I am not a native Texan, but I love the place and so eagerly read anything to do with the state. While reading, I have often encountered references to the Cross Timbers region and the difficulties of traversing it in the 19th century and before.
In the past 20 years, I have had the good fortune to travel almost everywhere in the state and have seen the Cross Timbers close up, hiking in state parks or just passing through on back roads. I saw close up the thick gnarled forests interspersed with glades and prairie, but still wondered why the Cross Timbers were anticipated with a greater sense of dread than were other large forests in the country.
Enter "The Cast Iron Forest". In this informative tome, Richard Francaviglia will tell you everything you wanted to know about the Cross Timbers and more. In a very readable way, Francaviglia lays out just what the Cross Timbers are and proceeds through the history of the area right up to the present. The book not only gives the reader a great overview of the area, but also imparts understanding of patterns of settlement and the waxing and waning of both man and nature in this dynamic area.
I also learned that the Cross Timbers extend far beyond the borders of Texas into Oklahoma and Kansas. The author concentrates on the Texas portion, but gives some insight into the development and decay of Cross Timbers settlement in Oklahoma. However, very little is said about the small portion of Kansas that is a natural continuation of Cross Timbers geological and biological features.
I would have been happier had the book contained more detailed maps and charts, but overall I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the land and people of Texas.

I was intrigued to learn recently that the general area of Texas in which I reside had (and still has to some degree) an eco-history all its own, which impacted both Native American tribes and the White settlers who were determined to "tame" the wilderness of the Lone Star State. This was not easy to accomplish, because of the two formidable belts of cross timber forest, which Washington Irving referred to in his writings as the "cast iron forest." These thick belts ran from a small corner of Kansas down through Indian Territory (now called Oklahoma), and continues to approximately where Waco, TX is located today.

Author Richard V. Francaviglia brings the reader on a journey through the cross timber regions, with a brilliant blend of natural history and Old West adventure-telling. The book features many old maps, which in their own fascinating way, also tell the history of the cross timbers visually. The author takes the reader on a journey from the opening of the West to the cross timbers - or what's left of it - in modern times.

One need not be scientifically inclined to read and enjoy this book, as Francaviglia explains all in a way which is easy to understand. Anyone with an interest in Texas history and/or ecology will find this a fascinating read!

Pam and Jerry North lead a strange chase among old bones to catch a killer.

When Dr. Orestes Preson, distinguished and scholarly mammalogist, found that someone was inserting classified newspaper advertisements in his name, requesting candidates for various unlikely jobs to appear for interviews, he called in the police. They weren't much interested. Their interest became lively when Dr. Preson's sister was discovered drugged in his apartment, and acute when a definite murder attempt was made.
Pam and Jerry North come into the picture since Jerry is Dr. Preson's publisher, a happy publisher, too, for the learned Curator of Fossil Mammals has the touch that converts research into bestsellers. Soon they are very much involved in some strange doings among the cases of ancient bones in the Bradley Institute of Paleontology.

Sergeant Aloysius Mullins and Captain Bill Weigand assist the Norths as they get into full swing in their sixteenth mystery. In a setting reminiscent of cave man days, a strange game of hide- and-seek is played out. The climax is a wild chase in which Pam emerges the heroine.

Pam and Jerry North have given pleasure to hundreds of thousands of mystery fans. Their latest adventures furnish another example of why the Lockridges, through the years, have attracted so large a following.

People who haven't discovered Mr. and Mrs. North Mysteries are in for a treat. I like them better than Nick and Nora Charles. Other couples mysteries that are worth a look are: Agatha Christie's Tommy and Tuppence series and Takis and Judy Iakovou's Julia and Nick Lambros series.

Really, when considering whether or not this book is any good, you've got to consider what you want out of it. If you want a field guide that you can use to easily identify beetles that you find, this really isn't the best choice. If you want a book with lots of nice photos or illustrations, again, this isn't the one you're looking for.
If, on the other hand, you're looking for a book that will give you a slightly more in-depth information on beetles than you generally get in a general insect field guide, then this may be what you're looking for. That's my two cents, anyway.

