Events Books

Roy Freirich introduces the reader to a divergent group of characters linked by a shared traumatic event. The interweaving of these characters stories, both externally and internally, is real and raw and deeply touching. It's as if you're living inside each characters' head as they traverse their individual journey to regain their balance and make sense of their altered world view. It's a captivating, intimate read - my favorite sort of stories.

This is an amazing novel. The language is fluid and expressive. It felt like it wasn't authored at all, as though I was witnessing a natural unfolding of character, each slowly spinning out of control by their now tainted souls after witnessing 1st hand the senseless murder-spree of a public massacre -- which seems to be part of our Modern-American society. It beautifully plunges into the darkness of their souls, growing darker with every page turn. It masterfully intertwined the threads of these people's lives with perfectly placed flashbacks that piecemealed fragments of the event that began the whole bloody thing. And I really enjoyed the ending which I won't give away, but was the only real way to end it. Anyone who has suffered a traumatic event wonders: "What if I did... one thing differently that morning?" This is a beautiful piece of story-telling. And masterfully done.

What's most stunning about this novel is the way Freirich gets inside of each of his varied characters as each one bends -- or even breaks -- under the weight of their shared tragedy. His prose is always fluid and elegant, even as it shifts between the characters' many distinct points of view. The novel does skip around a lot -- between characters and through time, as the details of the shooting are gradually revealed -- but it does so in such a deliberate and skillful way that it feels like this is the only way this story could have been told. It builds steadily to an ending that's both surprising and inevitable. In short, this is a masterful first novel. I can't wait to see what else Freirich has in store for us.

Writers are not like you and I. They see things in our every day existence that the rest of us just overlook. Is that a door handle that you are reaching for to go into the next room? No, rather it is a portal that leads you into a world of memories and emotions. Get out of your car, close the door behind you, and with every step you take the flow of consciousness relives a past moment, reflects on a possession, undoes an injustice. What Mr. Frierich has done is to peel back the sedimentary layers of our selves, graph out the dig site, and catalog the key components of an experience that shakes us to our foundations. And in observing ourselves under extreme conditions we reveal our most basic survival skills, our coping mechanisms, our strengths and weaknesses. We reveal what makes us human.

How great is it to read real literature again? Such a breath of fresh air. Freirich has written a rich, completely absorbing, yet totally accessible novel. He digs into the characters and we stay with them on their transcendant journey from hapless bystander to complex, fully realized, emotionally wounded collateral vicitms of random violence. This moment is surely the most indelible moment of their lives and we feel that as they fight and struggle to figure it out themselves. The multiple viewpoints and storylines serve the incident nicely as it forces us to think how different people might process the exact same event in a completely different manner. It's provoking, and thoughtful. And the themes certainly stay with you long after you've finished. It'll be interesting to see what Freirich comes up with next.

This reviewer is an avowed conspiracy/cover-up supporter regarding the 1960s assassinations of JKK, RFK and Martin Luther King. He welcomed the opportunity to learn more of the MLK murder. Author Pepper's voice rings loud and clear: "James Earl Ray did not shoot Dr. King!" Unfortunately, in buttressing that statement, author Pepper over examines the evidence and overstates his case. Pepper tries to be thorough but succeeds only in being repetitive to the point of confusion. MLK's opposition to the Vietnam War and proposal of a Poor People's Campaign had angered too many powerful people who wanted him eliminated. It is totally unclear who those individuals might have been. Mysteriously one name that does emerge is that of New Orleans Mafia Boss Carlos Marcello, just as it also does, on the fringe of the JFK hit. The bottom line is that while Mr. Pepper may be a superior lawyer, he has failings as a writer of long and detailed prose. To his credit, Chapter 9 does attempt to marshal the supporting facts in one place-one ray of sunshine where more light is needed. An interesting sidebar to "An Act of State" is Pepper's unabashed skewering of Gerald Posner. GP is the Establishment's point guard in debunking any conspiracy theories, be they related to MLK or JFK. Pepper goes after Posner with a vengeance that can only emerge from the deepest sincerity. The final word here is that "An Act of State" is too important to NOT rate 5 stars. Potential readers are urged to focus on Pepper's efforts and not his results. Mainstream media (what a great term!) has ignored the MLK hit. We should be grateful that the William Peppers of the world have the intestinal fortitude to investigate and publicize periods of our history that many would just as soon ignore.

I rode once in a pickup truck associated with a black college professor running for a city council seat, which was soot blackened because it had been fire bombed. That was in the early 1980s in a progressive university town. The threat of violence in reaction to political activism is not academic. It is out there and it is real.

It is chilling that one of Peppers' interviewees matter of factly states that he thinks the book will be buried, so his testimony can just be part of a record without his drawing consequence from providing it. The mainstream media certainly does bury stories that don't fit an establishment narrative. That they have done so in this case shall be a stain on the Fourth Estate for all time.

This is an important work. Every citizen should read this, and it should be taught in all the schools along with material on who King was. One of the things that Pepper does best, in addition to show a lot of persistence in seeking evidence, is reflect on King's value as one of America's leading thinkers of all time.

Given the state of the world, King's moral force is no less and his call to action to bring America back to its original vision still rings out like the echoing of the Liberty Bell.

I think that Pepper's work brings a lot of implications that need to be seriously addressed, especially since there might be some sort of connections or parallels to the JFK and RFK assassinations. What does this mean for any attempt to gain power for a more progressive vision of America in the future? What can we do to make sure our civil processes are not to be trumped by those with a will to do violence in response?

