North America Books

I just want to add to the other reviewr's here and they all have excellent reviews. I have read about all of the decent books on this subject and I believe Roger Darling's book here hit's the nail on the head. This work is clearly the very best on this subject. You can read all the works on Custer but in the end this is the very best.

Paul Posey
Grovetown, GA

A true revelation on what General Terry actually planned in his two point attack of pinching the "hostiles" between two columns and how the plan was poorly executed. The book provides an excellent overview of the campiagn along with Custer's trials and tribulations. But more importantly the roles of Gibbon and the Terry are discussed in detail. From Gibbon's failure to report the location of large villages that could have saved weeks of useless campaigning/scouting for the hostiles for Terry to Terry's incompetent ability to direct the blocking Montana column into position. This book provides a totally new perspective on the LBH battle. It also reveals the failure of Terry from the drawing of his plan to his hands on field decisions. Routes taken by Terry are covered in detail with excepts from diaries, areial photography and wonderful terrain maps. Darling presents well that Terry carefully planted total blame on Custer through indirect statements that leads one to believe that Custer failed entirely and "paid the price". Terry never mentions how he took a long detour through rough country without obtaining information from his true scouts, his engineering officer who knew the land or the crow scouts that lived there. How he marched only four miles in one day, lead the column to a dead end, and lost his gatling guns in a night march. However, he states in his report that Custer turned down gattling guns as if Custer could expect them to keep up with them while they failed to keep up with Terry's infantry. Some of Darlings critque on Custer's decision making from the divide to the LBH could be challenged but they make the book more interesting. Whatever mistakes Custer made, he received his punishment not just from his own but from many others starting with the command. It appears the campaign for Terry was not just a battle against the Indians but one of a war hero's battle with character.

Darling has obviously done extensive research and throws new light on the attempt to make Custer the sole scapegoat for the disaster that befell the Seventh Cavalry at the Little Big Horn. As one who has extensively read in Custeriana, I share Darling's views for the most part. I am not sure what Gen. Terry meant when he referred to a Sad and Terrible Blunder, but I think the blunder applies end to end, starting in Washington D.C. and carrying down to Custer and his subordinates. There has been extensive discussion for years of whether or not Custer disobeyed the surviving order that Terry provided to him. Assuming he did, and I don't think so based on my own military experience (e.g. I'd have felt comfortable with a set of discretionary orders like those in marching to Washington D.C.) one wonders what would have happened to Terry if Custer had literally followed those orders as Terry later implied he should have. Perhaps we need a book called CUSTER BLINDLY OBEYS, TERRY DIES. READ THE BOOK AND SEE WHAT I MEAN.

In researching the history and decisions leading to, and culminating in, what is now known as the Battle of the Little Big Horn, I came across Roger Darling's work and became so engaged in it I find myself referencing his basic premise in discussions with other like-minded Little Big Horn "investigators". Darling allows the reader to understand each act in this tragedy from a literal, gramatical and historical perspective. While acknowledging what "experts" say TODAY about the events leading to the battle, Darling takes a fresh approach. "Where was Custer when he made decisions, what, precisely, did he base those decisions on and about what and to whom did he transmit those decisions"? This is no 'Monday morning quarterbacking' from an historical perspective; no 20/20 hindsight vision. Darling emphasizes that neither Washington, General Terry, Colonel Gibbon, nor Custer, himself, had the vaguest notion of understanding Indian warfare and allowed their bigotry to hinder any understanding. Darling reveals the Sioux Campaign of 1876 for what is was, a blundering about on the Plains by ill-equipped, ill-trained and ill-informed offiers and men of the US Army - pitted against what every soldier already knew of the Sioux and Northern Cheyenne; the finest force of fighting cavalry in the world. Did Terry and Custer have a clue about the hostiles' location? Was Washington aware the estimates of Indian strength were erroneous by 300%? And was Marcus Reno the most surprised man on earth when he discovered that the small band of Indians he pursued at Custer's orders led him directly against the largest concentration of Indians ever seen on the North American continent? Historical hindsight allows Terry, Custer, et.al. reasonable intelligence about the force they sought to corral and bring to battle. Roger Darling's well researched and in-depth writing reveals a series of blunders beginning in Washington in the Fall of 1875 and culminating in disaster on a Montana hillside on June 25, 1876. Get the book, devour it, think on it. Not only is it great historical reading, it finally makes sense of what happened and why.

