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Europe Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

The Rules of the Game : Jutland and British Naval Command

Published in Paperback by Naval Institute Press (2000-09)

Author: Andrew Gordon

List price: $29.95

Used price: $175.00

Average review score:

Should be required reading for all Naval Officers

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2002-09-27

The other reviews of "The Rules of the Game" above succinctly summarize this important contribution to naval history. The descriptions of Jutland are worth the price of admission alone, but its real value lies in its disection of the mindset of those Victorian naval officers who shaped the Royal Navy during its period of greatest transition. There are many lessons to be learnt for today's professional officer, and this book should be freely circulating in the Naval Colleges of the world.

Relevant to Post 9-11 and the Road to War with Iraq

Helpful Votes: 11 out of 13 total.
Review Date: 2003-07-30

In the aftermath of 9-11 and the concerted efforts by both the policy and intelligence leadership in both America and the United Kingdom to both deny that 9-11 was a failure on their parts, and to "sex up" the dossiers leading to an unjust war in Iraq, I really like and recommend this book to anyone remotely connected to national security decision-making.

There are four major points in this book that neither the publicity prose nor the earlier reviewers emphasize, and I focus on these because they are the heart of the book and the core of its value:

1) Peacetime breeds officers, systems, and doctrine that are unlikely to stand the empirical test of war. As the author notes, every incompetent in war has previously been promoted to his or her high rank in peacetime. Systems are adopted without serious battle testing or interoperability (and intelligence) supportability being assured, and doctrine takes a back seat to protocol and keeping up appearances.

2) Technologists are especially pernicious and dangerous to future warfighting capability when they are allowed to promulgate new technology under ideal peacetime conditions, and not forced to stand the test of battle-like degradation and the friction of real-world conditions.

3) Doctrine based on the lessons of history rather than the pomp of peacetime is the ultimate insurance policy.

4) Robust--even intrusive and pervasive--communications (signaling) in peacetime is almost certain to denigrate healthy doctrinal development, has multiple pernicious effects on the initiative and development of individual commanders, and can have catastrophic consequences when it is severely degraded in wartime and the necessary doctrinal foundation and command initiative are lacking.

This is a very long book at 708 pages, and I would hasten to note that the book is worth purchasing even if only to read Chapter 25, pages 562-601, in which the author brilliantly sets forth 28 distinct "propositions". The balance of the book is extraordinary in its detail and a pleasure to scan over, but its primary role is to absolutely guarantee the credibility and industry of the author.

Each of the 28 propositions, one sentence in length with varying explanatory summaries, is compelling, relevant, and most critical to how we train both flag officers and field grade officers of all the services. Were the author so inclined, I would encourage him to develop the final chapter as a stand-alone primer for military leaders seeking to learn from history and avoid the dangerous juxtaposition of too much technology and too little thought. While the author draws his propositions from an excruciatingly detailed study of the Battle of Jutland and the British naval cultures in conflict before and after Jutland, this book is not, at root, about a specific battle, but rather about the constantly forgotten "first principles" of training, equipping, and organizing forces for combat. Hard to do in peacetime with the best of leaders, a tragedy in waiting with the more common peacetime pogues in charge. "Ratcatchers", the author's phrase for those who do well in war, are crushed by the peacetime protocols, and this is perhaps the greatest lesson of all: we must nurture our ratcatchers, even place them on independent duty to travel distant lands, but somehow, someway, keep them in play against the day when we need them.

Phenomenal, unique study on Military culture and its impact

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2004-01-21

This is indeed terrific book. It does not only focus on
the battle of Jutland itself, but on the whys and wherefores of how things came to be. By looking back in time to the societal and cultural institutions of Victorian Society, how it influenced thought and conduct within the Royal Navy, we come to
understand how the British failed to destroy the German High Seas Fleet. The author skewers the officers for their blind obedience to the "Signals Book" and the lack
of originality in thought and deeds. There is nothing more insidious to military efficacy than a lengthy peace to promote
complacency and martial decay. Without a challenge to its command of the seas for nearly a century, the peacetime Royal Navy lost its Nelsonian touch and became a Corps of bureaucrats and spit and polish types, forever shuffling papers and scrubbing the decks. It became an absolute fetish and was the main criteria for advancement for career minded officers
to the detriment of actual war fighting capabilities. This and many other details are brought to light in this book. There is so much more to say, but best to grab a copy yourself and READ IT!!!

Unbelievable - Loved this book, a must for learning

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2003-09-12

This was a great book to read. It flowed well and was exciting throughout. I found the relevance in this work not only in how it explains what happens when peacetime complacence takes over the military, but also how it can be applied when examining leadership in business, especially big business. Those management styles that describe Britain's naval commanders from Nelson to Tryon to Culme-Seymour to Jellicoe and Beatty can easily be applied to the management styles of many of America's big corporations. I've always believed that the study of military history is critical in being successful as management within a big corporation. This is a must read for anyone wanting to understand management and command style.

