5 comments about Churchill in His Own Voice.

1. It's interesting to use the word "read"; this cassette presentation of the immortal Winston Churchill allows the 'listener' to picture in her/his mind the late, former PM of England and to capture those great and perilous moments of early 20th Century history. Well done!



2. Just after the tragic death of Princess Diana in August 1997, Mr. Churchill, a distant relative of the late Princess, began showing up in my dreams. Though I had never been much interested in history before, the dreams compelled me to consume every fact and facet of Winston Churchill's life, and his life has deeply inspired me.

   Months ago, I wished aloud that I had an audio tape of Mr. Churchill's speeches -- and then I discovered these tapes from Amazon quite magically. Coincidence? Perhaps. Or maybe the enigmatic Mr. Churchill still has influence in our world.

   The cassettes aretapes of Mr. Churchill's most famous speeches before, during and after World War II when he was the most important man in the world -- the prophet of truth and the architect of peace. The tapes also include some of the more famous speeches of Adolph Hitler, portrayed by actor Tonio Selwart. Other speakers include George VI, Eleanor Roosevelt, Goerge S. Patton and Harry Truman. Two of the world's most talented actors -- Sir Laurence Olivier and John Gielgud lend their talents in reading excepts of Mr. Churchill's memoirs.

   The tapes containstunnning oratories by Winston Churchill who reaches through the veil even now to inspire and support us through whatever battle of mind, body or spirit that engages us at any given moment. Mr. Churchill was a Visionary. He always saw the possibilities. He always had hope. His advice to us is, "Never despair!" And somehow, his words, his voice, his optimistic spirit will help see us through our own darkest hour and inspire us to be victorious over the forces of darkness, without or within.




3. I enjoyed the speeches compiled for this two tape series. They were quite informative, and reflected the mood of the man and the country before, during, and after WW II. I was disappointed the publisher didn't make an effort to clean up the radio static recorded. With digital editing these days, the static could have, and should have been removed.



4. SUPERB WORK AND FIRST HAND ACCOUNT AND NARRATIVE OF THE DESTROYER OF NAZI TYRANNY IN THE WORLD. ALSO THE NARRATIVE IS THE ONLY LEGITIMATE EVIDENCE OF HOW GRAVE THE SITUATION WAS NEVERTHELESS THE BRITISH PRIME MINISTER HAD WORDS OF HOPE AND SALVATION THRU HIS OWN MADE DETERMINATION TO SAVE THE NATIONS OVERUN BY NAZI TYRANNY BUT MOST UNIQUE HIS BLIND FAITH AND CONVICTION THAT ALMIGTHY GOD WILL DELIVER THE WICKED MAN UNTO HIS HANDS FOR THE MAINTAINANCE OF CHRISTIAN FOUNDATIONS ON THE WORLD.



5. As one not old enough to have heard Winston Churchill's speeches at the time he originally gave them, I found this tape simply marvellous.

   All one tends to hear nowadays of Churchill's speeches are short excerpts/the highlights. Instead of that, to hear his speeches in full and going back to before the war, is simply a revelation. Has there ever been a greater political speaker? I doubt it.

   A must for anyone interested in modern political history and with the added bonus of some brief excerpts from speeches by other notable figures of Churchill's time-eg Harry Truman, FDR, Eleanor Roosevelt.

5 comments about Tiger Woods: The Makings of a Champion.

1. Rosaforte is one of the very astute watchers and commentators on the PGA Tour. He admits here that much is rehash of publicity we've all heard over and over. Yet, he places it into the context of what has and was going on inside Tiger's family and circle during his transition from college player to pro.

   I found this valuable towards how one views this amazing talent, especially his views of parents and how his fellow competitors accepted him from the start. The personal insights here are well worth the read. We all now know what Tiger did about fulfilling some of the potential spoken of here prophetically.

   His continued climb into golf's greatness will be more easily framed and understood with this foundational look.




2. Although the story dragged in the beginning, I found the book Tiger Woods The Makings Of A Champion very interesting and entertaining. It was also a very well written book. It struck me with awe when I read that Tiger started swinging a golf club at 10 months. The book also shows people how hard Tiger's childhood was. That he couldn't even play at some golf courses because he was black. It showed how great a golfer Tiger Woods is, and how he could possibly be the player of the future.



3. At age twenty-one, Eldrick "Tiger" Woods became the youngest individual to win the Masters Tournament. This young phenomena ushered in a new age for golf and sports fans all over wanted to know, who is this rising champion? Sports writer Tim Rosaforte provides that answer by penning one of the first biographies of Tiger.

