Asian Books

Being aware of the influence that Japanese print making had on European artists in the 19th century, but not having had much exposure to Japanese prints, I found this book to be a wonderful introduction. The essays that opened the book and the explicatory text that accompanied each print helped to establish a dialogue between the ideas that were exchanged between Oriental art and European art. I found this to be an excellent addition to my personal collection, and would highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in this area.

In the second half of the nineteenth century, Europeans and Americans discovered the world of Japanese woodblock prints and thus began an enduring love affair. One result has been the publication over the last century of literally hundreds of books and thousands of articles about the prints known as "ukiyoe," with a particular emphasis on such giants of the genre as Hokusai and Hiroshige. How then, in this crowded field, does one manage to create a must-have publication for readers who may already have well-stocked libraries on Japanese art?

One answer is to be found in "Hokusai and Hiroshige: Great Japanese Prints from the James A. Michener Collection, Honolulu Academy of Arts." Issued by the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco in conjunction with an exhibition, "Hokusai and Hiroshige" is typical of a new wave of "ukiyoe" books that combine excellent design (of layout and typography) with clear and interesting text. Every page displaying a print has a near equal amount of space devoted to text, and the book benefits as well from introductory essays by three established experts. The text in particular appeals to me, providing not only insights about the compositional nature of each print but also detail on the locales depicted by these two great landscape artists and appropriate historical information. There is room for improvement in "Hokusai and Hiroshige"--I would have preferred more standard romanizations for some Japanese words and the inclusion of an index covering well more than just print titles--but overall this is an excellent and valuable volume.

I have not "finished" this book, nor do I intend to for a long time. I take it out to admire, print by print, sometimes reading the informative text, sometimes not. This is not a comic book to rush through. Linger, enjoy.

This volume was the companion for the exhibits at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. It covers all the lerge number of works shown there, each with descriptions of what is depicted and some in the points of interest that highlight each artist's rendering of the scene. There are sections on the lives of each artist and the fairly primitive tools used to create these intricate multi-colored (and thus multi-pressed) prints. The full collection of sets, such as the Hokusai views of Mount Fuji, are very well done and would in themselves make this book worthwhile. The sum total of both these woodblock masters is awe inspiring and sumptuous.

I have not "finished" this book, nor do I intend to for a long time. I take it out to admire, print by print, sometimes reading the informative text, sometimes not. This is not a comic book to rush through. Linger, enjoy.

Dr Furnish demonstrates his expert knowledge on Mahdism, its history, and in the end the threats and challenges it could cause if bin Ladin or some other renowned Islamic terrorist were to be declared "the rightly guided one" sent to gather and recruit the Islamic faithful in preparation for the judgment by Allah at the end of time. As Furnish points out, the concept of the Mahdi is not actually contained in the Quran, but rather in a number of the Hadiths which were written separately in the early years of Islam. Furthermore, there is reference in these writings to Jesus Christ as a prophet of Islam, and how his reappearance in Syria will signal that the end of time is near.

There is debate among Islamic scholars which of these Hadiths should be regarded as authentic scriptures of the religion. However, whether authentic or not, going back to the early 12th Century AD and continuing through the last known Mahdist movement in 1979 in Saudi Arabia, these writings have been used to incite violent insurrections against governments, and bloody massacres not only of Christians and Jews, but even Muslims who did not share the views of the fanatic leaders who claimed to the Mahdi. Furnish chronicles each of these Mahdist movements, plus writes about the "Virtual Mahdi", one who has not declared himself as the leader of Muslims to the end of time, but one who may essentially be viewed as such, for example bin Ladin, and the danger this poses for the world.

When one reads the history of these violent movements, full of complete intolerance of other religions and independent branches of Islam, in which the punishment for non-conformance included death by beheading and the massacre of innocents, it seems a reasonable question to ask -- just what has changed since the 12th Century? Witness the beheadings and bombings in Iraq, the September 11th attacks, the attempts by Al Qaeda affiliates to blow up 11 American passenger jets over the Pacific in the 1990's (they came dangerously close to succeeding), attempts to kill the Pope, the oppression and terrorism brought on by the Ayatollah Khomeini and the current Iranian regime, plus the terrorist actions sponsored by Yassir Arafat extending back from suicide bombings in recent years to the kidnapping and massacre of the Israeli Olympic Team in Munich in 1972, and the hijacking and bombing of three western airliners in 1970. While it might not be Mahdism, and the weapons may be more sophisticated, the tactics, intolerance and utter disrespect for human life by this streak of Islamist fanaticism are just the same in modern times as they were during the first major Mahdist movement, by Ibn Tumart in 1130 AD.

The mainstream media and their "experts" on television talk shows often proclaim that we must understand the "root causes" of Islamic terrorism. One of their favorites they trot out ad nauseum is the Israel-Palestine conflict, never minding that the Arab world didn't give a whit about the Palestinians until 1948, and even then it was mainly used as a political tool. Oil-rich Arab governments were perfectly happy to help fund PLO terrorist operations, while expelling Palestinians from their own countries, and Yassir Arafat laundered millions in US and EU aid into his own Swiss bank accounts, while the citizens of Ramallah languished in abject poverty.

