Book Description
The realities of the French joining the war paralyzed England. It's powerful navy and army posed a mortal threat. In 1778, the decision was made to abandon the New England states in favor of conquering the Southern states first.
Customer Reviews:
The world Turned upside down........2007-02-12
I ordered this book and the next one in the series. I ordered them as audiobook and I received hardbacks. I contacted amazon and they sent a replacement also in hardback. I have sent back the original order and received a confirmation that it was received. They also said that they were sending me a label so that I could send the replacement shipment back. I was told via e-mail that they would not reimburse me for the books and so far I have not received the audiobooks. I can easily go and purchase them at a regular store but I need the reimbursement or the audiobooks asap. Please help me get this taken care of.
Book Description
If someone were to ask you what was the theme of Jesus' preaching, what would be your answer? Man's need for salvation? God's love for mankind? The new birth?
To be sure, Jesus spoke about all of those things. And they're all essential truths. But none of them were the theme of His teaching. The theme of Jesus' message was the kingdom of God.
Wherever He went, Jesus preached about the kingdom. The irony is that the message of the kingdom is almost totally missing from the gospel that's preached today. As a result, a lot of Christians don't realize that the kingdom of God is a present reality on earth. In fact, they don't even know what the kingdom of God is. Consequently, they never make the kingdom commitment that Christ requires.
In The Kingdom that Turned the World Upside Down, David Bercot takes the reader back to Jesus' teachings of the kingdom—teachings that have too often been forgotten. Bercot describes the radically new laws of the kingdom and its upside-down values. There's no room in Christ's kingdom for superficial Christianity, for this is a kingdom that has historically turned the world upside down.
The Kingdom that Turned the World Upside Down will challenge you to the core in your Christian walk.
Customer Reviews:
Are You Inside or Are You Outside of God's Kingdom?.......2007-04-03
In David Bercot's typical style, he carefully and gently outlines the "true" teachings of the Kingdom of God as Jesus taught them. Many of us think that we are pleasing to God, but are we? Really? Christ spoke about being born again only a couple of times (if that many). However, His preaching was almost always about the Kingdom of God. He even instructed His disciples to..."And as you go, preach, saying, `The kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Mattheew 10:7). I have found over the past 25+ years as a Christian that most churches do not preach the Kingdom of God but some sort of wordly, evangelical "knock-off". David Bercot meticulously and wonderfully lays out before the reader in a concise and easy-to-read format what the Kingdom of God is, as Jesus taught. He never displays his own opinions, an admirable trait in any teacher, but uses only scripture and the "course of performance" of the first generation Christians to describe what the Kingdom of God really is. If you are serious about your walk in and with Jesus Christ, then you had better read and meditate upon the pages of this book. For most it will be a startling awakening. I have read it several times and am currently reading it again. It will alarm you concerning your own misconceptions of the Kingdom. It may possibly confirm what the Holy Spirit has already been telling you and it will encourage and excite you to walk even closer with Jesus. God bless you as you endeavor to please your Lord.
Which kingdom are you of?.......2007-01-31
People who are wise in their own conceit will not like this book.
People who see the horrible abuses in the church today will embrace it.
Why? Because it shows very clearly that salvation apart from *obeying* Jesus Christ, (the King,) is impossible.
The Kingdom of God/Heaven is *the* central emphasis of Jesus' earthly ministry, yet, it is virtually forgone in today's church. Such was not the case in the early church, as those believers followed the Lord Jesus unto death itself.
Why the inescapable difference?
Bercot contrasts today's church with the early church and shows very clearly how and why things are so different today. It basically boils down to a persistent and willful disregard of the plain and literal teachings of Jesus Christ. Over the centuries, one doctrine after the next has been advanced, tried, and exchanged for a successive progression of watered down truth and beliefs.
Do you think the Reformation was a return to true Biblical Christianity? That its truths were "recovered" after centuries of repression? You would be in error, as the early church followed Jesus literally. Their writings contrast starkly with those of each successive generation, and show that they were faithful to the King and His Teachings.
David Bercot puts those teachings alongside today's teachings and offers every reader the choice of which path to follow. A "Kingdom Christian" is simply someone who strives to take Jesus literally and follow him faithfully. It is not a code word or quasi-denomination. As Bercot points out, there have been Kingdom Christians in all eras of church history, as the testimony of the Donatists, Waldensians, Anabaptists, and many others clearly shows. (Where those groups are today is not a valid reason to discount those who followed Jesus originally.)
