Blood Revenge: Family Honor, Mediation and Outcasting

Amazon.com

If you enjoyed W. E. B. Griffin's Honor Bound, you should segue with pleasure into this involving sequel. Set in Buenos Aires in 1943, it follows the adventures of three American soldiers as they think and fight their way through a complex story about Nazi sympathizers, dedicated supporters of the Allied cause, and other people just trying to stay alive. As we've come to expect from his many books about soldiers and cops, Griffin knows how to use the small moments of crime and war to invent a compelling canvas for his solid characters.

Customer Reviews:

A great summer read.......2006-07-08

I make a habit of reading a W.E.B. Griffin book almost every summer. I think they make the perfect beach book. They read easily, hold my attention, and are chock full of historical information. I always enjoy a fiction book where I still feel like I am picking up all sorts of historical info.

This is the second book in the series about the exploits of a former Marine Corps Aviator turned OSS operative in World War II Argentina. Griffin always paints the military in a good light, but he really loves the Marine Corps. His extremely detailed knowledge of the German military makes his Nazi characters feel genuine. It was obvious Griffin spent considerable time in Buenos Aires, since the city and its culture are described in such intimate detail. While he is known as an action writer, most of the 600+ page book is extensive dialogue. The German and Argentine characters speak in a very formal and drawn out manner, which while realistic, often slowed the pace of the book down. Most of the action takes place in the final 150 pages of the book. These were all minor points. It was a great summer read and I look forward to the final book in the series.

Great Adventure.......2006-03-24

Typical WEB Griffin. A wonderful story teller with a great backround in all things military.

H e Makes You Care.......2005-07-26

I get almost annoyed that I get so involved with the characters and plots of Griffin's books.I HATE it when they end,I waited for however long it takes for the sequels.I may not like killing off the good col.Frade,but that's life,and it goes on.I care about the good Germans,like Kurt,fighting their inner battles for their own souls and survival in a world filled with the deadliest of dangers.You can't put a Griffin book down and I guess that is what it was all about.Some I have read more than once.I like the WWII books best.They put me a little in touch with the world that formed my parents lives,as he helped chase the nazis across Europe and my mother worried herself sick at home,while doing her part in the effort.

Great buildup, but to what?.......2004-04-17

I enjoyed this book for the first 700 pages tremendously. However, I soon realized that the only way to wrap up all the complex story lines Griffin offered us, was by a disappointing ending. My worst fears were realized when the book came to a screeching halt. The climax was lackluster at best and entire story lines were completely forgotten. I enjoyed the great character development, however, there were at least 1/2 dozen characters that were completely left hanging when the end came. It was almost as if Griffin had a 723 page limit and was ineffective at providing a successful conclusion to all the plots derived. I was extremely disappointed when I put the book down, and question if I should read any other books by Griffin, despite all the critical acclaim he receives.

Blood & Honor.......2001-07-20

In general, people who review books fall into two categories: (1) "hooked on..." folks (like me), and (2) Self-styled critics, that live to criticize - even if there is nothing to criticise, and they don't even know why they read the book. "Blood & Honor" was another in the ongoing productions of Mr. Griffin that so enthralled all of us "hookies" since the first series. I've read every one, by the way, and can never wait till the next in whichever series arrives for us. Bravo W.E.B. - and please, please continue. Many thanks, Jim Malone

Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor: Prima's Official Strategy Guide

Average customer rating:

Second-worst strategy guide I've ever read!
Not up to Might&Magic VI standards
Very disappointing
badly organized, incomplete
I want my money back!

Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor: Prima's Official Strategy Guide
Tom Ono
Manufacturer: Prima Games
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0761520694
Release Date: 1999-06-16

Amazon.com

Might & Magic VII is the latest title in one of the best and most popular role-playing series available on the PC. Prima's guide to the game is an exhaustive resource that can help you build a balanced party of characters to survive the cruel world of Erathia. You'll find tips for selecting the best mix of character races and classes, along with guidance for effectively assigning skills and skill points to each character. The book also includes maps of each area in the game, both underground and outdoors. Town maps include a list of guilds to join, along with the experts, masters, and grand masters who reside in each locale. Each of the various magic disciplines--along with the spells that go with it--is explained. Also, you'll find a complete bestiary that describes the many types of monsters you can expect to encounter during the game. Walkthroughs are provided for both core and secondary quests. --Mike Fehlauer

Book Description

Detailed guides for every region
Expert advice on party creation and development
Complete skill and spell lists
In-depth walkthroughs for every quest
Essential creature attribute tables

Customer Reviews:

Second-worst strategy guide I've ever read!.......2000-06-08

I'd give it first-worst but frankly it does not deserve first-anything. It IS essential, if only because the manual is so deficient, but that's the best I can say. I've spent almost as much time searching through the guide as I have playing the game. Surely Prima can do better than this.

