Howard Books

I started to protest the Vietnam War in Sept. of 1967. Long before the
Winter Soldier start up.
I can't find any news stories about S.P.D.s???
Let this also be part of the history...
Sorry About That.

On December 20, 2004 the Department of Veterans Affairs, granted me full disability as a result of what happened to me in the service. I was diagnosed under the `Decision'
"Service connection for bipolar disorder is granted and the disability is combined with your evaluation for posttraumatic stress disorder." This is unique because I am the first serviceman granted as having PTSD cause my bipolar. My PTSD was caused from trauma, I incurred while in combat...
My bipolar on the other hand incurred while serving out my time stateside. You see, what happened to me after I made it home was far more stressful and horrifying than anything I experienced in combat.
What makes this interesting is that if it wasn't for the Freedom of Information Act, I couldn't prove anything. While I was still in the military and after I was released from their custody I tried in vein to seek help for my condition to no avail. I felt that there was something wrong with me and was concerned enough to seek help.
Here's the rub; that was back in 1967.
Granted, the military did not know anything about PTSD or bipolar in those days. So I was just pushed along as being a disgruntled grunt. `Sorry About That' boy, now get on with your life. So be it, I felt...
It is not my style to bore you with `my' Vietnam experience. You know all too well we all have a story to tell. {Blah, blah, blah}.
Saying that, I believe many people do not realize that less than 6% of Vietnam veterans saw any actual combat doing their tour. And even fewer were involved in hand to hand
hard core combat. Lets say, maybe 1%? I can say with confidence I am in the 1% club.
Within 72 hours of landing in Saigon, I was fighting for my life. My experience is noted in the book the fields of bamboo by General S.L.A. Marshall. (1971 The Dial Press). Starting on page 68, "A Romp In The Sun." Amazon dot COM books has it rated `Five Stars.' (Few years ago)
If that wasn't enough, I served as a door-gunner on a UH 1 B Gun Ship where I survived three crashes. I got my PTSD the old fashioned way, I earned it.
What I feel I did not earn, was my bipolar.
There were over "half a million" less than honorable discharges given from 1966 to 1973. It was as though many of us who had been in the war realized there was something wrong with what our country was doing and wanted out. {1967-1968 two hundred thousand courts martial took place}
Because the system was so overcrowded, makeshift "concentration camps" were set up around the country,{ Known as "Special Processing Detachments."} Aka, S.P.D's.
That's where I found myself, (1967- 1969) after I protested our country's involvement in the Vietnam War. Not, mind you in the streets, but rather, to my `Band of Brothers.'
Before I did this, I sought help from the military mental hygiene department at Fort Bragg while serving with the 82nd Airborne Pathfinders. (1967)
I told the so- called head shrink'ers. That I believed that the war was unconstitutional
That our country attacked a sovereign nation with malice and our commander-in-chief was not to be trusted and was in fact, using us to fight an immoral war. It was our duty to stop him at all cost and by any means. I told the head doctors that I had been informed as early as 1966 in the jungles of Vietnam by an ex OSS officer that there isn't any South Vietnam and Ho was the truly elected leader of his country. I was also told that China was Vietnam's number one enemy and has been for over a thousand years. In fact, some of what I was told back in 1966 was to come out later in the Pentagon Papers.
I was told many things that turned out to be the case. (Too many, to take your time here).
However, this I do know and believed in 1966, that if China was Vietnam's number one enemy and Russia was China's enemy then we were not there fighting the communist threat. To my dismay, the two psychiatrists listening to me rant came unglued. They didn't think I was mad but rather delusional and had to be dealt with. I was sent back to my unit and held under house arrest. "For what", I asked? {murder, and spreading commie propaganda, to the troops, at Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base}.
I went ballistic. My military record, exemplary until then, begin turning black.
I would not stand to be held and or wait until the military tried to figure out just what to do with me. Acting stupid I thought I had no options. I then demanded a dishonorable discharge. (I felt the just deserts for an elite warrior participating in a dishonorable war).
No one would oblige. I was told I was simply confused. So to help matters along, I deserted the military in order to get what I wanted.
After being hounded by the FBI and government authorities I was turned in by my own family and friends. Being from Orange County, California, they were doing their duty and thought it was for my own good. Once in the grips of the military system, my life became worse than it had ever been in combat. Sadistic guards wanted to make an example of me because they believed I was a veteran who disgraced his uniform. I was tortured, stripped, and had a gun put to my head. I was thrown naked into solitary confinement where the shadow of the stars and stripes-{designs cut into the ceiling} - covered my body. I was forced to eat cereal and water from a bowl like a dog while others watched. I witnessed other prisoners being tortured and murdered.
`Abu Ghraib in spades'. Right here in America back in 1967 the military guards did the same things to U.S. soldiers in stockades across the country. I survived in and escaped from three stockades and four courts martial. I witnessed the same treatment from guards at every stockade I was in.
I do not feel sorry for myself. I joined the military and volunteered to go to Vietnam. I was proud and excited to become a paratrooper with the 101st Airborne. I loved it.
That is until I found out what was really going on `over there.' I was not to be part of the BRIGHT and Shinning Lie that was to be known as the Vietnam debacle.
Anyway, if you think another Vietnam story is not as interesting as our latest war so be it.

Thanks,
Richard F Denne
Rdenne@aol.com

Students of the Vietnam War have many, many histories and analyses to choose from: now SOLDIERS IN REVOLT: GI RESISTANCE DURING THE VIETNAM WAR provides yet another angle, and is the first to explore in depth the process of organized opposition and resistance that undermined U.S. military attacks. It was a uniquely American movement at home and abroad which helped bring the war to an end: SOLDIERS IN REVOLT focuses on the rebellion WITHIN the U.S. military, from front lines to stateside.

