable to our current ones. Speed has made the world smaller but we're rapidly learning that isn't such a wonderful thing. Zeppelins would have helped create space--breathing room--in the global economy. Travel would be almost forced to be leisurely and civilized. Today it's more fun to take a bus to Cleveland than to fly in a loud and cramped jumbo jet to Paris. The jets pollute the upper atmosphere causing tremendous environmental damage, the Zeppelins wouldn't have.

Those of us who love this subject and would enjoy seeing the skies filled with these gentle behemoths seem like hopeless romantics, but maybe the intuitive appeal is less irrational than suspected. Maybe we sense that the positive gains provided by fast communications and modern transportation technologies are not exactly outweighing the overall losses. Trains, trolleys, airships, surface ships, a phone that's not with you 24/7, and a whole lot less Internet, might actually be the optimum technologies for a sane and sensible world. Bigger, faster, and more powerful are the options the dinosaurs went for and look where it led 'em.

Essentially a story of the historic round-world trip of the Graf Zeppelin, it evolves into a concise history of the Zeppelin dirigible industry and the men who made it happen against all the odds.
Brilliant description and narrative flow combine with meticulous research in praise of what was arguably the most impressive man-made sight in the skies - ever. However, we are constantly reminded of the economic facts that this could never be a long-term solution to mass travel. On most flights the crew outnumbered the passengers, there were no schedules to speak of, ground crews numbered in the hundreds and only the very wealthy could afford the expense of the trips. Eckener was not fazed by this - his dream was to use the airship to relieve economic hardship, facilitate scientific research and promote political harmony.
And, we read between the lines of the love that Dr. Eckener (and Mr. Botting) have for this beautiful form of air-travel; it pours from the page in the transcripts of newspaper reporter's accounts, in the tumultuous reception that these great airships had at every arrival, in the awe of the primitive people of the Sahara and Siberia.

The sad thing is that these giants never really achieved their promised sovereignty of the skies - sadder still is the Epilogue which hints at the resurgence of German airship industry in the Cargolifter enterprise, which is now in receivership.

Nevertheless, a rivetting read and a fascinating insight into a breed of men (and a woman) who persevered in promoting a wonderful dream.

The woman in this book, Lady Grace Hay-Drummond-Hay is my great aunt (my paternal grandmother's sister). Sadly she died many years before I ever knew her and so this book not only is a great read from an historical perspective, it also tells me more about my inspirational relative.

I have been fascinated by the age of the rigid airships since childhood, and have read as much as I could find on their history, but I've never come across a book on the subject as well-written or as informative as this one.

The Graf Zeppelin's famous flight around the world is the jumping off-point for this story, and the author recreates it in vivid detail. You will find yourself peering out of the gondola with the other passengers as the giant silver bird floats gracefully up into the sky. You will marvel with them at the vastness of the globe below them...the endless Siberian territory, much of it probably never gazed on by human eyes before; the great expanse of the Pacific, never crossed by air before; and on across the great panorama of America.

You will relive this historic journey, but you will learn much more. You will travel back to the birth of the rigid airship, the brainchild of the "Crazy Count" Von Zeppelin; you will learn of its development, its triumphs, its failures, its key role in the First World War. You will follow the story into the Golden Age of the passenger airship, as the Graf under the command of Dr. Eckener explores one new frontier after another; you will understand how the Nazi takeover in Germany changed the nature of the Zeppelin enterprise; and you will see the steps that led to the fiery demise of the passenger airship when the Hindenberg exploded in flames over the landing field at Lakehurst, New Jersey.

If you have any sort of interest in airships, you should buy this book. It won't disappoint you!

Today with stealth fighters and bombers, Concorde supersonic airliners and jumbo-jets, few people realize that from 1928 to May 1937 German zeppelins dominated trans-Atlantic passenger air travel. In the book, Dr. Eckener's Dream Machine, Douglas Botting takes the reader back to the time of "zeppelin fever" and using the Graf Zeppelin as the narrative vehicle, tells the story of the German zeppelins and the life of Dr. Hugo Eckener.

The book opens with a account of the Graf Zeppelin's August 1929 flight from Friedrichshafen Germany to Berlin, the beginning of the Graf's 1929 round the world flight. Chapter 2 tells the story of Count Zeppelin and his invention of the rigid airship in 1900. Amazingly in 1910 zeppelins began carrying passengers on sightseeing flights over German cities. Chapter 3 narrates the zeppelin in WWI where great technical advances were made but the zeppelin had limited military utility. Virtually put out of business after WWI by the Inter-Allied Control Commission, the Zeppelin Company was revived in 1926 by supplying the LZ-126 (USS Los Angeles) to the United States as war reparations. Later funds were raised in Germany to build LZ-127, christened Graf Zeppelin on July 8, 1928.

The Graf Zeppelin was a passenger airship test-bed and Dr. Eckener wrote that the Graf ". . .was to prove that passengers could now be carried across the Atlantic Ocean by air in speed and safety, and with all the comfort and pleasure which the modern traveler demands." Botting narrates the dramatic first Atlantic crossing of the Graf in 1928.

