Wow! I really enjoyed this book. The character of Jubal Sackett was very well developed and set in a historically correct period. I found myself walking in his footsteps as he went further and further west. The story arouses the explorer instinct in all of us. I intend to read more of the Sackett sagas.

I have yet to read many of his books, but I must say that all of Lamour's books are great. Jubal Sackett is a special character. I appreciate that Lamour spent more time on this book (or at least made it longer than usual) in order to give us a full scope of Jubal's transcending years in his migration to the west. The Sacketts are successful because they are well learned in many a trade and they don't take things for granted. They nurture their friendships when they can and comfront their enemies just as readily. You feel this story, you root for the characters and you feel as though you are among them. I guess this is more of a mountain man book than a western, but it still sets the setting for the Sackett's pushing west. A great book.

This by far is the best audio book Ive listened to.

The guy reading the story has an accent that fits the story perfectly. While this is a lengthy book it is never boring
The pacing is perfect and the story itself is riviting.
Do yourself a favor and get this on audio. You will not be dissappionted

I picked up this book, in part, because of the several ...[good ratings]... Isn't it great when people you don't even know turn you on to a GREAT book? I have always been a movie enthusiast, but recently, having discovered how great DVDs look and sound, I am starting to re-discover my love of movies. I want to know more about how movies work, and how different effects are acheived. This book has been wonderful in helping my understanding of cinema. From the first chapter onward, I have found insights into movies that help me look at them with a slightly different eye: why are the colors like that in this scene? Why is the shot framed like it is? Although this book seems like it could be used as a textbook in a beginning film class, I carry it around with me and read it, and even re-read parts. Thanks for the great tip. Yes a five-star book! Fun to read!

"Understanding Movies" is an excellent primer book for anyone starting to learn the art of film. It is not a book that tells you why certain films are great, or why some are inferior. Rather, its objective is for the readers to acquire a good awareness of film art so they will be able to form their own opinions about the films they see. The book is comprised of 11 chapters which can be read out of sequence: Photography, Mise en Scene, Movement, Editing, Sound, Acting, Drama, Story, Literature, Ideology, Theory. Every chapter begins with an short overview (abstract) that points out the key ideas in the chapter, then it proceeds to elaborate on them. Emphases are made not just on the technical aspects of film-making, but artistic ones as well. For instance, the chapter on photography discusses not only things like f/stop, aperture, and exposure, but also how photography can achieve certain dramatic and psychological effects.

Without any hint of snobbery, the book uses examples from all kinds of films, from revered classics to recent box-office hits, to illustrate aspects of the art form. For instance, it cites James Cameron's TITANIC (hardly perceived as teaching material for film art) as an example of a filmmaker's subtle use of different flesh tones to evoke a sense of optimism or doom.

The chapter on "Ideology" was not available on some earlier editions. It provides a fascinating discussion on how movies often contain either implicit or explicit political leanings, religious beliefs, ethical values, and other allusions that reflect the attitudes of the filmmakers. It also includes a discussion on portrayals of gays and lesbians in films.

The book is replete with still photos from movies, each accompanied with a wonderful caption that serves as a mini-analysis of a certain aspect of the movie itself, so that readers can get a quick lession on film art. Illustrations that stand out include: a series of screenshots from the Odessa Staircase sequence in THE BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN, storyboards from the cropdusting scene in NORTH BY NORTHWEST, a shot-by-shot analysis of a scene from Hitchcock's SABOTAGE that demonstrates sometimes an actor's performance can be made more effective when his or her face is unseen.

This is not a film review book. You won't see capsule reviews, cast biography, production history, etc. written about every single movie. This book does cite from about 300 films, but it only uses them as examples for discussing certain aspects of film art. It often assumes the readers have already seen the films in question. That brings up my biggest concern: the book often gives away plot details of the movies it discusses. To compensate for that, a lot of films cited by the book are popular hits that have likely been seen by most people, such as PRETTY WOMAN, TITANIC, DIE HARD, etc.

Each new edition of the book differs from earlier ones mainly in the selection of still photos. Newer editions contain more stills from recent films. The first three editions came out in 1971, '75, and '80 respectively. Hence, if you want to see more coverage of, say, films made in the 70s, be sure to get at least the 3rd edition or later.

Last but not least, the book ends with a comprehensive appraisal of CITIZEN KANE that (a) analyzes the movie itself, (b) serves as a grand summation for the book, and most importantly, (c) invites the reader to apply all the knowledge gained from the book to becoming a more astute film viewer.

