Pacific University Books

In his telling of his experience in some of the most intense battles of WWII in the Pacific, Eugene Sledge takes you into the foxhole for an incredible journey through two battles fought by US Marines. Between the equatorial heat, cement hard coral landscape, intense relentless enemy fire, dead and rotting enemy bodies baking in the sun, bad K rations for food that is made worse by the smell of gunpowder, sweat, human waste and rotting bodies, and the 75% chance you will either be killed or wounded, you somehow can't leave his side as the reader or it would somehow be dishonorable. Through Sledge's storytelling you grasp a real sense of what "team", "core" and "band of brothers" mean to a Marine. It is the absolute best recount of war that I have ever read. We as the next generation of "free" Americans owe it to the men and women who fought for our freedom to read this book.

As a WWII history buff I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to see combat from a combat Marines perspective. GREAT!

I really can't say anything better than has already been said in the previous reviews. This is a horrific, and at the same time, fascinating read. Sledge tells it like it was and holds nothing back. The descriptions of the blasted battlefields full of dead is something you won't forget. His descriptions of the fighting conditions will make you thankful for dry clothes, hot coffee and fresh socks every day after reading this. Should be required reading in schools today - an important gift from someone who lived in the horror of war.

I recently read this book for the second time. As others have noted, this is by far the best American memoir of the Pacific Theater. While Sledge's narrative style is straightforward and plain, there is a sensitivity to the work that is not found in other American war memoirs. Sledge was a good Marine, and understood that Japanese brutality had to be answered in kind: he had absolutely no compunction about killing the Japanese and often expresses an extreme hatred towards them. His descriptions of what he witnessed are often horrific--the picture he paints of "Maggot Ridge" on Okinawa is nothing short of a hellscape. And yet a central theme in the book is that in the midst of all the brutality of Peleliu and Okinawa, one had to try to maintain at least a modicum of sensitivity and human compassion. That, I believe, is what makes this such a remarkable record of the war.
I had the privilege of talking to Dr. Sledge about a decade ago, and he was a true gentleman--courteous, kind, and very generous with his time. Indeed, my overwhelming impression was that he was a very gentle person. Perhaps that is why his memoir is so haunting.

Having seen Ken Burns films on WWII and his mention of this book, I decided
to read it. I was not disappointed. Ordinarily I don't like works like this
but Sledge handled his on-the-ground experiences in the Pacific with simplicity
but with elequence. I was very impressed with the book, moved and sometimes
shattered by the bravery and determination of our troups. It makes for
exciting reading, if you're inclined to know what war was like then, and
probably what war is still like for men and women on the ground now. Read it!
You won't be disappointed.

While as comprehensive and extraordinarily detailed as a college text, and as fully annotated, this is a great example of a 'popular' history at the top of its game. The enormous amount of (often grueling) material is nicely organized across time, place, and category, the many significant characters are well-delineated, and there is a sense of narrative flow and pretty steady momentum to this highly readable book.

This is a excellent, outstanding and informative book, that every patriotic american should read. These men are real American Heroes, I needn"t say more.

Definitely one of the best books I every read. It's amazing what a man will do for honor, to protect the life and dignity of another, at his own peril. There are scores of examples of this in this book. On the down side, what men bent on tyranny and oppression will do to break the will of another. However, light truly shines through darkness. If you think you have it rough, read this book.

This is a lengthy but well written book. If you are looking for an excellent history of the POW's from the Vietnam war, this is the one to get. If you are interested in history or the human aspects of the Vietnam POW's this would be very valuable. I have read a number of books on POW's and this is by far the best of the lot.

