On-the-tape

This is no ordinary blood-and-glory sea story, with a ship full of heroes who can do no wrong. Here is real life - the misery of North Atlantic weather, in a small ship rolling constantly in the tremendous swell. An untried and amateur crew aboard a newly built ship are pitted against an omnipresent and invisible enemy below the waves, who is able to mark ships and sailors for death seemingly at will. In perhaps the most bitter fight of WW II, the crew adapt and learn, making Compass Rose a highly effective weapon against the German U-Boats.

Written in 1951, Monsarrat bases his story on his own experience as first officer of a corvette on convoy escort duty. He clearly identifies with his primary character, Lockhart, who joins HMS Compass Rose in 1939 as a very junior Sub Lieutenant. The people and ships are fictional, but this is nevertheless a true and moving story. A brilliant story, totally unforgettable!

This is an absolutely thrilling, gripping, involving story of war at sea. I have no disagreement with those who say this is one of the best novels to come out of WWII. I've had a copy with me through the years, ever since I first read it in high school. Monsarrat has a beautiful feel of the language, made more so by his own familiarity with the subject at hand. Every time I pick up the book and reread passages, I am still enthralled by the fine writing. There is even a lovely, poignant love story in the middle of it. Here is a passage describing nothing in particular, merely the ship "Compass Rose" when the convoy was a quiet one and the men aboard her could relax a bit:

"They found that some nights, especially, had a peaceful loveliness that repaid a hundred hours of strain. Sometimes in sheltered water, when the moon was full, they moved with the convoy past hills outlined against the pricking stars: slipping under the very shadow of these cliffs, their keel divided the phosphorescent water into a gleaming wake that curled away till it was caught and held in the track of the moon....Compass Rose, afloat on a calm sea, seemed to shed every attribute save a gentle assurance of refuge." (p 105, 1951 Knopf edition)

There was a movie made by the British earlier on, with Jack Hawkins as Ericson, the captain. The plot obviously had to be shortened, and I think the love story was changed a bit. The novel is better, still, and I do hope that they do NOT try to make another movie of it, for surely the Hollywood treatment will only cheapen this superb piece of work.

Mosarrat shows us that there is no glory in war, but much honor attached to the men and women of the armed forces. The Cruel Sea tells us how to behave during a conflict - be loyal, resilient, and have faith in ourselves and our comrades
I re-read this book every few years and each time I am impressed with the characters, settings, and the lessons that Erickson and Lockhart teach us. And each time I feel better about people and their potentials. This book stays in the current section of my bookshelf.

As a former paratrooper, and having several uncles and older cousins who served in airborne units in World War II, I can only say that Mr. Burgett captures the essentials of airborne combat in WWII. One of my uncles had great difficulty reading this book. "It brought back too many memories". Mr. Burgett's earlier book, "Currahee", brought the reader to England prior to the NOrmandy invasion, and then to Normandy with all the confusion, savage combat and gallows humor found in line outfits. This volume continues in that line, and complements greatly works like "A Time For Trumpets" and Toland's "Battle". The book offers no political insights, second guessing of commanders. It offers the insight and observations of a young American GI fighting far away from home, watching friends die, and wondering who was next. A fine job!

"Seven Roads to Hell" refers to the seven key roads coming out of Bastogne, Belgium. This confluence of roads was a pivotal logistic point as armies could then move men and materials about the area. Understanding this, and seeing its declining position in the war, the Nazis were determined to take the road. Having difficulty holding in the onrush, the US Army sends the 101st Airborne to hold the area. This narrative discusses the Screaming Eagles part in the Battle of the Bulge.

As mentioned before, this is a narrative. Donald Burgett was a private with the 101st during World War II and wrote his memories down soon after the war. Since this is not a diary, he establishes a flow and understanding of what is going on in the area. The narrative is very engaging.

Having been to visit the battle site as well as read other books and seen movies about the battle, I always wondered why the American soldiers were not properly outfitted to fight a prolonged engagement in the snow. From this narrative, I learned that although they were short of some gear, the soldiers did have winter gear but were told to leave it behind because it would only slow them down.

The soldier's perspective makes for a very good reading of the battle and its conditions. I would recommend this to any fan of military history.

