history

GWTW is the best movie in the world! And this book captures some of its majestic splendour, but you can't do that much on paper, but this book is wonderful! It had some pictures (stills) that you couldn't really catch the people's expressions in the movie, but this book really did. Melanie (Olivia DeHavilland) the star, really, looked so beautifully sweet in every picture, her love for Ashley made her glow. This book is the best one I have seen of a GWTW picture book. Obviously, a lot of research went into making this book.

This is an excellent book that chronicles the making of the legendary screen classic "Gone With the Wind". The book moves in chronological order from it's start as a novel all the way through the pre-production, production and post-production stages of what was to be one of the greatest films of all time, if not the greatest. The book is filled with numerous photos, some of them in color, many of them rare and all of them crisp and clear. There are close-ups of all of its stars (Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable, Olivia DeHavilland, Leslie Howard), the crew at work, movie posters and it's world premiere. This is a great book that will make an excellent addition to any library!

This book is packed with information and great photographs, both in color and black and white. The majority of the book deals with the filming an abundance of behind-the-scenes shots.

Also of particular interest is the post-production section dealing with the public's reaction to the movie and the section on the Premiere. This is a great book to add to your personal library.

In the late 1980s a group calling themselves the
'new historians', including Avi Shlaim, Ilan Pappe
and Benny Morris burst onto the scene, claiming to
have written the 'real' history of the beginning of
the state of Israel, a history that had ostensibly
been covered up and which they wished to expose.

According to the 'new history', Israel was guilty of
a multitude of sins, from direct or indirect
responsibility for the creation of the Palestinian refugee
problem (Morris) and colluding with Jordanian monarch Abdullah
I to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state by
secretly agreeing to divide the country between them (Shlaim
and Pappe). Morris also insisted that the idea of
'trasferring' the Arabs out of the Jewish state had been a
central tenet of the Zionist movement, at least from 1937.

They attracted criticism quickly, and for years the argument
over what exactly happened in the Israeli War of Independence
was THE hot topic, resulting in many
journalistic and scholarly articles and mutual accusations.

By far the most straight-forward, no-holds-barred attack on
the collective theses of the 'New Historians' is this book.
Karsh, professor of King's College, faces the 'new historians'
on their home turf-namely their claim that their research is
based on newly uncovered archival material, a claim that is
only partly true.

After first demonstrating that their 'ideas' are not new -
indeed, many of them have been staples of Arab propaganda for
years - Karsh takes a look at the evidence the 'new
historians' bring to support their ideas.

Repeatedly, whether it is the claim that the Zionist movement was obsessed with 'transfer' or that Britain under Atlee and Bevin, long thought to be anti-Zionist, was in fact a friend of Zionism,Karsh demonstrates that these historians ignored evidence that contradicted their thesis, blew the (slim and selective) evidence they had out of proportion, and at times even misread what the document actually said, such as the case where Morris claimed that a meeting discussing the future of the Negev actually discussed transfer. Worse, they completely failed to consider the historical context of various documents, thus jumping to conclusions not allowed when examining the whole picture.

Though Karsh may overreach at times with his rhetoric, it
is impossible to ignore his claims. Karsh's rebuttal is
not just important in the limited context of correcting a
distorted picture of the Arab-Israeli conflict, but is an
important warning against the dangers of forcing the facts
to fit the theory, rather than the other way around.
Historians the world over should take note.

This book is a must-read on the still controversial subject
of the fateful period of 1947-1949, whatever side of the
conflict you may be on.

Accusations that this book is "propaganda" cannot be further from the truth. I suspect that people who make such accusations have not read the book. What Karsh does is show how the "new historians" (especially Morris, Pappe, and Shlaim) distort and misrepresent historical evidence in an effort to fabricate the history of Israel. Likewise, Karsh shows how these historians purposely ignore evidence which contradicts their claims, even though they may be aware of its existence. He shows that the only thing "new" about the "new historians" is their willingness to play loose with historical evidence. Karsh's book completely undermines the credibility of these historians.

"Fabricating Israeli History" is an admirable defence of the truth against shoddy, biased scholarship.

In this work, Karsh presents a credible academic refutation to the scholars who call themselves the "New Historians". Karsh carefully documents their errors and omissions of which there are many, and effectively demolishes their arguments. Highly recommended!

