Proud to be My Life, the Air Force, the Controversy

Amazon.com

Kelly Flinn might have been a fine pilot, but she's not much of a writer. That said, her book, Proud to Be, still manages to hold your interest and elicit your sympathy. Flinn, the first female bomber pilot in the United States Air Force, achieved a different sort of notoriety when she was forced to leave the service in the wake of an affair with a married enlisted man. In the civilian world, stories like Flinn's are a dime a dozen and, though painful for the parties involved, hardly the stuff of national controversy. In the military, however, sex is a hot-button issue. Already racked by the Tailhook scandal a few years ago (for which not a single male participant was punished), the Air Force whipped up a storm of controversy when it threatened Flinn with a court-martial for her adulterous behavior.

Certainly Flinn is not blameless in all this; she admits to her involvement with an enlisted man who was married to an enlisted woman, though Flinn is rather disingenuous when it comes to accepting responsibility for her actions. Nevertheless, the real story behind Kelly Flinn's run-in with the Air Force is less about sex than double standards in the military. Think what you will about Flinn, but her book raises some important and troubling questions about America's military establishment.

Book Description

An extraordinary young woman. An extraordinary controversy. This is Kelly Flinn's story--the one she couldn't tell when she was in uniform.

"I fell in love with the wrong man."--Kelly Flinn

She is the first woman to pilot a B-52, a charismatic twenty-six-year-old from a proper Georgia family who has always distinguished herself--as a fifteen- year-old at U.S. Space Camp and as a cadet at the U.S. Air Force Academy. There, she overcame considerable odds and earned a coveted position as a combat pilot. But nothing prepared Lieutenant Kelly Flinn for the controversy that erupted when the military began an investigation into her relationship with Marc Zigo, a man who lied to her about his marital status and then betrayed her to military authorities. Flinn was forced to resign amid charges of disobeying orders--charges she disputes in this poignant and powerful memoir.

This is the story of Flinn's love affair with flying . . . and the love affair that ended her trailblazing Air Force career. This is also the story of a determined young woman fighting for her rightful place in a military establishment run by men, many of whom are not yet ready to accept a female combat pilot. Flinn reveals examples of hypocrisy and sexism in the military that are, by any standard, infuriating. She rose higher and fell harder, but Kelly Flinn's story is universal, and it powerfully dramatizes the fault lines between our private and professional lives. With disarming candor, Flinn takes us inside her world. We feel her exhilaration as she soars through the sky and commands her own plane,and we share her horror as the love she dreamed of turns into a nightmare and she must battle the military's sex police behind closed doors. Kelly Flinn has been called "the Hester Prynne of our time," and her life has been depicted in the media as a combination of Top Gun and The Scarlet Letter.

In Proud to Be, she speaks in her own voice--determined, vulnerable, and all too human.

Customer Reviews:

I really enjoyed this book.......2007-07-31

This book kept my interest from beginning to end. I didn't want to put it down once I started reading it. I was surprised that there weren't more 5-star reviews. Maybe I could relate to her story a bit more because I'm a female who loves flying and I have a high regard for the United States Air Force.

Awesome Book.......2006-05-01

I really loved this book. She is very forthright about her life and what happened during her scandal. I'd recommend this book to anyone

Proud to be...an adultress.......2005-10-07

Wow. Never have I read such a whiny and immature book. It is so obvious this book was written to cash in on the noteriety of what at that time was current events. In fact, no one will probably ever read this review, because I doubt there is any interest left in this little girl. Let's get something straight. Kelly Flinn was not persecuted by the air force. She was warned - the air force was wrong for letting her get away with it the first time. The military doesn't use adultery regulations against women only, or disproportionately against women - if more women are prosecuted, perhaps more women are breaking the rule. But in my 12 years, the only people I've seen punished are men. This book is a disgusting attempt to cash in on 5 minutes of fame, and the agent who brought this scree to print should be fired and never allowed to work in the publishing industry again.

