Distinguished Service: The Life of Wisconsin Governor Walter J. Kohler, Jr.

Customer Reviews:

Distinguished Service spares no detail.......2007-07-08

Written by retired history teacher Thomas C. Reeves, Distinguished Service: The Life of Wisconsin Governor Walter J. Kohler, Jr. is an in-depth, studious biography of Walter J. Kohler, Jr. (1904-76) who served as Wisconsin's governor during the mid-twentieth century. Distinguished Service spares no detail, from its recounting of Kohler's genealogy to the meticulous analysis of his life and gubernatorial service to its contemplation of his legacy. An inset section of black-and-white photographic plates and an index complement this scholarly account, especially recommended for public library and biography shelves.

Distinguished service for Reeves too.......2006-06-26

Prof. Thomas Reeves (University of Wisconsin, retired) has written the final, full length biography of his career. It is a fitting end, and a refreshing read which returns to the seemingly unfashionable historical tradition of simply "telling the story." Here, we enter the story of arguably Wisconsin's royal family, the Kohlers, and one of its most famous sons, Walter Jr. (The purple dust jacket is a fitting royal image, even if not intended to be.) For anyone interested in corporate dynasties, be it the Rockefellers, the Vanderbilts, etc., this biography contains more than just dry politics. It is a regional history, to be sure, but the influence of the Kohlers sheds light on how much fame does not necessarily bring with it good character or an end to one's vices. Indeed, good character becomes harder to nurture in the world of money, politics, and power, but Walter Jr. worked hard in this regard. Reeves' biography shows all sides to Kohler's character, and Reeves is unique among biographers in this regard too. With unprecedented access to the Kohler family and Kohler Co. archives, Reeves is careful about not writing a hagiographical account, considering the privileges extended to him as a researcher. But, those who know and admire Reeves' writing will see that this was never a possibility anyway; Reeves is first and foremost a "finder of facts," and we can be thankful that the Kohlers left as many facts as they did, for it sheds light on not only politics, but life in general, especially a life of privilege, which is often only a blessing in disguise.

Kohler: A Political Biography of Walter J. Kohler, Jr.

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Kohler: A Political Biography of Walter J. Kohler, Jr.
Gregory Fossedal
Manufacturer: Transaction Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Political | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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Kohler: A Political Biography of Walter J. Kohler, Jr
Gregory A. Fossedal
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MUBXY0

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Say a little prayer for me: if you're struggling to talk to God, make use of the friends who can hold you up.(testaments)(Essay): An article from: U.S. Catholic
Alice Camille
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000X1F4MK
Release Date: 2007-10-10

Book Description

This digital document is an article from U.S. Catholic, published by Thomson Gale on October 1, 2007. The length of the article is 1430 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: Say a little prayer for me: if you're struggling to talk to God, make use of the friends who can hold you up.(testaments)(Essay)
Author: Alice Camille
Publication: U.S. Catholic (Magazine/Journal)
Date: October 1, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 72 Issue: 10 Page: 39(3)

Article Type: Essay

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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If You Are Struggling
Beverly Ann Needham
Manufacturer: Xlibris Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0738850454

Single Adult Ministries Resources Guide (If yours is No group at all, A small struggling group, A growing group, hunting new ideas this book is just what you need.)

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Single Adult Ministries Resources Guide (If yours is No group at all, A small struggling group, A growing group, hunting new ideas this book is just what you need.)
Single Spirit Ministries
Manufacturer: Single Spirit Ministries
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000UTYGQA

Product Description

1984 Single Spirit Ministries. Paperback, 63 Pages. The materials listed in this book have been recommended by ministers and lay people, both single and married. Realizing those who read this book come from a variety of backgrounds and theological perspectives: we trust that you will examine the materials listed with an open mind and give consideration how the materials may be used or adapated to enrich your personal life and ministry.

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Citizenªs Guide to the Federal Budget, 2002

Manufacturer: Diane Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0756719372

Book Description

A complete guide to the whole range of traditional handmade textiles from all corners of the globe.

The history of the world can be read in textiles: the rise of civilizations and the fall of empires are woven into their warp and weft along with the great stories of conquest, religion, and trade. The legacy of textile design, form, and pattern that has resulted from this global endowment can be seen here in all its spectacular richness.