The 1929 world flight was in reality two record flights, one originating at Lakehurst, New Jersey financed by Hearst Newspapers and the second starting at Friedrichshafen. Chapter five continues the world flight narrative noting it was not a world record that Eckener had in mind but considered it ". . .a proving flight to demonstrated the zeppelin's potential for a worldwide passenger air service." The book's account of the world flight is a fascinating well-written adventure story. The world flight of the Graf Zeppelin "provided incontroversible proof of the airship's capability as an intercontinental transport mode"; the author notes the world flight "had been brilliantly executed in both its planning and operations stages." However, the passenger zeppelin used dangerous hydrogen and was vulnerable to weather masses. The author writes "The Graf got away with it on the world flight partly because it was a first-class aircraft, but above all because of the masterly expertise of the crew."

The text notes "In the autumn of 1930, as the Graf Zeppelin was completing its first series of commercial flights to South America," the Zeppelin Company began the design of LZ-129, later named the Hindenburg. In 1931 the Graf made an Artic exploration flight to the Soviet Union meeting a Russian icebreaker above the Artic Circle. The text notes that this was the last spectacular proving flight for the Graf.

In 1931 the Graf made three scheduled advertised flights carrying passengers and mail to South America, the first scheduled transatlantic air passenger flights in history. In 1932 scheduled passenger flights to South America in the Graf Zeppelin continued and plans were initiated to establish zeppelin travel throughout the world.

The author's account of this critical period in zeppelin history is excellent. In 1933 the Graf continued transatlantic passenger flights and the Nazi came to power. The 3rd Reich helped to fund construction of the Hindenburg, but at a price. The government took over zeppelin passenger operations and moved it to Frankfurt Germany with the Zeppelin Company left solely as a manufacturer. Having criticized the Nazi, Dr. Eckener was declared a non-person and could not command the Hindenburg when it was completed. The book tells how in 1936, Eckener's dream came true as the Hindenburg made ten scheduled round trips from Germany to America, plus seven round trips to Brazil while the Graf made thirteen round trip flights to Rio. The financial results were impressive with Eckener noting that they were an "agreeable surprise."

On May 3, 1937 the Hindenburg, LZ-129, left Frankfort for Lakehurst, N.J. under the command of Captain Max Pruss, Eckener still a Nazi non-person was not on board. Three days later at 7:25 P.M. EDT, while landing at Lakehurst, the Hindenburg exploded. The account of the Hindenburg catastrophe is excellent. Most interesting are several direct quotes from on-board passengers and crew. The total number of dead totaled thirty-six-thirteen passengers out of thirty-six on board and twenty-two of the sixty-one crewmembers plus one civilian ground crew. The book states that the Hindenburg disaster marked the first passenger fatalities in commercial zeppelin operations since their beginning in 1910, zeppelins having made twenty-three hundred flights carrying more than fifty thousand passengers with a blameless safety record. After May 1937, commercial zeppelin operations ceased. However, as one of the last commanders of passenger zeppelins noted, "It was not the catastrophe of Lakehurst which destroyed the Zeppelin, it was the war." During WWII, the Zeppelin Company assembled V-2 rockets.

In less than ten years, the Graf Zeppelin had made 590 flights traveling 1,060,000 miles safely carrying 13,000 passengers; a record not exceeded by an airplane for many years. When the Hindenburg's successful passenger flights are added in, this was a remarkable accomplishment, as transatlantic airplane passenger flights didn't begin until 1939 with large flying boats making numerous enroute-refueling stops. Not until 1957, twenty years after the Hindenburg's nonstop passenger flights to North America, did scheduled direct nonstop service begin with DC-7s from New York to London.

This is a well-written history and those interested in aviation history will find it refreshing to read an account of German zeppelins where the book's primary focus is not the Hindenburg disaster.

6+ stars****** My parents recently moved into an assisted living facility. I wish I had read this book before instead of just after so I could have acted sooner. It gave me strength as my mother cried to know that this too shall pass and it is truly the wisest, safest, and healthest action to take. Each day is a little better. If I had read the book earlier I would have not made excuses for the mounting behavior changes, seen through her intelligent masking of memory loss, and helped my Dad make the difficult decision earlier, probably making the move easier for both of them. Stella's gift to us of her experience through the stories makes it an easy and pleasent read. As every pregant woman reads "What To Do When You're Expecting" so should every adult with 70+ parents read "The Eldercare Handbook". At least then you'll know it's normal and can make loving, practical decisions.

We baby boomers may have thought we were the most informed generation of all time, but no one I know was prepared to deal with aging parents. Stella's book is a gentle study of the process physically, emotionally and spiritually, full of forgiveness and gratitude along with information you can use right now. It has been extremely helpful to me and my family, and I've given "Eldercare" to many friends who share my appreciation. Thank you, Stella.

Stella Henry has answered so many important questions about how to deal with our aging parent's needs as well as our own. This is a MUST READ for every adult child with a parent that may need our help. She deals with the emotional and physical aspects for both the parent and adult child's needs. The insite into how and when to choose a care facilty is invaluable.

Great resource. Read it before you NEED it. But let's say you're like me, you've waited too long and you're up against a wall, it's still helpful. Get tips on the fine legal issues, get support and guidelines for decision making.

I bought several books of this type and this one is by far the most helpful and informative. It was invaluable in my visits to assisted living and nursing home facilities - letting me know what to look for and what questions to ask. But there is so much more to this book than just that. If I could only buy one book to help me understand how I can help my parents this would definitely be it.

