Book Description
On December 16, 1944, the vanguard of three German armies, totaling half a million men, attacked U.S. forces in the Ardennes region of Belgium and Luxembourg, achieveing what had been considered impossible -- total surprise. In the most abysmal failure of battlefield intelligence in the history of the U.S. Army, 600,000 American soldiers found themselves facing Hitler's last desperate effort of the war.
The brutal confrontation that ensued became known as the Battle of the Bulge, the greatest battle ever fought by the U.S. Army -- a triumph of American ingenuity and dedication over an egregious failure in strategic intelligence. A Time for Trumpets is the definitive account of this dramatic victory, told by one of America's most respected military historians, who was also an eyewitness: MacDonald commanded a rifle company in the Battle of the Bulge. His account of this unique battle is exhaustively researched, honestly recounted, and movingly authentic in its depiction of hand-to-hand combat.
Mingling firsthand experience with the insights of a distinguished historian, MacDonald places this profound human drama unforgettably on the landscape of history.
Customer Reviews:
The Comprehensive Account of the Battle of the Bulge.......2006-11-06
Charles MacDonald, a veteran of the Battle of the Bulge and later an official historian for the U.S Army, wrote "A Time for Trumpets" as the comprehensive account of that battle. MacDonald covers the battle from the foxhole to the highest headquarters on the Allied and German sides.
In late 1944, Hitler's armies were in retreat across Western Europe, only able to consolidate a defensive line at the German frontier thanks to the fact that Eisenhower's Allied Expeditionary Force had outrun its own supplies. Hitler gambled much of his remaining military resources on a lightning counter-offensive through the difficult terrain of the Ardennes to cripple the Allied armies and restore the military balance in the West.
As MacDonald recounts, the Allies had been lulled into dangerous complacency in the Ardennes sector and were taken badly by surprise. MacDonald's theme is how individual American units, often at great odds, nevertheless stood their ground and slowly fought the German offensive to a standstill, and eventually retook the area known as the Bulge. While famous units such as the 101st Airborne Division get their due, MacDonald does a superb job of capturing the action from the perspective of a variety of participants on both sides as the battle unfolded. Of note are the accounts from the green and unlucky 106th Infantry Division, many of whose small units fought surprisingly well despite being bypassed and cut-off in the opening hours of the German offensive. MacDonald also captures the fierce infighting at the Allied Command level, as Eisenhower's efforts to stem the tide in the Ardennes triggered a crisis of command among Allied leaders.
At over six hundred pages, MacDonald's account is not only exhaustive but verges on exhausting. The dedicated reader will be rewarded with an excellent account of the battle that holds up extremely well despite its 1984 publication date.
Outstanding Read........2005-06-03
I purchased this book in 1985 at the bookstore in the German Reichstag of all places. I was attending college in Germany and needed a good reference work on the battle prior to visiting Bastogne. This book more than fit the bill and prepared me well as my train traveled from Aachen along the Meuse to Namur, Liege, Libramont and finally to Bastogne.
One of the most interesting aspects of this particular work is that you quickly learn that the German timetable for success was disrupted right from the start. The American combat infantryman put up a serious fight from start to finish. MacDonald's accounts of indiviual American efforts, especially those of the CCR's is particularly informative.
Overall, just a great and interesting read.
Best Book on the Bulge from a Soldier Who Was There.......2005-06-02
This is considered one of the four great books on the Battle of the Bulge. The others are John Toland's Battle, Hugh Cole's official US Army History: The Ardennes: Battle of the Bulge and John Eisenhower's The Bitter Woods. I have read all but Hugh Cole's book and will review each of them.
If one wants to know what was happening at the individual soldier's level, this is the book. Charles B. MacDonald fought in the Battle of the Bulge as a company commander and wrote his personal account of the European Theater of War, Company Commander. He knows what it was like to fight in that bitter cold battle with units widely spread out. MacDonald was at the critical Elsenborn Ridge in the North and helped prevent the Germans from spreading and enlarging the Bulge.
His book takes you into action with the sometimes ragtag groups of units that fought overwhelming forces. In some cases platoons of around 20 men fought battalions of 500 and larger.
