This is one of those rare books that lifts you out of your chair and brings you along on a soaring journey to the natural world beyond the government office windows. It is written as a daily journal of nature explorations in and around Washington, D.C. and makes a perfect companion for any watcher of spring. The author was a keen observer of natural life when he wrote the book in 1945, and the watchful naturalist today will find much to celebrate in the wildlife that is still here today, and also much to mourn that has been lost in the intervening decades. No more do we have rafts of mergansers resting in the Tidal Basin, but Dyke Marsh is still the place to see waterthrushes, and herons still stop by the ponds on the Mall. Halle's eloquent musings on the question of "What is important?" are still relevant today, as the press and government continue to occupy themselves with matters of man-made events and ignore the real news happening all around us--the news of the actual world going about its business completely unconcerned with scandal or finance. Swans still fly south over government office buildings, and anyone who notices and rejoices in such happenings will find a true friend in this marvelous book.

Louis Halle reveals his soul in this evocative love letter to the stirrings of spring. Though set along Rock Creek and the Potomac River in and around Washington, this work will transport you away from this world into another time and place in which the sheer joy of seeing nature burst into color will overwhelm you. Close your eyes and have someone read this book to you and you will be able to smell the tidal waters and hear the wind in the marsh grass. Halle's book is pure pleasure.

This a book from another time which is still relevant to our day and age. The writer takes time from a boring desk job in wartime Washington to provide timeless observations about nature along the Potomac river as he experiences it in early morning bicycle rides. He indirectly puts man in his place and foretells many of the things environmentalists have rediscovered in the last 20 years. Highly recommended in general, but especially if you have any familiarity with the area around Washington, DC.

"The Abortion Controversy" (second edition) is a superb anthology in which all the major viewpoints on abortion are well represented.

Highlights include Michael Tooley's latest formulation of his argument against foetal personhood, Judith Jarvis Thomson's classic "A Defense of Abortion", David Boonin-Vail's brilliant 1997 defense of what he calls the "Responsibility Objection" to Thomson's argument, and Keith Pavlischek's interesting 1998 critique of Thomson and Boonin-Vail. Pavlischek essentially admits that Boonin-Vail's arguments succeed, but points out (correctly, I think) that those arguments entail that if a woman becomes pregnant to a man who wishes to play no part in the child's life, then that man, the father, is not morally obliged to pay child-support to the mother. Pavlischek thinks that many pro-choicers would find this implication unacceptable. I would add that on the other hand, many pro-choicers would regard this implication as perfectly just, so that Boonin-Vail's defense of Thomson is (for them at least) ultima facie sound.

These are just some of the interesting issues covered in the book; there are many more. Since no other anthology is as wide-ranging, up-to-date and authoritative as this one, "The Abortion Controversy" is essential reading for anyone who is interested in the philosophical debate over abortion.

If you are a fan of Louis De Wohl's books or if you have a fond spot in your heart for St. Francis Xavier and have not read this book...

READ IT! You will love this book!

If you have not read any of De Wohl's works or would like to learn more about St. Francis Xavier...

DITTO!

Journalist Harper Barnes' biography of David Rowland Francis,
American politician and diplomat whose career ranged from St. Louis in
America's heartland to the depths of Russia during the Bolshevik
revolution (1917-19), is full of surprises. As the youngest mayor of
St. Louis and governor of Missouri at the turn of the 20th century, he
lead progressive Democrats and fathered the St. Louis World's Fair in
1903-04. Appointed ambassador to Russia by President Woodrow Wilson, he
endured terrible hardships during its revolutionary period, aided by his
articulate and loyal friend and valet, African-American Philip Jordan.
Much of the Russian story reads like an exciting spy novel. Wonderfully
researched and well written, it is a compelling account that enriches
both United States' and international history. It captivates the reader
and offers heretofore unknown insights into not only a remarkable
American but United States foreign policy at a pivotal time in world
history.

