L Books

A great western novel.
The gold rush.
The economic boom.
A story of revenge. What stories! A psychological profile of the murderer remarkably painted by Louis L'Amour. In further action on more than 400 pages.
A great western. One of the best.

This was my first L. L'Amour book and I loved it. It was relatively easy reading but very enjoyable. Mr. L'Amour is excellent at developing the characters and weaving them into the story. I had a hard time putting this book down at night before going to bed..
I have already purchased several more of his books and am planning on collecting the entire set.
You will definitely enjoy this book and this writer.

Comstock Lode is classic Louis L'amour. This book is extremely enjoyable and fast-paced. If you are just starting out on Louis, this book will not steer you wrong, it is a perfect example of his genius.

I just finished reading Comstock last week, when I happened to be up in the California gold country myself. I'm a garden writer, author of 5 published books, and I was in Placer County, speaking to the Auburn Garden Club. The town of Auburn, which sits in the middle of the gold rush's richest territory, is a neat place, one to visit if you get the chance. I noticed too that there is still a very busy mining supply store right on one of Auburn's main streets. There's still gold and silver being found up there!
But I digress: All of us who read Louis L'Amour's Westerns have probably noticed that while all of them are fun to read, some are certainly better than others. I thought that Comstock was darn good, and certainly one of the best of his books set in California. If you enjoy a fast-paced, action packed Western, I expect you'll like Comstock. I recommend it!

Louis L'Amour's Comstock Lode is a brilliant, fictional novel based on real events that will suck you in as soon as you start reading. I'm not one for westerns at ALL, but I was recommended this book and told myself, Why not? It sounds alright, nothing really better to read as of right now. I'll admit, the first few chapters started off a little dull, but then, you get deeper and deeper into the story and you can't put the book down. I recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure novels or Louis L'Amour in general.
Val Trevallion was a son of Tom Trevallion and his wife Mary, who lived in England until finding a large amount of gold and, moves to the States. While in Louisiana, Val's mother and the mother of another girl named Grita Redaway are brutally murdered by a group of shadowy characters, one of which Val will never forget the eyes of. Val and his father set out for the Wild West, but on the way there, his father gets murdered as well. A name on a gun gives Val a clue as to the identity of one man from the group of men that murdered his father and possibly his mother. Val goes to the Comstock where he is known as the toughest, most feared man around. While there, he will remeet Grita, a beautiful, budding actress and the memories come rushing back. His main mission: to kill those who killed his parents. But not everyone seems to be who they are, and Val has to come face-to-face with the man whose eyes haunted him years earlier in this edge-of-your-seat thriller.

Outstanding product produced. I was just taken back on how small the book was. the picture was just looked bigger than it is. Other than that it has great resources.

This little book pretty much covers anything that can happen to a diver, and is specific to diving injuries from drowning to the bends to stings and bites. The best thing about this book, aside from the material, is that it is completely made of plastic and is impervious to water so you don't have to worry about taking it on deck with you or even carrying it in your BCD pocket.

If you forgot the information in that CPR class you took years ago this will refresh your memory.

If you dive and can't remember all the first aid you might need, get this little plastic book. It's small enough to fit in your BC pocket and sturdy enough to last forever.

It has the basics of first aid for most diving but DAN also has at least one other specialty dive first aid book.

This pocket guide is a handy reference for basic first aid - easy to read, small enough to be easily portable, and full of good basic information. The wide array of potential medical complications associated with diving are covered in understandable terms without getting too technical. Overall a great resource to have when heading to the water.

I was impressed with the water-resistant printing. However, the medical information is very basic. If you have training, this book is relatively useless. If you don't have training, I guess it would be useful if you happened to have equipment on-board. I would have liked to see more diagrams and much more information.

This book may work with a Civil War Unit for upper elementary or higher. Students may find this book to be a clever and fascinating book. Although the letter-format is fictional, the book tells a true story. A black woman and a white woman worked for the Union cause. This book may not be appropriate to read cover to cover to a class, but it could be interesting to do so. Just one letter a day, for example, would carry the discussion the entire year. The book could prompt many different kinds of discussions, including ones about historical figures.

I read the book Dear Ellen Bee. It is by Mary E. Lyons and Muriel M. Branch. I would give this book four stars because it was good but there is not a lot of adventure. The story is about a young black girl named Miss Bet. She wants to became a teacher so she moves to a big city and she can not wait to go home, sence she is almost finshied school. When she is done with school she can not go home because something has happen to her home. They are taking the blacks for slaves so she has to stay there and try to be careful of her life. If you want to know what happens then you have to read the book for your self. I would recammend this book to 13-16 year olds because it is really hard to understand at first. I hope you read this book for your self so you can see how good it is.

