Ariel Sharon, although he had help from a professional writer on this, does not seem to carry the wieght of his importance to Israel in this book. It is a fascinating tale nonetheless, but he lacks a certain literary zing that keeps you glued to the book. Sharon was and is a military genius of the first order (as in Alexander the Great, Napoleon, and Patton), but he does not have the glint of hope that Dayan had for lasting peace with the Arab countries. Sharon details his experiences up to his greatest military moment-leading the IDF to surround the Egyptian 3rd Army in the Yom Kippur War, and later he defends himself from the accusations that he was responsible for the SLA massacre at Sabra and Shatilla (he was eventually exonerated, and an American court found in his favor when he sued Time Magazine for slander). A very good book about a fascinating man, but Moshe Dayan's will still be the high watermark.

This book tells the story of a true Israeli hero. You will read about his life, his love and his battles...Where would Israel be today without Ariel Sharon...Although out of print, I managed to find a copy and I am happy I did!

Ariel Sharon is so demonized by so many in the Arab world and Liberal Jews and Israelis that I sought this book to hear his side of his incredible career and life. Having spent most of his life fighting for Israel's survival and combatting terrorism in every war and conflict, he illuminates the problems Israel faces and the nature of its Arab opposition.

Like a true warrior he is a man of peace. Those who have been in the carnage of battle want to avoid it the most, but he has enough insight to understand that compromises and shortcuts to accomodate other's deadlines and agendas only means sending your grandchildren off to war.

His stories of being in the frontline of Israel's historic battles are gripping military history; and his rise from a neophyte poltician to Israel's Prime Minister provides a rich introduction to Israeli politics. His efforts to develop trade and agricultural ties throughout the world is less known than his military and political career, but very important among his contributions.

But most of all I wanted to hear his account of the Lebanese war and specifically the massacres in Sabra and Shatilla. I have always been bewildered at how the murder of Moslems by Christians would lead to the villanization of a Jew. He explained his view how he was sacrificed by the international pressures and Israel's own political parties.

The fact that he was able to rise from this poltical abyss to become prime minister is a remarkable achievement. There is far more depth to this man than his opponents would want us to believe.

This book was an excellent read a must for those trying to understand the complexities of modern Israel, and a fascinating biography of the leading player on the middle eastern stage.

Of course, there's a reference to one of the characters thinking about fleeing to Ventria, so you never know if the island of the Ikenas and Highlands aren't northwest of Drenai...

However, that's not the point. This is an excellent book about the nature of heroism and legend that twists and turns throughout history.

Unlike most of his books, Morningstar is narrated in the first person, in this case by one Owen Odell, a bard/magician who meets and befriends a rakish thief named Jarek Mace, and tells us his story.

As others have said, it's a decidedly different manner of writing for Mr. Gemmell; every other of his books that I've read have been third-person, before and since. It's a very good read, and quite fast, too; it's much thinner than his normal books, and read much faster, which is sometimes a good thing.

All in all, I rather enjoyed this novel, and highly recommend it.

Morningstar is the first novel I've read by David Gemmell. I must say that after reading this book, I cannot wait to dive into more of his work. The story is told in the first person perspective of Owen Odell, a bard who gets mixed up with one Jarek Mace, the outlaw that becomes the legendary Morningstar. In this book, Gemmell makes an interesting examination of what makes a hero. He borrows heavily from the Robin Hood and King Arthur legends, but transforms them and makes them part of the legacy of the Morningstar. Gemmell shows how a hero can be made, not necessarily through his own actions, but through how these actions are perceived by the people. While Mace's actions were serving his own ends, the people still perceive him as a hero.

The main strength of this book is the tightly plotted adventure that keeps the action coming at a breakneck pace. Gemmell has created a solid cast of characters that you really want to hear more about. The ending is great and kind of took me by surprise. I highly recommend Morningstar to any fantasy fan. If you're looking for a standalone tale that isn't a doorstopper, this is the book for you.

