A Time to Die

Book Description

As the world around him burns with passion and death, professional hunter and guerrilla fighter Sean Courtney is trapped between his worst enemies, an overwhelming love for a woman, and his instincts to survive -- and kill.

And a Time to Die: How American Hospitals Shape the End of Life

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Be informed
One of the most valuable books I've read this year
Circles, But Never Lands
A powerful book for students, caregivers, and families dealing with end of life stages
Sobering examination of the "end of life" issues many of us are likely to face

And a Time to Die: How American Hospitals Shape the End of Life
Sharon R. Kaufman
Manufacturer: Scribner
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0743264762

Book Description

Most Americans, when pressed, have a vague sense of how they would like to die. They may imagine a quick and painless end or a gentle passing away during sleep. Some may wish for time to prepare and make peace with themselves, their friends, and their families. Others would prefer not to know what's coming, a swift, clean break. Yet all fear that the reality will be painful and prolonged; all fear the loss of control that could accompany dying.

That fear is justified. It is also historically unprecedented. In the past thirty years, the advent of medical technology capable of sustaining life without restoring health, the expectation that a critically ill person need not die, and the conviction that medicine should routinely thwart death have significantly changed where, when, and how Americans die and put us all in the position of doing something about death.

In a penetrating and revelatory study, medical anthropologist Sharon R. Kaufman examines the powerful center of those changes -- the hospital, where most Americans die today. In the hospital world, the deep, irresolvable tension between the urge to extend life at all costs and the desire to allow "letting go" is rarely acknowledged, yet it underlies everything that happens there among patients, families, and health professionals. Over the course of two years, Kaufman observed and interviewed critically ill patients, their families, doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff at three community hospitals. In...And a Time to Die, her research places us at the heart of that science-driven yet fractured and often irrational world of health care delivery, where empathetic yet frustrated, hard-working yet constrained professionals both respond to and create the anxieties and often inchoate expectations of patients and families, who must make "decisions" they are ill-prepared to make.

Filled with actual conversations between patients and doctors, families and hospital staff,...And a Time to Die clearly and carefully exposes the reasons for complicated questions about medical care at the end of life: for example, why "heroic" treatment so often overrides "humane" care; why patients and families are ambivalent about choosing death though they claim to want control; what constitutes quality of life and life itself; and, ultimately, why a "good" death is so elusive.

In elegant, compelling prose, Kaufman links the experiences of patients and families, the work of hospital staff, and the ramifications of institutional bureaucracy to show the invisible power of the hospital system itself -- its rules, mandates, and daily activity -- in shaping death and our individual experience of it.

...And a Time to Die is a provocative, illuminating, and necessary read for anyone working in or navigating the health care system today, providing a much-needed road map to the disorienting territory of the hospital, where we all are asked to make life-and-death choices.

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"Most Americans, when pressed, have a vague sense of how they would like to die. They may imagine a quick and painless end or a gentle passing away during sleep. Some may wish for time to prepare and make peace with themselves, their friends, and their families. Others would prefer not to know what's coming, a swift, clean break. Yet all fear that the reality will be painful and prolonged; all fear the loss of control that could accompany dying. That fear is justified. It is also historically unprecedented. In the past thirty years, the advent of medical technology capable of sustaining life without restoring health, the expectation that a critically ill person need not die, and the conviction that medicine should routinely thwart death have significantly changed where, when, and how Americans die and put us all in the position of doing something about death. In a penetrating and revelatory study, medical anthropologist Sharon R. Kaufman examines the powerful center of those changes -- the hospital, where most Americans die today. In the hospital world, the deep, irresolvable tension between the urge to extend life at all costs and the desire to allow ""letting go"" is rarely acknowledged, yet it underlies everything that happens there among patients, families, and health professionals. Over the course of two years, Kaufman observed and interviewed critically ill patients, their families, doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff at three community hospitals. In...And a Time to Die, her research places us at the heart of that science-driven yet fractured and often irrational world of health care delivery, where empathetic yet frustrated, hard-working yet constrained professionals both respond to and create the anxieties and often inchoate expectations of patients and families, who must make ""decisions"" they are ill-prepared to make. Filled with actual conversations between patients and doctors, families and hospital staff,...And a Time to Die clearly and carefully exposes the reasons for complicated questions about medical care at the end of life: for example, why ""heroic"" treatment so often overrides ""humane"" care; why patients and families are ambivalent about choosing death though they claim to want control; what constitutes quality of life and life itself; and, ultimately, why a ""good"" death is so elusive. In elegant, compelling prose, Kaufman links the experiences of patients and families, the work of hospital staff, and the ramifications of institutional bureaucracy to show the invisible power of the hospital system itself -- its rules, mandates, and daily activity -- in shaping death and our individual experience of it. ...And a Time to Die is a provocative, illuminating, and necessary read for anyone working in or navigating the health care system today, providing a much-needed road map to the disorienting territory of the hospital, where we all are asked to make life-and-death choices. "

Customer Reviews:

Be informed.......2006-09-29

Think you or your parent don't need a health care proxy? Think again, and use Sharon Kaufman's AND A TIME TO DIE to help you realize just how important it is to determine the direction you want your life to take at its conclusion, and to have someone who understands your wishes and can speak for you.

It's not a pleasant subject, but it's one that healthcare professionals deal with every day. I can certainly agree that the cases depicted here are unvarnished in their presentations, completely accurate. I've watched some of these same scenarios play out over and over again--only the patients are different.

The text maintains a certain distance from the patients and their families. There is not the in-depth interviews and emotional content of some other books of this type. However, I appreciated stepping back from the patient in order to see how the system had succeeded or failed in each case.

The author does a good job at showing just how we arrived at this current state of affairs, and why dying in America has become driven by treatments rather than by compassion. Medicare reimbursement is at the heart of some of the problem for the elderly.

If you want to change the system, to have compassion for the dying, to practice better medicine, or even to have a peaceful end for yourself when that time comes, this is a good place to start in understanding how we've come to this place, and to think about what we can do to create change.

One of the most valuable books I've read this year.......2006-07-21

I am a medical ethicist, and as I read Kaufman's "And a Time to Die" I found myself thinking back to the hospital case consultations I've been involved in. Her observations and conclusions helped me to piece together a much more detailed picture of what's really going on in those situations. Her discussion of pathways, time pressures, reimbursement concerns, and the use of language all ring true. Those who are familiar with hospital settings will recognize much of what Kaufman has observed (a fact that another reviewer objects to), but I believe that she is able to take a "bird's eye view" of these issues in a way that organizes and extends our understanding.
This book is a must-read for families who are facing end-of-life decisions, and for those in the health professions who try to help families through this process.

Circles, But Never Lands.......2006-05-22

The author of this book goes inside the modern American hospital system as an anthropologist, and reports what takes place there when the system is confronted with a terminally ill patient. She examines what cultural imperatives are being brought to bear there to make this an increasingly problematic and decidedly "unnatural" process.

You will get a few definite insights from this book. The author includes interviews with a variety of patients and their families. And she sits in on hospital conferences as all the people treating and speaking on behalf of a dying patient wrestle with the problem of what measures to take to prolong the patient's life, or less euphemistically, to prolong his dying.