I was impressed by the work and analysis that Francis Parkman gave to the French-Indian War and the background of the war between England and France that spilled over to the North American continent. The background of the conflict was very interesting and I learned some points about it that I hadn't known before. Not only does Parkman give detail about the struggle in the present day United States, but also the struggle for Canada. The jealousy and rivalry between England and France was enourmous and in its path alot of victims were made such as the Native Americans and English and French Colonists. Two cultures that were very similiar, yet could not exist peacefully with each other, even across the Atlantic. The British may have won this war but their troubles were only beginning in America. This book was written over a century ago, yet it's language by the author and text make it a very interesting read and is considered a classic. Very Highly Recommended to all who want to know more about the history of Colonial North America.

As has been said, Montcalm and Wolfe is Parkman's masterpiece. It was the first thourough account of the French and Indian War and contains some of the most detailed descriptions of the people, places, and events that shaped the North American theater of the first truly global conflict. Here we encounter the dramatic events which lead toward the final confrontation for dominion over the continent. We see a young Virginia Colonel named George Washington leading troops into battle for the first time at Fort Necessity, Braddock's fateful campiagn along the Monogahela, the massacres at Fort Oswego and William Henry by the Indians under Montcalm, the fall of Fort Dusquene, and finally, the culmination of many long and bloody battles, the capture of Quebec and the almost romanticized deaths of Montcalm and Wolfe at the Plains of Abraham. What is truly interesting is that we see the war through the eyes of someone still living in a time when the Indian wars of the west were still being fought and when the country was in the grip of Manifest Destiny and, as a result, Parkman is often very harsh in his views of the Indians and their "savage" ways. Yet, even so, he often gives them more credit than most of his contemporaries.

It is unforunate that today so little is taught or learned about this important event in American history. Today, it seems that the French and Indian War is all but ignored save for being mentioned as a prelude to the American Revolution which it helped spawn rather than as the major turning point in the history of North America and the world. For it is this bloody conflict, fought in the unending wilderness of America, where French regulars and courer de bois crept through the dark woods alongside painted Huron and Ottawa warriors to attack the English settlements, and young redcoated soliders marched shoulder to shoulder to their horrific deaths by rifle ball and tomahawk, that gave birth to what would become the Untied States and changed the course of world history. But even more than that, it is a fascinating period of history more powerful than any piece of fiction. This is history of the highest order. Highly recommended.

Parkman "wrote the book" on the French and Indian War and created a benchmark for historians that has stood on its merits since published in 1884. Moreover, Parkman creates a primer on making history real and exciting for the reader. His writing style bridges the century since he wrote it. This book is one of seven in Parkman's series "The French and English in North America". Each volume was intended to stand alone. This, the final and most popular volume, covers the fall of Quebec and events leading up to it. The first chapter alone, "The Combatents" does an extraordinary job of setting the scene in Europe that led to this savage wilderness war in North America. Also of interest will be the foreword which paints a vivid picture of the unusual Mr. Parkman. "Montcalm and Wolfe" reads well, provides a sense of "being there" and must be one of the great histories not only of the battle for North America, but of European history as well.

On August 14, 1897, according to the "Cleveland Plain Dealer," a Choctaw Indian sentenced to be executed for the murder of another tribesman was granted a stay by the governor of the tribe to play in a big baseball game. This story is one of several that are found throughout "Indian Summer: The Tragic Story of Louis Sockalexis, the First Native American in Major League Baseball" by Brian McDonald and symbolizes the problem the author had in writing this biography. The subject of "Indian Summer" was a Penobscot Indian from a remote reservation in Maine, grandson of a chief, and a natural athlete who caused something of a furor when he played six successful seasons for the Cleveland Spiders in the National League in the 1890s before disappearing into the minors and ending his career because of alcoholism. The problem is that the historical record on Sockalexis and his baseball career are sketchy at best, which explains why McDonald has to resort to filling out this biography with stories providing insight into what life was like for Native Americans at the end of the 19th-century. The result is more of a biographical sketch, fleshed out by excerpts from the Cleveland press: before each chapter there is the reproduction of newspaper stories about Sockalexis ("Sockalexis's Usual Home Run") and other related topics ("Indian Outbreak Feared"). But I think once you take into account the limitations McDonald faced in putting together "Indian Summer," you can better appreciate the result.

