N Books

I can't live without this... I have my LeRobert & Collins unabridged and my Larousse mini dictionary and this. And now my American friends in France stole my French Verbs - even so well worn that there was no front cover and the pages were all folded (lol!). So I have to get ANOTHER one.

Everyone with whom I ever took any French class had this book, and when they didn't they used mine - tattered and torn and thoroughly marked up - and eventually bought one.

I lived in France 5+ years and you just have to have it. They pull the subjunctive on you and you can't figure out what verb they are using - so you go home and pull this out. ALL the tenses are right there on one page.

It's a must for someone who really wants to learn to speak the most beautiful langue du monde!

I purchased this book years ago when I first undertook my study of the French language. One of the difficult parts about learning French and other Romantic languages is the verb conjugations that one must learn that correspond to the different tenses. This book simplifies the conjugation learning process for some of the most commonly used French verbs. I can truly say that this book was one of the essential tools (along with a dictionary and actual real world practice) in learning French. Definitely would recommend it.

This was my first purchase in the 501 series. It will definitely not be my last. If this volume is any indication of the scrupulous yet extremely accessible nature of the Kendris' work, then this series is a must for any foreign language student or lover.

all books I have purchaes have been exactly as described. I am satisfied

An invaluable reference work for professionals or students. Serious students should read and review this text. Experienced French speakers will find it useful for those odd, little encountered forms.

Randall Ingermanson continues to fascinate me with this time travel fiction depicting 3 modern characters thrust into Roman Jerusalem and little known but accurate historical events that took place there.Retribution (City of God Series #3)

At the time of writing this review there had already been 58 before me and they total an average of 5 stars. What more can really be said? I found this book very enjoying and thought provoking. Although Randall says to skip book one "Transgression" I'm very pleased I didn't. It added so much to the enjoyment of "Premonition". Great job Randall!!

1 Star = I've been robbed!
2 Stars = Why'd I finish it?
3 Stars = Good
4 Stars = Excellent
5 Stars = Life changing

Randall Ingermanson is to be commended for the diligent work that has gone into putting together a somewhat elaborate and at times believable work of historical fiction. I have read through the series and recently finished Retribution, yet I was unable to give Premonition more than three stars for the following reasons (don't worry, there are no real spoilers here):

Pros: The plot is captivating, as many have pointed out. Ingermanson knows how to throw in a twist here and there and to keep the pace of the events relatively arduous. There seems to be a nagging problem to solve at the end of almost every section. He develops most of his characters with smoothness and many of them grow on you so that you care about what happens to them. Even one of the 'villains' evolves with a bit of depth and it is notoriously difficult to create a realistic and workable villain. I also like the way in which many of the historical facts are interwoven skillfully in the story and, of course, much of the cultural differences are played out with flair. Ingermanson has an interesting touch with that aspect. However, this brings me to the other side of the coin...

Cons: Historically speaking, the work is sketchy. In his attempt to create an elaborate setting for Messianic revisionism, Ingermanson relies too heavily on post-Second Temple rabinnical writings and far too little on the Biblical information. Historians who spend most of their time on this subject these days recognize that the rabbinical works that were compiled a couple of centuries after the events in which the story takes place are often enough not so very reliable because they are written with post-70AD (not to mention post 135AD) polemical concerns in mind. They can be of some help in reconstructing life before the destruction of the Temple, but it takes a rather sensitive and cautious student to make his way through and even some of the most respected historians, like Jeremias, have fallen far short. Unfortunately, Ingermanson is influenced by precisely this kind of work.