William Pepper's exhaustive research could be better served-- An Act of State meanders in and out of consciousness with a loose structure and story line--it's confuing. There are seemingly several relevant and compelling theories layed out on King's murder but the book is so convoluted it is sometimes difficult to follow Pepper's aruguments or thesis if there is one. Lloyed Jowers, the centeral figure at the heart of the conspiracy surrounding King's murder (According to Pepper) is presented as a relativley one dimensional character? With so much riding on Jower's involvement the reader begs to know more about the credibility and character of the man who came out of the shadows and pronounced to the world a mass conspiracy of murder involving the New Orleans Mob (they always get blamed--think JFK) the FBI & Hoover, and the local MPD. One missing componenet in all Pepper's research is Hoover's motive--Hoover no doubt despised King, spied on him and thought him a hypocrite but why would he want to Marytr him by having him killed?? These are not stupid people, Hoover must of known King would be canonized if he was murdered and naturally Hoover would be subject of hate as being such a public adversary--Pepper brings forth the theory of "Raul" the gun runner and hired assasin--perhaps the most intriguing charcter...Overall worth reading--labor intensive--Something happened down in Memphis on April 4th in the shadows of the Lorraine and downtown but by reading this book-- Pepper and everyone else are none the wiser.

An excellent book, William Pepper's An Act of State can be read alongside Waldron and Hartmann's Ultimate Sacrifice, the best available book on the murder of JFK. The links between these two "hits" are particularly intriguing.

This book is written by an English lawyer, who comes to these events with an analytical eye. He compiles evidence, and draws conclusions based on the evidence. The resulting portrait is not flattering to the US government. The evidence he cites points to apparantly rogue elements of the FBI and intelligence services actively involved in plotting and cover-up of the assasination attempt. This book deserves a film or investigation of its own, as it reverses the commonly-held view that a lone gunman succeeded in the assasination attempt. Taken in context with later relevations of J.Edgar Hoover's abuses of power, spying on US citizens, the Nixon Enemies list, The Pentagon Papers, the growing power of the mob over political figures, and the insidious intersection of the drug trade with the arms trade and politics, this book shows a way that institutionalized violence by elements of the US government can undercut the democratic process.
Students of English repression of the Irish, Indian colonies, double-dealing in Egypt and the Middle-East, and so on, will recognize the symptoms of absolute power corrupting absolutely. If the evidence in this book were demonstrated with the modern techniques of 3-dimensional (3-D) animation used in modern courtroom investigation, it would be even more convincing. As a sidenote, fans of the distinguished journalist Earl Caldwell will note how his eyewitness testimony (along with that of others) was ignored or contorted to the detriment of the evidence. If DNA analysis were available at the time this book was written, it is quite possible that the level of proof would be even more conclusive. This book, even at this late date, argues convincingly that the MLK investigation was absolutely inadequate. A potential remedy would be independent investigating commissions, perhaps under the aegis of the UN's Human Rights Commission. Modern investigations are failing to protect democracy and human rights; indeed, they are becoming part of the problem. An issue for schools of science to advance seriously, for the common good.

When the Worlds Series of Poker started, the best poker player was chosen by a vote! Tidbits such as this make this an essential guide to the history of the burgeoning event. A lack of hand records makes some of the reconstruction of questionable reliability, however.

There is very little analysis of the hands, although the match-turning decisions are recounted well enough. There are insightful bios into some of the players, including Stu Ungar, who had won three tournaments during the time the increasing size made this an incredible feat. Recommended for those with an historical interest in the event and the growth of the popularity of poker.

I have always been interested in seeing a behind the scenes look at a professional "wiseguy" sports betting group. Michael Konik, a top gambling writer, excuse me, a top writer...period, has done a tremendous job of showing exactly how a big-time, big-money betting team operates. Konik shows how they bet into the Vegas casino sportsbooks and later with the large offshore bookmakers. How did he write this excellent book? He was recruited and became a member of a wiseguy group and later formed his own group. I pretty much knew how these outfits operated but did not know who did their actual handicapping, and how. Now I do know. Great job, Mike.

Anyone who has an interest in not just the World Series but poker in general will enjoy this book. All In provides a thorough and detailed history of the World Series of Poker and the fascinating characters involved.

This is a nice, though incomplete history of the World Series of Poker. What's ther is well written and engaging. It is an interesting read but is far from comprehensive.

I didn't really expect much coverage of the secondary tournaments, but I did expect a more complete coverage of the main event. With a lttle more this would be well deserving of 5 Stars. As it sits, it is more like 3.5-4.

Nope. There are no discussions of how to play poker here. But whether or not you play poker you will enjoy this book. As the title says, it's (almost) the entirely true story of how the WSOP got started, the bumps along the way, and of course, the characters involved. It takes you from the humble beginnings to the behemuth that it is today.

And such stories...like the 1972 WSOP had 13 entrants, but only 8 of them played because they would rather play in the lucrative sides games than the WSOP. 1972 is also the year that Benny Binion made it a $10,000 buy-in...but paid half of it for the players who entered.

You'll watch the rise of the Binion family only to see it implode along the lines of a "Dallas" script. You'll read where a tournament director was fired because he refused to move old grumpy Johnny Moss who didn't want to sit by the railbirds during the tournament. Stories of great poker players like Jack Strauss, Doyle Brunson, Amarillo Slim and others fill this book. Read how Jessie Alto, who made the final table 6 times, went on a full tilt after he was bluffed out of a pot.

It's a fast read and I definitely recommned it to anyone who has a passing interest in poker.

To steal a line from another reviewer "Crusading environmental journalist Jeffrey St. Clair has written a devastating tale of corporate plunder, political hypocrisy and ecological loss." Too bad my copy was printed on virgin not recycled paper. This is a great book for paranoid earth first types who ignore the good and focus on the bad. It tells one side of the story very well. A side that needs to be brought to the fore but I personally am put off by the unwillingness to look at all aspects of the environmental movement. While the focus on a number of individual truths is not necessarily a 'lie' it most likely is also not the 'truth'. Books like this are written for the already indoctrinated not those looking for enlightenment. I suspect dollars had more to do with St. Clair's motivation than concern for the environment.