I was glad that this work was not completely one-sided. Andrew Gordon stated how commanders like Sir John Jellicoe and Sir Hugh Evan-Thomas were in many aspects not up to leading a wartime battle command because of their reliance on central control and inflexibility to the fluidity of battle. It also showed how much of Lord Nelson's command style appeared in Sir David Beatty, but he does not hide the fact that Beatty made many big mistakes that led to the loss of two capital ships a few thousand sailors. Beatty at times is shown as reckless (the Battlecruiser Force lacked the targting accuracy when needed most and two battlecruisers were lost) and not a good communicator (he did meet with Evan-Thomas to explain what he expected of them and caused the 5th Battle Force to take much unnecessary damage). But, he was a courageous commander and did his part by leading (as ordered) the German High Seas Fleet to Jellicoe's Grand Fleet of over 35 capital ships. It also shows that despite his shortcomings, Evan-Thomas was a brave man and did his part during the fight with the Germans.

After getting into this book, I was hoping to read more on the German aspect of the battle, especially since Admiral Scheer almost led his High Seas Fleet to annihilation by the Grand Fleet not once, but several times during the battle. But, the fact that Andrew Gordon was a former British Naval officer and that his work concentrated on his organization, I can understand why he explained the British aspect of the battle. Plus, his main focus was not the battle, but how command style wholly influenced the outcome of this engagement.

A study of corporate paralysis in the crucible of battle

Helpful Votes: 7 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2004-02-20

I have read many books of military history covering a variety of campaigns, but never have I read one with such breadth and insight as this. The enormity of the drama embodied in the moment the fleets met at Jutland is for the first time matched by an author's ability to depict a context rich enough to help us understand the influences which fed this cataclysmic misfire of naval strength.

Gordon focuses on the tension between doctrine's role as a useful tool for helping a widely flung set of commanders act in concert when distance, smoke, and angst prevent their communication and how a careless search for practical doctrine might invite a stifling dogma in its stead. As Gordon so fluidly writes of the malaise gripping the "fleet that had dozed unchallenged in the long calm lee of Trafalgar", the trust Nelson placed in subordinates had not long survived his death in that battle and its heir was an officious busyness centered on sparkle and conformity.

Particularly delightful in this work and an aspect not to be missed is the benefit to be realized by using two bookmarks when reading it, with the second preserving your spot in the end notes. Its 100+ pages of notes manifest a stringent and complete attribution of his borrowings, but a great many of the notes are not simply citations of others work but illuminating tidbits well worth savoring as you plow along the main text.

A new reader will also find that color has not been sacrificed in the rush to meet the obligations of covering so large a battle. My favorite anecdote was one of an untroubled officer on HMS Lion who, unaware that the Germans had truly been sighted, calmly finished preparing his sandwich as action stations were rung. The mental picture formed of his arriving on the bridge with mouth full and hoagie in hand is not unlike someone doing "the wave" in the audience at Ford's Theatre as Lincoln takes his seat.

I mean the 5 stars. I have given 5 copies of this book to people I know, simply to ensure that they might understand the mania for naval history it has fanned in my heart. If there is any justice in this world, this book will enjoy a massive new print run.

SCULPTING IN TIME: REFLECTIONS ON THE CINEMA

Published in Paperback by FABER AND FABER (1989)

Author: ANDREI TARKOVSKII

List price:

Average review score:

A Cinematic Must!

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-10

Tarkovsky's 'Sculpting in Time' offers a fascinating glimpse into this master's theoretical and poetic approach to his craft. Reading it alongside with 'Time Within Time', his diaries collected, the text casts a new light upon the work and mind of this artist of truth and sacrifice - A true must for art lovers worldwide.

A true inspiration

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-10-26

I was introduced to Tarkovsky's work about 20 years ago during my time in film school, and The Sacrifice was the movie that turned me on to his outstanding cinematic legacy. The more I saw, the more I wanted to learn about the artist. Then I came upon Sculpting In Time; a cinematic memoir which has forever changed my life, and my artistic visions.

This book is nothing short of inspirational. I highly recommend it even if you are not familiar with Tarkovsky's work. Each chapter is loving written, eloquently detailed and profoundly insightful on topics such as the importance of sound, story and visual aesthetics in filmmaking. Tarkovsky's ability to, quite literally, sculpt cinematic moments in time in each of his films is nothing short of genius.

Instant Light

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2005-01-24

Thames & Hudson have triumphed with what collectors might regard as a limited edition, artist's book.This isn't the place to start chipping into Tarkovsky. It is more the devotee's piece - a touchstone which alludes to the magnificent ediface of his films: all which return the viewer to their world with a deeper, more spacious vision, an expanded present moment. In 'Rubelov','Solaris', 'Stalker', and,'Sacrifice', to name my favourites, he re-invented the epic with sustained inquiries into our transience without heady verbalism or vanity. To grapple with his own thinking about his achievements and how he positioned himself as an artist, one should seek out,'Sculpting In Time,'penned towards the end of his relatively short life. Recently, French documentary-maker, Chris Marker('Sunless') compiled a stunning homage to this Russian cinematic master. Bits of Tarkovsky's aforementioned book, and excerpts from his diaries appear with the reproduced polaroid snaps(the present book's theme)which fall into two geographic zones, Italy & Russia and are bookended with short tributes by two Italian friends. Every effort has been made in layout to convey the darkened atmosphere in which the illuminated materiality of these world's float to the viewer's eye. And in images barely larger than matchboxes this scale has some of the hallucinatory power of his movies. The layout & medium insist on episodic, fragmentary framing. Tarkovsky's films privilege the same exquisite framing with a sensual appetite for textures above narratives that makes us feel newly arrived at a primary experiencing of the world. These polaroids could have served as his flexing towards film projects: even their outtakes.