There is also an interesting chapter on specialty care units that are either attached to some hospitals or that are hospital owned, but exist in their own removed compounds. These units maintain patients who only survive with the aid of artificial/mechanical aids. Some of them are in a vegetative state. Some are conscious to varying degrees. Most of the public still isn't aware of the existence of these adjunct facilities, despite the movie Coma - which featured a sinister version of such a high-tech "warehousing" center. The actuality, as Kaufman describes it, is infinitely more benign. The staff at these institutions sincerely care for their patients.

A few good summary points emerge from Kaufman's treatise. Insurance has largely shaped our medical care system by mandating that hospitals treat specific conditions in order to justify a patient's stay there. So generic old age can't be attended to. A patient must receive a diagnosis of something like "superlobar emphysema" and must be put on the pathway of aggressive treatment for that condition, if the hospital expects to be compensated.

Another point: Our system of so-called choice makes it difficult for the dying and their families. People don't know "what to want" in these life-and-death situations. The onus is on them to say when to pull the plug. Choice has replaced nature.

Kaufman explains how our far-reaching, albeit still limited, control over nature has left us without any way to anchor moral decisions. Whereas we could once let a person die "naturally," now we have transformed and become nature, so the decision can't be left outside ourselves. This is perhaps the main thesis of the whole book, and should have been stated at its beginning to orient the reader a little better.

In general, this book is five times longer than it needs to be. It's like a bird that circles and circles, riding the lofty currents of air, without ever swooping down to make a catch. At the end of the book's 300+ pages, we really don't know much more than when we started. Most of what Kaufman writes in between interviews is abstract and obvious.

Kaufman might have considered going beyond her passive role of anthropologist, and might have envisioned some more substantial solutions to the problem of medicalized dying if she had incorporated the works of philosophers such as Ivan Illich (author of Medical Nemesis) in her thinking. Illich approached the problem of our entire medical care system as a problem of glut and hubris. Just as we demand too many goods in this society, so we demand too many services. We insist on being serviced to the hilt, and institutions abound to sell us service, service, service. These institutions then take on a life of their own, and there's nothing any of us can do, client or provider alike, but go along for the ride. Kaufman's need to maintain cordial relations with hospital staff and patient families in order to conduct her research may explain some of her lack of critical perspective in this regard though.

As it is, her book is worth reading as rehearsal for what each one of us might face some day. But I would speed-read it, in order to avoid prolonging the process.

A powerful book for students, caregivers, and families dealing with end of life stages.......2006-03-27

This is an excellent book about a difficult subject: The ambivalent attitudes and approaches to dying in the culture of US hospital settings. Sharon Kaufman is professor of medical anthropology at the University of California, San Francisco.

Kaufman observed that time was the factor which most influenced many of the interactions and experiences of the participants in the drama of dealing with serious health challenges. Institutional pressures on the staff demanded that care be provided in the most efficient and economic manner. The staff were constantly faced with decisions around the timing of interventions and the pacing of the therapies and their effects and consequences. Staff had to deal with obstacles to the most efficient provision of care and with the timing of death. Patients were often unconscious, leaving relatives to have to make extremely important and difficult decisions - ones that they would have to live with for the rest of their lives, and ones that might set them in conflict with other family members who could not be present at the time.

The control that modern medicine has over the timing of death brings the patients, staff and families into discussions and negotiations over physical, psychological, relationship, moral, ethical and religious issues and concerns. When there is no living will/ directive, an urgent situation is created in which decisions of major consequences must be taken.

Much suffering seemed incredibly unnecessary, like octogenarians with living wills discovered after the fact, or aggressive surgeries on debilitated and chronically ill people who had not a fighting chance of surviving these insults.

This powerful book should be read by every student and caregiver dealing with seriously ill patients, and by families with people who are approaching the last stages of their lives. It would make an excellent focus for caregiver discussion groups.

Sobering examination of the "end of life" issues many of us are likely to face.......2005-07-28

"And A Time To Die" is definitely not light summer reading. Instead, it is a serious and revealing look at the way people die in this country. Fifty years ago most people died at home. For a whole host of reasons detailed in this book this is no longer the case. The simple fact is that most folks find themselves ill-prepared when faced with life and death decisions involving themselves or close family members. Author Sharon R. Kaufman has done us all a great service. "And A Time To Die" brings the reader up to speed on the issues, the terminology, the technology and the players involved in various end of life scenarios. Just what is meant by the term "persistant vegetative state"? What are the advantages and drawbacks of CPR? Is hospice care really a better alternative to a conventional hospital for many of these patients? What happens when the patients wishes are at odds with the wishes of the family? And just what role does religion play in the life and death decisions people are forced to make? These issues and a great many others are presented in clear, concise and easy to understand language.
Sharon Kaufman, a professor of medical anthropology at the University of California, spent two full years observing and interviewing terminally ill patients and their families. She also spent considerable time speaking with doctors, nurses and hospital staff who must struggle with these issues on a daily basis. She presents the stories of 27 patients who find themselves in ICU's (intensive care units) or in other specialized hospital units. To be honest, a good many of these stories are downright disturbing. One cannot imagine what many of these patients and their families are forced to endure. And what is so frustrating is that the structural deficiencies of the American health care system are largely responsible for so many of these problems. Reading this book will surely convince you that there is so much that needs to change.
Admittedly the issues are complex and the subject matter is not particularly pleasant. But as a practical matter, it is extremely important for people to get up to speed on many of these issues. I can only conclude that I found "And A Time To Die" to be a very worthwhile use of my time. I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to you as well.

A Time to Die (Star Trek The Next Generation)

Average customer rating:

A mediocre sequel to a mediocre book.
Ugh and Holy cow
A study in how two characters can destroy a book
Why won't Wesley die??
Does anyone who liked this book watch Star Trek TNG?

A Time to Die (Star Trek The Next Generation)
John Vornholt
Manufacturer: Star Trek
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0743467663

Book Description

On the cusp of their epic battle with Shinzon, many of Captain Jean-Luc Picard's long-time crew were heading for new assignments and new challenges. Among the changes were William Riker's promotion to captain and his new command, Riker's marriage to Counselor Deanna Troi, and Dr. Beverly Crusher's new career at Starfleet Medical. But the story of what set them on a path away from the Starship Enterprise has never been told.

UNTIL NOW.

It was supposed to be a mission of mercy, until the unthinkable occurred: the destruction of the U.S.S. Juno, killing all hands on board. Starfleet Command has unjustly assessed the actions of Captain Picard and the Enterprise crew during that fateful assignment to the Rashanar Battle Site -- the sector that saw one of the fiercest conflicts of the Dominion War, and which is now a hazardous interstellar graveyard filled with hundreds of devastated starships. While the court-ordered medical evaluation that relieved Picard of command is ongoing, there is growing speculation that his illustrious career may be coming to an end.

To clear his former commander, acting captain William Riker and a demoralized skeleton crew agree to conduct a covert operation, and must venture the Starship Enterprise back into Rashanar to track down a mythical menace -- one that may already be responsible for the annihilation of countless fully armed starships. Unbridled hostility and the promise of death lurk at every turn, but they could never imagine that their only chance of survival may lie in the unexpected return of a long-absent friend....

