history

I read this book a few years ago, and I've never seen anything so sad in my life. I don't know whether to be inspired or repulsed. The Kennedys aren't cursed, they're just dysfunctional, period!

A woman who stays with her husband in spite of his being more absent than not (and who has numerous affairs with other women), because the money, power and privilege are supposedly too good to walk away from; A woman who allows a religion to tell her that she shouldn't enjoy sex with her husband but use it for procreation only (thus setting up the men in the family to cheat because their wives are only doing their 'duty'); a woman who is more concerned about keeping up appearances than about the emotional well-being of her children. YIKES! I have more sympathy for Ethel, Jackie, Joan and poor Rosemary than I do for Rose. At least, with the exception of Ethel (who, like her mother-in-law, wouldn't believe that her husband was cheating on her), Jackie and Joan didn't pretend that it was okay; they just tried to distance themselves from the whole mess.

Yes, times were different then; yes, divorces were frowned upon (with good reason). But Rose was the worst kind of enabler I've ever read about in my life. She could have taken the risk and left her husband, sparing her children the grief and leaving them with some sense of honor and respect for the feelings of others (which her husband failed to do when be cheated on her). Instead she, along with her husband, passed on to her children a tragic legacy of maintaining a good front, not showing emotions in public, turning a blind eye to the adultery that was right under her nose, etc. As a result, the Kennedy children have soent all of their lives trying to live up to what their parents expected of them, adversely affecting their families in the process.

I'm glad that with some exceptions, the latter generation of Kennedys have more normal lives than their parents. I hope they are each getting help for their problems so that history does not continue to repeat itself. Jackie would have been proud of Caroline and her late son John; she did a good job with them. The other younger Kennedy women (Maria Shriver, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend etc.) turned out fine too. Perhaps they have learned not to tolerate the foolishness their mothers put up with.

The important lesson to be learned is that family dysfunctions, when left unchecked and unresolved, can devastate that family (including the wealthy Kennedys) for generations to come.

For five years bestselling author, journalist & social historian Laurence Leamer researched the book, receiving unprecedented cooperation from Kennedy family members, interviewing scores of relatives & close associates, & gaining access to hundreds of personal documents. The book combines his exhaustive & superb scholarship with a gripping narrative that will forever alter our perception of America's royal family.

The Kennedy Women is a virtual feast for Kennedy lovers. The book could serve as a university course on the life of the family, chronicling five matrilineal generations in our nation's foremost political dynasty. It provides a poetic panorama of the history of American womanhood, as we are taken from the life of Bridget Murphy Kennedy, who arrived steerage class on an immigrant vessel to work as a servant in the slums of Boston, to the presentation of Joseph Kennedy's daughters to the Queen of England, to John F. Kennedy's White House, through discussions of the future Kennedy matriarchs Caroline Kennedy Scholossberg, Maria Shriver Schwartzenegger, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, & Rory Kennedy.

Wonderful, in-depth portraits with much new material are given of all the Kennedy women, particularly the ubiquitous Jackie, Ethel, & Eunice, & the mentally challenged Rosemary, whose story in all its horror & duplicity is revealed in detail.

It isn't often that one mourns coming to the end of a book. Although The Kennedy Women covers 933 pages, I was saddened to find myself on the last page.

"For the most part Rose grandchildren observed and respected and obeyed her, tiptoeing around her life as if she were an exquisite piece of porcelain. She had led such a decorous life, blocking out the untoward, the ugly, and the unacceptable, that her eyes no longer saw the darker colours of the spectrum. "Pat drank a bottle of wine in the morning," Rose was told. "That's impossible" Rose replied, Pat doesn't drink"

