American Books

Didn't care for it. The writing just didn't draw me in. The story ideas were sorta good but the authors corny / dumb down naming of objects and peoples cheapens and dates it badly (1955-66). Examples: Fighting Trees (trees used to absorb and neutralize radioactive contamination from past wars), True men, Wise Old Bear (failed bear to human mutation), Unauthorized Men (failed dog to human), Brainbox, Helen America, Mr. Grey-no-more, Sailors (meaning astronauts), "Up-and-Out" (space), "Clown Town the underpeople place" ........

Like others say, and I agree, this is for serious fans of C. Smith and/or historians of science fiction.

I encountered Cordwainer Smith many many years ago, in a Fantasy-Science Fiction magazine in my home country; by the way, with an introduction by a scholar of CS! Do you know of anyone in the US?. It was "Under Old Earth", which has haunted my soul ever since like no other piece of literature, haute or 'low-brow'. In contrast to my second-favorite SF writer, Phillip K. Dick, CS conveys a sense of poetry and subtlety absent in the rough-edge writing of PKD, while bringing about the unique strength of SF, that of exploring the inner and outer limits of the human experience.

After all these years, I still wonder why CS remains such a hidden treasure. It is perhaps the built-in disdain of literary critics and scholars for SF, understandable but not less a prejudice.

As I write my comments, Kafka keeps popping up in my mind: just change Samsa's bed and the castle for harvested organs and the Instrumentality. Or was the Old Man also a Fantasy writer?

Wow, what a mind. Kind of like the literary verson of Salvador Dali. Get past the first few stories and you're on a wild fantasy ride for 600+ pages. Some people will find his writing too weird but I loved it. Original, creative and like nothing else. I was totally drawn in. I love that kind of escape where you leave earth completely because anything remotely tying you to the world you know is completely gone and replaced with a completely new world.

The stories are written as if Mr. Smith has an entire universe spanning thousands of years in his head and only a very small sampling of that universe finds its way to the stories. Not everything is explained and there are gaps but this doesn't take away from the world he creates, it only serves to add depth and mystery. Apparently he lost his notebook, leaving it in a restaurant, and then he died early so who knows what more he would/could have written.

A fine idea to put all Smith's short stories together, although the lesser known work is certainly that for a reason. It is still good to see all the Instrumentality of Mankind stories in one place, as some of them are brilliant, and there isn't a bad piece in the lot.

Even with the weaker unrelated stuff at the end, this still manages to average almost 3.75. Very nice.

Rediscovery of Man : No No Not Rogov! - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : War No. 81-Q revised - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : Mark Elf [Mark XI Vom Acht sisters] - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : The Queen of the Afternoon [Vom Acht sisters] - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : Scanners Live in Vain - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : The Lady Who Sailed The Soul - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : When the People Fell - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : Think Blue Count Two - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : The Colonel Came Back from Nothing-at-All - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : The Game of Rat and Dragon - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : The Burning of the Brain - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : From Gustible's Planet - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : Himself in Anachron - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : The Crime and the Glory of Commander Suzdal - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : Golden the Ship Was Oh! Oh! Oh! - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : The Dead Lady of Clown Town - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : Under Old Earth - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : Drunkboat - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : Mother Hitton's Littul Kittons - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : Alpha Ralpha Boulevard - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : The Ballad of Lost C'Mell - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : A Planet Named Shayol - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : On the Gem Planet [Casher O'Neill] - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : On the Storm Planet [Casher O'Neill] - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : On the Sand Planet [Casher O'Neill] - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : Three to a Given Star [Casher O'Neill] - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : Down to a Sunless Sea - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : War No. 81-Q - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : Western Science Is So Wonderful - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : Nancy [The Nancy Routine] - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : The Fife of Bodidharma - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : Angerhelm - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : The Good Friends - Cordwainer Smith

Soviet science couple's brain needle journey.

4 out of 5


Licence to kill, robots, anyway.

4 out of 5


Manhunter not too helpful for old timer.

3.5 out of 5


Suspended animation Underpeople awakening gives girl an Instrumentality role.

3.5 out of 5


Monopoly is bad, and worth doing something about.

5 out of 5


Solo starnaut sheila's suitor.

4 out of 5


Chinese Venusian megadrop.

3 out of 5


I am sailing, I am spoiling, across the stars, should be freezed.

3.5 out of 5


Lost soul pinlighting.

4 out of 5


Another actual use for a live cat. Fight you little bastich.

4 out of 5


Mind destruction manoeuvre rescue transfer.

3.5 out of 5


I wish they'd duck off.

3.5 out of 5


Time enough for love Knot.

4 out of 5


Lost planet female cancer trannie aggression solution is timeslip cat kill cull.

4 out of 5


Time for war, duckie.

4 out of 5


Witch woman and dead robot animal trial.

4.5 out of 5


Too happy is bad.

3.5 out of 5


Rage through space, really fast to dreams out of space.

