Middle East Books

This book helped a real novice better grasp the many vested interests in this region. While I didn't get much hope for long and stable peace, I believe everyone must keep talking. And, all governments must do their best to resolve the territory issues between Isreal and Palestine.

This book gives one the opportunity to really see what is or has occurred in the Middle East. The truth is sometimes a very uncomfortable fact to live with. Having spent some time in the Middle east and being interested in the area, I find the facts overwhelmingly true. Kudos, Mr. James for being brave enough to state the facts, as they are. The reason I gave the review four stars and not five is that Mr. James did not write enough.

If this book was mandatory reading for all public policy officials in the US government, I believe the Middle East would be a different place today. Not since reading Thomas Friedman have i read a more accurate and balance view of the "realities" of the middle east. When i was younger, I assumed that our elected officials and state dept personnel understood these basic realities but as i have moved through time it has become painfully evident that they do not.

This book should be mandatory reading for all who seek to make peace in the middle east or who seek to do business there. It seperates the realities from the hype and gives the reader perspective on the issues of today and how they evolved from history.

A great quick read and to the point!

I like the way the author exposes the motivation and incentives which lead up to the events in the Middle East, rather than just a description of them. Also, finally someone has come along with actual solutions to the complex issues in the Middle East instead of just a history lesson.

With the recent tragic events in Lebanon, and the continued conflict throughout the Middle East, Mr. James' book provides background and insight to give the reader a better understanding of the current situation.

This book looks like new! I saved money and the book is in great condition. The seller was very helpful.

This book is fascinating to say the least! When I first got it I spent an hour flipping though looking at pictures and reading the captions. When I finally got around to reading the 'book part' it was even more intriguing. Some might be unnerved by the pictures of the mummies, and its hard not to be with some of them (pg 66 for example ;) But I was glad to finally see what alot of other books only describe. This book is an excellent buy for the price. Great for those with an interest in Egyptian traditions/history and in mummies in general. Strong stomach recommended ;)

This book is worth 10 stars. there is so much info in this book and it is very easy to understand. when i first looked at this book of 192 pages i thought i would never get through it all but it was so easy once i picked it up i couldn't put it down. if you are interested in learning about ancient egypt this is the book to buy.

I looked for a book on mummies after seeing the excellent television documentary hosted by Egyptologist Dr. Bob Brier. I saw this book and was a little skeptical. The title "Mummies, Myth, and Magic" sounded like a book that may sacrifice scholarship for a more mainstream account to appeal to those wanting to read about mummy curses, etc. I could not resist the fascinating photos in this book, so I bought it despite my reluctance over the title. I soon realized I was wrong to be the least bit skeptical. It is a very scholarly account by an obvious expert in the field. Christine El Mahdy details how mummies were buried during different periods; the mummification techniques; how Egyptians bargained with, communicated with, and regarded their various gods; animal cults, etc. A short section on the "curse" of the tombs is included at the end and is expertly written: "...the dead positively welcomed the living. Their immortality depended on the survival of their name..." (174). The author assumes nothing in her analysis and gives a clear, erudite account of every subject examined. She offers an excellent description of what it was like for a robber or collector like Giovanni Belzoni to enter a tomb. She also explains what information can be gathered from mummies; from age and health to the duties Egyptians had under certain titles. The illustrations in this book make it a must for the serious Egyptologist to the casual enthusiast. Symbolism and the design of sample tombs are clearly diagrammed. The photos and x-rays of mummies are fascinating. There is a disturbing photo of an unknown mummy that some witnesses to its discovery believe was buried alive that will stick with you long after you put down this book. In addition, a chronology of the different dynasties is included at the beginning of this book which is essential for readers like me who have a very limited background on Egyptian history. What impressed me most of all was the deep respect the author demonstrated towards this subject: "Few of the living were ever permitted even to gaze for long upon the face of a pharaoh--so perhaps it is presumptuous to demand more of them dead than they gave when alive" (91).

"Mummies, Myth, and Magic" explores practically all facets of its chosen subject matter: burial, preparation, symbolism, even the excavators charged with elaborating on all of the above. The essays spent on modern mummy examinations are fascinating, not to mention the fabulous photography. The affect of various periods in Egyptian history--such as the Intermediate periods and the Amarna period--on the country's religious beliefs/expectations is also discussed. Oh, enough with my being well-spoken.... Just read it! :)

A Natural History of Trees is a compilation of a rich resource of material on native U.S. Trees. While you'll do better with a Peterson's Field Guide for identification, I don't think you'll find more fun.

Grouped by Family(beginning with Pines and ending with the Ashes) the stories are king here. Just pick your favorite tree and sit back and enjoy. The history of the White Pine, for example, seems almost mythic in its sheer height and size back in colonial days. It very well helped build near most of colonial America, too!

