Customer Reviews:
Great - but could have been even better.......2007-09-27
As good as this book is, it could have been much better. Kovaly has a fascinating story to tell but too much of her story tells how this happened and then that happened without enough analysis or explanation. Kovaly lived through Hitler and Stalin and she has an amazing story to tell.
The book starts with the deportation of the Jews from Prague, where Kovaly lived, to the ghetto of Lodz in Poland. She describes the horrors and the death she encountered there. She then skips ahead to the last concentration/slave labor camp she was in before the war ended. She describes how she tells the German man who runs the factory about the extermination camps, a topic with which he seems to be utterly unfamiliar. And although the part she tells us is fascinating, she leaves out much of the story that she tells him. Finally she tells us of her escape as she is being marched away from the advancing Russian armies, her return to Prague, and her rejection by all the friends she had left behind. By far this is the best part of the book.
But this part ends sixty pages into the book and she has much more to tell us. After the war, Kovaly marries the man she always loved and he becomes a member of the Czech communist party and eventually a minister in the government. With the failures of communism, a scapegoat is needed by the government and her husband is arrested and executed as a traitor as part of the Slansky trials. As the widow of a traitor, her life in Prague is hell but she spends her every effort to care for her child and to rehabilitate her husband. Finally, in the early 1960's, reforms in Czechoslovakia led to her husband and all the others having their convictions overturned. The reforms continue until the Prague Spring of 1968 leading to the Russian invasion and the crushing of the new freedoms. At this point Kovaly flees for the West to join her son who is living in London.
The book is short at less than 200 pages and many things happen so the story moves quickly. But too much of the story tells us what happened as a way for Kovaly to avoid talking about herself. For example, by starting with the deportations, we learn nothing about Kovaly's life before the Nazis. Kovaly doesn't even tell us how old she was or what she was doing when she was rounded up. With all Kovaly has been through she has had to have built a wall to protect herself and she only shows us glimpses through that wall. But the book still remains an amazing story of the holocaust and the early communist years in Czechoslovakia. Her glimpses into how communism must always fail by its very nature from someone who was on the inside are worth reading to help us understand the 20th century. Kovaly leaves out the happy ending she finally achieved. It is a happy ending she deserves.
Under A Cruel Star & Reflections of Prague.......2006-08-07
My mother's book, in print since 1973 under various titles, the last being 'Under A Cruel Star', inspired me to write my own side of the story about my lost father, JUDr Rudolf Margolius. Now published and called 'Reflections of Prague: Journeys through the 20th century' it fills gaps in my mother's book provided by further research and historical information, some of which was not available to her and which many readers of her book had asked us for over the years. Hopefully this companion volume provides answers to these questions. I hope you find this book interesting and would welcome your feedback.
A mother's undying love for her son; a son's undying love for his mother..........2006-07-14
When I finished reading Heda Margolius Kovaly's stunning chronicle of continuous struggle, concentration camp survival, and eventual triumph, I had to stare out my window onto the street below for a long while, watching the people.
There I was, working and residing in modern-day Prague, mingling amongst the tourists and locals, with my feet touching those very same cobblestones of a city which Ms. Margolius Kovaly horrifically describes in her heart-rending tale of human resilience, UNDER A CRUEL STAR.
The realization blew my mind. I had to catch my breath.
Not too long ago -- a mere drip in the historical bucket -- very bad people once populated this ancient city and land. They were entirely free to express their poisonous views, shouting vile epithets about so-called "pure race," the so-called "scourge" of Jews, and about the so-called "evils" its then-society faced from saboteurs, fifth-columnists unaligned with Czechoslovakia's Communist Party.
As I walk these streets, I interact and share the same space with these people, the descendants, heirs, and inheritors of a very rotten recent legacy. It's this legacy that Ms. Margolus Kovaly chillingly describes and in vivid, sordid detail in her poignant memoir, UNDER A CRUEL STAR.
Commend, I say, this mighty woman of valour for sharing with you how much pain she once had to endure. Applaud her for how much strife she had to overcome when she returned from the unspeakable indescribable conditions of the Nazi's killing factory at Auschwitz, of which much has been written in the canon. I needn't repeat it here.
Be shocked at the clarity and the precision of Heda's language, and -- trust me -- reel and wonder why it is that she even chose to return to this infernal place, this city of Prague, municipal architect of her early life's damnation. For that, Heda deserves the equivalent of a "purple heart" for her resilience and fortitude. But this is not nearly enough...
As I read Heda's story, those small insignificant stresses which descend on a given day PALE by comparison. No longer will I feel needless stress. No longer will I be affected by it.
I am describing to you the impact of this memoir. Heda's strength will permeate you.
I love this book because it pries open a vista on a period these present Czech authorities are anxious to enshroud in mystery. I hear very little discussion today of what is known as Czechoslovakia's "collaborationist past" in the modern-day "Czech Republic."
Not a single leader in this fledgling country is willing to boldly take responsibility for the actions of this successor nation's preceding governments, whose reins -- the ones they now grip tightly -- are the offshoot of very rotten roots. Today's government must own up to its legacy, one which is responsible -- among countless other atrocities and crimes -- for murdering eleven perfectly innocent men, like Rudolf Margolius, Heda's late husband and father to her author son, Ivan, in 1953's Slansky (show) Trial. I was angered when I'd read how the doctor's in Stalin's infamous "Doctor's Plot" were not hanged, while Mr. Margolius and his ten other co-accused were. It made me *very* angry, and anger I wish not to think too much about for fear of what it might result in.
Evaluating this all, you scratch your head wondering where Heda derives all her strength? From where comes her unassailable moral fortitude and her staunchness without fail?
Look, don't read this book because *I'm* telling you to. I know I review a lot of titles, and you'd normally trust me judgement because you trust me, but don't, okay?
Also don't read this book because it's stylistically-impeccable and superbly written. I'll have you know there isn't a shred of literary critique I've got for the brilliant lines filling Heda's pages.
