Texas Books

The author portrays an unnamed narrator living in an Austrian village in a "mind-hostile and mood-killing neighbourhood". He lives in nearly total isolation having given up all contacts for the sake of his intellectual work. But eventually his contactlessness proves a catastrophe bringing him to the verge of madness, insanity and suicide. For three months he never leaves his house, full of fear, in a kind of self-incarceration.
One night, seeking the help of the only person he trusts, a real-estate agent called Moritz, the narrator becomes acquainted with an odd couple: a Swiss and his Persian wife who have just arrived in the village to buy a plot for the construction of their house. He finds the Persian woman a regenerating thinking, talking and philosophising partner who saves him from depression and during their conversations he discovers why the Swiss came there to buy a plot which has a marked slope, a high degree of dampness and where snow clearance is impossible in the winter.
A work in which nihilism finds its most uncompromising expression, which presents a human situation devoid of any meaning and which shows that speech is a useless therapy to fend off death. From this perspective there is only one possible answer to the ultimate question.

Abnormal characters,very distant locations and a disturbing plot combined masterfully to create a poetic novel.

I have long been a fan of Bernhard, and this is one of my favorites. It appears to be less ambitious than his "masterpieces," but this untrue. I find it to be one of his most intimate, intelligent, comical and most brutal pieces of work. It is incredibly concise and as readable as "Wittgenstein's Nephew." It contains everything one desires of Bernhard, due in part to the fine translation, stripped down to the to the bone. Something is always lost in translation, but an excellent ear and eye has been at work here. It is a poetic masterpiece with blinding light, brialliant language, and a twisted satori. Aside from the politcal, moral, social and philosophical criticism that is Bernhard's trademark, there is a unbelievable consecration between the author and reader that takes place and demands that "you must change your life." If you allow it to happen you will be left with nothing but an eyelash and a sock, but you will find that the author with all his vitriol,sarcasm,and "so black it's blue" humor, has still preserved what is best in the human heart, and damn, he tells a good story.

"Yes" is the story of a man who lives in rural Austria, a scientist with an overactive imagination, and a psychologically oversensitive nature. His friend, a real-estate agent, sells a highly undesirable plot of land to a Swiss couple, a man retiring from a successful career as a power-station architect, and his female companion, a middle-aged Persian woman. The narrator strikes a friendship with the woman, and finds her his intellectual equal, or at least his emotional one. He wonders why this couple has chosen that horrible plot of land (which his friend had never previously been able to sell), and why they are building an ugly home on it.

He begins to suspect the retiring architect does not treat his female companion with as much respect as she deserves. He retreats into his home for a time, trying to get away from the world, in a fit of general agitation and anxiety, but eventually returns to his friends' company, and deepens his friendship with the Persian woman, who seems to be growing apart from her companion. The novel ends with an emotional shock, summarizing the story's happenings, and explaining it in highly dramatic terms.

This novel is unequivocally brilliant. Thomas Bernhard (1931-1989) does not employ a style easy to understand at first, but it is worth every ounce of energy invested. For example, he has written this short novel with no paragraph breaks whatsoever. (The book is 135 pages long, but the type is larger than usual and the pages shorter than usual.)

Bernhard writes in an overflowing, fulsome style, not unlike Samuel Beckett, full of language, full of description, incessant, and captivating. This is exactly his strategy: he is trying to capture the reader by forcing them to expend so much energy following his text, his narrative, his story, and his unusual style, that the final words of the story will hit the reader like a ton of bricks. This is Bernhard's signature, and this novel is a fantastic example.

Any reader should try this novel who is interested in an inventive, experimental novel, but one which does not veer too far from normal story-telling. Berhard's novels, for all their roller-coaster style, are actually quite conventional, and "Yes" is a great introduction to his literary work. His vocabulary is sharp, his characters are well spun, his occasional insights are spectacular, and his stories are intruiguing. This novel is highly recommended for anyone wishing to sharpen their mind, find a new adventure after having enjoyed Beckett's works, or introduce themself to one of the finest writers of the 20th century.