This book tells the story of a confused college student who spends her summer working on freight liners on the Great Lakes. Kate, our protagonist, has gone to the boats to earn money, but she's also gone to escape her life: her seemingly too perfect sister, her parents' disappointment at her desire to become an artist, and an abusive boyfriend. On the boats Kate finds things that trouble her, like the rigid hierarchies, and the rampant sexism. But she also finds a substitute family, a group of people who care for one another in their own way. And Kate also finds danger. The aforementioned abusive boyfriend comes from the crew of her first boat, and Kate ultimately finds herself in more danger than she can possibly imagine. This is a book that tells an engaging story, but even more, this is a book about environment. Olson takes her reader to the lakes and their boats. We feel the storms, the waves, the tedium of the locks, and the residue cargoes leave behind. This is a world I didn't know existed, and Olson paints a brilliant picture. Kate is a spunky, likeable heroine, and she lives in a richly-created world. Olson creates a true sensory experience. The publisher, too, has created a sensory experience, as this is one of the most beautiful books I've had the pleasure of reading and holding. The text includes photographs and is printed on thick, textured paper. The inside covers are printed with color maps of the Great Lakes region. A pleasure to hold and a pleasure to read.

What drives a nineteen-year-old girl to find herself on a harsh ship? "Sailor Girl" is Kate McLeod's story of her time on a Great Lakes Grain boat. She is trying to get over a harsh relationship with a boyfriend who treated her as if she was sub human, and she finds comfort in the brutal labor that comes with being a sailor. A tale of growing up done in an unusual and unique way, "Sailor Girl" is highly recommended for its sweet blend of elements and original presentation.

It's been a long time since I've read a book so full of gorgeous--and fresh--imagery (Sheree-Lee Olson would find a more inventive way of writing that). I loved the poetry of Olson's language, the feistiness of her lead character, Kate McLeod, and her knowing depiction of life aboard ship. I never expect to set foot on a Great Lakes freighter. Now I feel as if I have.

Sailor Girl is Sheree-Lee Olson's sexy debut novel about a young woman's odyssey aboard Great Lakes freighters in the early 1980s.

Kate McLeod navigates the waterbound world of men, nautical tradition, hierarchy and sexuality. Taken on as a cleaner and cook and working most closely with the few other women on board, Kate struggles to define herself in her own terms - true to her maverick nature, her desire, and her sense of the relationships that matter. Throughout, she finds herself drawn to the hard-working women, wild weather, and even wilder men.

The writing is rich in insight and poetry, especially at unexpected moments - in the midst of a storm or the depth of the engine room:

"In the morning she went down to the little room tucked into the stern where the crew did their laundry. There was a wringer washer chained to the steel bulkhead and lines to dry clothes in the heat that poured up from the engine room. There was nothing but a bare skin of steel between her and the ship's giant propeller, churning the river water the way the washing machine's agitator twisted and punished her clothes.

Leaning over the railing she saw someone moving at the bottom of the great clanging machine that was the engine. She realized then it was Boyd, slipping fluidly between huge gears and pistons, an oilcan in his blackened gloves, shaking his head to fling sweat from his hair.

She watched him bend and duck, tending his machines. He was like a dancer. She could not reconcile the grace of his movements with the noise and stink and heat that filled the air. Hell would be like this, she thought; hell would be loud. She wondered how he could think in such noise. Maybe that explained his habitual silence. He had learned to function in a place where words were meaningless."

And then there's the book - a work of art in itself. It's beautifully printed with an evocative cover, full-colour maps inside the front and back covers, and featuring several lake photographs by the author.

Overall it's a chewy, absorbing read about how a woman finds her way in a world that's not quite ready for someone of such spirit and raw desire.

It would make for a terrific discussion at a reading club. Preferably over a shot, or two, of vodka.

For a preview, see the except at [...].

SUCH A WONDERFUL LOVE STORY . IT IS SO ROMANTIC BUT IT IS VERY CLEAN AND IT WILL LET YOU BELIEVE LOVE IS POSSIBLE IN MANY CIRCUMSTANCES.

