Where You Go, Gi: The Story of a Gi in Japan, 1954-1956

Customer Reviews:

Entertaining, but contains some historical inaccuracies.......2004-12-19

Although the book is listed as an autobiography, it contains some historical inaccuracies that should raise some doubts. For example, the author states that in May 1954, he accompanied the commander of US Forces in the Far East(a four star general) on a mission to Saigon. At the time, he was a private first class. He further states that they were accompanied on the flight from Tokyo to Saigon by 200 partroopers who were later paraschuted into Den Bien Phu. This could not have happened because (1) US troops were not involved in the French-Indo China Colonial War that lasted from 1945 to 1954 (2) the US Air Force did not have an airplane that was capable of carrying such a large number of men until the C5A went into service more than a decade later and (3) four star generals do not travel with lowly enlisted men unless the enlisted amn was his personal valet. Still, to a man who spent most of the 1950s and 1960s in the Far East as a lowly enlisted man and later a civilian employee of the Department of Defense, it was an entertaining read, However, it is definitely not a book that should be taken seriouly.

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Provides a very good context within which to situate the Wright brother's single most famous act.

The Wright Brothers and their peers, described in depth

Forgotten aspects of the race for flight well presented

"A New Kind of Gull in New York Harbor"

A great and informative read

To Conquer the Air: The Wright Brothers and the Great Race for Flight
James Tobin
Manufacturer: Free Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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How We Invented the Airplane: An Illustrated History

The Wright Brothers: A Biography

Unlocking the Sky : Glenn Hammond Curtiss and the Race to Invent the Airplane

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VISIONS OF FLYING MACHINE PB (Smithsonian History of Aviation and Spaceflight Series)

ASIN: 0743255364

Book Description

Award-winning author James Tobin has at last penned the definitive account of the inspiring and impassioned race across ten years and two continents to conquer the air. For years, Wilbur Wright and his younger brother, Orville, experimented in obscurity, supported only by their exceptional family. Meanwhile, the world watched as Samuel Langley, armed with a contract from the U.S. War Department and all the resources of the Smithsonian Institution, sought to create the first manned flying machine. But while Langley saw flight as a problem of power, the Wrights saw a problem of balance. Thus their machines took two very different paths--Langley's toward oblivion, the Wrights' toward the heavens--though not before facing countless other obstacles.

With a historian's accuracy and a novelist's eye, Tobin has captured an extraordinary moment in history. To Conquer the Air is itself a heroic achievement.

Customer Reviews:

Provides a very good context within which to situate the Wright brother's single most famous act........2007-05-10

I received this audiobook as a gift for Christmas and it took me a little while before I screwed up the desire to listen to it. I have a lot of podcasts and other audiobooks vying for my attention and don't want to spend time with things that aren't really interesting to me.I was pleasantly surprised. Like most Americans I was pretty ignorant of many of the details surrounding not only the Wright brother's landmark powered flight, but also around their attempts to market the idea in their own country.
The infamous Kittyhawk flight is at about the middle of the book. I had rather assumed that it was a fait a complete, that once they had proven their technology the rest was as easy as pie. But nothing could be further from the truth.
A very worthwhile read / listen if you have any interest at all in the social politics behind one of the greatest accomplishments of the 20th century.

The Wright Brothers and their peers, described in depth.......2004-07-13

The Wright Brothers did not achieve their historic accomplishments in a vacuum, without the advice and support of other pioneers in the quest for human flight. I suppose that this should be common knowledge, but I was unaware of the contributions of Samuel Langley and others to the study of flight before reading James Tobin's remarkable book. Before his in-depth description of the Wright Brothers work that led to the first manned flight, Tobin describes in some detail Langley's investigations into flight, including one ill-fated attempt at a manned flight that would have beaten the Wrights by just several days. Tobin goes on to describe the race for accomplishments in the area of human flight, noting such worthy competitors as Alexander Graham Bell and Glenn Hammond Curtiss. Tobin's book is thus both a touching tribute to the Wright Brothers, as well as a spirited salute to their friends and competitors (some of whom were the same people). Details such as the power struggle within their church may seem irrelevant to some, but to me they provided a richness to Tobin's book that is no doubt missing from many other works on the Wright Brothers. An excellent book, one of the rare works I plan on reading again at some point.