Even though I have a healthy sense of the Jewishness of the early Church in Jerusalem and have studied the literature on the subject, I found that, in developing the characters of those in the assembly of the Jerusalem Church, particularly historical figures--like James, the brother of Jesus, and Paul--this is where Ingermanson breaks down the most. Again, in relying upon the voice of more provocative and liberal studies, he ignores the Biblical account of the same period. The Christians in Jerusalem are, for him, essentially unaltered Jews who accept Mashiach as their Rabban. There is hardly a noticeable difference between them and the Orthodox Jews around them. They attend the Temple sacrifices, celebrate Jewish feasts and festivals, including Passover, circumcise their children, worship in the traditional Jewish manner, repeat the usual Jewish prayers to "HaShem" at the circumscribed times as though ignorant of the exemplary prayer of Christ ('The LORD's Prayer'), treat their women with the same diffidence as every one of their neighbors, bear a great hatred of their enemies, encourage a very personalistic and mystical religion contrary to much of Christ and His Apostles, and generally carry on as though they hadn't heard much about any 'New Covenant.' Even the teachings and the writings of the Apostles are neither discussed nor circulated and the believers in Jerusalem seem decidedly ignorant that a canon has been in the process of formulation as well as Gospels being written. All they know is Torah and even that is so extremely rare in their mouths that, beyond the Shema, it might as well not exist. Even the scribes among them never reason from Scripture when discussing religious difficulties. They argue from emotion and personal convictions or from confusing visions and personal revelations from "HaShem" which everyone seems able to tap into.

Ingermanson never allows his Christians to witness of their faith to any of their neighbors. They wouldn't dream of converting anyone and seem to accept unbelieving Jews as basically on the same path. In fact, even though the couple of Christian tsadikks are exceptional men (while certain leaders are lunatic fanatics and murderers), Ingermanson spends far more time extolling certain Rabbinical Jewish sages as the pinnacle of faith in GOD or developing them into virtual super beings with the most miraculous prayers and profound insights into the "Other Side." The Christians seem in many cases a rather desultory step down from the epic wisdom and power of the Judaic stalwarts and many of the followers of Christ are almost without interest in His teachings on righteousness and the love of one's enemies. They have the hardest time struggling just to feel anything beyond what a decent unbeliever experiences in his moments of triumph.

There are a few other difficulties... including Ingermanson's insistence on demonizing the Romans at every turn (whom he paints rather one-dimensionally) and repeating ad nauseam the fiction that the Jews in Jerusalem at the time had nothing to do with the crucifixion of Christ, whatever the Scriptures might say about it. There is also his insistence on writing the script for GOD and drawing rather less than knowledgeable conclusions as he engages certain theological and philosophical conundrums. To be fair, the reader should appreciate that Ingermanson is not well studied in either of these fields and it is quite impossible to write a good novel without trying to resolve thicker philosophical dilemmas. Nevertheless, though he makes the attempt with more ability than the usual novelist, he too often stumbles over himself in contradiction and empty rhetoric. Somehow, this makes certain of his characters more believable and realistic while others are more stilted and inconsistent.

All in all, the books were enjoyable to read and at times even gripping or emotionally moving, yet they contained too many speed bumps along the way that threw this reader off (and sometimes were a little infuriating when favorite historical persons were abused or maligned and distorted). It was particularly saddening to find so little to connect with in Ingermanson's early Christians, even with a full appreciation of the Jewish culture that they surely grew up with and took part in, yet reinterpreted and some cases altered or resisted and abandoned. There was never any seeming cognizance of other Christians around the civilized world, many of whom (according to Scripture) sent money to Jerusalem to aid the Church there during the drought.

Biblical history takes a distant back seat in these works, so if that consistent perspective is what you're hoping for, you will be disappointed.

This fast-pased novel captured and held my interest, being different from anything that I read before. This is the first in the City of God series and has such interesting plot devices as time-traveling Israeli physicst, and a American-born Messianic Jewish archeologist trying to prevent the murder of the Apostle Paul in 57 A.D. (CE) Jerusalem, and a prostitute with a heart of gold. Mr. Ingermanson won a Christy Award for this book for good reason, It's fantastic. While the book is currently out of print, used copies can be found, and are worth the search. You will want to get the other two books in this series, "Premonition" and "Retribution."

I particularly like Ingermanson's approach to the novel because he wraps up so many things that I'm directly interested in: Messianic Jewish faith, physics, time travel and Jerusalem.

