Book Description
New York Times columnist Frank Rich examines the trail of fictions manufactured by the Bush administration from 9/11 to Hurricane Katrina, exposing the most brilliant spin campaign ever waged.
When America was attacked on 9/11, its citizens almost unanimously rallied behind its new, untested president as he went to war. What they didn't know at the time was that the Bush administration's highest priority was not to vanquish Al Qaeda but to consolidate its own power at any cost. It was a mission that could be accomplished only by a propaganda presidency in which reality was steadily replaced by a scenario of the White House's own invention-and such was that scenario's devious brilliance that it fashioned a second war against an enemy that did not attack America on 9/11, intimidated the Democrats into incoherence and impotence, and turned a presidential election into an irrelevant referendum on macho imagery and same-sex marriage.
As only he can, acclaimed New York Times columnist Frank Rich delivers a step-by-step chronicle of how skillfully the White House built its house of cards and how the institutions that should have exposed these fictions, the mainstream news media, were too often left powerless by the administration's relentless attack machine, their own post-9/11 timidity, and an unending parade of self-inflicted scandals (typified by those at The New York Times). Demonstrating the candor and conviction that have made him one of our most trusted and incisive public voices, Rich brilliantly and meticulously illuminates the White House's disturbing love affair with "truthiness," and the ways in which a bungled war, a seemingly obscure Washington leak, and a devastating hurricane at long last revealed the man-behind-the-curtain and the story that had so effectively been sold to the nation, as god-given patriotic fact.
Customer Reviews:
Too much sarcasm.......2007-09-10
Too much sarcasm from start to finish. It's a far-left view of the Bush administration where author Frank Rich seems to be visibly upset at any Republican administration. He uses references to Jon Stewart's, The Daily Show along with Saturday Night Live numerous times to back his opinions on current political events. In my view, an author of his age background and experience should not have written this farcical, liberal montage of jabs at the office of the President of the United States. Better luck next time Frank.
BRAVO!! Succinct yet complete, and thoroughly absorbing........2007-08-23
By his piece-by-piece dismantling of the façade that is the Bush administration, Rich offers the most plausible and perhaps definitive explanation of Bush-Cheney-Rove & Co.'s rush to war, leaving an unparalleled trail of destruction - Manhattan, New Orleans, Iraq, our constitution and civil liberties, our treasury, our international prestige, and perhaps our way of life - so massive in scope we may never recover from the hubris, deception, cynicism, incompetence, and lawlessness wrought by this gang of crooks.
Approximately since LBJ, television has had the effect of focusing then magnifying the character flaws of our presidents, until, appropriately, professional actor Reagan came along and made the camera work for him. With personal guru Rove behind the curtain directing Bush's every move, word, and decision, W. shamelessly honed this skill to big-brother perfection, until the façade could no longer outpace the complete lack of substance - character, wisdom, intellect, ability - beneath. The consequences of Bush being so exceptionally unqualified for the ultimate responsibility he so unlikely attained became too much for even the Wizard to keep up the ruse. And it all came crashing down.
Rich also pays attention to the cultural context - our infinite indulgence for infotainment, the Enron values - that allowed these charlatans to lead us not just into temptation (endless wars, tax cuts and debt that will break us) but infernal damnation.
There's a case for impeachment and conviction on nearly every page. We can sit it out and pray that W. doesn't wreak more devastation before it's all over, or we can impeach him and Cheney now. That's assuming we can evict them both without them taking us down with them. More than Nixon and all the crooks before or since, these guys belong in prison.
Kudos to Rich for a thorough chronicle of our national nightmare since September 2001. Read it and weep for our country and all we've lost.
Hubris Without Limits.......2007-07-22
There can be little doubt that George W Bush is a lightweight. I can say this from a distance as I am not an American but simply an observer of events. It is a great shame that so many people judge America by his actions. This is most unfair. America is so much more than this simpleton.
I read "The Greatest Story Ever Sold" with keen expectations of gaining some insight to the machinations of American political life. Unfortunately, this was not to be the case. This book is very superficial. Even with the benefit of hindsight where we can see events with greater clarity than when they are actually unfolding, Frank Rich sheds little light on matters. This is unfortunate. He was working with such potentially great material.
We all know what a monumental error it was for Bush to land on an aircraft carrier with a "Mission Accomplished" sign in the background. This was hubris of immense proportions. A wiser head would never have been involved in such stupidity. I'm certain earlier presidents would have at least thought twice before going ahead. But not this man. His naivety is without bounds.
Where to now? Iraq seems like a giant vortex. Civil war has been unleashed and outsiders seem to hold no sway. Perhaps it is best to just stand back and let time determine an outcome.
Overall, Frank Rich's book has value only in so far as we are reminded of Bush's mendacity. But do we really need reminding? How could we forget?
Best Yet on Iraq and Bush.......2007-07-14
I've read one book after another in my effort to understand how America has gone so wrong so fast. This is the best, right up there with Fiasco and One Percent Doctrine. I look forward to Rich's next foray of book length and hope he will attack the most important and as yet unanswered question of this era --- in the face of a cheerleading national press corps, how did the American people nevertheless reject this war and its leaders even before Katrina,etc. had disclosed their utter incompetence, stupidity, and disdain for us all.....in the answer to this question lies the future of all that is decent in our nation.....
A Soldier is Surprised When He Wakes Up One Morning.......2007-06-20
Imagine if you were one of several soldiers wounded in the Iraqi war who woke up one morning to find that there was a letter to the editor in your newspaper that supported the war and had your signature on it, but you didn't write that letter, and knew nothing about it.. The letter was written by the PR team in your federal government. Or picture this: President Bush is standing at night in the now brilliantly lit Jackson square in New Orleans talking optimistically about the city. Well at least the square seems lit up nicely so we guess the electricity is back on. The speech ends, the flood lights go off, and the square is plunged into total darkness.
This is a book detailing how the government lied and created propaganda to further their cause in both the war, and in the aftermath of Katrina. It's a fascinating book because it follows a time line that shows clearly how the public comments made by public officials changed over time. In fact there is a 78 page time line appendix in the book that details these morphing statements date by date. The book tells about the fake reporters at press conferences, the fake news columnists, and the fake "news" articles that the government distributed to gullible media. As one government person stated, "we create our own reality." When Specialist Wilson asked Rumsfeld why he and his men didn't have adequate armor Rumsfeld said it was a matter of production and capability. That was a lie that was outed quickly when it was revealed that one supplier, ArmorWorks said it could quickly increase production by 100%. During the battle in Falluja we were told that there were 3000 Iraqi soldiers fighting the battle. Reporters on the scene said that the Iraqi soldiers showed up after the fighting was over, posed in their neat, clean uniforms and departed. Certainly you remember the frequent comments about the thousands of Iraqis that have been trained or are almost completely trained. Somehow they never seem to materialize.
