Book Description
ABRAM's DAUGHTERS introduces readers to an Old Order family, a close-knit community and a devout people whose way of life and faith in God is as timeless as their signature horse and buggy. Set against the backdrop of post-World War II, this compelling saga spans three generations of a Lancaster County Amish family. Abram Ebersol and his devoted wife are raising four courting-age daughters on a firm foundation of Plain tradition, and they expect their girls to carry on that heritage by joining the church and making a covenant with God. But the ''running-around'' years known as rumschpringe are often a time of sowing wild oats. Each of Abram's daughters, choosing her own path, must come to terms with the Old Ways of thinking and living. And sometimes that path has detours and forks in the road with unknown destinations...
Customer Reviews:
couldn't get enough of these characters.......2007-09-04
I hate fiction but picked this book (the covenant) up because I am interested in the Amish and enjoy visiting Lancaster, PA which is only 1 hour away from where I live. Well, I was totally hooked...bought all 5 in the series...passed them on to all my family and friends that like to read...each and everyone of us LOVED these books and are finding it hard to find anything that compares in holding our interest as much.
Do yourself a favor and buy all 5!! Beware: you will stay up late reading these!!
The Covenant/The Betrayal/The Sacrifice/The Prodigal/The Revelation (Abram's Daughters 1-5).......2007-08-26
I really enjoyed these books. I bought them during my school vacation. I read one a day until I was finished. I really hated to finish reading these books. They were so good I hated to see them end.
Abram's Daughter.......2007-08-25
I got so drawn into these characters and couldn't put down these books because I needed to find out if Leah would get her happy ending and live happily ever after. This is a very well written series that you need to finish once you start it. I breezed through these 5 books in 2 weeks. A friend started reading book 1 when I was into book 3 and feels the same way and lucky me! I get to relive the series each day when she comes into work and tells me what she read the previous evening.
If you read only one of Ms. Lewis' series, this is the series to pick. It's some story full of scandal, heartbreak and lots of love. Excellent!
Amish Ways.......2007-08-19
I tried to read a few of these books, but being from a family of formerly Amish folks, it just doesn't quite ring true. It's obvious to me at least, that Beverly does not have first hand experience in capturing the Amish ways.
Abram's Daughters.......2007-07-31
I have not been able to stop reading from book to book anxious to find out what happens in the next step of Leah's life.
Book Description
Coping with her son's arrest and trial for first-degree murder, Carol Kent opens her heart to share priceless lessons on choosing hope over despair.
Customer Reviews:
When I Lay My Isaac Down.......2007-10-03
I read this book first. Then I read A New Kind of Normal...and BOTH books were provacative. They have enriched my life. I so admire Carol Kent and her family. THANK YOU...jh
Very Helpful.......2007-09-13
This book is a comfort to all who have gone through horrible stressful situations and will help with thought processes of how to get through a tough situation. Excellent book!
Powerful Book.......2007-08-31
The Kent family story is tragic. Carol Kent's ability to relate her Isaac to anyone else's Isaac strikes the heart with honesty and truth. I purchased this book to share with a struggling friend, but wanted to read it first... I'm so glad I did. And my friend... has now purchased this book for a friend of hers. You will "think" when you read this book.
Relinquishing Your Isaac on the Altar.......2007-07-30
"When I Lay My Isaac Down" is the story of the desperate response of Carol and Gene Kent when they received the news that their son, Jason Paul, had been arrested for first degree murder.
Carol is clear and open in communicating the pain they have suffered through this tragedy. Feelings of hurt, shame, guilt, and unspeakable horror left them devastated.
Surrounded by a support group of "stretcher bearers" who offered quiet encouragement and words of comfort, and very real practical help as Carol, Gene, Jason Paul, and his wife April lived through their sorrow and bereavement.
Carol's writing resonates with hope, as she shares their story and the stories of others who also have met loss and trauma. These are stories of love, redemption, and reconciliation in times of crisis.
Each chapter closes with some questions for reflection on God's enduring, unconditional love. Responding to these in writing may help the reader learn to interpret the mysteries between the strange providential circumstances allowed by God and what we know of Him.
Carol's challenge is to change the way we think about personal challenges. She offers eight power principles to help in the process of your personal crisis, your Isaac, and your offering on the altar.
Compassion, comfort, and caring describe Carol and her book "When I Lay My Isaac Down." A Poignant and Memorable Chronicle of Tragedy and Triumph.
Hope in spite of devastating circumstances.......2007-07-16
Carol Kent has written a book from her heart that has helped many of my family and friends deal with loss of a loved one or extremely difficult and sad circumstances. I have given this book to many hurting and sad loved ones who have told me that it was a tremendous help. I can't recommend this book highly enough! You will be encouraged and blessed.
Book Description
Civil war rages as the Galactic Alliance–led by Cal Omas and the Jedi forces of Luke Skywalker–battles a confederation of breakaway planets that rally to the side of rebellious Corellia. Suspected of involvement in an assassination plot against Queen Mother Tenel Ka of the Hapes Consortium, Han and Leia Solo are on the run, hunted by none other than their own son, Jacen, whose increasingly authoritarian tactics as head of GA security have led Luke and Mara Skywalker to fear that their nephew may be treading perilously close to the dark side.
But as his family sees in Jacen the chilling legacy of his Sith grandfather, Darth Vader, many of the frontline troops adore him, and countless citizens see him as a savior. The galaxy has been torn apart by too many wars. All Jacen wants is safety and stability for all–and he’s prepared to do whatever it takes to achieve that goal.
