Average customer rating:
- Just one more book in the all-encompassing, enthralling, and utterly absorbing Left Behind Series
- Kingdom Come - worth reading
- Potter is Hotter!
- Final Stand
- great transaction
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Kingdom Come: The Final Victory: The Final Victory (Left Behind #13)
Tim LaHaye , and
Jerry B. Jenkins
Manufacturer: Tyndale House Publishers
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Binding: Hardcover
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Similar Items:
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The Rapture: In the Twinkling of an Eye--Countdown to the Earth's Last Days (Before They Were Left Behind, Book 3)
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Glorious Appearing (Left Behind)
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The Regime: Evil Advances (Before They Were Left Behind, Book 2)
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Armageddon (Left Behind #11)
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The Rising: Antichrist Is Born (Before They Were Left Behind, Book 1)
ASIN: 0842360611
Release Date: 2007-04-03 |
Book Description
The horrors of the Tribulation are over, and Jesus Christ has set up his perfect kingdom on earth. Believers all around the world enjoy a newly perfected relationship with their Lord, and the earth itself is transformed. Yet evil still lurks in the hearts of the unbelieving. As the Millennium draws to a close, the final generation of the unrepentant prepares to mount a new offensive against the Lord Himself--sparking the final and ultimate conflict from which only one side will emerge the eternal victor.
Customer Reviews:
Just one more book in the all-encompassing, enthralling, and utterly absorbing Left Behind Series.......2007-09-13
From the very first letter of the alphabet that my eyes looked upon inside this series of books, until the very last period of the very last sentence, I was hooked. Each one of these books absorbed my attention like no other book has ever done in my life. Biblically sound, theatrically entertaining, and brilliantly written, the Left Behind books will inspire you to dig into God's word and take the pieces of news from your T.V. screen and match them right smack-dab up with the prophecies of the Bible. Your hair will stand up, your heart will race, and you will find yourself helplessly caught in the suspense. Once you finish one of these books, you will desperately race to your computer screen or your local library to pick up the next one!
Carrie Lynn Jones
Author of It All Began... When Jesus Gave Me Sneakers
Kingdom Come - worth reading.......2007-09-11
I enjoyed this book. I read the entire series over the past few months, and this was the way to end it. It's more of a bible study than the other books in the series. Not as exciting, but if you read the story up until now, you should read this. Gives a good description of the last days.
Potter is Hotter!.......2007-08-29
As a work of fantasy, the Left Behind series is third-rate. It lacks the humor and exuberance of the Harry Potter books; the magical acts it portrays are quite simply boring. It lacks the sparkling darkness of language that makes the His Dark Materials books a delight to read. It lacks the sweep and grandeur of the Lord of the Rings series. Note please that I'm reviewing Left Behind merely as escapist fantasy literature. As theology, it's too contemptible to need reviewing. As a morality tale, it's even more contemptible, an interminable drone of bigotry, sexism, self-righteousness, and exploitation of the decent folk who congregate in America's churches.
Final Stand.......2007-08-18
The entire series was written in such a way that every new book had its own plot. A series well done. Thank you for the eye opener.
great transaction.......2007-08-14
My husband loved the book and has already finished it. The item came quickly and in great condition as promised
Average customer rating:
- The Hobo Philosopher
- Fantastic read
- Never Question Your Sanity ,,, It's not You
- .......not a secret anymore......
- A BRILLIANT BIOGRAPHY - WELL DONE!
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The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Visions of Glory
William Manchester
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
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The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Alone 1932-1940
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The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill: Alone, 1932-1940
ASIN: 0316545031 |
Customer Reviews:
The Hobo Philosopher.......2007-09-21
This is William Manchester at his best. This is fascinating reading and fascinating writing. Of course Winston Churchill was quite a character but to be honest I didn't know that fact until I read this book and its companion volume.
After reading this book I put it to my mind that I would read everything that Manchester wrote. I've got a couple more to go. You can't miss with this purchase. A great story, great writing, and good history. What more could you ask for?
Fantastic read.......2007-06-18
I am a little half way through the book, but it already is one of the best books I have ever read. The book deserves all the accolade. Manchester's approach to biography is a little different from many others in that he did not shy away from coloring the narrative with events that were yet to occur. He always hinted the historical significance of events in light of what happened later. I find this extremely helpful. For example: Churchill's fascination with early airplanes, his conception of tanks when dealing with a domestic riot are just two examples. These illuminated Churchill was indeed ahead of his peers in recognizing important trends.
The buildup to WWI is masterful. The book weaves Churchill's struggle with the Irish Home rule question together with the naval arms race with Germany in 1913. Since we know WWI started in 1914, the realization that Churchill and the British government were struggling with a domestic problem (which surely was exploited by the German Kaiser) enhances our understanding of the immediate pre-war times.
I knew the old US of A was not a world player before WWI. This book adds to that impression. Until the outbreak of the war, the US is just not on Churhill's radar: it does not show up much in his writing, travel, and speech. Yes, he did a book tour in the US, but that was before he started his political career.
Can't wait to read the second half of the book.
Never Question Your Sanity ,,, It's not You.......2006-12-22
This book should be read (before, after or with) The End of the World as We Know It. The scenarios are almost interchangable.
.......not a secret anymore.............2006-12-11
Actually it is very sad to mention this blunder against humanity:
When the Ottoman Empire joined the Central Powers in October and November 1914, Britain's communications with India and the East via the Suez canal was immediately placed in jeopardy.
There was a secret agreement with Germany signed in August 1914 by the Young Turks that was troubling the Russians and taken as warning of the forthcoming trouble to The Tsar. The Russians regarded their Caucasian terrirories were also placed in jeopardy.
