S Books

After reading Rose Callahan, I counted the number of books I've read on Tombstone. This makes 26 and is now on the top of my list. I hope they make it into a movie.

I was a little hestitant when I bought this book but thought I would give it a try since I love stories of Tombstone, old west, Arizona, etc. I couldn't put the book down. I highly recommend it. I felt like I was there and I felt like I could feel Rose's broken heart. I've been to the Bird Cage and now I want to go again to see it through "Rose's" eyes.

Fantastic book. Depicts actual lives from the 1880's, allowing you to transport back in time and see it through their eyes. Hard to put down, I re-read parts of it 2 and 3 times. It follows history and tells it like it was.

The most amazing story I have ever seen unfold.

The sound of a music box releasing memories of another life - in detail which can only be described as an "eyewitness account" of the daily life of commom people in the most uncommon of places - 1880's Tombstone, Arizona.

The story is told through the eyes of Rose Callahan, a singer and lady of the night, as she struggled with life in that notorious place, while working at the Birdcage Theatre.

The writing style smoothly flows, as it draws the reader into the personal life and relationships of ordinary people in that exciting time and place.

Read this story, and see what it was truly like to be a part of that time in history - as told through the eyes of someone whom I believe was there.

I've not often been a great fan of "historical" writing but was enchanted with Patricia Barrington's "The Famous Rose Calahan"! I am facinated by the concept of reincarnation and have listened with great interest to personal stories of spiritial and physical "Deja Vu". Ms. Barrington's writings, in a first-hand and "eye-witness" format, kept me entranced for hours.

Here is an honorable man. He was born in Victorian America at Uniontown Pennsylvania in 1880. George Marshall was a descendent of Chief Justice John Marshall. He was a graduate of VMI and was commissioned an Officer in 1902. Ed Cray has done an exhaustive study of Mr. Marshall. He portrays his experiences in the Philippines and later his staff work during World War I for General Pershing. Mr. Cray goes into great detail in describing General Marshall as a correct modern 20th Century General during the late 1930's.
George Marshall was given the responsibility of Chief of Staff when the total Armed Forces stood at 200,000 strong. At full force in 1945, General Marshall commanded the largest Armed Service in U. S. History.
Mr. Marshall transitoned from his Military Command to the President's Cabinet after World War II. He assisted President Truman through extremely turbulent times. His demeanor was ever professional. His brainstorm of the Marshall Plan was his epiphany toward World stabilization in Europe. He further distinguished himself later as Secretary of Defense during the Korean Conflict. Mr. Truman could't do without him.
When he died in 1959 Winston Churchill grieved deeply. General George C. Marshall stands only with George Washington as a true Soldier Statesman.

Reading this book gave me the insight (which I guess already had subconsiously) that war is not (just) about the best generals on the battlefield, but maybe even more about those generals organising the campaigns and (grand) strategy.
Untill reading this book I had no idea that the US was so unprepared for WWII as it was. The 28th army in the world in 1939! And Marshall being responsible for making it the efficient warmachine it became, running on trucks, Jeeps, USO, icecream and welltrained units.
Could the Germans and Japanese have won the war had Marshall not been Chief of Staff? Maybe not, but I wouldn't stake my life on that assumption! The way Marshall convinced Roosevelt on may 14th 1940 that a balanced army was needed to win the coming war makes you shiver had Roosevelt NOT listened to Marshall and Hopkins.

Cray writes a very clear story, weaving in and out history on a world scale and back to Marshall pruning his trees in his gardens as almost his only hobby during the war.
A great read and compulsory reading for every soldier and/or statesman.

B. Kreuger, Haarlem, the Netherlands

This is not a bad biography. The facts are there as well as a reasonably complete account of a very complicated part of history. But the people and groups that Marshall dealt with are simplified to the point of caricature. Similarly, matters of grand strategy and the new tactics stemming from technological advance are treated merely as things that Marshall had views on. It's not clear from the book that the author understands anything about war as fought in the mid-20th century above the cartoon level. Of course there were many people; of course things were complicated, and a great deal happened; but in over 700 pages we are entitled to some subtlety and insight, which aren't there. General Marshall, one of the truly great mean, deserves better than this.

This is a fantastic biography of an incredible leader. Marshall is usually associated with the European Recovery Act and as the Chief of Staff of the Army during World War II. He influenced so much more during his long Army career. A true gentlemen and scholar, his long career and dedication to service is an inspiration for all of us today.

