You'll spend some time scratching your head as you read this book, wondering whether it's nonfiction, poetry, journalism, memoir, fantasy or some amalgam of them all.

Then, at about half way through, you'll stop caring, because at this point you'll have reached the book's title section, "Hall of Fame: An Essay About the Ways in Which We Matter," a not entirely unironic meditation on the 3000 some-odd halls of fame in the United States which acts as both investigative journalism into some particular places the author has visited (there's a hall of fame of "Suffleboard" and a "Burlesque" hall of fame, for example) and personal meditation on the author's own family discord that is never quite clearly expressed but instead lingers overhead making all of these journeys into the halls of fame of America a very desperate, lonely, heartbreaking act.

I have no idea if these "halls" are poems (they look like poetry at least) nor what in the book is real and what imagined (there's an interview with the so-called president of the Flat Earth Society, for example) but I think the ambiguity of the book's forms is intentional, and meant to mask--or maybe even illustrate--an uncertainty in the world that this very mournful but simultaneously witty author feels deep in his bones. This is a tremendous book that is going to change the way essays are made from now on.

Or, if these in fact aren't "essays," it will at least change something in American literature.

What the essay can do is this: "Halls of Fame"--a book that I think changes everything in the field that people call "nonfiction." Forget about melodramatic memoirs with fancy sequined blinders on or investigative journalism that's as formulaic as the New Yorker's past 500 issues or critical expositons on mundane intellectual trinkets, "Halls of Fame" by John D'Agata is as "fact" driven as all of those forms but as entertaining as a circus. (A bad analogy, but there in fact truly is something circus-like about the subjects D'Agata pursues and his attempts to combine them oddly, juxtaposing at times the absolutely absurd with the wonderfully sublime.) I've been waiting for a writer to turn our attention back to the disciplined sensibility of the classic American essay; this guy does it by taking tradition of the essay and spinning it anew for the 21st century. If you love nonfiction and want to know where it's likely to be heading, I recommend this book more strongly than anything else out in this genre at the moment.

In _Halls of Fame_ John D'Agata exudes the confidence and free-spirit typical of a twenty-something, while at the same time he has the sharp analytical skills of an older more experienced writer. Someone has compared this young man to Anne Carson and indeed the influence of poetry over this work is obvious, but I kept thinking about the razor-sharp writing of Joan Didion's essays as I was reading _Halls of Fame_. The way this author fashions his words is unlike anything I've read recently, certainly unlike anything I've read by any writer near John D'Agata's age, and definitely unlike anything else that calls itself a collection of essays. Poetic, poignant, evocative, smelling of the underside of American life, _Halls of Fame_ tells the story of a young man but does so through the stories of others. If for anything else, THIS is what sets the book, and its author, apart from its peers: raised on memoir and the "Real World" and "Jerry Springer," generation x seems convinced that navel-gazing makes for great literature. Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't. But this book wants to at least offer a sparkling glimpse at the alternative.

I enjoyed GREEN DARKNESS so much I decided to make my next read Anya Seton's KATHERINE. It has now become my FAVORITE READ OF ALL TIME. It is a love story of epic proportions unlike anything I've ever read or experienced. This is truly a real-life fairytale.

As historically detailed as GREEN DARKNESS, I was amazed to find I loved this book even better. Set in the mid 14th C. Katherine de Roet is a convent-raised young woman who, with her sister, comes under the care of Queen Philippa (wife of Edward III), and despite being without dowry marries the rather difficult Sir Hugh Swynford. Eventually she becomes the mistress of Philippa and Edward III's son John of Gaunt, and after bearing him four children, becoming his wife. The children's births are eventually legitimized and John and Katherine eventually are the forebears of both the Tudor and Stuart dynasties.

But this story is of the relationship between Katherine and John and the many twists and turns it takes before these lovers can be together. When Katherine turns 15 the Queen summons her from the convent to Windsor and she soon gathers much attention for her beauty. When Sir Hugh Swynford attempts to ravish her, the King's third son, John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster comes to her rescue. Hugh gets out of the situation by saying he wishes to marry the fair young maiden. Sir Hugh is a rather disagreeable and homely man, but it is seen as a step up for young Katherine, without dowry, to marry him. She does but very reluctantly. Meanwhile she is befriended by the Duke's wife, Blanche, and returns her friendship for which young Katherine is eventually richly rewarded.

