literature

"Extinction" is the story of Franz-Josef Murau, a wealthy Austrian gentleman living in Rome as a private tutor in German literature. His tastes run to the esoteric and philosophical, and his relationship with his student, Gambetti, is intellectually mutual. He has just returned to Rome from the wedding of his younger sister, Caecilia, to an "obese wine cork manufacturer," held at the family estate in Austria, called Wolfsegg. At the wedding were his parents, older brother Johannes, and his other younger sister, Amelia.

He receives a telegram in Rome: "Parents and Johannes killed in accident." For the first half of this 320-page book (each half being one unbroken paragraph!), he describes his life, and his narration becomes a deep reflection on his childhood and life to date. He delivers a marvelous psychological portrait of himself, as well as the family members who have just died, and his long-dead Uncle Georg, whom he remembers with great fondness. He hates his family deeply, and the feeling is mutual. He is a philosopher, they are down to earth. He is an aesthete, but they are simple folks. He is a scholar, but they are hunters and farmers, despite their fantastic wealth and their prosperous family estate. Only Uncle George understood him, artistic, free-spirited, and educated. Franz-Josef reflects passionately on his current situation, and tells us many stories of himself and his family.

For the second half of the book, he describes the funeral at Wolfsegg. Lacking parents and older siblings, he is now the master of the estate. His sisters look to him for leadership. He must now decide what to do with the estate. Will he move back to Wolfsegg in Austria, a land he loves, but an estate he hates? Will he pass it to his sisters and remain in Rome, a city he cherishes more than any other? Bernhard will stun the reader with the beauty of the resolution, but will do it in his own literary fashion.

During the story, we learn Franz-Josef disdains Catholicism and National Socialism (i.e., Nazism) in equal parts. His mother had been having an affair with a Catholic Archbishop in Rome, a relationship which was supposedly secret, but which all her children seem to know of. The Archbishop is a close family friend, and will certainly visit the estate for the funeral. His father had many Nazi friends, unbelievably still openly Nazi all these years after the war. He tells us of the fun times he enjoyed playing at his estate's Children's Villa, and how disappointed he was when it was shuttered. He vows to open and restore it when he is master. He tells us of the five libraries---five!---scattered about the estate, similarly shuttered up, collecting dust despite a half-dozen generations' worth of valuable books stored within. He tells us childhood stories of his parents, his brother, and his sister, all disdainful, and heaps contempt upon his brother-in-law, whose name he cannot even bring himself to utter, in generous proportions. At one point, he bathes in his father's bath, and wears some of his clothes. Is this a metaphor for his feelings? We learn that he blames his father only for being such a simple man, but hates his mother passionately, for dragging his father into the mud.

We struggle with the idea that this is an unreliable narrator, and we are only hearing one side of a two-sided story, but unlike Italo Svevo's masterpiece, "Confessions of Zeno", it is clear that despite this narrator's one-sided story, there is no reason to disbelieve him. He is as critical of himself as of others, and he demonstrates the pettiness and crudeness of his family in many different ways. We trust him, not only because he is self-critical, but because despite his self-confidence, he is not a fool. We also learn some untoward truths about his family, and a few hidden secrets, which cannot be dismissed, even from the most unreliable narrator. His angst comes from a simple sentiment, expressed early on: "I can't abolish my family just because I want to." He struggles to resolve the question of extinction: Must he extinguish himself to satisfy his family? Must his family be extinguished to satisfy himself?

Finally, after a rollicking narration of heartfelt emotions and deeply-help philosophies, Bernhard's narrator demonstrates how he chooses to reconcile his thoughts and feelings, his inheritance and his sisters, his legacy and his future, and all the elements demonstrated through the length of the novel braid together like a jewel. Bernhard's prose is difficult for those unfamiliar with experimental or cutting-edge literature, but actually not very difficult once one tries. Curious readers will greatly enjoy engaging their mind with this book. If they wish to sample a smaller work before digging into this one, Bernhard's "Yes" is another masterpiece of style and depth. Both are rewarding, brilliant works from a literary master.

