Oregon Books

This is one of the earliest books written by Ann Rule, and one can tell. Ms. Rule hasn't yet honed her talent for drawing the reader into the world of the victim and the criminal. That's not to say that this is a bad book - far from it! It's just not quite as polished as Ms. Rule's later books. I have always enjoyed Ms. Rule's books, and I recommend this one, with the caveat that it is an early book.

I am a huge fan of Ann Rule's work and this is another good read....I couldn't put this book down. Rule does not disappoint with this book or any other of her books for that matter.

The book was good. Just read it. If you know Ann's writting then you won't be disappointed at all. If this is your first time reading Ann, then hang on. Ann is able to take you to where horror lives. Her descriptions of the killings and killers are intriguing. The worse part is this is all true crime. Ann having the back ground in law enforcement is how this author is able to get so detailed. I won't write about what's in this book because you just need to read all of Ann's books. This may not be helpful but, you know what. I got started on Ann because I picked the book up and just started to read it. Now, go out there and read !!!

I enjoyed this book but didn't find it as interesting as Ms. Rule's later works (e.g. Small Sacrifices, Stranger Beside Me). Perhaps it is because the investigative/legal aspects of the case were relatively trivial. It could also be that Ann's writing has improved but who am I to judge?

In any case, if you have read her later books first, you'll still like this one, but lower your expectations a bit.

Joel

Before serial killers were even "serial" (generically referred to as "mass murderers"), Jerome Brudos was collection women's shoes and undergarments. And when that wasn't enough, he collected the women themselves!

Ann Rule does a great job of detailing the crimes of sexual deviant Brudos as he escalates from stealing women's undergarments off clotheslines to raping his victims' lifeless bodies repeatedly. His crimes are so demented that even seasoned detectives (and true crime readers!) blanched at the things Brudos had done to his victims and his lack of remorse when confessing to them.

Rule also gives readers a glimpse into the effects of a perverts crimes on his family; specifically, Brudos wife, Darcie. This young lady was tried and convicted by neighbors and others simply on the grounds of "guilt by association." Despite suffering the humiliation of her husband's crimes, coping with the stress of knowing these things occurred within feet of her backdoor where her children played, and figuring out how to start over as a single women with no income and two small children, she was charged as an accessory based on blantant lies of gossipy old bitty who's sister lived next door to the Brudos'. Fortunately, a jury did not convict and Darcie was reunited with her children to begin their lives again.

A very interesting read. A bit tedious in places, but overall an excellent piece of true crime.

Kent Anderson is one of the most clever writers I have come across. I first read Sympathy for the Devil years ago and have read it numerous times since. Anderson tells an interesting tale in a uniquely humourous way, but he also injects into the book an ongoing commentary on the human psyche and his understanding of it is nothing short of brilliant. Hanson is also a very likeable character.
I bought Night Dogs recently and I have only one very great regret about the book .... that it had to have an end. It is a work of true genius. Anderson again gets inside your head and chronicles all of your inner hates, prejudices, fears and rage. Typical of this was the scene where Hanson hammered the dog to death with his torch. You could feel his pain and rage. He wanted to kill the dog to spare it the pain of living just as he wanted the pain of his own life to end. The dog only knew that Hanson was hurting him and he felt revulsion towards himself for doing it, but he had to do it because if the dog suffered as Hanson himself did it was better off dead. Just do it and stop the pain.
I'm glad he used the Hanson character again because it made Night Dogs all the more enjoyable. But do yourself a favour, don't read Night Dogs until you have read Sympathy for the Devil. If you don't, you may not enjoy Night Dogs because you won't be able to identify with Hanson and his experiences as a cop won't have as much meaning.
I can't wait for the next Hanson book.

Lots of raw, in-the-trenches writing about a street cop. Over 500 pages long (paperback), I was impressed how the narrative hung together. Not sure it's a police procedural although much of the action takes place during the cop's work day. All in all, a terrific read that goes fast. And I like that the loner cop takes in a dog.

I first wrote a review of this novel over six years ago when I was a brand new police officer. I had problems with the book. But back then what did I know about police work? Nothing.

Skip ahead to the present and I find that this book is more truthful than I realized. Though he was only a cop for a few years Anderson manages to capture the essence or truth (that's an overused word)of police work.

