Average customer rating:
- Good Continuation BUT...
- Getting tired of the whiney brat
- Please,NO MORE!!!!!!
- I want more
- More than one surprise awaits the reader!
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Honor Under Siege
Radclyffe
Manufacturer: Bold Strokes Books
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ASIN: 1933110805 |
Book Description
With the nation on the verge of war, security takes on new meaning for Secret Service Agent Cameron Roberts, whose lover just happens to be the President's daughter.
First daughter Blair Powell and her "secret" Secret Service agent lover, Cameron Roberts, intend to get married--with her father's blessing. But being in the spotlight isn't the safest place to be in a country still reeling from 9/11 and with the domestic terrorists who tried to assassinate Blair still at large. Cam doesn't want to give up the reins of control when Blair's life is at stake, but there are other dangers at home and abroad that the President needs her to investigate--including the whereabouts of her previous lover--Valerie Ross. The next in the Honor series is novel of romance and intrigue in a world gone mad.
Customer Reviews:
Good Continuation BUT..........2007-10-10
I absolutly love this Series and Highly recommend all the books. And although it was great reading about my favorite characters, and their on-going battle in the story line, I was expecting a little more. Not saying it was bad, but I wanted more from this book. And I DO want another one. All in all this is a MUST READ series, but this wasn't the best book of them all.
Getting tired of the whiney brat.......2007-09-23
Well, as usual Radclyffe's book has got romance and action well balanced, and I can't wait for more.
However, I find myself getting tired of Blair Powell's whining about having to have SS security and the "please protect yourself, Darling" conversations (poor little rich girl). There were a little too many of these discussions in this book and I am beginning to consider Blair a whiney brat, which is detracting from my initial sexy/strong image or her.
One thing I have noticed about this series is that I like the character of Lucinda Washburn. She is hard core and thru all the books, I'm still not sure if I trust her or not. Don't know whether this was intentional or accidental, but it adds a little intrigue for me.
I really enjoy the stories of Blair and Cam and crave more, but how about some new adventures/action for them or maybe even some exciting espionage for the six women and the team as a group, complete with all the high tech equipment that we are used to seeing in this series of books. I love the high tech equipment and the ability of the team to work together as a finely tuned machine.
Please,NO MORE!!!!!!.......2007-08-19
I have all her books and I love them all,but I think I won't be buying another one of this series.
Everything is still the same that I lost interest....IT'S DRAGGING!!!!!
I love the characters but at this point I got tired of waiting for the END!!!!I don't care what else happens.
I want more.......2007-08-12
The plots all start to pull together. Friend or Foe? Who is Valerie really? What will happen next? Some of this is answered but Radclyffe sure makes me want more.
More books to come? I surely hope so.
More than one surprise awaits the reader!.......2007-08-07
Another outstanding novel from this author. Two fabulous thrill-ride scenes that my ringing phone could not divert me from finishing as the suspense was killing me.
I totally enjoyed the Washington DC political machine that permeated this novel even more than the pervious stories in this series.
Also, Valerie and Diane are hot - Hot!
Don't miss any of the novels in the series -
Above All, Honor
Honor Bound
Love & Honor
Honor Guards
Honor Reclaimed
Book Description
Although instances of deliberate skin-cutting are recorded as far back as the old and New Testaments of the Bible the behavior has generally been regarded as a symptom of various mental disorders. With the publication of Bodies Under Siege, a book described in the New York Times Magazine (July 17, 1997) as "the first to comprehensively explore self-mutilation," Dr. Armando Favazza has pioneered the study of the behavior as significant and meaningful unto itself. Drawing from the latest case studies from clinical psychiatry he broadens our understanding of self-mutilation and body modification and explores their surprising connections to the elemental experiences of healing, religions, salvation, and social balance.
Favazza makes sense out of seemingly senseless self-mutilative behaviors by providing both a useful classification and examination of the ways in which the behaviors provide effective but temporary relief from troublesome symptoms such as overwhelming anxiety, racing thoughts, and depersonalization. He offers important new information on the psychology and biology of self-mutilation, the link between self-mutilation and eating disorders, and advances in treatment. An epilogue by Fakir Musafar, the father of the Modern Primitive movement, describes his role in influencing a new generation to "experiment with the previously forbidden 'body side' of life" through piercing, blood rituals, scarification, and body sculpting in order to attain a state of grace.
The second edition of Bodies Under Siege is the major source of information about self-mutilation, a much misunderstood behavior that is now coming into public awareness.
Customer Reviews:
There Goes the Boat.......2006-10-07
This guy completely missed it. He attempted to relate/equate self-mutilation to/with many unrelated cultural practices. If you are looking for a book about self-mutilation that has any insight about this multifaceted and deeply emotionally complex concept, this is not it. I read it when it first came out. The author was a doctor at UMC where I earned three degrees, including a Master's in Counseling Psychology. I met with this man, a dangerous cutter myself at the time, and his presentation was as judgemental, cold and clueless as his book. What a sad disappointment when simple hope was needed.
