Book Description
“This will be a fight against overwhelming odds from which survival cannot be expected. We will do what damage we can.”
With these words, Lieutenant Commander Robert W. Copeland addressed the crew of the destroyer escort USS Samuel B. Roberts on the morning of October 25, 1944, off the Philippine Island of Samar. On the horizon loomed the mightiest ships of the Japanese navy, a massive fleet that represented the last hope of a staggering empire. All that stood between it and Douglas MacArthur’s vulnerable invasion force were the Roberts and the other small ships of a tiny American flotilla poised to charge into history.
In the tradition of the #1 New York Times bestseller
Flags of Our Fathers, James D. Hornfischer paints an unprecedented portrait of the Battle of Samar, a naval engagement unlike any other in U.S. history—and captures with unforgettable intensity the men, the strategies, and the sacrifices that turned certain defeat into a legendary victory.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
An extraordinary well done history.......2007-09-27
It is often said that teaching and learning in high school is a mile wide and an inch deep. All I ever heard and read in high school about WWII and the naval battles against the Japanese Navy in the Pacific is that the United States won the war! This book capably presents the truth that it was never quite a certainty as the battles unfolded. It is a wonderful thing to have a talented writer and researcher as Hornfischer dedicate his extraordinary talent in presenting this excellent well written definitive history of the US and Japanese naval battles near the Phillipines in October of 1944. This book is very highly recommended as an excellent and thought provoking history as well as a true testimonial to the bravery of U.S Navy personnel in battle.
Learned A Lot That Is New.......2007-09-16
I'm about two-thirds of the way through the book. Even at this point, I've learned a lot that I hadn't really appreciated before.
First of all, sometime back I read a book about the naval battle of Guadalcanal. In that battle, it seems as if all the Japanese had to do to sink one of our ships was to get just one hit on it. By the time of the Battle Off Samar, American ship building must have radically improved. Even the American ships that went down were hit literally dozens of times before finally succumbing to the inevitable. And lots of other American ships were hit but kept fighting and were still fighting at the end of the war.
Another realization was the awful damage 16-inch naval guns do to the human body when they hit a ship and explode. The mental picture I used to have of WW II naval warfare was antiseptic. Yes, guys died -- but I saw it as ever so much cleaner than the awfulness of land warfare. The author of the book has descriptions of what the results were. Naval guns were far bigger than anything in land warfare. The biggest shell for field artillery was about the size of a football. In the Navy, the plentiful six- and eight-inch guns had shells as big as a five footballs. And the 16" (or 18" for two of the Japanese Navy's "super" battleships") were as big as a garbage can and weighed as much as a Volkswagen. When they exploded, huge chunks of the sides of ships would be opened up like a tuna can even though it was inch-thick steel. The effect on the human body was even more devastating. Guys were literally ripped apart and sometimes whole compartments of guys were ripped apart so badly that one guy couldn't be identified from another. It was, literally, like an explosion in a meat locker. Never again will I think that naval warfare was antiseptic. (This is also something of a warning that if you read the book you're going to get all those descriptions too. If you don't think you can stomach it, then you'll either have to skip over those sections or skip the book.)
The book also follows the survivors of the ships that went down as they bobbed in the water waiting for rescue. Their time in the water was made more troubling by the fact that they were constantly being circled by sharks. It was their "good fortune" to be covered with bunker oil from the sunken ships that apparently acted both as a shark repellent and a sun block. But, unlike every other book I've read or movie I've seen, the whole story of a naval battle isn't over when the shooting stops. And, it isn't easy to spot guys in the water with a whole ocean to look at. It was also interesting how, despite the desperate situation they were all in, they all worked to help the wounded among them first. (Unlike the movie warriors who are all fight, the tenderness displayed to the worse off among them is remarkable.)
This is a great book for anyone wanting to know what World War II naval warfare was really like.
Also, there are a lot of maps that help to follow ship movements.
Great book, but..........2007-09-14
I enjoyed the book and the heroism of the sailors and airmen who fought the battle has seldom been equaled. However, the whole reason they were in this terrible position to begin with was poor decision making and poor communication from the higher levels, esp Halsey. I found that after a while that fact made the book a bit depressing for me. It seems obvious that such a powerful Japanese fleet should have been given more respect (watched closely, etc.) since Halsey knew it was in the area.
Gene's review of Tin Can Sailors.......2007-09-13
A very good narrative with human interest about an important naval engagement of the WWII. How the US Navy reacted to an almost impossible situation that seemed hopeless. Read his other book about the sailors of the USS Houston who sank and survived to help build the highway in the jungle which included the Bridge over the River Quai. He is a very good author!