This is one of the historical romances that I have enjoyed reading. It has one become one of my favorite novels. I wish I had a copy of novel like this for me to read many times...

The Kentucky frontier in the 1780s is a dangerous place, as Catherine Brant finds out when she is captured by Shawnee Indians in the forests near her home. Taken far from her home, Cat learns the ways of her captors and is adopted into their tribe. At first she longs to return to her family, but then she meets Blue Quail. Blue Quail was born white, but he was captured by Indians at such a young age that he has no memory of his birth family. Feelings of love grow between Cat and Blue Quail, but Cat still believes she will find a way to return home someday. When that time comes, will she be able to convince Blue Quail that his place is with her? I highly recommend this book to teenage girls who enjoy historical romances. It's definitely worth reading if you can find a copy at a library or used book store.

This is one of the historical romances that I have enjoyed reading. It has one become one of my favorite novels. I wish I had a copy of novel like this for me to read many times...

This book is extremely important for Metis - those of mixed blood, who have to struggle for identity and self worth in a nation of freedom and denial of freedom. Unfortunately, Kirkus leads off with a judgmental and skeptical review. Kirkus needs to employ editors who have understanding and experience in the spiritual worlds! We need the support of generations of elders of integrity,dreams, visions,spirituality, our indigenous heritage, and knowledge of the violence, exploitation and greed which was also formed the foundation of the United States. My spirit soars with this book to the mountain tops, to the pine forests, to the circles of elders and people who walk the path of love and healing. We are here. Our teachers are here.Our ancestors are here. The animals and plants and stones are here. Sakanta Running Wolf, Th'e Chupe ke ya ka Pah, Walks in Freedom.

i am the gggggggg ( i believe thats right maybe one less g) granddaughter of william weatherford through his youngest son who survived to adulthood Alexander . last semester i wanted to do a paper about him in frontier history class and bought the book. at first i thought the author was a little corny with her always thinking Red Eagle was with her. when i dropped out of that college i was unable to complete the paper. this semester in one of my english classes we learned about sacred time and it opened up my mind to think differently. now i think the book is beautiful because it isnt just a book full of jumbled up facts but real feelings. when i was younger i was afraid of the native american blood in me--im also signifcantly Cherokee. this book helped me to be proud of my heritage. i give the author 5 stars !

I am a direct descendant of Red Eagle and his wife Mary Stiggins. Mary Ann Wells takes you on a quest and delivers the goods. The real man is revealed from a Native American viewpoint. The Red Eagle that my grandfather loved and told us of flooded back into my psychic (his hatred for Andrew Jackson as well). I felt as though I was actually seeing those tragic days through the eyes of my illustrious ancestor. Ms.Wells has cleverly turned our hearts toward each other!

I highly recommend Mary Ann Wells' book "Searching for Red Eagle." This is history written in a fresh, creative way, told from the viewpoint of the Native Americans. Whether you are a history enthusiast, interested in the history and culture of the American Indians of the southeastern United States, or simply enjoy a good book, this biography is fascinating reading.

Sara Littlecrow Russell's debut book dishes out the horrors of bigotry with humor and a matter of fact tone that can only arrive in the company of truth. If you're looking for the feather and the flute, you've come to the wrong place. This is the fire and the blade. Nothing rings false. The poems feel as if they could have been written on paper bags while shopping yet with the surgical precision of finely honed craft. Honest, real and fleshy. So what are you waiting for? It belongs on the shelf of anyone who likes the direct gaze, the strong handshake, the wild dance. These poems do not waste your time, they ignite it.

Magdalena Gomez, Poet
www.myspace.com/magdalenagomez

A unique and thought-provoking book. Littlecrow writes with the voice of a strong survivor weaving the threads of tradition, belief and harsh reality in modern day America. Her writing is sharply clever and savagely witty yet shines with integrity. The images are vivid and accessible and will resonate with the reader struggling to hold their sanity in a world gone mad. A book to be savoured.

I tried to read it one poem at a time, tried to take my time, to let it all soak in. But I stayed up very late reading it, until my eyes wouldn't stay open any longer, and when I woke, I was unable to get out of bed until I completed it. Now I keep my copy at work, so I can lend it out to folks. This collection of poetry is vivid, fierce, powerfull, deep. Poetry for the people.

