1 comments about Two Under the Indian Sun (Isis Large Print Nonfiction).

1. I loved this book. Its written from the memories of the authors childhoods. Moving with their parents, aunt and younger sibling they tell of the experince of growing up in India during the 1910`s. It is written as a novel, but with a childlike understanding. In the preface the authors explain its written from their memories as children and therefore their understanding and interputation is as it was from young eyes and minds, but i think this makes it more interesting to read, since children can be very perceptive, but also lacking in knowledge. There is love and hate, life and death. Cultural diffrences and tradition. The area they lived in is now another country. The two sisters tell an interesting story that you may not hear often for the time it was written about.
   Having visited India and Bangladesh myself I found the book familiar and had no problems understanding it. I lent the book to a friend who did`nt understand all of it as easy, I think perhaps this was because of the cultural and religious issues and occasional 'indian' words used without explaination of meanings. Dont let that put you off though, it dosent happen much.

2 comments about Bing Crosby (Isis Large Print Nonfiction).

1. This book is a great read for all those interested in Bing Crosby. It states a truthful but fair opinion of the crooners life, works, personality, and his family life. It is also easy to read and enjoyable too. The pictures in it are also great and soom I have never seen before. I t is truly a great buy!



2. This is the same review I gave the book in it's original edition. The larger type hasn't changed anything!..............
   In this book, we learn that, among other things, Bing's partner in the Rhythm Boys was named Harry "Berris"...... That Bing made "4000 different recordings"....... That Bing's famous singing rivalry known as the "Battle Of The Baritones" was with Rudy Vallee..... That another popular singer of the early days was Russ "Colombo"..... That Bing's mother was born in Canada..... That Bing's lung operation in 1974 was due to cancer..... That Bing's appearances on the "Hollywood Palace" TV show consisted of hosting "once a month, between 1968 and 1970 ...., sharing the role with George Burns, Martha Raye, and Judy Garland"........ That in 1962, Bing recorded "Let's Not Be Sensible" for a film soundtrack, "...but for reasons no one could adequately explain, the last word of the song, 'love', was mangled on tape...." and that Bing refused to re-record it because he was a "star", so .."Michael Holliday, a Crosby sound-alike, was brought in to finish the line for him......" This book further reveals that all of Al Jolson's legendary 1940s radio appearances with Bing were on Bing's series, "The Kraft Music Hall", and that Bing's very first TV appearance was "...as the guest of Jack Benny's first special in 1953...." WHEW!!!! What a bunch of junk! Folks, every single fact I've just related comes randomely from the pages of this half-baked un-researched hatchet-job, and is totally wrong!! What's more, These are just errors I picked at the last minute, thumbing through the book as I was composing this review: there are so many more! I've read hundreds of entertainment bios in my life (including others by Freedland), and NEVER have I encountered such a lame work with so many blatant errors of fact, chronology, and spelling (the spelling errors listed above for "Berris" and "Colombo", are not random typos, but are mis-spelled every time the names appear in the text!) How did this get published? Of course, the piece is also a hatchet-job, featuring alusions and conclusions re: Crosby's behavior that have absolutely no basis in fact. You want Crosby? Order Gary Giddins' new masterpiece "Bing Crosby- A Pocketful Of Dreams - The Early Years", and you'll get the REAL Bing, in a scholarly, analytical epic that makes this howler look like the misbegotten little essay that it is.

No comments about The Long Way Home: The Other Great Escape (Isis (Hardcover Large Print)).

5 comments about Fields and Pastures New: My First Year As a Country Vet (G K Hall Large Print Book Series).

1. I really enjoyed this book. It had good detail, and you really felt like you were going on the rounds with Dr. McCormack. I have read it several times since I bought it, and it is hard to put down each time, even though I know the outcome!

   I enjoyed reading how tough it was to convert some of the farmers to the methods of modern veterinary medicine, and it was interesting to read the different methods the farmers had preferred to treat the illnesses in their livestock and pets until their was more modern help available.




2. My people are not from Choctaw County, but we're from "around there." This is not only a sympathetic and heartfelt account of a rural vet practice in the sixties; it's a very accurate look at the folks you were likely to meet then and there, both the good and the bad. I have met most of the folks he talks about, or at least their near relations. Dr. McCormack's extended meditation on the verbal mangling of his job description by his neighbors is alone worth the price of admission, although the account of his visit to the Governor's Mansion driving the "rounds vehicle" and a too-long-delayed boar cutting run it very close. Excellent book.



3. I own the hardback copy of this book...actually I have owned it for a few years now. It is one of those books that become a literary treasure in your bookcase. I was so hooked on this book when I first got it, I read it from cover to cover in one day...I just couldn't put it down!

