Warner Books

This book wins on two fronts: it gives a fascinating insight into the development of Los Angeles at the end of the 19th Century, and the emergence of that brash new town, Hollywood; and it is also a great love story, centering first of all around the love of brothers Bud and Vincent van Vliet for Amelie Deane and then of Vincent's son Kingdon for Bud's daughter Tess. I read this book thirty years ago and still love it and re-read it. It is very well-written, the characters are all three-dimensional and I love the history of El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de Los Angeles de Porcunciula (Los Angeles for short), with its railroads, its oil fields, it's Santa Ana winds, and its developing movie industry.

It hasn't dated one bit, and if you can get hold of a copy, grab it.

I actually haven't read this book in years, but it is one of my all time favorites. I love the historical background that the author uses- you get a real feel for Los Angeles as it was at the turn of the century. The characters are very real and have much depth. A great book for a couple of afternoons under a tree or at the beach. This book will stay with you for a long time after you read it.

It was actually several years ago I read this book - a friend of mine had just finished it and recommended it to me.

Prior to telling me about the context of the novel, she had noted several times: "I just finished reading this book the other day, and it has done nothing but perturb me ever since. For some reason I cannot stop thinking about it." It is books like the one she was then rather abstractly describing that pique my interest, so I asked if I could borrow her copy of it, for my own enjoyment (and judgment). I began reading it that afternoon while trying to pass the time at a local theatre rehearsal. Needless to say I was absorbed - the prose was stunning! Poignant, written without regret; magnificently and sharply outlined by the dolorous contemplations of each character.

The plot of the book is vague in my mind. I remember some of the subplots very specifically, however, down to even the most intimate details. It is a love story, but one far too literary to be deemed simply a 'romance'. The novel itself takes place over the course of about three generations in the life of a California family. There is much tenderness and brilliance present - it is ultimately a clever book with a tragic ending. I would like to read it once again, and feel what I did the first time. It did not "perturb" me afterward like it did my friend, but it did leave a weighty impact.

I began to read this book 2 days ago and could not put it down. It is the story of the birth of a city, Los Angeles, which coincides with the settling of the area by two prominent families, the Deanes and the Van Vliets. Through marriage, these two families merge and produce adventurous men who gamble everything on risky business ventures and beautiful women. The Van Vliets take center stage, and the story follows the lives of two brothers, Bud and V3 (short for Vincente.) The older brother Bud is a confident, take-charge sort who intimidates his more introverted younger brother, V3. The younger man always feels that he is in his brother's shadow and so he constantly strives to match Bud in business and in love. This inevitably pits the two brothers against one another, and their sibling rivalry results in rash actions which have consequences on each succeeding generation of the family. The background setting of early Los Angeles is the perfect one for this epic novel, and the well-developed plot and characters make this 25-year-old book one which deserves to be rediscovered by today's readers.

I stumbled across this book randomly in a very outdated ship's library where most of the books were from the 1960's-70's. And I'm glad I did.
For anyone interested in travel and adventure this book is immediately interesting, gripping you right from the start. The greatest thing about this book, in addition to the adventures, is the author's (also the translator's) writing style. The author speaks so matter-of-factly and with a touch of dry humor about all these fantastic adventures that it makes the reader that more amazed by them when you think about what is really happening. Though it might be a cliche, the author makes you feel you are right there with them, not just a spectator but almost an active participant.
I have since bought this book myself and read it twice, it is a quick read. In fact I left the old copy where I found it on the chance that someone else will stumble across it as well, and enjoy it as much as I have.
The author himself is quite a character, sort of a French academic Indiana Jones as another reviewer put it, and has written another book that I plan to read. Highly recommended!

This book was first given to me by my girlfriend while she was working at a local bookstore. It was the late 80's and I was just out of highschool. I still have the book today. I've read it at least a dozen times. Indiana Jones has NOTHING on Domalain! Great storyteller.

I read Panjamon in the sixties. I had trouble finding it on the internet. Perhaps one adventure like this is enough for one lifetime.