There is great joy to be had from this wonderful book. Its first joy is its prose - sparkling in its clarity, musical, effortless - which carries one along on a journey through the thoughts and feelings of Viennese 48 year old Franz-Joseph Murau. Intellectual resident of Rome, alienated by choice from his Austrian family, friend to Archbishop Spadolini(who is also his mother's lover!), he receives a telegram that his father, mother and brother have died in a car accident making him at one stroke inheritor of the family's wealthy estate. He is now MASTER OF WOLFSEGG. The first half of the novel THE TELEGRAM concerns his recollections of childhood and relationships and events that shaped his life. Example: " At first we always tell ourselves that our parents naturally love us, but suddenly we realise that, equally naturally, they hate us for some reason - that is to say, we appear to them as I appeared to mine, as a child that didn't conform with their notion of what a child should be, a child that had gone wrong. They had not reckoned with my eyes which probably saw everything I was not meant to see when I opened them. First, I looked in DISBELIEF, as they say, when I stared at them, and finally, one day I SAW THROUGH THEM, and they never forgave me, could NOT forgive me.(p 76)" The second half of the novel THE WILL concerns his attendance at the estate where he oversees the funeral and greets and reflects upon the range of visitors paying their respects.

Example: "In ROME I often lay on my bed, unable to stop thinking of how our nation was guilty of thousands, tens of thousands, of such heinous crimes, yet remained silent about them. The fact that it keeps quiet about these thousands and tens of thousands of crimes is the greatest crime of all, I told my sisters. It's this silence that's so sinister, I said. It's that nation's silence that's so terrible, even more terrible than the crimes themselves.(p 231)" This bare outline of the two parts cannot prepare you, dear reader, for the experiences of this novel. It is as if one becomes privy as another Viennese Mr Freud did, to the real secrets of the heart of an individual, an individual nevertheless, shaped by the world in which he was born but determined to realise some truths about that world. WE are privy then to the feelings, equivocations, doubts, fears, guilt and searching. It is a revalatory experience, scaldingly honest, which provides one man's analysis of 20th Century Austrian culture, including National Socialism, the class system, religion, architecture, cuisine et al. Sometimes mocking, sometimes self excoriating, sometimes savagely funny, we travel with Mr Murau through his thoughts and feelings at this turning point in his history. In the end, Mr Murau makes a stunning act of redemption which concludes his statement and rounds off this wonderful work of literature on a joyous note. Please accompany, or perhaps follow,this novel with a large dose of HAYDN. Most modern novels pale into the ordinary compared to this work.

This was his latest novel to appear in English. It is masterfully constructed,elegantly disturbing and satisfyingly challenging.

I bought this book for my kids (now in their 30's) but, because I REALLY liked it, kept it when they grew up and left home. I keep putting it in a safe place, then not being able to find it again. I think Fungus would approve of my system. This way it sneaks up on me and I take the time to glaur the muffs and read it again. What I can't understand is why it hasn't been placed back in print. It is timeless. Colossal colophons forever!!

When I was about four or five, a bookmobile drove near our house way back in the boonies. Every single time (and I do mean EVERY time), I would check out this book. About ten years ago, the bookmobile stopped coming around, and I haven't seen this book since. Today, when browsing around, I saw this and instantly knew that I had to have it once more. I've been looking for a very long time, and it has been found. A WONDERFUL book.

Fungus the Bogeyman is one of the funniest, richest, not to say murkiest, children's books I know. The detail of Bogey life is brilliantly conceived and illustrated (the contents of a Bogey bathroom shelf alone are worth the price of the book), and the guiding story of Fungus' own vague existential doubts about Bogey life are a delicious parody of some much more heavy-handed English fiction. Raymond Briggs is a master (see also his two books for adults "While the Wind Blows", about nuclear war, and "Ethel and Ernest" about his parents lives).