This observer has followed the POW situation since 1972, when he was still on active duty. He is familiar with many POW memoirs, so the men in Messer's. Kiley and Rochester's voluminous work are no strangers. Most of the prominent POWs are well known to many and they are certainly all here: Ernest Brace, Robinson Risner, James Stockdale, Jeremiah Denton, Frank Anton and Everett Alvarez-plus many more. If this reviewer had to choose a favorite memoir, it would be Anton's "Why Didn't You Get Me Out?" Honorable mention certainly goes to "A Code to Keep" by Mr. Brace. HB goes into far deeper detail than do individual stories, yet necessarily lacks the personal touch folks like those two gentlemen provide. Those in the amazon community who have read no POW tales and are satisfied with one big picture have the perfect book in HB. The back cover noted that HB "combines rigorous scholarly analysis with moving narrative". That it certainly does, in fullest detail. All the torture, all the mind games, all the coming and going and transfers, all the gripping boredom and fear, all the gruesome details of prison life are here. It will be clear that the POWs were anything but one big happy family. Disagreements abounded, especially that nebulous subject regarding compliance with the Code of Conduct. Some favored active resistance, some a "cooperate-graduate" approach. The authors also do an excellent choreographing of the release of the Spring of 1973. They were not repatriated on one fleet of C-141s but came home in stages. We learn that a handful of guys were released through Saigon and 2 through Hong Kong (!). There are some caveats attached to this review: HB cannot be skim read. It demands attention and a substantial investment of time upfront. Casual readers are in the wrong place! They won't appreciate the 88 pages of appendices and notes/footnotes. HB also concentrates on prisoners held in the major North Vietnam detention centers. The missing in Cambodia, Laos and even China are outside the scope of HB. But HB is also silent on the fate of the discrepancy cases of those lost in the 4 countries. One hopes that the authors, writing a book that admits to being "an official publication of the Department of Defense", are not attempting a "Case Closed" on the 1,783 still unaccounted for. This observer will give the authors the benefit of the doubt here. Still. FAR more disturbing is a gratuitous remark on Page 589 that those who continue to press for a fullest accounting of the missing are "a swarm of polemicists and opportunists". This reviewer is one of them! He belongs to neither of those species! Since it is most likely that no offense was intended, none is taken but that comment demands an explanation! It certainly merits an unfortunate reduction in rank to 4 stars. That there even is a page 589 is the essence of HB. This one is not for those with a passing fancy on the Indochina War. A final note: There is a new, voluminous publication available on amazon-"An Enormous Crime". That particular 566 page volume-in small type no less-claims to be the "definitive account of American POWs abandoned in Southeast Asia". The different scope of EC should encompass what HB did not. Maybe these 1,000+ combined pages of text will shed a final light on the thorny question of POWs/MIAs in Indochina. Congressman King (R-NY) is also attempting to convene new hearings on the same subject. This painful matter will be with us for a while. The bottom line to "Honor Bound" is the headline above. This is indeed a great work of military scholarship and for that the authors deserve their due.

This book will be helpful for anyone interested in silent film. Brooks' insights about certain aspects of Hollywood are original. She has no fear of revealing some of the ugliest secrets of the past, and also has valuable things to say about why she believes certain directors and players created works of art. However, in my opinion she could have been a better writer if she'd had more education and/or editorial experience. Some of her essays are rambling and disorganized, and a number of her claims are unsupported. (e.g., that many actresses were pulled from the screen not because of the arrival of sound, but because they couldn't live up to Garbo, p.88.) She also tends to make bold generalizations (e.g., "Every actor has a natural animosity toward every other actor"), which, depending on whether you agree with them, are either smart and charming or arrogant and imprecise.

Some of Brooks' cleverest comments are reported in the introduction by Kenneth Tynan, not in her own writings. My favorite was her joking suggestion that she and Marlene Dietrich write each other's memoirs: "'Lulu' by Lola, and 'Lola' by Lulu".

Note: this is a collection of essays, which don't necessarily follow a sequence. The brief history of her family and childhood given in the first chapter fooled me into thinking this book would be an autobiography, but Brooks leaves much of her own story untold. (In fact, the epilogue is titled, "Why I Will Never Write My Memoirs.") Tynan's introduction fleshes out a little more of Louise Brooks' history, but fans will probably want to keep looking for other writings and biographies after they've read this one.

This book is a collection of Brooks's autobiographical essays together with an interview by Kenneth Tynan.

It shows a Louise Brooks as a fiercely independent character, as well as her failure as a social creature, because of her open critic of people's false faces.
But at what price? She survives as a kept woman by three lovers and ends in poverty, rejected and lonely.

She characterizes her work in Hollywood's film factory as slavery and throws a shrill light on Hollywood's morals (the casting couch) and cynicism: the end of the silent period served as an excuse to terminate all contracts.

