I am not going to go over the contents of the book, or much about Charles Bukowski, because if you are considering this book you must know something about the man and his work. I will just give you my impression of this collection of work.
No collection can ever really be complete, there are always new things to add, new commentary, newly discovered works, transcripts of records and unpublished letters, but this book does an excellent job in its attempt.
To me Charles Bukowski will always be one of the greatest American writers of the twentieth century, because of the sheer brutality and honesty his work emanates. It is funny, sad, sadistic, cruel, scathing, enlightening and thought provoking. Everything I like to read. This is poetry for people who are disgusted by verse of flowers, trees and Greek mythology. This is RAW human emotion and experience smeared out onto paper. It is not perfect, and it is not trying to be. It doesn't always work, but there in lies the subtle beauty of Bukowski's efforts. the guts to try. The attempts at honesty, clearly blocked by his unwillingness to divulge everything, and his cynicism of man.
This collection is shocking in its beauty, and inspiring by its simplicity. Enjoy.

I am not going to go over the contents of the book, or much about Charles Bukowski, because if you are considering this book you must know something about the man and his work. I will just give you my impression of this collection of work.
No collection can ever really be complete, there are always new things to add, new commentary, newly discovered works, transcripts of records and unpublished letters, but this book does an excellent job in its attempt.
To me Charles Bukowski will always be one of the greatest American writers of the twentieth century, because of the sheer brutality and honesty his work emanates. It is funny, sad, sadistic, cruel, scathing, enlightening and thought provoking. Everything I like to read. This is poetry for people who are disgusted by verse of flowers, trees and Greek mythology. This is RAW human emotion and experience smeared out onto paper. It is not perfect, and it is not trying to be. It doesn't always work, but there in lies the subtle beauty of Bukowski's efforts. the guts to try. The attempts at honesty, clearly blocked by his unwillingness to divulge everything, and his cynicism of man.
This collection is shocking in its beauty, and inspiring by its simplicity. Enjoy.

Shortly before his death, Bukowski was the subject of an anthology. It is a good anthology, not a great one, but a good one, and Bukowski seemed to think so as well. He notes during the reading of one the selections that they "Put some pretty good stuff in here" which, for Bukowski, is a whale of a compliment. It took me a long time to realize it, but Bukowski meant for his works to be funny, tragically funny perhaps, but funny nonetheless. Hearing Buk read these well known passages from his poetry and prose is a pleasure that is hard for me to communicate.

He was a decent man.

This is one of the best Titanic books I've ever read. Ever since I watched "A Night to Remember" on TV, I was greatly interested in Titanic. I watched every movie I found, read every book and recorded all documentaries and history programs. I stay up on April 14 sometimes to watch movies. I suggest you read this book; very informative on how the ship sank and the pictures were very good too.

It was just the most interesting and heart rending piece of writing that i have read for a long time, the detail is just amazing it has lead me to go on to other places in england and america just to experience the places mentioned in the book, it also pushed me on to read destination disaster and falling star (which is out of print) and to buy their new book titanic a journey through time. What else can i say this book is very interesting to anyone interested in the titanic

I found this book in my local library and took it out to read. However as soon as I got it home and looked through it I was enthralled by the pictures. The text was fairly standard fare although some of the earlier chapters had interesting info concerning the planning and construction of Titanic. The pictures steal the show and they made up my mind to buy this book for myself as such pictures need to be looked at and digested over months and years rather than the few weeks one has with a library book. If you have any interest in Titanic - BUY IT.

An excellent book covering almost everything you'd ever want to do with Builder. Watch out for the CD though, many of the chapters come in Acrobat format on the CD and if you damage it, tough - Macmillan press will NOT replace it. If you only buy one book for Builder 3 make it this one.

