Book Description
Retitled from Nations in Darkness, this classic continues its exploration of the relationship triangle of three superpowers: China, Russia, and the United States. Stoessinger frames the dynamics of these constantly-evolving linkages in terms of how each perceives the others. This edition significantly reworks material on the former Soviet Union. Stoessinger chronicles the undoing of the Soviet Union and relates its ongoing efforts at the establishing of a true democracy while also reexamining China's "Old Guard" and speculating on the emergence of new forces and new directions there.
Customer Reviews:
More Information Than You Can Handle.......2006-03-06
I read Stoessinger's book for an International Relations course at college. Though Sotessinger was less "wordy" than other authors, he certainly packed this book full of information. Though under 400 pages, this book contained more information, anecdotes, and facts than the rest of my texts combined. In fact, my only criticism of this book is that it is easy to get bogged down in the details. However, I would recommend this strongly to anyone interested in, or studying, US relations with China and Russia.
Plethora of information!.......2000-03-28
This work was a lifesaver! Stoessinger presents important information that I was unable to find in any other book located in the local university library. This book, which is used by many universities as a text book was extremely useful in my research studies of American foreign relations with China and Russia. Stoessinger I thank you!
Amazon.com Audiobook Review
Book 3 of the Han Solo trilogy, Rebel Dawn tells the tale of young Han from his winning of the Millennium Falcon from Lando Calrissian in a sabacc tournament to his fateful meeting in the Mos Eisley cantina with Luke and Obi-Wan. Along the way, Han gets his first taste of the Rebel Alliance, and runs afoul of Jabba the Hutt--which comes back to haunt him later. Performer David Pittu's delivery is quiet and controlled, relying more on the sound effects and John Williams's music from the Star Wars Trilogy films for dramatic effect. At times, Pittu's voice is positively deadpan--perhaps allowing the listener to find his own humor in events such as the Wookiee betrothal ceremony (FYI: it involves the male Wookiee killing a small Kashyyykan animal and offering it to the female. If she bites into its soft underbelly, she has accepted the proposal). Ah, romance. (Running time: 3 hours, 2 cassettes) --C.B. Delaney
Book Description
Here is the explosive conclusion of the blockbuster trilogy that chronicles the never-before-told story of the young Han Solo. Set before the Star Wars(r) movie adventures, these books chronicle the coming-of-age of the galaxy's most famous con man, smuggler, and thief.
The Millennium Falcon is "the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy." So when Han Solo wins it in a game of sabacc, he and Chewbacca become kings of the smugglers--uncatchable, unstoppable. But with the Empire clamping down, Han knows his luck can't last. Still, when an old girlfriend who is now the leader of an insurgent Rebel group offers him a shot at an incredible fortune, Han can't resist. The plan seems a sure thing. The resistance will be light and the take enormous. Han and his friends will divide it equally with the Rebels. Too bad for Han that the planet of Ylesia is far from a pushover, that the Rebels have an agenda of their own, and that smuggler friends can often turn into enemies...quicker than lightspeed.
Customer Reviews:
"The Beginning....".......2007-06-28
A GREAT finish to the wonderful Han Solo Trilogy by A.C. Crispin. Alot happens in this book and questions are answered, gaps are filled, and even more insight is given to what makes Han Solo, as we've come to know him through the original set of movies, tick.
A few great things about this book...There's plenty of Boba Fett, Chewbacca AND Lando Calrissian.
What else is really cool about this read is that Crispin ties in several other stories with this book. She tides in the Han Solo trilogy of books into this one. Don't worry, if you haven't read them (I only read At Stars End, currently but am moving on to the next two) you won't be lost. It also ties in the events from the Lando Calrissian Adventures, which I have yet to read (but they're on the way). So, basically this book ties up things that happened from the first book, the second book as well as six other books that are centered around Han and Lando. Crispin did her homework on this one.
There's alot of Hutt scheming and politics in this book as well, just like it's predecessor the Hutt Gambit (another fantastic read) and those were alot of fun to read. You really get a sense of how they operate and what the Hutts are really all about from reading this Trilogy.
I'm sad that I finished all three books in such short order quite frankly, but I couldn't put them down. I would like to see A.C. Crispin come back to the Star Wars universe as she's got a great handle on the characters and the nuances of the galaxy far far away that Lucas created 30 years ago.
I can't recommend this book and the whole trilogy for that matter, highly enough! GREAT trilogy!.
Best of the Trilogy.......2007-03-31
This is the best of the Han Solo Trilogy. It ties in well with other books concerning the time period, and it does a good job of fleshing out the fledgling Rebel Alliance before Luke and Leia join, developing Boba Fett,the Hutts gang war, and has a satisfying conclusion to the Yelasia story. It also does a supurb build up to either New Hope, or the Tales of the Mos Eisely Cantina.
Han's not as cool as we thought.......2007-03-23
This book, though midly entertaining, is not for the old school Star Wars fans that grew up on the original Trilogy. The Han Solo Trilogy lacks the stories of a scoundrel that I expected not to mention creates a love sick sucker out of everyone's unlikely hero. This trilogy also has glaring contradictions and plot holes when taken with the movies and other Star Wars books. This book is for the younger Star Wars fan, the generation that believes Greedo shot first.
Han Solo sets the stage for A New Hope.......2007-03-16
The third book of A. C. Crispin's Han Solo trilogy deals primarily with Han's adventures as two separate Hutt dynasties try to wipe each other out. Chewbacca is back by his side, and Bria Tharen makes a final return appearance. The early part of the book is great fun as Han wins the Millennium Falcon from Lando in a sabacc game. Then Han and Chewie head off for Kashyyyk where Chewie marries his sweetheart Mallatobuck. From there on we are swept up in various Hutt Machiavellian schemes and the efforts of Bria Tharen, now an officer with the Rebel Alliance, to get Han and his smuggler friends to join the rebels. They plan to attack to wipe out slavery on Ylesia and acquire all of the spices and valuable items to fund rebel efforts and to pay Han and his friends.