   Does a young man of twenty years of age deserve a 70,000 word biography is the question Rosaforte raises. His answer is a resounding yes as he presents before the phenomenal rise of golf's greatest champion of all time. He tracks the early career of Woods from his Junior Golf years all the way up to his 1997 victory at the Masters. Through his journalism you get a comprehensive overview of his career.

   Rosaforte divides his book into three sections which entail a biographical sketch of Woods' parents and their impact on him. His second section is devoted to his wins in junior golf, high school and college. Finally we deal with Tiger coming out on his own by turning professional. As one of the first biographical books on Woods, the author does a decent job in giving us insight on this remarkable golfer.

   I would caution readers to not look at this book as the "definitive" work about Woods. Rosaforte admits that he didn't have the help of the Woods family in compiling his work. In many instances the author's voice takes on a self-serving attitude as if his writing is responsible for taking Woods to greater heights. Although he shares with us little known facts about Woods such as his mugging at Stanford and problems with the NCAA regarding his eligibility, we are left without a clue about the young man himself. His golf achievements and statistical records are reported but what is absent is the inner life of Woods and little interpretation as to his importance for golf's future years. Perhaps Tiger and his family were wise not to work with the reporter.

   Regardless of those faults Rosaforte's book is worth having in terms of getting some insight about Woods as a champion golfer. In this area the author does a great service but as a biographer he falls short of the task. Obtain this book as a collector's item on one of Golf's finest players.




4. When I first started reading this book I had a tough time putting it down. It takes us back to Tigers early golf days right up to the winning of his first Masters Tournament in record numbers. Tim Rosaforte really makes this book come alive. You will not be disappointed in this one.



5. This lively little book, chronicles Aldrick (Tiger) Woods phenomenal rise, to the pinnacles of the professional golfing world. It is a love story between father and son, as tiger's father saw greatness in him from the moment he picked up a golf club at the tender age of 18 months. He then pushed, cajoled and showered him with love, mental-toughness and camradarie, until he emerged as a tough-minded pro, equipped with "all the essential goods" ready to become "America's Golfer of the 21st Century." This father-son duo is unique in the annals of American history.
   
   Even as early as four, learnt golf pros saw something unique in the way Tiger was maturing -- in both body, soul and technique -- into the "ways of a professional golfer." By the time he was ready to graduate from high school, he had signed a contract with IMG, one of the world's largest public relations firms. He elected to go to Stanford U, and spent three years there before cashing all his chips in to turn pro.
   
   Even though there had been many "child golf prodigies" before him, all of whom had fallen flat on their faces never to rise again, everyone knew that Tiger was "that special one" who would succeed. And succeed he did. Before turning 20, he had already won a string of amateur tournaments, and two pro majors. And, as the saying goes: the rest is history.
   
   Just this pass Sunday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational tournament, Tiger won it in an electrifying way reserved only for "that Tiger thing;" a "save" on the 18th hole: by sinking a "must" 25-foot birdie. With it, Tiger passed yet another milestone of having won 64 "majors" in his brief career.
   
   The book is one of those overnight "made on the computer books" and is not very good. But those interested in "just the facts," will enjoy this easy read.
   
   Two stars.

5 comments about The Joke's Over: Bruised Memories: Gonzo, Hunter S. Thompson, and Me.

1. Don't get me wrong, I am no author. In fact, I am no astronaut either. Some things should be left to the pros. 'Don't write, Ralph. You'll bring shame on your family.' A pro said that and he was right.
   
   I bought this book hoping to gain some insight into the life of a great journalist, author and legend. What I got instead was a book written by a man desperate to remind us that, without him, there would be no journalist, author or legend. 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas would be nothing without its illustrations.' Balderdash. Reading this book is kind of like going to a family reunion and watching the less coordinated, less handsome, younger brother of the captain of the football team try to catch one of his passes. We all know he has no chance, and we try to be kind as he repeatedly falls on his face. Children are entitled to kindness. Ralph isn't a child so, in this case, let's be honest. This book is poorly written. It is particularly poorly written from a grammatical standpoint (and yeah, the fact that he's Welsh is no excuse). There are times when it is nearly impossible to figure out what the hell he is talking about! Better writing and better editing would have helped a lot.
   
   Of course this book wasn't all bad. In between patting himself on the back, or unnecessarily sounding off on his take on events like Watergate, there are some nuggets of worthwhile information in here. Too bad those nuggets aren't representative of the book as a whole.
   
