Europe Reviews

Battling For Souls:: The Vaad Hatzala Rescue Committee In Post-holocaust Europe

Published in Hardcover by Ktav Publishing House (2004-05)

Author: Alex Grobman

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An eye-opening true story of group dedication

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2004-11-10

Battling For Souls: The Vaad Hatzala Rescue Committee In Post-War Europe by academician and historian Alex Grobman tells the story of the men, women, and rabbinical leaders of the Vaad Hatzala Rescue Committee, who strived to keep and nourish the spark of Jewish spirit in the hearts of survivors in the wake of the unspeakable atrocities of the Holocaust. A mission that sustained itself despite lack of funds and even in the face of open hostility, from both local populations and other Jewish organizations, The Vaad Hatzala Rescue Committee battled tirelessly for nothing less than Jewish souls. An eye-opening true story of group dedication, determination and purpose.

Guided by Truth

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2004-09-06

In all the sectarian arguments about who did what after the Nazi assault on the Jews, Alex Grobman has written a book guided by truth. He tells it as it is, and we are all in his debt.

CLEARING THE AIR AT LAST

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2004-09-05

Rabbi Nisson Wolpin, Editor, The Jewish Observer, official English-language publication of the Agudath Israel World Organization, New York, NY.

Battling for Souls gives us a new perspective on the history of the post-WWII period and the activities of Orthodox Jewry in America and in Europe. Dr. Grobman's research reveals new aspects of the Vaad Hatzala's activities and those of other relief organizations that have never been available to historians before. This unprecedented presentation helps us understand some of the residual misgivings different populations have about each other in today's Jewish community. These misgivings were based on conclusions from false assumptions. This book clears the air.

Riveting & Revealing

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2004-09-09

Dr. Grobman has written an incisive book on the little known and, until now, much maligned role of the Vaad Hatzala in the rescue of Jews in the dark days of the Shoah and subsequently. Battling for Souls is a riveting exposition of the emotional and spiritual damage-control effort of a small group of selfless people determined to return to the surviving victims that which was ripped from them by the Nazi beasts; their faith and religious self-esteem. For the first time in print, Grobman documents the yeoman efforts of the Vaad to provide spiritual sustenance to the survivors, something that was "overlooked" by other rescue organizations.

Rabbi Yale B. Butler

A "fascinating and well-written book"

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2004-09-08

In this fascinating and well-written book, Alex Grobman chronicles the important work of the Vaad Hatzala during the Holocaust and its assistance to Jewish survivors after Liberation, in particular the DP Camps in the American Zone in Germany. As a small child, who was raised as a religious Zionist and survived the Holocaust, I passed through several DP camps including the Neue Freimann DP Camp, where I experienced first-hand the religious support that the Vaad gave to surviving children and adults. Alex Grobman brings to life the Vaad's main activists and presents the chronology of important events, important locations, and numerous photos.

Berlin: Portrait of a City

Published in Hardcover by Taschen (2007-05-31)

Author: Hans-Christian Adam

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A facinating book about a facinating city

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-05

My first visit to Berlin, in May'89 was inspired by Wender's "Wings of Desire" movie. Since then I have been back to Berlin dozens of times; even bought our wedding rings there.

Unlike, say, Paris, Berlin is not an easy city to discover or appreciate. This huge well printed and edited book does a wonderful job of bringing Berlin to life for the viewer. Most of the photos are images I've never seen. My only wish would be more coverage of East Germany.

"typical" berlin

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-05

A great book and great pictures. Berlin has deeply changed in the last 150 years and all this has been documented precisely by great photographers: this the easiest way to show how. Texts are exhaustive too into describing "typical" life of a city.
Maybe Berlin has changed more in the last two decades then ever before: the last chapter of this book could be more fascinating and explorative, including the fact that there are a lot of pictures about it but it'd had took another book, perhaps. Maybe Berlin has changed again yet and is changing again now... so I'm waiting for a second edition.

