St. Louis Books

I think the book is wonderful. I wanted to attain a better sense of Charles A Lindbergh and what better
way then to read something he wrote. He is a good writer and his character comes through. It is also very
enterntaining and down to the practically of having real substance of history in the book. I am greatful to have read it and attained a glimps of a cherished individual in our aviation history.

This book got a little dry at times but it is a great 1-stop shop for anyone who wants to know everything about the famous flight.

Great account of an adventure. Includes all the early stages, including conception, financing, building, testing, and monitoring the competition. Especially relevant these days with all the X prize comparisons.

The writing of the actual flight is exhaustive, and sprinkled with autobiographical anecdotes to give context and color. His accounts of growing up on a Minnesota farm surely add to the American mythos of self-determination. And his days spent learning to fly through barnstorming and the Army are notable for being enchanting, yet completely straightforward and accurate.

Lindbergh says accuracy is one of his major aims. This adds to the substance of the book, since he examines his mistakes at least as much as his successes. The writing sometimes waxes poetic, as when he says "The dull blade of skill is sharpened on the stone of experience."

Overall, this is a valuable book on many levels. For the historical record of a groundbreaking flight. For the description of the early days of flight, and the adventure and pioneering spirit it embodied. And for the tale of a man who conceived a great project, found the friendly cooperation of others to help him achieve it, worked through many obstacles and setbacks to prepare for it, and then finally executed it well, despite his own human imperfections and mistakes along the way.

Lindbergh took some risks with this book. He wrote it out first person, present tense. (A big "no no".) And he broke up the storyline with frequent flashbacks. Somehow it all works anyway, in spite of or because of these risks.

But, then again, Lindbergh was a risk taker. He put his life on the line with his Paris flight and succeeded gloriously. He does the same thing here, in the literary world, winning the Pulitzer prize.

We should all stop to reflect a moment on how great a coup this was. And how improbable. Lindbergh published this book in the decade following his ill-fated attempt to prevent America's entry into World War II. In many ways his star had fallen with the American public, politically and otherwise. Yet, he was able to resurrect himself through this first-hand story of his great experimental flight. You can't keep a good man (or woman) down.

My favorite part of this book is the section where he refers to his metaphysical experiences during his flight over the Atlantic. He recounts these experiences in more depth in Autobiography of Values, but it is here that they first see the light of day.

This is an enthralling saga of a great moment in the history of aviation, told by the flier himself. It is a unique contribution to world literature, and as such, scarcely needs me to recommend it. Yet, I do so, unreservedly.

Richard Salva--author of Soul Journey from Lincoln to Lindbergh [UNABRIDGED]

Lindbergh's flight solo New York to Paris is still hard to repeat with a small, prop driven, aircraft. It is hard to summarize or constuct a methaphor to measure the impact of Lindbergh's historic flight in today's setting, it was such a great leap forward for mankind.

The flight inspired my father, 14 years old and living on a farm in Wisconsin in 1927, to become a graduate aerospace engineer, and later to work on the design of the P-38, X-15, and the Apollo capsule, among others, many of which he could not even tell me about. It had similar effects and results for thousands of others.

This book is well written and documents not only the flight, but the life of Lindbergh, and the logistics of pulling off this incredible event. After reading this book, I came to the opinion that the planning and logistics (including fundraising and sponsorship) may have been more difficult than the actual flight. We owe much for this leap forward to a group of individuals from St. Louis, who told Lindbergh, "you worry about the design, building, and flying of the aircraft, we will take care of the money". Reading about this portion of the effort alone, provides much food for thought about current corporate management and government projects. A case study in delegation! I found this book interesting, fascinating, well written, and inspiring. The event and the book are timeless. Reading it makes you realize the difference one person can make when perseverance is applied in a large dose.

This book is an amazing treasure trove of known and little known gangsters/criminals from good old St. Louis. Most of the top Chicago gangsters originated from there. Dan Waugh delivers the gangster data in staccato like fashion. He touches many bios of different gangsters and leaves us wanting more.
Excllent Job!

