Customer Reviews:
Excellent book!.......2007-10-08
This book exceeded my expectations. The way the author goes back and forth between survivors' accounts and factual information about Mengele was a great way to keep the book interesting. I was intrigued from beginning to end. A lot of books that just rehash the past can be boring but this book was truely great. I learned a lot of factual information but also was deeply drawn to the survivors' stories. Highly recommended!
confusing the reader.......2007-07-07
This is a very good book with factual accounts from some of the youngest twins. What I found confusing is the way the author wrote the book. There seems to be some jumping around, comparisons of sorts. This book thoroughly explains how the surviving twins got together and met with the author, as well as the founding of their organization. This book does not go into great detail as to what specific types of horrific experiments were done, as most of the survivors able to tell their stories were very young at the time, and/or they have repressed their memories of the horror. It does give second-hand accounts of the 'goings-on' of Mengele by those that survived.
Testament to suvivors of horror.......2007-04-20
This harrowing book traces both the life of 'the angel of death', the psycopathic monster, Dr Josef Mengele, and his victims who survived.
Mengele carried out a range of horrific experiments on a range of people, mainly twins. particularly Jewish and Gipsey children, and various others.
As Mengele's life is described, so is the life of the survivors, the horrors that they experienced at Auschwitz and how they lived in the decades afterwards.
"Most of the twins began their descent into Auschwitz by witnessing their entire families being led away from them to be killed. In their special barracks, located just yards away from the crematoriums, they observed the Nazis' extermination of Jews at close range. Twins as young as five and six years of age endured torture, daily blood tests and starvation diets, as well as facing exposure to epidemics of cholera, tuberculosis and other deadly diseases that were rampant because of unsanitary conditions. Worst of all, of course, were the Mengele's barbaric pseudoscientific experiments. But as horrific as their lives were the twins enjoyed a special privileged status, for they were regarded as "Mengele's children". And as such they were spared the random selections and march to the gas chambers that threatened every other Auschwitz inmate'.
The testimony of a handful of survivors illustrates the horror of Mengele and Auschwitz, and the scars of the experiences suffered by his victims, and how they experienced them through their lives.
In the testimony of Moshe Offer, who was twelve years old at the time: 'When they opened the doors to our cattle cars, there were lots of dead children. During the trip, some mothers couldn't bare to hear the sound of their hungry babies-and so they killed them. I remember two blond, very beautiful children in my car, whose mother had choked them to death because she could not stand to watch them suffer'.
Eva Mozes, who was nine years old at the time, recounts how, at Auschwitz-Birkenau, she and her twin sister were packed into filthy, rat infested barracks, together with hundreds of other little girls.
She remembers seeing three dead children on the ground. Later they would always be finding dead children on the floor of the latrines.
From their barracks they could see huge, smoking chimneys rising high above the camp. There were glowing flames rising above them. ' " Why are they burning so late in the evening?" I asked the other children. "The Germans are burning people they answered".
Twins Hedvah and Leah Stern. who were thirteen years old at the time, recount how Mengele tried to change the colour of their eyes:' One day we were given eye drops. Afterwards, we could not see for several days. We though the Nazis had made us blind.
We were very frightened of the experiments. They took a lot of blood from us. We fainted several times, and the SS guards were very amused.
We were not very developed. The Nazis made us remove our clothes and they took photographs of us.
The SS guards would point to us and laugh. We stood naked in front of these young Nazi thugs, shaking from cold and fear, and they laughed."
The first few chapters of the book deal with Mengele's role in Auschwitz itself, and the rest of the book relates Eichmann's experience in hiding in South America, and the way the surviving twins built up lives and families for themselves, most of them in Israel, while the nightmare of Auschwitz would scar and effect them forever.Most of the twins longed to emigrate to the Land of Israel, then the British Colony of Palestine.
They soon found that the Communist rulers of their former homes in lands like Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Romania, were hostile to the Jewish people too, and pesecuted those who wanted to go to Israel and those who wanted to hold onto their Jewish faith, as 'Zionists'. Thus developed that form of Leftist anti-Semitism known as anti-Zionism, which was incubated by the Soviet Union, and is endemic among the international left today.
The rest of the book deals with how Mengele dwindled in exile into a neurotic and bitter non-being. The surivors describe their lives in Israel and elsewhere, after the war, their often fearful behaviour, their nightmares and their treatment, and also how they built up new lives and families, which live on in the Jewish homeland.
Mengele died after suffering a stroke and drowning in 1979, in Brazil.
