history

This is a great book written by Michael McClay. It has many pictures (a lot of them in color). He gives a lot of information. If you want to know about Lucille Ball's life before, during, and after "I Love Lucy", then this book is for you. I especially loved the 35 classic episodes.

This book was wonderful! It has a LOT of pictures. I learned about all of the stars(Lucille Ball, Desi Arnez, Vivian Vance, William Frawley). For example: Vivian Vance and William Frawley didn't like eachother. They hardly said anything to each other on the set. I didn't know that! But at the end it has all the episodes. And it has a wonderful selection of pictures! PLEASE get this book. If you're a fan of Lucy you'll love this!

AMAZING!! This is one of the best books written about "I Love Lucy." Michael McClay certainly knew what he was doing when he gave us this great book on the best show in picture history. Through many pictures (many in color) and words, McClay is able to tell you ALL about "I Love Lucy" and the great people that made it so great. He tells not only about the people at the time of the show, but gives, not much but accurate, information about the four wonderful people that made the show so successful before and after the shows were made. He gives you thirty-five classic episodes that are the hits in the "I Love Lucy" shows. And also a TV-ography of the 179 "I Love Lucy" shows in the order that they went on the air. And the "I Love Lucy" Theme Song music given at the beginning of the three parts that are in this book has been played many times on my piano.

This is truely the best book there is on the show "I Love Lucy" (but no "I Love Lucy" book can beat Lucille Ball's book "Love, Lucy;" it covers her whole life as well as the "I Love Lucy" shows.Get that one too because both are both greatly recommended). Some books don't give very much or very accurate information on this show. But this one gives you all of the information, accurately, about the show.

I greatly encoutrage you top get this book especially if you are a Lucy fan (and if you are not, reading this book will give you a great start). You will NOT be disappionted. You will have too much trouble putting it down that when you finish it, you will want to read it again--you will never get tired of it. Get yours TODAY and you WILL enjoy!

Incredible book. As a Citadel graduate, I am partial to Pat Conroy's The Lords of Discipline as the pentultimate account of life in a military college, but Webb's work is neck and neck. Where Conroy takes four years and multiple twisting plots, Webb takes only five days out of the life of the Naval Academy to make his points.

The struggle between the warriors and the technocrats that Webb writes about in the late sixties still exists today. As an member of the faculty as an active duty officer in the mid 90's, I can attest that each of Webb's characters were alive and well in the Yard during that time, only the backdrop was the tamer Gulf War, as opposed to the Vietnam conflict. The war between the "geeks" and the "grunts" rages on. The military is more apt to recruit the skinny kids with the 4.0's in computer science (Webb's John Dean) than the all-around, rough and tough, swashbuckling athletic warriors (Bill Fogarty). Cadets and midshipman are starved for the leaderhip provided by Fogarty and CAPT Leneman, yet the deck is stacked against them by the CDR Pratt's of the world.

A must read...I dare you to put it down.

Although many of the practices written about in the novel no longer happen at the Naval Academy, it is still a realistic look at the pressures and expectations of both plebes and upperclass at the Academy. I read this before my plebe year and it helped prepare me for some of the injustices I would later experience. Even if you know nothing about the Academy, it is an excellent and interesting book--it is especially heartwrenching to hear how the names of the Academy graduates lost in Vietnam were read to the Brigade of Midshipmen every day. Once again, a great book.

Being a huge fan of military colleges, I was pleased as punch at finding this book. I have never been to Annapolis neither do I know anyone who has gone there. But I can not help but feel that this is what it really must have been like to attend the school at least in the 1960's ...

Anyway some of the reasons I feel that this is an accurate description of the school is that James Webb is a decorated member of the military and one of the schools most illustrious graduates. He isn't some disgruntled man who wants to get back at the school by writing a bitter memoir as is the case with Lucien Truscott "Dress Grey" (based on his time at West Point). Another thing I loved about this book is how Webb rips off the shinny veneer of Annapolis being an elitist institution. Too many times when you read a book about the service academies the author makes it look like paradise on earth. There is none of this in a Sense of Honor. Yes you can get the sense that while Annapolis is a great school it is certainly not perfect and without its probblems.