The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors.......2007-09-13
Having served on 3 destroyers (Tin Cans) 1952-1965, two of the Fletchers, this book brought back many memories, both good and bad, of those years of service and sailing on those ships. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and found it difficlut to put down. There are so many heroic stories to be told that have not been revealed, and so many more that will never be told, but I thank this author for telling this one.
Kenneth E. Irons
Book Description
More than eight hundred sailors served aboard the Sterett during her hazardous and demanding duties in World War II. This is the story of those men and their beloved ship, recorded by a junior officer who served on the famous destroyer from her commissioning in 1939 to April 1943, when he was wounded at the Battle of Tulagi. Peppered with the kind of vivid, authentic details that could only be provided by a participant, the book is the saga of a gallant fighting ship that earned a Presidential Unit Citation for her part in the Third Battle of Savo Island, where she took on a battleship, cruiser, and destroyer and was the last to leave the fray. Calhoun's gripping and colorful account tells what it was like to be there during those furiously fought, close-range engagements. When published in hardcover in 1993, the book was widely praised as a good read loaded with rich and interesting details.
Customer Reviews:
Delivers on it's Subtitle, What Life was Like on a WWII Destroyer.......2006-02-10
I picked up this book because my grandfather was a WWII destroyer sailor (DD-727 USS DeHaven II, not the Sterret), and I wanted to get a sense of what the war must have been like for him. I think this book does an excellent job of this and "Cal" Calhoun has to be commended for pulling together the story of this destroyer.
Of course the book follows one particular destroyer but it focuses on the daily life of the sailors and officers, giving you a good concept of what their working lives and their missions were. The Sterret also had a particularly distinguished career, especially during the Third Battle of Savo in which the author took part. The Sterret engaged a Japanese cruiser, battleship, and sunk a destroyer at point blank range at night while receiving 14-inch shells, and makes for some of the best combat writing I've ever read.
The book takes you from the Sterret's comissioning, training in the pacific before the war (including adventurous attempts to try to capture turtles by steering the ship), early duty with the British home fleet in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, and then on to its amazing career in the Pacific from Guadalcanal to Okinawa, and, last, its return to New York for decomissioning and scrapping.
The author had to leave the ship shortly after the action in around Savo and so about two-thirds through the book the style of storytelling necessarily changes. Despite this the book is still an excellent read throughout. At only 160 pages or so of text it's also an easy read yet still does justice to the ship, her crew, and all who served on destroyers in WWII. Definitely recommended.
I Finally Got It!.......2002-11-23
I have read many books on destroyers during WWII. This is the first book that put me on the deck during a night surface battle, and I could SEE what was going on. There is no hype, no "I was a hero" type of comments, just the facts. You can feel the pain he felt when he saw a fellow sailor dead on the deck. It almost brought me to tears.
If you want to SEE what life on a destroyer was like in WWII, this is a MUST READ book!
An Excellent Navy Adventure!.......2001-10-15
Like a previous reviewer, my father also served on a WWII Pacific destroyer. This book helps to capture what life on a destroyer must have been like. Interestingly, it follows the life and action of this ship from it's beginning in the shipyard; through its exciting sea battles, and then to her decommissioning. Thankyou Capt. Calhoun for a book well done.
Tin Can Sailor.......2000-12-27
The book had special meaning for me in that my father was aboard the Sterett from October 1941 to October 1943. Although he had often explained many of the events aboard ship, the connection for me between the war and it's lasting affect on the men who served, was not realized until I read the gripping tales recounted by Captain Calhoun. In a well researched history enhanced with the credibility of first hand knowledge, Captain Calhoun related the Sterett's experience. Every child, grandchild, and great grandchild of every sailor who ever served during WW II on any ship of any kind should read this book and well-up with the pride of having known, or have in their lineage the brave men who stood in harms way to preserve our freedom. My regret is that I had not read it prior to my father's passing on December 10, 1999 and let him know how proud of him I am. Thank you Cal wherever you are.
Good Book!.......1998-06-30
The only problem with this book is that the author didn't stay on the Sterett past 1943 so the book could have been longer. Very good reading. Hard to put down.
Book Description
Tales of a Tin Can Sailor is a wide ranging story of a sailor, two ships and many dedicated fighting men who, working together with a single purpose, accomplished sometimes heroic things. From waging submarine warfare in the Atlantic, participating in all of the invasions in the Mediterranean, to battling kamikazes in the Pacific, shooting down the last Japanese plane, with a task group the first to fire on the Japanese mainland, and the first allied ship of any kind to drop anchor in Tokyo Bay. Of particular interest and historical significance, are the actions described during the year spent in the Mediterranean. In all of the invasions-Sicily, Salerno and Anzio-the Navy played a major role in the success of each of the landings. None more so than the Salerno operation, where the Navy prevented the defeat and evacuation of our forces from Italy, the first landing on the European continent.