   So, in the end, do buy this book but buy it used.



2. Ralph isn't the greatest writer ever born, but I've always enjoyed his books. This books is a great read. I gives a Ralph's eye view of Hunter. I would recommend it to anyone that has read at least 4 Thompson books... If you just read Vegas once because you liked the movie you might want to pass.



3. I'm going to miss the good doctor. Hunter S. Thompson, with his faithful English mad man gave us the ultimate in gonzo journalism. This is Ralph's side of the love/hate partnership they shared. For the most part, he does a good job. There are some rants and he pulls off some of his own scabs from life with Hunter. The artwork is first rate and of course, that is what Ralph does best. Still, all in all, it was a good read and I recommend it for anyone who has ever been the sidekick of a huge ego or savagely bludgeoned by the wierd that has gone pro.



4. Ralph Steadman gives and honest, insightful and funny glimps into the work he and Hunter S. Thompson did over the years.



5. If your a fan of Hunter I highly recommend this book. I'ts written by his best friend, not some second hand source of filtered information,
   so it's told how it is, how it was, and what really wend down on their adventures on the job.
   The book is also full of Ralph's Gonzo Art - some of the very pictures Hunter requested him to draw.
   I feel like I'm on Reading Rainbow right now, but this is a book I'm happy to have added to my collection.
   My prop's to Amazon for the best deal I could find on the internet, Thanks.
   So if you want to hear about Hunter from the man that was with him on his mission's and how that man was influenced and likewise, than this book is for you, I'ts well writted also. Peace.

5 comments about Teacher Man: A Memoir.

1. If Angela's Ashes is about the struggle for raw survival, Teacher Man is about the struggle for happiness in the affluent if alienated world of the latter half of the Twentieth Century. McCourt is wonderfully honest about his strengths and weaknesses as a teacher, and his story to survive and excel as a teacher has real drama.
   
   McCourt is able to show the crushing burdens and limited rewards of his profession. But his humor and his ability to show how he ultimately connects with his students make this book in some ways more emotionally rewarding than Angela's Ashes.
   
   The story can be a bit desultory at times, and greater detail, particularly regarding his later years at Stuyvesant High, would have made this a better book. While administration is painted as the great obstacle to teachers, McCourt's treatment of this issue is a bit one-sided and superficial. He may be right, but he does not make his point effectively.
   
   The strength of the book is its emotional honesty and the vividness with which he can portray his own internal conflicts as well as the connections he is able to make with his students.



2. As an up-and-coming teacher, I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Teacher Man." I was unable to put it down and finished it in two evenings on the couch. Some negative reviewers here seem to think that McCourt doesn't like kids... but I didn't get that impression at all. From my reading, it seemed that McCourt had an easier and more willing relationship with his students than their parents.
   
   I think the best part of the book is the insight. It made me feel not so different when Frank McCourt wrote about his fear of the certification proceedure or about how he felt like a fraud. "How am I going to pull this off?!" Perhaps those fears are good. Maybe trying goes out the window once you're no longer nervous. Who knows?



3. That he didn't write when he was younger I can only imagine how funny those stories might have been. As far as this book goes it most definately is a keeper.



4. An admitted late bloomer, Frank McCourt more than makes up for his tardiness with "Teacher Man," the third installment (after "Angela's Ashes" and "'Tis") of his life story. In the years between his miserable childhood in Ireland and his late-in-life success as a writer, McCourt spent thirty years teaching in New York City's high schools and community colleges. "Teacher Man" shows McCourt as he begins to make it in America, moving from the docks by dint of a teaching certificate and even higher degrees. Meanwhile, he struggles with the insecurities and esteem problems that stem from his Irish Catholic upbringing. Ironically, his genius and self-doubt combine to make him (at least in his own telling) a fairly successful teacher who can connect with kids that his more experienced colleagues cannot.
   
   McCourt incisively recalls and communicates the motivations and methods of the major players. There are the other teachers, full of loathing for their students and ever-ambitious for a chance to get into administration. There are the no-nothing teacher college professors, whose lack of first-hand knowledge condemns their lessons to irrelevance. There are the kids, ever on the lookout for an angle to distract teachers from their lesson plans. There is McCourt himself, telling his life stories, first as a way to keep the kids quiet, then as he grows in confidence, as a way to reach them and even teach them. McCourt's honesty is refreshing and often painful. His painful and loutish groping toward relationships with women only lightly veils the most intimate of details. The "Frank McCourt" character he creates here is bumbling, prickly (sometimes to the point of violence), always vulnerable but ultimately true to himself.
   
