This book would be interesting even if it weren't so cleverly written. The character's that Mitchell portrays: Joe Gould, the bearded lady, the denizens and proprietors of McSorley's saloon are so... for lack of a better term human that this story would be worthwhile to read as if it were just a part of Joe Gould's 'Oral History'-- for what it contributes to a knowledge of a time that has long since passed us, for the insight it has provided in to a world that has since disappeared. Mitchell describes a world that has left us and makes it seem as if it were still with us; I think that I'd give this book four stars just for the characters and the insights alone....

But one could say the same about writers like Iceberg Slim; certainly, he too described shady characters in works like 'Pimp' and 'Trick Baby'; today, those seem more annoying than invigourating, and his writing more self-aggrandizing than reaching toward a verismilitude. Mitchell seems with us. His work could stand alone as a work of fiction rather than one of journalism; if it is six-hundred and eighty for pages (I think it is...) all are worth reading in multiple.

I highly recommend this book. And I'm usually not a fan of works of this type. If I were to be, another neat book that is vaguely similar but a lot older is Hamilton Holt's 'The Life Sotries of Undistinguished Americans as Told by Themselves...'

Joseph Mitchell writes and I become the wiser. His first story on McSorley's Irish Pub prompted my visit to same last week when I visited NY. The visit made me pick up Mitchell's book and read it all over again. Every story is worthwhile despite subjects that would, at first, seem uninteresting. His profile of Joe Gould was one of the best pieces of non-fiction writing I can recall. If only a dozen guys in the world could write this way about real people.

While strolling in Soho, a friend dragged me by the ear into a small bookshop, bought this book for me and told me I had to read it. This kind of situation seldom works out for the best -- so many people have pressed mediocre books into my hands over the years, and I have slogged through them out of guilt. This volume hooked me from the start -- I very nearly missed by plane back home that day, as I became so deeply engrossed in it. Mitchell somehow managed to hold on to a wide-eyed wonder and appreciation for all things human throughout his long life. To read this book is to understand that below the surface of things -- old abandoned hotels, the oysters on one's plate, the raving lunatic on the street corner -- is a complex, moving, eloquent, fascinating story, available to anyone who would invest the necessary time, effort and love to extract it. Few of us can summon the necessary energy, but Mitchell could. I can't think of anyone who would fail to be interested in these stories, but New Yorkers past and present should, in particular, find this book fascinating.

Joe Marich, one of Hollywood's top PR professionals, has written a unique and powerful book designed to help the reader achieve literary success. Especially for authors who have learned the hard way that getting your work published does not guarantee that anyone will actually find out about it, buy it and read it, Joe's book is that single, incredibly helpful tool for actually making sales! Joe's easy and enjoyable writing style, insight, smart and potent advice all add up to a delightful and valuable tool for writers of all kinds. Go Joe!

Marich is clearly an expert in his field. A classy, extremely enjoyable read. Highly recommended for the fledgling writer as well as anyone looking to understand how to get a book from conception to publication.

This is the most helpful "how-to" book I've ever read. It's informative, easy to read and funny, too! It makes the complicated process of generating publicity seem manageable for the beginner. The author uses humor and very interesting "stories from the trenches" to illustrate the steps involved in handling your own PR. The book is geared towards authors but I think it would be valuable for anyone who needs to get the word out about their business, product or even themselves. I highly recommend this book!!!!

When I bought this book, I had no idea how powerful an effect it would have in my life. As a science afficianado (and probable borderline hypochondriac), I have taken vitamin supplements for years "just in case" I might not be receiving proper nutrition from my modern microwave and fast food regimen. The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine is an eye-opening discovery of the side of medicine that is too often missing in the world of the M.D.: treating the cause of an illness, not just it's symptoms.
The writing is comprehensive yet precise, including evidence of the therapeutic effect of a given supplement, it's method of action (pharmacology), and even caveats about any weaknesses in supporting studies, including whether evidence comes from statistically meaningful double-blind controlled studies or from clinical or cultural experiences.
If you are the type of person to take supplements, exercise, or eat healthy and natural foods out of a desire to protect your health, I highly recommend you BUY AND READ THIS BOOK! And if, on the other hand, you don't do any of the above, and you have a medical condition or take any presription or over-the-counter medication, or just generally feel yucky, I would definitely urge you to BUY AND READ THIS BOOK!
And Finally, if you are currently in the medical field, or typically prescribe or endorse only synthetic drugs manufactured by American Pharmaceutical companies licensed by the FDA, please BUY AND READ THIS BOOK!
Then again, I'm probably biased; after acting on the information in this book, I feel better than I have in a long time. And as any scientist will tell you, such results are not statistically significant ; )