From White Pine to White Oak to Redbud to Sycamore, this is a fascinating and informative read. There is an index of both scientific and common names, plus a glossary and a section called Keys to Species and Genera (which is much easier to decode with a Peterson's Guide at hand).

Also recommended, Petrerson's Field Guide to Eastern Trees(ISBN: 0395904552) and National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees(ISBN: 0394507606) for IDing and Trees in my Forest(ISBN: 0060929421) and the Man Who Planted Trees(ISBN: 1570625387) for more great stories.

What an extraordinary book. You might not think it possible, but this book about trees reads like fine literature. It is full of stories, legends, and facts about these giants in the earth, not to mention the author's interesting ruminations. Here's a sample of Peattie's writing on the bur oak, after the pages devoted to its Latin name, range, characteristics, and the like: "[W]hen we are gone the rippling fox squirrels and the jeering crows will not remember us; the big dull yellow leaves of the Bur Oaks will cover the paths of our autumns. But these same trees will see our children and our children's children, and look to them the mansions that they are."

Wonderful stuff. In addition to all this the book is chockablock with anecdotes of specific trees and their histories, and how our forefathers and the American Indian viewed the various types of trees. Tree lover or not, you'll enjoy this book.

This is a great book for tree lovers.Though not very good for identification(one of the field guides would be better for that),this is an excellent book for the reader who has already learned to identify the various trees and now wants to learn something about them.The short,non-technical articles cover a host of topics,from botany and historical reports to the author's personal acquaintance with the various trees discussed.

This book and its companion volume, "A Natural History of Western Trees," are by far the most detailed accounts of the trees of North America. It's truly too bad the author didn't have the chance to complete the third book in this series: "Southern Trees." Never have I read a richer, more lovingly or enthusiastically written description of trees. Aside from being packed with facts, the books offer a glimpse of man's interaction with trees and teaches one how to interact with them and respect them. The author's enthusiasm is contagious!

This is the essential book for anyone who cares for the trees and forests of the USA. The writer has a talent, unmatched as far as I know, to spin a tale on trees, bringing to life not only the trees of North America but also the people who walked among them.

It also is an essential book for anyone interested in the history of the USA. Fittingly the book starts off with a description of white pine and the birth of what is now the USA. In short anyone who claims to care for trees or to be interested in how the USA came to be and who is not familiar with the contents of this book is in serious danger of appearing to be a charlatan.

[Quality of the reprint could be better; actually this book deserves to be in hardcover. However, the quality of the reprint could also be a lot worse, or -horrible thought!- the book might go out of print altogether]

Walter Boyne has given us a superb initial look at Operation Iraqi Freedom. Using his deep understanding of war in general and airpower in particular, he has taken what has so far appeared in the open press and has packaged it into a clear and concise narrative of this short but intense conflict.
Perhaps more importantly, he has detailed for us how the improvements that we made in our military forces post Desert Storm have given us the ability to dominate any military force. Precision guidance, information dominance, C4ISR, the close integration of SOF and conventional forces, the linking of ground forces to "on call" fighters, bombers, and massive AC-130 gunships are all highlighted by Boyne as he weaves their development and use into a larger narrative of the daily events of the conflict. It is a powerful story. And he looks at failure too, delving into incidents of fratricide and losses due to the terrible sand storms.
Many details are, of course, missing. Only time can correct that. But Walter Boyne has produced a useful work which helps to understand how we fought the second Gulf War. It is a bench mark for subsequent books.

"Operation Iraqi Freedom: What Went Right, What Went Wrong, and Why" is really two books in one. First, as the title implies, it is a treatise on a specific conflict - an in-depth presentation of how it all worked and an insightful analysis of how well it worked. Second, by way of extensive appendices that take up more than a third of the entire volume, it is a very comprehensive compendium of what it took to conduct that war in terms of materiel, weapons, logistics, people, methodologies, etc.