A tragic and troubling memoir.......2005-02-11

"Proud to Be" is a memoir by Kelly Flinn, a former United States Air Force officer who was the first woman to pilot a B-52 bomber. A sex scandal led to her 1997 resignation from the Air Force; she presents her side of the story in this book. While the story she tells is interesting, her approach to the material is quite troubling.

The book has a sleazy, self-serving tone. She constantly complains about the Air Force and tries to present herself as a victim, even while candidly admitting her violations of military rules governing sexual conduct. Typical quotes from the book are as follows: "I was a prime target for a predator" (p. 159); "I've [...] been singled out for shame in the media spotlight because I am a woman" (239). Of her married lover she writes, "But I just couldn't get him out of my mind" (168). Her constant whining becomes tiresome quickly.

Flinn seems to relish making allegations about perverse and scandalous sex within the Air Force community. On the Air Force social scene in Minot, North Dakota she claims, "Everybody was sleeping with everybody" (148). She seems to imply that her adultery should be excused because of the alleged piggish behavior of others in Air Force circles.

Ultimately, Flinn's argument falls apart because she seems to want to have it both ways: it appears she wants the reader to see her as both a strong, capable warrior and as a pitiable, abused victim. The overall gossipy and narcissistic feel of the book is quite distasteful. Still, it's an intriguing narrative, and despite the book's flaws Flinn's story raises some serious issues that are worth pondering.

Amazon is giving incorrect information.......2004-09-26

Amazon's Editorial Review has incorrect information:

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Kelly Flinn might have been a fine pilot, but she's not much of a writer. That said, her book, Proud to Be, still manages to hold your interest and elicit your sympathy. Flinn, the first female bomber pilot in the United States Air Force, achieved a different sort of notoriety when she was forced to leave the service in the wake of an affair with a married enlisted man. In the civilian world, stories like Flinn's are a dime a dozen and, though painful for the parties involved, hardly the stuff of national controversy. In the military, however, sex is a hot-button issue. Already racked by the Tailhook scandal a few years ago (for which not a single male participant was punished), the Air Force whipped up a storm of controversy when it threatened Flinn with a court-martial for her adulterous behavior.

Certainly Flinn is not blameless in all this; she admits to her involvement with an enlisted man who was married to an enlisted woman, though Flinn is rather disingenuous when it comes to accepting responsibility for her actions. Nevertheless, the real story behind Kelly Flinn's run-in with the Air Force is less about sex than double standards in the military. Think what you will about Flinn, but her book raises some important and troubling questions about America's military establishment.

Amazon's review at the top is totally wrong.

Anyone who watched the news KNEW it was the NAVY who held Tailhook.

Book Description

As anthropologists, public intellectuals, and feminists, Ruth Benedict and Margaret Mead played remarkable roles in twentieth-century life and thought -- and far beyond the academy. Their work helped to popularize anthropology while introducing such terms as culture and racism into common parlance. At the same time, they contributed to wider debates about environmentalism, sexuality, the women's movement, and American foreign policy. In this collection, prominent international scholars come together to explore the lives, works, and legacies of two influential figures in American anthropology.

The contributions reflect a wide range of topics and perspectives: Benedict and Mead's complicated personal and professional relationship; their activities as scholars and outspoken intellectuals; their efforts to promote feminism and undermine racism; their contributions to (and the challenges they posed to) the imperialist project; and the stories behind their best-known works, The Chrysanthemum and the Sword and Coming of Age in Samoa. Together, the essays provide a useful and provocative introduction to Benedict and Mead as well as to the ongoing debate about the legacy they left behind.

Contributors: Lois Banner, University of Southern California; Margaret M. Caffrey, University of Memphis; Nanako Fukui, Kansai University; Angela Gilliam, Evergreen State College; Pauline Kent, Ryukoku University; C. Douglas Lummis, Okinawa International University; Nancy Lutkehaus, University of Southern California; Judith Schachter Modell, Carnegie Mellon University; Maureen Molloy, University of Auckland; Louise M. Newman, University of Florida; Dolores E. Janiewski, Victoria University of Wellington; Christopher Shannon, University of Notre Dame; Gerald Sullivan, University of Notre Dame; Sharon Tiffany, University of Wisconsin, Whitewater; Jean Walton, University of Rhode Island; Virginia Yans, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey

Book Description

Practical information on the advanced practices of yoga presented in straightforward language.