The rewards for following the King are tremendous. The consequences for rejecting Him are terrible. Those who keep their garments from being defiled will walk with Jesus in white, for they will be worthy. (Rev 3:4) Those who enter into the marriage supper without a wedding garment will be at first shocked, then ultimately cast into outer darkness. (Mat 22:13)
If there is no consequence other than "loss of rewards" for the disobedient and willful Christian, then surely there is little cause for following the King unto death. If heaven is promised to the proud and unclean, then righteousness is a joke, and there is no incentive to persevere. Such will have weeping and gnashing of teeth for their persistent folly.
Jesus' Words are clear and unequivocal. Read this book to see just how far away from God many Christians actually are, and reacquaint yourself with the promised rewards assured to them who either obey or disobey the King.
Phariseeism is nothing new.
Thought Provoking.......2007-01-10
I know this author, and he and I have had a split of directions in the past. Despite that, I think this book is awesome. The author really is one of the leading experts on the writings of the early church, despite the fact that he's a lawyer and not officially a theologian or historian. His familiarity with the writings of the 2nd & 3rd century church is really unsurpassed by anyone who writes on the level of us normal people.
He is a superb and interesting writer, and this book, like almost all of his others, will grip you so that you can't put it down. If you would like to see a vibrant, real Christianity being lived out, this is an excellent description of the days when it was, readable, interesting, and historically accurate.
The Kingdom that Turned the World Upside Down.......2006-05-25
An excellent work explaining some missing essentials of the modern Christian faith. I have recommended this book to numerous friends and acquaintances, and heartily recommend it to you.
The Book That Turned The Gospel Upside Down.......2006-05-16
This book has some good points, but it is heavily flawed. Bercott writes with a stone to grind, and his disdain of certain trends within evangelical Christainity really seeps through in this work. He definately makes some good points about the kingdom of God-especially the fact that we often lose sight of this central aspect of Jesus Christ's ministry.
I do question Bercot's soundness on a number of different issues. To me, this book as well as Will The Real Heretic Please Stand Up? push what I see as being incorrect views.
In this book, Bercot takes the word "kingdom" and really runs with it. Bercot ties the "kingdom" to the gospel. Now, this may be just fine if "kingdom" has its bare biblical meaning, but in this work, the word is HEAVILY loaded. He slaps it on just about anything. Kingdom movements. Kingdom Christians. Kingdom lifestyle. Kingdom message. There seems to be no end. Christian readers, such as myself, can be thankful he did not suggest that we make our way to the nearest Kingdom Hall.
Bercot also employs some heavily circular reasoning. He says: "no lasting kingdom movements have ever come out of any church that's attached to Reformation theology", and yet defines "kingdom movement" as a movement that doesn't subscribe to Reformation theology. Interestingly enough, the Quakers did make his list of "kingdom Christians".
The forte of this book's ridiculousness comes when the author attacks the hymn writer who wrote "My Hope Is Built". He accuses the author of "Easy Believerism" and takes specific offence to "I rest on His unchanging grace" and "in His righteousness alone". Bercot actually goes so far that he says that singing this song is throwing "Jesus' words right back in His face and taunt[ing] Him". Unbelievable.
Now, these obvious problems aside, I would state that this book still has some half descent aspects. He presents an interesting call to believers to make real commitment, not half-hearted assent, which is great. Also, in some of the book, Bercot displays caution in what he says and a fair deal of even-handedness. However, I still am weary about many of the things he says and the sweeping claims he makes. And at the forefront of those concerns is how he deals with and perceives the gospel itself. This alone is enough to make me suggest you to look elsewhere.
Book Description
In American Roulette, Richard Marcus tells his never-before-heard story, of ripping off casinos. The book follows Marcus, along with several of the world's great professional casino cheaters, as he travels from Las Vegas to London and Monte Carlo, pilfering large sums of money from casinos by performing sleight of hand magic tricks with gaming chips. As skilled cheaters, they back up their moves with psychological setups to convince pit bosses that they're watching legitimate high rollers getting lucky, while in fact they're being ripped off blind. With the exploding growth of casino gambling, heightened by Indian reservation and riverboat expansion, more and more elaborate casino cheaters are illegally assaulting the green-felt, getting rich off of novice casino personnel. Richard Marcus's insider story is a window into the hidden world of intriguing personalities and tense situations he encounters as a member of expert casino-cheating teams who use their wits to turn the odds upside down and "earn" millions. American Roulette is a fascinating story not only for those who occasionally casino-gamble, but for everyone with a little larceny in their heart.