Not up to Might&Magic VI standards.......2000-05-26

The Maps are to small and poorly organized

Very disappointing.......2000-04-27

This book spends a lot of pages on non-important data, as introduction of every monster and weapon and numerous useful or useless items. However, the most important part, the DETAIL MAP OF EVERY REGION and CAREFULLY ORGANIZED WALKTHROUGH are very, very disappointing. Especially the survey map of every region, it's so slipshod! It uses only one hint to indicate a lot of regions and many houses, so a player get nothing and he MUST continuously play his trial-and-error game to find a special house. The survey maps are so small that you recognize almost nothing. Besides, how can a player use fast key? how to learn magic more fastly? How does a player know this item will be useful, or totally useless so he can sell it out immediately? These are the most crucial points a player wants to know in a RPG game. And although you can find the answer in this book ,but it takes a long time to find where these informations are! . I am for a long time a M&M fan, but I must say that I feel very disappointed at this book.

badly organized, incomplete.......2000-02-10

The back says "In-depth walkthroughs of every quest", but a quick examination reveals that they don't even include information on where to find a couple of the class promotion quests, which are very important. Also, they've organized everything around the regions instead of around the quests, which makes it difficult to find the info you want without accidentally seeing stuff about quests that happen in the same region, but much later in the game.

It's an OK book, and does cover the things that are likely to have you stuck, but the MM6 book was superior in many ways.

I want my money back!.......1999-12-08

One word comes to mind--disgust! This book was poorly written and organized. The maps are microscopic and the walk-throughs are so simplistic as to be condescending. Aren't walk-throughs supposed to be just that--walk throughs? (If it looks like a teleporter, and smells like a teleporter, then it probably is!) The obvioius does not need to be spelled out for me!

Not to mention what little information that _is_ included is incorrect! The author obviously is not a gamer, nor has he played this game. There are no charts to quickly guide you to your destination, nothing to cross reference and the maps are utterly worthless. They should have stuck to the M&M 6 format! Don't bother buying the book--just get what you need online.

Average customer rating:

T.Feret

best mob book ever!!

Blood and No Honor

Quick Read

One of the best books I've read.
Blood and Honor: Inside the Scarfo Mob, the Mafia's Most Violent Family
George Anastasia
Manufacturer: Camino Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Sociology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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Made Men (Seven Brothers)

ASIN: 0940159864

Book Description

Here is the critically acclaimed inside story, now in an expanded edition, about the rise and fall of Philadelphia's notorious Scarfo organization. Blunt and unsparing, it is a first-hand account of murder, money, and corruption told by wiseguy-turned-witness Nick Caramandi, whose testimony put Nicky Scarfo and many of his associates behind bars for the rest of their lives. A prime target for hit men to this day, Caramandi continues to survive only through the government's Witness Protection Program. In this updated edition of Blood and Honor, author George Anastasia picks up the story where he left off, filling us in on the fates of all the characters--major and minor--in recent years.

Customer Reviews:

T.Feret.......2007-05-09

A very informative book and interesting. Since i am locale it sure is mind boggling to know about the mob and how they operated in the Phila. and N.J. areas. Read a lot of books on the mob and this one beats them all on the Scarfo family. Best book I read for a very long time.

best mob book ever!!.......2006-05-09

once you pick this book up, you won't be able to put it down.
I aftoo admit I have a little more interest than your average
reader ,since i was raised in south philly , and I was friends
and enemies with a few of the people. The philadelphia crime family is the most interesting . Starting with Don Angelo Bruno
one of the most powerfull an smartest godfather with illegitimate and legitimate businesses in philly new york,florida, and even London. He was the only godfather outside of ny to sit on the commision in NY .
Once he was murdered ,It was the beginning of the end for philly.

Blood and No Honor.......2006-02-07

"Blood and Honor" is a well-researched account of the Philadelphia/Atlantic City Mafia family headed by Nicky Scarfo. The primary source of the author's information is Nick Caramandi who turned to the witness protection program once he became one of the many people on Nicky Scarfo's hit list. Caramandi is a low-life crook and murderer who claims of duping and robbing only the greedy, not the innocent. However, it is evident that anyone from whom he could make a dollar was fair game. For example, the young pharmacist he scammed didn't know that Caramdi was connected and eventually committed suicide once he knew he was in over his head. Nicky Scarfo was the volatile and paranoid Family boss who killed his most loyal people one-by-one at the slightest bit of perceived threat. The story of this family and Caramdi's account of the events are interesting and gripping at times. This Mafia Family could be described as backstabbing, violent, disorganized, and greedy, but not the "most violent". Anyone interested in the most violent family of organized crime, should read the "Murder Machine" which describes in great detail the brutal murders committed by Roy Demeo's gang - a faction of the Gambino crime family. Finally, there are so many names mentioned in "Blood and Honor" that the who-and-what of the story is sometimes hard to follow. Had the author not included a special section for the names of the people involved, the story would've been even harder to follow.

