Customer Reviews:
Mass Media Editors need Education........2004-09-30
So, this book is about the American Civil War??? Then why is there an English Enfield with bayonet on the cover?!?!? The particular model on the cover was adopted in December of 1888, and later improved in 1901. This is a sad error indeed!!! :^P
North and South The Triology.......2003-01-08
If you enjoy books that cover the Civil War era, don't miss this exciting Triology. It follows the lives of two families from two different parts of the country. Follow the hardships, heartbreaks, love, and joy of the Mains from South Carolina and the Hazzards from Pennsylvania.
It is a tail of true friends and what tries to tear them apart. It will make you laugh and cry. It gives a clear view of what some of our ancestors probably faced during the war that devided our great nation.
Good ending.......2002-09-27
While the novel makes a point to keep up with most of the characters we've come to know, Stanley, Virgilla, George & Constance, Cooper and Judith, and Ashton, the novel focuses mainly on Charles and his new life out West.
The post-war transition of Charles's character by Jakes was done masterfully. The transition of Cooper Main was a little unbelievable given his past.
The long conclusion nicely wrapped up the entire series. Definitely not the best book of the series, but a great story of life after the Civil War.
The End of a Story.......2001-05-01
Heaven and Hell, the last book in the North and South trilogy was absolutely wonderful. This book is mainly about Charles and his life in the West. And also his trying to find a place in the world after the war. Madeline is also a major character in this book with her journal entries to Orry. And the evil Bent has to make his appearance throughout. (I could have done without Bent!!) The lives of Stanley, Virgilia, Billie, Brett, and the love-to-hate-her Aston aren't covered as much in this book. I would have loved to learn more about Billie and Brett. Also would have liked to read more about Marie-Louise and her Yankee husband Theo. I found the parts of the book about them to be very touching.
If you've already read the other two books you must read this one to find out what happens. You will be in for quite a few surprises. This book is definitely worth reading. A classic!!!
Heaven and Hell.......2000-06-28
This book is a very exciting novel of all times... This book allows young adults and adults to learn about the history of their country, while enjoying a great story plot! After watching a section of North vs. South, I was determined to get the entire series (trilogy) and be able to enjoy the series as a whole. The basis of the story is a very sensitive subject....slavery. The main concern are two young men who meet while attending Westpoint, little did they know, they would go through many trials and tribulations throughout the war as well as the rest of their life. After they marry, have kids, start families of their own, and fight for thir strong beleifs, they think that they will live happily ever after, but once again they are wrong. The strong bond between these two men drifts slowly apart, as slavery is a major topic in this young country's future. Despite their differences they remain friends, but many friends and family members interfere with their friendship.... they find their fr5eindship is not worth wasting and should be preserved. The only logical solution to their problem was not to discuss certain things with each other- including slavery. This book is very educational,and even allows a not interested person actually want to know more about the history of their country. This book has a great plot yet still allows you tho see the true facts and history at the same time. This is a great book for anyone that is willing to take the time and just get into the main story plot and the same time learn more abvout American History.
Customer Reviews:
thought provoking.......2007-06-09
An honestly told story by an author able to see both sides. This is a also a story of forgiveness. Her story is a heroic journey and the author gives the reader a perspective into the many ways the Vietnam War has affected Americans and Vietnamese Americans.
a great coming up memoir........2007-02-19
Le Ly Hayslip has gone through one of the worst wars in American history. And she has lived. Past the rape, past the sexual inequality, past the emotional destruction of her family, past the threats and brushes with death. Le Ly Hayslip now is an accomplished author and owns several real estates throughout California.
This is a powerful memoir and I will not rob it of that. However, the only reason I gave it 3 stars (an "It was OK" rating) instead of 4 is because I feel that Hayslip could have cut out about... maybe 1/6th of the book out and nothing will have been missed. Not that it didn't relate to the story, but Hayslip does occasionally go off about this or that, her re-arrival back to Vietnam as an adult also heads towards the digressing end of the spectrum a lot of time and sometimes she goes from reporting her troubles and potential sympathy to just plain whining. Perfect for the college kid looking to dig as much quotes and intangibles to write an essay (as was I) but as a reader I felt it was too much.
Overall, still an excellent read.
I get it now, Le Ly. Thank you........2007-02-01
Not having lived a very memorable life, my own writing has leaned toward fiction. Nevertheless, I tend to judge memoirs--and this is a good one--by the same standards I use for great literary fiction. One of those standards is the opener, or first line, in this case, "SUFFOCATE HER!" the midwife told my mother when I came into the world.
This is what we in the business call a 'zinger,' the equal of Camus' "Mother died today." or Melville's "Call me Ishmael." What a beginning! On trial for her life right from the git-go. This opener effectively signalled the continuous trials and potential consequences Le Ly would face for the rest of her life. She would have to come from stern stock if she were to survive, and her mother held her genetic end up with her smokin' response to the midwife, "I will bury her when she stops breathing. Now get out of here."