A true master book from master film maker!

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2004-07-21

Sculpting in the time represents one of the most expressive eloquents statements of one of the supreme masters in the cinema art as Andrei Tarkovsky was .
All long this book you will read several aspects of the man , the thinker , the poet and above all the unvaluable reflections about the art in general and his craft in particular .
Tarkovsky makes an account about all his filmography ; making a detailed and exhaustive explanation about every film .
You will understand in all his wideness conceptual some concepts derivated about the role of the cinema in the actual world . The influence of ancient directors , his opinions about the role of the artist in the world , and some mesmerizing photos from his films as Ivan' s childhood , the Mirror , Nostalghia or Andrei Rubliov . There are some poems from his father Arseni Tarkovsky who were part of films such The mirror in the Spanish Civil War and the poem from the poet from Nosthalgia for instance .
It's a must for you to acquire this book . For me it was a delightful surprise to get this text in New York in 1995 .
Fundamental artistic legacy from this russian ( 04-04-32 / 12-29-6 ) master: in memoriam!

Cinema as an Art form

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-25

"Sculpting in Time" is truly an amazing work of art in its own right. Certainly filmmakers have written books about their artistic styles in the past. Philosophers have written elaborately on the subject of aesthetics as a whole in the past as well. And yet "Sculpting in Time" offers those with aesthetic interests something truly unique.

It should be forewarned that Tarkovsky, like Ingmar Bergman, was heavily interested in aesthetic philosophy. In fact Tarkovsky's ideas regarding art borderline the metaphysical (as this book is often used in higher level philosophy classes), and yet - through the tone in which the book is written - "Sculpting in Time" manages to appeal to the average Tarkovsky or cinema studies fan in such a way that no other aesthetics book has managed.

Tarkovsky's self-written "Sculpting in Time" is an amazing supplement which describes the brilliant filmmaker's use of filmic techniques but also goes a step further by explaining (at great length), why the filmmaker believes those techniques are significant. The value of his tried efforts to create a meaningful work of art directly relate to Tarkovsky's view of art as a whole.

Tarkovsky's views of art are complex and yet are reiterated for the reader so simply they stand out in "Sculpting in Time" like a gem. For instance the underlying theme in Tarkovsky's writing is the idea of an "absolute truth" of art which can be derived a given piece of art. Without giving too much away, Tarkovsky's beliefs, as expressed in his chapter "Imprinted in Time" mostly, is simply that art done for the right reasons - containing some form of objective truth within it - serves to link us (subjective beings), with an "absolute." From that blooms Tarkovsky's entire creative aspect fans of his films know and love him for.

I have to recommend this book to anyone interested in aesthetics, cinema studies, or Tarkovsky. I think this is a nice supplement to have when watching Tarkovsky films as well, so it might just serve to spark the interest in a philosophy buff to check out a few Tarkovsky films! Enjoy!

The Spy Wore Red

Published in Hardcover by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC (1987-09-17)

Author: Aline, Countess of Romanones

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Used price: $13.25

Average review score:

I don't believe a word of it, but what a hoot!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-03

I don't buy any of it, not for a minute. But, this is a much more enjoyable read than several of the so-called "thrillers" I've read recently. Just suspend your disbelief, dive right in, and be swept away!

Amazing autobiography

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-12

Aline, Countess of Romanos has written a spectacular book. I had to keep reminding myself that I was reading an autobiography and not a work of fiction. Aline is an agent for the OSS during World War II. She blends into Spanish high society and manages to complete her mission and introduce the reader to the thrills and chills of being an undercover agent. She also gives us a glimpse of Spanish Aristocracy, bull fighting and the inner workings of a nineteen year olds dilemma of befriending people who may be targets of her investigation. I have read all of her books but like this one the best. It is full of action, drama, and even a touch of romance. I have recommended it to all of my friends.

Great books

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-20

I have purchased 4 books by Aline Romanos. I absolutely love them. The fact that there is truth behind the story and that she really was an upper-class lady as well as a spy excites me. I find myself wishing I lived an adventurous life. She has a talent when it comes to recreating her life and exploits. I could not put it down!

Fascinating Page-Turner

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2005-01-13

Written like a fiction novel, this factual, first-person account of a young woman spy during World War II is absolutely enthralling. You'll get a first-hand look into what it's like to be recruited and trained as a spy, then go on your first assignment, mingling with the highest Spanish society while secretly risking your life to uncover essential Axis secrets. The characters in the novel are rich and compelling, and you never know what's going to happen next to the protagonist/ingenue Aline.

I read this book in the '80s and have remembered it ever since. I finally found it again and reread it. It's just as fascinating now as it was then.

The only drawback: If you read at night, you won't get much sleep because this book is nearly impossible to put down.

