Ireland Books

Paul Williams writes about the life of Martin "the General" Cahill in a way that almost makes Cahill lovable, a late-20th century Robin Hood almost, yet is able to balance this image (that Cahill himself tried to propagate) with the fact that he was a career criminal, even to the point that he would report regularly to receive the dole while making millions illegally. Williams writes of what is known that Cahill did, what Cahill was accused of doing, what Cahill said that he did and was, and what Dubliners said that he did and was. Williams was a reporter throughout the career of the General, and so presents a journalistic tale of Martin Cahill's life that is really a captivating read.

i highly recommend the book.the author gives us a rare insight into not only his most succesful hiests($-wise).he describes cahill lesser known crimes also which provides the motive & method,being that the most enjoyable aspect is not the climax of a hiest but it's the PROCESS from start(PLANNING)to the finish (GETTING AWAY & UNPENATRABLE ALIBI).cahill is unconventualable in all aspects of his life,marriage,lifestyle,work(M.O.),etc. which keeps the law from anticipating his next move.the police incomptency is what made cahill a CRIMINAL MASTERMIND.funny,intriuing,inciteful are just a few descriptions that make the book enjoyable.

The General was a great read. It did Martin Cahill justice which is the only time he probably got any. Williams showed us the Cahill that only those close to him saw. A real eye opener. Thank you, Mr. Williams.

Martin Cahill, a/k/a "The General," was perhaps Ireland's most notorious gangster, a genius criminal who stole millions (in artwork, jewelry and cash) right out from under the noses of the Garda S?och?na(Irish Police.)

Paul Williams, quite adeptly, tells the humorous but ultimately tragic tale of a remorseless thief with a penchant for rather unorthodox sexual activity (he lived and fathered children with both his wife and her sister.) Like the best (or worst) gangsters and criminals memorialized in books and movies, The General's daring, outrageous behavior and wit made him a charming and sometimes even sympathetic subject. But, Williams walks the line between glorifying Cahill and showing him for what he really was, a thief whose sins caught up with him.

I have seen the movie and i think it's great but reading the book was totally different. In the book you get to see the two sides of the notorious Martin Cahill. Some people thought he was the modern robbinhood, and others a dangerous criminal. Paul Williams brilliantly gives you the inside story in it's true form, excellent book.

"GIs and Frauleins" presents a comprehensive review of the cultural and economic impact the massive American military machine imposed on a small, agrarian, and relatively poor German state at the peak of the Cold War. This book presents a seminal work for the comprehension of later cultural clashes that dominated both the United States and Germany and continue to the present.

I recommend it for both the serious scholar as well as the casual reader of social and demographic history.

Unlike the previous reviewer, who took issue with the allegedly "academic" style of the book, I found it was very readable, avoiding a lot of the "constructing the other" and "conflicting gender identities" type of language one might expect to find in an academic book of this sort. This does not mean, however, that the book does not address the kind of conceptual, academic issues that are frequently raised in such stilted terms. In no sense is the book merely an antiquarian show-and-tell kind of catalog; it quite thoroughly discusses the "holy Trinity" of race, class, and gender issues. I found the discussion of German and American forms of racism to be especially interesting.

The content of the book has, for the most part, been adequately addressed in the "official" Amazon review as well as in the previous customer review. There is one aspect, however, that deserves further mention, and which I found particularly insightful: Höhn's discussion of whether the changes that came to the rural areas she discusses would be best described as modernization or as Americanization. This sort of issue is something which would interest anyone who is concerned with the cultural issues of globalization and the dominance of American cultural products in today's markets. Because she focuses on an area in which there was a very strong American presence in the immediate post-war years, it is not surprising that her evidence shows a significant American component to the modernization process. It would be interesting to compare her conclusions in this regard to those of someone studying an area where American influence was less direct and personal. This comparison would better demonstrate whether the American influence was a necessary, or merely a contemporary, component of German societal modernization. Such a comparison, however, would not fit very well into a book titled "GIs and Fräuleins." Höhn is to be commended for putting the abundant evidence which she presents into such a larger context of modernization debates, and not faulted for not being more encyclopedic.