But the book itself smelled GOOD! It is a very interesting read and an eye opener as well. An eye might just even pop right on out of your head matter a fact! Though it shouldn't, just look around at our world today and our exploited environment. Some issues may just be speculation at the least, but it is definitely a great book for the critical reader.

Don't send in that Sierra Club membership renewal payment just yet, before you read this book!

"Been Brown So Long..." is author Jeffrey St. Clair's best work yet. Consider it required reading for anyone who's ever given money to an environmental group, and especially for environmental activists who want to know which groups are doing the critically important work and which are not. In an era where environmentalism is in decline as a grassroots movement, it is critically important for those who care about the fate of the Earth to examine the nature and cause of this crisis that is perhaps invisible to those who are not involved in movement politics on a daily basis.

One of the most incisive critics of industrial environmentalism today, Mr. St. Clair is, sadly, one of the few writers willing and qualified to dissect the body impolitic of the big enviro groups and their patrons, the Environmental Grantmakers Association and its member foundations chief among them.

Capitalism, the free-market and progress give noble aim to the spirit of man. As documented by St. Clair, their gifts include the advent of factory fish trawlers that make a haul of 400 tons of fish, crabs, and squid in a matter of a couple of hours in the Alaska Bering Sea, 40 percent of which is by-catch waste, churned up and spewed back into the sea, some 550 million pounds a year. What are fish after all, next to Almighty Dollars?

St. Clair disposes the myth of the tree-hugger in his common sense description of the wanton destruction of 95 percent of the ancient forests of the Pacific Northwest, an irremediable teasure. You'll seethe with him at the six figure incomes of leaders of the co-opted and ineffectual environmental NGOs like the Sierra Club. Corporations that "patent" mineral claims for as little as $2.50 an acre by virtue of the anachronistic 1872 Mining Act, and thereby reap millions of dollars of profits off public lands for pennies on the dollar gives animation to the old saw about if you're not outraged!

When Louisiana-Pacific discovers that its newly-patented and supposedly innovative Inner Seal siding emits deadly fumes when exposed to humidity it is quietly shipped off to the mere dusky-hued in Vietnam and Bolivia. Separately, politically connected, L & P profits handsomely in buying cedar off the publicly-owned Tongass Forest in Alaska for $1.50 per thousand board feet and then sells it to Japanese sawmills for as much as $1,500 per thousand board feet. What are American jobs next to corporate profits?

"Hostile intentions toward the people of another country. Deployment of chemical weapons and biological agents. Pursuit of a scorched-earth policy. Sounds like Saddam's Iraq? Think again. This neatly sums up the Bush administrations ongoing depredations in Colombia, all under the shady banner of the war on drugs." Nice to know St. Clair bothers to keep us informed even if our pathetic media don't.

Through all this and more, St. Clair counsels good humor and optimism. And while the stark immensity of what he reports in this book ought by all rights engender a hopeless despair, through the skill of a singular investigative jounalist and a peerless story-teller, just the opposite is true.

Only in Michener's story of the missionaries' sailors' attempt to round Cape Horn in a storm in "Hawaii," have I found the printed word exceeded as viscerally compelling and dramatic, as in St. Clair's narrative of coming face to face with a rattlesnake in the Mojave Desert.

It's the Life Support System, Stupid.

BY

MICHAEL DONNELLY

"They say we can't win without the Big Greens and the funders. Yet, that's the only way we've ever won."
Mike Roselle, co-founder Earth First!

Jeffrey St. Clair's book, "Been Brown So Long It Looked Like Green To Me" (Common Courage Press, 2004) is a 400-page verification of Roselle's statement.

After a brilliant "Opening Statement," the book starts out with an edited version of Alexander Cockburn and Ken Silverstein's summary of the events that led to the modern environmental movement and giving credit where due, surprisingly for many, to our "greatest environmental president" Richard M. Nixon, and, not so unexpectedly to the great Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas and his allies.

The summary goes on to chart the rise and fall of the Big Greens as they tepidly challenged Republican-led depredations and then completely collapsed in a spasm of Clinton sycophancy -- illustrated perfectly by their surrender of the grassroots' Ancient Forest victory.

From there, it's the same thing over and over again in campaign after campaign. St. Clair charts how local activists rise up to challenge corporate assaults on nature only to see the Groundhog Day-like script repeat -- the Big Greens and their foundation masters come in, take credit for the grassroots' hard work, use the issue to raise funds and then cut a Democrat and corporate-friendly "compromise."

There are so many issues covered here, it could very well be the definitive history of every ecological issue since the first Earth Day.

Wilderness issues appear first, as they did for the early environmental movement's heroes like the arch-druid, David Brower. Contrast Brower's life-long dedication to all things wild with the sorry tale of Eastern millionaire G. Jon Roush, then president of the Wilderness Society, who clearcuts ancient forests on his own hobby ranch in Montana's Bitterroot Valley - an act called "roughly akin to the head of Human Rights Watch being caught torturing a domestic servant."

The slaughter of Yellowstone's bison, the strip-mining of the oceans, the suffocating of salmon streams and the murder of activist David Chain all come under much needed scrutiny.

The toxic nature of Big Ag is dissected early on, as are the predations of Big Oil, King Coal and the conscienceless Nuclear industry.

