Montana Books

The Pros -
Well researched book that was interesting from an historical perspective about the Big Horn Mountains, Sheridan and Montana during the earliest settlements by white settlers.

The Cons ~
The proof reader and/or editor needed to get glasses. It was full of errors and where many dates should have been given, they were altogether ommitted. Sometimes it was seriously irritating when you hoped you were on a good chronological trail to find you had been dumped into another time zone altogether! There are a number of very relevant accounts that might have been better told if the author had attributed them to the source. It could have been a more compelling read that way, too.
Some repetitious accounts were just too wordy and needed trimming down, such as the innumerable tales of the round ups, the horse buying trips, the sales, etc often seemed to be recaps.
There were and continue to be some superb sources of the Sheridan, Little Goose and the Big Horns history available to the author that he did not cite, which was too bad. When you know about the history and many of the families that often helped one another there, many of those stories were left untold.
I would love to see this work re written and in a chronological way that would entice the reader to want to learn and understand more about that remarkable time in the American History of the West.
The Big Horns and the Little Goose Canyon are remarkably spiritual and magical places for those who will always remember them lovingly.
While I owned half of Canyon Ranch for many years with my former husband, I can understand why Noll loved it so deeply. It was a tragedy for me to discover, as I had never been told, that Noll died in a nursing home in Colorado Springs. What an unkind end to such a delightful gentleman.
This book is worth the read, but it could do with some TLC in the next edition.

Extremely well-written historical novel by Sam Morton about the Absarka area (southern Montana to Nothern Wyoming). The book covers the time from the 1800's when Native Americans dominated the area through the Indian Wars and English and eastern settlers moving in to present time. The role of the horse is the connecting theme but the book is filled with live --and fictional characters against a background of historical fact which makes for a very informative and spellbinding read.

This well researched and wonderfully written historical novel is a magical trail ride on the back of a wild, independent and almost immortal palomino stallion. Sam Morton brings this special part of Montana/Wyoming to vivid life. It is written with honesty, without apologies for the brutality displayed by both the Indian and the White Man. The scenery and cast of real "characters" are described in all their ruggedness and gentleness. My trail rides in this beautiful country will never be the same. I could not put this book down.

(After further consideration, I later tried to change the rating to five stars, but couldn't do it.)

That's not the reason this book resonates with me, nor why I'd recommend it to anyone interested in Western history, ranch life, horses, or people. By any standards, and mine are pretty exacting, this is a fine book. A great read.

Not many big books can hold my attention, but this one did. I'm happy to have it on my shelf where I can go back to it, because there are nuances in the writing and stories of the people and horses that I must have missed the first time.

What I really want to tell you about this book, though, is Mr. Morton's creative use of fiction and historical fact. He uses fiction techniques to bring Crazy Horse to life, to make him the heroic yet human figure he was, and to show why he was so frightening to white settlers. Crazy Horse was totally dedicated to the freedom of his people, and to eliminating whites from their lands.

I ended up loving many of the people Mr. Morton writes about: Noll Wallop, Edith Gallatin, Bob Tate, and others. They, too,were heroic in their own ways. I've often thought of them while I've nursed my sick horse this winter, at only 5 below zero. They were survivors, who built ranches and lives in an inhospitable land.

There's another good quality in this book: Mr. Morton reports what happened and shows the people as they were without being mean-spirited, judgmental, or romantic. He lets their actions speak for themselves. It's rare to find a book of Western history (or historical fiction) in which the author has no axe to grind, but this author just writes a fine book.

Despite the use of fictive techniques, and despite my having found it in the fiction section of my local bookstore, this book is a history. The research is meticulous and exhaustive, and does not call attention to itself.

Mr. Morton does not gloss over or romanticize unpleasant events such as the slaughter of the Crow horses, but he does not wallow in the gore, either. For that, I'm grateful.

My only adverse criticism of this book has to do with the publisher's end, not the author's. The book should have been better proofread. It is jarring to read of a "shoot" when the word should have been "chute." Or to come upon an unfinished sentence. However, this is a criticism readers can level these days at many publishers, who cut costs at the expense of quality.

I commend the author for an ambitious attempt to capture horse history in this important area, but cannot recommend the style -- hardly qualifies as a historical novel -- or the lack of precision with details. When he reverts to a non-fiction essay voice, Morton writes compellingly, but the fiction attempts are shallow. Yet, from a non-fiction standard he misspells too many names. This might seem trivial but it shows he wasn't being thorough. What this book needed was a really tough editor. Perhaps if it is reprinted in the future the publishers will take the time and money to have someone edit it professionally.

