Average customer rating:
- Left of Center
- enjoying this immensely
- Brilliant analysis of how the United States should proceed in our relations with China.
- Got better as it went on
- Extremely challenging book on China.... and the US
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The Writing on the Wall: Why We Must Embrace China as a Partner or Face It as an Enemy
Will Hutton
Manufacturer: Free Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0743275284 |
Book Description
The prevailing view of China is that the country is an economic juggernaut sure to become the dominant power of the twenty-first century. In this provocative and stimulating book critically acclaimed author Will Hutton warns instead that China is running up against a set of daunting challenges from within its own political and economic system that could well derail its rise, leading to a massive shock to the global economy. The United States, he argues, must recognize that it has a vital stake in working to assure this doesn't happen, for if China's political liberalization and economic growth collapse, the United States will suffer crippling consequences.
In today's highly globalized world economy, so much of the economic health of the United States -- our low inflation, high profits, and cheap credit -- rests upon China's economic growth and its massive investment in the United States. A great deal has been said about the economic and military threat China poses. But rather than provoking China with the military hawkishness of recent years and resisting Chinese economic supremacy with the saber rattling of protectionist antitrade policies -- twenty such bills have been introduced in Congress in just the last year -- the United States must build a strong relationship that will foster China's transition from an antiquated Communist state beset with profound problems to a fully modern, enlightened, and open society. Doing so will require understanding and engagement, not enmity and suspicion.
China's current economic model, Hutton explains, is unsustainable, premised as it is on the myriad contradictions and dysfunctions of an authoritarian state attempting to control an economy in its transition to capitalism. If the twenty-first century is to be the China century, the Chinese will have to embrace the features of modern Western nations that have spurred the political stability and economic power of the United States and Europe: the rule of law, an independent judiciary, freedom of the press, and authentic representative government that is accountable to the people. Whether or not China does so rests in large part on how well the United States manages the relationship and persuades the Chinese of the virtues of an open, enlightened democratic system. The danger is that fearmongering will intensify animosities, leading both countries down a path of peril.
Turning conventional wisdom on its head, this brilliantly argued book is vital reading at a crucial juncture in world affairs.
Customer Reviews:
Left of Center.......2007-05-25
This book provides an interesting description of China's many problems and offers a set of policies designed to counter what threatens to be the globe's most pressing set of conflicts. For an alternative view, see my own book The Coming China Wars: Where They Will Be Fought and How They Can Be Won
enjoying this immensely.......2007-05-16
So happy this wasn't another paeon to chinese industrial invincibility like china inc. (which was ridiculously glowing bizlit).
I'm not with Hutton on all his assumptions-- such as the sweeping assertion that social mobility is decreasing in the west--huh?-- but he's honest and takes a principled, methodological approach in his analysis i like.
i will search out other hutton titles now!
Brilliant analysis of how the United States should proceed in our relations with China........2007-04-27
I think it is fair to say that the conventional wisdom is that the United States and China are on a collision course. John J. Mearsheimer, a professor of political science at the University of Chicago summarizes this point of view this way; "China and the United States are destined to clash militarily and the United States has an interest to do all it can to forestall China's becoming economically rich enough to challenge it." Author Will Hutton vehemently disagrees with this point of view. In "The Writing On The Wall" Hutton presents a methodical, logical and compelling case for the United States to pursue policies that will only encourage the continued and inevitable modernization of China. Hutton's thoughtful and convincing analysis of the situation certainly turns conventional wisdom on its head.
According to Hutton, the continued mercurial growth of the Chinese economy is simply unsustainable given the current policies being pursued by the Communists who are still in charge in China. There is simply no way that the policies and political environment favored by those who are currently in power in Beijing can mesh with the continued and sustained economic growth that China is seeking. Time and again Hutton points to the nearly total lack of what he terms "soft" infrastructure as the primary reason why current Chinese policy is doomed to failure. This rather monolithic economic system lacks such fundamental cornerstones as a legitmate banking system, a free press and the ability of workers to organize. Add to that the fact that most major industries are still SOE (state owned enterprises) and it is plain to see why the major flaws in the Chinese economy are almost certain to rear their ugly heads in the near future with potentially devasting consequences for us all. And there are a whole host of other systemic problems with the Chinese economy that time does not permit me to list here. Hutton argues vigarously that the United States and the EU should be encouraging the Chinese to move away from those policies that will ultimately hold them back.
I found "The Writing On The Wall" to be a particularly well written and equally well documented book. Will Hutton avoids a lot of technical jargon and presents his case in clear, easy to understand language. Based on my limited knowledge of China prior to reading this book I would have probably come down on the side of Professor Mearsheimer. I thought that conflict with China was a probably a foregone conclusion. But Will Hutton has convinced me of the wisdom of encouraging China to modernize and perhaps even in making some changes in the way we do business ourselves. "The Writing On The Wall" is an extremely thought provoking book and one that I can very highly recommend!
Got better as it went on.......2007-03-03
Reading the introductory first chapter I was worried that Hutton's reputation for careful analysis may have left him, as he appeared to offer an overly simple thesis and an embrace of the United States' system of government that was too uncritcal.
Thankfully that chapter is misleading as Hutton leads his readers through a detailed analysis of China's economy that is equal parts illuminating and disturbing, and begins to build explanation on his desire to see US-style enlightenment institutions develop in China, while being very open about the fact that several of those institutions are in severe decline within the USA.
Some of that coverage of the USA, its history, institutions and current situation, feels like it would have made sense as a separate book, slimming down this volume considerably and potentially making the material much more accessible for those with limited time. But the intertwined themes do make sense and the reader is considerably better placed to judge the material when we have both parts together.
At times there is certainly still a sense that Hutton is calling for a form of cultural imperialism. The merits of the institutions he outlines are clear, but they have grown out of a lengthy philosophical tradition which China does not share and it is vital that any such institutions are contextualised if they are to succeed in China.
Extremely challenging book on China.... and the US.......2007-02-13
I have been reading up a lot on China these days, because of my work primarily, including such books as "Mr. China", "China Shakes the World" and of course "The World is Flat", dealing with China indirectly. These books dealt primarily, if not exclusively, with China's economic transformation, and they are all most worthy of recommendation. And that angle is what I was also expecting from this book. Boy, was I ever wrong!
