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Europe Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

Europe
The Story of Ferdinand (Puffin Storytime)
Published in Paperback by Puffin (2007-09-06)
Author: Munro Leaf
List price: $9.99
New price: $2.85
Used price: $0.90
Collectible price: $12.50

Average review score:

Blessed are the Ferdinands...
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-11-29
I am 44 years old and yesterday, at our Thanksgiving celebration at a relative's home, I came to read this wonderful book for the first time. I was so touched by it, really all choked up as I read about Ferdinand. I just couldn't hold back my tears. I will be reading this book to my 71 children, at the public school where I run an After School Program. This is a marvelous book and I recommed it to parents, teachers, educators and anyone else interested in planting seeds of peace into the hearts of others, specially children. I am Ferdinand, and I am happy. I also fell in love with his mother... what a loving, sweet cow....

Stop and smell the flowers...
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-11-28
This is not a review, others have done that excellently, it is a memory. When i was eight, Ferdinand was my favourite. Thirty eight years later and unremembered until finding it just now, the flashback was so intense i could hardly finish reading the Amazon review through tears of nostalgia. I smelled the flowers and felt that simple happiness that Ferdinand radiated all over again. If you want your child to enjoy a great yarn, be engaged by intense illustrations, learn to be peaceable and stay true to themselves, and have a powerful remembrance of a book later in life, get them "The Story of Ferdinand".

a book to remember
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-11-03
i read this story when i was little and always love it but it never made me think as much till i found out my best frind was going to have a baby being a book lover herself and a Liberian she told me right away that she wanted her baby to have as many books as possable but mostlly this one in it's Original hardback form with black and white pictures and i went about finding it for her for the baby shower she got a lots of books that day but i will be one i will never forget the look on her face when she got this one or how i felt or what lesson i rembered learning when i read the book later after i gave it to her so guess we bouth got something from it and one day when her 1 1/2 year old Daughter get's old enough to read it i'm sure the Tradition of what this book teachs to young and old alike will carry on with my Niece and any other like her who read this book because books carry a great power to teach us many things if we are only willing to listen and this is true for any book if we just take the time to stop and read them

Love this book!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-10-08
I remembered this book from my childhood and ordered it in remembrance of my husband's grandfather whose last name was Ferdinand. It is a beautiful story and the illustrations are a perfect compliment to the text.

Classic
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-10-04
Ferdinand marches to the beat of his own drum. A great parable of being yourself, regardless of outside influences.

Europe
Longest Day
Published in Hardcover by Simon & Schuster (1901-01-01)
Author: Cornelius ryan
List price: $12.95
Used price: $91.07

Average review score:

A Great Read
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-24
After visiting most of the places in this book last year, I wanted to read this book to find out the experiences of those who fought in this battle. It was a great book, especially if you are a WWII buff like me.

The best book on D-Day
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-07
Read this book first when I was 15 years old and it motivated me to learn more about history of the second world war. It's one of the great books on world war II and D-Day and it is highly recommended!

Just OK
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-27
The military interviews were lame. An important part of history, would have liked more intel detail and military strategy.

great reading
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-10-28
Great Reading. A complete account of the most important actions performed during the Normandy Landings as seen from both sides of the battle.

Once you pick this book you won't stop reading until you finish the story.

This book will always remain one of the best descriptions of D-Day
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-09
A great deal of ink and celluloid has been used to describe the Allied invasion of Fortress Europe on Tuesday June 6, 1944. This book remains and no doubt always will be one of the best accounts of what happened that day. It captures the heroism of the common soldiers on both sides. While some of the men collapsed under the pressure, most exhibited great bravery as they fought for what they were told to fight for. One of the best features of this book is that Ryan depicts the German soldiers as fighting soldiers; he very rarely mentions the concept of Nazism or the origins of the war.
There is also very little mention of the clash of egos on the Allied side, although he spends a great deal of time describing the personality conflicts on the German side. I do not fault him for this, for it was these conflicts that kept the German mobile reinforcements from entering the fight on the beaches when they could have made a difference.
D-Day was not the greatest battle of World War II, greater ones took place on the Eastern front between Germany and the Soviet Union. However, it was the most complex in execution and was necessary from the Allied point of view. Given the tremendous power of the Soviet offensive in the east and the blockade of supplies, Germany would eventually have been defeated. However, if the D-Day invasion had been repulsed, the Soviet armies would have overrun all of Germany and possibly even much of France. As a consequence of this, the post-war world would have been very different. From this perspective it was one of the most significant as it put allied armies on a course through Germany. You cannot understand history without knowing about D-Day.

