Book Description
The Alliance has been fighting the Syndic for a century-and losing badly. Now its fleet is crippled and stranded in enemy territory. Their only hope is Captain John "Black Jack" Geary-a man who's emerged from a century-long hibernation to find he has been heroically idealized beyond belief. Now, he must live up to his own legend.
Customer Reviews:
One of the better military science fiction reads........2007-10-02
The book starts out with Captain 'Blackjack' Geary being handed command over the Alliance fleet as the fleet commanders leave to discuss terms of surrender with the Syndic fleet. You soon discover that Geary was found en route to the battle scene in an emergency escape pod and revived. He had been frozen for nearly a century. His captaincy was granted posthumously as the Alliance believed he was dead. He had become a legend in the Alliance for his courageous stand against the first Syndic attack and now was a living legend among them. The Alliance-Syndic war was still being waged from that original battle. Losses of command personel were so severe over the intervening years that battle strategies and tactics were mostly lost and battles consisted mostly of charge the enemy until destroyed. The surrender negotiations were a deception in which the fleet commanders were slaughtered. Captain Geary's first mission is to try and rescue the fleet as surrender terms are too grim to accept. For the rest of the book Captain 'Blackjack' Geary must deal with the misconceptions of his legendary figure and try to keep the fleet alive as well as together.
It was hard to put the book down once I started reading it. There is so much poor science fiction out there that you read a page or two and put the book away that its refreshing to find one that is such and easy and enjoyable read. Its certainly not in a class with Frank Herbert's Dune series or Gene Wolfe's Long Sun series but its a good read.
Good Easy Read.......2007-09-18
Good Easy Read with mostly action and no lovey dovey scenes that feel awkward in sci fi books. If you like this, try Scalzi. Internal monologue of the main character might be a little unconventional and weird but it works in this book. Will read the sequel.
Disappointing.......2007-09-13
The book was fine. It sounded a lot more interesting than it was. The story is not compelling, but it is reasonably well-written and the characters are not completely shallow. I probably won't buy the next books in the series unless I am totally desperate. I simply see no reason to. Will the Lost Fleet get home? Of course. So what's the point of reading the other books?
Outstanding Space Opera.......2007-09-06
Very much in line with David Weber's works, this is excellent space opera. Black Jack Geary is a likeable and interesting character. Sometimes the characters are a little cardboard or one-dimensional, but overall this is good, fast-paced action with an interesting plot and lots of conflicts, both internally and externally.
There are plenty of reviews here that cover the storylines, so I'll just throw my hat in the ring with a 5 star review and recommend it if you even remotely like Weber's sci-fi.
EXCELLENT SPACE ADVENTURE.......2007-09-05
I won't go into details- many already have...What I enjoyed about this book and book 2 is that it reads smoothly- a Story- not a textbook with lots of scientific "data" and convoluted made up equations...just enough "space talk" without drowning the reader in it! ..I know many will dismiss this book because it lacks what I call the Headache feature-overdose classroom syndrome...I buy a book to READ not study and discect!- escapism at its best, Thank you -and this one nicely fits the bill....smooth transition from Dauntless to book 2 Fearless and I am looking forward to book 3
Book Description
"Son, we’re going to Hell."
The navigator of the USS Houston confided these prophetic words to a young officer as he and his captain charted a course into U.S. naval legend. Renowned as FDR’s favorite warship, the cruiser USS Houston was a prize target trapped in the far Pacific after Pearl Harbor. Without hope of reinforcement, her crew faced a superior Japanese force ruthlessly committed to total conquest. It wasn’t a fair fight, but the men of the Houston would wage it to the death.
Hornfischer brings to life the awesome terror of nighttime naval battles that turned decks into strobe-lit slaughterhouses, the deadly rain of fire from Japanese bombers, and the almost superhuman effort of the crew as they miraculously escaped disaster again and again–until their luck ran out during a daring action in Sunda Strait. There, hopelessly outnumbered, the Houston was finally sunk and its survivors taken prisoner. For more than three years their fate would be a mystery to families waiting at home.
In the brutal privation of jungle POW camps dubiously immortalized in such films as The Bridge on the River Kwai, the war continued for the men of the Houston—a life-and-death struggle to survive forced labor, starvation, disease, and psychological torture. Here is the gritty, unvarnished story of the infamous Burma–Thailand Death Railway glamorized by Hollywood, but which in reality mercilessly reduced men to little more than animals, who fought back against their dehumanization with dignity, ingenuity, sabotage, will–power—and the undying faith that their country would prevail.
Using journals and letters, rare historical documents, including testimony from postwar Japanese war crimes tribunals, and the eyewitness accounts of Houston’s survivors, James Hornfischer has crafted an account of human valor so riveting and awe-inspiring, it’s easy to forget that every single word is true.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Book.......2007-09-28
Excellent write-up on a little-known story. I had read of the Houston, but not of the fate of the survivors.
Ship of Ghosts - A Must Read for all Generations.......2007-07-31
Mr. Hornfischer graced my University Area Rotary Club in Austin, his home town, with an excellent talk about the saga of some of our bravest men from the greatest generation. Of course, I bought a copy of the book and it took me a few days to get through it before I hand it to my father to read. Hornfisher shows an unlikely ability to truly connect the facts of the USS Houston and her POW survivors together to tell a compelling human story of the horrors of war and the ability of man to overcome any adversity. Hornfischer is a true patriot for documenting the courage of these brave men, and I am a better man for reading this great book.
A good telling of the USS Houston and her crew.......2007-06-18
Ship of Ghosts is Mr. Hornfischer telling of the USS Houston and her crew during WWII. The USS Houston, known as the Galloping Ghost of the Java Coast (because of how many times the Japanese reported her sunk) was the flagship of the US Asiatic Fleet. In WWII she was responsible for holding and delaying the Japanese in taking Indonesia. Any ways, Mr. Hornfischer opens by telling us the early pre-war history of the USS Houston, how she was used by FDR as his yacht, and the history of the gentlemen whom Mr. Hornfischer interviewed.
After telling us about the pre-war years, Mr. Hornfisher jumps into the action of the Battle of the Java Sea and Sunda Strait. This is then followed by telling us about the crews time as POW's and working on the "Death Railway". Most of this book deals with their experience as POW's (btw, the crew of the HMAS Perth has coverage in this book, not as much as the USS Houston, but it is recognized. Also, Mr. Hornfischer cover the men of the 2nd battalion, 131st Field Artillery). In the chapters dealing with the men being prisoners of war we learn about the poor conditions they kept in and how terrible it was working in Burma on the railway (interestingly, the conditions in Thailand were worse). An interesting fact the Mr. Hornfischer points out several times is how the movie The Bridge on the River Kwai poorly represented the conditions the men served under.