If it were not so readable, this would make a great textbook. As it is, it should be required reading for anyone interested in studying wars and what makes them tick, especially one that was waged so recently and so much in the public eye. As one could imagine, the great majority of what we read in the print media and saw on the TV screen was, because of the nature of the beast, the parts of the conflict that included the action, the damage and the more sensational aspects of what was going on.
A concern often raised about a book produced shortly after an event is how credible it can be as an analysis considering the recency of what occurred. There usually is a suspicion that it is a quick-reaction book dashed off in hopes of a fast buck by an author "writing off the top of his head." That concern was put to rest in this case by a thorough reading of what many readers overlook in their rush to get to the main text - the front matter of the book. Here I found the a wealth of information that established the book's bona fide's for me - the acknowledgements, foreword and preface.
The acknowledgements pointed out the author's people sources, a host of knowledgeable top military and civilian thinkers who provide the book with authenticity and authority.
The foreword helps a book in two ways: first by what it says about the book and, second, by the credibility of who wrote it - in this case former Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, retired Gen. Ronald R. Fogelman who stated that the book reflects the contributions of all the elements of the coalition and the new, higher level of cooperation and interdependence of the forces involved. Fogelman also stated, "The United States and its coalition partners can be proud of their work In Operation Iraqi Freedom, and this book offers the first best look at how well they did their job."
The preface then gives the author the opportunity to establish his objectives, in this case to examine the efficacy of U.S. and coalition strategy, tactics, operational methods, weapon systems, and personnel during the period of armed conflict from March 19 through May 1, 2003. This author, Walter J. Boyne, has the extensive background as a career Air Force pilot and former director of the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum, and has generated the many contacts needed to successfully produce a comprehensive study like this.
The book then goes on to do just that in full, but readable, detail. The background of the how, who and what leading up to this war are followed by the actions taken to pursue it to a quick victory and by an explanation of the new type of warfare that made it possible. Interspersed are short, side articles such as the fascinating "How Nations Go To War" that put this one war into perspective with all other conflicts fought until then. The author inserts at appropriate places, as the book's title implies, discussions about what went right and why and what went wrong and why - and lessons learned.
Operation Iraqi Freedom is not light reading and you can't get anything from skimming it. Plan to spend some time - from beginning to end - and you will end up with a better understanding of the story behind what you read and watched in the popular press. Highly recommended.

Arthur H. Sanfelici
Editor
Aviation History Magazine

This book is a fine work. Obviously, publisher weekly's reviewer must be one of those individuals (without much of a life experience) that cannot stand the recent successes of our military in Iraq and elsewhere. Shameful.
More and possibly better work will follow, but for those who need a preliminary record of the iraqi battle, this book will do just that.

Walter Boyne's work in Operation Iraqi Freedom: What Went Right, What Went Wrong, and Why is on target. As some other reviewers here have detailed Boyne's qualifications (and they are extensive and appropriate), we'll simply agree that he is the right author to synthesize the information thus far available on the conflict.

Concerns expressed about writing such a history so soon after the dust has settled are valid but in this case, should be put into proper perspective. Boyne's book is a history of operations. It examines what went right and wrong between March 19 and May 1, a period commonly acknowledged as the conventional phase of the conflict. Boyne details the US military's new "unconventional" approach to conventional warfare during this phase. It does not attempt to deal with the subsequent insurgency campaign which continues.

The book is best viewed as a "first-look" overview of the operations leading to the dissolution of uniformed Iraqi armed forces. It is also a primer on the doctrinal and technological changes developed since the first Iraqi conflict which allowed the campaign to be prosecuted in a new way.

Boyne is to be commended for presenting a complex subject in an interesting, readable way. One of the book's advantages is that it reflects the contemporary wisdom of the many credible sources Boyne taps to tell the story. These include those who helped design the military that went into the conflict. In this respect, it is invaluable to future historians.

It is certain that military planners worldwide are energetically analyzing what the US miltary accomplished in the major combat operations Boyne's book covers. It is also likely that many will turn to Operation Iraqi Freedom: What Went Right, What Went Wrong, as an informed introduction to the subject.

The Publishers Weekly reviewer obviously did not read the book he or she reviewed; instead it launched into a series of anti-military statements that completely invalidate it. I cannot imagine how Amazon would willingly publish so obviously and willfully destructive review--it was non-objective and totally inaccurate--a Pub Weekly reviews on miltary subjects usually are.

Despite the fact that I am a little over 3/4 through the book,"PLAIN TALES FROM THE RAJ" Images of British India in the Twetieth Century; as edited by Charles Allen, I can safely say:..... "Magnificient!"

"Pith helmets, oppressive heat, ball room dances, Calcutta women, and Bombay Gin...Here's to all who were there...cherio and chin chin chin!!"

If, you even have but an inkling of interest in the history of India, and or Great Britain...you need to read this book about real stories and real people. A superb book....an outstanding read!

just plain excellant,with a mason foreward to boot should be on every shelf on lndian history the final chapters were the best....thanks

BBC compiled this book with interviews from 60 Brits who had lived in India while it was still a British colony. India -- the jewel in the crown of the British empire --was deep in the consciousness of British society and generations of young, ambitious Brits sallied off to India to make their careers as civil servants, soldiers, merchants, or missionaries.