There are approximately one million species of animals on our planet; about three quarters are insects; and approximately 40% of those are beetles. There are 30,000 kinds of beetle in North America. They are plentiful and varied -- a real joy to observe or collect. This Peterson field guide begins with two chapters on collecting and preserving beetles, and then delves into their identification. An anatomical flow chart on the endpages directs you to the various beetle families, and there you will find a physical description, similar families, and information about numbers, range, habits, collecting methods and examples. There are about 600 line drawings and 65 color plates.

This is a solid field guide, but the meager percentage of color pictures is problematic. Beetles are quite colorful and that should be the most salient identifying characteristic, but neither the black & white drawings nor the often color-free descriptions help in that regard -- a real weakness for a guide to these beautiful insects. I would rather pay more for an all-color guide.

For the price this book is very good, but certainly not complete. For the low price one could not really expect much more information. I recommend it as a guide in purchasing further more expensive books on beetles.

Reading the title of the book, we know that the defendant is guilty, it is to what degree of guilt the story takes us. Mr. Patterson writes believable, even likable, characters. They are not perfect, but nor are they caricatures. I was particularly intrigued by the courtroom manueverings. While they are believable, they are certainly fiction. The plot line was solid, with no real glowing inconsistancies. I agree that Mr. Patterson's books rise above John Grishams. They are not read as quickly & easily, but the extra work is worth it. I will read more from Mr. Patterson.

My first outing with Richard North Patterson, and still ranks as one of my favorite of the genre. Once you get into it, and I understand this great story isn't a locomotive with no brakes at the beginning...but BELIEVE ME, it DOES get there. Our characters are likeable, but not without their faults. Christopher Paget is called to defend his former 'girlfriend' and Mother to his son in a murder charge which has just a ton of evidence that SHOWS us that she actually DID it...but if you are a reader of legal-thrillers, you KNOW that what the author wants you to know about and what actually happens at the end of the book are two entirely different things, right? 'Degree of Guilt' is NO exception here. Everything ISN'T as it seems--at first. But even as new evidence is unearthed that helps the defendant, she STILL looks guilty. IS she? I'm gonna let you find out the answer for that one yourself. 'Degree of Guilt' has some of THE BEST courtroom scenes I've read to date. It's obvious that Mr. Patterson was an honest-to-goodness lawyer, and he uses his skills very well here. I'll warn you of a BIG bombshell that Mary reveals to Christopher that kinda took me by surprise, it doesn't affect the outcome of the trial, but let's just say it gives the story a different twist. Also, this novel is a great lead-in for Patterson's next FANTASTIC courtroom whodunnit: 'Eyes Of A Child' a partial sequel to this book, and in MY opinion even BETTER. Legal thrillers can be some of the most compelling books out there, because let's face it: NOTHING could be more dramatic than one person fighting for their life in a murder trial. Patterson truly IS one of the better writers of this particular genre out there and 'Degree of Guilt' is one of his very best books. VERY worthwhile.

As I continue to read Mr. Patterson's books, I am in awe at this man's brilliance and writing skills. "Degree of Guilt" is an awesome book, filled with labrynthine plottings, excellently developed characters, and competent legal derring-do. As in all of Patterson's books, we find characters that are far from perfect, and whose personal secrets and disappointments can be both heartwrenching and disturbing. Unfortunately, I read "Eyes of a Child" which was written after this, so I knew some of what was going on with Mary and Paget and with Teresa and Richie. Patterson's development of the tension between Terri and her worthless husband is chilling; with no resolution truly in this book, one can find out what happens in "Eyes of a Child," but you would do best to read this one first.
Anyway, we know from the beginning that Mary Carelli murdered Mark Ransome, but why and what is all the intriguing things that Mary has done that she won't share with Paget? Patterson brilliantly unfolds a scenario that takes us back into Chris and Mary's past; and how Terri and Chris become the best of friends and more so. It's a great book, I don't want to go into too many plot details, but trust me, this one is a real winner!
HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Tvetan Todorov's The Conquest of America: The Question of the Other perpetuates a number of the myths that surround the Spanish collision with the "New World".

Todorov reinforces the myth that the Aztecs believed the Spanish were gods, an idea that springs from the accounts of Diaz and from the earliest Indian accounts, all which were written over 30 years after the described events, by people without access to the inner workings of the Mexican court. The Indian accounts, written under Catholic supervision, do not relate to the "what happened" as much as they do to the "what should have happened." These Indians would not have known what happened and would have been well-versed in the accounts of their Spanish masters. The idea that Montezuma thought they were gods seems to be a good way for the Indians to explain what they did not understand.