To the postwar German churches, the great moral issue was not what the German government and military had done to millions of innocent people in World War II; the "moral" issue was the sexual freedom enjoyed by German women who chose to sleep with American soldiers.

German elites wanted a good relationship with the United States, so plans were dropped to label every German woman who slept with an American a "prostitute." Besides, too many respectable German families acquired American sons-in-law. Germans couldn't help but notice that "Negro" soldiers were despised by their fellow Americans, so women who slept with "black" Americans were the only ones labeled prostitutes.

Interesting fact: One German judge released a mulatto Fräulein who was accused of prostitution for sleeping with a "black" American soldier. He reasoned that, since she wasn't good enough to marry a white man, she was only engaged in some innocent "husband hunting."Passing for Who You Really Are

This book is a truely fascinating study of German-American encounters after World War II. It is full of interesting details and also extremely well written. A MUST for anyone interested in German history!

"GIs and Fraeuleins"
Maria Hoehn
ISBN 0-8078-5375-5

This book explores the culture clash that occurred during the Cold War in the 1950's when American GIs were first stationed in large numbers in the towns of Baumholder and Kaiserslautern in the rural Rhineland-Palatinate state of Germany, between the Rhine and Mosel rivers. Having served in Germany a decade later, I was surprised at the extent to which there had been such problems. In Mannheim, most of the issues that Maria Hoehn describes were not readily apparent. But Mannheim was urban versus the relatively provincial character of Baumholder and Kaiserlautern of the previous decade.

Some of Hoehn's themes in this book include the impact the American soldier's money and lifestyle on rural German society, the German conservatives' attempt to punish German women who associated with GIs, especially black GIs, and the irony of the Germans' rejection of discrimination against Jews in the new Federal democracy vis-à-vis their acceptance of it against black American soldiers. Certainly, Hoehn points out, white attitudes toward fellow black soldiers played a role in the German view.

Hoehn's documentation from publications of the time convincingly demonstrates that there were significant racial problems and that many Germans vehemently opposed intimate associations between German women and American blacks, so much so that the conservative CDU political party and various religious organizations tried to have these women legally classified as prostitutes.

Hoehn writes that many Germans including those who had lost ancestral lands to American military installations began to cash in on the boom by renting rooms to Americans. Barns and attics were transformed into apartments. German families moved into their own kitchens to be able rent out the rest of the house to the Americans who were willing to pay four or five times the going rate. Hoehn quips that in the small towns where everyone usually kept animals that some Germans had to choose between having a pig or an American, an "Ami" in the German parlance of the time.

Due to high unemployment throughout Germany at this time, many young women came to the area hoping for a job as a maid for an American family, a waitress, or a dancer at an establishment that catered to American soldiers. Many, who had lost homes and parents during the war, hoped to escape from a life of poverty. Some were refugees from the former territories or East Germany. These women did not find favor in the traditional view of the residents of the area for their fraternization with American soldiers, especially black American soldiers. Such women were dubbed "Veronikas". A number of them were arrested and subjected to humiliating trials in local courts by extremist judges. Efforts for national legislation classifying these women as prostitutes by the coalition of CDU, Protestant, and Catholic leaders ultimately failed.

This book is an excellent, well-documented piece of research. Although Hoehn's writing is somewhat academic and redundant in places, this is a commendable book of considerable merit. Those interested in postwar German history and even some former GIs may get new insight from it.

un libro altamente recomendable.
lleno de fotografías y lo más interesante ,secuencias enteras de una acción.
Fotografías de alta calidad.

muy bueno.

Really a first class effort, as the other reviewers have stated. The vast majority of photos have not, I believe, been published previously, and the reproduction is crisp and clear. The very detailed captions are a real plus.
For anyone with even a modest interest in the Heer of WWII, this is a must. My only,minor, complaint,is that it ends in 1944, but I surmise that good photos after that were few and far between. Highly recommended.

God, Honor, Fatherland is an excellent pictoral study of one of the Whermacht's truly elite divisions. The author covers "GD" from 1942 to 1944. Although I have a fairly extensive collection of books covering the German Army on the Eastern front, most photos in this book were new to me. The author made contact with numerous "GD" veterans and got many previously unpublished photos, many of which the people in them are listed by name and sub-unit. The author also gives 1 to 2 page narratives of the various major battles GD participated in during this time frame. As well as descriptions of the various sub-units that made up GD, including rarely covered support/maitenance units.

