Warner Reviews

Country Ways: Secrets for Finding and Keeping a Country Man

Published in Hardcover by Warner Books (1999-02)

Author: Joyce Marlow

List price: $15.00

New price: $0.83
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Collectible price: $15.00

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Ready to Find My Country Man

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-31

I just read this book and loved it. I am a city girl and so tired of it and the kind of men that are here. I want a country man and I want to move to the country. The city life has gotten too stressful. Now, I just need to find a small town.

Teriffic book, Informative, Entertaining!

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 1999-03-24

I really enjoyed this book. I've lived in the city all my life but have always thought about giving it all up for the rural life. Thanks to Ms. Marlow for writing such a terrific book. I highly recommend it to anyone just interested in country ways, regardless of whether or not your're looking to win a country man. Don't miss it!

Very good read, a combonation of humor and good advice

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 1999-03-02

This book kept me smiling. I live in a rural area and feel this book is right on regarding country relationships. In fact much of the advice is good common sense suggestions for keeping any relationship healthy.

I used to be a city girl and will recommend this to any friend who is getting tired of the fast paced city and wants to try the "past lane" as the author names it.

Well written, witty, informative.

Ok, I'm hooked -- and ready to find my country man!

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 1999-03-25

I guess I'm the typical city woman -- and as Joyce Marlow says, I've been looking in all the wrong places. After reading this book, I know where I'm going to be spending my week-ends -- looking for a small town to call home and a country guy to call my own! I liked her writing style, too. A nice, easy read.

THE CURSE OF MADAME \"C\"

Published in Paperback by TIME WARNER PAPERBACKS (1994)

Author: GARY LARSON

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Average review score:

Still Funny After All These Years

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-10

Reading through my old Far Side collections like this one leaves me with two thoughts. The first is how funny The Far Side is. The other is how much I miss it. Until Gary Larson comes to his hilariously heightened senses and decides his long break is over and actually begins drawing his legendary series again, trips down memory lane will have to do, and do nicely. As for The Curse of Madame "C" it's among Larson's funniest and best anthologies, and one of the greatest parts is its prologue wherein we learn with a wink and a nudge exactly why The Far Side is so populated with bovines. Just a great little book to own and keep for a rainy day.

Some of the funniest cartoons I have ever seen

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-05

The cartoons in this collection are hysterical, my favorite by far is on page 56. The setting is bathroom stalls from the front and we can see two pairs of feet under two adjacent doors. One pair is wrapped in bandages which are coming off. The caption reads: "It was an innocent mistake, but nevertheless, a moment later Maurice found himself receiving the full brunt of the mummy's wrath." I roared at this one, it is one of the funniest cartoons I have ever seen.
Larson is one of the best cartoonists ever, his diagrams are never cluttered and they generally are a combination of visual and verbal puns. I can read and reread his cartoons several times and never fail to get a chuckle. Which is what I did with this collection.

A tragic tale of gypsy cattle and pigeons

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2003-02-23

This story tells the tale of Gary Larson's journey into madness, when he confronts an evil gypsy cow that curses him to forever entertain people with riotous cartoons. The start of the book relates his adventures against "Madame "C"", a molevelent cow. It is a wonderful, (and thankfully short), tale concerning his frightful encounter in a smooth color cartoon over several pages.
The rest of the book details, in b&w cartoon format, the humorous trials and tevails of various critters such as worms, pigeons, and cowhands. If you haven't read a "Far Side", you won't know what I'm talking about and you've had your head in the sand for the past 20 years or so. Buy the book, for the love of Mike!

Laughs, laughs and more laughs.

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2000-04-14

Yet another from the pen of Gary Larson. This is an incredibly funny book, but if you are a Far Side fan you probably do not need to be told this fact. They are all incredibly funny. The Curse of Madame "C" begins with the story of how the Far Side began. The story is a humorous take on An American Werewolf in London. It shows how a young Larson met all of the characters he would later write about and how he would be cursed with a need to write cartoons.

After the story ends the zany cartoons begin. From longcows to cow field trips. Mummies, aliens, neanderthals, and much, much more. This book will make you laugh from start to finish. You'll want to read it again and again. You'll want to loan it to all of your friends. You will love it.