Katherine and Hugh go to live at his mismanaged estate, Kettlethorpe, near Lincoln which is not too far from the Duke and Duchess of Lancaster's favorite home of Bolingbroke Castle. Katherine is not exactly happy but accepts her life. But when she befriends Blanche again and then sits with her as she lays dying from the black death, her whole life changes.

To give more details than this is to rob the first-time reader of the discoveries they will read. It is a story to particularly savor as when the Duke tells Katherine "She is my heart's blood. My life. I want nothing but her." Talk about a Cinderella story! Those better versed in English history of the mid to late 14th C than I am will realize just what is happening in some of the dramatic historical scenes than I did.

But even after Katherine and the Duke are finally together, all does not go well. Seton details the history of this time beautifully and, sometimes, painfully.

Seton includes quotes from Chaucer (who was married to Katherine's sister Philippa). It is also surmised Chaucer may have had Katherine in mind for some of his passages, particularly in "Troilus and Criseyde."

This book made slow reading for me as every few pages I was either picking up a historical reference to read more or searching on the internet. I do have to warn readers though, keep the hankies handy. I could have used an entire box and even woke my husband up with my sobbing. Most of these tears were tears of joy though.

And I have to add a "shame on you" to the eejit who gave this book only two stars and said it reads "much like any other "romance" novel put out by the thousands on a daily basis," which not only is a disservice to this book but to the historical romances as a whole which, it is obvious this person has very little experience with. First of all this is a romantic historical and does not fit the definitiion of a romance novel at all. Secondly, to say romance novels are "put out by thousands on a daily basis" is not only inaccurate but ignorant. This book has both huge differences and many similarities to romances, but isn't a romance novel by any stretch of the imagination. That said, readers who enjoy their books both historically accurate and very romantic are sure to enjoy this beautiful story.

One of the best historical novels -- romance or otherwise -- of all time. KATHERINE opens a door into the past and introduces us to people separated from us by seven centuries who nevertheless are brought to life by Anya Seton until they are as vivid as our next-door neighbor. Like so many of the other reviewers, I first read Katherine's story as a teenager; then I sympathized solely with her; as I grew older, and re-re-re-read the book, I have found myself appreciating the other people -- such as poor Hugh Swynford! -- far more. This book is one of the half-dozen I always recommend whenever a reader asks for a good historical novel. And it's amazing -- and informative -- to count up the number of VIP's descended from the glorious Katherine and the haunted John of Gaunt.

I fell in love with this book the first time I read it, more than 40 years ago, as a teenager who hated history and never dreamed the past could be so exciting and romantic. I must have cried my way through three boxes of tissues before I finished it. I still have my falling-apart first edition hardbound copy, and I reread it once a year. If only more writers could recreate history and make the reader care about the people who made it, we might be a wiser and kinder civilization now. Anya Seton was a master, one of a kind, and I'm glad she lived and wrote every time I pick up "Katherine" again for another venture into her 14th century world.

Well what can i say?.I'm a 16 year old Australian girl and I've read the series over 8 times and i still find myself going back for another fix.John Marsden is one of Australia's best author's for teenagers.His writing is so good that you will find you can't put the book down.Tommorow when the war began is about 7 teenagers that go on a camping trip to a place they nickname hell.Their lives are shattered when they return home to find that there country has been invaded and they are in the middle of a major war. Ellie,Homer,Kevin,Fiona,Lee,Robyn and Corrie become your best friends you cry with them and Laugh.I would recommend this book to anyone even if you don't like reading this is the book for you.Congratulation's John on anothert excellent book!

I will be honest. I didn't want to read this series. A lot of people I know had read the books as they came out, and raved about them, but I thought at the time that I didn't want to read another war series...which is all that i thought they were.

Turns out I was wrong.