All in all, "Blood and Honor" is an interesting book for those interested in factual accounts of Organized Crime.

Quick Read.......2005-09-06

the book makes you feel like you are there.Awesome book and a quick read!I went through it in 2 days on the beach.

One of the best books I've read........2003-02-01

This is the book which got me started reading mob books. If ever there was a book written from the street level perspective of organized crime this is it. Caramandi and Anastasia have it down, scam to scam, hustle to hustle, score to score that a mobster makes just to stay afloat when he's starting out. Then as the Crow starts to move up in the criminal ladder he launches into long stories about mafia politics and the power struggles and the jealousy and the double cross that was his every day life for 10 years.. It's absolutely fascinating stuff. It's worth every penny one pays for it. I've read it four times.

Average customer rating:

Return to the World of the Blue Moon
Green can do no Wrong!
A fun read
A wonderful blending of fantasy, humour and sheer cynicism.
the best there is!

Blood and Honor
Simon R. Green
Manufacturer: Roc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0451452429

Customer Reviews:

Return to the World of the Blue Moon.......2004-08-27

The Great Jordan is an actor who has seen better days. But just when things seem to be at their worst, he is commissioned for a special role. He is to stand in for Prince Viktor who is currently under the weather. Viktor is the middle of three brothers in a small kingdom where the king has recently died. Palace politics would not allow him to seem weak at this time. Jordan agrees to the role.

Jordan is enchanted to look and sound like the prince and is schooled in the ways of the castle and family. But the castle is not an ordinary castle. It is Castle Midnight and it sits on a site where the real and unreal are very close. Without a proper king on the throne, the unreal becomes stronger and tries to break though completely. Add to that the plots and counterplots of the other princes, Regent, and supporting cast and Jordan realizes that this is not an easy role.

Another fine book related to Blue Moon Rising and the Hawk and Fisher books. The action is non-stop and the mysteries keep the reader guessing right up until the end. A fun and serious fantasy.

Green can do no Wrong!.......2001-05-30

Once again Simon Green has given us another of his long line of very entertaining stories.This one concerns a down on his luck actor who agrees to become through magic of course to be stand in for ailing Prince Viktor.The actor,Jordan soon regrets his decision as he enters the sinister Castle Midnight where the real battle the terrifying unreal and he must match wits with Viktor's evil brothers, Lewis and insane sorcerer Dominic and their various henchmen.This novel has scenes of terrifying menace as the characters battle monsters and other creepy things thrown at them from barriers of the Unreal and there are scenes of lethal court intrigue and machivellian manuvers as each brother plots against one and another and no one is what they seem to be and no one can be trusted! A gripping fantasy novel set in the same world as Green's Blue Moon Rising.This novel also has ingenious murder mystery as you try to unravel who killed King Malcolm to gain the throne.The various villians like murderous Prince Lewis and dangerously insane Dominic were quite memorable as with some of the female characters as brave steward, Catriona Taggart, ruthless Lady Elizabeth and Viktor's ambitious Lady Heather were also great.Add this novel as feather in Green's cap as one of the most entertaining sf/fantasy author in the market today!

A fun read.......2000-05-17

This is one of two works by Green that I've truly enjoyed, a well put together piece that combines fantasy and mystery.

Green has a very direct writing style that's well-suited for the frequent action going on, making it easy to read although you may occasionally wish for a more descriptive flair. (Then again, there are some gruesome bits I most definately would not want more detail on.)

In fact, he has a rather direct style in all things. His setting I found a bit simplistic but adequate, especially his system of magic (there are four royal children, each with an elemental gift: fire, water, earth, and air--a little too tidy and democratic for me). His dialogue is actually very modern, which again makes for easy reading but prevents this from becoming true high fantasy. (Not that I think that's what he's necessarily aiming for.)

His characters are the true joy in the story, especially the protagonist. His cynicism and wru humor will keep you smiling and rooting for him as he lands himself in the midst of trouble: impersonating a prince whose father was murdered, with the prince's permission--but not necessarily the acceptance of everyone else.

Things wrap up quite neatly, without any niggling loose ends. It's a fairly quick read that should tide you through any rainy day, but I won't award any literary merit to the author. Enjoy it for what it is: a light, amusing read.

A wonderful blending of fantasy, humour and sheer cynicism........1999-06-01

I would like to say that this is the best fantasy book I have ever read ( beleive me I`ve worked my way through quite a few ) and am very surprised that this didn`t immediatly become a bestseller. It has all the twists and turns, magic and politics, humour and sheer bloody mindedness of masterpiece.