Consequently, the British and French, in order to protect their future `colonies' and bisect the `sick man of Europe', had to act forcefully. They opened another front in the South with the Gallipoli (1915) and Mesopotamian campaigns.
Anxious to score his first military encounter with `the enemy', Winston Churchill, in his capacity as Lord of Navy, prematurely urged a combined French and British naval incursion into Gallipoli. But the Turks were successful in repelling the British, French, and Australia and New Zealand Army Corps. and pushed their eventual withdrawal and evacuation.
((By contrast, in Mesopotamia - Iraq- after the disastrous Siege of Kut (1915-16), British Empire forces - mainly of Indian troops - reorganized and captured Baghdad (March 1917). Further to the west in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign, initial British failures were overcome when Jerusalem was captured in December 1917, and the Egyptian Expeditionary Force under Field Marshal Edmund Allenby, broke the Ottoman forces at the Battle of Megiddo in September 1918))
Russia, the protector of the Greek Orthothox Armenian population, sent her best troops in the Caucasus. The Turkish, Vice-Generalissimo Enver Pasha, supreme commander of the ex Ottoman Empire armed forces, was a very ambitious man. His aim and everpresent dream was to conquer central Asia. Enver Pasha, like Winston Churchill, was not a practical soldier. He launched an offensive with 100,000 soldiers against the Russians in the Caucasus in December of 1914.
His main enemy was the severe Weather conditions.
Insisting on a frontal attack against Russian positions in the mountains , Enver lost over 80% of his troops at the Battle of Sarikamis, in the heart of the tough winter season.
In 1917, Russian Grand Duke Nicholas assumed senior control over the Caucasus front. Nicholas tried to have a railway built from Russia (Georgia) to the conquered territories with a view to bringing up more supplies for a new offensive. But, in March of 1917 (February in the pre-revolutionary Russian calendar), the Czar was overthrown in the February Revolution and the Russian army began to slowly fall apart.
Hence, the protector of the Armenians was gone.
Winston Churchill blunder in Gallipoli, opened patched over wounds and re-ignited animosities between the Turks and their Armenian neighbors. In 1915, the Armenians were the victims of his cowardice. The Turks committed a HOLOCAUST against the Armenians that immediately started after WC debacle in Gallipolis.
The mass murder of the Armenians was indeed the first Holocaust of the twentieth century.
A BRILLIANT BIOGRAPHY - WELL DONE!.......2006-07-27
This is a brilliantly written biography of one of the most fascinating characters in history. Like most of Mnchester's work (I must admit to being a big fan), this is a very readable biography, well researched and holds the reader's interest from page to page. We see so much of Churchhill in his role as a WWII leader that we tend to forget there was a young man, living, learning and growing before the back and white films we see today. It is good to be reminded of this from time to time. It is also, for those interested, to learn how a world leader of Churchill's calibre came into being, how he developed and why he was the way he was. This work gives us great insight to those questions. Cannot recommend this work highly enough.
Customer Reviews:
Brilliantly Written European History - 1932 to 1940.......2007-09-16
The Last Lion, Alone covers the history of Europe from the time Hitler first came to power in Germany to the time that Hitler invaded the Low Countries and World War II began. During this period Churchill, who continually fought against the appeasement policies of Chamberlain, rose from Back Bench irrelevance to become Brittan's Prime Minister.
The history of this period is a gripping saga of one man's malicious attempt to dominate Europe and another man's noble efforts to stop him - a classical case of good vs evil - told as an almost unbelievable story in the words of a master story teller.
Grab a bottle of Scotch and have at this book!.......2007-07-03
William Manchester informs and entertains in this excellent historical account of the critical years leading up to WWII, juxtaposing the appeasement practices of predecessors Baldwin and Chamberlain with the unwavering belief in the principles of freedom held by Churchill. The book (along with Manchester's first volume) gives terrific insight into the transition from the glory days of the British Empire to the Post WWI apathy that beset the British public. As well, the work provides delightful commentary on the characters surrounding Churhill's life including his colorful mother Jennie, his wife Clementine and his nemesis Adolf Hitler.
Churchill was begging...........2006-10-06
After the fall of France in June 1940, Winston Churchill was begging USA President Roosevelt for military aid (in fact, all sorts of support was then needed) as no one knew what would the 'fate' of the French fleet was going to be.
Churchill kept reminding the American president that Britain would not surrender even if left alone.
Churchill was defiant despite the fact that the two 'key' American ambassadors, in France and Great Britain, were pro Hitler (or at least they were not anti-Nazi).
Joseph Kennedy (USA Ambassador to GB) openly cautioned his fellow Americans against entering the war because the 'allies' would soon be beaten.
However, I would have liked to see more comments about the position and reaction of the king - king George VI.
Was he indifferent?
We should remember that Hitler had been addressing the King as the man whom the British Government circles have loathed, and as the only 'hope' for a reconciliation between the Third Reich and GB.
In this context it is true that Churchill was indeed ALONE
absolutely a delight to read.......2006-01-26
I was adrift when I finished this volume.
grasping at pathetic things to read for a while - nothing satisfied - Manchester can set the stage, his historical background is so rich that you'll find yourself spouting about it to your friends.
You'll learn more from this book than a two semester course in 20th century history.
Churchill himself is the lead player in a panapoly of exciting elements. But manchester never lets the reader forget the place in history - the man was a masterful writer.
solitary courage.......2005-12-29
No better profile of Churchill 1932-40 exists. Whetted with acrimony and disdain, Churchill is ultimately proved right (and his real task commences).