Recently, I read Fault Line, by Janet Tashjian. I first picked it up because the author also wrote The Gospel According to Larry and its sequel, Vote for Larry, both of which I thoroughly enjoyed and read multiple times. Later, I was intrigued by the subject of the story. Rarely do you read novels, especially young adults', that deal with abusive relationships. I have noticed the signs in several, but none actually call it abuse. It's kind of a touchy subject. But this book deals with it straight out. I really appreciated that.
Becky and Kip are very original main characters that drew me into the story. I liked that they were both aspiring comedians. I was able to laugh at this book even though it has a serious topic.
Another thing that I enjoyed about this book was that the story was told from both points of view. It really helped me understand how abusive relationships work and why the girl doesn't just leave. I blamed the girl in the relationship for not leaving before I read this book, but now I see why it's so hard. I also don't perceive the abuser as a heartless jerk any longer. It's more complicated than that. However, that doesn't make what they do right.
I would definitely recommend this book to every girl in eighth grade or above. These are important issues that need to be recognized. Not only should everyone girl read this so that she can recognize these warning signs in her own relationships, but also because this is such a good and interesting book. Read it!

I really like this book in different ways from the way I liked Sarah Dessen's Dreamland. I like the detail better in Dreamland but Faultline was still a very good book.

Becky Martin is a 17-year-old comedienne who believes she has found true love with fellow comedian Kip Costello. As Kip becomes increasingly more possessive and controlling, however, Becky finds herself enmeshed in an abusive relationship she has difficulty giving up. This novel is written with great sensitivity as both sides of the abusive relationship are explored, and all the characters are very believable. Recommended for young men as well as for young women.

Book Response:

The book Fault Line by Janet Tashjain deals with a girl named Becky Martin who is struggling in an abusive relationship while at the same time trying to balance her career as a standup comic. It analyzes the steps of how men can take control so easily. Through this process of controlling and abusive behavior, she comes out as a new person who is stronger, wiser, and majestic.
Starting off, Becky is a very self-conscious girl who relies on the opinions of others to form who she is. For example at the start of her career as a standup comic a simple insult of her performance caused a major breakdown. She thought she was a lost cause and could never have been worthy of any real career in this profession. Also as she gets deeper into her relationship with Kip she feels that she isn't worth anything unless she has a boyfriend. Becky stays in the relationship after repeated physical and emotional abuse because of the peer pressure to have a boyfriend, which comes from her friends. Finally, because of the constant insults from Kip she started to become isolated from her family and friends. After this she only plummeted into a world of insanity and suicidal. She even went as far as keeping dead animals in her bedroom. Of course by the end of the book her skin became thicker. When an insult was made about her performance she took it as constructive criticism instead of a remark dealing with the quality of her character. Also Becky discovers that a woman doesn't need a boyfriend to be accepted by her friends. She even starts giving lectures to other women who were previously in abusive relationship just as she was. Finally because Becky starts to come out of her isolated world of insanity she finally starts interacting with her friends and family once again. This leads to a healthier environment in which she takes more risks in her career as a standup comedian.
Becky Martin not only becomes a stronger individual but also uses her new wisdom to impact the lives of others going through these same circumstances. In a lecture given to women in the same position she says that, "A relationship is a lot like a hot bath. The more you get used to it, the more you realize it's not so hot..." She means that in this instance it can be hard to determine how dangerous the situation is because of how manipulative the man can be and how easily he can get away with treating women violently. Also Becky starts to go after her dreams of college and a career as a comedian. She realizes that in order for things to happen she must do it herself by focusing on her grades and working on her act as a comedian. Finally, Becky becomes more confident with herself and creates a clinic for abused women. Through this she obtains the tools necessary to help others in need.
Because Becky becomes wiser and stronger through the hard times of her relationship with Kip she becomes an icon in the world of jokes and laughter as well as an icon to the people she works with at her battered women's shelter. Her transformation of a simple struggling comedian to a majestic and influential individual shows how extreme her character has changed form the beginning. For example in the beginning of the book she had stage fright and constantly feared rejection from the people she was entertaining. By the end her act onstage was solid and took the rejection as a way to figure out how to improve her performance. She even lands a spot on MTV where she is able to perform some of her material live. Also with the women that she helps through her shelter she is able to give them a voice by making this issue more aware to the public through her fame as a comedian. Finally through her struggles she manages to achieve everything she wanted; acceptance to a good college and a career in the comedian business.
Becky Martin never expected to be so violently transformed from the self-conscious teenager to a famous comedian who advocates the abolition of abusive relationships. She not only changes her resume, but changes a person as well. She does this by becoming stronger, wiser, and more majestic as a person who was once weak, ignorant, and still trying to find her spark in life.

Abuse. You've heard about it a lot, it happens everyday; it may even happen in your own lives. Whether you're the victim or the perpetrator, whether you're a young teen, whose relationship just began, or an older lady who's been in the relationship for years, it happens all the time.

Becky and her family are working on Becky's career in comedy. While performing Becky and Abby, Becky's best friend, meet a new guy who they think is real cool, sweet, and the best comedian ever. Becky and Kip begin a relationship that doesn't go as they dream. Becky finds herself trying to be the perfect girlfriend, trying to do what she thinks is best, but Becky's relationship, may not go like the fairytale she's always dreamed of.

