A field guide to smokebrushes and honeysuckles: (Conospermum and Lambertia)

Book Description

The birthplace of American independence has always been an important tourist destination, but Boston has far more to offer than its Puritan past and Revolutionary relics. This recently regenerated, multicultural metropolis is a major gastronomic destination offering an incredibly diverse range of restaurants and cuisines, while the city's somewhat conservative image has been shaken up with stylish new shopping hotspots. Traditionally regarded as the center of America's intellectual and cultural elite, Boston not only houses venerated museums and performance venues, but also a thriving alternative arts scene. Written by local experts and journalists, Time Out Boston takes travelers on an in-depth tour of the essential sights—the landmarks of the Revolution, the elegant English-inspired architecture of affluent Beacon Hill and Back Bay, the colleges and hip hangouts of neighboring Cambridge—as well as the local curiosities most tourists miss. For travelers who want to explore further, the guide covers highlights of New England's history-rich Colonial countryside, pretty coastal villages, and glorious sandy beach—all an easy drive out of town.

Customer Reviews:

If only every city had a guidebook this good.......2000-04-26

Compact, informative, and useful, with a good balance between tourist info and the kind of thing you'd want to know if you were moving to Boston. The Times reviewer who called it "hip and culturally savvy" may have been revealing his own squareness -- I wouldn't say there's much truly countercultural about this book -- but it does cover everything from used record stores to gay bars, so it's not entirely stodgy, either. The maps are great and the book is small enough to keep at hand while exploring. A good choice.

Average customer rating:

Time Out Boston (Time Out Guides)
Editors of Time Out
Manufacturer: Time Out
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

North America | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1846700337

Book Description

Traditionally regarded as the center of America’s intellectual and cultural elite, Boston not only houses venerated museums and performance venues, but also a thriving alternative arts scene. Using local experts and journalists, Time Out Boston takes travelers on an in-depth tour of the essential sights—the landmarks of the Revolution, the elegant English-inspired architecture of affluent Beacon Hill and Back Bay, the colleges and hip hangouts of neighboring Cambridge — as well as the local curiosities most tourists miss. For more adventurous travelers, the guide covers highlights of New England’s history-rich Colonial countryside, pretty coastal villages and glorious sandy beaches — all within an easy drive out of town.

"It's time to get the show out of the barn and onto Broadway!" (Walnut Hill School's $6 million Centennial Campaign) (Cover Story): An article from: Fund Raising Management

Average customer rating:

"It's time to get the show out of the barn and onto Broadway!" (Walnut Hill School's $6 million Centennial Campaign) (Cover Story): An article from: Fund Raising Management
Lola F. Baldwin , and Dinah Hallowell Barlow
Manufacturer: Hoke Communications, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Fund Raising Management, published by Hoke Communications, Inc. on November 1, 1993. The length of the article is 2426 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the supplier: Walnut Hill School in Boston, MA, celebrates its centennial year in 1993 with a five-year capital campaign that has raised $6,157,000 in pledges and gifts. The fund raising campaign succeeded despite strained alumni relations, resulting from differing visions for the art school. However, patient cultivation of a donor base and information exchange, as well as the holding of an alumni reunion overcame this challenge.

Citation Details
Title: "It's time to get the show out of the barn and onto Broadway!" (Walnut Hill School's $6 million Centennial Campaign) (Cover Story)
Author: Lola F. Baldwin
Publication: Fund Raising Management (Magazine/Journal)
Date: November 1, 1993
Publisher: Hoke Communications, Inc.
Volume: v24 Issue: n9 Page: p34(6)

Article Type: Cover Story

Distributed by Thomson Gale

ZONED EDITIONS ROLLED OUT -- AND RETIRED Boston Globe finds success while Los Angeles Times cuts back on its efforts.(Brief Article): An article from: NewsInc

Average customer rating:

ZONED EDITIONS ROLLED OUT -- AND RETIRED Boston Globe finds success while Los Angeles Times cuts back on its efforts.(Brief Article): An article from: NewsInc

Manufacturer: The Cole Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B0009FELWY
Release Date: 2005-07-28