The hero ( if you could call him such ) is a complex yet lovable rogue who is thrust into the world of demons and politics when he`s hired to impersonate a sickly prince. The king is dead and the three princes are attempting to find his will ( losing it if it doesn`t suit them!) as well as his crown and seal. It soon becomes apparent however that all the princes are willing to go to great lengths, and forge strange alliances to achieve their aims.

The lovable hero twists and turns through the strange politics, magic and assassination attempts with a wonderful droll cynicism which is bound to catch your heart.

Simon R Green`s best work is right here and I`m looking forward to more in this series.

the best there is!.......1999-02-21

I have to admit, I'm absolutely shocked this book didn't become an instant bestseller. This is quite possibly the most well-written, involving, immensely satisfying piece of fantasy fiction I've read, and that's saying a lot. With fascinating characters, a riveting plotline, a dramatic scope, and smooth, vivid writing, all tied together with the classic sword-and-sorcery fantasy element Green captures so well, this book is simply awesome.

Blood and Honor (Star Wars: X-Wing Rogue Squadron, Volume 7)

Average customer rating:

Try To Resist Cutting Off The Last Third With Scissors....
Baron Soontir Fel could be explored more
A sequel that equals
Improved artwork for this Baron Fel story
Baron Fel revealed

Blood and Honor (Star Wars: X-Wing Rogue Squadron, Volume 7)
Michael A. Stackpole , Steve Crespo , Jim Hall , and Gary Marti
Manufacturer: Dark Horse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1569713871

Book Description

Baron Soontir Fel, the greatest fighter ace of the Empire, has been captured by the Rebel Alliance. But from the shadowed recesses of a Rebel interrogation chamber, Fel tells a story of the deception and corruption beneath the Empire`s orderly surface... and sets the stage for his own defection to the Rebellion. This collection concludes the events set in motion in X-Wing Rogue Squadron: In the Empire`s Service.

Customer Reviews:

Try To Resist Cutting Off The Last Third With Scissors...........2004-11-16

That's my review, that title. This TPB makes me want to hunt down the first 2 of the individual issues comprising it. The last third makes me want to hunt down whoever was responsible.

What is the deal with it being printed all the way down into the crease? I don't like bending out the spines of my books. Do I have to do that in order to see all of some panels? Will it then fall apart?

Baron Soontir Fel could be explored more.......2004-01-27

This story takes off from Rogue Squadron No. 6, "In The Empire's Service". In Rogue No. 6, Baron Fel was introduced as the best pilot in the Imperial Navy, commanding the 181st Squadron and have teached the best pilot in the Rebel Alliance, most of them joined the Rogue Squadron. At the end of "In The Empire's Service", Baron Fel was captured, interrogated, and revealed himself to be married to the sister of one of the Rogue's Pilot.

"Blood and Honor" itself is a compilation of "The Making of Baron Fel" and "Family Ties", both pubulished by Dark Horse Comics. In the beginning of "Blood and Honor", Baron Fel told his life story, from his boyhood to his capture. Next, he defect to the Rebellion in return to them securing his family. So, the half part of "Blood and Honor" is about several Rogue Squadron pilots trying to save Fel's Family.

The story of Baron Fel itself is intriguing, since it deals with a military man who ideologically support the Empire, fight for the Empire, but gradually become disillusioned and eventually lose his loyalty.

Baron Fel's story could be more exciting, too bad they doesn't go into much detail on some part of his life. For example, how Baron Fel become disillusioned. Exactly what that makes him decided to joined the Rebellion? They don't covered much detail here. There aren't even a dilemma involved. I would like to read Baron Fel's musing on the thought of defection and reflections on his gradual disloyalty, on how become disillusioned. I believe this is the most important part. Some parts that are not covered are his academy days. What makes him a valedictorian, for example? And what did he do with fellow student Han Solo?

"Family Ties" isn't much too interesting. Perhaps it would be more interesting if Baron Fel's story is made into 3 parts that explore more on Baron Fel's decision to defect, while Family Ties could be shortened into 1 part.

A sequel that equals.......2003-09-30

Following right after In the Empire's Service, Blood and Honor is a comic where interstellar actions takes a temporary backseat for this character-driven tale. From the depths of a debriefing room, now in enemy custody, captured Imperial fighter ace Soontir Fel regales his background---a story of deceit, integrity, romance and inevitability. Dived into two parts---The Making of Baron Fel, and Family Ties---this is one comic that is surprisingly empathic for readers.

The art quality is not the shocking excellence of modern fare, but its elegant simplicity conveys all it needs to and more. Frames are uncluttered with extraneous graphics and colouring adds enough three-dimensional texture to curry assent. Dialogue is handled just as well; both tone and wording are perfectly in keeping with a dignified Imperial naval officer.

Fel recounts his career with an abundance of character cameos from the Star Wars universe. This was an excellent idea, simply because comics are visual books, providing the reader with a rare look of how some people actually look. Many of these guest appearances were names the reader knows but may never have seen in art, like General Derricote, Syal Antilles, Thrawn and Hal Horn.