Very comprehensive book (essential for those who self-injure).......2006-07-20
I've been cutting myself for many years, and have read books on the subject for a number of those years. This is by far one of the best I've read for Favazza does an extremely deep study into the history of self-injury, both cultural forms and what he terms "deviant" forms. While not as entertaining as "A Bright Red Scream," and definately more scholarly than most books on the subject, I still consider it essential for those who cut or the loved ones of those who cut. However, it isn't so much a personal or supportive book, and will mostly trigger more cutters than it will help. The only reason I give it four stars instead of five though is because of some of the misconceptions that even the author shows, such as relating self-injury to body piercing and such (which he has already gotten some heat about already.) I also don't like the terms "mentally ill," "wrist slashers," " slicers," etc. as words for those who cut. I also found the first few pages of chapter 11 very hard to read for similar reasons.
Armando has lost his mind.......2004-04-01
I've met this guy a few times. Cat is stuck on him self. Maybe if he would take time to understand people instead of worrying about himself he would get it.
UGH.......2004-02-18
BODY MODS ARE NOT MUTILATION. this author was very ignorant
Not for everyone, but a good book nonetheless.......2003-02-26
This book is not strictly for folks who have self-injury related issues & may want insight into their disorder. I saw this piece as more of a tool for people who are curious & don't know much about self-harm & body modification. This book can be somewhat graphic in detail so if you're a bit on the sqeamish side you may want to pass.
Average customer rating:
- One of those defining Avengers moments
- GOOD AVENGERS STORYLINE
- Truly, Marvel's finest
- One of the most memorable episode in the Avengers' past!
- The Best Avengers Story Ever!
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Avengers: Under Siege
Roger Stern
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
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ASIN: 0785107029 |
Customer Reviews:
One of those defining Avengers moments.......2007-05-12
WOW!
Baron Zemo reforms the Masters of Evil -- gathering a team that outnumbers and outguns its predecessors -- and coordinates an attack on Captain America and The Avengers in an attempt to break their spirits. Left in their devastating wake are a tortured Jarvis and a battered, broken and comatose Hercules.
Roger Stern scripts a groundbreaking story, showing just how ruthless evil can be, and John Buscema and Tom Palmer masterfully illustrate it. It's obvious to me that these creative minds have inspired many of today's talents.
DC comic lovers, drop your five issues of Batman and Superman and experience Marvel at its best in this trade paper back. Marvelites, you know you have to pick this bad boy up. Fans of the subversive styles of The Authority, Thunderbolts and Rising Stars, read where these subversive styles all started. Under Seige is a must have for all.
GOOD AVENGERS STORYLINE.......2005-01-28
This Trade paperback collects Avengers issues (gasp) 270 - 277 (minus 272) of the original Avengers run, volume 1 from the mid-1980's. Scripted by Roger Stern and with art by the ever reliable John Buscema and Tom Palmer, the Masters of Evil led by Baron Zemo actually manage to defeat the Avengers and take over the Avengers mansion itself. The Team at that time was a relatively weaker group that included Captain America, the Wasp, the Black Knight, Hercules, and Captain Marvel II (the black female version) with Thor as an occasional guest star.
The Masters of Evil were always a fun group of villians. Really a throwback to 1960's silver-age era baddies. Bad but not exactly evil per se. They hust always seemed to have a jones-on for the Avengers. A fun storyline with out having the endless plot threads that infect so many modern day comics. Good read and solid if unspectacular art.
Truly, Marvel's finest.......2004-05-26
I'd been reading the Avengers on and off for about 2 years and had been a Marvel fan for most of my life. I bought this on a whim, thinking to update on some Avenger's history. I was truly amazed at what I got.
While the art wasn't the great stuff we get in todays comics, it was decent enough. What was really worth it, though, was the storyline. Bringing together a group of tough super-villains and resurrecting an old idea (that of the "master of evil"), the story proved to be quite worth my time.
Showing some of the all time best Avengers, including Thor, Captain America and Hercules, the battles were truly unforgettable. While there isn't any single thing that makes it truly spectacular, the whole story is well-rounded, enticing and fast-paced, easily accessbile and understandable. It's something that once you pick up, you can't put down. It's well-worth what its charged for.
One of the most memorable episode in the Avengers' past!.......2004-02-18
"Avengers: Under Siege" is arguably one of the most memorable storylines in the Avengers' long history. Granted, it does not have the scope of the classic cosmic tales like "Kree-Skrull War" and "Celestial Madonna". In fact, the whole work feels a little too "earthy" and the action is mainly limited to one place - Avengers Mansion. But what ACTION it is! The Masters of Evil, in their most powerful incarnation EVER, invades Avengers Mansion and takes over it!
Roger Stern is a solid Marvel writer in the 1980s under the editorship of Jim Shooter. We rarely see such dependable work-horse comic-writers today. "Under Siege" remains one of Sterns greatest writings (along with his work on Dr. Strange). There is an almost effortless feel to the way Stern seems to nail down the characterization of all the characters (most notably on the second-stringers like Black Knight, Hercules, Wasp, etc.) John Buscema and Tom Palmer provides the art. The art really shines in the last chapter when the heavyweights like Thor and Captain America join the fray to reclaim Avengers Mansion. We see the restrain and control in Buscema's powerful art - Thor vs. Goliath, Cap vs. Wrecker and finally Cap vs. Baron Zemo. A lesser artist, thinking he's the next-Kirby, would have drawn the whole thing in a loose, in-your-face, full page splash, zero storytelling style. But not Buscema and Palmer. See their art here and you'll know why Buscema was THE Marvel artist of the 1970s and 80s.