I got a copy of Tomorrow When the War Began in a pile of second hand books from my Aunt. It was the summer holidays and I thought I might as well read it. I'm 18, by the way, studying at University, and I had previously read some of John Marsden's books and found them to be absolutely amazing. From the moment I picked up Tomorrow When The War Began, I was hooked.

John Marsden is without a doubt one the best author that I have come across. His portayal of Ellie and the rest of the gang, with their faults, their emotions...everything about them, is so amazingly real.

Tomorrow is in no way just another war book, as I previously thought. If you are over the age of 15, I would recommend it, especially for those up to the age of about 25...but even beyond that. After reading Tomorrow, I proceeded to buy the rest of the set, one by one, every day for a week. I was even getting so desperate to know what was going to happen next that I was buying and starting them in my lunch breaks at work. I have since basically forced one of my good friends, who also wasn't really into the idea of reading them, into starting, and she actually put down Lord of the Rings to finish the Tomorrow Series instead. My mum also read them all in the space of a week.

Being Australian (I live not far from the bush in an area where places like Hell actually exist), Tomorrow is a book I can relate to very much. Anyone who doesn't read the series, and has the chance to, is really missing out on something great.

Oh and for the people who wanted the names of the rest of the books:

Tomorrow When The War Began
The Dead of the Night
Darkness, Be My Friend
The Third Day, the Frost
Burning for Revenge
The Night Is For Hunting
The Other Side of Dawn

An amazing, AMAZING, story that lets your imagination run wild and takes your mind on a truly emotional journey. I read all 5 books in the space of 1 week I was that caught up; the next day after I bought Tomorrow, when the war began, i went back and bought the next four in the series because i was so in love with the characters. I still I feel as if I am frozen in time, sitting in that cold, dark paddock (at the end of Darkness Be My Friend) and I am waiting until the magical moment when I can rejoin the characters and follow them on more adventures in the 6th book. By the way I am 21 so I believe anyone of any age could enjoy these inspiational, motivating books by the brilliant John Marsden.

C. S. Lewis is considered one of the greatest apologists and Christian writers of the twentieth century. His originality, imagination and trenchant wisdom have enamoured millions of readers for more than 50 years. The Screwtape Letters is certainly in the top tier of Lewis' works.

The book is a compilation of letters written by Screwtape, a senior demon, and addressed to Wormwood, a lesser demon and apprentice of Screwtape. In each letter Screwtape offers Wormwood advice for the effectual corruption and moral degradation of his human subjects. Not only does his advice give insight into the character and possible strategies of demonic beings, but it also delicately reveals the essence of virtue: the desire to please God. Screwtape encourages Wormwood to hide from his subjects these nuggets of spiritual wisdom by offering instead specious substitutes. In short, The Screwtape Letters is a treatise on the deceptive arguements used by Satan and his contemporaries to prevent humans from receiving the knowledge of God.

Lewis' ingenuity and cleverness captivate the reader by opening a window to the mind of the enemy, replete with all of the posturing, hatred, and horror that is characteristic of those not only seperated from God, but willingly engaged in opposition to Him. This is a must-read book for all those that are actively participating in the daily battle.

"The Screwtape Letters" is the absolute best book I have ever read. It is a very well written book. It really makes you think. C.S. Lewis' style is exquisite. He paints with words as an artist paints with pictures and a musician with notes and rhythms. While still being the best book I have ever read, it is also one of the strangest. Screwtape, an experienced devil, teaches his nephew, Wormwood, how to win a soul over from the so-called "Enemy", who is the Lord Jesus Christ. While he is doing this, he teaches the reader about the techniques that Satan uses to distract Christians away from God. Therefore, he is teaching us how to live better Christian lives and avoid giving in to temptations. He shows us through the example of his nephew, Wormwood, trying to win over a particular Englishmen. He tries to make him think that what he is doing is not sin. Even though, in the end, the man is not won over, we see how so many people go astray without even realizing it. This is an excellent book and I would reccomend it to anyone looking for a challenging book to read.

This was a wonderful book by C.S. Lewis giving an insight to what it must be like to work for the prince of darkness.

In this masterpiece you are reading letters from a devil named Screwtape to his nephew Wormwood who is rather young and inexperienced at the whole game of tempting and leading ones sould to hell. Screwtape tries to teach Wormwood some of the most effective ways to tempt a person but it also seems that he is leading the young villan astray.