Read this book to place your life into perspective, if it's a comfortable and cushy one. Read this book to either compare or contrast Heda's past with what you call *your* past, and finally understand how the might of the human spirit is unbreakable. Heda Margolius Kovaly is the living proof. She is the embodiment of intrepid courage. And it's high time you get to know what that is.
I wish there were more than five stars I could give.
-- ADM in Prague
(for the writings of Ivan Margolius, please see "REFLECTIONS OF PRAGUE," for more information)
extraordinary memoir in several languages.......2006-05-26
I am the English-language publisher of Ms. Kovaly's extraordinary memoir, that is now being read in major universities around the world for an eyewitness view of twentieth century totalitarianism --in this case Nazism and Stalinism -- in Central Europe. This translation has been the basis for the UK, French, German, Dutch and Japanese editions of this book. There are very few books in any language by or about Czech Jewish women. Another excellent one is my wife Helen Epstein's journalistic memoir of her maternal line of Bohemian Jews titled Where She Came From: A Daughter's Search for her Mother's History, which covers the years 1800-1948 in the Czech lands.
a note from the translator of this book.......2005-05-14
As the translator from the Czech and the editor of the Plunkett Lake Press version of this book, I'd like to address the confusion about editions. Heda Kovaly first wrote this book in Czech. It was translated first by Czech philosopher Erazim Kohak who published it together with his own writing in one volume. In 1985, Heda Kovaly and I together translated and produced a new edition of her memoir. We called it Under A Cruel Star. That version was subsequently published by Penguin and then Holmes & Meier. There are also British, French, German, Dutch and Japanese translations that have been published under different titles. All have used the Plunkett Lake text.
Book Description
Jewish life in the United States is too often told from an East Coast perspective. Lone Stars of David presents a different panorama, with narratives of Jews who ventured to Texas before the battle of the Alamo, who fought for the Confederacy, who herded cattle up the Chisholm Trail, who drilled for oil, and who forged Jewish communities far from New York's Lower East Side. These essays also describe how Texas Jews faced the Ku Klux Klan and how they respond today to Christian fundamentalism.
This anthology examines the famous, with a close-up look at Neiman-Marcus, the chain synonymous with remarkable luxuries. It profiles Zale jewelers, founded by a young immigrant who grew into an international business icon. Another essay opens a window to the Dell Computer Corporation, with the story of Michael Dell, the college dropout whose philanthropy changed the course of the Austin Jewish community.
Written by historians, journalists, and rabbis who have experienced Texas firsthand, these essays challenge stereotypes. One chapter discounts the impact of crypto-Jews who fled the Spanish Inquisition for the New World. Another defies conventional wisdom about southern views toward Zionism. El Paso emerges as the unlikely home of a Holocaust museum. The book's essay on Jews in Texas politics analyzes the import of populist candidate Kinky Friedman and introduces Marjorie Arsht, a grassroots organizer whose living room was the setting for Republican George H. W. Bush's first foray into politics.
The Jewish population of Texas totals 131,000, a mere 0.6 percent of the state's residents, yet its impact has been widespread. This anthology explores the resiliency, diversity, and adaptability of Jews in the Lone Star State, a place with its own powerful sense of identity.
Customer Reviews:
Very Informative Book.......2007-10-17
This book is packed full of very interesting information. I saw it at a friends house and just had to have it. It is worth the purchase for this bit of history.
Average customer rating:
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The Movie Lover's Tour of Texas: Reel-Life Rambles Through the Lone Star State
Veva Vonler
Manufacturer: Taylor Trade Publishing
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ASIN: 1589792424 |
Book Description
Texas movies are as vast as the Lone Star State. Fans tour Texas via movies that explore the state region by region. They can hit the movie trail via automobile using suggested itineraries, maps, and lists of unique shooting locations, all spiced with anecdotes and occasional gossip about behind-the-scenes action.
Average customer rating:
- Justice for Texas Justice
- Justice Done
- Best Book Ever on the Early History of the Texas Rangers
- Quite imbalanced
- A rip roaring account
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Lone Star Justice: The First Century of the Texas Rangers
Robert M. Utley
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
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Similar Items:
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Lone Star Lawmen: The Second Century of the Texas Rangers
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The Texas Rangers
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The Men Who Wear the Star: The Story of the Texas Rangers (Modern Library Paperbacks)
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Lone Wolf Gonzaullas: Texas Ranger
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Six Years with the Texas Rangers, 1875 to 1881
ASIN: 0195127420 |
Amazon.com
The Texas Rangers have alternately been described as "fearless men of sterling character" and "ruthless, brutal, and more lawless than the criminals they pursued." The truth, says Robert M. Utley in Lone Star Justice, "lies somewhere in between the extremes." The Rangers got their start in 1823, and for half a century they were "citizen soldiers periodically mobilized to fight Indians or Mexicans." They were professionalized in 1874, when they became lawmen employed by the state of Texas. Utley summarizes their colorful history under the leadership of figures like Jack Hays and Ben McCulloch. They came to national attention during the Mexican War, when they fought with distinction under Zachary Taylor at Monterey and also served as scouts throughout northern Mexico. As lawmen, they were noted for apprehending fugitives (the murdering outlaw John Wesley Hardin fell to one of their bullets) and controlling mobs, but they were less successful at putting bad guys behind bars (a problem that the author blames on "a defective criminal justice system"). At bottom, Lone Star Justice is a sober-minded but generally admiring assessment of a unique group of men. --John Miller
Book Description
From The Lone Ranger to Lonesome Dove, the Texas Rangers have been celebrated in fact and fiction for their daring exploits in bringing justice to the Old West. In Lone Star Justice, best-selling author Robert M. Utley captures the first hundred years of Ranger history, in a narrative packed with adventures worthy of Zane Grey or Larry McMurtry. The Rangers began in the 1820s as loose groups of citizen soldiers, banding together to chase Indians and Mexicans on the raw Texas frontier. Utley shows how, under the leadership of men like Jack Hays and Ben McCulloch, these fiercely independent fighters were transformed into a well-trained, cohesive team. Armed with a revolutionary new weapon, Samuel Colt's repeating revolver, they became a deadly fighting force, whether battling Comanches on the plains or storming the city of Monterey in the Mexican-American War. As the Rangers evolved from part-time warriors to full-time lawmen by 1874, they learned to face new dangers, including homicidal feuds, labor strikes, and vigilantes turned mobs. They battled train robbers, cattle thieves and other outlaws--it was Rangers, for example, who captured John Wesley Hardin, the most feared gunman in the West. Based on exhaustive research in Texas archives, this is the most authoritative history of the Texas Rangers in over half a century. It will stand alongside other classics of Western history by Robert M. Utley--a vivid portrait of the Old West and of the legendary men who kept the law on the lawless frontier.
