History Books

This book has been super helpful in preparing my husband for boot camp- physically and mentally. The only problem is that we've learned that after the publishing of this book a lot changed in army boot camp. At first my husband was interested in joining the national guard, but in order to go to a boot camp like what is described in this book, he has to choose a different branch of military.

My son will go to marine boot camp in July. I read this first and it was a great help for me to understand what will happen and what he needs to do before he goes. I highly recommend this not only for our "new" military but for their parents as well.

Get this book it has a world of knowledge in it. Are you to call a DS "yes sir or Yes Maam" ? What is a DS hat called? get the book it will HELP you.

This book was packed with info that will benefit anyone interested in going into the militry. My hubby went through boot camp a few years ago and said that all of the info would have made life a little easier then...lol.

This book has helped me in so many ways. I knew nothing about the military before I left for boot camp. Now, I feel I am completely ready. The book has an easy to understand fitness routine and told me what to expect mentally from a drill sergeant, even the other recruits. This book even contains a packing list so I know exactly what to pack for boot camp.
Before I was scared to leave for basic, now I cant wait.

A very powerful book that reveals both love and hate for mankind. The book uncovers atrocious inhumane behavior by powerful people past and present. We "The People" need to make the difference in todays society to live and let live, to overcome our prejudices and love thy neighbor. I started reading this book slowly and about 1/4 way through it I could not put it down. Thank you Arnold Abbott

WHEN IN DOUBT...BLAME A JEW!: A PERSONAL AND PEOPLE'S MEMOIR OF ANTI-SEMITISM Real-life, historical, and detailed perspective of Anti-Semitism in America and beyond. Clear sources--profound thinking make this a great read for those intrested in Judism, social enlightenment/awareness, or history in general. Includes glossary.

"When in Doubt...Blame a Jew!" was one of the most enlightening and educational books I have read. I am of Jewish faith, went to Hebrew school, and was bat-mitzvah'd but never have I gained as much insight about the Jewish religion as I did from reading this book. It covered the history in great depth and also added humor which really made it a pleasure to read. The author's ability to relay his own first hand accounts and experiences made the journey even more enjoyable. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone who wants to gain knowledge of the Jewish religion, humor, persecution, achievements, and the many ignorant anti-semitic individuals who took the time to hate instead of learn and understand.

When in Doubt...Blame a Jew has been helpful in teaching me and connecting many historical lessons. Although I considered my knowledge of our history to be fairly broad, this book provides depth, a way to place events in context. I especially liked the listing of famous Jews and Jew-haters which are helpful in teaching my children both pride and caution.

Our story, clearly and fairly written. A good guide for those of us who think that we are fully assimilated, it teaches us just how true that is.

Reading this book makes you feel like you're sitting at your grandfather's feet taking a vicarious journey through history. Although I believe in Jesus Christ, I appreciate the value of Jewish history. Mr. Abbott's account of the Jewish struggle is written in a non-apologetic tone. I especially liked his exposé on hate-based ideologies and important figures like Mr. Ford. Mr. Abbott talks straight and not crooked. His straight-talk is also evidenced by the pictures, which are heart-wrenching and left me speechless.

The fact that Mr. Abbott actually fought against bigotry makes me respect his writing even more. This book is a must read for anyone who wants an easy-to-read personal account of the plight of the Jews (with a little humor on the side).

I just recently finished a college-level history class, so I was well brushed up on my US history. That's half of why this book is so hilarious - I know what really happened, and Dave Barry makes very funny spins on it. He has the capacity to make the bleakest parts of history look absolutely histerical and silly, and for that, I give it my highest recommendation.

According to Dave Barry, hundreds of thousands of years ago, America was very different. For one thing, there were no car commercials which had broadcast toward Earth from another planet far away. Twenty thousand years ago the Land Bridge was constructed and completed on October 8th. Centuries later Mayans down in Mexico constructed a calendar that it can still be used to tell the location of celestial
bodies... they're out in space.

In a takeoff of where George Washington slept, there were stories that arose. Likewise where Dave Barry slept, there were (different) stories that arose. Have a few laughs on U.S.

