Robertson Books

This book is an excellent companion to some of the "embedded" accounts of the Iraq war as it's from a unique perspective; instead of being in a "ring of steel" convoy or laying out by the pool in the green zone, these photographers had only a press card, a camera, and hopefully some good-luck charms to help them get out without being shot up by either insurgents or US/Allied forces.

The photos are shocking not in their depiction of gore, but in how they show the destruction of the place. Many show dazed residents picking through streets that have been rubbled as far as the eye can see, utility poles teetering among pools of shattered glass. Something to remind us of both the material and human costs of war.

I just saw this book featured on the PBS show "AIR." It showcased many of the images from the book. Only the most heartless could fail to feel compassion and awe for the people depicted here and the brave photographers who did the work. I cannot accept the remark that the photos are somehow from Saddam's "point of view." They are a facet of the reality, a facet which we as Americans must confront, sooner or later, because it is our government that has set this chain of events in motion.

Ms. Bergin, please, if your idea of fighting for freedom is to deny the truth of suffering, at least have the integrity to spell "freedom" correctly.

Truly great work. The world needs people like these guys to
give us an in-depth view of what's inherently wrong with war. We
never have known what the other side suffers. Until now. Even the
'enemy' is human and the pain and suffering of is there to be seen in the
brows and creases in the faces of those men, women and children.

Keep on the good work and kudos.

It shows the heart and soul of Iraqis. It shows what they are going through during the US invasion and occupation. Though shot by mostly US photographers, it shows from the Iraqi standpoint. Some of the pictures are disturbing but after all it is the depiction of war and WAR is not a pretty site.
Kudos to the worthy photographers who put their life in danger to show the whole world an unembedded story.
I salute you guys!!

The photos were very interesting. Seeing the sadness of war is very compelling and heart wrenching. The captions are obviously from a Saddam Hussien Sympathizer point of view. I question if the captions are truthful to the photos or just more journalists propaganda. The less than 20 percent of Iraqis that don't want Freedom are captured in the words wriiten. Great photos ...that is about it. If you hate the American and Iraqi Military...you'll love reading the words.

I usually don't trust athletes to tell their own story well, especially the unsavory parts, but I read this anyway. And while their is not much for Oscar to hide, his experiences growing up in a racially divided town and state, and his experiences in college with racism, is fascinating, especially how his team intertwined with the famous small town, all white team of "Hoosiers" movie fame. Pro ball is about 8th on my list of sports to watch, but this is an engrossing book and story about a player many consider the best all around player ever.

What a wonderful book. I don't have a lot of time to read sports books so I'm very picky when I read one. Being a man of 50+ the Big O has always been one of my favorite players and I'm constantly amazed by the lack of credit he has been given with regards to his greatness as both a player and a man. This is a book that the true basketball fan can really appreciate. Like Jordan, Bird, West and Magic the O would be a star in any era.

Oscar Robertson tells it like it was as this book is as much about racism as it is about basketball. I played briefly against Oscar and we were both raised in the hot bed of Indiana basketball. Trying to become an accomplished player was one thing and dealing with discrimination back in the 1950s was quite another. Oscar tries to paint a picture for the reader showing what it was like to muster enough courage to play while being discriminated against. He performed brilliantly despite the bigotry, hatred and prejudice and , perhaps unknowingly to him at the time, used basketball as an instrument of change just as Jackie Robinson used baseball before him.

Oscar Robertson's book, The Big O should be looked upon not only as a sports book, but as a history book. If readers would like to add to their understanding of the trials and tribulations players went through in the Golden Era of Indiana basketball they might also enjoy my just published book titled Growing Up in Indiana: The Culture & Hoosier Hysteria Revisited.

As a younger person who was not alive during the era that Oscar Robertson was alive I thought this would give me a good idea of what things were like back in the 60s and 70s. Although I particularly enjoyed the information of his early years including what it was like growing up and playing at the Dust Bowl and winning the Indiana State Championship, I felt that his continued effort to slam his opinions down your throat got tiresome.

I think most people understand that he was a good basketball player and also that racism was a very real subject he had to (has to?) deal with everyday. However, hearing him tell you how all the players in the 60s were better than conterperary players just sounds like an old man trying to make you feel sorry for him. Also, throughout the book you feel as if he thinks everyone was out to get him and in turn he had never done anything wrong. He was a great player and had amazing statisitcs every game and so that must mean that the reason he didn't win in Cincinatti was always some other person's fault.

I enjoyed the book but would only recommend this to die hard Oscar Robertson fans and people who can handle being spoonfed (over and over again..) one person's opinions about things that do come across as very arrogent, bitter and perhaps one sided.

THIS BOOK IS A GOOD READ. OSCAR DOES A GOOD JOB DESCRIBING HIS LIFE ON AND OFF THE COURT. HE GOES INTO DETAIL ABOUT FORMER COACHES, TEAMATES, AND OPPONENTS DESCRIBING HIS RELATIONSHIPS AND FEELINGS. I FOUND OSCAR TO BE VERY HONEST BUT SOMETIMES BITTER AND DEPRESSED. STILL I THINK HE IS A PRETTY GOOD GUY AND HAD A LOT OF CLASS. I REMEMBER HIM AS A COMMENTATOR FOR CBS AND JUST LOVING HIM GETTING EXCITED DURING A GAME BY YELLING "OH WHAT MOVE BY KAREEM". THIS IS A REALLY GOOD BOOK FOR ALL FANS OF PRO BASKETBALL. ROLL ON BIG O.

