5 comments about All Rivers Run to the Sea: Memoirs.

1. This is one of the times when I think we should be able to go higher than 5 stars. Elie Wiesel's All Rivers Run to the Sea gave us a more in-depth look to the concentration camp survivor. He really gives us a rich experience in weaving together the threads of his past, from his days in school to the horror in the concentration camps, right up to his days of being a journalist, and ending with him as a groom. You really get a feel for the type of person he is as well - a wonderful, compassionate, and intelligent man. If you've read Night already, you're definitely going to want to check this out.



2. I would strongly recommend that all readers on Amazon read the review whose title caption is ' Remember'. It is far more extensive and far better than the small remarks I am about to post.
   Elie Weisel is the one human being who more than any other has helped the world understand the horror of the Shoah , the Holocaust the Nazi destruction of one - third of the Jewish people six million human beings.
   For this he should always have a place in the historical consciousness of both the Jewish people and mankind.
   His memoir is at times very moving .For those who know his other work and his masterpiece ' Night' there will be much familiar here, though here the story is enriched by greater detail.
   I find myself whenever I am reading Weisel unable to really judge in abstract or purely literary terms. His significance as a human being, as a witness as one who has spoken to me in my own life is so great that my feeling is closer to reverence than anything else.
   I read this book with the idea that any additional detail about his life and work, any additional understanding of his thought about Man's relation to G-d would be worthwhile. I read this work as I will read all his future works as an admiring student of a great teacher.
   May he be blessed by many more years of great creative work.



3. I found this a very compelling read, lasting over several readings. It's true the author did not stick tightly to chronological order, but anyone who has read his fiction knows his style tends to be very esoteric and rather free-floating (I personally do not care for his fiction, which I admit I do find to go over my head). However, as a reader, I certainly got a feel for emotions he felt throughout different experiences in his life. I found the last scene describing his emotions before and during his wedding to be really profound. It's true that there is a lot of Jewish content in this book, which may cause some of his analogies etc. to be less accessible to someone from a different background. However, for someone who wants to read a first-hand Holocaust experience without very strong graphic details, I do recommend it. (As a side note, just last week I actually attended a speech by Mr. Wiesel, and he is really a personable, funny, self-effacing and sweet man, not the really sad and somber person you might expect from his writings. I was surprised by this, pleasantly so!)



4. This spectacular memoir of Elie Wiesel, the great author and voice of conscience, begins with his boyhood in the small Transylvanian village of Sighet.
   
   A pious child, with a great thirst for Jewish knowledge, a student of Torah and Talmud, and fascinated with the Kabbalah. Elie is swept into the Nazi ghetto and then death cams where he loses his parents and his beautiful little blond sister Tzipora, all of whom perished in the Nazi furnaces.
   
   He writes in memory of his losses:
   
   "If only I could recapture my father's wisdom, my little sister's innocent grace. If only I could recapture the rage of the resistance fighter, the suffering of the mystic dreamer, the solitude of the orphan in a sealed cattle car, the death of each and every one of them. If only I could step out of myself and merge with them".
   
   Wiesel writes of the prophecy told to his mother by the Wizhnitz Rabbi that her son would become a gadol b'Israel (a great man in Israel) but that she would not live to see it.
   
   Wiesel records some of the horrors he witnessed in the death camps such as live children being thrown into furnaces by the Nazis, and laments the inaction by the Allies to do anything about the extermination they knew was taking place of the Jews- saving Jews was not a priority for the Allies either.
   
   He mentions that most of the Jews who collaborated with the Nazis were intellectuals- not surprising in light of the fact hat most Jews who have thrown themselves into the campaign of hate against their fellow Jews in Israel.
   
   He writes about the liberation of the death camps by the Allies after the war, and how one of the youngest child survivors of Buchenwald was eight year old Israel Meir Lau, later to be the Chief Ashkenazic Rabbi of Israel. In his section of his travels around the world as a young man during the early 1950s he writes of his great compassion at the plight of poverty-stricken children in India.
   
   Wiesel records his life in a youth home for Jewish refugees in Paris and the fate of displaced Jews after World War II, his life as a journalist for Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronot for whom he covered the Eichmann trial, civil rights struggles, the Six Day War, the 1968 Student insurrections in France, and other world events.
   
   He has always been greatly interested in philosophy and parapsychology and writes of his discussions with such great leaders as Golda Meir and David
   Ben-Gurion, as well as the greatest thinkers of the day. He writes of his great love for Israel and it's people for which he has been attacked by the hate-filled bigots of the International Left. He also took a strong stand for persecuted Soviet Jewry during the 1960s and 1970s. Elie Wiesel also writes of his great compassion for humanity as a whole, such as his pain at seeing the suffering of destitute children during his travels in India. But unlike certain Jews of the Left, he does not see a contradiction between this and his great love of Israel and the Jewish people- Ahavat Israel.
   
   He writes with great compassion, passion, anger, sadness and hope.
   In a plea for the plight of his own people today, especially the youth and children of Israel today targeted by terror and forces of genocide (such as Hamas, Hezbollah and the Ahmadinejad regime- as well as all who are sympathetic to these anti-Jewish elements) he penned an open letter to President Bush stating: "Please remember that the maps on Arafat's uniform and in Palestinian children's textbooks show a Palestine encompassing not only all of the West Bank but all of Israel, while Palestinian leaders loudly proclaim that 'Palestine extends from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, from Rosh Hanikra (in the North) to Rafah (in Gaza). Please remember Danielle Shefi, a little girl in Israel. Danielle was five. When the murderers came, she hid under her bed. Palestinian gunmen found and killed her anyway. Think of all the other victims of terror in the Holy Land. With rare exceptions, the targets were young people, children and families. Please remember that Israel--having lost too many sons and daughters, mothers and fathers--desperately wants peace. It has learned to trust its enemies' threats more than the empty promises of 'neutral' governments".
   Elie Wiesel is a true voice of truth and conscience.



