history

I recently returned from Kenya and Tanzania where I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and went on a safari across the Seregenti and neighboring parks. Reading _The Shadow..._ has me longing to flee my desk job for good and head back to the wilds of Africa. The book brought back memories of the trip of a lifetime, from the icy cold of the oxygen-starved summit of Kili to the vast plains of East Africa and my only regret upon reading the book was that my safari was in a car -- an amazing experience, to be sure, but I envy Ridgeway his chance to experience Africa and its wildlife from the "real" perspective, the one man has always occupied... on foot and thus always on alert.

The book is a must-read for anyone who has been to or is contemplating going to East Africa; Ridgeway does a great job of discussing the history of the region and, in particular, the precarious balance between man and beast. The history of the conservation movement and cast of characters Ridgeway introduces is a wonderful way to learn more about the area and the people and policies that shaped its development. It's the latter focus, however, that makes me recommend the book even to those who've never been and never will be to Africa, because Ridgeway's ruminations about the interaction between man and nature, about what wilderness means to mankind, and, unfortunately, what mankind is doing to the last pockets of true wilderness that remain strike a chord that reaches far beyond the scope of his 250-mile walk. As he points out, North America once was "another Africa" with megafauna roaming wild just as the elephants and buffalo still do in Africa and, if we're not careful, the African wildlife may well go the way of all the large wildlife which mankind has driven to extinction.

In one sense, it's a rather depressing book because at the same time I found myself caught up in the excitement, reliving the adventure and planning my next safari, there's a faint undercurrent of despair, as Ridgeway visits the Waliangulu tribal village and finds their way of life disappearing, as he roams through the Rhino Free Range Area where the nearly-extinct black rhinoceros population is protected. But, as Ridgeway quotes "To despair of the entire situation is a reasonable alternative. But the unsatisfactory thing about despair is that besides being fruitless, it's far less exciting than hope." The excitement, and even the hope, of this seasoned adventurer shines through throughout _The Shadow of Kilimanjaro_ as he strides through one of the earth's last truly wild places.

Rick Ridgeway brings a unigue perspective to the history and the present problems which face the country of Kenya and its wildlfe. Although the authors thoughts and comments occur during his "hike" through Keyna from the top of Kilimanjaro, Tsavo east & west n.p., to the Indian Ocean, this is more than just a travel book. We are introduced to many of the historic persons who shaped what is currently the national park system in Kenya. We are also introduced to those who presently hold important positions within this system. The book provided an excellent discussion of the important issues in regards to the balance of nature/wildlife, economic concerns, and the local peoples. I found the discussions of the Waliangulu (elephant people) an excellent example of the problem which not only faces Kenya but other parts of Africa as well. For those with interest in this part of the world, this book provides a refreshing point of view.

Rick Ridgeway has written a very informative and entertaining account of his 300 mile hike West to East across southern Kenya in 1997. The walk was metaphorically in THE SHADOW OF KILIMANJARO beginning on the summit of that great mountain and spanning the different ecological zones of mountain moraine, foothills, savannah, scrub, desert, and finally tropical white sand beaches of the Indian Ocean coast near Malindi. More significantly Ridgeway writes about his journey in the shadow of others who have written famously on Kenya, most significantly Hemingway, Dinesen, and Blixen. At yet another level this story is set in the shadow of Kenya's colonial history and its current struggles as a developing nation trying to make its way in the modern world.

Ridgeway deals with all the relevant issues - ecology and the environment, conservation, domestic politics, the economy, tourism, the romantic literary images, the colonial legacy, the Mau Mau uprisings, cultural, ethnic, and social issues. And he deals with them in the way good travel writing should. Simply present the facts as you get them and let others speak their truths. No moralizing and very little contextualizing and therefore very refreshing.

The image of Kenya that emerges is that of a real country. Not too much of the fantasy and gloss of a romantic wilderness nor the equally unreal vision of warring tribes at THE ENDS OF THE EARTH. Just reality. Strengths, weaknesses, beauty, blemishes, issues, agendas, and concerns. All the things that face a people making their way on a rapidly globalizing planet. Although Ridgeway's Kenya is a very different place than the country I knew in the 1960's when I lived there in my youth, it's still as rich and as alive as I remember it and Ridgeway has done an excellent job of bringing it home.