Arrived very quickly in wonderful condition. My husband teaches a Greek class and he is happy with the book. I don't understand all this tagging and previewing that is taking up all kinds of my time to figure out. Just be happy that we were happy with the product, for goodness' sake.

Even after 71 years, this grammar remains to be very useful. Though many things are ready to be revised, it still is the most elaborated grammar of New Testament Greek. The book provides a large amount of information and examples, referring as well to other major works, such as Blass, Moulton, ...
I would not recommend this grammar to a student who starts learning New Testament Greek, since he will feel himself lost within the abiundance of material, but for the more experienced scholar, it still is a valuable tool.

Very seldom in my life have I used the word genius about anyone, but if anyone deserves the title it is Robertson. This is not a book for beginners, Robertson does not translate his examples, which, by the way are elegant. I can tell from his references to him that Wallace respects his prowess in the Greek language to a great extent. His historical comments are clear, concise, and very infomative. This book is a treasure trove of information about greek and how to fine tune your understanding of every asoect of it. It's a good addition to your library, if for nothing else but to push you to keep learning more.

KIM M. RUSHTON

There are a lot of opinions on A.T.Robertson's massive Grammar. Let me say that I read every main Greek grammar there is about. I read D.Wallace's Greek Grammar 8 times through and studied thorougly. Dana and Mantey? About 15 times. E.D. Burton's moods and tenses- 9 times. I could go on but I would like to state that I read Robertson's massaive grammar through 5 times in the past 12 years as well as translating his examples. This grammar is not for the average Pastor but belongs to the teacher of advanced greek grammar as well as the scholar. This grammar takes a back seat to Blass's grammar yet I find it far better. D.Wallace often referred to Robertson in his excellent grammar but often does not give Robertson the proper credit. Once one has mastered the vocab of the Greek NT and worked through the basic grammars followed by Dana and Mantey then Richard Young then Wallace and the other intermediate works out there, then they will find Robertson's short grammar a help. This should be followed by the thorough reading of Robertson's large grammar. I think this book while somewhat dated still holds the field of the advanced Greek grammars of the NT. Any quest to master the Greek NT should take about 12 years of exacting work but it is well worth it. I do not see how this can be done without this valuable work of Robertson.

This book is recognized as a classic by Greek scholars the world over. This is not a book for someone who has no knoledge of Koine Greek, but is a valuable resource for understandling the grammar of the Koine Greek for those who know the difference between, say, the Present tense and the Aorist tense of a Greek verb. If you have a hankering to know how an infinitive might change a verb tense, then you will probably find it here. For those who do have some Greek background, it will enrich your research and may clarify many a difficult passage for you.

Like most any American evangelical, how the Bible views the modern state of Israel is a topic that interests me. I've grown in my understanding of this issue, even as I've evaluated competing theological systems such as dispensationalism and covenant theology. For me, the Bible is most important, as I don't feel compelled to be loyal to any particular theological system.

Perhaps that is why O. Palmer Robertson's writings have been so helpful to me. I greatly appreciated his Biblical treatment of the various covenants of Scripture in The Christ of the Covenants (see my review). In The Israel of God: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, Robertson far exceeded my expectations.

Robertson doesn't have to convince anyone that interpretations concerning the Bible's view of Israel are varied and extremely influential. In his book, though, he manages to bring the focus to where it should be: on what Scripture actually says concerning the topic.

And this is where he excels. He doesn't settle for a few proof texts. Rather he carefully traces out a Biblical theology of the land, the people Israel, their worship and lifestyle, and the Kingdom as it relates to Israel. He offers a careful exposition of Galatians 6:16, Hebrews 7, and Romans 11. All the while, he examines Scripture's entire testimony on these subjects letting all of Scripture weigh in on this issue.

The book shows how the essence of the land promise was spiritual fellowship with God. This is enjoyed by the church today (Matt. 5:5, Rom. 4:13, Eph. 6:3). It argues that the worship and lifestyle of Israel is radically altered with Christ's provision of a better covenant (Heb. 7). It goes on to examine how Scripture defines the people of Israel, and it details how Gentile believers in the church are Abraham's children and heirs, true Jews, yes, even the Israel of God (Gal. 3:26-29, 6:16; Rom. 2:28-29, 4:11-12; Eph. 2:14, 19).

One may well disagree with Robertson's conclusions. But anyone who cares about Scripture will appreciate his emphasis on letting Scripture speak for itself. I would hope those differing with Robertson would at least give his Biblical presentation fair consideration. His exposition of Romans 11 in particular has the potential of changing the mind of many on this subject. Not because it is novel, but because he shows how clearly the chapter as a whole argues for a present-day focus in Paul's concern.

