Cuban Death-Lift

Book Description

When Fidel Castro allows thousands of Cubans to depart for America in the Mariel Boatlift, he exports the worst criminals and undesirables of his country along with them. To monitor the situation, the CIA sends infiltrators to Cuba-where they vanish without a trace.

In desperation, the Agency turns to ex-Navy SEAL Dusky MacMorgan to go in and find out what happened.Amid the chaos and deception in Mariel's savage underworld, MacMorgan must keep on his toes and off the radar if he's going to discover the truth without disappearing himself.

Customer Reviews:

Must read for Randy Wayne White fans.......2007-09-10

Even though the names were different (author and hero) the background foundation for Doc Ford is unmistakable and fun to read. Can't wait to read "The Deadlier Sex" as the follow-up to this great begining for Randy (Striker) Wayne White. I also enjoyed White's present day introduction to this book.

Great adventure.......2007-08-23

White proves he has always had a knack for spinning a great story even when he was a relative beginner. Whether writing about Doc Ford or some other Travis McGee type hero his stories always entertain me.

Fun, early White novel.......2007-07-29

There are many ways to categorize fiction. One category I'd like to propose is "disposable" fiction. Disposable fiction is made up of those (relatively) cheap paperbacks filled with stories that are almost pure action; it tends to be brief (rarely more than 250 pages), simply written and usually targeted to a very specific demographic: Harlequin-style romances for women and adventure fiction for men. Many of the writers who produce disposable fiction are borderline hacks, churning out potboilers quickly and with little creativity; they often need to adhere to strict formulas and have little control over the direction of the stories.

Randy Wayne White started out his career as a disposable fiction writer. The difference is that White is a good writer, and even in his early books, his gifts shine through. His Dusky MacMorgan books will never be mistaken for great literature (as even he admits in his introduction), but they are entertaining.

In the third MacMorgan book, Cuban Death-Lift, Dusky is recruited by a federal agent buddy nicknamed Stormin' Norman (this was written, by the way, long before a real Stormin' Norman would come to prominence in the Gulf War of the early 1990s). Norm wants charter captain Dusky to transport a CIA agent to Cuba in the middle of the Mariel Boatlift.

The agent turns out to be beautiful Androsa Santarun, a Cuban-American charged with smuggling a double agent off the island. Two things are certain: there will be lots of killing occurring before the mission is done and Dusky and Androsa will end up in bed together. White knows exactly what his target audience (men) expects: sex and action. He actually has his own nickname for this type of fiction that I will leave to the reader to discover.

I read this book in just a couple of hours, which seems about right. Cuban Death-Lift is not exactly one of those books that needs months to finish. As with the first two books, this is a fun story, and it gives a good glimpse of the better Randy Wayne White that would develop later.

young author .......2007-07-22

This was a fast & furious romp through a very interesting time in our history. Randy was very young so some of the plot moves slow and other elements are a bit hurried. Still his attention to the facts and the twists of plot are brilliant albeit the characters are a tad shallow. A good read in a "potato chip" kind of way. Light, not a full meal, but you can't eat just one!

Randy Wayne White never disappoints!.......2007-05-14

Doc Ford is in fine form in this latest Randy Wayne White. Fans will happily find all their favorite people and places. This book reintroduces an old character, now dying and using Doc to finish his unfinished business. I love these books, I love Randy Wayne White's knowledge of these islands off the coast of Florida, the flora, fauna, and local color. You will not be disappointed in this one, which is exciting, violent and touching.

Average customer rating:

I Was Intrigued From the Very First Sentence...
Not Bad...
A book that you can't stop reading....
Interesting References to the Front Range...
BORING

Manner of Death (Alan Gregory)
Stephen White
Manufacturer: Dutton Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0525944400

Amazon.com

The spirit of D.B. Cooper--the legendary hijacking parachutist--hovers over Stephen White's latest book about Colorado psychologist Alan Gregory, and this jaunty ghost gives the outing even more stylish substance than usual. By adding elements of Cooper's crime and disappearance (with a large amount of cash) to a story of medical malpractice and resulting revenge, White--a practicing Colorado psychologist himself--pushes the envelope of what's real and what's fictional to the advantage of both.