This book is a must for anyone interested in movies or for film students. I first came into contact with this book in 1985 while at film school and it remains on my book shelf as a wonderful reference book. This book covers everthing from a-z and is well illustrated. The photographs are great and are direct references from the text - not just a visual for the sake of it, as often happens in subscribed texts. This is one of those books I would call "A MUST BUY." I am considering buying the most current version - eventhough I am working in a different industry.

This is an exceptional book. Biblical, practical, lots of examples and useful tools. This book is excellent, not only for raising children who have anger problems, but great for raising any child.

The subtitle says "Practical" and the advice really is! Not pie-in-the sky psychobabble, but direct, concrete, specific steps toward figuring out what lies behind the anger and knowing how to address it. I especially appreciate how the book doesn't waste time trying to place blame or point fingers. It just helps the parent get to work addressing the attitudes and behaviors that need correction.

I have three little boys and I was concerned about some of their behaviors. Fighting, yelling, getting really mad at each other. This book answered so many questions for me it was great. He backs up everything he says with Bible verse and there are examples to help also. A lot of books hint at what could be the root of the problem but this guy lays it out in a way that is easy to understand and I have seen great improvement in my boys just in the first few days. It isn't just a book for children it is for anyone that needs to deal with an anger problem. I have felt a lot better after reading it. It heled me to see what actions I was taking that were upsetting the kids and giving them a bad example. It isn't a book that makes you feel you are a bad person. It just points out things that everybody does to some degree and just taking time to notice which things apply to you is a great help. I think everybody should get at least two of this book because it is the kind of book you want to give to a friend. If everybody read this book the world would be a better place to live in.

Having little knowlegde of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, I failed to realize how drastically different the Disney version was from reality. The story does not focus on a loveable hunchback who finds happiness in the end, rather it is about the cathedral itself. The action and characters all feed off of Notre Dame and represent its values, but they are merely secondary aspects of the book. It is also a violent, depressing, and sometimes even erotic book, none of which of course comes through in a Disney movie.

Many things make this book an incredible read. The most obvious is the incredible prose. Hugo was a beautiful writer and his writing flows so smoothly. He also described with incredible detail the Paris of the late 15th century--the city's skyline, its culture, some of the notable people, and the issues of the day. He spent three years researching the book and he turned his noted into an historical epic. Finally, the action and characters of the book are well developed, exciting, and unique while still representing the values and controversies Hugo wanted to explore.

I originally picked this book up when I was in the 7th grade and was unable to make it more than 20 pages without giving up in frustration, but having more knowlegde of European history, a greater appreciation for literature, and more patience with a book that admittedly starts slowly, I am very glad I came back to it. I don't think this is a book that a young reader will find interesting--though the story itself is great so an abridged version would keep them reading--but any fan of great literature, beautiful prose, French history, architecture, or Victor Hugo will love this book if they give it a chance and do sit patiently while it revs up for 30-40 pages. I highly recommend it.

If you've only seen the film adaptations of this story, for heaven's sake read this jewel of a book! Hugo's ability to see into the hearts of people, especially those in states of degradation, is unequalled. His style, even in translation, is immensely powerful. The scene between Claude and Esmeralda in the dungeon is one of the most beautiful and heartbreaking bits of writing I have ever come across.

This is one of the greatest love stories ever written.

read one of the short pieces in this anthology. They are also incredibly uplifting too. A brilliant bedside companion for any dog lover.

Although each of the pieces in this book was inspired by the loss of a much beloved dog, this is really a book about vibrant, fully-alive dogs: family pets, fellow hunters, soul mates, and best friends. And while none of the dogs remembered so fondly here still lives, Old Dogs affirms the remarkably special place in the heart we reserve for our dogs. My own dog is sturdy in her middle-age, but reading the eulogies and odes in this moving anthology has made me appreciate more all the quirky habits I take for granted, like how she can't resist running off with one of my Reeboks when I'm shoeing up for our evening walk--the little prance she performs when I tell her, "Bring the shoe back!" Not a sad read but a celebratory one, required for every dog owner!

This is a remarkable anthology of stories and poems by outstanding authors of the past, as well as more recent times. Although these moving remembrances are only of beloved dogs, the lovers of any species of pet will find identical sentiments for their own losses. Whatever kind of companion animal you had, you will find your own bereavement and healing tears reflected here, as well.