Eight sections cover every aspect of materials and techniques, each giving a succinct summary of characteristics, production, and geographical distribution, accompanied by hundreds of color illustrations and drawings. Nonloom and loom-woven textiles, painted and printed, dyed, sewn, embroidered, and embellished techniques are all covered, as well as the materials themselves.

From simple—the clothes made of skin or hide in prehistoric times—to complex—materials elaborately embellished with tassels—world textiles are both beautiful and beguiling. This unrivaled guide is completed by a glossary, further reading, and information on collections open to the public. 778 illustrations, 551 in color.

Customer Reviews:

World 'O Textiles.......2007-03-09

This is the clearest, most comprehensive guide to the techniques used to produce textiles. The examples are photographed beautifully and make you want to get to work. I'm so glad I spent the money on this first-class book.

Gorgeous Guide!.......2007-02-11

I'm using this book as one of two texts for a college course on Ethnic Dress; this is an absolutely fabulous resource!!! As students, we use the book to look for traditional techniques we will research and present in class, including "hands on" practice. I can't recommend this book highly enough!!! Thank you, Mr. Gillow, for putting such a beautiful, historical source together!

Interesting Introduction to World Textiles.......2000-07-03

World Textiles is an encyclopedia of textile techniques. The text is very accessible (virtually no footnotes or unexplained jargon) and punctuated with beautiful color photographs, artfully arranged on nearly every page of the book. Typically, a picture of a textile is overlaid with someone wearing the garment, which puts the textile, and its description, in context. World Textiles is organized like a book of lists, so techniques are easy to find, but a bit tedious to read from cover to cover. It also has some nontraditional categories (multi-colored knitting is in a category separate from plain knitting and textured knitting) and several categories that seem arbitrary or nonparallel (for example, the only dye that gets its own category is indigo, and indigo is listed with a range of dye techniques as if it were itself a dyeing process). However, each category includes a description of the technique, it uses, and often, some factual tidbits and sketch drawings to show how the textile was made. The book seems to be aimed at the amateur collector or professional textile-maker who wants to know how a particular technique compares and contrasts with other ways to create or embellish cloth. I would recommend it as a good introduction to the world's textiles.

Gillow, John & Sentance, Bryan. World textiles; a visual guide to traditional techniques.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review): An article from: Kliatt

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Gillow, John & Sentance, Bryan. World textiles; a visual guide to traditional techniques.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review): An article from: Kliatt
Rhonda Cooper
Manufacturer: Kliatt
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Kliatt, published by Kliatt on March 1, 2005. The length of the article is 330 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: Gillow, John & Sentance, Bryan. World textiles; a visual guide to traditional techniques.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
Author: Rhonda Cooper
Publication: Kliatt (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 1, 2005
Publisher: Kliatt
Volume: 39 Issue: 2 Page: 43(1)

Article Type: Book Review, Young Adult Review, Brief Article

Distributed by Thompson Gale

Amazon.com

How to Dress a Naked Window gives clear, thorough, well-illustrated instructions for 32 handsomely designed window treatments. Donna Babylon, a noted home-decor sewing expert who has appeared on many do-it-yourself TV shows, walks us step-by-step through the entire construction process for each design. Her instructions explain everything from where to mount the rod brackets, to measuring and calculating fabric requirements, to cutting, sewing, and final installation. Each of the four categories--valances, tabs, curtains, and shaped treatments--is filled with treatments presented in attractive fabrics. Even novice sewers should be able to tackle most of these projects, because they generally require only straight-line sewing. The final chapter covers all the general techniques and is filled with useful tips and tricks.

Book Description

The Developmental Benefits of Playgrounds "Movement is at the very center of young children's lives. It is an important facet of all aspects of their development. . . To deny children the opportunity to reap the many benefits of regular, vigorous physical activity is to deny them the opportunity to experience the joy of efficient movement, the health effects of movement, and a lifetime as confident, competent movers." D. L. Gallahue, 1993.