A counterfeit spy

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2006-01-28

The most respected historian in the field of espionage, Nigel West, studied all of Aline's spy books marketed as nonfiction and concluded "...all four of Aline's books should be regarded as fiction, and nothing more..." Read "Counterfeit Spies, Chapter 3, by Nigel West, 1998.

Babi Yar: A Docutment in the Form of a Novel; New, Complete, Uncensored Version

Published in Paperback by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (1970-12)

Author: A. Anatoli (Kuznetsov)

List price: $32.00

New price: $21.20
Used price: $18.35

Average review score:

Excellent - leaves a lasting impression

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-23

I have only read the version of Babi Yar by Anatoly Kuznetzov. I'm not sure it is the same book as the one described here by A. Anatoli. However the book I read in 1980 left an indelible impression. The horrors of human cruelty and survival instincts of the oppressed are portrayed very well by the author especially since it is being told from the viewpoint of a 12 year old. As someone else commented; it is not for the squeamish.

Tragic

Helpful Votes: 10 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 2005-05-08

I first read this book in high school as a shelf clearing library rat. It was not recommended, it was not widely known, it just sat on a shelf gathering dust. As far as I could tell, I was the first person to check this book out of my high school's library....books used to have cards glued to the back page where you signed your name...this one had no signatures. I read "Babi Yar" 3 times in the next 2 weeks and was stunned at the inhumanity of people towards people. I actually had trouble sleeping for a while. I didn't run across this book again for another 25 years. It kind of jumped at me from the shelf at my local library. It offered the same brutal emotional clubbing at 41 that I had experienced at 16. No different. How horrible can we actually be as humans? Pretty damn horrible it appears. The progessive rape of Kiev (et al) by Stalin, the Nazis, and Stalin AGAIN is a mostly overlooked story. This one tells it quite well. Music lovers should listen to Al Stewart's "Roads to Moscow" for a somewhat hurried reference.

exceptional

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2006-07-08

This is by far the most significant piece ever written about the Holocaust. Amazingly, the author was a KGB agent while writing the book. He died under very mysterious circumstances.

It is amusing that one of the reviewers questions the authenticity of the story.

I recommend reading books by Elie Wiesel and Imre Kertesz as well. Read Yevgeny Yevtushenko's great poem too.

True or False? You Decide

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 13 total.
Review Date: 2005-08-28

I am reluctant to believe that this novel is all true. It is sold as fiction, placed in libraries in fiction, and even teh Library of Congress lists it as such. Whether or not, it remains that this is an intruiging novel. I read it when I was a senior in high school back in 1996, and it has always been in the back of my mind.

Read it, research it, form your own opinions.

Some questions remain that I wonder about. Why were there no forensic tests or archaeological digs? Surely there is nothing to hide anymore. I would really be interested in reading further into this story and seeing what information can be gathered using science.

I am sorry for the above commenter's obvious pain my initial review caused. I was, I believe, researching in the worng way.

A truthful, harrowing story

Helpful Votes: 7 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2005-09-06

I read this book in the original Russian. I could not put it down until I read the whole thing. As far as truthfulness I have absolutely no doubt, since his accounts are the same that I have heard from my own grandparents who fought in and survived in the war. To the reviewer below - Jeannette DuPree (South Carolina), what do the modern historians doubt? The thousands of victims (including the immediate members of my family) of German brutality? It's revisionist lying.

The Beer Drinker's Guide to Munich

Published in Paperback by Freizeit Publishers (2005-09-28)

Author: Larry Hawthorne

List price: $15.95

New price: $9.40
Used price: $9.36

Average review score:

Author is Also a Great Pitcher

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2007-02-05

I know Larry Hawthorne as a comptetitive ballplayer who hits a lot better than your average pitcher. Knowing him this way, and being a writer myself, I recommend his book because I know he is honest, a clean player, and would not steer you wrong. Not a good enough reason to buy the book?
I could say, as the old joke goes about politicians, that he has never done a mean, rotten thing that he hasn't been sorry for, but I haven't known Larry long enough to know if he has ever done a mean, rotten thing. I know he is generous with baseball tips and has the best cooler on the sidelines. If you met him on the street he would greet you with a smile. In fact, if I asked him, he would autograph your book for you. That's how nice a guy he is. What more do you want from a book about beer in Munich? Check the excerpt and other reviews and see for yourself. If he is reading this right now, he is slapping his head with his hand and saying, "The next time Steve comes up to bat I'm pitching him a slow fat one right across the plate so he can hit it out of the park for the first time in his life!" That's how nice a guy he is.
I met him in the high deserts of south california, out where Jesus lost his boots, where right field is littered with gopher holes, where the 'Swingin' Steves' try to give him fits by getting line drives, and I'm glad I got the chance to get to know him. He made my first year as a softball player a lot more enjoyable, which was real special to me because I hadn't played since high school and needed all the help I could get. If you are still reading this then you are a serious beer drinker and if you are planning on going anywhere near Munich you need Larry by your side. From the other reviews you can see he is a great guide and knows his stuff (and his hops, he's always talking about the hops) so I will tell you the one flaw I found in Larry. He swings at everything. But he has a respectable batting average so I'm not going to knock what works for him. I'm a little shorter than him so maybe that makes me want to wait for the best pitch because I dont have the strength he does to drive the ball into the gaps. Well, I was kidding about Larry giving me a big fat pitch for this rambling review, in fact he might just hunker down and feed me low inside pitches because he can and he wants his team to win as much as I do. Like I said, a great competitor and if I still drank beer (diabetes) and had an urge to visit my great-great-grandparents homeland (apparently one of us was a king in Denmark around 1000 ad) I would still buy the cheapest version of this book I could find (that's just me, I'm cheap) but I would read it cover to cover because I trust this guy to give me the real deal. Hoist one for Larry, beer and book fans, and just for your information I wrote this cold sober. Honest. Why would I lie? And if any reporters for the National Enquirer or da Globe, etc. want the real inside dope on Larry I would be willing to supply even more colorful anecdotes to prove it.