Daddy Cool

Published in Paperback by Warner Books (1988-06)

Author: Hugh O'Neill

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Perfect for 1st time fathers

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2001-07-21

This book is fun and funny. It has pearls of wisdom (Let someone else be the photographer for your kids events, you should be in there participating), and good ideas. This is a PERFECT gift for a first time father.

Entertaining

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 1999-09-29

This is the ONLY parenting book my husband ever took to heart, for all it's humourous delivery. Whenever he jingles some coin in his pocket we think of this book!

100% pure laughs

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 1999-05-26

This book was amazing. It was like reading about my childhood all over. Hugh O'Neill can bring the reader into the story like you can lead an elephant to water. The stories about the 2 kids Becky O'neill and Josh O'neill are laugh out loud funny. If you are a parent a future parent or somone who needs some family adventures. You should Definatly read this book. It can be enjoyed by all.

Daddy Cool

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2002-06-22

I am a teenage girl who was raised on the Daddy Cool system. My father has always been an extremely cool, creative parent. (He has taught me more about explosives than my mom would care to know.) One day, I saw an ancient, battered copy of a book called Daddy Cool in our bookshelf. Surprise, surprise-after reading only a few pages I spotted several habits that my dad has. (See the part about Cooking Cool.)
Although unorthodox, this book has some great, not to mention hilarious, ideas. Of course, I have never been a parent myself, but as I said before, I was raised on the system, and I turned out ok.

Dead Man's Hand

Published in Hardcover by Hilliard & Harris Publishers (2007-04-22)

Author: Penny Warner

List price: $28.95

New price: $22.00

Average review score:

Good Read

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-03

Connor Westphal is a girl who knows no fear. Always going out, finding adventure upon adventure. Located in California's Gold Country, these books offer a flair for capturing the flavor of the foothills, and all that goes along with small town, country life, with interesting geography created by gold mining over a hundred years ago. Connor is deaf, experiencing more challenges than most adventurers would, but Penny Warner does a great job as author of describing the reality of dealing with life as a deaf person. Connor experiences such a huge variety of folks, her stories are all delectable to read. Her love life adds spice to the novel. Keep em coming Penny!

Penny Warner's Dead Man's Hand

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-11

I absolutely LOVED this book, as I have every single one of Penny Warner's Connor Westphal mysteries. My only regret is that we readers have to wait so VERY long between books. While I wish she would write more frequently, I would hate for her books to ever become formulaic. As far as I am concerned, Penny Warner is one of the best, most entertaining mystery writers of our time. (and I am a pretty harsh critic!)

A Fun and Fast-Paced Read

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-12

Lots of interesting people live in and around Flat Skunk these days: religious cults, survivalists, environmentalists, pot growers, and gamblers, to name a few. Yet, journalist and newspaper manager, Connor Westphal, takes all of this in stride. Fringe groups have always been drawn to quiet spots on the map. After all, one can pretty much do what one wants in remote locales, except when it comes to murder.

When the townsfolk realize, courtesy of Connor's dog, Casper, that the ubiquitous wooden dummy hanging in front of the town's gold-mining shop has been exchanged for the body of Zander Nicholas, Connor's determined to get the scoop on this story. Questions and theories compel her to take a closer look at the fringe groups. Complicating Connor's life is the reappearance of her former boyfriend, Josh, newly widowed, and proposing marriage. For Connor, this is an unsettling issue because her current love, Dan, had also proposed recently. Afraid of losing her independence, she's avoided giving Dan an answer. With all the personal turmoil and quirky, not-so-friendly suspects milling about, it's no surprise that Penny Warner's DEAD MAN'S HAND is a fun and face-paced read.

Deaf protagonist, Connor, is an appealing character, and the main reason why I'll keep reading Connor's adventures. While she does take big risks to get answers, Connor's moxy is a large part of her personality, and this trait makes her unpredictable. Her fear about marriage provides an intriguing contradiction to her confidence in her professional life. I truly enjoy spending time with Connor Westphal, and look forward to her next adventure.

Read My Lips -- And This Book

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-30

Weekly newspaper editor Connor Westphal is a Kinsey Millhone with fewer hang-ups. She's independent almost to the point of pushing other people away and lives in a quirky home in a small California town. Connor is also deaf. This allows author Penny Warner a chance to give readers a glimpse of deaf culture.

