A wonderful little book with the most important selections of The Federalist, each section followed by brief commentary connecting it to current situations.

Jefferson called the original the "best commentary on the principles of government ever written"; here are what some others have said about Dr. Saxey's excellent edition:

A "delectable book."
R. Emmett Tyrell, Jr.
The American Spectator

"A must read."
Mark Brunelle
The Oregon Observer

"Thank you...I will keep this important work in my office."
Clarence Thomas
The Supreme Court

"The rhetoric on Capitol Hill makes this book compulsory."
The Book Reader

A very pleasant surprise, indeed! I am a normal, working class citizen and was given this book as a gift. My initial reaction was, "I will get to this when I can", but after turning the first 9 pages, I could not put it down!

Dr. Saxey's goal is the same as the original authors; his intent is to assist every voter in reading and understanding the Constitution, and he accomplishes that goal in style!

Saxey guides the reader through the Federalist papers step by step; first quoting the authors of the Federalist - James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay. Following each topic, he adds a short commentary of each section and then describes how past and present administrations have abided by or abused the Constition and the ramifications of doing so.

Dr. Saxey takes us on a journey of our political history and points out "red flags", misuse of government power and where our future as a Nation lies accordng to how the Constituiton has been interpreted in our time and ramifications if changes are not made. He points out the net effect of excessive legislation which has become epidemic, illustrates how the limitations of terms has been misunderstood as well as the effect of entrenched power based on a seniority system in the House of Representatives.

One of my favorite sections, on page 55 is regarding the character of those representing the people/states. Saxey states " Character matters. It matters not only in candidates for public office, but in the CITIZENS who vote for them" (emphasis added). Roderick Saxey quotes Alexis de Tocqueville who spoke of the greatness of America, and who said "America is great because she is good and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great"! How appropriate for these times. The delightful surprise here, is that the Author's personality shines through what could be for some, difficult reading. His humor and humility are evident and enjoyable enough that you wish you could sit at a fireside chat and probe his intellect and insight further. For passionate American's this is a must read. I recommend it for any US History course and for any person seeking citizenship into our Nation! If a second edition comes forth, I'd like to hear more from Dr. Saxey himself, as his discourse is insighful, logical, sensible.

As history teaches us, we must look where we are headed as a nation and to do that, we must re-evaluate what our Founding Fathers intended for America and her people. "The Federalist", by Dr. Roderick Saxey accomplishes this and stands apart from other Federalist publications. I recommend that you find it, read it and keep it on your desk! An excellent source of stimulating conversation!

I enjoyed this book for personal reasons, but aside from that, I thought the author's perspective gave the stories depth to many of the impersonal aspects of the war. He is a great story teller, and adds that personal detail that makes them come to life. I recommend this book to young and old - in fact to anyone who wants to learn about this time period through the eyes of a young surgeon who served on five fronts and lived to tell about it.

An able and highly enjoyable job of getting the facts out with the tone of our shared WW-II experiences. Am impressed with the precision of writing. Moore has done all of us a huge favor, and I, for one, am most grateful. Brig. General Robert A. Duffy, USAF (Ret.)

I purchased this book to learn more about the Outer Banks, which I have long wished to visit and where we will spend a week this summer. It is an amazingly interesting and informative book. Geology, geography, biology, weather, ecology, politics, and more are all discussed as is the importance of each in relation to the others. I found the book engrossing and would recommend it even if you are not going to this unique area of the world. Now when the kids ask me why there is a forest in the dunes I will be able to tell them and I will be much better able to appreciate the beauty of the place.

I picked this book up during a recent week's stay on Topsail Island (one of the southernmost of the Outer Banks). Having never read a book on natural history or the ecology, I was prepared for the paper-pulp equivalent of Sominex.

Never have I been more wrong in my preconceptions about a book. Ribbon of Sand captures PERFECTLY the true mystique of North Carolina's Outer Banks -- how a half-mile wide band of barrier islands survive both because of nature . . . and in spite of it. Each segment of the book ties together both human and natural history. How the wind the shapes the wonderfully high dunes near Kill Devil provided the Wright Brothers with the means to test their gliders and to develop the first airplane. How shifting tides and currents that continue to shape the Outer Banks both abetted . . . and spelled doom for Blackbeard the Pirate.

In short, Ribbon of Sand captured my imagination and instilled in me a greater appreciation for the fragile balance of nature and man on the Outer Banks. I very highly reccomend this book!

The SBL Handbook of style is designed for those who are writing papers or dissertations in the field of ancient Near Eastern, Biblical and early Christian Studies. Most matters of style are comprehensively addressed, and where they are not, the editors refer the reader to the Chicago Manual of Style. The book is extremely useful for those who want to standardise their abbreviations and references. Nonetheless, several issues will have to be resolved in the next edition. First, although the book is nicely printed, the binding is extremely poor, and fell apart only after I had used the book a few times. Second, several essential abbreviations are missing from the list of Greek and Latin works. Third, not all abbreviations are located in the same part of the book, and so one has to keep going backwards and forwards to find the appropriate reference. Fourth, the editors sometimes display a dogmatic approach to style and appear at least to this reader to be a inflexible. For example they insist that writers ought to use Miriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary for their spelling. This dictionary however is only one alongside many other excellent dictionaries such as, the American Heritage, and the Random House. These criticisms should not detract from the importance and usefulness of this volume, which I recommend wholeheartedly.

