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As a young woman (34 years old) and a mother of three (which qualifies me as a caregiver, I guess), my heart went out to these brave women, struggling to impart some small measure of kindness or at least relief of suffering to their fellow prisoners. Women and children are seemingly the most vulnerable when society engages in chaos, but the women caregivers chronicled in this book were apparently among the most intrepid of all. I believe they gathered strength from the acts of focusing on giving aid to others in the most desperate of circumstances. Anyone who is interested in what the human spirit can endure, and indeed, overcome, should read this book.
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This review will be about the book. The decision to reprint these books in two volumes rather than four (and if Wereblood and Werenight weren't already previously combined, it would have been five parts) was great. It would not be a big re-print, pushing out four novels at once, but it also gave the readers a chance to re-obtain their now worn-out and tattered copies of the older Gerin books. It's also very nice for people who have little enough space on their bookshelves as it is (incl. yours truly).
Gerin is, as usual, a fascinating monarch in his lands north of the High Kirs and the Empire of Elabon. He and his troupe (which includes a demi-god who has the body and maturity of a four year old but the voice of a 40-year-old baritone and enjoys piddling on people from upon high, a barbarian giant of a man whose origins are respectfully hidden, Gerin's own sons, his wife -- a former Oracle and quite the insatiable) are tumbled into war not once, but TWICE (okay, so it's two books. So what! It reads like one great big saga) in order to protect their homes. They call on magic and brawn to defeat their enemies. Whether savages to the North or Imperialists to the South, Gerin has to yet again fight for what he holds dear: the independence of his people and the right of sovereignty over his own land.
Set in a bronze-age environment instead of a medieval one, the Gerin novels are a different sort of fantasy, which deal in magic, yes, and warriors, yes. Good and evil, yes. Monsters, yes. Telepathy and the supernatural, y--. Whah? Hold on...those are sci-fi traits! Maybe that's why fantasy and sci-fi are always grouped together. Oh, well. It's all great fun.
Three moons there may be, but there is only ONE Gerin the Fox!
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Book list on request. psheffld@warwick.com
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When I first thought about becoming a ham, this is the volume that convinced me I could and should. Mr Helms presents the varied world of amateur radio in a simple, informative, and humorous manner. The best first step into a wonderful hobby that he'll show you isn't as difficult as many think.
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That having been said I just want to voice two criticisms. First, I think Mr. Truman's understanding of history might be a little too "black and white". For example, he states that after WWI, the allied powers didn't really go to hard on Germany in terms of making the Germans pay reparations. I think just the opposite is true. The allied powers at Versailles imposed very hard terms on the Germans. Mr. Truman was correct in stating that the allies never entered German soil, however, the severity of the peace terms combined with the fact that the Germans never saw an enemy soldier sowed the seeds for Hitler's preaching that the Germans were stabbed in the back. I'm just saying that perhaps Mr. Truman's historical understanding was not as sophisticated as me might think.
Second, it seems that Mr. Truman's dislike of Mr. Eisenhower finds it's way onto virtually every page of the book. No matter who or what he's talking about, he seems to find a way to turn the subject into a criticism of Ike. I guess he really didn't like him too much.
All that having been said, I think this is great book.
Truman also recognized that military action was something to be used as a LAST resort, especially when the rest of the world is against such an action. Although Truman had an appreciation for some military experience in public servants, he also recognized the danger of career military men in those positions. Unlike politicians of today, Truman was bold enough to make the unpopular decision to fire General McArthur because our foreign policy should not be predicated on our ability to anhilate every other country on the face of the earth.