Average customer rating:
- outstanding
- great sea stories
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Tales of a Tin-Can Sailor: A World War II Adventure
Lawrence G. Reid
Manufacturer: 1st Books Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Military
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| World War II
| Military
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| World
| History
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1587217570 |
Customer Reviews:
outstanding.......2006-07-21
could not put the book down. as a retired sailor that has served om 5 "tin cans" this book was outstanding. brought back some memories for me. even though I wasn't alive during ww2, this writer seemed to put his memory to good use. bravo zulu on a great book.
great sea stories.......2004-10-26
Great reading. I felt like I was a part of the crew. Generations and ships change; but it is remarkable to see how good CO's never change.
Product Description
14 CDS
Average customer rating:
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Tin Can Sailor
Harold E. Jervey
Manufacturer: Press-Tige Publishing Company Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Military & Spies
| Professionals & Academics
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Military
| Leaders & Notable People
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Military
| History
| Subjects
| Books
World War I
| Military
| History
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1575321718 |
Product Description
A comprehensive list of US Navy Destroyers that were lost or damaged during WWII, including the date, ship name, hull number, location, cause and number of hits, and the overall result.
Product Description
Technical and operating history of the ship with detailed photos and illustrations of her systems, equipment, and weaponry.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Naval War College Review, published by Thomson Gale on September 22, 2006. The length of the article is 518 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: Hornfischer, James D. The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors.(Book review)
Author: Dan Dusek
Publication:
Naval War College Review (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 22, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 59
Issue: 4
Page: 144(2)
Article Type: Book review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Average customer rating:
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Sir James McGrigor
James, Sir McGrigor
Manufacturer: Scottish Cultural Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Medical
| Professionals & Academics
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
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Basic Science
| Medicine
| Subjects
| Books
| Anatomy
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| Embryology
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| Immunology
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General
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| Books
Life & Institutions
| Military
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| Books
ASIN: 1840170352 |
Customer Reviews:
Great read for any sportswoman/sportsman.......2007-05-14
This book provides some great "food for thought" for practitioners of any sport, be it a team or an individual sport. You do not have to believe every word or make all the written exercises the author proposes; just read and think. At least, you will approach the "mental game" in a new way.
A training and coaching gem!.......2006-11-10
Extremely helpful "how to" book for becoming mentally tough. Unlike other sports pysche books, this one tells you very specific things to do to improve concentration, focus and most important, resiliency. Think of this as a cookbook of recipes for creating the appropriate mental response at the right time.
Good, easy read........2006-09-01
This is a pretty good, easy read. It doesn't hit you with a lot of scientific mumbo-jumbo that you'll never understand. Instead, it gives you a basic, common-sense approach to improving the mental aspect of your game. The author shows how the physical world and the emotional world are related, and how being stronger mentally can help you perform better in your sport.
It is not geared towards any one sport, but rather it is geared to athletes in general.
Greatest book on mental preparation for sports.......2006-03-17
All I can say is that my husband a college baseball coach of 35 yrs thought this book was so important he sent it to the Cubs trainer and the pitching coach for the Padres!
So-so, look at others before you buy.......2004-09-22
This book was so-so. It contained a lot of highly basic material. I was not really impressed with Dr. Loehr's theories about sport. It seemed that he did not have much access to sport himself. The examples that were given were very modest and could have used some help. I would only reccommend this book to someone who has rarely particiapted in sports...too basic for the advanced.
Book Description
Tea Here Now demonstrates how tea and the simple act of preparing a cup of tea can give drinkers a taste of enlightenment. Written for the average person who wishes to infuse accessible, uncomplicated spirituality and mindfulness into his or her tea drinking, the book explores the health benefits, spiritual practices, and lifestyle-enhancing properties associated with the world's major blends, in the process creating a practical guidebook for the "tea lifestyle." Topics include the little-known history and mythology of tea, the health benefits, information on tea blends, tips and techniques for brewing the best cup, spiritual and meditation practices that complement and enhance tea drinking, practical ideas for carrying the spirit of tea into all aspects of one’s life (relationships, business, mental health, etc.), old and new rituals to bring meaning and enjoyment to tea drinking, food pairings for tea, and inspirational quotes.
Customer Reviews:
Tea & Zen.......2007-02-16
This is a wondeful book about truly living tea. If you are looking for a book on baking scones and serving tea in bone china, then look for another book. However, if you want to be learn about ancient tea rituals, tea culture, and mindfulness then this is the book to buy. This book is about the heart & soul of tea life. It provides wonderful rituals that are helpful in meditation/contemplation. This book is a true gem. A must have for anyone wanting to learn about tea & living.