These are letters of hypocricy and deciet and quite frankly letters that will make you step back and evaluate your own life. I would highly recommend this to anyone whether you are looking for a mere story to read or if you are looking for deep insight as to ways you can better yourself.

Book Reviewby Adam Levinson
Core 8
The book BLACK LIKE ME by John Howard Griffin is a great non -fiction informative tale through racism, and prejudice. In this book John Howard Griffin tries to explain to the world that there is no difference between black and white, just on race called human. He also tries to show that not all white men are racist and prejudice against black people. The book is about a white writer that changes his pigmentation (change his skin color to black). After he changed his pigmentation he went to the Deep South to report what it is like to be a black man. He wrote this book from his own point of view but also put himself into the positions of other people. The author is a great writer and very persuasive. He can make you change your mind about an idea in one sentence. John is very flowing and one of my favorite writers. Although it was at some points boring and unnecessary he still seemed to impress me with his outstanding facts. I found it interesting that black people were not able to swim on some beaches. I feel that John Howard Griffin was an activist. I feel this way because he lived in a time were if you did not hate black people you were ridiculed and not hated by your town. Knowing that when he published his book that people would hate he took the risk and proved that there4 is no difference between black and white, just a different shade in color.
I would recommend this book to an teenager because it does tend to get a bit boring. Overall I loved this book and left an everlasting impression about this horrible period of time.

John Howard Griffin's Black Like Me is the best book that I have read in years. I admire his nerve for being so gutsy. He now knows what we dark skinned people have been putting up with for 400 years. I learned something valuable: The white people were more afraid of their friends, peers and family members than they were the dark-skinned people. He took a risk of losing his health to feel what we have always felt.

I admire him for his courage and compassion for the love he had for others.This book is a great book. It describes the way a white man feels when he switches from having a normal life in the late 1950's to being a black man in racist situations. It has an important lesson along with this book: it says that blacks in the 1950's should have been treated with the same respect that white men were. White men picked on the blacks, not letting them even share the same restroom, simply because they didn't think they're skin was the right color. This is a story about a man who discovers that color isn't an object to place racism on, and that people can get along when there's no prejudice.This book recounts one of the most exciting sociological experiments of the 20th century. The Caucasian author undergoes chemical and physical changes to appear as an African American, to document the bias and social injustices of the white American society from personal experience.

There are only a few books that have really given me a deeper understanding into the issues of the world around us. This book is one of them. John Howard Griffin penetrates into a world that seems almost beyond belief and yet is undeniably and startlingly real. Realizations await on every page to show that the generally sheltered cultural perspective of the typical white (like myself) could not conceive the situation which confronted blacks in the south every day just a very few years ago -- as experienced by a white man who changed his skin color and dealt with the consequences. The book is made even better by a series of stories about his experiences after returning to the world of caucausions and going on the lecture circuit about the plight of blacks in the south. He demonstrates the rationalization and close mindedness that characterizes even those who consider themselves "good people". This book would probably be too much to accept if not for the authors remarkably unassuming and explanatory style. Rarely has such a sore subject been confronted so directly and yet so plainly. Highly recommended. I keep having to buy new copies because people will read a few pages and want a copy.

I've been buying cookbooks for decades. I'll buy cookbooks for just one recipe I'm dying to learn. The funny thing is, I'm really not that good of a cook, but I love working in the kitchen.

This cookbook just blows me away. Just like the Cooks International PBS television series, it explains the why of cooking. Lasagne without ricotta? Beef marinade without acid? How could that be? The explanations are there, and they make total sense.

I sit in my bedroom reading this book at night. I read about the things I already know how to make, looking for the subtle ideas to make them perfect. It's really not a cookbook even though it's got hundreds of recipes. It's more a book about cooking, and it's got me more inspired than all of the scores of books I've bought before.

I'll give these guys the best compliment I can think of: I wish I had written it.

