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Book Description

A new series of handy pocket guides for explorers of Egypt's rich past and exciting present, packed with information and brilliantly illustrated with color photographs, maps, plans, and 3-D drawings - all in just 48 pages.

Cairo has more medieval monuments than any other city in the world. This guide outlines the history and architecture of the city and describes the major mosques, madrasas, and mausoleums, the citadel, the famous bazaar of Khan al-Khalili, the Nilometer, and the Museum of Islamic Art.

Customer Reviews:

excellent overview of ancient and modern Cairo.......2002-10-25

In this little book, the origins of Cairo as a city, its art, its architecture, its museums and monuments are presented. The history of the Fatimids, Mamluks and Ottomans is examined. Mosques, sabils, madrasas and the monuments of al-Ghuri, Khan al-Khalili, the citadel and the nilometer are discussed. Offering a bibliography, a chronological table, wonderful photographs, drawings and maps, this is a useful overview of ancient and modern Cairo; a practical guide for everyone.

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Islamic Cairo (Egypt Pocket Guides)
Egypt Pocket Guides
Manufacturer: The American University in Cairo Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Africa | History | Subjects | Books

Egypt | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

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Travel | Italian | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

All Italian Books | Italian | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 977424611X

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Securities and Exchange Commission: Actions Needed to Improve Public Company Accounting Oversight Board Selection Process
Richard J. Hillman
Manufacturer: Diane Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Financial | Accounting | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0756731410

Book Description

A special assistant to the president during the height of the Reagan era, Peggy Noonan worked with him, and with then vice-president Bush, on some of their most famous and memorable speeches. Now, in her thoroughly engaging and unanimously acclaimed memoir, Noonan shows us the world behind the words. Her sharp and vivid portraits of Ronald and Nancy Reagan, George Bush, Donald Regan, and a host of Washington's movers and shakers are rendered in her inimitable, witty prose. And her priceless account of what it was like to be a speechwriter among bureaucrats, and a woman in the last bastion of male power, makes this a Washington memoir that breaks the mold--as spirited, sensitive and thoughtful as Peggy Noonan herself.

A SELECTION OF THE BOOK-OF-THE-MONTH CLUB

A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR

From the Paperback edition.

Customer Reviews:

What a writer! VERY good read........2007-09-07

Peggy Noonan is almost Shakespearean in her command and use of the English language. Her words flow like a soft brook on quiet Sunday morning.

My favorite part was where she was talking about the experience of going to work in Washington, DC. The three steps are:
1. Awe of those in power.
2. Thinking "Man, I'm as smart as these people."
and finally
3. My God, WE are in charge?

Priceless!

Well done and a great read.

Insight from a truly unique perspective.......2007-03-12

Peggy Noonan is a gifted writer with a great sense of humor, and she is certainly an exceptional student of human nature. In this book, she takes a young English major's talents into the Reagan White House and gives us, the reader, a unique picture of what it was like for her to work there writing speeches for the man whom she considers to be the greatest president of her lifetime. At the same time, she paints vivid and often humorous portraits of many of those with whom she worked and interacted, as well as of those with whom she often clashed over the words she chose.

The problem that Ms. Noonan, and other speech writers, faced was that although they were not high ranking government bureaucrats or administration "decision makers," the words they wrote were the words which would be spoken by the President of the United States and, as such, her words would be taken by the American people and by leaders around the world as representing the views and positions of the United States of America.

The National Security Council (NSC) members, the Defense Department, the State Department, and others were, therefore, concerned that what was said actually represented their understandings of America's stances and positions on the various issues. They didn't want any room left for misinterpretation or misunderstanding, yet they were terrible writers. This, of course, led to many contentious arguments with and among the various reviewers before the comments of perhaps forty or fifty reviewers could somehow be reconciled or discarded and a speech could go forward to the president's desk for his final approval. Peggy Noonan tells this story in an often surprising and humorous, yet insightful, way making this an interesting and fun book to read.