I've read all of Dave Barry's stuff, novels too, and this is, hands down the funniest thing you'll ever sink your eyeballs into. It stays on my bedside table where I can get a little twisted history fix now and then. Read it, re-read it and read it again.

I first read this book when I was 12. I next read it... probably when I was still 12. I'm not one to read and re-read books, but this one will always be an exception. If Jon Stewart's "America" uses humor to expose the dysfunctional state of our country in the 21st century, Barry uses laughter to show how we got to this pitiful point. Buy it and read, then re-read it every other year or so. It only takes a couple of hours, and it never gets old.

Dave Barry's "Dave Barry Slept Here" is a hilarious pseudo/satire-history of the United States. Anyone familiar with Dave Barry's wit from his columns will immediately recognize the same wit unleashed on so much of our history that we have heard, if not necessarily really learned, throughout our lives.

Dave Barry writes like a high-school student - intentionally, of course. He attributes great advances to "technology," isn't interested in the Smoot-Hawley Tariff so he skips it because it sounds boring, and decides that every important event in American history happened on October 8th so that he doesn't have to remember any more dates (even the Fourth of July happened on October 8th, 1776). And he ends every chapter with hilarious "discussion questions" that are just as funny as the text.

I've read and re-read this hilarious book, and it's great to just pick up and start reading in the middle whenever you need a good chuckle. Anyone who likes Dave Barry, enjoys American history, or is interested in what three-word sentence you can rearrange the letters in "Spiro Agnew" to spell (hint: the first word is "grow") should read this book and enjoy!

This was my first Hornblower book after a recommendation from a friend. Could not put this book down especially after the mutiny.
The details of life in the English navy in the 18th century and then in London are richly told with details such as the "press gang" that goes out rounding up sailors for His Majesty's ships, the slim pickings of naval officers during the dreaded peacetime, the caste system of well healed officers playing whist to keep themselves in food and housing.
I found it a fascinating book and it increased my knowledge of naval history.
A spellbinding book from a military and social perspective.

Lieutenant Hornblower occurs second in the series by internal chronology, though it was the seventh-written book. Unlike every other book in the series, this one is related from the point of view of Lieutenant William Bush. This alternate point of view allows Hornblower to be presented as a legitimately heroic figure, though it does deprive the reader of the internal thought process of the series' protagonist. The text provides solid background on Hornblower's early career as a lieutenant. Written as a novel, it paces well and has an authentic texture. Indeed, the small-scale combat action is so gripping that in many ways the book eclipses volumes in the series which deal with Hornblower's later career.

Plot Summary (with spoilers):
The novel takes place from May 1800 to March 1803 aboard a cruise of HMS Renown, a 74-gun frigate. The ship's captain, Sawyer, is dangerously paranoid and believes the lieutenants and warrant officers are plotting mutiny against him. To circumvent their putative desire, Sawyer panders to the crew, encouraging them to be lazy and insolent, and issues additional rations of grog. The situation becomes untenable as Renown reaches its cruising grounds near Haiti. Even so, nobody will take the decision action of attempting to remove Sawyer from command.

Fortunately, Sawyer falls down a hatchway and receives a serious injury. There is intrigue surrounding his fall, but no actual witnesses to the accident. Upon Sawyer's physical recovery it is evident his mind is gone--he sobs hysterically and cringes away from everyone. Buckland, the senior lieutenant, takes ostensible command. The unimaginative Buckland botches the ship's primary mission, but disaster is averted when Hornblower proposes an audacious recovery.

From that point forward, it is Hornblower who guides the ship as he influences Buckland subtly but correctly. Indeed, the theme of Hornblower leading his superior officers is a dominant thread in the narrative. The ship carries out other duties with great success until Hornblower is placed aboard a prize--whereupon Renown is almost seized by prisoners. Hornblower once again comes to the rescue and recaptures the ship. The novel ends with Hornblower losing his job because of the Peace of Amiens. He takes up lodging in a public house, makes a meager living by playing whist, develops his friendship with Bush, and meets the young Marie Mason.

Forester's key book on the times...the made-for-tv series episode parallels this book very closely. And I am very picky when it comes to sea books. Definitely at the same level as the Bolitho series!