For those of you who like their reviews to be direct and to the point: Ed Cray, a professor of journalism at the University of Southern California, has written the single best one volume life of George C. Marshall. The book is 15 years old and is unlikely to be surpassed for another 15-20 years. It is the kind of book that will still be in print 70 years after its initial publication.

Why? Well, it is well-written and a pleasure to read. More importantly, Cray does an excellent job of giving his readers a character portrait of the great general that brings the man alive. Not an easy thing to do with a subject as taciturn as Marshall. The man that emerges is one of real character. He became a protégé of General of the Armies John J. Pershing only after Marshall stood up to him as an overage captain, yelling at the general telling him he was wrong when Pershing had criticized Marshall's division. As Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, Marshall was the critical figure in building the military that defeated the axis powers. He selected the commanders, who often went on to greater fame than he enjoyed. He was the leader of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the war and often had to battle with his naval counterpart Admiral Ernest J. King. In the realm of allied strategy, he faced off against the head of the British Army, Field-Marshal Sir Alan Brooke. In both cases healthy mutual respect kept from making their differences and disputes personal. In running the army during the war, Marshall's administrative style was highly effective and can provide a model for many in other fields to follow. He also suffered. His stepson, who he had done a good deal to raise, was killed in Italy. It says a good deal about the man that he made no effort to protect one his family from dangerous assignments.

After the war, Marshall served as Secretary of State and then later as Secretary of Defense. He won the Nobel Peace Prize for the plan the State Department developed to rebuild Europe after the devastation of the war. He was twice "Time" magazine's "Man of the Year."

Marshall was the first five-star general in U.S. history and that was no accident. In this fine book Cray makes that clear.

I bought this deck after spotting it in a store 10 years ago, and though I thought it might be another theme deck, it goes above and beyond that!

The colours used in this deck are so vibrant and alive. They are so refreshing. The artwork, superb and evocative. The choices for the majors are truly inspried. I just love the Star, the Tower and the Chariot! A sense of humor also runs through this deck.

It very closely follows Rider-Waite symbolism so it can be read right out of the box by anyone remotely farmiliar with that system. But she has put in some interesting twists though in that framework. The idea of changing the suits too Imps, Bats, Ghosts and Pumpkins is brilliant! And how about those vegetable people? Love it!

The book that comes in the set is a must have if you love this deck. She gives you many tidbits and facts surrounding the history of Halloween. Each card is described and her prose is charming as well. Some of her takes on the cards a different and exciting!

This is a great all around deck, the artist and writer struck just the perfect note for lovers of old time Halloween. From the images,to the colours....even the font. I read this deck all year round, and it is a firm favourite. If you love Halloween, I can assure you you will not be disappointed in this purchase! Now I wish Kipling West would make more decks!!! Please?

The art for this deck is exquisite: lively, colorful, and detailed.

A must-have for black cat lovers. The black cat featured on the World card can be spotted wandering through the scene on every card in this deck! It's oh, so cute!

For those who intend to use the cards for divination but haven't yet memorized the major and minor arcana, I recommend the book that accompanies the deck for ease of reading tarot spreads. However, a very abbreviated booklet also accompanies the deck itself, but it is very general and contains very little deck-specific information.

What a fun set of tarot cards. This would definitely be a set I would bring out and use at Halloween. Images are fun. Not a set I would use on a daily basis.

I am getting back into tarot after a few years of not doing many readings. I started out with the RWS deck, but never really caught on to the meanings just by looking at the imagery and reading the LWB. I then moved onto the Tarot of the Cat people, which was about the same experience, with much better artwork, and a much better book, but the artwork was a bit bare/abstract for me to catch on just by looking at the images. Now I purchased this deck and book, and I have to say I wish this had been my first deck. The imagery is based on RWS to some extent, but it is also very easy for even a child to understand the halloween based imagery. I can look at the delightful, non-scary halloween imagery and imediately pick up on the meaning of the card just through the images. Also, the book is fantastic, and it explains the images used very well, and how they relate to the meaning of the card. The only complaint I have about these cards are that there are a few cards that have astrological symbols I would not normally associate with that card. Astrological reading is not a big part of my tarot reading though, and mostly the symbols are unobtrusively hidden, so it does not really detract from the deck as a whole. I think this is going to be my new fav deck!