The all important feature of her life was sex, not love: 'I have never been in love.' But, 'A person's sexual loves and hates and conflicts ... It is the only way the reader can make sense out of innumerable apparently senseless actions.'
She considers that 'the most fateful encounter in my life' was a sexual one with George Preston Marshall.
Nevertheless, she had some regrets: 'How often do we change the whole course of our lives in pursuit of a love that we will have forgotten within a few months.'

She never wrote her biography because 'I am unwilling to write the sexual truth that would make up my life worth reading.'

Barry PARIS did it for her, admirably. His book contains also a few corrections on Louise Brooks's statements in her book.

A moving text with admirable pictures.

What made Louise Brooks interesting beyond just the typical celebrity she was unusually intelligent. She was an extraordinary beautiful woman but if that were all - she would have been just another face in the Hollywood crowd albeit a striking one. Her life was not so much one of just ups and downs but most generally straight down starting at the top. Lucky to have so much success early in life but maybe unlucky for her vision as to witness the folly of those who gave it. Louise's insights and critical assessment of her life and those around her were a " blessing and curse" but then again she had no choice but to follow her own mind as it played out to the end. She was certainly not one to parlay her attributes as a cunning femme fatale as it were but she existed as a passing player through a masquerade of "bread and circuses" orchestrated by those with lesser sensibilities. No, Lulu could have never been satisfied with the status quo, the mundane of the hoi polloi, the trappings of the superficial she was an individual who saw life in its raw form and played no game and for those who did not understand Louise - missed - that her only glory was the truth and its price to pay. She was an intriguing and talented woman who deserved more but would not sell her soul to gain it. Her book tells of her life and times and the pathos within it.
I will recommend highly Barry Paris' biography of Louise Brooks as a necessary read for anyone interested in reading about the life and times of Louise Brooks. The book is excellent and engrossing. It gives a most informative detail of all aspects of Lulu's life. Actually Paris' book should be read first to gain a comprehensive overview of Brook's life before reading "Lulu in Hollywood." A better biography you could not read.

I am unimpressed by Emily from Seattle's harsh words, which are both snotty and inaccurate. Tynan was the finest theatre critic of his time--and not bad on film, either. His profiles of stage and screen actors, recently collected in one volume, are masterpieces of the genre. In particular, his profile of Brooks was an indelible portrait of a brilliant and beautiful woman. Brooks herself, though not a great actress, was indeed a great star--exquisitely beautiful, highly charismatic, and powerfully erotic. To the best of my memory, Tynan describes her only in these terms, never as the creator of naturalistic film acting. (Incidentally, none of the women named by Emily--Crawford, Davies, Bow, and the insufferable Shearer--could properly be described as an actress. They were merely stars--and distinctly inferior to Brooks in talent, intelligence, and beauty.) Finally, as everyone here (including Emily) acknowledges, Brooks was a first-rate writer herself, and the essays in this book are required reading for anyone interested in silent film.

I remember when this book came out, but, unfortunately, it took me over twenty years to read it. Though Louise Brooks is far from a household name, in film scholar circles, she is an icon. Her rememberances here of certain individuals and events from her years in the "Dream Factory" are brilliant. Aside from the fact that these are names that most are familiar with, Bogart, Hearst, Pabst...it is her writing style and unique observations that make these recollections interesting. Where as someone as, say, Adela Rogers St. John, a famous reporter and contemporary of Brooks, wrote accurately of that long ago time, her dusty rememberances would only interest the most devoted of film student or fan. But Brooks writings are so fresh and witty and humourous, often at her own expense. She is not only unimpressed with most of silly society, but, she was equally unimpressed with her status as film icon. In those pre Hepburn-Davis times, she was a true rebel, who was more than willing to saboutage her career rather than do anything she didn't want to do. There is no remorse detectable in her memories of her fall from status. Though it would be unfair to imply that most film stars would not be expected to be good writers, it was surprising, then and now, to find that Miss Brooks was such a highly intelligent and captivating writer. In my review of her most famous film, "Pandora's Box", which isn't so much a review of that film as it is a homage to our Miss Brooks, I recounted my having met her more than once, when I delivered her prescriptions to her in my hometown and her final, adopted city of Rochester, New York. I was very young at the time, and though I had been told that she had once been a famous actress, which fascinated me, I am sorry to have to honestly admit that my memory of her is only of a shadowy figure who I remember with intimidation. How I would have loved to have been a little older, to possibly converse with this great lady, though she may have found what undoubtedly would have been my reverence to her "legend" as film icon to be obnoxious at the least, silly at best. Well, never mind. She was and is wonderful. And, as this book attests, a scathingly intelligent lady. Celebrities of her league are no more, now we have tarts, thugs, and arrogant, illiterate self-important jerks showing off their bling-bling. How sad. If you want to hear the entertainingly clever views of this great lady who, though she went from brilliant star to near- pauper obscurity, yet never lost her class, intellect, nor pride, then read "Lulu In Hollywood." One wishes she had written much more, and, left behind more films where her inate brilliance reaches out from the screen eighty years later. But, if all we have is this book and "Pandora's Box", that's legacy enough.

