Oceania Books

I had never heard of this book, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is about a biologists experiences over years in New Guinea. The animals were interesting, but the stars of the show were the people. Flannery has the ability to see beyond the obvious in people and recognize intelligence, kindness, leadership where they exist not where you expect them to exist. It is also a good primer to today's New Guinea, it's culture, geography, and politics.

Flannery is the Principal Research Scientist at the Australian Museum. This book recounts several of his expeditions in Papua New Guinea and Irian Jaya in the 80s and 90s.

He's the opposite to Douglas Adams. In approaching some similar topics in his `Last Chance to See' Adams was primarily a writer. Flannery is primarily a biologist - the writing came second. Thus there's not the wit, and the style is often understated. In some cases this is quite charming as he pretty casually relates some harrowing incidents (such as getting stuck alone in an underground crevice). In contrast his vocabulary can get a bit ostentatious: he'll use always use a word like `ossuary', for example, rather than graveyard, and in one case he used a word I've forgotten now that from the context must mean something like overeating, but didn't even appear in my complete Macquarie dictionary. (Ah, another amazon reviewer had the same problem, although they were impressed by the obscure vocabulary, while I was unimpressed by same: 'farcarted' gets nothing from any online dictionaries - the only place it turns up in a google search is in these perplexed amazon reviews. Maybe it's an in-joke.)

These are exotic places and creatures, and Flannery capably recalls some real adventures. Part of the strange appeal of this book is shaking your head at some of the near-insane deprivations and risks his biological obsession has entailed (hence the insightful description of another reviewer, `bloody mad scientist'). Moreover half the fascination is anthropological. He generally does very well walking the line between eulogising and demonising the tribal Papuans. He ably conveys some of the dilemmas of contact between ancient and modern, such as the time when in all good faith he acceded to requests to sharpen all the knives in a village, but then was appalled to see several villagers accidentally cutting themselves deeply because they'd never had anything but blunt edges. He does tend towards the assumption that any loss of traditional culture is automatically bad, but honestly allows us to see some ugly things that challenge this assumption.

Towards the end of the book, as much to his chagrin as ours, we're not able to merely enjoy the excitement of discovery of species because of the context of ugly mistreatment of Irian nationals by their Indonesian conquerors. I got the feel that none of us wanted this to be a `political' book, particularly not a partisan one, but in telling his story it becomes unavoidable. Flannery again to his credit is very careful not to say `all Indonesians', or `all the mining company workers', but sadly his biological expeditions are somewhat overrun just at the end by encounters with some brutal racism, at times incidental, at others structural.

Without a doubt Tim Flannery ranks with the world's greatest scientist/explorers. He has a wealth of fascinating and valuable tales to tell from his travels to New Guinea. However, the book has little coherent structure. It's just a series of (mostly) unrelated stories, like he might recount over dinner. The details of his trips are incredible, but by the time I was half way through, I began losing my interest and felt I was re-reading previous passages.

I thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful book! In it, mammalogist Tim Flannery regales us with tales from his many years in New Guinea, searching for new species of mammals on the island, the second largest in the world. A difficult island to work in - highly mountainous; extremely few roads, most villages so isolated that they can only be reached by small planes flying to landing strips hacked out of the jungle; parts of it some of the rainiest spots on earth, some areas receiving 11 meters or more of rain a year; possessing many dangerous animals ranging from crocodiles to snakes to huge spiders; tropical diseases and parasites a real problem in many areas (including malaria and scrub typhus, from which Flannery almost died from when bit by an infected tick) ý Flannery had his work cut out for them as he spent over two decades on the island, both in the eastern half, the independent nation of Papua New Guinea, and the western section, Irian Jaya, part of Indonesia.

Flannery is a highly accomplished scientist, having discovered 16 new species of mammals in Melanesia, many of them in New Guinea. Many of these and others are described in the book, and make for fascinating reading. We meet the Black-tailed Giant-rat, the bite from its two centimeter long razor sharp incisors much feared by the inhabitants of the island. The Three-striped Dasyure, a vividly marked rat-sized marsupial predator, one of New Guinea's few mammals active during daylight hours. The Snow Mountains Robin, one of the rarest birds in the world, found in the high alpine regions of the Meren Glacier in Irian Jaya, one of the very few equatorial glaciers in the world. _Antechinus, a small carnivorous marsupial notable in that the male only lives for 11 months, existing only to breed. The diminutive, dingo-like New Guinea singing dog, which arrived in the islands some 2,000 years ago. The six o'clock cicada, a tremendously loud insect that received its name from its trill it emits roughly 6am and 6pm daily. The famous Birds of Paradise, breathtaking in their beauty, several species of which are extremely rare. He also describes the Long-fingered Triok, a black and white skunk smelling possum with the fourth finger of each hand a great elongated probe for finding insect larvae; you never know what he is going to find next lurking in the barely explored misty peaks and dripping jungles of the island.

Three of the most remarkable animals are ones that Flannery discovered or in one case rediscovered. One is _Maokopia ronaldi_, an extinct marsupial herbivore that once dwelt in the high mountain forests. Panda-like in appearance, size, and probably habits, Flannery named this new genus and species from fossils he found in Irian Jaya. Bulmer's Fruit-bat, a bat though extinct for 12,000 years, the largest cave dwelling bat in the world, Flannery was elated to have found them alive in extremely rugged western Papua New Guinea. The one though that Flannery is the most proud of discovering was the Dingiso, a new species of tree-kangaroo he found in the alpine areas of Irian Jaya, a beautiful black and white animal, surprising tame, threatened but fortunately partially protected by native taboos against harming them.

However, as remarkable as all of that is, one could argue that the real stars of this book are the people of New Guinea, particularly the indigenous Melanesian peoples that Flannery spends a great deal of time with and clearly loves. Much of his time researching in the field he was based out of the villages of such people as the Wopkaimin, the Telefol, and the Goilala where he became fast friends with many throughout the island, in both countries, viewing them not as savage barbarians, but as noble, often quite kind people, their older generation vast repositories of cultural and natural history lore. One of the most enjoyable aspects of the books were the many stories about life in those villages, some of the tales tragic, others heartwarming, and many hilarious.

Particularly fascinating was what he wrote about the history of cannibalism on the island. Apparently it did exist in the not too distant past, actually in the living memory of some of the villagers he encountered. Though not an every day occurrence by any means, cannibalism was an important part of New Guinea life; indeed, one group Flannery spent some time with, the Miyanmin, were once avid raiders, and actually referred to the neighboring Atbalmin people as ýbokis es bilong miplea,ý which more or less translates into something like ýour refrigerator.ý Though cannibalism is now a thing of the past, its effects are still felt he writes, as villages once got some of their population from raids of other villages, the adults of that village were consumed and the children raised as their own; now, that is no longer a source of new people for villages and some are facing some depopulation as a result.

Flannery sounds several cautionary notes in his book. Several species of New Guinea mammals and birds are in serious danger of extinction from over hunting. Though New Guinea is still a land largely without roads, more and more appear all the time, opening up virgin lands for hunters, loggers, and miners. Indeed in Irian Jaya the latter two are devastating ever larger sections of the island; the massive Freeport mine, which exports over ten million dollars worth of minerals daily, has destroyed large sections of forest with waste mine tailings.