The Best Avengers Story Ever!.......2002-05-26
If you want to see a tale where the Avengers come close to the edge of existance...this one's a keeper! It has everything from Captain America under attack by some great classic villians to the all the Avengers doubting their chances of ever coming out alive from this attack! The art by Buscema is what drives the story right along at a breakneck pace. It's a must have of any classic Marvel fan
Amazon.com
In what is sure to be a controversial book, Israeli reporter Amira Hass offers a rare portrait of the Palestinians in Gaza. Very few journalists have lived in that troubled region; Jewish ones are rarer still. "To most Israelis," Hass writes, "my move seemed outlandish, even crazy, for they believed I was surely putting my life at risk." But Israelis desperately need to understand the plight of the Palestinian people, she writes, and few of them read the unvarnished truth in the Jerusalem press. This has made most of them ignorant of what goes on right next door, and inspired unduly "harsh" attitudes toward Gaza and its one million residents. Hass even quotes the late Yitzhak Rabin, who wished that Gaza "would just sink into the sea," shortly before he signed the Oslo Accords. Wishing away the problem, however, is no solution, and Hass delivers a detailed--and highly opinionated--diagnosis of what's wrong with Israeli policy toward Gaza. Strong supporters of Israeli will say that Hass is nothing but a mouthpiece for the Palestinians. Indeed, this book's subtitle could apply as much to Israel, surrounded by bitter enemies, as it does to Gaza. Yet it would be wrong to ignore Hass: the scene in Gaza is woefully unreported. The book is not likely to change many minds--this is one of those subjects where passions run deep and fierce. Those who already sympathize with Hass's pro-Palestinian views will find Drinking the Sea at Gaza an invigorating book. --John J. Miller
Book Description
In 1993, amira hass, a young Israeli reporter, drove to Gaza to cover a story-and stayed, the first journalist to live in the grim Palestinian enclave so feared and despised by most Israelis that, in the local idiom, "Go to Gaza" is another way to say "Go to hell." Now, in a work of calm power and painful clarity, Hass reflects on what she has seen in Gaza's gutted streets and destitute refugee camps.Drinking the Sea at Gaza maps the zones of ordinary Palestinian life. From her friends, Hass learns the secrets of slipping across sealed borders and stealing through night streets emptied by curfews. She shares Gaza's early euphoria over the peace process and its subsequent despair as hope gives way to unrelenting hardship. But even as Hass charts the griefs and humiliations of the Palestinians, she offers a remarkable portrait of a people not brutalized but eloquent, spiritually resilient, bleakly funny, and morally courageous.Full of testimonies and stories, facts and impressions, Drinking the Sea at Gaza makes an urgent claim on our humanity. Beautiful, haunting, and profound, it will stand with the great works of wartime reportage, from Michael Herr's Dispatches to Rian Malan's My Traitor's Heart.
Customer Reviews:
What it is really like.......2007-01-09
A very moving account of daily life without the politics, written with care and compassion.
absolutely essential........2006-08-22
I have spent the last summer reading numerous books on the Palestinian perspective of the MidEast crisis, and Hass' 'Drinking The Sea At Gaza' is perhaps the finest and most comprehensive account I have come across to date. Mixing the intellectual depth of Edward Said with the readability of Wendy Pearlman (of 'Occupied Voices'), Hass, in painstaking detail, recounts the daily struggle for Palestinian self-determination within the occupied territories, specifially Gaza, and reveals an intensely human drama not often revealed in the world press. This book is a must read, as are all of Hass' Ha'aretz (Israeli daily newspaper) articles on the conflict.
One of the Most Important Books You'll Ever Read about the Middle East!.......2006-07-14
Amira Hass is an Israeli Jewish reporter living in Gaza with the Palestinians. When I first read this book about a few years ago, I became fascinated by this woman not only an Israeli Jew but the daughter of Holocaust survivors and her life in Gaza of all places by her choice. Amira Hass helps us to understand the life in Gaza even as an outsider. She helps us to understand the Palestinians' life better than any other reporter or author. Of course, there is always politics and the war between Israel and Palestinans. But as of today where Gaza is under seige. You begin to feel compassion for both sides and wonder when will there ever be peace. It's interesting that the author is an atheist or agnostic. Believe me, the book is the worth the read and the price. For all it's worth, the book is probably important to read more than ever.
Read this book first.......2004-08-23
This book is as extraordinary and inspiring as its author. Hass is an Israeli, a Jew, a woman and an atheist who, uniquely in Israel, has chosen to live among the Palestinian people she writes about. To most people this would be as fatal a combination of attributes as could be imagined. Yet throughout her book she tells only of the warmth, generosity and acceptance she is offered, in a region regularly described as among the most dangerous on the planet.
Many of the best, most relentless and devastating critiques of Israel's colonialism come from Israelis, and none more so than Hass. The most powerful passages are where she likens the lot of the dispossessed in Gaza to the experiences of her own family, Holocaust victims and survivors, in being uprooted by the Nazis from their ancestral homes in Romania. It was her mother's account of the indifference on the faces of the German women who watched as she and the rest of the human cargo were herded from the cattle train en route to Bergen-Belsen that convinced Hass that "my place was not with the bystanders".
This book is no hagiography. She savages the Palestinian Authority leadership for their corruption and brutality (while giving it the necessary context of "a land under siege"). She meticulously documents the inferior position of women in Gaza - their exclusion from the few positions of authority, their lives of domestic drudgery while their unemployed husbands and brothers sit idly by.
