History Books

This I believe was Frost's 1st golf history book and previously all his other work had been fiction. Which explains the fictional feel of this book. Frost cites conversation and internal thoughts from the characters to an exent that he can't possibly know if that's what happened. In addition to compromising accuracy, it also makes for a book that's about 2x as long as it needs to be. I found myself often scanning large sections rather than reading every word.

Even with that flaw he still produced a must-read golf history book, that many non-golfers will also enjoy. He excels at putting things in historical and social context, and building fiction-like edge of your seat tension. He's also a master at researching the lives of the main characters, from their beginnings to their endings in the must-read "Afterward" section.

In this case the main characters are British legendary professional golfers Harry Vardon and Ted Ray, US amateur golfer Francis Quimet and his young caddie Eddie Lowery. Although Mr. Quimet's story is reasonably well known in golf circles, Eddie's isn't. And in some ways Eddie is actually the most interesting character, if not the most important. The story goes that young Eddie escaped the grade school truant officer every day so he could caddie for Quimet. And it was Eddie's inspiration, tenacity and timely advice that pushed the young unaccomplished amateur Quimet to an historic conquest over then golfing titans Vardon and Ray.

In Frost's 3rd golf book "The Match" released last year, Eddie would again enter the picture. Now a middle aged successful businessman, he sets up a historic match between the 2 best amateurs of the day (Ken Venturi and Harvey Ward) and the 2 best Pros (Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson). At stake is a presumed $10,000 personal bet (if not more) but even more importantly a seminal event in the future direction of American golf: would the essence of the game remain in the hands of high-minded amateurs who played for pride and honor, or pros who at the time carried the stigma that playing for money compromised their golfing integrity?

In this 2nd effort, Frost clearly refines his style by eliminating much of the characters' internal and external "filler" dialogue, and the result is a book with better momentum and few if any question marks on accuracy. Not coincidentally, "The Match" is about 1/2 the page count of "Greastest Game."

In any case, both of these books are clearly "can't miss" and go together like Godfather's I & II.

I found this incredible interview regarding how the game of Golf has changed over the years. You wouldn't believe the evolution! If you have any interest in the history of Golf, this is a must read. If you want to become even more knowledgeable on the subject, scroll to the bottom of the interview and get in touch with the author. After reading, I guarantee you will be able to lead the most interesting discussions and impress your friends!

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/interviewroden.html

I loved the movie so I thought I'd try the book. I was not disappointed. In fact, I believe a second movie based on this book, focussing on the early career and post "Greatest Game" highlights of Harry Vardon, would produce an excellent movie, as well.

My older brother recently retired. My gifts to him were a Caribbean Cruise and a copy of this book to read as he suns on the deck of the cruise ship. When presented with both (gifts), he noted that he too had seen the movie and seemed just as excited to have received a copy of the book, as he was the cruise.

This is a terrific book and I'm not even a golfer. I didn't care much for the movie; a buddy of mine recommended reading the book and WOW, it's so much better. I'm not sure who wrote the movie but Frost does a great job of telling the story and holding on to your interest. I loved the biographical background and personality insights he offers. He's a terrific writer.

Great detail is setting the stage of how society viewed golf and its champions and how this tournament took that to the next level in popularity. Gives great detail intothe lives of Vardon, Ray, Francis and even Walter Hagen at the beginning of his career. Great for anyone who loves the history of golf and a good old fashion underdog story.

We had just rescued a ferret and needed information quick. So we started with Ferrets for Dummies. It's a good book and it answered all our questions. Easy to read and understand.

I love this book just as much as the first one. Everything was excellent. The seller was terrific as well couldn't have been better.

This book has lots of good information and it's easy to find. It works for the beginner or the experienced owner. It's my favorite ferret book.

I had previously owned 3 ferrets, who were quite a wonderful business to have. Now that I am a Stepmom, I am considering getting a ferret for my son. I called the local ferret rescue and spoke with the woman for about an hour discussing what we were looking for and what she had. She informed me that she would feel much happier if I purchased this book and read it with my son since it has been over 10 years since I have owned a ferret.

I purchased the book used and my 7 year old and I sat down and read a chapter a night. On this whole, this was a very good beginner's guide to owning a ferret, though I did have some minor problems with it. The over all information was fairly accurate and should give someone who has no clue what they are getting into, a better idea of what a ferret is.