Review

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-01

This is a beautiful book! The photos are not only outstanding but they have zero pixillation. You can discern details such as the company name on the back of a horse drawn cart in a crowd. The turn of the century through the 1930's I thought were the best. You can stare at one and with out much effort find yourself slipping away into the photo.

The National Socialist period is not covered in depth nor do I think it needs to be. There are far an away plenty of books for that on the market. This is a book that can not be digested in one sitting. Take your time and look at each photo. The small details are fascinating.

My only problem with the book is the blue page stock that some of the entries is written on. It made it difficult to read the text. That is a minor quibble, especially in a book like this. If you buy a used copy make sure you check the price of shipping as this book weighs as much as a small childs school backpack.

Unglaublich!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-21

What a book! My mother as well as her sisters were born in Berlin during and after World War II, so I grew up hearing family stories of this amazing city. This book provided a tremendous visual aid to all these stories. Looking at the images I could picture my grandmother as a young woman, and my aunts and my mother in the postwar years.
If you have any connection to this amazing city, this book will bring tears to your eyes, for all the hardship and challenges it has faced, and with what fantastic grace it reemerged like phoenix from the ashes.

An amazing book!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-18

I purchased this as a gift for my little (20 yo) brother's birthday. He was born in Berlin. First of all this book is HUGE! I love that the explanations of the pictures are written not only in English, but in German. What a fantastic masterpiece.

Beyond the Myth: The Story of Joan of Arc

Published in Paperback by Sandpiper (1999-10)

Author: Polly Schoyer Brooks

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Collectible price: $10.00

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Book review

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-19

I have already read the book and it was great! I found it very intersting and not wanting to put the book down until I finished it!

Getting beyond the myths about Joan of Arc

Helpful Votes: 14 out of 14 total.
Review Date: 2004-02-04

In "Beyond the Myth: The Story of Joan of Arc," Polly Schoyer Brooks provides a biography for young adults that makes a point of separating historical facts from popular legends. One of the main strengths of the volume is how Brooks establishes the situation in 15th-century France which involved a king who suffered fits of madness and his weakling son and then tells the story of a peasant girl from the countryside who accomplished what appeared to be miracles in rallying the French to her banner. The result is a book about Joan of Arc that captures her humanity as well as her heroism.

Brooks neatly divides the story of Joan in half, with the first six chapters starting with Joan's life in the village of Domremy and ending with the crowing of Charles the Dauphin as King of France, and the last six depicting Joan's fall from glory, trial, and execution. Brooks emphasizes that the situations that brought about her martyrdom were beyond Joan's control and details the political calculations that ended up putting her in the hands of the English. However, as Brooks emphasizes, though the English burned Joan's body to ashes they could not wipe out the memory of her deeds from the French people. I appreciate that Brooks makes it clear to her readers how the effort's to restore Joan's name and honor after the English left France were just as politically motivated as the trial that condemned her.

This young adult biography is illustrated with historic prints and paintings, including a sketch by a clerk of his idea of Joan drawn in the margin of his report, as well as contemporary photographs of historic sites, such as Joan's stone-and-rubble house in Domremy and the statue on the post were she was burned at the stake in the marketplace at Rouen. Brooks has also written similar biographies of Eleanor of Acquitaine and Cleopatra. However, as Brooks notes, although more books about Joan have been inspired than any other women in history, she remains an enigma. In "Beyond the Myth," Brooks tries to answer the key questions concerning Joan's life and to restore her humanity, which in the final analysis, Brooks sees as being her greatest virtue. For students who are ready to get beyond your basic juvenile biographies of Joan of Arc, this is a thoughtful volume to which to turn next.

Detailed biographical study garnered from intense research.

Helpful Votes: 18 out of 21 total.
Review Date: 2001-05-03

Like many females, I enjoy learning about female historical figures. I want to know as much truth as I can find. The author does exactly that for the reader. This book is a detailed account of the events that triggered Joan d'Arc's dedication to her country and its rightful king. The author traces the history based on documents and other works that have been carefully researched. She provides the reader with the personality traits and beliefs of the time which drove the events that led to Joan's trial and death. Accusations of witchcraft and sorcery were used by church and secular leaders to destroy the young life of a heroic woman because of jealousy, superstition, and shady business surrounding the church and state. In addition, health and medical issues of the times are revealed that are shocking and entertaining. Read this book to learn about Joan, but also about the way people lived. Just learning about the reasons for the need for all those castles made the read worth the time.