Mario Gomes
Myalcaponemuseum.com

Daniel Waugh explains the first time he saw The Untouchables in the theater as a child and how he was forever hooked on this era of history. His quest for learning about how St. Louis fit into the mix along with Chicago, Detroit and New York is probably more than he could ever have imagined and he has captured it in this fine publication! I was quite shocked to see how much activity was taking place in the area right along the same time as everything else was in Chicago and could just imagine the highway traffic filled with gangsters driving back and forth between the two cities on a regular basis. The stories told from newspaper accounts also is riveting and goes to show you how differently they wrote back in the day. It's a bygone era and Daniel Waugh has done a fantastic job with Egan's Rats.

This book contains everything you would ever want to know about the St Louis underworld in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I found numerous typos and misprints that reflected an absence of good editing..a somewhat distracting feature to an otherwise interesting account.

Wow, what an fantastic book on the history of the gangs in St. Louis, starting in the late 1800's. I grew up in St. Louis and lived there for 46 years and I had no idea about the gangs and how they ran the city of St. Louis. Many generations of my family lived in St. Louis and I suspect one or two may have been a gang member. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in St. Louis history.

"Egan's Rats- the Untold Story of the Prohibition-era Gang that Ruled St. Louis" fills a void in the American gangster history record. The lion's share of the subject coverage has traditionally gone to Chicago and New York, because they gave us Al Capone and Murder Inc. The macabre celebrity that these gangland figures achieved eclipsed the lives and crimes of the men who made St. Louis a shooting gallery for decades.

Daniel Waugh opens the book with the 1943 murder of William "Dint" Colbeck, who took over Egan's Rats after Willie Egan was gunned down in 1921. Colbeck's death signals the end of an era in the St. Louis underworld, which produced vicious gangsters and crafty politicians who made a mockery of law and order. Waugh then regresses to the 1890s, when Egan's Rats was in its embryonic state as the Ashley Street Gang. Pages and bodies pile up as the author excavates and details long-forgotten robberies, murders, and scandals that the Rats either instigated or were somehow connected to. Some of the anecdotes that Waugh uncovered were positively chilling- after Rat gunman 'Chippy' Robinson murdered stock trader Joe Powderly, he and a confederate put the corpse in the passenger seat of their car and drove around town, putting it through mini-adventures a la "Weekend at Bernie's".

The Rats got little press coverage outside their home town, except for two noted instances: the first was when ex-Rat Ray Renard beat Joe Valachi to the punch and sold out his former comrades, and the second was when suspected St. Valentine's Day Massacre gunman Fred 'Killer' Burke was arrested. Burke was associated with Egan's Rats long enough to merit their inclusion in the news stories that accompanied his capture.

Waugh tells the story chronology style, and is broad in his approach to his subject, which might distract readers who are used to histories being told from the perspective of only a few major players. But seeing that St. Louis gangster history is such uncharted territory, a concise treatment would not have done it justice. Tom and Willie Egan, Thomas "Snake" Kinney and his brother Mike, Jelly Roll Hogan, Harry "Cherries" and John "Pudgy" Dunn, they're all here, and their individual stories form the foundation for a groundbreaking work of crime history.

Robert Fripp's novel/faux memoir has much more multi-layered depth than any of the dozen or more Eleanor books I've read. The characters are richer, the stories and themes have many more angles, and the Eleanor who saw more and aimed higher than the powerful people she played with, really comes through at age 80. It's not the most 'pop' or easy of the books, but it's the richest in its vision, much of it coming from Fripp's journalistic rigour as a former CBC series producer for "The Fifth Estate". He sees very far, in many directions--as did Eleanor.

How captivated I was with "Power of a Woman"!

I found the ruthless nature of the twelfth century shocking, wrought
with not only loveless, but murderous marriages! I understood that
alliances (marriages) were the crucial scaffolding on which the survival
of a clan depended, but I did not realize that royal issue became
betrothed as infants, and that the female of the match went to live with
future in-laws in order to be more completely absorbed into the social
intricacies of that clan. Simply, the toddler was held hostage in the
face of present and future intrigues. Shocking indeed.