Care was taken to avoid over-sentimentality, in this assortment of loving reflections of dogs, celebrated here. These accounts are full of love, and are sometimes even funny - and we are thrust into the realization that perhaps that is the most wonderful kind of living memorials we can have for a beloved pet. Too often, we lose this perspective, while trying to keep from drowning in our own bereavement and sorrows.

Rather than being a collection of sad literary memorials Old Dogs Remembered is a joyful celebration of life with pets. This inspires healthy new points of view and adjustments to moving on into our new lives, without them.

Here we are treated to many different outlooks on how they permanently enriched the lives of their owners. Reading these heartwarming pages will broaden the understanding of each reader, concerning his/her own personal bereavement. Here, we are offered the collective wisdom of others, who reminisce on their honored pets. There is much to be shared and learned here, as well as enjoyed.

With so many different authors, one must appreciate that references and styles have changed drastically, through the ages. As an example of this, some might find the essay by the dramatist John Galsworthy to be interesting, but a bit troublesome to read. And, as with any anthology, there may be some accounts not everyone would appreciate. But all pet lovers will readily identify with the overall shared remembrances, here. This is a heartwarming collection, which can be enjoyed comfortably, in several installments.

There will be many an uplifting tear shed in its reading, and we suggest it for your reading pleasure.

This is one of the best books you will buy as a medical student or intern. It is a requirement for your pocket. At Barnes-Jewish Hospital they give this to all the interns in July. If you know read it a couple times it will make internship easy...except for the 100 hours a week you will put into the job...Honestly...BUY IT- I would have bought it in medical school if I knew about it.

Buy this book if you are a fourth year medical student or intern

I wish I had had this book as an intern. It's a concise, pocket-sized guide covering the essential need-to-know information for interns. I especially liked the sections on cross cover, triage, and internet resources.

A must have for soon-to-be interns.

Once you have spoken, even the swiftest horses
cannot retract your words. -Chinese proverb

The analysis of public address is one of the oldest sources of human communication studies. Many students encounter the study of rhetoric in public speaking classes where they are focusing on preparing their own speeches. They learn to make clear presentations, logical arguments and how to perfect their delivery techniques. By studying rhetoric, it is possible to develop individual communication skills.

In selecting the speeches for this volume, the editors were guided by a commitment to the Isocratean perspective and have attempted to bring together instances of rhetorical practices which represent the height of rhetorical culture.

"As an art, public speaking, or rhetoric as the ancients called it, is measured and evaluated generally in terms of the ideal forms through which it produces wisdom; as a political practice, however, it is measured and evaluated in terms of the material power or effect that it wields over the audiences who attend to it." -LMB/JLL

The first set of speeches have important implications for contemporary American society as the genetic foundation of rhetorical culture. This section offers speeches drawn from the Greek, Roman, and Judeo-Christian rhetorical traditions. They include:

Oratory in Classical Antiquity: Pericles (Funeral Oration), Gorgias of Leontini (Encomium on Helen), Lysias (Against Eratosthenes), Demosthenes (The Second Philippic), Marcus Tullius Cicero (the First Catilinarian), Moses (The Decalogue), Jesus of Nazareth (Sermon On The Mount) and St. Augustine (Sermon on The Lord's Prayer).

In Pericles's Funeral Oration, there is an expression of ideological principles like "the good of the many vs. the good of the one," that are as important today as they were in the fourth century B.C.E. These speeches also help students to develop a critical , historical perspective on the thetorical foundations of contemporary society than it has to do with understanding the cultures of classical antiquity.

The second set of speeches come from the Golden Age of Oratory and these speeches deal with individual freedom. They include speeches by:

Martin Luther (I'll Take My Stand), Peter Wentworth (On the Liberties of Commons), Queen Elizabeth I (To the Troops at Tilbury & The Golden Speech), Jonathan Edwards (Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God), James Otis (Writs of Assistance), William Pitt (The Right of Taxing America), Edmund Burke (Two Speeches to the Electors at Bristol), John Hancock (The Bostom Massacre Oration), Patrick Henry (Liberty or Death), George Washington (First Inaugural Address), Thomas Jefferson (First Inaugural Address), Sagoyewatha (Speech to the Council of Chiefs of the Six Nations), Daniel Webster (Bunker Hill Memorial Oration), Maria W. Steward (Lecture Delivered at the Franklin Hall), Ralph Waldo Emerson (The American Scholar), Wendell Phillips (The Murder of Lovejoy), Angelina Grimke (Address at Pennsylvania Hall), Sojourner Truth (Ain't I A Woman), Frederick Douglass (What, To the Slave, Is The Fourth of July?), Chief Seattle (Our People are Ebbing Away Like a Rapidly Receding Tide), Abraham Lincoln (A House Divided, Gettysburg Address & First and Second Inaugural Address) and Robert Toombs (On Secession).