For anyone interested in the human side of war, this is an outstanding book. I felt I was walking alongside Joe Sacco from boot camp to his return home. This is the story of a young man drawn into pivotal world events and the mundane is juxtaposed with well-known historical events and characters. History texts necessarily collapse months and years into short paragraphs that tend to belie the true human costs of military engagements. Jack Sacco's account brings it home.

Reading this book has only deepened my appreciation for the "Greatest Generation" and expanded my awareness of the immense sacrifice we ask of our military--combat and support units alike. When you consider that everyone who served has a story to tell and multiply that by the thousands who did and did not come back from WWII, it is a very sobering thought. Everyone knows someone who was touched in some way by the war; reading this story may increase your understanding of those family dynamics.

I just finished reading Mr. Sacco's book and am still a bit 'shell-shocked' from the experience. This is an EXCELLENT book. I read it in two days as I literally could not put it down. From the opening chapter the reader is caught up in the story of Joe Sacco (the author's father) and his journey from innocent farm boy to soldier to survivor. The narrative pulls the reader into the lives of these young men. You are virtually THERE with them as they go through training, cross the Atlantic, enter the invasion of Normandy, move through the hedgerows with the irrascible Patton and his Third Army, get bogged down in the wintry bloodbath of the Bulge, and arrive amidst the nightmarish scenes of Dachau. For anyone who ever questioned that war is sometimes a necessity, the deliverance of those tortured souls from the Inferno of Dachau will open their eyes. This book has everything - comedy, drama, action, adventure, romance, tragedy, despair, triumph. Jack Sacco has truly captured these scenes in vidid style; a simple naturalism that transforms the reader into an actual presence in the drama. It would make an excellent film, as the story is so visually well-told. I cannot recommdend this book highly enough.

I discovered this book by sheer coincidence, and since I am a fan of anything related to WWI and WWII, I was instantly struck by the subtitle. I found this book to be a relatively easy read. Jack Sacco writes the stories of the the 92nd Signal Battalion as the memoir that his father, Joe Sacco, never wrote. Culled most likely from years of hearing his father's war stories, and seeing the sometimes horrific pictures his father kept in his scrapbook, Jack Sacco has paid a wonderful tribute not only to his father, but also to the men his father lived, worked, and fought with. The characters are vividly painted, and seem to come to life, if not seem a little familiar to anyone who has seen or read anything relating to WWII and combat.
I was slightly disappointed that there isn't more about Dachau in the book. (Only one chapter is devoted to the men arriving at the concentration camp and the horrors they uncover there.) For such a critical issue, it seems that Sacco could have spent more time on the soldiers' discoveries and the reaction of the townspeople of Dachau. "They had to have known" about the horrors of the concentration camp located near their homes and I, for one, would have liked for there to have been more on this topic. Nevertheless, this is an engaging account of a soldier's experiences during WWII.

First off let me point out that this book leaves out most biographical information about Sinatra -- it focusses on the recordings themselves. It examines Sinatra's approach and technique to recording and singing. That makes the book extremely interesting and is its greatest strength.

Unfortunately, that is also where its weakness comes in. The book is quite clincial and could use a few more anecdotes and stories -- more "colour" if you will. I'd like to hear more interviews with musicians who worked with Sinatra and from Sinatra himself to get a better idea of the people making the music, because I feel that that the force of Sinatra's personality counts for something in his performance. I personally think that "chemistry" counts as much as technique in music and would like more of that brought out in the book.

This is not enough of a flaw to stop you enjoying the book, it is very engaging and will appeal to anyone who loves Sinatra's records. I still highly recommend the book.

I hestitate to add one more criticism -- Obviously one can not go into exhaustive detail about every single Sinatra recording, but I found it odd that Sinatra's greatest album "Songs For Swingin' Lovers" is barely mentioned while an entire chapter is devoted to the out of print (in US) "Close To You". I realise this is a personal preference, but I found it disappointing.

Charles L. Granata has performed a great service for all those who truly love music and the works of Frank Sinatra. Although Sinatra was a complete entertainer, it was his recordings that set him apart from all others. Charles Granata takes you into the recording studios and recreates the energy, passion and dedication to his craft that drove Frank Sinatra to make the greatest recordings of our time. Never again will we see a collaboration the likes of a Nelson Riddle or Billy May, Axel Stordahl, etc. and Frank Sinatra. Only through Mr. Granata's book, can you relive this part of music history. It is a must for not only Sinatra fans, but for those who truly understand and love music.