I have long been a proponent of taking my own health into my own hands. Murray's reference book was first given to me by a friend. It encompasses a diverse array of health concerns and treatments that WE, the people, can access on our own. With sites like Amazon where we can peruse books on alternative health as well as one my friend recently recommended, Papanature, which has a substantial stock of natural supplements and vitamins. etc. I was pleased with the information, the documentation links, the products and the prices which Papanature provided so I ordered. Many of the items covered in Murray's Encyclopedia can be found from this source.

As a student preparing to enter into the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, the Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine provides a wonderfully interesting, informative and easy-to-reference guide to natural medicines. What I enjoyed most was the fact that this book avoids giving a simple "run-down" of the natural treatments used for specific conditions. Instead, it teaches the reader the philosiphy behind how those natural treatments work (for example by promoting the healing power of our body), and therefore why they are used to treat certain conditions. The authors also do a great job of "backing-up" what is written with solid scientific evidence. This addresses a major concern readers have, namely, the validity of natural treatments. While there is still a multitude of research yet to be done, the authors utilize the available research and combine it nicely with the wisdom of centuries-old medical practices from various cultures around the wor! ld. Finally, the applicability of this book is widespread. It is a complete and comprehensive guide for both the everyday person as well as doctors and students (of both Traditional and Naturopathic/Complimentary Medicines).

Heywood's story of what could have happened to Hitler was not only plausible but made the reeder think, why would have Hitler killed himself?, why not fake a suicide and try to disappear? This would more accurately describe what the most evil man in history might do, rather than suicide. This book is a must for any WWII buff.

Great book! I have read a number of books about this time period of the war and this is a new story. I just could not wait to get to the next page. Great characters and a really well through out story. This is a very well done what if story that mixes in a good deal of facts. The hard part about books like this is that they take a very well known hard and fast fact and change it for the story line. This author pulls it off. I read the next book he put out and this is the better of the two.

I've read many books both fiction and fact about WWII and the Nazis. In the fiction category, this is by far the best.

I found my dog-earred, rag-tag copy in a used bookstore and wouldn't trade it for diamonds! Heywood's attention to detail in telling a believable story from *both* sides of the fence is remarkable.

This book is, in one word, perfection! I nearly cried when I finished it because I wanted the story and characters to go on and on. An instant re-read and re-re-read. A classic that will stand the test of time.

America was drawn to the story of Joseph Cardinal Bernardin when he publicly shared with the community of the Archdiocese of Chicago the news that his liver cancer was inoperable on August 30, 1996. The Cardinal wrote The Gift of Peace to share his thoughts on the last three years of his life. His writing reflects the principal role of a Roman Catholic bishop - - the teaching office, to nourish within the community the principles of faith illustrated by the realities that present themselves in the course of everyday life.

Like most Americans outside of Chicago, I first learned about the Cardinal in the news coverage that accompanied his last year on the front pages of the newspapers. He wanted to walk with the community as he confronted his death. Sharing with the community both the pain of his illness and the discoveries of the intellect that bridged for him, first acceptance of his terminal illness, and then the process of personal reconciliation of his life journey.

There are so many books upon the shelves of Amazon.com on the topic of Death and Dying. None of them adequate to the task of being "how to's", but offering reasonable guidance for that most personal of tasks, confronting personal death and death in the family. Yet, I keep coming back to The Gift of Peace. Perhaps, because of the Cardinal's one-to-one conversation by which he engages the reader.

For those of us that can prepare for death, a struggle may develop as we form a personal inner conversation to embrace with grace and maturity and purpose our changed fortune. The Cardinal models in the journey of his illness the direction our own path may take.

Upon hearing the first fateful news of his illness, the Cardinal experienced a feeling of helplessness. The same helplessness I nervously experienced when the heart specialist began taking my history. The Cardinal acknowledged then, as I did also, the state of great anxiety as patients wait to hear from doctors what their fate will be. "God was teaching me yet again just how little control we really have and how important it is to trust in him."

The Cardinal describes how terrible illness changes lives - - not only the life of the person carrying it, but also the lives of friends and family members who love and care for that person. We follow in the book's narrative the Cardinal's trajectory along illness as described by Therese A. Rando: keeping alive, understanding and acknowledging the illness, experiencing the pain, framing realistic expectations and completing unfinished business.