If the media, our government leaders, and concerned individuals truly want to understand the root causes of Islamic terrorism, they should read this book to gain a proper understanding of the historical facts. It's all there. The fanaticism, intolerance, and brutality that has been the trademark of Mahdist and terrorist movements for nearly a millennium is documented in detail as a result of Dr Furnish's research. There are a lot of books available on the Middle East and the terrorist threat, many of them excellent in their own right, but "Holiest Wars" presents the topic in a historical context not seen in any other book that I am familiar with. It is a must read for anyone interested in this area.

For most Muslims 'al-Mahdi' is the messianic figure who will aid the returning Isa (Jesus) to destroy the 'Dajjal' (the 'Deceiver,' the embodyment of earthly evil who shares many characteristics with the Christian Antichrist). After the Dajjal's demise the Mahdi will restore the Caliphate as a global Islamic state, bringing a long period of social and economic justice to the world's righteous before the terminal age of the Last Judgement.

Despite widespread Sunni belief and hopeful expectation for the future coming of the Mahdi, author Timothy R. Furnish feels that most Western academics have neglected the study of Mahdism, considering it a chiefly Shi'a phenomenon if not otherwise dismissing it altogether. This attitude towards so important an aspect of Islamic eschatology is what keeps Furnish's analysis limited to historical Sunni Mahdist movements, largely steering clear of those of the Shi'a and that sect's more mystical offshoots (e.g. Bahaiism, Ahmadiyya). Furnish's work here is a convincing rebuttal of much of western Islamic scholarship's conventional wisdom.

HOLIEST WARS is divided into six chapters:
1/What Is Mahdism and Where Does It Come From?
2/Mahdist Movements Throughout History
3/Counter-Mahdist Rationale and Policies
4/The Virtual Mahdi
5/Modern Muslim Anti-Mahdists
6/Conclusion: Who Will Be the Next Mahdi?
However, the book really reads as three parts: The history of the phenomenon. Its present situation and status in Sunni Islam. And the effects that such doctrines and their history have upon the near future.

Although noting that Mahdism has no Quranic grounding and furthermore is referenced in only three out of the six canonical Sunni collections of hadith (Abu Da'ud, Ibn Majah and al-Tirmidhi to be exact), Furnish provides background and overview for at least eight specific Sunni Mahdist movements, albeit acknowledging that, with the exception of the 1979 occupation of the Great Mosque in Mecca, these were often on the geographical, social and ethnic periphery of the Islamic world:
1/ Ibn Tumart and the Muwahhids (Almohads), circa 1124-1269 AD, against the Murabit (Almoravid) empire of Morocco and Spain.
2/ Western India's Sayyid Muhammad Jawnpuri of Gujarat and the Mahdavi movement of the 15th and 16th centuries.
3/ Ibn Abu Mahallah from early 17th century Morocco.
4/ 19th century India's Sayyid Ahmed Barelwi and his various wars against both the Sikhs and the British.
5/ Mid-19th century Algerian Mahdists Bou Zian and Mohammed Amzian.
6/ Sudan's Muhammad Ahmad and his late-19th century uprising against the Khedive of Egypt and his British allies. Muhammad Ahmad is inarguably the most notorious "Mahdi" in history. Defeating the British at Khartoum and executing the British governor, Charles George "Chinese" Gordon, Muhammad Ahmad and his uprising have become the focus of numerous novels and at least a half dozen big budget Hollywood movies.
7/ Mehmet, a Sufi of the Naqshbandi Order, who led a Mahdist revolt against the secularizing Kemal Ataturk's Turkish Republic in 1930.
8/ The 1979 takeover of Mecca's Great Mosque and attempted overthrow of the House of Saud by Juhayman al-Utaibi and his brother-in-law, Muhammad ibn Abd Allah al-Qahtani.

Furnish details many parallels in these various movements. In addition to their flourishing on the geographic edges of the Muslim world, these uprisings also each share a degree of Sufi influence and appeal to those peole who feel marginalized, living in societies that they see as Muslim in name only, under political systems which they feel to be decadent and servile to the West.

Furnish devotes the second part of the book to contemporary Mahdist thought and belief, providing a detailed investigation into the spate of books recently published in the Islamic world and the growing variety of websites in both Arabic and English that are devoted to this subject. He does a good job of documenting Muslim authors and sites who are anti- as well as pro- belief in Mahdist doctrine. Rather interesting are the websites highlighted here, such as the Arabic "Muntadiyat al-Mahdi" (Gathering [Chat] Rooms of the Mahdi) and "al-Muntadi" (Gathering Room), and the English site, "Mahdi Unite."

The third part of the book looks at Islamist leaders today and asks if any would or could seriously take on the role of the Mahdi. Furnish provides the qualifications as they are mentioned in the aforementioned hadith collections and doubts that the ubiquitous Usama bin Laden would ever dare to portray himself as al-Mahdi. Furthermore, among a great many other things, bin Laden's Yemeni birth and his murdering of pious Muslims contradicts Muslim expectations. Also -and most importantly- there is the problem that the Dajjal and Jesus are missing from the world scene, both are expected at the same time as the Mahdi.

HOLIEST WARS: ISLAMIC MAHDIS, THEIR JIHADS, and OSAMA BIN LADEN is a very well researched, thouroughly documented study on one of the most fascinating aspects of the Islamic faith.