   McCourt's style, a kind of rolling narrative, dips into the past as often as it pushes the narrative forward. Some may see him tapping his previous works overmuch. But it is a perfect parallel to the way of memory of one as sensitive as McCourt -- ever circling back to touchstones in memory to make sense of the present.
   
   "Teacher Man" is entertaining, illuminating and hard to put down. For an extra bonus, listen to the audio book voiced by author.



5. I was very surprized about this book. Frank McCourt was not the jovial , funny loving man I thought he would be. In this memoir, Mc Court writes briefly about his college education, his early years teaching at vocational high schools, and finally with pride some interesting lessons he taught at Stuyvesant High School.McCourt writes honestly about the difficulty of teaching . There is some humor in his story ( McCourt developed his students' writing skills by having them practice writing excuse notes). McCourt also had some sexual affaires before and during his unhappy marriage.
   
   I liked this book. It was honest.I came away from the book thinking that we shouldn't give up on ourselves. No matter how old we are we can still make a differnce. Frank McCourt was 66 years old when he wrote his first book.

5 comments about A Long Way from Home: Growing Up in the American Heartland (Tom Brokaw).

1. This is an excellent and heartwarming book about growing up in South Dakota. Brokaw, easily the most intelligent, fair and personable of the network news anchors, goes into what made him what he is today -- growing up in America's heartland, the struggles of his father and mother, his life growing up, and his temporary descent into idiothood -- before pulling back and marrying his college sweetheart.
   
   An excellent and highly literate book! I heartily recommend it to anyone who likes biographies.



2. Brokaw gives a seemingly honest and direct account of his formative years. His respect and admiration for his parents gives him guidelines for a life in the limelight where it may be easy to loose one's footing.
   
   It is interesting to get a glimpse of the life in the heartland of the U. S. in the forties and fifties when so much of my own perception of the U. S. from a Scandinavian viewpoint was formed.
   
   Congratulations to Tom Brokaw for a fine book!



3. One reviewer called this book "for simpletons by a simpleton." Well, as I have very little respect for today's mainstream media, especially Dan Rather and Katie Couric, Brokaw, though preachy, is better than most. This book is a simple book, but it's also pleasant and does lend insight into his modest upbringing in South Dakota---far different from what the elites usually value.
   
   I read it while I drove cross country, which is probably why I gave it 3 stars, rather than 2, as I appreciated it more.
   
   Brokaw may be biased and pedantic now, but he's no ninnyhammer either. He covered stories with some depth, and was rarely lazy or a liar, like Rather. And he worked hard to get where he was, without modern affirmative action. The stories of Big Sky country and the "tragedies" he observed befalling the "Natives" when he returned were unnecessary and awkward, though.
   
   He's still better than Brian Williams.



4. Been there and done that. Refreshing read! Stirred up many old memories and recollections.



5. Tom Brokaw has always projected to his viewers a caring, sincere presence
   as he outlined the happenings of the day in our nation and around the world. Even if the news he broadcasted was sad or shocking he gave us the feeling that we could get through this together. This book offers the same
   warmth and sincerity in describing my similar experiences in growing up
   during and after WWII.

5 comments about Faith of My Fathers.

1. I bought the audio cd version of this book. To listen to John McCanin tell the story of his life, in his own words, gave me insight into this man. The inflection of words the words most important to him, was worth the price of the book.
   Whether or not you agree with his politics, this tells what makes him tick.



2. I recently decided to read four books; one written by each candidate, and another written about each candidate. This I feel will better prepare me for the November 2008 election.
   
   I read Faith of Our Fathers and enjoyed it. There are some sections that I found boring though, including a lengthy discussion of the McCain linneage, and lots of stories about John McCain's parents and their lives in the various places they lived.
   
   For someone who wants to learn more about life in a Vietnamese prisoner of war camp, the book will provide a lot of good (yet scary) information.
   
   I feel that the book gives an excellent perspective on John McCain the man. It is not a political book, so someone wanting to get a feel for McCain can peek into his psychology without the pretense associated with a book written as propaganda.
   
   I definately did come away with understanding about John McCain's philosophies, values, and personality. I won't tell you what I think of McCain. That is the purpose of this review; to let you know that the book provides information that will allow you to understand the man. I think this book might allow you to do so better than perhaps any other source.
   
   I give it five stars in the "now I have a real handle on John McCain" category, and 2.5-3 stars in the "gee this is a great book" category.



