The Emperor General: A Biography of Douglas Macarthur

Book Description

General Douglas MacArthur was one of the few military leaders in American history to hold the rank of five-star General of the Army. He was the most decorated soldier in American history. In World War II he directed the campaign against Japan and after the war oversaw the occupation of the country. When the Korean War broke out, his disagreement with United States policy forced President Harry Truman to recall him from his post. MacArthur was a larger than life figure in American history. His story is riveting and insightful.

Customer Reviews:

a desire for more.......2001-11-28

as a 30 minute read you'll get an overview of one of the most impressive leaders of the 20th century but you'll be left wanting to know more. the writing style feels heavily edited and the book leaves you with more questions than it answers. in fact for an overview you'd be better off watching gregory peck in the movie of macarthur. if you're a high school student and you need a quick read then this might be useful, but if you want to understand what drove mac arthur, why he did what he did, and get under the skin of this man - look elsewhere.

The Emperor General A Biography of Douglas McArthur.......2000-03-28

I thought that this book was very good but not very long and had few details lacking thouroghness . This book was a book that got it's point across very well with few words some people expect different things in a good book (there deffenition of a good book is different)some people like long books some people like short books but overall I think a good book can be the smae and different at the same time and thats how this book was and I recomend it to any action loving kid like me

Average customer rating:

An excellent narrative, honestly presented

MacArthur in Korea. The Naked Emperor.
Robert smith
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Customer Reviews:

An excellent narrative, honestly presented.......2003-09-20

General Douglas MacArthur was one of those war heroes about whom much favorable legend was created by his own concerted efforts. This book exposes MacArthur's megalomania, presenting much evidence that the tragedy of the 1950 Chinese counterattack could have been avoided had the book's subject been more objective and less interested in his image.

MacArthur and his close assistants were informed of the massive Chinese infiltrations and chose to deliberately disbelieve it. General Almon, a serious admirer of Fascist leaders and principles, continued to pooh-pooh the Chinese power even after it became apparent. MacArthur knew of these beliefs on the part of his chief assistant, yet continued to keep him in his post. The book carefully documents MacArthur's misguided attempt to widen the conflict by running his own foreign policy, and objectively traces his disgrace after Truman had to fire him.

You can find this book here, of course, or in most used bookstores.. The price is reasonable. The information gained about a historical aberration is most worthwhile. I recommend the book highly

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Art and Liberation: Collected Papers of Herbert Marcuse
H. Marcuse
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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Philosophy, Psychoanalysis and Emancipation: Collected Papers of Herbert Marcuse

The New Left and the 1960s: Collected Papers of Herbert Marcuse

Essential Marcuse: Selected Writings of Philosopher and Social Critic Herbert Marcuse

ASIN: 0415137837

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Herbert Marcuse and the Art of Liberation
Barry Katz
Manufacturer: Schocken Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Philosophers | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Political | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0805271260

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Kent State University. Graduate School. Master's theses. Department of Philosophy
Joe Kullman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0007AJ76Q

Average customer rating:

Kind of old, but still up-to-date

A "feel good" book

Realistic and Practical. Beautfiul and Reasonable. The only beauty book you will need

Inspiring!

If you are looking for a beauty "how-to" book....

Bobbi Brown Beauty Evolution: A Guide to a Lifetime of Beauty
Bobbi Brown
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Beauty & Fashion | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Fashion | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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Bobbi Brown Beauty

Bobbi Brown Teenage Beauty: Everything You Need to Look Pretty, Natural, Sexy & Awesome

Bobbi Brown Living Beauty

Beauty, The New Basics

Sonia Kashuk Real Beauty

ASIN: 0060088826
Release Date: 2005-09-06

Book Description

A celebration of beauty across the generations.

This positive-outlook guide for women reflects, as Bobbi says, "What happens to us as we make our way through life, and how we can continue making ourselves better." Bobbi shares her candid views of her own beauty odyssey, as well as her formidable makeup expertise, to help women feel good about themselves at every age. In the engaging, down-to-earth style that's pure Bobbi, she addresses the need-to-know issues we all face at one time or another -- from how to deal with changes in skin to what adjustments in makeup application are really necessary (and appropriate) as we get older. Also included are the personal, heartfelt thoughts of women from all walks of life -- all ages, shapes, sizes, and ethnicities -- reflecting on what beauty means to them. Their words serve to underscore Bobbi's message that true beauty "comes from having confidence and feeling good about who you are."