Agate Nesaule has captured the horror of war and its aftermath on the life of a young woman who was there.
She writes with the authority of one who has experienced the horrible effects of war on the psyche of one who is young and impressionable. Her realism is so that we feel the suffering that she experiences.
Although a story of trauma and sadness it does have a hopeful conclusion.
A fine story, well written, and intriguing.

Suffering is not good for the soul, no matter what anyone tells you. There is nothing redemptive about it. The pain continues long after the actual experience is over. You do not become a better person because you have endured much, though perhaps your patience increases. No, we don't learn lessons from reading about others' suffering, even from such a well-written book as Nesaule's. Her life is not an example to anybody. Certainly not an inspiration. If you keep your eyes and ears open in life, and don't watch too much TV, you cannot but become aware of a huge amount of suffering and pain in the world. Whether abroad---during World War II, in Korea or Vietnam, or in the myriad wars and dictatorships of the late 20th century-or at home thanks to racism, poverty, substance abuse or simple human cruelty, we should be no strangers to the tragedy of life on earth.

A WOMAN IN AMBER describes a life broken by war, dislocation and brutality. Darkness surrounded Agate Nesaule at an early age, a gray cloud that did not begin to dissipate for nearly forty years. After early childhood happiness in Latvia, her homeland was occupied by Russians, then Germans, then Russians again. Obviously fearing the Russians more, when Soviet forces loomed on the horizon in 1944, the family fled to Germany, a refugee camp where Jews and Gypsies were sought out and taken away. Then came the raping, thieving Soviet forces, a dramatic escape to the British-occupied zone of Berlin, and five years of life in the DP camps. In 1950, the whole family, still miraculously together, emigrated to Indianapolis to begin the hard process of rebuilding a life in America. Life in the slums, little income, sub-standard housing, but at least the chance for education followed. Nesaule made a disastrous marriage to a repulsive, manipulative slob of an American, perhaps the worst choice possible, and stayed with him for over twenty years. Through everything, she longed for a close, open relationship with others, especially her mother, but could not achieve it, thanks to her own unfortunate choices. At last, divorced, she reached some peace thanks to an understanding psychiatrist and a decent, loving man. For years, the writer could not distinguish normal authority and everyday forms of social control from stark, cruel, and arbitrary forms found in squalid refugee camps, under foreign military regimes, or in the hearts of parents in the most extreme situations. At times, Nesaule seems to take a perverse pleasure in her pain, but I felt that this emerges due to her extreme honesty, her attempt to plumb the depths of her feeling in order to arrange it on paper, and remove from her psyche all those feelings warped and twisted by war, by the desperation of her childhood.

The question a reader must ask, as does the author, is how many more Agates are there out there? In Bosnia, Kosovo, Palestine, Chechnya, Ethiopia, Sudan, Angola, Congo, Liberia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Timor, Colombia, Nicaragua, and dozens of other places ? A WOMAN IN AMBER is the moving story of a sensitive personality crushed by hardship and brutality, skewed to accept ruinous relationships because all self-confidence had been lost. The use of dreams to further self-understanding is extremely effective. As a Jew, whose extended family in the Baltic area was totally annihilated by the Germans (and their local minions) during WW II, I was not inclined to be sympathetic at first to a Latvian woman whose family, after all, must have lived comfortably through that same time, but I soon relented as I read on because self-pity is entirely absent. Suffering is universal, even if human brotherhood, of which we dream, is nowhere in sight. Perhaps sharing that suffering is, indeed, the very brotherhood we seek. Bleak conclusion. Read this book, you can't fail to be moved by the honesty and lack of nationalistic drivel.

Being of Latvian heritage myself, perhaps it is impossible for me to read Nesaule's book as anyone else of a different heritage might. I have grown up on stories that are but variations on a theme to this one. My first language was Latvian, my first book was Latvian, my own first efforts in creative writing were in the Latvian language. Indeed, I have just participated in a literary reading of Latvian authors at the 11th Latvian Song Festival in Chicago, Illinois, where I had the honor of sharing the podium with Agate Nesaule. Is it possible for me to turn the pages of "Woman in Amber" without a deeply ingrained bias? Perhaps not. But I can say that these pages, these words, these memories, resonated profoundly with me. The war experience in many ways, however, is a suffering and a horror that crosses all lines of ethnicity, all borders of nationality. For this reason, I believe this is an important account for a far larger audience than just the Latvian reader; I am thrilled that this book was written first in English, then translated into, I believe, seven other languages.