Dear Ellen Bee is a very exciting story. It contains a lot of action and suspense. I enjoyed this book very much. I liked it a lot. I like reading books about the Civil War. Anyone who likes action reading with a personal touch would LOVE this book.

Dear Ellen Bee is a very exciting story. It contains a lot of action and suspense. I enjoyed this book very much. I liked it a lot. I like reading books about the Civil War. Anyone who likes action reading with a personal touch would LOVE this book.

Liza, a freed slave, hates having her life all planned out for her. She thanks Miss Bet for freeing her but she doesn't want Miss Bet to plan her life for her. After returning from school in Phildelphia and after getting married to a free black call Wilson she finally gets to live her own life. So when Miss Bet comes up to her to plee for her help in the fight against the Rebels in Richmond she is hesitant. Working at the rebel's president's house is going to be one hard thing for Liza to do. However her decision is finally made up when she sees how the Rebels treat her husband Wilson. When he finally escapes to the North and joins the Union army Liza begins her spying in the President's Residence. Through secret codes and letters she and Miss Bet use the code name Ellen Bee to communicate.

Written in diary from with drawing and scrapes from hear and there this book was really a very good book that gave great insight into the minds of two Union spies. I recommend anyone who likes this book to read the Dear America Series which is also historical novels written in diary form about different girl's lives in different parts of history.

This is an excellent and much needed book. Gray Lynch courageaously takes on the JFK apologists and lays it all out so folks can see what really happened at the Bay of Pigs. His front-line service with the Brigade during the invasion gives the account credibility. As a CIA operative attached to the exiles he had first-hand knowledge of the planning and decison making that led to its failure. Lynch doesn't mince words either, he clearly articulates where the blame lies - at the feet of JFK and his administration. The account is from his actions during the initial landings and later while running operations from one of the transport ships that made up the exile force. Consequently, you won't get much coverage of the battles on the ground. However, he does an excellent job of giving the reader the overall picture and all the events that led to the failure. He also provides some interesting observations about the battle and some of its participants that I had not seen before. In the final couple of chapters he superbly blows away all the people that cast the blame on the CIA or the exiles in an attempt to cover up the true culprits. You'll come to realize how politicized the whole project became once Kennedy and the Democrats took over in 1960 and how their cowardly approach to foreign policy finally led to the betrayal of Brigade 2506. This is a quick, easy, yet powerful read that helps to dispel the conventional wisdom that has been developed about the incident. Basically, a well-planned opportunity to remove Castro from power was squandered due to politics, cowardice, and betrayal.

Grayston Lynch was one of two American "advisors" who stormed the Bay of Pigs with the 2506 Assault Brigade on April 17, 1961. In Decision for Disaster, Lynch attempts to set the record straight on what caused the mission to fail. He offers a unique perspective in that his position privileged him to the inner happenings of CIA and White House planning, yet he can also give a firsthand account of the battle itself, having fired the first shots of the invasion himself. Lynch is clearly not content in the contemporary historical account of the Bay of Pigs, proclaiming in the preface that "the true story has never been told, until now." Lynch goes on to tell his story with reasoned contempt for Castro and Camelot, and a deep reverence for the 2506 Assault Brigade.

Lynch became a player in the Bay of Pigs in December 1960. The Texan had just retired from a 22 year career with the US Army, most recently as the captain of a US Army Special Forces A-Team in Laos. He had seen combat and was wounded at Normandy, the Battle of the Bulge and Heartbreak Ridge in Korea. He was awarded two Silver Stars and a Bronze Star with Valor. The Cuban cause was something that Lynch took to heart; even after the Bay of Pigs he continued to play a major role in anti-Castro commando raids. His decision to write this book now came from the recent passing away of his fellow "advisor" William "Rip" Robertson and the declassification of items essential to the telling of the story. Besides using his first-hand account, Lynch enlisted the knowledge of commanding officers and 2506 Assault Brigade survivors in writing this book.

Lynch had his book published by Potomac Books which was founded in 1983 as a part of British publishing house Brassey's. Since this books publishing, Potomac was purchased by American book distributor Books International. Potomac has strong roots in military history, but has broadened its range to include general history, world affairs, foreign policy, intelligence, memoirs, biographies, and even sports. Its most successful book to date was Michael Scheuer's American Hubris. Potomac's usual offerings come with a strong dose of realism backed with a healthy dose of knowledge and first hand experience; Decision for Disaster is no exception.

Lynch gets off to a rough start in his account. He attempts to weave together several concurrent stories that will eventually lead to the invasion. A difficult enough task by itself, he attempts to do it as a flashback story while on his voyage to invade Cuba. This continued flashback-fastforward-recollection-juxtaposition can give the reader a mild case of mental whiplash. His constant foreshadowing and alluding to the invasion gave me a strong case of deja vu by the time he was invading in real time. However, whatever Lynch lacks in authorship, he makes up for in laying out an intriguing fact-laden journey through all relevant events leading up to the invasion.