Just a brilliant book on the man's A R T ...
As a Beatles/Sinatra devotee, a musician, AND having devoured The Beatles SESSIONS book by Mark Lewishon years ago,
I've been waiting for a book about Sinatra's Art forever -
though it came out in '99, I was recently made aware of it, thankfully so.
Ok, so I'm hip to music sooner than books...

Not as strategically laid-out as Lewisohn's, but awesome detail, as well. My Dad, who is a major Sinatra fan, too, read it in 3 nights, and he isn't a musician.
If you love Frank and would like to know more about his vocal technique, the history of the studios & microphones he used, the arrangers and producers he collaborated with -
GO GET THIS BOOK.
It will make you listen to the songs all over again through new,
inspired ears. Enjoy!

This book caught my attention as an exciting true story that fulfills one's need to feel inspired. It is rather tragic that one of our country's greatest track stars hadto succomb to such a most undesirable opponent that is very hard to beat; cancer. The book let's the reader know how it is to live with cancer, and how John coped with it. Throughout his terrible ordeal, John inspired children in his community to strive for their full potential. If you enjoy a great book that reads fast, then this is a definite for you.

An outstanding book.

I'm an emotional sap and cry at the drop of a hat, but if any one can read this book and not go through a few tissues they either have incredible emotional control or are extremely cold. I started this book yesterday after I got home, around lunch time. I finished it (250 pages) last night. I don't think I've ever done that before. It reads fast. It is the tragic, yet wonderful, true story of John Baker - one of American's best milers in 1969. He teaches elementary school kids and truly lives a life of purpose; a life well lived.

Buy this book now and read it, but stock up on the tissues. You'll come away wishing you had known him. This is mostly a book about teaching kids and heroic character and doesn't talk much about running.

I first read this book in high school and pull it out to re-read it whenever I need a "guaranteed" good read. As an educator, I admire the story and the life of John Baker and strive to make a difference in my students' lives as he did. A great novel and one I hope to teach at my high school!

The people of his time and culture knew him as "Tommaso D'Aquino." We know him as Thomas Aquinas ... but we also know him as probably the greatest, most systematic thinker that Christianity has ever produced. This five-volume work is the classic Dominican translation of his SUMMA THEOLOGIAE and is probably the most widely used English translation of the work. (As an aside, you may enjoy the encyclical of Pope Leo XIII that sought to rebuild Roman Catholic philosophy and theology on the work of Aquinas; it is included in this edition.) If your love is classic catholic theology, you need a copy of this work in your library. All of Roman Catholic theology was firmly based upon it for centuries and it remains an important foundation for modern catholic theology. Whether you buy it new or get yourself a used copy, you will enjoy the clear thinking process that Aquinas used as he explored the issues and questions of faith. Laid out question by question as Aquinas originally intended, this classic version of his work will endure for as long as the church endures. Though Aquinas seems to have suffered a breakdown at the end of his life and though he pronounced all of his work "but straw," I doubt that you'll agree with that assessment when you venture into this masterpiece.

Anybody who seriously studies theology and/or philosophy, especially those who are Roman Catholic, must have some knowledge of this timeless classic written by St. Thomas Aquinas.

I heartily recommend this English translation of the Summa Theologica; however, if you want to do scholarly research, it would be best to get your hands on a copy of a good Latin version. A good Latin version provides access to many nuances not adequately expressed in the English translation.

Serious and orthodox Catholics, especially, will discover the Summa Theologica to be an endless font of knowledge and wisdom.

If you are a non-specialist or a person with little background in philosophical-theology and the history of ideas, it would be wise to find a companion to guide you. For this purpose, I recommend anything on the topic written by Rev. Dr. Brian Davies, OP (Oxford University), Rev. Dr. Armand Maurer, OSA (Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies), Dr. Ralph McInerny (University of Notre Dame), and/or Dr. Eleonore Stump (Saint Louis University). Be careful not to read St. Thomas blindly without guides who have truly studied his thought. These scholars will provide much needed background and prerequisite knowledge.