When can you find pumpkins, ghosts, bats, and imps all together? Why, on October 31st, a single day's night known simply as Halloween, when the falling darkness of the evening brings to life all that might go bump in the night. The Halloween Tarot is a very delightful mix of such traditional Old Year's Night fare including Dracula, the Frankenstein Monster, the Wolfman, and the Mummy, as well as one omnipresent black cat. Created by Kipling West, this is a very charming deck with Rider/Waite/Smith symbology depicted on every card, with, of course, a decidedly Halloween theme.

We mentioned pumpkins, well, in the Halloween Tarot deck they impersonate the pentacles, while ghosts are cups, bats are swords, and imps are wands. Quite a clever approach to the suits, and as the entire deck reflects, a well thought out approach. Ms. West has managed to temper the imagery with a palette of bright tones, and a distinct absence of shadow. Combined with her near satirically approach to characterization this deck is really more fun than scary, and we feel it would be suitable for elementary school age children. It even appears as though she has included Wednesday and Morticia Addams as the Page and Queen of Pumpkins, respectively.

The deck comes with a companion book written by Karin Lee, with illustrations by the deck's creator, Kipling West. The book offers the divinatory and reverse meanings, and explains the artist's choices of all the spooky subjects and elements she has depicted on the cards.

Many of the cards are simply a redressing of the Rider/Waite/Smith deck, for example; the Knight of Pumpkins is a knight on a unicorn holding a pumpkin instead of on a horse holding a pentacle. There are other subtle differences such as it is night instead of day, the knight's armor has horns, and the ever present cat is on the back of the horse.

The traditional Four of Cups from the R/W/S is a young man sitting under a tree with three cups on the ground in front of him and a fourth in the disembodied hand of a cloud. By contrast the Four of Ghosts card from the Halloween Tarot is a young woman sitting against a tree at night under the full moon, while four reveling ghosts enjoy cookies and cider and attempt to coax her out of her apathetic funk.

The Six of Pumpkins from the Halloween Tarot is a green haired Halloween witch generously passing out candy to trick-or-treaters, while the Six of Pentacles from the R/W/S is a wealthy man using a scale to dole out pittances to paupers.

Some of the depictions are less traditional and, at least from our perspective, more reflective of the reverse of the card, for example; The Lovers card is a woman who appears to be reading love letters and missing her lover, and is then being tempted by Count Dracula who is entering through the window. Perhaps resistance is futile, but it is the reverse of the Lovers card that represents temptation and infidelity, and the woman is showing no desire to resist. The Hermit of the R/W/S is the wise man shining the light of knowledge to light the way. The Hermit from the Halloween Tarot is a mad scientist who desires to put a brain in a pumpkin. This is indicative of self-deception or confusion, the reverse of The Hermit, because one must ask the question, "Why would you want to put a brain in a pumpkin?"

It is evident that Kipling West was passionate in her approach, and should be quite proud of her hard work and effort. It is unusual to find a theme Tarot deck that doesn't look nonsensical, or just stupid, often drawn by someone with limited, if any, Tarot knowledge. This is a Tarot deck, through and through, and we both like it and recommend it. The book, which contains a lot of interesting and fun information about Halloween, as well as Tarot reading, just makes this is an even better acquirement.

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I absolutely love this book! Susuns way of teaching is so matter of fact and not so technical that we can understand, and gives you this urge to just try.
Gabby

Anyone interested in herbalism in any way needs to read this book. Susun is most definately a grandmother of herbalism to the next generations that follow the herbal ways.
Susun is delightful in her writing and is also very public about everything she writes about. Truly teaching us about the herbs themselves and how to apply them.

I got a bit confused on her way of describing dandelion in her french accent writing about the plant, but now that I have been exposed to a french teacher, I am more comfortable with understanding this section of the book and should re read it.

But that is Susun's playful style and how the plants are in relation to her.

If you practice herbalism in any degree, this is a must have book.

Great book, good author.
Just what I was looking for

Wise Woman Herbal: Healing Wise looks at health and healing from a completely different perspective than any other resource I've ever consulted. Instead of looking at illness as something needing medication (as in western scientific medicine) or as the result of some sort of bodily imbalance (as in traditional eastern medicine), this book looks at illness as an opportunity.

At first, I have to admit that this concept sounded really strange to me. What sort of opportunity is suffering from Chronic Fatigue or having to deal with the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis? However, as I continued through the thorough and easy to understand explanations of the wise woman tradition, I began to understand more about the principles behind optimum nourishment.

Basically, this concept requires that we learn to take care of, accept, learn from and love ourselves at every point in our life process. To do so, brings about change and further opportunities to nourish our being. Thus, if we have an illness in the traditional sense, then we need to take the opportunity to learn about ourselves and fully nurture our being before we can ever hope to release the seemingly negatives aspects of the situation.