Customer Reviews:
If you don't how to read, then read this book.......2007-04-12
I can see how this book got five stars across the board. I could not pout this book down. It was a fast paced read. I never heard of past posting until this book came out. It is interested to read the authors progression into the cheating schemes and how the schemes are improved over time. I highly recommend this book, especially for those who don't like to read or don't know how to read.
Great book, hard to put down.......2007-01-24
Very entertaining book. Just reading it, I could feel my adrenaline level rise. It felt like I was there in the casinos, trying to avoid the watchful eye of the security cameras. If you liked Bringing Down the House, I think you'll like this book too.
Cool Under Pressure? These Guys Are Icebergs!.......2005-06-20
As a big fan of caper movies and con stories (Ocean's 11, The Thomas Crown Affair, Catch Me if You Can), I can enthusiastically recommend American Roulette.
Richard Marcus (most likely not his real name, in fact, the name is the same as that of the actor in a TV series called The Pretender) tells of his successful career as a casino cheat. He started as a garden-variety gambler, lost all his money, found himself homeless in Las Vegas, and became a blackjack dealer.
Marcus was recruited by a well-to-do casino rip-off gang and rose to the top over the years. He tells great stories about which casinos the gang hit, how they engineered the con, the trouble they ran into, and how they were nearly caught several times. The gang even made their way to casinos in Europe and Australia, although their base was in Las Vegas. The opening of casinos in Atlantic City and across the U.S. made for some easy pickings as well.
American Roulette is not an instructional manual on how to scam the casinos. In fact, as Marcus points out, even if you were to learn the mechanics and technicalities of the scam, there is something more basic to the success of the con game and that is being cool under pressure. These characters are glaciers.
American Roulette is a terrific read, and would make a fantastic movie.
entertaining autobiography of a casino cheater.......2005-01-19
This book tells the author's story of how he lost everything he had gambling, took a crappy job as shill--promoted to baccarat dealer--at the Four Queens in Las Vegas, and then had the opportunity to join a group of gambling cheaters and thieves. The cheating moves described in the book are mostly "pastposting"--placing high bets after the outcome is known by swapping in a new stack of chips for the ones previously bet. The trick is that high-value chips are concealed underneath low-value chips, and the cheater often has to issue a "claim" by pointing out to the dealer that he's been underpaid for the bet. The book begins and ends with a move he calls the "Savannah" which is an opposite maneuver--a high bet is placed, with the high-value chips concealed by lower-value chips, and if the bet loses, the high-value chips are pulled off. With that move, the winning bets are legitimate and surveillance tapes show that the high-value chips were there all along.
The group also would occasionally make money with other scams, like "railing"--stealing directly out of the chip racks of their fellow players. They also narrowly avoid getting involved in a card-marking scheme, violating their own rules of not using any specialized equipment that could be incriminating.
The book is most interesting for the characters involved and how they dealt with "steam" from the casinos when they caught on to what was happening.
The author appears to have no guilt or remorse for his actions on the grounds that casinos are regularly "stealing" from people every day (though that certainly doesn't justify the thefts directly from other gamblers, and ignores that gamblers are willing participants who know the odds are stacked against them).
I read _Bringing Down the House_ about the MIT Blackjack Team about a year and a half ago, and the comparison between the teams is interesting--the MIT team's methodology was far more sophisticated (and wasn't technically cheating), but both had to use similar psychological techniques.
It's surprising that the casinos didn't come up with better countermeasures quickly (a rule that there are no payouts for high-value chips not announced in advance, for example), but I find Marcus' overall tale quite plausible, in part because of the factors he points out in the last few pages of the book--"practically all casino jobs are monotonous" (p. 369). The boredom results in lack of attention and the jobs' high turnover results in inexperienced people up against very experienced cheaters.
