5 comments about Lord John and the Private Matter.

1. Lord John and the Private Matter left me wondering about a few things . The first being Diana's obsession with 18th century venereal diseases . Understandably this was a part of life , and life is messy . Thus far nearly all of her books have relied extensively on someone having 'the pox' . Can't we find a new disease to entertain ourselves ?
   
   The second thing I kept wondering about was how did she manage to get so many novellas about Lord John published ? The plots are weak and predictable . Though admittedly this particular book did make him seem more familiar and a little more understandable .
   
   I have no problem with homosexuality . It takes a lot of diversity to make our world as interesting as it is . That being said I found the intimate details of his life to be extremly boring . Was it supposed to be shocking ?
   
   This book is a good one to read if you're having trouble sleeping ....
   
   I bought this story based on the strength of Diana's writing in the Outlander series , and was positively turned off 100% by it . It was the final blow to me as a fan when An Echo in the Bone: A Novel (Outlander) came out . After three years of waiting for that book to be faced with a choppy Lord John novel imbedded into the series that I loved so much I was crushed and felt violated .



2. Blah! I wish I could have given this one a negative star. Good grief what a departure from the Outlander Series. An Echo in the Bone was terrible but I waited so long for it and was so completely disappointed I hoped maybe Diana had just taken temporary leave of her abilities. Upon discovering the Lord John Series, I gave it a try. Honestly wish I hadn't!



3. What a waste of time. This book is basically unreadable. I've read and enjoyed everything from Kafka to comic books with an open mind, and it is rare to see a book with this level of plotless pondering and pox-ridden inaction. My only comfort is that I only spent $2 for this book, though it was $2 too much.



4. Like many other "Outlander" fans, I've been reluctant to even attempt to read this second Gabaldon series which centers on a secondary gay character first introduced in "Dragonfly in Amber." I was discouraged not only by the average Goodreads rating of 3.35, but by the sheer memory of THE homosexual encounter in "Outlander." I simply didn't feel like going through the same pain and suffering again. But then the 7th book came out ("An Echo in the Bone") and everybody was saying that you had to have read Lord John books to really get into the story. Of course, in this case, I simply had to at least try to read these books to be sufficiently prepared for future series installments.
   
   Well, I am pleased to say that I enjoyed "Lord John and the Private Matter" very much. I understand however where the low ratings came from. This book was nothing like Outlander books. They are different in genre, in size, even in vocabulary. This Lord John book was a historical mystery with a lot of old-fashioned sleuthing, unlike smutty romance/adventure type Outlander books are. What remains the same in both series however is the high quality of writing, fantastic characterization and smartly presented historical details.
   
   There was no passionate love story (not even a gay one) in "Lord John and the Private Matter," but it was filled with political intrigues and discussions of military affairs, and I enjoyed every bit of it. The subject of homosexuality was presented throughout the story: not only was it always in the back of Lord John' mind, but we also had to follow our protagonist sleuthing through brothels, male secret rendezvous houses and chasing transvestites. Needless to say, it all was new to me, because honestly I know very little about gay life style and especially that in 18th century London.
   
   As for Lord John himself and his personal life, Gabaldon managed to make me appreciate this man of honor and feel a lot of compassion for his plight, because if nothing else he is a lonely man who among other things is forced to keep an important part of self hidden at all times, because his "preference" can simply have him executed.
   
   What else is there to say? Only that I thoroughly enjoyed this well-written mystery which started as an quest to find out if Lord John's future cousin-in-law had syphilis and ended with him solving two murders and uncovering a spy against England. I am definitely reading the rest of the books in this series.
   
   P.S. Just a heads-up, there was one man/man sex scene involving Lord John, but it wasn't at all graphic, although you do know what's going on.



5. It was recieved exactly as advertised. No delay in delivery, in fact it was quicker than expected.

4 comments about The Seven Years War in Europe: 1756-1763.

1. This book is not one which regards Frederick II with starry eyes. The author takes a rather dim view of him in many ways and shows how the myth of Old Fritz may have caused longterm harm to Prussia and to the united Germany it created. One particularly good feature of the book is it shows how the campaigns in western Germany were essential to the survival of Prussia, which accounts centered on Frederick tend to neglect. A good book for anyone interested in the period.



2. A solid single volume study of the war in the European theater, with a balanced depiction of personalities, politics, campaign and battle anecdotes, and economic backstory. Particularly useful in that it is the only book in english that covers both the Hanoverian-French conflict in Germany and Frederick's Prussia-Austria-Russia campaigns. Note -- the battle coverage does not go down to the detail level of Christopher Duffy's books on Frederick the Great, and few battle maps are provided. As the other review mentions, its more critical view of Frederick and his quirky/cranky personality, vanity, and tendency to blame others for ills of his own making, was for me a refreshing take compared to the many other SYW/Frederick books I have read that are draped in mild idol worship.
   
   Overall, the book is an excellent first read for anyone new to the Seven Years War.