Customer Reviews:

Kind of old, but still up-to-date.......2007-09-26

I bought this book almost 5 years ago, and all the advice it contains is not outdated yet. Good advice on how to apply makeup, which are the best shades according to the age, hair color, skin tone and even race (I am Hispanic, although not the typical black haired with olive skin). After reading the book, I decided to highlight my hair and it really made a difference! The only thing I did not like is that sometimes, it became sort of Bobbi-centered, due to the great amount of pictures of herself and her family and relatives.

A "feel good" book.......2007-06-27

I'll be honest with you: this is more of a "feel good" book than a book about beauty hints and tips or makeup. I really wish Bobbi Brown would have written more about skin care and makeup than fill the pages with photographs.

Realistic and Practical. Beautfiul and Reasonable. The only beauty book you will need.......2007-04-21

Years ago I wanted to learn how to apply cosmetics properly. The natural look on this book's cover attracted me so I bought it. It turned out that this book is far more than how to make a natural look. The beauty tips are organized by several very sensible categories: 1. process: step-by-step makeup guide; 2. Makeup recipes tailored according to how much time you can afford for a make up: 5 min, 10 min, 15 min, or 20+ min; 3.Beauty tips for females in different age groups: 20s, 30s, 40s...till 100s; 4. Tailored makeup recipes according to your skin tone and hair colour.

Other very useful information like how to organize your makeup tools, plastic surgery or not, etc. are also provided.

Finally Ms Brown also does not forget to remind you beauty is not only about hair, face, skin and figure. It's about healthy life style and healthy attitude toward yourself and the life.

All in all, this book serves as a very good makeup reference to me. And I like Ms Brown's attitude toward the makeup thing. Anyone whose main interest is not in makeup/fasion but still want to appear polished in public should get this book.

Inspiring!.......2007-01-15

This is a lovely book. Most of the models look like "real people". Bobbi Brown writes about makeup and skin care for all ages and the older women are great looking, wrinkles and all. I find this to be inspiring. One doesn't need plastic surgery to be beautiful. She doesn't recommend gobs of makeup or impossible to re-create (unless you're a professional makeup artist) looks. I say this in comparison to books, say, by Kevin Aucoin. While high fashion makeup books may be fun, for me, they certainly don't inspire feelings of personal beauty.

One footnote that I find amusing: Because of this book, I went to purchase some Bobbi Brown cosmetics and the counter girl tried to sell me about $200 worth of products just for the bags under my eyes. The amount of product she thought I "needed" was staggering: completely the antithesis of what Bobbi Brown advocates in her book!

If you are looking for a beauty "how-to" book...........2005-10-26

This may not be the one for you. That having been said, however, I love this book. I consider it to be a beauty "what-for?" book. The pictures in it are absolutely gorgeous and they are of real-looking women. That is a definite plus for me. I love Bobbi's style of doing makeup. I love seeing real women wearing it. However, there are no step-by-step instructions for different looks as you find in Kevyn Aucoin's books. This may be a drawback for many people.

There are, however, good common-sense guidelines for health and beauty (particularly good skin tips) and general instructions for makeup application. Bobbi does still like her rules, but her approach is much less stringent in this book than it was in her first effort (Bobbi Brown Beauty). I love the chapters on beauty guidelines by the decade (20's through 70's and beyond). I also appreciate the "Beauty by Skin Tone" section. I don't fit any of the classifications listed, but it is very interesting to read her recommendations for several ethnic groups/skin tones based on each group's inherent strengths.

The "It Runs in the Family" chapter is full of beautiful family portraits which I find inspirational as well. The makeover section is small but useful and the "Just Add Color" chapter gives helpful recommendations, especially if you are looking for Bobbi Brown Cosmetics products. I would definitely recommend this book, especially if you are looking for an inspirational beauty guide. Check it out!

Book Description

This popular topic combined with the proven success of the WimpsTM series will equal a blockbuster.

Sushi is fun, sushi is in, and even a wimp can make it at home!

