Customer Reviews:
Its a good book but lots of errors.......2007-08-13
I enjoyed all the Splinter Cell books so far, however this book was very disappointing in terms of grammar and spelling errors. I'm only on chapter 11 and it seems as if the author lost the time line in the book. To me it seems he just wrote the book and never re-read it or had one to many drinks while writing this book. I would give it a 5 star but with the grammar errors were just to much from a person who writes so much.I hope the next book coming out in Nov. 2007 Will be much better.
Decent, but problems.......2007-07-18
Written in the Tom Clancey style and, while intriguing, there were numerous typos, double words, missing words, etc. Fairly disappointing from that perspective.
Amazing Book.......2007-07-03
This book is filled with non-stop action. One of the most fun books I have ever read. David Michael's writing style is a little more youthful than Tom Clancy. It's an easy reading book. This book (checkmate) was the best of the 3 Splinter Cell books.
Just to assuage some of the "cons" about this title..........2007-06-30
1. In previous reviews it was mentioned that Raymond Benson was the "David Michaels" for this novel, which is not true. The current author's real name is unknown.
2. As to the typos and grammar, the author was only given 2 1/2 months to complete this novel! I'd love to see you put one this large out in that short a period without errors. Basically the author didn't have sufficient time to proof read it.
3. I blame the short deadline by the publishers for the lack of proper proof reading, perhaps they were under pressure to release it within a short time frame. In my opinion, it would have been better served to delay it and correct the errors, but in spite of all this the novel still comes across with the excitement and depth that we fans of the series love.
4. All-in-all this novel is well worth reading, in spite of the many errors!
Great Book.......2007-04-10
This was a fantastic book with nonstop action. Though this is the first Splinter Cell book I've read, I can't wait to read the others. I also noticed all of the errors in spelling, grammer, etc... It was unbelieveable!
The Bottom Line: This is a must read for fans of Tom Clancy, thrillers, action, or espionage.
Book Description
Here is the classic guide to winning chess for beginners. Recommended by chess coaches the world over, it presents a wide range of specific chess positions and asks the reader to find the next move or series of moves that lead to checkmate -- with two diagrams per page and the answers spelled out underneath.
The beauty of Simple Checkmates is that it turns learning into a game. It's fun, it's fascinating, it's fundamental -- an invaluable tool for anyone who wants not only to play chess, but to win at chess. With more than 430 diagrams in all, this book is certain to take you -- or your children -- to a whole new level op play.
Customer Reviews:
You want to learn checkmates...?.......2006-11-10
...this is your book! Or at least maybe the one to start learning this 'art'. Lots of examples of simple and not so simple checkmates in one or two movements that will make it possible for you to find the best way to finish the game in a favorable way for you. If you feel you don't know how to checkmate your opponent, this is your book.
Good Beginner's Book to Practice Checkmates.......2006-07-20
This is like a workbook of checkmates. It is a perfect book for a beginner and has hundreds of simple (very basic) checkmate positions to find the checkmate in. I like this a lot better than "Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess" because it has a lot more problems. There are not a lot of books that teach basic checkmates in a workbook form so get this book if you are a real beginner before going to the next step where I recommend "1001 Brilliant Ways to Checkmate" and "Winning Chess Traps for Juniors".
My teacher in school uses this book to set up problems for us to solve!
Improve your chess.......2005-11-04
Yes, it's simple and basic. But for a weak or new player, the drills are invaluable. I've seen mates that I never would have noticed except for what I learned in this book.
It will also help you see how the pieces work together. If you're rated under 1200 this book can help you.
Excellent book for the beginner.......2004-05-10
I bought this book a long time ago and kept it around because I felt it would be useful later. It has proven to be. My son is just starting to learn chess and for his individual study I have him working through the book. The progressively harder problems have proven a challenge for him exactly as I intended. Many of the other books out there on checkmating are above his level and he would quickly get discouraged. This one is just right: challenging enough where he doesn't get bored but not so hard he just gives up.
If you're new to chess, a casual player, or just one who likes running through chess problems quickly, this is a good book. The answers are at the bottom of the pages, so there's no flipping between two different sections of the book. A slip of paper or a bookmark and you can keep the answer hidden until you've made your guess. I would prefer all puzzle books to be written this way.