This is a re-issue of an older book (early 1970's), this book is still relavant because much of its contents are not recognized by many people. It tells the story of the dissent that brewed among the GI's in 'Nam. By no means universal, the dissent actually crippled America's ability to fight the war.

Neo-cons admit the truth of this book's comments every time they extol the greatness of an all-volunteer army as opposed to one formed by draftees. The truth of this book is exhibited by the armed forces' refusal to start a draft even as recruiting goals fail today. But the history books still do not speak of the widerspread GI revolt in Vietnam.

David Cortright originally wrote his hidden history of resistance within the U.S. Armed Forces to the Vietnam War in 1975. Thanks to Howard Zinn for rescuing it from the memory hole of information warfare.

Cortright's thesis is that the U.S. military in Vietnam resisted the war on a massive scale. By 1969, the enlistees took the lead over the draftees in opposition to the war. Stateside, enlistees had formed protest organizations at most bases in all the branches of the military. The enlistee resistance movement produced over 200 G.I. newspapers such as "All Hands Abandon Ship" and "Harass the Brass". Enlistees also organized off-base meetings in coffee houses and staged demonstrations against the war. Over in Vietnam, "survival politics" led to refusals to engage the Vietnamese in combat, avoidance of making contact with the Vietnamese, and 12 mini-mutinies of companies and platoons.

This is an important history. When the peace movement pressured the government to get out of Vietnam, it was to be a time of peace - especially for the U.S. military. Later the Berlin Wall fell and the Warsaw Pact was disintegrating. The Soviet threat was neutralized by its own perestroika. Then came the Bushes, Clinton and their wars and monthly bombings in Iraq non-stop during the last 15 (that's right - fifteen) years.

This latest Iraq invasion and occupation has reached deeply into our communities. Fathers, and mothers, left their children only to end up killing children in a land whose inhabitants had never made a threat to us. Worse, some troops engaged in shameful tortures.

Bush should be impeached now for his war crimes. And after that, one more thing remains: bringing the troops home to their children and our apologies.

Timely new edition of pioneering 1975 study of GI resistance during the Vietnam war. Most younger Americans know about the anti-war movement from first-hand film accounts of the massive marches and sit-ins. Yet far fewer know the extent of resistance within the armed forces themselves. There are no video tapes of widespread clashes between MP's and GI protesters during war's peak period. Nor is there footage of crew members demonstrating aboard such elite ships as the USS Kitty Hawk, nor even from blue-collar vessels such as the USS Nitro (a humorous and inspiring episode). Yet the resistance in many instances proved doggedly disruptive. And despite silencing efforts by the Pentagon and its media allies, the war's outcome was seriously affected by thousands of courageous resisters in uniform, who, each in his own way, refused to support a murderous politicians' war.

Cortright exhaustively documents stateside developments from Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, to Camp Pendleton, California, plus the role of civilian supporters in facilitating the movement. Coverage of GI resistance in Vietnam is harder to document because of battlefield censorship. Nonetheless, revealing instances of fragging, combat avoidance, and conscience-baring convocations such as Winter Soldier are included and speak volumes. Cortright's approach is sympathetically objective, providing a good birdseye view of what was going on behind the general coverup. Morover, he's careful to point out those cultural factors which intensified resistance, including widespread racism for which black resisters bore the brunt. If there's a downside, it's the absence of subjective, first-hand accounts that would make the reader feel the oppressive weight of the war machine as it attempted to roll over those who would stand in its way. In addition, some material in Part II has dated and perhaps should have been elided, while a 2005 Postscript begs for comparisons with Iraq but proves somewhat disappointing.

Nonetheless, the length and breadth of resistance is meticulously set forth, along with some surprising results -- enlistees were more likely to resist than draftees; the least educated were more likely to physically resist than the more educated. But most importantly, the research shows a rapidly disintegrating fighting force that belies apologist claims that the war was lost because it was fought "with one arm tied behind us". No, the war was lost because it was one that should never have been fought in the first place, as increasing numbers of those participating came to realize, (not to discount the astonishing will of the Vietnamese people to resist Western neo-colonialism) . All in all, this is an excellent resource for those wondering what actually went on inside the processing centers, the training bases, and the killing fields during a tumultuous period that in so many ways is still with us.

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Eileen Gunn is surely one of SF's least-prolific good writers, having published all of eleven stories since her debut in 1978. Fortunately, they're all worthwhile, and some are brilliant -- such as the title story, "Stable Strategies for Middle Management" (1988, Hugo nominee), a novel view of the role of bioengineering in future corporate life, guaranteed to bring a smile. Then there's "Green Fire", cowritten with Michael Swanwick, Andy Duncan, and Pat Murphy, which is just terrific: a WW2 pulp burlesque, starring Isaac Asimov and Bob Heinlein, and featuring Tesla superscience, topless pirates, giant plesiosaurs, a kraken -- and a special guest appearance by Lord Quetzalcoatl! Great stuff. SF's best-ever 4-author story!

Her third "A" story, "Nirvana High" (with Leslie What), makes its first appearance here. The special-ed students at Cobain High have, well, *special* talents, and Gunn's sfnal look at high-school life ranks right up there with Suzy McKee Charnas' "B00BS" and Sharon Farber's "The Nostalginauts" . Top-notch story.

"Computer Friendly", a 1990 Hugo nominee, features 9-yr old Elizabeth "Lizardbreath", and how she saved her friends online and learned to spit. Cool, nerdy stuff, if a bit dated now.

And her first sale, "What Are Friends For?" (1978) is still a crackerjack -- I'd never seen it, and I'll bet you'll like it, too. Gunn notes that her check for $51.63, from Ted White's AMAZING, "came in someone else's SASE, with their name crossed out and mine scrawled in... I had hit the big time."