Excellent uncovering of the continued assault on America's indigenous people, their remaining lands and barely hanging on culture is perhaps the books most necessary section. These stories have been all but ignored in the mainstream press. That the spineless Democratic Party Senate "leader," Tom Daschle (D)-SD is able to get Big Green support for yet another raid on Paha Sapa (the Black Hills), the sacred lands of the Sioux is just about all one needs to know about the rot that permeates the Democrats and the DC-based environmental establishment. That the sorry deal on the Black Hills is being used by the Bush administration as the template for "post-fire" logging assaults all over the West shows exactly where the bankrupt pro-Democrat leanings have led.

Stories about military pollution and the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and what's happened to the good people of Fallon, Nevada are the creepiest in the book. It's enough to make one throw up one's hands and run for a cave in the hills.

But, in the end, hope is all over the place. As St. Clair notes time and again, real activists are valiantly working to hold off the predators and their political and nonprofit enablers. Reading their stories and realizing that there are hundreds of folks out there who are fighting for the fate of Gaia, is the antidote to the despair one easily could get locked into.

This is an important tome. Unlike so many other cautious tomes written about environmental issues, it names names and has the facts to back it all up. It also names places - places that deserve better. And, hopefully, with this fine compilation out there, we'll see more support for these special places and an even greater vision motivate generations to come.

Eye-opening read that explains very clearly why and how the political "system" either co-opts or sidelines the Congressmen you hoped and expected could be the honest ones who would effect "change..." This gives the reader a very good understanding of the problem we face today.

Dr. Coburn is one of only a few congressmen who "gets it". Future generations of Americans will look back with anger at how the baby boomers ate their seed corn and saddled them with trillions of dollars of debt. Hopefully, they may appreciate the efforts of Dr. Coburn, who was one of the few who argued against all of the fiscal insanity going on in Washington today.

This is truly inspiring. It will open your eyes to the world of Washington and inspire you to make a difference. Please visit the the web site for Americans for Limited Government in which Sen. Coburn was chair

This book, based on the reviews here, is self-righteous pablum with little factual substance. A better, book, one that I've actually read, is Chris Edwards - Downsizing the Federal Government (Cato).

This is one of the most rewarding and enlightening books I ever read. It was a real sleeper as far as publicity goes, but everyone should read this book. Liberals who just scrunge up their faces when they hear Senator Coburns name, should think again and read this book. Senator Coburn is a very conservative republican, but he does not rail against liberals or democrats in this book. He must have rightly figured to do so would tag the book as a typical partisan effort. Instead he exposes what the Republican party establishment does and goes after Republican leaders. He only mentions Democrats when he has to in relaying information about any particular congressional bill. He surely didn't win any friends in congress when he exposed the inner workings of that body. Politicians quickly (if they didn't sart out that way) transform into playing the power game. Everything becomes about power and not what is best for the people. The bribes, strong arm tactics, threats, play along to get along, we'll do the right thing later, gotta secure power now kind of shenanigans. You definately do not have to agree with Tom Coburn politically to appreciate this book. It's great to get a birds eye view on why our government does not work. I can see what congress is doing and not doing now and understand why thanks to having read this book. The establishment doesn't want you to read this book, but do yourself a favor and read Breach of Trust. We need to shake things up in Washington and elect new people. In fact Mr. Coburn talks about the 20-25 in congress who stick to their principles and truley work to do the right thing. It's good to know who they are. Let's get a majority like them. To get a feel as to how to do that it helps to read this book. This is eye opening stuff. Thank you, Senator Coburn.

To my mind, Course of Empire is the best book written by Bernard Devoto (1897-1955). With it, he won a National Book Award to add to his Pulitzer and Bancroft prizes. DeVoto's integration of American exploration with the political quarrels of Europe is exceptionally good, and his understanding of western geography is overwhelming even to the well-traveled.

Most important, this is the work of a novelist manqué who should have been a historian all along. The book is everywhere readable and sometimes sings. A couple of examples:

"The best hope of peace lay in the fact that for half a century Spain had been falling like Lucifer son of the morning and was now prostrate. Its possessions spread across Europe without logic of geography or nationality. If they could be satisfactorily distributed among the powers peace might follow like the well-being of a man who has dined well." (164)

"In 1744 [Arthur Dobbs] published An Account of the Countries Adjoining to Hudson's Bay, a vigorous, absorbing book which assembled everything that was known, rumored, guessed, logically deduced, and imagined about the Northwest. It is a visionary's argument and perhaps the most shining eighteenth-century example of what the imagination can do when it has a blank map to work on and is handicapped by no empirical knowledge whatever." (244)

Finally, in Course of Empire, Native Americans are treated knowledgeably and thoroughly yet without the stifling political correctness of our own day. DeVoto writes of "savages" who do savage things; and he is right. Of course, DeVoto had the advantage of writing at a time when Europeans could no longer get a pass for being white but before Native Americans got one for not being so. DeVoto could not have chosen his era, but he certainly made the best use of it.

This is a magisterial history of the exploration of the west by an icon of western histiography. DeVoto takes in the whole sweep of New World history, from the conquistadors up to Lewis and Clark. Lewis and Clark are the clear apogee of the narrative, and the hundred or so pages on their expedition function as a hundred page mini book within a book.

I learned alot about the exploration of the west in this book, especially in the sections devoted to spanish (inept) and french (daring but lacking ambition) exploration. All forces eventually will yield to the english and later the americans.

Jefferson emerges as a far sighted hero of manifest destiny. This book gives great little known detail on the interaction between westerners and native americans without being biased or unduly sentimental to the existing native cultures.

I thought on the whole he was even handed about alot of controversial issues and his awesome prose and thorough research make this an enduring classic of american history and the "course of empire"

Although the various European powers moved sometimes disorganizedly, in fits and starts, DeVoto shows how the course of empire's path is laid out.