What I would have liked to have seen that wasn't there:
1) This book reads an awful lot like a sales pitch, extolling the virtues of ferrets. Though I personally love them, they really are not the right pet for everyone, and I feel that a much more unbiased reality check on what a ferret is and is not should have been included to deter people from getting a pet that would not be right for them. The book glosses over the scent issue, saying "its not and worse than a dog or cat" well sorry to say, ferrets have a VERY distinct, musky odor and the room you keep them in is going to have that smell. It didn't bother me all that much, but I had friends who wouldn't even enter that room in my home when I had them in college. And I cleaned their litter box daily and cage weekly.
2) The Poo factor - ferrets create a LOT of poo, and unlike a cat, they aren't going to bury it so you need to scoop out their box daily. Also they like to dig, so there is a good chance that they will play in their litter box and you will find poo on the floor around the cage.
3) The colored poo factor - The book tells you that you can feed your ferrets cat food, which you can, but nowhere does it mention that if there is dye in the cat food their poo will contain all of the dye (I thought mine were dying because their poo was neon red) also the dye WILL stain anything the poo touches.
4) Deafness - Many ferrets with white heads are deaf, I had one, it wasn't a problem for me, but we didn't know he was deaf for a long time.
5) Baby ferrets WILL nip, you have to teach them not to, and it's not as easy as they imply in the book.
6) Ferrets have no fear and will commit suicide if you aren't careful. They will climb your bookcase and leap from the top, they will get under your oven, and they will end up in your neighbors apartment by climbing through a hole in the back of your cabinets that you didn't know was there. They CANNOT be left unattended - EVER.
7) There should have been a chapter on how to make appropriate toys for you ferrets, and more on what you should NOT give to your ferrets to play with (IE paper towel rolls can suffocate and kill them)
8) More on ferret proofing - IE pictures of places that almost all homes have which need to be taken care of, but that you may never notice until your fuzzy has made it known to you. Like little holes up under your cabinets, blocking off your kitchen entirely, holes where people have run their cable themselves, etc.
9) Updated section on ferret diseases, particularly warning signs. Too many people think of ferrets as giant hamsters that never need a vet visit.

On the whole this book gave okay starter information on the colors of ferrets, their history, what kind of cage you should buy, and some basic diseases they can get. But in the end it felt more like a sales job to get people to purchase a ferret. And they do a great sales job, my hubby was against a ferret purchase, read the book and was suddenly sold on them. I hope that there will be a future version that is a little less like a sales pitch and a bit more informational.

I am so happy I bought this book! It was recommneded by some users on a ferret forum. What a good idea! So much information, I've referenced it a few times about my problematic ferret: he's a biter! Some useful information about switching diets, some recipes, ferret-proofing, etc. Good to have, excellend place to check for questions, and if you still have more- take what you learned to a ferret forum and they can answer your question more detailed! This is a must-have for any ferrent!

This is one of those can't put down books. A book which makes you cry with sadness and happiness, one that makes you laugh and also makes you angry at the injustice to animals and the people trying to protect them.

Whilst we all know what a wonderful guy Steve was with his wildlife conservation and admire and love him for it, this also shows that Terri was equally dedicated.

A beautiful love story, and what a beautiful family! This book made me realize that it really took a special woman to match Steve's vigor for life.

What a unique couple, makes me even the sadder that their love story was cut short and that their two beautiful children do not get to grow up with such an amazing man!

Stellar writing by Terri Irwin. She made you feel like
you were right there with them.

Incredibly insightful, informative, and fascinating. Terry Irwin turns out to be a fabulous author who truly writes from the heart. You can hear her telling the stories of her and Steve's adventures. A love story for the ages. Of course, we all know the incredibly sad way the story has to end, but their story is definitely worth reading. Would recommend it to anyone who loves "The Crocodile Hunter", Steve Irwin, wildlife, love stories or believes in soul mates. Didn't want it to end. Loved it!!

I had always been a fan of Steve Irwin, but this touching tribute by his wife, not only showed how deeply they were in love but what a family man and true Wildlife Warrior he was. Excellent read.

