272e7a7b-8097-47f2-9209-0436dbe74755TrueNewShip1ClubsAmazonLargeBooksreviewrank101418101420060987510http://www.amazon.com/These-My-Words-Nancy-Turner/dp/0060987510%3FSubscriptionId%3D05ERXYTS89KFGEPQR5G2%26tag%3Dthebookrevi0b-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D006098751019827http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ZTME02VZL._SL75_.jpg7548http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ZTME02VZL._SL160_.jpg160102http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ZTME02VZL.jpg475304Nancy TurnerPaperback813.5497800609875101100060987510Harper PerennialEnglishEnglishEnglish8001495USD$14.95Harper Perennial1388Book1999-03-01Harper Perennial1999-02-17Harper Perennial60530670USD$6.70331USD$3.311545USD$15.45114030005.02134300609875105002008-09-22

Woman's issues

These is My Words is filled with wild west high adventure. It is fast paced and reminds me of watching an action movie. Sarah grows from not understanding what is love. How it is demonstrated etc... to a profound understanding of a healthy marriage relationship. Filled with woman's issues: child bearing & rearing, pregnancy, marriage, courage, strength, meekness, life and death. A woman's classic.00609875105002008-09-18

I LAUGHED AND I CRIED

This book is great. It has everything ----- humor, sadness, romance, and just pure true grit!! Sarah and Jack are exceptional characters. I couldn't put the book down, but wanted more when it was over. 00609875105002008-08-26

Great! Wish I Could Give It 6 Stars!!

I loved this book. It was recommended to me by a friend and at first I wondered if this would be something I liked. But I have been absolutely enthralled with it, hardly wanting to put it down. This is a wonderful story about determination, ingenuity, love and loss. Definitely inspiring and endearingly moving. I am ready for the second book in the series. 00609875105002008-08-17

Awesome Book

This book was amazing. It was so hard to put down, I ended up reading it in a day. Very moving story of this girls life and great love. I recommend it to anyone with a love of romance and history. 00609875105002008-07-27

Highly enjoyed

This is a wonderful book ~ I recommend it to everyone who is interested in pioneer families and how it really was. The author must have done a huge amount of research and she makes it very real on every page. Great deal of humor or sadness as it must have been in those times. I have gotten the sequel and will start that soon too ~ something to look forward to!!!!In a compelling fiction debut, Nancy E. Turner's unforgettable <I>These Is My Words</I> melds the sweeping adventures and dramatic landscapes of <I>Lonesome Dove</I> with the heartfelt emotional saga of <I>Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All.</I><P> Inspired by the author's original family memoirs, this absorbing story introduces us to the questing, indomitable Sarah Prine, one of the most memorable women ever to survive and prevail in the Arizona Territory of the late 1800s. As a child, a fiery young woman, and finally a caring mother, Sarah forges a life as full and as fascinating as our deepest needs, our most secret hopes and our grandest dreams. She rides Indian-style and shoots with deadly aim, greedily devours a treasure trove of leatherbound books, downs fire, flood, Comanche raids and other mortal perils with the unique courage that forged the character of the American West.<P> Rich in authentic details of daily life and etched with striking character portraits of very different pioneer families, this action-packed novel is also the story of a powerful, enduring love between Sarah and the dashing cavalry officer Captain Jack Elliot. Neither the vast distances traveled nor the harsh and killing terrains could quench the passion between them, and the loss and loneliness both suffer only strengthen their need for each other.<P> While their love grows, the heartbreak and wonder of the frontier experience unfold in scene after scene: a wagon-train Sunday spent roasting quail on spits as Indians close in to attack; Sarah's silent encounter with an Indian brave, in which he shows her his way of respect; a dreadful discovery by a stream that changes Sarah forever; the hazards of a visit to Phoenix, a town as hot as the devil's frying pan; Sarah's joy in building a real home, sketching out rooms and wraparound porches.<P> Sarah's incredible story leads us into a vanished world that comes vividly to life again, while her struggles with work and home, love and responsibility resonate with those every woman faces today. <I>These Is My Words</I> is a passionate celebration of a remarkable life, exhilarating and gripping from the first page to the last.0312332637B001FOR5YE03123326291556526016031219943010129Contemporary17Literature & Fiction1000Subjects283155Books10132Literary17Literature & Fiction1000Subjects283155Books10177Historical10134Genre Fiction17Literature & Fiction1000Subjects283155Books10198General10197Westerns10134Genre Fiction17Literature & Fiction1000Subjects283155Books400272011Paperback394184011Mass Market401237011Trade394174011Binding (binding)388186011Refinements283155Books618083011Printed Books618072011Format (feature_browse-bin)388186011Refinements283155BooksRQ0L7DWOJ6WOQBooks about Tucson (and the vicinity)R2XKK6F49N3I3OElizabeth's Reading GroupR1Z1AVEUYQICD5Books Read in 2007R1QB4VVOGJ07N6Most Memorable ReadsRFPH9S10IU1PEBooks I've Read in 2007 Part 1RME17XK192MKZKissacooper's Reading ListR28PHTS1Q92VQ2Great books about interesting womenR22NF7R6ZFVOXMStrong girls, strong plots, wonderful worlds - My Favorite BooksR3R5SZCBU7MDO4Pioneer Girls for Young History FansR3SH7DPQWO8H58Great Recommendations Part 2- Even More of My Favorite Books044084214Xhttp://www.amazon.com/little-prince-Antoine-Saint-Exupe%C3%8C%C2%81ry/dp/044084214X%3FSubscriptionId%3D05ERXYTS89KFGEPQR5G2%26tag%3Dthebookrevi0b-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D044084214X2161231Antoine de Saint-ExupéryUnknown Binding9780440842149044084214XThe Trumpet ClubEnglishThe Trumpet Club113Book1988The Trumpet ClubThe Trumpet Club295USD$2.951USD$0.0111400005.019139044084214X1002008-07-11

Buy the Katherine Woods translation only

To get the most enjoyment from this beautiful book, buy the original Katherine Woods translation. 044084214X5112008-03-09

Katherine Woods - The name to remember

Katherine Woods' translation is the only English-language version of The Little Prince which captures the beauty, simplicity, clarity, and profundity of the Antoine de St. Exupery's classic, penned in French. <br /> <br />(The newer translation is appallingly horrid and bland, mistaken, and frankly perplexing.) <br /> <br />This is really not a children's book, although older children will appreciate it. <br /> <br />Don't measure the value by the thickness of the book. De St. Exupery, himself a WWI pilot, writes with a great economy yet produces here the most beautiful poetry with a delightful playfulness and childlike innocence -- a fresh vision which thus sees clearly and does not obscure the profound. <br /> <br />Mr. Fred Rogers used to quote from de St. Exupery, whose image and illustrations once graced the 20-franc note (in the days before the euro). <br /> <br />There simply is no other work like this one. It is an exceptionally rare treasure, a masterpiece. <br /> <br />Be sure to read Katherine Woods' translation. Read it privately, when you have time to savor each word. And keep a box of tissues nearby. <br /> <br />044084214X5662007-11-11