Hass gives voice, humanity and a history to a people who live wretchedly on the doorstep of the homes and the lands from which they were expelled barely fifty years ago; who must now accept that neither their own leadership nor the world at large any longer insists on their right of return.
If you are thinking of buying Joan Peters's preposterous From Time Immemorial - a systematic denial of the Palestinians' history and identity, built on misused statistics and fraudulent records - read Drinking the Sea at Gaza first. Then save yourself the money.
Venomous.......2004-08-19
Amira Hass is to be commended for bravely moving to Gaza and writing a book about the people there.
However, this book isn't going to help people of Gaza.
One of the problems in Gaza is the Arab war against Jewish rights. This has poisoned relations among Jews and Arabs. Blaming all this on the Israel and thus promoting more of the same, as Hass does, is not good for anyone. Instead, it sabotages what could have been an effort to promote human rights for everyone in the region. Meanwhile, the author's bias against Israel makes the book unreliable.
Book Description
The Salem Witch Trials is based on over twenty-five years of archival research--including the author's discovery of previously unknown documents--newly found cases and court records. From January 1692 to January 1697 this history unfolds a nearly day-by-day narrative of the crisis as the citizens of New England experienced it.
Customer Reviews:
Don't hang this one!.......2007-10-03
This turned out to be surprisingly entertaining, and not nearly as dry as I had expected. The stories/hallucinations are quite bizarre, and the reaction of the town is mindboggling. The book is quite detailed (and nothing like The Crucible, or any other shortened account I had heard) but moves quickly, and will definitely keep you interested.
Kudos to Ms. Roach for a momentous job well done!
Who needs a time travel spell?.......2006-09-05
In preparation for my first visit to the famed 'Witch City' I came across Ms. Roach's HUGE volume. I have always been fascinated by the dark history of Salem, Mass (in fact, I did a big project about it in eighth grade) but I wanted to be quite sure I was on the up and up about everything that went on in 1692 and I was sure that a day-by-day chronicle would be just the prescription. I began reading it thinking that I may be bored as it was very detailed but I was anything BUT bored! This book is truly fascinating and informing. Ms. Roach's style of writing really brought me into the court rooms of 1692 Salem and I was better able to understand what happened then. I highly recommend anyone wanting to know more about the Witch Trials of Salem to buy this book.
Amazing work!.......2005-11-17
I can't even begin to imagine how much time and effort went into writing this book. Roach created a day to day synopsis of the events surrounding the Salem witch trials for a period of several years, and the bibliography is quite extensive. Not only has this book broadened my horizons in the realm of American history, but it has also raised my own standards for what I expect from any history book, including research I do, myself.
Thank you, Mariilynne K. Roach!
Comprehensive and interesting historic account.......2005-06-24
Enjoyed the significant day-by-day format -- easy to follow and shows the progression of the trial hysteria. Good index for finding people involved in the trial.
Fantastic!.......2004-12-02
I believe I own every book ever published about the Salem Witch Trials, including some that have been out of print for more than a hundred years. Of course, I like some better than I like others, however, Ms. Roach's book is at the top of my list of favorites. There is an introduction leading up to the witch craze and from there, the author documents, on a day-by-day basis, the events that transpired beginning January 1, 1692, through January 14, 1697. In addition to recording events directly pertaining to the witch madness, the author also includes weather conditions taken from journals maintained by Gov. Winthrop et al., baptisms, etc. which gives one a better perspective of life during the witch hunts. There is also an epilogue listing later events pertaining to the Salem trials through October 31, 2001, when the Commonwealth of Massachusetts declared all those accused in 1692 innocent of witchcraft.
Reviewing numerous volumes and voluminous papers to produce a readable chronology is a major accomplishment, and THE SALEM WITCH TRIALS is both a scholarly work and an interesting, informative book. It is also a great reference. For example, if I am writing about the accusations of John and Elizabeth Proctor, I am able to quickly find when they were arrested, who testified against them, etc. Additionally, each chapter contains numerous endnotes and there is an extensive bibliography. In fact, every book I own about the Salem trials-except two-are included in the bibliography and I commend Ms. Roach on her thoroughness.
I highly recommend THE SALEM WITH TRIALS, A DAY-BY-DAY CHRONICLE, to anyone interested in the trials, life in Puritan New England, or the history of witchcraft and magic.
