5 comments about The Houdini Box.

1. When I opened my desk drawer at 7:30 one summer morning to find an annonomously placed copy of "The Houdini Box," I'd no idea that I was connecting with my muse. I sat in the serene silence before the stirring of a workday and read through this children's book about the loss and regaining of a dream. As a children's book, it's delightfully written and beautifully illustrated. I know several children who've enjoyed the tale. For adults, Brian Selznick's book is a parable about the obstacles that turn us from our passions and the serendipitous moments that call us back on track.



2. This book is barely based in fact, and the author notes this at the end. I didn't find the story particularly satisfying -- as fan of Houdini OR as an avid reader of children's literature -- but the artwork is wonderful, particularly the renderings of Houdini himself. I will treasure my copy of the book for the artwork alone.



3. I was read this book when I was in 2nd grade. I absolutely loved it and checked it out from the library repeatedly. Now that I'm about to become a mom, I wanted my little boy to have it. But, I couldn't remember the name, just that it was about Houdini and a little boy. After about 4 months of searching, I finally found what seemed like it was the right book on amazon. I wasn't positive, but I bought it anyway. When I got it, I was so happy. It's the exact book, and is still as entertaining today as it was when I was 8.



4. My son is 9 and dislikes reading but he read this book in about a half hour and liked it! The Houdini Box has many pages with great pictures and also many pages with a few short paragraphs. A child who dislikes reading becomes overwhelmed when faced with page after page of WORDS and this was not like that. It kept him turning the pages! Also the story was interesting and to the point- no unnecessary babbling on and on to discourage a child with a short attention span. I thank the author for seeming to understand how to grab the attention of the tough to grab!



5. This book combines facts with tale masterfully crafted by the author. Children will marvel as the pictures as well as what they learn from the story.

5 comments about How Reading Changed My Life.

1. While this book can at times be a bit defensive, Quindlen has a right to be. Readers, she points out, have been belittled, called stuck up, and tracked down in police states. We're almost an endangered species. At times, I celebrated with her the joys of discovering a book sure to become a lifelong friend; at other moments, I found myself sniffling and holding back tears at encounters with people who do not, and never will, understand and so must belittle those of us who read.
   
   At some points, the memoir crawls, but there isn't any part of it that isn't vital to Quindlen's overall message. This, along with Fadiman's "Ex Libris," is book I lend out with the knowledge that the borrower will insist in keeping it.



2. This delightful short book (or perhaps long essay) is filled with the insight and wisdom that characterizes Quindlen's work - touchingly personal while articulate and accessible, so much of her reminiscences resonate with the experiences of booklovers and writers. Her heartfelt adoration of the distinct pleasures reading can bring - as a child reading Nancy Drew while friends are out playing, or as an adult on an airplane traveling for business - were right on. Her praise of reading "for pleasure," not for "advancement or superiority," were especially refreshing to hear from someone so highly respected, insightful, and intelligent. I'm often sheepishly hiding my latest Jane Green novels from the faculty at the college where I work, so it was nice to feel unashamed about the sheer delight I enjoy when reading, regardless of whether I'm reading Jane Austen or Helen Fielding.
   
   Don't expect a direct answer to the question inherent in the title - the book is a celebration of the act of reading and is much more universal than the particular ways that reading shaped or changed the life of the author. Instead, the book prompts a personal reflection on how reading affected one's own life, guided along by Quindlen's wise words. For those of you who love reading but don't always agree with Quindlen's politics, fear not: this book is much more about reading and with the exception of concerns and criticisms about book banning and burning, the focus of the book is largely elsewhere.
   
   This book would make a great gift for the booklovers in your life - I'm giving it to my mother-in-law, an elementary school teacher who adores children's books and participates in multiple book clubs. It's a wonderful reminder of the joys of reading, and Quindlen's writing skill makes this particular read (as with all her work) that much more enjoyable.