Customer Reviews:
Justice for Texas Justice.......2007-09-16
Until this book the best book on the Texas Rangers was he Webb book. Utley is a modern historian and those who prefer to live in the past in their culture will be disappointed in this book. It is a modern rendition for modern readers. That is not to say it is weak in research or in bringing the past to life. What I mean is this book is written in the now and doesn't adhere to the old rules of whitewash.
A major benfit of this work is the ointroduction to many of Edmund J. Davis, cast as the worst governor in Texas history. A Reconstruction governor responsible for the formation of the Texas Rangers as a force to enforce Reconstruction policy as he saw it and fight the elements that became the Ku Klux Klan.
This is a refreshing and interesting work on the taming of the old west.
Justice Done.......2007-08-02
The book is not only quite detailed in the description of the exploits of the early Texas Ranges, it maintains the air of education without the normally associated dullness or boredom found in many textbooks.
Mr. Utley paints a straight-forward, no-holds approach to telling the facts as he has found them. Gone are the visions that our hero's of old are without fault, quite the opposite, you find that our hero's from this era are simply common men with some interesting virtues and a belief that right is right. It would be rather refreshing to find some of this level or morals in today's society.
The book is an excellent read. One any Texican-file will find quite interesting.
Best Book Ever on the Early History of the Texas Rangers.......2007-02-18
Having just read Utley's second volume on the rangers, Lone Star Lawmen (I read this book when it came out), and found it a worthy sequel to this one, excellent in every way, I decided to see what Amazon readers had said about the first volume, Lone Star Justice. It appears that some folks don't like giving up cherished myth and folklore in favor of real history. And there are one or two who have well-formed PC prejudices against the Rangers, and are equally unhappy when presented with real history; they are like those who condemn an actor for portraying a villain (so to those I say, if you don't like the Rangers, don't take it out on Utley; he's not one, he just tells their story, and it is unfortunate that the truth does not conform to your suppositions). Those readers who appreciate accurate history, well written and meticulously documented, have given Lone Star Justice five stars. So do I. This is an excellent book, rigorously accurate, always interesting, full of dramatic incidents and memorable characters arrayed in their context. If you are interested in the history of Texas, the West, law enforcement, or just a good read, you'll enjoy this book. Better yet, get the set--Lone Star Justice and Lone Star Lawmen, and follow the history from beginning to the present.
Quite imbalanced.......2005-04-26
The problem with this book, aside from the fact that it's just a rehash of the last dozen or so Ranger histories, is Utley's bizarre fascination with racism: namely, all Texas Rangers are evil racists whose actions can only be explained by racism. Case in point:
Rangers are after a Mexican bandit who killed a Ranger. They find two mexicans and try to halt them, whereupon the two take off, then ambush and kill a Ranger. Utley breaks in and says, Oh that's okay. They were scared that the racist rangers would have hung them.
The Brownsville incident, where the black Army troops shoot up the town? Utley concurs that they probably did it--but, the town was full of racists, so they were justified.
Every single event involving the Rangers in this book is written off as racist fervor. This PC attitude, frankly, is just sickening.
Only in the last few pages does Utley mention that we should keep an open mind about the subject; but by then, the reader has probably thrown the book away in disgust, or come out of it thinking the Texas Rangers were the militant wing of the KKK.
A rip roaring account.......2005-01-18
For those who know little of the rangers but are western enthusiasts or simply interested in the American West, this is a wonderful action packed rip roaring account of the Texas rangers. The volume spands the time frame from Texas independence in 1836 through to the 1900s. The Mexican war is covered as are conflcits with Mexican bandits, and the Comanches, as well as the norms of frontier justice. This reads like a novel, but brought to you by famed historian Utley its all true and what more the writing is fantastic. This makes a wonderful present.
Seth J. Frantzman
Book Description
Brassey's presents the candid and revealing wartime memoir of the twenty-nine year-old man who became South Korea's first four-star general. With photographs and a foreword by the commanders of U.S. forces in the war, Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway and Gen. James A. Van Fleet, FROM PUSAN TO PANMUNJON brings an unprecedented perspective to a cataclysmic war.
Customer Reviews:
Same War, Different Angle........2007-03-28
This is a fairly important book to anyone interested in the Korean War. General Yup was South Korea's first four star general and was a field commander of various units during the war.
What makes this book important is that it covers the same war as many other books, but that it is written not from an American viewpoint but from the view of a soldier whose country was being attacked. This has made the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) through its Institute for Land Warfare put this title on their list of books that should be kept in print for study by AUSA members and others concerned about important issues.
This book was first published in 1992, the copies being sold by Amazon are reprints of the original book.
Excellent memoir and very insightful.......2006-06-26
This is an excellent autobiography. The General's career and development is amazing to have reached 4-Stars at such a young age. His modesty and emphasis on the South Korean Army's development into a complete military organization while at war is remarkable.
What makes this book sobering is when the General describes how thousands of South Koreans volunteered and were sent straight into combat with little training, only to quickly become casualties themselves, sacrificing their lives for their country. Another key item from the General's writing is how only after having the time to fully train, equip, and organize into Divisions with adequate firepower, were they able to successfully conduct offensive operations.
Bravery and courage helped them hold against the North Korean Communist attack along the desperate Pusan perimeter, but it was the firepower of the attached US artillery units that were supporting his South Korean Division that allowed them to counterattack successfully and reach Panmunjom.