Terri Irwin has written a biography and tribute to her soulmate, Steve Irwin. Known to millions all over the world as the Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin (along with Terri and their kids and the staff of the Australia Zoo) have inspired millions to care about the environment and animals that have been killed out of ignorance or fear. Contrary to what some reviewers wrote, you do get to know Steve better than you did through the television shows. Terri was actually quite open, sharing many personal stories with the reader in a way that drew you into the narrative. I felt the pain that Steve Irwin felt when he was the subject of the media witch-hunt regarding the "Baby Bob" incident. You laughed along with them, and felt their sorrows and triumphs. The "cult of personality" is too real a force in our world. People spend far too much time concerned with what some singer or athlete or actor says or does. Here is a subject worthy of such notice, and a story well-told. Thanks, mate.

A very enjoyable reading for those interested in basic math mixed with just enough relevant history to make it interesting.

My only quibble is that even though we read about Gauss, the prince of math, in two large sections in different chapters, his work is not showcased as main topic.

Not being a mathematician I can only reply as a lay person. I hope William Dunham sticks to his task of transmitting the thread of how certain mathematical ideas evolved from previously unrelated sources.I will be re-reading this particularly in terms subjects such as the connection between the binomial theorem and the developmentof calculus and other explanations you do not find or cannot follow in textbooks. Long live William Dunham.

This is a required text for a class of mine. Easy to read and follow along even if you're not a mathematically inclined person. Enjoy.

This is a great book whether you are a fan of, or a practicing mathematician. Good reading and a great library reference addition.

First things first: You have to really like maths to appreciate this book. If you have ever wondered how to prove Pythagoras' theorem geometrically, or would like to find out how Archimedes estimated pi, this is the book for you. If not, buy another.

The book has a good mix of stories, explanations and mathematical proofs. It actually answered questions I have been wondering about for a long time (proving Pythagoras' theorem and finding the formula for solving second order equations), but even if you are not the nerd I am, there is a big chance you will find this book fascinating.

I didn't find this book all that special. The style seemed stilted and awkward. Characters seemed emotionally flat and I didn't buy the romance in the story. Not a bad read, but half way through I was ready for the book to end.

One of the things I like about this book is that it manages to retain an archaic feeling without sounding fake (you know, the type of dialogue that sounds like a bunch of college students roleplaying). Pope's choice of using modern language for the dialogue doesn't spoil the setting at all, whereas trying to force readers to jump back and forth between Elizabethan dialogue and modern narration could be annoying, e.g. Patricia Wrede's version of "Snow White and Rose Red".

Overall, Pope's characters are really well fleshed out, and she's also a master at describing atmosphere. The supernatural terror that Kate is subjected to in the underground halls kept me up at night for a while after both times I read this.

I didn't know the plot of "The Perilous Gard" was related to an actual legend till I stumbled across the name "Tam Lin" elsewhere on the Internet. Now I'm fascinated...

This book is beautiful. The proud elves! The historical drama! Probably the best theory for where elves/fairies came from, oh, and the answer will suprise you!
This books haunts you in that though there are mystical, magical elements in this story when you done reading you have to admit that it really COULD have happened. This book made me cry, I love it when books have the power to make you feel that much emotion. Do yourself a favour and read the book!

The Perilous Gard

The Sherwood Ring

The Perilous Gard is a book I still reread as an adult. The Sherwood Ring is good also. I just wish that Ms. Pope had written MORE.

The Perilous Gard is a wonderful rainy afternoon book. The characters seem real and the Elizabethan England that is described seems real and charming but none too easy to live in.

The best part of the story is the characterizations of the fairies themselves. Not the fluttery, glittery creatures beloved of Walt Disney, but a real, proud alien race at one with nature. The queen particularly is both admirable and cruel, pitiless and pitiable.

I enjoyed this book immensely once I got into it. The first chapter didn't impress me, but after that the book held my attention. The main character, Kate, was a great heroine that I enjoyed reading about and she had her own flaws, which I thought was great. Because most books in this sort of genre have the perfect, beautiful, strong, intelligent, courageous heroine, which I always found somewhat unbelievable. This book is adventursome, fantastical, and has some romance thrown in too. Its my kind of book! I plan on looking for more books by this author.

An eight-year-old Jewish girl, Marissa, is sitting down with her family for the Passover seder. This year it is not only her family at the meal, but two guests, an older couple named Alex and Mela Roslan. At her Uncle David's prodding, Marissa's father, Jacob, tells the story of why he is so honored to have the Roslans as his guests. It all started long, long ago, when Jacob was just eight years old.