Customer Reviews:

A mediocre sequel to a mediocre book. .......2005-08-03

The second in the "A Time To..." series, "Die" picks up where "Be Born" left off. The U.S.S. Juno has been destroyed, and after an inquiry has been convened, Captain Picard has been relieved of command, with Riker made acting captain. To clear Picard's name, the crew goes back to the Rashanar battle site to find whatever it was that destroyed the Juno. There's more action in this book than there was in its prequel, but that unfortunatley doesn't do much for it. The characterisations are still off, and there are some big plot points that just get written off way too quickly.

Spoilers...
First off, the love story between Wesely and Coleen Cabot. They talk, have sex and BOOM, they're in love. All within the space of a few paragraphs. It seems that most of the affair is written only for filler, because it's badly done and Cabot dies towards the end of the book.

Second, Wesely is on the Enterprise, having left Picard and co. on the Skegge for like, ten minutes. He comes back and Picard tells him, "Oh yes, we met up with some looters and struck a deal with them, and they've installed a cloaking device on our ship." If I were Wesely, my only question would have been "When?"
End spoilers...

It seemed like as the ending drew nearer, there was a bigger rush to resolve different matters, and that hurt the story. Again, completionists will want to read "A Time to Die" just so they won't be lost in subsequent books. I'm glad that the torch is passed on to other Trek authors in the next book. John Vornholt just didn't do it for me.

Ugh and Holy cow.......2005-03-04

Let me preface this review by saying first and foremost I am a serious Star Trek fan and have been for a very long time. I've had a hard time watching each new TV series fall further and further in quality and have turned to books for my "Trek-Fix".
So without further ado......

(Also please note, some of my comments may spoil things for you if you haven't read the books. I'll attempt to note before hand what is a spoiler)
These first two books written by Mr.Vornholt are mediocre at best. This easily could have been a single book. Nevertheless the books have other faults as well (Note: I'm writing one review for both Vornholt books Time to be Born and Time to Die). Let's start from the beginning of this book.
It takes place pretty much right as the last book ended. I suppose my first real problem with it comes here. Seeing Picard in a nuthouse seems.... well.... silly. The books explains this away as a device to keep him from getting court-martialed for the incident that happened in the previous novel. His "keeper" is named Colleen Cabot. She has little or no personality and seems to take a strange glee in needling Jean-Luc. The first 1/4 of this book is completely disposable except for a couple little plot driving points stuck in haphazardly here and there. Then we move back to Rashanar. The scene of the most horrible battle ever in the Dominion Wars (How many times I've heard that I can't count). The idea behind Rashanar is interesting for the first book and about halfway into this book. Then it becomes the typical "Get the alien" fair, with a little conspiracy thrown in.

--SPOILER AHEAD--
My major gripe with this particular book is the sudden turning of Colleen Cabot into a vibrant, annoying, opinionated brat and that somehow Wesley and her fall in love in the space of a paragraph and all it right with the universe. Colleen questioning herself as to whether she loves Wesley as Wesley or Wesley the Traveler is just sad. Clearly it is in my mind, filler. The author seems to desperately be trying to make you like her as a character and quickly develop her character.
--SPOILER OVER--

The book (including Time to be Born) moves at jerky rates. Giving the reader reading whiplash from the lack of any kind of coherant flow or pacing. The entire middle of the book, with crew members dorking around inside Rashanar was so drawn out I actually started skimming paragraphs. I just took to long with little or no point... more filler material obviously.
The dialogue is sometimes archaic in Trek references (Food SLOT?!) and Data's Dialogue is very forced. In fact I found most characters dialogue forced as if the author had never seen a Next Generation episode in his life.
I do look forward to other authors taking over the helm (pun intended) and doing something interesting with this series of Trek books.
I am not sure what else Mr.Vornholt has written or even if he has written other Trek books. I'm sure he's a fine writer but he just didn't do it this time around.

A study in how two characters can destroy a book.......2004-11-12

Fresh on the heels of A Time to Be Born, its companion novel, A Time to Die shows up. And what a clunk it makes. Star Trek novels have their detractors, but I'm not one of them. This one, however, almost makes me change my mind. There is so much wrong with this book that I don't know where to begin. Just to start at the easy part, how about a summary?

After the destruction of the Ontailian ship at the Rashanar graveyard in A Time to Be Born, and after the Ontailians destroy the starship Juno, Captain Picard is back on Earth being held in a mental institution for ongoing medical tests. He has accepted a deal that will avoid a court martial, but he is determined to discover what really happened at Rashanar, site of one of the fiercest battles of the Dominion War. To clear his former captain, Acting Captain William Riker takes the Enterprise, with a skeleton crew, back to Rashanar to find out what the Ontailians are really hiding at the graveyard. Thankfully, he has the help of Picard, the counselor performing his medical evaluation, and an old friend. Wesley Crusher is back, and he's determined to help the Enterprise and his old captain, even if it means he can no longer be a member of the mythical beings called "The Travelers." However, death and destruction await them amidst the wreckage of so many ships.

A Time to Be Born was a book about Picard (and a little bit of Data). Wesley was in it, and he actually became a little annoying prancing around during the inquiry back at Starfleet command (the only annoying part of that entire section of the book). But it was Picard's book. A Time to Die makes the whole thing Wesley's story, and it really suffers for it. I have never been a Wesley detractor as so many Star Trek: The Next Generation fans have been, but he's never been a favourite of mine. However, this book has a lot of Wesley using his Traveler powers, jumping from ship to ship to planet to outer space, observing things. He almost makes things too easy, despite Picard's insistence that they can't begin relying on him. Wesley is a Deus ex Machina throughout the entire book, except for the fact that the book is actually about him so maybe that term doesn't apply. Still, it does make the book less interesting. He convinces Picard's counselor of what happened by whisking her away to the Rashanar graveyard, something she must find very erotic because the next time she sees him she's all over him.

Which brings me to why this book suffers so much. First, Wesley's actions and manner are incredibly annoying, making me want to blow him out an airlock at times. Secondly, the relationship that develops between Wesley and Cabot comes literally out of nowhere. One minute, she's resisting releasing Picard, and then after Wesley takes her to Rashanar, she's suddenly hot for him? And he for her? Yes, he does find her attractive in their first scene together, but to go from "finding her attractive" to "being all over each other" in the span of a few pages? And then to have their relationship be this intense love that makes neither one of them want to be apart from one another? The whole thing is ridiculous, and every time they were together I wanted to belt them one. Then, her inevitable fate is so perfunctorily done that it had no affect on me whatsoever. I also found that this relationship brought out a giddiness in Cabot that just suddenly manifested itself too. She does almost a complete 180 degree turn in attitude that I just can't fathom. Yes, love can change somebody like that, but when I don't buy the love story, I certainly don't buy the character change.

There are other characters problems, too, though most are ok. The most striking is Admiral Nakamura, who goes from an almost ruthless man in a meeting with a character to crying over that character's death at the end. The first part I thought was very good, but I certainly didn't buy the crying, at least not for that character. Vornholt once again gets the regulars right, though that's coloured by Cabot's presence in so many scenes. Wesley's reluctance to reveal himself to his friends is very pertinent (he thinks the more he reveals himself, the more likely it is that he will lose his powers), but it makes for some very awkwardly done scenes between when both he, his mom, Cabot, and others are in a room together.