This book is not for beginners, if you want to learn purchase the Teach Yourself C++ Builder 3 in 21 days. The material in this book is for intermediate to advanced level developers. The flat file database, relational database and InterBase chapters are great. The DCOM, OLE and DirectX are very hard, you must know the API and technology to understand them i guess, I skipped them. What I didn't like was that some chapters of the book are in PDF format at the CD ROM. I know the book is huge, but switching from the real book to the Acrobat Reader for some chapters slowed a little bit the pace. Anyway this is a great book for people who already know C++ Builder 3 well enough.

This book covers just about everything that a C++ Builder programmer is ever likely need.

It starts off with the simpler stuff but the chapters I was particularly interested in covered the creation of components. I was not disappointed; indeed, the information on Property Editors literally rescued my project.

The book is massive, with extra chapters on CD ROM. However, it is written in such a way that each chapter is self contained and you don't have to read it all to benefit from it.

This book should is likely to become the C++ Builder Bible.

Schwab has redefined Wall Street. He and Bogle have been two lone voices calling for ethical treatment of the customer, and they actually have tried to practice what their preached. The is the first book about Schwab instead of by him, and it is worth reading.

One of Schwab's greatest strengths is adaptation, but that means that any book written about him and his company will quickly be out of date. In this case, it was written before the US Trust acquisition and before he gave up the co-CEO role. It was also written at the beginning of the long, painful downturn following the crash of the NASDAQ that has hurt Schwab as much as anyone.

I can't wait to read the sequel.

As an ex-Schwab employee (1988 - 1996) I really enjoyed reading this book. I worked for or with several of the folks interviewed and was at HQ in San Fran. the day after the earthquake--pretty incredible day! I have recommended it to all of my ex-Schwab buddies.

Business writer John Kador describes the evolution of Charles Schwab & Company, a former discount brokerage blessed with the ability to transform itself through four different incarnations. Kador emphasizes Schwab's commitment to integrity and customer service, a code that enabled it to prevail despite upheavals and threats. While the book focuses on the company, the running portrait of Chuck Schwab gives it a personal core. Kador highlights Schwab's concern with exercising his values and leading a highly principled business amid an often shady industry he saw as corrupted by greed. Kador's engaging narrative style is designed to inform and entertain general investors, executives and managers. At times, the discussion of Chuck Schwab and his company sounds almost too laudatory, as if the book is an in-house publicity piece. We from getAbstract recommend that readers should take all that sugar with a grain of salt, given this otherwise compelling dish.

There are rare occurences where a movie outshines the story on which it is based, such as with Bladerunner or 2001. In that vein, I have to give Charles Beaumont, Twilight Zone veteran and screenwriter for the film "The 7 Faces of Dr. Lao", some real credit, as he completely transcended the source. Seeing the movie and then reading this book... well, there's no comparison.

I know that Charles Finney's novel "The Circus of Dr. Lao" is a cult classic and loved by many, but I have to offer the other side of the coin, as the book was a huge disappointment to me. The basic plot has a mysterious asian man appearing in the town of Abalone, AZ, to put on the strangest circus the residents have ever seen. Far from being populated by clowns, acrobats, and animals, Dr. Lao's circus is full of mythological beasts that provide insight into human nature. We are introduced to a cast of cardboard locals who, while serving as a vehicle to introduce the oddities of the circus they attend, play no worthwhile part in the story. Finney's writing style is uneven in the extreme - there are a few bits of brilliance that completely overshadow the predominantly unpolished text. It's almost as if the book is a collection of notes for what would have been a much larger novel, and it could be a work of art if expanded upon and given some direction. As the story is only ~100 pages, expansion would have been appreciated instead of the pointless appendix of characters, creatures, items, and study questions (!) which is oddly in-depth for a story with such lightweight content. The ending of the story is very abrupt and has no real explanation. Nothing is solved, and there is no conclusion: did anyone learn anything from their encounters? We never know.

As a final note, think twice before throwing this one at your kids: this is not a book for children, and while some of the situations may seem somewhat tame by today's trash novel standards, it's obvious that the objective was to titillate readers in 1938. So, if you want something with real focus and a message, I recommend that you view the movie "The 7 Faces of Dr. Lao" instead of reading the source material. The only reason I hold on to this book is because of my love for the movie, as well as the beautiful illustrations by Boris Artzybasheff.