My favorite part of the book were the biographical sketches of various GD personalities. These include not only senior and company grade officers, but several NCO's as well. I recomend this book to anyone interested in German units or the Eastern front of WW2, particularly armor buffs and modelers.

Having purchased many Grossdeutschland photo histories over the years, I was pleasantly surprised to find this outstanding RZM product at a used bookstore. Yep...that doesn't happen every day. Naturally I snapped this gem up and am still amazed at the quality of pictures and narrative.

This volume follows the GD from 1942-1944, which are the years focused on the Soviet front. The pictures cover all aspects of the division from the maintenance and logistics elements to the Infantry, Panzer, and Reconnaissance units. As earlier reviews indicated, the captions are very well done and specific attention is paid to naming the individuals pictured. Another great plus is the large format size of many pictures. For modellers these are a window into details often missed in smaller format photos.

So if you already think you already have enough volumes of GD related history...think again. This volume is one that you don't want to be without.

Another first rate job by RZM.

Not just another mundane collection of photos, this book is perhaps one of the best volumes in English regarding German soldiers, and especially the GD Division. The captions cast light on many arcance areas of study - uniforms, organization, history, tactics - and all the details are consistently correct and well researched. The only minor nit I was able to find is the mis-captioning of an NCO equivalent beamten as a "Hauptmann" - (p. 114)

Overall, a thoroughly excellent photographic record, with emphasis on naming photo subjects (a very nice touch). Of course, as with any collection of WW II photos, most of the pictures in this book are obviously posed, and there is nothing in the way of "real action" shots. This is not a drawback, and few "real action" shots were taken during the war by any of the combatants.

There are also some excellent biographical sketches of Knight' Cross winners and unit commanders.

In this utterly delightful sequel to The Godmother Sno Qunatrill travels to Irleand to begin her apprenticeship. Irish mythology, history and politics are woven into the fabric of the story, with delightful characters, lots of wit and humour and an exciting, gripping plot.

... but absolutely worth reading when you're a fan of classic (in this case Irish) fairytales in a modern "outfit".

Sno got rid of her evil stepmother, but didn't find a prince, she decided to be a fairy Godmother herself. Set gorgeously in Ireland, this book describes her training to become a Godmother. It has the same deft twists of old stories into modern fantasy that worked so well for the rest of Annie's books.

Wow, this second book in the Godmother trilogy by Ms.Scarborough is even better than the first! It lets us peer deeper into the domain of Godmotherdom and even introduces us to the Queen of them All. If you enjoy felines, the lovely lilt of Irish brogue and fairy tales, this book will surely satisfy you! The dialog flows wonderfully even interspecies.

Elizabeth Ann Scarborough's "The Godmother's Apprentice" was a masterpiece. It was an excellent display of talent and imagination. Although I was skeptical about it after the first few pages, the plot really picked up and I couldn't put the book down! I recommend it to anyone seeking an adventure that is out of this world, yet thrilling AND realistic...all at the same time.

This book is a major contribution to its field. It contains important details that are missing from many of the previous works on the subject of the famine. The scholarship is sound and is often based on primary sources that have never been examined in this context before. The data are consistently compelling, fresh, and well documented. . . Any college with an Irish studies program will find the book indispensable. (Mary Ellen Cohane, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts)

As a contributor to this volume on the Great Famine in Ireland, I think that this book makes an important contribution to the historiography of the Famine insofar as it may be the only volume to trace the linkage between the U.S. and Ireland during that tragic era. Neil Hogan, author of THE CRY OF THE FAMISHING, Connecticut Irish-American Historical Society.

This book is a major contribution to its field. It contains important details that are missing from many of the previous works on the subject of the famine. The scholarship is sound and is often based on primary sources that have never been examined in this context before. The data are consistently compelling, fresh, and well documented. . . Any college with an Irish studies program will find the book indispensable. (Mary Ellen Cohane, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts)

As a contributor to this volume on the Great Famine in Ireland, I think that this book makes an important contribution to the historiography of the Famine insofar as it may be the only volume to trace the linkage between the U.S. and Ireland during that tragic era. Neil Hogan, author of THE CRY OF THE FAMISHING, Connecticut Irish-American Historical Society.