Munich Beer Drinkers

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-12

This book is suprisingly good and gives extended information about various interesting locales in Munich. The beer locales are a kick. One could spend the whole trip visiting these occasionally quite interesting and cozy dispensers of comustibles and brews.

Great Buy!

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-22

This book more than pays for itself with the coupons for free beer in the back! Great book too. Has directions to a lot of amazing beirgartens!

This book helped me find beer!

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-10

I went to Munich for Oktoberfest this year -- got there on a Thursday night and left the following Wednesday. Monday was spent at Oktoberfest. That meant Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday we needed to find beer gardens! This book was the perfect guide -- you can find them by S or U-Bahn stop, even! The 2-for-one certificates were a special bonus. I logged all the beers I drank on the inside cover -- 35 beers in 5 days. Nine of those were the masse size. Burp. Highly recommended.

Best Tour Book

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2005-09-10

I have gone through 3 versions of this book, been to Munich 6 times, and I still find new and exciting things to do by reading it.

The BDG2M allows you to sample the best Munich has to offer, and to go to places that tourists and locals love. Reading the book gives you a good idea of the wonderful culture, that IS Bavaria. It's not all about drinking beer, but the unique sense of community, family, and history you will find.

The directions to the beer halls are great. They are simple, easy to follow, and close to infallible. Of course, when there is beer at the end of the road, you tend not to get lost. ;-)

I applaud Larry in his everlasting devotion to this subject. Every edition is fresh, and new adventures await every turn of the page.

Birds of Europe

Published in Paperback by Princeton University Press (2000-04-10)

Authors: Killian Mullarney, Lars Svensson, Dan Zetterstrom, and Peter J. Grant

List price: $29.95

New price: $18.68
Used price: $17.80

Average review score:

Not a field guide, The Birds Field Guide

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-15

Very good guide, good pictures, good texts and very logical distribution of info. Lids are something ligth.
If a friend asks me advice, I have no doubt: Mullarney-Svensson guide.

The shipment was packed correctly and within the expected delivery time.

Wonderful Field Guide

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-25

This is just simply a wonderful field guide, and definitely the best bird book for European species. I also own the RSPB guide to British birds which I picked up on the fly in the UK; however, I chose to leave that behind in favor of Mullarney et al. when I relocated to Germany. The descriptions, field marks, and pictures are wonderful. It also has pictures and descriptions of both males, females and juveniles, which my other book didn't have for all species, much to my dismay (at least 1 instance for a sexually dimorphic species). It's also relatively compact making it easier to carry in the field. The ordering of the songbirds is a little different from Sibley, but this is easy to adjust to. This certainly is a must have for all birders that might be traveling to Europe.

Wonderful guide

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-25

It's a wonderful guide, with simple explanations and beautiful images.
For amateurs and ornitologists.

Very detailed!

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-13

I was going to Europe on a trip where I would be doing some birdwatching, and bought this book based on reviews on Amazon. The book turned out to be great! Each bird has a comprehensive description with details on identification and distinguishing it from other birds with a similar appearance or bird call. Each also has an illustration with the birds in multiple poses, M/F, adult/young, and other features such as common surroundings which was very helpful. There's no quick-key by color - birds are arranged by groups rather than color - but I found this to be a minor inconvenience weighed against the wealth of info in this book.

A unique and wonderful birdwatching guide

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-18

If you need ONE birdwatching guide for Europe, I highly recommend this one. It is comprehensive, it has rich information (including, of course, habitat and maps), and the illustrations are absolutely a delight to watch. Most birdwatching guides are illustrated by mediocre artists. Not this one. It is worth its price even if you do not care about birdwatching and you just like wildlife art. The many little illustrations showing birds in their own habitat are simply beautiful, and are a nice change from the standard "bird on uniform background" which are the standard for BW guides. From an artistic point of you, it's even better that Sibley's guide to the bird of North America (the one guide I recommend for the US). The book is not one of the lightest, but it's small enough that it's not much of a burden to bring it with you (it's smaller and lighter than Sibley). This is a wonderful book, certainly superior to other field guides such as the old Peterson Mountford and Hollom, which will of course remain a classic. Highly highly recommended!

