Marshall Books

These memoirs were not actually written by Mannerheim, but were the result of a collaboration among a selected (by Mannerheim) group of military men and civil servants who knew and had worked for Mannerheim. The aim was not so much to describe or analyse Mannerheim's life but rather to give a description of Finnish political and military history during his lifetime. These memoirs do not convey Mannerheim's personal thoughts, however, he did go through, correct and approve the final text just prior to his death. They make a fascinating read, but they are not an autobiography.

The previous review provided a good overview of Mannerheim's accomplishments - no need to repeat those.

Karl Gustav Mannerhiem! The greatest leader of the nation of Finland! Finland owes its existance to this great man!
In his long life, Mannerheim saw the world change into something unrecognizable from his Victorian era origins. He began his illustrious career as a military officer...by an expulsion from a military academy in Finland, when he was a teenager. He left secretly at night to apply to a Russian academy. It was likely the best career move he ever made! Young Baron Mannerheim joined the Russian Army under Czar Nicholas II, where he distinguished himself as a cavalry officer, at a time when the military value of cavalry was soon to decline. He saw the last glorious days of the military horseman.
In the Czar's service, he travelled across Asia as an ambassador of the Russian Court, seeing Siberia, China, and even Tibet, where he was a guest of the Dalai Lama. Mannerheim also served in the prestigious royal bodyguard of the Czar, at the royal palace in St. Petersburg. He saw action in the Russian-Japanese War, and World War I, and this is where his glorious career in Russia came to an end. The revolution of 1917 destroyed Russia as a power, and the Czar abdicated.
Mannerheim went home to Finland, where his people had finally gained independance from Russia. The revolution in Russia spilled into Finland, so Mannerheim led patriotic Finns against the communists. With the success against the communists, Finland's freedom and sovereignty was guaranteed.
In the years between the World Wars, Mannerheim did his part in training the new Finnish Army, and spent some years in retirement. However, when the Soviet Union invaded in 1939, the now elderly Baron stepped up boldly to assume the title of Field Marshall to lead his nation in repelling the invader.
It was Mannerheim's influence and leadership that made the Finnish troops such a devastating force against the Soviets. Although the Finnish military was vastly out-numbered and under-equipped, the Finnish soldier was highly trained, disciplined, and better educated than the largely illiterate Soviet conscripts they faced. Where the U.S.S.R. fielded all manner of modern vehicles and weapons, the Finns compensated with ingenious improvisation, skill, and extraordinary bravery. Sadly, with supplies running low, the out-numbered troops pushed to their limit, Finland had to request an end to hostilities...but even then, it was Mannerheim's iron will that managed to negotiate an agreement that kept Finland from being exploited and dominated by the Soviets. However, the region of Karelia was ceded to Russia, and is still held by Russia today.
As the Soviet Union was Finland's most serious threat, they were forced to ally themselves with the Axis powers, fighting along the Germans in north-west Russia. Mannerheim covers all these events in detail in this excellent book!
Some interesting side-notes: Field-Marshall Mannerheim, although Finnish by nationality, was a member of the Swedish-speaking, mostly aristocratic minority. He did not attempt to learn Finnish until his time in office during World War II! Finland, to date, is the only nation to fully pay its reparations to the allies. The allies, have fully acknowledged the unique necessity for Finland's allegience with Nazi Germany, especially as the Soviet Union quickly transformed from ally, to enemy of the West in the following "cold war".
Years after his Russian service, Mannerheim still kept a large portrait of Czar Nicholas II prominently displayed in his office. When others questioned the "appropriateness" of this, Mannerheim loudly declared, "He was my emperor!"
During a dinner with a visiting German military officer, the German officer asked if Mannerheim would mind if he smoked in his presence. Mannerheim replied, "I don't know...no one has ever tried it!"

I great read/text for learning the basic tennants of generational studies. Many will say that this is a waste of time, others will say that it is the future of communication. This book however, cuts through all of that and just lasy out the history of generations and goes on to describe (in detail) the main characteristics of each generation.

This book woudld be great for a text book or reference book as well for anyone who interacts with a wide range of generations and people groups.

You will never look at your boss/coworker/staff the same agin.

I have been both a Pastor and a Critical Care Paramedic for 25+ years. This book by Graeme Codrington should be a MUST READ by anyone and everyone who is a Parent, in a Leadership role or position, Boss, Pastor, or anyone who deals with people on a daily basis.