This is the sixth Hornblower book I've read, although it's only the second in terms of the chronology of Hornblower's naval career. And I must say, it's one of the better books. CS Forester could be a compelling writer, but some of the Hornblower novels feel a little disjointed. Not this one.

Lieutenant Hornblower is written from the point of view of Lieutenant Bush, whom Hornblower meets in this book. The result is that Hornblower is a more interesting character. It also, unlike some of the other books in the series, primarily covers a single plotline dealing with Hornblower's last mission as a lieutenant, so it hangs together very well. The result is a book that I had trouble putting down until I had read the whole thing. I wholeheartedly recommend this installment of the Hornblower series.

C.S. Forester created a superb naval drama that gave me an inside look at the life of a sailor serving in the Royal Navy on the wooden war ship Renown. With Hornblower, and his companion Bush dealing with their befuddled Captain and fighting off the attacks by the Spanish this book kept me reading page after page. I believe this is one of the best books in the Hornblower series and I would encourage anyone with an eye for historical novels to check this series out.

This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. I would recommend it to anyone who likes to ready true stories from someone's life.

I am was in shock throughout this entire book. I could not believe that this actually happen in the 21st century. Mende told her story so descriptively. I could not stop reading it. Excellent memoir.

Parts of this book were too graphic for me. I can't believe what women in some parts of the world have to endure. I couldn't finish it.

I just finished reading this book and wow. One of the things that really helped me was the references to modern things like cell phones and VCRs. It really helped reminding the reader that this happens today. The book will have a profound effect on whoever reads it. We live in what we consider a civilized society but who knows what goes on in the house next door. I wish the remaining years for Mende to be filled with health, love, and happiness.

The story of Mende begins as a young girl growing up in a harsh environment in the mountain region of the Sudan. She is playful, witty, too smart for her own good, somewhat at odds with her mother, and completely enamored by her father. She is loved by her family and culture, and loved back in spite of some harsh rituals (female circumcision) and a harsh environment (dangerous wildlife and at the mercy of the land).

When raiders attack her peaceful village it all changes. She is raped on the way to the slave traders who then shove her off to an absolutely evil woman in Khartoum where she is unknowingly sold as a slave. No choices, no friends, no comforts, no real safety. She is a body of labor. Flesh that can work as a substitute for others who practice the art of leisure. Beaten and dehumanized to the point of absolute affliction.

She is then traded off from Khartoum to London where she manages to escape the home of a diplomat. She is now free. But she has still not seen her family in over a decade. She is in complete fear of her own country and those in power. And she is a devout Muslim all the while.

This tale shows us that violence towards darker skinned people is alive and well in the world. The violence in Sudan is not religious as much as it is racist and classist. Mende was an unclean barbarian who did not deserve to be treated as a human by her Arab captors.

Slavery is alive in the world and while much of the world decides to look away at such atrocities, there are undoubtedly thousands like Mende when she was just a little girl who are being beaten and abused in every way possible as I write this. Beaten for not washing dishes the correct way, for talking to others, for laughing, for smiling, for an unnoticed wrinkle left in a shirt, a counter left undusted, for not calling their owner "master". It is a reminder to those in the West that there are parts of the world where basic survival and the freedoms that we have are not taken for granted. A healthy reminder.

The book itself is wonderfully crafted, hard to put down even though you want to avert your gaze often.

For those that love real rural blues this must be one of the best insights into the lives and music of the last of the old time juke joint musicians. It has all the drive and raw power that most of us white kids seldom get a chance to experience even when we were lucky enough to see some of these guys on tour. Go and buy this one and see a little of the life of these great characters and experience some their great driving electric blues.

This is a wonderful DVD. The highlights for me were seeing
R. L. Burnside at his home and getting to see Roosevelt Barnes
perform Heart Broken Man. Sadly both of these great performers are no
longer around.

this is the the best concised book on the blues. few books provide so much insight in so few words

this is a serious history of the blues treating the blues with the same respect & seriousness given jazz, classical and other forms. it is a wonderful book combining interviews with blues legends like muddy waters and howling wolf with in-depth musical and cultural analysis.

for serious blues lovers or the novice looking for a deeper understanding of the music's roots, the culture that spawned and the incredible musicians who created it.

