1990 Books

Don't be to eager to dismiss this book as superficial, for females only or aimed at the fashion/ art set. It is a well researched and knowledge packed directory into the ploitics and social history of fashion and beauty, throughout the entire 20th century.
It would be of immense value to students of 20th century history, women's studies as well as an invaluable and pictorial journey for children exploring the recent past.
The layout is well structured and the photography, art and fashion plates are breath taking.
Even if just a coffee table book, it's far more engaging than the average trendy photo album.

This book covers the changing styles and images from the 1890s thru the 1990s. Each section covers the life & times, faces in vogue, film and media, fashion, hair and hats, cosmetics, body shape and underwear, and work and play for a particular decade. Filled with interesting facts and tons of photographs, this makes the perfect addition to the library of anyone interested in fashion, cosmetics, or history! Fun and unique!

A nice collection of fact & photos on the beauty industry. Contains information on styles of each period--including the impact of film! I thought the 1920's invention of "twist-up" lipstick & the use by flappers was a hoot! Pick this book up & grab another as a gift!

Decades of Beauty is both an excellent pictoral as well as literary history of beauty through the decades. Great pictures that have not been often seen showcase the fashion fads of each era along with the fashion icons who are responsible for that decade's fashion hype. I loved that this book also gave equal space to the history of cosmetic beauty through the years. Its fascinating to see what type of makeup each generation "had to have" along with the "hippest" hairstyles of the day. The contents are easy to read and allows one to pick and choose a decade of interest without having to read the book start to finish. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a cosmetic junkie, fashion obsessed, or just a history buff. This would also make an excellent gift for those in the beauty industry. Enjoy!

I purchased this book a year ago and read it from cover to cover the day it arrived. But I find myself picking it up and flipping through it every now and again. I love the fact that the authors wound in all kinds of fascinating pop culture trivia along with fashion history. I learned all kinds of amazing things -- like the fact that Elizabeth Arden brought out a velvet gas mask during World War II and that someone actually saw fit to bring a bra to market that could be inflated by blowing into a straw. This book is very fun reading indeed. It's also a gorgeous coffee table book. Highly recommended.

Wow! My husband and I bought this to keep us entertained on our long beach trip drives. We had so much fun with it last summer and look forward to doing it again this summer. We are both 80's children and thought we knew everything 80's music....we were wrong. We didn't do it as a game but more as a filler to keep us entertained....it did the job!

Dude. Get this book. But be careful because you'll get addicted to it and then you'll have to buy Things That Make You Go Hmmm: The '90s Music Party Game too.

My friends and I had a great time quizzing each other with this book. It's the perfect mix of challenging questions and nostalgic fun. This would be a great gift for any child of the 80's.

My favorite new party game! I got this book and played the game with some friends and was fully entertained for hours. "Don't Dream It's Over" is full of 80s questions that you'll know, drive yourself crazy trying to remember, or will be just plain baffled by. Invite over a couple of 80s neophytes, turn it into a drinking game, and watch the less 80s savvy get wasted. Well worth the price.

My husband and I attended both high school and college in the 80s, and we're still such huge fans of 80s music that our 2003 wedding had an all-80s music theme! So, you can imagine how thrilled I was to discover this book, which contains 10 "Quiz Sets" of 100 questions each--that's right, 100 questions all about 80s music. I have to admit, I consider myself pretty knowledgeable when it comes to the crazy, corny music of that great decade, but I didn't get past the back cover before I was stumped ("name the three Prince hits where the letter "u" is substituted for the word "you" in the title"--I could only think of one!).

Author Martin Quinn provides several different ways in which you can use the book for a party game, from the "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" version (no teams) to the "Don't Worry Be Happy" version (a drinking game). Also, each of the questions is given a point value, from "1" being the easiest to "5" being the hardest. This is the only part of the book that didn't quite work for me, as some of the 1-point items are pretty tough, whereas "what starts with Q, ends with T, and commanded you to 'Bang Your Head' in 1984?" appears on the first page as a 3-point question (c'mon, you've got to know this one!). Overall, however, I know this book will provide me, my husband, and our friends with hours of entertainment, and I highly recommend it for any 80s music fans.

I picked this book up in the library but it's one I will own. In one chapter all my questions about how eclipses work were answered and much more. Harrington has helped me discover the wonder and uniqueness of each upcoming eclipse, even if I won't always be on the right continent to observe them myself. An excellent guide book for everyone from the simply curious to the avid eclipse chaser.

Yes, this book is a little bit dated, given that it gives plenty of advice about how to observe the solar eclipses from 1998 to 2017, and we're nearly halfway through that time period already.