This easy-to-use, inexpensive volume is a must-own for all who write in the fields of biblical and ancient near eastern studies. College and seminary students, graduate students, teachers, and researchers will find this book a fine substitute for Turabian and/or the CMOS for all but the most obscure situations. The discipline-specific nature of the work also allows greater depth of coverage without making it overlong. Get it today, or be behind the standard tomorrow.

A beautifully written book - but then you would expect that from an English teacher! Full of hilarious escapades, frightening experiences and gloriously colourful accounts of this unbelieveably exciting yet delightful journey! Should be on the bookshelf of every Mirror Dinghy owner, and the reading list of every school! With its broad appeal this book makes an excellent gift. I look forward to the author's next publication - which I have no doubt will be forthcoming in due course as a result of world demand!

Like the Author, once you start this journey it is difficult to stop. This book is very difficult to put down.

As you breeze along the waterways and across seas with Sandy you find yourself saying "No! You can't? You won't? You shouldn't..." then you turn the page and he can, he will and he has; your eyes open wide and you read fervently onwards.

After one crisis is over you are calmed back into the beautiful journey, bumbling along serenely and naively into the arms of the next demon waiting beyond the horizon.

Whilst many of the literary quotes went over my head I found this a fantastically written story of eccentric daring-do with laugh-out-loud moments of extreme hilarity.

A real, live "Lord Of The Rings" journey full of near-death experiences told as if they weren't and real life experiences told like it was.

You have to read this book.

Incidentally whilst not putting down this book at 1 am, high up in the Taipei Hilton the other week I found my hotel bed shaking with laughter, when I stopped, the bed didn't and the contents of the min-bar spilled out onto the floor. It was then that I realised the Earth was moving! That's never happened with any other book I've read.

Well done Mr. Mackinnon!

For anyone who wants to understand Destroyer sailors and their lives,this is the book to read. For those who have served in the Tin Can Navy, this is the book to read. It will bring back a flood of memories of their own duties in Destroyers. During the Korean War I was CO USS Walke DD723 and we were often in company with the Bole. She was a fine ship, and these are fine sea stories.

I wish to thank the author twice for publishing the personal accounts of former USS John A. Bole crew members. First - Thanks, because I thoroughly enjoyed reading his selection of crew experiences. Secondly - Thanks, because for years I have been wanting to compile and publish anecdotes of USS Lyman K. Swenson (DD729) crew members' accounts of their shipboard life .... now Mr. Alexander has, essentially, done that for us. Except for a difference of names (and lacking a DD729 first-hand Inchon "Sitting Ducks" account), I felt I was reading the exploits of my own ship. It brings back memories of many similar experiences during my years aboard a U.S. Navy destroyer. I recommend the book to all current and former U.S. Navy men, their wives, and sweethearts, and especially all "Tin Can Sailors". I look forward to Mr. Alexander's next book.

An excellent first hand narrative with lively and descriptive writing by one of the first pioneers to help settle the untamed Northwest. Alexander Ross joined Astor's Pacific Fur Company expedition in 1810 and this is his story of the day to day struggles which he and the other men had to overcome. He left New York on the soon to be ill-fated, doomed ship the Tonquin, with a pompous and overbearing Captain Thorn. They sailed around the tip of South America, then to Hawaii and finally to the mouth of the Columbia River, all the while prevailing over many hardships during this voyage. Upon landing and without delay, the men began to construct the trading post Astoria. Ross' detailed descriptions of their adventures amidst the forces of Mother Nature, Indian relations, the Northwest Fur Company, geography, etc. makes this book a real page turner. They all had many obstacles to overcome, and as I said, his writing skills are exemplary. He devotes the last few chapters to the culture and customs of one of the local Indian tribes. The man was a keen and acute observer of all his surroundings and this is an energetic effort on his part to put it in writing.

I believe Alexander Scourby is the best when it comes to bible reading. When you buy something like this, it needs to be done in such a way that you look forward to listening over and over again and that is what a person will find with his work. He does not miss a word when reading along with him and his voice really brings the Bible to life. I love the KJ version but wish Mr. Scourby had also done other versions such as the NIV. But anyone will find this to be a real treasure for life and of course the KJ language is the most beautiful of all versions!

"Black Jack" Logan was perhaps the best of the "political" generals of the Union army.
His military service, from Forts Henry and Donelson, through Vicksburg and Atlanta and on to the Carolinas, demonstrated not only his own abilities and personal courage, but also was emblematic of the skilll and sacrifice of his "Egyptians" of southern Illinois generally. His political thought, too, illustrative of the times, reflected the shift in Illinois opinion from initial confusion and wavering, to near-solid support for Lincoln and his war policies.
In conjunction with this very readable biography, the reader might be also be interested in "Reminiscences of a Soldier's Wife", Mrs. Logan's memoirs, which cannot be regarded as entirely reliable but which are a valuable adjunct to Jones' biography and give a colorful insight into the times.

(The "score" rating is an ineradicable feature of the page. This reviewer does not 'score" books.)

This is an excellent set of cassettes beautifully read by Alexander Scourby. Kick back, relax and listen to his melodic voice read the greatest Book of all time.