3. This book provides a good military and diplomatic history of the campaigns conducted by and against Prussia during the Seven Years War. While many histories of the war focus mainly on Prussia, this book's particular strength is the detailed coverage it gives to Austria and France and the less detailed, but still more than adequate, coverage of Russia and Sweden. This balanced coverage goes a long way to supporting Szabo's central argument that Fredrick mismanaged the war and that Austria and Russia's performance is generally underrated.
   
   Szabo provides good clear descriptions of the war's campaigns and key political and diplomatic developments. There is, however, almost no coverage of the impact of the war on civilians and the discussion of how it was financed and its economic impacts feels underdeveloped. The decision to structure the book so that most chapters cover a single year's campaigning works well and emphasises the importance weather conditions played in campaigns of the time - one conclusion I took away was that the Austrian and Russian armies failure to establish winter quarters on Prussian territory and having to withdraw to their bases each autumn was of central importance to Prussia's survival. The book has detailed maps of the areas in which fighting took place and some of the key battles but would have benefited greatly from the inclusion of maps showing the movements of the rival armies during the main campaigns.



4. Professor Szabo has done everyone a favor by offering an interesting reassessment of the continental aspects of the Seven Years War based upon a thorough reading of primary and secondary sources. His work is a major contribution to a large body of literature concerning the nature of eighteenth century warfare. While other reviews have correctly emphasized the author's anti-Frederick interpretation, mention should also be made of Professor Szabo's argument that the Seven Years War was not a 'limited-war' in any sense of the term. This places him in agreement with scholars such as Jeremy Black and Denis Showalter who have critiqued the myth of eighteenth century warfare as limited in intent and scope. This reader found Professor Szabo's assessment of Frederick II interesting and, ultimately, convincing. His coverage of the complex diplomatic history of the European powers was thorough and easy to understand. Furthermore, his ability to integrate the military and diplomatic history of the period was simply magisterial. For those accustomed to viewing Frederick II as a military genius (as I once was), it is imperative that you read this book...no matter how much it might hurt! :)

5 comments about The Passing of the Night: My Seven Years as a Prisoner of the North Vietnamese.

1. I was overcome with emotion many times, while reading this book. Gen. Risner's ability to maintain his honor under extraordinary conditions is a story that needs to be told, time after time. The youth of this day need real heroes that they can look up to. Robbie Risner is definitely one of those men. He has been a hero of mine since I first saw a PBS documentary about our Vietnam P.O.W.'s. How this men endured years of isolation, torture, hunger and fear, should be the study of all young people in this day of excess and luxury. When I get to feeling bad, or having a bad day, I remember the story in this book, and suddenly my day is brighter.



2. On this Memorial Day (May 25, 2009) I wanted to honor a distinguished airman, and a man of resolute courage and indomitable spirit, Brigadier General Robinson Risner. General (then Lieutenant Colonel) Risner served in the US Air Force in Korea, shooting down eight North Korean fighters; when the Vietnam conflict arose Risner was a very experienced fighter pilot, and deployed to the front as an F-105 squadron commander. Risner led by example and flew the most difficult missions on the schedule. On March 22, 1965 while leading a strike on a radar site near Vinh Son (flying an F-105D, 62-4233) Risner was shot down for the first time, but ejected safely and was rescued. On September 16, 1965 while leading a SAM suppression mission Risner was shot down in an F-105D, 61-0217; unfortunately this time he was behind enemy lines and was captured by villagers. He would spend over seven years in North Vietnamese prisons as a result.
   
   The bulk of "The Passing of the Night" is devoted to Risner's experience in Vietnamese prison camps, of the gruesome torture he endured, and of his resilience, a resilience that came both from his character and from his faith in God. Risner was frequently singled out for special torture as he was a senior officer, was known by the Vietnamese to have been a Korean war ace, and had been featured on the cover of "Time" magazine after his first shootdown. Because of this notoriety, Risner, along with others like Jim Stockdale and Bud Day, received the most brutal treatment imaginable at the hands of the communist North Vietnamese.
   
   Risner details the thought process that let him mentally and emotionally survive the ordeal; the abbreviated version on pp. 182-185 is worth reading and re-reading several times. Like most of the other POW books I have read, a deep faith in God played a key role in Risner's endurance, best summed up when he says "Our faith in God was an essential without which I for one could not have made it." While I have no doubt that there were agnostic POW's, they are definitely in the minority, and the lengths to which the POW's went to hold religious services on Sundays demonstrates the importance of faith to the vast majority of these bravest of men.
   
   This book is not perfect, and contains a couple of irritants. He constantly misspells "Kadena" as "Kadina," which I thought odd, as he was based at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa for quite a while. The oddest shortcoming of the book is that despite having been written in 1973, it has an updated photo section. The problem is that the text hasn't been changed since 1973, so there are photos of Risner marrying his second wife, and portraits as late as circa 2001 with zero mention of who these people are or how they got into his story. While little annoyances like these are puzzling (and really should have been fixed before this edition) I still must give the book five stars for the valor, endurance, and nobility of this true American hero and all the heroes he served with in prison.
   
   Happy Memorial Day!