Lost in the Borneo interior during the 60's, the author comes across some very different looking natives; are they friendly?, well, sort of, they shoot him with a paralyzing, non-deadly, dart, then haul him back to the tribe for 3 years.

A multitude of perils and adventures ensue including a marriage ritual requiring being put naked into a hole filled with fire ants then immediately being banished to the forest to survive alone, cold, and infected, with no cell phone.

If you're an adventure and travel reader, check this out.
It's a remarkable tale and it's incredible that the author survived.

Vive Jean Yves Domalain, Headhunter!

Panjamon makes a lasting impression.

This is one of the very rare books offering insight into the life of indigenous people before civilization even touched them. The Kajan and Iban peoples of Borneo were still living as hunters at stone age level in the impenetrable forests of Borneo when the author visited both tribes and spent considerable time in an Iban village of headhunters. He went through the initialization rituals and married an Iban woman, learned to hunt by blowpipe and appreciate the rich and lighthearted life of the primitive.
This book offers views that deeply affected my outlook on our species. Still, the author is a zoologist and had no anthropologist ambitions whatsoever to begin with. I rate it equal to Jean Liedloffs books. Too bad it is out of print, possibly because it was put in the "travel and adventure" section.

It's a book to keep for future reference. I've used it many times with colleagues and subordinates. Its examples are fantastic, it's written in a direct and easy way. All managers should read it to grasp hints on how to manage people and achieve the aimed results. Worth every penny spent on it. I've also read 'Thriving on Chaos' from the same author. Some chapters overlap, but it is an even deeper book on the subject matter. 'A Passion for Excellence' is written in a passionate way. You'll never forget it while working in management.

Many people have written that they like Tom Peters, but do not think that he has much to say that is new or different. Others criticize Peters for being changeable in his views. What these people miss is that Tom Peters is passionate about using passion for customers, employees, and everyone else to create great results for all of us. By awakening our passion, we will do more, we will try more, and we will succeed more often. In many ways, this book is much more important than IN SEARCH OF EXCELLENCE. A PASSION FOR EXCELLENCE clearly shows that passionate leadership about the right things sets a good example and the right tone for the organization. This book is helpful in that each section is meant to be read as a stand-alone, so you can go to the places that you did not feel very passionate about when you read IN SEARCH OF EXCELLENCE and get some good reinforcement about the value of passion in that area. A good companion piece if you need more passion and self-direction is Tony Robbins' AWAKEN THE GIANT WITHIN.

One of the best practical business texts around. Tom Peters is easily one of the most charismatic of the business preachers today, and the book fits right in line with his style

Having read and enjoyed "In Search for Excellence", I decided to also read "A Passion for Excellence". This book proposes that it is unnecessary to go through the traditional data-based doctrine of management. Instead the book advocates championing an innovative, customer and people oriented spirit. The authors give hundreds of actual, real-world examples, focusing on the key areas of competence that add up to excellence, offering scores of anecdotes and practical insights to help all business people on their road to leadership, success, and more importantly, excellence.

The book provides imaginative management practices and techniques that should help organization stay competitive and profitable. It is instructive and inspirational with useful reminders to managers. It is an important handbook to a brave, new way to manage people and companies.

A Passion for Excellence examines some of the most successful organizations and offers a thoughtful analysis of what makes them distinctive. Readers should benefit from gaining an insight about the critical elements of success namely constant innovation, staying in touch with customers, encouraging the contributions of everyone in the company, and maintaining the integrity that is basic to leadership.

This book put into perspective what you need to do as far a putting forgiveness into your life. Joyce Meyer did a great job writting this book.

Joyce is a great minister and author, so I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was amazed to find that hiding away in my heart was unforgiveness. Reading this book brought total deliverance for me. As I turned the pages the Holy Spirit began to purge me. I am now on the path to building healthier relationships because the walls have come down.

Joyce always hits you where you're living. I had some forgiveness things to work through and this book helped me so much. She always seems to know just what I need.