One of the stories Lynch tells exceedingly well in the build up to the invasion is Castro's initial revolutionary undertakings in Cuba. Lynch robs any Bolivarian Romanticism from Castro's invasion, likening him and his cohorts more to a buffoonish F-Troop, who shortly after arriving are gunned down from eighty-three men to twelve. What is especially amazing is that through some perfect storm of idiot journalism, Congressional nativity, and Batista's yellow belliedness, Castro still somehow manages to seize power in two years time. This is something that the US backed 2506 Assault Brigade would fail to do.

When all members of the invasion force meet in Nicaragua, Decision for Disaster takes off. From here Lynch takes command of the story and tells it with an earnestness and humorous wit that allows the reader to experience a real empathy for him and the 2506 Assault Brigade. The story that follows is so outlandish and multi-dimensional that it left me wondering why fictional war stories exist. The politicking, bravery, cowardice, mutiny, and chance that make up the Bay of Pigs invasion is mind numbing. There is no way an academic or bureaucrat could deliver a better synopsis of the Bay of Pigs Invasion.

All good stories have a villain, and Decision for Disaster's is not who you might think. Though Lynch makes no doubt about his contempt of Castro, he dismisses him as a thuggish opportunist who only reigns due to the failing of our true villain: JFK. Lynch begins his case against Kennedy during his presidential race with Nixon. He quotes Kennedy arguing with Nixon, "If you can't stand up to Castro, how can you stand up to Khrushchev?" Kennedy played this weakness card throughout the election, and was befuddled to learn of the extensive invasion plan already in place when he arrived in office. From here, Lynch documents action after action that Kennedy takes to push the project closer and closer to failure. Against the heeds of all military advisors, Kennedy relocates the invasion spot, restricts Air Force use, and delays the project enough to allow Castro to receive his first shipment of Soviet tanks and arms.

What is especially frustrating about Kennedy's actions is that not only did they doom the invasion, but they did absolutely nothing to meet his misguided intention of hiding the obvious US involvement. Kennedy's inexcusable pussyfooting around the invasion offers a case example of what happens when the US tries to placate international concerns. A more Machiavellian approach, using overwhelming power to achieve decisive victory, would have brought success and avoided the missile crises that followed due to its failure. Lynch succeeds in painting Kennedy as an incompetent boob, who should be held ultimately responsible for the deaths and loss of American respect that resulted from the Bay of Pigs fiasco. For those who would like to place blame elsewhere, Lynch starts his book with the following quote, "For the greatest enemy of truth is very often not the lie, deliberate, contrived and dishonest, but the myth, persistent, pervasive, and unrealistic". This is quoted from none other than JFK himself.

Decision for Disaster is an excellent book that succeeds in telling the story in a believable manner. There is no circular logic or excuses made in Lynch's book. His humbleness while telling the story makes it clear that he has no agenda outside of relating the story as it should be told. Though Lynch occasionally stumbles to tell his story coherently in the beginning, he builds enough momentum through humor and insightfulness that it is easily overlooked. With Decision for Disaster, Lynch offers a great opportunity to relive the macrocosm of the Bay of Pigs with a genuine and witty tour guide, highly recommended.

I share the author Lynch's disgust for the attitude of John F. Kennedy and how he treated the Cuban exiles. In his campaign, Kennedy stated he would pay any price for freedom. He also chided Nixon about being tough on Castro. When it gets his turn to decide, he waffles on how to deal with Castro. He dumps the 2506 brigade on the beach and then refuses them air support either from the exile aircraft or U.S. aircraft. He states it would give a bad impression in the world.

Fortunately Kennedy toughened up in a year and faced down the Soviets and Cubans. He would not have had to if he would have supported the Cuban exiles at the Bay of Pigs. Lynch details his work in the Cuban exiles training. He also details the exploits of the brave 2506 Brigade and their heroic defense. The U.S. should have supported these people more forcefully.

This book is definitely an eye opener. I remember as a child my father telling me of the cover-ups and distortions created by the Kennedy administration. The real truth about what happened at the Bay of Pigs is finally out. JFK's mistake caused untold missery to millions of people. Not just Cubans, but also Nicaraguans, Guatemalans, Colombians, and now Venezuelans. Cubans, and Americans as a whole, should be extemely grateful to Mr. Grayston Lynch for writing this book. I know I am. Thank you, thank you Mr. Lynch.