3. Quindlen writes about her experiences with being a bibliophile, ranging from discussing why fiction is worthwhile to what makes banned books so interesting to a critique of the snobbery of the literary critics. Her tangents are insightful and resonate with the trends I see in reading; for example, she characterizes the shift from reading for pleasure to reading for purpose: "whereas an executive might learn far more from Moby Dick ..., the book he was expected to have read might be The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People [sic]". I loved and identified with her descriptions of growing up obsessed with reading, having spent most childhood afternoons among the stacks of the local public library.
   
   This isn't as good as Anne Fadiman's Ex Libris (on the same topic), but it's thoughtful and quick. (I read it in about two hours.) She specifically deals with why she believes women read more than men. She also provides a number of interesting book lists at the end, ranging from "The 10 Books I Would Save in a Fire (If I Could Save Only 10)" to "10 Mystery Novels I'd Most Like to Find in a Summer Rental."



4. Thus, Anna Quindlen quotes Charles Dickens' biographer, John Forster, in this slim and wonderful book. Apparently, Dickens, Quindlen, and I would all rather read than play or do almost anything else.
   
   I adore this book because it reminds me that there are other people for whom reading goes way beyond a pass-time or even something that we "love" to do. In addition to life's other milestones, we can mark the phases of life with the books that we have read, devoured, and assimilated. Like Quindlen, I remember a childhood influenced by writers like Ogden Nash, Carl Sandburg, Lore Segal, Irene Smith, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Louisa May Alcott, Johanna Spyri, Carolyn Keene, Judy Blume, Betty Smith, and many others who are less clear in my memory but who shaped who I have become and what I have loved to read.
   
   Quindlen reminded me that I am not the only one who is often biding time until my next chance to read. Of course, I read in line at the post office, in a doctor's waiting room, in airports, and at professional sporting events. More telling is that from age 11 or so, I regularly took a novel to church. I sat in the back pew, out of my family's sight, so that I could read the book instead of listen to sermons and hymns. Quindlen knows that many of us have eased the tedium and discomfort of the here and now by going wherever a book will take us.
   
   I suppose that I love this book because she puts my understanding of books, as guidance, sustenance and salvation, into words. I feel validated. My way of being in this world has been endorsed and upheld. I feel good.



5. After eighteen years of being stereotyped as "the book worm," it's good to know that there's others out there like me. I agree wholeheartedly with Quindlen about the effect of books on life and on many of her other points. Her small book is simple but true. I can't wait to explore some of the books on her reading lists that I've not yet read. I recommend this to all of the other bookworms in the world: you are not alone, and at least one person understands you.

5 comments about What's The Big Idea, Ben Franklin? (Paperstar).

1. I was so impressed with the descriptive wording of this book. I'm not a normal biography reader, but this worked perfectly for my 3rd graders. It held there interest, made them laugh, and actually taught them something! A great read for all ages.



2. Ben Frinklin was very smart,brave,and curious. He thought of inventions and did many experiments. He was brave because he did dangerous experiments. He was curious about different inventions, that is why he did all his experiments.



3. Benjamin Franklin fooled around a lot. It wasn't because he was lazy; he had a strong curiosity to find out things, and he did. But once he knew something, he didn't fool around. He knew he didn't want to work for his brother, so he left. He knew England was wrong to tax the colonies the way they did, so he told them so. He knew how to invent things that others needed, so he did. This was Ben Frankilin. Read of the little and big events in his life.
   
   A Non-Workbook, Non-Textbook Approach to Teaching Language Arts: Grades 4 Through 8 and Up



4. Jean Fritz states that Ben Franklin possessed "a naturally happy disposition and made friends easily."
   
   Well, that's the same way I'd describe Jean Fritz's wonderful and humorous What's The Big Idea, Ben Franklin? Once again, this skilled author presents some of the stories of American history in a manner that stimulates the hunger for more learning in young readers.
   
   This book is a classic.



5. This is not just another dull biography and it does not simply idealize Benjamin Franklin as a historical figure. The portrayal of his growth, and the description of the character building moments of his childhood and young adult life significantly enhance his true personality. It is very realistically presented and enjoyable reading.

2 comments about A Pilgrim's Journey: The Autobiography of St. Ignatius of Loyola.