Now I haven't been involved with any questionable shootings and I don't carry a throw-away piece, but the changes that a person goes through after a few years are accurate. The anger, the sense of isolation and disgust that one comes to feel towards the citizenry are dead on.

A cop gets to wade chest deep int the ugliest areas of our society. A cop isn't loved like a firefighter. It's inevitable and we all tell ourselves that we don't care, but there are times that it sets our teeth on edge. Almost nobody really likes or isn't bothered by hatred or disdain. the anger that comes from this situation is made even greater when people who are so vocal in their criticism of cops are the first to dial 911 when something bad is going on. Hypocriscy at it's finest.This and other situations will affect a cop and how he approaches things.This book shows that and more.

The novel is set in the early seventies but nothing has changed. Its a grim job and Anderson captures it. It's also a job that I won't ever quit even during the worse of days Anderson dosen't see it that way, but nevertheless it's an accurate book. Read it and you'll have a better idea of what cops experience and feel.

I don't read cop books, or anything in the crime genre, including detectives. Just no interest. I started 'Night Dogs' working a graveyard shift and bored to tears and I took it home with me and finished it in one sit. Kent's is not an average cliche-ridden cop tale. His portrait of Portland and cops and perps is gritty and brutal and beautiful and feels through and through authentic. The story builds to it's climax without skipping a beat and I thought it was frankly unnerving. Kent's writing is easy and confident and he spins his story well. I don't read cop books because I find them so horribly cliche-bent and bland and predictable. This was none of those things. If more cop books were written to the tune of 'Night Dogs', I'd read them all. Great read.

There are a lot of reasons not to read Kent Anderson's "Night Dogs". Aging Viet Nam War protestors, dusting off old placards and tired slogans to recycle for the War in Iraq, will be infuriated with Anderson's laser-focused skewering of the liberal mindset. Those wishing to maintain a romantic view of an idyllic northwest paradise will risk having these illusions shattered by Anderson's Portland's mean streets of depravity and violence. If you prefer neat little stories ending with the bad guys rightfully dispatched, you'll find little redemption here. And anyone with the slightest affection for dogs or kids will cringe in the raw reality of this unvarnished tale of a street cop's nightly grind in post-Viet Nam America. So while there are lots of reasons not to read "Night Dogs", you'd be missing a powerful example of American fiction at its best, a gut-wrenching and emotionally draining dissection of pop culture disguised as a crime novel.

Street cop "Hanson" is a unique and tragic hero - an Army Special Forces veteran from Viet Nam, returning to test his well-honed skills for survival and violence in Portland's worst neighborhoods. Loosely autobiographical, the two decades that have passed since the end of the war and the writing of "Night Dogs" have done little to blunt the ferocity and passion of Anderson's lean prose. Far from Dirty Harry, Anderson's stoic and cynical loner Hanson delivers his brand of street justice without theatrics - he is simply the cop on his beat doing his job while doing his best to bury the daily horror show of his life with drugs, alcohol, and rough sex. Non linear with little allegiance to a central plot, the reader is led in stops and starts from the jungles of Viet Nam to the night shift in a Portland patrol car. Make no mistake - this is not a "pleasant" read. Brutal and violent - the "dog lab" is one of the most disturbing chapters of fiction I've ever read - Anderson pulls no punches and offers no apologies. "Night Dogs" may shock you, it may enrage you, it may make you cry, but it will also make you better understand and appreciate a period of American history many of us would just as soon forget.

It's one thing to write a warts-and-all memoir, but this one seems at times to be all warts - at least as far as it goes, to Said's early years as a young man, when he was still a graduate student at Harvard. During those 25 or so years, Said represents himself as being a mostly hapless loner, with a record of troublemaking and lack of self-discipline, compounded by a confused identity as a Christian Palestinian growing up in Cairo and spending long summers with his family in Lebanon. For readers looking for the origins of the man who became known as an exponent of Orientalism, he's here, but they certainly have to connect all the dots for themselves. There are only hints of the scholar and critic Said would become.

Heavily under the influence of his parents during all these years, Said devotes considerable time to a portrayal of both of them, his father a successful, demanding, and emotionally remote businessman, his mother a constant solace to him but almost willfully manipulative. Their worried and oppressive presence continually erodes his confidence in his abilities, while making him even more deeply dependent on them. Sent to America for his education at the age of 15, his isolation is intensified and his "otherness" keeps him at a distance from peers who might have provided companionship and support. Meanwhile, the protected world he has known gradually disappears as political realities (the establishment of Israel, the rise of Nasser, the 1967 war, the civil war in Lebanon) make of him finally a man without a homeland.