3. Fantastic book written by my good friend, Gen. Robinson Risner. A book about the sustaining grace of God and the courage of the American serviceman. Good and greatness can never be defeated. Inspiring reading!!!



4. General Risner provides the reader with a gripping and informative account of his seven years in Hoa Lo Prison, the "Hanoi Hilton." I have purchased thirty copies of this book to use in my high school U.S. History classroom. General Risner provides the reader with an exceptional account of the hardships and sacrifices made by so many of our servicemen. The book portrays patriotism, pride, duty and honor in a manner that is truely inspirational.



5. I came across the author when he appeared on 'Dogfights' TV series on History channel here and then found out that he has written a memoir of his POW time in N. Vietnamese prison, so I bought this book. It's an extremely well-written book and passionately pro-America, pro-military. I couldn't put it down. These men are/were extraordinary people who did a lot. I salute them.

5 comments about At the Center of the Storm: My Years at the CIA.

1. Although this book is voluminuos it is very insightful and a must read for contemporary critics and pundits of the recent politics. To read the behind the scenes, day to day banter and politics from the CIA directors point of view is absolutely fascinating and compelling. If you heva ever seen George on any of his interviews he is magnetic and charismatic at the core. A very bright man that has made his mark on history and has shared his stories for all to see and hear. Cathartic or not one of the best reads in the past few years for me. I also have passed this around to a few friends and each peson has cherised the read.



2. George Tenet's autobiographical "At the Center of the Storm: My Years at the CIA" is an interesting and readable look at George Tenet's years as the Director of Central Intelligence - key years that included the 9/11 attacks the beginning of the war in Iraq. This is an extremely interesting book that gives Tenet's side of many of the contentious debates that have swirled over the past few years regarding the CIA.
   
   Tenet seems to have written this book in response to the criticism leveled against the CIA and him personally. He gives a detailed play-by-play of the Valeria Plame/Joe Wilson story (one of those stories that shocked the "Inside the Beltway" crowd but seems to have been of little interest to the rest of America) and the attendant debate over the inclusion of yellowcake in the President's State of the Union Address; he steadfastly denies the "slam-dunk" story as portrayed by Bob Woodward; and he is adamant that the CIA's National Intelligence Estimate of the Iraqi WMD was sound and not influenced by any political pressure, just based on flawed and unverifiable data (and the lack of WMDs was hidden by a madman who wanted everyone to believe that he had them). However, Tenet's entire perspective is blemished by his early telling of a meeting with Richard Perle on September 12, 2001, when Richard Perle told him, "Iraq has to pay a price." This account, in the introductory pages of the book and soon partly-debunked by verified reports that Perle was stranded in France after 9/11 (he may have told Tenet that, but it wasn't the day after 9/11 as Tenet claims), made me believe that some of Tenet's more sensational criticisms were made to sell books, grind some axes, or both.
   
   Still, Tenet writes his story in an easy-to-read, entertaining, and matter-of-fact manner. It's fascinating to read about the daily lives of his government officials - about their security details, the meetings, the frantic pace, the nonstop work, the amusing anecdotes, and the personal relationships they build with those around them.
   
   I'll leave out any discussion of Tenet's performance during his tenure as DCI because Tenet rarely focuses on the big picture of his time at DCI. He does freely discuss and criticize others around him: he is harshly critical of Cheney and his staff; he blames Douglas Feith for many of the Iraq-al Qaeda problems; he criticizes the Administration's faith and reliance on Ahmed Chalabi; he says that the National Security Council failed to take any steps to strategically counter the rising insurgency in Iraq; and he writes about some tension with Condoleezza Rice. Although he left his job as DCI seemingly at war with the Administration, Tenet never criticizes President Bush in his book, and when he talked about or criticized "the White House," I got the impression he was criticizing Cheney.
   
   This is a very interesting inside account of our government during the last 10 years. However, it gives one man's view - one man who was truly at the center of the storm - and his perspectives should be put in the context of the bigger events swirling around him. Although I found this book interesting, its personal biases (natural in any autobiographical account) and perspective prevent it from being a definitive account: instead, it would be of most interest to intelligence wonks and Inside-the-Beltway readers.



3. Befitting a decorated ex-CIA head, this book by George Tenet is "artful political and moral ambiguity at its transparent best." It is equal parts: "after-the-fact expose" of Bush/Cheney Machiavellian incompetence, a chronology of bureaucratic in-fighting and turf battles; Tenet's own self-serving "CYA rationalizations" (especially for his most embarrassing and ignominious "slam dunk" moment); a summary of CIA history including many of it recent exploits in the new era of terrorism; plus a lot of inchoate soul-searching and "insider bureaucratic baseball."
   
   Along with other "shunted aside" Bush insiders, Tenet, is yet another "come-to-Jesus" confessor who has belatedly confirmed what most of us now already know: that even as Cheney and Bush were entering the White House, Iraqi II was already a fait accompli: "a war in search of a reason d'etre." It was already on "the drawing boards" looking for clever justifications to sell to the American people as to why U.S. vital interests were at stake. And it was Tenet's own "twisted and dissembled" intelligence that was used to do the job of selling it to us.
   