Forgotten aspects of the race for flight well presented.......2004-06-22

This could have been a tangled & complicated story, or it could have been a one-dimensional story of the Wright Brothers and nobody else. Fortunately, Tobin has the skills as a researcher & writer to sustain about half a dozen different story lines without having the whole structure collapse. I am not sure which was harder --- keeping this book coherent or perfecting the art of flight.

What was most interesting for me were how different the incentives were for the various compeitors. For some the incentive was the pure pursuit of science (the Wrights & Alexander Bell), for some the incentive was securing a place in history (S.P. Langley & Octave Chanute), and for some it was the quest for profit & commercial success, plain & simple (Glen Hammond).

Just the motives were extremely varied, so too were the approaches to solving the challenge of flight. Langley assumed that the biggest part of the puzzle was power; build an engine strong enough and the other details would just work themselves out. If Langley had had a jet engine available, he might have gotten away with it --- although I wouldn't want to be flying in any plane developed along those lines. The Wrights on the other hand, saw the challenge of lift to be the key to the puzzle --- build a device that could achieve near-vertical lift and you could probably manage without a super-powerful engine.

One comes away from this book with an enhanced respect for the natural scientific brilliance of the Wrights. So few of us actually have any knowledge of the systematic approach the Wrights took in solving the problem of lift in their little wind tunnel. Never ones to get ahead of themselves, the Wrights made sure they had explored every wing configuration they could think of before moving to the next stage of development.

Tobin could have ended the story with the Wright's first flight, but he is too good of a historian not to look at the larger picture. As soon as one battle was won, other battles needed to be fought. It is open to debate as to who ultimately won this war, depending on what your perspective was.

This was a great book. Tobin makes aerodynamics pretty understandable to almost anyone, and he has a great narrative skill. You will be left with a much greater respect for what a magnificent scientific feat achieving flight was --- after all, almost everyone else ultimately failed.

"A New Kind of Gull in New York Harbor".......2004-05-24

As the title of the book states, James Tobin offers a study of the progression of the airplane not just as a Wright brothers biography but as an examination of the efforts of many scientists and inventors in the "race for flight." As Tobin follows the years of research and test flights of the Wilbur and Orville Wright, he also switches to the works of Smithsonian Secretary Samuel Langley and Charles Manly, Octave Chanute, Alexander Graham Bell and his crew of young, ambitious visionaries which included the Wrights' chief rival Glenn Curtiss, and inventors who made their fame in France where lighter-than-air fliers were king. Tobin demonstrates through articles and correspondences how these experimenters influenced and motivated each other in their steps toward the creation of a practical flying machine.

Although this book is not a biographical study per se, Tobin does offer a lot of information on the personalities of the Wrights. Tobin examines the many letters between the brothers, their father, and sister Kate to give the reader some sense of what these quiet, mysterious inventors working in a bicycle shop were like. Tobin also gives the reader some historical context for the times; for example, the popularity of bicycles at the turn of the century during which the Wrights had their own cycle company (pg. 45), or the importance of the photos in McClure's magazine of Otto Lilienthal gliding in his makeshift monoplane in 1894 two years before he met a tragic fate in another experimental flight (pg. 49) (photographs of things in motion being relatively new at the time).

The details in this book demonstrates exhaustive research. One learns, for example, that the brothers had two buzzers in their cycle shop so that, if the second buzzer rang, they knew the customer came in just to air up his tires and they could remain upstairs conducting their many wind tunnel experiments. Of course, Tobin describes each stay at Kitty Hawk where the brothers tried their machines, Wilbur's demonstrations in France, Orville's demonstrations at Fort Myer (where the brother was injured and one of Bell's young crew members was killed), and Wilbur's sensational circling of the Statue of Liberty. I agree with another reviewer that the famous first flight on December 17, 1903 is not emphasized. I did not realize I was reading about it when I got to it. It is buried among all the many test glides of the Wrights and the frustrations of Langley. But there are many books that cover this topic thoroughly. Tobin is looking at the larger picture in this book.

The book is 366 pages of text with occasional photographs and illustrations plus a middle section of photos. It does not become hampered by technical data. The mechanical element of flying machines is described (i.e. the observation of birds to determine how the wings should work) but not in a way that distracts from the human aspect of the story. This is the first book I've read on the Wright brothers and I enjoyed it very much. I also think it is a worthwhile book for those who've already read books on the Wrights as it is an overview of the quest for flight which may cover aspects of the story that other books do not.