After attending the funeral of a former colleague from his days as an intern, Gregory is accosted (and has a tempting Mexican lunch spoiled) by a pair of edgy ex-FBI agents now working for a high-ticket private security firm. They believe that the colleague's "accidental" death on a hiking trip is really part of an attempt to wipe out everyone who was part of a particular team in a psychiatric unit at the University of Colorado's Health Services Center in Denver in 1982. As members of that team, Gregory--and his former lover, Sawyer Sackett--are among the few remaining survivors and the next likely targets. Overhearing this news causes a waitress to drop two platters of green chili burritos in a messy clatter.

D.B. Cooper becomes an important part of the story as Gregory, his prosecutor wife, Lauren (whose multiple sclerosis leads to some unusual and important observations), their cop friend Sam Purdy, and the two ex-FBI agents zero in on possible suspects--one of whom has an abnormal fascination with the hijacker's life. White spends a tad too much time on Alan's past history with the mysterious Sawyer, but in general his narrative engine runs smoothly and powerfully toward its satisfying and largely unexpected conclusion. Other Gregory books include Critical Conditions, Harm's Way, Higher Authority, Private Practices, and Remote Control. --Dick Adler

Book Description

Following a former colleague's funeral, two strangers approach Alan Gregory and suggest that the death he just mourned did not occur from natural causes and is neither the first nor the last of a terrible chain in which Gregory is the crucial link. Delving into his past and examining the deaths of associates from his post-medical school days almost two decades before, Gregory quickly discovers that all have been victims of bizarre, fatal accidents except him and his old flame, Sawyer Sackett. Reuniting with Sawyer to investigate the string of possible murders, Alan finds not only his life, but his marriage endangered. Soon he is moving into the sights of a dangerously disturbed killer-- and deeper into an unsolved mystery buried in the annals of modern American crime.

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Customer Reviews:

I Was Intrigued From the Very First Sentence..........2007-10-02

"Adrienne's tomatoes froze to death the same night that Arnie Dresser did..."

Seems like a strange way to start a book. From the previous books in the series we know who Adrienne is. But we have no idea about Arnie Dresser. Alan then narrates the story and we learn that Arnie was a psychiatric resident at the same time that Alan did his residency. I won't give any more away, but the plot starts and doesn't slow down. We also learn of a former love interest for a then young Alan Gregory, and the impact that dealing with her will have on his current marriage with Lauren. Two former FBI agents are also introduced and they will play a prominent role in the next book of the series, "Cold Case."

Yet another fine installment in the series....

Not Bad..........2006-08-08

This was my first Stephen White read and I was thoroughly entertained. Just enough clinical sophistication melded with psychological suspense kept it interesting and believable. Although the time it took White to develop the relationship between Dr. Gregory and Sawyer in the beginning of the story could have been condensed and probably would have had the same effect. All in all, I would recommend reading it.

A book that you can't stop reading...........2006-07-10

Reading a Stephen White book is the comfort of being reunited with old friends (Lauren, Sam, and, of course, Alan), falling in love with Colorado (even though you may or may not have ever been there) and getting fascinating lessons in psychology. In this book the reader is treated to a psychological glimpse into the psyche of our protagonist, Alan Gregory as well as being drawn into an intriguing mystery. The reader will also be educated on the difference between "manner of death" and "cause of death." A fascinating book that is pure heaven for fans of Stephen White and lovers of mysteries.

Interesting References to the Front Range..........2006-02-19

Other than that, I found "Manner of Death" a dull read. I found the characterization shallow, the interrelationships between the characters unbelievable, and the premise for the murders -- and who the murderer is -- hard to buy into. There is no suspense to speak of, except for a short scene involving a private plane. If it weren't for the fact it is set in Boulder, CO, I would not have finished it.

BORING.......2005-04-20

Trying to read this book was like watching a snail race. Will someone PLEEZE tell Stephen White that mysteries are supposed to be exciting! They move fast! Or, better yet, tell him to stop writng and put us all out of our misery. How on EARTH did this bomb get published?