...it would be more appropriate in the backpack, car, bedside table, work place, public library, etc. Sara's poems are awesome - like swallowing little razors and every cut gets you closer to the truth. Kind of like Sharon Olds only more dazzling and gutsy. I don't read too many poets but I bought seven of these and gave them all to people I care about. Buy two - one for you and one to leave at a bus stop somewhere.

I got to read this book again after a long, long time (after a generation). I am trying to get my daughter interested in reading, and this series seems great to get her started on the reading habit.

It's half a century since Enid Blyton first wrote this book, and it is still captivating enough. I'm surprised that these books are not as popular any more. When I used to read these books, we were sharing them with friends and making sure we read all the books in the series. Nowadays, television and game consoles seem more interesting to children. Maybe, the publishers are aware of this -- and they made the covers look more interesting!

One of the rewards of reading Enid Blyton titles like this Secret Seven book is that it improves your language skills. And yes, this is the first book in the Secret Seven series.

Enid Blyton is one of the best children's authors I know. As an eight-year old, I personally bought and collected Blyton's books. There are different series for different age levels, so you can actually grow through the books. Unfortunately, few of Blyton's books are available in the U.S., and if available, are usually quite high priced. I miss those books.

Two days went by, and the secret seven were very busy with all kinds of things. Peter and Janet lime-washed the hen-houses for their father, with Scamper watching in great intrest. 'You look a bit peculiar, Scamper-splashed with white from the lime-wash drips,' sais Janet.'Why must you sit exactly under where we're working you get all the splashes!' George was busy too, with Colin, rigging a fine ship they had made together.

I recently shared my old collection of Enid Blyton books with my son, who is 7 years old. They were an instant hit! The stories are full of imagination and humor and it is a shame that finding new copies is so difficult. I would advise anyone looking for childrens books to start with this author.

hello am shravya from india.
i am really crazy abt Ms. enid blyton's novels.
i really love them a lot. she is a very good writer and she has just got a lot many innovative ideas and she has put them all into her works to make them more interesting and adventurous.
she is just awesome and her so are her books!!!

shravya,
india

it is indeed surprising that enid blyton doesnt seem to be in vogue any longer, infact her books which made many a long summer afternoon fly are not even available today. her variuos mystery and adventure series, incl famous five, secret seven, five findouters, the adventure series starring kiki the talking parrot, the r's mystery series with miranda the monkey and snubby the scallywag, and ofcourse her inimitable school stories the St Claires and Malory Towers and all timeless classics whcih i enjoy even today. i will be happy to chat to like minded readers

I remember reading this book when I was about 7 and I was instantly hooked on The Secret Seven and their marvellous adventures. From then on I saved my weekly allowance of $2.50 to buy all of Enid Blyton's books which I still have. Reading this book today takes me back to my childhood where in my imagination a half built house could become a Medieval Fortess and a creek could become a Raging River.I suggest you give this book to your children and if their attention spans have yet to be corrupted by 3 minute flashing videos on MTV they will love this book.Harry Potter has nothing on The Secret Seven. They really ROCK!!!

I second the comments made by the reviewer above. I can still remember reading The Secret Seven and Famous Five books when I was a kid and praying that I too somehow will be transported to their world and relive all the adventures that they've gone through. I came in here looking for Ms. Blyton's books for a gift to my niece but I was doubtly dissapointed that they are mostly out of print. Harry Potter and the like are nice books but nothing compares to the Secret Seven and Famous Five series. Read one and you'll know what I mean.

Let's face it -- folks are having sex, but we rarely talk about it in the church. If we really want to help people, we need to start to talk about what is ailing us. This book is a great tool to open people's minds to what is really going on and how people are really living. I highly suggest it to anyone involved in young adult ministry.

