Pacific University Books

This book written by Bruce Cumings displays the intellectual capabilities of a true professor, the deep descriptions and accounts of East Asian relations are conceptually flawless. I can proudly say that my older brother Ian has this work of impecable art for bedtime reading. Forget Green Eggs and Ham and the Cat in the Hat, my 17 year old brother demands perfection in the field of asian history. Thank to you, my son has entered the field of history as the youngest professor at South-East Oklahoma State University.
-Ezekiel Baragokus

The word "parallax" in this title is quickly explained: by changing your position the thing you are lloking at will also seem to change. In observing East Asia, there has been a tendency (at least prior to the april 2001 incident) you might think that American influence was declining as China and Japan are emerging as regional - global - powers. Cumings is not alarmed and believes that capitalist and democratic counties w111 continue to co-operate while and the move towards free trade and international will remain strong as more asian countries participate. As values are increasingly shared between Asia and America, it is misleading to stress the differences. America will remain the region's dominant power for a long time yet. The biggest threats to n Asia are misperceptions, exaggerated fears or imaginary "sunspots". One not so imaginary spot is Afghanistan and Central Asia. the near future will provide an ideal testing ground for Mr. Cumings theory.

This book offers a lot of new ideas, and if half of them are true then it is worth reading. But some of the ideas put forth, like for instance trying to relate the cult of Kim Il Sung in post war Korea to the Japanese cult of the emperror when Korea was a colony are a bit of a stretch. Also, the author seems to know much more about Korea, he is okay with Japan, and biased about China, and undestimating its place in the world. It is definitely worth reading but read it critically.

This map will only be useful to you if you don't have any other basic resources, like a general world atlas or travel guides, at home.
The main map itself shows the entire South Pacific region, with country boundaries clearly marked, but individual islands reduced to the size of dots.
Major islands are shown on inset maps, however even these are still tiny - you will find bigger, more detailed, and more accurate maps of the same islands (and many more) in travel guidebooks to this region by Lonely Planet or Moon.
In short, unless you just want a general map to hang on your wall, don't waste your money on this one!

This map covers an area of the world that is not well represented in most world atlases. Excellent index. Fifty-one detailed inset maps.

I've been looking for a map for a long time of Oceania because after college I'm settling on an island by myself in search for waves. I could'nt believe all the islands I've never known about. If I was to purchase one map in conjunction with nautical charts, it would be this one.

This book should be in print, ready for keen students of Shakespeare to buy. I have a reprint by Dover, which I bought in 1967 and have intensively used; it is still in very good edition, after all those years, and was very cheap when I bought it. An enterprising publisher should do something similar at *this* time! Although Abbott wrote the book well over a century ago, it has not actually dated, but remains the one Shakespeare Grammar used by virtually all scholars and editors for guidance on the subject, and to refer other readers to. The language used by Abbott is not too technical to make his work accessible to university students, as well, though unfortunately these days few people study any kind of grammar. The book does NOT, as one might hope, offer interpretations of all the passages in Shakespeare which are notably difficult because of their grammar/syntax. It DOES, however, very well explain which grammatical features of Elizabethan English differ from our own; why those differences matter; and why we are sure to understand Shakespeare far better if we are aware of them. The material is very well arranged, in clearly identifiable paragraphs. Anyone who bothers to read the book right through will certainly come to understand Shakespeare much better as a result, though most readers will use this guide for reference only, and still benefit. There is also a good and useful section on prosody at the end of the book. Very much worth buying if you can get it, in whatever decent shape; and should be an essential part of any library containing books on Shakespeare. There is, in fact, no competitor or alternative. - Joost Daalder, Professor of English, Flinders University (South Australia)