I found the very proper, concise dialog difficult to read through at first, but upon sticking with it I became comfortable with it and felt that it was very appropriate, considering the time frame and the fact that we just don't know how people of that time spoke to one another. Ingermanson is very consistent with his dialog and doesn't wander into colloquialisms or slang, unless it is on the part of the 21st century protagonists. I'm sure he had to be extremely careful when writing the dialog as he could easily slip. I appreciate the care he took here.

I also appreciate Ingermanson's knowledge of Jewish history, especially with regard to Josephus and Roman archives.

The story is well-written, the characters endearing and full-bodied. You'll find yourself rooting for Ari and Rivka.

Another interesting element is that Ingermanson isn't afraid to introduce elements that some Christians might be fearful to bring into fiction. While he doesn't talk directly about sex, he implies that it definitely did go on during that period. Characters are close to one another and you can tell that all of the things we go through as humans today they were going through. Ingermanson touches on such difficult to broach subjects as adultery, incest and abortion.

Ingermanson does a good job with the evil antagonist as well. There is plenty of tension. You feel really badly for Ari, for example, when the antagonist sets him up for failure and Ari is essentially black-balled from the community for a time.

I don't really have anything negative to say about the book. Why only 4 stars as opposed to 5? I guess I would say that maybe Ingermanson tries to wrap a little too much into the book. For example, perhaps the part about meeting the apostle Paul (Saul in the book) could've been left out with the book still being provocative. But it's a slight thing and I don't fault Ingermanson for leaving it in either.

Christians who are tired of namby-pamby fiction that doesn't go anywhere or do anything and has the same oft-repeated ideas as previous works will enjoy Ingermanson's work. It is refreshing and a treat.

Good work Randy!

This is a great story about giving back something in life. Great gift idea when combined with a real Lupine plant or seeds. Then the story and flower will be remembered forever.

I just left home and school to live on my own as an intern in DC. I've been doing lots of responsible adult type activities, cooking, waking up early, cleaning etc and was feeling a little strange about feeling so old. As I was walking to work this morning, I took a slightly different route that had a house with lupines just covering their yard. They looked so beautiful in the morning. I immediately thought to myself "what was that book with these flowers??" and called up my lovely mother. It felt like a long lost dream. I could remember the symbolism, but not the specifics. When I was young, I think I was enthralled with little Alice being able to paint the clouds and even more so when she becomes a librarian and transforms the landscape by the sea. This is a truly amazing book. I'm going to walk to the library tonight and check it out again. It definitely made me appriciate beauty in the world as a child, and through my memory of it, as an adult.

This book is a short biography of Barbara Conney's great Aunt Alice Rumphius, who grew up in New England, loved the sea, and wanted to visit faraway places. And also had an objective to do something to make the world more beautiful. I have always loved this book and have had that very same goal ever since the fifth grade when our homeroom teacher read it to us. The book concludes when Barbara Cooney the author says that her Aunt Alice (Miss Rumphius,) tells her that she too needs to do something to make the world more beautiful. But even SHE doesn't know yet what that could be. I personally think that she made the world more beautiful by writing and illustrated this masterpiece. Everybody young and old should have a copy.

This book is beautifully illustrated and is an even more beautiful story of the passing on of values intergenerationally. We have read the soft-covered version to our daughter so often that it is in tatters and we needed to invest in the hard-covered version. Great Aunt Alice spends her life learning how she will choose to make the world a more beautiful place and passes the challenge to do the same to the next generation. If my daughter spends her life living the message of this book, I will have succeeded as a parent. Thank you Barbara Cooney for another great book!

This book is one of my all-time favorites. What an inspirational story of living life with intention! Many reviewers here have already shared the details of the story, so I will simply add that this book makes a lovely gift- just tuck in a packet of lupine seeds!

This is one of the easiest reads and greatest books I'v read on wellness, nutrition and fitness. The book is inspiring, motivating, educational and full of easy to use ideas and tips. A must read for any one at any level of fitness.

