Amazon.com
Daniel Mendelsohn's The Lost is the deeply personal account of a search for one family among his larger family, the one barely spoken of, only to say they were "killed by the Nazis." Mendelsohn, even as a boy, was always the one interested in his family's history, but when he came upon a set of letters from his great uncle Schmiel, pleading for help from his American relatives as the Nazi grip on the lives of Jews in their Polish town became tighter and tighter, he set out to find what had happened to that lost family. The result is both memoir and history, an ambitious and gorgeously meditative detective story that takes him across the globe in search of the lost threads of these few almost forgotten lives.
A whole culture lies behind the story Mendelsohn tells, and a lifetime of reading as well. For our Grownup School feature, he has given us a tour of some of the books behind his own, in a list he calls 10 Great Novels of Family History, the Holocaust, New York Jewish Life (And Other Things That Helped Me Write My Book). And you can watch his own moving introduction to the book in this short video:
Watch Daniel Mendelsohn introduce The Lost: high bandwidth or low bandwidth |
Book Description
In this rich and riveting narrative, a writer's search for the truth behind his family's tragic past in World War II becomes a remarkably original epic—part memoir, part reportage, part mystery, and part scholarly detective work—that brilliantly explores the nature of time and memory, family and history.
The Lost begins as the story of a boy who grew up in a family haunted by the disappearance of six relatives during the Holocaust—an unmentionable subject that gripped his imagination from earliest childhood. Decades later, spurred by the discovery of a cache of desperate letters written to his grandfather in 1939 and tantalized by fragmentary tales of a terrible betrayal, Daniel Mendelsohn sets out to find the remaining eyewitnesses to his relatives' fates. That quest eventually takes him to a dozen countries on four continents, and forces him to confront the wrenching discrepancies between the histories we live and the stories we tell. And it leads him, finally, back to the small Ukrainian town where his family's story began, and where the solution to a decades-old mystery awaits him.
Deftly moving between past and present, interweaving a world-wandering odyssey with childhood memories of a now-lost generation of immigrant Jews and provocative ruminations on biblical texts and Jewish history, The Lost transforms the story of one family into a profound, morally searching meditation on our fragile hold on the past. Deeply personal, grippingly suspenseful, and beautifully written, this literary tour de force illuminates all that is lost, and found, in the passage of time.
Customer Reviews:
THE LOST: A SEARCH FOR SIX OF THE SIX MILLION.......2007-10-17
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author manages to make it funny and entertaining even though the subject matter is sober. He makes it funny talking about his relatives from the USA. Having lived on the East Coast as a child, I can see the humor.
His tenacity in locating his lost relatives is amazing and I enjoyed the journey with him. I would and have recommended this book.
A very powerful, wonderful book!.......2007-10-01
The Lost: A Search for Six of Six Million
I read a lot (about 1-2 books per week) and this is by far the best book I have ever read. It is SO powerful and poignant. It is a book about healing from the horrors of the holocaust, how it affected the family of survivors and their descendants here in the US and how one descendant, searchin for his lost relatives helped start the healing process. This book is also very good for those interested in genealogy work.
I got lost reading "The Lost".......2007-09-24
The book seem to mesmerize me with its many fragile old photos. I soon found myself frustrated and lost due to the author's lack captions for the photos -- frankly, it was maddening. Oftentimes photos were not even placed within the text properly.
This book was in desperate need of a good editor: (1) organize the photos, (2) edit the rambling run-on sentences, (3) get rid of the overuse of parenthetical remarks, etc.
At first I read the biblical sections and enjoyed reading about Rashi, etc. but later on I skipped these portions because they dragged the pace of the story and could not hold my attention.
This was one of the most frustrating books I have ever read and the victims were buried twice: first in Eastern Poland and then within this book with its myriad details and a most obsessive, jumpy and horrible author. Sorry... that's how bad this experience was for me. This guy desperately needed an editor.
Where oh, where is Elie Wiesel when I need him?
Don't waste your time........2007-09-22
This book is entirely too slow. It seems to just repeat the same thing in every chapter. I agree with the the other review that says this is just an extended guide on Jewish genealogy. Very disappointed.
A Must Read.......2007-09-16
This is a page turner with characters that every Jewish baby boomer will be able to identify with. On every page you will find one of your relatives, friends of your parents or the parents of your friends. It is beautifully written and difficult to catagorize. It is neither a mystery or a memoir, a history or a biography, but it is all of the aforementioned. I found myself very emotionally involved in the story and I even found myself and my parents in the book. Read it.
Book Description
In the seventy years since the disappearance of Amelia Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan during a flight over the Central Pacific, their fate has remained one of history's most debated mysteries. Dozens of books have offered a variety of solutions to the puzzle, but they all draw on the same handful of documents and conflicting eyewitness accounts.
Now a wealth of new information uncovered by the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) allows this book to offer the first fully documented history of what happened. Scrupulously accurate and thrilling to read, it tells the story from the letters, logs, and telegrams that recorded events as they unfolded. Many long-accepted facts are revealed as myths.
Author Ric Gillespie, TIGHAR's executive director, draws on the work of his organization's historians, archæologists, and scientists, who compiled and analyzed more than five thousand documents relating to the Earhart case. Their research led to the hypothesis that Earhart and Noonan died as castaways on a remote Pacific atoll. But this book is not a polemic that argues for a particular theory. Rather, it presents all of the authenticated historical dots and leaves it to the reader to make the connections. In addition to details about the Earhart's career and final flight, the book examines her relationship with the U.S. government and the massive search undertaken by the U.S. Coast Guard and Navy.
For serious students of Earhart's disappearance, an accompanying DVD reproduces the documents, reports, and technical studies cited in the text, allowing instant review and verification of the sources.
Customer Reviews:
non-scientists beware.......2007-09-11
This highly technical read is not for the mere curious reader or fan of this great American woman. This book contains a vivid picture of the search for America's sweetheart of 1937,Amelia Earhart and her navigator ,Fred Noonan. An intricate compilation of radio transmissions provides a picture of an overwhelmed search party, miscommunicated information and an under skilled pilot. This is not the whole picture and if one seeks a glimpse into the woman behind the incident this is not the book for you
Captivating read on Amelia's Misadventures.......2007-08-17
"Finding Amelia: the True Story of the Earhart Disappearance," Ric Gillespie, Naval Institute Press, Maryland, 2006, ISBN 1-59114-319-2, HC 242 pges., Notes 44 pgs., Index 8 pgs., Content & Forward 10 pgs., plus 40 B/W photos, map & DVD (for computer) to access photos, maps, logs of the Earhart misadventure.
A captivating narrative & chronicle of the flying life and times of pilot Amelia Earhart, both researched 18 years and written by Exec. Dir. of TIGHAR, an Internat. Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery. We are provided detailed accounts of Earhart's two world flight attempts, neither successful, with the aviatrix's last contact being July 2, 1937 while enroute to Howland Isle from Lae, New Guinea and thence to California.