My daughter sent me one of these e-mail questionnaires intended to reveal your personality. One of the questions on it was, "What person, living or dead, would you give $10,000 to spend an hour with?" In that moment, I typed in "Ralph Waldo Emerson". He's not the only one, but I certainly would beg, borrow or steal $10,000 for an hour with him -- not Thoreau, not Whitman, not Schiller... but Emerson I would. And Goethe I would. But my simple heart lies closer to Emerson than to Goethe.

I have gone through 4-5 of his selected works, and this is one of my two favorite.

30 years ago, when I entered high school, we studied the Transcendentalists in a basic lit class, and something about Emerson just glowed in my mind. The teacher told me that with time I'd get to know other authors better, and Emerson would take his place alongside a legion of others. But he was in a degree mistaken. Emerson never did diminish. I have never fallen out of love with him. And the relationship is a serious one. When the shadow of doubt creeps over me that my presence on this planet might be some kind of horrendous mistake, I still crack open a volume of Emerson. And he has never failed to recall me to myself.

With all the books written about philosophy today, and in the past, this should be perhaps, by far, the most sought after work. Camus and Dostoevsky have contributed much to thought and philosophy of existentialism, but this seems to, in its own way, surpass any labeling of a type of philosophy.

Self-Reliance has to be one of the most understood pieces in the collection. Mr. Emerson speaks in a tone that is easily understood and thoughts explained in plain english, no degree required to understand. And once understood, ideas are easy to apply to our own life to better understand what we have read.

Without a doubt, this book is a must in any thinkers library. Walt Whitman says it best about this book, "I was simmering, simmering, simmering. Emerson brought me to a boil." A genius of a book.

All I can say is Emerson changed my life. Once I read "Self-Reliance" in school, his writing sparked my interest. I read a few more of his essays, then became "addicted" to this book. Despite its length, I read all of his essays and poems in 6 months. I highly recommend this book to anyone. Emerson is a genius. Everyone should read at least one of Emerson's essays in their lifetime. They are amazing.

C.S. Lewis' "Experiment in Criticism" is one of those great books that gives one a new lens with which to view life. This book caused me to do a lot of self-examination and reflection on how I interact not just with literature, but also with culture as a whole.

Lewis' point is that there is not a real "bad" or "good" literature. The value of what we read is in how we interact with it. Lewis defines how people interact with culture in terms of "The Few" and "The Many."

"The Few" are the literary (in other fields they would be musical, have a palette capable of enjoying the best food, or an eye for art). The literary count reading as valuable, read books more than once, are able to be changed by what they read, and remember and share works or pieces of works with others.

"The Many" are the unliterary. Unliterary people generally don't accuse the literary of reading the wrong books-they wonder why literary people make such a big fuss about books at all. They never read a book twice. Their interaction with a work is not deeply felt. Though they may "read a lot" they don't "set much store by it."

Lewis draws some interesting comparisons with other forms of cultural involvement. He compares these two styles of reading with how some people interact with art and music. Just because one is in the literary "Few" does not mean that they are part of the "Few" in other venues.

Chapter five, "On Myth," is incredibly valuable in discussing myth as well as the value of modern genres such as Fantasy and Science Fiction. It is a wonderful area to start exploring what has come to be termed "Mythopoeic literature."

Another notable section is chapter seven which is a discussion of realism. Lewis' definition is broader than the usual. Personally, in changing my perception of what "realistic" fiction is, this chapter probably influenced me more than any other.

This is a book capable of changing the reader's view of culture. It is therefore of great value. I give it my heartfelt recommendation.

...so goes the line from the old Aerosmith song, if I am remembering correctly. Well, none of us will live forever on this old earth; so is it right to give over much of that limited time to reading about things that never were or ever shall be? Read this book (whether you are a Christian or not hardly makes a difference when it comes to reading Experiment) for wise reflections on the reading life.