Two of the buzz words often used by managers these days to prod their employees are "delight" and "surprise" as in "delight and surprise your customers." When I began writing this appraisal, that phrase kept coming to mind. Clearly, Peggy Noonan has succeeded in surprising me and her book obviously delighted me.

She saw much at the revolution.......2005-09-29

What an amazingly wide-ranging memoir Peggy Noonan wrote! Read this book if you want to know--

* what it was like growing up in the Fifties, Sixties, and Seventies,
* what it was like to work at a major news network (CBS) as it made the awkward, transition from radio to TV,
* how the White House speechwriting process worked,
* what went on inside the Reagan administration,
* what it was like to be a woman in a field dominated by men,
* what it was like to be a working-class, Fairleigh Dickinson-educated Jersey girl in a town populated by the old boys network and the Ivy League,
* what Reagan was like in person,
* how elements of the conservative movement fought and cooperated in the White House, and
* much, much more.

Having come to Reagan administration from CBS (where she worked for Dan Rather), Noonan spent only a few years at the White House in the mid-1980s -- long enough, though, to write some of Reagan's most memorable and moving speeches, including the Challenger and D-Day speeches -- but she saw, and participated in, so much. She describes her experiences with wit and humor and candor -- and, of course, the wonderful writing for which we've come to know her.

Despite her own conservative politics and love for Reagan, this is not hagiography. Even as she stands clearly in awe of the president, he remains a mystery to her, a distant enigma. She is uncertain whether Reagan's aides are actually manipulating him, or whether it's Reagan who's really doing the manipulating of his aides who seem always to be at odds. And even as she stands clearly in awe of working in the White House, Noonan is quickly frustrated by the in-fighting among staff members, the bureaucratic fights among departments and agencies. This is particularly the case with the "staffing" of speeches, in which each department -- State, for example, and the National Security Council -- reviews a speech and basically tears it apart. Nor are Noonan's impressions of Nancy Reagan and Maureen Reagan particularly positive.

In short, I think it's fair to say that the book is a classic of the genre.

Even Liberals Like It.......2005-07-22

I can tell this is a great book because liberals can freely admit to liking it as well.

On her blog DemocracyArsenal.org a former Clinton speechwriter, Heather Hurlburt, complimented the book:

Her politics are not mine. But this book is beautifully-written, vivid and real -- about how young people get their politics, and their jobs; how movements, specifically Ronald Reagan's, form; and how lofty and petty the world of White House politics can simultaneously be. I don't believe it's been equalled.

Through the Looking Glass.......2005-04-22

Ms. Noonan's book is as relavent now as the day it was published, and certainly a more important resource. In today's quagmire of conservative revisionist texts and nostalgic Reagan speaking points, the 1980s are fast becoming those "good old days" that people speak foldly of, yet whose true image has been blurred. "The Revolution" provides its readers with an eye witness perspective whose case has not been marred by the passage of time.

What I Saw at the Revolution: A Political Life in the Reagan Era/The Fall of Pan Am 103/Father, Son & Co/A Death at White Bear Lake (Reader's Digest Best Non-Fiction)

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What I Saw at the Revolution: A Political Life in the Reagan Era/The Fall of Pan Am 103/Father, Son & Co/A Death at White Bear Lake (Reader's Digest Best Non-Fiction)
Peggy Noonan , Steven Emerson & Brian Duffy , Jr & Peter Petre Thomas J. Watson , and Barry Siegel
Manufacturer: Reader's Digest Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000CRFLR8

Product Description

Condensed books created by the Editors of Reader's Digest by special permission of the publishers, authors, and copyright holders. Hardcover edition with Dust Jacket.