Hi,my name is Steve Kaplan.I play the keytar behind Big Jack Johnson in the movie DEEP BLUES.I just released a cd called "BITTER LEMON REVIVAL".If you liked the movie call 901-355 7210 and order my cd for 12$ plus shipping and handling tot 13.95$ Order today!!! They could pull this ad anytime! Sincerely
Lemon Bitter Kaplan

I have read almost all of his books. What amazes me is how come that many so-called 'educated men' here(who obviously purchase books from Amazon at least)can rank him along with Sartre or Kant or whatsoever...Gulen is not a philosopher nor academician. Well, yes, I accept that one does not have to have an academic degree or offical recognition to be a great writer or thinker but Gulen has no original thoughts that can be considered as philosophy. Since When dogmatic sayings and pre and unconditionally accepted metaphysical beliefs have become called philosophy? I already hear you saying 'But he is trying to establish a dialogue...!' Well, all this kind of religous leaders cut up the world and put people into so many reliongs and sects, create the worlds of 'THE OTHERS ' 'THE ONES NOT LIKE US' and after that they play the peace-makers, dialogue starters.

Again, I am not against what he writes or says but against to present Gulen and his books as work of philosophy. We all know that is not true.
One reviewer said that most people reviewing his books here are his followers which is absolutely correct and that also alone proves Gulen is not a philosopher but a leader of a sect.

This is a very nice book, thanks to J.Carroll. I liked it too much and I ill refer it to my friends and professors..
I learned more about Mr.Gulen.

This book provides a wide angle for the problems of today and offers solution methods for those. Once again we understand how much we need the dialogue today more than ever, and how Mr. Gulen achieves to maintain the bridge between the East and West.

As a computer guy, I should confess that I do not read a lot, unfortunately.
However, Writer Carroll's writing style has helped me a lot read this book. In order to understand the meaning of the phrase "dialogue among civilizations", we need to understand if human value, moral dignity, freedom, human ideal, education, and responsibility mean similar importance and have similar definitions for different civilizations and for the thinkers who influence formation of those civilizations. Thank you Jill Carrol for putting all these themes and references together in one book and comparing them in an organized and simple way for people, like me, who do not read 14 books in one month but barely read one book .

It is good to know Islam has scholars like Fethullah Gulen. This study is unique in the sense that Jill Carrol compares him with thinkers that have completely different backgrounds. She shows that they have important common points and using these common points a dialogue can be built enriching love and tolerance. I enjoyed a lot reading the book.

An Echo in the Darkness is the second book in Francine River's Mark of the Lion triology. The book wastes little time recapping from the first book (A Voice in the Wind).

Spoiler alert: Since the last book, we discover that life has changed for the characters in 1st century AD. Hadassah is surviving with disfiguring injuries, Marcus is seeking to make sense of the world as he knows it, his sister suffers from an unidentified and dangerous illness and his mother Phoebe has turned to Christianity and does good works in the community.

To make sense of the tragedy and abominations of the people, Marcus travels to the holy land to find this "God" to whom Hadassah prayed. His journey, is a good metaphor for many people's journey into Christianity. Through his journey, as well as Hadassah's into forgiveness and Julia's into redemption we get a good picture of life in Rome, Ephesus and Israel in the 1st century AD. However, my overall issue with the book was that the talk of God and faith was quite heavy handed. I much preferred a Voice in the Wind because there was a better combination of history, faith and humanity. I know this is probably an unpopular sentiment, but there was so much talk of God in this book that it became overbearing at times. For me, it was to much, for others, if you enjoy a substantial focus on God in a book besides the Bible, then this book is for you.

When I started reading this book, I was afraid that a sequel could never be as good as an original. However, my fear was unfounded with this book. I have not enjoyed a piece of fiction this much in many years! This series has rekindled my love for fiction and deepened my walk with God.

This book is great! However, you must read the first book "Voice in the Wind" first. Voice in the Wind starts off slow and boring for the first 3 to 4 chapters then after that you cannot put this book down nor can you put Echo in the Darkness down. They are wonderful books. Christian believers will enjoy the books the most but unbelievers will like them also. The story is truly riviting.