I think that this book is one of the most balanced books I have ever read. A Sense of Honor basically covers three stages of men who have attended Annapolis. There is Ted Lenehan a marine corps officer and Annapolis grad who has returned to the school as Tactical officer after being injured in Vietnam. Bill Fogarty a gung ho fourth year or first class midshipman who though he sometimes complains about the life he has to endure at Annapolis is whole-heartedly devouted to the military and can not abide those who are not ship shape. John Dean a first year midshipmen or plebe who has transfered to Annapolis simply for the "education" he hates the military life but by the end of the story he finds out what he is made of. The story takes place over the period of about at week, but amazingly Webb seems to cover every facet of the school its traditions, to the pranks that the mids play on their commanding officers.

Why this book has not been made into a film yet is beyond me. It really is that good.

This excellent auto-biography provides a glimpse into the life and trials of a girl and her family who found themselves facing the wrath of Hitler. As members of the Jehovah's Witnesses, they refused to support Hitler's war machine and so the Nazis vowed to exterminate the group. Persecuted for their beliefs, not for their ethnicity, this story tells of Simone's quiet fight for right. Sustained by her hope and faith, she overcame opposition of the strongest kind and has found the strength and courage to share her story. For anyone who loved Anne Frank, this is a must read!

I greatly enjoyed this book! The author writes in a very candid way about her life as a child in Nazi Germany. As Germany becomes a Nazi state with tremendous pressure on everyone to conform without question, she very well tells the story of how her family goes through a change of religion, to become Jehovah's witnesses, and gain strength to remain true to Bible principles in spite of very real threats and punishments inflicted on her family and finally on her personally when she is taken away to live alone in an orphanage where human kindness was extremely rare, especially to anyone who chose to stick to their principles.
Her experiences and the courage shown by her and her whole family are very inspiring!

I found this book to be a very tear-jerking book and loved it. It took me only three days to read the book and helped me to do a school report. Simone was a girl just under my age and I could not imagine going through something like that. I have often wondered how Witnesses made it through that terrible time. I have come to realize that God does give us the strngth to carry on and that he gave Simone and her family that strength as well. This book was a very good book to read and I would recommend it to many.

I was turned on to this book after hearing the latest Richard Buckner release "The Hill", in which the musician uses the Spoon River Anthology as the basis for his conceptual music. After listening to this wonderful disc, I was compelled to read the actual work by Edgar Lee Masters. What I found was a book that was written in 1915, but that brings to life the voices of humanity louder than anything I've read in recent years. This book is more poetry than literature, but the stories of the residents of Spoon River that are collected within the pages are stories that are not soon forgotten.

This book has moved me more than anything else I've read in recent years, and I highly recommend that othes read this outstanding work of art.

Inspired by The Greek Anthology, a collection of brief poems from the Hellenistic World including epitaphs written from the perspective of the deceased, Edgar Lee Masters wrote a series of monologues spoken by dead townspeople (some more fictional than others) who inhabited Spoon River, the area in Illinois where Abe Lincoln once lived. Real people include Anne Rutledge (Abe's first girlfriend) and Fiddler Jones, who worked in Lincoln's general store as a boy.

But this book isn't about Abraham Lincoln. It's about the trait that we will all, both saints and sinners, one day have in common: death. And it is about the small triumphs of life that the dead remember. Just as William Carlos Williams was a doctor, and his poetry was informed by his contact with everyday people, so too Masters. He was a lawyer and a keen observationist. He writes directly and frankly, especially about male-female relations, which earned this book a bit of a scandalous reputation in its time. Of course, it is mild enough today that the book is assigned reading in junior highs, even in the South.

I've read this book three times through, and often re-read individual favorites. And I have it in easy reach on my shelf because I plan to keep re-reading it. There is something about the people of Spoon River and their sentiments that keeps me coming back. As May Swenson says, in her introduction to this edition, Masters "bequeathed to us a world in microcosm." A world, in my opinion, worth exploring again and again.

Edgar Lee Masters's "Spoon River Anthology" is a poem in long form comprising over two hundred free-verse sketches, each representing and narrated by a deceased resident of a fictional town located on the Spoon River in western Illinois. The dead talk not so much about their town as they do about themselves and the pivotal events that either transformed their lives or caused their deaths. Like Sherwood Anderson's "Winesburg, Ohio," the book exposes the depression, restlessness, and corruption that lurk behind the facade of small-town middle American sanctity with an almost constant focus on death that makes it even more grim. If you're looking for something cheerful to read, you might want to pass on this.

"Spoon River Anthology" has perhaps the highest character-to-page ratio of any work in literature. Many of the narratives are interrelated in the sense that different people involved in a particular situation present their respective arguments which may be defensive apologies or rationalizations or vindictive taunts. The names of the characters are often indicative of their personalities; appellations like Isaiah Beethoven, Voltaire Johnson, and Percy Bysshe Shelley show that Spoon River is hardly a haven for subtlety.

