Sheridan Books

I have never written a review and it has been a long, long time since I have been this pulled in so completely by a book. Wow Mr. Stanton, what an amazingly written story; thank you, thank you, thank you. I feel so blessed to of "stumbled" upon this book and will recommend it to many others.

This book is very special to me as I know and care very much about the author. It is the love, compassion and understanding that he puts into his writing. I felt each character come to life as it spans their days and years. I recognized so many names in the book. Each page was eventful for me. As I finished the book and closed on the final page, I was very emotional and felt a true love.

I picked up The Migrant just as I was heading out on a surf trip. I spent most of the spare time with this book.
What a story. It grab my attention from the first chapter to the very end. I kept thinking I could guess what was going to happen next. I was always wrong. While it was not a horror story. It still kept me on the edge the whole time as though it was one. There were parts of the story that brought a few tears. Other parts made me laugh out loud. Most of all the book left me feeling good about the time spent reading it.

I loved this book and couldn't put it down! Captivating from beginning to end, The Migrant is drama, suspense, and love story all rolled into one. The plot is original, creative and heart-warming with characters you love and despise, but all of whom you can relate to.

The twists and turns in this story can be viewed as fate or coincidence, depending on your beliefs. In either case, it leaves you thinking about choices you can make, things you can control, and relationships you can nurture, which lead to ultimate happiness...

The author has taken belief systems and mystery and intrigue and woven them into a page turning thriller that involves the reader in the wonder of what would happen if someone with truely special gifts,seemingly gifts from God, appeared in our lives.
How would we react, how would the mass media react, how would such a person be treated in the world we know today.
It is that world that we find intriguing and that we turn page after page to unravel what will happen and enjoy a story well told.

Here is a commentary:

Reviewer: A reader from California May 17, 1998 "Again, Foucault shatters our illusions.This book examines our cultural tendency to elevate the authority of the physician..." This reviwer's summary of the book is incorrect because the work is not a study of power or "authority" (themes which would be important in Foucault's later works). In "The Birth of the Clinic" we see how Foucault MIGHT HAVE made a crticism of clinical medicine as an authoritarian institution, but in fact this is NOT the focus of the book. This book is not the attempt to dispel a "myth", it is a description of the reality of the development of the clinical gaze as a discursive formation distinct from its historical predecessors.

Reviewer: spandex9@aol.com from Barbaraville, Manitoba (Canada) July 21, 1998. "Structures of Perception and Positivism Questioned". This review is much closer to the mark than the first one. In particular, in the second paragraph the reviewer touches on the implications of the development of anatomo-clinical medicine for "the human experience itself". In the conclusion to the book Foucault himself stated that "the experience of individuality in modern culture is linked to the experience of death" and that is one reason why we should be interested in this work.

Reviewer: Dr. W Y Wan from Hong Kong "A book with special insight-- one that you cannot miss. I agree that this book can be of value to physicians who are genuinely interested in human welfare, and it's unfortunate that most physicians never study the humanities during their educations.

Foucault has been interpreted in the US as a pretentious standard-bearer of postmodernism - as an almost "evil" figure who threatens to undermine the foundations of Western knowledge with his problematisation of conceptual categories. It doesn't help that his work has been taken up to justify just about any subversive perspective, whether well-conceived or not. This is only a pitifully small perspective on the man and his work. Foucault should be seen first as a historian, not a philosopher; second, his work should be lauded for the contribution it makes to Western knowledge rather than the superficial "threats" it makes to perspectives whose time has come in any event. Every revolution of perception has been accompanied by vociferous resistance, yet a great many of those sounding their disapproval loudly probably don't really understand what the late Michel was really on to.

The Birth of the Clinic, MF's most accessible work, is a well-researched, brilliantly interpreted account of the development of the clinical "gaze" in the wake of modern medical knowledge and practice. Foucault problematises the institution of the clinic, showing how clinical perception is the result of a historically specific constellation of knowledge and power. His ultimately emancipatory analysis is substantiated every step of the way with textual and historical examples. No metaphysics here, just a radical questioning of the nature of knowledge within institutional practice.

