Roberts Books

Bernadette shows that her love for God has given her the courage to 'go into the market place' and to be brave enough to let it all fall away. It also shows how narrow this path is and how easily one can fall for the fear of being left alone with nothing in the whole universe to hang on to. Though her approach is different from my own, it makes crystal clear the miracle of the 'other' being there. And if not all trust is handed over without any reserve, however dangerous it looks, you will get stuck somewhere on this path. It is very revealing and clarifying to see this path from another tradition than my own. I want to thank Bernadette from the bottom of my heart for showing me her way. She is a tribute to her tradition and to mankind as a whole.

I like this book. As a student of A Course in Miracles, I was interested in seeing any similarities between ACIM and a Monastic Journey to God. They are indeed similar. I have learned that the key back to God is to abandon the ego. Ms Roberts learned it too. However, she seemed not to get past the fact that she is NOT a body and could not see thru this illusion. But she eventually did it. I believe she is enlightened. This book helped me a lot.

I stumbled upon this little book when I was a teenager. It catapulted me into a very profound and healing journey. I base my way of living on it still, fifteen years later. This book, it would seem, can take on elements of an Eastern philosophy, but is based in Roberts' experience as a catholic nun. This book paints a completed picture of what our souls' journey requires of us on its path to selflesness. It is an important insight to unexplored territory.

This lucid and unfailingly honest account of the process of coming to terms with the loss of "self" is simply a grace for those with ears to hear. Ms. Roberts, a former nun, has walked the contemplative path to the point where it disappears into nowhere and then, remarkably enough, kept walking. Her personal experiences and reflections on the journey are invaluable to those traveling a similar route; along with the writings of St. John of the Cross, her books (I include "The Experience of No-Self" as well) are simply the most nourishing of mana for those lost in the desert of God, as well as for those who have lived in the desert and are being called at last back to the city. The straightforwardness of her writing and her contemporary reality are a blessing. No one tells it like it is about the dark night of the soul better than Bernadette Roberts, and her books have been sustaining companions to me for almost twenty years. They were all I could read, at many points. These are not books for scholars; these are books for those in the grip of the real thing.

More profound, authentic Christianity is to be found in ten paragraphs of this book than in the complete texts of ten wise books on Christian spirituality. To read Roberts' works is to be immediately transported into the radiance of absolute Truth. The Christ presented in this book is the One your soul has longed to discover!
Joseph Conti, Ph.D.
Instructor, Dept of Comparative Religion
California State University, Fullerton

WOW! I guess that was really my first reaction when I got a few pages into this very well written book on the subject of western style kickboxing, as the author so eloquently puts it. I remember watching the author compete back in the days of the PKA, WKA, KICK, and the various other governing organizations of kickboxing.

The contents of this book are very well organized and easy to follow and understand. Although this book doesn't really go into great detail on each and every individual physical techniques like punching and kicking persay, it does give you a very through overview of all of the basic techniques that you will need in the ring if you decide to compete in the sport of kickboxing. Here is a list of the subjects covered in this book.

THE FOUNDATION

1. Background
2. Conditioning
3. Getting Started
4. Critical Points
5. Warming Up
6. Training With Equipment

WEAPONS

7. Movement
8. Boxing Punches
9. Fundamental Kicks
10. Basic Knees and Elbows

DEFENSE

11. Defensive Movement
12. Boxing Defenses
13. Kicking Defenses
14. Knee and Elbow Defenses

COMBOS and COUNTERS

15. Boxing Combinations
16. Boxing Counters
17. Kicking Combinations
18. Kicking Counters
19. Knee and Elbow Combos
20. Hand and Feet Combos

I have read a couple of different books on the subject, and I don't hesitate to say that this book is definitely in the top ten that I have ever seen on the subject.

Shawn Kovacich
Martial Artist/Author of the Achieving Kicking Excellence series.

Like most martial artist, I did some soul searching before I found my art. I bought a lot of books, on many styles. I ordered this one, and it made my mind up for me. This is a THE book for anyone interested in kickboxing.

This book is creatively crafted by Peter Cunningham and Robert Mickey. It is a great primer on the basics of kickboxing and chapters include information on conditioning, getting started, striking techniques and much more. The book isn't just full of photos teaching the reader how to make each movement. No, this book is much more. There contains much information on the ends and outs of this sport.

This book reads at a ninth grade level which widens the appeal to teenagers who have had some karate training and may be looking to expand their knowledge into the sport aspects of kickboxing. Adults in the martial arts (like myself) should enjoy this book as well. Cunningham has done a great job and deserves a lot of credit for this publication.