Then there is a third section on Oratory in the Modern Era which includes speeches by:

Russell Conwell (Acres of Diamonds), Henry Grady (The New South), Elizabeth Cady Stanton (Solitude of Self), Booker T. Washington (Atlanta Exposition Address), Albert Beveridge (The Star of Empire), Woodrow Wilson (Declaration of War), Emma Goldman (Address To The Jury), Eugene V. Debs (Address To The Jury, and Statement To The Court), State of Tennessee V. John T. Scopes, Franklin Delano Roosevelt (First Inaugural Address), Huey P. Long (Every Man A King), Adolf Hitler (Germany Demands Its Rights & The Invasion of Poland), Sir Winston Spencer Churchill (The War Situation & Alliance of English-Speaking People), Margaret Chase Smith (Declaration of Conscience), Richard Milhous Nixon (My Side of The Story), Dwight David Eisenhower (Farewell Address). These speeches chart a transformation in the practice of public speaking and address a number of key public issues confronting Americans during this time period from a variety of perspectives.

The last section includes Oratory in Contemporary America by John Fitzgerald Kennedy (Inaugural Address, 1961 & A Moral Crisis, 1963), George Corley Wallace (First Gubernatorial Inaugural Address, 1963), Martin Luther King, Jr. (I Have a Dream), Malcolm X (The Ballot or The Bullet), Lynndon Baines Johnson (Gulf of Tonkin Speech, 1964), Betty Friedan (The Crisis in Women's Identity), Cesar Estrada Chavez (The March 10th Speech), Robert Francis Kennedy (Speeches on the Assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.), John V. Lindsay (Vietnam Moratorium Address), Richard Milhous Nixon (Cambodia & Resignation Speech) Barbara Jordon (Statement of the Articles of Impeachment & Democratic Convention Keynote Address), Gerald R. Ford (Pardon of Richard M. Nixon) Ronald Reagan (First Inaugural Address & Eulogy of the Challenger Astronauts), Mario Cuomo (Democratic Convention Keynote Address), Geraldine Ferraro (Acceptance Speech), Jesse Jackson (Common Ground and Common Sense), George Bush (Acceptance Speech & War Message), Elizabeth Glaser and Mary Fisher (AIDS: Personal Story I and II).

Each speech is introduced with a head note that includes a general discussion of the historical and symbolic context of the speech. Relevant biographical information about the speaker is also included. One fourth of the book contains Speech Criticism Sheets where the reader can consider the content of the speeches, draw their own conclusions and record their thoughts.

Some of the questions include:

1.What is the occasion for this speech?
2. Identify the Speaker. What might the audience(s) for this speech have known about the speaker's ethos-public character or past behaviors-that might affect its willingness to trust or identify with the speaker?
3. What specific beliefs, values, or other collective experiences and/or commitments define the audience(s) for the speech?
4. What is the speaker's goal or intention for this speech?
5. Why might the speaker have assumed in advance that the approach adopted in the speech would be effective in achieving his/her goal?

Enjoyable to read with a highlighter in hand
to highlight various quotes of note or you can analyze
the speeches by using the Criticism Sheets.

What began me on this book was reading FDR's War Speech, with the line 'the Day that will live in infamy.' soon, I was reading the speeches from Pericles' funeral Oration of 431 BC to Martin Luther's i'll Take My Stand in 1521 to George Bush's Gulf War speech, just so I could try and find some way to link why these people had the power to change the face of the earth. What helped me understand the speeches was the introduction, a small essay about the times around the speech, such as why it was writen, what effects it had, and so on. A must for any college or high school student who is trying to look good to his or her teachers.

