Thomas Books

This is an excellent book. The author has done a great job in highlighting key phrases of Jefferson in an easy to read compilation. The kind of book you can dip into often.

This book is a beacon of hope in a time of endless attack campaigns and 24-hour talking heads on cable tv. The editor Eric Peterson has done a masterful job assembling some 30 essays by Jefferson, at a time when we truly need inspiration and hope.
Here is but one quote in a section on "Patience"
"A little patience, and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their spells dissolve, and the people, recovering their true sight, restore their government to its true principles.... ...Patience will bring all to rights, and steady perseverance on our part will secure the blessed end."
If you are troubled by the state of our country, read this book and be inspired to public service, hope and idealism!!

After reading James Bovards "The Bush Betrayal" and then reading this excellent collection of letters and thoughts from Thomas Jefferson it is inescapable to not see the warnings of as well as the fears of the founding fathers of this nation were very real and foreseen, and that they did their best to set in place as many safe guards as they could in the world they lived in, to try and protect as well as warn the future generations of this nation that we must never turn a blind eye toward those in government.
This work is very well thought out and arranged to bring to a clear focus each area of thought that Jefferson reflected upon during his life both in and out of the political arena.

This is a book that all Americans should read now, and re-read over one's lifetime. The editor has done an incredible job of distilling from over 20,000 of Jefferson's letters his elevating, illumining and inspiring thoughts. It is an insight into the man, the times and the country he so deeply loved and so tirelessly worked to create, nurture, expand and sustain. So many times I found myself exclaiming a "Wow!" over a quote, sometimes smiling, sometimes tearing-up, wistfully, at the depth of his soulful wisdom. Do not hesitate to bring this gem into your home, your library, and your heart.

Light and Liberty reveals the true Thomas Jefferson in all his intuitive grandeur. Thomas Jefferson envisioned and revealed the very qualities that made America evolve into the new model of government and society. In reading his innermost thoughts and ideals we can feel a small glimpse of the light that has, and should guide our country and all humanity into the future.

This book is not only a "must read" for all those who believe in our most basic principles, but also an incredible reference of higher ideals and progressive thought.

I love the CD's and the book that comes with it. I've done a bit of chanting in yoga classes and such, but this study guide is really good. The sections are clearly described and grouped, the mantas are written out so that I can SEE the words as well as hear them - being a visual person this helps tremendously. I find this a good study guide as well as an invaluable reference.

I have the book called "Healing Mantras". If you are interested in mantras, and you know very little, and you just want to get started don't get this 6 CD set with the book. Get it after you read "Healing Mantras". Healing Mantras gives you the basics to get started. If you want to go very, very deep into certain areas and to go much more into depth then go through this CD. I would start with the book "Healing Mantras" and get the CD with the same title. Then, if you decide you want to get more background information. You will have to go over and over this. Reading the book is very important if you are more visual. It is good to read the book over and over (it's really a study guide) and then go back to the CDs. I admit it is hard to absorb a lot of what he says. It takes time. Give yourself time with this. Thomas Ashley Farrand or Namadeva is very good. This book does have some typos, but that is okay. Some of the mantras that you learn are long ways.
I was surprised that I managed to learn it. I really like the Om Apadamapa mantra which goes "Om Apadamapa Hataram Dataram Sarva Sampadam Loka Bhi Ramam Sri Ramam Bhuyo Bhuyo Namam-yaham." It is very beautiful to chant that one and the Gayatri Mantra. The Gayatri I haven't mastered yet. It is a little more difficult, but very nice, too.

Namaste...

After chanting these mantras you will literally FEEL their effect on the energy body. I have to agree with the author that these mantras energize the prana(aura) because I myself had a very similar experience.

I started chanting one particular mantra for only ten times. I didnt experience anything instantly but when I went to lay down I immidiately felt a shift in my awareness. It was very similar to that feeling you get before attemping an out-of-body experience.

Although I havent tried the 40-day discipline, theres no doubt that these mantras work. Its best to start with the book, 'Healing Mantras' and then try the system. A word of caution--treat this mantras with respect.

I was drawn to this and glad I found it as I have not read a plethora of information about Mantras - but this is very comprehensive, interesting and informative. I have already started chanting and hope to continue with more. I have listened to these CDs in the car and transferred them to my iPod. I hope to take my own notes to remember information I am interested in. I highly recommend this series to open up new information to those of us in the "west" who think we understood much about the knowledge of the Hindu/Buddhist world.