Average customer rating:
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Earth Under Siege: From Air Pollution to Global Change
Richard P. Turco
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
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Silent Spring
ASIN: 0195142748 |
Book Description
"We urgently need a comprehensive and comprehensible book on the dangers to the environment. That need has now been supplied in the present book by Richard Turco." --the Foreword by Carl Sagan This acclaimed book examines one of the most important problems facing our modern technological age: environmental pollution. Written to inform general readers--including future policy makers, business administrators, and political leaders--the text offers a comprehensive description of environmental systems, providing a basic understanding of how the world around us works and how human activities affect it. Building on a popular course he taught at UCLA, Richard Turco clearly explains underlying environmental principles and processes including the role of evolutionary forces in shaping the environment, Earth's energy balance, and biogeochemical cycles. Against this background, Turco surveys local and regional problems, including indoor air pollution, smog, and acid rain, identifying the sources and fates of pollutants and examining human exposure to natural and manmade toxins. He then addresses global issues such as stratospheric ozone depletion and greenhouse climate warming and describes responses to these threats in the form of "global environmental engineering." Now in its second edition, Earth Under Siege has been revised and updated to reflect advances in knowledge and progress in regulation. It offers a comprehensive overview of environmental issues for students in the physical and life sciences, geography, economics, engineering, environmental management and law, policy studies, and social and health sciences. Features BL Presents information in a way that is readily accessible to nonscientists but is sufficiently detailed to hold the interest of scientists and engineers BL Explains the technical principles underlying a wide range of current environmental problems BL Addresses critical local, regional, and global issues and their impact on life and society BL Uses common experiences and novel illustrations to familiarize students with fundamental concepts BL Challenges readers to think about and approach problems objectively and creatively BL Includes a helpful primer on the basic mathematics employed in the text
Customer Reviews:
fine modern day High Noon thriller.......2006-05-06
In Chicago, Charlie Mead of Mead's Bail and Bonds offers Evan Maitland an opportunity to make some serious money by bringing in a bail jumper; former convict Thomas Hicks killed two mob enforcers in self-defense, but knowing he is at risk in jail or on the street and expecting no justice in court, he fled. Over the objections of his antiques business partner and his police officer lover, Evan begins the search, which thanks to Kansas State University NCAA basketball leads to Kansas.
Dallas resident Nina Harrows comes to Union City, Kansas seeking to find her missing sister. Instead she is stonewalled and warned at every turn. When Nina meets Evan and Thomas, she enlists their assistance. As they work together to learn what happened to her sibling, Evan becomes convinced that Thomas is not a street punk killer involved in a bad drug deal, but instead a person trying to keep his life straight; instead of fleeing again like he could, Thomas has the backs of Nina and Evan as the trio come under siege from local terror.
Though the bad dudes are somewhat stereotyped, suspense fans will enjoy this fine modern day High Noon thriller. Maitland is terrific as he begins to understand what is important in life; learning that from his two teammates as Nina refuses to back down against overwhelming odds until she finds her sister and Thomas refuses to allow his past in the slums stop him from making something of himself. The confrontation is well done with the suspense building slowly to a crescendo, but the key to the tale is the insightful look at the three amigos.
Harriet Klausner
Book Description
George W. Bush has gone out of his way to blur the line between religion and politics in America—this is acknowledged by his strongest supporters no less than by his most strident critics. The most common explanation of the president’s religious agenda points to rise of evangelical Protestantism. Yet as Damon Linker demonstrates in his groundbreaking
book, an exclusive focus on the role of evangelicals misses the heart of the story. At its core, the Bush administration’s overt religiosity represents the triumph of an ideological movement that for the past several decades has devoted itself to fashioning a theocratic governing philosophy for the United States—a governing philosophy rooted in Roman Catholicism. Led by Father Richard John Neuhaus, this group of “theoconservatives” has actively sought to roll back the division of church and state in American life.
The election of 2000 brought the theocons to the peak of political power and influence in Washington. Their ideas inspire the most controversial and divisive policies of the Bush administration—policies whose ultimate goal is nothing less than the end of secular politics in America.
Customer Reviews:
Highlights shift in loyalties in this country.......2007-09-18
Damon Linker, a former editor of First Things journal, details the rise of conservative theological influence on Washington politics in The Theocons: Secular America Under Siege. The emergence of religious rhetoric in political speech has been, for the most part, a recent infiltration contrasting against the secular swing of the sixties and seventies.
The Theocons chronicles the shift in loyalties of certain prominent theological leaders--namely Lutheran minister turned Catholic priest Richard John Neuhaus, and Catholic philosopher Michael Novak--from Vietnam War-inspired liberalism to the current theocracy permeating the Iraq War strategy.
The validity of Linker's assertions comes from his three and a half years of experience as editor of First Things, a publication by the Institute on Religion and Public Life, whose own goal according to the First Things website "is to advance a religiously informed public philosophy for the ordering of society." Linker's personal observations of key players of the "theoconservative" movement, who also happen to be behind the creation of the journal, and his detailed research of prior publications made by these individuals, illustrate the deceptive manipulation of the American public by both the media and politicians, specifically the Bush Administration.
An unexpected quality of the book is that the majority of the content is relatively unbiased and is composed strictly of chronological facts. While it is clear that Linker disapproves of the agenda the theoconservative movement has created for the American people, the actions of those involved do well to create an image of an insidious political conspiracy, whether intentional or not. Collectively, religious leaders in the public eye have succeeded in molding American democracy into little more than an extension of the church.
The Theocons was originally published by Doubleday in 2006, and this 2007 Anchor Books trade paperback edition features an Afterword updated with two more years of political reactions and influence.
Armchair Interviews says: If this subject interests you, Linker offers a lot of thoughtful challenges.
The Missing Linker.......2007-07-17
Theocons sound like the latest version of Transformers: Autobots, Decepticons, Theocons. Whatever breed they belong to, it must have some audience draw to garner the author a rumored $160K advance for this insider's tale of their antics. The real scandal doesn't seem to be in the book at all, however. That would concern the missing Linker, who served? posed? as an editor at the New York journal First Things from 2001 to 2004. The Great Pen and Ink Scandal, one might call it, slightly borrowing a title from the Sex Pistols. Or maybe Decepticons VS Theocons in the battle for Ameritron. That might be a story.