It is not so much that the story of Sockalexis has been forgotten--Luke Salisbury wrote a fictional account of Sockalexis's life, "The Cleveland Indian" The Legend of King Saturday" and the debate continues over whether Sockalexis was the inspiration for the nickname of the Cleveland Indians--but that it was reduced to a historical footnote because it was not retold often enough. Part of the problem is that the end of his career and his life strikes us as cliché; a newspaper clipping from 1900 declares: "Drink, the curse of the Red man, is responsible for the downfall of Sockalexis." This does not take away from the tragedy of the story, but when the story of Sockalexis is compared to those of Jim Thorpe and Jackie Robinson (and Larry Doby) the first Native American in Major League Baseball suffers in comparison. Still, the story is fascinating and "Indian Summer" is a pleasant read heading into the All Star break, giving us a sense of what is was like to play professional baseball at the previous turn of the century. This is also important, because in terms of baseball books you usually get the sense that the only things that existed before Babe Ruth was sold to the New York Yankees was Ty Cobb and the Black Sox. McDonald reminds us there was also Louis Sockalexis.

Indian Summer tells the forgotten story of Louis Sockalexis, the pioneer Native American baseball player who briefly captured the American public's imagination in the 1890's. Sockalexis has been previously relegated to a footnote in baseball history (if he was mentioned at all) but he was so gifted as a ballplayer and might have had a truly great career if not for his tragic losing battle with alcoholism. The book is well-written and presents a fascinating picture of the early days of professional baseball and an American society which was not quite ready to embrace a Native American hero so soon after Custer and Little Big Horn. Life after baseball was not kind to Sockalexis and his death is quite sad. This is not a "feel good" book but anyone interested in American history should defintely not miss it.Highly recommended

Brian McDonald gives a compassionate, highly readable account of Louis Sockalexis' brilliant rise and tragic downfall due to alcoholism and struggles to 'play the white man's game.' For a few short seasons, Sockalexis played his heart out with astounding speed and strength, but the constant mocking war-whoops from the stands whenever he came to bat must have helped fuel his alcoholic binges and self-destructive behaviors.

This superbly built, handsome man was clearly out of his element once he left his home and stepped into the glare of national publicity. Though fearsome on the field, off-duty he was gentle and desperate for social acceptance--highly vulnerable to phony hangers-on, free booze, and the barrage of racism against American Indians.

It's good to know that he spent his last years surrounded by loving family and friends, quietly sharing his vast knowledge of the game with Penobscot youths and earning everyone's respect with his skill as an umpire. He deserves to be remembered as one of the greatest ballplayers of all time.

Siu Wai Stroshane

This book and its companion, Count Frontenac & New France Under Louis XIV represents one of the US's first great histories. Detailed, but lively written with only a few give-away phrases to let the reader know that this history was written over 100 years ago, these 2 volumes are a must read for any serious US/North American history buff.

This multi-volume edition of Parkman's magnum opus might appear initially daunting, as it covers more than 1,200 pages of material. Suffice it say, however, that the rewards are entirely worth the effort of fording your way through this majestic work.

Parkman triumphed over numerous personal disabilities (extremely poor eyesight and recurring pain in his limbs), to produce some of the most important and transcendent histories of the 19th century, works that secured him a place in the American Pantheon, beside Prescott and Bancroft. He has been interpreted both as an example of literary Romanticism by some, and as a supreme pessimist by others. His objective as an historian was to "while scrupulously and rigorously adhering to the truth of facts, to animate them with the life of the past, and, so far as might be, clothe the skeleton with flesh." This notion is reflected repeatedly throughout these volumes. His style is highly descriptive, borrowing as it does from his numerous treks to the sites he writes of. The Jesuits, trappers, governors, nuns and explorers he depicts come across as flesh-and blood, breathing, human beings, engaged in real activities. He has little place for abstraction, and never dwells overlong on minutiae. The ramifications of particular pacts or treaties, for instance, are subordinate to actual events and places. When he takes the reader into an Indian log-house, he/she can practically taste the smoke as it permeates the air.