Historical correction.......2007-01-06
Dr.Mengele's actual history has been full of inaccuracies and speculations. This book attempts to clarify many issues. It is a must reading for anybody doing reseach about the holocaust.
Grab this little gem and embrace it.......2006-10-01
What these 2 authors have done is brilliant, elegant and spellbinding. They have woven together a historical timeline based on best available sources and featuring first-hand testimony from Dr. Mengele's twins, to shed light on Mengele's medical "experiments" -- some of the deepest sociopathy ever known to mankind -- as well as the many profiles in courage spawned by the tragic events covered. The book comes across as a labor of love, in which the authors relate as 2 civil human beings to another, engaging the best in the reader to draw his or her own conclusions. Rarely do I view a nonfiction work, however worthwhile, as one that I cannot put down, but this book is an exception. Scholars of the WWII/Holocaust era cannot consider that their library or education are complete without this work.
The overall impressions I have, from the many and tragically ironic story lines in this volume, leave me disturbed. This strikes me as not just a case of one individual's sociopathy translating to the ruin of countless lives and inflicting of infinite suffering. It is also a case of too many forces for good proving indecisive, apathetic and quarrelsome, so that justice, in the end, was not fully served, nor was the correct message transmitted to future generations. In far too many respects, the victims were left to find their own solace. This grossly compounds the damage, both to them and to any of us who are trying hard to find civility in the societies in which we live.
Average customer rating:
- Two brothers and the Civil War
- A Ballad of the Civil War
- The Ballad of the Civil War
- A Ballad of the Civil War- A Bad Book
- I Did Not Like It
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A Ballad of the Civil War (Trophy Chapter Book)
Mary Stolz
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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The Fighting Ground
ASIN: 0064420884 |
Book Description
A Brother's War
Tom Rigby didn't think that anything could ever come between him and his twin, Jack. But things begin to change when Tom learns that they are not allowed to play with their friend Aaron anymore because he's a slave. Tom is upset, but Jack doesn't seem to care. All Jack cares about is playing soldier.
Eleven years later, when war breaks out, Jack joins the Confederation army. But Tom can't bring himself to fight for a cause he doesn't believe in -- slavery. So Tom rides north to join the Union army -- even though he knows he may one day have to face his brother on the battlefield.
Customer Reviews:
Two brothers and the Civil War.......2006-12-01
This is a sad story about two boys who grow up and become enemies. It was a good book. I learned more about the civil war from this book. I didn't like that the book was so short and also the ending of the book.
A Ballad of the Civil War.......2003-03-11
I must say that I am well read. I have read many books by many great authors--Cooper, both Brontes, Austen--and yet I find myself coming back to this ballad. I read this when I was in fifth grade, and liked it, but didn't care for it overmuch. Previously this year I found myself faced with a challenge. My english teacher wanted each class member to read something they liked, a poem, a song, part of a book, etc. to the class. I couldn't think of anything. I was searching through my mind trying to think of what I could read, then I thought back to my fifth grade teacher, and remembered this ballad. I read it to my class, and nearly everyone had misty eyes. This is the most touching poem I have yet to see. Each time I read it I get chills down my back. Background information on the Civil War is a good idea. I hope in time you readers who were "board, bord" or bored with this book will be able to realize how touching this really is.
The Ballad of the Civil War.......2001-04-06
The Ballad of the Civil War is one of the best books I've read. Jack & Tom are twins fighting in a battel. Read this book to find out what happens to the twins when they enlist in the war. Icould not put it down.It is not scary. tis a short read.
A Ballad of the Civil War- A Bad Book.......2000-07-08
I did not like this book at all. I read it because I wanted toread a short easy book but instad I got boring.
This book is boringand has absoluty nothing to do with the Civil War. Only the last chapter about 7 pages even mentions the Civil War.
At the end one brother finds a man from the other side and it made him think about his brother...
I Did Not Like It.......2000-06-06
i really did not like this book. i was supposed to read thisbook as an assiment for school, i did not have time during thatweekend so i read 18 pages during school in the morning and i almost fell asleep. i got so board.
Average customer rating:
- Another Dragonlance masterpeice!
- Everything good fantasy should be
- Do not buy these books!
- Fantastic Novel!
- NO WORDS TO DESCRIBE IT!