This book was written by a schoolteacher as a proposed textbook for schoolboys -- in 1870 (at least, the third edition). I will not dispute Mr. Abbott's knowledge of Shakespeare; it is obviously extensive. But the history of the English language is far better understood now than it was in his time, and -- to put it lightly -- this book is long overdue for an extensive overhaul.
Basically, the English language had just emerged, a century before Shakespeare, from its greatest change since the Norman conquest in 1066. By Shakespeare's time it was still in flux, undergoing wild and unpredictable changes, and there were precious few rules governing grammar. Mr. Abbott attempts to impose an 1870's English teacher's concept of structure on a chaotic and glorious phase of the English language, with a predictable result: For every grammatical rule he invokes, he then cites the numerous "irregularities" that break it. The followup is inevitable: he scrambles, proposing numerous rules in an attempt to govern those irregularities, until the proposed structure becomes so unwieldy as to be almost unusable.
In addition, the structure of the book is nearly unreadable, being structured more like a reference work (e.g., a dictionary) than even the workable lesson book for which purpose it was written.
Finally, Mr. Abbott seems oblivious to the fact that what Shakespeare wrote was theatrical English, which, while related to English as it was spoken by Elizabethans as an everyday language, can NOT be taken as a consistent example of the same. Instead, he seems to relate every passage and phrase Shakespeare ever wrote to some grammatical rule, which is implied to be everyday usage.
This is not to say that it has no value. As a reference work, I found the parts near the back of the book to be more useful: it includes studies of transpositions, prefixes and suffixes, contractions, variable syllables, and accent that can be helpful to the study of Elizabethan English. Still, I would recommend checking anything learned from this book against a more contemporary authority, such as Dennis Freeborn or David Crystal.
On the whole, I'd call it a useful but cumbersome reference work, containing some very erudite scholarship, but crippled by its unreadability.

The great beauty of Abbott's study is that it is pre-eminently readable. Still, there's no pleasing some people. One reviewer has criticised Abbott's book as 'unreadable.' Perhaps it is, if you can't be bothered to stretch your mind to embrace the quite difference nuances of Shakespearian English - as against our own.But - wasn't that the purpose of the book, anyway?

Whoever you are - if you like Shakespeare, your appreciation of his work - plays and poems alike, will be enhanced by digesting the lessons and examples cited in Abbott's book, which has served us valuably since its first appearence - in 1869. It is, admittedly, a painstaking work. As such, it contains an abundance of detail which may - on first sight, seem rather overwhelming. But after all, would any reader be happy to find that the author has reneged on his duties? With Shakespeare, much often hinges on the nuance of simple particles. Abbott has carefully collated material exemplifying Shakespeare's use of grammatical particles and their place in sentence construction - spanning adverbs, adjectives, articles, conjunctions, prepositions, pronouns, relative pronouns, verbs, inflections, tenses, ellipses, prefixes, contractions, word lengthenings etc. - with supplementary observations about prosody, pronunciation thrown in for good measure.

If certain grammatical useages have left you wondering about the nuance of a particular line or passage in Shakespeare's work, Abbot's study will surely help. Quite obviously, idioms no longer in current use are likely to be among the first we wish to check out. However, more importantly, in a sense, this book will yield unexpected discoveries when it comes to the understandable but regrettable error, of reading a contemporary nuance into terms or idioms which had an entirely different meaning in Shakespeare's age. In short, as against idioms which are unfamiliar and therefore elicit conscious doubt, some of the trickier parts of Shakespeare are to be found in sentences which seem to resemble modern English - but carry another meaning. The fact that Abbott had to devote seven or eight pages to explaining the multivalent potentiality of a simple term like -'but,' is instructive viz. -

"And, but she spoke it dying,
I would not believe her lips.' Cymb. v. 5. 41

- meaning "unless she spoke it dying. . ."

"Have you no countermand for Claudio yet
But he must die tomorrow? " M for M. iv. 2. 95

- meaning 'to prevent that he must die' (or prevent his death).

" It cannot be but I am pigeon-livered"
Hamlet, ii. 2. 605

i.e. " It cannot be that I am otherwise than a coward."