Graeme presents in this book a very well researched, documented, entertaining, and easy to understand read about the DIFFERENCES that make up the 'generations' (E.g. The Silencers, GIers, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, etc.)

Reading this book will not only help you understand 'HOW' we differ, but also 'WHY'. And in doing so, it will not only give you new insights to the uniqueness of our differences, it will alos help you appreciate who you are. And, IF APPLIED, it could enhance interpersonal relationship, improve any business and church or organization, etc. in knowing how to effectively reach, lead, manage, impact, and appreciated those who THINK and ACT "different" than we do - To 'know' the people we are trying to reach. This book will help you to finally realize that it's NOT that 'they are wrong' and 'we are right'. But it IS how we DIFFER and are UNIQUE - and in doing so, how best to understand and interact with each other.

Needless to say, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. In fact, on a scale from 1 to 10 with '10' being the 'highest' rating I could possibly give it, I could easily give it a 10,000,000. Yes, it REALLY IS that good.

This book should be REQUIRED READING for EVERYONE. Especially those that lead others (as well as read by every parent). It might just help you, (or you in helping others) get you out of their 'boxed-in, closed-minded, superior-than-thou thinking, or making the statements of "In MY day, this is the way we did it", or "We aint' never done it that way before", etc.

In this book you will find the REASON for our differences and NOT that "our way" is right and "their way" is wrong, just DIFFERENT.

I DO know what this book CAN do. This book can RADICALLY CHANGE not only YOUR LIFE, but the LIFE OF YOUR ORGANIZATION. And I don't give this kind of recommendation lightly. Every person, organziation, and group that I have recommended this book to, so far, has come back to me and stated that this book was probably one of THE BEST BOOKS they ever read that has helped their organization, church, company, etc., as well as themselves and relationship-wise regarding themselves as a parent and child.

It COULD perhaps make the difference in your organization, IF your 'boss' would read this book to help him or her understand 'why' they can't keep trying to operate a business on principles from 20+ years ago (E.g. They are determine to make that square peg fit in that round hole like it used to - but won't anymore nor ever will again). Leaders who can read this book and embrace it's message may very well maintain their position of leadership, but actually turn their organization back around.

So here is my bottom-line, no frills, recommendation as a Pastor, Paramedic, Parent, and Leader: GET THIS BOOK TODAY!!! READ IT. DEVOUR IT, APPLY IT, and then TELL SOMEONE ELSE ABOUT IT. Once you start reading it, you won't want to put it down.

Trust me, you will be more than glad you did!!!

Loved this book. What a great read. I want to learn more about the characters, especially Mingo and Olivia. Wish I could travel to this place and time. I'll read it over and over, again.

Set in 1771 on the Massachusetts coast, Lenice U. Strohmeier's Mingo is the picture book rendition of a tale handed down through the generations, about a young girl named Olivia who remembers the words of Mingo, her father's slave and her friend: "Freedom is freedom, and I'll take it any way it comes." Moving color illustrations by Bill Farnsworth add an exquisite touch to this heartfelt and memorable story.

"James Galbraith, himself a successful entrepreneur, shows that faith in the American dream is very much alive."
Jack Kemp

"Galbraith has written a very useful book, impressively got together."
William F.Buckley,Jr.

It is about a boy how is afraid of animais .One day he saw a rabbit in the torn bushes.He get the rabbit out and the rabbit gave him a wish to have courage to fight a dargon. And he is not afraid anymore. It was a nice book.And I like dargons that y I piked it .And the boy wont to be brave huter like his uncle.

All the therapists out there plunking down $18 dollars for a "therapeutic book for children" should hold out for a copy of this book instead. It more beautifully and seductively illustrates a young child's triumph against a fearful monster than any other book in the professional field.

The illustrations are magickal. The text accessible to young children and adults alike. Remember ordering books purporting to be the top of the line in bibliotherapy -- and then when you got them in the mail they were black and white drawings with strained paragraphs about "coping skills" for kids? This book is a "corrective emotional experience" for those seeking a book that teaches without the use of a sledgehammer.

We need more books like these -- folklore as therapy, illustrated by non-Ph.D-ed artists!

I was drawn in by the charm but hardships of life in Thad McCune's backward Ozark town. This book made me feel differently about historical fiction and I now give it more respect. I had not realized what could be done with this sort of book.