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Dragonlance Legends: Time of the Twins, War of the Twins, Test of the Twins
Margaret Weis , and
Tracy Hickman
Manufacturer: Distributed to the book trade in the U.S. by Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | 18th Century | 19th Century | 20th Century | African American | Asian American | Classics | Collections & Readers | Drama | General | Hispanic | History & Criticism | Humor | Jewish American | Letters & Correspondence | Native American | Poetry | Short Stories | Women Writers
Hickman, Tracy | ( H ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Weis, Margaret | ( W ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 088038610X |
Customer Reviews:
Another Dragonlance masterpeice!.......2007-10-06
Ever since my bf introduced me to Dragonlance I have been reading them non stop. These 3 books are awesome! They really are very action packed and make you sit back and go WOW. I didnt get sad with these 3 books at all I was more sucked in and sometimes got so outraged by the actions of some of the evil people (you know who Im talking about) These are a must read.
Everything good fantasy should be.......2001-10-18
It is almost impossible to describe how wonderful this book is. There is nothing about it that is not absolutly perfect. It is absolutly incredible what Margaret Weis and Tracy HIckman have written. I wish I could sit here and type out the whole plot, but unfortunatly, I can't. But I will say this. The characters are beyond belife. Anybody who didn't worship Raistlin before will now. He is most definatly the greatest fantasy character ever written. Crysania is good too, especially in Test of the Twins. Dalamar Nightson, Raistlin's apprentice, is one of the better characters, and is part of why this trilogy is so incredible. No one has ever written anythig close to this. Everyone should read this book, it is so wonderful. Personnaly, I've read it so many time I can almost recite it, and it never gets worse. Please, for the love of Raistlin, BUY THIS BOOK.
Do not buy these books!.......2000-05-20
Off limits! Never buy these wonderful adventures. If you do, you will ever after be disappointed in everything else you read. It's truly sad to stumble through the rest of your life searching for a comparable read as lively and passionate as this series by the masters of adventure, Weis and Hickman. OK, you've been warned.
Fantastic Novel!.......2000-03-14
By far, these are the best set of books that I have read in a VERY long time. I agree with some of the other people that the contents, especially the ending should NOT be reveiled in an email. I think that such a wonderful book should be read by the reader & not told to you by some goof. Experience the wonderful world of Krynn for yourself & you'll find you'll be back again & again & again.... :) Enjoy them all but start with Chronicles first! :)
NO WORDS TO DESCRIBE IT!.......1999-06-18
If you are reading this and thinking about buying, STOP READING THIS AND DO IT. I really can't think of any better book to read (other than the Chronicles) to get you started on fantasy. These books are easier to read and understand than most Tolkien novels. Caramon and Raistlin show the true struggle between Good, Evil, Love and Hate. Tasslehoff Burrfoot, our friendly Kender, also plays a MAJOR role, which I am glad to say. Just one more word......AWESOME!
Average customer rating:
- A good read!
- You'll love these books.
- SIMPLY AMAZING
- Twins
- Dragonlance top 3
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Legends Gift Set: Time of the Twins, War of the Twins, and Test of the Twins (Dragonlance: Legends Trilogy)
Margaret Weis , and
Tracy Hickman
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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The Soulforge (Dragonlance: The Raistlin Chronicles, Book 1)
ASIN: 0786927666
Release Date: 2002-09-03 |
Book Description
A boxed set of three core titles from the Dragonlance saga.
This slip-covered gift set contains three key titles from the Dragonlance saga: Time of the Twins, War of the Twins, and Test of the Twins, all of which were authored by New York Times bestselling authors Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. These are three of the strongest-selling Dragonlance backlist titles.
In Time of the Twins, Tasslehoff, Raistlin, Caramon, and the priestess Crysania travel back in time to visit the city of Istar before the Cataclysm in an attempt to avert disaster, while Raistlin plots to seize the magical power of the ancient wizard Fistandantilus. In Test of the Twins, Raistlin casts a magical spell to open a Portal to the Abyss. At the same instant his brother Caramon operates a magical device that throws Caramon and Tasslehoff into an unexpected place. And in War of the Twins, Raistlin prepares to enter the Abyss and challenge the Dark Queen herself, only do discover that he is caught in a time loop from which there seems to be no escape.
Customer Reviews:
A good read!.......2007-09-25
I love Dragonlance a lot! This trilogy was not as interesting as the first one Cronicles. however it was very good. If you like Raislin and the story of him searching to gain more magical power than this is the trilogy for you. A must for Dragonlance fans.
You'll love these books........2007-01-29
It doesn't matter what kind of books you like. Youll love the Chronicles and Legends trilogies.