This book is a must for those people who are interested in doing kickboxing, whether they are newcomers to the sport or intermediate fighters looking for great knockout techniques. The book is written in an easy to understand format with photos showing how to execute the kicks and punches. Before I read this book I knew nothing about fighting. But within two weeks of practicing these techniques I felt confident that I could defend myself if the need arose.

What a wonderful book. The most appealing thing about it was the author's style of communication. Not only does describe techniques clearly and thoroughly, but I also felt he was right there providing the instructions. His tone was informative and friendly -- he knows his stuff. You will really like Peter, and if you practice what you learn from this book, you will also be on your way to mastering the exciting art of Kickboxing.

The quality of each and every mosaic in this book is stupendous. Looking at all the pictures is almost therapeutic. With the microscope provided, hours can be spent looking at the tiny pictures that create a beautiful scene from a distance. The amount of effort and time put into this book seems baffling, but the author's effort truly pays off.

just awesome...it was fascinating that something so overwhelming was even attempted. The photos within photos are just mouthwateringly real. Good job.

The photomosaics in this book are the most superb that I have ever seen. The book provides close-ups, so that you may see each individual picture. The book has a wide variety of photomosaics, and the one that touched me the most was the AIDS Memorial quilt one. This is a fabulous for photography busts, and non-photography books alike. This is an amazing collection that can be appreciated by many people.

This is the most inspiring use of photography with computer work I've come across. It sent me out to have a full sixe 20x36 for my Entertainment Room. Can't wait until the entire room is a Photomosaic. Thumbs up for sure to Mr. Silvers

Unfortunately the review form doesn't let me enter a rating above 10!

A Photomosaic is, as the name suggests, a mosaic of photos. Hundreds or thousands of images reduced in size and placed on a grid so as to create an impression of a larger, overall image. The 'tiles' used are selected for their color, shapes and shading within the image so as to most truthfully represent the relevant section of the larger image. What's more, the descriptive content of the 'tiles' is usually relevant to the larger image. Some of the best examples of this are the widescreen stills used from George Lucas's Star Wars in generating larger images of Darth Vader, and Yoda, and civil war photographs used to create an image of Abraham Lincoln.

The book contains 96 pages with 28 full page photomosaics, and in addition often has enlarged sections of each image to show the smaller image content. Interspersed with the images are thought provoking quotes relating to the pictures, and an all too short introduction briefly describes how photomosaics came about. (Not technical enough in my opinion). The images are created in a 6 color printing process for exceptional quality results

This is is one of those ideas where I think to myself - 'I wish I'd been involved in this'. As the artist/creator Robert Silvers says - 'This is for lovers of pictures'. One of my main interests in computing is the generation of images by use of computers, whether it be popular methods such as fractals, ray-tracing or any other form of computer art. Even the 3D Eye auto-stereogram pictures are computer generated. (I assumed the dig on the back cover in respect of the fact that everyone can see photomosaics, was in reference to these auto-stereograms!)

This concept of using pictures to create pictures seems simple on the surface and sounds like another easy money maker for someone along the line. Maybe it is, but the technology behind creating such pictures is leading edge and was performed by Rob Silvers as part of his Masters at MIT Media Lab. The amount of work involved in collating tens of thousands of images from all sorts of sources, and then analyzing each image as to color and shading content, underlying shapes within the image, and descriptive content of the images is immense. All sorts of tricks were used to speed up and improve the quality of the photomosaics produced.

If I were to have this as a coffee-table book at a party, I would need one per visiting guest, and I would get a quiet thirty seconds whilst people got the gist of the book and then it would be the talk of the evening. (Maybe that's an indication of my guests rather than the book!)

I would dearly have loved to have been involved at that exciting development stage of the (patent pending) technology, but sadly this book is likely to be as near to being involved as I ever get. Mind you it is hard, in any case, not to get involved with this fascinating book. I shall be putting an order in for my 1999 calender as soon as it comes out.

This review comes from somebody who does NOT live in Boston, unlike many other reviewers!!

WOW. Be prepared to be drawn right in. I was! Very good writing and excellent storytelling.

Planet of the Dogs teaches us valuable lessons of living in peace and harmony. Dogs naturally love unconditionally, and Robert McCarty portrays this easily and beautifully. This book will teach children, through the subtle, true expressive messages of the dogs, what really matters in life. Green Valley and its lessons should be something we all strive for.

A review from the author of Born Without a Tail:

Planet of the Dogs is a riveting tale for young readers that eloquently reminds us of the true nature of dogs; loving, helpful, loyal companions with loads to teach the human race. The story is expertly illustrated with powerful, full-page drawings. For dog lovers of all ages.