Although 'Morningstar' is a departure from Gemmell's usual third person storytelling style, the book delivers some hard personal & philosophical punches from a first person perspective. What the book fails to deliver in overall characterization due to this 'first person' perspective, it more than makes up through the development of the main character himself. Mr Gemmell has a tremendous grasp of human nature & motivation, & it comes through on every one of his books. He makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story itself, and not a spectator watching a two dimensional fabrication. You care about what is going on & you feel the sense of loss or joy yourself when it does occur. I had a great time reading it for the third time this last week...^_^

When I consider buying a book I look it over asking two questions. One, does the author have a story to tell? Two, does he or she have the skills to tell that story compellingly? As far as "Gabriel's Story" is concerned, the answer is yes on both counts. The story is strong both because it has a tight spine along which the narrative progresses and because the author picks up on an under-acknowledged feature of the American West, namely the role African-Americans played in its history. The novel educates, but it does so effortlessly, so that a reader is transported along on an adventure tale, probably not even noticing how much the novel adds new dimensions to writing about the West. As for the author's skills... He's got it. The narrative reads like some combination of "Lonesome Dove" and "Paradise", somehow spliced together with a cinematographer's eye for horizon-lines, with a soft heart for the family scenes and a keen eye for the violent passages. And it even has a satisfying ending. That's rare these days and seems especially hard for first novelists to pull off. Congrats to the author.

I picked up this book after reading the USA Today review, which was essentially an unconditional rave. I decided to give it a try, but figured I'd probably be disappointed, as few books live up to the praise heaped on them. But GABRIEL'S STORY was a pleasant surprise. It begins with vivid homesteading scenes - all the toil and the poverty of it. Makes me glad I wasn't a homesteader, and it made it reasonable that Gabriel would want to run away from it. The journey that he sets off on is truly engrossing, well-plotted, with beautiful language and great descriptions of the Western landscape.

It looks like the novel is being compared to Cormac McCarthy's work. There are some similarities, but GABRIEL'S STORY is a bit more hopeful than McCarthy's work. The world is still harsh and dangerous, but Durham seems to have more faith in humanity, in family and friends. Also, I thought it was interesting that the reviewer in USA Today said that he was a city-dwelling white guy that still got into this book about a black boy in another century out on the plains. I felt the same way. Yes, the main characters are black, but their racial identity is only part of the whole world of the story. They're black like James Joyce's characters are Irish or Faulkner's are Southern - it matters, but it doesn't change the fact that anybody can connect with them. Altogether a really good novel.

Here is my reaction to one of the best books I have ever read. The book is "Gabriel's Story" by David Anthony Durham. The action takes place in the 1870's. The protagonist is Gabriel, an African-American youth who has just turned 16. The other characters are his brother Ben, just turned 14; his step-father, Solomon; his mother, and his uncle. Gabriel's parents were freed slaves. After their freedom, they lived in Baltimore, where Gabriel enjoyed the big city life. Then his father dies, and his mother decides to go west to Kansas to join and marry her first love, Solomon. The two were separated by slavery. Gabriel doesn't realize that they were in love before this time. Gabriel resents his mother's remarriage and the hard life homesteading on the Kansas prairie. He has all of a teenager's resentment of everything with something real to pin them on. He makes a friend, an African-American orphan his age whose name is James. Together the boys decide to join a group of cowboys and help them drive some horses west to Texas. What the boys don't realize is that these are very bad men they have fallen in with -- the very worst men there could be. As the trip begins, Gabriel and James gradually discover what these men really are, and now their greatest desire is to get away from them. The rest of the novel contains their picaresque travels with the men, trying to leave the men, and trying to return to Kansas. The author has done a marvelous job with this book. The plot is exciting and adventurous, with many twists and turns. The characters and their relationships are complex. The description is wonderful. I felt I was with Gabriel every step of the way on his journey. On Sunday I read in a frenzy from 2 to 6 because I couldn't stop until I finished this book. At times my heart was pounding and I almost stopped breathing as I said aloud, "Oh, no!" I was so involved in this. In addition, the author's writing is beautiful and eloquent. I wouldn't have predicted that I would fall in love with a book one might call a "Western," but this novel defies categorization. The aspect of African Americans homesteading is unusual and interesting. I immediately wrote to the author to thank him for this book, and I hope other people will enjoy it as well. It might be a good one to recommend to teens.

"Winnie the Pooh" and "House on Pooh Corner" were two of my favorite books growing up. When I came across this 75th boxed anniversary edition, I just had the get it. Keep in mind, this is just the same great stories in new packages. "Winnie the Pooh" has gold trimmed pages and "House on Pooh Corner" is trimmed with silver. I recommend this to anyone who hopes to pass on the love of the original Winnie the Pooh characters to any young ones in their lives. I know I definitely will.