Latvia is a tiny but beautiful country on the coast of the Baltic Sea. The Latvian language is one of the oldest still in existence. The country's history is one of the most war-torn and ravaged of any country anywhere - although it has existed for many, many centuries, Latvia has been independent, free of occupation by other armies, for only a wink in time. If this nation can be proud of anything, it can be proud of its ability to survive even the cruelest and most oppressive conditions. This memoir, "Woman in Amber," opens a small window of light shed on how such a people survive. Even more precisely, it gives an account of how a very young girl can survive - losing her home, losing her family, conditions of hunger, rape, pillage, exile, and the terrifying experience of being a stranger in an immense and completely alien country where the culture and language are all new and strange. Most memoirs of war and battlefields are written by men. It is particularly interesting to read a different kind of account, from the perspective of a woman. If soldiers on a battlefield suffer, there is a quieter, less evident suffering that happens behind the front lines, and this memoir reveals, painfully and movingly, the no less violent and scarring battles that happen there.

Agate Nesaule's memoir is a couragous sharing of the experiences she endured - not just during World War II, but for many years following the war. Long after the sounds of war have died down, the wounds are still bloodied and pulsating with pain. Healing can often take a lifetime. My respect to this author for sharing her experience, and my hope that it has offered her healing. This is a book I am proud to recommend to both my Latvian friends as well as my non-Latvian friends.

The families of both of my parents fled Latvia and the invading Russians when my parents were young. This book actually is what got my mother and me talking about her childhood in Latvia and in the DP camps, so in that sense, it is a very important book. Everyone I've ever talked to, though, has had the same general opinion of Ms. Nesaule's book -- she exaggerates a bit. She makes things up. She does say this in the introduction: "I have forgotten some things..." This book leaves a good -impression- of what life was like, but it should not be read as Gospel.

Others have argued the authenticity of Ms. Nesaule's account of life in the concentration camps; indeed, the author herself voices her own uncertainty of her story, confessing to much she has forgotten. Still, it is a story worth reading. American born, I've never found myself, or even thought to imagine myself, in a situation where I have feared for my life and the lives of my family.

Ms. Nesaule's account, which she manages to relate with frank detachment, is disturbing. Who among us, in America, can understand how it feels to be kept in a basement, never knowing when it might be our turn to be taken behind the partition to be raped, or taken outside to be lined up to be shot? To be cuffed or threatened for whispering to a sibling?

During her ordeal, the young Agate learns the futility of prayer, that what doesn't kill you doesn't make you stronger, and that wounds such as those she endured never heal; although by the end of the book, after a failed long-term marriage left her the victim, she finds a semblance of peace.

Despite its obvious flaws-among others, Ms. Nesaule's son Boris is virtually non-existent and her portrayal of her husband Joe is far too one-dimensional... his dialogue is stilted and comprised of only a few phrases, which she uses time and time again (perhaps these are all she recalls after two decades of emotional abuse-A Woman In Amber is a compelling read. Whether more fiction than fact is immaterial. Ms. Nesaule's simple message is this: her suffering, as is the suffering of all men and women since the dawn of civilization, is but a single page in the history of mankind. How sad that man cannot get along with himself, sadder still that he keeps making the same mistakes over and over again and never learns.

Recommended.

Several months ago I bought the book "Relearning to See" and I never finished reading it. Talk about boring. The author of that book goes into how the eye works and gives way too many examples of people he knew that lost their eyesight from trying to see too much or gained it back by using the Bates method. When I say a too many examples, I mean to the point where I had to put the book down. In the end (or at least as far as I got, which was a little over halfway), he discussed the theory of the Bate's Method, but didn't get into the nitty-gritty.

Huxley's book, on the other hand, is about a third of the length counting pages only. When you consider his font is much bigger and there is less type on each page, it's probably 20% of the size of "Relearning to See". But it's because he cuts the crap and get's to the point; he tells you what you need to know to improve your eyesight without ranting for over 700 pages.