This Is such a heart warming story,A tale of how dogs come to earth to help guide the people of a small community and teach them how to work together to save their town from evil people, and make peace with them.
This Is a definite read for all dog lovers!!! 4 paws up

I am a third grade teacher in Sheboygan, WI and I have developed a Therapy Dog Reading program for second and third graders at Longfellow Elementary School. The program's name is Pages for Preston, after my own therapy dog. We have read Planet of the Dogs during our reading time with the dogs and my students are absolutely enthralled with the book! I was in awe at their eagerness to learn about the characters and events in the story. Watching the students read about Miss Merrie and Lucy while reading to therapy dogs was a full circle moment for me. It was wonderful to witness them applying character lessons from the book to their own peer interactions. Bob McCarty has a gifted style of writing that captures the heart of children. We started reading Planet's sequel - Castle in the Mist, and my students beg to read these books during free time. What great motivators to encourage reading in young children! I highly recommend this book for teachers to use in classrooms as there are very many character trait lessons that can be tied in with the book along with using it as a read aloud.

What initially drew me to this was the low-budget part. It turns out to be full of practical advice for anyone thinking of getting into making movies whether from the purely creative or the cold-hard-cash standpoint. Actually, this book makes an excellent point of connecting the money and the art especially in the field of filmmaking where the pursuit is hardly ever one-man or completely free of expense. This is not just about the low-budget film but about filmmaking in general discussed in a way you would discuss how to bake a lasagna. You realize that anyone can bake a lasagna. Whether or not anyone would eat it? That's another story.

This book is very readable - the author uses several anecdotes to engage the reader, and also provides lots of hard facts, and excellent suggestions. If you are planning a film - buy this book.

Planning The Low Budget Film by producer and production manager Robert Latham Brown draws upon the author's 30 years of experience to lay out the principles of solid film planning with strictly limited resources. Chapters discuss how to get into the low-budget film business, how to apply and adhere to a schedule, methods of calculating and keeping track of the budget. Of especial value is the meticulous step-by-step instructions for anyone who is brand new to the confusing world of financial recordkeeping. Written in down-to-earth, no-nonsense format, Planning The Low Budget Film is enthusiastically recommended for aspiring and professional film producers of all experience levels.

I found out about this book quite by accident on Wikipedia, as so many people rely on expensive computer budgeting programs now. I refuse to shell out more big cash on programs and books. The D.I.Y. film information industry has become so bloated, you could spend so much money on materials, you could've made a feature film instead of buying more books on HOW to do it. But this is a really good book from an actual teacher who knows how to communicate. It's a secret self-published book that I'm glad I stumbled upon. As word-of-mouth spreads, I imagine many more people will find out about it.

Anyway, now that the script is done five years later, I've been avoiding the idea of all this real work, hoping I could run a cute photo and a personal ad for a knight to ride in and save me. I didn't care if the knight was white or black or even abusive. But no dice. And since I have to do this anyway, I wanted to really learn the logic of how and why to break down and budget a script. It's a surprisingly easy read for such a dry subject and I'm carrying my copy around like a newly dog-eared pet, reading a little bit more each time. Good luck to both you and me!

Update: I broke down and not only had to buy a program (which I still can't figure out six months later--if only Scott Billups would write every manual!)--but I also took a pre-production class with Debbie Brubaker, the line producer. Man, she is rock n' roll.

If you are making your first legitimate movie where people besides your friends and family are depending on you not to screw up big time and you just searched Amazon for books on filmmaking and you need a no-nonsense step by step guide to help you through the behind the scenes process, this is the book for you!

I work with a comedy group in California, and we recently shot our first budgeted short film. As I am the most organized member of the group I was appointed the "Line Producer" and put in charge of making the whole thing come together on the back end. Coming from a theatre background, I knew what went into putting a stage performance together, but I was in the dark when it came to preparing for a film. After scouring Amazon (and a few other sites) this book seemed the most adequate to help me prepare for my job.

I've worked in film before, so a lot of the books I looked at about making a movie spend 2/3 of their volume explaining the difference between DV and Film and what a DP does, but I needed something that cut through that introductory fat, and would help prepare me for pre-production and detail exactly what went into pulling a film together.

This book is that book. It was my bible. It was glued to my side like Biff's Sports Almanac in Back to the Future 2.

Mr. Brown walks you through everything that goes into "making it happen." From breaking down the script into a functional shooting schedule to preparing an accurate budget to determing how far behind schedule you are to making sure there is a place for people to go to the bathroom, it's all in there. Additionally, the book even helped me to prepare for a lot of the basic legal and propreitary issues that we would encounter.

Brown also peppers the book with great anecdotes that help you avoid the pitfalls and roadblocks that he himself has encountered on large feature films like The Goonies. Yeah, The Goonies, you can't mess with someone who worked on The Goonies.

