Kansas Books

Dan Boone is a powerful writer and communicator. This book is a wonderful book that helps make worship on Sunday mornings fluid, narrative and understandable. It serves as a great book for pastors, worship leaders and planning teams.

This is definitely a must read!

Another favorable review of this book appears in Public Budgeting & Finance, Spring 1997, pages 105-106, by John L. Mikesell. Please disregard the rating since this is not a review but for information purposes only

Prize-winning historian Shawn Peters presents The Yoder Case: Religious Freedom, Education, And Parental Rights, a scholarly study of the crucial 1972 Supreme Court ruling in a case when a Wisconsin Amish community claimed that compulsory education past a certain age was in conflict with its religious views and therefore removed its children from public schools. Also available in a hardcover edition, The Yoder Case is a detailed, impartial analysis of events, and a fascinating account recommended for law school students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the separation of Church and State issues.

Any one who has been involved in youth ministry or even has been involved with students will be able to laugh out loud at these jokes and illustrations. They are so true that I could relate to nearly every situation. Consider two of my favorites: you might be a youth workewr if you've ever convinced the church treasurer that water balloons and bungee cords are minsitry expenses; If someone says "lock-in" but you hear "purgatory", you might be a youth worker. I guarantee that you will love this book and that it will provide countless hours of humor. It is especially good for those days when you really feel ministry taking a toll on you. Enjoy!

Diane Stafford offers excellent career advice in Your Job, advice that outplacement firms charge executives thousands of dollars for their services. Professors who teach corporate communications, technical writing, or job-search courses would do well to make her book required reading to supplement the often out-dated advice in textbooks. All serious career searchers, whether down-sized executives or college graduates, should buy, read, and heed Diane Stafford's advice.

This book is essentially a detailed and well-crafted piece of journalism with the level and quality of detail to bring it into horrific focus. One gets access to all sides of the murders of a family from the effect on the close relatives and friends to the emotional states of the murderers themselves and their final demise at the end of a rope. No one can escape this book without a large emotional wallop that will leave one's mind reverberating for some time. The book additionally invites questions concerning the limits and boundaries of journalistic integrity. When does the journalist step beyond his role as observer and become part of the story? And...Should the journalist do so and thus change outcomes? Disturbingly provocative in many ways.

An excellent piece of investigative journalism. Although called the first "non-fiction novel" I don't consider it a novel. To do so would suppose that journalism is objective, it is not, and anyway by most accounts Capote mostly got it right. It's gripping journalism, extremely well researched, and very American. The juxtaposition of Capote, a liberal New Yorker, among the conservative mid-westerners should not go unnoticed. It strikes a chord with the American paradoxical character of "the new" versus "stability"; change versus safety; the search for frontier versus authenticity; the fear of anarchy versus the fear of authority; liberal versus conservative. On the one side the ultimate in safety, security and authority is represented by the Clutter family - and on the opposite side the killers, younger and free, represent change, "the new" and anarchy. Capote instinctively tapped into this dialectic and became part of it himself as an upstart homosexual New Yorker in the middle of stable, secure and patriarchal Kansas. This sort of "meta" author mirroring the story is the real aesthetic and creative achievement that has kept it a classic while later "new journalism" works, characterized by their use of literary techniques applied to non-fiction, have rarely if ever exceeded Capote's initial genesis.

Truman Capote arguably invented true crime, and still dominates with this spectacular classic. He took years to finish this book, his last book, and it shows in the brilliant prose. This is among my favorite books of all time. I recommend to everyone.

This is a great read, a great novel, and a great edition. Capote's work, his illuminating approach to life, exemplified by the contrasts of the killers, the victims, and the hunters of the killers, is a great work of art.

The book reproduces the original 1965 edition and although the paper is not as heavy, it certainly beats the previous smaller Modern Library edition.

When will publishers learn that in order to compete with Brittany Spears, life, death, taxes, and childbirth, they need to give readers beautiful editions with real cloth covers and heavy cream paper, something to treasure. Not some cheap cardboard edition such as, say, my collected Ginsberg, which already is turning brown and edging out of the binding. I'd rather pay another dollar for a $50 book and get something that will stay intact.