   Despite this open secret that constantly stares back up at us from the subtext of the book, somehow Tenet remains in denial about how greatly his image and legacy are tarnished by the moral cowardice implicit in his repeated failures to step up to the plate and live up to the only responsibility a CIA Director has: To provide the President of the U.S. sound, independent over-the-horizon intelligence.
   
   Here, rather curiously, Mr. Tenet seems to think that he can retain his moral virginity by covering his moral nakedness and irresponsibility by attacking the White House "only when his own ox is gored." He adopts this transparently unsustainable "fair weather" moral posture even as it is clear to the reader that it is Tenet's own CIA colleagues that get thrown under the bus as he does so. And while there is a great deal interesting about the book, no matter how Tenet attempted to embellish it, everything in the book is over-shadowed by the image of him groveling at the throne occupied by Cheney and Bush. Even after reading this book, that image remains a disturbingly un-pretty picture.
   
   I have read enough CIA history to know that Tenet was a bright and competent administrator, with the agency's mission at heart, but nothing he says in this book can remove the stain of his failure to step up to the plate and defend his own analysts who had the "true skinny" in the run up to the Iraq war. Had those analysts had a boss with a backbone, America may have been spared the costly fiasco of the Iraq war.
   
   
   No matter how many Congressional Medals of Honor Tenet is awarded, I will never be able to get the "slam dunk" image out of my mind. Three stars



4. Mr. Tenet is a great storyteller. The melodrama is rampant here. Where does the story end and the truth begin? There is only an index at the back of this book. No footnotes whatsoever. Other books that I have read from former gov't officials have copies of un- or de-classified memos and documents to back up their arguements. Arbitrary discretion does not inspire confidence in the story. It will always be a mystery to me as to the reasoning behind President Bush keeping this holdover from the Clinton administration on as CIA director. Mr. "slam-dunk" fails again.
   
   Fortunately, I waited to buy this from the "bargain books" list. Read the book, just take what he says with a grain of salt.



5. This book helped me understand why the CIA took the blame for "intelligence failure" as part of the political process in Washington. Tenet had many successes during his long stint as Director of the CIA, especially in the early years of the war in Afghanistan. One could criticize him for seeming too eager to please the president and perhaps he should have positioned the CIA to be more independent. But as Tenet shows in this book, politics makes running an agency difficult.
   
   Tenet used all his personal and professional resources to win allies to the U.S. cause. I think Tenet did remarkably well and displayed talent for this type of work. Apart from that I liked him based on his biography. His Greek-Albanian roots and parents' sacrifices to achieve the American dream for their sons inspired.
   
   The CIA does not set policy nor does it have a seat among the cabinet officials. This agency is not in the inner power loop. Tenet's political position was weakened because he was of the Clinton administration and not among Bush's inner circle. The Bush administration looked to Tenet to provide cover for getting into the Iraq War. One must understand that the administration did this out of genuine beliefs and even ideology.
   
   George Tenet did not share the ideology of Bush's inner circle. He felt that by remaining in his position as CIA Director, he could mitigate damage to the CIA. This was a very difficult position to be in. One could also take a critical approach to judging Tenet's tenure at the agency because his book shows that he and others at the agency perceived an impending disaster in the U.S. policy regarding Iraq. I do not feel as strongly critical of Tenet as some because he was in a horribly difficult ethical position.
   
   Tenet's book is a really a detailed defense of his career. The first part covered the fight against terror. It showed that when there is less partisan bickering in Washington, the CIA can be extraordinarily effective and deliver fair returns on the public investment. The CIA is not so effective at influencing policy, and if policy is flawed, it can be rendered somewhat ineffective in its mission.
   
   In the effort to win over the American people to go to war in Iraq, intelligence shaping became important to the administration. Douglas Feith, who reported directly to Donald Rumsfeld at the Pentagon, spearheaded the effort to create intelligence that would be supportive of policy. Feith's reports supported the decision to go to war in Iraq.
   
   Tenet got into trouble with the Bush administration for not sufficiently supporting Feith's intelligence projects in a team spirit. The most memorable part of Tenet's massive book is his detailed explanation of how he kept trying to keep the CIA from being too politicized to do its mission. At that time some of Tenet's most trusted friends advised him to resign to protect his reputation. Tenet stayed on. He's quite direct about regretting that decision for personal reasons.
   
   The Bush administration apparently was not pleased with Tenet's attempts to hedge himself professionally in an attempt to remain blameless should the Iraq War not turn out well. This was hard on Tenet and his family, but nevertheless Tenet remained loyal to the president. One learns reading this book that while the public life of top government officials appears glamorous, it is actually gut-wrenching.
   
   Cheney, Rumsfeld and Rice made it clear to Tenet that he had to support policy. Tenet accommodated them either unwittingly or reluctantly. If you believe everything in his book, he supported the Iraq War unwittingly. The reality might be that he supported it reluctantly. This I believe is the fulcrum upon which history will judge Tenet.
   