I won't explain all of Robertson's arguments for you. I encourage you to pick up a copy of the book yourself. Its a fairly quick read (196 pages), which will definitely keep your interest. I'm sure you'll be glad you gave this book a hearing.

As a Covenant Theologian and an Amillennialist, I generally predisposed to Robertson's presentation. I think he has done a great job of exegeting the New Testament's understanding of "Israel." The chapter on Romans 11 seemed a bit hurried and a tad forced, though. I will be coming back to this book over the next couple of years to re-read and rethink his arguments. Anyway, the chapter on the worship of the Israel of God is worth the price of admission.

I do wonder, though, how much cross-reading is done by Dispensationalists and Covenant Theologians. When I was a Dispensationalist, I tended to read only within my preferred genre. Now that I've "progressed," I find myself reading very little material on the other side. I guess that is the way of things. As my father repeatedly joked, "My mind's made up, don't confuse me with facts."

Palmer Robertson is a master biblical theologian. He has a great eye both for the forest and the trees of the Bible; he can see the big picture as well as how all the details play their own vital role. As he traces different themes through the Old and New Testaments, he is faithful to each text in its historical context but can also see how OT themes anticipate NT ones, how the NT answers the questions of the OT. Simply put, the book is masterfully argued, and it is compelling in its entirety. I came in expecting to agree with his thesis, but understand my own position better after reading the book.

Robertson may be shouting into a tornado on this issue, but he needs to be heard. His voice brings sober and responsible handling of Scripture to a hotly-debated topic, and he demonstrates its serious implications for our doctrine and practice. Read this book with Bible in hand, and you will be more grateful that Jesus is the high priest of a better covenant.

Israel according to a study of biblical theology by a biblical theologian. Done with sanity and a very careful handling of scripture. A bit of work to get through, but it is a must if one is to be well rounded in the study of Israel and the bible. This may be just about the best and most scripturally accurate and careful work on the subject I have read.

The Christian Church is indeed the true Israel of God. It's what the bible is all about. O. Palmer Robertson is correct on all counts.

The word "Israel" was first used when God changed Jacob's name to "Israel", meaning "a man conquered, or who strives with God".
That is why a true "Israelite" is someone who comes to God by FAITH in HIS promises and through JESUS CHRIST. Not someone who is merely of the physical Descent, or bloodlines. This is what God ALWAYS meant by "Israelite", even in the Old Testament.

It is not 'Replacement Theology' as so many uniformed people love to call it-----it is actually 'Continuance Theology'.

I'm glad that O. Palmer Robertson wrote this book, and I cheer on anyone else who attempts to educate Christians with these truths.

It's high time Christians stood up and faced down the foolish liberal theology of Dispensationalism. Yes, LIBERAL. This ridiculous theology (Dispensationalism) only came into being as recently as the early 1800's. It is NOT fundamental, nor is it conservative. It is the complete opposite, and the so-called 'Evangelical Christians' of today need to realize this. Hopefully Mr. Robertson with this book has made some headway in this regard.
I rate this 5 stars.....10 if it were possible.

(I rated it 5 stars but the page didn't load properly and somehow it was changed to 2 stars, which is not the rating I gave it, so ignore the 2 star rating if they haven't fixed it)

Whether it is looking for love in all the wrong places, peer pressure, or curiosity, teen pregnancy is on the rise. Unfortunately, as children we do not clearly understand how one action can affect the whole family. Motherhood...What You Don't Know by Melinda Robertson is a novel for teenagers, to help bring to light how fast your life will change when one night of teenage curiosity gets the best of you.

Fifteen year-old Nicole Washington, just about to start her sophomore year in high school, is an only child to Diane and George Washington. They have high expectations for Nicole. One bad decision to give in to her crush's wish to have sex without protection would turn the Washington's household upside down.

This unexpected pregnancy brings to light other underlying issues within the household. George has a hard time dealing with the situation, and tries to blame Diane for not paying better attention to Nicole. His view is so clouded by what people are going to think, that he does not want to hear from his daughter or wife no matter what. Will George ever calm down enough to hear his daughter's point-of-view? Would he even be there for her during this difficult time? Nicole's attitude towards her parents at times was disrespecting, which did not help the situation. Diane tries to be understanding to what her husband is saying; at the same time she is trying to be understanding of her daughter's feelings. Diane is the glue that keeps her family together; will she be able to continue to do so?

Motherhood...What You Don't Know focused on a big issue for families today, but the delivery was not without flaws. Pregnancy is over the course of nine months, and while I did not expect every month to be expressed, the pacing could have been smoother as the storyline moved a long a bit too fast. The editing needing more attention and there were areas of this topic that needed more research. Neither the characters nor the scenes were built completely. For example, there really was not a description of what Nicole looked like. I knew that she was fifteen, but that was it. However, the point that the book is tries to make with this storyline is clear. Any parent of a teenage girl should buy and share this reading together. It will make for a great family discussion. The sequel to this book, Fatherhood...What You Ought to Know is expected to be released April 2007.