And there's more! Bottom line: 11 stories, 5 "A"s, 6 "B"s -- plus an "ideologically labile" recipe, and cool little Gunnophile goodies from Gibson, Swanwick, and Waldrop. "Open [the book] and be dazzled! -- JP Kelly's blurb, with a coverful of other nice blurbs, from Le Guin, Doctorow, Willis, and many more.


So, you owe it to yourself to check out Eileen Gunn's neat stories. As Michael Swanwick sings,

"Hooray for Eileen and her bully machine...
She's graced with a runcible style...
Lets all celebrate
Before it's too late...
Eileen! -- and her bully machine."

Happy reading--
Pete Tillman

I was pleased to see this as Amazon.com's #4 editorial pick. Eileen Gunn took two decades or so composing these little gems, each taken seriously and not tossed in to fill up the pages.

That said, the stories have minor flaws that do not impede the reading or its enjoyment. For instance, as far as I can discern, "Fellow Americans" is not truly a story (the others are) but a work of carefully observed characters--politicians who might have been based on meticulous research.

A truly ambitious undertaking and successful despite flaws that would have sunk lesser writers.

I had the pleasure of hearing Ms. Gunn read the story "Fellow Americans" at a science fiction convention. It was one of the funniest things I've ever heard. After that I made sure to attend all of her readings and seek out her work (which until now it has been shockingly hard to find.)

Impress your friends! Get in on the ground floor of Gunn-mania! Be one of the cool kids and read this as soon as possible!

I've been an Eileen Gunn fan for a long time and it's a treat to see her perceptive, witty stories collected for the first time. William Gibson's introduction, Howard Waldrop's afterword, and Eileen's own notes about each story add to the feeling that this unique collection was well worth the wait.

Eileen Gunn is one of the finest writers in any genre. Her
stories are full of wit, pith, allusion, and a lapidary placement
of words.

Because of these virtues, she writes slowly. (Howard Waldrop
claims she is the only person who produces more slowly than he.)

These stories are brilliant. With luck, Eileen will produce more.

A warning: these are not glib; read with care; and enjoy!

In large measure, this book is the history of Louis Riel, a Metis leader, and his efforts to gain recognition and independence for the Metis people. Since the ethnic group usually called Metis was closely tied to Riel, the book is also a partial history of that group.

Metis is a French word that can be translated as "mixed blood." In a narrow sense, one might think of the Metis as the offspring from intermarriage between the French and Indians (mostly Cree) of eastern Canada during the early days of the fur trade. In a practical sense, the group must be broadened to include at least Chippewa, English, and Scot parentage. In the context of the twentieth century, an even broader definition is used. However, some combination of white and Indian linage is usually a prerequisite.

This book is a classic by a legendary author of Montana history. Joseph Kinsey Howard (1906-1951) is also known for another classic, "Montana: High, Wide, and Handsome," a book considered for decades as the definitive history of Montana. Howard spent much of his short life in an area of Montana that has a significant Metis population. He understood the Metis, respected them, and spent years preparing to write "Strange Empire."

The original publication was in 1952. More recent issues include an introduction by Nicholas C. P. Vrooman, Director of the Institute for Metis Studies at the College of Great Falls, Montana. This introduction is a magnificent addition.

The Metis were primarily a product of the fur trade. Their language was a hybrid of French and Indian; definitely not English. Most of the Metis communities remained in close contact with the local Indian tribes. Many of these mixed blood people were drawn to the Red River which flows north from the present states of Minnesota and North Dakota into Canada and on to Hudson Bay.

Louis Riel had trained for priesthood, but hadn't become a priest. Despite occasional self-doubt, Riel had many characteristics of leadership. He was literate and a good speaker and, more importantly, was fluent in English. The Metis attempted to establish their own nation in the Red River Valley. Howard beautifully summarizes the Metis situation: "This conflict between the Metis and the Canadian government was not only a battle over native and Euro-American claims, but also an age-old fight between Catholicism and Protestantism, English and French, English and Irish, and English and American causes." Louis Riel and the Red River Metis faced the Canadian forces with little loss of life on either side. Some people feel that the decision of whether the United States or Canada would rule what is now central and western Canada hung in the balance. The Metis won many of their goals but came under Canadian rule. One result is that the Red River part of Canada became the province of Manitoba in 1870. However, for his part in the "rebellion," Canada exiled Riel for five years and he went to the United States.

The Metis were buffalo hunters but were significantly different from Indians. They dressed differently. Many combined their hunting with agriculture. They had their own language. They had their own culture, a melding of the cultures from which they came. They were much more efficient at commercial buffalo hunting than were the Indians. Their background in the fur trade meant that they had the weapons, hunting experience, and trading expertise needed. Synonymous with the Metis is the Red River cart. Pulled by draft animals, it had high wheels and could carry several hundred pounds. With these carts, the Metis could transport the hides, pemmican, and dried meat of many buffalo to market locations. Twice yearly, the Metis gathered in a large force to go to the buffalo herds.

As the buffalo herds dwindled, the Metis went further west for their hunts. As a result, Metis communities developed in the Turtle Mountain area of North Dakota, the Milk River country of Montana, and Saskatchewan in Canada. Later, communities developed near Lewistown and Great Falls, Montana, (note that most of these locations were undeveloped, and probably unnamed, when the Metis first arrived). Louis Riel moved westward also and became a teacher at a mission in the area of Great Falls.