It's all through all the tragic events that Becky figures the dating life out. She realizes that she doesn't have to have a boy to make her comedy career, really something.

Sometimes the most important lessons are learned through a tragedy. Its also been said, that everything happens for a reason. Janet Tashjian gives us a realistic view of relationships; she lets us know that a relationship doesn't always stay the same. The harsh realities of our decisions don't only affect one person, but everyone involved in our lives.

This is a great book. A lot of people will enjoy this reading material. I would recommend this to any teen, but I'd recommend it more to teen girls or even grown women. This book lets us know some of the dangers of abuse and how it can worsen, but it also lets you know that you can get out of the relationship. This is a really great book and anyone could read it and enjoy it.

An excellect book for anyone. It was a great Christmas stocking stuffer and will make a great birthday gift when you want to give more than a card.

This is quintessential O. Henry. If you want a gift for a friend or a way to introduce someone to the joys of the short story, this is a great pick.

This book begins with the one of the lesser-known Christmas stories that illustrates how we should give to the utmost during this season of giving. O. Henry is able to use wit to show wisdom, and the ridiculous to show the sublime.

The poor married couple is forced to scrounge for Christmas. The husband hocks his watch to buy hair combs for his wife, and his wife sell her hair to a wig-maker to buy a fob-chain. Bit this story isn't about a couple's holiday folly, but the desire to love and serve other people to the utmost.

One of the classics is "The Last Leaf," about a boy who in inspired by a last leaf, which is really a painting. Another story is "The Cop And the Anthem," about the bum who tries to get arrested, then has a turn of heart second before he is booked for vagrancy. It also has the immortal "The Ransom Of Red Chief," the story about the kidnappers who get the redheaded brat, and try their darndest to get rid of the kid.

O. Henry has the a gift of the twist, like Rod Serling of "Twilight Zone" fame, or M. Night Shyamalan, the director of "The Sixth Sense," and "Signs." As you read, it keeps your eyes on their toes, since at any minute the whole story will twist upside-down. This roller-coaster writing is like a well-told joke.

When I was a teenager, I listened to the Gift of the Magi, the Last Leaf, After Twenty Years etc on public radio stations (Guess where?). I was so moved then. I think these among other great works had played a role in my decision to pursue an English Literature major.
Now life had challenged me into a somewhat different world where often times we forget about the literature, the philosophy and the simpliest pleasures of life.
I bought this book again so that I could read it to my children someday. My first born is only 3. But I think he is starting to show some appreciation.

"The Gift of the Magi and Other Short Stories" brings together 16 pieces by O. Henry. The stories in this collection are taken from 8 of O. Henry's books; the original volumes have publication dates ranging from 1906 to 1911. This book includes a short introductory note on the colorful life and career of the author, who lived from 1862 to 1910.

I really enjoyed this book from start to finish. O. Henry writes about criminals, dreamers, artists, lovers, and lost souls. Many of these stories have a New York City setting--he really captures the energy and color of the city. There are also a Western story ("The Pimienta Pancakes"), a Southern Gothic tale ("A Municipal Report"), a story set primarily in a small town in Arkansas ("A Retrieved Reformation"), and a story set in rural Alabama ("The Ransom of Red Chief").

If you like stories with "twist" endings, you will probably like this collection. The book as a whole is a lot of fun--full of life and charm. Some of the stories may strike contemporary readers as corny, but I found each tale to be an enjoyable gem of storytelling. The book is rich in irony, with some really funny scenes.

O. Henry tells stories of love, justice, deception, sacrifice, and heroism. He makes some intriguing creative choices; this is clearly the work of a master in total command of the short story genre. His prose style is very readable and engaging, with touches of baroque elegance.

Of the many books I have borrowed from my dad, this was one that I have read repeatedly. Unlike some humor, I still chuckle every time I read "A hunker is not a squat" or the one about the grasshopper trap. This is one of three of Pat's books that I regularly give as gifts to those young men of impressionable age in their pre-teen and teen age years. Hopefully reading this book will enlighten both their minds and hearts.

I picked this book up at a liquidation sale at a used book store mainly because I liked the title and not knowing anything about the author. This was my first reading of Patrick McManus and now I just have to read more of his works. My better half was trying to watch TV while I was reading this and I kept interrupting by reading sections of the book. His comment was "I can relate to that." I got to the point where I couldn't read any more until I wiped my eyes. This is a must-read for anyone who needs a good laugh.

A book filled with humorous stories, this compilation of experiences was a treat to read! The Grasshopper Trap is only the second book I've read by Patrick McManus but now I want to track down all of his stories. McManus writes humor without the obscene, offensive language that seems so common everywhere these days. It's a refreshing, fun read with stories that entertain as well as remind us of a simpler, less frantic way of life.

The title of these comments is from one of the tales in this third collection of short stories I have read by Mr. Patrick F. McManus. The author has been writing the yarns and his versions of his childhood "true" stories for decades, and has now produced 12 collections of these essays in book form. Many of the stories are about being outdoors and failing miserably as a hunter and fisherman, but one gets the impression that to the extent he fails, he does with seeming intent. It's the outdoors he loves, not harming it or its inhabitants. When he does speak of a successful outing with his friends he complains so much about the "success" that again you can tell coming home empty handed is his real goal. A collection of stories is what he is after.