Glimpses are given of Amelia Earhart's quest for notoriety during her earlier years which found her intrigued by flying machines, seeking adventure, finding celebrity status & desiring increased role for American women. But, it is not a bibliography or even a book about Amelia. It is a book of Amelia's monomaniacal attachment to flying, her aeronautical skill confines, that emphasizes her attempts to encircle the globe, imprima her 2nd attempt going Eastward, departing Oakland, California on May 19, 1937 accompanied by navigator Fred Noonan in her Lockheed Electra 10E twin engine aircraft. There is detailed & documented accountings of the massive search by US Coast Guard and Naval ships & planes and detailed reference to ships' logs of communications, etc., and interviews with Ham Radio operators who credibly appear to have identified her signals. The many B/W photographs, maps and the DVD are commendatory to this scholarly study. A few readers may find the detailed readings, etc., of the ships' logs and radiocommunication transmission times and references to frequencies and harmonics confusing & tedious, but the author's intentions to present the factual data is preserved.
Amelia Earhart on Fantasy Island?.......2007-06-29
I have followed Mr. Gillespie's search for years, and it is, sadly, largely based on wishful thinking instead of facts, such as the fuel capacity of Amelia's Lockheed 10E Electra. Simply put, there is NO WAY it could have reached where he claims it is. The book is an interesting read, and reasonably well done, and there are some opposing viewpoints presented. Factually, though, it is an illusion (one that has paid Mr. Gillespie quite well for a long time). An entertaining read, but not historical research-just a flight of fancy--
Finding Amelia.......2007-03-19
The book is a good chronicle of the last flight, and what is (and isn't known). While there isn't anything really new that hasn't been covered before, the book is a good compliment to others previously published on the Earhart story. The focus on (mis)communications highlights the thread of errors that lead to the tragedy. The inclusion of the disc (a nice touch!) containing the source data allows the reader to draw their own conclusions.
Clarification on Amelia.......2007-01-10
Excellently written. Very informative. I think this book clears up why Amelia dissappeared. It is no mystery any more.
Book Description
Henri Poincaré was one of the greatest mathematicians of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. He revolutionized the field of topology, which studies properties of geometric configurations that are unchanged by stretching or twisting. The Poincaré conjecture lies at the heart of modern geometry and topology, and even pertains to the possible shape of the universe. The conjecture states that there is only one shape possible for a finite universe in which every loop can be contracted to a single point.
Poincaré’s conjecture is one of the seven “millennium problems” that bring a one-million-dollar award for a solution. Grigory Perelman, a Russian mathematician, has offered a proof that is likely to win the Fields Medal, the mathematical equivalent of a Nobel prize, in August 2006. He also will almost certainly share a Clay Institute millennium award.
In telling the vibrant story of The Poincaré Conjecture, Donal O’Shea makes accessible to general readers for the first time the meaning of the conjecture, and brings alive the field of mathematics and the achievements of generations of mathematicians whose work have led to Perelman’s proof of this famous conjecture.
Customer Reviews:
An excellent review of the history of the conjecture and its solution.......2007-10-10
I enjoyed this book, in part because I enjoy the history of math, but also because it is on a topic somewhat distant from my formal education which focuses on statistics and probability. It helped me remedy several gaps in my preparation.
A great popular math book.......2007-09-09
Donal O'Shea has written a wonderful book. He successfully conveys that we are living currently in the greatest age of mathematics ever seen. He does this by highlighting the recent solution of the Poincare Conjecture by Perelman. If you already know about the Poincare Conjecture and want to know the proof, this is not the book for you. O'Shea is aiming for those who have possibly never even heard of the Poincare Conjecture (in other words, most of humanity). He shows, primarily by recounting a lot of mathematical history, how mathematics is far more conceptual than computational. In particular I liked how he emphasized the profound influence of Riemann in shifting how people do mathematics. One word of warning for readers who were not math majors in college (a warning that should be applied to almost all mathematically oriented books): be willing to skim sections that are too complicated on first reading. This is what most of the pros do. This is a great book.
Not always clear but very motivating.......2007-08-31
I really enjoyed reading this book. Donal O'Shea is not always clear in explaining difficult mathematical ideas but he gives very good references to fill the gaps and does this in an appropriate manner. In spite of some lack of clarity, the book is really motivating: most important ideas underlying Poincaré conjecture have been explained. Geometrization theory (developed by Thurston) is very beautifully illustrated. After reading this book, one really wants to continue the subject. I recommend this book to any person with a mathematical taste. Everybody who likes mathematics should have this book in his bookshelf.
Brain twisting adventure.......2007-08-11
A very well written story of human ingenuity.
It is a very good example of what human race capable of.
Too much stories, too few maths.......2007-08-01
It's a very interesting essay from literary point of view, but i'm afraid is too short from a mathematical point of view even for the layman.
Book Description
This history of the largest block women's organization in the United States is not only the story of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority (DST), but also tells of the increasing involvement of black women in the political, social, and economic affairs of America. Founded at a time when liberal arts education was widely seen as either futile, dangerous, or impractical for blacks, especially women, DST is, in Giddings's words, a "compelling reflection of block women's aspirations for themselves and for society."
Giddings notes that unlike other organizations with racial goals, Delta Sigma Theta was created to change and benefit individuals rather than society. As a sorority, it was formed to bring women together as sisters, but at the some time to address the divisive, often class-related issues confronting black women in our society. There is, in Giddings's eyes, a tension between these goals that makes Delta Sigma Theta a fascinating microcosm of the struggles of black women and their organizations.
DST members have included Mary McLeod Bethune, Mary Church Terrell, Margaret Murray Washington, Shirley Chisholm, Barbara Jordan, and, on the cultural side, Leontyne Price, Lena Horne, Ruby Dee, Judith Jamison, and Roberta Flack. In Search of Sisterhood is full of compelling, fascinating anecdotes told by the Deltas themselves, and illustrated with rare early photographs of the Delta women.
Customer Reviews:
More than you can Imagine!.......2007-07-09
I am a memeber of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. I read this book the Summer before my Sophmore year at Texas A&M University-Commerce for enrichment. I was interested in Delta and wanted to know the background, history, and legacy. As a Delta I feel this book spreads more knowledge than you anticipate. It's informative, interesting, and beautifully written. I reccommend this book to everyone who is a Delta and anyone aspiring to become one, because this will broaden your horizons and give you and extended perspective and appreciation.
A Book To Keep.......2007-02-18
I loved this book. I went to the web site for Delta Sigma Theta Inc and learned that you should read this book if you are interested in the organization. I read this book and I did not put it down until it was completed. My sister who is a member of this organization was impressed to know that I was doing my homework and truly was interested in joining her organization. I can say that I have looked at all the other organizations out there and I have met members of them all but I know with out doubt that Delta Sigma Theta is the one for me. This book was well written easy to follow and had great photos detailing the history of the organization through out the 1900's. I also learned so much about how Delta Sigma Theta applied to become incorporated before AKA and was actually created by members of AKA and so many other details. This book is the best source of information for a person that is an outsider to this organization and though I have a sister who is a member she will not tell me anything , as she wants me to learn it for myself.