Everyday I read this book, I am amazed by the wisdom that this book offers. It covers many diverse aspect of exercise in easy to digest pages and each one is inspiring and sure to change my behaviour for the better. I wish I had this book long ago but I'm very glad to have it now.

Because of its small and usual (wide vs. long) size, it is very handy as a quick reference. Over a year later, I still refer to it daily, buy it as a gift for others embarking on the road ot fitness and look forward to his next book.

I am a fan of Eric Harr's work. I've read his columns in Shape magazine and have enjoyed his other titles very much. I am dismayed at the review written by "Barbara Jordan "brownsugar76" who is obviously misguided and pessimistic. This book is a tips book -- 100 in all -- that give people basic guidance about exercise and living better. It never promises to be a thick, boring, scientific guide ... and THAT'S the appeal. There are hundreds of fitness books out there. Harr tries to deliver fitness wisdom in 100 simple tips. Granted some of them are a little "soft" for fitness buffs -- but most are very valuable.

I'm giving this book 4 stars, because it is GREAT for many people getting into fitness, but it's not geared towards more serious fitness people (who work out, say 5+ times a week).

Barbara Jordan "brownsugar76" doesn't see the book for its incredible value...which is a hearty book in easily-digestible "one-a-day" tips for people seeking to get fit and live and eat better.

As to her comment about the reviews of others, it appears Barbara Jordan "brownsugar76" is jealous of Eric Harr's success. I checked these people's reviews -- and they're REAL people with real opinions.

Be wary of green-with-ency reviewers like Barbara Jordan "brownsugar76." This is a great book. Decide for yourself.

Finally, fitness advice that will get you off your couch and onto the track / bike / into the pool / or whatever else you do. I just bought the book about a week ago, returned home, and read it cover to cover in an hour. One hundred simple and truly life-altering strategies are contained within that have gotten even my lazy self up and moving. Over the past two days, following the book's advice on everything from nutrition, to technique and motivation, I've run ten miles (and feel great!), and I don't plan on stopping any time soon :). From his writing, the author is a truly fit individual, both mentally and physically, and his personal perspectives on the wonders of a clear mind and a healthy body are refreshing every time I open the conveniently-pocket-sized book. Humorous, compelling and without pretense, Harr's guide can pull out the passion and performance in anyone (and I mean anyone) and set them on the path to a healthier and happier self.

This book demystifies many weight loss, nutrition and exercise issues in a clear, friendly, expert way. It helps to answer why we're getting fatter in America. I read this wonderful book in eight hours--but don't let that fool you; it's packed with good information and moving inspiration. Every word matters. When I started showing results, my friends and family wanted to know the secret. At least 3 of them bought the book for themselves. Eric Harr's advice and motivation really works. Big! How do I know? Because I'm significantly SMALLER! Yahoo!!! :)

Both of my daughters (ages 3 and 5) just loved this book. It's adorable, Sandra Boynton does it again. :)

This may not be Boynton's best, but that leaves a lot of room for greatness. It's still a book that enchants children. She is truly a genius & I think I would buy anything she produced. My 2-year old grandson loves them: loves for me to read them to him, loves to read them to me, loves to read them alone, just plain adores them!

My son absolutely loves his blanket so when I saw this book I thought it would be great for bedtime. As I read the pages he can play with opening the dino's mouth or the door. Great bedtime book.

My 13 month old twins received this for a first b'day present and we've read it at least once a day since. Sometimes my son cries when it's done to have me read it again. They are both really into opening and closing everything right now and the hidden flaps, blankets, and closet door feed right into that. I also just love reading it - the typical Boynton rhythms are soothing and the story of the dinosaur missing - seeking - finding - and finally sleeping/dreaming with his 'binkit' are so universal that even at only 1yr I think my kids sort of get it. Our current favorite Boynton (and that's saying a LOT!).