I received this book for Christmas and I love it. It is unlike any other cookbook I own (and I own alot of cookbooks!)It provides fool-proof ways to cook practically everything. I've deemed it my kitchen helper. I believe the recipes are quite tasty and flavorful. Tonight I made Sauteed Chicken Breast Cutlets with a Lemon-Caper Sauce and Quick-Cooked Carrots with Red Wine Vinegar and Thyme. I've never been able to sautee chicken breasts without them turning dry and rubbery. These turned out perfectly brown and very moist. My mother-in-law made the Prime rib Roast for Christmas Dinner. It was excellent. I love the fact that the book is educational as well - I've learned so much already about techniques and what works and what doesn't and why, just from reading this cookbook. It is alot more than just another recipe book. I'm going to give this to all my friends. I would highly recommend it. It would make a great gift for a wedding shower gift. I'm newly married myself and trying to teach myself how to cook. My husband loves the book too.

This book makes substantial claims in its title. But the authors have a reason for their claims. This is not a book of recipes from one person's (subjective) viewpoint. Almost all the recipes were "arrived at" by a common process. 1. Collect various, diverse and classic recipes for a given dish. 2. Prepare the various recipes. 3. Test the results (usually results are tested by a substantial panel) 4. If applicable, consult food scientists regarding certain chemical or physical reactions or properties. 5. Produce a recipe which combines everything learned from the process. The result is a recipe which tastes best to most people.

What also results are several benefits to the cook: 1) The recipes are often steamlined (if a traditional or classic technique does not produce flavor it is jettisoned). 2) The recipes usually revolve around a core technique that can be applied to other dishes in a cook's repertoire. 3) If the cook takes time to read all the work done by the editors he will be able to avoid many "mistakes" in his own experimenting.

As to the reviewer's comment about so many meat+salt+pepper recipes, I believe he missed 2 things: 1) nearly all the recipes of that nature have significant seasoning/ingredient variations after the basic recipe, 2) the point of these recipes was the TECHNIQUE. When I was a neophyte "gourmet" I liked long recipes with complex techniques. Now that I'm older (and wiser) I can ALSO appreciate plain chicken or beef which truly have been well-cooked. But this book also gives you variety as well--there are Italian, Mexican, French, Asian, etc. flavors here along with the American standards.

Having tried very many of these recipes I agree that they are usually "best". My family and friends also agree. The chicken brining technique and the hard-boiled egg recipe have become absolute in my own cooking. In the short time I have owned it, this book has seen more use than many of my old favorites because the results are so reliably "the best."

I saw "The MouseDriver Chronicles" in several bookstores, and passed because it sounded like it would be yet another story of dot-com failure. But finally I decided it looked like a "fun read" and bought it, and I'm glad I did.

I'm adding "The MouseDriver Chronicles" as my number-two title (after "Dot.Bomb," by by J. David Kuo) on my "must read" book list for entrepreneurs.

"Dot.Bomb" was more fun to read, in part because it was about a dot-com company that crashed and burned, and it's always more fun to write about failure than success.

Though "The MouseDriver Chronicles" isn't quite as fun to read, it is more useful for potential entrepreneurs. The book recounts many logistical and planning issues, in an exceptionally well-written style, using straighforward language and sharing more details (business and personal) than I'd expected (though the details seem to fade in the later chapters, presumably to protect the trade secrets of the continuing company).

Most important, "The MouseDriver Chronicles" is not about a crash-and-burn dot-com failure.

It's about a modestly successful startup whose mission was to build a product and sell it at a profit, a concept that seemed almost obscene when Lusk and Harrison launched their business in mid-1999. In January 2002, that concept (build a product and sell it at a profit) sounds much better, making the book more timely. Even if there are fewer entrepreneurs this year, they all should profit from reading "The MouseDriver Chronicles."

The authors especially deserve credit for admitting how "ignorant" they were (in many respects) when they received their MBA degrees from Wharton, even after earlier careers working for consulting firms. They frankly disclose some embarassing experiences, which should profit wise readers who may experience fewer mistakes as a result.

My main gripe with the book is that it ends before the end. I expected the final chapter to recount the company's failure, or its sale to a larger company, or some other "exit strategy" that would provide "closure" for the book.