Unlike Kinsey Millhone however, Connor has let both a hearing-ear dog and a gorgeous private eye into her life. Over the years, I've come to look forward to Penny Warner's mysteries more than I do to Sue Grafton's. Connor seems to be heading toward a pleasant future while I'm afraid Kinsey's destined for a tragic end.

I have to admit, the mysteries in the Connor Westphal books are not what draws me in. In fact, if I read the books again I would not remember who killed who and why. I enjoy the descriptions of the Gold Country and its history, finding out how Connor copes in a hearing world, and the soap opera of her relationships.

I came across the first Connor Westphal book by chance, in the lobby of a hotel on a beach in Portugal. It was storming and there was nothing to do in a town that subsisted mainly on beach tourists. The bar was closed and the unpaved roads were muddy and led nowhere. My husband was sensibly fighting boredom by taking a long nap and I'd finished the books I'd brought. I wandered to the lobby, turned the TV on and started flipping channels when the Basil Fawlty-like hotel manager came in, turned the TV off and told me "It doesn't work." In spite of high-definition evidence to the contrary, I sighed and flopped into the chair. On the table was Dead Body Language, the first Connor Westphal mystery.

That book got me through the rest of the rainstorm. I figured my desperation had made me enjoy the book more than I would have in other circumstances, but after I got home I read the next one and the third and enjoyed them every bit as much as the first.

In Dead Man's Hand, as in the previous novels, I found the mystery less compelling than the controversies over cochlear implants, a planned deaf-only community, Indian casinos, and the sideshows of Connor, Dan, Josh, Caspar, and the rest of the Flat Skunk gang. (By the way, the cochlear implant debate is explored in an excellent and disturbing documentary called Sound and Fury.)

I am so glad that anonymous guest left her(?) Connor Westphal book. Thank goodness it wasn't a Tom Clancy novel.

The Devils of D-Day

Published in Paperback by Time Warner Paperbacks (1990-10-01)

Author: Graham Masterton

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Average review score:

Master Class

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2005-01-21

This is one of many Masterton books that are just brilliant. I have a collection of paperback versions of Masterton's works, and I have been consistently impressed by his ability to scare.
If some enterprising person would just option Masterton's works, we might find a breed of Horror film that surpassed many works.
From the initial discovery of the demons, through the moves to the denoument of this tale, this book delivers chills in the best possible way.
So few writers now-a-days can even come close to Masterton's first person delivery. I hope that Masterton's older works will eventually get re-printed in hard-back, since they are worth keeping.
This book, along with WELLS OF HELL, and TENGU, are but one of a few that can deliver a few sleepless nights. Sheer magical fun from the greatest modern horror writer, bar none.

the best horror book in the world

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2000-01-18

this book is the best in all the world. The terror is very strong, and the imagination of Graham Masterton is incredible. It's a must and everybody MUST read it. That's all, because my english isn't very good. Oh, i forgot : For me, Graham Masterton is better than Stephen King , Dean Koontz, ...

The scariest book I've ever read!

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2000-05-18

This book is a little old now as I read it years ago. I can wholeheartedly say that this is the ONLY book that scared me enough to prevent me from switching the light off! Masterton is the king of describing events in such detail that they're almost believable. Where does he get his ideas from! Does any other author come close? James Herbert is a pretty close second. King and Koontz are in Division two by comparison.

A Powerhouse from start to Finish

Helpful Votes: 7 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2005-05-09

This is one of the earlier Masterton Books I have read, and it stayed with me ever since I read it.
A Surveyor working in France, finds a tank with an entity who is a member of a class of demon supposedly used in world war 2. The Demon coerces the surveyor/cartographer into helping it escape and joins its other associates, and a whole barrage of supernatural events ensue, with the demon tidying up after each little event. First class writing, and would have made a great film. Such a pity that people still just rip off Masterton's work ( unless he options rights on the qt); anyway, this is a great read, and will make you keep the light on Loooong after you finish.
ENJOY

Doing Business In China: How to Profit in the World's Fastest Growing Market

Published in Paperback by Warner Business Books (2007-07-01)

Author: Ted Plafker

List price: $16.00

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Average review score:

Examinng China's Economy

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-10

Ted Plafker, author of Doing Business in China: How to Profit in the World's Fastest Growing Market, should know what he's talking about as he personally invested 18 years of his life living in Beijing as a business journalist for The Economist. And he does! Plafker's wonderful book is an excellent guidebook that is filled with insightful anecdotes and very useful summaries at the end of each chapter.