Sandra Boynton did it again with this book! On each page there are interactive things for the child to do such as look in a mirror, open a flap, or lift a blanket. My 15 month old son has been reading this book every night before bed since he was one and just adores it. I have all of Sandra Boynton's books, but by far this is my favorite. A great bedtime story for young children.

I read this book on the recommendation of a friend. I say that I read it, but really this is more like a book you do. What do you do? You solve the mystery of the poetic story by searching the detailed illustrations for clues. Some clues are more obvious than others, but most clues take real sleuthing to discover. I had so much fun with it, and after about two days of study, I came up with the answer, but there was still so much that I had overlooked. Thankfully, the author reveals all to you in a sealed section at the back of the book. I encourage you to resist seeking the answers until you've tried your hardest to find as many clues as you can. Even if you can't figure out the who dunnit, you will be exited with every clue you find, and will likely hear yourself exclaim, "Ah-ha!". This book is marketed to children but it takes a sharp mind to solve the mystery and discover the clues, so it is really better suited for teens and adults, but even small children will enjoy the story and the amazing pictures. I would give this book as a gift to anyone who enjoys a good brain teaser. So get out your magnifying glass, a notepad and pencil, and have fun!

The story is about Horace the elephant who has decided to celebrate his eleventh birthday, with 10 of his friends in the eleventh month (November) on the eleventh day. After all have arrived the eleven characters participate in eleven games in anticipation of a birthday feast at the eleventh hour of the day. Thus the title of the book - The Eleventh Hour. The day is filled with musical activities, indoor/outdoor games, board games, cards, party games and more. The eleventh hour arrives disappointing the guests with the unexpected disappearance of their birthday feast. Apparently a theft perpetrated by one of the invited guests. Horace saves the day by serving healthy whole wheat sandwiches to all and the birthday cake remains because it had been stored away from the feast. With everyone enjoying the birthday cake, the story closes with a happy ending.

However, this is where one story ends and other mysteries begin. On each page of the book there are puzzles to be solved and clues to lead a more intrepid reader along the trail to the thief of the birthday feast.

I'm a freshman in college and I still love this book. My third grade class room had a set but we were NOT allowed to open the pages in the back! The entire class spent lots of time pouring over the sumptuous pictures and trying to spot each and every hidden...well, I won't give it away. I came across the book in a bookstore recently and bought it immediately because I had such fond memories. Do yourself or your kid a huge favor and buy it!

-- And it's a "kids book"!!!

I'm 26 now, but I remember the astonishment and awe I first felt borrowing this book from my 5th grade class's "library" when I was 10 years old. Back then, I gave up after 4 hours of not being able to figure anything at all out and had to look in the Sooper Sikret Section, but this time around, I got a few more of the clues on my own before having to look up the Section :P

A great book to sate the inquisitive mind of a bright child, honestly. Highly recommended!

Horace the elephant is inviting his animal friends over for his
eleventh birthday. Horace has prepared a magnificent feast for he and his friends to enjoy. But while they are romping outside, Horace's food has mysteriously disappeared. Which animal stole the food? Base's lush artwork contains cleverly hidden clues to help the reader solve this mystery. An excellent choice for all ages.

I am so torn here. I love this book - my mother would love this book. So what's the problem? It's a feel good book that seems like it would better reach a new parent, a teen, or someone going through hard times better than a child.

The story clearly has a moral tale to convey. I tend to like that, and I love the message on diversity. Unfortunately, as far as plot/story, it falls short. It fails to go beyond just a morality lesson. And for this, it failed to captivate either of my children.

If the target audience are children: For lessons on friendship with story intact, try pumpkin soup. For a story about diversity and acceptance, try The Woman Who Outshone the Sun. For general moral tales - Zen Shorts.

this was a nice book on diversity. i think one of the things people get the most worked up over is spirituality. it's one of those things that can touch a person more deep than anything else, and everyone's perspective will differ, even if only minutely. wars have been started over the issue, and all because we're too pig headed and focused on our own validity. this book starts off with animals and rocks and trees each saying that what they think god is is indeed the true god, and that god seems to resemble the speaker. then the old turtle stops them and tell them of the coming of a new group, humans, and how they are supposed to be a message from god the the earth and a prayer from the earth to god. then people come and after while start to do not so nice things and nature says to stop. then the beings that said god was like themselves at the beginning of the book said they saw god in that which was opposite themselves. i guess the moral being have an open mind about that which is different from yourself, because it really isn't so alien to what you believe.