In Saskatchewan, the Metis were experiencing problems dealing with the Canadian government; problems very similar to what they had experienced in the Red River country. In 1884, the Canadian Metis appealed to Riel to serve as their leader and negotiator. Riel answered the call. Ultimately, an armed conflict evolved with the Canadian military and Mounties facing the Metis and their Indian allies. This time the Metis were crushed. Louis Riel was tried and hung.

There is disagreement concerning Riel's role in Saskatchewan. Some people feel he became insane, some dispute that opinion. He felt that God guided him and when a disagreement arose with the Catholic priests, he attempted to separate the Metis from the Catholic Church. The Metis uprising in Saskatchewan was probably doomed from the beginning, but Riel made things worse by his indecision between peaceful negotiations and the use of force.

In 1982, an amendment to the Canadian constitution gave the Metis aboriginal rights. In the United States, the Metis do not have a legal relationship with the government and do not have a reservation or enjoy other rights granted to Native Americans. In each recent session of the U.S. Congress, there have been bills concerning what is often termed Montana's Landless Indians. Many of this group are Metis.

This book reads almost like a novel. It is well researched. Every book published since "Strange Empire" and containing a mention of the Metis, references Howard's book. A comprehensive and modern history of the Metis is needed but at the moment, this reviewer is unaware of anything near as useful as "Strange Empire."

The amazing story of the Metis people whose French ancestors first colonized and controlled most of North America. Louis Riel should have been a National Hero for all Canadians since without him most of the land west of Ontario would have fallen in US hands.

This book is riveting and should be required reading for history majors.

The genesis story of the Metis in North America, this book describes the evolution of the 'New Nation' and its place in continental history. Arising from the Fur Trade a new race of people, the Mixed-bloods, being descendents of Celtic Orkney and Highland Scot and Celtic Normandy and Brittany French fathers and predominantly Algonkian Cree and Chippewa mothers, create a new native North American identity. The Metis struggle to maintain their place as true descendents of aboriginal lineage while expressing the finer elements of their European paternal heritage. A finely crafted narrative of the attempt to affirm the cultural, economic, and political equity of the Metis, and all aboriginal peoples during the reconfiguration of the continent, Strange Empire is a powerful, dramitic, and epic telling of the most significant 'missing link' in our understanding of how the North American continent came to be.

First I would like to thank Amazon for making this fine book so easy to obtain. There are countless thousands of descendants of these, strong, courageous people that now live throughout the world. my son among them, being on a temporary assigment in Turkey. Many thousands more know little of the history of our people. This book should have a particular appeal to these folk. Perhaps by the reading of Mr. Howards book some will be induced to further study and research. It is a benifit to all that seek the true history of our country. These folk were a monolithic type, what happened to one could be an indicator of what happened to the society in the whole. My families have ties to several of those mentioned in this book. As an example, my grandfather was the first cousin to the wife of Louis Riel. My great grandmother was the god child of, Marie Anne Gaboury, the first white woman in the northwest. My fathers mother was baptized by, Father Lestanc. These people are mentioned in this well written book. Thank you, Melvin Beaudry Lynnwood, Washington.

A century ago, North America almost had a fourth nation, Assiniboia. That would-be nation's leader, a poet, religious zealot and one-time schoolteacher named Louis Riel, once was considered a traitor ro Canada but now is being revered and "rehabilitated" as one of the founders of the Dominion of Canada. Riel was "drafted" as leader of the Metis, "mixed blood" children of the fur trade, when Canada was reneging on its promises to these people who carried on the cultures of both European and indigenous ancentry. (Today, Celtic and French folklorists visit Metis in Western Canada and Montana to record unblemished versions of tradition folk music long dead in their original mother countries.) Howard, a legend in Montana journalism and history himself, penned his masterpiece in "Strange Empire." He gets down to the basics of the struggle for Western North America and some of the more haunting passages deal with the pyschlogical effects of such white man's diseases as smallpox and alchohol and their role in subjugating the natives a century or so ago. Riel was hanged for his insurgence, but had he been more decisive in battle, the maps -- and language patterns -- of much of North America would be much different.

Emmaline Cayley, an English girl who has spent her entire 14 years in India, has been shipped off by her parents to England to attend a boarding school, St. Grimelda's School for Young Ladies. Her letter of acceptance arrives from the school:

Miss Cayley,
You are to report to this school for educational purposes. Please do not even consider attempting to avoid this necessity. The arrangements are firm and will not be altered.

The harsh tone of the letter is nothing compared to what Emmaline finds the school to be when she arrives. Under such depressing circumstances, how is she supposed to follow her dream of creating a flying machine? Will she ever see her aunt and friend again?

I put The Strictest School in the World on my to-read list after I read Jen Robinson's positive review (she heard about it from Kelly). And I'm glad I did. Filled with charming illustrations and written in a delightfully old-fashioned manner, this story is enjoyable from start to finish. You will cheer for Emmaline and Rubberbones throughout their various adventures and mishaps. I'm hoping for a sequel!

Fourteen year old Emmaline and 12 year old Robert Burns (Rubberbones) are trying to build a flying machine. They are almost done when....she is sent to a school from a horror movie, St. Grimelda's. It is a very funny book. I loved it. Any boy or girl that likes Harry Potter would like this. It is satisfying, and you won't fall asleep reading it. I couldn't put it down. You won't be able to either.

Howard Whitehouse has crafted a hilarious tale about a Victorian schoolgirl's struggle to build her own flying machine. While the story enchants the pre-teen in your life, the Pythonesque humour is sure to keep you in stitches. At no additional cost, you also get to imbibe the gorgeous illustrations of Bill Slavin. All told, it's a rollicking ride. Highly recommended!