Three sections that readers will find especially helpful are: 1. Pinpointing the Top Emerging Markets; 2. Laws, Rules & Regulations; and, 3. Understanding Cultural Differences.

As a consultant on doing business in Asia, I stress the importance of understanding a country's law and culture before making investment decisions. The author rightfully cautions his readers that it is not especially profitable to label China as a communist country and proceed from there as the Chinese market economy is more socialist than it is communist. (On my visits to China, I `ve found it more capitalist than many Americans might imagine.)

He advises that for a company to thrive in China it must re-tool its product to fit the needs of the Chinese consumers. I have found this to be especially true for India also.

Ted was in Los Angeles in the Spring 2008 and I had the privilege of meeting him in person.

By Gunjan Bagla
Author of Doing Business in 21st Century India

Excellent resource for china

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-28

An excellent resource for china. The author does not fabricate or exaggerate anything that he doesnt seem to know about the country and he applies written tetimony form people who have worked and lived there.

Best quick business China primer out here

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-01

I am a business strategy consultant with a reasonable amount of China experience. I have to say that this book provides the best balance of concise presentation, expert insight, and enjoyable narrative of any China business book I've read.

Too many books on the subject of doing business in China are written by quasi-experts who comment on broad trends that are either obvious or false conventional wisdom. Mr. Plafker's book shows a level of China business acumen that can only be garnered from years of experience. The anecdotes are at once entertaining and insightful. I have successfully used a number of the stories when consulting for clients. I had a recent client engaged a one-man consultancy offering "expertise" in China market entry. The client was shocked when I was able to guess (based on Mr Plafker's anecdotes) that the expert had (1) boasted about the number of visits he had made to China and (2) gone on at length on the need to hand over business cards with two hands. The consultant turned out to have little true expertise, and I established my credibility.

This book is a must-read. For those that are new to business in China, it is a more nuanced and insightful primer than any other you will find. For old China hands, the book is a useful tool to help you synthesize the body wisdom that you have accumulated.

Ted really knows China

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-01

This is a must-read for any Western business people venturing into China.

As a Chinese living in US for 10 years, I am amazed by Ted's understanding and appreciation of some of the subtleties of the Chinese culture, e.g. reluctance to say no, huge concern for one's face or mianzi. His treatment of the expat life in China is objective and comprehensive. He also paints an excellent picture of what aspects of China are morphing to be more western-like. His opinions and advices are specific, and backed by facts and his 18-year first-hand experience on the ground. For the thorniest issue, corruption, Ted gave a sound advice of never getting your foot wet in it.

Ted's writing is easy to read. The summaries at the end of each chapter are very useful references.

One thing Ted did not give enough coverage, in my opinion, is the implication of the strong nationalism sentiment reinforced by the Chinese Community Party through the schooling system as well as the media. A lot of Chinese people view the Western powers as greedy and unfriendly because of the humiliation and exploitation suffered by the Chinese in late 1800's and early 1900's. That sentiment is at the root of a lot of the sensitivities.

Another thing I did not quite like is that the catchy subtitle is somewhat misleading. A more accurate subtitle would be "What you have to know before and during doing business in China". But that is a petty flaw in a no-nonsense book.

Dream Theater Keyboard Anthology

Published in Paperback by Warner Bros. Publications (2004-08)

Author: Dream Theater

List price: $24.95

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Average review score:

Great book!!!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-10-05

This book is for advanced users. If you want to be challenged, this book is for you. Some songs are completely transcribed whereas others are excerpts with the relevant time stamps noted in the title of the piece. Being a fan of Dream Theater for many years and listening to Jordan's input in their many songs, it was really hard for me to keep up with his leads. This book solves that problem as the notes are there in front of you with the proper fingering to boot. This book will make you a better keyboard player.

Extremely Accurate Sheets

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-26

This is a must have for any DT fan that plays keyboards! Even if you just have a piano, you can play stuff like "Wait for Sleep" or "Through my Words." The music is extremely accurate even telling you when to bend notes and how to make different effects i.e. holding a higher G while trilling with a lower G and bending the note while doing so. Some of the music is pretty challenging though, so I wouldn't reccomend it for beginners. If you're at a moderate level, you can probably play most of Kevin Moore's stuff, but maybe not all of Jordan Rudess's.