Mistranslations of Indian words also account for this myth. Teotl, mistranslated by the Spanish to mean "god", more closely means "weird" or "strange". Todorov relies heavily on this myth to advance his thesis of miscommunication.

Todorov also falls into the trap of believing that the Aztecs were frozen by their obsession with signs and with astrology. He believes that the Aztecs were dominated by a past-oriented tradition whereas the Spanish were the only participants able to adapt. He argues that the Spanish use of written words gave them an ability that the oral-tradition based Aztecs did not. Reality, however, suggests that the Aztecs were very good at improvisation, especially during battle. Within the first few encounters with their Spanish enemies, the Aztecs learned how to beat horseman, how to avoid being hit by cannons, and that the Spanish were not impressed with tactics designed to frighten and demoralize the enemy.

Montezuma's lack of quick action does not mean he was frozen with fear, or that he was waiting for signs from his astrologers, instead it seems to be exactly what how a man who could put tens of thousands of soldiers in the field would react to a small party of Spanish. His gifts to the Spanish were not symbolic of his wishing to buy their friendship, but were a statement of Montezuma's power and wealth.

Todorov's book is important because it raises issues about how the self discovers the other. But it's advancement of outdated myths cannot be ignored.

More than a simple history of the conquest of America, this book exposes many of the semiotic mechanisms that worked in favour of the conquistadors, and explains how the mighty Aztecs fell before a relatively small number of invaders. The narrative of the conquest of America serves as a sort of case study to illustrate Todorov's ideas concerning the Other, and ample supporting evidence is given from the writings of Columbus, Cortes, several Spanish historians of the period, and even some of the Aztecs' writings. The Conquest of America explores what happens when cultures collide, and signs loose their meaning. For example, and Aztec generals possess a special uniform that is designed to strike terror in to the hearts of the enemy, while for the Spanish, who are clearly not as supersitious as the Aztecs' former enemies, these special uniforms simply serve as a very clear sign indicating which soldiers to attack first. By targeting the commanders, Cortes quickly puts the defending army to rout. These miscues between the Spanish and the Aztecs occur at all levels: religious, linguistic, social, and in terms of general world view. Again and again both the Aztec and the invaders are unable to overcome (if that's the word) their inability to see what is happening around them through anything but their traditional frame of reference. When confronted with a new situation (i.e. a new continent, a new aggressor), each party proves unwilling to adapt, with grave consequences for the indigenous populations of Mexico. There are many lessons here for a world where globalization of trade and communication are bringing cultures into contact and, too often, conflict. A very enjoyable, eye-opening read.

In The Conquest of America Todorov delves deeply into the dark consequences (intended and unintended) of the European discovery of the Americas and represents the first important study of the influence of religious belief on the interactions beginning with Columbus with the "savage" Other. While many people attempt to dismiss the religious aspect of this relationship, but as Todorov shows it is central to understanding the dynamics of European conquest and the ultimate fate of the "New World's" indigenous inhabitants. Both in his letters and his diary Christopher Columbus repeatedly expresses his primary purpose as a religious one. Perhaps, due to the obvious problems for the Catholic Church that this represents this motive has taken a backseat to the supposed thirst for gold that has overshadowed the religious roots of this horrific tragedy ever since.

An important aspect of Todorov's thesis is his well-supported claim that it was precisely the claim to European racial superiority that the Christianity strongly reinforced[es] provided justification for the actions of the Spanish, even in its most severe manifestation. In fact, Todorov invokes the unimaginably horrible image of Catholic priests bashing Indian baby's heads against rocks, ostensibly to save them from damnation to Hell, which their "savage" culture would have otherwise consigned them to.
The logic of this deed and other like them illustrates the pernicious influence of Christianity in the Colonial project, which lies at the root of the hegemonic self-image of Western experience-first defined from the perspective of Columbus and Cortez.