A core skill-builder for our school chess club.......2004-03-12
Our small year-round school (3rd-12th grade) has used this book regularly since the chess club was founded. New club members join every quarter but are generally not strong players, so they seldom reach checkmate opportunities in club play.
We give each student a double-page spread (4 problems) to solve without marking up the book: we cover the answers, then students must point out the checkmate to an adult or a stronger player. This way the book can be used again and again. Solving 4 puzzles or 8 in the course of a club meeting is a nice short exercise for even the most hyper students.
Students start out with the 1-move puzzles and move on to 2-moves as they get stronger. This practical, repeated exposure to basic mates starts showing up in their own games.
I've seen a 10th grader improve his skills by regular practice with the book, but have also used it successfully with my 6-year-old daughter (who plays USCF tournaments). I definitely see a correlation in beginners who use these puzzles often and their growing skill in tournament chess. Of course, as the other reviewers have pointed out, this is only one element of chess training.
Book Description
Acclaimed novelist Greg Rucka (A Fistful of Rain) and artistJesus Saiz, the creative team behind THE OMAC PROJECT, reunite to tell thetale of Checkmate, a covert organization that exists to keep thesuper-powered factions in the DC Universe "in check" regardless of nationalboundary, affiliation or agenda. After the explosive events of INFINITE CRISIS and THE OMAC PROJECT, theUnited Nations formed this new agency to bring down heroes and villainsthat get out of line in a world that's more dangerous than ever.NowCheckmate uses unique abilities to deputize human and metahuman forcesthroughout the world.
Customer Reviews:
A thinking person's comic.......2007-10-08
I really like the way they take former heroes and villains and put them in an espionage setting. They have to make difficult moral choices because lives are at stake. Best comic of this type since Suicide Squad. Welcome back Amanda Wall
Check out Checkmate.......2007-08-15
'Checkmate' is an international organization that deals with metahuman threats in a political and covert manner. The book is not a standard beat-'em-up, and readers with particularly short attention spans may find it not to their liking. But everyone else should definitely check out 'Checkmate'.
The characters are intriguing, and while I can't say they mesh well, it's that friction that creates some great drama in the series. There are the agents that come from strong military backgrounds, who aren't afraid to kill. They are at odds with the agents who come from traditionally superheroic backgrounds, who are never okay with it. The book doesn't get preachy either way, taking a definitive stance on this issue or any other - instead, it lets the characters words and actions speak for themselves.
The dialogue is crisp and, for the most part, sharp, and the same can be said of the art, making this one of the most well put-together titles DC has going for them right now.
If you have ever wanted a more international approach to superheroic fiction, check out Checkmate. If you have ever wanted a comic that dealt seriously and without judgement about political issues and games, check out Checkmate. If you just want an interesting, fun, well-written book, check out Checkmate.
Awesome Spy Series.......2007-03-05
I love this book. It's not a standard superhero read: you have to pay attention to the Checkmate roles, ranks and nomenclature at first (just like in a spy novel). Great tales, a cool alternate angle to the DC Universe. Rucka is writing a winner...
Book Description
This is not just a book for kids - for 'Dad' read any opponent who beats you regularly! This book teaches the 50 Deadly Checkmates - basic attacking patterns that occur repeatedly in games between players of all standards.
Each mating motif is carefully and simply explained, and several illustrative examples are given. A final test enables the reader to grade his pattern recognition abilities, and the last chapter explains what to do if your Dad is Garry Kasparov.
Fun, instructive - and guaranteed to improve your game.
Customer Reviews:
Amazing book for wannabe attacking players.......2007-06-12
Before reading this book, I played chess like a scared chipmunk, obsessing about little details like whether pushing this pawn would weaken my position by a picounit. This book helped me see that the way to win games at the amateur level is to attack, to be aggressive, to go after the enemy king like he is your nemesis, to crank open his position like a sardine can and commit regicide.
The book's title is somewhat misleading in that the book is very narrow in scope (a full book on how to beat dad would have to include discussion of openings, endgames, and more general chess strategy and tactics). Rather, it contains fifty practical checkmating patterns that frequently come up in real games. If the basic mating patterns (e.g., how to mate with a King and Queen versus a lone King) are the alphabet of checkmate, this book is the grammer of checkmate. The patterns consist of beautiful 3-5 move combinations that you will have opportunities to apply in many of your games.