Sibling Grief: Healing after the Death of a Sister or Brother

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Eye-opening
Outstanding Book
Not forgotten anymore

Sibling Grief: Healing after the Death of a Sister or Brother
P. Gill White
Manufacturer: iUniverse, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0595385133

Book Description

“P. Gill White, PhD has done an outstanding job of writing on a much-needed subject within the bereavement community, sibling grief. As siblings sadly are often the “forgotten” grievers when the death of their brother or sister occurs, a book such as this is greatly needed. Dr. White's insights and experiences as both a bereaved sibling herself and as a sibling grief counselor are sure to be a great help to all who read her book. Bereaved Parents of the USA will definitely be recommending her book as a resource to both our siblings and their parents. -Patricia L. Moser, President Bereaved Parents of the USA www.bereavedparentsusa.org

Author P. Gill White, PhD, was only fifteen when her sister Linda made her swear not to tell anyone about the pain Linda had in her side, because she thought it would spoil an upcoming family vacation. Linda died four months later from a rare form of cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma. White and her family never talked about the loss until decades later when memories began to haunt her.

Sibling Grief is White's validation of the emotional significance of sibling loss. She draws on clinical experience, research, and wisdom from hundreds of bereaved siblings to explain the five healing tasks specific to sibling grief.

White identifies the effects of this profound loss on daily actions and emotions and describes the dream patterns of bereaved siblings, showing how healing is reflected in the dream state. Throughout, she illustrates the long-lasting connection between siblings—a connection that death itself cannot sever. Sibling Grief is a powerful mix of information, personal reflections, and poetry—just what you need to begin your own healing journey.

Customer Reviews:

Eye-opening.......2007-05-30

As a surviving sibling I found this book contained a lot of information about how we respond to a brother or sister's death. I recognised some clear patterns of behaviour that definitely applied to me. It contains information on how siblings of all ages respond and while I would have liked more detail on the section that particularly applied to myself, I found reading the other sections very interesting too as they gave me some insight into how my other siblings may have been affected.

Outstanding Book.......2006-06-30

Gill White does an outstanding job in this much needed book about sibling loss. This book has been my savior. It is in essence years of councling in one book. The author explores every avenue of sibling loss at any age and it's profound effects on the surivors lives. She also explores the ignorance in society on this topic. Excelent reading material.

Not forgotten anymore.......2006-05-30

If siblings are called the forgotten mourners, here is one place where they are remembered. P. Gill White, director of the Sibling Connection, writes about the issues that we deal with on a daily basis and offers hope for healing. The book is a mixture of material--research based information, wisdom from other bereaved siblings, the author's own story, material from survivors who have been helped in therapy, legends, poetry.

I loved the legend of the tear jar and the legend of the loneliness birds--these and the poetry greatly enriched the book.

I particularly liked the section on dreams and I can foresee others wanting to study this section with a view to their own healing or even further research. The book made me feel understood and I wanted to give it to my friends.

White Death: A Novel from the Numa Files

Average customer rating:

Another Gripping Adventure from the Author
Ludicrous and improbable
Your best friend
Thrilling Adventures
James Bond with Scuba Gear

White Death: A Novel from the Numa Files
Clive Cussler , and Paul Kemprecos
Manufacturer: Putnam Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0399150412
Release Date: 2003-06-20

Book Description

Critics and fans everywhere have welcomed the enormously entertaining new series from Clive Cussler: the adventures of Kurt Austin, taken from the NUMA(r) Files.

Hailed as a hero for the new millennium, Austin is the leader of NUMA(r)'s Special Assignments Team-and the threat before him now is definitely special. A confrontation between a radical environmentalist group and a Danish cruiser has forced Austin and colleague Joe Zavala to come to the rescue of a shipful of trapped men; but when the two of them investigate further, they discover that something far more sinister is at work. A shadowy multinational corporation is attempting to wrest control of the very seas themselves-no matter what havoc results-and is killing anyone who attempts to stop them. When Austin's boat blows up and he just barely survives, it seems certain he is the next in line to die-but he cannot stop now. For the environmental disaster has already begun, and only he and NUMA(r) stand in the way. . . .

Rich with all the hair-raising adventure and endless imagination unique to Cussler, White Death is an exceptional thriller from the grand master of adventure fiction.

Customer Reviews:

Another Gripping Adventure from the Author.......2007-06-26

Clive Cussler was born in 1931 and grew up in Alhambra, California. He attended Pasadena City College before joining the Air Force. He went on to a successful advertising career, winning many national honours for his copywriting. He has also explored the deserts of the American Southwest in search of lost gold mines, dived in isolated lakes in the Rocky Mountains looking for lost aircraft and hunted under the sea for shipwrecks of historic significance, discovering and identifying more than sixty. He is married with three children, and divides his time between Colorado and Arizona. His credentials as a best selling author cannot be doubted and he has a large `stable' of best selling adventure novels.

