document.write("
Night (Oprah's Book Club)
by Elie Wiesel
from Hill and Wang
List Price: $9.00 Media: Paperback Buy from: |
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rati");
document.write("ng: 4.5 / 5.0 ![]()
Great book ![]()
If you haven't read this book then you must read it. I have nothing else to say about it than that. The feelings and emotions this book stirred within me are too great to put into words. At the end of the book there is a speech given by Elie Wiesel and there were two phrases that jumped out at me and that's what I will finish with.
Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere.
Simple, thought provoking ![]()
I've never read such a short book with such a huge");
document.write(" impact. When I read this as part of a college class, we learned that it was originally some 600 pages long. Then the author decided to cut it down to the absolute bare bones - and it worked brilliantly.
Too much writing could cushion the devastation - getting bogged down in details could allow a reader to become jaded. However, such stark minimalism forces a reader to think about what is being said. And significantly, Wiesel doesn't describe every...
Words Can Not Describe..... ![]()
Man's inhumanity to man from one who survived it.
As Mr. Wiesel notes in the introduction of his book, words can not-");
document.write("-do not--describe what it was like--must have been like--to endure man's inhumanity to man. We in this day and time can't imagine, can't begin to fathom, what Mr. Wiesel's words try to describe.
The Holocaust, combined with the Russian Army's treatment of German women and with Japanese treatment of the Chinese surely must mark one of the darkest, most despicable times of man upon...
Horrific and spellbinding ![]()
This novel to me portrays the absolute depravity and madness that humanity can fall into. The beginning superbly portrays the false hope that many people had that this situation would just blow ");
document.write("over until it was too late despite the warnings from many people that it was just beginning. The language is so heart-rending and drips with rhetoric and deep meaning that sears the soul. The authors portrayal of his loss of faith and soul is so beautiful and yet so devastating in it's simple clarity that I felt I...
Churchill, Hitler, and \"The Unnecessary War\": How Britain Lost Its Empire and the West Lost the World
by Patrick J. Buchanan
from Crown
List Price: $29.95 Media: Hardcover Buy from: |
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 3.5 / 5.0 ![]()
Stolen Arguments from \"The Pity of War\" ![]()
Buchanan takes most of the good ideas from Niall Ferguson's \"The Pity of War\" -- you would be better off to read them in the orginal there rather than Buchanan's cribbing and twisted views. Also, Ferguson's views are highly controversial and shouldn't be taken as consensus views from historians. The entire book is based around the idea that both world wars were \"unnecessary\" -- in the sense that if they hadn't happened nothing terrible would have happened to the British Empire. Forgetting the fact that...
When Is Wa");
document.write("r Necessary? ![]()
To the victor belong the spoils of history. Buchanan poses some hard but vital questions about that received orthodoxy and he's shouted down as anti-Semitic. In the end he merely wants to know when is war necessary, what justifies the horrors of war, then and now, and at what cost individually and nationally. Why was war \"necessary\" to stop Hitler but \"unnecessary\" to stop Stalin? Of course Nazism had to be stopped. And \"for their crimes, Hitler and his collaborators, today's metaphors for absolute evil,...
It Makes You Think
Most of the other positive reviews here regarding Mr. Buchanan's use of reputable secondary sources are accurate. This book doesn't claim to be a work of groundbreaking new research. It is a book that takes already published material and forms it into a controversial perspective. In short, it makes you think.
This book re-tells the story of the first half of the 20th century, albeit from a slightly different perspective than the norm. Mr. Buchanan's theme is that the Europeans committed suicide by...
\"The Good War\"? Think Again... ![]()
Patrick J. Buchanan is probably the most fearless author and commentator alive in America today. Who else, even if they believed the thesis of this remarkable book, would have the personal courage and intestinal fortitude to publish it...especially in their own real name? Fearful of crossing Bill and Hillary Clinton, columnist Joe Klein authored \"Primary Colors,\" but published it anonymously. (His identity as the author was ultimately revealed).
Mr. Buchanan has waded into far more dangerous waters...