I have to say upfront that "The Strictest School in the World" is my favorite type of children's novel. It's a Middle Grade adventure story involving a daring girl, a crazy aunt, a Dickensian boarding school, and flying machines. What more could you want? Written by Howard Whitehouse and illustrated by Bill Slavin, "The Strictest School in the World" is well written fun for the 9-13-year-old reader.

Emmaline Cayley dreams of flying. Her great-great-uncle was Sir George Cayley, a historical figure and pioneer in aviation, and she uses his plans to design flying machines. Her only problem is that she herself is afraid to fly.

When Emmaline is fourteen, she is sent by her clueless parents from India to England to attend St. Grimelda's School for Young Ladies. The only benefit to this arrangement is that she has the opportunity to stay with her slightly-unhinged Aunt Lucy before the term starts. There she meets "Rubberbones" or "Rab," a small boy who never hurts himself when he falls. Rather, he bounces on impact. Emmaline has found her pilot and, in her aunt, a source of funding for her inventions.

When Emmaline is sent to school, all inventing has to stop. Instead, she's a student at a the "strictest school in the world." The girls live in fear, the matron is a monster, and a couple of "birds" patrol the ground. Soon a rescue operation is under way to save Emmaline from St. Grimelda's.

"The Strictest School in the World" is funny, smart, and exciting. Emmaline is a wonderful character, a girl scientist who is unflinching in the face of danger. Give this one to a Middle Grade reader today!

I had read a glowing review of The Strictest School in the World last month, so I was quite pleased when a review copy showed up in my mailbox. The Strictest School in the World lived up to my expectations. It's so much fun! It's a book aimed squarely at the 9-12 set, featuring lovably eccentric characters, larger-than-life bad guys, two independent-minded protagonists, and madcap adventures.

The story is set in Yorkshire, England in 1894 (the late Victorian Era). The two protagonists are fourteen-year-old Emmaline Cayley and twelve-year-old Robert Burns (also called Rab). Emmaline is sent from India, where she has grown up, to live with her Aunt Lucy in England, prior to attending boarding school. (There are definite echoes here of Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden and The Little Princess, though Emmaline is a more independent thinker than either Sara Crewe or Mary Lennox.)

Emmaline is obsessed with creating a flying machine, even though she herself is afraid of flying. Imagine her delight when she meets the intrepid Rab, called Rubberbones because of his rubber-like ability to survive falls with nary a scratch. Rubberbones, who has dropped out of school to earn money for his family, is more than happy to be paid by Aunt Lucy to support Emmaline in her flying machine projects. And Rubberbones turns out to have an instinctive knack for aviation. Together, with the support of Aunt Lucy and her unconventional butler Lal Singh, the two spend the summer constructing flying machines. They have varying degrees of success.

Their happy world is interrupted, however, when Emmaline is sent away to school. The school that her mother has selected for her, sight unseen, has a reputation for being "the strictest school for girls in the world." Emmaline has difficulty adjusting, particularly after the relative freedom of her Aunt Lucy's house.

"St. Grimelda's made her think of the novels of Charles Dickens, with their slum conditions, mean relations, dashed hopes, and general aspects of brutal misery (and miserable brutality). But they were cheery tales compared with daily life at St. Grimelda's.

The girls themselves were beastly to one another. Since almost nothing enjoyable was allowed, girls tried to hide small things, like sweets and trinkets. Every piece of this "contraband" -- as if it were smuggler's cargo -- would be seized by older girls.

...

Strangely, though the girls spent a lot of effort being horrible to one another, they were extremely -- in fact weirdly -- obedient to the teachers, especially Mrs. Wackett and Matron. Teachers simply reminded the girls of "the consequences of misbehavior," and the girls shuddered, turned pale and jumped to attention. Or fainted."

(Above quotes from Chapter 9: A Dickensian Sort of Chapter)

Yes, St. Grimelda's school is a terrible place, filled with rules, privations, meanness and betrayal among the students, and an undisclosed punishment that leaves the girls gibbering with fear. Emmaline quickly realizes that she must find a way to escape. However, escape is not so easy. She's not permitted visitors, and her letters are screened. The castle is surrounded by a wall, and hardly anyone is allowed in or out. Emmaline has to reach deep within herself for bravery and ingenuity to find a way out.

Meanwhile, her scatterbrained but loving Aunt Lucy, and Lucy's loyal companions Lal Singh and Rubberbones, quickly realize from Emmaline's colorless letters that something is very wrong. They put aside everything else to travel to the school, and work from the outside to find a way to help Emmaline escape. They, and Emmaline, receive help from a variety of unexpected sources, but also encounter dangerous enemies, in their mutual quest to extricate Emmaline from St. Grimelda's.

There is a lot to like about this book. The author's voice is hilarious, with matter-of-fact recounting of tragedies, and sly insertions of humor. The naming of the characters reminds me a bit of Roald Dahl (e.g. Miss Sharpelbow, a terrifying teacher, and Professor Bellbuckle, a mad inventor). The plot, with loyal relatives trying to help a young girl escape from a prison of a school, reminds me of one of the main sub-plots in Eva Ibbotson's The Star of Kazan. However, The Strictest School in the World is more humorous and in tone, with more over-the-top behavior. The humor of the book keeps the Gothic overtones from ever being too much.

This book has examples of both loyalty and betrayal. Emmaline learns what true friendship means, and what it takes to trust someone (and when not to trust someone). The lengths that the people who love Emmaline are willing to go to to rescue her are heart-warming. The ending is very satisfying, too. I think that upper elementary school kids, both boys and girls, will love this book. I look forward to future books in the series.

This book review was originally published on my blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page, on October 1, 2006.