I have been a student of the Vietnam War since I first joined the Army as a chopper pilot in 1967--ironic because I've never set foot in that unfortunate land. I suppose I'm motivated by survivor's guilt. Anyway, Le Ly's fine memoir anchors a good bit of my newly won understanding of that longest and strangest of American wars. Coming from a Republican military family and growing up in the Cold War as I did, I believed at the time that everybody knew about and accepted the Domino Theory. And with my father a Korean War veteran (as well as WWII and Vietnam) I believed that any communists that were brazen enough to encroach from the north could be pushed back with a proper dose of American military muscle. I served in S. Korea myself many years after that war and things seemed to be plugging along rather nicely, thus preserving in my mind the validity of the Domino Theory. Then came Vietnam and the awful realization that we were not invincible. Hell, we got our butts kicked! Initial study from an unbiased source--General Westmoreland--suggested that America didn't lose the war, the South Vietnamese did. And he was right in a sense. Marvin the ARVN was quite content to sit back and let Joe slug it out with the VC and the NVA. I couldn't understand this. How could they take such a lackadaisical attitude about the fate of their nation when they had so much at stake? Did this mean they were for communism??? How could anybody with half a brain be FOR communism? I am not and never have been a practicioner of 'Jane Fonda logic' wherein if America makes a few mistakes, then the injured party must be lily-white, Q.E.D. I could see what rats the VC and NVA were. I knew they were just a front for a repressive dictatorship. Why couldn't the South Vietnamese see that? I was baffled.
Well, along comes a nice lady with the incongruous name of Le Ly Hayslip, who writes a book about those very South Vietnamese who didn't care about their government, or their nation (at least as we Americans tried to define it for them), or to my great surprise, communism or democracy or freedom (again as we defined that term). All they really cared about was getting the rice crop in and raising a few sons to do the same. Then the VC came into their village and beat everybody up, so they felt obliged to follow communism. Most of them didn't really know what that meant, but if the VC would stop beating them up, they'd learn a few songs and dig a few bunkers, then get back to the rice crop. The VC would leave and the Vietnamese Republicans would come in and beat them up again. So they were obliged to pay a few bribes and act 'patriotic' so the new bully would go away and again they could get back to the rice crop. This bizarre pattern only seemed normal to them. Throughout their recent past they had always been plagued by one bully or another--the French with their Morrocan allies, the VC, the NVA, the Republicans, the Americans--they were all the same to them. There was always somebody trying to get between them and their rice paddies. Deep down inside they were as apolitical as the grains of rice they were so diligently trying to harvest. You can eat rice. you can't eat dogma. The rice had fed them for generations. The VC et al. only fed them baloney. I get it now, Le Ly. Thank you.
--Ejner Fulsang, author of "A Knavish Piece of Work." Aarhus Publishing, 2006
one of the greatest books i've ever read.......2007-01-04
I chose this book because, being Vietnamese and having left the country since I was 5, I knew little about the experiences of the war. This was an eye-opening book, and its message of peace and forgiveness, from the very chapter to the last, should be the advice we all must take out of it.
Borrow It, Please.......2006-11-19
I was not impressed with this book. While the subject matter was quite interesting, many elements in this memoir were quite lacking.
Ms. Le and her co-author constructed the book in a series of flashbacks, which were sometimes detrimental to the readability of the text. It would have been better if they provided some detail which would have connected one Vietnam War Era flashback to the next Vietnam War Era flashback, but they didn't--so sometimes you had to flip pages to find out what event/ time/ place about which you were reading. In addition, since the Ms. Le's lifestory is so complicated, the flashbacks weren't in chronological order, which made things more confusing.
One issue Ms. Le did not fully answer (for me at least) was why she continued to support the Vietnamese communists even though they were killing her neighbors. In fact, as a young girl, one of Ms. Le's neighbors--a man who she described as being a "good" person--was dragged out of his home and shot, and yet Ms. Le kept on actively collaborating with the Communists, especially as they continued to carry out executions and to purge her village of Republican supporters.
It was the suicide of her parent, rather than the vicious Communist executions, that made her turn her back, so-to-speak, on any future missions on their behalf. It was ironic how it took her depressed father to kill himself, in part because Ms. Le had to go into exile due to a misunderstanding with the local Communists, to make her relinquish her activism (for any side of the Conflict), while midnight killings of Republican informants and--she implies--their innocent family members did nothing to hamper her ferver. It doesn't really matter if you happen to be pro-Communist or pro-Republican, concerning this issue. The inconsistency is quite jarring and I hope Ms. Le will resolve it for her readers.
One aspect with which I had serious qualms was the way they included the Vietnamese language in the book. I thought they could've explained the naming of the Ly children better (first born: Hai, second child: Ba, etc.) because I had some difficulty trying to figure out the unaccented names of the Ly siblings, and I'm Vietnamese! Also, whoever did the translations for the memoir sometimes went beyond the meaning of the original Vietnamese so it could sound more "American". That is, when someone says , "Me con di nhe (Mom, I'm going, okay?)", in the book it's "Bye, Mom." I know the difference can seem a bit trivial, but in cases of Vietnamese songs and proverbs--which are often present in the memoir--the difference becomes quite large, as any literary translator can tell you.
The first half of the book was interesting enough for me to find it somewhat enjoyable, but the part when she finally meets her long-lost relatives should have been left out. There were a lot of new individuals being introduced, and it was difficult to keep track of them and their relation to Ms. Le. Also, I found the presentation of her conversation with Anh's two Vietnamese officials to be very sympathetic toward the administrators of Vietnam pre-Doi Moi, but Ms. Le might have an altruist reason for doing that, so I'll not comment on it further.