The personal family dangers in war is also brought out where he writes about his family, who had to be left behind in Seoul, unable to flee when the North Koreans captured the city. The additional suffering of the civilian populace is also described in this book, caught trying to flee the Communist Army.
Highly recommended reading for the South Korean view of the war. Excellent insight into how important it is to have trained and properly equipped soldiers when fighting a war rather than relying on conscripted soldiers after war has started as the conscripted soldiers will suffer excessive casualties and deaths when fighting against a motivated, trained, and fully armed enemy.
Great look at the Korean Side of the conflict.......2006-01-19
I really enjoyed reading this book by probably the most celebrated Korean General of all time. While it is true that the Korean Army wasn't usually up to the standards of the American Army, Paik's units always seemed to be pretty close in every history of the war. Highly recommended book for anyone that wants to learn more about the Korean War.
The Korean War from the neglected South Korean Perspective.......2005-04-05
I'm glad I found this gem of a book. I've read more then a few Korean War books and they take a decidedly American point of view. It's not to say that this is wrong, but it's certainly unbalanced. Many of these other books go on to describe the ROK army as cowardly, unreliable and prone to breaking. Finally there is a Korean commander that puts the record straight.
Yes, it was true that the ROK army at the time were not up to American Army standards, but it's not fair to put the same expectations on them. It doesn't take a genius to know what happens when militia goes against a heavily equipped professional army head-to-head in the open field. Militia loses every time, just look at how the British man handled continental armies in the first few years of the Revolutionary War. In 1950 the ROK army was the equivalent of a militia as it was very much under equipped, with no armor, air force and very little artillery (some 60mm and 80mm mortars and a few light 105mm pieces).
The U.S. had purposely left the ROK army under equipped and it was designed from the ground up as a lightly armed anti-guerilla force. The ROK army had a very poor junior officer corps, there was not school to train junior officers. The U.S. was too preoccupied in rebuilding Japan and sent very limited funds to South Korea. Proper equipment was not sent, no school for junior officers was established. Anyone who knows something about military matters knows that the backbone of an effective army are the junior officers, the lieutenants, captains and majors that lead the troops into the teeth of enemy fire. The North Korean Army (NKA), on the other hand, had an effective junior officer corps because many of the veterans were anti-Japanese guerilla fighters. Furthermore, the Russians supplied NKA with T-34 tanks, YAK fighter bombers, 155mm artillery, etc. Heavy artillery, tanks and close air support gave the NKA heavy offensive power.
It is not mentioned very often, but American trooped faired NO BETTER against the NKA during the first few months of the war. 24th ID troops ran from their positions when their antiquated WWII era bazookas just scratched the paint off NKA T-34s. It was carrier based air power that saved the Americans from being overrun.
General Paik tells stories of desperate battles, where ROK soldiers wrapped satchel charges around their bodies and threw themselves in suicide missions onto NKA tanks. ROK soldiers did the best they could with the weapons and training they had on hand. General Paik provides a fair and often underappreciated reason for why ROK units faired badly in the early part of the Korean War. As far as I'm concerned, any student of the Korean War cannot consider himself a expert unless he's read Paik's book. It is wrong to not put into consideration the viewpoint of the nation that contributed the most manpower and had the most casualties of all the UN forces. No Korean War library can be considered complete without this book (how many Korea War books have a glowing foreword by Mathew B. Ridgeway himself, huh?).
General Paik Sun Yup was the 29 year old commander of the ROK 1st division. The 1st ROK division had the distinction of the only ROK unit that never retreated from their positions without orders. It was also the only ROK unit that was attached to a U.S. Army Corp for the duration of the war and given tasks expected of a regular U.S. infantry division. General Paik was adamant about the fact that given the proper artillery, armor and air support, the 1st ROK division always performed as well, if not better then any regular U.S. infantry division. The 1st ROK also had the distinction of being the first UN unit to enter Pyongyang, beating several better equipped U.S. units in the race to the NK capital.
A different perspective on the war in Korea.......2000-05-15
General Paik's work stands out among the many works on the Korean War because of his focus on the operations of the Republic of Korea (ROK) forces. Highly recommended to readers looking for information that goes beyond the American contributions to the struggle. The operational details and accounts of the interaction of American and ROK commanders are fascinating. The book suffers slightly from a lack of detailed maps that assist readers in following the movements of the oppossing forces.
Book Description
This vivid, panoramic history continues the exciting story begun in Wilderness at Dawn, tracing through the eyes--and adventures--of ordinary people the saga of the settlement of the United States. "Embraces the texture and the drama of the West in all its heartbreak and heroism".--Booklist. Photos & maps.
Customer Reviews:
The Birth and Adolescence of a Nation!.......1999-08-23
I have never read a book by Ted Morgan (or his previous incarnation as Sacha de Gramont - note the anagram!) that was not well-written, entertaining and highly informative. He writes about a very wide range of topics and it seems to be impossible to guess what his next work will deal with. This excellent book describes the process whereby the areas west of the Appalacians that became United States post-1800 were initially acquired, how they were incorporated as Territories and finally, how they achieved full statehood. The sequence would be interesting, but presumably familiar, for most US citizens, but for the non-North American the story is totally fascinating. Morgan does not just deal with the official governmental processes but also with the human and sociological aspects of the settlement and development of these vast areas. He intertwines a huge number of personal reminiscences - ranging from the heroic to the tawdry, from the tragic to the hilarious, from the inspiring to the outright indecent - into his narrative, such that it the story comes alive. Having read the book right through once with great pleasure, I find it afterwards to be a splendid tome to dip into at spare moments. It's an excellent bedside companion or a gift for a historically-oriented friend. Practically every page is a delight.
Book Description
A tribute to one of the top fighter aces of the World War II, this new full length biography appears here in its first edition. Marseilles' wartime exploits are legendary with the 158 aerial victories, including 17 in one day. He was, and still is, considered by many of the Luftwaffe aces to be the premier fighter pilot of the Luftwaffe-all before the age of twenty-three. Also chronicled is the combat life of JG 27, Marseilles' unit, and the various personalities throughout the North African campaign.
