It had to be done! If Ralph Young, aided by Steve Davis, illustrator and Kevin Lyles, figure artist had not produced volume 1 of a proposed ten volume series about Army Aviaton in Vietnam, many of the details and most of the pictures and maps would have been lost forever. However, Ralph Young did produce volume 1, and it is a success. If volume one is any indication of future publishings in the series, you will not want to miss any that are published. I personally know of no other more complete and documented historical journal. This one is gleened from official and personal information gathered from the actual combatants. We all will someday be indebted to Ralph Young for doing the almost impossible task of telling much of our story; the story we all lived, one year at a time.

The Army Aviation story began as far back as October 1954 with the Avn Div. and Flight Det. of MAAG, Indochina in Saigon. In those early years Army Aviation was very very small and consisted of young men baptised in the combat of WWII and Korea,. However, most were trained as aviators well after WWII. The US Army Air Corps had split to form the US Air Force leaving hardly anyone who possessed flying skills within the US Army. Young men like COL. Kenneth D. Mertel, COL. Samuel G. Conley, CW4 Frank Baldwin, Gen Joe Stillwell and dozens more acknowledged by the author, brought together the men and early aviation assets to set rotors/propellers in motion in SE Asia. These pioneers provided leadership which would advance Army Aviation. They carefully formed Army Aviation's stength, tactics and composition to what we know today.

Army Aviation in Vietnam, 1961-1963 is truly an illustrated history of unit insignia, aircraft camouflage and markings. A detail rich text, derived from personal contacts with those who wrote the history, and a humongous amount of fresh personal pictures and illustrations will give you so much detail to absorb that you will want to read and look at each page over and over again. In fact, I can personally attest to the fact that after looking and reading most of the 125 page book several times, I discovered something new every time! Not many books offer that kind of "meat". The pictures are mostly never before seen personal snapshots. They are definitely not the oft used media prints most massproduced media books offer. The hundreds of pictures were offered from the highly prized personal albums of all the contributing men the author personally interviewed and corresponded with during the research phase. This in itself speaks volumes about the respect the contributors have for the job the author has set out to accomplish. You will truly enjoy all the clear, crisp and accurate illustrations. A great job!

Volume 1 is dedicated to the seven men who were in the first night time crash of an H-21 belonging to the 57th Transporation company(Lt Hel) which spun into the ground on an island in the Mekong River at 2200 hours on 11 January 1963. The crash was only days following the Battle of Ap Bac when Army Aviation lost its "cherry" during a large scale combat assault on known Viet Cong positions. Ralph Young devotes several pages to the Battle of Ap Bac and its "lessons learned" which produced many changes to early helicopter airborne tactics. Many of the changes in tactics remained in effect until the deployment of large caliber anti-aircraft and infrared anti-aircraft rockets demanded further change, almost 5 years later. Future volumes by will deal with those changes in much greater detail. I can not wait!

Finally, to put in perspective the task that looms before Ralph Young and his artist and illustrator(who are not even rated aviators) in telling the story of Army Aviation in Vietnam, think about WWII and the volumes of books, movies and stories told over the last half century. Vietnam, on the other hand, was THREE TIMES longer than WWII from 1961-1973! An almost impossible task lies before the author. It is possible that telling the story of Army Aviation in Vietnam might just take a century.

Keep working Ralph, we look forward to each and every book in the 10 book series. I personally will want each and every volume to put in my personal library and to pass on to my children or local library. After all, as I said, it had to be done.

The largest task of an historical writer (after data acquisition) is to assemble an overwhelming jumble of information into coherent and readable, yet accurate text. Ralph Young has done this with this first-in-a-series glossy hardcover.

During the early years of Vietnam, Army Aviation was in flux. Technology advances in power plant design and structural materials had moved helicopters from "damn, it actually flys" category into the realm of practical airborne utility "trucks" that would eventually be fitted with offensive weaponry.

The Army fixed-wing inventory of this period was growing from single-engine light observation and liason aircraft to more complex single and twin- engine cargo and resupply aircraft, capable of STOL (short take-off and landing) performance on remote, unimproved landing strips.

Ralph Young's book chronicles this era, identifying the aircraft, the units and the men that made it happen. The many excellent photos and descriptions detail the evolution and growth of Army Aviation from piston-engine helicopters with their limited carrying capacity to the early "Huey" models. The ubiquitious Huey, with its distinctive shape and sound became, for many, the symbol of everything that flew in Vietnam, but there were others in those early years--the H-13 from Korea MASH fame, the H-21 Flying Banana, the H-34 and the H-37.

The book also covers fixed wing development, as the L-19 (later known as the TO-1D), the L-20 (U-6A) Beaver and the U1A Otter were joined by the twin-engine CV-2 Caribou, RU-8D (L-23) and the OV-1 Mohawk. The Army's growing fleet of fixed wing cargo and offensive aircraft was viewed with alarm by the Air Force as infringement on its perogatives and would be the subject of intense inter-service debate during the mid-sixties.