Instead, the book's chronology ends in early 2001, but the company continues even today. Ending the book a year before it reached bookstores (in January 2002) seemed quite unfair (but that is the reality of the book-publishing industry).

Fortunately, the MouseDriver.com web site contains an archive of the author's "Insider" newsletter updates, so I could read "the rest of the story" (which is still unfolding, since the company is still plodding along).

Ok, so here's the deal. I currently manage about $20MM in retail business for a manufacturer, and have been contemplating whether to pursue an MBA (read Wharton) or start a company. This book provided a pretty no-pretense look at starting a product-based company. In many cases the author's MBA's weren't that valuable (their words, not mine). Ultimately, this book served to help demystify the process of starting a company. While not a "how-to" book, I can say that it has been one of the most beneficial books in providing 1) a realistic view of the start-up process, and 2) a realistic view on the benefit of an MBA in starting a company. My own personal conclusion is that industry experience seems to count for far more than an MBA (assuming, of course, and undergrad in Business Mgmt or business knowledge from experience).

Thanks, guys, for daring to share your victories, setbacks, and experiences with us in a transparent and unpretentious manner. I can't tell you how beneficial this book has been in my own decision to take the plunge.

The twenty bucks invested in this book may be the best start-up investment you can make. By the way, they really do reply if you email them. I received replies from both John & Kyle within a few days of asking for their input. God bless.

When I first saw this book, my heart did not exactly skip a beat. Another book about (and worse, BY!) 2 American entrepreneurs selling computer mice? Haven't publishers had enough of all these human interest business stories that all share the same beginnings and endings?

I decided to give the book a go anyway since it was a gift from a friend. Surprisingly, I was unable to put it down. Even though I am an Asian doing my MBA in Europe, I believe the experiences of the authors hold true for all aspiring entrepreneurs.

And what experiences! I won't give the story away (go to mousedriver.com and look at their Insider newsletter for a summary of some of their tales),but DO consider this book to get an idea of what it means to passionately believe in a product, get that product to the market -- and how to deal with all the obstacles in the way while preserving your sanity and bank balances.

If, like me, you have thoughts about being an entrepreneur but are not sure of what to start being passionate about, read this book and "Just Drive It" ! The marketing slogan for the MouseDriver (that's what these guys are trying to sell, a mouse that is shaped like a golf club) is certainly effective shorthand for all those who have always THOUGHT about being their own boss but have have not dared to fall out of their 8 to 8 routines (Worry about the landing later:-)

MouseDriver Chronicles is a true, compelling story that deserves a wider audience. I now understand why my friend (who gave me the book) actually went on to help publish it. Happy AND educational endings, anyone?

So very many books were written about the Beatles, and so many TV documentries were made about them. Anthology is definitely the best one yet, and I don't think there will ever be another book as complete and sincere as it. For the first time the Beatles tell their own story (yes, even John - material from old intreviews with him are beautifuly collected and edited into the book), along with some help from George Martin, Derek Taylor and Neil Aspinall and some old quotes from Brian Epstein, Mel Evans, Pete Best and others, and that makes Anthology a truly unique experience. The story is told from such a personal viewpoint that you will feel like you're part of the band. George, Ringo, Paul and John will become your closest friends for the period of reading the book.

Anthology covers every (well, probably almost every) aspect of the Beatles' life and musical career. It starts as four seperate stories as every band member describes his childhood, then melds into the story of the band. All the interviews from the wonderful Anthology TV series are in the book, but so are many more. There are far more details - especially about the music itself, which was neglected in the series. While in the series some albums were hardly mentioned, in the book the Beatles refer to almost every song, telling a thing or two about its background. Also, more touchy subjects which were avoided in the series appear here - such as, the (phony) death of Paul McCartney, the (real) death of Stuart Sutcliffe, the unfortunate Hell's Angels incident and the terrible case of Charles Manson and his connection to the White Album. The photographs and documents shown in the book are facsinating as well.

And no, it's NOT too long. The only problem with the book is its weight, which makes it quite uncomfortable to read. Anthology is a superb book, which reminded me why I used to love the Beatles so much and got me to hear all their albums again - twice.