Focusing as it does on the years of his youth and young manhood, the story makes an interesting contrast with Israeli writer Amos Oz's memoir, "A Tale of Love and Darkness." Each is a very personal, self-critical story written late in life (Said was dying of cancer) retrieving an inchoate self from the past and reconstructing the origins from which both men emerged in later life to pursue an almost unpredictable career.

As an Arab living in the West, reading through this book was like a practical guide to de-construct and attempt to reconcile the many conflicting elements of my identity.

"With so many dissonances in my life I have learned actually to prefer being not quite right and out of place." This last line in Edward W. Said's memoir Out of Place is a fitting end to book that takes the reader on a journey from his childhood full of uncertainties and anxieties about being different, to embracing individualism at the end of Said's painful, yet privileged life. Said's memoir is chronologically dated from his childhood to the present, but interwoven amongst his life are stories about his family, colleagues, friends, and even himself that juxtaposition him in such a way that sometimes it is hard to follow how old or where Said is. Central to his memoir are Said's parents: His mother who demands his unconditional love, while often cruelly pointing out his faults and throwing wrenches into his relationships with his four sisters and girlfriends. His father starts out as a shadowy and silent, yet dominant presence in his youth. As Said grows though, their relationship becomes more interactive. This paradoxal relationship is demonstrated through his father's actions: paying for his son's elaborate trips to Europe, prep schools in Cairo, Beirut, Princeton, and Harvard, but chastising him for spending sixpence on a program to a play they once attended. Said's memory for his youth is astounding, remembering details of his schools, people he encountered, and descriptions of places he visited as if he wrote them down in stored away journals (he does not mention that he kept any journals), While Said is part Palestinian and grew up pre and post Israel, he often comments on the subject very fleetingly, or at least he seems not to want to go into the subject, suggesting only slightly of him being disgruntled with the situation. Said grew up in Cairo during the pre-WWII period, a time in Cairo he successfully describes as a romantic place for foreigners and is ruled under British sovereignty. In comparison to Tobias Wolfe's This Boy's Life, Out of Place depicts a Christian, part Palestinian, part Syrian male growing up in Cairo Egypt and vacationing around the Mediterranean and the Middle east while enjoying a privileged life of schooling and living Initially Said depicted himself as a misfit, but eventually growing into a strong intellectual who observed the great changes of Islamic culture during the 20th century.

Edward Said is famous for being a Palestinian and being a leading polemist on the Arab-Israeli conflict. Visciously anti-Israel he has caused many scnadals and was a renowned thinker. His memoir, written when he was sick, is insightful a true tale of what the Palestinian Arab elite looked like on the eve of the 1948 war. Said was born in Jerusalem, according to him, and was raised in Egypt, with a nanny and drivers, his father was American and had served in WWI, both his families came from Baptist protestant and Anglican backgrounds. His father made good money in Egypt in a stationary business, employing many of the diverse people that lived there then, including Armenians, Greeks, Copts and Jews. Today that community isd gone, as is the elite neigborhood where Said grew up and the private schools he attended. Said was in Jerusalem in Talbieh during 1948. He recalls the war and its aftermath. He also writes about Lebanon, about the village where he stayed there and travelling in the Middle East as a young boy. His was a life of luxury, a life that was 'destroyed' by 1948. His uncle was murdered by the Egyptian police for being a communist. His parents didnt talk politics, he makes up for that.

An interesting work, helpful for anyone interested in what the Palestinian Arab elite looked like in the 1930s.

Seth J. Frantzman

Not only this Edward Said autobiography is breath-taking in its style, it narrates the story of every Palestinian who displaced after the creation of the State of Israel in 1948.
Unlike the other Said works, this one is personal in which Said recounts his memories since childhood: His early days as a boy in Jerusalem, his school in Egypt, his college and adult life in the US and his family gatherings since he was a little kid.
Said's wit imposes itself as he discovers the origins of his name, how his grandmother used to call him Edwad (without the R) and how his father used to shop everyday at the nearby grocer during their summer stay in the village of Dhour Shweir in Lebanon even when the Said house did not need any missing items.
This book can be easily mistaken for a novel but Said makes sure to capture his disorientation, after he and his family loose the sense of home, and puts it in context.
The bottom line message of Said, after his long stay away from his Palestinian homeland and in the US, was that he couldn't find his identity their after. With Arabs, he felt American while among Americans he felt Arab. After his death, Said - a Palestinian-American feeling always out of place - had willed that he be buried in Dhour Shweir in Lebanon, perhaps to illustrate how Palestinians, whether alive or dead, will always be displaced.