Quote:
Secondly, the majority, though they are sometimes frequent readers, do not set much store by reading. They turn to it as a last resource. They abandon it with alacrity as soon as any alternative pastime turns up. It is kept for railway journeys, illnesses, odd moments of enforced solitude, or for the process called "reading oneself to sleep".

This dictionary is a very good reference tool for almost every literary concept and movement imaginable. Topics such as 'deconstruction', 'satire' and 'irony' all receive several pages in this text. The sheer amount of information in this dictionary is mind-boggling.

I recommend this book for those who need a concise, to-the-point definition and exploration of literary movements, literary jargon, and about specific genres.

This comprehensive dictionary of literary terms covers much, much more than any other book I've found. It concisely defines literary periods, critical schools, artistic movements, techniques, genres, structural elements, and the derivations of each. No term is too obscure for this volume. Want to know what a rime équivoquée is? Forget what is meant by post-modernism? What was the Florida Street group and with whom did the members identify? Need classic examples of a parody? How does the word "forensics" apply to poetry? You'll find it all in this book of nearly 1000 pages.

This is a highly valuable book for anyone deeply interested in literature and its expressions.

Under twenty dollars for a well thought-out, expertly assembled dictionary of over a thousand pages makes this Penguin an excellent purchase. As for the content, I will simply "second" the observations of earlier reviewers - and recommend that you look through their notes below to be sure this is what you want. This review is just to offer...

One CAVEAT: This inch-and-three-quarters paperback is extremely valuable and deserves to get well thumbed-over by any student of English literature or criticism in general. One could only wish that the publisher had released it in a "quality paperback" format that would better survive such thumbing. The present release (a 2000 paperback reissue of the 1998 hardback) is closer in quality to a mass market paperback, with newsprint grade paper, etc. Annotators and highlighters will find their inks bleeding severely through the pages.

Unfortunately, few of us will have the C-note to lay out for the (presumably much better produced) hardback edition... which would be a *real* treat to keep at one's writing table. Until you win the lottery(or Penguin releases a quality paperback), grab the affordable paperback: it's rewarding enough to keep you *wanting* to highlight, although disappointing when you do.

What if reality is an illusion? How can you know if *you* aren't part of that illusion? If the world is a construct whose sole purpose is to fool your senses, what kind of conclusions can you draw about the nature of reality? Can you prove you exist? Can you even trust your thoughts? These very large questions if not dismissed consist hyprebolic doubt (aka Cartesian Doubt).

By asking and analyzing these very big questions, Descartes proved that you exist, and while not trustworthy, the mere fact you _have_ thoughts, proves it (Cogito Ergo Sum). Unfortunately, due to the high level of rigor and extreme doubt, it has proven impossible to build upon that very sound foundation, and his arguments trying to take it further do not express nearly the same level of rigor, and pale to his powerful first conclusions.

With the style of analysis and fearlessly examining this, he created the basis and foundation for most modern philosophy, since many schools of thought is based upon getting off his rigorous and rather lonely dead end island of "Cartesian Doubt" with a non-rigorous assumption or supposition.

The book is a fast, and intense read, appearing to have been written over a few days. The reader is taken along for the ride and in my case, my mind was blown at the level of rigor. To me his argument leading to "Cogito Ergo Sum" is as close to a bulletproof, rigorous, perfect argument that you can experience. Its only weakness, though, if you stick to that level of rigor, you really cannot prove anything else besides your own existence!

Definitely worth the price of admission. Especially to non-philosophers like myself!

Dig in!

"A Discourse on Method: Meditations and Principles" is more than a book, it is a challenging and rewarding mental experience. It is a tough read but well worth it just to read "I think, therefore I am" in its proper context (the simple statement that Descartes considers his first principle of philosophy).