A great book if you are interested in casinos.......2005-01-09
While I am not sure how much of the book is poetic license, the author does a great job of describing his career as a casino cheat - down to the exact moves. What makes the book great is that you begin to really get a feel for what this life was like. While on the surface his life appeared glamorous, the work seemed to be constant stress. (you'll have to read the book to see why)
This book was almost as good as "Bringing Down the House" - just as well written, but the schemes themselves were slightly less interesting. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that has an interest in gambling and/or casinos. For those that don't, I would not suggest this book.
Customer Reviews:
another look at the world turned upside down.......2007-09-07
Although both the parliamentary and royalist sides in the English Revolution, the major revolutionary event of the 17th century, quoted the Bible, particularly the newer English versions, for every purpose from an account of the Fall to the virtues of primitive communism that revolution cannot be properly understood except as a secular revolution. The first truly secular revolution of modern times. The late pre-eminent historian of the under classes of the English Revolution, Christopher Hill, has taken the myriad ideas, serious and zany, that surfaced during the period between 1640-60, the heart of the revolutionary period, and given us his take on some previously understudied and misunderstood notions that did not make the conventional history books.
As been noted by more than one historian there is sometimes a disconnect between the ideas in the air at any particular time and the way those ideas get fought out in political struggle. In this case secular ideas, or what would have passed for such to us, like the questions of the divinity of the monarch, of social, political and economic redistribution and the nature of the new society (the second coming) were expressed in familiar religious terms. That being the case there is no better guide to understanding the significance of the mass of biblically-driven literary articles and some secular documents produced in the period than Professor Hill. Here we meet up again, as we have in Hill's other numerous volumes of work, with the democratic oppositionists the Levelers; the Diggers, especially the thoughts of their leader Gerrard Winstanley, in many aspects the forerunner of a modern branch of communist thought; the Ranters, Seekers and Quakers who among them challenged every possible orthodox Christian theory and the usual cast of individual political and religious radicals like Samuel Fisher and, my personal favorite, Abiezer Coppe.
In this expansively footnoted book Mr. Hill, as he has elsewhere, connects the dramatic break up of traditional agrarian English society; the resulting vast increase of 'masterless' men not bound to traditional authority and potentially receptive to new ideas; the widespread availability of the protestant Bible brought about by the revolution in printing and thus permitting widespread distribution to the masses; the effects of the Protestant Reformation on individual responsibility; the discrediting of the theology of the divine right of kings and the concept of the man of blood exemplified by Charles I; the role of the priesthood of all believers that foreshadow a very modern concept of the validity of individual religious expression; radical interpretations of equality and primitive communism, particularly the work of Gerrard Winstanley ; the Puritan ethic and many more subjects of interests to bring to life what the common people who hitherto had barely entered the stage of history were thinking and doing.
As I have noted elsewhere a key to understanding that entry onto history's stage and that underscores the widespread discussion of many of these trends is Cromwell's New Model Army where the plebian base, for a time anyway, had serious input into the direction that society might take. In many ways Professor Hill's book is a study of what happened when the, for lack of a better term, Thermodorian reaction- the ebb of the revolution set in and a portion of those 'masterless' men had to deal with the consequences of defeat for the plebian masses during the Protectorate and Restoration. I might also add that some of the ideas presented here seem very weird even for that time but some seem so advanced, especially in the case of Winstanley, that they put many a modern thinker to shame. Hell, in American society some of those Levelers and Diggers would be standing with us in the left wing of political society fighting today's royalists and reactionaries. Thanks, Professor Hill.
Excellent History.......2007-02-08
Marxist historian Christopher Hill gives us a lucid and thoroughly researched account of the English civil war and the radical revolutionary movements that followed in the mid-seventeenth century. Born during this period of history was the Protestant ethic, the value of individualism in man's relation to God and society. We also witness many political movements calling for egalitarianism (prefiguring Marx and socialist theory) and several variants of libertarian socialism (albeit with Christianity thrown in the mix). This work of history captures the radical breakdown of the traditional family structure, the decentralization of discourse through the printing press, and the breakdown of England's long lasting monarchy. A must read for any student of revolution and political theory.
Ranting about the Ranters.......2006-05-08
There were two revolutions in mid-seventeenth century Britain, Christopher Hill writes in the introduction to The World Turned Upside Down. One was the successful Glorious Revolution that established the constitutional monarchy and secured the rights of property. The other was "the revolution that never happened;" one that threatened to create a political and economic democracy that would have turned Britain on its head.