4.5 out of 5


Old North Australia's mutant mad mink secret defense doesn't pussyfoot around with thieves and murderers. Or, Stop, You'll Eat Yourself.

5 out of 5


Hard to believe in France.

3 out of 5


Underpeople Lord assisted execution escapage.

4.5 out of 5


Pain punishment makes skin way more deep.

3.5 out of 5


Test dictated for horse help.

3 out of 5


Turtle girl's longevity vigil requires warrior assistant.

4 out of 5


Comeback confrontation dictated.

3.5 out of 5


Cackle-gabble telepathy search eating solution.

3.5 out of 5


Sacrifice power.

4 out of 5


Licence to kill, robots, anyway.

4 out of 5


Fascinated Martian chat.

3 out of 5


Virus life.

4 out of 5


Dainty noise weapon.

2.5 out of 5


Funny voice medium.

3 out of 5


No party mission.

3 out of 5



4.5 out of 5

Cordwainer Smith was unique. Although the contents of this volume represent more than half of his entire science-fictional output, what he lacked in quantity he made up for in superb and very different quality. His prose is colored by some very non-standard phrasing and imagery, at least some of which came from his close connections with Chinese culture (his god-father was Sun Yat-sen, and he was a close confidant of Chiang Kai-shek). There is a feeling, an ambience to his stories that I have never seen even approximated by any other author. But the themes he tackled in his stories are ones that everyone can relate to, covering prejudice, greed, lust for power, crime and appropriate punishment, and the seeming boundless desire to go where no man has gone before.

Perhaps the main highlight of this collection is "The Dead Lady of Clown Town", which is a very forceful retelling of the Joan of Arc story. I ended up in tears at the end of this one when I first read it, and subsequent re-reads haven't lessened its impact. I've had this one in my top ten `best of sf' short fiction list since my first encounter with it.

"A Planet Named Shayol" will make you do some heavy thinking about just what can or should be done to punish a society's law (or custom) breakers, or if punishment is ever even really justifiable at all, and will give you a nightmare vision of just what hell on Earth (or any other planet) just might be like.

"The Ballad of Lost C'Mell" may be the centerpiece of his entire envisioned future history, as the Instrumentality of Mankind, which for centuries has managed the human population to avoid disease, war, or hard labor (for which tasks the Underpeople were created), is driven to the conclusion that a viable civilization must have some dark elements, as championed by Lord Jestocost and girly-girl Cat-person C'Mell.

Almost all of the stories here are part of Smith's envisioned universe governed by the Instrumentality, a vision that stretches from near-Earth future to a very distant far-future galaxy where humanity has spread almost everywhere. Smith clearly has some overriding messages: his fear of all-powerful ruling bodies, his attachment to all forms of life and the respect that each individual should have, and a basic belief in the power and utility of religion. All the details of this universe are not filled in, and it is sometimes the tantalizing glimpses of what he does not describe that will capture your imagination, and your wish that there were more stories about this unique world. His Underpeople are marvelous creations, showing not only those traits normally associated with the best of humanity, but also characteristics of their underlying animal heritage, whether it be cat, dog, or turtle.

Not every story here is a gem, most especially those not set in his Instrumentality universe or those dealing with the very near future. But they are all very readable, and the overall level of quality here is absurdly high. Read this first. Then take on his only sf novel, Norstrilia. You won't regret it.

--- Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat)

One of the men that was shown in this book is my great uncle on my mother side. My mother told me of the story when I was a senior in high school. My grandpa never talked about it and neither did his dad but my grandpa was told but other relatives about and shown the picture. But what made my grna father tell us the story was when a show touch by angle was on they had an episode about lynching and my grandpa saw his uncle and he called my mom and was very upset about it and told my mom the story about his uncle who was lynch as a teenager in Center,Tx and how the family had left the town when it happened because they knew they could do nothing for him and didn't want to become victims.Lige Daniel is my great uncle I never knew him but to see the picture and know that this person is my blood and that he was just a kid when he died. It stuck with me it scared I was a seventeen when I first learned of this a year older than him its scary and sad to think of the pain and torment he must have went through.

THIS IS THE SECOND COPY FOR ME . SOMEONE STOLE THE FIRST ONE. WHEN I ALLOWED MY STUDENTS TO VIEW THE PICTURES.... A FUNERAL ATMOSPHERE ENTERED THE ROOM COUPLED WITH TEARS AND REQUEST FOR ME TO CLOSE THE BOOK !!! SHOCKING AND EDUCATIONAL... A MUST FOR ANY REAL BLACKMAN AND WOMAN'S HALL OF KNOWLEDGE !!

I haven't read the book yet, but plan to in the future. I went to a website dedicated to it the other day' and it featured those photos and the history behind them. I was saddened and horrified, and am still haunted by what I read and saw. I cannot for the life of me understand how so many of those people, including women and children, could have taken such pleasure in those unspeakable atrocities. I only hope and pray that none of those people involved were in my family.