Jennifer Coissiere
APOOO BookClub

MOTHERHOOD: WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW! by Melinda Robertson is the story of one teen with the world at her fingertips who discovers she is pregnant at fifteen years old, and the trials that ensue. This issue is not that she's alone, the story highlights how teenage pregnancy can affect the entire family as each member grapples with their own fears and selfishness.

Nicole Washington is entering high school and has aspirations of becoming a cheerleader and participating in every other activity teens dream about throughout high school. One summer day while at an amusement park, a popular athlete from her high school approaches Nicole, whispering sweet nothings in her ear, and thus the story unfolds. What occurs is the loss of her virginity, a hidden pregnancy and a family battle that some could only imagine.

The affects of the pregnancy are manifested through Nicole, her friends, teachers and many others she comes into contact with. Robertson goes a step further to highlight the cover-up of the teenage male and his family, all in an effort to protect his reputation and impending future. Furthermore, Nicole's need for love from a male is showcased as the root cause of her dilemma. Her parents' idiosyncrasies and ideologies come full-circle as well. However, the story could have added more, such as better developed characters. An example of this is the mother's background and her reasoning for submitting to her husband throughout the years. This was a point the daughter stressed to her mother, however nothing more was revealed.

Being from a middle-class family, with a working father and a stay-at-home mother, many would assume this would not happen to a girl from her background, because often portrayed and sensationalized is the flip side of the economic coin as it relates to teenage pregnancy. Teenage pregnancy has no boundaries in terms of race, class and economics, and the author drives this point home by highlighting raw emotions and the often fragile state of the family.

Reviewed by Dawn R. Reeves
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

This is an excellent book! It's a must read for ALL young people. This book provides a realistic look at the hardships of motherhood. If you think that being a teenage parent is cute or easy -- please read this book and learn otherwise. Boys and girls will find this book easy to read and understand. A must-have for every home with young people!

I really took pleasure in reading this book. I enjoyed reading it because it is a book that many can relate to. EVERYTHING you portrayed in the book are true life events that you go through once you become a mother.

This book allows both young women and men (especially young women) to think about their own life and how the decisions they make today can affect them tomorrow. You also give young mothers encouragement and you let it be known that just because you are a mother doesn't mean your life has to stop.

Hi, Aunt Linda

This is Davonte and I have just finish reading your book and I was not thinking that this book was going to have a affect on me because I am a male and do not know anything about motherhood. But, this book was great inspriration on me.I could not put this book down and my eyes was locked on this book for 2 days and I was determined to finish this book and I am happy that I have finish and I hope you write a part two and I will be sure to pick one up. I just want to give you a round of applause for a excellent book that you have written.

Does Robertson accuse that the US "constantly" makes mistakes? Has the US ever done anything right when it comes to human rights? Or, put it the opposite way: Even if the US has done something right, does it necessarily mean that the US has done nothing wrong? Did the US sign to ban land mines? Does the US respect the authority of the Inter-American court? Did the US commit any crimes in Vietnam? Has the US government ever committed crimes against humanity within its very own territory, even after the establishment of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? Has the US government done anything wrong while it accuses other governments of crimes against humanity? Is Robertson's book really a joke? Or is the joke on the ignorant reader himself? Universal human right is a dream for those who live in turmoil, but just an internet gossip topic for those who live in oblivion. It's too much to ask these people to put themselves in the shoes of others, and it may be easier for victims to give up hopes than to hope for help from the ignorant.

Before 1990, international law was a dead letter office. Its foundations post-dated a universal church and pre-dated the Enlightenment.

The justification of common law is its origin in a time out of mind for "time out of mind" releases jurists from the Godlike role by means of precedent. International law's foundations are shakier, for *jus sovereignis* is the will of dead white males.

International law predated the idea that rights flow not from the sovereign but from people and therefore is an intellectual and moral anomaly. Anomalies like American slavery tend to produce disasters, and the anomaly of *jus sovereignis* produced the Balkan disaster, as old-school diplomats seemed compelled to stand idly by.

Diplomacy and international law seem to the layperson to be a pleasant affair involving bun-fights, at the better sort of spa. The problem is the Monty-Pythonesque intrusion of reality, as seen by British and Argentine diplomats in 1982, by international economists in Seattle, and in the Balkan mess. No-one expects the Spanish Inquisition, Srebenica, or the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre�except the truly first-rate, like Richard Holbrooke here in the USA or Geoffrey Robertson in Britain.

The dyslexic may object that I have been hornswoggled by Holbrooke's and Robertson's purple prose. The problem is that both write well, in this book and in Richard Holbrooke's recount of the long road to the Dayton peace conference of 1995. The problem is that writing well is constituted in a conformance to both moral vision and facts on the ground.

The modern international law movement reacts to the recurrence of absolute evil in Europe and Africa in the 1990s, this time unjustified by Communist or free market ideology, and unexplained by Fascist pseudo-ideology.

Absolute evil is to the moral imagination the converse of the needs of one's own children to Bertrand Russell. Despite his skeptical precommittments, Lord Russell said that the needs of kids are something that "skepticism does not easily question". Skepticism did not easily process the return, in August 1992, of concentration camps in the former Yugoslavia, and Robertson's response is the deconstruction of absolute national sovereignity. Skepticism dare not question the redress of crime.

