There are few travel books that can stand up to the depredations of time - indeed, travel literature by its nature tends to be ephemeral. We may peruse the Victorian travelers, but mainly to get a sense of the exotic, from a time when it still was that way.

Fewer travel books still can claim to have had a conscious impact beyond their own genre. One thinks of Stendahl's travels in the South of France, Radishchev's journey from Petersburg to Moscow, or Stephens and Catherwood in the Yucatan. But Doughty is in a class by himself.

This remarkably eccentric man with the remarkably eccentric writing style set off into one of the last fringes of society, to a world where the art of the word was cultivated and where a man's worth was set by his speech. He is not an easy read. Yet his writing reflects the sense of a major intellect from one culture confronted by a tradition which is very old, very venerable and yet totally alien from that in which he was raised. That he sought to explain it by creating a new way of writing is perhaps not remarkable.

Many writers of the last century have been quite vocal about the debt that they owe him; one sometimes wonders if this is honored more in the breach than we would like to believe. But try him on for size, but be prepared to be patient. You will find that his style will win you over if you are.

Doughty, who had many disciples, including the sphinxlike T.E.Lawrence, wrote in a style which he described as a response to the confines presented by the Victorian language. Lawrence, when composing his great oasis "Seven Pillars of Wisdom," too, offered his own form of revelling, a sort of aversion to the literal strictures of Edwardianism which the former described as "granular." Here, "Travels in Arabia" is instructive, even highly enjoyable; the two-volume set (some of which include maps) is replete with Doughty's self-styled descriptions of the then still-remote middle eastern world as well, what was once considered a great adventure story for the well-read. No, he did not dictate the specifics of the type on the page, but he did manage to produce something to Travel and History as comparable to Fraser's "Golden Bough" was to anthropology; easy to admire but impossible to believe. It is very enjoyable, erudite in its own way and meant to be digested as with Henry James or tea, slowly to fully appreciate. Strongly recommend

Doughty wrote in a relatively laboured, archaic style which demands patience from the reader. Initially on that account it was hard going for me (and I would image, for most people), but the book, wherein he presents an account of his solitary travels and tribulations during a period of nearly two years between 1876 and 1878, has long been widely regarded as a classic. It rewards persistence, and I found it quite spell-binding. Doughty was not without an ironic sense of humour as you can see from what he wrote about an Arab he encountered; "...his strength lay in his stubborn brawns and large breast, and little in his brains which indeed were not very well settled." And something of his style as he wrote about pilgrams he fell in with on the way to Mecca: "... peasants for the most part, as the richer and delicate livers are ever less zealous to seek hallows than poor bodies with small consolation in this world."

Colonel John A. Warden III was one of the most distinguished officers of his generation. A veteran fighter pilot, he was--is--as well a true defense intellectual--not the sort of individual often touted by the so-called "defense reform movement," but a true warrior-scholar in the classic image of, say, a J. F. C. Fuller--or a George Patton. Not one to shy away from controversy, Warden was convinced in the 1980's that the United States Air Force--had strayed away from its first principles. It had become a stove-piped, tribal organization, riven by discord and confusion between its "strategic" and "tactical" communities. Warden, in this brilliant work (written as a thesis at the National Defense University), posited an exciting new vision of the centrality of air power in national defense. This book served as an important departure point for the service's subsequent "Global Reach--Global Power" strategic planning framework issued in 1990. By that time, Warden was running Checkmate, a key office in Air Force planning. Through his own initiative and vision, he and a small team of "weapons officers" planned Instant Thunder, the first major response to Saddam Hussein's aggression in the Gulf. Warden briefed Instant Thunder to the Air Force Vice Chief of Staff (the Chief was away), and then on his suggestion to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Gen. Colin Powell. Powell sent him to CENTCOM to brief Norman Schwarzkopf. His reaction was enthusiastic, and Warden was directed to brief Instant Thunder in the Gulf, to the CENTAF air component commander, General Charles Horner. Horner, brilliant in his own right, accepted much of what Warden said. But the personal chemistry between the two men was bad, and Warden returned to the States, leaving behind a small staff of acolytes and experts, most notably Lt. Col. David A. Deptula. It was the partnership of Deptula, Gen. Buster Glosson, Gen. Horner, and (back in Checkmate) John Warden that made the Desert Storm air campaign a success. After the war, Warden became commander of the Air Command and Staff College, making notable (and badly needed) changes to its curriculum. This book is a "must read" by anyone who would consider themselves a military and/or air power professional. There are Americans alive today because of John Warden's work. Warden never made general, largely because of petty jealousies by senior people above him. He was--is--a consumate professional and true patriot: never complaining, never self-advocating, always keeping true to his core beliefs. But his truest legacy is this book and the thinking it has inspired--thinking that has lead to five notable American victories over the last decade. Buy it, read it, keep it, use it!