The book is organized by themes in each chapter. A chapter on households describes the homes and servants the British had, "The Club" tells of that famous British institution transferred to the sub-continent, "Hazard and Sport" is about polo, hunting, tennis, and pig-sticking. Every aspect of life in India is taken up in 21 chapters. It was not an easy life for the colonials, but it was impossibly exotic, witness the popularity of writers such as Rudyard Kipling and Somerset Maugham. Rigid British notions of race and class fit well with Indian caste laws; otherwise India was as different from Great Britain as it could possibly be. That the colonial enterprise was rotten at the core was concealed by stiff upper lips and a government that was "probably the most incorruptible ever known."

"Plain Tales" includes a brief biography of each of the interviewees who represent a cross section of British society in India and a glossary of Anglo Indian words (pukka = proper). This book presents a bird's eye view of the life of British subjects in India and their interaction with their unwilling Indian hosts, the environment, and their fellows. It's all a really fascinating tale. And, finally, in 1947 when the British had to go, they threw their topees -- those ridiculous cork hats -- into the sea and returned to England and Home.

Smallchief

A gem of a book! Too often, stories of the experience of imperialism are scrubbed to fit in with more modern sensibilities instead of staying true to the authentic tale. This book is glorious for the truth of the voices and the attitudes, morals and viewpoints that were the norm for the time. Invaluable to understanding what life was really like, and what motivated those who were the Raj. This was a wonderful read, completely free from political correctness and censorship. Finally a book that seemed to tell the tale as it was. The book flows well, the stories are engaging, the language is crisp and clear, and valuable information is present on every page. There is no attempt to portray the people as anything other than who they were, they are allowed to tell their own stories. I'm very thankful that someone realised how valuable this material would be to future generations and took the steps to capture it while it was still available.

Pithy though this book is it will keep you glued and captivated. British individuals who were masters or participants in Colonial India talk frankly about what it was really like. Many of the people featured in this book like Deborah Dring, Reginald Savory and Philip Mason (who also introduces the volume) would now be dead. The voices were recorded for radio in the mid 1970s. Now the memoirs resurface like something out of a faraway fairytale.

Charles Allen, now getting on himself was originally put in charge of the recordings for a BBC radio series documenting the period of Colonial India between 1900 and 1948 from then living witnesses to a bygone age by Philip Mason. Thank goodness that Mason had the courage to launch this project which was regarded as somewhat politically incorrect even then. Allen is much suited to the task as the heir to a British family that lived and worked in Colonial India over several generations.

The stories reveal a peculiar breed - the very caricature of the English as they once were putting up an even more formal front than they would have at home as the rulers of India - few in number but ruling by prestige. Every part of the book reveals character, humour or history with priceless aphorisms spoken in true English style:

"You get these burning plains right across India, fifteen hundred miles of them, absolutely flat with revisers wandering through them fed by the snows, and behind them the greatest range of mountains in the world. You gradually go up from tropical ... climbs, through European and Alpine flora until you get right up into the snows. I don't think there is anything in life which is such a relief and such a physical delight as going from the heat of the plains in the hot weather up into the mountains"

This is just the tip of an iceberg of a series of sensational real life recordings, but there is more leaving aside some nice photographs, cartoons and sketches reproduced from period material. There are quotations from books such as by Maud Diver from her "The Englishwoman in India" 1909 and bits from period material:

"It is clearly to be understood that no one except on duty is allowed to accompany him and in no circumstances whatever are any ladies allowed to proceed to the border" (from a travel permit).

Practically every aspect of Indian Colonial life is examined up and down the hierarchy from the Viceroy down to corporals and Anglo Indians of mixed blood - though the book leaves you yearning for more - it is not an exhaustive treatment thankfully. We get a great sense for the climate, the "subjects", the pace of life, flirtation, gardening, travel and the rituals associated with that once prominent institution the Club. We look into the army barracks and the Mess -with some men deprived of women for five to seven years and how they bore it, and into the endless parties at Simla in Summer . There are also accounts of the profligacy of the times such as sport, hunts and shoots and the snobbery and segregation that accompanied Colonial life altering through the decades. However, with their power, the British seemed to have dispensed their responsibilities with aplomb - it was a miracle that they did so for so long.

This past best-seller is a must for those who wish to understand the English and Colonial India - it will deserve repeat readings and sharing with friends. A vital reference - precursor to famous TV dramatisations like "Jewel in the Crown".