If you are looking for a personal account of the siege of Bastogne during the battle of the bulge and the tremendous feat of the 101 Screaming Eagles or are just looking for a great non fiction thriller then get this book. Burgett was a member of the 506th and fought in some of the most bloody battles around Bastogne. But besides the awesome fighting sequences he describes the misery of the foxhole, freezing temps and patrols. But look for the cheap 5 dollar version of the books because it is the same thing including the pics. And if you like this then go back to the start and read Burgetts Curahee...an awesome account of his part in the airdrops during Normandy, also available in the cheap version...

Forget the $100 motivational tape sets! This is where Tony Robbins and the other personal development gurus got there initial ideas. The author is a plastic surgeon who noticed that some people who had disfiguring facial scars and felt they couldn't face the world, didn't change their point of view even after reconstructive surgery. Some even insisted that their faces had not changed. Maltz realized it was the self-image we have of ourselves that is more important than the physical reality. This remaking of the self-image is the work of the book. Many very practical exercises. The author uses the analogy of WW-II torpedo guidance systems - the mind as a servo-mechanical mechanism (now we would visualize laser-guided smart missles) - that locks onto a goal and uses mistakes and setbacks only to adjust the trajectory and hone-in more precisely on the target. If we focus too much on our mistakes and errors we retarget our mind on the mistake rather than the desired goal. This book has exercises and images that can be used for greater understanding and real growth. An amazing kernel of wisdom from an era noted for its materialism and superficiallity!

I really love this book...I have never read a book that contained such positive wisdom and helpful insights on how to be a successful person. Dr. Maltz was a plastic surgeon and a humanitarian, who truly cared about helping people. He had plenty of money being one of the few plastic surgeons of his day--He unselfishly wrote this book from center of his heart. I can't even think about it without getting teary-eyed! His principles are based on some of his psychological experiences as a plastic surgeon. He compared a low self-esteem as being similar to the facial flaws of his plastic surgery patients, and how you can fix your self-esteem to become a better you. He offers useful advice on how to avoid letting your negative thoughts make you a failure. He suggests how one's attitude alone can influence his/her success-level. He also has ideas on how to not let the hateful, hurtful things people say keep you from the success you deserve. His book healed me, and taught me that I have control over my life and destiny. Dr. Maltz passed away some time ago, but his compassion for countless others lives on.

It's so refreshing to finally read a self help book that cuts through all the new age hippy nonsense and gives you the concrete black and white truth. It's apparent that this book was written before drugs were prevelant in our society because there's no outlandish statements, no grey area, and it's actually down to earth and makes sense. If you lack confidence, or have a low self opion, this is by far the best self help book available...buy it.

Reads like a novel! The basis for the television show "Homicide: Life on the Street", an excellent non-fiction book that reads like a novel. BALTIMORE SUN reporter David Simon rode with the Homicide cops for a year and profiled the gritty reality of solving murders in a major urban center. One of the best true crime books I've ever read!

This is an amazing book. Two people picked this out of my "To Read" list as their suggestion for what I should tackle next. Interestingly enough, I had already started it. I had heard about this book originally on a private list that I'm on, but never saw a copy at any bookstore that I went to. Then I heard that there was a TV show based on it, but I still couldn't find a copy anywhere. Just as I was about to give up, I passed through Powell's Books in Portland, and found a first edition hardcover for cheap--and it was worth three times that amount.

Simon spent an entire year observing a squad of Baltimore homicide detectives. The result is an incredible page-turner, filled with humor, pathos, stupidity, politics, brutality, and, through it all, death. This is not Hill Street Blues, and especially not Barney Miller. As realistic as Hill Street Blues tried to be, it really can't touch the mundane uniqueness--the singular exciting boredom--that is the job of homicide investigation.

To parody Dr. Seuss, "Ah, the things you'll see!" This is a travel book as much as any trip to a foreign land--an exploration into the world of police procedures and life. It's not a place many of us would choose to live in, much less visit. I much prefer to read about it.