A great and informative read.......2004-01-17

Not a biography of the Wright brothers, but the story of early flight from several perspectives. It jumps around a bit, but you do develop a sense for the various attempts and programs that were going on. Tobin presents the Wrights as the heroes, and rivals often come off negative, but the Wrights were heroes. Not 5 stars, but close, and an enjoyable read.

To Conquer the Air: The Wright Brothers and the Great Race for Flight

Average customer rating:

To Conquer the Air: The Wright Brothers and the Great Race for Flight
James Tobin
Manufacturer: Free Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NQM4UK

Book Description

How psychopharmacology has usurped the role of psychotherapy in our society, to the great detriment of the patients involved.

William Glasser describes in Warning: Psychiatry Can Be Hazardous to Your Mental Health the sea change that has taken place in the treatment of mental health in the last few years. Millions of patients are now routinely being given prescriptions for a wide range of drugs including Ritalin, Prosac, Zoloft and related drugs which can be harmful to the brain. A previous generation of patients would have had a course of psychotherapy without brain–damaging chemicals. Glasser explains the wide implications of this radical change in treatment and what can be done to counter it.

Customer Reviews:

Great book on choice theory.......2007-01-11

well recommended from councelor and great book on therapy without drugs.

One of my favorite self help books.......2007-01-09

This, along with "Choice Theory" by the same author are probably my favorite self help books. Do you want an alternative way of dealing with the problems in your life? Try these books. I read many self help books, primarily related to Adlerian Psychology, and these are my favorites.

Overly simplistic - not the information I was looking for.......2006-01-29

The cover of this book jumped out at me - I was expecting more of an analysis of the psychiatric profession and the methods used over the years. Instead, what I got was a long plug for his own method - Choice Theory.

I have worked with chronically "mentally ill" people for over five years now and have seen cases where medication helped people with schizophrenia make a complete turnaround. No, not every person with schizophrenia wants or needs to take medication, but it can help. Mental illness is a very complex problem. While I also don't like the drug-centered nature of the mental health field, I don't think there is ONE RIGHT way to address mental health problems. I resent reading a book and getting the message that the author's way is the only way. Life is not that simple.

lots of opinions and guesses, few facts.......2006-01-27

The cover and overviews make reference to Glasser's book being supported by facts. So, I was looking forward to it. Unfortunately, it is short on facts and long on his opinions.

Such as where he states that "PERHAPS up to 50% of schizophrenics recover without medical help." Perhaps??? That's a very glib statement supported by a "perhaps."

In one case where he cites a health statistic, it covers the period "from the 1930s to the 1990s" and is used to discredit medications. His citing of such shows a disregard for evidence or his being terribly out of date in the medical field. I suspect it is the latter. Information from the 1930s and 40s and 50s?? That was the "dark ages" for most all medications, let alone for psychiatric medications which have only begun to have treatment break throughs in the 1990s. Referencing info from then is like saying "we proved in 1805 that mankind could not build airplanes that fly, so why don't people stop trying to build them."

A careful reading of what is written and how it is written seems to indicate that he has reached a foregone conclusion and is picking and choosing some evidence to support his opinion. But mainly he uses argument and rhetoric to support it.

Don't bother with this book. It's another one of those "I'm the only man in the world who knows anything, so buy my book."

Exposes the Myth of Psychiatry.......2006-01-22

Some of the psychiatrists or psychiatrists in training that have reviewed this book are sadly influenced by the ideologies and pressupositions of their industry. The fact is, science has never proven that there is such a thing as a non-organic mental illness. The reason why people behave the way they do and have a variety of symptoms is far more complex than "they are lacking some serotonin." Most psychiatrists have already bought into the myth of chemical imbalance as CAUSATIVE of illness. Deep down they have to know this is a leap, if they are truly honest (the human mind is too complex to reduce to single neurotransmitters). Glasser and others have pointed out this leap for years. It is in the best interest of the patient to be honest with them and to genuinely help them get better and live better lives, not just hand them a prescription and say, "See you in a month." Drugs can be helpful for some but they are not the CURE of anything.