1. There are few old classic stories like the one of Saint Ignatius of Loyola. In this book we find an understandable story that fully explores all the parts that made this man special. His gifts and even his flaws are expossed but in the end, you will find great inspiraton and love for this human saint who walked so among us and did so much to influence our education system and the church policies.
   
   I like the way the author wrote the story. I could identify with the journey that Ignatius took with his life. A worthy book to read for life inspiration. A man with much to admire. Highly recommended!



2. I really enjoyed reading this book. I did not know anything about Ignatius of Loyola except that he started the Society of Jesus. The Translators Notes are wonderful. In the beginning of each section I read the TN first and then the autobiography. This book will give you a good idea on his conversion and how he started the Society of Jesus. It is interesting to read about a saint's life at the time of so called reformation.

5 comments about Prime Obsession: Bernhard Riemann and the Greatest Unsolved Problem in Mathematics.

1. For the person with an interest in mathematics this book is a wonderful read. It is written for the general lay person, but I would generally recommend the book to someone who has already completed high school level calculus. The author does a wonderful job of breaking down the Riemann Hypothesis and presenting it in the easiest way possible. I preferred the actual math explanations more than the math history sections myself. The only real complaint I can make are the poorly presented graphs, which are often so small to make the axis or values unreadable.



2. Really good book for beginners,it explains basic concepts for all audiences, the way of mixing history and concepts is original (i prefer The Music of the Primes: Searching to Solve the Greatest Mystery in Mathematics) , but sometimes slow for advanced readers.
   ugly/strange typography of ecuations and errors.



3. John Derbyshire's "Prime Obsession: Bernhard Riemannand the Greatest Unsolved Problem in Mathematics" has two parts. Part I is about The Prime Number Theorem and has ten chapters (Ch1-10). Part II is about The Riemann Hypothesis and has twelve chapters (Ch11-22). "The odd-numbered chapters...contain mathematical exposition...The even-numbered chapters offer historical and biographical background matter." One of the aims of the book is to explain the Riemann Hypothesis through elementary high school math. "...so if you don't understand the Hypothesis after finishing my book, you can be pretty sure you will never understand it."
   
   Right at the first page of the book, the author introduced the origin of the Riemann Hypothesis. The hypothesis was first introduced by Bernhard Riemann's paper "On the Number of Prime Numbers Less Than a Given Quantity" in August 1859. The paper leads to the proof of the Prime Number Theorem (PNT) in 1896. PNT states that the number of prime numbers less than a given number x is approximated by x/ln(x). "If either...or...could have proved the truth of the [Riemann] Hypothesis, the PNT would have followed at once...They couldn't of course...The PNT [could] follows from a much weaker result...: All non-trivial zeros of the zeta function have real part less than one." Riemann Hypothesis is similar to the above weaker result: all non-trivial zeros of the zeta function have real part one-half. In 1914, Hardy proved that "there is infinity of non-trivial zeros...infinitely many of them have real part one-half." But "this did not settle the Hypothesis." Since then, mathematicians discovered or conjectured that the zeta function has relationships with the Mobius function, the J step function, the Li function, field theory, and with some Hermitian operator. The zeta function is also related to quantum mechanics through the Montgomery-Odlyzko Law (GUE operator). However, nobody is able to prove or disprove the hypothesis yet.



4. Wauw, never thought the prime principles and theories behind it could be explained so well and most of all so easy to understand.
   With this book, the writer makes one of the most mysterious and complex theories in mathematics easy to understand for the common man.
   Simply great!



5. The Prime Number Theorem and its related consequences is a fascinating subject. This book however is a long winded, very poorly written attempt. The author never seems to be able to make a point clearly and succinctly. Instead we are treated to a ramble that confuses more than elaborates. For example the presentation on functions is very poorly done. I have seen basic algebra texts explain the idea of functions far better than in this book. To make matters worse the author takes about ten pages to explain the beautiful idea of a function thus killing a sublime truth.
   
   Sorry to say but far better general math books abound. Take a look at Journey Through Genius.

5 comments about Mountain Light: In Search of the Dynamic Landscape, Tenth-Anniversary Edition.