This detail requires the reader to really look at the many included maps to keep track of this battle that stretched almost 80 miles from north to south. While the other books mentioned above have details of individual soldiers fighting, this is the most extensive. It is about twice the size of John Toland's book.
MacDonald builds on and cites the earlier books by Toland and Eisenhower. Because his book came out around the 40th anniversary of the Bulge he was able to incorporate the information released on the German Enigma intercepts. While this information builds on how the Germans conducted the deception that led to the Bulge, it does not greatly change anything previously known. It is interesting, though. What did the intelligence officers really know?
Because MacDonald concentrated on the soldier level so much he does not concentrate as much on the senior leadership level as Eisenhower. He does have some telling comments on the issue of Field Marshall Montgomery's belief that he should take control of the entire ground battle from General Eisenhower, the overall commander. MacDonald generally demolishes Montgomery's arguments.
MacDonald also does not spend much time on the strategic context, before or after the battle.
If you are looking for the best book on the Battle of Bulge that gives you the view of the battle from the soldiers' level and someone who was there, A Time for Trumpets is the best book.
Battle of the Bulge comes to life in this book's pages.............2004-02-02
On December 16, 1944, elements of four German armies -- 14 infantry and five panzer divisions in all -- attacked part of the American First Army along an 80-mile front along Germany's border with Belgium and Luxembourg. The sudden and unexpected counteroffensive hit the Americans in an area the Allies thought would be a nice, quiet sector for combat-weary divisions to rest and refit while green divisions fresh from the States could be acclimated to life on the line: the dark and deep forests of the Ardennes. Planned and ordered by Adolf Hitler himself, this massive onslaught was launched with one objective in mind: penetrate the American lines, pass through the "impassable" Ardennes Forest, cross the Meuse River, and capture the vital port of Antwerp. At the very least, the Allied supply situation would deteriorate enough to slow the Anglo-American advance to the Reich's industrial heartland by a matter of months and buy time for Hitler and his tottering empire. At the very best, a German victory would split the Grand Alliance in three, trap the Anglo-Canadian 21st Army Group on the northern sector of the front, and the Fuhrer could attempt to convince the Soviets that further fighting was useless now that the Western Allies had been defeated at the Reich's very doorstep.
For a few snowy, foggy, and bitterly cold days, things seemed to be going Hitler's way. Caught off-guard by the sheer size of the counteroffensive, hampered by bad weather which prevented Allied air power to provide ground support to the tankers and infantrymen along the front, confused and misdirected by a small number of English-speaking German commandos wearing American uniforms, and, at some points along the 80-mile "Ghost Front," isolated, outnumbered, and forced to surrender, GIs fought a seemingly losing battle against hundreds of thousands of German soldiers. But even when some units panicked or were overrun, many American soldiers -- sometimes in dribs and drabs -- stood fast and delayed the enemy, giving Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, Allied Supreme Commander, and his generals valuable time to plan a riposte and turn what seemed to be a disaster into a strategic opportunity. And sure enough, after a month's of heavy fighting in the awful cold of a European winter, the German counteroffensive was slowed, halted, and gradually pushed back to where it had started.
The late Charles B. MacDonald, one of America's premier military historians and himself a company commander in the Ardennes campaign, captures the chaos, misery, bravery, and drama of the U.S. Army's largest battle in history in A Time For Trumpets: The Untold Story of the Battle of the Bulge. The author of such acclaimed works as Company Commander and The Mighty Endeavor, MacDonald uses his skills as a writer and his knowledge of the infantryman's combat experiences to paint a vivid picture of Hitler's last gamble to gain even a temporary victory in the West and the efforts of over 600,000 U.S. and several thousand British troops to contain the salient or "bulge" that gave the Ardennes counteroffensive its popular moniker.
