Europe Books

Wings, Women, and War by Reina Pennington was a delightfully quick read. There is a lot of research and in depth coverage that is very informative. At the same time you laugh at stories of Liliia Litviak's fur collar and flowers and stand amazed at her combat exploits. The book exposes you to the lives of many women volunteers and their transformation from civilians to military pilots, navigators, armorers, mechanics, and commanders. There is no propaganda. Just pure facts based upon interviews of participators and archives. No matter what your politics, or issues with women in combat, you will find yourself captivated and surprised by many discoveries.

I recently had the occasion to read Dr. Reina Pennington's book, Wings, Women, and War: Soviet Airwomen in World War II Combat. It was required reading for a masters program I am completing. I had my doubts about the value of this book based on many prior textbook experiences. I was extremely surprised with this one.

The book was part of a class on race, gender and sexuality issues in the military. My male sensitivities and defenses were heightened when first opening this book, but my curiosity convinced me to proceed (as well as the required reading part!). It convinced me that gender issues are important when it comes to studying things military. Dr. Pennington gave a face to and personified the women warriors and their male counterparts in the air force of the Soviet Union during World War II. This is something she accomplished while at the same time supporting her academic theoretical work this book represents. The book reads like a novel and draws the reader in to its stories about these very brave and determined Russian women. The stories are often funny; very funny. It proved to me that Russians during the war were people just like us in their humanity.

If you are unconvinced of women as warriors or want to understand something about how the Soviet Union treated women, recruited women and encounter their successes and their failures, then this book is what you need.

Dr. Pennington provides a remarkable bibliography including archival materials, correspondence and personal interviews. She spent time in Russia following the fall of the Soviet Union when war time documents and records became available. One thing that you might not find answered or answered to your satisfaction is the fundamental question about why the Soviets allowed women into combat. Like all the other belligerents involved in the war, the Soviets resisted this at first. Just like the others the Soviets dismantled their women warriors after the war. If it were not for scholastic efforts like Dr. Pennington's the efforts of women like Evgeniia Prokhorova and Liliia Latviak would be forever forgotten.

I read this book cover to cover on Friday (in the office, door shut, looking very busy). Living with WW 2 aviation everyday through the collection of fighter aircraft we restore and fly in England, it is easy to become a little blasé about the way people lived their extraordinary lives in that time. This book hauled me right up by the collar all over again.

It is remarkable - the pages turn as easily as reading the most engrossing novel and yet this is clearly a thoroughly researched review of these womens' history. I am utterly impressed. To communicate passion for a subject while speaking with such authority - the authority that can only come with knowing and understanding a subject as well as Pennington does - is so rare.

Having read almost every single book available in the narrow field that covers these Soviet women, I belive this book sets the new benchmark.

If only history could always be communicated like this!

For most Americans World War II is John Wayne, Tom Hanks, D-Day, and Pearl Harbor. The plucky British gave a hand now and then and the ungrateful French needed us once more to pull their goose-fat from the fire. Oh yes, it snowed a lot on the Eastern Front. Yet, more than a cursory examination of the Second World War shows even first year history students that the Atlantic Theatre was very much a Russo-German War, with the Western Front playing a secondary role. The Russian story of the Great Patriotic War has not imprinted itself on the American popular imagination. Even less known is the role played in that great struggle by Russia's women.

Over 800,000 women served their Motherland in World War II, nearly 200,000 of them decorated. 89 of those women eventually received Russia's highest award, the Hero of the Soviet Union. Reina Pennington's book tells the story of Russia's airwomen during World War II with the passion of a best selling novel. Yet, the well documented footnotes and thorough Appendix attest to the research that has gone into this scholarly work.

Pennington's book focuses on three female regiments formed by Soviet hero, Marina Raskova, but also gives insight into women who served in mostly male regiments. She provides a gripping account that will satisfy those hearing about the USSR's airwomen for the first time, as well as adding new information about command struggles within the fighter regiment.

The story of 46th Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment, staffed through the entire war completely with women pilots, navigators, mechanics and commanding officers, makes any current debates about the suitability of women in combat seem like a convocation of the flat earth society. These women settled that debate long ago. Pennington quotes Soviet test pilot and HSU Mark Gallai on what it was like for the women bombers to fly their missions in the outdated biplanes to which they were assigned:

"It means coming under fire from anti-aircraft weapons of every calibre...it means enemy night fighters, blinding searchlights and often bad weather, too; low cloud, fog, snow, ice, and gales that throw a light aircraft from one wingtip to the other...all this in a Po-2, which is small, slow and as easily set alight as a match."

Yet, these women, averaging 5-15 flights a night(more in the winter, less in the summer), surviving on 2-4 hours of sleep a day for four years, managed to fly over 24,000 sorties, drop 23,000 tons of bombs, and account for 23 Hero of the Soviet Union awards.

Up to this point English language readers interested in the heroic stories of these women have had the excellent works of Kazimiera Cottam ("Women in Air War," "Women in War and Resistance")and the interesting interviews conducted by Anne Noggle ("A Dance with Death"). Yet, as important as these works are, none attempts to tell the story of Soviet airwomen as a complete narrative. Pennington weaves the individual tales of these women into a fabric that is compelling in its humanity. Hers is the story of ordinary women in extraordinary times who achieved what today seems impossible. They gave the full measure of their devotion in a valiant fight that deserves to be known. Reina Pennington's "Wings, Women, & War" does honor and justice to the stories of these women.

This is an important book which dispells the usual misconceptions about women in combat in general and Soviet airwomen's contribution in particular. The chapter on Soviet women fighter pilots is especially valuable. Through personal interaction with several surviving former members of the 586th Fighter Regiment, especially its second permanent commander Aleksandr Gridnev, Pennington has gained a lot of inside knowledge pertaining to this regiment, the most controversial of the three combat units formed by Marina Raskova, the "Soviet Amelia Earhart." This reader was surprised to encounter six misspelled Russian and Ukrainian place names in the book. In addition, the name of the first chief of staff in the 125th "M.M. Raskova" Borisov Dive Bomber Regiment has been rendered as "Militsiya Kazarinova" instead of "Militsa Kazarinova." However, these misspellings can still be corrected using an errata slip affixed to the inside of the back cover of the book.

As has become more recently of common knowledge, thousands of minor German Jews left Germany to spend the war, and in many cases the rest of their lives, in Great Britain and elsewhere with foster families, and at times, in group homes. This was the subject of an award-winning documentary recently.

The other side of this story--the story of German and other youths and the course of the war on their developemnt and life histories has almost been a subject of PC silence, lest the "suffering" of Germans or children of Nazis be considered with versimilitude. This book proves these issues must be discussed and considered--they affect geopolitics today as much as they did in the 1930s and 1940s until the German reunification.