What I Saw at the Revolution: A Political Life in the Reagan Era/The Fall of Pan Am 103/Father, Son & Co/A Death at White Bear Lake (Reader's Digest Today's Best Non-Fiction, Volume 11: 1990)

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What I Saw at the Revolution: A Political Life in the Reagan Era/The Fall of Pan Am 103/Father, Son & Co/A Death at White Bear Lake (Reader's Digest Today's Best Non-Fiction, Volume 11: 1990)
Peggy Noonan , Steven Emerson & Brian Duffy , Thomas J. Watson & Peter Petre , and Barry Siegel
Manufacturer: Reader's Digest Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000BKGW1A

Product Description

NONFICTION HARDCOVER BOOK HAS FOUR STORIES IN ONE BOOK:

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What I Saw at the Revolution: A Political Life in the Reagan Era/The Fall of Pan Am 103/Father, Son & Co/A Death at White Bear Lake (Reader's Digest Best Non-Fiction)
Peggy Noonan , Steven Emerson & Brian Duffy , Thomas J. Watson Jr. & Peter Petre , and Barry Siegel
Manufacturer: Reader's Digest Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HHO0DE

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What I Saw at the Revolution: A Political Life in the Reagan Era

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What I Saw at the Revolution: A Political Life in the Reagan Era
Peggy Noonan
Manufacturer: Ivy Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NY4IGA

Book Description

Tony Blair was America's closest ally in the war against Saddam Hussein. It was a powerful yet precarious position for the British Prime Minister, as he fought for his own future in backing George W. Bush and sending Britain's forces into Iraq. In this gripping day-by-day chronicle, Peter Stothard takes us behind the scenes as no one has before to reveal a unique portrait of a political leader under fire at the center of the world stage.

Over a period of four weeks in March and April of 2003, Tony Blair risked his status as the United Kingdom's most successful Labour Prime Minister for the chance of an unknowable place in history. Before Britain could help the United States, Blair faced a battle against his own voters, his own party, and his own allies in Europe. These were among the most tense and tumultuous weeks the world had seen since the fall of the Berlin Wall. In thirty days, Blair took on his opponents and won.

Through it all, Peter Stothard had unprecedented access to Blair, from Ten Downing Street and the House of Commons through the war summits in the Azores, Brussels, Belfast, and Camp David. No writer has ever been so close to a world head of state for so long at such a critical moment. Stothard brings us inside the corridors of power during this extraordinary time, offering a vivid, up-close view of an enormously popular leader facingthe challenge of his life. How Blair spent those thirty days, how he fought for his own future as well as his vision of the civilized world, how he changed, and why he survived are at the heart of this riveting inside account.

Customer Reviews:

Its About The Man's Activities - Not What He Thinks.......2006-07-17

This is a short 200 plus page book and it is a one evening read. Once you start it is hard to put the book down. I just read until I was finished. The cast of characters include Blair (mainly), his son Leo Blair and Cherie Blair (only briefly), his staff Campbell, Morgan and Powell, fellow politicians Jack Straw, Clare Short, Robin Cook, John Reid of the Labour Party and other British politicians and civil servants, George Bush, Colin Powel, and Condoleezza Rice. Chirac, Aznar, and Schroeder are at meetings or involved. Miller the Polish Prime Minister and Arafat make telephone appearances. The press is lurking in the background.
My quick view of the book is that the author and former Times editor Peter Stothard acts like he is not in the room but rather he is a quiet observer just recording the events without comments and editorial comments. A "fly on the wall" so to speak for 30 days. The book starts on Monday March 10 and ends Wednesday April 9. The war starts March 20 2003.

At the beginning or near the beginning of the book Blair acknowledges that Bush will proceed with or without Britain. The war seems set and there will be no consensus at the UN.

What I found odd about the book is that there is very little mention of the WMD's, or the other reasons for going to war. There is no mention of intelligence briefings, or satellite pictures or similar. By March 10 his mind has been made up. It is more about damage control, politics, speeches, and not having ministers resigning and similar. His image in the press and on TV share a high priority along with with diplomacy. By March 10 the decision has been made.

The question on everyone's mind is why does Blair back George Bush - the "poodle principle". Blair is almost alone, and the other leaders in the "coalition" do so with great reluctance. They make a minimal contribution to the Iraqi war effort and they seem poised to not want to cooperate or back out at any moment. So why does Blair do it? The only strong point we learn or hear is that by that date (March 10) Blair is determined to proceed seemingly at any cost to maintain US ties with Europe. He has decided to let "history" judge him for how the situation ends rather than trying to further explain his actions privately. He thinks that the UN should be involved, but barring no UN consensus his main point (among his 6 talking points to parliament) is that he does not want the US to become more isolated than it already is through complete 100% unilateral action. So at least Britain will help.