This new writer deserves serious consideration if you're looking for a good read with an original perspective. Glass takes you into the hearts and souls of his characters, allowing you more than a glimpse into their struggles and insecurities. They are characters we all can relate to. Don't be surprised with how easily the reader is taken in by this heartfelt story of a young couple needing to reconcile their separate pasts in order to overcome their present circumstances. This story of life, tragedy and hope inspires one to examine his own life and find gratitude in the simple act of changing perspectives.

As an avid reader (2-3 books per week), I was amazed with this writer's incredible ability to capture so realistically our universal human despair. It was too good to put down! I loved every shocking turn of events and the subtle thread of hope woven throughout. "To Catch A Cradle" has a message from which we all can benefit. SO...find it, buy it, read it and ENJOY!

Captivating story of realistic people. The author is able to visually portray the characters & scenes so that the reader is swept into the story. Refreshing use of spirituality & faith to motivate the characters. Thanks for a great read & hope to see more from this author.

If you wish to improve your relationships with others or if you want to try to understand others better, this is an important read. If you are wondering why God has allowed despair to creep or even explode into your life, this is an important read. If you are experiencing or felt the frustration of Christians who seem to have fallen from Christ's central teachings about how we are to relate to people, this is an important read.

"To Catch a Cradle" sensitively yet powerfully shows how early childhood messages within one's family impacts significant relationships in adulthood. Glass masterfully and exquisitely brings to life the taste, sound, smell and look of human despair in its lowest and most basic level. Yet, Ross and Shelley's journey poignantly shows that despair is a gift. It reminds us that despair is ALWAYS an opportunity for significant growth and for fully developing one's capacity for joy beyond measure.

This is not a hard core Christian read. Rather, it is a delicate reminder that Christians can get caught up in "talking the talk" rather than "walking the walk." Glass subtley reminds us that well meaning Christians can lose sight of Christ's most signicant message about loving one another as you love yourself, much like C.S. Lewis's message in "The Screwtape Letters."

An impressive debut for this novelist. The book is populated with real people, driven by drama, and adorned with the occasional inspired phrase or image (I especially liked the prologue's reference to "the kind of factory-farm operation that could still squeeze a profit out of teats").

As a pastor, I was also grateful for Glass's portrayal of spiritual work in the story; I read repeatedly the characterization in chapter seventeen: "Spiritual work was frustrating. No way to measure whether or not you were doing any real good....Maybe the only time he accomplished anything was when people's lives began to fall apart" (p. 161). Such hardscrabble realism shows the insight and honesty of the author and the depth and breadth of the characters.

The story of truck driver Ross Martin is an American story, and a universal one. It is worth buying, worth reading, and worth learning from...especially if the success of this novel encourages the author to keep writing.

This book has all that could be desired for the lover of suspense, good family values and anyone who has ever overcome
feelings of guilt and shame. Add in some mystery and you will have a very good read. Not necessarily one that will put you to sleep though if you like to read in bed. And it is for all the family. I am already looking for the next one.

this book is excellent. it is so detailed and once you start reading it, you can't put it down. it explores the profiles of serial rapists, how the police create profiles, and it gives you the chilling feeling like you are there observing the crime scene.

I am a Dallas native who grew up around the time the Ski Mask Rapist was hunting in North Dallas, so I was very interested to read this book. It was so scary to read about my neighborhood in this book. But the book is great, very readable, and gives a great insight into the mind of Gilbert Escobedo.

This is the most enlighting book I have ever read. Maybe because my husband is the dective that is portrayed in this story, never the less it sure woke me up to the facts of life. I had my daughter and granddaughter read it as well. you never know who to trust. I am looking forward to reading others by Howard Swindle.

Swindle has done an excellent job here of walking the reader through not only the investigation of the rapes committed, but the background and personality of the criminal, Gilbert Escobedo. The fact that Swindle was able to visit and interview Escobedo several times during his incarceration was, I am sure, immensely helpful. I feel that books like these can actually help prevent crime...in this case rape...by arming potential victims with crucial knowledge. The first thing they have to realize--and this is immensely obvious in the book--is that they ARE a potential victim. Escobedo committed upwards of 100 rapes, and even managed to maintain some "normal" relationships on the side...even going so far as to initiate not only an intimate relationship, but also a business relationship with an unsuspecting woman who, coincidentally, was previously one of his victims. She never even knew until he was finally arrested. You really can't make this stuff up.

Swindle handles a disturbing and incomprehensible subject with the vivid and intriguing storytelling ability of a novelist. He presents his subject, which readers look at like they would observe a horrific scene with face-covered hands, barely seeing through the cracks of their fingers, with a reverence of the oppression women endure. He handles the gruesome facts without painting an unnecessary violent picture of the details, although the violence is very real, rather implied without being glorified, whenever possible.

We see into this sick world without having to re-live the victim's overwhelming and terrorizing experiences almost vicariously, which may be the reason I was able to not only eagerly finish the book, but even broach reading about the subject to begin with. Subjects such as stranger rape, being attacked in the supposed safety and sanctity of one's private space, chills most women (and probably most men; however, I would venture to point out that it is not a frequent occurence for most men and thus men probably do not share the same level of terror with women for themselves, but possibly share some level of fear for the safety of their loved ones.)

Reading a book about rape runs the risk a lot of women aren't willing to take: that this is a topic that, even though a part of life, women don't want to explore. Everyday experiences such as the trepedation of entering a home alone in the dark are all too frequent reminders of the fear that rape invokes. Many know that this subject runs a great risk of stirring up complicated emotions few women want to ponder.

This is a must read for the realistic and inquistive mind, ever wanting to know more about human nature and the psychological and social forces that drive us, even when those forces are severely disturbed. For some readers of the subject of rape, it is almost as if gaining ab understanding of an issue allows some readers to lose, somewhat, the level of fear usually associated with such topics. It is for those indiv! iduals who want to solicitously broaden their dimension of knowledge about rape that I would recommend this straight-forward and expert handling of an extremely sensitive and terrorizing subject.