This novel was my first exposure to Thomas Bernhard and I have to admit I was initially put off by its style. Some of the sentences went on for a page and half, using only commas as punctuation. After the first page or two I began to enjoy it. The plot is very simple. The narrator is a scientist who has retired to the Austrian countryside to conduct his research on antibodies. At first he believes that the isolation will benefit his studies but gradually, he works less and less, due to the great depression that comes over him. He begins to cut off all relations with the outside world, keeping only a token connection with his friend, Moritz. When he comes to recognize that his mind can only be stimulated by socializing with other people it is too late. He cannot free himself of his terrible loneliness. It's been so long since he has communicated with a human being he doesn't know where to start. All this changes when a Swiss engineer and a Persian woman show up at Moritz's house to buy a plot of land to build a home on. Talking with the woman, the narrator finds new life, but tragically, it will be shortlived.

This is a great novel. I have never seen the mindset of isolation and the depression that follows better portrayed. The style of the piece lends itself to a breathless reading. You don't notice that periods are scarce after a while. It has an exquisite flow to it. All the characters are nicely done. The translation is excellent. I really have nothing negative to say about it.

I got this for my husband because he needed a way to experience an Aggie football national championship, since he is the ultimate fan and it doesn't look like it is going to happen with the current team anytime soon. He has really enjoyed the book and how the author has re-created in detail such an exciting time in Aggie football history.

If you start each A&M football season off with great hope in your heart, only to have your heart shattered by season end, this book will lift your Aggie spirits.

I do not read newspaper accounts of sports events, so buying this book was out of character for me, except that I had some distant family on the '39 Aggie Team (Cotton Williams) and wanted to know more about him and the team. To my surprise the book was captivating. The first part covers the history of football at Texas A&M in a way that makes you feel like you are part of each era. The coverage of the '39 and '40 seasons utilizes press clippings from that time. Then, prior to widespread media access, the newspaper writers covered the games in detail and with flair. The detailed coverage of the players lives - before and after their football careers - gives the book a satisfying completeness. If you are a Texas Aggie, this book is essential. If you are a football fan, with a touch of respect for football history, this book will be your favorite.

Every Aggie should read this book. I was amazed at the story Mickey weaves, not just the game-by-game, but the backstory and anecdotes which brought the players and coaches to life. This is more than a "football book," it's an inspiring story that taught me a lot more than history. Gig 'em.

In 1939, the Agricultural & Mechanical College of Texas was an all-male, all military institution -- and World War II was just erupting. These guys beat the hell out of their competition on the gridiron, then they donned uniforms to beat the hell out of Germany and Japan. It goes without saying: They are the Aggies. Bless them every one.

I have admired Gloria Steinem since I came to this country in the 70's to go to college. She has had to make some tough choices in her life and I respect her greatly for the path she took. I particularly liked to read about her early years, her childhood and family, prior to the more public New York life of the sophisticated writer and feminist persona she became. After reading this book, I feel that I understand much better where her strong motivation came from. The author deserves much praise for this biography.

I read this book nonstop while on a lengthy car trip. I found it to be incredibly interesting, informative, well-researched, and enjoyable to read. If you've ever wondered how Gloria Steinem got to be the icon that she is, this book explains it all. Whether you are researching Steinem or just looking for an interesting non-fiction, this book is for you!!

A sympathetic biography of one of the most famous leaders in the women's movement. According to Heilbrun, Steinem's beauty and ability to remain constantly in the public eye have been a constant source of irritation to other feminists. She presents Steinmen as a slightly naive, well-intentioned and empathetic individual who never intended to lead the feminist movement and indeed would have preferred remaining in the shadows as a reporter and writer.

Growing up in the early 80's, I had a vauge idea who Gloria Steinem was and what she did. I was delighted to pick up this book and read the first (and probaly most accurate)book on such a revolutionary leader.

Denounced by the extreme right and extreme left, Steinem's life has taken her from Ohio to Massachusetts to India, Washington DC and NY. Having cofounded Ms. the National Women's Political Caucus, the Women's Action Alliance and Voters for Choice, Steinem is truly an example of a good role model.