I don't care about the structure of the eye because it has absolutely no bearing on relearning to see. I just got Huxley's book this week and I already finished it. He concisley describes each major point of the Bate's Method and because it's to the point, you actually remember the main points come the end of the book. Furthermore, he tells you exactly what to do.

In "Relearning to See", when I read about palming, I thought you were supposed to actually push on the eyes. The author didn't get into detail aobut what it was. It turns out you are just supposed to cover the eyes and block out light. In "Relearning to See", the author says blink frequently. Huxley tells you what drills you should do and how often to do them. He gives specific exercises to do for central fixation and sunning the eyes. Don't waste your time on any other book if you want to relearn to see. This book has everything you will need.

Fronm the age of 8 I was wearing spectacles (which I hated so much) until I visited my friend's art studio and left my glasses on the table. Recognizing it I feld in panic. I called up my friend to find out when I can pick up my glasses. I was shocked by my friend's reply that I don't need any glassesand, that I am addicted to them like a junke to his drug. Nevertheless I was invited to pick them up any time I wanted. So I went there again and my friend along with my glasses gave me a book to read and to think about it. The book was Aldous Huxley's "The Art of Seeing." I simply followed the footsteps of Huxley and ever since I have told "SAYONARA" to my glasses. I was so happy that the method works that i shared my joy with my occulist, who was also my friend. He insisted that the method doesn't work. Upon checking my sight he stated that I'm an exeption. When I was about to elaborate more on what I did he said to me that he doesn't wan't to hear it. He said that he has wife and kids and he has to make a living. He showed me the door and that was the last time I saw him. I've lost a friend and won back my eyes. No regrets. The method is so important because one by improving his eyesight is improving his mind. And the mind is responsible for the function of the entire universe of the body. And so on and so forth. If I can recommend anything I am recommending this little wonderful BOOK.

I read this book 10 years ago and I freaked out my eye doctor when I wnet back a year later and went from a -2.25 in each eye to a -0.75 in each eye. Not perfect, but close to it. He asked what happened and I told him about the book. He said that the shape of my eye had changed and was wondering where I found the book. I told him a used book store, because it was not republished at the time. I am glad it is now. You have to have patience, but it really does work! Good Luck!

I read this book with skepticism, I did the exercises with skepticism, and I watched my prescription go from -2.25 to -1.25 in three months. Not bad for a method that "doesn't work" according to the people who sell me glasses, contacts and laser surgery. I highly recommend anyone considering laser surgery to atleast check this out first. Someone please republish this book.

I read this book twenty years ago when my eyesight was good. Twenty years on, still no glasses.

As a programmer looking at a screen all day, that's not too bad. My whole family (Sister & both parents) wear glasses.

Whenever my eyes start feeling weak, I refresh myself with the "art of seeing correctly" & continue a life without any form of optical crutches.

The instructions are sensible & practical.

Whatever you do, avoid the downward spiral of artificial vision correction. Think about it, how can you strengthen a mans legs in a wheel chair?

Instead, buy this book. Cheaper than glasses!

I love Jessy and had read the books out of sequence as I found them to buy.
This was not my favorite in the series but each person has their own choice in that respect.
It was a good book to read and I enjoyed it, especially learning more about Jessy's life and her interactions with Ty on the ranch teaching him the "ropes" of working on a ranch with animals.

This 1983 title was one installment in Dailey's multivolume saga of the Calder family. Sixteen-year-old Ty Calder's head is turned by a beautiful young girl, who tries to lure him into plundering the land for the coal that lies beneath it. Can the local girl who secretly loves Ty.

---------- Reviewed by Janet Sue Terry, author of the contemporary romance, "Set Me Free" series. Book 1 - Possibilities and Book 2 - Resolutions. Newest release is Just Our Best Short Stories 2005. www.janetsueterry.com.

I love Janet Dailey's books and have read just about all she has written. But on this book I was disappointed to see all the women,Maggie, Jessy and Sally letting the men in their live get away with murder. They take the men's disloyality and don't show any backbone especially Jessy who time and again allow Ty to come back to her after going back to his spoiled wife Tara. I don't care if Tara is beautiful or not he really should have looked deeper at her character. Other than this I enjoyed this book but not as much as soon of Janet Dailey other book. I would look to buy more of her books in the future.

I really enjoyed Calder Born, Calder Bred as a single book and as a generational series. Ty pretty much turned outlike to his father, Cal.

For a series, Janet Dailey did a fantastic job. I have enjoyed all of her books in this series, as a series and as individual books.