In "The Writing on the Wall: Why We Must Embrace China as a Partner or Face It as an Enemy" (421 pages), British author Will Hutton does of course also bring the staggering picture of China's recent economic rise. But that is just the beginning of the book. The real meat of this book comes from Hutton's careful evaluation of China's problems and challenges as the ruling Communist (and only) Party tries to walk the fine line between economic growth and yet being a state largely without the institutions of "Enlightenment" that allowed western states to achieve the status they have achieved in the 19th and 20th centuries. Problems abound everywhere, from corruption to disregard for the environment, employees' rights, health insurance, the respect/enforcement of law, and on and on. The author brings a lot of historical and well thought out perspectives on these issues along the way, for example the catch-22 the Chinese government finds itseld currently in on whether or not to revalue the renminbi currency, as most of the world is urging (either way, there are no good results for the Chinese, for reasons the author makes clear... so what is the Chinese government to do?). The latter third part of the book brings an equally challenging look at the US side of things, bringing to the front the currently corroding values of free trade, engagement with the rest of the world, and the values of an accountable government (culminating in an assessment of the Iraq war).
At no point does one get the feeling that the author is saying that China or the US is "wrong" or "right", but the author concludes with an impassionate plea that the solution is not confrontation, but cooperation. This will be easier said than done. The challenges are many. Free trade and bilateral engagement are the answer, so much is clear, but can that be sold to the American public? Not to mention the many, many challenges the Chinese government is facing at home. In all, this is a terrific read from start to finish. Highly recommended!
Book Description
Lester Joseph Gillis—better known to the public and press of the 1930s as Baby Face Nelson—was one of a succession of public enemies beginning with John Dillinger and progressing to Bonnie and Clyde, Ma Barker, Machine Gun Kelly, and Pretty Boy Floyd. For decades their stories were largely myths, containing a combination of popular folklore and carefuly crafted FBI fables.
In recent years historians have generated a more factual look at the life and times of the various Depression-era desperados. Until now Baby Face Nelson has remained as enigmatic and one-dimensional as he was then, portrayed by J. Edgar Hoover and newsmen as a trigger-happy punk who looked like a choirboy and killed without a conscience. Finally the full story of his short life can be told.
Using new information that comes from the formerly classified files of the FBI, the Nelson who emerges from the pages of Baby Face Nelson: Portrait of a Public Enemy is a more paradoxical and interesting figure than one might expect. Obviously addicted to crime in his youth and evidently intoxicated with violence near the end of his life, he came from an ordinary, honest middle-class family. In a surprising departure from the gangster norm, Nelson and his wife remained fiercely devoted to one another, and between holdups they often lived a quiet domestic life with their two children and, at times, Nelson's mother.
The main focus of this biography is on Nelson's remarkable criminal career, from sensational bank robberies and blazing gun battles up to his death at the age of twenty-five. Many misconceptions are corrected and some of the abuses of the FBI are exposed. BIOGRAPHY ILLUSTRATED; INDEXED 6 3/8” X 9 1/4”, 480 PAGES HARDCOVER
Customer Reviews:
A Must for any Gangster Buff.......2007-07-08
Unquestionably one of the best biographies I've read of a Depression era criminal in a long, long time. Over the years every published work about Baby Face Nelson has portrayed him as essentially nothing more than a homicidal, trigger-happy, blood-thirsty psychopath to whom killing was barely an incident in a busy criminal career. Finally, a book has hit the shelves which explores beyond the public image and into the complex character of the man himself. Baby Face was violent, tough, and possessed by an explosive temper, to be sure, but he was also street-smart, respected, and held in high esteem by many of his associates - not just a Dillinger follower, as many historians suggest. By no means do the authors attempt to whitewash Nelson's way of life or validate his terrible crimes. They do, however, provide what I believe is an honest appraisal of a man who, in addition to robbing banks and killing people, was a son, brother, husband, and father. Read this, I doubt very much you'll be disappointed.
Excellent Biography.......2006-08-30
This is a difficult book to review because it's truly head and shoulders above most books I've read in this genre and that sounds like a knock against the others and it's not ... this is just a well written book. The subject matter makes it difficult to distinguish fact from fiction and to substantiate identities, locations and time lines. So my hat's off to anyone who tries to make some sense of the sensational headlines, first person accounts and "alibis" of the time. Writing such a book, though exciting, must be a nightmare sifting through all this info. "Baby Face" does an admirable job in bringing all this into a coherent focus. In addition, this book chronicles and brings into focus someone who has been on the periphery in the other books I've read on this time period, (specifically Dillinger, Chicago crime and Depression bank robbers). The book also gives the reader insight into the early workings of J. Edgar Hoover's (F)BI and its personnel and contains the most detailed description of "The Little Bohemia" debacle I've read. Very entertaining and interesting book.
"Baby Face" Nelson Comes Alive.......2005-09-08
This was a long overdue book, which describes the life and crimes of one of the most infamous outlaws to come out of the Dillinger gang. After Dillinger's death, "Baby Face" Nelson exploded into the public's eye and his crimes were the focus of most newspapers and Detective magazines across the country. Helmer and Nickel have done an excellent job of bringing this bandit's life to light, as well as some surprises never before published on the gangster from Chicago. This is a highly researched volume of work and should be in everyone's library.
Mike Koch, author of "The Kimes Gang"
Best Book.......2003-05-22
This book is the best book about Baby Face Nelson, I enjoyed reading this book greatly. Everything you wanted to know about Lester Gillis is in this book. Every part of his life was explained in great detail; the authors did not leave anything out. I highly recommend this book to people who are into the depression era gangsters.
awesome.......2003-01-27
this is the only book you need if you want to know about Baby Face Nelson. I can't say enough good things about this book. I only hope the authors will pen another book about Dillinger.
Customer Reviews:
Quick review and comment on previous review by Joseph Biskup.......2005-10-22
This is an excellent book for someone who would like to meditate on or provoke discussion on the connection between the individual psyche and warfare as a social phenomenon. I think reviewer Joseph Biskup was right is saying that this is more of a philosophical treatise than an academic monograph, as citations are totally absent. But I would add that it is also interesting from a psychoanalytic perspective, as much of the structures that underly his psychological assertions about the individual are based on the Freudian tradition.
I used the chapter "The Psychology of Enmity" in a class on post-colonial criticism and theory recently with incoming university freshmen, and it was a hit (if a bit overwhelming as an introduction to college). The graphics of propaganda from around the world are great conversation fodder.