Heilbrum's superb prose takes us into the infamous resentment born by Betty Friedan and Kathie Sarahchild. Although both of these women are famous in their own right, their inexcusable and childish tantrums undid their own feminist reputation without any help from Steinem. Also deserving of their repuation is Betty Harris who's paranoid delusions and lax work ethic jepordaized the working environment at the early MS. Steinem is a saint for having dealt with these crazies and still keeping cool.

Eddie Fung's curiosity, sense of adventure, and generous spirit in helping others is inspiring!

He never let his small stature get in the way of anything he was determined to do, whether it was to enlist in the army, help the men on the ranches where he worked at during his teens, or (secretly) help get food and medicine for his fellow POW's during WWII.

I admire his way of sharing his adventurous life, which was often humorous: he didn't hesitate to recount the times he got in trouble or made himself look not-so-smart when he could have asked for help. I like his forthright manner! As he put it to his second wife: "What you see is what you get."

Fung's spirit shines throughout the book; it serves as reminder to me of the sacrifices made by servicemen such as himself, as well as my father, and members of their generation during WWII. Moreover, he describes how he helped his fellow POW's to survive in the most unimaginable circumstances by using his past experiences, however minor they may have seemed. Being frugal, helping his mom with household chores like making preparations for dinner, and working on the ranch provided useful skills he could share with the other prisoners.

His many adventures are nicely complemented with loving family background/memories of parents and siblings, and life, post-POW. A really enjoyable read!

Don't miss out!

"Another Little Big Man" might have been the immodest title of this too modest gentleman's autobiography. That memorable movie from 1970 told the life story of a diminutive guy who lived many different lives within the span of one and that could also describe Eddie Fung. Short on stature, big on life, that's Eddie. Born in San Francisco's Chinatown, he dropped out of high school and went to Texas at age 16 to become a cowboy just because he wanted to. There he discovered a now nearly vanished breed of everyday honest men and a challenging way of life that for him epitomized the American dream of freedom of spirit paid for by hard work. By 1940 as war raged in China and simmered in Europe he too joined the Texas National Guard just as many of the other ranch hands were doing. That one simple act put Eddie onto a path that took him through three and a half very tough years as the only Chinese American prisoner of war after his unit's capture by the Japanese Army early in 1942. You won't want to put it down once you begin Eddie's book but the beauty of it is that you can pick it up and open it nearly at random and be rewarded with simple truths as experienced by a complex man. For this we have Eddie's wife Dr. Judith Yung to thank for an excellent job of editing a number of multi-hour interview sessions. Judy is one of this nation's most well known and respected scholar/authors of the modern Chinese American experience. Be sure to read the Preface to learn how they met and married when Judy needed a WW II vet interview for a project she had begun. This memorable book has one little shortcoming, so to speak, that must be mentioned .... it comes to an end. This reader wanted Eddie's adventures to continue indefinitely. We do learn of his post war life including family and career, his eventual involvement with the Lost Battalion Association and its annual reunions, etc. so it is a well rounded effort. My wish came true recently when I discovered that YouTube offers a six part look at one of this special couple's book talks. Thank you sharing your life Eddie.

I met Eddie Fung in person last week and heard him discuss the book and his life. What a journey! He is a 10 an so is his book. There are many greatest generation stories that will never be told (my Dad's for example) so take advantage of reading this amazing story of survival from a good story teller.

Also, it is a reminder that many American minorities were in WWII who were staunch patriots, sacrificed much, and should not be overlooked.

this is a very touching story- somewhat like angela's ashes re experiences of a poor background. school dropout, becoming a cowboy then a searing 4 years as a pow -finally graduating from stanford university and moving on