What I wish they could have added to this book, however, were a few bits on the Native Americans. I'm 1/4 Native American myself and some of my ancestors walked the Trail of Tears. Their people were also persecuted and murdered and treated as non-human---and whites who killed "Injuns" were considered heroes. I imagine some Native Americans were lynched and tortured as well, and likely there were photos.

The pity of it is, I wonder if America has learned from its past? Even now we are tolerating human rights abuses in other countries, and it's only recently that the UN is acknowledging the horrors of Darfur. It's time for America to face its "demons" and really work to change things. If not, God will surely judge this nation for its crimes against humanity. Maybe He has already.

But what I definitely hope people will learn from this book is what hatred and bigotry can do to all of us. Don't hate ANYBODY for their color---black, white, whatever---or for their nationality, religion, etc. If we want to honor the memory of these poor victims, let's rise above the hatred of their murderers and strive to defeat the evil that led to these acts. By learning from history, we can hopefully not repeat it.

As a white man over sixty, growing up in the Northeast, I was sheltered from the realities of racism by my surroundings. "Colored people" were simply not socially acceptable, thats all.
When you go through this book you will cringe and shutter. What reason and why would white people do this. Not only lynch but torture and maim before they allowed the subject to die, and often for no reason - just because it was Saturday night and people needed something to do. Truly a wakeup call for white America to reflect on what we were and really how far have we come.

Buy this book !

Z

This book is the ultimate metaphor for the graphic brutality of Black people in America.
The British poet William Wordsworth once said, "Man know thee thyself, presume God not to scan, the sturdy of mankind is man". How do you begin to understand the nature of evil? The sheer barbarity of these pictures, the nonchalant attitude of the perpetrators and the wicked glee on the faces of the participants (even children) confirms the graphic truth of the institutionalization of racism and evil in our world. Dr. Martin L. King once said that "God will not so much punish the wicked for their evil deed, but for the appalling silence of the good people. For all those lily livered fools in our world, who are quick to parrot that idiotic sentence "slavery was before my time", let me remind you of James Byrd of Texas in 2000. Without a Sanctuary: Lynching photography in America is a profound documentary of unimaginable evil and wickedness. These horrible pictures can only appeal to our conscience as a society to do the right thing. I agree with Dante in his 'Inferno' that the worst place in hell will be reserved for all those who are neutral on the great issues of life. I am profoundly grateful to the authors of this great human document James Allen, John Lewis, Hilton Als and Leon F. Litwack. May the souls of these beings who endured these horrific brutality rest with God forever.

I'm not a gourmet cook, but simply love to cook, especially barbeque. This book has amazing, easy to follow recipies which beg to be tried on every week. great cooking advice, easy read, and I have become a great barbequer. If you can read, you can follow these recipies, and have outstanding results.

I bought this book because a food blogger mentioned it in a post and boy am I glad I did. Every recipe sounds incredible and has given me ideas to keep cooking for months. Meatloaf, chicken, fish, beef - and then the side dishes -- and desserts! It is really an all around great cookbook. I can't wait to start making the recipes.

I grew up in central NY state and went to college at Syracuse University in the '90s, when Dinosaur BBQ was already a hugely popular restaurant. I still like to go there every time I'm in town. I bought this book recently and cooked an all-Dino 4th of July feast that was delicious. I cooked the Asparagus, Red pepper & Potato salad, bbq chicken (I used skinless, boneless breasts) and their most DELICIOUS bbq baked beans. The beans were a lot of work but completely worth it! (I found the Zatarain's mustard in Gelson's & used their brand of italian turkey sausage to cut the fat). I must admit I used the pre-made Dino sauces that you can purchase in the stores back in NYS, and I don't plan on every making my own sauces from scratch, but I think it's great they provide the full recipes! I did prepare my own spice rubs, though, and it was simple (though I found the red rub for the chicken a bit too salty). There are still plenty of recipes I plan on trying, and many look extremely simple, though the smoked meats look like a lot of work. I doubt I'll attempt my own pulled pork, for instance, which is my FAVORITE item at the restaurant. Visiting Dinosaur in person is definitely a must for any fans out there, since their meats are slow-cooked and the best ever, but in lieu of that, this book is pretty good!

One of the best cookbooks I've ever used. All the recipies are from their restaurant and the food tastes amazing. If you want to make restaurant style barbeque this is the book for you.Dinosaur Bar-B-Que: An American Roadhouse

Great Place to eat. The book is great. Very well written.
Eat there alot. Great atmosphere. The BEST BBQ . Great family place.

I actually enjoyed this 2nd installment more because by now I had developed a "trust" with the author and allowed myself to invest more in my hopes and dreams for the characters. I enjoyed that I knew these characters as the book opened and started with a depth that allowed a deeper story. The power of love, patience, and allowing God to work even when He makes no sense to us at the time was heart-wrenching and fulfilling!