SIMPLY AMAZING.......2006-11-12
Margret Weis and Tracy Hickam simply wrote the best six books I've ever read. Cronicles and Legends are great for any reader who enjoys a world of adventure. Every theme that you can find in a movie are in these books. Currently deployed, I finished the books in about a week for each one. If you love fantasy novels, this is the way to go!
Twins.......2006-11-10
My son could hardly put this set of books down. He read 5 of the the Dragonlance books in 3 months with is a seriously amazing thing for him!
Dragonlance top 3.......2006-11-05
These books along with The Soulforge are by far the best in the Dragonlance saga. Maybe I am partial to Raistlin but I find that the character is one of the most interesting in all D&D novels and the work that Weiss puts into him really pays off.
And time travelling is always a plus !
Book Description
The second title in the second
Dragonlance novel trilogy, now available for the first time in hardcover.
The second title in the second
Dragonlance novel trilogy is now being released for the first time ever in a trade hardcover edition. Featuring the stunning art and design that graced the cover of the paperback edition, the new version of this series is a follow-up to the release of the
Dragonlance novels Chronicles trilogy in hardcover in 2003. It also continues the planned release of all of the core Weis & Hickman titles in trade hardcover, allowing fans and collectors alike the chance to obtain the entire set in hardcover.
Customer Reviews:
great series.......2007-01-19
An excellent book and a great series quickly sent by seller very happy
One of the best books in the Dragonlance saga.......2006-11-04
War of the Twins is one of my absolute favorite books to come out of the Weis-Hickman machine. Mind-bending concepts of time travel and of the future locked in place combined with world-altering events makes for a dramatic and intense read that will keep you up late at night. It is also perhaps the most emotionally tense book in all of Dragonlance. The interactions between Raistlin and Caramon and Crysiana and Tas are fantastic. The strange love triangle between the brothers and Crysiana makes for interesting reading and also helps the reader really appreciate the emotions of the characters. Of all the characters, Raistlin in particularly really starts to reveal his true self: merciless and determined. While at times you feel like Raist must be starting to actually feel for the people that love him, it is quickly revealed that he only cares about his ultimate goal. Caramon comes into his own in this book, leading an army and realizing that he doesn't need his brother in order to live his own life. Crysiana doesn't evolve too much in this one but does grow in her sense of purpose and in her faith. Tas kind of gets left by the wayside for much of this novel, but comes back for dramatic impact on the overall story.
The only complaint I can think of is that the Dwarfgate wars were sort of skimmed over, not revealing too much detail as far as the actual battles are concerned. The leaders of the various armies and factions could have been better fleshed out, especially Kharas and the leaders of the plainsmen and hill dwarves. These are minor regrets thought and Weis and Hickman leave much to the reader's imagination which probably enhances the overall effect of the story. They focus on the main characters and the emotional battles they are going through, and that would have been taken away from some if they had included too much detail about the side stories and characters.
Overall I'd say this is one of the more mature and grim of the Dragonlance novels, without very much humor at all and a lot of tense and dark moments. The vivid characterizations of the book sold me. I'd recommend this entire trilogy to anyone in for a good emotional story.
the review.......2005-10-26
This book was great. It was a little difficalt because it went back and fourth between the characters and things that went on in the past. This book is a gory one so it would be good for 7th grade and up. It tells the tall of the twins very good. but only read it if you read the first one time of the twins.
A classic heroic fantasy.......2005-09-30
Dragonlance series is beyond doubt one of the best known and loved works of heroic fantasy. Written with an exceptional honesty and story-telling talent, it sparkles with the authors' love for their characters and the world they created. The Twins Trilogy is a dark tale following all the patterns of heroic fantasy, but it still manages to be fresh and exciting like the best folktale. Raistlin remains one of the most striking tragic characters eagerly awaited to reappear in subsequent Dragonlance novels.
FANTASTIC!!!.......2004-06-06
The Legends Trilogy- the Time of The Twins, the War of the Twins, and Test of the Twins, is the sequel to The Chronicles Trilogy- Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Dragons of Winter Night, and Dragons of Spring Dawning, which brings to life the ultimate battle between Good and Evil in the magical World of Krynn. The books are so incredibly well written that the reader feels that they have been transported to another plane of existence and are actually present among the characters, seeing what they see, feeling what they feel, sensing what they sense. The authors Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman have truly outdone themselves and have presented us with a masterpiece of literature the likes of which we have seen only in JRR Tolkien's work and RA Salvatore's The Dark Elf and Icewind Dale trilogies. Duty, honor, bravery, magic, dragons and heroes are all about. One should seriously start thinking about maybe turning them into movies...
Average customer rating:
- So much to think about!