What particularly fascinated me in this telling saga of noble, military
and religious life during the Middle Ages was the description of how
Eleanor developed her own spin on Chivalrous Love. What a creative way
of compromising three conflicting demands: an individual's yearning for
love and intimate recognition, the passionate and artful culture of
courtship and restraint, and the absolute necessity of loveless,
politically-sanctioned marriage.

I enjoyed the book immensely, and am astonished that the author was able
to write from inside such a particular, feminine persona as Eleanor of
Aquitaine. I was immediately hijacked by the voice of Eleanor, and
became a willing victim of her extraordinary prowess. What a dame!

"Power of a Woman" brings us an "autobiography" of Eleanor of Aquitaine that is accessible and entertaining! Eleanor was Medieval Europe's most interesting woman. In an age when women were considered a necessary evil, and expected to bear sons and be quiet, she defied tradition. She married two of the most powerful men in Europe, and birthed several more. She went on Crusade. She ruled vast territories. She created a definition of love that survives to this day. Telling her story in Eleanor's voice, Robert Fripp shows us Medieval Europe through her eyes: Crusades, wars, enmities, alliances, eternal subterfuge. Fripp's vision brings the very stones and glass of cathedrals and castles to life. History becomes a tapestry which Eleanor works, stitch by stitch. At eighty-one, she hasn't much time. We feel her urgency, the ache in her knees, the chill in her bones. Will she finish before she dies? Her sorrow of lost love, lost children, lost time is as real as the triumphs of her extraordinary life. Eleanor emerges as a woman of great wisdom, dearly won. A real woman, with a strong sense of her place in this life and the next. What a great read! This is so gripping. I got so totally caught up in this story one night that I woke up with images of Eleanor in my mind, and Kate Hepburn's voice in my ear. I love this story."

"Power Of A Woman" is gripping in its wealth of detail. It makes me feel like I am in the midst of all the action. Of all the books I have read, this is the only one that makes me experience what it must have felt like to have lived during those troublesome and exciting times. Such a wonderful and exciting book! "Power Of A Woman" is more than just a book, it bring the people to life in a fresh, new way and contains a wealth of exciting information on its people and the times in which they lived. I highly recommened it to all who want a historically accurate book!

Lady Shirley Cassidy
Dublin, Ireland

Reading this book aloud to my legally blind companion was
immensely fun and educational. We gained many details of Eleanor of Aquitaine's life which I feel other biographers missed, especially her deeply personal feelings around Thomas Beckett. We are brought to ponder Eleanor's emotions in many various contexts. I loved how [the author
explains] her relationship with Richard the Lion. And all so vividly expressed from the mouth of a very wise and passionate woman!

Through diligent research, and artful pen, Robert Fripp brings
Eleanor of Aquitaine to life. I am absolutely amazed at his stunning ability to know the heart of a woman.

the book was in great condition. and as a flyers fan, i am happy to have this book in my library.
thanks!

This book is probably the best history of the Flyers that you could find out there. Full Spectrum ranks right up there, but it doesn't have Mr. Heart's personality like SCORE! does. I'm gonna miss Gene.......

Having grown up a Flyers fan and hearing Gene Hart for many years, I loved this book. It's a great combination of how Gene became associated with the Flyers, as well as a timeline of the Flyers' history from the beginning up to the early 90's.

I first started listening to Gene Hart calling Flyers games in 1968. He was a wonderful announcer when the Flyers were mediocre and was absolutely superb when they were on top. I've heard a lot of sports broadcasting in a lot of cities around the country in the last 35 years and no one else in any sport approaches Gene's work. I was disappointed when he stopped announcing and deeply saddened with his passing last year. His book is every bit as fine as his radio and television work. Of the several Flyers books in print, his supasses the others in intimacy, first hand recollections and general nostalgic value. I sure miss Gene Hart, but this book and some tapes of television broadcasts he did are my most treasured sports memorabilia. He is a Hall of Famer and his writing belongs there too.

No one can tell a story the way Gene Hart did. He made you feel as though you were a part of every experience he retells in this book. Gene's love & passion for the game of hockey and the Philadelphia Flyers is clearly evident in this book. Gene not only chronicles the Flyers history from their entrance into the NHL, he also gives you a deep insight into the pride and character of a close knit group of players. We are all truly enriched by Gene's efforts.