I think this book suitable for everyone not only for child but adult also can read it. My friend and I love this book and try to collect the whole of Pooh's series. But I think .. The house at the Pooh corner also lovely while The Tao of Pooh was very difficult to understand for child. However, I love it!!

Yesterday I planned on reading "The Great Gatsby," but instead I read A.A. Milne's "Winnie the Pooh."

What! you say.

Well, I bought it a while back, and I never sat down to read it. So yesterday I just grabbed it, and started reading---and despite the fact that it's meant for children, the insight it offers is unparalleled. Maybe some of you have read "The Tao of Pooh" (which I read in high school). That book explains how Winnie the Pooh behaves in a Taoist fashion. But instead of reading the "Tao" book, I think people could have done just as well, if not better, reading the original work.

I have great respect for an author who can write a work that appeals to both children and adults. Such is "The Phantom Tollbooth" or "The Wizard of Oz." Such is "Winnie The Pooh." The joy of reading Winnie is the absurd logic it follows. Or the way it satirizes adults, which it does quite well through the characters of Eeyore and Owl. For example, how can you NOT enjoy this passage from Chapter Four:

"The old grey donkey, Eeyore, stood by himself in a thirsty corner of the forest, his front feet well apart, his head on one side, and thought about things. Sometimes he thought sadly to himself, 'Why?' and sometimes he thought, 'Wherefore?' and sometimes he thought, 'Inasmuch as which?'---and sometimes he didn't quite know what he was thinking about."

Now the only decision that remains is do I read the other Pooh book I bought, "The House at Pooh Corner" or do I read F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby." Hmm.

So you thought I would / Write a Jewish haiku to / Sell this book. Guess not.

Bader, a Hahvahd Lawyer, and the author of"How to Be an Extremely Reform Jew" provides the essence of the faith in 5-7-5 / 17 syllable portions. Like the Japanese ahiku, the Jewish haiku (or CHAI-ku) includes 'a kigo', or a 'season word' hinting at a time of year. It is sheer genius. My favorites were one about a mohel pruning the growth in his garden and: Heimlich. Is that a / Jewish name? I wonder as / a diner turns blue.

David Bader has come up with a masterful concept: combine the poetic form of Japanese Haiku with kvetchy Jewish plaint. And bubule, it works.

The book is best savored like bonbons, just a few at a time. Some are wry, some confirm the American Jewish experience, and some are laugh-out-loud funny; even my shaygitz husband completely lost it with:

Today I am a

man. Tomorrow I return

to the seventh grade.

I got it as a birthday gift and I LOVED it! Buy one for a gift and another for you.

This is a unique book. I haven't seen another one like it! Japanese imagery is intertwined with Jewish themes to create some highly original humor. It doesn't rely on stereotypes. It parodies old stereotypes and it includes new areas in its haikus. "No fins, no flippers... the gefilte fish swims with...some difficulty" or "Seven-foot Jews in ... the NBA slam-dunking... my alarm clock rings." Some of the poems are downright hilarious. All have a certain fun quality. I have given the book to countless people at this point, all of whom enjoyed it. Almost any intelligent reader will get it and sometimes even laugh out loud.

Blade was a kick ass book, completely different from the movie. The movie had more fighting and you didn't get to see the true meaning of the novel. The movie described Blade as a cold blooded slayer with no mercy. The novel describes Blade as someone who risks his life everyday to save the human race in spite of the fact that the human race thinks he's a murderer and wants him dead. He uses his powers to serve and protect the very species that depises and fears him-our own. He has the power of an immortal, the soul of a human, and the heart of a hero.

I loved it. This is a story about a half-human, half-vampire man. Can he stop the whole world from being turned to vampires?

Blade is an awesome book to read. The author is very descriptive. If I had to read one book the rest of my life, it would be Blade. I thought Blade was and is and ever will be the most intriguing book to read. Blade is the only book I've ever read in my whole life on my own, without being forced to by a teacher. If you like to read about bounty hunters and vampires, I strongly suggest Blade.

When I read this book and reviewed it shortly afterward, I don't think I gave it fair due. As time goes on and I think back to this book I love it more and more.

