This volume is a companion to Psalms 1-59 by the same author. Kraus provides a fresh translation for each Psalm, with text critical notes, and sections on the "Form" of the Psalm, the "Setting" in the worship of Israel, "Commentary," and "Purpose and Thrust." In "Setting" and "Form" Kraus discusses the text, meter, and type of Psalm: Hymn of Thanksgiving, Royal Psalm, Liturgy, and so on. The Commentary, of course, provides insight into the meaning of the language of the Psalm. Very useful information is found in all the sections, but it is the last section, Purpose and Thrust, that distinguishes this commentary from others. In it Kraus describes the major themes of the Psalm, the ideas it works with, and in the case of those Psalms that are quoted in the New Testament, a discussion of the place of the Psalm in that literature. This is a legacy of the original from the Biblischer Kommentar series in German. Kraus has made a valuable contribution to the discussion of the Psalms in Israel's worship, and to the use of the Psalms in the New Testament.

As a pastor I find myself turning to this volume often when in the Psalms. Kraus studies the Psalter thematically, which is a bit tiresome when studying a single Psalm, but nonetheless, so valuable in his grouping together of concepts, words, phrases, etc. Although there surface periodically (but not frequently) touches of historicial-critical methodology and findings, this volume represents some of the finest theology work on the OT Hymnal. He even includes a fine expose on the NT use of Psalms. Not sure how the average layperson without any Hebrew knowledge would find this work, but certainly, there is meat here for them to find and devour smilingly.

This book is very intersting and a good reading, about the German Top Ace against west opponents. But, are the facts true?Did he shot down 17 planes in one day? Where the south-african pilots so bad?! Well, the book is good also because it gives a picture of the whole of JG-27, one of the most famous units in Luftwaffe.

When looking at the list of German aces who scored over 100 kills one finds HansJoachim Marseille way behind at least 25 other aces, but he ranks above all of them because of his most amazing achievement:He had the highest number of kills against the Western Allies in WWII, thus it can be said that he ranks with Manfred von Richthofen. At one time it seemed as if Adolf Galland would become the "Richthofen" of WWII, but that place was destined for this young Berliner of French descent. It is even more convincing because it was Galland who called Marseille "the unrivalled virtuoso of German fighter pilots". Praise from Galland was hard to come, especially for rivals. And considering the fact that there were so many outstanding aces to chose from,it is highly justified. Many eastern front aces are unknown to most but where ever a discussion of fighter aces takes place, the name of Marseille crops up sooner or later. But Marseille wasn't just a high scoring ace, his charm, flair for childish pranks and affable manners secured him a special place in the hearts of his countrymen and in aviation history. A lot has been said about the top marksmen of the luftwaffe, and that "Marseille is one of them", in my opinion, the ace who needed barely fifteen rounds on average for a kill could hardly be called "one of the best" but was "the best" marksman of the Luftwaffe or any other airforce. And I believe it was Rall,"one of the best marksmen" who admitted that Marseille was the man to beat. Rather like the top U-Boat Ace Ottokar Kretschmer, whose motto was "one torpedo, one ship", instead of the traditional fan of torpedoes fired by most commanders for a ship. Both used their ammunition with devastating effect. This book details all his exploits and the successful aces who emulated his techniques. Marseille died after bailing out from a new Bf109G, hitting his head on the tail,. It seemed the fate of the best to die undefeated in combat, Moelders, Lent(one of the immortal nightfighter aces), Prinz Sayn zu-Wittgenstein(another great nightfighter ace) all went to their deaths in accidents one way or the other.And it seemed with his death the fortunes of the Afrika Korps which he had supported so well also changed. Kurowski has written a fine biography, and it is essential reading for aviation buffs and historians.

I was very pleasantly surprised as to the handsomeness of this volume and also the quality of its' contents. (Amazon kindly sent me a First Edition!) Highly researched, the Author did a masterful job of documentation and verification of Marseille's air victories from both sides of the belligerents. The aerial drama was placed within the proper context of the overall struggle between the land, sea, and air forces of the Afrika Corps and the British Empire. The publication is richly endowed with photographs and inputs from the people who knew the Ace. The Author also enabled me to imagine that I was a "back seat observer" whenever the "Star of Africa" flew an operational sortie: Fully explaining the attributes, physical excellence, strategies, & techniques that separated his meteroic success from that of the ordinary pilot. There was no sloppy sentimentality here to spoil the text. I heartily recommend this book and say to the author, "well done!"