Kelly Brown Douglas has opend a work that will be reqired reading in most schools of divinity. The conroling thesis of her work is the establishment of a sexual Discourse of Resistance as a counterforce to white racist culture that has exploited and damaged African American sexuality.Douglas contends that the damage is so deep that blacks have a difficulty speaking openly regarding issues of sexuality. She has masterfully made the interconnections between sexuality, racism, sexism and homophoia. She challenges the black church to employ her sexual discourse of resistance but does not clearly explain what contstitutes the black church. What about Black Catholics, Black Episcopalions, et.al. Her work underscores the sadness that some theologians (namely, Black Roman Catholics) could never author such a text because much of Douglas's volume counterveins Roman Catholic dogmatic formulations and a Catholic theologian would have to answer to Rome for such a work. Thank God for African American Episcopalions like Douglas.

I think I've recommended this great work to everyone I know.

This book should be a must read for all African American church members. It is challenging, provocative, and engaging. A work like this is the only way to begin the dialogue necessary to resurrect the dying Black Church.

Kelly Brown Douglass has written an excellent first chapter for her book Sexuality and th Black Church. What she has done here is to explain the relevance of using Michel Foucault as a tool to look at the history of black sexuality in the United States. Her basic argument is that black sexuality as we know it today is a fiction, a number of fictions (made of up numerous stereotypes), more or less derived, from what she calls White Culture. That Black sexuality has been a means to discipline and control black bodies. This book is commendable in that it dares to use Foucault and that it touches upon the personal in such aa way as to make all a bit uneasy --- black, white, male, female, heterosexual and homosexual. We all have a lot to learn from her analysis.

Imagine for a moment you are a young warrior captured by an enemy tribe. You are enslaved, tortured and humiliated by your captors, then offered an opportunity to escape; which would mean personal freedom, but could also lead to the annihilation of your people and the desecration of the earth. What would you choose? This is the dilemma faced by Sequannah, the youthful protagonist of this action-packed fantasy/adventure Shadow of the Serpent A Coyote Moon Story. James Joseph weaves together a poignant coming-of-age story with the earth-centered teachings of Native American spirituality into an engaging and entertaining first novel. --Patricia A. Burke, editor, The Hungry Soul: An Online Literary Magazine

If someone asked me to review this book with just one word, I think "great" wouldn't be enough. It was an enthralling experience to learn more about the Native American ways and wisdom through such a fantastic story. Also, the narrative is quite elegant and detailed and the story never loses its pace. In the story, we are introduced to the Mineccou clan, a peaceful, yet strong tribe that are pushed into war when a powerful enemy nearly wipes out all the other clans in the area and enslaves the survivors. Sequannah, a young Mineccou warrior is also captured and enslaved, but soon he finds that he will play a very important role in his tribe's struggle. For he will have to fight not only for his own freedom, but also for the freedom of his clan's ways. A story full of wisdom that makes us think about our own ways.

I spent hours reading the book,absorbed by the writing technique of James Joseph. The book starts in early and keeps dragging you in deeper after every chapter. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel by James Joseph. He is a promising author

SHADOW OF THE SERPENT is a thrill-packed and emotionally-charged epic adventure which beckons those of us on the "war path" to follow a better Way. I had a sense of being irresistably drawn through misty woods into mysterious caverns, only to hear the whisperings of shamans sharing the wonders of ancient Truth: Go back and live in the Light. Henceforth, whenever I see patterns of yellow and black, I will be unable to ignore the metaphorical warning. Read this important mystical work. --Dan Gallagher

This is another exciting romp through a world that's not so different from the one we know, but enough so that we can't help but eagerly demand, "What next?"

This novel continues the saga of George Custer Jr., estranged son of the President of the United States, in a slightly different late nineteenth century America. See reviews of earlier books in this series for more details. In this new story, we gain much more insight into what makes father and son tick, but not at the expense of sweeping adventure. This is still very much a thrill ride that will keep you turning pages long after a sensible person would have turned out the lights.

I eagerly anticipate Giambastiani's next tale of adventure set in the wonderful world he has created.

It is flattering when your ideas are incorporated in future literary work, even if the author has never actually read them. It generally shows that your evaluations and thoughts are on the right track. Personal feelings aside, there are many reasons why this Book 3 of the series should be considered the best of the three written so far.

One: More detailed character development. My main complaint about "The Spirit of Thunder" was that the plot was moving too quickly, which took away from painting a deeper psychological picture of the main characters. In "Shadow of the Storm," the progress of time slows down considerably, and details such slowdown allows to incorporate make the book a vivid read.