Raw fish is the hot dish—but of course, you never prepare it yourself. After all, you’re no samurai chef. But now, with the newest entry in the best-selling Wimps series, you can practically have your own Japanese restaurant at home. With lots of fun and instructive pictures, and the most basic guidance, beginners will feel confident with the necessary tools, tableware, techniques, and ingredients. You’ll see how to choose a whole fish or filet; whip up sauces; slice the fish for each sushi type; make a variety of different rolls, plus sashimi, nigiri, and gunkanmaki; and arrange it all beautifully on the plate. There are soups, specials, and vegetarian sushi, too. So who’s a wimp? Not you!

Customer Reviews:

Recommended for all make-it-yourself sushi enthusiasts!.......2004-07-06

Sushi is a delicious, nutritious, and increasingly popular form of seafood that can go disastrously wrong if and when American kitchen cooks doesn't really know what they're doing. Enter Aya Imatani's Sushi For Wimps: From Seaweed To Dragon Rolls For The Faint Of Heart! Aya Imatani's father owned a sushi bar in Kobe, Japan, and she draws upon her years of experience and expertise running a catering business to show the aspiring sushi chef what tools and tableware to use, how to go about choosing a whole fish or fillet, the role of sauces in sushi dishes, and taking even the most novice kitchen cook step-by-step through the process of turning out simply wonderful sushi dishes for the home. Superbly enhanced throughout with the color photography of Matt Cohen highlighting plating and presentation, Sushi For Wimps offers mouth watering recipes that range from sushi styles and categories ranging from sashimi, nigiri, gunkanimaki, and temaki, to hosomaki, saimaki, vegetarian sushi, Japanese soups, and kawarizushi (Aya's "Specials"). Confidently recommended for all make-it-yourself sushi enthusiasts!

Average customer rating:
The Desert Tortoise
Sue Fox
Manufacturer: Two Mountain Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Ichthyology | Zoology | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
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Desert Tortoises (The World of Reptiles)

The Guide to Owning a Tortoise

Turtles, Tortoises and Terrapins: Survivors in Armor

The Pet Owner's Guide to the Tortoise (Pet Owner's Guide S.)

ASIN: 0967955017

Book Description

This book covers natural and ecologic backgrounds of the desert tortoise of the southwest United States. Color photos illustrate each page and there is a glossary of terms in the back.

Desert Tortoises (The World of Reptiles)

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Desert Tortoises (The World of Reptiles)
Sophie Lockwood
Manufacturer: Child's World
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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The Desert Tortoise

ASIN: 1592965466

The Sonoran Desert Tortoise: Natural History, Biology, And Conservation (Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Studies in Natural History)

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Look Out For Crows Baby Tortoise!

The Sonoran Desert Tortoise: Natural History, Biology, And Conservation (Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Studies in Natural History)

Manufacturer: University of Arizona Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0816526060

Book Description

This book presents the first comprehensive summary of the natural history, biology, and conservation of the Sonoran and Sinaloan desert tortoises. Most previous knowledge of desert tortoises comes from studies of Mohave Desert populations in California and Nevada. However, the ecology, physiology, and behavior of these northern populations are quite different from those of their southern, Sonoran Desert, and tropical cousins, which have been studied much less. In The Sonoran Desert Tortoise, Thomas R. Van Devender gathers together decades of research on tortoise populations in Arizona and Sonora, Mexico. As the only comprehensive book on the desert tortoise, this volume gathers a vast amount of information for scientists, veterinarians, and resource managers while also remaining useful to general readers who keep desert tortoises as backyard pets.

Customer Reviews:

Look Out For Crows Baby Tortoise!.......2004-05-27

This Book is Outta Sight! and Dy-No-Mite!

Average customer rating:

Must-read retelling of the classic Aesop fable
The Tortoise and the Jackrabbit

The Tortoise and the Jackrabbit
Susan Lowell
Manufacturer: Rising Moon Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0873585860

Customer Reviews:

Must-read retelling of the classic Aesop fable.......2007-08-15

Richly illustrated, imaginative retelling of the classic Aesop fable of perseverance, set in the Sonoran Desert. The fun and lovely pictures are full of actual native flora and fauna.

It's a must-read for any desert-dwelling child, or to supplement study on desert habitats, or for that child who needs a bit of encouragement to keep on keepin' on.

The Tortoise and the Jackrabbit.......2000-07-02

Susan Lowell has adapted the classtic story of the Tortoise and the Hare perfectly for desert readers. As a kindergarten teacher in Arizona, I love reading this story to my students because it is relevant for them. They love listening to it!