The land of the Rus had for nearly five war-torn years endured torments of such terrible magnitude that half of her people lay dead beneath her soil and, yet, not since the Yankees first arrived to liberate the people from the manipulation of the church, the tyranny of the boyars, and the terror of the Tugars had she confronted a more desperate hour. Caught before the murderous fury of the Merki advance, Colonel Andrew Keane, leader of the forces of the human coalition of the Rus, Roum, and thousands of Cartha refugees, had bought a precious respite of thirty days through the assasination of the Merki Qar Qarth allowing the Army of the Republics to evacuate east and prepare for one last stand against the coming darkness. A fierce page turner that will undoubtedly shock even those familiar to this magnificent series, "Fatefull Lightning" will consume the full breath of your immagination with a passionate flare and dramatic intensity surpassing even that of "Rally Cry." A truly momentous spectacle invested with a fearfully graphic tone that remains true to the format, the book, nevertheless, envelops the full compass of exitement up to the breathtaking conclusion. A book that should be the standard by which all action sci-fi/fantasy novels are measured.

... the additon of campaign maps are a great asset when following the procession of events throught the story and help project the physical world of Valennia into a perspective which is far easier to understand than just the narration used in the previous two volumes.

Four amazing books so far. Or, if you prefer (As I do), one very long book, a sort of "War and Peace" of the sci-fi genre. No matter how you look at it, this developing tale by Forstchen only gets better. He is not afraid to kill off some of his main characters to add realism to the story, and he is not afraid to surprise the reader with tactics that are rather unexpected. "Fateful Lightning" presents a massive migration of Rus toward the land of Roum, pursued by the relentless Merki hordes. The humans will burn the land behind them, poisoning wells and setting traps for their foes, so that by the time of their final confrontation we can realistically see that the Merki, in spite of their great superiority in numbers, are overextended and will not be able to withstand a severe blow from the humans. The humans are at the end of their rope, too, but one of the most endearing characters in the series will have a shot at saving his people by refusing to obey orders. And Muzta, one of my favorite characters, will also have a chance to save his own people. Again, the battles are almost unforgettable: the horror of war, the worst of men, and the most noble in them is presented by Forstchen in a gripping, spectacular way. Hawthorne becomes a sort of Dark angel of the battlefield, and the Roman Marcus figures as a key participant by now. Four out of four. And it only gets better.

This book picks up right where the last one left off. There is a 30 day lull in the battle with the Merki due to the assasination of the Merki leader. The Merki have a ceremonial 30 days of mourning when the leader dies.

During this time, the humans begin there final withdrawal and buildup. They leave behine a scorched earth. The Merki do not know how to handle an enemy that will not fight in the open. There is no honor in this battle. They look forward to a single big confrontation and swift decisive end.

The humans have several tricks up their sleeves, including traps, guerilla warfare and deception.... And as usual, new surprising weapons.

This is an excellent addition to the series. The end of the book opens a new chapter for the next book. I hope we can find out more information about the technology and history of the "ancients"....

I think that as time goes by, Porter Alexander's personal memoirs, written for his family and thus very candid, will come to be seen as an outstanding work both of historical reminiscence and of 19th century writing. The Introduction, in which Alexander tells of some incidents from his boyhood, is worth the entire book. But, there is more. Alexander worked either as signals officer, ordnance officer or artillery commander for virtually everybody in the Army of Northern Virginia, including Beauregard, J.E. Johnston, Stonewall Jackson, Longstreet, and Lee. He participated in virtually every major battle. He has the rare ability to desribe events in a fresh and modern manner, so that the reader is there with him in the thick of things. I can only imagine the thrill that the editor must have had when he found these papers at UNC in 1989. Alexander apparently wrote a more formal history of the Civil War published in 1907 with which I am not familiar. Although the frontispiece shows an unremarkable face, the writing shows the glowing intelligence and enthusiasm that must have impressed his superiors and led to his being given one responsible assignment after another. By being present, but a generation younger than the ANV leaders, he is able to give both intimate, but also critical pictures of them. This book is indispensible to anyone with an interest in the Civil War in the Eastern Theater. A true classic.