My only regret upon reading this book is that I didn't discover it earlier. The imagery in this book will transport you into the author's universe - a bizarre circus full of equally bizarre creatures. When the main character, Dr. Lao, delivers his lectures on these unique beasts, the author's eloquent use of the English language is stunning.

There is one point that I feel needs to be clarified, however. This book may not be suitable for all children. Although it engages the reader's imagination, it can be at times a very dark book. The appearance of Satan in the circus lashing a very pretty young witch comes to mind. Also, the use of derogatory racial epithets is something that most parents would probably not want to expose young children to. Finney's use of these words reminded me of William Faulkner's use of these words. They may seem gratuitous when you read them the first time, but later you realize that the author was in fact revealing a serious moral flaw in the character who was saying them. Overall, I feel that an intelligent older child would probably gain much from reading this book. The pros far outway the cons in this fantastic work of fiction.

A definite must-read for anyone who appreciates real literature.

This is a truly fantastic book. It's amazing that something written so many years ago can make such an engaging read today. The relevance and staying power of this intriguing book is a testament to the author's brilliance. In fact, there are few contemporary American authors I have read that can match Finney's skill and mastery of the English language. The subtleties in the dialogues, the multi-faceted characters, and Finney's brilliant economy of words make it difficult to put this book down.

The story is a timeless one, it is set in an unknown small Arizona town but Finney brings the events magically to life.

I found this a brilliant work that doesn't necessarily fit the modern science fiction genre. It's a refreshing and intellectual break from tired "classics" like Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and Star Wars.

I first read "The Circus of Dr. Lao" as a teenager and it's characters and events have stayed in my mind all these years. I'm very pleased to see it in print again, and I hope to see more of Finney's works on the shelves soon. He obviously deserves to take his place among the "greats" of American literature.

Herein we follow a young man, Tim Hunter, destined to be one of the greatest mages in history, as he introducted to magicks past, magic in present day world, the lands just beyond commonplace reality and magicks future by four DC Comics magicians: the Phantom Stranger (condemned to walk for eternity); Dr. Occult (who switches gender and personae as the occasion demands); John Constantine, Hellblazer (a con man and rogue, few powers but he has taken on the Devil himself and survived); and Mister E (a dangerous fanatic on the side of order). Gaimen's story makes for an excellent read, and three of the four illustrators involved: John Bolton, Scott Hampton and Charles Vess create beautiful illustrations throughout. (Sadly I didnt really like the artist's interpretation in the fourth chapter, it's the only reason I rate this book 4 out 5 stars instead of 5 out of 5.) These books were the basis of the ongoing DC/Vertigo comic book series by the same name (of which graphic novel collections are available). One drawback, common to many graphic novel collections (like Warren Ellis' "Planetary" books or Mark Waid and Alex Ross' "Kingdom Come" (both series also collected): to get the most of the story, it helps to have some familiarity with DC Comic book characters and history.

With Books Of Magic, Neil Gaiman pulls together various loose threads in the DC universe, and creates a consistent realm of magic through the familiar theme of a young boy exploring a strange world. The plot isn't the freshest thing Gaiman's ever written - it's the way he writes it that makes the story spectacular. Gaiman intertwines stories of ancient sorcerers, modern-day magicians whose sleight-of-hand is only a convenient front, and the evolution of humans - and magic - in the future. Various DC characters make appearances, notably Gaiman's Dream, Destiny, and Death of the Endless. The choice of artists for each chapter is perfect, so we have a John Bolton Merlin and a wonderful Charles Vess Fairyland. The book gives us glimpses of many characters and stories that could use further development, but it stands alone as a powerful parable of the roles of faith, power, and, of course, magic, in our lives.