This book begins with the beings of nature having an argument as to who God is, an age old question. The old turtle speaks up and tells everyone to stop! And tells of a new being that will come and be in the likeness of god out of his love, humans. Then the humans start to argue and fight and destroy the earth. Till again the turtle said stop, and the people began to listen and realize the beauty they were destroying, the earth. The story is not specifically religious but more of a lesson of not to destoy what we have been blessed with. The illustrations are chinese watercolors and they are imaculate! Definately a must to add to your collection.

This is a book for children, but really is a lesson for mankind. Beautiful drawings. A good read out loud for children.Simply beautiful!

"Old Turtle" has become a tradition of giving in our family. When we recieve the announcement that a child has been born, we get a copy for the babe. We like to think that this is one of the ways this child will first hear about creation and our place in it. The illustrations are simple and exquisite, the narrative compelling. I'm a "big kid" and I love it.

All of the Erin Hunter books are great! I just love them and have read them many times over. I am not a reader, I hate to read!!! But give me a Warrior series book and leave me alone for a few days. They are the best. Thanks Erin for opening up a new world for me.

A good book. Really though if you are new to the series get one first! And Into the Wild book one not Midnight. I had a friend that did that and she didn't get it at all! Besides that spioles it!

Pre-teen and early teen girls love the series. It has my 10 year olds attention. She is reading like never before.

like i said before, it's a pretty good book. the only reasons I'm marking it down is because of Cloudpaw and Bluestar. Cloudpaw constantly gets in trouble and that gets very annoying, especially when Fireheart doesn't punish him enough. And Bluestar's frustrating, thinking that everyone is a traitor and not coming out at all. She has also given up belief of StarClan. Overall, a pretty good book

In this book, Fireheart can't help thinking that Tigerclaw will carry out his threat against Fireheart and Thunderclan. A storm is rising that might distroy the Clan and they don't even know about it.

Easy Company from Band of Brothers revisited. Two of the men who became lifelong friends relate their stories. Easy to read and gives you a sense of war from men who were there. They were indeed a Band of Brothers.

Like many veterans of WW2 these two men say they are not heros, that title they insist , belongs to the boys who didn't come home.

Then what are they? They are two enlisted men who fought in some of the most savage fighting in western Europe during World War Two. The charm of this book is that these men are not officers. They were enlisted men. They were not involved in any big meetings or planning sessions. They took their orders and did their job and their shared memoire is that of the foot soldier on the battlefield. From training, through D-Day to VE and beyond.

Strangley some of the parts I found most moving were their lives after the war. When 'Wild Bill' became one of the driving forces behind the reunions that held the Band of Brothers together. Particularly touching the attmepts to welcome back Herbert Sobel. Hated during the war, he was still a mamber of the company. through the wonderful writing you feel you are there as Bill and Babe and the others are confronted by Sobel's sister, after his death. She was insensed over how her brother was depicted by Ambrose. It fell to "Wild Bill" once the chief hell raiser, to explain some hard facts to her, long after he clearly had forgiven Sobel.

These are not plaster saints but tell their stories, warts and all, gamlbing, drinking and girls rank along side battles and jumping and all the rest. Playing jokes on each other, dodging uptight officers and mourning those whom they would call heros.

So why is this getting so much attention? Well it's very well written. Also, well known from the Ambros book "Band of Brothers" and the HBO series these two men, and the other members of Easy Company, 506 PIR have come to represent all those GI's who went to war. We can hear about 10,000 men going into Arnhem or 90,000 going to Stalingrad, but the numbers are too big. We can't wrap our minds around them. But with Easy Company we can. We can see a few men and names and follow their fates through the war and so, by expansion all the others who served in the war. We can't think of 10,000 men. But we can think of Bill and Babe and their buddies and then a few more companies like them and that we can get.