Some of the issues invovled--protecting young Germans from the young "criminal element"--those youngsters being the seeds of the Third Reich post-war. Also important became protecting children during the RAF by night and USAAF by day bombing of German cities. As H. Goering said early in the war, should Berline be bombed, "you can call me Meier." Well, by 1940, some people were doing just so--quietly.

Nicholas Stargardt uses his excellent understanding of German to bring as a truly deep and unique perspective into the young lives of children in the Reich, reminding us that FORTY PERCENT of men born in German in 1920 were dead by 1945. This is even more astounding than the currently fashionable debate about the incendiary bombing and casualties at Dresden.

I believe it is long overdue that the effects of the war on Germans as well as the millions of Jews, Christians, Sinti and Roman, criminals, and enemies of the state be considered worthy of scholarly study. I also feel this book has set a standard to meet--including some of the most revealing photographs of childrens' art and children DOING art that I have yet seen. A masterpiece of scholarship!

WITNESSES OF WAR: CHILDREN'S LIVES UNDER THE NAZIS is a riveting, involving survey which uses original material from children's schoolwork, diaries, letters from evacuation camps and more to recreate the child perception and experience during the war. Many of these children had to take over when parents couldn't: their stories provide a different perspective on the effects of life under the Nazis, and should be added to the chronicles of any serious Holocaust representation.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This book was one of many I have read about Nazi inhumanity. The difference is that this one was centered on children. I was so astonished to read about the cruel and inhumane way the Nazis treated their own children that did not "conform" to the current political climate. My question, after reading this book is, are the traits that the German people seem to have had during the Nazi period part of the human condition, or part of Europe, or part of the first part of the 20th century, or what?? Is it in all of us to act and react as the people described in this book? This book is a MUST READ for anyone trying to understand the authoritarian, parochial and nationalistic actions of the Nazis and all Germans during the third reich.

Mr. Stargardt brilliantly explores how Nazi rule affected the lives of children of all nationalities in wartime Europe during WWII. Through extensive research, the author shows how children thought and acted when faced with horrific experiences. Great historical writing and not a dull paragraph therein.

This is an excellent study of the affect World War II had on children, both German and their oppressed contemporaries in other countries. It's certainly most poignant when discussing the Jewish children, who were the ones who bore the brunt of the evils of the Nazi regime. There were also the so-called "sub-humans" (to the Nazis), the children of Poland, Russia, Czechoslovakia and others, whose fate, in some instances, was as terrible as the Jews. It's a very sad book, but an important one for us to realize that war has a most profound affect on the youngest of us, who have no say in what occurrs around them, or in what happens to them. What impressed me the most was the feeling of "victimhood" that the German people, young and old, adopted after the War. They knew, in many cases, that the Jews were being exterminated, but it didn't appear to bother them until the war, in all its horror, reached them where they lived. I grieve for the bad things that happened to the children of both sides, but assuming the mantle of victim by the Germans really is pushing sympathy to the breaking point. I won't say that I feel that they deserved what happened to them, what intelligent person would, but there is "war guilt" that was ignored right after the war, and only in the late 60s did the country as a whole own up to its responsibility. Better late than never, I suppose.

A great tool for any collector of British Army WW II military uniforms and equipment. I would be lost without it.

A great book for uniform buffs, lots of colour pictures. Plenty of equipment shown, although text is generally (as per the books title)related to uniforms. Captions are concise but to have expanded on them would have undoubtedly reduced the number of photographs in the book and as they say a picture is worth a thousand words. THE WW11 Brit uniform book.

Tremendous photographs and informative text, undoubtedly the best reference yet knocks spots of anything else on the market. Unfortunatly it is limited to Europe although this does not detract from an otherwise very good book for collectors and re-enactors. What next lads?

The work consists mostly of large format photographs of reenactors wearing original clothing and kit of the period. (Overall size of about 8 by 10 inches.) It goes much beyond anything else I have seen except the two volume set by Jean Bouchery (c.f.) and includes not just the ordinary battle dress worn by Tommy Atkins and his officers but the specialized kit of parachutists, mountain troops (cold weather gear), motorcyclists, and other unusual garb.
Many of the plates are done in the fashion of the French magazine Militaria which is a highly useful source as well.
Not only is ithis work an identification source; it also has some developmental history and organigrammes of front line tactical units.

I have literally memorized this book as I have poured over the pictures contained within attempting to gain a grasp of what items were used doing the period. The extent of detail in the pictures is astounding. My only negative critiques are that some rare items are only given a single photo (officer's valise and wire cutters/web pouch) and that the captions do not go into enough detail and background of many items. (I.E., the officer's valise, info on binoculars, and different manufacturers of clothing and web gear.) While I will DEFINATELY purchase their future volume on North Africa and SE Asia, I hope they go into more detail of non-uniform items. This book is a great gift idea and should be on the shelf of any WWII British militaria collector/historian's library.

A Year Of Sundays: Taking The Plunge (and Our Cat) To Explore Europe is the personal travelogue account of Edward Webster who, along with Marguerite, his legally blind wife of 28 years, and his 16-year-old cat, toured France, Holland, Austria, Greece, Italy, and Spain much in a manner reminecent of the "Grand Tours" of the 19th century upper classes. Zest and passion bring to life the sights and sounds of the world, recounting a one-of-a-kind travel experience that deepened their relationship and enriched their lives. From shopkeepers so captivated by Marguerite they encourate her to touch and experience everything, to the comfortable indolence of a cat who sees every place as home, to the quiet vibrancy of medieval-style villages and much more, A Year Of Sundays is an extraordinary and captivating journey following adventures both without and within.

This is a love story - love of travel, food, adventure, a very special cat, and a very special couple. Arm-chair travelling with Ed, Marguerite and Felicia refreshed my memory of travelling through Europe with my true love over 12 years ago. Ed made me feel as though I was in the moment with them all - the sights, sounds and smells all came through. The trials and triumphs of travel in foreign countries made me laugh, cry and long to get back out on the road. This is a great book to share with friends who travel (especially those who'd like to take their furry friends along!)

A Year of Sundays is not only a travel journal; it is also a beautiful story of the love that can develop between two people. In the past, I have only traveled to Asian countries so I welcomed this opportunity to learn about traveling to Europe. What I did not expect is after reading A Year of Sundays, I would feel like I had already traveled to Europe on the heels of Edward and Marguerite.

Edward's use of description intermingled with dialogue presents a very balanced and readable story. It presents real life humor along with sadness and joy that comes from getting to know your true self. I felt virtually transformed to another place-really tasting, smelling, and feeling the environment of every place they visited.

The added plus is that you really get to know Edward and Marguerite, not as visitors to a faraway place, but as real and genuine people that you would love to know. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and look forward to reading his second book when it is published! Well done Mr.Webster!!!