Wise Woman Herbal: Healing Wise has me intrigued with the wise woman tradition. I find the concept of a spiral healing pattern (as opposed to the linear pattern of western medicine and the circular pattern of traditional eastern medicine) fascinating. I also like that this book gave me a distinctly different way to think about my health. I am extremely eager to learn more about this tradition.

This is a wonderful book filled with wisdom and love. The author has presented the reader with a simple, clear cut, and hands on approach to herbalism. The reader is presented with the 3 traditions of healing, scientific, heroic, and wisewoman. After reading this book I decided to get involved in naturopathic medicine and stay clear of the scientific and heroic traditions of healing. Susun Weed has such an apporach to her writing, reading the book makes you feel like she is by your side guiding your hand as you prepare your simples. This is truly a book to cherish through out the years.

We wasted years and tons of money in non-productive therapies, attachment work, medication, and family therapy till we bought and utilized this book. Dr. Federici hits the nail on the head when he describes how to "de-institutionalize" children. It was hard work but safe, structured and successful. We read so many other books about using "attachment therapy"; logic; medication and even knowing when to "give up". This book gave us, who truely felt "Hopeless" a chance to gain control over our two very disturbed Romanian children that all the other "specialists"(including some of the big people in the child development field)had given up on.

Dr. Federici is the only author and professional we have found who truely understands what parents having very disturbed children go through. His book is easy to read, right to the point, and provides hope and a great deal of ideas (hard solutions) to problems. He mixes no words, but gives hope and understanding in a compassionate way. We have contacted him, heard him lecture, and know that he is "on target" , where all these other "experts" miss the entire boat, especially these so-called "attachment therapists. His Second Edition is now out that we will get soon.

This was the most common sense and practical book a person could buy who has felt totally overwhelmed by two very troubled children adopted form eastern Europe. No "sugar-coating" here, as Dr. Federici get right down to the cold, hard facts that helped put our family back together. All the other books played around with "RAD", "ADHD", and other catchy terms but never got to the right way to treat damaged children. We hope there are more books coming from this author.

This book is an indispensable source for those who have adopted children from orphanages. I wish I'd had it when I got home from Russia 7 years ago. My child can't be found in the Dr. Spock books, but he's all over the pages of this one. Thank you for confirming some things we've already discovered and given us a guide for where to go next.

Finally, someone wrote a book about very troubled children without being afraid to actually tell you what to do. We have struggled for years with our two emotionally disturbed Russian-adopted children and have covered every type of therapy with no positive outcome. We even tried all that "holding-attachment therapy" which was a waste of time and money. Medication after medication, play therapy, talk and family therapy all failed, as our kids were smarter than the therapists. Dr. Federici has taken a very direct approach that puts parents back in charge and keeps the family moving forward. No frills or hand holding-just hard work. We contacted him frequently for advise and he was very helpful. We know his "volume two" is due soon and will surely continue this family centered approach.

In "Howard Zinn: A Radical American Vision," Professor Davis Joyce has made a valuable contribution to twentieth century American historiography. This intellectual biography of Howard Zinn is scholarly and entertaining. Davis provides lucid summaries of Zinn's major books. He also skillfully places Zinn's works within the context of recent American history. Anyone who is interested in better understanding Howard Zinn's approach to history would benefit from reading this book.

This volume is a very good introduction to the life, thought, and times of Howard Zinn, which should be of broad interest to students of society. I found the details of Zinn's struggles with John Silber fascinating (such university presidents are not at all uncommon--right Kern?). While many readers will be familiar with Zinn through The People's History, they should especially enjoy the overview and critique of such writings as Disobedience and Democracy (very relevant today), and The Politics of History (addressed to all of the social sciences). Dr. Davis Joyce is an excellent writer; he obviously admires both Zinn and his thought (if not his grading policies). This is truly an excellent intellectual biography.

BUY THIS BOOK as a gift for someone in need of hope.

In these times of desperation for so many among us around the world, it is in the inspiring story of Howard Zinn that the message every individual makes a difference, shines bright. That our collective efforts, both large and small, do indeed change the world.

Howard Zinn makes me proud to be a liberal and an intellectual, and his well-written biography gives me hope that in the end, reason, compassion, and common sense will prevail over prejudice and dogma. After reading it, I feel energized, and optimistic about the future, confident that my efforts at stemming the tide of ignorance in this country are worthwhile.