The turnaround of the St. Louis Rams was remarkable--from doormat of the NFL to World Champions in a single season. And they managed to accomplish this after losing their starting quarterback, Trent Green, and having to settle on a little-known back-up quarterback that had been previously cut by the Packers, spent time playing in NFL Europe and in the Arena Football League when he wasn't stocking shelves in an Iowa grocery store on the nightshift.

Of course, that back-up quarterback was Kurt Warner. Coupled with Marshall Faulk, Isaac Bruce, Tory Holt, Ricky Proehl and a tough, dominating defense, Warner blended the team into a force to be reckoned with. The offense became the Greatest Show on Turf and was unstoppable. The defense continually handled every other offense in the NFL and rose to the occasion when needed. This team was a team that was just that--a TEAM. Everyone on this team contributed to the team chemistry and several heroes were made weekly.

This Rams team was exciting and fun to watch as it was almost impossible to ignore the feeling there was greatness and a destiny for them. This book is the story of this Rams team and contains great photographs, inspirational insight into the team and its players and coaches, and recounts the entire season through stopping the Tennesee Titans at the 1-yard line to in the final seconds of the Super Bowl. In short, this book is a great read with great photos. Enjoy!

could a supermarket stockboy with almost no previous NFL experience who had been cut go from back-up to league, Super Bowl, and Pro Bowl MVP - and become only the second player to throw for over 40 TDs in a season.

Only in America could a team that was 4-12 one year make one trade - for Marshall Faulk - and go from mid-level to the Greatest Show on Turf

Relive it. It will make you pull for the Rams. Kurt Warner is an inspiration to every kid who ever had a dream.

A great book about a magic season (comparable to the 85 Bears).That season made me a rams fan and with that book i can re-live the moments any time i want. it helped me over the last few dull seasons where the defense guys woke up for telling the boring saga of defense wins championships.
This book reminds me of all the blow-outs, the 300 yard games of Warner, the catches of Bruce and Holt, the thrill of the Super Bowl and so on.
Great pictures, good stats section of every game. a complete book, actually i wish it was twice as big. i was reading it in ONE day.
a must for all rams fans, new rams fans, Martz fans and Offense-fans.

This is great book that will allow you to re-live the Rams amazing turn around. Go ahead and get the hard back, you'll want to keep this book for years to come.

This book is everything it's cracked up to be. Forget that Sports Illustrated book, the subscription will cost you $80 and for what? Baseball yak-yak-yak for the next 6 months till The Man and his Warner Bros. return to action on Monday Night Football! This book will help you relive every moment from the sick feeling that you felt upon hearing that Green went down, all the way to the exhiliration of hearing that Super Bowl ref say "The game is over." Great gift, great book, great team! RAMS!

I am a law student in the university of Plymouth and i would like you to send me some information that this book contains, concerning the subject of the separation of powers. Your advice will be of great help. Thank you.

First, to the reviewer looking for the doctrine of separation of powers: you'll find it in Montequieu's "Spirit of the Laws". Also check out "The Federalist", number 51.

Now then, Bagehot, like Madison, describes the operation of a modern liberal regime. The trick for founders of liberal government is to produce a government that permits the people civil liberties, but does not permit the people to abuse those liberties, or in the words of Madison, to create a government that is "democratic yet decent". Madison and the American Founders accomplish this end by so constructing the institutions of government that mens' selfish natures will be turned against each other ("ambition is made to check ambition"), rather than united in tyrannical concert.

Bagehot too describes the operation of a system of government that rules by the consent of the governed, yet which does so by restraining the vices of those who ought not to rule. Bagehot argues that the English government is moderate and decent because of a division of government into the "dignified" and the "efficient" parts, and a "noble lie" about the relationship between the two. It is this noble lie that permits the government to operate without the interference of those who would turn it away from the public good. But to discover the noble lie, you'll have to read Bagehot.