Looking into history.......2007-01-04
I thought this book was a very easy read. I really enjoyed the content. i highly recommend this for those just wanting to look into history.
Great book if your interested.......2006-06-23
This book is great if you're interested in how Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. came into existence, especially if you are interested in becoming apart of the organization. Another good book is The Divine Nine. Many people believe that there is animosity between DST and AKA because of the creation of DST. That is not so, and if you read this book you will find this to be true. Also, to dispel the complexion/color myth, if you look at the founders of both organizations you will see various, beautiful shades of brown, ranging from tan to sepia. There are pictures in The Divine Nine.
A wonderful Account of the History of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc........2006-01-25
The first time I read this book was Sophomore year of college at Clark Atlanta University. Once I began reading this book I realized that Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. is an excellent example of what a sorority should be. The foresight of the founders to chart their own course and to consistently strive for excellence shines through even in the modern day activities of the sorority. Paula Giddings put her heart and soul into this book and it is a must read for anyone who wants to learn about sisterhood at its best. Although I am not a member, I will certainly make Delta Sigma Theta my first and only choice. Kudos to Ms. Giddings for a job well done!
Amazon.com
If you pick your books by their popularity--how many and which other people are reading them--then know this about The Search: it's probably on Bill Gates' reading list, and that of almost every venture capitalist and startup-hungry entrepreneur in Silicon Valley. In its sweeping survey of the history of Internet search technologies, its gossip about and analysis of Google, and its speculation on the larger cultural implications of a Web-connected world, it will likely receive attention from a variety of businesspeople, technology futurists, journalists, and interested observers of mid-2000s zeitgeist.
This ambitious book comes with a strong pedigree. Author John Battelle was a founder of The Industry Standard and then one of the original editors of Wired, two magazines which helped shape our early perceptions of the wild world of the Internet. Battelle clearly drew from his experience and contacts in writing The Search. In addition to the sure-handed historical perspective and easy familiarity with such dot-com stalwarts as AltaVista, Lycos, and Excite, he speckles his narrative with conversational asides from a cast of fascinating characters, such Google's founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin; Yahoo's, Jerry Yang and David Filo; key executives at Microsoft and different VC firms on the famed Sandhill road; and numerous other insiders, particularly at the company which currently sits atop the search world, Google.
The Search is not exactly the corporate history of Google. At the book's outset, Battelle specifically indicates his desire to understand what he calls the cultural anthropology of search, and to analyze search engines' current role as the "database of our intentions"--the repository of humanity's curiosity, exploration, and expressed desires. Interesting though that beginning is, though, Battelle's story really picks up speed when he starts dishing inside scoop on the darling business story of the decade, Google. To Battelle's credit, though, he doesn't stop just with historical retrospective: the final part of his book focuses on the potential future directions of Google and its products' development. In what Battelle himself acknowledges might just be a "digital fantasy train", he describes the possibility that Google will become the centralizing platform for our entire lives and quotes one early employee on the weightiness of Google's potential impact: "Sometimes I feel like I am on a bridge, twenty thousand feet up in the air. If I look down I'm afraid I'll fall. I don't feel like I can think about all the implications."
Some will shrug at such words; after all, similar hype has accompanied other technologies and other companies before. Many others, though, will search Battelle's story for meaning--and fast. --Peter Han
Book Description
How Google and Its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Transformed Our Culture
• The Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek Bestseller
• Finalist for the Goldman Sachs/FT Business Book of the Year Award
What does the world want? According to John Battelle, a company that answers that question—in all its shades of meaning—can unlock the most intractable riddles of business and arguably of human culture itself. And for the past few years, that's exactly what Google has been doing.
But The Search offers much more than the inside story of Google's triumph. It's a big- picture book about the past, present, and future of search technology and the enormous impact it's starting to have on marketing, media, pop culture, dating, job hunting, international law, civil liberties, and just about every other sphere of human interest. BACKCOVER: “The Search is a superb story, well written and feverishly researched. Whether you are a student, techie, business executive, budding visionary or just enjoy pop culture, this is a book not to be missed.”
—USA Today
“John Battelle is Silicon Valley's Bob Woodward. One of the founders of Wired magazine, he has hung around Google for so long that he has come to be as close as any outsider can to actually being an insider….The result is a highly readable account of Google's astonishing rise.”
—The Economist
“It's a fascinating story, and Mr. Battelle… tells it well.”
—The Wall Street Journal
“A surprisingly gripping story…The Search yields impressive results, pairing a reportorial eye for detail with an evangelical zeal to help readers understand the import of the search revolution.”
—Wired News
“Battelle…manages to keep things compelling, adding his own trenchant analysis about what Google's rapid evolution and powerful technology might mean for the company and our society as whole.”
—The Associated Press
“A compelling glimpse of the search industry's early years.”
—BusinessWeek
“Deeply researched and nimbly reported.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Indispensable.”
—London Review of Books
“John Battelle has written a brilliant business book, but he's also done something more: he's used the amazing saga of Google to explore what it means to search. All searchers should read it.”
—Walter Isaacson, CEO of the Aspen Institute; former editor of Time; former CEO of CNN
“Nobody, and I mean nobody, has thought longer, harder, or smarter about Google and the search business than John Battelle. If you want to understand the rise of the search economy and culture, you need to read this book.”
—John Heilemann, author of Pride Before the Fall
Customer Reviews:
Larry and Sergey's Excellent Adventure.......2007-08-25
A very well-researched and well-written book. Most notable is author John Battelle's getting the essence of just how bad search was until the Google Guys came along and nailed the concept. Battelle recounts how major players in the IT industry assumed search was as good as it was going to get circa 1997 - 2000 (and it really s-cked in retrospect), so they went off trying to become traffic and portal sites. [Larry Page archly notes that Yahoo and Excite had 'really good horoscopes' on their home pages. Touché.]
Meanwhile, Battelle recounts how Page and Brin set out with their 'Backrub' project at Stanford to solve search and transform it into what it is today. While Google is taken as a given today, Battelle takes us all back to that moment when we all first used Google and had that "Oh. My. God." moment.
The insider-ish stuff about Page and Brin is fascinating. I could read 500 pages of that stuff alone. It's a thrilling ride from cramped offices at Stanford to the Googleplex. 400,000 percent (!) revenue growth over five years is difficult to fathom, but Battelle gets as close to anyone to the essence of how that happened.
It's nice to see the chapter here about Bill Gross of Idealab. The original incarnation of Google AdWords was a blatant copy of Idealab's Goto.com (later named Overture) incubation.
A non-technical, solid read for those interested in Google and how Search Works.......2007-07-20
Interested in learning how Google went from the smallest of startups to one of the largest IPO's in history? Do you wonder how Google and companies like it will impact our future? Are you interested in finding out just how Google returns the results when you type something in the search box? If so, then The Search is for you!