I found Dark watch to be a terific read with great suspense action and drama. Well worth the time to read.

I have always been a Clive Cussler fan, I have been enjoying the "Oregon
Files" since the begining. But lately they have become a fast fovorite.
I am also a Jack Du Burl fan. Teaming him with Clive Cussler is one of
the best ideas that have ever come along. Action adventure fans will find
thees books a wonderfull read. I highly recomend them. I have started my
frends and family reading all the series, Dirk Pit, Kurt Auston, Juan Cabrillo, and Phillup Mercer, wouldent it be fun if Dirk Pit and Maercer
had an adventue togather.

This was my first encounter with Cussler's Oregon franchise - one that resembles yet is also distinct from his older and well known NUMA franchises.

"Oregon Files"? That's right. "Oregon" is the name of a tramp freighter, a sea-going wreck that is alo loaded with tons of high-tech and hard-hitting weaponry, capable of zipping over rough seas with next-generation engines using electromagnetism and carries its own contingent of SEALs. Owned by the shadowy "Corporation", the Oregon stands ready to handle various clandestine operations that freedom-loving governments themselves are unable to handle. (If you've seen the orginal James Bond movie "Thunderball", imagine the "Disco Valente" and you'll get the idea.) "Oregon" is very much a profit-making enterprise, but one that chooses only assignments that its "Chairman" can live with. In short, Oregon is the epitome of the term "Freedom isn't Free".

In "Dark Watch", the crew is asked to look into reports of piracy in the Sea of Japan. What they find is only the tip of the iceberg. Cussler and Du Brul link the piracy to a huge operation involving crooked bankers, human smuggling on a vast scale, an industrial-sized ship-breaking operation, and your typical character who embodies evil.

If "Dark Watch" is any indication, then "Oregon Files" can best be considered a more determined and gritty version of Cussler's "Dirk Pitt" books. Not even the "Chairman" himself (the nominal hero of the story) quite captures the story the way that Dirk Pitt does. Cussler ditches the "Camp of Pitt" (in "Valhalla Rising", Pitt manages to locate and rescue a beautiful woman from the heart of a burning cruise liner; the next morning, he introduces himself by apologizing for his "tardiness) but doesn't really replace it with something new. It's like "Diet Dirk Pitt" - fewer calories or taste.

As for the story itself, "Dark Watch" has a bunch of interesting threads that just come together without ever becoming a truly epic story - instead, one story leads into another once it's had its compulsory adventure scene.

That said, this was still a great read (great beach reading in the finest Cussler tradition), with riveting action sequences and fun/disposable bad-guys. In know I'll be packing some more of "Oregon" the next time I head for the beach.

It's too bad that Clive Cussler changed collaborators on his "Oregon Files" series. This was terrible! I couldn't even finish it. I read a lot in all different genres so I feel that I'm a little qualified to comment on a book I have read. It dragged, some of the characters were changed and even though I know you have suspend disbelief, I couldn't keep my eyes open. Golden Buddha and Sacred Stone were much better.

I was very disappointed in the last Oregon book. This was a fun read and the character development that makes a Cussler book worth reading.

This book was recommended to me, and I am glad I took the recommendation. Kenny Moore, who wrote the screenplay for Without Limits, one of the two Prefontaine movies, does it again. One cautionary note: once you pick this book up be prepared to read for long periods of time without wanting to put it down.

This is THE book for anyone who ever ran ladders or repeat quarters (if you don't know what that means, you're still going to enjoy the story).

Had the opportunity to get my copy signed by Kenny recently. I told him that nearly lost my composure when I read the intro; if I would've had someone to tell me to slow down during training, I wouldn't have burned out at age 17.

I was bummed that he didn't include the picture of himself and Frank Shorter after the '72 Olympic Marathon; that shot has to win the award for best athletic facial hair by a duo.

The stories are woven together so masterfully, and it's hard to believe that the book covers a full century in time.

