history

An incredibly moving glipse of an ordinary man's effort to live -- not just survive -- in the rugged wilds of the Montana West. As life unfolds, the biographic tale reveals a deeper, more spiritual quest for quintessential American values: truth, fairness, and peace -- in life and in love, among many different people from many diverse cultures. An odessey encompassing a tableau of Native American peoples, and an equally complex canvass of European settlers, French trappers, and a stalwart Texas-bred Mexican-American Westerner as hero. Literally too honest and good a story to be mere fiction. I read a dog-earred, creased, many times read borrowed paperback copy. I'd really like to own my own hardback, and a bunch of paperbacks to give as gifts to many others.

I have read this book several times and it is a favorite title for me to give as a gift. Simply told, it is a very honest story about real life. A case where truth is far better than fiction.

A compelling story and fascinating artifact, this book feels almost too authentic, like a forgery. Highly recommended to anyone that wants to know what it was like when the west was truly wild

Here is one of the most exciting books I've ever read. It starts out with a one two punch and keeps you wanting to read more and more. It's the type of book that you hate to have come to an end. Bill Band has a marvelous flair for story telling that keeps you glued to the pages. Each chapter is a mini story in itself. He runs you through the complete gauntlet of your emotions. Best of all is his sense of humor. Those were some amazing times and he is one of the amazing people that lived to tell about it, and he tells it SO VERY WELL! The one thing to remeber is that we can put the book down and go do something else. They lived it every day!!!! We can never thank these brave pilots enough.

Reading Bill Band's book was transportation in time. You get to know some of the young heroes who, with fire in their hair and determination in their hearts, were the Flying Tigers. Bill is a wonderful story teller, as giving of the truths of his own trepidations as the heroics of the 'Tigers' exploits. You can feel the adrenalin rush. You can see the tracers. And when you come back with a Japanese sailor's hat in your intake, you too will experience the thrill of combat - and the relief that you survive!

This is a fabulous book! Incredibly good! Buy this book!

G. GORDON LIDDY

THIS BOOK CONTAINS MOST OF THE ARGUMENTS USED AGAINST THE CHURCH AND SOUND ANSWERS TO THEM . IF SOMEONE IS LOOKING FOR A BOOK TO BUY TO LEARN TO DEFEND THEIR FAITH THEY COULDN'T DO MUCH BETTER THAN THIS BOOK. I ALSO SUGGEST CATHOLIC CHRISTIANITY BY PETER KREEFT, SURPRISED BY TRUTH BY PATRICK MADRID, AND THE NAB BIBLE.

I've had this book since its first publishing. This book is a great tool for defending the Roman Catholic Faith against any bible believing Christian. This book helps you understand the truths of the church and also to find them biblically. I am constantly using this book in conjuction with the Bible to teach other people about our faith.

If you have questions about what the Catholic Church really believes and why you should buy this book. It answers so many real questions people have, especially, Protestants. If you think you know what the Catholic Church teaches, even if you are Catholic, you may be surprised by the thruth. There is so much misinformation out there it is refreshing to find answers explained in an easy to understand way.

Frank Anton's story of captivity in unique among Vietnam POW tales. Most previous Vietnam POW stories have been written by Air Force or Navy pilots shot down over North Vietnam and held captive in Hanoi jail cells. Anton was captured and held in South Vietnamese and Laotion jungle prison camps for 3 years. He then made the long march north to Hanoi where he was captive for another 2 years. His experiences with other American prisoners held in jungle camps (average group of 17), many of who did not survive, is heart rendering and obsorbing. In spite of the title the book is not a political essay on the conduct of the war, or a bitter tirade about not being rescued. This is a warm story about the human suffering of a small group of US soldiers who spent a part of their life in hell. Paul J. Kratz, US Army (retired) Vietnam '66-67, & '70-71.

There is no way I can summerize what Frank Anton went through. To say it was hell would be a gross understatement. A must read not only for Frank's story but for the truth about Bobby Garwood (traitor without a doubt), and how our government knew where Frank was being held in South Vietnam for three years and did nothing about it. Frank recalls one particularly poignant moment; "The day before Thanksgiving, as Kushner cradled him (Grissett) in his arms as he had the other three (prisoners who recently died), he looked up at Doc and said, 'Tell my mom that I love her.' Then, with his dying breath, he whispered his last words, the words I will never, ever forget: 'Wake me when it's over.'" Grissett became the forth man to die in 1968. Not since reading Dieter Dengler's "Escape from Laos" have I read about such barbaric treatment. You will be brought to tears while reading this book and there are too many startling revelations to recount here. This book is priceless!