5. Elie Wiesel may be best known as the author of "Night", his harrowing and sparse account of his time spent in the concentration camps. His literary works have focused around the events that shaped Holocaust survivors and the questions those survivors had about their faith afterwards. His life's work is heavily imbued by those events early in his life, his novels vast testaments to making sure the world never forgets the atrocities man inflicted upon man.
   
   Yet there are many sides to this amazing man, which can often be forgotten when one dwells solely on his literary works. The first volume of Wiesel's memoirs, "All Rivers Run to the Sea", is a brilliant introduction and elucidation of the author. He relates quickly his early childhood and his time in the camps, but moves onto and focuses on his path after those events. As he forges a career as a journalist, meeting statesmen and celebrities, he finds himself and what causes he is willing to fight for. As a stateless person, his life is often difficult as he arouses suspicion, and he struggles constantly to make ends meet. Reading about his personal adventures, the reader sees how he is passionate, full of empathy, timid and captivating, a brilliant man with many stories to tell.
   
   For anyone who has read Wiesel's writings, the style of "All Rivers Run to the Sea" will be just as familiar: while it is divided into sections, his reminiscenses are as tangential as his fictional stories. Learning about his real-life adventures, readers can easily see how Wiesel has woven his experiences into all of his fictional works. The praises and accolades he has received are more than well deserved, for as long as he writes, his people will have a testimony to their past and to their faith.

5 comments about Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table.

1. I loved reading Tender at the Bone. I felt like I had found a new girlfriend and I was 19 again and wanted her to be my roommate. We had so much in common! I also had grown up in Connecticut. My father was superintendent of schools in Norwalk while she lived in Wilton. Of course Ruth lived in New York City also, and traveled and did tons of things as a child and a young woman that I didn't do. But still I always had this feeling as I read this book that I was with a new best friend. I loved all the intimate thoughts, feelings and disclosures that she shared. I never laughed so hard in all my life, reading a book, as I did reading about the engagement party for her brother, when her mother almost killed off the guests with spoiled food. I hope the story was a bit of an exaggeration! How well I knew Norwalk Hospital, where the poisoned guests went! That's where I had my appendix out at 13 and my mom had a baby when I was seventeen! The book couldn't be long enough for me. I enjoyed her travels, except for her time in school in Canada when I felt so badly for her. I was so relieved when that experience was over. I have to say that I really savored the whole book. Many people have read Tender at the Bone because of me!
   
   If you want a fabulous read, if you want to feel intimate with a stranger, if you want to taste good food without the calories, if you want to travel and learn a new profession without leaving your chair, if you want to have a new best friend, then join me and read Tender at the Bone! The Truth: I'm a Girl, I'm Smart and I Know Everything



2. Ruth Reichl's Tender at the Bone opened my eyes to a new way of looking at life. I never imagined that a person could find themselves so entranced by food. Her passion for cooking, tasting, eating, and critiquing food is proudly revealed with each word. Although she began her career as a food critic for the New York Times, she impresses me with her versatility when she writes such an intriguing and personal memoir as Tender at the Bone.
   Each important relationship she has is usually documented with a recipe or a dish. When Ruth's mother comes to meet her daughter's new and perpetually tan roommate, she jumps to conclusions: "I guess I'm a prejudiced person. It never occurred to me that your roommate would be negro". Ruth replies, " 'Oh, she's not...Her family is from Guyana...They are not negro.' And to prove it I gave her some of the coconut bread that Serafina's mother had sent" (107). On the following page, the coconut bread recipe is provided. I never would have thought that coconut bread could hold such secrets as family heritage!
   Reichl also tends to judge people based on their cooking. Her mother, for example, is outrageous and creates equally outrageous concoctions that Ruth must prevent her loved ones from eating, otherwise they will end up in the hospital with food-sickness (as 26 of the guests at her son's engagement party did). Her Aunt Birdie, who is very set in her ways, has her one dish: potato salad. This lack of culinary diversity characterizes Aunt Birdie as the simple, old-fashioned lady that she is. With this memoir I have no doubt become more aware of people's cooking habits, and what it reveals about their personalities.



3. I was in love with this book from the first words of the introduction, where Reichl tells us about the story telling tradition in her family. She introduces her book thus: "Everything here is true, but it may not be entirely factual. I learned early that the most important thing in life is a good story". She then proceeds to tell her stories so convincingly, with such candor and feeling, that you completely forget that some of it is embellished for story telling purposes.
   
   The recipes are absolutely charming and wonderful, a very genuine addition. They may not be the best recipes, some of them may well be old fashioned, but they are honest and intended as an illustration; she includes no photos after the one on the cover - the recipes serve as photos of her life as told here.
   
   This book is about Reichl's life with food. It is not a true autobiography, but anecdotes that are slices and bites of her life. We feel we know Ruth while realizing that we don't know everything about her. But then isn't that the reality of most friendships? And Ruth does feel like a friend that you are getting to know.
   
   Anyone who loves food and cooking will get great pleasure from this book. It is always charming, always engaging, always entertaining. I ordered her sequel the minute I read the last word.



4. I've just finished reading Tender at the Bone: Growing up at the Table, by Ruth Reichl (former restaurant critic for the New York Times), and I feel as satisfied as if I'd just had a good meal.
   