Little Prince speaks to the child in me

I was an adult when i read this book, and i really appreciated the lessons in life that Saint-Exupery shares through the Little Prince. <br /> <br />A great book, full of beautiful illustrations, easy to read, while fun and sad at the same time. <br /> <br />I personally read it as if Exupery is sharing with us the conversations he has with his own inner child, in the image of the Little Prince. That is why the Little Prince would ask many questions, but rarely answer the ones he was asked. Like all our inner children he's been hidden inside and kept silent for a long long time, and now that he was given his chance, he will speak. And we better listen, for he is an integral part of our psyche, who will take us through the most unbelievable adventures. 044084214X4002007-09-23

a teacher

This is a wonderful story and a great book I was able to share with my students. The only drawback with the book is that the pages are not in color, but the extremely low price allowed me to purchase the books for my students out of my own pocket.044084214X5222007-09-12

The Little Prince

The Little Prince has often been heralded as a youthful book, required reading in elementary and high schools alike. In delivering it this way I think The Little Prince is missed by the only audience that is likely to truly appreciate it, that is adults. It is not an uncommon misconception that this is a children's book. Indeed, I keep the pictures stored on my computer, and am often asked where they came from. I reply that they are from one of my favourite books, and without fail the response is along the lines of, 'I don't mean to be rude but is that a children's book?'. 'No', I explain, 'it is not'. <br /> <br />The Little Prince is most needed, I think, by adults. It is easy to be caught up in, as De Saint-Exupery describes it, 'matters of consequence' and forget that it is not these matters which bring meaning to life. By pointing out the futility of professions practised endlessly and in isolation of other people, it becomes clear that the Little Prince, with his rose, is the only character with a life of consequence. <br /> <br />This book is beautifully written and translated by Katherine Woods. It speaks volumes through its simple tale, strange though it seems that matters such as these only become clear when they are somewhat removed from reality. Matters such as love, innocence, imagination and priorities. The Little Prince is a gentle and stirring reminder to never forget to see the boa constrictor from the hat.An aviator whose plane is forced down in the Sahara Desert encounters a little man from a small planet who describes his adventures in the universe seeking the secret of what is really important in life.0156012197B0013L6D7Y0156013983081296717801560274961000Subjects1Arts & Photography2Biographies & Memoirs3Business & Investing4Children's Books4366Comics & Graphic Novels5Computers & Internet6Cooking, Food & Wine86Entertainment301889Gay & Lesbian10Health, Mind & Body9History48Home & Garden10777Law17Literature & Fiction13996Medicine18Mystery & Thrillers53Nonfiction290060Outdoors & Nature20Parenting & Families173507Professional & Technical21Reference22Religion & Spirituality23Romance75Science25Science Fiction & Fantasy26Sports28Teens27Travel283155Books1874371504http://www.amazon.com/Time-Bed-Trumpet-Club-Special/dp/1874371504%3FSubscriptionId%3D05ERXYTS89KFGEPQR5G2%26tag%3Dthebookrevi0b-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D1874371504Mem FoxPaperbackJane Dyer9781874371502Import1874371504Trumpet ClubEnglishEnglishTrumpet Club32Book1995Trumpet ClubTrumpet Club42785USD$7.850100005.01382818743715045002008-08-28

Wonderful bedtime story

Time for bed is a wonderful bedtime story for children of all ages. <br />My granddaughters just love it and want it read over & over!18743715045002008-08-10

Wonderful, wonderful book!

This is absolutely a lovely book. The illustrations are soothing for bedtime, and the rhythmic story makes for a perfect bedtime story. I have been reading this to my son since he was born, and he still loves it at 3 years old. Great bonding experience with this wonderful story.18743715045002008-07-19

A true bedtime story

This is a great book that I would recommend to all for those quite moments just before sleep. This gentle story leads you through an array of animals as they settle down for the night. I find the pictures great and the gentle rhythm of the book a delight. I could not as more of a bedtime story.18743715045002008-07-18

Classic Bedtime Story

I read this book to my daughter many nights from the night she was born until she was old enough for chapter books. She loved the cadence of the rhymes and would repeat them along with me as she got older. Now my oldest step-daughter is having her first baby so this is one of the books we got her - we hope it will be a favorite in her house as well!18743715045002008-06-26

one of my favorites

I love this book -- it is to soothing for both adults and children. Beautiful pictures and sweet, simple rhymes.039923003306940065130805047905B0012FB9FC076360013X2966Literature2967Action & Adventure11399Children's Literature Guides2970Classics by Age2977Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths16254411General3003Humorous15356881Literary Criticism & Collections3004Poetry3011Popular Culture3012Read-Aloud3013Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror3019Short Story Collections4Children's Books1000Subjects283155Books400272011Paperback394184011Mass Market401237011Trade394174011Binding (binding)388186011Refinements283155Books618083011Printed Books618072011Format (feature_browse-bin)388186011Refinements283155Books0312304358http://www.amazon.com/Molokai-Alan-Brennert/dp/0312304358%3FSubscriptionId%3D05ERXYTS89KFGEPQR5G2%26tag%3Dthebookrevi0b-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D03123043581502http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51NZYS59MVL._SL75_.jpg7550http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51NZYS59MVL._SL160_.jpg160106http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51NZYS59MVL.jpg500331Alan BrennertPaperback813.5497803123043551300312304358St. Martin's GriffinEnglishEnglishEnglish8001395USD$13.95St. Martin's Griffin1400Book2004-10-04St. Martin's Griffin2004-09-09St. Martin's Griffin60550670USD$6.70418USD$4.181395USD$13.9539365011ATVPDKIKX0DERhttp://www.amazon.com/gp/help/seller/home.html?seller=ATVPDKIKX0DERNewnewRDMgUHnR6ki3V0gQhfvio6bXl8UjVM%2F9BtQCbPuNK8rOknQir13Kcl4vqHC4xCZvi%2FQsi9eKhBZsbzhWG%2Fk2Vw%3D%3D1116USD$11.16Usually ships in 24 hours5.01102203123043585222008-08-31

Greatest historical novel ever

This was the most engrossing and emotional book I have ever read. There were moments I had to put it down for fear of crying and looking ridiculous for doing so. There were joyful moments and sad moments and everytime I put it down, I had to remind myself I am Tara in Utah, not Rachel in Molokai. Thats how truly potent this story is. You must remind yourself where and who you are. The story starts with Rachel as a child, no leprosy yet and progresses to her diagnosis and being torn from her family. She makes new family though and lives her life to its fullest. The ending will bring tears to the hardest of people. The author was very informative of the history and times without being tedious. I really reocommend this to anyone who has a handicap, disability, or disease and to anyone that has ever made cruel jests at those who do. Those with some kind of impairment will understand and feel for the leper colony and also gain some hope from this story. Those who have made cruel jests, I hope you learn something and perhaps feel some compassion for those you see as less fortunate physcially than yourselves. On the outside, we all have flaws. On the inside some are truly beautiful no matter their physical deformities or differences. That is what this story really speaks to me. 03123043585002008-08-28

Moloka'i, a great read about a little known subject.