In publishing The Developmental Benefits of Playgrounds, ACEI is extending the knowledge base about appropriate playground materials, equipment, and use patterns. The initial chapter focuses on the importance of play, with special attention to contemporary research by neuroscientists that reveals, through the aid of high-tech brain imaging techniques, concrete support for the centuries-old contention of noted philosophers and other academicians that play is critical to children's healthy development. This conclusion, seemingly obvious, has yet to be adopted by many who influence children's opportunities and environments for play. Later chapters identify developmental sequences for children's motor behaviors during their play on several types of playground equipment. Chapter 1 sets the stage for placing these sequences in developmental context by reviewing patterns and stages of play behaviors across the age spans: infant, toddler, preschool, and school age. A primary focus throughout the book is considering individual levels of physical, social, and cognitive development, rather than chronological age, when making decisions about children's play and playgrounds. Although not discussed in this book, play also carries profound therapeutic benefits for all children, especially those who are traumatized, abused, and/or stressed. Joe L. Frost, Pei-San Brown, John A. Sutterby, and Candra D. Thornton, 2004. 240 pp. ISBN 0-87173-164-9 No. 1042 $32.50 ($26.00 ACEI members)

Customer Reviews:

Recommended for anyone designing a play area for children.......2005-02-13

A collaboration of expert researchers Joe L. Frost, Pei-San Brown, John A. Sutterby and Candra D. Thornton, The Developmental Benefits Of Playgrounds studies how growth and development can be stimulated in a child's play environment, with special emphasis on useful applications of behavioral and scientific findings. Revealing that the more children are allowed to be absorbed in play, the more they are able to realize imaginative skills and immerse themselves in the adult world. Specific topics include the importance of height for both child development and playground safety, the very real problem of obesity among children as exacerbated by unhealthful diets and insufficient physical activity, the nature and benefits of children's climbing behaviors, and so much more. Packed from cover-to-cover with practical, applicable recommendations, The Developmental Benefits Of Playgrounds is enthusiastically recommended for anyone responsible for deftly designing a safe and stimulating play area for children.

The developmental benefits of playgrounds.(Children's Review) : An article from: Childhood Education

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The developmental benefits of playgrounds.(Children's Review) : An article from: Childhood Education

Manufacturer: Association for Childhood Education International
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Childhood Education, published by Association for Childhood Education International on September 22, 2004. The length of the article is 2250 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: The developmental benefits of playgrounds.(Children's Review)
Publication: Childhood Education (Refereed)
Date: September 22, 2004
Publisher: Association for Childhood Education International
Volume: 81 Issue: 1 Page: 42(3)

Article Type: Children's Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

While many American's have found temporary success with low-carbohydrate dieting, few maintain their weight loss. Drawing on proven medical research and years of successful clinical use, Your Fat Can Make You Thin clearly explains how to regulate the body's serotonin levels to maintain energy and health while burning excess fat--and keeping it off for good.

Customer Reviews:

Low Fat Low Carb as recommended by Author of 8 Week Cholesterol Cure .......2007-09-11

I have both this book and The Type 2 Diabetes book, 3rd edition which was written by this author and co-written by the author of The 8 Week Cholesterol Cure. Both authors recommend a low Carb diet to bring your weight down. Both recommend a LOW FAT Low-Carb regimen. I had concerns about a low-diet affecting brain function but, Larry McCleary's book, The Brain Trust put my mind at ease there. The recipes are good. Lot's of chicken and fish.

The Type II Diabetes Diet Book by Calvin Ezrin.......2002-09-30

I was diagnosed with diabetes around 3 or 4 years ago. I have floundered around trying to find out the right way to eat etc. The nutrition class I went to was led by a very heavy nutritionist. The class really became a turn-off for me. I kept having to increase my diabetic medicine until I was taking 4 and 1/2 pills per day. Then I ran across "The Type II" book--fantastic! Dr. Ezrin not only explains everything but gives you an eating plan as well as recipes. I went on this program February 15 of this year..and today, September 29, 2002, I have lost a total of 116 lbs. (which was my goal set with my Doctor) and I am completely off all my diabetic medicine, my blood pressure is normal. I try to tell anyone who wants to hear--about this book. I am now going in to the stabilization and then on to maintenance. I look at food a lot differently. I have lost weight many times before, but never had a maintenance plan that would help keep it off. Needless to say, I am very excited and happy! Thank you Dr. Ezrin!!! Note: You do have to make up your mind to be faithful to this program!

Comme ci, comme ca.......2002-05-02

This book is a pretty good source of low carb info but not informative enough for the reader who wants to know the ins and outs. I would recommend Life Without Bread over this book if you want to read one excellent low carb diet book.

