Senator Moynihan applies his intellect and his strong academic and historical bent to examine the U.S. experience with secrecy, beginning with its early distrust of ethnic minorities. He applies his social science frames of reference to discuss secrecy as a form of regulation and secrecy as a form of ritual, both ultimately resulting in a deepening of the inherent tendency of bureaucracy to create and keep secrets-secrecy as the cultural norm. His historical overview, current right up to 1998, is replete with documented examples of how secrecy may have facilitated selected national security decisions in the short-run, but in the long run these decisions were not only found to have been wrong for lack of accurate open information that was dismissed for being open, but also harmful to the democratic fabric, in that they tended to lead to conspiracy theories and other forms of public distancing from the federal government. He concludes: "The central fact is that we live today in an Information Age. Open sources give us the vast majority of what we need to know in order to make intelligent decisions. Decisions made by people at ease with disagreement and ambiguity and tentativeness. Decisions made by those who understand how to exploit the wealth and diversity of publicly available information, who no longer simply assume that clandestine collection-that is, 'stealing secrets'-equals greater intelligence. Analysis, far more than secrecy, is the key to security....Secrecy is for losers."

To those familiar with Patrick O'Brian's previous stories, "The Wine Dark Sea" will not disappoint! Just don't start here if you're not...

There are few prose stylists writing today who can compare with Patrick O'Brian for the smooth, evocative and fluid stories which come from his pen. This book, a particularly fine example of O'Brian's craft, is part of his Aubrey/Maturin series of sea-faring novels. Sailor Jack Aubrey, while a typically crusty man of the blue briny, is also a well-read and witty contrast and companion to Doctor Stephen Maturin, an erudite physician with a huge love of the sea. Together, the two have had many adventures, but in The Wine-Dark Sea, they face some of their greatest challenges ever with remarkable spirit and aplomb. The story here is great entertainment with lots of page-turning action, but the lush writing is simply seductive and so easy to become lost and quite "at sea" within. While these are often consider "men's books," I strongly suspect that many women would be attracted to the strong plots, grand characterization, and fine writing; there is never the least hint of the crude or the coarse in these highly literate, but so readable novels. I have often suggested the works of Patrick O'Brian to writing students as a model for crisp, fresh, lively prose and most highly recommend this series to anyone who loves a great read.

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Lucky Jack Aubrey is a bold naval officer who befriends Steven Maturin, a physician and multilingual spy, in their efforts to thwart Napoleon's ambitions for the British Empire. The two oddball friends provide an interesting contrast as Patrick O'Brien takes us back 200 years and give us British Naval History more or less intact with the exception that he places these two hero's on the scene. Some explanation is given at the start of each story as to what is real and what is fiction.

O'Brien's writing style uses turn of the century terminology and language--which can be confusing at times, especially some of the nautical maneuvers, but lends more authenticity to each volume.

My only regret is that I purchased the paperbound version. These books are worth keeping and re-reading. I recommend you purchase them in the hard bound edition which will hold up as you re-read them in the future.

Jordan --heard recently on the syndicated talk show STRICTLY BOOKS hosted by Dan Vojir on the TALKAMERICA Radio Networks-- is clear, concise and detailed as well as entertaining on his subject and engages the reader to eat heartily into the amazing history of the world's favorite madcap Aunt.

Rarely do I sit with a book and read it directly through... well, actually, I did have to sleep, as I picked the book up at 11:00 pm and found myself not able to pry myself away. When the clock chimed 3:00 am, I had to climb into bed, not starving, but still hungering to feast from Richard Tyler Jordan's chronicle.

Upon waking, I devoured the rest of the novel and was reminded once more why I --and millions of others-- have fallen in love with this incredible woman. From when my mom --who in her youth bore a striking resemblence to Rosalind Russell-- first gave me the book to read in my teens to recently sharing the movie --again-- with family and friends, Auntie Mame has been an endearing and treasured member of my family.

Richard Tyler Jordan illuminates this luminescent creature further and fills our appetites at this smorgasboard of Mame Dennis Burnside's history and it is highly recommended to anyone who has been captured by the charm, grace and whackiness of this truly elegant and lovely lady. Pick up a copy and keep yourself from starving from a deficiency of Mame in your literary diet... and in her immortal words, "Live!"

Michael Ward aka MiklBear@aol.com