Moloka'i is an historical fiction that tells the sometimes horrible story of leper patients who lived in Hawaii. There are great things in this book. It will make you weep because it all really happened (except the main characters are fictional). But there is also humor and love and great kindness. It's well written and about a subject that was foreign to me. I learned a lot and read a few other books on the subject afterward to find out more. I highly recommend it. It's a great read.03123043585002008-08-16

The dark side of paradise

<br />A tragic tale embroidered with exquisite detail reflecting careful research, Moloka'i sets the standard for historical fiction set in Hawai'i. To take a subject like the isolation of people with Hansen's disease, as black a mark in American history as the internment of Japanese families during WWII, and make it an engaging, even romantic encounter is a unique literary accomplishment. We care about the young Hawaiian girl taken from her family and hidden away from prying eyes for almost her entire life. We chafe with her as her youth and beauty fades and the hideous disease progresses in her body. We recoil in horror when she has to give up her baby so her child will not become infected with the yet misunderstood disease. Our hearts break when her husband, the only happiness she has been allowed in this prison of isolation, dies. But, we are lifted high when she finally is freed and able to find her adult daughter. Alan Brennert does a masterful job imparting nuances of the Hawaiian culture and his descriptive powers capture the spell of the Islands. That the postcard perfect jutting green pali of Kalapaupapa on Moloka'i served as a prison for hundreds of native Hawaiians is something that should not be forgotten. www.LindaBallouAuthor <br />Wai-nani, High Chiefess of Hawai'i-Her Epic Journey <br />0312304358510102008-08-04

A Sweeping Saga

Alan Brennert, with eloquent, descriptive, flowing prose offers an epic tale of leprosy among Hawaiians in the late 1800's to present day. Rachel, the center character, is ripped from her family at 7 years old and exiled to the island of Kalauppa, on Moloka'i, where the infected go to die. Her struggle in the most gruesome of scenario's is so gripping, so raw, so real, and so inspiring it makes it impossible to ever forget her valiant fight and her unyielding spirit. <br /> <br />Rachel introduces us to a myriad of compelling characters. In nearly every case we see valor among the suffering; hope among the hopeless and optimism among the grim. Historically we venture through Hawaii's distain of the USA's aggression, acceptance, and statehood. We also experience Pearl Harbor and the oppression of Japanese American's to internment camps; internment camps that bequeathed undue prejudice as ugly and unwarranted as that of lepers. <br /> <br />This absolutely astounding book offers a sweeping saga of prejudice, hope, dismay, hope, depravity, hope, searing struggles, hope. HOPE! When you complete, "Moloka'i" you will hug this book to your heart as I did. You will realize that the impossible is possible. Also, accountability for others mustn't go untethered by one's own discomfort or lack of knowledge. Education before exile. <br /> <br />Thank-you, Alan Brennert. You gave me a read to treasure all my life.03123043585002008-08-01

Moloka'i

This is the best book I've ever had the pleasure of reading! I love the characters, and the history. I love the way the Hawaiian sayings and culture were interspersed so appropriately throughout the book. The description of the setting and time, AMAZING!<DIV>This richly imagined novel, set in Hawai'i more than a century ago, is an extraordinary epic of a little-known time and place---and a deeply moving testament to the resiliency of the human spirit.<BR>Rachel Kalama, a spirited seven-year-old Hawaiian girl, dreams of visiting far-off lands like her father, a merchant seaman. Then one day a rose-colored mark appears on her skin, and those dreams are stolen from her. Taken from her home and family, Rachel is sent to Kalaupapa, the quarantined leprosy settlement on the island of Moloka'i. Here her life is supposed to end---but instead she discovers it is only just beginning. <BR>With a vibrant cast of vividly realized characters, <I>Moloka'i</I> is the true-to-life chronicle of a people who embraced life in the face of death. Such is the warmth, humor, and compassion of this novel that "few readers will remain unchanged by Rachel's story" (mostlyfiction.com).<BR></DIV>0312199430B001AQXZZA006079156X0060825316037584220910125General10127Classics17Literature & Fiction1000Subjects283155Books10129Contemporary17Literature & Fiction1000Subjects283155Books10177Historical10134Genre Fiction17Literature & Fiction1000Subjects283155Books400272011Paperback394184011Mass Market401237011Trade394174011Binding (binding)388186011Refinements283155Books618083011Printed Books618072011Format (feature_browse-bin)388186011Refinements283155Books713014011General AAS319654011Qualifying Textbooks251254011Custom Stores44258011Specialty Stores283155BooksRZ1LG7KUOTMUVCheryl's Favorite Historical FictionR3R3KD03Y38UUYMy favorite books set in HawaiiR1AZ2XQA4B81ZQHistorical Fiction Page TurnersR2WH2V9IKOP5VTContemporary LiteratureR1SNK6A09797UKThe Book Bags Bookclub 2008R3NLPECXVZ1DNFThe Best Books Ever!RAGTGRANIN5SWExplosive HistoryR19LC8C09J8XLQGreat Recommendations Part 3- Even More of My Favorite Books....R2EMD5OF8YBASHEC Nominations for October 2007R8YNNPQQ8SFBZHistorical Fiction: Heavy on the History, Smart on the Romance!B0007HS7TChttp://www.amazon.com/Nicholas-Alexandra-Robert-K-Massie/dp/B0007HS7TC%3FSubscriptionId%3D05ERXYTS89KFGEPQR5G2%26tag%3Dthebookrevi0b-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB0007HS7TCRobert K MassieUnknown BindingBook-of-the-Month ClubEnglishEnglishBook-of-the-Month Club584Book1997Book-of-the-Month ClubBook-of-the-Month Club695USD$6.95195USD$1.952300005.010822B0007HS7TC5112008-09-30

A Heartbreaking History

This is an all-encompassing authoritative biography of the last ruling Romanovs, and Massie has compiled a thorough and well-researched insight into the lives of Nicholas and Alexandra. Even forty years after its original publication and long after the fall of the Soviet Union, it is a relevant part of Russian history. Massie is very sympathetic in his presentation of the royal family and addresses pertinent questions about the fall of the monarchy. If Alexis, the heir to the throne, had not had hemophilia, would the influence of Rasputin not have been necessary? And if Rasputin were never in the picture, would the monarchy have suffered such a tarnished reputation? <br /> <br />The book painted a very vivid picture of the Royal Family based on hundreds of sources and letters. Nicholas is an incapable Tsar but a warm-hearted, devoted husband and father. Alexandra seems frantic and ill at ease (and often just ill) in her constant concern over the life of her son. And I love that I felt I got to know each of the children, Olga, Tatiana, Marie, Anastasia, and Alexis more individually and personally. This made their demise all the more heartbreaking. This book also gave me a greater understanding of the political climate of the time in Russia and a better comprehension of the revolution and the roles of Lenin, Trotsky, and other important players (although I occasionally found some difficulty keeping the various Russian names straight). Overall, this is a captivating book and the saga is all the more intriguing because it's history. I will definitely be interested to read some of the more recent material that Massie presents in The Romanovs: The Last Chapter. <br />B0007HS7TC5112008-09-28