Book Description

This digital document is an article from NewsInc, published by The Cole Group on September 24, 2001. The length of the article is 1772 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: ZONED EDITIONS ROLLED OUT -- AND RETIRED Boston Globe finds success while Los Angeles Times cuts back on its efforts.(Brief Article)
Publication: NewsInc (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 24, 2001
Publisher: The Cole Group
Volume: 13 Issue: 19 Page: NA

Article Type: Brief Article

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Average customer rating:

Boston (Time Out Travel Guides)
Penguin Books Staff.
Manufacturer: Time Out
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OIXDUM

Average customer rating:

Time Out Boston
*
Manufacturer: EBURY PRESS (RAND)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K1RJDU

Average customer rating:

Time Out Boston 2 (Time Out Guides)
Time Out
Manufacturer: Time Out
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJ9XPK

Working together for children and families: A community's guide to Making the Most of Out-of-School Time : MOST

Average customer rating:

Working together for children and families: A community's guide to Making the Most of Out-of-School Time : MOST
Brooke Harvey
Manufacturer: National Institute on Out-of-School Time
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0006RUAN4

Average customer rating:
Polar Regions, The Geography, Climate, and Life of the Arctic And Antarctic, and the Explorers and Scientists Who Discovered Them
Walter Sullivan
Manufacturer: Golden Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KZE3VM

Average customer rating:
The polar regions;: The geography, climate, and life of the Arctic and Antarctic, and the explorers and scientists who discovered them (Golden library of knowledge)
Walter Sullivan
Manufacturer: Golden Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Exploration & Discovery | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
General | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006AXQCI

Amazon.com

Anxious for a little canine affection but concerned about what a puppy--so sweet and cute, and yet so destructive and demanding--might do to your life in the long run? Check out We're Having a Puppy! by animal lover Eric Swanson. This informative, easy-to-read guide encompasses a multitude of topics, beginning with the particulars of how a dog will affect your life and matching your personality with the right breed of dog. Continuing on the puppy odyssey, Swanson addresses areas of concern such as bringing home baby, adapting to life with your new pooch, training and neutering, and basic healthcare issues. Accompanied by charming line drawings, We're Having a Puppy! is a valuable resource for anyone thinking of taking the puppy plunge.

Book Description

Who's going to be your new best friend?Choosing a puppy is a lot of fun, but it's also an important decision. This unique guide shows you how to select the breed which most perfectly matches your personality and environment. Looking for a laid-back, comforting friend? A Saint Bernard or Pinscher would love to stay at home and relax with you. Need a dog that loves the city? Welsh corgis and French bulldogs are among the most cosmopolitan of canines. Looking for non-stop friendliness? Count on a Norwich terrier or beagle to bond as your most cheerful buddy. Active and energetic? Golden retrievers and greyhounds will keep up with you.Choose a puppy as you would choose a partner-- carefully! With the help of a personal questionnaire, profiles of various breeds and their personalities, and charts listing the main characteristics of more than 100 dogs, you'll be on your way to proud puppy parenthood.

Customer Reviews:

An OK broad overview.......2005-08-11

This book provides a very broad overview of all the things you should think about before you get a puppy: Is your lifestyle compatible with living with a puppy? What kind of person are you, and therefore, what kind of puppy is best for you? What kind of care should you give your puppy (food, equipment, veterinary care, training, emotional care...)?

Unlike other books I've read recently on the subject, this one spends very few pages on training, and is rather vague in that area. That's OK; the mission of this book seems to be different from the others. The book spends lots of space discussing the temperaments of different breeds, which was interesting; the history of interaction of dogs with humans, which was probably not very scholarly; and how your life will have to change to take care of a puppy, which contained some good and some not-so-good advice, but which provided plenty of food for thought.

The advice was mixed; some of it seemed to be dated (for example, there is no longer any controversy about the usefulness of crates for housetraining and general staying-out-of-trouble) and some seemed to run counter to other experts' (for example, stating that in some cases, a dog might need to be tapped with the brush end of a broom to reprimand him!!!!). But the style was easy-to-read and humorous in places. Wouldn't be my top recommendation, but if you have no idea what life with a dog is like, it'd be worth a glance.