This book is essential. Bottom line. Read it. Love it. Use it.
Make well prepared movies.
Be a hero for your production.

Although this book is over 10 years old, it could have been written this year. The concepts are still relevant.
The author concludes that there are 2 primary reasons to undertake a metrics program for software development -- 1) tracking progress and 2) identifying improvements. The book is divided into 2 parts, with the first part discussing project management metrics and the second part metrics to improve your software development processes. I particularly liked the goal/question/metric approach to validate the metrics you are collecting. The text is loaded with examples from the author's experience at HP. There are several charts and diagrams. This is not an academic read, but as the title says -- practical. The author also covers people issues, such as selling your metrics program to management and staff. It is a quick read and a very useful reference book.

This is Grady's first book and it sets the tone for his later two books, Successful Software Process Improvement and Software Metrics: Establishing a Company-wide Program. What makes this book so important is that it is one of the first to integrate software metrics with project management metrics.

What I particularly like about this book includes:

(1) Complete view of metrics that matter, and the chronicle of how these metrics evolved in a large company (Hewlett-Packard).
(2) Recognition that any software metrics initiative extends beyond the project that delivers the software - Grady examines post-production metrics and ties them back to not only the development life cycle, but the product life cycle as well. Ten years after this book was published there are still large organizations that are struggling with doing this, yet Grady's book provides a clear roadmap to achieving this elusive goal.
(3) Continuous improvement is the central theme in this book. Grady does not stop with collecting and analyzing metrics, but how to effectively employ them to spot improvement opportunities and develop a strategy to effect those improvements.

The book is written as both a story of how a successful metrics program evolved, complete with anecdotes that will prove helpful, and as a collection of data that illustrates what is and is not important to a comprehensive metrics program.

Among all of Grady's books I like this one the best; however, I recommend that his other two also be carefully read if software process improvement is your goal. He has much to say and backs it up with data and a chronicle of his experiences from real projects.

I bought this book about 5 years ago after getting certified as a project manager. This book give me a holistic view of how to intepret data collected from tracking the entire software lifecycle and manage and integrate best practices into a software business.

The author's vast experience in HP helps to provide good assurance that his concepts used were tried and robustly tested. Therefore, software failures, internal flags and customer feedbacks can immediately give you a fairly visible prognosis to the robustness of a release and flashes early warning signs of how you should manage that product to reduce damage to your business, etc.. Practical for technical managers having to manage the business operations.

Whether you're a fledgling company trying to design quality software with no guidelines to go by or a well-developed organization with processes in place, this book offers up many ways that you can improve your software quality.

I was introduced to Mr. Grady's work when I borrowed a copy of Software Metrics: Establishing a Company-Wide Program. Where that book interwove a storyline into metrics and how they support mature process improvement, this book is more like a desk reference. Mr. Grady has divided this book into two parts: tactical metrics, which are project-oriented, and strategic metrics which address process improvement.

The first part starts with a collection of practical rules of thumb for software managers. This collection of heuristics covers every phase of the development life cycle and are backed up with data gathered during 125 software projects at Hewlett-Packard. An example of one of these rules of thumb is that you will find 1 defect after software has been released into production for every 10 defects caught during testing. This, of course, is purely empirical, but is an interesting rule that I mentally filed away. Some highlights of the first part are: a good introduction to the goal-question-metric approach to determining what to measure based on your objectives, and a focus on project goals of maximizing customer satisfaction while minimizing project schedule and costs, and product defects. This is followed by chapters that address each of these goals. One of the best chapters in the first part of this book is work analysis. While I am more focused on the service delivery side of metrics (after the project has produced something that has been released into production), some of the metrics were very valuable to me - especially the ones that revolved around testing and QA.

Part 2 is squarely in my domain - production and application support, and service delivery. The best chapter, Dissecting Software Failures, was one of the most insightful descriptions of the defect life cycle I have ever read. It fully addresses defect data collection and analysis, and how to use this data to effect process and product improvement. Even better is the chapter on investing in process improvement. Here Mr. Grady gives a workable approach to using the defect data to developing a business case for process improvement. He guides you through developing a plan, selecting from among an array of solutions, and case studies.

This book is a quick read. It's main value lies in the many tables and facts provided on nearly every page. I use it as a desk reference, especially the appendices that summarize defect origins, types and modes, and metrics definitions. It spans both project and production metrics, and is as valuable to project managers as it is to application support professionals.

This particular book provides the reader with a comprehensive view of PHP development. I was pleased with the vast amount of topics covered. This book is a very useful tool for developers.

This is a great book in that the author provides comprehensive coverage of a complicated subject, and does it in clear, concise and understandable language. The book should be a promary resource for programmers. I look forward to more contributions from this author.