I was a child when In Cold Blood was first published but remember the adults in my life talking about this controversial novel. After watching the two recent Truman Capote biopics (Capote and Infamous), I thought I should read it. I was surprised how much this 40+ year old book had to say about the anger, polarization and general lack of civility in today's society. A family is senselessly murdered in a small town in Kansas. Everyone in the town of 6,000 knew this family. After the murderers are apprehended, each minister in this community of 21 churches stood at his pulpit and spokeout AGAINST the capital punishment. Relatives of the slain family wrote a letter published in the local newspaper asking that prosecutors not pursue the death penalty. And when the murderers are returned to Kansas and are walked into the jail for booking, the audience who has gathered for this spectacle stands nearly silent. The town's citizens are relieved that it was strangers who commited this attrocity and they no longer have to eye their neighbors suspiciously. There is little talk of revenge or a sense of closure via the death penalty. What a fascinating view of our society on the cusp of the revolution of the 1960's and 1970's. READ THIS BOOK!

I will agree with several other reviewers who say that the main character, Tully Makker, is not very likeable, and the book is way too long. It was a chore to get through it.

The main problem with this book is that it is sorely in need of editing. First of all, the dialogue is not very authentic. I was a senior in 1979 too, and all I kept thinking, while reading this, 'NOBODY talked like that!' No, not even in Kansas. The factual and spelling errors are so frequent and distracting that I found myself pencilling notes in the margins. The author doesn't know STRAIT from STRAIGHT, or AISLE from ISLE. A few more (and some quite amusing) examples:

"Remember what Tolstoy said? All that doesn't kill you makes you stronger." Nope, NOT Tolstoy. Nietzsche. If you're going to use the phrase, why not research it first?

A character is referred to as "Martha Louise Lamber nee Bowman"-- but Lamber is her maiden name and Bowman is her married name. The author does not understand "nee", meaning "born".

And the medical stuff...this is where is gets REALLY silly:

"Tully was AB positive, the universal receiver. Robin was O positive, the universal donor." Ehhmm....NO. O NEGATIVE is the universal donor.

"She looked like she was sleeping, despite the IV tube going into her nose..." An IV?? In her NOSE?

"He grabbed her, tubes and all, and started shaking her and screaming. A feeding tube fell out of Tully's nose." FELL out? He'd have to do a fair amount of yanking to get THAT to happen, feeding tubes go all the way down the throat to the stomach!

"Tully saw the glass bottle of Lucosade connected to her arm." Lucozade is like Gatorade. You don't put it in an IV, you put it in the fridge, then pour it into a glass to drink!


And if you can get past THAT sort of thing there's another big distraction. Aparently the author thinks she has come up with a really fabulous name, Tully Makker. And needs to hit us over the head with it. You know how nearly everyone in Peanuts cartoons calls Charlie Brown by his full name? is this a Kansas thing? Is there a reason ALL the characters have the SAME speech quirk?

HEDDA says "Shut up, Tully Maker, shut up!"
JENNIFER says "That's where you're wrong, Tully Makker."
and "Have it your way, Tully Makker."
JEREMY says "So, do you live with your folks, Tully Makker?"
and "You've got plenty, Tully Makker."
ROBIN says "Oh that's great, Tully Makker, just great."
and "Don't say it, Tully Makker."
and "Well, Tully Makker, you're not God..."
JULIE says "Well I'll just hate to see what happens to you, Tully
Makker, when you have your cataclysm."
and "Tully Makker, please don't tell me you fell
asleep in the---"
and "You did the right thing, Tully Makker."
and "You are the sister I never had, Tully Makker."
JACK says "I know a little bit about you, Tully Makker."
and "well, Tully Makker, you're actually at your desk."
and "I really don't think I should, Tully Makker."
and "Nobody dances like you, Tully Makker."
and "I wasn't good enough for you, Tully Makker."
and "And what would you have me do, Tully Makker?"
and "Who else did you leave that to, Tully Makker?"


Fed up with readng my examples yet? Just think how fed up you'd get reading this (594-page) book!

The book was in good condition and was shipped in a timely manner.
The story was not to my liking and does not compare with the author's
book "The Bronze Horseman".

For me, this book started off a bit slow. I thought it was kind of cheesy or too intense in the first bit. But it didn't take long for me to get so involved in it! It is a long book and I read it very quickly because I had to know what would happen. It is a very real book and I really connected with the characters. It is great! As are her other books, but this is her best in my opinion.

I had read her "Bronze Horseman" and "Tatiana and Alexander" so was curious to see how her first effort was. It was long, as are all her works. After a slow start, it was worth reading but don't expect everyone to live happily ever after. In that it is like real life, but some readers don't like that in a fiction book. I enjoyed it and was glad that I read it. Not as good as the others I read, though.

This was by far one of my favorite books ever! I have already read it several times and I just ordered a new copy. Once I started this book, I could not stop reading! Truly a great story :)

The book rec's was in good condition. Enjoyable....but I prefer non-fiction. Recommended to me by a friend.