The Forger's Spell: A True Story of Vermeer, Nazis, and the Greatest Art Hoax of the Twentieth Century
by Edward Dolnick
from Harper
List Price: $26.95 Media: Hardcover Buy from: |
Customer Revi"); document.write("ews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 3.5 / 5.0 ![]()
A Question of Attribution and Identity ![]()
Han Van Meegeren was a mediocre artist with an enormous ego. Convinced that his talents were being maliciously ignored by the Dutch artistic community, he used considerable patience and ingenuity to develop a way of forging paintings by some of the greatest artists of Holland's Golden Age, especially those of Johannes Vermeer. His activities peaked during the Great Depression and the Nazi takeover of Holland during World War II, a time period when the Dutch were especially vulnerable as they looked for...
A professional \"fine\" artist review ![]()
As a professional \"fine\" artist for more than half a century I learned so much about the philosophy of forging and the forgers' mind - plus the technology of forging antique paintings. But this book isn't just for artists - it's for anyone who enjoys looking at any kind of art. It should not be missed!
What spell? ![]()
If you are looking for an interesting, well written book that does not trivialize WWII history and follows a logical story line, then this book is not for you.
Not as good as the Rescue Artist ![]()
When I saw this book mentioned in the New York Times, I went out and bought a copy because I had really enjoyed Edward Dolnick's previous book, The Rescue Artist. I wasn't anywhere near as impressed with The Forger's Spell. What made The Rescue Artist so good was the way Dolnick described the detective Charlie Hill on the hunt for a stolen painting. Hill was a really great, quirky character that Dolnick made come to life on the page. In The Forger's Spell, there's no character like that. The forger, Hans...
Death and Honor (Honor Bound)
by W.E.B. Griffin, William E. Butterworth IV
from Putnam Adult
List Price: $26.95 Media: Hardcover Buy from: |
Customer Reviews:"); document.write("
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0 ![]()
Griffin - Death & Honor ![]()
Griffin is one of my favorite authors and I eagerly await each of his new books. This one was the latest in a series that I really enjoy. It didn't let me down! What a writer.
Death and Honor ![]()
The book was a outstanding story by my favorite author. As a retired military man he is as close as it gets to describing military life. I received the book very fast and it was in excellent shape.
W.E.B. Griffin is one of");
document.write(" the best story tellers ever ![]()
This author continues with his characters and story lines of historical espionage in this newest book as good as ever. His readers and fans are always waiting for the next installment to see where the characters end up next !
Death and Honor (Honor Bound) ![]()
W.E.B. Griffin does not know how to write a bad book. All of his series are historically accurate, his characters developed to the max and the action just keeps coming. Buy his books on a Friday only. You will not be able to put it down once you start. You should be able to finish by late Sunday night so you won't be late for work Monday and chap off yje Boss.
Retribution: The Battle for Japan, 1944-45
by Max Hastings
from Knopf
List Price: $35.00 Media: Hardcover Buy from: |
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0 ![]()
Somewhat disappointing ![]()
This book is the product of meticulous research and sourcing. Clearly reflects a significant amount of historical data that is collected across a vareity of sources. Kudos for his scholarly efforts. But I am deeply disappointed he could not find a better - and less offensive - example of a 'foxhole question' to illustrate relations between soldiers from the north and south. Incredibly disappointng for a book of this potential and a very low reach by the author that colors his treatment of race throughout...
ONE OF THE BETTER CURRENT WORKS IN THIS AREA. ![]()
This was quite a read and I must say that it has been sometime now that I read a work in which I gleaned so much information from. Like another reviewer here, I am getting a bit long in the tooth, and when I first picked this book up I was a bit discouraged at the weight, length, fine print, etc. But, like the other reviewer, once I read the first few pages, I was hooked.
Retribution, The Battle for Japan, 1944-45 by Max Hastings is the study of and chronology of the last year of the war in the...
A Fascinating Book! ![]()
Max Hastings, Retribution; the Battle for Japan, 1944-45
The author describes the last year of the war against Japan, which had started on 18th, September 1931, when Japanese troops attacked Manchuria. However, this was just the beginning of their conquests, which up to December 1941 included large portions of China, and the whole Korean Peninsula. To stop the Japanese expansion, which was accompanied with so far unheard of atrocities against the captured soldiers as well as toward the occupied...
History in a Grand Scale ![]()
The history of the last years of the Pacific War is expansive,so many details, so much to tell. I think the author did a wonderful job in telling in a thorough but readable fashion this history.