, over 200 b/w photos, 8 1/2" x 11"
Customer Reviews:
Dynamite Biography!.......2007-06-05
Buy this book...you won't be disappointed! Schiffer Publications alone just about assures that the book will be a class act, and this one is no exception. Beautiful dust cover from artist Jerry Crandall. This is the first book I've read by Franz Kurowski, but it won't be the last. Translated beautifully by Don Cox with none of the awkwardness you sometimes encounter. I like pictures. I like a lot of pictures. I like pictures that aren't redundant from other books. This book covered all bases. There are more than enough pictures, even for me, to rest your eyes upon as you read this splendid book. I'm particularly impressed with the photographs taken of Marseille's crashed plane, as well as those of his body (which was tastefully handled). Marseille's childhood and early military career on quickly glossed over, but this has no impact on what we all buy the book for...to learn more of the greatest pilot and personality of the North African Campaign...The Star of Africa.
Good.......2007-05-26
I purchased this book after reading about other Fighter Aces and realised that the allied forces during WW2 never had Aces as good or as well known as Galland, Molders and Marseille. This book is easy to read gives family history, his first combat missions, transfer to Africa and his rise to become one of the Worlds Greatest Fighter Aces. The book doesn't just concentrate on Marseille shooting down planes but gives a balanced view including him being in constant trouble with his superiors, reputation as a bit of a bragger but his Commanding Officer saw this as insercurity he apparently even bedded a starlet of the time, the book gives an overall picture of the African campaign and how Marseilles Squadron fitted into the overall picture, has enough pictures to give the reader a feel of the African Campaign and the major players without turning into a picture book.
Good reading.......2007-01-05
I am pleased to have bought this book. It gives a detalied description of Marseille`s life. There are allsow nice pictures included in the book. The detailed history gives a clear picture of the fighting in the desert war.
genius air fighter.......2006-10-23
I have finished in three days. The book is excellent. Marseille left great impression to me not as only virtuoso air fighter but as a great human person as well. Maseille's great spirit is whole involved here. I can fully recommend to those who have not read this book yet.
Great book ,poorly organized dropping from five to three........2006-02-25
This could have been one of the best WW II books to come out. I have a collection of over 300 covering all wars from the civil war. I have read approx. 1500 more. This book has all the facts at hand, but the presentation lacked flow. The book had great pictures that helped to keep track of the events. The writer jumped around like a flea on a hot plate. I would love to see the life of one of the greatest fighter pilots of any war in a pocket book by a author like Tolliver, Alexander Mc Kee or Edwin P. Hoyt who can make the story flow. I waited many years to get this book so it was a great disappointment in its present form. Still its the best on the market for the life of the Star Of Africa. Less pictures of Marseille and more of the aircraft used in Africa would have helped also.
Book Description
In Reaching for the Stars , Mary Roslin Williams analyzes what qualities make a good breeder and the problems they have in reaching the top of their field.
Customer Reviews:
What an amazing book!.......2004-06-25
I cannot more highly recommend this book if you are interested in breeding or showing Labradors. It is a godsend! Every Lab fancier should read this book. It made me seriously rethink my decision to show and breed Labradors, and I definitely recommend it to novice exhibitor and expert breeder alike.
Reaching for the Stars - a Must Have for the serious breeder.......2003-08-25
Finally, a dog breeding book that goes beyond the more simplistic aspects of dog breeding. This book breaks breeders into seven categories, from beginner through top breeder and outlines the pitfalls encountered at each level and what it takes to become a good or top breeder. The author is not concerned with the how-tos of breeding a litter, rather she concerns herself with the topics of why breeders fail and leave the sport, how to keep your kennel size manageable and how to breed a Labrador that is as at home in the field as it is in the showring.
This book was incredibly helpful and insightful, although one has to overcome the author's incredible bias towards the British, while condemning the Continental and American ways of doing things at every turn.
I would sincerely recommend this book to anyone who has already read the "how to" books and is looking for more in-depth information about other aspects of breeding.
Reachign For The Stars.......2001-06-28
Excellant view of breeding in England. If you are considering becoming a breeder this will make you look at some hard choices you may have to make about keeping your own stock down to a manageable number.
A great read, the author is obviously an expert in her field and an entertaining writer too.
If your looking for genetics info it isn't here, this book is written from an older pre-genetic perspective.
A "Must Have" for the serious dog fancier........2001-03-14
If you could only have one book to guide you as a serious breeder and/or canine judge, this would be it! All the knowledge, experience and wisdom is contained in this one book and all you have to do is absorb it. Don't be put off by her Laborador Retriever background, the information pertains to all breeds. I only wish I had read this book 10 years ago.
A facinating read and highly informative.......2000-04-20
Learing about the five stages of the development of a dog breeder and exhibiter was mind boggling. Mary Roslin Williams is an excellent story teller and her knowledge cuts across all breeds. With the added information bringing the book up-to-date and adding famous dogs and breeders from around the world has made this book even more valuable.
Book Description
Is Yoda a Zen Master? What might Jedi training be like? Are the adventures of Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader part of a spiritual epic? The answers—as well as humor, excitement, and much more—are here. The Dharma of Star Wars' cover promises a fresh and fun take on the films that have so captured the public's imagination, and its pages do not disappoint. Author Matthew Bortolin is a self-professed Star Wars geek (and, proud of it!), as well as a member of the Buddhist community of the teacher and bestselling author, Thich Nhat Hanh. Here, Bortolin casts a light on the timeless qualities and the wisdom to be found in George Lucas' already-classic film series. The result is a rollicking and eye-opening read sure to edify, and most of all, entertain—just like Star Wars itself.