   Reichl guides the reader through her early experiences with food. She tells a good story, detailing her mother's manic entertaining style, the comforting aromas of her grandmother's house, her own initial forays into cooking exotic fare, and the wonderful food she encountered while traveling in Europe and North Africa.
   
   I loved reading about Reichl's early adventures in the world of food, and she has a wonderful, self-deprecating writing style that I really like. It's hard to hate her for having an awesome job where she eats fabulous food all day because she's astonishingly honest about her life, her shortcomings, and all the ugly flaws that make her human.
   
   Because Ruth uses food to bookmark events in her life, recipes that have been particularly memorable to her are interspersed throughout the memoir. Some that I've copied to try later include Milton's Pate (a chicken-liver pate. I've never made pate, but this one looks easy enough to try.), Claritha's Fried Chicken (I can tell from the recipe that it's going to be good.), Coconut Bread (This one just sounds so delicious that I want to give it a go.), and Alice's Apple Dumplings with Hard Sauce (which looks easy, yummy, and infinitely eatable).
   
   I so enjoyed this book, and I'll be reading more of Reichl in the future.



5. I was disappointed. This book is just a book about Ruth Reichl's life before becoming a famous NYT food critic. The problem is that there is absolutely nothing to say!
   You would expect a book to make you either dream, travel, think, laugh or anything, even scare you, why not? But in this book, you will have nothing except for a completely normal life with nothing special about it. It was a very flat and pointless read.
   I guess the book is worth it when you really want to know about the author, then you probably have some answers, but if you are looking for a good read about food, nothing here, a good read with an interesting point of view on things, or a thrilling biography... dont pick out this book!

5 comments about Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster (G K Hall Large Print Book Series).

1. "..I hoped that something would be gained by spilling my soul in the calamity's immediate aftermath, in the roil and torment of the moment I wanted my account to have a raw, ruthless sort of honesty that seemed in danger of leaching away with the passage of time and the dissipation of anguish."
   
   As an avid mountain climber in his youth, Jon had always wanted to climb the Everest. However, as he grew up his dreams faded away into the practicality of a family life. All that changed dramatically when Outside magazine, where he was a contributing editor, commissioned him to write a story about the commercialization of Everest, and agreed to fund him to go all the way to the top as part of Rob Hall's guided expedition of 1996.
   
   The expedition ended in a disaster, when on summit day, a storm blew up out of nowhere and several members of Hall's expedition, as well as Scott Fischer's guided expedition got stuck on the slopes on the way back from the summit.
   
   Five people from the 2 expeditions died as a direct result of the storm, including the two leaders Hall and Fischer. Of course, Jon and many others survived through that difficult day, and many (including Jon) successfully climbed the summit.
   
   Into Thin Air is a chillingly personal and detailed account of this episode. Jon's book gives a detailed description of all the people who were on the peak at that time and the incidents leading upto the disaster and beyond. At times his too-honest approach doesn't hold back from questioning the judgments of several individuals, some of whom died, and many of whom are still alive.
   
   Jon is equally critical of himself, and hasn't spared himself in his analysis of the events around the calamity. "My actions - or failure to act - played a direct role in the death of Andy Harris. And while Yasuko Namba lay dying on the South Col, I was a mere 350 yards away, huddled inside a tent, oblivious to her struggle, concerned only with my own safety."
   
   Into Thin Air raises many difficult moral questions, wrapped inside the tortuous circumstances in which these individuals were coping with the effect of lack of oxygen to the brain. Instead of choosing to answer them in his own way and make judgments of right and wrong, Jon chooses to lay every fact in front of the reader to let them form their own conclusions.
   
   Jon's book is a must read for those who aspire to challenge themselves physically, by going to the Everest or otherwise. But it's also a must read for many of us who encounter situations in our lives where we have to make instant and tough decisions in circumstances where our intellect and emotional control can be excused for failing itself, and where each action can significantly impact the lives of others. While Jon's book isn't a moral guide of any sort, it does force us to introspect by introducing us to an extreme situation which most us of would likely never encounter.
   
   Into This Air is written in a fast paced narrative style, almost like a fiction thriller with some drama thrown in. Go read this book -it's guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seats.
   
   P.S. : The title of this review is borrowed from the name of Scott Fischer's adventure company.



2. Into Thin Air is a true account of a fatal expedition to the summit of Mount Everest in 1996. Jon Krakauer, a journalist and hobby mountaineer, went with a group of climbers on their quest for the summit in order to document the effort for an American publication. Due to bad weather, some poor choices, and competition between summit guide companies, four of the five teammates in his climbing group never made it back down the mountain.
   
   The book seems to be a way for Krakauer to purge some of the demons that have plagued him since Everest, but also a tangible way to factually account for how disaster struck the expedition. Krakauer takes great pains throughout the book to honor the memory of those climbers who perished during the descent.
   
   I learned so much from this book. I never understood how risky climbing such a high peak was - the freezing cold, the unbelievably thin air, the tiny ridges which must be navigated, the crazy interdependence you must share with the other climbers on the mountain. Without bottled oxygen, most climbers would never make it to the top and back. The incredible lack of oxygen at high altitudes causes swelling in the brain, leads to fluid seepage into the lungs, etc. Combined with the freezing cold and the probability of bad weather, it's a miracle that anyone makes it up the mountain and back down in reasonably good health. The more I read this book, the more I understood how truly crazy you have to be to undertake climbing Everest.
   
   I also found the commercialization of climbing Everest utterly mesmerizing. Experienced guides can charge clients $70,000 a pop to guide them to the summit, and competition among guides for business is cutthroat. So, in some cases, you may see guides who are taking risks to get clients to the summit because they've anted up the money AND because guides want a high success rate of getting clients to the top. (A success rate they can later emphasize in order to drum up new business.)
   