He also worries about the future of the people, particularly in Irian Jaya. He believes that in an attempt to make that land more like the rest of Indonesia it is causing not only environmental damage but also cultural damage. Indeed there are concerns over human rights abuses in Irian Jaya, of dissidents disappearing, of remote villagers forced to wear modern clothing and abandon their pig eating culture by distant Muslim politicians, who often find native culture abhorrent.

Recommended.

Flannery is one of a kind. He is to New Guinea what Perry and Amundson are to the poles, a first-comer .... one of the first to explore and document the stone age peoples of the mysterious island wilderness in the last days of its age of innocence.

Yes, there are cannibals, with bones in their noses and gourds worn on their penis, yet Flannery somehow manages to get the reader to empathize with these people, to understand their foibles and traditions, and to feel regret that their ancient ways are going, going, gone ... forever. Take the chapter where he goes in pursuit of the Bulmer's Fruit Fly Bat -- you suffer with him the agonies of failure and the desperations of the search, and the exhilaration of success. Or follow along with his learning experiences among the native tribes and come to actually understand the hows and whys of the way the led their lives, even to discovering there were (to the natives) valid reasons for their rare acts of cannibalism.

Although he describes some of the most spectacular natural wonders of the world, the reader comes to know that Papua New Guinea will never rate very highly as a tourist destination, but you'll have to read this book to appreciate the reasons why.

Think you couldn't possibly be interested in such things? Try twenty pages of this charming book; the images will lived in your memory forever.

Hooroo, Tim! Bonzer yarn, mate!

This is one of the best written historical books that I have ever read. It reads more like a novel but is fully and carefully documented with historical notes. James Campbell tells a compelling story of the bitter fight between the American/Australian forces and the Japanese in a little known area in the southwest Pacific. The level of detail is perfect, giving a grim view of the terrain and hardships encountered. You truly feel the mud, the heat, the bugs, and the hunger as you read about the deprivations on both sides. The diaries and letters make it very real. Campbell also provides the reader with plenty of interesting background and details to explain the significance of both the men who fought and the meaning of the battle. Make sure that you take out an atlas to find the location of New Guinea to Australia to understand the significance of this battle. Here's to the Red Arrows and all the other heroes who fought to protect their homeland!

Good sound rendition of "Gost Mountain Boys" on CD/ROM DVD.
During his life my father, HQ Coy - Special troops, 32nd Infantry Division, He did not speak much about his service.
This DVD provides insight of the trials and tribulation
and commemorates his New Guinea service. It is a good sound rendition of the book "GhostMountain Boys".
He did not talk much about his WW2 service.
He did, however, march on ANZAC Day commemoratiomns with Australian vets he fought alongside at Gona and Buna. Purple Heart awarded there. Returned to recover at Townsville and returned to go to Leyte and the Grosse Verde Trail and then into recover Manila. Another Purple heart there and then onto Japan after the surrender and demobilisation.
Charles Schuster,
Australia

Great book. I couldnt put it down. Well written. Anyone interested in history should read this. DR

Along with the great U.S. sacrifices at Iwo Jima, a little known action of Americans and Australians fought well dug-in Japanese forces in Papua, New Guinea. The green troops of the 32nd Division (Wisconsin and Michigan men) withstood the withering fire from the Japanese, the plague of malaria and jungle rot, and the complete misunderstanding of the state of affairs by MacArthur. They crossed over on foot the nearly impassable Owen Stanley Mountains, referred by them as Ghost Mountain, only to be met with chest deep swamps, flesh cutting grass while an invisible enemy poured machinegun fire onto them.

With the greatest of efforts, the Ghost Mountain Boys surmounted all the obstacles, both natural and human, at a great price in blood and death. Only after the conclusion of the action did the American high command come to realize what the facts were concerning the conditions the 32nd had to face.

Although I know of no monuments in Washington commemorating this event, readers should know about the Ghost Mountain Boys and other lesser known actions that didn't make the newsreels. Their sacrifices were as real as those that made the headlines.

This book is an easy read. I recommend it to anyone interested in how America's citizen soldiers fought in World War II. The book's style is similar to many of Stephen Ambroses works such as Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest or Citizen Soldiers: The U. S. Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany.
This book follows the story of the 32 Infantry, the Red Arrow Division in Early World War II. The Red Arrow Division was composed of National Guard units from Michigan and Wisconsin and fleshed out with draftees. The unit was nationalized in 1941, before the beginning of the war and trained in Louisiana. The first section of the book focuses on these early days of the division.
The Red Arrow was originally slated to fight in Europe but with rapid advance of the Japanese, the Red Arrow was sent to protect Australia. Soon after the division completed construction of its training base, units were sent to help Australian troops in New Guinea. Several units marched over the Owen Stanley Mountains racing the Japanese back to their bases near Buna on the northern coast. Coastal shipping transported other units to the area. The account of the air attack on these ships as they tried to land supplies was gripping. None of the troops were trained or prepared for the tropical jungles and harsh conditions they faced. Niether was the United States prepared to supply troop in this environment. The troops were malnourished and soon suffered from tropical diseases such as malaria and dysentery. Trapped at the end of a long supply line before the industrial strength of the United States was brought to bear, this small band fought a battle in the jungle similar to trench warfare in World War 1.
This book focuses on the personal experiences of the front line troops in their struggle against the environment and enemy. Excerpts from Japanese diaries show that both sides suffered terribly from the conditions, which neither side was prepared for. Distant commanders demanded immediate action and that the attacks be pressed forward regardless of losses. I am amazed that the sick emaciated troops were able to walk let alone fight. I wished for more maps. Three maps at the beginning of the book meant that I was constantly turning back to the front to see if the location was on the map and where it was. The campaign in the Southwestern Pacific is almost ignored by the public who remember the Marine landings in the Central Pacific and the great carrier battles that destroyed the Japanese Navy.
I drive home from work every day on the Red Arrow Highway. When I moved here, I asked about the name and was told that it was named for a famous unit in World War I made up of local boys. Someone else told me that the Red Arrow was in combat longer than any other unit in WW II. I don't think of them the same way as I did before I read this book.

Auckland Island? Where in the world was that I wondered when I fist picked up this book. As a lover of adventure stories I thought I had heard and read of most remote spots and incredible tales of survival. This was a new part of the world for me. I have been to New Zealand but was never aware of this group of islands to the South. When the schooner Grafton was wrecked on Auckland Island in 1864 I figured there was no way these guys were going to survive. The pages began to turn and I could not stop reading. With remarkable leadership and togetherness this little band of five managed to live and eventually return safely after months of isolation. Unbeknown to them another ship had been wrecked on the other side of the island, yet the two groups never linked up. Their tale of survival is in sharp contrast to one another as most of the other group of nineteen died, with only three survivors. Joan Druett has done a remarkable job of detailing the account of these two groups. If you love adventure and tales of survival, this is a great book. It takes you to a rare part of the world few of us know about and most will never visit. I strongly recommend this as an addition to your library.