   Dr. McCormack in the US can be likened to James Herriott of England. His stories of animals that he treated and the start of his career in the 1960's makes the reader feel they are right along side him assisting in whatever procedure needs to be done to his animal patient.

   I am a person of great compassion for animals and as a reader, I was truly appreciative that the love and compassion that Dr. McCormack has for his animal patients shines through to the reader's soul. I laughed with this book..I have cried with this book...I have pulled for the sick animal in this book...I have rooted Dr. McCormack through as he treated tough cases in this book.

   There are books about animals and then there are the special books about animals because the respect, compassion from the writer is there and the animal patients become real as one reads along the journey in the book.

   If you are a James Herriott fan or an animal lover who is a reader, I highly, and I stress highly, suggest getting this book and reading it!




4. I really enjoyed this book. It was well written and entertaining. I loved the Herriot stories so much, this is another great book about vet stories. It will definately be worth your time.



5. This book relates some of McCormack's adventures as the new vet in a southern country town during the early 1960s. McCormack grew up on a farm in Tennessee. His college roommate, a pre-vet major, interested him in veterinary science. Once he earned his veterinary degree and had a few years of experience under his belt, he set off in search of a town where he could hang up his shingle with an independent veterinary practice. At the time, Butler, Alabama had no licensed vet, so it seemed like a reasonable place for a new vet to make a start. In this book, McCormack describes the characters he met, both human and bovine, during that first year in Butler.
   
   McCormack is a master storyteller. With his careful choice of words, he conveys the character of the place with all its color. While chatting with some locals at a general store, McCormack quipped he went into veterinary rather than human medicine because he didn't like dealing with people. But he tells us that this is absolutely not true-if there's one skill that a vet must have above all others, it's the ability to deal with people, to understand their needs and character. In this book, McCormack regales us with tales of how he came to learn this lesson.

1 comments about Captain Oates Soldier and Explorer (Ulverscroft Large Print Series).

1. This is an insightful and well-researched biography. Using sources previously kept within the Oates family, including a collection of over three hundred of Captain Oates' letters and portions of his Antarctic diary, Sue Limb and P. Cordingly recreate many details of the explorer's life and experiences which had previously been unknown. The result is an account focusing on Oates' LIFE, rather than his famous DEATH after reaching the South Pole with Scott in 1912. Oates is shown to be not a sublime martyr, but instead an intelligent, remarkable man grounded in reality, whose life ended too soon as a result of the blunders of others.

5 comments about Buster's Diaries: A True Story of a Dog and His Man As Told to Roy Hattersley.

1. Poor Buster sprang to public infamy in 1996 when he was accused of wantonly killing a goose in St. James' Park. Unbenownest to Buster or his "man" the goose was under the royal protection of the Queen...and Buster's future is in danger. The following media circus leaves one to wonder who the animals really are. However, Buster has found his way into the hearts of the common public. Covering the time when he first remembers leaving the protection of family, and hearth; through various homes and care societies, Buster keeps a keen eye on man and his foiables. He details the delicate dance between a dog and his owner. He is wary and more than a bit amused by some of the training techniques foisted upon him. It is his good nature that carries the book. While reminding the reader that he is but a few steps from a wolf, Buster discovers the delights of having a home. This is a delightful little book, written with a wry sense of the ironic.



2. Buster's Diaries is truly a love letter to all canines and their owners. This book is extremely easy and simple to read and can be appreciated by any age group. I however not implying that this book is superficial or shallow. Buster's observations are written in a succinct and witty manner without overly ponderous or sappy descriptions. I think any dog owner can relate to many of the observations in this book. There were several times I found myself cracking up because I was sure my dog could empathise with Buster's many predicaments and situations.

   Without being overly preachy or obvious I feel the author does a wonderful job of detaling the many rewards of opening your heart and home to a dog from the pound. After reading this book I will surely pay more attention to my dog's actions and reactions.




3. I am reading this book with my 11 year old son, he a dog lover and I a cat lover. However, we both adore Buster. His releationship to his "man" is endering and the dogs antics are so funny. Funnist but tender is the authors understanding of the releationship as it unfolds between a young dog and his owner.
   Wish Buster would write more books!



4. I loved this book. It caught my attention and had me roped in until the very last word. Personally I do not like to read at all, it is one of my least favorite things to do, but I really enjoyed this book. It was about a dog-named Buster and his owner. Buster was an adopted dog who was lucky to be placed in a loving house with the famous journalist Roy Hattersley. Buster lived in London and their he started his diaries. Poor Buster had some mishaps during his life, one which involved a goose that the queen clamed was hers but this incident made Buster famous. This book is easy to understand and could entertain almost any age from children to adults. Over all it is a great story with lots of little surprises along the way.