One objection, mentioned by Robertson, is that international law, other than a purely naturalistic law based on jus sovereignis, is cultural imperialism.

Cultural imperialism has indeed misapplied norms. But you cannot apply cultural relativism in an absolute way: this is mere self-contradiction.

There is also the objection against a natural law as inconsistent with an open society.

The problem is that unthinking adherence to a natural law in an open society results in a confused expansion of natural law when we tolerantly seek to reconcile views, as to what the practical implications of natural law might actually be.

This resulted in America's "Black Hawk Down" disaster in Mogadishu in which idealism combined with our Pentagon's vainglorious refusal to serve in a unified command to send underpowered Rangers into Mogadishu, and the Rangers were rescued by Pakistanis with the sense to serve as part of the rest of the UN.

The natural law was you don't let people starve, even when they are far away, and, if bullies are taking the aid you have sent, you send soldiers. Clinton failed to enforce this because the Pentagon vaingloriously refuses to serve under UN command.

The failures of international law in the early 1990s produced, not abstract theories, but hard work like that of QC Robertson, the benefit of which skepticism does not easily question.

This included the arrest of General Pinochet.

The flaccid skepticism of America's media about Pinochet's guilt does not easily question Robertson's factual recitation of what happened, in the 1970s, to people in Chile.

In recent years USA circles have been oppressed with a skeptical cynicism which proclaims the impossibility of securing the good because, don't you know, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

This makes it possible for pro-Pinochet American conservatives to easily question the veracity of torture reports, or, failing this, the innocence of the disappeared, or, failing this, the "realism" of letting philosophy majors scuttle around Santiago, or, failing this, the free-market ideological bona fides of the messenger. This epistemological curse, of a doubt which is really a bias and a form of intellectual schlamperei, going along to get along with the free market god, is pervasive in American culture.

In Rome we reasoned against the fact that people die when modern states collapse that some future Rusty Calley jest might get nailed. We like to talk about "do-gooders" and their ineffectuality when our own ineffectuality was on display in Vietnam and Mogadishu.

What we fail to see is the Kantianism that abstract ideals DO NOT EXIST without acts: but pure acts show a bad will because they are uninformed by a consistent ideal, but were, in Mogadishu, the product of a monstrous "will" that made the Pentagon an equal partner with the Chief Executive.

Note the laziness, note the sloppiness, note the flaccidity.

For we apply Constitutional "separation of powers" to the Pentagon which as part of the executive doesn't get power independent of the commander in chief.

QC Robertson's vigorous prose is clearly evidence of a first-class mind sorely absent in American councils of state. If this is at all indicative of the abilities of people at The Hague, I for one am an American who would welcome those fabled black helicopters.

He puts me in mind of the astonishing statement at the beginning of Kant's Metaphysic of Morals, for Kant says the only thing we can know to be good is a good will.

On the face of it, this seems to be one of those marvelous-but-false-at-the-critical-point German ideas, like zoos, Zeppelins or the Schlieffen plan: for as we know the road to hell or Srebenica is paved with good intentions. But upon closer examination, will wills itself into pragmatic daily action, and the road to hell is seen to be paved with action and inaction and not good will.

Geoffrey Robertson is a passionate advocate of human rights - and (possibly paradoxically) of the ability to affect them within the system/s in which we try to enforce them. This book makes no claim to be a perfect history, but knowing Robertson's experience, we are better to hear his opinion and understanding than a dry history of the progress of human rights law itself. If you love this book, good. If you hate it, good. The idea is to make you think about it... and that is what Robertson is best at. This may be the only law history book you will ever read which will make you laugh and cry - occasionally at the same time. I read some other reviews of this and am saddened at their negativity - Robertson has personal experience most "experts" never have, and combines that with a wicked wit, enormous intelligence and a humanitarian heart. This is some book, and Geoffrey Robertson is some man - read whatever you can of his.

Geoffrey Robertson's book, Crimes against Humanity: The Struggle for Global Justice (The New Press, 2000), merits a different title: "Might Makes Right. Or: Bombs Away!" In brief, Robertson's book is a 550-page joke. One could do a page-by-page analysis of this "human rights" artefact--the United States constantly makes "mistakes" while other regimes intentionally commit "crimes against humanity" and "genodice." Go figure. Robertson even falsifies the advances in international law of the 20th Century, esp. the League of Nations and the UN Charter, both of which were responses to and attempts to tame the self-devastation of the First and Second World Wars--hardly a bad idea. That is to say, by focusing on human rights treaties, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) in particular, Robertson himself seriously downplays what from the point of view of the Great Powers which had destroyed each other not once but twice in a 25-year period what was the crowning achievement of the UN Charter: the notion of the EQUALITY OF STATES WITHIN THE INTERSTATE SYSTEM, and the surrender of that part of state sovereignty tied to the threat of or resort to force.-Does anybody--except the guys dropping the bombs, of course--honestly think that undermining an interstate system such as this is a good idea???