Overall, I think you should save your money and check it out from a public library.
Average customer rating:
- Worth Reading.
- A little too complicated for my taste...
- A battle between heaven and hell over the Holy Graal
- Williams's graal tale trumps "The Da Vinci Code"
- Definitely in the same league as the rest of the Inklings
|
War in Heaven, A Novel
Charles Williams
Manufacturer: Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0802812198 |
Amazon.com
"The telephone was ringing wildly," begins Charles Williams's novel War in Heaven, "but without result, since there was no-one in the room but the corpse." From this abrupt--and darkly humorous--start, Williams takes us on a 20th-century version of the Grail quest, with an Archdeacon, a Duke, and an editor playing the old Arthurian roles. Throughout, Williams reminds us that these legends were above all about divine, not just human, romance. While filled with marvels and black magic, the novel also suggests that the devil just might be what the face of God looks like to those who have sought destruction, just as that face is love to those who have sought love. The choice, Williams affirms, is always ours. --Doug Thorpe
Customer Reviews:
Worth Reading........2006-05-17
Like several previous reviewers, I read this book because of Charles Williams's connection with C.S Lewis and Tolkein. This book has not achieved the lasting fame and adulation of Lewis's Space Trilogy or The Lord of the Rings, and for good reasons. The plot is almost amateurish, and Williams simply could not write as well as Lewis or Tolkien.
BUT, Willims had gifts of another sort. Williams was able to write about spiritual experience in ways that Dan Brown (or pick some other thriller of-the-day writer) could never hope to equal. War In Heaven will challenge the reader to sweat through long stretches of unremarkable prose, that could easily have come from yesterdays advertisements, but perseverence will be rewarded with sweet draughts of unforgettable holiness.
The privilege of reading Chapter X titled The Second Attempt on the Graal, made up for all the book's low points. The internal reaction of Mornington and the Duke to the Graal, and the description of the united effort at prayer to resist the unholy assault on the Graal, represent one of the clearest articulations of faith as the "substance of things to be hoped for" that I have ever yet encountered . In the end, passages like this are the only reason I read fiction at all. Its the reason why War in Heaven must be read.
A little too complicated for my taste..........2006-05-17
But perhaps it is because I am not a great mystery fan, or the classics. [I mean, did the question, "Heautontimoroumentos?" really make immediate sense to anyone else?]
In any case, I found by keeping a score card so that I could track all the players, and parsing several passages in order to figure out the nuances of the author's syntax, I could plug on into the last few chapters which, though possibly the most surreal, were, IMO, the most accessible.
I would recommend looking for a copy to borrow before buying if you were, like myself, considering reading it because of Williams' ties to the Inklings.
A battle between heaven and hell over the Holy Graal.......2005-12-30
This is the first book I have read by Charles Williams, and if it is indicative of what the rest of his books are like, I think I shall be a fan of his. In War in Heaven, Williams depicts a struggle between the forces of evil (which call upon the powers of Hell), and the forces of good (which call upon the power of God), over the Holy Graal, which has turned up in contemporary England (or at least it was contemporary when Williams wrote it). In the course of the struggle, each side draws upon the power of their master, Gregory Persimmons upon Hell and the Arch-Bishop upon God through prayer. It is a very good story, and it reminded me greatly of C. S. Lewis' Interplanetary series, especially That Hideous Strength. Williams wrote this first, so I wonder if this book shaped the one that Lewis wrote. I know that they read each others works, so I find it hard to believe that the fact that they are so similar is a mere coincidence.
A few of Williams theological views were a bit questionable. For example, at one point he attributes evil to God, and claims that God wills evil. Near the very end of the book, it is also said that the church is one path among many to God. He seems to be advocating pluralism, but it was kind of vague, and possibly could have been saying that one can be saved without being a part of the visible church.
In conclusion, this is a very good book which I would recommend to those who like philosophical fiction. If you like the modern kind of mindless reading, where you don't really need to think, you will probably not like this book, for this book makes you think. It raises philosophical questions which it does not necessarily answer, so if you do not like being troubled of mind, this is probably not the story for you. A few previous reviewers have also implied that it is a frightening story, but I do not think you need be wary of reading this if you do not like reading of occult and the such, for there are no demons, only black magic, and I did not find them particularly scary at all. Personally, I think that a few scenes of Ransom and the devil in Perelandra were far more frightening that anything in this book.
Williams's graal tale trumps "The Da Vinci Code".......2005-07-17
It gives essentially none of the story away to reveal that the plot of "War in Heaven" revolves around the Graal (per Williams's preferred spelling). Williams's first published novel is full of the blurring of reality that one finds in all of his fiction and, like "The da Vinci Code", involves a struggle between opposing groups drawn into conflict by the Graal. However, unlike "The da Vinci Code"'s ersatz, vapid spirituality--which, where it has flavor at all tastes merely of cheap sideshow spiritualism--"War in Heaven" depicts allies of darkness that are rank with evil even as its friends of light savor of ultimate goodness. In "War in Heaven" one gets a glimpse beyond the veil to see ultimate spiritual reality consisting of powers and principalities swarming in defiance of a holy throne even as the King of Light engages all according to his overarching plan and by his undeniable power. By contrast, in "The da Vinci Code" one finds that the ultimate reality beyond the veil is tantamount to a group of 7 year-olds playing with a Ouija board at a slumber party. So, if you're looking for a "spiritual thriller" of substance that involves the Holy Grail, "War in Heaven" trumps (perhaps greatly trumps?) "The da Vinci Code." 5 stars. An excellent book.