The research and knowledge she puts in her books about ranching is fantastic. I come from a farming community, as a young girl, and their were lots of ranches around us. She hit the nail on the head with the way the family career in ranching is done, or at least to the way it was done back then.

Out of all the calder series, I love this one the best. Jessy is the woman all of us would love to be....feminine, tough, ladylike, loyal, beautiful in the way the land needed, not just "prissy". Ty needs someone to stand with him, not to be a "trophy". The loss of Maggie is so difficult; Chase just isn't the same without her; I love seeing Cat grow up and the changes in all the characters. I have even learned to like Culley. The love he has for Maggie and Cat is wonderful and touching. I have been through 2 copies already and will choose this one when i want a real look at the calder's. What a wonderful way to escape.....

This book contained a lot of great information. It began by giving a layman's understanding of why we need cholesterol and what too much LDL cholesterol does to our bodies. Dr Cooper then explained a variety of ways to lower the LDL cholesterol without drugs; ways other than just diet and exercise. I came away with a much better understanding of the cholesterol problem than when I started the book.

Benecol Smart Chews, Caramel, 120 Soft Chews

In addition to taking products like Benecol to lower cholesterol (and, by the way, Benecol is not a medication, but tastes like candy with the benefit of plants), this book can help give you guidelines for lowering your cholesterol and perhaps help you prevent the use of statins.

For over 30 years, Dr. Ken Cooper has been a trusted source for insights into health, exercise, and heart disease. Despite its release in 1999, Dr. Cooper's book remains a persuasive and detailed introduction to the use of so-called "functional foods" and "nutriceuticals" to lower cholesterol. These included stanol/sterol esters in butter substitutes, soy products, Phytrol, and oat bran. If you have high cholesterol (LDL or total) and you're unaware of the power these strategies, you've got to read Dr. Cooper's book to get up to speed.

Dr. Cooper's book is also the only other book on the market besides mine that discusses how heart scans can be used as a part of your heart disease prevention program. Although the discussion is only 3 pages long, he details how this exciting technology is proving to be among THE most powerful tools available for detecting hidden coronary plaque.

Only one criticism: Dr. Cooper's discussion of causes of heart attack beyond cholesterol is too brief and you'll have to turn elsewhere for more information. (In all fairness, much new data has become available since publication of this book.) Nonetheless, Controlling Cholesterol the Natural Way remains a principal reference for people who wish to augment their health program with powerful nutritional strategies.

If you are like me and cannot take 'statin' drugs, you will appreciate the information in this book. It may tell you some things you already knew, but it also focuses on the natural approach. I think this book is a good reference book for anyone trying to combat inherited high cholesterol and wants alternatives to prescription drugs. I lowered mine from 330 to 220-still high but oh so much better.

This book helped me in some ways, but it was not a simple book to read. I felt that there could have been more information on the exact foods to eat to lower the cholestrol. I will not be using it as an reference

For those of us who are interested in reading about World War II, this is an excellent book (paperback) about some of the brave men and women who were involved in that epic struggle. The story takes place in the Pacific, about a year after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The main character is a submariner named Lieutenant Commander "Jack" Tremain. This novel is about the men of the "silent service" and it is very exciting and informative. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. The writer, R. Cameron Cooke, is a submariner himself and I enjoyed his first book so much, I am now reading his second one ("Sink The Shigure"). This second novel also takes place in the Pacific during World War II and it is a sequel to the first one.

New skipper takes over hard luck sub during WWII and goes out to kick butt. This book probably would have been a John Wayne movie a few decades ago. The action is taught, the plot moves along at a decent pace, and it is definatly a page turner.

R. Cameron Cooke has done an excellent, but not perfect, job of describing WWII in the Pacific submarine warfare. Much to his credit, he frames his story simply. The U.S.S. Mackerel, a submarine, comes back from its second successive unsuccessful patrol. It's captain is replaced and his successor, Lt. Cmdr. Tremaine, becomes responsible for shaping up the crew, keeping them alive and sinking enemy ships.

Cooke keeps the pressure on all through the book, perhaps a bit too much so as he has this particular sub seeing a lot of action. But Cooke wants to tell the stories of the unusually brave men who manned submarines in WWII, the risks they took against an equally determined enemy, the problems inherent to a chain of command that has some putting their lives at risk at the orders of others who sit in chairs behind desks and risk nothing more than drinking too much coffee.

