Pearl Harbor 1941 is graphically very appealing. If one ignores the first 35 pages and the final few pages, one might even call this an excellent summary. For readers with only a general interest in the Pearl Harbor attack, this volume will suffice, but historians will probably only appreciate the excellent maps and order of battle information. Particularly troubling, given the immense primary and secondary sources available on this subject, is the author's tendency toward misleading and erroneous facts.

The opening introduction and background section is totally inadequate. While the author takes time to mention Hawaii's historical background, he makes less effort to paint the immediate causes of the attack. There is no mention of either the Chinese invasion of China in 1937 that led to the deterioration of US-Japanese relations or the Russo-Japanese border fighting in 1939-40 that shaped Japanese strategic conceptions away from further Eurasian entanglements. The statement that the "US Pacific Fleet was a deterrent" is misleading; that was how FDR viewed it, not the Japanese, who saw it as a threat to their expansionist ambitions in the Pacific. Even Admiral Kimmel, who commanded the Pacific Fleet, felt wholesale transfers of men and vessels to the Atlantic undermined its deterrence value.

The section on opposing commanders is more than a bit rambling and has odd choices of individuals, some of whom were not military commanders involved directly in the campaign. The US section has Kimmel, Short, Stark, Marshall, Hull and FDR. The Japanese section has Yamamoto, Fuchida, Genda, Nagumo and Nomura. Certainly politicians and diplomats such as FDR, Hull and Nomura do not belong here. Noticeably absent are the US air commanders in Hawaii, Bloch and Martin, who certainly bore some responsibility for the defeat. The entry for Nagumo is misleading, implying that he committed suicide at Saigon in 1944 "when the inevitable result of the war became clear." Instead, Nagumo was commander of the naval base on Saipan and committed suicide when US troops overran the island. The entry for Yamamoto that claims he was, "a man who fought but wanted peace" is nauseating. Just what did he ever do for peace? The chronology section, although detailed, is also marked with misleading or erroneous entries, further complicated by the fact that the author does not specify what time zone he is using. For example, he states that the Japanese fleet sailed on 25 November, but local time was actually 26 November. The crucial 27 November "war warning" is falsely delivered as advising Kimmel and Short that negotiations had failed and to "be prepared for any eventuality." It said no such thing.

Although there is a section on the Japanese attack plan, there is no section on US defensive plans or the Rainbow War Plan. The author should have mentioned the Martin-Bellinger studied which addressed the vulnerability of Oahu to air attack. In the Japanese section, there is no mention of the vociferous opposition to the raid and how Yamamoto had to threaten resigning in order to get the operation approved. The whole approach to Japan's strategy is euphemistic: "Japan expanded into Asia..."and the US "thwarted every Japanese attempt to extend Asian influence," instead of, the US sought to contain Japanese aggression. There are many other errors in this section, some so mundane, like claiming that the Japanese task force sailed from "Tankan Bay" instead of Hittokappu bay, that it is a wonder that the author even bothered to peruse secondary sources.

Amazingly, the sections on the actual attack are quite good. To be fair, they are better than Gordon Prange provides in his long-winded At Dawn We Slept. Smith provides excellent maps and graphics for the attacks on each air base and the naval facilities, as well as a decent textual summary. Three-D maps are provided for the first and second wave attacks, as well as the attack on Hickam Field. There is even a map depicting US naval movements in Pearl during the attack, which is most unusual. Several excellent illustrations and many photos complement the text. Overall, these 36 pages that cover the attack (one more page than Prange) are excellent.

Unfortunately, in the aftermath section the author reverts to his misleading tendencies. He claims "all eight [US] battleships [were] sunk or heavily damaged," which is totally wrong. The USS Maryland and Pennsylvania were only slightly damaged and soon available for service, USS Tennessee was moderately damaged. His follow-up conclusions are overly generalized and ignore the immediate affects of the raid.

Overall, this a handy, colorful summary volume, but it should not be used as a substitute for serious history. Unfortunately, the author has taken far too many liberties with the historical record for this to be considered a reliable summary.

An excellent review for the novice as well as the reader well read about the Pearl Harbor attack. Maps and diagrams reveal the placement of each aircraft and ship. This book also does a good job about detailing how severe this battle hurt the US military. Shocking to realize how little strength the US had in the Pacific on Dec. 8, 1941. Highly recommended.

