history

Gwen Bristow's Celia Garth may have been published in 1959, but it is truly a classic that is just as timely today. Charleston is always associated with the Civil War, but most Americans do not realize how much fighting went on in and around Charleston during the Revolution. In fact, there were more Revolutionary War battles in South Carolina than in any southern state.

In Celia Garth, we follow the life of a 20 year old seamstress. Celia goes back and forth between a Charleston townhouse and a plantation on the outskirts of town, and we receive a look at what it was like to live during the Revolution. The book ties in many historically documented facts including Francis Marion and his men, the British bombardment of Charleston, the siege of Charleston, British atrocities to plantations, the rebel spy network, actual battles and many famous military leaders. It is fascinating to read how Charlestonians were forced by Patriot troops to give up all their food supplies (except for rice), causing townsfolk to starve. Life was definitely not easy.

It is also fun to read about sites that are still in Charleston, and how they figured in the struggle. St. Michael's Church steeple was painted black to make it harder for British warships to see. Also, Patriots stored over 10,000 pounds of gunpowder in the basement of the Old Exchange building so that it would not fall into Loyalists hands. The British never did find it-even after they took control of the city and the Exchange Building.

The story itself is riveting, and I found myself staying up extra late to keep on reading. I couldn't wait to see what happened next. Although this was written with teenage girls in mind, don't let this be a deterrent. The 300 plus pages and the heavy dose of history make for extremely interesting reading. So, if you can get your hands on this classic, you've discovered a true treasure.

This book rates among my all-time favorites! I love learning about the history of our country, and following the life of a young girl in Charleston in the 1700's provided a real feel for life in that early-American time period. The story is interesting and, at times, intense, although it takes awhile before the action begins. Romance (of an uplifting nature), war, friendship, and courage are all portrayed in this book. It would appeal to most any girl 15-105 years old. Men might enjoy it, too, as there are several male characters in the story, especially as they are involved in the bloody Revolutionary War. I enjoyed learning more about General Washington and other true historical characters. If you like historical fiction, you'll dig this!

I first read this book when I was about 12 years old and loved it then. My knowledge of the Revolutionary War was limited but it was pretty easy to follow. I have since read the book many times and my love for History has grown a lot so now when I read Celia Garth I read with complete understanding. I feel like this is a book that is for all ages, grabs the reader and takes her back to Charleston during the revolution, they threw in the love interest to keep the romantics drawn in. Like Gone With the Wind-it is a book that has a lot to offer the reader.

An exciting story of a Vietnam pilots emotional recovery. Robert Mason doesn't hold anything back as he tells it the way it is. He takes you on a journey through "Nam": women problems, job problems, his never-ending drinking, the occasional pot smoking and smuggling, and, of course, all of his traveling. Mason also tells of his struggles trying to raise a family, while staying sane at the same time. This is a great book, however it starts out slow in the first few chapters. But, after a while you will find yourself glued to the pages!

I first bought and read Mason's book Chickenhawk in the mid-eighties. I recently got the urge to reread a number of 'Nam books, so I bought a new copy. Keeping in mind that the war in Vietnam was ever-changing, and that each time period made for a different environment, Mason gives a good account of the early period of the war. This is one of maybe the three or four best books written on the vietnam experience or, for that matter, combat flying. I recommend it highly.

I have read this book three times. I know what an extraordinary story this is and have tried to turn others on to it.
Bob Mason's transformation from eager pilot trainee to jaded combat veteran/burnout, while probably not anymore remarkable a story than any other pilot's is well written and that is what makes it great! After reading the book I felt as though I know Bob Mason. Not a bad thing.
When Mason describes the deck inside the chopper,covered in blood you can almost smell it.
Serious life and death stuff with some of the funniest stories of human screw ups wrapped up in a truly memorable account of one
helluva chopper pilots' experience in Vietnam.
It's like I say:" 'Chickenhawk' is the best damn war movie they never made!"

Felix Smith is a gifted writer, who is able to describe a scene or an incident with carefully selected, compact, beautiful prose. There are plenty of flying stories for the aviation enthusiast in this book, but the writing is never too technical to confuse the uninitiated. His story of China in turmoil, and a shoestring airline staffed with unusual characters, is compelling indeed, and is thoroughly recommended.