Definitely in the same league as the rest of the Inklings.......2004-07-29
Williams' ability to craft a great story nearly escapes the reader because his style is so subtle, and the narrative flows so seamlessly. It is also brilliantly and creatively imagined. He weaves the deft mystery style of Chesterton and Doyle with his own religious background and spiritual experiences. Were it written today, this story might be mistakenly tossed into the same bland, agenda-driven genre of evangelical "spiritual" thrillers, but Williams avoids such a trap by giving his spiritual hero, the Archdeacon of Fardles, a sometimes wavering confidence in his chosen path, and a battle with his own desire to give up.
While the book is certainly not one for those who feel immediately alienated by religious context and setting, it does not require or expect conversion or spiritual agreement in order to be enjoyed. Williams is the forgotten member of the Inklings (C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and others), but his writing, especially War In Heaven, stands toe-to-toe with the other great works to emerge from that group.
Book Description
A revelatory look at the U.S. Government's plan to put weapons in outer space, by two bestselling experts.
"During the early portion of the twenty-first century, space power will also evolve into a separate and equal medium of warfare….The emerging synergy of space superiority with land, sea, and air superiority will lead to Full Spectrum Dominance."—from "U.S. Space Command Vision for 2020"
When most of us think about the potential of outer space for future generations, we think of world communications, satellite navigation, and scientific exploration. U.S. Space Command, however, thinks about weapons. Believing that conflict in space and wars fought from space are inevitable, the president has called on the agency to weaponize outer space and thus provoke an arms race that could cost the United States trillions of dollars and could lead to the demise of the human race.
In War in Heaven, a Nobel Prize-nominated peace activist and a former U.S. foreign service officer (who helped write the Outer Space Treaty of 1967) look at the history of military uses of space and the current plans for "militarizing the heavens," including kinetic, laser, nuclear bombardment, and anti-satellite weapons. Contrary to the claims of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld that the United States faces a "space Pearl Harbor," Caldicott and Eisendrath show that the United States itself is today the principal obstruction to passage of an international treaty banning weapons from outer space.
At a time when plans to build and deploy space weapons are on the administration's agenda but only just becoming known to the general public, this book will help launch a national discussion of a critical issue.
Customer Reviews:
A Well Done anti-Bush Polemical.......2007-04-05
This book is a history of the military uses of space, the treaties that exist about space, and the development of space oriented weapons. It is also a plea that we not militarize space. It is well written, well intended, well thought out but I'm afraid pointless.
Mankind has militarized everything. First the land, then the sea, then the air, next orbiting space based weapons systems and then the moon. And I have to say that I'm not so sure just where I personally stand on this.
One of the points made by the authors is that more money should be spent on foreign economic aid and situations like the aftermath of Katrina. This is going to be a hard sell. Most people believe that money given to foreign aid winds up in the hands of the local politicians and is not really helpful to the intended people. Money to the Katrina victums is one thing. Rebuilding New Orleans is an entirely different matter. It's a stupid place to build a city, the French knew it when the laid it out, which is why the French quarter remained dry. With rising sea waters from Global Warming, a rebuilt New Orleans is another disaster waiting to happen.
This book presents the side of the anti-weapon, anti-Bush (Eisendrath has also written: Bush League Diplomacy: How the Neoconservatives Are Putting the World at Risk) people. I think they have a hard sell before them
Book Description
The 1763 Treaty of Paris ceded much of the continent east of the Mississippi to Great Britain, a claim which the Indian nations of the Great Lakes, who suddenly found themselves under British rule, considered outrageous. Unlike the French, with whom Great Lakes Indians had formed an alliance of convenience, the British entered the upper Great Lakes in a spirit of conquest. British officers on the frontier keenly felt the need to assert their assumed superiority over both Native Americans and European settlers. At the same time, Indian leaders expected appropriate tokens of British regard, gifts the British refused to give. It is this issue of respect that, according to Gregory Dowd, lies at the root of the war the Ottawa chief Pontiac and his alliance of Great Lakes Indians waged on the British Empire between 1763 and 1767.
In War under Heaven, Dowd boldly reinterprets the causes and consequences of Pontiac's War. Where previous Anglocentric histories have ascribed this dramatic uprising to disputes over trade and land, this groundbreaking work traces the conflict back to status: both the low regard in which the British held the Indians and the concern among Native American leaders about their people's standing -- and their sovereignty -- in the eyes of the British. Pontiac's War also embodied a clash of world views, and Dowd examines the central role that Indian cultural practices and beliefs played in the conflict, explores the political and military culture of the British Empire which informed the attitudes its servants had toward Indians, provides deft and insightful portraits of Pontiac and his British adversaries, and offers a detailed analysis of the military and diplomatic strategies of both sides. Imaginatively conceived and compellingly told, War under Heaven redefines our understanding of Anglo-Indian relations in the colonial period.