Life in the Slow Lane: A Desert Tortoise Tale

Average customer rating:

Fun story that stays in your head

Life in the Slow Lane: A Desert Tortoise Tale
Conrad J. Stora
Manufacturer: RGU Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Turtles | Animals | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1891795074

Customer Reviews:

Fun story that stays in your head.......2006-05-14

This is such a fun story! It has a little song that is repeated throughout that you sing all day long. It ends with a great message about saving the dessert land. It also is a nice reminder to SLOW DOWN. It has a glossary in the back discussing the dessert terms etc... Fun for all ages, my 23 month old loves it, but I'm sure much older kids would too!

La Tortuga Y La Liebre/ the Tortoise And the Jackrabbit: La Tortuga y la Liebre

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La Tortuga Y La Liebre/ the Tortoise And the Jackrabbit: La Tortuga y la Liebre
Susan Lowell
Manufacturer: Rising Moon Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Spanish | Foreign Language Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Infantil y juvenil | Libros en español | Formats | Books

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The Three Little Javelinas (Reading Rainbow Book)

ASIN: 087358869X

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A new spin on an old tale

Another Tortoise and a Different Hare
Judith Cole
Manufacturer: Treasure Chest Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Customer Reviews:

A new spin on an old tale.......2005-12-23

Complain all you want that endings of fairy tales are always so cheesy- I'll always love this one. This story, which takes place in the desert, pits the "slow but steady" tortoise against the hyper hare one more time, but this time, the hare's foot gets stuck under a boulder. With hungry coyotes around, the tortoise isn't about to let the hare be eaten, and goes back to help her out. Not only do they tie, but they learn important lessons about being friends, a fantastic lesson to impart to eager young readers.

The illustrations are beautiful, with borders of desert plants on each text page. This is a picture book I'll never give up.

Denny Desert Tortoise & the stick lizard

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Denny Desert Tortoise & the stick lizard
Jacqueline Joyce
Manufacturer: Bear Path
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Desert Tortoises (Library of Turtles and Tortoises)

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Desert Tortoises (Library of Turtles and Tortoises)
Christopher Blomquist
Manufacturer: PowerKids Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

General | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

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The Durable Desert Tortoise
Colleen Stanley Bare
Manufacturer: Dodd Mead
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Zoology | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0396077064

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Weaving Without a Loom
Veronica Burningham
Manufacturer: Search Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Needlework | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Weaving | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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Finger Weaving: Indian Braiding

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Card Weaving

Learning to Weave, Revised Edition

ASIN: 0855328185

Book Description

Create beautiful woven tapestries and hangings, bags and belts, shawls and hats, mobiles and dream catchers - all without a loom! Learn how to master simple weaving techniques which illustrate how to combine texture and colour using sticks, card, hardboard, picture frames and rings. Over 130 colour photographs and easy-to-follow instructions guide you through a range of simple, inexpensive projects suitable for all the family.

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WEAVING WITHOUT A LOOM
Sarita R. Rainey
Manufacturer: Davis Publications Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Weaving Without a Loom

ASIN: B000H1SEGO

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Weaving Without a Loom
Sarita Rainey
Manufacturer: UNSPECIFIED VENDOR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UPDVBA

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Weaving Without a Loom

Manufacturer: Davis Publishing Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000H7VDUW

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Weaving Without a Loom
Sarita R. Rainey
Manufacturer: Davis Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OYM42O

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Weaving Without a Loom
Barbara Pegg
Manufacturer: Chilton Book Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Weaving | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 080197724X

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Weaving Without a Loom
Sarita R. Rainey
Manufacturer: Davis Publications, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Weaving | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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Weaving Without a Loom

ASIN: 0871920247

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Weaving Without a Loom

Manufacturer: Davis Publications, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GU9CEY

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Weaving Without a Loom.
Sarita Rainey
Manufacturer: Worcester: Davis 1972.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000Q9RLES

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Weaving Without a Loom

Manufacturer: UNKNOWN
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GM3ASG

Customer Reviews:

Needed more sizzle---.......1999-07-15

I thought this book was somewhat interesting. But when she got to the part of meeting her husband it needed more graphic details and more sizzling excitement. Pretty bland.