Kept my attention. Enough facts to make it believable, but almost too many to believe all that happened. I'm always divided when I read a novel like story based on "events". Author spent most of the book on the first shipwreck and didn't draw too many similarities for the two accounts. This type story would certainly make a good screenplay. Had the same feeling for me as when I read "The Perfect StorM".

In January of 1864, the Australian schooner, Grafton, wrecked on Auckland Island, an inhospitable and inclement land mass in the South Pacific, with a five-man crew. Half of this book is their story of survival. Under the leadership of captain Thomas Musgrave and the well-rounded ingenuity of the French prospector Francois Raynal, the crew used everything at their disposal. They built an impressive shelter, made clothes, shoes, tools for hunting seals, and even a working forge so they could create nails to build a small boat.

By unimaginable coincidence, five months after the Grafton wrecked, the freighter Invercauld, on its way from Melbourne to Callao, also crashed off the coast of Auckland Island with its 25-man crew. Nineteen survivors swam ashore on the northern coast of the island. There, they hunkered down in a state of panic. Their captain, George Delgarno, showed exceptionally inept leadership. Instead of encouraging teamwork among his men, he insisted on the same strict ranked hierarchy as was followed on the ship. Soon there was infighting. Men broke off from the group. In strict contrast to the Grafton situation, there was very little in the way of an organized effort for survival. The situation quickly deteriorated, with men dying of illness and starvation. The situation grew so dire, and so ill-equiped were the survivors, that some resorted to cannibalization of their dead comrades.

Because a mountainous region separated the two groups, neither group knew, at any time, of the other's existence. In that way, the simultaneous shipwrecks set up a fascinating social experiment. While the castaways from Grafton were fortunate in that their location was slightly more hospitable, with more edible vegetation and seals nearby, they also showed heroic resolve and resourcefulness. Their story alone would have been an amazing survival story, culminating in a desperate, five-day suicide mission in a boat of their own construction--an undersized and ill-equipped vessel that they optimistically dubbed Rescue--from Auckland Island to Stewart Island in New Zealand. In the end, all five crewmen survived the ordeal, which lasted nearly two years.

The other side of the tale is much more grim. Of the Invercauld crew, only three survived--the captain, first mate, and crewman Robert Holding--and then only thanks to Holding's resourcefulness and good luck in the form of a ship passing the island.

This is a fascinating book. Druett's extensive research and analysis are paid off in a story that is both enthralling and full of lessons about teamwork, leadership, and what it takes to survive in one of the more inhospitable corners of the sea.

There are not enough stars to show how much I enjoyed this enthralling story of survival in an extremely hostile environment. Historian Joan Druett, drawing from journals kept by the shipwrecked crew throughout their ordeal and later accounts of the survivors, describes the conditions and their, at times fruitless, struggle for survival. The vivid picture she paints captured my imagination so fully I could visualise the wild, frigid island, the accommodations they built and their trips hunting and foraging for food. I was repeatedly astonished by the staggering ingenuity of the castaways. If this book had been a work of fiction the tales of skill and craftsmanship of the survivors would have been too far fetched and completely unbelievable which only served to make this factual story so much more enjoyable.

The inspiring leadership of the Captain of the Grafton who ensured the survival of his entire crew through the hardships of the months spent on the Auckland Islands and the adaptability of the men he led reminded me very much of Ernest Shackelton and his crew Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage

I could not put it down until I had finished it and, as a result of reading this book, my first of Joan Druett's, I have become a firm fan of her writing, determined to read all of her books. So far I have been just as delighted with her other works as I was with this one.

On January 3, 1864, the schooner Grafton wrecked on the southern end of Auckland Island, 285 miles south of New Zealand. On May 10 of the same year, the square-rigger Invercauld wrecked on the northwestern promontory of the same island. The five survivors of the Grafton and the 19 survivors of the Invercauld co-habited the same island for an entire year without either group ever once being aware that the other group was there, the reason being the twenty miles of "impassable cliffs and chasms" between the north and south ends of the islands. In Island of the Lost: Shipwrecked at the Edge of the World, maritime historian Joan Druett tells the vastly different stories of the two groups of survivors.

From journals, letters, published books and other research documents, Druett has interwoven the stories of the two groups and shown how through cooperation, discipline, hard work, routine, ingenuity, and respect the survivors of the Grafton had a far different experience and outcome from the group of Invercauld survivors, whose leadership failed them, who splintered into groups, and who gave themselves over to the despair of their situation.

We come to know each of the men from the Grafton as they hunt for food, build shelter, make clothing and tools, and wait to be rescued for almost two years before deciding to try to build a boat and escape. We watch the men from the Invercauld succumb to apathy and lethargy, or else to cannibalism. Only one resourceful seaman had the ability to cope with their circumstances and helped keep the final few survivors alive.

Druett has very skillfully penned a fascinating tale of human nature, death, and survival in a hostile environment. It is a book that is hard to put down, with a story that is unbelievable - except that it is true. Amazingly, the few Invercauld survivors are rescued, and the Grafton castaways make an heroic journey back to safety. More than just history, this is an amazing book about survival against all odds and how that survival depends at least in part on attitude. It is a good lesson for us all.

What Mr Sloan has done is detail out in a very readable style, the gruesome and bloody month long fight in 1944 to take the island of Peleliu. The book is intense and packed with details about the daily grind for the Marines on this massive chunk of rock that really had no need to be taken. He covers the fools in command, the ego-driven Puller who forced his battered regiments to assault ridges time and time again. Powerful stories unfold as we follow the men in this bloody fight against a cunny and tenacious foe. An excellent read and one I recommend for any interested in the fight across the Pacific. Outstanding book. Semper Fi.

This has to be one of the most ferocious battles of WW2 fought without quarters.,a prelude to Okinawa.It would appear if Generals egos did not get in the way it might not have been necessary although the lessons learned were carried over to later encounters.Bill Sloan has a way of putting you at the scene and experiencing what the "grunt" on the ground was going throug, he does not make war very pretty I honour the men he mentions .they are heros!

As a former Marine and Pacific theatre enthusiast, I highly recommend this book as an eye-opener to all. The details and background on the people involved as well as the events are presented in a way that tells a story for many to hear. It tugs at the heart and shows what a nasty business war is indeed. Motivated me as a Marine and made me feel for the men and the sacrifices they made. Proud to be among the ranks of the elite, hard charging, devil dogs! Semper Fi!

Truly an amazing book detailing this essentially useless battle that in the end accomplished nothing from the overall strategic background of the Pacific campaign during World War 2. For anyone interested in studying this campaign this is a esential book to add to your library. A definite keeper a 5 star rating, in fact I would suggest a 10 star. Anyone buying and reading this WILL not be disappointed.

This excellent book follows the 1st Marine Division through this unimaginably brutal battle, giving a superb overall picture while not loosing the men themselves. The author primarily tells the story through the eyes of a handful of individual Marines. These are representatives from each of the three infantry regiments that did the majority of the fighting.

I only have two complaints about the book. First, I felt that the author emphasized Company K, Third Battalion, 5th Marines (K/3/5) so much that the 1st and 7th Marines, the 7th in particular, were somewhat neglected. I would have preferred a longer book that would have treated at least one company each of the 1st and 7th as much as K/3/5 was covered.