To end the bloodshed and suffering, what sacrifice would be too great? That is the question tormenting Jacen. Already he has sacrificed much, embracing the pitiless teachings of Lumiya, the Dark Lady of the Sith, who has taught him that a strong will and noble purpose can hold the evil excesses of the dark side at bay, bringing peace and order to the galaxy–but at a price.
For there is one final test that Jacen must pass before he can gain the awesome power of a true Sith Lord: He must bring about the death of someone he values dearly. What troubles Jacen isn’t whether he has the strength to commit murder. He has steeled himself for that, and worse if necessary. No, the question that troubles Jacen is who the sacrifice should be.
As the strands of destiny draw ever more tightly together in a galaxy-spanning web, the shocking answer will shatter two families . . . and cast a grim shadow over the future.
Customer Reviews:
One of the best Star Wars Universe books yet.......2007-09-11
Let's face it, people who like the Star Wars universe books like space opera. The New Jedi Order series has lots of great space battles, Jedi (-Sith) battles and narrow escapes from overwhelming odds. I've read almost all of them (although the clone wars is a bit much for my taste). Karen Traviss's Sacrifice is up there with the best of Zahn and others, but remarkably, not for the space opera.
The NJO series as a whole moves from space opera to family Saga. Karen Traviss here has written a fairly complex contrast of the key characters and their families (all disfunctional in one way or other): The Skywalkers, the Solos and the Fetts. It is wonderful to see how the characters all work at coping with the problems of their own families and wayward family members, and how a variety of approaches are shown and ultimately compared.
Being the father of my third teenager at this point, a lot of this hit home and gave me things to think about besides Luke's super-jedi-powers and simple light vs. dark stuff. Very highly recommended.
Awesome book.......2007-08-31
This book was pretty awesome. If you like Star Wars you need to read it already!
It is his destiny!.......2007-08-26
I am a born again Star Wars geek. All of the authors in this series are extremely talented. I do agree that some of the other characters should make more appearances in these novels. All in all I am very pleased and can not wait for Inferno. I too would like to read the back story on what prompts Jacen to take that Sith name. Karen Traviss does leave you hungering for more. I love the way she incorporates Boba Fett in this series. I hope there are many more to come. These books are all FAN-tastic. Keep 'em coming.
A great book that offers a glimps of what is to come in real life........2007-08-18
I've read the book, and I must say that it offers a true insite into man's true nature, which is the path of darkness. The reason why Anakin fell to the dark side of the force, was because he knew that it could help him save Padme, but that poor woman gave up and died. I like how Jason becomes manipulative and militaristic, because in real life, that is how the natural Man should be in order to bring about peace and order, even if that order is dictatorial. This book also shows how the strong exterminate the weak in order to maintain it's survival. Lumiya is a more than worthy successor to Palpatine. Jason turned to the dark side, because he knew that he is the only one that can save the galaxy and restore order, just like Anakin did. This book is great and highly recommended.
7 on a scale of 10.......2007-08-10
Let me just start out this review by saying - I really, really like Karen Travis. I've only read "Sacrifice" and "Bloodlines" by her - but after reading these two books I am looking forward to checking out some of her other stuff outside of the Star Wars Universe. I can't quite put my finger on what it is about her writing style that I like so much - but I particularly like how she will incorporate a character's thoughts in italics at times throughout these books. It is a quick, effective way to get to the "heart" of a matter without going into long drawn out details that I particularly like. When she needs to be - she can be very descriptive and detailed - but she seems to know when it is right for a story and when it isn't.
I'm not exactly new to the Expanded Universe of Star Wars novels - but it has been about ten years since I've read a SW novel. I loved the NJO when it got out of the gate but by the fifth book in that series I got tired of reading the same old thing over and over again - which is what if seemed like. So here I am in this new "Legacy of The Force" series and I'm quite pleased with it to this point. The fact that I never finished the NJO series didn't hinder me from reading this one as the authors have filled in the gaps quite nicely. I never read Troy Denning's "Dark Nest" series - which really hasn't hindered me in reading this series either.
Without getting into the specifics of the plot in "Sacrfice" let me just say that of the five books out on this series - this one is the best (and they are all good). The plot moves quickly with numerous twists and turns in it and it is just an exciting read. After the completion of it I find myself greatly anticipating the next one.
Customer Reviews:
From the book's back cover..........2007-08-13
Here is a brief synopsis of the two novellas:
Wicked Intent: Control has meant everything to Tally Raines. Control of the office she ran as Jesse Wyman's secretary, and now control of Lucian Conover's office as well. But Lucian isn't content to be controlled by his fiery secretary. As a matter of fact, Lucian thinks she needs to loosen up and let the sexy, sensual woman hiding beneath her cool exterior free. And he will dare her to do just that...With a little help.
Sacrifice: Kimberly has run from Jared for a year now, sensing the weakness he could be to her future. But she never expected the sacrifice he would make for her. One that will rock her soul, and destroy the very foundations of all her beliefs.
Her sexuality, her heart, and all she's fought for in the last six years will be tested when an assignment takes her to Jared's farm, and into his bed. There she will learn the true meaning of hunger, of love...as well as the deception and the lies that have governed her life for so long.
Anything worth having is worth sacrificing for. Kimberly is about to find out if she can pay the price, and risk not only the inheritance that should be hers, but also her heart to the one man who can still the fires that rage in her soul.
