Asian Books

I was in the 173d Signal Co when we went back to Dak To II in Nov 67. I met Dave Brueggmann on a perimeter wire detail. Had all day to get aquainted. He was quiet and one of the nicest guys you'd ever want to meet. A couple weeks later I reported for duty at the LRRP area,, and there was nobody home. I soon found out that they were pulling Dave and his team out of the woods with ropes. Welcome to the LRRPS. I didn't know the author but I went on a mission with Tadina, once, outside Tuy Hoa. He mentions a few familiar names that brought back memories like Arslanian, (wherever you are). I also had the privilege of knowing guys like Rabel, Don Waide, and Sgt ''Rock'' Tremblay. It is difficult to meet people and not use these guys for a Standard of Character. They set an example for me.
It's a very readable book and it gives a '''Non-Carrer'' soldier's version of THE HERD.

Excellent view on how we worked. Bill & John did and great job! Lurp Teams were the "Eyes and Ears of the Commanding General". We had many tense situations. I personally slept with my M16 on my left side, my radio phone on my right ear and my 45 on my chest- finger on the trigger thumb on the safety. Ed Zapata RTO, Team G. Thanks Bill. Never forget you guys, Bill, Dave and Arthur Bell.

Excellent view on how we worked. Bill & John did and great job! Lurp Teams were the "Eyes and Ears of the Commanding General". We had many tense situations. I personally slept with my M16 on my left side, my radio phone on my right ear and my 45 on my chest- finger on the trigger & thumb on the safety. Ed Zapata RTO, Team G. Thanks Bill. Never forget you guys, Bill, Dave and Arthur Bell.

This is the true story of Bill Shanahan and his two tours of duty in Vietnam. Bill and his co-author John Brackin have created a book that gives the reader a fox-hole view on a unique kind of warfare. In Vietnam at this period of time, the Army and the Marines were all engaged in large operations with big units going into battles. Meanwhile, small Ranger units began to play by another set of rules with the enemy forces. They would ambush and engage the enemy where and when they chose. Sometimes the NVA and VC had greater numbers but these silent and invisible killing forces were able to pull success after success.

The authors give the reader some rich imagery through their wording and descriptions. This story is well worth telling and it will inspire and entertain. Bill was a real hero as were the men he fought with in his Ranger unit. I believe that this book gives justice to what they did.

A highly recommended book to read; it is given our Top Rating!

I think that Bill Shanahan's is one of the very best first-hand accounts written about LRRP operations. His verbiage is not egotistical, but it does reflect the confidence with which he and his teammates and others in his unit carried out their very speciallized and unique operations. They were a fine unit and this book gives testimony to their memorable combat achievements as part of "The Herd", the 173rd Airborne Bde. This books ranks right up there with the best of Gary Linderer's series of books and other great combat narratives of the Vietnam War. He puts the reader right out there "in the bush" and explains tactics and actions in a manner even those who did not serve in a LRRP or Ranger unit can readily understand. He tells what his unit did, where they did it, how well, and "lessons learned", all in a very candid way. It is particularly good considering that this is apparently his first book. I hope more are forthcoming from him. I speak from first-hand knowlege as a former LRRP in the 1st Infantry Division in Vietnam. I would highly recommend "Stealth Patrol" for a valued place in anyone's library.

Peter Hopkirk is a child of the British Empire, having been to many places where generally only mad dogs and English men dare venture; among other exploits he was a soldier with the late and largely unlamented Idi Amin. As a historian he has made a name for himself as a very capable chronicler of the Great Game in Asia in the 1900s. This is his book about the Western Drang nach Osten, the quest of European, an American, and Japanese explorers to investigate Tibet and its secrets.

Tibet was a backwards and forbidden kingdom ruled my monks under the Dalai Lama; with China, Russia and the British in India keen to encroach on Tibet, the Tibetans were at least equally determined to keep foreigners out; officials who let foreigners get past them on their mad quests for Lhasa were at times decapitated on orders from on high. Hopkirk recounts the stories of the various Englishmen, Indians, the American and others who were intent to be the first to make it to Tibet and sometimes Lhasa, who did so in disguise, in an airplane, behind rifles the Tibetans couldn't match and more (I am frugal with details lest I spoil the stories.) I highly recommend them.

When it comes to delineating the history of Central Asia and environs, few writers can touch the craftsmanship of author Peter Hopkirk. In his hands, what could easily be boring history, becomes, instead, vibrant excitement. As in his other books, Hopkirk makes these mysterious and fabled lands come alive. In this book he describes the many attempts by adventurers from the outside world to penetrate remote Tibet and its almost-mystical capital, Lhasa. Chapter by chapter Hopkirk ticks off the sagas of these opportunists, some seeking fortune and fame, some on their majesty's (or tsar's) service. In the contest between Tibet versus the world, Tibet scores early and frequently, thus keeping the others out. But eventually, overpowered by modern weaponry, the outsiders win. It's tempting to cast this in terms of good-guys versus bad-guys. But it's not that easy, as the reader will see. What IS easy is declaring this book a fantastic and exciting history of a mysterious land that just wanted to be left alone.

Hopkirk stays on top of the world with this book!

Learn about the "real" Tibet[before China invaded]...

An extensive review of the many attempts to gain access to the hidden city of Tibet. Well done, authoritative, exciting events in the time line of the many documented attempts to gain a look into the mysterious city that has been protected from outsiders for centuries. The reasons from military desires to the hope of finding hidden gold deposits are some of the many exploits of carefully planned adventures presented by Peter Hopkirk. They will keep your interest from beginning to end, guaranteed.