In the acknowledgements, Kenny's small note to the runners of Oregon really speaks volumes; namely, he apologizes for compressing and diluting their stories in order to fit them into the book. Anyone who has lived the life will surely understand the significance of that statement.

"Bowerman" is a collector's piece.

Being a native Oregonian, I loooved reading about the Bowerman family history. As a former runner, I enjoyed reading about the races. The book is very detailed and thorough. It's very well done. Enjoy!

I "raced" through this book and now plan to re-read in a more "paced" manner. I had read the excerpt printed in Runner's World magazine (Rodale publishes the magazine and also is the book's publisher) and looked forward to the book with high interest.

I very much enjoyed getting to know much more about Bowerman than I had previously. He was a multi-talented, caring (if somewhat imperfect) individual to whom all of us recreational runners owe a huge debt of gratitude.

I was surprised by the sections on Prefontaine, since Mr. Moore was co-author of the script for the movie "Without Limits". The movie painted a slightly darker picture of Pre than does the book. I was thrilled to hear of Pre's charitable interests and his work in bringing the Norwegians to Oregon.

Like other reviewers, I found some of the track info a bit technical for me, but enjoyed it. Also, I was a bit confused by some of the early Bowerman family chapters.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough, however. It is a must read for runners of all types and anyone interested in the life story of a truly exceptional person.

Bill Bowerman lived an extraordinary life by any standards. He was a top college track coach who won four national NCAA track titles, the Olympic track coach during the fateful Munich Olympics, a decorated officer in the mountain/ski battalion during WWII, a co-founder of Nike, and with his millions from Nike, a generous philanthroper.

Bowerman seemed destined to live a life the generated great fascinating stories. Examples: He was coach to the stormy and supremely talented Steve Prefontaine. He (Bowerman) took on the American Athletic Union and its hypocritical stand on amateurism. He was in love with a woman who love him when he was a quarterback for the University of Oregon at the same time that she also loved the quarterback for the University of Southern California--a man who eventually become president of Paramount Pictures in Hollywood. (The woman decided to marry the winner of the UO-USC football game! I won't tell you how that came out.)

As a result, this book is amazingly enjoyable at multiple levels. The stories are fascinating in their own right, but especially because Bowerman's life had as its backdrop some of the most amazing events in American history: the settling of Oregon, the Olympic movement, the running explosion that helped Nike become a multi-billion-dollar company, World War II, Viet Nam, and unrest among black athletes. The stories are skillfully written by Sports Illustrated writer and Olympic runner Kenny Moore, whom Bowerman coached. The book is also a story about character, integrity, and the winning spirit.

Bowerman and the Men of Oregon is more interesting and exciting than fiction. It's a must read for all athletes, especially runners, and it's a great read for everyone else. I highly recommend it.

This is a truly lovely book about a place and time in the American West, eastern Oregon at the turn of the century and through WWI. Martha Lessen, a girl 'broncbuster', is a character that you enjoy spending time with and the stories that Gloss tells about horses and the people of that time are wonderful. This isn't necessarily the book for a horse crazy girl, but rather one that is thoughtful and considers deeply the role that horses have played in American life. It has a gentle flow and a very satisfying end that makes this an enjoyable read.

I bought this book thinking it would be about working with horses. What a boring, disappointing book. It had very little to do about horses or working with them.

This book was enjoyable, it is more what I had expected from the book The Horse Whisperer actually (which I was very disappointed in). Just enough historical data so the reader has an idea what the world was like, enough character information to make them feel like neighbors.

This book held my interest all the way through, but non-horse people might feel it dragged. I was totally unaware of the history of young women who were employed as horse breakers or trainers.
Even though her methods were unorthodox then, it seems only common sense that her methods would be more effective, and possibly just as quick in the long run.
I love horses, and even though I'm not as knowledgeable as I would like, It breaks my heart to hear of cruel training methods. Martha is an amazing character.
I want to read more of Gloss's books.