Prof. Finkelstein gives us a crucial perspective on the effects both of the Israeli Occupation and of the Oslo accords on the people of the West Bank. Finkelstein's book is helped immeasurably by his excellent writing style; clear, concise and easy to read, this book will be attainable and required reading for laypeople and Mideast scholars alike. Rather than focus on the actions of politicians and self-aggrandizing "leaders", Finkelstein instead gives us a view of the Palestinian PEOPLE. We meet a wide array of folks in Finkelstein's book and we emerge, necessarily from the experience far more understanding of who these people are than when we started. Perhaps most important of all is that Finkelstein never lets us forget that he himself is a Jew. He therefore lets everyone know that to be Jewish is NOT to be Zionist and it is most certainly not to be necessarily supportive of the actions of the Israeli government. There are many books that amply chronicle Israeli brutality and the crimes of the Zionist regime (another by Finkelstein that I highly recommend among them, called "Image and Reality of the Israel palestine Conflict) but I can think of no book more important to the understanding of the dilemma of the Palestinian people and to open the door for Jewish opposition to Israel than this one

a brutally honest account of the palestinian intifada experience as written by a jewish american. exposes fallacies in the representation of the case as well as in foreign policy. very necessary in understanding the israel-palestine conflict

This book provides a welcome dissent from typical American Jewish political views, and provides refreshing objectivity towards the Arab/Israeli conflict. Finkelstein portrays West Bank Palestinians before and during the Gulf War: the effects of thirty years of brutal repression on these people, their lives, hope and aspirations--and why they might have cheered Saddam's scud missiles. One chapter is dedicated to Finkelstien's methodical summary of American foriegn policy toward Israel on one hand, and Iraq on the other--Finkelstein refrains from judging either of these two countries during his comparison--and the result demonstrates an undeniable double standard in the application of international law. There is much evidence--much of it taken from declassified Israeli documents--that suggests Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon was entirely an offensive operation, the sole purpose of which was to avoid having to come to political terms with the PLO, and Finkelstein touches on this as well. Overall, an excellent, insightful book well worth reading.

Finkelstein's book is that rare gem of a monumental work housed within a slim volume. What makes his ideas so astonishing, in addition to their being meticulously researched and footnoted, is that his parents were survivors of the Nazi holocaust. Based on encounters with Elie Wiesel and the like, one would not expect a Jew of this background to have such a profound understanding of the Palestinian people and of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

This book is a must-read in that it convincingly defies, with powerfully sculpted arguments and towering research, the tired and frequently hypocritical views of the New York Times and other news authorities.

Finkelstein will convince you.

As a Jewish woman living in the U.S. it was difficult for me to hear but one side of the story in the Israeli-Arab conflict. That side was the Zionist perspective. It wasn't until I spent time in Israel (ironic as this is) that I began to understand the fallacies in the arguments I grew up hearing. I read this book after picking it up at a friend's house, and now I'm feeling brave enough to buy a copy of my own. That courage comes from Finkelstein. I feel like I'm in good company. There ARE other Jews who can see and dare to shed some light on the OTHER SIDE--the Palestinian viewpoint. Finkelstein presents us with the Palestinian perspective in the context of the Israel-Arab conflict with such integrity and simplicity. As descendents of a terribly oppressed group of people, I whole-heartedly support all efforts to stop dehumanizing the "enemy." Finkelstien shows us the humanness of Palestinians.

All rough guides that I have encountered are chock full of great information. The Egypt guide in particular is one of the best. The number of maps is fantastic and the quality of the information is comparable to what you usually have to visit the site to obtain.

Excellent guide book with lots of good suggestions. Buy it before going to Egypt. This is a must have.

I went to Egypt in February 2006 with my wife and our two boys (5 and 2.5 years). Although we took a package tour to Hurghada, we actually overnighted there only three nights of the eleven we were in Egypt. The rest we spent moving around (Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, busses, train, cruise ship, jeep). For the whole trip we spent around 1000 USD plus the package. We could have easily spent twice as much (or, more precisely -- seen twice as little because the budget was limited) if not the hints in the book.

Thanks to this book we got a great offer for a two night last-minute Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor. By taxi (30 USD, 80 km round trip, an option that without the book would not be even considered) we visited pyramids of Giza and Dahshur. Dahshur (as described in the book) has the second largest pyramid in Egypt as well as the strangest-shaped one (The Bent Pyramid). We were there alone if not the half a dozen French travellers -- it is an experience much different from one you get at Giza where your awe about the greatness of the structures is mixed considerably with the awe about the number of people around.

The bargaining tips and information on ticket prices were so accurate in tiniest details! We started laughing when a typical merchant approached us in Luxor and asked for our help in writing a letter in English to "his friend from abroad" -- our book speciffically mentioned this trick used by shopkeepers to lure unsuspecting tourists!

Enough -- if you are going to Egypt and want to see the real thing, get this book!

Choc full of good and interesting information. Layouts of pyramids, temples, touring info, cautions, advice, etc. Very good and I will take the book to refer during my upcoming trip.