I'm looking for something positive to say about this book, and I'm having trouble. The scenes that don't have either Cabot or Wesley in them are usually well done. Unfortunately, there aren't many of them. The mystery of Rashanar is interesting, especially the secret behind the creature in the graveyard. Wesley also solves the problem in a very interesting way, fulfilling his vision from the beginning of the first book without allowing any of the main characters (who you know will survive, as Paramount would not allow their deaths) to die. In fact, the entire concept is intriguing.

It's just too bad that it had to end with such a bad book. A Time to Die is worth reading once, just to continue the story. But try to beg or borrow it before wasting money on it.

David Roy

Why won't Wesley die??.......2004-08-24

I rather enjoyed this book and found it amusing when Wesley's girlfriend slapped him on the ass after having sex. A follow-up story of Wesley's son would be most interesting. The Medusan floating in space-time was also very interesting. Overall this was a good read at your local bookstore and the price was right (a cup of coffee). The Pool of Prophesy was clearly stolen from Lord of the Rings. Too bad Wesley didn't interact with some of these species we know little about like the Breen or even other "entities" besides Q. Wesley walking around a Borg ship would have been interesting. An assimilated Traveler. Even better, Wesley could have been the Borg Queen! I'm tired of Wesley saving the universe. Wesley needs to be put into statis or into the nearest singularity.

Does anyone who liked this book watch Star Trek TNG?.......2004-07-05

I can't begin to tell you how shocked I was at the reviews for this book. Not only does the author have trouble representing the characters truthfully (I mean he only has seven years of TV episodes and four movies to study), but the writing was horrendous, just like every other book I've read by this author.

But overall, I was most disappointed with the characterizations. I didn't see the crew I love, which was what I was hoping for. If you want to see a Star Trek crew back in action where the books read so clearly that you can actually see the story as if it were an episode, go get the DS9 relaunch.

I pray that the other authors in this series show me the TNG crew, because this author couldn't find them.

Oh, one last thing: It is not 'witty' or 'inventive' to rehash dialogue directly from episodes or movies.

Average customer rating:

set the ac to ex-wife cold

Neo- hardboiled P.I. tale set in Texas

Hunsicker A Noir Champ

Hot dang y'all, I swear...

PI Lee Henry Oswald returns in "The Next Time You Die"

The Next Time You Die: A Lee Henry Oswald Mystery (Lee Henry Oswald Mysteries)
Harry Hunsicker
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Minotaur
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0312348509
Release Date: 2006-07-11

Book Description

The anxiously awaited follow-up to Still River, The Next Time You Die is an action-packed mystery certain to establish Harry Hunsicker as the Dennis Lehane of Dallas. The story begins when a bourbon-swilling Baptist preacher hires Oswald to recover a stolen file, who figures the job for a quick and painless infusion of cash. But nothing comes easily in Dallas for anybody named Oswald, especially when a psychopathic hit man shows up, intent on finding the same scrap of missing paper. As the stakes mount, each treacherous step toward the missing file forces Oswald to confront the haunting memory of a split second decision which ultimately cost one-time partner, Billy Barganier, his life.

Customer Reviews:

set the ac to ex-wife cold.......2007-09-10

You gotta love an author that comes up with language like that. But can't our hero ask some questions and wait for an answer before putting his life in the hands of low lifes? Action from page one. Not much down time. But the reader is left wondering why Hank doesn't slow down and think. This series shows lots of promise, just treat the readers with a little more respect.

Neo- hardboiled P.I. tale set in Texas.......2007-06-13

Dallas P.I. Lee Henry Oswald has heard every JFK joke associated with his name and prefers to go by "Hank". Hank is first hired by an hard-drinking preacher Lucas Linville to recover a missing file folder. A bit later, Hank accepts a bodyguard assignment by State Senator Vernon Black for his friend's attractive daughter Tess. Hank also broods about putting his pal Billy Barganier in Max Security. Romance flairs up with Hank falling for Tess and his partner Nolan getting back together with her ex. THE NEXT TIME YOU DIE has all of the right ingredients for a classic hardboiled detective novel. The narrative arc assumes a bruising, blistering pace, what Eugene Izzy did in his best mobster books. The Texas setting is pitch perfect, whether in sophisticated v. grungy Dallas or out in the more rural hinterlands. Solid, brutal, engaging, and complex.

Hunsicker A Noir Champ.......2006-12-20

The Next Time You Die is worth reading, if only for the wry, exact description of Dallas and its neighborhoods. Hunsicker's masterful characters twist and turn through a dark, suspenseful plot. A book for every noir fan.

Hot dang y'all, I swear..........2006-11-08

Hunsicker is a find. What is it about the books of Robert B. Parker, Tony Hillerman, Tom Corcoran, and a very few others - that brings you in the door to a world that's so natural and real, you suspend belief willingly, not holding your breath or tensing your tummy for fear of disappointment. I suspect it's in part the author's ability to get himself out of the way. Hunsicker's Dallas lives; so do his characters. Nothing deep here, but nothing trivially shallow, either; in short, a really classy entertainment. Hunsicker has clearly worked hard to make the most of his talents. He's now one of the writers on my personal "writer's writer" list.

PI Lee Henry Oswald returns in "The Next Time You Die".......2006-09-16

Named such by a bull headed father Lee Henry Oswald has a name that would stick out any where. This is especially true in Dallas where Lee Henry works as a private investigator. Lee Henry knows the other side of Dallas. The side the Chamber of Commerce doesn't want shown and in the two years since the events depicted in "Still River" things haven't improved.

His latest case, as have many others, begins in a bar. The bar is located just a few blocks from the new Dallas Police Headquarters. The air conditioning, the dim lighting, and the beer make it a welcome refuge from the cloying mid September heat. He meets with a Baptist Preacher named Lucas Linville who drinks like a fish and runs a small ministry nearby for the street people. He tells Lee Henry that a file from his office is missing and the info inside could be embarrassing for a local prominent family. In addition, his office assistant is missing. Are the two things related? The preacher doesn't want to think so but for Lee Henry it is pretty obvious.

Before he can find out too much more, a couple of thugs walk into the bar looking for his client as well as Lee Henry by name. They mean to payback Lee Henry for something that he was involved with that cost a good friend of his, Billy Barganier, his life. The past is the past and he knows it can't be changed and that Billy is long in the grave no matter what the thugs say. But, the thugs are the first two of several promising payback.

As he works Linville's case, the second storyline involving Billy and their shared past becomes more and more prominent. Not only does the case go off in unexpected ways but there are links between the two. And while this is going on, his partner Nolan has romance problems and they are supposed to be keeping alive a certain young lady that has her own prominent connections.

The result is a sequel stronger than the original book which can't be said that often. Gone is the writing workshop feel of the first book as is a lot of the sarcastic humor. This book is darker due to that loss of humor as well as the fact that Lee Henry is not as naive as he was in the first book. This Lee Henry is more of a bitter man seeing deep flaws in enemies and friends alike and not very happy with anyone.

Numerous references are made to events that happened to Lee Henry and others between the two books during the two year gap. This could be confusing to readers picking this novel up as an introduction to the series as the way they are constructed implies a book is missing in the series. Why this was done is questionable as the comments don't seem to have any storytelling purpose other than to artificially age the characters and reinforce the idea that time has passed.