If one thing can be said about this book, it's that it can give you good information concerning the speeches that changed the tides of war and the hopes of humanity. it is amazing to read something that has speeches from as far back as Ancient Greece, when I didn't think speeches were made much before the Revolution. if you're looking for quotes, there are wonderful speeches about almost anything. Need to use a quote about World War Two? Hitler, Churchill and Roosevelt have speeches included, all dealing with the war that shifted the balance of power across the ocean. Go back to ancient Greece with Pericles' Funeral Oration from 431 BC. go the the Reformation with Martin Luther's I'll Take My Stand. See the political minds who shaped this country through 225 years of war, expansion, depression and luxury. Complete with summuries of the events that transpired to bring about the speeches, one can learn just as much from this one book as by reading histroy books from each era.

Literary (unlike scientific) translations always lose a good deal in the task. It's like travellng to an alien civilization in outerspace, then coming back to describe what you saw without the help of any photographs. Imagine translating Tolkien into a language as different from English as Chinese, and you see the problem here. (How does one even attempt to translate Tolkien's Elvish verses?) One may as well read Shakespeare in Egyptian Hieroglyphs! Too many concepts have no exact counterparts, and a detailed translation would require extensive endnotes and glossaries and appendices. Still, better to have a translation than none at all for those unfortunate foreigners who don't know Chinese. For Louis Cha is the best-known and best-loved living writer of fantasy novels in the Chinese-speaking world. Those who know little Chinese history and culture will get much less out of reading Cha's novels, but that would be asking too much from foreigners interested in reading only the translations.

It's indeed interesting to compare Tolkien with Cha. Tolkien was an Oxford don - a highly respected one in fact, though his scholarship is totally eclipsed by his literary fame. Cha never held a real academic post, but his literary achievement is recognized by universities all over the world - including Oxford and Cambridge. Tolkien's one single book ("The Lord of the Rings" is not actually a trilogy, but one long book divided into three parts) has been turned into global blockbusters in the box office. Cha's many more books (he wrote more than a dozen full-length historical romances) have been turned into television series which have been shown all over Asia. Tolkien's fans tend to be hardcore fanatics - so too are Cha's. Tolkien's honors included a CBE from the Queen. Cha's honors included an OBE from the same lady and a similar one from the French President. Tolkien was relatively poor for a highly successful writer (but rich for a professor). He didn't even make real money from the movie rights. Cha is a very wealthy man, his considerable income being the huge newspaper company he founds and owns (the Ming Pao is the most respected Chinese-language newspaper in the world.)

It would be tempting to argue who is more famous, Tolkien or Cha. Tolkien's fame in the English-speaking world is beyond doubt. The movies are going to spread this fame into the rest of the world. Cha's fame is also past dispute, but it's confined in the Chinese-speaking world only. Although there are more Chinese native speakers than English native speakers in the world, there are far more English learners everywhere, and English is certainly the more important language. However, non-native speakers of English are not likely to delve into difficult books such as Tolkien's, except perhaps in translation.

Which is the reason why translations, despite their limitations, are always and everywhere so necessary!

Ironically, although Tolkien and Cha are between them well known to BILLIONS of people, there are likely not many people who are fans of both, English and Chinese being so different from each other.

THis book was amazing. Some of it was unbelievable but it was hard to put down. I was blown away by the author's imagination. Even people that don't like kung-Fu will like this. It is a Harry Potter set in China. I can't wait till they release the third book because I am really giddy. Trust me on this, this is a great book to buy and will keep you occupied!!!

Let me first state that I had no particular "reason" to read this book: no personal connection to Chinese culture, nor history, nor a love of martial arts movies. In fact, I cannot remember why I purchased it. Yet I'm sitting here having read books 1 and 2, and wondering why the third volume's release has been delayed from October 2002 to early 2003? Doesn't anybody know that I'm in suspense?

This book feels like something pulled out of the past. Cross an Errol Flynn swashbuckler movie with Cervantes, set it in China, and maybe you'll get something close to this: great writing, comedy, and an irresistible antihero. You'll constantly wonder at the silliness of the story, but I bet you'll soon be waiting for volume 3, too, if you get started with this book.

This is simply a wonderful work of history! Francis Parkman is considered by many scholars to be the greatest American historian ever. "Montcalm and Wolfe" is his masterpiece, written in 1884 as the final volume of his multi-volume work "France and England in North America." It tells the story of the French and Indian War, which is probably the most historically decisive war ever fought on the North American continent. Parkman writes with precision, eloquence, and objectivity. With his vivid and fast paced narrative, he demonstrates a wonderful flair dramatizing history. At the same time, his tremendous knowledge about this vast and complex subject is evident on every page. For me, the most fascinating parts of this book were the chapters which described the conflict for Acadia, and the ultimate forced evacuation of the Acadians by the British; Braddock's defeat; and the battles of Louisbourg and Quebec. Parkman's descriptions of these key events, and the personalities behind them, make them seem to come alive.