My one criticism is the lack of historical thread of the airline after its ejection from China. The book breaks down to a series of interesting anecdotes, but the background on how CAT evolved, how it acquired jets, how Smith himself transitioned to sophisticated jet transports, is missing. I found many of the later anecdotes, though well written and compelling, oddly out of context, and wondered how they fitted into the big picture. This wasn't helped by Smith's technique of sometimes mentioning a character, and only introducing him in later pages, which has you thumbing back through the book seeing if perhaps you'd missed a passage.

But these are small criticisms indeed, and the book is a very enjoyable read of a turbulent and, frankly, romantic era of aviation.

Having spent an appreciable amount of time in Asia myself, and being an admirer of the exploits of the famed Flying Tigers (AVG), I ordered four books at one time. I saved this book for last, since Mr. Smith was not an original member of the Flying Tigers. After reading, and enjoying the others, I began Mr. Smith's CHINA PILOT. I don't know what I thought I would get out of this book, but I loved it! Felix Smith was obviously one of the very best pilots working in an Asia in turmoil at that time. His narration of the many adventures he was involved in draw the reader right into the cockpit with him. I could SEE Earthquake Magoon! I could SMELL the warm night air through the open cockpit window while flying over some jungle in Vietnam or Laos. I wholeheartedly recommend this fine book to those interested in the Far East and the many roles the AVG-CAT-Air America played during those decades of turbulence. Mr. Smith, if you happen to read this: excellent job! Both on the book, and particularly your interesting life.

Mike McCaffrey
Department of State/Foreign Service - Retired

Perhaps you'd have to be intersted in flying to fully appreciate this book--There is lots and lots of intersting stuff about flying under adversse conditions. However, I was attracted to this book primarily because of my interst in the history of modern China, and the transition from rule by the Guomindang to the Communist Party.

As history, it is absolutely fascinating and very helpful. The story concerns CAT (Civil Air Transport), a small (at that time) airline started as a civilian business enterprise after World War II by General Claire Chennault, former commander of the Flying Tigers. The company was put together in Mainland China while Chiang Kai-Shek was still in charge. The airline manages to survive the Communist revolution by moving to Taiwan. The author flew for the airline throughout this period, and gives rich insight into the transition.

The book also gives a new insight into the problems of the French in Indochina, and some of the feelings of resentment toward a European country which was clearly intersted in preserving colonialism (with very large amounts of American money) rather than promoting freedom. One of the main characters of the story was killed flying supplies to the French at Dien Bien Phu after CAT became a front for the CIA in the early fifites.

This book would appeal most directly to flying buffs, and to those (like myself) who are intersted in finding alternative sources for the history of this very important period. The book is very readable, and contains a number of pictures, as well as many, many intersting anecdotes, and key historical information that cannot be obtained from other sources.

If you want a multitude of pictures and a fair discussion of the tomb's discovery and the objects found in it, then this is an excellent book. We used this in a grad/undergrad level seminar I took back at Columbia University because it is so detailed on the tomb and its discovery. However, when it comes to information about Tutankhanum himself there are only 20 pages that look at his life and the historical context of his life, most of that is spent on his family and the dynasty he is part of. 20 pages out of 200+?! This is why I'm giving this book only 4 stars -- the cover and the summary offered by the book itself suggests the book has three parts and this first one is barely there.

This was Howard Carter's initial description of the newly unearthed tomb of Tutenkhamen, and having read "The Complete Tutenkhamen" I'm inclined to make the same observation. For the first few hours the text of this book will be impossible to read, because the pictures are so arresting. My personal favorite is something that looks like a painted statute but, we are told, was a domestic a clothes-horse: if so, it's possibly the most beautiful mannequin ever designed. Virtually the entire inventory of Tut's tomb is dissected, with separate chapters devoted to each antechamber. We are treated, as well, to an account of Howard Carter's (and Lord Caernavon's) legendary pursuits, and explosion of the "Tut's Curse" canard. A great mix of good history and real eye candy.

I had a project on Ancient Egypt. We were supose to choose a topic and write about it. I choose King Tut. I borrowed this book at a library and found it so interesting i bought it. I got all of the information i needed in this book and as a good result a got an A+ on my project. And all I have to thank is this one book.

Carolyn Brewer's book took me on a journey to my past, Her recounting of the Ruskin Heights tornado through interviews with survivors made those intense Summer evenings come rushing back like the storm winds themselves. No one who grew up in "Tornado Alley" could read this book and not be moved. I applaud her courage and that of the people who shared that night of terror with all of us.