Hans Morgenthau is the "Iching" of all international relations authors. He sets the precedents for all future relations with his analysis of the political environment throughout the world. He discusses the status quo, imperialism, neo-realism, moralism, diplomacy, disarmament, international governments, universalism, etc... This book is definitely a must read for any student intending on success in international relations.

I was taught politics initially by a professor from the University of Chicago who studied under Han J. Morgenthau, who used Morgenthau's book, Politics Among Nations: The Struggle for Power and Peace as his primary text. Later, when I taught politics, I found that this text was a bit too advanced for the calibre of beginning undergraduate students (my, how the standards, they slippeth...) but was useful for a third-year course in international relations.

This book is heavy in history and philosophy as well as a more 'pure' political science; these are not disconnected subjects, and should not be treated as such. Morgenthau was one of the giants of international thought, having trained many (directly or through texts) of the last generation of political scientists, who rarely have a neutral opinion on Morgenthau. Very much an adherent of the Real Politick, and addresses the question of framework and theory at the beginning of the text:

Morgenthau, throughout this work, strives to work against the idea that international politics in particular, and politics more generally, can be derived simply from philosophical or abstract points, and must be grounded in the imperfect and very human dealings at hand. He outlines six principles which guide this political realism:

1. There are objective laws that govern politics, rooted in human nature.
2. The main force driving international politics is the concept of interest defined in terms of power.
3. This key concept is universally valid and objective, but does not have the same meaning fixed once and for all.
4. Political realism is aware of the moral significance of political action.
5. Political realism refuses to equate the moral principles of any given nation or time with the overall moral laws that govern the universe.
6. Political realism maintains a separation and integrity of intellectual substance, while recognising other frameworks and the inter-relatedness of politics with other fields.

Morgenthau goes through a lengthy discussion of these principles as the underpinning of his theories, before embarking on the 'nitty-gritty' of international politics. He includes an essay on scientific methodology as it applies to politics, and the limitations of this methodology.

Morgenthau then proceeds to discuss politics under the following broad headings:

- International Politics as a Struggle for Power
This includes a look at political power, imperialism in different guises, status quo issues, prestige, and political ideologies. Take imperialism as an example: Morgenthau examines the reasons for imperialistic tendencies (victorious war, lost war, and weakness, perceived or real); the ultimate goals of imperialism (which could be global empire and hegemony, continental empire, or merely local preponderance); and the differing methods of imperialism (military, economic, cultural).

- National Power
In this section, Morgenthau discusses military, political, population, national morale, natural resource, and quality of government issues to determine national power structures, and examines the problems attendant with nationalism. He also discusses the typical errors of political analysis, those of mistaking the absolute character of power, the permanent character of power, and the fallacy of single factors (geopolitics, nationalism, militarism, etc. in isolation).

- Limitations of National Power: Balance of Power
- Limitations of National Power: International Morality and World Public Opinion
- Limitations of National Power: International Law
Morgenthau proceeds to discuss in these sections the various factors which hold nations in check. The first section encompasses balance of power issues, including models of competition and direct opposition; different methods of balance of power; and the uncertainties and unrealities of balances of power. The next section discusses the strength of philosophical underpinnings and morality as a deterrent, as well as the tension between personal and political morality, national and international morality, and universal moralism and nationalistic universalism. The final section here discusses legislative, judicial, and enforcement aspects of international law, and the limitations of international law due to sovereignty issues, as well as executive limitations.

- International Politics in the Contemporary World
For this section, we have to rely mostly on Kenneth Thompson's reconstruction of Morgenthau's thought, given the necessity for updates. The issues discussed earlier are brought into relief as a framework for discussion of balance of power, the disappearance of colonialism, the relative declines of the established powers, and the issues surrounding the century in which total war has become the standard.