As with the 1st book in the Mark of the Lion Trilogy (Voice in the Wind), this 2nd installment is extremely well written, historical, spiritual, adventurous, romantic, with characters you love and those you don't ... you will ponder it when you set it down, find today's reality is revealed in a story from 2000 years ago, and be challenged with lessons for your own life. This is a trilogy that brings inexplicable deep meaning and growth in your heart.

If you don't yet have an amazon kindle ebook reader, it's books like this that make it all worthwhile ~ only 60 seconds to download the 2nd story after you finish with the 1st - woo hoo!

Bon Appetit!

Francine Rivers paints a detailed picture of life in the Roman Empire. She gets into who her characters are inside rather than just how they appear on the surface. The book is Christian fiction, in the best sense of the word. The main character is a Christian Jew who is taken captive when Jerusalem falls to the Romans. The story is very much about how her faith effects her life and the lives of those around her, and it is shown not by sermon snippets but by her actions. I highly recommend the book. Much of what is sold as Christian fiction couldn't be sold to those without faith because the stories are trite and the dialogue preachy. This book could be enjoyed even by someone who didn't care a bit about religion

I agree with the other reviewers that Francine Rivers has done an outstanding job with this trilogy. If you like historical fiction you will love this book. But read the first book first!

This book was an amazing sequel to A Voice in the Wind. Rivers has a remarkable way of envoking emotions with her writing. I have adored every book that I have read of hers and I will continue to read all of her books. She is, without a doubt, the best author I have ever had the priveledge to read. I highly recommend any and all of her works!!!!!

An Echo in the Darkness is the second book in Francine River's Mark of the Lion triology. The book wastes little time recapping from the first book (A Voice in the Wind).

Spoiler alert: Since the last book, we discover that life has changed for the characters in 1st century AD. Hadassah is surviving with disfiguring injuries, Marcus is seeking to make sense of the world as he knows it, his sister suffers from an unidentified and dangerous illness and his mother Phoebe has turned to Christianity and does good works in the community.

To make sense of the tragedy and abominations of the people, Marcus travels to the holy land to find this "God" to whom Hadassah prayed. His journey, is a good metaphor for many people's journey into Christianity. Through his journey, as well as Hadassah's into forgiveness and Julia's into redemption we get a good picture of life in Rome, Ephesus and Israel in the 1st century AD. However, my overall issue with the book was that the talk of God and faith was quite heavy handed. I much preferred a Voice in the Wind because there was a better combination of history, faith and humanity. I know this is probably an unpopular sentiment, but there was so much talk of God in this book that it became overbearing at times. For me, it was to much, for others, if you enjoy a substantial focus on God in a book besides the Bible, then this book is for you.

I read this book years ago and was amazed and horrified by its content. Amazed because of the indomitable spirit of a man like Col. Rowe. Horrified because of the torture he endured at the hands of the enemy. Years later, as I became more interested in politics, I couldn't remember the author and thought it was a story of John McCain...both stories are so similar. Of course, with a little research, I learned the error of my ways and know they are two different people. However, now that Sen. McCain is running for President, because of the harrowing account of this book, I will vote for McCain because that kind of proven character encourages me to be a better American and, as said in Saving Private Ryan, I wish to "earn this."Five Years to Freedom: The True Story of a Vietnam POW

James Rowe's story is one that makes you appreciate how good we have things in our day to day lives. I love POW tales because I am always hoping the person(s) can find a way to escape to freedom. This story was fine but I would say a little darker & more depressing than most POW tales I have read.

Interesting but written more as a novel and not as an actual recount of his 5 year imprisonment in the hands of the North Vietnamese. The minute detail of his every recollection during his 5 years of captivity makes it difficult to believe that he himself wrote his memoirs. Nevertheless I salute him for his bravery, his will to survive and service to his country.

Incredible story of this man and other POW's in Vietnam. This is one of, if not the best, books I've ever read. One of the many points I took away was how the will to live sustained Nick Rowe and so many others. Maybe more so, it gave me an appreciation for the freedoms we take so much for granted. I finihed the book days ago, and can't get it out of my mind. Great book, Great leasons, Great man.

This book should be on everyone's "must read" list. It should also be on the must read list for evey high school student. This book is very well written and easy to follow. It is also very hard to put down once you start reading it. Being a Vietnam War Veteran myself, I would highly recomend this book to anyone.

This is classic history and a well researched book. Horne shows how the Battle for Verdun became a make or break with both the French and German Armies in World War I. What were they fighting over? A series of forts that weren't even staffed by the French even after the outbreak of hostilities. Some of these forts had their major guns removed to help other areas of the battlefront. The German Army wanted an area where the French were committed to so as to bleed them white. Instead both armies bled themselves white. The Germans fed in thousands of their soldiers to be killed for several acres of land. The French fought until their soldiers could no longer take it. It also shows how a soldier's soldier named Petain could rally his troops to make some severe sacrifices.