I lived next door to Carolyn Brewer when our lives were changed forever. I'm Shannon McNamara, one of the babies mentioned in the book. I don't remember anything about the incident, but grew up hearing some of the less frightening tales, and nobody talked about the emotional toll. Back in the 50's and 60's people did not openly discuss their feelings. Carolyn not only depicted the events that took place, but also captured the feelings that were held in for over 40 years. I cried through many of the stories, but there were humorous times too. Carolyn not only told of the destruction, but how a city pulled together and rebuilt their lives. On a personal level, the book helped explain to me some of the emotional turmoil our family and friends dealt with years later. I have lent this book to many of my friends here in Chicago. Even though they grew up outside of "Tornado Alley" they were captivated the entire book. We all liked the way Carolyn wrote the book in chronological order, and put in a name index at the end. We could then re-read some of the stories over and again from an individual's point of view. It is not a book you can read straight through and put down. Thanks, Carolyn, for a beautifully written and illustrated book about this incredible episode.

I came across this book on a visit to St. Louis and grabbed it. It may just be the best book ever written about a tornado--it's riveting start to finish and the spotlight is on people and their lives. It's a great movie in print with a terrific plot, memorable characters and a lot of heroism mixed in.

This book is an excellent (and fun) fact-filled guide to all aspects of the Computer Graphics industry. But don't be fooled by the title...I've been in the industry 20 years and still learn some new tidbit every time I thumb through it. More than just a how-to book, this is also a very complete look at the history of the industry and many of the people and companies of significance in the evolution of Computer Graphics and Visual Effects, from the earliest analog systems to the most advanced techniques employed by Industrial Light and Magic. Really worth checking out!

Superficially subdued by a bland title that reads like a basic, frills-free "Introduction to Computer Graphics" course, Terrence Masson's CG 101: A Computer Graphics Industry Reference, by New Riders Publishing, nevertheless dispatches preconceived notions with its exquisitely detailed history of digital art production. A visual effects director and the founder of Digital Fauxtography, the author has spent at least two stints with Industrial Light & Magic and once served as a technical director at Digital Domain.

An amalgam of CG terminology (pp. 1-209), impactful corporate industry presences (pp. 210-347), programming and mathematics terms (pp. 348-361), fundamental and miscellaneous terms (pp. 362-385), a computer graphics timeline (pp. 385-437) and other mini-sections on CG FAQ (pp. 438-451), job descriptions (pp. 452-461), previsualization (pp. 462-467) and the analog computer era (pp. 468-476), this unique text probably represents the definitive chronology of computer graphics' evolution. The resource's 500 pages belie the mundane name and cover by chronicling numerous advances marking the historic progression of computer graphics-from the pre-mechanical days of the 1940s to the archaic, punch card-based leviathan units of the 1950s and '60s, to the sleek and potent desktop workstations of the late '90s. (The book was published in 1999.)

With the ambitious aid of 97 other industry sources, Masson begins the book by defining "color and light," "painting and graphic design," "modeling," "animation," "rendering," "compositing" and "input & output" terms alphabetically, per section. Processes, programs, properties, rules, companies and more are clearly defined during this first section, accompanied by applicable screenshots, diagrams, quotes and informational tidbits. For the purely artistic members of the digital art community, this material doubtless will prove dry and unpalatable. But for those having more of a technical and scientific bent, this comprehensive industry reference is a fascinating excursion into the intricacies that help materialize the eventual pretty, pixelated pictures so many of us enjoy producing and admiring. Learn what "pixel" denotes ... who invented the Phong shading method ... what "pixmap" means ... the origin of the omnipresent teapot icon ... the beginnings of morphing ... who started Atari ... the conception of ILM ... the significance of SuperPaint ... and much more. It's all here.

Section 8, "Historically Significant Companies," really is the beginning of the salivating learning experience, though, introducing readers to pioneering companies and people whose prosperous contributions have nursed CG through its proverbial growing pains. Some of today's popular and recognized field leaders appear, such as Industrial Light & Magic and Robert Greenberg and Associates, and they're graced by numerous lesser-known but equally essential precursors. Remember the 1979 feature film The Black Hole? Think Abel Image Research and Robert Abel & Associates. Recall 1984's The Last Starfighter? Think Digital Productions. The list and sundry, voluminous details are phenomenal.

The second portion comprising stellar, historically intensive reading, Section 11, "Computer Graphics Timeline," lists and delineates all key advances in the industry, throughout the 20th Century's final half.

On the downside, some of the quotes by CG experts seem to ramble, are inapplicable or just plain too long, but they appear to represent Masson's method for best expressing these individuals' contributions to the digital art community-or just relating arguably interesting events. (Besides, art often is about storytelling, anyway.) The text also is somewhat outdated, having been printed three years ago. But this does not diminish the paperback's essential overall value.