- The Problem of Peace: Peace through Limitation
- The Problem of Peace: Peace through Transformation
- The Problem of Peace: Peace through Accommodation
These three final sections examine issues such as disarmament, security and international policing, judicial settlements, alliances (looking at the successes and failures of past alliances and organisations), culminating in a candid discussion of the United Nations, both in theoretical (charter) terms and actual practice. Transformative issues include possibilities of world statism, world communalism, and interlocking spheres of cooperation and unity. The final section deals with diplomacy, as both a real and a declining force in politics today.

Morgenthau is as likely to pull an example from Thucydides as he is from World War II. This makes this a difficult book for the typical undergraduate, who today does not have the historical frame of reference to appreciate such examples. Morgenthau's reasoning is subtle and elegant, and still of great influence today. One might count the likes of Kissinger and Thatcher among those who would generally adhere to Morgenthau's thesis.

Not at all for the faint hearted, but a text that will yield treasure to the bold who would explore a text that is indeed formative of much of diplomatic and political thought from the 1940s through the 1980s, hence having an impact on events and organisations still important today.

Hans Morgenthau is, together with E.H.Carr, among the key 20th century thinkers who studied international relations and developed what is today called classical realism (as opposed to structural- or neo-realism - see Kenneth Waltz). Classical realism claims an ancient ancestry beginning with the History of the Peloponesian War by Thucydides, and including thinkers like Maciaveli and Clausewitz, as well as Ralf Niebur. Briefly, the proponents of this line of thinking claim that 1) states are the only actors of significance in international relations; 2) that because there is no single world government, international relations are characterized by self-help- if states wish to survive they should ever be ready for war; 3) 'power' in this sense becomes both a means (to survival) and an end in itself -- states struggle to aggrandize their power; 4) because of all this, international relations are primarily a realm of conflict, not cooperation; 5) this sorry state of affairs stems from the evil nature of man which is essentially unchangeable (see St. Augustine, City of God, for a forceful argument in this vein). Given all this, Morgenthau claims that any politician who does not take the above points seriously is acting under dangerous delusions. Because most statesmen do act in this way, he, says, reading his book will allow the reader to be able 'to look over the shoulder' of any leader and understand their decisions. Whether one agrees or not with these views, the book is indispensible for any serious student of international politics. For further interest one may wish to read both scholars who have advanced the realist tradition in international relations in new directions (see esp. Kenneth Waltz, Theory of International Politics; Robert Jervis, Perception and Misperception..., and System Effects; Jack Snyder, Myths of Empire; and Michael Doyle, Ways of War and Peace) and critics of this tradition (esp. Robert Keohane, Neorealism and Its Critics, After Hegemony, and (with J.Nye) Power and Interdependence, as well as David Baldwin, ed., Neorealism and Neoliberalism). I admit that the book is densely written, but with the right roadmap, it is an enjoyable read. In fact, if you wish to find it even more useful, you may begin with E.H.Carr, The Twenty Years' Crisis, which is elegantly written, a real pleasure to read, and which is a very clear statement of the main arguments of realism.