As the first volume of a trilogy, DeVoto foreshadows America's later claims of Manifest Destiny and "democratic-imperial" dreams in "Course of Empire," based on the expansionist energy he details in "Across the Broad Missouri."

All three volumes are worth a read.

This is a book about the exploration, not the settlement, of North America. As such, it traces the 278 year history of European and American efforts to penetrate and understand the North American continent.

The Course of Empire then is a compendium of various and sometimes quite different national interests. Utilizing a chronological, fill in the blank approach, DeVoto literally fills in the map of North America as viewed, rightly or wrongly, by each succeeding explorer. Chapter by chapter this story unfolds across the entire history of North American exploration. Thus, the reader meets everyone in chronological sequence, starting with Balboa and ending with Lewis and Clark.

Since subsequent explorers often had access to the records of those that preceded them, DeVoto is not only able to fill in the North American map with the contribution of each exploration, he is also able to link each exploration to its fundamental drivers: national intent and economic interest. As a result, he is able to underscore the ebb and flow of New World power as each country's global interests and economic situation changed over time.

For example, Spain's 16th century interest was mostly focused on conquest and plunder. As a result, Spain's more northern explorations, led by De Soto and Coronado, were limited by the lack exploitable civilizations. In contrast, after the defeat of the Spanish Armada and Spain's decline as a world power, England's subsequent 17th and 18th century efforts were more driven by land acquisition, sugar and the fur trade. It is easy to see why then that the French and Indian War was fought and why Britain's explorations are so much more consistent and focused on such dramatically different sections of North America.

Of critical interest is how the author weaves the unbelievable scope of this effort into a consistent whole, telling the story of how the geography of North America limited and encouraged continental expansion and ultimately defined the national borders of the United States. This is an excellent work and well worth your time.

Like many readers I was led to DeVoto by Stephen Ambrose, and I was not disappointed. This book combines meticulous historical scholarship with a real skill in storytelling, and it gave me a new understanding of how Europeans perceived and penetrated the continent. I began with the intention of reading the three volumes in historical order, and I'm eagerly continuing to "Across the Wide Missouri," which is all the review you should need.

My only complaint -- and the only reason to deny it a fifth star -- has nothing to do with DeVoto's work itself. The edition I read (purchased here, and as far as I can tell identical to the one for sale above) had black-on-white, pen-and-ink maps that appear to date from the original printing. They can be hard to read, which is a significant drawback in a narrative that relies so heavily on geographical references.

I would be very happy to see either a companion volume filled with modern maps (as has been done so admirably with the Aubrey-Maturin novels), or a new edition of the book that incorporates them directly.

I have no illusions about the sales volume of this title, or its power to induce such a new printing. Nor do I ignore the charm in presenting these maps with the same "period" style that DeVoto's first readers saw. But I found this book so instructive that I hope for others to derive the same benefit -- and that means using modern techniques to make it the most effective educational instrument it can be.

It's important to disclaim that I'm only talking about the illustrative maps. The ones used as chapter headers, that show the continent gradually "filling in" over the centuries, are priceless and should be left as-is in any future printing.

This is the "bible" of genealogy citation. The layout of the book makes it easy to find the source and how to cite it correctly on research.

Service in getting this book was both quick and easy. The book is great and has been very helpful in my family research.

"Evidence Explained" by Elizabeth Shown Mills is by far the most comprehensive resource I have seen for accurately and effectively citing historical sources. The book is well organized and the author provides excellent citation examples for just about every source imaginable. Whether you are a novice or experienced researcher, I would highly recommend this book.

I have only begun to use this reference tool but have been very impressed so far. I needed a guide to thorough citing of sources in my genealogical and historical research. I am an amateur and is has been many years since I learned documentation. I was thoroughly confused about how to document electronic sources.

This book gives numerous and specific examples of citations for a wide range of possible sources. Even if you don't choose to use an established style, you can easily discern what information is needed to provide for a return to the source of your information. It is very much worth the purchase price if you are desirous of effective documentation of your work.

I admit it -- when a new book is announced by Elizabeth Mills, I immediately put in an advance order, without even reading any reviews. I've heard her speak at dozens of conferences and seminars, local and national, and I've read (I think) all of her published articles. My regard for her professional expertise is such that anything she cares to say, I want to hear.

Taken by the main title alone, and by the announced length of the book, I was hoping for a grand collection of the author's thoughts on the ferreting out of sources, the evaluation of evidence gleaned from them, and the knitting of that evidence into a provable case. Sort of a distillation of her forty-plus years of accumulated wisdom in an area of family research in she is arguably the leading expert. The subtitle, though, is more accurate. Only twenty-two pages at the beginning address the subject of evidence and what to do with it.

The bulk of the volume is given over to a series of topical chapters of various types of source materials -- published books and articles, unpublished manuscripts, business and institutional records, census, church, and cemetery records, local and state records produced by courts and clerks, national governmental records, and laws and court cases. Another sizable section covers handwritten and electronic correspondence, records and other materials (often ephemeral) found on the Internet, and broadcast or televised source material. Each chapter and section is preceded by a "QuickCheck" list of concise models and examples of the citation formats under discussion. (Those for electronic sources expand on Mills's "QuickSheet: Citing Online Historical Resources," a four-page laminated ready-reference tool also published by Genealogical Publishing (revised edition, 2007). There's an immense amount of detail here, far more than in Mills's classic and now standard _Evidence!_ (1997). If you need to know how to cite the contents of the Norwegian Lutheran Church's registers, you'll find it on pages 362-65. In that regard, this volume should be considered the genealogical equivalent of the _Chicago Manual of Style,_ and as such, it's going to be the immediate standard for genealogical writing for publication. But it will probably be regarded as overkill for most hobby-level researchers. (The author would argue that every effort should be made to produce the best work possible, whether the researcher is a professional working for pay or a weekend hobbyist, . . . and I would agree. But still.) Perhaps this book would have been better conceived (and marketed) as a substantial expansion of _Evidence!_ And I'm still hoping to see that future work with Elizabeth Mills's name on it, called perhaps "Everything I Know About Genealogy."