We're Having a Puppy Clip Strip: From the Big Decision Through the Crucial First Year

Average customer rating:

We're Having a Puppy Clip Strip: From the Big Decision Through the Crucial First Year
Eric Swanson
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

We're Having a Puppy!: From the Big Decision Through the Crucial First Year

Average customer rating:

We're Having a Puppy!: From the Big Decision Through the Crucial First Year
Eric Swanson
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTLKFQ

Book Description

This volume contains English translations of two important early French and German defences of freedom of the press. Almost unknown in the English-speaking world, these texts demonstrate that freedom of the press was an important issue in other parts of Europe in the early modern period, giving rise to articulate theories. Elie Luzac's Essay on Freedom of Expression (1749) defended freedom of the press for atheists on natural law and other grounds. Carl Friedrich Bahrdt's On Freedom of the Press and its Limits (1787) drew on natural law, religious rhetoric, and political journalism to make the case for understanding freedom of the press as a human right. Together, these texts show that the French and German traditions included their own intellectual resources for defending modern rights, before the American Bill of Rights and the French Declaration of the Rights of Man.

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

In retrospect, it seems as if the American Revolution was inevitable. But was it? In Founding Brothers, Joseph J. Ellis reveals that many of those truths we hold to be self-evident were actually fiercely contested in the early days of the republic.

Ellis focuses on six crucial moments in the life of the new nation, including a secret dinner at which the seat of the nation's capital was determined--in exchange for support of Hamilton's financial plan; Washington's precedent-setting Farewell Address; and the Hamilton and Burr duel. Most interesting, perhaps, is the debate (still dividing scholars today) over the meaning of the Revolution. In a fascinating chapter on the renewed friendship between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson at the end of their lives, Ellis points out the fundamental differences between the Republicans, who saw the Revolution as a liberating act and hold the Declaration of Independence most sacred, and the Federalists, who saw the revolution as a step in the building of American nationhood and hold the Constitution most dear. Throughout the text, Ellis explains the personal, face-to-face nature of early American politics--and notes that the members of the revolutionary generation were conscious of the fact that they were establishing precedents on which future generations would rely.

In Founding Brothers, Ellis (whose American Sphinx won the National Book Award for nonfiction in 1997) has written an elegant and engaging narrative, sure to become a classic. Highly recommended. --Sunny Delaney

Book Description

In this landmark work of history, the National Book Award—winning author of American Sphinx explores how a group of greatly gifted but deeply flawed individuals–Hamilton, Burr, Jefferson, Franklin, Washington, Adams, and Madison–confronted the overwhelming challenges before them to set the course for our nation.

The United States was more a fragile hope than a reality in 1790. During the decade that followed, the Founding Fathers–re-examined here as Founding Brothers–combined the ideals of the Declaration of Independence with the content of the Constitution to create the practical workings of our government. Through an analysis of six fascinating episodes–Hamilton and Burr’s deadly duel, Washington’s precedent-setting Farewell Address, Adams’ administration and political partnership with his wife, the debate about where to place the capital, Franklin’s attempt to force Congress to confront the issue of slavery and Madison’s attempts to block him, and Jefferson and Adams’ famous correspondence– Founding Brothers brings to life the vital issues and personalities from the most important decade in our nation’s history.

Download Description

In this landmark work of history, the National Book Award-winning author of American Sphinx explores how a group of greatly gifted but deeply flawed individuals -- Hamilton, Burr, Jefferson, Franklin, Washington, Adams, and Madison -- confronted the overwhelming challenges before them to set the course for our nation.

The United States was more a fragile hope than a reality in 1790. During the decade that followed, the Founding Fathers -- re-examined here as Founding Brothers -- combined the ideals of the Declaration of Independence with the content of the Constitution to create the practical workings of our government. Through an analysis of six fascinating episodes -- Hamilton and Burr's deadly duel, Washington's precedent-setting Farewell Address, Adams' administration and political partnership with his wife, the debate about where to place the capital, Franklin's attempt to force Congress to confront the issue of slavery and Madison's attempts to block him, and Jefferson and Adams' famous correspondence -- Founding Brothers brings to life the vital issues and personalities from the most important decade in our nation's history.