Written by John Brattle, an accomplished author (Wired) and well respected journalist and entrepreneur, The Search first walks the user through the rise of Google from a dorm room at Stanford to the corporate giant it is today.
The book is well researched and contains information from over 300 interviews documenting the rise of the biggest and most profitable media company in the world. The interviews are some of the most interesting reads in the book making you feel like you were in the room when Battelle was conducting them.
In the early chapters, the reader gets what seems to be an inside view of the rise of Google as a startup during the dot-com boom. As Google grows, Battelle starts to focus on how Yahoo and Google (and others) struggled to get the search algorithm "right" and become the leader in the "search" industry. Google was clearly the winner of this competition and went out to streamline their algorithm and business to be one of the most successful media businesses in the world.
Battelle uses the last chapters to discuss the future of Google and how the technology that Google is developing today could impact our culture. Considering Google has significantly changed out culture in the short eight years it has been around, one can only imagine what the future holds!
An excellent, non-technical read, The Search, is a great book for anyone interested in Google, how search engines work and/or portal developments are sure to find this book enjoyable, insightful and well worth the read!
[...]
Page-turner & night-burner.......2007-07-12
This book has delighted me, to me it was an enlightening read, and it almost wasn't slipping from my hands until I got to the end.
Great Business and Historic lessons.......2007-06-19
This is an excellent book.
First, from the business stand point it describes perfectly how google beat the internet bubble and came up with a very lucrative business model. It has a lot off lessons of how to be an entrepreneur.
Second, from the historic stand point i tells very easy haw the internet and the search technology have grow and evolve and hand by hand, because both are the reason why we have an intenet like we have now.
Third, the book is a lot of fun and very easy to read, it has a lot of inspiring little story like the story of Altavista or the great Bill Gross, what an enterpreneur.
Great book you won't be disapointed
Very Informative.......2007-05-04
Being a non techy, I was enthralled with the way search has developed and the possibilities for the future. The future of not only search, but business models as we know them.
Book Description
Armed with their courage, their determination, their wits and a Bible, Robert Cornuke and Larry Williams embarked on a journey to confirm the Bible as historically accurate. In the process they discovered not only their goal but a faith strengthened by the evidence. "When I stood on those scorched rocks, my life was changed at that moment," Cornuke would later recall. Sneaking across borders, crawling into forbidden military installations, and using night vision goggles to avoid being detected, these men pursued their mission. In Search of the Mountain of God tells the amazing story of the discovery of what they and others are convinced is the authentic location of the biblical Mt. Sinai. Their evidence and passion will make a believer out of you.
Customer Reviews:
This book is completely horrible........2007-01-16
The fact that Cornuke lacks the letters PhD from his last name ought to tell you from the beginning that this book is not a credible source of Biblical archaeology. Cornuke can write a great adventure story, but this book screams more fiction than fact and reaks of irresponsibility. Biblical Archaeology is not done by taking a verse of scripture, then finding a landscape to match it. Cornuke's technique is as follows, "Oh look! A rock that is split! That must be where Moses struck the rock and water came out." The equivalent would be you walking out your front door and saying, "Look! A hill! That must be Gologtha!" This book is horrifically inaccurate and sensational, and barely believable. If Cornuke was credible his recommendation on the jacket wouldn't come from Nat'l Geographic Television. It would come from reputable archaeologists and scholars who would back his claim. Sadly this book is not credible, the reader gets duped, and he pockets your money. Look elsewhere for solid Biblical scholarship. But if you're in the mood for exciting fiction this is a good option.
Mount Sinai has been hidden for Centuries--This Book Reveals It.......2006-08-06
Ever yearn for some armchair adventure? Bob Cornuke is a former SWAT investigator and now turned explorer and adventurer. In this highly readable book, IN SEARCH OF THE MOUNTAIN OF GOD (Broadman & Holman Publishers) you can go along with Bob and Larry Williams as they search for the real location of Mt. Sinai, where Moses received the Ten Commandments.
For centuries, many have believed Mt. Sinai was in Egypt and in fact a Monastery is built on this site. Yet the archeology and some other characteristics didn't fall into place. Bob Cornuke used the pages of his Bible as the guide to find the real Mt. Sinai, the altar where the Israelites offered the Golden Calf and the twelve springs of Elim.
The pages of Scripture spring to life as the reader catches the growing excitement and inspiration from every discovery. Also the reader will experience when Bob confronts a Holy God and the fact that he is standing on His mountain. "I recalled the stern admonition: 'Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death.' (Exodus 19:12). The night before I had glibly dismissed the text--but now my heart was pounding. I felt sick. I believed at any moment a bolt from heaven would strike me down. Without thinking, I turned to Larry and barked an order, "Let's go--NOW! We have to get off this mountain."
Readers will love the armchair look at Biblical archeology from this storytelling adventurer. The photos and the information will capture your imagination and set you thinking for hours on end about the truth behind the pages of the Bible.
REVIEWING SOME REVIEWERS.......2005-09-26
[Originally posted on 2004, May 6.]
I do quite a bit of reading with fairly critical eyes, and yet I don't hesitate to give IN SEARCH OF THE MOUNTAIN OF GOD five stars. It is an exciting adventure story about a very significant subject. The evidence that Mr. Cornuke provides in support of his belief that Jabal al Lawz in Saudi Arabia is the REAL Mount Sinai is absolutely overwhelming. It is an excellent book that may very well challenge some of your previously held beliefs while it authenticates the historicity of the Bible's Old Testament.
What I primarily wish to do here is to correct some remarks in three of the other online reviews which I suspect might confuse others:
A READER FROM USA states that Jabal al Lawz cannot be the real Mount Sinai because Colin Humphreys evidently claims in his book, 'The Miracles Of Exodus', that Mount Sinai had to have been a volcano (due to its burning, smoking peak, and its trembling.) Yes, that would be true, but only if one feels compelled to attribute natural phenomena to all of the miracles described in The Bible. If a person accepts that God is quite capable of transcending His own creation, then finding a "rational" explanation for every miracle is not necessary, and probably fruitless. Because the circumstances on Mount Sinai when Moses met there with God describes what we commonly associate with volcanic activity, it does not at all follow that Mount Sinai MUST have been a volcano. God may heal a person of cancer, but that DOES NOT mean that God MUST be a surgeon.
WILLIAM E. THOMPSON seems to be reviewing two of Cornuke's books simultaneously and that is bound to cause confusion for those unfamiliar with the other book. The statement that the explorers should have (admittedly) returned to the site for further investigation is in regards to Cornuke's, 'In Search Of The Lost Mountains Of Noah', in which he relates his failure to locate Noah's Ark. Although Chapter Twenty-Six ('The Blood Of The Lamb') of that book is quite moving - in which the sacrifice of a lamb is compared with the sacrificial act of Jesus - I agree that the book ultimately should have been shelved until the author had legitimate evidence to offer. But that is no reason to avoid this superior book on the discovery of Mount Sinai.