Finally: Not to cavil, but one error on the very first page caught my eye, where the author quotes Lawrence of Arabia's warning that "All sources lie," and then refers to him (twice) as "Sir Lawrence." Actually, Col. T. E. Lawrence's given names were "Thomas Edward," and the proper style is therefore "Sir Thomas." The copyeditor really should have caught that.

I think that the author's ideas are good, but lacking
substantially in thinking eschatology has been solved:
For instance, The two witnesses, I have a hard time
accepting that they are not Jewish members of the church or
preaching the gospel of Christ. If they are, it would follow
there are 2 clear examples of 2 church members being present
in the tribulation period.

Like Israeology, Fruchtenbaum has added a stimulating and well outlined work. This book starts from the basic outline of eschatological events found in Revelation. Interestingly enough, Fruchtenbaum writes, "The majority of the things found in the first twenty chapters of Revelation are found elsewhere in the Old Testament... The value of the book of Revelation is not that it provides new information, but rather that it takes the scattered Old Testament prophecies and puts them in chronological order so that the sequence of events can be determined" (p. 9). Fruchtenbaum then hangs the detailed eschatological truths of the Old Testament on this inspired outline. Very interesting and effective approach.

As with Israelology, I must take one star off my rating for both the failure to put a topical index in the back of the book and for the extrabiblical assumptions he makes. Fruchtenbaum takes the controversial approach to the seven churches as being seven different time periods of churches. This requires too much bending of the rigid truth. His view that the Antichrist will be virgin born is both unsubstanciated and rediculous. Arnold... where did you come up with that?

The author sees much fulfillment of prophecy in the past 100 years of Israel's history. Not necissarily good or bad -- just risky for the undiscerning reader.

Fruchtenbaum cautions those who believe that unrepentant unbelievers spend eternity in hell and repentant sinners spend eternity in Heaven. "Neither point it biblically true" (p. 362). He then explains that the former spend eternity in the Lake of Fire and the latter in the New Earth. Interesting but doesn't prove the heaven/hell tradition is incorrect. He also holds to the view that Hades is divided into two -- a highly suspect doctrine which has been shot down a number of times including Brotzman (cf. BibSac Oct. 1988).

As a complete whole, this is a very interesting and recommendable book. On a humerous note, notice Ryrie's forward which concists of three paragraphs which are hardly a ringing endorsement for the book :) (Was Ryrie a former professor 'forced' to write this forward for a former student out of kindness?)

Get the book - its worth the money!

I have read and tried to understand Revelation and eschatological works since I was a teenager - this book absolutely "unlocked" eschatology for me! It is not "milk", however, and should not be approached as such. First I borrowed a copy, but soon decided I had to have a copy of my own so I could mark it up with a highlighter and make notes in the margin. The book is so deep spiritually, one reading is not adequate. In fact, I try to reread it once a year. Any true student of eschatology should not consider himself well read without this work in his library. Even though I don't really read Christian fiction, I read the Left Behind series in the light of Footsteps of the Messiah and enjoyed them even more because I didn't have to question their eschatological validity. I found them to be in line with Fruchtenbaum's writings. This book is a must read!

Written by a Jewish Rabbi who came to realize that Yeshua (Jesus) was indeed the Promised Messiah of Israel. So much is taught here. Hebrew is the author's first language and enables him to open the Scriptures and shine the light of truth. My husband and I have read it together numerous times. I could not recommend more highly.

We recently discovered another book of similar value: "Our Father ABRAHAM," written by Marvin R. Wilson, who is a leading scholar on Christian-Jewish relations.

Shalom

This is a monumental study in the field of Biblical prophecy. As the title declares the book is essentially a study of the "sequence of prophetic events". Research which has taken six years to complete.

The author bases his interpretation of such events in the context of a "pre-Tribulation Rapture" and proceeds to describe the events leading up to and through the "Tribulation". Those conversant with Bible prophecy will understand the Tribulation to be a latter day period of seven years preceding the physical return of Jesus Christ. A period of turmoil, conflict and suffering which this book describes as actually beginning with the "signing" of a seven year "peace treaty" with Israel.

The book making reference to the "seventieth week" outlined in the book of Daniel chapter 9 which is still to take place and which precedes the second coming of Jesus Christ. Again those familiar with this area of prophecy will recognize the relevance and significance of the underlying precision in God's Word here. Even the very time of Jesus Christ's first coming being prophesied to the very day.

Amongst the many subjects dealt with are the appearance and identity of the Anti-christ, the "Abomination of Desolation", the "Mark of the Beast", the "Battle of Armageddon" and the Millennium. Latter day conflict in and around Israel is also examined, together with the make-up of the latter day nations & their roles in end times events.

Not least is a disturbing analysis of a latter day persecution of the Jewish people which the author describes as even bigger than the Holocaust. A satanically inspired and organised campaign to wipe out the Jews once and for all. A process which has been pursued from time immemorial to remove the source and channel through which God Himself has chosen to reveal His purpose and Person of redemption/salvation. (Something which I think is fundamental to any understanding of anti-Semitism.) The ultimate Salvation of the House of Israel is also covered in considerable detail. Despite all the turmoil and conflict researched here, the Sovereignty of God always shines through.

