This volume includes more than 100 articles and letters. They cover topics ranging from the economic depression and the rising inter-imperialist tensions leading to World War II, to the Stalinist frame-up trials in the Soviet Union, the Spanish Civil War, and detailed leadership questions posed in workers movements in different countries at the time. These volumes are lively, pointed and have extensive notes and chronologies to aid the reader today.

I'd also recommend some other titles written by Trotsky at this time, including The History of the Russian Revolution, The Fight Against Fascism in Germany, Trade Unions in the Epoch of Imperialist Decay, and The Transitional Program for Socialist Revolution, all available from the same publisher, Pathfinder Press.

The workers movement of that time was misled by parties - social democratic and fake communist -- which preferred imperialist "democracy" over workers revolution. This allowed fascism to triumph and, together with "democratic" imperialism, brought us the second world war which slaughtered tens of millions and included the U.S. - supposedly the most "democratic" imperialists - initiating the threat of human extinction with the nuclear bombing of Japan.

Trotsky explains how Lenin's program could have resulted in workers victories over capitalism all over Europe, as well as the overthrow of the murderous Stalin regime and the regeneration of the Soviet Union on a course of world revolution and workers democracy.

Studying Trotsky's writings today is timely as imperialism is again on the march toward fascism and war.

My 5-star review is for content only. The paperback copy I have gets a 1-star, because it is in pieces. I am tired of these expensive paperbacks falling apart. This book should come in a clothbound edition. Reference works should ALWAYS be available in a hardcover or clothbound edition - because they get such heavy use ! Publishers wakeup !

Marc WILMES Luxembourg

It looks simply at the history of the indigenous people of Chiapas
and their relationship with the mexican governement and tries to
make sense and explain why it is that the zapatista rebellion happened in Chiapas.

Very interesting and well written

What I recall most about climbing with George is that he was always consistent with his competent instruction. That consistency and competency carries over into the book.

The instruction included within "Ultrasafe: ..." is crucial information for climbers of all skill levels. In fact, even experts need to be reminded the fundamentals, fundamentals found within the text. The falls I have witnessed, the injuries, the deaths, were typically the result of disregard for safety fundamentals. How much is your life worth? One nut? A Friend? One more anchor?

Since climbing with George, I have applied many of his insights to my daily life. For example: Don't walk on ice with your hands in your pockets. Good advice, but how many of us walk on ice with our hands in our pockets? After rolling in the cholla I quit approaching with items in my hands. Sound fundamental advice. You will find more within.

I strongly recommend this book. The book is easy to read and the tips herein may save either yours or your partner's life someday, and they are likely to prevent injuries. Thank you George Allen for formalizing these truths.

A lot of time had to be spent for Linda to take us back to the 1700's when George fathered a son,West Ford, by a slave named Venus. She weaves the story through each generation to bring us up to the present ending with her own family.

This is a wonderful, informative, educational book and a very interesting read.

This book is destined to be a classic. There is no other person who spent over 17 years focused on intelligence about Viet-Nam, and very rare is the person who can say they have spent over 50 years in continuous intelligence appointments, 20 of them after retirement. It is a personal story that I consider to be balanced, deep, and trustworthy. While it has gaps, these are easily addressed by reading, at least on the intelligence side, such books at Bruce Jones' "War Without Windows", Orrin DeForest's "SLOW BURN", Douglas Valentine's "The Phoenix Program", Jim Witz's "The Tet Offensive: Intelligence Failure in War", Tom Mangold & John Penycate's "The Tunnels of Chu Chi", and the Viet-Nam portions of Jim Bamford's "Body of Secrets."

I mention these books in part to emphasize that George Allen has produced a book that will stand the test of time and should be regarded as an exceptional historical, policy, intelligence, and public administration case study. It is truly humbling and sobering to read such a calm, complete, and broad treatment of the history of both American intelligence in relation to Viet-Nam, and the consistent manner in which policy-makers refused to listen to accurate intelligence estimates, while their Generals and Ambassadors steadfastly "cooked the books." The manipulation of truth from the Saigon end, and the refusal to listen to truth on the Washington end, resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people, Vietnamese, Loatian, Cambodian, and American, as well as allied nationalities.

This book is gripping. I could not put it down. It is one of the most serious personal accounts I have ever read where the vivid realities of intelligence, ignorance, and policy come together. The author excells at painting the details in context, and his many specific portraits of key individuals and situations are superior.

This book is relevant to today's war on terrorism. Many of the same issues prevail--rather than enumerate them, I will give this book my very highest mark, and simply say that you cannot understand intelligence, or the intelligence-policy relationship, without having absorbed all this author has to say.

He's hit it out of the park. Every voter who wonders what it will take to hold politicians accountable for "due diligence" in decision-making, needs to read this book.

Mr. Allen, a top official with the CIA during the Vietnam war, shares his experiences, insights and perspectives as to "the intelligence failure" in the war. Based on Mr. Allen's account, the real intelligence failure was on the part of the military and political leaders of the time; they simply refused to lend any credence at all to any intelligence that didn't tell them what they had already determined they wanted to hear.

This book will make you angry at times as you read of the author's continued frustration at people either ignoring his message or "killing the messenger". This is a very well-written book. I would consider it essential reading for anyone interested in the history of Vietnam, the war, or the politics of that era.