Pitt Books

Alexander the Great, was born on or around July 20, 356 B.C.E., and is my favorite personality to read about in history. To me he is the whole package general, statesman, conqueror, and philosopher. The smartest man who ever lived, Aristotle, tutored him. Alexander conquered more of the known world than any other figure in history, accomplishing all this before he dies at the ripe old age of 33. Some people called him conqueror and violent overlord. Some other called him civilizer and even God! All of them yet, called him "The Great". He was the first man in modern history that took this name, "The Great"! Even as a young boy, he shows great promise.

Curtius' work is the oldest extant work available and based on eyewitness accounts. He does a better job than most in explaining the battle scenes, and seems to be more balanced in his admiration and criticism of Alexander then any of the other early biographers. I love his Bucephalus Story, and I recount it here so you get a flavor of the promise this young Alexander shows.

The legend begins with Philoneicus, a Thessalian, bringing a wild horse to Philip for him to buy. None of the hands was able to handle it, and Philip grew upset at Philoneicus for bringing such an unstable horse to him. Alexander, however, publicly defied his father and claimed that he could handle the horse. The bet between Philip and Alexander was that if Alexander could ride the horse, Philip would buy it, if not, Alexander would have to pay the price of the horse, which was 13 talents, an enormous sum for a boy of Alexander's age to have.

Alexander apparently noticed that the horse had been shying away from its own shadow, and so he led it gently into the sun, so that its shadow was behind it, all the while stroking it gently and whispering into its ear, (Alexander seems to be the original horse whisperer). Eventually the horse let Alexander mount him, and Alexander was able to show his equestrian skill to his father and all who were watching. The incident so impressed Alexander's father, King Philip that he told the boy "Look thee out a kingdom equal to and worthy of you, for Macedonia is too little for thee". He named the horse Bucephalus, which means Ox head, and rode it across Asia, founding a city in its honor in India after its death. This story gives you an inkling about the man.

This book is a must read for students of Alexander, I also recommend Plutarch's and Arrian's work. Contemporary writers, J.F. C. Fuller and Tarn. Most of Alexander's greatest military traits are in the area of military logistics and to understand his genius in this area I highly recommend reading, "Alexander the Great and the Logistics of the Macedonian Army," by Donald W. Engels.

As a retired U. S. Army Major, I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in ancient warfare, and history.

Alexander the Great, was born on or around July 20, 356 B.C.E., and is my favorite personality to read about in history. To me he is the whole package general, statesman, conqueror, and philosopher. The smartest man who ever lived, Aristotle, tutored him. Alexander conquered more of the known world than any other figure in history, accomplishing all this before he dies at the ripe old age of 33. Some people called him conqueror and violent overlord. Some other called him civilizer and even God! All of them yet, called him "The Great". He was the first man in modern history that took this name, "The Great"! Even as a young boy, he shows great promise.

Curtius' work is the oldest extant work available and based on eyewitness accounts. He does a better job than most in explaining the battle scenes, and seems to be more balanced in his admiration and criticism of Alexander then any of the other early biographers. I love his Bucephalus Story, and I recount it here so you get a flavor of the promise this young Alexander shows.

The legend begins with Philoneicus, a Thessalian, bringing a wild horse to Philip for him to buy. None of the hands was able to handle it, and Philip grew upset at Philoneicus for bringing such an unstable horse to him. Alexander, however, publicly defied his father and claimed that he could handle the horse. The bet between Philip and Alexander was that if Alexander could ride the horse, Philip would buy it, if not, Alexander would have to pay the price of the horse, which was 13 talents, an enormous sum for a boy of Alexander's age to have.

Alexander apparently noticed that the horse had been shying away from its own shadow, and so he led it gently into the sun, so that its shadow was behind it, all the while stroking it gently and whispering into its ear, (Alexander seems to be the original horse whisperer). Eventually the horse let Alexander mount him, and Alexander was able to show his equestrian skill to his father and all who were watching. The incident so impressed Alexander's father, King Philip that he told the boy "Look thee out a kingdom equal to and worthy of you, for Macedonia is too little for thee". He named the horse Bucephalus, which means Ox head, and rode it across Asia, founding a city in its honor in India after its death. This story gives you an inkling about the man.

This book is a must read for students of Alexander, I also recommend Plutarch's and Arrian's work. Contemporary writers, J.F. C. Fuller and Tarn. Most of Alexander's greatest military traits are in the area of military logistics and to understand his genius in this area I highly recommend reading, "Alexander the Great and the Logistics of the Macedonian Army," by Donald W. Engels.

As a retired U. S. Army Major, I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in ancient warfare, and history.