I was glad that I read this book because it has helped me to understand so much more about this so much talked about family. In Mr. Leaner's book we get to know about the Kennedy women's personal thoughts and the correct stories of the daughters and daughters-in-law. Mr.Leamer has given us indept portraits of these women and my favourite is Rose Kennedy the Matriarch of the family. For Rose was a woman so strong and who suffered great disloyalty by her husband which she took all gracefully all for the sake of her family and what she supposed the public expected of them. She was a stern Catholic and gain her strength through her prayer and trust in God.
Also portrayed are Joan Kennedy; Ted wife who had a problem with alcohol. Jackie Kennedy Onnassis; the President's wife who remarried after the President's death to a Greek tycoon. Pat Lawford; married to a Hollywood star and spent most of her time in Los Angeles. Eunice Shriver, who was always working for the handicapped and underprivileged and was one of the Kennedys with great patience and common sense. Ethel Kennedy, Robert Kennedy's widow and Jean Smith.
The Kennedys pushed their tragedies to the inner recesses of their minds.They refused to let others see the negative side of their lives, and carried their problems and burdens inwardly taking pains not to show their broken hearts. To some this might seem pretentious, but they honestly had their reasons. After all they were special in the eyes of America.
Whenever tragedy struck it was not unusual for them to suddenly get physical by taking walks, riding, swimming and any form of exercise. Rosemary the eldest daughter who was mentally retarded was isolated from the public eye and sent to Wisconsin where she was looked after by those of the Sacred Order. This book has helped me to understand so much more about the choices they made and the reason they made them, though tragedy seem to follow them everywhere.

Mr. Leamer has pulled out all the stops in the brilliantly written book, and I would not hesitate to read anything by him in the future. Bravo! Bravo! Heather Marshall 04/04/04

Don't hesitate to buy this marvelous book. It told with an exact and actually atmosphere everything about NYC baseball... when the Giants were called 'Polo Grounders' and the Dodgers 'Da Bums'. The dramatic move also is well explained.

When the lights came on again after World War II, they illuminated a nation ready for heroes and a city --New York--eager for entertainment. Baseball provided the heroes, and the Yankees, the Giants, and the Dodgers--with their rivalries, their successes, their stars--provided the show. Oisk and Newk, Pee Wee and Skoonj, Ski, Campy, Preacher, Westy, Blacky, Whitey, Yogi, the Yankee Clipper, the Peepul's Cherce, the Old Reliable--New York City Baseball recaptures the golden decade of 1947-1957, when the three New York teams were the uncrowned kings of the city and the very embodiment of the national pastime for much of the U.S. In those ten years, Casey Stengel and his Bronx Bombers went to the World Series seven times; Joltin' Joe DiMaggio stepped gracefully aside to make room for a yong slugger named Mickey Mantle; one Bobby Thomson hit "the shot heard 'round the world"' and the Brooklyn (but not for much longer) Dodgers achieved the impossible by beating the Yankees in the 1955 World Series.

New York City Baseball tells about how the Dodgers, Giants and Yankees dominated the late 40's and early 50's baseball.
I really enjoyed the opening chapters discussing the reasons for the departure of the Giants and Dodgers to the west coast.
It made me feel really in on the move.
The rest of the books talks about the feuds, history and outcomes of the seasons metioned.
Frommer is a gifted writer and it was a pity that the book had to end.
There are some neat photos and I would reccommend this book right up there with Dynasty (about the Yankees).

My daughter enjoys reading and interacting with the book. It is a must have for all races and ethnic groups. It's EVERYONE'S history, not just African-American history. I have shared the book with many people of all races and they have enjoyed and bought the book.

This book gives dimensional insight to those not only wanting to read about the horrific history of slavery, but also, have pieces of history, that are tangible, to lift from the pages and look at. It is a good book to add to a collection of other books about a period in African American, and American history.
I also wanted to comment on reviewers Alice, who said the book was "cute," and Karen, who liked to "peek" at the items in the book. The book gives the reader a glimps about slavery and the atrocities that African Amercian people suffered in this country during that time period, and still do because of it. There is definitely nothing cute, or delightful to peek at, about this book, but you can learn from it.