"A splendid book -- humane, learned, written with flair and radiant with a calm intelligence and wit."
   THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW

"Lively and illuminating... leaves the reader with a visceral sense of a formative era in American life."
   THE NEW YORK TIMES

"Masterful.... Fascinating.... Ellis is an elegant stylist.... [He] captures the passion the founders brought to the revolutionary project.... [A] very fine book."
   CHICAGO TRIBUNE

"Learned, exceedingly well-written, and perceptive."
   THE OREGONIAN

Customer Reviews:

Excellent look into the formation of a republic.......2007-10-05

This was a very good read for me. I found it interesting and enlightening. What jumped out most to me were the differing personalities and philosophies of America's early leaders. It was intriguing to read about the Virginia Dynasty and connection between Madison and Jefferson. It was also interesting to read about the various rivalries.

However, there are three things that really made and impression on me from this book.

First, was the reality that the United States of America as a unified, sovereign nation barely happened. Sometimes there is this illusion that America's emergence was divine and undeniable. This book really shoots that illusion down. There were so many differing positions and rival parties. Many were still loyal to the British crown. And even after independence was won the states themselves could barely find consensus. There were so many points of contention. There were so much division among the newly independent American statesmen. The fact there was enough consensus to forge a republic is nothihg short of amazing.

Second, was Washington's decision not to be president for life. His stepping down and allowing someone else to run and take office while he was still alive was very significant. It provided a great degree of credibility to a tenuous political framework that very well could have collapsed once he died. Many leaders, only thinking of themselves, want to remain in position for the rest of their lives at the expense of the organization. Leaders with vision understand the organization has to last long after they are gone. Washington showed great vision with this move.

Lastly, of all of the historical figures that make an impact in this read none do so quite like Alexander Hamilton. After reading this work I feel Hamilton may be the most overlooked founding American of them all. His push for a strong central government made him a mortal political enemy of Jefferson and Madison. As I read the book Hamilton's position for a strong central government and his persona really struck a cord. While Jefferson's dreams of pure libertarianism made for good theory, Hamilton's insistence on a strong central government to regulate commerce made good sense. This book gave me a new interest in Hamilton. I plan to read one of his biographies.

In all, it is a great account of a collection of extraordinary events and people. If you like history and politics (as I do) check this one out.

Not great.......2007-09-29

Pretty much the most boring book I have ever read. (I had to for school)

An excellent capsule view.............2007-09-12

...of the founding of our country. The founders were NOT a homogenous "band of brothers"; there were profound personal, political, philosophical and sectional differences, which somehow got worked out. This superb book looks at incidents and relationships, and how they affected the final product.

[1] The Duel...Aaron Burr killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel in 1804. This was an anti-climax for Hamilton; his useful life was already over...he had betrayed George Washington politically, and had experienced too many scandals in his personal life. The apostle of centralized government had become irrelevent, and, as for Aaron Burr, he had way too many enemies. In fact, Jefferson and Adams, who were then estranged, both hated both Burr and Hamilton. Anyway, Hamilton died, and Burr might as well have....he went on to try to become Emperor Aaron I, ran afoul of Mr. Jefferson....but that's another story. Dueling was already illegal, and this about finished it, though isolated incidents would occur until the Civil War.

[2] The Dinner Table Bargain. How did Washington, DC, get to be our capital? Here's how....Southerners wanted the new capital in the South...Alexander Hamilton wanted the new Federal Government to assume state debts. Assumption and Location. Enter Thomas Jefferson...he invited Madison and Hamilton to dinner at his rented house in New York. Hamilton, who could have cared less where the capital got located, agreed to back Madison's choice of the malarial swamp where our capital is today. Madison agreed not to fight assumption, though he still wouldn't vote for it. Compromise....

[3] The Silence....over slavery. Many, especially Benjamin Franklin, wanted to end slvery with the ratification of The Constitution...the Southerners wouldn't go along, and the resultant compromise put the problem off for another 20 years, by which time the cotton gin had been invented...Shiloh...Sharpsburg...Chickamauga... I know, there was a LOT more that went into causing the Civil War, but....

[4] The Farewell....to George Washington. Washington retired at the end of his second term. He had profound problems [mainly with Congress] in the second term, and God knows that he had done his share, and more. Maybe he knew that he wouldn't survive a third term. The Farewell Address is one of the masterpieces of the English language; how much of it was Washington's work, and how much Alexander Hamilton's, remains a matter of conjecture....