During part of the book Han moves on to the Corporate Sector where he has numerous adventures that are described in other books. The real focus of this book is to get the characters to the point where A New Hope starts. Ms Crispin succeeds admirably in getting this done. We understand more and more how Han's personality developed, where his mistrust of authority came from, and why he seems to shy away from serious relationships with women. Clearly we know why he strongly resists all efforts to help the Rebel Alliance after Luke and Leia come along. At the conclusion of Rebel Dawn Han and Bria's efforts have led to a victory against the slavers on Ylesia. In return for his efforts and those of his smuggler friends, Han has been promised compensation in the form of valuable spices and extremely valuable antiques from the High Priest's collection. Bria has to break this arrangement to follow orders from her superiors, i.e., keep all of the spices and antiques solely for the rebels to use in funding an attack on what we know is the Death Star. Clearly this does not sit well with Han, and his friends feel that they have been double-crossed by both Han and Bria. The resultant split between Han and Lando that we see in the films now makes more sense.
You have to love the actual ending of the book. Han and Chewie are in Mos Eisley trying to figure out how to get the money they owe Jabba from a failed spice run. The scene feels very familiar.
"Then he started across the crowded cantina, where Chewie, the old man, and the boy sat waiting....
THE BEGINNING"
Excellent conclusion to the Han Solo Trilogy.......2007-01-05
A. C. Crispin brings the Han Solo Trilogy to a terrifically entertaining conclusion in Rebel Dawn. The many plot threads she began in the first two volumes are neatly sewn together. By the end, we have gained a much deeper understanding of what motivates Han and how he became the wary smuggler we met in the Mos Eisley Cantina in A New Hope. In addition to concluding her own plots tidily, Crispin weaves in many entertaining elements of the Expanded Universe from both other novels and comic books.
Rebel Dawn gets underway with the story of how Han won the Millennium Falcon from Lando. The two meet up unintentionally in a sabacc tournament held on Cloud City (nicely tied to The Empire Strikes Back). Han is overjoyed at his victory and surprisingly, this is not the event that caused the bad blood we see between Lando and Han in the films - that happens in the novel's climax and wasn't something Han could have easily prevented.
From Bespin the story carries on to a variety of locales much like the first two books. One interesting challenge Crispin faced in this story, which literally takes Han all the way to his entrance in A New Hope, is she had to work in the three vintage-era Han Solo novels in some capacity, since their events would have to take place somewhere in this part of the timeline. She chose to use short interludes to summarize Han's absence from the main storyline and to recap his adventures in the Corporate Sector. These interludes are smart in that they do not make for any significant redundancy between the Han Solo Trilogy and the old Han Solo Adventures.
Many key elements of Han's character that weren't tackled in the first two books make an appearance here. From the installation of the Falcon's smuggling compartments to how Han made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs to the circumstances surrounding the infamous shipment of Jabba's spice Han was forced to dump, Crispin leaves almost no detail untouched. I also enjoyed the numerous cameos and EU tie-ins, such as Xizor and Guri's appearances (along with a somewhat superfluous "dash" of another Shadows of the Empire character), the final connections to the Nar Shaddaa crowd we meet in Dark Empire, and the raid on the Imperial planet of Toprawa to secure the Death Star plans.
Rebel Dawn cruises to an exciting and gripping climax, in which key characters we haven't seen since The Paradise Snare return and the final pieces all fall into place for Episode IV. Crispin did an excellent job with the Han Solo Trilogy, taking a beloved character and adding to his backstory in many memorable and provocative ways.
Book Description
At 7:53 a.m., December 7, 1941, America's national consciousness and confidence were rocked as the first wave of Japanese warplanes took aim at the U.S. Naval fleet stationed at Pearl Harbor. As intense and absorbing as a suspense novel, At Dawn We Slept is the unparalleled and exhaustive account of the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor. It is widely regarded as the definitive assessment of the events surrounding one of the most daring and brilliant naval operations of all time. Through extensive research and interviews with American and Japanese leaders, Gordon W. Prange has written a remarkable historical account of the assault that-sixty years later-America cannot forget.
Customer Reviews:
Thorough.......2007-02-01
The best book, hands down, for information on Pearl Harbor. It will take a long time to read, but is very interesting. Miracle at Midway by the same author is just as good. Excellent pictures and hundreds of references quoted, along with personal interviews. I've seen no other book is as thorough in its approach to the subject.
Slightly outdated ,requires revision.......2006-09-13
Gordon W. Prange studied Pearl Harbor raid ,events surrounding it, for 32 yrs.The outcome is this tome.
Author is vehemently critical on Adm Husban E. Kimmel (c-in-c Pacific Fleet) and Gen Walter C. Short( commander US Land Forces
,Hawaii). Both,according to him ,lacked qualities to command forces. They failed to show imagination,foresight at a time when things were becoming explosive in the Pacific.
This is untrue.Evidence shows upon the receipt of war warning message of Nov27,1941,Adm Kimmel mounted long range reconnaissance missions north of Hawaii to detect the presence of hostile ships within the strike radius of Pearl Harbor.Unfortunately Pacific Command never had sufficent planes at its disposal to maintain an all out vigil.This never would have happened if Washington officials not denuded Pacific fleet of its strength to fight an undeclared war against German U boats in the Atlantic. As a result critical gaps in the aircover remained which Japanese exploited.