Timothy Furnish has written what will come to be one of the most important books to help us all better understand Islam's relationship to the rest of the world. Furnish discusses the very little understood - yet crucial topic of Mahdism. The Mahdi is Islam's primary Messiah figure - an Islamic global warlord of sorts - the very idea of which adds a much greater measure of danger to an already global threat - radical Islam. This subject matter must be undertood by scholars and those in government as well as Christians or anyone who desires to understand Islam better. It is the first comprehensive study of this subject. It is fascinating, frightening and profound. As an author of another book that deals with some of this material but on much more popular level, I highly recommend this book. Furnish knows his stuff.

No one has a book out there quite like this one, folks. Timothy Furnish masterfully takes us through his unique perspective of Mahdism and its connection to Osama bin Laden. This book was meticulously pieced together by Furnish and his expert knowledge of muslim, christian and judaic traditions and their historical impact in uniting some and violently tearing others apart is incredible. A highly interesting piece of literature that provides a great deal of perspective we can use in modern times. Timothy Furnish's first effort as an author looks quite promising indeed. I look forward to the author's next installment with great anticipation.

This is an important work for understanding the expectations and belifes of the Jihadists. The author does an excellent job using Islamic eschatological hopes and historical events in explaining the mindset behind many of today's current events.

This is the first time I've ever reviewed an item at Amazon.com, but I think this book is so special, I had to share my comments.

The illustrations are breathtaking and the content is interesting, easy to read and digest, and through provoking. I love every page!

This book is the perfect gift for anyone interested in history, art, Israel, or politics.

A superbly illustrated history, "Homeland" is a historical overview of 3,500 years of Israel's complex and complicated history presented with the accuracy of university level scholarship and the accessibility of a graphic novel. Exceptionally easy to understand, Israel's history is laid out chronologically with almost every page featuring full color photos and painted illustrations enhancing a superimposed explanatory text. The collaborative effort of Marv Wolfman, Mario Ruiz, and William J. Rubin, "Homeland" begins with the story of Abraham, continues through biblical times down to the period of Roman rule, the diaspora, the Holocaust, the founding of the modern State of Israel, notes its accomplishments, as well as the recent wars the Israeli's have had to wage in order to preserve their nation and themselves. Of special note is how the authors, while writing from a Jewish perspective, have also drawn upon non-Jewish narratives as well, giving "Homeland" an historical context with respect to contemporary Middle East issues. A unique and visually impressive publication which is also available in paperback ($19.95), "Homeland: The Illustrated History of the State of Israel" is a welcome and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, school, and community library collections.

When I was a young child, My grandma Esther would taut at me about my comic collection. She said "Mickey Mouse books that won't ever matter ever.". Those words still echo in my head today. After reading Homeland, I wish I could show this book to her now.She would be amazed


To call this book a graphic history novel would not be an insult. There have been other historical graphic novels that have gone before like Maus : A Survivor's Tale : My Father Bleeds History/Here My Troubles Began/Boxedand Barefoot Gen Volume One: A Cartoon Story of Hiroshima . However the quality of this work surpasses those two graphic novels. BUT after you buy this, get those as well!

However this illustrated story of the state of Israel is more a history lesson for the masses. The text written by Marvel and DC comic scribe Marv Wolfman is not bias nor boring. He may have a jewish narrative, but it is not so heavy handed as most other works out there are. Its timeline goes from the Bible to modern day Israel. Wolfman's words are well researched. It is about a country and a civilization, Wolfman's pen skills takes adult and child alike into history with ease, which is a hard feat for most writers

The dymanic art work and digital images from the amazing hands of Mario Ruiz is a tresure to keep. This is not an illustrated bible, but a painted graphic novel which unfolds into a history that breathes. This is not comic book images, this is art!

Lets be honest, Children bore easy when you speak of history of any sort...In my opinion, I would want a copy of this comic in every kid's hands over the age of twelve. I do not mean just Jewish children, I mean EVERY CHILD! I do not assume they would bore that easy with a teacher's study guide..which i would hope comes soon

And now to the adults, this volume is great for the coffee table set. Nevertheless, take it off the table and read it too. However, I think the art is so well versed, I which there were prints available for framing of some of Ruiz's craftmanship. I hope that comes soon as well!

Everyone is seeking great gift ideas for the upcoming holiday seasons...

so the for comic/graphic novel fans out there, this book will thrill them, just whisper Marv Wolfman's name....

For the history buff, this will intrigue them, it is about an ancient civilization....

For the arsty set, the artwork along will immerse them in masterful images...

For the future Bar Mitzvah boy or Bas Mitvah girl (or their families), this is a great gift to add to their religious library....

For the non Jewish religious ones on your list, the text will still engross them...

And for those who just like a coffee table book which stands out above the rest, this book will suit those

For whatever reason you choose, this book is a gift that keeps giving..So get it!

Bennet Pomerantz AUDIOWORLD

A friend let me read her copy and I just ordered my own.
The story is both enlightening and entertaining.
And the web doesn't even do justice to the graphics. They are even more amazing in print. I think fans of history (both ancient and contemporary) and those who like graphic novels will love this new book.

This wonderfully llustrated history gives a great overview of Jewish heritage and a context for today's politics. A great way to get a grounding in the subject for those of Jewish heritage who missed Hebrew School, or others wanting insight into the tragedies and traditions informing modern Judaism (and Zionism). Would be great for teens, but also for adults looking for the big picture.

I think that this book has a great variety of fellings. I belive that Tomi's life was hard for his age. I encourage people to read this book I am glad I did.