If religion was a guiding principle in the lives of the conquerors, as Todorov points out, so to was it for the conquered, especially in the case of the Aztecs. Baffled by the paradox of the famous story concerning Cortez and his several hundred Conquistador's ability to defeat the entire Aztec empire, which numbered at least several million, Todorov reveals that it was primarily due to Montezuma's belief that Cortez and his party was Gods, which led to his reluctance to raise an army in opposition. In the middle section of the book Todorov gives a detailed analysis of this stunning historic event and shows that Cortez' victory was not necessarily due to any great military achievement, instead it was mostly the result of the Aztec's refusal to mount any kind of a effective defense until it was too late. Thus, it was Montezuma's indecision, born of his own religious belief that led to the sudden collapse of the Aztec empire.

In the final third of the book Todorov investigates the impact that these events have had on the subsequent writings on the subject. In particular, he focuses on the work of three writers, all Spanish, but among the first generations of Europeans native to South America. These works that are primarily only known to scholars in the field offer many surprises to the contemporary reader, showing that there was a far more open view of the non-European "Other" expressed by those who lived among them in the waning days after conquest. Perhaps, that is one of the most insidious luxuries of victory-the ability to show compassion for the defeated, but always, yet always too late.

Todorov's work is an important work, which would be of great interest to students of literature, history, cultural/indigenous studies and post-colonial theory. After reading this book Columbus Day and all that it necessarily represents will never be seen in the same way again.

RNPATTERSON WRITES BOOKS YOU JUST DON'T WANT TO PUT DOWN. THE CHARACTERS ARE WELL DEVELOPED AND I FOUND MYSELF HATING RICKY BUT LOVING THE OTHERS, EXCEPT CHRIS. I COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT HE WAS UP TO BECAUSE HE WAS KEEPING SOMETHING TO HIMSELF AND I DIDN'T KNOW WHICH WAY TO GO WITH HIM. EVEN WHEN HE WAS ON TRIAL FOR KILLING A SOCIOPATH I ALONG WIH HIS LAWYER DIDN'T FEEL HE WAS REALLY NOT GUILTY. PATTESON HAS THE KNACK OF KEEPING YOU INTERESTED IN ALL THE ACTION, DETAILS, AND HOW A GOOD DEFENSE LAWYER HAS TO THINK AHEAD AND WEAVE THE LOOSE ENDS INTO A SOLID LEGAL DEFENSE FOR HER CLIENT. I THINK SHE'S BETTER THAN GRISHAM'S LAWYERS. AT TIMES I LOST PATIENCE WITH TERRI WHO WAS CONFUSED AS TO WHAT SHE SHOULD DO TO PROTECT HER FIVE YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WHO WAS ALSO CONFUSED RE HER PARENTS' LOVE FOR HER. THIS WAS AN EXCELLENT READ THAT KEPT ME GUESSING RIGHT UP TO THE UNEXPECTED ENDING. IF YOU HAVEN'T READ ANY OF PATTERSON' BOOKS, GET STARTED. THIS IS HIS 6th NOVEL SO START BACK BEFORE THIS 1994 BOOK.

If you have any experience at all reading the whodunit type of mystery story, you will know within the first two chapters who the murderer is in this story. If that's all you care about, you'll be tempted to stop. My advice? DON'T !!!

Eyes of a Child is one of the best mystery novels I have ever read, and I picked it up by accident, thinking it was by another author. Lucky accident! The story is told largely through the eyes of Teresa Peralta, a young hispanic legal assistant in San Francisco, whose husband of six years, Richie, is murdered just before she leaves to go to Venice with her boss and lover, Christopher Paget, a major character carried over from a previous Patterson novel. We know Chris can't possibly be the murderer, because he's the good guy in the previous book, so we're left with only one possible suspect-- so there's no mystery at all about 'whodunit.' In spite of that, the book is a terrific mystery-- not about who, but about how and why.

The 'victim' is a slimeball of major proportions. He's killed in the first few pages. Then, through flashbacks, we're taken through the last few months before his demise. By the time he finally gets what's coming to him, we're ready to go to SanFran and kill him ourselves!

The dramatic insensity picks up when Christopher is arrested and tried for the murder. We know he didn't do it, but his efforts to prove his innocence in the face of many facts that make him look guilty provides the terrific suspense. The outcome is unexpected and exciting.