Places of Power : A Decade of Living in National Parks

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Places of Power : A Decade of Living in National Parks
Kathleen Kemsley
Manufacturer: Wilderness Adventure Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000O93RUM

Book Description

Your 15-year-old keeps breaking her curfew.
Your 10-year-old wonÂ't do his homework.
Your nagging doesnÂ't work, and youÂ're losing your patience.
What will it take to bring peace to this family?

FAMILY RULES

If youÂ're tired of arguing and complaining, this is the book for you. Full of warmth and wisdom, this guide to parenting by respected psychologist and family therapist Kenneth Kaye explains how you can custom design for your own family a set of straightforward rules that make discipline easyÂ—principles which can be easily modified as family life improves. With clever and insightful examples, Dr. Kaye explains:

Why children need restrictions in order to handle freedom

How to make rulesÂ—and how to enforce them

How to build your childÂ's self-esteem

When to relinquish control of your child

With special advice for single, step- and divorced parents!

In order to grow into happy, self-respecting adults, your children need the security of clear, consistently enforced rules. Family Rules teaches you everything you need to know to raise responsible childrenÂ—without yelling or nagging!

Customer Reviews:

The definitive book on parenting.......2005-11-12

I'm a family counselor and have been using this book in my practice over the last 20 years: Family Rules is never out of date. I'm so glad that the book has been republished, I've been purchasing any used one I could find to give to my clients who struggle to raise motivated, responsible, well adjusted children. This book is clear and concise and helps parents design consequences for unacceptable behavior that help the child learn rather than simply punish. The book is positive and very easily understood. I highly, highly recommend it.

Excellent Book on Parenting.......2003-01-05

I am a pediatrician, so I have a professional vestment in parenting books in addition to raising my own children. Children feel more secure when they know the limits of acceptable behavior. This book tells you how to stop arguing or lecturing and instead establish clear rules with consequences. This is a popular theme in many of the current parenting books such as the "Love and Logic" books by Jim and Charles Fay. Family Rules is very well organized, easy to read, and gives many practical examples. I believe this book is out of print but I'm hoping this review will revive an interest in it.

Book Description

In April 1943, fifteen-year-old Maria Rosa Henson was taken by Japanese soldiers occupying the Philippines and forced into prostitution as a comfort woman.O In this simply told yet powerfully moving autobiography, Rosa recalls her childhood as the illegitimate daughter of a wealthy landowner, her work for Huk guerrillas, her wartime ordeal, and her marriage to a rebel leader who left her to raise their children alone. Her triumph against all odds is embodied by her decision to go public with the secret she had held close for fifty years.

Customer Reviews:

A Horrifying and Terribly Enlightening Account of Life in the Phillipines During WWII.......2005-09-14

Hiromi's review of "Comfort Woman" is important to respond to because the book's importance comes from the fact that it is a true story. Not knowing anything about comfort women other than what was presented in the book itself, I believe I can still refute Hiromi's points:

The position of the comfort station, and the "odd" use of the words banzai and baka are no evidence against the authenticity of the author's story. To put it bluntly, most of us were not living in Japan during the 1940s and even less of us were on the front lines. We cannot say with any conviction how odd Japanese behavior would have been in that time period and under those circumstances.

The point that Maria could have easily escaped cannot simply be proved by the fact that one guard stood outside her room. No matter how "nice" he was to her, it's unlikely he'd simply let her leave, and even if he did (or if he could be tricked as Hiromi suggests) it's not as if there was a route, free of Japanese soldiers, leading straight from the garrison to safety. Maria constantly refers to Japanese sentries and checkpoints throughout the region, not to mention guards *outside* the building.

The doubt concerning how many Japanese troops would be available to rape Maria doesn't seem to be well founded. The entire purpose of comfort stations was to increase morale, and a losing battle would require more "comfort". Certainly there were always large numbers of troops present at and around the garrison. If sexual services were considered routine for young men to receive, most of them could free up their schedules.

The "more serious doubts" do not hold any more water. The idea that Maria could not learn complex Japanese military terms from her captors is probably true. But it would be foolish to think that Maria did not hear any simple vernacular from the young soldiers reminiscing about homes and girlfriends in Japan. Besides, she did not claim to be able to speak more than a few words, and coming to understand a language is very possible - particularly under extenuating circumstances. She was completely surrounded by the Japanese language - not being able to speak to any of the other Filipino women - and her young mind would definitely be able to pick up a good deal of it.