More than just weight loss!.......2002-04-09

I won't repeat the praise (which I do feel is warranted) for Dr. Ezrin's treatment of insulin-resistance and weight loss. I want to point out another vital issue addressed in this book: seratonin depletion.

Depleted level of seratonin (which can't be measured on any test) cause a wide variety of health problems, often misdiagnosed as thyroid problems, Chronic Fatigue, etc. (See the article about it on my website...).

Read this to understand the problem - and the solution. It's totally curable, with a simple treatment. And "Your Fat Can Make You Thin" even has a chapter addressed to your doctor to help explain things from a medical point of view.

You have nothing to lose, and your life to regain!

Low carb explained with authority.......2001-10-06

I've been overweight all my life but this book has me well on my way to better things. I've tried low fat and it never worked. This book spoke to me with authority and intelligence explaining the connection between carbs, insulin, water and fat retention and seretonin levels. I see now why I and so many of my family members are carb junkies. Within a few days I saw unexpectedly rapid results. There's a "wall" you go through after a day or two but once on the other side, low carb eating feels normal and the results are great both physically and emotionally. Give this book an honest try and you will know within a week whether it's right for you!

Book Description

For me, it was hearing the symphonic punch of "Jump" at every NHL hockey game I saw on TV in 1984. For you, it might have been dancing to "Dreams" with your friends at the high school prom. Or turning up the volume when "Poundcake" came on the car radio as you sped down the Interstate one day after work. Or waving your arms frantically in a packed arena as "Unchained" exploded from the speakers and the lights blazed on to reveal four laughing, wild-eyed guys making magical sounds.

Wherever and whenever you first heard the music of Van Halen, it's an experience few of us will ever forget. Just one song can evoke many questions: "How does he play the guitar like that? How does that singer do his incredible scream? Is that an earthquake or a rhythm section? What planet is this band from anyway? And why does their music make me feel so GOOD?"

As a fan, it gets even more intriguing when you discover that guitarist Eddie Van Halen, drummer Alex Van Halen, bassist Michael Anthony, and vocalists David Lee Roth, Sammy Hagar, and Gary Cherone are as colorful a cast of characters as have graced any concert stage from Beethoven to the Beatles.

Since the late 1970's, these California hard rock titans have inspired thousands of people to lock themselves in their rooms and play guitar all night, or just leap into mid-air for no apparent reason. They've redefined rock 'n' roll good times with their musicianship and unstoppable energy. They've given us some of the most famous songs, albums, tours, and offstage controversies in rock history. And they continue to provide the soundtrack to the lives of millions of avid fans from Amsterdam to Panama.

Van Halen inspired me to write this book with one thousand, nine hundred and eighty-four trivia questions about the greatest rock band in the world today.

1984: The Ultimate Van Halen Trivia Book tests your knowledge of the classic material Van Halen has committed to record and videotape: lyrics and titles, album covers, recording techniques and equipment, engineers and producers, vocal and instrumental oddities, and much more. Just how closely have you been paying attention? What do you know about those legendary Van Halen concerts? Check if you can recall quotations from band members and what others have said about them. There's also trivia on the musical tributes and critical tongue-lashings they've received over the years.

Some questions put Van Halen in historical context, as you test what you know about the personal backgrounds and hobbies of band members and the day-by-day history of the band. Questions on the solo careers of Van Halen alumni round out the mix. You'll find that Van Halen pops up in places you'd scarcely expect. You will learn things about the mighty VH which you wouldn't find anywhere else.

Now here's fair warning (allusion intended) on a few matters. First, everyone who has ever been in Van Halen is referred to as a "member of Van Halen" throughout, even if he's not part of the current lineup. Only a few questions refer specifically to "current" members. Band members are mostly cited just by their first names to save space. The terms "Dave-era" and "Sammy-era" denote the periods when those two singers were recording studio albums with the band (1978-1983 and 1986-1995 respectively), and "solo song" means a song performed as a solo artist.

Second, the answers to some questions can give you clues to other ones. Some back-to-back questions are linked as well. It's probably best to read through the book from start to finish and cover up the response below each question with your hand as you try to answer. But hey, no rules and no schools, right? If it sounds good, it IS good! So do whatever you feel like.