This is a comprehensive mantra tool-bag. A must-have in your library of book collections for those who're interested in playing of consciousness. Explanations are concise and clear. Most important is, you'll see results if you really follow the guidlines and practice it.

This book is excellent. The fictional stories are engaging and thought-provoking. The non-fiction side is equally engaging. I experienced a difference in my life before even finishing the book. It's well-researched, down to earth and solid. I highly recommend it!

I work in the wellness industry and my patients have read this book and formed a love/hate relationship with it. The info that this book brings to light is shocking. Everyone needs to be educated on this material, it will save your life! I have changed the way my clinic helps people my saving from our system that kills people, yikes!

This book combines the hard science and a fictional story to bring home a point about health and wellness. Everyone interested in their health or health of a loved one should read this book.

Never have I found so much good insights in one place and in an easy to apply format. This book has changed my life and given me hope for something better.

FINALLY somebody wrote a book to fairly and accurately contrast the dominant models of health care in our country. The Mechanistic Model vs. the Vitalistic Model.

Having been employed in Big Pharma for years and seeing the inner workings of an industry that HEAVILY influences doctors prescribing habits, I can say this book has hit the nail right on the head. Not only does it expose the fallacy that "drugs cure", but it also documents the devastation on health care in America through medical error and adverse drug reactions. Justly it properly positions the mechanistic model where it was INTENDED to be used.... Crisis and Trauma.... not healthcare.

Most importantly, however, this book, eloquently and clearly gives the roadmap to outrageous health: spiritually, emotionally, and physically. As a Doctor, "One Minute Wellness", is on my MUST read list for my patients, my family and my friends.

Kudos, Dr. Ben and Dr. Loman

I found this book very helpful. I learned what a difference it makes, in which way you communicate with your child and with other people. It had a very positive impact on my relationship to my children and other people. I highly recommend it.

If you don't feel closeness with your child, can't get them to open up even with the kindest efforts, feel like you can't imagine why your relationship isn't good because of all the love you give, and your child would rather spend time with the computer than with you, and they won't listen to you....YOU NEED THIS! I was able to understand instantly the unintentional messages I have been sending! I've read MANY parenting books, never have the results been so immediate--almost magic, and so simple to understand and use. In four days, while still reading, I used/practiced the techniques described--and my 15 year old has responded with profound openess and helpfulness. Because I am respecting his needs as a person (and have learned how to comunicate this), he is in turn respecting my needs! Brilliant! Buy it at ANY cost!!

I read this book in a communications class in junior college. I do not have kids, but it is the foundation of the way I relate to people and to my students. So many people do not know how to talk with others without blaming. This book shows you how to own your power and let others have theirs, too.

I believe all parents or would be parents should have a copy of this book. It would be a great baby shower gift. Helps you understand yourself and children, and actually makes you like yourself and children. I can't say enough on this book. It brings the best out in you, and also makes you feel like you are not the only parent on earth who goes through tough times in your home raising kids. The book was written over thirty years ago but still works in this day. I use the skills almost all the time with my daughter who is fifteen and I have had the most conversation I have ever had with her since applying the skills the book suggested. Truly the most effective book on parenting I have ever read.

Every person alive can benefit from reading this book. I've just finished it & already see improvement between me and my 3 teens(and feel more forgiving toward my own parents, teachers). Parent Effectiveness Training translates into ALL relationships and makes them BETTER! Thank you a MILLION times.

Populuxe describes the postwar era from 1955-1964 when American consumerism reached its fullest expression. Since that time we have just recycled and re-invented that period's concepts and trends. Mr. Hines points to the product launch of the 1955 Chevy as marking the beginning, as it was the first mid-price car with tailfins, terminating with the staleness of the "future" presented at the 1964 World's Fair that came in the months after the crushing blow of JFK's assassination.

Thomas Hine describes the era as one that simultaneously looked back to the old west and to a space age future. The old west was a useful paradigm because it brought to mind the pioneer spirit; the sense of self-invention involved and the space age came with the atom bomb, sputnik and the astronauts. Fueled by sudden prosperity, shaped by sophisticated advertising and product marketing, embraced by an American middle class rich with dollars and plenty of leisure, it was the time of ever-growing tail fins on cars, the latest kitchen gadget and exuberant roadside architecture.