The book is divided into three parts. In "A Discourse on Method," Descartes lays out his first principle of philosophy, and his plan for rejecting false assertions and deriving true principles. The "Meditations on the First Principle" is the wide ranging essay where "I think, therefore I am" is expanded to include all of its implications. These implications are wide ranging, from the existence of God, to the existence of our bodies, other physical objects, various scientific principles, and finally, whatever we are able to know as truth. Here is where the book poses its greatest challenge. At this point I was only reading 2-4 pages at a time. Then when I finished this part, I went back and reread a bulk of it to fully grasp the key points of the "Meditations." The third part, "The Principles of Philosophy," wouldn't have been so difficult if my brain hadn't been taxed as it was by the "Meditations." But the Principles are well organized and clearer, making the book more satisfying to read again.

Overall, this book is a treasure as an intense mental revelation. It brings together Descartes' best writing for the general reader, if the reader is up to the challenge.

Can anything be known to be certain? This is a more difficult question than most people might recognize. Rene Descartes says yes and presents us with one of the most elegant thought experiments in the history of philosophy. We begin by calling into doubt all claims of "knowledge"; believing nothing that cannot be affirmed with absolute certainty:
Imagine now that an all-powerful, all-knowing being might exist external to that which we can experience with our senses, i.e., external to the material world (recall that we can neither know this nor know otherwise). Imagine further that this extra-material entity may be a devious trickster, messing with my mind, perhaps to amuse a twisted sense of humor. Because the possible trickster would exist external to the access of scientific scrutiny, I could, in my state of absolute skepticism, never know whether this sadistic consciousness is at work, not only in the material world, not only in my conscious perception of the material world, but in fact in the perceptions of all other conscious beings as well. Thus all scientific proofs might be mere illusion and there could be no means of determining this. In other words, if all material objects and all subjects of thought are inherently uncertain, and this is indeed a logical conclusion at this point in our consideration, what then could be known with certainty? Is then the only absolute certainty this universal and impenetrable uncertainty? Could it ever be truly known that anything exists apart from the possibility of the trickster? Only one thing: that [without regard to whether or not it is being deceived] the mind of the thinker must exist, for otherwise there is not even the illusion that our consideration is happening. Thus the only thing that I may know beyond any doubt is that my mind does exist. Cogito ergo sum, i.e., "I think, therefore I am." This singular certainty is not without further implications. For while we have established that consciousness (i.e., mind) is more certain to exist than is matter, we don't know why this should be true. Or do we? Descartes says that there is a reason we must reach this conclusion and presents his ontological argument for the existence of a perfect and beneficent Mind beyond material constraints and uncertainty (that mind being God).
Whether or not Descartes believed he had "proved" the existence of God is not a very interesting point (apparently he thought so). As Pascal pointed out, such proof -- or disproof -- is not possible within the inherent limits of human investigations (Pascal found nature and reason to powerfully infer God's existence in a probabilistic sense, while "scientific" proofs must be uncertain, uncertainty being the nature of corporeal existence). What Descartes did "prove" is that the idea of an extra-cosmic mind is a rational conclusion (and is rational to a greater extent than any phenomenological observation that we might assume to be "true"). Some claim to rebut Descartes' ontology citing his geometric analogy, which was based in the Cartesian paradigm of his day. This is no great difficulty however, another mathematical illustration might have been developed had Descartes knowledge of 21st century mathematics. In fact, Descartes asserts that his conclusion does not rest on his understanding of geometry (which was about to be overtaken by Newton's mathematics). He believes that he could provide "an infinity" of allegories to illustrate his ontology. Here we find an expression of how Descartes' struggle with vanity leads to some hasty proffers (finite beings cannot wholly examine an infinity, even if we accept the existence of such). Many other thinkers, who agreed with some of Descartes arguments, quickly took umbrage with his more disputable statements. Descartes then rebutted these rebuttals. In fact some of these arguments continue today. Such is Descartes' importance to [some say "modern"] philosophy.
There are still other interesting aspects to these essays: Descartes' method (which is sound), his interest in medicine, physiology, neurology, his anticipation and analysis of "artificial intelligence" (three centuries before science fiction writers 'invented' the idea). Also interesting is the author's plea to the public (the work is clearly addressed to a general readership and not to his nemesis, the Jesuits, as some reviewers mistakenly suggest). Noticeably struggling to maintain his humility, the brilliant Descartes asks to be left to his work in physics. Rather than taking precious time to explain and defend his theories, he wishes to be left alone to focus on his work, asking to be judged and explained by it after his death.

