history

Into the Rising Sun takes the reader even further into the minds and hearts of WWII veterans than his previous book "Beyond Valor." The stories in this latest book are unbelievably intense and honest. Revealing incidents that have gone unspoken for almost 60 years, the story tellers really underscore the horrific nature of the Pacific theater during WWII. The stories at times made me wince. The description of the jungle warfare that took place and the suicidal nature of the japanese soldiers really brought out a lot of the "unglamorized" nature of war in the Pacific. I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone who wants to learn the true nature of war and understand the complete human side of it.

Reading "Into the Rising Sun" takes one to places of great emotion and leaves the reader's mind going over and over what those courageous Forces went through and had experienced. If you want the truth of battle and just what took place, this is the book to read. Mr. O'Donnell's book "Beyond Valor" is emotionally charged reading. Now, "Into the Rising Sun" gives oral histories a new and deeper perspective. The variation of Airborne, Rangers, Marine Raiders, Paramarines and Merrill's Marauders' stories go to the heart. From bloodshed, cannibalism, distribution of body parts on the battlefield to the compassion of Marines taking care of a crying baby are just a part of what can be found in the author's expertise of drawing out the many stories of these great men. For those that returned -- their lives went on building families and careers, but feeling and knowing that they had done the job of their country's call. They are the forerunners of our Elite & Special forces of today of whom we can be so very proud.
Mr. O'Donnell, thank you for bringing to 'life & lite' one of the greatest wars of time and introducing us to yet, more of it's 'heroes' as no other as done.
Recommend: Beyond Valor, Author Patrick O'Donnell

Well, if other reviews don't say it already, this book was one of the more brutally honest books written about war against Japan. Its honest because its brutally politically incorrect. The American soldiers who relates their stories, tell not only of the horrors that the Japanese troops committed but additional horrors of what they did to the Japanese troops. This was no-hold bar combat, where there were no "good guys" or "bad guys" per say. The stories related in this book was all about killing, surviving and living on. In doing so, anything goes and there were no rules. It may be that many general readers may be kind of shock to read so honest account. Some of them may not like the read how the Americans in these pages acted with certain amount of brutality that almost mirror their enemies. But then, what is war after all, right?

With the exception of the short dictionary at the back of my Greek New Testament, no tool has been of more use in my study of Biblical Greek than this lexicon.

More than just a dictionary, the strength of this lexicon is that it gives both specific meanings of words in context as well as a knowledge of the shadings of meaning that a word carries throughout the Bible. This moves the student from a general grasp of a thing to an attentiveness to the precise way God has made himself known--there is nothing quite like it.

As other reviewers have noted, this is probably not a good place for beginners hoping to do a word study to jump in. I'd recommend Vine's for that. I also recommend that those serious in the study of Biblical Greek use this book in conjunction with a Greek New Testament, Mr. Mounce's Grammar (his lexicon is handy too), and Zerwick's Grammatical Analysis. This broad group of tools should help keep you from falling pray to a single interpretive spin.

Don't let its size and price scare you off--this book is essential for the student of Biblical Greek.

In a word, thorough. Owning this, you won't use your smaller Greek lexicons anymore. Besides definitions (multiple definitions, showing the range of meaning of each word), there are copious examples taken from actual usage, both in and out of the NT. This is THE lexicon of koine Greek.

While attending seminary, like most seminary students, I purchased Thayers Greek-English Lexicon. It was good and easy to use. But as I advanced in my studies my professors were increasing critical of Thayer and expected us to use the more scholarly Arndt/Gingrich. So as a impoverished theological student with a wife and baby, I purchased Arndt/Gringrich with my babys milk money so I could be more scholarly.

I wish I saved my money. Do not get me wrong. It is by far the superior lexicon. Its definitions are massive and the survey of a words etymology is unsurpassed; but realistically, it has more information than this country preacher is looking for. Like detective Joe Friday of Dragnet fame, all I want is the facts.

Behind me as I write this review is my theological library. Two lexicons, Arndt/Gringrich and Thayers stand side by side. Occasionally, when I need a lexicon in my biblical studies, I always turn to Thayer. So unless you are planning on writing for a theological journal, save your babys milk money and use Thayer.