Hot, Hot, Hot!.......2007-07-12
Another great erotic romance by Lora Leigh. Great characters, great charisma, great stories. I highly recommend her books. I am usually never dissapointed. I can't wait for her next!
If you're over the basic romance books, this will do it!.......2007-06-01
After reading almost every type of erotic fiction, I was getting a little bored. Enter Lora Leigh & it's a whole new ballgame. I was an instant fan after the Breed series (can she get cranking on more, already?), so I decided to check out a different type. Love it, love it, love it! It's just naughty enough, with some great dialogue inserted between some really hot sex scenes. I found myself actually interested in the plot, if not totally believing that there could actually be a secret club of dominant alpha males interested in falling in love. I've already ordered the next 2 books, can't wait!!
delicious!!!!!!!.......2007-03-10
heartwarming and erotic to the max!!
beautifully written and i highly recommend it!!!!
Good Book.......2007-02-24
I got this book for my daughter. She enjoyed it very much. Thanks for being prompt.
Book Description
The authors argue that American patriotism is a civil religion organized around a sacred flag, whose followers engage in periodic blood sacrifice of their own children to unify the group. Using an anthropological theory, this groundbreaking book presents and explains the ritual sacrifices and regeneration that constitute American nationalism, the factors making particular elections or wars successful or unsuccessful rituals, the role of the mass media in the process, and the sense of malaise that has pervaded American society during the post-World War II period.
Customer Reviews:
AN INSTANT CLASSIC.......2001-06-25
This is a great work of social science, one of the most significant books of our time. Marvin and Ingle state that "The underlying cost of all society is the violent death of some of its members." In contrast to the view that societal violence is something that occasionally "happens" in spite of our best efforts, the authors argue that violence is INHERENT WITHIN THE VERY NATURE AND STRUCTURE OF "SOCIETY."
Many writers speak about the naturally "aggressive" nature of human beings. Marvin and Ingle understand that violence has a deeper source, namely the societal compulsion to SACRIFICE ITS OWN MEMBERS IN THE NAME OF THE SACRED (NATIONAL) IDEAL. It is this SACRIFICAL meaning of violence that human beings refuse to perceive.
The authors state that "OUR DEEPEST SECRET, THE COLLECTIVE GROUP TABOO, IS KNOWLEDGE THAT SOCIETY DEPENDS ON THE DEATH OF SACRIFICIAL VICTIMS AT THE HANDS OF THE GROUP ITSELF."
Our capacity to understand the nature of human society requires perceiving this relationship between sacred groups and collective violence. This book represents a significant step toward revealing and articulating this relationship.
The book is highly recommended for social theorists, anthropologists, historians and political scientists.
Average customer rating:
- Great book
- Very Good Book
- Awesome sequel to the War of the Spider Queen series!!!
- The best Forgotten Realms or D
- surprisingly good...
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Sacrifice of the Widow (Forgotten Realms: The Lady Penitent, Book 1)
Lisa Smedman
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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ASIN: 0786942509
Release Date: 2007-01-30 |
Customer Reviews:
Great book.......2007-09-22
This is one of the few books I have read that I dreaded getting to the ending. I am currently reading the second book and I do not want to read to fast because it is that entertaining.
Very Good Book.......2007-07-12
This was a very good book. Stedman ties together sever sub plots that remain from the last book of the War of the Spider Queen "Resurrection".....which was a train wreck. She carries on with the characters from that series and makes them work. This book was very entertaining and an easy read. Steadman made keeping up with the old characters and sever new one easy to do. Lisa Stedman did a very good job with this book.
Awesome sequel to the War of the Spider Queen series!!!.......2007-07-06
I have read the entire war of the spider queen series and it was great! I was excited to here that Lisa Smedman wrote a series to continue where the war left off. This book is really good.
The only thing I would warn people about is to read the War of the Spider Queen series first. If you don't read those 6 books first you will be a bit lost in this book because it all refers to the events that happened during the WotSQ series.
I can't wait to read the next book!!
The best Forgotten Realms or D.......2007-06-24
Reading the Forgotten Realms, Dragon Lance and random D&D books is something of a hobby of mine. Usually it is a guilty pleasure. Wizards if the Coast, the people who brought you MAGIC and (at one time) POKEMON trading card games publish these books. The Editor(s) over there at WotC have an unenviable task: to make these books digestible for thirteen year old boys men in there thirties and aging nerds in various stages of decay.
This coupled with the fact that the writers subscribe to the `type as fast as you possibly can' school of authorship (brought in to prominence by a hopped up Steven King) often leads to a book which is barely readable. For example, these books sometimes end simply by killing all the characters off.
Into this labyrinth of publishing enters the brave hearted Lisa Smedman. Now, anytime Lisa is penning a book you are in for something better then you have any right to expect. (check out her Venoms Kiss trilogy).
With `Sacrifice of the Widow' Lisa has done something really Magical. She has `improved her game'. She has stepped it up, she is getting better and better at what she does! What a rarity!
In this book Lisa infuses the Forgotten Realms lore with subtle references to Greek, Norse and African mythologies. For example, she hints in the epilogue at what Lolths place in the creation of the universe might have been before the fall. Speaking of which, there are many themes and devices, which, because they are executed well, lift this book onto the level of actual literature. The prologue and epilogue frame the action of the book as one or two moves in an extra-dimensional chess or `Sava' game, a battle between the warring dark elf goddesses. Also explored are sociological themes such as the impossibility of male bonding. I can only hope that in future books the dark elves evolve through union of the sexes rather then this ongoing idea that the sexes corrupt each other. But that is probably up to the editor rather then the author.