Here's a book that gets into the minds of homicide detectives like no other. The author is insightful and thorough, but his writing style is a celebration of brevity. Working within the law and sometimes around it or even in spite of it, the detectives are revealed as all-too-human but praiseworthy individuals. Read this with Randy Sutton's "True Blue : Police Stories by Those Who Have Lived Them" and you'll have the best writing on cops and crime available today.

Well, actually I don't read biographies, but I'm a very big fan of Fran since I saw her the first time as "The Nanny", and so I thought to read her book would be a little fun, but it was a lot more than "only a little fun"... Most of the time it was a night of laughing, but sometimes really hard to read what happened to Fran... But nevertheless: it is one of the best books I've ever read! And it containes really great pics of Fran, her family, Chester and so on... I loved the book so much that I bought the audio version, too. It makes a lot of fun to hear it while driving my car. I LOVE her voice! I really hope Fran will write a second book... So, for any fan of Fran: read this book! It will be seem to you like Fran's sitting right in front of you and tells the story of her life only for you! Fran, you're the BEST! Judith

What a fantastic book! It's written as though Fran Drescher is there talking to you and I've never read anything so funny in my life.

This woman has been through SO much and yet remains positive and happy. You laugh out loud one minute, then find yourself crying the next, only to start laughing again as you turn the page. It's almost like reading the diary of a friend, it's written so naturally.

You find out how Fran strives to reach stardom and all about her husband and family and it even touches on her terrible ordeal at the hands of a rapist in her own home.

You also get a great insight to her hit show, 'The Nanny,' with some amusing behind the scene's stories and pictures. In fact there's pictures galore throughout the whole book and by the end of it you feel like you're one of the family too.

Even if you're not a fan of Fran's, it's a great read about one woman's struggles and joys on her journey through life. I assure you, you'll find it hard to put down once you've started to read.

Just buy it and see.

Believe it or not, I never watched The Nanny on prime time television (where was I?). YO. Last year I was home recovering from major surgery and started watching Lifetime (what else is there to do?). I turned on this program one morning, and I thought it was hysterical. It reminded me of I Love Lucy, my all time favorite sitcom. (Well, where have I been, apparently, everyone thinks the same thing). I was hooked and watched it almost everyday. Now it comes on in the evening. I actually got my husband to watch it (he never watched it either - no wonder we are together). He loves it. He started asking me questions about Fran. So I searched the Internet and found that she had written 3 books. I loved this book. I feel like I know her - we are even the same age (I wish I looked as good as she does). She would fit right in with my friends. We both own a Russian Blue Cat (my cat looks just like the one in the book, the collar and the tag). I really enjoyed the pictures (it is like a scrap book). I would love to meet this person. You must read this book. Can you tell I connected with this person? (I am not the "star struck" type). This is a very funny lady and I look forward to reading Cancer Schmancer. Very enjoyable read. I was able to get a "used" book because this is out of print. I hope to see her in more films.

This series by the author Barry Sadler is a modern blend of two ancient legends. The first is the legend of the roman centurion Longinus who was supposedly present at Christ's crucifixion.
He stabbed christ in the side with his spear to end his agony on the cross and afterwards he became a christian convert and a
saint.
The next legend is that of the wandering jew who was supposedly cursed by Christ to wander the world until the second coming.
The reason according to the story why he incurred the wrath of Christ was that he out of spite made a derogatory or insulting remark to Jesus as he was being led to his crucifixion.
The result of this blend has been Casca Longinus,a Roman soldier cursed by Christ to wander the world forever until the second coming.
Forever fighting,forever surviving and waiting for him to return.
This series of adventures takes our protagonist down through history from one war to another. In almost each case he endures wounds and horrible pain only to encounter more.
A strange unexplained power makes his flesh heal miraculously from all wounds inflicted and which renders it along with his blood poisonous to all other creatures man included.
His ability to outlive others makes his existence a lonely one without any lasting friendship or company. He finds himself in many cases the victim of other's brutality and hatred thus making his long existence also a harsh and violent one.
That which he desires so much eludes him and that is death,which is freedom from his brutal life and eternal peace. He is not so much a hero as he is a victim of fate in a situation not of his choice.
There is plenty of historic detail in this series much of it dealing with warfare and the military.
For those who want historic fact mixed with fiction this might be worth a try.
For fans of action adventure series in the tradition of "The Executioner" and the "A Team" this is a good recomendation.
There is plenty of fast-paced action in this series and it's guaranteed to keep you from yawning.
There are graphic descriptions of violence and gore so if if you're looking for light reading then I suggest reading Robert Fulghum instead.