Warner Winborne

Professor of Political Science

Hampden-Sydney College

Hampden-Sydney, VA

This book stimulates the little gray cells. Every time I watch Prime Minister's Questions, the superiority of the Cabinet system over the Presidential system is painfully obvious. If Bush were subjected to the kind of scrutiny, in Congress, that Blair is subjected to every week in Parliament, he would have been exposed as an impostor long before supreme executive authority was placed in his hands. Refering to our Civil War, Bagehot wrote: "The notion of employing a man of unknown smallness at a crisis of unknown greatness is to our minds simply ludicrous. Mr. Lincoln, it is true, happened to be a man of... eminent justness... But success in a lottery is no argument for lotteries."

Well, we used up all of our good fortune in the 1860s. We've come up craps in this millenium.

If this is the unaltered version of the book of the same name and same author that I read about 30 years ago, it is a classic. It describes how the classic English Constitution worked, before Britain joined the European Union. Especially it explained how it worked without being written down, largely by constitutional convention which was morally binding but (quite often) not legally binding.

Walter Bagehot was a journalist and a social and political thinker of the middle Victorian period (1850s and 1860s). His classical work "The English Constitution" comes as a collection of polemical assays upon the structure of the British political system. Cabinet, monarchy, Houses of Commons and Lords, execution of political power, and the foundation of the systems of checks and balances are explored in the book.

Throughout the book a comparison and contrast of Cabinet system and the Presidential system (a.k.a USA) is a constant theme. Bagehot does not hide it preference for the Cabinet system, which in his view is a both more dynamic and more effective. One of his main points is that direct popular election is a myth, since most of the electorate are ignorant of the nature of the political power (and moreover are forced to this ignorance by the effective uselessness of the legislative debate in the USA as opposed to the UK). Moreover, a result of the direct election is a static Presidential term of 4 years, which allows the executive branch to execute almost unchecked control of the political process. According to Bagehot, the indirect electoral system of the Commons, where people vote for the MPs and they then select the PM amongst themselves produces a more effective government, which is more responsive to the popular will since it can fall at any time due to policy disputes. A hidden secret of British success according to Bagehot is a fusion of legislative and executive powers in the Cabinet system. In the latter chapters, Bagehot exposures two forms of power - the dignified power (in the person of the monarch and the lords) and the effective power as exemplified by the Cabinet. Dignified power serves as a façade of legitimacy under which the dynamic and opportunist real effective power can subsist. He follows through to explain how each of the minister of the government exercises its power for the common goal, what are the legal powers of the monarchy and how it is exercised indirectly via control of the composition of the peerage and the power to dissolve the Commons.

Bagehot's style is clear, flavorful, his knowledge of political process is profound (with a qualification of more so of British then American), his research is well done, and he is a master of dramatic tricks to keep the reader interested. I would recommend the book as both a scholarly reference, and a well presented popular case.

Two big thumbs up for "The Right Kind of Heroes: Coach Bob Shannon and the East St. Louis Flyers." Although Coach Shannon has apparently moved on, this book is still as -- or perhaps more -- relevant to those facing battles against the odds.

Expertly penned by St. Louis columnist Kevin Horrigan, the book does a remarkable job of putting the reader right in the middle of the dingy and dangerous town of East St. Louis. It's a real "you are there" feeling as you get to know the players and coach of this amazing team. Although the story is heartbreaking at times, you won't hear Horrigan break out the violins and wax overdramatic... just a solid real-life story.

Even if you're not a sports nut -- or only know a little about football -- you will be inspired as you laugh, cry, struggle and celebrate with this courageous coach and champion football team. You just can't put it down until the last page.

Whatever challenges you may be facing in life, this book will move you to "get it done!" I highly recommend it.

This books paints the picture of a man who worked hard to acheive his goals. His example is good for everyone to follow. I wish he would have been my coach but I'm honored that he is now coaching my son.

I read this book 10 years ago and it was just as enjoyable this time around. This book is full of insights not only into the person of Bob Shannon, but offers an informative look into East St. Louis. A very quick and easy read. I had the pleasure of having Shannon as a teacher many years ago. Reading his words brings to mind his most distinctive voice, which always commanded respect.

This is one the best books on football that I have read. Coach Shannon is a credit to our coaching profession and this book shows that. It also gives us a look at what is like to work under adverse conditions. If you are a football coach who thinks he has it tough, then you should read The Right Kind Of Heroes.