The Books Of Magic, Like Any Other Gaiman Story,is Breathtakingly Amaazing in its Telling,and the art compliments the story wonderfully. This is arare and unique instance where an established artist such as Charles Vess works on a Comic book.There are cameo sequences in this book that include scenes with Dream,Death,Destiny,Etrigan the Demon,Deadman,Zatanna,and the Spectre, just to name a few characters. Timothy Hunter is one of Gaiman's finest creations,and he is an actually believable and interesting one,as well. The Premise of the story is: Timothy Hunter, a very Young man,Pre-teen in fact,has the potential to become the greatest sorcerer of this age. The Trenchcoat Brigade,whose Ranks include The Mysterious Phantom Stranger,The incorrigble Hellblazer,John Constantine,The Enigmatic Dr. Occult, and Mr.E. His name says it all. The four decide to show Tim the magical history of Earth,and the universe,and some of the major magical players that exist in the DC universe.The Stranger shows Tim the past,Hinting at his origins all the while,and making the reader rather curious about him.The Second Tour guide on the Magical Mystery Tour is John Constantine, and this is a very True-to-form Constantine story,in that most of the people whom they visit have some sort of grudge against everyone's favourite Constantine,and Tim is introduced to many of the prominent contemporary characters Like the Spectre,Jason Blood,and Zatanna.The Third story is about Dr.Occult taking Tim on a guided tour of the lands of Faerie,The Dreaming(Neil Gaiman's writing, did you honestly think that Morpheus WOULDN'T show up?)Charles Vess did the artwork for issue 3, and that contributes to the magnitude of superb story this story inside of a story has.Also, if you read SANDMAN, you see Titania,and find out what Happened to Shakespeare's son, Hamnet.It also hints at the shadowy background of Doctor Occult.Issue Nimber Four is also very amazing,in that Gaiman tells us what's going to happen in the future.Or it might.Tim sees just what he might be,witnesses the final battle of the age, and into the mind of Mr.E.and makes his decision about Magic. I would Recommend this book to anyone wanting an introduction to the Vertigo Universe,anyone who wants a fantastic story,and if you have any sort of literary appreciation, you should go and buy this book as soon as you get a chance to. The ongoing BOOKS OF MAGIC books dont have the wonderful feel that this book gives off, and you wont feel nearly as satisfied about them. I recommend any Neil Gaiman,Garth Ennis,and Alan Moore stories(especially their DC work).

Dr. Crenshaw was one a several doctors who were the first to examine JFK's wounds, just minutes after the shooting. This fact alone makes him a credible and trust worthy writer. Written by a very educated man who witnessed it first hand, this is a good book that anyone interested in knowing the facts about the JFK assassination should read.

Dr. Crenshaw provides enough detailed information in his book about the JFK assassination to make you feel conspiracy buffs are not "paranoid", but have a strong basis for their allegations. He states that shortly after the assassination, the Dallas Police mobile phones went dead, the electricity and telephones for the book depository went out, and that the phone lines for a large section of Washington, D.C. went out of service. This coincidence - alone - makes you really wonder what the truth is.

He also states that the bullet wound in the neck of the president was an entry wound. If true, that fact alone says Oswald did not do it alone, if at all.

The weapon found at the book depository was a German bolt-action, as initially reported by the Dallas Police. The weapon mail-ordered and owned by Oswald was an Italian carbine.

The presidential limousine had a bullet hole in the front window, as reported by reporter Richard Dudman of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and another reporter.

The Warren Commission based their conclusion on an "illustration" of JFK's wounds, not actual autopsy photos. the illustration later turns out to be extremely inaccurate.

Dr. Crenshaw operated on both President Kennedy and on Lee Harvey Oswald. He raises serious questions and points out discrepancy after discrepancy in a very well written book.

So many JFK Assassination books are written by individuals who were not in Dallas on 11/22/63. Dr. Crenshaw was, and attended to the wounds of both JFK and Lee Harvey Oswald.

His recount of the moving of the President's body and the scene in the operating room are chilling. Worth the read!