This is the story of Felicity and Sonny.....life-long lovers with a turbulent and sometimes downright heartbreaking relationship. Felicity, 20 years Sonny's senior, is brazen and even loopy at times. She lends a great deal of humor to the story as well as veiled sadness.

Sonny, on the other hand is a huge jerk throughout most of the story as he becomes more and more bitter and jaded. Felicity seems to be the only spark left in his life...a spark which he almost puts out.

Running parallel to the story of Sonny and Felicity is the tale of Gravelda and Genipur. They are two rather primitive tribal people who are hauntingly similar to their modern-day counterparts. It's a story that Felicity tells to Sonny in chunks over the years as their meetings become fewer and farther between. The story allows Felicity to quietly vent her feelings about her relationship with Sonny.

This is a book that, even if you become a little dazed about in the process of reading, will stick to you long after you've read the last page. Far be it from me to withold credit where credit is due....and I must admit, this book is a jewel.

I read this book, twice, 15 years ago. I lost it during one of my military relocations, and have been unable to find another copy, until now. But, try to imagine a book so charming, so witty, so enthralling, so unforgettable that it stays with you for fifteen years...

I have re-read this book four times (and I don't normally do so) and I've purchased seven copies to give as gifts (I've NEVER done that before!) I cried when the book ended -- not because the ending is sad, but because I did not want to give up the time I was enjoying spending with my new 'friends'.

PS: Mr. Martin is an incredible writer! His other books are very good too.

This is one of the best cosmetics books I ever bought. Theauthor did not hold anything back on how to make wonderful cosmetics.The recipes are easy to follow. You will be working with the bestingredients nature has to offer when making recipes from this book.There is a section at the end of the book giving instructions on basictechniques for making a variety of different formulas. Ingredients inrecipes can be substituted--you can create personalize cosmetics. Imodified recipes and the product turned out wonderful. I especiallylike the face creme recipes. My skin feels healthy and wonderfulusing these cremes. This book focuses on the most important herbs,essential oils, and natural ingredients specifically used for makinghealthy cosmetics. The author shared her knowledge on how to make thebest cosmetics. I'm thankful she wrote this book.

This book is AWESOME! It is one of the better books I've read on the subject of natural skin/hair/body care with homemade products.

It's very informative,very well organized according to sections (Face Care, Body Care, Mouth Care, Hair Care, Healing Salves and Balms)with special attention given to men, women and different life stages. It's very thorogh.

Dina Falconi provides countless recipes for creams, oils, balms and lotions as well as what those products can do for you and for whom they're most useful (i.e. mature/dry skin etc.)

Not only are recipes provided, but basic recipes for salves and creams are also provided so you can incorporate oils, butters and waxes that you particularly like. Say you don't want to make a beeswax and canola oil based lip balm (which is one of the recipes) you can flip to the back of the book and learn the proper oil/wax proportions for balms and you can try something else instead.

Falconi also explains the benefits of certain essential oils, herbs, butters and oils which is also very beneficial to those just beginning to make personal care products.

A great book!

I've recently gotten into making my own lotions and potions because so much of what is on the market to buy is full of ingredients that are harmful for a body. Some recipes and procedures take more time than others but are so well worth it. I found this book quite by accident but now thank the powers that be for it. The ingredients and methods for mixing and fixing are simple enough for a beginner like me, but indepth enough to let me know why and how it all works. Herbs and oils are explained as well and as extensively as anyone could ask without going into too much detail and added information that I can't and probably won't use. I'd suggest this wonderful and informative book to anyone that in interested in making alternative products for body and hair care. They are truely wonderful. Out of the many books I own on this subject, this is by far the most comprehensive and concise one to have.

Of the many books writen in the 19th, 20th and early 21st century, this book has to be one of the most completely reasearched and comprehensive accounts of history and theoritical history.

Forget about its research on the theory of Atlantis in which it provides the most comprehensive of historical associations and threads on world legends that allude to the reality of Atlantis. Andrew Collins goes way beyond defining a gateway to Atlantis by showing ancient history through many real historical accounts, including the Bible and other religious documents, and linking both real documented facts with many legends from around the entire world.

If you ever wanted to better understand who so many past races and peoples were, how they thought and lived and how we all appear to be linked together from a unified source, read this book.