A Time for Trumpets not only covers the well-known episodes of the small teams of German soldiers wearing American uniforms (they actually did very little material damage, but their very existence caused jumpy GI's to quiz each other about baseball teams, state capitals, even popular singers and bandleaders), the heroic stand of the 101st Airborne at Bastogne and the infamous Malmedy massacre, but delves into the Allies' biggest intelligence failure of the war and the bitter recrimination between British and American commanders when Eisenhower placed the northern half of the "bulge" under the command of Field Marshal Bernard L. Montgomery. Attention to detail is also given to the German high command's reluctance to execute Hitler's plan by the letter, knowing in their professional soldiers' hearts and minds that the Nazi dictator was overreaching.
Despite the complexity of the battle, A Time For Trumpets is highly readable and engrossing. There are helpful maps and many pages of photos to help the casual reader keep his or her bearings in this sprawling month-long battle, and the various appendices are valuable tools that illustrate the composition of a standard U.S. infantry regiment and the various Orders of Battle for the Allied and German forces engaged in the Battle of the Bulge.
SUPERB !!!!!!!!.......2004-01-20
FAR AND AWAY THE BEST BOOK I HAVE READ ON THE BULGE. IT GIVES AN OVERALL ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE,IT'S ORIGINS PRIOR TO IT'S EXECUTION,AND THE AFTERMATH,FROM BOTH A STRATEGIC AND TACTICAL VIEW.MACDONALD OBVIOUSLY DID HIS RESEARCH WELL. FOR AN OVERALL ACCOUNT OF THE U.S ARMY IN ACTION IN WW II, THIS IS THE BOOK YOU MUST HAVE.
Book Description
It began in the depths of the Cold War, with two nations hurtling steel chariots into the atmosphere, each vowing to be the first to the moon.Then, in 1961, John F. Kennedy challenged America -- and from Long Island to Cape Canaveral, Houston to Huntsville, an army of engineers, scientists, bureaucrats and astronauts were swept up into the effort. Somehow, America would put a man on the moon's surface and bring him back safely before the decade was over. But how?
For eight frantic years the engineers would design and redesign, the scientists would argue, and brave men would trust their lives to virtually untested machinery. This dramatic chronicle of the race to the moon takes us behind the scenes of this awesome quest, into the minds of the people whose lives were devoted to it and changed by it, and through the missions themselves -- including the tragedy of Apollo 13. A riveting portrait of ingenuity, determination, and raw human courage, Chariots for Apollo is the powerful story of how one society came together to reach its goal -- a quarter of a million miles away.
Customer Reviews:
Chariots for Apollo - The Making of the Lunar Module.......2002-06-05
This is a great book that is actually a perfect complement for the newly released 'Moon Lander' by Thomas Kelly.
I discovered this gem as originally released in 1985. The descriptions of subsequent releases have downplayed the fact that this is truly the story about building, testing, flying and living in the LEM.
It's great for spaceflight enthusiasts interested in Grumman's development of the LEM. Lots of great detail and drama.
I'd recommend for those who enjoy the NASA Mission Reports series.
The authors know the value of human drama.......2002-02-19
and don't shy away from infusing their history of the Lunar Module with emotion. I read this book years ago when the a subtitle prepared me for its "limited" scope. This is popular history, not academia, and hence it's a marvelous read. For anyone interested in the history of space exploration, this makes a fun summertime "beach book."
The Best "Untold Story" About the Space Race.......2002-01-31
The awe-inspiring successes of the Apollo program have unfortunately served to hide the tireless efforts of the armies of technicians that made it happen. "Chariots for Apollo" serves to correct that oversight. The Grumman "Iron Works" on Long Island, NY was home to the astounding Lunar Excursion Module, the world's first (and still only) true manned "spacecraft", and this is the unabridged story of how it came to be.
Although many books about the space program trumpet its triumphs, the costly human side of this colossal technological initiative, the ultimate goal of which was to beat the Soviets to the moon, is revealed here. In reading this book, one gets a palpable sense of the almost unbelieveable stresses borne by the bold scientists and engineers who took this monster on and made the dream a reality, and that their staggering achievements were not without penalty in human lives. The book pulls no punches in discussing the psychological costs to those involved in terms of broken families, alcoholism, suicide, and even cases where people literally died of exhaustion.