You've probably heard a lot of this stuff, but Mr. Rich brings out the deceit of all the Washington shapeshifters in wonderful - or perhaps the word should be horrible - detail. You see the action flow, and learn about a lot of governmental skullduggery that will make you cringe. It's spellbinding reading.
![History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire [8 Volumes Complete Book Set] (Volumes 1-4, and Volumes 5-8, I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII)](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21TDV9VAFWL.jpg)
Average customer rating:
- Brilliant, beautiful classic
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History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire [8 Volumes Complete Book Set] (Volumes 1-4, and Volumes 5-8, I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII)
Manufacturer: Folio Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000BRUDMM |
Product Description
2 boxed set, each wrapped in the original cellophane. Each box contains 4 books. Volumes 1-4, and Volumes 5-8
Customer Reviews:
Brilliant, beautiful classic.......2007-01-25
This classic presented by the Folio Society, cream leather bound, and gold leafed was a nice touch.
Hours of some of the best history reading that many authors have used as referance. Everything you wanted to know about the Roman Empire, to Attila the Hun, Constantine the Great, The Byzantines, Mohammud, and onwards.
Encyclopeadic knowledge at its finest.
Book Description
A manifesto by America's most controversial and celebrated town planners, proposing an alternative model for community design.
There is a growing movement in North America to put an end to suburban sprawl and to replace the automobile-based settlement patterns of the past fifty years with a return to more traditional planning principles. This movement stems not only from the realization that sprawl is ecologically and economically unsustainable but also from a growing awareness of sprawl's many victims: children, utterly dependent on parental transportation if they wish to escape the cul-de-sac; the elderly, warehoused in institutions once they lose their driver's licenses; the middle class, stuck in traffic for two or more hours each day.
Founders of the Congress for the New Urbanism, Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk are at the forefront of this movement, and in Suburban Nation they assess sprawl's costs to society, be they ecological, economic, aesthetic, or social. It is a lively, thorough, critical lament, and an entertaining lesson on the distinctions between postwar suburbia-characterized by housing clusters, strip shopping centers, office parks, and parking lots-and the traditional neighborhoods that were built as a matter of course until mid-century. It is an indictment of the entire development community, including governments, for the fact that America no longer builds towns. Most important, though, it is that rare book that also offers solutions.
Customer Reviews:
The "A-ha" moment.......2007-09-10
I really must thank the authors for putting this together. I just finished Suburban Nation and I now know why I'm so stressed out all the time living in this "ticky-tacky" world (to borrow a line from the Weeds theme song).
I wish I could do more to help combat sprawl at the moment. However, I'm keeping my eyes open all the time for what works, what doesn't work and I will continue to study this subject so that if and when I'm in a position to either make a move or be part of a decision making body, I will be able to intelligently make my opinion known.
The Suburbia Style In Its Worst - And Real - Perspective + Solutions For The Future Ahead.......2007-07-30
It's no wonder that the suburbia style brought so much finance and - why not - mental damage to our everyday lives. We gave up living smartly for living in beautifulness.
I believe that the sense of ownership prevails in suburbia much more than the sense of community. If you live in one for a long time, you probably know what I am talking about. Even if you don't, you might imagine how it feels to be in one.
I lived in one for quite a long time and must recognize its benefits: peacefulness, plenty of space to stroll around and not much of noisy neighbors. Surely it has its advantages. I really admire how beautiful some neighborhoods really are and can remain when apart from the hassles of the inner city.
But the need of taking my car to do absolutely everything from my basic needs just started to bother me as time went by and as my bills started to rise from such crazy oil consumption. One of the reasons why we are the biggest spenders in the entire planet is certainly the suburb predominance all over the country. Any doubt about it?
This book is absolutely wonderful. It traces back to the WWII era when everything started out. Government has promoted all of the land development we see today and which is still in high demand, unfortunately. What once was a success formula to promote economic development is today a "cancer" that we have to live and deal with. We were imposed to a lifestyle that we didn't necessarily want to live, and we now pay high taxes just to keep this "monster" alive. As the book brightly states on its pages: suburbs were made for cars, not human beings.
At some point in the book, authors state something that for me it is absolutely true: the archictecture is a science which is very undervalued in America. Obsolete and outdated zoning ordinances, traffic engineers more worried about the flow and the trucks that could pass on the streets and, most of all, community planning based on numbers and not aesthetics are the major rules when a new development takes place, leaving no room for smart development.
Smart growth requires a lot of thinking, and for the long run, but thinking isn't really one of the best characteristics of land developers and home builders who have no expertise on archictecture issues, but only on how to make money fast and effortlessly. However, I have to recognize that it's not all their fault. Smart growth will also require a major cultural shift from a society which became used with such sprawl standards, whether living this way is beneficial or not.
The book not only shows what went wrong with such aged growth policies, but also proposes solutions for building smarter towns and stimulates the creation of a community sense that today is just missing. Carefully written, is a reading that won't put you at sleep.
A must read for anyone involved in real estate development.......2007-01-16
The authors point out some obvious and not-so-obvious trends and benefits of recent architecture and urban planning. As a small builder and developer of urban "in-fill" housing, I thought this brought an excellent perspective to our industry on the changing climate of urban development in America. Immediatly bought ten copies for our employees to read (and reread).
Good Intro to Urban/Regional Planning.......2007-01-09
This is the first book I've read in the field of Planning. Very easy to read, informative, and really gets you excited about the material. I would recommend it highly
One of the Most Important Books of the 21st Century.......2006-12-13
This book, written for people, sets the stage for one of the most important movements in American: New Urbanism. I've bought a dozen copies thus far, for distribution to friends. The book explains proper community building and lifestyles in terms that can be understood by all. Be prepared to change your way of thinking and living.
Book Description
The attacks of September 11, 2001 were accomplished through an amazing orchestration of logistics and personnel. Crossing the Rubicon discovers and identifies key suspects - finding some of them in the highest echelons of American government - by showing how they acted in concert to guarantee that the attacks produced the desired result.
Crossing the Rubicon is unique not only for its case-breaking examination of 9/11, but for the breadth and depth of its world picture - an interdisciplinary analysis of petroleum, geopolitics, narco-traffic, intelligence and militarism - without which 9/11 cannot be understood.
The US manufacturing sector has been mostly replaced by speculation on financial data whose underlying economic reality is a dark secret. Hundreds of billions of dollars in laundered drug money flow through Wall Street each year from opium and coca fields maintained by CIA-sponsored warlords and US-backed covert paramilitary violence. America's global dominance depends on a continually turning mill of guns, drugs, oil and money. Oil and natural gas - the fuels that make economic growth possible - are subsidized by American military force and foreign lending.