Although extraordinary geography was the best natural defense the Tibetans had against foreign invaders, it can also be the sole reason that lures many a traveler, visitor, and tourists to Tibet to date. Of course, religion, spirituality, culture, art, and life on the high altitudes in the most extreme of climates are other reasons for venturing into this land. In Hopkirk's book, trespassing by foreigners, especially Europeans, was an extension of the Great Game, the struggle between Britain and Russia for expansionism in Central Asia. Military supremacy, a face-to-face encounter with the Dalai Lama, or recognition by the Royal Geographical Society and other prestigious societies at the time was the prize for people from different walks of life--missionaries, soldiers, geographers, naturalists---to venture into this forbidden land. Alas, no matter how well-guarded the country, especially Lhasa, was, the Tibetans' defense was no match to the military might of the British. China proved to be a formidable occupier as soon as the British lost their firm hold on Tibet during World War II. An American pilot was the first intruder from the air---by accident. Nonetheless, relentless trespassing by foreigners was the inevitable truth that many Tibetans must have found hard to swallow.

The book is a masterpiece of historical writing. Starting with Tibet's stupendous geography, the book segues on the origin of Tibetan Buddhism. Eventually the reader is initiated to the challenging craft of punditry, the only way the outside world could glean some scientific information on this forbidden land. If Hopkirk intended to instill wonder and suspense on the reader as he narrates a series of close calls by pundits and disguised explorers from being caught and daring-do attempts by intruders in order to be recognized as the first outsider to set foot on this forbidden land, he has succeeded. With exquisite writing style and a penchant for vivid description of people, places, and events, the book is a highly engaging read. Those who risked their lives and their families to venture into a forbidden land can be easily blamed for folly, but Hopkirk brings out the humanity in them. Every adventure is told so well that can make good reading anywhere and anytime. History reading can't get to be more fun that this!

It is more than a cliche to say that Saddam Hussein was a madman, and in fact, it is an understatement. Mahdi Obeidi spent a major portion of his career as a scientist under the thumb of Saddam and his minions, and the twists and turns this imposed on his life would surely have broken a lesser man. Somehow Mahdi found the strength to persevere the horrific threats, forced isolation from his wife and children, the unbearably stressful, not to mention insane schedules he often had to work under, and much much more.

Throughout the book he offers insights into the mind of Saddam Hussein that only someone who has experienced that brutal regime could truly comprehend. Try as we might, and as chilling as it often is, we can only imagine what it must have been like. As the top man in Saddam's nuclear program, he succeeded in enriching uranium and was well on the way to success in building a nuclear weapon. This fearsome weapon would have been in the hands of one of the world's true madmen, a tyrant whose only obstacle to surpassing Hitler in atrocities committed was his lack of power to do so. What if he had succeeded though in his nuclear ambitions? How does the world disarm someone like that? The prospect is chilling and it CAN happen again. Read this book, you will learn how and get a glimpse of what must be done to prevent it.

Below is a short quote from the CIA website at https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/vol48no4/bombs_in_garden.html;

"The Bomb In My Garden is not documented with sources, but the names, dates, and events discussed allow checking of key facts. Moreover, the former head of the UN Iraqi Survey Group, David Kay, and a number of American nuclear specialists find the story largely accurate and compelling as indicated by their comments in the book and on the dust jacket. Mahdi Obeidi concludes that Saddam came close to having an atom bomb in 1991 and probably intended to restart the program given an opportunity. As to the future, Obeidi warns the reader that "illicit nuclear programs share a common weak spot: they need international complicity" to succeed, and there are many unemployed nuclear scientists still in Iraq."

In other words, it is likely in Obeidi's opinion that Saddam had a passion for the bomb that only his deposing and subsequent execution could stop...........

This book reads like one of the best spy thrillers, without the ending comfort of knowing it's only fiction.

Obeidi's story puts into perspective the frail protection that exists against the development and use of nuclear weapons in the world today.
A complex issue often over simplified is illuminated by this factual account of how close Iraq came to the development of weapons grade uranium and the bomb.

This book should be required reading.

I just finish reading the book of Mahdi Obeidi.
I found informative, interesting and entertaining.
In his book the author manipulate us into being sympathetic and compassionated for his case.
(just as Albert Speer would have done)
I certainly do not deny that to work in an oppressive dictatorship is extremely difficult and that most of us one day or the other compromises our integrity for our job security or for the safety or the security of those we love.
Nevertheless at the end we stand responsible and accountable for our acts, especially if we are men and women of faith.
One day every one of us will have to give an account for his/her actions or in-actions.
It will cost us; sometimes a lot or even everything to stand for what we know is right or is true, even our freedom or the live of these we love.
DC Obeidi took the chance to have thousands or millions killed, thank to his efforts, to protect himself and his immediate family.
The Nazi engineers did just the same.
Would Dc Obeidi have had any pride at all if one of the atomic bomb, that he helped to built, had landed on Israel or another county and killed thousand or millions?
I believe that he would have.
Would he have turned down the honors and the rewards from the government he served?
I believe that he would have not.
Adolf Eichmann was very proud of killing millions of Jews very efficiently as good Nazi bureaucrat.
Dc Obeidi is not different, he just did not had the chance to go to the end of the experimentation.
To stand or not to stand is what distinguish a man from a slave.
If nothing else Dc Obeidi was and still is a slave of his fears.

Once you get started you won't be able to put this book down. This oral hisory shows how honorable, intelligent people with the best intentions can be forced to do the work of a corrupt regime. Thank you, Mr. Obeidi, for coming forward with your story revealing the individuals and countries (including our own) that made the acquisition of nuclear-producing components possible, in spite of the nuclear ban. It makes the current situation of nuclear fuel enrichment in Iran and North Korea all the scarier. Thank you, Kurt, for organizing this story so well and making the scientific jargon so easily understood.