If you are looking for a beginner chess book, get the Idiot's Guide to Chess. That is the best place to start from square one. Then learn some very basic tactics (e.g., Pandolfini's Beginning Chess). Then get and read this book. Over and over. With these patterns ingrained in your mind, you will spot them in the far distance during games, aim for them, and go in for the kill. Sure, sometimes you will crash and burn, but that will only make you more prepared for the next game.
Thanks to Chandler for writing this book. It has made chess fun for me again.
good book.......2007-04-27
This book isnt really about how to beat your dad at chess, because your dad could be bobby fischer or not even know how to play chess (just wanted to clear that up for u guys)
This book has 50 mates and its about pattern recognition, that means pretty much just pounding it into your head so u can remember to use it when you have the chance. its a really good book, i would get it.
Chess Nuts Boasting.......2007-04-18
Great book. I love the premise- and the careful way the Mr. Chandler explains it- which is that pattern recognition is a more powerful tool than in-depth computation analysis. It serves as a nice illustration of Gladwell's "Blink" theory, that less information can be more when the brain is finely tuned in to the right information. Chandler points out that a human chess pro is better than a computer because our brains can quickly filter out the irrelevant info and just recognize the broad pattern, such as a set-up for a standard mate possibility. The computer is inferior, per the author, because while it might come to the same conclusion, it has to do it by generating every single possible move with every single piece on the board, following out hundreds of thousands of possible subsequent sequences to arrive at the checkmate. Of course, I would suggest that the computer is actually superior in this respect because, even though it has to analyze hundreds of thousands of possibilities, it really doesn't mind. It doesn't get bored, fatigued, or seduced by a bold capture. But, still, I appreciate his point.
The author gives examples of fifty standard checkmate motifs, and uses good illustrations to help recognize the pattern when it is there and understand the sequence of events. My only beef with the book, for which I've docked a star, is the sexist title. I can't help but comment on this in this post-Imus era. The author tells us from the start that it is really a book on how to beat anyone in chess so the title is just an eye-catcher. But I don't want to reinforce the many messages that young girls get about what they should or shouldn't be good at. Okay, to be truthful, in all the chess playing families that I can think of off the top of my head, it is in fact the fathers who are the chess nuts, who hand the game down to the next generation. But lets not reinforce the not uncommon notion that men are naturally superior chess players. I've even read the likes of Camille Paglia, in one of her faux-academic pieces, use the fact that chess champions are all men as evidence for a male superiority in spatial and mathematical reasoning. Without going too far into what is a complicated and emotionally loaded argument, I would just direct people to do a little internet search on Judit Polgar if you are not already familiar.
Still, overall, thumbs up. A good book, really for beginning to intermediate chess fans of any age, which will increase your arsenal of offensive tricks and improve your defensive vigilance.
A must for kids with rating up to 600 (approx).......2007-04-08
We purchased this book for my two kids, and saw an immediate improvement. It is written in a very easy to read style, and it goes to through a lot of the tactics needed to improve their game... The only disadvantage was that I had to improve my game too to keep ahead of them!
Well-organized and useful to players of any ability.......2006-12-31
This is a very well-organized and highly readable book on various types of checkmates. Since this is the whole purpose of the game, it is an obvious area of emphasis from both offensive and defensive perspectives. In other words, if you want to be a winner you need to always be looking for checkmate whether you are on the "giving" or "receiving" side! I think the author is correct to be emphasising this early and teaching people to recognize patterns than come up that lead to checkmate. This will both prevent you from being checkmated by surprise and to see checkmate opportunities in real game situations that you might otherwise miss.
The other reviewers are correct in their observations that this book is suitable for players of any age. In fact, I would say it is even a bit misleading to position it as a book for kids. It seems to me that one would need to be at least 12 years old to fully appreciate and benefit from the contents. It might be a difficult read for younger kids, but one they can grow into over time. I wouldn't buy it for someone is 6 years old, but it certainly is a possiblity for a bright 9 year old.
I don't really have anything critical to say about the book. It gets to the point quickly and focuses on principles and patterns that come up again and again in chess. If you are serious about chess, but haven't really studied it, this would be a great place to start. The contents are not overwhelming and the book covers a lot of ground without becoming boring.