Ms. Thomas should be commended for bringing to life the days of the lives of people who were condenmed for being Black. I was also amazed about the research she acquired -- especially the 3D mementos. So many people have heard about these articles, but without attending a museum, have never seen them. Many other people have also heard about them, but don't take them serious, especially if it did not alter their lives in any way. For those of us who do take that time in history seriously, thank you, Ms. Thomas, for showing us and bringing us closer to what our ancestors endured.

After reading "Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry" and the two following books of the trilogy, I fell in love with Mildred D. Taylor's writing. I searched the library for more books by her, and when I was successful, sat down and read the books immediately, becoming more enchanted with each one. When I heard that there was a prequel to the books, I couldn't wait to get a hold of it. On the way home from the library, I started reading and didn't stop until the last page.
Paul-Edward Logan has a white father and a half black, half indian mother. Growing up on his father's plantation, he never quite knows his place. Although his mother is always warning him against it, Paul-Edward's best friend is his father's other son, born from a white mother. As Paul-Edward grows he learns of betrayal and watches his best friend abandon him for a group of rough white boys. When Paul-Edward is fourteen, he runs away with his new best friend, Mitchell. A book about racism, friendship and family, Mildred D. Taylor has created another masterpiece to be enjoyed for many years.

A compelling prequel to Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, Mildred Taylor' The Land brings us into the history of Cassie Logan's family as we follow the life and her grandfather, Paul-Edward Logan. The story opens with Paul-Edward as a boy on his father's land. As the son of a white landowner and a former slave in the southern state of Georgia, his biracial background complicates his life and emotions. His father had three sons with his wife, as well as Paul-Edward and his sister Cassie with his slave woman.

During the first 12 years of his life, he was treated roughly as an equal in his father's house'as much as possible for someone black in the 1880's. Relationships with his half-brothers grew strong, especially with Robert who was the same age. They did everything together and were the best of friends. On the other side of his life, Paul-Edward had a clashing relationship with a black boy on father's land named Mitchell. In exchange for teaching Mitchell how to read, Paul-Edward finds an ending to his daily fights and a personal bodyguard. After his brother Robert chooses his white friends over his own brother, Paul-Edward finally realizes the complexity of growing up black in a segregated society.

The final straw, however, comes when his father denies him an opportunity to race a horse for cash. As a fourteen-year-old, denial only pushes him to accept the offer, but the man refuses to pay him. Mitchell, his personal bodyguard, decides to take matters into his own hands and sets them running for their lives. In the remainder of the tale, their dependence on one another through lumber camps and land deals seals the friendship. Paul-Edward follows his dream to own land, with Mitchell helping him clear the way. They work together, eventually realizing the dream.

With a strong historical setting and captivating turns of events, Taylor does it again. Instead of telling her readers about the struggles of a black individual following the Civil War, she shows us. Through the personable character of Paul-Edward, we feel his pain, struggles, and hopes. The hard truths of segregated society ring clear as he is cheated again and again. Life in the lumber camps helps us see the scarce employment opportunities for freed slaves, and the denial of a bank loan shows the dreadful cycle of poverty.

Written in the common black dialect of that time in the South, the book brings another culture alive and respects the roots of Black English. Paul-Edward and Mitchell remain true to their roots and do their families proud in the end. They persevere and support each other through every hardship. Their friendship is a testimony to the strength and commitment of true friends.

This book weaves a tale of a man's self-discovery, the prize from perseverance, a lesson in friendship, a positive romance, and the credibility of hope. Those things make it strong enough for use in a classroom. In addition, however, I recommend this book because of its historical value. Although fiction, Taylor brings key characteristics of the post-Civil War South to life. By showing us a full-color picture of the culture, we come away from the lesson filled in a way that would scarcely happen from a history textbook. She fills in the gaps, completing the picture.