The Bomb in My Garden was very easy to read and held my interest throughout. Although I did not know Dr. Mahdi as a student at Colo School of Mines, he was in school at the same time as I, graduating three years after me. That added to my interest in the book.

It gives an insight into the kind of goverment Dr. Mahdi had to work under and give in to.

This is a very good book that tells a great story. It is engrossing and draws the reader in from the beginning by painting a compelling portrait of the USS Tang in general and of the U.S. Submarine service specifically. They are portrayed as the miracle workers of their age.

Still the book comes up short in several areas. We don't learn as much about the Tang's patrols before the final patrol. If we learned more about the other patrol the book would have been much more compelling. We are also rushed through the crew's time in the POW camps in Japan. These do a disservice to what could be an amazing book. But rest assured, the book is very much worth the read!

This an unbelievably well-written book that keeps you on the edge of your seat, and I couldn't help wondering what I would have done if I were thrust into a similar circumstance. Calling these guys the Greatest Generation is uttering an understatement.

By the fall of 1944, the USS Tang, commanded by Commander Richard O'Kane, had compiled a war record of astronomical proportions. O'Kane's sub had sunk more tonnage, rescued more downed aviators, and successfully completed more surface attacks than any other American submarine. O'Kane had also been decorated numerous times with countless medals for bravery. However, the Tang still had one more mission left, and this one promised to be even more dangerous than the others.

O"Kane and his crew were ordered to sail to the Formosa Strait to intercept Japanese convoys operating there. But, on their way to the assigned area, the Tang ran into a terrible typhoon with extremely high winds and seas. Although the sub survived the typhoon, the men seemed to sense that this mission was shaping up to be very dangerous.

Arriving on station, the Tang quickly made her presence known by sinking several enemy ships. The sub had expended twenty three of the twenty four torpedoes allocated to her. All that was left was to fire the final torpedo into a wounded enemy vessel and head back to San Francisco. As soon as the final torpedo left its tube, the men began to celebrate. Unfortunately, the last torpedo proved to be the only one that failed to operate correctly. The torpedo malfunctioned, turned back on a circular course, and struck the Tang with such force that half the crew was killed instantly. Commander O'Kane was thrown into the water. The sub was mortally wounded, but the bow stayed afloat in the shallow water due to the air inside. Despite this, the men still alive inside the sub appeared to be hopelessly trapped.

Some of the men managed to escape from the 180-foot depth by using Momsen lung breathing devices. These allowed the men to ascend to the surface without suffering the bends. Nine men out of a crew of eighty-nine survived. The ordeal was just beginning for them, though. Soon, the survivors were picked up by a Japanese patrol boat. Due to the nature of the sub's attacks on Japanese shipping, the Japanese refused to consider the men of the Tang to be POWs, instead classifying them as special prisoners of Japan. No record of the men's survival was passed on to the Red Cross, so their families had no way of knowing the men were alive.

For the next several months, the men were routinely beaten, starved, and humiliated by the Japanese. They became extremely sick and lost lots of weight. Despite this terrible treatment, the men managed to survive until the end of the war.

Despite surviving captivity, the men faced other challenges upon returning home. Some of the men's wives had remarried after learning that the Tang was lost. Others faced constant flashbacks and dreams of being in captivity. Despite these setbacks, the men returned to mostly productive lives and had regular reunions.

This is an excellent book. Author Alex Kershaw does a fine job of describing the life of Commander Richard O'Kane and the USS Tang. O'Kane was a relentless commander who always sought to destroy as much enemy shipping as possible. He accomplished this feat with flying colors, as the Tang was responsible for the destruction of more enemy shipping than any other American submarine. The book is divided neatly into several sections, each dealing with a different aspect of the story. This division makes the book easy to follow.

I give this fine book my highest recommendation; it is a must-read for fans of submarine stories.

I have the privilege of being the friend of the son of one of the men who served on the USS Tang, and through him I learned of this book that includes considerable mention of his father. This personal aspect amplified the impact of the book for me, but even without this I could not have read the book and not been humbled by reading this true story of those who served. In these troubling times when irreverence and disrespect are rampant on virtually every front, "Escape from the Deep" is a welcomed and refreshing look at men who knew honor.

These submariners were true pioneers in many ways. Operations while under attack and previously untried escape techniques from a disabled submarine pushed them into extraordinarily dangerous uncharted territory. Additionally, when they served they did not know what the outcome of the war would be, and neither did their families. Germany and Japan were winning in those first years of the war. The times were perilous. We need to be reminded of this history and take nothing for granted.

The USS Tang was an aggressive attack submarine commanded by a determined and focused captain and a crew that rapidly became a formidable team. This story of first their operations and later the capture and imprisonment of the few survivors after the sub's sinking makes these men's lives and the lives those who never escaped real to the reader. Inasmuch as it is possible, you begin to try to imagine what it would be like if you were in those circumstances, and you know that it would take everything you have and then much more to endure. This is about courage, honor, guts, agony, and victory.

You come away from this book with a great appreciation for all those who sacrifice so much to try to ensure a future for the generations to come. These are the kinds of people who deserve our great thanks and respect. This book goes a long way to achieve this recognition. It is very easy to read, does not embellish at all, and simply is powerful. Alex Kershaw has done these men and us a service by telling this story.

As the son of a career sailor who served on submarines (USS Baya, SS-318, USS Menhaden, SS-377, and USS Segundo, SS-398) from the late 40's until his retirement in 1963, some of my earliest memories are of going to work with him and eating ice cream in the galley when the sub was in port. I also attended several dependents day cruises on the Menhaden and loved and respected the crew.