Europe
My Family and Other Animals
Published in Hardcover by House of Stratus (2003-04)
Author: Gerald Durrell
List price: $14.95
New price: $32.23
Used price: $4.28

Average review score:

You'll end up reading this one over and over again...
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-02-21
I must say this is one of the most light-hearted, hilarious books I have ever read. The story is of a world that one really may not get to see these days.. Go ahead and buy it..

Way better than Croc Hunter
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2004-06-30
In todays day and age of Steve Erwin and Jeff Corbin who go around hunting for animals, it is easy to forget where it all started. With people like Gerald, and the London zoo. In this book, he collects animals, deals with his demented siblings and his long suffering mother who has to raise four kids and fend off the advances of a really persistent Colonel who gets increasingly vulgar and `grabby' when he drinks. This is a rare story that combines a humorous story with humorous writing and I once caused passengers in a flight to turn around and give me strange looks, so hard was I laughing.

Skeleton of a Plot embellished with tonnes of vocab
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2003-11-17
My Family and Other Animals is a bare-bones story in terms of plot. The Durrell family goes to Corfu, lives through what could be termed as a soap opera, and leaves. It's humourous, but not particularly challenging.

However, the older Gerald Durrell utilises vivid vocabulary over and over when describing the setting and people of Corfu. Fifteen-letter words that paint a crystalline picture are used frequently, relieving the never-ending roller coaster that is the life of the Durrells.

Overall, this is a highly entertaining book that will keep you engaged for the week or so that you will spend reading it every spare second you have.

the funny Durrell
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2005-04-24
Gerald Durrell was not only a naturalist and a gifted writer about his beloved animals, but a loving brother and son whose descriptions of his family and their foibles will keep you laughing all the way through. This is one of those books which I've reread so many times I've lost count, and which I've given to many friends who needed cheering up. Always works, too!

I wish I could give it 6 stars!
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2005-08-09
This book is absolutely, brilliantly funny. The wit and unique characterizations are woven with great descriptions of the animals and plants of Corfu. That Durrell can hold the attention of readers who have no interest in biology simply demonstrates what a fine work this is. Gerald's depiction of a larger-than-life expatriate family on a larger-than-life Greek island is a tremendous celebration of life. The variety of different Greek characters parading through this book rivals the variety of Corfu's flora and fauna. Absolute great read!

Europe
A Bridge Too Far: The Classic History of the Greatest Battle of World War II
Published in Paperback by Simon & Schuster (1995-05-01)
Author: Cornelius Ryan
List price: $18.00
New price: $5.49
Used price: $2.14
Collectible price: $18.00

Average review score:

A Bridge Too Far is very well documented
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-21
the book is another example of Cornelius Ryan's superb research. A good read, too.

classic literature
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-08
excellent book. i remember seeing the movie when it first came out and it blew me away. this book remains my favorite all-time military choice. if you can get your hands on the paperback, i suggest it. the paperback has more detail, but this book is truly remarkable even if it has been condensed a bit. cornelius ryan was a fantastic author. this book tells about a military campaign that is usually overlooked due to d-day and the battle of the bulge. i think this military campaign needs to be remembered due to the heroism of the men involved and cornelius ryan brings out that heroism as if you are actually seeing the battle unfold. great military literature.

Why Is This Out of Print?
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-16
One of the best-written WWII accounts of war, focusing on a disastrous Allied military operation near the end of WWII, I am absolutely flummoxed as to why this classic is now out of print. With millions sold, did no publisher think this great book might continue to generate interest?

As many here have already noted, this book is a must-read. Pick it up from a online seller or go to your local used bookstore, but don't miss this fine dissection of a huge strategic misfire.

Excellent Introduction in this Important part of WW2 History
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-10
I can't say it much better than the previous reviews have already. I wanted to read something on this subject and was led to this book. I couldn't have asked for a better introduction to the topic. Broad in scope yet detailed in its descriptions of the soldiers, units, and battles in this massive offensive. This is an excellent jumping off point to begin studying the Battle of Arnhem. Well written and exciting to discover.