In January of 1968, helicopter pilot Warrant Officer Frank Anton was shot down in Southern Vietnam and spent 5 years in captivity. Many prominent books have been written of U.S. POW's in Hanoi's prisons but this story is a riveting look at POW's held in prison camps in Southern Vietnam which may have been worse.

Frank Anton has written a very detailed and graphic account of severly brutal conditions and treatments he and others suffered at the hands of the North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong. For 3 of his 5 years in confinement in the south (he spent time in 4 different camps), he weaves a harrowing tale of torture, starvation, non-existent medical treatment, disease, and barbarity suffered by prisoners. He further adds that during his confinement, he was witness to many Americans dying in the camps and also of betrayal and enemy collaboration by one of their own.

After 3 years of confinement in the south, Anton and the surviving members of his camp, in an incredible display of courage, strength, and determination, are forced to march on foot for an astonishing 6 months to one of Hanoi's prison camps known as the Plantation. For an additional 2 years, this was Anton's new home before being released from captivity in 1973.

Upon arriving home, Frank Anton was debriefed by the military and he eventually found out, to his dismay and horror, that our government know exactly where he was the entire time he was being held and that no serious attempts were considered to rescue him or his fellow soldiers.

In the last chapter of this book, which is absolutely astonishing, you will find out why no attempts were made to rescue many POW's. Additionally, you will learn the current fate of large numbers of POW's that were left behind and are currently unaccounted for in Vietnam. This information is highly disturbing and tragic and paints a very callous and unscrupulous portrait of our government with their regard to our missing servicemen.

This book is exceptionally good and comes highly recommended. As a side note, Pfc Robert Garwood (possibly the most notorious U.S. POW collaborator of the Vietnam war) is featured prominently in parts of this book. For those interested in the complete story of Robert Garwood, you would be well rewarded by reading "Conversations With The Enemy: The Story of Pfc Robert Garwood" by Winston Groom and Duncan Spencer.

This book was great; it was about Ruby Briggs experience being one of the first colored children to integrate the elementary schools in the south. It gives a wonderful perspective about how this young girl viewed racism. It also shows the reader that she did not completely understand why some many people were mean to her. It is an extreme eye opener to how strong racism was in the south, at one point it talks about grown women throwing and yelling at Ruby.

I'd not read such a well-written book about the racism of the 60s for children, until now. Prefaced by Harry Belafonte, the book is remarkable on a number of levels. Off the bat, it is written particularly well for small children. The style is clear and concise without being patronizing. Large full pictures of the people and events of the time are placed on each and every page. While these photographs are effective, they are not violent or frightening in a visceral way. The pictures of racists yelling at Ruby and other black children are images that stand on their own. At the bottom of most pages are quotes from some of the major players of the time. A quote from Ruby's mother explains that she was unaware that Ruby would be the only black child attending her school. Another notes that standardized tests given to black children were biased in favor of white middle-class children with the hopes of failing the black. The story has a clear linear feel to it and children reading it will recognize the characters. Ruby herself is a remarkable child, her photographs becoming the most powerful in the book. It is made clear to the reader that Ruby was just like any other child you might meet. This thought is expressed more fully in the back, where a Ruby B. jump-rope rhyme has been written. The repeated phrase "Ruby B., Ruby B., You were a little girl just like me", drills the thought home. All in all, the book is wonderful. I recommend it to any parent, teacher, or librarian struggling to explain the civil rights movement to their kids.

Freedom
Though my eyes
By Ruby Bridges

This book is about a true story of a pivotal event in history as Ruby Bridges saw it unfold around her. It is also about a black six year old girl.
An exciting/interesting part is when Ruby Bridges talks at the end of the book and says "I know that experience comes to us for a purpose, and if we follow the guidance of the sprit with us, we will proubly find that the purpose is a good one."
If you like reading about nonfiction books then this is the book for you.
When I read this book I always give it a thumbs up!