Parkman writes in the romantic style popular in the late nineteenth century; yet, his prose is of such high quality that it never seems dated. In fact, as I was reading, I found it difficult to remember that "Montcalm and Wolfe" was written 116 years ago! I highly recommend this book, which is already a timeless classic, as essential reading for those interested in learning more about the French and Indian War.

Parkman "wrote the book" on the French and Indian War and created a benchmark for historians that has stood on its merits since published in 1884. Moreover, Parkman creates a primer on making history real and exciting for the reader. His writing style bridges the century since he wrote it. This book is one of seven in Parkman's series "The French and English in North America". Each volume was intended to stand alone. This, the final and most popular volume, covers the fall of Quebec and events leading up to it. The first chapter alone, "The Combatents" does an extraordinary job of setting the scene in Europe that led to this savage wilderness war in North America. Also of interest will be the foreword which paints a vivid picture of the unusual Mr. Parkman. "Montcalm and Wolfe" reads well, provides a sense of "being there" and must be one of the great histories not only of the battle for North America, but of European history as well.

As has been said, Montcalm and Wolfe is Parkman's masterpiece. It was the first thourough account of the French and Indian War and contains some of the most detailed descriptions of the people, places, and events that shaped the North American theater of the first truly global conflict. Here we encounter the dramatic events which lead toward the final confrontation for dominion over the continent. We see a young Virginia Colonel named George Washington leading troops into battle for the first time at Fort Necessity, Braddock's fateful campiagn along the Monogahela, the massacres at Fort Oswego and William Henry by the Indians under Montcalm, the fall of Fort Dusquene, and finally, the culmination of many long and bloody battles, the capture of Quebec and the almost romanticized deaths of Montcalm and Wolfe at the Plains of Abraham. What is truly interesting is that we see the war through the eyes of someone still living in a time when the Indian wars of the west were still being fought and when the country was in the grip of Manifest Destiny and, as a result, Parkman is often very harsh in his views of the Indians and their "savage" ways. Yet, even so, he often gives them more credit than most of his contemporaries.

It is unforunate that today so little is taught or learned about this important event in American history. Today, it seems that the French and Indian War is all but ignored save for being mentioned as a prelude to the American Revolution which it helped spawn rather than as the major turning point in the history of North America and the world. For it is this bloody conflict, fought in the unending wilderness of America, where French regulars and courer de bois crept through the dark woods alongside painted Huron and Ottawa warriors to attack the English settlements, and young redcoated soliders marched shoulder to shoulder to their horrific deaths by rifle ball and tomahawk, that gave birth to what would become the Untied States and changed the course of world history. But even more than that, it is a fascinating period of history more powerful than any piece of fiction. This is history of the highest order. Highly recommended.

When my Grandfather told me that I could have all of his Louis L'Amour books (24 in all and all of the "Sackett's") I was extremelly excited. I picked up this book ("Sackett's Land") and was immediately drawn into the world of Barnabas Sackett, I couldn't put it down and finished it in 2 hours. I great book and not a "Western" (so don't let that bother you). I guarantee that you will be enchanted with this one.

This a story of adventures that you can dream about. L'Amour does an outstanding job of describing the details of England and the new America. Barnabas Sackett finds gold coins and wants more out of life. It is exciting and uplifting. To see how he battles pirates and Indians and lives off the land. Not a western but an adventure story that is so well written you can't wait to read the next one to see how Barnabas turns out. I also listened to the audio tapes and they are great. The reader has an excellent voice.

This novel which introduced us to the intriguing saga of the Sackett family is by far the best of the series. Set in 17th century England and America, this book creates vivid images of life during a time when freedom was not a given right, but something you had to fight for. The courageous Barnabas Sackett flees to America to start a new life with nothing but the clothes on his back and a deep sense of pride. Struggling to survive in the wild untamed land of what is now the USA, Barnabas finds himself faced with escaping from vicious pirates, battling the elements of the weather, and often times being the first white man to come face to face with the American Indians of the region. L'Amour does a fine job at telling this adventurous tale which will keep you flipping the pages from start to finish.