Customer Reviews:

esoteric secrets.......2007-07-25

This book is written by Swami Rama, a yogi who came to American in the late 70's. He let western doctors study him to advance the scientific understanding of yoga. He claimed to have been able to hold his breath for over an hour. He started a yoga facility in Pennsylvania, which still exists.

As for the book, it contains a wealth of information on various breathing practices -- practices you might hear referred to elsewhere but never explained. Often experts don't explain these things because they consider these practices too dangerous for beginners. But what eager beginner hasn't pushed limits? I suppose caution is in order.

In the year I practiced yoga, I also learned that within the yoga community, secrecy is like a currency, or a way to maintain power.

The Swami later published simpler books, because this book went over the heads of most people. And if you are just looking to get started with the breath, you could look on the internet for 2 to 3 key breathing exercises. No need to buy this book. The next volume in this series doesn't really go into the breath much, but the overall practice of yoga.

A practical guide to the spiritual life from the yogic perspective ..........2006-11-04

This book provides a thoroughgoing look at the mind from a traditional yogic perspective, offering concrete guidance toward preparing it for a truly deep and meaningful meditation practice. As another reviewer notes, Swami Rama combines discussion of the finer points of yoga philosophy with specific exercises from the hatha yoga tradition. Of the many aspects of practice that he writes about, I've found particular benefit from the material on cultivating an internal dialogue with one's own mind in order to work with it--and, in a very real sense, to train it to work with you! --An essential preparation to setting out on the inner voyage, yet very rewarding in itself ...

Good description of techniques - but be warned.......2002-08-12

People can I please advise you to make sure you are first very well established in the first 2 levels of Yoga before you embark on any Pranayama (breath-control). First be steeped in Yama(abstinences - alcohol, drugs, sex, meat, etc) and Niyama(observances - love, kindness, non-harm, patience, etc) before moving on to asans(postures) and especially pranayama. Every swami will tell you that if you are not living a committed Spiritual life in every respect, then practicing the 4th level of Yoga - breathing exercises, especially the advanced ones, can potentially be harmful. You should really only practice techniques like this within the framework of a spiritual society and Guru-disciple relationship. Breathing techniques force prana up the subtle spine, thus awakening higher and higher chakra's. This process should occur naturally and gradually as part of a disciplined spiritual life - it should not be forced.

Unbelievable.......2000-08-01

This is a truly unbelievable book on advanced yoga. The greatest section of the book is the description of advanced (very advanced !) pranayama. Swami Rama first gives a lengthy explanation of the preparation for pranayama & nadi shodhanam. Then, he instructs you on how to achieve amazing spiritual transformation through extreme breath-holding. In what is surely the most fascinating section, Swami Rama describes, in detail, what happens to the body & energy of a yogi as he holds his breath for 5, 10, 13 or more minutes. Using Swami Rama's wisdom I have already achieved kumbhaka's (breath-holds) of over 7 minutes! What an amazing feeling to feel your heart rate drop to 20 beats per minute after 5 minutes! And the state of consciousness that ensues is of course indescribable. I have one suggestion: Get this book! (Swami Rama's 'Science of Breath' is a great companion book).

This book is a yogi's treasure chest!.......2000-03-26

Absolutely a book of deepest wisdom and breath of knowledge. This treasure of a book combines yoga philosophy with very specific hatha yoga techniques. To those who wish to discover what a deeper practice of hatha can lead to, and for those who want specific guidelines into the process of deepening their practice, this book will deeply and eloquently, aid, transform, and inspire you.

Average customer rating:

so much fun

These are great!