When I was a kid I read every horse story in print and I remember especially Black Beauty (of course) and the books of Will James. Hearts of Horses is the same kind of book. The language is as simple as a pair of leather chaps, and the lead character of Martha is as quiet and soft-spoken, determined and brave, as any character Jimmy Stewart ever played--and almost as tall. It's a Western, but not a bang-bang shoot-em-up Western. It's about a young woman (though she's constantly and a little annoyingly always referred to as a girl) who asks for no special treatment, intrudes on no one, and makes her own way by doing what she does best--gentling and training horses. The author writes with the same quiet authority with which Martha trains her horses. It's a wonderful book.
...Ruth Sims/author of The Phoenix

A five star book. I couldn't put it down. You see through a 10 year old girls eyes. The tale about a girl whose family goes out to Oregon. They travel through many obsticles. I love it. And I would reccomomend it to any 10 year old.

This was an enjoyable easy read about life on the Oregon Trail, told from the perspective of a 9-year-old girl, Mary Ellen Todd. It's based on the book written by the daughter of the real Mary Ellen Todd, based on her mother's stories over the years.

The reader will come away with a better knowledge of the preparation required to travel the Trail, as well as the difficulties of the journey. They'll read of various battles with illness, encounters with Indians, crossing difficult rivers, wagon train troubles, some wagons turning back, babies born on the trail, etc. The scary moments of life on the Trail are addressed, but it's all presented in an appropriate way for children.

Of course, the author had to fill in some details not covered in the book of Mary Ellen's daughter. One thing that the author decided to add in (which she admits is pure invention) was Mary Ellen's feelings of antagonism toward her stepmother (her mother died when she was little). Though Mary Ellen obeys in her actions, there are several times that she's quite disrespectful in her attitude and thoughts, if not actions. One common struggle with her stepmother is over being ladylike. Mary Ellen once also does have this disrespectful attitude toward her father. In many ways, her attitude is portrayed as "normal," and I don't think children need encouraged in thinking this is normal in the sense of being "okay." But, there are only a few mentions of this, and they're easy enough to explain or edit as a read-aloud. It would have been nice, however, if the author hadn't felt the need to inject this into the book.

I was pleasantly surprised at how frequently this book touched on this family's faith. Several times, when rejoicing or sorrowing, the family ends up singing a hymn, or Father referencing a Bible verse. There's mention of Mary Ellen memorizing Scripture (Psalm 23), and Father reads from the Bible to them regularly. They usually rest for at least part of Sunday. Their faith is definitely portrayed as part of their everyday lives.

Overall, I'd recommend this book for reading aloud to children to help them learn about the Oregon Trail. If bothered by Mary Ellen's occasional attitude, you can always edit as you go. I plan to read this aloud to my children (ages 6 ½ on down) sometime in the next year.

Bound for Oregon is the story of Mary Ellen Todd and her journey with her family along the Oregon Trail. Although this book was interesting in the first chapter, I think the author got a little carried away with the monotonus context of the book. All in all, it is a good book if you want to know more about this era in history and the Oregon Trail.

Families needed goodly amounts of common sense, courage and religious faith in order to endure the ordeal of the covered wagon journey to Oregon and/or California--regardless of the route chosen. The Todd family of Arkansas proved flexible and resourceful during the six-month
test of physical and moral endurance in 1852--the year of the terrible cholera epidemic. Based on the diaries of adults and grown children of the Oregon Trail this book faithfully reproduces the challenges and dangers suffered by those seeking new lives in the Pacific northwest.

The oldest of three girls, Mary Ellen is just 9 at the start of the story, but she comes of age by the end when she finally just crack Father's whip. Thought the family hardships she admires her father's quiet strength and dignity, as well as the resroucefulness of her step-mother. It is in times of trial that different family members step go the extra mile, taking their turn to ensure the survival of the group. Despite the hardships Mary Ellen still takes the time to admire the beauties of the Natural landscape. While her body is busy with daily tasks, her heart cherishes fond memories of her Grandmother, whom she realizes she will never see again. But this dear relative's face and words inspire Mary Ellen to discover personal courage in a barren wilderness. The accompanying map at the beginning of the book clarifies the geographic details of the long journey. Excellent westward migration reading for middle-school students.

I loved this book. I disagree with the people who said that the book droned on and on. In this book an 8 year old girl and her family set out on a 6 month journey to Oregon. On the way they face many hardships, the death and parting with friends and loved ones and several Indian attacks. But there are many exciting moments, and moments of fun, including popping popcorn in the rain. I RECOMMEND this book to everyone.

Gerry Spence has written a book that takes the reader throught a crash course in law school, applied. He is so accurate in his writing but than I would expect as much from such a successful lawyer. Yet his explanations are easy for the lay man to grasp. As a retired lawyer, I often recommend this book to people who have several questions about these kinds of events that they are following in their personal life. It should be recommended reading for all law students the summer prior to beginning their studies.