'Pro PHP XML and Web Services' by Robert Richards is a great book to help you learn your way around these technologies. Packing in over 900+ pages, this book gives a broad overview of the subject matter which is outlined here:

01. Introduction to XML and Web Services
02. XML Structure
03. Validation
04. XPath, XPointer, XInclude
05. PHP and XML
06. Document Object Model
07. SimpleXML
08. Simple API for XML
09. XMLReader
10. Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations
11. Effective and Efficient Processing
12. XML Security
13. PEAR and XML
14. Content Syndication: RSS and Atom
15. Web Distributed Data Exchange
16. XML-RPC
17. Representational State Transfer
18. SOAP
19. Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration (UDDI)
20. PEAR and Web Services
21. Other XML Technologies and Extensions

If you need a book that dives into the XML technology and doesn't look back, this is a nice pickup that gets the job done. Lots of other Apress books I feel are a bit too long, but this book at over 900 pages I have less complaints about. It's solidly written and a nice companion book to have on your bookshelf for anyone that programs with XML.

**** RECOMMENDED

This book is amazingly well written. The content is organized in an intuitive and logical fashion. The author explains base concepts and progresses into advanced topics, providing consistent depth of coverage along the way. The author's writing and concise examples get the message across on the first reading - unlike some texts that require multiple passes. It's also noteworthy that the Technical Reviewers, Christian Stocker and Adam Trachtenberg, are renowned PHP experts and authors. If you plan to study or work with PHP and XML, this book is a MUST HAVE.

This is first and foremost an XML reference. The author takes the reader through over 100 pages XML background in the first three chapters, then an overview of a few utilities like XPath and XPointer before he touches on PHP. Having provided some grounding in the basics, he then proceeds to develop the use of XML in PHP from the basic topics of DOM (Document Object Model) and XSLT (Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations) to the more advanced topics of SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) and web services.

Along the way Richards introduces the reader to utility classes like SimpleXML, SAX (Simple API for XML), XMLReader. He also touches on PEAR (PHP Extension and Application Repository) utility classes and topics like security, RSS (Really Simple Syndication) and UDDI (Universal Description, Discovery and Integration). The author's examples are reasonably concise and readable; making the necessary points without getting carried away.

The bottom line is that this is a highly effective reference (that means fairly comprehensive, but dry reading; I read cover to cover, but it was relatively tedious) on XML and its varied uses in association with PHP. This is not a book for the newcomer to programming, nor is it a cookbook for examples for the casual programmer/web developer, although the author does provide PEAR examples for connecting with major web services like Amazon, Google and Yahoo (among others). My suggestion for readers is to review what you need of the first 11-12 chapters to ensure a firm grounding in XML, and then hop to the chapters specific to the problem being faced.
P-)

An excellent and very needed book in the English speaking world where so much of what we read and learn is from the British point of view with all the prejudices of the British thrown in. A valuable book for those who wish to get a more balanced view of the war by reading about both the British and the French. A caution, however, as one finds the british accounts onesided, there are moments in reading the book where i got the feeling the author was anti-British. But it doesn't detract from the overall excellence in providing a seldem heard aspect of the war.

Most histories of the First World War have focused on the British or German perspective. This is a history of the French operations, which provided the bulk of the resistance to the Germans on the western front.

Histories of the First World War suffered from partisan books written directly after the war that gave a caricatured version of operations. They suggested that French and British generals failed to appreciate the impact of modern technology and simply used men as cannon fodder. This book is one that seeks to counter that view and show how the French commanders reacted to the success and failure of operations and developed strategies which evolved during the war to lessen the loss of human life and develop more efficient methods of attack and defence. In fact the year of 1914 saw one of the French Armies considerable triumphs the defeat of the German movement through Belgium aimed at outflanking the French line. This success occurred when the Germans devoted the majority of their army to the western front in an attempt to gain an early victory. England at the time had only mobilised a small army so the defeat of the Germans was a remarkable victory.

One of the interesting points made by the book is that some 50% of the French losses occurred in the first year of the war before the development of the trench system. The reason of course was that before the development of the trenches when there was the war of movement infantry were much more vulnerable to artillery fire. In 1915 when the French attacked again and again in an attempt to aid the Russian offensives the losses were although substantial far less than in the disastrous first year. The losses suffered in resisting the German offensive at Verdun again were again less than in 1915. It was only in 1918 that France carried out the series of attacks that finally led to Germany's capitulation that the casualty figures increased to levels close to 1915.

The book is interesting as it shows how the French developed tactics over time. The rolling barrage to protect the infantry in its advance. The notion of the flexible defence so that infantry was kept away from the front line to avoid the heavy losses which resulted from opening barrages and instead using counter attacks and the holding of key points to inflict casualties on the attacker.