Two: Improved writing depth. While previous installments were perfectly readable, "Shadow" goes one step further. It reads like a Hollywood epic, with characters and events flashed out to such a degree the readers can actually see them in their mind's eye. For example, the scene of Indian cavalry maneuvers in a San Francisco corrida arena is nothing less than "The Gladiator" transferred in all its glory from the movie screen to paper.

Three: Stronger emphasis on human drama. While the first two books touched on George Custer Jr.'s emotional struggle with conflicting allegiances, "Shadow" brings it to a climax, but not on the inaccessible level of national politics, but rather on a very close, and thus painfully real, personal level. The tone for the most important question of the book - what constitutes family and what role blood connection plays in it - is set from Chapter 1 and is brought to a heartrending climax with the novel's final scene.

Overall, I highly recommend this book. While I will await the next installment with impatience, a certain degree of trepidation will also be there. Mr. Giambastiani has set the bar of my expectations pretty high with "Shadow." Will he be able to reach it with Book 4? Only time will tell...

I really enjoy the books in this series, particularly because I love the opportunity to spend time with the Cheyenne characters that the author has developed so well - both individual personalities as well as insights into the culture. However, this third book in the series moves the saga forward in very dramatic ways with lots of new thought-provoking ideas and adventures. And the dinosaurs are back. I thought they were a bit of an afterthought in the second book, but Mr. Giambastiani brings them back as key characters in the story. The author also demonstrates a growing talent in his writing as he narration shifts effortlessly between the different characters perspectives on the action. I eagerly await book 4.

Shadow of the Storm is the third novel in the Fallen Cloud series, following The Spirit of Thunder. In the previous volume, George has lost a great deal of gold to a French trader, but finds another way to obtain weapons. He is severely wounded during the attack on Fort Assurance and Storm Arriving is also wounded while setting demolition charges on the railroad bridge over the Missouri. News of the bridge's destruction reaches Washington before the election, but is suppressed.

In this novel, George Armstrong Custer, Senior, wins re-election to his second term as President of the United States. Not everybody is pleased, to say the least, and trouble is brewing between the labor unionists and the industrialists. The common people, however, are mostly pleased at the prospect of free land made available with the Homestead Act, property in the lands of the Cheyenne Alliance.

In Little Italy, Cesare Uccido tries to protect his twin sister, Fortuna, from the hustlers and pimps, but is unsuccesful. In despair for the hard life of her family, Fortuna agrees to couple with a rich man for a golden coin, yet Cesare finds her with the man and tries to take her away, but the man attacks him and Cesare fights back, finally taking out all his rage on the man, killing him thoroughly. Afterward they flee, to find themselves with the man's clothes containing a large amount of cash and coin. With this money, the Uccido family flees to the frontier to stake out a homestead.

Back in New York, the new Ambassador from New Spain takes on his duties after the degraded death of his predecessor in a house of ill-repute. On his introductory visit to the White House, he overhears the President disparaging the Spanish government and leaves angrily. Since the Ambassador has a prior hatred for Custer, he looks for a way to pay back the President for his misdeeds.

Among the Cheyenne, George Armstong Custer, Junior, called One Who Flies by his Cheyenne family, is still trying to stop the slaughter of his adopted people. He is still weak from his wounds, but agrees to leave early with Mouse Roads and Picking Bones Woman to join Storm Arriving and Speaks While Leaving for the birth of their baby. One Who Flies is happy to travel early since he wants to ask Storm Arriving for permission to court Mouse Roads. Before he can be answered, the death of Picking Bones Woman causes the family to leave for the deathgrounds on the shore of the Big Salty, the Nebraska Sea.

All these elements converge on Washington for a major confrontation between the US and the Cheyenne.

This novel is well written and enjoyable, not only for the plot, but for the details on the lives of the Cheyenne people. The twists and turns of the plot are frustrating to the reader as well as the main character, but are necessary to sustain the story. After all, a peaceful life is boring to most readers, yet most of the really good sections were just everyday life among the Cheyenne.

Recommended for Giambastiani fans and anyone who enjoys tales of exotic people and international intrigue in a fantasy setting.