Wow, I stayed on the bike at the gym for over two hours b/c I just had to get to the end. Then I re read the last few pages again once I got off the bike. I want the kind of faith that Hadassah had. Amazing story. Seemed real. I cried ALOT! Life changing novel. A must read for anyone and everyone.

Francine Rivers has an amazing way of bringing to life the truths of the Bible in her fiction that is unsurpassed.

If you're into the space program and what happened during this era, then I can't think of one reason why this shouldn't be in your library. It's one of my all-time favorite books.

This book was the basis for the movie Apollo 13. America had become complacent about our space shots by this time, which is something I still do not understand. But that may be because I worked so long at the Kennedy Space Center and always knew and still understand how dangerous each and every launch is. Apollo 13 was to have been the fifth mission to the moon. But two days into the trip, on April 13, 1970, the oxygen tank exploded in the command module, placing the three astronauts in grave danger. Lovell describes those terrifying days as astronauts, contractors, and Mission Controlled struggled to bring Apollo 13 safely back to earth. If you want to read what really happened by someone who was there...this is the book for you.

As someone who has been fascinated with space flight since childhood, and who well remembers the real Apollo 13 from his teenage years, I found this book a fascinating reminder of history. However, this book is about much more than the aborted flight of Apollo 13. It includes historical flashbacks that involved astronaut James Lovell. One chapter describes Lovell's teenage years as he launched homemade rockets. Another summarizes the early years of space exploration in the wake of Sputnik 1. Still another describes the selection of Lovell as an astronaut in late 1962. There is also a chapter on the Apollo 1 fire. Some of Lovell's closest friends perished in that needless tragedy. There is a fine description of the historical flight of Apollo 8, that Christmas lunar orbit in 1968. It included a reading from the Book of Genesis.

Now on to Apollo 13. In preparations for potential in-space emergencies, no one had imagined the simultaneous loss of both main oxygen tanks and all three fuel cells. This left the Odyssey itself with only a few hours of remaining oxygen, water, and electricity. Lovell and Kluge note that mission rules forbid a lunar landing if only one fuel cell becomes inoperable, even if nothing else is wrong. But the "Can the moon landing be saved?" quickly gave way to "Can the astronaut's lives be saved?"

The initial belief was that a meteoroid must have hit the ship. This later was discounted when the blown-open side of the service module became visible shortly after being jettisoned prior to re-entry. Clearly, the explosion must have originated from within the service module itself. Later investigation pointed to a confluence of factors, none decisive in and of themselves, that had combined to precipitate the near-tragedy. To begin with, the wrong-power fuses were being used within the oxygen tanks. When overloaded, they simply melted, allowing the overload of electricity to pass through. During assembly, the oxygen tank had been dropped, damaging an exit tube. During launch-pad exercises, the liquid oxygen was drained past the damaged exit tube by applying extra heat and driving the oxygen out another way. The sensor was not designed to warn of overheating above 80 F. Meanwhile, this procedure had unknowingly raised the temperatures to impossible levels, burning the insulation off much of the wire inside the oxygen tank. The first two times the stirring fan was turned on in space, there was no problem. But the third time, a spark must have flown and ignited the damaged insulation in the pure-oxygen environment, causing the explosion. The explosion itself damaged a tube connected to the second oxygen tank, thus draining it.

The book provides good detail about the dangers and challenges associated with the abort procedure itself. The decision was made not to attempt to fire the service module engine in order to reverse the flight direction in a deep-space abort, if only because the damaged service module might be unable to take the strain of the engine's thrust. The first critical burn of the lunar module's descent engine, done some six hours after the explosion and designed to change the hybrid trajectory back into a free-return trajectory, would have caused the Apollo 13 to crash into the far side of the moon if done incorrectly. Without the burn, however, Apollo 13 would be stuck in a 40,000 by 240,000 mile elliptical orbit around Earth. Thoughts were entertained about jettisoning the useless service module and using the lunar module's descent engine to accelerate the ship considerably--returning it from the vicinity of the moon to Earth in only some 36 hours. But this was not done out of fear that exposure of the command module's heat shield to the temperature extremes of space might damage it.