So, sorry (Objectivists!) if this is too much to handle. It's good research, plain and simple. Don't dismiss Foucault as a lightweight postmodernist - try to see him where he would situate himself, in the tradition of reflexive historical sociology.

Birth of the Clinic is a partner to Discipline and Punish: Birth of the Prison. They are both about political economy and the irony of how the modern 'free' world is as confining as previous historical eras just in an opposite way. This is kind of Foucault's whole mission, to show us just how confined we really are and wake us up to reality. But he is always subtle about it. In a way his 'philosophy' and 'methodology' and the wild theoretical tangents the academies have taken it to, are a mask for his very powerful and even dangerous political indictments. In Discipline and Punish (Surveil in French) Foucault shows historically how individual time and space have been controlled by the ever evolving, profit-driven, techno-efficiency of the panopticon-state and the distracted aquiescence of its subjects. In Birth of the Clinic he will show historically how the individual person and their body have become property of the state via consensus (law) and the same somnambulent aquiescence. In many ways Foucault is a major conservative showing us empirically, through historical evidence, how the power-play of today is an interiorization of past power-relationships, interiorized to the point of invisibility and largely unacknowledged by the manipulated masses.

Wow, Foucault is truly a literary genius. Getting a small glimpse into his wonderful genius is pleasure enough to warrant reading this book. However that said The Birth of the Clinic lacks in certain areas. Obviously, Foucault is writing in the postmodern era, thus his ideas are not nearly as groundbreaking as they would have been had he been writing 30-40 years earlier. This book, as Foucault explicitly states, is not so much about the birth of the clinic, as it is about the birth of ideas and knowledge - how conceptions of good and bad science come to be. In that regard the book, unfortunately the book falters in comparison to some others. The one I have in mind is Thomas Kuhn's "Structure of Scientific Revolutions". The main difference between the two is in time of release. Kuhn's book was released immediately after the Second World War. Subsequently, due to the nascent phase of the field, his book sets the foundation for the literature to follow in its tradition - such as The Birth of the Clinic. Therefore, readers interested in the development of scientific knowledge would be better served to pick up Kuhn's book first, then move onto The Birth of the Clinic.

While an introduction to the topic is somewhat helpful, the value of this book must not be overlooked. Your impression of medicine will not be the same.

" The birth of the Clinic " is an attempt by the philosopher and the learned historian to decipher the secret of medical perception. Only when the chaotic and subjective clinical experience is transcended to the objective language, we have the medicine as a scientific subject as today. As a physician myself , I think understanding " clinical gaze " helps me to define the place of modern medicine, of doctors and patients and of medical organisation in this fast changing world.

Nigel Calder's books, although detailed, don't really rub me the right way. Calder tends to analyze boats with everything but a hot tub onboard, and treats HVAC and microwaves like they should be standard issue with a rudder and compass.

Howard, on the other hand, is much more basic and simple with his recommendations, but not nearly as spartan as the Pardey's (who are also excellent authors and sailors). Jim's book is generally the first one I'll read on any given subject, and if I can't get enough detail there, I'll look elsewhere.

But really, this book should be top of the heap for you. The large section on voices in the night speaks for itself, and shows that Howard obviously has many thousands of miles under his keel.

Howard assumes some knowledge of sailing, but you don't have to be an experienced sailor to understand and appreciate this book. It is very well organized and is about as in depth as any *single* book on such a wide subject can be. He isn't afraid to name names when recommending equipment or other books and has a good bibliography and index. If you are at all interested in the *reality* of offshore cruising, buy this book.

Jim's book is very entertaining and easy to read. His advice comes from real-life experience and it is explained in terms that any novice would understand. I recommend this book to anyone considering the cruising lifestyle, especially y you are not loaded with a bottomless cruising kitty. This book is full of practical, common sense advice.

This book seems to be very thorough, well constructed and executed. I've been collecting alot of cruising books over the past few years in anticipation of a round-the-world cruise (someday), and this book not only answers many of the questions I have, but also is a very enjoyable (and effective) read when your dream needs a booster shot. For this reason alone, it has aearned a place of honor on my nightstand, where it has already, and will I am sure, many times more give "the dream" the neccesary "kick".

