I have read many, many books on Arctic Exploration and Franklin's "lost" expedition and found this to be one of the best. The photos are hard to look at and yet haunting. Franklin's mens saga is one of the great real life mystery story ever.

This book is very interestings because lets you understand how corageous were people more then hundred years ago. Life was completely different and you feel that difference. I would say, people went to an expedition, almost knowing they were not coming back. This makes you wonder.

This was a book I could not put down until I had finished reading
it. An excellent book with elements of history, exploration,
archaeology, forensics, and mystery, all concerning the courageous and tragic Franklin expedition. I was inspired to read this book after seeing Sir Franklin's
epitaph in Westminster Abbey: "Not Here, The Frozen North Doth
Have thy Bones. And Thou Heroic Sailor Soul Travels Onward
Toward No Earthly Pole."

A book like this should be mandatory reading for everyone. Particularly people who represent other people's interests for a living, such as World Leaders, Presidents, Kings, etc., would find it absolutely useful; a kind of constant tool, a compass that keeps them on the right track once and again. This is a book that shows not only Franklin's wit and wisdom, but also his vulnerability, that wonderful human quality, thus making it enchanting and insightful. Buy this book, learn and practice these principles, and enjoy the new breath of fresh air you'll experience in your life.

I saw this book one day when I was browsing Franklin Covey planners in the mall. It had been awhile since I read something not business related so I thought I'd give this a shot. I'll be honest when I tell you I enjoy a good read but this book took me about one year to read from beginning to end. The first few chapters weren't too bad but then it got into a section about a debate between two philosophers on the definition of virtue and why one should practice a virtuous life. I've never read anything that mentally straining in my life (my degree is in Mechanical Engineering BTW). I enjoy the arts but that one section took me about a month before I could fully digest what the philosophers were saying in the span of less than 2 pages. This one section proved so enlightening that my head hurt for about 2 days after I had a chance to chew on the content. If you had any doubts that the founding forefathers of this great nation were anything but geniuses, this should dispell any and all myths. I must say that I even had to break out the dictionary for some of the diction used in this book in that it was definitely not your everyday conversational english. If you enjoy mental challenges of a higher level and your mastery of the English language is proficient enough to understand the fine nuances of sentence structure and double, sometimes triple meanings, I would recommend this book. If you're looking for something a little more entertaining and easier on the mind, then definitely look somewhere else. But I will admit, when I did finally complete this book one year later, I actually felt a major sense of accomplishment. I guess that makes me just a little more virtuous?

An inspiring book written by an amazing author. Ok, so he is my dad, but he didn't pay me to say any of this stuff:)

I would use this book to complete a collection on polar exploration and the search for the Northwest Passage; however, this wouldn't be my starter book. By itself, the book unravels a great historical mystery, of why the Franklin crew vanish so mysteriously. However, I rap the book for failing to fully exploit the potential tail before it. With the loss of 129 lives, abandoning the ship, and eventual cannibolism, there's a great story waiting to be told. Alas, this book does not do it. Instead, it concentrates on the archeological aspects of uncovering the mystery of why the Franklin expidition vanished, which is only semi-interesting.

While not perhaps a "must-have" for aficionados of the field of polar literature, this is nevertheless a very good book and is well suited as a sort of primer to those who have only a casual interest in the subject.

The book provides a brief outline of disappearance the Franklin Expedition on its quest for the Northwest Passage in the early 1800s and the aftermath of the search conducted by various international parties, government and otherwise. It then relates the events of three research expeditions undertaken by the author, a forensic anthropologist who was interested in finding and reviewing various skeletal remains originally discovered decades after the loss of the Franklin party.

Eventually, he concentrates his efforts on exhuming the frozen bodies of three crewmen who had died in the Franklin Expedition's first icebound season, before they had well and truly plunged irrevocably into tragedy. These men had been buried in well-prepared graves on a small island north of Canada's Hudson Bay. Even to this day, the bodies remain fantastically preserved, and the author was able to uncover intriguing evidence that suggests that the expedition did not succumb in a heroic struggle against the large and grand forces of nature, but rather fell to altogether more pedestrian and minute agents.