The second issue is that the book only focuses on the Marine actions on Peleliu in any detail. To be fair, the title of the book clearly states that the Marines are the topic, but I feel the actions of the Army's 81st Infantry Division merit the same level of detail, especially given that they experienced about 3,800 casualties themselves during this battle.

Other than these two problems, this book is an magnificent account of the battle and will move the reader to tears to think of what our nation's brave Marines went through.

This account of Australia and Ireland tells a fantastic story, weaving in events of the 19th century with the men who fought for Ireland and were shipped as prisoners to Australia. It is often a sad story, but certainly holds one's intereat. Some of the mistakes in the book can be attributed I suppose to the auhor's lack of familiarity with U.S. politics. I confess I was disturbed by Keneally's frequent use of the word "Democrat" as an adjective. I thought everybody knew that the adjective is "Democratic", NOT "Democrat." "Democrat" is a noun. This mistake must appear at least 25 times in the book, and one wonders where his proofreaders were. Other mistakes are minor by comparison. On page 258 he discribes Lewis Cass as a Senator from Ohio, whereas he was actually a Senator from Michigan. On the same page he says James Shields was first a Senator from Minnesota. The fact is Shields was first a Senator from Illinois, then a Senator from Minnesota, and finally a Senator from Missouri--the only person ever to be a United States Senator from three different states.

This is really three books in one: 1) the story of humble James Larkin of Lismany, Co. Galway 2) the story of James Meagher and Young Ireland and 3) the story of the Fenians of the later 19th century.

Author Thomas Keneally does a noteworthy job in writing all three narratives and integrating them to the degree possible -- which is some but not much. A more accurate title might be "Three Profiles in Irish Deportation" as this is what the principal subjects have in common.
With such a sprawling set of geographies and subjects, editing this book into a narrative must have been quite a challenge. But with the major support which Mr. Kinneally's earlier works have earned, the editing job is accomplished with good results.

I recommend this book to anyone who would like to learn about Judicial Transportation to Australia, the Irish Brigade of the American Civil War, and the Young Ireland movement, or just more about 19th century Ireland in general.

I thought the strong point of Thomas Keneally's brilliant work The Great Shame was his ability to capture the personalities of the various characters as well as the persistent, hardheaded, determined nature of the Irish in general. It is amazing how so often this scandalous treatment akin to genocide of the Irish is forgotten by history in general. Keneally has done a service to all to recount so accurately the destruction and resurrection of a people. Highly recommended!

Thomas Keneally's The Great Shame was very well documented and extremely detailed and vivid but twice as long as many contemporary histories (605 pages of text). A commitment is needed to follow the story of the Ribbonmen, Fenians and the Young Ireland Movement; the trial of William Smith O'Brien; the deportation of political prisoners to Australia; the amazing story of General Thomas Meagher of the US Union army; and the sad story of John Michell, a Confederate.

Keneally's book will be a classic.He has captured the Irish Diaspora as none could do better.This is a huge story covering time,places, politics,love,hate,family,oppression,wars,peace;but through it all the determination of a race to survive.
Keneally writes so well that he makes it seem that he was right there all the time and that you are travelling right along with him.
Even the Irish ,however you want to define what is Irish,will find that the spread and influence of the Irish is far greater than ever realized.
After so many other's attempts it took an Australian of Keneally's stature to write the story so well.
So many resort to fiction to tell a story,but Keneally tells the story magnificently and does it with facts.

This creative book examines the moral obligation that people have when others are going against your own morals. The story is blended with facts about World War 1, World War 2, and the work camps that were places throughout Germany. These facts add to the story, which create an authentic and accurate description of what people during the war experienced, yet it is easy for the reader to distinguish between fact and fiction. Throughout the book, the children discuss Hitler and his regime when talking to each other and adults. This information is later used when the Anna is creating the story about Heidi. The story expressed how many Germans blamed non-Germans, particularly the Jews, for Germany's economic failure after World War 1, and how Hitler used this hatred to create his empire. The story also shows the reverse side, those who disagreed with Hitler and his regime because they had no hatred for other, had family members taken away, and the fear that came along when one talks negatively about the Nazi regime. The dialogue between characters conveyed the period by discussing situations that were going on at that time and incorporating German words and dictum. Hitler's speeches were also mentioned in the book, which showed the strength and leadership he once had. The book does provide insight about today's problems, especially when Mark was listening to the radio and was shocked to hear that genocide against races still occur now. Mark does not understand why people are creating death and destruction since they know about Hitler and his mistakes. This book is intended for grades four through six, but can certainly be used through grade eight. This book can be read at home, or in class through independent, shared, or whole class instruction. This would be a great book to use when discussing the Holocaust. This book would also make a great read aloud for students since the class can have many discussions about the contents of the book, which may also include multiple inference questions. Teachers can incorporate a variety of instruction ideas including journals, K-W-L charts, cause and effect charts, and literature circles. One possible problem would be student's confusion about the existence of Heidi. Some students may confuse themselves by believing that Heidi was a real person. This can be avoided by reinforcing the plot of the story and reminding the students how Anna and the other characters are creating Heidi for their story game.

The format of this book is rather interesting. The main characters are Mark - a modern Australian teenager - and Heidi, Hitler's daughter. Mark knows of Heidi as the character in a story his friend Anna is making up.

Anna begins this story as a way to pass time while the kids are waiting for the bus. Heidi is Hitler's un-acknowledged daughter. She's imperfect - not blonde and beautiful - so she's not a candidate for the arian race. But she loves her daddy, and he loves her in his way.

Mark listens to this story and as he does, a change occurs in him. He starts to consider Point Of View. The questions come - what if My Dad were evil? Would I see that? If I did, would I challenge him?

Beyond the captivating story that Anna tells, the transformation in Mark is a reason to read this book. It is a very quick read, but a good one, for boys or girls.

Highly recommended.
(*)>

My daughter, age 10, enjoys historical fiction, and when she brings a new book home I snag it. To me a good story is one that is engaging and hard to put down, and makes me think in new ways. This was one of the best. I totally disagree with the first editorial review that said the characters weren't developed well and the storylines chopped off. Little Tracy and Ben were developed just enough to move the story along, and the tranformation of Mark was fascinating. The storyline was very satisfying, and the point anyway was Mark's intriguing questions about who we are and how we make the choices we do and who we are separate from our parents. Especially for the target age, middle-school, I thought it was an excellent opening to discussion about going along with the crowd and standing up for what is right.

With that said, I wonder if middle schoolers aren't quite ready for the concepts. The many kid reviews missed the point (Can you see the teacher getting on Amazon to grade the assignment?) and when I asked my daughter how she liked it, she said, "Eh - I've read better." I can't wait to talk to her when she's done, but she's not as into as as other historical fiction books she's read.

I like this book because it is interesting and it talks about Hitler. He killed about 11 millions of people. I like this book because it have fact about a story about hitler and his daughter, and it talks about a family that were going to bus and Anna the big sister told storys about hitler's daughter.