While the book would be highly enjoyable just for the descriptions of the products and trends of those times as well as the treasure trove of classic photos, Mr. Hines does more than that. He shows how the tenets of consumerism were laid out in this time; from feeding people a readymade identity through the products they purchased to creating new markets by fulfilling consumers desires rather than their needs. A toaster was no longer a machine that grilled bread. It was a space aged accessory that told its purchaser that he or she was pioneer in the land of tomorrow.

Hine's book is a meticulously researched, wonderfully illustrated work on how the American mindset of the 1950s and 1960s created both the consumer culture and the physical environment in which it thrives. All of this is masquerading as an enjoyable, nostalgic, amusement park ride through the world of split-level houses, tail finned cars, and orange Naugahyde-upholstered furniture. It's a fun read for all baby boomers as well as for any of their children who are trying to figure out why their parents think pink and green go together. By the way, I also recommend this book to any Europeans trying to understand American culture. Read this and the short story "The Concrete Mixer" by Ray Bradbury and you'll understand why McDonalds and Wal-Mart can't be stopped.

While the colorful plastic and steel designs of the '50's and '60's lacked the beauty of the bronze and silk Art Deco styles of the '20' s and '30's, they are still full of a spirit of fun and excitement.

Before Thomas Hine invented the term "Populuxe," the hopeful designs found in '50's and '60's fashion, furniture, architecture and automobiles were linked with the Space Age, the mighty atom, Rock 'n' Roll, and a nation in love with its wheels. Looking toward a bright future helped the Western world bear the reality of the shadow of Communism. As a guy with dim memories of this era I can say that this book is great fun to read with plenty of vintage pictures and insight into how the Space Age came to be and what it all meant.

I found this book in college, used as a text for the Industrial Design dept. I was a Criminal Justice major myself, but found this a great look at American culture.

This book could be a blueprint for the whimsical looks at the 50's seen on History Channel documentaries.

Hines book is a fun, unpretentious look at the times that led to the designs. It is refreshing that the author didn't take the easy route and simply churn out a tome laundry listing trends simply to make fun of them. The book shows a great understanding and admiration of the industrial art of the era without any pretense or hubris

Hine's work is a meticulously researched, wonderfully illustrated work on how the American mindset of the 1950s and 1960s created both the consumer culture and the physical environment in which it thrives. All of this is masquerading as an enjoyable, nostalgic, amusement park ride through the world of split-level houses, tail finned cars, and orange Naugahyde-upholstered furniture. It's a fun read for all baby boomers as well as for any of their children who are trying to figure out why their parents think pink and green go together. By the way, I also recommend this book to any Europeans trying to understand American culture. Read this and the short story "The Concrete Mixer" by Ray Bradbury and you'll understand while McDonalds and Wal-Mart can't be stopped.

I happened upon this book at my library and thought it would be a good read. I had never heard of the author so wasn't sure what I was in for--Once I finally picked it up and began reading I was hooked!! When I finally found time to start reading it,it came at a time in my life when I really needed to be inspired, to laugh and realize there are other women who totally understand me. The chapter that touched me most was about Vivian the 87 yr old lady--who welcomed the author into her life and became such an inspiration. This book inspired me in so many ways--It gave me hope, renewed my faith and I plan on buying extras and sharing them with others who I am sure could use something gleamed from this wonderful book

Trying to feel fulfilled with only 1 other person in your life? It doesn't work. Several friends add the spice to the spice cake, the toppings to the pizza dough, the rainbows to the landscape. Read this book about friendship and mutual support and then go out and build your friendships!

My best friend and I sat in my living room reading this book to each other. We only paused long enough to grab some brownies from the kitchen and snag a box of Kleenex before diving back into the wonderful world of the Georgia Girls. We agreed that we felt like we went on the retreat with those women. We laughed and cried....sometimes these emotions even overlapped! It was truly wonderful. I've read nearly all of Becky Freemans books and once again she has succeeded in making me feel special as a woman, not on my own merit; but by just knowing that we all depend on Gods grace anyway.

I'm a Becky Freeman fan and have read all of her books. While her humor always brings a refreshing "out-loud" laugh, she has the ability to bring the reader into "deeper waters." This book is definately not the "shallow-end" kind of swim. I made the mistake of reading from it while in the plane on a business trip. The flight attendant asked me if I was all right--at least he got me a kleenex. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys true-life stories about average women with an above-average inner strength. These gals may never make the front page of the news or be featured in the National Enquirer, but their stories are worth reading--ala "Chicken Soup" variety. Thanks for the refreshing swim, Becky, but next time, you need to put a "hanky warning" on the cover.