Yes some of Clive Cussler's books are a little far fetched, to say the least, but surely that is not a negaative thing. Most people read to get away from their everyday life and yes, sometimes to go into a little world of their own. If an adventure story is a little far fetched, so what, it is all part of the enjoyment, after all the books are novels and not meant to be taken to seriously.

White Death is another adventure novel featuring Kurt Austin, leader of the NUMA Special Assignments Team and starts with a confrontation between an environmentalist group and a Danish cruiser, not an earth shattering confrontation in itself, but something that is going to escalate into something far more serious . . .

Ludicrous and improbable.......2007-01-14

This might have been better presented as a comic book; the characters are all cartoon like. I found myself rooting for the villain and vaguely hoping that the protagonists would expire in the horrible manner they were supposed to. Did Cussler really expect the reader to believe the premise of any aspect of this story? A few times I actually dropped the book out of my hands in disbelief.

- On a few minutes notice a rescue submarine is lifted by helicopter to an airport where both are loaded into a plane and flown to a new location where Danish sailors are rescued only a few hours after sinking. The main character, Austin, cuts through the hull and says "Anyone call for a taxi?".

- Austin and one of the villains engage in a shootout in Washington D.C. while driving dogsleds in the summer and failing to attract any police attention whatsoever.

- A marine biologist and her husband, both working as government bureaucrats, have a Lear jet at their disposal, which they get to in a car that likely costs more than twice their salaries. They fly back and forth to Canada in it carrying loaded firearms.

- The villain, rather than use a car or plane, seems to prefer travelling around at night in a hydrogen filled Graf Zepellin that he found crashed in the arctic. Oh, the humanity!

Dialogue is completely pompous; everyone talks to each other in a very formal way, almost like they're in a Shakespeare play. The characters are all superlative in their abilities and have no flaws or idiosyncracies. This whole thing is just loaded with cliches and hackneyed descriptions.

Your best friend.......2006-09-27

My 3rd NUMA book...and no disappointment. This Cussler delivers all the plot and action as any of'em. Crzed villans and pretty women strung through out, I kept reading until the very end. Any cussler fan can love this book, as enjoyable as the Pitt series, just substitute Kurt for Dirk, and you won't know the difference.

Thrilling Adventures.......2005-12-22

This novel is simply one of the best Kurt Austin (the main protagonist) adventures in CUssler's series. Having masterfully exploited the Antartica in Atlantis Found, the master storyteller turned his passion to the other end of the world, the Arctic. As usual, Cussler's protagonist eventually saved the world from his nemesis. This is predictable.

If you like Dirk Pitt's adventures, then you will enjoy Austin's forages. Technically, he is just Pitt's "twin". A good read, enjoy it.

James Bond with Scuba Gear.......2005-11-01

What do (1) a man running from the Spanish Inquisition in 1515, (2) a missing Nazi zeppelin in 1935, (3) a tribe of violent Eskimos, and (4) a nefarious multinational corporation raising genetically modified fish have to do with NUMA? In typical Clive Cussler fashion, he weaves the various strands together into an action-packed story in which only hero Kurt Austin can save the day. A fun read, especially if you are interested in history and oceanography.

Average customer rating:

Really page turner
good book
A Page-Tuner that Keeps You Guessing
Enjoyable Series & (Mostly) Likeable Protagonist
Audio Blah

'Til Death Do Us Part
Kate White
Manufacturer: Vision
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0446614939

Book Description

The New York Times bestselling author of If Looks Could Kill and A Body To Die For brings back magazine writer-turned-sleuth Bailey Weggins to track down a killer that is murdering members of a bridal party. When Bailey Weggins receives a phone call from Ashley Hanes, she assumes Ashley needs a fashion or publishing related favor. After all, Bailey only met the woman once when they were both bridesmaids in a wedding, and they didn't have anything in common. But Ashley needs more fromBailey than help getting into a Chanel sample sale. It turns out that two of the bridesmaids from the wedding have died in what appear to be freak accidents. One was electrocuted in her bathtub and the other had a fatal reaction to antidepressants. Ashley is sure the two cases aren't just a horrible coincidence and convinces Bailey to investigate. Before you can say ''Til death do us part,' Ashley's lifeless body is found at the bottom of a flight of stairs, andBailey realizes that she easily could be next on the killer's list.