The ever elusive Atlantis has never failed to arrest the imagination of many throughout the ages. In this latest and impressively researched work, Andrew Collins traverses the evidence available in order to unravel the 3 prime mysteries - whether Atlantis indeed once existed, its probable location in the modern world, and how it all came to an end.

Starting with Plato's Timaeus and Critias, Collins ploughs through a formidable mass of ancient and not-too-ancient literature to garner evidence about the lost land and its probable topography. He then applies the result with meticulous care (and with much erudite discussion in the process) to all the prime contenders for the location of Atlantis to determine which in fact is the most likely candidate for the legendary realm. He then seeks to corroborate the findings with legends from both sides of the Atlantic (in particular those from central America) as well as other more scientifically verifiable facts, such as information gleaned from ancient relics, the presence of tabacco in Egyptian mummies and some distinctive method for dyeing cotton. Having established the location of the lost Atlantis, the author completes his theory by examining the sort of catastrophe that brought about the end of the advanced civilisation there as well as the possible fate of those who managed to escape from it.

What makes this highly readable book doubly commendable is that the author has at all times followed the available evidence instead of making wild guesses and unsubstantiated propositions in order to advance his theories. Such a scholarly approach has made the discourse much more convincing than many other books written about lost civilisations. And if Collins's conclusions are not absolutely compelling, they nevertheless are very well argued and presented and warrant serious consideration by ancient historians. Besides, all those materials amassed by Collins for the book are already by themselves of great value to those interested in the subject. David Rohl's Introduction is also very illuminating and provides enlightening remarks about the methodology used by many alternative historians. A most enjoyable work on a fascinating subject. Highly recommended!

There's no doubt to me that this is THE book about the many theories and explorations concerning Atlantis. If Atlantis did exist, the author's conclusion about its location sounds more reasonable than the other theories. If Atlantis did not exist, this book is more than worthwhile as a look into ancient history, a study about ancient trade routes, the fascinating premise that ancient Europe and Africa knew about the American continents, and the most complete coverage of the main Atlantis theories of any book I've seen. This book is extremely well researched and written. It should be part of the library of anyone interested in ancient history as well as anyone interested in Atlantis. It's a Landmark book on its subject.

I love cooking shows and often read cookbooks for pleasure, picking up tips from each author and pondering what recipes I'd like t try, but I have to admit that I've never been a part of the cooking cult that worships Julia Child. I do remember watching her shows as a child, with my mother, and know she pioneered the genre, but the meals she made rarely appealed to me--too time consuming, too "fussy" and just too "strange" for every day taste. (If I have to visit eight different shops and peruse three mail order catalogs to make a dish, I'm probably not going to try it.)

Recently, I picked up "Julia's Kitchen Wisdom" at the library and was quickly sold. I am now ordering a copy to keep. The book is filled with useful basic recipes and techniques, as well as lots of helpful time-saving tips that Child has picked up over the years. It's not really a recipe book per se, though tried-and-true formulas for things like Hollandaise sauce and pastry dough do appear, it's more of a kitchen guide. It's full of ingredient substitutions, serving suggestions and definitions of terms you may come across. More useful to experienced cooks, it's also a helpful guide for the best technique, according to Child, for things like braising, searing, roasting and folding. Child's years in the kitchen have made here at master and I was pleasantly surprised to find many time-saving techniques and places were Child says the "easy" way is actually better.

This slim volume really packs a wallop of cooking information and I think it would make a nice addition to any cook's bookshelf.

This brilliant little book distills all of Julia Child's years of experience into just over 100 pages. But instead of scratching the surface of cooking and its techniques, Ms. Child tells you everything you need to know. Whether you're an expert in the kitchen or a beginner with only three favorite recipes, this book will help you expand your repertoire. Its quick reference structure makes it a snap to check the best way to cook, say, a pork chop, or how to make your vegetables tastier than ever. And interspersed among the chapters are Julia's "Master Recipes" for those classic dishes that never go out of style. A real gem.

After 40 years of cooking with fellow chefs and friends, Julia Child has developed a refined method for cooking her master recipes. In this cute little cookbook, she has also included variations to many of the recipes to show us all how creative cooking can be, yet how essential it is to follow the basic cooking truths. Julia was born in Pasadena, California. She then moved to Paris with her husband Paul and studied at the Cordon Bleu. After writing her first cookbook "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," in 1961, she appeared on many public television cooking shows.