Customer Reviews:
Fairer evaluation of Bradstreet.......2007-04-30
Uncolored by prevailing thought, Dowd's impression of Col. Bradstreet is more objective than most.
For instance, most historians have unfortunately taken Sir Wm. Johnson's "Remarks on the Conduct of Col. John Bradsteet" letter to Gen. Gage as sound criticism, which it is not. The enraged Johnson permitted his personal dislike and his resentment for Bradstreet (his usurping of his powers to make treaties)to overwhelm him. It caused him to make rash assumptions and exaggerations. As an example, careful examination of "Bradstreet's Disaster", utilizing only Maj. Wilkins' joural and Mantee's "Late War in America", reveals that virtually every accusation of Johnson's regarding that event is false or exaggerated. It has colored historians' opinions of Bradstreet in a major way ever since.
Gregory Dowd is to be congratulated for his seeing beyond the historically tainted impressions.
short and sweet.......2006-02-13
this fast read is good for understanding the "benign neglect" policy of the British government during the pre-AmerRev period.Traditional interpretatins of the
Proclamation of 1763(which restricted white european settlement west of the Appalachians) blame poor land hungry European settlers for the violation of the treaty and make the British government appear as mediators. Dowd asks the "big question",that is,with all that land and resources and human greed,would the British actually believe the Proclamation Line would mean anything to anyone except the Indian nations in the disputed territories?The answer is no, the Proclamation Line of 1763 was intended as a stalling tactic until the British government could figure out a way to gobble the land west of the Appalachians,legally or at least with little actual cost.White squatters forced the Indians out however before the British government could get their,"greasy paws" on it. Pontiacs'War as i interpret Dowd, is a sideshow, though interesting and tragic to the coming of the American Revolution.After reading the book I was reminded of a warning that an American Indian gave to fellow Americans at a convention,he said,"You Americans better keep a close watch on your immigration policy,cause us Indians sure didn't"!!!!!
Good Analysis of Pontiac's War...With Reservations.......2004-03-05
Gregory Dowd's "War Under Heaven" is a decent scholarly analysis of the Indian conflict popularly known as Pontiac's War, that bloody uprising against the British along the Eastern frontier in the years immediately after the end of the French and Indian War. Pontiac's War was a result of many factors following France's defeat in the contest for North America, most of which surrounded the uncertainy of the Indians future in an empire now controlled by the British, who unlike the French before them, did not generally look upon the Indians with favor. The result of this uncertainy of status and spirituality led to an especially sanguinary confrontation between the Indians and their British neighbors, or as the Indians saw them, overlords.
Dowd questions the traditionally accepted causes of the war, especially the conclusions of authors like Francis Parkman and Howard Peckham, which placed the ultimate causes of the war at the feet of General Jeffery Amherst and his anti-Indian policies of witholding presents and weapons from the tribes, materials that they had not only come to expect as a matter of course, but were now wholely dependent on for their survival. Dowd attempts to draw a connection to the role of the Delaware Prophet Neolin and his influence on Pontiac and the other western tribes as they struggled to maintain their lifestyle in the face of a an uncertain future. The author maintains that the question of Indian status and prestige lie at the root of the conflict as the Indians tried to keep the balance between themselves and the British which they had always enjoyed with their previous allies, the French. He also attempts to enhance the role played by the spiritual aspect of the war, showing that Pontiac and his followers were greatly influenced by the teachings of the Delaware Prophet and his message of a return to native technologies and lifeways and a rejection of white influence. This is definately not a military history of the war so much as an analaysis of the causes and outcomes of Pontiac's War and the way Indian-white relations evolved over the course of the years 1760-1765.
While the book is well written and researched, I had some serious reservations with some of the conclusions Dowd draws. For one thing, Dowd seriously downplays the significance of Henry Bouquet's success at the Battle of Bushy Run, claiming it was more a draw than the important victory most historians make it out to be. He also downplays the importance of Bouquets expedition into the Ohio Country in 1764, a march that is usually credited with having ended the war and eliciting proclamations of peace from the Ohio tribes. Here Dowd implies that far from cowing the tribes, Bouquet forms a shaky peace with the yet hostile native enemies whom he knows he can not best in open combat.