This is a very good book about a very narrow subject that would probably not interest general readers. Yet for professional and amateur military historians, for military professionals, and anyone interested in the affairs of the U.S. Army this is a fascinating book. General Odom (U.S.A. ret) is a good straight ahead writer and excellent scholar. In this book he tackles the important but often overlooked issue of how the army developed tactical and strategic doctrine prior to its mobilization prior to WWII. He demonstrates how the Army Field Service Regulations (FSR) for 1923 incorporated the lessons the Army learned in WWI and accurately measured the state of military technology after the war. The FSR for 1923 pretty well established U.S. Army Doctrine for the next sixteen years. The revised FSR issued in 1939, incredibly was essentially the 1923 FSR with very few concessions to the military technological revolution that had occurred between 1923 and 1939. General Odon chronicles the reason for this stagnation and along the way provides some illuminating insights on how the Army coped with the nearly complete neglect from the rest of the U.S. Government during the period. One area this reviewer found particularly interesting was the important, at times almost dominant role, the Army Schools System played in the efforts to build a modern military doctrine. The Army War College and the Command and General Staff College in particular showed a good deal of intellectual vigor even in austere between the war years. On the other hand, the War Department General Staff appears to have been virtually ineffectual in doctrine development. Perhaps the most amazing phenomenon of the inter-war years stagnation was that somehow the U.S. Army was still able to develop an officer corps that could not only manage the most massive mobilization in American history at the start of WWII, but were able to lead those mobilized forces to victory. In the end it would seem that it was the men not the doctrine that was important.

Many readers who lack a deep professional interest in military doctrine may be put off by a book with the word in its title, fearing it will be a dry, abstract, and labored tome on military theory. That is true of some books, but not of this one. The author, a distinguished U.S. Army infantry officer with a history Ph.D., has really produced a history of the entire development of the service between the world wars. It makes a fascinating and often pretty colorful story, and it does a great deal to explain the Army's successes and failings in World War II.

Odom shows an army essentially paralyzed and left in a state of suspended animation from which it was aroused only on the brink of war. Remembering the agonizing difficulties of raising, training, and equipping a mass army after America's entry into World War I, the Army's leaders and their civilian masters placed first priority on an expansible force. At the same time, shortsightedly pennypinching Republican administrations in the 1920s and the first FDR administration's absorption in the Depression kept military expenditures and manning meager. The handful of Regulars who remained after meeting needs for deployed forces in China, the Philippines, the Canal Zone, Hawaii, and on the Mexican border were scattered across America to train Guard and Reserve forces. What little money the Army had for R&D and equipment procurement went almost entirely to an Air Corps with little interest in supporting the ground forces it wanted only to break away from. With widely scattered forces, no modern equipment, and no money for "luxuries" like transportation, the rare exercises amounted to little more than musters.

Deprived of the stimulus of real-world experience in the field and muffled by senior officers and civilians unwilling to hear critical or even novel views, the Army's officers were left with little but their memories of World War I to guide them, with the natural result that the service remained backward-looking. Had the United States been drawn into World War II in 1939 or 1940 rather than late in 1941, it would have found the Army catastrophically unprepared -- not simply in terms of manpower and matériel but in ideas about how to organize and fight. Bad as the Army's condition was in December of 1941, it vastly better than it had been two years before.

All of this is made vividly clear in this well written and well structured book. Some may feel that the author pulls his punches a little bit with respect to the responsibility of the Army's own leaders. As he makes clear, they found themselves in a very difficult corner. But I think it is fair to say that they could have prepared the Army somewhat better had they been more willing to make and defend painful tradeoffs within the limited resources they were granted. (For instance, unmentioned by Odom, the Army spent relatively substantial sums on construction of buildings in the mid to late 1930s -- badly needed, to be sure, but how badly compared to other things?) Still, Odom provides us with much of the information needed to make up our own minds on these issues.

I found this book both valuable and enjoyable. I would recommend pairing it with David E. Johnson's _Fast Tanks and Heavy Bombers: Innovation in the U.S. Army, 1917-1945_ (Cornell U. Press, 1998), which complements it in many ways. Hopefully, Odom's publishers will follow the lead of Johnson's in issuing an affordable paperbound edition. When they do so, they might consider dropping the "doctrine" from the subtitle; it will still be strictly accurate, and less likely to confuse non-professional readers.

Will O'Neil

In this book Odom sets himself up as a true groundbreaker. Many historians have looked at the interwar period (1918-1939) from a European perspective, seeking to find the start points for military success or disaster depending upon the nation under study. Odom is the first to conduct an in-depth analysis of the American Army during this period without dwelling on the mere artifacts of technology (specifically the tank and the airplane) but rather upon the heart of any military organization, their doctrine. Right now and for some time to come this is the single best source to examine how the United States military, and specifically the Army, experienced and viewed this period of important changes and developments. Odom sets the bar high and places himself on a par with such classics of military doctrine studies as Doughty's Seeds of Disaster and Winton's To Change and Army. In light of the striking parallels between that period and the present day, no professional can safely claim to understand the factors at work in either period until they read this book.