The most commonly mentioned character is the wealthy Thomas Rhodes, the failure of whose bank had caused financial ruin to many of the town's residents, although we learn later that the culpability rests with his son Ralph's bad loans and speculations. George Reece, the innocent cashier, took the rap and was sent to prison; his wife in her narrative advises the reader of her epitaph to "memorize some bit of verse of truth or beauty." She did so herself, taking a line from Alexander Pope, which enabled her to raise her children "clean and strong" in the face of hardship.

In Spoon River, lives of quiet desperation result in a cemetery of yapping corpses, lamenting wasted youth and lost chances. Margaret Fuller Slack tells us that she aspired to be a novelist "as great as George Eliot" but marriage and motherhood cost her all of her time; her death from lockjaw is "ironical" because presumably she had so much to say. Searcy Foote confesses remorselessly that he murdered his invalid aunt for money and personal freedom. Zilpha Marsh, the ouija-board reader, was regarded as a fool when she would report to the townspeople that she had made contact with the spirit of a notorious figure from the past; the present tense of her narrative suggests that she is unaware that now she, too, is merely in the past.

Every single narrative in this fantastic collection is worthy of commentary; to mention just a few risks a skewed impression of the whole because the "Anthology" really must be read in its entirety to grasp its context. However, there is one more feature which must be noted: The "Anthology" ends with a fragment of an epic poem by Jonathan Swift Somers, one of the deceased. Apparently it is a parody of the Iliad, and naturally it is called the Spooniad, drawing a parallel between the fall of Troy and that of Rhodes's bank. Somers did not live to complete this ambitious project, which is just as well since in Spoon River death affords a distinction few living poets can hope to attain.

-- Thorough research. Through her articles about Sears mail-order homes for "Old House Journal" and now with this book the author shares her findings as well as her personal insights.

-- Reprints of rare catalog pages. As well as pictures of six homes which were not mentioned in other books, the author also reprints pages from original catalogs about construction details and varying floorplans.

-- Sincere human interest. The book retells the personal stories of how people saved money in order to finance their Dream mail-order homes. And how the contemporary planners surveyed builders and researched the way owners used their homes in order to improve the architectural plans.

-- Dispels myths. There have been several myths circulating on how to identify a Sears mail-order house. The author dispels these myths and replaces them with useful and practical advise on how to Positively identify a home ordered from a Sears catalog.

-- Shows you how to Positively Identify a Sears home. Whether you are a 'Sears Spotter' or just want to discover whether a specific house was built from a Sears pre-cut kit, the author offers definative ways to discover and document that infomation.

This book is amazing. If you love Sears Catalog Homes, you will love this one. I have found more information in the authors books about Sears Catalog Homes than from any other sources. It covers everything from what a Sears Catalog Home is to the missing sears homes. I hope you enjoy the book as much as I do!

I just finished reading The Houses That Sears Built. I was unable to put it down. I grew up in a Sears house, but I did not know anything about them until I read this book. It is obvious that the author did her homework while researching the subject.

This book concludes the trilogy to a wonderful Historical novel, centering around the vying powers of Wales and England. It is written in a manner where most readers can relate to the powers on both sides . .. difficult to do especially in the second and third book, when Longshanks or Edward I, comes into the spotlight.

Wales is losing ground and, for the first time, England has a powerful ruler who can take advantage of it. And, he does.

And, as the rulers of Wales plot against each other, Edward grows stronger. He even marries off one of his cousins, hoping to make the strongest Welsh prince, come to his way of thinking but it does little good.

This is where the third book starts . . . and where it ends.

REVISION NOTE AS OF 09/05/03: I have re-read THE RECKONING so my memory if far more clear. The beginning of this novel is truly a conclusion to the Montfort Family from the second book. As some will recall, this is the family that lost to the English King and had to retreat to France. It is there that old wounds are gradually healed, the Montforts continue upward, or downard, in their lives and the family is connected back to England through a broken plight troth: prince Lwellyn of Wales to Eleanor de Montfort.

But unlike his grandfather, Lwellyn Fawhr, Lwellyn ap Gruffyd has more brothers, who are out to fight and betray him; a stronger English King who has the drive and strategy to absorb Wales into the Kingdom, and a number of incidents, resulting in bad fortune. In addition, Lwellyn's bride is captured by Edward I and held for three years before she is finally freed. By the time she is freed, Edward has forced Lwellyn to give up territories and privileges.