Rating wise this book was very easy for me. A solid 4.5 stars. While Mr. Hornfischer did a commendable job telling us about the crew, I had two problems. First, was his book Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors was more solidly written than this one. There I felt as if I was there, this time I had someone telling me of the tale. My primary reason though for only 4.5 stars is that I'd read The Ghost That Died at Sunda Strait(by W.G. Winslow, a true 5 star book). Since I can't leave this as a half star I need to round the number. If I hadn't read Mr. Winslow's book prior, I might round up, however since I've read his book, this one gets rounded down. Sorry Mr. Hornfischer. A very good book though! It complements Mr. Winslow's nicely and picks up where Mr. Winslow chose to leave off. A very good job!
A Last-Minute Tribute.......2007-04-26
With America's WW II veterans dying at the rate of 1,500 a day, we are clearly into "the last lap". Therefore, Jim Hornfischer's excellent treatment of the cruiser Houston comes none too soon. His taut narrative actually involves two stories between the covers of one book: the ship's early combat in the Pacific and the surviving crew members' 3 1/2 year struggle for survival ashore.
There's a lesson for other researchers and authors: "the greatest generation" is fading fast, and its memories are fading even faster. Now is the time to grab the tape recorder or notepad and get the remaining veterans' stories while they are still accessible.
A Missing Piece of History.......2007-04-09
Americans generally think they know about world War II if they know about Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, the Russian Front, and the Pacific War from the perspective of island hopping coming from the east side of the Pacific. What we usually overlook is the war in Southeast Asia. John Hornfischer has written what might be two books, one about the nearly-solo fight of an isloated ship in the face of the Japanese onslsught in 1942, and the other about the unbelievable suffering of prisoners of war in Japanese prison camps building the Thailand-Burma Railroad - familiar to most of us from the sanitized version seen in the movie, The Bridge on the River Kwai. The writing is good (though not overly great); but it is the content that makes this one of the best books written about World War II, the early struggle to give ground only very dearly, the suffering enduured by our soldiers, and finally the failure to meet the real needs of soldiers trying to readjust to society after three years of captivity.
Average customer rating:
- Great Book!
- "What does the end of a war mean, if not that one side ran out of men willing to die?"
- The War that Haunts Daniel Alarcon
- Tokyo Rose meets 1984
- Novelist finds hope in the aftermath of war
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Lost City Radio
Daniel Alarcon
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
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ASIN: 0060594799
Release Date: 2007-01-30 |
Book Description
A powerful and searing novel of three lives fractured by a civil war
For ten years, Norma has been the voice of consolation for a people broken by violence. She hosts Lost City Radio, the most popular program in their nameless South American country, gripped in the aftermath of war. Every week, the Indians in the mountains and the poor from the barrios listen as she reads the names of those who have gone missing, those whom the furiously expanding city has swallowed. Loved ones are reunited and the lost are found. Each week, she returns to the airwaves while hiding her own personal loss: her husband disappeared at the end of the war.
But the life she has become accustomed to is forever changed when a young boy arrives from the jungle and provides a clue to the fate of her long-missing husband.
Stunning, timely, and absolutely mesmerizing, Lost City Radio probes the deepest questions of war and its meaning: from its devastating impact on a society transformed by violence to the emotional scarring each participant, observer, and survivor carries for years after. This tender debut marks Alarcón's emergence as a major new voice in American fiction.
Customer Reviews:
Great Book!.......2007-08-23
This is a very good book, is easy to read and catches your interest as soon as you start reading so that you cannot stop! I had to read it in a couple of days cause I needed to know what came next in the plot...
When you have lived in Peru during those years, you get the feeling of this story, it has also used an actual radio program as a model but the mastership of the author is to join all those stories and create a new one that have a little bit of multiple stories but is in itself different but very nice. I highly recommend it.
"What does the end of a war mean, if not that one side ran out of men willing to die?".......2007-08-21
Set in an unspecified South American country, "a nation at the edge of the world, a make-believe country outside history", people are still reeling after ten years of war between the government and guerillas, their spirits broken by incessant violence, legions of the disappeared unaccounted for. In one small place of hope, the Indians in the mountains and the poor of the barrio listen with rapt attention to Lost City Radio. The voice of consolation to her devastated listeners, Norma reads lists, the endless names of the missing, hopeful that some may be reunited with their families. But in the last year of the long absence of her husband, Rey, one of the missing, Norma's advancing grief and impending hopelessness has grown burdensome, the expectations of the audience weighing on her every waking moment.
Hugely popular, Lost City Radio flourishes in spite of a repressive government, spies everywhere, questions rebuffed by officials who allow no independence of thought. The prisons are filled with the captured insurrectionists, their leaders all but buried in the smothering confines of underground cells. Norma hopes to find Rey in one of these prisons, but it is impossible to discern him in a sea of gaunt, determined faces. Other than his profession as an ethnobiologist, Norma has no idea of Rey's other interests, his life carefully compartmentalized. They met under romantic, mysterious conditions, Rey hinting at a more obscure identity. By the time they are married, Norma accepts her husband's eccentricities; but when he fails to return from the jungle village 1797 (names have been replaced by numbers), Norma has no way to track his activities or learn of his fate.
Then one day, ten years after the end of the war, his teacher delivers a young boy to the radio station, eleven-year-old Vincent from village 1787, perhaps a key to Rey's location. Certainly, as time and events unfold, Norma is confronted with the unthinkable: "She had a husband, he was dead or gone... the war had ended, or perhaps it had never begun." Norma's memories are fresh, alive with the spirits of the lost, some of the names still too dangerous to mention on the air. Wracked by loss, clinging to the child, Norma blindly navigates the present, the forbidden names whispered into the dark night. The emotional journey of a grieving wife and an innocent orphan permeate the novel, their stories shadowed by Rey's duplicitous past and devotion to his wife. This otherworldly tale of strength in the face of a confusing war speaks to the vital issues of out time. Such a scenario no longer seems the stuff of fantasy, given the human faces of these poignant characters, Alarcon's novel a grim reminder: "People disappear, they vanish. And with them the history, so that new myths replace the old." Luan Gaines/2007.
The War that Haunts Daniel Alarcon.......2007-07-14
In the early 1980's, Daniel Alarcon's family fled the rising political violence in Peru and began a new life in a leafy, suburb of Birmingham, Alabama. Alarcon's comfortable childhood was spent far away from the terrible violence that was to eventually claim over 60,000 victims. One of those victims was Alarcon's uncle, a well respected college professor who was kidnapped and never heard from again. Although, Alarcon's immediate family sat out the war in the United States, it nevertheless still haunts him and serves as the inspiration for many of Alarcon's short stories in his execellent first book, "War by Candlelight" and is at the front and center of his debut novel, "Lost City Radio."
Sendero Luminoso's often times bizarre campaign to bring down the Peruvian State has been well documented in a number of non-fiction books. It is fairly easy to chronicle the War's story of terrorist bombings, blackouts, army massacres and political assasinations. However, there is another human truth of that conflict that requires the skill and insight of the novelist. I lived in Peru during the mid 1980's and experienced many of the events that are thinly veiled in this story. Through the medium of the novel, Alarcon has been able to successfully recreate the atmosphere and tension that existed at the time. This novel beautifully captures the devestation that survives the end of a long and dirty war.