"The Beatles Anthology" doesn't reveal much new history about the band; the Beatles are already perhaps the most exhaustively chronicled and dissected group in history, and there are books that offer day-by-day diaries of the Beatles' lives and their music. (There's even one book, Mark Shipper's "Paperback Writer," that's a hilarious semi-fictional history, complete with loopy footnotes.)

What "Anthology" does do is offer first-person viewpoints from the four men who sat in the eye of the storm called "Beatlemania" and present their often very different memories of the same events.

The book's release comes more than 30 years since the group's breakup. During that time, each band member embarked on varyingly successful solo careers, and also endured an unfathomable tragedy -- the 1980 shooting death of Lennon by a deranged fan. Despite the distance that time has provided from their days as the best band on the world, the living members say they will always be Beatles.

"It was a one-way love affair," says Harrison. "People gave us their love and their hysteria, but the Beatles lost their mental health."

Ringo Starr's thoughts are more poignant. It's "impossible to turn the page and say, I'm no longer a Beatle," he says. "To this day, and for everyone, that's all I am."

The book was so heavy, I barely got it into the car and house. BUT, was it worth all of the lugging. (I'll return the cart tomorrow, if you don't mind.) As a Beatle fanatic since 1964, I have looked forward to a book like this for a long time...and the wait (weight? - 6 lbs. +) was worth it. I've just paged through it so far to see the layout and to get the "lay of the land", and am glad to see so many previously unpublished and unavailable photos and rememberences. I also like that the interviews have been placed in chronological order, not in some random fashion that have made other books about the Beatles so difficult to follow. Well, gotta go begin my reading, and I'll try to update again when I get through it. One word of caution...If you read in bed and fall asleep with the book on your lap while lying down, you better hope it doesn't hit you in the head...You may never wake up again! Enjoy!!

Anton Myrer, a former U.S. Marine, has written the all-time greatest novel of a soldier's life of service. The protagonist, Sam Damon, was commissioned on the battlefield but never forgot his simple and honorable roots as a citizen and enlisted man. He lived a life of dedicated service, loyal to his subordinates, leaders, the Army, and the nation, and rose to two-star General officer rank. His nemesis was a West Point graduate, Courtney Massengale, who was never a soldier at heart, but merely a careerist... out for himself. On one level, these two characters provide contrasting types of military officers, one noble and self-sacrificing, and and the other obsessed with personal aggrandizement. On a more intimate level, these two characters represent the struggle within every soldier's heart between the allure of promotion and prestige, and the call to duty and humble loyalty to his men and profession. Myrer died of cancer on Robert E. Lee's birthday in January 1996. I read the book before I was commissioned at West Point in 1976 and the story stuck with me throughout my own humble 20+ year career as a constant conscience and counselor against self-promotion. This is a character-building tale

"Once an Eagle," by Anton Myrer, is a huge book: the main text is 1291 pages long in the paperback edition. The book tells the story of Sam Damon, a Nebraska man who enlists in the Army and gradually rises up the ranks; his career spans a great portion of the 20th century. His story is intertwined with that of his rival, fellow soldier Courtney Massengale. The men are polar opposites: Damon is a down-to-earth guy who genuinely cares about his soldiers, whereas Massengale is a cold, ruthless puppetmaster with grand dreams of power and conquest.

Myrer brilliantly focuses his vast story on these two archetypal characters. In the end he creates a sweeping tapestry into which he weaves many relevant issues: leadership, love, marriage, racism, courage, politics, etc. He offers an intriguing look at such things as the role of military wives, officer-enlisted relations, the relationship between the military and civilian political authorities, etc.

The book is full of memorable characters, vivid scenes, and powerful dialogue. Myrer has a real skill at descriptive writing. Ultimately, this is a novel of ideas which never loses touch of the humanity (or inhumanity) of its characters. I especially liked the fact that Myrer creates compelling female, as well as male, characters.

It's really like an epic TV mini-series in book form. Recommended as companion texts: "A Narrative of a Revolutionary Soldier," by Joseph Plumb Martin, "Bridges at Toko-Ri," by James Michener, and "Starship Troopers," by Robert Heinlein. All are excellent books in particular for military leaders, or for anyone with an interest in the military.