A Transformative Reading Experience

I first read Nicholas and Alexandra many years ago as a 14 year old. It was a transformative experience for me, awakening what has been a lifelong passionate interest in royal biography and Russian history. Now that I'm in my early fifties, I recently reread Nicholas and Alexandra for the first time in about twenty years, and it continues to have the same magic. <br /> <br />Robert K. Massie became interested in the last Tsar of Russia because he, like Nicholas, was the father of a hemophiliac boy. Massie spent long hours reading about hemophilia and famous hemophiliacs, and he was fascinated by the way Russian and world twentieth century history turned on a chance genetic defect. Had Tsarevich Alexis not had hemophilia, it is probable that Tsar Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra would not have come under the malign influence of Gregory Rasputin, the Siberian faith healer who had a catastrophic effect on the Russian government before and during World War I; leading to the Russian Revolution, the rise of Communism, and the deaths of Nicholas, Alexandra, and their children. Its an interesting thesis that still holds up well, though Massie's focus on the inner tragedy of the Tsar's family tends to make him discount the many other problems from which pre-revolutionary Russia suffered. Massie also has a natural tendency to whitewash Nicholas and Alexandra (parents of hemophiliacs have a special bond with those who share their trauma, after all), by barely mentioning such negative traits as the Tsar's anti-Semitism and the Empress' many neuroses. <br /> <br />The book remains an extraordinary work of art. Massie's descriptions of the Russian landscape and his finely drawn character sketches are wonderfully rich and detailed. He is able to explain the political and social complexities of the era colorfully and wittily, even when dealing with such abstractions as the differences between Social Democrats, Social Revolutionaries, and Bolsheviks. Most of all, Massie is able to make us weep for the Romanovs: a man who was a bad Tsar but a good husband and father, a woman who destroyed her family while trying to keep her son alive, and five innocent young people who never had a chance to lead happy, productive lives. Every time I read Nicholas and Alexandra I tremble again at the thought of their last awful moments, but I am enriched still more by the chance to read such a magnificent work of art and scholarship. B0007HS7TC5772008-08-07

The Tragedy of The Twentieth Century

In 2000, there was much talk about the "most important person of the 20th Century." My choice was always Gavrilo Princip, the young Bosnian assassin who killed Archduke Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary, igniting World War I, which caused the Russian Revolution, Communism, and the Treaty of Versailles, which led to Naziism, World War II, atomic bombs, and the Cold War. <br /> <br />Of course, there were other factors which formed the tragedy of the twentieth century, and perhaps some of these historical events would have happened anyway. Almost for certain, the Romanov Monarchy would have fallen or been transformed out of recognition without the help of Gavrilo Princip's bullets. <br /> <br />Although the Ottoman Empire was always referred to as "the sick man of Europe," Robert K. Massie illustrates that Russia was not very well either, despite appearances. An obsolescent autocracy, the Russian Empire was mired in time at the dawn of the twentieth century, the great mass of its people existing much as they had 100 years earlier. <br /> <br />Massie's theory, that the hemophilia of Alexis, the young Tsarevich, had an inordinate influence of Russian and subsequent world history, is well thought-out, though perhaps an oversimplification. Yet, it cannot be discounted. The Romanov Dynasty had ruled Russia then for 300 years, and brought the country, by fits and starts, slowly into the orbit of the modern world. Despite this, there is much truth in the observation that "Lenin inherited a nation playing beside a manure pile and Stalin bequeathed a nation playing with an atomic pile." This is not to defend Stalinism, but only to say how little the Romanovs did overall to modernize their State. <br /> <br />When Nicholas II inherited the throne after his father's untimely death, he was woefully unprepared to rule. Dominated for years by archconservative and anti-modernist members of his family, he did little to educate his people, provide health care, build infrastructure, or lift the heavy cloak of official repression that lay over all but ethnic Russians in his realm, or the cloak of cultural repression that lay over the ethnic Russians. <br /> <br />Yet Massie shows us a man and a family of uncommonly kind nature in Nicholas II and his family. His daughter Olga paid personally for the care of a handicapped subject she spied from her carriage one day. The Tsaritsa, Alexandra, despite a reputation as an uncaring woman, herself nursed sick friends before the war and horribly wounded soldiers during the war. The family built hospitals and schools in and around the various cities wherein lay the royal estates. They acted to ameliorate suffering wherever they saw it, without reservation. <br /> <br />Of course, this was the problem. They acted only on what they saw with their own eyes, never recognizing that these sufferings were endemic throughout the realm. Their myopia was part and parcel of the lives of the citified upper classes, completely divorced from the mass of agrarian peasants in the countryside, magnified by the hermetically sealed nature of being an Imperial Family, aided and abetted by sycophants and the self-serving, who kept the real world at a very long arm's length, in order to maintain their own privileged positions. Living in a bubble within a bubble, they were just not aware of conditions in most of Russia. <br /> <br />Nicholas II ruled over the largest domain on earth. Russia today is still the world's largest nation, even shorn of Finland, Poland, the Baltic States, Belarus, the Ukraine, the Central Asian provinces, and (in 1867) Alaska. Sunset in Vladivostok was dawn in Brest-Litovsk. His hundred million subjects included hundreds of peoples speaking hundreds of languages, linked together by a shockingly small road and rail system. The sensitive Nicholas, had he been really cognizant of the shape of things, could have, by a single order, vastly improved the lives of each and every Russian (of course, as he noted, being an autocrat and giving orders does not ensure that they are carried out properly). His greatest failings, as a ruler, all had to do with his decisions to outwardly maintain his Imperial hautre and his autocracy at all costs in the face of cataclysmic change. <br /> <br />This bubble-within-a-bubble existence however, could not spare them from the fact of the Tsarevich's hemophilia. A genetic disorder inherited through the female line (Alexis' Great-Grandmother was Queen Victoria, whose progeny were ravaged by the disease), it prevents the clotting of the blood. When Alexis was born in 1904, the world was a full lifespan away from the development of a usable clotting factor; most hemophiliacs simply bled out and died. The Tsarevich was protected by a full retinue, but this did not help him, and the boy was often in screaming agony and close to death from what might in another child, be a bad bruise. The Heir, therefore lived in a bubble within a bubble within a bubble. <br /> <br />The Tsaritsa, Alexandra, was a solemn, shy, but deeply emotional and loving woman, nicknamed "Sunny" by her husband. To the world, she presented an aloof exterior, and was extremely unpopular with her subjects. Had they known the sorrows and agonies she suffered through with Alexis, her realm, and history, might have treated her far better. But the Imperial Family decided to keep Alexis' condition a closely guarded secret, fearing the destabilization of the Monarchy and Russia in the face of a physically frail Heir. This may have been the Imperial Family's worst error, as it robbed them of an outpouring of sympathy and support from a passionate populace. <br /> <br />Alexandra turned to religion, and ultimately, to Gregory Rasputin, a filthy, degenerate, sexually perverse and personally dissolute monk of peasant extraction. Although derided by most, and called a charlatan by many, Rasputin was perhaps one of the most charismatic men in history, had a devoted following (largely comprised of Society women he'd seduced), did have the power, somehow, to control Alexis' bleeding episodes, and therefore, had the Empress's full and unwavering support in all things. <br /> <br />The feared and hated Rasputin may have indeed been a seer or had mystical powers of some sort, judging from circumstances. Rasputin was not really political, but as his influence over the Romanovs grew, his power expanded commensurately, and he was able to have Ministers dismissed, Generals reassigned to sinecures, and policies changed according to his own whims (expressed as messages from God) or concerns. Capable Russian leaders, who did not know the basis of Rasputin's power, suspected the worst of Alexandra, and in challenging Rasputin found themselves toppled from power. As World War I dawned, Russia was upside-down, its best men in internal exile, and woefully unprepared for war. Rasputin himself counseled against war, stating that Russia would collapse from within. Nonetheless, the British, German and Russian grandsons of Queen Victoria went to war.In that war, millions died, empires fell, nations were born, ideological political systems triumphed, and the stage was set for a darker and yet bloodier future. <br /> <br />The Tsar and his genteel family were consumed, ending their days against a wall before a Bolshevik firing squad, probably not understanding, until the end, that they had been in the eye of a hurricane that remade the world. B0007HS7TC5112008-04-28