Just what I wanted

Gifts in a bag: Rubs and seasonings

Fantastic Rub Recipes

Gifts in a Bag: Rubs & Seasonings
Cq Products
Manufacturer: Cq Products
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound

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Gifts in a Bag: Dips (Gifts in a Bag)

Gifts in a Bag: Hot Drinks

Gifts in a Jar: Cocoas, Cappuccinos, Coffees & Teas

Gifts in a Jar: For the Slow Cooker (Gifts in a Jar)

Gifts in a Jar: Soups (Gifts in a Jar, 4)

ASIN: 1563831414

Book Description

Similar to the popular Gifts in a Jar recipe books, except these recipes for homemade gifts are meant to be bagged. Gift tags are included with each recipe - simply cut out, fold over the top of the bag and attach with staples, ribbon, raffia or twine.

Customer Reviews:

so much fun.......2007-01-04

I made these spice packages as gifts for the Holidays. I loved the fact that labels with usage and helpful hints were included in the booklet. The recipes suggest you mix the spices, but I left that up the recipient, because the layers of various colored and textured spices made for a colorful and interesting presentation. I have gotten rave reviews from recipients and, in fact, they are asking for the ingredient list so they can make there own. I bought the simple cello packages of spices, when possible, from a restaurant supply store, in order to keep down costs. It makes the job easier if you list the spices you will be needing, with approxiately how much you will need, for shopping. I didn't do that & had to go back to the store for more of the ones that were required for many of the packets. I decorated cute papermache boxes and included 6 seasoning packets in each one as a gift. This was a fun and highly appreciated gift for every adult on my gift list.

These are great!.......2006-12-13

These Rubs (and also the Dips) make great hostess or buddy gifts - Great way to use those too-small-for-anything-else foodsaver bags without having to use the suction, I can just use the sealer and I have great little packets. Print some nice color sticker labels and stuff them with couple cooking utensils in a dip bowl or oven mitt.

Just what I wanted.......2006-06-30

These Gift in a Bag books are perfect for small - I am thinking of you - gifts. I highly recommend them all!

Gifts in a bag: Rubs and seasonings.......2003-12-21

Wonderful book! Filled with so many fun recipes. I am a gift giver and I am always looking for new little items to give to my friends and co-workers. I gave one gift in a bag to each of the teachers at my school for Christmas. What wonderful comments. I have even had friends calling over the Holidays asking how I made the rubs. Great teacher gifts from students. I also have soups in a jar and made up several for gift giving. Enjoy and happy gift making!

Fantastic Rub Recipes.......2002-11-04

This is a great way to make ruba to give as gifts. In the past I have gotten recipes and then had to make up cards etc.. If this one it gives you the recipe and then also gives you 2 sets of cards to put with the mixes. This gives you everything you need and then you also still have the recipes if you want to make more than what it available.
There are some interesting rubs to be used for all different kinds of meats etc...

Book Description

*Active collector community - more than 2,000 people from 90 countries belong to the International Bank Note Society

*Nearly 10,000 people read Krause Publications Bank Note Reporter, the industry's leading collectors and dealers' periodical

*More data and photos then the previous edition for the same great price

Expanded and updated, the 13th edition of Standard Catalog of World Paper Money, Modern Issues appeals to collectors of regular and commemorative notes, and delivers critical up-to-date pricing needed for success in today's active paper money market. This extensive world-bank note reference delivers 40,000 thoroughly analyzed listings, with up-to-date pricing in three grades, plus many previously unlisted varieties, including new specimens. It's a must-have reference for dealers and collectors alike.

Customer Reviews:

Getting Better, But Not There Yet.......2007-08-13

Having been a major collector of banknotes for 40+ years, I find the SCWPM series of banknote catalogs invaluable, but far from complete or accurate. This volume has improved graphics and updated pricing compared to the previous edition. The numbering system is chaotic, pictures misplaced, signature charts missing or incomplete, latest issues missing, etc. Mr. Cuhaj needs some help.

Arghans.......2007-07-19

I was very disappointed by the latest issue of the 'modern issues' catalogue. There are at least two instances of incorrect page-headings, which are confusing, and one group of notes missed out completely - which suggests carelessness in editing the book. However my main disappointment is the number of issues which were new in 2005 or the first half of 2006 which have not been included - which, for a book dated and published in 2007 just is not good enough. If Krause Publications are going to make an annual out of the modern issues catalogue, then they must make the cut-off date for the inclusion of new issues much closer to the publication date. Why could they not put in the front a prominent note saying something like 'including all new issues up to July 2006'?