In reality, 9/11 and the resulting "War on Terror" are parts of a massive authoritarian response to an emerging economic crisis of unprecedented scale. Peak Oil - the beginning of the end for our industrial civilization - is driving the elites of American power to implement unthinkably draconian measures of repression, warfare and population control. Crossing the Rubicon is more than a story. It is a map of the perilous terrain through which, together and alone, we are all now making our way.
Customer Reviews:
A must read!.......2007-08-05
A timely revelation of facts and events that the lamestream media has conveniently omitted. Much of what we hear in the news makes no sense in the backdrop of what we see from the misleading perpectives of the "right " or left" , but this book explains the process behind much of what is going on. Being aware of the government's role in 9/11as described by Ruppert and watching the constant consolidation of power by the administration enables one to predict with some certainty the future: decreasing oil supplies not meeting population demands, resource wars (the imminent Iranian attack) to maintain our lifestyle, massive population declines as oil-based food production drops dramatically, and the imposition of martial law over an increasingly pacified Congress and "terror-conditioned" population.
Good, yet I'm not totally convinced.......2007-06-28
There is an overwhelming amount of more than just circumstantial evidence here that our goverment aided the 9-11 attacks. As for peak oil being the prime motive, I don't know, if that were the case, wouldn't the world have unraveled even more by now? In any case, it was also entertaining, not your father's conspiracy theory. If Thomas Malthus, Stephen King, Tom Clancy, and Oliver Stone got together to write a book, this would be the result.
Wake up - be alert - question.......2007-06-19
Riveting, provoking and disturbing are the three adjectives for Crossing the Rubicon. It is a page turner, filled with fascinating details about 9/11, the CIA and our government. Surely, for the truth seeker, this book is captivating.
Be alert, sober and a critical thinker. Be willing to question all that you learned...for things are not as they appear...or what we have been indoctrinated to believe.
Read the book.
Also, take a look at Catherine Austin Fitts' website solari dot com
Excellent analysis of the evidence available .......2007-06-12
This is a well done researched book that taps into the Official 9/11 Commission Report myth. Who was behind 9/11, what prompted it, and what was the purpose and consequences for the US political process. The books delineates in detail the CIA's involvement with the drug trade and arming foreign guerillas to meet their own needs and their involvement with events leading up to 9/11 along with the FBI, Military Industrial Complex, and Wall St. This detective journalism at its best. If you ever wanted to know what and who was REALLY behind 9/11, I highly recommend this book. It is quite extensive with lots of hard factual information. If you are looking for stats like the guy below, this is not for you. Instead, the book acts like a "connect the dots puzzle" that flows consistently throughout the book. I think this will seriously change how you view the US political and governmental system.
There should be a million more books like this on the shelves........2007-06-12
This books absolutely blew me away. I don't even know what else to say.
Ruppert argues his case in the book as if presenting to jury. The only defense to the book's logical conclusion is that Cheney and Co. weren't cross examined; but since the Administration refused at all cost the 9/11 Commission's establishment and their own sworn testimony before it, that's about all the proof we need of their treason.
READ THE BOOK. Read the 9/11 commission report, and then Whiteout (by Cockburn and St. Clair) and every other expose of CIA drug dealing and covert terrorism in alliance with Nazis and neo-Nazis...I mean, neo-conservatives. You'll be convinced, if you can handle it that is.
Product Description
What has happened to Andy Grove's Intel? A Wall Street Journal article dated November 1, 2006 stated that Andy Grove "won't talk about current goings on at Intel. He does, though, talk about its past and wistfully. He helped make Intel one of the world's greatest brands; for most men, that would be the prelude to a retirement full of self-satisfaction. Instead, there is much regret that Andy Grove's Intel wasn't able to use its brand name for even one other great thing besides microprocessors." The cult of Andy Grove consisted of a core set of values expressed as certain behaviors that Grove himself forced on employees long before the Intel values were formally published and put on employee badges. What many outsiders don t know is that management s actions within Intel's corporate culture were inconsistent with the published values. After Grove's departure, this gap between management behaviors and the published values was amplified, establishing the impetus for the decline of Intel's performance-based corporate culture. In light of Intel spending over $10 billion on 35 acquisitions, its diversification strategy lacked an overall execution plan for tying it all together and making it work within their existing business and economic models. Intel s lackluster stock market performance over the past six years has not prevented many investors from hoping that the stock will once again repeat its past stellar performance. The world has changed and the business model that made Intel the behemoth that it is today may have lost its relevance. More importantly, the culture that in the past fueled Intel s growth has now become ossified. In contrast to Andy Grove's reticence about the current Intel, the authors of Losing Faith share their objective observations on the post-Grove Intel, with its cultural anomalies that attempt to explain why the company has not been able to successfully diversify beyond its Grove-led dominance in microprocessors.
Customer Reviews:
You Reap What You Sow.......2007-09-30
This is a good read regarding the decline of the Intel Corporation. The book is based primarily upon the complaint that the corporation's employees are not held accountable for their actions and failures, especially when the actions are not in compliance with the corporation's own written codes of conduct and behavior. The authors attack the typical band-aide approach to many of the corporation's problems (which are primarily outside the technical fields of microprocessors, and deal with the supply and customer service side of the corporation). The book targets Andy Groves successors as CEO and Chairman of the Board -- their managerial style, lack of technical expertise in particular, and lack of involvement on a more personal level.
The book addresses the culture of those employees who survived the Grove tenure and their attitude of "entitledness" and the discord between these survivors and more recent employees. The book addresses a form of "careerism" (my term, not the authors)among the established managers. The authors criticism sounds a lot like the criticism found in some books about the Army officers "ticket punching" during the Vietnam era -- heck, it sounds a lot like the successfully promoted folks at the hospital where I work.
The authors play with kid gloves when the subject of Andy Grove comes up. They only more than hint that his "in-your-face" management style directly contributed to Intel's decline. They do not even discuss the Pentium debacle under Grove and the public relations disaster that ensued.
The authors also lightly touch upon the technical competence and backgrounds of Grove's successors, and this is important since they are not the technical geniuses that founded or nurtured Intel (Noyce, Moore, and Groves)-- most of their experience is not discussed but it is in marketing and other non-technical fields.
This is another good book discussing the ills of big corporations that lose their way in a fast changing world and fail to keep pace, especially after a level of arrogance rises within the corporation -- is Intel falling from its lofty heights just like IBM did -- is Microsoft not far behind. Stock holders should look closely at the trend of mis-management and the subsequent loss of billions of dollars (especially in bad acquistions and lack of overall business planning) that could have been paid out in dividends. Stockholders should hold the board of directors more responsible for rubber stamping poor CEO and chairman of the board's decisions/performance and not holding them more accountable.