This look at the rise and fall of the original Orioles, and of the changes in baseball that shepharded in the "modern" era is both fascinating and very well-written. Solomon brings the long dead stars of the 1890s to vivid life, while reflecting on the dual nature of baseball as both game and business, and while looking at American life in the same era. This work shows that in some ways little has changed - contraction is a very old idea, as is franchise relocation - and that in some ways the game has benefitted from the end of the reserve clause and the occasional need to reinvent itself.

The reader gets the chance to meet some fascinating characters, such as the young John McGraw, before his days as a manager; Charlie Ebbets, the name behind Ebbets field; and Ned Hanlon, perhaps the father of strategic baseball. Moreover, this book captures the essence of the great pennants races of the past, when winning the regular season title was everything. And it's truly bizarre to learn how much was stolen from Baltimore to build all three of NYC's major league teams.

I highly recommend this to baseball fans of all stripes, as well history buffs.

I used to avoid books about 19th century baseball, fearing that I'd find the game too unfamiliar to the one I grew up with. The rules were often different, the style of play was different, and you couldn't watch it on ESPN Classic.

"Where They Ain't", however, is one of the better baseball books I've read. Ostensibly about the old Baltimore Orioles of the National League in the 1890s, this book is really a micro-history of early baseball, tracing the game forward -- both on and off the field -- through the advent of Babe Ruth. Burt Solomon paints a very convincing picture of those Orioles as the team that had the singlemost impact on the way the game is played today. He chronicles the playing and early mangerial days of John McGraw, Ned Hanlon, Wilbert Robinson and Willie Keeler, and shows how they introduced the aggressive style of play -- the hit-and-run, the double-steal, the drag bunt, the Baltimore chop -- that still wins pennants today.

But more than profiling that now-defunct team, Solomon paints a vivid picture of the economics of the game at large. Playing in ornate wood stadiums, a team would be lucky to draw 5,000 fans (or "cranks", in the parlace of the time) to the grandstands and "bleacheries". The owners fiddled mercilessly with cost-cutting ideas such as contraction, team syndicates, and collusion. Indeed, that these ideas all failed so miserably (forging the birth of the rival American League, a revolution which swallowed its own children so rapidly that within three years you couldn't tell one league from the other) that your eyebrows will leap off your head when you see that today's owners are still using them! Certainly fans of the Minnesota Twins, Montreal Expos, and Baltimore Orioles (we've come full circle) will wince in agony as the old Oriole team was destroyed by league management three times in four years -- by ill-advised co-ownership with the Brooklyn Dodgers; by contraction out of the NL; and then by relocation to New York.

Solomon writes in a rich prose style, and footnotes his research extensively. It must have been fun poring through old newspaper accounts for the colorful game descriptions he ultimately finds. He subtly introduces us to historical changes, such as the three-strike out and the foot-long pitcher's rubber, with a broad "that will never catch on!" wink to the reader. My chief complaints would be that "Where They Ain't" is a slow read -- and one so entrenched in Baltimore geography that it's unfathomable that a map wasn't printed inside the book. I lived in Baltimore for parts of six years and even I frequently got lost in Solomon's directions.

Baseball hasn't changed much over the past 100 years. Players and owners still wrangle with one another with the latter claiming the former are overpayed. This is more than the story of the Orioles of the 1890's. It is also about the beginning of the success of the Dodgers and Giants and the beginning of the New York Yankees when the Baltimore franchise was moved to New York in 1903 to become the Highlanders. Rich colorful characters such as Willie Keeler, John McGraw, Joe Kelley, Hughie Jennings, and others populate this book when you played with injuries because you were encouraged to "take it like an old Oriole." Baseball historian Fred Lieb wrote a book entitled "The Baltimore Orioles" many years back about this subject, and it is with a great deal of thanks that I express to both him and Burt Solomon, the author of "Where They Ain't" for bringing American social history alive for us to enjoy. There is more to American history than wars, treaties, and presidents. Run, don't walk, to your nearest bookstore and buy this book. You can thank me later. This book is an easy five stars.