" Her head's declined and death will seize her, but
Your comfort makes her rescue." A. & C. iii, 11, 48

- i.e. "only your your comfort. . . . "


Or consider this use of the relative pronoun:

"I hate the murderer, love him murdered. "
- Rich. 11. v. 5. 40

- which seems to mean "I love the fact that he is
murdered, " when it actually means "I loved him that was
murdered. "

Again, without a primer such as Abbott's, we are unlikely to negotiate our way through the semantic minefield represented by the varied nuances of 'thou, thee and thine' etc. We might suppose that they all signify a straightforward equivalent for 'you' and 'yours' etc. in modern English - but, a repeated use of 'thou' is sometimes pejorative, especially when addressed to strangers, something we would not suspect, unless alerted to this convention. Even more complex, perhaps, is the alternate use of 'thou' and 'you' - in compound sentences. This was not - as we might be tempted to think, a shift between 'formal' and casual forms of address. The 'you' was also formal. In this respect, the subtle nuances of Elizabethan English resemble Japanese, insofar as the stress upon - or relative neglect of - an honorific, can convey approval or contempt, without having to say too much in the process. This is the other side to Shakespearian English, which is not always expressed in 'crisp' epithets of the 'much-ado-about-nothing' or 'all's-well-that-ends well' type. These subtle inflexions are an essential aspect of Shakespeare's English and despite its relatively dated origins, Abbott's study remains one of the best places to look for a guide to the grammar of Shakespearian English.

but for some reason I expected this to be a book with Marine Corps combat photography in it. There are very few pictures- it's mostly text. Maybe I didn't read the review well enough, but it wasn't what I expected. It might be a good read, but I'll be returning it to get something with combat photos in it.

Soule's book is a must read. It not only demonstrates great heroism of Marines and Marine photographers busy documenting the Pacific War, it also conveys a series of valuable anacdotes derived from his personal diary of the time. These are valuable to readers who might be engaged in dangerous endeavors such as reporting or documenting events in hotspots around the world today. Truly an exciting, pleasant and informative book well worth your time.

This book gives the reader, in hair-raising detail and gentle humor, the story of a green-horn photographer turned battle scarred fighter for freedom, in the days before and after Guadalcanal. The "can do, will do" spirit of the American troops in spite of all odds, is beautifully depicted. Thayer Soule was there and his word pictures are as good as his photography, which won many awards. Well worth reading.

The author has done a valuable service by unearthing material that sheds light on World War Two in the Northern Pacific island chains of the Aleutians and Kuriles. For this he is to be commended.

But the book does not rise much above the compliment "decent little book." The author writes in the sparing, bare-bones style of a journalist without imparting any sense of drama to the story. The facts are there, along with some interpretations, but no forceful sense of conviction. One could say that this is more of a series of articles rather than a book, per se. The book contains several appendices that could have been used to more effect in the chapters rather than tucked in at the end.

Nevertheless, author Hays does give the reader a better understanding of the war in the Northern Pacific, especially the effects on the troops who were stationed there.

On the eve of World War II Japan, the US and the Soviet Union collided in the North Pacific - and Alaska's Hidden Wars: Secret Campaigns On The North Pacific Rim charts these conflicts for the first time, revealing not minor skirmishes but major campaigns which pitted Americans against the Japanese well before Pearl Harbor. Alaska's Hidden Wars tells of Japanese raids, American campaigns, and two years of air raids and bombardments in Alaska during the war. Newly declassified archives allows the story to final come to light!

In this short, succinct book, a collection of three lectures given in the 1980s, Stegner sums up the history, problems, and ever-so-bleak future of the American West. He paints the clearest and most inarguable case that has yet seen print against the overdevelopement of the West's water, land, and resources and, jarringly, recants his youthful appelation of the West as "the geography of hope."This should be required reading in every high school, every college, and every home in the West--make that the entire country--no, make it the world.

These three essays are crisp, clear statements of Wallace Stegner's beliefs about the influence of the American West on American consciousness.

Please note, however, that these three essays appear with 13 others in Stegner's book _Where the Bluebird Sings to the Lemonade Springs_. With a total of 16 essays, that book is a much better value than _American West as Living Space_.