Some good insights, but misses important parts of Intel.......2007-05-06
I worked at Intel for 8 years, so the book was very interesting to me. The insights on the lack of management development to tackle new businessnes (like networking) rang true to me. Also, the description of how to culture evloved to take on huge projects with poor results was a good insight.
The book completly fails to talk about the Technology & Manufacturing group which continues with amazing progress to shrink transistors economically. Intel leads the world in bringing new processes to high volume. The book also completly misses the differing cultures in the key design centers. Some design centers have had dramatically differing success than others over the past 15 years.
Probably Accurate but Unsubstantiated.......2007-04-06
This book focuses on many facets of Intel's operations and behaviors, from the annual employee review process (focal) to the company's poorly-executed acquisitions.
It's an interesting read, particularly for a (former or current) employee, contractor (Green Badge), or vendor. That being said, there was a fair amount in this book that was based on conjecture and anonymous quotes. Perhaps that's a necessary evil, but I tend to mistrust quotes offered by people who want to remain anonymous. Several parts of the book left me feeling like it was a seedy exposé rather than a critical assessment of the corporation.
My other criticism is that it seemed the book, throughout, was holding adherence to the Intel Values as the corporate marker of success (with every chapter presenting a comparison of the stated values and the actual behaviors). If that was the intent, I reject its validity. A positive and strong culture often has a good impact on the balance sheet and overall success, but that doesn't mean that if individual actions don't conform to stated values that it's "wrong." Maybe it's the Values that need to change.
On the up side, I think this may have been as balanced as it could be, given it was written by (former?) employees. Personally, I'd agree with many of the descriptions of corporate jockeying for recognition, co-opting ideas, and "grabbing the glory" and run. That being said, individual mileage may vary and I'm sure the opinions about this book and Intel itself are as varied as there are employees (and stockholders).
They tell it like it is!.......2007-03-21
Based on my 18 years at Intel ('79-'97), the authors do an excellent job of accurately describing the Intel culture throughout Intel's 38 year history. They explain the good and the bad and the ugly. This book can be a wakeup call for Intel and all of its employees and shareholders. The abuse of power during the Grove era comes with a price (what goes around, comes around). The advice that the authors provide is right on!
Amazon.com
British parliamentarian and soldier Edward Gibbon (1737-1794) conceived of his plan for Decline and Fall while "musing amid the ruins of the Capitol" on a visit to Rome. For the next 10 years he worked away at his great history, which traces the decadence of the late empire from the time of the Antonines and the rise of Western Christianity. "The confusion of the times, and the scarcity of authentic memorials, pose equal difficulties to the historian, who attempts to preserve a clear and unbroken thread of narration," he writes. Despite these obstacles, Decline and Fall remains a model of historical exposition, and required reading for students of European history.
Book Description
Gibbon’s masterpiece, which narrates the history of the Roman Empire from the second century a.d. to its collapse in the west in the fifth century and in the east in the fifteenth century, is widely considered the greatest work of history ever written. This abridgment retains the full scope of the original, but in a compass equivalent to a long novel. Casual readers now have access to the full sweep of Gibbon’s narrative, while instructors and students have a volume that can be read in a single term. This unique edition emphasizes elements ignored in all other abridgments—in particular the role of religion in the empire and the rise of Islam.
Download Description
"It was Rome, on the 15th of October 1764, as I sat musing amid the ruins of the Capitol, while the barefooted friars were singing vespers in the temple of Jupiter, that the idea of writing the decline and fall of the city first started to my mind," recorded Edward Gibbon with characteristic exactitude. Over a period of some twenty years, the luminous eighteenth-century historian--a precise, dapper, idiosyncratic little gentleman famous for rapping his snuff-box--devoted his considerable genius to writing an epic chronicle of the entire Roman Empire's decline. His single flash of inspiration produced what is arguably the greatest historical work in any language--and surely the most magnificent narrative history ever written in English. "Gibbon is one of those few who hold as high a place in the history of literature as in the roll of great historians," noted Professor J.B. Bury, his most celebrated editor.
Customer Reviews:
the decline and fall of the roman empire.......2007-08-26
very good detail on the history , most Caesars were killed and the army rulled.
Lots of Info.......2007-07-09
Tremendous amount of information and lots of historical data. Problem is the guy who wrote the book can speak the real english language and I often thought I was listning to a foreign language tape. I learned a lot and woud recomend this to anyone who wonders how something as great as the empire was, fell apart. Great learning experience.
Gibbon's Magnum Opus.......2007-05-12
It's a literary work of art. Gibbon's style of narration is breathtaking. On every page he comes out as the true scholar that he really is. His choice of words and his style of sentence construction is consummate on every level.
Other than that, the whole account is Gibbon's perspective of the Roman Empire on a strict level. While most will concur with him on the insanity of the likes of say, Caligula, Nero; or the politically cunning inclinations of Augustus, his treatment of Christianity is open to debate. Gibbon places Christianity at the top in his list of the factors that could possibly have accelerated the empire towards decadence and its ultimate disintegration. Though this can be true on some accounts, he offers no clear explanation on how the Eastern empire could have carried on for more centuries with the religion at its very centre. It's an unwritten edict that the Byzantines were more passionate about Jesus than Western christendom.
Also, in some pages, Gibbon argues that the Roman emperors, say Marcus Aurelius for example, never really would have had an inclination towards persecuting christians on grounds of political gains. For Gibbon argues that the political elite of Rome were well aware of the fact that some kind of religion maintained social order. But his arguments are at considerable, if not complete, loggerheads with the several accounts from other historians that Rome continued to persecute Christianity until Constantine.
Persecution of Christianity might necessarily not have completely been primary disdain for the christian concept which totally conflicts with the Roman edicts of deifying dead emperors. Christianity came in handy for rogue emperors to have this sect of minorities scapegoated for their own excesses (remember Nero's fire?) or to appease the minds of a disgruntled majority which preferred to suspect them.
Finally, his stand that the "whole" empire prospered and preferred Roman rule in the age of the five good emperors is open to debate. Pax Romana might have worked for the Italian mainland at best, but not necessarily in provinces even as close as, say, Gaul.
Gibbons Decline and fall of Rome.......2007-03-11
This is the definitive History of the Empire from the first emperor (Agustus or Octavian, if you wish). However given the time and hence style of English, it was written in it is not for the faint hearted. Stick with it though and it is a very rewarding reference book which you will have for life.
One thing I fail to understand is what Amazon sells Vols 1-3 and 4-6 as seperate items. By the lot in one go otherwise it's a bit like owning the old testement bible and not having set eyes on the New Testement.!!