This is a work of the first order. `The Last Lion' (1874-1932) is also worthy.
Gilbert (worth reading) pales in comparison.
Book Description
In the middle years of the ninth-century, the fierce Danes stormed onto British soil, hungry for spoils and conquest. Kingdom after kingdom fell to the ruthless invaders until but one realm remained. And suddenly the fate of all England—and the course of history—depended upon one man, one king.
From New York Times bestselling storyteller Bernard Cornwell comes a rousing epic adventure of courage, treachery, duty, devotion, majesty, love, and battle as seen through the eyes of a young warrior who straddled two worlds.
Download Description
"
From Bernard Cornwell, the
New York Times bestselling author whom the
Washington Post calls ""perhaps the greatest writer of historical adventure novels today,"" comes a saga of blood, rage, fidelity, and betrayal that brings to center stage King Alfred the Great, one of the most crucial (but oft-forgotten) figures in English history. It is King Alfred and his heirs who, in the ninth and tenth centuries, with their backs against the wall, fought to secure the survival of the last outpost of Anglo-Saxon culture by battling the ferocious Vikings, whose invading warriors had already captured and occupied three of England's four kingdoms.
Bernard Cornwell's epic novel opens in
A.D. 866. Uhtred, a boy of ten and the son of a nobleman, is captured in the same battle that leaves his father dead. His captor is the Earl Ragnar, a Danish chieftain, who raises the boy as his own, teaching him the Viking ways of war. As a young man expected to take part in raids and bloody massacres against the English, he grapples with divided loyalties -- between Ragnar, the warrior he loves like a father, and Alfred, whose piety and introspection leave him cold. It takes a terrible slaughter and the unexpected joys of marriage for Uhtred to discover his true allegiance -- and to rise to his greatest challenge.
In Uhtred, Cornwell has created perhaps his richest and most complex protagonist, and through him, he has magnificently evoked an era steeped in dramatic pageantry and historical significance. For if King Alfred fails to defend his last kingdom, England will be overrun, and the entire course of history will change.
"
Customer Reviews:
Action-packed, enthralling tale of the Danish and English ..........2007-10-14
Against the backdrop of the Danish invasion of England during the 870's, Cornwell introduces the fictional Uhtred - the latest son in several generations of sons by that name, who claim the right to rule Bebbanburg (Bamburgh Castle today). Uhtred is 10 when his father dies in battle and he is kidnapped by the Danes.
Eventually coming to love the family who kidnapped him, Uhtred stays with them until he is kidnapped again - this time by Alfred, King of the West Saxons - at around age 15/16. Through a series of manipulations, Alfred secures Ultred's loyalty. He becomes a warrior fighting for the king, but still dreaming of securing Bebbanburg.
While the fictional story takes precedence, Cornwell provides an overview of the history. Alfred is a sickly, pious man determined to hold his ground. The Danes are blood-thirsty warriors equally determined to conquer all the land they can. Other rulers throughout what is now England are weak. They fall to one or the other leaders.
THE LAST KINGDOM is the first in a promising series of books on the Saxons.
The Danes Commeth .......2007-10-10
What would you do if your lands were stolen, your father killed, and were taken prisoner by an invading barbarian army? I believe when doing the immense amount of research for this book, and the latter ones, Bernard Cornwell asked himself some of these questions.
I had read some really excellent historical fiction novels about the crusades when Amazon suggested The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell. Bernard Cornwell does an incredible job of pulling the reading immediately into the story, right in the prologue. The story is told in the first person by Uthred, son of Uthred, and so forth. He comes from the north, where his lands are taken, and his father slain, and his throne usurped by his uncle.
This novel, although told about the early life (This is part of a continuating series which is up to book 4) of Uthred, the story is really about King Alfred, later known as Alfred the Great, as he defends The Last Kingdom of England, Wessex. At the time England was divided into 4 kingdoms; which are each being invaded by the Danes from the North. Uthred gives in great, but flowing detail, his life growing up his new family, and "adopted" father Ragnar. As Uthred grows up, we see what is is like to be Pagan, and how literal God and Christianity was at the time. (I have no dissprect for anyone today, but at the time Faith was much more in Gods hands than I believe it is in our scientific times, today).
The story is extremely easy to read, and I find that I have a lot in common with Uthred. While Christianity is very boring from Uthred's eyes, being 10 years old, a boy does not wish to be on his knee's all day, but going out and seeing the world, learning how to fight, forge and shape steal, and learn about the Pagan Gods.
While the story is told from Uthred's point of view, about half way through we're introduced to Alfred, and it is from this point that we see the destinies of Uthred and Alfred are closely tied.
Readers will not be disappointed, as this story flows easily, and naturally, and once started, you won't be able to put it down.
A fascinating fictionalized portrayal of the Danish invasions and Saxon response.......2007-10-01
This is the first book in Cornwell's Saxon Chronicles, which consists of four books and has at least one more coming. The Last Kingdom features warfare, cross-cultural encounters, romance, humor, religion, politics, and revenge. We meet our hero, Uhtred, when he is a child. He becomes involved in the wars between his own people and the Danes. This leads to his being raised by the Danes and with their values, but he never forgets his homeland; he is the rightful king of othe area in which he grew up but his uncle has usurped the position for himself.
Uhtred meets Alfred, who is determined to unite the Saxons against the Danes. Uhtred doesn't think much of him, but for various reasons finds himself entering Alfred's service even though his primary loyalty at this point is to the Danes and their gods. Arthur hopes to save his soul. For all of Uhtred's disrespect towards Alfred and Christianity, Alfred respects Uhtred as a warrior and thinks he is vital to saving the Saxon lands from the Danes. Uhtred, therefore, frequently has to re-evaluate his loyalties.