I feel a bit cheated by Krause.

Keith Potter

Another poor attempt.......2007-06-28

Well yet another year passes and Krause gives us another inferior catalog. Inaccurate prices, incorrect pictures, notes two and three years old still not in the catlog. Since this is the only real catalog we can use for our hobby it has to do but i think that as hobbyists we need to let Krause know they need to take this book more serious and put a little more time, effort and professionalism into it. I know in years past I as well as many other hobbyists have sent Krause email after email with new pictures, errors in the catalog only to see the next catalog with out the changes. So it seems to me they do not take the us or our hobby very serious. It would be very nice to see another publisher get into the race and perhaps come out with the type of catalog we hobbyists deserve.

Best of the best ...........2007-06-27

This catalog is a must for all banknote collectors, even for small collectors. It contains accurate information, is very comprehensive and is easy to use.
Simply the best of the best.

if you are a collector, you must have one.......2007-05-12

This is the catalog you need to have a approximate price for your notes. It is the most serious one, and the most accepted expertise.

Average customer rating:

So helpful!

Handy Guide - pulls into together in one place.

DISAPPOINTED with The Quilter's Quick Reference Guide

The Quilter's Quick Reference Guide (That Patchwork Place)
Candace Eisner Strick
Manufacturer: Martingale and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound

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All-In-One Quilter's Reference Tool Easy-To-Follow Charts, Tables and Illustrations, Yardage Requirements, Cutting Instructions, Setting Secrets, Choosing ... Piecing Techniques, Number Conversions

Machine Quilting Made Easy

Guide to Machine Quilting

Continuous Line Quilting Designs

Quilt Savvy: Gaudynski's Machine Quilting Guidebook (Quilt Savvy)

ASIN: 1564775321

Book Description

Quilters with questions, look no farther--this handy resource is jam-packed with all the things you need to know! From basic techniques to clever shortcuts and cheat sheets, you'll discover how to make your quilting faster, easier, and more fun every step of the way.

• Find the latest information on dozens of topics, from fabric care, piecing, and applique to the best methods for machine sewing

• Learn quick tricks for finishing your quilts, including tips on borders, backing, batting, and binding

• Use the valuable charts and tables to help with bed-quilt sizes, setting-triangle sizes, decimal-to-inch conversions, and much more

• Take along this handy guide wherever you go--the spiral-bound design lies flat for hands-free reading

Customer Reviews:

So helpful!.......2007-09-15

A must-have reference for quilters. Lots of handy tips, charts and how-to's. This book taught me how to put on a binding and lots of other things and I wouldn't set up a sewing room without it.

Handy Guide - pulls into together in one place........2006-12-05

I am a beginner quilter. I have read a lot of magazines and books as well as taken some classes. I like that this book pulls together the important information in one place. It is easy to read, but detailed enough to be very helpful. I also think that some of the explanations were better in this book than in the other sources I had. There are a lot of useful charts in the back of the book. I will use this a often!

DISAPPOINTED with The Quilter's Quick Reference Guide .......2005-08-19

This book shares very basic ideas that most quilters (even beginers) know or have read in other quilting block/pattern books. "The Quilter's Quick Reference Guide" content is very general and useless if you own even one quilting for beginners book or magazine.

If you are an intermediate or well-seasoned quilter, I highly recommend "All-In-One Quilter's Reference Tool". This leaves out the fabric selection and other basics and offers valuable charts, tables, standard measurements, and the "how-to"s that you will forget at times.

For beginner quilters, go to the library and look through a few of the hundreds of books about quilting. Many of them offer primers on basic techniques, fabric selection, and how to make a quilt from start to finish, all in one book. If you find a book that you are in love with, then borrow or purchase it.