Now we know two weeks prior to attack based on intelligence furnished Cdr Joseph J. Rochefort of Hypo(combat intelligence centre of US Navy located in Pearl Harbor naval yard)Kimmel instituted a search for Japanese carrier force operating north of Hawaii.He vectored the Pacific Fleet to an area from where Japanese planned to launch their surprise assault. But his efforts were frustrated. Once White House came to know about Kimmel's manoeuvre he was told to withdraw.This was in line with official order of turning north Pacific into a 'vacant sea'.Strangely this reversal of direction has been ignored by every Pearl Harbor enquiry held from 1941-46.Regretably,neither Kimmel nor his family could recall this sortie and its unfortunate reversal.Yet it provides exculpatory evidence because after the war Kimmel was accused of not conducting precisely this type of search.
Author says Japan's expansionist designs on east Asia made Pacific war inevitable.But it should be admitted ,as latest reaearch shows , regardless of Tokyo's ambitions US hatched a plan to push that nation on the road to war.As war raged in Europe and Africa ,threatning to engulf the world,a memorandum started circulating in the corridors of power in Washington.Written by Arthur H. McCollum (dated Oct7,1940 later called 8-ction memo)head of the Far Eastern Branch of ONI,it advocated a series of measures aimed at engineering a situation wherby Japan is force to attack American ground,naval,air,forces in Hawaaii as well as British and Dutch colonial outposts in the Pacific.With FDR's connivance the plan was put into effect.
Of particular importance to the defence of Hawaii were the crucial bomb plot messages . Its timely dispatch to Short,Kimmel would have stopped the Japanese attack on its tracks.Army radio intercept station MS 5 at Fort Shafter in Oaahu was regularly intercepting messages sent to Tokyo by Japanese spy ring which contained information on the where abouts of Pacific Fleet.Information sent on lowgrade ciphers was broken read by senior officers of US Army ,Naval intelligence.This clearly pointed to a Japanese intent to attack Pearl Harbor. Instead of promptly alerting the C in C PAC Washington officials sat on it.
It is military topbrass esconced in Washington who were unfit to exercise command.Are these men so obtuse,doltish that they failed to perceive the significance of these intercepts?Such an incredulous attitude stands to reason only if they had a hidden agenda.Unfortunately,author does not hold them fully accountable for Pearl Harbor defeat. We find this disturbing pattern emerging regarding other significant Japanese intercepts.Tokyo"s reply to American ultimatum of Nov 26,1941 which came in 14 parts
,decision to present Washington an ultimatum at 1pm EST all of which portended war.
I feel Prange's book , loaded with interesting facts and information, requires revision.History of Pearl harbor raid requires fresh interpretation ;facts which have emerged based on latest research have made this indispensible.Because if we are to believe authors like Stinnet,Toland Washington officials knew the attack was coming and they were awake.
More than 60 years have passed .Pearl Harbor raid and events surrouding it have continued to intrigue and fascinate me.I read Prange's book because I wanted to get different perspective on the subject.
Time marches on ..........2006-05-24
This text should be highly valued in providing a first glance or survey of Pearl Harbor, but given the passage of time since its publication, it is now very dated.
With the release of newer materials, it should no longer be considered "definitive" or even "authoritative." It is also widely known to have several flaws (e.g., lacks the Brigg's interview) and factual errors (e.g., how are blinker lamps and signal flags "heard" in tactical radio circuits).
An Excellent Historian.......2006-02-15
I see that some reviewers were critical of "At Dawn We Slept." It should be noted that, while Dr. Prange did do the research, the book itself was put together after his death by two individuals who had previously been his graduate students. Having known Dr. Prange, I'm certain that had he survived to complete his work, the final product would have been much more satisfactory.
For the SERIOUS student of history.......2005-12-08
This book gives new meaning to the term "exhaustive!" Tons of information concerning the events leading up to, during, and following the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor. Mr. Prange details the hatching of the plot, who and when the idea was first exchanged and how it came to be put in motion. He lays out the bombing itself and the investigations that followed. It's especially insightful into the thoughts and actions of those in leadership positions, both Japanese and American, although considerably weak on the perspective of the regular people involved. One can only imagine the time and effort and PASSION the author put into researching and compiling this mountain of information.
In all honesty, this is probably a 5 star book, but it was WAY more than I was looking for, and it just wasn't very "readable." I felt bogged down in information that was largely peripheral to my interest in the bombing of Pearl Harbor. I found myself at first skimming over chapters detailing the Japanese plotting and American suspicions, and eventually skipping entire chapters looking for the account of what happened that morning of December 7th, 1941. Once I found that section it was interesting (although a bit dry) and certainly reflected the chaos that must have been felt by those experiencing it first-hand. I guess what I was hoping to read was not only a comprehensive description of the events but also richly highlighted with the personal experiences of those who were there and in the middle of it, particularly the regular people whose stories aren't necessarily found in official transcripts from the government investigations.