The Army is undergoing a fundamental transformation today. However, this is not the first transformation that the US Army has undergone, and if history is any judge, it won't be the last.

William Odom has captured the essence of the tumultuous transformation of our Army during the period between the two World Wars in his superlative treatise After the Trenches. The transformation of our Army during the inter-war years was as profound as the transformation we are experiencing now. If you are looking for a guide that explains the importance of doctrine, weapons, and organizations to transformation, you must read Odom's After the Trenches.

Imagine the challenges facing the US Army of 1919, one year after the end of the War to End All Wars. The years 1914 to 1918 were years of profound and dramatic change. The methods of warfare that the Army had practiced before the Great War had been completely overturned. The Army went into World War I with a tradition that was largely formed from the frontier Army of he Indian Wars and the brief fighting in the Spanish American War. Armed with revolvers, sabers and wearing campaign hats in 1914, the Army finished 1918 wearing tin helmets and armed with gas masks, machine guns, rapid firing artillery, airplanes, and tanks.

True to our American tradition, after the Great War, the Army was largely disbanded. Only a small corps of professional soldiers was retained during the period from 1919 to 1939. In that time, however, warfare continued to change. In the meantime, Germany studied the lessons of the Great War, improved on the methods and weapons of WWI, and transformed its doctrine and training.

This historical appreciation is what Odom brings so masterfully to print in After the Trenches. The author explains the evolution of Army doctrine throughout this period and traces the intellectual action of an Army trying to find its way in a brave new world. He describes how the thinkers of that time guarded their uniquely American approach to war and rejected many of the European, and particularly the French, concepts that grew out of the horror of the trench warfare.

In the inter-war years, the US Army, guided by men such as General John Pershing, Hugh Drum, George Lynch, Frank Parker, and Lesley McNair tried to balance technology and the human dimension of war, and came up short. Rapid changes in the methods of war during the interwar years changed military doctrine form one "built on infantry-artillery coordination to one based on a highly mobile combined arms team." Army doctrine did not keep pace with these changes. With few men, little material, almost no funding, and no maneuvers during the years 1919-1939, it is not surprising that Army doctrine was so inadequate. Bureaucratic hassling, friction between the branches of the Army, and an inept doctrinal development process combined to create a situation that was so bad that the Army failed to coordinate a combined arms doctrine up to the eve of World War II. With the German victories in Poland, Norway, and France at the outbreak of WWII providing a blueprint for doctrine, the US Army raced to catch up. In the end, our Army paid a price in blood for its inability to transform more rapidly.

The lesson that Odom provides us is that this period of rapid change almost left the Army unprepared for the kind of combat that was to characterize World War II. Odom clearly shows in After the Trenches that the single most important reason US Army doctrine lagged so far behind was the Army's institutional deficiency to employ a tightly-run, well-coordinated doctrine development process. He provides us with a very valuable precautionary story, one that is well written and thoroughly researched

Now, imagine the challenges that our Army faces today, more than a decade after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War. As Odom points out in his conclusion: "Establishment of an organization dedicated to monitoring and accommodating change is the most important element in successful modernization. This organization must address weapons, organizations, and doctrine to avoid the same calamity that befell the Army from 1919-1939. With that in mind, anyone involved in the transformation of today's Army will find After the Trenches an account worth studying.

There's nothing I appreciate more is a historical work where the author has consulted numerous often obscure primary sources in order to construct a never before written history. All Afire to Fight is one such work, and I have to say I have really enjoyed reading this book and learning about the Ninth Texas Cavalry--not to mention the military activities in the theater of the war where they were active, about which I am not that familiar at the moment. I found the narrative to be excellently written for the most part, although there were a few awkward spots. The one real detracting aspect of the book was the lack of a roster. In my opinion, no regimental history should be without one (the more detailed the better!) provided the information is extant.