Dramatic and Informative audio book version.......2007-03-09
Philip Madoc convincingly relates Gibbon's great insights into the history and significance of the final centuries of the Roman Empire in this 6 CD set. Abridged by neccesity, nevertheless Neville Jason comments between Gibbon's passage recited by Philip Madoc, and fills the gaps with a coherent narration. The whole production flows smoothly and dramatically, quite easy to follow. This is one of the most worthwhile audio book puchases I've ever made.
Book Description
The Geography of Nowhere traces America's evolution from a nation of Main Streets and coherent communities to a land where every place is like no place in particular, where the cities are dead zones and the countryside is a wasteland of cartoon architecture and parking lots.
In elegant and often hilarious prose, Kunstler depicts our nation's evolution from the Pilgrim settlements to the modern auto suburb in all its ghastliness. The Geography of Nowhere tallies up the huge economic, social, and spiritual costs that America is paying for its car-crazed lifestyle. It is also a wake-up call for citizens to reinvent the places where we live and work, to build communities that are once again worthy of our affection. Kunstler proposes that by reviving civic art and civic life, we will rediscover public virtue and a new vision of the common good. "The future will require us to build better places," Kunstler says, "or the future will belong to other people in other societies."
Customer Reviews:
luddite indictment of a car .......2007-05-22
The book is well written and provides a lot of facts, though many of these may be known anyhow. However, the author's pet idea - that the car is THE reason for aberrations in suburban development - begins to be more and more irritating as we read on; there is one large chapter devoted to the car and road planning, but if this were not enough the point gets reiterated every few paragraphs. Perhaps indeed the car is the ultimate evil of modern civilization; if only we didn't have to reread this again and again.
As a form of compensation, we get very limited look at the social, economic and demographic causes of all landscape changes during past century. Yes, there is a mention of some historical events, such as WWII, but it disappears under the weight of all those cars blamed for commercial strips, parking lots and suburban housing. Somehow, the population growth, which the strips, suburbs, parking lots and cars try to accomodate, gets overlooked. But then, we get also a healthy dose of nostagia after the goode olde times, when towns were small, kids could play in the streets without a risk of traffic accident, and farms were the base of economy. I could not escape the impression that the author's leading motive was to lament the lifestyles gone.
A Worthy Rant.......2007-02-08
This is book is largely a rant--well-researched and eloquent--but a rant nonetheless. Overwrought with cynicism, it is hard to distinguish Kunstler's reasonable concerns from his own sense of nostalgia. He draws some erroneous parallels (e.g. holding Disney World to the standard of anything but an amusement park) but does make an effective point regarding how U.S. citizens were ill-prepared for the after effects of the heyday of the automobile.
Fundamentally, Kunstler's cynicism aside, he's an advocate for renewed interest in civic planning, decreased dependency on fossil fuels, and models of sustainability. He presents Portland, OR as the best model for a city and the community of Seaside, FL as the model for a smaller town. He sees urban planning as the opportunity to develop while respecting the present landscape and enriching sense of community and public space.
The weakness of the book lies in the author's bitterness, which disguises his very real passion for the topic. The saving grace is that given most of his likely readership, he is preaching to the choir who understands his anger. This choir will understand that Kunstler embeds important lessons in his bleak diatribe--lessons worth embracing.
Kunstler's Gift of Entertaining While Informing.......2006-11-29
I have little more to add to the many thorough reviews already posted, so I'll just note what grabbed me: it was the rare book that was fun to read, even while dealing with serious societal problems in a thoughtful manner. A great introduction to community development issues.
highway to hell.......2006-02-01
Last night in his State of the Union speech, G. W. Bush pointed out the obvious fact that America depends far too heavily on oil to support its lifestyle. Whoever programmed him to say that must have been reacting to the mounting unrest over the crises associated with big oil: war, pollution, corruption, and extreme flabbiness.
Most of the problems associated with oil are problems associated with cars, and cars are the focus of J. H. Kunstler's book. Published in the early 90s, The Geography of Nowhere describes the impact of automobiles on the development of the U.S. Apparently, things started to go south during the Depression, when people were driven out of cities by poverty and the diminishing quality of life in the tenements. Fueling the flight to the suburbs were New Deal programs to build roads and cheap houses. In the ensuing decades the American landscape was built to serve cars rather than people, and that is what Kunstler is angry about. His main criticisms are:
1) A lot of the architecture, both residential and commerical, is very ugly. Buildings are constructed quickly and cheaply, and without regard to their surroundings. After all, what's the point of worrying about your surroundings if people are just going to drive directly to their destination? On this point, Kunstler is angry and sarcastic, though often funny. However, his tone is unfortunate, because ugliness is ultimately a matter of opinion, and I would bet that most people would say they are quite happy living in their suburban boxes. Kunstler argues that people are happy this way because they don't know any better, and he's probably right, but as far as I know there is no good way to force people to appreciate beauty.
2) When you step back from the individual buildings, and look at the organization of towns and cities, things start to look really grim. Here Kunstler's got a good point. Throughout most of America, the landscape is zoned into residential and commercial districts, which are separated by long stretches of four-lane roads. The residential zones are further divided by income (and to a lesser extent, by race and ethnicity), impeding the development of anything like a genuine community. The result is a weird mix of intolerance and paranoia that pervades the culture of what has historically been a relatively progressive nation.
3) At an even larger scale, the impact of cars on the nation and on the world seems absolutely dire. The Geography of Nowhere was written before car companies had figured out how to trick yuppies into buying pick-up trucks, and by now there is a broad scientific consensus that the Earth's climate is getting warmer as a result of human activities. Yet people continue to buy bigger and bigger SUVs, and to drive them longer distances to get to work or to buy their microwaveable burritos. It's like a hideous inversion of the idea of public transportation, in which every individual drives his or her own bus to work. Here it's not merely a matter of personal preference -- it's only possible for an individual to drive an SUV if other people subsidize the cost of cheap oil and environmental degradation. In all likelihood these other people haven't been born yet.
Ultimately, someone has to make decisions about the development of towns and cities, and there's no reason in a democratic society why these decisions have to be based on short-term economic interests. Although most suburbanites are probably not miserable in their surroundings, I doubt if anyone would consider their dependence on cars to be ideal. The Geography of Nowhere is a good way to start thinking about kicking the habit.
The Rise and Decline of Humanity.......2006-01-01
I believe that many of the ways we view our lives and live it is directly related to the relation of space, especially where our homes are and what we do daily.
Kunstler points out very cunningly and sometimes with anger how horrible America has set up its cities - cities of which I usually refer to as 'Suburbia World' and America, for a large part, really has turned into a world of suburbia, of endless homes stacked next to each other in a large sea, of which all its inhabitants commute to a Office park some 30 miles away.