1. This is a beautiful book..full of amazing photos and will inspire you to take pictures like Galen.



2. It's a great book ! you'll find all you need about photographing up in the mountains ! Galan Rowell was a great person ! A book worth reading by anybody who enjoys photography at high altitude.



3. This is a book about making meaningful landscape photographs. This is not a book about which f/stop to use or how to adjust your depth of field or exposure. There are a ton of those types of books on the market. This book is about vision, learning to see and connecting personally with your images.
   
   If you're comfortable with the mechanical aspects of your camera and are struggling with "technically well executed but lifeless images" this is your guide.
   
   I highly recommend it.



4. This is a must read for anyone who likes to shoot landscape photography. This book doesn't go into a lot of technical details, and the author assumes the readers have a basic knowledge of how SLRs operate, but rather it deals more with the "why" of photography and "when", which I found to be very interesting and thought provoking. Galen Rowell shares his insights about mountain light and how his mind works when he is out with a camera along with what photography meant for him, and it changed my approach to landscape photography. He also shares his unsuccessful stories, which is not very usual for these types of books, and it's good to see that even for photographers of his level things have never come easy. Luck is a big part of it all, and he has a great essay there on how to be in a better position for its appearance. In addition, this book is full of his outstanding landscape art, and that alone is worth whatever the price you will pay for it.



5. Galen's images are inspiring, but the real value of this book is the wealth of topics, inspiration, and creative thinking presented in the articles.
   This is NOT a coffee-table book. It is one you should take the time to read and digest. If you're an outdoor photographer you will appreciate the energizing effect of Galen's writing. A rare gem among countless other "pretty pictures but not much substance" offerings.

5 comments about Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources.

1. I thought this was a pretty good introduction to the Prophet's life. The book was well-narrated. I think there is a lot more to learn, though. I think the book tried to stay to the facts, and did not offer opinions on the events that happened. I appreciated that un-biased tone.



2. Most books of this nature are more often than not loosely translated from Arabic-written texts ensuing in bad grammar, and a dire story line. But as this is written in English it thankfully avoids all of the above. What I love about this biography is that Ling's explains in great detail not only the life and mission of Prophet Muhammad, but also the fundamentals of Islam. It begins with the significance of the Kabaa and ends with the death of the Prophet whilst illuminating everything in between. This book is also broken down into several chapters allowing for an easy read.
   
   Even though this is a great source of Islamic knowledge, it may be a difficult read for some non-Muslim readers. As advice, I would recommend this as a follow up to a simpler biography [of which I don't know any that Amazon or a ordinary bookstore would sell -- sorry].



3. The book was easy reading. Very straight forward. I liked it. Informative and interesting.



4. This is a book to keep for life, to lend and EDUCATE your friends and family.
   The author has simply laid down the life of Prophet Muhammad (saws) for both Muslims and non Muslims to appreciate his greatness .
   It is in great detail, and it is amazing to see how much Muslims know about the life of their Prophet, as compared to the LITTLE Christians know about Jesus.



5. Excellent work by Martin Lings ( who has now reverted to Islam). Alham dullia, may Allah guide us all on to the rightious path.

5 comments about Backcast: Fatherhood, Fly-fishing, and a River Journey Through the Heart of Alaska.

1. I am a single Father whose son is now grown with a family of his own. As I look back on us growing up with each other the most special times were on an athletic field or on our Father and Son fishing trips. My business selling software takes me all over the United States and a new sale in Louisiana when my son was ten years old changed our lives forever. The owner of the business I sold in Bogalusa was named Charlie and when I was there to make the sale, his high school buddy "Tub" was in the office and they started good-naturedly arguing as to who was the better fisherman. This male ritual of "BUSTING EACH OTHER'S CHOPS" culminated with Tub telling everyone within shouting distance that whenever he found a "hot" fishing hole, Charlie would start casting into his "hole" because he wasn't as good a fisherman as he was. After witnessing with joy and amazement this All-American fishing "shout-down" I said; "If you let me bring my son to Louisiana and take us fishing with you, I'll give you free software training!" And so... the first of what would become eight yearly, Father-Son fishing trip memories of our life were born.
   