One can understand a broke writer upping the stakes, anxious, as so many seem, to break his own personal Watergate. But exposes seem to be written in inverse proprtion to the legal guns on the other side. You won't, for instance, see exposes of, to take two names completely at random, Disney or Planned Parenthood any time soon. Linker has chosen the one guy probably guaranteed not to sue him, the ever- amiable editor and able author, Richard John Neuhaus. He's also chosen as his target, the calmest, most reasoned, thoughtful and profound journal in existence. I'm sure Linker himself subscribes to many that are far more strident.
Not to join the Watergate breed of wild- eyed reporters, nor admit that I myself fall into the starving writer category, but if you want to read the full story, you can. It's in the August/ Sept. 2006, Number 165 issue of First Things, pp. 76-77. Or better yet, subscribe to First Things yourself, as I suggest in this Linker-like ad: Follow the trail of death and destruction as the terrible Theocons strangle helpless America in their mighty grip! Who can save the tiny victim? Only that hero of truth and justice, the Decepticon Missing Linker.
Father Richard, Or, The Old Priest's Influence And How He Gained It (apologies to Lewis Carroll).......2007-02-10
"You are old, Father Richard," the young man said,
And your hair has become sparse and white;
You had started your ministry on the far left--
Yet you've ended up on the far right."
"In my youth," said the Father to Editor Linker,
"I thought leftists would win the game;
But when I saw that only rightists can win,
Why, over to that side I came!"
"You are old," said the man, "as I mentioned before;
And have grown most uncommonly shrill."
"You would much sooner die than let gays have their rights--
Pray, why do you wish them such ill?"
"In my youth," growled the sage, as he shook his gray jowls,
"I had such a strong horror of gays;
That now that I'm old I'll devote all my time,
To scourging them all of my days."
"You are old, Father Richard, and your jaws are too weak
For anything tougher than pigeon;
Yet you argue Church doctrine trumps secular laws--
Is this not an abuse of religion?"
"In my youth," said the Father, "I had such a beam in my eye,
That I swore I'd stop other folk's sinning by force,
Til' the coming of Jesus is nigh."
"You are old," said the man, "one would hardly suppose,
You'd back torture by red-blooded boys;
Yet you've balanced the war on the end of your nose--
What sophistries did you employ?"
"I've answered four questions, and that is enough!
This questioning makes me quite shrewish."
I just had a thought;" the old Father accused,
"Say, didn't you say you were Jewish?"
A very important and timely book.......2007-01-03
I have been concerned for many years with the power and danger of right wing religion in America, and for me the focus has been on Protestantism. So for me, this book was a necessary corrective and a powerful eye opener.
THE THEOCONS is a very important and timely book for anyone concerned with religious leaders hungry for political power and influence. In one sense it is a tell-all book by Damon Linker who worked for FIRST THINGS, the journal of right wing Roman Catholicism published by Rev Richard John Neuhaus. But that would be to trivialize the book, for Linker's purpose is not to tell personal tales at all. Rather, he carefully documents the development of this "theoconservative" movement over the past thirty years -- both a theological and political movement --- and tells of its deliberate attempts to influence U.S. society at many levels.
So the book deals with theology and (recent) history, and is not particularly a late night read. But it is well worth your time and attention. The author has done his homework, writes well, and ends with a chapter giving his own basic critique of THEOCON ideology. Linker has obviously come to believe that the Theocon ideology presents a real danger to America. How serious this danger really is, and how effective the Theocons have been in their grasping for power, will be matters for continued discussion. But the efforts of Neuhaus and this movement need to be understood, and this book is definitely the place to begin.
Compelling and insightful.......2006-10-14
Damon Linker's fascinating monograph is both compelling and insightful, having been in the midst of things as editor of the rightwing Catholic magazine "First Things." This book does not reek with "sour grapes," but is a provocative wake-up call to serious observers of the American cultural and political scene. As an historian, I am impressed by the first-rate prose and organization of this book, not to mention what I perceive as a successful argument and finish. Linker's book is a good companion to Michelle Goldberg's recent book on the religious right and its threat to American democracy and the separation of religion and government (Church and State in the old way of speaking). Hopefully people will apply critical thinking and intellectual honesty to the issues Damon Linker raises.
Book Description
On April 10, 1970, Hill 927 was occupied by troopers of the Screaming Eagles of the 101st Airborne Division. By July, the activities of the artillery and infantry of Ripcord had caught the attention of the NVA (North Vietnamese Army) and a long and deadly siege ensued. Ripcord was the Screaming Eagles’ last chance to do significant damage to the NVA in the A Shau Valley before the division was withdrawn from Vietnam and returned to the United States.
At Ripcord, the enemy counterattacked with ferocity, using mortar and antiaircraft fire to inflict heavy causalities on the units operating there. The battle lasted four and a half months and exemplified the ultimate frustration of the Vietnam War: the inability of the American military to bring to bear its enormous resources to win on the battlefield. In the end, the 101st evacuated Ripcord, leaving the NVA in control of the battlefield. Contrary to the mantra “We won every battle but lost the war,” the United States was defeated at Ripcord. Now, at last, the full story of this terrible battle can be told.
From the Paperback edition.