This is a great addition to any child's library. It's packed with pictures and simple definitions. It give enough information to be very helpful but not so much detail for one word that the child's eye's glaze over! The most amazing thing to me is the number of times that my daughter has picked it up for casual reading! The pictures are that engaging!

This dictionary is a great value and a wonderful tool.

I have a 6 and 8 year old who love this book! My boys are able to look up words and understand the definitions without it being "too easy". The illustrations are great too!!

I bought the second copy in 6 months a week ago and gave it to a friend as a gift to their children. And they really loved it.

Its DK! Yes that matters. DK has mastered the art of making dictionaries. I have used DK Oxford American Illustrated dictionary. Dk made it so wonderful that when I sit with it I spend atleast 15 minutes. Wesbter knows how to convey the meaning of a word.

So you combine the best of DK and Webster you get this masterpiece. The salesrank for this book is less than 2000 and that tells you how popular this book is. I would just go ahead and buy it if I am thinking of buying 'a' book for children.

For children this book is a treasure from which they can learn new words seeing lots of pictures. If a kid wants to know what a fruit is he looks at fruit here he will also be able to learn all about fruits and types of fruits like dry fruits, etc. he turns the pages to fruit and finds the pictures of all kinds of fruits and that makes him recognise what a fruit is and what all fruits he eats.

There are 4000 pictures. Other books boast of 2000 pictures but they arent even close and all they got are bad and small pictures. All they carry is a small picture of an apple or something while explaining fruit. Also if you see letters XYZ alone you will see lot of pictures in this book. Its the best book rated in America and I have seen all children's dictionaries recently.

I had an option of choosing between this one and World children's dictionary which costs less. But I realised that a bad dictionary is no better than not having one. So I chose this one and its a perfect gift for my cousins. So if you are looking for a book to gift some kids, grab this one.

This beautiful picture book biography recounts the life and career of jazz musician, Edward Kennedy Ellington -- better known to all as the Duke.

When the Duke's parents enrolled him in piano lessons for the very first time, he flat out did not want to go. At that time he had visions of playing baseball; but his parents insisted that he learn to play the piano. The music lessons were slow and not a lot of fun. It wasn't long before he quit taking lessons altogether and kissed the piano goodbye. Little did he know then that the melodious rhythms of Ragtime would draw him back to this instrument again and lead to his success as a great musician, composer, and orchestra leader!

Andrea Davis Pinkney does an outstanding job sharing the Duke's story with young readers. Her husband, Brian Pinkney, matches her wonderful text with vibrate illustrations, which translate the Duke's music into a series of bold colored spirals, waves, curls, and swirls that literally leap off of the pages of the book! Without a doubt, this husband and wife collaboration will guide readers in appreciating the rhythm and beat of the Duke's life and music. This book is truly a musician's delight!

I just finished reading the Pinkney's "Duke Ellington" to a first grade class in our predominantly white rural school northeast of Seattle. Being trained as a musician, but now working as a librarian, I loved the way this text really swings. When I noticed much of the slang was going over the heads of the children, I'd ask them if they knew what certain words meant. Interestingly, the one African-American girl in the class was hip to most of the jive.

Sure some of the terminology went right past these kids, but they got into the groove, which is carried along soulfully by the vibrant illustrations. Like another reviewer here, when I was done reading this to the kids, I wanted to hear "Take the 'A' Train." Fortunately I had a CD of "Duke Ellington's 16 Most Requested Songs" sitting in my library, so I popped it in, and these kids were a-hoppin' and a-boppin'.

I think next time, I'll play the CD first. Hopefully, I'll be able to settle 'em down afterwards to hear this jazzy biography.