I read this book while traveling on a long flight, and I had a hard time putting it down. I was aware of John Rechy, as an author, but this book allows us a view into Rechy the man, with his inner turmoil and obsessions. While it is true Rechy's books were autobiographical in nature, Charles Casillo provides insight from obviously many sessions with Rechy, as well as his peers and friends, that motivates the reader to want to read more of Rechy's works. The biography is well written and documented, and even began to challenge some of my own inner development and feelings. I found this a very fascinating and good read!

Before this biography, Rechy had attained the status of a mysterious literary legend. He kept his literary lfe separate from his private life, which included, even after the success of his classic "City of Night," almost nightly incursions into the world of hustling, sex in exchange for money. In the meantime he continued to amass a body of work that, as he boldly boasts (there is nothing modest about Rechy's pronouncements about himself, and the gallery of photographs included emphasize that), can stand up to that of any other writer today. Casillo's biography reveals many tantalizng aspects of Rechy's life, particularly his childhood and early years. That is where the book is strongest, and some passages are very poignant. He's also very good toward the end of the book when delving into Rechy's literary accoplishments. His close retelling of Rechy's earlier novels, including "City of Night," "Numbers," "The Sexual Outlaw," ETC., will probably send readers back to the original thinly disguised novels by Rechy himself, especially when Casillo often quotes long passages from those books, letting Rechy tell his story in his own words. Casillo does a good job of exploring Rechy's lesser known books, revealing the wide range of this writer. This is a very good and highly readable book, at times somewhat sketchy (the reader may want to know even more), but for all that it is a welcome exploration of Rechy's life as a child and his life as a hustler, while allowing him his deserved status as a writer.

I'm a long time fan of John Rechy's controversial novels and I think part of my fascination with his books is that he was a male prostitute before he started writing. Because Rechy has always been somewhat mysterious I've been looking forward to this biography ever since I first heard about it. Now having read the book I'm happy to say that Rechy has a worthy biographer. "Outlaw" is a truly dazzling biography. The book manages to be daring, serious, juicy, and literary. Casillo has obviously done an enormous amount of research and he finds just the right balance in telling the story of a complicated man who certainly seems to have lived more than one life (and had more than one career) The biographer tells Rechy's story in an very engrossing style, yet he knows when to step back and let the people in Rechy's life pick up the narrative. He sometimes let's Rechy do the talking, and then he adds Rechy's own writing from his novels to round out the biography. The result is a full and fascinating portrait. Casillo doesn't love Rechy and he doesn't hate him. Yes, he respects him, but he fearlessly delves into Rechy's life, carefully picking through his childhood, his relationships, his life on the streets, his work, his friends, and he tells his story, warts and all. Rechy comes across as an extremely talented writer with some striking sexual hangups and some serious emotional damage, all of which feeds into his literary genius. If you're looking for a general answer to the question, "Why do some boys grow up to be male prostitutes" you won't find it here. Instead the book explores the soul of one complicated man who breaks the mold on all fronts. For me, the most fascinating part of the biography is the telling of the stories behind Rechy's controversial novels, so for the first time we get a sense of Rechy's work process: how he became inspired, how he used his life in his writing. But truthfuly I enjoyed the book from cover to cover, including the great photographs of Rechy in his prime.

This book advocates a new force structure for the US Army. Current US forces are composed of heavy 2D mechanized forces, and light Airborne and Air Assault capable infantry units. The heavy forces have great tactical mobility, but no strategic or operational mobility. The light forces are opposite, with great operational and strategic mobility, but are foot mounted upon arrival on the battlefield.

This book proposes a helicopter transportable light mechanized force for the US Army. This force would give the Air-Mech troops much greater firepower and mobility than the current airborne/air-assault units have. It would also remain air transportable for vertical (3D) envelopment (impossible with heavy mechanized units), as well as having a much smaller logistics requirement than the current heavy mechanized force.

The concept is significant for the US, but is already employed (in a modified form) by Russia. The book is a bit heavy on specific details such as vehicle modifications, and weapons configurations rather than the theories or concepts showing how such a unit will be employed tactically (it covers operational deployment well).It also has little coverage of the USSR/Russian experience with this type of organization.