Author Victoria Pitts-Caine includes mystery, romance, and a secret in Alvarado Gold, all the things that make for a good read. Verses from Ecclesiastes aid the heroine, Addie Brown, in her search to find a soulmate, a family treasure, and herself. Alvarado Gold is easy to read and enjoyable from beginning to end. I highly recommend it.

Edited by Ernest Stromberg (associate professor in the Department of English, Communication and Journalism at California State University), American Indian Rhetorics Survivance: Word Medicine, Word Magic is an anthology of scholarly essays by learned authors discussing the rhetorical techniques and strategies of Native Americans in general terms. From ways in which Native Americans revised and transformed Western rhetorical concepts, to critical study of groundbreaking discourse between Native Americans and European colonists, to linguistic issues affecting Native American oratory, American Indian Rhetorics of Survivance explores the nuances of multicultural speechmaking in depth. Specific communication discussed include Red Jacket's rhetoric, Leonard Peltier's prison writings, the cultural translation of the Battle of the Little Bighorn and Custer's death, and much more. A welcome addition to college library and Native American studies shelves.

From the dustjacket: "Cuba entered nationahood without an army; within a little more than three decades, the military institution exercised unchallenged national authority; thirty years later, the military collapsed. This first English language account of the military in Cuba offers groundbreaking research on the origins and development of the Cuban armed forces."

Table of Contents

Genesis of the Cuban Army
National Politics and the Cuban Army, 1909-1924
The United States and the Cuban Army

Sources of Army Preeminence: The Machadato
The Politics of Army Interventions, 1933
Diplomacy, Army Politics, and the Collapse of the Cuban Officer Corps

The Diplomatic Imperative and the Rise of Fulgencio Batitista
Army Hegemony 1934-1940
The Civilian Interregnum 1940-1952
The Restoration of Army Preeminence

Patterns of Resistance: The Armed Forces and Opposition 19523-1958
The Final Confrontation: The Eclipse of the Marcista Order 1958-1959

In Retrospect

Notes, pp. 177-210
Bibliography, pp 211-234
Index

Hardback with dustcover, 240 pp, red cloth with gold details over hardback boards.

Miller looks at commonplace books as sites of identity construction and gender formation. Miller recognizes their pedagogical value as both a mneumotechnical tool as well as a vehicle for enlightenment through self-reflexivity and critical thinking. Miller suggests through this 300+ page book many interesting concepts invlovling researching outside the canon in order to locate sources of identity and cultural stimulus. Also, according to Miller, commonplace books contain important historical information. For a more detailed report email me.

Astoria is an outstanding compilation of engaging and lyrical poetic rhetoric from the inspirational and conceptual works of Malena Morling (Professor of Creative Writing at the University of North Carolina, Willmington). With a lyrically enraptured wordsmithing, Morling presents her most insightful, artistic, and sensuously flowing poetry yet. Traveling: Like streetlights/still lit/past dawn,/the dead/stare at us/from the framed/photographs.//You may say otherwise,/but there they are,/still here/traveling/continuously/backwards/without a sound/further and further/into the past.

Probably the most cited textbook in atmospheric chemistry, despite its "age". If you want to learn anything about atmospheric chemistry, this is the book you need. I can't understand why its out of print....I just special ordered it!

The Avant-Garde And Geopolitics In Latin America is a close study of cannonical Latin American avant-garde texts of the 1920s and 1930s, including novels, travel writing, journalism, and poetry, revealing them as seeds of modern Western culture and precursors of global culture. Author Fernando J. Rosenberg (asst. professor, Dept. of Spanish and Portuguese, Yale University) scrutinizes the long-term global and political implications of Latin American literature, supporting his conclusions with extensive notes and references. Especially recommended for Latin American literature and history students, The Avant-Garde And Geopolitics In Latin America an advanced discourse of cultural reverberations that far transcend their decade, and even their century, of origin.

Resplendent. All that I have tried to accomplish in my writing is crystallized by this tender-voiced poet. Here, he takes the elemental power of beauty found in nature, youth and man, and restructures the reality of time. He weaves a personal mythology, integrating surrealism and Greek history. It is impossible to describe the affect and style of this work which alternates between prose, free verse and complex, metered verse. The eternal conflict and balance between Light and Dark is chronicled. Elytis speaks with a universality that transcends war and history specific to Greece--his message is applicable to all peoples and times. Moving, tragic, humorous, dark and beautiful, The Axion Esti celebrates Light, Life and Love. Stin archi to Fos kai i ora i proti, pou ta cheili akoma ston pilo dokimazoun ta pragmata tou kosmou...