A YEAR OF SUNDAYS by Edward G. Webster is a must read for not only those who are planning to strike out on an extended stay in a foreign country but also for those who have imagined striking out on their own but never really thought it could be a possibility. Ed relates his year long journey through Europe with his wife Marguerite and cat Felicia from Paris to the Netherlands, Brittany, Austria, Italy, Greece, and Spain in a most informative and entertaining way. The reader quickly finds the Webster's adventure to have several uncommon aspects: traveling with a pet in Europe, staying within a budget of $100 per day on lodging, food and entertainment for the whole year abroad, and, most important, the fact that Marguerite is blind. Marguerite's blindness adds a dimension to the book that you will not find in any other book on travel. The interaction between Marguerite, Ed, and Felicia to communicate what they experience in each their own way makes the reader aware of new ways to grasp the essence of travel through senses and feelings not often used by the average traveler. This all seems to heighten and expand aspects of the places visited and create a new awareness of other ways to experience life in another country or culture. Just as Ed describes how he closes his eyes during a concert at Notre Dame Cathedral so that he does not just see and hear the concert in a beautiful cathedral but feels as Marguerite feels the sound fill the cathedral and echo off the stone pillars, bringing the building to life and filling the evening "with so much more than just sound." The senses of sound, smell, touch, taste become additives to the travel adventure, and the traveler who relies mainly on what they are seeing is more handicapped in grasping the essence of the place than Marguerite without her sight. The book also gives the reader descriptions of out of the way places that have unique character in their surroundings, food, and citizens. The reader can not help wanting to taste the delicious pannenkoekens (pancakes) of Holland after Ed's narration or walk along the cliffs of Brittany experiencing the smells and sounds of the ocean clashing with the land or taste the wine, bread, cheese, olives, and lasagna served up by the owner of a little grocery in Costafabbri, Italy. But the book also gives a realistic look at the downside of traveling for a long time on one's own in a foreign country. The book relates those periods where loneliness sets in because of not speaking the language and longing for contact with family and friends as well as not knowing what lies ahead when they move to another country. The reader can not help but realize the importance of having people and animals by your side that you love at times like this. I found I could not help but be pulled along vicariously with the Webster's year of Sundays throughout Europe. The couple's love for each other, Felicia their cat, world culture, and life comes through loud and clear. Though Ed is the writer, the essence of this book is enhanced by the Marguerite's insights and feelings. Telling themselves that they were right to seize the day and take off on the year long trip, Ed and Marguerite toast Ed's dad saying, "If he hadn't died young, I might not have been smart enough to take the year off in the first place", and then ending with "And to celebrating life!", which is what their book is all about.

I have been plowing my way through a vast number of travel narratives (as opposed to guidebooks) in the last year, and this book is up at the top.

I've found that when reading about someone's personal experiences in a foreign country, what makes or breaks the book for me is whether the writer is someone I "like." Does the author come across as a person that I would enjoy having in my living room -- showing me travel photos and telling me about his or her experiences?

Some books (Under the Tuscan Sun and A Thousand Days in Tuscany, for example) have failed miserably using this criterion. The writers have struck me as people I would enjoy throwing across the room (or out the door). In this book, A Year of Sundays, the opposite is happily true. The Websters (and their cat) are totally endearing. Although normally I find it a bit off-putting when childless couples treat their pet as a substitute child, in this case I found the relationship between the humans and their cat, Felicia, both poignant and totally understandable. The deep love shared between Ed and his blind wife and the bond that they have with their feline companion is touching and convincing.

Yes, this is a travel book. Read at just that level, it's a great introduction to a number of European points of interest. It's a particularly good companion to the Rick Steves' PBS series, since the Websters visit many of the places that he has covered (visually) in his shows. But it's more than a travel book. It's also a love story -- between husband and wife, and between couple and cat. It's a story of disability -- not conquered, but coped with -- and of human courage and commitment. It's one of the best books I've read this year.

I have hundreds of cookbooks and dozens which contain Jewish and Yiddish recipes. This is the only Jewish cookbook I need! I purchased the book several years ago for my friends who are Parisian Jews and were having a difficult time finding Ashkenazi cookbooks in the Paris book shops. I have since purchased copies for myself and other friends. No matter the recipe I select, it is just like my Grandmother and Great Grandmother had prepared it! My father and cousins love everything I have prepared from this book. Even the simple recipes like the lokshen kugel with schmaltz is just like Bubbe made! The explanations are wonderful and I oft times find myself reading it just for the sake of enjoyment!

Many thanks for such a superb cookbook! It has brought a bit of nostalgia to my family table.

All recipes we have tried - and we have tried many - are excellent. The directions are detailed and the results are superb. Some recipes, the Bialysrtock-Style latkes, have become our family favorites.

Did your family eat prakke, holishkes, golobtzes, huloptches, or just staffed cabbage?? Read this book and learn what this means about your family's history. This book is complete. Let me put it this way; there are 22 noodle-kugel-lokshen recipes and 7, count them, 7 recipes for chicken soup in this definitive book of classic Ash-kenazic Jewish cuisine. He includes maps of the Yiddish speaking areas of Europe and a pronunciation guide. Not only is the book filled with recipes and Yiddish aphorisms, but the author analyzes the history of the Jews through their language and cuisine. For exmaple, in his analysis of Lithuania and Northern Poland (an area known as Litteh), the popular herbs are understated dill and sorrel. Salmon and herring were the fishes used, and the starch was potato. Thus Jews from the area made the best potato kugels. But for non-potato breads, the best Jewish area was the Ukraine, which perfected black breads, challahs and bagels. Beet borsht eaters were mainly in the Ukraine, fruit soup eaters were in Litteh. Get the idea? If your gefilte fish was peppery, think Litteh; if it was sugar sweet, think Galitzia and southern Poland and Hungary. Either way... u have good cooking ahead for u with this book

This is a wonderful cookbook -- both for the recipes and for the rich cultural heritage it paints. We got this book half price a long time ago and liked it so much, we bought 8 more copies to give to friends and relatives. It's really that good.

This book doesn't have the glossy pictures or fancy covers that you often see in cookbooks these days, but the content is superb. The recipes are beautiful, and strike me as authentic. The best part of the book, though, are the stories the author writes that put the food into the context of Ashkenazi Jewish culture. As a non-Jew, I found Sternberg's stories and sidebars both fascinating and intimate. I've other books on Jewish food, and this is the only one I use regularly.

Overall a very good book and a very scholarly work. The book's Introduction provides us a brief insight into O'Donnell's motive for embarking on this work:

This book ... is my answer to a question I've heard countless times in the past: Where can I find a book about the history of the Irish in America that is both accurate and accessible? My goal has been to write just such a book --- a fun yet factual look at the people and events that have marked Irish American history. I've brought to this task an inclusive approach that recognizes that Irish Americans always been characterized by an extraordinary diversity --- from religion to politics to class and identity. My inclusive approach has likewise led me to chronicle not simply the triumphs of Irish Americans, but also their failures.

I feel that in 1001 THINGS ..., O'Donnell met his goal!