Finally, if you are a beginning chess player and you really want to beat your dad, this book will help enormously. The other books by this author are also very good. In addition, I would recommend getting a good chess program. This is one of the best ways to improve your play.
Book Description
Thorough classification of 23 mating situations, including Legal's pseudo-sacrifice, the double check, smothered mate, Greco's mate, the Corridor mate, and many others. Learn from 127 games by Tartakower, Janowski, Rubinstein, Blackburne, others, illustrating positional maneuvers leading to these mates. Review quizzes test progress.
Customer Reviews:
Essential Book.......2007-04-23
The Art of the Checkmate is a book I purchased about 10 years ago and feel this book deserves to be an essential part of any chess players library. The book focuses on checkmates (no surprise) that at some point you will face as a chess player. Don't think that these moves are just a novelty and not played in todays games, many examples in the book show GM's being defeated from these moves. With smothered mates, corridor mates, Boden's mate, pseudo-sacrifice, and double checks, as well as a host of others you will benefit from knowing these moves. The book can be purchased for less than a few days lunch so there's no reason to skip this one. Overall I think this book is required reading by all ratings from novice to GM.
This is a classic book........2006-08-05
i own this book for 15 years now and it is as good as new, very good binding and paper quality. it was my firts book on chess and i think it was good choice .
Its an excellence choice for beginners who whant to improve pattern recognition and mate understanting .
The book was first puplished in 1953 its a classic .it really doesnt matter that its half a century old dont forget that mate patterns dont change and that this book manage to survive the test of time.
An excellence choice !
Best Checkmate Book Ever Written: A Classic.......2006-06-20
"ART OF THE CHECKMATE" simply put is the best book ever written covering all of the important checkmate patterns.
Each different checkmate theme is fully explained followed by examples using games and problems to solve.
Superb clarity, comprehensiveness and plenty of diagrams are highlights that make this book stand out. To complete your knowledge of tactics, a good general book on tactics and a good general book on opening traps will go hand and hand with this book that focuses on checkmates. This way you will have well-rounded coverage of all tactical situations.
A "must have" chess book........2006-05-29
With 26 short chapters covering the various mating motifs, quizzes, and solutions, the book is a very easy read (beginners may find it more challenging but still accessable) and it will impart the essential knowledge of how to conduct the mating attack. After having read this book my play improved considerably, and it also became much more aggressive (which was a welcome change).
The book is well bound (standard Dover quality construction) with clear diagrams and easy to read text. Notation is descriptive, but done in a column style that that makes it easy to follow.
This book also complements Znosko-Borovsky's "The Art of Combinations" well, the second half of which is devoted to thematic attacks on the castled king, and would make a good primer before tackling the more sophisticated "Art of Attack" by Vukovic.
New edition available...........2005-11-02
This book has been reprinted ...in french with algebraic notation...for the happy few french speaking beginners !(édition Payot)
Book Description
For the first time Dunnett's Lymond Chronicles are available in the United States in quality paperback editions.
Sixth in the legendary Lymond Chronicles,
Checkmate takes place in 1557, where Francis Crawford of Lymond is once again in France, leading an army against England. But even as the Scots adventurer succeeds brilliantly on the battlefield, his haunted past becomes a subject of intense interest to forces on both sides.
Customer Reviews:
Last in the Lymond series: brilliant but not for everyone.......2007-09-06
This is the sixth and last book in a series which you will either love or hate. It is also one of those multi-book series which must if at all possible be read in the right order, which is
1) The Game of Kings
2) Queen's Play
3) The Disorderly Knights
4) Pawn in Frankincense
5) The Ringed Castle
6) Checkmate
This concluding story brings all the threads together. Having completed his service to Ivan the Terrible, Francis Crawford of Lymond returns to France and becomes a pawn in the battle between the English and the French King. Meanwhile Phillipa Somerville, nominally Crawford's wife but still a virgin, is tring to uncover the truth behind her husband's origins. Dunnett keeps the reader constantly off-balance with surprise after surprise before the final conclusion.
There are two reasons why this series, and the author's similar "Niccolo" series, should be read in chronological order. The first is that the plots are incredibly complicated and if you read them out of sequence you have no chance of understanding what is going on.
The second is that many of the characters meet their deaths in ways which are exceptionally unpleasant both for themselves and for the characters who survive them. If you read the books out of sequence, advance knowledge of how characters are going to die, can have a significant impact on the pleasure you would otherwise have had in reading about the earlier events of their lives when you do get around to reading the earlier books.