Awesome book!

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-17

Fingerings, infos about how some parts are played live, tips, sound names! It's all there. A very useful book for a keyboardist fan of Dream Theater and not only!

Pretty damn accurate, but tough to read nonetheless

Helpful Votes: 21 out of 23 total.
Review Date: 2005-08-06

So, if any of you are purchasing this transcription book, I presume you to be a rather skilled pianist (probably classically trained) with a keen fascination for Dream Theater and lust for complex rhythmic structures. Thus, this is an essential book for any such trained DT enthusiast. Nothing is wrong with this book. It is wonderful, and I have yet to come across any obvious mistakes (though, the lead on Learning to Live seems questionable at some parts...). However, I must warn you, this is NOT a book for the student who lacks a confident ability to read rhythms. Aside from the vast array of complex time signatures Dream Theater employs, many of the keyboard parts are solos... TOUGH solos. When you get down to transcribing so accurately every little detail of a rapid fire Jordan Rudess solo, you get some insanely hard to read rhythmic notation and notes. For instance, one large group of notes will be written with a bracket reading "17:12" meaning to play the 17 notes as if they were a twelve-tuplet (or however you say that). Also, all of the chord "comping" is written out exactly to the most intricate detail, so what may seem like natural rhythmic jazz comping to Jordan becomes an incredibly difficult passage of music for the student to read. Most notably, if you don't have a Kurzweill K2600xs, you're not going to be able to get a lot of the sounds Jordan uses. The book does not describe the exact sounds either, but instead uses notations like "saw lead" or "percussive attack." This is beneficial if you have a different keyboard, but slightly annoying if you DO have the Kurzweil (which I do) where you want to be able to construct the EXACT sounds used. But either way, the sounds Jordan uses could be another novel in itself, so I don't detract any stars from this book because of that. Anyways, I guess to say that if you don't know what 13/16 means (the time signature), you may be better off getting a theory book and reading through that first before tackling any of the material in this book. You're definitely also going to want to have an audio sample of the song you're trying to learn at hand to help out with the rhythms. So, if you have a strong foundation in music theory and lust for challenging material with the technical skill of a classical pianist and the theoretical knowledge of a jazz pianist, this is the book for you. I would recommend actually starting out with some of the songs by Kevin Moore (Metropolis, Learning to Live, Wait for Sleep, etc.). They are quite tough to read through, but not as tough as Rudess's stuff. If you can tackle Moore's stuff in this book, you're ready to hit the number of Rudess hits contained in this musical masterpiece. Good luck!

---Sean

Drum Basics, Step 2 (The Ultimate Beginner Series : Basic)

Published in Paperback by Warner Bros Pubns (1997-03)

Author: Sandy Gennaro

List price: $9.95

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Average review score:

Great place to start!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-29

I actually bought this back in 1995 after I had played in a garage band for about a year. I had "played by ear" and never learned to read music. I picked this up with intentions of expanding our band and then put it aside as life got in the way and the drums went in storage. So, fast forward to 2008 and the kit is out of storage and set up with some new hardware. THIS BOOK IS AWESOME! It lays down the basics in an easy-to-follow format and then converts that to sheet music... I CAN READ MUSIC NOW! I was able to get through the entire book in less than 2 weeks and am proficient at fills and grooves, I never did that after 3 years of playing by ear. The CD tracks are great and easy to follow. The lead-out counting gets the beat in your head before the sticks even move. The ONLY suggestion I'd make with this book is to get a good quality metronome to play along with. I'd couple this with another book, "picture yourself drumming" which is a bit more extensive in the descriptions and methodology. Another great choice would be "All about drums", again, great teaching method and some real sheet music and examples of popular songs in that. No complaints here, just order the book and get practicing!

Great Book to Start With. The Easiest Guide for Beginners.

Helpful Votes: 17 out of 19 total.
Review Date: 1999-07-12

I had absolutely no musical background, but I learned basic rock drumming by using this book together with the video guide Drum Basics Step One and Two by Sandy Gennaro. The authors' instructions are easy to understand and follow, and you don't have to know how to read music to start playing. I would strongly recommend using these materials with a Yamaha DTXpress, and practice, practice, practice.

It's good!