Anyway, although Kunstler does not cover as in-depth as I believe he should, he points out many architectural and planning elements that even I, as an architecture student in Los Angeles, have never truly observed. He so well argues against suburban development that I am, even more than before, inspired to work on architectural projects that have nothing to do with suburban qualities (although this shall be very difficult).
If you are looking for a book to explain how horrible our cities really are (especially in the suburban world) and have never had the vocabulary to express that please read this book, it is something I wish everyone could understand and react to.
Book Description
New 2002 edition-includes updated list of CFR members! James Perloff exposes the subversive roots and global designs of the CFR. Passed off as a think-tank, this group is a key "power behind the throne," with hundreds of top-appointed government officials drawn from its ranks. Traces activity from the Wilson to Reagan administrations.
Customer Reviews:
Thorough, Accurate & Concise.......2007-01-31
I am most impressed with Perloff's research. If you want just one book to gain an understanding of what is left out in most history books concerning the CFR, this is it. Reviews accusing Perloff of engaging in conspiracy-baiting are inaccurate to say the least. I recently used this book extensively in constructing the lecture notes for a unit in my U.S. Gov't. classes. As a teacher committed to telling the truth, as opposed to pushing textbook propaganda, I find Perloff's book to be an extremely valuable resource.
Also recommended:
"Wall Street, Banks & U.S. Foreign Policy" by Murray N. Rothbard
"America: Freedom to Fascism" (DVD)
Just the facts, ma'm........2006-12-15
This little volume doesn't go into batty conspiracy theories--but it DOES cover the works and ideas of the CFR, since it's founding in 1920. And that's scary enough.
The CFR is the foreign policy establishment of this country, and if you like pointless and deadly wars, designed to benefit American corporations and shareholders at the expense of taxpayers, you'll LOVE the CFR. If you don't, you won't.
More like a conspiracy theory rant than a reasoned argument.......2006-10-30
First I am no believer in the good intentions of our political or social elite. I also don't think the powerful get together and conspire to dominate the world for much other than their own personal gain, be that additional wealth or the seeking of more personal power or influence. And thus organizations like the Council on Foreign Relations are born so that the wealthy and powerful can meet with other like minded people and expand their influence and push their ideas onto others. This argument I can accept. However, the author has picked the CFR as some grand body that rules American policy and has done so for years with the evil intent of creating a one-world government. If you were to believe everything in this book you would assume that all American foreign policy, all Presidents and most parts of American government have been ruled by this organization since it's founding in 1921.
The arguments do not ring true, the author has concluded that membership in this organization has somehow made members brain washed zombies of some grand master plan for one-world government. However the author does not really explain why the membership would have such slavish devotion to this principle nor does he really explain why he feels that such a plan is so evil that is must be opposed. Until of course the last two pages of the book when the author finally writes;
" In essence, history is the story of conflict. Those who view history as a series of accidents, it is interesting to note, also usually believe that the universe itself began as an accident and that man resulted from the random molecular collisions....
There are, however, those of us who accept the causality of God. Many centuries ago, the Hebrew Old Testament and the Christian New Testament prophesied that ultimately a beautiful kingdom will prevail.... But they also warned of an evil, one-world government.....
Many notables of the American Establishment have given themselves over to one side in this conflict, and it is not the side the ancient scriptures recommended. Whether or not they are conspirators, whether they are conscious or not of the ultimate consequences of their actions, their powerful influence has helped move the world towards apocalyptic events."
And thus after 220 pages we see that there is no need to argue why the CFR is evil and what it is up to, this is all self evident by reading the Bible. Which then begs the question why buy and then read this book when the argument has already been made in the Bible.
It would have been nice if the author had started with this paragraph rather than waiting to the last page, it may have made his arguments more coherent. At least I would know that this was not to be a well argued scholarly work but an end of the world rant that assumes you have bought into "The End is Near" world view. If you are not of this mind set then this book shows you that people like to get together when they think alike and form clubs that tend to push their ideas and promote their own members. But then I went to college and experienced fraternities so I get the general idea already. Overall this book was a waste of time, true believers will see it as more of the same evidence and skeptics will not be swayed by the weak arguments and faulty reasoning.
Stop the press! Pick up this book. Then read the press........2006-06-25
A 90 Proof mind bender. Fast foward to a #361 Degree news cycle. The extra degree angle plays well as it sweeps away any establishment fodder. But only if you have any semblence of gray cells left. Or right.
U.S. Decline.......2006-03-14
James Perloff states in black and white the state of the nation.
Those who do not know the past are condemned to repeat it.On page 3 there is the following paragraph.The real menace of our Republic is the invisible government which, like a giant OCTOPUS ,sprawls its slimy length over our city,state and nation.At the head is a small group of banking houses generally refered to as international BANKERS.This little caterie of powerful international BANKERS VIRTUALLY run our government for their SELFISH ENDS.On page 3
Page 4 The real truth of the matter is,as you know,that a financial element in the large centers has owned the government ever since the days of Andrew Jackson.FEDERAL RESERVE IS UNCONSTITUTION.
CFR school for statemans made up of Dominant class of our society.Also those who have potential to serve their ends,but are not from this class,the american way.
The CFR represent the coporat mind which is without conscious or alligence.This organzation and its representnatives are selling the american people out,and they are the ESTABLISHMENT.There are other organizations that do the same???.
The following is for fools only.The congress is not opposing the CFR.They are part of the government,yet they take an oath to uphold the US CONSTITUTION.Some members may not support TREASON ??????.Violating the security of US is treason.
Hitler,Stalin,Pol pot,or anyone else is okay as long as they do WHAT THEY WANT.NO they ARE not DEMOCRACTIC,but use it as PLOY to overthrow nations.Cut off money supply,have insurgents,etc.WHO MULTI NATIONAL COPORATs.Who is 666.
MR.Perloff gives reference in this book to the following.WWI was PROVOKED by the Lusitani incident.WW11 was provoked by peral harbor which was known about 11 days prior too attact.Korea was cut in half in 1945 with agreement of US and Russia.16000 south koreans with small arms were suppose to hold back the north koreans and chines,a setup to draw us into the police action.Viet NAM.GULF of TONKIN provocation without evidence,there was know attact by VEIT NAM SET up by US to cause WAR.2006 war for Isaral,US. England.WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION.FALSE INFORMATION.Spanish american war,WHO blew up the US ship in CUBA that cause that 1898war??????????????????????????...................................
There is no end to the JOKE ON YOU,the living and the dead.THomas Paine was a ture american.What did he say about the US and England 30 years after the war of independence.He said we were back with the englisn.SELL OUT,Where are you now.NWO.