Death and the Dervish (Writings from an Unbound Europe)

Published in Hardcover by Northwestern University Press (1996-08-14)

Author: Mesa Selimovic

List price: $64.00

Used price: $59.80

Average review score:

A rare example of a true Masterpiece.

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-17

The word masterpiece is too often used for all kinds of material that barely rises above the level of mediocrity. Selimovich is a master of the craft, and this is his great work. As simple as that. It should be apparent to those with a sense of literary merit from the first pages that this is an exceptional piece of writing. If however you don't like challenges I'd recommend lighter fare. Selimovich is intense to a point almost unbearable at times. The book is as internal as they come, but the narrative does move, and the characters that intrude on the tortured protagonist's awareness are well drawn. Which is an understatement. The penetration we get into diverse mentalities and the rendering of their physicality, awe the reader. If you are a writer this is an essential book. This is true for anyone who believes in the art of the novel. This will serve as an example of the highest order.

Heavy going

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2005-09-26

A book I can say I really enjoyed (once I had finished) but I have to say it was HEAVY GOING! The author has the habit of many Eastern European writers in that he likes to go into the most minute detail of his characters which at times is quite pleasant in that it gives you a more detailed picture in your mind of the times he is writing about but at others makes you want to scream out GET ON WITH IT!!! Which is how I felt for the first 40 odd pages of this book after which it does start to get interesting. The character of the dervish is something of a reflection of the author whose own brother was executed by the authorities and he like the dervish in the book failed to to all that he could to prevent his execution. At times you sympathise with the character but at others he can disgust you with his inaction and lack of determination. His encounters with the Islamic judges of the town are wonderful and really give you a picture of life in Ottoman Bosnia and the corruption that had infected (some) of its officials although the author could equally be talking about the Yugoslavia in which he lived in.

I must say I read this book mostly because I was interested in Ottoman history and I seriously doubt that had I not such a strong interest in Ottoman history that I would have finished this book.

This book stands as one of the few translations of Bosnian literature in the English language and though it is an excellent book it can also be a tiresome book.

Dervish and Death

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2004-09-19

Mesa Selimovic was a great writer and it's a pitty that he didn't win the Nobel Prize (to my knowledge, he was never even considered). A talent like his is rare. "Dervish and Death" is a book I enjoyed reading very much, for the first time, and each time afterwards I enjoyed it even more. Unfortunatelly, this is not the case with all of Selimovic's works, as some of them are, to put it plainly, boring.
What captivated me about "Dervish..." is Selimovic's sentence, which is so melodic that it almost seems like poetry.
This is a demanding book and not the easiest read in the world. Even though it is a simple story, it takes time and it must be consumed slowly. Recommended but only if you have a lot of time on your hands.

Wan Keeper of a Pale Flame

Helpful Votes: 7 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2004-05-24

Imagine that justice flees your homeland. Imagine fair play the faint dream of centuries, a spiritual aspiration carried like low flame into ever-present darkness. What if tending this flame became your inescapable duty? What if you alone held the last bit of light amidst bottomless evil?

And what of your loved ones? What if they were carried off to hopeless incarceration for the mere whiff of fortuitous knowledge, (knowledge obtained by proximity, not involvement)? If you lived in a place wholly unacquainted with anything resembling justice and all was pervasively corrupt, diffident autocracy, would you, could you be . . .Courageous? Ethical? Forgiving?

Would you carry The Flame?

What if the tables turned and you suddenly, inexplicably were granted powers you assumed would always escape your grasp? How would you use them?

"Death and the Dervish" takes place in 17th century Bosnia, in the cruel, clumsy colonialism of an Ottoman "kasaba," a provincial outpost of enervated empire. The story's events occur in the ethical vacuum invariably created by over-extended empire.

Not enough has been said about the deep spiritual nuance of Sheikh Ahmed, light of this sensitive novel, wan keeper of a pale flame. His character is articulated beautifully, full of devotion to the loftiness (and sorrow) born of Muslim education, Sufi training and worldly experience. The Sheikh endures the greatest of human tests; unanticipated access to power. The price exacted is ultimate, but the inner contest is somehow affirming.

The Sheikh is at his finest facing the neglected avenues of public expression, a thing unknown in his lethargic town. The episode at the mosque after the Sheikh's brother is murdered in prison is a stunning, close examination of human conscience and its furious power. Sheikh Ahmed's struggle is a constant dialogue with conscience, containing deeply held arguments directed at finding expression for the outrage he naturally shares with those around him. Unlike others, the Sheikh neither deflects nor suborns when facing the exertions of tyranny.

Should you wish to find exquisite writing, a moving story containing a view to Muslim belief (a humane belief, after all), this book is a fine portrayal of a man's struggle for justice; for The Lit Flame. "Death and the Dervish" broadens understanding of what is not actually so foreign. . . I say this because the book's Muslim characters are Europeans and keenly aware of the Christian West.

I will remain attached to Sheikh Ahmed, missing the weight of his inner beauty. Author Mesa Selimovic has reached into the stream of human consciousness to find a good man caught in horrible circumstances. As the Sheik moves forward to face the temptations of power and the seduction of revenge, we are treated to the workings of an artfully-drawn psyche and its lonely power.