When it comes to Native Americans, Parkman is far from sentimental. In fact, he bridled at the notion, common in 19th Century Romanticism (particularly Rousseau and even more conspicuously in Chateaubriand's ), of the Indian as noble savage. Parkman's earlier book on the Oregon Trail stemmed in part from his experiences amongst the Sioux on the Western Plains. The Indians depicted in these pages are, for the most part, more savage than noble. The Iroquois are especially ferocious in their raiding parties and in their methods of reprisal. Those who fell victim to their wrath were in for days and nights of unspeakable torture. Parkman describes these scenes almost too vividly. But as he himself would note,
"Faithfulness to the truth of history involves far more than research, however patient and scrupulous, into special facts. The narrator must seek to imbue himself with the life and spirit of the time." There are some academics that would argue that Parkman is not as objective as he would like us to think. He has a fairly consistent Protestant, Bostonian, Brahmin bias as regarding Catholicism, for instance. His view of Native Americans is hardly what could be termed politically correct. However one may feel about his viewpoint, one can not dismiss his power of depiction, or the scope of his genius and enterprise. When taking into account the fact that he produced volume upon volume of history, under the most debilitating circumstances, there can be no denying that he qualifies, as perhaps no one else, as "The American Gibbon." For the reader who wants to relive history at its most vivid, Parkman provides the goods. He paints in realistic detail the struggles, adventures and misadventures, the faith and foibles, great tribulations and monumental victories of an exceedingly noteworthy cast of characters. There are the infinitely stoical, but often-scheming Jesuits. There is the monomaniacal, driven, but honest-dealing and ultimately tragic figure of LaSalle. Champlain is another noteworthy figure, truly heroic in stature. The most heroic figure, however, may after all be Parkman himself. Shaped as he was by the notions of greatness fostered by such writers as Carlyle, it was a state he strove consciously to achieve. This collection, along with others in the Modern Library series, indicates that he achieved his goal. Thanks to The Modern Library for making authors such as Parkman accessible once more.

Francis Parkman's account of two centuries of French colonization in North America is a true classic -- undoubtedly superceded in many of the details of its scholarship, but unsurpassed as a Romantic narrative history of two eventful centuries. The publisher is to be commended for making the complete epic available in two affordable volumes. The reader will find the pacing leisurely, and high interest inevitably cannot be uniformly sustained, but patience and perserverance will be richly rewarded.

I'm so happy that De Wohl's classic, historical fictions are back in print. In this adventure, De Wohl fleshes out the life of the Povarello (the "Poor Little Man"), St. Francis of Assissi.

As an admirer of St. Francis, I must comment that most media about the saint portrays him as quite sappy. While St. Francis' love of nature and mankind in general may easily lead to such treatment, De Wohl thankfully does not attend to that path. Furthermore, the detail we have on the historical Francis is such that De Wohl didn't really have to "add" a lot of detail to make this story compelling. Rather, the Saint speaks for himself.

If you have read other De Wohl novels, this effort is much the same. You can count on De Wohl to bring a consistent level of excellence and high quality historical fiction. This book is no disappointment.

If there is one criticism that I may levy against this particular book is that it was not enough of Francis. De Wohl expends at least 40% of the book on the intrigue involving the election of the Holy Roman Emperor and other such political intrigues. While certainly necessary to get an understanding for the times in which Francis lived, I would have liked Francis' struggles with his new found Order to be brought to life a bit more expansively.