Finally, it is a sweet oddity of globalization that one of the emerging voices of Latin American literature is a child of the suburbs of Alabama. "Lost City Radio" is an impressive debut novel and is highly recommended.
Tokyo Rose meets 1984.......2007-06-17
Alarcon's debut novel takes us on a riveting literary trek which places a propagandist disc jockey akin to Tokyo Rose in a double-speak environment reminiscent of George Orwell's "1984." What I liked best is the way that the story-line lays naked the rhetoric filled propaganda machines of the political left and right. Popular movements frequently arise for reasons of political and economic injustices. Yet the power pundits behind the scenes coopt the populist fervor and use whatever propagada tactics necessary to ensure their domination.
It is rare to come across someone like Alarcon who can so naturally combine unpretentious prose with a drivingly poignant and original story line.
Novelist finds hope in the aftermath of war.......2007-02-28
With the publication two years ago of his short-story collection "War by Candlelight" (HarperCollins), Daniel Alarcón received critical acclaim that included comparisons to Mario Vargas Llosa, Flannery O'Connor and Ernest Hemingway.
Born in Peru and living in northern California, Alarcón unflinchingly portrays people battered by civil strife, natural disasters and governmental abuses. He now brings us his first novel, "Lost City Radio" (HarperCollins, hardcover $24.95), a potent, disturbing, but, in the end, hopeful portrait of a nation torn by years of war and betrayal.
Set in an unnamed South American country, Alarcón's novel centers on Norma, the host of a popular program, "Lost City Radio," in which she reads the names of missing persons and lends an understanding ear to callers who hope she can help them reunite with lost loved ones. Norma has become a celebrity, a voice everyone knows, the apolitical salve for a nation that has lost too much.
Why Norma? "She was a natural: She knew when to let her voice waver, when to linger on a word, what texts to tear through and read as if the words themselves were on fire."
Norma's unctuous boss, Elmer, wants high ratings without angering those in power. Government authorities are more than willing to make radio employees disappear if they seem to sympathize with the Illegitimate Legion, a guerrilla faction based in the nation's mountains and jungles. Though the war with the IL is technically over, suspicion and distrust are ingrained in the nation's psyche.
Norma is no stranger to loss. She nurses the hope of finding her husband, Rey, who disappeared 10 years earlier.
Rey, an ethnobotanist, would leave Norma for long stretches to venture into the jungle, ostensibly to study indigenous remedies. With cities and villages stripped of their original names, Rey often visited "Village 1797." He failed to return home after one such foray. Rey's covert jungle activities as an IL sympathizer has convinced Norma that the government is responsible for her husband's disappearance.
One day, a village boy, Victor, is brought to the radio station to meet Norma. "He was slender and fragile, and his eyes were too small for his face. His head had been shaved -- to kill lice, Norma supposed." The boy carries a letter from the residents of Village 1797, who pooled their money to send Victor to the city for a "better life." The letter includes a list of lost people, some of whom may have fled to the city. "Perhaps one of these individuals will be able to care for the boy," says the letter.
The list of names includes one Norma recognizes: an IL pseudonym once used by Rey. Could Victor be Norma's last and best chance of finding her husband?
Norma and Rey share the stage with unforgettable characters whose histories connect in compelling and poignant ways. Manau, the village schoolteacher who takes Victor to see Norma, is a man whose body is covered with sores from his life in the humid jungle, a man who enjoyed a too-brief romance with Victor's late mother, Adela. And there's Zahir, another resident of Village 1797, whose hands were hacked off by zealous members of the IL. Though falsely accused of stealing food, Zahir accepts his punishment because of other evil things he has done.
Alarcón's narrative has the ebb and flow of a dark dream. With a fluid chronology that curves upon itself and doubles back effortlessly, he allows the past to mingle and compete with the present. There are no false steps or strained sentences. "Lost City Radio" is, quite simply, a triumph. Alarcón has created a sublimely terrifying, war-ravaged world populated by unforgettable and fully realized characters. But at the novel's core is a story of hope, one that renders the resiliency of human nature in all its imperfect glory.
[This review first appeared in the El Paso Times]
Book Description
A sourcebook unearthing the ruins and secrets of the fallen empires of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting.
For the first time, the secrets of past empires of the Forgotten Realms world are chronicled in one comprehensive sourcebook. For players, this book contains new options for characters wishing to delve into ancient ruins, including new feats, prestige classes, magic, and equipment. For Dungeon Masters, this book contains new material associated with ruins, including rules for how to build and sustain a ruin-based campaign, more than a dozen detailed adventure sites with maps, and new monsters and artifacts.
Customer Reviews:
Absolutely Splendid!!!.......2006-09-18
I found this title the best supplement ever written. That says a lot, since this series has been around since 1987. At last, in one volume, the history of this magical world is laid bare. I have speculated and wondered in the past why the world is like it is. This volume has given up most of those secret! I stand in awe of most of them. This is the flower of Realms lore. Most are not intended for most gamers. I read the novels and continue my illustrations outside this "gamers" world.
I can only say that the Forgotten Realms have come alive at last with a rich and frightening history in its past. Long live Netheril!
Excellent!.......2005-12-14
If you're interested in the history of Faerun, this is a excellent book. It goes into great detail and has a lot of extras, like relics and historical weapons. Great art and a good read.
Excellent Resource.......2005-05-14
Very well detailed and has a great amount of information that can be used in adventures. I would give it 4.5 if I could because of the usual lack of REAL MAPS that Wizards of the Coast seems to neglect. Great book though and a must have for DM's and Players in the forgotten realms.
Relevance is the key.......2005-04-14
I greatly looked forward to this book and was not disappointed. The Forgotten Realms is extremely rich in history that has been developed over the long years of its publication and this is truly a comprehensive source of that. The authors have touched on just about every area I can think of and they have done it well.
The book is divided into several sections, each dealing with a different geographic or cultural area. For instance, one section deals with the crown wars (wars between elves almost exclusively) and the elven nations involved (which covers a large area of Faerun) while another area covers the North and includes detail on several elven realms that had little part in the crown wars. They have timelines for each section of the book.
To be clear though, these histories are given not as a tool to play during those times, but as reference points to incorporate the locales of these ancient empires into the current timeline and an existing campaign. They bring the histories up to the current timeline and give you a good idea of what is going on in the ruins of these empires and the doings of the decedents of these empires.
On top of all of this rich history and information is a great deal of good crunchiness. There are several prestige classes, all of which seem well balanced and a great section on new spells and magic items. They even have specifics on mythal creation which is just plain cool to me. Going back to the integration of the past to the present, there is a section about Hellgate Keep and there they specify magic items of goodly races know to have been lost by fallen heroes there (items from the PGtF and this book).
All in all, a great tool for ANY dungeon master running ANY Realms Campaign for its information on ruins (dungeon - hint, hint) and its balance of historical information and crunchy bits. By far one of the most useful Realms products for any edition.
The misty past of Faerun, now yours to discover.......2005-03-19
I always loved the 3.5 (3.0) Forgotten Realms accessories, but I must say that this book is perhaps the best in the series.