Real Magnolias was the most encouraging book I have read! It reminded me that I am not alone on this journey. There are friends around me who are going through the same situations and struggles in their lives. This book is about REAL women who share what makes them continue toward their walk with Christ. There is a lot to be said for women who enourage each other. Becky Freemen is a very unselfish writer who let these women tell their life story. Life stories that we all can relate too. Stories that are full of laughter, tears and hope for tomorrow.

I loved this book! Parts of it are laugh-out-loud funny and all of it gives great insight into the minds and hearts of hockey players. Lots of good stuff that you know had to happen to someone, although I know names and locations have been changed. Also, a lot of interesting and informative bits of hockey lore. But, above all, the story is great and the characters are all three-dimensional ones. You care about them and want to know what happens next. I hope to see more hockey fiction from Mr Falla.

This book is a MUST for any hockey fan.Anybody looking for any behind the scenes expose of life in the Nhl should go elsewhere. The book took me two days to read.JP Savard is a goalie determined to hang on to his job and continue playing in the Nhl.Throughout one season we follow him through the highs and lows and how he deals with them. Jp is a very likeable protagonist as well as the rest of the characters. I really liked the way Falla includes hockey history throughout the book without bogging the story down.

The summer season is rapidly approaching and many travelers will be compiling a list of books to read while on vacation. The hockey fan should consider Saved, by Jack Falla. It follows the season of Jean Pierre Savard, a goalie for the Bruins and his quest to win the Cup as his career is winding down. There are no surprises here but the book is loaded with hockey history and behind the scenes looks at the life of a professional hockey player. Falla covered the NHL for many years for Sports Illustrated and he brings the reader into the locker room, the rink and lives of these fictional characters.
At first Jean Pierre (JP) appears to be the main character as the first thirty pages focus on his background information, how he became a goalie and his college career then launches into present day. We are introduced to his best friend and teammate Cam Carter, get a glimpse of JP's personal life which includes a Ferrari and a lot of sex, which should entice the male reader to pick up the book. However, as the book progresses the real main character becomes evident, the hockey culture and game. Hockey is all JP has ever known and as the end of his career looms, he is terrified by the prospect of not knowing what to do with the rest of his life. Three concussions during the season cannot deter him from his need to keep playing, even with a warning from his fiancée Faith McNeil, a former college classmate and hotshot basketball player, now a dotcom millionaire and doctor.
My husband obviously has done a good job over the past eight years because I was familiar with the majority of the names, terms and events mentioned in the book and some basic hockey knowledge does make the book more pleasurable. Falla does provide a lot of detail, so that the new hockey fan will not be completely lost while reading this book. An example is the description of the Vezina Trophy. The reader learns for whom the trophy is named and why, and the details about Vezina's final game and untimely death. Sports metaphors run amuck in the book, which at times was cumbersome to this reader. It may be a gender difference, as the book is told from a male point of view, because while a sports fan I certainly don't answer every question directed to me with a sports reference.
As JP moves through his season and a trade from the Bruins, he gives details about the games he playing, what they mean during the different points of the season, what needs to happen for his Cup run to continue and how it feels to have someone else gunning for his job the entire time. Most readers cannot identify with being a professional athlete and being paid millions of dollars a year. But they can relate to being in their thirties, not knowing what to do next in their lives and struggling to hold onto their youth. This, coupled with the hockey history woven throughout the book makes it an enjoyable and quick read. (Provided the reader does not have a four year old and six month old vying for his or her attention.) As you pack your bags for the beach, mountains and beyond make sure you include Saved.

Jack Falla has written the ultimate book about hockey, its characters, its culture and its athletic charm. It's like being dropped down into "hockey world" and allowed to be an invisible observer. Falla's style conveys the feeling of the sport without slowing it down with extraneous detail. You get to appreciate the characters and I wished it would just go on without end. It is the most enjoyable story that I can remember. Get yourself a copy to read whenever you feel the world around you sucks.

I really enjoyed this book as a hockey fan. The characters and relationships are well-drawn, and the choices and struggles of life are not short-changed.

Definitely recommended for anyone who enjoys sports (especially hockey) and is looking for a fun and fast read.