Should be in the library of every military history buff
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-17
A Bridge Too Far: The Classic History of the Greatest Battle of World War II by Cornelius Ryan gives one of the best accounts of General Montgomery's ill-fated plan and operation to turn the German northern flank on the Western front during September 1944 of World War II. Montgomery hoped to push into the heart of industrial Germany. It was his plan for personal glory to end the war in 1944.

This narrative non-fiction work by Cornelius Ryan brings together the objectivity and insights of a historian with the narrative style of a novelist. Ryan brings historical events to life in a style like Stephen Ambrose. Ryan's writings keep your interest. He gives the experiences of the individual soldiers and Dutch resistance members. He tells the story from all sides. The roles and effects of these operations on the civilians unfortunate enough to be caught up in events are included. I was shocked to learn of the horrific communication issues among the British. I felt Ryan was placing blame for those problems at the feet of the Americans. From reading Ryan's work I found a dramatic lack of urgency on the part of the British. An example is after the 82nd had secured their main bridge objective which included tremendous sacrifice the British simply camped for the night brewing their tea while their fellow countryman were still encircled and dying in Arhen. I was disappointed that Montgomery was not slammed for this operation. From the account Montgomery is lucky he wasn't relieved of command or sacked on the spot.

I recommend the book, though at times I found the reading and story too slowly unfolding. It is one of the all time classics of World War II and should be in the library of every military history buff.

Europe
The Perilous Gard
Published in Paperback by Sandpiper (2001-10-29)
Authors: Elizabeth Marie Pope and Richard J Cuffari
List price: $5.95
New price: $2.00
Used price: $0.01

Average review score:

Beloved treasure
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-10-29
I first read this book when I was about 12. I loved it then and I still adore it now. It is considered YA, but is intelligent and endearing enough that adults should enjoy it as well. There is a very good reason that this book is a Newbery honor book! It transports you thoroughly into it's time and place with loving attention to detail. A wonderful read!

Unimpressed
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-09
I didn't find this book all that special. The style seemed stilted and awkward. Characters seemed emotionally flat and I didn't buy the romance in the story. Not a bad read, but half way through I was ready for the book to end.

My intro to the Tam Lin legend
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-25
One of the things I like about this book is that it manages to retain an archaic feeling without sounding fake (you know, the type of dialogue that sounds like a bunch of college students roleplaying). Pope's choice of using modern language for the dialogue doesn't spoil the setting at all, whereas trying to force readers to jump back and forth between Elizabethan dialogue and modern narration could be annoying, e.g. Patricia Wrede's version of "Snow White and Rose Red".

Overall, Pope's characters are really well fleshed out, and she's also a master at describing atmosphere. The supernatural terror that Kate is subjected to in the underground halls kept me up at night for a while after both times I read this.

I didn't know the plot of "The Perilous Gard" was related to an actual legend till I stumbled across the name "Tam Lin" elsewhere on the Internet. Now I'm fascinated...

I'll never forget this book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-06
This book is beautiful. The proud elves! The historical drama! Probably the best theory for where elves/fairies came from, oh, and the answer will suprise you!
This books haunts you in that though there are mystical, magical elements in this story when you done reading you have to admit that it really COULD have happened. This book made me cry, I love it when books have the power to make you feel that much emotion. Do yourself a favour and read the book!

Pne of the best children's books ever
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-13
The Perilous Gard

The Sherwood Ring

The Perilous Gard is a book I still reread as an adult. The Sherwood Ring is good also. I just wish that Ms. Pope had written MORE.

The Perilous Gard is a wonderful rainy afternoon book. The characters seem real and the Elizabethan England that is described seems real and charming but none too easy to live in.

The best part of the story is the characterizations of the fairies themselves. Not the fluttery, glittery creatures beloved of Walt Disney, but a real, proud alien race at one with nature. The queen particularly is both admirable and cruel, pitiless and pitiable.