This books gives you a +10 competence bonus to your Ancient History(Faerun) skill, as it offers you in-depth knowledge on almost all of the great empires of the past. You can learn all, about the great elven empires, about the history of the Sword Coast, about the phaerimm manace, etc.
Also, you will find some great feats, prestige classes and spells in the book. Some of them are not really for players, but for the DM (and to the NPCs). Players will also find it interesting, if for nothing else, then to add some flavour to the game.
I found it also great that young DMs get some help in a separate chapter to create adventures based on the "ancient theme". Of course, even old DMs, like myself can learn a lot from it.
Customer Reviews:
I am still waiting for the definitive book on Eva Braun.......2007-08-13
OkOk I was really looking forward to reading this book, who wouldn't, talk about an interesting subject. Then I was hammered in the first few chapters when the author repeated the same information on David Irving ad nausea. Ok we get it, anyone reading a book on this topic knows about David Irving. It was too a point that I began to suspect that the author, actually thought that anyone reading this book must be an idiot, so she need to repeat the same information over and over again in the footnotes to hammer home a point. The treatment of Nerin E. Gun book was unwarranted and petty. I did not dislike the inclusion of her mother's experience in Germany during the Third Reich, although some aspects were a little overdone. I am still waiting for the definitive book on Eva Braun. The publisher bears much of the responsibility for the errors that occur and the inclusion of useless and/or repetitive information, which is why you need to employ editors.
Can a fascist be a good lover?.......2007-07-31
Eva really didn't leave any primary sources--just her photographs and home movies. There is a bit of a diary and a few letters. She was a photographer and had the best equipment of her day. She even developed and made prints. You can see close up and personal what a fool she was for love. The book is mainly based on hearsay evidence: old memories of people who were around at the time, all of whom are biased. Anything related to Hitler is a hot potato and the author handles the story gingerly interspercing it with memories of her own mother who lived in Germany at the time. The fact is Adolf and Eva finally got married 36 hours before they commited suicide together. I won't spoil the story by telling you any more facts. I liked the footnotes because they were short explanations.
Eva Braun.......2007-06-21
The author has given Eva Braun life through this book. Many readers may wonder Who was Eva Braun? How did she meet A. Hitler? What took place during their years together? and mainly Why did she remain with and die with Hitler? The reader will discover the answers to these questions while the book develops Eva's story and changes her from just a character to the real person she was.
Kind of a Let Down.......2007-04-16
I was excited when I purchased this book and continued to be iterested until about the third chapter when the author kept inserting her mother's life in with Eva's life. She seemed to try to find any little thing in common between the two and was trying to force an association that just wasn't there. It got extremely old very quickly. If she wanted to write a book about her mother, then write it. If she wanted to write about Eva Braun, leave the personal info out. This brings me to my next issue. I wanted to read a book about WWII, not about the author's personal political views on what is happening in the current time. I was flabergasted when I saw a comment about Lindy England (sp?) in the text. Many of these opinions appeared in the lengthy footnotes that appeared on every single page. Yet again, stick to the subject! She could have written three books out the ideas she crammed into this one book. The subject has great potential, but didn't deliver in the end. It has become long winded and is no longer keeping my interest. I would advise potential readers to just look up info on the internet and save your money for a better book.
Eva, misunderstood.......2007-03-20
I love biography's especially long ones with fascinating subjects. This one was more banal than the subject was. Admittedly Eva was not a rocket scientist, that is common knowledge , yet , the author's main intent seems to be to move us to sympathy for this kind, sweet, naive typical German woman who loved her man more than life and could HARDLY have done a thing even if she knew what was going on but certainly did not. whew. that was the entire message of the book, along with constant comparisons with the author's own mother who she seems to have confused and infused with the same sentimental romantic treatment of Eva Braun. I can forgive the author for her opinion of her mother but not of Eva Braun. The author dismisses eye witness accounts constantly. She will interject her own opinion on how the eye witness MUST have been mistaken because of an assumption she has made about Eva or Hitler or whatever the subject is.
This really was a dull, opinionated and completely subjective biography of one of the most infamous people in history. Eva misunderstood? i doubt it. I can't deny that i know more than i knew before of Eva, the issue is, i still don't know the important answers about her life, although i do know a great deal about her wardrobe.
Average customer rating:
- Insightful and uplifting
- Nonfiction bogged down by fiction
- Lost Names
- Korean pride triumphs
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Lost Names: Scenes from a Korean Boyhood
Richard E. Kim
Manufacturer: University of California Press
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ASIN: 0520214242 |
Amazon.com
From 1932 to 1945, the Japanese occupied Korea. Organized in seven vivid scenes, Kim's fictionalized memoir tells the story of one family's experience, as told by the boy. The narrative starts in 1933 with a dramatic iced-river crossing into Manchuria, when the boy was just a year old, a story the boy knows from the many times his mother has told him the tale. Next scene and we're in 1938. The boy and his family have moved back to Korea, where the boy is the new boy in school and is learning new routines like bowing his head toward where the Japanese emperor is supposed to be in Tokyo. He does as he is told, but wonders if the emperor knows the children are bowing to him, wonders if he's asleep, or eating breakfast--or maybe even in the toilet. He pictures someone knocking on the door, saying, "Your Majesty! The children, the children! They are bowing to Your Majesty!" and him saying, "Wait a minute! I have my pants down!"
A few years later, the children are told they need new names--the Koreans must renounce their family names and take Japanese ones instead. Later, his father takes him to the cemetery to ask forgiveness from their ancestors for the humiliation of losing their names. The scenes continue as the boy grows up, mingling the experiences of childhood with the history of the occupation, seen in the small day-to-day moments that bring history alive. Richard Kim uses a simple but powerful voice to evoke painful times, a loving family, and a strong spirit of survival. Lost Names is a beautifully written tribute to the people of Korea that is subtle, moving, and hard to put down.
Book Description
In this classic tale, Richard Kim paints seven vivid scenes from a boyhood and early adolescence in Korea at the height of the Japanese occupation, 1932 to 1945. Taking its title from the grim fact that the occupiers forced the Koreans to renounce their own names and adopt Japanese names instead, the book follows one Korean family through the Japanese occupation to the surrender of the Japanese empire. Lost Names is at once a loving memory of family and a vivid portrayal of life in a time of anguish.
Customer Reviews:
Insightful and uplifting.......2007-10-10
While reading this book I got the impression that it was a memoir. It is actally not so please be aware of this when reading. Considering that it is fiction the author was surprisingly "tame" in telling the story. I was expecting another depressing memoir of a family destroyed by the Japanese occupation. In Kim's book, however, the family's suffering is more subtle and their eventual triump refreshing. It's nice to not read a book where everyone and their mothers die a painful death. This book gave a lot of insight into the lives of Koreans during the occupation. It was also nice to know that not all of the imperial Japanese soldiers were as gruesome as they were in the Rape of Nanjing.