Anyone interested in accurate details of Army Aviation aircraft, markings and unit insigna from the period of 1961 to 1963 will enjoy this book. The follow-on book will pick up next period, the mid-sixties, and should continue the outstanding effort of this book.

Dennis Toaspern, Historian, Army Otter Caribou Association

The "Army Aviation in Vietnam" series of books are a welcome and long overdue addition to the library of U.S. military history. As a current Army aviator, I find this series invaluable in allowing me to trace the history of Army aviators and their units.

Rich in detail, Mr. Young's work is unequaled and fills a gap that has existed for quite a while. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of Army aviation or the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam war.

This is the second of Ralph Young's series of fine books on the insignia and units of the Army Aviation units in Vietnam, both fixed wing and helicopter. I'm proud to own both of the existing books, and will buy each and every one as they are produced. This is a labor of love for Ralph, and it is a privilege to accompany him as he recognizes members of all the helicopter units that were in RVN at different times of the war. He is a walking encyclopedia, and his remarkable books show this. My unit, the 175th OUTLAWS is displayed correctly and prominently, and I am looking forward to the third edition of his series, which will feature my bird, Outlaw 23, representing the fine aviation art his illustrator is capable of. History of the individual units and their personnel who mattered are also included in this excellent work. Put it on your bookshelf!

It is rare for me to have such unbridled praise for any individual writer, but Metzner is quite simply a shining intellect - a hero among others.

Anything with the name Ralph Metzner even remotely attached to it is a safe buy. Metzner brings vitality and encyclopedic awareness to every project. An elder statesman responsible for such dramatic shifts in consciousness within this nation and throughout the world, buy his works and read them with pleasure.

What is striking about this work is the respect he brings to the subject and the well-constructed tapestry of thought contained within the pages.

Also, the design of this book is beautiful.

Solid content with the stamp of greatness. Palatable to the senses and nourishing to the neurons.

Cannot go wrong here!

This book discusses Ayahuasca from a variety of perspectives: historical, religious, chemical, cultural, horticultural and experiencial. The way the book is structured it would be easy for a reader to skip over the topics that don't interest them. All of the information is presented in a thorough, well-written, and objective manner offering some conclusions while at the same time allowing the reader to form their own.

Most interesting were the 25 or so personal accounts, 3-4 pages each written by people who appeared to Americans/Westerners who took the drug for religious/spiritual purposes and in a religious/spiritual setting. It was clear, based on their mindset (objectives and beliefs) and the religious setting that Ayahuasca seems to somehow create a religious construct through which a person can work through personal issues or sort through personal beliefs. The experience seemed to have a profound affect on most of these people.

Overall, I got the impression that Ayahuasca was not connecting these individuals to something divine outside of themselves, but rather that it was freeing the brain up to explore the subconscious/ID in order to resolve problems or explore issues in the persons life.

Well worth reading if you're interested in this sort of thing.

I think this is a Great book for sports fans of all ages. It brought me back to my youth, struggling to reach a dream that I knew would never come true, but that one crack of the bat out of 100 swings kept my dream alive well past my teens.

I enjoyed reading this book a great deal. It was fun, entertaining, and over all enjoyable. I would suggest it for anyone, not only baseball fans, although baseball fans will especially enjoy it. The story flowed nicely, as you get to know each of the characters, especially Artie, who is quite the character himself. I look forward to reading more of Mr. Filicchia's work in the future.

These poems are brilliant and inspiring because they were written by a socialist. They were written to make you think about the system.

Questions by a Worker Who Reads is one of my favourite poems. The freeways, offices, electricity system and everything else in our civilization were not built by politicians or company executives - they were built by workers.

Bertolt Brecht has acquired the same status as those other artists whose work is known, but not appreciated. Like Faulkner, Joyce and Proust, he has become transmuted into an adjective; even worse, he has followers who describe themselves as "Brechtian" and who are happy to discuss his theories of drama instead of the dramas themselves. But things get even worse when you get closer to the man himself, for there is a wealth of evidence that "der arme B.B." was, in fact, a conscienceless thief who stole credit from everyone with whom he worked and, in particular, from the women he charmed into professional and emotional liaisons. Add to this his craven attitude towards Stalin, and his theories of epic theater seem to be, at the very least, a gross exercise in self-deception. All very off-putting. But his poetry is a different matter. Brecht approaches the reader without the arrogance of a theorist interested in instructing the audience how to think. He is more candid, both personally and politically, willing to condemn his own weaknesses and, in his later years, those of the movement that he had defended at any cost. And, most importantly, his poetry is fresh, direct, cutting and beautiful, even in translation. This is a volume that those who are interested in writing poetry should have.

Blood Money, part three of the trilogy Dead or Alive, brings new and old characters together. Realistic and believable, people with personality step from the pages... I recommend all three in the trilogy...