Europe
Torpedo: A Surface Warfare Thriller (Unabridged)
Published in Audio Download by audible.com ()
Author: Jeff Edwards
List price: $32.95
New price: $17.30

Average review score:

Rating is for publisher's bad PDF service
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-24
NOTE: My review does not regard the quality of the book, i.e., the writing, the plot, etc. Rather, the one star is strictly for PDF downloads from the book's publisher, iUniverse. Please be warned that iUniverse doesn't provide necessary info prior to ordering that could be used to decide on whether to buy the book or not. When I recently ordered a PDF download of a book from iUniverse, I was expecting an instant download. On the contrary, instead I got an e-mail from iUniverse saying my e-book would be coming eventually in an e-mail to follow. But after several days, that second e-mail never arrived, so I contacted customer service and they sent me a link to the book. (My complaint here is that iUniverse should say up front that their e-books are not instant downloads.) Next, upon getting the link, I downloaded the book to my work computer. That worked fine, but be warned that you can only view the book on the computer that it is downloaded to. You can't print the e-book, and you can't attach the e-book to an e-mail to send to your home computer. (So, my second complaint is that iUniverse should reveal this info up front, before a book is ordered.) I sure won't order any more e-books from iUniverse until they clean up their act. Spread the word!

Fun and clever book!
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-10-31
I learned about Torpedo after a friend pointed me to the books of John Hindinger. Jeff Edwards and John Hindinger's books show up each other's pages, and since I liked Rogue Trident and Rogue Avenger, I gave Torpedo a shot.

My overall take on Torpedo - fun and clever! Edwards unfolds the plot like a chess match, except that the rules of the game roll out at along with the plot. Some of the plot seems contrived, but the author keeps it in the realm of plausible reality.

Torpedo moves fast, and Commander Jim Bowie is likable. However, character development is thin, as with many first effort (most?) naval novels. There are plenty of tidbits of naval fact sprinkled in here that I skimmed through, but I figure that most male readers would appreciate them. I did, however, really like some of the side stories like the `baked potato'. Of course, not enough female characters for me, but I've learned to excuse that when reading naval fiction.

I was thinking 3.5 stars but rounded up to 4 for being clever and animated. I pretty much read it in a couple days and enjoyed it, and that's what matters.

A pleasure to read
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-14
Having been a reserve armed cavalry officer, I know little or nothing about submarines and destroyers. This novel was a fine education by somebody who clearly knows what he is talking about and, furthermore, very well written.
I join all before me in giving it my highest rating. If there is more where this came from, please let me know!

Torpedo-proof debut!
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-09
Jeff Edward's "Torpedo" is riveting! A great storyline mixed with an intricate knowledge of the subject matter gives the reader a real sense of "being there" as the story unfolds. I found the interjection facts regarding the historical development of the torpedo enhanced the gravity of the subject matter and made the story even more of a page-turner. I highly recommend "Torpedo" and congratulate Jeff Edwards on a torpedo-proof debut.

Action so real that I felt I was on the ship during in the battle!
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-13
I recently discovered that Jeff Edwards has finished his next book, The Seventh Angel.
Put me in line for the first copy!

I have been waiting for Jeff's next book ever since I finished reading Torpedo. Scenes from the book often come to mind and I have at remind myself that Torpedo is book, not a movie. (Although it should be.)

The character development is so complete and action sequences so believable that I felt that I was on the ship with the crew while missiles launched from the enemy sub came flying at them from out of the sea.

Thanks for a great book. Give me more!

Byron Mettler, Author Speed Kills!

Europe
The Complete History of Jack the Ripper
Published in Paperback by Carroll & Graf Publishers (1995-10)
Author: Philip Sugden
List price: $14.95
New price: $16.00
Used price: $2.99

Average review score:

Very detailed but beware of the details!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-29
This book is very detailed but you have to be wary of the slants. Sugden writes witness Matthew Packer down and dismisses his important testimony, and he also leaves out an important section of a letter that was published in the Telegraph in November which alludes to the capture of the killer (the "hideous bellowing of the news boys" letter). He also gets the Hanbury Street writing wrong. This was "Five - another fifteen and I give myself up." Sugden has it has "Four - another sixteen and I give myself up" - an absurd message which gets the total right but has changed the compenents to fit the assumption that the Fairy Fay murder did not happen. I find the book fairly morbid and irksome to read, and this is not because of the fascinating subject matter but the way that it is written. This subject needs a sharp-eyed Daniel Defoe, or a Jack the Ripper A-Z with all the rubbish taken out.

Well deserved praise
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-20
There's not a lot I can add to the great reviews other people have given it except to say that this book, while not being released as recently as some others, is still essential reading for anyone with an interest in the facts about the Jack the Ripper case. Sugden is a historian with impeccable credentials and research skills whose insights are a welcome addition to Ripperology.