The portrait he paints of Douglas MacArthur is unflattering and this may cause some concern with American readers as he is one of their main heroes but I can readily credit this portrait as men with huge egos and great responsibilities many times act for the preservation of their image to posterity even against...
The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War
by David Halberstam
from Hyperion
List Price: $35.00 Media: Hardcover Buy from: |
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0 ![]()
The Coldest Winter ![]()
Accurate historic account of the Korean War. I remember the grueling hardships I endured to survive and this account was more accurate than most I've read.
One of a kind ![]()
Great book--nested series of bios and accounts of political and military events leading up to and during the Korean War, with some treatment of how Right Wing politics then influenced Kennedy and Johnson Administrations to become involved in Vietnam. A lot of attention is devoted to the pernicious role of MacArthur, and how he got the countr");
document.write("y in trouble, and prolonged the war through his personality disorder. I learned an awful lot and enjoyed the instruction. All the people I knew as a child whined about...
Halberstam's Last Masterpiece ![]()
David Halberstam tragically died in a car accident mere days after completing the finishing touches on \"The Coldest Winter,\" his mammoth analysis of the Korean War. He left us with an important book that sheds light on a forgotten conflict that should have taught America lessons that would have served us well during the decision to go to war in Iraq.
\"The Coldest Winter\" spends most of its time ana");
document.write("lyzing the reasons for the Korean conflict, bringing together such disparate players as Truman, MacArthur,...
Excellent ![]()
Excellent book on the background of the Korean War. How the USA were not prepared, insight in the personal, cultural and political relations between the main players. And the lessons (not) learned.
History does repeat.
Hiroshima
by John Hersey
from Vintage
List Price: $6.95 Media: Mass Market Paperback Buy from: |
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0 ![]()
Testament to both man's violence and unselfish nurturing
There are works of fiction and nonfiction that transcend their genres. This is one of those works, one that should be required reading for high school students, or, at the very least, for college students, if it isn't already. The horror that was the A-bomb unleashed unbridled power over the city of Hiroshima. Arguments could be made for both the necessity for the bomb to end the war, as well as the unnecessary and catastrophic violence unleashed.
Either way you argue, Hersey's Hiroshima shows the true...
It might be different if it was written today.... ![]()
My daughter is reading it for a 9th grade class. I skimmed through looking for the telltale signs of Modern Liberal indoctrination. Unlike her Human Geography book, which is loaded with Socialist thinking, this book is genuine in following several characters as they dealt with their lives after the destruction.
As some other readers pointed out (I didn't read every review), Hersey doesn't dwell on the moral issues. It's a genuine look at the characters. It's written in a rather dry style that lets the...
Highly recommended ![]()
I assigned this book to my AP and Dual credit kids to give them an idea of wh");
document.write("at occurred during the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I explained the events, showed pictures, but nothing prepared them for what they read in this book. This book is second only to accounts of the Jewish Holocaust in effectiveness to reach students who do not understand these events.
Unfortunately, there is a Spark notes version which students tend to rely upon instead of reading this book. Please don't do this, you are...
Explication of Hiroshima ![]()
In Hiroshima, John Hersey elucidates the entirety of his journalistic work in the introductory paragraph of the piece.
It starts by situating the reade");
document.write("r in the context: \"At exactly fifteen minutes past eight in the morning on August 6, 1945, Japanese time [...]\" (1). The use of the word `exact' is significant - it foreshadows the immense precision with which Hersey reports his factual account of the events that ensue. Additionally, the inclusion of the phrase `Japanese time' emphasizes the fact that...
Icon of Evil: Hitler's Mufti and the Rise of Radical Islam
by ");
document.write("David G. Dalin, John F. Rothmann
from Random House
List Price: $26.00 Media: Hardcover Buy from: |
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0 ![]()
Author ");
document.write("of the Play Book for Today's Fundamentalist Muslims ![]()
This book helped me understand how the hatred and violence of today's fundamentalist Muslims really got started and has gained momentum over the last 100 years. Just like skinheads and Arian fanatics continue to propogate Hitler's form of \"terrorism\", the Mufti of Jerusalem wrote the playbook now followed by the fanatics who rule Hamas, al Qaeda, et. al.
An important book that uncovers and exposes where it all began.