best book on royal couple

nicholas and alexandra should never had become czar and crazina of russia.nicholas was just to weak spirit and alexandra to strong without know the real russia people.she saw russian as childern who needed to be told how to run their lives by the papa czar.she hide her son illness and brought in a sexual twisted man of god into her family,ruin the romanov's relationship with it's people.stopping changes that would give citzen russian say in their country.in the end the people turn on the romanov's every thing end tragical. B0007HS7TC5112008-02-15

Among my Top 20 Books

I read this book many years ago and have never forgotten it, and I just recently purchased a copy of my own. Robert Massie is an excellent writer who makes this book memorable for the fun and loving family that the Romanovs were and their terrible, tragic end. I'm now collecting more books on the Romanov dynasty and the individual people who made up this fascinating family. For anyone with an interest, this is the place to start.Massie offers a moving, tragic, and unforgettable account of the extraordinary Imperial dynasty of Tsar Nicholas II, his doomed empire, and a revolution that would inexorably change the world forever. "A larger than life drama."--Saturday Review. Photo insert.034540640003453361940452011205076782777503453755641000Subjects1Arts & Photography2Biographies & Memoirs3Business & Investing4Children's Books4366Comics & Graphic Novels5Computers & Internet6Cooking, Food & Wine86Entertainment301889Gay & Lesbian10Health, Mind & Body9History48Home & Garden10777Law17Literature & Fiction13996Medicine18Mystery & Thrillers53Nonfiction290060Outdoors & Nature20Parenting & Families173507Professional & Technical21Reference22Religion & Spirituality23Romance75Science25Science Fiction & Fantasy26Sports28Teens27Travel283155BooksB0006D8CYMhttp://www.amazon.com/Gift-sea-Anne-Morrow-Lindbergh/dp/B0006D8CYM%3FSubscriptionId%3D05ERXYTS89KFGEPQR5G2%26tag%3Dthebookrevi0b-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB0006D8CYM6024026http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51lqWJl13GL._SL75_.jpg7545http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51lqWJl13GL._SL160_.jpg16095http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51lqWJl13GL.jpg500297Anne Morrow LindberghUnknown BindingPantheonEnglishPantheon127Book1955PantheonPantheon1295USD$12.9569USD$0.691000USD$10.0013430005.010622B0006D8CYM5002008-08-08

A Joy Forever

What more can be said about this lovely collection of thoughts? Even as it celebrates its 50th anniversary, it is as fresh as the day it was penned. This book is a keeper if ever there was one, a volume to be read and re-read and handed down to one's children, which is what I intend to do with the most recent Gift from the Sea that I bought.B0006D8CYM3002008-07-08

A Gift for Your Mom...

Listed as a 'summer read' in a local magazine list - I hadn't heard of this book. I picked it up and finished it from one afternoon into the next morning. And -- there was nothing surprising or new to be found here in the book - the pace at which its written and the uncomplicated natural way Lindbergh examines her life and her impressions of life's stages will have me passing this book on to many people in my life.B0006D8CYM5002008-06-23

A Few Shells

What timeless wisdom there is in this little book. Although it was written many decades ago, the challenges and issues faced by Anne Morrow Lindbergh are the same ones faced by women in today's crazy, bustling world. In fact, although women in Siberia, Cameroon, or Ceylon might not have her specific set of circumstances, they can still identify with Lindbergh's ponderings about a woman's life, her obligations, her relationships, and her needs. She lived in an upscale suburb of Connecticut and was the mother of five children, and yet there's something in her writing that can touch the souls of women everywhere whether in a grass hut or trailer beside a busy highway <br /> <br />The chapters in Gift from the Sea center on Lindbergh's musings during a two-week vacation at the shore. Leaving husband, children, and house behind, she lives in a bare beach cabin without heat, telephone, plumbing, hot water, rugs, or curtains. She finds simplicity beautiful and longs to take it home to Connecticut when her vacation ends. <br /> <br />Lindbergh takes a shell at a time and describes it in relation to other things in a woman's life. For instance, the moon shell reminds her that quiet time, solitude, contemplation, and "something of one's own" is needed. The double-sunrise represents the pure relationship found in early stages of friendship and marriage, and she reminds the reader that there is no permanent return to an old form of relationship since all are in the process of change. The oyster bed symbolizes the middle years of marriage and family, especially as the home itself grows and expands to accommodate the growing family. <br /> <br />I first read this book when I was a young mother and could readily understand Lindbergh's comment that saints were so rarely married woman because of the distractions inherent in raising children and running a house. "Human relationships with their myriad pulls--woman's normal occupations in general run counter to creative life, or contemplative life, or saintly life." Now in midlife, I can better understand her affinity for all the shells as reminders that each cycle of the wave, the tide, and the relationship is valid. <br />B0006D8CYM2002008-06-19