The Definitive Review
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-28
I got interested in this book knowing that I was soon going to see the JtR exhibit in London, so I started reading it before I left on my trip. Unfortunately, when I got to the actual exhibit in July of `08, there was little there that the book hadn't covered--although I got to see some of the original police reports, the Ripper letters, and an interesting timeline display of suspects (most recently added to in 2007). This book is organized in such a way that it gives an intimate profile of both the victims and the suspects and the crimes themselves--which were truly horrific. The author relies mainly on contemporary sources, yet certain references make you aware that he has pawed over other accounts proclaiming "evidence" in order to separate the wheat from the chaff. So what you get is real scholarship and the author's best guess at the end as to Jack's identity. The many photos in this book also help to tell this unhappy story. Will this mystery ever be solved? I doubt it, having read how many missing pieces there are . . .

Definitive.
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-09
Like many others, I have been interested in the story of Jack the Ripper. When I finally decided to read about the crimes, I wanted to read only the best, most definitive account. I believe that Sugden's book fits the bill. He sticks only to the facts; when he theorizes, he presents an opposing view as well. He does not claim to know who Jack the Ripper was, but he does put forth a theory. After having finished this book, I cannot imagine that there is much of anything else to know about the case. I would highly, highly recommend this book to anyone interested in reading an emotionless, fact-filled book about Jack the Ripper to pick this one up.

Last words!
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-14
First let me state the categories of people who should (please note the emphasis) study (not 'read') this book: -
1. Anybody who is interested in the any or all of the following: the Whitechappel killings, the subsequent frenzy, investigation into the murders, armchair investigations by "Mycroft" wannabes, and the literally literary withchhunt being carried out over the past century & more to "unmask" the killer;
2. Anybody who is interested in understanding the socio-economic dynamics of the world's largest, richest, proudest and yet ruthlessly exploitative (of its own citizens, esp. the young and the women) city at that point of time when the nails were finally being hammered into the coffin of the 19th Century that had experienced the pinnacle of British glory;
3. Anybody who, after being overfed on the serial killers (Hannibal et.al) produced by the "hot" American novelists, actually wishes to know how it is like to be chasing a black cat in an enormous dark cavern while blindfolded;
4. Anybody who actually thinks that "the truth" might have been out there at some stage, but even with a centuries old "cold" case something can be done (unlike some trashy attempt sub-titled: "CASE CLOSED").

This book is not only accurate and free from all the popular & obscure misconceptions, it is also a living proof that history can be made more attactive than fiction while staying rigorously free from falsehoods. Recommended to everybody belonging to the afore-mentioned 4 categories as well as to all who, after reading some new adventure pitting Sherlock Holmes against Jack the Ripper, start pondering over "what if.."-s.

Europe
German Boy: A Child in War
Published in Paperback by Sceptre (2002-04-18)
Author: Wolfgang W.E. Samuel
List price: $16.50
New price: $28.00
Used price: $18.98

Average review score:

Startlingly insightful
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-11-29
There are few words needed to effectively encourage people to seek out and read this book. 'Startling' is one word that accurately summarizes the detail and clarity captured through the imaginative mind of just a ten year old. As soon as I one begs to differ and wrestles with the implausibility of such a well written first hand account of turning points in a nations history by just a boy and not a man, the beautiful simplicity shows through time and time again, and as a narrative its almost ghost-like travel through the pages of time and we can see clear remnants of a bygone era thanks to this at once burgeoning effort to document history through the eyes of a boy who lived through it. It is uncluttered, poignant and a rare find.....might be easy to forget if not for the solid writing.

The bomb!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-11-29
One of the best, most riveting and satisfying plots I've ever read. Also a touching and refreshing memoir of German life that manages to be impossibly happy and inspiring.

Little Wolfgang somehow keeps his life and limb (and soul) intact as he is shifted from place to place in the face of one after another harrowing experiences and family separations. And always with an eye to taking care of his sister and mother (who continually lets him down but for whom he has no greater love). Yet Wolfgang never judges the evil around him; he only seeks to understand it. And in his eyes good is just as ubiquitous. The American GI with the stick of chewing gum left as much an impression on me as it must have on the boy. This moment seems to have planted the seed in young Wolfgang to take him to the place he later came to call home.

German Boy reads like a gripping novel but satisfies the need for biographical and historical truth with its annotated archival family photos and the occupation zone maps. What's more, the epilogue is absolutely satisfying.