   This would all be capitalism as usual, of course, if getting to the top of the mountain wasn't such a risk of life and limb. Krakauer mentions on more than one occasion that one could frequently see corpses on one's way up (or down) the mountain, a sad fact of how dangerous the endeavor can be.
   
   Although this book isn't a pleasure to read (it's more of a clammy-hands, up all night kind of venture, as you are desperate to complete the book), the story is gripping and true. Krakauer goes to great pains to demonstrate the veracity of his account, with footnotes and a lengthy response to those who have criticized his documentation of events. At heart, the man is a journalist, and he fact-checks via exhaustive interviews with other climbers on the mountain and cites from interviews individuals have granted to other outlets to bolster his account.
   
   I found it a fascinating tale of one of the deadliest seasons the mountain has ever seen. Not to be missed.



3. Krakauer's thrilling memoir about summitting Everest will give you a new perspective on what high altitude mountain climbing is all about. It's not so much about skill; it's about endurance -- the willingness to endure weeks of the greatest discomfort: food, oxygen and sleep deprivation while gale force winds blow in subzero temperatures. Krakauer's fast-moving book is both intelligent and visceral. His poignant portraits of his fellow climbers and his stories of their fates will move you. One warning: the captions in the photo section include spoilers, so avoid reading them unless you can't wait to find out what happens.



4. It's interesting to read all of the articles criticizing Jon Krakauer, saying he painted himself in a heroic light, that his book is a giant ego trip, and that Anatoli Boukreev's book is so much more accurate. Many of these so called experts seem to assume that the only way to believe Krakauer, is to NOT read "The Climb". How do any of these reviewers know which account is what really happened? They weren't there. Both books are well-researched. Although, "The Climb" is co-authored by someone other than an eyewitness. G. Weston DeWalt takes Boukreev's word as if it was gospel. He does interview others, but nowhere near as many people as Krakauer. Why is Boukreev more credible than Krakauer? As a matter of fact, in most recent printings of "Into Thin Air" Krakauer rebuts the claims that DeWalt/Boukreev make. There seems to be no response from DeWalt that I can find. And if you carefully read Krakauer's book, while sometimes critical of Boukreev, Krakauer also points out how heroic Boukreev was going back out in the storm. Armchair climbers need to stop and think before they jump to conclusions. Want an accurate account of who might be to blame for what happened that day? Ask someone who was on the mountain: Ed Viesturs. I did.



5. I am not a mountain climber, spelunker or even a camper, but I loved this book. You don't need to have an outdoor passion to appreciate the incredible story. Being able to get a glimpse into what the human body and mind are capable of is fascinating. And, seeing how so many reacted under the most disastrous of circumstances was unbelievable. I could not put this book down. It was as good as any fictional mystery I've read and kept my undivided attention for the few nights it took me to devour it.

5 comments about Rocket Boys (The Coalwood Series #1).

1. ... "On June 4, 1960, the Big Creek Missile Agency, fresh from its medal winning performance at the National Science Fair, is sponsoring a day of rocket launches at its Cape Coalwood range. Everyone reading these words is invited..." This quote can be found on page 356-357 of a book called Rocket Boys; this statement showed me that the success of the main characters was a result of personal hard work and teamwork.
   
   "Rocket Boys" by Homer H. Hickam, Jr. is a nonfiction account of a group of friends from Coalwood, West Virginia in the early 1960's who have a fetish for making rockets. Homer and his friends have a dream to shoot a rocket up into the clouds. This story gives the reader a message that dreams really can come true.
   
   Rocket Boys is one of the strongest books I have ever read. The author accomplished his goals to tell people that team work is one of the most important things to know in your life. This book is recommended for people that like space and rockets and who want a hopeful book to read. Reading Rocket Boys really gets you thinking about team work and how far you can get with it.



2. Homer Hickam grew up in a rural isolated mountain town but went on to win the National Science Fair.
   
   This book is his story and how he was successful.
   
   I bought 24 copies of this book to inspire my advanced 6th grade Reading class. They loved the book. In our discussions they mentioned never giving up. Homer and his friends kept trying until they had success.
   
   Thank you for sharing your life with us, Mr. Hickam.



3. Was purchased due to a requirement by my childs school. He has informed me it is a good book.



4. Loved this book. Was on the last chapter when I threw October Sky into my Netflix queue; Hoping I'd have it in hand when the book was finished. Timing was perfect. As usual, the book eclipses the movie, but both are great. Passing it onto my 10 year old son who already has aspirations of going into the sciences. Enjoy!



5. escape via rocket, October 6, 2008
   By V. N. Dvornychenko (Rockville, MD) - See all my reviews
   
   
   Part "Angela's Ashes" (Frank McCourt) and part "I Aim for the Stars" (Werner von Braun), this book chronicles the efforts of a teenage boy to escape the confines of his West Virginia coal-mining milieu. Fourteen-year-old Homer/Sonny Hickam (the protagonist and author) is determined not to follow in the footsteps of his coalminer father - who is already showing signs of black-lung disease, a disease which will eventually kill him.
   
   Homer/Sonny has an older brother, of whom he is very resentful. Among his brother's "sins" are ease with the girls, success at high school football - and most of all - favor with the parents. Normally there are only two paths for escape from Coalwood: the military, or a football scholarship.
   The brother, Jim, holds a strong suit in the football option. Homer, slightly built and very nearsighted, knows he has no chance at footfall - and, so it would appear, with the girls. Then a miracle happens.
   