With that background when I saw Escape from the Deep by Alex Kershaw and realized what the book was about I had to read it. Life on a diesel electric boat was truly hardship duty. Though the crews ate well, they still managed to lose weight while on patrol, a fact that says it all about the stress under which they served.

The history of the USS Tang can't be matched by many other submarines in the PTO. Her skipper, Dick O'Kane was considered to be one of the best submarine skippers around, and his list of successes can't be matched by many of his contemporaries. It was on a war patrol that the Tang experienced one of submariner's greatest fears; a run-a-way torpedo that circled back and struck the submarine a death blow. Only nine of the crew managed to escape. They were picked up and finished the war as POW's of the Japanese.

Alex Kershaw's telling of the story of the USS Tang is an historical account of one of America's most successful submarines, with one of America's best trained crews, led by one of Americas best skippers. Having read the Bedford Boys I was already familiar with Kershaw's attention to detail in his storytelling and the quality of his research. However, he surpasses himself with Escape from the Deep.

Dramatic, suspenseful, and emotionally charged, Escape from the Deep is a must read for anyone interested in the war in the Pacific and with submarine warfare specifically.

American submariners suffered the highest casualty rate of any military specialty in WWII. Fully 25% of serving crews were lost while on patrol. Escape from the Deep is an excellent statement about the submariner's courage and sacrifice.

I highly recommend.

Peace always

I read this one soon after it came out--and it informs some of my thinking about current events in and around the Persian Gulf. I'd encourage it for the non-Iranian American who lived through the 'Iranian hostage crisis' period especially. Poignant.

When searching for a book- for my cultural anthropology class, I found this incredible and extraordinary book. I am Mexican, and my boyfriend is Iranian. Hence, sometimes it was difficult to comprehend many things about his culture, but this book really helped me to understand and appreciate Iranian culture. He is more American than Iranian, but he has faced the ongoing negotiation between his past and present, his native home and his adopted home I will recommend this book to anyone who is interested in achieving a personal enrichment and wants to see our modern world with different eyes.

I am 1st generation American. I grew up drinking tea and hearing the stories of Ferdowsi but it didn't seem to capture me completely into my father's culture.

When I came across this book, I fell in love with my culture! I understand so much more of my father's past, his sorrows, his joys, and his beliefs. I also learned more about myself.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Iranian culture!

When searching for a book- for my cultural anthropology class, I found this incredible and extraordinary book. I am Mexican, and my boyfriend is Iranian. Hence, sometimes it was difficult to comprehend many things about his culture, but this book really helped me to understand and appreciate Iranian culture. He is more American than Iranian, but he has faced the ongoing negotiation between his past and present, his native home and his adopted home I will recommend this book to anyone who is interested in achieving a personal enrichment and wants to see our modern world with different eyes.

"A World Between: Poems, Short Stories, and Essays by Iranian-Americans," edited by Persis M. Karim and Mohammad Mehdi Khorrami, is an excellent anthology which greatly enriches the world of ethnic American literature. The pieces in this collection deal with many issues: language, biculturalism and the anxieties of assimilation, family ties, male-female relationships, Islamic fundamentalism, the role of Zoroastrians as a religious minority, war and its aftermath, etc. Although many such issues are specific to Iranian-Americans, others are universal to all "ethnic" Americans. The stories take place in both Iran and the United States, and one even takes place in France.

Some of my favorite pieces in this book include the following: "Made You Mine, America," Ali Zarrin's joyful poem which invokes both Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes; Mariam Salari's humorous short-short story "Ed McMahon Is Iranian"; Ramin M. Tabib's story "Tuesdays," about two Iranian-Americans in the L.A. club scene; Nazanin Sioshansi's essay "The Suffocating Sense of Injustice," about Zoroastrians in Iran; and Siamak Namazi's fascinating essay "Finding Peace in the Iranian Army," about an Iranian citizen who returns to fulfill his military obligation after living in the United States.

"A World Between" really opened my eyes to some of the pain and beauty of the world(s) of Iranian-Americans. This anthology would be ideal both for classroom use and individual reading. For a fascinating complementary text, try "Boricuas: Influential Puerto Rican Writings," edited by Roberto Santiago.

This is a great anthology on Asian American history that's well worth your time to read!

I am a proud owner of the Big Aiiiieee. It is absolutely refreshing to hear from other voices than the popular writers such as Tan, Kingston, and Hwang. Chin certainly has made many great and valid points. Tan, Kingston, and Hwang, together, represent a body of cultural sensationalism against especially 'Asian American' men. I agree with Chin on many points; however, Tan, Kingston, and Hwang are wholly to be blamed.
First of all, the term "Asian American" should be eradicated. I am not an Asian American. I am a Chinese-Vietnamese American, as specific as that. With that in mind, this anthology is mainly composed of Chinese and Japanese-American perspectives. Where are representational voices of Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, and South Asian people (India, Parkistan, Burma).
Secondly, I agree with Mr. Chin that Tan's and Kingston's portrayal of Chinese culture is primitive and backward. Tan's Joy Luck Club contains lot of images that promote cultural sensationalism and exoticism. For example, An Mei's mother cuts her flesh from her arm and dumps them into her grandmother's soup. The non-asian readers will subsequently thrive on this stereotype and apply it for all "Asians." This is like another form of canibalism. Another example of cultural sensationalism is the uncle eating live, jumping shrimps with his chopsticks (or Did I miss something?). As for Kingston, the Woman Warrior clearly was written with an intention as a feminist piece. Because there is no greatly equal novel to dispute its exaggerated feminism, mainstream readers take this as a true portrayal of Chinese/Asian men -- brutal rapists.
Furthermore and on a positive note, what makes this anthology fresh is the fact that it includes other fresh(not new)but neglected voices such as Louis Chu, John Okana, Monica Sone, Gish Jen, and so on, writers that are not given a fair chance in mainstream publishing.
Finally, I think this is a great anthology. Unfortunately, it does not truly represent me and my Vietnamese American community. What I got from reading this anthology is a sense of freshness as far as perspective is concerned; however, emotionally, I am more identified with Flannery O'connor, Toni Morrison, and Duong Thu Huong.
For those dire fans of Mr. Chin and harsh critics of interracial relationship: He married a caucasian woman, so are some of his colleagues.
Beware of whom you worship!