You might get the idea from some of these postings that only Catholics could care about Thomas, especially hearing about how he manages to theologically justify some, ah, rather untheological matters (if you have read some of these reviews, you will know what I mean). This is quite false. Most of the Summa is quite interesting to anyone interested in philosophy, especially the two traditions that Thomas inherited and synthesized, the Aristotelian and the Augustinian. I've found his work on the will is especially insightful, and I think that a return to the kind of concreteness that characterizes Thomas' treatment of this matter would be helpful in modern philosophy. His division of the formal features of God from the attributes proper is also a very fruitful notion.

I've never read the Summa from cover to cover - indeed, I doubt that too many of the reviewers here have - but there is much here to feast upon for philosophers and theologians of all traditions, especially those interested in Virtue Ethics (a movement I confess I have great sympathy for). Don't be frightened off from it simply because some Catholics act as if the Summa IS Catholicism itself. I think that is a rather naive view, since (1) there are modern Catholic practices and beliefs that seem incompatible with some parts of the Summa and (2) there are elements of Thomas that no one will wish to bring back into contemporary theology or philosophy. Some of his speculative work is, by my lights, too speculative, but this does not detract from the many arguments that are rich, deep, and grounded. Read Thomas for what he does in fact argue, and judge for yourself where he is successful.

In that ominous time immediately preceding the outbreak of WWII, many people found themselves on the wrong side of the Atlantic Ocean. To return to the United States was a difficult if not impossible task for many families because of the prevailing political situation. Tullio Bertini's "Trapped in Tuscany" is a chronicle of adventures experienced by a native born Bostonian forced to live six years of his life with is parents in Facist Italy. The pre- and middle teen years are turbulent for any youngster, and Bertini introduces us to his located in the mountainous region of Tuscany (locale of the German Gothic Line). Making an adjustment to a new culture in the little town of Diecimo and its environs is at times both exciting and adventurous. Unaccustomed deprivations abound. A new language must be learned, adjustments to transportation tackled, and schooling (with Facist undertones)changed--obstacles all, which the youngster embraces with courage and humor. Despite the political turmoil, the reader vicariously experiences a youth's awakening to the early teen years in a positive mood and at the same time gains much insight into everyday life of a small Tuscan town. The book is definitely a "good read" for those of Italian heritage, and, for that matter,anyone who had relatives growing up in war-torn Europe.

A retired lawyer and former intelligence officer. This personal memoir describes the six years that an American teenage boy spent with his Italian American parents caught by the outbreak of World War II in their native town in Tuscany. It is an indispensible contribution to the grass-roots, social history of wartime Fascist Italy. It's filled with the amazing details and realities of daily life, reflecting an intimate insight into the social life and customs of a small Tuscan town north of Florence. The story starts prosaically with an explanation of why the family has returned to Italy. It becomes an absorbing story building to a dramatic climax. The German Army attempts to "relocate" the villagers acting in preparation of the German defensive Gothic Line north of the Arno. The villagers escape by walking all night on trails through mountainous terrain to reach an Apennine valley probed by advancing American forces. Those forces are the all-black American "Buffalo Soldiers" of the famous 92nd Division. These dramatic events are told in a straightforward narrative style reminiscent of Hemmingway. The account is informed by the seemingly photographic memory of the man the boy grew to be. The maps and background presentation reflect the training of author Bertini's adult interlude in American Army Intelligence. It is a must read for those who want to know what is was like to be caught in the harsh realities of a war zone, and for Italian-Americans and others would enjoy a first-hand social history of survival in the Italy of World War II. I think Sophia Loren, remembering her childhood wartime experiences, would empathize and recommend this book. It is well organized with an index, a bibliographic reference and 26 pertinent photo illustrations. /s/ J. A. Giordano, Stanford AB, JD, '56.

I have been reading up on the war in Italy, and this story was a refreshing change from the narratives of battles big and small. I recently visited Diecimo on my way past Lucca, saw the house of Tullio, and spoke with a local who was also a boy during the war. This story helped me understand from another perspective the incredible damage done to the Italian people by the Nazi forces and to the infrastructure by both Germans and Allies.