Jacob and his family lived in Warsaw, Poland, at the start of the Holocaust. His mother died giving birth to his youngest brother, but the rest of his family was well off, with servants and a nice house. Everything changed when the Nazis invaded. All of a sudden all of the Jews were put into a ghetto. The men of the family escaped the country before then, believing the women and children would be safe. Jacob's aunt managed to find places for his little brothers, Sholom and David, in the country. Jacob, however, stayed in the ghetto. Life was hard but livable. Then, his aunt began to worry about the fact that so many people were being arrested and taken out of the ghetto each day. She found a place for Jacob to live, with Alex and Mela Roslan and their two children, a family of Christians.

Throughout the war, Jacob lived with this courageous family, a family who put their own lives at risk to save the life of someone they had barely known.

This is another true Holocause story, and another one that makes the reader see there were some good people out there, surrounded by the bad. I liked that this book showed that helping Jacob was a difficult decision for the Roslans to make. They probably saved his life, but they still were concerned about their own lives and their own children. I would have liked to have seen more of what the Roslan children were thinking during this time. It would be interesting to get the point of view of the children who were involved because of a decision of their parents.

An excellent book dedicated to two people stood up for life when others looked the other way. My children and I enjoyed reading this book together.

Visitors are coming for seder dinner and Marissa wants to know who they are!

This is an amazing story of a young Jewish boy during the Nazi occupation of Poland. Jacob is his name, and he is given a chance to live with a brave Polish family. The Roslan family takes Jacob in and protects his brothers and him. This now united family must go through many hardships throughout this story, but there is still happiness and gratitude flowing in the text. Alex the father is the bravest of them all. He keeps the family alive and healthy.
This book tells a well rendered real life experience of a very brave family. It explains what was going on in Poland from the peoples view not the generals prospective. In this book Jacob tells this story to his daughter. Think of finding out that your father was living through an adventure story that had dire conflicts.
What I'm saying is if read this book if you want a idea of what happened to people that were brave and fought in their own way during World War 2.

PR2

In this story called Jacob's Rescue a Holocaust Story, Jacob is a Jew. He finds out that he has to go away from his Aunt and his grandma, to live with a German. The German's name is Alex. He hides Jacob from the Germans, or any other people who don't like Jews. Jacob becomes family to Alex and his wife and kids. Throughout the whole story Jacob is scared and frightened by the Germans. He doesn't want to get caught.
I absolutely loved this book. I couldn't keep my hands off of it. It was that good. I am really interested in the holocaust, so I enjoyed reading it very much. Anyone who likes reading about history or the holocaust, this is the book for you. This is based on a true story. That makes this book a lot more interesting to read.
By: Tenille

Jacob's Rescue by Malka Drucker and Micheal Halprin is an awesome book to read. It starts with Jacob getting captured by the Nazis and being put in a ghetto but for most of the story he is kept in a small apartment.

This book is about an 8 year old boy named Jacob and the extremely brave people who rescued him, Alex and Mela. There were also two brave kids the son and daughter of Alex and Mela. Jacob is one of the Jewish people who got put in a ghetto. In this story Jacob loves to play cards and do math. The whole story starts when Jacob gets put in a ghetto. Their problem is they have to find a way to stay safe without getting caught and being killed. My favorite part is when he escapes from the ghetto and goes with Alex to his new home.

I gave this book five stars because many of you know how many Jewish people got killed because of the war. This book is about the few people who went way out of their way just to save two Jewish boys life. I think that just to know that people would be so giving is a great thing. I think that Malka Drucker and Micheal Halprin did a great gob on this book and I hope that there are more books of theirs that I can read. I would recommend this book to a friend because I think that it's cool to know that two boys' lived through a war because of two people that saved them.

The Daily Bible® Compact Edition
I received this book in excellent condition and in a timely fashion.

A mi me encanto esta Biblia. A mi me gusta mucho la historia, y le encuentro mas sentido a las cosas cuando estan en orden. Esta Biblia te presenta todo tal como sucedio en su orden historico, en el cual puedes ver lo que dijeron los profetas en el tiempo que lo dijeron, tambien veras a las epistolas de Pablo ahi en los Hechos. Es una buena inversion - y tambien te ofrece un plan de leer la Biblia en un año.