Download Description

When Ashley Hanes calls Bailey Weggins out of the blue, Bailey figures she's calling to ask for a fashion or publishing-related favor. Bailey only met Ashley once when they were both bridesmaids in Peyton Cross's wedding, and they didn't have anything in common. But Ashley wants more from Bailey than help getting into a Chanel sample sale. She tells Bailey that two of the bridesmaids from Peyton's wedding have died in what seem to be unrelated accidents. One was killed when a clock radio fell into her bath, and the other had a fatal reaction to some antidepressants she was taking. Bailey thinks that the deaths were probably just weird coincidences, but she lets Ashley convince her to at least speak to Peyton. And if the deaths weren't weird coincidences Bailey has a real reason to worry-she was a bridesmaid at Peyton's wedding too.

Customer Reviews:

Really page turner.......2007-04-10

I am not a big reader at all, but I picked up this book at good will and I LOVED IT!!!! White keeps your attention through out and has you guess the whole time. I even felt my heart race once ;-) its a great book and I have already ordered two more of hers

good book.......2007-02-12

Kate white is very good - it's a fiction that catches your attention

A Page-Tuner that Keeps You Guessing.......2006-12-08

Bailey Weggins, writer for Gloss Magazine, is asked to be a bridesmaid for Peyton Cross, a friend from her college days. Peyton is a smart mouthed woman who runs a catering service. Apparently she's alienated quite a few people in her life. But when you marry money, you can get away without being nice.

Two of Peyton's former bridesmaids Jamie and Robin die, seemingly by accident. Jamie's CD player fell into the tub while Jamie was bathing, frying both itself and Jamie. Robin died when something she ate reacted with the anti-depressants she was taking.

Were they accidents?

Ashley Hanes, another bridesmaid, thinks maybe not. She thinks there is more to it than meets the eye and asks Bailey (remember she was a bridesmaid too) to look into it. Bailey agrees, but then if there is a bridesmaid killer on the loose, she could be on the list, but her current boyfriend, assures her the two deaths were accidental and it was only by coincedence that Jamie and Robin died only a few weeks apart from each other.

However, when Ashley is found dead, a victim of still another accident, a fall, Bailey knows these are no accidents. What's more, someone is going to be coming for her. So, no it's imperative that Bailey find the killer.

I loved this book. Bailey is a great character and Peyton was too, though she's not very likable. I liked the fact that Kate White played fair with the clues, even though I didn't figure it out till the end. I like page-turners that keep you guessing and that's what this book is.

Enjoyable Series & (Mostly) Likeable Protagonist.......2006-07-18

I picked up the first book at a library sale, and enjoyed it enough to order the next two off an Amazon seller. Both were as well-plotted and enjoyable (I didn't have a clue to the identity of the real killers until the very end). The first-person narrative is peppered with neat allusions, metaphors and wit. My main point of contention is that for a savvy, intelligent journalist and semi-investigator, Bailey is one pathetic chick at her relationships, expecially with men. She is too conflicted, and in too many instances acts like a doormat with her beaus and other people with whom she interacts. An example is her attendance as a bridesmaid at Peyon's wedding in this book: of course, it set the stage for the plot, but that could have been set through other means without her allowing herself to be terated like absolute garbage by the Bridezilla. Any self-respecting woman would and should have walked away from the wedding in order to maintain some semblance of dignity. However, all in all, a very good series, and I'm looking forward to book four. Maybe she can actually keep a man in this one... :)

Audio Blah.......2006-06-21

As another reviewer stated it may be the audio version that diminishes the book. The female reader's voice is laughable when she tries to impersonate any male voice and all of her female voices sound alike so you're not quite sure which character is talking. The lead character (Bailey) is rather annoying because she tries to come across as hip and views the other characters in the book as superficial when she appears to be the most pretentious of them all.