One point on which I would disagree with Joseph Biskup's review. He argues:
"There seemed to me to be several contradictions in this book; for me the most glaring was the following. On page 178 the author states "we are not instinctually sadists...Homo hostilis must be created by the media and the institutions that subject him to constant indoctrination". From this (and the rest of what he states on this page) it seems to me an obvious conclusion that without extra effort we would naturally revert to a more peaceful state; that there is a natural energy already pushing us in that direction. However, on page 184 the author then states, "Since the process of education for paranoia and warfare requires a total social effort, we must assume that the effort to create a compassionate psyche and society will require a similar or greater effort." Such obvious contradictions should not be in a well thought-through book. "
This criticism assumes that the subject returns to his 'natural state' after an influential stimulus stops. I'm not sure why Biskup assumes this. I believe that Sam Keen's argument in the book is based on the idea that humans, once indoctrinated in the discourse of warfare to the degree 'we' are, do not just revert to a natural peaceful state. Also, Keen doesn't say positively that we are naturally good or peaceful--just that peacefulness or warmongering can be taught equally well by concerted social efforts to educate and influence through arts and media. Of course Keen is speaking idealistically--that's the goal of his book. It's not a policy analysis or recommendation, but a way of inciting people to think outside popular assumtions of psychic territoriality and the paranoid construction of an imagined other on which to project our hatred and seek to destroy.
Although I agree with Biskup that policy analysis and change is needed as a complement to Keen's kind of thinking, I don't think that the criticism that Keen doesn't accomplish this is a valid criticism--a book can only do so much.
A Very Good Idea.......2005-09-18
Altogether, this is a very good book but there are several serious problems that affected my enjoyment of this book. First, the graphics and quotes reproduced throughout this book are excellent. In the one-sided world we are forced to live in it is really refreshing to see the other perspective and for me it brings a whole range of thoughts and emotions to realize that the other perspective is really our own. The world really is round.
I consider this a philosophy book. There really are no sources or studies to back up the author's ideas. There is a short bibliography section but it is short and philosophical, in my opinion it falls far short of "rigorous", in a scientific sense. There is also a short notes section for sources in the text, but again it is short, there is no expansion on the notes, and mostly they seem to me to be attributions for quotes. I would say that part 4 "In the Meantime" is a complete waste of time. In a few paragraphs the author tries to elucidate a new world order (there are several different scenarios), a new paradigm on how to govern our planet. Obviously, in a few paragraphs all these ideas feel shallow and short, very unsatisfactory; the inevitable conclusion is "Viola...details to follow at a later date". This is a completely unacceptable way to promulgate policy and the book would have been much better without this section, or at least a radically changed section.
Another major problem is that there will always be people who just don't get it. In the back of my mind I always was thinking about these people. Obviously the other reviewer from Canada who resents violence being committed in his name being compared to other people's violence is one of these people and his review is just plain silly (is George Bush's pre-emptive war for peace really being fought in his name?...I guess that is a thought for another time). The author is not trying to describe a utopia, but is actually trying to explore a way to make our world a better place; therefore, I believe he should confront the issue of what to do with people who just don't get it. I would say that if you look at the last 100 years (even 10 years) of history you could make a strong argument the really high possibility that at least one of these people will find his way into a position of power...what then?
There seemed to me to be several contradictions in this book; for me the most glaring was the following. On page 178 the author states "we are not instinctually sadists...Homo hostilis must be created by the media and the institutions that subject him to constant indoctrination". From this (and the rest of what he states on this page) it seems to me an obvious conclusion that without extra effort we would naturally revert to a more peaceful state; that there is a natural energy already pushing us in that direction. However, on page 184 the author then states, "Since the process of education for paranoia and warfare requires a total social effort, we must assume that the effort to create a compassionate psyche and society will require a similar or greater effort." Such obvious contradictions should not be in a well thought-through book.
Finally, for a book that seems to have such direction, a pre-determined point to make, the author ends the book with five pages of unanswered questions. I don't really understand this. It is OK to have some questions, but five pages of them seems like a lot to me. Did the author start out with a strongly held position, then after exploring it for 200 pages end up only with questions? I don't really believe this but I don't have a good explanation either.
So I would say that this book has serious problems, but even after considering these, I would still recommend reading it, this is a very good book.
What we need to remember.......2004-05-06
Whatever side of the war argument the reader lands on, this book will provide necessary information to supplement the discussion.
This book addresses the way past wars have been intensified by demonizing the enemy beyond whatever real reasons caused the wars.
The history presented in this book -- the posters, the commentary, the pictures -- is not commonly taught. The author may have a point a view with which the reader disagrees, but the examples presented should be known if society is to make reasoned decisions on behavior and not just react to base emotions.
I recommend this book highly for a look at an aspect of history that we often quickly forget once the battles are over.
The defender and the aggressor are not alike...........2003-12-24
The author seems to have set out to show that throughout history the source of wars has been inherent in the participants on both sides .He has in no way proven that to be the case.He ignores the evil people and regimes that have been the source of much of the misery,death and destruction that has occurred .Are we really expected to buy into the thinking that the people and countries that were butchered and destroyed in Europe by the Nazis and Fascists,for example, can be equated with the Allied Forces that had to fight back and destroy them?I think not!What about the the efforts now being made to hunt down the evil,misguided terrorists behind the 9\11 attacks on the Unites States?Are they operating on the same principles as those who conceived and carried out those evil deeds? I think not.
History has repeatedly shown that there have always been forces of good and evil.It is not at all difficult to differentiate between them and those who fail or refuse to do so will soon regret it.Again;history has provided many lessons.
I sure hope that this naive ,academic thinking is not used as a history course resource;unless it is used to demonstrate the kind of thought process that Neville Chamberlain follwed.
Generally a waste of time.......2002-07-01
This book is too ambitious and falls flat. Had the author been content to describe how war propaganda is used to target certain emotions, this book would be an essential addition to the libraries of those who are interested in thought control by the state. However, the author overreached himself and tried to make explain all hostitilities in the world. He falls into the trap of using theory that is questionable at best to overanalyze certain forms of propaganda and extrapolates that to explain all forms of enmity. However, the author overlooks the fact that often pre-hostilities, most common people really don't have enmity towards other lands. (Is not a common lament by academics that Americans don't know of other countries unless they're attacked by them?) Thus the author's main contention falls apart.
