Though appearantly good for a novice (excuse me fellow reviewer), I have seen in the years between my sixteenth and my fortythird better books about the Bf109, offering more text, more photographs and more information to both historian and modeller. Most of these books share the distinction that they are out-of-prints (OOPs), but both the Squadron/Signal issues will soon follow. Amongst the books which in my eyes offer more are

"Bf109, Classic aircraft no. 2, their history and how to model them" (offers a wealth of information about the early Bf109's);
"Messerschmitt 0-nine gallery"(offers a wealth of information about the later Bf109's);
the three books in the Monogram close-up series (Gustav 1 and 2 and Bf109K) and
"The Ausburg Eagle, a documentary history",

but generally these books are bigger and therefore able to pack more information. This doesn't go up for the Monogram series, these are really much sought after!

To put it simply you can't do a better study on a single aircraft. I have been studing ww2 aircraft since i was 6 years old (Now Im 16) and i STILL find myself going back to read it! whoever is responsible for compiling all this info on one of the most sucessful fighters in the world my hat off to you!

This is a book filled with good photographs. The cover photo itself is unusual and striking. The authors begin with some background history of radar (prior to 1940), it being integral to this aircraft. They then move on to aircraft development, crew training, deployment, and finally, post war usage. Along the way they have unit histories, and some very interesting individual recollections (P-61 vs. P-47 is a highlight). Additionally the inclusion of information on field modifications is good (one squadron moved the radar operator and his equipment to the gunner's position). Somewhat disappointingly the authors don't provide three view drawings of the major variants so they can be visually compared. It would also have been useful to know what the original performance specifications issued by the Army Air Corps were so the reader would know how close Northrop came to "hitting the mark". Also more on: aircraft layout (eg. fuel tank locations), construction (eg. were unusual materials used?), and flight test anecdotes, recollections, and data would also be welcome to explain the reasons for variant evolution, color scheme change, etc. The book ends with six appendices including an extensive bibliography. All in all, while it is not as definitive as the title might imply or as I would have wished, this is the most comprehensive book currently available on the P-61. Anyone interested in the "Black Widow" should own this book.

Very high quality. Glossy paper. Jet black print. Pictures look like a million bucks. If you are a fan of the Black Widow you will not be disappointed. Also has some great color photos of the postwar military and civilian Black Widows. Much better value than the P-61 warbird tech series book that is printed with grey ink and bargin basement paper. I agree with the thorough review below this review

If this translation were accurate but awkward it could still be useful. But even without knowing Spanish one can see that it is not faithful to the way of speaking. It does not show the parallel constructions when it could even without sacrificing the choice to rhyme. It adds images that are not there. It does not give the feeling.

Nims' translation is nothing short of miraculous. I've read the poems in at least three different translations and Nim's were the only ones which made me cry like when I read the Spanish for the first time. There is something plaintive and erotic about John of the Cross that other tranlators edit out for propriety's sake, but Nims left it in as one should. John was a lover of the Song of Songs and his pursuit of God was the pursuit of one painfully in love and desirous of consummation. Nims brings that aspect to the fore. Gorgeous. But remember, the poems are not enough. One must still read John's commentaries.

John of the Cross is often associated only with the spiritual condition he called the dark night of the soul, experienced as a cold, dry, confusing place. But when you read his poem "On a Dark Night", you realize what wonderful intimacies are hidden for lovers under cover of darkness. For me, this poem, both in its original Spanish and its rich English translation, is itself worth the price of this attractive hardback book.

This is a book that celebrates the soul's love for her Divine Lover in images and language that transcend the limitations of physical gender. When the mystics subliminated, they truly made the energy of loving sublime!

I don't like the endnotes vs. footnotes which are very hard to access and deal with, and I don't like the way the apostrophes are taken out and the words are 'modernized' as it breaks up the flows and rhythms of the works.