This book, is in my opinion, a must-read for all liberal-minded individuals. Howard Zinn's life is an inspiration, and his clear, concise viewpoints are brilliant -- a much needed counterpoint to Medieval, Dark-Age ideologies.

Zinn shows us that we are not, as special interests would like us to believe, "an obedient, acquiescent, passive citizenry." He articulates what many of us feel, that the ideologies which we take for granted "...are not the result of independent thought on our part, and indeed do not match the real world as we experience it..." A real eye opener. I enjoyed this book, and I'm sure you will too.

Howard Zinn: A Radical American Vision
Davis D. Joyce, Published by Prometheus Books
By Denis Mueller
I met Professor Zinn about eight years ago and began, with my Co-filmmaker Deb Ellis, a journey that would lead to a film about his life and the idea that the individual can make a difference. It was an amazing experience and one that has changed my life. I learned how to speak in public by watching this tall angular man walk to the podium and begin his talk with a joke usually about himself. I learned about his courage both physical and intellectual. Zinn was a bombardier who risked his life against the war on fascism, so when he gets to academia, it is nothing to risk his job for what he feels is the right thing to do. This gets him fired at Spelman for supporting the Civil Rights Movement and constantly at war with Boston University dictator John Silber.
What we did not do was chronicle was his development as a historian and teacher. A film cannot do everything, and some historians felt we had left out his importance in the study of American history, but if that was what they were interested in there is no better place to look at some of those critical debates than here in this book by Davis D. Joyce. Howard Zinn's book, A People's History of the United States, has sold over 1,000,000 copies and has helped change the study of history itself. He has been at the forefront of American radicalism, both as an activist and as an intellectual, yet some in the historian profession fail to understand the importance of the activist-scholar. He was a leader in the Civil Rights movement as an advisor to the Student Non-Violent Co-coordinating Committee, an adult who respected the students, and gave them the intellectual backing they needed in the antiwar movement during the Vietnam era. He remains an outspoken critic of our disastrous policy in Iraq.
Yet, when American historians are mentioned, some dismiss Zinn as a populist and fail to understand his importance in the study of American history. Davis D. Joyce, while acknowledging his work as an activist, goes a long way to correct that assumption and positions Zinn as a leader in what could be described as a revolution within the study of American history. Joyce looks at all of his work but plays special attention to his book, The Politics of History, which is perhaps as important as A People's History. It is here, more than anywhere else, where Joyce is able to fuse Zinn's influence as a historian and his life long commitment to a history that speaks to the great issues of our time. Joyce does this quite well when he illustrates the importance of a quotation by Denis Diderot on the writings of Voltaire, which Zinn uses in The Politics of History.
"Other historians relate facts to inform us on facts, you relate them to excite in our hearts an intense hatred of lying, ignorance, hypocrisy, superstition; and the anger remains even after the memory of the facts has disappeared."
Joyce has a keen eye for a quote and his selection of quotes from Zinn, whose quotes are a dream for any biographer, is one of the great joys of this book and they are used quite well to articulate Zinn's unique point of view. This is a book that is needed to help illustrate Zinn's contribution to the intellectual development of American history. In an essay about the historian as citizen, and the forgotten role of the public intellectual in today's society, we would be wise to listen to what he has to say:
"In a world hungry for solutions, we ought to welcome the emergence of the historian-if this is really what we are seeing- as an activist scholar, who thrusts himself and his works into the crazy mechanism of history, on behalf of the values in which he deeply believes This makes him more than a scholar; it makes him a citizen in the ancient Athenian sense of the word."

Written in the 1970's, and finished by a colleague, David Potter's depiction of the 1848-1861 timeframe is a finely researched book on the subject. Most importantly though, unlike other writers and historians (in particular James McPherson) who look back on this time with modern day hindsight, Potter writes a book which follows this time as it was, with all the issues and ebbs and flows of that era. Potter gives us refreshing perspectives such as:

- The Republican Party, upon rising to prominence in the mid-1850's, were fellow travellers in many ways with the nativist "Know-Nothing" Party.

- Not only was 1860 a sectionally divided presidential election, but so was the 1856 contest. The Republican John Fremont was a non-factor in the southern states, while Millard Fillmore (with the Know-Nothings) ran strongly in that region. The opposite was true in the northern states (which allowed James Buchanan to win the election).

- The reputations of Buchanan and Stephen Douglas fare much better in this book. Douglas in particular is portrayed as one of the few people who could see how the electoral divisions were going to lead to secession, unlike the Lincoln/Seward Republicans.