But for Robertson, who is a leading advocate of the right of states to participate in "humanitarian interventions" (i.e., an interstate system in which the greater the power, the greater the right--or "Might makes right"), concerns of this kind are dismissed as the "myth of state equality" (p. 446), a very insidious myth that in his opinion the more enlightened members of the "international community, a.k.a. "coalitions of the willing," need to put behind them. All very sickening. And dangerous.

Geoffrey Robertson's "Crimes Against Humanity" is a thoughtful and thorough analysis of modern attempts at global justice. I have struggled with this issue for some time and have found most books of little help, perhaps because the amount of material to be digested is so substantial. Robertson does an excellent job of assembling, organizing, and presenting an extremely complex body of knowledge. There are many books on individual topics covered here and some readers would no doubt like their pet topics to have been discussed in more detail. The beauty of the book, however, is not in its detailed coverage of any single issue, but in it ability to integrate a large number of topics (e.g., the Lieber Code, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,The Geneva Conventions, Nuremberg, Truth Commissions, International Criminal Court, etc.). The author is able to show how these various issues are connected in a string of advances toward a global system of human rights -- advances that are admittedly glacial in their pace but advances nonetheless. Anyone who has tried to organize this vast body of knowledge can appreciate what Robertson has accomplshed. A fine companion to this book is Samantha Power's book "A Problem From Hell: America and the Age of Genocide." Taken together, these two books will take the reader a long way toward understanding international efforts at global justice.

This book looked very cute, but it's not a very fun read for me or for my 3 yo. The author tries to pack way too many Irish words and phrases into the story, which gets in the way of the narrative. After reading it once, she never asked for it again. St. Patrick's Day in the Morning, illustrated by Jann Brett, is a much more engaging read.

Bought this book to read to my 4 year old granson. He LOVED it! Nice illustrations and good story. Perect for the holiday.
J.

My son's name is Liam so he LOVED reading about Liam the Leprechaun. It kept his interest and the illustrations were great. We read this book several times a night for days!

Ivan Robertson writes a delightful yarn about Irish customs and folklore. The story mentions Gaelic, the oldest language in Ireland, the oak club called a shillelagh, and the importance of the three-leaf clover. The 24-page book is recommended for children 3 to 7 years, which I think is appropriate for the age group. The text is easy to read, and doesn't bite off more than it can chew like many works attempt to do.

Jack and the Leprechaun is illustrated in watercolor, which is bright and cheerful and bursting with details. One could literally spend an hour looking at all the fine points painted into the scenes. The only inharmonious feature of the book is Katy Bratun's version of the Irish flag. The Irish flag is green, white, and orange not orange, white, and orange. Most readers won't notice such minutia, but it is curious with all the research required for this work, the illustrator got it wrong. I only spotted it because I have a bit of Irish in me.

My son, William, is currently into leprechauns, and it's no wonder with his beautiful red hair, and traditional name. He's taking a liking to Jack and the Leprechaun I think mostly because Liam is short for William, and everybody knows leprechauns have red hair. Somehow at five, I think it's okay to identify with the fairies even though their fabled creatures. Had I known when I purchased this book that there were so many well-written leprechaun stories, I surely would have settled on another. Although, considering the economical price, it's hard to be critical.

There is no excuse for not buying this book if you are looking for a way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with your child. The paperback is very inexpensive and as such one might think it doesn't have much to offer but it does.

Ivan Robertson managed to write a cute story of a leprechaun while packing a lot of Irish culture and history into this little book. For instance we learn about the date and type of celebration one has in Ireland, what a shillelagh (shaw lay lee) is, what "Cead mile failte" (cade meela fall-cha) expresses, that Gaelic is their oldest language, why shamrocks are important, that green is the national color of Ireland, soda bread is traditional, and "Danny Boy" is a song special to the Country.

Katy Braun's illustrations are fun, festive, and green. This is the best St. Patrick's day book I have found so far for my wee lass.

Before the author drank himself to an early death, he wrote this sublime novelised biography of Melbourne of the twenties to forties. Achingly nostalgic and wonderfully paced, this tale of growing up is now forty years old, and perhaps the best novel ever written by an Australian.

I read this book 10 years ago while I was an exchange student in Australia. I might not have been able to take in all the subtle details referring to WW2 Melbourne that are surely available to the informed reader. The story, however, caught me and I could not put it down until I finished it. To me it is a story about growing up and discovering how the world just isn't what you thought it was.

Unfortunately I left Australia before I had a chance to read the sequel, Clean Straw for Nothing, but I have been keeping an eye open for it ever since then.

A wonderful Australian friend of mine sent this book to me. He's from Melbourne and thought I might get a kick out of reading about some of the places he has so often told me about. This book captivated me from the very first page! So rich in Australian culture, the character studies are incredible. I think we all have a "Jack" in our lives no matter which continent we find ourselves on. I understand there are two sequels to this work and I am very anxious to read them as well. I highly recommned this book to anyone who wants to get a clear picture of what it is like to grow up in Melbourne.