The descriptions of action scenes are adequate and better then you deserve. The overall suspense and sense of plot are very well crafted indeed. Character development is very worthwhile and a welcome addition.
I could go on and on but the point is you have to read this book to believe it. If you can't afford the $7 do yourself a favor and get to your local library. If they don't have it ask them to order it.
Well I intended to do better at explaining what a gem this book really is but I am out of time. Drop me a line if you have any questions.
Robert Corrina
[...]
surprisingly good..........2007-05-27
First off, let me say that after reading Lisa Smedman's previous book, Extinction, I was very skeptical of her abilities as an author. I thought that book had been the worst of the "War of the Spider Queen" series. I expected that this new one, "Sacrifice of the Widow," would be bad as well. It was far from that. Ms. Smedman has done a great deal to redeem herself as an author in my eyes.
"Sacrifice of the Widow" is suprisingly short for the amount that is crammed within it. It takes a good author to put so many plot lines, main characters, foreshadowing and twists into 320 pages without feeling rushed. I think the story would probably be better served with a 5 book series than a trilogy. Because of this, the characters and unique situations are not given as much attention or development as I would like. This is not by fault of the author, however. It is apparent that there is an overall plot that needs to be resolved and only so many pages within which to do it. Still, I wish more time could have been spent upon the movers and shakers in drow society and the unique interplay between them.
The book starts out simply enough, but turns into a grand game of politics and manipulation between the drow gods Lolth, Selvetarm, Vhaeraun, and Eilistraee. It was wonderful to see how plans folded in upon plans and were twisted by still other plans. By all appearances there was a great amount of foreshadowing for the remaining 2 books laid down in this one. The reprecussions of this book upon all drow society might be quite far reaching--and it's nice to see that the powers that be are not afraid of making significant changes to the highly popular drow mythology. It left me feeling anxious for the continuation of the story and a return of several key characters.
The author does a great job of balancing realism with the fantasy involved. With powerful characters acting and fighting it would be easy to make them seem like unbeatable gods--much like watching an 80's action movie where the hero can shoot all the bad guys with a pistol and they can't manage to hit him once with automatic weapons. Ms. Smedman both keeps every battle tense and stresses the risks and dangers inherent to all combatants. Even when characters can wield powerful magic, there is the realism that a single sword swipe could end it all. Neither does she shy away from describing the powerful abilities of each character. Wizards pull out spell components and throw lightning and fire at their enemies. Clerics heal mortal wounds and bring other back from the dead. All this the author delivers without it feeling like one is reading a transcript of a D&D game session.
So, I take my hat off to Lisa Smedman for a good job with a tough story. Could it have better? Sure....anything can be improved...but this was a quite respectable delivery. My rating of 4 stars instead of 5 most certainly comes from the fact that this should have been spread out into 5 books to do it justice. I'm quite curious how the overall story line was decided and by whom considering it's such a heavily popular topic and has been quite successful for the publisher.
Book Description
Cuba's number 2 official today — Commander Juan Almeida — was secretly working with JFK in November 1963 to overthrow Fidel. The US government recently revealed Almeida's work for JFK, allowing the updated trade paperback of Ultimate Sacrifice to tell the full story for the first time (complete with new photos and documents).
The authors obtained the story from almost two dozen associates of John and Robert Kennedy, starting in 1990 with JFK's Secretary of State Dean Rusk. Their accounts are supported by thousands of newly-released files at the National Archives.
Almeida's "palace coup" set for December 1, 1963, was to be backed up by US forces "invited" in by Commander Almeida, then Chief of the Cuban Army. However, three Mafia bosses being targeted by Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy used several CIA assets to infiltrate the secret plot and murder JFK.
This resulted in cover-ups by officials like RFK and LBJ, to prevent the exposure of Almeida and a possible nuclear confrontation with the Soviets. The new edition explains why Almeida was not a double agent, why Fidel suspected Almeida's ally Che Guevara, and what Fidel did in 1990 when he finally found out about Almeida's work for JFK.
Customer Reviews:
Too Many Unsubstantiated Facts Leading Nowhere.......2007-09-13
As with most books about the JFK Assassination, 'Ultimate Sacrifice' suffers from its own evangelism; having decided on a theory, the authors opt for proselytizing over objectivity. Authors Waldron and Hartmann start by taking themselves and their theory much too seriously, trying to convince the reader of the correctness of their conclusions by presenting a gigantic load of so called facts to overwhelm the reader. Most of these "facts", however, are far from substantiated, coming as they are from the usual secondary sources rather than original research, while ignoring much good evidence that detract from them.
There are way too many assumptions of unproven allegations in this book for me to take the authors' conclusions seriously, despite the new evidence they provide from some admirable original research to try to back them up. To take just a few examples:
1. The authors accept without question that Oswald was an American agent before he went to Russia. They cite the usual suspicious, yet inconclusive evidence about this such as the 'phony' suicide attempt, Oswald seen with unsavory characters while in Japan, an alleged false defector program the US was supposed to have run, and just the general feeling that it seems to make sense. And yet, the authors completely ignore the much greater evidence opposed to this inference found in the well-researched chapters on Oswald's time in Russia in the Mailer biography, much of it coming from KGB sources who had been watching him constantly. Indeed, not one shred of spy-like behavior was made evident too them by their subject during his entire stay.