E. Porter Alexander gives us one of the finest memoirs of the Civil War. His prose is lean, lacking the ruffles and flourishes so beloved by the Victorians. He had none of the false modesty that makes such reading tiresome. His book was not intended for a general audience, as were his "Military Memoirs." Hence there is great frankness and frequent passion in his story. He gives honest accounts of his immediate superiors, Longstreet and Lee; and criticizes as well as praises.

Gary Gallagher, a noted historian, is to be thanked for rescuing these papers from oblivion. Alexander was a well born 25-year old West Point graduate when the war began. His career was quickly advanced because of his mental agility and military astuteness. During the Peninsula campaign, he was in reconnaissance. He was one of the first to use hot-air balloons for surveillance of the enemy. This makes for exciting reading. It was relatively easy to get UP in the balloons of the time, but getting Down was a chancy business! He was transferred to Artillery where he remained throughout the war. It was Alexander who laid the artillery charges at Gettysburg on that fateful afternoon of July 3, 1863.

Alexander's prose is never dry, often humorous, and sometimes luminous. Following is his impression of the burning of Richmond, Monday, April 3, 1865: "-It was after sunrise of a bright morning when from the Manchester high grounds we turned to take our last look at the old city for which we had fought so long & so hard. It was a sad, a terrible & a solemn sight. I don't know that any moment in the whole war impressed me more deeply with all its stern realities than this. The whole river front seemed to be in flames, amid which occasional heavy explosions were heard & the black smoke spreading & hanging over the city seemed to be full of dreadful portents. I rode on with a distinctly heavy heart & with a peculiar sort of feeling of orphanage." (pp 529, "Fighting for the Confederacy")

General Alexander's "Military Memoirs" saw great commercial and critical success when it was published shortly after the turn of the century. His children were constantly asking him for more of a "what it was like" memoir, without all the scholarly overtones. To satisfy them, he drafted a 1200 page manuscript while away on a job in Nicaragua. It disappeared over the years, and was only rediscovered about 10 years ago. With some excellent editing to fill in the blanks in the author's memory, "Fighting for the Confederacy" should be required reading for every Civil War enthusiast.
Compared to his other work, this book is much more personal and informal. He includes some great detail on what military service was like in Utah Territory and California immediately before the war. Like his other book though, he is neither a romantic about the Confederacy (or apologetic for that matter), nor sparing of his views of commanders North or South. If you have an interest in the Civil War, but not especially details of the campaigns, this is probably the better book by Alexander-praise indeed. However, the military historian would benefit from this book as well as "Military Memoirs". Highly Recommended.

This little book is a lot of different things: a memoir of a violent childhood, a study in the psychology the urban poor, a treatise against the gun industry; and a promotion of community service centers. Collectively, these pieces make up an impassioned plea to end the insanity of violence and chaos in the inner city, to stop ignoring the fact that many of our cities' neighborhoods have death rates that qualify them as war zones. It's compelling reading, although at times it felt a little like preaching to the converted. I wish the author had focused exclusively on his childhood; for me, these parts of the book are by far the most interesting. As a teacher who works with inner-city kids, I want to know more about what it's like growing up in that environment, how it shapes your world view. The glimpses we get of the author's neighborhood in the Bronx are fascinating, the best biographical writing I've read in a long time.

The story of the author's adult involvement in violence prevention is worthy of telling, but I think it belongs in a separate book. In the context of Fist, Stick, Knife, Gun, the perspective of the adult community activist seems simplistic and almost disrespectful to the stark drama of the childhood memories; "that was the problem, here's my solution," Canada seems to imply. The easy answers he offers muffle the powerful resonance of his stories of growing up on the streets.

Fist Stick Knife Gun is a book about the author's life. He tells how the violence in America evolved from fist fighting to gun shooting. Also, he proves his statements with actual facts from credible sources. One aspect of this book that I like very much is the fact that you can read the chapters that you choose at any time because it is not an ongoing story that continues chapter after chapter, even though the overall story is of his personal life and violence in America. Fist Stick Knife Gun is a very informative book. For example, I had no clue that SO many handguns were in circulation in America. This book is recommended for everyone who is looking for a very good book to read.

Canada grew up poor in the South Bronx in the '50s. Violence, then, as now, was a way of life. All boys fought - life was worse for those who refused. Violence and the rituals surrounding it established the social pecking order. In the preface to his memoir Canada says, "The difference is that we never had so many guns in our inner cities."