An easy to read, concise biography

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-21

While this book is written for the young adult, I read it recently as a "older" adult and loved it. I have limited spare time so it was great to be able to finish this book in a day or 2. It is simply written yet gives the reader a clear, comprehensive guide to the life of a brave, determined peasant girl. All important facts of Joan's life are included, her childhood, her goal to defeat the English and secure the French throne for Charles VII and her capture and death at the hands of the British. After reading this book I now have a clearer insight into the life of this popular heroine, her call from God and her amazing accomplishments.

I'm young again !

Helpful Votes: 9 out of 12 total.
Review Date: 2004-04-03

Ms. Brooks concise biography of Joan, marketed toward "young adults," makes me feel sure that I must be young again! It exactly suits me.

The Joan that emerges from these pages is an entirely believable, if extraordinary, human being. It is written at a perfectly intelligent level, is measured in its judgments, provides historical and social context, and is never dogmatic. It seems careful throughout and provides a bibliography. And it is ~very~ engaging. What's not to like?

I proudly place this work for "young adults" on my shelves and will, in the future, look more deliberately for work in this category.

I have an interest in French history but a regular life as well, not endless expanses of time for huge historical tomes. I was extremely pleased with the return this book gave me for a modest investment of time. And nobody has accused me lately of not being a full-fledged adult ;-)

Black Potatoes: The Story of the Great Irish Famine, 1845-1850

Published in Turtleback by Turtleback Books Distributed by Demco Media (2005-05-02)

Author: Susan Campbell Bartoletti

List price: $18.95

Average review score:

Great intro for younger readers

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-05

This book describes the Great Hunger in a balanced way. It discusses the repeated crop failures -- potatoes were the staple of the Irish diet, due to the tenant farming situation of the time. (Tenant farming resembles, to me, sharecropping in the American South.)

The book alternates between describing the famine and the people affected by it and by the responses of the of both the British Government and the NGOs of the time. It highlights how the governmental policies failed and how many in Britain felt that the famine was God's justice against the Catholic Irish. It's this perfect storm of a natural disaster, governmental incompetence and prejudice that makes the Great Hunger so tragic. (IT;s also easy to draw parallels between the Great Hunger and the early responses to AIDS or to Katrina.)

Black Potatoes is a great introduction to the Irish Potato Famine, but it;s aimed more at middle or high school aged children.

excellent summary of famine

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-27

Black Potatoes is a very readable and understandable review of the important elements of the Irish potato famine of the 1840s. Wishing to learn more about this essential event in my Irish-American heritage, I read the book, The Great Hunger, which is offered and reviewed separately at this site. I mistakenly thought that would be a better read than Black Potatoes which is advertised as being for a high-school audience. But all the essentials of The Great Hunger were delivered in less than 1/3 the text by Black Potatoes, which of course is a much faster and informative read. In addition, it carries many sketches which make the story that much more vivid and imaginable, while there are many fewer in The Great Hunger which seems itself written more from the British point of view than the Irish (the author of Hunger was herself British). Black Potatoes is an excellent way to get a rapid understanding of that pivotal five-year period in Irish history.

A Hungry History

Helpful Votes: 11 out of 12 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-10

An interesting and worthwhile history, made more palatable than a textbook by the extensive quotations of personal accounts and contemporary newspaper illustrations.

Broad in scope and adequate in depth, the book treats the Great Irish Famine of 1845-1850 with a sensitive, compassionate tone, spending great time on the human toll of the Famine, as well as the diseases it invited and the social upheaval it instigated.