5. My friend Patty gave me this book and I promptly ordered all the copies I could lay my hands on and gave them to my dog loving friends. It was also helpful that my own dog is named Buster - Buster Brown - a Welsh Corgi of noble breeding and a penchant for getting into trouble - just like Buster our canine hero - and through the pages I could hear my own Buster explaining away his aversion for discipline, an orderly house, baths, and dog food. A delightful romp in a park without a leash!

5 comments about Little Britches: Father and I Were Ranchers.

1. I just finished this book tonight. I laughed and cried and couldn't put it down. Every family in todays society needs to read and reread this book as it is all about character and goodness. I am a better person because I read this book. I will read it to my kids immediately!



2. Oh I am speechless. This is a book full of grace, character, This is the writers real life boyhood and apparently thought he could make a good book out of it. Boy was he right! I could read this book about three hundred times and then maybe think about putting it down! This man had such a life as a kid! man you would think it was fictional but when you know its not it makes you well... Speechless!



3. This book was read to our class when I was in the 6th grade. I loved it! When our kids were growing up, I read all of the series to our kids as we traveled. Because I am a speed reader, sometimes I would "read" a funny part and start laughing, before my out loud reading would be there. Who would think that modern-day kids would be entranced with stories about early 1900 kids, but they were. Ralph Moody caught the imagination as we could see this kid getting into situations before he was there. These are marvelous. Every child in America should read them. This is the stuff of the sturdiness, resiliency, & character we come from. Adversity happens, it is happening right now...the question is can we face it with strength and imagination. Laugh until you cry. Love greatly. This is a splendid series.



4. This book, like the Little House books, gives a true look at what life was like in the past. I was amazed at what such a seemingly young boy was able to do. Kids really did grow up a lot faster then.
   
   The story tells about farming, raising cattle, cowboys (real cowboys), making do, being neighborly, dealing with not-so-neighborly people, taking responsibility for your actions, and so much more.
   
   The author tells a story that is believeable and satisfying. This is a great read-to-yourself or read-aloud. Please note there is some 'cowboy language' but nothing horrible and you can easily substitute other words in their place.



5. This book is a look at real people at the turn of the 20th century. I was introduced to it in a book club. I can't believe I had never heard of it. It is as precious to me as the Little House on the Prairie series. This is a series also and every book is wonderful. It's funny and sad and so tender. This young boy is growing up in a time of hard work and great imagination. You will be amazed at their ingenuity and "make do" philosophy. I love to read, but am very selective when buying. This is a set I HAVE to have.

5 comments about Pope John XXIII.

1. Someone needs to notify the Holy Office (and Penguin) of this unfortunate publication.
   
   Not only is "Pope John XXIII" unfair and poorly documented, but Cahill's portrayal of the Church in Rome from Peter to Pope John Paul II is the most blatant anti-Catholic drivel one could possibly come across. The author is rude, crude and writes in an overly antagonistic tone. He spends little space talking about Bl. Pope John, but rather finds it necessary to rip to pieces the Papacy past and present.
   
   I found this work painful to read, not because of any truth contained therein, but because of the sheer magnitude of immaturity Cahill's literary posture exudes. What was most irritating was the treatment of H.H. Pius IX, and following, Cahill's criticism of Karol Wojtyla as priest and bishop, and then as Pope. His childish criticism of the latter's work, 'Love and Responsibility' (which I recommend to all as it is a tremendous achievement) is the best demonstration of this author's thoughtlessness, ignorance and unbridled prejudice.
   
   The author claims to be Catholic -- but this is obviously deception. Thomas Cahill is no son of the Church, and writes with every anti-Catholic bias. Those who think favorably of this book can only be understood to share in the same depravity, and possible fate.