What gives people like Amy Tan, Maxine Hong Kingston, and David Henry Hwang the right to take my cultural distinctions and cater it to a white audience who want the stereotypical Chinese?! I'm glad Frank Chin exposed these sell-outs in this important book. There are Asians who are far from being these sorts of stereotypes described in the literatures of Tan, Kingston, and Hwang, and these editors prove it. Read this book and you'll find that out yourself.

and I know how much these editors helped my ethnicity in the first Aiiieeeee! These people (Chan, Chin, Inada, and Wong) know their stuff, and they're not ashamed of their cutlure. They are unassimilated, brave, talented, and strong. You would be more proud of your Asian race after reading this book.

Since the publication of this book, it has been criticized for it's "machismo, misogynist" morale. Guess who these criticisms are coming from? White feminists (or those who support them). They cannot look beyond history and textual matter, instead they force and assume their principles and try (and unforunately, they succeeded) to make this a battle of Women's rights. I have read Chin's "Come All Ye Asian American Writers of the Real and of the Fake" and in nowhere is there any misogynistic dictum. Why? Because this isn't a matter of Women's views or MEN'S! It's about history and how it should be interpreted. People like Kingston, Hwang, and Tan want to deconstruct Asian American history. Feminists want to help Kingston's and Tan's deconstructive views by arbitrarily labeling Chin as a misogynist. If Chin or the editors of The Big Aiiieeeee! were misogynist why would they have women writers in this anthology? Just because there aren't that many women writers doesn't mean it's totally and utterly sexist. Could it be because there aren't that many authentic Asian American women writers?! If there are no authentic texts to Asia America, would it hurt to say that stereotypes (or whatever) are actually right?

This translation is very readable. The notes are always very interesting and help the text come alive. Red Pine has really provided a lot of value through them - without them, some of the poems could be very obscure. It is rare to find a translation of the complete works of a Chinese poet: most books only present a selection. If one takes the time to read the complete oevre, however, the author comes alive in a different way - you begin to recognize certain recurring moods and themes; in the end, you feel you have learnt something about the things that concerned him, and come closer as a result.
The only criticism is that Red Pine uses a personal transliteration that is neither pinyin nor Wade-Giles; as a result, it is often hard to be sure of the identity of people and places he mentions.

As other reviewers have already stated, this is a very nice volume of poetry, very nicely put together with the original chinese on one page and the translation on the opposite page. This is the third volume of Han Shan that I have, and it is by far the best in terms of completeness and the essence of the translations. Get a copy or three before the print run is over!

This beautiful edition of the legendary poetry by the "Zen" poet Han Shan is a priceless contribution to know and experience his fascinating and miraculous, almost stoic and sometimes mystical utterances. Carefully edited, wonderful translations. I am happy to have purchased this book as a gift for a good friend

Cold Moutain chuckles still
as he reads through my eyes
those poems that he carved in stone.

Appropriate now
as they were back then,
his laughter knows no bounds.

No center, no boundaries,
all opposites dissolve.
Suchness beyond "as one".

Moon over sea,
Wave against rock.
All returns instantly!

Somehow Cold Mountain, limping along from his mountain, creates seemingly simple and clear songs ("called by others crippled / he stands along steadfast") . Wonderful footnoted by "Red Pine" explain deeper references to Taoist or Buddhist texts and humorous digs at Chinese officials. Cold Mountain avoids the dogma or sophistry of any organization or religion, and avoids the chains of strict poetic for:m
"I've made elixirs and tried to become immortal
I've read the classics and written odes
and now I've retired to Cold Mountain
to lie in a stream and wash out my ears".

He has no problem mixing Buddhist and Taoist metaphors if it will make his point. This book provides a nice refuge and finding of a relation to nature:
"Spring water is pure in an emerald stream
moonlight is white on Cold Mountain"

Cold Mountain also finds peace inside:
"we all posses a miraculous creature
with neither form nor name
call and it answers clearly"

To top off the book are 4 poems by Big stick and 49 by "Pickup" friends of Cold Mountain. A great book!

The book contains three introductory biographical essays by Hass, that help to place the masters in a historical context and help to understand the development of their styles.

so refreshing to learn
many Issa's haiku
were quite bad

It also contains several poetic prose fragments by all three poets that put their haiku in context of their journeys and events from their lives. The last part of the book includes fragments of Kyorai's "Conversations with Basho." It is always a treat for me to be provided with some insights about an artistic process. Needless to say, the book is full of pearls, diamonds and snowflakes. Translations (or their "versions," as Haas would say) are exquisite and very poetic; it was enough for me to read a few to feel inspired. A truly a marvelous book.

I love this collection of haiku. I've marked several favorites with Post-It flags and thumb through it often. I recommend it to anyone, especially people who are knew to haiku, because it includes a variety of themes and the poems were all written by true masters of the art. It's simply wonderful.

I am new to haiku and was looking for a few books to give me an idea of the traditional haiku. The translations in some books made me think that haiku is not for me. However, this book is amazing. Not only does the editor select the most representative of Basho, Buson, and Issa, but the translations make poetic sense. There is additional material, such as a short biography on each poet and some exerpts of their prose (such as Issa's "A Year of My Life" and coversations with Basho). Five stars without hestitation.