The characters are well written--so well that when characters mentioned in the first chapters are reintroduced towards the end, they are instantly recognizable and remembered. While many characters--such as Uhtred--are Cornwell's invention, many of the warlords who appear are historical and their engagements fit well within the historical context in which they actually occurred.
The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell.......2007-09-19
I've been working on a novel for the last four years or so that's been going pretty slowly. I've been doing it in chunks, mainly because it's historical fiction and involves a lot of research and I've essentially been getting stuck at some point and needing to research more before I can get started writing again. Now I'm at a point where I need to read a few books to complete the current research. The book was called The Ruin, though I recently changed the title to Wyrd, which is Anglo-Saxon for destiny. While the book is set in the fifth century in England and has characters that may turn out to be Arthurian (I'm not sure yet), the intention of the novel is to encompass the feel and texture of the Early Middle Ages, at a time when society was essentially beginning anew for this forgotten island.
When I started reading The Last Kingdom by one of my favorite authors I got the chilling feeling that Cornwell had done what I was trying to do with my book. And after finishing it, there's a lot in it that I can see coming out in my novel, and yet Wyrd will go in different directions and achieve different goals. Nevertheless, The Last Kingdom was a great book for anyone wanting to get a feel of the ninth century and what it was like for the Anglo-Saxons living there and having to deal with the invading Vikings who were trying to settle and do essentially what the Anglo-Saxons had done a couple of centuries before to the Britons. While the main character, Uhtred, is but a boy at the beginning and the narrator, our hero is Alfred the Great (the only British king ever to be called "the Great") and while I'm not sure how long the series is going to be, the reader will see Alfred grow up and become the great king that earned him the title. I'm quite familiar with Alfred's history and life and how he emulated Charlemagne in a lot of ways, and it's really enjoyable to see this fictionalized account from one of my favorite authors, which has been well researched, and to see these historical characteristics in the people in the book.
I will freely admit that Bernard Cornwell isn't exactly the most in depth and complex historical fiction writers, and his characters aren't always the fully developed real people they should be, but he still does the job well and gets his point across in giving the reader a look into this life, just as he did with his Grail series set in the Later Middle Ages, and his Arthur series. It's also the kind of book that anyone can pick up and get fully sucked into without getting confused or lost along the way with heavy history and jargon. Cornwell is also sure to point out as much of the native languages as he can, with plenty of translations, to clarify it all.
For more book reviews, and other writings, go to [...]
Dervel's return..........2007-08-27
Cornwell takes the old stones of history and fills in the gap with a mortar of boyish fantasy. Ever wonder what the steps in making a medieval sword were? Ever wonder how they got the charcoal? Ever wonder how the Danes constructed their ships? Well, that last one is the only one not answered or described in (too much?) detail. Nice for history addicts (ie me) but the general audience might tend to yawn through those parts of the story.
This first book is okay but Uhtred resembles Dervel in too many ways. And the story seems to drag. The Warlord series consisted of 6 shield walls, 2 in each book. It feels like this is book 4.
That said the action picks up at the end of the book but again, Uhtred's coming to Alfred who has been given a bogus story from Odda resembles Dervel's return to Arthur who has been given Lancelot's bogus story about St. Michel or whatever it was called in Warlords. Anyway, the beginning of the second book makes up for this short coming where we get to see a young noble start to build up his forces starting with nothing but debt. It's fun. In fact, it is every boy's fantasy of being a knight, lord, pirate, arrogant bastard nicknamed 'the Wicked'. And it is a little more realistic that this is how a man would develop having been taught to murder as a child and it is a pleasant deviation from the nauseatingly perfect Dervel.
That said, Alfred wasn't named 'Great' for nothing and Cornwell seems to question whether he deserved the title. There is a possibility that Alfred had Crohne's disease, however, honestly, how would a man accomplish so much with such a debilitating disease (I've known people who have suffered from Crohne's) in a time when it couldn't be treated at all (I'm pretty sure they didn't know to remove the scarred parts of his digestive tract let alone be able to prescribe anti-inflammatories). That said Alfred was a fan of the Christian church so of course Cornwell will make him into being a sniveling pansie while most of those priests around him are money grubbing careerists. I'm guessing the Hammer and the Captain were also sniveling men in Cornwell's eyes, because no where in the five books I've read has there been a character resembling the popular characterization of those men. *shrugs*
Book Description
In May of 1940, the armies of Nazi Germany were marching through France. In the face of this devastating advance, one of World War II's greatest acts of heroism would be a retreat: the evacuation of the British Army from Dunkirk.
In Dunkirk: Fight to the Last Man, we are given an unprecedented vision of these harrowing days. Hugh Sebag-Montefiore has created a bold and powerful account of the small group of men who fended off the German army so that hundreds of thousands of their comrades could exit this doomed land. These brave troops, members of the British Expeditionary Forces and the French army, held a series of strong points inland, allowing the rest of the battered battalions to escape to the coast. Those that remained were ordered to fight to the last man.
Much has been written about the efforts of the Royal Navy in shuttling soldiers to safety, but here we are given an unparalleled look inside this massive operation and the invaluable role played by the BEF. Without the ferocity and bravery of the officers and ordinary soldiers on the ground, the German army would likely have encircled nearly half a million Allied soldiers. The loss of these battalions, Sebag-Montefiore argues, could have dramatically changed the direction of the war,and enabled Hitler to invade a weakened Britain.