On a personal level, my father - John Allen Wilson (referred to in the book as "Tugboat Wilson"), had talked about the happenings in this book as I was growing up, but I did not become interested in it until after he had passed away. I have pictures that he sent to his sister of the ship during the operation that were given to me. The pictures, along with the memories of the stories from my childhood, encouraged me to seek out and find copies it. Not only was I able to find a few copies, I was able to acquire an autograph copy by the author. I was not disappointed. It is a very poignant and inspiring account of the life of an era gone by (the hard-hat diver).

Surprisingly dramatic., January 21, 1998

I thought this would just be another submarine combat story, it was not. When I look back on it, the plot sounds boring and overly technical, the recovery of a sunken US Navy submarine in the late 1920s after it is hit by a larger ship, but I found the tail surprisingly dramatic and engaging.

The story is really about the bravery, leadership and innovation of the men that were able to do something that had never been done before. A glossary helps with the technical jargon.

Anyone with military experience, is a diver, enjoys/studies submarines or wants to read about brave men and how to lead them, Edward Ellsberg's book is a great case study and quick read (one night). Life threatening risks for people in the military do not always entail combat.

I wrote the review above five years ago. I just reread the book and still think this is one of the best. Since nobody has made this into a movie or reprinted it yet, it was available free online electronically in text editor format. If I was teaching a graduate course on leadership it would be required reading.

I am the daughter of one of the divers, Albert Grube. I loved hearing the stories over and over again while growing up. I purchased my own copy of On the Bottom, and then was very excited when my dad gave me his original copy. He passed away about 6 years ago at the age of 88. His stories live on not only in my mind but also in print. It was amazing to hear about and then read about the way these men put themselves in danger every time they went below. Truly a fantastic book.

The story of the collision of the steamer City of Rome and the S-50 Submarine. The submarine, struck just forward of its conning tower, rolled drunkenly to starboard, then fell away s the City of Rome slipped by. The captain of the submarine apeared on her bridge. The starled passengers on the steamer, looking over the side, caught a brief glimpse of his face looking up, heard one agonized cry from below:

"For God's sake, throw us a line!"

The City of Rome, speed unchecked, rushed on by.

Who thought deep sea salvage could be exciting? I have to say Edward Ellsberg's "On The Bottom" is as gripping and suspenseful today as it must have been when it was originially released in 1928.

This is the story of the sinking of the submarine S-51 and the subsequent salvage recovery. Ellsworth does an excellent job of walking the reader through the 1920's technology used to do the job: the tools, the limitations, the hardships; and how these brave Navy divers risked their lives to get the job done. There were many times while reading the book that I could feel the frustration these guys were going through completing tasks that would seem simple by todays standards. But since we're dealing with technology from the '20's, the simple act of cutting a cable with a prototype underwater tourch was an ordeal.

Clive Cussler must have read this as a child, as the senarios these divers went through mirror a Dirk Pitt adventure. Yet, in my opinion, Ellsworth's novel reads so much better than a Cussler novel!

Get this book back in print -- it is truly one of those forgotten gems that deserves to be discovered by a new generation of readers.

I stumbled onto this book while I was browsing on... and I was very, very surprised to see how insightful many of the tips are. I bought 3 copies -- one for my daughter and two for her friends. I noticed that she read the whole book cover to cover. Let me tell you, that's the highest praise a book can receive.

My parents gave me this book for Christmas and I've already used many of the tips. I think that this book should be issued to all college students.