In fact it is clear that the French became frustrated with the English under Haig who launched his Somme offensive without using the sorts of advances in strategy that had been developed by the French and Germans thus turning that battle into a costly stalemate. One of the attractions of the book is that it shows the history of the English campaign and issues though an observers eyes.

The book also reveals how close the Germans came to victory in 1918. If Ludendorff had been able to move more quickly to separate the English and French armies in detail he could have won. Instead he relied on costly staged offensives delayed so much that the French and English were able to hang on.

Despite the loss of the major industrial section of their country the French were able to turn their country into an arsenal producing ¾ of the weapons that were used by the Americans. Huge numbers of tanks aircraft and heavy artillery.

The book also shows clearly the importance of the operations in Macedonian in hastening the end of the war. The attack on this front in `1918 led to Bulgaria being forced out of the war. This broke the German supply line to Turkey which meant that the British under Allenby were able to advance from Egypt easily also defeating that country. Lastly the surrender of Bulgaria opened up yet another front that the weakened Austro-Hungarian Empire could not hold. One of the more interesting books on the First World War which is valuable in giving another perspective on the conflict.

Robert Doughty's 2005 "Pyrrhic Victory" may be the most extensive English-language account available of Franch strategy and operations during the First World War. Doughty has combed a variety of archives to document that, contrary to popular myth, France sought throughout 1914-1918 to execute a coherent strategy of fighting a multi-front war in order to maintain pressure on Germany. Moreover, France executed this strategy despite increasing shortages of manpower, a ferocious battlefield learning curve for its general officers, and several crises of confidence.

France understood itself in 1914 to be at a distinct disadvantage in population and industrial base with respect to Germany. This disadvantage drove France to seek out allies throughout the war. France would rely on the huge but unsophisticated Russian Army to force Germany to fight a two-front war and on a reluctant Great Britain to help defend France itself.

In 1914, France and Britain narrowly avoided defeat in a war of movement that culminated in the miracle victory at the Battle of the Marne. As the Western Front stabilized into hundreds of kilometers of opposing trenches, France and its allies would spend the next four years trying to break the stalemate in France while applying pressure on German and its allies through operations in Turkey, the Balkans, Italy and Eastern Europe.

Doughty recounts the tense struggles between French civilian and military leaders over the best way to identify and carry out a winning strategy. The inability to impose a decisive battle on the Western Front in 1914 led to experimentation with siege tactics, renewed offensives in 1915, and a reluctant acceptance of a strategy of attrition by 1916. A premature return to a strategy of decisive battle in early 1917 nearly broke the French Army. France leaned heavily on the British Army to carry the load during much of 1917 while suppressing mutinies and scraping the bottom of its manpower barrel. Key changes in leadership, especially the elevation of Generals Petain and Foch, enabled France to ride out the supreme crisis of renewed German offensives in early 1918. The arrival in numbers of trained U.S. troops on the front lines by summer 1918 enabled the Allies to go over to the offensive and finally defeat an exhausted German Army.

Doughty's narrative makes clear what a close-run thing the Allied victory was. Despite a total nation effort to field and equip an enormous Army, France had been bled white by 1917 and was completely exhausted in the military sense by 1918. The maturation of a mass British Army on the continent, and the creation of a mass American Army in France, both events fostered by French leadership, enabled France to persevere to a pyrrhic victory that may have gutted its national resources and will for a generation.

"Pyrrhic Victory" is a scholarly work written perhaps as much for other scholars as for the general reader, who may find it a long dry effort at over 500 pages. Doughty has included some good maps; this reviewer wishes he had included a few more. Doughty's discussion of French strategy and operations might have included more commentary on corresponding German actions, making the external context of French actions a little clearer.

These minor criticisms aside, this is an exceptional work of military history, very highly recommended to students of the First World War, especially those seeking insight to evolving French strategy.

As has been noted there are a rash of english language books on the Anglo and American participation of the war. The battle of the Somme and the 1918 offensive are covered in detail in most books on the war. Anyone with a serious interest knows about the destruction of the British regular army and England's officer class. We read about the war at sea because of England's involvement.

Few books have concentrated on the French aspect except to mention the Mutiny's, the miracle of 1914 and of course the mention the damage done to the French nation by the death of so many Frenchmen.

THis book is parhaps one of a kind then because it gives the English language reader insight into the French strategy. Mostly a strategy that hs been mocked or passed over. Most have viewed the 1917 offensive as one more ill-concevied blood bath leading directly to mutiny. Many know about Verdun, however the rest of the front, some 70% of it was manned by Frenchmen. The French army shared the burden of the war on the western front. Here we are given a fuller picture of the french general staff, of Foch and Petain and of the french strategy in more minute detail. Keegan and others have done wonderful books on WWI, the more specific study will sppeal to those with a genuine interest in the period. A worthwhile read.