Interesting, easy-to-read technical anecdotes about how the the most revolutionary craft since the Wright Flyer was made, and how huge technical obstacles were surmounted with ingenuity, will interest and at times amuse the reader. In sum, the book covers both the technical and the personal well, but doesn't overwhelm with jargon, and leaves the reader feeling a glow of pride in their achievement. Highly recommended.
An incredible story well told..........2001-07-29
There are countless books chronicling the race to the moon and the triumphs of the Apollo program. Most of them are well worth reading too. Chariots sets itself apart though. Rather than celebrating the astronauts, or even the flight controllers and ground crews, Chariots goes behind the scenes at Grumman Aerospace Corporation, the company that won the contract to build the Lunar Module (LM). The reader sees firsthand the technical and engineering mountains that had to be scaled in order to make the moon landing possible. It's an incredible story full of pitfalls, heartbreaks (and a few heart attacks), breakthroughs, divorces and happy endings. Building the first (and so far only) spacecraft designed to land human beings on another world presented engineering challenges that had never been considered before, and Grumman rose to the challenge. An indispensable book for any amateur historian of the space age.
Fantastic, but needs a title change.......2001-02-02
Many, many fascinating details about the world's first true spaceship - the Apollo Lunar Module. This book is simply full of historical events described nowhere else, and anyone who has seen the Tom Hanks mini-series, "From the Earth to the Moon" can see exactly where all the Tom Kelly and John Houbolt dialogue came from in the Lunar Module episode. Strangely, "Chariots" teaches everything one needs to know about the basic principles of rocket science and even orbital mechanics - the first book I know of ever to do this in such visual, poetic language. Yet above all else, this is a book about the men and women who actually built the ship, entirely by hand, like a Stradivarius violin. It is a surprisingly human account and I think it will move readers to laughter and even to tears, even if they come to the story with very little interest in rockets and space. My only nit, like that of other readers, is that while "Chariots" is indeed a completely untold story, the title fails to suggest exactly what that story is. I would probably knock off a star if not for the fact that I know one of the authors (Stoff), who told me that the original sub-title, "The Making of the Lunar Module," went out to market correctly and actually saw print in the first edition - but that on the way to paperback, marketing people gave it a more broad-based sub-title, actually against the authors' will. I guess writers don't have as much control over their books as we think they do.
Book Description
Put yourself in the cockpit of the "Spirit" as it wings its way across the Atlantic toward Paris. Take part in the great receptions in France, England, Belgium, and back in the United States. Find out how the "Spirit" was fine-tuned and patched at every stop. Learn how the airplane was preserved after its flying career was over, and take a look at the many flying and non-flying replicas which are available to view across the country and around the world. 250 B&W photos.
Customer Reviews:
The Way It Was.......2006-02-21
Even today, almost 80 years afterwards, few do not know the legend of Charles Lindbergh and the Spirit of St. Louis, but the details of how the airplane was designed, built, tested and finally displayed in The Smithsonian are harder to find. Ev Cassagneres tells the story well, with enough technical background to satisfy the deeply interested, and with enough style to hold the attention of almost everyone else. The photographs and drawings, some rarely seen, are alone worth the price. The stories of some of the people involved add something missing in most other accounts.
Highly recommended to anyone interested in the story behind the story, and a true value in card covers.
A Magnificently Detailed History.......2004-02-01
The title of Ev Cassagneres' "The Untold Story of the Spirit of St. Louis" sounds presumptuous. What on earth could be written, new and enlightening, about one of history's most famous planes? Well, simply put, Cassagneres delivers on his boast. Within the 168 pages of this book are a treasure-trove of photographs, along with a highly detailed text which describes every aspect of the Spirit of St. Louis' career -- from construction to first flight, to record-setting flight, to world tour, to delivery at the Smithsonian, and then up to the present day. This book will answer every single question you ever had about the "Spirit", from the materials used to construct it, to the exact number of miles it flew prior to being stored at the NASM. Cassagneres, who spent over thirty-five years conducting interviews (with Lindbergh and others), examining the actual aircraft (the Smithsonian let him in the cockpit!), gathering photos (many never published before) and finding lost materials, deserves to be applauded for what amounts to THE definitive guide to one of history's great aircraft. Bravo! This book is a must-have if you are interested in the "Spirit", and makes a wonderful companion to Scott Berg's Pulitzer Prize winning book. It's also a terrific find if you are a modeler trying to find the most detailed description of the plane (at various stages of its career) in existence. I would also recommend it to anyone who is a student of history, not just simply because the book paints such a detailed portrait of both pilot and plane, but because it demonstrates so thoroughly the fact that complex historical items, such as the Spirit of St. Louis aircraft or the Enola Gay B-29, are constantly subject to change and modification -- not only during their useful lives but for many years thereafter. What is truly "authentic" about the "Spirit" hanging in the NASM, and what is not? It is a question which, thanks to Cassagneres' diligent effort, future generations will be able to answer.