I'm a regular reader of O'Donnell's weekly Hibernian Chronicle column in the Irish Echo. So his "easy to read and understand" writing style comes as no surprise to me. But the other user friendly features are: A sensible organization of 10 chapters; about 175 illustration or photographs; numbered entries, and a good index. Indeed the book is "accurate and accessible," and provides a handy reference to answer questions. Not only questions raised by others, but also questions that arise in one's mind while reading news accounts, books, watching films, etc.

I always rely on reading to reduce the ardors of travel. I001 THINGS ... is a perfect travel book. The individually numbered entries, in a flexible paperback book, are very compatible with "stop and go" reading in an airport terminal or in flight --- particularly in the 'hurry up and wait" environment of these post 9-11 days.

And the price? I purchased several copies because the price is reasonable, and it makes a great gift item. I generally trust my judgement. If I enjoy a book, the recipient of my gift probably will too.

I've read many reviews of 1001 THINGS ... All have been favorable. Overall I share that assessment.

But I'm a little disappointed about the omission of some notables.

The McCourts --- Frank, Malachy, and one or two other brothers we have yet to hear from --- are not mentioned. I first thought that perhaps O"Donnell only included personages no longer with us. But this doesn't appear to be the case. Live personages such as Michael Flatley, Jean Butler, The Berrigan brothers, and Ted Kennedy make the pages of 1000 THINGS ...

Then there is the omission of General O'Reilly, the second Spanish Governor of Louisiana. Yes, I was surprised too. Spain also ruled Louisiana. And a man with the decidedly Hispanic-Hibernian name of Alejandro O'Reilly was the second Spanish Governor of Louisiana. Indeed an interesting career in politics in the new world, for a descendant of a "Wild Geese" family.

The most unfortunate omission is the Healy family. In the early 1800s, Michael Healy, an Irish-born Georgia planter, purchased Mary Eliza, a mixed-race slave. Laws during the slavery era prohibited interracial marriages, but Michael and Mary Eliza carried out their family life as husband and wife. Their union produced 10 children. Three brothers entered the priesthood ---

James Healy was the first black American to be ordained a Roman Catholic priest. He later became Bishop of Portland Maine (certainly another first), where he provided distinguished leadership in pastoral work, education, social advocacy, and public welfare.

Sherwood Healy reportedly received a doctorate in Canon Law from the North American College in Rome in 1860.

Patrick Healy was ordained as a Jesuit priest, going on to serve as Georgetown University's prefect of studies from 1868 to 1878, and its president from 1873 to 1881 ---- the first African-American president of a predominantly white university. Healy Hall, one of Georgetown's major buildings is named in his honor.

Unlike his brothers, Michael Healy did not embark on an ecclesiastical career. He ultimately joined the US Revenue Service, the forerunner of today's US Coast Guard. He mostly served in the waters of Alaska, attaining the rank of Captain and the Commanding Officer of the BEAR. The Coast Guard icebreaker, HEALY, is named in his honor.

We know little of the remaining Healy children except that three of the girls became nuns, with one of them attaining the rank of Mother Superior of her order.

Indeed the Healys were a distinguished Irish - American family.

Aside from the omissions, 1001 THINGS ... is still a good book. I hope that O'Donnell will address the omissions with a future sequel to 1001 THINGS. Perhaps a suitable title might be ANOTHER 1001 THINGS EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT IRISH AMERICAN HISTORY. In the meantime, I'll keep distributing the current version as suitable gifts to friends.

Irish immigrants have played central roles in defining the American character and identity, sharing their history and resources for generations. 1001 Things Everyone Should Know About Irish American Historys provides lively, concise surveys of Irish-American experiences, including both ancient Irish history and religion to modern surveys of Irish lives. A historical timeline format by topic allows readers quick and easy access to Irish facts, biographies of notable figures, and events.

With this terrific book, O'Donnell has scored that rare hat trick of historical writing: 1001 Things Everyone Should Know About Irish-American History is researched thoroughly, organized expertly, and presented with a voice that will keep the rapt attention of both the historian and layperson.... [The full text of this review appears on [Another Site]]

This is a very large well organized book about Irish Americans through history. There are many small articles about various people, organizations and historic events. St. Patrick's day and it's parades are well covered here, as is appropriate at this time. Listed also are: all presidents with Irish ancestry, Irish American politicians, inventors, war heroes, and just about anything interesting that concerns the Irish. A St. Pat's Day must read!!!

I was able to borrow a copy from a friend. Now I think I may buy this book. The contributions of the Irish to our culture are so much wider and more meaningful that the trite and distorted leprachauns leaping around on St. Patrick's Day! And usually drunk at that. This book, written in a crisp and clear style, provides a refutation of that stereotype. It should be of interest to a much wider audience. Worth the money and time.

This was a book I found hard to put down, and is probably one of the best books on the Anglo-Saxons and specifically the Battle of Hastings that I have ever read.
Maclynn's attention to sources, and critical analysis of those sources, is excellent. And I found the chapters covering each of the main protaganists illuminating. Covering the behind the scene machinations shows just how much Harold II had to contend with, how great a king he would have been had he not been killed, and the great disservice that has been done to him historically simply because the Normans were victorious.
You very much get the feeling as to who the victors of this battle should have been, the Anglo-Saxons, and it was so very close too.

We have a tendency to view people of long ago as simple in their lives and politics. This well researched and written book opens the door to an age much more rich in the scope and depth of its political intrigue and subsequent warfare. In setting the stage for the climactic battles of Stamford Bridge and Hastings, Frank McLynn takes us back thru a generation of tangled politics, alliances made and broken, power won and lost. He details the long relationship between the Godwins and Edward the Confessor, King of England but beset on many sides by powerful enemies. McLynn sketches the life of Harald Hardrada, who served lords of Kiev and Byzantium before becoming ruler of Norway. And he shows how William, Duke of Normandy consolidated his power and administration in preparation for the invasion of England. In the process McLynn puts a critical eye on his sources, recognizing that they may have been written to enhance the reputation of the winners rather than with a strict eye to truth. And he isn't afraid to say that some things we'll just have to assume or guess, because the sources are so scant, so obscure or unbelievable. This is not my favorite period of history, but I found this book most readable and reasonable, and the story very absorbing. A very fine job.

Mclynn's book is the clearest and most profound of the many which have centred on the events of 1066. The background into the three 'big men' involved (Harald Hardrada, king of Norway, Harold Godwinson,Earl of Wessex and King of England, and William Duke of Normandy) is extensive, but written with real sense of the demands of narrative. This is not a dry academic treatise. It is a well paced, yet thoroughly researched book. I especially liked how he went deeply into the political machinations of the time. These were not simple people. They were canny, shrewd, calculating, and Mclynn exposes the dealing and double dealing that went along with magnate status in the eleventh century. He tackles several historical traditions and beats the snot out of them, Harold's death by arrow in the eye being one. An immensely readable book,and one of the most well thumbed in my collection

I cannot praise this slim volume too highly as a resource for the study of the 11th century in upper Europe. Dr. McLynn is a superb writer, balancing the need for exhaustive details and character insights with a narrator's gift for storytelling. Focusing on the three major players of the invasion of England in 1066, William of Normandy, Harald Hardrada, and Harold Godwinson, he not so much writes concerning the actual battles of 1066 as about what led to them, leading the reader on an epic journey through political intrigues and lavish landscapes, from Norway to Byzantium. And if he uses the word "contumaciously" far too often, one can forgive him in favour of the grandeur of the tale.