This was an indispensable guide when I traveled to Cairo last year. The author gives quite an honest look at what to love about Egypt and what to really keep your distance from (I'm looking at you, scamming touts, in front of the Egyptian Museum!). This guide really prepares you for the trip and helps you experience more than what the typical tourist sees. I also used this guide when i took the train into Alexandria-- again very helpful, especially with cafe and restaurant recommendations.

The author goes above and beyond the "real" effects that the U.N.-U.S. imposed sanctions are producing up to this day to the average iraqui citizen.If the overkill of the iraqui infrastructure wasn't enough, sanctions have taken back the iraqui people to a pre-industrial age.

The United States Government blockades of Cuba and Iraq are acts of genocide against national groups, `deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part'. Simons summarises: "United States policy, a slow and knowing extermination of a national people, falls unambiguously within the terms of the UN Genocide Convention."

Eight years of sanctions have killed two million Iraqis, including a million children. Bush began them, supported by Major. Now Clinton maintains them, supported by Blair, `the perfect peacekeeper', in Kofi Annan's words. Protocol I, Article 54 of the Geneva Convention states, "Starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is prohibited." The United Nations General Assembly has repeatedly denounced the US blockade of Cuba as illegal and demanded that it be lifted. (British Governments usually abstain on these votes.) Ramsey Clark, a former US Attorney-General, says, "I see the blockade as a crime against humanity, in the Nuremburg sense, as a weapon of mass destruction. The blockade is a weapon for the destruction of the masses, and it attacks those segments of society that are the most vulnerable ... infants and children, the chronically ill, the elderly and emergency medical cases."

Some say we must ensure that economic sanctions respect agreed exemptions. The exemptions are for public relations: sanctions are designed to kill. A doctor might as well call for the humane implementation of torture. US and British Governments have consistently vetoed the delivery of baby food and medical supplies to Iraq. The US Government has consistently blocked contracts for medical supplies arranged by British companies.

The sanctions are a continuation of the war by other means. The war itself was more a traditional colonial massacre, with one side having a huge advantage in forces and weaponry. The US and British forces fired tens of thousands of depleted uranium (DU) shells. They are an illegal weapon, under UN Resolution 32/84 of December 1977, which bans the use of `radioactive material weapons'. The US Army admitted that some US soldiers were unknowingly exposed to DU radiation during the War. Obviously, we need not look any further for the cause of `Gulf War syndrome'. The US forces also used chemical weapons against the Iraqis. At the war's end, the US forces bombed troops no longer able to offer resistance, and those in retreat: both of these are war crimes.

To blame Castro and Saddam Hussein for their peoples' suffering is like blaming Churchill for the British people's suffering under the Nazi blockade, or like blaming the rabbis for the Jews' suffering under the Nazis.

It is a hideous mockery even to talk of an ethical foreign policy when genocide is being perpetrated. We should demand an end to the sanctions, otherwise we acquiesce in genocide.

The author provides a vivid picture of the effects of the US's methodical destruction of the life support infastructure in Iraq during "Desert Storm" and its relationship to, and the continuing use of, "Economic Warfare", i.e. "sanctions" to produce hundreds of thousands of deaths, targeting especially babies and children, the elderly and the chronically ill, by starvation and preventable diseases.

The author provides a vivid picture of the effects of the US's methodical destruction of the life support infastructure in Iraq during "Desert Storm" and its relationship to, and the continuing use of, "Economic Warfare", i.e. "sanctions" to produce hundreds of thousands of deaths, targeting especially babies and children, the elderly and the chronically ill, by starvation and preventable diseases.

The author goes above and beyond the "real" effects that the U.N.-U.S. imposed sanctions are producing up to this day to the average iraqui citizen.If the overkill of the iraqui infrastructure wasn't enough, sanctions have taken back the iraqui people to a pre-industrial age.

I have several books by Zahi Hawass, and this is probably my favorite. I would love to meet this man in person, as his spirit of adventure must be greatly contagious! I love this book; the stories he shares, and the photography is fantastic! My hope is to someday visit some of these sights. I guarantee you won't be disappointed with this visit to Egypt's past.

This is Dr. Hawass' autobiography. A very fun read, lots of great stories, not at all dry. Dr. Hawass is alot of fun, and a real character. He is also the right man in the right place at the right time, as protector and custodian of Egypt's legacy. I was privileged to enter the Sphinx enclosure at Giza with Dr. Hawass in January 2004 and got to see firsthand some of the changes he has put in place at many sites. I was delighted to read more of his plans in this book, which made me feel much better about the future of archaeology in Egypt. It was also fun to hear about how and when he acquired his passion for Egyptology, his first meeting with his colleague Dr. Mark Lehner, and the job perk of "the best balcony in the world."
This book is also full of many wonderful photos, many of which have not been published before; which helped me make more sense of the many sites we visited. I have several of Dr. Hawass' books, but this is my favorite!