Palpatine, Tarkin, Isard, Vader and Turr Phennir also cameoed, along with other names from past Rogue Squadron comics. One downside to this fun was Fel's acquaintance with so many of them.

The second half of the trade paperback was Family Ties, where Wedge sends three Rogues to Corellia to safeguard Fel's family from Imperial retaliation over his suspected defection. The art here was not as good as the first half, with frames looking too light in detail. The dialogue, however, is vintage Stackpole. And with three new names for show---Corran, Iella and the bumbling Loor---you could almost imagine it was one of his X-wing books!

It was great to see how Corran and Iella look like, though Loor doesn't have his infamous Tarkin resemblance. Now that Plourr has her hair back, and enough of it, she just looks great. Wondering where Hobbie's "bug bite" comment came from in the X-wing book Starfighters of Adumar, you now know. Just a small discrepancy: CorSec uniforms were green-black, not orange here. The ending here, unfortunately, was just too rushed. An extra page of Corran in his emerald X-wing would have made the difference.

But that notwithstanding, Blood and Honor is one comic you cannot go without for serious readers in the Rogue Squadron series.

Improved artwork for this Baron Fel story.......2003-07-27

This is Vol 6 of the X-Wing saga, and the 2nd of 2 TPB's about Baron fel. Stackpole does the entire story here and we get a new art team of crespo Hall and Johnson with 4 ink and color people.

The pencil work has very few lazy artist panels and only a 2 sections where the ink and coloring fell off so I give the art team a 3.8. Who ever did the pencils in last 25% of the book was a 4plus.

This is a comic, I usually emphasis the visual elements in my grading. But this is the second half of the story of Baron Soontir Fel, the greatest fighter ace of the empire, and for a short time a Rogue, and the guy the Wedges sister marries. This comic is about the story and you will like the story. It is a strong plus that the artwork here is about average.

Baron Fel revealed.......2001-08-16

When Baron Soontir Fel, the greatest pilot of the Imperial forces, is captured by the Rebels, he tells all in the confines of an interrogation cell to Wedge Antilles, the greatest pilot of the Rebellion - also his brother-in-law.

Stackpole brilliantly shows the past carrer of Fel in the Imperial Navy, how he met Syal Antilles, Wedge's sister, and how it comes to be that Fel defects to the Rebels.

The story falls short in the cofusing final third, however. Not much happens and what does happen is very jumbled and not thought through. Then again, Stackpole isn't exactly the Master of the Hidden Plot. But it is well worth its cost in dollars in the first two-thirds; after all, I bought it.

Average customer rating:

Decent Eberron novel
Blood and Honor: The War-Torn, Book 4 (War-Torn)
Graeme Davis
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0786940697
Release Date: 2006-09-12

Book Description

Karrnath, born in war . . .

The daughter of a noble family has gone missing. A proud and ancient house has fallen to ruin. Even the dead are disappearing.

A disgraced exile may be the only one who can save them.

Customer Reviews:

Decent Eberron novel.......2006-09-25

Blood and Honor is part of the stand alone novels being released in the Eberron world from Wizards of the Coast. This book is part of the War-Torn as I mentioned above they are a series of stand alone novels that basically describe how the Last War has affected countless people and the obstacles they must over come, or have over come, to survive

This book is basically two plots woven together. Neither are really strong plot lines, but together they make the story work rather well. The first plot line is that someone is stealing undead warriors before they can be destroyed and selling them, naturally, our heroes take it upon themselves to solve that problem. The second plot line is that a brother is searching for his brother who was lost on the Day of Mourning. When I first started reading this book, if honestly felt like the author had taken a short story plot and stretched it out into a 300 page book. However, once the story got going it flowed well and things began to make sense. It really is a solid book. There is nothing really `special' about it, but it's a solid story that serves its purpose well.

The characters in this book are decent as well. I had hard time connecting with the characters. To me they served their purpose, but didn't add too much to the overall telling of the story. The only character I really developed any real caring about was Brey. The rest were just there. This is not to say that the characters are bad, because they are not. There was simply nothing that stood out for me when reading about the characters. I know the author tried to get them to be special, but it didn't click for me. Also, I was a little disappointed that while the characters seemed to be young, there were also times when they had knowledge that advanced the story but it didn't really make sense them knowing certain things. As I mentioned above, the characters served their purpose in the book, but did not enhance the story all that much for me.

Overall, I did enjoy this novel. It had good flow the wording made it easy to follow along and the plot was broad enough to keep me interested, yet not so big that I got lost. I wish the characters would have stood out more, but that does not hinder the overall enjoyment of this book. I think if you are a fan of Eberron you will enjoy this novel. If you are just getting interested into the Eberron world the War-Torn books are a good place to start. I would probably recommend this book, but it would not be the first book on my list tat I would recommend.