The book is kind of dry at times but it's a very interesting account of the climb. The equipment they had was nothing compared to today. Now a days climbers won't go up without their fancy 400$ leather or plastic boots with clip on crampons, ultralight ice axes.. These guys went up with leather moccasins with 5 layers of wool socks in them and their ice axes and crampons were hand made from existing tools.

All in all a definate read if you are interested in the history of mountaineering.

This is a well-written tribute to those who made the trip. Their success is amazing, given the equipment they had at the time. I really felt like I was with them. Any climber/outdoor nut should read this.

I love the desert, in general, and the Black Rock desert, from the few times that I have visited there, and I plan to explore it more. I visited the show of these photograhs at Reno's Art Museum so bought the book without really reading it first as I thought that it would be a good introduction and guide to the area. Big mistake.

It is a classic "Coffee table" book, that is, if you leave it on your coffee table and some one picks it up and looks at it for no more than five minutes it is impressive. However, don't try reading it. The text is pretentious, trying to be mystical, poetic and profound but only achieving verbosity. The text is merely an excuse to pad and space out the photographs which are NICE, but not great. Any amateur photographer with a good eye could do as well. Nothing is really spectacular which is strange given the number of years that the author has visited the desert.

There is some actual interesting information but the text could be condensed to four pages for a very nice pamphlet on the area.

It is the kind of book that a small university press publishes to show how hip it is to its locale.

I received this book two days ago as a gift. I am absolutely enthralled by the images and just getting started on the text. I'm having a difficult time pulling myself away from the beautiful pictures of the haunting Black Rock. as a resident of northern Nevada and a frequent visitor to the Black Rock Desert I can attest to this book's ability to capture the feeling of one of the world's most unique landscapes. A must for the Black Rock lover and suggested for anyone interested in the Black Rock but unable to get there in person. This book certainly shows the unique beauty of the Black Rock and makes a strong case for the preservation of the fragile environment of the playa.

This is the personal and medical memoir of Dr. James Yamazaki, an American of Japanese descent who went to Japan a few years after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Dr. Yamazaki went to study the effects of radiation exposure on the populace, and particularly its effects on children. Dr. Yamazaki spent several years in Nagasaki before returning to the US to continue research on the effects of radiation on children (as well as having a general pediatric practice.)

In addition to his pioneering medical work, he also talked to government commissions about nuclear disarmament. He told them what he saw in Japan in the aftermath of the atomic bomb. His medical knowledge gave him the authority to speak as a peace activist as well.

A highly recommended, highly moving book. It is short and easy to read and should be essential reading to all human beings about those horrible days in the history of the world.

"Children of the Atomic Bomb" is a disturbing look into the after effects of the atomic bombs dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima during World War II. In reference to the fallout of radiation, the Marshall Islands incident is also discussed. The author's primary emphasis is placed on the bomb's effects on children, including those still in the womb and those not yet conceived.

There is a great deal of valuable information in this book, though I must admit I found the explanations too short at times. Dr. Yamazaki is an American of Asian descent, who served his country in World War II. Because of his nationality, he endured racism depite being an American. Ironically, even in his research in Japan he endured prejudice because he was seen as an American. This gives an interesting twist to the story.

Dr. Yamazaki's focus began in studying the unborm children of the atomic bomb. While the adults in the fallout tended to develop cancer at high rates later in life, the children had a high motality rate. Cancer and mental retardation were among the primary defects developed in these children. Many were also born with small heads, caused by the soft tissue of the skull solidifing too soon. These "pica babies" or babies of the blinding flash showed an alarming vulnerablity during the eighth and fifteenth weeks of development. Babies in this span of development showed the greatest health problems. Searching for genetic defects is the next goal of the research, though the stigma of being a pica baby makes some reluctant to come forward for research.