The second point - that Maria's inability to admit she was a comfort woman indicates she was a "prostitute" - can be refuted simply by putting yourself into her shoes (as impossible as that must be). She told Domingo she had been raped, referring to the incidents out in the countryside. She never admitted to being a comfort woman because that implies that she was raped by a huge number of men while in captivity. Being raped once was shameful enough to Maria and she could not bring herself to inform Domingo just how frequent it had been. Besides, rape is any sex act that is unwilling on the part of one person. Whether we consider her a "prostitute" or not is irrelevant, because she was forced into it that prostitution.

Hiromi's final point - that comfort women were paid - I cannot argue against without more knowledge. What I do know however, is that many Japanese documents concerning troop activity in Asia were burned - including, undoubtedly, many that Yoshiaki Yoshimi would have found useful. Whether some comfort women in various locations were treated better is up for debate, but has no bearing on Maria's story.

I'm not going to claim like another reviewer that these arguments are simply the words of some right-wing ideologue. Detractors of comfort women's claims aren't saying that Japanese soldiers were right to rape women, they are doubting the severity of the acts. And that is exactly why this book is so important - because it offers a first hand account of just how terrible those acts were. Hiromi's doubt is probably the result of an education system, whether in Japan or America, that glosses over war crimes committed in Asia and one that accentuates the reform Japan underwent after the war's end. Hiromi should not feel a need to defend soldier's actions from sixty years ago just because they share the same ethnic background. The sins of our fathers are not our own. But we run the risk of letting them happen again if we refuse to accept that they happened in the first place.

The present day Japanese government did not commit war atrocities during WWI, and recent backlashes against Japanese citizens in Asia only serves to further intolerance and misunderstanding. However, modern Japan, being built from the wealth and infrastructure of an oppressive imperialist power, has a responsibility to do all they can to compensate those wronged by their predecessor, and to educate their own citizens of the truth. In 1999 this book was published and sold throughout Japan, making Maria's story known to the general public for the first time. It's a start.

IGNORE THE RIGHT-WING CLAP-TRAP BY THE REVIEWER BELOW.......2004-06-13

This is a good book as it illumiinates the horrors of war and the strength of human courage & dignity. Unfortunately, people such as 'Hiromi' who have reviewed it below, in typical right-wing Japanese fashion end up denying or trying to cast doubt on events that undoubtedly took place, but unfortunately there are still a fair number of Japanese who like to deny this, which is why there is still so much mistrust of Japanese in Asia even today. Read this book, it will give you an insight of the good & bad of human conduct in war.

Sad Story, But..........2004-05-04

In rape cases, to point out some problematic facts in the story told by the plaintiff would often be branded as the second rape.

Still, as a Japanese, I must stand up here and make the argument for the sake of the honors of our own grandfathers who may have been falsely accused for this disgusting crime of "sex slavery" because, in fact, there are lots of suspicious inconsistency in this auto-biographical account of Maria Rosa Henson.

The followings are only few examples of the small-but-cannot-plainly-be-ignored problems in Ms Henson's account;

<1> The comfort station where Ms Henson was taken in and forced to be a comfort woman was also the Japanese Army headquarters and garrison. To be precise, the downstairs was the headquarters (and bathroom?) and the upstairs was the comfort station. But, that kind of arrangement is extremely odd for the Japanese Army who was renowned by their reputation of decency, at least for the facade, I would moderately add.

<2> Ms Henson says that the Japanese soldiers would shout "Miyo tokai [no] sora [akete]!" as they do their daily exercise and when the routine was over, they shouted "banzai!" three times. This is, again, very odd. The former is a song with nice melody that I do not think suits for exercise. And, although "banzai" can be casually used like, say, "hurrah!", it should be a special occasion when people shout it "three times". Similarly, the Japanese use the word "baka"(stupid) with some kind of affection even when used with a punishment of slap. So, again, Ms Henson's claims that evil Japanese torturing people shouting "baka!" seems quite odd.

<3> Ms Henson would ask herself: "Why did I not try to escape? Because they might kill me." But, according to Ms Henson herself, the only one guard outside of their rooms was kind to all the women there and seems to have showed no hostile intention to punish the women severely in the event of escape. On the contrary, he even helped her (maybe others, too) daily cleaning by scrubbing the floor with a wet cloth and some disinfectant. One would wonder if she really found no chance to escape while this only guard got on all fours scrubbing her floor.