That is, however, a minor quibble. The novel is another enjoyable read that will be very familiar to residents regarding the dark side of the city as well as the moneyed elite. Such concepts almost become a character into themselves as the mystery unravels through the interplay of complex characters, multi storylines, and plenty of action. Like "Still River," author Harry Hunsicker has provided readers another strong novel that is well worth your time and investment and one that can be read as a stand alone if one so desired.

Kevin R. Tipple (copyright) 2006
(way, way over 13 and very much a real person)

Hope Dies Last: Keeping the Faith in Difficult Times

Average customer rating:

Maintaining Hope in Challenging Times
Hope Dies Last: Keeping the Faith in Difficult Times
Thank you, Mr. Terkel. A true American asset right here.
Studs Terkel keeps getting better !
Read the words of those walking the walk

Hope Dies Last: Keeping the Faith in Difficult Times
Studs Terkel
Manufacturer: New Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

Oral History | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1565848373

Amazon.com

While American military forces seek to defeat an enemy that has no nation and American citizens ponder a future inextricably linked to the threat of terrorism, legendary writer Studs Terkel steps forward with a remarkable volume of oral histories that sheds new light on fighting for a just cause in uncertain times. As the title of Hope Dies Last suggests, Terkel's interviews all deal with the notion of finding hope in difficult times and holding on to that hope (of a better job, a better life, justice, peace) despite often overwhelming odds. Terkel draws his subjects from an incredibly broad range of backgrounds: pardoned Illinois death row inmate Leroy Orange discusses the events of his life, 94-year-old famed economist John Kenneth Galbraith talks about Enron, undocumented Guatemalans tell of trying to merely survive in modern America. While each testimonial is compelling in its own way, they combine to form a mosaic of human tenacity. Often, as in the case of 1960s civil rights activists, the subjects' ideas are accepted in the long run, for others, including a resident of Chicago's Cabrini Green housing project, the struggle is only just beginning. Terkel, 91 years old at the time of this book's publication, draws from a wealth of human experience but is spry enough to take on new causes and skillfully profile youthful activists with emerging causes. And Hope Dies Last is still a Studs Terkel book, full of the Pulitzer Prize-winning author's brand of blue-collar, rabble-rousing, union-card-waving brand of broad shouldered Chicago liberalism that makes the current wave of political writers seem a bit green and petty by comparison. For all of their success in selling books that accuse one another of being liars and idiots, those writers would do well to get out and meet even a few of the people that Studs Terkel has been talking to for years. --John Moe

Book Description

The renowned oral historian turns his attention to the aspirations of "the American century."

I feel there's gonna be a change, but we're the ones gonna do it, not the government. With us there's a saying, "La esperenza muera ultima. Hope dies last." You can't lose hope. If you lose hope, you lose everything.—Jessie de la Cruz, retired farm worker

Studs Terkel's marvelous oral histories have hitherto dealt with specifics, as he puts it "the visceral stuff — the job, race, age and death." While Terkel's chosen theme here, the incandescence of hope, might at first appear elusive, it is anything but abstract. For Terkel, hope is born of activism, commitment, and the steely determination to resist.

The spirit of activism has ebbed and flooded through Terkel's venerable life. In the Great Depression of the 1930s he recalls a man swinging from a chandelier at the Astor Hotel shouting for "Social Security!" In the 1960s it was African Americans and students who advocated for equal rights and an end to maladventure overseas. And now, in a new century, young and old are joining forces on the streets to say no to war. The spark of activism is igniting the precious idea of a better world once again.

The interviews in Hope Dies Last constitute an alternative history of the "American century," forming a legacy of the indefatigable spirit that Studs has always embodied, and an inheritance for those who, by taking a stand, are making concrete the dreams of today.

Customer Reviews:

Maintaining Hope in Challenging Times.......2004-11-25

HOPE DIES LAST is an oral history of various personalities collected by renowned social commentator Studs Terkel. Terkel has collected stories from just about every conceivable category of people: teachers, politicians, clergy people, business people, young people, and old people, you name it, the group is probably represented in this book. Each oral history tells the story of someone who has maintained hope in a challenging or difficult moment. The situations vary, but each is meant to help us navigate in these very trying and uncertain days after September 11, 2001.

In his introduction, Terkel says that "Hope never trickles down. It always springs up." This book will certainly help people see that hope does spring up in third world countries, in violent city streets, in classrooms, churches, and just about everywhere else. This book will be helpful for just about anyone, whether facing a challenge or not. Teachers and clergy people will find the book very helpful since so much of the work of educators and members of eth clergy is keeping faith alive.

Hope Dies Last: Keeping the Faith in Difficult Times.......2004-04-13

Hope Dies Last: Keeping the Faith in Difficult Times by Studs Terkel, The New Press, 2003 p. 326

Studs Terkel lends understanding to what it means to be an American by letting Americans speak. His newest addition in his long and celebrated list of books offers a collection of interviews with hopeful people or "hopeholders", history chroniclers, the celebrated and the un-knows. "In the following pages are portraits of the inheritors of the legacy of those past. They range in age from nonagenarians to young ones in their twenties".

Mr. Terkel is free-thinker. He holds a flame of hope. "As we enter the new millennium, hope appears to be an American attribute that has vanished for many, no matter what their class or condition in life. The official word has never been more arrogantly imposed. Passivity, in the face of such a bold, unabashed show of power from above, appears to be the order of the day. But it ain't necessarily so." His interviewer's selection reflects his viewpoint.

I first read his books to bone up on the art of interviewing. My horizons expanded upon reading interviews with various folks such as World War II heroines and heros, and those that had experienced death close up. Now, I read Studs Terkel books for the joy of learning about whatever he finds of interest. My burning question remain: How does he get people to open up, spill their guts, and let their hearts and human spirits shine through?

His introduction offers answers in his guiding voice. He is someone that's lived a free man's life, met amazing people, done amazing things, stood up for what he believed was right, and he is still going strong. His "voice" is that of a "regular guy". He's the kind of individual that has wisdom, wisdom enough to guide you as well as let you decide things for yourself. That seems to help his subjects to "open up".

Those that have read previous Studs Terkel books will not be disappointed with his latest book, Hope Dies Last. Those new to Terkel...well.... Sit back and enjoy and be prepared to be motivated. "Activism need not be a profession in itself, as it is in many cases here. It can be in the writing of a letter to the editor or to your congressperson; it can be in taking part in a local action or a national one, or, for that matter, a worldwide one".

Thank you, Mr. Terkel. A true American asset right here........2004-01-14

Studs Terkel. I apologize, I cannot continue without prefacing my review without a word or two about this great man, and I am not normally effusive in my praise.

If you wanted someone to try and model your life on, you could do far worse than to choose Studs Terkel. Anyone today could live to be 200 and not see and experience half of what this man has. He was born May 14, 1912, and at the age of 91, he is still going strong. Talk about endurance, about transcending time. My hats off to Terkel.

Anyway, to the review, as you might expect if you've read anything else by Terkel, he continues his intriguing and beguiling brand of oral history, transmitted to us through the written word. His many works have touched on many periods, and many themes, but in this book, Terkel examines hope.