The book also posseses many other problems such as: 1)the author thinking that war can be eliminated. Such sentiment, while admirable, is naive and dangerous. Certain problems will exist as long as humanity exists. War is one of them as is crime. There will be evil people who will resort to war like Hitler, Pol Pot, etc. The author fails to take this into account just as a hypothetical person who believes crime can be eliminated fails to take into account Jeffrey Dahmer, Albert Fish, and John Wayne Gacy. 2) the author implies there is no difference between the Nazi Reich's army and the US army in Vietnam. Furthermore, the author calls the US's war in Vietnam "immoral". Such belief is inexcusable. The US was attempting to save South Vietnam from communist takeover and, after the US pulled out, millions of lives were lost to the communists. The author briefly mentions the deaths in Cambodia but apparently misses the connection between the US's "immoral" war and the keeping of those millions alive. Also inexcusable is the author not mentioning the thousands who died taking to rickety boats fleeing from North Vietnam and those who died in "reeducation camps". 3) the author denouncing the efforts against the USSR and Sandanista Nicaragua. In both cases, the US enmity that the author decries helped end both nations and bring about freedom at least more than existed before. Eastern Europe is free as is Nicaragua which repeatedly turned away commmunist candidates. 4) the author relies on high-sounding rhetoric that doesn't stand the test of reality such as war rarely solves conflict. Tell that to the city fathers of Carthage or Hiroshima.
This book's only bright spot is its reproducing of war propaganda, much of which has gone unseen since the time it was first used.
Book Description
If American crime had a golden age, it was between 1920 and 1940—the roller-coaster years when a rural nation became urbanized and the nineteenth century finally gave away to the twentieth. The same forces that reshaped society also changed the face of crime, and soon the Progressive movement that battled urban decay led to the unintended consequences of increased police and political corruption, drunkenness transformed from a working-class vice to middle-class rebellion, and organized crime was established nationally.
The Complete Public Enemy Almanac is the ultimate reference book for the gangster era, with many unique features:
• A highly original and revisionist history of the period, covering the entire nation
• A unique, unmatched collection of gangster and outlaw biographies
• Hundreds of illustrations and period photographs
• A full, first-ever crime chronology of the period
• Dozens of short features on everything from the shift from local to federalized law enforcement to the history of body armor and goofy schemes to deal with "motorized bandits"
• The origins and meanings of such terms as the "one-way ride," "X marks the spot," "the real McCoy," "G-Man," "Public Enemy," and many more
• Innovative lists, including the Chicago Crime Commission's "body count" of gang-style murders during the period
• New light on the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, the Kansas City Massacre, the deliberate killing of Pretty Boy Floyd, the mysterious death of Baby Face Nelson, and other events
• An exhaustive bibliography (including numerous short reviews) of every true-crime book published about gangsters and outlaws of the twenties and thirties
Meticulously documented, lavishly detailed, exhaustively researched, and written with an eye for the turths that have remained largely hidden, The Complete Public Enemy Almanac provides a reliable source of information about the violent and lawless era of the twenties and thirties.
Customer Reviews:
Must have for crime buffs or researchers.......2007-10-08
Helmer and Mattix have delivered a fun format for such a massive delivery of entertaining information. As I flip through the pages, I feel this book is almost interactive in design-- photos followed by short stories and an on-going chronology of national events interspersed with important definitions and short bios of key players. More than an exhaustive reference work, this book is a one-volume library and definitely a must-have for anyone interested in crime history. Excellent gift idea, too, and a surprising value for the money.
An essential reference work.......2007-10-05
Authors William J. Helmer and Rick Mattix have produced an extensive and truly essential reference work on the Gangster Era (1920-1940). The book breaks down criminal and law enforcement history into its various component parts, dealing with characters and events through the use of individual biographical essays and sprawling, detailed chronologies. Every serious outlaw of the period - from Accardo, through Capone, Dillinger and McGurn, to Abner "Longie" Zwillman - is represented.
At the same time, the work ties elements together and probes more deeply into causes and effects through an impressive collection of articles on topics such as the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, the Castellammarese War, criminal use of the Tommygun, the evolution of investigative techniques, early efforts toward bulletproofing...
The Almanac is amply illustrated with photos and other images, many of which have not been available before. And a treasure of information awaits those who dig to the back of the book. There will be found a collection of gangster quotes, including the last words of Dutch Schultz; gang membership lists; and a comprehensive, annotated bibliography of Gangster Era books, which itself is worth the price of admission.
Casual presentation and a laid-back writing style provide comfortable cover for this work of genuine scholarship but may be misinterpreted on a quick glance as a lack of professionalism. Design elements surely would have benefited from closer attention. However, the few superficial negatives do not detract in any substantial way from the authors' achievement.
The Complete Public Enemy Almanac is a must-have for crime historians and a useful and informative guide for the True Crime reader.
Countless hours of research.......2007-08-23
Reviewed by Kathleen Dowdell for Reader Views (8/07)
This beautifully-bound, 889-page, hardcopy book is a must have for any person interested in true-crime. Chock full of gangster and outlaw events of the 1920s to 1940s era, the authors have succeeded in presenting in chronological order, many little known facts that occurred in what they call the golden age of crime. The book may be a little daunting with its dialogue and graphic pictures, but it gives the reader a true sense of how life in America really was in those days and is an example of good stories often ignored because of the negative connotation they portray.
Each of the seven chapters is filled with nuggets of factual information that has been researched and documented by the authors. Besides just telling about the events that took place during this era, the authors provide in-depth information about the evolution of official police departments, passage of amendments, inception of cooperative crime control, and the development of criminal identification in crime detection laboratories in Chicago. Throughout the book, events occur in chronological order giving the reader a sense of order, enabling an easy transition from one event to the next.
An entire chapter is devoted to "quotable quotes." You can read about Al Capone's colorful remark about prohibition in which he says "When I sell liquor, they call it bootlegging. When my patrons serve it on silver trays on Lake Shore Drive, they call it hospitality," and "You can get much farther with a smile, a kind word, and a gun than you can with a smile and a kind word." One chapter's focus is on mobsters and outlaws and explains the difference between consensual crime and violent crime. Included in this chapter are short biographies of gangsters and outlaws who achieved notoriety.