Canada's first memory of street violence came at age 4, when his two older brothers had a jacket stolen at the playground. The boys' mother sent them right back to fetch it, promising them a beating "ten times as bad as what that little thief could do to you," if they failed.

They left the house in tears and returned triumphant, with the jacket. Their mother sat them down and told them it was a lesson in not becoming a victim. The author, her youngest, was unconvinced.

Then a neighborhood boy who habitually refused to fight was "stretched" over a car and savagely beaten by a group of boys. "The lesson was brutal and unmistakable. No matter who you fought, he could never beat you that bad."

Canada's memoir is a thoughtful, moving portrayal of social behavior in a culture of violence. A quick study, Canada learned to use posturing, attitude and negotiation as well as his fists to minimize the number and severity of violent encounters.

But he is absolutely convinced that violence is a learned response, not innate. He and the other small boys, says Canada, were aghast at the prospect of fighting. Only fear of worse violence and a life of cowering in corners spurred them to fight.

Today, says Canada, the same imperatives operate. But guns have shattered the rituaized formality of the pecking order. Toughness is no longer determined by fighting skills or "heart" but by willingness to pull the trigger.
This is the book's most chilling precept. The streets are now ruled by those whose most important attribute is a lack of compunction about killing.

Canada's own experience as a gun carrier is a perfect illustration. Home from college he found a nearby street ruled by a gang of toughs so intimidating he would take a circuitous route to avoid them. So he bought a gun. Carrying it, he found his whole personality changed.

Instead of avoiding the block or even crossing the street he would swagger through the gang, his whole attitude provoking a challenge. But back at school in bucolic Maine he saw his behavior in a different light. Appalled at how close he'd come to shooting someone, he threw away the gun.

Those who don't leave the ghetto don't have the luxury of contemplation.

Canada has devoted his life to helping poor children and reducing street violence. Today he runs a program which offers classes and recreational activities which involve the whole community. The Rheedlen Center uses public school buildings, open 17 hours a day, in an effort to provide children and families with safety.

At the end of the book, Canada offers a program for solving the problems of violence in the inner cities. Chief among them is getting handguns off the streets by using buyback programs, registration at the place of manufacture (so any gun can be traced) and registration of ammunition.

Whether the reader agrees with his solutions or not, Canada's memoir is powerful testimony of a future of little hope without major change. It is also a riveting and convincing personal history.

Burma (aka Myanmar) is a country of many, many different ethnic and tribal groups. While the majority (69%) are Burman, there are many others including Karen, Kachin, Shan, Mon, and the author's own Padaung tribe. (The Padaung are most famous in the West for their "giraffe women" who wear golden rings about their necks that elongate their profile to freakish dimensions.)

Pascal Khoo Thwee's book is a narrative of his life as an ambitious young Padaung man trying to negotiate his way through the brutal, murderous, politically-dysfunctional culture that is modern-day Burma. It is an incredible story, cinematic in its dimensions and bizarre, fortuitous coincidences. Thwe gives voice to the Burma that nobody knows, i.e., life as experienced by one of its minority tribal groups.

Thwe's descriptions of his life among the Padaung are extraordinarly rich, with all the subtle nuances that only an insider could provide. His account of his flight from a hideous regime and life among the anti-government insurgents in the jungle is equally riveting. Eventually, he escapes to the rarified academic milieu of Cambridge University. It is a great story (and would make a fine movie.)

Unfortunately, it is in the account of his political awakening/transformation (the bridge between the two stories above) that the book falls flat. This was the most momentous and revolutionary period in the history of modern day Burma. It was when Aung San Suu Kyi came to world prominence and Burma looked like it had a hope of abandoning its decades long isolation and rejoing the modern (democratic?) world. One would expect that Thwe's narrative would sing at this point. Yet, it seems curiously detached -- almost mailed-in. It seems, in fact, to be reconstructed in significant measure from secondary sources. Only the death of his lover/girlfriend at the hand of the government has any resonance in accounting for his ultimate apostasy from General Ne Win's abominable political ideology.

I acknowledge that this may be unfair to Thwe in that I am thinking like a Westerner. He is candid in talking about his difficulties in coming to terms with concepts such as "human rights", "democracy", and "freedom of thought." Still, I feel that his account of the pressures that pushed him toward exile is woefully underdeveloped.