What I especially admire is that McLynn has no fear of discounting or disagreeing with popular impressions. His take on 1066: the housecarls' favoured weapon was not the double-headed axe (although they used it), but the pike, of which they had many varieties; Harold was not killed by an arrow to the eye; the supposed superiority of the Norman military engine versus that of Anglo-Saxon England was nonexistant, as seen in Harold's 1063 war that brutally smashed the feared Welsh. These tidbits and more await the reader of this highly recommended work.

In this impressive volume, Professor McLynn takes the reader through not only the crucial year of 1066, but the decades preceeding this fateful year, slowly building a picture that shows the early medieval period as a vibrant and often chaotic period, rich in political intrigue, economic uncertainty, and devastating military undertakings.

Unlike many books that use 1066 as the centrepiece, McLynn doesn't use a chronological narative, rather he uses the personalities of time to tell his tale and explain his conclusions (many of which run counter to the common understanding of the period).

Particularly insightful for this reviewer was his analysis of Harald Hardrada; as well as the analysis of the Saxon vs. Norman fighting methods and warfighting equipment. Most interesting though was McLynn's dispelling of the myth of the 'arrow through the eye' for Harold Godwinson, arguing instead that Harold was literally assissinated by a group of knights hand-picked by William toward the conclusion of the Battle of Hastings.

The final element that McLynn uses to support his arguments is that of logistics. His method is reminescent of how Hans Delbrück makes sense of the fantastical claims associated with the size of ancient armies. McLynn clearly shows that Napoleon's dictum that an 'army marches on its stomach' couldn't be more true.

This book is a great read for any person even remotely interested in these pivotal events that defined the future of England and also for the serious student of the early medieval period.

Enjoy.

IF you value Irish history, this book will take you into the modern turning point in Ireland. It is a fact filled (if not a tad dry) historical telling of one of the island country's defining moments.
Prepare to tune out distraction and let yourself get absorbed. It is a serious read, and if you are of Irish heritage, requisite.

TIM PAT COOGAN'S BOOK IS THE BEST BOOK ABOUT THE UPRISING FROM A FACTUAL AND ANALYTICAL BASIS. THIS IS THE BOOK TO START WITH. THAT SAID, LET US DRAW SOME LESSONS FROM THIS KEY STRUGGLE OF EUROPEON HISTORY AND LOOK AT A KEY LEADER.

A word. They tell a story about James Connolly that just before the start of action in Easter, 1916 he told the members of the Irish Citizen's Army (almost exclusively workers, by the way) that if the uprising was successful to keep their guns handy. More work with them might be necessary against the nationalist allies of the moment organized as the Irish Volunteers. The Volunteers were mainly a petty bourgeois formation and had no intention of fighting for a Socialist Republic. True story or not, I think that gives a pretty good example of the strategy and tactics to be used in colonial and third world struggles by the working class. Would that the Chinese Communists in the 1920's and other colonial and third world liberation fighters since then had paid heed to that strategic concept.

A word on the Easter Uprising. The easy part of analyzing the Uprising is the knowledge, in retrospect, that it was not widely supported by people in Ireland and militarily defeated by the British forces send in main force to crush it and therefore doomed to failure. Still easier is to criticize the strategy and tactics of the action and of the various actors, particularly in underestimating the British Empire's frenzy to crush any opposition to its main task of victory in World War I. Although, I think that would be a point in the uprising's favor under the theory that England's (or fill in the blank) woes were Ireland's (or fill in the blank) opportunities. The hard part is to draw any positive lessons of that national liberation experience for the future. If nothing else remember this though, and unfortunately the Irish national liberation fighters (and other national liberation fighters later, including later Irish revolutionaries) failed to take this into account in their military calculations, the British (or fill in the blank) were entirely committed to defeating the uprising including burning that colonial country to the ground if need be in order to maintain control. In the final analysis, it was not their metropolitan homeland, so the hell with it. Needless to say, British Labor's position was almost a carbon copy of His Imperial Majesty's. Labor leader Arthur Henderson could barely contain himself when informed that James Connolly had been executed. That should, even today, make every British militant blush with shame. Unfortunately, the demand for British militants and others today is the same as then- All British Troops Out of Ireland.

In various readings I have come across a theory that the Uprising was the first socialist revolution in Europe, predating the Bolshevik Revolution by over a year. Unfortunately, there is little truth to that idea. Of the Uprising's leaders, only James Connolly was devoted to the socialist cause. Moreover, while the Irish Volunteers and the Irish Citizen Army were prototypical models for urban- led national liberation forces such organizations, as we have witnessed in later history, are not inherently socialistic. The dominant mood among the leadership was in favor of political independence and/or fighting for a return to a separate traditional Irish cultural hegemony. Let poets rule the land. As outlined in the famous Proclamation of the Republic posted on the General Post Office in Dublin, Easter Monday, 1916 the goal of the leadership appeared to be something on the order of a society like those fought for in the European Revolutions of 1848, a left bourgeois republic. Some formation on the order of the Paris Commune of 1871 or the Soviet Commune of 1917 did not figure in the political calculations at that time.

As noted above, James Connolly clearly was skeptical of his erstwhile comrades on the subject of the nature of the future state and apparently was prepared for an ensuing class struggle following the establishment of a republic. That does not mean that revolutionary socialists could not support such an uprising. On the contrary, Lenin, who was an admirer of Connolly for his anti-war stance in World War I, and Trotsky stoutly defended the uprising against those who derided the Easter Rising for involving bourgeois elements. Participation by bourgeois and petty bourgeois elements is in the nature of a national liberation struggle. The key, which must be learned by militants today is who leads the national liberation struggle and on what program. As both Lenin and Trotsky made clear later in their own revolutionary experiences in Russia revolutionary socialists have to lead other disaffected elements of society to overthrow the existing order. There is no other way in a heterogeneous class-divided society. Moreover, in Ireland, the anti-imperialist nature of the action against British imperialism during wartime on the socialist principle that the defeat of your own imperialist overlord, as a way to open the road to the struggle merited support on that basis. Chocky Ar La.

This book is a to the point informative guide to the events leading up to and during the Insurection. It is non partison for the most part and also talks about modern develpments on events in Ireland. I think this is a great book for anyone who wants a basic knowledge of the Easter Rebellion.