The biggest problem, however, lies with his almost revisionist treatment of Colonel John Bradstreet's expedition to Detroit which took place simultaneously with Bouquet's march. Historians from Francis Parkmen to Fred Anderson have characterized Bradstreet's expedition as an unqualified disaster. Bradstreet disobeyed his orders from Gage to attack the Shawnee and Delaware villages along the Scioto and attempted to create his own ill-conceived peace accord with the Ohio tribes in a clear affront to his nemesis William Johnson. Bradstreet is generally remembered by history as being the conqueror of Fort Frontenac during the late war with France, but here he proves himself to be an ambitious yet incompetent bungler who's greatest affront comes at Detroit when, enraged at Pontiac's absence from a peace council Bradstreet has called with the disaffected tribes, the colonel proceeds to tomahawk to bits a peace belt Pontiac has sent in his stead, an act that one historian has compared to a diplomat spitting on a proposed peace treaty. Bradstreet also unwisely sends poor Captain Thomas Morris on a fool's errand up the Maumee and Washbash Rivers, into the lion's den so to speak, in an attempt to bring Pontiac to the peace table. Along the way Morris is beaten and nearly burned at the stake by hostile Indians, only to escape to Detroit in failure, angering a deluded Bradstreet by presenting undeniable evidence that the peace he believes he has forged is a total fraud. Bradstreet then leaves Detroit in disgust, is angered further by the Indians failure to show up with prisoners at Sandusky as promised, and then proceeds to abandon half his force on his return to Niagara after many of his bateauxs are foolishly sunk in a storm on Lake Erie when he fails to take the necessary precautions to protect his men and equipment. Dowd, however, portrays Bradstreet as an unsung hero, a man maligned by his superiors who are angered by his mission's lack of bloodshed and chastisement. Whether or not this is an accurate view of Bradstreet is questionable, but Dowd seems to support much of the rest of his arguements soundly.
Scholarly and Accessible.......2003-01-02
I am going to offer a rave review, (admittedly of a favorite period), and want to disclaim the need for a disclaimer --- I do not know the author or have any connection to his University or publisher.
Gregory Dowd can hardly be accused of writing inaccessible history only to other historians on an obscure topic. The linkages in British Colonial Indian policy between the end of the French and Indian War and the Revolution are interesting in their own right. This account covers all perspectives, dealing with French attitudes; Pontiac's turbulent, adroit yet ultimately unpopular leadership; and above all the cultural and emotional influences at work in the era. Not merely about Pontiac's War, this work is aptly subtitled: Pontiac, The Indian Nations and the British Empire.
Of particular import is Dowd's sophisticated analysis of British policy paralleled with a sober yet, when appropriate, complimentary account of the methods of the Indian Nations. Dowd provides new insight in his focus on the issue of status and dignity as a motivating factor in Pontiac's War -- without ever collapsing into easy platitudes on the plight of Native Americans. Wholistic in the best sense of the word, the impact of Indian religion and its interaction with Christianity is also assessed.
Expert, well written, well researched, non-polemic; War Under Heaven, also offers seamless assessments of the work of other historians.
The fact that Dowd accomplishes so much in just 275 pages of text is a testament to good writing and the tightness of the text. Just as accessible to newcomer as to student of the era.
Average customer rating:
- Gabriel: War in Heaven
- Great read!
- Simple bt beautiful
- Wonderful book that tells a Wonderful Story!
- Don't waste your money!
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Gabriel: The War In Heaven (Gabriel - God's Hero)
Ellen Gunderson Traylor
Manufacturer: Port Hole Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Noah
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Jerusalem - City of God Book One
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Mark: Eyewitness
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Song of Abraham
ASIN: 0970027486 |
Customer Reviews:
Gabriel: War in Heaven.......2007-07-14
I love Ellen Gunderson Traylors writing and have almost all her books.
This is a well writen book, but not one of her best. Never the less, even her not so good books are far better than the average writer. worth buying but get all her other stuff first, especailly Jerusalem!
Great read!.......2007-05-31
I love everything this author puts out. This book is no exception. I call it and anointed imaginaton.
Simple bt beautiful.......2007-04-26
I loved this book. It is a very easy read first of all, something one can do in a single sitting almost. The imagery of Heaven and especially of God on his throne with the Son and the Spirit. A beacon of glorious light. This is just as I imagine it. Thanks Ellen for a wonderful story, I'm halfway through Noah now and also enjoying it.
Wonderful book that tells a Wonderful Story!.......2006-03-22
Before God created Man, he created the Angels. This book tells a wonderful story on how PRIDE can blind anyone and lead them into Sin. Just as God gave us free will to choose to follow Him, He gave that to Angels first. Before Man fell, one third of the Angels fell first and this wonderful book gives us insight into how freedom to choose between following God and trusting in Him, or our own arrogant pride causes us to turn from the Lord. Don't get caught up on how Angels were created, or thinking how can one know what happened in Heaven, but focus on the story that if we trust in the Lord and choose to follow Him, that his Love is eternal. I can't wait to read the next installment of this story by this outstanding author!
Don't waste your money!.......2006-02-21
It is hard for me to believe that the same person who wrote "Song of Abraham" wrote this book. I'm sorry to be so negative, but this book was so bad that I was embarassed for the writer. Do not even contemplate for a second whether or not to buy this book. It is TERRIBLE. It's written as if the reader was 7 years old, with the most implausible, far-fetched scenarios one could have dreamt up! For example, the angels are "born" as suddenly just appearing in some sort of birthing field, where they just appear and see they have hands and know they are beautiful. Unfortunately, they apparently aren't too smart and speak like 5 year olds. Oh, it's terrible. That's all I can say. I wish I could get my money back.
Average customer rating:
- A Modern Russian Tragedy
- Rich Characters
- The man can WRITE.
- Tightly written! A good read.