The World Turned Upside Down documents the second revolution and the ideas and ideologies of the English radicals who sought to redefine freedom, faith and property, "the revolt within the Revolution" and the fascinating flood of radical ideas which it threw up." (13). Though he focuses on what he concedes could be characterized as the "lunatic fringe" of the English revolution, Hill argues that their ideas reflected a widespread popular challenge to power, class and authority in the 1640s and 1650s whose study permits "a deeper insight into English society than the evidence permits either before 1640 or after 1660." (15)
The English Civil War was not merely a struggle between Parliament and the Crown - the "first revolution" - it also unleashed the forces of class antagonisms that had been simmering in the wake of a breakdown of the feudal economy and society in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. A growing population of "masterless men" had begun to undermine the traditional bonds of "loyalty and dependence between lord and man" (32), incubating subversive ideas in the towns, forests and, above all in the parliamentary New Model Army and growing religious sectaries.
This was very much a religious movement, stimulated by the reformation and by frustration at Stuart attempts to reestablish the traditional Episcopal structures of the English Church. Printing technology, and the great relaxation of censorship after 1642 enabled a efflorescence of radical dissent that was articulated in oppositional religious and social movements like the Levellers, Diggers, Ranters and Quakers that not only questioned ecclesiastical authority, but challenged the social and economic relations that it supported. "For a brief time, ordinary people were freer from the authority of church and social superiors than they had ever been before, or were for a long time to be again." (293)
Though these movements and ideas were ultimately crushed - as with the Diggers - or emasculated with the Restoration in 1658, Hill sees in them the inchoate beginnings of an English radicalism that, he says, likely had a deep influence on the American revolution and English radicalism of the late eighteenth century, though he concedes that is difficult to prove. What is important is the effect radicals like Gerrard Winstanley and Richard Overton had on the "longer, slower, profounder changes in men's ways of thinking, without which the heroic gestures would be meaningless." (310)
The World Turned Upside Down is an effective and exciting genealogy of 18th century English radicalism. However, Hill's enterprise is weakened - though not fatally - by his assumption of a mature class dynamic at work in pre-industrial, early capitalist Britain, and by his use, almost exclusively, of political and religious pamphlets as his source material. He totalizes the masses of dispossessed peasants, urban poor, professionals, small merchants and artisans, collectively England's commoners, as a class, though they demonstrably had widely divergent economic interests. Indeed, the lack of cohesion and solidarity between these groups is one of the main themes of the book.
The focus on pamphlet literature, moreover, though fascinating, only reveals the ideas and motivations of literate men (and they are all men) who had the financial resources to print and distribute pamphlets. In effect, The World Turned Upside Down cannot, by definition, document the ideas of "ordinary people," but only their top stratum. While these may have been the leaders and ideologues of "the revolution that never happened," and instructive in itself, that is only part of the story Hill had hoped to tell.
Ranters and Levellers and Diggers, Oh My!.......2006-05-04
In a culmination of a long period of challenges to royal prerogatives, Oliver Cromwell and his New Model Army overthrew the royal government. His foot soldiers, if you will, included some of the most original, radical and exuberant political thinkers in Western history. For a brief moment the king was gone and radical leaders like John Lilburne and Gerrard Winstanley and their ideas held sway, although Cromwell and the gentry were shortly able to reassert control (before eventually losing power in the English reformation). Cromwell considered the radicals "a despicable and contemptible generation of men."
Hill's book tells the marvelously exciting stories of the Ranters and Seekers, Levellers and True Levellers (or Diggers), and the Quakers. Diggers, so called because they cultivated land they held in common in communes, were the most radical strain. They vied with the Levellers, who "merely" supported the universal right of every male head of household to vote for parliament. These events scared to death the usual powers-that-be. Thomas Hobbes' wrote the Leviathan in reaction against the chaos, as he saw it, of the English Civil War.
In summarizing the impact of the radicals' ideas, Hill quotes their enemy Clement Walker that they had "cast all the secrets and mysteries of government...before the vulgar (like pearls before swine)...[and] made the people thereby so curious and so arrogant that they will never find humility enough to submit to a civil rule."
Hill states, "For a short time, ordinary people were freer from the authority of church and social superiors than they had ever been before, or were for a long time to be again." Hill's excellent book tells the story of how such an event came to be and how the lords and gentry regained power and smashed the radicals.