Nonfiction bogged down by fiction.......2007-06-15
The "scenes from a Korean boyhood" in this book, which are evidently based on actual events, are very compelling and convey powerfully what life was like under the Japanese occupation of Korea. So that's the reason to read this book. Unfortunately, these scenes are set in a kind of fiction jello that connects one episode with another by means of impressionistic accounts of the Korean landscape and so on. This sort of writing is much less successful, and you'll find your eyes sliding past some of it. Kim is not as skillful at blending fiction and nonfiction as, say, Dave Eggers, and one wishes the author had related more about the father, who had been imprisoned by the Japanese, or the grandparents, or even the village, which was located in what is now North Korea. However, that would be a different book. Lost Names is not difficult reading and is certainly a good place to begin learning about what Koreans endured during World War II.
Lost Names.......2007-04-05
Imperialism is something that is often associated exclusively with the West. The histories of the British colonization of India and the Spanish colonies of Latin America abound, but many fail to notice the history of the Empire of Japan, which held Eastern Asia prior to and during the Second World War. Richard Kim writes about his childhood experience in Korea from 1932 to 1945 in his book Lost Names: Scenes from a Korean Boyhood and focuses on the situation of Japanese imperialism on the Korean peninsula, and the effects of the colonization.
Richard sees first hand how Japan influence on Korea is affecting his family life, school, and friendships. The book begins with an image of Kim's family leaving Korea for a job and being stopped by the Japanese Imperial Army. This was the first of the scenes that were told through the eyes of Richard Kim. The book goes on to depict six more stories, separated by chapters.
Japan is painted as an outside influence, which is taking over Korea in a more passive way. The narrator describes the Japanese as not bad people, but people who are distinct from the native Koreans, and collectively more powerful and all-surrendering when it comes to their Emperor. This is shown when the narrator talks about how the books gets it's name, in which the Koreans are made to give up their Korean names in exchange for a Japanese name. Showing the strong nature of his family the name chosen by his father means "Foundation of Rock."
Throughout the book, Koreans are portrayed as being in control in Korea behind the thick wall of Japanese occupation. This is largely personified in the character of Kim's college-educated father, whose firm anti-Japanese standpoints are looked-up-to by much of the local community. In spite of this, many Koreans are portrayed to be people who are indebted to the Japanese - shown by the character of Kim's teacher.
Aside from the educated people, Koreans are portrayed as being unaware of the events around the world at the time, shown by the narrator's mother's obliviousness to the unfolding of German invasions in Europe and Japanese occupations in China. These chapters's focus on day-to-day event, which make it very important to the overall understanding the reader, gets of the depth of the effects of the Japanese colonization.
Overall this book was very informative, one is able to see the true impact of the Japanese during World War II. However, not every event depicted in the story is completely true is still shows a first hand perspective in a new way, through a child eye. I would recommend the book to anyone interested in history or the impact of war. Just keep in mind this is not completely factual, but it will give you a better understanding of Korean history.
Korean pride triumphs.......2005-09-21
This was probably my favorite of the books we read in the Japanese History course I took my senior year of college. Young Richard Kim spent the majority of his childhood in his native Korea while it was under occupation by the Japanese, who were not very nice to or tolerant of his people, no matter they were the majority and the occupying Japanese were the minority. There are many hardships and much prejudice he faces growing up, from neighbors, the government, teachers, and schoolmates, but he never loses his sense of pride and Korean nationalism, constantly being reminded by his parents (who are ministers) and his grandmother to remain aware of where he comes from, his identity, the sustained hope that the Japanese won't always be in Korea, and to do well in school and set a fine example to the Japanese, since he mustn't let those Japanese boys at school think they're better than he is. When WWII comes along, everyone suffers the normal wartime deprivations, such as food shortages and bombing raids, but it is especially hard for the Koreans in the midst. Young Richard is forced, along with his classmates, to bow in the direction of the Emperor each morning, recite an ode of allegiance to the Emperor and Japanese government, and, worst of all, to even change his family name. All Koreans are forced to change their surnames to Japanese surnames, although Richard's father is clever and changes their family's name to one with the root meaning "rock," which of course is a reference to Saint Peter and the family's religious faith, a reference the Japanese won't get. It's enough to take away and try to usurp one's culture, traditions, customs, language, and way of life, but when you take away someone's name, that is in a way the ultimate erasure of their identity. Even when forced to, at least on the surface, speak a foreign language, submit to foreign leaders, and follow alien customs, there's still the comfort of knowing your base identity, your name, is still the same, but taking it away makes this prejudice and attempted usurpation of Korean culture incredibly personal and insulting.
It didn't really bother me that some of these memories and thoughts are very complex and detailed for a child as young as Richard is in the beginning. Many times memories of traumatic defining events are stronger and more vivid and real precisely because they were so awful and traumatic, leaving more impact than something as mundane as, say, eating breakfast or walking the dog. And even if some gaps in Richard's memory may have been filled in by what he imagines happened or what his family have told him happened, it doesn't lessen the emotional impact of these events in the slightest. And I like how it was told in the present tense; since discovering quite some time ago that books can be written in the present tense and there's no rule written in stone saying you must only and always write in the past tense, I've much preferred books written in the present tense. It makes the events seem more real and gripping, full of suspense and tension, like constantly wondering what's going to happen next, living right in the moment.
No blame, just poetry.......2005-08-28
A beautifully written book that places you in Korea during the second world war. Fast reading, and well paced told from the POV of a very (maybe too!) wise young boy. Only thing that got me down was knowing that it ended just before the next war again wreaked such damage and havoc, and there was no post script. Definitely worth reading.
Customer Reviews:
Good Overview, Short on Archeology.......2004-11-19
I will say that like most of Ballard's books this is nicely laid out; good sized and with excellent photographs & drawings.
Most of the book is taken up by short histories of the various battles that make up the 'Guadalcanal Campaign.' This didn't leave much room for the exploration of the wrecks themselves which gives you a rather rushed feeling despite the good background history.
Perhaps this would have been even better as an expanded two volume set.
An incredible journey through a graveyard of lost ships........2004-09-23
The work of Dr Robert D. Ballard knows no bounds and is truly inspirational to those of us who read of his exploits and seek to emulate his standards with much lesser shipwrecks.
Once again, just as soon as I took delivery of "The Lost Ships of Guadalcanal" I knew I had a 5 Star Book in my hands and, once again, I found nothing within it's 220 pages to make me take away any of those stars.
This book will stand the test of time as a literary work and outstanding account of one of the major naval battle zones of the Pacific in WW2. There are modern photographs including a number taken from the air, historic photographs (American, Australian, Japanese and local) of the places, the personalities, the ships, aircraft and soldiers, some incredible paintings of the night actions that took place, pictures of Ballard's crew as they go about their work and his advanced equipment being deployed and used. There is also a picture of a very young John F. Kennedy in his PT-109.
The first underwater pictures are enough to make the heart stop for just a moment as you realise this man Ballard has done it again - not once, but in this case several times. Commencing with the 9,850 ton Heavy Cruiser HMAS Canberra (the "A" stands for Australian) we no sooner see the first underwater photographs of this once magnificent ship - which went down fight in the opening minutes of the Battle of Savo Island, then we turn the page to find a 3-page open-out spread of Ken Marschall's painting of the entire wreck.