To be perfectly honest, I am unable to find a single aspect of prophecy relating to the latter days that is not covered. Pre-Tribulation events and those occurring within the Tribulation/Great Tribulation period itself are shown in what the author believes is their chronological order and each is thoroughly scrutinised. Indeed, the contribution this book makes to the study of eschatology cannot be overstated. The author treats the subject with the respect that it deserves, avoiding the sensationalism of a few who have perhaps brought the subject into disrepute in some areas.

The approach taken in this study towards prophetic interpretation is that where the "plain sense" of Scripture makes common sense to the reader, no other interpretation is to be sought. Therefore every word is taken at it's primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning, unless the facts of the immediate context studied in the light of related passages & fundamental truths, clearly indicate otherwise. In other words, all Biblical passages are interpreted exactly as read, unless there is something in the text that indicates that such should be taken some other way other than literally.

This is a sometimes complex book, which I feel is better suited to those with a basic knowledge of the subject. However, much of the content is very detailed so novices prepared to take on this subject/book would do well to engage in a study based on this work, with their Bibles open at the same time.

The Scriptural references are too many to mention. They are used at virtually every opportunity. An index is also provided at the back of the book which even relates New Testament Scriptures to their Old Testament references, especially pertaining to the book of Revelation. Numerous charts are also used to clarify/collate certain aspects of this study.

Whether or not the individual reader agrees with certain aspects of the author's interpretations, I am sure that readers will return to this work time and time again as a reference & will be both instructed and stimulated. There are some areas where I am not sure if I totally agree with the author's interpretations, but these are matters which I need to prayerfully approach and not allow to become issues of contention.

At the time of writing I understand that the author is presently releasing a new, updated version of this work. So perhaps those interested in this study may prefer to obtain the newer version. Either way, such an acquisition will not fail to provide the reader with many a hour of absorbing study. Recommended.

I can only look at the events of September 11, 2001 in a spiritual sense. After those terrible acts, I went to church to seek solace, pray for the victims and their families and also pray for the perpetrators. All humans are members of God's family despite the atrocities we commit against each other and we all will face God on Judgement Day. Therefore, I don't believe that the terrorists won: their hatred was and is totaly alien to God's nature and wishes for God's children and I believe they will suffer eternally. And, as Reverend Jakes wrote in his sermon, Jesus took many to be with him at the end of their lives. Christ is the Christian's hope and light in the terrible darkness we are walking through today. His love is a salve to me as it is to many others. The author's in this book accurately pointed out the many mistakes American politicians have made in foreign policy and have supported evil when it was to in their minds, advantageous to America. This book is well-written and I believe a must-read for those of us who are seeking answers.

So many people are turning to faith since September 11, looking for reassurance, trying to find answers to hard questions. This remarkable book skips the banal platitudes; instead, it gave me real, solid guidance to begin to face those hard questions and try to make sense of it all. The variety and depth of this astounding collection of essays is breathtaking. I was astonished by how many different faiths are represented. Especially moving, to me, was a New York parish priest's account of ministering to victims. We also get to eavesdrop on the Beliefnet community as they helped each other cope in the days following the attacks; the personal interactions are riveting. Only Beliefnet could have created this book. This is a gift that truly will help us all rise "from the ashes."

I stumbled across beliefnet.com a few days after September 11 and found it to be full of much of the best and most insightful writing to be found anywhere. This book, which compiles many of the articles Beliefnet has published on the tragedy, demonstrates that the spiritual issues raised in the articles Ñ justice, evil, retaliation, even the very existence of God Ñ are not just timely. They are issues we are going to have to deal with over and over again. And this book is loaded with wisdom for anyone who is attempting to deal honestly with those issues.

The authors range from traditionalist Christians to Bishop John Shelby Spong, who argues that after September 11, we have to picture God in a different way than we ever have before. The ideas range from strong supporters of military response to the Dalai Lama and Bishop Tutu who counsel forgiveness. One of the most interesting pieces, for me, was Karen Armstrong's essay on Islam, comparing its attitude toward violence to that of Judaism and Christianity. There has been so much nonsense published on that subject over the past month. It was wonderful to read the insights of someone who understands and respects all three faiths.

The best thing about this book is that despite the range of opinions (which guarantees that every reader is going to find many ideas they disagree with), I did not find a single essay to be without merit. Even the ones I disagreed with all said things I felt I had to think about. There is no political or spiritual posturing here, but, in every case, an open and honest discussion of issues.

This is a beautifully written and important book for anyone who cares about spiritual issues.

I can only look at the events of September 11, 2001 in a spiritual sense. After those terrible acts, I went to church to seek solace, pray for the victims and their families and also pray for the perpetrators. All humans are members of God's family despite the atrocities we commit against each other and we all will face God on Judgement Day. Therefore, I don't believe that the terrorists won: their hatred was and is totaly alien to God's nature and wishes for God's children and I believe they will suffer eternally. And, as Reverend Jakes wrote in his sermon, Jesus took many to be with him at the end of their lives. Christ is the Christian's hope and light in the terrible darkness we are walking through today. His love is a salve to me as it is to many others. The author's in this book accurately pointed out the many mistakes American politicians have made in foreign policy and have supported evil when it was to in their minds, advantageous to America. This book is well-written and I believe a must-read for those of us who are seeking answers.

Picked this book up at an airport just before
my flight and was unable to put it down during
the entire flight! It is filled with healing
words, inspirational thoughts, and wisdom from
some of the greatest spiritual leaders of our
times, at a time when so many are desperately
seeking answers to questions regarding this
horrific tragedy against mankind. I strongly
recommend this book --- a must read for all of
us who care deeply about what happened to our
nation on September 11.

This book made me sad. Because it is so well-written about subject matter that was beyond my belief, I have been shaken out of my idylls. Worse still it is so well documented that every item can easily be looked up and confirmed.