Graham Salisbury's HOUSE OF THE RED FISH provides a companion novel to UNDER THE BLOOD-RED SUN, so familiarity with the prior story will lend uniformity and smooth transition to this ongoing tale of Tomi Nakaji. Here it's a year after his father and grandfather were arrested after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and everyone's waiting for another attack. Japanese American Tomi and his family discover new enemies among old friends as they face new challenges.

THE HOUSE OF THE RED FISH pulses with energy, enthralling images, captivating narrative and most of all, empathy for the downtrodden.

THE HOUSE OF THE RED FISH is the house of Tomi, his little sister, Grand'pa Joji, his mom and dad. A flying red paper Fish on top of the house is a Japanese emblem for a happy family in times of peace. They live on the property of the Davis family, home also to Keen who is a bully. Keen also hates Tomi and his
family because they are Japanese.

The narrative takes place in Hawaii just before and after Pearl Harbour, when Japanese-Americans were perceived as the enemy.

After his dad and grand'pa Joji were incarcerated as prisoners of war, Tomi has one goal and that is to retrieve his fisherman father's sampan that was sunk because it was Japanese. A great deal of imagination and creativity must be used in order to bring it back to the surface. Without doubt, Keen will find ways to stop him from reaching his goal. Surprisingly, grand-pa Joji returns, as he was saved by Mrs. Davis and he secretly guides his grandson on how to save the sampan for Keen's dad, whom he hopes will soon be out of the concentration camps that were built for Japanese-Americans.

Tomi, his little sister and all his friends show a sense of camaraderie that one can really feel in Hawaii. In fact, Graham Salisbury's family has lived in Hawaii since the 1800 which makes him well versed in the lingo and the sense of friendship that exists among them.

THE HOUSE OF THE RED FISH conveys a message of understanding the perceived enemy in times of war. He also conveys a sense of pride in one's heritage.

The author's style is entertaining and endearing. We get to root for the good guys and boo for the bullies. Dialogue is fast and witty. Characters are so true to life that you will find yourself cheering for the winners.

Graham Salisbury's foray into a delicate subject is highly recommended.

Lily Azerad-Goldman, Artist and Bookreviewer for Bookpleasures

Here it is, HOUSE OF THE RED FISH, the eagerly awaited sequel to Graham Salisbury's UNDER THE BLOOD-RED SUN. Readers already acquainted with Tomi and Billy (and their neighbor but "enemy" Keet Wilson) will delight in renewing friendships and going on more adventures in Salisbury's newest novel. HOUSE OF THE RED FISH opens with a brief flashback to September 1941, but the next chapter takes us to March 1943. Tomi Nakaji and Billy Davis, still best friends, are now ninth graders at Roosevelt High. Salisbury makes readers very aware of the ravages of the attack on Pearl Harbor and the way life in Hawaii has changed in the interim for everyone, but especially for Japanese Americans like narrator Tomi and his family. The setting details subtly include many aspects of life in Hawaii during World War II: the boys get stopped, asked for their ID's, and warned that they should also have their gas masks with them; barbed wire fences stretch across the beaches; cardboard must cover the windows of their home each night; curfew is imposed on all residents. The World War II years in Hawaii were rife with prejudice against Japanese Americans--often suspected to be "enemy aliens" (43). However, Salisbury shows how Billy's haole family accept his friendship with Tomi and how Billy himself, paradoxically wise beyond his years yet still charmingly naïve, explains to Tomi why Keet is no longer his friend. Tomi tells us: "It took me a week to force it out of him [Billy]. Keet Wilson turned on me because I was Japanese, and he had been told by his friends at school that white guys weren't supposed to like Japanese guys" (17).

Early in the novel, the boys amble down to the nearby Ala Wai Canal where Papa's sampan, sunk by the U.S. Army one day after Pearl Harbor was attacked, is still visible just below the surface of the muddy water. The boat quickly becomes a symbol of the way life was before the attack ("in the before time"), when Tomi, Papa and Grampa Joji were together before the Army took Papa and Grampa away to U.S. Army prison camps. It also represents Tomi's personal war, which Salisbury adeptly counterpoints with the Big war of the real world. The novel follows Tomi engaging in his battles against the backdrop of the bigger war; we see the young dragon in the making carrying on the traditions of his ancestors; even at the end of the novel, Salisbury leaves Tomi still at war: "How many more battles stood between me and the day Papa would finally come home?" (287)

As Tomi and Billy battle to raise the Taiyo Maru from its muddy prison, their conflict with Keet Wilson and his blatant prejudice against the Japanese crescendos. Salisbury incorporates many details of Japanese culture and values. (Note: Salisbury includes a helpful glossary of Hawaiian and Japanese phrases and words at the end of the book.) The mantra Tomi remembers from his father, "Don't shame the family. Be helpful, be generous, be accepting," shows the importance of this and other values being passed from generation to generation (15). Family treasures such as the "family katana or samurai, symbol of our family's long history" had to be hidden to protect them from being confiscated by the government. Anything deemed "Japanese" could cast suspicion on the family's loyalty to America. Nevertheless, Keet seems to take every opportunity to cast aspersions on Tomi's family, culture, and values.