It is powerful to forgive & allow love to replace fear & anger in our hearts. I really liked the quote "Everyday is a new day in God's mercies, don't waste today by living in yesterdays sins" it is a postive gift to all believers, when we feel forsaken, lost & unloved. As simple as truly forgiving any or all persons or actions that harm or destroy us in life's path, can restore us with peace by 1 mighty powerful word "forgiveness" which in my mind as the authors, forgiveness is linked closely to love.

Unusual setting and a great story. Since Mr Thompson can write so well, why so few books?

Recovery by Steven L. Thompson is a great book. The knowledge and intellegence about cars, the Jesus Box, and the Potsdam Agreement, all play vary well in to this novel. Would recomend to just about everyone who likes action packed novels. It is the best book I have ever read. It is a must read.

I, too, was a liaison officer of the USMLM from 1986-90. This book captures the excitement of the chases and intricacies of moving across East Germany while it was occupied by Soviet Forces. It may exagerate somethings, but I lived the experiences again when I read Recovery.

Well, I never spoke w/Steven, but Clancy & I had a long talk about the book. I sent him an authentic United States Military Mission/Potsdam, East Germany-(USMLM,1979-1982). I was a 'Tour NCO' that into the GDR for 1 to 3 Days at a time. And on top of that, I was LUCKY to come out in one piece! The NCO who replaced me was shot/wounded and in 1986, an Army Major was shot and killed, the first ever - Major Arthur Nicholson. Rest in Piece, Sir... And, on top of that, I was a USAF Technical Sgt at the time - the main character, sheesh. TSgt Max Moss. Sheesh. While some facts, ie falling in love w/an GDR woman, it is a GREAT Book!! Also, some facts are Authentic. I was very proud to be part of history and the Cold War. My hat is off to you, Steven...

Now: What About a Movie!!! -- Tom Zelinski

Well, after how many years of being a drummer, I've looked for drums instructional books that would revive me out of rhythm death. But time and again I get severely disappointed becuase you'll either run across things that are just way too basic or way too extreme. Man, all I want is something practical, but challenging, and leaving a lot of room to grow. That's why I feel that I have been brought to life with this book. Rick doesn't just talk about linear drumming, beat displacements, etc. He shows you practical and useful excercises and grooves that will get you started on the right track. The concepts go beyond the book itself, but at least finally there's something out there to get you started in the first place without making you feel like you already have to be insanely great to begin with. Yes, I recommend this book for the intermediate drummer that have a fairly good dexterity with paradiddles and it's relatives. It's amazing how much you can do with just the right concepts.

This book and cd is a great help to me and my playing.
Rick helped me with broadening my playing by the exercises within the book. Even beginners with knowledge of the basic note values can benefit from Rick's Licks.

I just read the latest review in Modern Drummer for Rick's Licks which received a 9 out of 10 rating, so I had to get a copy. They weren't kidding when they said "The concept that simple patterns, when applied and accented different ways on the drumkit, can sound so awesome, has great appeal, and Rick's Licks is an eye- and ear- opener to those horizons. Simply, it demystifies odd times and polyrhythms. Drummers working in any style can use this book to expand their personal bag of tricks." I couldn't agree more. Great stuff!!!

This book/CD is a great tool to develop better independence skills, and fill your "drum fill bucket" with hundreds of ideas. This book is very well written, easy to understand and
tons of fun to work through. As a teacher, I use this with all my intermediate and advanced players. A must for your library of drum books!

As a former Navy Corpsman, I found this book to be OUTSTANDING! Fully half of the book is devoted to the uniforms and equipment of Navy Medical personnel, and I agree with the earlier reviewer who felt that this should be reflected in the title. Other than that small beef, this is a great book, a welcome addition to Navy historical works, and I look forward to the rest of Mr. Warners' series.

Jeff Warner has written the most monumental, complete and historically accurate books on WWII Navy, Uniforms, Equipment and Gear on the market to date. It is clear that the author knows his subject matter and he knows it very, very well.