Like the books, the central character, Francis Crawford of Lymond, is brilliant, violent, and extremely complicated. Unlike the books he is very flawed. Lymond is a mercenary with particular interests in Scotland and France, and gets involved in nefarious deeds all over the world as 16th century Europeans knew it. Dunnett brings the splendour, cultural ferment, and violent cruelty of the Renaissance world splendidly to life.
If you are at all squeamish, or do not like having to make your brain work overtime to follow a book, leave this series alone. Lymond's story is neither "chewing gum for the brain" nor a comfortable read. And even if you prefer flawed heroes to knights in shining armour, Lymond may infuriate you from time to time. But if you can put up with these features, these books will richly reward the effort you make in reading them. Those who do like the series will find this a magnificent conclusion.
There is no middle ground: you will either hate the Lymond series or recognise these books as one of the greatest works of historical fiction ever written. Or very possibly both !
Checkmate is a worthy ending.......2007-06-08
Dorothy Dunnett is absolutely the finest writer of historical fiction that ever lived. I have been a fan for 30 years -- her books are so complex and interesting that I find I can re-read them many times over and still learn something new each time. 'Checkmate' is the final book in Dunnett's Lymond Chronicles and the only negative thing about the book is that sad feeling you gets when you reaching the last page and realize the six book journey of her hero, Lymond, is over!
My only word of caution is: don't start with Checkmate. The characters and situations are so complex that readers really must start with 'Game of Kings' and read the series in order.
'It is not one thing you seek, but two..'.......2007-02-19
This is the sixth and final novel in Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond Chronicles. Like each of the novels in the series, the action is fast, absorbing and beautifully written. Lymond himself is dealing with the issues of nations and of monarchs while at the same time grappling with family secrets and finding that his own limits of endurance are being reached.
Set against the backdrop of the marriage of Mary, Queen of Scots to the Dauphin of France, the religious turbulence between Catholics and Protestants and the fragile alliances between European powers in the 16th century, this novel is a fitting conclusion to an epic and magnificent series.
'We have reached the open sea, with some charts; and the firmament'.
Highly recommended.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Superb.......2006-12-15
Dorothy Dunnett's brilliant characters people a dazzling world that really existed, furnishing the Lymond Chronicles with a richness, immediacy and depth I've found in few other novels. They will stay with me, Lymond, Sybilla, Phillipa, Jerrott, Archie, Danny, the Dame de Doubtance, Khairedin -- all of them.
I hard book to review (and a hard book not to fall in love with).......2006-12-03
Checkmate, the conclusion to The Lymond Chronicles, is best, most beloved book I've ever read. Each time I reread the series I feel like I'm gaining more perspective and understanding of these wonderous people. But when I recommend it to friends, I have a terrible time explaining what it is really about.
The writing is stunning (although sometimes you have to work a bit for understanding.). The details of history are engrossing. The plot twists and twines and leads to strange lands (literally and figuratively). But most of all there is Francis Crawford of Lymond and Sevigny.
Lymond is unique. In his strengths and weaknesses he is unlike any other literary character I can think of. This series is his story, but primarily told by the people who love, hate, respect, and fear him. My first time through I did all four. The conclusion, which I did not anticipate, pulls him together as a character and a person. The journey to get there is a wonderous thing.
And while Lymond is the center of the whirlwind, Phillipa (especially), Jerrot, Archie, Richard, and the rest of the cast each add dimension and beauty to an already enthralling tale.
I can't recommend this book enough.
Book Description
In Checkmate! readers are invited to learn chess with Garry Kasparov, the World number one and the most famous figure in chess history, as their teacher. In this book chess players can discover all the various pieces and how they move, how to attack and how to defend, how to capture, and, crucially, how to give check and deliver checkmate.
Customer Reviews:
Finally found the starter book.......2006-10-06
I have been researching for months to find a good 'starter' book to begin a chess club. I have searched online and made many stops at book stores and even asked many questions. Some of the books out there are excellent, but the cost was a little more than I wanted to spend as I am starting the club for homeschoolers and wanted to do it more as a ministry than a money-making enterprise.