This book is Awsome!!!!!!!!!! we read it in English. it always leaves a gap in the storyline for you to solve and put the pieces of the puzzle together which is what i like in a book. the end is mysterious yet interesting leaving you with the question "is it just a story, or is it real?"

I highly reccomend you read this book!!
Lauren
Markham
age 12
year 7

I am a not in a "young adult" in the sense of what age group this book was written for, but I am still a young person. I read this book because I thought it would shed some light on what it's like to be a Muslim growing up in western culture. Randa Abel-Fattah did illuminate my view a bit but not enough and not in an interesting way.

Each of the characters in the book fit the profile exactly of a distinct personality type, and their stories were generally cliché. Everything had a happy ending. I also found the characters of Amal and her friends to be incredibly idealistic and overly dramatic for teenagers, and the way they expressed themselves many times seemed too forced or childish. They said things like, "Sheesh," "Hunk of a guy," and "Boy, you have got guts!" Real kids or real people for that matter do not talk like that unless they're acting in an educational video. Amal was very immature and rude at times, and I really didn't find myself connecting with her as a character. She would have been more believable as a middle school student than one almost ready to go to college.

This book taught the key lesson that it's important to do what you want no matter what others think of you. On the other hand, this book failed to discuss WHY Muslim women wear the hijab (or why orthodox Jewish women wear the sheital, also mentioned) and instead left me with the explanation that it's just a "piece of material" to symbolize someone's faith. Amal seemed overly concerned with what people thought of her, going so far as to make a list of "OK people" and "Not so OK people" to wear the hijab in front of. She and her friends were obsessed with making themselves look beautiful through their clothes, makeup and type of hijab they wore, which didn't seem accurate to me since the Koran says women should "not display their beauty except what is apparent of it."

In addition, Amal had a huge crush on Adam and was constantly checking him out, swooning over his every move, flirting and even thinking about what it would be like to kiss him. Her actions did not make sense to me at all given that she was wearing the hijab. I am not a Muslim, but I do not think Allah would have wanted her to look at Adam that way nor hint about what was hidden beneath what she covered. She completely led Adam on, and when he makes a move on her, she immediately jumps back and explains that she can't do anything even though her actions say completely the opposite. Examining the way Amal thought, I think she was the type of person who would have kissed Adam in that situation. Amal was proudly wearing her faith on her head, but she didn't display the actions to prove to me she believed in it.

I was desperate to know why Amal had so much trust in Allah and her faith. She went through the motions of her religion, doing certain things Allah said, but she didn't explain to me why it was important to her that she did. I also wish she had discussed some of the passages she was so immersed in reading in the Koran every day. There aren't many religious teenagers, and the author kept depicting Amal as just a typical teenager when she was, in fact, very different because of her decision to be religious.

What I did like was how the book shows how vividly scared Amal is to wear the hijab because of how it changes the way people look at her. Instead of seeing a person, people at first seem to see just a sign that reads, "I am Muslim," and I think this is very true in society. She faced harassment and discrimination and was even rejected by some family and friends. I believe it's important that we recognize the struggle she goes through. I also thought it was quite eye-opening how differently each set of Muslim parents approached their daughter's demonstration of her faith.

This book discusses important lessons, but I'm not sure it goes about them in the right way. I'd recommend this book as a good read for kids (maybe around the sixth grade?) because of the many adolescent issues it discusses like pressure to fit in, racism, eating disorders, tolerance, etc. For students at an older age, I think they would too easily recognize how many different issues were forced into the book and feel as if they're being preached to.

In a charmingly descriptive chain of thought, Australian-Palestinian Amal decides to wear the Muslim scarf, the hijab, after watching Rachel from Friends singing "Copacabana" in "a hideous bridesmaid's outfit at her ex's wedding". It's the kind of intuitive moment we've all had, and the fact that Amal hinges such a major life decision on it gives her immediate plausible humanity.

We've always wanted to know what it's really like, the life of the visible minorities. John Howard Griffin classic, "Black Like Me", where the other darkens his skin and travels through pre-civil rights America and Barbara Ehrenreich's "Nickel and Dimed", where the author tries to live on minimum wage jobs are examples. Perhaps one of the strengths of "Does My Head" is that really not much does happen after Amal dons her hijab. This book does not deal with heady issues, nor does it take place in war torn Afghanistan. Amal's father and mother are wealthy professionals, she goes to a prestigious private school and her big problems are passing Australia's comp and getting caught passing notes in school.

The significance of this book is how the wearing of her hijab affects each one of her relationships, her relationship with her parents, with her traditional uncle and her aunt, with her nontraditional uncle and aunt, with her Muslim girlfriends, with her non Muslim girlfriends, with sympathetic school friends, with antagonistic ones, with school faculty, and even with casual strangers. The honesty of Amal's voice and the complexity of all these relationships is where the success of Randa Abdel-Fattah's story lies.

Randa Abdel-Fattah has written a breezy, light-hearted, entertaining book on first glance - excellent! But on deeper reading - her deft touch on serious issues of teen acceptance, peer pressure, first cruch, culture vs. religion underscore the value of this book for young adults, both Muslims & non-Muslims alike.

Her clever ability to weave interesting lessons about Islam (& Catholicism & Judaism too) was mesmerizing. The characters were well-developed - as the story progresses, you find yourself involved in their lives & actually rooting for their success. This book is the perfect gift for that teen or teenager at heart!

As the co-author of The American Muslim Teenager's Handbook- I know firsthand the challenges of writing for the Young Adult audience, whether they are Muslim or just curious about Islam, it's wonderful to see more books on this timely subject - thank you!

This book offers a timely look at the life of a Muslim teen struggling to live her life according to her religion while she is surrounded by prejudice and ignorance. Luckily, the author peppers the book with humor, so it never gets too depressing or heavy-handed.

While I thought this book was cute and a very good effort by a first-time novelist, there were a couple issues. The dialogue wasn't always as realistic as it could have been, and some characters seemed created solely to give the author an opportunity to present the reader with another issue facing Muslims. While the latter could occassionally cause the book to come across as a tad preachy, overall, this was an enjoyable read that I would recommend to anyone interested in a different perspective on current affairs. I think this author's future novels will be even better, and I look forward to seeing more from her.