This book is one of the true historically significant accounts of events that have been forever shrouded in lies and fiction. If you are interested in historically accurate accounts of the late Apache wars, this is one of the must-read books. Davis just wanted the truth told, so he did it himself after watching glory-seeking sycophants take credit for, and be lauded for the heroic actions of others. Davis's views on his enemy Apaches, as well as the Apache scouts, show the wisdom and respect only a true and sage adversary can attest to. You won't be sorry you bought this book. Another must read is "On The Border With Crook" by John G. Bourke.

For any one interested in the real facts of the Apache campains this is for you. It may take a little patience to get through the early reading, Davis is very detailed in names and dates but he has real first hand accounts of things that acctually occured. This is a man I think saw and admired the native people and did his duty in a fair and just manner. Davis is an admiral person and does a great justice to the Indian and the attrocities they endured but at the same time points out that just like in every culture a few bad apples can spoil the lot. He also points out that the government did far more decieving to the Indian they ever did to the government. I always respected the Native Americans and even more so after this book.

Here is the point of view concerning a particular portion of the late Apache/Euro conflict involving the last rag-tag remnants of the Apache tribes and the United States Army units involved in trying to keep them subdued. Its an enjoyable read because the author gives a first-hand, eye-witness account of the series of incidents known as "The Geronimo Campaigns" and he does so without injecting the slobbering Politically Correct dogma that has become so common in present day literature dealing with frontier history (of course, Davis lived at a time when Political Correctness didn't exist, so naturally his book wouldn't contain any!)

A book like this easily destroys the sky-pie nonsense found in sob-story exercises such as Dee Brown's "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" and blatantly absurd and Politically Correct motion pictures like "Dances With Wolves" and "Geronimo, An American Legend". In fact, its a very nice counter weight to the drivel out there that seeks to leave unaware people with the impression that the American Indian was some sort of Red Aristocrat or Feathered Philosopher/Sage who was unfairly victimized by unreasonable invaders.

However, I have even better works to offer you if you are sincerely interested in FACT and Truth concerning the White/Indian conflicts. These are all available right here at amazon.com, and the titles to look for are; THREE YEARS AMONG THE COMANCHES ( a first-hand narrative by a Texas Ranger who was captured by Comanches and how he was brutally and sadistically treated, how he escaped, and how he evaded re-capture.) LIFE AMONG THE APACHES ( a first-hand narrative by John Cremony of the famed California Volunteers, who dealt with Apache, Comanche, Kaddo and other hostiles at a time BEFORE the United States Army had even a small force in the southwestern region of North America.) and lastly, SCALP DANCE ( a book consisting of detailed military and civilian/settler accounts of the chilling, blood-curdling wars with Southern Cheyenne, Comanche, Arapaho, Sioux, and Kiowa on the high plains). These three books will serve to provide you with an excellent AND HISTORICALLY ACCURATE overview of frontier history, and an antidote to all the Politically Correct dogma out there that is being passed off as "fact" by glib leftist "educators", self-proclaimed "experts" and psuedo-historians. Read them all, none are dry or boring, and all are of the "couldn't put it down" type of literature.

After you've finished THREE YEARS AMONG THE COMANCHES, LIFE AMONG THE APACHES, and SCALP DANCE, get "Indian Wars" by Robert Utley. By reading these books in this order, you'll grasp the gravity of the incidents that Utley superbly, but only generally deals with, and you'll not only appreciate Utley's work even more, you'll also appreciate the fine line a genuine historian like Utley has to walk while trying to make a living within the Politically Correct jungle that surrounds the academic slums of so-called "modern education".

In 99.9% of all books written by whitemen about American Indians it is hard to find even a grain of truth or fact. This book is the exception that proves the rule!

While nothing is glossed over, the author does not attempt to sway the reader with sensationalism. He tells about his experiences and gives the good with the bad. He exhibits an almost unheard of ability to set aside any preconceived notions and actually see clearly both sides of the conflict AND views the American Indian as a human being, not some sort of subspecies.

An exceptional view of reality that should be required reading in all American history classes from junior high/middle school through the college level.

Britton Davis's reason for writing this book in the 1920's was to set straight some outlandish tales that were being published about who "captured" Geronimo, and some even more fictitious writings on the "Indian Wars."
This is an excellent book, as an adventure tale, as a look at the 'civilized' persons' outlook toward "the Indians" of the day, as a look at the horrific way our government tried to solve the 'indian problem' with a one-size-fits-all method (sound familiar?), and a look at Apaches as individuals rather than all-bad or all-good.
For a tremendous balance of outlooks, read this book along with Eve Ball's "Indeh".

I like the way he thinks about things. Wish he was still writing today, but alas. Really good for beginners, and will help alot in your studies.

Howard Sasportas' book, The Twelve Houses, is a must for any suitable study of Astrology. Such a basic subject as the areas (houses) of life must be thoroughly researched, and this book adds much to one's understanding of each planetary place- ment, & it also has some basic info on Chiron placements, & the moon's nodes. A good overview is given of the houses as process, plus aspects between the houses, & much more (valuable) information! A great reference book for beginners and intermediate students of Astrology!

Mr. Sasportas book on the twelve houses is one of the very best on the subject. He goes into great detail relating the various houses with various aspects of life. All his writing is well above average.

This is as close as anything gets to a definitive treatment of the twelve houses in modern astrology, although there is of course quality stuff scattered through many other books, including the excellent "The Gods Of Change", also by Howard Sasportas. As the author journeys through the houses, there are profound psychological insights for both the beginner and the more experienced astrologer.