This is one of those books that appears every so often, and if you don't buy it you regret for years to come. The book is packaged in a textured synthetic dewback hide so be aware that no Dewbacks were hurt in the making of this book!! The illustrations are rich, and full of life, and color. The simple line sketches along with the reserved amounts of colors truly bring the creatures to life. I certainly hope that amazon will allow some of the pictures to be seen so that the reader can witness just how beautiful these drawings are! The authors, and artists explore some of the more well known, and some new creatures that inhabit the star wars universe, and do so in an intelligent, and also educational manner. The book is a little pricey for the mildly interested, or younger buyers, but it is a book that can, and hopefully will be treasured for years. A true winner and well worth a 5 star rating!

From the fertile imaginations of Whitlatch and Carrau comes this immense coffee-table book. This book is a detailed bestiary
of the living creatures that inhabit the planets of George Lucas's Star Wars saga. Rendered beautifully in color and formatted in the style of a naturalist's field journal.
the book showcases animals seen in the films and (finally) gives
images to other creatures formerly only described in print.
Mating habits, social interractions, hunting techniques, and
life cycles of Banthas, Dewbacks, Rancors,and Kadus are shown.
As well as others who only made brief appearances or just named in print such as: Womp Rats, Nerfs, or that trash compacter Monster (Dianoga) which I finally saw what that eye belonged to.
Fauna are represented planet by planet and each new world gives
a brief but informative introduction on the ecosystem.
This lavishly illustrated and beautifully rendered book makes a
excellent companion to the Illustrated Star Wars universe. As well as the books of the conceptual art. For any fan this is an
essential volume and a most welcomed addition to one's personal
library. A pity that George Lucas does have an introductory
statement printed to acknowledge or at the very least give kudos to the splendid work Terryl Whitlatch and Bob Carrau have done in giving form and life to the creatures that inhabit his universe.

This book is quite possibly the most masterful artistic compilation relating to Star Wars that has been put out in recent years. From the "dewback hide" covers and through every page in between, the reader finds himself immersed in a vision of the Star Wars universe that is so lavish and full of life that he may not want to leave. Clearly, the people who put this book together were not working on a project, they were building a labor of love, and it shows on every page. And yes, it really *is* an excellent wildlife reference too!

If you're buying this book for yourself, it will stand out as the pride of your Star Wars library for years to come. If you're buying it as a gift for a fan of any age, prepare to be showered with gratitude. The book is so endearing that even people who may not necessarily be fans of the genre will certainly come to admire it. The Wildlife of Star Wars is well worth every penny.

This is a great book. It shows how real people feel about the job that they perform by interviewing them. Terkel describes his legacy of taped interviews this way: "It's the ordinary people, so called, who have things that they wanted to say all their lives, so this is something of a treasury I'd say." You read about it all, from waiters to teachers, from people who play sports to the people who work in offices. You learn that in order to be happy in life you must follow your dream and not do something based on status or salary. Many times people are being deprived of the potential joys in work when we are trained to focus too much on status and salary. Its better to wake up every morning looking forward to working than living a life full of regrets.

Studs Terkel is a master at getting people to open up, and careful to include several interviewees whose gripes help reinforce his liberal agenda. We hear a stockbroker, trucker, priest, hooker, teller, cops, teachers, autoworkers, and many others discuss their livelihoods. Readers come away appreciating the unique challenges of each job, and the powerlessness that afflicts many employees. These interviews occurred primarily in Chicago during the early 1970's, when the workplace featured fewer women and more jobs in heavy industry. We meet Mike, a steelworker annoyed by his lack of skills who senses that his union job may vanish - as occurred a few years later when US Steel shut their Chicago South Works. Barbara is a young advertising executive forced to deal with a level of office sexism one hopes is now passé. Ex-railroaders Bill and Louis each lament the shriveling of their once-vital industry from separate perches as retiree and washroom attendant. "Working" has many similar, compelling tales. The book may be slightly dated, but it remains a highly informative read.

Working has been my favorite book - likely the book that had the most implicit impact on the way I think - for many years. I pick it up every year and read a random section, put it back down, and pick it up again. Real stories, genuinely collected.

The comments are interesting - everyone interprets what Terkel gathered in a way that meets their own worldview. Not too surprising, but read it yourself, and draw your own conclusions - maybe even new ones.