   The reason I gave this book 5 stars is that it gives an education in how the CIA works and how intelligence agencies in general work. We don't often get a former Director of CIA putting great effort into explaining the workings of the intelligence community. Tenet was highly motivated to provide this education because it was part of what he had to do to restore his reputation. We cannot properly assign responsibility to Tenet unless we understand how this agency functions.
   
   Possibly American citizens will remain a bit confused about what led to the Iraq War. Intelligence failure is often cited as the cause. I think Tenet's book set the record straight on that particular issue.

5 comments about Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade.

1. I ordered this ( and the other Lord John Grey books) because I was impatiently waiting for "Echo in the Bone"..I was amazed how wonderful these books are. Galbaldon's style and talent just makes all her character rich and deep...and you care about them. Lord John is a minor character in the Outlander books..but these books..written as mysteries..he is dashing and intelligent. I love the detail of period Galbaldon utilizes....She is just amazing..and so are these books.



2. As a fan who has read the entire Outlander series, I was somewhat intrigued to read a book from this latest series. Jamie Fraser from the aforementioned books was a side character here, and he does still shine in this book as one of the most interesting. However, the mystery at the heart of this story was kind of lame, the plot was pedestrian and very similar to other historical fiction of this time period. Diana Gabaldon is a great writer, but I would pass on reading the other Lord John books. The fact that I snagged this as a hardcover in the bargain bin at B&N for $5.98 made it a little more appealing. Hopefully Diana will produce more in the Outlander series for which she is most beloved.



3. I read "Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade" when it was published. By coincidence, I received it from the Library at the same time that I received "Echo in the Bone", seventh in the DG's "Outlander" saga.
   
   After reading "Echo", I reread "LJBB", (because I never waste the chance to read one of DG's books), and also because so many of DG's readers complained that they didn't "understand" Echo and didn't know where all of the new and young characters in that book had come from.
   
   Now I can say that almost all, if not all, of the "new" characters that these readers complained about are in "LJBB" as babies or young men, all known to or related to Lord John Grey, and James Fraser.
   
   By reading it, you will understand why James Fraser and Lord John Grey will react the way that they will in later books in the "Outlander" series. For die-hard fans of Gabaldon's most beloved series, it is required reading.
   
   It begins just before of Geneva Dunsany's funeral, and ends when Willie, Lord Ellesemere is teething at the time that Dottie Grey is christened. It is set in James Fraser's darkest time as a groom in England. And encompasses Lord John Grey family life when he was a Major and a brevet Lt. Col. in his brother Hal's regiment of the British army.



4. While there are things that I liked about this story overall I found it rather disappointing and not up to the same standard as most of the other work I've read by Diana Gabaldon (not including 'the Fiery Cross').
   
   I've always liked Lord John and I liked that his romantic life was in the spotlight in this story but unfortunately there were too many particulars about the love interest and their relationship that just didn't lay well. The mystery portion of the story was a bit on the ridiculous side and really made no sense when logically analyzed. I also think that some of Lord John's behavior wasn't in keeping with his character and what we know about him. Was the author trying to reveal a more realistic picture of him? If so it wasn't very well done but rather came off as completely inconsistent with what we know of him and what makes sense for a man in his position. He has lived very carefully concealing his sexuality for his entire adult life.
   
   Overall I thought this was easy to read and I did like certain parts of it but on the whole I didn't find it very satisfying and the more I analyze it the more I realized that I like it less than I thought.
   
   SPOILERS AHEAD
   It's difficult to really talk about a book without giving away any specifics. I never want to spoil a story for another reader so this is where you should stop reading if you don't want to know any particulars about this book.
   
   Okay, so here are the things that just didn't sit well with me and didn't seem to make very good sense in general.
   
   I didn't find it very believable that Lord John who has been so incredibly careful about concealing his sexuality would suddenly be so quick to establish a relationship with Percy who will be not only a member of his family but a member of his regiment as well. As it turns out Percy has a very interesting history and coincidently also has information that relates to the death of Lord John's father.
   All of this seems a little too unlikely to me.
   
   Percy's betrayal of Lord John felt way too contrived. Okay fine if he had sex with someone else but the place and the time just don't hold up to scrutiny. Why would he have chosen to have sex in Lord John's room when Lord John was not known to be somewhere else engaged in a prolonged activity? That made no sense especially when the punishment for being caught the way he was could very well have been death.
   
   And the fact that Percy doesn't reveal to Lord John what he knows about Mr. A's interest in Lord John and his family until he is in gaol and he tries to work it to his advantage just felt like another convenient twist the author created rather then something that was in keeping with his character.
   
   The mystery itself was a bit far-fetched, not to mention that it was all unraveling seventeen years after the death of Lord John's father. I found it rather implausible that Dr. Longstreet was trying to reveal to Lord John and his brother Hal and his mother who the killer was by sending them pages from his father's journal but in Lord John's case he hired thugs who beat him and tried to put a page from his father's journal into his possession during the altercation...Hmmm...wouldn't sending the page by post or messenger have been a lot less difficult, time consuming and much more effective?
   