The format is straightforward. An introductory section ("a person's reality springs outward from his or her inner landscape of thoughts, feelings, expectations and beliefs"), a quick journey through the houses, and then on to the majority of the book which is given over to a "cookbook" treatment of all the planets and signs in each house. There are countless examples backing up the interpretations e.g. writers and communicators with Sun in the third house, a famous musician and a poet with Neptune in the tenth house and so on.

At the end of the book there is a handy summary of the key concepts for each house, and a look at the different house systems astrologers use. Sasportas finishes the main text with the question, "Why don't you become what only you can become?". Why not indeed!? An excellent book.

The 12 Houses is my favorite book on houses and i have read many. I use this book as my main reference guide for houses for all my consultations and I have found it to be accurate, detailed and very comprehensive.

All the planetary placements by house are described here and very well, with a deep psychological profile as well as examples and facts. I love this book because although fairly simple in its structure ( it looks after all just any other astrology cookbook on houses), the psychology and insight are excellent. It is after all the work of the great Howard Sasportas, such an influencial british astrologer. This is the man that worked for so long side by side with Liz Green and , if I remember well, co-founder of the CPA in London. A non ordinary book from an non-ordinary man, I thoughroughly recommend this book, as you will find it such a valuable tool in your astrologiucal work.

Growing up, Uncle Wiggily's Friends was a favorite of my sisters and mine. The stories and illustrations are great. My three year old son loves these stories, especially Uncle Wiggily and the Snow Plow. The stories have great examples for teaching universal values. We have the 1955 edition with illustrations by the author, which I think are more appealing than the stories illustrated by others.

Uncle Wiggily and his Friends by Howard R. Garis was one of the first books I remember reading (or having read to me). Uncle Wiggily Longears is a "rabbit gentleman." He has a kind heart, goes on interesting adventures and teaches children life lessons.

I have the 1955 edition, complete with a green cloth cover. I will never part with it, even though it has scribble marks in it. It is in fact the copy I had when I was about seven years old and has been to Africa and back.

My favorite story is "Uncle Wiggly and the Apple Dumpling." While I had never tasted one as a child, I sure wanted to! It looked delicious. It is no wonder I was intrigued when one of my mother's friends made such a dessert. Years later I wrote to her and requested the recipe. I also love the little poems at the end of each story.

If you are looking for a book with old-fashioned warmth, line drawings, full-page color pictures and animals that take on human personalities, this is a book you will treasure.

~The Rebecca Review

The most proper Mr. Rabbitt, and his Nephew were able to successfully survive on LemonAide and IceCream, when their hot air balloon would accidently land on deserted islands. A series of stories relating to making the best of things in life.. I grew up with his stories and ended up living in Hawaii for the past 27 years! And sucessfully too

Uncle Wiggly stories were read to me as a pre-school and early grades bed-time routine. Anticipating the next adventure is a fond memory. The problem-solving and very proper bunny gentleman gives a life's lesson that there are clever and common sense approaches to problems that suddenly arise, and that there are continuous problems that surprise our lives. We are now reading these stories to our 4.5 year old (for the last year) and she brings me the books every night. I'm Professor of Biochemistry at LSU.

This is a wonderful book appropriate for all children. I have the 1986 printing indicating copyrights of 1939 and 1955 by The Platt & Munk Co., Inc. a division of Grosset & Dunlap (ISBN 0-448-40504-0). Many color and B & W drawings are presented in a detailed style common for the period. A typical page is half text and half art. There are simple rhymes accompanying each story. My children enjoy the stories which include tales about helping neighbors in a variety of needs, e.g. being snowbound,or cold. Uncle Wiggily and the Apple Dumpling is a favorite story of my family. The sled and canoe tales are also popular. There are 8 stories in all. The artwork is by George Carlson. This book ought to be reprinted. - Cedric Richeson

This is a terrific book. A "must have" to process medical claims.

As a Vice President of Claims with many years of experience in the business, this is the first time I have a experienced such an excellent claims processing manual. It is well organized and extremely easy to utilize. I have found myself and my staff using this book more often than any other reference material presently available. The author has skillfully gathered all of the pertinent information required in claims adjudication and has successfully wrapped it all together in one book. It is about time there is a book available with such complete information.

I can't image working without this book. I am a claims examiner and reference this book constantly. It has been an enormous help to me. My coworkers are constantly trying to borrow it. The author has really put together a knockout book.

This is a wonderful book. I bought the 2000 Edition and have just bought the 2001 Edition. It is even better than the first, if that was possible. I am a medical claims trainer and use this book every day. It has made my job and that of my department so much easier. All the answers are now at my fingertips!

With over 25 years experience working in the medical claims field, I understand the needs of the Claims Department. This book provides answers to your claims questions in an easy-to-ready, all-in-one user guide.

It is colorized, written in everyday language, and filled with processing guidelines needed for day-to-day processing.

The table of contents is as follows:

Chapter 1 Claim Forms; Chapter 2 Ambulatory Surgical Facilities; Chapter 3 Modifiers (all of them); Chapter 4 Surgery; Chapter 5 Anesthesia

CLAIM FORMS - This book provides a complete layout of the HCFA-1500 and UB-92 forms and full field descriptions

AMBULATORY SURGICAL FACILITIES - ASC procedures and associated grouper codes

MODIFIERS - all numeric and alpha modifiers as well as a new section on bilateral procedures

SURGERY - How to pay multiple surgery, procedures that do not allow an assistant at surgery, procedures that allow a surgical tray, procedures not subject to multiple surgery reduction, and follow-up days

ANESTHESIA - The formula used to calculate general anesthesia, anesthesia base units and a cross reference guide from the surgical code to the anesthesia code.