Product Description
Good handling is the key to safe horsemanship and, generally speaking, horses that are well-mannered and obedient on the ground are likely to be so when ridden. Here Perry offers the techniques of how to achieve that obedience and manners in his familiar style of looking at things from the horse's point of view, an approach with proven success.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent, not for beginners.......2006-05-01
The Good:
- Positively beautiful models
- All models can still be folded in less than 10 minutes if you are fairly good with origami (no 10 hour projects here)
- Fairly clear hand drawn diagrams
- Some quick suggestions from the author for help on folding
- This is "real" origami - no gluing, no scissors, no multiple sheets for a single model (except for the geometric design section, where this is expected).
- most models can be done with almost any kind of paper
The Bad:
- Numerous typos, they don't make the book unreadable, but do give it a very unrefined feeling. (Author states at one point that he had found a better way to make a certain model, but had already finished drawing the diagrams for the book - things like this add to the feeling of "incompleteness")
- Some diagrams are so small they are hard to read - Brill gives large diagrams for the easy steps, and then squishes 2 dozen detail fold lines into a single tiny diagram later on
- One or two diagram mistakes found, should not be a problem for the target audience of this book
- Some non traditional starting shapes, such as triangles and rectangles, though usually with basic proportions (no 2.7172 x 1 rectangles needed here). I don't consider this to be a violation of the origami "rules" at all, especially when the finished result warrants the different starting shape, but some people might have a problem with this
- recommended starting paper sizes and type are sometimes given, but no indication is ever given of the size of the pictured models, nor the start-finish size ratio
Other:
- Not for beginners, some fairly difficult pieces, you should be able to do complicated petal folds and sinks in your sleep with no instructions, though a few easier models are included too
- Many of the models focus on a 3D effect - even someone experienced in origami may have trouble with this at first if not used to giving models depth. "Wet folding", a technique to overcome the difficulties in making a 3D model, is described briefly, but is difficult to master.
Overall:
- 5 stars; despite some of the significant flaws in the book, the models here are too beautiful to deserve any other rating.
Fantastic origami book.......2005-09-09
This excellent origami book consists of a selection of original models designed by David Brill, Chairman of the British Origami Society and one of the most talented origami creators and folders in the United Kingdom.
Many of the pieces in the book are advanced but they are clearly diagrammed and will provide plenty of scope for creativity as many of the forms will be suitable for wet folding. Some can be worked in ordinary origami paper but many require very large sheets and I remember one year cutting a 20 inch equilateral triangle of foil for the Christmas Tree Fairy which in fact produced quite a small figure about six inches high!
This is therefore not a book for the beginner but it is certainly one which should be on any origami enthusiast's bookshelf. Models range from Mr Brill's Ship in a Bottle and the Lidded Box, to the Cigarettes in a Box and other geometric forms. There is also a whole variety of folds which are used in scenes in the photographs. These include St George and the Dragon and a wonderful Santa in a sleigh complete with reindeer!
Fantastic Models.......2004-05-16
This book will provide some fantastic / lifelike models. This is not, however, a beginners book. A novice will be frustrated over the difficulty of the models. Montroll's "Teach yourself Origami" would be more advisable for people looking for innitiation in this elegant art form. The scene of St George and the Dragon, the Lion family, the Nativity, etc. are true works of art! I deffinitively recommend this book for anyone who would like to become an accomplished Origami artist.
I love David's original designs.......2003-11-11
I went to Kinokunya (Japanese book store) in NYC and browsed about hundred books in origami. I ended up buying this book.
Diagrams in this book are complete, but are hard to understand. Everything you need is in the book, but you need to have some prior experience, before you tackle this book. Otherwise, you've gotta be a patient person (like myself).
The book does not contain color pictures as many other beginner origami books do. It only has 8 pages of color pictures. These pictures show: Gifg box, dodecahedron, Lioness, Lion, Lion Cub, Rhinoceros, Horse, Elephant, Fox Hunt (group), Boat Race, Geppetoo, Pinocchio, witch, Wise Men, Fairy, Show Jumper, Father Christmas, Reindeer and Sleigh.
If you are into solid-looking origami, this is the book you want to buy.
Simply Brill-iant........2003-10-30
Brilliant Origami is truly a work of art. David Brill's creations display a "lively element" missing in many other works. The biggest reason for this is his extensive use of wet-folding, however, these models can be folded without wet folding. This book is worth buying for a few models in particular. Everyone should make the Ship-in-bottle and the Ring Box, both truly spectacular pieces of art. Brill has also included many animals, some modular, and some holiday/theme related pieces/sets. The biggest drawback for this book is the directions. All of them are handdrawn, and sometimes certain lines, folds, etc. are missing, which can be aggrevating to the beginner. The diagrams in this book are not like the diagrams in Montroll's newer books, but nonetheless, the models are equally (if not more) spectacular.
Bottom Line:
Great for a non-beginner. Hand drawn diagrams only problem.