A must read for anyone interested in the history of political ideas or English history.
The World Turned Upside Down.......2006-02-25
Essential reading for any student of seventeenth century English history. While it should be kept in mind that Hill is a Marxist historian, his works are seminal to the period.
Furthermore, it arrived promptly and in mint condition.
Book Description
Rodric Braithwaite was British ambassador to Moscow during the critical years of perestroika and the collapse of the Soviet Union, the failed coup of August 1991, and the rise of Boris Yeltsin. With his long experience of Russia, on good personal terms with Mikhail Gorbachev, he was in a privileged position close to the center of Russia's changing relationship with the West.
This frank and engrossing book gives an intimate account of momentous change and the people who drove it. As the Soviet Empire fell apart a demoralized army crept home from Afghanistan, Eastern Europe, and the outlying parts of the Soviet Union itself. Against the opposition of the generals, Gorbachev and his allies struggled to modernize and democratize a system that had already reached the point of terminal decay. The apex of the drama came in August 1991 when a gang of generals, politicians, and secret policemen sought-by storming Moscow's White House-to reverse the course of history.
Customer Reviews:
Superb! The Iron Lady's Ambassador to Moscow........2002-12-23
This was a wonderful book! Fresh, fast-paced, fascinating and immensely funny. The author was Maggie Thatcher's man in Moscow, he has an intimate knowledge of the Russian people and a great deal of experience in-country. His English humor (humour?) makes this book not just a chronicle of events, but a real gem. Examples...when visiting Kiev, he is invited to visit the musuem of UFO's which includes an exhibit of foot long iron bar munching rats from outer space, Ambasador Braithwaite dryly comments that although he would love to attend, he just can't seem to fit it into his schedule. When Moscow Radio plays excerpts from Pushkin in the throes of the 1991 aborted coup, he comments--who else but the Russians would air poetry at such a time? About half the length of Jack Matlock's epic "Anatomy on an Empire", (his colleague and apparent twin in the minds of the Russian people) Braithwaite's book is more accesible, and given in a lively style. While I do not agree 100% with all of his analysis, I do find this a supberb book and a must have for anyone who wants a Westerner's guide to understanding Russia.
Book Description
A World Turned Upside Down looks at the experiences of children in war from a psychological and social ecological perspective, offering thoughtful observations and dispelling myths about what results when children grow up in conflict situations.
In contrast to individualized approaches, the volume offers a deeper conceptualization that shows the socially mediated impacts of war. Children exposed to the same traumatic experiences may have different reactions and needs for psychosocial support. Further, psychosocial assistance to war-affected children often occurs not through the provision of therapy by outsiders but via support from insiders.
Each contributor has worked extensively with children in war zones in Europe, Africa, Latin America, and Asia. They refrain from common perceptions of children as victims of war-induced trauma to provide a holistic understanding of children's experiences. Each helps pinpoint ways to reduce further violence, foster well-being and nurture the kinds of social connections that can liberate children from the pathologies of war so that they can mature into healthy and well-adjusted adults.
Book Description
In the late twelfth century, Japanese people called the transitional period in which they were living the "age of warriors." Feudal clans fought civil wars, and warriors from the Kanto Plain rose up to restore the military regime of their shogun, Yoritomo. The whole of this intermediary period came to represent a gap between two stable societies: the ancient period, dominated by the imperial court in Heian (today's Kyoto), and the modern period, dominated by the Tokugawa bakufu based in Edo (today's Tokyo).
In this remarkable portrait of a complex period in the evolution of Japan, Pierre F. Souyri uses a wide variety of sources -- ranging from legal and historical texts to artistic and literary examples -- to form a magisterial overview of medieval Japanese society. As much at home discussing the implications of the morality and mentality of The Tale of the Heike as he is describing local disputes among minor vassals or the economic implications of the pirate trade, Souyri brilliantly illustrates the interconnected nature of medieval Japanese culture.
The Middle Ages was a decisive time in Japan's history because it confirmed the country's national identity. New forms of cultural expression, such as poetry, theater, garden design, the tea ceremony, flower arranging, and illustrated scrolls, conveyed a unique sensibility -- sometimes in opposition to the earlier Chinese models followed by the old nobility. The World Turned Upside Down provides an animated account of the religious, intellectual, and literary practices of medieval Japan in order to reveal the era's own notable cultural creativity and enormous economic potential.