   The "miracle" that provides a third avenue of escape is the launching of Sputnik by the USSR. The shockwaves produced by this event change American values almost overnight. Intellectual "nerds" suddenly become fashionable. Homer hatches a plan which he hopes will eventually land a job designing rockets for Werner von Braun. The plan is to design, build and launch model rockets. Homer collects a circle of followers - mainly other "nerds" -- and together they put the plan into action.
   
   Besides the shockwaves produced by Sputnik, another kind of fault line runs right through the Hickam household. On one side stand Homer with his mother, on the other his father and brother. A major reason for the fault line is that the mother does not wish to see her sons follow the fate of her husband. But that is not all; it appears the mother has certain misgivings about her marriage. With her artistic bent, and something of a free-spirit, she harbors feelings that perhaps -- just perhaps -- she married beneath her station. A consequence of her frustration is that she succeeds in pulling Homer/Sonny over to her side, resulting in a more-or-less permanent rift with the father. It is also interesting to speculate what other personality traits may have resulted from Homer's closeness to his mother. Homer appears to have a penchant for being attracted to girls that give him conflicting signals - somewhat in the manner of Lucy of the famous comic strip, they entice him, only to pull the ball away at the very last second. Homer is also attracted to an "older" woman (though she is only in her early twenties), his science teacher, Freida Riley.
   
   Although Homer appears to fear and hate everything about mining, some of the most spellbinding moments are excursions into the mine. His favorite science teacher would not, however, approve of the chemistry in the book, which contains several mistakes.
   
   I began by characterizing "Rocket Boys" as part "Angela's Ashes" and part "I Aim for the Stars". In retrospect, is little doubt that "I Aim for the Stars" constitutes the minor component. Although much of the book details the design and building of rockets, Homer's fascination with rocketry and Werner von Braun appears to be mostly motivated by this "ticket out of Coalwood." The epilogue to the book reinforces this. After some delays, Homer Hickam does indeed go to work for NASA, and enjoys a successful career. But sadly, no speculations appear in the book regarding man's role in the cosmos - the "extraterrestrial imperative" Krafft Ehricke called it - nor did any subsequent books on astrodynamics or space theory emerge.
   
   The author produced a sequel "Coalwood Ways." Published only two years later, it covers much the same territory, but has a very different flavor. It concentrates on interpersonal relations, and is much "sweeter" in its outlook than its precursor. It gives the appearance that the author underwent some personal event between the two books which changed his outlook. A film, titled "October Sky," was made based on "Rocket Boys." It has a different flavor yet. "Rocket Boys" is a fine book, and after all is said and done, it would appear that Homer Hickam's true calling is writer.
   
   THE EXPERIMENTS DESCRIBED IN THE BOOK ARE VERY DANGEROUS AND SHOULD NOT BE ATTEMPTED.

No comments about Grace Livingston Hill (Curley Large Print Books).

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.

5 comments about Princess Sultana's Daughters.

1. I have read all the books in this series and I would recommmend that they all should be read. I think that these books should be required reading for all high school students. They are an eye opener to the way that part of world thinks and their beliefs. The books are very well written and a fast read.



2. I read Princess years ago and purchased Daughters in the airport in Oman. I found it a quick read and finished it by the time I had returned to the U.S. While I enjoyed hearing more about Princess Sultana and her family, I found this book seemed to lack the continuity and narrative flow of Princess. I have since read Princess Sultana's Circle (aka Desert Royal) and found it also possesses a stronger sense of narrative than Daughters does. Daughters felt disjointed and incomplete to me. Subsequent chapters did not necessarily have much relation to previous chapters, whereas in Princess and Circle the book felt more continuous. I found the description on the back cover innacurate as each of Sultana's daughters only receives a single chapter (and Sultana's son receives one as well, so you can hardly say the book is only about daughters.) Other chapters focus on the lives of other women in Sultana's family of of her aquaintance. I also found it frustrating that there was little follow-up as far as how Maha and Amani (Sultana's daughters) were progressing with their struggles, even in Desert Royal. But if you enjoy learning about Sultana, her family, and her life this book will give you some more information. It just isn't of the same quality as the other two in the series. For those interested in the lives of women in the Middle East, I would also recommend reading about the lives of women in some less conservative countries, such as Oman, Kuwait, and the UAE. Sasson states that she isn't interested in Arab bashing and that she met many lovely Saudis in KSA, but in the U.S. people often have a very misguided sense of what Arabs are like and it is important to remember that the Princess series depicts the extremes.



3. I re-read this book after recently finishing a book titled 'Girls of Riyadh' that focussed on four young privileged women in Saudi society, their lives, loves and disappointments. In my opinion, Daughters of Arabia is still a better read as it gives one a more in-depth look at Saudi society, in particular the oppressed lives of its women.
   
   For readers new to the series, I would recommend reading "Princess' first as its a more gripping account of the life on one Princess Sultana in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, whose life of untold wealth and privilege doesn't make up for the extreme strictures placed upon her and her female counterparts in the kingdom. In Daughters of Arabia, Sultana's story continues, and do do her problems - her husband Kareem decides he wnats to remarry, and in Saudi society it is hard for a woman to say no, esp with the Islamic ruling that men may have up to four wives [though Sultana does stand her ground and refuse him]. It is mostly the story about Sultana and Kareem's two daughters, Maha and Amani, who react to their strict life and oppressive customs in opposing ways - one becomes a full-blown fanatic and the other suffers a mental breakdown.
   
   This is an insightful read for those curious to know more about the lives of women in Saudi Arabia, especially the women in the upper crust of society [though there is some coverage of the abuses suffered by the poor].