The exhumation and autopsy processes are well described, and the theory that later develops is explained simply enough for the layman to follow.

Perhaps the biggest strength of this book is the beautifully composed color photos that show the gravesites and the actual bodies. These pictures are truly stirring and invocative.

The maps are also nicely done. However, the book would have benefited from a timeline and from an additional map showing the location of various Franklin party remains and artifacts. It sometimes becomes difficult to recall who was found where and when, since as it turns out, the expedition members covered a lot of ground and some of them split up. With that exception, though, this is an interesting book and a quick but thought-provoking read.

I loved this book! Well written for even the historical novice. Fascinating tale of hardship and tragedy from both historical viewpoint and human frailty. The additional trips made by the author, Owen Beattie, and company showed a true respect for humankind. His written words regarding the excavation and autopsies of the lost men, was both rewarding in explanation and thrilling in discovery. This historical book drew me in and I couldn't put the book down. I've become so fascinated with the fate of the Franklin Expedition that I am reading other books relating to this and other failed Arctic expeditions. Who knew history could be so fascinating? Highly recommended!

RE: A History of World Societies, Vol. B, by McKay, Hill, and Buckler.The following was taken directly from the pages of this text; chapter 14, page 460, last paragraph, left column:

'The average runner could cover about 50 leagues or 175 miles per day ' a remarkable feat of physical endurance, especially at high altitude ' but the larger the empire became, the greater the distances to be covered.'

I had always supposed that genuine scholars wrote textbooks, and that they were intended as works of non-fiction. Instead, this text is more akin to Paul Bunyan; it's a sort of South American version of American Folktales.

Upon reflection, I don't know whether the appropriate response is outrage at the ignorance of the authors, or amusement at the gullibility of the (what ' apparently sleeping?) editors. Is the ubiquitous filter of political correctness the only scrutiny to which textbooks today are subject?

In my view, this passage calls into question the reliability ' indeed, the credibility ' of the remaining information. If such fundamentally simple information as this is worthless, to what level of factual scrutiny were the socio/political ideas subject?

This extraordinarily well written book contains every essential fact with which we all need to be familiar. No other book on the market offers so much information at such a low price. Furthermore, the structure of the book facilitates reading and also makes it more interesting. Needless to say, many history books nowadays present biased accounts of historic facts (after all, it is a well known fact that winners write history books). This book, on the other hand, provides a relatively unbiased and balanced account of world history. I have read a number of history books but none of them is nearly as well written and well structured as this one. In my view, this book should be a part of every student's book collection. Highly recommended.

The book came in good cond.and on time!... Do business anytime..referred them to other classmates

i think this book is too deep and meaningful.. it enters too deep into the morals and values of man....

Following the ending of "Oedipus the King," Oedipus was exiled from Thebes, blind and a beggar. We learn from "Oedipus at Colonus" that his sons, Eteocles and Polyneices engaged in a civil war for the throne of Thebes (covered in "Seven Against Thebes" by Aeschylus). The two brothers kill each other and Creon, brother of Jocasta, becomes king. He orders that Eteocles, who nobly defended his city, shall receive an honorable burial, but that Polyneices, for leading the Argive invaders, shall be left unburied. This leads Antigone, sister to both of the slain brothers, to have to choose between obeying the rule of the state, the dictates of familial binds, and the will of the gods. This, of course, is the matter at the heart of this classic tragedy by Sophocles.

But I have always been pleased to discover that many students, when reading "Antigone," quickly come to the conclusion that it is Creon who is the main character in the tragedy (the same way Clytemnestra is the main character in Aeschylus's "Agamemnon"). In this volume, Gita Wolf and Sirish Rao retell the story so that the title character is indeed the main character (I suspect they are borrowing more than a few ideas from Anoulih's retelling of the play in 1944 while France was occupied by the Nazis).