- Christopher Priest is BACK!!!
- Not a page-turner
- A little demanding, but that's a good thing
- U.S. edition coming!
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The Separation
Christopher Priest
Manufacturer: Old Earth Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1882968336 |
Customer Reviews:
So much to think about!.......2006-07-27
Christopher Priest proves himself a verbal M. C. Escher with "The Separation." Like Escher's famous "Moebius Strip," this book's "beginning" and "end" are inextricably twisted and bound together. Like the woodcut "Circle Limit (Heaven and Hell)," the characters are angels when looked at one way and devils when another. Like the lithograph "Ascending and Descending," the plot steps from a curious "present day" back to World War II days and forward again on a trick staircase. Like the wood engraving "Whirlpools," dichotomies such as twins and doubles whirl about each other illusively to propel story.
"The Separation" is a thinking person's book. Also a history buff's. And an alternate history fan's. It is rich in detail about the war we understand to be history, yet manages to stuff an entirely Other Outcome into the tale as well. Priest creates renditions of real historical personages like Winston Churchill and Rudolf Hess that merge mysteriously with their phantoms and doppelgangers. Meanwhile the brothers Joe and Jack, whose memoirs/journals provide the bulk of the novel, make the reader muse a time or two whether both "really" exist...or just one who's cracked in the head (literally and psychically) while the other is his shadow self.
For anyone who lived through the European War of the 1940s or anyone who had relatives who did, "The Separation" is also a vivid and heart-wrenching reminder of the terrible civilian toll inflicted by both sides with calculated, brutal city bombing, among other desperate acts of wartime.
The sections written from a pacifist's point of view ringingly declare that war never truly solves humanity's problems, a sentiment real human beings dismiss too quickly. Here is part of one heartfelt speech: "...[A]lthough a war can be fought for what is believed to be an honourable reason, such as with the intention of forming a peaceful society, the war itself, by causing so much death and destruction, defeats its own object. Human suffering, pain, misery, separation and bereavement are inevitable when wars are fought. Violence, when opposed by other violence, creates a set of circumstances in which more violence will inevitably follow. Revenge, retribution and reprisal become predominant in people's minds. They seek to hurt others because they themselves have been hurt." (p. 184)
The same (i.e., that nothing is solved) may also be said of Priest's book: nothing is definitively nailed down as verifiable, as the truth of history. Instead, we get something like Escher's "Bond of Union," - where two alternate histories and two brother's lives unwind and atomize around each other and into the atmosphere. Such is the tantalizing lure of this astonishing and awesome work of fiction.
Christopher Priest is BACK!!!.......2006-06-18
I discovered Christopher Priest in a used bookstore in the form of a slim paperback novel entitled The Glamour. Since then, having read most of his work, the only two books by Christopher Priest I did not thoroughly enjoy were The Prestige and Extremes. Because those two novels are the immediate predecessors of Separation, it was with some trepidation that I undertook to read this book, whereof now I speak.
Forgive the digressive introduction, but I believe it's appropriate to invoke Priest's earlier work, specifically The Glamour. As regards the Separation, the rare, if not unique, literary device deployed in these two novels is quite similar. The same events are recounted in two separate narratives which are radically different both in perspective and in historical context. Unlike the Glamour, Separation is not merely an impressive display of literary sleight of hand, but rather a very complex and very daunting puzzle.
Having read the Separation I completely concur with Mohlman's analysis. This book cannot be understood or explicated without a very big "if." We begin with an alternative history wherein World War II lasted only one year, due to the actions of one Joe L. Sawyer on behalf of the International Red Cross in forming an armistice with Germany. We, also begin with identical twins with the same initials (J.L. Sawyer) who play radically different roles and are obliged to radically different commissions in this scenario, formulating the respective narratives. We are then introduced to several subplots which allude to identical twins or dopplegangers deployed by Winston Churchill, on behalf of himself and Rudolph Hess (or perhaps vice-versa). These subplots seem to build to a very intricate climax.
The way this story ends seems to cut off all of these possibilities which are present in both narratives. The final chapter may be genius or may be a cop out. Still, this is not disappointing because, "if" I'm reading it correctly it is quite literally "the end." If not of the story in regards to the characters, then of the characters in regards to the story. Or, of the reader in regards to both.
It is interesting to note that there is an American Comic book writer who calls himself Christopher J. Priest. Many bibliophiles still believe that the British novelist, Christopher Priest, moonlights for Marvel Comics and pens "Green Lantern." Winston S. Churchill might have something to say about this.