Again, I was very disappointed with "The Quilter's Quick Reference Guide": it did not live up to my expectations, not even close.

Average customer rating:

QUILTER'S QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE
CANDACE EISNER STRICK
Manufacturer: MARTINGALE & COMPANY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KVFV5S

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Corn/soybeans pest control: The report (Pest control : an assessment of present and alternative technologies)
National Research Council (U.S.)
Manufacturer: National Academy of Sciences
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Crop Science | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0309024110

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Corn/Soybeans Pest Control: The Report of the Corn/Soybeans Study Team, Study on Problems of Pest Control, Environmental Studies Board, National Research Council.
National Research Council
Manufacturer: National Academy of Sciences
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OT0K5M

Book Description

This book is the first comprehensive collection of the letters of Johannes Brahms ever to appear in English. Over 550 are included, virtually all uncut, and there are over a dozen published here for the first time in any language. Although he corresponded throughout his life with some of the great performers, composers, musicologists, writers, scientists, and artists of the day, and although thousands of his letters have survived, English readers have until now had scant opportunity to meet Brahms in person, through his own words, and in his own voice. 'I am aware of my bad habit of writing briefly but obscurely', Brahms once wrote to a friend. He was needlessly hard on himself, for his letters describe many significant events in his life, throw light on his friendships and music, and reveal his wit, idealism, intelligence, generosity, sarcasm, and above all his powerful sense of integrity. The letters in this volume range from 1848 to just before his death. They include all Brahms's letters to Robert Schumann, over a hundred letters to Clara Schumann, and the complete Brahms-Wagner correspondence. They are joined by a running commentary to form an absorbing narrative, documented with scholarly care, provided with comprehensive notes, but written for the general music lover. The result is a lively biography. The work is generously illustrated, and contains several detailed appendices and an index.

Customer Reviews:

Just Wonderful !!.......2003-01-31

I'v been a Brahms' music fan for a long time and i have read three different biographies, without having the opportunity of get closer to his thoughts before i buy this great book. Now I know how Brahms' mind worked, how (really) was his relationship with his friends and how were his feelings and thoughts during the periods he composed that wonderful music.

I'm not an english born speaker, so i had some difficulties in understand the meaning of some sentences, more exactly, some modisms, wich are very frecuent in Brahms' speech.

In spite of this, I recommend this book because it's just wonderful.

Wonderful translation, superb commentary.......1998-11-30

The virtues of this book are several: about 800 previously untranslated letters of Brahms, masterfully translated and carefully and judiciously annotated, based on research entirely from source materials which, among other things, give the lie to the unsavory myths of Brahms childhood, proving beyond doubt that he came from a hard-working, well-meaning family who lived in a good neighborhood, and provided him with a good education and normal childhood. The author's research confines to the rubbish heap the silly Freudian theories, never based on any evidence, for his reasons for not marrying. This compendium of letters and their absorbingly written annotation is a gold mine for amateurs and professionals interested in a truthful picture of Brahms.

Excellent, comprehensive, and revealing........1998-11-06

Unfortunately, Jan Swafford did not have a chance to read this book before writing his own "biograohy" of Brahms. If he had, he would have been privy to a wealth of information, much of which has not been available to non-german speakers. Avins' commentary on the letters of Brahms and many of his correspondents is clear and well researched.

From recent reviews of: Johannes Brahms - Life and Letters.......1998-04-20

"Richly informative" - Sunday Times, London. "Occasionally a book comes along which changes perceptions of its subject. This is such a book. ... [The] annotations are not only scholarly but often witty and always full of common sense. ... Wherever you read, you will feel you are in Brahms's world and that he is speaking to you." - Sunday Telegraph, London. "There are many gems here ... much to be gleaned from what Avins has selected.. Those who seek to be on more intimate terms with Brahms and his circle... will find much to pore over in this collection" - Los Angeles Times. "Little short of a bombshell ... Ms. Avins's contributions are terse and often illuminating... fascinating illustrations, a helpful chronological table and other tools... Brahms reveals himself in workaday as well as transcendent moods." - New York Times. "This is a work that will thrill Brahms fans and provide much pleasure to those entertained by the personal correspondence of great artists. Recommended for general and academic libraries." - Library Journal. "It is not much of an exaggeration to say that the book presents Brahms in a new but quite convincing light... the book can be read as a biography... this composer has seldom seemed more lovable, more vulnerable, more honorable." - Gramophone. "This is one of the most important music books published in recent years." - The Oldie, London.