The book tells us about the main things one sees during an eclipse. Until the Sun is nearly covered by the Moon, there are few changes. But once the Sun is almost covered, things do change a little, in a spooky manner. There is still plenty of light; it isn't at all dark yet. It may be a little cooler, of course. But everything looks a little strange, because the Sun has been reduced to almost a point source. Harrington does not emphasize this, but shadows get much, much sharper. It's weird.

Meanwhile, Harrington does spend some time telling about the shadow bands (on the landscape) that one may observe shortly before totality. These are not easy to see, and they are nearly impossible to photograph.

And then, you may get to see the Moon's shadow rushing toward you at 1000 miles per hour. Once it reaches you, that's the start of totality. As you get close to totality, the only sunlight is that which sneaks through some of the Moon's valleys: it is called "Bailey's beads." The final few seconds before totality, there is only one bead left, and that is called "the Diamond Ring."

By now, the horizon looks like a 360-degree sunset. And at last, yes, there is totality (and darkness...it is like being outdoors in the middle of the night when the Moon is full), with the Sun and Moon combining to look like a hole in the sky. You get to see the Corona, and if you are lucky, maybe some solar prominences. And it is strange: most humans know from experience that it is Wrong for the Sun to be blocked in the middle of the day. Meanwhile, you get a rather unusual view of the sky. Many observers will try to get a rare naked-eye view of Mercury. Or there may even be a comet near the Sun that one can see.

Harrington discusses eclipse photography. My advice is to leave that for the experts: if you try to do photographs, you may pretty much miss the eclipse. In addition, you may find it difficult to operate your camera in the dark! Maybe the best idea is to bring a movie camera to record the reactions of those who are with you.

As this book explains, it requires some planning to get to see a solar eclipse at all. Eclipses rarely come to you; you almost always need to travel to get to see them. Harrington does discuss the main problem: it may be cloudy, and if clouds obscure the Sun, you will miss the eclipse! That means you need both good planning and some luck.

Eclipses are unique experiences. I recommend this book about them.

I've been lucky to watch 3 total solar eclipses in my life, and still want more! This book was written by an eclipse-addict to help other eclipse-addicts, like me. I feel very grateful to Mr. Harrington for sharing all his experience and regarded knowledge to make the eclipse experience more fun. I'm now planning to watch the 2001 eclipse in Africa based on this book's advises.

The book includes charts, tables, photographic tips, and much more useful information. The only drawback I see is that it has no color pictures.

Total solar eclipses are mother nature's rarest and best trick: for a few precious moments, a blackness replaces the sun.

This book answers the what-where-why, as well as capturing the awe of total solar eclipses, and also covers the related phenomenon of lunar and partial solar eclipses.

The book has the technical integrity to not "talk down" to the audience while still being interesting to the non-scientist.

I have been planning my trip to view the August 1999 total solar eclipse for a few years now. It's almost here!! Thanks to this book, the best about eclipses by far, I am ready! Chapters detail traveling to other countries, what to bring, how to photograph eclipses, and even information about *every* eclipse between now and 2017. It even gives details about expected climatological conditions!

This book is more than solar eclipses, however. It also gives me new appreciation for lunar eclipses as well. There is a beauty coming up in January 2000 that will be visible right from my backyard. I'm now ready for that one, too!!

The more years that pass by, the greater in historical stature Ronald Reagan becomes. He effectively brought down the Soviet Union and Communism (though maybe the problems with Russia itself are not over yet); he gave America a whole generation of prosperity. He renewed us as a people. Historians are even now saying that he was one of the greatest presidents in American history.

How did he do this?

His opponents, essentially the leftist media, the columnists, the pundits, and of course many in the universities, have said that he really didn't do anything, that he "sleepwalked through history", that he played "the greatest role of a lifetime", that he left his duties to his staff and they made these things miraculously happen. Another approach of his critics is to say that the Soviets were going to collapse anyway, and that he had little to do with it, also, that the American economy would have recovered from its stagflation, anyway from ongoing recession, in spite of Ronald Reagan. Or maybe he was just lucky: all those achievements seemed so effortless.

These assertions are all silly. No great leader in all of human history has ever "sleepwalked" from smashing success to smashing success.

Other critics say he was lucky, and, yes, he was lucky: great leaders, like great generals, need luck and usually are blessed by it. That is just how it works in history. Churchill was a lucky man. In his early years, he fought in many battles, bullets and artillery and swords were everywhere threatening his life moment to moment, and he was never wounded. But throughout a life of incredible achievement he worked long, hard hours. So did Reagan.