I thought this was a great book! I know there was a review above that stated that the author was just trying to prove that the hijab is just a piece of material and compared it to saying the cross is just like two sticks. I disagree. I believe that the author was only trying to say that Amal shouldn't be judged negatively because of a piece of material but she wasn't minimizing the importance of the hijab and the deep connection and faithfulness Amal felt with wearing it. I believe Amal is changed by wearing the hijab. She not only makes the strong decision to become a "full timer" and changes her outward appearance but I also saw an inward change as well. She realizes her strong relationship with God and strengthens her spirituality. Amal prays five times a day during school, stays strong during the tough Ramadan, endures much criticism due to the hijab, and stays true to her principles throughout the novel, especially not giving in to her crush on Adam. I also appreciated the relatable characters in the story. Her friends all had their own story and problems which made it relatable to many readers. I loved Amal's mothers constant kindness despite the cruelty of Mrs. Vaselli. I was touched by the profound impact Amal ended up having on Mrs. Vaselli's life. Amal really began to understand all the pain behind the woman's mean nature and helped her to overcome her struggles and ultimately, find some happiness again. We learned in my Arab Women's Literature class that Amal means hope and I truly believe that hope is what she gave to this old, stubborn, Christian woman. I also enjoyed the comedy in the book immensely. I believe that the author utilized a comedic nature throughout the novel to keep our interest. Amal was funny yet she kept a serious purpose. She was relatable and respectable. As a non-muslim young woman, I feel I learned a lot about her culture and religion. You could see throughout the story the difference between the true religion and a misinterpreted culture as well. Leila's mother was from an old village in Egypt and was stuck in what she believed were the traditional ways. Amal clearly states that Leila's mother could not even read the Qu'ran for herself. Similarly, Amal shows great disgust for the terrorists who are referred to as Muslims when they apparently do not demonstrate any of the teachings of her religion. Overall, I think it's clear that I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and the many insights it had to offer. I would recommend it to many. :-)

The DK books are always great, if a bit heavy because the pictures are so good. Another benefit, if you don't get there the guide makes you feel like you have been there anyway.

This DK travel guide to New Zealand is quite good at describing that island nation in a general sense, and offering lots of beautiful color illustrations and photographs of neat places to go. But it's not so great as an actual travel guide. First of all, it's a bit heavy to carry around. Second, it is broad, rather than jam-packed with helpful details. Third, it offers up mostly white-bread, been-there-done-that activities and sites.

I suggest that you consult this DK guide **before** you head to New Zealand, in order to get familiar with the country and to pick the mainstream places and monuments you want to see. Then leave it at home, and bring a more dense, helpful guide along with you (such as "The Rough Guide to New Zealand").

The DK guide to New Zealand will make a handsome souvenir reference once you return home.

On an August trip to see family in NZ's Northland, I brought this along and was glad I did. The trouble with visiting Kiwi relatives (and with the Kiwi husband) is that they don't always think of the "attraction" things that are between two points, and this helped break up some of the driving with good side trips and information.

Light enough to carry along, detailed enough, good pictures and format. I liked it a lot and will take it down on the next trip!

I love the Eyewitness Travel Guide series but they generally suffer from certain limitations and the New Zealand guide is no exception. It starts off with the standard historical chapter before getting to an area-by-area description and summary of both islands that form the country. This is where the book shines because it offers color photos on every page that are invaluable in helping you decide which sights are must-see and which ones you can skip if you are short on time. As you would expect, every region is covered, from Auckland in the north down to Stewart Island in the far south. All of the major attractions are covered although perhaps not as comprehensively as you might like.

Next, come the sections on hotels, shopping, restaurants, and other practical needs. These sections are not as comprehensive as you'll see in some other guides such as Frommer's New Zealand (Frommer's Complete). And this really is what it comes down to. The Eyewitness guides are not as detailed as most of the other guide books. They are, however, the only series to offer hundreds of color photos to help you visualise your trip and this is an invaluable planning tool. I highly recommend that you buy this guide as well as one of the more detailed books and use them both to plan your trip. That's the only way to get everything you need to plan a great vacation.

Eyewithess Travel Guides give the best overall overview of any travel book or other travel product - good organization; great pictures, maps and other graphics; interesting & concise text and descriptions about history, national foods and beverages, etc.; good suggestions for lodging and eating. They are excellet resource and reference books, but they are concise enough to give a relatively complete overview but short enough to quickly convey information, especially if you do not have a lot of free time.

I believe that carefully reading about a desination is important for planning any trip. The Eyewithess Travel Guides are the best way to obtain that overview and prioritize where you want to go. The New Zealand guide is enormous help to us with our planning.

Tim Flannery's book on the ecological history of the `Australasian lands' (Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, New Caledonia, with bits and pieces on islands such as Christmas Island, Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island, etc), is both timely and refreshing. It is a good and current overview of argument and debate concerning the complex interplay of ecological and cultural forces shaping these parts of the world, from before human influence, to the times these lands were invaded at various times by homo sapien from at least 40,000-60,000 years ago (New Guinea earlier), to the present. It is very frank about the current state of these lands, in terms of environmental degradation, and what things could be done about it. It is quite controversial, and as someone who works in issues concerning biodiversity, ecology and resource sustainability, I can tell you much of the material is cutting-edge, complex, and controversial at times. In many instances Flannery is speculative and original, but often entertaining. He does back his theories and views up with substantial argument and evidence, and it is this which makes the book a cut above the ordinary.

One particular feature of the book worth emphasising is just how different these lands really are in terms of ecology, compared to most of the rest of the world. Not only is the flora and fauna, both extinct and living, somewhat unusual, but in, for example Australia, the climate, the influence of fire, the poor fertility or soils, and the part these factors have played in shaping the ecological past is rather surprising at times. Maladaptation of modern culture to these sorts of things is also particularly striking (for example seasonal agriculture in non-seasonal climate-early Australian colonisers, tropical agriculture in cold temperate climate-early polynesians in New Zealand). Of course early colonisers wanted, in the case of Australia, to create a `little Britain', so to speak, except that it is obvious after 200-odd years of settlement (and some of this has been rather odd), it isn't western Europe. Later idealists wanted another North America-Australia is similar in size to the USA, but it isn't in natural ecology.

The book is very detailed and quite complex to describe in short review. It includes chapters on early megafaunal and other extinctions from the arrival of early man in all locales, through to the present. It speculates about early human migrations to Australia, backed up for example by sediment cores from three interesting locales in Australia (Lake George particularly interesting). Discussions of diprotodon, megalania (an extinct 7m long lizard), giant moa, an extinct New Caledonian land crocodile, and 3m high kangaroos are some highlights. It is a complex story, but readers will be delighted in the unusual flora and fauna, the misguided `invasions', the arrogance, the trials, the failures and the astounding successes alike. Some particularly interesting parts for me was the demise of the New Zealand Moa-the worlds largest extinct bird, the story of virgin Lord How Island- first seen by humans of any kind in 1788, the discovery that many of Australia's marsupials descended from South America (ancient Gondwana in origin), the extraordinary array of New Zealands birds in the absence of evolving mammals, the degree of evolved co-operation amongst Australia's biota (for example self-sacrifice, and strange examples of symbiosis), and the story of Easter Island and its human contact.

There is a lot of controversial and complex stuff here, but it is well argued. Flannery speculates for example that Wallace's line played an important part in the `great leap forward', which I admit I didn't quite follow, with early agriculture in the New Guinea area, which spread outwards. I didn't agree with his assessment of firestick farming and agriculture in prehistoric Australia, and in this he differs from Diamond (The Third Chimpanzee/Guns Germs and Steel) in the reasons agriculture never developed in prehistoric Australia. He asserts that the reason agriculture didn't kick start in early Australia is due to poor soils, unpredictable climate (ENSO), and the prevalence of natural fire, not the lack of available biota. I don't think he is quite correct here, it is more likely competitive selection pressures, both *cultural* and ecological, in addition to isolation, did not facilitate development of the varities found in Australia, as compared to Eurasia. I also don't think his description of Australia's mineral wealth as a `one-off', is quite correct. `Mineral wealth' changes with technology, market and cultural factors. He also seems to miss evidence of some megafauna existing well after the arrival of aborigines in Australia, (it is a large and scattered ecological landmass) which I have come across elsewhere (eg Coonabarabran). I am also not sure of his view that high urbanisation in Australia is a modern maladaptation to the ENSO climate. He emphasises the influence of fire in Australian ecology, but perhaps over-emphasises in parts (his house was burnt down in a bushfire whilst writing the book, which may explain this!)