Afraid he might miss GLORIOUS war, Reuben silently escapes from Pa's farm to join the Texas Cavalry. Through four years of the American Civial War Reuben and his fellow soldiers suffer HIDEOUS war without adequate food, clothing, and arms. Often led by fools, they fought heat, cold, measles, dysentery, and Indians, yet they never waver in their courage and dedication. Many of the men of the Ninth Texas Cavalry had lived in Texas only a few months, at most a couple of years - yet Texas Pride permeates the story. Meticulously researched, Ms Crabb has used letters and diaries written by the men of the Ninth to tell the story. All Afire to Fight reads like a modern best selling thriller. It is filled with action, pathos, and undiluted horror as told by the men who did the fighting.

I am a "California Yankee" whose favorite view of Texas has usually been through the rear view mirror - I should not have liked this book. But as a retired military officer, I was enthralled by Martha Crabb's graphic telling of men at war. Her obviously well documented and researched stories about the brutal fighting conditions, starvation, and primitive medical care gave me a real respect for the combatants of the civil war era and just how much some parts of warfare have changed for the better. And her description of broken government promises, bureaucratic obstacles, and the occasional incompetent leader, showed how much has remained the same. This book would make a great movie

Any Texan interested in the state's role during the Civil War, and certainly any Civil War enthusiast will find much to enjoy in Ms. Crabb's detailed account of this little-known aspect of that bloody conflict. She doesn't shy aware from reporting just how terrible a conflict it was, but she humanizes it by following, mile by agonizing mile, the Ninth Texas from its formation, through each of its battles and conflicts, until she brings the survivors home. Her book is meticulously annotated and documented, leaving little doubt as to her sources and her extensive research. Even long-time Civil War buffs are guaranteed many new insights into this unit. Particularly interesting are the reports of daily life of the ordinary boys and young men who made up the Ninth Texas Cavalry, the ordeals they faced just to survive, and the extraordinary courage they showed as they battled Union troops, fatigue, ravenous hunger, and homesickness. Because of the distance back to Texas, most never returned until the conflict ended; hundreds of others were buried throughout the South. Through her book, Martha Crabb once again brings alive the terrible toll exacted by this Civil War, describing battles and wounds until the reader can hear echos of the cannon and the screams of the wounded. It's not a pretty picture she describes, but it's once which every American should face once again.

Ambassadors At Sea, a private memoir of a public life, reads like a novel that you can't put down. In in, Catto---a self-described small-town Texas boy who grew up to be a Washington insider--takes us on a tour of his career in various high-level positions under several Presidents, culminating with his appointment as Ambassador to the Court of St. James, where he hung out with such world-stage stars as Margaret Thatcher. But Catto's book is not a dry laundry-list of a diplomatic career, but rather, a witty, moving, and always fascinating story of the wholly human characters who most of us see only through headlines---as well as the personal sacrifices and conflicts that Catto himself experienced. Throughout it all, Catto is charmingly self-effacing and always very witty. I simply couldn't put the book down--and was sorry when I came to the last page.

"Ambassadors at Sea" by Henry Catto is an informative, and at the same time,delightful book. Ambassador Catto has recounted his experiences as ambassador first to El Salvador and later to Great Britain, as Chief of Protocol, as head of the United States Information Agency, Ambassador to the European Office of the United Nations,and spokeperson for the Pentagon under Secretary of Defense,Cap Weinberger.There are wonderful anecdotes about all the Presidents he served under:Reagan,Bush, Nixon, and Ford, as well as interesting asides about Nancy Reagan, Henry Kissinger, Margaret Thatcher, and countless foreign dignitaries.Catto expresses his reactions to the famous and the fatuous in an honest and self-deprecating way. For example:he refers to a conversation with Nancy Reagan at a dinner party by commenting,"To say she was hard to talk to would be a gross understatement",or on President Nixon;"I never heard anyone accuse him of having a sense of humor".These bits of information make for fun reading., This book is both educational and enjoyable. What more can you ask!