Many leaders have demonstrated outstanding acting ability: Roosevelt, Churchill, and Andrew Jackson; even Bill Clinton is a great actor; Obama is not far behind. Reagan was merely an actor who traveled the reverse route. Rather than becoming the politician, then learning to become a good actor, he was the actor who learned and studied and grew and evolved into a politician/statesman of gravitas.

How did this happen? That is what The Education of Ronald Reagan explains in detail. This book is my favorite type of history: dry and factual, non-polemic. It lays out in detail many of the formative years that Ronald Reagan spent in learning to be a leader. It shows the foundation of his greatness.

Ronald Reagan went back to school. For eight years he studied conservative ideas and philosophies in a virtual postgraduate seminar. In those years he must have read a thousand books. He gradually became a conservative.

When he went to work for General Electric Co. as a public spokesman, he was attracted to several deeply conservative mentors. They led him to book after book, numerous writings and pamphlets, and he read them all, often on long train rides across the country, where he had plenty of time to do so. He studied Jefferson, he studied Madison and the Federalist Papers, he studied the Constitution, and he never stopped reading. He studied communism and socialism; he read many books on economics, and mastered the "dismal science" more profoundly than possibly any other president; he learned how government functions, especially in its dysfunctional parts; and he loved to read biographies.

He learned how to work with and project himself to millions over that new medium called television, which was just coming into its own at that time (1954-1962).

Eight years of study, of growth and learning. What happened to him from this experience? He developed a vast intellect, often obscured by his charm, friendliness, and charisma, but it was always observing, evolving. He developed a conservative mindset, a philosophy that goes back for hundreds of years, which emphasizes the rights of man, a connection to God, a right to create prosperity (pursue happiness), and which generally affirms the vast creativity that evolves out of human freedom.

All of his mentors in the GE years were effective executives, and they taught him a lot about that too, namely, how to make things happen, get results. That is part of his GE years.

The GE years were where he learned talk over the talking heads directly to the American people. With his natural talent--then polished by this training--he became the best, the most powerful communicator in America.

This book shows part of how Ronald Reagan developed into one of the best presidents ever to serve the American people.

Would recommend it highly for anyone interested in the real history of this great man.

The conservative movement has collapsed in the last election (2008); it has collapsed before; it is in need of rebirth. This book lays out many principles, offers many ideas, as to how this can take place. Read it for that alone.

This book is more a history about General Electric and its battles with unionized workers in the late 1940's and 50's. Included in the narrative is how Ronald Reagan gained an invaluable education in big business, employee relations and collective bargaining.

We have a tendency in this country to assume that when a president is thinking your way he is a genius. When he is presenting a position opposed to you; first he is an idiot, and second all his thoughts are really those of his handlers. Then the presidential advisors start leaving and writing books about how brilliant they are and the president just doesn't listen.

It's only when the books come out much later that we really begin to learn what was going on. In this book, the author concentrates on the magical speech that Reagan made in 1964 in support of Barry Goldwater at the Republican National Convention. 'The Speech' was a turning point in American politics. And of course the sarcastic will say that Reagan didn't write it but his handlers ....

This book goes back many, many years and reviews speeches that Reagan gave. From them comes a line here, a line there and in the end we get 'The Speech.' It's an interesting way to look at how Reagan changed from union president heading the Democrats for Truman to fundamentally changing the country's direction. Along the way we learn, Reagan was no dummy. And I think that as history continues to develop, his reputation will continue to go up.

The Education of Ronald Reagan: The General Electric Years and the Untold Story of His Conversion to Conservatism is a far different portrait of Reagan than typical biographies have covered. For one thing, the focus is much narrower and more specific: for another, it's based on a newly discovered collection of private papers, interviews and corporate documents, and provides fresh revelations on Reagan's ideological development. From mentors and influences on his development to the ideals of modern American conservatism, THE EDUCATION OF RONALD REAGAN is a 'must' for any college-level collection strong in not only Presidential analysis or Reagan in particular, but for those strong in American political debates.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

The book is just what the doctor ordered for someone, like me, who searches to understand how people and their politics evolve. How did an oily haired actor get to be president? Why is the United States in such dire straits? This book gives many answers; but, does not tell why RR and his cohorts showed no compassion for the mentally slow, the ill, the incompetent, the frightened, and all who just can't get a handle on how to 'get it.'

Perhaps the reps and cons plan to take care of the problem the way the Nazis did. Great Book.