Average customer rating:
- Witless and Tasteless
- Amateur Night at the Drag Show
- Unfortunately, you should not buy this book
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From Drags to Riches: The Untold Story of Charles Pierce (Haworth Gay & Lesbian Studies) (Haworth Gay & Lesbian Studies)
John Wallraff
Manufacturer: Harrington Park Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1560233869 |
Customer Reviews:
Witless and Tasteless.......2004-01-01
Charles Pierce did the get last laugh on his "friend," author Wallraff. This book is clearly an attempt for Wallraff to make some quick bucks and cash in on his relationship with Pierce. Wallraff drags (pun intended) up ancient, petty and no-so-petty arguments out of the distant past to discredit Pierce as a human being. Pierce would not the first show biz figure who didn't measure up so well offstage. How unfortunate that this book wasn't done as an in-depth examination of the California gay world through the eyes of those who were there. The publisher should be ashamed of themselves for putting this out--the editing is almost nonexistent, with lots of repetitive phrases and terrible journalism (Pierce's involvement in a tragic suicide is glossed over--surely some police records or newspaper reports exist). I like a juicy scene as much as the next guy, but the sexual interludes here are downright pathetic because they have nothing to do with Pierce's career and are only an exercise in badly written pornography. I am glad that I have my memories of Pierce, which I will cling to as some of the best nights I ever spent in cabarets. As for this book, I will remember it as one of the worst pieces of trash I ever wasted my money on.
Amateur Night at the Drag Show.......2003-10-09
Written by a long-time friend and fellow performer who seems to have serious unresolved issues about laboring in Pierce's shadow, this amateurish look at the famous entertainer isn't so much a cohesive biography as it is a haphazard memoir cobbled together from press clippings, boozy reminsces of barroom nights, transcripts of Pierce's act and excerpts from an autobiography Pierce never completed. Adding to the "kitchen sink" effect are a number of "fly-on-the-wall" descriptions of totally extraneous sexual interludes, that border on porn. For die-hard Pierce fans, this book is better than nothing. But not much.
Unfortunately, you should not buy this book.......2002-12-22
I wish I could recommend this book, but I cannot. I was left with the impression that the author was seeking his own 15 minutes of fame by writing this rather than trying to truly chronicle Mr. Pierce's life and career. If you feel you need to read this book, please save your money and get it from the library. Then, find a VHS copy of "Charles Pierce at the Ballroom" and enjoy Charles at his best.
Average customer rating:
- Excellent account but biased outlook
- A British civil war
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'45: Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Untold Story of the Jacobite Rising
Christopher Duffy
Manufacturer: Cassell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Similar Items:
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The Jacobite Wars
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Bonnie Prince Charlie: Charles Edward Stuart
ASIN: 0304355259 |
Book Description
The '45 Rising has been romanticised over the centuries in many books and films, and still arouses strong emotions in Scotland, but this is the first comprehensive history ever. It is based on original research in all available archives, including Swedish, French and German records. These make nonsense of the many popular histories based on self-serving accounts written by a few of the key participants. But it is no dry academic analysis. Christopher Duffy, the world's greatest authority on 18th century warfare, writes a vivid narrative that overturns many accepted 'facts' about The '45. His text is supported by numerous maps and a comprehensive guide to the key sites that can be visited today.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent account but biased outlook.......2006-08-25
Overall, I found Christopher Duffy's book on the Jacobite Rising of 1745 to be an excellent accounting of the events. The author reflects on his massive knowledge of 18th century warfare as he writes. He joined Stuart Reid in downplaying Lord George Murray while upgrading Prince Charles' abilities and leadership skills. The book reads like a revisionist point of view due to that stance. The author also considered all the options available to Prince Charles and his allies and discussed their options with clarity. The author's military aspects of the book proves to be superbly written, analysized and research. Its a thick book so military narrative proves to be detailed. The author also gives plenty of background material on Jacobites conspiracies prior to 1745 for a better understanding of the situation. The reader will get a clear and understandable perceptive of the military affair of the Jacobite revolt of 1745. In this aspects, the book is one of the best ever written.