What brought me to this book was my reading in German the book by Murat Kurnaz, "Five Years of My Life: An Innocent Man in Guantanamo" in July of 2007. Not a detail of the legal matters mentioned by Margulies is in conflict with Mr. Kurnaz's first-hand account of his experiences as a prisoner. Margulies' book should be required reading for every Congressman and Senator in Washington, DC. I will not be able to rest now until justice is meted out to those who have committed such horrendous crimes against humanity.

Mr. Margulies and Mr. Kurnaz point out that "harsh interrogation" is far more than "water-boarding." Mr. Kurnaz was physically picked up and his head was placed under water while he was punched and kicked in the stomach. He was suspended from the ceiling for days, until he passed out. US physicians attended him, not to give relief from his suffering, but to keep him alive for more torture. He witnessed prisoners killed by US torture.

Margulies' book is an opportunity for education. May we all be better educated.

This book deserves a much wider audience. No matter how bad you think things are in Guantanamo, this book makes clear that the reality is ten times worse. Margulies is extremely knowledgeable about the issues, and he's a fine writer. It is hard not to feel ashamed -- and outraged -- by the injustices that are occurring under our flag. Let me add that I do not know (and have never met) the author, Joseph Margulies.

The author was the lead counsel for Rasul and other detainees in the noted Supreme Court case of 2004, Rasul v. Bush. The question in that case underlines the whole bitter debate with the Bush Administration: whether detainees at Guantanamo have the right to challenge their indefinite detention in a fair way. The other big issue in this book involves torture and how the detainees are treated.

The author notes that the United States has always been at the forefront in upholding the Geneva Conventions. Even during the Korean War when the North Koreans treated American POWs barbarically, the U.S. upheld the Conventions. Even during the unconventional Vietnam War when the Viet Cong did not wear uniforms and hid among civilians or when American fliers were tortured in North Vietnam, the U.S. honored the Conventions. According to the Red Cross everyone in enemy hands has some status, either as a POW under the Third Convention or as a civilian under the Fourth Convention. In the past the U.S. has served as a model in upholding these laws of war and had until recently established the moral high ground in the face of lawless torture around the world.

Bush keeps insisting to the American people: "We do not torture." He is not lying according to the narrow definition established in the Justice Department's legal opinion known as the "torture memo" by Yoo and Bybee, and subsequent revisions to that opinion. The author notes the veil of secrecy over the inner workings of Guantanamo, the careful screenings given to visitors, but Time Magazine obtained leaked records concerning the interrogation logs of Mohammed al-Qahtani, which reveal the kind of methods used: solitary confinement, sensory overload, induced hypothermia, sleep deprivation, various devices used to cause severe disorientation, various forms of humiliation; in other words, a systematic breakdown of the human personality, a psychological assault that can be done without laying a hand on the prisoner, intended to lower the detainee not just to the sub-human level but even to the sub-animal level (the chilling comparison by the interrogator to banana rats). The question becomes what else would be found if other interrogation logs were made available.

Secretary Rumsfeld referred to the detainees as "the worst of the worst." But are they really? Beyond the locked gate of national security, the author refers to numerous voices from the military and intelligence services who state that only a minority of the detainees have yielded intelligence of any significant value, that there have been "no big fish", that the majority were "dirt farmers from Afghanistan", or in the case of the author's clients, impressionable youth who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. The author notes that only 5% of all detainees were captured by Americans. The rest were rounded up by the Northern Alliance or by war-lords who were more interested in settling scores. The roundup was made even more of a farce by a Defense Department campaign to distribute leaflets offering a bounty for any terrorist.

In response to the Supreme Court's decision in Rasul for judicial review of Guantanamo detainees, the Administration undertook to set up CSRTs (Combatant Status Review Tribunals) in order to determine whether a detainee is an "enemy combatant". But the CSRTs have been so skewed in the interest of national security that evidence is withheld and charges are often hidden in a farcical way. The detainees are also prevented from presenting evidence or testimony unless it is "reasonably available". An example of the absurdity of this process is an exchange quoted here from the petitioner Ait Idir, a petitioner in the forthcoming Boumediene v. Bush Supreme Court case, in which the name of the accuser, an alleged al-Qaeda operative, is not named for security reasons.

The author describes the outlandish charges made against his client Mamdouh Habib from "confessions" he gave after his rendition to Egypt to be tortured. Fortunately for Habib, when they tried to render him to Egypt for a second time, the lid of secrecy was blown off by the press, and he was released without any charges and flown back to his home in Australia after three years of incarceration.

One of the few books I've read about any controversial topic that resists the temptation to start name-calling, insult-slinging and obvious political agendas.

Dr. Margulies succeeds in explaining legal arguments in a way that is engaging and not condescending. He addresses every question you could have about torture and then some. He does something many authors fail to do: he argues his point in a greater context than the argument itself. That is to say, anyone can argue torture in the context of laws or the Geneva Convetions. Dr. Margulies goes further and discusses torture in the context of security for civilians and soldiers and foriegn policy, and then also provides the background for the writing of the Geneva Conventions and why we have refrained from torture in the past.

Absolutely enlightening.

Robert McNamara noted (about WWII), "LeMay said if we lost the war that we would have all been prosecuted as war criminals. And I think he's right. He... and I'd say I... were behaving as war criminals." No question that the only thing that keeps Bush, Rumsfeldt, etc. out of jail is that fact that they are protected by our country's hard to challenge power. If we were a broken power rather than a great power, it seems certain that someone would try to lock them up.

This book confirms that many laws, national and international, regarding torture, detention, and so on have been willfully violated. It is a compelling and disturbing story. And the final chapters are still to be written.