This is an excellent book. Finally an author speaks out against "Camelot." America's love affair with the Kennedys is sickening. The CIA has gotten a bum rep because of the Bay of Pigs and this book finally points the finger in the right direction

H. J. Poole, in DRAGON DAYS, turns attention to beating our opponents in "The War on Terror". His basic approach is to enforce International Law utilizing Unconventional military techniques.
First, Poole addresses the question of whether or not the Red Chinese are involved in promulgating terror. Given that Afghanistan is proximal to its border, and that Pakistan has been a long time ally against its traditional foe India, Chinese involvement with Islamic radicals may well reflect their regard for their own interests. From a strictly national perspective, the Chinese are cogent to counter increasing U.S. and Indian influence in their own back yard. While radical Muslamic terrorists have their own agenda, Chinese involvement may not be based on ideological concerns. Indeed, a total U.S. disaster may mean that the Chinese won't receive a return on money borrowed from it by the U.S.(!)
The "War on Terror" - is it a military struggle - or International Law enforcement? Here, Poole is on solid ground recommending, in the second section of his book, that the U.S. and its allies approach terrorism in a law-and-order context. A relevant illustration is a recent event in Indonesia: after a night club bombing that claimed the lives of several western tourists, as well as Indonesians', the Indonesian authorities brought the radical Islamic perpetrators to trial and subsequent conviction. Though largely a Muslim nation, Indonesia wasn't rocked by civil unrest after the terrorists were convicted.
The techniques profiled in Poole's book are similar to those the TV viewer can find on "CSI" type programs. Poole rightly compares how a criminal case is pursued by the NYPD versus how a U.S. military unit would respond to a similar incident in Afghanistan or Iraq. Civil authorities in the "Big Apple" - and their elected representatives holding national office - would be justly outraged over military operations in New York City as these are conducted routinely in the Mid-East. Repercussions for such conduct would be swift - and career ending.
International terrorism is a breach of International Law. When the international terrorist is regarded as the equivalent of the serial rape-murderer, rather than the representative of a just cause, all societies, Western, Eaastern, Muslim, developing world - all societies will pursue his elimination. Trial by World-recognized judicial authorities, based upon forensic evidence with internationally-agreed upon validity, is the surest means to undermine any moral authority of the terrorist.
When Poole discusses small unit tactical operations, he is on his own turf in the final section of his book. While one may question his political analyses, there is no denying his experience and post military career tactical studies. The sources of Poole's tactical craft are Asian in origin. He relies heavily on North Vieetnamese/Viet Cong, Japanese Ninja and North Korean "Light Infantry Bureau" sources in his depiction of appropriate techniques, even providing the outline of a training program on "unconventional warfare".
Poole holds that U.S. "Special Operators" need a different direction in their tactical techniques, and that these unconventional skills should be promulgated to the level of the common infantry units. He stresses the significance of tactical finesse at the squad level versus the large-unit operations favored by the U.S. Military establishment. He decries the unnecessary reliance upon technology and firepower at the expense of good field craft and tactical skills. While the applicability of his touted "flying column" assault may be questioned, the tactical competence required to execute it is one the U.S. ground forces should definitely seek to achieve.
More astute readers may pay closer attention to Poole's focus on China's role and debate its applicability. There is room for a wide dispersion of viewpoints on these matters. Poole has presented his conclusions. Others may agree or disagree with him. His discussions in the tactical realm will doubtless draw more criticism: many western-inluenced military enthusiasts will, no doubt, decry his approach to "unconventional tactics". Certainly the U. S. Military establishment's predilection for hi-tech and lots of firepower aren't reflected in Poole's techniques.
However, two aspects are to be noted: 1) The current conflict in Central Asia and the Mid-East call for a much more sophistacated law enforcement-cum-light infantry approach, especially when operating among a civilian population. Enraging this population is counter productive; and, as has been noted by other observers, the U.S. forces cannot "kill their way" out of their tactical problems. 2) If only at the outset of their employment, Poole's recommended "Unconventional Tactics" may just succeed, simply because our current foes would never expect a tech-heavy, firepower-reliant U.S. force to fight in such a manner.

The author is well-known in the military and academic environments. With the last FM-100, it was supposed that everything was now mentioned. But, not. A tradition, inherited from the Civil war, exists in the USA, of saving grunts lives, avoiding the combats at close distances and using with profusion the heavy fire support to win always.
It does not serve to gain the hearts and the minds of the people, intermingled with the rebels in cities or open land, thanks to a degree of constraint that always exists from the rebels. Henry Poole offers a heap of counterinsurgency tactics. He also speaks about the own character of the possible rebels. And, especially, he creates the mixed units, at a very low level of action, of proffesional soldiers, self-defense forces and civil elements of construction, promotion and education. With them it is possible to interpose a "swarm", more active, effective and professional of loyal units, to the swarm of the guerrilla units. And to go isolating them slowly, reliably and progressively from the people, of their bases and of the rest of their operational and strategic goals.