[5] and [6]...Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. Friends, collaborators in the invention of a nation...estranged over differences in politics...then, a final decision "not to die till we have explained ourselves to each other", which resulted in a wealth of letters that will be studied forever. Only God would have dared write the end...both died July 4, 1826, the 50th. anniversary of The Declaration of Independence. A writer of fiction would be dismissed as insane for such a thing...

Joseph Ellis is a treasure...biographies of Washington, Adams, and Jefferson [not written in that order] that are substantive enough for a historian, and short enough that any intelligent person can read them easily. Yes, others have gone deeper...but Douglas Southall Freeman needed seven long volumes for Washington, and Dumas Malone six for Jefferson. Ellis writes history that is "available"....and this MAY be his best work. I can't recommend it strongly enough....

Wonderful book.......2007-08-26

I have developed a fascination with some of the nations great men, and been reading books on them, curious to what makes them 'tick'. This book is really unique in that it gives a really interesting perspective not only on the men, but the dynamic between them. It has been some of my favorite reading. This book is very well written, and thoughts flow logically and cohesively. I think the author has done a splendid job.

The Perfect Introduction to the History of the Revolutionary Period.......2007-08-09

Bottom Line: A very enjoyable and easy read. Before taking on the huge biographies on Adams, Hamilton, Washington, and Jefferson read this book.

What You Will Learn: This book is sort of a greatest hits of revolutionary history. My favorite section is on the run-up to the duel between Hamilton and Burr - something I had read about in High School, but never with so much detail and drama. The description of the complicated relationship between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson is also very interesting and well written.

Parting Shot: Joseph Ellis does a great job in making history exciting - this book would serve as a great gift for a young person without much previous reading in American History.

FOUNDING BROTHERS : The Revolutionary Generation (Limited Signed Edition)

Average customer rating:

FOUNDING BROTHERS : The Revolutionary Generation (Limited Signed Edition)
Joseph J. Ellis
Manufacturer: Easton Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: B000TL3G8I

Product Description

Limited edition, signed by the author

Founding Brothers, The Revolutionary Generation [UNABRIDGED CD] (Audiobook)

Average customer rating:

Founding Brothers, The Revolutionary Generation [UNABRIDGED CD] (Audiobook)
Joseph J. Ellis
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: 0788795619

Product Description

A New York Times best-seller, Founding Brothers is an engrossing work of nonfiction from National Book Award-winner Joseph J. Ellis. It is a book that uncovers the substance behind many of our most cherished historical tales. Here are six fascinating, well-researched chapters involving such icons as George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison. Each chapter illuminates a particular occurrence that helped determine the course of American history while the nation was still in its infancy. Witness the infamous duel between Hamilton and Aaron Burr, and a secret dinner party that ended the haggling over a site for a permanent national capital. The Ford Foundation Professor of History at Mount Holyoke College, Joseph J. Ellis draws on his expertise to craft an engaging portrait of the men who shaped democracy. Nelson Runger, acclaimed for his narrations of nonfiction works, delivers a crisp reading that breathes life back into Americas founders.

Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation

Average customer rating:

Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation
Joseph J. Ellis
Manufacturer: Prentice-Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Similar Items:

The Yiddish Policemen's Union: A Novel

ASIN: B000NWWBMA

Founding Brothers: the Revolutionary Generation.: An article from: Journal of Southern History

Average customer rating:

Founding Brothers: the Revolutionary Generation.: An article from: Journal of Southern History
Kim M. Gruenwald
Manufacturer: Southern Historical Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B0008FBNHQ
Release Date: 2005-07-30

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Journal of Southern History, published by Southern Historical Association on May 1, 2002. The length of the article is 817 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Founding Brothers: the Revolutionary Generation.
Author: Kim M. Gruenwald
Publication: Journal of Southern History (Refereed)
Date: May 1, 2002
Publisher: Southern Historical Association
Volume: 68 Issue: 2 Page: 440(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Average customer rating:

FOUNDING BROTHERS. The Revolutionary Generation.
Joseph J.: Ellis
Manufacturer: Pan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000W2VLBI

Average customer rating:

As powerful as anything I have ever read.