8.5 out of 10
Average customer rating:
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The Harrowsmith Illustrated Book of Herbs
Patrick Lima , and
Turid Forsyth
Manufacturer: Camden House Publishing (Ontario, CA)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Gardening & Horticulture
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Herbs
| Gardening & Horticulture
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0920656455 |
Book Description
From the tasty practicality of sweet basil to the ornamental splendour of roses, THE HARROWSMITH ILLUSTRATED BOOK OF HERBS is the first definitive guide to growing a herb garden in Canada or the northern United States.
Product Description
150 varieties of herbs illustrated in full color
Average customer rating:
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A Gift of Herbs: An Illustrated Garden In Miniature
Manufacturer: Studio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Gardening & Horticulture
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Herbs
| Gardening & Horticulture
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0670834521 |
Book Description
Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of an American Classic.
Published in the spring of 1936, Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind was an immediate and overwhelming success; millions of copies were sold in its first year alone. By the time the film opened on December 15, 1939, the anticipation and excitement were so great that the city of Atlanta declared the day an official holiday. Since then, more than 300 million people have seen the film and every year hundreds of thousands of copies of the novel are sold in dozens of languages.
This lavishly illustrated book is the ultimate behind-the-scenes history of the novel, the film, and the phenomenon of Gone With the Wind. It includes wonderful anecdotes, original quotes from the stars and the directors souvenir programs from the original premiere, many rare never-before published photographs, and more, from the smell of the smoke and the heat of the flames during the filming of the "burning of Atlanta" sequence to the soft touch of the red dust at the location Tara; from the fangue on the faces of cast and crew after grueling months of shooting to the thrill of premiere night, you will experience the unfolding drama as if you were there.
Customer Reviews:
Gone With The Wind.......2006-11-26
Gone with the wind is a novel packed with action, love, distress, hard times, and most of all, scarlet's strong sense of lofe. be it love of the land person, or thing scarlet is so emotional its almost unreal. it is an amazing book and i reccomend it for anyone with atleast a 9th grade reading lvl.
I think that the views expressed in this book about slavery and the civil war are more realistic than in any other book i've ever read. for instance, although uncle tom's cabin was another great book i believe that the viewpoint on slavery is too dramatic. i do not believe that all southern slave owners whipped their slaves.
i hope that reading this review has encouraged you to read this book. Gone With The Wind was deffinitely a book i can and will always remember, and i can't wait to read Scarlet, the sequel!
A Must Have Book for Gone With the Wind Fans.......2002-06-24
This book is packed with information and great photographs, both in color and black and white. The majority of the book deals with the filming an abundance of behind-the-scenes shots.
Also of particular interest is the post-production section dealing with the public's reaction to the movie and the section on the Premiere. This is a great book to add to your personal library.
Probably my favorite GWTW related book (so far anyway!).......2001-10-29
Gorgeous pictures. Wonderful history of the novel to movie story. All GWTW fans should have this.
Terrific!.......2001-05-30
This is an excellent book that chronicles the making of the legendary screen classic "Gone With the Wind". The book moves in chronological order from it's start as a novel all the way through the pre-production, production and post-production stages of what was to be one of the greatest films of all time, if not the greatest. The book is filled with numerous photos, some of them in color, many of them rare and all of them crisp and clear. There are close-ups of all of its stars (Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable, Olivia DeHavilland, Leslie Howard), the crew at work, movie posters and it's world premiere. This is a great book that will make an excellent addition to any library!
Gone With the Wind : The Definitive Illustrated History.......2000-12-15
First I was impressed by the quality of photos - excellent. I come from Poland where, for a long time of communism, the good quality was a rare luxury. I could see every single element of fabulous clothes. Good taste, an unattainable world of really rich people - different from those starving and hungry after war in "Gone With the Wind". A lot of pictures, too little stories and anecdotes, but this is an illustrated story, so I shouldn't complain. Vivien Leigh, Olivia de Havilland, Clarke Gable are warm and human as private persons. As actors they are shown as professionals.
Average customer rating:
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Herbs: International and Illustrated
Gilda Daisley
Manufacturer: Not Avail
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Alternative Medicine
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Botany
| Biological Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1853610461 |
Customer Reviews:
A lifetime of advice for good living in one little book!.......2007-10-02
This is another winner from the author of, Where's Mom Now That I Need Her?
This time, we're being given some advice on the arts of dealing with contracts, budgeting, fixing leaky faucets, tying a tie, asking for a raise, or wrapping a gift.
Outrageously useful, this book belongs on your bookshelf, if you can find a space... Now, if your shelves are too crowded, there is also some wonderful information on how to throw a yardsale! Either way, you need this book!
A Very Good Book.......2004-08-02
I recently gave this book to my grandson who is living away from home for the first time and will be a college freshman. Inside the pages of this book I found solid practical advice. I particularly liked that the book showed how to buy a car. My grandson benefited greatly from the buying a used car section.