4. I enjoyed the first book from Jean Sasson titled 'Princess' that detailed the childhood and adulthood of Princess Sultana in Saudi Arabia. Sasson's second book 'Princess Sultana's Daughters' while still an interesting and quick read, was not as impressive but if the reader is wanting to know more about the shameful treatment of women in Islamic culture and/or enjoys reading about life in the Kingdom's royal family, then this book is for you.
   
   The endless and inordinate wealth from oil production has led to the spoiling and pampering of the Saudi Arabian elite . To hear Sultana describe so casually the uncontrolled spending and outrageous lifestyle of her family was almost sickening (and not from a jealousy standpoint!) Imagine multiple private jets for each family; huge palaces all over the world with silly features like solid silver doorknobs and silver coated stairways. Or how about having multiple servants at your beck and call who are treated and viewed as slaves. Imagine having a million dollars cash kept in the house for "just-in-case money" and each family members room safe for all their jewels (small children included!) It is just too much to take in one sitting.
   You will be amazed at the arrogant and condescending attitudes and the sense of entitlement felt by members of the royal family-people who have contributed absolutely nothing positive to society but merely born into wealth.
   
   Alas, even with all that money, one must never forget that Saudi Arabia is home to Islam and adheres to the strict interpretation of the Koran and Shari'a Law. Human rights for women, including the royal women, are non-existent. This book explains just a few of the ways women are not treated equally, for example: women must cover entirely; never be without a male family member; cannot travel without written permission and then only with an escort; cannot drive; cannot choose their marriage partner; can not divorce (but can easily be divorced); always at the mercy of the morals police who are constantly on the lookout with red spray paint and whips in hand to punish women for not being modest enough.
   
   Throughout the book Sultana maintains Islam is NOT the cause of all the suffering and backwardness in her country. Even as she describes her fear of one daughters obsession with and literal application of Islam; or the death of a childhood friend, locked away as a young woman without any human contact for 15 yrs for allegdedly bringing "shame" on her family she asserts Islam is NOT the reason for the cruel oppressive treatment. The author defends her religion and puts the fault on Islamic men who interpret it incorrectly. It doesn't take much to see the irony of that statement. (see all other Middle Eastern countries!)
   In no other culture/religion in the world do women suffer as much as Muslim women. I cannot agree with the political correct versions of Islam as peaceful and giving of equal rights, in fact it would be laughable if it weren't so sad.
   Overall this was good book and should satisfy the readers curiousity of the wealthy lifestyle in Saudi Arabia.



5. "Princess Sultana's Daughters" is the second installment of Jean Sasson's trilogy about life as a woman in Saudi Arabia, as told to the author by Princess Sultana, a member of the royal family. This true story picks up shortly after the first book in the series, "Princess," left off. Although Sultana's husband, Kareem, is much more modern-thinking as far as the role of women in the Middle East is concerned, Sultana and her female family members still suffer greatly at the hands of the abuse and restrictions placed upon them by their male relatives. Now that Sultana's three children are older, her concern shifts from her own misfortunes to those of her daughters, Maha and Amani, who react to their oppressive situations in different disturbing ways. Even Sultana's son, Abdullah, is forced to make difficult decisions as a result of women's status in the country. Despite the many horrors that the women in Sultana's country face, most of the men in Saudi Arabia don't seem to care enough to speak out in an attempt to change the status quo.
   
   I enjoyed this book very much. Sasson is an excellent writer and storyteller who vividly brings Sultana's world to life for the reader. Unfortunately, despite Sultana's wealth and apparent life of luxury, there is nothing glamorous or envious about the lives Saudi Arabian women lead. The women of the royal family may be rich, but their money is not their own, and they live each and every day at the will of their husbands or fathers, with absolutely no personal freedom. It's a horrific thing to imagine, and unfortunately, it's all true.

5 comments about Parish Priest: Father Michael Mcgivney and the Knights of Columbus.

1. A great biography of a great Catholic priest. He saw a need and acted on it creating a Order/company that has made many contirbutions to American history. A must read.



2. I have long been familiar with and a fan of Douglas Brinkley's work and this wonderful biography of Father Michael McGivney was certainly up to the high standards that I have set in my mind for Mr. Brinkley's work. The work of Julie Fenster is also obvious to anyone who has read any of Mr. Brinkley's previous works because there is a slightly different tone here and it is a welcome tone. Mr. Brinkley is an excellent writer and historian and his books are top-notch works but they do tend to be a bit on the academic side and while there is nothing at all wrong with that it does tend to limit readership. This book for lack of a better word is just a bit more lively than some of the other biographies by Brinkley and it makes this book such an enjoyable read that I really hated to finish it.
   
   Father McGivney was the kind of Priest that all Priests and everyone else for that matter should use as a role model. He was someone who worked tirelessly for his flock and for the community and he proved himself more than willing to put himself on the line for his Parishioners. Despite the busy schedule that he kept however Father McGivney also took the time to look around him and see the everyday problems that the people were facing and he was heartbroken by the sorrow and suffering that he saw. Unlike so many of the rest of us though Father McGivney tried to do something about the problems that he saw and millions of Catholics have benefited from his work.
   
   The first problem that the good Father took on was alcoholism, which was rampant in his Parish and was destroying the lives of many men and causing great hardship for many families. A tireless worker for temperance he had some moderate success in that area but his legacy is of course the Knights of Columbus. During Father McGivney's time the death or serious injury of the family breadwinner, especially in Irish Catholic families could literally mean the end of the family. Widows with no income could not support the family and so the children were taken away and the family completely destroyed. After some thought Father McGivney came up with a plan to provide death benefits to widows and at the same time provide a fraternal organization for Catholic men. Thus was born the Knights of Columbus.
   