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Flames of Heaven
Ralph Peters
Manufacturer: Stackpole Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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The Devil's Garden
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ASIN: 0811726843 |
Book Description
A novel years ahead of its time, set in the final days of the Soviet Union and heralding the birth of the new Russia, this dark but finally transcendent novel proved controversial when first issued in the United States, but went on to sell out multiple editions in Russia and the states of Eastern Europe, where it was considered the finest and most accurate novel written by anyone about the human tragedies and triumphs at the end of the communist empire. Now available in trade paperback, Flames of Heaven follows the intertwined fates of a cynical artist squandering his talent, a failed-idealist veteran of Afghanistan, a stunning Central Asian beauty, and a young woman for whom religious faith is her only certainty. This is one of the enduring novels of our time.
Customer Reviews:
A Modern Russian Tragedy.......2002-04-26
Peters does it again. A magnificent combination of strong characters and geopolitical reality and a fine primer on the political importance of Uzbekistan that was written nearly a decade before 9/11.
Rich Characters.......2002-04-09
This book may be in the wrong category. I would not really place it in the action group becuase it is a display of a deep character driven novel. It is really a very interesting look at this difficult time for Russian's. It was also much more enjoyable then I thought it would be. The descriptions of the locations and main home were very good. I also liked the characters that were created. They had depth and feeling, not just scratch the surface to fill pages. The book is not the feel good hit of the year, it does had a rich plot that you need to keep up with, but the author rewards your efforts with a masterly written book. I think when it comes down to it that is the strength here, the writing is just very good, a lot of feeling comes out.
The man can WRITE........2001-12-19
The prologue. Ralph Peters gives you the perspective, the eyesight, of a Soviet Third Shock Army officer stationed in East Germany, 1989. Inside the Magdeberg headquarters, you drink vodka with the Russion generals. You smell the stink of their fear-sweat. You hear their outrage and lack of understanding as the East Germans protest down the streets against them. Against you.
Ralph Peters gets you so close to them, you not only feel the scratchy wool of their uniforms, but when word comes that the locals are tearing down the Berlin Wall... it hits you with the same end-of-the-world kidney punch as it must have hit real-life Soviet officers.
And that's just the first few pages. Next up, we have exotic locals, both hot and cold, intrigue, plots, Islamic terror, and some of the hottest (...romance) to ever land on the pages of a hardcover novel.
Plus the usual heaping dose Ralph Peters of tragedy.
Beg, borrow, buy, or steal this book.
Tightly written! A good read........1998-10-03
Since Peters came out with Red Army, I have read all of his works. I have enjoyed them all, but this is his best to date.
Average customer rating:
- I loved it !
- A good book, in spite of what others may say.
- Really faceless
- Memoir from one who was not an ace.
- I regret ever buying this "book'"!!!!
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Heaven Next Stop: A Luftwaffe Fighter Pilot at War
Gunther Bloemertz
Manufacturer: Sutton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0750920548 |
Book Description
Bloemertz describes life on the squadron, his fellow pilots and their almost daily dogfights with RAF Spitfires and USAAF Flying Fortresses. His squadron was eventually forced to retreat into Germany after the Allied advances following the D-Day landings in the summer of 1944. During the desperate fighting for Normandy he was shot down between the Allied and German front lines, and tells of his subsequent rescue under fire by his companions flying a light reconnaissance plane. Bloemertz concludes his story by relating the part he played as a fighter pilot defending the crumbling Third Reich in its final death throes in 1945.
Customer Reviews:
I loved it !.......2006-08-03
Wow tough crowd.I bought my copy off e bay for $20 ...got it yesterday in the mail and could not put it down.While it does not have a lot of technical info ,dates ,names etc I found it to be an exciting personal account of the final year of airwar over the Western front.I reccomend it to anyone interested in first person German Memoirs.
A good book, in spite of what others may say........2006-06-19
I just finished this book, having borrowed it from my school library. I was pretty well annoyed at the resonses of some of the other, short-sighted reviews to be found here and felt compelled to tell you the truth. In short, this is a very good, honest book detailing the experiences of "another face in the croud", if you will. Bloemertz was a German fighter pilot who risked his life on a daily basis flying for what he believed in... the protection of his homeland. He was not an idealist by any means. He only did his best to try and stem the tide of bombers raining death and ruin upon his country. No, this book isn't the best written piece of literature... rather it reads like a diary. The words are true, heartfelt, and honest. Although some of the previous reviewers seem to expect every author to be Tolkien or Hemmingway, this book is very well written considering the fact that Bloemertz was an ordinary man trapped in extraordinary circumstances. I hope that you'll read it, lest the truth of human suffering be forgotten.
Really faceless.......2002-09-23
Yes, the Germans lost hundreds of faceless young fighter pilots in WW II, mainly in the final years (44/45). But I think Bloemertz must have been really "faceless", because he gave us absolutely no hint about where he was fighting, which unit he was fighting, who were his pals, NOTHING!!!! Some anonymous writer could have written this.
I understand that this is kind of poetry, but it's a frustratingly poor reading. I do not recommend it to anyone!
Memoir from one who was not an ace........2002-08-25
What went on in the minds of those teen-agers and young men who took to their fighters and tried to stop the aerial juggernaught that was the eighth air force and the RAF? Translated to English in the fifties, "Heaven Next Stop" offers us a valuable insight. Thousands upon thousands of young German Luftwaffe pilots were shot down in their fighters on the Western front. Few survived the war, and even fewer of those were accomplished aces. "Heaven Next Stop" is the story of one of those faceless thousands of young men who made up the 90% of the German Fighter Force - men who rarely scored in combat, and had enough trouble just surviving their encounters with Allied aircraft.