Average customer rating:

Religious Approaches to Death
David Gordon White
Manufacturer: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Walter Mosley Omnibus: Devil in a Blue Dress / A Red Death / White Butterfly

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Walter Mosley Omnibus: Devil in a Blue Dress / A Red Death / White Butterfly
Walter Mosley
Manufacturer: Pan Macmillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0330336258

Average customer rating:

A rather simple and weak unstopable force
Battle Stations!!!
A Fun Read
Great story
Evil bugs attack--kill, kill

In Death Ground
David Weber , and Steve White
Manufacturer: Baen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0671877798

Customer Reviews:

A rather simple and weak unstopable force.......2007-06-24

This book takes place in a universe that was developed from the game Starfire, a wargame for the 1980's. Enough said about that, this is a review about Crusade. This book opens with a first encounter between humans and a species we'll get to know as the bugs. After the first encounter we get to see several battles involving humans (on the defensive because the bugs are coming after them) and the bugs. In reading this book I was reminded so many times of reading a book about WW III or the Eastern Front in WWII. Why do I say that, well the human's have fewer ships with high tech, and the bugs have low tech but lots of numbers. Let me correct that, not lots of numbers, but vastly superior numbers (as the Russian saying goes, Quantity has a Quality all of it's own). However rather than attaching myself to any of the characters or feeling that the battles were great descriptions of possible actions, I felt like I was wading thru a pool of molasses. Because of this I can only rate this one 3 stars. I couldn't help but feeling that both Mr. Weber and Mr. White mailed this one in. Rather than spending your time reading Crusade, read one of the Honor Harrington books or a different space opera unless you like reading about massive numbers of large ships and destroying things in a rather flat/linear fashion.

Battle Stations!!!.......2007-02-12

What a wonderful sci-fi novel! I couldn't put it down. I haven't read any of Weber's other books and didn't realise there are prequels to In Death Ground. Nonetheless I managed effortlessly to get into the storyline.

I usually read about modern and ancient history warfare, which I now and then interrupt with a military science fiction novel. Yes, those novels which are so hard to find! At last I found a hard-core military space battle sci-fi book that is as riveting as any real-life war novel.

The book is one long action packed space battle with a myriad of different spaceships, strategies and manoeuvres that would have satisfied Alexander the Great, with battles lost and won to your heart's delight. There is very little time for mindless chatter or aimless wanderings in this space opera.

In Death Ground's inter-textual play with Heinlein's Starship Troopers works very well - from the description of the bugs and the name Bug War to the abrupt end. It even manages to drag Starship Troopers out of its sometimes dull think-too-much, do-too-little world, since the battle that never happens in Starship Troopers (the book, not the movie) has finally arrived here In Death Ground!

Lastly the book is thankfully void of over-zealous character development or any other human-interest ploys.

Really a superb book!

A Fun Read.......2006-07-11

This book should be read with its sequel, The Shiva Option.

These books are a combination of military SF and space opera. It would be easy to outline various shortcomings, but the most important fact is that it's simply a great story. Not profound, just fun. Like a favorite movie, these are books you can enjoy more than once.

Great story.......2006-06-27

This book is nothing short of incrediable. The story line moves along at a good pace that gives you all the information you need and with enough action to keep you from putting it down. The story is well thought out and technical aspects are simply supurb. This is a wonderful read but be warned it is addictive (and the sequel is just as good).

Evil bugs attack--kill, kill.......2006-02-17

An exploration ship stumbles into an inhabited system. Rather than make contact, the inhabitants attack--and continue the attack into human-inhabited systems. With only a tiny fleet, the humans call for help from their homeland, and from their allies. Although they repeatedly do far more damage to the attackers than is done to them they are gradually forced back--and then the ultimate horror--the invaders turn out to be bug-like creatures who eat the people left behind on inhabited planets.

Clearly people-eating bugs must be exterminated, but the bugs seem to have enormous resources. They continue attacking even when it is clear that they're flying into destruction. Any number of no-survivors battles should leave them looking for a way to back out of the war they started, but the bugs must not think that way.

Humans and their allies continue exploring--this time, though, the bugs follow an allied scout back to a home planet of the 'Tabbies.' They kill millions--but the timely arrival of human resources and skillful fighter flying by the tabbies manages to roll back this attack. But the ultimate danger comes when the bugs find a hidden warp point in the alpha centari system--home to billions of humans and only one step from Earth itself. Good luck and skill defeat the bug probe--and counterattack seems both possible and necessary. But could the bugs be setting a trap?