John Poole knows how to combat Islamic and Chinese-backed insurgencies by blending in both measured military & police actions. In his newest & my personal favorite book, "Dragon Days" Poole weaves in various apsects of unconventional fourth generation warfare, to include how aspects of police anti-gang operations would serve the infantrymen to disrupt the IED networks that are causing most of US casulaties. Operations in Iraq must become focused on investigating the various "networks" (terrorist & criminal) to disrupt them & turn the people against the behavior that does not allow them to return to a normal life, and their children are not killed by US forces in an attempt to dislodge militants. Police operations focus on identifying & eliminating the "bad guy" from the neighborhood. Use of force is used only IF the suspect(s) do not comply & actively resist. As in gang "hoods" in the US, even if the police are right & kill a suspect, the residents blame the police. As Poole states in the latest edition of his great books on unconventional warfare, this condition also exits within Iraq or Afghanistan. We are still considered the Great Occupiers in Islamic lands & all bad things come with this title.
Poole's book also goes over how to improve multiple counter-insurgency fucntions & methods & what has not worked in the past & why. All of his book are great reading,and full of very useful information for military & law enforcement professionals involved in 4th GW. My advice is to recommend Poole's book to fellow professionals, and buy an additional copy for yourself since once your copy is "loaned" out, it'll be passed on to others, which is how all great knowledge should be treated. Pass it on!

John Poole see's the cycles of "modern" warfare well before even the military services and three letter agencies are willing to shift focus of effort; especially in pre-deployment training programs. I used his "Tactics of the Crescent Moon" as a primer for my team before we deployed into Ramadi in 2005. It was extremely accurate and my men were able to operate without delays as soon as we arrived.

"Dragon Days" brings us around full circle to meet an organized and nationalized global threat that has proclaimed "total war against the U.S." and allies itself with insurgent and terrorist organizations as its surrogates. It won't be long before the State Department has to admit the DOD will be needed for other "troop deployments" as the Chinese continue to shape the world through asymmetric warfare. This book of Poole's has it all in there. Open source intel to study and verify and the proper tactics, techniques and procedures to meet the variety of threat we should expect to encounter once our infantry and SOF operators are distributed on the ground.

Mark S. Mosher
MSgt. USMC (Ret.)
Program Manager
Combat Training Systems Division
BMI Defense Systems

I think that John Poole set a good example for us all to follow.
If we all were as productive and current in our analysis, and furthermore managed to put out tactical and technical advice to our troops in the field, the current conflicts would end sooner with much less casualties.

But wait, we don't need to do that. Because John Poole does this for us. We only need to pick up his latest book and start to apply the tactics that he describes.

I think that John Poole's later books are improving in readability but they still keep that cutting edge of current and life saving advice.

I urge you all to pick up this book and learn.

I love this book. It's great for a party craft (as I first used it) or for sending/making cards.

I remember this book from when I was a kid. My 4YO loved it when he got this book. We've recently given it as gifts with a stamp pad. I would highly recommend it,since kids can make adorable pictures with little effort.

I used this book for 400 Girl Scouts at a day camp. The fingerprint animals and people worked for all ages and the girls loved to try new things from the book. Thanks for all the great fingerprint ideas. :)

I was not familiar with this book before I bought it; however, it was recommended by the teachers of the students for which this and several other Ed Emberley books were purchased. From the thank yous I have received, this book was a real hit! It is used in a Native American Mission School with great enthusiasm and even better results. What more could you ask for?

I used samples made from the book for a kid's craft at our library. The kid's and myself had a lot of fun.

A MUST READ for any beginner. If you're looking for your first book on Stocks, look no more, just buy this one.

This book is highly reccomended for all beginners. This book will give you the basis for everyting you want to know about the stock market. Period!

I loved this book. It talked about every facet of the stock market, but didn't go overboard with jargon. I knew absolutely nothing about stocks and after reading this book I am ready to learn more. It was well written, interesting, and, unlike some investing books, the author was not trying to sell anything. This is the perfect book for anyone who wants to invest but has no knowledge of the subject. I really enjoyed this book.

This well written book gives the beginner investor the information needed to understand investing in stocks.

The book goes through setting your goals, assesing your risks and rewards. It teaches you about common and preferred stocks and the basics of buying and selling stocks.

There is a chapter on different investment strategies and then the book takes you into fundamental and technical analysis of a stock.

Finally the book touches on mutual funds, rights, warrants, and options.

All in all this is an excellent book and is one that any beginner investor will learn a lot from.

This book was an easy read to learn the basic terminology. And it's a nice reference book with a good "stock" glossary at the back of the book. After this, you'll be ready to read something a little for philosophical like Peter Lynch's masterpiece "One Up On Wall Street".