We get a feel for his compressed and overstressed life, a political juggling act, his lack of sleep, his battle to survive as the Labour leader in a parliamentary system where he must face his opposition daily in question period and his caucus weekly. They all seem to be after his job and Iraq is as good as an excuse as any to oppose Blair. Unlike Bush he can be voted out by his own party on a whim - like Thatcher - so he is not secure for the term elected in parliament (5 years).

One thing that comes out is that Blair acts like a lightening rod for many parties that no longer have access to Bush. This includes various Muslim messengers and diplomats visiting him and his talks with Arafat and others by telephone.

Since we already knew most of that - the book seems a bit anti-climatic and deals a lot with the logistics of his day-to-day life, the trivial details, his meals, his assistants, and travel. It gives us an intimate feel for the life of the PM in the confined space of 10 Downing. It covers his meetings with other leaders, and various other dignitaries, his telephone calls to Bush etc. The logistics do not tell us a lot new, although there are some details on Robin Cook's resignation and similar tidbits. He comes across as an energetic and very focused man, with a strong inner compass and lots of self confidence, and a strong determined leader with an ability to take and absorb a lot of domestic criticism.

So the book is all very very interesting but short on any new insights. But still a great book.

Snapshot of a critical month.......2004-06-08

Though they are very different in style, this book shares some important similarities with Bob Woodward's "Bush at War" (2002), in that both provide insider looks at political leaders in the weeks before they lead (or send) their nations into battle. But while the ubiquitous Woodward writes big, portentous books that themselves often end up affecting the debate, "Thirty Days" is a quick, journalistic snapshot that doesn't pretend to be a lot more than that. That made this a refreshing and sometimes enlightening read.

I recently finished another title on the British PM ("Tony Blair: The Making of a World Leader" by Philip Stephens [2004]), so I felt relatively familiar with the central players in this book. Peter Stothard's quick, journalistic style introduces names and titles quickly, and while the players become clearer to us in the course of the narrative, Americans who don't have much contextual familiarity with British politicians may find themselves playing a bit of catch-up here.

Since 9/11, of course, Tony Blair himself has become more familiar to American news-watchers than any British politician since Churchill -- with the possible exception of Baroness Thatcher. Therefore, even Americans who may not be up-to-date on the Who's Who of Whitehall will probably find a lot of interest and instruction here. Not least, they will see the influence -- for good or ill -- that American politics and political pressures have in the counsels of our allies.

Peter Stothard's book isn't a biography of Blair or a political analysis of his policies and his decisions. Instead, it's a look inside the highest reaches of British politics during one of the more eventful months in recent British history. American as well as British readers can gain a lot from the unique access Stothard enjoyed, and the useful work that came out of those thirty days.

British politics in all its fun and seriousness.......2004-01-19

Here Peter Stothard outlines how Tony Blair worked hard ("all out" is a constantly recurring phrase) to create a world-or at least the conditions for a world-in which the "UN frees itself from helpless torpor, [in which the Allies send] a lesson to extremist nations that terrorism will be met by massive force, [and to Israelis and Palestinians and the Irish] that America will not tolerate conditions of permanent instability."

And it tells of the many frustrations Tony Blair met while trying to achieve that objective. For example, after George Bush published the roadmap for peace (something Tony Blair worked very hard to achieve) the Prime Minister received a call from Yasser Arafat. He spent a bit of time on the phone with him (and got a chance to say a brief hello and congratulations to Abu Mazen before Arafat snatched the phone away) and when he replaced the receiver, he looked up at a television screen to see "a Palestinian representative damning Bush's motives."

He says nothing but his aid says it for him, "They've got to be told [that] this is their chance. If they don't use it, they'll lose it."