This is military history at its best: a judicious analysis of the movement of the war, and a vivid feel of what it was like to be on the front line. Sebag-Montefiore brings these men—the forgotten heroes of Dunkirk—to life, and it is their valiant exploits and devotion to their brethren that form the heart of this important book.
Customer Reviews:
2 stars for compiling the information.......2007-08-24
Sebag-Montefiore's book is a tedious chronology of the events leading up through (and a bit beyond) the evacuation of the BEF from the beaches of Dunkirk in 1940. I would have thought that a press like Harvard would be more discerning, but apparently not.
History is the critical assessment and analysis of past events. It seeks to explain why things happened. This book is not history, but merely chronology. This too can be useful, if one needs a reference source to look up dates, names, places, and things. But reading a list of events that runs 500 pages is a long slog.
It does not help that Sebag-Montefiore's writing style is frustrating. There is no continuity whatsoever to the story. This is probably the result of not having a theme or point he is trying to make. Literally, the reader can skip entire pages of every chapter and not miss important developments or assessments. Any explanation of events that would provide some context are buried in the end notes, some of which are several paragraphs long. Explanations of locations and setting are dismissed with a brief command to the reader to look at the maps. The maps themselves are excellent, but no map can ever stand in for text.
In the end, the book reads as a vehicle for the author to quote the source material he found. What we're left with is 500 pages of diary entries and anecdotes with no obvious point to be made. The true contribution of the Sebag-Montefiore is indeed to have collected this material. Now all we need is another author to use it and write a better book.
needs work.......2007-06-14
For my purposes, there are two types of books, those I want to read again and those I don't. Sebag-Montefiore's I won't read again. While the subject is interesting, the battle maps ample and detailed, and the notes copious, the author has no feel for telling a story or making multiple stories hang together. He can't describe settings, scenes, and characters, or plot the action. He can't write interesting sentences. It seems as if he used the maps and notes to remedy the deficiencies of his writing style. Rather than describe a setting, he says, "Look at the map." Rather than organize the story, he says, "See the notes." He's collated a mass of new primary sources--a worm's eye view of the war--but doesn't himself work very hard at making the material come alive. About the only time the author perks up and gets a pulse is when he describes some minor English aristocrat's cavalier approach to combat--and cavalier seems to be the approach to his job the author favors.
10,000 anecdotes don't equal history.......2007-06-01
This book tells how hard British troops often fought in the battles for the approaches and perimeter of Dunkirk. However, once the author has finished with the anecdotes, he gives NO ANALYSIS of the story.
If the Belgians and Dutch had given the British time to reach the "true" Dyle River line, could the British and French have stopped the Germans (not just the few troops sent through Belgium, but the whole German Army as anticipated)? An important question, and from the anecdotes the author has selected, I think the answers are probably NO and NO--the Germans were just too good. But I would really like to read the author's analysis on this issue.
And why couldn't 400,000 of the best British and French troops hold on to one strip of land (Dunkirk)? Were they totally out of ammunition and unable to resist? Since defense is supposed to be more powerful than offense, they should have been able to fight off the Germans for weeks, not days. Why? Again, no analysis.
Forgive me, readers, but I don't like the Martin Gilbert approach that "history is a million facts listed one after the other". I may disagree with the author, but I would like to know what he thinks!!!!
challenging but rewarding.......2007-05-19
The amount of research done to produce the book is staggering indeed. It seems as if every British unit has been displayed, most in favorible, even heroic, terms, but a few do show up in disgrace. The French Army, from its chain of command to its troops actually facing the Germans, receives far fewer compliments. The author has placed his maps at the back of the book, requiring the reader to flip back and forth which sometimes results in a loss of place in the vast array of pages. It would have helped to have sketch maps throughout the text, especially for readers not that familiar with the geography of the battle zone. Some other terms were confusing to an American reader. The "carrier" referred to often was finally discovered to be a brother to the Bren Gun Carrier, just not ready-equipped with the Bren Gun. The Boys Anti-Tank Rifle is also a weapon with which Americans are not easily familar, especially for fending off heavily armored tanks. Among the watercraft, the "Drifter" is still a mystery, even in its common role in carrying troops out to larger vessels. Another mystery was the "Fairey Battle" fighter-bomber about which American readers would have heard very little since it was already obsolete when it was inserted into the fighting. This is not a book to undertake lightly. It details a number of the massacres done by German troops not only of surrounded and even surrendered soldiers, but also villagers uninvolved in the fighting. Overall, however, the picture painted by the author draws on extensive research of both old and newly discovered sources, It contributes much to a fuller picture of how close the Dunkirk Evacuation was to a complete disaster, and how many risked their lives to salvage enough of the Allied Forces to ultimately face-down Hitler and the Whermacht.
Capturing the Horror of Battle.......2007-05-13
By piecing together war diaries, personal recollections and regimental after- action reports, Mr. Sebag-Monitfiore manages to capture the personal horror that was man to man combat in the Second World War. Although the story of Dunkirk has been told several times, this effort adds a lot of personal detail that is incredibly informative.
Book Description
Bhutan is the last intact Himalayan kingdom. Roughly the size of Switzerland but with a population of about 700,000 people, Bhutan may be diminutive, yet it is home to one of the most astonishingly diverse natural and cultural ecologies on earth. It is often called "the last Shangri-la" and with good reason. The pristine environment and incomparably kindhearted people make this a truly extraordinary place.