But I'm missing the main point here: This is no ordinary mystery story, and the plot pales in comparison to some other issues. These are 'real' people. We care about them. We care what happens to them. We want Christopher to 'get off' without revealing to the authorities who the real killer is, because the murderer has done society an immense service and deserves to remain unidentified and free.

Although the adult characters make the plot move, it is a child who is the center of the story-- hence the title. Teresa's daughter is one of the most haunting and sympathetic characters you will ever encounter in literature. What happens to her along the way is far more important in the long run than the more prosaic question of who is 'victim' and who is 'murderer.'

I have only two minor complaints: 1. A couple of the characters easily arrive at insights into their own personalities that no real-life person could similarly achieve, and 2. They are able to articulate these insights more clearly than any similar real person could. In other words, the author puts words in their mouths for them. This damages the illusion of reality in a couple of spots. However, the book's many strengths far outweigh these piddly weaknesses.

A fascinating read. I can't recommend it highly enough.

This is only my second RN Patterson book, but wow, what a find! I can't wait to go back and get them all.
"Eyes of a Child" is one heck of a story, that grips you right from its chilling opening until it's shattering finale.
The characterizations are richly drawn and extremely credible. Patterson's way with setting up compelling dramatic scenes is amazing. There's one long scene in the book where Terri and her mother Rosa finally discuss why Rosa stayed with the abusive husband. It's forthright, somber, believable and sad, as well. Patterson does this kind of great work in other scenes, too, including the one where Terri comes to find out her daughter, Elena's, horrifying "secret."
Christopher Paget is a noble hero, and I didn't realize he has been featured in other novels, so I was beginning to think he was the murderer. His trip to the Goodwill is one factor; the "journal" is another.
All of the characters are brilliantly conceived: the evil and despicable Richie, whose death seems more than justified; Paget's teen-age son, Carlo, trapped in those waning years between adolescence and adulthood; Rosa, the mother, is compelling and one can't help but sympathize with her; Caroline Masters, Paget's defense, who is a brilliant lawyer and seems to be a true friend as well.
There are no easy answers in this well-crafted novel and our heroes do some foolish things, but it chronicles the tragedy of what happens when a child is placed in a "used" position, and how sometimes even love isn't enough.
EXCELLENT!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because of the lack of color photos or plates. I honestly read half the book when I first recieved it. I got it because I was worried that this creature I had found was a mutant or something (turned out it was a velvet ant). It does have quite a bit of information on the different animals that make up the order of insects. It does not though give detail into any peticualar family though. There are after all WAY to many insects out there to fit into just one book. Check out the other field guides for butterflies, moths, or whatever you are into. It can be a little technical for the layman (i.e. me) but will help get you started on your adventures in collecting and learning about insects.

Most amateur naturalists tend to expect page after page of photographs or drawings when they purchase a field guide. That is not what you will get in this book.

The authors, Borrer and White, have developed a sort of mini-entomology book for use in the field. The first part of the book contains helpful hints and instructions on how to collect and preserve insects. That section is followed by about 15 pages on the biology and taxonomy of this huge group. Understanding this information is essential if one is put together a useful insect collection. It also helps the insect watcher better understand what they are seeing in the ecology and body plans of these animals. Those sections are followed by over 300 pages of information that will help the determined insect watcher/collecter figure out the kind of animal they are looking at.

You should be advised that this book will NOT help you identify insects to the level of genus and species. The taxonomic information in this book targets primarily the family level (the level above the genus level).

Some reviewers have commented that the lack of color illustrations renders this book nearly useless. You need to understand that, for the serious collector, there are characteristics much more important in figuring out what they are looking at than color. The book is loaded with the kinds of information used by professional entomologists to identify the animals they study.

You should also be reminded that there are thousands of insect species, and many regional variations of those species, so no single field guide could ever hope to provide a comprehensive treatment of the group.

If you want/need a bounty of color photos to supplement your study, I recommend that you use this book along with a field guide like those available from the Audubon Society (E.g., The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects and Spiders, which has over 700 photos of these animals).

The Peterson guide relies on illustrations rather than photos (illustrations are, I believe, far superior to photographs for identification work). There are both color and B/W illustrations in the book. There are also many helpful line drawings of body parts important to helping you ID insects.