2. Liberals: good. Conservatives:bad. John XXIII: a saint.
   Sadly, that's pretty much a synopsis of this book.



3. Before reading this book, I admired Cahill for his "Hinges of History" series. While he often shocked me with his obsession with detailed sexual rituals or practices, he seemed to weave a good pattern of history and narrative, making the books an enjoyable (and presumably beneficial) read.
   However, about half way through this work, I began to doubt the accuracy of anything I had ever read by Cahill. His history of the papacy is anachronistic, ripped from its context, and overly biased (which is putting it nicely, a better description might be propaganda).
   In Cahill's opinion, there have been about 5 good popes, but none can compare to John XXIII. He goes to great lengths to point out the evils and flaws in even the best popes. When he comes to Paul XXIII, however, even his flaws are praised. When another pope acts in a way that offends Cahill's sense of what a pope ought to be, he is evil, misguided or vindictive. When John XXIII fails, he is just showing us his brokenness and reminding us that he is just a human.
   He applies this method when speaking of other clergy. When a conservative makes an appearance in the narrative, he is always evil, conniving, angry, divisive, etc (you can almost hear the music change in your head). I cannot call to mind one conservative opinion or decision Cahill praises in the book. However, anyone leaning to the left (Liberation Theologians, Liberal Theologians, Feminist thinkers, etc) comes on the scene, they are forward thinking, working in the true spirit of the Church, thoughtful, following Jesus, etc. Even when "liberal" characters do something duplicitous (e.g. when John goes on for hours so as to lull the conservative bishops before announcing his controversial council) they are praised as wise.
   If John XXIII was such a great man (and hear me clearly on this, I think he was, I too wish more Christians were like him) why does Cahill need to paint all other popes with such a dark brush? I can only wonder if this book is more a diatribe against the conservatives in the Church than a biography of John XXIII. In all honesty, I think John XXIII deserves better (and, if Cahill is right about him, would never have written or read a book like this which so demonizes everyone he disagreed with).
   Finally, Cahill often refers to 'hunches' he has or tells stories he admits are 'unverifiable.' That is not history, that's editorial.
   It will take a lot for me to pick up another Cahill book.



4. If I could, I would not award any stars to this work.
   
   Despite being called "Pope John XXIII A Life", this book is not a biography. It is, as the author states on pg. 239 (which is much too late to be helpful), a "biographical essay," which apparently means the author is at liberty to insert his own (sometimes lurid) suppositions among the facts he reports. He begins with an unfavorable review of the history of the papacy and doesn't get to John XXIII until page 73. He follows the pope's death with commentary on his successors, again, unfavorable. Other reviewers have commented on the bias the author reveals in his "essay" so no more about that.
   
   What bothers me is how this book is packaged. It proves the adage that you cannot judge a book by it's cover, and the one about a wolf in sheep's clothing. I can't help but wonder at what the humble, truth-loving Pope John XXIII would say in response to this work.
   
   For a biography of Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, Pope John XXIII, I recommend Patricia Treece's "Meet John XXIII"



5. I read this book from cover-to-cover, and I found it typical of the arrogance I have come to expect from Thomas Cahill. His worldview can be summed up very simply: those who are not incredibly liberal - those who are not completely dismissive of tradition - are ignorant, self-seeking, or corrupt. On the other hand, those who are liberal are seen invariably as enlightened and progressive - the more so the better.
   
   Please do not misinterpret this as a negative statement about Blessed John XXIII or the Second Vatican Council. My criticism lies solely with the author, whose Liberal Catholic philosophy is built on a foundation of sand. I would be curious to hear what a truly intelligent scholar like Alasdair MacIntyre would have to say about the straw men Cahill presents page after page.
   
   The truth is never determined by majority vote, Thomas. To quote Gandhi, "An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because nobody sees it."

1 comments about My Losing Season: The Point Guard's Way to Knowledge (Random House Large Print) (Random House Large Print (Paper)).

1. Although I'm not a basketball player or even a sports fan, I couldn't put this book down. The book is really about the coming of age of a young man, as seen through the experience of an intense basketball season at a military academy. The writing is full of wonderful metaphors, and smooth and easy to read. The emotional journey--like other Conroy books--is intense. The difference here is that the experience is so real. He's describing real people, and the narrator is Conroy himself. The depiction of what goes on at The Citadel may shock you with its brutality. Its amazing that Conroy can recreate his senior year in college so clearly thirty years later. Thoroughly enjoyable.

2 comments about Four Tenths of an Acre: Reflections on a Gardening Life.

1. Laurie Lisle is a former journalist and budding author who fled life in New York City for a place of her own in Sharon, CT. She didn't know anyone in Sharon, but her family is from New England. She gives us a crisp run through of her life in Connecticut, where to her gardening seems next to godliness. She meets the local gardening expert, joins the garden club, and begins swapping perennials with friends and neighbors. She researched the history of her house, of writers who were gardeners, and numerous old diaries. Along the way we get an array of gardening stories. A few examples follow.
   
   LaFontan's Black Gold was discovered when a landowner followed an old German proverb and threw a pocketbook over a rainbow. The pocketbook revealed a deposit of decayed matter that grew prize winning dahlias. They decided to package it for sale.
   