I have two kids in college and think that this book is a wonderful collection of advice. It combines the type of advice that you would hear from parents, siblings, and friends. I loved the mix of serious, practical, and light-hearted sayings.

Gillespie has captured, with wit and style, the wisdom that all university students should have in their back pocket! Literally!

I bought this book for my son going to college and it is a great combination of all the advice that parents, friends, and those who've been through school should give to any new student.

This is a book of human suffering with the root cause coming down to a shortcut. I would say the lesson to learn here is that if there is a well-traveled trail taking a seemingly out-of-the way route as opposed to an unknown shorter route that has not been traveled on there must be a reason that the longer route is the accepted way, and woe unto those who would tempt fate. This is a well written book with the addition of maps and photos to illustrate the written word. The will to stay alive is strong, and humans will resort to seemingly unthinkable things such as cannibalism after the death of even family members in an effort to maintain life. Author Ethan Rarick does a wonderful job in showing how people will adjust in the best way they know how to the incredible adversity that is thrust upon them. He also recognizes that disparities exist in stories that are told regarding this ill-fated adventure, and does his best in making accurate judgments. Of the 81 people who had been trapped at the eastern edge of the Sierra Nevada mountains, 36 died and 45 survived. This is the only book I have read regarding the Donner party, but I can't imagine others being better than this one.

This is a book that gets your attention from the first page and is extremely well-written. It has historical facts that it works from, but also the author is able to "flesh out" (sorry!) the saga with enough personal knowledge of the areas traveled, to give the reader a real picture of what happened. This tragedy is a story that should never be foregotten, as the people who lived it embody true courage.

This is some great storytelling. A history book this well-researched is often rendered dryly academic with the laying out of facts, but Ethan Rarick has a gift for making the story come alive. He's like a favorite uncle that comes home every so often and keeps the whole family up past their bedtimes with a harrowing tale to tell.

With impressive insight, he gives you a feel for individual personalities and the collective psychology of wagon train groups. He makes palpable the physical experience of walking 2000 miles in 1846--the dust, the clothes, the food, the weather, the sights, the pace, the squabbles--you get a good picture of the nuts and bolts of life on the trail. Likewise, the details of their winter entrapment are equally vivid, and horrible in their immediacy. You experience the dark and feel the cold and sense the mounting desperation.

Rarick sets the story of this one group, quite deftly, into the layered social and political contexts of westward expansion, so you get a really interesting history lesson without even realizing it. He's a master of timing and the well-placed quote, and manages to appropriately employ an understated humor at times, all of which make for a highly readable book.

On a practical note, another aspect which enhances this book's readability is the decision to forgo footnotes or endnotes with those
floating numbers scattered so distractingly throughout the text. The sources are referenced in the back of the book by chapter and page and a perusal of these sources is interesting in itself, both for a look at the extent of the sources and a glimpse into the author's decision making process.

I hope we hear from Mr. Rarick again soon.

Couldn't put this one down. The situation written about in this book has been written about several times in the past, but this book was so well written that it seemed like I was reading about it for the first time. Anybody who loves early western American history should read this book!

I've read many accounts of the Donner Party over the years. This is the first well-documented account I have found. The tragedy is told in a straight forward way and the writing makes for a fast read. The only thing I wish the author had included is a more detailed map (or maps) of the Donner party's path.

Purchased this map for our trip to the Big Island of Hawaii and found it to be most helpful!

This map was not what I was expecting, so I returned it. Thanks anyway.

As a former long-time resident of the Big Island, I can attest to the fact that this is very well done. It's a very good buy.

Editor of former Oahu resident Laurie Birnsteel's Kahala

This is a well defined map of the Big Island. It is also well made and sturdy. I will be taking it with me on my next trip to the island.

It was handy to look at the big picture to estimate how long it would take us to drive from one place to another. The topo features very interesting. Our map purchase was worth it for preplanning the trip.