Where I have a bone to pick with Mr. Duffy lies in his political assessment and his pro-Jacobite leaning reflecting that. While he's never openly biased regarding military matters, he seem to be very biased politically toward Charles and his Jacobite revolt. In choosing to called the British government troops and generals "Hanoverians" is pretty cheap and historically inaccurate. George II is second king of the new dynasty. His right to British kingdom is beyond doubt much like Henry V stood clear of his father, Henry IV who took the throne from Ricahrd II. Catholic House of Stuart have no true claims anymore and Jacobite forces were rebels forces fighting against a legal British government and her troops. Mr. Duffy also forgot (which seem bit weird to point this out) at what ease Prince Charles' grandfather, King James II was driven out from his throne during the Glorious Revolution of 1688. That itself should remind the author that Britain will never tolerate a Catholic ruler. Even if the Jacobite won London, chased George II out, it would only be matter of time before the nation aroused itself against a Catholic prince and then there will be another "Glorious Revolution". Outcome of the the 1745 revolt was doomed to began with. It was only matter of time. What surprised me a little is why someone like Christopher Duffy don't seem to understand that.
The book reflects strongly on the military aspects of the campaign but poorly on the political aspects due to the author's lack of perception. Considering that the author is considered to be one of the foremost historians of this period and an Englishman, I found his lack of perception puzzling. Still, the book come highly recommended because its more of a military history book and that is where the book remains strong. The political aspects appears to be reflect the author's personal opinion and thankfully, it not reflected too often in the book. "Hanoverian" term remains one of the consistence reminder of author's biased.
A well read individual on this subject should benefit greatly from reading this book. (I leaned toward 4 Stars instead of 3 due to military narrative of the book.)
A British civil war.......2006-07-09
Christopher Duffy has written a thorough and readable history of the Jacobite rising of 1745-6. He explains the historical context for the rebellion and in great detail describes the events and the battles which took place. In doing so he exposes many of the myths which have developed over time about Bonnie Prince Charlie, his army and his cause. Duffy shows that the Jacobites were made up of people from all over the British Isles not just Highlanders; that this was not straightforwardly a fight between England and Scotland, for many Scots supported the Hanoverians and many English supported the Stuarts. The rebellion was thus a British civil war, a conflict between dynasties.
One of the best aspects of the book is the analysis of how nearly the Jacobites succeeded. Duffy shows that the rising was not some hopelessly romantic, doomed from the start attempt to restore a lost cause. The Jacobites reached as far as Derby in the English Midlands and if they had pressed on to London, as Prince Charles wanted, they might have won. Duffy shows that there was little in their way, and that the outcome although far from certain, offered a realistic chance of success. The decision to retreat from Derby was therefore truly momentous for from that moment the rising was bound to fail eventually.
In his account it is clear where Duffy's sympathies lie, though he never ceases to be objective. It is obvious that he considers the Jacobite cause, of restoring the Stuarts, to be essentially just and that the George II, the Elector of Hanover was the real usurper. It is certainly true that "young pretender" had a better hereditary claim to the throne than the man who was sitting on it. In general Bonnie Prince Charlie comes out well from Duffy's account. He is shown to be an able military leader who inspired his forces and very nearly won a kingdom.
Duffy's book is well illustrated and has many useful maps. There are a number of typographical errors, but nothing that gets in the way of understanding the text. This is probably the best account of the '45 available, written by a military historian who really understands the period.