Cooke tells his story well. We see military courage, a willingness to sacrifice life for country, the closeness of a military unit, the tension, even cowardice.

"Pride Runs Deep" is a quick read - and a rewarding one.

Jerry

Library bookshelves are crowded with WWII submarine tales. Do we really need another? What could a newcomer possibly do that hasn't been done before? I picked up Pride Runs Deep at a used book sale-a low-risk experiment. But after a totally satisfying reading experience I'll be first-in-line for R. Cameron Cooke's next effort, due in January 2006. Pride Runs Deep is one of the most enjoyable, well-crafted books I have read in years. Why? First, the story is well-conceived and maintained. It is not simply a passive retelling of a series of naval battles with staple characters wining in the end. I like how Cooke focuses on only a few believable characters, and uses them successfully to advance the story. Other books in this genre often change the point-of-view so often that chapter headings are needed to help the reader keep track of where he is in the narrative. For example, many action/adventure novels switch back and forth between the protagonist's and the enemy's perspective. But Cooke avoids this crutch, keeping his focus on a set of characters we come to care about. We identify with them; we join in the perilous search for elusive clues as to the enemy's whereabouts and intentions. In addition to a good story, credible characters, and a skillful narrative, perhaps Cooke's strongest suit is his technical knowledge about submarine warfare. It's obvious he knows how a WWII sub really operates, and shows how individual judgments and actions made in the stress of warfare could make life and death differences. I give this book an A+.

Briefly - this is a WW II tale of a Pacific Theater "hard luck" submarine, which is reassigned to be placed under the command of experienced and hard-nosed commander, Jack Tremain. Tremain "whips the crew into top-notch shape" and they "see a lot of heavy action". Pardon all of my quote marks, but there are too many such cliche's in the book, particularly in the early portion.

Possibly this book is better than the 3 stars I rated it at. It seems that there are almost two books here - as if author R. Cameron Cooke was learning how to write in the first half of the story, and in the second half he penned a very good submarine adventure yarn.

In that underachieving opening half, Cooke establishes his characters, which seem to be usually overstated. Example - hero Captain Jack Tremain, that steely-eyed lean-jawed killer of the deep. (On the cold war submarine that I spent five years on we would have simply called this guy a pr----. And the atmosphere would be more akin to The Caine Mutiny). The bar room dialogue was unbelievable (were the participants reading from a book?). Cooke rather neglects the enlisted crewmen. Except for performing tasks, they are mostly unaddressed. (A little attention is given to one that commits suicide).

Although the author earned his own gold (officer) dolphins, apparently engineering was not his forte'. For the mechanically minded, it shows through in the book and is occasionally distracting. For example, arguably the eleven bullet holes (and uh, who counted those?) in a main ballast tank is NOT minor damage to be lived with and remedied by only an occasional blow from the ship's air banks . . . because it's possible that THE AIR LOSS EXCEEDS THE CAPACITY OF THE SHIP'S AIR COMPRESSORS on this WW II boat, which are high pressure, LOW VOLUME units. The bullet holes through the pressure hull described in the book (not sure if feasible, but probably would be on a diesel boat) would easily and effectively be repaired by a ship's diver from the OUTSIDE, but not with shoring from the inside as is done in the novel. I believe we saw the "drain pump knocked off of its foundation" on two different battle occasions. Fix that weak link please. I was often distracted from a very engaging part of the story by one of these technical misdemeanors and sometimes felt like calling out, "Bravo Sierra, Mr. Cooke".

Concerning the technical aspect of the book related to weapons, I'm not a weapons expert, but that analysis of the book seemed OK. By the way - the "jam dive" scenario, as described in the book, would seem to have been been non-recoverable. I believe the author took it overly far for effect, but again, it creates an unrealistc distraction.

On the upside, the book is entertaining, and it does contain a wealth of realistic and accurate detail regarding submarine design and operation. Much more so than one usually sees in this genre'. It starts rather disappointingly, what with the cliche's and flaws that I've criticized - but it seems that once the author established his characters and setting, he warmed to his work and wrote a pretty good tale that ends up as rather a page turner in the last third of the book. The author remains true to the characters he created and they become somewhat "lovable" to the reader. The final battle story is a first-class, white-knuckle tale.

I read all of it, and overall, enjoyed the novel. It could have easily been better with a consulting editor to clean up the technical errors, occasional overcharacterizations, and awkward start.