Zahi Hawass has spent thirty years in Egypt working to understand ancient Egypt. This book is a semi-autobiographical in that the first part of the book covers his early days working to protect Egypt's past. It then goes on as though giving us a personally conducted tour of some of the most important excavation sites in Egypt. It is absolutely filled with information that would never have occurrec to the casual observer. For instance, the average tourist leaves about an ounce of moisture from breath and sweat in the interior chambers of the Giza pyramids. The aftereffects of this cause a deteriation of the chamber.

The book is profusely illustrated, with 251 of the 262 photographs printed in color.

To begin with I am not sure what I expected of this book. I knew it was not going to be a scholarly text, and it is not. What it is is a very entertaining book based on the excavations by Zahil Hawass over the last thirty plus years working in Egypt. I found the text to be written for a reader with a more than casual interest in ancient Egypt. It is written in excellent form, with crisp text and is well laid out so that the text and accompanying photographs appear together on the same pages. This is a personal account of Dr Hawass excavations and must be taken as such. When there is a point of personal note regarding people, events and details, and how it effected him, they are included and because of such I found it interesting and entertaining.
The photos in this book are excellent, many of which have never been published and mainly in color. The book deals not only with excavations that Dr Hawass has done in the past, but also his plans for site control in the future in order to protect Egypt's monuments.
But the thing I found most interesting was his personal journey. That Dr Hawass never intended to become and Egyptologist when his career began but a lawyer struck me as ironic how people can by chance find their life's work and passion quite by accident.
I have red Zahil Hawass other books including "Valley of the Golden Mummies' and enjoyed them very much. But the personal account and details along with excellent photographs and well written text allowed me to see inside a career of one of Egypt's and the worlds most prominent archaeologists.
I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in ancient history.

Dr. Hawass's book, "Secrets From the Sand" is a delight in many ways. Having been in Egypt and having seen many of the sites he has described, I thoroughly enjoyed re-living some of my time there. However, I must take exception to his belittling remarks of other people with whom he disagrees. I am referring to the remarks about Edgar Cayce, founder of the A.R.E. in Virginia Beach. One certainly has the right to disagree with another's phylosophy, but it would be courteous, to say the least, to get the facts right. Mr. Cayce was not a "poor carpenter", he was a photographer. He did not cure his son
s eyes, when a flash powder went off and blinded the boy, by some hocus-pocus magic, but with a sensible medical treatment.He mentions Hugh Lynn Cayce,Edgar's son, and calls him Hylan. In fact, the entire small section seemed to me to be an unsportsmanlike attempt to denigrate anyone who disagrees with him. Dr. Hawass has had enough recognition and enough honors in his field, richly deserved I may add, not to need to put in print his dislike of another's beliefs, however much it may disagree with his own. If this one section had been left out, I would have given the book the highest praise for its content, photographs, and manner of writing. As it is, I feel that it takes away from the character of the man whose work I have followed with great interest for many years, and who has done so much to bring his country's rich heritage to the attention of the world.

Stormjammers is a beautifully written and deeply personal look at one man's transformation from a young flyer to a hardened combat veteran and ultimately to a warrior irrevocably changed by his experiences. It's also the highest tribute to the men and women he served with.

From the start of this book, all the way through to the end, I was full of feelings and emotions. Stanek's words were so intense, so powerful, at times I had to put the book down for a few moments to let the feelings and imagery he generated settle in my mind. Every page resonated with the essential truth that words like duty, honor, courage, service, and commitment are not just ideals for men like Stanek and for the men and women he served with, but are in fact words lived by.

This book accomplishes the nearly impossible by seamlessly imparting factual information, and giving a truly unique perspective on the first Gulf War. The books also gives great insight into the mind of a frightened but resilient young man trying to make sense of it all, and the reader is pulled through a chapter, only to find at the end of it he's learned something about modern warfare, gotten a step closer to understanding how such events affect those who fight in them, and unmistakeably gotten a very raw and real look into the life of this remarkable young man. It is the strength of the writing keeps you reading, but also the deeper, all encompassing look at air combat and electronic warfare.

There is a depth and beauty in the way Stanek shares with the reader the bonds of friendship and professional camaraderie which are forged under these extreme circumstances. These rare bonds forged between men and woman under such difficult conditions speak to the individuals strength and character and are so unique to the military and especially the combat experience -- making this a great tribute to all who served.

In it's own way, there is beauty in the way he reveals to the reader his visceral combat experiences: from alerts, to air raids, to fighter encounters, to anti-aircraft artillery strikes, to surface to air missile attacks, to terrorist attacks. There is self doubt, questioning, and honest assessment.