   A Revolutionary War tale tells of raising the first "sellery", grown from seeds ordered from England but originally grown in Turkey. It was uprooted in autumn and buried in root cellars to be eaten raw in winter. Oranges were a holiday rarity.
   
   We get the complete story of the elm tree. They were native trees found by early settlers and selected as shade trees because of their tall, statuesque beauty and their resistance to summer drought. Then came Dutch elm disease in the `30s. Early efforts to stop the fungus introduced by imported elm veneer slowed its progress, but by the 1950s, most elms had died or been cut down. Only a few resistant varieties remain.
   
   Gardens not tended by owners lack heart. Gardeners have to be wary of gifts from other gardeners. Often the plants offered are prolific and will take over if not contained.
   
   Pressing questions-Is it rude to pull a weed spotted in a neighbor's garden, or should it be ignored? What stories would your houseplants tell if they could speak?
   
   Following the long tradition of New England, she is known as the lady who lives in the Mow house-even after she has lived there 20 years. From research she learns why residents recall the Mows with fondness-even though they were not the original or most recent owners. She notes the importance of a commanding house on the green, which had been allowed to deteriorate. "A single building on main street can affect an entire community."
   
   Her wildlife tales include the usual. A groundhog was trapped and relocated. A rabbit that squeezed under the fence was chased to exhaustion by her cocker spaniel. Later there were battles with deer. The usual deterrents-human hair, repellant scents, wind chimes, and scarecrows-were ineffective, until finally proper fencing and hedges provided some protection.
   
   She tells of early iron works in Connecticut, which made iron from local ores using charcoal from local hardwoods. Forests were depleted. By error she mentions the smell of dynamite in 1806, but it was not invented until late in the 19th century. She does not tell of the agricultural revolution when after completion of the Erie Canal in 1823, Midwestern grain production was so prolific that Eastern states were not competitive and had to rejigger their economies. Manufacturing, and farm specialization such as dairy, potatoes, truck farming, and chicken farms resulted.
   
   After 10 years of gardening, she made the typical gardener's decision. She had learned what grew well for her. She grew more of what pleased her and enjoyed it even more.
   
   The book reveals the complex tale of Yankee determination to control one's destiny, the things her mother taught her about gardening, the relationship between gardening and writing, both creative, very personal endeavors, and the story of a failed marriage. The book is nicely written and highly readable. Gardeners will enjoy it. Others may enjoy one woman's story of her determination to succeed against mother nature.



2. These essays are a meditation on the changing seasons in Lisle's New England town yet they also reveal the seasons of the author's inner life. "Four Tenths of an Acre" tells the story of a woman coming to her maturity in the same way that a garden reaches its height after many years of culling and with the spontaneous addition of new colors and shapes. As I finished this memoir, I felt I had witnessed not just the transformation of the land but the transformation of the gardener.
   
   Lisle is the M.F.K. Fisher of the outdoor palette, describing local personalities and gardens with wit and affection, showing us how people reveal themselves as they get their hands into the earth.
   
   For Lisle, gardening is not just a weekend hobby but a dialogue with life. It is a universal endeavor that asks us to reflect on our own periods of growth and quiescence, on the things that we choose to keep in our sphere of influence (as we keep the livelier and more robust plants in a flower bed), and what we must prune away in order to create a sense of harmony and peace. Lisle's description of an early marriage, and its ending, is part of this sometimes painful but necessary process.
   
   The garden is also a bridge between generations. It has deepened Lisle's relationship with her mother, allowing the two women to share their fundamental respect for life, despite their different roles and values.
   
   This wonderful book is at bottom, about the way Time shapes us as it shapes the land. It is about the mistakes we make, the choices we can't undo -- and the interplay between human will and some Grand Design.
   
   Lisle's memoir is a lovely companion to the classic "Gift from the Sea" which explores the undercurrents of relationship in the context of a sojourn at the beach. "Four Tenths of an Acre" offers a gentle philosophy of growth and change as it discusses planting trees, building fences and the best way to discourage garden pests.
   
   I shall never look at my miniature rose garden in the same way after reading Lisle's description: Even the tiniest piece of earth stretches downward for four thousand miles. I have learned not to be so ashamed of my "stragglers" but to view them as part of an ongoing process. A garden is never quite finished and that is one of its most important attributes--it serves to remind us of a larger pattern of existence and of all the things in life that are beyond our control. Whether we maintain a large property or cultivate a single flower bed, we discover that there is something beyond clock time and the "to do" list. The historical treatises on gardening, quoted here, are good affirmations for those of us too penned in by "busyness" to contemplate the progress of the natural world. Caring for the earth, Lisle shows, is a time-honored way of caring for ourselves.