More importantly, Terkel in this book views hope as marked by resistance, activism, working to change the world or make it a better place. It is easy in these times to become dismissive... in an interview Terkel said before he wrote the book, he had the feeling that the nation was as apathetic and hopeless as it hadn't been in a long time. To some extent, that rings true.

But this book isn't just a foray into a depressing land with no hopes or prospects. Some of the military personnel have rather bleak things to say about the future, but despair is the flip side of the coin to hope - to talk about one without speaking about the other would be pointless.

The book's framework is this: Terkel examines how people have perservered, lived, strived, propsered, and died throughout recent American history. Famous people. Unknown people. People from all walks of life. Teachers, social workers, and politicians share the stage with unknown alcoholics, refugees, and disease victims. The results are not uniformly happy, but that is not important - the presence of hope in the face of what you would think of as unendurable odds is the theme. Hope, and its many forms - hope for life, hope for happiness, hope for change, hope for sheer survival.

If I've made this book sound like some kind of "Chicken Soup for the Soul," let me assure you, it isn't. It isn't candy-coated, dumbed-down, or an overly cheery insult to your intelligent. It won't eradicate anyone's cynicism, but I have to think that most people would come away from reading this book feeling better about their country and its inhabitants than before they read it... coming away a little changed themselves as well. And really, what more can you ask for in a book?

I would heartily recommend this book to anyone.

Studs Terkel keeps getting better !.......2003-12-06

Once again, I find myself trapped with a Studs Terkel book. Each book of his I read is better than the one before. This one is a wonder-I'm thinking of ordering several for gifts, one even for my Priest.
Easy reading, well organized & great topic.He is a literary treasure.

Read the words of those walking the walk.......2003-10-19

Give yourself a treat and savor the gift Studs gave us of the words of those out there fighting the good fight. From Dennis Kucinich to Frances Moore Lappe to Kathy Kelly to John Kenneth Galbraith, the words come from the heart. They tell the stories of their families, describe their work and why they keep at it.

Roberta Lynch,"I remember back to the Harold Washington campaign. I was a lakefront coordinator. I remember these efforts to build black political power in the city. People felt like it was rolling a rock up a hill, and here comes the Harold Washington campaign, and it's like an explosion.

You get the sense that history can surprise us, always. It's those surprises that break through the deadening, stultifying consensus that gives people a sense, Yes! We can."

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MY GOD!!!

At first...

No time to die!

Exciting book!!

Super!

No Time to Die
Elizabeth Chandler
Manufacturer: Simon Pulse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Mysteries, Espionage, & Detectives | Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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Legacy of Lies

The Deep End of Fear (Dark Secrets)

Don't Tell

The House Next Door

Kissed by an Angel Collector's Edition: Kissed by an Angel the Power of Love Soulmates

ASIN: 0743400305

Book Description

Message from a dead girl...

It's too late to call back. Jenny will never speak to Liza again. But it seems that even from beyond the grave, Liza is begging her sister for help....

They say it's a serial killer. Is it? Jenny can't afford to trust anyone. Now she's here, in Wisteria, anonymously registered at the Chase College theater camp where her sister died. The daughter of a famous theatrical family, Jenny distrusts actors, loathes acting. Yet here in the college's darkened theatre, Liza seems to be speaking to her. Suddenly Jenny is mouthing Liza's last lines, sharing Liza's last days, a drama starring Brian, the stage manager, who seems to follow her everywhere...dangerously attractive Mike...Paul, who was obsessed with Liza...motherly, suffocating assistant director Maggie...and Walker, the director, bristling with hostility and resentment against Liza and Jenny's famous father. Does he suspect Jenny's true identity?

How can anyone know the visions that may be driving Jenny straight into the killer's arms?

Customer Reviews:

MY GOD!!!.......2006-12-17

ELIZABETH CHANDLER IS AMAZING!!!! BUY THESE BOOK WORSHIP THESE BOOKS THEY ARE A GIFT FROM GOD!!!!!!!!!!

At first..........2005-08-26

I thought this would be a BORING book. I had to find a book for my L.A. project and chose this randomly. I just finished reading it-and to my surprise-it was so exciting! It was very suspenseful, deep, and kept me on the edge of my chair! I couldn't help but turn the page continuously and read for hours. I am unusually like this unless I am reading a REALLY good book. And that's what this is--a REALLY good book and more!

No time to die!.......2005-07-25

This story is filled with unbelievable twist. It will keep you at the edge of your sit, and the ending was amazing. You won't believe what happens and you really will not guess who the killer is! I give this story five stars, a great job by Elizabeth Chandler.

Exciting book!!.......2005-06-14

Jenny's sister, Liza, was murdered while she was at drama camp and Jenny went there to find out if it really was a serial killer who did it. While she's there, Jenny keeps having these visions that are like memories of what Liza saw near to the time when she was murdered. Jenny is finding more and more clues and has many suspects. She doesnt think it was a serial killer, she thinks it was someone that knew Liza, and she needs to find out because they might try to kill her next. Jenny keeps touching things that give her chills and suggest that they had to do with the murder, like a hammer that she had a vision of being the murder weapon, and sometimes she has visions when she stands in a place that Liza was. Jenny doesnt tell the people there that she is Liza's sister and subtly asks around to find out more. Will she find out who the murderer is before they get her too? Read it to find out!!

Super!.......2004-10-31

This is a phenominal book, full of friendship and betrayal. It has captivating characters, even those who have "passed on" are intriguing and lead to a smooth flowing novel. Every detail helps pull the plot together in a superb ending.

A Time to Die: The Untold Story of the Kursk Tragedy

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A fine account of the Kursk disaster
A modern tragedy
Fascinating and depressing look into the "new" Russia
Excellent General Account of the Sinking of the 'Kursk'
The destruction of the Russian submarine Kursk.

A Time to Die: The Untold Story of the Kursk Tragedy
Robert Moore
Manufacturer: Crown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Japan | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

Naval | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Russia | History | Subjects | Books

General | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0609610007
Release Date: 2003-01-14

Amazon.com

In August 2000, explosions rocked the Russian nuclear submarine the Kursk, killing most crewmembers instantly and leaving the sub stranded in the Barents Sea where the remaining personnel would also soon perish. When the story was reported worldwide, it was met with considerably more questions than answers: What caused the explosion? Could the men be rescued? And why was the Russian military being so secretive about the incident? Journalist Robert Moore has gathered extensive information regarding the incident to answer those and numerous other questions in this exhaustive account. Moore pieces together a harrowing narrative of the events leading to the two on-board explosions that instantly killed 88 men while sparing, temporarily, 23 others. Soon, the story spreads beyond the Arctic Circle as the book offers tales of frightened families searching for information, international rescue teams attempting to reach the crew in time, a Russian government whose disorganization or obfuscation may have hampered those efforts, and American submarine crews poised just outside Russian waters. Where the book succeeds most is in the details: the fact that the rubber-wrapped Kursk was nearly impossible to detect on sonar, the speculation that the tapping noises often reported may have been tales invented by the Northern Fleet to add urgency to the rescue efforts, and the transcripts of notes left by the surviving crew members after the explosions had already occurred. --John Moe

Book Description

A At 11:28 a.m. on Saturday, August 12, 2000, high in the Arctic Circle under the roiling surface of the unforgiving Barents Sea, Captain Gennady Lyachin was taking the Kursk, the pride of Russia’s elite Northern Fleet, through the last steps of firing a practice torpedo, part of an elaborate naval exercise. Suddenly, the torpedo exploded in a massive ?reball, instantly incinerating all seven men in the submarine’s forward compartment. The horror, however, was just beginning. The full, gripping story of the remarkable drama inside the Kursk and of the desperate rescue efforts has never been told—until now.