To me, a great technician doesn't always translate to a great teacher. No doubt Kasparov was the former, but after reading this book he is definitely the latter as well. I believe it is an excellent book for beginners and even intermediates will find clear and colorful information here. It is also fun to read (a great quality especially for young people). The contents are:
1) the basics
2) the pieces and their moves
3) notation
4) winning and drawing
5) more about the pieces
6) tactical play
7) checkmate
8) opening play
9) endgame play
10) solutions to puzzles
11) glossary
For my needs it clearly achieves a 5 star rating. It is an inexpensive way to start a club or even to teach children. Not only that, but I will be teaching my wife tonight using this very book.
Thanks Gary!
An excellent way to learn the basics of chess .......2005-11-29
In my first week of the fourth grade, the teacher announced that everyone in the class was going to learn how to play chess. She believed that it was the best game to be incorporated into an educational scheme and she was right. We all learned and certain times each week were set aside for games of chess. It was a very popular time, as playing any game was preferable to doing other things like spelling and writing practice.
I am in complete agreement with this philosophy, firmly believing that everyone should learn to play chess. This book is an excellent way to start, which is what you would expect, given that Kasparov is considered the best chess player ever. He starts with a description of the pieces, how they can move and their power rankings. From this, he sets up the game and explains the basic goal of the game as well as the algebraic notation used to represent the movement of the pieces. Kasparov uses a series of situations to illustrate problems, such as how to force a (stale)mate from a specific orientation. Solutions to these problems are given at the end and many of them are nontrivial. You are really required to think hard before finding the answer to some of them.
Basic strategies such as classical openings, defenses, the pin, a skewer and back rank mating options are covered. The illustrations are very high quality and it could have been used as the textbook for my fourth grade class, where I first learned how to play. Adult beginners will also find it an excellent way to learn.
Published in Journal of Recreational Mathematics, reprinted with permission.
Average customer rating:
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The Er/Trauma CheckMate
Angela Clarkson
Manufacturer: NNCC Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General | Medicine | Subjects | Books
Emergency | Nursing | Medicine | Subjects | Books
Emergency Medicine | Specialties | Medicine | Subjects | Books
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Emergency | Internal Medicine | Medicine | Medical | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0970048467 |
Customer Reviews:
Hard to beat reference.......2004-09-07
I have been using this reference for over 4 years, and am ordering a new one! My co-workers are constantly referring to it and new nurses ask where to get one.
Since I don't care for PDAs (software and hardware limitations) this guide is my backup and double check in critical situations.
I highly recommend it.
Average customer rating:
- may hit the notes, but totally unmelodic
- Fast paced government thriller (with romance)
- interesting but
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Checkmate
Karna Small Bodman
Manufacturer: Forge Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
War | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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Body of Lies: A Novel
ASIN: 0765315424
Release Date: 2007-01-09 |
Book Description
When Dr. Cameron Talbot invents a breakthrough technology to defend against cruise missiles, she needs funding from a reluctant Congress and help from the White House to develop her project. Lt. Col. Hunt Daniels, detailed from the Pentagon to the White House National Security Council, sees the potential of this incredible invention. But disaster is brewing overseas as militants steal several missiles and launch the first one against India. The militants also send one of their agents to Washington, DC, to steal Dr. Talbots new technology. The scientist and the NSC staffer find themselves enmeshed in terrorist plots and political wrangling at the highest levels. From the Oval Office to the Taj Mahal, the tension and intrigue escalates and brings two countries to the brink of war.
Customer Reviews:
may hit the notes, but totally unmelodic.......2007-09-25
One of my favorite mystery writers, John Lescroart, said this book "hits all the notes," but it's hard to believe he liked it, given how poorly written it is, and how good a writer he is. I picked the book up because of all the writers who praised it, and because the story seemed interesting, but it's written at about a freshman level (whether high school or college is a toss-up). I gave up about thirty pages into it...couldn't take the vapid prose and zero characterization any more. I give this author a "V" for "vapid"! (That's also what I call the guy many call "W", and for similar reasons.)
Fast paced government thriller (with romance).......2007-02-11
If you enjoy fast paced books with intrigue and government inside angles...this is a great read. Fasten your seat belts and have fun!