This is a multi-authored book, and takes the form of a series of chapters rather than an integrated work by one man. As a result many issues are covered in duplicate. As a side note, the book constantly assigns made up names to armored vehicles such as the M-113 or the German Wiesel. These are not officially assigned or recognized names. This ametuerish touch only confuses readers who might not be familiar with gimmicky renaming.

Had the book spent more time explaining the potential tactical employment of the ideas, along with how it will fit in with the new 4th Generation Warfare models now being explored I would have rated it higher. Coming up with a good military theory is only half the battle. Effectively conveying these ideas and why they are important is the other half. This book achieves the first requirement, but fails on the second.

Overall this is an important book in that it proposes significant and valid changes to US Army structure. It is a diamond in the rough, and if the reader can tolerate the various issues mentioned above it is worthwhile.

Yes. I am currently one of them. I understand your criticisms and your accolades. Therefore, not being one of the original authors, I can play "Devil's Acvocate" with both the reviews and the book.

For the Reviewers: Air Mech Strike is a book by individual authors that bring their long years of experience and study into the mix. There is some duplication and the layout does "hurt the eyes" somewhat. The emphasis on the names, while appropriate, does not add anything to the singular basic argument that 2D and 3D warfare need to compliment each other. While not everyone will be able to readily understand all of the new the concepts , the book is well documented with references to websites, studies, books, and articles. Finally, speaking to the Wing In Ground Effect vehicle points up the problem of strategic airlift. We cannot fight if we can't get there, no matter how light the force may be.

For the Book: The book takes up where the Howze Board, the 11th Air Assault, the 1st Cavalary and 101st Airborne Divisions, left off. Placing troops in the rear or on the flank of an attacking or withdrawing enemy force is the best way to divide the enemy's effort, make him fight two battles on two or more fronts at once, resulting in his piecemeal destruction. It is a follow on to the mission of air assault and air cavalary forces. The difference is that light equipment, beyond the vision of General Gavin's light arms, are also a part of the assault. M113s and the Germany Weasels can be flown across the FLOT to deliver both dragoon infantry and ground cavalry to rip up the attack or withdrawing enemy's C3, artillery, and logistical force. The book emphasizes this type of mission to compliment the 2D maneuver of heavy forces.

Airborne, Air Assault and Light Divisions should be the next units to be moved to the IBCT structure, whether that be an air mech strike capable IBCT or remain a 2D capable IBCT. The air mech strike concept, as theorized in the book, is capable of being carried in the C-130 while the other is not.

Air Mech Strike is lighter and can get there faster. With the limited air lift available, air mech strike gives the Army the ability to get the units there in C-130s and sling them on helicopters once on the battlefield. The book is very clean in this regard and both are required.

Attention readers!

Remember March 15, 2002 well!

This was the day the U.S. Army conducted its first helicopter-based Air-Mech-Strike combat assault in Afghanistan during Operation Anaconda...just like described in the book. Co-author Major Charles Jarnot is in Aghanistan NOW and he emailed me the following description:

Air-Mech-Strike in Afghanistan!

The war in Afghanistan has seen several combat firsts for the U.S. Military, first use of an armed un-manned aerial vehicle and the first use of the B-1B Bombers in a close air support role to name just a few. Now in Operation Anaconda another first for the U.S. Army, the first employment of helo-based airmechanized forces by a U.S. field commander in combat, complements of the 3rd Battalion of the famed Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group.

On March 15, 2002, the Canadians attached to the U.S. Army's 2nd Brigade 10th Mountain Division, used U.S. Army CH-47D Chinooks to air assault their armored tracked BV-206 airmechanized vehicles into the operation Anaconda fight.