A Brahms biography based on his letters........1997-12-06

"Johannes Brahms, Life and Letters" is a new biography published by Oxford Univ. Press and is based on the composer's letters. The letters were selected and annotated by Styra Avins and its 550 complete letters which constitute the first such general collection of letters in English, were translated by Josef Eisinger and Styra Avins. The book also contains 48 rare photos, detailed notes and appendices (e.g. on Brahms and Clara Schumann), and a bibliography. The lively text joining the letters is based on the latest Brahms scholarship and provides a fresh view of the composer's life, much of it in his own words. It sheds new light on the early life of Brahms, his numerous friendships, his family, his work, his character and his personality. A well-written book which will heighten anyone's appreciation of the man and of his music. Highly recommended to lovers of biography and music.

Johannes Brahms: Life and Letters.(Review): An article from: Notes

Average customer rating:

Johannes Brahms: Life and Letters.(Review): An article from: Notes
Raymond Knapp
Manufacturer: Music Library Association, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Notes, published by Music Library Association, Inc. on June 1, 1999. The length of the article is 1719 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: Johannes Brahms: Life and Letters.(Review)
Author: Raymond Knapp
Publication: Notes (Refereed)
Date: June 1, 1999
Publisher: Music Library Association, Inc.
Volume: 55 Issue: 4 Page: 910(3)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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Johannes Brahms: Life and Letters
Johannes Brahms
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKT1SI

Customer Reviews:

A Good Imagination Can Go A Long Way.......2001-01-03

Jerome Charyn's "Dark Lady From Belorusse" is an entertaining little book, however it is practically impossible to believe that even a quarter of the events depicted in this "memoir" are true. Charyn would have us believe that he grasped situations at the age of five that wouldn't be well handled by a 50-year-old. I took the stories he tells about his mother, her interaction with local Bronx gangsters, and his dysfunctional family with a grain of salt. While some of these events may have taken place, there is no way they occurred as the author remembers them in this book. The author's fanciful embellishments can be a little annoying - what exactly does he take his readers for? - especially since he is attempting to pass the book off as a work of nonfiction. Charyn does better by his readers in his sequel to the "Dark Lady" entitled "The Black Swan," where he admits in an endnote that many of the events and characters depicted are fictional.

Disappointment over blatant fabrication aside, Charyn is a very creative writer with a vivid imagination that makes for interesting reading. His writing style can be a bit disjointed, and he sometimes clouds his descriptions with confusing, non-essential fodder that strays from the main idea. Charyn's anecdotes are entertaining if not believable, and the characters are vivid and fun to read about (although you'd probably not want to actually meet these people!). If poor little Charyn's mother and father are anything in life as they are in the book, the kid should be given a medal for survival. The portrayals are fascinating, and one would hope that there aren't too many parents out there like the one "Baby" has to endure.

"The Dark Lady..." is only about 100 pages long - you can read it in no time. If you have an afternoon to spare and don't mind the author's inability to discern fact from fiction, give it a read

Bronx memories.......2000-09-18

I loved this little book. I'm now reading the sequal, The Black Swan. I picked them up because they take place in the Bronx, where I grew up, and Charyn is close to my age. I frequented some of the places he did, but we had wildly different experiences. He is obsessed with his beautiful mother as were so many men she knew. He was extraordinary too. Reads a little like Doctorow only this is a memoir not a fantasy--or is it?

Little Charyn goes from about five years old to seven years old in this book. How he remembers everything so vividly (or is making most of it up} I don't know. But it's great story telling. At about 100 pages a book,though, Charyn seems to be stretching out his stories in order to extract as much money per page as he can. I'm reading library copies.

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