I give this book 4 stars only because it tends to be a bit tougher for the casual amateur to use, but recommend it highly for the advanced amateur, as well as for general reference for the professional.

Well worth the price -- but not a child's book.

Good luck!

Alan Holyoak, Dept of Biology, Manchester College

I have used this book for years. It is great for quick and easy insect identification. Good for the entomologist as well as the layman. Few color illustrations (lots of B & W) but since insects are very rarely identified by color, this is practically irrelevant. Highly recommended.

A legal thriller at it's core, Protect and Defend is so much more. Richard North Patterson deals with politics, abortion, campaign finances and rights to privacy in public life. Where do we draw the line?

When the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court drops dead after administering the oath of office to the newly elected president, Kerry Kilcannon faces the first challenge of his new administration. His vice-president, Ellen Penn, is quick to suggest Caroline Masters for the job. She seems like a good choice as she has never ruled or commented on the subject of abortion. What position could be better than no position? But nothing is simple in Patterson's world and everyone has secrets.

While Masters' friend and former clerk, Sara Dash, challenges a federal law requiring parental consent for late term abortion Kilcannon deals with the politics of an evenly divided senate for her approval. And just as everyone has their secrets it seems everyone in the Senate has his agenda. Both Chad Palmer and Mac Gage would like to be their parties nominee for president next time, but at what personal price?

As with most legal thrillers, the lawyer's way of saying things can be weighty, but it's worth the effort. Patterson has entered into highly charged emotional issues and the reader will feel it in the end. How far is too far to get what we want? What price is too much to pay? And when we go too far does anyone really win?

Richard North Patterson will keep you up at night asking these questions in Protect and Defend. I recommend giving up the sleep.

I had never heard of Richard North Patterson until I read this book. I am a 65 year old Gynecologist who does not read a lot of fiction, but since reading Protect and Defend (P&D), I have read two other works by Patterson: the newly retitled Caroline Masters and No Safe Place. While these are not so fine as Protect and Defend, which I consider on a plane with The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver and The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevski, they are also compelling books of their genre. Back to P&D - As a close observer of the political scene for the past 50 years and one with an extensive and hardwon knowledge of the abortion issue and its advocates on both sides, this book is a like a college course in current American political life and mores as well as the highly complex and agonizing partial birth abortion controversy. I was surprised and pleased that someone who was neither a physician nor a politician could "get it right" on so many levels: current day partisan political infighting over a supreme court nominee, campaign finance and the serious consequences of its current practice, the highjacking of the once responsible Repubilcan Party by special interests and the Religious Right, the extreme difficulty of adhering to principle by politicians dependent on the hugh sums of money poured into the politican system by one issue interest groups on both the left and the right, and last but not least, the complexity of the compelling legitimate arguments on both sides of the abortion issue. While North might seem to favor the Pro-choice forces, he demonstrates admirably the compelling arguments and the sincerity of many in the rank and file on the Pro-life side in his portrayal of the Tiernay parents and Senator Chad Palmer, while portraying accurately the crassness and insensitivity of radical partisans on both sides in his picture of the Christian Committment's attorney's (Pro-life) and the Anthony's Legions' leader's (Pro-choice) willingness to destroy anyone unwilling to march the last mile with them. I have recommended this book to every friend and aquaintance and patient I have seen in the last month, since I bought and read it, and will continue to do so.

Protect and Defend is a captivating book that investigates the inner workings of the judicial, legislative, and executive branches of government, combining fictional characters with real issues to create a thrilling twist on the battle between good and evil: the fight between Pro-Choicers and Pro-Lifers, Democrats and Republicans, and Females and Males. The events in the novel are on opposite sides of the country, in Washington D.C. and San Francisco. In Washington, immediately after the inauguration of Kerry Kilcannon, a democrat, the Chief Justice, a conservative, has a stroke and drops dead. The vice president is a female. With the death of Chief Justice Bannon, the president must start searching immediately for a replacement, only one day into his term, against a strikingly Republican senate led by MacDonald Gage a vicious man whose main desire and ambition is to become president. In San Francisco, Mary Ann Tierney, just fifteen years old, is seeking an abortion at five months pregnant. Without parental consent, she cannot abort the fetus, which is hydrocephalic and if delivered, could ruin her chances to have children in the future. Her parents are famous Pro-Lifers and her father is a law professor, well-known and respected for his consistent, anti-abortion views, so she gets a lawyer, young Sarah Dash to represent her in a case suing her parents for permission to get an abortion, challenging the Supreme Court in their recent rulings on late-term abortions. Also from San Francisco is Caroline Masters, a female liberal whom Kilcannon nominates. Patterson's novel examines many different perspectives on abortion an different political views taken by members of the government. Giving an in-depth look at both the Pro-Life and Pro-Choice movements, the book shows the effect of the issue on different lives and the struggles it causes families internally. It also demonstrates the ruthlessness of politicians and the extremes they will go to in order to get their ways. Patterson's extensive research on the subject shows and his realistic sketches of the characters are enthralling, keeping the reader's attention with every flip of perspective and countryside.