There was a photo of a young woman holding a smoking gun, and a witness who said the picture was taken right after the woman, Sandy Jones, shot her husband. But was Sandy really guilty of the crime she was accused of?

Enter colorful and brilliant Gerry Spence, who for four years defended Sandy Jones pro-bono, gained her freedom, and later wrote this fascinating book. "The Smoking Gun" is a riveting account of Sandy Jones' trial and an in-depth look at our flawed justice system.

Celebrity trial lawyer Gerry Spence has offered up the 13th in his series of allegedly non-fiction books about his trials and triumphs. The Smoking Gun (Scribner, 448 pages, $30) reaches back more than 15 years to recount Spence's part in two trials in Oregon-first, of 15-year-old Michael Jones Jr. (convicted and then overturned on appeal) and then of his mother, Sandy Jones (acquitted), on murder charges for the death of Wilfred Gertulla.
The prosecutor in Sandy's trial, former Oregon state attorney general James Brown, has described Spence's trial practices as "strip-mining" a jurisdiction. Indeed, Spence rarely returns to the same courthouse (outside of his home state). The Oregonian reporter who covered the second trial felt strongly enough about what he had seen to write an opinion piece entitled "Jones' lawyer sought only victory, not truth." And Spence candidly admits in The Smoking Gun, "If I've learned one thing, it was that trials do not seek the truth, nor are they always intended to deliver justice . . . .Trials are wars."

Gerry Spence, self-described Wyoming "Country Lawyer," has a lot to teach - his book on OJ's criminal trial, "O.J. The Last Word: the Death of Justice" is the definitive work on that Circus, and his fictional Half-Moon and Empty Stars is Dead On.

In Smoking Gun, his day by day play by play memoir of a murder trial, Gerry has set forth a sometimes brilliant bible on How to (or in the case of the State/prosecution - how Not to) Try a Case, Voir Dire (jury pickin') etc - but at times it is laborious wading through the chaff to get to the kernels at the heart of the wheat here. In the end, Truth and Justice are one and won, justice prevails, truth triumphs, and everyone lives happily ever after - or not. /TundraVision, Amazon Reviewer

Gerry Spence has succeeded Robert Traver (John Voelker), Louis Nizer, Jake Ehrlich, and Francis Wellman as the popular author of real life legal battles. Spence writes his own stuff - unlike Vincent Bugliosi who's had collaborators - and Spence is as candid as Pepys was to his diary. If you're not put off by Spence telling, in every other book, the anguish and ecstacy of his personal life, or how good he is, no legal work, fiction, non-fiction, and certainly not the case reports, can match Gerry's writings. Despite what you star givers write, "The Making of a Country Lawyer," Spence's autobiography, is his best book. Only Reginald Hine's "Confessions of an Uncommon Atorney" can compete. Read Spence's story and, if you've ever gone into business for yourself or tried to bang a buck out of the law while maintaining those "hostages to fortune" at home and yet still struggled to get ahead, see if you don't agree. With the "The Smoking Gun" Spence got it all right again. This one's not as well-known as "Helter Skelter" was nor as riveting but I can't think of an "ordinary" murder case that's been so absorbing story as "The Smoking Gun." Not "An American Tragedy," not "Compulsion," not any of Bugliosi's minor books and certainly nothing by Ann Rule or any of those Texas murder trial accounts. For one, "A Smoking Gun" is a story about a fear that slithers though everyone's subconsciousness and sometimes surfaces in nightmares: being charged with a serious crime one didn't commit and being prosecuted by over zealous DAs who seem to want a conviction more than justice. In addition there's the uncooperative defendant, the courageous judge (Harl Haas of Portland, Oregon), and, of course, Superman to the rescue. But Superman does write masterfully, it's a great story, and I highly recommend it.

I met Tom Stienstra at one of his seminars and he suggested we throw away the old editions of this book. I didn't really get it until we got into this book. He signed it! If you like to find new really great places, and like he says, "Never worry about getting stuck for the night again," this new one is The One. A ton better than before, it's true.

Great book, however, it should have been titled-Fire lookouts in the Oregon/Washington region.