I normally do not read this type of literature, but enjoyed this romp. If you are a fan of The Last Templar, etc., you will want to read this book.
interesting but.......2007-01-18
At Bandaq Technologies, Cameron "Cammy" Talbot leads a team of brilliant technocrats in developing the ultimate missile defense program. She and her crew ignore the Star Wars initiative of shooting the projectile out of the sky. Instead they concentrate on a program that takes control of an incoming missile's guidance system in order to reverse it; hitting the initiator. Due to unsavory lobbying her program is in jeopardy as Congress considers moving funding to a rival firm supporting the Star Wars initiative.
Still as Cammy and cohorts make major progress, Muslims steal three Pakistani cruise missiles, firing one at India. This terrorist group intends to take over Kashmir as they expect India to reciprocate leading to an all out war with nukes between India and Pakistan.
Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Hunt Daniels meets Cammy when someone tries to kill her. They each feel a strong attraction to one another while someone wants her new technology stopped before completion with her dead before it can be used to prevent a deadly nuclear war.
The premise of this tale is superb, but Karna Small Bodman is unable to decide between a romantic suspense and a nuclear countdown thriller; the reader gets some of both, but the sum of the parts does not quite make a cohesive whole. Still the story line is fun to follow as Cammy races against time to prove her concept works even as she ponders whether Hunt is the hunk who makes her feel complete. Congress seems realistic as money speaks in spite of the cost to the world. Overall this is a fine novel that will please fans of final countdowns to pending disaster with a romantic subplot weaved into the last digits.
Harriet Klausner
Customer Reviews:
Good book so far........2004-06-14
As a thirteen-year old, I bought this book at Borders as part of my birthday money. It's a wonderful book on checkmating (maybe one of the bests). Although I'm only up to chapter two, the rest of the book will probably be good too.
However, if I could have looked at every checkmating book on Earth, I probably wouldn't have bought this. For example, Fred Reinfeld's "1001 Brilliant Ways to checkmate", probably beats this book by a mile. It's slightly cheaper, I think, and has 698 more diagrams! (I haven't bought this book, but look at the reveiws for it, and you'll know why I'm saying this.)
Even though this probably isn't the greatest checkmating book you can get, it's good enough, and will keep you busy. One more thing: I suggest that you get a used one, because if you want to use about $12.00 or so on a book, don't use it on this one.
Great for Beginners.......2002-09-15
The first hundred checkmate positions are fairly simple for intermediate players. The checkmates start to get somewhat "tricky" after that. I am glad that the authors did not just lump the positions together thematically, such as "Queen Sacrifice," like the Reinfeld "1001 Checkmates." Outstanding diagrams are clear and easy to study. While many of the solutions are simple, they are still beautiful. Great book if you love two and three move checkmate puzzles.
A delightful collection!.......2002-08-21
This book presents fun chess puzzles in an easy to understand, progressively difficult format. While it may be true that these puzzles are carefully constructed rather than the result of actual play, they teach the dynamics of checkmate in a simple, yet challenging way. The puzzles are designed and arranged to show how the various pieces work together in diverse circumstances and how slight changes influence the checkmate. This book teaches how to find that all-important first move in the series of moves that lead to checkmate and is good for young players just getting started and for more advanced players who want to stay sharp.
Ok...but better books out there........2002-04-19
This is book gives you 303 "tricky" checkmates. These mates range from queen sacrafices to pawn promotion checkmates. Most of the problems are so hopeless for the opponet(when you play white black has losing chances). at a glance I could figure out sevral ways to destroy the oppenent without checkmating him. This made solving the problems seem pointless. Don't buy this book if you haven't read 1001 brillian checkmates and 1001 combinations. You get more instructive problems for less. An okay book all-around but much better puzzle books are out there.
Nice Puzzles -- But Are They Practical?.......2000-07-02
This book appears to be a sequel to "202 Surprising Checkmates" by the same authors, and both books appear to be indebted to the much older "1001 Brilliant Ways to Checkmates" for their title. "1001 Checkmates," by Fred Reinfeld, gives hundreds of positions which are apparently drawn from actual game situations, and the student who applies himself to the book can take away practical knowledge that will help in actual play. The positions in "202 Checkmates" and "303 Checkmates" could never be mistaken for actual game situations, and the mating patterns are not normally seen in actual play. Although the book appears to have little practical value, the problems were both challenging and entertaining. If the authors ever write "404 Amazing Checkmates," I'll be sure to add it to my library.
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