This is a great read. Horne is one of the world's premier historians. He shows how this battle affected the psychology of today's French citizen. This is the best book in the trilogy of battle books written by Horne.

Written by the renowned British expert on French history, this is the definitive account of the worst battle of World War I, indeed perhaps the worst battle ever fought (Stalingrad included). It documents 13 months of combat that led the French Army to mutiny and go on strike in the middle of the war. As with any book by Mr. Horne, it is well-documented and written. The only negative quality is Mr. Horne's pretentious tendency to splice French phrases into his English.

Nevertheless, highly recommended.

. Alistair Horne's The Price of Glory is a superbly written and haunting account of the horrendous battle at Verdun in 1916 between the French and German Armies. The Germans consciously attacked the fortress system they knew the French would defend in order to bleed the French Army to death, which, for its own reasons, willingly accepted the challenge. The Battle of Verdun was a condensed version of the entire First World War. In this 10 month-long battle, the Germans made impressive initial gains, but were unable to exploit their advantage due to the unyielding French defense that denied them final victory. The feuds between German generals and administrative problems also worked against their initial success. Sir Alistair Horne The Price of Glory: Verdun 1916 is the vivid and horrifying tale of one of the bloodiest battles in history.
Verdun was the symbol of the will of France; "Ils ne passeront pas" became the famous pledge in the greatest battle of attrition the world had ever seen. The book outlines the German's extensive and rapid buildup of resources and their careful security measures in their attempt to take this fortress system. The battle that lasted from February 21st to December 18th 1916 resulted in 1.2 million casualties for both sides. Horne reveals the character and personality of the generals: Falkenhayn, Joffre, Crown Prince, Knobelsdorf, de Castelnau, Petain, Neville, and Mangin, showing their unique strengths and weaknesses and how those character traits affected their decisions in battle. The underground battles for Forts Doumamont and Vaux are described in chilling detail. The ingenious dirty tricks used by both sides were depicted: the wearing of captured uniforms, the use of false blinker signals, and the Germans firing duds from the 420mm siege mortars to get the Frenchmen to go underground while German infantry swarmed the trench works. There are vivid descriptions of the use of poison gas and graphic accounts of the first use of the flamethrower on a battlefield. Horne takes a catastrophic battle of unthinkable proportions and makes it all too real.

Fairly quick read, great insight on both the leaders and the soldiers who fought. Brush up on your french though, Some quotes and a few short passages are in french, Without translation. That was my only complaint. If you've gotten as far as to read these reviews then I encourage you to buy the book...you will enjoy it.

The Battle of Verdun was a condensed version of the entire First World War. In this 10 month-long battle, the Germans made impressive initial gains, but were unable to exploit their advantage due to the adamant and intense French defense that denied them final victory. The feuds between German generals and administrative problems also worked against their initial success. Sir Alistair Horne brings all these issues to live and many others in what is a stunningly impressive book.

This engagement was fought entirely between French and German units. What makes Sir Alister's book so important is that most accounts of World War I in English tend to focus on the experiences of the United Kingdom. The French Army, however, contributed more division to the western front than the British. The focus on a battle in which no British units participated is rare in an English-language publication. The book is also an easy read. One testament to the caliber of the prose is that it has stayed in print since its initial publication over 40 years ago, which is no easy thing.

The leading figures in this study are names well-known to any student of the Great War: Falkenhayn, Joffre, Castelnau, Petain, Crown Prince Wilhelm and Nivelle. Horne does an excellent job of giving his readers short biographical sketches that breath life into these legendary names in a way that presents them as they were--human beings with strengths and frailties like everyone else.

As good as this book is there are some problems. Readers with out any ability in French might find Horne's passages in this language rather confusing. Sir Alistair's argument that Verdun cost Germany any chance of winning the war seems a little suspect as well. The German Army remained an effective force until the last stages of the conflict. Other factors, such as diplomatic ineptitude and provoking the United States to enter the war probably did more to cost the Germans victory than the defeat at Verdun. Still, even with those points in mind, this book is quite impressive and readers will enjoy it.

This is the book I've always wanted to read! I had just turned 6 when Pearl Harbor was bombed and my uncle and most of the other men in our family and neighborhood disappeared to that thing called "WAR"! I prayed for all of them and wondered, "Where did they go, what happened to them, what was it like?" My uncle was captured in the Battle of the Bulge, spent time in a German prison camp and came home very different - now I know and understand better why! Reading Prof. Harrison's book I finally know what happened to the young men who were suddenly jerked from their families, schools, futures, through no fault or desire of their own, and were trained and sent to see and do things they could not have previously imagined. They were pushed to and beyond limits they did not know they had, degraded, treated like cattle at times by our own army, and thus molded into a great and loyal fighting unit.