Amazon.com
In An Army at Dawn,, a comprehensive look at the 1942-1943 Allied invasion of North Africa, author Rick Atkinson posits that the campaign was, along with the battles of Stalingrad and Midway, where the "Axis ... forever lost the initiative" and the "fable of 3rd Reich invincibility was dissolved." Additionally, it forestalled a premature and potentially disastrous cross-channel invasion of France and served as a grueling "testing ground" for an as-yet inexperienced American army. Lastly, by relegating Great Britain to what Atkinson calls the status of "junior partner" in the war effort, North Africa marked the beginning of American geopolitical hegemony. Although his prose is occasionally overwrought, Atkinson's account is a superior one, an agile, well-informed mix of informed strategic overview and intimate battlefield-and-barracks anecdotes. (Tobacco-starved soldiers took to smoking cigarettes made of toilet paper and eucalyptus leaves.) Especially interesting are Atkinson's straightforward accounts of the many "feuds, tiffs and spats" among British and American commanders, politicians, and strategists and his honest assessments of their--and their soldiers'--performance and behavior, for better and for worse. This is an engrossing, extremely accessible account of a grim and too-often overlooked military campaign. --H. O'Billovich
Book Description
The liberation of Europe and the destruction of the Third Reich is a story of miscalculation and incomparable courage, of calamity and enduring triumph. In this first volume of the Liberation Trilogy, Rick Atkinson focuses on 1942 and 1943, showing how central the great drama that unfolded in North Africa was to the ultimate victory of the Allied powers, and to America's understanding of itself. Opening with the daring amphibious invasion in November 1942, An Army at Dawn follows the American and British armies as they fight the French in Morocco and Algiers, and then take on the Germans and Italians in Tunisia. Battle by battle, an inexperienced and often poorly led army gradually becomes a superb fighting force. Central to the tale are the extraordinary but flawed commanders who come to dominate the battlefield: Eisenhower, Patton, Bradley, Montgomery, and Rommel. Brilliantly researched, rich with new material and fresh insights, Atkinson's vivid narrative provides the definitive history of the war in North Africa.
Customer Reviews:
Awesome!.......2007-10-10
I'm simply putting my husband's 2 cents in because, well, he wouldn't come in here and do it. I bought the book for him and he absolutely loved it... passed it on to a friend.
He is tough to please on the literature end, but big on wars and history and he enjoyed every bit of this book :-)
One of the best.......2007-09-29
Suffice to say I've read a great deal of history over the years and this one is one of the best in terms of narrative, scope, personal insights and coverage of a little known and likely decisive campaign that should really rank up there with Gettysburg and Midway and Stalingrad as recent military turning points. If you like military history at all, you owe it to yourself to read this book. I'll be ordering the next volume on my next Amazon order.
Kilroy Arrives.......2007-09-23
Before D-Day, before Anzio, there was Operation Torch and the subsequent battle for North Africa, the first time American troops squared off against Nazi Germany and next to Burma World War II's most overlooked campaign. Rick Atkinson's 2002 "An Army At Dawn" redresses that with a vivacity and eloquence as suggestive of high art as history.
Atkinson's thesis, carefully restated and expanded upon often in a narrative of otherwise constant incident, was that the American fighting man came into the war needing not just experience but a taste for bloodshed, a willingness to endure punishment for the sake of inflicting it on one's enemy. This was particularly so for one American, the soldier who gets the most face time in Atkinson's book: Dwight Eisenhower, the commander of Torch and the Allied fight in North Africa.
"Deficient of experience and of limited ability" was British Gen. Alan Brooke's terse verdict of Ike going in, and he had a point. Eisenhower played shamelessly to his superiors to Washington and left his American troops under the dubious command of Lloyd Fredendall, whose idea of leadership was to sit far in the rear and tell a subordinate to go out "and pull a Stonewall Jackson". But over time, as Americans got beaten in places like Sidi Bou Zid and Kasserine Pass, both Ike and his men began to harden and sharpen into something worthy of the fight they were in.
Atkinson buttresses his points with strategic analysis that is both fine-tuned and accessible to the layman. He tells stories of combat that are tremendously exciting yet never blind to the death and the horror. And he writes with a wit and nuance that reminds me as much of Evelyn Waugh as any historian I've come across.
"The tanks turned toward Chouigui Pass," Atkinson writes about the aftermath of one early U.S. raid against a German airfield, surprisingly but misleadingly successful. "Behind them, to the east, a pale orange glow reflected off the belly of the clouds above Djedeida, like a false dawn."
In fact, a lot of hard work lay ahead for the G.I.s and their doughty leader before they could take their rightful place at the vanguard of the Western front. Until then, winning acceptance from the more battle-hardened Brits would take on the quality of comic opera - albeit with casualties.
Atkinson argues North Africa was not just a beginning of American combat-worthiness but the first step in inaugurating what would come to be known as "the American century." Frankly, that's one bolt of Atkinson's I think lands wide of the mark, as U.S. troops finish the campaign in his telling with considerably more competance but in a secondary capacity. That wouldn't begin to change until the next phase of the Western campaign, in Sicily.
But you can't begrudge Atkinson much. "An Army At Dawn" is not only a worthy Pulitzer Prize-winner but a history that takes its place beside the best of Tuchman and Catton for definitive storytelling. Atkinson's about to publish a sequel volume on the Italy campaign said to be even better; I'll believe it when I read it, which will be soon as possible!
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and deservedly so.......2007-08-11
World War II has always held a fascination for me: the global scale, the impact on world politics and powers of today, the coming of Age of the United States as a super power, the thoughts of what could have been had certain decisions or battles gone one way or the other (see Philip K. Dick's The Man in the High Castle or many of the other alternative history novels to get your imagination going). Over the years, I have read many books, including the great John Keegan's, Cornelius Ryan's and a 25 volume Encyclopedia of WWII that my mom got me for Christmas as a kid (no, I am not kidding).
I received The Day of Battle (the 2nd in Atkinson's Liberation Trilogy) as an ARC at BEA, but wanted to read the series in order.
I am very glad that I did. Operation TORCH, the battles of Kasserine, Sidi Bou Zid, the taking of Bizerte and Tunis are told as stories from the perspectives of leaders and soldiers, based on meticulous research detailed in over 100 pages of notes. An Army At Dawn is a great representation of the grisly and personal nature of war, a fitting history of the men and women who fought in WWII.
"Memory, too, has transcendent power, even as we swiftly move toward the day when not a single participant remains alive to tell his tale, and the epic of World War II forever slips into national mythology. The author's task is to authenticate: to warrant that history and memory give integrity to the story, to aver that all this really happened."
The book is split into four chronological parts, with each part detailing not only what the leaders (Ike, Patton, Kesselring, Clark, Alexander, Rommel) said and did, but also with quotes from diaries, journals and letters from the infantrymen, artillerymen and others who participated.