   Okay, and my one last gripe has to do with the things that the author made Lord John do that in my opinion were not in keeping with his character. He would have been more careful before entering into a relationship with Percy as I mentioned before. He wouldn't have said the horribly offensive and sexually threatening things he said to Jamie Fraser. He wouldn't have satisfied himself the way he did outside the barn at Helwater where anyone could see him. And I don't believe that he would have blinded Adams in his confrontation with him.
   
   As I said the more I dissect this the less I like it.



5. I still don't understand why Gabaldon's Lord John books are not more popular than they are. Is the "gayness" of the main character really such a huge turn-off? Because I can't find any other reason to dislike these books. To me, "Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade" is another great historical novel, full of subtle wit and humor, details of 18th century London society and entertaining descriptions of military living during the Seven Year War, along with a nice mystery (this time directly involving Lord John's family).
   
   It should be noted however that Gabaldon turns the gay sexy up here a notch. There are some man on man scenes, fairly explicit IMO, with generous use of words like "prick" and "arse." I don't think I enjoyed these scenes too much, but I have to admit, some of my curiosity was satisfied. I only hope I got the "logistics" right, it can be confusing when two he's are involved in the matter. But I digress...
   
   Aside from that, I've learned many other curious things about the period: there were actually chamber pots located right in the dining rooms, just hidden behind screens, and they were used during parties (!); officers used to sleep with curling papers in their hair, even during war time; the ratio of gay to straight men was quite high, based on Lord John's experiences. Who would have thought?
   
   But joking aside, I really enjoyed this book (maybe not as much as the first Lord John novel) and will definitely read future Lord John stories. Gabaldon is definitely a special writer...

5 comments about Lord John and the Hand of Devils.

1. I agree with probably all the good things other reviewers have pointed out about these stories and Gabaldon's Lord John novels. Enjoyable all, they make excellent travel companions, and are always compelling reading.
   
   I wanted to point out that "Lord John and The Hell-fire Club" appears as a bonus in the Delta paperback edition of Lord John and the Private Matter. Therefore what you are getting here is two novellas for the price of three. The two are more-or-less worth the price. But "truth in packaging" is a value to be upheld.



2. It seems that the shorter the piece of fiction, the more an author must be aware of pacing. For me, these three works were slow starters, uninteresting, and unbalanced. After pages of minor plot development, the stories rapidly accellerate and then end abruptly. While the supernatural is an underlying theme, with titles more exciting than the writing, the presentation is neither suspenseful nor chilling. The homoerotic thread was also uninteresting as it seemed pointless and lacked daring. I am not sure who the author is targeting as part of the reading audience, but I guesss I am not one of them. I would suggest reading something else.



3. The difference I found between these writings and the Outlander series, is that in the latter, Diana painted beautiful pictures for me, and the story flowed without effort. In the Lord John series, I found myself halted, time and time again (88 times, and counting -- I've not finished the book)by vocabulary words that I had either never heard of, or couldn't remember for certain, their definition. And due to the setting and the time frame of the story, some words, like "subalterns" or "stratagem", "discomfit" -- aren't words that should simply be passed over; Ergo, I ended up with book in one hand and pen and paper next to me, so I could write down the words I didn't know or couldn't remember. Let's face it: "Absqualtulating" isn't a word that is in my vocabulary, thank you very much. Some words, I've yet to find in my dictionary, or online.
   
   So, unfortunately for me, I didn't enjoy the book(s) as much as I think I would have, because I was waiting for the next word that would leave me nonplussed.
   
   That being said, now that I have increased my knowledge of the English language, I shall re-read them, and perhaps will give a better rating.



4. Got just what I wanted in the time I wanted it. Condition of book is the same as advertised.



5. This collection of 3 stories (one short story and 2 novellas) is a must-have for all Lord John fans. It took me some time to figure out how these stories should be placed in relation to the 2 Lord John novels, so here is the order to save you trouble:
   
   Lord John and the Hellfire Club (short story)
   Lord John and the Private Matter (novel)
   Lord John and the Succubus (novella)
   Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade (novel)
   Lord John and the Haunted Soldier (novella)
   
   Overall, the collection is a nice addition to the series. "Hellfire Club" is negligible, mostly because it is so short (about 30 pages). The ending of it is however mentioned in the 1st Lord John novel. "Succubus" is my favorite story. It has a little bit of mysticism in it and introduces a character of Austrian officer Stephan Von Namtzen, another Gabaldon favorite of mine (possibly gay, naturally). "Haunted Solder" explores Grey's relationship with his De Vane half-brother and of course, there is a military intrigue.

5 comments about Year of Impossible Goodbyes.

1. Sookan is a 10-year old girl living in Korea in 1945. The Japanese have taken over and force communist ideas and laws onto the Koreans. Each day, Captain Narita inspects the house and backyard. Their backyard holds a shack that is used for sock-making. The sock-girls would work day and night trying to meet their quotas. Koreans are deprived of rice and money. The children, including Sookan and her brother Inchun, have to attend a very strict Japanese run school. When the Japanese leave, the Koreans rejoice, but are shortly taken over by the Russians. Things begin to get worse, and Sookan, with her mother and brother, try desperately to escape to the South where the Americans are.
   