On the opposite side of that 3 page spread is another equally outstanding painting of USS Quincy followed by her own set of underwater photographs. As the story of Guadalcanal continues, so we find more details of US and Japanese successes and losses and the trials and tribulations endured by the forces of both sides as the author carefully draws us towards that part in the overall series of battles that will bring us to his next discovery and Ken Marschall's next incredible painting - the USS Monssen.
With more underwater photographs of yet more of the "Lost Ships of Guadalcanal," and yet more paintings by Ken Marschall, the author skilfully brings the reader both to the end of the series of battles and to the end of his own journey of discovery. Whilst not one of the greatest works of art within the book, one of my favourite paintings is found on p.200. This is an aerial picture of the entire area called "Iron Bottom Sound" - painted as though the water had been removed and showing the location of no fewer than 13 warships, one aircraft and two beached freighters. As part of the caption states ".... that makes this one of the greatest submarine battlefields." Yes it is, and in this book it was all brought back to life by Dr Robert D. Ballard.
An excellent book by any standards.
NM
Price of Freedom Lies Between These Pages.......2002-11-12
The title above is what my great-uncle inscribed on the inside cover of this book. He is the Tommy Morris whose story is told in the pages of this book. Like many more famous sailors and soldiers, Uncle Tommy (who died only two weeks ago after a long decline, for those readers who might be interested)used to tell me and my grandfather (Tommy's brother) that it was impossible for him to think of people as "civilized" having seen how we turn our new discoveries and technology so easily to the unhappy task of killing each other. He also said to me once that his role in the Quincy sinking was that of a "damsel in distress".. which description was follwed by that sort of masculing deep-seated chuckle which only come forth from heroic men who have seen hell on earth.
I am biased, but I wer I not, I would still think this an excellent book!
Gary Morris
Great book on the warships lost in Iron Bottom Sound.......2001-09-15
Between August 1942 and February 1943, a land-sea and air battle was waged for an island in the south pacific called Guadalcanal. The six-month long battle for the island would be one of the definitive battles of the war. It was also one of the costliest. Thousands of Allied and Japanese soldiers died. And a channel north of the island had so many ships go down there that it was renamed Iron Bottom Sound.
It is possible that more men died in the waters off Guadalcanal then on the island itself. But for many years, most of the ships were out of reach to divers and eventually were all but forgotten. Then, in 1992, Oceanographer Robert Ballard, who had found the Titanic and the Bismarck, decided to explore the area using the latest in technology. It is quite an experience to see a past battlefield on land like Normandy, Pearl Harbor, Gettysburg or Guadalcanal itself. But the battlefields were obviously cleaned up afterward and don't look the way they did when the battle concluded. But time knows no boundaries in Iron Bottom Sound. The paintings by Ken Marshall and the photographs show many of the ships still upright on the ocean floor; Their guns and torpedo tubes still trained outward as if firing at a long gone enemy. But some of the ships are not so beautifully preserved. The Battleship Krishima, for example, lies upside down in two pieces on the ocean floor. And the Destroyer Barton is broken in half and lying on its side from two torpedoes. Nevertheless, most of the ships appear ready to rise up and continue fighting.
Lavishly illustrated and with a detailed text, The Lost Ships of Guadalcanal will make a welcome addition to the collection of any War, Naval or Shipwreck enthusiast (If you can find a copy that is).
A keystone in every maritime library.......2001-08-28
Dr. Bob Ballard discovered the Titanic in the mid 1980's using cutting-edge underwater technology. For this book, he turned that skill and knowledge to lead an expedition to examine the wrecks of one of the bloodiest naval battles of World War II, one so full of death and destruction that veterans of the battle gave the waters of Gualdalcanal the nickname of "Iron Bottom Sound" because of the number of ships and aircraft that lay underwater. Guadalcanal was the linchpin of American and Japanese military strategy for control of the south Pacific islands. The Americans controlled the airfield, but the Japanese controlled the island and the waters around it. The Japanese couldn't resupply its army because of attacks to its freighters by Allied aircraft and the Americans couldn't resupply its airfield because of attacks to its fleet of ships. In one single battle in the pitch-black darkness of night, the mighty Japanese fleet engaged a weaker American destroyer group where American guns were aimed by radar and Japanese guns were aimed by looking for the flashes from the American weapons. The American fleet was destroyed but it was a Pyhric victory because the Japanese supply ships failed to reach the starving Japanese troops on the island. Dr. Ballard does a remarkable job of capturing both the essence of the battle and the essence of underwater archeology to create a wonderful book filled with full-color pictures of the wrecks and period black-and-white pictures of the war. He also includes the fantastic paintings and maps in the style that has adorned his other books to show how the wrecks would look if there was absolute clarity underwater and with a "God's Eye". This book is one of the better ones I've found that deal with the ships of Guadalcanal and underwater archeology. I've noticed copies adorning the workbenches of many model-ship builders (including mine). Its a great gift idea and sure to please anyone interested in great battles, maritime history, WW2, underwater exploration, or tales of bravery (by those who fought and those who study the ocean).
Book Description
It was supposed to be quick and easy. The Bush Administration even promised that it wouldn't cost American taxpayers a thing -- Iraqi oil revenues would pay for it all. But billions and billions of dollars, and thousands of lives, later, the Iraqi reconstruction is an undeniable failure. Iraq pumps out less oil now than it did under Saddam. At best, Iraqi's average all of twelve hours a day of electricity. American soldiers lack body armor and adequate protection for their motor vehicles. Increasingly worse off, Iraqi's turn against us. Increasingly worse off, our troops are killed by a strengthening insurgency. As T. Christian Miller reveals in this searing and timely book, the Bush Administration has fatally undermined the war effort and our soldiers by handing out mountains of cash not to the best companies for the reconstruction effort, but to buddies, cronies, relatives and political hacks -- some of whom have simply taken the money and run with it. Blistering, brilliant and shocking, this will be the breakout title when it comes to Iraq books, and the catalyst for national debate.
Customer Reviews:
Corruption at its best.......2007-08-27
While the matters in this book have long been alluded to in congressional hearing and the media. this is the first book to gather it up in one volume. It shows an inept government unable to do what was done almost 60 years earlier. Admittedly, the culture and the circumstances were different but the resources were greater. The rampant graft and lack of aggressive action by those in charge, including contractors, is chilling. Have we as a nation state sunk so low?
It presents a thoughtful picture of the risk encountered daily by many employees of contractors. This is the first writing that describes the risk imposed on the professional truckers serving in Iraq. No other writer spells it out so vividly.
This book raises more questions than it supplies answers. Of course, that was the purpose of the book.
No blood money.......2007-05-10
This book is a devastating indictment of the US intervention in Iraq. For the author, the clearest signal of the failure of the reconstruction program is the unabated violence.