Judith Jones can be credited for discovering Julia Child, she is the best editor Julia Child could have ever found. She is very wise and once wrote me a nice letter to explain why my instructions in my own cookbook were too truncated. She loves the cookbooks she edits to have a personality and an easy flowing writing style. I took her advice very seriously and she has in fact improved my writing by her one small comment. It is with that said, that I can say that her influence on this book has only made Julia's writing even more wonderful.

I love the fact that Julia gives her editor so much credit in the Acknowledgments section. Without great editors, most cookbooks would never make it to the publishing stage. David Nussbaum was also very influential in the writing of this particular cookbook as he was with "Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home." He helped to gather information needed for this book from Julia's books and shows. He also spent time with Julia in Judith Jones's Vermont kitchen, working out the details of some recipes.

The book I am reviewing is only 127 pages, but there is also a 288 page large print edition which I applaud Julia for considering and publishing. In both books, Julia presents soups, sauces, salads, dressings, vegetables, meats, poultry, fish, eggs, breads, crepes, tarts, cakes and cookies. The index is delightfully easy to use and I love the headings, e.g., Almond(s) is in a different color than the list following it. In that way, you can find the basic categories of Apples, Crab, Soup, Cookies, etc.

When you read the text in this cookbook, you will almost feel that Julia Child is reading to you. I can hear her voice and that is what makes this book so wonderful. Each chapter begins with a fun note (or what you might call a headnote) from Julia. The first chapter is "Soups and Two Mother Sauces." There is a recipe for "Leek and Potato Soup." Julia explains the master recipe and then gives variations of "Onion and Potato Soup," "Cream of Leek and Potato," and "Watercress Soup." What you will learn from this book is "techniques." This allows you to create your own recipes. In cooking there are certain proven cooking methods and that is what I believe Julia is trying to show you. You learn to make a white sauce and a hollandaise sauce in the first chapter. The style of the master recipes is similar throughout the book. Each one has a nice heading of a different color, ingredients are listed in the order they will be used and the instructions are easy-to-read, yet do not have numbers. The Variations for the recipes are in a paragraph style, but also have nice headings in a different color. Each page has two columns of text.

In the second chapter, you will enjoy learning to make a "Basic Vinaigrette Dressing." The variations sound just delicious and there is also advice in a small block which explains how to keep your vinaigrette fresh for several days. Throughout the book you will find little blocks of text with a pink background. These must be some of Julia's secrets. This is a book you will want to read and absorb.

In the third chapter, Julia has charts for blanching and boiling vegetables. She says: "When you serve fine, fresh green vegetables, you want them to show off their color." She gives some sage advice on how to accomplish this. The chapter on "Meats, Poultry and Fish" is an introduction into sautéing, broiling, roasting, stewing, braising, poaching and steaming.

Then, onto French Omelets and dreamy soufflés. You will enjoy learning how to make molded dessert custards or as we know them to be, "Caramel Custards". She makes a "Classic Custard Sauce," a "Pastry Cream" and finishes the chapter on eggs with a "Classic Chocolate Mousse."

Julia Child knows that you could just use a ready-made pie shell, but thinks it is a shame if you can't make one yourself. With that, I can agree. So, in her Bread Chapter, she not only explains how to make basic bread dough, she shows us how to make an all-purpose pie dough. "Cakes and Cookies" follow this chapter. This will soon become one of your favorite chapters. Now, there is one thing you will want to know when making Julia's recipes. She uses a different method for measuring flour than I do. She sifts the flour into the cups and then sweeps off the excess. That will be key to your success where noted. I personally only use that method when making pie crusts, because I create my recipes by the dip and sweep method, which is the lazy way! You will notice that in her directions, she will say 1/2 cup cake flour (sifted and measured as per the box on page 97.) I was delighted to find a recipe for "Cat's Tongues." While I had heard of these finger-shaped sugar cookies, I had no idea what they tasted like.

I recommend this book to new cooks, especially because these are the master recipes I learned when I was learning to cook as a teenager in cooking class. For experienced cooks, you will enjoy the variations. This is a book of Kitchen Wisdom from American's favorite teacher of French home cooking.