La biblia Cronologica es una biblia muy clara y presisa. Es una buena inversion para aquellos que quieren entender y vivir cada pagina de la palabra de Dios. Uno siente como si estuviera dentro de cada hecho que ocurre. De verdad se las recomiendo. Al igual La biblia de Joyce Meyer.

This is a wonderful book, easy to read, logically arranged, and provides a better understanding of the Bible.

.....you wanted to read the entire Bible, this is the way to do it. Being chronological, scripture is drawn from various books as best they could determine in sequence. Makes for a great story and allowed me to put things in perspective.

This book is very detailed but you have to be wary of the slants. Sugden writes witness Matthew Packer down and dismisses his important testimony, and he also leaves out an important section of a letter that was published in the Telegraph in November which alludes to the capture of the killer (the "hideous bellowing of the news boys" letter). He also gets the Hanbury Street writing wrong. This was "Five - another fifteen and I give myself up." Sugden has it has "Four - another sixteen and I give myself up" - an absurd message which gets the total right but has changed the compenents to fit the assumption that the Fairy Fay murder did not happen. I find the book fairly morbid and irksome to read, and this is not because of the fascinating subject matter but the way that it is written. This subject needs a sharp-eyed Daniel Defoe, or a Jack the Ripper A-Z with all the rubbish taken out.

There's not a lot I can add to the great reviews other people have given it except to say that this book, while not being released as recently as some others, is still essential reading for anyone with an interest in the facts about the Jack the Ripper case. Sugden is a historian with impeccable credentials and research skills whose insights are a welcome addition to Ripperology.

I got interested in this book knowing that I was soon going to see the JtR exhibit in London, so I started reading it before I left on my trip. Unfortunately, when I got to the actual exhibit in July of `08, there was little there that the book hadn't covered--although I got to see some of the original police reports, the Ripper letters, and an interesting timeline display of suspects (most recently added to in 2007). This book is organized in such a way that it gives an intimate profile of both the victims and the suspects and the crimes themselves--which were truly horrific. The author relies mainly on contemporary sources, yet certain references make you aware that he has pawed over other accounts proclaiming "evidence" in order to separate the wheat from the chaff. So what you get is real scholarship, of a sort, and the author's best guess at the end as to Jack's identity. The many photos in this book also help to tell this unhappy story. Will this mystery ever be solved? I doubt it, having read how many missing pieces there are . . .

First let me state the categories of people who should (please note the emphasis) study (not 'read') this book: -
1. Anybody who is interested in the any or all of the following: the Whitechappel killings, the subsequent frenzy, investigation into the murders, armchair investigations by "Mycroft" wannabes, and the literally literary withchhunt being carried out over the past century & more to "unmask" the killer;
2. Anybody who is interested in understanding the socio-economic dynamics of the world's largest, richest, proudest and yet ruthlessly exploitative (of its own citizens, esp. the young and the women) city at that point of time when the nails were finally being hammered into the coffin of the 19th Century that had experienced the pinnacle of British glory;
3. Anybody who, after being overfed on the serial killers (Hannibal et.al) produced by the "hot" American novelists, actually wishes to know how it is like to be chasing a black cat in an enormous dark cavern while blindfolded;
4. Anybody who actually thinks that "the truth" might have been out there at some stage, but even with a centuries old "cold" case something can be done (unlike some trashy attempt sub-titled: "CASE CLOSED").

This book is not only accurate and free from all the popular & obscure misconceptions, it is also a living proof that history can be made more attactive than fiction while staying rigorously free from falsehoods. Recommended to everybody belonging to the afore-mentioned 4 categories as well as to all who, after reading some new adventure pitting Sherlock Holmes against Jack the Ripper, start pondering over "what if.."-s.

Like many others, I have been interested in the story of Jack the Ripper. When I finally decided to read about the crimes, I wanted to read only the best, most definitive account. I believe that Sugden's book fits the bill. He sticks only to the facts; when he theorizes, he presents an opposing view as well. He does not claim to know who Jack the Ripper was, but he does put forth a theory. After having finished this book, I cannot imagine that there is much of anything else to know about the case. I would highly, highly recommend this book to anyone interested in reading an emotionless, fact-filled book about Jack the Ripper to pick this one up.

I read this book last semester for a Criminal Justice class and it is amazing. It opened my eyes to exactly how wrong the war on drugs is. This book is my #1 recommended book. If more people would read it I think we'd finally be able to find our way out of this fruitless war.