In his review, ABUJIFAN far too easily dismisses the many indicators that point to Jabal al Lawz as the REAL Mount Sinai. He fails to address many of the historic landmarks that (coincidentally?!) happen to be in the same general location as the burnt Mountain, and also the coral reef that (conveniently) connects the lower tip of the Sinai Peninsula (across The Red Sea) with Saudi Arabia and the immediate area where all of these landmarks are found! He didn't mention the existence of the water-worn Split Rock (referenced in Exodus 17:5-6 and Isaiah 48:21 of The Bible) - an astonishing find! And he dismisses the photograph of the (presumed) Golden Calf Altar as a pile of rocks that "look like many naturally-occurring formations all over Western Arabia." Well, I've lived in the Southwestern U.S. all of my life, and unless rocks form quite differently in Arabia than they do here, that formation is hardly naturally-occurring, and I find it incredible that a person with a degree in archaeology would make such a claim. And therein, I suspect, is the rub. Is this a case of "professional jealousy"? Would it bother a pedigreed archaeologist if a testosterone-laden explorer armed with just his wits and his Bible made one of the greatest discoveries in the archaeologist's own backyard? Well, I don't know the answer to that, but I DO KNOW that 'IN SEARCH OF THE MOUNTAIN OF GOD: THE DISCOVERY OF THE REAL MOUNT SINAI' is a real page-turner and a Five Star book, doggone it! That's all I have to say; I'm gonna go climb back under my rock now and wait to see who finds me first, an archaeologist or an adventurer.
disappointed a bit but also intrigued..........2005-06-08
I read the Search for the Missing Gold or whatever first and was VERY disappointed to see that this was basically the same story. Why couldn't they have presented the information in an orderly, systematic manner and not like a soap opera.
The good thing is that this should bring a lot of focus on the government of Saudi Arabia and why they don't cooperate with world-wide archaeology and quit acting like a medieval fiefdom.
Exciting read, low scholarship, high on Bible integrity.......2005-01-02
This is an exciting tale told from the perspective of "hands on" explorers who read the Bible as accurate in matters of history. Written as an easy read, the book is very interesting but weak from a scholarship perspective. Still, the excitement captured by the authors makes this a good book to read, particularly if you are interested in lands of the Bible.
Mr. Cornuke is a dedicated Christian believer, as evidenced from his writings and the way he uses Scripture to guide his searches. He has a background in forensics, which makes for an interesting view from which to handle archaeological evidence. His conclusions are in disagreement with the traditional route of the Exodus, which places the Israelites wandering around in the Sinai Peninsula. The problem with the traditional assertion is the lack of evidence and common sense. I give Mr. Cornuke a lot of credit for breaking with the tradition, especially since the tradition is not based upon Biblical information.
Mr. Cornuke places the crossing of the Red Sea on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula (straits of Tiran), offering as evidence Bible verses and an underwater land bridge. He attempts to excavate drowned chariots, but claimed that water was too deep. As for Mt. Sinai, Mr. Cornuke places it in Saudi Arabia. He offers some photographic evidence, for example, pictures of an altar with c calf inscribed on it. Of course such evidence by itself is not conclusive. But his assertions fit the known geography of the land a lot better than the Sinai Peninsula. I'm convinced that Mt. Sinai is not in the Sinai Peninsula, and is located likely in Saudi Arabia, although I disagree with the mountain Mr. Cornuke chose.
The book is written from the perspective of an explorer and is a fast, exciting read. Although the level of scholarship in this book is a little weak, the book makes up for this somewhat because of the "take you there with me" mentality of the authors. You really feel as if you are along with them, making the discoveries as you go through the ancient lands. If you would like a more detailed work that comes to similar conclusions (ie Sinai is located in Arabia), I would recommend the book "The Miracles of Exodus" by Colin Humphreys. This book offers a lot more scholarship, and retains the "take you there with me" mentality.
Book Description
In this widely acclaimed history of modern China, Jonathan Spence achieves a fine blend of narrative richness and efficiency. Praised as "a miracle of readability and scholarly authority," (Jonathan Mirsky) The Search for Modern China offers a matchless introduction to China's history.
Customer Reviews:
Just a great resource on China.......2007-09-19
I've read over twenty books on China, and this is one of the best resources out there. At first I was caught off guard that Spence started in the 16th or 17th century, however, it provides a lot of insight into China's development and goes into detail about China's interactions with the West and their reactions. I especially found the opium trade quite interesting and also the fact that new dynasties had to constantly reconquer parts of China. One truly begins to appreciate the difficulty in governing a country so large and diverse as China.
An Unponderous History.......2007-05-24
To truly know China, it is essential to have a grasp of its rich history. But that history is so vast and dense, it is easy to get lost. This book is an admirable guide. For a review of contempory issues, see my own book: The Coming China Wars: Where They Will Be Fought and How They Can Be Won
Great book.......2007-05-16
This is probably my favorite Chinese history book that I've read. Its easily quotable, well written, and intriguing. I found it to be clear cut and concise, but not bogged down by elevated language, or too simplistic. Its a shame books like this one are not used more in Universities.
A nice introduction.......2007-03-23
The book makes a good impression. It is an eloquently written, absorbing narrative, attentive to detail and yet broad in scope. The book nicely integrates discussion of political history with discourse on society and culture of modern China.
It is ostensibly weaker towards the end - barely a fraction of the book deals with post-1949 China. The PRC's foreign policy during the Cold War unfortunately receives scant attention; the Cultural Revolution is addressed as if in passing. Sino-US rapprochement is barely mentioned (with a questionable assertion that it was mainly a product of pressure on the part of the Chinese oil lobby).
The part on the democratic movement in China was an interesting read, but it overshadowed other important issues in the last 20-30 years of China's political and economic development.
Overall, excellent book, certainly one of the best introductions to modern history of China out there, highly recommended for new students of Chinese history as a starting point.
timely and important work.......2006-11-12
The scale of this book is vast, and the scholarly undertaking is impressive. In the modern world with Chinese influence growing all the time an understanding of Chinese history is increasingly important. A must-read!
Ian Ruxton, editor of the Diaries of Sir Ernest Satow, British Envoy in Peking 1900-06, available on amazon.com
Book Description
For decades after his death in 1789, John Ledyard was celebrated as the greatest explorer America had ever produced. A veteran of Captain Cook’s final voyage, he walked across nearly all of Russia and suggested to his friend Thomas Jefferson that traversing the American continent was feasible—inspiring the Lewis and Clark expedition. When he died he was preparing to venture into Africa. Once as famous as the Founding Fathers whom he had befriended and beguiled, the “American traveler,” as Ledyard was called, fell into obscurity over the years, reduced to becoming a footnoted reference in Moby Dick.
Bill Gifford reenacted Ledyard’s 1773 escape from Dartmouth College in a canoe and followed Ledyard’s trail down the length of the Lena River in Siberia. In Ledyard he reveals the man in the legend, bringing back an American original and giving us a story that until now has not been fully told.