Oh, and the recipes aren't bad either. Kudos to Kent P. Frandsen.
In addition to this book I also gave my grandon:
College 101 : The Book Your College Does Not Want You To Read (ISBN: 0966412206 )
The two books together made an excellet graduation gift. Again, I cannot say enough good words about Kent P. Frandsen's book. Bravo!
good book, but..........2004-03-24
FYI - 145 pages of this book are dedicated to recipes. And in a book that's only 311 pages, 145 pages is nearly half the content. If you can't cook, the recipes are practical, easy to make, tasty dishes. If you can cook (that's me), the rest of the book will still provide you with an interesting and concise (sometimes too much so) read covering banking, security, home repairs, loans, contracts, buying a car, and travel tips.
Paired Up With..........2002-06-13
This book picks up where, "On Your Own For The First Time" leaves off. These two books paired together and your child is set! On Your Own gives advice for resume writing, insurance, credit, room-mates, interviewing, shopping for cars, leases, legal matters, personal investing, etc. These two books together make the perfect graduation gift or even for the newlyweds....
How to Survive when you leave home.......2001-10-31
For Christmas last year I purchased this book for my daughter who had just graduated from College. Living 200 miles away, we were not able to help her with things like fixing a flat tire or finding the fuse box and what to do when you find it. I would include a box of tools along with this book for a complete gift. Also the companion book, Where's Mom Now That I Need Her? is also an excellent book. I gave them both to my son in college.
Book Description
Arriving at a French carpet factory near the Belgian border, where he is to have discussions with the firm's technical expert as part of a proposed European merger, Tim Simpson of White's Bank finds the factory destroyed by fire and his prospective contact with it.
Tim faces a tough assignment in locations ranging from Lancashire mills to the inside of French and Belgian police stations, where he is held on a murder charge. It needs all of his penchant for art-biography, the help of his art-expert wife Sue, his detective skill, and his rugby instincts to tackle this case.
Average customer rating:
- Essential, leaves much to be desired
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Ben-Gurion: The Burning Ground, 1886-1948
Shabtai Teveth
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin College Div
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Asia
| History
| Subjects
| Books
| Afghanistan
| Armenia
| Bangladesh
| Belarus
| Bhutan
| Brunei
| Cambodia
| Central Asia
| China
| Far East
| General
| Georgia
| Hong Kong
| India
| Indonesia
| Japan
| Korea
| Laos
| Malaysia
| Maldives
| Mauritius
| Mongolia
| Myanmar
| Nepal
| Pakistan
| Philippines
| Russia
| Seychelles
| Singapore
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ASIN: 0395354099 |
Customer Reviews:
Essential, leaves much to be desired.......2003-09-27
I remmember when I was younger and I read of the heroic birth of the Jewish State and I saw the white haired Ben-Gurion strolling in the desert, walking the land he helped win for his people. He was a modern day King David(from whence his name comes). FOllowing in the footsteps of the modern day prophet Herzl.
I was very excited to read this book. These were the essential years of Ben Hurion and the essential yeas of the modern Jewish State. This was the time of the founding of the settlements, this was the time when Jewish land ownership in Palistine increased 10,000% and when Zionism stopped being a dream and became a reality.
Ben-Gurion was the engine of this. Emigrating to Israel after the turn of the century he helped dound the Jewish labourorganizations that came to dominate the Yishuv, eventually he steered the World Zionists away from Wiezman to support him, while at the same time opposing Revisionism(Manachem Begin and Jabotinsky).
THis book should have been a more interesting read but I found it focused to much on Gurions personala ffiars(his letters, afairs, feelings) and focused too much on the many little posts he held in numerous useless organizations(all of whom have been religated to the dustbin of history). THis book should have given his life more persepective by detailing the general modd of Israel and the amny events taking place while he lived their.
Yet instead of detailing Gurion AND the birth of Israel, this book only details GURION. What about the creation of the settlements? The land dispuits? THe birth of the Haganah? What about WWI and WWII. it seems much was skipped ehre because the author wanted to focus on the personal life of Gurion and his immense ego. I became a little bored and disiluusioned and time after time I had to read about some little useless speach Gurion gave at soem meeting no one remmembers.
THis book had greatness in it grasp for detailing such an amazing period(see 'One Palistine Complete' that is also a total let down of leftist rhetoric). I prefer books like 'terror out of Zion' Martin Gilberts 'Israel A history' and 'Blood and Fire' to this read. Maybe I will have to purchase the biography of Jabotinsky to learn more about this period because I was not enlightened with this volume. I doubt you will be either.
Average customer rating:
- How a Polish Jew survived the war.