For golfers, this a wonderful yarn of success on the golf course. For golfers concerned with everyday professional life, this book offers many lessons on how to deal with the pressures of professional life as well as how they apply to the mental side of golf. A must read for every serious golfer - low handicap or high, it will improve your game. It will also improve the manner with which you resolve problems in your professional life.

A telling tale of man's walk thru life. A great gift for the person who loves golf and is searching for the reason of their existence.

Interesting way of selling a religious viewpoint with rewards for people who purchase 10 books or more to help spread the word. This is a missionaries christian guide not a golfing guide.

I have never written a book review and I have never read a better golf book than "Seven Days on the Links of Utopia." This book is wonderfully written and the message is one that can transform your golf game and your life. I believe that the author was truly inspired by God to have written such a wonderful story. Get it. Read it. Share it.

I don't give myself much time to sit and read books, even though I am currently reading three books and haven't finished any of them. When I received this one, I honestly couldn't put it down. Golf's Sacred Journey is so much more than a book of golf. It is a motivational book on life. I have taken some of the lessons that are mentioned in the book to my own personal life and has helped me deal with tough situations. It has also helped my game during the times that I used to get frusturated after a few bad shots, to get back up top and control my game (not someone else's).

Have just bred my dog and had a lot of questions about how to take care of her during and after welping. This book answered all of my questions.

I burrowed this book from a public library and have loved the book, i actually had to purchase this book thru Amazon. Glad that it came back~
Has a wealth of information and very easy to understand and follow up on it

Excellent book to add to your bookshelf for breeding information. A must have for the reputable breeder or a newbie just starting out.

I have no down fall opinions of this book at all. "Excellent" ratings~

Excellent book a must have if you plan on breeding.Covers everything you need to know on breeding. I will always keep this book around.

This book is put in simpler terms than a text book & makes it easier to understand for the novice. Very informative.

This is an excellent book for basic canine genetics and picking a breeding partner as well as other aspects of Breeding for quality show puppies.

Jean-Francois Revel was one of those rare French philosophers - others include Andre Glucksmann, Chantal Delsol, Bernard Henri-Levy and Alain Besancon - who seek to clarify and elucidate rather than obfuscate. Revel's revelations and observations on anti-Americanism have since been confirmed by other intellectuals like Andre Markovits in his equally thought-provoking work Uncouth Nation which also demonstrates the intimate connection to Antisemitism.

Revel first examines the contradictory character of the diatribes against America, pointing out how the European elites that always blame the USA conveniently forget certain unpleasant facts: their own continent turned the 20th century into the most murderous in history through colonialism, genocidal ideologies like communism and Nazism and two world wars. Bernard Harrison has identified and analyzed this sordid blame game of the elites - in the UK in particular - in the way it targets Israel and incites Antisemitism.

Revel then turns his attention to Antiglobalism, proving that it really is a struggle against classical liberalism of which the USA is a shining example. Not that the Left has anything against globalism, they just don't like the fact that people worldwide will be able to freely trade with one another with diminishing government interference and become prosperous in the process.

The mostly young antiglobalists are blind ideologues, remnants from a past of cruelty and bloodshed. Poor Third World countries want more international trade because that is the only way to escape from poverty, in the same way Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea and others have done and India is now doing. Only economic growth brings prosperity as has been demonstrated time and again.

Interesting historical trends are examined, like Régis Benichi's three waves of globalization. The first started during the 16th and 17th centuries, the second lasted from 1840 to 1914 and the third has continued since the end of the Second World War. This one has improved the lives of third world people in direct proportion to the individual countries' adherence to the rule of law and its measure of economic freedom.

Revel explores America's relations with the world in the chapter Hatreds And Fallacies, detailing the distortions from the left following 9/11 and the liberation of Afghanistan. The phobias and fallacies of old-style anti-Americanism and of Neo-totalitarianism greatly intensified at this time, as also observed by Nick Cohen in What's Left?. Nothing escapes Revel's scrutiny, as he provides evidence of the sinister alliance between Leftists and Islamists, a marriage of convenience based on mutual hatred.

In the next chapter The Worst Society That Ever Was, Revel ridicules the crude lies about American society invented by the French media. Exposing the deliberate distortions and contradictions, he observes that such mendacity can only emanate from sick minds. He compares health care in the USA and Europe, looks at literature, crime statistics and the American melting pot versus large non-integrated minorities in France as discussed in books like Menace in Europe and While Europe Slept. His revealing dissection of the French state-sponsored movie industry, including his hilarious opinion of the film Amelie, is a real treasure.

In the chapter Cultural Extinction, Revel considers popular culture in more detail, arguing that cross-fertilization benefits everybody whilst state protection of local culture leads to stagnation. Globalization is an engine of enrichment that enhances cultural diversity. He warns that anti-American phobias and antiglobalism might derail progress in Europe, referring to Guy Sorman's book Progress And Its Enemies. This is not an idea based on partisan ideology but a rational argument also supported by the socialist Claude Allegré.