In A Time to Die, a critically acclaimed best-seller in the United Kingdom, international reporter Robert Moore—who covered the Kursk tragedy from Russia as it happened—draws on exclusive access he obtained to top Russian military figures in telling the inside story of the disaster with the factual depth of the best journalism and the compelling moment-by-moment tension of a thriller. He takes us right down inside the Kursk as two massive explosions—the second measuring 3.5 on the Richter scale—rip through compartment after compartment. Bringing the horror of the explosions vividly to life, he details the agonizing drama of the twenty-three men who survived as they fight against time to be rescued.

In a journalistic coup, Moore obtained secret access to the Kursk’s highly restricted Arctic submarine base, and he makes the desolation of that forbidden world palpable on the page. As word of the tragedy breaks, he portrays the fear and growing rage of the families of the crew as they clamor for news of their loved ones and confront Vladimir Putin, Russia’s newly elected president.

Moore also vividly re-creates the nail-biting tension of the heroic but deeply flawed Russian rescue efforts as men are sent down again and again, aboard antiquated mini-subs, in perilous attempts to get to the survivors. As Western rescuers are at last called in, Moore richly describes the fascinating world of the offshore divers who drop everything to make one last, desperate attempt to reach the trapped submariners.

A Time to Die is a riveting, brilliantly researched account of the deadliest submarine disaster in history and its devastating human cost.

Customer Reviews:

A fine account of the Kursk disaster.......2005-05-30

Writing the account of the Kursk disaster from a safe time distance, Robert Moore has produced the definitive study of the tragedy that befell the Russian Northern Fleet in August 2000. He explains with much clarity the technical dimensions of the fatal accident, the clumsy response of the Russian political and military leadership, the important role of the British and Norwegians rescuers and the drama of the victims' relatives. It reads like a first rate novel and is the most comprehensive book written on the subject. It also contains some black and white photographs, a general map of the area discussed and a diagram of the various Kursk compartments.

A modern tragedy.......2005-03-07

Moore's investigative report of the sinking of the Russian submarine Kursk is a quick read, but it is detailed and well-written.

Moore gets a good deal of perspective from both the Russian point of view, as well as the US Navy, as it followed the 2000 maneuvers that saw the loss of Kursk, on of that navy's deadliest undersea weapons.

So much, however, for an "Evil Empire:" As we now well know, the Russian navy was in a shambles, with numerous vessels rusting in ports across the federation. Funding was nonexistant, with subs being used as food carriers!

The accident with one of the sub's weapons was a further example of a navy using substandard equipment, i.e., torpedos and other armaments that were worn out and should have been scrapped long ago. In addition, the fact that the service's best hope of resuce was mothballed.

The Russian love of the sea and the service, however is depicted well here. Despite low pay, sometimes no pay, the men of the navy seem a hardy, tough bunch who love their country and their work no less than our own.

The political implications of the Kursk disaster nearly brought down Vladimir Putin before his term as president even began. Hardliners in the Kremlin and the service were still loathe to accept western help, and they are shown to have kept Putin in the dark, making him look very bad.

Putin showed his toughness and coolness under fire, especially before the devastated family members, and also took his revenge on those that fooled him with a purge. He proved that as former head of the KGB, he was not one to be trifled with.

One thing this sad story did, was show just how dedicated those sailors were. The papers found in the sub by the initial survivors, such as Kolesnikov showed discipline did not break down, and the men did the best they could under the terrible circumstances.

It must have been frightening: 350 feet down, knowing escape by the hatches would mean certain death, and having to wait for help that did not arrive in time...and yet, the 23 men left alive after the explosion did their duty and their best.

A good read for those who want to know what happened and why.

Fascinating and depressing look into the "new" Russia.......2005-02-12

Synopsis:

The Kursk was the largest, most-powerful nuclear submarine in the Russian fleet. It was one of only a very few of their premier ships - designed before the Soviet collapse and completed by the Russian government. It was larger than anything in the American fleet.

In August of 2000 there was an accident caused by a malfunction in a poorly maintained dummy torpedo during a war games exercise near the Arctic circle. The explosion of the dummy caused the explosion of every non-nuclear piece of ordinance on the sub and it immediately sink to the floor of the ocean 370 feet down. Most of the sailors died right away but about 20 survived in the aft compartments for several days.

The book details the poor quality of Russia's underwater rescue teams (their annual budget for 1999 was $14,000 - their leaders joked about using it to buy a car so they could drive to an underwater rescue site) and their unwillingness to accept Western offers to help until it was too late for their sailors. It also details the trevails of some of the victims' families and the Russian government's clumsy responses to the crisis and their own newly-freed press.

The book's title comes from a poem written by one of the men from the aft compartment. He gave it to his wife just before he left to participate in the war games.

When there is A Time to Die
Although I try not to think about this,
I would like time to say:
My darling I Love You.

My review:

This is a fascinating, yet depressing book. I learned a lot about submarines and underwater rescue but it involved the loss of over 120 men. The look into the new Russia and Vladimir Putin's first crisis as President is worth reading the book in and of itself.

Excellent General Account of the Sinking of the 'Kursk'.......2003-12-18

As a work for non specialists, "A Time to Die" is an excellent, well written, and thoroughly explained piece of journalism. It is written for laymen, yet does not condescend to people without a background in submarine operations. The K-141 'Kursk' sank on August 12, 2000 off northern Russia during a training exercise after an aged torpedo exploded in the bow of the boat, sinking the ship rapidly to the 350 foot deep seabed. 28 men survived in the aft of the ship and lived in a cold and dark environment for several days before being killed by a rapid flash fire.

The elements that led to the tragedy are compelling. The Russian navy was (and is) in utter disrepair after the breakup of the USSR, and rescue submersibles were among the first budget cuts made. Only several days after the 'Kursk' sank was help from England and Norway solicited, due largely to national pride (and fear of espionage). The entire debacle happened only a few months into the Putin administration and proved to be a watershed in Russian politics.

Moore tells the story from the viewpoint of the survivors, the would-be rescuers and the victim's families, with special emphasis on deteriorating Russian capabilities (and the preventable nature of the disaster) and the political forces that doomed the survivors to a sure death. Overall it is a superb telling of the salient points of the tragedy, its investigation, and aftermath. The photographs alone are worth the price of the book, particularly the pictures of 'Kursk' in drydock after the accident. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a general treatment of the technical side of the disaster and an in-depth covering of the political machinations involved.

The destruction of the Russian submarine Kursk........2003-10-11

A great book about a sad disaster. The Kursk was the pride of the Russian attack submarine fleet and one of the newest ships in the Navy. On an exercise in the Arctic Ocean, the submarine blew up and sank. Twenty six people survived the blast but died on the bottom of the ocean because the Russian Navy did not have adequate rescue facilities or did not want ask foreign governments for help. This was truly needless death.
Moore does a good job of detailing the death of this submarine and the decline of the Russian Navy. Although the book is great to read, it does start off slowly, and the circumstances of the explosion is still in doubt. Some say the warheads of one of the torpedoes went off, while Moore states categorically that it was the fuel of the torpedo which caused a flash fire and set the other warheads off. The reason for the submarine exploding is still in doubt, but the aftermath is all too real in the suffering of the families of the crew members.
I have read another book about this subject--Kursk Down, but this is a superior read.