A fascinating collection of essays that reveals, often in unexpected ways, the effects of the Irish famine on both sides of the Atlantic. Ranging from the loss of life to the loss of music among the Irish peasantry, from the pages of the Dublin University Magazine to the pages of American newspapers, from Chef Alex Soyer's famine soup to the famine graves at Grosse Ile, from Irish memory to Irish American rage, this scholarly but readable book provides us with the broadest understanding of this far-reaching event. (William H. A. Williams, author of 'Twas Only an Irishman's Dream)

Welch has grabbed the most complex Irish histories and squeezed them into 202 pages of excellence!.

EVERYTHING is covered.. This book is definately a must!, even for a historian his or her self!.

An AMAZING, enthralling, terrifying, and realistic account of the tragedy and beauty of two families in County Munster. Robert welch transforms a true Irishmans history and ancestry into a mind-blowing piece of, what is sure to become, an artifact of uncensored and factual Irish belief and history...

This book MUST be read, the experience is too much to miss...

Welch explores in great detail the truth in Irish history. Realistic and fascinating sketches about food and mealtimes. This book explores the entirety of Irish history in 200 pages. Definately a must

And terrific! With Groundwork, Robert Welch distills into one heady brew four hundred years of Anglo-Irish conflict and the historical relationships between the Condon and O'Dwyer families. He does this by presenting four- or five-page stories of individuals and events at seemingly random dates and stirring them together. Some stories are in the first person, giving an effervescence to the characters and an immediacy to events, even very ancient events. Other stories are in the third person, providing color and allowing the reader to "store" the information for future use. The individual stories are very short, the cast of characters is very large (necessitating a dramatis personae at the beginning of the book), the time frame is huge, there is no real "plot," in the traditional sense, and time here is cumulative, rather than linear.

Despite all this, Groundwork is not difficult reading. Somehow Welch manages to make it all work, and even a casual reader with little or no background or interest in the history of the Irish people will find it absolutely fascinating and often thrilling. On the most superficial level, the daily lives of the Condon and O'Dwyer families in the 20th century capture the reader, who can identify with them and share their tribulations--a girl who finds herself pregnant and abandoned, a son who becomes a monk, a father whose children die during an epidemic, a wife who finds that her husband has been unfaithful.

Welch is not writing a melodrama here, however. These events are related to the ongoing history of the Irish people, with some entries here dating back to the Elizabethan period. Betrayals in the 20th century parallel some depicted in earlier centuries; the struggle to survive as Irishmen in a country dominated by the British is similar, regardless of century; the seemingly thankless efforts of scholars to preserve the history, culture, and language of the Irish continue unabated through time; and the desire to achieve respect, both individually and as a people, never wanes. As Katherine Condon remarks on the death of her mother, "I'd like to be with her among the dead, and along with all the Condons and O'Dwyers that have lived here for so many centuries. We are all alike, all sad and thoughtful, and full of rancour and feeling." And Welch includes it all in this book.

Groundwork was an uplifting experience. The brief chapters danced around the individual characters and their families hastening me to forge on through page after page searching for more details in this intricate web. Welch has captured the Irish in style, culture, mannerism and authenticity right down to the bone. His colorful way of phrasing sentences transforms one right into a room, place, situation or even, a person's skin. You can smell the rashers sizzling and you will also feel the sharp pain of an empty belly. I yearned to reach the conclusion of this novel but you will find that there is no "real" end to the saga. If you're Irish in any range of ancestry, read this book. You won't regret it.

This novel has emerged, from the ruins of the purges, like a pure, unspoiled and immaculate gem. As an autobiographical novel, one cannot deny the importance of this work to provide for insights into Bukharin's private life, given that most biographies of Bukharin are about his political and intellectual life.