Customer Reviews:
The real deal.!.......2007-06-27
If you have any knowledge of the Vietnam conflict or were in country at the time ,this is a perfect blow for blow record,no punches pulled ,and every bit of research backed up with detailed fact. It gives the overall viewpoint,officers ,nco s and the Grunts.A great read about real men and the horror of War.
Ripcord Review.......2007-02-09
Keith Nolan has done it again! A very accurate account of a battle in Vietnam. A grunts eye view!Only thing that would have made the book better. Would have been maps, something he fails to do in all his books.
Excellent researched book.......2007-01-17
This historical account represents a detailed account of the battle for RIPCORD. The dedication of the troops to a questionable operation at the time of the winddown of the Vietnam War is admirable to say the least.
This work exposes the quandary of senior officers who are shackled by the political forces from Washington. Nevetheless, it also reveals the shortcomings of certain officers who were more concerned with their careers than the troops. The most famous example is that of Colonel Lucas. The "ring knockers protective association" was successful in seeing that he was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously. This in spite of the fact that he made bad decions in exposing his troops to unnecessary RIF's with the consequest heavy caualties. As one of his troops said "it was the kind of situation where if he had lived, he probably would have been brought up on charges, but since he got killed, he ended up with the Medal of Honor." Nevertheless, this book entails the heroism of all who participated in this ill-conceived battle.
RIPCORD.......2006-10-29
Excellent history that is well written and, unlike many military histories, is extremely readable. It is accurate and tells a story that not many people know about. I signed into this unit (2/506 101st Airborne) just a few weeks after Ripcord happened. It filled in a lot of the stories that I had heard about this battle. Fantastic book!
Mr. Reed, stand down.......2006-10-21
I have little to add to the other generally thoughtful reviews of this book. Some have found its organization confusing; the whole campaign was complex, and I don't see how it could be related any clearer in a way that captures so much important detail. If you're confused, read it again. It's worth it. Remember, this action took place over months, and involved many company and platoon sized actions; comparisons to "We Were Soldiers..." or Hamburger Hill simply don't take this into account. Great job, Mr. Nolan.
Mr. Reed, your second review of this book indicated that you had at least skimmed the manuscript prior to writing, which was not evident from your first review; you to should give it another look. In particular, I challenge your criticism of Mr. Nolan's portrayal of the "higher echelon" as "incompetent and cowardly". To what and whom do you refer? General Hennessey? Although the judgement of the battalion, brigade, and even ADC are presented in way that offers several different interpretations, their personal valor is never questioned-indeed, the opposite is true.
Also, I challenge your assertion that Mr. Nolan engages in "media hype and antiwar sentiment". Do you deny that there were drug and discipline problems in the rear areas? Mr. Nolan goes out of his way to point out that this was mitigated on the line, so what is your point? Even in cases of gross cowardice, occasionally are portrayed, Mr. Nolan tries to present a balanced view-witness his treatment of Doc Kuntz.
The US military was generally very effective in Vietnam, particularly so given the absurd political environment within which it was forced to operate. But it was not above criticism, nor is it antiAmerican to suggest that mistakes were made, opportunities missed, and some really reprehensible events may have occurred. In the context of a ten year involvement, 58,000 deaths, hundreds of thousands of wounded, and an ultimate NVA victory, I find your breast beating somewhat maladroit.
Book Description
In this groundbreaking book, Akbar Ahmed, one of the world 's leading authorities on Islam, who has worked in the Muslim world but lives in the West, explains what is going wrong in his society by referring to Islamic history and beliefs. Employing theological and anthropological perspectives, he attempts to answer the questions that people in the West are asking about Islam: Why do they hate us? Is Islam compatible with democracy? Does Islam subjugate women? Does the Quran preach violence? These important questions are of relevance to Muslims and to non-Muslims alike. Islam Under Siege points out the need for, and provides the route to, the dialogue of civilizations.September 11, 2001, underlined the role of Islam in our time. In its demographic spread, its political span, and its religious commitment, Islam will be an increasingly forceful presence on the world stage in the twenty-first century. While some scholars predict that there will be a clash of civilizations, others see a need for a dialogue of civilizations.This book will help students, scholars of politics, sociology, international relations, and cultural studies, and reporters as well as a more general audience interested in some of the most important issues of our time.
Customer Reviews:
A book with refreshing ideas.......2006-05-17
This is a must-read book written by a broad-minded, knowledgeable and experienced author, if you are interested in current World events and the notions behind them.
The author, in no way, condones suicide missions or terrorist activities or any other kind of violence. He lays down the terrorists' mindset in plain language.
He also mentions the reasons why the Muslim youth in some Muslim-majority countries react very harshly and aggressively against the West or anything represents the Western civilization.
He argues that some of the violent acts of some Muslims, under no circumstances, represent the compassionate and peaceful aspects of Islam. Therefore, they cause great trouble for non-Muslims as well as Muslims. Especially, Muslims living in Europe and North America are exposed to threats, harassments, discrimination and isolation. This acts as an impetus to push Muslims to further estrangement, and possibly to marginalization.
He also presents very meaningful and sensible propositions for Westerners as to how they approach and treat Muslims and receive positive feedbacks and reactions. There are also very constructive and sound suggestions for Muslims, especially Muslim leaders as to how they should act and govern their countries in order to make long-lasting progress.