The book,
Bhutan, is a visual odyssey across the kingdom. Teams from M.I.T. and Friendly Planet took over 40,000 photographs on four extensive expeditions across the country. They flew by helicopter, rode mountain ponies, trekked with packhorses and yaks, and journeyed by caravan on farflung roads and foot trails across the Bhutanese Himalaya. Local students, like Choki Lhamo (a 14-year-old girl from Trongsa who aspires to become a doctor) and Gyelsey Loday (the son of the head lama in the village of Phongmey), joined these ambitious trips and helped with the photography in order to share a corner of their world. The stunning imagery in the book loosely follows these journeys. Portraits of people are lifesized (or bigger). Panoramas convey some of the staggering sweep of the mountains and the awesome ancient architecture.
Bhutan begins appropriately with something very special. Renowned artist and author, David Macaulay, created an atlas of the country expressly for this book. Masterfully drawn, the map is surrounded by sketches of some of Bhutan's most salient features: massive dzongs, Himalayan peaks, stupas and other impressions decorate the map, almost as if they were pages torn from the journal of a travelling artist.
Brilliantly photographed,
Bhutan conveys some of the specialness of that unique country. But the book is also socially meaningful, and a powerful reminder that we live in a big world. There are places and people whose beauty and grace are endlessly worth cherishing.
Customer Reviews:
This is a great deal. but...........2007-03-24
Let's face it. You'd be stupid not to get the "Better Together" deal, which includes an $8 map of Bhutan with the $15,000 book!
a visual odyssey.......2006-03-24
nous avons visiter le bhoutan l'année passer et vu le livre dans un suisse guest house et depuis on le cherchait. Tres heureux de l'avoir trouver de superbes photos les paysages, monastères, le peuple et coutume que nous avons pu rencontrer pendant notre voyage inoubliable, merci
Awesome pictoral of Bhutan.......2006-01-30
This book is amazing, it is just like you are there. Extremely well packaged and shipped 2nd day air via UPS. Worth every penny.
Overwhelmingly Breathtaking.......2005-01-20
The first time I walked into the West Chicago, IL library after the Bhutan book was placed on display, I thought I had been transported to the Himalayas. Standing in front of these gorgeous mountains, I could feel myself being pulled in. Subsequent days as the pages were turned, I was impressed with the beauty of the area, the beauty of the people, the vibrancy of their costumes. I make a lot of trips to the library-don't want to miss a page. Thanks Dr. George Hawley for donating your son's wonderful work to West Chicago. Worth a trip to view where ever it is on display.
A Marvelous Journey.......2004-12-18
I am so delighted to have "discovered" Bhutan...it's absolutely transporting...and what a way to spend an evening! Even a glass of port, a box of dark chocolate, and a roaring fire would not have been as delicious.
Average customer rating:
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The Last Forbidden Kingdom: Mustang, Land of Tibetan Buddhism
Clara Marullo
Manufacturer: Tuttle Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0804830614 |
Book Description
The sixty-year reign of George III (1760–1820) witnessed and participated in some of the most critical events of modern world history: the ending of the Seven Years’ War with France, the American War of Independence, the French Revolutionary Wars, the campaign against Napoleon Bonaparte and battle of Waterloo in 1815, and Union with Ireland in 1801. Despite the pathos of the last years of the mad, blind, and neglected monarch, it is a life full of importance and interest.
Jeremy Black’s biography deals comprehensively with the politics, the wars, and the domestic issues, and harnesses the richest range of unpublished sources in Britain, Germany, and the United States. But, using George III’s own prolific correspondence, it also interrogates the man himself, his strong religious faith, and his powerful sense of moral duty to his family and to his nation. Black considers the king’s scientific, cultural, and intellectual interests as no other biographer has done, and explores how he was viewed by his contemporaries. Identifying George as the last British ruler of the Thirteen Colonies, Black reveals his strong personal engagement in the struggle for America and argues that George himself, his intentions and policies, were key to the conflict.
Customer Reviews:
George The III.......2007-05-13
I was very well satisifed with the book. It was very enlightening. It was Hard cover and made very well. Thank you so much.
Sincerely
Diann Geary
George III: America's Last King.......2007-05-07
It is not a book for someone who doesn't know anything about George III.
It is not for begginers. But it is very good book to get to know George very well. What he was thinking about politics, religion, etiquiete . But especially very well is described his relationship to his ministers.
Average customer rating:
- Get it in the UK
- Unique but not thorough.
- I was there, I rate it 4 stars.
- A little-known episode of history typifies true courage.
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The Last Flight of the Luftwaffe: The Fate of Schulungslehrgang Elbe, 7 April 1945
Adrian Weir
Manufacturer: Arms & Armour
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1854093002 |
Customer Reviews:
Get it in the UK.......2000-06-27
It's cool, if a little too "the throats of the mighty 1200 bhp engines broke the silence of the english countryside that had only heard the tweeting of small birds for the last 2000 years..." in places. An fantastic story of hopeless bravery and waste; maybe Hollywood would like to put a "Das Boot" spin on it...
ITS IN PRINT IN THE UK - TRY ORDERING FROM AMAZON.CO.UK
Unique but not thorough........2000-06-10
The only existing book referring to the highily secret suicidal Operation "Werewolf" mounted by the Luftwaffe on 7 April 1945. Almost overlooked by history until now and passed in silence even by the few surviving men who organized it or took part in it, the suicidal ramming operation comes at last to light by Adrian Weir in this fairly researched book. Contains every step of the operation from recruiting the 180 gallant volunteers who decided to give their lives in a last-attempt-strike against the U.S. bombers, to the very moment of the attack and the fate of the survivors. Still the book is somewhat biased, trying to favour the paranoic plan of his controvercial inspirator and decorated Luftwaffe officer, Oberst Hajo Herrmann. The author has done a very good job on the subject but misses several details of the operation that can be confirmed by other books such as the sick ambitions of Oberst Herrmann to preserve his name in history whatever the cost. Although among the 180 inexperienced young pilots fresh from the flying schools who took part in it were some decorated veterans, the author fails to give further valuable information about their previous record and feats, which could be easily obtained from other Luftwaffe sources. Still, as i said, it is the only existing book up to now on a hidden subject that even the survivors wouldn/t reveal its bitter details. A must for every Luftwaffe enthousiast.