Everything on the ship had to be powered down--a strategy that worked, just barely. The severe cold aboard the ship, a secondary consequence of the powering down of all nonessential equipment, is described. The astronauts had a frosty breath. Some got urinary infections. They had a hard time getting comfortable enough to sleep.

The astronauts were slowly being poisoned by their own carbon dioxide. This was solved by the jury-rigging of the lithium hydroxide "scrubbers" of the command module to get them to fit into the circulation system of the lunar module. Just before re-entry, there were the challenges of successfully reviving the systems aboard the command module, and jettisoning both the service and lunar modules in a completely unconventional manner.

This well written book is a great time line of what really happened. I also enjoy the movie and this book fills in the gaps that were not covered in the movie. Also gives detailed accounts of nearly everyone involved in this mission.

Jim Lovell's dreams of landing on the moon were literally blown away in April 1970, when an oxygen tank aboard Apollo 13's service module exploded less than a day away from lunar orbit, forcing the crew to limp home under perilous circumstances. More than two decades after surviving that mission, Lovell (with his co-author Jeffrey Kluger) has written an excellent account of that ill-fated moon flight.

LOST MOON is one of the best of the Apollo books I've read, especially one concerning a single mission. This is also one of the best books about the work of mission control, who were the key figures behind the successful return of the crew. It is as complete a description of this mission as we are ever likely to see. The attention to detail is on a very high level, and the amount of transcripted dialogue is plentiful, well presented, and from a myriad of sources. There are a number of slightly testy exchanges between Lovell's crew and mission control, highlighting the tension of the situation in an honest and unapologetic manner. The examination of exactly how the accident happened, as told in the epilogue, is covered exceptionally well.

An aspect of the book that bothered me was the decision to use a third-person narrative throughout (which is defended unconvincingly in the author's notes). I had never before read any autobiographical account in which the central figure is treated in the third person. Basically, I was looking forward to reading Lovell's descriptions of events using his own voice and experience, and that didn't quite happen. To read Lovell -- one of the most engaging personalities of all the early astronauts -- diminished by such an impersonal, veiled perspective was disappointing. It adds nothing to the writing, and ultimately I felt it was a disservice to the book, though a minor one. If the authors had their doubts about mixing third-person and first-person perspectives successfully, they could have taken some cues from Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins, who wrote two books in that style and who is regarded as perhaps the best writer among the former astronauts.

Despite its compromises in narrative style, LOST MOON (or APOLLO 13, depending on the format) is an outstanding biographical account of the failed 1970 moon flight. It is potentially a five-star book if the writing had been appropriately personal when it counted the most.

This book is great. Page after page after page of stencils and stories. There are so many things to look at, it's well-organized, and includes a little something to read on almost every page. Some of the things in this book made me laugh, and other pages really made me think about the world I live in. I guess that's the point.

If you want to get into stencil painting, this book will open your eyes and give you lots to think about.

ONE OF THE SMARTEST, MOST PRODUCTIVE, HUMOROUS, STREET ARTISTS AROUND. WHAT ALL GOOD GRAFFITI ATTEMPTS, BUT OFTEN FALL SHORT OF A MUST FOR THE STREET ART LOVER!

it is interesting and entertaining. the stuff he does is really cool. some of them are a bit strange, but others are hilarious. he likes to make fun of various people and things, so someone who is a bobby, or british cop, might not like it as much. otherwise, he just does stuff for fun, such as writing "what are you looking at?" in front of a security camera. its fun to just look through the stuff he's done. he is an amazing artist. and very creative guy.

If you know Banksy, you know everything he has ever done is worth 5 stars. But in case you are concerned about their presentation, this book goes far to present his work with beautiful imagery and insightful commentary from the Banksy, itself!!

If you do not know Banksy yet and you enjoy stencil, symbolism, absurdism, political art, graffiti or taking risks to prove a point- just buy this book, you will not regret it!

this is a nice coffee table book for suburbans like me who want to appear edgy. banksy's work is brilliant.