3. This is not a political book but should be read by all who will vote in the upcoming election, like John McCain or not it does present an excellent picture of who he is. Interestingly it has me reseaching deeper in to my family history to see if there are correlations with who I am. The story was very intriguing and I read the book in just a few short days.



4. Interesting account of how John McCain got to where he is morally and ethically. While his ideals may be viewed as old fashioned, they are especially important in these days of situational ethics.



5. It is one of the finest, most honest & noble books I have ever read. There is heroism & love of country from start to finish. McCain does not consider himself a hero, although, the descriptions of his tortures as well as that of other patriots certainly would make him so. I am proud to be a citizen of my beloved USA after reading of the sacrifices made by our wonderful military men who were POW's in N.Korea. This is a book meant to be read over and over again.

5 comments about Wisdomkeepers: Meetings With Native American Spiritual Elders/ Cassettes.

1. The book is so well done, but the talking book is far better. You enter the jounery with them. You hear the wisdom of the spirtiually elders and long with the creaking of the doors and beatiful pow-wow/drumming in the background. You get a great opportunity to hear the calling of the eagle out of the sky at wounded knee that was prayered out of the sky by Frank Fools Crow. The best part that makes me laugh is when Steve Wall and Harvey Arden go and see one of the elders. Steve doesn't have a chance to go into his spell when the elder tells them I know why you are here you lost your orginial instructations. Also when they go and see charlie Knight and he asks them each time when Ya Leavein.



2. Very informative, Well done and a listening pleasure...Something you can listen to over again and pickup something new each time....



3. She:Kon (Sago)(Hello) To all who read this and hope you are all well. I personally know some of the Wisdom Keepers, Elders whose words are in this book and know them to be of good mind and person. I am Mohawk and Odawa and I come from upstate New York near some of the Reservations and I fully recommend this book for any person who needs to come back to the reality of the living world around them and bring them back to the basic relation between humankind and all the life that is on this earth and surrounds us in the cosmos.



4. I have had the pleasure of knowing both Harvey Arden and Steve Wall for many years now. Their books have touched the heart of many people around the world. This book is one of their best ever! The photos and stories/histories of the Wisdomkeepers within awaken your senses in a profound way. Journey with these two former National Geographic icons and learn with them, through them, and find what you've been looking for - an understanding of what it is to be human, through the journey of these amazing purveyors of hope, wisdom and truth.



5. If you are interested in Native American history and culture, this book (like all of Arden's books) is a great place to provide insight. Wisdom is the key point in this work as well as his others. A fantastic piece and one that will grab your heart, mind, and soul.

5 comments about Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reagan.

1. This book took me two years to get through if you count the times I tried to start reading it and when I actually started plowing through it the last few months. In the beginning it was absolutely hard to get through with the literary technique Morris was using in order to tell the story. Once you get through the weird flow the book which spends as much time at the start talking about the fake narrator as Ronald Reagan, you can get at Reagan. But, as many reviewers have alluded to, this book is hard to get through.
   
   I did learn a lot about President Reagan. There is no doubt that the book is filled with information. I think a glaring error was how little Iran-Contra was dealt with, and how it was dealt with. The portrait that Morris paints of Reagan throughout this book is a cool, detached leader who alternated between caring about the job to not knowing what he was supposed to say at what time. I lean towards Reagan was a very private person who picked his spots to be vulnerable - if ever. Overall - you need to read this book if you are into Presidential history, but allow some time, and breaks. JVD



2. Years ago in a drugstore near Boston I noticed various news magazines had devoted their front pages to Edmund Morris' new biography on Reagan. It garnered weak reviews due to his unique style of presenting Ronald "Dutch" Reagan to the world. I finally read the book and found that his use of fictional characters, presented as real in order for the reader to capture the essence of Reagan, does not work. While at times an "a-ha" moment occurred when I read about Reagan's youthful actions through the eyes of a fictional acquaintance, I was not interested in reading about this character's life, family, problems and future. To take the biography seriously I was asked to pretend. All the while I felt these inclusions were keeping me away from Reagan, which is not the best praise a biography could receive. His insights into how rural, solitary cornfields and swimming shaped this world leader were fascinating, but sorting through fictional characters to get to them was frustrating.
   Since the publication of Dinesh D'Souza's book Ronald Reagan: How an Ordinary Man became an Extraordinary Leader in the mid 1990s, the floodgates have opened with a barrage of pro-Reagan books from former aids, colleagues, political pundits and even his wayward daughter. What is needed is another solid, analytical biography about this larger than life president. Dutch is not it. Written while Reagan was still alive but moribund due to Alzheimer's, it is a miscalculation. Morris stated in an interview that his was a revolutionary way of writing a biography. Some have called it akin to an historical novel. To write a biography-cum-historical novel on Ronald Reagan might be revolutionary, but from what I saw at the revolution, the essence of Reagan might have been beyond even the considerable talents of Mr. Morris.



