Pacific Books

Reviewed by Vicki Landes, for Reader Views (09/06)

Translator Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson succeeds beautifully in bringing the well-loved Japanese book "Rainbow over Hell" to the English-speaking world. This touching true story is both timeless and meaningful, regardless of race or religion as it tackles hatred, suffering, betrayal, despair, and ultimately, forgiveness and peace.

"Rainbow over Hell" is a two-fold story. First, be deeply moved by this first-hand account of one of the bloodiest battles in World War II - Saipan, Japan. Experience what Saburo Arakaki endured, a young civilian thrust into the life of a soldier during a horrific attack. Taste his fear, flee with his exhaustive endurance, and fight with his nationalistic heart. Witness his ultimate crimes against another human being and then cry at his betrayal as this young boy's innocence is lost. Later, witness the total transformation of his soul - from deep-seated hatred to loving forgiveness and learn that the peace so desperately sought after can eventually be achieved. Finally and many years later, Pastor Saburo Arakaki comes full circle when he returns to the scene of his tumultuous past.

The second part of this two-fold story is a message of faith and hope. "We may experience many forms of hell in life but a ray of hope always pierces through." The atrocities endured for a time cannot last forever and more is awaiting the sufferer after their trials are over. Saburo's multiple brushes with death only strengthen the case that he was meant to do and to be so much more. Divine love conquers all.

Fujimoto-Johnson brilliantly maintains an array of strong emotions while recounting this life-changing story. "Rainbow over Hell" will not only appeal to history buffs but to those in need of loving encouragement: "there is always a rainbow, somewhere..." The original Japanese version has been credited with saving a man from suicide and for bringing many to Christianity. This new translated version is just as powerful.

Award-winning author Tsuneyuki Mohri and translator Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson shine as they team up to release "Rainbow over Hell" in English. Extraordinarily touching and uplifting, even for those not interested in history or accounts of war, this beloved Japanese story will tug at the heartstrings and bring hope to the hopeless. "Rainbow over Hell" adds glorious color to lives of grey.

What an AMAZING story! I would reccommend it to all. We so often hear the stories of WWII from an American point of view, I was facinated to read this from the point of view of a Japanese civilian. It is NOT an anti-American story. It tells of the realities of war and the power of God to bring peace from all the horror. It really hit me that God forgave me and DIED in MY PLACE. My favorite quote from the book is, "Believing himself forgiven by God, Saburo, in turn, forgave and succeeded in breaking the cycle of hatred and revenge that leads humans to war against each other time and again. Saburo was a mirror of God's forgiveness." If you enjoy this book you may also enjoy, "The Unlikeliest Hero." The story of Desmond Doss - the only non-combatant to recieve the Medal of Honor. In 2004 a documentary was made on Mr. Doss's story called, "The Conscientious Objector."

This is the story of Saburu Arakaki an 18-year-old caught in the battle for Saipan. Afterwards he was sentenced to death for assassinating two prisoners for collaboration with Americans. His death sentence was changed on review from Washington, but his life was inexorably changed. He was finally released only after he had found God and was to became a Seventh Day Adventist pastor. It is a story of terror, horror, defiance, courage, betrayal, despair and finally redemption and absolution. I heartily recommend this book to anyone but especially to those Marines who fought on Saipan. At last, a human face on the fierce enemy. I hope Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson brings us more like this!

Originally published in 1998 in Japanese as Jigoku-no Niji, it is a gripping read and well written. The translation must have been difficult, but Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson managed to retain the emotion, excitement and one of the best personal descriptions of warfare I have seen. You can almost feel Saburo's terror as he saw the American armada offshore. It is strange for me to feel terror of Americans especially knowing from Marine accounts that those boys heading in on the landing craft were just as terrified. Finally, the close and intimate telling of his discovery of Christianity is inspiring!