I was there, I rate it 4 stars........1999-04-18
Overall it is a well-researched book. But the author bought into some tales that did not originate from reliable sources and were overly dramatized by others, possibly due to the "fog of war". For example, on page 141, he writes that aboard E-Z GOIN' the pilots controlled their altitude by shifting the crew between the nose and the tail. Whenever I am asked to confirm that long-standing tale,I reply, "Certainly it's true! And you should have seen me controlling traffic when another B-17 interrupted our first landing attempt and we had to 'go-around' in order to land safely." There are a few other disconnects but all war stories improve with age. I often say to people, "Give me a few more years and I'll have you believing I was Charles Lindbergh."
A little-known episode of history typifies true courage........1999-01-28
This scholarly and well-researched account of the last ditch effort by a band of Luftwaffe pilots to ram American bombers from the skies is fascinating. What strikes this reader most is how the motivation of these pilots dispels so many of the myths that German pilots were motivated by a fanatical allegiance to their Fuhrer. On the contrary, these courageous men flew for the same reasons allied pilots flew -- to save their homeland and families. In fact, they exhibited more courage than some of the American fighter pilots who shot several bailed Schulungslehrgang Elbe pilots as they were helplessly dangling from their parachutes! The sacrifice and courage of these Luftwaffe pilots against all odds is human drama more visceral than any fiction could hope to depict.
Amazon.com
The issue will shortly be decided. The third time we walk up East Rongbuk Glacier will be the last, for better or worse.
George Mallory wrote those words in May 1924, just days before he and Andrew "Sandy" Irvine made their final attempt to summit Mount Everest. They disappeared on June 8, 1924, and mystery has swirled around them ever since. Did they reach the summit, 29 years before Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary?
The recovery of Mallory's body in May 1999 provoked more questions than it answered. Clearly Mallory fell and then died of exposure. But was he on his way up or down? David Breashears (of IMAX Everest fame) and mountaineering historian Audrey Salkeld devote a thoughtful chapter to the discovery, examining the clues found with Mallory and speculating on his experiences on that fateful day. As is to be expected, however, Breashears and Salkeld leave it to others (including Conrad Anker and Jochen Hemmleb) to make conclusions; their book is about much more than Mallory's disappearance. Last Climb is an affectionate biography of Mallory, his fellow climbers, and their three Everest expeditions. Diaries and letters written by expedition members bring their voices into the present, while the authors' considerable Everest expertise ensures historical accuracy. Dozens of vintage photographs taken by Mallory and the other expedition members illustrate the text, revealing a time when "gentlemen mountaineers climbed in leather boots and tweeds"--their gear better suited to a bright day in the Scottish highlands than the slopes of Everest.
The morbid-minded may be disappointed that the only photograph of Mallory's remains is of his hobnailed boot, but others may see this as a mark of respect for the great climber. Beautifully presented and carefully written, Last Climb is easily the classiest book on the Mallory mystery. --Sunny Delaney
Book Description
From renowned Everest mountaineer and filmmaker David Breashears and historian Audrey Salkeld, comes the first lavishly illustrated account of Englishman George Mallory's 1920's Everest expeditions, including the ill-fated 1924 attempt with Andrew Irvine to be the first to summit Everest. Included are rare, never-before-published archival photographs, as well as an account of the recent, sensational discovery of Mallory's body, 75 years after his disappearance.
The question of whether George Mallory and Andrew Irvine reached the summit of Everest in June 1924, thirty years before Edmund Hillary remains one of the great mysteries of twentieth century exploration. That mystery was partially solved on May 3, 1999 when the body of George Mallory was found on a rocky ledge about 2,000 feet below the summit. But was he on the way up, or down, when he died in a fall? David Breashears and Audrey Salkeld have culled remarkably evocative archival photography from Mallory's expeditions to Everest and, by virtue of their long familiarity with Everest, bring a uniquely insightful perspective to this dramatic story.
The world's tallest mountain, lying on the border between Tibet and Nepal-though it had been identified since 1856 and its summit was distantly visible as a small bump on the Himalayan horizon from the Indian hill station of Darjeeling-had remained remote because both countries were at the time strictly out of bounds to travelers. Having negotiated permission to enter Tibet, three expeditions in the 1920s (1921, 1922, 1924) succeeded in surveying and mapping territory unknown to outsiders, and climbing to heights above 28,000 feet-and just maybe all the way to the top of Mount Everest. All in all, while it was a magnificent achievement, these first three ventures cost the lives of at least twelve men. These brave explorers brought home the magnificent images of Himalayan mountains and a medieval way of life on the roof of the world, which are dramatically showcased in this book. AUTHOR BIO: David Breashears is a world-class filmmaker and mountaineer, who has worked on such feature films as Seven Years in Tibet and the award-winning documentary Red Flag over Tibet. In 1983 he transmitted the first live pictures from the summit of Mount Everest. Breashears is the recipient of four Emmy awards for his achievements in cinematography. In 1987 he directed and produced the documentary film, "Everest: The Mystery of Mallory and Irvine." In 1996, he co-directed, photographed, and co-produced the acclaimed IMAX large-format film Everest, and contributed his still photographs from that climb, as well as a foreword, to the best-selling National Geographic book Everest: Mountain Without Mercy. David is largely credited with spearheading rescue efforts during the harrowing tragedy of May 10, 1996. The first American to summit Mount Everest twice, he has made four successful ascents of the world's highest mountain. David Breashears is the author of High Exposure: An Enduring Passion for Everest and Unforgiving Places, recently published by Simon & Schuster. Audrey Salkeld maintains one of the most comprehensive private archives on mountaineering. She has written the scripts for a number of films including David Breashears' The Mystery of Mallory and Irvine, for which she took part in Tom Holzel's 1986 expedition and climbed to the North Col of Everest. With Holzel she is the author of The Mystery of Mallory and Irvine. She is also the author of the highly acclaimed book on her Himalayan travels in Mustang and Tibet, People in High Places.