A while back a friend of mine mentioned something about a series of books following a man who is immortal, and this man was immortal because he was cursed to live forever by Christ as he was dying on the Cross. The man's name is Casca. Casca is a soldier of the Roman army around the time of Christ's death, sometime around 33 A.D. Casca is the soldier assigned to the mundane task of waiting for Jesus to die while he kept the small crowd around the Cross at bay. When told to finish the Jew off Casca stabs him in the side, just as the Bible tells it, but Jesus has a few words with Casca. The rest of Casca's life is then changed, and so the legend begins. Anyone interested in historical fiction and/or immortality should definitely read this book if not the entire series of 22 books spanning 2000 years.

In the Eternal Mercenary Casca life goes from soldier, to slave, to extreme popularity very quickly, but I don't want to give too much away. Read this book, the first in a long series of great stories about the man made to live until the return of the Jew. Until we meet again.

I own all of the original books and still reread them. Great series and definately worth buying. I'm just sorry the series stopped (yes, I know why). Like the idea of a movie or TV series.

Hard Rain more than fulfills the promise of Rain Fall, the debut novel by Barry Eisler, that Publishers Weekly named a Best Novel of 2002. Hard Rain is a taut, suspenseful, and rivetting read, and protagonist John Rain, the half Japanese, half American assassin who specializes in death by 'natural causes' gets even more under your skin in this second novel. Rain is one of the most complex, multi-dimensional, and memorable characters to come along in a long time. Eisler's strong female characters, his evocation of a dark Tokyo landscape that one can almost see and smell, and his chillingly realistic action and fight sequences make this a powerful thriller that shades off into the literary at times. This book is a must read both for fans of the genre and for readers who crave a thought-provoking, suspenseful, intense, well crafted novel!

I loved Rain Fall, Barry Eisler's first book. Being a great fan of thrillers, having lived in Japan for a number of years and also having been a martial arts practitioner for a long time, the book appealed to me on a number of levels. Its conflicted hero (John Rain), its complicated yet plausible plot, its vivid -- and often beautiful -- descriptions of Tokyo, and its action scenes all made for a wonderful ride.

So I was excited to find Hard Rain, the follow-up to Rain Fall, an even better read than the first. Hard Rain opens with John Rain still in Tokyo, contemplating relocation to avoid payback for his elimination of the CIA's Tokyo Station chief. But cop friend Tatsu persuades him to do one more job before he leaves for friendlier climes. The job turns out to be more complicated than expected, and soon Rain must worry about both the yakuza and the CIA.

A pretty simple storyline, right? Wrong. The plot gets increasingly intricate as the story moves along, with Eisler juggling a number of bad guys (one of them is particularly nasty -- someone you just would not want to meet up with under any circumstances), several questionable characters and multiple love interests. Well, actually, everyone is a questionable character to John Rain. This is one paranoid guy, and rightfully so. Nearly everyone he meets is a potential attacker, and he can't go anywhere or do anything without taking extensive precautions. Just going around the corner to the market requires a "surveillance detection run" to determine whether anyone might be following him (Lord help them if they are).

In addition to the fact that Rain is a hitman with rules (he has a conscience, albeit a very twisted one), it's this paranoid life on the run that makes him such an interesting character. He's a very lonely guy, and his loneliness, along with the ghosts of his past and present, weigh very heavily on him. And Eisler shows him wrestling with his demons in subtle, yet powerful ways. In one scene, Rain sits in the dark, making excuses to himself for his bloody career, and it's hard not to feel sorry for the guy.

Just in case you're now thinking that Hard Rain lacks action, let me say that the book has some of the most original and unusual action sequences I've read in a long time. The fight scenes are intense, realistic, and well thought out (which is not surprising given Eisler's own martial arts experience and research) and amazingly don't detract from the book's moody atmosphere.