   This excellent book is a biography not only of Father McGivney but also of his time and place and provides an astonishing look at 19th century America. The research is outstanding and the story is told in an informative and also highly interesting way. With all of the recent scandal in the Church it is refreshing to find some information on a Priest who was exactly what a Priest ought to be. The truly sad thing is that the vast majority of Priests are just as tireless and caring as Father McGivney but a few bad apples have sullied their reputations. This book may go a long way toward correcting this terrible error.



3. Fr. Michael McGivney lived for a mere 38 years during the latter half of the nineteenth century, yet he left an indelible mark on American Catholicism through his founding of the Knights of Columbus. He is being considered for sainthood by the Catholic Church,but that is not the reason that Douglas Brinkley and Julie Finster chose to write about him. Instead, they chose McGivney as a study of what it meant to be a parish priest during the difficult years when anti-Catholic sentiment was rampant and the immigrant church was struggling to get a foothold in America.
   
   "Parish Priest" is a biography rooted in history. McGivney is the central character but the book also explores life for the immigrant Irish in New Haven, CT. It explores social issues and the development of "secret" fraternal organizations. It also examines the need for life insurance which was one of the reasons the "Knights of Columbus" was founded. "Parish Priest" also describes the hard life for priests of that era.
   
   Catholics were fighting for their place in American society. In order to earn others' respect, they had to be "above reproach - and the priests, in particular, had to be perfect. They weren't perfect, of course. But through the years they did not sully the ideal." Standards for entering the seminary were strict, the courses hard, and the candidate's personal character had to be outstanding. There were too few priests for too many parishioners. They were overworked and died young.
   
   "Parish Priest" studies the establishment of the "Knights of Columbus." While today it is a powerful organization of over 1.7 million men in several countries, it got off to a very rocky beginning. The first meeting was held October 2, 1881 with two stated aims for the organization. The primary object was "to prevent people from entering Secret Societies [which was frowned upon by the Church], by offering the same, if not better, advantages to our members. Secondly, to unite the men of our Faith throughout the Diocese of Hartford, that we may thereby gain strength to aid each other in time of sickness; to provide for decent burial, and to render pecuniary assistance to the families of deceased members." Twelve men formed the initial committee. On March 29, 1882, the state of Connecticut recognized the Knights of Columbus with a charter and three days later the first members were inducted. All was not smooth sailing however as personalities clashed and recruitment slowed. It wasn't until 1883 when the second council formed in Meriden that the organization really began to blossom.
   
   One of the most interesting things in reading "Parish Priest" is how many issues that existed over 100 years ago are still with us today. While the government umbrella is definitely better, the issues of poverty, men deserting their families, and the struggle to integrate faith and secular life still exist. In addition, the way McGivney was able to change how the priesthood functioned in order to meet the needs of a new time is inspiring. The Church, throughout the centuries, has had to meet the needs of its people in different ways depending on what the world required. The same holds true today as the Church reaches out to people through modern technology.
   
   Fr. Michael McGivney was ultimately a "Parish Priest." That was all he desired to be. His creation of the "Knights of Columbus" was a way to help his parishioners and others like him. He cared deeply about the people under his spiritual care. He serves as a role model for all priests. The book "Parish Priest" is interesting reading, providing a window into American Catholic social history in the late 1800s as well as being an inspiring tale of a priest.



4. . . . of someone who may well become the first American priest to be canonized.
   
   The Venerable Servant of God, Fr. Michael McGivney, was the founder of the Catholic men's fraternal organization known as the Knights of Columbus.
   
   During a time when Catholics, especially ethnic Catholics were undergoing persecution and discrimination, it was extremely difficult for a young Catholic family to survive if the family breadwinner was disabled or killed (an all too common fate suffered by blue-collar laborers of the time.) "Parish Priest" shows how one man addressed this issue by forming a men's benevolent society which has grown into the largest Catholic men's fraternal organization in the world (1.7 million members).
   
   In his short life (Fr. McGivney died just days following his 38th birthday) accomplished much as a priest, and as a mentor to young men.
   
   This brief biography gives a good look, not only at the life and ministry of Fr. McGivney, but also provides a "snap-shot" of what life was like as an ethnic Catholic during the second half of the 19th century.
   
   Highly recommended.
   
   David Zampino
   Proud Knight of Columbus



5. A very well written and informative biography of the founder of the Knights of Columbus. I would recommend it highly to members of the K of C.

5 comments about No Horizon Is So Far: Two Women and Their Extraordinary Journey Across Antarctica.

1. These intrepid modern-day explorers dare to go where only penguins march on the ice-encrused terrain. Antarctica is the coldest, windiest, and highest altitude continent, with spectacular views but dangerous to traverse. These two women from opposite ends of the earth, Minnesota in USA and Norway, used to the extreme cold climates, tell their individual stories in this one book with the held of a professional writer, Cheryl Dahle, to piece the diaries together as a journey of their dreams.
   
   The photo sections show them as they looked in their youth and on the various sections of their explorations. They give details of how they trained for this difficult adventure, and of the problems they endured getting the monetary sponsorships. Apple would not donate cash, but did provide $150,000 in computer equipment, phones, and technical support. One photo shows Liv making her regularly scheduled call to CNN out in the middle of nowhere with snow and ice everywhere.
   