This edited volume is a collection of papers prepared for the International Conference on Multimedia and Regional Economic Restructuring, held at the Center of Technology Assesment in Baden-Württemberg, Stuttgart in October 1997. The overall theme of the book is the impact and challenge of the information society for regional economies. The book focuses on empirical observations of the most recent evolution of the multimedia segment of the global information society. The empirical case-studies of regions are put into a common framework elaborated by the editors Braczyk, Fuchs and Wolf in a helpful introduction which gives a short definition of the term multimedia, discuss the process of the formation of the multimedia industry theoretically, and summarize the main links between multimedia and industrial clusters. Contributions are devided into three main parts. The first part addresses regions which host multimedia industries which can be classified as pioneers. These pioneer clusters are located without exception in the US, California and New York. In the second part emerging multimedia clusters are described which do not command the pioneer status of the American regions. Case studies of such routine producers are located in Canada and Europe. The third part analyses regions which try to establish multimedia clusters. In the first part Edmund Egan and Annalee Saxenian, exploring the multimedia cluster of the bay area in San Fransisco, ask some basic questions on the dynamics of agglomeration and dispersal in multimedia industries. The paper of Allen Scott on the southern california's multimedia industry lies emphazise on the form and logic of the local labour market. Scott shows that the multimedia industry is one of the driving forces behind the continued growth of urban cultural industries and that Los Angeles is a major centre of this industry. The remarkable case study of multimedia networks of Silicon Alley by Wolf Heydebrand describes the evolution and present processes of multimedia networks in New York. Through emphasizing the historical trajectories and the significance of the communicative capacity of networks their dual role of being part of economic globalization and at the same time constituting the backbone of reactive regional development strategies in the face of global competition is highlighted. The development of the new media industry of New York's Silicon Alley is also described by John Pavlik. He focuses on the institutional development and the innovations networks within the multimedia industry. The second part of the book contains six case studies of emerging multimedia clusters. The Toronto multimedia industry is analysed by Shauna Brail and Meric Gertler. The implications of their research are twofold: First, it supports and reinforces that industries based on information and communication technology rely heavily on interpersonal networks and strong backward linkages leading to agglomeration in urban centres. Second, the research demonstrates that the industry in Toronto has developed despite lacking local depth or institutional thickness that might engender inter-firm cooperation. The industry's growth has been largely a function of favourable policies supporting cultural industries nationally and provincially rather than strong institutional structures. The next two chapters include analysis of German multimedia clusters. The case of North Rhine-Westphalia, notable Cologne, is described by Josef Hilbert, Jürgen Nordhause-Janz and Dieter Rehfeld. By presenting data of the whole state the authors demonstrate that together with Bavaria North Rhine-Westphalia can be regarded as one of the German multimedia centres. Further the emerging clusters in Cologne and in the Ruhr Area are analysed in initial stages. Detlev Sträter describes in his paper the profiling and regional restructering of Munich as a cluster of the media and telecommunication industry. The paper of Richard Naylor on the Internet industry in the Netherlands is a reflection of this industry in a whole country. It gives an overview of the distribution of Internet suppliers and possible factors influencing agglomeration. The particular reasons for the growth of the South-east England high-tech corridor in the Sussex region are analysed by Puay Tang. After an interesting overview of the British multimedia sector Tang describes the main activities undertaken by local organizations and councils in the south-east part of the region, the fastest growing segment of the corridor. Further she discusses the main entry barriers to the sector and the resources required for sustaining market presence and concludes with some policy implications. The findings of this article are primarily based on several interviews. Therefore beside structural characteristics of the industry the paper makes also statements on social networks and its impacts on the development of multimedia firms in the region. The last case study of emerging clusters is the paper of Åke Sandberg on the multimedia industry in Stockholm. The last part analyses regions which try to establish a multimedia cluster. Most of the cases included (Cardiff/Wales, Scotland, Stuttgart, Tampere) concern the intensive support from public agencies. The book ends with a discussion of political efforts in the multimedia industry in Japan and Singapore. Overall the book is a valuable collection of papers. Most of the articles are interesting and worthwhile to read. Among the weaknesses we find some case studies which only give a broad socioeconomic description of the cluster in question. Therefore there is too little room for an explicit analysis of processes, politics and networks.

A lot has been written about evolutionary economics and regional innovations systems. This book explain the origin of this tradition and do go into depht with the concepts. It discusses examples of industrial districts and other agglomerations in a very interesting and inspirating way, witch lead you further into theese thoughts. For those who are interested in innovations and modern approaches to these, this is something! Thus, this book might be worth reading for you!