Great book, easy to read, you do not have to be an expert to read it. A must have for any sailor even if he/she is not a cruiser. Jim Howard deals with all the aspects of cruising under sail with a lot of common sence and safety. If you are a "wannabe" cruiser this book is of great help to organize your dream.

Mamba is a haunting thriller. From the time the Black mambas are sold in
Kenya, people start dying. Loaded on a Boeing 747 at San Francisco
International Airport, the snake becomes an instrument of terror. Strange
sounds are investigated before takeoff and again inflight, but there is no
explanation. The onboard computer fails--sabotaged. The only instrument
still operational is the gps, the radios are dead. Captain Steven Armstrong
Custer must steer his ship full of black mamba terrorized people, through
the night, over Canada, without instruments or radios.

This story will grip you in its coils, slither through your memory for
months, even make you apprehensive about your next flight. Mamba is the
type
of book from which television movies are made. Whatever you do, don't
investigate that strange sound, just leave-fast--if you can.

John Sheridan is an author to watch. The plot of Mamba is so fast paced
and
engrossing, the poor editing served only as speed bumps. Mr. Sheridan is
much better at writing suspense than romance; another indication an editor
may have helped assure this fine novel the five daggers it was destined to
merit. As it is this reviewer awards Mamba four daggers.

...

Mamba, a suspense/thriller is not for the faint of heart. When a terrorist group unleashes a deadly black mamba on an unsuspecting 747 jetliner after disabling its communication system, all hell breaksloose. As casualties mount,Captain Steve Custer is faced with the herculean task of saving his crew, his passengers and his very new love. Sheridan has created a frightening but believable story that blends terror with a touch of romance. Mamba is well worth reading.

I found this book to be most exciting. It had moments of being a heart thumper. It held my interest throughout the whole novel. I found it hard to put it down.
There was just the right amount of humorous incidents to allow a person a good laugh (descriptions of those scenes were so vivid). The love interest between Ginny & Captain Custer gave the reader a little mystery if this relationship would really develop; answers became pretty clean further on in the book.
The fight scene between Captain Custer & the snake was incredible; it could only happen in the movies. THIS WOULD DEFINITELY MAKE A GOOD MOVIE.....Hope to see this happen.
I would definitely read more books by this author; hope there are more in the works.

John Sheridan has crafted this thriller for those who can enjoy being frightened and thrilled at the same time. The African native mamba, is as deadly as any, and more aggressive than most,of the poisonous snakes. Aboard a transatlantic flight Captain Steve Custer is challenged to the max by the reptile, which was placed on the aircraft by terrorists. If you have a fear of snakes, this book will require you to keep the light on and continue reading through the night.

Mamba, a suspense/thriller is not for the faint of heart. When a terrorist group unleashes a deadly black mamba on an unsuspecting 747 jetliner after disabling its communication system, all hell breaksloose. As casualties mount,Captain Steve Custer is faced with the herculean task of saving his crew, his passengers and his very new love. Sheridan has created a frightening but believable story that blends terror with a touch of romance. Mamba is well worth reading.

"Battling Wall Street: The Kennedy Presidency" is great reading for people who want to move beyond books about the mechanics of the Kennedy assassination. The book helps explain why the "Eastern establishment" and a lot of other influential people, might want to get rid of President Kennedy. Another book, "History Will Not Absolve Us : Orwellian Control, Public Denial, & the Murder of President Kennedy" provides additional pieces of the puzzle by explaining how the American establishment, including leading establishment liberals like Noam Chomsky and Alexander Cockburn, have worked to sell the Warren Commision's 'lone gunman' cover-up. The amazing thing about the Kennedy assassination is that, despite a lot of nonsense coming from the mainstream media, the American people know it wasn't a lone gunman and the killers didn't do us a favor.