My expectations were high but this is just a poorly written book. About half the narrative is about the characters who joined the Rough Riders. Very little of the book deals with the battles in Cuba and the sections that do make the exploits of the Rough Riders seem grossly over rated. Roosevelt seems to write withh the intent on securing his place in history. And, if that wasn't enough, he includes self-serving appendices that laud his conduct on the battlefield and support his yearning for the medal of honor. I found his writing style tedious and often repetitious--you'll encounter countless references to the smokeless ammunition used by the Spanish. Enough already!

My comments are based on the 1997 hardback version of this book.
The following may have been corrected in the 2000 paperback.

Richard Bak collected many photographs of the Rough Riders to illustrate Roosevelt's text, and this is good. However, he wasn't very careful with his captions.

For example, the photograph leading off Chapter One "Raising the Regiment" is captioned "Colonel Wood and Roosevelt in Texas. Roosevelt's paunch would disappear in Cuba after he lost twenty pounds in the tropical heat." However, other photographs of Roosevelt at this time do not show a paunchy man. Also, both he and Wood seem younger than the men in this photo.

Later in this chapter, there is a photograph again showing the an identified as Wood, captioned "Colonel Leonard Wood (second from right)..."

In the background of this photograph, there is an automobile (looking closer in style to a Model A than a Model T), and the other three men in the photograph are dressed in Army uniforms from the 1920s.

The conclusion is that these men are NOT Roosevelt and Wood, but the actors who played them in the 1927 silent movie about the Rough Riders that was filmed in San Antonio with the assistance of the US Army's Second Division stationed at Fort Sam Houston.

In the section "The Mystery of the Maine," the photograph identified as the Maine is not the Maine that blew up in Havana Harbor, which only had two smoke stacks. This is probably the later World War I Maine.

So, Roosevelt's text is good. The collection of photographs are good. But verify those captions and the conslusions based upon them.

The 1st USV (the Rough Riders) has to be one of the most interesting units in US military history. The collection of characters who filled its ranks could spawn dozens of other titles. This book is WELL written by Teddy Roosevelt, one of our most colorful persidents, is a frank and great account of the life of this unit. I found it quite enjoyable, and didn't feel that the book was TR blowing his own horn, he cared very much for his men and this shows through in this book. A must for any history buff.

The Final Judgement was a decent book, but like other readers have found, I'm sure, the killer is no real mystery and the story takes some time to get into. The flashbacks into the past around the middle of the book give the book its only real depth. There is a surprise at the end, but it comes off dead. Don't make the mistake of expecting a courtroom thriller; this story is more about the Master's family and their past. A non-distracting vacation book or something to read when you have the flu.

I absolutly love the books of Richard North Patterson. You can't put them down. I read Degree of Guilt, Eyes of a Child and I am currently reading The Final judgement. I can't imagine how these books could be improved. You are always given hints as to the ending but he'll still suprise you. If you love a good mystery I highly recommend this book.

Just wanted to say how much I loved Patterson's The Final Judgement. This has to be the best book I've ever read - one I couldn't put down. The character development here was tops! Yes, this was a courtroom drama, but more it showed how lives and destinies can be influenced by outside sources, like one's parents. Carolyn Masters was wonderful, dear compassionate, intelligent. I also fell in love with Brett. In fact, I want to read more about those two. I almost sense Patterson has left me hanging. Right now I'm going through withdrawls, and find I'm still thinking about this book weeks after I finished it. I will search out his other books for sure.