It is too easy to see the issues of this play, first performed in the 5th century B.C., as being reflected in a host of more contemporary concerns, where the conscience of the individual conflicts with the dictates of the state. However, it has always seemed to me that the conflict in "Antigone" is not so clear-cut as we would suppose. After all, Creon has the right to punish a traitor and to expect loyal citizens to obey. Ismene, Antigone's sister, chooses to obey, but Antigone takes a different path. The fact that the "burial" of her brother consists of the token gesture of throwing dirt upon his face, only serves to underscore the ambiguity of the situation Sophocles was developing.

The chief virtue of this retelling, in addition to the excellent illustrations by Indrapramit Roy, is that young readers will better be able to put themselves in the place of Antigone as the tragedy plays out. Consequently, this is a much more personal version of the tale than the original play by Sophocles.

Superbly illustrated by eight of Indrapramit Roy's two-color silk-screened illustrations, Sophocles' Antigone is a splendidly presented retelling of the tragic story told by the blind prophet Teiresias of a Greek princess who discovers that her brother (a rebel against the rule of their uncle Creon) has been murdered and his body left unburied. Torn between her fealty to her uncle and her familial love for her brother, as well as deference to the gods, Antigone is a story of the tragic conflicts between love and duty, honor and the law. A physically beautiful publication, Sophocles' Antigone is a welcome and much appreciated work that will totally engage the attention and appreciation of contemporary readers.

As far as introductory economics texts go, Sloman is about as difficult as it gets. Nonetheless, it is very readable, and explains (relatively) difficult concepts in a straight-forward, lucid style. Also, it is an ideal text for those students planning to study economics further because within each chapter it has a 'basic' treatment of the issues at hand, and then follows it with an optional 'intermediate' treatment that builds upon the former one. This is an excellent idea in that it gives students the option of advancing far more quickly and easily than by using a 'standard' textbook approach. Further, the content is 'more intelligent' than in your average text - e.g., its chapter on general equilibrium contains material on Pareto Optimality (often left out of texts), and it has an entire chapter devoted alternative theories of the firm (always left out of texts).

In short, this text will challenge first year university students, but will also reward them with greater insight than will the average introductory textbook.

I concur with the assessment of Mr. Mariyani-Squire. This is an excellent text. Although quite challenging in places for an introductory text, the author organizes material in such a way that students can cover the basics and then extend/apply them. For students who want to go beyond the basics, the book provides additional material and illustrations. Particularly helpful are: the many sections throughout the book where concepts are listed in summary form; and the definitions of key terms printed at the bottom of each page. I use this in an International Baccalaureate (Higher Level) economics class with IB Diploma high school seniors in their second year of economics study. Since the book is written primarily for students in the U.K., it allows U.S. students to apply concepts using examples beyond their own country.

Spencie Love has written one of the few genuinely biracial explorations of the history of black-white relations in the United States. She uses the story of Charles Drew to illustrate the ways in which white Americans have misunderstood and distorted the contributions of black Americans to their shared culture--whether science, politics, education, medicine, or daily life. THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW called this a "superb book" and their review was spot on.

This wonderful book not only includes accurate, scholarly historical research, it tells a gripping story of two fine black families and their experience with health care for African-Americans in our society. Very readable.

for those nay sayers, here is yet another text that reveals how "color lines" still exist, and more than likely always wil. read and follow his footsteps for those who are not african american and want to see it again, hear it again, and feel it again...racism and discrimination against africans and african americans here in the U.S. in 2001.

If you need to know.. this will let you.. if you need to read about it ... this will tell you.. pick it up read it and pass it on.

This book should have been in the Fantasy section. Franklin wrote this book without much research or he belongs to the revisionist history class. Take away his false statements and attempt at reaching "white guilt" and this book would have been about ten pages long.