   This historical fiction book takes you along the incredible journey of 2 children as they take drastic forms of lifestyles to earn the freedom they deserve. The beginning of this book started out slow, but took fast pace when the Russians were introduced. The author has a wonderful writing style that truly makes you feel like you are part of the story, especially near the end. This is my favorite book and I recommend it to everybody of all ages. Do not miss out on this surprisingly realistic journey.



2. This book is about a 10 year old girl named Sookan and she lives with her mother, grandfather,aunt, and little brother. They live in North Korea in 1945. Her and her mother and aunt work in a sock factory for the Japanese soliders in World War II. They had a Captain Narita and he came by and it was her sister's birthday and mother went to go get a book from older sister at the convent. Mother gave it to her and Captain Narita told his men to destroy it. Sookan's mother can't even have a garden or else Captain Narita will have his men step on them. Her father is in the military and her sister is in a convent. Also, her older brothers were sent away tp labor camps. The war ends and the Japanese lose. The Russions take over North Korea and brainwash them into loving Russia, so Sookan and her brother must go to South Korea because she thinks that her dad and older brothers and sister are waiting for them. She hopes she will find freedom in South Korea. I think that is really sad to not have your father around or older brothers and to have to work in the sock factory. Also, I liked how her and her brother stood side by side. This book is a Fantasy book and the theme is Fictional.



3. i read this book when i was 12yrs old and i promised myself that i would go to korea and to the dmz zone to see what she described in the book. i am now 23 yrs old and i have spent 18months in korea and am learnig to speak korean as well. when i visted the dmz i was moved to tears, with memories from this book. This book is recommended for young readers but as an adult, u would like this too. I am buying this book now b/c it is worth it 100%.



4. I read this book when I was in 5th grade... that was 16 years ago! This book has made such a lasting impression on me. This is the first Asian Historical Fiction I've ever read (which is my favorite genre). I still remember the imagery the author wrote and a lot of the pain that the main character went through. This is easily one of the best books I've read in my life.



5. Note: I am posting this review for my classmate Jon Bush, who wrote it.
   
   It is 1945 and although the Japanese control everything in Korea, Sookan sits with her grandfather under a beautiful pine tree in their yard and they meditate and Sookan feels a little Buddha passed on from him and this is her favorite time of day. I liked this so much and just wanted to hear more about the little Buddha, and the love.
   
   Then the girls come to work at the sock factory, desperately trying to make the quota each day while being paid little or nothing.
   
   Meanwhile the Japanese soldiers come by unannounced and feel free just to walk in and take whatever they like and if they see something beautiful they simply destroy it for the sake of causing pain, and trample over lovely flowers. But Sookan's mother has hidden a tiny packet of seeds, a symbol of hope.
   
   Koreans working for the Japanese even cut down the beloved pine tree, and this is too much for Sookan's Grandfather to bear, and soon he dies. But a part I really loved was when Sookan takes care of his feet, what torture he endured! But also what rage she must have felt!
   
   Then Sookan is sent to Japanese school where the children are treated harshly, not even allowed to use the bathroom!
   
   Then the Russians come and Sookan and her family have to pretend to be loyal Communist Party members while at the same time planning to escape to the south and freedom, where other family members have already gone. I liked this, but again, I wanted more. Loved it. What fear they must have felt. I also wanted again to hear more about the anger.
   
   Then Sookan and her brother make the heroic escape to the south overcoming tremendous adversity, treachery, and confusion. It is bittersweet because they have survived while other loved ones have not.
   
   I completely enjoyed this book. It has hope for anyone anywhere suffering from oppression.

5 comments about Crucible of War: The Seven Years' War and the Fate of Empire in British North America, 1754-1766.

1. I know bad writing when I read it, and this is bad. This is a long book, but mostly because the author chooses to write a paragraph to express a sentence. And the observations he does make are banal. For those of you looking for well-written and well-conceived history, this is not your book.



2. 
   Eighteenth Century wars had a sinister "rationality" to them. They were to the powerful people who instigated them almost heartless struggles, fought for wealth and power. Of course when you study things closer it is more complicated. Even the instigators were not impervious to human feeling and passion. Yet if one is to point to the most cynical age in modern millitary history one could point to the eighteenth century. At that time wars were fought for rational reasons and peace was made when that was accomplished. Of course it did not feel at all that way to those actually affected by it...
   
   The Seven Years War was the greatest of European power struggles. It made the British Empire. In another way it made America. It was then that Americans first started to feel themselves a nation.
   
   The author chronicles how this happens in an extrodinarily detailed book about the Seven Years War focusing on how it affected soon-to-be America. He writes of the many people involved in it. And he accepts complexity as complex and does not lazily support either myth or iconoclasm(which is another form of myth). He also describes some of the aspects of frontier war which can be fascinating in their own right. It is well written and a book worth having. However the size and complexity means that it requires commitment to read it.
   