Not only is this work important in this regard, Bukharin's stunning literary ability comes to the forefront in this work, which details, with a humanistic empathy, the plight of the peasants, family relations and the psychology of a middle class family from the late 19th century Russian society. The novel begins with the birth of "Kolya" and is seen through the boy's eyes as he grows up. It ends, poignantly, (Bukharin did not live to finish the work) with the death of his brother.

Of particular note is the rich texture of his narrative; it powerfully invokes a child-like sense of wonder that is intrinsic to children of that age. There are indeed very few works out there that parallel the vivid evocation of imagery which Bukharin is capable of. Bukharin's description of the Russian landscape was beautifully detailed, as was the heartfelt revelations about life which slipped through.

It is through this work that we come to realize that the interior life of this man was not only brilliant, but that his political stance was chosen fundamentally because of his humanistic understanding of Russian peasants and the impoverished.

This edition comes with very lovely pictures, too.

Set in the pre-revolutionary Russia, Bukharin's novel attempts to demonstrate, through the eyes of a youth named Nikolai Petrov, how the revolutionary spirit fermented and grew among the youth and intelligentsia. While this novel could be read with an eye toward the abuses of the Soviet Union and dismissed as political propaganda, in doing so the reader would miss the wealth of historical detail with which Bukharin writes. Every page is bursting with succulent fruit for anyone interested in the social, economic, and cultural world of the peasants and the working class at the turn of the century in pre-revolutionary Russia. Part of that fruit is socialism, communism, atheism, and the raging underground debates taking place during that period; seen as history, however, Bukharin gives us an invaluable insider's view, recalling his youth in all its variety and discussing the situations that led him down the path his life had taken.

The story revolves around Nikolai, who is obviously a cipher for Bukharin himself. Young Kolya (Nikolai) is full of energy, wit, and curiosity. As he grows and excels in school, his thinking begins to grow as well, from that of an innocent child to that of a young man on the verge of becoming a revolutionary himself. Unfortunately, the saddest part about this novel is that it ends in the middle of a chapter; Stalin finally had Bukharin executed, making it very difficult to continue writing. The writing is so well done it is hard to believe Bukharin never had a chance to re-write it; we are reading essentially his first draft, written in prison. His astounding intellect is obvious, quoting from German, French, English, and Russian poets and authors, occasionally making references to Latin or Greek jokes the children learned in high school, and discussing the variety of birds and other animals Kolya collects with amazing clarity.

Before reading this book, I knew Bukharin was a political genius that few have matched. However, I did not realize his brilliance as a writer: he appeals wonderfully to all the visual and emotional senses as a great novelist. He occasionally discusses his growing political awareness, but that is not the focus of this work. His love of life, nature, and family show the incredible depth of his mind. Much credit must also be given to the translator for making the language so effusive in English.

It's a wonderful miracle that this book was not destroyed by Stalin; it's just a shame that it's incomplete, cutting off in mid-thought. Nevertheless, what Bukharin was able to complete gives provides an enthralling look into life in late Tsarist Russia, as well as putting us a bit closer with one of the most tragic victims of the purges.

Bukharin's autobiographical work is a lyrical, moving, story of the life of a young boy in pre-Soviet russia. Unlike Leon Trotsky's autobiography, which is a similar work in content, this is a novel. And a grand one. When you read the touching descriptions of Kolya's then idyllic, then tragic domestic life, you feel helpless, sad, for you know that this boy will eventually be dead, the New World he helped to create corrupted and turned against him. The very existence of this novel is a message of hope, that even under the most tragic and ironic circumstances there can something joyous (Bukharin wrote the novel while in Lubyanka prison). The poignancy of all this is further increased by the included letter by Bukharin, written to his wife Anna Larina and not given to her for 50+ years. This book also stands as a monument (in a medium I belief he would have perhaps preferred) to Nikolai Bukharin, a brilliant scholar, writer, and Revolutionary

This is a remarkable book. It combines three forms in a single work: 1) a detailed and evocative story of a boy growing up in late 19th century Russia, 2) an informative and moving autobiography of one of the most important Bolshevik leaders, and 3) commentary on the social and economic developments leading up to the 1905 and 1917 revolutions, including (in the tradition of Russian novels) imagined descriptions of important meetings of leaders of state. Most remarkable, though, is that the entire book was written in the nights of Bukharin's confinement in Moscow's Lubyanka Prison while he awaited almost certain execution following his notorious "show trial". The idea of a man who knows he could be shot at any moment writing such detailed, even leisurely descriptions of his childhood in Moscow and Bessarabia is almost beyond comprehension. Indeed, the novel breaks off in mid-sentence. This book should not be missed by anyone interested in 19th and 20th century Russian history, and will be enjoyed by anyone interested in a good coming-of-age novel as well.