Shock, Empathy and a New Understanding

Query to web-designers

Unforgettable

The most biased and exaggrated book I have ever read!

An Evil Cradling: The Five-Year Ordeal of a Hostage
Brian Keenan
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Political | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Between Extremes: A Journey Beyond Imagination

Some Other Rainbow

Den of Lions: A Startling Memoir of Survival and Triumph

ASIN: 0140236414

Customer Reviews:

As powerful as anything I have ever read........2003-02-24

This is undoubtedly one of the most powerful books I have ever read. It is not a chronological or day to day catalog of how one man survived an ordeal which most of us could only imagine (being held hostage in Lebanon for five? years because some terrorists mistook him for an Englishman, when he was actually Irish), but rather a look at how his inner resources helped him survive, and helps the reader understand what a resourceful and mentally strong will it takes to do so. This is a cut above, and frankly, a book that has not been far from my thoughts since I finished it...

Shock, Empathy and a New Understanding.......2002-03-29

What words describe this book?

Powerful, disturbing, haunting and yet beautiful, inspirational, darkly humorous, certainly well written. Every emotion is experienced as one is taken into the dark world and life he lived. Every emotion stays alive within you for some time after reading it.

Although the book describes in detail the horrible events of his hostage ordeal, the overwhelming theme is the absolute need and tremendous importance of human relationships, interdependancy and love. Mr. Keenan shows us the depths possible in friendship and trust. If these can sustain hostages in hell, certainly they can transform any life. He has caused me to re-evaluate my own human condition.

Equally important in today's post-9/11 world, anyone who is asking what is in a terrorist's mind to drive them to such evil will find answers here. He describes the beliefs, motivations and values of those terrorists who held him - not much removed from those of today. Their world is in every sense foreign to "Westerners."

It is an honor to have read this book. One is left thinking "God bless Brian and God help the rest of us."

Query to web-designers.......2001-09-20

I have reviewed this already. How come it is not linked?

Unforgettable.......2001-08-01

In 1982 Israel invaded Lebanon and pursued the leaders of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), who were operating out of Beirut. A Multinational Force, in support of the then government, was set up in an attempt to stabilise the situation by separating the Muslim and Christian communities, however, by February 1984 the risks had become so great that the MNF was obliged to pull out of Lebanon, threatened by the prospects of civil war, and fearful of further terrorist attacks.

The author of "An Evil Cradling", Brian Keenan, was taken prisoner a couple of years later, in 1986, and in this work he gives a gruelling account of his harsh and lonely imprisonment, enlightened mainly by vitally important snatches of human contact and interaction, largely with John McCarthy, a British journalist also held prisoner at the same time.

Keenan left Ireland for Beirut in an attempt to flee the interminable, religious troubles of his homeland. It is true that by birth, he should have been less implicated in the religious conflicts of Lebanon, and yet ironically he came to suffer four and a half years of imprisonment, despite being an "outsider" to the difficulties in Beirut. He was an Irishman, not a Brit, an American or a Frenchman. His country had played no role in Lebanon and yet as an Irishman on the run, perhaps mistakenly taken for a Brit, he innocently fell into the very heart of the troubles. What he lived and felt is recounted here in beautifully written poetry and prose. It is a book which I know will remain engrained in my memory, and this being the case, I can only begin to imagine how much the experience will haunt him for the rest of his life.

In my opinion, the most striking part of this book is the courage Keenan demonstrates in putting this experience on paper and confronting it head on.Rather than running away and hiding, he chooses to draw the most positive conclusions we could hope for with sanity and poise, conclusions which lead him to face the conflicts in Northern Ireland fearlessly. That is not to say that he escaped unscathed, far from it, but at least he tries to learn from what he suffered and attempts to share that learning with those willing to listen, and to try to understand. The intellectual and human strength demonstrated in this writing marked me forever.

The most biased and exaggrated book I have ever read!.......2000-11-09

I have recently read this book for my English class and I would have dropped it into the waste bin if it hadn't been my homework. Keenan's style is so egotistic and exaggrated you can't stand the book. His inner conflicts and complexes are all around the book. He keeps swapping between slang and his so-called academic language.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books