The best stories here range from his childhood when speaking of why an 8 year old is perfectly competent to own his first knife, while even one day short of the 8th anniversary would be nothing less than a felony were a knife to be given to such an infant. He goes on at length as to how men delude themselves in to their thinking they have convinced their wives how their gun collections multiply without a single purchase. And in a story entitled, "A Hunker Is Not A Squat", he explains how with the correct posture, a stick and a dirt floor, The United Nations would be unnecessary, and world conflicts would end.

Mr. McManus writes for everyone who enjoys a good laugh, uncontrived humor, and just simple observations about human nature. He does not preach about the solutions to world problems, claim a cure for the common cold, or how to get rich. He just gives the reader the gift of laughter, an invaluable gift.

I have always thought that Patrick McManus is the funniest writer on the planet. I read his stories when I need to laugh or relax. Sometimes I irritate my wife by reading it in bed. I try not to laugh out loud, but I only succeed in sounding like I am trying to muffle continuous sneezes.

However, not everyone gets it. I have been shocked by watching people read McManus without so much as a smile (though most start snorting like wild pigs on acid) . My only guess is that getting McManus requires a couple things. First, it requires some understanding of his experiences. He absolutely nails all of the stupid things 'outdoors men (outdoors people)' do and think, but don't want anybody to know about. Second, you have to see the self-deprecating aspect of his humor. Third, you can't look for great literature in integrated books. Patrick McManus is an excellent writer, if you see these as independent stories simply collected in a volume. They are meant for adults who want to laugh at themselves. So, If you are willing to or already meet the above three criteria, you will love this book.

By the way, I am a professor of clinical psychology and (other than worrying a little about McManus) I sometimes recommend this and other McManus books. I do this with people who have racing thoughts and anxiety at bedtime, and when I believe they have the necessary experiences to find it funny. It often works quite well. I think of his stories as little pieces of happiness. (Oh, that even makes me sick to hear. Sorry)

Product arrived quickly in great shape. will do business with them again.
Thanks D

Ok, let me start off by saying that this book is a very important book in my family. Im 21, but this book is one of my first memories. I remember so well seeing my parents reading it, (probally multiple times) and seeing it at my grandfather's house. I never knew what the book was about, I just knew that "The Henry book" was a big deal. In fact, my Grandfather loved the book so much, he bought an entire box of it one time to give out to friends and family. I heard it was a difficult book to get, but Amazon popped up, and is ready and avalible.
I really debated to give this book a 3 or a 4. I wish I could give it a 3.5. I really liked where the book was going. Kind of a "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" for adults. Poor Henry. He kept giving the mouse (society) cookies, when he didn't have enough to give in the first place. I know, I sound like I have been watching too much Billy Madison but it was the best comparison I could think of. This book is a great vacation read. It took me about a late afternoon and a 2 hour car ride to read. Read it before you go on vacation with someone who has read it. Because it will be a big old laugh when you quote, "I wouldn't want you to miss out on the good life." through out your vacation.
I really don't know how to review this book. Parts of it I loved and parts of it I hated. I really didn't know where the author was going at the end. I didn't know that this book was going to go into the end times when I started it off. I relize that the Bible warns us that the Lord will come while we are all distracted, but I was just confused how it pretained to Henry. I guess was warning us not to get so caught up in it all that we forget about the Lord. I only skimmed the end honestly because I felt like the author was coming off like he was better then me. That's an awful thing of me to say, and maybe it's the stubborness coming out in me, but really. I mean, does he really think we are so weak, that we will fall to the evil ways of a credit card? I think it's a book you need to read more than once. I still suggest it.

This book can wake you up! A story that tells a story.

Beautiful!

This book was loaned to me by a friend. I started reading it and could not stop. It was telling the story of my life in a different way. Henry knew the good life and thought progress was going to give him a better life. He had to give up the things dearest to him. Time with the family went by the wayside. A valuable lesson for people who are trying to get ahead. This book posessed me to quit my 12 hour, sometimes 6 day a week job of 17 years. I now make less money, but I also have time off to be with my family. My priorties are now in order and I am happy. I am now like Henry was in the beginning of the book. Sometimes we don't know what happiness is. Money isn't everything and debt will ruin you is some things I personally gleaned out of this book. I strongly recommend it to college age and over.

Henry is me! Not that I ever had it as good as he did to start, but I bought the lies that our great society hangs in our faces like that nice juicy bunch of fresh carrotts....theres nothing wrong with carrotts is there? I have read this little book a dozen times and each time I do it makes me stop and take stock. This is a must own, buy a bunch and give them to people who you truly care about.

I read this book when it first came out some years ago. It was a watershed event in my understanding of Hitler's rise to power (and of history generally). I'd read many accounts before, and have read many since, of Hitler's rise to power. But this book put paid to much sociological claptrap about "impersonal forces" and showed the tremendous contingency in Hitler's rise to power. Not only wasn't it inevitable, it wasn't even remotely probable -- until it happened. It took many circumstances and events with which Hitler had little or nothing to do, and numerous actions by people who were contemptuous of Hitler, who had no intention of helping him, and who lacked any inkling of the ferocity and speed with which Hitler and the Nazis would act upon obtaining power, to put him there. The fact that many small and seemingly inconsequential decisions resulted in one of the great catastrophes of history is a far more chilling and disheartening story than the notion that it was the inevitable product of historical forces.