They were members of an elite unit, but other than that they were pretty common. They are two examples of the millions of americans who put aside their lives and comfort and safety and went out to do nothing less than save the world. You know, that seems pretty darn heroic to me.

After watching Band of Brothers, I couldn't wait to read this book by "Wild Bill" Guarnere and "Babe" Heffron. It really gives you an insight into what went through their minds during the hell of WWII, but the most poignant thing is the enduring love and friendship all of these guys still have for each other. It's a lesson we all should learn.

In "Brothers in Battle, Best of Friends", Bill Guarnere and Babe Heffron not only tell us more in-depth stories of their Easy Company exploits but give us a true insight into the bonds formed in battle that most of the rest of us never experience let alone understand. Heffron and Guarnere grew up literally just blocks from each other on the tough streets of Depression era Philadelphia with the same strengths that would see them through the toughest of times during the Battle of the Bulge and the siege of Bastogne during the bitter Winter of 1944-45. We learn of the toughness ingrained into their generation and the street-wise attitudes that lent them the drive to be among the Army's best, the Parachute Infantry. That same savvy enabled them to continue to survive some of the toughest actions and conditions of WWII in the European Theater of Operations.

Bill was a tough sergeant, the prototypical inspirational leader of his men. Leading always by example, he not only lead them in combat but also looked after them like a doting father, especially when meeting Babe as Heffron joined Easy Company as a replacement at Aldbourne, the 506th Regt's. English home following Easy's Normandy exploits.

Robyn Post has done a marvelous job of compiling her interviews of these men not only humanizing each of their personalities but without adding her own to the mix.

If you are interested in first-person information on Easy's exploits in battle with the warmth and humor that only these two B of B can tell them, then please buy this book. Following a more than 60 year friendship forged in the toughest of times is educational, humorous and above all, inspirational.

Brother's In Battle by Bill Guarnere and Babe Heffron was an excellent book. It helped to explain so much of the background material that made up Band Of Brothers. It was so hard to put this book down.

Although this book was written in the 1960s, it is, still, very relevant today. This book was recommended to me back in 1983 or 1984 when I was in the military. I bought it with a number of other books. It took me twenty years to read it. I should have read it alot sooner; but, the rigors of life and the fact that a good many other books I bought kept pushing this one further back on the reading list. I grew up in the streets of NYC and saw his life being played out in a number of guys and gals I hung out with at that time. I didn't get caught up in the drug scene nor in the gangsta scene but, like the author, there was a lot going on outside the walls of the house to keep me outside nearly all day. Yeah this world was much newer for me then rather than now but I had to see what was going on within and without my neighborhood. As a parent looking at my kid, I know this world is new to them, which I can't shelter them from. As my kids look at me as their parent, they are constantly telling me to get out of their way. I want to see what is going out there. This only helps me to keep life real for them with a dose of non-reality here and there. Fortunately for Claude Brown, the street made him wise and through his book some of us can reminesce about those days and explain to others what urban life was like for us and how it made us what we are today. For others who have not experienced this urban lifestyle, take the book for what it is and re-evaluate your own experiences in hopes of passing on a reality check of your own life to your children.

This is an awesome book that I highly recommend to all young men trying to find their "way". It can be a little harsh, but it is about life in the inner city and a young man becoming a man.

Claude Brown's slightly fictionalized autobiography recounts his childhood and early adulthood throughout the 1940s and 1950s. Manchild in the Promised Land also documents the changing atmosphere of Harlem and the people it affected. Brown tells stories of himself as a hell-raiser, involved in theft and drug dealing, and spending time in juvenile detention centers like Wiltwyck and Warwick. He was able to establish a feared and respected name for himself both among the streetwalkers of Harlem and the inmates of the reform schools. Lacking formal education (resulting from years of playing hooky) and idolizing the criminal elements around him, he seemed to be heading down a short road of vice and danger.