This is a well researched and written book about a western icon. Unlike many westerns, this one is a very interesting read - sharing not only the life of Bat Masterson but the gunfighters and others who lived around them and their experiences. For example, a whole chapter is on Jim Masterson and his experiences in southern Kansas and Colorado in the late nineteenth century. Although the book does an excellent job of covering Bat during his Dodge days and especially his two years as sheriff of the county and the "battle of the Plaza" afterwards, I especially liked the stories about his late years in Denver and New York, including his close calls with possible gunfights during that time. Yes, Bat Masterson did not kill 27 men, and only one is credited to him, but it is clear from this book, that the reason for this was that most people stayed clear of him because of the recognition of his prowess with a six gun. This book is not only a history of Bat Masterson but an excellent history of the gunfighters who crossed his path. Consequently, I highly recommend this for any individual interested in that period of US history.

This is probably the best biography of Bat Masterson out there. It is also a good history of 19th Century Kansas is that interests anyone. I learned that alot of western history took place in Kansas so I may want to travel there and check out the sights thanks to this book.

Mr. Dearment has provided an excellent read. The data is presented in a well thoughtout manner while the writing style is easy to read and comprehend. It seemed like there was less of Bat's later life presented then earlier days but that may be because there was more to present. I tend to read mostly non-fiction, historical books and found this to have been a very worthwhile project to read.

Mr. DeArment is one of my favorite authors, when writing of the old west as he is in his element! Most any book on the old west by Bob is going to be a winner. My copy won't make resale as it is reference copy for my library as is dog-eared and highlighted from front to back, with my notes all over the pages. I throughly enjoyed this book and came to have more respect for Bat..than Bat did for Doc.

I bought this book in hardcover when it was first published back in 1979, having that same first edition copy on my shelves. Hadn't read the book in quite a few years and with Encore Westerns now re-running the "Bat Masterson" TV series of the late 1950s thought it time to once again to brush up on the 'real' William Barclay Masterson. While the TV series offers great intertainment it also offers very little solid history or biography.

I have all of Mr. DeArment's books so coming to this book was nothing new to me, but the one thing that struck me during last evening's read was the amount of collateral information included in this book; it is not just a straight biography focused on Bat but included much surrounding information, for example, the founding of Fort Dodge with the later Dodge City becoming just Dodge. The rough, tough edge of the frontier men: some fair and square, others just vicious killers. Whether as DeArment states no evidence exists for Bat's killing anyone, many, many other men with whom he daily associated did kill with some killing more than once. And most famous names of those western times on both sides of the law, were personally well known to Bat Masterson, and he lived to tell about them and the times, too.

It's good to see this book still being read by people not only interested in Bat Masterson but also the west in general. No better way to spend a few evenings than going over this book that is now close to a generation old; but as one reviewer here remarked, it is still the standard bearer for contemporary writings on Bat Masterson. Since I am an avid western reader, fiction and non-fiction, I have most of the newer biographies on Earp and Holiday, but for Masterson no newer book has appeared. Best to read this one if Bat Masterson is your man!

Recommended.

Semper Fi.

I'm into lepidoptera, and own several buttefly books. This is definitely my go-to guide, and anytime I go in the field, this is the book I bring. It's great to have photos, field marks, maps, and there are pictures that show variations among different species. The format's great because one side of the page is all photos, and the facing side has the map and text. I think that if you're just getting into butterflies, a book like Introduction to Southern California Butterflies or the Golden Guide Butterflies and Moths are good to start off with, as this one may be a little to much for someone who is not too familiar with butterflies and doesn't know the basics yet.

This book was recommended by a person who was experienced in butterfly identification. As a beginner, it is awesome. So for the experienced and the beginner, it is wonderful. A must buy for the curious in all of us about those beautiful butterflies God put on the face of the earth!

A quick summary for anyone who doesn't want to read my ramblings. This is a great identification reference. It is intended only as an identification guide. And as that, it is excellent. But with so many butterflies described, the casual butterfly observers may want a smaller book / chart with only local species for easier lookup (perhaps in addition).

First, it is important to know what this is. It is a field guide to aid in identification of butterflies and skippers, with very good photos for that end. The photos may not be artistically pleasing to everyone, but they are taken in such a way to best present the butterfly for identification. Unique identification characteristics of individual species are pointed out when they will aid in the identification. Size and geographical distribution is also given. On each photo the author also tells you how large the photo is compared to a real specimen.

This is not a butterfly reference book. You will not find detailed information about the butterflies in this book. Instead, you will be able to identify what you find, and then use the name to look up more details on that butterfly in another book / the Internet.