How any of our men experienced this and stayed sane, that they were able to return home to slip back into the lives they had expected, is incredible. I have read every book I find on World War II and studied military history in college trying to understand and know what happened, what war is REALLY like for our men. I've always known it wasn't what we saw on the movie screen. Now I know. Thanks to Prof. Harrison's detail and honesty, it is possible to get a sense of what it was like for the draftee. UNSUNG VALOR is very properly named - to go when called, to perform with the best of your abilities, to respond to the unknown and unbelievable with fear and courage, that is valor at its best - and it was unsung.

To survive, to return home, to teach hundreds of teenagers to speak properly in public, to act and produce plays, to put up with all the campus nonsense that young people in their late teens and early twenties produce, and to never lose your cool, never tell them what he saw and experienced at their age - that was also UNSUNG VALOR! A. Cleveland Harrison is an unusual man and has written a book that should be required reading of all Americans!

"Unsung Valor" by A. Cleveland Harrison. Subtitled: "A GI's Story Of World War II". University Press of Mississippi, Jackson. 2000.

This is a very complete and detailed book, tracing the experiences of a skinny Southern boy, (in 1943), drafted into the United States Army, deciding on the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP), trained at the University of Mississippi, transferred into a regular Army unit (the 94th Division) and then sent to the European Theater of Operations, ETO, just when things were becoming really hot. General George Marshall had shut down the Army Specialized Training Program so as to supply warm bodies as replacements for all the causalities in the ETO. The author, A. Cleveland Harrison, recounts being wounded (88 artillery fire,) as his Division advanced on the town of Orscholz, his treatment, infection, his stint in hospital and, finally, his recovery. Then, he remained in England until his reassignment, April 1945, to the hostilities in Europe. Happily, the war in Europe ended in May 1945, and the author became a "Clerk-Typist" in Versailles, France and later, a "Mail Clerk-Draftsman" in Frankfurt am Main.

If you have had the opportunity to study the history of World War II, you probably have been exposed to the grand strategies of different battles, the movement of this numbered unit on one side against another number on the other side. You might even have become impatient with the stories of how one American general (or two) could not get along with a certain British field marshal, and begin to wonder how many people were killed by the egoistical personalities of such high ranking individuals. So, this present work, by A. Cleveland Harrison, is a refreshing relief in its detailed examination of the feelings and daily experiences of an ordinary Americana solider in the ETO

I became the fiftieth reviewer of this book because of the correspondence form Dr. Harrison prodding me to add his book to my Amazon Listmania list on the Army Specialized Training Program, ASTP. The first two chapters of Dr. Harrison's book deal extensively with the Army Specialized Training Program. certainly merit a place on any list on the ASTP. Thos chapters speak about an ASTP experience at a Southern university, which, from what I read, quite different than the ASTP experience at Manhattan College, my alma mater. I do not believe that an ASTPer at Manhattan College had to be concerned with how to wear a saber without getting the weapon caught between his legs. On the other hand, the Manhattan College ASTPer had to be concerned with living in an apartment on 7th Avenue.

I am happy to join some 45 other Amazon reviewers in assigning five stars to this book.

Unsung Valor is truly an extraordinary book. I am 44 years old and have studied World War II rather extensively in the past. However, this book has revealed this war (and all wars) to me in a way that is completely surprising and unique. I now have a different frame of reference for studying all wars, especially World War II. For someone like me who has never served in the military, this book provides an invaluable insight to truly understanding the realities of war. The common, mundane, everyday details, which are made so interesting, provide a setting which only heightens the intensity of the actual battle scenes in an unusually enriching and exciting way. This book reads so easily you literally feel as if you are going through the experiences with Dr. Harrison. Unsung Valor brings the reality of war to the reader in a unique way and succeeds where most other narrowly focused books fail. Dr. Harrison should be commended for educating a younger public on the extraordinary sacrifices made by ordinary men who answered when their nation called. It is well worth the read and the time invested.

After posting a message on the 94th Infantry Division's website looking for information on the attack on Orsholz, Germany January 20-21, 1945 I was contacted by Cleveland Harrison. Mr. Harrison put me in contact with other members of the 301st Regiment of the 94th Division who were with a family friend when he was captured outside of Orsholz. Mr. Harrison mentioned his book and suggested it might provide more detail about the battle. After reading his book I was amazed at the clarity and detail of his recollections. I have corresponded several times with Mr. Harrison, and he was gracious enough to sign my copy of his book with a dedication to my friend. His story is wonderfully expressed as the memories and journey of one man in a time of fear and uncertainty. It is written in a way that will touch the average person, and make them understand, if only for a moment, what it was like to see the world through his eyes.
To all the 94th Division veterans, and to you Cleveland, thank you for your service.
Welcome Home.