And then there is the never-ending frustration with the BBC which John Reid may or may not have called the Baghdad Broadcasting Corporation. But "even if he didn't say it," Peter Stothard assures us, "it's ___ well true." The Secretary of Defense (and his porcelain cup which nearly suffered a terrible fate thanks to the BBC) would most likely agree.

And then there are the conspiracy theories out on the street, just outside No. 10. Conspiracy theories propagated not by the "ignorant masses" but by elderly Arab professors, sipping coffee at the Churchill café and assuring their students that "oil companies and Israeli spies and Russians whose names have not been heard since the Communist days" are all working together to manipulate current events.

But above all, this is about the British political culture. Where else would talk of football/soccer dominate even at the height of the war? In what other country would the French President's comment that the British had "made a deformation of his view on the veto" be met with "Does he mean we got the translation wrong?" And in what other country would a three-year old pick up a telephone call from the President of the United States and pass the phone to the Prime Minister with the cry, "Dad, pick up the phone."

This is a book about Tony Blair vision and of how he tries to educate his American counterparts on what it takes to "get to where they all eventually want to go." (You want peace in the Middle East, great; but it will be neither fast nor easy. Here, look how hard it is to achieve peace in Northern Ireland-and compared to the Middle East this is a walk in the park.) It is about the vagaries of British political culture. It is about how one man acquires an unshakeable certainty that what he is doing is the right thing.

But perhaps more than all that, it is a beautifully written book (not something one can often say of books on current events) that is filled with humor and irony and is, quite simply, a very good read. I highly recommend it.

Big Let Down.......2004-01-10

I found this book very disappointing. Prior to the Iraqi crisis I was not a very big fan of Tony Blair. But since then I have developed a true respect for his strength and courage for sticking by America. Having lived in England during the 90's I knew the atmosphere and attitude that most English hold against the USA, so I could understand the pressure that the Prime Minister must have been under during these times.

When I saw this book, I had to get it. I thought this would show what really happened within the Blair administration and the UK government leading up to the Iraqi war. Evidently, Peter Stothard was not at Tony's side throughout these 30 days, as the book depicks. He was out in the hallway. For instead of reading about what went on within the meetings and press conferences, and reading the historic speeches that Tony made to the Parliment and House of Commons, we get what happened in the hallways with the people going into and coming out of the sessions. All we get is the one liners that the Blair administration made on the side. There's no insight what Tony Blair actually went through, the pressures that he and his family had to endure, and the arguements he had with his staff and the rest of the government. Peter was definiely kept at arms length. In fact, he wasn't even with the Prime Minister through several of the weekends during these 30 days.

In summary, I was left with no greater insight into Tony Blair than when I first started to read the book. Oh, there is one thing, Tony likes green apples.

A close-up, brilliant look...at Alastair Campbell.......2003-09-29

Peter Stothard's task (or prize) is to tail Tony Blair for the 30 most crucial days of his prime ministership. But I feel like he never connects with Blair during that time. Either TB is holding back during this period or Stothard never gets the total access he touts. Either way, Blair seems like he's simply part of the woodwork in the story.

But not that the book is totally without merit or interest. Where it does excel is in depicting Blair's inner circle. Stothard points out that Blair's governing model - to an upprecedented extent in British history - more resembles an American presidency than a typical Prime Ministry. "Unelected advisors" dominate the space closest to Blair. We're used to that here. But in the UK, TB's total absorbtion of his role model Bill Clinton's approach to governing is seen as an alarming trend.

Dominating the scene is media advisor Alastair Campbell. Perhaps that's because as an ex-journalist, he connects best with Stothard. Or maybe it's because Campbell is undoubtedly Stothard's patron in this endeavour. [Like Blair would suggest that a journalist tag along with him for 30 days?] But, it's more than that. Campbell dominates the book because Stothard has got it right. Campbell is *the* dominating presence in Blair inner circle. In the whole aftermath of the Iraqi conflict - the WMD debate, the row with the BBC, the suicide of Dr. Kelly - Campbell's fingerprints are everywhere.