I was inspired to read this novel at the request of my english teacher and positive reviews. I was going through a tough period of my life and it really helped me through when I needed a friend. Davey was my friend.

One night while sitting in the pouring rain on the verandah while an annoying fly was annoying me, I simply fell apart and started bawling my eyes out when I picked up the book and was transpoted to a world where life was perfect and the horrific death of my gold fish Victor simply dissapeared.

It was a was a warm night when I got home from a game of bingo with my geriatric friends. As soon as I walked in the door I new something was wrong. The customary chirp I hear from Victor as I walk in the door was simply not present. All I heard was a gulp like noise from my parrot Barabra. I was worried. I raced over to Victor's fishtank and saw him floating belly up. I was horrified and cried all night. I was utterly shattered and it is only now 15 years on the I have totally overcome my sorrow.

I pay tribute to My Brother Jack, as it was the turning point in my life and I have now progressed so much that I have purchased a Mexican Walking Fish Name Vladamir.

I'm sure that the critics and reviewers are correct in stating that this is a fine piece of literature and that it deserves all the accolades that it has won over the years,but it induced in me a terrible sense of claustrophobia and a feeling of melancholy.I was born in Melbourne and was a child during the years of W.W.2 so am very conscious of all the aspects of living in the closed,careful society that was Melbourne and its suburbs in the 40's. Not having had to think about that time for years,reading this book is,(to me)remembering the feeling of suffocation and also the feeling of being out of step with my family,even at that young age.My father believed that we all would be happier by "keeping your head down and fitting in".Perhaps My Brother Jack should be read by someone who grew up in a totally different environment and who would be fascinated by its culture.

Before the author drank himself to an early death, he wrote this sublime novelised biography of Melbourne of the twenties to forties. Achingly nostalgic and wonderfully paced, this tale of growing up is now forty years old, and perhaps the best novel ever written by an Australian.

I read this book 10 years ago while I was an exchange student in Australia. I might not have been able to take in all the subtle details referring to WW2 Melbourne that are surely available to the informed reader. The story, however, caught me and I could not put it down until I finished it. To me it is a story about growing up and discovering how the world just isn't what you thought it was.

Unfortunately I left Australia before I had a chance to read the sequel, Clean Straw for Nothing, but I have been keeping an eye open for it ever since then.

A wonderful Australian friend of mine sent this book to me. He's from Melbourne and thought I might get a kick out of reading about some of the places he has so often told me about. This book captivated me from the very first page! So rich in Australian culture, the character studies are incredible. I think we all have a "Jack" in our lives no matter which continent we find ourselves on. I understand there are two sequels to this work and I am very anxious to read them as well. I highly recommned this book to anyone who wants to get a clear picture of what it is like to grow up in Melbourne.

I was inspired to read this novel at the request of my english teacher and positive reviews. I was going through a tough period of my life and it really helped me through when I needed a friend. Davey was my friend.

One night while sitting in the pouring rain on the verandah while an annoying fly was annoying me, I simply fell apart and started bawling my eyes out when I picked up the book and was transpoted to a world where life was perfect and the horrific death of my gold fish Victor simply dissapeared.

It was a was a warm night when I got home from a game of bingo with my geriatric friends. As soon as I walked in the door I new something was wrong. The customary chirp I hear from Victor as I walk in the door was simply not present. All I heard was a gulp like noise from my parrot Barabra. I was worried. I raced over to Victor's fishtank and saw him floating belly up. I was horrified and cried all night. I was utterly shattered and it is only now 15 years on the I have totally overcome my sorrow.

I pay tribute to My Brother Jack, as it was the turning point in my life and I have now progressed so much that I have purchased a Mexican Walking Fish Name Vladamir.

I'm sure that the critics and reviewers are correct in stating that this is a fine piece of literature and that it deserves all the accolades that it has won over the years,but it induced in me a terrible sense of claustrophobia and a feeling of melancholy.I was born in Melbourne and was a child during the years of W.W.2 so am very conscious of all the aspects of living in the closed,careful society that was Melbourne and its suburbs in the 40's. Not having had to think about that time for years,reading this book is,(to me)remembering the feeling of suffocation and also the feeling of being out of step with my family,even at that young age.My father believed that we all would be happier by "keeping your head down and fitting in".Perhaps My Brother Jack should be read by someone who grew up in a totally different environment and who would be fascinated by its culture.

Before people get upset with me for saying this is Australia's greatest novel, let me say that I realise that it won't appeal to everyone, and perhaps especially to a younger generation less steeped in history than we were. However, whenever I am asked what is the finest piece of literature to come out of Australia, I unhesitatingly reply that this is it. It has everything that an Australian could wish for that is representative of that very eccentric land, and much more besides.

The name alone should give the alert reader something to think about. Isn't it odd? It is the starting point and central theme around which the whole turns and part of the majesty of this novel lies in that cardinal simplicity. It never gets lost. No matter into what dreamtime corner or shady southern political deal the author takes us, we understand that one central thing. And beyond that, where every truly giant novel must go ("For Whom the Bell Tolls," "Under the Volcano"), there is an underpinning of universal truth that makes us aware that this is no mere provincial affair, that Herbert is not just idly lamenting in some forgotten corner of the globe.