This Ambassador has written a beautiful and witty book. It is a joyous romp through a glamorous career in which he finds himself in the "sea" of the world's great and powerful and enjoys every minute of it. Ambassador Catto worked in important positions under several administrations from the 60's to the 90's, including appointments in the Departments of State and Defense, US Ambassador to the UN (Geneva), Great Britain and El Salvador, as well as Chief of Protocol, and Head of US. Information Service and League of Pan American States. His perceptions give depth and breadth to the history and newsmakers of the past four decades, and shine light through keyholes of the rich and powerful. Ambassador Catto's view is so optimistic and good natured, you can't help but feel the past 50 years have been great after all. American Ambassadors have a reputation for being big financial contributors to presidential campaigns but not necessarily knowledgeable of languages, world history or foreign affairs, or sensitive, compassionate and tactful. Ambassador Catto, however breaks the stereotype and is uniquely qualified. As a knowledgeable businessman he was able to promote American business interests abroad, and being fluent in French and Spanish and a lover of people, and art and literature of other cultures, he was always comfortable in any society. His book is written with unfailing generosity of spirit, humbly giving credit for his successes throughout the book to his brilliant wife and others, including his good friend, President George Bush. He manages to be humorous, poignant and poetic all at the same time. I think his book should be made into a movie with Bill Murray starring as the lovable roving chief of protocol and ambassador. It wouldn't be Saturday Night Live, but it would be lively.

Ambassadors at Sea by Ambassador Henry Catto is an informative look through the back door and into the closets of world leaders. By recounting his experience on a very personal level, you live with the author among those on the international stage whose personas are usually submerged into and behind their official facades. Ambassadors at Sea is thus a footnote to history, and will appeal to those who wish to delve deeper than the news releases and headline portraits of those who shaped the world during a very crucial period of our history.

Jesse H.Oppenheimer San Antonio, Texas

This book is one of my favorites in recent years. I have become interested in the history of foods and Sophie Coe was an incredible scholar. Her books are great reading and amusing. Unfortunately she is no longer with us but she has left us with two wonderful books on the foods of the Americas (The True History of Chocolate--finished by her husband Michael Coe, another great writer of history. I highly reccommend this one as well).

The list of food products discovered or created by the American Indians seems endless: corn, manioc (cassava, yuka, or tapioca) squash, beans, chocolate, tomatoes, potatoes, peanuts, pineapples, avocados, vanilla, and chile peppers -- plus for your Thanksgiving table, turkey, and for your wicked moments, tobacco, coca, and magic mushrooms. Conversely, there's been very little written about pre-Columbian cusine. Coe's book fills this lacunae.

The Spanish destroyed every aspect of Indian culture they could but enough accounts of Indian food were recorded to partially construct what they ate. Coe focuses on the food of the three main civilizations in the Americas at the time of Columbus: the Aztecs, Mayas, and Incas. A lot more information survived about the food of the Aztecs than the other two.

Working with fragmentary information Coe has reconstructed the cuisines of these civilizations -- and rich indeed were the foods they ate -- dozens of variations of tortillas and tamales, a heavy reliance on chiles, innumerable varieties of potatoes, and a huge variety of chocolate dishes that seem ripe for the exploration by culinary adventurers, entrepreneurs, and writers of cook books. The notion, often advanced, that the pre-Columbian diet was boring, primitive, or deficient is refuted persuasively here.

The book suffers a bit from being an overly broad summary that left me hungry (groan!!!) for more information about many foods only barely mentioned. There's plenty of material here for additional books and questions to be answered. To echo an earlier reviewer: what did the Italians eat before the tomato amd the Irish before the potato?

Smallchief

I purchased this book based entirely on the review by kneisl. I am glad that I did. I had no idea that so much of our everyday food came from the "New World." Peanuts, vanilla, tomatoes, chocolate, potatoes, beans, squash, tortillas, tamales, etc. all were eaten by the Aztec/Maya/ Inca Indians long before the Europeans arrived. Some of these food types date back to 7000 BC. I found this stunning. I had always incorrectly believed that most Mexican food came from Spain.

The book is thouroughly researched, well-written and easy to understand. There are more foods mentioned than those I have just described, so you'll have to read the book.