Seth J. Frantzman

Despite the fact that the French Army carried the bulk of the Allied war effort on the Western Front in 1914-18, it has rarely received its due in First World War historiography. Brigadier General (ret.) Robert A. Doughty, head of West Point's history department for twenty years, seeks to correct that omission in his Pyrrhic Victory: French Strategy and Operations in the Great War. Overall, this is an erudite, well-written book for professional military officers and historians and an essential addition to any serious library on the First World War.

This book consists of ten chapters, with one on pre-war doctrine, eight that each cover about six months of the war and a conclusion. The initial chapter on transformation examines pre-war doctrine and strategic planning. Despite first-rate intelligence on German order of battle, the author notes that the French expected an invasion of Belgium but thought that the Germans lacked the reserves to make a deep penetration. The French Army was also fairly well equipped for war, but the neglect of heavy artillery was a serious omission. Furthermore, the author notes that initial combat on the borders indicated "the bankruptcy of French tactical doctrine and the inadequacy of their artillery," although these flaws were not immediately apparent to General Joffre, the French commander-in-chief. Indeed, the author paints a poor picture of Joffre in August 1914, as a commander who blamed others for his faulty operational plan, failed to concentrate his forces and ignored intelligence about enemy intentions. On the other hand, Joffre showed marked improvement in September 1914 by effectively utilizing France's railroads to mass forces for the Battle of the Marne - a victory which the author notes to Joffre's credit.

Once the war shifted to a static phase in 1915, the author notes that the French failure to defend vital coal and steel regions at the start of the war hindered their long-term war industrial potential. It is not uncommon that military men ignore economic factors until they are faced with shortages. As the French Army gradually shifted to an offensive strategy in 1915, the author describes how Joffre succeeded in creating a substantial reserve force but that the early attacks were costly failures due to limited artillery support. Two competing offensive doctrines emerged: Joffre's "continuous battle," which envisaged a massive `big push' style attack, and the "methodical battle" advocated by younger generals such as Foch and Petain. While Joffre believed that a decisive breakthrough on the Western Front was possible, more realistic officers such as Petain realized that it was no longer possible and that the conflict had become a war of attrition. However, Joffre set the strategic agenda well into 1916 and he adamantly opposed diversions such as operations in the Mediterranean that took troops away from his `big push' offensives on the Western Front. It was not until near-disaster at Verdun that Joffre realized the demands of attrition warfare and promoted defense-in-depth against German counterattacks. Also, by 1916 the French Army had finally corrected its deficiencies in heavy artillery, which transformed its operational potential. Yet unlike Germany, France did not opt for total war as Germany did, with its political leaders placing limits on bombing German cities and the use of chemical warfare.

By the end of 1916, French officers such as Nivelle, Petain and Foch had developed new methods of infantry-artillery coordination that enabled the French Army to launch short, but effective attacks. Nivelle became a little too enamored of these new tactics and when he replaced Joffre, he attempted to use them to achieve a major breakthrough in the ill-fated Nivelle offensive. The mutiny that resulted from Nivelle's poor judgment nearly broke the French Army, but it was Petain that saved it from dissolution. Petain adopted a new program for the army that emphasized material over haphazard use of infantry and this program emphasized aircraft, heavy artillery, tanks and chemicals. Ultimately, Petain found the material key to victory but it was Foch - who finally became the unified commander of Allied forces in the desperate days of 1918 - who found the morale key to victory.
Pyrrhic Victory also offers readers a very different perspective on British actions. From the French perspective, the BEF was not pulling its fair share of the load in 1914-15 and British offensives were rather puny. While the author does not denigrate the British, Belgian or American contributions to victory, this book helps to illuminate the major role played by the French in achieving that victory. Although starting out wrong-footed, the French Army survived a major offensive by one of the best armies in the world, adapted and eventually developed the means to push that enemy off its soil. While the price of victory was crippling, there is no doubt that the French Army in the First World did far more than merely `survive' until the Americans came to `rescue them.'

I found this book accessible and helpful, though it is "heavy" reading (understandably, given the topic).

To totally understand the Qabalistic significance of the Tarot and their correspondences, this is the book. It compares Thoth, Rider-Wait, Golden Dawn and Marseilles decks. Going through each path on the Qabalah and describing its characteristics makes understanding the cards much easier. I have had this book since it first came out and I still refer to it to this day. If wanting to understand the Thoth deck, this book along with "Understanding Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot" by Lon Milo Duquette is a must, since they both very accurately explain the Qabalistic significance of the Tarot in very easy to understand terms. Its divinatory explanations are limited however and Wang uses excerpts from the "Golden Dawn" edited by Israel Regardie to cover this. From this part of the book it is a great jumping off point into other books that may supply more info in this area, but for the study of how the Tarot relates to the Qabalah, this book is unsurpassed.