As usual I liked this Ralph Cotton book. However, it is very much more about Jake Coak, Quick Charlie Simms and Kate McCorkle than it is Sullivan Hart and Twojack Roth. J. T. Priest has been set free and Judge Parker sends Coak, Simms, Hart and Roth out to destroy Priest and his gang, Los Pistoleros. The first part of the book is devoted to Coak bringing in wanted outlaws then when the four of them are to go after Priest, Coak and Simms take over and have nearly all the action. I did enjoy the book, it is a very good western, just not really about Hart. Jake Coak is great, I hope he show up again with his automatic sawed off rifle. A rare thing to see. Did not like the part of Simms as I think he was a lier most of the time. A fast read, will hold you attention and you won't want to put it down. A few funny places as Priest and his gang to blow a safe and blow up nearly every thinging else instead.

I read this book after reading Alan Booth's comments on Dazai and his life - so I have to admit, I was rather cynical.

I very much warmed to Dazai through these excellent translations by Ralph McCarthy. The tales have many ingredients which will appeal to lovers of Akutagawa and Kawabata. Those who like to see Chinese stories through Japanese eyes will not be disappointed.

There is also a fine preface, giving a historical perspective to the stories.

This was really a good little book. i picked it up several months ago, and subsequently forgot about it, but after finishing a book by yasunari kawabata, i saw this book on my shelf and decided to give it a shot. . . i finished it in two days. this book is very entertaining some of the stories are sad while others are very funny. . . you will not forget Taro the wizard, Jirobei the fighter, and saburo the liar for a long time pick this book up you will not be disapointed

...you must have this; there are treasures here you won't find anywhere else. One of the finest collections of Jung and Jungiana I've seen.

A must! if you are interested in C.G. Jung and his psychology.

Why is "C.G. Jung Speaking" a must?

FIRST OF ALL, simply because the Collected Works doesn't include the information found here. These are not works of Jung, but the works of others--interviews, characterizations etc. In other words, you will find some information here which you could only dig out with great difficulty, scattered in numerous works.

SECOND, in the interviews Jung is sometimes caught off-guard by a surprise question, and so, forced to develop on the aspects of his theories that he may perhaps have though self-explanatory.

THIRD, you see Jung through the eyes of others -- Esther Harding, Charles Baudoin, Michael Fordham, Charles Lindbergh, and others.

Some subjects, touched upon in this book:

- Jung's own type, according to his typology (Introvert. And Thinking, Intuition, Sensing/Perception, and Feeling, in that order)

- Freud's type (extravert--hence his pleasure principle)

- Adler's type (introvert--hence his power complex)

- The psychology of dictators (Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, and, yes, Roosewelt)

- The nature of intuition

- introvert vs. extravert intuitives

- Creative achievement

- Jung's breaking with Freud.

- Jung and Nazism/anti-Semitism (Jung defends himself in December 1949)

And the somewhat transcendent questions:

- God

- death and life after death

- astrology and alchemy

Edited by William McGuire, executive editor of the Collected Works (CW), in collaboration with R.F.C. Hull, translater of CW, it is no surprise to find that this excellent book contains numerous references to CW, as well as a comprehensive index.

Hardcopy book is excellent and a must especially for people with only one or two properties. I would expect that most professional landlords would know most of the information.

When we moved to a new home, we decided not to sell our old one but rent it out instead. However, we've heard a lot of nightmare stories about being a landlord, so the idea was pretty scary even though it makes sense for the long-term financially. This book gives you great advice and even examples of doing things the right way and the wrong way. I certainly had a lot of misconceptions about what was legal and what was not, and I think it would even be helpful even if one decided to hire a property management service just to understand liabilities. After reading this book, I feel comfortable that we've done everything in a legally correct way, and that we did a good job of screening our tenants. The forms provided give you everything you need to start renting out a place.

As with all the booklets in Muncaster's "Examine the Evidence" series, this booklet packs a powerful punch of highly compelling and abundant evidence that the Bible must have been divinely inspired. Excellent concise, yet comprehensive presentation. The booklet size makes the content quickly digestable (and skeptical friends may be more likely to actually read it.)

THE BOOK" CAN YOU TRUST THE BIBLE" IS A VERY WELL WRITTEN BOOK. IT IS LAID OUT IN A VERY EASY TO READ FORMAT. THE BOOK CONTAINS MANY FACTS ABOUT THE BIBLE. EASY TO FIND ANSWERS TO SOME OF THE MOST ASKED QUESTIONS ON THE BIBLE(.WHEN IT WAS WRITTEN, WHO WROTE THE BIBLE, THE AMAZING PROPHICIES OF THE BIBLE THAT CAME TRUE.) THE AUTHOR GOES INTO GREAT DETAIL ABOUT HOW THE BIBLE WAS WRITTEN TO MOST MINUTE DETAIL IN ACCURACY, HOW THE BIBLE HAS BEEN ATTEMPTED TO BE DESTROYED AND DISCOVERIES SUCH AS THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS, THAT YOU JUST WANT FIND IN MANY OTHER BOOKS. IF YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO STRENGTHEN YOUR FAITH IF YOU ARE A SKEPTIC I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO HELP ANSWER THE HARD QUESTIONS. EASY TO READ IN ONE SITTING, BUT YOU WILL LOOK AT IT MORE. MIKE WINTON