Customer Reviews:
Dharma and the Force.......2007-08-17
I just finished reading The Dharma of Star Wars. Before I procrastinate let me write a bit about this book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this; a very engaging introduction to both Star Wars and Buddhism. Both are subjects that I was not very familiar with, so it was educational for me and others will likely learn from it as well. A recurring idea throughout the book is that we all have both good and evil in us. This idea is also found in the teachings of Christ as illustrated in Matthew 7:1-5 where Jesus talks about trying to remove a speck from another person's eye while you have an even bigger thing in your own eye. Another idea was that we are all simultaneously both victims and perpetrators of evil; which from my own observations, I would totally agree.
May the Tatagata be with you........2007-06-15
A dedicated Buddhist practitioner won't be offput by the news that author Matthew Bortolin owns a set of Jedi robes. It's hardly unusual for a Buddhist to own ritual attire anyway. Bortolin is a Jedihead. He's also a member of Thich Nhat Hanh's Buddhist community.
At first it seems like THE DHARMA OF STAR WARS is short on Dharma and long on STAR WARS. There are 150 or so direct references to STAR WARS in the first thirty pages (count them!). Some of them are gratuitous ("Your mind, like an out-of-control podracer..."). By the end of the first chapter---Okay! We get it! This book uses the STAR WARS universe as a paradigm!
It's clear that Mr. Bortolin must have written Chapter One last. A college student swigging caffeine drinks trying to stay awake all night to write a term paper will be as tweaked as Bortolin is seemingly tweaked on STAR WARS. It's understandable. Matthew Bortolin must have watched each STAR WARS movie scores of times and spent countless hours in study, in rewriting, and in meditation to create this book, which is clearly a labor of love. Fortunately, Mr. Bortolin must have been drinking decaf throughout most of the writing process. His ability to tie sometimes unfamiliar Buddhist ideas to sometimes obscure incidents in the STAR WARS scripts is quite an accomplishment.
Getting past the first chapter, we discover that THE DHARMA OF STAR WARS is a thoughtful, intelligent, well-written generalist explanation of basic Buddhist concepts. Bortolin uses well-chosen incidents from the STAR WARS films (and books) to colorfully illustrate and explain such Buddhist core concepts as Karma, Nirvana, meditation, Dharma, and the Five Aggregates (also known as the Five Conditions or Five Skandhas).
Mr. Bortolin avoids using much "foreign" Buddhist terminology and doesn't reference the Heart Sutra or any of the other thousands of Buddhist writings. Far more importantly, he refuses to get lost in windy theoretical discussions. Sitting meditation (zazen) is referred to throughout as "sitting meditation." "Monkey Mind" becomes "Jar Jar Mind" (very appropriately!). Let us thank the Maker that Bortolin isn't interested in being a Buddhist recruiter. Rather, he wants the reader unfamiliar with Buddhism to use its concepts and precepts in a practical fashion to live mindfully. If references to Luke, Leia, Darth, and The Force do it, that's just fine by him.
The end of THE DHARMA OF STAR WARS has a section called "The Padawan's Handbook." A collection of aphorisms, thoughts, affirmations, and Buddhist (and other) commentaries rewritten in the STAR WARS idiom, "The Padawan's Handbook" is an intelligent guidebook to issues confronting us all as human beings. Each line in "The Padawan's Handbook" is a meditation in and of itself.
Perhaps Mr. Bortolin should consider expanding this section into an independent volume. And why hasn't George Lucas endorsed this project?
Gassho, Mr. Bortolin, and I look forward to hearing from you again.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS
Uses as a basic philosophy text.......2007-04-01
This little gem of a book captures what many of us enjoyed most about the eastern spiritual subtext to the Star Wars Series.
This was a long overdue addition to other published insights into the deeper levels of the Star Wars Series.
It has also been used in several colleges in Philosophy 101 as an introduction to eastern thought and meditation.
One need not be Buddhist to appreciate the author's keen grasp of esoterica mixed with jovial delivery.
Katherine Rosengren
War Rots Slave I.......2006-05-14
Several people have commented on the excessive number of typos in The Dharma of Star Wars. As the author, I must take complete responsibility for any mistakes-no one else is to blame. However, I'd hoped that the number of typos would have given some clue to their purpose. To be exact, there are ten. Ten, think Roman Numerals. Now, enumerating the English alphabet and applying it to the spelling miscues one should come up with a certain number. Employing a standard, high-school level calculation (if one considers the dynamics of the Skywalker family the exact operation should be obvious) you will derive another number. The key to the whole puzzle is the eleventh typo, which isn't truly a typo, but rather a miscredit-an intentional mistake that should stand out like an Imperial Walker on the north ridge to any Star Wars fan. With the final number and the key you will be able to access the most esoteric and shocking secret known to humanity. Safe-guarded by Buddhists for nearly two and a half millennia and revealed only to those who have proven themselves through years of blood-perspiring training and mind-bending meditative labor, this astounding mystery could be known to you if only you can crack the code!
Disclaimer: No ill-will was intended by this "review"-it is offered in good-humor. darthmatt dot com.
Who edited this book?.......2006-05-01
A great beginner book on Buddhism and for fans of Star Wars like myself. My only gripe about this book was the extreme number of typos and one trivia error.
Average customer rating:
- SHAT-NER! SHAT-NER! SHAT-NER!!!
- Why Is That Monster Asking These Questions?
- Self Deprecating Prose, Or An Apology?
- "This really is William Shatner, and I stink!"
- Funny book about facing reality
|
Get a Life! (Star Trek)
William Shatner
Manufacturer: Atria
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0671021311 |
Amazon.com
For years, William Shatner's attitude toward Star Trek conventions was strictly professional: he'd typically fly in the day of his appearance, go straight from the airport to the stage, and then leave as quickly as possible. But when he went on an extensive tour to promote Generations, he became "Ebenezer Scrooge on Christmas morning." Soon he was talking to fellow cast members, convention organizers, and the fans themselves, discovering how love of a science fiction show had helped create a tight-knit community.