A few years ago, I wrote a paper on the original cuisine of the western hemisphere before European exploration.Prepared for the drudgery of a paper, I checked this book out of the library, expecting myself to be put to sleep by the dryness of the topic.How wrong I was! Ms. Coe's book was stunning in how it broadened my understanding of food. Every chapter is chock full of interesting research and conclusions. Even the index was remarkable for its detail. You will be informed and entertained by amazing stories about what was eaten, how it was eaten, and why it was eaten. You will learn the surprisingly interesting history of corn. You will learn the origins of the algae spirulina, recently come to our health food stores. The fascinating story behind the newly popular grain amaranth will interest you. Many old theories (eg, that certain Mesoamerican indians were cannibalistic), are in one stroke shown to be false. The cuisine of the western hemisphere *IS* the cuisine of the world. The staple foods of Europe and Asia are often Maya/Aztec/Inca in origin. The humble potato and tomato, for instance, DID NOT EXIST *ANYWHERE* in the Eastern hemisphere until they were brought back from the west. Makes me wonder WHAT, exactly, did the Italians eat before they had the tomato?

A good book for folks wanting to learn about our night-time visitors. Well worth buying.

I bought this book just because I was curious about bats. I had always thought they were "bad", until I visited a conservatory in Wyoming that had a bat house and explained how important they are. That was a surprise to me.
This book opened my eyes to how beneficial bats really are. It talks about the facts, myths and misconceptions about bats... what's true, what's not. It tells what to do if a bat comes into your house, and how to evict them if they have taken up residence in your attic or somewhere else you don't want them to be.
The book is well-written and an "easy" read. It has lots of good photos, and tells about some of the different species of bats and where they live. I recommend it for older children (maybe 10 and up) and adults. Well worth the money.

Dr. Tuttle has set out to redeem the reputation of the bat clan and if people would just read this book I believe he would succeed. This book is packed with information that will help dispel the fear and misunderstanding with which people view bats, but at the same time it is by no means too technical to be readily understood (I first read it when I was about fourteen iirc and enjoyed it as much then as I do now.) I would recommend this book to anyone anywhere who is the least bit interested in nature and also to anyone who is fearful or concerned about bats in their nieghborhood.

This is a very informative, well wriiten and beautifully photographed book on bats. The book includes beautiful color photographs of the most commonly seen bats in America. One of the most appreciated sections is the "Beginners' Key To American Bats", a well written, easy to comprehend section on identifying common bats of the region and placing them in their proper groups. Very important if you intend to build bat houses and hope to attract occupants and just general knowledge.
The book includes several other interesting chapters besides identification. It shows how bats navigate with radar. It addresses the many negative myths of bats, it explains how beneficial bats are in nature. If you want or need to know anything at all about these interesting creatures, THIS is the book and Merlin Tuttle is the expert to seek out. And even if you only need to know enough about bats to humanely evict them from your belfry, this book comes with even that information!
The author has dedicated his life to these interesting mammals. Even without knowing that fact, you can see from the entertaining way Mr Tuttle writes, how much he cares. All of his books are excellent. Check them all out!

I thought that this book was very informative and easy to read. I research on corvid communication and even found the book to have VERY important information. Anyone interested in birds in general should read this book!

With a keen observer's eye and a flair for marvelous prose, Kilham has written a book that is not only an important resource for researchers in behavioral biology, but also a delightful read for any nature lover.

This book illustrates great behavioral and environmental aspects of crow life within social groups. It was nice for me to read this book to familiarize myself more with Crows with my research. As a corvid researcher myself I found the book very interesting, educational, and informative. I suggest anyone interested in birds or corvids (crows, jays, ravens, magpies, etc.) especially should read this book. The author writes with passion about his research and he explains it in a VERY simple way, understanding is easy. All in all this book was AWSOME!

There are more than enough reasons to pick up this book if you have any interest in crows or birds in general or even seeing a good example of descriptive biological studies, however one point missed by others are the beautiful illustrations in this volume that are well above average for a science book.

There are very few books about Corvids, and even fewer based on North American research, but this wonderful volume is a solid step in the right direction that is both well informed while also personable, leaving one to hope that future volumes or at least more research on these birds will result.

Any Corvid enthusiasts should purchase this book without hesitation as it is a relatively inexpensive and irreplacible contribution to the literature.