As a personal aside, it is enlightening to read of this famous battle from the Japanese side. I have long been fascinated by that last great banzai charge on Saipan. Banzai charges served the Japanese army well in China as it did western armies through WWI but against Marine firepower they turned out to be slaughters. They continued as a Japanese tactical measure until Saipan. At Iwo Jima and Okinawa they were dropped in favor of a defense in depth that proved much better from the Japanese viewpoint and much much worse for the Americans. This story about Japanese youth on Saipan mentions the banzai charge only in passing but brings new light to it. In this case, the banzai charge here was less a tactic that a sad, desperate last attempt to die for the emperor and some four thousand were successful.

The pictures alone were worth the price of the book - such a rich history we have here in B.C., I learnt many things I had not known before. The recipes were also great. Definitely a five star review.

The pictures alone were worth the price of the book - such a rich history we have here in B.C., I learnt many things I had not known before. The recipes were also great. Definitely a five star review.

The pictures alone were worth the price of the book - such a rich history we have here in B.C., I learnt many things I had not known before. The recipes were also great. Definitely a five star review.

I purchased two of these books, one as a birthday gift to a friend and one for my Mom. Both were very impressed with the photos. I plan to read the book when I next visit my folks.

This book is really special. Ok I am a mate of Graham's which some might see as a bias - but this book is oustanding none the less. Osborne is a biologist (infact a botanist) by trade I believe. It simply doens't matter though, because clearly what he does best is take photos. *Very* good photos. I don't mean as in 'Oh, thats a nice photo' as my mum would say to me when from four packets of snaps I produced one relatively balanced composition. I mean as in drop-that-frying pan, walk-into-that lampost, draw droppingly good photographs. This guy has had three or four calanders of his work produced for goodness sake. The book, which, ok I admit, he gave me, is always on my coffee table, and I must confess, I have chopped up the calendars and made them into nice framed pictures.

Reasons to buy it:

i) it will enhance your life ii) it will take your breath away iii) it is pretty reasonably priced

reasons not to buy it..

i) you hate temporate rainforests...

This is, quite simply, the best set of pictures of North America's west-coast maritime forests that I have come across. These forests are interesting, beautiful, and abundantly alive; they are also very hard to photograph. Through the lens they can seem messy and disordered. The unaided human eye screens out extraneous clutter, but the camera eye does not. There is order there, of course, but it is a chaotic sort of order, with many levels of order-within-disorder. Some photographers strive for excessively neat, tidy compositions, which give an entirely misleading impression of these forests; Graham, on the other hand, conveys the rhythms within the disorder. Many of the pictures are texture-rich without a sharp focus of interest. It is a style well suited to the subject. The text by Wade Davis, what there is of it, is good, but this is most definitely a picture book first.

If you're house-hunting anywhere in the Denver-Metro area (or even Boulder county), this mapbook is the best one to get. It is the one ALL Realtors refer to when listing properties for sale. Each property is indexed by what page & section of the Streetfinder it is on. No need to scramble through the index each time you look for a home for sale. Really convenient! Every house-hunter should have one!

This is the mapbook all Realtors refer to when listing property in the Denver-Metro, Boulder, Longmont, and Mountain areas. It is very convenient using this book as opposed to any other mapbook.

All of the Realtors refer to what page of THIS book a home is on. No need to wast time in the index looking up each individual address.

I felt like I had experienced a lesson in Western history as we journeyed across the country. Ms. Sandifer's descriptions are
vivid and real. As a small boy of nine or ten, I used to go with
my father when he trailed his small band of sheep from grazing
ground to grazing ground. Ms. Sandifer's book created virtual
reality for me and I was right back on the trail reliving those
days trailing sheep with my dad. I could feel the hard ground
that we slept on, could smell the coffee as it brewed on the open
fire.

I'm not one who enjoys long narrative digressions from the main
story, and while she takes us on some descriptive detail and
digression, Ms. Sandifer knows exactly when to pull us back to the story before we lose interest.

You'll love Nancy Mcguire's quiet strength as well as Lottie
England's colorful and audacious strength and spunk. Hart Daniels and Colonel Joseph Chiles are the kind of men we all long
to be--men's men; gentle and tender when necessary, and tough
when the occasion calls for it; but always strong. If you're a Western reader who enjoys authentic Western lore, you will enjoy this book immensely. In my opinion, a real Western classic.