Paul-Edward Logan has a unique life situation in the late 1800s. Born on a southern plantation following the Civil War, his mother is black and Native American, yet his father is a white man. As a child, he is treated with almost the same care given to his white half-brothers, yet as he grows up he begins to learn the harshness and injustice of his world. But Paul is determined to make something of himself. He wants his own land, he wants his own destiny, and he wants things that many others of his race wouldn't even dream of.

I was shocked with just how much I was impressed with this book! Throughout my life I have loved the powerful stories told in Taylor's "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry" trilogy, yet often authors kind of fizzle after a couple of amazing books. But not here!

I think one of the best things about Paul-Edward's story is how once again Taylor draws on family stories. Anyone who has read "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry" will recall that Paul-Edward is the grandfather of the Logan children, and will find it even more fascinating to read his own story. Which brings me to another point-the fact that Taylor not only draws on family stories, but brings them so vividly and credibly to life makes her writing all the better.

And the writing was indeed good. Paul's first-person narrative sounds intelligent and interesting, while still managing to sound realistic and fresh. He is a character full of pride and determination that makes him truly admirable. But the book never feels preachy, and the pride and strength that Taylor fashions into her stories never feels fake.

"The Land" is a book that is at once a story of hope and a realistic portrait of the ugly racism that plagued our society at the time. Just as in her other books, the author deals with racism in a balanced, up front, and intelligent manner.

I was so impressed with this latest from Mildred Taylor! The character-driven story is the perfect balance of timeless values and a compelling historical backdrop.

For anyone younger than 60, a world war is an inconceivable entity. We simply cannot relate to the disruption of lives, the terror, the hardship, the senseless death and destruction. Ms. Sherman has given us a fascinating, intense tool to see through her eyes and her husband's how things were for a young, newly-married couple separated early in their marriage by World War II.

I could not put this book down. Finishing it became an obsession. The letters were so fascinating, so real, that I felt the two writers were in the room with me, telling me their story aloud. What a wonderfully strong love the Shermans had for each other, throughout those many years of separation, keeping it alive with only letters, often infrequent, and occasional, painfully brief, reunions. The intimate details of their day-to-day lives during this terrible period of worry and uncertainty give the reader a riveting picture of what it must have been like to keep one's life (and marriage) together in spite of long periods without any contact.

This story is truly an inspiration to all lovers everywhere. If a marriage can survive these kinds of sorrows and stresses, there is still hope for us ordinary folks trying to make a go of it. Anyone who reads this story will be warmed and uplifted straight through to the heart. And knowing it is all true makes it even more meaningful to the reader.

A number of collections of letters from World War II are being published as that generation gathers up its memories. Harriette Sherman's volume of letters between her Air Force husband and herself,Love in the Time of War, is an outstanding contribution to the genre. They freely communicated their love, caring and concern for each other while describing the daily events of their lives. I read it in one sitting and returned a month later to enjoy it again. It is an uplifting and heartwarming book and a sure cure for one's self-pity and woe of the moment.

Wow! Harriette S. Sherman (H) and her loving and beloved L are amazing, impressive, inspirational people. Abruptly separated by World War II immediately after their marriage (they returned from their honeymoon to find his draft papers waiting), they wrote copious letters back and forth to support each other and to continue their relationship in the only ways they could. They saved the letters, and over 50 years later the author cleaned out their closet, pulled out the box of letters, and decided to arrange them into a book to share their story. I'm so glad she did! The letters and the bits of connecting narrative gave me eye-opening, enthralling insight into some of the personal struggles of the times. Their joint story is not just informative, it's also really good and gripping and tender, and I've loaned my copy out to friends so many times that I got some extras -- one to use as my loaner in case it ever doesn't come back, and a couple to give as gifts. Thank you, H and L, for this terrific book, and also for your steadfast services to the country through this awful war. I admire your strength and courage and perserverence and love.