One of the things I enjoyed about the book was that Dr. Yamazaki did not choose to argue for or against the use of the bomb. Instead, he chose to pursue the possibility that something like this should never happen again. In American culture, we pay little attention to the after effects of the Atomic Bomb in Japan. Our primary focus in America in studying World War II is the fall of the Nazi regime. This book is an eye-opening experience in the events that unfolded in Japan as the war ended. My only complaint is that the book is often too concise.

One thing's for sure: Higham's 1985 ORSON WELLES: THE RISE AND FALL OF AN AMERICAN GENIUS is an entertaining read.

Published just months before Welles' death, RISE determines to cut through Welles' mythmaking and debunk the legend. It is quite effective in doing so.

But Higham short-changes the last thirty years of Welles' life, and is so determined to emphasize the bad things that the overall portrait emerges as grotesque. This might not be bad if Welles was not so famously charming.

ORSON WELLES, THE SHADOW, AND OLD TIME RADIO By Mike Ray

Before he made Citizen Kane (recently named the Greatest American Movie ever), and before his success at the Gate Theatre in Dublin, and the Apollo Theatre in New York, Orson Welles was the top Radio star of his day. Barely 21 years old, Welles was the producer and director of "The Mercury Theatre on the Air," as well as the main attraction of "The American Cavalcade," and as Lamont Cranston, the dapper man about town, in "The Shadow."

Yes it's true, Welles had "THE VOICE," but he was also a pure genius (not a term to be thrown around lightly). He had a vision for what he wanted to accomplish, and many of his Radio productions are considered (60 years later) the greatest programs the industry ever produced.

Welles believed that ones creative days are limited. So he literally conducted his life burning both end! ! s of the candle to accomplish everything he wanted to do. His typical day would have him start out at 8 a.m. with the Mutual Radio Network, and then he would rush across town to hit NBC by nine. He, and that marvelous voice would be needed at CBS to do the Shadow at 10 a.m. Then back to Mutual and continue the process throughout the day. Not only was that process physically draining on Welles, it was also nerve racking trying to make his job appointments on time. One day a co-worker (Agnes Moorhead of the Mercury Theatre) suggested to him that he rent out an ambulance and with siren blaring weave in and out of traffic to get him to the networks on time. Welles found out that it was not against the law to travel in this fashion, and adopted this mode of transportation for the next 2 years.

At night Welles would produce his own stage productions, using money he earned from all of his radio jobs during the day. Quite often his Mercury Theatre Radio team would join him in his e! ! vening pursuits. Welles and his Mercury crew produced Shake! speare's "Julius Caesar" in New York. The play was such a hit it put him on the cover of TIME. Not bad for a chubby kid from Kenosha, Wisconsin. Welles then produced Macbeth with an all black cast at the Apollo theatre in Harlem. The Apollo was not only sold out, but on opening night traffic was at a standstill for over a mile radius of the Theatre. The play was an unqualified success. Welles received rave reviews from critics everywhere.

Still on his breakneck pace, the now 22 year old sensation was about to embark on the project that would make him a household name in America. On October 30, 1938 Welles and his Mercury Theatre presented "The War of the Worlds" by H.G. Wells.

The story is about a Martian invasion of earth. Under Welles' direction, the play was written and performed so it would sound like a news broadcast about an invasion from Mars. As the play unfolded, dance music was interrupted a number of times by fake news bulletins reportin! ! g that a "huge flaming object" had dropped on a farm near Grovers Mill, New Jersey. Welles direction was so stupendous that people either forgot that they were listening to a program, or turned on the radio and thought the news bulletins were real. It caused a huge panic. People packed the roads, hid in cellars, loaded guns, even wrapped their heads in wet towels as protection from Martian poison gas.

Welles and his team of Mercury Theater players made one of the most fascinating and important demonstrations of all time. They proved that a few effective voices, accompanied by sound effects, can convince people of most anything, even an invasion from Mars, and create a nationwide panic.

But that is the power of radio. Thought provoking, exciting, thrilling, and entertaining.

As one who grew up with radio drama, I can't think of a better way to be entertained than to sit back, relax, and enjoy one of those great programs of years gone by. Especially if it's Or! ! son Welles.