This is one of the better camping books as far as usefulness of the information, though it is not quite the best I've seen. The lengthy introductory section was well-written and entertaining. I have been camping and backpacking for decades and I even learned some new things from it.

My only beefs with the book:

1) The introductory section doesn't, in my opinion, distinguish adequately between equipment suited for backbacking vs. for car camping. He appears to use his backpacking equipment even when car camping and doesn't seem to realize that for a lot of people, a $79 sleeping bag from K-Mart will work just fine for car camping in the summer even if you'd be a damned idiot to take it backpacking.

2) The campgrounds listed do not include RV parks, so you'd need a separate book if you're looking for places where you can get full water/electric/sewer/cable hookups.

3) Each campground listed includes a score, ostensibly from 1 to 10, on the scenic beauty of the site, a feature which I really appreciate. However, I did not see a single site rated less than a 3, which means the book really uses a "3 to 10" scale - and a site seems to rate at least a 4 if there are any trees. The book would be more valuable if he expanded his scale to rate the ugliest spots a 1 and be a bit stingier with his 8's and 9's.

4) Finally, the best campground book I've ever seen also included a rating on how crowded the campground was on average, and gave a special symbol for "undiscovered gems", i.e. campgrounds of particular scenic beauty that were little used. I missed that feature in this book.

This book is great because it covers just about every campsite in the NW. The author is a real camper, I on the otherhand need a tent and an air mattress but the sight recommendations are dead-on.

This book just came out (April, 2003) and is a lot better than anything we've seen. The key is the details, way good, both information, directions and maps. We've lived in Springfield for quite a while and have always kept our secret spots to ourselves. This book has all of them, which threw me, but it's got a zillion others. We checked the places we knew to see if everything was correct. The answer: Five Stars!

I'm from England and I'm studying this play for A level (as a mature student - normally taken when aged 17) but although the UK is the home of 'The Bard' this item is not available in the UK! I'm very impressed with Amazon.com who delivered it quickly and cheaply!

The CD itself is great. It really helps to hear the play, as the intonation is correct, which is sometimes difficult to do when reading it yourself.

The actors' voices are clear and suit their parts perfectly. I'd definitely recommend it - and I will look out for more titles in this series when I've finished studying this one!

Although this play is not one of Shakespeare's better known plays, it is one of his very best. It is a tragicomedy suffused by gentle melancholy. Unreasonable and cruel jealousy are also portrayed. We also have two endearing young lovers to liven up the story. These characters are very well-drawn, and the story is quite beautiful.

I have always favoured the Oxford Shakespeare series over others (Folger, etc), and the Winter's Tale is no exception. It's translation notes and lexigraphical assistance makes reading a joy and brings out the true heart and soul of one of Shakespeare's commonly overlooked tragi-comedies.

As usual in Shakespearean plays, the language here is very prettily written. As usual in Shakespearean comedies, there are plot holes that one could easily drive a tank squadron through. But since this is not just a comedy, but a tragicomedy, in which the first part is a tragedy and the second a comedy, not everything comes out well in the end: some worthy characters die. Also, as is usual for Shakespeare, we have a morality play on the evils of jealousy and closed-mindedness. Really, though, other than the pretty Shakespearean turns of phrase, there isn't much to recommend this book.

Early compilers of Shakespeare's plays classified this a comedy, but there is much tragedy in it. Later it was called a romance. Through irrational jealousy a king is apparently responsible for the deaths of his entire family -- wife, son and daughter -- by mid-play. Time is a character in the play and at his one appearance summarizes the passage of sixteen years. If you have an overy high regard for realism, you may not much enjoy this play, but that will be true of more of Shakespeare than just this one tale. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I look forward to seeing it. I've ordered the BBC DVD and it's being performed at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 2006. These Cambridge School editions have the play's text on right-hand pages; they have summary, commentary and exercises, and vocabulary on the facing left-hand pages. As I read through the play, I'd read the summary, read the play text paying attention to vocabulary, and then read the commentary and exercises. Some additional, unusual vocabulary was only explained in the commentary. I felt I got a deeper understanding of the play than if I had just read the play proper.mmary, commentary and exercises, and vocabulary on the facing left-hand pages. As I read through the play, I'd read the summary, read the play text paying attention to vocabulary, and then read the commentary and exercises. Some additional, unusual vocabulary was only explained in the commentary. I felt I got a deeper understanding of the play than if I had just read the play proper.