In chapter 6: Being Simplistic, Revel demolishes the notion that poverty is the root cause of terrorism, asserting that the Jihadists perceive the secular character of the Western concept of human rights at the heart of liberal democracy as the real enemy. The Al-Qa'ida terrorists never even mentioned economic inequalities but reproach the West for contravening the fundamentalist interpretations of their religion's scripture.

In the last chapter: Scapegoating, Revel distinguishes between rational criticism of the USA that is based on facts, and the mental/spiritual disease that is Anti-Americanism. The second is a fanatical mindset that is also obviously idiotic in that it condemns America for certain behaviors (intervention in Kosovo) while simultaneously condemning it for the opposite (lack of intervention in Rwanda). He cites numerous instances where the French elites demonize America while much worse was happening in France, like the huge support for the extreme rightist Le Pen in the first round of the 2000 French presidential election.

Revel concludes that the lunatic ravings of hatred for America and the opinionated ill will in much of the European media will only lead to Americans rejecting the idea of consultation. He believes that the USA's mistakes should always be subject to vigilant criticism but that the gross bias currently reigning will only weaken its exponents and encourage American unilateralism.

The most important lesson from this book is that anti-Americanism is a disease, not a position. The prognosis is not good - Revel believes that countering this attitude with facts and reason will not work since the disinformation in question is not the result of honest, correctable mistakes, but rather of a squalid psychological need. Attitudes that were not formed by facts cannot be changed by facts.

For further light on the matter, I recommend Hating America: A History by Barry Rubin, a book that reveals the long history and the inherent irrationality of the phenomenon. Bat Ye'or reveals the identities, aims and achievements of certain elements within the Brussels eurocracy in her alarming work Eurabia. The fact that the project is doomed will not erase its unintended and disastrous consequences, some of which are already apparent.

Ce livre dresse une critique vigoureuse de la dictature intellectuelle gauchiste en France. Ou de l'asservissement à nos nouveaux maîtres, comme dirait Minc. Il dénonce l'antiaméricanisme, bien sûr, mais aussi l'absurdité des "progressistes" paléomarxistes, des "tiersmondistes" protectionnistes, des "antiglobalistes" adeptes de la pensée unique, des "pacifistes" alliés à Saddam Hussein, des "multiculturalistes" qui condamnent les enfants ethniques aux ghettos.
À vrai dire, la lecture de ce livre suscite un malaise: comment se fait-il que des propos si évidents, au point qu'on a l'impression que Revel s'acharne sur une cause déjà gagnée, soient encore rejetés par la majorité des intellectuels, et même que l'antiaméricanisme ait progressé depuis une dizaine d'années, malgré la chute du mur de Berlin et l'évident succès économique américain? Jalousie? Inquiétude face aux puissants? Humiliation des gauchistes qui en a exacerbé l'animosité? Certes, mais il y a probablement autre chose.
Il me semble que l'antiaméricanisme européen, tout comme le pacifisme, l'écologisme, l'animalisme etc. est passé du domaine des choix socio-politiques à celui de l'image qu'on veut projeter pour soi-même: il s'agit moins de ce qu'on veut faire et plus de ce qu'on veut être. En d'autres termes, ce sont des modes, d'où le malaise: démontrer l'incohérence des modes, irrationnelles par définition, semble être aussi futile que reconnaître la superfluité de la cravate, ou constater qu'il n'y a la moindre utilité pratique à pousser une boule dans un trou avec un bâton (jouer au golf)! Cependant, tant que les intellectuels gauchistes nous présentent leurs idées comme la vérité absolue, plutôt que comme une affectation mondaine, on n'a d'autre choix que d'étaler leur inconsistance.
Comme disait déjà Jean-Paul Aron il y a deux décennies dans "Les Modernes", les Français semblent avoir cessé d'utiliser leur jugement individuel pour suivre les modes intellectuelles des maîtres à penser. Doit-on conclure que le cartésianisme de la vieille France, qui m'avait jadis séduit, s'est désormais atrophié? La clarté logique montrée par Revel, qui a quand-même passé la plupart de sa vie en France, semble indiquer qu'il y a encore un espoir.

Quelle belle description d'une vérité trop dure à admettre pour certains: Le capitalisme est la voie et les USA sont les leaders.

Revel nous fait une excellente description de ce qui est, selon lui, la cause de l'anti-américanisme moderne, c-à-d, l'échec du modèle socialiste (le communisme moderne) et/ou totalitarisme et/ou dictature sanglante.