Die Grossen Militarparaden des Dritten Reiches: Zeitgeschichte in Bildern (Great Military Parades of the Third Reich: Events of the Time in Photos)

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Die Grossen Militarparaden des Dritten Reiches: Zeitgeschichte in Bildern (Great Military Parades of the Third Reich: Events of the Time in Photos)
Werner Landhoff
Manufacturer: Arndt Verlag
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

All German Books | German | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books
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ASIN: 3887410548

Book Description

This is a quality hardbound, large format book, filled with amazing color photographs. Text and captions are in German, with a separate English language photo caption translation sheet included.

Book Description

Former U.S. Senator Quintrell is dead.
His son, New Mexico's governor, is preparing his
run for the highest political office in the land.

And dark family secrets are about to explode with the
devastating force of a Southwestern earthquake.

An eccentric Quintrell aunt has invited genealogist Carolina "Carly" May to their Taos compound to compile a record of the illustrious family. But digging into the past is raising troubling questions about a would-be president's private life . . . and the grisly street crime that left his drug-addicted sister dead. As a dark world of twisted passions and depravity slowly opens up before Carly, there is no one whom she dares trust -- perhaps least of all Dan Duran, a dangerous, haunted enigma who's tied to the Quintrells' history. But she will need an ally to survive the terrible mysteries a father carried to the grave -- because following the bloodlines of the powerful can be a bloody business. And some dead secrets can kill.

Download Description

With her trademark electrifying storytelling and razor-sharp tension, New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Lowell proves once again why she is one of today's top masters of suspense -- in a riveting tale of dark family secrets ready to explode with the devastating force of a Southwestern earthquake.

The powerful Quintrell family of New Mexico has spent decades in the public eye. Now the recent death of the clan's patriarch, a former U.S. senator, has placed his son, Governor Josh Quintrell, squarely in the spotlight as he prepares his run for the highest political office in the land. It is not a good time to be rattling skeletons in the family's closets.

Researching personal histories isn't just Carolina ""Carly"" May's profession, it's her passion. When the governor's eccentric Aunt Winifred invites Carly into the Quintrells' private Taos compound to compile a genealogical record of the illustrious residents, she can hardly believe her good luck. But digging into the past is raising troubling questions about the would-be president's private life, his late father and catatonic mother, and the grisly street crime that left his notorious drug-addicted sister dead. And it soon becomes frighteningly apparent that the motivation of the dotty old woman who hired Carly might be something more akin to revenge -- and that someone is determined to remove the inquisitive genealogist from the picture by any means necessary.

As a dark world of twisted passions and depraved crimes slowly opens up before Carly, she realizes that there is no one whom she dares to trust -- perhaps least of all Dan Duran, a dangerous and haunted mystery man who's somehow tied to the Quintrells' past. But she will need an ally to survive the terrible secrets a father carried to the grave and an even more devastating evil that lurks among the living -- because following the bloodlines of the wealthy and power-hungry can be a bloody business ... and some dead secrets can kill.

Average customer rating:

A Tear Jerker
Catie's Review on A Time to Die
a great book
My Review
It Brought a Tear to my Eye

A Time to Die (One Last Wish)
Lurlene Mcdaniel
Manufacturer: Laurel Leaf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0553298097
Release Date: 1992-04-01

Book Description

Sixteen-year-old Kara Fischer has cystic fibrosis and only months to live. But the close-knit bond she develops with Vince, who also has the disease, helps her come to terms with her own illness. Given one last wish, Kara wonders if miracles could really happen.

Customer Reviews:

A Tear Jerker.......2006-05-18

This story has to be on of the best stories in the entire One Last Wish series. It shows the hardships that teens that have Cystic Fibrosis have to endure daily. Kara Fischer, a girl with C.F., shows what she goes through every day with this disease, and how it affects her every day life. She deals with the same things we deal with and more; and it shows how determined she is to have a normal life. When she falls in love with Eric, and he finds out about her C.F., I was surprised to see what he did. This book is a heart-wrenching story that brought a tear to my eye while reading it. It is an amazing book with a great truth behind it. Showing all of the things that happen to the people suffering from the disease, in using a child for the main character, makes you relate to the character even more; whether you have the disease or not.
Lurlene McDaniel is an amazing author who does her research to make the story even greater. Knowing the facts about what is actually happening and putting it down with a plot and characters, teaches you about the disease or problem while keeping you interested. The powerful way she writes makes you stay intrigued, and makes you want to keep turning the pages to see what happens.
You want to know whether they are going to go out with someone or if they are going to get sick again. You begin to become that person and can feel what they are feeling, and can hear the voices of the other characters talking to you. You understand what is going on in their minds and what is in their hearts. Their feelings become yours; you cry when they cry, you feel the touch they feel, and you hear the words they hear. When you cry with them, you cry on both the inside and the outside as well. Your heart and eyes fill with tears and you just can't help but cry from both parts of you. You are them.

Catie's Review on A Time to Die.......2006-01-12

1. A Time to Die/Lurlene McDaniel
2. Random House Children's Book, 1992, 154 pgs.
3. Young Adult
4. A Time to Die is a fiction story based on a young lady who has cystic fibrosis.

A Time to Die is a fiction story based on a young lady who has cystic fibrosis. Everyday she goes through therapy to help her breathe. She meets a boy named Vince, who also has cystic fibrosis. Vince helps Kara through the tough times, when Kara really needs someone by her side. They are both in and out of the hospital and are struggling to try to survive.
Lurlene McDaniel really showed in great detail the affects cystic fibrosis could have on a person's life. It is a wonderful book to read, especially if you do not know much about cystic fibrosis. Kara falls for a boy, which makes the book more interesting, because she does not want him to be turned off by the cystic fibrosis she has.
A Time to Die is a book you could not live without reading. This book left me with wanting to find more about cystic fibrosis and the book made me want to read more of Lurlene McDaniel's books.

a great book.......2006-01-07

this is a great book about a girl named kara who is dying of cystic fibrosis everyday she must endure therapy to thin the mucus so she can breathe i have cf as well and am so glad someone is trying to make people more aware of cf its such a horrible disease i hope other people read it and become more aware of this disease so a cure can be found

My Review.......2004-02-08

I really liked this book.I couldn't stop reading it.I realized how much I take life for granted.It is really sad to think about how much we take everything for granted.This book helped me.I really think it can help others be more appreciative.

It Brought a Tear to my Eye.......2002-06-11

A Time to Die has to be my favourite book in the OWL series. Kara and Vince's struggle to live is very inspiring and I admire them both for their courage and determination. Because I, along with my brother, am a victim of CF, I was glad to see someone trying to make the world more aware of this disease. I could really relate to Kara and Vince and found their thoughts and feeling about their disease to be similar to my own. This book is very well written with interesting characters and plot twists. This book brought a definite tear to my eye.

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