As for the seemingly innumerable industry term definitions, these provide industry professionals -and interested hobbyists-with a valuable reference resource. They also remind the reader that, despite all the creativity involved in generating digital art, CG's undergarments are math and science. It's always technicality before imagination.

Quite simply, if you're genuinely interested in computer graphics as an artistic medium, and you value the learning experience, CG 101: A Computer Graphics Industry Reference is a must-read. All told, this undoubtedly is among the most interesting titles-of any kind-this reviewer has ever read. (No kidding.) Assuming you possess the technical interest in these details, you'll find yourself perusing this gem night after night, until you've marked your last highlight with a neon felt tip and a corner page fold. (I tallied 14 page folds and 39 blue highlight markings in my copy.)

I bought this book for Computer Graphic Course for Animator class, and I found it really valuable because I wanted to learn much about history of computer softwares like painter, photoshop,and Maya. Anyways, this book is superb! This book is highly recommended for anyone who is interested in working in Entertainment industry.

I was one of the lucky ones who got to see Tommy Womack and Government Cheese perform maybe twenty times before they decided to call it quits. "Cheese Chronicles" documents the ups and downs of a very entertaining, high-energy group of musicians on the road for years. Cheese always reminded me of the early Who with their penchant for driving audiences mad, and it was great to relive some of my more fun times in the 1980s. Womack's book is funny, poignant and gives the reader a great idea what it's like to be in a working rock band. Tommy's prose is intelligent, easy to read, and one never had to see the band perform live to enjoy the book or to get a good idea what the rock life or Government Cheese are all about.

For all of you out there, who once dreamed of breathing fire like Gene Simmons but are now jockeying a desk, this book is for you. Damn the cubicle. Quit your job and join a rock'n'roll band. Get rich. Get women. Get famous. Or not.

In the Cheese Chronicles, Tommy Womack presents a great look into the usually-unglamorous lifestyle of beer-swilling, chain-smoking, working musicians just trying to make ends meet. He demonstrates that the road to musical nirvana isn't paved with gold for every band that hasn't made it yet. It's paved with concrete just like the Pennsylvania Turnpike, complete with an ungodly amount of potholes. From songs about frozen fish to crashing out next to the litter box on some guy's floor, it's all here. And funny as hell to boot.

Too bad you can't get the Cheese on cd anymore. I'd buy a copy. Definitely.

Tommy Womack is a great writer! I too was a Cheesefan back in the day, but this book would be amazing even if I hadn't heard of them. I laughed, I cried...I could not put it down! Facinating and definitely a must read for any young bands out there.

I bought this book because of a deep and abiding interest in all things Roman (an exception - Roman Catholicism) and I could not put it down. Mr. Wilken is, first of all, an engaging writer who makes each page a delight. The amount of information he includes in this book is tremendous - Galen, Julian, Porphyry, Celsus = they're all here in living color! Most of us are used to the Christian side of the story concerning the church's origins and the pagans never come out unscathed. This book shows that the Roman pagans were not superstitious twits but philosophers who delved into their religion with as much depth and passion as any church father ever did. Mr. Wilken lays out in detail the weaknesses in Christian theology that the pagans used against them. The chapter on Roman burial societies, which served as social clubs, gave a new perspective on the church as a fellowship group that was often seen as no different from other societies. It is also nice to know that the Christians then acted as arrogantly and obnoxiously as they do now toward those who disagree with them. Every student of western religion and every Christian who thinks they know the history of their church should read this book.

Early Christian folklore is permeated with the idea that the
"saints" merely had to tell the story of Jesus and all who heard it believed. The story made perfect sense and all that was required was someone to tell the story and all of a sudden all the clouded thinking of the listener was cleared away. The rapid growth of Christianity during the first four centuries of the Common Era confirm this.

For readers who have such an idea of early Christianity, this book may be an eye-opener, perhaps one of the most significant books one ever reads. Robert Wilken does an excellent job of describing the attitudes of the Romans toward Christianity as it grew. Pliny the Younger, Tacitus, and Seutonius saw Christianity as a "superstition," a foreign cult whose practices stood outside the accepted standards of religion in the Greco-Roman world. Galen saw Christianity as a philosophical way of life but found its members dogmatic and uncritical in their thinking. Celsus saw Jesus as a magician and accused Christians of magic. (See _Ancient Christian Magic_ by Marvin Meyer) Celsus was also concerned about Christians becoming a counterculture that
"drained their energies away from the larger society." Porphyry was considered by Augustine the "most learned of scholars" yet when Porphyry heard Origen attempt to reconcile Christianity with the Greek intellectual tradition, he thought it an
"absurdity." The last Roman persecution of Christians took place under the reign of Maximin Daia, an emperor who took piety seriously. A later emperor, Julian, earned the name "apostate" for being raised as a Christian and then rejecting Christianity.