. . . was the music! I was surprised and mildly disappointed that the CD's didn't include the original recordings of the songs talked about. Other than that it was most enjoyable

I can't say enough good things about this book. It's a one-of-a-kind must-have for anybody who loves music. A real class-act. The pictures and layout are fabulous, and to read interviews of writers talking about how they created some of some of your favorite songs is enlightening. But the CD's---the audio interviews with these wonderful creative people---are truly amazing. I especially loved hearing Graham Nash talk about Joni Mitchell and "Our House"---but all the interviews are super. You feel like you've been invited into the writer's living rooms and are sitting right there while they share their trials, tribulations, and victories. What can I say, I just loved the whole experience...reading, listening, looking. If I could afford it, I would buy this book for every one of my friends. As it is at least two of them will find this under their trees this Christmas.

I love Graham Nash's music, but was pleasantly surprised by the wealth of songwriters and musicians who are featured in OFF THE RECORD. This is a FABULOUS gift for any music lover.

The book includes handwritten lyrics of many classic songs, interviews (both written and audio (on 2 CDs)), photos, and more. The book is colorful, engaging, and a celebration of GREAT music...

Besides the Word of God (the bible), there are three other books every Christian should read, if he/she is serious about their faith.

Pilgrim's Progress, by John Bunyan; The Cost of Discipleship by D. Bonhoeffer, and this book, Life Together, by the same author. This book changed my perspective...totally, on how to live with 'my neighbour.' Think you really do love your neighbour? What about your brother and sister in the Lord? With so many church splits, arguments over trivial doctrinal issues, petty squabbles, and gossip justified as 'good ol' christian concern', this book is needed. It shows how we are REALLY to treat one another. Patterned after Christ, and based in scripture--this book is a must.

Bonhoeffer is brilliant in his understanding of the church's lifeblood, which is the cross. Where other ecclesiologies become distracted by secondary issues, Bonhoeffer cuts right to the foundational elements of life in Christ. The Church of today would do well to rediscover Bonhoeffer, and not only this book but his others as well. Sanctorum Communio takes a more theological look at these same issues, but Life Together is probably the best book to start with for someone wanting to break into Bonhoeffer's works. Its theme sets everything else that he writes into perspective.

Satan is the accuser, the Bible says. But Christ, with the Spirit, intercedes for us, as the Apostle Paul says in Romans 8:26 "with sighs too deep for words".

A beautiful book, my copy freely given me by a Lutheran pastor who shared my love for Bonhoeffer. I wanted to lead a Bible study, he said if he ever led one he would use this book!

I first heard of Bonhoeffer from someone at my church. I discovered Bonhoeffer for myself when I watched the documentary Hanged on a Twisted Cross, the life and times of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, which I highly, highly recommend.

The parts of the book which spoke to me most were the sections in chapter 1 entitled through and in Jesus Christ and in chapter 3, the section on intercession. Here are some excerpts I love:

"A Christian fellowship lives and exists by the intercession of its members for one another, or it collapses. I can no longer condemn or hate a brother for whom I pray, no matter how much trouble he causes me. His face, that hitherto may have been strange and intolerable to me, is transformed in intercession into the countenance of a brother for whom Christ died, the face of a forgiven sinner......Intercession means no more than to bring our brother into the presence of God, to see him under the cross of Jesus as a poor human being and sinner in need of grace....His need and his sin become so heavy and oppressive that we feel them as our own, and we can do nothing else but pray: Lord, do Thou, Thou alone, deal with him according to Thy severity and Thy goodness."

I do believe Bonhoeffer has " the mind of Christ" on that one.

Beautiful, beautiful book.

P.S. I challenge you to examine and compare the lives of Noah, Daniel, and Job
to find out what was so pleasing to God about them. How do their lives reflect Christ's and what about everyone else's?!!! Please see Ezekiel 14:14-23. So I leave you with some homework, I just couldn't resist!

I have read the prior three novels in O'Brian's masterful Aubrey/Maturin series, and thought the first three were uniformly excellent. After a layoff, I returned to the series and while I enjoyed The Mauritius Command, I thought there was somewhat of a slip from the first few books of this 20 novel series.