In conclusion the 34 percent support the CFR they are the establishment,elites,the congress is their PUPPET.They are one,both parties.There is no hope without throwing out the elected and putting those who serve america and democracy for the american people.A revolution to save america.TAKE AMERICA BACK,SAVE YOURSELF,YOU ARE SELFISH,I ONLY want to satisfy myself you say,then do it,or die as a nation.
US in decline,GASPROM,RUSSIA,SEVEN SISTERs,what now.South AMERICA going democratic socialist.CHINA in Africa for oil.INDIA,PAKistan,nucleur.IRAN has 10 times more oil than EXXON.IS it third in world in oil.Hegal,synthesis,capilist,soviet communist,facist communist toltalitarian NWO,free trade,open borders,backlash,decentergration.DEregulation,state RIGHTS.
Dubia ports,china ports,give it all to ASIA,allow north america,and western europe to be over run with immigrants.China 1.2 billion,India 1 billion,how can west compete without trade regulations.Only business needs to trade,but it does not serve the people.The US congress alowed this insanity to develope because it is bought and sold along with the 34 pecent that benefit from TREASON.VOTE THEM ALL OUT.YOU ARE a FOOL if you do not.THOSE WHO WILL NOT FIGHT WILL DIE,why should they exist.
A toltalitarian system world wide to be controlled by one KING,but their are 2 factions who want to be KING.They are allies and they both have over 200 nukes,nuclear submarines,chemcial weapons,and biological weapons.They also have satilites in space.Ben Franklin said that faction are the result of the settlement of war,etc.Now the new world order fractionalizing and will not stand,of course we can have neclear war.WW111 RUSSIA,CHINA,IRAN,etc. GOOD LUCK ?????????????
The state of Georgia has use state rights to stop elegal immigration.Stand up and save america HR4437.Take back america
Thank HOLLAND and FRANCE for standing up they are not brainwashed.Conntrol the international bankers,regulate the economy,control industry.Democratic socialism for the people not the copoRAT,do not give any more cheese,no tax breaks,etc.
LOOK up the deffinition of democratic socialism,it is not communism.Harvard and YALE you may learn something.SAVE OUR NATION
[..],there is no fuel,energy shortage.
Book Description
In the greatest work of history in the English language, Edward Gibbon compresses thirteen turbulent centuries into a gripping epic narrative. It is history in the grand eighteenth-century manner, a well-researched drama charged with insight, irony, and incisive character analysis. In elegant prose, Gibbon presents both the broad pattern of events and the significant revealing detail. He delves into religion, politics, sexuality, and social mores with equal authority and aplomb. While subsequent research revealed minor factual errors about the early Empire, Gibbon's bold vision, witty descriptions of a vast cast of characters, and readiness to display his own beliefs and prejudices result in an astonishing work of history and literature, at once powerfully intelligent and enormously entertaining.
Based on David Womersley's definitive three-volume Penguin Classics edition of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, this abridgement contains complete chapters from all three volumes, linked by extended bridging passages, vividly capture the style, the argument, and the architecture of the whole work.
Customer Reviews:
Hard to Read.......2006-11-11
Not what I was expecting. Very hard to read as it was written back in the dark ages and the english used is tough.
Understand that any civilization may fail........2006-02-24
Gibbon is one of the first historians of the Enlightenment. He does not have a favorable opinion of Christianity or the times he lived. This bias does not detract from this book. Nor is this book an effective argument against Christianity. His thesis is Christianity helped bring down Rome. The Christian mindset made it impossible to defend their empire in a way similar to how they made their empire. If you lose your basic traditions your empire will crumble. An excellent book, a must read.
MISUNDERSTANDING OF BYZANTIUM.......2005-06-29
Historians agree today that this book is responsible for the modern misunderstanding of Byzantium. Think of only what the labeling "Byzantine" means today. If you want to know more about Byzantium start with one of the books on the empire by Sir Steven Runciman.
Considered the most scholarly collection of Gibbon's work.......2005-06-06
I do not recommend buying an edition of "The Decline and Fall" based upon price alone, because for many reasons, which will become clearer to you after reading this complicated and scholarly work, the editions vary in content and price, nor does price alone guarantee quality.
For many hours prior to purchasing, I researched the numerous editions offered by different publishers and read reviews, and discovered a consensus among Gibbon fans in favor of Womersley's unabridged edition, in part because it includes a complete and unmodernized text, Gibbon's own comments and notes, and his famous Vindication, a final and thorough answer to scurrilous critics of his time. All of this is provided at a quite reasonable price, considering the length of the work (in excess of 1,300 pages), albeit in soft cover which I find makes a book easier to read, if slightly less durable.
I recommend buying this new edition from Amazon, instead of the used editions also offered here, because many of them, I discovered after investigating, are not the same as this one I am reviewing (ISBN 0-14-043393-7, which is Volume I). Like I said, there are many editions of Gibbon's masterpiece floating about, old and new, of varying quality and content. The vendors' failure to disclose the ISBN in their descriptions prohibits any purchase by the discriminating. Just pay the seventeen or so bucks for the new book, which is dirt cheap for a work of this magnitude.
There should be no need to defend Gibbon nor his work, which is simply the best I have yet read. I loved history as a boy, even while reading the simple and often stupid books offered in school. Imagine how much more I enjoyed history written by such a master of prose as Gibbon, the most thorough, meticulous and honest historian I have yet encountered.
We owe a debt of gratitude to a historian who has perused enormous quantities of ancient texts in Latin and Greek and other languages, such as would confound the vast majority of readers today, and with his formidable powers of intellect, analyzed their veracity, by comparing one against the other, and judged keenly of their worth. Gibbon had for his time a vast encyclopedic knowledge, for by his own admission, he devoted his life to reading. Gibbon's love was not among humans, but among books. He possessed an excellent understanding of government, which is the more understandable when you discover he served as a Member of Parliament for a number of years. His grasp of military science is explained in part by his service in the militia as an officer. To all these things, we must add an innate, profound understanding of human nature.
Why bother with Gibbon? Why not read the original, the ancient and medieval writers, from whom Gibbon based his work? That is a good question that I asked myself. Here is the answer. We cannot trust the ancient writers to be truthful or accurate in every event. For one thing, they sometimes contradict each other, which means one or both are lying. Also, they leave out important details, which can be pieced together by circumstantial evidence, if you have found it by exhaustive research.