Warning: Psychiatry Can Be Hazardous to Your Mental Health.(Book Review): An article from: Annals of the American Psychotherapy Association

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Warning: Psychiatry Can Be Hazardous to Your Mental Health.(Book Review): An article from: Annals of the American Psychotherapy Association
Alan D. Schmetzer
Manufacturer: American Psychotherapy Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B0008DT2EO
Release Date: 2005-07-31

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Annals of the American Psychotherapy Association, published by American Psychotherapy Association on June 22, 2003. The length of the article is 731 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: Warning: Psychiatry Can Be Hazardous to Your Mental Health.(Book Review)
Author: Alan D. Schmetzer
Publication: Annals of the American Psychotherapy Association (Refereed)
Date: June 22, 2003
Publisher: American Psychotherapy Association
Volume: 6 Issue: 2 Page: 47(1)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Warning: this book's warning may be hazardous to your mental health.(Featured Review)(Book Review): An article from: Journal of Psychology and Theology

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Warning: this book's warning may be hazardous to your mental health.(Featured Review)(Book Review): An article from: Journal of Psychology and Theology
Philip Lewis
Manufacturer: Rosemead School of Psychology
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Journal of Psychology and Theology, published by Rosemead School of Psychology on March 22, 2004. The length of the article is 1368 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: Warning: this book's warning may be hazardous to your mental health.(Featured Review)(Book Review)
Author: Philip Lewis
Publication: Journal of Psychology and Theology (Refereed)
Date: March 22, 2004
Publisher: Rosemead School of Psychology
Volume: 32 Issue: 1 Page: 64(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Warning: Psychiatry Can Be Hazardous to Your Mental Health

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Warning: Psychiatry Can Be Hazardous to Your Mental Health
Glasser William
Manufacturer: Harper Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UDXQEY

Customer Reviews:

Excellent variety of recipes.......2006-08-23

I enjoyed this book so much I had to purchase one for a friend! The book is inexpensive and I've had fun trying the various recipes to see which ones I liked the best. I also like the fact that some menus had canned items and some were for fresh items.

Not much spice.......2005-08-03

The 180 salsa recipes in this book could be reduced to 12 or so good ones. Many are simply repeats of others in the book with only very slight variations and a different name. I'm glad I got the book, because I will use the 12 good recipes, but don't buy it for 180. You'll be disappointed if you do.

Dynamite IS packed into a small package!.......1999-09-06

People have said powerful things come in small packages. Maybe that's why this "hot" book comes as a small thinner book. Salsa Lovers Cookbook comes with less than 130 pages, but is filled with "more than 180 sensational salsa recipes for appetizers, salads, main dishes & desserts!" Almost every page is filled with at least two recipes and I can't think of another salsa recipe that would possibly be missing from this collection.

This book starts out with an Anatomy of the Chile section with history, cooking ideas, tips and suggestions. The recipes go from an All Canned Salsa to an All Purpose Salsa to recipes like: Cherry Red Salsa; Instant Fire Salsa; New England Salsa; Any Meat Salsa, Avocado Salsa for Fish, Black Bean Salsa; Chili Cheese Salsa; Cucumber & Radish Salsa; Dry Salsa for Seasoning Steaks; Fresh Vegetable Salsa; Holiday Salsa; Madera Salsa; Mango Salsa; Pico de Gallo I through V; Salsa Carne; Salsa por Scallops; Salsa with Bourbon; Sweet Spicy Salsa; Yellow Fruit Salsa; Avocado Salsa for Salads; Salsa for Fruit Salad; Salsa for Watercress Salad; Banana Salsa; Champagne Salsa; Chocolate Salsa I through VI; Coffee Salsa; Orange Peach Salsa; Pineapple Dessert Salsa; Raisin & Rum Salsa; and Wine Salsa for Fruit.

Almost every recipe has ingredient readily available and can be made in only a few minutes. This is one of the only cookbooks that I can remember seeign that has each section in alphabetical order for very easy reference. Some of the recipes, in my opinion, have stretched the definition of Salsa, and some are a little-off-the-wall, however this is one of those fun books to add to your shelf.

Salsa Lovers Cook Book: More Than 180 Sensational Salsa Recipes for Appetizers, Salads, Main Dishes and Desserts

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Salsa Lovers Cook Book: More Than 180 Sensational Salsa Recipes for Appetizers, Salads, Main Dishes and Desserts
S. K. Bollin
Manufacturer: Golden West Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound
ASIN: B000MUQ228

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I'll never make flying geese another way...