A Most Important Book ![]()
This is an important and timely book. In order to understand the roots of modern Middle Eastern anti-semitism and the rise of radical Islamic violence it is essential to know this almost forgotten part of history. It should come as no s");
document.write("urprise to find that it has its roots in the connection between the early 20th Century mufti of Jerusalem and Hitler himself.
This book is a must-read for a better grasp on this history and also to appreciate the surprising political naivete by members of the British...
A must read if we are to prevent history from repeating... ![]()
On Tuesday, June 24th, we met Rabbi David Dalin at the Temple Judea in Coral Gables, Florida, where he was introducing his new book: Icon of Evil: Hitler's Mufti and the Rise of Radical Islam.
His presentation was excellent, detailing how in 1921, Haj Amin al-Husseini ");
document.write("became the mufti of Jerusalem. After some research we learned that the word \"mufti\" means: (a) a Muslim jurist expert in the religious law, or (b) in the Ottoman Empire, a deputy of the chief Muslim legal adviser to the Sultan.
Mr....
Human Smoke: The Beginnings of World War II, the End of Civilization
by Nicholson Baker
from Simon & Schuster
List Price: $30.00 Media: Hardcover Buy from: |
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 3.5 / 5.0 ![]()
TRIVIA ![]()
Be aware t");
document.write("hat this is nothing more than a collection of mostly newspaper stories. 70% of the stories are of personal, trivial occurrences that are as boring as they are inconsequential. Any time items of consequence are brought up there is a complete lack of depth or follow through. The end result is a vapid book that is a rip off of time and money.
Offers another point of view ![]()
My son loves to read and memorize data on the World Wars. I wanted him to see another point of view. He has found this book interesting and full of valuable data to help him make informed decisions about WWII events.
War as page-turning human drama ![]()
I was surprised to see so many negative reviews that criticized ");
document.write("the author for being revisionist or preaching pacifism. It is hard to blame him for undue editorializing when the book consists entirely of documented contemporary accounts. While there may be a selection bias, and Baker does confess his admiration for the pacifists in the Afterword, no one can argue that the material presented is not factual. For weaving these facts into a continuous tale that is so compellingly readable, he does justice to...
Some Human Smoke helps you see more clearly.. ![]()
Let me begin by making it clear that this can be a very frustrating book to read because it isn't like t");
document.write("he books that we are used to. That said, it is a great work by a very clever writer who makes us re-examine what we believe about the beginnings of World War II.
As others have pointed out, Nicholson Baker does not write a standard historical narrative. Instead, he presents a series of facts taken from diaries, memoirs, magazines, government reports and contemporary newspaper accounts and presents...
The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944 (The Liberation ");
document.write("Trilogy)
by Rick Atkinson
from Henry Holt and Co.
List Price: $35.00 Media: Hardcover Buy from: |
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0 ![]()
Great Job ![]()
Another wow from Rick Atkinson. Loved this book as much as an Army at Dawn. Can hardly wait for #3 in the liberation trilogy.
The Day of Battle ![]()
Makes every Allied Commander a complete DUNDERHEAD. Atkinson has evidently joined the \"Blame America First\" crowd! I would think he could find some positive snippet in the data he reviewed (173 pages of notes & selected sources). In his exaustive research,
it seems he fails to realize that we did infact win the war.
Another Winner ![]()
Rick has followed the ");
document.write("first volume of his WWII trilogy with another winner. The first book \"An Army at Dawn\" captures the amatuer performance of a great Army learning to fight. This book captures the beginning of the Army's maturity as a fighting force and the growth of it's leadership.The tragic Airborne operation is painful to read. The unending battle of egos between Patton and Mongomery is tragic. Rick captures the story of the Sicily and Italian campaign with the great skill.
Well worth any WWII...
Focus on Sicily and Italian Campaign in WWII ![]()
This book focus' on Sicily and the Italian campaign in World War");
document.write(" II. However, in my opinion, it is not as good as the first book, Army at Dawn. Some examples of why are the following. (1) The author must have used the phrase \"Marcus Aurelius Clarkus\" six times at least to describe General Mark Clark. This sort of repetitiveness gets annoying. (2) In the first book, the focus was on the US Army. This time that isn't the focus of the book. The book shares what the New Zealanders did, what the Poles did, what...
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