Since it first began, Christianity has not only been championed by intelligent people but questioned seriously by some as well. Adolf von Harnack once wrote that Porphyry's objections had not yet been answered in his own day. Christianity did spread rapidly, but that the message of Christianity was readily accepted at face value is not the reason for this growth. For that one must look elsewhere.

An excellent book on the early days of Christians. An interesting
look at where Christianity came from, and how the Romans
thought about monotheism. I did purchase several other
books mentioned in this one. It is good and I do recommend
it. I often buy or don't buy books based upon these kind of
reports, so let me say, you will not be disappointed in buying
this one.

Charles Rosen by now has attained a place among musical analysts on a par with the likes of Tovey and Grout, though his style is very different from either of these luminaries. Taking the music of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven as the pinnacle of the musical style that developed in the late eighteenth-century, Rosen explains how around 1775 there was a decisive shift away from the High Baroque style of Bach and Handel, and why this new music was different. After his general introduction to the style most of the book explores different genres, symphony, opera, concerto and string quartet among them, to create a lucid and multi-faceted picture of how these three great composers approached and solved common musical and formal problems. The new edition adds a preface that addresses criticisms of the original book and an additional late chapter on Beethoven.

Rosen's writing, though it can be dense and repetitive, at its best is unmatched in its ability to relate analysis to what actually is heard by a listener. To this end, an ability to read and understand the copious and detailed musical examples is essential to fully grasping his points--this book is not for the casual amateur. But to those willing to do the work, The Classical Style remains as richly rewarding after three-plus decades as when it first appeared. As another reviewer has mentioned, it is a book one returns to again and again simply for the sheer pleasure of reading it.

I am not a Classical Music Expert but I am slowly learning it (most of my book reviews are in mathematics and physics). One of the reviewers criticizes Rosen for some technical reasons that I cannot evaluate. However, I do know that many universities recommend Rosen's book, so the critic is not entirely without his own critics. I find this book endlessly engrossing, as some of the reviewers have. You cannnot come away from this book without understanding many of the main differences between and among Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven, and between Classical, Baroque, and Romance music. I was especially interested to find that Beethoven, widely touted as an immoral person in some of the popular media, was in fact a person of great moral character (and the popular impression of Mozart seems to be wrong too, although there is less information on this). Those who believe that creative genius is stimulated by severe suffering (Beethoven, Van Gogh in art, Godel in mathematical logic, Galileo in physics and astronomy, etc.) will find much material in this book that seems to indicate the accuracy of this theory more or less. This is also a book that tells you what Haydn learned from Mozart and Mozart from Haydn, what Beethoven thought of Mozart and Schubert, what classical music learned from Baroque music and so on.

This is a beautifully written and illustrated book on a noble subject. On the basis of that rarity alone it deserves five stars.

My personal library collection of baseball books includes several hundred volumes. Only a privileged few of these books sit on a small shelf handy above my word processor. Among the selected few is a newcomer, The Complete Book of Baseball's Negro Leagues: The Other Half of Baseball History by John Holway. This unique book succinctly traces the history of Negro baseball from pre-civil war days to the end of the Negro Major League era in 1948.

Mr. Holway is no stranger to the more than 7,000 members of the Society for American Baseball Research. He has been chronicling Negro baseball history since 1969, and has produced five previous books on the topic. His innumerable newspaper and magazine articles are referenced in the book's laudable bibliography. Well indexed, this book is the culmination of over three decades of dedicated ressearch by the man who knows more about Negro baseball than any writer ever. Royse "Crash" Paarr, co-author, Glory Days of Summer: The History of Baseball in Oklahoma.

"To appreciate any sport, you must learn about its entire history. And you can't truly appreciate baseball without learning about the Negro Leagues. Begin with this book."

As submitted to Hasting House on Dec. 10, 2001 via e-mail

"To appreciate any sport, you must learn about its entire histroy. And you can't truly appreciate baseball without learning about the Negro Leagues. Begin with this book."

-Sports Columnist, Kansas City Star