Part I starts with the mostly joint decision by the Americans and Brits to invade North Africa first, vs. France or Italy. It goes through Operation TORCH (the invasion), the lack of experience that showed in the American invasion force, and the senseless waste of the battles with the Vichy French forces across Morocco and Algeria (including the destruction of Allied ships entering French controlled harbors):
"The fighting between Anglo-American invaders and Vichy French defenders would last just over three days; sometimes it was a matter of halfhearted potshots, but there were pitched firefights on a dozen battlefields across two countries. This little war between ancient friends - many Americans still could not believe they were fighting the French - was complicated by concomitant diplomatic maneuvers and the first attacks from Axis forces."
Part II goes into the first battles with the Germans, in which the Allies lack of experience and overall coordination results in many setbacks and lives and equipment losses. The Allies push in from the original landings in Morocco and Algiers to Tunisia, where they meet Italian and German forces, including the to-date invincible Panzer divisions. Their bravado and assumption of an easy victory to Tunis are quickly swept away by defeats at Boudj Toum and Longstop Hill.
"There would be no trapping of Rommel's rump army in Libya between Anderson's First Army and Bernard Montgomery's Eight Army, now lumbering westward out of Egypt. Rather than crushing the Axis forces in the jaws of a vise, the failed Allied strategy gave interior lines to the enemy and all but guaranteed that four armies - Anderson and Montgomery, Arnim and Rommel - would slug it out in a campaign of attrition not unlike that on the Western Front a quarter century before."
Part III reviews the Allied leaders meeting at Casablanca, showing the relationship between Churchill and Roosevelt and the political tactics that had the Americans thinking there were in charge with Eisenhower as Commander-in-Chief, but with three British officers underneath him given much leeway. The lack of coordination and experience continued to show as an Allied offensive to take Tunis was poorly planned and poorly executed, and the Germans, lead by Rommel, attacked. His Panzer divisions pushed through to Kasserine Pass and beyond, but then the Americans and British forces stiffened; even though their losses were high, it marked a turning point:
"Beyond the modest combined-arms showing, three bright gleams radiated from Kasserine's wreckage. First was the competence of American artillery at Sbiba, at Djebelel Hamra and at Thala. Second was the mettle under fire displayed by various American commanders, among them Irwin, Robinett, Andrus, Gardiner and Allen, and comparable mettle in British commanders. Third was the broad realization that even an adversary as formidable as Erwin Rommel was neither invincible nor infallible. He and his host could be beaten. This epiphany was not to be undervalued: he could be beaten. Amazingly, barely two months would elapse between the "handheadness" of Kasserine and the triumph of total victory in Tunisia."
Part IV marks the arrival of British Generals Alexander and Montgomery into the fray, Eisenhower starting to through his weight around, the Americans beginning to "hate the Germans" and fight like it, and the emergence of Patton. The final victory of Tunisia set the stage for the invasions of Italy, Normandy, and the rest of the war.
"At a price of 70,000 casualties "one continent had been redeemed", in Churchill's phrase. But more than territory could be claimed. The gains were most profound for the Americans, in their first campaign against the Wehrmacht. Four U.S. divisions now had combat experience in five variants of Euro-Mediterranean warfare: expeditionary, amphibious, mountain, desert and urban. Troops had learned the importance of terrain, of combined arms, of aggressive patrolling, of stealth, of massed armor. They now knew what it was like to be bombed, shelled, and machine-gunned, and to fight on. They provided Eisenhower with a blooded hundred thousand, "high-grade stock from which we must breed with the utmost rapidity", as one general urged."
The Allied eyes now turned toward Sicily and Italy, and I eagerly move to the next volume in the series.
This review originally was published on my website, www.duskbeforethedawn.net.
Truly a Masterpiece.......2007-08-08
Exquisite writing combined with exhaustive research. Atkinson pulls no punches in finding the truth regarding generals and armies and battles right down to the foot soldier. Probably the best written piece of history on WWII to date. I look forward to the next two volumes in the trilogy.An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa, 1942-1943, Volume One of the Liberation Trilogy (The Liberation Trilogy)
Book Description
The Vital Questions series presents the thinking of knowledgeable, qualified authors on "vital questions" that Christians should be able to discuss intelligently. These concise books provide to-the-point answers and present the author's viewpoint, while allowing room for reader thought and disagreement.
How Shall We Worship? One source of debate today is the wide variety of worship styles. In How Shall We Worship? Marva Dawn turns to Psalm 96 to investigate key elements of worship, from music to liturgy. She reminds us about the importance of recognizing that worship is for God and not for us.
Customer Reviews:
Should be a Requirement for Clergy and Church Musicians.......2007-03-23
Dr. Dawn draws a line between church services that are popular entertainment and real worship services that praise the triune God. She says that our worship should use practices and music appropriate to the dignity and beauty of our God, and not be "dumbed down" into raucuous entertainment by following the popular culture. She explains why traditional church music is proper for worship and the modern "rock 'n roll Jesus" complete with a drum kit are not.
Book Description
From George Lucas, creator of Star Wars(r) and Indiana Jones, and Chris Claremont, author of the bestselling X-Men adventures, comes the thrilling sequel to Shadow Moon, taking readers deeper into a stunningly original world of magic, myth, and legend.
The momentous Ascension of Princess Elora Danan should have brought peace to the Thirteen Realms. Instead, an intense Shadow War rages, spearheaded by the evil Mohdri. He has dispatched his dread Black Rose commando assassins to capture Elora and her sworn protector, Thorn Drumheller. But Mohdri himself is just a facade for a more dangerous entity: the Deceiver. But who--or what--is the Deceiver? And how can Elora, Thorn, and their ragtag band defeat this unspeakable force? The answer lies in a perilous journey to a land undisturbed since the dawn of time. A journey that will end at the unbreachable citadel of the dragon, where a chilling betrayal will change the fate of Elora, Thorn, and the Thirteen Realms forever.