I call this review "Constant Companion Qabalah" because I keep this book always near my desk. As a professional astrologer, VisionCoach and expert Tarot symbolist, I find this book the single most profound reference of its kind. It has been my constant companion since I first read it back in 1989. I have since read it at least three times from cover to cover and I refer to it constantly in the classes I teach. Robert Wang has thoroughly mastered the material. He has access to the secret doctrines of the mystery schools such as The Order of the Golden Dawn. His approach is intellectually and practically balanced with a profound understanding of the spirituality and mystic wisdom of the Qabalah. This is a book that will stay with you at whatever level you meet it and meet you at whatever level you wish to take it to later. Perhaps it goes without saying, but a good working knowledge of astrology and Tarot is a real plus before cracking the spine of this one!

Without a doubt, this is the best book on the Qabalah, bar none. Notice how I spelled Qabalah: this book is from a Western Occult perspective, make no mistake.

Wang explains the Qabalah better than anyone else I've ever read. His language is sometimes a little stiff, but remember this is a very difficult subject. Sometimes words fail the author who attempts to describe such sublime ideas. Wang is able to gently lead one into understanding, like the adept he is.

Now, his Tarot deck leaves a LOT to be desired. I don't recommend that at all. But this book will become your favorite, of that I'm sure. And, it will become the only book you need to understand both the Qabalah, and the Tarot.

Buy this book !!! If this subject interests you, you definitely NEED it.

This book is a masterpiece - it's very informative & researched (which make it contrast sharply with the many - too many - shallow formulative books published nowadays), and gives a wide and deep view of the tarot.

Wang explains the tarot using the Qabala (especially the tree of life) and some astrology, based on the Golden Dawn tradition, giving it a context and underpinning - the tarot is presented not as a collection of pictures, but as the structured tool that has a structure and ordered basis in western occult tradition. To illustrate his explanation, he compares the Tarot of Marseilles, his own Golden Dawn deck, Waite's Rider deck, and Crowley's Thoth deck. The book can be used as a guide for all of those decks, or as the best companion guide to the books that accompany them (e.g. the Pictorial Key to the Tarot or Book of Thoth).

Though the book is not the easiest to read (and needs to be read more than once to be fully digested), the language is concise, the structure of material logical and clear, and is worth every cent of its price and every moment spent reading.

The only complaint I have about this book is the poor binding - the pages are poorly glued at the back which made the pages break into four groups quickly. I wish a plastic binding back was used instead.

I like the crisp, get to the point style of this book. However, the words conveyed clearly the depth of emotion from sorrow, failure, disillusionment to achievement, success, love, and hope. Whether male or female, all of us can identify with some part of Chris' story. It is the type of story that one continues to think about long after the book is put down. It is the type of story that makes one happy that the heroine found her niche in this crazy world of ours. A solid, good, fast read.

This book is gem. Short, but fulfilling--it's a great gift and a fun read that had me laughing out loud. Offering brief but poignant glimpses into a less than nurturing childhood, Chris Roberts leads us on an insightful journey through some of her memorable experiences and demonstrates how a sense of humor can be a lifeline. Hilarious at times, there are also moments when you stand with her and survey a sobering situation...and then, just as quickly as she revealed that serious moment, she's brushing herself off and moving on. Chris teaches us a little about not taking ourselves or our circumstances too seriously...to change what we can, but above all to enjoy our journey. For me, her stories were all about "perspective" and how happiness is a daily choice.

Wow! What a wonderful book. Just finished it the other night. I so enjoyed reading all about the different times and people in your life. I especially liked the story about being a firearms instructor, the chapter Menopause Dog, the one about putting your mom's ashes out to sea, and so many more. My absolute favorite was the one where you saw Jeff perform in Oliver when you were both children. Tears and more tears! All I can tell you is that I laughed, I cried and my heart was touched throughout the book.
The only thing I didn't love was that it ended too soon.
All the best to you in your career!

I thoroguhly enjoyed this book. I read it from cover to cover in one sitting. I can't wait for Chris Robert's next book. I hope she writes more about her law enforcement days....

Chris Roberts is a masterful storyteller as she lures the reader into her world with spare but vivid use of language! This is her story, her life, and she unabashedly reflects on it with pathos at times, humor at times, humanity always. What a gift of writing and insight for women everywhere! I hope she is working on a full-length novel; I'll be looking for it!