So, by the time Lwellyn goes to war against Edward, a portion of Wales has already been partitioned off. In addition, a fatal wound and no heir, leaves Wales in turmoil, leaving Edward I the advantage of taking over the country.

Note that Edward I was also Longshanks, who was the English King in BRAVEHEART. A fine movie but not entirely accurate in the Historical sense, since the French princess was 7, Edward I had many more children, there was no bridge shown at the Battle of Stirling and people tended to wear helmets to protect themselves in such bloody fights. Lastly and obviously, there was no bastard son born from Wallace and the princess. Nice dramatic punch though.

Pirates, politics, betrayal and redemption, Penman's final book in her Wales trilogy has all these things but above all it is one of the most beautiful, tragic, and haunting love stories I have ever read. As the Wales trilogy progresses, Penman's writing and character-development just keeps getting better until it culminates in "The Reckoning." At the center of the tale is Llewelyn, fated to be the last native Prince of Wales, who struggles against impossible-seeming odds to unite his countrymen, keep his wily brother Davydd under his thumb, evade the ire of the power-hungry Edward I of England, and to at last be united with his soul mate, the Lady Ellen, exiled daughter of the dead rebel, Simon de Montfort. Finally putting aside her somewhat annoying tendency to get bogged-down with her minor characters, Penman is at last able to concentrate solely on her main characters, and on the world they inhabit. In "Reckoning" Penman follows her characters all over the known world, bringing to life such places as the steaming Crusader fortresses of the Holy Land, a pirate ship on the high seas, soaring cathedrals and humble, ice-encrusted, haunted shrines, and, most of all, the haunting, sweeping, beautiful and, ultimately, doomed land of Gwynedd. Probably the most interesting and compelling character in this novel is Davydd, Llewelyn's charming younger brother who's concept of loyalty is...peculiar, to say the least. Forever straddling the fence, Davydd serves both as Llewelyn's foil and, ultimately, his truest ally. (His "soliloquey" while awaiting his fate at Edward's hands in the second to last chapter is just wrenching.) Of all the characters in the novel, he is the one most concerned with discovering himself and where his heart lies. If it were possible to feel empathy for Cain...Penman does this justice. Read this novel! But like the other two, make sure you stock up on kleenexes, first, because if this novel does not ultimately break your heart, there is something wrong with you, I think.

"The Reckoning" is the last novel in Sharon Kay Penman's medieval trilogy of 13th century England, Wales and their larger than life leaders. Ms. Penman succeeds brilliantly in bringing these men and women, and the causes they fought for, to life in these books. She is a remarkably gifted writer. Her impeccable historical research, attention to detail and superb storytelling ability make her novels consistently excellent. "The Reckoning" is one of her best efforts, preceded by "Here Be Dragons," and "Falls The Shadow." Each of these wonderful historical novels stands on its own, however, and while it is an extraordinary experience to read each book in the order it was written, one does not have to do so to appreciate the history, the characters or the period.

Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, husband of Henry III's sister and the aunt of King Edward I, was one of the most powerful men in England. He was a warrior, great leader and politician who despised Henry III for his incompetence and the favoritism he displayed for the foreigners in his court. Henry was bankrupting England and estranging the peerage. Ahead of his time, Simon also espoused the idea that the common man deserved a voice in government. England was in the midst of civil war as factions split between Henry and his son and heir Edward. When Edward realized that de Montfort's reforms would limit his power and the Divine Right of Kings, he turned against him and in the bloody battle of Evesham, defeated him, with horrifying consequences for the entire de Montfort family.

During this same period there was terrible unrest in Wales, including civil war. Charismatic Llewelyn Farr, Prince of Northern Wales had fought to unite his country's nobility and provide a strong front against the English. His grandson, Lwellyn ap Gruffyd, became Llewelyn's heir and inherited the staunch commitment to keep Wales united. The Welsh leader was a cousin to both the English King and the de Montfort family and was betrothed to marry Simon de Montfort's daughter, Ellen. When de Monfort lost all at Evesham, Welsh politics changed. As Wales sought to consolidate its position and prevent being absorbed into a greater England, the new Prince's brothers were determined to wage war against him to gain power of their own and sacrificed Welsh independence in the process.