I fully believe in the translating philosophy that poems should be rendered in the most contemporary language possible. Translating archaic language with archaic equivalents doesn't necessarily convey what it was like for contemporary audiences of the originals to read and experience them.

And that is what I like most about this collection. Robert Hass decided to use contemporary language for these haiku, and in this case, his contemporary language: American English. The haiku are highly readable and accessible. I've read criticisms to the contrary, namely that he loses the tone of the originals and takes some liberties with meaning. While I think it may be helpful to point this out, I don't think it is fair criticism, per se. There had to be a compromise, and Robert Hass consciously made a decision and consistently stuck to his preferred style. These aren't academic translations, and thank goodness. As a result, we have fresh translations of wonderful classics.

I bought this book over ten years ago on the recommendation of a professor. At the time, I was translating haiku from Japanese, and he suggested I take a look at Robert Hass' style of translating. It was timely advice for a fledgling translator. Hass' haiku renderings sometimes stray a little too much from the original meanings to satisfy the needs of scholars, but they are always clear, always graceful, and- after ten years of continually returning to the book- always fresh. I think part of the success of these translations comes from their colloquial language. There is nothing awkward about them, nothing in the language to draw attention to it as a translation. And aren't the best translations like that?-- unobtrusive, inconspicuous, almost like dopplegangers of the original. I believe so, and I believe these translations will have quite a long shelf life.

If you think that modern Israeli books, songs, movies, newspapers, and daily TV represent Jewish values and Israeli interests - don't read this book.

If, on the other hand, you wish to understand why, when, and how the mainstream Israeli cultural and educational establishment degraded to active support of anti-semitic propaganda - this book's for you.

In this encyclopedic in its historical perspective book, Hazony tells us that anti-Zionism, this sickness of Israeli society did not start in Oslo. Zionism and anti-Zionism were born together, half a century ahead of Holocaust.

"If you will it, it is no dream."

And if you will not - it may turn into a dream again.

A masterfully written book with a powerful message.

Yuval Lirov, Practicing Profitability - Billing Network Effect for Revenue Cycle Control in Healthcare Clinics and Chiropractic Offices: Collections, Audit Risk, SOAP Notes, Scheduling, Care Plans, and Coding

This book takes you through the evolution of Zionism over the last 100+ years. It is essential reading for anyone wanting to learn about the unending problems of the land of Palestine.

Hazony is an excellent writer. The book begins as a slow, lumbering read, hard to get into, but you must get through the Introduction and first few Chapters. Then the book begins to roll and you will find yourself unable to put it down. The only complaint I have of this book is that mine is the paperback edition and the print font is too small. Spend a few extra dollars and get the hardback if you are over 40 and need reading glasses.

Yoram Hazony writes and expresses so clearly what has been on so many of our minds when we see Israel today. The anti-Jewish influence shows up on Israeli TV, in Israeli schoolbooks, Meretz party, and such anti-Zionist newspapers as Ha'aretz. Hazony tells us who these people are and what their background is.

The book describes in great detail, the workings of Herzl, Ben-Gurion and Buber. The inner workings of modern Israeli government are carefully dissected. I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in the intellectual struggle that is as important to the State as relations with its Arab neighbors. Hazony's unimpeachable scholarship and his fluid writing style makes it an enjoyable must read.

Monty Rainey
www.juntosociety.com

Check it out on YouTube. I love the message of this 7 minute, 39 second recording. The narrarator quotes Napoleon and Mark Twain as the jews' infinitesimal history is told within this time frame. I can't help but think of Daniel chapter 2 and 7 as Mark Twain writes of how the ancient empires of Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome, "made a vast noise" but "faded into dreamstuff". Mark Twain asks, "All things are mortal but the jew...What is the secret of his immortality?"

There is virtually little mention of Islam or muslims in this book which at first seemed a little surprising to me, except that a jewish acquaintance of mine once told me a joke which I think of and chuckle at still. He told me that if you put 2 jewish men in the same room, you will get 3 different opinions! Imagine, if true, what it's like in the Knesset, where there seems to be at least 4 parties and several hundred men and women!

I can't recommend this book enough, especially since I mark myself as an ardent, christian, zionist. I loved Hazony's book about Esther. He writes very clearly and beautifully in English. I highly recommend this!

Zionism began as an idea, in the modern age, amongst mostly russian and european jews in the 1880's. At that time there had been terrible pogroms amongst russian jews and anti-semitic injustices on the european continent as evidenced by the Dreyfus affair in France. Amidst such persecution, the idea of a permanent state for jews was advanced most notably by Theodor Herzl who wrote a book entitled The Jewish State.