In conclusion, a broad-minded, tolerant, and knowledge and compassion-based attitude for Muslims is promoted throughout the book. When Muslims regain the genuine Islamic sense of justice, compassion, care and scholarship and live up to these principles, they will have a good chance of gaining their old glory back.
Thoughtful essay on Muslim predicament.......2005-03-10
For those who reflect on the mess in much of the Islamic World Ahmed's uncompromising essay is worthwhile reading. Mature reflections by an Anthropologist, former Ambassador and Muslim intellectual provide perspective and ideas all but absent in Western media.
Neither `Occidentalist' blaming the west nor `Orientalist' blaming Islam, Ahmed considers the witches brew of tribal, dynastic, European, and Islamic factors in times of great pressure, rapid change, and social imbalance. He is hard on Muslim leaders and countries - this is no apology. He also attempts to understand and analyze these difficult times. The application of the idea of a "post-Honor" world (including Muslim views of Clinton) may speak more to readers than the chapter on Ibn Khaldun and asabiyya perhaps.
At times personal, even idiosyncratic, the essay is always provocative. For those with some background and serious about understanding who want more than the typically polemic or hidden agenda multitude of books promoted in the U.S. - read this. Muslims frustrated by hving disaster after disaster in the media and public attention on what they see as exceptional, even un Islamic, presented as `typical' - read this.
Three other books are strongly suggested: for recent events and a Muslim `take' on the news "The War on Islam" by Enver Masud would complement this essay. Also Michael Sells and Emran Qureshi have edited a valuable collection "The New Crusades: constructing the Muslim Enemy". Another insightful book has three studies of how the purposeful fiction of the "Axis of Evil" has been promoted and manipulated (Inventing the Axis of Evil: The Truth About North Korea, Iran, and Syria
by Bruce Cumings, et al.)
This author lacks objectivity.......2004-03-11
Ahmed unconvincingly dismisses the "envy/jealously" excuse for why there is so much animosity in the Islamic world toward the USA and tries to present an overall cultural reaction to the breakdown of 'asabiyya' or social cohesion and group loyalty as the main culprit.
His unabashed pro-muslim attitudes and opinions kept me wondering when he might ever show a little objectivity. He even seems to accept suicide bombings, which he calls 'martyrdom', as an understandable and perhaps even laudable act as he refers to the poetry of Al-Gossaibi, Saudi ambassador to Britain. He doesn't entertain the idea that the social acceptance of strapping bombs around children to kill a few unsuspecting and innocent civilians may itself be a manifestation of such egregious social disintegration and decline that in and of itself may point to the real problem at hand.
The entire theme of the book comes across as a little ridiculous when in the opening chapter he compares Israel's 'feeling' of being under siege to that of Islam's feeling of being under siege. This when Israel is a single tiny nation surrounded by much larger Islamic nations bent on her destruction and having been militarily attacked and invaded on several occasions by as many as six of those nations simultaneously. Islam on the other hand, thrives in dozens of countries stretching across several continents!.
The book is barely worth reading for the asabiyya education and gaining a broader understanding of viewpoints from the Islamic world.
A ground breaking examination of critical issues.......2003-09-11
Expertly written by Akbar S. Ahmed (Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies, American University, Washington, DC), Islam Under Siege is a ground breaking examination of critical issues surrounding Islam, the West, and how the two diverse cultures view one another. Ranging down the last few centuries of history, and into the post-modern world of globalization, and now in the wake of the September 11 attacks, Islam Under Siege ranges from such central issues of controversy as the Islamic treatment of women, the failings of Muslim leadership, the quest for Muslim ideals and a global paradigm, and more. Islam Under Siege is a quite sober analysis and a very strongly recommended addition to Islamic Studies reference shelves and reading lists.
An insider's perspective.......2003-07-15
As a student of theology and conflict resolution, I felt privy to an insider's perspective on the religious distortions of a violent few and was encouraged to seek a better tomorrow with newfound understanding and knowledge.
In Islam Under Siege: Living Dangerously in a Post-Honor World Dr. Akbar Ahmed, explores the rise of religiously motivated violence and corresponding notions of honor in the world today. Dr. Ahmed's insights highlight sociological and spiritual factors contributing to such behavior. He interprets the underlying problem as the lost or misinterpreted notion of honor and calls his readers to understand the events surrounding such circumstances. Dr. Ahmed engages the reader in a journey of reflection, criticism, grievance, and exhortation; but most importantly he inspires one hope. This is a definite must read and worth the time in any busy schedule. You will not be disappointed.
Books:
- How to Burn Down the House: The Infamous Waiter and Bartender's Scam Bible by Two Bourbon Street Waiters
- I'll Be Watching You: Inside the Police, 1980-83 (Taschen Artists Edition)
- I Love A Mystery: Old Time Radio Shows
- I Only Say This Because I Love You: Talking to Your Parents, Partner, Sibs, and Kids When You're All Adults
- IMMACULATE DECEPTION
- In a Strange City (Tess Monaghan Mysteries)
- Jaded Tasks: Brass Plates, Black Ops & Big Oil-The Blood Politics of George Bush & Co.
- Just Walk Across the Room: Simple Steps Pointing People to Faith
- Killing Mr. Lebanon: The Assasination of Rafik Hariri and its Impact on the Middle East
- Knitting for Peace: Make the World a Better Place One Stitch at a Time
Books Index
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