This is a complex and tragic saga of historic characters, politics, intrigues, betrayals, bloody battles and wars, romance, lust, power struggles, princesses held captive, revenge and forgiveness. Yet once begun, this extraordinary epic is almost impossible to put down. Ms. Penman portrays Wales, its people, culture and landscape vividly with glorious detail. It is fascinating to become involved with the characters and realize how linked they are by ties of blood - common ancestry. Not only is Welsh history tied to that of England's, but the royal families are linked as are their descendants. Ms. Penman joins the histories and characters of these two countries to give the reader, not just a superb tale but a look at the bigger historical picture also.

This is truly one of the best historical novels I have ever read, and the trilogy by Ms. Penman is absolutely outstanding. She paints an unforgettable picture of medieval England and Wales and the characters who made history. I cannot recommend these books highly enough.
JANA

It seems to me, as others have said, that the discovery of LSD ranks up there with the top scientific discoveries of the century. The mere fact alone that there exists a substance, 50 micrograms of which, would be sufficient to perhaps reorient your entire life and understanding of the universe, whether or not one ever actually tries it, is well worth remembering on those occasions when we get a little too self-preoccupied. This book documents the history of the reactions of various individuals as they encountered this substance through an amazingly varied set of contexts, and through an intricately woven web of connections. I have a mild annoyance with the book in that the author is relentless in his effort to remain 'above it all' and regards everything with an amused and detached air. It is a puzzling attitude in a way. But the stories he tells are all well-crafted and make compelling reading. His lack of reflection on the ultimate meaning of LSD for our view of what it is to be 'normal' may be quite intentional, but it seems to give the book an unnecessarily superficial orientation which I found a bit strange.

Let's get a couple of things straight: No, I am not the author. No, I'm not related to the author. So despite the name, I think I'm pretty unbiased, although some might think otherwise after reading the following glowing review of Jay Stevens' book, "Storming Heaven."

This was a great book.

Mr. Stevens tracks LSD from its inception through San Francisco's "the Summer of Love" in late 60s. He artfully describes the discovery of the drug and its effect on the psychologists who first used it on their patients and on themselves. He introduces Alduous Huxley, Tim Leary, and Ken Kesey-the pied pipers of LSD-and explains their fascination for psychedelics. He discusses the drug's decline, its unpopularity with government officials, its abuse by "untrained" American kids, and the progressive marginalization of the drug's "prophets." And all the while, Stevens skillfully gives voice to the drug's proponents' vision of a "metal frontier" to be crossed using LSD, pushing human beings along the evolutionary path.

It is clear from Mr. Stevens' book that LSD played a major role in the fundamental changes wrought in the 1960s. LSD tore down personal constructs and unveiled egos. LSD gave everyday Americans a chance to experience mystical visions. LSD gave many new insight into the nature of being. It was a psychological drug, and explains why most of the social change that occurred in the 1960s was psychological in nature.

But while Mr. Stevens in his Epilogue seems to laud the continuation of psychological exploration by a handful of "inner" explorers who use a series of newly developed designer psychedelics, I think he misrepresents the importance of these drugs.

First, the assumption that LSD will lead man (and woman) along the evolutionary path assumes that this path is straight and pointed in a forward direction. That is, that evolution is a natural process from simple to complex, from amoebas to man and beyond. Instead, science now concludes that evolution is more of a willy-nilly process. Species constantly bloom a number of seemingly useless mutations, and changes in environment conditions dictate which mutation reigns supreme. After all, it seems that the next species to inherit the planet is likely to be the cockroach, for the cockroach has the rigor and hardiness to withstand the destruction of the planet by humans. And cockroaches are hardly superior in intelligence or complexity.

Second, is the assumption that LSD can "lead" us anywhere. While LSD gives visions, reveals fundamental truths about personality, it doesn't change anything. It's up to the individual in the end to enact change, to mutate. We only have to look at the example of Tim Leary to realize this. While Mr. Leary was turned on to the drug and believed its in therapeutic value, in the text he remained a womanizing, upperly-mobile egoist; he just traded in his tweed for buckskin, and academia for psychedelia.

Basically LSD is a shortcut. It's a quick-fix buzz. In that way, it's the ideal substance for America. "Vision in a can." "Become a mystic in 12 easy hours." I would've liked to Mr. Stevens explore this facet of LSD a little more. But he seems to be totally enchanted with the cosmic possibilities...

In any case, the writing is superb. It's the perfect book to read to begin exploring the important texts of the 20th century bohemian movement. Read this alongside "Brave New World," "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," "On the Road," "Electric Cool-Aid Acid Test," and "Howl," among other texts.