This book is important, and maybe even vital, in spite of itself. Lomax is the real thing: He knows his material incredibly well, and even his most offhand paragraphs on anything at all related to African influences on American/southern culture are right on the mark. His field recordings were/are an incalculable contribution to American music. Some of them brought major artists -- Muddy Waters being the most obvious example -- from total obscurity squarely into the mainstream. He was a true scholar, and a kind of cultural hero. That said, this memoir/history was not exactly a joy to read. Lomax has a terrible weakness for lyrical language, but he just doesn't have the chops as a writer; his story is so good he should have been as plain in the telling as possible. His overheated romance with the black American male is often embarrassing. Maybe the best part of the book is a long passage when he simply gets out of the way and we hear directly from one of his subjects for many pages. It's not that Lomax had no right to do a book like this -- he had every right to. And even at its most purple, what he has to say is crucial if you want to understand American music. I just wish he could have spared us some of his attempts at heightened language and overwrought description. Complaining about white rock musicians, he writes, "To my jaundiced Southern ears .. many rock guitarists are more concerned with showing how many notes they can get off and how many chords they know tan what the song has to say or how the guitar can speak for them." I would say something very similar about the way Lomax wrote this book -- he should have been less concerned about how many phrases he could get off and how many words he knew, and just let his wonderful story tell itself plainly.

Alan Lomax has done more than any living man to unearth the powerful African music heritage that lives in many different genres of American music. This book is only part of the wealth that he has dug up and offered to us, so that we may better know ourselves. Check out the 4CD set of his recordings "Sounds of the South" for a soundtrack to this book. But no book, no acetate, no film, can adequately depict the pain and suffering that Africans were subjected to in the US. Lomax's work, though, brings us closer, by bringing us the voices of the prisoners, the fieldworkers, the muleskinners, and the roustabouts who lived in a world we can scarce imagine today. Life was cheap then. People were brutal to one another. By Lomax's account, sex and violence seem to be more unrestrained in the first half of the 19th century than in the second. Today, Arnold kills people with laser guns to make a couple bucks for Hollywood. Then, Boss White would kill a man with a shotgun to the skull, just for complaining. After having read the book, I caught myself being hopeful for humanity. Maybe we are getting better

Think you know the blues? Yeah, well so did I. But after reading this book, coupled with the current PBS series on The Blues, I'm diving back into stuff I've listened to for decades, but never really "heard." Quite possibly the best book ever written on the subject and one that I'll be re-reading for a long time.

Ron Rozelle does an amazing job of recalling the sights, sounds, and conversations in a small Texas town during his growing-up years in the 50's. He focuses on his father, the local school superintendant, who always seemed to have his world under control. As the book progresses, the author chronicles his father's decline into Alzheimer's disease and a loss of the control he had always exhibited. Rozelle alternates between his early years and his adulthood and tells his father's story with touching sensitivity. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to more from this author.

A memoir called Into That Good Night by Ron Rozelle,
is the story told from Ron's point of view when he was
growing up in Oakwood and even in his present day
life. It talks about segregation in schools and in
some stores throughout the town where he grew up. This
book shows the change Ron goes through with his family
when his mother becomes sick with lung cancer. Ron
learns to appreciate his family much more as he got
older and started to realize he won't have parents
forever. He ultimately realizes this when his father
looses his battle with Alzheimer's disease. You also
see segregation come to an end in Oakwood as time
progresses. You see the town where everyone knew
everyone suddenly become very lonely and empty after
most of the population got old and passed away. There
weren't many people moving in to Oakwood because it
didn't have many job opportunities.
Ron wrote this book in a then and now format. Every
other chapter switches, describing his child hood and
what happened in the future. It is a little confusing
but you catch on right away. It's very interesting
this way because it keeps you wondering, "What
happened to Ron".
Ron's ability to describe things just painted a clear
picture of what everything was like for him back then
in my mind. He gets right to the point when he rights,
it's not hard to comprehend or anything. That is what
is likeable about his style of writing. He writes in a
very appealing manner. Into That Good Night's main
focus is about Ron's relationship with his dad.
Ron and his father were very close because Ron's
father is a very calm kind of guy. He doesn't show
much emotion where as his mother is described as moody
and not afraid to yell when something makes his mad.
This is why he had more of a connection with his
father because in many ways he was like his father.
Ron is not quick to show emotion either. Ron and his
father form a special bond.
Ron graduates high school and is drafted in to the
military. He gets shipped off to Germany for a year.
In the mean time, his mother's health is decreasing.
She is getting worse and the doctors say she doesn't
have much time left. She started chain smoking when
Ron was a kid and that led her to her deathbed.
Fortunately Ron got to say goodbye to his mom right
before he headed off to the airport to be shipped off.
He felt that finally, he and his mother were at peace
with each other.
Ron and his dad form a strong bond after Ron gets
back from the Army and gets his own apartment. His dad
comes to visit him and they spend quality time
together. A few years later Ron's father eventually
re-marries and lives with his new wife. When Ron's
father gets in his older years he starts forgetting
things. His loss of memory starts increasing and he's
even forgetting simple things like where he is. He is
diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
What is Ron going to do when one of the most
important people in his life is starting to forget who
his own son is. What is it like to die not remembering
what your life was like and what your legacy will be.
This story was very easy to relate to. It is a very
easy understanding and likeable memoir of Ron Rozelle.