   With those fishing adventures lovingly embossed in my heart I bought this book. The "tickler" review of this book centered on a Father and Son fishing trip to Alaska. Unfortunately for the author, (Lou Ureneck) his experience with his son Adam was not so lovingly remembered. Lou had divorced his wife of over twenty years and his son had always seemed to blame him. Things never seemed to be the same between Father and Son since the divorce. Lou saw this trip as a last gasp in rebuilding a loving bond before Adam went to college. At the time of this summer trip to Alaska Lou was 49 and Adam was 18. From the time they arrived in Alaska Adam acted like Lou was either non-existent, dumb, a nuisance or all three. When they finally made it into the raft, and on to the river that would occupy most of the story, Lou felt like he was being treated with the same level of importance by his son as a "bologna sandwich". The manner of which the author turns phrases is at times intelligently short and powerful: "It was easy to turn him into a fisherman. I just put him near water." And at other times elegantly beautiful and poetic, as when he was describing the constantly changing Alaskan landscape as their unrelenting trip progresses down the river: "The entire landscape seemed to be breaking into shards of light and color like a crystal held up to the sun and turned first this way and then that."
   
   What starts off as a story of an Alaskan fishing trip begins to become long flash backs to the Author's life story. Lou starts sharing with the reader his childhood that included his Father leaving his family when he was young, leaving him and his brother to lead an almost nomadic life with his mother living in over seventeen different homes. As Lou retells his childhood years, he seems to be psychoanalyzing himself at the same time. When he writes that his mother's boyfriend Johnny, an unreliable alcoholic who becomes her second husband, and becomes more of a Father figure than his natural Father, with almost all the fond memories tied to fishing, his despair due to the chasm between him and Adam becomes even more daunting, when he digs up the memory of Johnny simply getting up and walking out of the house without ever coming back.
   
   When the story focuses on the river, we're involved with protective, potentially murderous, giant bears, bad weather, raging rapids, large assortments and sizes of fish to catch, dwindling food supplies, and the constantly growing abyss between Father and Son. Lou felt his son emanated nothing but "sarcasm, annoyance, and distance." A large portion of the book is dedicated to the author's life story rather than the fishing trip. The trip is more an analogy of the Father-Son relationship Lou never had as a child, and he is giving one last soulful, final, gasp of parental effort, to transform his relationship with Adam into what he always dreamed of and never got as a son with a Father.
   
   At the end of this book I found myself feeling very said for Lou because I know what treasure Lou was searching for at the end of his personal rainbow. On February 12th 2003, the night before I was to have brain surgery for a tumor that could very well (and almost did) end my life, I went for a walk with my son and told him what I wanted done with the material things I would leave behind if I didn't make it, and then we reminisced about something we both agreed 100% on: WE BOTH SAID THE GREATEST FATHER & SON TIMES WE EVER HAD IN OUR LIFE WERE OUR FISHING TRIPS IN LOUISIANA! I know that a shared feeling like that with his son Adam, was the treasure Lou was looking for in Alaska.



2. Backcast: Fatherhood, Fly-fishing, and a River Journey Through the Heart of AlaskaThis book was well written and easy to read, however, I was fooled by the cover illustration and the jacket notes. If you are looking for a book about a fishing adventure this is not it. This story is primarily about a man that has questions about his self worth as a father. The story is about his life and the choices he has made. He seems to be punishing himself, even today, for things others would shrug off and move on. Perhaps the over concern he shows is a result of his childhood doubts which are frequently shown in children who do not have, or think they don't have, strong parental figures.



3. I had heard Ureneck interviewed on NPR and the book sounded like an outdoor adventure during which the author/father and his son took a trip to Alaska and had the opportunity to work on their relationship. Having taken my own teenage son on a fishing trip in Alaska, I was looking forward to an outdoor adventure and insight on a father/son relationship. More than half of this book, however, was the author's discussion of his own largely fatherless childhood in Newark, NJ. (I guess titling the book "Backcast: a miserable, divorced father analyzes his dysfunctional childhood in Newark" wouldn't sell as many books.
   