There but for grace . . . .

this is a great book

Helpful Votes: 8 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2002-12-17

I think it is wrong to trivialize this book with arguements about Selimovic's nationality. It would be a shame, if we were defined simply by our race, ethnicity, or religion. I hope we all agree that is wrong to define (and confine) a person, or person's work, within the limits of political and geographical boundaries. Selimovic's novel was not meant to be a confirmation of Bosnian "greatness," merely because it was written by a Bosnian. I tend to believe that he had other, deeper, and more spiritual motives in his writing. I certainly gained much from reading this book, and I am a serb.

Endless Miracles

Published in Hardcover by Jack Ratz (1997-10-26)

Author: Jack Ratz

List price: $25.00

New price: $14.55
Used price: $14.51

Average review score:

ENDLESS MIRACLES is an important contribution to the world.

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 1999-04-09

Four segments of this book detail Jack Ratz's experiences. The first three segments detail Lenta, Salspils, and Stutthof concentration camps. Another segment details the death march from Stutthof and is one of the most harrowing personal accounts of a death march that I have ever read. Jack Ratz welcomes the reader into his life with open arms and an engaging writing style.

A Source of Inspiration

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2000-05-16

Mr. Ratz has recorded his experiences at the hands of the Russian communist, then later Nazi invaders in Latvia starting in 1940. It is an inspirational story of survival under the most brutal conditions.

This is a well written story that is easliy read in one evening and well worth it.

You'll be able to look back after a bad day and think about what Mr. Ratz and others like him experienced during the holocaust, and realize that your day wasn't so bad after all.

This a good book to read. I will never forget this book.

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 1999-04-28

This is a good book for teenager and alult to learn the truth. This book is relly sad. I hope this will never happen again it is so sad. No one should forget the holocaust. I was suppressed how they treated in the holocaust. It's important yo learn about the holocaust. During World War II the jewish Community was destroyed.

This a great book for everyone to read.

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 1999-04-17

I think this is one best book because it talk about the holocaust. Some people try to forget what happen and teach their kids that it never happen. I think this is one best book. I wish that this won't happen agin but happen agin in Kosovo.

Mezmorizing and Eternal

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 2000-01-12

I hold in my hand a copy of the Congressional Record Vol. 144 No.1 24 Dated September 17,1998 code S10532.(i give this information for those skeptics who don't believe that I speak the truth, GO LOOK IT UP!) Senetor Patrick Moynihan adresses President Clinton. ''Jack Ratz's memoirs is an eloquent refutation to those who would dare to trivialize, distort, or even deny the Holocaust's important lessons. His book well reflects the affirmative message that Jack Ratz shares with New York City school children during his regular visits to the city classrooms. As the survivors of the Holocaust succumb to old age there are fewer and fewer eyewitnesses to this tragedy. Jack Ratz has provided an invaluable service with his moving account of the Latvian Holocaust experience.'' The record continues to print and article from the Jewish Week dated August 14, 1998. This eternal book has become part of our NY school system, being aproved by the Board of Education; and it has become a part of our US history being emblazened onto a Congressional Reocrd. A book with such powere should be in every household and as the author says, ''it is a book you can read in a day and remember for a lifetime.''

Gypsies

Published in Hardcover by Simon & Schuster (1972-02-15)

Author: Jan yoors

List price: $7.95

Used price: $30.06
Collectible price: $40.00

Average review score:

A good introduction to Romani culture

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-25

Jan Yoors book on his experience living with the Romani is a vivid and beautiful portrayal of a people group that has been overlooked or stereotyped for the last several hundred years. This book helped fuel a desire in me to learn the truth of "Gypsie" culture beyond the stereotypes. It is well worth reading more than once for anyone interested in countercultural groups still in existence.

Great Book!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-05

I really enjoyed reading about Gypsy life. When traveling I would see gypsy caravans here and there in Europe and have been fascinated by their life. This book having been told through the eyes of someone that lived in their world yet came from ours was really engaging. I was surprised to find out about the culture and many rules for making this life work. Also, it was so different than I expected since Gypsy life is very stereotyped; as with most groups there are good and bad members. Jan Yoors was fortunate to have been attached to this kind and loving group of travelers. I was amazed that his parents allowed him to continue to travel with the Gypsies at such a young age. I would be interested to know more about how they could reason that out. Also, it would have been helpful if the book had a glossary for the many words used to describe the Gypsy customs. This book has encouraged me to learn more about the Gypsies.

One of the best Romani resources.

Helpful Votes: 11 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-02

I am of Romani descent, my ancestors were Czech, and as a girl my great-grandmother told me fascinating stories about her family's nomadic lifestyle. For me, Yoors' work was a continuation of my grannies stories. Of all the material I have read on the Romani, I found "The Gypsies" to be the most concise. Yoors had the amazing opportunity to not only observe the Romani society, but also to be absorbed into it. The readers are given the rare gift of seeing dual sides of the story. Because of his young age, he was able to enter into their society with few cultural biases. At the same time, because he was a gaje he was able to appreciate and embrace the cultural differences. This is a wonderful chronicle of a beautiful culture, which unfortunately is fading fast. For infomation on present day Romani, "Bury Me Standing" by Isabel Fonseca is a great resource.