If you are looking for a detailed history about an "ace", full of pertinent unit and pilot data, this is not it. This is a young man's overall impressions on his wartime experiences, at times more concerned with his personal life and relationships with his friends than with statistics and his combat performance. Bloemertz despairs as his comrades disappear from the squadron almost daily, and his countrymen are obliterated in their cities; all victims of the constant grind of aerial combat at the hands of the ever-increasing Allied formations.
If you've read your share of WW2 Pilot memoirs I think you'll find this book both interesting and refreshing, portraying almost a bystander's view of a front-line Luftwaffe unit on the Western Front.
I regret ever buying this "book'"!!!!.......2001-12-08
simply put, the worst air combat narrative I've ever read. It lacks facts, it lacks characters,... enough! Even remembering its flaws to write this review makes me angry!!!
Customer Reviews:
Vivid descriptions of daily WWI experiences.......1999-04-09
Mr. Finan was able to take an interesting approach to the diary entries of Flash Ranger Pfennig during WWI. Although some of the entries are not very extensive, Mr. Finan fills in the voids with great descriptions of what was happening during that time period during the war. His descriptions of the ships as they crossed the sea had me dodging torpedos in my mind. The vivid decriptions of the coloring and geometric figures on the ships made me feel like I was actually riding across the Atlantic. This book will step you through the WWI experience and will touch on the small intimate experiences in the daily lives of a soldier.
The experience of war.......1999-03-22
It is a pleasure to see a micro-history book written by a first time author with such grace and precision. Finan has created a work which, unlike traditional battlefield accounts, reflects the nature of war for most participants--the extreme boredom, being disinfected for disease and pests, and the long process of being moved overseas and overland.
What I found amazing about this account is how Finan was able to pull so much information from such a small original document. The only way this can be accomplished successfully is through the skill and ability of the author. Congratulations are due to Finan, and it is hoped both that Crimson Shamrock press continues to print works such as this and that Finan continues to produce history that is so technically sound and utterly enjoyable.
I felt like I was going to war with Clair.......1999-03-11
This book gave me the true experience and insight of what a soldier went through in WWI. The annotations by Mr. Finan added the background and placement to set the diary into context. Very interesting reading!
Book Description
Why is our world a scene of conflict? Is this conflict restricted to earth? What happens in the three ''levels'' of heaven? Does Satan really roam freely throughout the universe? Do Christians have any role in the conflict in the spiritual realm? Prolific author and Bible teacher Derek Prince addresses these questions and more in this carefully researched and superbly written book. Although focusing almost exclusively on the pre-Adamic era, Prince also explains that the Bible is primarily a record of Adam's race rather than a history of the world. He discusses the creation of man, as well as angels, particularly addressing the fall of Lucifer and the angels who joined him in his rebellion against God. Prince concludes that pride, which fueled rebellion, is the root of all sin, and he explains God's eternal plan of salvation. Written with clarity and simplicity, this fascinating book offers readers biblical answers to fundamental questions and reassurance for the future.
Customer Reviews:
Brilliant!.......2006-08-03
Derek Prince is such a brilliant writer. This book is very easy to read but there is so much knowledge and insight written on the pages of this book. Prince has such a gift of disecting every word of scripture and uncovering literal meaning. I am not much of a reader, but this book is awesome!
Spiritual warfare & the Victory over evil........2004-07-04
The book describes that although the Holy Bible tells us everything that we need to know for our spiritual benefit, it leaves many questions open to interpretation. Some of these issues are discussed in this book.
In relation to some of these questions the author provides his own personal interpretation of Scripture which is cited as being based upon the result of study, meditation, prayer and practical experience.
Some individual readers may disagree with the writer's own views but that should not detract from such an excellent work which should in my own opinion be required reading on this particular subject.
From the rebellion of the Adamic/human race in the Garden of Eden described in Genesis, the book discusses both the rebellion of Lucifer (the devil/Satan), warfare in the angelic/spiritual realm, the destiny of man and the provision of man's Salvation through Jesus Christ alongside the ultimate victory over Satan & his demonic realm/purposes.
Many issues are addressed as this extremely well written study progresses including "Why did God allow evil in the first place?", "If evil was defeated at the cross, why does it continue to exist?", "Does spiritual warfare make a difference?" and "How are we to await the end of the age?"
This is indeed an essential study for those interested in spiritual warfare and provides indispensable information on so many relevant matters.
I highly recommend this work and would respectfully propose two other books for additional reference; "Your Adversary, The Devil" by Dwight Pentecost & "The Serpent Of Paradise" by Erwin Lutzer. Thank you for your time.
Not sure about the theology.......2004-05-10
I am not sure about his theology. He says that he belives some type of beings other than humans existed on this plant. He also says that the Bible does not discuss this. The Bible only discusses the human race. So why talk it about it at all? Whether another race existed or not shouldn't be the topic. The book did not have the answers I was looking for and was not a help to me.
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- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
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