This book is just plain fun. For anyone who admires Galliano, you should enjoy this book. Galliano is quite an imaginative designer, and this book contains lots of photos of his creations, along with a bit of personal information about the designer and behind-the-scenes photos as well. From outrageous to beautiful clothing.

a great provider of information, artistic direction, and visual stimulation. i can't put it down

Thank you Colin McDowell! John Galliano to me is the most talented designer in the world, and I have always been waiting for books to be published. This is very completely story of who he is, how he works, and how he gets inspired which will in turn inspires many other creative people of the same wavelength. The book is very detailed and incredibly beautiful and intricate.

If one wants an insight into the mind of the most creative force in fashion, this is the book to get! The escentric John Galliano has been praised as the greatest fashion stylist and designer of our time (all of this praise was given at such a young time in his career).This beautiful book proves why Galliano is the fashion force that he is. A "work in progress" is the term the author uses to describes this book about Galliano. It is not a biography,though it briefly cronicles his childhood and days in St. Martin's School,nor is it a retrospective. What this book does, though, is disect a master at the verge of stardom, from his graduation show at St. Martin's to his stint at Givenchy to his sucess at Christian Dior,as well as his independant line.Beautiful photography shows the reader Galliano's process of creating a collecton from start to finish.Pages from his concept book is shown, giving readers a gimpse into how Galliano thinks and creates.Above all else,the best part is Galliano's creations, and that is the best part about the book.In it,one can see how the master's work evolves from different points in his young career.I highly recommend this book about a master's "work in progress" .

GALLIANO IS THE MOST AMAZING COUTURIER ALIVE IN TODAY'S HAUTE COUTURE. HIS CLOTHES BOTH FOR DIOR AND HIS LABEL ARE WONDERFUL CREATIONS. THIS BOOK IS FILL WITH BREATHTAKING CLOTHES MODELED BY TRUE SUPERMODELS . HE IS AN ARTIST AND EACH OF HIS DESIGNS IS A MASTERPIECE

I purchased this book because a former student at our high school has an entire chapter written about him. Well done. It's about time someone's written about our helicopter pilots and the risks they take and the fighting they do for our country.

Former fighter pilot Stout does an excellent job with this book. Based upon his knowledge of Marine attack capabilities and his personal relationships with most of the Marine aviators mentioned in this book, Stout puts you right in the cockpit and "down-in-the-weeds" with the grunts being supported by Marine air assets. Whether the action involves Cobra attack helicopters, F/A-18 Hornets, AV-8B Harriers, or EA-6B Prowlers, Stout has you right in the thick of things. His interaction throughout the book between air assets and forward air controllers is excellent and provides a seldom seen insight into how these teams interact during the intense ferocity of battle. He also does an excellent job of describing the emotion that is felt by Marines when their fellow grunts are lost either in the air or on the ground. This book is a must for any individual with interest in Marine air activity during the Gulf War. Highly recommended and insightful.

I hate to use a cliché, but for a person who has "been there" this book is as accurate and real as it gets. If you are an aviation enthusiast or just very interested in military history this book is a must in your library. This is a piece of history that is still being written right now over there in Iraq. Highly recommended.

Mr. Stout's book HAMMER FROM ABOVE gave life the air war in Iraq. It showed what went on behind the scenes to win the offensive. It brought home what it was like for the Marines flying and those that supported them from the ground. This book was exciting from beginning to end, I read it in one day!!

"Hammer from Above" is a highly readable book about the U.S. Marine Corps aviation support of the march on Baghdad in the spring of 2003. Ex-fighter jock, previous author of three aviation books, and retired USMC LtCol Jay "Guinness" Stout artfully weaves personal tales from the cockpits. Marine grunts have their own air force, from transport helicopters to Cobra gunships, all the way to F/A-18 all-weather fighter/attack jets.

Without air support, the Marines would not have as nearly as effective and efficient. To put it bluntly, U.S. soldiers and Marines have not gone into battle without air support since World War II. Air power is a uniquely American military luxury and an overwhelmingly inequitable advantage. Stout deftly opens the book with a primer on Marine Air. I must say the Introduction by Gen. "Buzz" Moseley, USAF, the overall air component commander, was distracting and read like a...general's pep talk or his retirement speech.

This book, "Hammer," the only one of its kind, provides insights into how our Marine air-ground team fights, and specifically, about battlefield preparation in advance of ground troop movement. It contains perspectives that are missing or barely touched upon in the oodles of Iraq War narratives from grunts and journalists that have been published. In a CASEVAC (casualty evacuation) scenario with two CH-46s racing toward Baghdad, Stout put me back into my own "PHROG" 15 years earlier as my flight closed in on Kuwait International Airport to medevac Marines. Except mine wasn't even close to being as hairy as the aerial action over Iraq in 2003, including An Nasiriyah (site of Jessica Lynch's capture), as written by Stout. He will strap readers onto a "Hornet" as it takes a rocket shoot and sprays its 20-mm cannon on a group of Fedayeens: "The pattern of projectiles tore into the running men; only three of the enemy fighters emerged from the cloud of smoke and dust." Whoever said war had to be fair?