This book is rich with full color, high quality photographs, as well as original photographs direct from the National Archives. The subject matter flows easily from one topic to another. The author's descriptions are well written, clear and concise. Complete outfits and gear are shown, head to foot, showing how the gear goes together, how they were assembled and which items were used during what year, then paired with original photographs illustrating and documenting exactly by whom, where and when they were used.

It is obvious that the author embarked on a huge project and put an immense amount of research, hard work and dedication into this book. Since this is the first volume of a series, it is clear that the following volumes promise only more of the same quality, consistency and excellence.

Whether you are a veteran, collector, curator, historian, teacher, artist, scale model-maker, costumer, re-enactor or simply have a keen interest in the Navy during WWII, this book is a definite MUST HAVE.

Let me start by saying OUTSTANDING JOB SIR! This PHENOMENAL BOOK is festuned with a plethera of never before seen images and information!! This new book has everything! Any one who is interested in the US Navy in WWII should have this book on their bookshelf!

The photos are crisp and clear, the descriptions are great and the information is phenomenal!Mr. Warner took may of the photos outdoors, so you have a difficult time relizing that these are not actual war time color slides. his section pertaing to the sub force was amazing to say the least, the simple fact that he had an original black dyed set of the khakis in this book was mindblowing! And the fact that said uniform actually was on a model who was on an actual sub was incredible! Really loved this section. His gear layout are unmatched, as well as his use of wordage to describe the equipment.

Never before have I seen a reference book with so many original picture that havent been seen a 100 times before in other book, buy this book for the original pictures alone!

If anyone out there is hesitant to buy the book due to the rather high cover price, well then, said person might be called an imbecile! a really superb reference book, like this one,are hard to come by, as well as worth their weight in GOLD!!!This book is worth its weight in Platnum! Don't be a penny wise and a pound foolish, spend the money for this book, it's well worth the price! I would have paid twice this amount if asked by my book dealer!

I am looking forward to the other 4 volumes of the US Navy in WWII from Mr. Warner in eager anticipation, especially his chapter on Aircrew and pilot uniforms.
all my best,
paul w. miraldi

I just received my pre-ordered copy of this new book and I was very impressed with it. This is the first I've seen of any reference books about the U.S. Navy and it's quite good. Osprey does have a comic-book size volume called "The US Navy in WWII" but it's practically worthless.

Of course no book of this type is perfect but in my opinion, this book's faults are minor and are far outweighed by its merits. Here are the pluses and minuses that I discovered although your interpretation might be different.

These are the things I didn't like; the author used live people to model most of the uniforms for the photos. That's okay but it looks like there are only about 5 or 6 guys wearing about 30 different uniforms. It was a little disappointing to see the same few guys wearing so many different uniforms. However, to his credit, the author does apologize for this in the forward.

It looks as though the photo quality is not as crisp and clear as in other books of this type. I know some writers use slide film or new high tech digital imagery these days. The photos in this book just aren't eye-popping quality.

The title is a bit deceptive. About 80% of this book is devoted to Navy Corpsmen and USMC uniforms & field gear. Maybe the title should have included something about Navy Corpsmen.

The price is very high at $79.00 retail.

These are the things I did like; everything is in one volume. This isn't a book about one subject like helmets, knives or patches. Complete uniforms are shown and the subjects are thoroughly covered from A to Z.

This book is very informative, not just pics of WWII stuff. The author has shown step-by-step instructions for assembling packs and other equipment and the complete list of all the medical items carried in the navy corpsman bags is wonderful. Some experimental items and camouflage are shown as well. The official regulations are often quoted in the text for the wearing of insignia and uniforms which adds a lot of credibility to the author's work.

There are a few recent USMC uniform books already in print that feature similar items. Namely, "Grunt Gear" by Alec Tulkoff, "Paramarine" by Chris Mason and "USMC Uniforms, Insignia and Personal Items of WWII" by Harlan Glenn. I have all of these books and I found very little repetition in "Sailors in Forest Green". Notably, the other books devote little or no attention to dress uniforms which is covered very well in this book. Also, none of the other books give little more than a passing honorable mention to corpsmen. The original combat photos of navy corpsmen and the layouts of the gear they used are also covered here in detail. In my opinion, if you have other USMC reference books, this one will compliment them, not rehash the same material.