3. I'm not sure what happened here but Morris ruined his reputation as a great historian by writing one of the most bizzare books ever written. It is the book equivilant of "Plan Nine From Outer Space." It is done to one cent on the used market but not sure it is a bargin, even at that price



4. I was extremely disappointed with this book. I expected to read a candid bio of Ronald Reagan the man, including the good and the bad. Instead, I read a book that contained fictional characters inserted throughout, leaving the impression the author was attempting to mount a disingenuous one-sided piece about his personal opinions of the man. If this was a fiction piece, such as the "North and South" series or the childhood "We Were There" series, then there might be some accolades to share. But to be published and promoted as a bio, this book is sorely lacking. It is my opinion the author wasted an incredible opportunity.



5. After reading the book it is obvious that Morris tries to advance the mantra that the liberals pushed on everyone during Reagans Presidency. Mainly that Reagan was a doddering old fool, with no substance, absent minded and full of bromides and platitudes. Page after page reeks of Morris' disdain and elitist attitude toward Reagan. What Morris gives us is a corny old actor who approaches his Presidency much like one of Reagans B movies, with lots of glitter and no substance. The contradiction, in my mind, is how did this affable dunce, (according to Morris), stand up to, and defeat Communism, reduce taxes, build up our military, beat back the malaise of the Carter years, among many other accomplishments? If you want to read a much better accounting of Reagan and his Presidency, read D'Souza's book. With all the access Morris had to this great man, his book woefully misses the mark!

5 comments about War Letters: Extraordinary Correspondence from American Wars.

1. I actually read a review about this book and gave it as a gift to my sister-in-law who teaches high school history. She LOVES it and told me it was an amazing collection of actual letters. She said all of the teachers that she works with have been borrowing it!!



2. I received this book as a gift because my family knows I love reading personal histories from those who lived it and "War Letters" seemed perfect for that. I enjoy learning what life was like for the average citizen in an era, whether its someone riding the Erie Canal in 1840, a foot soldier in the American revolution, or a journal from the Civil War.
   
   This is a remarkable book and taken individually there are many, many heart-rending emotional stories that probably need to be read by many people. It does in fact put a personal face on war. Because it is a collection of letters, the book is easily read in short spurts; you don't want (and shouldn't) read this book quickly.
   
   I only gave the book 4 stars because I actually found it hard to read. While the personal letters (the spelling, mannerisms of the authors) help tell their stories, it also keeps the book from developing any flow. Some letters are agonzingly slow to read and understand. I'm certainly not faulting the authors or their stories; but if you're looking for a great, well-written, smooth-flowing story that you can't put down, this isn't it.



3. i only gave it three stars because many of the stories were more about patriotism than about the war themselves. Of course every book has its bias so its still a useful and moving read when taken with this grain of salt.



4. This book is a great read. It is refeshing to be able to read words, thoughts and dreams from people as they perform such honorable duty overseas. This book is powerful and should be required reading for all, especially Americans.
   
   Some anti-war activist may think it is "pro-war" but it isn't just that. This book reveals personal thoughts and challenges faced by American military personnel in wars from the Civil War until the later conflicts in the 20th century. It is pro-war, anti-war and everything in between.
   
   This book reminds me of the sacrifice that so many make for their country. It is a great tribute for those who have served.



5. There are letters from `very' different types of people such as George W. Bush (after he was shot down) and from George McGovern (who was a bomber pilot). I really don't care whose side (politically speaking) the authors of the various letters represent as long as it deals with the stated topic (WAR LETTERS). This is why I only gave the book 3 stars. What in the blue blazes are letters from Helen Keller (who is writing about a friend she once knew who is now in jail for being an American commie) & a letter from the American commie traitor Alger Hiss doing in the book? Neither of these letters even remotely have anything to do with an American War.
   There are other letters which also have very little to do with a U.S. war but I looked over these as they `sort of' and that is a stretch - were leading up to a war. I do not know for sure - but I believe the author is a left of center sort of guy and it comes through in the letters he chose.

No comments about Living Biographies of Great Composers.