Grunts are not the only ones in the military who can write; aviators, like Stout, can wriggle the "stick" and keyboard with the best. Strap in with Stout. Go on a night hop over the sand-stormy Iraqi desert. Check on your wingmen within feet of your wingtips or rotors. Experience the fog of battle in the air, radio chatter, equipment failures, identifying friend or foe, bombs on target, a Cobra gunshoot or medevacing fellow Marines. Finally, after a long night over Iraq, land on a rocking amphibious carrier in bad weather with low fuel. By the way, you're on the flight schedule the next day...after crew rest, of course. Semper fi!

Hattie is a favorite at our house. My two-year-old niece wants to hear it when she comes over as well. The repetition in this book works so well because of the natural rhythm it creates. That rhythm will please toddlers and preschoolers will love pointing out the approaching fox. You'll be reading this for years.

By the way, my son loves this book so much he named our Little People hen Hattie.

I first discovered this book over 10 years ago when I was studying to become a teacher. Whilst on practical teaching placement, the Preschool teacher I was studying with introduced this book as her book of the week. The children were enthralled by the story, the sense of impending danger as the fox begins to emerge, the repetitious remarks that the animals make and the beautiful water coloured illustrations, all add up to a classic story for young children.
This story is so simple that children memorize it within a couple of tellings. You will find that you no longer needed to read the story yourself, the children will do it for you.

This is a great book for Readers Theatre and fluency. Teachers your students will really enjoy reading this book in conjunction with the readers theatre.

A really enjoyable book and great fun for inspiring a love of reading early on. This book is about Hattie, a hen in the farmyard, first she sees a pair of eyes, then two eyes and two ears, two eyes, two ears and a nose - and so on. She tells the other farmyard animals who always react in the same way.

My younger kids (3 and 4) really enjoy this, they can read along and anticipate the story as it is repetitious and builds up great suspense. We can see the fox slowly forming out of the bushes, but the other animals are oblivious to it just going about their novmal business - until the fox comes out of the bushes!

The last picture is priceless, all the animals have been illustrated with enormous eyes literalloy popping out of their heads. My kids just love this book and I am so glad to see it has been reprinted.

The illustrations are vaguely reminiscent of the kind of artwork in the very hungry caterpillar (ERic Carle) but darker colours and more realistic. A truly lovely book and highly recommended.

Being a children's librarian is all about trial and error. You think a book is going to make for a good readaloud during your storytime, but then you find that it's either too long or too boring or the wrong age level for your group or any other millions of reasons why you've failed to capture your audience's attention. This situation happens with even the best of authors. It does not happen, however, with Mem Fox. Now obviously you shouldn't go about reading aloud EVERY Mem Fox title you come across. I love, "Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge" but it really is more of a one-on-one book. However, when it comes to books like "Hattie and the Fox" you are in safe safe hands. I was shocked when I discovered that it was not considered one of Fox's best-known book (curse you, Koala Lou!). It should be though. A great use of repetition and a title that knows how to ratchet up the tension, "Hattie and the Fox" takes the old predator v. prey model and gives it a bovine twist.

One day Hattie, the resident big black hen, happens to look up and see a long reddish nose with a black tip sitting in a nearby bush. "Goodness gracious me! I can see a nose in the bushes!". You might think this kind of statement might provoke a bit of interest in the other farm animals, but it apparently does no such thing. The goose says "Good grief!", the pig says, "Well, well!", the sheep says, "Who cares?", the horse says, "So what?", and the particularly blasé cow says, "What next?". Well I'll tell you what next. Next Hattie happens to notice that the nose has been joined by two eyes in the bushes. Again the other animals say their customary responses. Even if Hattie notices a nose, two eyes and two ears in the bushes (she's always careful to say just how many body parts she sees), no one is paying much attention. About the time she gets to, "a nose, two eyes, two ears, a body, four legs, and a tail" she puts two and two together (no more, as needed) and screams out, "It's a fox! It's a fox!". The other animals apparently didn't see this coming and are provoked into a panic. All the other animals, that is, except the cow who lets loose a rousing "MOO!" that scares the fox away. The last two pages show utterly silent animals standing stock still as the text tells us, "And they were all so surprised that none of them said anything for a very long time".