Hardly touching

This book came very highly recommended by two friends who are avid book readers. However I hate to admit that the book did not move me as much as my friends claimed that it moved them. I was more interested about the background references to the author's personal life and how the book came into being. That I would have read voraciously. The book is short but I don't intend to read it again to see what I missed. I believe a book either moves you or it doesn't. This particular book despite other rave reviews did not move me despite my great affinity for the sea and women writers. I wonder if perhaps if the book would have touched me differently if I read it in the beach rather than on a plane which I did.B0006D8CYM5002008-05-14

This book is truly a gift

I have never been a big fan of books on CD. This changed with Gift from the Sea with the forward by Reeve Lindbergh and beautifully read by Claudette Colbert. This is a beautifully written and recorded book. I keep it in my car and play it quite often. I have orderered additional copies to share with friends. It is indeed as relevant today as it was fifty years ago and probably even more pertinent in today's fast paced world where we fail to slow down give ourselves alone time to comtemplate our lives. Reeve Lindbergh's forward about her mother was a lovely bonus. Although I have not read any of her children's books, I have read everything else she has written that I can find and encourage anyone who has not read her books to check her out on [...]. Over a quarter of a century after its first publication, the great and simple wisdom in this book continues to influence women's lives.I found a 1955 printing of this book in an old waterfront cabin and was struck by the care with which the previous owner had read it. Eve (the name inscribed inside the front cover and then again above the heading for chapter 3) made pencil marks on nearly every paragraph of the book, underlining a phrase, highlighting many passages with strong vertical marks, scratching out some words that she seems to have found superfluous and even x-ing out whole sections that apparently missed their mark with her altogether. Two rusting paper clips isolate several pages, absent any marking at all. Anne Morrow Lindbergh's lyrical words are still relevant and presage so many of the themes of today's most popular books: simplicity, peaceful solitude, caring for the soul, a woman finding her place in society and life. I heard that the woman who had lived in the cabin had actually passed away some time before. Thank you, Eve, for your gift... from the sea.088088543215565249000767905938188091362307679205541000Subjects1Arts & Photography2Biographies & Memoirs3Business & Investing4Children's Books4366Comics & Graphic Novels5Computers & Internet6Cooking, Food & Wine86Entertainment301889Gay & Lesbian10Health, Mind & Body9History48Home & Garden10777Law17Literature & Fiction13996Medicine18Mystery & Thrillers53Nonfiction290060Outdoors & Nature20Parenting & Families173507Professional & Technical21Reference22Religion & Spirituality23Romance75Science25Science Fiction & Fantasy26Sports28Teens27Travel283155BooksB0006DLKGYhttp://www.amazon.com/rumor-war-Philip-Caputo/dp/B0006DLKGY%3FSubscriptionId%3D05ERXYTS89KFGEPQR5G2%26tag%3Dthebookrevi0b-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB0006DLKGYPhilip CaputoUnknown BindingBook Club AssociatesEnglishBook Club Associates346Book1978Book Club AssociatesBook Club Associates2300USD$23.000100005.010521B0006DLKGY5002008-10-08

Viet nam account

Caputo's account as a combat officer is the best book on direct experience in Nam. It ranks up there with Normen Mailer's The Naked and fhe Dead and Audie Murphy's WW2 account of his combat experience in To Hell and Back superbley written--gripping. MauriceB0006DLKGY5002008-06-06

Excellent look into front line Vietnam

I thought this book was the best book on Vietnam that I have ever read. Its a facinating look into life as a line officer in a front line Marine Infantry batallion during the early part of the war. Caputo holds nothing back when it comes to describing life on the front line and what goes through the minds of these young, too young Marines who fought on the front line. An excellent read and I highly reccomend it.B0006DLKGY5002008-06-03

Well written and engrossing

Its a page turner from start to finish. A very unique view of the war.B0006DLKGY14112008-05-31

Caputo wasn't much of a marine

Caputo wasn't much of a marine. He started complaining about Vietnam before he arrived. Every page is filled with criticism, cynicism, griping, complaining, and self-serving tripe. He wanted to be a hero, but he didn't have what it took to be anything but a whining wimp. Certainly he writes well. But writing well and living well are entirely different. He doesn't understand honor or duty. Sure the war was politicized, but so is every war. Sure the rules of engagement were stupid, but a soldier serves. Caputo did not serve; rather he whined. Many of us who served in Vietnam believed there were many things that made no sense. But we didn't turn tail and run. We served. For those who want to understand what is was like to be a soldier in Vietnam, read "We Were Soldiers Once... and Young" or "Steel My Soldiers' Hearts". If you want to know what is was like to be useless in Vietnam, read this book.B0006DLKGY4002008-05-29

Real life account

I assigned this book to my college students for a closer glimpse of the Vietnam Conflict. I had not read it before, but had done research and study on the subject. I found Caputo's book to be insightful, controversial and thought provoking. He doesn't glamorize the war but explains how it effected soldiers and one of the many reasons it was such a mess. Throughout the book, Caputo shows how the conditions changed the average American teenager into a robotic killer and how their experiences stayed with them. In the end, he speaks against the war, but not in the normal Jane Fonda version of bashing the military and labeling them rapists and baby killer. Caputo talks about how the government was at fault and created the situations that lead to PTSD and other issues for returning soldiers. <br /> <br />A must read to understand the war and its effects on our soldiers. The extraordinary betseller that provides a close-up look unlike any other, at the American experience in Vietnam. Powerful, vivid, compassionate, and heartbreaking, here is a very personal and yet universal grunt's-eye-view of the hopeless brutality and the ultimate, and seemingly endless horror where men and governments sacrificed their morality and the souls of their nation.067973525903933108920072536187076790289004522716811000Subjects1Arts & Photography2Biographies & Memoirs3Business & Investing4Children's Books4366Comics & Graphic Novels5Computers & Internet6Cooking, Food & Wine86Entertainment301889Gay & Lesbian10Health, Mind & Body9History48Home & Garden10777Law17Literature & Fiction13996Medicine18Mystery & Thrillers53Nonfiction290060Outdoors & Nature20Parenting & Families173507Professional & Technical21Reference22Religion & Spirituality23Romance75Science25Science Fiction & Fantasy26Sports28Teens27Travel283155Books0965067939http://www.amazon.com/Peter-Great-His-Life-World/dp/0965067939%3FSubscriptionId%3D05ERXYTS89KFGEPQR5G2%26tag%3Dthebookrevi0b-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D09650679391483397Robert MassieHardcover97809650679350965067939History Book ClubHistory Book ClubBookHistory Book ClubHistory Book Club1356USD$13.56165USD$1.652450USD$24.50111730005.01022109650679395002008-10-01

The best history book ever

I teach history and have read a lot of books. This is the best history book I have ever read. Massie does such an amazing job at bringing the reading into the age. Peter was a fascinating man. Massie makes you understand what made him also great.09650679395002008-08-27

A masterpiece of Russian history

Massie's work of Russian history is one of the fines biographies I have ever read. It keeps interest start to finish. It never gets boring at all, and that is important since the book is over 800 pages! Massie delves into the experience that made the man who is Tsar Peter The Great, yet at no time does it ever let down. It is exciting, readable, and very human. I enjoy Massie's book, and I intend to read more of his works09650679395002008-07-21

A Detailed but Infinitely Readable Biography of a fascinating Man.