Customer Reviews:
A Great Yarn.......2007-07-11
Gifford is a master storyteller, and Ledyard is one of the great untold stories in American history--a sort of super-Zelig. I'm hoping that Spielberg reads this book and makes a movie. Meanwhile, I'll settle happily for this page-turner.
Good read, bad explorer ;).......2007-06-25
The book's title is a bit of an overpromise when it comes to Ledyard's qualities as an explorer. He was a great dreamer, a traveller, and a very 'singular' character (as it is called in the book), but not much of an explorer. The title of the other book about Ledyard "The man who dreamed of walking the world" is more to the point. He tried to be an explorer, but he didn't realise any of his goals.
Ledyard was at the very best somewhere at the sideline of history. His tales are a nice introduction to 18th century American and European history, for he seems to have mingled with a lot of people and visited the places that mattered in those times. It's nice to view the world of that time from the standpoint of this unique traveller, but don't expect a history of real exploration.
Fascinating story .......2007-05-11
Hardly anyone's ever heard of John Ledyard. I wasn't sure I'd enjoy this book about an obscure American explorer. Only a few pages into the book I realized I not only liked the book, but I wish I could have known Ledyard.
A dichotomy of differences--restless, yet lazy; chivalrous, yet not interested in celibacy; idealistic, yet clearly motivated by money--Ledyard's life was predictably unpredictable. His keen intellect and adventurous spirit won the admiration of notables, including Thomas Jefferson.
He frustrated his family. He irritated the head of his college. He broke hearts along the way. And he was always in need of funds. But he never lost his spirit.
Unable to pay for his schooling at Dartmouth, Ledyard carved a canoe out of a fallen tree, packed a lunch, pushed off from shore, and reclined in his new vessel as he let the water's current take him where it may. That it took him to the waterfalls and he barely escaped with his life didn't detour him from other adventures.
Ledyard sailed with Captain Cook on Cook's last journey, tried to reach the west coast of America (from Europe) by heading east through Siberia, and got arrested by Catherine the Great's men who tossed him out of Russia.
Using Ledyard's few remaining letters and journal notes, Gifford adds his own experience in following Ledyard's path. Gifford took a voyage on a replica of the ship Resolution that Ledyard sailed on and shared a bit more detail than I needed, but at least I got an idea of the conditions Ledyard endured.
Ledyard died in a filthy convent room at age 37, most likely the victim of his own self-medication. "He was seized with a pain in his stomach occasioned by bile and undertook to cure himself. Excessive vomiting ensued, in consequence of which he broke a blood vessel," wrote Carlo Rosetti, a Cairo merchant.
Armchair Interviews says: Ledyard may have departed this world too soon, but he left a story worth reading. We're fortunate Bill Gifford brought it to us.
Restless feet, amazing man.......2007-04-06
When reading of early exploration, John Ledyard's legacy is usually summarized in a few sentences, or a paragraph at most. This deserving study by Bill Gifford sheds enormous light not only into who this man was, but also his unsurpassed exploratory efforts.
From the time he dropped out of Dartmouth College and canoed a hundred forty miles down river, the man felt that there was something more to life.
While on Cook's third voyage he experienced the world and craved for more. His thoughts on the Pacific Northwest and its untapped fur trade possibilities revolutionized his ideas even further to walking across America (from west to east) and claiming the land for our new nation.
When in Paris, he caught the attention of Jefferson who backed him on this endeavor. Ledyard was to go across Siberia, hitch a ride on a Russian ship and eventually land at Nootka Sound, then walk across America. Although apprehended by Russian authorities and his dreams shattered, his zest for fulfillment never ceased. He was then sent off to explore Africa where he ultimately died. It is no wonder he has been referred to as "The Traveller"
As he himself had said, "he traveled under the common flag of humanity" and "served the world at large". Although most times penniless and lacking in clothing, he always managed to find companionship wherever he was in the world.
And just as Mr. Gifford points out, he survived so much but not his temper.
A great read.
Great account of an amazing life.......2007-03-28
This is a great account of the life of a very interesting character. As an avid follower of the adventure/explorer genre, I found this account of Ledyard to rank among the best. What makes this book so compelling is the work the author did in retracing Ledyard's steps, a technique which breathes life into the story, making it much more interesting than a straight historical account.
Don't let the picture on the cover of Ledyard in 18th century formal wear fool you, this guy was as rugged, and at times crazy, as anyone you will find in a Krakauer book.
I strongly recommend this book for anyone who marvels at the exploits of the early explorers or who wonders what would compel someone to want to walk across a continent.
Average customer rating:
- Whose taking advantage of Earhart's loss?
- Fabulous
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Still Missing: Amelia Earhart and the Search for Modern Feminism
Susan Ware
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ASIN: 0393312550 |
Customer Reviews:
Whose taking advantage of Earhart's loss?.......2007-02-23
That Amelia Earhart disappeared under mysterious circumstances while on an around the world flight in 1937, insures her a prominent place in mankind's collective memory. The mystery of what really happened is still unknown sixty-six years later and what actually occurred most likely will never be resolved. Too much time has passed and any evidence likely is lost to the elements. That is not to say that people have given up the search. As recently as 2001 a book by Karen R. Burns, Randall S. Jacobson, Amelia Earhart's Shoes: Is the Mystery Solved, will likely not be the last.
There is more to her memory than the fact that she disappeared. She was one of the first female pilots in America. She was the first female to cross the Atlantic initially as a passenger and later alone. Amelia Earhart was only the second person to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She emerged as a promoter of aviation in its early years and pursued a career based on her fame as a female aviation pioneer.
The sobriquet "Lady Lindy" underscores the comparison to Charles Lindbergh and his flight from New York to Paris in 1927. In one respect they were very different. "Lindbergh never reconciled himself to the demands of being a public figure, while Earhart accepted her public stature and made it work for her and women in general."(22) These two precepts, her gender and publicity, point to the core of Susan Ware's book, Still Missing, Amelia Earhart and the Search for Modern Feminism. That Earhart was a well-known female spokesperson and roll model in the 1930s contributed to the cause of feminism during a time between "suffrage activism and the revived feminism in the 1960s and 1970s."(13)
Amelia Earhart was a popular heroine. She served as an example for personal achievement. She was courageous and brave and she was a woman. It was a time when women's advancement was forged by personal achievement.
The accomplishments of women as disparate as Babe Didrikson, Gertrude Ederle, Katharine Hepburn, Dorothy Thompson, Martha Graham, Georgia O'Keeffe were widely reported as evidence of the ongoing advancement of the modern, post suffrage women. Individual achievements substituted for, and also sustained, the feminist momentum.(25)
There were long periods during which Amelia Earhart was not in the press, but she was active making speeches, writing and engaging in business promotions. Key to her marketability was her marriage to publisher George Palmer Putnam. Feminists view her relationship as a "modern marriage" with freedom for each to pursue their independence. Nonetheless, it appears he controlled many aspect of her life in promoting her to the public as the best female pilot. This was the key to her public image. From this everything followed. However, it brings into question her real independence despite her protestations to the contrary. Was she in fact as free and independent as she and author Ware claim? Ware acknowledges Putnam's proclivity for control, but doesn't attribute to him any limits to her freedom. Theirs was an acknowledged marriage of convenience and one wonders if she ever loved him at all. However this is not a problem with modern feminists and Earhart, as a spokeswoman, is more central to Ware's study.