If Mr. Cooke was indeed "learning as he wrote", I look forward to a superb second novel from him.

Dances With Wolves tells the story of a white man's first encounter with Native Americans. In a stomach-knotting scene, Red Willow's Quest relates the opposite side of the coin when a Native American woman first encounters those paragons of virtue and culture--the white men who settled the West.

Red Willow is a terrific heroine, a study in paradox. She is larger than life with feet of clay, fearless in the face of nagging fears, and conservative even while she flauts convention. She surpases her human limitations when she dwells in the high worlds of Spirit. At once larger than life, Red Willow is genuinely human. She is what is best in all of us.

This enjoyable and highly readable book has a dream-like quality to it--at times brilliant and at times just short of the mark. It was as if the author had seen these lands only in dreams and some of the visceral and tactile quality I was looking for was missing. As a student of dreams, however, I feel that in spite of any historical inaccuracies, her representation of meeting her vision had a real "been there" feel to it. And it is that connection to the Inner World that sets this book apart. I look forward to the next chapter in Vision Woman's story.

Author of Shipmates

A wonderful story that keeps the reader guessing what will be the outcome. Carefully researched and realistically told. I enjoyed Red Willow's Quest from beginning to end. The story includes active, adventure and romance. The characters are vividly drawn and plot uplifting despite the many hardships Red Willow must go through on her quest to become a medicine woman. I would recommend this book to teens and up. The book is a primer in learning to follow your dreams and listen to your heart.

The world of the Plains Indians has always been a powerful draw for me. When the movie Dances with Wolves came out, I went to see it three times. So, when I found out Heidi Skarie's book, Red Willow's Quest, was set in the early 1800's in the Rocky Mountains I was eager to visit that world again. Red Willow's Quest is the story of a young Shoshoni woman beginning her spiritual journey to become a medicine woman. The descriptive narration reads much like the passages of her diary giving the reader an intimate look inside Red willow's mind, heart, and soul. Red willow struggles to step free of the confining boundaries society had, and still does, set for a woman. Everything, including the rugged landscape becomes an obstacle, attempting to stop her from achieving her goal. Red Willow's greatest obstacle, however, was her awakening feelings of love for a Koottenai warrior. That love interfered with the path she thought her life should take. Thank you, Heidi, for a chance to go back to that time and learn about a heroine whose spiritual culture graced every facet of life.

This book has come to my attention as a Tribal Education Department administrator. The efforts to portray accurate information particularly to our youth is never ending. This book has some glaring flaws that overshadow the value of the story. The State of Montana has passed legislation to ban the use of the word "squaw" in all place names at the request of the Montana Indian tribes. This is a derogatory term and is inaccurately portrayed. The spiritual content of the story does not accurately portray any tribe I am aware of. I do not recommend this book for children.

What is a lyrical adventure? One that captures the feelings, the tension, the imagery, the pace, the challenge, the passion, the splendor, the quest for survival in days gone by, and makes the reader feel that they are right there in the moment with the characters. The saga of a lovely indian maiden maturing into the role of medicine woman of her tribe is fascinating. My great grandmother was of the Cherokee tribe. She served her people similarly with her knowledge of plants, herbs, and natures healing secrets. Someday I will write her story. But for now I savor Ms. Skarie's representation of life in the early 1800's. She mentions in her foreword someone experiencing a past life as a Native American woman. Maybe Shirley MacClaine is on to something! Past lives? Dreams? Reincarnation? Is it possible that we have all lived before? If so that would mean we are all on a great spiritual or mystical adventure. But, back to this book. Accompanied by her dog, Wind-Chaser and a warrior, Red Willow triumphs over opposition, adversity and danger. Life then was alternately harsh, cruel and beautiful. The book attempts to accurately portray the past, using the language and biting terms of that era. Some passages are painfully honest, but that was 1800. Compare it to today's society, and see how far we have come in our efforts as a nation, as people, as individuals who respect and do not intentionally harm each other. Poignant and well-written.

I thought that this was cute novella. Meg Cabot has certainly done it again with another, however short, installment of the life of our favorite princess.

Short, fluffy novella for the series about Mia's first Valentine's Day with Michael. Her grandmere has gotten entangled with an astrologer, and some of Mia's friends don't understand the spirit of the holiday. Fun, light reading. Grade: B

Meg Cabot has done it again. I just love her princess collections. Each one is as sweet as it can be. the way mia and michael express their love and the way mia is always confused is really interpreted in a beautiful way..