Q: What is the difference between the Prohibition and America's war on drugs? Mike Gray's overall answer is "very little," but the one glaring difference is that when Prohibition failed, the country repealed the Constitutional Amendment which had created it. Alcohol use remained at about the same level before, during and after the Prohibition years, but the murder, official corruption and gang battles that accompanied official proscription came and went. DRUG CRAZY analyzes the upshot of that distinction and its enormous worldwide effects. The U.S. led anti-drug effort has cost us hundreds of billions of dollars in enforcement efforts alone, not to mention the cost of prisons, imprisonment and court proceedings and has succeeded in creating an international drug consortium with an annual income higher than the U.S. defense budget. Thousands of innocent bystanders have died in sprays of automatic fire and bomb blasts. It has made pot easier to get than alcohol for most American teens and brought Colombian, Bolivian and Mexican democracy to the brink of collapse. Damningly, Gray reports that every refereed study since the 1890s has suggested that marijuana is harmless and that the opiates and cocaine are no more dangerous than alcohol (perhaps less). Even the infamous "crack babies" we heard about for a few years turned out to be an unsubstantiated myth. In every country where legalization and controlled prescriptive availability of harder drugs has been tried, addiction rates remained stable or fell, crime decreased and most addicts proceeded to live normal workaday lives. The U.S. has forced other countries to quit such programs through fiscal pressure and outright lies, insisting that all adopt our abolitionist stance. We have managed to export violence, crack cocaine, corruption and other benefits to numerous other nations along with our failed policy. At the same time, and to make matters worse, the nature of enforcement has become a defacto racist effort. Cocaine in Wall Street boardrooms is harder to see than crack runners on Main Street and while whites are the disproportionate users of illegal drugs, blacks are the disproportionate arrestees. In this country, one in four black males is either in prison, under probation or on parole, mostly as a result of drug or drug related crimes. Small wonder, as the author points out, that blacks think O.J. Simpson was framed: it is their daily experience. Police routinely lie in court to make drug charges stick. (Since private deals between consenting parties are very hard to actually witness, when police claim that a perpetrator dropped a bag or in some other way made evidence visible it is understood by judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys and defendants that it is "acceptable" false testimony to cover an illegal search. So perjury is permitted in the name of enforcement.) Amazingly, the whole morass of current drug problems and policies could be eliminated with the stroke of a pen. Minus prohibition the drug cartels would be defunded. If prices fell, many farmers would find other crops more appealing. If currently illegal substances were distributed by prescription or through state-licensed stores, kids would be infrequently exposed. (How many pushers are selling beer in front of your local elementary school these days?) Mike Gray has brought his story telling skill (The China Syndrome and other screenplays) and his investigative/documentary bent (American Revolution and The Murder of Fred Hampton) to bear on an urgent national and international problem. His recommendations and observations are difficult to refute and his is a well considered voice in a growing debate which affects us all. Even now, the genie released when California and Arizona approved medical marijuana use is being clumsily stuffed back in the bottle by Federal mandate, disenfranchising voters and creating a rising uproar. As former U.S. Attorney General Elliott Richardson observes: "Anyone who thinks the war on drugs is succeeding should read this book. It shifts the burden of proof from the critics of existing policy to its defenders."

This is one of the best books I've read on the drug war to date (and I've read a bunch). The book carefully went through the origins, history, and effects of the drug war in a captivating and easy to follow manner. When finished, the reader will be left with an iron-clad indictment of the drug war which has covered all angles. This really is one of the most comprehensive and well written books on the drug war, and I highly recommend it.