Making a living in aviation in the late 1920s and 1930s was not easy. Her counterpart, Charles Lindbergh served as a consultant for Transcontinental Air Transport (TAT). It was advertised as the "Lindbergh Line." Amelia signed on with TAT as well but with the traffic department. In contrast to Lindbergh's substantive contribution to the corporation, her job was largely ceremonial. Later she worked for the Ludington Line, but this line was sold to Eastern Air Transport in 1933. Her job there was to overcome women's reticence to flying. Ironically "in order to get women into the air as passengers, she was forced to rely on traditional gender stereotypes that exaggerated the differences between men and women." (71)
Most women in flying became stewardesses. Women who wanted to be pilots were handicapped by "the two T's - tradition and training." (75) Childhood conditioning contributed to discrimination. The case of Helen Richey, a copilot for Central Airways, is instructive. Male pilot complaints encouraged the Aeronautics Bureau of the Department of Commerce to issue an advisory allowing female airline pilots to only fly in fair-weather. Richey resigned. "After Richey's resignation women were shut out of cockpits of scheduled airlines for the next thirty years."(78)
Female ability was demonstrated during air races some of which were with men and women and others just for women. Amelia Earhart, with Helen Richey flying with her as copilot, came in fifth in the 1936 Bendix race. In 1937 Louis Thaden and copilot Blanche Noyes won over all the men! Competition among women led to new records. The Ninety-Nines, an organization for women only, served as a support and advocacy group.
What was the nature of Amelia Earhart's career? Fundamentally it was self-promotion from which endorsements flowed. Her agent was also her husband George Putnam. She was a speaker, a college councilor, magazine writer, and, as one commentator said, she became "caught up in the hero racket." (201). Probably a close comparison to her aviation career was that of Roscoe Turner's. Turner bowed out of speed racing and managed to live a full life. Similarly, when the qualities of individualism and daring which contributed to Earhart's early fame were no longer helping her image, she planned her flight around the world. She anticipated it would be her last, but not, of course, in the manner in which it was culminated. She would settle down to more routine flying when she returned, so she thought.
Some critics debunked the flight as nothing more than a publicity stunt. "She said the main object of her flight was to establish the feasibility of circling the globe by commercial transport." (215) The only real significance to the flight was that it meandered along a route near the equator, which was longer than any others that had been flown. And, of course, she was a woman. Otherwise it was not unique. "Between 1924 and 1933 six expeditions had circle the globe, including two by Wiley post in his Lockheed Vega Winnie Mae." (214)
The expedition started out badly. On take off from Hawaii she ground looped the Electra and had to return it to the Lockheed factory in California for repairs. It was decided to reverse the route, and for weather reasons, the new departure date had to occur before the end of May. There were many details to take care of and with all the preparations, Amelia began her flight fatigued. As she progressed around the world she and Noonan flew by day. Stops included San Juan, Venezuela, Dutch Guiana, Brazil, across Africa, India and Australia. From Lae, New Guinea they were to fly to the Howland Island and then on to Hawaii. Howland Island was selected because it was within flying range of New Guinea and Hawaii. Facilities had been prepared for them, but a radio beacon was not installed because it would delay the flight.
The leg to Howland Island was 2,556 miles and Earhart and Noonan planned to use islands for navigation during the day and celestial and dead reckoning at night. The coast guard cutter Itasca made radio contact with the flight but they were unable to get a bearing. Radio communication was never established but messages indicated a worsening situation over the course of the next six hours. Earhart and Noonan were confused about there position and fuel was getting low. When they were presumed lost a weeklong search was commenced without ever finding a trace of them. The loss made front-page news for ten days but "public interest lagged in the immediate aftermath of her disappearance and presumed death."(225) Since then various theories have persisted to explain her disappearance and new ones crop up. She is in fact, as Ware's title proclaims, Still Missing.
Ware, in the final pages of her book, speculates on what Amelia Earhart may have done with the rest of her life. Undoubtedly she would have continued promoting aviation and speaking out on the role of women as she had been doing all along. Ware, in writing her book, seeks "to rescue Amelia from the clutches of the cult of her disappearance and to refocus attention on her life itself."
Ware does focus attention to Earhart's accomplishments in fostering women's equality with men, but there seems to be a contradiction that underlies her story. On the one hand Amelia Earhart is portrayed as an independent women in a new field who performs as an equal to men. Indeed she is very brave and becomes the most famous and remembered female aviator. But in reading the book, the reader finds her husband, Putnam, choreographs her actions. She seemed to allow herself to be manipulated by him. Ware quotes Florence "Pancho" Barnes, "She was a goddamned robot. Putnam would wind her up and she would go and do what he said." (93)
One wonders if, in her book on feminism, Ware isn't using Earhart to make her own point and not to refocus attention from her disappearance at all. In the final analysis, after reading Ware's account, I am left with a sense of admiration for Amelia Earhart's bravery, but not much else. Ware, rather than rescuing her from the cult of the disappeared, uses her disappearance to announce that feminist equality is still missing. Isn't that taking advantage of her loss, just like the cult of the disappeared?
Fabulous.......2000-04-27
Susan Ware's biography of Amelia Earhart is engagingly written, never dull, and full of insights about how Earhart's life reflects the development of feminism in the United States. Anyone interested in women's biographies will find this book fascinating.
Book Description
Hans Breuer, Austria’s only wandering shepherd, is also a Yiddish folksinger. He walks the Alps, shepherd’s stick in hand, singing lullabies to his 625 sheep. Sometimes he even gives concerts in historically anti-Semitic towns, showing slides of the flock as he belts out Yiddish ditties.
When New York-based writer Sam Apple hears about this one-of-a-kind eccentric, he flies overseas and signs on as a shepherd’s apprentice. For thoroughly urban, slightly neurotic Sam, stumbling along in borrowed boots and burdened with a lot more baggage than his backpack, the task is far from a walk in Central Park. Demonstrating no immediate natural talent for shepherding, he tries to earn the respect of Breuer’s sheep, while keeping a safe distance from the shepherd’s fierce herding dogs.
As this strange and hilarious adventure unfolds, the unlikely duo of Sam and Hans meander through a paradise of woods and high meadows toward awkward encounters with Austrians of many stripes. Apple is determined to find out if there are really as many anti-Semites in Austria as he fears and to understand how Hans, who grew up fighting the lingering Nazism in Vienna, became a wandering shepherd. What Apple discovers turns out to be far more fascinating than he had imagined.