2. The authors believe Oswald did not take his Marxism seriously, but was only pretending to be a true believer as part of his cover. Were this true, Oswald must have been the best method actor of all time, never getting out of character, even with his wife and close friends. And oh yes, all those commie books in his room were `planted'. Amazing analysis!
3. The authors decide to accept with little question the interpretation of the ambiguous ballistic and medical data of the assassination that best fits their theory, namely that the fatal shot came from the Grassy Knoll, while discounting the Single Bullet theory. Once more they completely neglect the most scientific data available that counters this notion: the Barger Acoustic analysis done during the HSCA hearings. Nor do they cite the excellent analysis of the first shots in the Zapruder film done for the Frontline special on Oswald that clearly shows the flap of Connelly's collar being flipped up as the bullet -- the same bullet that emerged from Kennedy's throat -- passes through into his shoulder.
There is much more of this type of thing, too much so for me to find much value in what evidence the authors do present. I say this believing indeed that JFK was assassinated as the result of a conspiracy involving elements of Cosa Nostra and CIA. But the breadth of scope of their arguments is just too much for the lack of depth of the evidence they provide.
Do not mistake me, there is some value in this book. The research on the Tampa and Chicago threats is intriguing. The details on the CIA-Mafia assassination plots is both informative and believable. And the presentation of Ruby's ties to Organize crime is the most convincing and thorough I have seen. Unfortunately, when the authors try to cover all the mysterious associations of Johnny Roselli, the Mafia point man on the assassination, they mainly rely on a single secondary source, All American Mafioso by Charles Rappleye and Ed Becker while completely neglecting to cite the most curious close friendship he maintained with top CIA officer William K. Harvey, point man for Executive Action assassinations, until his death. The same tactic of using a very small number of JFK assassination books to back up their arguments is used to show the actions and meaningfull associations of the other mobsters involved in the conspiracy as well.
What is needed in the field of JFK assassination research is not more rehash of old and untested data to backup new conspiracy theories, but a well constructed analysis focused on manageable areas of the assassination using original research, including validating rather than blindly accepting evidence cited in previous works. At times Ultimate Sacrifice does attempt this, but far too seldom; and in the end, the books bites off more than it can chew and concludes very little.
Worth the time.......2007-08-16
I finished this book. Took awhile, but did it. Close to 900 pages. "We'll explain further in another chapter," or words to that effect were sprinkled throughout and wore thin, but explain they did. I've wondered, over the years, why RFK wasn't more aggressive about pursuing the truth and why he presented obstacles to Garrison's investigation, etc--and this book explains all that and more. The theories make sense, and the documentation is laid out nicely. And next to Bugliosi's bag of hot air and overwrought opinion, Ultimate Sacrifice looks even more important. I see it's now available in paperback, so the investment is halved. I'd say it surely deserves a spot on serious researchers' shelves.
The Mafia Did It: A Script and Play Written By CIA Productions Inc........2007-07-26
This is a difficult book for one to get his head around. Not only because the subject matter unfolds like a reverse Russian Doll - as each new puzzle is opened, a larger more interesting one with an even deeper subtext emerges -- but also because of the artful ambiguity with which the source documents (upon which the story is based) makes themselves an integral part of the plot itself.
This is my fourth attempt at writing a review, the first two having been rejected out of hand; and although the third was accepted; mercifully it too was later withdrawn after I tried to amend it several times. However, if this one is accepted, after my third reading of the book, I will not be amending it.
Prologue
As an integral whole, there is yet another way to view the JFK assassination story told here. Imagine it to be an intramural chess game between competing teams within the U.S. government. On one side are the Kennedy brothers, whose goal is C-Day and presumably a return of Cuba to a free and independent state. On the other side, are the anti-Kennedy forces which includes: the front line of the CIA, the mob, J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI, the moneyed anti-Kennedy interests, primarily centered in Texas, and the state of Israel. The goal of side B is to checkmate the Kennedys, using C-Day as the cornerstone of the cover-up.
Each side has an array of forces and assets to deploy during the course of the game. And while the pawns, or minor pieces are interchangeable (and consist of Cuban exiles, low-level FBI and CIA operatives, Mafia, hired foreign assassins and their related patsies) the heavy artillery, or the pieces on the back rows of the respective sides, are not. The Kennedys have as their heavier artillery: the U.S. State Department, key executive advisors, various aspects of DOJ, and disparate elements of the intelligence community, including DIA. Importantly, neither the CIA nor the FBI are reliable major pieces for the Kennedy side, but the Kennedys seem to be unaware of this unreliability. Both sides also have at their discretion use of the press to either signal or conceal their respective side's motives and strategies.
The heavy artillery for the anti-JFK side include the middle echelon of the Mafia, namely, Santos Trafficante, Carlos Marcellos, John Roselli, and Sam Giancana; the upper hierarchy of the CIA itself, namely, Richard Helms, William Harvey, Desmond Fitzgerald, James Jesus Angleton, Colonel Sheffield Edwards, E. Howard Hunt, and David Atlee Phillips. At an even higher echelon of movers and shakers, (above the level of the government) for the anti-JFK side, one must also include the important but invisible hand of the Texas moneyed interest led by H.L. Hunt and Clint Murchison with LBJ as their number one lieutenant. And then there is the Don of dons of the mob, Meyer Lansky. Finally, there is Israeli concern over JFK's attempt to deny that nation nuclear status. Arguably it is these behind-the-scene controllers, from deep within the shadows of the CIA, the FBI, Texas moneyed interests and the Massad, that are the real drivers of the chess game.