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-15

I started drumming about 2 months ago with a basic set, Tommy Igoe's 'Getting Started on the drums' dvd and this book. The book is endless pages of exercises that gradually builds in difficulty. It's great. Each new pattern gets you using all four limbs, and are easy to modify for more practice (open/closed hi hats, crash vs hi hats, etc). It's got sycophated patterns, drum fills, and stuff on establishing a 'groove' with a band/bass player. Not the end-all of drum books, but perfect for beginners.

The Beat Goes On!

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 1999-12-05

This is an excellent beginners and improvers book for budding drummers and percussionists, providing a comprehensive introduction to rock and blues drums. Written by Sandy Gennaro, an experienced session musician, and accompanied by a most useful practice CD, it will provide knowledge and confidence for all tomorrows drummers.

The Easter Offensive: Vietnam, 1972

Published in Paperback by Warner Books (1989-09)

Author: G. H. Turley

List price: $4.95

New price: $44.06
Used price: $2.00

Average review score:

Semper Fi!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-06-06

So informative and descriptive. Since I was there but much earlier, it brought back memories. The author proudly represented the Marine courage in Viet Nam. "Chesty" would have been proud. I recommend this book for anyone who served in Nam or is a history buff or a pacifist to learn what we had to go through. I have not by any stretch of the imagination read a lot of books on the war but this one is a must.

FOR ANYONE WHO WAS THERE, A MUST READ!

Helpful Votes: 11 out of 14 total.
Review Date: 1999-06-18

I ALWAYS WONDERED WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BASES IN NORTHERN I CORPS. AS A MARINE TANK COMMANDER, I HAD THE OPPERTUNITY TO BE AT MOST OF THE BASES MENTIONED IN THE BOOK, CON-THIEN, CHARLIE-2, CAM LO,THE ROCK PILE,MAI LOC,AND ALL THE AREAS IN AND AROUND LEATHERNECK SQUARE. ONCE I STARTED READING THE BOOK, I COULD'NT PUT IT DOWN. IT BROUGHT BACK A LOT OF MEMORIES, AND MADE ME WONDER WHAT HAPPENED TO THE VILLAGERS IN MAI LOC THAT I KNEW PERSONALLY. THIS BOOK IS DEFINATELY ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I'VE READ ON THE VIETNAM WAR,AND I'VE READ ABOUT EVERY ONE I COULD FIND. AGAIN, "GREAT JOB"

JAN ("TURTLE") WENDLING "A"CO.3RD TANK BN.3RD MARINE DIV.1ST PLATOON

The Real McCoy.

Helpful Votes: 12 out of 12 total.
Review Date: 1999-02-14

On April 1, 1972 the North Vietnamese Army crosses the DMZ. It crashes into the worst soldiers in the South Vietnamese Army with total surprise. Running for their lives or surrendering in place, the South's soldiers leave the highway south wide open for the North's rapidly advancing armor. The target of the surprise blitzkrieg is the provincial capital of Quang Tri City. Both the US and South Vietnamese commands have no idea how close they are to loosing the northern most province of South Vietnam. The South's unit's and their American advisors are running out of time and for their lives. Panic and chaos rule. But some men stand and fight----Marines. This is where Colonel Turley's history begins and he's got one heck of a story to tell. Courage, sacrifice, and duty just as he saw it. It's history you won't see on the History Channel. Straight out of a time in the Vietnam war, that is still so embarrassing for the US, the courageous achievements of the South Vietnamese Marines and US Marine advisors in this story have been virtually forgotten. Don't settle for reductive, self-serving, second hand histories about the Vietnam War. Turn off your TV and read this book.

An Unknown Chapter of Heroism in America's Longest War

Helpful Votes: 17 out of 17 total.
Review Date: 1999-01-01

THE EASTER OFFENSIVE is another chapter of the Vietnam War unknown to the average Americans. It is an invaluable collection to the military buffs as well as those with a passing interest in the war. The focus of the book is on the crack South Vietnamese outfit, the Marine Division, and its American advisers bearing the brunt of resistance against the largest North Vietnamese offensive mounted in the history of the war. A preface by a highly-decorated Marine hero-turned novelist, James Webb, sets the frame for this unforgettable tale of gallantry and sacrifrice.