This is where Gibbon comes in. He has performed exhaustive research that consumed a large portion of his scholarly and reflective lifetime. Gibbon is no fool, and never succumbs to the usual vices of enthusiasm or its opposite, cynicism. He is calm, rational, penetrative; just the guide and the mentor you want. He never takes an ancient historian at face value without considering their motives, prejudices, passions, and even their personal histories. Gibbon has studied not just the history, but the historians, and the history of the historian's countries. Not only has Gibbon accumulated and summarized the ancient and medieval texts, but interpreted and analyzed with his considerable deductive powers, to form a whole that is greater than the parts. Thus a novice does better with Gibbon than with the original. Gibbon's copious notes explain where has made interpretations, leaving you free to form different conclusions, should you desire.
Some reviewers are peeved that Gibbon suffers an opinion that disagrees with their own, and for this reason alone, they degrade his work. I experience the same treatment by those who are alarmed that my reviews have an actual opinion instead of being a rubber stamp marked "PERFECTION". If this intolerant philosophy were carried on, then no-one should dare express an unseasonable opinion of anything at all, and we should all become a tribe of dullards. Of course Gibbon expresses many opinions, some the inevitable product of his country, class and times; and this is the mark of intellectual honesty. You should never read without a critical mind, and should be prepared to disagree with an author on some issues, as I do with Gibbon, while agreeing with him on others. I especially favor his ideas concerning the causes and effects of the rise of Christianity, many of which can be observed today.
Look to find a better history than this, in any language, written during any time since the advent of letters. Look far and wide, as long as you like... and then revisit Gibbon, and see whether you have yet found an equal.
Overrated.......2004-07-16
I enjoyed this book, but some of the praise for it ("the best history book ever written in the English language!!") is over the top. It is no coincidence that intellectuals have embraced this history of the Roman empire above all others - the author is openly skeptical of Christianity and sympathetic to barbarians.
Gibbon's writing skills are also overrated in my opinion. Using 20 words to express a point that could be expressed in 10 words is, in my book, bad writing. For example, instead of writing "XYZ is true", Gibbon will write "It would not be incorrect for an observer to note that XYZ is true". This gets exhausting after a few hundred pages. He also overuses certain words, such as 'insensibly'.
Amazon.com
The Mafia has long held a spot in the American imagination. Despite their earned reputation for brutality, the Mafia has been glorified in countless movies, books, and television shows. Not so in this book. Selwyn Raab makes no attempt to perpetuate myths about the Mafia; instead, he exposes them as a serious threat to honest citizens: "The collective goal of the five families of New York was the pillaging of the nation's richest city and region," he writes. These five families--Bonanno, Colombo, Gambino, Genovese, and Lucchese--were responsible for corrupting labor unions in order to control waterfront commerce, garbage collection, the garment industry, and construction in New York. They also ran illegal gambling operations, engaged in stock schemes, and initiated the widespread introduction of heroin (among other drugs) into cities of the East and Midwest in the 1950s, leading to "accelerated crime rates, law-enforcement corruption, and the erosion of inner-city neighborhoods in New York and throughout the United States." Five Families offers a comprehensive look at the inner workings of the various clans along with vivid profiles of the gangsters who led--and continue to maintain--this criminal empire.
Beginning with a brief history of the Sicilian origins of the Mafia, Raab exhaustively explains how the Mob took over New York before spreading to cities across America, particularly Las Vegas, their most successful outside venture. He also shows how the New York Mafia lost a great deal of power in the 1980s and '90s due to many significant busts and effective plea-bargaining. However, since the attacks of September 11, 2001, the F.B.I. has been focused mainly on external threats, leaving the Mafia room to regain some lost turf by moving into new avenues of crime. An investigative reporter for 40 years, Raab interviewed dozens of prosecutors, law enforcement officers, Mafia members, informants, and "Mob lawyers," providing anecdotes and inside information that tell the true story of the Mafia and their influence over the past 80 years. --Shawn Carkonen
Book Description
The definitive history of the Mafias infamous Five Families, the campaign to eradicate them, and the Mobs refusal to diefrom a noted New York Times journalist Genovese, Gambino, Bonnano, Colombo and Lucchese. These Five Families built the American Mafia (or Cosa Nostra) into an underworld empire that stretched far beyond New York. For decades, they outwitted, outmaneuvered and outgunned the FBI and other police agencies and were seemingly immune from conviction. With insatiable greed and invisible influence, these families wreaked unparalleled damage to Americas vital business enterprises from construction, carting and shipping to Hollywood, Wall Street and Washington. Written by a New York Times reporter who has covered the Mob for decades, Five Families is the vivid story of the rise and fall of New Yorks premier dons and provides insight and answers to key questions, including: How the legendary Lucky Luciano ended internal wars and forged a new, largely impregnable type of criminal superstructure Why J. Edgar Hoover refused to investigate the mob and denied its existence How the Mafia was involved in the assassination of President Kennedy How Crazy Joey Gallo became a caf society pet, and how a penchant for clam chowder and scungelli led to his murder How John Gottis vanity undermined him and the almighty Gambino family How Carmine the Snake Persicos obsession to create a dynasty sparked a major mob war How the secretive Gaspipe Casso triumphed as the tyrannical and blood-soaked leader of the Lucchese family How Chin Gigante created the nations wealthiest crime family while feigning insanity How the 9/11 tragedy has led to a Mafia resurgence. Unprecedented detail on the inner workings of the Commission and how power and tribute flowed from places like New Orleans, Chicago and Miami back to New York.
Customer Reviews:
BEST MAFIA BOOK.......2007-10-10
This book is the best MAFIA book written thatIve read yet. A very thorough, inclusive book where the authir is able to best describe the attributes of both the mafia lowlifes who prey on innocent people and the cops who chase them. In each description of each mafiosa, we see who they cower and betray any honorable code that they swore to.
Five Families.......2007-05-12
Truly the ultimate reference book on the "Mafia".Brings its' history right from the beginning to 2006.
Excellent.......2007-05-07
If your a mob freak like me any mob book is a great buy. This doesn't dissapoint. buy it, you won't be sorry.
Read this to understand your political world, garbage problems, crime and drugs, gambling and heists , .......2007-05-06
What a great writer. I have always enjoyed Mr Raab's pieces in the New York Times. I am going to read more of his books now.
Worth the time to read this huge book.......2007-04-06
I really enjoyed this history of the five New York Mafia families. It is very well written. It is a very lengthy book but if you have any interest in the Mafia you will not care. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to get an overview of the Mafia's history and how their "rackets" work. Saab also does an excellent job of giving the good guys (the cops and prosecutors) the attention they deserve. Usually they are merely mentioned by other authors but Saab makes them as interesting as the mafioso.
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Books Index
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General
| Politics
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| Subjects
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State of Denial: Bush at War, Part III
Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq
Hubris: The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal, and the Selling of the Iraq War
The Worst Person in the World: And 202 Strong Contenders
The One Percent Doctrine: Deep Inside America's Pursuit of Its Enemies Since 9/11