Bartoletti vividly illustrates the dehumanizing and horrifying experience of the starving Irish, and explicitly eschews diplomacy to explore the economic and political causes. The book also explores both the (perceived or actual) maintenance and possible exacerbation of the crisis by the English government and the English landlords. Bartoletti concludes that the awkward and faltering relief was so unwillingly given because of staunchly protected laissez-faire economics as well as cultural biases and prejudice against the Irish. These factors created a political climate where merely the forecast of improvement caused the English to quit relief programs, often too soon, thus causing the situation to worsen for the Irish, creating staggering costs - in pounds as well as in lives.

Brief treatment of revolutionary activity is included, as well as interesting exposition of folk beliefs and practices.

This book avoids the "boring history" noose of more densely-written academic works, and is clearly targeted at young adults with its narrative style, but I recommend this for anyone wishing to read more deeply on this subject. Definitely written from an Irish point of view, but well researched and rich in original sources.

The Horrific Blight

Helpful Votes: 11 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 2005-12-06

What would you do if there was no food to eat, no clean clothes to wear or no shoes to wear in winter? The answers to these questions are found in Black Potatoes, which is set in Ireland in 1845 at the onset of the Potato famine. At the time of the potato famine, there were three classes of people in Ireland, the Irish farm laborers, the Irish farmers, and the English landlords. The farm laborers were the poorest, the farmers were middle class, and the landlords were the wealthy and powerful. The farm laborers and farmers rented land from the landlords and planted potatoes. When the potato famine hit, the Irish had a hard time paying their rents because of their failed crops. The Irish people had a long and enduring time during the potato famine to keep their families fed and well. The British Government came to the aid of the Irish, but many
times it was too late. The book is very Anti-British and rightfully so according to the evidence of British attitudes toward the Irish that reveal the ethnic and religious prejudices that divided the Irish and the English. The writing style of the author is very realistic and Irish everyday life is very detailed that it leaves a horrific feeling of sadness for those who lived and died during the potato famine and the years after. The pictures in the book are actual sketches obtained from various sources such as the Illustrated London News and British and Irish libraries.

Horribly Brilliant

Helpful Votes: 9 out of 14 total.
Review Date: 2004-09-13

This is an excellent summary of the Potato (note that spelling, Danny-Boy-O Quayle) Famine that plagued Ireland from 1845-1850, when the fungus Pythophthora Infestans destroyed the staple crop. Author Susan Campbell Barttoletti deftly explores the swirling pathological, sociological, political, and theological soup caused by the rotting potatoes and the aftermath. She relies on original sources and interviews with descendants of the resultant Diaspora. This book is found in the children's section of the library, but frankly, I found it hard to read myself - not because the words or concepts are difficult, but because it is so very grim - the horror! the horror! /TundraVision, Amazon reviewer.

The Cat Who Came in from the Cold

Published in Mass Market Paperback by Transworld Publishers (1992-11-12)

Author: Deric Longden

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New price: $41.03
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Average review score:

A lovely book

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 1998-01-16

I am from England and have bought all of Deric Longden's books there. I am surpries to find that they are all out of print here - he has an amazing way with words that left me laughing out loud. The tale of a small white kitten called Thermal (for reasons which I will not go into here) is one that as well being incredibly funny also has moments of sadness init as well. The books "Diana's story" and "Lost for words" are also not to be missed, although I can guarentee tears as well as laughter with these books.

The cat-lovers' best of the best

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 1998-05-25

American readers who enjoy authors such as Cleveland Armory are really deprived of the British author Derick Longden's classics. "The Cat Who Came In From the Cold" was the first of his books I read, but was able to read more only because I have a friend who orders them from the UK. Longden imparts personality and (imagined) dialogues and thoughts from his cats, which will have you chuckling and nodding in agreement with his knowledge of our feline favorites. GET HIS BOOKS!

This is a delightful story...great on audio cassette.

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 1999-09-02

I listened to this book on audio cassette while I cleaned my barn. It was so much fun to listen to, I cleaned more and more each day because I didn't want to turn off the tape. My barn is now immaculate, and I was sorry to come to the end of the story!