   The author's stated goal in this book interestingly, is not to describe the Seven Years War for it's own sake but to expound on a theory of his on how it caused the American Revolution. He does this quite convincingly but it leaves a large section(enough to make a book of it's own), that simply drags on, after the end of the war. This need not be a burden as one can stop part of the way. For the matter of that, one does not need to read cover to cover.
   
   Be that as it may, if you are willing to make the commitment, the book is an attractive one and worth the read.



3. If you're looking for a book about the Seven Years' War, look no further than Fred Anderson's "Crucible of War." Superbly written, Mr. Anderson is very detailed and thorough in his narrative. By capturing each battle, event, and turning point of the war so vividly, it makes it easy to imagine yourself in the shoes of any of the great people in this book. I can't praise this masterpeice enough and highly recommend it.



4. Very good reading, but not as exciting to read as "The Frontiersman" by Allen Eckert. Sometimes a little long-winded. But very good overall.



5. I'm interested in history, but have tended towards the 1800s. Picked up this book for context on the 1700s, was very surprised by how much I learned. This book is not only very readable, but helped broaden my perspective of what influenced Indian and Colonial American thinking. What I liked best is that I don't think I will ever look at the American Revolution or George Washington quite the same way. I also appreciated the sophistication of the negotiation of the various Indian tribes and some insight into their thinking and politics.

5 comments about Leap into Darkness: Seven Years on the Run in Wartime Europe.

1. This is an amazing true story. But I have one caveat: skip the introduction. It's a lot of unnecessary backstory that will bog you down.
   
   Chapter 1 starts off amazingly: "I saw Adolf Hitler with my own eyes from a distance of perhaps 20 yards." How could you not be hooked?
   
   I had the honor of meeting Leo Bretholz once. He's an amazing man who told his amazing story quite well.



2. Once I started reading this book I could not put it down. What a scary, riveting horror story, yet it's all true. I was literally turning every page holding my breath wondering what happened next. Hearing about the onslaught of the German machine into all parts of Europe, and the people who betrayed the Jews and those who risked everything to help the Jews is a story not to be missed. I love you Leo Bretholz and I thank you for sharing your life story. I'm so ashamed that America did nothing to save these people until 6 million of them had already perished.



3. Leap Into Darkness reminds readers of the great hardships endured by Jews during World War 11. It is a thoughtful book. The first hand account of his amazing escapes from the Nazi War machine make compelling reading.



4. The book is a great in depth look at one persons many challenges in surviving the tragedies during the Nazi regime in Europe. Well done.



5. Outstanding tale of a young man who managed to elude the Nazi deaths camps in the most unimaginable and cunning fashion, using his wits and daring. Hard to put this book down.

5 comments about I Have Lived A Thousand Years: Growing Up In The Holocaust.

1. At the time of the Holocaust, Elli was a very young girl. The Nazi regime killed many of her family, imprisoned her and so many others in concentration camps, kept them on starvation rations, and worked people to death. Truly terrible and tragic! It was extremely brutal, senseless, and ruthless violence against Jews and others.
   
   What amazed me wasn't so much her story, but it was her transcendence from victim to an educated, joyful, caring, generous, and still beautiful lady.



2. This is a wonderful book, I am looking forward to reading the other two books in the series



3. I could not put this book down. I will admit it was quite depressing at times as a "human being" that these terrible thing's took place and quite scary that something of this magnitude occured. The writing in this book is simple and straight foward. The descriptions (camps,food,clothing,injuries,emotions ect)written about in the book are very "real" to the reader. My heart goes out to the author and her family. There are no words to say how sorry I am to them for this terrible injustice. This book should be a must read in every school across the country. I will pass it on to my four children as such in my home so that they can read and remember "just how hard life can be."



4. At the age of 13, the author - then called Elli Friedmann -- was taken to Auschwitz as part of the campaign to rid her native Hungary of Jews.
   
   Young Elli enjoyed a relatively normal existence in 1944, worrying about capturing the attention of a boy she liked, or whether she would make the honor roll, when her entire life changed in a matter of weeks. First, the Jewish families in her tiny village were forced to leave their homes and move into a ghetto, where they remained for several weeks until transport to the labor camp was available. There, Elli and her mother Laura were separated from her aunt Serena and brother Bubbi, forced to work endless hours in extreme temperatures with little food, water or rest. Meanwhile, the family worried about the fate of Elli's father, who had been taken with other Jewish men from the ghetto shortly before their deportment.
   
   The book, divided into short vignette-like chapters, details Elli's experiences in the camp -- meeting her other aunt and two cousins in such diminished circumstances, contrasting with the happy childhood summer she once spent in their large, boisterous household; watching others die horrific deaths at the hands of the Kapos; struggling to maintain a sense of dignity and girlishness amongst such ugliness and insanity; and more.
   
   Despite having read a large number of other Holocaust memoirs, Bitton-Jackson's story still stands distinct. This young girl's story, full of plain-spoken facts, is guaranteed to make a lasting impression in readers' minds for years to come.



5. I was looking for a biography from the holocaust, I was not too sure of this one, however---it was great. It was very touching and has inspired me to read more on the subject. I cant wait to get the other books written by this author...