Average customer rating:

Faith can do wonders.
A Hitler Youth's tale of discovering Christ in WW2
Jesus Christ is the only cure for ANY problem there is...
Jesus Christ is the only cure for ANY problem there is...
Blood and Honor

Blood and Honor
Reinhold Kerstan
Manufacturer: Cook Communications Ministries Intl
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0891912738

Customer Reviews:

Faith can do wonders........2007-07-17

I got this book at a local thrift store for about 75 cents. I didn't expect to lie in my bed the entire summer reading, even at 5 o'clock in the morning. It's a real page turner, and is well-written. The end, when he finally escapes the murderous deeds and persecution of the Nazis, is a testament to the fact that faith can do wonders for all people, regardless of nationality. I don't care what religion you are, having ANY faith, rather than no faith at all, can really provide comfort, and for millions of Jews and Europeans of World War II, it did just that. It's a pity this book is out-of-print now. However, I still have my copy, and if anyone wants it, I'd be glad to help them get it.

A Hitler Youth's tale of discovering Christ in WW2.......2004-11-04

This is one of the very best German memoirs of WW2 I've read so far. It is a story told not by a diehard fanatic but a dedicated Christian who was persecuted by his comrades for his religious beliefs while a Hitler Youth member. Most of the story talks not of bloody battles (as the typical memoirs do) but of hard training & indoctrination in Hitler Youth camps. The only "action" that young Reinhold Kerstan saw was when British fighter planes mowed down his comrades with machine-gun fire as they flew past in a brief surprise attack. This was during the war's final days, yet the Hitler Youth was still living strictly by their "Blut und Ehre" (Blood and Honor) motto & didn't accept defeat easily. Kerstan witnessed a decorated German officer being shot to death by a SS officer after the decorated officer made the mistake of saying that Hitler had decieved the German people. This book is a condemnation of Nazism & an inspiration for those who believe God's path is the best one in life. This book is highly recommended not only for history buffs but all readers because of its important message.

Jesus Christ is the only cure for ANY problem there is..........2001-12-08

Wow! Kerstan's book, BLOOD AND HONOR, was one I had read before, but I had forgotten how gripping it is. This book is written from the perspective of a man who looks back over his involvement with the Hitler Youth, and with clearer hindsight, can trace how the process affected him. The book gives an in-depth look at the Hitler Youth movement from an insider. It also illustrates the power of Jesus Christ to protect a child from even the wickedest, most depraved ideologies and instead use him to touch others for good.

The book is excellent for anyone with or without an a fascination for World War II (after reading this book you will probably gain an interest). Kerstan's narrative is well-written with a strong historical base; historians, you most likely can read this without feeling that history has been betrayed, and everyone else should be able to settle back to a delightful read that never borders on the boring. In the forward of my edition of BLOOD AND HONOR, evangelist Billy Graham says about the book, "This is a profoundly moving and inspiring story. It vividly portrays the false promises and deceptions of Nazism, and the despair and struggle for survival that characterized the months immediately after the war. But it is also a true story of forgiveness and healing...Most of all, it is a powerful testimony to the faithfulness and grace of God. May God use this book to show each of us the importance of living for Christ each day..."

Kerstan tells readers of his life as a young German boy who has been moved to a school in Czechoslovakia because of a wartime evacuation. As a Baptist preacher's son, he was "trained up in the way he should go." His parents faithfully taught him Scripture, that he and all mankind are sinners who deserve not heaven, but hell for our unrighteous deeds, and that God loved mankind enough to send his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to bear the punishment for our sins by dying on the cross. Reinhold was taught that Jesus fulfilled God's will by then rising from the dead, and that this one sacrifice opened the way for all mankind to be saved from God's wrath; all one must do to receive the eternal life provided by Jesus is to ask Jesus for it, "confess with thy mouth," and then believe "in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Reinhold had believed this and had given his life to Jesus Christ. However, the defining moment for German boys was to be inducted into the prestigious Hitler Youth, where the boys were to pledge their lives and blood to Adolf Hitler, the madman whom they were taught to revere as a deity. And revere him they did--except at times, when what Reinhold had been taught by his parents and what the Nazis said were in total oppostition. And so, as a proud young German, he tried to separate his two lives to please his leaders and the other boys who were also being trained in the athiestic regime. After persecution of his own, however, Kerstan realized that he might as well live for his Savior, Jesus. After this decision, he began to see miraculous changes. (...)

Jesus Christ is the only cure for ANY problem there is..........2001-12-08

After reading this book, it is very difficult to walk away without a renewed grasp of the grace of God to help his children obey him even in the most difficult circumstances. (...)