Nevertheless it is well argued and quite astutely written. The `Future Eaters' refers to homo sapien tending to eat his future resources and overpopulating-as occurred in New Zealand, Easter Island, and parts of colonial Australia-for example-and the human disasters which resulted form this tendency. He has a wide knowledge of the material, and certainly there are many original ideas worth thinking about. Some of the arguments will surprise readers, particularly from northern hemisphere countries, primarily because southern land masses have been, and also will be, rather different ecologically from their northern counterparts.

With a sweeping gesture, Flannery dispels one of modern mythology's most cherished ideals. The image of the "Noble Savage," living intimately and in harmony with his surroundings is demolished by the evidence. Instead, Flannery shows how the intrusions of humans into previously unoccupied lands led to mass slaughters and the extinctions of countless species. His study covers the vast territories of the South Pacific - continents, large islands and archipeligoes - examining geology, weather and climate, flora and fauna. After completing this book, you will have a new view of our ancestors and how humanity has viewed nature.

In describing how humans have revised the face of the globe, Flannery begins in deep time. Tracing the breakup of Gondwanaland into what he deems Meganesia and Tasmantis - Australasia and the Pacific islands. For millions of years, life there evolved in unique ways. Isolated from the rest of the planet, Australia produced large marsupial mammals and giant bird species. Why did they disappear without apparent cause? After an examination of the likely candidates, climate being the most frequently cited, Flannery finds a different cause - humans. Fossils in Australia show that the large animals disappeared before the onset of the last glaciation. The extinctions, however, parallel the invasion of the continent by humans, people now known as the Aborigines. In one sense, the loss of the large animals forced the invaders to adapt a less predatory lifestyle. Mobility increased along with more selective hunting practices to maintain sustainable levels of supply. In studying these techniques, Flannery is able to move on to the subject of land management in today's world.

Although Australia's evolutionary path was unique, the lessons derived from studying events there may be applied globally, according to Flannery. Adaptation is an ongoing process, whether for "wildlife" or "civilized" humanity. Change forces that process. He aknowledges that in recent times change is more rapid and intrusive. We need to understand what impact those changes have and what, if any, adaptations are taking place. This book thus becomes and educational tool to help protect our own future. It is his recommendations for action that makes this book far more valuable than as simply a study of extinctions.

Flannery's many years of field studies granted him the essential background for this book. However, it isn't simply a dreary recounting of how we've ravaged the globe. His sense of beauty and love of life is vividly imparted in a deep personal sense. You join him in his travels in New Zealand, New Guinea and other Australasian lands. His fine descriptive powers and detailed knowledge combine to make this an excellent read. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

As a reader who admires good writing, and the effort that goes into writing a decent (popularized) account of a field, I take exception to the New Zealand reviewer's gossip of the author as a basis for judging the merit of this book.

Frankly, what "the Lady" with the goods on Tim Flannery had to say about the author is irrelevant to the book and a nasty way of going about discrediting a man who has solid claims to the field he is writing about. It says more about the woman than it does about Mr Flannery. That envy and backbiting is a seemingly inevitable consequence of competition among researchers (whether in the sciences or the humanities) is bad enough; that it gets passed on by readers who take vicious gossip at face value just shows how ideas are less important than the "dirt" one can spread.

Perhaps the previous reader can take the time to look up "ad hominem" and then consider the motives of the lady who claimed special privileged knowledge. The consider his own standards of judgment.

As for the book itself, the reviews already written give a good indication of what you get.

This book is fascinating and very readable. Flannery teaches us quite a bit about the ecological history of Australasia for the past few tens of thousands of years. We learn about the flora and fauna, and about the impact of the people who rely on the fertility of the land to survive. We see examples of how human populations fared in places such as Tasmania and Easter Island, where they became isolated and started to run out of resources.

It is not surprising that some populations have increased until they affected the viability of the ecosystems. But we also see that many populations have not simply grown until there was a catastrophic shortage of resources, followed by a nearly complete population collapse. And we see that even moderate populations can collapse catastrophically.

One famous example of the collapse of a moderate population comes not from Australasia, but from England. The population nearly vanished there in the sixth century AD. Flannery cites one of the very few relics from the centuries immediately following this disaster, a poem fragment called "The Ruin." The author quotes from this poem, and quite properly shows that the author could not imagine how the people of only a few centuries earlier could have built what had clearly been an imposing structure. Of course, such structures were in fact built in Roman times. When the Romans left, the population went down considerably in the chaos that followed. And after that, one or more plagues almost totally depopulated England (by the way, although Flannery does not mention it, the author of the Ruin seems to have been aware of this latter fact).

Well, what does Flannery think a good population for Australia ought to be? He cites various sources that feel a maximum population for the country ought to be anywhere from 10 million to about 480 million. The present population of Australia is about 20 million, and the author is concerned about the potential inability of Australia to support such a population indefinitely, especially were the place isolated.

I agree that Flannery's concern is legitimate. In addition, I think we humans now have the ability to increase the population of Australia to far more than the land could hold after some major mishap. After all, plenty of sunlight falls on Australia. We're capable of using that sunlight for power. And we can use that power to desalinate water and pump it all over the place. That could result in fundamental changes to the ecosystem. In my opinion, these technological advances might easily allow a population of 500 million or more in Australia. And that population would remain stable until something went wrong. I think it's a scenario worth considering.

I recommend this book.

Tim Flannery has written what can only be described as a the most comprehensive history imaginable of the lands making up present-day Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, and New Caledonia. His fascinating account starts with the earliest breakaway of those lands from the super continent Gondwana, more than forty million years ago, and goes right up to the present-day, ending with Flannery's recommendations for preserving Australia's unique ecology.

Despite this mind-blowing multimillion-year scope of a territory covering an enormous area, the book never falters in its readability or interest. Much of it is highly speculative (as even the author occasionally admits), but Flannery presents enough evidence to make his hypotheses almost always seem plausible. I most enjoyed the comparison of the ecologies of New Caledonia, New Zealand, New Guinea, and Australia -- despite their proximity, they are entirely different places, and those differences are reflected in their histories. Flannery's account of the destruction of megafauna in Australia and New Zealand is also well-told.

There should be more of these kinds of books: "biographies" of not just a land, but an entire continent (and its neighbors). Flannery has also written a similar book on North America, called "The Eternal Frontier", that rivals this book in its scope and excellence, but with that single exception, I can't think of any other ecological history that does such a fine job over so wide a range.