Not a page-turner.......2006-06-05
I enjoyed Priest's earlier book "The Prestige." I forced myself to plow through "The Seperation," expecting something would happen. Nothing does. It's not an "alternate history." It's about the lives of identical twins Jack and Joe from the 1936 Olympics up to Rudolf Hess's peace offer (from Germany to Britain) in May 1941. The first bit of the book speculates what would have happened if Churchill had accepted Hess's offer, but the rest of the book is pre-May 1941.
E.M. Forster once wrote that the #1 rule for a novelist is to make the reader want to know what is going to happen to the characters on the next page. Priest didn't follow that rule. It's not that Jack and Joe lead boring lives. They compete in the Olympics, one is shot down in World War Two, etc. But the writing is so slow and drawn out that I couldn't care.
The novel did make me curious about the spring of 1941, when Britain and Germany were the only countries in the war. The Soviet Union and the United States hadn't yet entered the war. Did Germany really make peace offers to Britain, which Churchill refused? How would history have been different if, say, Chamberlain had been Prime Minister and accepted Hitler's offer?
A little demanding, but that's a good thing.......2006-04-01
The Separation is an alternate history novel by a good writer. Those who wallow in shallow examples of this sub-genre -- the books of Harry Turtledove, for instance -- will not care for this at all. What we have in this work is at least two (maybe more?) different histories presented in such a way that we weave back and forth from one to the other. Pieces fit together locally, but not globally, as in some of the art of M.C. Escher. The most extreme example would be the characters of Stuart Gratton and Angela Chipperton, who, if I'm reading the book correctly, could not exist together in the same place and yet do, briefly. There is some repetition, particularly at the beginning, but as I see it that is important to the manner in which the story is presented, as a tale told and retold, not always in the same way. One could argue that the book is a little too long in the middle, but I am normally a slow reader and yet finished the novel rather quickly. This is intelligent, challenging alternate history. Its one flaw, which is perhaps inherent, is that it really is a parallel universe novel, with the relationship between the worlds unclear -- "it was just a dream" is one way to interpret the story, an aspect I find just a little unsatisfying, and the reason for four stars rather than five. Highly recommended.
U.S. edition coming!.......2005-04-11
Old Earth Books will be publishing the first US edition of this great alternative history novel. Due out in September.
Book Description
The whole world was about to change, and no one would be affected more deeply than Dorothea and Iris Crosby, sisters—identical twins—born to the wealth and social standing of New York City's Park Avenue. It was 1914, and while life in Manhattan seemed to center on grand balls and exotic parties, in Europe everything was coming undone. World War I was about to explode, and when it did it would involve many thousands of young Americans already heading overseas.
Aroused by the perils of the rest of the world, Dorothea and Iris decided to join the American Red Cross in France. Sent immediately to the battlefront, they became immersed in a daily struggle to help save lives, and when that wasn't possible, to at least make death less terrifying for the young French soldiers in their care. Beautiful and mysterious, the twin sisters were dubbed
les anges, the angels, by the wounded men.
They charmed the Americans as well, among them a fighter pilot with whom Iris fell in love—the first threat to the singular bond that held the sisters together. As the losses mounted, however, the link between the sisters grew stronger. Finally, when the battles ended, they awoke to the reality that the world they had known was forever gone, and home seemed a distant and alien place.
A powerful story of spiritual awakening, of innocence lost, and of the emotional toll of war,
The Innocents is sure to appeal to readers of such outstanding historical novels as
Regeneration by Pat Barker,
Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks, and Rebecca West's classic
The Return of the Soldier.
Book Description
At her dying father's request, Jesselyne Atwood takes her family's thoroughbreds and heads for her uncle's farm to escape the Civil War. Will they fall prey to the bushwackers and vigilantes prowling about? Secret Refuge book 1.
Customer Reviews:
Suspenseful and touching.......2006-01-29
This is a good adventurous, historical book that keeps you wanting to know what happens next. The part about Louisa, Jesse's sister, who volunteers at an army hospital, was my favorite part of the story. Louisa is a sweet, determined girl whom the patients love. I also liked the growing romance between her and one of the patients.
I did think that Snelling over-used some phrases; Jesse shakes her head over and over, and her toddler brother is constantly patting her cheeks. I think the story would have been just fine if they'd left the kids out, and had more about the horses, since that's what the story's really supposed to be about. I'm not sure where the author is going with them picking up a bunch of orphaned kids along the way; they don't seem to add much to the story, other than crying and getting sick.