Airmechanization is a relatively new maneuver warfare doctrine extensively developed by numerous European armies. First theorized in the 1930s by Soviet Field Marshall Tuchachevskiy, today the Russian, British and German armies have fielded airmechanized brigade and division sized units. The concept involves the vertical insertion of tracked combat vehicles via helicopter and fixed wing para-drops. The idea is to use aircraft to break friction with the ground and cross vast treks of terrain and obstacles to quickly gain positional advantage. Once inserted, the mechanized vehicles provide the vertically inserted force with tracked terrain mobility, protection against small-arms and shrapnel and significant increase in firepower via the heavier weapons carried on the vehicles vice foot mobile troops inserted by parachute or helicopter.

The technical challenge to airmechanization is how to build a tracked combat vehicle that has sufficient protection and weapon capacity yet light enough to transported by helicopter or parachute. Advances in information/reconnaissance technology, weapon lethality versus weight and the increases in aircraft
lift performance have all contributed to the boom in airmechanization. Today five other countries beside Russia, Britain and Germany, are in the process of fielding airmechanized brigades, including China. The most expensive part of this concept is the fielding of large numbers of heavy lift helicopters and short field cargo airplanes. The vehicles themselves are relatively inexpensive. In the U.S. Military, the critical air component is already in place with over 600 heavy lift CH-47D Chinook and CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters and 500 plus C-130 Hercules aircraft in the inventory.

But what about the risk posed by ultra-light combat vehicles? Isnt massive armor needed to survive? Lightweight Airmechanized vehicles (AMVs), like those employed by the Canadians in Anaconda, might seem on the surface to be extremely vulnerable. But surviving on the battlefields of Afghanistan may demonstrate a shift in this traditional paradigm. For example, the greatest risk to vehicle movement in Afghanistan is not Taliban/Al-Quedas Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs), but rather the millions of land mines laid throughout the country. The Canadian BV-206 AMV used in Anaconda mitigates this risk by virtue of the very light weight and tracked suspension that results in extremely light
ground pressure. This not only contributes to its excellent terrain agility but makes anti-tank mine detonation a very small probability since the BV-206 ground pressure is far below the minimum necessary to set off a typical anti-tank mine.

Wheeled combat vehicles on the other hand, are extremely vulnerable to land mines due to the high ground pressure characteristic of typical wheeled vehicles. The separate cabs of the BV-206 also lessens the potential casualty effects of RPGs by compartmentalizing the blast areas. The lightweight also means that it can approach the enemy from terrain deemed non-useable by heavier armor and thus lessens the chances of moving into a planned vehicular kill zone. These features combined with the lethality of high tech weapons like the Javelin anti-tank guided missile (50 pounds and 2,500 meters range) and light weight auto cannons and grenade launchers like the M-230 or ASP-30 30-mm and the Mark-19 40-mm make AMVs a deadly package for their size.

Airmechanization, a competitor for the Armys planned transformation based on the Striker wheeled armored vehicle? Intuitively all new ideas are intellectually competitive with older concepts and the same is true of the 3-Deminsional airmechanization idea versus the 2-Diminsional Striker program. But in practical application there is no conflict. As most professional Soldiers know, combat is a combined-arms affair where different weapons, platforms and the specialties of different organizations combine to have a collective greater effect than any one part. The Armys Striker transformation is slated for the light infantry divisions and some of the heavier formations. Airmechanization would be more applicable to the Armys Airborne and Air Assault units where the Striker is not scheduled for fielding. As the European armies who have fielded airmechanized formations will tell you. These agile forced-entry units are battlefield enablers to heavier forces and
not necessarily their future replacement.

Like the use of the armed predator UAV in Afghanistan, this first modest employment of airmechanized forces in Anaconda will undoubtedly generate heated debate on the utility of this new and controversial maneuver doctrine. This historical event may be the catalyst for the U.S. Army to convert its own airborne and air assault divisions along the European Airmechanized models or like the ill-fated Pentomic Divisions of the 1950s, be simply a flash in the pan. Still the question that this event will pose for the U.S. Army as whole is the continued validity of parachuting or helo-insertion of dismounted troops close to the enemys crucible of anti-aircraft fire, shoulder-fired missiles and RPGs. The American public and our enemies, should know that the U.S. Armys leadership in Afghanistan is not tied doggedly to any written doctrine. The first use of airmechanized forces in combat by an American commander demonstrates the mental agility and creative prowess of a unified effort that will "leave no stone unturned" in its effort
to defeat the Al Queda and Taliban, to include employing a Canadian airmechanized force!