Fast and ACCURATE

All the Blocks Are Geese: Flying Geese-the Fast Way
Mary Sue Suit
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Quilts & Quilting | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0486294781

Book Description

Instructions, diagrams for quick-piecing one of the most popular quilting patterns. Motifs, ranging from simple to complex, include Spring Mosaic, Goose Flight, Nebraska Windmill, Aunt Sukey's Choice and 8 others.

Customer Reviews:

I'll never make flying geese another way..........2000-06-15

This is an amazing method for making fast and accurate flying geese. I have done it all the other ways I think that are available and this is the easiest with the least amount of fabric waste. The cutting directions for cutting the geese the final time need to be read slowly and maybe twice, but once you cut them the first time you'll have it down. I received this as gift and I'd highly recommend it to anyone searching for an easier way to make those wonderful geese that are so much a part of quiltmaking.

Fast and ACCURATE.......2000-05-03

Previously, I had tried another "fast" way of doing flying geese which was not satisfactory as the blocks varied in size . Most were too small. I hesitated to try another method. But, after someone recommended this book, I decided to check out this method. Mary Sue Suit's way of piecing flying geese is fast and accurate. There is minimal waste of fabric. Also, she includes many different flying geese patterns. I am using one of them (Yankee Puzzle)in an internet quilting row swap. The trimming instructions looked a bit intimidating when I first read them, but when I tried them I got the hang of it right away.

Book Description

Simon & Schuster's Guide to Garden Flowers is the perfect complement to the popular Complete Guide to Plants & Flowers, also available in the series. Aside from the pure pleasure of seeing the most exquisite flowers in the world in full color and reading about them, gardeners and flower lovers are here offered a history of flower gardens, gardening techniques, and suggestions on how to create and maintain a blooming garden. The entries for 369 species of garden flowers present full-color illustrations and detailed descriptions, and are arranged alphabetically by genus (with synonyms and common names as well). Full-color symbols illustrate the plant types and how they can best be used in the garden, and maps show the origin of the species and their natural distribution. This is one of the most stunning and informative books a gardener can own.

Customer Reviews:

Good, but not as intended.......2004-06-18

The real strength of this book is its profuse illustration. Every flower is shown in a good-sized photo, and there are hundreds of them. That makes the book useful as a visual reference for someone drawing or painting, giving plenty of color and variety.

As a gardening guide, though, I'm not sure how successful it is. The descriptions of each plant and its culture are very brief, possibly too brief to ensure good understanding of the plant and its needs.

Working Person's Gardner.......2000-06-28

Finally, a book small enough to carry out to the garden with me for reference yet compact with enough information to enable me to find answers to my basic questions regarding best locations, season, size, appearance, care, possible difficulties, etc. I found the illustrated key next to each written description and picture of each plant to be extremely helpful and time saving for quick reference as to whether or not I want a plant based on its's being suitable for the location I want and the purpose intended for the blooms. All I have to do is flip open the book to the desired page, glance at the illustrated key symbols, slide my eyes over to the colored photograph of the actual plant and I know in less than 10 seconds if the plant may be suitable for my needs. I can then read the clarifying information and firm up my choice. The photography is very clear and the write-ups simple enough for a beginning gardener, such as myself, to understand.

Average customer rating:

Angry book written by angry woman

Pregnancy Daily Diary

Why?

Great fun to read

Sad, but True View of the American Way of Birth

The Girlfriends' Guide to Pregnancy Daily Diary
Vicki Iovine
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound

General | Pregnancy & Childbirth | Women's Health | Personal Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Child Care | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0671002902

Customer Reviews:

Angry book written by angry woman.......2007-03-22

This book was an angry rant about everything to do with pregnancy. Coverage was not especially good. I loved What to Expect When You Are Expecting; that had much better coverage of info and was written in a much nicer manner.

Pregnancy Daily Diary.......2007-01-10

This item was pretty useless. (At least to me) Not much information included, simply a few lines provided for you to make notes on the progress of your pregnancy. There are many other Pregnancy Journals out there that offer a lot more information (In the form of a book but with space to make notes of your own as you move through your pregnancy.) I would recommend one of those types over this book.

Why?.......2006-05-18

Why oh why are we intrusting ourselves and our children to such an uneducated, opiniated author?