THE SIGN OF JONAS is the journal of the Trappist monk Thomas Merton from 1946 to 1952, covering his early years at the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemane through his ordination and his first couple of years as a priest. It is, essentially, a sequel to his best-selling THE SEVEN STOREY MOUNTAIN. The latter book is a more traditional autobiography, spanning his early life, covering his conversion experience, and culminating in his decision to enter contemplative life. What's so fascinating about Merton is that he was such a manifestly *human* human being, in the sense of having all of our weaknesses of body and mind; he was, in short, not what you'd think of as very saintly. Nonetheless, he was able to transcend those very human qualities, empty himself, and fill himself with God--and write about it in such a beautiful way that he is able to inspire and to move others to want to emulate him.

The journal entries that comprise this book vary considerably in style, tone, and content, but there are basically two types: Many of the entries, especially in the first half of the book are narrative, for instance, describing Merton's consternation over what he sees as a conflict between his writing and his need to live the contemplative life. This sense of inner discord is exacerbated by, on the one hand, his fame resulting from the publication of SEVEN STOREY MOUNTAIN and his desire (perhaps temptation) for the more hermit-like life of the Carthusian. His superior in religious life, the abbot, essentially orders him to (1) write and (2) forget about the Carthusians, and he is obedient to his abbot as the expression of God's will. Merton's descriptions of his monastic surroundings are lyrical and painterly. The narrative entries are furthermore peppered with good humor, both droll ("There is certainly something very touching about lambs, until they find their way into holy pictures and become unpleasant" [p. 168]") and childlike (during one of the services, he is distracted by the hunting scene depicted on the shirt of one of the postulants: "What disturbs me especially is that one of the huntsmen, on a very fat horse, is riding directly through the middle of the pack of hounds, at right angles to the apparent direction of the chase. And I say to him, `Where do you think you're going?' when my mind ought to be on the psalms" [p. 208]).

The other major type of journal entry focuses on aspects of the spiritual life. These passages are beautiful, often abstruse, and occasionally exceedingly dense. They are suitable more for meditation than for simple reading pleasure. About halfway through the book, when Merton is ordained a priest, he becomes especially consumed by his new role and enraptured by the Mass. This in part reflects a pre-Vatican II understanding of the Mass that was more personal and less community-focused. For this reader, anyway, these passages are, though initially interesting, eventually a bit trying. Fortunately, Merton grows into his priesthood, and his writing reflects this, becoming less inward and self-absorbed. At the very end of the book, in the Epilogue called `Fire Watch," he is able to successfully join narrative and spiritual writing for a final meditation.

THE SIGN OF JONAS depicts Merton at a point in his life at which his ideas and thoughts are still maturing. It is, however that may be, a stunning piece of work. For my part, I found it more moving than SEVEN STOREY MOUNTAIN. In fact, I think it is one of the best pieces of 20th-century Catholic spiritual literature, a book that I found both edifying and a pleasure to read.

Sign of Jonas is a marvelous interweaving of three themes. Merton's love of nature is vividly described while he also relates his own spiritual growth as he moves through the years preceding and following becoming a priest. He tells of life at the monastery in a clear and,for the most part, affectionate way. The book moves smoothly from one of these arenas to another and back again. His explanations of his spiritual experiences are so very honest.It was my first Merton book and remains my favorite. When I finish the last page I turn to the first and start again. Reading and re-reading this book is like having a close friend.

For those who have come to know and enjoy Merton's writing, this collection of edited early journal entries provides a great deal of insight into the man and why he was able to remain so committed to Trappist life in his later times of trial. Much of the smugness of some parts of The Seven Storey Mountain are already gone, and we can see him maturing in his thought and his observations.

The epilogue, titled "Fire Watch," is worth the price of the book by itself. In addition, there is a pre-figuring of his famous experience at "Fourth and Walnut" in Louisville in his account of his first trip outside the monastery, approximately seven years after he entered. By following a typical journal format, one can follow the development of his thinking. (By contrast, a later similar book, Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander, is not necessarily arranged chronologically, which makes it more difficult for me to follow.)

Those who enjoy Merton will treasure this book.

What a wonderful way to start my new year with this book! A Benedictine Sister kindly gave me this book on my New Year's Eve retreat with them, after she learned that I love Merton's writings. How pure Merton's faith was, and how intensely absorbing his writing!

"All my desires draw me more and more in that direction. To be little, to be nothing, to rejoice in your imperfections, to be glad that you are not worthy of attention, that you are of no account in the universe. This is the only liberation. The only way to true solitude."