Customer Reviews:
Shadow War, Book 2.......2007-01-27
Things began to get confusing following the myriad trails of all the principal characters. It seemed repetitive and unnecessary. I wanted to resolve the confusion by going to Book III. Some of the writing resembles a script rather than a story with particulars that help the reader grasp the action.
A delight for all ages.......2005-02-07
Having picked up this book, with no notion that it was descended from the movie Willow or that is was a sequel to Shadow Moon, I found it perfectly capable of standing on its own. One does not need to have read the first book or seen the movie to enjoy it.
Together, George Lucas and Chris Claremont have written a tangible piece of fantasy fiction. The story has believable characters, is descriptive and the reader empathises with the journey. The silver skinned Sacred Princess, Elora Danan stirs the imagination. The young heroine's impulsive and inquisitive nature drives the story and with a few very colourful characters to assist her along the way, it is a delight to be pulled into the pages.
A beautifully composed, structurally comprehensive piece of work for all ages.
I don't care what others say..........2004-12-20
I've heard and read quite a few reviews saying that these books were not good. It's a lie! Sure I'm only 11, but I personally think that these books are a wonderful challenge. The way they are written is good, and Elora is a great heroin. I'm almost done with the second book, and by now I fully think that it's a wonderful story line.
Now true, I've never seen the movie, Willow, and perhaps it makes people expectant for a certain quality, but honestly, I find the story to be very good. Perhaps it's a good thing I didn't see the movie first. Anyway, I think the books are good, no matter if others don't.
Now we get going..........2004-09-09
A much better follow up to the first book, Shadow Star. It seems that Claremont and Lucas now had their bearings and had managed to get their thoughts organized into a comprehensible world where characters we have know since the movie have grown and changed (yet, as the saying goes, still stayed the same), characters we have known since the first book who are now familiar and much clearer in our minds, and new characters who add color to the world.
Thorn (Willow) takes a smaller part than he did in the film and the first book, but that is only because the authors have discovered Elora. She has grown into a fully fledged character and not just the cute baby and bratty child we have known. This is her story and she is conflicted, flawed, carring, and a fully fledged character.
There are people who have disappeared and never reappear, but you almost don't care, as the mystery of the world keeps you wondering and questioning with the rest of the characters as they try to prevent the many worlds from ripping themselves apart, not only internally, but from each other. This makes sense now that the mythology hinted at in the movie and established, however shakily, in the first book is now complete and alive.
Reading it was a joy. There were moments where you will laugh out loud and rip through others as you race from the start of a fight or a chase till its end. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who plays Dungeons and Dragons, as some of the sequences just reek of being played out on a table with a twenty-sider and a character sheet.
The ending manages to answer all of the questions critical to this book, while still leaving the more critical ones that hang over the trilogy only partially answered. You will be reaching for the final book the minute you end this one.
WHY?!.......2004-06-10
The prospect of a book series expanding the world of Willow, and seeing the rest of the story develop convinced me to buy this book without a second thought. I should have had a second thought.
The beginning had some potential, and familiar characters were making appearances, and I felt like the world was coming back. Then it felt to me like the author just gave up. A lot of characters die for no apparent reason, the world changes without explaination, and I couldn't figure out why characters were doing what they were doing now.
This aside, the writing did nothing to fill in the blanks for me. Flashbacks, spirit traveling, story lines, and dialogue all mashed together into a tangled mess. It felt like the author knew what was going on and expected the reader to make due with vague discriptions, and random encounters. I felt like I was reading an idea for a book, not the finished product.
My hopes, expectations, and excitement for this series have been chopped down like so many spotted owls. Disappointing would have been too kind a word to describe my feelings toward this series.
To anyone currious about this book series, I offer this advice. Leave this one on the shelf. Don't be the next victom of cruel inadequecy.
Book Description
From the decks of U.S. Navy carriers patrolling the Mediterranean to Fort Benning, Georgia, and the dusty sands of the Turkish-Syrian border, this new suspense thriller runs side by side with the phenomenal series that has sold more than 50 million copies.
New characters and situations are added to those from the already explosive Left Behind series to raise the tension to a fever pitch. With technical accuracy from the same people who create best-selling military thrillers, this new series will satisfy the fans of the original Left Behind series who are looking for more.
Download Description
From the decks of U.S. Navy carriers patrolling the Mediterranean to Fort Benning, Georgia and the dusty sands of the Turkish-Syrian border, this new suspense thriller runs side-by-side with the phenomenal series that has sold in excess of 50 million copies. New characters and situations are added to those from the already explosive Left Behind series to raise the tension to a fever pitch. With technical accuracy from the same people who create best-selling military thrillers, this new series will satisfy the fans of the original Left Behind series that are looking for more.
Customer Reviews:
The world may be very different outside..........2007-05-27
This work is a survey of American attitudes toward nuclear power immediately after WWII, as reflected in journalism and advocacy work. The book covers the immediate post-war years, 1945 - 1950. It describes how people overcame their fear of the bomb by developing a willful ignorance, aided in no small part by the strenuous propaganda efforts of the government.
There are interesting tidbits- how scientists went from objects of esteem to objects of ridicule, the ties between the bomb and sex, and the willingness of our government to mount domestic misinformation campaigns. But what most struck me was the initial public reaction to the bomb, and how similar it was to 9/11.