I first read this book as a high school student in the late 1960s. Vietnam was reaching it's peak and the Armed Forces was never out of the headlines. Since that time, I've taken it dwon from the shelf and re-read it. I have found it of value in my military career as a reference on leadership and personalities. I highly recommend it to anyone with an interest or need to know about positive and negative leadership traits. The lead charecter starts his military career in the desert and scrub of Mexico searching for Pancho Villa. Sam Damon is not in the branches that might have a little dash or adventure such as the cavalry or air service. He is a ground pounder in the infantry as a private who's biggest concern is learning water discipline. He moves on through ranks and gains a commission during World War I and manages to retain it following the war. The inter-war years and Damon's adjustment to both married life and military life on officers row is insightful. World War II is Damon's moment to shine; he does but not without personal costs both within his immediate family and his service family. His end is both moving and I felt, almost inevitable. This book is not a quick read, nor is it one that is good for only one time. It's value is from rereading it and learning something new each time. I highly recommend this book. My only criticism is that it is rather high priced; I wish the publisher could get it down to where more people would be able to purchase the hard bound edition and not the paperback.

Lord of the Rings reads like one very long book that the reader finds themselves unable to put down. It goes without saying that you must read "The Fellowship of the Ring" and "The Two Towers" before you read this one. This, the third segment, is the climax to what the other two stories built up. This was astonishingly real for a book about wizards, hobbits and elves and I loved it. It is the only book that I have ever found myself crying when it was over. It was a sad sort of ending, (I won't spoil it), but it wasn't because of that. These vivid characters whom I had come to know and love for the months that it took me to go through "The Hobbit" and the other Lord of the Rings books were abandoning me. They would go on with their lives and have glorious new adventures of which I could not be a part of...I miss Sam most of all. The afterward of this book is a gem as well, since you can learn to read and write in Elvish and in runes, and find out histories and afterwards behind the epic. This is a must read for anybody. You are missing out if you do not read this. (And I might add that if you haven't, you are among a shrinking number of people, since the series continues only to grow in popularity.)

"The Return of the King" is the end to the fantasy epic, "The Lord of the Rings." It finishes off the trilogy in such a beautiful way that you'll be craving to get more of Tolien's Middle Earth. With adventure, comedy, love, and wonderful writing, "The Return of the King" leaves you with such a nice, warm feeling within you that you'll want to re-read it again.

In this book of the epic trilogy, we are finally intoduced to places that have been mentioned throughout the book various times such as Minas Tirith. In this novel you will find out about each member of the fellowship and their doings. More adventure that you have seen in the other two novels is present and the suspense building up to the dramatic and wonderful conclusion is great.

"The Return of the King" should not be read unless you have read "The Fellowship of the Ring" and "The Two Towers" before this. This book is the end to J.R.R. Tolkien's gorgeous trilogy and you'll savor every word of it. This is wonderful reading and will be loved by most fans of the fantasy genre. If you haven't read this book yet you must read it. If you have read it go and read it again. This is a beautiful work and I strongly recommend it. This is one of the most popular fantasy novels of our time and should not be missed.

Happy Reading!

I became interested in the trilogy when my brother Chris made me read "The Hobbit." Though many people skip the prequel to the trilogy, it certainly helped me to connect things to all 3 books of "The Lord of the Rings." It took me a total of 5 months to read "The Hobbit", "The Fellowship of the Ring", "The Two Towers", and "The Return of the King." I loved all of the books, but my all time favorite was "The Return of the King." I love Aragorn, and this was his book -- well, a part of it was. The first half of the book was a little emotional, but it was worth it. When I finished the book, I was almost torn apart. The ending totally surprised me, not only because it wasn't something that could have been predicted, but because these wonderful characters: Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Aragorn, Legolas, Gandalf, and Gimli, were ripped away from me. They were my family for 5 months, and now they were gone with not another word. Though saying goodbye to the Trilogy was hard, I would never ever go back on those 5 wonderful months and not read the books. Especially since it's summertime, this is a great time to read these books. A little part of me still believes these wonderful characters are with me, and will never go away.