It is apparent that countless hours of research went into gathering and documenting all of the information found in this book. This book could never be read in one sitting, nor would you want to rush through the meticulously scribed information. To aid in taking your research even further, the authors provide nearly 60-pages of bibliographical resources. That in itself is an added treat.
I would recommend "The Complete Public Enemy Almanac" for any historical researcher who needs accurate facts and information on how crime has influenced politics and culture. In addition, the book is filled with newspaper headlines, cartoons, pictures, and biographies about the golden age of crime. This would make a great bedside book on a dark, stormy night.
The Bible of the 1930s Outlaws and Gangsters.......2007-08-15
When I bought this book I dove right in. It reads like a timline of all the Public Enimies and their crimes. I have not put the book down since I bought it. Bill Helmer and Rick Mattix are the top dogs in the world of 1930s crime and it shows in the book. I have to say that this is the best book that I have purchased in a long time. Any fan of Alvin Karpis,John Dillinger,Lester Gillis, Aurthur Floyd, Bonnie and Clyde and Al Capone, this book is a must have. Whenever a fact is in doubt I grab my "Bible" and look it up. The best book on the subject ever.
Very impressive scholarship.......2007-07-30
This book impressively manages to break new ground in a well-tilled field by offering previously unpublished stories and photos from the gangster era, 1920-1940. The standards are all here, of course, in skillful prose -- Baby Face Nelson, the Purple Gang, Bonnie and Clyde, etc. What I'm looking for first and foremost are accurate facts, and this book has impressed many true crime scholars on that score.
The authors, both familiar and respected names in the gangster genre, manage to come up with previously unpublished photos that nobody's seen in decades, such as a "new" photo of Scarface. And I was fascinated by their take on the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, the murders that spelled the death knell for Prohibition. Most impressive is the book's 58-page annotated bibliography of gangster literature, the most comprehensive I have ever seen in the true crime genre.
To my delight, the authors also rammed the back roads collecting stories of dozens of forgotten gangsters, such as Rocco Perri -- Canada's Capone. Few crime encyclopedias pass my rigorous test -- to go beyond the well-known and well-worn stories and into the lesser-known but often just as absorbing tales of minor-league criminals, the development of crime labs, and the revolution in crime control. This is an excellent, well researched, reliable encyclopedia.
Laura James
Book Description
Every summer since 1993, the woods of Maine have witnessed aremarkable attempt to plant the idea of peace in the hearts and minds of the next generation of Middle East leaders. For three weeks, hundreds of Arab and Israeli teenagers leave behind the violence and hatred ingrained in their homelands to meet their "enemies" face to face. At times its an emotionally wrenching process, but it can produce surprising friendships and an enduring belief in coexistence.
Customer Reviews:
Great Book.......2003-03-08
A very moving book. It marks out in detail the words of Israeli and Palestinian youth as they confronted each other, offering enormous hope to the idea that yes, these people can live together. A remarkable book about a remarkable program.
A waste of your hard earned money.......2001-09-13
This book is the worst book I ever read. I can't understand why someone would publish this. He presents ideas that are radical to say the least. And it's seems like he is living in his imgination. He doesn't know anything about the middle east, I mean he his romantsizing terrorists as though they were freedom fighters (like car boomings is a good thing!?!). Thats probbly why only people from is orgnizition are recommanding you to buy this terrible book. My 3 year old dughter can probbly write better then him (John Wallach is the main autor if you can even call him an autor).
Pro-Peace IS pro-Palestine, Pro-Israel.......2001-05-28
The escalating rhetoric of Palestinians and Israeli, the escalating fighting is all the more absurd if one has enjoyed the experience of two groups meeting not in enmity but friendship, as in the covers of this great book. Since one will never win, the only way to peace, real and just peace, is a meeting of minds, young or old, or in-between. This is the only way. How long will it take? What is so obvious, as seen here, is strangely, so hard to achieve. This book best exemplifies the way barriers are broken down when face to face meetings occur.
The people of Peace Rejoice.......2000-03-10
I participated in the Seeds of Peace camp this past summer. Even though the book used examples from more early years, I could relate my experiences to the amazing process described in the book, the unmasking of the enemy, and the establishment of friendships amongst foresworn enemys. But this book wouldn't appeal only to those who have gone through the program, it will show those who aren't fimiliar with it, and even those who do not know much about the middle east, the work being done to resolve this conflict, and the emphasis that even though the participants are young in age, they can and will shape the society, and the future of the middle-east to a better place for all religions and nationalities.
The SOP Story.......2000-02-12
I only read parts of the paperback covered book, and i tell you, as an active member of SOP here in Israel, that this book is the best of expression to our feelings here in the middle east, and our hopes and fears of and for the future. i recomend this book to anyone who is interested in making the world a better place. thank you, E.
Israel
Amazon.com
Moving crisply from Abraham Lincoln's inauguration in 1861 to the final Confederate surrenders in 1865, this smart collection of essays provides a neat history of the Civil War. With nearly two dozen noted historians contributing to the volume (it is an all-star roster that includes Thomas Fleming, Geoffrey Perret, and James McPherson), the approach is necessarily idiosyncratic. There's no essay on Pickett's charge, for instance, but there is an interesting discussion of Robert E. Lee's orders at Malvern Hill, which were arguably a forerunner to that fateful action at Gettysburg. The editor, Robert Cowley, has done an excellent job of piecing together a group of essays that stand well on their own.
Between these covers, however, they manage to become more than the sum of their parts--always a difficult goal for anthologies to achieve. Cowley himself is the founding editor of Military History Quarterly and the man behind the acclaimed What If? anthology. Each of the selections included in With My Face to the Enemy has appeared previously in MHQ, and many of them have appeared in book form as well. "Lincoln Takes Charge" by David Herbert Donald is drawn from Donald's biography Lincoln, for instance, and "The Ordeal of General Stone" by Stephen W. Sears appeared in Controversies and Commanders.
John Bowers writes one of the most interesting chapters, on Confederate hero Stonewall Jackson. "Jackson was not a natural leader," writes Bowers. "In fact, Jackson probably had what we now call a learning disability." Yet he became one of the most fearsomely effective generals in American history. "He personified the word indomitable. He would not accept defeat and had a way of coming back, prevailing no matter what was thrown at him.... When the Battle of Cedar Mountain was being lost, bluecoats storming over Stonewall's regiments in a clatter of musket fire, Jackson himself galloped into the maelstrom, drew his sword, and rallied his retreating troops back into the fight.... The tide turned, and Cedar Mountain was won." Filled with such compelling perspectives, With My Face to the Enemy is a worthy addition to any personal library on the Civil War. --John J. Miller
Book Description
This collection of essays examines the pivotal people and events of the Civil War-as told by some of the most respected names in Civil War scholarship.