I loved this book. The voice, the style, the writing, Evelyn as the story teller. The '80s references were fun and familiar.

Moriarty is a clever, skilled author. I laughed out loud several times, and I loved how she just let "life be life" for Evelyn. No grand stands. No over the top epiphany, just a girl growing up, living in a dysfunctional family that sees a ray of light at the end of the story.

Read this book with your thinking cap on. Don't try this as a breeze-through genre read. It's so much more.

I loved it and highly recommend this book.

This is such a great book. I loved the raw reality of it. Painful at times, recalling the angst of youth. I've given this book to two girlfriends I thought would especially enjoy it. Well written, can't wait to read Laura's next one.

This book is written from the point of view of a little girl, Evelyn who, at the age of 10, thinks her home in Kerrville, Kansas, is the center of the world. She lives alone with her 26 year old mother Tina, barely making ends meet. Together, the two of them grow up, Evelyn maturing faster than her mother most of the time.

The writing is light and fun, changing as Evelyn herself grows. She has many challenges to face through her teenage years, and a lot of the time, she's going at it alone. She shuffles through different relationships through high school, but generally, she faces things head on without much help. Evelyn's journey is sure to keep you hooked and turning pages, anxious to see where life is going to take her next.

Slightly wordy and slow, but so full of truth. I related to these characters even though I have not lived this kind of small town, Kansas life, which includes confusing messages from God and President Reagan. The author is wonderful at depicting some of the enduring ironies that exist now and in the 1980's. Having grown up in this Era, I am reminded of the many questions that were looming right before my eyes. I found myself curious and anxious to find out this heroine, Evelyn, would mature. Who would she choose to forgive? Would she be a Christian, a biologist, or both? Would she become "life-smart" or just stay "book-smart"? Would she learn to be empathetic or judgmental? Would she become open-minded or bitter? Or, will she be able to find the perfect balance?

THIS BOOK KEPT ME GLUED TO THE PAGES. ALL I CAN SAY IS I WOULD NEVER WANT TO BE A GUARD IN A FEDERAL PRISON!!

I remember reading this back in 1996. I still remember some of the stories I read from here. An involving read into the life of the prison system in the 90s.

A bit of an over sell here (on the covers), the book has a few interesting stories, true, however it is quite disjointed because it gives bits and pieces of a few players and bits and pieces of overall history, but it never really connects the reader to any one individual or to the whole process itself.

I think that when you have a journalist write a book you often end up with a whole bunch of magazine articles or news stories thrown together in enough volume to make a book length binding. But you don't really have a book. That was the problem here.

I would recommend this to any that are really interested in Leavenworth (the federal prison, not the military prison). It does give an insight and a glimpse of prison life told by a journalist that spent a lot of time inside the prison interviewing prisoners and guards and watching the day to day stuff happen. He also tells a bit about a few people outside the prison (like wives and girlfriends) and also a bit about why some of the people got incarcerated in the first place.

It's not a boring read, although there were some tiresome places for me, however I finished the book, and with the backlog I have, that in its self is a huge compliment.

I don't recommend this to any looking to learn about prison reform, or the like, or for information of great depth on any interesting criminals. For those that have read or talked to persons that have served time in a prison, there isn't much new here, certainly individual stories are unique in that every individual is different, but nothing here is different from a thousand stories about snitches, jail house rapes and brutality.

Without a doubt, this is the best book I've yet to encounter when it comes to taking an inside look at life in a real maxmimum security prison.

Leavenworth Federal Prison is located, obviously,in Leavenworth Kansas and is the oldest federal prison in existence. Built in the late 1800's, Leavenworth is a maximum security facility where the sometimes mundane work-a-day-world that most of us have come to know ends abruptly and a new society emerges as a timeless, unslayable demon from the depths of one's worse nightmares. Although this society hidden from the outside world does have rules established by the prison system, there is a sub sub-culture that the prisoners must deal with every day. This is truly a story of the survival of the fittest.

This book was not written as many others have been, in a biased, sterile, sociological style that would be right at home in the politically-correct atmosphere of a classroom. This is a no-nonsense, in-your-face, account of what things are really like for those doing hard time. If you're a soccer mom or other politically correct weasel, do yourself a favor and stick with the lofty, fantasy world that you have locked yourself into. If, on the other hand, you seek knowledge and enlightenment as close as one can achieve without actually being a part of the event, buy this book; you'll find it hard to put down.