A Wonderful Book

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2004-10-12

I first picked up the audio version of "The Cat Who Came in From the Cold" from our library while preparing for a marathon car trip with my husband (not a man who thinks highly of cats) and sons (ages 23, 20 and 14). I was pretty skeptical that the male majority would really 'let' me listen to a book with a cute little kitten on the cover, but I added it to my stack anyway (it's good to be Queen!). After having had my fill of "Tom Clancy" and his friends, I plugged in "The Cat Who Came in From the Cold" and soon ALL of us were all laughing the miles away. On our return leg of our trip, all these big guys (and their mom AND DAD) wanted to hear the "Thermal" tapes again (listening to a story a second time through is unheard of around here!) Along with most of Deric Longden's other books, we now own our own set of tapes to share with family, and the book version (which my 14 year old son, who hates to read, read cover to cover in about a day). Cheeky Thermal is an oft quoted cat around here. It is also nice to find a book that appeals to everyone in the family without any objectionable material. This is just great, light-hearted fare.

The perfect balance of comedy & tragedy...

Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 1999-02-12

Having read Deric Longden's first five books (the others include Diana's Story, Lost For Words, I'm a Stranger Here Myself & Enough to Make a Cat Laugh), I can confidentally say that this is when the author is at his best. He delivers enough comedy (something to be expanded upon in subsequent books), but mixed with a subtle version of his own blend of tragedy (already established in previous books). Whilst many thought that his characterization of his mother's mental decline in Lost For Words was distasteful, I would think that even the harshest of critics would fail not to find the story of a lost kitten a least a little endearing.

Although it may be easy enough to dismiss this as simply a children's novel, I would say that, given enough suspension of disbelief & a little imagination, this can be a thoroughly enjoying read, and (cliche) a book that you will want to keep coming back to, time & again, even if only for some of the amusing anecdottes presented by Thermal.

Chatsworth: The House

Published in Hardcover by Frances Lincoln (2006-07-06)

Author: Deborah Devonshir

List price: $50.00

New price: $30.72
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Average review score:

Chatsworth : The House

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-28

An outstanding book on one of England's stateliest of Stately Homes written in a very entertaining down to earth way by the Duchess of Devonshire. The photographs are wonderful with a balance between showcasing the grandeur of the building and humanizing the place by also focusing on the people who live and work there.

must buy

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-09

the best house review - full of history fact and much humour
photography is amazing

S, Kemp on Devonshir's Chatsworth

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-08

If you saw the Chatsworth exhibit which visited the Tyler, Texas museum, you will find this book greatly enhances your perspective. Although my daughter bought me the DVD from the exhibit, this book gave me much more indepth. I highly recommend it and, as always, Amazon has the very best price!!

Almost perfect

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-08

I think this a very nice book with a lot of gorgeous photos that can't be seen in any other book, but I could not give it 5 stars due to the poor, uneven lighting in some of the interior photos. Some rooms are lit by such harsh, extremely bright sunlight that it washes out some of the details in the foreground and then you can't see details in the background as well due to the harsh contrast.

More than just a Coffee Table Publication!

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-21

This is a very high quality book containing beautiful photos and personable, informative, text. The enjoyment of the book is enhanced by the fun, witty writing style of the Duchess of Devonshire. While the book contains a great deal if historic information, there is an equal amount of fun and entertainment, as a balance. Having restored and lived in the property for more than 50 years, the author gives a first hand narrative of this amazing British Home.

Cheap Eats in Italy '99 Ed

Published in Paperback by Chronicle Books (1999-06-01)

Author: Sandra Gustafson

List price: $13.95

New price: $9.05
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Collectible price: $42.95

Average review score:

Divine Eats

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-30

I travel to eat and, with this guide in hand, I ate memorably in a different restaurant or trattoria every night for three weeks in Venice and Rome. The author's listings are, for the most part, unique to this book and evaluate an establishment's menu, service, ambience and location. (All locations were easy to find.) Her reviews are well written and reliable: she has eaten repeatedly at every restaurant that she lists.