Great fun to read.......2006-01-24

I gifted these to my friends and my sister. They all loved it. It's not really INformative as much as consoling, reassuring and a great laugh, especially when you need it. It even has hints for the new dad-to-be. There is some place to scribble your own opinions. It's nice that its not so much space that you wouldn't be intimidated into filling the space. Also, its great fun to read it again. I would also love to have one.

Sad, but True View of the American Way of Birth.......2006-01-05

The Girlfriends' Guides as well as the "What to Expect.." books are nothing more than a reflection of the current childbirth culture in America. Just watch shows like TLC's "A Baby Story" to see this in action. Unfortunately, childbirth has become a consumer-driven industry and American women don't want to feel any pain, don't want to get messy and want to be able schedule their births. This book simply reflects this prevailing attitude.

For a more holistic, spiritual and empowering view, I recommend reading Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Childbirth, Jeannine Parvati Baker's "Prenatal Yoga and Natural Childbirth" and/or "The Power of Pleasurable Childbirth" by Laurie A. Morgan.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Memoir.......2007-08-01

"Foo, A Japanese-American Prisoner Of The Rising Sun" by Frank "Foo" Fujita, with Stanley L. Falk. Subtitled: "The Secret Prison Dairy of Frank "Foo" Fujita". University of North Texas Press, 1993.

This is an interesting book on many different levels. First, it is the story of a World War II Prisoner Of War. But not just any POW: Frank "Foo" Fujita was a Japanese-American, perhaps the only Japanese-American who was held as a POW in Japan. And, on the third level, "Foo" was a Texan and a member of the Texas National Guard. His unit was called up, to be sent to the south Pacific, and, after the sneak attack, on Pearl Harbor, they were diverted to Australia. The 2nd Battalion, 131st field Artillery was assigned to the defense of the Dutch island of Java, where they were overrun by the Japanese. Most of us have forgotten the American units that were part of the ABDA, American, British, Dutch and Australian forces in this theater, with, perhaps the major exception being the cruiser, the U.S. S. Houston. (See, for example, pages 345-346, where a contemporary "bird-colonel" does not believe that Fujita's unit was never in the Pacific.)

To make the story even more interesting, Sergeant Fujita was an accomplished sketch artist, and he includes contemporary drawings of himself and of the Japanese mistreating POWs. So, on this level, he has enhanced his story visually. His entire diary was in a code of his own fabrication. His diary and his drawings were hidden in a wall of a building in his POW camp; the diary and drawings were recovered after the war. This recovered material makes this book a primary source for the history of Japanese-held POWs.

Excellent primary source supported by explanatory notes supplied by Stanley L. Falk.

Based on his secret prison diary.......2001-07-06

Foo, A Japanese-American Prisoner Of The Rising Sun is the true and riveting account of Frank "Foo" Fujita's experiences of being a Japanese American combat soldier who was captured by the Japanese during the Pacific campaign of World War II during the defense of Java in early 1942. Based on his secret prison diary, we are provided a "window in time" regarding the daily life and experiences of a prisoner of war which vividly recounts the privations of the POWs and the living conditions in Japan. The text is illustrated with drawings, maps and photographs. What is surprising is the humor that was to be found -- even in the midst of the most severe circumstances. Foo, A Japanese-American Prisoner Of The Rising Sun is a unique contribution to the annals of World War II literature and highly recommended for academic, community, and personal library collections.

Wonderful book about a great person........2000-01-23

I met Foo in a restaurant in Abilene, TX, sitting in a booth next to him and two other gentlemen. His book was to be released the next day. My wife, after evedropping on their conversation, introduced her and myself. Foo sold us a copy of the book....and autographed it for us. This was several years ago. We have learned he has since died. He was very warm and personable with us. His story is facinating. (His reason for being in Abilene was that there was to be some sort of POW reunion the next day.)

A Very Emotional account of a Japanese Prisoner of War........1999-08-30

Having known Foo since High School days and later being a sister-in-law, I read the original dairy and saw the pictures he drew of the atrocities experienced there in prison. This book is an excellent account of the way it was. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a factual story of what it was like to be in a POW Camp in Japan during World War II.

This is an excellent book about a little known group........1998-04-20

I knew "Foo" (he died last year) and many of the other men (my father among them) who were taken prisoner with him. This is an excellent book about a little known page in American history. Although, in many ways, Foo's captivity was atypical of the treatment most of the "Lost Battalion" received, it is a fascinating, well written book which shouldn't be missed by anyone interested in the Pacific Theater of World War II.

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