Stanek's writing is clean and the book flows smoothly and entertainingly from peacetime and his training experiences with the heart of the book being his experiences in Iraq and the combat missions flown into Baghdad. Stanek is a rare author who allows the reader to visualize both vibrant imagery and vivid emotions through his words. It is both gripping and enthralling and utterly honest. The gut-wrenching emotional pain he experienced shook me to the core and remained with me for days after reading.

I strongly believe this is a book for everyone, both men and women alike. Anyone interested in the military, our country, and modern warfare will find this book a brilliant addition to the growing selection of "war memoirs." Anyone looking for an intelligent, thoughtful, insightful, and deeply introspective read will also enjoy this book. Ultimately, this is the story of a man as he is irrevocably transformed by his experiences and utterly bares his heart and soul in the telling. His words have stayed with me long after closing the pages.

Stormjammers is an outstanding read. I found the authors uncomplicated style a great fit for a very complex subject. It is hard to over emphasize the importance of EW on today's battlefield, yet there are very few books dedicated to this subject. This is one of the best to be had.

The author's storytelling ability is better-than-average most of the time, and downright page-turning when the story really gets going. I have loaned this book out so often I have two copies! That says a lot.

Author Robert Stanek, a former military flyer, writes a tell-it-like-it-is memoir in his book: "Stormjammers: The Extraordinary Story of Electronic Warfare in the Gulf War." It is a compelling and hard-to-put-down insider's look at the training and making of a military flyer that takes us right into the heart of the combat and the action in the Gulf War. Stanek goes from the green hills of a airbase in Germany to the hard and courageous life of a combat flyer in Iraq.

His story gives us one of the best insider looks at what is happening in the world of electronic warfare. It is written from the point of view of one of those few brave young men who are risking their lives daily to ensure the freedom of others. Not only is this book highly readable, it is destined to become a classic of how we fought this new kind of war. It is also not shy about the truth. He pulls no punches and holds nothing back in his analysis of what happened.

This book shows the best and the worst of people. It is honest prose that evokes the essence of older more classic combat literature -- when courage and compassion were still extremely important to our fellow countrymen. Once you read this book you will be affected in some way. Your emotions and your thinking about the first Gulf War and how it was handled will change. You will also have a much higher regard and respect for those men and women who are serving our country in this war now.

Stanek is a smart, courageous storyteller. His book is a very candid look at his military experiences and should be required reading material for all new military flyers. It is highly recommended.

Stanek's memoir "Stormjammers" is a first-hand account of training and engagements in Iraq. It is refreshingly clean of anti-war or pro-war bias. I found the entire volume well-written and fast reading. Stanek leaves the larger debates about the war to others, and concentrates on depicting the confusion, frustration, readiness, service and heroism. Such descriptions have been missing in the mass media coverage of the war.

Every person in war sees it differently. But there is a core of truth that is common to all war fighters, but not necessarily seen by all who fight. I learned it in Vietnam, my grandfather told me of it in World War II, my father told me of it in Korea, and this book tells it for the Iraq war. His story of the challenges that a military flyer faces in the midst of the chaos of combat and the ties that bind the crew together are fascinating. This is a great book and should be read by those who want to understand what our armed forces are up against in today's world. This will also resonate with those who have served or had similar experiences of war. I give it 5 stars, and this earns all of them.

I listened to this book in audio first, and I liked it so much I bought the printed book too. Stormjammers is a bitingly honest assessment of Stanek's experiences during first Gulf War. The prose is clear, candid, and vivid and provides a gut-wrenching, hands-sweating, feel for life as a military flyer and what it's like to engage in aerial combat. Stanek will take you through his first thoughts on the buildup in Iraq. You will ride along as the war unfolds, sharing his pain as he takes you into places few others have ever written about so well: modern aerial warfare. You will feel the rush of emotion when you ask yourself if you could make the decisions he made and you'll tear up when you finish the book and realize that young men like Stanek will never have a peaceful rest as long as their is terror and evil in the world.

What made the book particularly refreshing was its ability to give a true depiction of the glory, horror, and tragedy that the Iraq war, like all wars, has entailed. On the one hand, the Iraqi war provided someone like Stanek with a chance to test his own character under grim conditions and emerge tougher and more confident as a result. But the heart-wrenching human struggles he describes make the account so personal and so real. And his frank retelling of everything from the initial build up to the after effects of the war only deepen how it affects you. It would be easy for an individual unfamiliar with the military to forget how crucial air power was in the war and easy to remember only the ground battles but the Iraqi war was fought and won from the air long before there were any groundbattles. In summary, this book provides a view into modern warfare unlike any I have not encountered before. No one could read it and fail to come away with a clearer understanding of war and its impact on those who fight.

This book is a wonderful read and I highly recommend it.