A good readaloud picture book isn't afraid of a little repetition. What's particularly nice about "Hattie and the Fox" is that the tension not only escalates but takes on a kind of familiar series of steps. Mem Fox is doing something rather similar to that old Little Red Riding Hood storytelling technique of, "But Grandma, what big EYES you have" and drawing it out. The contrast between Hattie (who lives in spite of the fact that she doesn't recognize a fox until she sees the tip of his bushy bushy tail), the nonplussed animals, and the fox with dinner on his mind is reflected beautifully in the text. I like to think that any illustrator could have pulled off a nice book with this excellent writing, but Patricia Mullins style using a collage technique of tissue paper and conte crayon works particularly well. Firstly, the colors are marvelous. From the goose's bright blue eye to the red crest atop Hattie's head, the pictures burst with life. I've always suspected that books of repetition like this one must be particularly difficult to make images for. If the words are the same on every other two-page spread, how do you go about distinguishing between them? For Mulins's part, she likes to change her perspective, where the animals actually are, and how they are set up. She even drops in little details like the flies that buzz around the animals' heads. The dark eyebrowed fox for his part is definitely malicious. The only question that remains is why does he wait so long to pounce?

I guess I definitely fell in love with the book when I got to the last two pages. There stand six shell-shocked animals. You can't put a price on the horse's expression. Mister "So what?", has finally been put in his place. The pig also looks particularly appalled but the cow seems almost content. She was, after all their savior. So really, "Hattie and the Fox" has it all. Great reading aloud potential, beautiful illustrations, and a plot kids of many ages can get behind. Rather good stuff.

Robert Asprey's War in the Shadows is one of the best, stand alone, books on the subject of counter-guerrilla warfare. It is exceedingly comprehensive, essentially beginning with the beginning of military history and counter-guerrilla warfare. It would be one of my top three recommended books for those interested in learning about guerrilla warfare.

A must for any Military and History buff. This book has bought me endless hours of reading enjoyment. As a Latino, of most interest to me were the chapters on the Mexican revolution, Spanish-American war and Che Guevara. Asprey writes in great detail and in chronological order, he also provides the reader with the political and social climate of the time and events that lead to any engagements against opposing forces. Keeping any opinions to himself, he just gives the fact as if we all are spectators viewing a movie. Asprey describes the guerrilla units, their political indoctrination, strength and weakness and field attire and equipment. The maps help illustrated the subject area and regions, any troop movements and battles fought that help paint the complete picture. He presents any leading figure with importance and when able too delves into their personal histories and background. I'd fancied myself a authority on History and warfare till I read Asprey "War In The Shadows" and found out just how much I wasn't aware of. So put this on your list of reading materials and tell your friends.

This is the definitive work on guerrilla warfare. No other book covers the subject with the breadth and depth equal to this one. If you are a serious student of counterinsurgency, guerrilla warfare, unconventional warfare, 4th generation warfare, or whatever you want to call it; you will want this two-volume set on your shelf. You will read it then refer back to it again and again. This monumental study begins with guerrilla warfare in the classical age and brings you up to date through recent conflicts. I believe the first edition of this book was through America's involvement in Vietnam but subsequent editions have been expanded to include far more since that time. I can not stress the importance of this book enough for this topic. You will not be sorry to have it ready and available in your library.

This is a very broad, very shallow survey of the entire history of guerilla warfare from the days of Alexander the Great and his successors in the Roman Empire all the way to the (contemporary, at least in 1976 when the book was first published) War in Vietnam, with the explicit purpose of explaining the Vietnam war by placing it in its proper historical context (and thereby revealing the mistakes made). The narrative (and it is a narrative, with themes that recur with sickening frequency) spends the most time detailing the abject failure of the United States in Vietnam, and devotes smaller chunks of the book to the rest of guerilla history. This focus and the aforementioned shallowness of the historical analysis in some parts are in no way out of place or even remotely harmful to the author's thesis. He is not attempting to exhaustively chronicle the "wars in the shadows" but to build up a tremendous tidal wave of evidence to support the claims he makes during the chapters on Vietnam.

Those chapters on Vietnam are worth reading the entire unabridged 2-volume set from start to finish. Throughout the narrative the author meticulously extracts common themes from the guerilla wars of the past and builds up a vocabulary of incompetence, ignorance, supidity and brutality that is then unleashed on the planners and generals of Vietnam with all of the mad rancor of an attack dog. The author lambasts short-sighted policymakers, incompetent or fatally uncreative generals, and a hideously flawed understanding of the nature of "Communist" power, and after two thousand plus pages of his compelling argument it is very difficult to disagree with virtually anything he says. The triumph is total and complete. The conclusion, in the end, seems to be that we shouldn't get outselves involved in these kinds of wars, and if we do we should engage in them not as military conflicts but social upheavals. The author's suggested changes to the State Department (presented as a coda) seem to suggest this.