Hard Rain puts most thrillers to shame, and I'll definitely be among the first to buy the next installment in the series.

Hard Rain was an exciting and thrilling book which bested his debut book Rain Fall.

I was captivated by the storyline and was taken through a wild and adventureous journey as if I was right their with John Rain.

Hard Rain is an exciting book with everything in it: drama, tension, excitment and more. I recommend this book to anyone interested in these senses. Barry Eisler did an excellent job in Hard Rain and I can't wait for his next book to come out "Rain Storm."

First, let me say that I am an evangelical pastor who has the greatest respect for Billy Graham. I believe he has done more to further the gospel message in America than any single evangelist of our time. Second, it seems that my review will be in the minority as it seems to have been given 5 stars by everyone else who has read it.

With that said, I eagerly opened this book hoping for insight into his life. How he dealt with struggles. How he dealt with marriage and travel in the midst of his extensive ministry. What I got instead was an itenerary of his travels and very few insights into the difficult decisions that must have been made in his life. There is a great deal of humility within these pages, but very little vulnerability.

While I respect this man as much as any Christian that has lived in my lifetime, I found this book hollow.

I am one who received Jesus Christ into my heart 31 years ago at the invitation of Billy Graham (on TV, no less). Therefore, I have great admiration for this man of God. There is no doubt in my mind that he has accomplished much for the cause of Christ.

I decided to read this book (700+ pages) after Billy came to my hometown of San Diego in the spring of 2003 for his final Southern California appearance. I also recenly saw a play on the life of Ruth Graham, which finally prompted me to pick this book off my shelf and begin to read. The first half of the book was especially interesting to me, as I knew little to nothing about how Billy was able to become the so-called pastor to the presidents. I was fascinated at how he was able to rise so quickly to the point where he could call the White House and get a return phone call from whomever was the president, whether Democrat or Republican. And how he was able to preach the gospel without losing his position of authority was fascinating.

To me, the second half of the book reads more like a journal of his many cursades than flowing stories that made up the book's first half. I did enjoy his chapters on each of the presidents, from Truman to Clinton. These were my favorites. One disappointment in his book was how little Billy really talked about his family. He did have one chapter (39) where he admitted to having regrets regarding his family (i.e. not spending enough time with them, neglect due to the ministry, etc.), but I wished that he would have spent more time giving reflections on his five children throughout the book. I suppose I could read Franklin's autobiography to learn more about that child, for instance, but I was hoping to learn more about Billy's perspective about the rebelliousness that took place with Franklin. Perhaps Billy didn't want to get too personal, but I think this could have been a beneficial part to a fairly revealing book.

And I would agree with Billy in that he lost out in watching his kids grow up. It seemed every chapter talked about his playing golf with this president (he apparently played a lot of golf) or having tea with that queen, but I am disturbed that his family took second-class status. Still, they all turned out to be fine people, and most of them are involved in the Christian ministry, so it all did work out in the end. It's just that, had I been in his situation and the ministry was going to take such a front seat to my life, I probably would have reconsidered having such a large family in the first place. Since I am involved in Christian ministry myself, I realize how difficult it can be to juggle the ministry with family. I am doing everything in my power, to the best of my ability, to make sure my three girls are not neglected by a father who chose to have them. Perhaps looking at Graham's story will motivate me to be an even better father.

One other thing that I have concern with is the fact that Graham desires ecumenical peace so much that the gospel almost seems to be diluted. Don't get me wrong, as I am not a "fundamentalist" by any stretch of the imagination. I just think it can be dangerous to try to not offend anyone that soon you offend noone. By nature the gospel is offensive, and I wish Billy would not have been so willing to be ecumenical when it came to associating himself with those who are clearly not orthodox in their Christian way of thinking.

I have a Mormon friend who went to all of the training seminars to become a counselor at our recent "mission" in San Diego. Because my friend did his workbook and attended the meetings, he told me that he received a certificate saying that he was qualified to councel at the mission. Now, I can't verify this, but if merely taking an evangelism course and saying that a person has accepted Jesus into his life (which my friend was able to say, because in his mind he is a Christian), then there is probably something wrong here.