This book is a great read for all ages. While young readers can get a view of life in the past, oldsters can enjoy the vivid portrayal of simpler but harder times. The main character Thad deals with honesty, loyalty, work ethic, meaning of truth and growing up.

Set in the hills and hollers of Missouri, the book shows a poor but hardy people trying to make a meaningful life while facing hardships. While the main thread of the story is about revenuers finding stills and stamping out "moonshine", the real story is about what is takes to be a father, what it takes to be a freind. An added bonus in the book is a view of Ozark landscapes, superstitions, and culture of hill folks.

Despite some sorrows and heartaches necessary for a good story, the books ends on a lovely note of hope. This is a feel good story woven around a boy and his dog.

Not having previously read this author, I picked this book up last year mainly because I got a great deal on an edition whose value has sky-rocketed. Also, I knew that this collection along with several of the individual stories had won Best of... awards. This hefty collection is imposing and I really only started reading it when I did to sample the first story "More Tomorrow" - however, I was very quickly hooked and it has now earned a spot on my list of all-time favorites.

I thoroughly enjoyed just about every single story in here. The stories pretty much fall into the category of horror and scifi, but I think that they would be accessible to everyone, not just genre fans. While I will not review every story, I will list some of my favorites: More Tomorrow, The Book of Irrational Numbers, The Man Who Drew Cats, The Dark Land, To See The Sea, They Also Serve, To Receive Is Better, A Long Walk For The Last Time, and Enough Pizza.

A handful of the stories are fairly tech-heavy, and I am not sure how a non-savvy reader might respond to them, but I think they would be fine. Also, while most of the stories are not much more than 10 years old or less, some of the stories can feel a bit dated due to the detailed descriptions of computer technology and terminology that has become obsolete. (As a computer geek, I found it kind of humorous to read about a man's excitement about the delivery of a state-of-the-art computer for which he paid top dollar. The computer, which probably became useless 5 or 6 years ago, was described in realistic detail in the story.)

M.M. Smith is undoubtedly one of the best horror/fantasy writers in the short form genre. The way in which he crafts a first-person narrative that always ends with a gripping climax is unique and he rarely misses with his format. His characters are always fascinating if not tragically flawed. The best in the collection is "The Vaccinator," a hilarious, bizarre, MEN IN BLACK-tinged absurdist tale about a fixer who prevents kidnappings of the alien abduction variety. When a kidnapping that he is paid to prevent still happens, our hero is pissed and uncovers a mystery that is both amusing and chilling. "Hell Hath Enlarged Herself" is a close second. A long story that only really kicks in at the end, but truly worth the wait, "Hell" is about the relationships that form between three scientists and the virus that destroys their lives, unleashing a hell that none of them can escape. "More Tomorrow" is a lurid story about voyeurism and a guy who can only watch but can't help. "They Also Serve" is a gem in the vein of 2001 about a guy in space, escaping from the war that is being waged on his planet but unable to escape the schemes of his overprotective computer. "To Receive is Better" is, in fact, better than Smith's full-length version of the story, his book SPARES which lacks the tension and atmosphere and fear that permeates "To Receive." All these stories start with great protagonists and end with great climaxes that are often morally ambiguous and always chilling and tragic. A stellar collection that had me up late at night, wanting more.

We talk to ghosts in every letter we write, said Kafka. This is what is Daniela Norris story, The Cafe, a letter. Quoting Kafka, a letter "is after all, a communication with ghosts, and one not limited to the ghost of the addressee, but also with one's own ghost, which develops in one of the quiet in the letter one writes"

Unlike Kafka, Daniela prose is direct and simple. The main character listens to the grandmother "What would you like? The chicken with potatoes or the beef with rice?" Unexpectedly, the woman only selects a cup of wine (white wine). She noticed a warning " Please limit your stay to two hours," it said on the back of the menu. "

It is a story about the dream's delicate tissues and the molecules of happiness buried in our souls. It is about the invisible substance of our inner breathe, where we keep those dear others we yearn to bring back and who made us who we are.

I am the author of one of the stories, so of course will not comment on my own, but I can certainly comment on the other stories in the colletion: Each one has a different flavor, and they all make you want to read more.

I gasped with Eric Glambik-Boe's Angel, cried with Sea Horses, laughed with Lost and Found.

And, do you want to know why My Brother Died and All I Got Was This Lousy T-shirt? Well, you'll have to read the book!