Blood and Honor.......1999-12-11

I enjoyed this book. I think people of all ages would enjoy BLOOD AND HONOR. It is about the hardships that young boy went through. He was a Christian and a Nazi, which created a conflict. All of his friends were Nazis and they were taught to hate Christianity. Some parts at the end were disturbing but other than those few parts it was a good book. Of course if you want to find out the ending you will have to read it for yourself.

Women of the Year: Ten Fillies Who Achieved Horse Racing's Highest Honor

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HOW DARE THEY
Superb profiles of the ten fillies named Horse of the Year.

Women of the Year: Ten Fillies Who Achieved Horse Racing's Highest Honor
Staff and Correspondents of The Blood-Horse Magazine
Manufacturer: Eclipse Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Sports | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1581501161

Book Description

Women of the Year profiles the ten fillies and mares that have earned Horse of the Year honors in American racing.

Customer Reviews:

HOW DARE THEY.......2007-06-16

How dare they NOT include ruffian in this book!!!! She is by far the best filly to EVER set foot on a track!!!! That is HORRIBLE!!!!

Superb profiles of the ten fillies named Horse of the Year........2004-11-25

Horse of the Year, the most prestigious of the Eclipse Awards, is an honor that traditionally goes to male horses. There is no rule that says this has to be so, but year after year it is nearly always won by a colt. Only ten fillies and mares in the history of American racing have managed to come away with the title. Those ten outstanding females are profiled here in yet another excellent book put out by the staff of "The Blood Horse."

Official voting for Horse of the Year honors was not begun until 1936, after the eras of the first four fillies included in the book. Miss Woodford, Imp, Beldame, and Regret are, nevertheless, said to have earned the equivalent of the title based upon the general consensus of the racing world at the times they ran. They are included in what is considered a "legitimate, although unofficial, list of champions dating back . . . to 1870," compiled by then-editor of "The Blood Horse" Kent Hollingsworth in 1970 (pg. 8).

Miss Woodford, the first filly to earn the Horse of the Year title, was also the first and so far only female to be accorded the honor twice, in both 1883 and 1884. Her career earnings of $118,270 also made her the first horse of either gender to earn more than $100,000 in America. Of 48 lifetime starts, she won 37, placed second seven times, and third twice. By the end of her career she had earned the equivalent of seven Eclipse Awards - "one division title for each of the five years she raced and two Horse of the Year honors" (pg. 28), proving her a truly phenomenal athlete even by today's standards.

Imp, nicknamed the "Coal Black Lady," next earned the title in 1899. A homely-looking mare, and the daughter of parents who each raced only once, Imp herself started in an astonishing 171 races, placing in the top three in 126 of them. She was also the first mare to win the $10,000 Suburban Handicap. Imp was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 1965, more than five decades after her death in 1909.

Beldame, for whom the grade I Beldame Handicap is named, captured the Horse of the Year title in 1904. Bred and owned by August Belmont II, who also bred the great Man O'War, she was the second female to win the Suburban Handicap, and was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 1956.

Regret was named Horse of the Year for 1915. She was raced only lightly - her heaviest season was in 1917 with four starts, but she attained champion status in three out of the four seasons she ran, winning nine out of eleven starts. Even more impressive, Regret was the first of only three fillies to win the Kentucky Derby (Genuine Risk would win it in 1980, and Winning Colors in 1988). Her two losses were to male horses. She was never beaten by another filly.

Twilight Tear was the first filly to be officially voted Horse of the Year, named in 1944. Her career accomplishments include winning the Pimlico Special against the colt Devil Diver, in which she matched Seabiscuit's stakes record of 1:56 3/5, and also besting stablemate and Kentucky Derby winner Pensive.

Busher earned the title the very next year, in 1945. She won 15 of her 21 career starts, placed second three times, and third once. Busher won both the Arlington and Washington Park Handicaps against colts, conceding weight to all opponents. Her win in the Washington Park also brought the defeat of 1947 Horse of the Year Armed.

Moccasin earned Horse of the Year honors in 1965. The 16 hand, 1 3/4 inch filly broke her maiden by eight lengths and entered every subsequent race of her career as the odds-on favorite. She won eight of eight starts in 1965, and is the first and only female to win the Horse of the Year title at age two.

All Along, named in 1983, was the first European to be voted American Horse of the Year. In 1982 she won the Arc de Triomphe in her native France, only 1/10 second off the record time. The author states: "By the end of 1983, All Along had become the most popular French female to grace the shores of America since Brigitte Bardot" (pg. 131). She was also the leading money-winning filly of her time, earning over $3 million.

Lady's Secret, nicknamed the "Iron Lady," earned the title in 1986. She racked up 22 career stakes wins, won the Fall Triple in New York in two consecutive years, and distinguished herself as the first female Whitney Handicap winner since Gallorette in 1948. She was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 1992.