The title of the novel (and related title of Chapter 29 "The Red Fish") comes from another Japanese tradition: the "Koi-nobori. Carp made of paper looking like kites" hanging from a bamboo pole above Tomi's house for Boys' Day. Tomi tells us: "The four colorful fish streamers" represent the family: "Just below Papa's and Mama's blue and white ones was me--the red fish, a dragon in the making" (134). This tradition is vibrantly depicted on the novel's cover, too. The red splash of the third carp and the red letters of the last words of the title draw the reader's eye to this important part of the predominantly blue and green cover illustration.

HOUSE OF THE RED FISH focuses on themes and positive character traits in other novels by Salisbury: the relationship between father and son, the importance of tradition, and values such as integrity and perseverance. HOUSE OF THE RED FISH includes several father and son relationships; however, it is Salisbury's contrast of Keet and his father's relationship with that of Tomi and Papa that makes the strongest statement. Keet's father seems oblivious to even his most destructive acting out, but readers get strong sense that Tomi's father will someday be proud to see that his son's overriding motivation was to act as his missing father would want him to ("This is all for you, Papa, I thought. All for you.") (213).

Rich discussions could certainly flow in class or small reading groups from issues such as these in HOUSE OF THE RED FISH. Because Salisbury's characters are so believable, so human, middle school readers can relate to their conflicts and see similar situations in their own lives. I highly recommend this book not only to young readers who enjoyed UNDER THE BLOOD-RED SUN but also to parents and educators who want to point their charges to a well-written, engaging, inspiring, historical novel.

Sequels are tricky beasties and any author that attempts one is going to have to wrangle with a variety of problems. On the one hand, they have to satisfy their core fan base. The people who adored the earlier book and presumably clamored for a sequel in the first place. Then you have the new crop of readers. This is especially true with children's fiction. Kids grow up and often abandon the authors they loved when they were young (at least through adolescence). In 1994 Graham Salisbury wrote the award winning "Under the Blood-Red Sun". Now, twelve years later, he has come out with a long-awaited sequel, "House of the Red Fish". Fortunately, Salisbury's earlier title is so well-known that the requisite fan-base is already in place and ready. However, there's yet another problem with writing sequels. They have to be able to stand on their own. If you absolutely have to have read the previous book, then your sequel, nice as it is, is going to collapse under its own weight. And weighty books of this nature don't win awards. I, personally, had never read "Under the Blood-Red Sun", so I felt that I was in a pretty good position to determine how well "House of the Red Fish" stood on its own two feet. The advantage to having never read a work by an author like Graham Salisbury is that his talents have a tendency whop you upside the head and leave you wanting more. "House of the Red Fish" is everything an author would want out of a title. Consider this puppy a contender.

Tomi is still dealing with the fact that his father and grampa are interned far from home merely because they are of Japanese ancestry. It's 1943 and America is at war with Japan, many of its white citizens terrified of their Asian neighbors. Living on Honolulu, Tomi and his best friend Billy go to school and try to avoid the nasty bully Keet, who (by awful coincidence) just happens to be the son of his mother's employers. Then Tomi comes up with a crazy plan. It happens while he and Billy are staring at his father's underwater sampan fishing boat, sunk not long after the attack on Pearl Harbor. If Tomi can raise this boat and fix it up, he may have a chance at having it in working condition when his father is finally released from his internment. The only problem is that Keet knows of the plan and will do everything in his power to stop Tomi and his friends. Worse still, raising the boat might mean putting his family's home and livelihood in danger. But when Grampa Joji is released from his imprisonment, Tomi finds an unlikely ally in helping him achieve his goal.

The characters in this book are remarkable. And the best of these, without a doubt, is Grampa. He's a cranky crochety old man with a single-minded tenacity that the reader grows to adore. I personally am going to adopt his standard phrase of "Confonnit" into my own vocabulary. Grampa has a great sense of pride, worth, and history. Salisbury complicates things nicely, however, when he has Grampa repeatedly give some of the family's chickens, eggs, tomatoes, lettuce, string beans, and fish to their landowners, the nasty Wilsons. Salisbury doesn't shy away from complexity. I mean, Billy's pretty straightforwardly super. Ditto Billy's family. But Tomi has his doubts and requisite crises of faith once in a while. And as for villains, Keet is marvelous. By the end of the book you begin to think that if someone doesn't give that punk a swift kick in the butt then you're going to have to do it personally. I did find that the oddest thing about reading this book without having so much as glanced at its predecessor was that I had very little idea of who belonged to what race. Billy's white and Tomi's of Japanese ancestry. Check. Got it. But how about their friends Mose and Rico? Are they Filipino? Of Hawaiian ancestry? It didn't much matter to the story, but it would have been nice to get a little clarification.

As a writer, Salisbury seems to be utterly in control of each and every scene in this book. Yes, it's a little long, but I can't imagine removing so much as a sentence. Everything fits here. The people. The events. And definitely the climax. The tension really escalates by the end of the book too. I kept finding myself nervously counting the number of pages left against how far our heroes were in their plans. I actually found myself hoping that Keet and his lackeys wouldn't show up and that maybe if I read fast enough I could beat them to the end. Not to give anything away, but no such luck. Salisbury's grasp of Hawaiian Pidjin is also superb. I've a friend born and raised in Honolulu (she attended Punahou, Keet's school in this book) who once told me that her mother would severely punish her if she ever heard her daughter utter casual Pidjin words or phrases. I wonder what her mom would have thought of the Glossary of terms in the back then.