People were shocked and terrified by the news of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, despite the fact that it was us who dropped the bombs. At the conclusion of WWII people thought another world war in which atomic bombs would be used against American cities was inevitable. Radical ideas abounded, with some calling for a global government, others for the deconstruction of cities in favor of low density dispersed settlements (suburbs). Everywhere there was fear, and a pervasive belief that the way of life people knew from before the war was gone forever. Everything changed with the bomb.
Sound familiar? The threat of mass destruction is not new to America, it wasn't invented on 9/11. It was invented by us generations ago. Our parents learned to cope with it then, this book gives a look at how they did it.
Excellent overview of the first 5 years of nuclear culture.......2002-04-11
Paul Boyer is well known as a scholar of American millenialism, both religious and secular, from his book "When Time Shall Be No More", but gathering slightly less attention is his impressive volume "By the Bomb's Early Light: American Thought and Culture at the Dawn of the Atomic Age." Boyer is a cultural historian, and grew up a pacifist, so its no surprise that he frames the years 1945 to 1950 as years of fierce contention over the role of nuclear weapons and energy in American society. His overarching thesis, is precisely that---the years of 1945-1950 showed a sharp swing from grave concern and fear over nuclear energy to visions of nuclear promise and technological utopias, promulgated by the U.S. government and the Atomic Energy Agency, with vocal, dissenting minorities present at each pendulum swing. Boyer speculates that this may form a model for subsequent generations' relationship with nuclear energy, from care to indifference and back again.
Boyer's method is to examine evidence of public thought and conversations during these five years, from "letters to the editor" of newspapers, to intellectual journals of thought, to cartoonists, to the literary world of William Faulkner and Gertrude Stein, to religious organizational bulletins. He makes skillful use of primary sources, demonstrating that while majority opinions could be clearly demonstrated to have existed, undercurrents of contention and dissention remained at each step. Boyer also makes it understandable that as Americans' expectations of another war increased (59% in October 1945 to 77% in late 1947, page 335) Americans sought not to curtail the development of nuclear energy, but rather trust in technological superiority and civil defense to survive the "inevitable " war, a concomitant response to civil defense campaigns, visions of technological utopia, and simply atomic fatigue---even a subject like nuclear war could only generate a certain sustained interest over a period of time if not directly confronting daily life in the U.S. However, Boyer also suggests that a drop-off in interest in nuclear issues may have been due to deep-seated horror rather than complacency (as noted by Elaine Tyler May) This may belong to the more speculate aspects of his study, given that in the late 40's and 50's open counternarratives to nuclear utopia were building, such as in the literary and poetic work of the Beats. But in general I find "By The Bomb's Early Light" an excellent, accessible account of the major movements in a fascinating period of cultural history, one clearly marked by ideological conflicts and disagreement rather than consensus.
How America Learned to Love the Bomb.......2000-11-29
Since the collapse of the USSR in 1991, discourse on the threat of nuclear arms has all but vanished, relegated to a relatively quiet resurgence of the Star Wars debate and to a few footnotes on the developmental history of the internet. Despite this current hiatus in nuclear consciousness, every American living today has at least a passing acquaintance with the concept of atomic annihilation; sitcoms, government press releases, popular films, and news media are inconstant but persistent reminders of the nuclear threat. Paul Boyer's By the Bomb's Early Light traces these media as they shaped and reflected American consciousness at the birth of the atomic age.
Despite Boyer's professed pacifism and his personal views regarding the ultimately menacing nature of the atomic bomb, the various events, opinions, and artifacts cited are evenly presented. This objectivity, however, makes for rather dry reading, especially when Boyer's connective tissue is compared with the lofty literary attempts to come to terms with the inconceivable he quotes throughout. This work might be more effective if it gave itself over completely to the format it seems to yearn for: an assemblage of excerpts and passages from the original works with Boyer's commentary confined to sidebars and brief introductory essays. Of course, Boyer's goal was to produce a comprehensive volume of reference material drawing from a myriad of venues and disciplines, not a coffee table book about atomic kitsch of the 1940's. While not as entertaining as the latter and by no means a cover-to-cover page-turner, By The Bomb's Early Light serves as an excellent resource and starting point for further research.
Book Description
The vicious urban battle for the insurgent-controlled city of Fallujah in November 2004 was a turning point in the ongoing counterinsurgency campaign in Iraq. It demonstrated the resolve of the Iraqi government to fight terrorists domestically, using both multinational and Iraqi forces, and its results included a returning population willing to vote in national elections held in January 2005. Ballard tells the story of the Fallujah campaign, beginning with the horrific deaths of the American Blackwater contractors in March 2004 and continuing through the battle, the painstaking reconstruction of the city, and the precedent-setting elections that followed. Based on first-person accounts, interviews, and official documents, this book gives readers rare insight into the significant actions and innovative techniques of the year-long fight for the city. Opening with a historical overview of the initial crisis in Fallujah and the similar coalition battle in Najaf, the book includes a detailed account of the planning and execution of the operation to retake the city. Finally, it describes the political and military lessons proven in Fallujah, including coalition force integration, information operations, urban combat techniques, interagency coordination and innovative reconstruction procedures. This is the story of real combat in Iraq--told in a way every American should understand.
Customer Reviews:
Satisfying overview.......2007-09-04
This is a good intro to the attack and taking of Fallujah in 2004. It is not a blow by blow, house to house battle read, but is a good way to introduce the operation. A wee bit sloppy with editing in some places, somewhat dry writing, a poor index and too many needless acronyms make this book 3 not 4 stars.
Best book on Fallujah to date.......2006-06-27
John Ballard has done a masterful job recounting one of the most important urban battles since Hue City in 1968. Rather than throwing together a made for TV "novel" with a few facts tossed in for good measure, Ballard has painstakingly documented all the moving parts in this complex operation called Al Fajr (New Dawn). He brings out the important role that the Iraqi Security Forces played which seemed to be missing from "mainstream" press accounts of the operation.