A beautifully written memoir by Ron Rozelle whose father had Alzheimer's. Set in the author's hometown, a small town in east Texas, this account reflects not only on the time Alzheimer's affected his dad, but there are flashbacks to his years of growing up in that town and remembered incidents in his family. This book, deservingly so, was a PEN America West Creative Nonfiction Prize finalist and a Texas Institute of Letters Carr P. Collins Nonfiction Award finalist. It is good, relaxing reading as a coming-of-age in a small town story as well as an Alzheimer's memoir.

For those who love the wilderness this book is a mixture of history, excitement and reality. This grouping of personal and historic stories of life in the wilderness of Canada is a pleasure to read. With it's regular reality checks that show you the modern day struggle that occurs in every wilderness area as man tries to balance his need for more with his love of unspoiled beauty this book shows us what challenges we must overcome to preserve what is left of the wilderness. Read it and rise to that challenge. Over the past thirty years I have spent many weeks in the Kipawa area. It is a joy to see and experience. Scott's stories give you a picture what it is to live in and experience these wild places. Life is to short to see them all but our challenge as Scott demonstrates in this book is to preserve them for our children and the many generations that follow. Read this book and you will be moved by the experience.

The Kipawa River Cronicles is an inspirational true lifecronicle of not only a beautiful northern river...but a cronicle ofadventure in the north woods. Adventure that gives hope and inspiration to all those who are fortunate enough to read through its pages. Once I began to experience this adventure with Scott, I could not put it down. I spent the better part of two days reading of hiking, fishing, climbing, logging, boating, and rescues. All laced majestically with the beauty and grandure of nature and the wonderful peace and joy that comes from a true appreciation of woods, river, and lake. The people of the Kipawa are real, down to earth, likeable people who have not only added to the lives of Scott and his family...but now to mine. Read this book and you will join in the adventure and feel the inspiration of the journey.

Scott Sorensen's narrative beautifully dovetails his family'snorthwoods triumphs & tribulations of the past quarter centurywith the present showdown involving Hydro-Quebec - North America'slargest power-generating company, and it's attempts to dam-up theKipawa River in Northwest Quebec. This book wonderfully illustratesthe power of Mother Nature and Man's (HQ's) relentless attempts toharness it in the name of "progress" and profit.

Bravoto Scott for his efforts to bring this gross act to the forefront ofpublic attention! As this chapter of the story remains unresolved, Ipray Hydro-Quebec's progress be halted in order to protect thisnatural wonder from destruction and ensure the continuity of thosecountless ecosystems which depend on it.

Upon reading about"Ham the Cat," one must wonder why "Ham" shouldn'tjust outright attack'em!!

Without a doubt, this is perhaps one of the most unusual collection of biographies on various Christians I have ever read, and probably should be on your bookshelf. It sometimes tends to be more of a commentary than a collection of biographies, but, not overly so. Maybe a better word than "commentary" is a sermon, because Liardon tends to warn would-be ministers of potential snares through the individuals he writes about. A word of warning though, I have to say to be careful, as it seems that Liardon, and some of the preachers he seems to think highly of had some probably serious errors in their preaching...errors that Liardon does not address because he tends to agree with them. One will see his blind spots in this book. These errors tend to manifest themselves in the "Word of Faith" movement, of which I have disagreements with (though I am very much a Pentecostal).

Also, I must say that I am a little curious as to why Liardon selected to write about the individuals he did. The introductory pages are very short, and give no hints. However, if one closely examines this work, you will begin to notice each of the individuals in this book had some sort of significant influence on an individual later in the book (as the book does cover the lives of various preachers of roughly 75-100 years). Also, some individuals written about seemed to run in some of the same circles. Most of the individuals in this book are the healing-evangelist-revivalist type...though not all.