The bottom line is that this is a marvelously researched and skillfully argued thesis which sadly remains as relevant and incisive as it was thirty years ago.

I bought this after reading the review above that says, "this updated, abridged version of Asprey's monumental survey of guerrilla warfare begins with the struggle between Persian king Darius and Scythian irregulars and concludes with the mujahedin resistance to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan." In fact, it ends with the Cuban Revolution.

John Kenneth Muir's second entry into the horror genre hits the mark again. "Horror Films of the 1980s" provides a fantastic reference guide for the horror films made in the decade of excess.

At over 800 pages long, the book provides an introduction to the films of the decade and how social and political events influenced them. (Muir is obviously no fan of Reagan and on one page he has a photo of the former president along side a photo of Freddy Krueger making a not so subtle comparison of the two). The next chapter is "The History of the Dead Teenager Decade." in which he explains common devices and elements which make up the bulk of films of the era. Muir then goes into the films themselves......breaking them down by year. He provides critical reviews, cast and crew lists, a brief synopsis of the plot and then a personal commentary of his own views of each film. Some films also have a "close-up" section where additional information about cast/crew/film is given. From here, Muir gives a chapter on "The Conclusion to Horror Films of the 80s." Also provided are several appendixes including information such as memorable ad lines, Hall of fame, a list of actors appearing in these films and recommended viewing.

Overall, a great book. Muir even improves on his "Horror Films of the 1970s" (which I also have) by providing in-depth commentary and info on ALL of the films listed. The 1970s tomb has some films only briefly mentioned with no commentary at all by the author. And thanks to Netflix, I can check out most of the films from both decades for myself. Muir also mentions in his book that he's working on a third edition....Horror Films of the 1990s. I'll be first in line to buy it!

A fine companion piece to HORROR FILMS OF THE 1970s, this is another tremendously entertaining overview of an entire decade of fear flicks. This was so much fun revisiting these films that I grew up with. The author is interesting and informative throughout. Highly recommended!

I saw this book and was amazed that someone had written descriptions and reviews of most of the horror movies made in the 80's. I was even more impressed after I started reading it. Just like what other reviewers have said, John Muir has a love for horror films and it shows in how he comments and categorizes them. His reviews of these movies make you feel like he's your best friend sitting beside you watching these films and either hating or loving them with you. There were many movies he commented on that I would never have watched because either they were in an overdone series (Friday the 13th Part 3) or because they look completely hokey (Re-Animator). But because of his reviews, I did and am glad for it.
Something other reviewers didn't mention but I love, is how he comments on the directors themselves and mentions how their individual style comes through all of their movies (or are edited out by their producers creating a bad movie). I learned about such great directors as Cronenberg, Tobe Hooper and Thom Eberhardt who I knew only a little about before. I recommend this book to anyone who even had a passing interests in horror movies and wants to relive some of the great ones (and horrible ones) from the 80's.

It can be argued that the decade of the 1980's was the most important ever for horror films. While the films may not have always been good, and many were downright terrible, the advent of home video soon taught filmmakers that they could turn a profit even with direct-to-video releases. "Horror Films of the 1980's" by John Kenneth Muir, is an exhaustive guide to perhaps the most memorable era of horror films. Over 300 films are covered in detail within this massive, 800 plus page hardcover tome.

Anyone who has ever read one of the fine books from McFarland knows that they don't do fluff, and this book is no different. This isn't merely a listing of films and stars like you get in some books. Each film gets at least two pages of coverage that includes full cast and crew credits, rating (one to four stars) running time, detailed plot synopsis, commentary by Muir, as well as selected critic's comments from the time that the film came out.

The films are listed alphabetically, by decade, beginning with "Alligator" in 1980 and ending with "Stepfather 2" in 1989. Even if you think you know your 80's horror films well, you're sure to find some films you probably never heard of such as The Killing Hour, Bloodkill, and New York Ripper.

As I thumbed through the book I felt like I was looking at an old scrapbook or photo album of friends and family members that I had not seen in many years. I have not seen a lot of these films since their original debuts over twenty years ago and I fondly recalled many nights at the drive-in where I saw quite a few of these films. I loved reading about these old friends, Motel Hell, One Dark, Night, Gates of Hell, The Keep, Near Dark, Night of the Demons, and countless others.