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is honestly in pursuit of the true faith.

Often referred to as "The Seven Storey Mountain: Part II", the "Sign of Jonas" is a nice collection of Merton's journal entries that chronicle his life after joining the Trappists.

"The Sign of Jonas" answers the simple question: "what happened after Seven Storey Mountain?" While some have been disappointed by the difference between his most famous autobiography and this collection of journal entries, I have to step forward and disagree.

I think this is a great book that speaks to the hearts of those who know what it is to struggle with your state in life, discerning your vocation and living the Gospel message to the best of your ability with all that it brings.

Give this book a try!

We got this book when my son was 3 years old and he loved it. It tells the story in a way that brings glory to God in the midst of difficult circumstances. Highly recommend!

If you want your kids to really know the full story of the first Thanksgiving, then you cannot forego this book. Squanto is one of those stories that has not remained at the fore front of Thanksgiving tales. And, that fact is a crying shame. This story will not only speak facts, it will teach several moral lessons that the child in all of us needs to learn. It is a reminder of how we can be thankful no matter what life hands us in the way of trials. Read this book to your kids and inspire them to live their best lives!

This is an excellent book for teaching the history of Thanksgiving. The story is well told, and the writing is well crafted. The pictures are remarkable; you can spend a lot of time looking into the faces of the characters, which are rich with emotion and humanity and realism. This book is a great investment.

This is an excellent resource to teach children the true meaning of Thanksgiving and how much God loves each of his children and has a wonderful plan for all of them. I would definitely recommend this book!

This was an incredibly beautiful rendering of Squanto's life. I highly recommend the book to all ages.

This review first appeared in the April 2002 issue of DR AHEAD, the newsletter of the Air Force Navigators Observers Assoication.

There is a saying, "Join the Navy and see the world. Join the Air Force and see Texas." In these two books Tom Alexander takes readers on a tour of Texas to visit 19 of the 65 Army Air Force bases which operated there during World War II.

Volume I covers the bases which were at Amarillo, Pyote, Pecos, Sweetwater, Greenville, Waco, Harlingen, and San Antonio (which alone of these still survives as an active facility). Volume II adds to the tour the bases at Pampa, Hondo, Del Rio, Midland, Marfa, El Paso, Fort Worth, Lubbock, Austin, Big Spring, and Houston. Alexander tells how and when each base came into existence, what missions were fulfilled, who some of the people associated with the base were, how the thousands of Air Force men and women, mostly from outside of Texas, interacted with the nearby community, and what became of the facility. In addition the author looks at the nearby Texas communities before and after the bases were established and the impact that the bases had on the state as a whoe.

Information about the bases is carefully researched and documented with endnotes. There are scores of histrical and contemporary photographs. The books are rich with ancedotal material. Alexander writes with skill

The heart of these books is Alexander's powerful descriptions of the opening, operation, and disposition of the bases and the resulting impacts on Texas. Those who spent Air Force time in Texas will enjoy these books. Libraries in communities which have or had a military base nearby should acquire them. This goes for communities across the country, not just in Texas, because the lessons they teach are about how war and peach change America.

I really enjoyed reading "The Stars Were Big and Bright." There was so much informative and humorous information in a well written format. It was very interesting learning about the diversity in the locations of the air bases and I loved the old pictures. It was a book I didn't want to put down.

I thoroughly enjoyed the portrayal of the life and times of Sweetwater as well as what it was like to be a WASP in a small Texas town!

This book provides a worthwhile survey of the role of military aviation...anecdotal details keep the text lively...vintage and contemporary photographs make the book valuable for anyone interested in the military buildup that affected Texas communities...

I am a native Texan and history buff, but I was never aware of the important role many small Texas towns played in the aerial war efforts of the United States. What a revelation this book provided.

Very well written, interesting, informative, humorous and sometimes tragic, The Stars Were Big and Bright is one book that will remain in my personal library for years to come. It is sure to be reread whenever the urge to revisit the history of Texas' contribution to the U.S. Army Air Force's efforts during WWI and WWII.

I was impressed also with the numerous vintage photograps, maps, descriptions of the relevant airfields, aircraft photos and specifications, as well as the high level of documentation from primary source documents.

This book absolutely has to be the best book on this topic yet written. Perhaps the author, Thomas E. Alexander, will treat us to another great book in the future.