The anonymous review from "reader from the UK" has a slight whiff about it, I can't help but think - does the reviewer work at the publishers? I wouldn't quite go as far as he/she has in my praise. This is a good version, if not exactly the best. The poetry of course is unchallengeable - it's what's been done with the poetry that is important. The text is clear and easy to read; the notes are put at the back of the book, which is always a mixed blessing, but is probably the only practical option with a decently-annotated Milton. This version is cheaper than the definitive Fowler and Carey versions, and probably better for the non-specialist reader. The notes are good enough, but I would like more narrative guidance (in Paradise Lost particularly); occasionally some of his notes feel incomplete or unclear, and sometimes he leaves things out which I myself would have liked him to have mentioned or which I've seen mentioned (or reinterpreted) by someone else. I would also prefer a longer and more detailed introduction. But mostly the version is good, and is probably the first stop for most readers wanting to get to grips with Milton. My advice is only to go on from here, to other sources to give you a more detailed background.

Excellent, concise notes, thoroughly readable and informative about language (puns etc.) and historical context. Best choice for undergraduates and rivals Fowler as best choice for graduates.

Excellent reference book for GMDSS system. Also used as a text book at the California Maritime Academy (for those of you wondering if this is the book he wants you to get).

This is about the best general reference out there on the subject of GMDSS. The only drawback to the text is that it is SOMEWHAT dated, but that is because it is a text on electronics, and became dated on it's way to the printers. Still, if you need info on GMDSS, this is where to go. It is currently used as a textbook for the GMDSS course at Great Lakes Maritime academy.

This is a rewarding book. The author has researched his subject thoroughly, and he brings some interesting analysis to it. There are, however, a few problems.
First, the author argues that Campbell was a Southern "moderate." Judged by the likes of his fellow-Alabamian, the "fire-eating" William Lowndes Yancey, he was. He believed that slavery was a flawed institution, but he vehemently defended both its constitutionality and its morality. (He was after all a member of the Supreme Court majority that decided the infamously pro-slavery Dred Scott case in 1857). He told his fellow-Supreme Court Justice Benjamin Curtis that he freed all of his slaves "some years" before the beginning of the Civil War, but, as the author points out, the assertion was false--whether intentionally or inadvertently it is unclear. Campbell expressed rather tepid opposition to secession in 1861, arguing that Lincoln's election, in itself, was insufficient cause for the separation. But he stoutly defended the constitutional right of the South to go its own way. And when, in the spring of 1861, he attempted to find an alternative to secession, he argued that the Constitution should be amended to protect slavery in perpetuity, and that this amendment itself should be made unamendable. Was this moderation?
The author speaks often and admiringly of Campbell's great intelligence, but facts dropped here and there raise questions. Attending Lincoln's first inauguration, Campbell proclaimed the President "a conceited man" and condemned his address as "a stump speech" totally wanting in "dignity and decorum." And in a letter to Jefferson Davis he expressed the opinion that Lincoln was "light, inconstant, variable." Was Campbell intelligent? Certainly. But did he have good judgment?
It would have been interesting if the author had compared Campbell's decision to resign from the Supreme Court in 1861 to the decisions of John Catron and James Wayne to stay on the Court. All three were pro-slavery justices from states that seceded (Catron from Tennessee and Wayne from Georgia). But Campbell's loyalty was to Alabama, Catron's and Wayne's to the United States. The author ignores the decisions of Catron and Wayne, which would have added an interesting contrast to Campbell's.
The author's writing is uneven. In places, it is engaging and persuasive. In others, it is murky. In yet others it betrays a pro-Campbell bias that tends to undermine the principal arguments of the book. And, since so much of the book concerns legal issues, the author's misunderstanding of some basic legal procedures is unfortunate (a trial court decision is not reviewed by "filing suit" in the Supreme Court but by "appealing" from the judgment in the original suit.) Finally, someone (the author himself or a copy editor) should have checked the text more carefully. It is marred by more than an acceptable number of errors, some typographical, others more substantial.
Notwithstanding this criticism, I found this a useful book. It taught me a lot about Campbell, who was an important historical figure. Anyone who is interested in learning more about the tragic sequence of events that led up to the beginning of the Civil War can read it with profit.