This is also not a coffee table book with large glossy photos of butterflies. Due to the sheer number of species described in the book, each photo is rather small, and as mentioned earlier, may not be artistically pleasing to everyone. Little attention is paid to the background, since that is not very important to identification. When the plant the butterfly frequents is important to the identification, it will be mentioned in the text.

The sheer number of butterflies in this guide can be overwhelming to the casual observer. I don't know if I'll ever see more than 1% to 2% of the butterflies listed here. Since the butterflies are not sorted by region, getting a less comprehensive book with local species only may be easier for the casual observer. This book stays at home, while I carry a small laminated "quick guide" to common local butterflies.

I don't observe them through binoculars (the book does have a short section on that as well), I photograph them. There's a short section on butterfly photography that, while mainly focused on film photography, does contain some good tips.

The only thing I have not been able to identify definitively so far with this book are skippers.

Glassberg's BTB is the benchmark and the book to buy first. You may not need another.

A while back I wrote a review of the Peterson Series "Field Guide to Western Butterflies", which I had used in the field during the 4th of July Butterfly Count in the Organ Mountains of New Mexico. I gave it five stars as I thought it the best field guide to actually use in the field. The rival Audubon guide to butterflies left me cold because it simply does not show enough detail for identifying hard species. I thus dismissed photo guides because of this bad experience, thinking that artists did better work in illustrating these beautiful insects. I was wrong! There is a way to produce a photo guide to butterflies that actually works and Jeffrey Glassberg has done it! This is the best field guide that I have ever seen for butterflies. The photos, mostly taken by the author, are simply superb! The best thing that Glassberg has done is to standardize the photos so you can compare the same characters. This is a major innovation and must certainly have taken a lot of time. The placing of maps and descriptions opposite the photographic plates is also a major change from the other popular guides. It sure saves a lot of page flipping!

I am often laughed at because I still use a 35 mm SLR for photographing insects, but Glassberg's photos (all with a 35 mm SLR) show why it still may pay. Digitals are, I know, the coming thing and will soon overtake SLRs, but most digitals still cannot match an old Nikon FM2n with a 55 mm macro or an Olympus with a 90 mm macro, both of which I use.

Glassberg's remarks about how much space digital shots take up (5 MB roughly for a decent high resolution) are probably dated because of gigabyte technology which allows as much as 200 shots at a time, even at high resolution. However, I still like the feel of a SLR and many digitals (but not the more expensive ones) are boxy and difficult to hold. I get irritated with the automatic focus that often keeps me from getting the shot of an easily disturbed subject.

Those aside; if you are at all interested in butterflies and can afford only one book, get this guide! It is the new standard for photo guides and it will be hard to ever beat it.

In my haste I incorrectly wrote Saipan....I meant to write Peleliu

James Johnston gave a vivid, poignant and heroic account of his life with the Marines fighting in the Pacific during World War II. It was fascinating to read how it life was for the Marines in the Pacific as like he said, the media tended to focus on the European theater and thought of the Pacific theater as "easy."

Using letters that he wrote home, Johnston managed to add a personal touch to his account. It was interesting to get a glimpse on how he felt emotionally, the friendship that was formed between the soldiers and how a lot of times, soldiers are fighting as hard as they did, for their friends because they did not want to let their them down. When Johnston was the section leader, he was able to show the burden of responsibilities as you were not just in charge of your life but of others too.
Lastly, how he was disappointed with the Marines. He found flaws with the system but at the same time, it was very much part of him.

"The Long Road of War" is a wonderfully-written, highly-emotional story of Marine Corps combat from the "flat-trajectory" soldier's perspective. Johnston shares his own personal horrific views of World War II Pacfic combat. With stirring text, he shows the sudden transformation from Nebraska teenager to Green recruit to hardened veteran. This book is an excellent addition to any historian's bookshelf, once they can find the time to put it down.

In my haste I incorrectly wrote Saipan....I meant to write Peleliu

This was a book that I could absolutely not put down. Mr. Johnston's description of his transition from a Midwest teenager into a battle hardened, front line Marine is told with a grim honesty that is seldom found in books about war. This book does away with any glorification or self-promotion and gives you the tragic, ugly truth about the war in the South Pacific.