The novel opens promisingly, with Aubrey suffering in a less-than-ideal domestic situation. His mother-in-law lives with Jack, his wife Sophie and their cranky daughters, and his efforts to manage a farm are comical in his ineptitude. When Maturin visits, and Aubrey tries to show him around and put a brave face on his domestic struggles, the comedy inherent in O'Brian's writing comes shining through. While Jack (and the reader) itch to get to sea, it is there that O'Brian seems to lose control of the story.

Aubrey gets an order to go to the Cape of Good Hope, where he is sent on a mission to dislodge the French from the Mauritius Islands and help set up a British Colonial Governor by the name of Farquar. As is usually the case, despite great achievements in the past, Jack is shackled and insufficiently rewarded by his superiors in the admiralty, and his supposed connections, through his father in the Parliament, are of little help.

O'Brian seems to assume a good bit of nautical knowledge by the reader, and this landlubber sometimes got a little lost in the naval warfare scenes. The most engaging aspects of the novel seemed to me the differences in character, and the seething one-upsmanship among the various ship captains under Jack's overall command including Captains Pym, Clonfert and Corbett. The problem was, just when the author whets your appetite for some great internal conflict or drama between the brutal Corbett and the popular Clonfert, Corbett is sent from the area.

Moreover, the final battle scenes are almost thrown together in summary form, as if the culmination of the mission did not really concern O'Brian as much as the hassles of getting there, and so there was a bit of a letdown at the end. I look forward to the next novel (Desolation Island I think), but have to be luke-warm in my praise of this one. I give it a fairly generous 4 stars, 3 and 1/2 if I could.

The Mauritius Command is a first rate piece of historical fiction. Patrick O'Brian deftly weaves this swashbuckling nautical tale into the historical account of the British retaking the Mauritius Islands. Lucky Jack Aubrey, with a little help from Stephen Maturin, becomes a Commodore and leads his squadron of ships into battle with the French.

A new father, Jack Aubrey leaves behind his wife to venture out to the Indian Ocean. His wife, Sophie, lost her dowry and story begins with Jack hurting for money. So the opportunity to have command and be back on full pay is most welcome. Commodore Aubrey's command is complicated by the personalities of his subordinate commanders. Maturin comes out of the closet and works his espionage in the open.

With victory just within his grasp, Admiral Bertie arrives to take command and the credit away from Jack. Despite that setback, Lucky Jack stills finishes on top.

I highly recommend this book.