Authors David Weber and Steve White continue their STARS AT WAR series with a purely military story. Huge ships battle across space. The bugs are quickly relegated to the status of evil (they eat people, after all), so there are no moral issues to worry about. With the great President Emeritus Anderson being long-dead, all politicians are stupid. Still, although they do nothing to advance the plot, there are politicians in the story--set there to say stupid things that sound vaguely like something an American liberal (pause to spit here) would say. Clearly they are stupid but they can't be genocided--not, at least, until the bugs are taken care of.

I thought that Anderson's moral issues with the proposed genocide (exocide) of an entire species was the high point of CRUSADE, the earlier novel in this series. Perhaps conservative readers gave Weber and White a hard time about going soft because there definitely were no moral discussions here. It was completely kill, kill, kill.

IN DEATH GROUND is well enough written to sustain reader interest, but the plot line is simplistic, with the usual mix of 'badguys attack in overwhelming force, but are nevertheless completely wiped out' with 'badguys get the jump on our heroes but, due to our heroes brilliance, their trap backfires and (thanks to heroic sacrifice on the part of our heroes), they are virtually wiped out.

If you want to read about fighting against overwhelming bugs, read ENDER'S GAME by Orson Scott Card. If you want to read more nuanced military adventure, Weber's early Honor Harrington stories would be a better answer. Despite capable writing, I simply can't recommend IN DEATH GROUND.

Average customer rating:

Fantastic
Excellent Analysis of Christianity and the Environment
An early warning to the church on environmental issues.

Pollution and the Death of Man
Francis A. Schaeffer , and Udo W. Middelmann
Manufacturer: Crossway Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0891076867

Book Description

The Bible is clear: mankind was meant to exercise godly domination over the earth. Yet today men mine valuable resources by whatever method brings the greatest profit in the shortest time, leaving the earth ravaged. They hunt and fish for pleasure, not food, leaving animal carcasses behind to rot. They worship self and ignore the God who made them.

The answer to the ecological crises of our day is found only in the glorious truths of biblical Christianity: God created ex nihilo; He is both infinite and personal; we are made in His image and thus have great value in Him; Christ's death brought redemption from the consequences of the Fall (for believing individuals now and for all creation when He returns).

There are indeed serious ecological crises in our world, but, says Dr. Francis A. Schaeffer, one of the greatest Christian thinkers of our time: "The Christian who believes the Bible should be the man who--with God's help and in the power of the Holy Spirit--is treating nature now in the direction of the way nature will be [when Christ returns].... God's calling to the Christian now, and to the Christian community, in the area of nature... is that we should exhibit a substantial healing here and now."

A powerful Christian classic--a marvelous theological response to ecological danger signals.

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic.......2007-03-21

This is really what I've come to expect from Schaeffer. Piercing analysis. Balanced approach. Faithfulness to the Scriptures. Lucid and colloquial style. Imaginative approach. In this particular work, Schaeffer presents a fantastic case for concern for the environment. He puts forward a balanced view of ecology and shows how it is not contrary to Biblical Christianity, but the natural conclusion of it. The book is a bit dated, but as relevant as it has ever been.

I would love to see every Christian invest the short amount of time required to read this book.

Excellent Analysis of Christianity and the Environment.......2002-05-02

This masterpiece of logical thinking is unequaled in the realm of Christian literature for its conciseness of content and expressiveness of thought.

In this book, Schaeffer discusses the Christian approach to the environment and deals with the all-too-common misconceptions peddled by those Christians who are either ignorant of Biblical truth in this area, or are so intent on distancing themselves from the pantheistic, bleeding-heart, tree-hugging left that they come across as uncaring and abusive.

Nature does play a part in God's plan, and far from being entrusted with it as a no-strings-attached gift - a common misconception of the use of "dominion" in the Genesis account - we have been given the moral responsibility of keeping our surroundings while at the same time utilizing them conscientiously to meet our needs. In ridiculing and minimizing man's God-given duty of stewardship, modern Christianity has severely impaired its testimony and driven many conscientious individuals into the arms of equally erroneous sects - many of them pantheistic. This tendency is as wrong as it is regrettable.

Schaeffer further points out that having been created by the same God, any attempt by man to look down on and misuse his physical surroundings is to pass judgement on the God Who created those surroundings ý and us.

Overall well-balanced and thought-provoking, Schaeffer answers the excesses of extreme Christianity on the one hand and raving nature-worship on the other with a treatise that is as elucidative as it is highly readable. This is required reading for anyone who wants to be convicted and informed of the necessity to appreciate and respect nature within the God-oriented context of Biblical truth.