And in the midst of the Cardinal's struggle, he continued his own ministry to others with cancer. "Somehow when you make eye contact," he says, "when you convince people that you really care - - that at that particular moment they are the only ones that count - - then you establish a new relationship." It is all about entering into an intimacy with those we minister to, however brief, forever permanent.

Jesus learned this lesson from the Canaanite woman to whom he first avoided, saying he was sent to minister only to the house of Israel." She continued to confront him, to engage him. She established a relationship that from that moment forward propelling Jesus' ministry beyond Israel to embrace all the nations. For ministry, the Cardinal concludes, is about imparting a sense that "somehow you truly care and have somehow mediated the love, mercy and compassion of the Lord."

Ministry to the dying is all about strengthening the relationship between each person and God. I understand that each of our ministerial encounters is unique. Our need for healing is no different in dying than in living - - however the more apparent and actively sought out for. I strive to go to the bedside with practical skills fashioned around a dynamic toolbox of appropriate pastoral applications.

A dynamic shaped by what the Cardinal would call prayer and prayer's search for peace. Peace that accompanies recognition, acceptance, reconciliation. And as a pastor, Joseph Cardinal Bernardin offers us a simple prayer that we may find the gift of peace. It is in the journey toward death's great mystery that we call out to the Lord for peace. The peace that finds voice in prayer. Prayer that nourishes. Prayer that heals. Prayer that reconciles. Prayer that brings us to salvation.

Recently I lost my father to a 10 year bout with cancer. This book provided me with joy, tears and abudance within a month of my own fathers death. Cardinal Bernardin was a remarkable man who had the courage to face his accusers, his illness and ulitmately his death. He has reconfirmed that faith, hope, love, forgivenss and kindness is the very essentials of what life needs to be about. It is clear from the Cardinal as it was from my experience with my own father that even when you think you are at your darkest human hour you need to reach out and make a difference every single day until your final moment in this part of your journey here on earth.

This book is a must read for anyone who has doubted that there is peace in death. He reconfirms that the lessons most important in life are to continue to give of yourself every day despite the adversities you face. In his illness, through his false accusation and his wonderful rediscovery of a deeper faith in Christ it makes accepting God's plan for you important.

Anyone who has an ill parent or someone close to them should read this book it will give you a much clearer spiritual understanding of illness, death and living every moment under God's plan.

A year ago, on November 14, 1996, our beloved Cardinal Bernardin died, as we the people of his flock, spent time in prayer and reflection over his years as our shepherd. It is amazing to realize how we were enveloped into his loving care, even as he lay dying. Some months later, his book, "The Gift of Peace: Personal Reflections" was published, as his gift to us. More than its worldwide sales, is its personal value to those who read it, perhaps once, maybe several times. How many people near death will ever have the energy to focus on the Lord's Presence, amidst physical pain? For Cardinal Bernardin, the pain he wrote about may have focused on physical and emotional difficulties that surfaced in the final three years of his life, but clearly, there are words in his book that can yet feed the flock, "how if we let Him, God can write straight with crooked lines," if only we let go of the control and allow HIM to direct our life's journey. This does not mean we should make no plans, but rather, set aside time daily to draw close to the Lord, and let go of the concerns that may grip us --- to make room for HIM in our lives. Is there room for HIM in the inn of our deepest selves? There is no other option. No matter what difficulties or hurts arise, we are all still family, always needing to work on healing; the other choice leaves us without family and friends. Cardinal Bernardin speaks of redemptive suffering -- the kind Jesus felt, the kind we may experience. The message clearly leads the reader to know that we, like Jesus, can move beyond the suffering, toward something better, allowing the Lord to work in our lives, bringing us into communion with Him and others who are feeling pain and suffering. In the midst of his pain, Bernardin's faith was strong, but he was preoccupied with the pain. His message is this: develop a strong prayer life in your best moments so you can be sustained in your weaker moments. Lean on family and friends, and church community, as they minister. As you read this book, you may feel the connection with Cardinal Bernardin because either you or a family member or friend is experiencing the pain and suffering of illness. Cardinal Bernardin's presence remains with us, in these words, "Pray while you're well, because if you wait until you're sick, you might not be able to do it."

A beautifully written novel. Warm yet heartwrenching, uplifting and tearjerking it propels the reader to a deeply satisfying conclusion: The doctor is ready to battle on for the good of us all. Dr. Manson is a man of deep convictions. His honesty and guts in the end allow him to defeat the temptations of greed and an undemanding, lush lifestyle. If you don't understand the mindset and heart of a "liberal" thinker, read and understand Dr. Andrew Manson. I loved this book. I'd love to see both the Masterpiece theater presentation and the movie by the same title.