With all of the overkill of books out there on U.S. paratrooper gear and German SS camouflage, I'm glad that someone has finally taken on the job of writing a series of serious reference books about the U.S. Navy in WWII. After seeing this first book in the series, I'm really looking forward to the rest of them. All things considered, I give it 5 stars.

Fantastic book, I've been using it just a few weeks and my technique has improved dramatically. Great for pros, students and educators. David George, musician and music educator, Seattle

i'm not the biggest matt savage fan...even though he writes are music for marching band. But i msut admit this boog ahs it all. It will teach you all the Rudiments you need to know. and it will help you inprove your skill as well. i suggest buying it. :)

I've worked with Matt in both a high school and University setting. His teaching style is very effective and is well conveyed in this book. It is a resource for all levels: beginners can learn the rudiments correctly and quickly; more proficient players learn ways to improve the rudiments as well as their overall sound. The solos provide a great forum for understanding how rudiments can be musical and incorporated into one's playing.

The way Matt Savage teaches is amazing. I remember one time, and a drum camp where he was teaching, the snares just couldn't get 1 or 2 measures. Matt broke it down, he said play this...we did...play this...ok, now add this...yep, and do this...and we all had it! It was really cool when I realised not only I could do it, but so could the entire line. This book teaches in the exact same way, and is a must have for any snare drummer trying go get better. It even has CDs for the solos to make sure you're playing it right ;)

I've read every single one of 'em, all of Constantine's work, been following him all these years. I have to admit I miss Balzic and his wife, Marie. Rugs Carlucci succeeded Balzic as Rocksburg's Chief of Police, and those books were just as good. But those scenes with Mario and Mo Valcanas trading truths at Dom's - hard to beat.

Saving Room for Dessert somehow does it, it's the best to date. Somehow Constantine brings characters who were buried in the background all these years into the lead roles, and it's a fresh new look at the seemingly drab and monotonous life of Rocksburg, PA. How Constantine does it is simple - he's simply a masterful writer who has a keen ear for dialogue and is spot-on when it comes to understanding the human condition.

I'm not sure how this book reads not knowing about Rocksburg, or Balzic, Rugs, Valcanas, or any of these wonderful characters. My guess is that great writing is great writing, and Saving Room for Desset is the best of all.

Steve Alpert

I admit that I'm a long-time fan of KC Constantine's Rocksburg novels. Saving Room for Dessert is a continuation of Constantine's usual strengths: pitch-perfect dialogue, REAL characters, indelible sense of time and place, subtle social commentary, etc. If you're looking for a police procedural in the vein of, say, Ed McBain or Wambaugh (both of whom are outstanding), you'll probably be disappointed. However, Constantine's work truly transcends the genre, and Saving Room is as wonderful as the rest of the Rocksburg novels.

In Rocksburg, Pennsylvania, no police officer likes working the Flats, a dangerous part of the city that can go from a quiet neighborhood into a war zone in nanoseconds. Things may seem serene for the moment, but any veteran cop knows that in the Flats a moment is all it takes to get killed.

Working the Flats this evening are the Rocksburg Police Department's only African-American William Rayford, giant Robert "BooBoo" Canoza, and Nam vet James Reseta. Each has personal problems they bring to the job, but all three dedicated men know they must not allow their troubles to interfere with the beat if they want to live another day. Quickly the three officers are going to learn first hand how the Flats is different from any other neighborhood in town because the incident seems trivial, but the aftermath explosion proves dangerous and life threatening.

Once series fans understand that Mario is not making a comeback and Rugs is not the headliner, the readers will quickly comprehend that SAVING ROOM FOR DESSERT is a gourmet feast for the police procedural crowd. The story line follows the three officers on routine patrols that turns nasty. The story line focuses more on the trio than on what they face as each has their moment of introspection involving their personal woes as much as their professional troubles. K.C. Constantine changes direction with this tale in which the crime activity is interesting, but the up front look at the three stars is fascinating and fabulous.