WONDERFUL, ALL-AROUND PICTURE WRITTEN IN A GENUINE AND POSITIVE LIGHT THAT WAS A GREAT "FLAVOR OF THE MONTH". REPRODUCTION ART IS EXCELLENT, TOO, HOWEVER, THE ODDNESS, EVEN UGLINESS (BUT IS THAT OK FOR A BOOK ON WITCHES? I DUNNO, BUT SUGGEST NEXT TIME USING A GRAPHIC DESIGNER WITH MORE TALENT AND ADEPTNESS AT COLOR COMBINATIONS) OF SOME OF THE BOOK DESIGN AND HUES IS NEATLY BALANCED BY EISENKRAFT, WHO WRITES CIRCLES AROUND UNEVEN ARTWORK AND MAKES ME WONDER WHEN AND WHERE HER NEXT BOOK MAY APPEAR. (I'VE JUST RECEIVED HER Faeries BOOK AND AM SETTLING DOWN NEAR THE AC WITH A PINT OF HAAGEN DAZS, AND AM READY TO DELVE INTO THE "ENCHANTED REALM."

What a pleasure to see the realm of witches and witchcraft as well as wizards and magic from a true historical viewpoint, rather than another book on Wicca. Enthralling and entertaining, upbeat and fun. I had no idea my view of witches was based solely on childhood memories of black-hatted, warty and pocked, evil old ladies. I was surprised to find that witches and such were quite different than I would have ever imagined. Golden- and raven-haired beauties, wives and lovers... Who knew?

I have read this volume several times and intend to read it many more. Each time I pick it up, I find something new to explore.

This book is an excellent introduction to the history of the various SS organizations, with special emphasis on the units of the Waffen-SS. The chapter entitled "Hitler's Foreign Legions" is especially intertesting. It contains brief histories of all of the foreign volunteer units of the Waffen-SS, as well as other units, such as the 5th Waffen-SS Panzer Division "Viking", which contained large numbers of non-German volunteers. Some of these formations were truly elite ("Viking", "Nordland", Wallonien"), and some were useless ("Skanderbeg", which was made up of Albanian Moslems largely from Kosovo). Those interested in the foreign volunteer units of the Waffen-SS may want to read the following: "European Volunteers" by Strassner, "The Last Knight of Flanders" by Brandt, "Campaign in Russia" by Degrelle, "Charlemagne's Legionnaires" by Landwehr, "Latvian Legion" by Silgailis, "Galicia Division" by Logusz, "The Patriotic Traitors" by Littlejohn.

The book includes a good selection of photographs, maps, and some color cutaways of weapons. There are also some of the usual photos of "brutal" SS men executing communist "partisans" (the Geneva Convention did not give POW status to "partisans"; Stalin did not even bother to sign it until 1948!).

I did note a few errors in the picture captions. On page 197, a photograph of a vehicle with the insignia of the "Nordland" division is incorrectly identified in the caption as belonging to the "Viking" division. "Viking" had an insignia similar to "Nordland", however this photo has been correctly captioned elsewhere (see "SS Armor" by Stern, for example). Also, on page 195 there is a photo of three Panzer III Ausf J tanks (built only in 1941), one of which is clearly marked with the insignia of the 14th Panzer Division. The caption incorrectly identifies the tanks as belonging to the Dutch "Nederland" division, in 1945!

This book is a must read for anyone interested in world war 2 and the rise and fall of the third reich. Unlike many illustrated world war 2 books this book is very readable. Of particular interest to me was the chapter "Hitler's Foreign Legions" on the foreign component that served in the SS. It may come as a surprise to many to learn that hundreds of thousands of Dutch, Belgian, French, Norwegian, Finnish, Danish, Hungarian, Romanian, Croatian, Serbian, Swedish, Italian, Ukraine, Albanian, Russian, Bulgarian and Bosnian nationalities voluntered and fought for the Germans in the ranks of the waffen SS Divisions. There was even a small contingent of British ex-POWs a few of whom fought in the Third Reich's final cataclysm in Berlin. Odly many of the foreign volunteers were from races distinctly non-aryan - a massive contradiction with the racial politics of Himmler, Hitler and the Nazis. The book outlines the beginnings of the SS through the years of German victories and then of German defeats to the destruction of the SS in the collapse of the Third Reich.

It is an extremely wonderful book. Spectacular! It is highly recommended for those interested in the SS and all of its doings. I would like to recommend Masters of Death : SS-Einsatzgruppen and the Invention of the Holocaust in addition to this book.