I found it a little odd that both Louisa's AND Jesse's new suitors are both missing a leg. I think she could have made their injuries a little more different from each other.
Over all, it was an enjoyable read. I recommend it to anyone who likes an adventurous story with romance mixed in. I think it would even make a good movie.
Red River of the North Series.......2001-11-17
I have not read such an astounding set of books for years!!! Being of 100% Norwegian descent, as well as, born & raised in North Dakota, I learned so much more reading these books! I have shared my enthusiasm of this series with many other people who, too, have invested in them. They, too, had enjoyed them immensely! Lauraine put much research into her writings of this series which was very evident. I pray Lauraine will keep this series going at least to the present day. You have never read a series till you read the Red River of the North series from Lauraine Snelling, believe me!!!
Sincerely, Rachel Axness
One of the best books I've read in a long time!.......2000-11-04
I'm usually disappointed in a lot of books, since usually the story itself would be excellent except the characters are undeveloped and the plot isn't good with a bad ending. This book was excellent, and will be one of my favorites for a long time. "Jesse" and Louisa are two lovable characters, and their stories keep you reading. Since one chapter would be about "Jesse" and the next about Louisa, I couldn't stop reading so that I could find out what happened to each of them! :o)
a Civil War adventure.......2000-07-08
Having thorougly enjoyed Snelling's Red River of the North series, I couldn't wait to read Daughter of Twin Oaks. In this book, the setting is a thoroughbred horse farm in Kentucky in the midst of the Civil War. Jesselyn's father and brothers are away in battle and she sends her younger sisters away to an aunt's home for safety. After her father comes home to die from his battle wounds, she realizes that she needs to get her horses away from Kentucky if she will have anything left to start over with after the war. Taking her little brother and her few now-freed slaves with her, they embark on a perilous journey where danger and adventure await them on every corner. A devout Christian, Jesselyn finds that her faith gradually slips away as they encounter pitfall after pitfall. By the end of the book, she has quit praying altogether and is blaming God for the war. Meanwhile, her sisters in Richmond find love and happiness with soldiers that they meet and reunite with their long-lost brother, now wounded from battle. Unlike Jesselyn, they retain their faith in God, even when Louisa's soldier is declared missing and probably dead. This book was good and kept me reading, and I want to read the second one because so many loose ends were left. Will Jesselyn ever get all of them to safety? Will she ever give her heart back to God? Will Louisa's true love return? Will Twin Oaks still remain when they get back home? Anyone who enjoys historical Christian fiction will like this book.
Wow!.......2000-05-29
Lauraine Snelling has once again impressed me with one of her books. A fabulous story of a girl who shows courage to rescue her family's horses from the Civil War. Great start to a new series.
Book Description
In the evening of June 28, 1967, 150 young Americans were sworn into the Marine Corps as part of the pre-game ceremonies of a Minnesota Twins baseball game. Before the end of the fourth inning these volunteers were being hustled on to buses, on their way to boot camp.It was a journey that would take them from a boyhood of baseball in the American heartland to manhood on the killing fields of Vietnam.Christy Sauro was one of the Twins Platoon, and in this book he tells what it was likefrom the pomp and ceremony of induction to the all-too-real initiation by fire that would shortly follow:in mere months, he and most of the Twins Platoon were on the ground in Vietnam and promptly faced with some of the toughest fighting of the war, the Siege of Khe Sanh and the Tet Offensive, including the brutal Battle for Hue.From baseball to boot camp to brutal combat, his is a firsthand story of American life being lived at the limitsand changed forever.
Customer Reviews:
OUTSTANDING .......2007-06-19
I discovered THE TWINS PLATOON in a bookstore on my way to a publishing meeting with my editor in the spring of 2006. Each chapter captivated me, and I devoured the book on the long train ride from Washington to Boston. Beginning with the opening paragraph, I felt like I was transported back in time from the platoon's origins in 1967, through boot camp, their fighting in Vietnam, and the men's homecoming.
I found the narrative gripping and personal since I felt like I was reading the book I just completed 37 years later titled: WE WERE ONE. As I flew through the beautifully written narrative it sometimes felt like only the individual Marines names' changed. From boot camp to battle, Chris Sauro captures the intangible spirit that makes Marines -- Marines. He also captures in words how combat changes ordinary Americans. The brotherhood, pathos, valor, and even the invisible scars of battle are felt by the reader on each page of THE TWINS PLATOON.
What became completely obvious after reading the first few pages of the book is the enormous amount of time and care the author devoted to researching his fellow Marines and telling their story. This book was a decades' long crusade and each chapter is brimming with detail. The reader feels the emotions, spirit, heroics, of the twenty or so Marines who comprise the book's focus.