In short, I am an amateur historian of Russian history and found this biography to be very detailed, thoroughly researched biograaphy while at the same time reading as a top notch novel. I can't recommend it more. If you are interested in the man, this transitional period in Russian history or are after a great read, you won't be disappointed. Enjoy!09650679395002008-03-16

SUPERB BOOK

i THINK PETER MASSIE's biography on Peter tue Great is a classic book. You read it more as a novel than an historical biography. I highgly recommend it for people interest in history. Peter the Great is an icon of Russian and Universal history, with a stunnig personality, with very dark and very positive sides. It is a most for people who want to understand russian history.09650679394002008-03-14

Massie's best book

Massie's biography of Peter, the Czar of Russia is unquestionably author's best book. <br /> <br />For nearly quarter of a century Peter strode upon his nation like a colossus.Though tyrannical and cruel Peter unlike other Russian contemporaries was broad-minded and had progressive outlook toward life.Russian Czar was dynamic had unbridled curiosity and insatiable thirst for knowledge. <br /> <br />Old Muscovy state ,as author rightly puts it, was conservative,xenophobic rigidly adhering to antiquated ways.Interacting with foreigners in Muscovy's German suburb Peter realised how backward his nation really was.A fact which prompted him to undertake 'Great Embassy' to the West.Peter strove to modernise Russia particularly its armed forces incorporating latest in western technology.There was hardly a sphere of human endeavour in that nation which lay untouched by Peter's reforming zeal. Czar can rightly be dubbed the architect of modern Russia. <br /> <br />Czar's love for war,soldiering ,sea,ships,navigation lends colour to this biography.Big events of his life was Great northern War and founding of the city of St. Petersburg along the banks of river neva.In the former case, Peter wanted to make Russia a maritime power .this was not possible as long as Russia had no natural access to sea.In the south ,Tartars blocked Russia's route to sea and in the north Swedes controlled the Baltic coast.Peter's determination to break the stranglehold led to war with King Charles XII of Sweden. <br /> <br />The book is also a brilliant sweep of late 17th and early 18th century history.Author narrates Streltsy revolt which precede peter's accession to power,the reign of King Louis XIV of Bourbon dynasty,splendid court life of French nobility. Religious strife ,dynastic quarrels leading to wars of succession,rise of Holland, growth of Ottoman power and Glorious revolution in England.Hence I deem this book an essential reading for History buffs. <br /> <br />My only grudge is bibliography which looks inadequate considering the scale of research undertaken by the author for its production.Research notes not very impressive .However footnotes adequately compensates for this lacuna. <br /> <br />Book carries good quality maps especially on Battle of Poltava. Reader is easily able to follow the ebb and flow of the battle ; different manoeuvres practised by Swedish and Russian infantry and cavalry units. <br /> <br />On the whole,Massie has done an excellent job. "Enthralling . . . As fascinating as any novel and more so than most." The New York Times Book Review<br>The Pulitzer Prize-Winning Bestseller by the author of DREADNOUGHT.<br>Against the monumental canvas of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Europe and Russia unfolds the magnificent story of Peter the Great, one of the most extraordinary rulers in history. Impetuous and stubborn, generous and cruel, tender and unforgiving, a man of enormous energy and complexity, Peter the Great is brought fully to life in this exceptional biography.034543831004520112050345406400034537556404499087041000Subjects1Arts & Photography2Biographies & Memoirs3Business & Investing4Children's Books4366Comics & Graphic Novels5Computers & Internet6Cooking, Food & Wine86Entertainment301889Gay & Lesbian10Health, Mind & Body9History48Home & Garden10777Law17Literature & Fiction13996Medicine18Mystery & Thrillers53Nonfiction290060Outdoors & Nature20Parenting & Families173507Professional & Technical21Reference22Religion & Spirituality23Romance75Science25Science Fiction & Fantasy26Sports28Teens27Travel283155Books394181011Hardcover394174011Binding (binding)388186011Refinements283155Books618083011Printed Books618072011Format (feature_browse-bin)388186011Refinements283155Books0091528003http://www.amazon.com/RIVER-WHY-David-James-Duncan/dp/0091528003%3FSubscriptionId%3D05ERXYTS89KFGEPQR5G2%26tag%3Dthebookrevi0b-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D00915280031406152David James DuncanHardcover9780091528003Import0091528003The Sierra ClubEnglishEnglishThe Sierra Club291Book1983The Sierra ClubThe Sierra Club1071999USD$19.9932500USD$325.000620005.0921900915280035002008-08-14

Wise Like A Fish

Lovers of fishing, or Oregon, or life, or the search for life's meaning should love this book. So should readers interested in thoughtful, creative and honest writing; or of clever, insightful and profound character development. Gus Orviston is an enduring main character, and his discovery of his brother, Bill Bob's, unique and beautiful self, by itself, makes the book worth reading. With a comfortable, unique, often zany style, author David James Duncan has created an unexpected, very joyful book. The ending falls a bit short of the earlier 99%, but that's just quibbling.00915280035002008-07-04

A Great Read

So, I purchased this book and didn't really expect to enjoy it. I loved The Brother's K, but I thought that maybe I was biased towards the book because I'm such a big baseball fan. I have no interest in fishing. <br />The River Why is not about fishing. It's an exceptionally insightful look at life. Our idols, our loves, everything. I was so impressed by this book and especially by the writing of David James Duncan. 00915280035002008-06-03

This is some story!

I think one wouldn't pick up this book casually. There'll never be a lot of hype about it and it takes about 100 pages to hook one. And then: oh, it is a good story. Reading a few chapters a time at night before I went to sleep, I was conscious how I came tired to this book as to bed, and left it with new energy - courage? Laughter? A sense of well-being. <br /> <br />What did I learn from this book? On page 227 in the paperback edition, there's the story of Nick which seems to me the book in miniature. A certain quiet is needed to tell a story which depends on the listener. Setting and introduction are essential (that's why the main story takes 100 pages to get going.) We cannot be in a hurry for the story of our lives. It's worth the read. <br />00915280035002007-11-12

Brilliant

The best book I have read in years. I would recommend this book to anyone that has a hard time believing in the traditional answers to the questions of life. Great!009152800316242007-06-20

After the first few chapters, throw it away...