Only after Brown moved to Greenwich Village shortly before turning twenty was he able to begin viewing Harlem with a more objective eye, and see the factors that led him down the downward spiral he had been traveling. One of the main reasons Brown believes he and his friends were wrought with such violence and recklessness is due to the mentality imported by their parents from the South. The thing that mattered most to them was fighting: for one's money, girl/family, and manhood (Brown 260). He feels that that rural mentality had been brought to a crowded city life that was not only incompatible with the setting, but also destructive. He laments, "it seems as though if I had stayed in Harlem all my life, I might have never known that there was anything else to life other than sex, religion, liquor, and violence" (Brown 281).

As a youth, Brown excelled in these very base attributes. It wasn't until the introduction of heroine, or "horse," as it was first introduced in the early 1950s, that he feels Harlem truly became unable to cope with their values. Instead of young men fighting for honor, they were killing and robbing for money to sustain their overwhelming addictions, introducing more guns into the neighborhood with desperate people wielding them. He witnessed his friends begin to fade away into scratching, nodding junkies. However, by this time Brown was able to leave and slowly break away from the crumbling Harlem he once knew, watching from afar many of the individuals he once hustled with fall victim to the crimes they themselves would perpetrate.

Many opted instead to stay in Harlem and live the street life. He attributes this to the attitudes of whites outside Harlem and the racism they encountered. To live a "clean" life usually meant to work for a white man who underpaid, referred to them in a racially derogatory manner, and made them perform the most labor intensive tasks. When it came to these prospects, most understandably chose the life of a self-employed drug dealer in Harlem over the self-effacing menial work elsewhere, despite the danger (Brown 287).

Where some people turned to drugs or religion to deal with these problems, Brown found his calling through more established and secular means. Education and music became outlets for him to express himself, gain a self-pride through non-criminal means, and eventually lead to a promising career as a lawyer and author.

One of the things that make this autobiography interesting is its use of language. Brown writes in a notable street dialect, however, the language itself evolves with the character. For instance, "cat" slowly comes into use around page 67 and is used throughout, though it receives less use towards the end. More notably, on page 109 the young Claude begins idolizing a street pimp named Johnny: "To Johnny, every chick was a b*tch. Even mothers were b*tches." And so on page 114 Brown writes "Jackie was a beautiful black b*tch." From then on women are regularly referred to as "b*tches" until the character matures enough to treat women with more respect, and Johnny's spell seems to have completely worn off by the time Brown falls in love with a fellow student. Likewise, the sentence structures become less erratic and grow in sophistication as the book goes on, using less slang chapter by chapter when he begins to change. This seems to be by design.

Claude Brown's personal accounts are no doubt fictionalized to some degree, for his characters go on exhaustive speeches several times, and he certainly didn't tape record them for every word. However, Brown's intentions are to present Harlem and its difficulties in approachable and creative ways. To allow readers (such as white-suburban-me) an inside look into the ways of urban life it invites an understanding and, hopefully, sympathy for the situations of the junkies, prostitutes, and drug dealers that we pass on the street. He shows them in a way that cannot be easily neglected, in intimate, personal relationships that reveal the influences and regrets that have placed them in those situations. These factors were not unique to the 1940s and 1950s. They existed before and do so today. Brown allows insight into the hardships while telling an encouraging tale of one who made it out. By personal drive and education, through art and self-expression (as this book is), he shows that the situation is not dire, but attitudes must change before the world will follow.

I can't believe I didn't write a review for a book I read 10 years ago. This is one of my favorite books. It was this one book that drew me into reading books and becoming a book lover. One of the best books I ever read. Highly Recommended!!

I was able to find this book relatively easy, based on a few keywords. My boyfriend started reading it several years ago and was unable to complete it. The storyline stuck in his memory and I bought it as a surprise for him, because over the years he mentioned it occasionally. Thanks for making the lookup so easy!