Some critics have referred to the Aubrey/Maturin books as one long novel united not only by their historical setting but also by the central plot element of the Aubrey/Maturin friendship. Having read these fine books over a period of several years, I decided to evaluate their cumulative integrity by reading them consecutively in order of publication over a period of a few weeks. This turned out to be a rewarding enterprise. For readers unfamiliar with these books, they describe the experiences of a Royal Navy officer and his close friend and traveling companion, a naval surgeon. The experiences cover a broad swath of the Napoleonic Wars and virtually the whole globe.
Rereading all the books confirmed that O'Brian is a superb writer and that his ability to evoke the past is outstanding. O'Brian has numerous gifts as a writer. He is the master of the long, careful description, and the short, telling episode. His ability to construct ingenious but creditable plots is first-rate, probably because he based much of the action of his books on actual events. For example, some of the episodes of Jack Aubrey's career are based on the life of the famous frigate captain, Lord Cochrane. O'Brian excels also in his depiction of characters. His ability to develop psychologically creditable characters through a combination of dialogue, comments by other characters, and description is tremendous. O'Brien's interest in psychology went well beyond normal character development, some books contain excellent case studies of anxiety, depression, and mania.
Reading O'Brien gives vivid view of the early 19th century. The historian Bernard Bailyn, writing of colonial America, stated once that the 18th century world was not only pre-industrial but also pre-humanitarian (paraphrase). This is true as well for the early 19th century depicted by O'Brien. The casual and invariable presence of violence, brutality, and death is a theme running through all the books. The constant threats to life are the product not only of natural forces beyond human control, particularly the weather and disease, but also of relative human indifference to suffering. There is nothing particularly romantic about the world O'Brien describes but it also a certain grim grandeur. O'Brien also shows the somewhat transitional nature of the early 19th century. The British Navy and its vessals were the apogee of what could be achieved by pre-industrial technology. This is true both of the technology itself and the social organization needed to produce and use the massive sailing vessals. Aubrey's navy is an organization reflecting its society; an order based on deference, rigid hierarchy, primitive notions of honor, favoritism, and very, very corrupt. At the same time, it was one of the largest and most effective bureaucracies in human history to that time. The nature of service exacted great penalities for failure in a particularly environment, and great success was rewarded greatly. In some ways, it was a ruthless meritocracy whose structure and success anticipates the great expansion of government power and capacity seen in the rest of the 19th century.
O'Brian is also the great writer about male friendship. There are important female characters in these books but since most of the action takes place at sea, male characters predominate. The friendship between Aubrey and Maturin is the central armature of the books and is a brilliant creation. The position of women in these books is ambiguous. There are sympathetic characters, notably Aubrey's long suffering wife. Other women figures, notably Maturin's wife, leave a less positive impression. On board ship, women tend to have a disruptive, even malign influence.
How did O'Brian manage to sustain his achievement over 20 books? Beyond his technical abilities as a writer and the instrinsic interest of the subject, O'Brien made a series of very intelligent choices. He has not one but two major protagonists. The contrasting but equally interesting figures of Aubrey and Maturin allowed O'Brien to a particularly rich opportunity to expose different facets of character development and to vary plots carefully. This is quite difficult and I'm not aware of any other writer who has been able to accomplish such sustained development of two major protagonists for such a prolonged period. O'Brian's use of his historical setting is very creative. The scenes and events in the books literally span the whole globe as Aubrey and Maturin encounter numerous cultures and societies. The naval setting allowed him also to introduce numerous new and interesting characters. O'Brian was able to make his stories attractive to many audiences. Several of these stories can be enjoyed as psychological novels, as adventure stories, as suspense novels, and even one as a legal thriller. O'Brian was also a very funny writer, successful at both broad, low humor, and sophisticated wit. Finally, O'Brian made efforts to link some of the books together. While a number are complete in themselves, others form components of extended, multi-book narratives. Desolation Island, Fortune of War, and The Surgeon's Mate are one such grouping. Treason's Harbor, The Far Side of the World, and The Reverse of the Medal are another. The Letter of Marque and the ensuing 4 books, centered around a circumnavigation, are another.
Though the average quality of the books is remarkably high, some are better than others. I suspect that different readers will have different favorites. I personally prefer some of the books with greater psychological elements. The first book, Master and Commander, is one of my favorites. The last 2 or 3, while good, are not as strong as earlier books. I suspect O'Brian's stream of invention was beginning to diminish. All can be read profitably as stand alone works though there is definitely something to be gained by reading in consecutive order.

According to the introductory note in the Dover Thrift Edition, "Medea," the play by Euripedes, was first produced in 431 BC. After more than two millennia, this remains a powerfully written human tragedy. The Dover Thrift edition features an English translation by Rex Warner; this very effective translation manages to sound both classic and contemporary at the same time.

"Medea" tells a story involving the classical Greek hero Jason and Medea, by whom he has fathered two children. As the play opens, Jason has angered Medea by taking on another woman to be his wife. This conflict drives the drama forward. "Medea" is a gripping story about love, parenthood, politics, betrayal, anger, and revenge. There is a subtle but fascinating theme of ethnic tension as Medea and Jason clash. Finally, I believe that, after all these centuries, Euripedes' sociological and psychological insights remain compelling.