Even though I hate fishing and have maybe done it once, the first few chapters of this book are humorous and interesting, in particular Bill Bob, Gus' younger brother. Unfortunately, Bill Bob's role is small to almost nonexistent as the book goes on and the author makes him say some pretty idiotic pseudo-philosophical/religious ramblings, such as a long discussion with Gus about how shadows are our guardians. <br /> <br />The book is largely predictable from the beginning until the end and it's almost like a bunch of authors get together to provide the same theme. The overall structure of the book is Gus starts to question life, including death, ultimate meaning, his meaning, and other philosophy 101 questions. And, of course, Gus ends up finding his meaning in the eyes of some backwoods hippie chick and has a religious experience (if you can call it that) while walking home from a long, incredibly drawn out trip down a river following a fish in his line. <br /> <br />I'm sure many people will see this book as being "deep" or "an interesting discussion of blah blah blah", but if you've even remotely dipped your foot in philosophy this book is hardly enlightening. I pushed through the book simply because I got past the half way point, then promptly threw it in the trash when I was done. <br /> <br />055337849X097771701105533782791578050839022650066710125General10127Classics17Literature & Fiction1000Subjects283155Books10129Contemporary17Literature & Fiction1000Subjects283155Books394181011Hardcover394174011Binding (binding)388186011Refinements283155Books618083011Printed Books618072011Format (feature_browse-bin)388186011Refinements283155BooksB00071HZSChttp://www.amazon.com/Grinch-stole-Christmas-Childrens-braille/dp/B00071HZSC%3FSubscriptionId%3D05ERXYTS89KFGEPQR5G2%26tag%3Dthebookrevi0b-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB00071HZSC4559347SeussUnknown BindingBrailleNational Braille PressEnglishEnglishNational Braille PressBook1988National Braille PressNational Braille Press0000005.08918B00071HZSC5002008-09-25

Classic

A classic story that everyone who even slightly appreciates Christmas. Dr. Seuss tells a convincing story of the true meaning of Christmas and gives us a surprisingly complex character at the same time, someone who discovers he hates Christmas for all the right reasons. The illustrations are Sessian-wonderland, and the lyrical read is an artistic blast. B00071HZSC4002008-09-15

Classic for a reason - accept no substitutions!

Like everybody else, I know the story of the Grinch. It's even better in print than on screen, so, yes, buy this book if you haven't.B00071HZSC5002008-07-26

A Christmas classic, a must for every child's bookshelf

Please don't pass over this book for the movie. That said, I like the Chuck Jones-directed, 1966 television production but that doesn't stop me from bringing this book out from November through December for a regular rotation in our bedtime reading. <br /> <br />Now, I haven't perfected a Boris Karloff-style narration but I do work up a good, grinchy voice for the bedtime readings. I think you have to act it out to get the most out of the story (read my review of "The Monster at the End of the Book" for tips on imitating Grover). While my children prefer the animated movie to the Jim Carrey film version, I do borrow from Jim, too. I add a lot of scrunched eyebrows and sneers while I read the Grinch's part. I act out his faithful dog, Max, with a trembling lip and wide-eyes, especially during the sled ride down to Whoville. <br /> <br />My sons are now 5-years old and 4-years old. Their bookshelf holds about 80-100 books and at least 10 of those are from Dr. Suess. I recommend this book for your bedtime reading. <br />B00071HZSC59102008-02-15

the best children's book EVER !!!

How The Grinch Stole Christmas is a classic tale about greed, materialism, and the kindness of man for his fellow man all wrapped up in one great big package! The illustrations are wonderful and the rhyming text impresses me. This is a story by Dr. Seuss that is so popular it was made into a Christmastime TV special; and it deserves every bit of recognition that it gets. (Note: this story is very popular; and because many, many people know it all the way through there are spoilers in this review.) <br /> <br />When the story begins we are introduced to the Grinch. He hates Christmas with all celebrations down in "Who-ville," a village he can see from his home on a mountain. The Grinch hates the noise, the caroling, the sharing of presents and the feast of "roast beast." <br /> <br />Eventually the Grinch gets an idea--he dresses up as Santa Claus and uses his dog Max for a reindeer; and this perverse take on the real Santa Claus tale is meant to strike people as ugly. The Grinch comes down from the mountain with his sled and his dog Max made up to look like a reindeer. Soon the Grinch steals all the presents, the stocking hung with care on the fireplace mantle, the roast beast, the Christmas trees--and even the firewood! <br /> <br />The Grinch gets quite a surprise when on Christmas day the "Whos" of "Who-ville" celebrate and rejoice anyway--without any material things to mark the holiday spirit. This shocks the Grinch and he must consider the possibility that Christmas doesn't just "come from a store." <br /> <br />Of course, once the Grinch learns his lesson he returns everything and there's quite a huge celebration with the Grinch leading the way as he carves the "roast beast." It's a very positive ending. <br /> <br />The moral of the story for our children is, of course, that Christmas DOESN'T just come from a store. The importance of Christmas with its religious significance and its message of good will toward all mankind is stressed without banging the child on the head too aggressively. The story overall makes for a fascinating experience for the children. I have many fond memories of watching this TV special and reading this book when I was a very young child. <br /> <br />As with many Dr. Seuss books, children can use this book on a concrete, literal level to improve their vocabulary and reading skills. Older kids will learn the importance of Christmas and the need for all mankind to respect each other and share the beauties of the world together. <br /> <br />I highly recommend this exceptional children's book. <br />B00071HZSC5002008-01-12

How the Grinch stole Christmas- Dr. Seuss

Purchased a lot of 8 books. All were in perfect condition, arriving in a timely manner. Great seller!Here is a digest-size novelization of the hip, live-action hit movie of the Dr. Seuss classic <i>How the Grinch Stole Christmas!</i>, starring the one and only Jim Carrey as the Grinch.<br><br>The movie script goes beyond the events of the stolen Christmas, all the way back to the beginning in Who-ville--where the Grinch grew up--and explains how and why he came to hate Christmas so much that, finally, one year, he had to stop it from coming. Told in the first-person voice of the Grinch himself, this is rib-ticklingly funny, irreverent, and ultimately touching. This is the movie--and the movie tie-in--of the holiday season. <br><br>An eight-page full-color photo insert is included.You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch. But are you rotten enough to ruin Whoville's Christmas Whobilation this year, even after Cindy Lou Who nominates you to be the Cheermeister of the event? Based on Dr. Seuss's wacky and wonderful classic picture book, <I>How the Grinch Stole Christmas</I> and the motion picture screenplay of the same name, this novelization elaborates on the story of a holiday gone awry. Little Cindy Lou Who, her cheerfully dopey dad, Lou Lou Who, her semi-delinquent teenage brothers Stu and Drew Lou Who, the Martha Stewartesque Martha May Whovier, and the nastiest, most cynical, evil-hearted Grinch around star in this Christmas comedy. Seventeen color photos from the film are included. (Ages 8 to 12) <I>--Emilie Coulter</I>039480001X039480016803948007880394800133039482337011973Braille11970Words & Language21Reference1000Subjects283155Books513152General12393Christmas12391Holidays12290Christianity22Religion & Spirituality1000Subjects283155Books14264821Visually Impaired44258011Specialty Stores283155Books394188011Braille394185011Edition (format)388186011Refinements283155Books