"Duke Ellington" is a biography of the legendary composer. The book is directed towards younger readers. Andrea Davis Pinkney's text is well complemented by the rich, colorful illustrations by her husband and collaborator, Brian Pinkney.

The book begins with Ellington's childhood, and describes his early interest in music and the beginning of his career. The Pinkneys portray his triumph at the Cotton Club, his musical partnership with Billy Strayhorn, and other aspects of his life and career. The book concludes with the triumphant premiere of Ellington's great composition "Black, Brown, and Beige" at Carnegie Hall in New York.

One of the aspects of the book that I like best is Andrea Pinkney's use of hip slang that recalls the era being portrayed. Example: "Yeah, those solos were kickin'. Hot-buttered bop, with lots of sassy-cool tones." And Brian Pinkney's illustrations combine vibrant color with an appealing "antiqued" look. Overall, an excellent educational book for young readers.

This anthology is good but one thing that bothers me deeply is that it is "homophobic"--it includes work by Whitman, Dickinson, Sappho, Shakespeare, Adrienne Rich, Olga Broumas, Lorca but all selections of gay and lesbian poets, known and not so, even the notes on the authors, have been "neutered". This I find very strange today for an anthology that claims to be about "the erotic spirit in all its forms". Sam Hamill, you have really disappointed me--I thought you were more open-minded than that!

I purchased this book as a bon voyage gift for my new love who had to leave the country for a few months during the throes of our blossoming romance, and it has done a tremendous job of helping keep the home fires blazin'! He says it's the best poetry book he's ever read. The poems perfectly capture all aspects of the longing, lust and yearning of lovers throughout the ages. If you're looking for the perfect romantic Valentine's gift for your partner, this is definitely it. A must-read for die-hard romantics everywhere.

This is a great bite sized sampler of some of the world's best erotic and romantic poetry, bridging the ages from the earliest known writings to poetic mind of the twentieth century.

Poetry is at its best when it's most impassioned, so there's no better subject for verse than romantic and erotic love. From the Song of Songs to Robert Herrick, to William Shakespeare and Walt Whitman, these poems speak to the heart, the mind, and the soul, as well as the more southerly regions.

It's an inspirational and arousing collection packed with enough vivid images to make a poetry lover out of even the most visually oriented male.

I felt like I was there. I could feel my eyes stinging and my heart pounding with every page describing the battles. These scenes were some of the best I've ever read. However, the book seemed to drag toward the end. Still, it was a proud book that honors the military that will make you want to salute all the veterens you know.

This is a most moving book about heroism born of necessity; of ordinary men who, as young marines, were propelled into the hideous island battles of the Pacific during WW2. The book tells the stories of the men who raised the flag, of those who died and those who lived, and what happened to them afterwards.

Ex-combatants sometimes find that peacetime doesn't bring happiness and the story of Ira Hayes' inablity to cope is poignant. The one who found peace, the author's father, was the one who was able to let go.

This book introduced me, a European, to a part of the war I'd known little about. It also, to my astonishment, challenged my revulsion about the use of the bomb. It puts into context the military realities of the time and the likely human cost of an invasion of Japan.

This is a human story, well told with honesty, compassion and pride.

Flags of Our Fathers is a grand book by James Bradley. It is about the small island of Iwo Jima is in the pacific region. It is a Japanese controlled airstrip close to the country of Japan. The Americans wanted to take control of this very small island because it is a prime place to re-fuel and land aircraft on, the island before they go to attack Japan. This book is about six men and the rest of the Marines and Navy that all go to the island to take control of it.

Those six men fought on that island and they raised the flag on top of Mount Suribachi. They started the famous image taken by Mr. Rosenthal.

This in my view is the greatest book in world. It is a very touching and emotional book. It was sad and really spoke to me. It is hard to believe that these men were just doing their duty.
I recommend this splendid book to anybody that wants to read a very touching book about the heros of Iwo Jima.