I was born in 1960, so I was a little to young to appreciate the "Summer Of Love", Haight-Ashbury and the entire late 60's counter-culture movement. My fascination with that era began with Jimi Hendrix and other musicians associate with it. Most of the social aspects I was aware of were written by the "slanted" view of the media, teachers, politicians and parents; not the most objective of viewpoints
When I heard about this book I picked it up ... ASAP and was not disappointed. I will not go into lengthy discussions of this book like other reviewers (or even spell all the words correctly). While reading, Jay Stevens was placing me "there", "right there" where is was all happening from Aldous Huxley, to Timothy Leary and Ken Kesey.
The story unfolds "expertly" and the characters involved are so well described, it feels like I've met them personally.
While much of the information is public knowledge, there are many fascinating, generally unknown tidbits: from the CIA's LSD involvement to insights on Leary & Kesey.
Anyone who holds any interest in this subject will not be disappointed with this book. From someone who grew up on The Brady Bunch, The Monkees & Happy Days....this book is a definite eye opener into a cultural wave I wish I had been riding.... so "Turn On, Tune In & Get This Book".

Okay, so I grew up in LA, near cousin Hal! I can still honestly tell you that I enjoyed this book only slightly more because we are related. This effort is at once a culmination of years of ruminations and collecting; but at the same time, it is only the tip of the iceberg of this man's depth of knowledge of the field. Hal Lifson is systematically becoming a guru of 60's pop culture; his enthusiasm for the topic is semingly boundless. Hal is infused with the joys of cereal boxes and off-beat comic book characters; he displays knowledge about the musicians, action heroes and other zany characters who starred on their own TV shows. From toys to candies, sodas to girlie magazines, from foods to movies to sports icons, Mr. Lifson takes us on a happy journey down memory lane. I am hoping and betting that Hal's "1966" is destined to be one of his many cool collections to come! [Hopefully, he will "argue" and analyze more in the next one.] Though you are bound to come up with things that were left out, you won't be disappointed. You can't help but enjoy this easy read.

Thank you, Hal Lifson, for putting together a truly fabulous book about one of the best years ever, 1966. I have to admit that 1965 and 1967 were pretty cool, but '66 may actually have been the best--in my lifetime, anyway. Hal's book truly captures the flavor of popular culture of that very special time--the music, the TV shows, the movies, the ads, the toys, you name it. For me, '66 was James Bond ("Thunderball"), "T.H.E. Cat," "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.," "I Spy," "Get Smart," "Wild Wild West," "Mission: Impossible," Agent Zero M, the Beatles. It was simply the coolest time to be alive. Hal, who clearly was alive during those 12 months, does a marvelous job of taking us down memory lane in this terrific little book. It's filled with great photos and a quaintly personal account of all the great things that went on 37 years ago. For anyone who was there, I highly recommend you order this book as a means of flashing back to that fabulous time. You'll be glad you did!

"Hal Lifson's 1966" is, indeed, the ultimate time machine. It works on two distinct levels. First, having lived in the San Fernando Valley during that period, I found the book to be the most delightful, teary-eyed journey back to the old stomping grounds...who says you can't go back home?! To see a picture of the old Encino Bowl...the last time I even thought about it was when I was sneaking a smoke in the parking lot on the way back from ELEMENTARY school! Second, and more important (yes, important), "Hal Lifson's 1966" captures the innocence of the period...perhaps the last innocence the country enjoyed before it was forced to grow up during the Watergate hearings. Indeed, the lack of any political references keeps the journey a magical mystery tour. Honey West, Catwoman, NANCY SINATRA...many a 13-year-old boy lost his innocence "appreciating" these classically sexy women. Thanks, Hal.

Before there was the O.J. Simpson double homicide trial there was the Eichmann trial. Hannah Arendt's Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil provides insight into one of the most publicized "show trials" ever. After the Nuremberg trial hundreds of Nazis were still in hiding or had taken assumed identities outside of Europe. Adolph Eichmann was one of these individuals. The Israeli Mossad kidnapped him and brought him back to Israel to stand trial for "crimes against humanity" for his role in the Holocaust. Eichmann was abducted in Argentina where he was struggling with his anonymity. Eichmann hated losing his identity as a powerful Nazi. After being kidnapped, but before being flown to Israel Eichmann was asked to consent to being brought up on charges against humanity, which he did. Eichmann may have had a difficult time living without his former social standing and identity.