Il décrit très bien comment les organisations anti-mondialisation sont des organes anti-américaine qui prennent naissance grace à la démocratie contre celle-ci et comment ces groupes garde leur pouvoir grace aux mensonges. Son récit du comment la France et l'Europe sont devenu pathétiquement misérable et comment la guerre du Viet-nam est d'abord un échec Francais vous galvaniseront des commentaires haineux des antis.

Aussi, si vous voulez plus de chiffres pour voir les bienfaits de la démocratie capitalistique, lisez "Plaidoyer pour la mondialisation capitalistique de Norberg" ou "In defence of globalization de Bhagwati".

Ce livre dresse une critique vigoureuse de la dictature intellectuelle gauchiste en France. Ou de l'asservissement à nos nouveaux maîtres, comme dirait Minc. Il dénonce l'antiaméricanisme, bien sûr, mais aussi l'absurdité des "progressistes" paléomarxistes, des "tiersmondistes" protectionnistes, des "antiglobalistes" adeptes de la pensée unique, des "pacifistes" alliés à Saddam Hussein, des "multiculturalistes" qui condamnent les enfants ethniques aux ghettos.
À vrai dire, la lecture de ce livre suscite un malaise: comment se fait-il que des propos si évidents, au point qu'on a l'impression que Revel s'acharne sur une cause déjà gagnée, soient encore rejetés par la majorité des intellectuels, et même que l'antiaméricanisme ait progressé depuis une dizaine d'années, malgré la chute du mur de Berlin et l'évident succès économique américain? Jalousie? Inquiétude face aux puissants? Humiliation des gauchistes qui en a exacerbé l'animosité? Certes, mais il y a probablement autre chose.
Il me semble que l'antiaméricanisme européen, tout comme le pacifisme, l'écologisme, l'animalisme etc. est passé du domaine des choix socio-politiques à celui de l'image qu'on veut projeter pour soi-même: il s'agit moins de ce qu'on veut faire et plus de ce qu'on veut être. En d'autres termes, ce sont des modes, d'où le malaise: démontrer l'incohérence des modes, irrationnelles par définition, semble être aussi futile que reconnaître la superfluité de la cravate, ou constater qu'il n'y a la moindre utilité pratique à pousser une boule dans un trou avec un bâton (jouer au golf)! Cependant, tant que les intellectuels gauchistes nous présentent leurs idées comme la vérité absolue, plutôt que comme une affectation mondaine, on n'a d'autre choix que d'étaler leur inconsistance.
Comme disait déjà Jean-Paul Aron il y a deux décennies dans "Les Modernes", les Français semblent avoir cessé d'utiliser leur jugement individuel pour suivre les modes intellectuelles des maîtres à penser. Doit-on conclure que le cartésianisme de la vieille France, qui m'avait jadis séduit, s'est désormais atrophié? La clarté logique montrée par Revel, qui a quand-même passé la plupart de sa vie en France, semble indiquer qu'il y a encore un espoir.

American readers may be surprised to discover that this putatively pro-American book reached the best-seller list in France. It is written by a French intellectual and journalist who, at nearly eighty years of age, knows the United States well (having written on the same subject nearly three decades ago in a book called Ni Jesus Ni Marx or, in English, Without Jesus or Marx ). The global position of the United States having evolved considerably since his previous book, Revel takes a fresh look at this question in a larger context of debates worldwide on globalization, and not just U.S. society and foreign policy.

Published about a year after the events of September 11, 2001, the book takes a fresh look at the root causes of anti-Americanism, particularly in France, but also, to some extent, in Europe and the rest of the world, although some critics in France argue that he uses the book to pursue his own hidden political bias against certain French elites and domestic policies.

Revel examines the mixed and often contradictory dual sense of envy and contempt that the United States inspires abroad, seeking to identify which of these attitudes are objectively based. He generally contends that it was this long-established ambivalent set of feelings outside the Untied States, and not the aftermath of 9/11, which underlies the resurgence of negative attitudes to the United States.

Revel's style is full of irony and paradox as he takes on subjects as diverse as attitudes on globalization, foreign fears of cultural extinction from Americanisms, and foreign policy. He sees in the anti-globalization debate a deeper resentment of American ideals of economic free-market liberalism. He challenges the demonstrators at the Seattle WTO meeting or at other anti-globalziaiton rallies which periodically sprout up, to look at the contradiction between their assault on so-called unbridled market ideology of free trade and the real attempts of the WTO to create rules of trade which most developing countries are seeking to join. In an interesting final chapter, Revel blames the anti-americanism of foreign governments as actually bolstering the American superpower status which they revile.

To characterize this book as pro-American simply beause it challenges a wide range of attitudes that have broadly come to be seen as anti-American is to misunderstand some of the arguments Revel makes. There is some interesting historical and sociological analysis which makes reading this book a few times worthwhile if you wish to decode contemporary attitudes to the United States in a much deeper and, ultimately, more illuminating historical framework of understanding.