A disturbing and excellent memoir
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-01
This is an eloquently told, often nearly heartbreaking story of what a young German boy endured as a refugee in the closing days and the years following WWII. Wolfgang Samuel tells his story with grace and heart. He dedicates the book to his mother, a major character in his story who, to keep her family alive, sacrificed nearly everything, even to the point of prostituting herself so her children could eat. As Samuel put it -

"People were hungry and would do whatever was necessary to put food on the table for their children ... We were the people who had nothing and lived from hand to mouth. We were the human debris of that evil war. We had no reserves of food, clothing or anything else that sustained life. We were desperate people, easy to exploit."

In a passage startlingly reminiscent of Gone with the Wind, the classic novel of the US Civil War and its aftermath, Samuel tells of how for many years immediately after the war, his mother had no new clothes. "The nicest looking dress she had owned ... she had made herself from curtains which hung in our barracks apartment ..."

And this is not just a book about being refugees and the awful conditions after the war; it's also a universal coming-of-age story, about a boy grappling with the physical changes of puberty and having no one to talk with about what's happening to him. It's about a boy left to take care of himself at the tender age of 14. It's also an homage to his grandparents, who helped sustain him through these worst of times. In other words, there's an awful lot of stuff in here that so many people will relate to, regardless of their own backgrounds.

I know I'm several years late in discovering this book, but I plan to recommend it highly to everyone, particularly history buffs and humanists interested what the human spirit can endure and still rebound. Because after his eventual emigration to the U.S. in 1950 at age 15 (where German Boy ends), Samuel went on to complete college and made a distinguished career for himself in the US Air Force for 30 years. The next book to go into my Amazon cart will be the sequel to this memoir, called Coming to Colorado. This guy can write! And I want to know the rest of his story. But start here, folks. READ THIS BOOK! - Tim Bazzett, author of Soldier Boy

History through the honest eyes of a child who helped America become great
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-11
I have always been interested in WWII history and this book is excellent as it deals with the consequences of war. Wolfgang was blessed with an incredible memory and this book tells the story of the time from 1945 to 1950 in Germany and how things were. I will not recap the story since others have done it so well, but this is in the top 10 of the hundreds of books I have read.

Don't hesitate to buy this book.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-17
This is a great book. I gave the book to a few German friends who lived in Germany during the war. They could identify with the author's experiences.

The author became a U.S citizen and fought in Vietnam. I would have liked to read about the author's experience in this country, and his experience, as a pilot in our Air Force.

A well written book and interesting too.

Europe
King of the Wind: The Story of the Godolphin Arabian
Published in Paperback by Aladdin (2006-12-26)
Author: Marguerite Henry
List price: $5.99
New price: $2.15
Used price: $0.63
Collectible price: $19.00

Average review score:

great true horse story
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-15
This was one of my favorite books as a child, and i just gave it as a gift to another child. It is an excellent book - a true story about a famous horse who had to overcome tremendous struggles and his faithful groom who managed to accompany him and assist him no matter the personal cost, as well as a look at prejudice and genuine kindness.

A classic!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-16
I first read this book when I was in elementary school. That was many, many years ago. The thought of this book somehow crossed my mind a few days ago. So I procured one and read it through in a couple of hours. The re-read reminded me of how great of a book this is.

This book speaks of hope, trust, perseverance, and especially of undying love. Yes, it's a children's book but adults will benefit greatly from reading it as well. It's one of those books which will forever remain a classic in the hearts and minds of those who have read it.

Amazing
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-12-08
This is one of my favorite horse stories of all time. It is about a young boy who makes a bond with an increadible horse. A must read for any horse lover!!!!

Marguerite Henry's best ever!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-17
This is my favorite horse story ever! This book stands above all others for me and I will always remember it. My mom read this to me when I was 9 years old and still to this day, I have never read it's equal. Henry's writing is so beautiful, the story so touching and the characters so real. A plot unfolds about a young stable boy in Morocco and his golden-bay stallion who would one day be known as the Godolphin Arabian, who's bloodline still runs in race horses of today. It's quite possible a lot of this book is based on fact. A simply amazing story in all respects! I must warn sensitive readers however, there are some very intense parts of this book, some sad parts which are sure to make most people cry and a few parts where there is fairly harsh abuse and neglect of animals. Maybe not the best choice to read to very young kids, especially if they are the type to get scared easily. Overall, I would say the book has an excellent balance of tragedy and triumph. The ending is a beautiful one, both happy and a little sad but satisfying and well worth reading the story.