Works of historical fiction tend to suffer from a dire fate: They're humorless. Dry dull titles without a spark of wit or whimsy to save their soul. I expected this of "House of the Red Fish", frankly. Somehow 280-some page tomes always look like they'll be deadly serious. How wrong I was. Salisbury's a great writer, yes. But he's so great partly because he lets, for lack of a better term, his boys be boys. When Keet decides to invade Billy's bomb shelter there a wonderful moment where the reader knows what Keet doesn't... that the shelter is chock full of nasty centipedes. Oh, that's good stuff. And the nice thing is that even when the plot is turning dire and our heroes have to raise this boat as soon as they can, characters still play jokes on one another, laugh, and have a good time. The fact that you're having a good time right alongside them just happens to be a nice bonus.

So the good news is that I'm a Graham Salisbury convert. The bad news is that I don't want to wait another twelve years to continue Tomi's story. I comfort myself with knowing that since kids today still read and love "Under the Blood-Red Sun", I'm sure they'll love both this book and any others that Salisbury happens to come out with in the course of his lifetime. It will be worth the wait.

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.

This is an amazing story and I concur with the previous reviews. There is also a philosophy of suffering and human nature that is presented which the reader will realize as he reads the accounts of the pain and suffering and the authors reaction to them. This is a must read and I'm looking forward to another book about human rights that this author may consdier writing.

This is a gripping story of survival in the worst of political prisons comparable to the Soviet gulag and the Nazi concentration camps. This remarkable book reminds us of the human capacity for cruelty, how ideology can justify atrocity and how absolute power corrupts. The state did not want or expect these prisoners to ever leave alive. This is the only English account of life in the Pathet Lao political prison system and is a crucial document about both Laos under communism and more generally about political systems and man's potential for cruelty. It is also a good read. The ingenuity of the prisoners that allowed them to survive torture, harassment, a starvation rice diet and no medical care was fascinating. It was also heartening to hear that the assistance his wife received from American friends during the time he was imprisoned and she did not know where he was led them to immigrate to the US.

This book is an absolute must read for anyone interested in human rights. The author's personal story of survival is set against a strong, concise modern history of Laos and southeast Asia.

You will find that this is one of the most unbelievable stories of survival ever told. Of the few who did survive the 're-education' camps in northern Laos, only one, Bounsang Khamkeo, wrote the story to bring it to the world. The book is a de facto historic document that cannot be overlooked.

Khamkeo had editorial help from a few individuals in the writing of his book. The text is not awkward like the title. Khamkeo is able and fluent in English. His story both unique and representative maintains an engaging literary quality over the roughly 400 pages. Returning from France to his homeland of Laos after the Vietnam War was over with the intention of helping his country return to normalcy, the author was arrested and put into a prison camp in 1981 after an argument with an official of the communist Pathet Lao government. He was kept in prison until 1988. The lengthy memoir is about this whole time from the early 1970s to the late 1980s, with about half given to each period. The second half of Khamkeo's time in prison is naturally more gripping, and at times harrowing. But the first half has its own significant themes and drama as well--namely, the totalitarian, capricious, demanding rule of the Pathet Lao. Whereas the second part deals with how the author survived the hardships and threats of his years in prison, the first part deals with the more subtle, yet nonetheless engaging, informative, and at times suspenseful story of how he and others had to accommodate the rigid rule of the Pathet Lao while they were at the same time trying to bring improvements to a Laos which like the other nations of Southeast Asia, was disrupted and changed by the Vietnam War. "I Little Slave" brings to light these uncertain and hostile conditions in Laos following the Vietnam War; which have not received as much attention as those in Vietnam and Cambodia. After being released from prison, Khamkeo managed to flee Laos; and today lives in Oregon and works for a state health agency.

It's so easy to ignore the inhumanity and injustices occurring around the world, but once you know, you must speak up. Bounsang Khamkeo eloquently and honestly paints each scene with vivid precision. I felt as though I was actually flying over the forests of Laos, feeling the anxiety of hostile government actions, smelling the stench of hidden prison camps, and witnessing death in it's most unforgiving form. Bounsang should be proud that he kept his promise to speak up against the injustices at the hands of his communist oppressors. I will long-remember the lives of his lost prison-mates, as well as the hundreds of thousands who have no recorded names. This would be an excellent companion to political science texts, and a must-read for us all. I literally could not put it down. As horrifying as his shared experiences were, I am left wishing for another 400 pages. Bounsang, I am proud to have met you. Thank you for speaking out about such atrocities.

If you've ever seen Tibetan Buddhist art and wondered who or what is represented in these colorful paintings (known in Tibetan as thangka), what the various objects in the paintings symbolize, or how the paintings are used in the practice of Buddhism, Images of Enlightenment may answer your questions. Concisely written for a western audience of general readers by two English students of Tibetan Buddhism, this book also provides an introduction to basic Buddhist principles and practice, as well as a brief history of the Tibetan school and short biographies of some of its greatest teachers.

Images of Enlightenment is organized around 32 full-color plates, paintings by Andy Weber, a UK-based artist trained in Nepal by refugee Tibetan painters and now himself a widely traveled and respected teacher in Europe and North America. (See the artist's website for more examples of his work and his current teaching schedule.) Each chapter of the book begins with a theme, followed by explanations of the handful of paintings that best represent them. The first chapter on the life of the Buddha and the basics of Buddhist philosophy, for example, includes descriptions of paintings of the Buddha, stupas, and the Wheel of Life.