In general, a book worth having.

This book is a great eye opener. It gives very clear insight into the great miracle ministers of the 20th century. Roberts Lairdon shows us the great heart of compassion of Smith Wigglesworth. He writes the truth of Acts 10:38, that Satan is the oppresser of all the sick & demonized. This verse was the one God used to release the ministries of John Alexander Dowe and John G. Lake. Both these men felt the heart of God in His great anger against disease. It is this anger that Jesus (John 11:33 & 38) experessed of the death of Lazarus just before He raised him from the dead. These are keys to more healing ministry.

I have always been greatly impacted by the words and works of Roberts Liardon and this book is no exception. I've actually heard him preach on this series before, but reading it straight from the book is a definite different experience. He makes each unique individual come alive with fire and passion. This book will open the eyes of many to catch a glimpse of the awe-inspiring lives of men and women who once lived so very closely to the Most High God!

"In Search of Dracula" is an exploration into any historical basis that may exist for Bram Stoker's icon of gothic horror, Count Dracula. The authors, Raymond McNally and Radu Florescu, both history professors at Boston College, undertook seven research expeditions to investigate their hypothesis that the infamous vampire Count was in part based on a real person: the 15th century Eastern European ruler Vlad Tepes, Prince of Wallachia, otherwise known as Vlad the Impaler. Vlad Tepes' father was Vlad Dracul, who ruled Wallachia before him, and Tepes preferred the name "Dracula", by which he was widely known in his own time. Bram Stoker's Count Dracula appears to have been inspired by stories of Vlad the Impaler along with the vampire folklore of the region that the historical Dracula dominated. Vlad the Impaler has never been considered a vampire by his countrymen, and similarities to the fictional Count are superficial, but they are enough to indicate more than coincidence: The two men have the same name. Count Dracula is from Transylvania, while Prince Dracula was from neighboring Wallachia, but his castle was on the Transylvanian border. Both men led their nations to victory against the incurring Ottoman Turks. And both were widely feared. Vlad the Impaler was and still is considered to be one of the most bloodthirsty and Machiavellian leaders to have ever lived, having murdered an estimated one fifth of his own population. Legend has it that the ruthless Prince ate bread dipped in the blood of his victims. That's not substantiable, but it may provide a further connection to Bram Stoker's fictional Count. Count Dracula and Vlad Tepes have nothing in common beyond these few traits, and the horrific truth of Vlad Tepes' rule in the mid- to late- 15th century is far more frightening than any gothic horror novel, but not nearly as seductively allegorical.

The first approximately hundred pages of "In Search of Dracula" are about about the life of Vlad Tepes, or Prince Dracula, Count Dracula's historical namesake. This history is not scholarly enough for my taste. But it serves well as an introduction to the subjects of the Ottoman incursions into Europe, Eastern European politics in the 15th century, and the life of the infamous Vlad the Impaler. It has inspired me to delve further into these subjects. The book also includes chapters on Bram Stoker and on Dracula's incarnations in fiction and film. Ironically, although the authors' case for how and why Vlad Tepes was an inspiration for Count Dracula is reasonably strong, I felt that it was stated weakly. And readers would very much benefit from a good map during the discussions of conflicts with the Turks, but the book offers only two small and extremely poor maps. I would be inclined to give "In Search of Dracula" 3 stars if not for its Appendixes, which include translations of old German, Russian, and Romanian stories about Vlad Tepes as well as a comprehensive vampire filmography up until 1992. I found the filmography very useful. So, although it's far from perfect, I recommend this book to anyone interested in the origins of Dracula.

This is an excellent book by Raymond T. McNally and Radu Florescu on their search to discover the real Vlad Dracula, the 15th century Romanian ruler who was the dark and bloody basis for Bram Stoker's classic character. It chronicles the life of Dracula from his beginnings as a young prisoner of the Turkish Sultan, to his exploits against the Turkish invasion of Eastern Europe, and finally his death in battle in 1476. It investigates the myth that grew up around Dracula due to his legendary cruelty and murderous bloodlust, including his penchant for impalement. The book also analyzes the growing body of vampire lore and literature, including their modern film and TV incarnations. It provides a thorough history of vampirism from ancient to modern times and tries to explain our ever-growing obsession with vampires and their ilk. The authors' travels took them across Eastern Europe in their quest to find the haunts of the real-life Vlad, including the ruins of Castle Dracula and his reputed grave at Snagov. It delves into the complex history of a man who would largely be remembered as the most famous vampire of all time, as well as our equally curious fascination with the Undead.