This book allows those with discerning palettes to dine well in the company of in-the-know natives. Friends who live in Rome were so impressed by the author's reviews of the restaurants already known to them that they were eager to try several others from the book and asked for my copy when I left Italy. (I gave it to them, of course.)

Note: The author's "Cheap-Sleeps" series is just as accurate in its descriptions of different levels of accommodations, the best of which need to be booked months in advance.

New Food Secrets of Rome

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2004-01-02

Best take out: Sisini in Trasteverte three blocks from Ponte Cavour. Best,astounding pizza, pasta. No drinks. Busy all day and night. Friendly, fast, very cheap. Try pizza with arugula.
This is not in Cheap Eats but should be.
Best pasta: L'Archetta near Pantheon, on east side of Via Corso near Trevi Fountain. Magnificent spaghetti.

see kosher bakery by main synagogue. Delicious baked goods-ask for 'pizza' a soft biscotti filled with crystallized fruit.

Get this book

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2002-05-12

Going to Florence, Rome, or Venice? Like to eat well without breaking the bank? Buy this book. Went on my honeymoon to all three. Brought this book along, and we ate like kings, but paid like paupers. You can't go wrong with any of the restaurant,cafes, etc. suggested. Be aware, however, that the maps are hard to follow for Venice (probably because Venice is such a maze).

excellent resource

Helpful Votes: 11 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 2001-04-30

My friends and I recently went on spring break to Rome and Florence and we took along the cheap eats book. We had the best food of our lives on a college student's budget. Everything in the book was accurate, in our experience, and even the picky eaters among us were satisfied. We knew exactly what to expect at each place we went, which made things much easier. We actually met Sandra Gustafson at a restaurant in Florence where she was updating her entries for a new edition!

If you want a book for food places this is it !!!

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2002-04-05

My wife and I have used this book in Rome on two occasions and were extremely satisfied both times. I believe there is now a revision appropriately entitled "Great Eats in Italy". Both books cover Rome, Florence, and Venice. The book is fairly accurate about the menus so you know what to expect (where to go or not to go based on your preferences). The meals are not cheap. They are reasonable. I think the author does herself a diservice but using "cheap eats" in the title of the book. Cheap is not relevant with this book. These are very good places to eat at reasonble prices. You can a vacation just sampling her recommendations. We let other people borrow this book from us when they go to Italy... I bought her other books for Paris, and Spain (Barcelona, Madrid, and Seville). She has another one for Prague, Vienna, and Budapest. Keep 'em coming!!!

Chic Shopping Paris

Published in Paperback by Little Bookroom (2008-06-17)

Author: Rebecca Perry Magniant

List price: $16.95

New price: $9.71
Used price: $7.98

Average review score:

France and This Little Book - aimer à première vue

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-27

It will be love at first sight! This lovely little book is a must if you are traveling from your armchair or in person. The photography is wonderful and you get the feel of how special shopping is in France. Don't leave this little diamond at home - read it while sipping a cup of coffee at your local Starbucks or on the plane before landing in France.

Need update

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-10-16

I am in Paris now and before my trip I cannot help buying a couple of insiders' Paris books before coming here. The photos are nice and reviews are enticing, but I tried several shops in the 4th arr. and they are not working out well for me.
Carabosse (page 90) - the store is closed for good at this address.
Lobato (page 97) - shop is closed at 5pm. Display in the window showed very expensive (500-900 Euros)and not so unique shoes.
ba&sh - Simple and well-cut, but most are dark colors. I find a top selling over 3000 euros and don't think it worths the price tag.

It maybe a coincidence three of the four stores I went in the same neighborhood did not work out well, but I lost confidence in this after the experience.

If you want to find unique things without a big price tag, I don't think this book will help you very much. Just my two cents.

Shopping is one of the joys of travel ...

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-08

even if it's only window shopping.

My wife and I love travel and we have had the privilege in shopping in many of the great cities of the world: New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Rome, Milan, Houston, and many many others. Paris is without equal for shopping in a number of respects: elegance, beauty, quality, knowledge of staff and the pure joy of seeing fine products in a beautiful setting.