I picked up this book because it was mentioned in my great-grandmother's diary from 1941. Written in the 30s, it tells the tale of a young Scottish doctor in the 20s, as he goes from a small-town doctor in a rough situation to a well-paid London doctor with a fancy office.

The story's written with intelligence, as the doctor ponders various ways to deal with the bureaucracy he faces. He deals with incompetent doctors, old doctors that have no desire to learn new treatments, young doctors more concerned with money and prestige than patient care.

And, as he gets absorbed into the system, the doctor begins to be lured in by the money. He starts to prescribe the 'easy' solution to patients, even if it's not the right answer, so that they're happy and he gets more cash. He does finally realize, in the end, that working for the patients is more important than gaining lots of cash, but only after some hard lessons.

I have a few small complaints with the story. One is that the wife could have been a really interesting character, but she's a little flat. She is sad when he becomes money-hungry, and draws back, but that's it. She was a schoolteacher when he met her, and it's made clear that she's very intelligent. But still she just sort of goes along with him, making his meals, wishing things could be better, but far be it for her to actually help out. She tries to get his friends to see him one night to bring back his old ways, but when that fails, "ah well".

My other complaint is that he slides far too easy from a passionate patient-first attitude into a "cash is nice" mentality. But that was necessary for the plot to progress.

Definitely a great book to read to learn about life in the 20s to 40s, from the small towns of Wales to the busy streets of London. Interesting details about the damage that mines caused to the lungs of the mineworkers, and the ways that doctors worked with each other and treated their patients. A great read!

An excellent read. I couldn't put down this book about the life of a young Scottish doctor right out of medical school. The book is punctuated by lots of heartwarming moments, but the author also gives us some thoughts on the ethics behind the medical profession. Highly recommended.

Joseph Jenkin's book is absolutely wonderful! As an environmental educator for over 10 years, reading this book was like a breath of fresh air. The book is written with such creative style that the reader's interest is captured on the very first page. The book is very entertaining, as well as extremely informative. It is perhaps the best environmental book I have ever read. This book allows the reader to be a part of an adventure that has crucial importance for everyone and everything living on this planet. As a Christian, I have struggled for years with the priorities of organized religion. At least from my experiences, the church seems to all but ignore our responsibility of being stewards of God's creation. However, this book challenges the reader to a different way of thinking. For the first time, I am aware of the difference between religion and spirituality. As pointed out in the book, a person can be extremely religious, yet spiritually lost. The "balance point" refers to a balanced awarenesss. It happens when we "realize we're actually a real part of a greater Being and we adjust our consciousness to accomodate a more humble position in the web of life". This book explains in a very clear way the importance of the web of life. The reader is challenged to look beyond ourselves and to realize how everything we do affects everything else. I feel that this book has a very motivational effect on the reader. The publication of this book comes at a much needed time, when political leaders and our society as a whole are in complete denial of the peril of our environment. Reading this book can be a life-changing event. I hope it will be read by many people, who will then pass it on to others. With Christmas just around the corner, I know what everyone on my list is receiving from me!

After reading Balance Point, I find myself torn between stating "One Hell of a story!" and "One Hell of a warning!" This is a truly spell-binding adventure tale with an incredibly important message. Usually, I find such books to be lacking in either entertainment value or in proper research. That is not the case with Balance Point. Joe's characters are as real as my next-door neighbor, and his premise is quite plausible. All considered, I find Balance Point to be the best book I've read this year. I hope Joe will crank out another book soon.

Ever speculate the future? This book is certain to color and frame your preview. The title fits the content as much as the story line; where science and spirituality meet on equal ground. Bound to contain some of your favorite reading, the author has amply spun spirituality, science, and culture into a living work. A "must-read" for the fiction and non-fiction reader alike.

I found this to be one of those books "you just can't put down". It's seemingly retrousse' chapters are full of twists, turns, and zestful characters, including the author himself. And the anecdotes are easily believable. It is adventurous and intuitive in likeness to James Redfields' Celestine series, yet with a more personal and pointed message. Both educational and entertaining, its' many punch lines may be as disturbing as they are enlightening.