John Archibald Campbell's life and political philosophy illustrate the difficulties that Southern moderates faced in developing and implementing a solution to the problems of slavery and secession. Campbell opposed both slavery and secession. Campbell's legal gifts eventually led him to practice before the United States Supreme Court and subsequently to an appointment to the Supreme Court itself. During his service on the Supreme Court Campbell opposed the Filibusterers in the New Orleans region, wrote a concurring opinion in the Dred Scot case, and rejected nullification by the courts of Wisconsin. As a moderate Campbell was vilified by both Southern fire-eaters and Abolitionist radicals. Campbell served eight years (1853-1861) on the Supreme Court before resigning to become an assistant secretary in the Confederate War Department. After the war he practiced law in New Orleans where he eventually became the lead attorney in the Slaughterhouse Case. His views in this case prepared the way for the broad interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment in the Twentieth Century. This book gives a very solid story of the life and labors of an important lawyer of the 19th Century. This political biography is the first full life of John Archibald Campbell. It will be of great use to students of the Supreme Court, American history, and legal scholars as well as those who enjoy good biography. It belongs in most libraries.

My mother told me she had to read the original "Huis Clos" in French class. Being interested in unorthodox interpretations of Hell (such as the beautiful Grey Town in C.S. Lewis' "The Great Divorce") I've always been curious about "No Exit." At last Mama bought it for me. While "No Exit" wasn't as captivating a tale as I anticipated, it has its own merits. It's very... well... "out there." When I try to find words to describe it, my face twists up in knots. I've read the highly philosophical sci-fi work "White Bread" by William Meyer, and yet "No Exit" is the only book I've ever read that I can describe just by saying "That was WEIRD!" Do you like bizarre literature? Read "No Exit."

I think if I were one of the characters in this little drama, I'd be Inez. Sadly enough, she reminds me of myself. On the other hand, if I were trapped in a hotel room for eternity, I wouldn't act stuffy and grown-up like Sartre's characters. I'd probably begin by building a fort out of those accursed sofa cushions. Hey, I'm a kid.

What I like about Garcin is his straightforward honesty. He doesn't weasel-word around his sins the way Estelle does... "Cosi fan tutte," as Mozart would say. "Women are like that." On the other hand, if I were confronted as he was with the hotel room's open door, I would have run outside to wander the halls, or at least propped the portal open!

Read "No Exit," and enjoy.

As an actor/aspiring playwrite/existentialist I figured this was right up my alley. It was. I borrowed No Exit a while ago, and read it straight through twice (once during an important math class, and later during chemestry). I'm buying my own copy now. Don't just read this (or anything...especially plays) only once! Do you think Paul McCartney only listened to Stevie Wonder once? (wink to anyone who can identify this quote) This is a great play, even if you're not into reading plays, or not into philosophy. The Bauhaus theatre dictum of form following function is great to keep in mind, as this is similar to didactic theatre. The post before mine is a bit misleading in writing it off as 'weird' and an unconventional view of hell. It could be both things if you want to stay in the shallow end all of your life. No Exit is best read with an understanding of the anti-naturalism, but this is only to understand why it's 'weird' and is not nessesary. I don't want to tell you how to interperate the play or anything, so I won't go into why it is not an unconventional view of hell. If you want to know, or discuss the play (or pretty much any other play/theory) IM me on AIM: Digestingtrevor or Email me at Don't_spam_spit@the-cowboy.com Just remove 'don't spam' from it. Know also Sartre was not primarilly a playwrite. He was a prominant existentialist philosopher/essayist, but turned to playwriting (thank god[though he won't respond!]) as a new medium for expression. He's also quite good as a playwrite for a philosopher! REALLY good! It's great to be frustrated with the characters and really feel like you are going insane. (possibly the birth of reality TV? it's funny how much it is like the real world.) This is a GREAT read for the Arist(of all mediums),philosopher,and the person who just wants to read something cool. I suggest this book to all different types of people, and they all love it. You can easilly read this with no desire to put any interperative thought into it, and love it just as much as if you want to delve into it's infinate levels of meaning and relevance. It is both entertaining and enlightening.

John T. Campbell did it again, he continues to provide excitement and special unique twists in his writing. He makes it an easy read for the non-technical reader providing a clear picture with his 30 years of knowledge in the Aerospace Industry. I highly recommend reading his Illustrated Guide to the Desert War weapons used in the new conflict with Iraq as well as all of his other books, Raid on Truman, Sub Zero, and Cobra Dane. I feel Vauclain's Shield should be required reading by our service men especially at the Pentagon and those working for the Department of Defense. It is a great suspense thriller with a wonderful surprise.