"Medea" is a classical work that many have heard of, but few have actually read. It is the story of the wife of Jason, leader of Argonauts, and her chilling plot of revenge against an unfaithful husband and his new child-bride. The play is short, concise, and powerfully unnerving. Whether this is a history of misogyny or a warning of the vengeance of a wronged woman is a matter better left to scholarly debate. Provocative, disturbing, and at times heartbreaking, this is a definite must-read for neo-Classicists and avid readers alike. Not to be missed.

Euripides play "Medea" is a timeless reminder that certain human characteristics are universal in nature. Medea's readers will notice that, even despite they live 2,000 years after this play was written, the same types of disputes between individuals occur. Men still cheat on women, and women, just as then, had strong emotional displeasure with such behavior. What Euripides could never imagine is that this is an excellent story about evolutionary psychology. This story does not justify such behavior, and, in fact, shows that the consequences can be deadly.

We see today that the story of Medea is on every single day in our living rooms! Yes--every soap opera is about women who have been hurt by a man, while that man, because of biological instincts that encourage him to look for a variety of women--will search near and far for another female who will accept him. What most stories do not explain, however (and especially not in that time era) is that women do feel immense pain from this, mostly emotional. Medea was able to use that emotional anger she had -- and use it to cause physical and emotional pain on her philandering husband. The only question is, did she need to kill her children to make that point? That remains to be seen.

Michael Gordon

"O Jerusalem" is a classic. By focusing on one narrow yet vitally important aspect of the Arab-Jewish conflict surrounding the birth of Israel between WWII and 1948, the authors bring to life all the characters, good bad and neutral who played a role in the saga of Jerusalem. As readers of the book will discover, prior to 1948, Jerusalem was a city with a mixed Jewish-Arab population. The Arabs and Jews lived in relative harmony, sometimes in mixed neighborhoods. Under British rule, all religious groups had access to their own holy sights. The authors demonstrate how villaims like Husseini, the Mufti of Jerusalem, a rabid anti-semite who spent WWII hiding from the British in Berlin, brought ruin to the Arabs of Jerusalem. Indeed, the Arabs come across as the ultimate victims, which they were. Their victimizers were not the Jews, however, but their fellow Arabs. Ultimately, war comes in 1948 and the Jews are victorious in establishing the state of Israel. Many Arab residents of Jerusalem are forced from their homes either by the Israeli Defense Force, fellow Arabs or their own fears. Most wind up in the part of the city that has come to be known as "East Jerusalem". The old city, including the Jewish Quarter and the Western Wall is captured by Jordan and ALL Jews are expelled. The book describes in great detail, the tragic consequences of this conflict which was not wanted by the Jews, not wanted by their Arab neighbors but spurred on by interlopers like the Mufti, the British and many bad players fromt he Arab world like King Abdullah. It is a fair analysis. It does not make the Jews out to be saints nor does it portray all the Arabs as blood thirsty monsters. It lays blame where it belongs. Those pre-disposed to a revisionist view of Israel's birth will not appreciate this book because its fair analysis does not meet with revisionist ideology. But for anyone who wants to learn the truth about this conflict, this book is a must read.

This unbiased account of the siege of Jerusalem during the 1948 Israeli War of Independence, told through the eyes of both Jew and Arab alike, offers a unique opportunity to understanding the complex situation which currently exists in the Middle East. Written by the reknound journalists, Larry Collins and Dominique LaPierre, this book takes us on a meandering journey in and out of the lives of the men and women who fought, lived, loved and died protecting or defending their city. Dozens of simple stories, documenting the lives of ordinary people and statesmen alike, offer a haunting glimpse into this not so distant but dramatic past. A must for anyone wanting to gain a deeper understanding into today's conflict, or explore this time of struggle, birth and death of two nations, two peoples.

No novel could have been more exciting than this detailed story of the birth of Israel and the early struggles. This book is written with all the suspense and excitement of a novel but what sets it aside is that it is all factual.

The authors do an excellent job of researching those tense days back in 1948 with the realization that the fall of Israel was within a heartbeat the whole time until some last minute help from the US

One of my favorite books!