- The South's tactical victories in the Compromise of 1850, Kansas-Nebraska Act and Dred Scott decisions were actually strategic defeats. The South became more isolated as a result of these events, and less powerful.

Many books on this subject present the Civil War as an inevitable result of the 1850's, yet Potter illustrates many examples where the middle ground may have prevailed and possibly prevented the conflict. Other issues were important in this day, particularly the tariff issue which created the same sectional rivalries that slavery did.

Overall it's a refreshing, well-researched book that I would highly recommend to anyone interested in this era.

This is the best account I have ever read about the events leading up to the Civil War. Mr. Potter does an excellent job presenting the information and carefully analyzing it without taking sides. Whether you sympathize with the Union or the Confederacy, if you have an interest in the Civil War, you will enjoy this book.

This is without a doubt, one of the greatest books on the Ante-bellum period. I read this book when I was in college in 1991 and was impressed with it. It remains one of my favorite books to this day on the Ante-bellum period. Your library is truly not complete without this work.

Potter's insightful history leading up to the Civil War is a must. He explains the culture, the split, the issue of slavery in easy to understand language to edify the reader's understanding of the things leading up to the secession as soon as Lincoln was nominated yet before he took office. Anyone interested in the history of this time period, it is the best book I have read on the subject. Potter not only discusses the politics, but also gives us a look into Lincoln and his actions to prevent the war.

Abraham Lincoln's 1860 election as President of the United States was the catalyst that set off the American Civil War, but this book traces the political processes that led to that result during the just over a decade between the end of the Mexican War in 1848 and the start of the Civil War with the firing on Fort Sumner in 1861.

Today it is easy to look back and regard the entire process as inevitable. What David Potter does in this classic, first published in 1976, is present the politics behind each step that pushed the sections of the country apart over the slavery issue. One apparent mystery has been what drove the astute politician Stephen Douglas to force through legislation tearing up the Compromise of 1820, which had extended a line from Missouri westward, north of which slavery would not be permitted. It was a colossal blunder that opened what had been a more or less settled issue, fanning the flames of sectionalism needlessly.

His Kansas-Nebraska Act opened those territories, north of the line, to a concept of popular sovereignty, in which those supposedly living in the territories would be allowed to vote on the issue. This may have sounded democratic, but it led to a wave of Abolitionist settlers from New England, and pro-slavery visitors from neighboring Missouri, resulting in "Bleeding Kansas", with attacks and massacres from both sides, and very little democracy. Potter shows that Douglas started from a powerful need to organize the territories so a Pacific railroad could be built, preferably from Chicago in his home state of Illinois. That simple point of departure led him into a series of moves that only deepened the sectional divide.

Potter describes how the southern slaveholders won a whole series of meaningless victories that did nothing to extend the slave territories but did intensify feelings against slavery in the North, from the Mexican War and Kansas-Nebraska to the Dred Scott decision and the hanging of John Brown. He traces the rise of the Republican party out of the ruins of the Whigs and the Freesoil Party, and exposes the latter not as advocates of rights for black people, but driven rather by a deep-seated racism aimed at keeping blacks out of the territories. Complicating the 1850's political map of America was the American, or "Know Nothing" party, dedicated to stopping the recent flood of mainly Catholic immigrants from Europe.

He also demonstrates that the Unionist candidates did better than generally believed in the four-sided presidential election of 1860, and that the voting system itself gave the secessionists of late 1860 and early 1861 far greater strength than their actual numbers.

If you want to get deep into the politics that split the powerful Democratic Party and ultimately the nation, this book has what you are looking for.

Just when I thought I had read everything about the space program, French and Burgess have done it again will a follow-on effort to their book "Into That Silent Sea."

I have no idea when they have the time to create such excellent work, but the latest book begins where the first one ended and includes much information I had never seen before, especially the chapters on the Apollo 1 pad fire and monumental Apollo 8 mission, it alone, a historic accomplishment rivaling the actual Moon landing.

Riddled with numerous never-before seen accounts (at least by me), the book is simply bulging with information such as Lola Morrow's dire premonition concerning the Apollo pad fire, and the raw emotional impact experienced by the crew of Apollo 8 upon seeing the first Earthrise observed by man.

I sincerly hope that Francis and Colin keep up the good work; maybe they could do a similar effort on underwater exploration? That would be such a contribution....