Harriet Klausner

In a small town in Pennsylvania there is a small-town police department serving a small-town population. The main figure is Sargent William Milton Rayford, the only person of color within sight. We have James Resata, who went through his year in Viet Nam the hard way, and the gigantic Robert "Booboo" Canoza.

The play within the town of Rocksburg is also limited mostly to three neighboring families who are at each other throats almost daily. Once it is dog poop smeared on the neighbors door knob. Then it is threatening the neighbor with a knife.

The war in Nam is described in chilling detail. The neighborhood fights, however, develop into satire. That does not mean that they are not dangerous. But it means that the police officers have to summon all the accumulated wisdom of their many years on the force to keep the situations from exploding.

Mr. Constantine has everything under control.He gives us a picture - sometimes funny, and then brutally direct - of the cosmos of life in a small town. He has written a wonderful book that celebrates the simple cop on the beat.

To serve and protect - and they live by it.

After listening to the 13 disk audio with narration by Christopher Kay I find that awarding only a five star rating is an injustice to both author and reader. Since the writer of the diary and the author of the book are not of the Jewish faith, it lends much credence to the events that took place. Readers with high blood pressure and a weak stomach must exercise caution when getting involved in the atrocities that took place during the Nazi regime in Germany. There is much blame to go around, but the failure to prosecute these sadists who escaped the hangman's noose and fled to a life of luxury is extremely galling. This book is definitely a page turner and very dificult to put down as the process for hunting down some of these killers gets underway. This is the first review I have ever written, but it took something this powerful and moving for me to turn on the computer and write the above. In conclusion, this is a must read!

this book is about a canadian jews who had migrated to canada with his aunt ruth after the horror of WW2. He had not known about hitler and the SS until his aunt told him everything. Its a very sad and doleful book about the brutality of hitler and the life in the concentration camp. a person reading this book must have a gut to read it because of all the sorrows and misery of the jews written in the book. i studied world history and learned about hitler. i didnt really think he was that bad because all my book represented was facts and figures. not until i read this book did i find out the horrible time of the WW2. i couldnt even believe and swallow the way the jews had been killed. for all those SS who escaped death must be captured and hunted down. they are not condoned to live in this world for what they did and how other people suffered because of them. what derek jacobs did was praiseworthy. no matter how old they are not they deserve to die.
if u truly wanna learn the horror of WW2 read this book

As a history major with a particular interest in WWII, I found this book both riveting and horrifying.

History books tell you that Hitler systematically murdered 6 million Jews. But they don't give you the details. In "The Secret Hunters" Fiennes pulls no punches, and gives a gruesome account complete with details of how the Jews were abused by the SS in WWII.

The only reason I gave this book only four stars instead of five is that the blurb gave me the impression that I was picking up an adventure tale of a treasure-hunting journey in Antarctica. While that is the direction the last quarter of the book took, it wasn't the main focus of the narrative. There was much more about the Holocaust and its atrocities itself.

A thought provoking piece of work with an inconclusive ending that makes me wonder what happened to Derek Jacob.

Fascinating read i could not put it down. The gist of the story is that a Canadian Catholic named Derek Jacobs learns from his aunt that they have jewish ancestors and as a consequence the brutal inhumane sadistic tortures inflicted on jews during ww2.
His aunt tells him of a man called Karl Bendl alias Seidler raped Dereks mother and abused her during the nazi regime in ww2. Derek then in confronted by a man who tells him about an underworld organisation called the Secret Hunters who track down Nazis that have commited war crimes and to bring them to trial.
Fuelled by hate tracking down Bendl becomes an obsession and leads Derek onto a boat to Antartica by nazis who think they have found gold thus kickstarting neo nazism and a re-rise to power.
This book is gripping to the end and is not for the faint hearted as it goes into detail of what happened to the jews which some people may find unsettling. All in all i truly give it the thumbs up.