Contributions from James McPherson, Stephen Sears, Gary Gallagher, David Herbert Donald, and others
"A gem: well-written, engaging, and sure to make a significant contribution to the already voluminous Civil War literature." (Kirkus Reviews)
"Fascinating, well written, logically formatted, and amply supplemented with useful battle maps. Recommended for all Civil War collections." (Library Journal )
Customer Reviews:
Audiobook: Six Interesting Essays.......2007-07-23
I listened to this book on audiocassette. I assume that the editor picked six of the best essays from the hardcopy book for the audio version. They are:
Lincoln Takes Charge by David Herbert Donald
Failed Southern Strategies by James M. McPherson
Malvern Hill by Stephen W. Sears
When Lee was Mortal by Gary W. Gallagher
The Rock of Chickamauga: George H. Thomas by John Bowers
Rebel Without a War: The Shenandoah by Robert F. Jones
All of these are worth listening to. Narrator Eric Conger does an excellent job, and of course, the highly-respected authors all conducted thorough research and wrote clearly on interesting topics.
Personally I found the last two to be particularly intriguing because they covered stories that were fairly new to me. For example, George Thomas was a native of Virginia who chose to remain in the U.S. Army after his home state seceded. His family never spoke to him again! His leadership at Chickamauga and elsewhere in Tennessee earned him well-deserved acclaim.
As for the final essay in this version, the CSS Shenandoah fired the last shot of the Civil War basically because the captain and crew did not know that the war had ended until late in the summer of 1865. Their job had been to damage Union commerce by destroying commercial vessels, and this they did. In particular they sunk a number of whaling ships.
Subtitled "Perspectives on the Civil War," the book is suitable for anyone interested in that period of American history and particularly for those who already have some familiarity with the Civil War and would like some fresh ideas and detailed stories.
Collection of Magazine articles is good, but inconsistent.......2004-08-17
Essay collections are hard to review. You always wind up with something you liked, something you didn't, and a few things you were surprised by, either pleasantly or otherwise. This book is no exception: while some of the essays in here are worthwhile, some are less wonderful, or otherwise uneven.
One real difficulty is that there's nothing new here at all: every "essay" in this book was previously published in Military History Quarterly. This means that if you subscribed to that magazine, you'd have all these articles already, and you wouldn't need this book. The only thing you'd get by having this is that Robert Cowley writes an introduction for every piece, but as noted elsewhere, he cribs his intros from the articles themselves, with the result that you almost read a short version of the piece before reading it itself. Some of the articles are also taken from larger books, so that you may wind up reading those twice before getting to this book. And as noted, there are no illustrations, maps, footnotes, index, bibliography, or any of the other stuff that you'd expect in a book like this. It sort of cripples the usefulness of the book, to be honest, for anything other than entertainment.
I've enjoyed stuff Cowley has done elsewhere (the What If? stuff, especially), but he and his publisher need to work on how these books are presented.
A uneven potpourri but enough there to make it worth reading.......2004-05-07
It's pretty much common sense that Anthologies are a real mixed bag but With My Face to the Enemy is more than the average. This compilation has some wonderful stuff and to be honest one or two that I'm surprised got past the editor considering the factual errors they have.
On the good side you have some really first rate pieces. Stephen Sears comes through with some great stuff as usual with 'The Last Word on the Lost Order', 'The Ordeal of General Stone' and 'Malvern Hill'. However these works can be found in his book "Controversies and Commanders" or his book on the Peninsula Campaign.
Still there are other less well known writers in addition to the well known ones like Sears, Gallagher and McPherson, to make this worth picking up. Robert Jones' Rebel Without a War sticks out as exceptional as does John Taylor's 'The Crater'. Also two different articles that cover Col William Oates and Col Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain 'The Antagonists of Little Round Top'I found to be very interesting reads.
On the bad side a few of the article lean a bit towards the dry side and there are some factual errors, especially in Tom Flemming's 'Band of Brothers'. The article makes a number of mistakes such as stating that General Richard Garnett rode in Pickett's Charge because he was to sick with fever to walk. The actual truth however is that Garnett had been kicked by a horse and his leg was still to sore for him to walk. Flemming also repeats the old fable that Grant sent an engraved silver serving set across the battle lines at Petersburg to George and Sally Pickett as a present when their son was born. However this story is widely known to be a fictional creation of Sally Pickett's after the war.
So in the end while a bit uneven, there's enough first rate material to make the book worth it.
Various perspectives........2004-02-19
This book carries a similar format to books that look at the "hows" and "whys" of a battle, but instead follows popular events in the Civil War. Featuring and all-star cast of writers such as Gallagher and Sears, the book covers a variety of topics concerning subjects like Lee, Jackson, Grant, Vicksburg, Forrest at Fort Pillow, Union prisons, Sherman, Sheridan and many others. I have to admit the lack of references was disappointing as at times writer opinion versus fact were questionable. A majority of the chapters did offer interesting insight and tried to look at either popular misconceptions or myths surrounding the subjects. There is over 500 pages of material here that offer the advanced student of the Civil War possible new insight to events. I couldn't recommend this book to novice readers as a majority of the topics seem to be written in the assumption of past reader knowledge.
Fine, but flawed, collection.......2003-05-02
I am greatly torn over whether to give With My Face to the Enemy three or four stars. Four stars ultimately prevails because it seems to me that just about any book about the Civil War is almost by definition worth reading, and there is much in With My Face to the Enemy that will please both Civil War aficionados and those with but a passing interest. Of particular moment are two articles about the Confederate pirate ships (and let's be honest, they *were* pirate ships sans the physical violence) Alabama and Shenandoah, which reveal the genuinely global reach of the conflict. Every article has something to recommend it, even if, like Stephen Sears' essay on Chancellorsville, you've read it all before.