In reviewing the thoughts of most researchers of the JFK assassination, one sees that most of them invariably bring up the Cuba issue, and occasionally Lee Harvey Oswald's possible involvement with this issue.
Now, however, in this book, Professor Donald Gibson may have uncovered the real issues behind the death of President Kennedy. He reveals so many issues, in fact, that one has to begin to decide which one is the crucial one, the one that provoked the conspirators to decide to kill him.

The death of Kennedy seems to this observer of the American scene a resolution of the struggle of the two forces to decide who really rules America. Since people who run the government colluded with the murderers of the president, it's pretty obvious who really runs the show.
Readers of this book may want to try Gibson's second book, "The Kennedy Assassination Cover-Up". After forty years, Americans should want a reasonable answer to the question of who killed Kennedy. Gibson may provide the answer.

In 1989 a book was published called "Crossfire", in which Texas-based journalist Jim Marrs reviewed most of the information he thought was then available concerning the JFK assassination. A large part of the book dealt with those people and groups whom he thought were the most likely to have killed Kennedy. Allen Dulles and his CIA were included in his list.
Donald Gibson has added one more suspect to this list in this book, and it would appear to this reader that someone has finally made sense of the events of November 22, 1963.
From this one book alone, one could seriously accept the idea that the eastern establishment, the Wall Street crowd, the corporate elite and all their connections had the most to lose with Kennedy as president. They had the motive and means to kill the president and then to cover it up. Gibson flatly states the establishment and the CIA's interests were intertwined. In fact, the CIA was merely the enforcer for the Council on Foreign Relations global agenda. Both Allen Dulles and John J McCloy were extremely important members of the Council, who managed to land on the Warren Commission and lead the cover-up. In fact, a case could be built that they organized the plot. All they needed was the green light from someone in the inner circle of the Rockefeller-dominated Council, like one of the Rockefellers.

this book helped give me a whole new meaningful perspective on the kennedy assasination..it sifts through all the misinformation, and the same tired trashy expose type books on the kennedy presidency that don't give any meaningful information, i am much more interested in a president's policies economic and otherwise as opposed to his sex life...i highly reccommend that anyone interested in politics, economics, or the kennedy assasination read this book twice and very slowly. gibson lays everything out clearly in an easy to understand way, i highly reccomend this book.

This book is a great read. The subject matter is interesting and thought provoking. I had the privilage of having Prof. Gibson in class. His knowledge is vast and inspiring. His passion has motivated me not only in the college realm but in life itself.

I'm landlocked in Colorado, with no real desire to cruise on an ocean or even a bay, yet I really enjoyed reading this book. Herb and his wife, Nancy, were ordinary people except with perhaps even more limited funds than most Americans. Yet they impulsively decided to take to the sea. Somewhere along the way Herb started writing articles about his adventures (they almost always needed extra money because something else on the boat had broken). Eventually that led to this amusing, laugh out loud while reading it, book.
Herb displays a fine sense of humor that never comes across as mean, just amusing as he describes himself and the people he meets along the way. This is a good book for sharing with others, then tucking it away on the bookshelf for another read next year. And if any cruiser is trying to explain to a landlubber what it's like on the water, this book would be the perfect gift to share both the bad (lost in the middle of a pitch black night surrounded by dangerous coral heads) and the glorious (a village throwing a party in honor of your visit). A charming book that is aging extremely well.

My dad gave me this book to read during our first week-long cruise on the Chesapeake with his new 34 Catalina. Not only was this book an instant favorite of mine, it was a perfect selection while I was enjoying the sea myself. It made me want to buy a boat and cruise the world. I'm envious of his travels! It's an endearing and hilarious read.

This book is one of the best all-around, just-your-average-guy, kind of sailing story. There are many, many books about guys who have been sailing their local waters all their life. They have always owned a sailboat and have always known that some day they would take off over the horizon. That is not the kind of guy Herb Payson was.

The author and his wife just happened to decide that sailing was the answer to a life that did not seem to be giving them the joy they were seeking. Nevermind that between them they had very little sailing experience. It's this type of spirit for adventure and desire to explore the unknown that many of us aspire to.

The book is well written and truly a joy to read. The author takes a witty and low-key approach to their sometimes eventful escapades. What this book represented most of all, however, was that you don't have to have decades of sailing experience or incredible endurance to take to a life of cruising. It is an inspirational piece and required reading for anyone thinking of doing the same.