The Rules of Engagement
Now, the rules-of-engagement is where this chess game really gets interesting. While for the most part the Kennedy's side remain in the dark about what the other side is up to, their own moves are not only transparent to their opponents, but are also subject to manipulation and secret rearrangement by them. The Kennedys personally, and their plans specifically, are repeatedly tripped-up and penetrated again and again. They are cajoled, blackmailed, and stalked repeatedly until they are both eventually killed. No other strategies or maneuvers are successful or even intended to be successful. Under such asymmetric rules of engagement, is there any wonder that it is not a foregone conclusion that the side with knowledge dominance is the one most likely to win the chess game?
The Script
The story of this book is about how the Kennedy brothers, after no less than some twelve different failures by the CIA/Mafia to depose Castro, beginning in 1959, decided to concoct and enlist its own White House plan. It consisted of using a Black Cuban Major, Jose Almeida, along with no less than the infamous Che Guevara himself as turncoats in an attempt to wrest Cuba away from the revolutionary-recently-turned Communist, Fidel Castro. If the newly released documents can be believed, under severe domestic pressure to do something before the 1964 election cycle, the Kennedys seem to have lost all their sense and their normally balanced decision-making abilities in favor of this cockamamie Hollywood version of returning Cuba to a democracy.
No matter who is credited with checkmating the Kennedys, and the authors of this script say that it was the Mafia "who done it," the script still has all the earmarks of "written by CIA Production Incorporated," stamped all over it. The spots on the CIA Leopard just never seem to change. While the integrity of these authors is not itself being questioned, it does seem that they have made among the most naïve of all possible interpretations of the newly released information. Their incessant - even embarrassingly droning and shrill attempt to "pin the tail of the donkey" onto the Mafia, "just does not wash." From the very beginning, it has a hollow ring to it.
By leaving out even a suggestion that others among the real heavy hitters on the anti-JFK side, may have been involved, may have played even a minor role, this rendition raises more questions than it answers: Suddenly and inextricably the Mafia becomes all-knowing, all-wise, and all-powerful, leading the white House, the FBI, and the CIA and the Kennedys around by their respective tails, while all of the other major players -- the disgruntled cabals within the CIA itself, J. Edgar Hoover and LBJ, the Moneyed Texas interests, Meyer Lansky and the Massad - all make only cameo appearances in this carefully stage-managed production.
While no one doubts the Mafia's ability to kill a President of the U.S., the author's shrill theme that the "Mafia did it," begins to wear thin early on, and is incongruent with what the Mafia could and could not be able to do to facilitate both the murder and the cover-up of the assassination plot. They certainly could not have implement the cover-up without confederates very, very high up in, and well above the government. Thus the big flaw in the book is that all of heavy-handed finger-pointing at the Mafia, including "C-Day itself," is but an elaborate smoke screen to give additional cover to the real architects of the assassination.
This book leaves no clues as to whom, or what group that might be.
Two stars
Very Interesting.......2007-06-27
I have read alot of books regarding JFK, and I have to say that this one was very interesting.
Weighs a Ton -- Doesn't Miss Many Tricks.......2007-06-25
I was a pre-teen in England when JFK was killed, and I've been an agnostic on the topic of conspiracy ever since. On the one hand, the Warren Commission report, for all its length, always seemed superficial and almost certainly undermined by political influence. On the other, the start point for all conspiracy theorists is the notion that one lone crazy couldn't possibly pull off something as audacious as an assassination of a president. Who sez? After all, every other successful and attempted presidential assassination was unquestionably the act of a lone crazy (okay, a crazy PAIR, in the case of Truman), including -- for all the lessons learned by the secret service in 1963 -- three later close calls (Ford x 2, Reagan).
In recent years, all the major forensic myths that CTs have leaned on for decades -- Oswald's poor marksmanship; the impossibility of his rifle firing three shots in the time; the backwards riccochet of JFK's body; the "magic bullet" -- have been conclusively debunked. What are left are some real, circumstantial issues concerning Oswald's movements in the two or three years before 11/22/63, his affiliation with pro-Cuba and anti-Cuba movements, the CIA, big business and organized crime, his multiple passports and corporeal manifestations; plus eyewitness accounts and the highly questionable activities of the FBI, CIA and the mob.
"Ultimate Sacrifice" covers the lot exhaustively, if repetitively and in prose that doesn't set the pulse racing. It doesn't provide too many answers, but it does ask most of the questions that still deserve to be asked (along with many that don't), and is probably the best bet currently available for the general reader who wants to know which one book on the subject she or he should read.
Book Description
Abram's Daughters book 3, the sequel to the bestselling The Betrayal. This powerful family saga features four Amish courting-age sisters growing up in Lancaster County Pennsylvania, beginning in the 1940s. Life in Gobble's Knob was all Leah Ebersol ever wanted until her older sister Sadie abandoned faith and family, leaving Leah no choice but to believe the worst, that Sadie-and her own beloved Jonas-had betrayed her. Now, two years later, Leah still misses both Sadie and Jonas keenly. Because of her sister's shunning, she cannot contact either of them but hears through the grapevine that they are married. Loyal neighbor Gid is still biding his time, but on the verge of accepting his courting invitation, tragedy befalls the Ebersols and Leah must again choose between her own happiness and her family. Mary Ruth dreams of becoming a teacher, but it has gotten pushed to the back of her thinking when a nice young Amish boy comes courting. Twin Hannah yearns for her sister to attend baptismal classes with her, but Mary Ruth is not ready to take her vows. How will this family in turmoil find peace?