But there are some flaws, too. Most glaring and annoying is the lack of an index. Is there any Civil War student who does not rush to the index first to find references to his (or her) favorite general or battle? No such luck here; you'll have to read the entire book for those brief references to Howard, Hancock, McPherson, et al. Second, the articles lack two of the major selling points of military history magazines - color maps and illustrations. Now, I'm a big boy and I don't *need* pictures with my text, but often the art that accompanies an MHQ article is more powerful than the text. Third, there is a fault that lies with far too many Civil War pieces: biographies of important figures devolving into hagiographies. For too many Civil War biographers their subject can do, and did no, wrong. Crowley himself uses the word "hagiography" in one of his introductions. Whether it's Stonewall or Lee, or Admiral Porter or Sheridan, the lavish praise becomes tiring. And the final gripe to be made is toward Crowley's introductions, which borrow too liberally from the essays, adding nothing yet stealing the thunder of the contributors. (The same complaint can be made of Crowley's introductions to the What If? series.)
These are not much more than petty gripes, however. The Civil War remains a fascinating topic, and With My Face to the Enemy provides a wide range of essays covering many areas of the war. The collection deserves a spot on the bookshelf.
Average customer rating:
- The Enemy Has a Face
- Good Book
- 2003 Notable Book, Association of Jewish Libraries!
- A Gripping Story for Adults and Children
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The Enemy Has a Face
Gloria D. Miklowitz
Manufacturer: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0802852610 |
Customer Reviews:
The Enemy Has a Face.......2007-02-08
Gloria Miklowitz tackles the prickly subject of the Arab-Israeli conflict in this new novel for young adults. She sets her story in Los Angeles where 14 year old Netta Hofman wakes up one morning to find that her older brother, Adam, did not come home the night before. Three months earlier, the family had moved from Israel to LA and they are baffled by Adam's disappearance. They assume it may have something to do with Palestinian terrorism since Netta's father's work is related to the defense industry. During the course of the investigation into Adam's disappearance, Netta reluctantly befriends a Palestinian boy in her school, learns about the murky cyber-world of Palestinian chat rooms, and finds out information about her brother that surprises her. This short novel retains its suspense until the final pages, when we finally find out what happened to Adam.
The author of this book is clearly trying her best to balance both sides of the Middle East conflict. However, using a 14-year-old girl's view to explore the issue of Palestinian-Israeli relationships is only partially successful. Both sides are represented to the reader, but Miklowitz wisely keeps politics from overwhelming the storyline. The book works better as a young adult mystery.
A few highly unlikely scenarios in this book do detract from the storyline, however. From discovering Adam's computer password on the third guess to making her way around the city on public transportation, things come a bit too easily to the young Netta. One must also conclude that her spoken and written English is perfect, even though her family arrived in Los Angeles only three months earlier. Also, it is unlikely that this clever young teen would chose to keep some of her discoveries about her brother a secret from her parents during such tragic circumstances.
However, if these flaws can be set aside, the novel does attempt to show how young people in a political conflict can often be much better than adults at examining their prejudices. The growing and tenuous relationship between Netta and Laith, the Palestinian boy, is plausible and realistic. Miklowitz has captured the flavor of the middle school world well. The characters here are appealing and could even merit a longer book so their true depth could be discovered. The subject matter, however, is suspenseful and ultimately sad, so this book is recommended for 5th grade and up.
Reviewed by Lisa Silverman
Good Book.......2007-01-11
This book was a good book. I wish it was a tiny bit better. I think it was a tiny bit weird and the story is confusing. It is sad in the end.
2003 Notable Book, Association of Jewish Libraries!.......2004-02-08
This title was declared a 2003 Notable Book by the Association of Jewish Libraries! Almost 200 children's books of Judaic content were reviewed during the year to find the best of the bunch. Find out more at www.jewishlibraries.org.
A Gripping Story for Adults and Children.......2003-05-16
This gripping story is the account of the Hofman family recently moved from Israel to Los Angeles. Their seventeen year old son Adam was in high school and fourteen year old daughter Netta in middle school. Adam quickly found friends and began enjoying the new school while Netta did not really feel at home. The family was panic stricken when Adam failed to come home one night. The story from there on is a description of the search for the missing Adam. Because of the bitter feeling between people in Israel and those in Palestine, the Hofmans were sure that Adam was the victim of Palestinian Terrorists. Netta took some risks in her effort to find out her brother's fate and who was responsible. In the process she learned to value people as individuals rather than as part of a group. This timely well-written story of a family in grief is especially important now in the present world situation. The book is directed to ages 12 and up but is also excellent for adults because it helps them see the struggle through the eyes of a young person experiencing the emotional impact of the crisis situation in Israel.
Book Description
The Pleasure of the Kill
They strike without warning out of the interstellar depths, their only communication a burst of static--and then death. They are called the Remor, and they kill for the pure joy of killing.
The brave fighting men and women of the Interstellar Defense League eagerly take up the call to arms against the Remor and their grinders--monstrous war machines that leave a trail of death and desolation in their wake. But to win, the League warriors must get inside the machines'-and the mind of their foe. Who--or what--is this mysterious enemy? Where do they come from? And why are they determined to destroy humankind?
Mere courage won't uncover the Remor's secrets. Something else is needed. Something that can only be found in the untamed spirit of a renegade who long ago "went native" with the most primitive species in the known universe...
Customer Reviews:
Truly honestly bad.......2007-04-22
Wow, this book is so badly written I felt the need to take the time to write a review to warn others away from it.
First off, it represents itself as military SF, which is reinforced by the cover art, but the reality is that this is nothing like military space opera at all. The characters are worse than cardboard cutouts; they don't even obey their own rules and do things that don't even make sense within the context of the people they are supposed to be. The author clearly has huge contempt for the military.
Most of the 'action' (use that word sparingly because there is no real action throughout the whole length of the book) centers around a group of supposedly 'smarter than thou' scientists who were generally dumber than rocks. Nobody was particularly likable to begin with, and their own rampant stupidity and the nastiness they treated each other with made them thoroughly unlikable characters.
The hero/protagonist of the novel is a scientist who is so good at studying aliens that he loses his own sense of self and actually becomes one of them. He's done this before and it took him years to be declared 'sane' again. This might have been interesting if the aliens he was studying were anything other than stereotypical 'savages from the jungle' who (of course) are so much more noble, wise and honorable than any human (yet live in dirt huts and eat bugs). Somehow it is vitally important for the scientists to figure out what makes these aliens tick because armed with the information about alien psychology then humanity will magically be able to fight off the Remor who are systematically destroying us.