This is John Campbell's fourth book, and while I still liked Raid on Truman and SubZero better than this one, this is a well written story. Campbell explores the question if there can ever be a missile defense system that would truly defend the U.S.? Or would the threat then turn into one even harder to defend against? His technical expertise is again on display as he is able to explain complex technology in understandable terms. He also has included a couple of very good naval combat scenes. I recommend you read all his books including this one.

In response to negative review, Steve Perez worked at the Santa Cruz Sentinel for about 10 years. Perez wrote on the homicides in Santa Cruz County. The Sentinel is owned by a division of Dow Jones Inc, and one of the largest stockholder is Mary Bancroft's daughter under the Jane Bancroft trust. Mary Bancroft was a CIA agent and she was the lover of CIA Director, Warren Commissioner Allen Dulles and CIA assest Henry Luce. If you had read first half of the book and gave up you would have read Perez's work. There may be a couple of type'os possibly because when using Quark Express I had to take manuscript to Kinko's and another high grade printer. When I load program it reformatted the text for the entire volume. I went through to clean them up. Have had few complaints since 1996. Many in the JFK assassination community have praised the volume for it's damning evidence against on George de Mohrenschildt's ties to Prescott and George Bush Sr. Bruce Campbell Adamson

Although this book could be a bit of a headache for anyone who's grown accustomed to an easy pulp-fiction read, it is nevertheless impeccably researched. The material presented, everything from court documents to official correspondence to casual correspondence, presents a startling factual picture of "the ties that bind", and manages to avoid the Usenet-style conspiratorial bent that shows up in most other books documenting the strange Dulles-Kennedy-Bush triangle. American history at its strangest!
Five stars for tracking down and formatting the immense volume of material in this book, and five stars for having the couage to print it. A bargain at any price- in fact I'll trade my copy for a nice Texas gusher, if anyone's interested...

I find this volume well researched and extremly incriminating. Why are so many people happy with this volume on Ebay. Adamson has many positive reviews on Ebay. Everyone who has purchased the volume has left a positive review, it seems on EBAY at user I.D. at ciajfk.com. If it is so hard to follow, why are they happpy? C.W.

againandagainandagain. it gets almost interesting. lovecraft's scientific story ending up with nothing much of a climax, Poe drowning in nautical technical information and fragmentary style. taine's is the most interesting one. first too little happens, then too much. could have been good, but is first too boring then too much in the overwhelming action-genre. glasby has good descriptions, but his story doesn't go anywhere. some of the other stories could have been good too. but always, something destroys. too boring, not going anywhere, lacks suspence. truly sad since many of the stories shows potential.

An excellent collection of short to medium length stories, all dealing with Antarctic expeditions and what the adventurers found (but wish they hadn't).

I only gave this book three stars because of the horrible proof-reading. It appeared as if the original documents had been scanned in and run through OCR software without a human bothering to check the results. Some examples: in one story, Tekeli-li is printed T>k>li-li; in one story all instances of "he" are printed as "be".

Other than that, I would recommend this collection to anyone interested in weird fiction set in Antarctica.

From the ends of the Earth come stories of adventure and really BAD things. Start off with a sonnet by Lovecraft himself, called, 'Antarktos', then on to the first course with 'The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket' by Edgar Allan Poe, with a follw-up of excerpts by Jules Vern's called 'The Sphinx of the Ice Fields'. This is followed by the not-so-well-known 'The Greatest Adventure' by John Taine. 'At The Mountains of Maddness' by H.P. Lovecraft is served next, the main course, followed by 'The Tomb of the Old Ones' by Colin Wilson. Arthur C. Clarke cooks up a fine story in 'At the Mountains of Murkiness' and what meal would be complete without 'The Thing From Another World' by John W. Campbell Jr.? We finish off our fine dining with 'The Brooding City' by John S. Glasby and 'The Dreaming City' by Roger Johnson. Full yet?