Linda Sandifer has captured the true pioneer adventure west. Well researched, developed and written, her characters will linger in your mind and heart long after you finish the book. So be sure to climb aboard the wagon train and hold on tight. You're in for great ride!

Raveled Ends of Sky was an excellent book! At first I thought Hart's name was a little odd but I really liked him. He and Nancy made a great couple. I wish that we could have found out what happened to Lottie and Carlito though. I hope they finally admited their love to eachother and lived happily ever after, like Hart and Nancy. I would definately read any sequals that may come, especially dealing with Lottie and Carlito. :)

If you want to know more than even the scientific profession knows about cold fusion, read this book. As a result you will be up to date about one of the most important discoveries of this century. This book continues the line of books that reveal a discovery that will change the way we live, yet has been broadly rejected. Discover how science behaves when it is confronted by a novel idea and how many of the problems created by conventional technology will be solved.

If you're interested in science, politics, energy and the future of mankind, this book is a must read. Cold Fusion will become a case study in how easy it is for science to dismiss an unothrodox idea, and how hard it is for those working outside the science othrodoxy to research a controversial field.

This book explains the Cold Fusion controversy that has raged for the past 15 years. Years that have been full of wars over dwindling oil resources in the Middle East. This is the definitive guide for anyone who wants to understand why Cold Fusion has been so controversal, the current state of research into Cold Fusion, and where Cold Fusion research might eventually lead us. Well researched and well written, this is the book that will redefine Cold Fusion for a new generation.

Krivit is the world's #1 authority on this research, because he's done coverage on all of the prominent scientists in the field. That's given him a greater scope of knowledge than any one of these individuals on their own would have, and he additionally has the ability to translate this so that it makes sense to the mainstream audience!

More info online at http://www.americanantigravity.com, or Krivit's site at http://www.newenergytimes.com

This book is basicly a memoir written as fiction of service with the Marine Raiders and later with the 4th Marines. The accounts of jungle patrols are very intense and the discription of the battle of Sugar Loaf Hill on Okinawa is a pure nightmare. The book gives a good account of WWII Raider training and operations. At times, while describing camp life, the humour seems a bit strained.

If this book had come out twenty or thirty years earilar it would have been a classic, better than the exellent "Battle Cry." This a great Marine book, and an inside look at Raider life.

This will be one you will want to add to your book shelf as it is a book that really deserves a couple of good readings. The author tells a compelling tale of battle, the Marines and the war in the Pacific. It is accounts like this one that enable us to increase our understanding of those times, those of us who were not actually there. I highly recommend this one.

As a personal friend of Jim Rosevelt, in later life, the book caught my attention. The book is well written. I wish it could have included some of the first hand stories, he spoke of, during some of our family get togethers. The book portrays the heavy loss of life that occurred during those years to take the pacific islands. I would reread it, and plan to do just that.

Great book. My husband is a history junkie and he thinks it is a wonderful book!

Roadside History of Nevada is part of a growing series of books on roadside history published by Mountain Press. To date there are roadside histories available for sixteen states and Yellowstone Park. These books will make valuable traveling companions any time you take a trip and have time to enjoy the historical or geological sites along the way.

The Roadside History of Nevada is a well-written and interesting book. Moreno spends the first chapter reviewing the history of Nevada from its geologic and human prehistory through recorded history to the present time. He then uses the rest of the book to discuss the various roadways and the Nevada towns that were and are inhabited. The book is organized, logically, along the roadways and is divided into six chapters: Interstate 80 (The Emigrant Trail), Reno and the Lake Tahoe Area, US 50 (The Loneliest Road in America), US 95 and US 6 (The Silver Trails), US 93 (The Mormon Trail), and The Las Vegas Area. Within each section, discussion proceeds along the lines of the main highways and the other highways and byways that connect with them. A map of the roads precedes each chapter, but be careful of the Highway 50 map (page 118). It has the highway going into Idaho, not Utah! The book includes 140 photographs which include buildings still standing, ruins of buildings, and pictographs from the earliest humans in the area. There is also a selected bibliography and an excellent index which includes areas, events and people.