In the book Hitler's Thirty Days to Power, Henry A. Turner argues that Adolf Hitler's rise to power is most evidently illustrated by examining the last thirty days before his appointment to chancellor of Germany in January 1933. Prior to reading Hitler's Thirty Days to Power I had been under the impression that Hitler had a much more active role in securing his position as chancellor of Germany before ascending to Fuhrer. Turner by taking the microscopic approach of only analyzing these thirty days clearly demonstrated that this was not the case. According to the author, Hitler's rise to power was the result of luck, the egos of other political figures, as well as the belief that he could be used simply as a pawn to gain favor of his dwindling amount of supporters. Had any one of these differentiate Hitler would not have been successful in securing the position as chancellor. Turner substantiates his claims through a variety of resources ranging from personal memoirs and newspaper articles from the period to journal publications of modern historians. The information he presented was mostly-well known to the scholarly world, however, the manner in which it manifested was innovative. By using a magnifying glass-like method to examine the month leading up to Hitler's establishment in power rather than the all encompassing approach, Turner gives the generally educated reader, such as me, a better insight to the schematics of Hitler's rise.

Furthermore, the individuals of the text come to life through an intense focus on what propelled them to reach conclusions that allowed Hitler power. The personalities of people like Franz von Papen and Paul von Hindenburg are revealed through these decisions. Turner does not simple state the events that occurred, but rather allowed his reader to envision internal turmoil that was suffered by these individuals in coming to their resolutions. An example of this would be the German President Paul von Hindenburg. Originally he vowed that Hitler would never gain the position of chancellorship. However, numerous overtures made by Papen, a good friend and former chancellor under Hindenburg, combined with the encouragement by his son Otto the President was convinced to allow Hitler the position he so coveted. Turner illustrates throughout the book the difficultly Hindenburg faced in reaching this conclusion. The narration permits the book a novel-like reading often reserved for fiction rather than history. Many other texts compel the audience to feel as if they had read solely the outcome of the events leading up to January 1933 instead of getting a vivid understanding of its cause. Hitler's Thirty Days to Power answers the problem of how Hitler came to power in a compelling and easy read. The narrative and the individuals engage the audience regardless of any negative or positive connotations surrounding them.

The only major flaw that I see with Hitler's Thirty Days to Power is the last chapter of the text. This chapter, "Determinacy, Contingency, and Responsibility," attempts mainly to answer two questions: Should anyone, other than Hitler, be held accountable for the atrocities of his reign because of their involvement in his rise to power and what would have happened had Hitler's reign not existed? The author answers the first charge with the assertion that "although impersonal forces may make events possible, people make events happen." Unforeseeable events might have occurred, but it is individuals like Papen and Hindenburg who are ultimately responsible for Hitler's reign regardless of their original intent. Although others like Hindenburg's son Otto might played a lesser role they still had a significant part therefore they are also to blame. I agree with these assertions, however, I they led me to disagree with Turner's assessment of the public. Turner sees the German public only at fault because of their lack of understand of the importance of their ability to replace their government figures. After WWI, Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated the throne at the demand and revolt by the general public. At this moment the power the people held was not failed to be recognized. I have a difficult time believing that less than twenty years later this power had all but been forgotten. Instead after reading Turner's text I have come to the conclusion that much like Hindenburg and Papen, the German public underestimated Hitler. Turner asserts that responsibility for Hitler's reign rests on those like Hindenburg and Papen for their underestimation of Hitler, than the general German public should also share the blame.

In addition, Turner's answering the question of what would have happened had Hitler not come to power seems unreasonable. The author suggests that had Hitler not come to power a military coup would have overtaken the government and the atrocities of WWII would have been avoided. It is difficult to make assumptions of what might had happened if Hindenburg or other resisted Hitler's rise to power. No one can say for certain the fate of the government at the end of the Weimer Republic had alternate approaches been taken. In addition, it is difficult to say that the atrocities of WWII would have been completely avoided. There had been for some time a growing resentment for both communism and the Jews. Perhaps, these crimes might have been on a lesser scale in which all of Europe was not involved. However, these atrocities regardless of their extent seemed destined to be committed because of the complacency of the German republic (refer to the book "The Butcher's Tale").

Overall Henry Ashby Tuner's Hitler's Thirty Days to Power was an excellent text. It provided a microscopic look into the last thirty days before Hitler obtained chancellorship which eventually led to his dictatorship. This approach was helpful in understanding how Hitler's rise to power. It allowed his audience to witness the key figures involved and their reasoning for being a part of the scheme. In addition, the reader also is provided with the sense that there were several opportunities to prevent Hitler's reign yet they were pushed aside. Furthermore, Turner showed the audience that although Hitler took advantage of the conflict between several key figures in government, it is these individuals like Papen and Hindenburg that are responsible for Hitler. They underestimated Hitler and their large egos led them to believe that they could ultimately control him. Turner's text is valuable to not only the study of history but also as a study for the future. The book teaches the world's governments that we should not underestimate those seeking or holding power. Most importantly, when an individual claims or even more brazenly writes a book on their political goals, like Hitler did with [...], perhaps we should see these claims or writings as absolute truths. Goals which people like Hitler intend to reach.