When it became clear that the medicines called opiates were highly addictive and caused health problems, they were dealt with as nicotine and alcohol are dealt with today. There were honest and realistic public service messages warning of the dangers of opiates, and there was medical help that greatly limited the damage they did to the individual and which had a chance of eliminating his or her addiction. These methods worked, and where they are applied they work today. Then in the second decade of the twentieth century the country took a nose-dive into authoritarian attitudes and corruption, and people got the strange idea that you could eliminate a practice you didn't like simply by passing a law against it. Alcohol, and the opiates were completely banned, as was marijuana which was now designated a "drug" because of its association with minority groups. Alcohol use, which had always hovered between widespread and universal, had been declining but now became more common than ever before. Worse, the alcoholic drinks that were taken became much harder and not being regulated they might contain enough alcohol to be dangerous. Worse still, an untold number of criminals were created, crime of all kinds increased radically, organized crime came to control whole districts and corruption reached heights never seen before. "Public service messages" regarding what were now illegal "drugs" became simple expressions of hatred having very little to do with the "drugs" they were about, and everyone actually familiar with those "drugs" knew it. Medical treatment by doctors who were actually trying to help their paitents was declared illegal, and a number of doctors went to prison. The lives of opiate addicts had usually been no worse than the lives of nicotine addicts, but now those lives became impossible. Addicts could no longer hold jobs raise children or do anything else but concentrate on their addiction. Current "rehabilitation" for opiate addicts is an expression of hatred for those addicts and makes no attempt to help them. It mostly consists of telling them they are evil it they don't break their habits, and for those addicted to opiates or nicotine, breaking the habit altogether is usually not possible. Opiate use had always been an insignificant phenomenon nationwide, and in the early part of the century when it was being dealt with intelligently, it was declining. But then the hate laws were passed, and now a measurable percentage of the population is addicted and condemed to ruined, useless lives, organized crime is more powerful now than at any time in history, and whole countries like Columbia are completely dominated by corruption-- as are large sections of others like the United States and Mexico. None of this needed to happen. The things we call "drugs" were handled intelligently at the beginning of the twentieth century or were never a problem in the first place. If realistic laws were passed, the worst of the damage would be fixed very quickly since it is directly caused by bad laws. The rest of the damage would take a decade to undo, but if we begin treating the opiates as we treat nicotine and alcohol we will gradually undo it.
I think that is a pretty good thumbnail of what Mike Grey had to say, and he is completely right. Everyone in the country should read this book. Our real addiction is to hatred.

Author Mike Gray tackles the failed drug war in this book and effectively shows how the present war has many similarities to alcohol prohibition in early part of the twentieth century. Gray begins his discussion of the subject of drugs by taking the reader back to 1925, in the city of Chicago, during the height of the nightmare of prohibition. Gangs ruled the streets. The air was filled with the smell of cheap booze and the sound of gunfire. Police were defenseless to the total chaos going on all around them. They simply could not stop the manufacture and consumption of alcohol. There was too much money to be made by selling this "forbidden fruit". There was no possible way that this "war" on alcohol could ever be won.

Does this sound familiar? It should, because the same thing is going on right now. The government's failed attempt to eliminate alcohol is now being attempted a second time with the war on drugs. These laws are discussed in the book with a history lesson on the various court rulings and congressional decisions that led to the present prohibitions on drugs. These laws have some of their roots in the U.S. Congress. According to the book, marijuana itself became illegal as the result of a lie told to congress by Fred Vinson, a man who would later become the U.S. Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Vinson was sitting in a congressional hearing one day, just before congress was about to vote on whether or not marijuana should be made illegal. The American Medical Association knew of the benefits of marijuana in medical treatments, and was strongly against such a law. But when Vinson was questioned by congress, he lied and said that the AMA backed the proposed law 100 percent to make marijuana illegal. This was enough to help push the law through congress. Vinson's lie, coupled with the onslaught of government propaganda against marijuana, marked the beginning of America's second nightmare with prohibition.

The lying and deception by government cooled off a bit during the 1940 to 1960 period. But then, the lying and deception continued when President Nixon decided to revive the anti- drug crusade, in part to cover- up his own problems with Vietnam and Watergate. George Bush then escalated the damage even more by scaring the public into backing his anti- drug package and his "get tough" policies against drug dealers and drug users. Gray talks about these and other political maneuvers; why they happened and the true motives behind these so- called "moral" crusaders.

The present- day situation looks pretty bleak. Gray points out that the United States is now the largest jailer in the world with roughly half of all prisoners being non- violent drug offenders. We have also corrupted our police officers, with many of them actively taking part in the drug trade; cutting special deals, accepting bribes, etc, because of the allure of easy money. Respect for law enforcement is low, and violent criminals have been allowed early release to make way for non- violent drug offenders, thanks to mandatory minimum sentences.

This book is an easily manageable length: about 198 pages and fairly easy to read. There are a total of eleven chapters and two appendices. Appendix "A" details the changes in the U.S. murder rate, showing how it peaked during alcohol prohibition and during the present- day drug prohibition. It also shows graphs depicting the U.S. prison population and the Federal Drug budget. And to give the book some balance, Appendix "B" contains a listing of activist organizations, both pro- drug war and anti- drug war, along with a brief description of each and their respective websites.