With this odd and wonderful book, Sam Apple joins the august tradition of Tony Horwitz and Bill Bryson. Schlepping Through the Alps is as funny as it is moving.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
Not For Jews Only.......2007-09-23
To paraphrase comic Jeff Foxworthy, if you find this engaging travelogue entirely humorless... you might be an Anti-Semite. (Reading it might be a good self-test.) Although Jewishness and Anti-Jewishness are portrayed throughout, Mr. Apple's writing is so genuine and fluid that anyone with an appreciation for English will enjoy its exceptional quality. While comparisons have been made to Woody Allen, author Sam Apple might better be described as the Hunter S. Thompson of Generation X. Perhaps "Rolling Stone" would do well to engage him to cover the upcoming Presidential election--and those uncomfortable with Jewishness (Jews and non-Jews alike)--would find it less frightening to enjoy a bright new literary light. Meanwhile, try this one: reading through it is no schlep.
A Tale spiced up with enough lively and sometimes humorous commentary that will unquestionably keep readers turning the pages........2006-10-01
Sam Apple, author of Schlepping Through The Alps: My Search For Austria's Jewish Past With Its Last Wandering Shepherd, first encounters Yiddish folk-singer Hans Breuer at a concert and slide show in New York. Breuer, as Apple points out, is not just your ordinary run-of-the mill Yiddish folk-singer, rather he is truly a wandering Jew and as he reveals in his book, "If you ever happen to be hiking the Alps and you see a man singing Yiddish songs as he watches a dog chasing a sheep in a raincoat, no need for concern."
Apple, who grew up in Houston and now makes his home in Brooklyn, was quite intrigued by this forty-five year old Austrian shepherd. The result was a one thousand word article that eventually has being turned into a witty yet insightful book, wherein much of Apple's research was accumulated while traveling in Austria as an apprentice to Breuer.
During their first encounter in New York, Breuer mentioned to Apple that he wanted to bring Yiddish to the uninitiated in the Austrian Alps. When asked if he wanted these individuals to remember their Yiddish neighbors, his reply was: "I want to make them confront for the first time in their lives this culture that their uncles and fathers destroyed." With this in mind Apple decided to voyage to Austria and find out for himself what it was like to be a shepherd in the twenty-first century and to make sense of Han's Jewish identity or as he states, what it really meant for him to sing in Yiddish. He also wanted to learn about sheep, Yiddish music and anti-Semitism.
Apple's engaging narrative is what Yiddish speaking readers would probably classify as a good "meinsa," something akin to an old wife's tale only this story is actually true. Apple beckons us to follow his meandering through the Alps following a herd of sheep, a shepherd, his mistress and young lamb herders, while picking up along the way various shepherding tips from his mentor and learning about Austria's past and present political landscape.
During the course of his apprentice with Breuer, Apple learns about Austria's post-war anti-Nazi legislation that led to the sentencing to death of several Nazis and the conviction and incarceration of thousands of low-ranking Nazis. However, a few years after the enactment of this legislation, a general amnesty came into effect and all but a handful of the worst offenders were free to live happily every after. In fact, the government's constant line about complaints about Austria's behavior during the Holocaust was that if you have one take it to Germany.
Quite telling of Breuer's psyche is that he associates the Austrian countryside with fascism and anti-Semitism. When he encounters people along his shepherding path, he believes that they are all staring at him with cold eyes, aware that he is not one of them. Apple notes that Breuer enjoys being a living part of a dying tradition, where Yiddish and shepherding are relics of another time- nonetheless he takes great pride in both. Moreover, he is not quite sure how much of his own romanticizing of wandering and Jewishness has drawn him to Breuer. However, what he observes about Breuer's shepherding is "the rejection of modern society in the aftermath of the Holocaust. In his Yiddish songs I inevitably listened for the millions of missing Yiddish voices that should have been singing along."
Apple does an excellent job of capturing the flavor of the Austrian Alps with its little villages and inhabitants who seem to either have collective amnesia pertaining to their past or consider themselves blameless. Although he never does find as many anti-Semites as he originally feared, Apple does provide his readers with some serious insights, spiced up with enough lively and sometimes humorous commentary that will unquestionably keep readers turning the pages all the way to the end.
Norm Goldman, Editor Bookpleasures
Spot-on social observations from an adolescent personality.......2006-04-26
"Schlepping Through the Alps" opens a fascinating window for Americans into the little-discussed world of Austria's internal politics. Unfortunately, the view is clouded by Sam Apple's insistence on foisting descriptions on the reader of his neuroses, his sexual adventures with a "hip" Austrian woman, and the banal details of the protagonist's dysfunctional family. Woody Allen worked comic wonders with the neurotic secular Jewish character, but that persona lost its freshness nearly 30 years ago. If a reader may offer advice to Mr. Apple for his next book, it would be to share more of the results of his impressive interviewing and observation skills, and to keep his private life private.
Best Jewish Novel In A Long, Long Time.......2006-03-31
I don't understand how people can fall over themselves to sing praises of Jonathan Safran Foer and his ilk when Sam Apple clearly trumps the ever-living hell out of the supposed new Jewish literary elite. Shelpping Through The Alps draws vivid pictures, raises intense emotions, explores history and modernity, is refreshingly honest and non-pretentious, and best of all, is side-splittingly funny. I generally hate novels, but I couldn't put this one down. It's an inviting read and I invite you to read it and compare to the works of every other Jewish novelist adorning Nextbook, Guilt & Pleasure, et al. Could you honestly say you'd rather see another Everything Is Illuminated than a new book from Sam Apple? I doubt it.
A good book to schlep around.......2006-01-21
Sam Apple, a young, Jewish writer from Houston, decided to spend several weeks with Hans Breuer, a Yiddish-folksong-singing, Austrian, wandering shepherd. This books tells of his visit. We learn about Hans's personal history, and how he came to his most unusual occupation. We also learn quite a bit about anti-Semitism in Austria, both historical and present-day. Both of these are fascinating topics. Whether you enjoy this book will depend on whether you also find interesting its third topic, which is Apple's own rather extensive neuroses.
This book has at least two major strengths. First, the topic itself is certainly fresh. I, for one, have never before read a book about anti-Semitism and modern shepherding. And second, it is very funny. Apple has a number of amusing adventures, and he never hesitates to use self-deprecating humor.
I enjoyed this book very much. I felt its focus was a bit too varied--I had a hard time shifting from discussions of Nazi atrocities to descriptions of Apple's sex life. Also, I finished the book without truly feeling that I understand Hans Breuer very well. Nevertheless, I do recommend it, both for its entertainment value and for its educational value.
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- A Farewell To Arms
- Color Design Workbook: A Real-World Guide to Using Color in Graphic Design
- Health and Health Care 2010: The Forecast, The Challenge, 2nd Edition
- Choosing Fish for Your Aquarium: A Complete Guide to Tropical Freshwater, Brackish and Marine Fishes
- Vladimir Nabokov, Alphabet in Color
- A Shelter Sketchbook: Timeless Building Solutions
- McClellan's Own Story
Suite Francaise
The Yiddish Policemen's Union: A Novel
The Great Escape: Nine Jews Who Fled Hitler and Changed the World
Fear: Anti-Semitism in Poland After Auschwitz
Everyman