In the course of this book, Shatner gives us a short history of Trek fandom, reveals the thinking behind Paramount's decision to kill off James T. Kirk, briefly explains the origins of the infamous Saturday Night Live sketch that gives the book its title, holds a seminar with the three other starship captains, and even takes lessons on the proper way to imitate Kirk from the master, Kevin Pollak, an actor/comedian. (Among the insights gained: those dramatic pauses in Kirk's speeches were the result of Shatner trying to remember his next line.) And there are plenty of jokes at the expense of Leonard Nimoy, as well as a few skewering Shatner. (The "elephant story" is a classic in itself. Once, when Shatner was on a photo safari in Africa, an elephant did number two on his head. He tells the story at cons, and the fans seem to love it, for some reason.) But the most touching segments of Get a Life! are Shatner's interviews with the fans, particularly those to whom the show and the fan community have given a social and emotional lifeline. Once you've read the conversations with the shy veterinary student who made friends by dressing his cats in Star Trek uniforms, or with a young woman whose severe emotional and sexual trauma had led to the development of multiple personalities that included three healing presences in the form of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, you will never be able to make a Trekkie joke quite so readily again. --Ron Hogan
Book Description
Get A Life! with the possible exception of "Beam me up, Scotty," is clearly the most repeated catchphrase in the history of Star Trek®. Poking fun at Star Trek's gung-ho fans and conventions in a now infamous Saturday Night Live sketch, William Shatner's comic rallying cry has been indelibly emblazoned into the collective psyche of trekkers everywhere. Through the years, the phrase has spurred laughter, anger, controversy, and far more than its fair share of debate. It's now also given birth to an honest, sentimental, insightful book.
Uncomfortable with speaking onstage, William Shatner had spent the better part of the previous quarter century steadfastly avoiding convention appearances. However, to publicize the release of Star Trek Generations, Shatner agreed to a rare series of speaking engagements at Star Trek conventions around the globe. He was jolted by an unavoidable dose of reality.
Shatner was met with wild enthusiasm, love, and good humor at convention after convention. Touched and fascinated, he was overwhelmed with the realization that in almost three decades of starship hopping, he'd never really taken the time to enjoy or understand Star Trek's fans or their conventions. That's when the light bulb clicked on; that's when "Captain Kirk" dove headfirst into action.
For the past several years, William Shatner has been treating each Star Trek convention like an enormous research project. Interviewing fans, dealers, fellow castmembers, convention organizers, and promoters -- even going undercover beneath alien makeup -- Shatner's been scouring convention floors. Having grilled trekkers and trekkies in all corners of the planet, Shatner's had his eyes opened and his mind boggled. He's amassed a small mountain of research material, and cultivated his findings in Get A Life!
This is a first-person journey of discovery told with self-deprecating wit, unflagging honesty, and his trademark enthusiasm and humor. Get a Life! tells William Shatner's own story of how the actor who played the now deceased starship captain, James T. Kirk, can finally come to grips with his past, his fans, their love, and his own intergalactic legacy.
Customer Reviews:
SHAT-NER! SHAT-NER! SHAT-NER!!!.......2007-03-21
Funny, witty, creative, insightful, deep hearted, informative..etc. So many differnet terms you can use to describe this very enjoyable write up by the former Admiral Kirk himself.
This late 1990's book takes the reader through a wide variety of emotions, knowledge and underground information when dealing with all things that go on at the various and too many to count "Star Trek Conventions" around the country and even the world. William Shatner has always been facinated by the type of people that show up at the various conventions, dressed up like characters on the show and worshipping every word he has to say as if it was from the mighty ship captain himself. But one thing Mr. Shatner never did, was actually focus on what was going on around him. He would fly into the location, quickly be escorted in right before he was to speak, do his 45 minute talk to the crowd quickly, wave goodbye and get his pay check and head back home and do it again when he was up to it. That was all it was to him. But suddenly the Captain was killed off in Star Trek: Generations and had no more TV shows to do. Now he was being booked to more conventions then ever, and thats when he realized, that he had never even understood the people that he was addressing all of these times. That was until he decided to write this book and quite a book it is.
You will go through the entire gambit of emotions with this book. It is never nasty or spiteful. If anything William is very humble and seems to be genuine in his hopes to learn about the fans and the conventions that he has always thought was just full of crazy fans who need to "Get a Life" as he famously said on the just as famous Saturday Night Live skit so many years ago. Mr. Shatner has a way of being friendly, down to Earth and talks in this book not as a serious author, but as the same William Shatner we have always seen and heard everytime we see him. He learns everything there is to learn about the people who go to these conventions. The types of things they buy. The types of costumes they wear. The history of how the conventions started in the first place. Talks a lot about things that he himself has to deal with when associating with the fans. Answers a lot of questions he has been asked over the years. And even has some very touching and deep moments when some of the fans are explaining why they love Star Trek so much. It is quite surprising when you hear some of the answers they give and how much the show and entire series really means to them.
This is a must read to anyone who is into Star Trek, gone to a convention or just enjoys learning more about the Star Trek fan base and history. It is quite informative and just very interesting. William even goes undercover in a mask at various points so no one will know that thier beloved captain is walking amongst them and has some interesting revelations as he observes first hand what is going on at the various tables, shows and speaker sessions that each convention is made up of. I really couldn't put this book down. The moment I started reading it I was hooked and I'm not even that big a Trekie. I never even been to a convention and still haven't even seen every episode. But something drew me into this book which really just had a very high intrest level that won't bore you for a moment. The interviews are short and sweet and the humor constant and even gets in a few moments to poke fun at a certain Mr. Nemoy who Shatner has kept close contact with over the years.
I really was quite surprised in all honesty at how good this book was. We all know the image we have of Shatner. Being a hammy, over acting so and so who steals lines, talks in huge pauses and seems to eat up the screen time. And he freely admits to or even tries to explain all of these views people have on him without holding back any shame of admiting truths or non-truths to us. But after reading this book you are almost humbled and regretful that you even thought of him in that way. He truly shows a new side of him that you never expected. It is not often that actors on a TV show would even care to learn more about their fans or the people that worship them so dearly. I will definitely be reading this book again soon enough just to see what I missed and to laugh yet again. Some of the stories and situations are just laugh out loud moments that you can't believe you are reading. He doesn't hold anything back and you really get a new respect for the man we had watched in various movies and television episodes over the years. Most of all he has always cherished and loved the fact that he played Captain Kirk and doesn't run away from the fact of what people percieve him as any longer.