Third, I've made every effort to ensure the information in 1984: The Ultimate Van Halen Trivia Book is as accurate as possible. If there are differences of opinion about the answer to a certain question, I've tried to indicate that too. And why the title of the book? Well, as the band makes the transition to its third era with Gary, it seemed right to name this book after a record which marked both a glorious finale and a new beginning.

You say you don't know? You won't know until you begin.

Late breaking news: All members of Van Halen have received copies of 1984: The Ultimate Van Halen Trivia Book, and tour manager Scotty Ross says, "the band loved the trivia book!"

Customer Reviews:

Bummed.......2007-01-10

Still haven't received the shipment. Ordered it originally for a Christmas present but it wasn't able to be shipped in time. Very disappointed.

This book is great!.......2003-01-12

If your a real VH fan you will buy this book!

If you're obsessed, you'll love it.......1999-05-06

This book would make a perfect gift for the Van Halen-obsessed. It contains a mind-boggling amount of research, and if you care about little details like what the Edge, U2's guitarist, said about the US presidency in relation to Van Halen, or how much guacomoli was made available backstage after a VH concert, this is the book for you. It's certainly more thorough than most trivia books. Even major VH fans will find that the book stops just short of telling them more than they ever wanted to know. If you add it to your VH collection, you'll probably find that it's the single greatest source of facts on VH out there.

Book Description

Reuben Ainsztein fled the pogroms of Wilno, Poland, when he was only sixteen. Matriculating at a university in Brussels, Ainsztein was again confronted with the virulence of anti-Semitism when the Nazis occupied Belgium in 1940. In search of freedom and a role in the defeat of Hitler, Ainsztein applied to and was accepted by Britain’s Royal Air Force. Visa in hand, he embarked on an extraordinary journey across war-ravaged Europe, seeking safe passage to London.

Ainsztein chronicles his stunning odyssey with absorbing detail and luminous reflection on the horrors of war and the unspeakable evil that was the Holocaust. Denied egress first at Calais and then at Marseilles, he crossed the Pyrenees into Spain on foot, and was immediately apprehended by Franco’s guards and incarcerated in Miranda de Ebro, a concentration camp, where he was interned for fourteen months. Miraculously, Ainsztein survived and eventually made his way to Britain and then to Scotland, where he trained for the RAF as a turret gunner on a Lancaster bomber.

In Lands Not My Own is one man’s personal testimony to the horrors that gave birth to war and were nurtured by it. Along the way, cast in spare, elegant prose, are the musings of a poet and philosopher on the goodness of man, the nature of evil, and the moral underpinnings of humanity. With great eloquence, Reuben Ainsztein tells a tale of heartbreaking sorrow, unfathomable courage, and the defiant resilience of the human spirit.

Customer Reviews:

Response.......2004-03-14

I am writing this in response to the reviewer from Bloominton.

First , let me correct an inaccuracy. Reuven married Pat after the end of the War (I believe in the late 40's/50's). The cover details are incorrect in suggesting he was married in 1941 but this was simply not picked up at the time. Apologies.

Reuven wrote the story in the late 60's and tried to get it published - we even have the envelope in which it was returned from a prospective publisher. We do not know why but perhaps there was less interest than there is today. When Reuven died his obituary in the London Times (of which we have a copy) makes specific mention on the unpublished manuscript and an excerpt was actually published in the Sunday Times at around the same time.

After he died, no-one tried to get it published and the typescript remained with Pat. Following her death several years, it passed to her niece, Janet. It was only after Janet's death that my wife and I (my wife is Janet's daughter)found the typescript when clearing out the family house for sale. We then contacted a literary agent and eventually signed a publishing contract.

I cannot tell you exactly when each page was written but I can swear that the document we found is the document that was published. We still have the original typescript - it is all on similar paper and on the same typewriter. There is no evidence to suggest anything suspicious at all.

History or Fiction?.......2003-08-10

The value of first hand memoirs is unquestionable. The author's long voyage through occupied Europe and later his service in the British Army elevates this book to a testimony of a hero. Yet, one wants to be sure that it is a true and real testimony.