This book is one of my favorites. If you love true adventures, and real-life drama, read this book! Herb Payson does a wonderful job in drawing the reader into his boat and taking us for a ride! You will have a mixture of dread, excitement, and anticipation as they cruise along from island to island. This book will make you want to sell everything you own and move into your own boat. But don't let their setbacks discourage you. They have several mishaps while out at sea... But I won't spoil the fun and tell you what happens ---- This is good reading and I dare you to put the book down before you are finished!!! Happy armchair sailing!

Both of these books ("Blown Away" and "You Can't Blow Home Again") are great and should be read one after the other (The second is the continuing saga). The true story of a family that sells everything to buy a boat and sail around the world. They only make it as far as the south pacific, but it makes for year after year of adventures. As a sailor myself (coastal, not blue water) I felt he did a great job of capturing the sharp contrast between the elation, exhilaration and sheer terror that can be found in sailing. Mr. Payson's honest, care free and "oh well" attitude is something that I wish I could capture for myself. Someone who does not mind laughing at himself.

I only have one critique of the books. Mr. Payson uses nautical terms and the names of boat parts as if they are a part of everyone's daily vocabulary. I sail a simple sloop configuration and can name every component that is applicable to our boat. But his repeated use of terms unique to multi-masted, wooden masted, bow-sprinted boats kept sending me to the nautical dictionary. Since the book does not appear to be targeted at highly experienced sailors, a little more explanation would have been nice.

I first read this book from a copy obtained from the local public library. I was so impressed I bought one. It is a beautiful description of one man's sailing adventures of the New England Coast in the summer of 1992. I bought it primarilly as a cruising guide to the all the places I intend to explore with my own sailboat.

With a title like "Sailing New England Waters from Shelter Island to Cape Cod" one expects a practical sailing advice on sailing the said waters. Well, this book doesn't do much in the department of practicality or advice, and I am still looking for a good guide on New England cruising.

Other than that, the book is quite enjoyable and makes a wonderful winter read, much recommended.

Long Island Sound and the south coast of New England--City Island in New York City to Martha's Vinyard and Nantucket and then the north shore of Cape Cod is one of the finest sailboat cruising grounds in the world. This area is replete with coves, quaint villages, rivers, islands, and a vast number of harbors and anchorages all different and interesting. Anthony Bailey writes an informative and charming description of a summer cruising the eastern sections, from Shelter Island to Provincetown. For anyone who is interested in or contemplating taking up coastal cruising Bailey's book is a dream of the way coastal cruising could and can be. Bailey cruises sometimes singlehanded, but mostly with his wife Margot. They are serious and dedicated sailors, cruisers, and enjoyers of people and the outdoors. I have cruised many of these same areas and thoroughly enjoyed revisiting them vicariously with Bailey. Bailey is a fine writer, with a modest and friendly voice. This material could easily have been unexciting and tedious in less skilled authorial hands. Bailey brings it lovingly to life.

The Coast of Summer is part informal cruising guide, part "log of our journey," and part dreamy reminiscing. Unlike some cruising guides, Bailey's is very much focused on people. Some sailors have a girl in every port--Bailey has a friend in every port, and we learn much about them. Bailey is British but partly grew up on Cape Cod and lived for years in Stonington, Connecticut while he worked for the New Yorker magazine. He seems to know an endless number of the rich and famous (and eccentric) who summer along the New England coast and he and Margot are happy to be entertained by one or another of them in most every destination on his cruise.

Although The Coast of Summer is one of my favorite and most enjoyed sailing books (and I've read many), I must nevertheless enter some qualms. For one thing, this book tends to breed resentment, at least in my puny soul. Bailey spends three quarters of the year living in London, and then July, August, and part of September cruising New England in his sailboat. Hmmm. What a nice life! I've also already mentioned his many aristocratic and intellectual friends--probably from his New Yorker days. And if you or I wrote a manuscript about our summer cruise, no matter how charming and informative, I bet we could not get it published. But Bailey can! Why? One surmises it's his New Yorker connections again.