Customer Reviews:
Always on Top.......2007-01-19
She is so good and portraying life as it realy is among the Amish.What A good book.Nadia REhmani
Haiku Review--The Sacrifice.......2006-12-31
Death-bed vow to mom:
Leah will care for siblings.
Good-bye courting years.
Anybody, got a Kleenex?.......2006-08-17
I LOVED this book!!! Abram's Daughters are one of my favorite series. Honestly, tears were rolling down my cheeks when Leah's adoptive Mama died. And when Sadie came home and told Leah she hadn't married Jonas, I started crying/laughing with relief. The whole book was just superb, the only problem was that I wanted read #4 right after #3 and I didn't have it yet!
Love this series!.......2006-07-03
#3 in a series of 5....... and this one keeps you coming back for more!! More twists and turns as expected from Beverly Lewis; fantastic series!
love it.......2006-04-05
I picked up this book at a bargain bin, and I had to buy all of the books following this one to see what happened next. It gave a lot of insight as to the Amish way of life and made me understand their customs better. I really enjoyed it.
Book Description
THE TABERNACLE: This superb work on Israel's wilderness tabernacle explores in depth the service of the priesthood and the significance of the sacrifices. The well-organized content and numerous illustrations will open new vistas of biblical truth as ceremonies, sacrifices, and priestly service reveal the perfections of the messiah.
Customer Reviews:
wonderfuk.......2007-05-08
The book is wonderful and very well published. I received it in record time. Thank you very much.
Tabernacle.......2007-04-04
It's very good information regarding the entirely tabernacle. The typology of the tabernacle is much learned. The book is recommended if you want to know more about Jesus Christ. It is enjoyably read. :-)
You wont want to buy any other book on this topic........2005-09-14
Many Books on the Tabernacle but this one is such detail of describing of Christ. Uses alot of scripture. Awesome book. Well not resell. I will use as a refrence book along with the Bible
An extensively researched presentation.......2004-02-09
The Tabernacle: Shadows Of The Messiah, Its Sacrifices, Services, And Priesthood by David M. Levy examines the description and ministries of the Tabernacle as portrayed in fifty chapters of the Old Testament. This extensively researched presentation, offering full-color photographs and a wealth of archaeological evidence as well as close study of the Old Testament itself, sheds new light on the sacrifices, services, and priesthood of this ancient institution which figures so prominently in Judeo-Christian religious history. The Tabernacle is a welcome and highly recommended addition to Biblical Studies reading lists.
Not the greatest.......2003-11-05
A pretty good book. But, if you are not Protestant you might be in for a slightly rough read. The author dwells heavily on the notion of legal imputation of the righteiousness of God. The book is not as organized as I hoped it would be. I was left with some unanswered questions about the priesthood and the sacrificial system. Also, there were not enough diagrams here for my liking. But still and all, I got a lot out of it.
Book Description
The cross has long been not only a scandal but also a profound paradox: filled with saving significance and power, it is at the same time a sobering tragedy. In Saved from Sacrifice theologian Mark Heim takes on this paradox, asserting that the cross must be understood against the whole history of human scapegoating violence.
In order to highlight the dimensions of his argument, Heim carefully and critically draws on the groundbreaking work of French theorist and biblical scholar René Girard. Yet Heim goes beyond Girard to develop a comprehensive theology of the atonement and the cross through his fresh readings of well-known biblical passages and his exploration of the place of the victim.
Customer Reviews:
Thought provoking.......2007-08-29
I'd caution readers to be wary of reviews that point out that the author's exegis differs from that of the bulk of previous scholars and theologians. The Holy Spirit guides and inspires, not the crowd. If you seek to find solace in the group, then this book may not be for you. If you want to explore more fully Christ's redeeming work and what it means for creation, then you may want to pick up this one. This book offers a fresh and if you are honest and open, thought-provoking framework for grasping the meaning of the cross. Moreover, it provides a mirror for examining the distortions imposed on traditional soteriology by own fallen human nature. If it makes you uncomfortable, that may be an indication that you are on the right track. You should be uncomfortable when staring Truth face to face.
Seriously?.......2007-08-10
Heim's book, while creative, simply cannot be substantiated by serious scholarship, nor are its conclusions congenial to Christainity. Before going into detail, let me briefly summarize Heim's book.
There is a great push these days to rid the cross of any violence and abandon any notion of Christ's death as a sacrifice offered to God. Whether it is because the notion of sacrifice has no meaning in today's world or it is because people who are Christian pacifists want to avoid legitimized violence at the heart of their faith, this reinterpretation is a growing trend.
Heim sympathizes with those who want to reinterpret the cross because of its association with primitive notions of sacrifice and its violent nature. Yet, Heim does not believe that the best way to go about this is to completely ignore or remove the sacrificial elements of the cross.
What Heim proposes to do, then, is to provide an account of what he takes to be the "true significance" of the biblical language of sacrifice. As the title indicates, this means a Girardian rereading of Scripture and tradition where sacrifice is not what solves human alienation from God, but is what humanity is being saved from. Sacrifice is not God's chosen means to deal with the covenantal burden of sin, but the deepest sin of humanity from which God saves us.
For Girard sacrifice is not a primitive impulse spawned by myths about what gods demand. Rather, sacrifice is what happens when interpersonal conflict turns violent. The competition between humans in society sparks all sorts of conflicts until eventually the community has to be alleviated from its pressures. Sacrifice is what happens when community conflict is focused onto one individual who is blamed for society's ills and becomes the scapegoat whom the community sacrifices to her own appeasement.