Entertaining

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-15

I am only about 30 pages into the book, but it is very informative and entertaining. I originally read - Bury Me Standing - and though it was thorough and concise, -The Gypsies - is a view of life with the nomadic Rom as seen through the eyes of a young boy. Colorful, whimsical, mysical.
MB

Oliver's opinion

Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-19

First I have to admit I am a gaje. However, I have an adopted grandson who is Gypsy. He is from a small town in Hungary near the Russian border. I have read a number of books related to the Gypsys and without a doubt this is absoultely the best as it deals with the lives of the Gypsy rather than the meaningless statistics of them or the hardships they have endured. The book left me with a number of unanswered questions such as what happened to Pulika and some of the others that Jan Yoors was associated with during his travels. I have somewhat of an understanding of why Yoors wrote the book in the manner in which he did because of the phylosophy of the Gypsys and their concept of today, completely disregarding yesterday and tomorrow as well as his deep feeling for those with whom he was associated. I found the answer to my questions by reading a follow-up article which answered most of my questions. That article is located at the following website and I would suggest reading this article only after reading the book. It is most unfortunate that Jan Yoors died at such a young age as he obviously had much to offer humanity in its consideration and accepatance of those who are unlike ourselves, but who at the same time have much to offet our society, regardless of the differences in customs and heritage. My grandson has taught me much about being different, which is a lesson much appreciated. Jan Yoors has done mankind a great service in sharing his experiences with us. God rest his soul and give him peace as the Gypsys would want. The site for a follow-up is http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/narrative/digest/notable/gypsy-mjones-010178-a.html

Image, History, and Politics

Published in Hardcover by University Press of America (1998-12-30)

Author: Paul D. van Wie

List price: $66.50

New price: $66.50

Average review score:

Well, I can only reiterate the awesomeness of "Tha Doc"

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2003-01-30

One reviewer wrote that Doc is the reincarnation of Johan Tetzel, well I must beg to differ. After many months of strenuous research, I have concluded that Paul Van Wie is truly the reincarnation of the Holy Savior Jesus Christ. Every single student that has graced his classroom has called him a "Saint" and claims to feel a holy aura beaming from his powerfully built Calvin Klein model-type body. One can see that it was Doc who acted as a "savior" to every single one of his AP Euro students in the few months before the AP test from eternal damnation (ie. their parents). He did by performing the greatest sacrifice of them all... devoting many hours of his life giving countless review sessions that he could otherwise spend at the Club shakin' it until the break of dawn. Another correlation that I have discovered between Doc and Jesus is that if Doc was "transubstantiated" into a type of bread and drink like Jesus does on holy mass, Doc would transsubstantiate into Nacho Cheese Doritos and Diet Snapple, a fine choice for a "last supper" I might add. Some also consider his book "The Holy Bible" of European coinage, which in many respects is true. Doc also preaches the holy doctrine of "respect thy Neighbor," which explains his odd and sometimes scary attraction towards Canada. And the last little tidbit of my research that proves Doc's "Jesus-ness" is his ability to speak in many different "Tongues," and even, yeah you guessed it, Dutch.

Flawless

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2002-11-13

There is no one more informed on this topic than Paul Van Wie. He truly is a treasure. Anyone who has a remote interest in History and/or Politics must pick this book up. A must read!

A crucial omission

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2002-05-31

Paul van Wie, Ph.D., is a man so transcendentally knowledgeable that it stupefies the human mind. This book reflects that fact. However, one would do well to notice that the book, for all its other virtues, does not even broach the subject of former First Lady Rachel Jackson's little-known side-career as (you guessed it!) a Nazi spy.

5 stars nevertheless.

Titles and Subtitles: about coins

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2002-05-02

When you walk down the halls with a jingle in your pants, all you can think about is Doc Van Wie. That lovely clank of coins makes you think about the history of coins. This is far more sophisticated than those little stamp collections my little boy scout. Often, coins represent a nation and its ideals with really cool drawings and cool sounding Latin Words. That is why Paul Van Wie, teacher of AP EURO, has decided to write a truly amazing book on coins. There is one more thing I do have to say. Why does the subtitle of a book dictate what the book shall be about? My god, its even happening in this reader review!

Read This Book by the great Doctor Van Wie

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2002-05-31

As My two good friends Cimabue and Giotto would agree this is one of the greatest books ever on European coinage. Louis XIV would be pleased with this awesome display of knowledge by the Doctor. Even Industrial people such as Thomas Sadler enjoy this book. Here are some sample reviews from many of the great figures of history.

"Two Thumbs Up!"- Mahandis Ghandi
"A Masterpiece"- Bernini
"Just like back in da trecento"- Cimabue
"My fingers hurt"- Thomas Sadler
"Le Wow!"- Mazarin
"Zis is a good book"- Otto V(o,a)n Bismarck
"Es un libro fabuloso"- Juana of Spain
"Now That's a spicy meataball- and a good book"- Fra Angelico

As you can see the reviews are pouring in, so stop right now and buy this book! You will not be sorry.