OK. Enough of these cranky thoughts. I still have other more serious qualms. Bailey enters disclaimers about treating his tale as a cruising guide and I'm inclined to agree. For one thing the book is dated. Much has changed since he wrote it (but some things never change). I also question some of his boating methods. He and Margot cruise without a bimini. I consider a bimini essential protection from the Sun. Do not cruise anywhere south of the Arctic without a bimini. His auxiliary engine is gasoline rather than diesel. Diesel is much safer. Furthermore Bailey is unwilling to use his engine except in the most dire of circumstances. This can be a danger to oneself and others. We sailors rely on our engines when the wind dies and to get us out of tight spots. To compulsively insist on keeping the engine off, as Bailey does, even in dodgy situations is unwise and in my opinion unseamanlike.

But for his joy in sailing, his love of anchoring in remote spots and enjoying the peace and calm (what we cruisers call "gunkholing"), for his friendship and conviviality, for his treading softly and easily--Bailey is to be learned from and prized.

I recommend this book highly to anyone who is interested in coastal sailboat cruising, especially in Long Island Sound and New England.

I am now reading this book for the 4th time. You easly place yourself rght in the cockpit with them. Going day to day, harbor to harbor. A must read !!!!!

This delightful account of a summer of sailing along the Southern New England coast is a must-read for any cruising sailor or sailor wannabe. It is the story of the normal events of coastal cruising, from anchoring to meeting old friends ashore, from monitoring the weather to cooking on board, told in a prose which flows as easily as the tides. The personal memories and reflections, and the historical notes on the many harbors along the route, are as thoroughly engrossing as the 80-foot waves, pirates, and seamonsters of most adventure books. Perhaps it is the reality of planning such a cruise for yourself that makes the book even more captivating than the more unlikely tales of life-threatening ordeals in violent seas. This book informs, entertains, and gratifies almost as well as the sea, itself.

Richard Woodman can be habit forming if you love stories from the days when men went down to the sea in ships that had clouds of sail on them and guns to run in and out of port holes when engaging the enemy. Having just finished this book, I felt compelled to embark on the next.

Some have commented that Woodman writes with an authenticity that makes you understand what it is like to stand on a quarterdeck with an enemy bearing down on you with both ships set to loose broadsides upon each other, or to navigate in the Artic Sea, as Drinkwater does in this particular novel as he commands a captured French corvette while protecting English whale fishermen from the French who are known to have designs on the area.

Edward R. Murrow, used to host a TV show, many moons ago, entited "You are There" where he would interview various people from history as though they were alive today. Woodman takes you there with his words and his writing and it is a very real trip indeed. You would be well advised to come on board.

Nat is now elevated to Master & Commander and given Job-Captain cy in charge of a corvette as escort to a group of whalers bound for Greenland. As well as the usual excellent sail evolutions, there is wonderful description of below-decks life here, as well as incidental details (some qory) of whaling boats and the hunt.

Several plots run together in this story; the threat of privateers; the differing agendas of the whalers; insubordination in the officers; and a pastor with a past. All are handled by a Captain who has matured as much as his author, in a way that has neither the bluffness of Jack Aubrey, nor the asperity of Hornblower.
Excellent reading; but why can I not find Mr. Woodman on the average bookstore's shelves? *****

I've now read the first five books in the Nathaniel Drinkwater series and continue to be impressed with the author's command of the English language and his colorful characterizations.

In reading these books I get a strong feeling of having been with Drinkwater on his adventures; such is the extent of Woodman's talent for description and characterization.

Even minor characters are not neglected. For example, here's a quote from page 167 describing the gunner's reaction to an unusual order: "The gunner frowned, raised an eyebrow and compressed his toothless mouth. Then, without a word, knuckled his forehead and waddled below."

Gratuitous characterizations such as that demonstrate that Woodman misses no opportunity to animate his characters.

Even though Drinkwater at this stage of his "life" is 40 years old and captain of a ship, the reader can sense that he's still learning how to be a good commander. He hurts from his old wounds and misses his wife and children. In other words, he seems real.