To say I recommend the book is an understatement. THE TWINS PLATOON should be mandatory reading for all Americans since it transcends the war in Vietnam and provides a "foxhole" view of Americans at war. Often obscured by politics, the war on the ground, told by privates, corporals, and sergeants fighting it, is often the forgotten view of the global War on Terror just as it was during the Vietnam War.
The Price of Freedom.......2007-05-21
This is a wonderful book! A gripping personal account of the authors service to our country in Vietnam, as a young marine, as well as stories from other soldiers of the Twins Platoon. I couldn't put the book down when I started reading.
I am a Vietnam era veteran, though I did not serve in Vietnam. I had tears in my eyes in many parts of this book. It still angers me to think there was no welcome home for these brave soldiers after the unimaginable things they endured, and their tremendous personal sacrifice.
I think this book should be required reading in all high school history classes. No one should forget how much our veterans have given, they paid a very dear price for our freedom.
Christy, Thank You for your service, and Thank You for this book!!!
Author's Obsession Becomes a Great Story .......2007-01-26
By Christy Sauro's own accounting he has put thousands of hours into the research and writing of his book "The Twins Platoon: An Epic Story of Young Marines At War In Vietnam". The end result is a magnificent obsession! He has captured the heart and soul of those young Marines who were known as "The Twins Platoon".
On June 28, 1967 150 young men and women were sworn into the USMC in front of thousands at a Minnesota Twins baseball game. The swearing in ceremony was just the beginning of many personal and sometimes heroic and even tragic stories of which the author shares with us. We get to follow the lives of some of these men as they go through basic training and eventually go to Vietnam. Some are killed, some physically wounded, others emotionally damaged, but all of them have changed in some ways.
The problem of readjusting back to their old lives once they left the Marines is another issue the book deals with. For some, this transition ended in suicide, divorce, drugs or booze. Yet, some managed to over come the inner demons and go on with their lives successfully.
The book is obviously well researched and presents an anthology of stories that Sauro weaves into his over-all history of this group of Marines. It becomes evident that Marines are always Marines and that there is something special in being one. There is pride in the telling of these stories and it shows.
The subtitle says this is an "epic story"; that may be an understatement. The author will allow you to sense and feel the emotional and spiritual pain of these Marines. You will become engrossed in the book but more importantly, you will become changed. For those who have never served in combat it will be an eye-opener and those who have it will be a re-run through your emotional memories. It is well written, entertaining, educational, riveting, and an emotional story that is filled with a love of country, the Marine Corps and fellow veterans. A MUST READ! I personally recommend this book!
Book Review.......2007-01-09
The book was both interesting and informational for me as the author was part of a unit I was also assigned to. I can therefore relate more personally to the events and the time period referred to. I enjoyed the book very much and was reminded of the hard times sometimes suffered by veterans returning home.
Young Marines in Vietnam.......2006-08-09
I originally purchased this book for my Father who was a young Marine in Korea. Once I received it though I found it to be a very interesting read. When I was in high school 20 years ago, we learned very little about the Vietnam War in our history classes. By reading this novel by Christy Sauro I was able to learn not only technical facts about Vietnam but I could also feel the emotions that he and the other Marines and their families went through during the war. For this being Mr. Sauro's first novel I thought he did an excellent job and also did his research well!
Book Description
The An-24 was designed in the late 1950s as the Soviet counterpart of the Fokker F.27 in both appearance and capabilities. The twin-turboprop An-24 was produced by three Soviet aircraft factories; many remain in operation. The Soviet Air Force needed a modern turboprop tactical transport with paradropping capability. Thus the airliner evolved first into the 'quick-fix' An-24T and then into the An-26, which introduced a unique sliding cargo ramp developed by Antonov and protected by many international patents. This paved the way for the 'hot-and-high' An-32 and the 'big-head' An-30, a specialized aerial photography machine. Antonov's twin-turboprop family has seen civil and military service in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, North, Central and South America, making it a best-seller among Soviet commercial designs. This book lists all known operators on a country-by-country basis and is richly illustrated with photos in the collections of assorted civil and military operators.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent book!.......2007-07-12
A wealth of information about the Antonov medium range cargo/passenger turbo-prop aircraft. As we have come to expect excellence from the Red Star series, volume 12 is not a disappointment. Plenty of black and white photos with some color pictures as well; this book covers everything from the first stages to the present day. The line drawing are fine and include 3-d views.
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