Upon reading Unsung valor I discovered that Cleveland Harrison and I had been inducted into the army the same day at Little Rock, Arkansas,we went through the same sweltering day of probings,punchings,bendings,spreadings, and at last were sworn into the Army of the United States.our serial numbers were just a few numbers apart,yet I never met Professor Harrison. Upon reading Unsung valor this fall I was immediately taken back in time to 1943, and to the years following throughout WWII of which our president Franklin Roosevelt said" This is the generation which has a rendezvous with destiny"I relived that traumatic,hectic day of gathering together the eighteen year olds of our state predominately ,recent high school graduates ,to perform the miracle of making us into soldiers and sailors to free a world in chains. That group of newly inducted soldiers went to all parts of the globe.Prof. Harrison went as a rifleman;I went into the Army Air Corp as an aerial gunner with the Eighth Air force and was shot down over Germany and spent the last months of the war as a P.O.W..Our generation kept that rendezvous and fully met the responsibility placed upon our young shoulders to the satisfaction of a grateful nation and world. Professor Harrison's book tells about all this through the eyes and heart of a young Arkansas lad who as we said in those day "took up arms as a boy,became a man overnight,and a hero in a twinkling of an eye,some to come home,some to remain. Since reading Unsung Valor I have met Cleveland Harrison via E-mail and have discovered that we have much in common. it took took 63 years and one most touching,moving literary epic to do this.For Professor Harrison's time,effort,and no doubt many shed tears,I am truly thankful to him. Hand Salute <><

I thought this was a very interesting book. Around 80 years old, it gives great perspective not only into the scientific knowledge of the time, but also to the cultural biases that existed. 80 years is less than some lifetimes yet so much has changed...

That said, while the story moves along at a good pace, I never really found it to be very fun to read. The characters were a bit cardboard I thought, simple solutions were often applied to complicated problems, and often the actual action - the resolution of conflict - was done in as little as a simple sentence (for example the resolution of the Tony / Eve / Ransdell triangle).

I would recommend this book to anyone with some interest in classic science fiction, or in apocalypse stories. However expect more of a simple ride through an interesting story than a deep, thoughtful book.

Books,Movies and anything that was created in the 30's seem to be deemed good.I am 70 years old and have been reading SciFi for years.I saw the movie back in the 50's and thought it was great but did not realize it was from a book.After I happend on these glowing reviews I wonderd how I let this one get by me all these years.Lucky for me I found it at the Library so I did not waste my money only my time.I opend this book with great expectation.My expectations were soon dashed after mudeling through around 50 pages of mundane dialoge.I then just started scanning pages looking for something of interest.About half way through there was a little war just before the end of the first book.I am now just starting the second half.After worlds collide.I am hopefull that this second half will have some redeaming features.The Movie I saw in the 50's was much better than this book more action,suspense and drama but when thy landed that was the end of the movie.I do not recomend this book it is not good just old.

This is one of a handful of books I've read twice. Wonderful for introducing a young person to science fiction. I've also read the sequel, which I delightfully discovered in a second-hand store. It is also quite good.

It just doesn't get better than this. I had of course heard about this book all my life but somehow never got around to reading it. The terrific Bison series has reissued it, and so I finally got my chance. There are actually two books here, the second being "After Worlds Collide." Amazing but true: they are equally wonderful, each in its own way.

The first book delivers on its promise to depict the end of the world. That's not so easy to do! Furthermore, I found the underlying science to be surprisingly plausible and even timely, given our new understanding of how asteroids and comets have shaped Earth's history and could do it again. Yes, the characters are all two-dimensional, and of course various social details are dated. But the plot is so compelling that: who cares!

Anyway, the first book leaves you hankering for more, and the second book more than satisfies that hankering. Again there is edge-of-your-seat adventure. But for me the overriding pleasurable impression is of mystery. I won't give away the details, but suffice it to say: they are an excellent surprise, and I wish this had been a trilogy! Nevertheless, the book is actually more true-to-life in that some things remain unanswered and unknown. Really, the mysterious aura of the second book provides a kind of satisfaction in its own right.

Now I've got to find other books by Wylie!

I READ ALOT AND MOST BOOKS ARE ENTERTAINING. SOME BOOKS ARE MORE. THIS BOOK FITS IN THE LATTER. IT KEPT ME UP LATE SEVERAL NIGHTS. MANY CHAPTERS END IN SUSPENSE THEREFORE KEEPING YOU READING. A FEW THINGS I DID NOT LIKE BUT THEY WERE SMALL SO I DID NOT TAKE A STAR AWAY. THE BOOKS ENDS ABRUPTLY,LEAVING YOU FEELING A LITTLE UNSATISFIED. WITH ONLY A FEW PAGES LEFT AND THINGS UNRESOLVED, I KEPT THINKING THAT THERE WAS NO WAY THAT IT COULD END PROPERLY. THE ROMANCE IS A LITTLE IRRITATING. THIS WAS A BOOK THAT KEPT ME THINKING ABOUT IT LONG AFTER FINISHING IT.