Having played against Bob Shannon, I know full well of the East Side mystique. Being a former player at nearby Granite City, I went to nearly every game mentioned in Bob's book. So, I'm over qualified to say that the East Side Flyers's story is a fascinating one. The place just emits an aura that has High School Football all around it! The 'Side was made on big play football, coached by Shannon, a big time coach

Plager produces here a short but entertaining read on the life and times of a modern NHL club from its inception in the late 1960s to today's front-office dealings. He's not only a good story-teller, but a great human being who's still involved in the Blues organization, and his stories do a great job of illustrating the changes the sports went through in the past fifty years when they began as part-time recreation to become Big Business (TM). Highly recommended.

Very good book, lots of funny, inside stories on a longtime NHL team.

This was an excellent book. Bob Plager tells stories from the blues and his life like no one else. He is truly a legend. This book is a must for any true Blues fan. Bleed Blue.

This book was so good, I was dissapointed when I had finished it, I wanted to hear more tales from the Blues' Bench. Bobby Plager did a fantastic job! I can't wait for his next book to come out.

Louis Allen, who was there, has captured the completeness of the longest war, the three year non-stop struggle for Burma, magnificently. This largely forgotten war, which saved the Indian sub-continent from Japanese dominance, has been well described, mostly in fragments, based on their personal experiences, by several authors but none has undertaken a complete description that encompasses both the Allied and the Japanese perspectives and Allen's work does this brilliantly.
Based on many interviews with both Allied and Japanese personnel this book captures the struggle from the initial defeat through the retreat into India to the final overthrow of the Japanese military in this large, often beautiful, and unfortunately, today mostly closed ,country.
Fought over widely varied terrain and with a savagery akin to that of the German-Russian experience this book is a tribute to the bravery of military personnel from a wide variety of backgrounds. On the Allied side soldiers from Britain, China, America, India, Nepal ( Goorkas), East and West Africa and Burma were motivated by excellent leadership to stop and then defeat the Japanese.
Interestingly it was to prove to be both the proudest moment and the swansong of the world's largest volunteer army---the British Indian Army. In the Burmese campaigns this army, with its mixture of races and religions form today's India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Burma truly came into its own only to be broken up two year later.
One must not forget the part played by the logistics services. Both the Allied and the Japanese forces were low in priority for equipment and at the end of a long supply chain. Much of the Allied success was due to a superior supply capability, and in particular, the concept of aerial supply was perfected in the ejection of the Japanese army from Burma.
This book is an excellent read for any student of military history if only to ensure that we never forget the Kohima Memorial inscription.

"When you go home,
Tell them of us and say.
For your tomorrow
We gave our today."

This is an outstanding book that must be considered the definitive single-volume account of the campaign in Burma in WWII. The author is a veteran of the campaign in the British Army where he was an intelligence officer. What is especially enjoyable about this book is that it includes many firsthand Japanese accounts in addition to Allied. The author speaks Japanese and drew upon official Japanese histories and personal interviews with participants. I have read several other books about this often forgotten Theater in WWII ( including Viscount Slim's "Defeat Into Victory" ), but this is the first book that includes Japanese sources. The author starts with the Japanese invasion of Burma and discusses the political situation in Burma prior to the invasion and how the Japanese used this to their favor. It includes the retreat of the British into India, their recovery, the British offensive in the Arakan, and Wingate and the birth of the Chindits. The author goes into great detail about Kohima-Imphal and this is where the Japanese perspective is so interesting. It follows with battles of North Burma and Stillwell, Mandalay/Meiktila and the race to Rangoon and the Japanese breakout of the 28th Army and then the surrender of Japanes forces. The book has good maps and it is not to difficult to follow forces on the battlefield. The most daunting task is trying to remember the Burmese and Indian names for places and trying to remember all the names of the Japanese sources and officers. But all this helps to add to the authenticity of the book. This book is a must read for anyone interested in WWII. It is well written, easy to read and very enjoyable. I highly recommend it.