He's a constant presence here on almost every page. He has the best jokes (Blair asks him for help in drafting the start of a speech...Campbell suggests "My fellow Americans..."), is connected to the best information (all via text messaging it seems), sees around all the corners. All while training for the London Marathon (which the 43-year-old finished in 3:53 shortly after the 30 Days were up...a great achievement considering all he was going through during training).

It's tough to imagine how the Prime Minister is going to survive without this guy by his side everyday.

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Thirty Days: Tony Blair and the Test of History
Peter Stothard
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEU8V8

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Kent Rowley: The Organizer: A Canadian Union Life
Rick Salutin
Manufacturer: Lorimer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Labor & Industrial Relations | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0888622422
Release Date: 1980-01-01

Book Description

This reference guide to the life and work of the prolific British composer, Cyril Scott, includes a brief biography and detailed bibliography and discography sections. Sometimes referred to as the British Debussy, Scott was one of the first English composers to incorporate a noticeable modern style. He composed in virtually every genre and for every instrument and ensemble. His works, as detailed in the discography, include three operas, two symphonies, five concertos, chamber music, piano music, and over 100 songs. The bibliography section includes writings both by and about Scott. This comprehensive reference will appeal to music scholars and to those with an interest in Cyril Scott's music. As a useful research tool, each section of the volume is cross-referenced. Two appendices list Scott's compositions, one alphabetically by genre and the other chronologically.

Customer Reviews:

An essential work of reference.......2005-07-06

This is an important work, containing a mass of otherwise unavailable information on one of the more intriguing of the minor English composers of the twentieth century. It provides lists of Cyril Scott's published writings (on musical and non-musical subjects) and of writings about him, with useful summaries of content, and a full list of his compositions, including the numerous unpublished works. The list of compositions gives titles, forces employed, details of first performance (which add greatly to our knowledge of Scott premières), publication details (if any), and (in the case of unpublished works) dates of composition. A biographical chapter is added which, though brief, contains important information hitherto unpublished.
This book is a mine of information for everyone interested in Scott, and has already established itself as the essential reference work for people writing notes on works of Scott for concerts or recordings. It is therefore worth specifying its limitations. In the case of the musical works almost no details are provided beyond the bare data listed above. This leads in some cases to failure to recognize when a later work is simply a reappearance of an earlier one: for example, Sampsel lists separately a piano quintet performed in 1914 and a piano quintet allegedly premiered in 1920 (without dates of composition), although it is clear from Eaglefield Hull's book on Scott (scarcely a recondite source) that the two works are one and the same, composed in 1911-12. The reader must also be warned that composition dates are sometimes incomplete or misleading (where there is a complex history of revision), and that in cases where only a publication or performance date is provided there is no presumption that this corresponds to the date of composition; some of Scott's works lay in a drawer for a long time before seeing the light. Despite these limitations this is an invaluable work that deserves the gratitude of everyone interested in Scott.

Book Description

The biography of a remarkable man driven by a simple mission—to help those in need, wherever they are found—and the story of an organization, which has, since 1914, sponsored rescue, relief and reconstruction programs throughout the world. Founded over 85 years ago as a response to the plight of Palestinian Jews caught up in the agony of World War I, the American Joint Distribution Committee (alternately known as the "JDC" or "The Joint") is a nonsectarian, nonpartisan, apolitical, humanitarian relief agency whose work is deliberately low-profile because so much of it depends on secret negotiations with foreign governments. Its mission has taken its representatives to Western Europe after World War II ("the Jewish Marshall Plan"), to the establishment of the state of Israel, to the former Soviet Union, and to Africa and India. As an activist and leader in the organization since the 1960s, Ralph Goldman is the heart and soul of the JDC. He played a key role in Israel's formative years, and has been on the front lines of the JDC's humanitarian efforts worldwide. Currently the Honorary Executive Vice President of the JDC, Goldman still plays an active role in the organization today. Following Goldman's career, we get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the post-WWII political and social landscape, and a picture of how one man's compassion can profoundly affect the lives of many. 30 b/w photos.

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