Arendt's book is a landmark in the workings of the Nazi machine that tortured, raped, and killed over 11 million Europeans for their religion, sexual orientation, political ideas, and nationality. However, the Eichmann trial centers more on the role Eichmann had in the "Final Solution" to the Jewish Question. Eichmann was charged with being a key player in the destruction and eradication of European Jewry.

The book and Arendt's theory regarding "the banality of evil" has created controversy since its inception in 1963. In 1963 Arendt was sent to Jerusalem to follow the Eichmann trial for The New Yorker. She published a series of articles over the course of the trial. It is often remarked by critics of the book that Arendt was not present for even half of the trial, yet the book is considered one of the principal books on the trial, if not the primary.

Arendt's basic theory is that Eichmann was a moral eunuch. He was a cog, in a large killing machine that never contemplated his role or developed a conscious to answer questions for himself. He simply followed orders and happened to have an instrumental job in the destruction of world Jewry. Arendt argues that even if Eichmann had not had the job there were hundreds of other German Nazis that would have fulfilled the obligations of his job without a conscience. Throughout the book Arendt patronizes Eichmann as a man incapable of his own thoughts; so prone to using clichés inappropriately, repeating himself, contradicting his previous statements, and utterly incompetent of original thought or judgment. Arendt portrays Eichmann as an automaton only interested in advancing his own career. Arendt does not even fault Eichmann for completing his job, because she thought he was simply following the orders that were given to him.

This was one of the three major controversies that arose with the printing of Arendt's insight on the trial. Arendt also heavily criticized David Ben-Gurion, the first Prime Minster of Israel, the chief Prosecutor Gideon Hausner, and the European Jewish community.

Arendt believed that the Jewish Community in Europe had meticulous organizational abilities and was instrumental in the destruction of European Jewry. The organizations that the Jews created were able to document and provide comprehensive statistics and efficiency in rounding up Jews and aiding the Nazis. Arendt believed the Jewish bureaucracy was impeccable in its carrying out of these duties. This argument of Arendt's is flawed for a number of reasons. If the Jewish communal leaders assigned these tasks did not fulfill them then other Jews may have, and if not them, then other European citizens might have, which does not completely discredit Arendt. But the fact that does debunk Arendt's theory, that is often described as "blaming the victims not the criminals," is the fact that the Russian Jews were systematically murdered and killed much the same way as much of Central and Eastern Europe's Jews were. What stands to reason is there were no Jewish organizations to augment the efficiency of the Nazis in Russia. The Nazis were able to comprehend this task without the help of any Jewish bureaucracy. The Jewish organizations could not have been much more helpful to the Jews of Europe, Arendt really overplays this theory. Jews were not leading their brethren to their funerals, or simply following orders like Eichmann and other cogs, but were probably trying to alleviate Jewish suffering.

Arendt's criticism of Ben-Gurion's treatment of the trial is precise. There were journalists from all over the world hanging on each and every word of the trial; it was truly a "show trial." Even though Arendt would probably agree that Eichmann was a cog and an automaton, Israel's Premier was able to gain great publicity for the trial.

Throughout the course of the book Arendt restates the arguments made against Eichmann by the prosecution, when they are adequate she leaves them as is. However, when the arguments fall short of Arendt's standards she takes the liberty of showing the flaw of the procedure, the argument, and its role in the trial. At most points this commentary is a necessity, but at others Arendt seems to be showing her mental muscle and belittling the prosecution.

These are the major reasons Arendt's work was poorly received in Israel. Her criticism of European Jewry's role in the Holocaust is rather short-sighted, but her indictment of the prosecutors and Ben-Gurion is profound.

Eichmann in Jerusalem is a classic in the study of human nature, totalitarian politics, and political theory, deservingly. The book has its flaws, but the insightful commentary on one's man adventure inside the totalitarian Nazi destructing machine is a true tour de force.

A lot has been written and said about the Holocaust. This small book by a respected philosopher about the trial of Eichmann in Jerusalem is the largest and most thought provoking of them all. Why? Because it analizes through the personal experience of an "employee" of the killing machine, the intimate aspect of evil, how banally can it stem out of the most ordinary persons. Rosseau wrote that "homo homini lupus" and Arendt clearly follows up. It also provides factual historical insight about how the Nazi solution to the jewish problem evolved from expatriation or relocation to physical annihilation. From another perspective, that of the victims, answers the question that many other authors ignore or circumvent. How so few (in the R.S.H.A. and S.S.) could find, control and deport so many ? In almost all the countries the hearding of the victims and their shipment could not have happened without the active participation of the Jewish Councils and other jewish authorities which were empowered by the Nazis for that purpose. The self delusion of the leaders of the jewish communities is clearly recorded by Arendt up to the appalling and pathetic case of Dr. Kastner in Hungary who saved 1,684 people at a cost of 476,000 victims. From a juridical standpoint, Arendt valiantly raises certain doubts about the fairness of the trial. It also analizes the political impact of Eichmann's veredict and its influence upon future trials (in Germany) of Nazi war criminals. THIS CONTROVERSIAL BOOK IS A MUST FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN THE TRAGEDY OF THE HUMAN CONDITION,THE POLITICAL CONSIDERATIONS THAT LED TO EICHMANN'S ABDUCTION AND TRIAL AND THE REAL WORKINGS OF THE HOLOCAUST.

Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil by Hannah Arendt is one of the most disturbing books that I have read in a long while. Along with Gita Sereny's interviews with Stangle and Speer, they demonstrate the true horror of the Third Reich. This horror is not the inherent evil of Hitler or Himmler or the sadistic camp guards. The holocaust presented these already morally bankrupt men with the opportunity to commit the evil which their consciences allowed. Of greater horror are the individuals, such as Eichmann, who were not evil per se, but who were willing to put conscience aside in order to advance within an evil system.

As Arendt moves through the holocaust in the different countries in Western Europe and the Balkans, it becomes evident that the difference in degrees of the destruction of Jewry was not defined by the presence of potentially evil wrongdoers, but by the existence of individuals who would not put their conscience aside in order to further short-term goals. The contrast between the destruction of German Jews and the survival of the Jews of Bulgaria and Denmark can be directly traced to a commitment by the Bulgarians and Danes to save their fellow countrymen. The German Jews did not survive as the Danish and Bulgarian Jews did because Germany lacked such men of conscience.

It is easier to think of the chief architects and perpetrators of the attempted destruction of a whole people as madmen, the madder the better. Their acts can be rightfully condemned, but also understood, as evil things done by evil people. Furthermore, if the holocaust can be blamed on the acts of evil madmen, then it is also easier to believe that it could not have been prevented. Arendt destroys each of these rationalizations and raises questions that frankly kept me up at night. If, as she demonstrates, the success of the holocaust was determined by those who put their consciences aside, then it also seems agonizingly true that the deaths of six million were not predetermined. Had more people acted on their consciences, perhaps those deaths need not have been integral to the Nazi conquest of Europe.

The fact that she does not treat Eichmann as a mad sadist, and instead explains why the prosecutions portrayal of him was incorrect, does not mean that Arendt is an apologist for Eichmann - far from it. Unlike Hitler, Eichmann was under no illusion that the Jews were responsible for all of the world's problems. His prior relations with Jews had been friendly. However, he was willing able to put this aside and play a vital role in the Final Solution. His excuse was that he was ordered to do so. But the reality was that he was more worried about his failure to get the promotions that he believed he deserved. This made Eichmann, like most of the perpetrators of the holocaust, the paradigm of the "banality of evil." However, such a rational led Arendt not to condemn the Jerusalem Court's death verdict but to condone it.

Arendt does an amazing job of delving into the mind of Eichmann as well as the reasons why the Final Solution was successful in some countries and not others. This is not a book for one who desires light reading. However, if one is seeking to understand the Final Solution, then this book is a must.

This is Truly an Encyclopedia! It's full of goodies for the armor enthusiast. It includes a glossary that gives the German abreviation, word, & English translation of many terms. Each Pz Kpfw 1-6 (Tanks) has its own section with all of the varients, armored APC's, Half track's, & wheeled vehicles are all represented with all the info you would expect. There is even a section on non-german vehicles in Whermact service. Tons of pictures with numbered captions are presented. This is the book for you if you want to learn a fair amount about the many different German vehicles of WW2. This book will give you your money's worth & then some!

This book ranks as one of the most informative of the German Wehrmacht vehicles. The essential data is provided along with the corresponding picture.( The interior turret views of the panzers is a rare treat not often present in many similar books!), and the reader is able to see the multitude of different armored designs introduced throughout the war. Even a listing of what kind of vehicle using what brand of radio is provided. Maybe what really shocks is the production number of Germany's Main Battle Tanks comes no where near to as many as both the U.S and Russia produced, giving credence to just how good these weapons and crews had to have been to hold the Allies off as long as they did.

This book is full of great pictures and descriptions of all the german vehicles used in WWII. It is the best book I have seen (& own) about this subject matter. I would definitly buy this book again!...