... then buy, borrow or steal a copy! Never before have I read such a good exploration of Irish exile. Stranded in a dismal flat in England, the protagonist remembers his happy childhood in Ireland, the rough living and working conditions in England, and his only love. The language is quite simple and often Hiberno Irish, but deeply imaginative and so lyrical, that the line between prose and poetry gets blurred. The beautiful black/white pictures added to this book, and the author's ability to portray Irish music help to give an insight into Irish culture. Sometimes it's like watching a documentary, and suddenly you can't help but feeling you're listening to a song; a song of heartache and terrible longing. Despite far from being soppy the book is very moving in the end; you actually hope for a happy ending. But that wouldn't be Irish.

Tim O'Grady creates exquisitely wrought, archetypal prose that could even overpower Pyke's perfect documentary photos. (Without offense to Walker Evans, now I'm wishing Pyke had been around to collaborate with James Agee).

Amazingly, requires very little interest in Ireland or the Irish - O'Grady is from Chicago anyway and this book is more about experiences of all mankind. His crystalline narrative is hardly bound by ethnicity.

Extraordinary and inspiring new use of the verb, can. If you read poetry, you couldn't regret buying this experimental novel.

This book is beautiful and tragic and joyful and moving, all at the same time and independently over the course of the story. Through the poetic language of the text and the poetic imagery of the photos, the drama of every day life in Ireland is brought across as quietly epic, if such a thing can be.

... then buy, borrow or steal a copy! Never before have I read such a good exploration of Irish exile. Stranded in a dismal flat in England, the protagonist remembers his happy childhood in Ireland, the rough living and working conditions in England, and his only love. The language is quite simple and often Hiberno Irish, but deeply imaginative and so lyrical, that the line between prose and poetry gets blurred. The beautiful black/white pictures added to this book, and the author's ability to portray Irish music help to give an insight into Irish culture. Sometimes it's like watching a documentary, and suddenly you can't help but feeling you're listening to a song; a song of heartache and terrible longing. Despite far from being soppy the book is very moving in the end; you actually hope for a happy ending. But that wouldn't be Irish.

I am very familiar with the works of old time Irish writers including the works of James Joyce who wrote about Ireland in exile. I still don't know much about modern Irish novelists until I had the opportunity of meeting and listening to parts of Timothy O'Grady's novel at Perth Writer's Festival early this year. Immediately afterwards I bought a copy and later talked to Timothy briefly about writers in exile and their struggle with dislocation. This story is not only about dislocation and exile. This is the story of a man coming of age and following a journey during which he struggles to make sense of his life, dislocation, loss of love and loneliness.

This lyrically crafted novel is a great collaboration between O'Grady and photographer Steve Pyke. They collectively create a visual journey of a musical Irishman, his journey from one location to another, looking for work and the love of his life. O'Grady's begins his novel with a description of the protagonist's life back at home as a child:

"This room is dark, as dark as it ever gets - the hour before dawn in winter. I have sounds and pictures but they flit and crash before I can get them..."

For me, it is a metaphor of not been able to recreate the places and the people he left behind as a result of his journey.

O'Grady ends his novel with a similar narrative:

"In the room now a breeze comes in through the window and on it there is the smell of spring. Downstairs the girl turns on her radio... There is a time after long work when you can look for strength and there is nothing there....

In the morning light I let go."

In between, we learn about his journey, his recollection of Irish landscapes, the places left behind, the music he played and his love. But this is not just a mere description of a nostalgic mental journey of an Irishman in exile. This can happen anywhere, anytime, and to anyone.

Reading this novel is like watching a visually crafted documentary embedded with voice and music that we can see and hear.