The first doubt about the book's completeness as a testimony is a fact that the author did not mention his wife throughout the work. Only the biographical note on the cover states, to a complete readers' surprise, that he married Pat Kearey (a British national?) in 1941. One starts wondering in what circumstances was he married and how that marriage influenced his citizenship status in the Nazi occupied Europe. We the readers are left to believe throughout the book that he was a Polish citizen and his only connection with Britain was a letter from a British diplomat in Belgium confirming his intention to join the British army...Another serious doubt in the reader's mind arises when the author tells us about his conversation with a ""young, fairish, slender" German soldier in France (p.54).

That occurrence is simply very hard to believe - Ainsztein was a fugitive not only with false papers but also with a letter from a British consul, and, as he himself says, he looked "unmistakably Jewish" (p.56). Furthermore, looking at the construction of the book, one notices certain changes as the book progresses. The times when the author lived in Brussels are full of detailed information, including last names of friends. Full names disappear completely in the part of the book which talks about the Spanish prison. And then, after the author joins the Air Force, the language of the memoirs changes to the point that to a suspicious reader it looks like a different person writing.

It is possible that Ainsztein kept writing these memoirs over a 30 year period after the war. Unfortunately, the editors don't provide us with even a hint of an explanation what was happening with the manuscript during the 20 years after the author's death. It is somewhat puzzling that Ainsztein has not published this book during his lifetime - after all, he was an accomplished historian with several publications to his credit. But there are also several places in the book that will raise eyebrows of serious historians.

To use one example, already on page 5 Ainsztein says: "by applying discriminatory laws they (the Poles in the pre-war Poland) prevented Jewish youths from obtaining a technical or university education and closed all government, army, state, and municipal careers to them". A brief consultation with works of such historians as Joseph Rotschild ("East Central Europe Between the Two World Wars"), and Ezra Mendelsohn ("The Jews of East Central Europe Between the Wars") shows that 10-20% of all students in Poland before the war were Jewish.

There were also several Jewish officers in the Polish army, some of them decorated with highest honors, or even in the rank of a general. And, there were absolutely no discriminatory laws against Jews or any other nationality in pre-war Poland... Here, the reader is obviously left with a serious neglect on the part of the author, who could have simply done his research before putting on paper statements that have been long proven untrue.

Overall, with all its serious faults, this book is certainly of interest for anybody studying the darkest periods in Western history. Personally, I am left with an impression that there is a "story behind the story" and that it shouldn't be the case...

Prejudicial,historically inaccurate, but interesting........2003-08-05

I found the story fascinating and certainly worth preserving for future generations. After having read many of such publications, what strikes me in this one is a straighforward hate towards anything Polish. Germans seem to rate much higher on the author's personal scale than the Poles. Author's prejudice can be seen especially in those places where physical characteristics of a nation are used to "prove" its moral decay etc. Germans might be more appealing physically to the author than Poles, but it is still them who murdered 6 million innocent people of Jewish origin.
Certainly, the situation of Jews in the pre-war Poland was not heaven, but it was not hell either. Their situation was pretty much the same as that of their fellow countrymen in the United States of that time.
If Poland was such hell, how could one explain that Wladyslaw Szpilman (the hero of the movie "The Pianist") was an official pianist of the Polish Radio and after the war he made a brilliant return to the National Philharmonic in Warsaw?
It is not up to me to judge the author's personal experience. It is only puzzling that he claims to be a historian, and as such he should have taken a more professional stand in these matters.

Editorial reviews do Ainsztein justice.......2003-05-06

The editorial reviews shown at this website accurately summarize the book, and I will not rehash them. I just want to add my strong personal recommendation. Ainsztein's odyssey/exodus was of particular interest in light of my recently having seen Polanski's "The Pianist". I found the book to be compelling reading, and believe that Jewish readers would find it even more so.

This book is a must !.......2002-06-15

In Lands Not My Own is unassuming and modest but all the more powerful for its understated charm.

Ainsztein was clearly a thoughtful but heroic man. His book chronicles a most incredible flights across war-torn Europe. Written with all the elegance of a Conrad novel, this book takes us right into Ainsztein's own personal heart of darkness.

In many, many ways , this book is as important as Anne Frank's diary. It should be compulsory reading on evry high school history, and indeed English literature, booklist.

It is rare to find a historical memoir that is so well written, so well observed and so elegantly portrayed.

If you buy only one book today, make sure it is this one!

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