If you ever wanted to know how a place got its name or why it was settled, then this is the book for you. This book isn't just about places; it is also about the people who populated them. As I read this book, I found myself wishing that I had had it along on the many trips I have taken through Nevada. As I finished each section of the book, I was ready to get into the car and go exploring the places that Moreno discusses.

Who should read this book? Anyone who has an interest in Nevada and/or western history in general. And anyone who enjoys seeing where history was made. Academic and public librarians will find this book, as well as the series, a good addition to their collections, either as historical information or for description and travel information.

If you find this book interesting, I would recommend other books Richard Moreno has written on outings a person can take throughout Nevada: The Backyard Traveler and The Backyard Traveler Returns. Also consider other books in the Roadside History... and Roadside Geology... series, depending on where your travels take you. The geology series includes twenty-three titles. Unfortunately at the present time Nevada doesn't have the companion roadside geology book, but since Nevada has mining as a major part of its history, it is possible that Roadside History of Nevada and the book Geology Underfoot in Central Nevada can fill the gap for now.

Rich Moreno is one of the most talented travel writers in the West. His knowledge of Nevada's farthest reaches and the unusual history of each place may be unmatched. In "Roadside History of Nevada," Moreno captures what's best of Nevada, and shows his talents off in a remarkable way.

Rock and Roll Archeologist is a terrific read for anyone who cares about pop culture, since in its pages author Peter Blecha entertainingly describes the orgins of the monument that is the Experience Music Project in Seattle and his particular role in its founding. But this book also has a special place for those of us who know the joy of finding a much sought-after piece of vinyl or the rare collectible. In fact, though the book tells Blecha's story from record hound to rock curator with good humor and great detail, it simultaneously maps the psychic terrain of the collector in all his (and sometimes her) quirkiness, obsessiveness and ardor. You may see someone you know in its pages -- or maybe yourself. Fun and fascinating. I highly recommmend it.

Author Peter Blecha is an obsessive music collector and former senior curator of the Experience Music Project: he's spent his lifetime haunting used record shops and antique stores to track down rarities and instruments played by rock's greatest icon, and here provides a lively blend of music history and first- person adventure in the search for elusive music memorabilia. Rock & Roll Archaeologist documents his transition from fanatic to recognized artifact expert in the field, and makes for an inviting, fun read.

Really liked this book. I used to think I took stamp collecting seriously but after reading this book I'm throwing in the towel. A fascinating autobiography about one man's journey from hobbyist record collector to music history expert. Blecha was one of the early curators of billionaire Paul Allen's EMP (Experience Music Project) and this is the story of his life ---- from garage sale record scrounger to museum curator. A very funny read filled with lots of interesting stories about the art and mania of collecting, the thrill of the hunt, and his life as a curator responsible for spending a decent portion of Allen's fortune to build a world class music archive. If you have any interest in collecting - whether it be vintage coca cola bottles or hub caps - this is the read for you.

This book is definitely worth every bit of 5 stars. David Muench's photographs are astounding. There are many pictures from Colorado, and his photos of wildflowers in Yankee Boy Basin are great. The pictures of Glacier National Park actually do an amazing justice to the beauty of that park. Also, the pictures of the Canadian Rockies, especially in Banff, are wonderful. It makes a great coffee table book or a gift. You will want to go through the book page-by-page because every picture, and there are too many to count, is intriguing. Definitely worth buying!

I've got an entire shelf of Colorado photo books, and this is one of the best. The pictures are fantastic - often taken at rare times and filters used to give them an almost "better than real" appearance. The brief text is also interesting, and each picture location is identified.

This book is FABULOUS!!! Since my visit to the Canadian Rockies over two years ago, I have searched for a book which could capture the spectacular images I remember. David and Marc Muench's amazing landscape photographs are magnificent. J. Udall's essay on this region is equally captivating, amusing and above all reminds me that I must return there soon! In a world of overhype and hyperbole, this book is truly matchless.