<4> Ms Henson claims that some "twenty to thirty" soldiers "raped" her every day, however, I cannot help wondering if they really had such spare time to rape women when the situation of the war in the Pacific theatre had been drastically declining for the Japanese at the time in question and hundreds of Japanese ships were being sunk by the U.S. Navy in the sea near by.

Now, the followings would arouse more serious doubt;

<1> Ms Henson claims that she had become able to understand some Japanese by the time when she overheard Captain Tanaka and the colonel talking about a plan to conduct a zoning operation in Pampang, her barrio, because many of the residents there were guerrillas. She was able to understand that the colonel had said that the Japanese soldiers had captured guerrillas from there, and they were in the garrison downstairs. But, she was with the Japanese for only nine months, and, if it was only Captain Tanaka who liked her and taught some Japanese to her, it makes only 1 month or 2. I really doubt that anyone can ever become understand Japanese Language in such short time considering the fact that military terms are usually more complicated and difficult even for the ordinary Japanese.

<2> When Ms Henson was proposed by Domingo, she confessed to him that "[she] had been raped by Japanese soldiers, but [she] never told him that [she] also become a comfort woman." Why? Is it not because a "comfort woman" means a prostitute, never the same as being raped? If she regarded her whole experience in the comfort station as "rape" she could have told him so. And, is that not because why the subtitle of this book used the word "prostitution" although Ms Henson never says that she was in the business?

Apart from the fact that Ms Henson was working in one of the largest communist guerrilla organisation in Philippine at that time, who would spread Anti-Japanese propaganda in the civilian population to mobilise people as their combatants for the communist revolution, those inconsistencies made me assume her account is unreliable.

In reality, as the Japanese authority of this issue Yoshiaki Yoshimi publicly admitted, there is no single documented evidence to support the allegation Japanese Imperial Army kidnapped and forced them to prostitution, or more grotesquely described by the feminists as "sexual slavery".
Yoshimi's large volume of all governmental documents he could ever found on this matter shows that the women made at least 300 yen and at most 1,500 yen per month whereas the soldiers's monthly wage was 9 yen. The charge was range from 1.5 yen from 3 yen per 30 minutes for the privates. (Officers and generals were charged much higher.) Although the women had to pay back their advances to the trader by 50 percent of their earnings, still it was good-waged business to the women from poor countryside. The Japanese Imperial Army did not run the comfort station but paid great attention to the women's welfare so that their soldiers could profit in their morale and spirits by satisfaction of the earthly desire without any worry about venereal disease.

Because of lack of evidence that substantiate the allegation other than those unreliable testimonies of the ex-comfort women's and many evidences that support the Japanese Army's innocent, the government refused to recognise this matter as the issue of compensation. However, Maria Rosa Henson received one million yen (about 250,000 peso) for the "temporary money" from non-governmental organisation in Japan in 1996. It was two years before this book was published. I am just wondering why that fact was omitted. Maybe because this whole issue is a propaganda and Ms Henson is a victim of the ideological warfare.

Survivor's story.......2002-02-07

This is the most terrible book I ever read. This is a book about a 15 years old girl, Maria Rosa Henson. Maria was taken by the Japanese soldiers and forced into prostitution as a "comfort woman" during the Japanese occupation in Philippines. She was captured and had been sexual tortured and abused for years. After keeping her secret for over half a century, she broke her silent and told the public about her painfully experience. I was stunned by her words and as well the illustrations in the book. However, I admired her courage--her courage to tell the truth and to face her family. Her truth words definitely offer hope and perspective to other survivors who need too heal from the wound.

A Poignant Narrative of Truth Worth Reading.......2001-08-18

This poignant memoir of a Filippino woman forced into prostitution by the Japanese military during World War II is moving and touching in its simplicity of style. Maria Rosa Henson teaches us truth in these pages, truth which we need to understand. We must all do what we can to see that our country votes properly in the United Nations on this issue. So far the USA is the only nation within the General Assembly of the UN which has refused to uphold that reparations be paid to the thousands and millions of sexual slaves who have been tortured and abused worldwide by the war machine and the various militarists who destroy our humanity everywhere across the globe. The one who has written this book is her personal testitmony to help other survivors.Read this memoir and its introduction. It's worth your education.

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