On the whole, this is a fine book. I learned much about minority cultures in Burma that I probably would not learn anywhere else. But. . .if you want to understand the revolutionary events that led to the great Burmese uprising of 1988 I would suggest that you look elsewhere.

This is a wonderful book and a very interesting read. It offers a both a detailed description of life growing up in a hill tribe in Burma and a broader look at the tragic consequences of years of totalitarian rule by the corrupt and failed government of Burma (now "officially" Myanmar). The author's journey to the border and subsequent escape from the country almost reads like a fiction novel. However, this true story is written with the respect and insight of a man well aware of the gravity of his country's plight. His book does the reader, and the people of his troubled country, a great service.

Extraordinary memoir by a gifted writer with an extremely unusual story to tell.

This book is filled with ideas to help you decorate in true garden style. It contains ideas for your porch or patio and every room in the home. The rooms have beautiful color schemes, window treatments, and other ideas for every home.

This book has inspired me to redo many of our rooms usingsimple and easy to find garden-style accessories. ............... the fabulous sequel to this book, Garden Style Projects. I may need a new house now so I can keep using all these ideas.

This has quickly become one of my favorites. Every vignette has ideas popping off the page. I'm a designer in a small design firm and we have used it with clients. The other designers got excited about it as I did. Clinets are asking us to bring the outdoors in and indoors out. This book is loaded with ideas that are practical and don't break the pocketbook.

This book is totally awesome and inspiring. Amanda's work is so beautiful and I believe that she is an angel that is "guided by angels". She is truly a gifted young lady with a promising future. She gives of herself in so many wonderful ways! God bless you, Amanda !

this girl is just remarkable in the work she does, I could not believe the great talent that she puts forth in this book.... To be able to paint this beautiful and help people in the world while doing this is truly a special gift... thank you for your work Amanda..

A chance meeting with the artist has given me a new sense of hope. I shall forever cherish my signed copy of "Guided by the Angels" My husband and I were so drawn in to her vision that we purchased one of her original paintings entitled, "Keeper of the Lights". This book is a great and inexpensive way to have a glimpse at creation as seen through the eyes of a true angel here on earth, Mandi keep doing God's work and his light shall forever shine through you!

The Gentle Infantryman details the journey of one young replacement soldier across the carnage of the Western Front during the later stages of WWII. It depicts one young man's struggle to overcome his limitations as he faces death, weather and fear during the winter of 1944-1945. This book gives an eminently readable and personal face to history recently documented by Stephen Ambrose in Citizen Soldiers. Boyd not only details the coming of age of one young soldier, but he also touches on themes such as the courage, comradeship and the universality of man that have been explored by authors such as Crane and Remarque. As a history major I would recommend this book to anyone who desires to read more about an period of history from a perspective that is not often voiced. This should be required reading in order to help those who were not there understand the sacrifices put forth by another generation fifty years ago.

The Gentle Infantryman was a thouroghly captivating book. It was probably the first book I couldn't stop reading. Dramatic, exciting, seemingly true to the reality of war (the author was an infantryman in WWII), I recomend it to all who enjoy books of this nature. (I came upon it by chance at the library while doing research for school)

A very moving look into the fragile psyche
of soldiers in combat. I couldn't put it down from the first page until the end, and I strongly recommend it to young soldiers and junior leadership in the armed forces today. Not only is it historically accurate, it is a testament to the strength of the human emotion and the bonds of friendship during war.

It has a clear and simple explanation of Love from the Christian perspective that is too often clouded or forgotten through the politics of our world today. Read it for inspiration or to improve your expression of love.

I have always been told that faith is the greatest thing a Christian can have. I have read 1 Corinthians 13 many times before, put I just thought of it as poetic. I never realized it tells us plainly LOVE is greater than faith and hope. Without love our faith and our hope is worthless junk. This book is an easy read, and short, but full of insight and intelligence. It gives the reader a new perspective on the greatest thing a Christian can have; LOVE

I read this book at least once a year to keep me focused on what's important in my life. Love is the greatest, most important force in our universe. This book explains the essense of love and provides profound insights on it purpose and how we may employ it in our daily lives. Read it, learn it, and do it. Your life will be fulfilled!