A fellow Madisonian, Marshall Cook has credits in the murder milieu with MURDER OVER EASY and has also published THE GREAT WISCONSIN MANHUNT OF 1961, as well as over twenty titles on baseball, writing, and time management. He is presently a professor of creative writing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Continuing Studies. He also edits a newsletter called CREATIVITY CONNECTION for writers.

Beloved priest Father O'Bannon, priest for the small St. Anne's parish in Prairie Rapids, is found with his throat slit by Monona Quinn, the town's newspaper editor. It just so happens that Mo just solved a prior murder mystery, and her husband Doug is worried about her propensity for putting herself into the murderer's paths. Mo quickly befriends Dane County detective Lashandra Cooper, an African-American with an attitude and a heart of gold. Lashandra and Mo are instinctive soul mates, after they settle the question of how to deal with sleuthing in the rural area outside of Madison:

"'Sure seems to around here. Folks stare at me like they've never seen a black person before.' 'It's possible that some of them haven't, except maybe on television.' 'Come on. You gotta be kidding me.' She shook her head, scanning the room. She nodded toward Dilly, taking orders from the Ladies of the Communal Crossword at the big round table in the center of the room. 'Doesn't he ever write the orders down?' 'Can't read or write. But he never gets an order wrong.'"

Although Cook is a native of Almaden, California, he has embraced the Wisconsin Way from the University of Wisconsin-Madison to the rural communities. His obvious prowess as a writer shines through in a tight plot, well-defined characters, and stunning local color. Attention to detail drives this plot that may or may not have been inspired by the real life murder of a local priest that was never solved. Whether real time events have interceded in Cook's tale is irrelevant, though, as his version jumps to life for the reader. His red herring is most believable, and he even throws in a Hitchcockian twist in the end, much to this reader's delight. MURDER AT MIDNIGHT is a polished and entertaining read written by a master.

Shelley Glodowski
Senior Reviewer

Marshall Cook is a master storyteller as evidenced by this suspenseful murder mystery that kept me turning the pages and wishing for more once it was finished. Luckily, rumor has it that Marshall will be coming out with another Monona Quinn mystery to follow this one. The dialogue drew me deep into this small-town community and its characters. The turns and twists of the story kept me on the edge of my seat, especially when Monona, local newspaper editor, managed to find herself in a dangerous situation once again (see MURDER OVER EASY--Monona seems to have a propensity for sleuthing). If you like a good mystery, check this book out!

Wow, how is there only one other review for this book? This is an amazing peice of writing. It has some of the best lines you'll ever read, spoken by some of the best characters ever imagined(Murdock stands out the most) and is perfectly paced.

Its a true western, reminding me of Howard Hawks films like Rio Bravo and El Dorado.

Not much need to be said besides, read it!

Another great Western by Loren Estleman. For my money, Estleman is the best Western writer in the world. His reoccurring character, U.S. Marshall, Page Murdock, is always a sure winner. The writing is very good, as is the characterization. In this book, Eslteman brings to life a classic old west gunslinger named Chris Shedwell. As is always the case with Estleman, his description of Shedwell's life is as authentic and sharp as a spur. Shedwell is a haunted man, his condition nearly terminal because of the reputation that follows him like the finger of death. Estleman's knowledge of firearms of the late 19th Century is second to none as well. There are never any exaggerated fireworks in any of his work. The great thing about Estelman's Western books is they are both myth destroying and myth making at the same time. An example of this is the way Estleman handles the character, Shedwell. You will never find the hero, Murdock, squaring off with Shedwell in a traditional middle of the street quick draw contest, which rarely if ever happened in the old west. Men then, like now, usually killed each other at very close quarters in furious bursts of violence.

What makes Estleman's work jump off the page, though, is the dialogue. Rather than trying to describe it, let me give you a taste. When asked if he is afraid of the gunfighter (Shedwell), Murdock responds:

"Not afraid. I know he'll kill me. He's dropped nine men that I know of, most of them looking at him. He's better than I am. Besides, whether you've noticed it or not, I'm not the most popular figure in this town after last night. I've heard of three men holding off a roomful of angry citizens, but the reason I've heard of it is it doesn't happen very often. The next time I see Shedwell, I want him alone with his back to me and a shotgun in my hands."

Do yourself a favor and get this book, as well as all the Estleman Western titles.