Azeri rounds out the group, her 2002 Horse of the Year title making her the most recently named filly. She is the only one of the ten who never ran against males, but she nevertheless proved herself by winning a string of eleven graded stakes races in a row, including a five-length victory in the Breeder's Cup Distaff. She is the first horse to win the Apple Blossom Handicap three years in a row, and is also the richest American female racer of all time (the book lists her second to Spain, but she now has the lead with over $4 million).

Each profile was contributed by a different author, but each is well-written and the book as a whole remains solid and engaging. Also included is information on ancestors' and offspring's accomplishments, pedigrees, and numerous great photos. At the end is a full list of past performances for each horse, excepting Azeri who was still in training at the time of publication. "Women of the Year" is a quick and easy but fascinating read, and I'd highly recommend it to any Thoroughbred racing fan.

Ancient Blood: Day of Honor #1 (Star Trek The Next Generation)

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An astounding surprise.
A lot of Star Trek fiction is rather derivative..
A must read book for any serious Klingon fan
A superb beginning to the Day of Honor series
Gag me with holodecks and blood...

Ancient Blood: Day of Honor #1 (Star Trek The Next Generation)
Diane Carey
Manufacturer: Star Trek
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0671002384

Book Description

To true Klingon warriors, no occasion is more sacred than the Day of Honor, when they pay homage to all that makes them Klingon. But honor demands its price.... Worf finds his honor tested when he goes undercover to infiltrate a planetary criminal network. How can he root out the corruption on Sindikash without resorting to deceit and treachery himself? Worf's dilemma is shared by his son Alexander, who searches for the true meaning of honor in his own human heritage. Along with his son, Worf must confront deadly danger -- and the inner struggles of his Klingon soul.

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Customer Reviews:

An astounding surprise........2003-07-25

I have never been a fan of Klingons, or their claims to honor. I have never been a fan of subplots in holosuites. I have never been a fan of the writing of Diane Carey.

So imagine my surprise when I say, this is not only (by far) the best-written novel by Diane Carey that I have ever read (she only got over-cute with her word choice twice in the entire book; usually, she ruins the effect of her otherwise acceptable writing by trying desperately for "clever" and managing only "wrong", every few pages) but may well be the absolute best Star Trek story I've ever read, by any author, from any series; Worf was handled quite well, his claims that "Klingons don't behave that way; it would be dishonorable" are thoroughly debunked by the fact that the other Klingons do, indeed, behave "that way"; the holodeck subplot involving Picard and Alexander in a holoprogram set during the American Revolutionary War managed, in spite of my general dislike for the holodeck as a plot device, to be quite compelling, and the various dillemmas involving honor were most assuredly not stock situations, but involved a great deal of very careful work on the part of the author to make the ethical questions murky and challenging. The subplot in the holodeck had perhaps the best representation of the legitimate points of view of a loyal British soldier during the Revolution that I've ever seen, and the fact that the focus of that story was on an "aristocratic redcoat", rather than a more standard "valiant rebel" was a marvellous concept.

I cannot say enough about how marvellous this book is.

A lot of Star Trek fiction is rather derivative.........2003-05-28

..most involving either the crew or selected members of it to solve some kind of crisis. And that was the feeling that I was getting when reading this book. The Day of Honor series crosses over four Star Trek series (ST, TNG, DS9, VGR) with a central theme, being the titular Day of Honor, the most important day in the Klingon calendar where "they pay homage to all that makes them Klingon." While Worf is working undercover as part of a planetary criminal network, his son Alexander is exploring one of his human ancestors on the holodeck with Captain Picard in tow. The book switches between the two locales, so there are two stories going on at the same time.

But as I said earlier, a lot of Star Trek fiction just doesn't appeal to me. Maybe because it just keeps getting churned out month after month you get saturated by it. And these big inter-series crossover events happen once a year as well. So I really cannot recommend this book.

A must read book for any serious Klingon fan.......2002-12-09

This book does justice to the Day of Honor. It gives you an excellent perspective into Worf in the course of doing so. Some perople think it's too bloody, but what did you expect from a book about Klingons? Peace and love? I think not. If you want a good perspective into Klingons - GET THIS BOOK! You won't be disappointed. Qapla'!

A superb beginning to the Day of Honor series.......2002-06-14

This was a great book that took the reader to an unexpected era. It's quite clear that the author has of love for sailing and historic vessels. She found a wonderful way to intertwine the 18th and 24th centuries. It was great to see Alexander make it into a book as well. Some minor portions of the book were a little hard to swallow, however, if Trek readers want reality they should stick with non fiction. Thank you to Diane Carey for a wonderful story.

Gag me with holodecks and blood..........2000-07-26

This is a book that really didn't need to exist. I was hoping for a great book about Klingons. Instead it portrayed them as a more bloody and savage race than ever before. And the revolutionary war side plot was distracting and unhelpful. It distracted Picard at a time when he could have been saving lives. Don't bother to read this one!

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