- Decent memoir about a very lucky holocaust survivor
- This Guy Has Guts!
- A suspenseful narrative of survival by wits in the Holocaust
- Powerful, gripping, resourceful, amazing, yet true.
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On Burning Ground: A Son's Memoir
Michael Skakun
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0312263678 |
Amazon.com
The "burning ground" of the title is not just the blasted landscape of Holocaust-era Europe but also the existential anguish of its protagonist, rabbinical student Joseph Skakun, so seared by the evils he has witnessed that at one desperate moment suicide seems the only possible response. Joseph was one of very few Jews in his northern Polish village to escape extermination at the end of 1941, and his odyssey of survival took him into the very "maw of the beast." Assuming the identity of a Muslim Tatar (to account for his circumcision), he traveled to Germany as a foreign laborer. Later, fleeing the suspicions of a fellow worker, he enlisted in the Waffen SS, an act of crushing ethical ambiguity for a young man steeped in the Jewish tradition of Mussar, which stressed moral self-examination. After the war, consumed by the need to convey and come to grips with his experiences, Joseph made a confidant of his son, the author of this galvanizing biography and memoir. Retelling his father's story, Michael Skakun pens a drama of biblical breadth and Dostoyevskian depth, scanting neither the visceral horror of his father's ordeal nor the resourcefulness and resolve that enabled Joseph to endure. --Wendy Smith
Book Description
ON BURNING GROUND is the tale of one desperate and brilliant man's ultimate choice: at the eve of the Nazi purging of Poland, to disguise his Jewish origin and pose first as a Christian, then to join the Nazi SS.Living in constant fear, Michael Skakun's father, Joseph, not only assumed a dangerous array of identities in order to survive, but subsequently compromised his very spirit.ON BURNING GROUND is a brave and revelatory tale of a son's father who risked it all, and through his amazing odyssey, was keenly aware of the price of such deceits.AUTHORBIO: Michael Skakun is a writer and translator who worked for many years with the critic Alfred Kazin.He lives in New York City.
Customer Reviews:
How a Polish Jew survived the war........2006-03-27
This was a nice story, but it was clouded by some very philosphical rantings by the son both early in the book and at the end. Also troubling was the son's writing of his father's story. He talkes about his father, then his grandfather and grandmother, and it is difficult to follow, especially early in the story. I wish he would have written it as his father's narrative as told to him.
This is a very harrowing account on how one person survived the Holocaust. Skakun was blessed with blue eyes and blond hair, and it was fairly easy to pass himself off as an Aryan, with the exception of his circumcision. Both passing into Germany and his physical for the Waffen SS necesitated him taking a physical in the nude. I think his heightened awareness of how vulnerable he was resulted in a certain nervousness, which could have resulted in his uncovered secret identity.
This is a nice easy read about a very lucky Polish Jew. His unconventional route and his luck led to him surviving the war. Skakun credits the good deeds of his mother in his survival of the war.
Decent memoir about a very lucky holocaust survivor.......2006-02-22
No one can doubt how much Michael Skakun loves his father and how proud he is of his fathers amazing story of survival. However. I would have toned down the flowery writing, after all, in a biography there really no way of knowing all the expressions of the faces in the room, the smells, the sounds, etc. I also would have included a postscript on whether the subject of the book is still alive, where he lives, or where he spent his last days. Too many loose ends for me, but a book that is very good and worth reading.
This Guy Has Guts!.......2000-10-01
I have always had a deep interest in the Holocaust, I think it is because of the fact that it occured so recent in our history, it is so incredible that in our modern society, a country such as Germany was so willing to carry out such a morbid and shockingly sinister plan of brutality and murder. That ordinary citizens could be so callous and treacherous,...I am amazed!
Joseph Skakun, a Jewish Holocaust survivor, takes us on a journey into his mind numbing past. Divine intervention, solid logic and humblness, play a major role in his reason for survival.
Personally I think this story is very unique and wouldn't be surprised to see it become a movie.
A suspenseful narrative of survival by wits in the Holocaust.......1999-09-01
Skakun's experiences are comparable to those of Yehuda Nir in "The Lost Childhood" and Moshe Perlman in "Europa, Europa". The crowning irony is Skakun's (almost) joining the Waffen SS in order to hide his Jewish identity, and to survive. However, there are just a few errors of background historical fact which mar "On Burning Ground". E.g., on page 203 Julius Streicher is named as the founder of the Nazi paper "Volkische Beobachter". This is wrong. Streicher founded "Der Sturmer". Volkische Beobachter was an outgrowth of "Munchener Beobachter", a paper purchased and re-founded by Dietrich Eckart. This is the sort of mistake that better editing might have caught. But "On Burning Ground" still stands as a riveting account of survival through quick thinking and a lot of luck.