I'm glad that I met O'Grady and read his novel as my introduction to modern Irish novelists. But this novel had another positive effect on me. When I met O'Grady I was writing a novel about my own dislocation. This novel inspired me to look at my private journey again and again, and continue my writing in exile!

I recommend this book to anyone interested in the beauty and tragic of moving from one place to another.

Left me wishing the book was twice as long.

Simon Marsden is a master of the art of infrared photography. The pictures are haunting and project an eerie dreamlike quality. I highly recommend this book as an excellent example of the chilling effects of infrared photography

A most interesting pictorial collection of forlorn sadness.
I find the images both beautiful and emensly contemplative, images that conjure ghosts and spirits real or perhaps imagined, yet provacative none the less. One ponders how these phantoms shall apear in a thousand years, and rue the thought how long they may have lasted would they not been murdred by circumstances. The text that accompanies the images an important, interesting, and informative heuristic. This book ostensibly one any Artist, Architectae, or student of history should have in his Librarié.

A wonderful book full of haunting images of the castles and houses of Ireland that have now fallen into ruin and decay. Excellent subjects for infrared photography.

The photographs are on the whole well composed and the overall effect can be quite disturbing. An explanation of the fate of the various buildings is included. A book which sits on the shelf ready to show visitors instantly the nature and feel of infrared photography.

There is an excellent supporting article by Pete Schermerhorn in the Official Infrared FAQ describing his visits to the places photographed in the book together with map grid references.

For some reason neither the authors nor the publishers admit that the images in this book are photographed in infrared. This is a pity since the juxtaposition of buildings and foliage is one of the best subjects for this and overgrown ruins are an excellent subject. As an infrared specialist myself I have a small reservation about a few of the photographs from a technical standpoint but I can't fault the sense of composition and form that they show.

I knew the author personally. I took a Holocaust course from Dr. Abzug while at the University of Texas. I asked him questions about the construction of the book. Placing key photographs right after controversial passages in the book. It was done for effect, and had a profound effect on me. This is a must read book for anyone interested in the Holocaust as well as those interested in how such a event could happen. More than anything else the book showed me how fragile we are as human beings, and that when inudated with violence and horror, how we can become indifferent to it.

This book attempts to chronicle the absolute horror that accompanied the discovery of Nazi concentration/slave labor/extermination/death camps at the end of World War II.

The story is primarily told from the perspective of the Americans, from GIs to General Eisenhower, as well as journalists and others, who came upon the camps, what they saw, and how they reacted.

There are separate chapters on the Ohrdurf & Norhausen, Buchenwald, Dachau, and Mauthausen camps, along with a chapter covering the discovery of numerous smaller camps. A brief history and background of the camps are also covered in these chapters. Interspersed with the text are numerous photos of the discoveries at the camps.

Also included are introductory chapters trying to assess America's knowledge of these camps prior to their discovery and closing chapters on the aftermath of the camps on the discoverers, the inmates, the Germans, and the world, and an attempt to make sense somehow of it all.

This is a somber book. The photographs (piles of corpses, burned bodies, humans reduced to skin and bones) and descriptions of what was found in the camps (the smells, the sights, the sounds) are not for the squeamish. Nonetheless, it is a must read for anyone trying to gain some sense (if indeed, any can be found) of what was the Final Solution for the Jewish people as well as the horrific mistreatment of other groups (Gypsies, Communists, criminals, etc.) that the Nazis deemed undesirable.

this book is shocking but true! the details are very graphic and the pictures even more so. the author has done his research--i took a class from him on the subject. really powerful and important reading for everyone to understand the horror of the holocaust and work to ensure that such a thing never happens again. leaves you with a whole new perspective on the nature of evil and the potential power of authority and those in it.

This was an interesting view of the horrors of the holocaust. I think there is better works that detail out what happened in the camps, but this book really gives you the insight into what it was like to roll through the gates of the camp in an American jeep. You almost can feel the chain of emotions the solders go through: confusion, anger, pity, and sadness. This must also be in some small part what the current American solders see in Afghanistan with millions starving. This is a well-written, very unique look at the topic and is well worth the price. You will "feel" this book for a long time after you have finished it.

I especially liked the special viewpoint of the book, that is the discovery of the camps through the eyes of American G.I.s