A chochem is, in Yiddish, a wise person. Sam Apple, the writer, is a lot wiser than Sam Apple, the character he creates, a woody allen-ish hypochondriac awkwardly trying to write a book about a wandering Jewish Austrian shepherd. Apple also scores a literary triumph in his portrait of the one-of-a-kind Hans Breuer, the shepherd.

Post-modern in its best sense, the book makes wonderful and surprising connections between the search for justice and reconciliation in post-war Austria, the history of domesticated animals, Yiddish song, sexuality and the fine points of herding 675 sheep through mountains, forests and small towns.

I sat down to read for a few minutes and stayed in the chair for most of the day, following the hapless Sam as he tries to live the life of an alpine shepherd with Hans, Hans' estranged wife and devoted girlfriend, his sons and various eccentric friends like Austria's giant champion scythe-wielding grass-cutter. More is revealed when Sam spends time in Vienna meeting politicians, survivors of the Shoah and anti-racist activists, including the beguiling Irene, a welcome romantic interest whose fling with Sam forms a revealing counterpoint to Hans' tangled love life.

Through these varied landscapes, Apple's voice is funny, knowing and refreshingly humble. He gracefully mixes and blends the
Jewish, picaresque, storytelling tradition of Sholem Aleichem and S.Y. Agnon with the irreverence of Phillip Roth and the eye for quirky detail of Bruce Chatwin He's a young writer whose first book jump starts what I imagine will be a surprising and exciting career.

I read this enchanting book when it first came out and could not put it down. Reading it for the second time, I can't help but wonder, "why isn't this a movie?" This rare, heartwarming story told with such humor and wit could easily translate into another media form. It's definitely time to replace "The Sound of Music" with a new travel guide through the Alps. After all, a shepherd, a nice Jewish boy, and a beautiful girl could make the hills come alive again. Hollywood, where are you?

To paraphrase comic Jeff Foxworthy, if you find this engaging travelogue entirely humorless... you might be an Anti-Semite. (Reading it might be a good self-test.) Although Jewishness and Anti-Jewishness are portrayed throughout, Mr. Apple's writing is so genuine and fluid that anyone with an appreciation for English will enjoy its exceptional quality. While comparisons have been made to Woody Allen, author Sam Apple might better be described as the Hunter S. Thompson of Generation X. Perhaps "Rolling Stone" would do well to engage him to cover the upcoming Presidential election--and those uncomfortable with Jewishness (Jews and non-Jews alike)--would find it less frightening to enjoy a bright new literary light. Meanwhile, try this one: reading through it is no schlep.

Sam Apple, author of Schlepping Through The Alps: My Search For Austria's Jewish Past With Its Last Wandering Shepherd, first encounters Yiddish folk-singer Hans Breuer at a concert and slide show in New York. Breuer, as Apple points out, is not just your ordinary run-of-the mill Yiddish folk-singer, rather he is truly a wandering Jew and as he reveals in his book, "If you ever happen to be hiking the Alps and you see a man singing Yiddish songs as he watches a dog chasing a sheep in a raincoat, no need for concern."

Apple, who grew up in Houston and now makes his home in Brooklyn, was quite intrigued by this forty-five year old Austrian shepherd. The result was a one thousand word article that eventually has being turned into a witty yet insightful book, wherein much of Apple's research was accumulated while traveling in Austria as an apprentice to Breuer.

During their first encounter in New York, Breuer mentioned to Apple that he wanted to bring Yiddish to the uninitiated in the Austrian Alps. When asked if he wanted these individuals to remember their Yiddish neighbors, his reply was: "I want to make them confront for the first time in their lives this culture that their uncles and fathers destroyed." With this in mind Apple decided to voyage to Austria and find out for himself what it was like to be a shepherd in the twenty-first century and to make sense of Han's Jewish identity or as he states, what it really meant for him to sing in Yiddish. He also wanted to learn about sheep, Yiddish music and anti-Semitism.

Apple's engaging narrative is what Yiddish speaking readers would probably classify as a good "meinsa," something akin to an old wife's tale only this story is actually true. Apple beckons us to follow his meandering through the Alps following a herd of sheep, a shepherd, his mistress and young lamb herders, while picking up along the way various shepherding tips from his mentor and learning about Austria's past and present political landscape.

During the course of his apprentice with Breuer, Apple learns about Austria's post-war anti-Nazi legislation that led to the sentencing to death of several Nazis and the conviction and incarceration of thousands of low-ranking Nazis. However, a few years after the enactment of this legislation, a general amnesty came into effect and all but a handful of the worst offenders were free to live happily every after. In fact, the government's constant line about complaints about Austria's behavior during the Holocaust was that if you have one take it to Germany.

Quite telling of Breuer's psyche is that he associates the Austrian countryside with fascism and anti-Semitism. When he encounters people along his shepherding path, he believes that they are all staring at him with cold eyes, aware that he is not one of them. Apple notes that Breuer enjoys being a living part of a dying tradition, where Yiddish and shepherding are relics of another time- nonetheless he takes great pride in both. Moreover, he is not quite sure how much of his own romanticizing of wandering and Jewishness has drawn him to Breuer. However, what he observes about Breuer's shepherding is "the rejection of modern society in the aftermath of the Holocaust. In his Yiddish songs I inevitably listened for the millions of missing Yiddish voices that should have been singing along."

Apple does an excellent job of capturing the flavor of the Austrian Alps with its little villages and inhabitants who seem to either have collective amnesia pertaining to their past or consider themselves blameless. Although he never does find as many anti-Semites as he originally feared, Apple does provide his readers with some serious insights, spiced up with enough lively and sometimes humorous commentary that will unquestionably keep readers turning the pages all the way to the end.

Norm Goldman, Editor Bookpleasures

There are two stories here. Which one dominates your reading will depend in part on your tendency to optimism or pessimism at the moment that you read. The grim story that hangs over everything is the fate of the Jews in Austria. There were a quarter million Jews and people of Jewish parentage in Austria in the 1930's. After the Austrians decided to kill or expel their Jewish neighbors, there were almost none. Today, the Jews of Austria number about 10,000-most of them in Vienna.
The comedy is the story of Hans Breuer, a folk-singing grand-child of the radical sixties. In the middle of the world's most developed economy, he makes a living as a shepherd: a Jewish shepherd.Sam Apple, the author of this book, plays with the nature of the shepherd's life, the mercurial personality of Hans Breuer and the odd business of being Jewish in a country where killing Jews was a bit of a national sport.
Having spent a great deal of time in Vienna, I can tell you that Apple gets a great deal of this right. He certainly gets all of it funny, or at least wry. He concentrates on lingering old-fashioned anti-semetism and ignores both the small philo-semetic counter-trend and the more genteel neo-jew-hating of the left.
Apple spends a great deal of his time talking about himself and so the book is also partly a memoir. The self that he reveals is game for the adventure of being a shepard for a while, but also comically neurotic and thereby a bit unattractive.
On one of my last trips to Austria, I went to a Hans Breuer recital. It was at a bar in the countryside. Half the audience was out from Vienna, the other half local people having dinner. Breuer seemed to think he was in a concert hall and between songs went back in the kitchen to silence the cooks. It was an awkward moment, but one that seemed to fit.

Lynn Hoffman, Author of The New Short Course in Wine