I hate to compare Bernard Cornwell's Richard Sharpe books unfavorably to another author's series because the Sharpe books are entertaining, and I have read nearly all of them. But Sharpe is almost a cartoon character in comparison to Drinkwater. I often skip over much of the fighting scenes in Cornwell's books, but Woodman's power of description makes the fight scenes a pleasure to read.

I expect to read the rest of Woodman's Drinkwater novels in chronological order.

The book is in three parts, in the first of which Acting Captain Drinkwater must establish his leadership in a new command and lead a convoy of hard-bitten and angry whalers onto the Greenland whaling grounds. The second concerns the hunt for whales and, despite its misfortunes, how Drinkwater slips into a yacht cruise mentality. The third part returns us to the fact they are all at war with the French, who are rumored to have sent out corsairs during the false peace of 1802 to lay in wait and cripple the British economy when the world war resumed.

I found this one of the most interesting in the series. For all the Napoleonic era novels out there, this contains the first discussion of whaling in the North Atlantic I recall (and only a few other series include the more familiar Pacific whalers). Also, Drinkwater essays humor on occasion, despite his author's rather grim prose and concern with political machinations. Drinkwater often struggles with scepticism and faith, God, and duty to the navy, abetted here by a pastor/surgeon who is philosophically inclined and by a righteously subversive whaling captain. Woodman describes the arctic well, but only occasionally does he evoke its beauty and terror. Pay very close attention to the beginning chapters for there are clues to anticipating a final mystery. If you understand sailing commands and constantly track the state of the wind through the story then all the ship maneuvers make sense; otherwise ignore them as nautical "period atmosphere" and be poorer for it.

We get to hear more sail commands than usual, thanks to an insecure but punctilious 3rd lieutenant, and also learn in great detail the meaning of "jury-rigged." What strange names some fictional captains have: Drinkwater, Hornblower-and quite the opposite of their true characters.

This is book five in the Drinkwater series, and was a bit of a disappointment after some of the earlier books. Once again, the author skips forward. Book four, "The Bomb Vessel," ended in July 1801 after the First Battle of Copenhagen. This book covers a relatively brief period from May to November 1803, falling into the tendency that Patrick O'Brien had in some of his later novels of putting a little too much action into too short a period of time (sometimes moving ships about the ocean at fantastic rates of speed).

At the beginning of this story, we find Drinkwater on the beach, recovering from a wound received between novels. Admiral Jervis (now Earl St. Vincent and First Lord of the Admiralty) was known for promoting officers based on ability rather than interest, and he gives Drinkwater (now a commander) temporary command of the twenty-gun sloop Melusine after the ship's captain in incapacitated and resigns (why this would only be a temporary command is not entirely clear - Jervis had the authority to promote officers).

Action finds Drinkwater guarding a whaling fleet in the Greenland Sea, dealing with French privateers and English renegades, and seeking a French base. There is considerable detail about the operation of the whaling fleet and the hazards involved in arctic whaling. John Nicol, in his autobiography, gave a brief description of a voyage on a whaling ship to the Greenland Sea, and noted his resolution not to make another.

Like other novels in the series, characters in this novel carry over into the next.

Before I bought, I open inside, then not more than a minute, I can feel, "Yes, this is what I want". Most books are full of pictures and say what happen, but do not give the reason of why or how. This book is what I like, it explianed in details. Well, what can I say, if you like to read pure theory, buy it, if you don't really like formular, just only theory..think about it, if you like picture book, don't buy it. Summary: it is not for beginner. But once you understand it, it is amazing.

The only one book I ever red about aeronautic, where I dont feel me badly stupid on mathematics, physic and other academic disciplines... From propreller to tail, wing AND cabine measurements, every thing is in the Stinton's book. And a bit more, an excellent sense of humour !

I am a pilot and aircraft builder and found this book essential for the comprehension of the structures and flight characteristics of the various aircraft designs. It is clearly written and contains explanations of immediate comprehension along with the more traditional calculations.