This well written book is a case study of how luck, personalities, and even simple spite can have major effects. At the end of 1932, the Nazi party seemed to be on the threshold of decline. Its fraction of the electorate was slipping, its finances were in disarray, and there was considerable dissent from both rank and file and leaders of the party. Many were dissatisfied with Hitler's strategy of pursuing supremacy through electoral politics. Some sectors of the party wanted to pursue revolutionary violence, others, like the influential organizer Gregor Strasser, thought that Hitler was throwing away great opportunities by insisting on the Chancellorship instead of accepting important cabinet posts in right wing coalition governments. At the end of January, 1933, Hitler was ensconced as Chancellor, some of his loyal lieutenants, like Goring, occupied crucial cabinet posts, and Hitler was able to initiate the 'back door' revolution that resulted in the Nazi domination of Germany.
Hitler obtained the Chancellorship, in part, because of his obdurate refusal to accept anything less as the price of participation in a governing coalition, a product of his messianic self-confidence. Turner shows well that Hitler was handed the Chancellorship as a result of a series of backstairs plotting involving former Chancellor Papen and members of President Hindenberg's circle, notably his son Oskar. Hitler was greatly underestimated by these individuals, and was underestimated just as greatly by the then Chancellor, General von Schleicher. Hitler does deserve credit for his persistence and his ability to hold his party together but as Turner shows very well, he was phenomenally fortunate and was gifted the Chancellorship because of court politics motivated to a great extent by spite and petty jealousy.
Turner concludes with a nice and concise discussion of a counterfactual alternative to Hitler's ascent to power. As Turner points out, when democracy failed in the inter-war period, and it did so frequently, the usual result was an authoritarian state dominated by traditional conservatives and the military. Fascist movements were present in some of these countries and were incorporated into these regimes as traditional conservatives sought to draw on the popular support mobilized by fascist movements, but in Hungary, Romania, and Spain, the more traditional right/military remained in control. With more capable right wing leadership in Germany, this would have been the probable outcome. The result would have been an authoritarian but not totalitarian state, one that was anti-Semitic but not genocidal. The German state would certainly have rearmed and Turner suggests that the most likely outcome would have been a more limited war with Poland. His speculations are reasonable.

This is a well-written and extensive explanation on the behind the scenes machinations, impelled by personal foibles and vendettas, that led to Hitler's being awarded the Chancellorship of Germany despite his party's never achieving a majority in or at the polls.

The book sets to rest many myths about how German industrialists finagled Hitler's ascension to power and exposes the inner workings and interactions of the multiple parties, politicians, and political hacks that actually, and often inadvertently, coalesced to create the power vacuum which Hitler filled. The book also explains why the Nazis were so interested in obtaining control of Prussia and its security forces. (The reason is that although there were 19 separate federal political entities in the Weimar Republic, by far the strongest political entity was Prussia, which contained 60% of both the total population and land in the country. In addition, the federal government's security forces were almost non-existent but Prussia had a force of some 50,000 men [half the size of the 100,000 man German army] that came under the control of whoever became the Ministry of the Interior in Prussia [who turned out to be Hermann Goering when Hitler gained power]. Not only that but Goering, as Ministry of the Interior of Prussia, then had the authority to deputize tens of thousands of Nazis as auxiliary police to carry out Hitler's goals.)

Perhaps the only real drawback to the book is that the introductory material on the Weimar Republic and its political processes is incomplete, making the transition to the core of the book a bit harsh.

Most people who have some knowledge of the climb to power of the Nazis think Hitler enjoyed an unbroken rise from the Beer Hall Putsch to the Chancellorship.

While true in the main, author Henry Turner in "Thirty Days, January 1933" describes how Hitler's party was waning in Germany and widely believed to have peaked with the last most recent elections in 1932. A good case can be made that it was ready to fall dramatically in terms of popular support and strength in the Reichstag if another election had been called to again try and form a workable governing coalition in Germany at the end of 1932. The Nazi Party's finances were in disarray. They had been seen as a protest vote by significant numbers in the July 1932 election and things had not gotten better under their expanding influence. In the November 1932 election, they lost 32 seats. Local Nazi organizations were in disarray, dispirited and some in rebellion over Hitler's refusal to participate in the government in any role except that of Chancellor. Dues were not coming in and the party could not have afforded another national election. In addition, there was a split at the top of the Nazi Party between Hitler and the administrative head, Gregor Starssor.

Germany was chaotic. No elected chancellor could govern with a majority in the Reichstag. The government was placed in the hands of a presidentially appointed chancellor (Kurt Schleicher) by President Hindenburg. The author compellingly chronicles the thirty day period in which Hitler and the Nazi's political fortunes were saved by: 1. the ineptness of Chancellor Schleicher; 2. the scheming of recent Chancellor Franz von Pappen; and, 3. The age and weakness of national figure President Paul von Hindenburg. Aiding the Nazi's also was Hitler's single-minded pursuit of the top spot of chancellor as well as a fortuitous minor state election which the Nazi's went all out for and were able to spin as an electoral comeback.