The second Iraq war created a paradise for cynical war profiteers, while the Iraqi population was left in the cold. The aid packages were in fact remarkable programs of US domestic handouts and corporate welfare, profiting nearly only to retired Republican operatives, US businessmen and dubious Iraqi exiles with a double agenda.
The profiteers organized an orgy of greed on profit guaranteed contracts. Control was inexistent, e.g., $ 9 billion out of the $ 20 billion of the Iraq Development Fund disappeared without a trace (mind-boggling!). Insurance companies sold mouth watering policies for labor protection. Foreign private security firms played a leading role in the daily violence in Iraq. The contractors hired slave laborers in order to maximize their profits.
The newly installed Iraqi government was not a shade better, e.g., its Defense Ministry misspent or `lost' $ 1.3 billion in its first year in office.
The author illustrates poignantly his terribly shocking exposé with concrete examples of personal tragedies, like the suicide of Col. Ted Westhusing, or the murder by his kidnappers of a 19 year old Nepalese, who paid a broker's fee of $ 3000 for a $ 200 per month job in Iraq.
Miller's book shows also the disastrous effect the UN sanctions had on the Iraqis under Saddam (one schoolbook for every six children).
Its final conclusion is that the Iraqi people didn't receive `blood money' - the payment of compensation by an attacker to the family members of dead or injured loved ones. Instead, they inherited a living standard below the `Saddam' level (no power, no water, no sewage treatment).
This book with its formidable title is a must read for all those interested in world current affairs.
How the US snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.......2007-04-23
This books deserves a Pulitzer Prize for plugging the huge gap in our knowledge of why the spectacular military triumph was succeeded by the even more spectacular reconstruction fiasco that quickly alienated average Iraqis. The press has focused mostly on the daily casualty counts and on the political maneuvering among Iraqi religious and secular leaders. Left unreported has been the story of why the mainstream Iraqi population that was so hopeful after the US toppled Saddam has turned against us in despair. Miller's investigation and reporting skills are remarkable in detailing so much of what went wrong with virtually every aspect of the occupation. Much of the blame is attributable to the unprecedented reliance on profit-driven private sector firms to carry out public policy of rebuilding Iraq -- which was doomed to failure because normal marke forces don't exist to control behavior of corporations left to run amok. Absolute must reading for anyone trying to understand how any American military success can be rapidly and overwhelmingly squandered by failure to plan for all that must follow.
Conservatives should be the most furious.......2007-03-07
Much about the Iraq "war" has been covered. The mythology, the manifest destiny, the lies, the propoganda. But one dimension that's been touched on by Robert Greenwald in "Iraq for Sale" and this fine, fine volume is the profiteering that's going on in Iraq.
Some others critics have commented that the book doesn't list criminals. On the contrary, many are implicated! Indeed, aside from the corporations and their directors who are making out quite literally like bandits, the text also covers the dubious qualifications of those assigned to high positions in Iraq, e.g., persons who were chosen because of their position on Roe v. Wade.
Those who purport to be conservative should be the most angry at what is going on. When they talk about big government, yet refuse to complain when megacorporations are charging the taxpayers--yes, that's you and me--hundreds--THOUSANDS of times what a service is worth there is something wrong. And this book specifies who's getting away with those acts so far. (In a review, I regret I can't get more specific or my review will be eliminated.)
Get this book for yourself and for ALL who still defend what's going on, especially those, again, who claim to be conservatives. This truly is the most important book I've read on the "war" and I'm well-read on the subject. I talked with an attorney referred to in the text who argues that a main motive for the war is to establish a new ruling class. You'll be able to figure out how such a ruling class may be established by reading and pondering this fine volume.
Crime Without Crimnals.......2007-02-05
This book lists crimes but pulls back from from pointing to the criminals.
The crimes themselves are well known to readers of the Internet. There is nothing new here. If you don't pay attention to the Internet the list of crimes and profiteering in Iraq is sobering.
Probably out of a justified fear of retribution the author fails to draw the obvious conclusions of who did what.
Three stars for generalities and one star for specifics= two stars overall.
Average customer rating:
- ...HE will return...
- Better than Harry Potter
- To the One God
- Great build up for for the third book of this trilogy.
- Lost unless youve read the trilogy before this one
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Dragons of a Lost Star (The War of Souls, Volume II)
Margaret Weis , and
Tracy Hickman
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
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ASIN: 0786927062
Release Date: 2002-03-01 |
Amazon.com
Dragonlance's dynamic duo--the inimitable Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman--continues to do no wrong, reviving the once-ailing world of Krynn with yet another solid book, the second in their War of Souls series. Which is not to say, of course, that Krynn itself is doing well. Far from it: as you might remember from the trilogy's debut, Dragons of a Fallen Sun, creepy Joan-of-Arc-type Mina is spreading the influence of her One God even further over the previously godless land. To top that off, the cursed magical shield protecting the Silvanesti crumbled with the death of the great green Cyan Bloodbane (who had been masquerading as an elf), and the hated Beryl has made a move on the Citadel of Light and the lands of the Qualinesti. And just in case you didn't read Fallen Sun, Weis and Hickman take great pains to bring you up to speed in the first chapter.
What follows in Dragons of a Lost Star is the satisfying resolution to most of these threads, although--like it or not--that means a lot of interplay among the elves. But a literally earth-shattering finale with Beryl in Qualinost amply makes up for it, and that's just the appetizer for the main dish: the true identity of Mina's mysterious One God is revealed at last. Throw in some typical Tas antics for good measure (you've got to love that Device of Time Journeying), and you can count on being left antsy for this trilogy's concluding installment. --Paul Hughes
Book Description
A mysterious force holds Krynn in thrall. A young woman, protected by her regiment of dark-armored knights, calls upon the might of an unknown god to bring victory to her army as it sweeps across the land. The souls of the dead rob the living of their magic. A dragon overlord threatens the very land the elves hold most dear.
Amidst the chaos, a band of brave and selfless heroes struggles against an immortal power that appears to thwart them at every turn. The encroaching darkness threatens to engulf all hope, all faith, all light.
The War of Souls rages on.
The New York Times bestselling hardcover now in paperback.
This latest title from
Dragonlance cocreators Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman is the sequel to the New York Times bestselling Dragons of a Fallen Sun. This paperback version contains a preview chapter from the upcoming conclusion to the trilogy, Dragons of a Vanished Moon.
Customer Reviews:
...HE will return..........2007-02-16
...HE will return..., May 10, 2001
OH MY RAISTLIN!!!... I mean, OH MY GOD!!! (...sorry, I get those two confused sometimes...) I just came back from Borders and I am in shock! Why Laurana? Why have practically all of the original companions had to meet such tragic demises? Oh, and I don't want to get off on a rant here but now that "The One God" has been revealed, Raistlin will HAVE to come back and destroy this pathetic immortal; and NOT to "save the world" (I say that dripping with sarcasm) but to show that HE should be the one to rule Krynn. Keep those pompous dragons in line and show Mr. Dark Elf (Dalamar)how to REALLY bring magic back to Krynn. Well, I'm done ranting; I guess that I now have to wait A WHOLE YEAR to find out when the best character in all of Dragonlance's history will return in all his glory!!!... thank you.