Customer Reviews:
An Attempt at History.......2005-10-03
I've found this book to be poorly documented, full of unsuported radicle claims and circular arguments. Souri makes no effort to explain what he calls Japan's inherent military and industrial suporiority afer other Asian nations but meerly accepts it as an axim and proceeds to explain it. Add to this a translation that fills to book with convoluted sentances that don't seem to fit well where they are and I found it to be an unplesent experience.
Excellent overview.......2005-03-23
Great introduction of period in Japanese history. Gives main historical events and has sections on other aspects of the history many books gloss over.
If you are already familar with this period the material may be nothing new, but if you haven't read about this period before this is an excellent starting point.
Average customer rating:
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The Minyan: A Small Cadre of Men Who Turned the World Upside-Down
C. David Jones
Manufacturer: Xlibris Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 New Testament
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Study
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ASIN: 1413415954 |
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World Turned Upside Down: U. S. Naval Intelligence and the Cold War Struggle for Germany
Marvin B. Durning
Manufacturer: Potomac Books Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Military & Spies
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ASIN: 1597971340 |
Book Description
In 1955, after assignments at the U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) and on board a destroyer, Marvin Durning arrived at ONI’s office in Munich, Germany. During this year, he participated in the final stages of transforming Germany from a defeated enemy into a respected democracy, reestablishing its sovereignty, and shepherding its membership in NATO, which also involved rearming America’s erstwhile foe. At that time, Munich, like Berlin, was a nerve center for the Cold War. It was crowded with U.S. troops and German and Slav refugees. Radio Free Europe called it home. The city was, Durning writes, “a jungle of competing secret intelligence organizations: British, French, American, Russian, West and East German, Czech, Polish, and others.” Beneath the calm surface of everyday life in Munich roamed agents and double agents who witnessed defections, kidnappings, interrogations that ended in death, and assassinations by bomb explosions and by poison dart.
World Turned Upside Down is Durning’s account of such activities. Durning served as the de facto executive officer of a small office of German intelligence specialists tasked with routine navy issues. But much more was underway. Known only to his commander, himself, and the yeoman who typed the reports, former admirals of the defunct German Kriegsmarine attended secret meetings at his commander's house in the suburbs of Munich, where they worked to plan and create a future West German Navy. In addition, Durning served as a liaison officer to the Gehlen Organization, the supersecret German intelligence and espionage organization, and he recounts their activities here.
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- Walk Two Moons
- Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook
- What Colleges Don't Tell You (And Other Parents Don't Want You to Know): 272 Secrets for Getting Your Kid into the Top Schools
- What Is the World Made Of? All About Solids, Liquids, and Gases (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science, Stage 2)
- 15 Books in 1: L. Frank Baum's Original "Oz" Series. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Marvelous Land of Oz, Ozma of Oz, Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, The Road to Oz, The Emerald City of Oz, The Patchwork Girl Of Oz, Little Wizard Stories of Oz, Tik-Tok of Oz, The Scarecrow Of Oz, Rinkitink In Oz, The Lost Princess Of Oz, The Tin Woodman Of Oz, The Magic of Oz, and Glinda Of Oz.
- 212: The Extra Degree
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- 100 Butterflies and Moths: Portraits from the Tropical Forests of Costa Rica
- The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook
- Imani All Mine
- Inside the Jewelry Box: A Collector's Guide To Costume Jewelry, Identification And Values
- Law of Attraction: The Science of Attracting More of What You Want and Less of What You Don't
- Microbiology: Principles and Explorations
- Mr. Shmooze: The Art and Science of Selling Through Relationships
- John Burroughs: An American Naturalist
- I Inherited a Fortune
- Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration: Opportunities Exist for Improving Management of the Enf
Prelude to Glory Volume 5 A Cold Bleak Hill (Prelude to Glory) (Carter, Ron, Prelude to Glory, V. 5.)
Prelude to Glory: The Impending Storm (Prelude to Glory)
Prelude to Glory: A More Perfect Union (Carter, Ron, Prelude to Glory, V. 8.)
The Hand of Providence (Prelude to Glory, Vol 4)
By the Dawn's Early Light (Prelude to Glory)