We both admit that we are sometimes a little intimidated, and frankly it's only in Paris we have that feeling. Partly it's the attitude of the sales people -- worldly, fashionable, speaking impeccable French. Partly it's our awe that the French seem to have discovered how to imbue even the simplest product with a level of sophistication.

Chic Shopping Paris is a passport to discovering the joys of shopping in that great city. The photographs by Alison Harris are beautiful -- the book is almost a postcard collection of beautiful products beautifully displayed. The text is descriptive, educated, loving even -- Rebecca Perry Magniant proves her learning not only in this sampling of her work, but also on her frequently updated website. If the following passage resonates with you to any degree, visit the website, and carefully consider buying this beautiful little book:

Nicole Lehmann
19, rue de Turenne, 4th arr.
01 42 77 57 21
Métro: Saint-Paul
Tuesday-Saturday 11am-7pm, Sunday 2pm-7pm, closed Monday
nlparis.com

Nicole Lehmann's new shop just a block away from the Place des Vosges is small but elegant, the perfect setting for showing off her luxurious purses. Each of her bags is entirely handmade, with attention to fine details, in high-quality leathers and skins with metal accents. The bags come in three basic styles: the cabas (tote), the pochette (clutch), and the besace (messenger). Each comes with either long or short straps and in different finishes (grained or smooth leather, suede, alligator, ostrich). Some have unique details such as a long chain strap that can be removed and worn as a necklace; another style has a slim leather closure strap that is interchangeable with straps of other colors, and any of the straps can be worn as a bracelet. A small line of jewelry, cuff links, and belts rounds out the collection."

And if this book doesn't interest you, at least visit the publisher's website; The Little Bookroom publishes a number of delightful books that will enhance your travel experiences.

Robert C. Ross 2008

Le Bon Shopping

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-24

I travel to France and especially Paris often and love to have an insiders look at shopping places that visitors often don't know about. I can't wait to get there in October and use my little green book to check out some of the places in it. Love having the email addresses, phone numbers and the many pictures. Thank you Rebecca!

The Best of the Best

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-22

Travel through the best of the insider's Paris in 208 beautifully written and photographed pages. In concise, but through narratives, Ms. Magniant brings the best of Paris to your mind while Allison Harris' photos are each a well composed tableau of the individuals shop's wares. From wall designs to unique notions to toys, antique printed matter, designer clothers, jewelery, perfumes, all manner of foodstuffs, and other off-the-beaten-track treasures- if you can't find something of great interest to you, don't see Paris-see your doctor!

Coming Out of the Ice

Published in Audio Cassette by Blackstone Audiobooks (1997-12)

Author: Victor Herman

List price: $69.95

New price: $44.07
Used price: $24.50

Average review score:

Should be required reading

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-10-30

This is a very powerful book that should be required reading for every high school student.

Victor Herman was the son of a Marxist union organizer who moved his family to the Soviet Union to help set up the Ford factories. The horrors that the family, and especially Victor, had to put up with are inhuman, but typical of totalitarian societies. It's hard to believe that anybody would have the will and ability to live through all that they had to put up with.

I fear that this is what will happen to the U.S, in an Obamanation.

Still Memorable after reading it 20 years ago

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-10-18

I read this book 20 years ago when I was in college and it had a profound impact on me. Now with two teens of my own who enjoy reading, when they asked me recently, "What was your favorite book when you were young?" I stopped to think. This was the book I named. I feel true stories are often the most powerful, and this one will inspire you and stay with you many years. Do read it if you can.

You will see the ability of the human spirit to challenge all adversity!

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-07

In your life you most likely face challenges as we all do. Few people have ever been challenged and triumphed over adversity like Viktor Hermann.

If you are a fan of "One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich", here is another inspiring story of one who returned and survived the Gulag!

Hermann, an American is trapped within the Soviet Union and left behind. He is sent to the gulag and only by his wits, strength and inner presence does he manage to return.

This book is a personal memoir, it may not be the most well-written book but its story will not easily leave you. You will see the heights to which the spirit can rise and the depths and depravity to which it can sink.