As Mike Gray points out, the War on Drugs is one of America's greatest failures. Gray never specifically condemns the war. He wrote this book as a means to educate the reader on the motives behind drug prohibition and the reasons that politicians continue to fight a losing battle when they know that the war is not winnable. Gray never resorts to name calling or any form of moral persuasion. He really doesn't need to. He lets the facts speak for themselves, illustrating the endless problems created by a war of prohibition and why it is so important to stop this insanity once and for all.

I have just finnished reading The Long Road Home and must commend Martha Raddatz on her brilliant book. I have been a friend of the Weibleys(Trysha)for years and decided that it was past due for me to read. It was not political or opinionated in any way, it was factual and desctiptive like nothing I have ever read.Since There is one part of this book where Seth gets out to clean a windshild..knowing him the way I do, I HAD to laugh through the tears. It was just soooo something he would do.
Thank you for writing this amazing book for the world to read. It is integral to all Americans to know what REALLY happend that day. I know that the Weibleys apreciate it as do I and all that I will be passing this on to.

I saw Martha Raddatz speak at the Pritzker Military Library last week (June 2008) and bought the book there on the spot. I have read it straight through in a couple of days and wish that every American would read this book or one with a similar story. It seems that Iraq has become background noise in light of the energy crisis and the country's economic woes.

It's easy to forget that we are at war and that American servicemen are losing their lives. This book brings that reality home. It's not a fun read - it's a distinctly uncomfortable and sometimes depressing one. But reading stories like this might go some ways towards breaking through this desensitization we seem to have as a country when it comes to the war in Iraq.

I think that the portions of the book written from the view of the soldiers are solid and really brought me into the action of that awful battle. I won't ever know what it is like to be a soldier who engages in battle and is wounded or sees friends wounded or, worse, killed in action. But this book at least makes me really think about it and gives a good description of how these soldiers felt.

On the other hand, I did not think that the parts of the book written from the perspective of the families was as strong. I am not sure if this is the result of Ms. Raddatz respecting the wives of the killed soldiers and not interviewing them directly or just because her passion lies with the stories that these men have to tell more than with the stories of their families. Either way, it made the book feel a little unbalanced to me.

All that being said, I think that this book is important. The story that it tells is important not only because the battle it details was a turning point in the war but because it reminds us that our fellow countrymen are going through unspeakable things. This war remains relevant and I applaud the efforts of Ms. Raddatz and others like her for fighting to keep it in the media.

This book is a must read in this election year. Put all else aside, pick up this book and struggle through the reality of what is going on and few of us bother to realize. This is not a pleasant read, this is not a feel good story. This is the truth of what happens when politicians make decisions based on their own legacy in mind. This is how those decisions affect you, me and our neighbors. These kids are in a horrible situation in Iraq. If the evidence to enter the war was real, OK, this is duty. In retrospect, this is a sin. No one should face 10 minutes of what these husbands, boyfirends, sons and daughters are going through. Martha Raddatz did an incredible job of piecing this story together. If 10 % of this is accurate, no one should be subjected to this kind of horror. I can tell you, having had a brother serve in Vietnam in the late 60s, there is nothing you hope to avoid than a taxi, your parish priest or minister, and a stranger dressed in a military uniform in the middle of the night. Soldiers,, families are all suffering, the problem is, they are in the minority. The majority of us simply bitch about high gas prices. We don't have a clue what is going on. Read this book and become informed. When you vote in November, consider what you are doing, seriously. Is this war in the middle east worth it? Is it winnable? Is there an honorable way out. Don't just assume there is, understand what these soldiers are going through and make sure the way you vote is not going to prolong this disaster.

In Iraq right now and had to read this. Wasn't as good as I thought it would be but it gives a perspective.

Excellent read about the war in Iraq. I bought this book after I found parts contained action my son was involved in. Found my son's name and picture of truck he was in. He was trying to save Cindy Sheenan's son Casey. He was ambushed also and was hit in his foot. They lost eight good soliders that day. I hope they make a movie someday. My son is a IV and he was shot on 4-4-4 in Sadr City Iraq. He now has PTSD and is divorced from the woman he loves. Where is Cindy Sheenan now?