As early as September, 1914, the supreme council of the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) had decided that an insurrection would take place in Ireland while Britain was preoccupied fighting Germany. Easter Monday, April 24, 1916, was the chosen day for the planned rebellion, which would involve slightly less than 2,000 IRB members and militia, including about 100 women from the Cumann na mBan (women's branch) of the Irish Volunteers. These brave women served as nurses, couriers, and secretaries. Although many other areas of Ireland were supposed to take part in the rebellion, lack of communication between the Irish leaders resulted in the insurrection being largely confined to Dublin.

In the Dublin area, 2,500 British soldiers were stationed, but within 48 hours they were reinforced by 2,000 troops from England who landed at Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire) harbour. Also, there were 9,500 armed members of the Royal Irish Constabulary (R.I.C.) that were available. Against these odds, the Irish rebels never stood a chance, and on Saturday, April 29, the rebel leaders held a council of war and decided to surrender unconditionally.

It is estimated that during the week of fighting, the rebels lost about 1,350 people killed or wounded, while aprox. 1,214 civilians were killed or wounded. The official British army casualty list gave a total of 516 officers and men killed, wounded, or missing. 16 leaders of the rebellion were court-martialled and executed by the British. During and immediately after the Easter Rising, the Irish population was largely against the rebels, because many Irish men were serving in the British army in France and thus the rebels were viewed as traitors. But the public opinion drastically shifted in favor of the rebels following the executions.

Michael Collins, who survived the rebellion, said afterwards,"It appeared at the time of the surrender to have failed, but that valiant effort and the martyrdoms that followed it finally awoke the sleeping spirit of Ireland." Padraic Pearse, one of the top leaders of the Irish rebels, said at his court-martial,"We seem to have lost. We have not lost. To refuse to fight would have been to lose. To fight is to win."

This gripping book tells the story of the tragic Easter Rising like no other, and Tim Pat Coogan has proved himself to be one of the best writers on Ireland's "Troubled Times". This book is an absolute must for anyone interested in Irish history!

Not the same-old, same-old wordy, dry and painful Coogan we've come to know and expect. Concise, succinct and absolutely brilliant. Some of his very finest work details the events surrounding the events of the 1916 rising. This is really a must read and in the current hard cover addition a must-have for any serious student/collector of the troubles. An investment that will no doubt pay dividends.

My husband and I are stationed in Germany. He was so excited to learn that a book like this existed (dismayed he couldnt buy it at his local bookstore!) and was a little kid when it arrived. He's planning MWR trips for our fellow soldiers/families to learn/see more of historical WW2 sites. This book does not put itself out as a historical writing, only one that has coordinated and organized WW2 sites in such a way that a novice or buff can find the sites and learn more. While it ranks the sites (Holocaust sites are not ranked as they could never be stratified against another historical moment in time) it does so based on the ability of one to find the site, location, physical identifiers and the learning possibilities of that site. They do amplify the travel elements with historical facts for the reader to further support their choices.

Great book!

When I have visited Civil War battlefields from Gettysburg to Shiloh I have brought along the respective volumes from the Time-Life Civil War series as a convenient way of recalling what happened. While nowhere as nearly profusely illustrated, Chuck Thompson has put together an excellent guide to "The 25 Best World War II Sites: European Theater" for those who are traveling to the Continent and want to see the best sites. This holds true whether they are brought by memories of serving in World War II, to see where relatives fought during the war, or simply to see the realities behind movies like "The Longest Day" or "Saving Private Ryan" (in fact, Thompson makes a point of referencing dramatizations like "Band of Brothers" and other standard WWII fare).

The goal of this guide is to direct travelers in Europe to those places of greatest importance interest with regards to World War II. Thompson's subjective rankings were determined by judging sites on the basic of three equally weighted qualities: (1) their historical significance; (2) the amount and quality of relics or points of interest remaining at a given site; and (3) the merits of each site as a travel destination, its services, natural beauty and general desirability independent of its association with the war. Consequently, Stalingrad and the Battle of the Bulge make the cut whereas Dieppe and Dunkirk do not, with London, Paris and Rome having an inherent advantage over locales that are not cosmopolitan capitals.

The results of this tabulation is as follows: (1) Normandy I: Utah, Omaha Beaches; (2) Normandy II: Gold, Juno, Sword Beaches; (3) London; (4) Auschwitz-Birkenau; (5) Bastogne: Battle of the Bulge I; (6) Belgium/Luxembourg: Battle of the Bulge II; (7) Pas de Calais; (8) Berlin; (9) Washington, D.C.; (10) South Coast of England; (11) Cassino; (12) Paris; (13) Moscow; (14) Normandy III: The Breakout; (15) Munich; (16) Nuremberg; (17) East Anglia; (18) Volgograd (Stalingrad); (19) Norway; (20) Netherlands: Operation Market-Garden; (21) Rome; (22) Remagen/Eifel Region; (23) Anzio; (24) Kursk; and (25) Auxiliary Sites, which lists everything from the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam to the National D-Day Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana, with the likes of Hitler's birthplace, the Museum of the Great Patriotic War, the Maginot Line, Berchtesgarden, the Medinat el-Alamein War Museum and the Treblinka Concentration Camp in between. This last chapter is arranged by country, so if you happen to be in the Balkans, Finland, Italy, Malta, or pretty much any other European nation, Thompson gives you an indication of what there is to see.

For each of these sites Thompson lists the individual points of interest in the area, provides detailed histories and maps of the sites, and gives direction to everything from monuments and city museums to landing beaches and battlefields. The points of interested are rated from ***** (major site, must visit) to * (only if you have time or special interest), although Thompson wisely refrains from rating Holocaust sites. He also emphasizes in his introduction that these ratings are not meant to judge the relative importance of a battle or of the lives lost there, but to indicate the relative value to a tourist. He also provides an interesting perspective by noting that a visitor will notice that nations like England and Russia weave the mythology of the historic conflict into their national identities in decidedly different ways. However, the main concern here is the utility of this guide for visitors to any of these cites.

For example, in the first chapter devoted to the Utah and Omaha beaches in Normandy, we begin with a description of what happened there during the war year (with a short list of sources and other readings), and a map showing 21 numbered sites. After a brief description of Normandy Today, Thompson goes through those 21 sites, where the Utah Beach/Museum, Point du Hoc/Range Memorial, National Guard Memorial/Bunkers, Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, and U.S. 1st Division Monument/Omaha Beach are the five-star rated sites. Cherbourg is listed as one of the Related Sites Beyond Utah and Omaha, while the Bayeux Tapestry is one of the Other Area Attractions. Thompson also covers Getting To/Around Normandy and Accommodations in the area (e.g., Hotel Du Juin 6).

There are several pages of color photographs included to give you an idea of what there is to see, including the Fuhrer's rostrum at Nuremberg, Patton's grave in Luxembourg, Longues Battery at Normandy, the Gate of Death at Auschwitz-Birkenaur, and the Flour Mill in Volgograd. The number of people who will have the opportunity to see most of these sites is going to be relatively small, but even if all you get to see are a handful of sites in various locations, this is still a worthwhile investment. It can also help you determine what you should see, both in terms of desire and opportunity (for example, getting to Poland to see Auschwitz-Birkenaur might be impractical, but there are, of course, camps throughout eastern Europe, from Dachau west of Munich and Bergen-Belsen outside Bergen to Natzweiler-Struthof in France.