Powerful, gripping, resourceful, amazing, yet true........1999-07-12
What can I add to the above? Not much. I rarely read Holocaust memoirs, but this one was amazing. Michael's father, Joseph, a Talmudic scholar with blue eyes and blond hair, who tried to save his mother in Navaredok/Novogrudek Poland, failed, and fled to the forests and to Vilna. As a circumcised male in Vilna, Joseph took on the identity of a Muslim Tatar, studied Islam, and became a foreign laborer in Berlin. A hidden Jew pretending to be a Muslim living in the Nazi capital during the War. And then he enlisted in the SS!
Average customer rating:
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The Burning Ground
Tak Paris
Manufacturer: Authorhouse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1420872907 |
Average customer rating:
- Couldn't make up my mind!
- Where there's smoke
- not child appropriate
- Amazing!
- Passions just below ground level, from a bird's eye view!
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Burning Ground
Pearl Luke
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0452282675
Release Date: 2001-08-28 |
Customer Reviews:
Couldn't make up my mind!.......2002-10-08
I picked the book out because I read the woman was working in a fire tower, and Ranger Gord happens to be my fav. Red Green SHow charactor so I figured I'd see what it was about (And there WAS a Ranger gord in this story, how ironic:)
I'm 16 years old so I'm not quite used to reading literature so erotic and bold when it comes to sexual content. It scared me a little at first, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue the book or not, but I did and I'm glad I did! I thought that perhaps, like the one girl in seattle said, maybe I'm just a bit too immature to be reading something like this. but I thought what the heck, and put myself past it. It's not like I'm not used to swearing and talking about sex, heck, I go to hight school, lol.
The book had a powerful menaing to it, all about finding you true inner self and what's important to yourself. It's about learning to tell apart the truth from the lies you tell yourself. Good book.
Where there's smoke.......2002-04-01
Working in a fire tower deep in the Canadian forest, Percy Turner uses the isolation as a wall against people, and uses the time for reflection on her past and future. She has a strained relationship with her parents, burdened by family secrets, and her childhood friend & longtime lover Marlea can't seem to choose whether to be with Percy or with her current boyfriend (not that Percy has had a stellar record keeping faithful to Marlea either). Through an internet exchange with a fellow fire tower worker, Percy slowly begins piecing her life back together. Pearl Luke's compelling story is sprinkled with fascinating facts about fires that make this tale so unique. She eloquently shows us that desire and attraction aren't always as clear cut as we like to think.
not child appropriate.......2002-02-21
yes this book had many ways of stating life, but it was a disturbing teenage child/teen hood. I thought it could of been more appropriate and should of been rated higher than teen status.
Amazing!.......2001-12-03
I'd bought this book during a recent visit to Canada, while searching for Canadian writers. It seems to me like I found a very promising one!
There isn't much action in the book, but the philosophy, the outlook on life, the memories all make up for it. I couldn't put this book down. Those long train rides I have to go through every day seemed to be the shortest ever with this book accompanying me.
The way that Pearl Luke has contrasted the underground fires and our lives was amazing. By the end of the book I got the feeling that the fires burning underground were also burning in us as our memories, our childhood traumas or experiences.
It's a great book! Everybody must read this. I hope Pearl Luke keeps writing.
Passions just below ground level, from a bird's eye view!.......2001-11-27
I adored this book, which I grabbed, I admit, from cover and brief write-up alone.
The notion of fire, and burning, tied up with the omnipresent Canadian Wilderness and Weather, becomes a moving portrait of passions in the life of the heroine, Percy Turner. The novel explores the isolation of a fire-watch tower in the wilderness, with only a hastily begun e-mail romance, and semi-regular supply drop-offs to break up the isolation. Percy travels in her minds eye, through her past, including her tempestuous relationship with a woman who still holds much of her heart, and her current budding relationship with a fellow fire tower watcher, a man who seems to spark new emotions within her.
Free will, erotic passions, losses and the notions of relationship detente are just some of the themes explored in this novel. The imagery sears.
Moving through the past, the present, and Percy's emotional potential future with an extreme grace, Pearl Luke's passions seem to smoulder on the pages, imagery tight with some of the most vivid prose I've ever read. I will definitely be looking out for her in the future, and happily reccommend this to anyone looking for a contemporary story that borders on the erotic while remaining truly expressive and character-driven. Even the conclusion of the story kept me gripped, and I put the book down at its completion with a real sense of fulfillment.
'Nathan
Average customer rating:
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Burning Ground
Pearl Luke
Manufacturer: HARPER AND ROW
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OLNHS2 |
Average customer rating:
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BURNING GROUND
Pearl Luke
Manufacturer: HarperCollins Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000O8R6Y6 |
Average customer rating:
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BURNING GROUND (Pocket Horror)
Nolan
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0671626647 |
Books:
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