From Girard's anthropological thesis, Heim reinterprets a number of biblical passages relevant to the atonement. He believes he finds evidence of how the sacrificial scapegoating mechanism is revealed, exposed, and subverted by the biblical God. For Heim, this is what the cross ultimately does, it exposes the myths we create to justify sacrificial violence, subverts them, and creates a community founded on alternative principles of societal peace.
Heim's proposals are obviously provocative. But the simple fact is that they will not prove persuasive to any serious scholar, whether "liberal" or "conservative." Take his interpretation of the book of Hebrews for example. Heim says that the author of Hebrews understands Christ's sacrifice as the "opposite" of the redemptive sacrificial system found in the OT. But every scholarly commentary understands the author to be saying the opposite of what Heim suggests, that is, that the author of Hebrews understands Jesus's cross to be the *fulfillment* of the OT type. Barnabas Lindars, for example, argues that the author should not be understood as an "anti-ritualist" but as someone who saw the perfection of Israel's sacrificial cultus occur in the cross of Christ.
Moreover, Heim nowhere considers the historical-cultural and linguistic evidence concerning the key concepts of "sacrifice," "atonement," "sin," "purity," etc. which points consistently in the opposite direction of Heim's proposal. Heim also distorts the complexity of Israel's sacrificial cult by simplifying it into a scapegoat mechanism. Hence, Heim's interpretations appear contrived and fanciful.
Heim fails to even acknowledge, much more engage those who have legitimate objections to his interpretation. He brazenly plows forward without even an hint that his interpretations would not be supported by serious biblical scholarship. And the fact that Heim doesn't even mention how controversial Girard's anthropological thesis is in cultural anthropology and philosophy only further confirms how shoddy Heim's scholarship is. Is it not sub-scholarly to impose Girard's anthropological thesis upon the biblical text, not only when biblical scholarship would not substantiate this move, but many anthropologists would question the legitimacy of Girard's own proposal?
What is worse than all this is that Heim's reinterpretation amounts to a complete revision of the Christian worldview. Heim's soteriology is reduced to revelation, that is, the cross reveals the scapegoat mechanism for what it is rather than save humanity from the moral and legal obstactles of sin. To construe the heart of salvation as revelation shares more in common with Gnosticism than Christianity. Moreover, justification by faith is lost since the cross does not create a covenantal status of righteousness for humanity. Heim's proposal is in reality an entirely different worldview. While his vocabulary bears similarity with Christian terminology, the terms have been substantially redefined according to a Girardian scheme.
I should say that Heim, in wanting to free himself from a violent Christianity, has violently imposed an alien framework upon the Scriptures and Christian tradition. I am reminded of Douglas Farrow's shrewd review of J. Denny Weaver's "The Nonviolent Atonement" in which he commented: "I am opposed to the violence represented in this book, which does damage to the life, limb and dignity of Christian theology" (IJST 6 [2006], 96).
Heim may have offered a comprehensive rereading of Christian theology and Scripture, but it is a rereading that is not supported in any scholarly domain and therefore his reinterpretation remains persuasive only to his imagination.
And the end of the day, it is hard to take this book seriously. The brazen interpretation, deceptive presentation of scholarship, and revision of the Christian worldview are troubling and disappointing.
And if you'll notice, all the reviewers here who gave this book 5 stars did so not because they can point to specific points of argumentation that are substantiated by detailed work, but because Heim gives them a way to ignore aspects of the cross they don't like or can't understand. It's interesting, Jesus accepts the cross which he doesn't like because he knows it will produce a community of justice and love and yet so many people can't accept what they don't like about the cross...
For more, see my thorough review in JETS (forthcoming)
A life changing book!.......2007-06-22
With this book Heim offers a thorough presentation of the "Girardian" perspective as it applies to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. As a friend of mine said who recommended this book to me, once you see it, you won't be able to "unsee" it. The sacrificial motif is all around us. Literature and the arts (and religion and politics et al) are simply infused with sacrificial elements. For anyone who has ever worried about the apparent cruelty of the Old Testament narrative, or felt that the Passion story makes the Judeo/Christian God look like nothing more than a petty diety demanding bloody justice, this is the book for you. Heim does not attempt to create a new systematic theology. Rather, drawing heavily on the writings of Rene Girard, he merely presents the Crucifixion as the ultimate result of the human scapegoating tendency and how Jesus, by his resurrection, broke the cycle of violence and sacrifice and gave mankind a model of forgiveness available to perpetrators and victims alike. Heim also shows how this is NOT a newly discovered "thing" pulled out of thin air. He gives much evidence that the early Christian community understood the Passion's relation to ancient sacrificial practices and how even today primitive societies respond to this in a way that is hard for "modern" people to comprehend. Truly a great book!
A superb work of atonement theology.......2007-03-18
I am a professor of theology with an interest in the doctrine of the atonement. I recommend this book very highly. It draws on Rene Girard's anthropological theory of violence, interprets key passages from the Bible, surveys the history of atonement thought, touches on historical examples of violence such as slavery, and presents a constructive theological and ethical perspective on atonement. I wish I could make this book required reading for all seminarians.
outstanding book.......2007-03-09
I have been critical of our standard atonement theories. But, this book, following the work of Rene Girard, Gil Bailie and others, is outstanding. It gives so much substance to a number of scriptural passages that have been poorly interpreted or overlooked.
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