The bottom line is that an incredible line-up of weak politicians and unbelievable luck paved the way for Hitler to be named Chancellor by Hindenburg at the end of January, 1933. It is tragic to comprehend how Hitler could have been prevented; arguably should have been prevented by the operation of any kind of normal political environment. That he was able to ride incredible good luck and the stupid machinations of a handful of top politicians who thought they could control Hitler and bend him to their purposes is an interesting story.

This book is likely to appeal students of the Nazi period and will probably not interest the general reader. It literally focuses on the thirty day period with only a general overview of the growth of the Nazi Party in the 1920's and early 30's and a brief "what happened to the players after" section (most murdered by the Nazi state). Still, if you are interested in the subject, this book is pretty good.

Not much to say. You should be a Burroughs fan, and somewhat aware of his writings an lifestyle in order to understand. This book is the life, times, friends, travels, and ideas of a brilliant sociopathic junkie.

The only book of, or by, William Burroughs that I have read twice. His life was stranger than his fiction.

I have never written a review for amazon.com before but I had to add my two cents to the few reviews listed here. This book changed my life. I was already familiar with Burroughs' writing and had read several of his books before I found Morgan's excellent biography. I've read this lengthy tome several times, but I remember the feeling after I finished the first reading: I was inspired to write, write, write. The book cleared up my writer's block and has continued to do so every time I read it. His life really was as strange or stranger than his fiction, and it reminds me always to write what I know. I can't believe this is out of print. Highly recommended to all writers and all fans of biographies.

After a failed attempt to read "Naked Lunch" I turned to this book to gain some insight into William Burroughs that might aid me with future reading. I did not find that the book went into great detail about Burroughs ideas, except for ones that I find either trivial or even "wacky", like his interest in some aspects of Scientology and Reich's "Orgone Box". In fact, I might have given up on my plans of reading Burroughs after reading this biography; I could have easily concluded that Burroughs was a man who had led an interesting, albeit tragic, life but who, because of his heroin use and open homosexuality, had just become a "trendy" author. I might have concluded that he was a precursor to the cultural revolution of the 60s but of little importance today. Quite frankly I persist in my quest of getting to know Burroughs because of the importance attributed to him by one of my favorite philosophers, Gilles Deleuze, who claims that Burroughs has a lot to teach us about the "society of control". Only my future readings of Burroughs' novels will reveal rather I am right to persist in my study of him.

If this book failed in being an intellectual biography, it certainly succeeded in portraying the world of William Burroughs in an interesting fashion. Burroughs life seems for the most part
a series of tragedies. It appears as though he was molested as a youth and one is tempted - perhaps due to the saturation of "pop psychology" in our day- to conclude that somehow his future misfortunes (and brilliance) were rooted in that event. Subsequently driven from the United States, then Mexico (where he committed the infamous "William Tell" fatal shooing of his wife) he spends the greater part of his life wandering between Tangiers, Paris, London and New York. Oddly enough, he only seems to find some kind ofhappiness at the end of his life in Lawrence, Kansas.

His meeting with the other members of the "Beat Movement", Allen Ginsburg, Jack Kerouac, Gregory Corso, seemed fated, and unlike the others he did not become a "Beat Stereotype but remained authentically himself, behaving in many ways like a conservative midwesterner. Perhaps this authenticity is what appealed to his groupies who could not manage to retain their own identity separate from the various trends in which they participated.

Whether I will find anything intellectually stimulating in the works of Burroughs remains to be seen. Despite his many shortcoming, he was a key cultural force in undermining the foundation of the narrow, cocktail sipping, coutnry club 50s generation.

When I read this book in 1990, or thereabouts, I had only read William Burroughs' book Junky, and I had read nothing by Jack Kerouac or Allen Ginsberg.

After I finished reading Literary Outlaw, by Ted Morgan, I was so fascinated that I read all of Burroughs' novels, and several books by Kerouac and Ginsberg. I also read two more Burroughs biographies, just to get more information on this weird old guy.

Literary Outlaw is just that good.

There are newer biographies of Burroughs by Barry Miles and also Graham Caveney. Nevertheless, Literary Outlaw remains the definitive Burroughs biography written to date.

This is a fascinating biography that reads like a pageturning novel. Burroughs grew up in a privileged St. Louis family, spent some time at a rough ranch-style boarding school in New Mexico, attended Harvard, travelled in Europe, and lived in New York, Mexico, New Orleans, Texas, Tangier, London, New York (again), and finally Kansas. Along the way he became the most scandalous figure in modern letters. His adventures and misadventures are related in this marvelous book.

Literary Outlaw is more exhaustive than either Caveney's or Miles' biographies. Chapters with titles like "Tangier: 1954-1958" and "The London Years: 1966-1973" make for easy navigation. As the book's coverage ends in 1988, there is no information on Burroughs' life in the 1990s, but the essays in the book Word Virus (by James Grauerholz) act as a good supplement, for biographical information.

Morgan did a good job. He wrote a page-turning biography, but not at the expense of Burroughs' literary reputation. Burroughs' value as a writer is challenged throughout, and it holds up. Biographical detail is linked to popular criticism of the texts. There is an extensive section of notes. There is an index.

You can't go wrong with this biography. If you've never read a biography of William Burroughs, Jack Kerouac, or Allen Ginsberg, I advise you to try Literary Outlaw. This book is very well written, and is probably the most fascinating biography I have ever read.

ken32