   I found it interesting that even when there were "teachable moments" with his son in Alaska when he could have shed light on the depths of care and concern that he had for his son, Ureneck seemed to miss them entirely and only let out the anger instead of the fear behind it so that the two could actually understand each other better. This served only to further isolate them from each other. The lesson, however, was not lost on me.



4. The author invites you to come along on a rafting / fly fishing trip down Alaska's Kanektok River. There's excitement in the air in the opening chapter as the author and his teenage son hop planes from Philly to Anchorage then to Dillingham and finally dropped by bush-plane into the Alaskan wilderness - ON THEIR OWN. To dial up the adventure meter here, the East coast duo decides to cover the 100 plus mile float by themselves. Add to that a shoe-string budget for equipment and a first time ever trip to the wilds of Alaska, and well, I sensed it would be interesting.
   
   And yes, these guys experience the thrills and dangers of the untamed Alaskan wilderness first-hand. But the greater adventure Lou Ureneck has in mind for us in Backcast isn't catching wild silver salmon on a fly-rod, but the adventure of growing up, becoming a man, and the demands of being a good father.
   
   Backcast alternates settings between Alaskan wilderness and Ureneck's various homes which range from South Jersey up north to Maine. At least a third to a half of the book tells Ureneck's life story. How he grew up. The importance he places on fishing as an escape from an unstable family life and as a common bond with his step-father. And lastly, living through the stress and anguish of a crumbling marriage.
   
   Ureneck vows to not repeat the mistakes of his natural father and his step-father. As the story closes, we are presented with a father who has made tough choices but refuses to throw in the towel on his son. The struggle here to maintain the love and respect of his college-bound son, is no less in scope to what it takes to survive the raw, Alaskan wilderness. At the end of Backcast, I'm left feeling that his father is certainly up to the task.
   
   Ureneck delivers a well-told, and extremely personal story of a man's journey to confront a childhood filled with temporary homes and temporary father figures. The struggle against the Alaskan elements sometimes pale in comparison.



5. I truly enjoyed this book, since it was real, involved father son relationships, and included fishing in Alaska. As a father of 4 sons, I related reasonably well to the struggles the father and son encountered during this trip. I have been to Alaska on a similar trip with both friends and a son and the descriptions of the float and wildlife were very accurate. I thought the hostility of the son toward his father, who was the leader of the trip, cook, fishing guide, fly tier and financier was a little overdone. Having never been through a divorce, maybe I don't relate to this part of the relationship. The father did more than his share to bridge the gap with what appeared to be little or no effort or reciprocity by the son. They had spent many hours together before the trip, so this seemed a little over done.

5 comments about Japanese Destroyer Captain: Pearl Harbor, Guadalcanal, Midway - The Great Naval Battles As Seen Through Japanese Eyes.

1. Japanese Destroyer Captain is an excellent written account of Captain Hara missions in the Pacific theater during World War II. This work gives a rare insight into the Japanese perspective regarding the great naval battles of World War II from early campaigns to the last desperate struggles of the Japanese Empire. This account provides a reason why the Japanese lost the initiative in the Pacific by exposing the ill concieved naval tactics which lead to the defeat of the Imperial Navy. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Naval battles of World War II.



2. This may be one of the best first person accounts of the Pacific theater of operations, that I have read from either side. Not only does Capt. Hara explain the individual battles in which he participated in vivid detail, he also gives his own perceptions of Japanese leadership (or lack thereof) during this incredibly demanding period. With his background in torpedo warfare, Hara shares his perception of both the abilities and short-comings within his own navy, but also those of the USN (praise and condemnation where he deemed appropriate, including himself). Overall a very good and fast paced oral history of the Pacific War, I would recommend to anyone.



3. Probably one of the two books anyone interested in the Pacific naval war simply MUST have in his libraray (the other the brilliant 'Battle History of the Imperial Japanese Navy' by the unfortunately named Paul S. Dull). True experts and affecionados should overlook the occasional mis-identification of ship types (undoubtedly a result of either negligent editing or translation problems), but otherwise a superb recollection of the Pacific war from the point of view of a famous Japanese destroyer captain.
   