This is a must read for anyone who wants to know what really happened in Fallujah written by a Marine who was there and commanding the 4th Civil Affairs Group who was in the thick of it.
The Complexity of Modern War.......2006-05-02
This is a solid read for those interested in the complexity of modern warfare. Ballard offers the reader a view of how an American force can address the tough issue of fighting in a built-up area. While he provides a superb recount of the timeless requirement of tenacious fighting by small groups of brave infantry and armor forces, he also describes the myriad of tasks that a modern commander must consider in such an endeavor-civil affairs, information operations, and the list goes on. A good read for professional warfighters and those interested in knowing the challenges that our men and women are facing in today's battlefield.
Average customer rating:
- The perfect ending.
- I really didn't want it to end
- A well rounded book to finish an excellent series
- Hmmm....
- The Effects of War.
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Other Side Of Dawn (Tomorrow)
John Marsden
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Tomorrow #2: The Dead Of Night (Tomorrow)
ASIN: 0439858054 |
Amazon.com
At last, the final episode of the gripping Tomorrow series by wildly popular Aussie author John Marsden has crossed the Pacific, and this concluding chapter in the lives of Ellie, Fi, Homer, Kevin, and Lee may be the most exciting one yet. Informed by Colonel Finley that the military is making a move that could be compared to the D-day attack of WWII, the outback teen guerillas know that the end of the bewildering war that changed their lives is drawing near. Armed with plastic explosives and grenades, courtesy of the New Zealand Army, they have been instructed to "spread chaos and confusion behind their (enemy) lines in every way, shape and form." For Ellie and company, this means targeting a hostile refueling station and train tracks. Of course, nothing is ever easy. There are still the feral kids to worry about and the dismal discovery that soldiers have infiltrated Hell, their only secured hiding place in the bush. As The Other Side of Dawn rockets at breakneck speed towards its stunning climax, only one thing is certain: there is no guarantee that any of them will make it through this last conflict alive.
Not a book for new recruits, The Other Side of Dawn will be most enjoyed by those hard-core fans who have been with Ellie and the gang from the beginning. Wirrawee buffs will be rewarded with classic Marsden: teeth-jarring action sequences interspersed with meaningful moments between friends who may not see the sunrise again together. This is a satisfying ending to a smashing good series. (Ages 13 and older) --Jennifer Hubert
Book Description
Since their home was invaded by enemy soldiers and transformed into a war zone, Ellie and her friends have been fighting for their lives. Now a resolution may finally be in sight. But as enemy forces close in on her hideout, Ellie discovers that the final conflict just may be the most dangerous yet. And not everyone will survive. Nobody is safe in this exhilarating conclusion to Ellie's courageous struggle for freedom.
Customer Reviews:
The perfect ending........2007-08-09
Of course, after six books following these teenagers from Australia, I was hoping for the picture-perfect ending. You know, the one where everything goes back to the way it was before the war and there's romance and happiness when they reunite and everything is amazing.
You won't get that. But it's a real ending. If Marsden wanted any shred of credibility at the end of this series, he had to end it the way he did. And because of this, it was the perfect ending. I have absolutely no complaints, except for maybe his choice of words in the last sentence.
I dunno. But if you're even a casual reader of this series, and ESPECIALLY if you're very much into it, you won't be disappointed by a long shot by the finale.
I really didn't want it to end.......2005-11-16
This is the finale of the Tomorrow series. I read "The Other Side of Dawn" slowly, savoring each word. I guess I didn't really want the story to end. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire series reading it in order, a page turner throughout. The Other Side of Dawn is packed with the action we've come to expect in each book, but there is also a lot of reflection by Ellie about everything that's happened. I'll look forward to someday coming back to reread the series from the beginning.
A well rounded book to finish an excellent series.......2005-07-24
A must for an teenager who is stuck for something to do during those long hot summer days where hard work seems an immpossiblity!
Note you really must start with the first book in the series to get a grasp of the plot and a feel for the writers style etc for all obvious reasons (to see if you like it).
Hope this helps with your desicion for the book ;)
Hmmm...........2005-06-09
I was expecting a bit more for the last book, I think it was written a tad perfunctorily near the end. I couldn't say this is my favourite in the series, I gave the others a big fat 5 stars, but this one bored me, to tell you the truth. I did think alot at the end though, when I had finished, I felt attached to Ellie and co. Sad, yes. This series though, awesome, just read them, read them all!!!
The Effects of War........2005-05-02
War is something that effects and hurts many people. It causes young men and women to do and see things that they are not emotionally and physically prepared for.
Ellie and her friends went off to camp for the weekend in this place called Hell. While they were out in the bush, having a good time, they had no idea that while they were sleeping their country was being invaded. They had no idea that their lives had changed forever.
When Ellie and her friends returned home from their camping trip, they knew something was terribly wrong. They then had to learn to avoid enemy soldiers and scavenge for food to stay alive, so they went back into the bush where Hell became their new home. They have also planned dangerous attacks against the enemy to try to help get their country back. But Ellie or some of her friends have had to make the ultimate sacrifice... Their Life.
There are 7 books in this series, by John Marsden. In these books you will learn how war changes the life's of everyone that is involved in it, or even the people that are just around it. You will also learn how the kids that are involved in war, will have to grow up fast, and how they will learn how to survive on their own, without adults.
I strongly recommend this series of books for, both adults and young people. It will teach adults that young people can be independent, and that they can survive on their own. It will also teach young people, that being a kid is the best thing in the world, and that they need to enjoy their youth for as long as possible.
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- New Complete Works of Josephus, The
- NIV/The Message Parallel Bible (New International Version)
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- Riven Rock
- Rocket Propulsion Elements, 7th Edition
- Rogue Planet (Star Wars)
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Books Index
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