Anyone who is into Star Trek or even those non-Trek fans who want just a nice light read when they have read all the deep Non-Fiction pieces out there.. has to read this book. I can promise you, it will be a pure enjoyment and enlightening experience that will break some of the images and stereotypes the majority of people have had over the fanatic fans who frequent these conventions. The only complaint I had was I wanted even more. It just never seemed enough. The captain may have died in the movies but this book is proof enough he isn't going anywhere any time soon. He will be with the Trek fans for a very long time to come. And I think we should all be very nervous for that fact as he will be watching from now on.
Why Is That Monster Asking These Questions?.......2006-10-05
The book title comes from a bit William Shatner performed on Saturday Night Live where he bellows out the line when the audience at a Star Trek convention gets a little....well, out of the galaxy.
It started an oftentimes silly debate on whether Shatner actually meant what he said, with fans lining up in several camps of thought. Shatner had avoided appearing at the ever-popular conventions and books by other castmembers were none-to-kind at times to the fine captain.
But as anything in the entertainment business, never means never doubt that things can change. Shatner agreed to promote Star Trek Generations through a series a speaking engagements. And this is where his humor takes over.
Shatner takes a basic premise - chronicling the phenomena of Star Trek through fans, castmembers, memorabilia dealers and convention promoters - and turns it into an event shrouded in mystery; he dons a monster outfit and sets out to interview folks at the conventions.
The pictures are priceless and the text not only gives the reader a true appreciation on what the series has meant to so many people, but how the research gave Shatner a vehicle to come to terms with the legacy he left through the TV series and movies.
Self Deprecating Prose, Or An Apology?.......2006-04-06
The first chapter where he describes the death of Kirk's character and the author's interviews were the most entertaining. The author using plenty of humor admits that for ages he was clueless about what "Star Trek" truly meant to the shows fans. This part gets a little erratic. But, he gives numerous examples of how he learned to appreciate both the fans and the show that made him famous.
"This really is William Shatner, and I stink!".......2005-01-03
The man who popularized the phrase, "Get a life!" writes a book to deal the dirt on those people for whom the expression most applies. It sounds like a wacky idea, but it actually turned out quite well. William Shatner and his co-author Chris Kreski have a pleasant, enjoyable, breezy prose style and what they're talking about it actually interesting. There's an entire strange sub-culture that goes on in science fiction fandom and it's fascinating to get a peek at it. Unfortunately, since this comes from William Shatner, it's not going to get at the darker side (through no fault of the author), but for what it is, it succeeds.
First of all, I should state that while I'm a fan of (a few of) the Star Trek series, I'm not terribly big into fandom. So while I'm certainly not ignorant of the vocabulary, I was a bit fuzzy on the details. But once the stories and the backstage secrets are revealed, well, it turns out there aren't that many big surprises. Shatner may have been astonished to learn that fans were as interested in hanging out with each as with the "stars", but it shouldn't come as a shock to most other people.
The book is more a journey of exploration than a straightforward journalistic look at fandom. The journey belongs to William Shatner. Apparently at one time he was famous among fan-circles for arriving shortly before his appearances, saying a few quick words and then counting his money on the next flight out of town. But after his character was killed off in one of the Star Trek movies, he decided to take a closer look at what went on at the convention scene.
GET A LIFE! begins with a potted history of organized Star Trek fandom. Given that Shatner freely admits to have had nothing at all to do with that, I can only assume that this portion of the book was researched by either Shatner or Kreski. Although the progression isn't exactly unexpected, I enjoyed reading about how it came about.
The book then moves into Shatner's relationship with fandom. Moving from his aforementioned "take the money and run" approach to gradual curiosity to understanding, reading his journey is quite interesting to see how someone from outside looks in.
Now, human nature being what it is, we can gather that not everything is warm hugs and embraces within fandom. I'm no fool; a quick look around the Internet can bring up thousands of flame-wars, feuds, angry grudges, various "he said / she said" battles and, in some extreme cases, lawsuits and restraining orders between various members of fandom. The book never gets into this topic, which I found a bit of a disappointment.
The portrayal of fandom is almost overwhelmingly positive. Lip service is paid to the looniest aspects - the folks who dress in Star Trek uniforms to inappropriate venues - but for the most part, anything negative is glossed over. The reasons for this rest on the author. I imagine it must be virtually impossible for William Shatner to go to a convention and not be greeted by a venerable wall of yes-men who happily tell him that everything is running fine, everyone connected with the organization is well liked and that there's nothing bad going on at all.
Still, despite possible inaccuracies and/or omissions, I did enjoy reading this one. It's funny, amusing and quick to read. There are numerous unrelated anecdotes, but I didn't find them at all distracting. Overall, I liked reading this. It's not the deepest sociological study you'll ever read, but the look it takes at certain individual fans is especially interesting. The thought of William Shatner donning a latex match and wandering through the dealers room to do research is certainly an amusing idea.
Funny book about facing reality.......2004-10-06
William Shatner's love hate relationship with the show that made him famous or notorious depending on his mood under went a strange metamorphic change that came ironically after his character was killed off in Generations movie (Star Trek VII).
Shatner's book tell that story of his changing attitude toward Star Trek, its fanatic fans and the phenomenon that the show created all over the world. Its well written, often filled with humor as he reflects on what he have learned since his changed of heart. It also a great book since it deal with coming to terms with his past and how it was all catching up to him. I think Shatner finally began to realized that no matter what he does for the rest of his life, he will always be connected with Star Trek, always be known as "Captain James T. Kirk of the Starship Enterprise" and that the way it will be long after he's dead and buried.
So with that in mind, this book comes recommended. Its story of William Shatner and not Star Trek in general. He writes on his experiences regarding the phenomenon he helped create over 37 years ago and how he think about it when he wrote the book. (I thought his impression on autographs was very interesting.)
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