One can address to a classic book like this from Xenophon in many ways. As an historical analyst, as an epic lover, as a thriller seeker as a war lessons teacher and many others. No matter what you are looking for, I recommend to read it as a pleasure itself. If you are able to moved yourself away to that time, and really feel your are in their boots, you will be thrilled to bits. Change your rol from Xenophon to a plain soldier (in the middle an hostile land, surrounded by enemies and without information of the land you are in). Do you feel better?. Can you imagine a better plot for a novel or a film?. In this case you don't need to add on "based on a true story".

I have read Greek classics before, by several publishers, but I really like Loeb Classic version of this book. As a story it is very exciting to see how Xenophon and his army fought their way out of Persia, only be to broken up by internal dissent.

I also enjoyed the format of this book because the original greek was printed on the left side of each page, so for Classics experts, you can see what Xenophon is really writing and come up with your own interpretation.

However, I feel that the interpretation is a good one though (evidenced by the many footnotes explaining why the translater did what he did). All in all, this is a great book for Classics experts and those who aren't, but just want to know what happened.

Xenophon wrote several books that survive: "A History of My Times" and "Cavalry Tactics" to name two, but the one he's most famous for, and arguably the best read is "Anabasis". A detailed accounting of moving 10,000 troops through hostile country, ulimately extracting them back to Greece. The fact that this is a "Classic" shouldn't put off any readers who've plodded through ancient literature. Xenophon wrote in an informal style, with much detail about the areas and peoples he encountered. It's almost as much travel story as a study in military leadership; but it IS ultimately a recounting of leadership under the most deadly conditions.
There are some timeless lessons here for military and civilian leaders. Xenophon fully explains his decisions (when he can), and ALWAYS asks for advice from other generals. This was critically important in an army of mercenaries whose loyalty was to themselves. Getting other leaders to "buy into" his decisions gave them a sense of empowerment (to use TQM jargon) and a stake in the outcome. He tries to be fair and cares for his troops-though he doesn't hesitate to risk lives if the mission calls for it. In battle he uses what might be termed asymmetric warfare: always pitting Greek strengths against enemy weaknesses; avoiding fighting the way his enemy fights best.
This is a great memoir of an amazing feat of arms and personal leadership. Highly recommended.

This is an amazing and enlightening book. For instance, did you know the catholic church had a list of banned books known as the Index that was in effect into the 1960's? Catalogs a good cross section of books that have met with the disfavor of those in power through out the centuries. Is far from a complete list but takes you from books censored for hundreds of years on religious grounds to books people have sought to ban for the use of a single word. Of particular interest is the recent ban attempts, (during the 1970's- 1990's) in the US by those who feel freedom of speech and the press is great as long as it meets their personal criteria. The fact that we can look at a book like this and see how far we have come is great. However, it means nothing if we stop defending the rights we claim to love.

If you are a wholehearted proponent of the First Amendment to the
Constitution of the United States, this is a book you will find it
absolutely essential to own.

Nicholas Karolides, Margaret Bald and
Dawn Sova have compiled censorship histories of 100 books that have
been suppressed on political, religious, sexual or social grounds, and
they are truly eye-opening. Many of these books have been censored
within our own country, where freedom of speech is supposedly
protected by the First Amendment.

Under the category of religious
censorship, not only have documents challenging the major world
religions' accepted beliefs come under fire, but these religions'
essential works -- the Bible, the Koran and the Talmud -- have also
been supressed at some point in history.

Works suppressed on sexual
grounds run the gamut from mild language or situations to depictions
of explicitly violent and humiliating sexual acts. While I find the
latter absolutely abhorent and choose not to expose myself to this
type of content, "100 Banned Books" is a valuable reminder
that, regardless of your personal opinion of what is not appropriate,
it is all to easy to cross over the line and try to deny others access
to these materials.

Read this book to familiarize yourself with
past instances of censorship, and then look in present-day society for
examples of ongoing censorship attempts. The results will truly be
eye-opening.

I couldn't put this book down. The stories of censorship are fascinating and provide keen insight into the histories of the times when the books were published. In particular, the authors do an excellent job of bringing out the societal forces that were in conflict. I highly recommend this book.