One word here about how much the author seems to hate the military. The setup is that the Remor (an unknown alien force with high technology) appear suddenly with overwhelming force and destroy planets and systems where humans hold sway. Despite the fact the aliens have superior technology and threaten the very existance of mankind everywhere, only some of the human governments are willing to band together to form a military force to oppose the Remor. This IDL 'Interstellar Defense League' basically does all the fighting and dying to hold off the Remor, and though they are losing ground steadily they are at least buying time for everyone else.
Yet everyone else tends to sneer down their noses at the IDL, referring to them as barbarians and acting as if they themselves are the problem.
Then again, they actually *are* the problem, at least the way the author writes them. Although it makes no logical sense at all, the military of the IDL razes an entire planet of stone-age savage aliens just on the suspicion that they might be distantly related to the Remor aliens that are attacking earth. Then when a second planet is found (again with aliens that basically don't even have writing yet) they want to do the same thing again.
Oh, even trying to make logical sense out of this mess gives me a headache. The author doesn't know how to write - the characters are terrible and the plot is worse. Plus the author has a huge contempt for anything military, and it really shows through, making a dumb plot even dumber.
I was expecting a good space opera with fleet-to-fleet combat against an intelligent alien menace (that's what the back of the book promised anyway). This is anything but. I'd recommend Walter Jon William's 'Dread Empire's Fall' series, Jack Campbell's 'The Lost Fleet' series, or Steven Kent's 'Clone Republic' series to name off a couple of the more recent examples of what this genre actually should be.
Discord in the Face of The Enemy.......2005-09-14
The fudamental issue with this book is it tries to do too much. I think the plot would have been better suited for two or three books instead of just one. So what you end up with is alot of plot, characters and drama but not enough detail for some reviewers.
That said I found the book a good read. Instead of just good guys and bad guys how have numerous human and alien factions with various ideologies. It is a complicated book with many questions and few answers so I hope that the sequel brings some closure.
Interesting Universe, but Uneven Development.......2005-03-22
All of humanity is threatened with extinction by the relentless, indomitable alien Remor. Or is it? The cover of the book suggests so. Many of the characters seem paralyzed by fear of them. However, there seem to be dozens-- perhaps hundreds -- of human inhabited worlds and only a few appearances of the Remor. And even when they do show up, the humans do not do all that bad in the battles. Moreover, it appears that most of humanity is so indifferent to the Remor threat that they are unwilling to sign up with the Interstellar Defense League -- which was created by more threatened systems to combat the Remor threat. Still, I liked this book enough to buy the sequel.
Though the Remor threat is the overarching motivator for most of the characters, much of the story follows a team of scientists as they study a primitive alien race on a newly discovered planet. Are these primitives really the Remor? Long lost cousins perhaps? Or related in some other less threatening way? The scientists allow for some interesting character development and their troubles keep their particular narrative thread interesting. Another narrative thread following a soldier involved in battling the Remor is also worthwhile. Some other lesser narrative threads served their purposes but were allowed to get too much of a life of their own without much closure.
One thing I liked about the book was the tension between the IDL, which takes the Remor threat very seriously, and the more pacifistic planets and human governments, who do not. It's kind of an interstellar Red State/Blue State cultural divide, with terms like "pansies" and "jack booted thugs" being exchanged between the disagreeable human camps. Sometimes the IDL is overly militiristic and sometimes the others do act like oblivious wimps, but since the Remor are real and do appear powerful, which side are you willing to give a few breaks?
The actual battles, in space and on the ground, are interesting as far as they go. But this is not really Space Opera and you do not get the global picture and drama that a David Weber would deliver. The battles seem intended more to develop characters and serve narrative purposes rather than be the ends of the book themselves.
Enjoyable enough to buy the sequel, which I thought was an improved product.
Avoid like the plague.......2004-07-24
Rambling incoherant plotlines, cardboard cutout characters, and highly tedious prose made this the second worst book I ever attempted to read.
Excellent.......2004-05-01
This is an excellent book, especially for a new author. Fawkes tells a great military science fiction story with lots of intrigue, a very interesting and well-realized setting, and a strong sense of mystery and dread as the characters probe into the mysterious aline menace, the Remor. The characters are very good,and Fawkes does a good job of keeping you interested in them even though some of them are extremely unpleasant people. Highly reccomended.
Average customer rating:
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The Face Of The Enemy (The Rebecca Series)
Walker Buckalew
Manufacturer: Providence House Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Contemporary
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ASIN: 157736306X |
Book Description
Fresh from military service, handsome but naïve Matt Clark learns of the mysterious disappearance of his beloved parents. Matt quickly embarks on a transatlantic journey to unravel the tapestry of clues that might lead to their captors, and from there the mystery grows. What to make of the cryptic diary entry by his quiet but fearless mother? And why is he being followed as he navigates the busy streets of London? Soon Matt finds himself swept into a diabolical conspiracy to annihilate the core tenets of the Christian faith.
But Matt is not alone on his mission: he encounters the beautiful Rebecca Manguson and her twin brother, Luke, gifted siblings who will help lead him to the source of the evil plot. Drawn into a world of spiritual power he has never before experienced, Matt comes face to face with an unseen reality that changes every assumption he's made about life.
Filled with tantalizing suspense and fascinating characters, Walker buckalew's first novel in the Rebecca Series delivers a potent spiritual adventure that readers won't soon forget.
Book Description
My Face to the Enemy is a collection of the memories of the Confederate soldiers who served during the Civil War with the Sixth North Carolina State Troops. The 6th NC was involved in nearly all major battles with the Army of Northern Virginia, and included such distinctions as the first troops ever carried by rail into battle, and capturing Cemetery Hill at the battle of Gettysburg.
The history of the regiment is penned by the captain of Company D, Neill Ray, circa 1899. Another chapter tells of the death of Issac Avery, the regiment commander who scrawled a note to his aged father in his own blood as he lay dying on the Gettysburg plain. Reconstruction era letters between Captain Neill Ray and another of the regiments commander, Colonel Samuel McDowell Tate add spice to the history of the men during the war and after.
Finally, one of the first Confederate Memorial day addresses, circa 1880, is included. Penned by Colonel Tate, it is a sorrowful, mourning view of his fallen comrades and amazingly courageous given the prevailing political views of the day.
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