The author, Pete Earley, was given complete free and unsupervised access, day and night, to any guard and prisoner who would speak with him. Although he initially was met with suspicion and distrust from both the guards and prisoners alike, he proved himself to be a stand-up guy and was able to establish a rapport. Pete roamed the yards and cell blocks alone: no weapons, no protection. He was literally at the mercy of anyone who wanted to harm or kill him.

To his credit, Pete chose not to take sides. From turning down offers from the guards to drink and shoot with them to refraining from indulging in the prisoner's home brew, Pete walked the middle road and reported fairly. The result of his efforts has produced a book of unparalled interest and value.

Pete focuses upon a half-dozen prisoners and guards to tell their individual tales of life, crime, emotions, frustrations, hatred, fears, and interaction. When one combines these aspects with the bureaucratic nature of the federal prison system, one ends up with an environment nearly too insane to believe. Reality is always stranger than fiction.

While it is perhaps interesting to read the perceptions of those who have already absorbed the book, this is a literary accomplishement that you must read and ponder for yourself. The book is intertaining and describes well the emotional toll inflicted upon both sides. I believe you won't want to put it down.

This book was written by a civilian (a person who was neither a correctional employee nor an inmate) about life in a federal correctional facility. It is held in such high regard as a factual and honest account that it was recommended by the instructors from the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. Since personally reading The Hot House more than ten years ago, I have purchased copies of The Hot House and "Games Criminal Play" for every friend who has been hired by, or who has considered applying for a federal, state or county prison or jail facility. Each person who has received these books has given them rave reviews. This book should be required reading for anyone considering a career in corrections and it is certainly worth reading for those of us who don't work in the field!

I was glad I bought this. I have read about 10 autobiographies of German soldiers who served in the East. This is one of the best. For reference, I have read about 50-60 biographies of western Allies of the WWII period.

The Russian Front was truly different than the war the US and UK experienced. The battle careers of most of the western Allied soldiers were much shorter and were characterized by less gruesome conditions sustained over a period of years.

For example, a majority of the US forces didnt' hit the battle line until 1943-1944. This meant one or two years of Hell. Men like this German spent two to three times as long in heavy combat.

It doesn't mean the western Allied soldier was any less brave.

What it provokes, is the question...how did they bear it so well for so long? Many German units were still fighting effectively until 1945 having started in 1939-1940.

It is a wonder that most of the Landsers that spent years in Russia were not raving mad at the end. This young officer (risen from the ranks) shows an insight into the mind of a man of (in my opinion) near super-human endurance. Not cartoon heroics---rather keeping control of oneself and doing one's duty while serving an endless sentance in Hell.

There are truly men who can endure in War far, far better than others.

And, I believe there is no way to determine who these will be until many battles have been fought. You certainly cannot judge by appearances.

If the narrative ended with the fall of Sevastopol, I would have given this book a 5. However, the last third of this memior had several problems. During the final agonizing 2 years fighting around Lenningrad and the Courland, Biederman attemps a few narrative gimmicks that I found confusing if not distracting. He jumps to the omnipresent mode for a chapter and gives the account of the Soviet fighters engaged in combat against his unit. At other times (mainly during the Courland fighting), he jumps and gives a high level account of the campaign from the point of view of the Army Group or Corps level. These gimmicks seriously detracted from the overall flow of the dramatic events that led to his capture and imprisonment.

Yet, despite these failings, In Deadly Combat gives the reader a birdseye view of the common German foot solider who spent his entire time on the Eastern Front. There were no glorious panzer battles or dramatic climaxes to famous campaigns. For Biederman and the hundreds of thousands of other Gefrieters, Russia was a place of torment, danger, and death. Of the 12 men orginally assigned to his heavy weapons Pak squad, only Biderman and a comrade survived. Biderman doesn't mince words for the German equivalent of the REMF. Despite the evil nature of the regime he served, and the terrible pyschological scars he incurred, Biderman remained proud of what he and his fellow gunners endured. Like soldiers all over the world, he found true friendship and comradeship with the men he suffered with.

The memiors open with his units deployment into Southern Russia and the Uman Campaign. As part of the 11th Army, the 132nd Infantry Division is then deployed into Crimea. The Crimean Campaign, a battle totally void of panzers and mechanized units, was won mainly by the 6 German and Romanian infantry divisions that suffered through 10 months of pure hell. The reader will find this portion of the memior the most riveting. Biederman's division was constantly on the march either engaged against Soviet counter offensives or involved in the horrific assault against the Fortress Sevastopol. Biederman's account of the figthing, the climate conditions, and his interaction with the Tartars is griping.