Customer Reviews:
The book from the people who failed to find Mallory.......2001-06-22
For those of you who read "Into Thin Air" and were somewhat fascinated by the story of George Mallory's attempts to climb Everest in the 1920's and the later rumor of the discovery of his body by a Chinese climber in 1975, then this book will only heighten your interest.
I had thought about buying this book, but I came across it at the public library and checked it out. I'm kinda glad I didn't buy it, because the text isn't that well written--people are referred to by their last name and then formally introduced several pages later, some details are left out, other details are repeated, etc.--but the photographs from the 1920's expeditions and of the items recovered from Mallory's body are absolutely captivating. It just fascinates me to no end to think about these guys making the first attempts to climb Everest, experimenting with oxygen tanks, and reaching a height on Everest not surpassed until the 1950's.
I think the main problem with the book is this: the authors had made two expeditions to find Mallory's body in 1986 and 1995. They were unsuccessful. Another team was successful in 1999; this was documented in a PBS/NOVA documentary and they have their own book, which deals more with the discovery of the body. It seems like the authors of this book pulled out the material they had been working on and wrapped it up somewhat hurriedly to capitalize on the publicity (as another reviewer has also noted). So they don't talk much about their own attempts to find Mallory, and they don't talk enough about the successful team's discovery of his body (because they weren't there).
A pictorial history of British Everest Expeditions.......2000-12-20
There are many books on the market dealing with the summit attempts of George Leigh Mallory. No one tome has yet encapsulated the adventures to stand out as the consummate work. It will be necessary to read several books to lay claim to being fully informed. The great strength of LAST CLIMB is in its wonderful collection of vintage photographs from the 1920's British Everest Expedition and its members. Its one thing to read of gentlemen climbers in tweed and quite another to see it, a picture being worth a thousand words and all that. The many dozens of photographs, some taken by Mallory himself, breath life into a much exhausted realm of discussion. Mallory was an aesthete and I believe he would not want his story to be told in the mere blandness of words but exhorted on the artistic level provided by the beautiful photography collected here. Hats off to MR. Breashears and Ms. Salkeld for presenting these heroes in all their glory.
Excellent visual history..........2000-10-24
It states in the prologue that this book was started prior to the discovery of Mallory's body on Mt. Everest. With that said, after reading it; I'm of the impression that it was completed quickly and rushed into print after finding the body so it could sell the maximum number of copies.
I've now read what I think are all the post discovery expedition books. This is an excellent book. There are wonderful pictures of the early British expeditions which are not found in other books and the writing was concise and tried to cover all areas. After reading it, the historical aspects seems to be a greatly pared down version from Audrey Salkeld's previous book with Tom Holzel "The Mystery of Mallory & Irvine".
Overall this is a wonderful coffee table book. It covers Mallory's history with Everest; has plenty of 1920's photographs; a section on how he went into legend like he did: pictures of what was removed from the body and a section which reviews the clues based on where the body was found and what he had on his person. If you have a casual interest in the topic, this is a great book to choose. If you are looking for something a bit more involved, try the aforementioned "The Mystery of Mallory & Irvine" by Tom Holzel and Audrey Salkeld. Looking for a book on the history of the expedition to find clues on the disappearance? The exclusive team story is in "Ghosts of Everest". Conrad Anker's version is in "The Lost Explorer" (he's the one who actually found Mallory's body). My favorite of the expedition books however, was "Lost on Everest" by Peter Firstbrook. It covers historical background on Mallory and the early Everest expeditions in more of a conversational yet detailed manner, and this I found overall the most intriguing.
Look elsewhere for the story of the "Last Climb".......2000-03-12
I bought this book thinking that it was written to accompany the wonderful television programme I saw about a 1999 expedition to Everest to discover what became of Mallory and Irvine. It is not.
The book is well presented book and nicely bound. The most attractive aspect of the book is the 1920's photographs; they are very evocative of a lost era when parts of the earth were distant and unexplored. However it is not particularly well written and the discussion of the mystery of Mallory and Irvine's fate is unclear and ineffective. It does not shed light on its subject, and I have had to look elsewhere for that. Poorly served by maps and diagrams it leaves the reader struggling to appreciate the terrain, routes and location of camps. It's weakest point is where the authors try to recreate the last climb by describing what was going through the head of Mallory; this is very unconvincing, not least because no attempt is made to take into account the character of men with English public school backgrounds (to my mind, a key factor). Thus the book fails at the point which is of most interest.
In conclusion, a nice book to browse through thanks to the photographs (hence the 3 stars) but otherwise unsatisfactory.
Captivating tale of adventure........2000-02-12
I have read pieces of information about the legendary early expeditions of Mt. Everest and therefor really wanted to read this book. From the start to finish I found this book to be well researched and written. I very much enjoyed the photographs. Now I am curious about the other books written about George Mallory. This book made the men of the expedition come alive.
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