As an introductory text, the authors cannot hope to cover the nearly 200 deities of Tibetan Buddhism. They manage, though, to provide an informative, well-written, and properly illustrated volume covering some of the most popular images. If you'd like to learn more about the methods and materials used in painting thangka, you might like to see Jackson and Jackson's Tibetan Thangka Painting: Methods & Materials. The paintings used in this book, while well executed, are quite simple and not cluttered with many of the background items found in many thangka. There is, therefore, little in this book explaining many of the minor elements of Tibetan painting. For a more thorough treatment of symbolism and iconography, see Robert Beer's A Handbook of Tibetan Buddhist Symbols. If you'd like to see larger and more elaborately and finely detailed thangka, have a look at two collections in Romio Shrestha's Celestial Gallery and Goddesses of the Celestial Gallery.

The most definitive guide to Buddhism. The deity are all beautifully illustrated in rich color, complete with the historical background of the deity that gain enormous popularity in the east.

It had all the answers that you had always wanted to ask in the past. For illustration why some deities look so wraughtful, fierce and the significance of those implements or objects they hold.

I like the most is the explaination on the deity background concise, full illustrated, very well elaborated and accurate description.

An indispensible guide! Highly recommended.

Though I am an SGI Buddhist, Tibetan Buddhism intrigues me with their beautiful art. Mr. Landaw clearly describes each entity and Mr. Andy Weber beautifully illustrates in color each image. If you have ever wanted a deeper understanding into Tibetan images, I highly recommend this book

Written by experts who spent years living in India to study Tibetan Buddhism and its art, Images of Enlightenment: Tibetan Art in Practice is a straightforward, plain-terms guide to the rich history, legends, and spirituality expressed through Tibetan Buddhist sacred art. 32 full-color plates illustrate Images of Enlightenment, while the text describes the symbolic self-transformation and expressions of enlightenment depicted. Chapters survey different paths and aspects of Buddhism as expressed through art, including the Bodhisattva Path, and the Path of Bliss and Emptiness. Images of Enlightenment is especially recommended for students, scholars, and practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism.

This is an excellent book for all those interested in the practice of Deity Yoga. Written by Westerners with a very clear insight into the elements and art of the practice.

Prof. Troen confronts questions that stand at the heart of Israel's self-understanding. His answers will surely arouse controversy, but the questions he poses must be faced.

Ilan Troen's Imagining Zion may well be the very most important book to appear in many years on patterns of Jewish settlement in Palestine/Israel. At a time when much discussion is devoted to Jewish settlement and, related to that, the very legitimacy of the Zionist enterprise in the Land of Israel, Troen's balanced and highly informative book is a must read. Thoroughly researched, lucidly written, and informed by an intimate familiarity with comparative materials (the author was an urban historian of the United States before switching to the history of the Yishuv), this book serves as a much needed corrective to the spate of essays that have recently appeared lining the modern state of Israel in most superficial ways to so-called settler states such as French Algeria and South Africa. In telling the compelling story of Zionist achievement, the author never loses sight of how the Jewish community in the Land of Israel envisioned the master plan of Zionist development and also took into consideration its impact on the indigenous Arab population. This highly nuanced and extremely informative book should attract audiences drawn from a wide range of academic disciplines. It is not only very timely, it has the virtue of being written in very accessible prose.

This is the only comprehensive history of Zionist and Israeli settlement available in English. Troen's focus on Zionism's developmental ethos and its realization yields an important contribution to a field dominated by high politics and military affairs.

"Among all the books on the subject of Zionist economic/security ideology, this is one of the finest I have ever read. Its research is vast, its approach is fresh and original, its conclusions are sound."--Howard M. Sachar, author of A History of Israel

"Prof. Troen confronts questions that stand at the heart of Israel's self-understanding. His answers will surely arouse controversy, but the questions he poses must be faced."--David Engel, New York University

"This is the only comprehensive history of Zionist and Israeli settlement available in English. Troen's focus on Zionism's developmental ethos and its realization yields an important contribution to a field dominated by high politics and military affairs."--Derek J. Penslar, Zacks Professor of History; Director, Jewish Studies Program, University of Toronto

"This is a superb book. A sweeping study of the Zionist settlement of Palestine from the late nineteenth century to our own time, it analyzes the ideological, pragmatic, and ultimately strategic concerns that shaped the nature of Jewish communities in the State of Israel as well as the pre-state period. It succeeds in integrating the story of the building of Israel--from the kibbutz to Tel Aviv to development towns--within the context of urban and rural development in the modern western world."--Paula Hyman, Yale University

"Ilan Troen's Imagining Zion may well be the very most important book to appear in many years on patterns of Jewish settlement in Palestine/Israel. At a time when much discussion is devoted to Jewish settlement and, related to that, the very legitimacy of the Zionist enterprise in the Land of Israel, Troen's balanced and highly informative book is a must read. Thoroughly researched, lucidly written, and informed by an intimate familiarity with comparative materials (the author was an urban historian of the United States before switching to the history of the Yishuv), this book serves as a much needed corrective to the spate of essays that have recently appeared lining the modern state of Israel in most superficial ways to so-called settler states such as French Algeria and South Africa. In telling the compelling story of Zionist achievement, the author never loses sight of how the Jewish community in the Land of Israel envisioned the master plan of Zionist development and also took into consideration its impact on the indigenous Arab population. This highly nuanced and extremely informative book should attract audiences drawn from a wide range of academic disciplines. It is not only very timely, it has the virtue of being written in very accessible prose."--Jacob Lassner, Northwestern University (author of The Middle East Remembered: Forged Identities, Competing Narratives, Contested Spaces)