I just finished reading this book and it is one of the best novels I have every read. Timmothy McCann out does himself with this one. His writing is so pure and alive. He makes you feel the characters pain and joys. The people he writes about are so ral and it is amazing how he can write from a male point of view as well as a female point of view and be so accurate with it. I would strongly recommend this book to everyone. You will just fall in love wiht Henry and Cheryl and Leslie. The pain and the love they share and lose will have you on edge and you will not want to stop until the end and they you will just simply say "Always"

I found Timmothy McCann's book entitled, "Always" to be a literary celebration. Following Henry Louis Davis, the second bid to become the first African-American president was like being in the studios of CBS or ABC on election night, Exciting! I highly recommend this book and dedicate it to the dreamer in all of us.

this is the story of Henry, who's about to become the first black president. Cheryl was Henry's first love but things didn't quite work out for them, they still have a love of love for one another though, then there is Leslie, Henry's wife who feel she is second after his career. The story gives you a look at their life when they were young, and older.

This was a great book. I grabbed it because the title sounded like a good one, I knew it would have to be some sort of sentimental story, with a name like 'Always'. So I started to read it and found the each lifestory SO real, it was like the Author had lived each life. The four main characters tell their life story, and the important dates in their life, and the reader feels like they were there with the characters as they grew up and suffered heart ache, and stress as their dreams were broken and achieved. It ended to soon, but I thought the ending was the best part. You wouldn't be disaopinted.

I liked the broad time span that the author covered in this book, and I believe that he covered it well. I enjoyed the book. The television show 24 on the Fox Network has a very similar story line to me.

Christy Miller thought that returning home from an intense experience working at an orphanage in Switzerland would be relaxing. However, in AS YOU WISH, the second book in Robin Jones Gunn's Christy and Todd: The College Years trilogy, she finds that settling into life at Rancho Corona University is far more stressful than she ever could have imagined.

Christy was looking forward to finally getting to have a more active social life and spend much more time with close friends Katie and Sierra. However, with her parents telling her to get a job and her counselor suggesting she take more classes, it looks like Christy's schedule is going to be full. When long-time boyfriend Todd informs her that he has volunteered her for yet another activity, Christy reaches a breaking point.

As she tries to sort out her chaotic life, Christy soon realizes that her problems lie far beyond her weekend social calendar. With less than a year until she graduates, and a long-term relationship, Christy must finally make some bigger decisions --- decisions that will last a lifetime. She knows that Todd is in love with her, and has been for some time. In fact, she's pretty sure that he would be ready to marry her at any time. But something is still holding her back.

As Todd reveals more and more about his background and childhood, Christy feels closer to him than ever before but also realizes what different worlds they come from. When her first childhood crush from Wisconsin comes to town, Christy begins to wonder if she might be better suited to someone with a similar background, or if she's really ready to commit to anyone at all.

Confused about her romantic future, Christy must also deal with ongoing drama in her family. Her erratic Aunt Marti is threatening to leave her husband and join an "art colony"; Christy must try to stop her before it's too late. As she grows more and more sure of her feelings and intentions, Christy gets ready to make a big declaration. However, a tragic accident occurs before she can reveal her true feelings, and it may be too late. As Christy's friends and family gather at the hospital, she becomes painfully aware of just how important it is to express your feelings while you still can.

AS YOU WISH seems to be an attempt to combine the worlds of all of Robin Jones Gunn's characters into the ongoing storyline of Christy and Todd. For fans of the Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen series, this will certainly make sense. However, new readers will experience some difficulty following the many different characters and plot lines that are thrown into the mix. The story comes a long way from its predecessor --- from Christy considering breaking up with Todd, to thinking about marrying him.

Although this (presently) final series in the world of Christy Miller is not Gunn at her best, and relies on quite a bit of recycled material, it is still very readable and will undoubtedly keep fans satisfied.

--- Reviewed by Jennifer Crosby

I loved this book to pieces. Christy struggles with saying 'I love you' to Todd, because she isn't sure of her love for him. She makes a sudden revelation that Todd is 'the one' and feels she is confident to say those three little words, until a tragic event happens, changing Todd and Christy's life forever. Christy is having a hard time finding when she can confess that to her beloved, especially when the life-altering accident occurs. Christy and Todd both grow closer to the Lord, and Todd discovers that it is his calling to work in the church. Christy helps, and discovers she is in her element as well. The very end is beautifully written, and wonderfully romantic and sweet, which is another event that changes both Todd and Christy's life forever. Grab the Kleenex box, the end will have you wiping your eyes.

I think these books are the best I've ever read! Once you pick it up, don't expect to put it down anytime soon!! I've read them over and over, and still love them. They're clean, focused on God, and have a sweet romance in them. I also recommend the Christy Miller series.

You won't want to miss these books!!!
~Hope

I was very happy with the shipping time and condition of the book. It actually arrived before the date given to me, so I was very pleased. I would definitely buy again.

I just finished this book and loooove it! It is sooo awesome how Christy and Todd work things out. And Todd is so creative at the end when he... oops i almost said it!! But I won't give it away! You have to read it for yourself to find out what a superb novel this is! It also helps if you have read the other books in the series first.