Nonetheless, De Wohl hits the main points and expresses them quite well. I believe he has done justice to the story, to the man, and to Christianity as a whole by bringing this compelling story into print in a very accessible and readable way.

If you love St. Francis or have wondered what is all the fuss about this man in the first place, take this novel on as a first look.

Most stories and movies about St. Francis were unconvincing. I thought they made him seem kind of doltish or unstable. But this one really put flesh on the man and made me see him differently. The historical details of the times in which he lived helped to round out the story although it is hard to tell what is fiction and what is truth. St. Francis didn't steal from his father but he did give what he thought was his away in order to earn money to "rebuild" God's Church. It was quite simple, to him, "do what God tells you to do." There are very few of us who answer the call of God in quite the way St. Francis did, but that is why he's a saint and we are still working at it! It's a good book to find a reference point for your own journey - aim to be like St. Francis and don't worry what people think.

In the wake of the tradegy of 9/11 this book is eye-opening. It goes into detail about how this family/group operated here right under our noses.

This book starkly frames the force of hatred which overtook New York City and the world with the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. It relates specifically to Zein Isa's November 1989 murder of his daughter, Palestina. The West Bank immigrant and his Brazilian wife co-conspired in the brutal St. Louis murder of their teenage daughter, whose friendships they believed had endangered their terrorist plans.

In their search for terrorists, the Federal Bureau of Investigation inadvertently taped the actual killing. Zein Isa and his wife were sentenced to death.

The book reveals much about the village life in the West Bank, where most families, according to Maria Zein, belong to radical military groups whose ultimate goal is to destroy Israel. Many West Bank residents are actually "refugees from other countries." According Maria Zein's account, her husband knew "men from Syria, Libya, Kuwait, Saudi." Maria Zein told the author that her husband had traveled from the West Bank village of Beitin, to Jordan, Syria, Libya and Bolivia. He lived undetected for years in the US, and also claimed to have lived in Europe.

The book reveals twisted morals, which condone murder for the sake of family honor. It unmasks intense hatred that evolved into conspiracies to slaughter Jews, blow up the Israeli embassy in Washington and to murder Tina because she posed a threat to these plans.

It also exposes the frighteningly broad inroads that the Abu Nidal terrorists have made into American cities and life. Alyssa A. Lappen

This true-crime story is written in the sensationalistic fashion typical of the genre. It grabs your attention right from the beginning and doesn't let go.
The author describes the irony of Tina Isa's life: to any otherAmerican family she would have been cherished as a charming, friendly, hard-working teen...
The author also describes the network of Palestinian terrorist groups living in the U.S. and the role they might have played... This story is gripping and very informative because the author did a lot of research and provides so much background information about the Palestinian culture, the lives of generations of the Isa family, the Abu Nidal terrorist organization and more.
...

This is one of the most often quoted commentaries on the Book of Daniel. It has less information than Montgomery's commentary, but is more readable. Hartman and DiLella are often quoted in Bible dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other commentaries.

They include an unusual new translation of Daniel influenced by H. L. Ginsberg. Ginsberg believed strongly that Daniel was originally written entirely in Aramaic, and that this fact is betrayed by confused translation from Aramaic to Hebrew in the Hebrew portions of the book. Hartman and DiLella try to reconstruct the original Aramaic meaning by stripping away errors in translation.

The commentary has a lot of discussion of the "son of man" (or "one in human likeness.") It comes to the conclusion that the "son of man" originally referred to faithful Israel and didn't have a messianic meaning. The authors believe the messianic connotation derived from later apocalyptic literature (the Parables of Enoch and II Esdras.)

The commentary frequently cites Jerome's Commentary and Porphyry. They seem to be at ease with Latin, which isn't surprising for Catholic scholars.

Aside from the examples above, most of the explanations in the commentary are reminiscent of earlier commentaries like Driver's and Montgomery's.

Besides the fact that it's respected among scholars and frequently quoted, I think this is a good deal for the price.

I like it more that Di Lella's more recent commentary.