Highly recommended and a true survivors tale.

Cheers!

It grabs you by the.............

Helpful Votes: 12 out of 12 total.
Review Date: 2003-01-14

I am (very untypically) finding it difficult to express how important this book is. It's a story of incredible endurance and perseverance that will help you stop worrying about most of what's troubling you. It's also a reminder that everyone in the world does not think the same way, that other cultures and countries are very different, and that we truly have something special in the U.S. Our society of law, freedom, independence is very precious -- worth defending against enemies, both foreign and domestic. In a time when some Americans seem bent on giving away our democracy in order to feel safe again, this story is a powerful reminder of why we must all stand up for freedom. And if you think these comments are overblown, read the book anyway and decide again when you're done.

One of the most important books of the 20th century!

Helpful Votes: 7 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2006-10-19

I met Victor Herman in 1981 at a small gathering at Rutgers College. He told us all about his experiences, although not in as much detail as in the book. I didn't buy the book at the time because I needed the money to buy food. I saw the TV movie a couple of years later, but I never read the book until recently. And only because I hunted it down. I never forgot the look of intense sadness in Victor's eyes or his story. This is 1984 in real life. Coming Out Of The Ice should be required reading for every high school student in the world.

Complete Guide To Heraldry

Published in Paperback by Sterling (2007-03-01)

Author: Fox-Davies/A.C.

List price: $19.95

New price: $5.95
Used price: $5.25

Average review score:

A big hit!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-26

This was purchased as a birthday gift, and it was a big hit! My daughter liked it very much. She has done a lot of work looking into our family's history, and so this was very helpful to her.

Complete indeed

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-02

A great resource to not only learn about the history and mechanics of heraldry, but also for inspiration for creating one's own coats of arms. I mainly picked this up to create heraldry for my strategy table top war game, but the historian in me enjoys it as well for scholarly purposes.

Complete Guide to Heraldry

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-07

Good book - just wish it explained more simply and clearly - in a concise way - the symbols.

Interpretation of Heraldry-Fox way

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-15

A.C.Fox-Davies:HERALDRY
I already had a great respect for Mr.Fox-Davies, having two of his great books:THE ART of HERALDRY and HERALDRY-the magnificent pictorial archive for artists and designers. And I expected to learn quite a lot from the HERALDRY book.Guess,I was right.
.The texts are very,very good,BUT,there are just too many unnecessary and detailed descriptions of British and Scotch Armory.Was it because Mr.Fox-Davies wanted to show off( with his long description of many personal Arms,which I doubt had any great interest for the general reader-mentioning only a few Im sure he could have got his point) or maybe,he was just carried away by his wish too make a good(fat)book?Nevertheless,Mr.Fox-Davies is among the VERY FEW experts who dared mention the painstakingly long and slow development of Armory,from Moses and the Scriptures onwards,explaining that it were first the personal signs and symbols which existed long before the Heraldry proper.And are still going strong,not as Arms,but LOGOTYPES of more or less famous brands.
There is no" Deus-ex-Machina "Heraldry for Mr.Fox-Davies .It was a slow and painful process influenced by both the traditions and technology,development of society , classes and unfortunately.warfare..And I guess,Mr.Fox-Davies leans too much on the Crusades Myth,closed HELMETS etc..
By the way,closed helmets existed long,long before the iron clad warriors ! Many of the drawings and other examples are very good,so that the small percentage of superfluous ones,do not play a significant role.All in all,for anyone willing to learn more,and think while reading the book,the number of lines and pages should not be tiring.It is satisfying to know that even in the days when the book first appeared,there was somebody who was NOT a stereotype,somebody who really loved the job and loved the knowledge he so willingly transferred to his readers.

If you are remotely interested, its a must have

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-19

I can not possibly imagine a more complete guide to Heraldry. This engaging book really brings you into the world of crests, family honor, and ancestry. It gives a comprehensive guide to all the symbols used, and their various meanings. If you are even remotely interested in Heraldry, pick this up today.

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