This book uses an incredible number of line drawings to very clearly illustrate points. One of the better fundamental aero engineering books I have seen. (note: This book is written in 'British English'- and is stuffed with a number of words that are spelled differently from 'American English' yet very 'recognisable' (ie: manoevrability, aeroplane, etc, etc). Makes it a fun read too).

I used this book as the main source of information and design data for the development of my own airplane design. The author goes directly into design carachteristics without spending too much in complicated aerodinamics formulations, but deep enough to cover the necessary details of the design process. Just basic engineering knowledge required.

Great civil war book. Made me change my mind about Sheridan. Worth your money.

Mr. Wittenberg makes a convincing case for the decisiveness of this cavalry battle and campaign, and his evaluations of Sheridan, Hampton, Fitz Lee, and others are fair and incisive. He did not need to prove his stature as an authority on the cavalry of the Army of the Potomac, but clearly has done so with this volume and with his subsequent works.

I had the chance to visit the Trevilian battlefield recently, and used this book as a guide. In spite of the paucity of markers (maybe that's a good thing!), it was easy to follow the action using the author's excellent endnotes, maps, and descriptions of terrain.

A local preservation group recently purchased a large portion of the June 11 battlefield, which is a very good sign. Anyone interested in the Civil War's eastern theater should not miss this book.

It is about time that a true scholarly description of this long neglected but fascinating battle has been written. It destroys quite a number of myths! Sheridan was not invincible. The Confederate Cavalry did not die at Yellow Tavern with J.E.B. Stuart (it died at Appomattox with the rest of the ANVa). That Wade Hampton was a capable and perhaps more suitable cavalry commander for that period of the war. I bet that with even numbers that Hampton would have trounced Sheridan. As it was, outnumbered he stopped Sheridan cold and hurt him bad.

The battle is exciting, complex and had Hampton had just a little more strength Sheridan would have been in bad trouble; as it was he was hard pressed to claim any real results.

It is also hoped that this draws more attention to the preservation of this battlefield, which is in pretty good shape- but the bull dozers will come eventually.

This is a book for learning Civil War personalities, style of command, how cavalry fought in the civil war and documents this battle superbly. Well done and well worth the price od admission. I'll be on the outlook for more by Messr Wittenburg.

A useful and vivid study of the largest all-cavalry battle in the Civil War. The author's trenchant criticism of Sheridan is especially interesting as he does most of his work on Michigan cavalry--thus can't be accused of Southern partisanship. It's a long and detailed account, including plenty of quotes for human interest as well as an assessment of the battle's tactical and strategic import. In a larger context, it works well to fill a gap--cavalry actions get less scholarship than I think they should--and to offer a perspective on Sheridan that differs slightly from the norm.

Mr. Wittenberg is the author of several books on cavalry operations in the Eastern Theater, all well documented, informative and very readable. This book is my personal favorite. He hits the "sweet spot", balancing a solid battlefield history with personal experiences of the participants. The history set up an experience, which amplifies and explains the history bridging the story to the next incident. The result is an informative history of Sheridan's cavalry raid in June 1864 with an in the saddle feel rarely found in nonfiction books.

The heart of the book is the battles of Trevilian Station on June 11 & 12, 1864 and Samaria Church on June 24, 1862. Trevilian Station is Sheridan's attempt to cut the vital Virginia Central Railroad and Samaria Church is Hampton's attempt to capture Sheridan's wagon train. The two battles do not stand-alone but exist in Sheridan's cavalry raid, with the raid firmly placed in Grant's Overland Campaign. This means that the reader never forgets the total operation and the war. Very often, battle histories do not include or spend very little time on the larger issues causing us to miss this vital information.

This raid contains a who's who of Eastern cavalry personalities: Philip Sheridan, Wade Hampton, Fitzhugh Lee and George Custer are well known, Thomas Rosser, Matthew Butler, Alfred Torbert, Wesley Merritt and David Gregg much less so. Each man has an interesting word portrait with a detailed account of his role. Mr. Wittenberg draws some interesting conclusions about the battle and the men. As always, his conclusions are well supported and thought provoking, making for a book that is both an introduction with something for the more knowledgeable too.