This book's content is about the anti-state sentiment prevalent within many Israeli jews and jews elsewhere in the world. The book begins with Hazony telling of his tour of duty within the Israeli army and how enthusiasm for the jewish nation has flagged and lacks the spirit of earlier pioneers like Ariel Sharon, Moshe Dayan, Menachem Begin, Golda Meir, etc. From thence, he begins a retelling, a modern Hagaddah, of the history of zionism and its earliest critics, until the present time. In explaining the generation gap among Israelis, Hazony brings to mind Turgenev's plot in "Father's and Sons". Hazony sees the mostly german or ashkenazi/european professors at jewish universities as having greatly influenced the thinking among Israeli youth. I could readily understand how such thinking could have reached a climax amongst european jews during the decades immediately preceding WWII. Having seen the abuse of power of fascist states, like Italy and Germany in the 1930's, the european jews would without a doubt be extremely wary of any state, jew or otherwise, having any power. They could easily find, I add, biblical evidence to support their claims. Though, I also add, there is biblical evidence to support it. I do love Ahad Ha'am's writing and thinking, mainly that the spiritual state is and should be preeminent over the physical. The reality, however, is, I'm ever more convinced after reading this book, that whether Israel is bi-national or not, there must be a physical, jewish state for the jews to remain alive and breathing on this planet. Although I'm beginning to understand why some jews might be anti-state, given the very recent past and immediate present climate within the international community, it seems to me that these views expressed by jews are very damaging to their own kith and kin and gives ammunition, figuratively and literally, to their murderous foes. Having such a large, critical majority within their own ranks, I find it EXTREMELY UNLIKELY that a totalitarian state could ever emerge from amongst the jews. And if it ever did, there would be a swelling of ranks amongst them of zealots and maccabees. I, frankly, cannot see it (a naziesque state) happening.

Hazony ends his book on a positive note, seeing that even amongst the jews, once the idea for the state is amply fleshed out within the realm of ideas, the support for the jewish state will be amply manifested, and freely embraced. One so often forgets the lessons of one's own life or the life of his or her people. I watched a documentary recommended by an Amazon friend called, "The Refugees of Silence" about jews in palestine, many of whom had managed to survive the holocaust, who immediately thereafter were herded into refugee camps, having been denied residence in all other countries of the world. The jews there were still powerless to do anything for their own relatives, in their own backyards. Such stories were totally new to me. But, as Hazony reveals in this book, even at times when support for the State of Israel was greatest, as that in May 14, 1948, the critics against it, within their own people, began to loudly voice their views. So, I still believe my jewish friend was right-for every 2 jews, at least 3 opinions! The war for the state amongst them in the realm of ideas continues today too as in my favorite YouTube selection which ends with these thoughts:

"Once you know who you are, where you come from, what meaning the past has for your future, you bring great meaning into your life. And when you do that, you bring great meaning into the world."

Yoram Hazony knows how to tell a story. He is not the arrogant intellectual who speaks from his ivory tower. He introduces himself so we know his family background and his personal stand of the Jewish question. The introduction is worth the whole book. There he succintly summarizes the book, points to Israel's troubles, gives names, origins and main developments. Puts the main characters on the scene, and we follow them through the years of Israel's modern making. It's the zionists vs the anti-zionists; the intellectuals (who nevertheless benefit from, and are accomplices of the Israel state they so decry) vs the common people who want to live free (specially if that means as a Jew). It's a tale that has become wide spread over the western world: the fight to win the minds and hearts of the people through the influence on the mass media. The tactics are detestably simple, but nonetheless they work, in the name of peace and justice the Israelis (Jewish and non-Jewish) are to give themselves up to their Arab neighbors, short of leaving the country or committing suicide directly. The book is comprehensive in its scope, and I wished it would be a little more succint in some developments that detract from the main story, but it definitely makes its point by not leaving any thread missing. Forceful and convincing.

Martin Buber epitomizes the intellectual anti-zionist from the ivroy tower (the Chomsky of the Israeli state). On the other side stand (or stood) the Founders of modern Israel, standing above all Ben-Gurion. With the Founders, of course, are the people, fewer every year because, bottom line: common-sense is the least common of the senses when challenged by the deafening noise of the professors and their billionaire friends (See Gore & Soros) and the media. It's sad to the point of upsetting to see how Buber and his clique wouldn't even have the refugees from the Holocaust when they were stranded in European camps come to Israel, while the university professors where safe and partying in Tel Aviv.

A last point I want to mention is that the very survival of Israel through all these years is nothing but a miracle, and you don't have to be a theist to see it. Surrounded by enemies within and without, reduced to a tiny territory, a speck in the back of the threatening Arab Empire, Israel lives, and flourishes.

This book interprets Zionist history as a sort of political battle between what I'll call the Right and the Left. Let me explain what I mean by Right and Left and then tell you where Hazony is in this spectrum.

People on the Right want to, as a priority, help themselves and their close allies. That's what they know they can be good at. When this plan works, they become more productive and the whole society benefits. But there is a risk (that the Right is willing to take), namely that they'll help themselves so much at the expense of others that society as a whole will not benefit. And from there, it is a short step to harming society enough so that they are brought down with it.

People on the Left want to, as a priority, help all of society. That's what they know they can be fair at. When this plan works, the people they help generally reciprocate, and everyone benefits. But there is a risk (that the Left is willing to take), namely that the rest of society may benefit a little, but only by taking advantage of the Left and its allies. And from there, it is a short step to having thugs, not the rest of society, become the ones who truly take advantage of the Left's support, so society as a whole is harmed.

I'm on the Left and Hazony is on the Right. I'm first and foremost a citizen of the world. He's first and foremost a Jewish Israeli. And in this book, Hazony makes some interesting points about those in Israel who have gone too far off course on the Left. But I was always concerned that Hazony was about to go off course to the Right.

Hazony's targets are those who feel that Zionism is no longer needed (as well as those who feel it was never a good idea). I have no problem with that. Hazony describes the Biltmore Conference in May of 1942 at which the delegates voted overwhelmingly (478 to 4) for a Jewish state. There's no doubt that a Jewish state was needed then (both for Jews and for human society as a whole). And there is no reason to believe that it isn't just as necessary today, if only to protect the Jews of Israel. In addition, why aren't those asking for an end to Zionism asking for an end to French nationalism, German nationalism, and an end to all other nationalities?

Hazony discusses Herzl in detail. And he shows how the British wound up adopting the infamous White Paper in May of 1939 that certainly made a Jewish state a necessity, whether one was established or not.