Jenkins has done his homework, literally. Providing not only sound research, there is evidence that he gives credence and practice toward what he writes. He leaves the reader with a feeling of here and now, and compels self-examination. Fortunately, as with all of Jenkins' publications, he provides a wealth of follow-up ideas and information; very tasteful and helpful pointers as to "where to go from here".

Easily "Two thumbs up!"

I highly recommend this book to readers who would enjoy a thought provoking hard look into the lifestyles, excesses, and inconsistencies of American culture. The book outlines the adventures and realizations that author Richard Joseph experiences in his travels around the world.

The story itself is a source of inspiration. The reader is taken on a rollercoaster ride through the trials and tribulations of the author's early life in New York City, into an entertaining story of realization. After reading the book I found myself re-examining my own life and the lives of those closest to me. The book has truly inspired me to take a hard look at my personal goals and long term plans for the future.

Transcend is more than 'just a book about travel'. It is more than a 'biography', and it is more than a philosophical and a psychological work. The writer takes us with him as he travels, not only physically, but also emotionally and psychologically. We see what he sees. We feel what he feels. All the while, we are traveling with a 'guy from Queens' whose eyes open wider with every scene, and no matter what our philosophical orientation, our eyes open wider too. Richard Joseph's world is no longer an island defined and isolated by Queens, New York City, American protection and culture. The book was written before September 11th, yet his shock at the reality of what he sees as the curtains of Oz fall around him is prescient of our shock at the reality we see around us now.

Because the writer takes us through time as well as through physical space, he is in a process of growth throughout his work. And because the writing is so vivid, sophisticated yet down-to-earth, we grow with him. Interestingly, he never really leaves home. As much as Mr. Joseph's yearning drive sends him across the United States and then across the world, he always returns, sometimes reluctant emotionally - to an unchanged Queens - where the unchanged view is fixed painfully in Richard Joseph's past. An ongoing connection between the larger picture and the smaller, between the mountain top and the valley - in which the valley's inhabitants cannot see - can never see - the view from the top of the mountain. Yet there is a constancy and an underlying love for family which holds Mr. Joseph in place; while finding his way through a whirling vortex of events and psychological change, is fundamental and draws him back to his roots, perhaps against even his own wishes.

We are a 'guy from Queens' when we first venture out from a movie like cityscape description of that setting. We see the hands of the crowd clawing at the window, trying to reach us with malice, when we are sick and feverish on the train in India. We feel the snake on our boot and the terror. We should all read this book. It is for everyone. Hopefully it is only his first book. You will be spellbound - as I was.

This is a painful book to read. In fact it is a hard read for those who have pap and fluff books pushed on them constantly. Or who are used to being told what wonderful people they really are. But like anything that involves getting healthy it is a book I needed to read.

Why? Because it raises questions and demands answers that in my case I didn't like being asked. To Live A Lie on page 216-227 is in itself worth the time required to read the book. It is just one example of how the author tweaks our comfort zone. In this case the typical suburban, upward mobile career person who from their home to work is sheltered in the car cocoon, and in their office and in their home and artificially shielded from the real world. The real world where ones child asks why poor people don't live in the nice type of house they live in.

I appreciated even though it hurt sometimes, his wisdom about race, economics, the sexes, and our nation. I don't agree with everything he espouses, but he addresses some serious issues in a thought provoking way, that I admit really made me think and look at my role in the scheme of things.

Next to the Holy Bible, King James version, this is the ultimate in communing with God. It will truly set the reader free from the chains of this world. I was introduced to this book several years ago and have purchased it 5 times due to the fact that I always give it away to help someone along this path of life. Now I just buy it in quantities of 3 hoping that I will reserve a copy for myself. Again, this school of thought is the most enlightening word of God printed since the Holy Bible. If you're ready for the whole truth and nothing but the truth regarding the mysteries of life, you will definitely find it in this masterpiece of literature.

Moving to God consciousness is a common theme of "TheImpersonal Life" and "Conversations With God." I am notthere yet personally, but both of these books provide the encouragement and guidance we need to head in that direction. For most people, the first reaction to these words spoken to us is puzzlement or outright rejection. But those of you who reread and persist in your attempts to understand will discover first gratitude and then joy. A frequent exhortation found in TIL, "be still and know that I am God," can also be found in CWG, book II, page 153, God's third paragraph.

All those who would like to know how all that is IS created by God, how and why MAN is created, how to understand and realize the Living Presence of God in us and as Us - all those have to read this extraordinary book.