   From November 13 to February 18, the summer season when the sun shines twenty-four hours each day, they treked from the northernmost point about Queen Maud land to McMurdo, an American research base. It was quite a four-month feat, but they did it not just for the record but to show youth everywhere what can be accomplished. They were physically in their prime and had trained for years for this extraordinary walkand and skiing ordeal. Liv Arnesen and Ann Brancroft are to be commended; Ann was the first woman in history to cross the ice to both the North and South poles. Liv was the first woman to ski 745 miles to the South Pole solo during a fifty-day expedition. Together, they achieve the dreams both have held onto since young girls playing in the snow in their native homelands.



2. Now I know what women can do, and it's great. These women seem just like me and yet they did this extraordinary thing. They're probably mad, but good on them.



3. My bookclub chose this book this month and we were very excited by the subject matter. What a disappointment! I've never read such a poorly, blandly and simply written book about such an expansive, exciting and complicated subject! I felt like I was reading a book written for 4th graders, being talked down to to make it simple. I found no difference between the 2 voices of Ann and Liv and would have prefered a much more detailed account of their expedition. I have no doubt that their trip was fascinating in so many ways, unfortunately, they weren't able to translate that into their book. Maybe as educators of children they forgot that adults like a good story on a more sophisticated level.
   Too bad.



4. I agree with other reviewers that this is only an average read. But the story of this Antarctic adventure is still remarkable and anyone interested in women's outdoor adventures will find this book enjoyable.



5. 
   Norwegian Liv Arneson and American Ann Bancroft had a dream -- a strange dream. Each was called to the frozen continent of Antarctica. Liv (they use their given names throughout the book) had already made her mark as the first woman to ski solo to the South Pole, and Ann had skiied to the South Pole with three other women in a continent-crossing attempt that failed due to lack of funds. These two found each other and began to organize a ski trip from edge to edge, across the ice-covered continent.
   
   Do you wonder why? Liv writes that everyone does, and her answer is that "an expedition is a work of art expressed on a canvas of snow, air, and time." She was inspired by Roald Amundsen's conquest of the South Pole, but both women were fascinated by Shackleton's Endurance expediton and the courage with which he gave up his mission to save his crew. Win or lose, they felt, the joy was in the journey.
   
   Both Liv and Ann were former schoolteachers, and a big part of their dream was enlightening and inspiring school children around the world. Their first challenge was to build a support team and secure the huge corporate sponsorship needed to cover the expenses of their expedition. As they got to know each other and trained for the grueling trip, their company, yourexpedition, went on the sponsorship quest; the first part of the book covers the trials and triumphs of this two-year preparation phase. Major sponsorship was won from Volvo, Pfizer, Motorola, Apple Computers, and Continuum Control. During this phase a curriculum was developed and translated into many languages, and plans were made for communicating with school children during the trip. The logistics and expense of this journey were huge.
   
   Liv and Ann took the ice in the Norwegian territory of Queen Maud Land, flying there from Capetown in November 2000. They had roughly 100 days before the Southern winter would close their "window" of traveling weather. With more than 2,000 miles to cover, their plan was to ski-sail across the continent to the Ross Ice Shelf; they were dependent on the wind, the weather, their equipment, and the state of the ice surface. They used satellite phones to communicate with their team and with some of the three million school children who followed their journey using the "Dare to Dream" curriculum.
   
   No Horizon Is So Far: Two Women And Their Extraordinary Journey Across Antarctica details the hardships that arose during the grueling trip. Injuries and equipment failure inevitably occurred in the intense cold and high altitude, but their greatest hardship was the erratic nature of the wind. Dragging heavy sleds and skiing behind sails in gusty wind is dangerous and difficult, but many days they had no wind and had to pull with crampons on their skis -- always in danger of falling into one of the many crevasses that thread through the ice.
   
   Did Ann and Liv's mission succeed? Did they make it across the frozen beauty of Antarctica before winter closed their bolt-hole? It would be a spoiler to reveal the answer to these questions, but every reader will be touched by the magic generated among the children who shared their journey with them. This is a thoughtful and inspiring story of a mission that most of us would never dream of; but we all want to make a difference in the world and I thoroughly enjoyed Ann and Liv's story of their chosen journey. I've taken one star off because I thought the book might have been organized differently, with the expedition infrastructure spread throughout rather than concentrated in the first section. However the drama of the continent crossing more than made up for that organizational issue. Highly recommended.
   
   Linda Bulger, 2008

4 comments about My Grandfather's Finger.

1. This is a poignant memoir but not at all in the sappy, cliched way. Mr. Swift eloquently brings a sense of place and culture for this area of the South. His portrayals of his characters are entertaining and are real tributes to their individualities. Even if you don't know eccentrics like these, you will finish reading this story deeply appreciating unique traits of those who are influential to you.



2. Mr. Swift has written a humorous, pathos filled and somewhat haunting view of a young man growing up in a very remote cultural part of Texas called 'The Big Thicket'. The stories of his family members, characters within the community and his journey with all these people in becoming the individual author that he is today are compelling and touching. The photos by Lynn Lennon are reminiscent of Eudora Welty's during the depression. This is a must read for lovers of Southern literature. Ed Swift presents a riveting study of this uniquely classic portion of Texas.



3. I loved this book. It was about where my mother as born a raised. We readed it aloud to each other. We laughed all weekend. I could just see all the people he wrote about. My mother knew some of them. I readed it a couple of times. Laugh every time.



4. I stayed up reading this book and then stayed up another night re-reading it. Often, I felt the pang of something so profound and felt on the verge of tears, even in its funniest moments. The book is hilarious, and yet heartbreaking. It offers a glimpse into a time and the people and the bit of America that seems filled with dreams and nostalgia. It's an addicting read.