C. Newport, D.Sc.
Author of Lost Spacecraft: The Search for Liberty Bell 7

I own and have read most everything related to the Mercury through Apollo space program and this book shows new information that I hadn't seen in the other books published by many other astronauts and authors. Information was gathered from a myriad of sources and checked against other sources. The book greatly changed my opinion of a few astronauts and paints the entire NASA program in a more accurate light. The passing of time since the event depicted in the book has allowed the authors to see the "big picture" and step away being politically correct and instead be factual and accurate instead.

I just finished this wonderful historical and personal account of the race to the Moon, and feel privileged to know a little more about the brave men at the apex of mankind's tremendous achievement all those years ago. The authors have expertly captured the spirit of the times and given us the "warts and all" perspective on the personalities involved. For those who love history but are concerned that this book may be a "technical" account, there's no need to worry - it's exposition of events is clear and uncluttered, and clevery interwoven with the life stories of the people involved.

I strongly recommend this book as required reading to younger, high-school and college-age readers who may wonder today "How did we get there?". (Or sadly, even if we got there at all!). The answers are here, where we learn that despite our ever-present human failings, we CAN do great things when united to a common purpose. By the end of the book it will become obvious why and how we could reach the point where Armstrong and Aldrin could safely land on the Moon and return home - in fact it's almost anti-climactic!

Knowing more about the fallibilities of the astronauts has only deepened my respect for these remarkable and courageous men. As they grow old over a time when we haven't returned to the Moon, it's important to capture their stories for future generations, and French & Burgess have succeeded eminently in doing so.

My only niggle is that apparently the publishers balked at the idea of an index, which would have served as a guide for those who want to return to this book from time to time to "dip in" - as I'm sure I and many others shall do for years to come.

There are and have been hundreds if not thousands of books about manned spaceflight over the years but only a select few have really been able to communicate the true story and feeling generated by one of the most fondly remembered era's in American history. A time most commonly remembered as being one of technological marvel. However the true story is one of the men & Women who supported and flew the missions. This book goes deeper into the "Golden era" or manned spaceflight and tells stories that have never been told all the while keeping the reader enthralled. It touches on subjects long since forgotten or ignored and brings them to the fore. With first hand interviews with the people involved the authors really touch on the human aspect. I was especially taken by surprise that they told the story the way it should be. Not just the American effort, but the Russians too as there story never really gets told. I have read many books on spaceflight and I can honestly say this is one of only a few books that have kept me addicted and wanting to come back for more. Buy this book. You will not be disappointed. Even if you are not interested in manned spaceflight buy this book as you will be by the end. It reminds us all why we were interested in spaceflight to begin with. For a long long time the Book A Man on the Moon by Andrew Chaikin was the book to beat. This is no longer the case.

What authors French and Burgess have managed to accomplish with their book "In the Shadow of the Moon" is a sense of being there.

This book transcends a third-party recounting of events. French and Burgess have created an extraordinary interface between the reader and the people sharing their stories. "In the Shadow of the Moon" does an exquisite job of bringing us into the fold, allowing a rather personal access to these astronauts' lives and innermost thoughts: helping us to better understand an experience we will never have ourselves.

The authors' skillful marriage of informing and storytelling help to ensure that it is a book that will be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of their interest level in space history. The authors did an excellent job of introducing background information on a mission, and then following it up with personal interpretation by someone who was there. The authors' thorough research is apparent, but it is woven so well with the narrative that it allows the reader to simply take it in, absorbing it effortlessly.

By writing this book, French and Burgess share with humanity that which few have experienced. But more than that, they help us all understand a little better the magnitude of our venture into space. The accomplishments of the few, holding meaning for us all.

Lethal Heritage, being the fourth BattleTech book I have read, is a solid introduction to the Blood of Kerensky trilogy. I recommend reading the Warrior trilogy before delving into the Blood of Kerensky, for a few choice reasons. First of all, the Warrior trilogy gives you a chance to familiarize yourself with Stackpole's writing style. In addition, the Warrior trilogy provides you with the necessary background knowledge of the Inner Sphere that you need to fully understand Lethal Heritage.

Lethal Heritage is the commencement of the Clan invasion of the Inner Sphere. This action packed addition to the story of BattleTech is necessary in the continuance of the saga. The Blood of Kerensky trilogy as a whole is very important, and Stackpole thrives in the heat of battle.

Yeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! This is an awsome book from Stackpole. THE CLAN INVASION! this is the first book including the tech and mech superior clans.It as plenty of mech action and 1 thing there has never been before! The Inner Sphere Uniting? i recomend this book to everyone who enjoys battletech

This is the first book I have ever read that forced me to put it down every few chapters just so I could breath! This book is packed with action, heroics, tragedy... In the end I was left yearning for the next volume in the trilogy.

Stackpole did a great job for this book.One problem ; needs more a of a glossary.Like Twilight Of The Clans showing the 'Mechs, jumpships,tanks,dropships,and Areospace Fighters. But that was only a minore problem.

This is the first Battletech novel I have ever read.
It is the first in the Blood of Kerensky trilogy and also the first novel in the Enter the Clans Battletech Era, which is comprised of 7 total novels.
The book is confuzing for the newcomers in the Battletech universe. There is a lot of action happening on a lot of fronts, the chapters going back and forth but Stackpole did a good job at making the action integrate seemless. The tranzitions are not rough but a bit hard to follow.
Stackpole is definitely a great writer. The action is great, storyline is rich and intriguing, character development and descriptions are also great.

If you plan on reading Battletech books in the Clans Era [years 3049-3059] this is the book to start with and make sure you read them in order.
This is the order of the books in the Clan Era:
Lethal Heritage
Blood Legacy
Lost Destiny
Natural Selection
Asumption of Risk
Bred for War
Malicious Intent

Our culture tries to ignore this normal and important aspect of life, but this author offers some excellent and practical ways to navigate the uncharted waters of life after loss. Everyone who reads this book will benefit.

Next to the Dr Kubler-Ross book ON GRIEF AND GRIEVING, this has been the most helpful book I have read on the subject of grieving from a deep loss. The book gives the reader the permission to grieve that our larger society has often denied him. Emphasized over and over again is the theme that: "Going through the experience is the only lasting and healthy way out of grief." The book advises those who grieve: "Never apologize for grieving. Remind yourself as often as needed that the very worst kind of loss is always yours" and to "Learn to acknowledge that your loss is worthy of grief." The griever can further admit to himself: "The loss I experienced is a major event in my life. Perhaps it is the worst thing that will ever happen to me. But is not the end of my life. I can still have a full and rewarding life. Grief has taught me much, and I will use it to be a better person than I was before my loss." In this way those who grieve can be left a sense of hope, not to be forever devastated. The book concludes with some valuable appendices on the role of nutrition in grief recovery, words that describe feelings and information on how one can form their own support group. Not only was it deeply comforting to read this book, (I lost my own father to aortic stenosis five months ago) but I also can see where it could be immensely useful for mental health professionals to use in their practice. I have been a Licensed Clinical Social Worker employed by the Department of Defense for over twenty years most recently working with a number of those individuals who lost family members in Iraq. I can see suggesting they read this book themselves and it being of great comfort to them. I would strongly recommend this book to all who have suffered a significant loss in their life.

This book was recommended to me by a co-worker, so I could learn to live with the idea of an unforeseen divorce hitting me like a speeding freight train. My life took a turn I NEVER saw coming and totally threw me into a deep depression and one of dispair. When the book arrived, I jumped into reading it immediately, so I could find help for my raw emotions, and try to get myself out of my very low funk. Although death is a greater challenge, divorce can be equally challenging when you don't have the opportunity to work things out with your spouse. The book provided a wonderful "support system" for me, as it reminded me that I was NOT alone in my feelings and how much the loneliness hurts - every day. Yes, you truly cannot see that things will get better when you are in the moment. People can tell you that, but until you experience it for yourself, you cannot believe you will get there. I do recommend this book for people who are experiencing a drastic change in their lives - whether a death of a loved one, divorce, moving or job change. It can provide you some semblance of strength to help you move forward!!! And when your emotions are so very raw, strength is certainly a good choice to help you on your journey.

Finally! A book that understands that Grieving is a process and no two people grieve the same way. Having encouraging words and sharing anecdotal stories really makes this book one that should be given to everyone who grieves. I have done many of the suggestions and it helps. It really helps. God bless Paster Deits for writing this!

This book was given to me after my husband died. I could not believe what it was telling me as I made my way through my troubled time. The book provided a timeline for me, a way to look ahead or back to see if I was "on track" to my new "normal" life. It provided a pathway for me to follow. The book kept reassuring me along my path. I have given the book to many people, just to let them know that they are alright in what they are doing. I keep buying a copy for myself but the book keeps leaving me to "help" another person. I am so glad that my friend found this book for me. I highly recommend this book. It is an excellent book to help someone who is dealing with grief. It also lets you know that "you are not alone."