Muir, and his small group of reviewers show a depth of knowledge, but more importantly, a true love of this era of horror films, often resulting in ratings that are a bit more generous than I would have given. A lot of films included here are not true horror films. There are sprinklings of sci-fi (Saturn 3, Lifeforce, Moontrap, Terminator), thrillers (Ten to Midnight, Jaws 3D, Blood Simple, Body Double) and comedy horrors (Ghoulies, Critters, Gremlins), but their inclusions are welcome nonetheless.

The book concludes with several interesting appendices that feature the 1980's Horror Hall of Fame, Recommended Viewing Then & Now, and Memorable Ad Lines. Heres' something fun...read one of the ad lines and see if your friends can guess the film. This is simply one of the finest horror reference books I've ever read. Well worth the $60 price tag!

REVIEWED BY TIM JANSON

I am a huge horror film fan, and try to read every book I can on the subject. As such, I was thrilled when I received this huge release for my birthday last month. However, I honestly had no idea that it would be as entertaining and insightful as it is. I have now read up through 1988, and must say that I've never in my life read such astute critique of genre films -- generally reviewers either stick to the plot basics or try to impose some sort of critical theory on it ("the male gaze" and all that). Muir on the other hand manages to recognize and explain sub-texts that I never, EVER would have noticed by myself -- then when I think back to the films he's describing, I realize, "My God! He's RIGHT!" Plus his book has encouraged me to buy a whole bunch of horror films I'd never have considered seeing (ex. I'm no vampire film fan so I wouldn't have bothered with "Near Dark" had he not put it on his "Top 15 of the '80s" list. But wow! What a fantastic movie!)

My only problem now is that I'm dying to read his '70s book and it's not being re-released for another month!

An excellent, timely, and fascinating treatment of current events in Lebanon, and the March 14 political movement. The genius of the book is helping the reader to understand the passion that Mr. Hariri evoked in the Lebanese people and abroad while still making clear his faults as a leader. It is a special thrill to have been introduced to various personalities in their own words throughout the book, and find them all in the news to this day.

This book is extremely well written and hard to put down once started. It is very informative both on the brutal murder of Rafik Hariri and the current political situation in Lebanon, including its relationship with Syria. Blanford covers a lot of detail overlooked by most standard media outlets which really helps the reader fill in the gaps surrounding this tragedy and what led up to it. A must read for anyone interested in the region.

The Epilogue, in which Blanford discusses Israel's attack on Lebanon in the summer of 2006 was particularly interesting for me as I happened to be there through the duration of the siege. It is nice to come across quality reporting without the dilution and distortion of current events by US media.

A well documented book that is easy to read and hard to put down. It accurately describes the events that led to Hariri's assassination both on the local and the international scene in a lively manner with a detailed witnesses account of the days and hours leading to 14 February 2005. It provides valuable insight in the events unfolding in Lebanon today more particularly the recent Israeli Hezbollah war and the governmental crisis.

This book is a must read for anyone wishing to understand the intricacies of Lebanese politics and the Syrian and regional dimension of the events unfolding right now in front of our eyes. In my opinion it plugs a major hole in international reporting on Lebanese stories as it provides an adequate and thorough background that is often lacking in short articles.

Blanford writes superbly, and this tour de force captures the dynamics of complex Lebanon as well as any. Of particular interest is the rarely detailed description of Syrian hegemony of the country, their parasitic-like extraction of wealth along with national confidence, and the complicity of neighbors of this crime (particularly Saudi Arabia and Egypt). His descriptions of Hariri as a complex tycoon/altruist are masterful.

The only weakness is the epilogue. Clearly written in the heat of a war as the book was going to press, it evokes horrible images of that war without providing the clear-headed analysis typical of the rest of the book: as such it appeals to some (see other reviews) but detracts in the long run. Blanford should either remove or expand this from future editions: it has no business being in an otherwise excellent work.

I knew Nick in Beirut as an energetic reporter always looking for big stories. His reports covered a wide array of issues including the Hizbullah-Israel war prior to 2000, interviews with Palestinian leadership in Lebanon, coverage of the post-Iraq war in 2003 and a lot of other issues.
Nick has a keen eye to detail and a broad knowledge of the region. His book shows his talent as someone who digs for stories and gets inside info. I have been waiting for this book for a while, and once I got a grip of it, it did not disappoint me at all.
I especially liked the theme of this book, Mr. Lebanon, which has been indeed a title the assassinated Lebanese Prime Minister strived to win. Blanford's book is well-researched with a number of interesting interviews, accurate background information and great style. Buy the book and read it, you'll see that it is money well spent.