The author shows how Ben-Gurion really tried very hard to establish a Jewish state. And how some on the Left, especially Buber, went overboard and tried to avoid doing anything that might require the use of force.

However, I think Anita Shapira is right to say that Hazony's Ben-Gurion comes across as monolithic, and that Hazony does not discuss the times when Ben-Gurion emphasized that Zionism is simply part of human rights, and that Israelis were to be free people within the family of nations. Clearly, these types of statements, making Israel a state for everyone, sound much better to me than they do to Hazony. I think Hazony ought to have presented a more nuanced and more accurate picture of Ben-Gurion. He should have told us that Ben-Gurion for many years regarded modern Zionism as unconnected to ancient Jewish history. On the other hand, Hazony is correct that once Israel became a state, Ben-Gurion began to talk more about ancient Israel. And this is actually not a big issue for me: we all know that many Israelis take ancient Jewish history very seriously and many do not.

In my opinion, Hazony exaggerates the importance and extent of antizionism in Israel, both historically and at present. Yes, there are a number of people in Israeli academia who present a revisionist and inaccurate view of history. And that is a serious matter. But most Israelis have no trouble telling the difference between the human rights in Israel and lack of human rights, especially for Jews, in neighboring Arab nations.

I think Hazony is not asking the reader to accept Zionism uncritically. And he's certainly not asking Israelis to be greedy or unjust. Far from it. He's asking all of us to reject antizionist lies. And he's asking Israeli Jews to demand their rights as human beings rather than allow themselves to be pressured into adopting the political positions of their Arab neighbors.

The issue of whether Israel is a Jewish state or not is similar to the issue of whether France is a French state or not. Until we're ready to get the French to abandon their flag and national anthem, I see no reason to ask if the Israelis ought to abandon theirs. And that's why I think this book is worth reading.

Of all the tranlations of the Tao, Red Pine's is by far the best. I've read a lot of other Tao translations and none offer the clear interpretation that Red Pine offers. This is a must have book by the most qualified voice on the subject and at a price that cannot be beat.

I have a friend who's library includes some 20+ translations of this work and I have to date, read 4 of my own. Red Pine's TTC with Commentaries is much easier to follow and understand than other translations and the commentaries offer even more ways to consider each verse. To read what other Chinese scholars took from reading Lao Tsu's work will also make obvious that many have had very different understanding of this work, and that maybe, they are all useful.

This translation does, in my mind, further disproves those who so misunderstood Lao Tsu to call him a libertarian and an anarchist and does more to convince me that he, maybe above all the great teachers, was a true spiritualist, truly understanding what he chose not to define, not to personify, or to name...other than to simply call it The Way.

I have only two thirds of the book complete, but have to join those who claim it their favorite TTC so far.

I liked this book. the commentaries are interesting and provide insight into the Tao. I would have liked more commentaries on how to apply them to daily life, but overall it's a good book. I would recommend it.

In Asia, sacred texts like the Tao Te Ching are read with reference to the commentaries of its key historical luminaries. Only in the west is it read by itself, with no guidance. Finally, we have a TTC with key commentaries. Plus, the author has here given a translation that may come as close as possible to expressing the Chinese in English. It is concise, even pithy.
A number of other features make this volume unique and particularly valuable. Pine's extensive introduction covers an intriguing linguistic insight into the Chinese written character for Tao, Lao Tzu's historical background, the usual issues of authorship, etc., and some of the deeper understandings of the important themes of philosophical Taoism. Also, he has provided black and white photos of the famed Hanku Pass and the Loukuantai where tradition holds that Lao-tzu wrote the Tao Te Ching. The Chinese text is provided along side Pine's clear and unadorned translation. He utilizes the earlier but more recently discovered Mawangtui texts, and explains his preferences in choosing among textual variants. But most important for me, and for any student of the Tao Te Ching are his carefully selected commentaries which follow each verse. These show how the Chinese have traditionally understood the passages of the TTC in selected commentaries from the last 2000 years. Also, the book provides an extensive glossary of the Chinese terms and the commentators. Highly recommended!

The only language in which the Taoteching could have been written is Classical Chinese, a medium seemingly open enough to accomodate any translation without losing anything at all. But we should keep in mind, as the good book here says, ". . . the Tao in words is not the real Tao . . ." We could say that Classical Chinese could not really, in our day and age, be served up in literal translation, and we can be grateful to Red Pine, once again, that in this fabulous rendering, he does not begin with the words, but rather with the Tao.

Paul Reps once told me that we humans "are on the outside looking in". Like the space between the kanji strokes, as with the Chinese, thus with the Tao, and even the Truth. (Chapter 11: "Thirty spokes converge on a hub, but it's the emptiness that makes a wheel work . . ."
This translation does work. As in his other impressive translations (I especially love his moving early 1990's translation of Bodhidharma - recommended to all who wish to learn more of Ch'an or Zen) there breathes an immediacy which flows forth into the consciousness of our moment, resonant in these teachings. Relatively obscure in the West not half a century ago, they thus have been recognized for their pith, their eternal relevance, their vision.

Each Chapter in this well-bound, well-designed volume is accompanied by a series of commentaries or alternative translations from various sages in the Taoist tradition, a process which itself, once again, reveals the Tao, ever changing, always unchanged.

Chapter 19: "Get rid of wisdom and reason
and people will live a hundred times better
get rid of kindness and justice
and people once more will love and obey
get rid of cleverness and profit
and thieves will cease to exist
but these sayings are not enough
hence let this be added
wear the undyed and hold the uncarved
reduce self-interest and limit desires
get rid of learning and problems will vanish"

I've been reading this book since the early 1960's in various English renditions - this one is far and away my current favorite - a real delight!