This book is valuable for two reasons. First, it treats in detail a long-neglected subject, namely the attempted cooperation before and during World War II between Germany and Japan. Second, it is an object lesson for the US and our Allies today(!) in how "international coalitions" which look like good ideas can fail to live up to their potential. As we fight the Anti-Terror War and contemplate (somehow) the "final containment" of Saddam Hussein, the pertinence to modern thinking of "Reluctant Allies" grows exponentially. A word of caution though: This book is for serious history buffs and can at times be a tough read. Structurally it is somewhat jagged and repetitious, despite its authors' best intentions, because it feels like a melding of separate monographs on the same subject written by different people working separately. The timeline of the discussion in the book is thus occasionally a bit circular, and the exposition often exhibits sudden twists and turns that cover a subject already mentioned in an earlier chapter. For this reason I take away one star and rate it as "only" four stars; but four stars is still good. The Naval Institute Press has done the world an important service by publishing "Reluctant Allies." This book is all about understanding nuance, and the subtleties of cause and effect, in real-world history. It teaches much about appreciating opportunities lost, about the damage caused by fragmented leadership and inconsistent (or ill-defined) objectives in any alliance, and above all about the dangers of delusional over-reaching by totalitarian regimes. Japan knew the worst thing Hitler could possibly do was attack Russia. The German navy knew the Japanese didn't stand a chance if they went to war with America. And yet it all came to pass, and tens of millions died.

Hans-Joachim Klein is a unique figure among those who - in the early 70s - turned from being left-wing street fighters in the wake of the '68 movement into internationally wanted left-wing terrorists. Unique, because unlike most of his peers, he did not have an academic background, was not well acquainted with the marxist theories his comrades were so eager to use as their justification; his biography up to then was that of a blue-collar worker. Even more unique, because after the spectacular raid of the OPEC headquarters in Vienna in 1975, during which three people got killed and he himself was injured by a gunshot in the abdomen, he quit the circle of left-wing voilence, sent his gun in a spectacular gesture to the renouned German Weekly "Der Spiegel" (which made a cover story out of it), and announced his "retirement". Still wanted by the police, and possibly hunted by his former friends, he managed to write and publish "Rueckkehr in die Menschlichkeit" ("Return to being a Human"), a gripping account of how he entered terrorism, and how he orchestrated his leave, with the help of certan unnamed "Jemande" ("Somebodies"). It is a book without any stylistic treats, but follows a clear line of narration. From the beginnings in the Frankfurt street fighter scene, to his becoming an illegal existence who always has to carry a handgun (and be willing to use it at any time) to the climax: The OPEC raid, masterminded by the infamous terrorist "Carlos". As a constant theme, Klein also describes the mounting differences between his "comrades-in-arms" and himself, who could not keep up intellectually with their theorizing.

Klein's book has gained new popularity since he was eventually caught in France, where he was leading an under-cover existence which was marked by personal failures (his French wife, unable to cope with it all, left him), several suicide attempts and by persisting health problems due his injury. Very recently, the trial against him provoked questions about the past of the current German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, who knew Klein from their streetfighter days and was hence questioned by the court as a witness. The events surrounding this era are at present (February 2001) pose are serious threat to Fischer's political future.

Klein's book is yet again in the center of public atention, and I would not be surprised if his book would be in print again. If so, do not miss thde chance to read it.

This is a great collection of works that changed the face of Christianity in the 16th century. Using original source documents compiled into this reader, Hillerbrand gives space to explore the major reformation movements of the Evangelicals (Luther), the Reformed Church (Calvin), as well as the Anabaptists and other movements so commonly reduced to the Reformation. I used this book for an undergraduate course on the History of Reformation Europe and found it to be an excellent source, especially when paired with John Olin's compilation of original source documents on the Catholic Reformation.

This is a selection of primary source readings from the period. It isn't designed to take the place of a more comprehensive narrative history. Hillerbrand includes a helpful variety of extracts from Luther, Zwingli, the Anabaptists, Calvin, and the English Reformation, all with brief introductions.

One of the few books that makes sources of the Protestant Reformation available and accessible to students. A well thought out collection of documents with useful introductions that covers the Reformation from Luther through the English Reformation. The introductions are clear and to the point. The sources are well-chosen to bring out some of the major literature of the period.

A book far ahead in his time in explaning how the agates in his homeland, former Eastern-Germany, were formed and in particular East-German thundereggs from St. Egidien. The book contains some great pictures. Nowadays the origin of the agates are discussed and several theories excists, but Blankenburg was the first writer who dared to take the first step in what he believed was the right theorie.