A very nice work by two very good researchers/authors. I would love to see more work done about that time period and geographical location. That era in time, with the exception of the early Crusades, has had, I believe, the most significant impact through time all the way to present day. A must read for military, Eastern European, Ottoman empire buffs, and for those interested in events and places surrounding the fall of Byzantium.

A typical L'Amour book - a dashing, trustworthy protagonist, just trying to live in peace but able to defend himself if and when necessary. Jubal Sackett is loved and trusted by all except the villains, who themselves have absolutely no redeeming qualities at all. In other words, the characters are very flat and monochromatic, and as a result, they come across as very artificial.

One thing you have to hand to L'Amour, though - he writes book easily read in an evening.

Wow! I really enjoyed this book. The character of Jubal Sackett was very well developed and set in a historically correct period. I found myself walking in his footsteps as he went further and further west. The story arouses the explorer instinct in all of us. I intend to read more of the Sackett sagas.

I have yet to read many of his books, but I must say that all of Lamour's books are great. Jubal Sackett is a special character. I appreciate that Lamour spent more time on this book (or at least made it longer than usual) in order to give us a full scope of Jubal's transcending years in his migration to the west. The Sacketts are successful because they are well learned in many a trade and they don't take things for granted. They nurture their friendships when they can and comfront their enemies just as readily. You feel this story, you root for the characters and you feel as though you are among them. I guess this is more of a mountain man book than a western, but it still sets the setting for the Sackett's pushing west. A great book.

If you read Dragonlance, you are probally familar with the House Elves, but you may have only heard about the Kagonesi tribe once or twice in another story about humans or House Elves. This book explains the grand history of the Kagonesti and three of there most honorable leaders. It tells of the time when Kagonos first met the Silver Dragon to start the great legacy of the Rams Horn used by all of the tribes leaders since. This book also looks at the grim prejudgice that almost all other races put on the wild elves, and how near the Cataclysm, he human and house elves almost destroyed the Kagonesti. If you like elves than this book is not to be missed.

This is a very well-written book that gives the history of the Kagonesti, or Wild Elves, by following the story of three separate characters who lived in three different ages. This book should be of interest to Dragonlance fans, but might seem a little esoteric to people with little or no knowledge of the world of Krynn and its inhabitants.

This book does a great job of giving the story of the origins of the Kagonesti and how they broke off from the other elves on Krynn. This first part was the best in the book.

The second and third parts, while still interesting, are not quite as good. They tell of the first positive interaction with humans and the days leading up to the Cataclysm. I would really have liked to see another part that leads closer to the War of the Lance and shows how the Kagonesti came to be servants among the other elven nations. This book leaves that question unanswered.

All that being said, Niles is a wonderful author and writes a good book.

along with DL's CHRONICLES this ranks among the best DL books i've read. with lots of action, magic and even drama, this book's collection of stories about the wild elves always holds your attention and you never get to skip pages out of boredom. an essential DL book. trust me i have about 30 of them.

This is my favorite author in all the world. I was thrilled to see the beginning of another series. All too soon I finished it. This book gives you an idea of what it would have been like to live during the time of Christ's ministry on the earth. I gained new understanding of how some of the Jews of that time would have felt, and what they were expecting from a Messiah. I can't wait for the next book and reccommend this book to everyone. Christians of all denominations will find this book very worthwhile.

I LOVE LONG BOOKS AND GREAT HISTORICAL NOVELS AND THIS QUALIFIES AS BOTH. LOVED THE CHARACTERS AND THE STORIES. I FINISHED IT IN A WEEK READING ONLY BEFORE AND AFTER WORK AND CAN'T WAIT TO READ THE NEXT ONE.

Gerald Lund tapped into the mind of Messiah YaHSHUA in this masterpiece. Like many other readers I only put it down when my eyes could read no longer. I too finished reading it in less than five days. I was like a happy puppy when I discovered his second of the series was available. IF you want to be absolutely transported to the time of YAHSHUA -READ THE BOOK- FISHERS OF MEN. I also enjoy good historical novels ; and having read Plato, Socrates,and Homer at the age of twelve - and, I am now 57- I am a very discriminating reader. To paraphase Thomas Manns' brilliant pen in "Joseph and His Brothers", he picked words like angels pick flowers from the fields of heaven.SMJ.