The chapter on Washington, D.C. does show that there are some things to see on this side of the Atlantic, but also speaks to the utility of a European visitor coming here to see World War II related sites as well. Yes, there is a companion volume for "The 25 Best World War II Sites: Pacific Theater" by Thompson, which obviously covers a larger area geographically. But it should provide the same level of utility as this book.

Being stationed overseas has allowed us to travel quite a bit. There's much more out there than we thought! Definitely a good book to help you find WWII sites!
--Vicki Landes, author of "Europe for the Senses - A Photographic Journal"

[...]

Chuck Thompson has made something special here and I strongly recommend his book to the historically minded traveler. I graduated a semester early from Lehigh University and played the classic college-boy card: Backpacking Europe. My travels were excellent; thanks in part to "The 25 Best World War II Sites: European Theater." It is a thoughtful, thorough analysis of the magical relics of World War II. In addition, it is a superb travel guide. It encouraged me to see things I would not have seen, to go where I would never have gone. For the young American overseas, I can hardly imagine a more satisfying, paperback companion.

From the "Big 25-list," I went to the Normandy Beaches, twice, and to London, Auschwitz-Birkenau, Bastogne, Belgium/Luxembourg, Paris, Munich, Nuremberg, and Rome. When at these places, this book provided a plan of action based on Thompson's maps, directions, and rating system. In addition, Thompson's textual description of each area included both details and the wide picture, providing a compact history book for the weight-conscious backpacker. The obvious highlights, such as Normandy and Auschwitz, are well covered and worth visiting, but it is in the small, lesser-known areas where I felt the true value of this praise-worthy guide.

Let me highlight several places in particular that won me over:

*The Nazi Party Rally Grounds @ Nuremburg* - Germany's a big place and I may not have known where to go without this book. When I left Prague ahead of schedule, this small German town with the darkest of histories knocked me out. So much and so little remains from this mysterious lost time.

*Maginot Line @ Longuyon* - Yes, I walked 12 miles across the French countryside to hunt out these ancient forts. They were closed when I got there; however, this ranks among my best days. Make sure to check the "Auxiliary Sites" section!

*Patton's Grave @ Luxembourg* - On the same day as the Maginot Line. I walked 3 miles outside of Luxembourg at dusk to pay tribute to this great among Americans. I would have found none of these places without Thompson's book.

*Belgium* - The European nexus of both World Wars, this tiny country is thick with history. When in Brussels, travel outside the city center to the Royal Museum of the Army and Military History. Thank you, Jay Blitzer, for taking me to Liege. Before I close up, the town of Yper in Belgium is *the* place for WWI battle sites. I rented a bike there and had an unbelievable time.


In Thompson's introduction, he warns that, "Outside of major cities and a few noted exceptions, the only way to efficiently visit the battlefields and sites covered in this book is by car." On the other hand, an adventurous traveler can use this book with excellent results without a car. I did.

Here is my recommendation: go to Europe, use this book, and learn about human history. Take a Guidebook (Let's Go, Rough Guide, LonelyPlanet) and this book. I planned my trip using Rick Steves' Europe Through The Backdoor. These books will make a smooth trip, overall. Thompson's travel guide makes World War II battle sites approachable and memorable. A Thompson five-star site is a clear winner, hands down. I slapped myself for not realizing the value of Thompson's guide earlier in my trip. I missed Cassino, for example. When is my next vacation?

I thank the men and women whose sacrifices protected the world in the 1940s. For next trip, pack a Thompson-guide and travel Europe through history. May we always have such an easy way to pay our respects.

Since knowledge of anything older than the last generation of Pentium processor has gone the way of the dodo, this savvy book helps you get up to speed on a bunch of places that changed the course of world history. The names seem dimly familiar--Anzio, Bastogne, Cassino--but the stories of these major Euro battlefields are long gone, buried under a mountain of pop culture trivia. No more. This guide to the most intense hot spots of WWII brings back the heroics, the strategies--and the places themselves, because this is a travel book, not a textbook, with all the info needed to experience these settings first-hand: the military points of interest, local accommodations, transportation and other attractions in the area. It's the kind of information that falls between the cracks of travel guidebooks. Thompson does an excellent job of bringing this period vividly to life, with a slew of anecdotes and nuggets that kept this Vic Morrow-loving "Combat" fan immersed from Normandy to Kursk. Call it as cool as Cage, as comprehensive as Little John.

First of all it is clear why this is a good novel: the excellence of the writing, the palpable description of the sadness and loneliness of life as a spy and particularly a Russian spy in the 60's, and the feelings evoked for the emotional poverty of the Russians under Stalin and Malenkov and their progeny.

In many respects it approaches (but sadly misses) the characterization of Deaver's Willi Kohl in the unheralded but brilliant "Garden of Beasts" and of course the greatest of the Russian detectives, Arkady Renko particularly in Cruz Smith's recent (and fantastic) "Wolves Eat Dogs."

But Steinhauer seems to miss on the people surrounding Sev. We know right off the bat that he's been set up and the "why," like a good poker hand, is kept from us for many chapters. But the people surrounding Sev, his mother, Jan, Jan's wife, Colonel Cerney, all provide great opportunity for deeper analysis but instead we get a bunch of 3" by 5" card descriptions.

Likewise I really had no feelings for Sev. For example, C. W, Sughrue in James Crumley's "The Last Good Kiss" is an irritating, self-abusing protaganist. Couldn't stand the guy. If he lived next door I would move. But you have feelings for him. Ditto Bernard Samson of Len Deighton fame. But Sev is like your ex-sister in law's third husband that you see every Christmas 'OK. Who is this guy? What's he mean to me?'

I will read Steinhauer again (and again) because he is very talented. But 36 Yalta Boulevard was too fragmented and superficial. 4 stars. Larry Scantlebury

In 1966, Major Brano Sev is sent from his Communist nation to Vienna to uncover Code Name Gavrilo, a traitor leaking information to the West. However, the State Security Officer, who has replaced the murdered Kristina Urben, wakes up with amnesia in a park. He learns that the mission was accomplished, but upon disembarking the plane he is arrested for turning traitor too as his assistant Lochert painted quite a spin on what really happened in Vienna.

Brano lives due to the interactions of his former superior, Colonel Cerny. After six months in a factory, Cerny assigns Brano to visit his hometown of Bobrka to interrogate a possible defector Jan Soroka. Welcomed home by his mother, but no one else as everyone knows what he does for a living, Brano becomes the prime suspect in the murder of Jacob Bieneck. He does little to defend himself against the frame as he assumes this is his cover to enable him to learn the truth. Instead he finds himself back in Vienna wondering who besides Lochert betrayed him and why, but he believes that it is probably too late to prove he did not commit homicide.