   Having studied this war and its naval campaigns, one thing that always struck me was the peculiar paradox of the near-deification of Admiral Yamamoto (engineer of the Pearl Harbor attack) by the Japanese at the time, and many foreign historians as well. Frankly, from any objective point of view, it was Yamamoto who almost single-handedly ensured the disasterous defeat of the Japanese navy, first, by not in fact taking out the most important targets at Pearl Harbor (the enormous fuel tank farm, and the even more important ship-repair facilities and machine shops), and secondly, by repeatedly committing vastly insufficient forces at the places of most importance, and invariably sending these elements through the most convoluted and tortuous separate routes to get there (each element could be easily defeated one at a time).
   
   Further, it appears that at no time during the war did the Japanese have the slightest interest in obtaining or using intelligence, by either method or desire, and this led them into one catastrophe after another. Guadalcanal is probably the best exemplar of this failed strategy, where neither the Japanes Navy, nor the Japanese Army had any idea of the strength of the American presence there, apparently weren't even interested, and instead committed and lost battalions, regiments, whole divisions of troops and squadrons of ships again, and again, and again, until both the Army, and Navy were bled white.
   
   The Japanese submarine fleet was even more useless, not because of any real defect in the subs themselves, but the ridiculous manner in which they were used. This is even more stunning when you consider that not only was the Japanese submarine fleet largely founded by German engineers and specialist after the First World War, but the Japanese maintained close communications with the Germans throughout the war, even sending submarines to Germany and back several times, as well as German U-Boats sailing to Japan and being used by the Japanese Navy. Yet despite the continued availability of the very finest in submarine expertise, the Japanese apparently never bothered to discuss the topic of strategy and/or tactics with the Germans. Incredible!
   
   With all my various studies of this war, I never came across any real recognition of these fundamental flaws, until I read this book, and it is apparent that not only were these flaws as real as i thought, but that many members of the Japanese Navy itself were fully cognisant of these same mistakes, and yet, were unable to convince their own senior command of the need for changes, and so went down together. Starting to sound familiar?



4. Hara gives an unusual and frank insight in the workings of the Japanese Navy during WWII. He describes in great detail how he fought many battles as a destroyer captain and what he, his colleagues and enemies did right or wrong: many battles were stacks of blunders and were won by who blundered the least or simply was the luckiest.
   
   Couldn't put it down: had to keep reading which cost me some sleep....



5. If you, like I, have an interest in WWII, this book is for you. I've read many books on submarine and destroyer actions from WWII and this is the first one from the Japanese point of view. It was riveting and hard to put down.

5 comments about Esther Great Lives Series: Volume 2.

1. This second book in the 'Great Lives' series is excellent! As a Pastor, I used this book for a small group Bible study. We studied one chapter a week. What strength we all can receive from studing the life of Esther! Here was a woman who had to make a decision to be silent and let her people die, or to stand up and do whats right. It's extremely interesting that God is never mentioned anywhere in the Book of Esther, but as Charles Swindoll points out, He is working "behind the scenes" in all of the lives involved in this powerful book. Use this book as a study guide with the Book of Esther.



2. Chuck Swindoll takes what is seemingly a fairytale story and opens one's heart and mind to see how God is in control of all. What valuable life lessons he teaches us through this inspiring Bible book. I highly recommend using this book as a study reference along with your Bible. I appreciated the way he brought the story to life and made it's messages relate to my life as it is today.



3. Just what I was looking for was found in this book for our Bible study



4. Excellent book. Charles Swindoll writes in a way that is easy to read and keeps your attention. I recommend this book to both men and women.



5. Charles Swindoll is a tremendous author. He makes this series come to life. Queen Esther was an intelligent woman who did daring and great things for her people, the Jews. One lives the story with her and can realize what one person can do if they are willing to stand up for what is right regardless of the cost and let God use them.
   
   David: Great Lives Series is another book of the same caliber. Excellent books and fascinating reading.