Major Chuck Jarnot, 101st Airborne Division Liaison
Officer in Afghanistan

I became a 'die-hard' fan of Charles Knief last year when I read the first three 'John Caine' books (SAND DOLLARS, EMERALD FLASH & DIAMOND HEAD) back to back. Now, with his newest novel, SILVER SWORD, Mr. Knief continues his winning streak with another skillfully written thriller that has John Caine facing his greatest fear. Acting as a bodyguard for his friend, Chawlie Choy, while on a visit to San Francisco to negotiate a truce with a rival Tong organization, Caine is seriously wounded during a shootout that leaves an innocent bystander dead. The San Francisco Police Department, as well as the local judicial system, thinks that Caine should be held responsible for the killing, even though he's innocent of any wrongdoing. Out of gratitude for saving his life, Chawlie hires the best lawyer that money can buy to represent his friend, and Caine is allowed to return temporarily to Hawaii, knowing that he may eventually be charged with first-degree murder. As he begins to recuperate from his gunshot wound and contemplate the possibility of spending several years in prison, Caine is asked by his old friend, Lieutenant Kimo Kahanamoku of the Honolulu Police Department, to help protect a young graduate student who has discovered the tomb of an ancient Hawaii king, as well as a ton of Spanish treasure. There are those who'd like to get their hands on both the treasure and the remains of King Kamehameha, and are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve this goal. Needless to say, John Caine will have his hands full, especially when Chawlie warns him about a 'contract' that has been taken out on his life by the San Francisco Chinese Tongs in retaliation for the part he played in protecting his friend during the gun battle. SILVER SWORD is almost twice as long as any of the three previous novels. Because of this, Mr. Knief is able to explore with more depth the close friendships that Caine has with both Kimo and Chawlie. We've able to see the strong bond that joins these three men together, and the respect that begrudgingly develops between Kimo and Chawlie Choy. Of course, as Caine considers the prospect of jail and what it will mean to be locked away from the things he holds most precious, the reader grows to understand this man with more clarity, catching brief glimpses of his fears, his needs, and his desire to make the most out of life while he still has time. Though suspenseful and multi-faceted, SILVER SWORD isn't as fast-paced as the other 'Caine' novels. There aren't any big action sequences that allow our hero to strut his stuff. Due to the gunshot wound in his side, Caine is more passive here and has to let others take the lead. Still, there are moments of intense action when he must fight for his life and kill those that would harm him and his closest friends. SILVER SWORD is an excellent addition to the series and will have the reader hoping that Charles Knief continues to write about John Caine for many years to come.

This book shows that Knief truly is interested in writing a good story. After the first three, I had the suspicion that the Knief was headed down "The Executioner" track and would become just another "superhero confronts the bad guys" author with shallow plots and endless action. It appears from this book that he actually wants to inject some depth and breadth into his characters. Others have dissected the plot of this story in their reviews so I won't be redundant.

If you want to see how an author grows with his character and how he changes when he wants to treat his audience with respect, read this series from the beginning. It will be time well spent. I hope that book 5 when it emerges will continue this trend.

Charles Knief brings the reader into a world of veiled motives and violence, interspersed with John Caine's thoughtful interior diologues. This latter element sets a rousing story line apart from other action series. The repercussions of past choices are fleshed out, and placed into perspective with possible futures that remain enticing, but not secure. The sudden injections of danger disrupt our hero's attempts to stabilize his life. They are shadowed by the incessant steamrollering presence of a California legal sytam that metes out politically correct "justice." The story's characters bring a broad range of interests into development and make it almost impossible to put down this book once one starts to read it.