This is a superb book. A sweeping study of the Zionist settlement of Palestine from the late nineteenth century to our own time, it analyzes the ideological, pragmatic, and ultimately strategic concerns that shaped the nature of Jewish communities in the State of Israel as well as the pre-state period. It succeeds in integrating the story of the building of Israel--from the kibbutz to Tel Aviv to development towns--within the context of urban and rural development in the modern western world.

I purchased this story to share with my preschool class, since we have 2 Chinese ESL students. While the story was not of high interest to all of the children (probably better for slightly older children), it held their attention, and the 2 Chinese boys were thrilled to see familiar faces, familiar writing, and hear familiar words. The story is about a mother and son walking in the snow. The mother teaches the child the Chinese characters for certain words by explaining how the character looks like the word it represents. It was exciting to have the boys participate in storytime and be able to teach the rest of us something! This is so important in a diverse preschool classroom - I can't wait to order more books.

I read this book last year in my class when I had a Vietnamese student . She had learned some Chinese characters from her mother and taught us how to write the characters while we celebrated Chinese and Vietnamese New Year. It was a moving experience.

I read this book last year in my class when I had a Vietnamese student . She had learned some Chinese characters from her mother and taught us how to write the characters while we celebrated Chinese and Vietnamese New Year. It was a moving experience.

This books provides a great introduction for students and teachers to the Chinese language.

This book is beautiful to look through and read. Huy Voun Lee tells a story of a mother and son taking a walk on a winter day. During their walk the mother teaches her son different Chinese characters. Lee not only provides the characters, but the symbolism behind them. The story line is simple and Lee provides ten characters, so this book is great for young readers. My two year old loves to thumb through it. Lee's cut paper artwork makes this book not only beautiful, but unique. In The Snow has not only brought joy to our family but added diversity to our bookshelf.

Excellent value for the money. Beautiful photos covering a broad range of interiors.

We review a number of books and the first time we saw this one, we were very sure it was going to make to our top selections list. And we were not wrong.

A beautifully laid out book with 500 vivid color photographs is a visual treat. Recipedelights.com gives it a "must-buy" rating for interior designers and style lovers. One of the few books that correct the injustice done by western journalists and gives a positive spin to thousands of years of culture and history. It truly reflects the grandeur of Indian style by weaving a colorful mélange that will come as no surprise to anyone who has ever visited India. This book explores a spectrum of interiors ranging from Palaces to Havelis to Huts. It does not bore with endless text or try to influence the judgment of the reader. Short text (In English, German and French) accompanies each photograph though the pictures speak for themselves.

This LUSH book captivates the eye and provides such a visual feast of color, I feel saturated, then satiated, each time I dip into it. Good for hours of fun.

I have to say, I was lucky enough to meet Deidi on her travels in Ladakh and can tell you that she is one intrepid traveler. There was a war going on in Kashmir when she went to take these photos - although you'd never know it from these pictures which paint such a beautiful image of these sumptuous settings.

She is a great photographer, with three Taschen books to her credit (Gardens of France, and Fantasy Worlds). She also makes enormous photos of sacred trees in India which are exhibited in galleries - very dramatic and her best work yet!

This book focuses a great deal on Rajasthan, but also includes regional coverage of key areas.

A first of its kind and a good antidote to the predictable picture books of India. Everyone expects India photo books to show weird babas in Benares and starving people in Calcutta, so it's good for the West to see there's more to India than that.

Glad to see that scenes from the folk and peasant traditions are included alongside the fantastic royal palaces, proving that art has no boundaries.

This is a gorgeous book, beautifully laid out, with good photography and a vast range of type of interiors from palaces to village huts. Having spent significant time traveling throughout India, I frankly opened this book fully expecting to be disappointed and expecting it to be one more example of journalism not being able to do justice to the breadth and scope of India. We see that failure in all manner of books about India, from cook books, design books, culture books, and travel books; any subject that trys to cover the subcontinent in one fell swoop. Remarkably, this book achieves what no others I've seen has. In addition to photography of Deco interiors, British Revival, and Native Cultural Design, INDIAN INTERIORS wisely leaves the commentary to short blocks of text detailing the background of the property and the homeowners but not forming broad judgements or attempting to endlessly characterize and embellish. I have photo books on Village India, India Rail, Indian Design, etc., and they all try to do too much and not let the material speak for itself. This book is different, very different, and from what I've seen from this publisher in other venues, Taschen is one to watch for if you like your material presented succinctly and beautifully without gushing or extraneous filler.

This totally sumptuous book has been beautifully produced and is proof yet again that Taschen are publishing some of the most beautiful books around. Apart from being a visual delight, each picture has accompanying text on the place featured. The book covers a wide range of interiors from palaces and havelis to Rajasthani huts and everything in between. Whether you are interested in Indian style or interiors generally, you will find much to like in this book.