Ken Scheffler's review is on the money, but I will give an extra star for the writing style, not the accuracy, of this book, as well as its importance as a historical document.

Rudel plays up many of his own missions, and it seems a little small of him to refer to his many rear gunners without knowing their names. Perhaps this was typical of a German officer, but the many I've interviewed or read about usually descibed relations within smaller units as intimate - certainly on a first name or "du" basis.

In any event, despite this being a very "German" history long on heroics and short on contextual details, the book is an exciting read, and doesn't stray too terribly far from the facts. Rudel was the most decorated soldier in the German Wehrmacht (unlike Goering, he earned the highest decorations) - it is not too odd that any traces of National Socialism, anti-semetism, or thoughts of "untermensch" related to those he was fighting - and killing - are not evident. I would criticize this book for being sanitized more than I would for being exaggerated.

A well written first hand account of the highest and most decorated Luftwaffe pilot of World War Two. His ability to survive over 1000 combat sorties, from the first day of the war until its surrender in a Stuka was never equaled.Finishing the war as leader of the famous "Immelman" squadron, Soviet planes would abandon their missions and pursue Rudel's plane on sight.He lost a leg on the eastern front and defied Hitlers personal orders to continue on flying combat sorties until he purposely pancaked his Stuka on a French airfield on the last day of the war. A interesting insight of a remarkable pilot.His factual style of recounting the horrors and rare humors makes an excellent read. Christian K

I can only reiterate what the other reviewers have stated about this outstanding work. It is well worth the effort to track down a copy if you are interested in the eastern front, Luftwaffe pilots, or just fine combat stories, read this one!

Mr. Rudel missed The Battle of Britain, was not even considered a great pilot during training. Regardless, he entered combat when Germany invaded Russia in'41 and survived 4 brutal years of warfare. By '43 he was flying a Stuka that mounted 2 37mm cannons under it's wings and began gaining his great reputation as supreme "Tankbuster". The Stuka, already dangerously slow was even more so with these guns attached. I think he got credit for around 500 tanks destroyed, about the equivelent of one entire Red Tank Army's inventory.

Rudel was one of Hitler's personal favorites, and when he decorated Rudel with a high award he ussually forbade him any further combat. Of course Rudel always found a way around that. In fact, his final award, the Knight's Cross with gold oakleaves, crossed swords and diamonds was pretty much invented for Rudel, as Hitler had run out of awards to give him.

Apart from straight up combat flying the book has numerous survival stories. Rudel several times landed behind lines to pick up fellow pilots (a habit Hitler eventually strictly forbade of him). On one of those occasions his plane got mired in the muck and a incredible evasion and escape adventure begins. In the final weeks Rudel is flying FW-190s, one legged. Rudel was, perhaps understandably a sore loser and shows this at the end, when he flew to an allied field to surrender. At his command, he and his fellow pilots locked the brakes and collapsed their landing gear to render their planes useless to the allies. A futile gesture that still demonstrated his defiance to what was a bitter end for his Luftwaffe career. I can't recomend this great book enough.

If only we all were so lucky to have the time to so completely research and gather U2 concert stories and memorbillia! This book is so fantastic - it's almost as good as being there, and it keeps interest of even non-U2 fanatics. Can't wait for an updated version to include the Popmart tour (hint, hint)- I have a few stories to add to that one.

This book is an absolute must for fans of U2 and ESPECIALLY for collectors of U2 bootlegs. It's like a bible that charts the correct dates for every show U2 has ever played (up until the 1998 publication.)

The correct set lists and supporting acts are also mentioned for the vast majority of the shows. Also, most shows have descriptions of highlights, lowlights, etc. Want to find out more about the show you're about to buy a bootleg for? Get out this book!

This book was updated shortly after PopMart ended, but unfortunately it seemed very very rushed and therefore there is little to no information about any PopMart shows save for the debut. (Only dates are given.) Nevertheless, it is definite that this book will continue to be updated, hopefully soon with a complete PopMart coverage and then with the whole Elevation tour.

This book must sit on every U2 fans shelf. Highly recommended!

This is the ultimate compendium for the true U2 fan. Not only does it document every single show they've ever played but it gives a lot of background and behind the scenes info on the albums. When I found out this updated version of the book was coming out I got excited and now that I've received it I was not disappointed!