This is an outstanding book that must be considered the definitive single-volume account of the campaign in Burma in WWII. The author is a veteran of the campaign in the British Army where he was an intelligence officer. What is especially enjoyable about this book is that it includes many firsthand Japanese accounts in addition to Allied. The author speaks Japanese and drew upon official Japanese histories and personal interviews with participants. I have read several other books about this often forgotten Theater in WWII ( including Viscount Slim's "Defeat Into Victory" ), but this is the first book that includes Japanese sources. The author starts with the Japanese invasion of Burma and discusses the political situation in Burma prior to the invasion and how the Japanese used this to their favor. It includes the retreat of the British into India, their recovery, the British offensive in the Arakan, and Wingate and the birth of the Chindits. The author goes into great detail about Kohima-Imphal and this is where the Japanese perspective is so interesting. It follows with battles of North Burma and Stillwell, Mandalay/Meiktila and the race to Rangoon and the Japanese breakout of the 28th Army and then the surrender of Japanes forces. The book has good maps and it is not to difficult to follow forces on the battlefield. The most daunting task is trying to remember the Burmese and Indian names for places and trying to remember all the names of the Japanese sources and officers. But all this helps to add to the authenticity of the book. This book is a must read for anyone interested in WWII. It is well written, easy to read and very enjoyable. I highly recommend it.

This excellent book is hard to put down but I am afraid that in going from a hardcover edition to a smaller paperback that the maps have become very hard to read. The letters are so small on some of the maps that they are nearly impossible to read. Hope the editors do something about it but I doubt it will happen. Minor flaw in a great read.

I was looking for information on the Missouri river in the Kansas City area and was not disappointed.

Having boated from the Beaverhead and Jefferson tributaries of the Missouri River and then all the way down past St. Louis in 2003 and 2004 at approximately the same time of year as David Miller did, I can verify that not only has David told it the way it was, his strategies for paddling the "Missou Lady" in the future, are as good as it gets.

When meeting in 2003, as the only guests at an out-of-the-way state campground in South Dakota, we exchanged notes and thoughts as considerate adventurers do.

In 2004, I knew through a mutual and now belated friend,that David was a week or so ahead of me, below the headwaters.We didn't meet, but later went over detail in a way that only two people sharing the same experience can do.

Of extreme importance to anyone considering a venture such as paddling the Missouri, are the threads in David's words of planning/scouting ahead, using local knowledge to revise/improve one's plan, and executing with discretion, a cool head, and a quick, sure hand.

His consistent emphasis on those things most important to a paddler is a crucial key for any would-be adventurer. I saw a great number of paddlers who would have benefited greatly from his sage advice and suffered the consequences of not having had it. The difference was that between a challenging, but enjoyable outing and a disaster.

The succinct and varied references to the Lewis and Clark expedition information data base will enrich the reader's experience greatly, if time is taken to skim them, at least, lightly before and then fully, during the trip.

Lastly, David's approach of safety considerations first and letting discretion, be the better part of valor, is right on target, since a lot of the time, only you are going to get yourself out of trouble when paddling the remote parts of the Missouri River.

Hat's off for a job well done, David.

Good Luck and Steady Winds,

Wayne A. Willkomm

The Complete Paddler: A Guidebook for Paddling the Missouri River from the Headwaters to St. Louis, Missouri is a no-nonsense manual written for paddlers of all skill and experience levels with an interest in exploring the Missouri River. Chapters discuss necessary equipment, risks and hazards, shoreline descriptions, currents and prevailing winds, portages, river-mile marks, historical sites to be seen, and much more. The Complete Paddler also capitalizes on modern advancements by using Global Positioning System (GPS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to give accurate "sailing directions". Author David Miller also recounts his personal anecdotes of his three-summer-long, solo kayak expedition. Enthusiastically recommended for kayakers with an interest in experiencing the great Missouri River for themselves.

I wrote the canoe guide to the Missouri after my trek down the river in 1999 and that book is still in print..BUT this one is better..if you only are buying one book get this one, not mine. It is a considerable improvement on my guidebook. If, however you actually intend to canoe the whole river, or a major part of it you might also want mine. Dave has done a great service to us all! Thanks Dave!