One other note. This book was written after certain Nixon tapes came out (where Graham apparently said derogatory things about the Jews). Billy does admit in the book that Nixon secretly taped their conversations. I appreciate Graham's desire to be honest and apologize about something said 30 years ago, but you wonder how a man of the cloth could get himself into such a situation. Billy says he did not remember the conversation, but I feel this is a stain in an otherwise stainless reputation.

Despite my complaints, this is a worthwhile look into the life of a godly man and is well worth a read. It is quick reading and can be completed in less time than the 700 pages indicates.

Graham's autobiography is refreshingly candid and the author pulls no punches over the struggles he experienced while growing up and resisting the call to the ministry.

The writing style is simple and unpretentious, just like the author! Among the many interesting experiences in his life mentioned in the book include:

1. Growing up in the Charlotte NC area and his salvation experience while attending a revival.
2. The struggles of resisting the call to ministry and wondering why God would choose him.
3. The work involved in preparing for his crusades and the resulting fruits of his labor.
4. Friendships with presidents, heads of state, celebrities, and the common person.
5. Relationships with his family and struggles they faced when he was away from home.
6. Development and expansion of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
7. Early days at Youth for Christ and college.
8. Courtship of Ruth Bell.

After reading this wonderful book, is it any wonder why God would use a humble and ordinary man to draw millions to Jesus Christ?

Read the book and be encouraged!

A friend gave me this book for Christmas because he knew I liked to write and told me it was the best book for writing. I was skeptical, but started the book anyhow so I could at least tell him I looked at it. I found it immediately engaging and savored every page, limiting myself to a few pages a night so I wouldn't finish it quickly. The best part is that it is an "idea" writing book rather than an exercise book. There is no stopping to jot down notes or pages with writing exercises. Ueland gets into ideas and the psychology of why we do and don't write certain things. It got my brain churning, and I found myself become less inhibited with a project I was trying to get to the next level on. Excellent book for the experience writer who is feeling a need to break through to some fresh material. Ueland is amazingly insightful and even though it is written in 1938, it does not feel dated.

Brenda Ueland's book is great fun. She's so encouraging to everyone especially to non-writers. Her excepts from her students are delightful and eye-opening. I would recommend it to anyone who could use some positive encouragement about art, writing or life in general.

In my advanced writers workshop, I recommend Brenda Ueland's book above all others.

J R Lankford
Author, The Jesus Thief

I have read many self development books yet it was this book that made me finally understand how simple it really is. There are distinct Laws of the Universe that when acknowledged and applied correctly will bring you everything that is yours by Divine Right.

As a society in general, we have been led to believe that life is much more difficult than it really is. Success in all areas of your Life is not hard to attain at all-- that is of course, if you know the game and how to play it!

Read this book and change the way you look at yourself and more importantly how you look at every situation. Remember-it's not the situation- it's how you look at the situation that shapes your destiny.

I can not stress enough the positive impact that you will see happen in your life and the people's lives around you when you read this book and apply the principles and affirmations. You will begin to see all your dreams start to come true right before your eyes and you'll find yourself saying, "I can't believe it was that simple..."

I thank K. Orlich for recommending this book to me...and I thank Amazon.com for always having it in stock. Read this simple book--and more importantly--apply what you have learned and you will truly change your life.

The words on these pages (chosen with such attention to clarity) are pearls of wisdom shared so clearly and purposefully as to wholly expose many of the mysteries of life. Belief is at the heart of this text and it's messenger is the power of the spoken word. I read this book many years ago and it's practices as fantasy-like as they may appear, hold truths and secrets to fulfilling all your hopes and dreams while still making you a better person everyday for those same reasons. I have tested it's praticality in the "real world" and it has passed every time! Enjoy it for what it reveals to you, and don't look too deep, for all answers are revealed in their own time. Just follow the advice and believe.

This book is powerful. I have used it's principles for manifesting many good things for me and my family...."under grace in perfect ways."

This book may be pigeon-holed as a new age book. I am a Christian and found that it it aligns well with the teachings of Christ. And would think that it would be useful to most of the pupils of the many flavors of spirituality.

Reading this book will change your life. It has been a comfort and source of inspiration to me.

Best wishes to all~!

Chicago