Review: King of the Wind
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-30
King of the Wind is a great book by Marguerite Henry. It is about a mute boy named Agba and his horse Sham. Agba goes with Sham on many adventures together. Agba goes with Sham from the royal stables in Morocco to Gog Magog. Sham also sires many winning foals and when he is gone, Agba goes back to Morocco.
I enjoyed this book very much. I liked it because it is about horses. I also liked it because it was full of adventure. It was sad and exciting and there were many parts where Sham and Agba were seperated. Agba was very brave for a young, mute boy and Sham kept him company with his firy spirit that only Agba could control.
My favorite part was when the cook tried to drive Sham. He wanted to show that he did not need Agba to drive Sham. He left Agba at the royal kitchens then set out. Sham bidded his time till the cart was groaning with goods and a young pig. Then "BAM!" He went wild and ran like the wind, sending the goods, the pig, and the cook into the air. The cook runs after first the pig, then Sham, then the pig, until he is so confused that he catched nither. In the end the apple woman cathes Sham and the cook is so fustrated that he sells Sham to a cruel man. I like this part best because it is so funny and shows Shams firy nature.

Europe
Stopped at Stalingrad: The Luftwaffe and Hitler's Defeat in the East, 1942-1943 (Modern War Studies(Paper))
Published in Paperback by University Press of Kansas (2001-09)
Author: Joel S. A. Hayward
List price: $19.95
New price: $12.53
Used price: $10.75

Average review score:

a must have stalingrad book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-11-04
with over 20 stalingrad titles in my collection this book was impossible to put down,one of the best written well researched books i ve read in a very long time.at the price these are selling for it is an absolute steal!if i would have known how much i would enjoy it i would have payed double the going rate and never flinched.probobly the most absorbing aspects of this book is all the myth busting it does.stalingrad is one of those battles to which the "telephone game" syndrome has been deeply rooted a "fact" is used in some of the older less researched books and is re used by many authors without verification.this book disspells many of these,and proves with documentation why they are false.also does an excellent job at explaining how the 6th army wound up in the predicamement it did.lots of info on the crimea campaign and how this directly influenced the stalingrad battle. avery fairly priced book written in an excellent style .simply one of the best researched books i ve read in a long time worth every penny

The Best of the Best
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-12
You will not find a more diffinitive book on the Luftwaffe's activites in
operation Blau. I was happy to see that the siege of Sevastopol was well covered, I have found so little information in other books about that epic siege. The book does a very good job in explaining the terrible conditions at the outlying airfields trying to supply the 6th army,the lack of fuel,spare parts and the horrific weather conditions.
Hitler decided to try and take the Caucausas oil fields as well as Stalingrad. They had forces to take one,not both. They would have had much
greater success if they had just bombed the oil fields especially Baku which represented 80% of Russia's oil. Army group A and B could have bypassed Stalingrad,cutting the Volga river traffic and with a pincer movement, enveloped the Russian armies coming to the aid of Stalingrad.
Field Marshal's von Bock and List did all they could and were treated unfairly by Hitler. This book is great in showing the leadership qualities of Wolfram von Richthofen,clearly the most outstanding Lutwaffe commander of World War2.

Very good book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-28
This is a very good description of Luftwaffe Operations on the Eastern Front. It has good background information speciffically about the economic side of it. Decisions made based on oil supply's rather than military objectives. Very interesting material.
The only bad thing about this book is that the editing comes across as very sloppy. German names are often misspelled or incorrect. It is not Manstein, but von Manstein, not Bock, but von Bock, not Kluge, but von Kluge.
Also it is not Count von Sponneck but Graf von Sponneck. If you overlook those issues, it is a very good book

stopped at stalingrad
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2007-02-22
Very thoroughly researched book. Could have explained infantry operations in a little more detail after all most of the movements of the Luftwaffe happened in direct support of infantry movement. Could have given a little bit more weightage to characteristic traits of leaders involved in action. But all in all a very lucidly written book a definite buy for anyone interested in eastern theater of WWII

A Great Book
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2006-09-19
This book is a treasure. Saying it deals with just the Luftwaffe effort does not really address the scope of the book. In addition to the author's fabulous treatment of air operations, it has some great stuff on naval operations in the Crimea. This book is an absolute MUST for your WWII library. This guy is a lecturer at some college in New Zealand. Get him to some University in the USA!!


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