Better than Harry Potter.......2006-03-18
Dragons of a Lost Star was, as the title says, better than Harry Potter. It's many twists and turns make you instantly want to read more.
I was a big fan of the "One God" and Mina during the beginning but the twist makes you want to scream at the book.
Gerard and Tas are both a little different. Tas was put in the story to make it funny but I didn't like him at all, he was so stupid in his decisions. Gerard was Gerard. Nothing much more I can say, he was a Knight for both sides.
The ending is so sudden it's hard to cope...
To the One God.......2005-11-24
To the One God, its in you we thank for giving us Margaret and Tracy or should we look for another?
Once again we explore another fine addition to the Dragonlance volumes. The War of Souls is a fascinating ride to the return of the old world.
You will be thrilled to know that there is enough Tas in book 2 to keep you laughing and as always making sure nothing of your own has gone missing =)
Mina has returned and is proclaming and conquering in the name of the One God. Who is this one God whom grants powers beyond imgaination. Who is the God that causes men to fear and follow this Mina? The One God is none other than...ah read em!
Great build up for for the third book of this trilogy........2005-08-02
Let me preface this by saying that I am a Dragonlance fanatic that owns every book. This trilogy has brought back the return of the gods of Krynn, which is a terrific decision by Weis and Hickman, and one that was somewhat overdue.
It is also, in my opinion, the best set of books since the Raistlin chronicles. Every book built towards the ending superbly, and I would recomend this trilogy as one of the best in the series.
The storyline gained momentum throughout and seldom had lulls of needless filler. It is also good to see the exchange from the heroes of the lance to the next characters that come to the forefront in the war of souls.I love the lance heroes but think that every avenue had been explored to further thier story, but that being said I would never wish that they be written out of future novels.
I became engrossed in the story and finished this book very quickly. I cannot wait to read the third book to see how the story plays out.
Lost unless youve read the trilogy before this one.......2005-04-10
It is a good rounded book that "tries" to keep you guessing. Most people said they couldnt figure who "The One God" is but it tells you at the end, i figured out way before then, but i guess that i picked up on all the signs. Its a good sequal to the one before this because it carries on where the first one left off (Dragons of the fallen sun I beleive it was called).
Book Description
Acclaim for The Global Class War
"You will never think about 'free trade' the same way after reading Jeff Faux's superb book. As Faux makes clear, the globalization debate is really about whose interests are served by global elites, and how we need to go about reclaiming a democracy that serves ordinary people. This book should transform public discourse in America."
-Robert Kuttner, founding coeditor of the American Prospect and a contributing columnist to BusinessWeek
"Jeff Faux's astonishing story of how class works will scandalize the best names in Wall Street and Washington-especially the much admired Robert Rubin, who along with other elites colluded behind the backs of ordinary citizens in Mexico, Canada, and the United States. The most cynical Americans will be shocked by the sordid details. This really is an important book."
-William Greider, author of The Soul of Capitalism and Secrets of the Temple
"Globalization is a cover for American imperialism, but the beneficiaries are not the American people at the expense of foreigners but corporate executives at the expense of working-class and poor people wherever they may be. Jeff Faux offers a comprehensive and devastating analysis."
-Chalmers Johnson, author of The Sorrows of Empire
Customer Reviews:
Clubby "governing class" with its fingers in its ears.......2007-07-15
Basically, a lot of governmental decisions (such as the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA) get made by the "governing class", an insular group of government officials closely linked with the business world; alternative viewpoints (such as labor or environmental concerns) tend to be minimized. This results in outcomes that are not only detrimental to individuals and society in general, but can also backfire and hurt business as well (higher health care costs and the loss of the US steel industry are examples given).
NAFTA promised "good jobs" (many tied in to the import/export business), for Americans and Canadians, as well as better job opportunities (and less illegal immigration) for Mexicans. What happened, though, was a lot of manufacturing moved from the US to Mexico, where the lower wages paid did little to stimulate the economy. Mexico was hurt further when manufacturing, ever in search of cheaper labor, moved production to Asia.
There is also discussion about global organizations such as the WTO and their meetings in Davos. Same clubbiness, but on a worldwide basis. Labor, etc. is again shut out or co-opted by business, and what opposition there is often ends up ineffectual.
Even the US invasion of Iraq had a basis in developing markets for multinationals, not just oil and/or military strategy.
The subtitle states "How America's Bipartisan Elite Lost Our Future". The author does blame Clinton as much as he does Bush (41) for ramming NAFTA through over the objections of labor, environmental and other concerned groups. (Canadian and Mexican leadership, including the high level of corruption in Mexico, are also called to task) And he points out that almost as much corporate money flows to Democrats as it does to Republicans.
But he does save most of his opprobrium for the right: the "think tanks of the 1970's, followed by Reagan and Thatcher; the rise of the religious right; Friedman, etc.
Finally, the author puts forth his plan to "Win it back": a "Continental Democracy", essentially a reformed version of NAFTA with labor, environmental, and human rights provisions explicitly written in and enforced. In addition, a "Citizens Continental Congress" would be implemented. The three countries would be divided into several geographical regions, some of which would cross national borders ("Nine Nations of North America" anyone?). Sounds like part of a plan, but actaully "belling the cat" (i.e. getting the governing class to listen, let alone implement it) is left as an open exercise.
Neither the premise nor the conclusion is a surprise here.......2007-05-28
The premise of this book is that the global elites are more loyal to their own class than to their country of origin (see the discussion of universal health care in America under Clinton) and the conclusion is that the working class will be hurt more by the coming economic catastrophes in America than will the global elite who are the cause. In between those "well, duh" moments is a reasoned and thorough exposition of how NAFTA came into being and the consequences for the working class, especially in Mexico. Faux presents the differences between the Keynsian model and the social Darwinism under which we struggle at present. My dad was a professor of Economics, and a follower of Keynes, and he would have endorsed this book. Unfortunately, I think that Faux's idea of a North American union, while deserving of consideration, will not be accepted by US citizens.
It's the book for the young to read and reread!!.......2007-02-08
I read the book with a scant eye on the economists view of events but by the end of the first chapter I had a different attitude. I found myself thinking that my children must know this material in order to make sound decisions about their future and the future of the country. Every newscaster should be required to read this book before interviewing propective candidates for President. It has enlightend me on the workings of our government.
Insightful Analysis.......2007-01-15
Jeff Faux gives an insightful overview of the causes behind the gradual decline in living standards and income of not only the American Middle Class, but its counterpart in every other country of the world, orchestrated by the newly-globalized power-elite class. Intriguing and thought-provoking, the book looks at the big picture and brings into focus the reasons for some of the world-wide developments of which everyday people have become victims. It will give readers a whole new, and probably even more cynical take on political leaders of the present era.
The Global Class War : How America's Bipartisan Elite Lost Our Future - and What It Will Take to Win it Back.......2007-01-09
good
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Books Index
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