This book is the product of outstanding research produced by an internationally recognized historian, John Hope Franklin. Don't believe me and the other reviewers? Act like a historian and check out Duke University's website; read reviews of Franklin's work in the major journals of professional historians; and do this with an open mind, while trying to discover and weigh in against your own biases. The history of African Americans in the United States simply can't be told without discussing racism as a structure that many white people built through law, social segregation, economic practices, intimidation, and accepting the privileges of "the way things were done." _If_ you do _not_ want to learn about America in this light, if you want to close your mind to reality, do not read this book. But even if the idea of facing these ugly truths may tug at your soul a bit, there is so much more in this book. In a very readable, comprehensive, illustrated work, you can learn about men and women who worked, wrote, taught, served, healed, created, protested, died, dreamed, played, and were just human in every other imaginable way in America. If this is what you are looking for, read on.

Dr. Franklin is one of the greatest historians this country has ever produced. He holds degrees from Fisk and Harvard (two post graduate degrees from Cambridge). He has more honorary degrees than Carter has little pills (or I guess now, peanuts). This work, now in its eighth printing, is perhaps the greatest single reference work exploring the African American experience and the contributions of this race to American history, and has been so since the first edition was printed in 1947.

He starts by revealing more knowledge that most people ever fathomed about the African experience in the pre-slavery centuries, with the greatness that was the African continent in Ghana, Songhay and the rest of Africa. The exploration of the "peculiar institution" of slavery, reconstruction and the post Civil War hope is complete and brilliantly done. The chapters on the Harlem Renaissance and the first half of the twentieth century alone is worth the price of the book.

Extraordinarily well researched. It is scholarly but never dry. It is objective, but never loses the passion for the subject. A must for any complete understanding of our history.

This book was interesting though rather hard to read, sort of like a text book. Sometimes there were interesting stories about people, and then you didn't hear what happened to them in the end. I think you can learn about fugitive slaves easier from other books like I WAS BORN A SLAVE. Also, I liked THE JOURNAL OF LEROY JEREMIAH JONES, A FUGITIVE SLAVE and THE DIARY OF A SLAVE GIRL, RUBY JO.

Much research went into the writing of this book and the conclusions drawn from that research are interesting. I much enjoyed the book and can see where it would be a good source for further research into the subject. The authors were also kind enough to include a large section regarding their source material. However, I can't exactly say that the writing was of a style that would keep one awake for long periods of time. If you are looking for just entertainment value, look elsewhere.

Six score and 16 years after the end of the Civil War has not dimmed many of the controversies surrounding the events leading up to that epic struggle.

In "Runaway Slaves," John Hope Franklin and Loren Schweninger attempt to counter one of the more insidious images: that slaves working under the plantation system were generally happy, with instances of rebellion few and far between. By quoting from contemporary records -- everything from letters and diaries to newspapers, handbills and petitions to county courts and state legislatures -- Franklin and Schweninger want to show that slaves rebelled against their masters in a number of ways.

The scope of rebellion is breathtakingly wide, ranging from a sort of civil disobedience -- complaining, refusing to work, hiding from the overseers, destroying or stealing property, mistreating the animals, to the more serious offenses such as running away, formenting rebellion or murder. Any slaves was capable of running off, from known troublemakers to the most trusted house servants. Even hired slaves, those who had earned their master's trust and were allowed to accept work in the cities and generally left alone, would run away.

"Runaway Slaves" spends several hundred pages detailing the various forms of rebellion, and that is the book's greatest strength and weakness. The sheer volume and range of these acts makes it clear what the white overlords were up again, and explains some of the extreme methods used to keep the blacks down.

But the book also doesn't give an indication of the extent of black rebellion, and thus it offers a case no more convincing than whites to point out the few blacks who fought for the Confederacy. It would have been far more effective to look at a particular county over a year and examine what went on there during that time. By cross-referencing diaries, newspapers, memoirs and other accounts, it may be possible to discover just how deep resistance to whites ran.

But for those looking for details of who ran, why, and how they were captured and punished, "Runaway Slaves" offers a wealth of details and a few choice insights.