An enjoyable, very short book. Does not take long to read at all. Mia as usual is totally insane, though she seems a bit stronger and willing to let some things just happen, than totally freaking out. She is stuck b/c Michael has already declared that he doesn't beleive in the propaganda for Valentine's day, but at the same time Mia really wants to give him one since it is their first one together.

Its funny and the ending is very sweet.

My daughter appreciated this as a Valentine's Day gift and is enjoying the peripheral storyline.

I have always loved stories about the West and this book opened up a whole new world. The attitudes, traditions, and the roles of women in the Dakota tribes are fascinating. Reading stories like this helps me understand my own culture a little more and what there is to be learned. Very entertaining as well as educational.

As a child obsessed with the Sioux tribes, I begged my grandmother to buy me this book. I was not sorry.
In addition to being one of the best stories I've ever read, this was a fantastic look at the old ways of the Dakota.
This is a great book, and not just for people who are already interested in the subject, although that certainly can't hurt.
Oh, just read the book already.

A really spell binding book. I found it hard to put down. This is a very good way to understand how living in tiwahe and tiospaye is. A good way for one to understand the importance of relationship and kinship in Lakota culture.

I really enjoyed this book. I looked forward to reading it every chance I got. It was so interesting and easy to read that it seemed to take just hours to complete it. Right away the book starts with a courageous Lakota woman who manages to give birth to the main character, Waterlily, by herself. From there, you learn of an interesting group of people who have a love and respect for their kin in a way that I have never heard of.

This is one of the best books I've read in some time--I just couldn't put the book down. I highly recommend it to anyone at all interested in the Native American way of life.

This is a good book. I liked the people in it and the stories were interesting. There was a lot of stuff here I never knew before.

This book seems more intent on making a case that women were overlooked as pilots rather than on telling their story. None of the women come to life; rather than presenting fresh information, this book recycles anecdotes and headlines into a narrative. The listing of the names and backgrounds of the women who participated in the WASPs and in the astronaut training program resembles nothing as much as a litany of saints, with no fleshing out of them as real people. And the author applies today's standards retroactively and asks "why" rather than explains the reasons for the prevailing attitude of the times, and in one MAJOR instance the author presents discredited information as truth.

Jackie Cochran was not an orphan, and she grew up with her biological family; she invented the story of being an orphan for Life Magazine. And she didn't pick the name "Cochran" at random; Cochran was the name of her first husband. This error is made all the more egregious by the way the author makes the mystery of Jackie's origin a lynchpin of her story, stating that the letter informing her who her parents were remained sealed until her husband's death, whereupon it was burned! The author obviously did no original research, but simply repeated the standard story.

There is a real story about women aviators in the 20th century, but this isn't where to look to find it. What must have really happened is faintly visible between the lines, despite the author's attempts to simplify the story and give it a soft golden glow. These women deserve better.

Hainsworth and Toomey have done an excellent job in creating an overview of women as pilots and the special challenges they met in WWII through the Mercury Astronaut testing program. Their research is sound, the writing is easy to digest. They do credit to two groups of women who have been often kept from the history books.

The stories of women innovators always excite, but the story told by Haynsworth and Toomey is inspirational. More than a feel-good book, however, this book ranks as the best historical text I've read since "The Rape of Europa." Amelia Earhart's Daughters should make its way into all high-school reading lists. The stories of these unknown angels are vital components of the story of women in the 20th Century.

I picked up this book on a friend's recommendation and with few expectations. I had had no interest in aviation, am a tremulous airplane passenger, and when my fourth grade class assembled to watch the histoic moon landing, I had more interest in one small boy next to me than I did in one small step for man. Not anymore. Haynsworth's and Toomey's gripping narrative style and rigorous scholarship provide what few history books do, page-turning excitement. This book conveys the miraculous wonder that spectators must have experienced at early barn-storming events: breathless amazement at mankind flying high and fast beyond the clouds and straight into the impossible. From contraptions of wood and wire, barely recognizable as planes, to 6.2 million pound machines hurtling through the air at speeds of 6,000 miles an hour, Amelia Earhart's Daughters presents the great scope of the history of women in aviation. Walk, run, hell, fly to your nearest bookstore and pick up this book, you'll be glad you did and grateful to these pioneer women aviators and the authors for letting you share the ride.