Average customer rating:
- The book is an absolute fraud.
- Untold?
- HigamBottom's Up!
- both barrels blazing
- actually should rate this less than 1 star
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Errol Flynn: The Untold Story
Charles Higham
Manufacturer: Dell Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
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ASIN: 0440123070 |
Customer Reviews:
The book is an absolute fraud........2005-04-23
This is one of the worst biographies ever written about Errol Flynn. The book is an absolute fraud. The information is mostly from Higham's paranoid imagination that see a Nazi under every rock. The author also has misquoted his so-called declassified documents in order to weave his many slanders and lies.
Untold?.......2004-07-13
Or rather Made Up. Higham's book is fully readable, but it lacks truth. Higham is probably the proto-James Ellroy, who takes real persons out of Hollywood history and wraps them in fiction.
This book is well written but that's it. The whole Nazi spy/homsexual angle has been exposed as a fraud by the late, great Tony Thomas. Do yourself a favor and borrow this book at the library if you want to read it. Don't buy it.
"It's not a book to be tossed aside lightly, but rather thrown with great force..." -(...)
HigamBottom's Up!.......2004-04-29
Another typical example of slandering a Celebrated person postmortem. The book is a load of Doggy-do. The author never allowed facts nor ethics to impede his need to jump on the "Make some dough by ripping a dead guy" modern bandwagon. Buy MY WICKED WICKED WAYS, or Errol Flynn: A Memior, or Errol Flynn: The Life and Career, or From a Life of Adventure, if you want to read about the real and Joyous, or even the real and not so joyous Flynn. I gave Higams book 1 star only because they did not have a lower rating.
both barrels blazing.......2002-11-11
The untold story is an eyepoping story about a bloke who lives life to the max.From the age of 5 on flynn took life by the balls .A cautionary tale about the use of drug and its distruction of potential for change .Flynn no doubt was a ... to a lot of people but at the nub hollowood bored him.Many fantasic tales of daring do this fella was no ...kisser.
actually should rate this less than 1 star.......2002-06-18
If you want a good book about Errol Flynn, DON'T buy this one. Higham belabors Flynn's supposed homosexuality and status as a spy ad nauseum - and with very little, if any at all, fact to back the allegations up. Most sources, when they're named at all, are dead now so they can't be questioned; very few paper references are cited; and the book sounds much more like a work of fiction than an autobiography. A much better book is the newest one, Inherited Risk, by Jeffrey Meyers.
Customer Reviews:
Overall, well-balanced and a worthwhile read.......1999-09-02
As a Diana-partisan, I was prepared to dislike this book because it was written by an author who is a friend of Prince Charles. To my delight, I found the book to be an interesting, even-handed account of the very human foibles of two people and not a biased excuse for Prince Charles. (Well, not quite--Benson did try that tired excuse that Diana tricked the naive Charles into marriage, but he made only the weakest attempt at it.) For that reason and for the interesting insight this book contains, I recommend it. The only reason why I didn't give the book a higher rating is the few minor factual errors that should have been caught by a good proof-reader knowledgeable in the history of the British Royal family.
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- Against All Odds: My Story
- Anesthesiologist's Manual of Surgical Procedures
- Braveheart
- Charles Faudree's French Country Signatu
- Coming Home to Myself
- Compilers: Principles, Techniques, and Tools
- Cordina's Royal Family: Gabriella & Alexander: Affaire Royale\Command Performance
- Critical Issues in Education: Dialogues and Dialectics
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- Red Carpets and Other Banana Skins: The Autobiography
- The Adventures of Robin Hood
- The Asian Monsoon
- The Dreams of Dragons: An Exploration and Celebration of the Mysteries of Nature
- Investing in Land: How to Be a Successful Developer
- Manage Your Time, Your Work, Yourself
- Exchange Rate Forecasting: Techniques and Applications
Battle: The Story of the Bulge
The Bitter Woods: The Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of Hurtgen Forest
The Battle Of The Bulge: Hitler's Ardennes Offensive, 1944-1945
American Experience: The Battle of the Bulge