Adams and Maine(s) have put together a very good text for standard business ethics classes, or for anyone seeking a comprehensive and readable introduction to the topics and issues in business ethics. I have used it in my classes for a number of years and find it covers the topics in depth and breadth. Students have also found it clear and understandable. One drawback, as with any text for a college level course, is that some topics I would include are omitted. However, this is true of almost any text in the field and for each individual instructor. The other drawback is that for some issues it could use just a bit more "pro-con" selections and presentations. Overall, the issues are presented fairly and in a balanced manner. The stengths of the text outweigh its weaknesses by far.

Bought a classic Caddilac and had no idea where to find parts. Now I can find even the most esoteric parts - new-old-stock, replicas, re-conditioned. Easy to use with nation-wide suppliers. The book is broken into major categories - Body and trim, Interiors, Engine and drive train, etc. Looking forward to using this guide for a long time.

After reading the author's most recent work, followed by one somewhere in the middle, it was intriguing to read Richards' first novel. Written, amazingly, when he was only 23, The Coming of Winter foreshadows the splendid writer Richards has come to be.

This first of his New Brunswick (Canada, not New Jersey) novels is a potently quiet tale of a clutch of near-silent, deeply brooding people. At the apex is young Kevin Dulse, whose twenty-first birthday and marriage are approaching within two weeks' time. As are all the characters, Kevin's inner life is deftly depicted in all of its inchoate anger, integrity and confusion. The men in this book all have active lives of the mind but seem congenitally unable to articulate their thoughts and feelings. The women are only slightly more adept at expressing themselves.

What makes the novel so readable is the exquisitely observed minutiae of everyday life in a small town whose major employer is the mill. Kevin's observations while working a number of jobs at the mill, his determination to do even the lowliest job thoroughly and well, make him entirely human and sympathetic. His inability not to go out drinking with his friends is annoying--to him and to the reader--and yet he cannot stop himself.

In the course of the two weeks covered by the novel, Kevin takes any number of steps forward into maturity, into adulthood. The details of his mother's efforts to prepare for her son's wedding with only a week's notice are beautifully realized and touchingly real.

A quiet book with considerable subtext, my only complaint (and this is primarily an editorial flaw) is the shifting from one character to another without indication of which character is in focus. It makes for confusion as one shifts about, trying to glean from the text just who is holding center stage at a given moment. This is, otherwise, a remarkable achievement for the very young author. And his subsequent books demonstrate how wonderfully well Richards has developed as a writer. I've yet to find any one of his many novels less than fascinating.
Highly recommended.

Being a wine lover myself and wanting to discover its wonderful range of flavors and labels, I found this book an easy and fun way to get more acquainted with the art of knowing, serving and buying wine. It's easy to read and understand and gives you a relatively clear view of what lies ahead in terms of names, labels, flavors, prices.....for people like me who are willing to take the first steps towards being a connoiseur and who knows? a wine expert one day.....

Thomas Sullivan provides a clear, consise, and easy to use reference guide for anyone to use. This book not only contains actual text of some major environmental laws, but it also sites case studies and court decisions, all in an easy to read format. This book is a must for anyone dealing in environmental matters, and is a good source of reference for anyone concerned with the environment and public policy.

Getting ready to do the |FRCR Part II. Looking for MCQ books. There are many on the bookshelves. Some are very difficult and some too easy. Some are old and do not cover the latest advancements. This book is quite new and is based on Grainger and Allison's radiology textbook which in itself is almost a gold standard for radiologists. If you read the mcq book you really get the extract of most of the relevant information in the 3 volume Grainger and Allison's book. Buy it before it goes out of stock. A must before the exams.

This book is a real time saver when trying to locate parts or vendors. I have owned MOPARS for 15 years and I found many new distributors. It is organized well although it could use some dressing up. The appearance is the only thing keeping it from getting five stars but if you want parts, this is the place to go.

Native American myths are always primitive, raw, peculiar, and sometimes entertaining, but might not be for everyone. This particular book is not daunting, at about 200 pages, with most of the myths being relatively short. What the authors have tried to do is present the myths in a general, more literary approach, and with some reference to similarities with other mythic traditions. Starting with the native "pantheons", then to their conception of the cosmos (creation, flood, afterlife, end of world), then to hero myths. Of these the last section was the most entertaining, the other myths end up being etiological and rather simple. If you are interested in the mysths in their more original forms there is "American Indian Myths and Legends". This book is more like a primer, but is at least a good overall introduction to what is really a vast mythological tradition.

This book is straightforward, breaking down each step of the heroic journey, from the hero's birth to apotheosis, using examples from various mythologies/religions to establish the classical pattern used in literature. If you just want to brush up and increase your ability to identify the pattern in literature/pop culture (ie. Aliens movies, The Matrix, Xena, Buffy, Providence...) this is a handy reference and a quick read.