- Benjamin Gene Gardner

An early warning to the church on environmental issues........2000-05-04

This book was originally written in the early 1970's, as an early response to the rapid spread of anti-Christian environmental books. Now I say "anti-Christian" not in the sense that environmentalism is anti-Christian, but in the sense that Christianity has been getting the blame for the world's environmental ills. In other words, Schaeffer is warning the church to start paying attention to its duties to the earth and environment, because we are getting the blame for pollution and etc...

He rightly points out that Christianity is somewhat responsible for environmental problems, but shows that Bible-practicing churches and members should wake up and see what the Bible really says on the issues. By shuffling the environmental issue back into the corner and ignoring it, we push environmentally concerned people into the Eastern religions and away from Christianity. Since John Passmore's famous book, which blames Christianity's view of dominion (Genesis/Eden) for Western Civilization, and Puritanism for the demise of American ecosystems, the environmental movement has begun rejecting Christianity as a cure. Furthermore, dispensational theology which sees the world as collapsing and being annihilated by Jesus after the Millennium, in favor of building a new Earth, quite strongly implies that we needn't bother with such earthly issues, since the earth will "pass away" no matter how nicely we tend it (rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic). So Passmore and others are somewhat correct, that Christianity has fallen flat on its face in regard to environmental issues. Schaeffer in this book prophetically warns about it, and turns out to be correct.

It is not full of statistics and charts, this is a philosophical book with deep insights by a great Christian thinker. It is interesting that only in recent years, thirty years later, do people finally decide to read it! It should be required reading in seminaries, and attended to by anyone in Christianity who believes in Christian stewardship of the world.

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Best one out there...

The Finnish Soviet War of 1939-40.

Easy Read
The White Death: The Epic of the Soviet-Finnish Winter War
Allen F. Chew
Manufacturer: Michigan State University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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A Frozen Hell: The Russo-Finnish Winter War of 1939-1940

Finland at War 1939 - 45 (Elite)

The Soviet Invasion of Finland, 1939-40 (Cass Series on Soviet Military Experience, 3)

The Winter War: The Soviet Attack on Finland 1939-1940

The Winter War

ASIN: 0870131672

Book Description

The 105-day war between Finland and the Soviet Union in the winter of 1939-1940 has been overshadowed by the larger conflicts of the Second World War which followed closely after it. The courageous resistence of the only neighbor of Stalin's Russia which fought the Red Army and survived as a free and independent nation merits this closer look. Although the diplomatic background of the Winter War has been covered before, this is the first substantial English-language study of its dramatic military encounters.

Customer Reviews:

Best one out there..........2006-04-13

Trotter's "A Frozen Hell" is fantastic in its own way as well but even Trotter himself in the sources section of "Frozen Hell" called Chew's work "the best narrative (of the Winter War) in English." In the end, the combination of "The White Death", "A Frozen Hell", and Engle & Paananen's "The Winter War" tell the amazing story of the defense of Finland in 1939-40 as completely as any general U.S. reader would require. Read all 3 and you'll get the picture.

The Finnish Soviet War of 1939-40........2004-12-08

This is a fairly old book written by a Professor in the University of Wisconsin system (where I might add I graduated from). Chew does detail the war very well and some of the writing is interesting. However, the writing is very, very dry and it took much time to plod through this book. I have no problem with the accuracy or detail of the book, but this is dry reading. Since this book was written in the late sixties/early seventies, much material from the Soviet side is also lacking in this book. If the reader is looking for what Finnish or Soviet units fought in what battle or part of the front, this is a great read. For those who just want the details of the war, perhaps Frozen Hell is a better(and more modern) book.
This is one of the first books about this war in English so I give credit to the author. Presently, there are better books out there on this war.

Easy Read.......2001-08-03

This is an easy read and is very imformative about a little talked about war. It deals with the peolple of Finland defending their homeland against an aggressive Soviet Union attempting a takeover during the winter of 1939-1940. This study is based on interviews with veterans who held significant posts, research in the official Finnish archives, and examination of the scant Soviet literature on the subject. While the true pictures of most wars are studies in shades of gray, this one is basically a contrast in stark black and white. I won't spoil it by telling you details of the war and how it ends. Let's just say it's worth picking up a copy.

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