A group of gung-ho US Marine advisers are trapped in the North Vietnamese Division in stopping the onslaught of the heavily armed North Vietnamese mechanized columns in Quang Nam Province. The South Vietnamese Marines are to defend the province at all costs. The incompetent South Vietnamese corps commander in charge of the area has cracked under pressure. Their brethren division in defense of the province is routed with one of its regiments surrendering to the enemy. The Marine numbers are fast dwindling, and it is up to the South Vietnamese Marine commanders and their advisers to whip their bruised outfit to a fighting shape.

The South Vietnamese Marines take heavy casualties in the initial phase of the enemy offensive. The Marines try to take out the Communist tanks with 72mm anti-tank rockets, but to no avail. The Marine battalions fall back from their position, with some of its men stranded. The Marine morale is beginning to crack. However, the US Marine advisers and their South Vietnamese counterparts would slowly gain momentum through sheer courage and gung-ho initiative. No Marine battalions surrender to the enemy, despite the cowardice exhibited by its brethren division.

The book flows smoothly in a gripping narrative. While the book focuses on a South Vietnamese fighting unit, the author, then Deputy Senior Marine adiviser to the South Vietnamese Marine Corps, also tries to give a macro view of the war by describing the background to offensive, and the fighting capability of the South Vietnamese generals.

Also worth noting are the heroic exploits of the two American Marine captains, Ripley and Smith, who brought their South Vietnamese Marines to the safety while exposing themselves repeatedly to the enemy fire in rallying the Marine defense. Their tales of courage, the paragon of what an inspirational military leadership ought to be, are not easily forgotten and inspire the best of the fighting men.

The book, while filled with military lessons to be learned and fascinating exploits, does more than what is asked of it through its gripping narratives. It paints the acts of courage by America's often misunderstood ally, the South Vietnamese, with noble dignity. Through the gallant acts of its elite Marines, the book shows that they were willing to fight provided they had the spirit and proper leadership. The American Marine advisers and their own gung-ho Marine commanders provided them both during the Offensive. In the final outcome, they ran short of both in a wrong war whose cause they could neither articulate nor justify. But military men merely fight to live another day in a war started by their own politicians. This book gives the South Vietnamese Marines that very credit they deserve for doing their best despite the insurmountable odds.

Easy Microsoft Office 2000

Published in Paperback by Que (1999-01-06)

Authors: Nancy D. Lewis and Nancy Price Warner

List price: $19.99

New price: $55.29
Used price: $0.01
Collectible price: $25.49

Average review score:

Great for Beginners

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2000-05-28

I have three Office 2000 books. If I had to recommend a good one for learning the basics to beginners-this is the one. It covers the fundementals of Word, Excel, Power Point (slide presentations) Outlook (E-mail, appointments, calenders), the basics of Publisher (publications-newsletters, brochures), and Front Page (Web pages). Even if you are not real familiar with the Office software-this is a good place to start. The book is illustrated with clear, color pictures which are accompied by step-by step instructions. I find that it was a lot easier to read as compared to the technically-oriented books. (I am not a technical person). Along the margins of the book-there are tips, warnings and shortcuts which are very helpful. For all the non-techies like me-this is a good start.

Easy to follow.

Helpful Votes: 21 out of 23 total.
Review Date: 1999-07-16

I am new to the Office 2000 suite of products, and this Easy book helped me get an overall grasp of Office 2000. It covers more topical information in a visual format than any other book out there.

Great for Beginners

Helpful Votes: 40 out of 41 total.
Review Date: 2000-05-28

I have three Office 2000 books. If I had to recommend a good one for learning the basics to beginners-this is the one. It covers the fundementals of Word, Excel, Power Point (slide presentations) Outlook (E-mail, appointments, calenders), the basics of Publisher (publications-newsletters, brochures), and Front Page (Web pages). Even if you are not real familiar with the Office software-this is a good place to start. The book is illustrated with clear, color pictures which are accompied by step-by step instructions. I find that it was a lot easier to read as compared to the technically-oriented books. (I am not a technical person). Along the margins of the book-there are tips, warnings and shortcuts which are very helpful. For all the non-techies like me-this is a good start.

An excellent training course

Helpful Votes: 9 out of 12 total.
Review Date: 2000-03-23

I really enjoyed this book - it took just 3 or 4 hours to read, and that included experimenting with all the features that the book introduced. This book tells everything one needs to know to write a basic web page.