The last portion of the memior is concerned with his time serving with Army Group North. As stated above, this is where Biederman's narrative suffers. Which is unfortuante, as what he and fellow soldiers went through must have been beyond words. The visciousness of the fighting and deprivation of Army Group North during the 1943-1945 timeframe would be difficult enough without his meandering and narrative problems. Still, Biederman does offer some enlightening commentary. He sheds light on the Army Group Commander, Generaloberst Schoerner, that I've never read before. Schoerner appears to have possessed all of the qualities that comes to mind when describing that breed of officers one all too often reads about -the political General. Schoerner took great pride in handing out punitive sentences to any enlisted man he found wanting. According to Biederman, many rear echelon NCOs found themselves assigned to front line duties for even the smallest offences. Biederman, as a lieutenent, had one such run in with Schoerner. It appears the general didn't like Biederman's siutation report, and as punishment Biderman was assigned digging trenches. There is also a gripping account of the death of the 132nd Division commander, General Lindeman. Lndeman was one of the officers involved in the July 1944 plot to kill Hitler.

Biederman, like the other members of Army Group North surrendered in May 1945. The Epilouge details the 4 years he spent in various Gulags. I think many readers may be offended that Biederman wasn't more contrite for serving in the German Army during World War II. What I think many people have to realize is that Biederman and the millions of enlisted men who served that evil Regime were survivors. Thier torment had to have some meaning; Biederman was wounded 7 times, and had few combat honors or medals. He witnessed untold, unwritten heorism at the platoon and squad level. The fact that he survived the war and imprisonment bespoke of a toughness that few possess. I'm sure he witnessed the occaisonal "war crime". But what combat soldier didn't? There were accounts of US and British soldiers killing wounded Germans or Japanese, but you won't find them in memiors. Those kind of actions have always occured during the heat of battle. But for the most part, the German soldier was not responsible for the atrocities that occured on the Eastern Front. The Waffen SS and SD have that honor.

I loved reading this book. It is full of great stories of near misses and high adventure in the face of certain doom. This book was given to me by someone who thought it looked "boring" and it had been left to them when the former tenant moved and was not bothered to take it with them. Their losses were my gain. I will read it again. Personal accounts are always subject to mistaken remembrances, fantasizing, over-indulgences, etc., but this story still rings true. As the son of a WWII US army infantry veteran, I am sure that my father would have enjoyed reading this book. Thank goodness this information was resurrected and preserved.

The book was originally written for the survivors of Bidermann's regiment and division, not for the general public. Bearing this in mind you will have a better understanding and feeling for the author's account of his experience of fighting on the Eastern Front during WW2. At times you might find the narrative old fashioned and even cliched but this is definitely not the case, it has to be taken in context of when and why this book was first written. This is a combination of a combat history of the 132nd Infantry Division and the author's role and experiences in the fighting on the Eastern Front. The author, Gottlob Herbert Bidermann, won the Iron Crosse First and Second Class, the Crimean Shield, the Close Combat Badge, the German Cross in Gold, the Golden Wound Badge (wounded five times), the Honour Roll Clasp and the Tank Destruction Badge. What is remarkable is that the author survived five years of combat on the Russian Front fighting in Crimea (in Manstein's legendary 11th Army), Leningrad and later in the Courland Pocket under the most attrocious conditions. I found his stories about his early years fighting with an anti-tank section using the Pak 37 "doorknocker" very interesting, I had always believed these weapons to be next to useless on the Russian Front however I was surprised. Generally, I found this book to be a very fascinating account of the fighting conducted on the Eastern Front from the perspective of a young German soldier. It offers some very interesting insights into combat and its effect on men who in the end just tried to survive against immense odds, but also some light moments which reveal the true character of the typical German soldier. The last chapters deal with Bidermann's imprisonment in various camps in USSR and the many hardships that the German soldiers suffered there. There is a number of absorbing black and white photographs supplied from private sources that give the book a human touch. The only real problem that readers may find with this book is the lack of maps detailing the movements and battles of the 132nd Infantry Division. Overall this is the sort of book that should be in the library of every serious reader or student of the war on the Russian Front during World War Two.

There's not much more I can add to all of the glowing reviews for this book. I'm fascinated by WWII history and have read many accounts, and this is a rare and excellent look from the German soldier's point of view.

I would have given it 5 stars but for one thing: the publishers have included only one map. This book needs many more maps to illustrate the remote locations and battles described by the author.

Unfortunately, this is often the failing of too many historical books about various wars. This book has a single map at the beginning, illustrating a vast area from Finland down to the Black Sea in almost no detail. It is nearly useless for understanding the movements of the troops as described.

I would strongly urge the publishers to include more maps for the next edition -- surely there will be one?