This Cold War espionage thriller will remind the audience of the early works of LeCarre although the key protagonist is an Eastern block spy. Brano is a terrific protagonist as he follows orders to such a degree that he jeopardizes himself as he never considered that he was being set up until his forced return to Vienna in spite of Lochert's devastating misinformation campaign. Olen Steinhauer writes another fantastic tale. If you have not read him you are missing quite a suspense treat (see THE CONFESSION and BRIDGE OF SIGHS).

Harriet Klausner

Olen Steinhauer's Major Brano Sev is part of his Commmunist nation's security apparatus. He awakes in a Viennese park, remembering nothing, an Austrian policeman helping him up. Asked who he is, Sev produces a library card bearing the name Bernard Richter. Richter was murdered last night, but the Austrian policeman doesn't know this - and at the moment Sev remembers nothing, not even his name.

Thus begins the grim tale of this dedicated investigator, torturer and murderer, this agent of a people's republic whose life is devoted to protecting an oppressive regime where, the joke goes, there are only three classes: those in prison, those who have been in prison and those who will be in prison.

As Brano recalls who he is, he remembers that he was to murder Richter the night before, but can't recall if that was accomplished. He remembers as well that he is the intelligence rezident in Vienne for his nation. He makes his way back to a hotel that he headquartered in, having found the embassy riddled with bugs. His assistant shows up and tells him he must leave Austria immediately. At the airport, Austrian agents try to detain him. Escapting, he boards the flight, arrives in his native country and is immediately arrested, interrogated for months and eventually released to become an assembly line worker in some obscure factory, his career in the intelligence and security organs seemingly over.

Sound complex? It become far more so as Brano's mentor intervenes and he is sent to his home village to investigate a returned defector. The corpses and traitors start surfacing soon after Brano's arrival.

Steinhauer's plot is complex, His characters are rich and cover the carnival of nationalities and forces we expect in Cold War Austria. Brano is the center of something, but we never find out what until the last few pages, much to the credit of Steinhauer. There is Dijana Frankovic, half Brano's age, beautiful, bohemian, who shares she is in love with Brano, having known him for but a few minutes. Well, maybe she's a Russian spy. Or maybe not.

Brano is a dedicated Communist: he even drove his father from home, something his mother still regrets. Brano is a creature of the state, thinking nothing of torturing and murdering in the name of the state, not because he is a sadist, but because he is a believer - though that belief is becoming frayed after so long.

Vienna's expatriate society, Austrian intelligence, CIA, religous groups dedicated to freeing Communist countries swirl around Brano. At first, Brano feels abandoned by his masters, but he labors on, knowing that nothing happens by accident. He pursues the scent of conspiracy.

Bit by bit, Brano pulls the pieces together, not without the occasional bit of violence and always with a neat surprise invented by Steinhauer, who is quite a writer.

Overall, a complex thriller about grim countries in grim times where grim men like Brano Sev served a purpose. Steinhauer's portrait of Brano Sev is dark, perhaps depressing. A masterful thriller of a bygone era. If you've seen the film "The Third Man," you'll love this book.

Jerry

Nothing is more exciting in a literary series than charting the growth, maturity, and expanding talents of a writer, especially one like Olen Steinhauer whose first book, Bridge of Sighs, was also the first in this series the author is building. Bridge of Sighs offered a fresh exploration of a fascinating genre, and was immediately nominated for prizes (an Edgar) and lauded by critics. It was difficult to see how Steinhauer could better Bridge of Sighs. But he - in a sense - did, with The Confession that offered a darker (even for noir) literary vision, and a tale and characters even more morally complex and intriguing than that of Bridge. Steinhauer's progression continues with his latest book 36 Yalta Boulevard in which he bolds creates a sympathetic protagonist out of Brano Sev, a decidedly complex and dark figure from his previous novels. Sev, expertly fleshed out in the past, emerges in 36 Yalta as infinitely more complicated. Fascinatingly, Steinhauer breathes new life into Sev amid a fast-paced story that is literally impossible to stop reading. 36 Yalta is a cracking thriller, which is not slowed one iota by the attention paid to Sev's complexities and growth.

Steinhauer could have satisfied his readership by repeating the style and theme of Bridge of Sighs in his future books, a la Dan Brown with Angels and Demons/Da Vinci Code. This is not to say that 36 Yalta lacks the attributes of Steinhauer's previous books. It contains all the gritty communist-era atmosphere, moral complexity, and great dialogue of Bridge and Confession. In this way, Steinhauer's fans feel immediately at home in the pages of 36 Yalta. But clearly Steinhauer, like his characters and his plots, is not content to take the predictable route, no matter how successful. As a result, his readers are treated to a book (Yalta Boulevard) and literary series (his three books together) that startles and intrigues as well as entertains, and - equally as exciting-his readers can witness the progress of a writer who grows stronger and more skilled with each book. One can only wonder: what's next in this series? The answer will certainly be: like 36 Yalta Boulevard, a wild, wonderful ride that brings the reader to a destination he least expects.

Olen Steinhauer's fiction has always confused me. How can it be that such emotionally finessed, intricately plotted, quitely observed and moodily rendered writing has not yet hit the heights it so obviously deserves? After re-reading this, the third of Steinhauer's sequence, the mystery remains: 36 Yalta Boulevard continues in the tradition of brutal excellence encountered in The Bridge of Sighs and The Confession; indeed in this latest Sixties installment the author's landscape grows vividly, shifting his pared-down sights to a more clearly defined world of cold-war espionage (his earlier work could be described as a kind of Stalinist-Noir policier fiction) that takes in not only his own fictional East European country, but also Hungary and a confused, confusing, melting-pot Austria.

Unlike the two writers with whom he is most obviously compared, the young Le Carré and the gilded Alan Furst, Steinhauer rides his cluttered communist tram bus down the middle: neither over nor under writing, offering none of the easy romanticism to which both other authors are sometimes prone. Instead his latest work continues to show us the clear (and wonderfully nuanced) evolution of a national psychological mindset: shows us people who must always lie to hold on to their own sense of a personal honesty beyond The Party, the Nation, the Family and even lovers (for who can be sure of anything or anyone in this world?). Perhaps it is the glaring honesty - and imperfection - of his life-battered fateless characters that holds Steinhauer back from the best-seller/Hollywood calling that he deserves. However, for readers interested in a telling, grey-toned mirror image of Le Carré's troubled Goethe-yearning Double-Firsts or Furst's cocksure heroes look no further.

For a true insight into the fatalistic souls of people exiled from their own imagination by communism, Steinhauer's works - filled with the bleak realities of human experience, and ocassional moments of clarity and hope, as well as cracking (and in this case labyrinthine) plots that echo but never merely copy the true history of the Iron Curtain countries in the post war decades - are compulsory reading.