Years ago I have translated and published it into Croatian language and many, many people had deep benefits from it, and still do. It is really the book that will trasform you. It is REAL, authentic Word of God, so pure and so deep it is. I had simillar personal experiences of some Absolute, Perfect Atributes of God's Consciousness, and I can fully confirm the truths of this wondrous book.

You will find related themes in the book of Rubby Nelson, "The Door of Everything", also published by Devors.

Let God's Love and Light always be the Supreme Ruller in you.

Darko Göttlicher

For most of the past century, there have been two schools of thought about Hitler and Stalin. One states that Stalin wasn't really so bad, because he fought the Fascists; the other insists that Hitler wasn't really so bad, because he fought the Communists. Alan Bullock leaves both viewpoints in the dustheap of history, where they belong. Both Hitler and Stalin came as close to pure evil as human beings ever get; both stood for the utter repression of the human spirit and the annihilation of anyone who might possibly be suspected of standing in their way. Bullock demonstrates this in exhaustive, but never exhausting, detail. More people should read this book, if only to be cured forever of any temptation to support any form of totalitarianism, any time, anywhere.

What is most fascinating about this novel dual biographical approach toward understanding both Hitler and Stalin is the startling degree to which such an unorthodox approach illuminates one's understanding not only of their remarkable similarities, but also their philosophical, tactical, and personal differences. This truly is a fascinating and absorbing book, and it is well enough written that the narrative seems to spin along on its own strength, and we find ourselves captivated by the degree to which these two seem star-crossed in terms of their destinies. As Bullock deftly illustrates, the main differences between the two dictators were found in their personalities. Yet, even after all these crucial differences in both personal style and substance are considered, the degree to which they were similar is both remarkable and frightening to comprehend.

Stalin was a creature of bureaucracy, the ultimate insider, someone who knew how to use the organization bonding the Communist Party together for his own rise to prominence and power, an increasingly clever, adroit, and masterful practitioner of power politics. He was nothing if not careful, cautious, deliberate, and shrewd. Hitler, on the other hand, was a gambler, a masterful politician, a bold, easily bored, and endlessly distracted dreamer whose natural ability to charm, captivate, and enchant helped him to rise by extraordinary means. In many ways, these men came to prominence in quite different ways; Stalin, by mastering the art of bureaucratic manipulation and quietly assuming key roles within the organization that gave him friendships, alliances, and information that he used masterfully to rise through the ranks of the faithful, and Hitler, the manic-depressive natural leader whose charismatic popular appeal and desperate, authoritarian, and often violent measures were used to gain political power through extraordinary means.

Yet Bullock shows how similar both men were in terms of the way they used their power once established to execute their national responsibilities, and in the way they ruthlessly pursued their goals without mercy, remorse or any concern for others who suffered for their sake. Both used extralegal means to maintain position, both cruelly purged potential rivals through purges or political overthrows. Both bordered on being psychotic; Hitler coming close to being declared certifiably insane, and Stalin by having all the symptoms of classic paranoia. Certainly both had personal histories that can most kindly be described as bizarre in terms of the ways in which they treated those close to them as well as the populace in general. Both also seemed convinced of their own central and unique role in terms of their country's destiny, and indeed each identified his own importance in terms of succeeding in accomplishing that historical mission. Also, both were guilty of massive crimes against humanity, both against the opposing forces they captured and their own subjects. Hitler persecuted German citizens who were Jewish, Gypsies, or otherwise "undesirables", while Stalin persecuted Ukrainians in general and peasant farmers in particular, not to mention the systematic purges of thousands of Army, Navy, and Air Force officers he or his cronies suspected of potential disloyalty.

This is a wonderful book in terms of its insights, unusual research sources, and provocative speculations regarding each of these two quite unique historical figures. The narrative carries itself in an entertaining, edifying, and comprehensible fashion, and his use of photographs and maps serves the text well. All in all, I would have to describe this book as a must-read for anyone seriously interested in how the personalities and characteristics of these two key leaders in 20th century history figured into the unholy calculus of madness and mayhem, otherwise referred to as World War Two. I highly recommend it. Enjoy!

It is difficult to describe Alan Bullock's fantastic dual-biography of Hitler and Stalin, and others have done much better here than I could. Allow me to add their voices to theirs in praise of this work. Bullock not only manages to convey the terrible sweep of history of the first half of the 20th Century and the impact of these two monsters of history, but does so in a very readable style. I marvel that a book of nearly 1000 pages, many of them filled with either terrible stories of oppression and horror, or else mindnumbing (but critical) economic statistics, can hold one's interest enough from start to finish. Highly recommended.