The other characteristic that makes it truly incomparable on the Australian scene, is that it can be read at so many levels. Herbert may be taking a hard look at many issues unresolved in the Australia of the forties and fifties, but have we come to terms with them today? And are the political shenanigans that take place in the land of Auz, so very different from those elsewhere? Whether you are interested in Australian history, or in learning something about the aborigines, or seeing the outback in all its glory, this is the book. And as for it being too long, I can almost guarantee that the reader who once gets a head of steam up, will be still be puffing like billy-o at page 1,463. And if you are still ready for more by then, well you're in luck, because Herbert wrote a further volume about life in northern Australia, "Capricornia." It is not a sequel and it is not, in my opinion, of exactly the same calibre, but it is a very fine book nonetheless. "Poor Fellow, My Country" should not be out of print, ever. It is one of those books that will endure, because it goes beyond the run of everyday storytelling into the realm of great literature.

This book is one of the most impressive declarations of love towards a country and its people I have ever read. Xavier Herbert describes his country through the eyes of his characters and tells an absorbing story. He is painting a comprehensive picture of the land, its history and its people. His biting criticism towards imperialistic Britain and its marks on land and people on one hand, and his vast insight into the aboriginal way of life on the other, create a fascinating tension. The fact that he leaves us with more questions than answers and his own uncertainty about the future and fate of his beloved country makes this book all the more intense. 1500 pages I will never forget.

This book is as important to Australians, as Shakespeare and Dickens are to the British, as Mark Twain and Gore Vidal are to the Americans. It is monumental. I had the original hardback of this book; but didn't read it. Finally many years later I have read it. I plan to reread it again this year. A magnificent effort and epic of a novel.

Xavier Herbert must have had a dream editor, because he got away with publishing a 1,463 page monster that should have been cut by at least a thousand pages. While Herbert's descriptions of action or the magnificent landscapes of northern Australia are well-done, he doesn't know what to do with his characters, who all come across as wooden stereotypes. They all 'represent' a type of person found in northern Australian society of the 1930s---the silent macho Ocker, the Irish publican, the Scotsman, the smart Jews, the arrogant Germans, the naive, superstitious Hindu, the sneaky Japanese, the Aboriginal medicine man, the half castes, the Catholic priest, the government bureaucrats, the supercilious British officers, the spoiled city girl, the homosexual, etc. Not one of them ever reveals an iota of inner thought, so the reader is left with simple caricatures, most of whom even talk in painstakingly spelled dialects, which, as when an Eastern European priest gives a three page speech on Church philosophy replete with every "zis", "zen" and "vy", can be excruciating. Herbert's female characters are also appallingly narrow and stereotyped---the author borders on the misogynistic. None of them appear the least bit real. Herbert uses a lot of Aboriginal words and phrases, the accuracy of which might be questioned if his Hindi is anything to go by. Herbert's female characters are appallingly narrow and stereotyped--his picture of women verges on the misogynistic. A half-caste boy of ten may be endowed with great bush skills, but his disposal of his main enemies strained my credulity to the breaking point. Herbert's tendency to kill off characters when he has no more use for them, or doesn't know how to proceed, is also a sign of over-ambitious writing. I didn't like this book for another reason. Herbert makes repeated calls for an independent Australia. I would hardly argue with that; it's a positive point. But in his search for what an independent Australia might look like, he flirted too much with fascism, rejecting only because of its violence and anti-Semitism. Is that all that is wrong with fascism? If you are looking for a good novel, this is definitely not it. But to be fair, POOR FELLOW MY COUNTRY does have one virtue. Herbert's ideas about Australian society, Australia's past and possible future are interesting and at the time of publication (mid-1970s) practically unique. One can read this book as a kind of (overlong) polemic on the evils of the white Australian relationship to the land and to the Aborigines. That is the only reason I would read this book. Believe me, it is a long, long slog.

This is one of the greatest novels ever written by an Australian and certainly the greatest written about Australia. I can think of no other novel I have ever read that manages both to tell a great story and, at the same time, give so accurate and comprehensive a picture of a whole society. And I speak as an ex-pom (Englishman) who came to Oz in the late 70s and learned more about my new country from reading this novel than from anything else I have ever read. It's great to read the other positive reviews of the book listed here because, in Australia, it is still a grossly undervalued book. It was for that reason that, back in the 80s, I started researching and writing a book about Herbert's novels - with the main focus on this great final novel. In my opinion it's not only one of the greatest of Australian novels but one of the great novels of the world. Like many great novels it's not 'flawless'. Herbert's sexist and often unpleasant attitudes towards women, for instance, can be seen in his treatment of women characters and there is no question that he could have improved the book if he had been more willing to listen to advice on where and how to polish and cut. But greatness is often a matter of 'warts and all' and the 'all' is so magnificent one can put up with the warts.

For anyone interested in learning more about Herbert they might like to try my book - the only one so far to do a detailed study of this author. You can find it in Amazon.com. It's called "A long and winding road: Xavier Herbert's Literary Journey".