John Warden was the strategist of the air campaign in the 1991 Gulf War. In 1998, he updated his influential book. A must read for anyone interested in the military, its past, present and future.

Col. Warden adds new material to this important work on strategy, especially new material on what happened after the Gulf War. This book is many things. It is a history of airpower. It is a fresh look at the application of airpower. It is a guide for anyone in the military or business world who wants to compete or attack a system. Very readable. With Col Warden's reputation as the architect of the Air Campaign against Iraq, he has demonstrated that he can apply his ideas in real world situations. Outstanding read.

This is a fascinating book. The places are real (and some are rather creepy) and the stories are supposedly true. Every story will draw you in. The history and research the author did was extensive. This is a book you could very well (regretfully) finish in one sitting.

I was born and raised in Kingsport and I even met the author of this book when he came to my high school in 1996. The name is a little hokey but the book is extremely well written and the research is very good, it even includes some newspaper clippings. This book is well worth the price and the read!

This was a very suspenseful book. It has many short stories in it and all are suppose to be true. Many are folklore that was passed down and most have some eyewitness testimony. My favorite was the one called "A Part Of The Dark Is Moving". Every story takes place at real place in East Tennessee. This is a must have for anyone who likes old fashion ghost stories or folklore.

In addition to very fascinating excursions to Mesopotamia, where the author sends a camera up in a kite to take photos of the scorched lines in the earth left over from what he suspects may by either Sodom or Gomorrah, and the profile of ancient Ninevah including a canal system inside the city walls, Pellegrino takes a moment to let us know that prior to the elimination of coconut oil as an ingredient, Twinkies would burn for 20 minutes, and were a great back up source of light for underground explorations. Now, he makes do with giant Cheetos, held with a tweezers, which will burn for maybe 10 minutes. I tried it, and it's true.

With wit and humor Dr. Pellegrino and his companions today led me on the most stirring and provacative tour of my life. Places once disconnected in my mind's eye are now alive, and full of fascination for me: the straight, steady Nile River Valley and its sluggish culture; the now-you-see-them-now-you -don't peoples of the fertile plains of Mesopotamia; and the ancient ancestors, cousins over the centuries from Asia, Africa, and Europe, woven together in the Middle East. The Gulf War, its rising up and falling down, make sense to me now, historically if not humanly, as does the conflict between Israel and Palestine, and the cyclic nature of life. Thank you, Charles, for a most interesting and illuminating day.

Dr. Pellegrino welded my eyes, and mind, to his fascinating archaeological journey thorough the Holy Land. I enjoyed reading a book where the author doesn't use religious bias. His knowledge of the Bible is extremely extensive, which combines with his archaeological expertise to produce a book that gives the reader a better understanding, in clearer terms, of the fascinating stories of the Bible. Read this book with an open mind, and read it again once you are done with it. For those who are non-practicing Christians (like me), this book is an excellent companion guide to the Holy Scriptures. Once your mind is saturated in its informative content, you'll want to recomend it to the rest of your friends and family, and just about anyone else you meet from that day on. --Andrés Goyanes--

This book is most interesting as it shows you how each side ( US, Palestinian, Israel) approached the peace negotiations process and how misunderstandings, political pressures, fundamental policy differences, promises made by one & retracted by another, the lack of preparation and trust lead all contributed to the failure of the Clinton Peace talks.

It is truely a behind the scenes view of the entire process.

It also covers how each side, especially the Israelis, managed the peace process. The management of press reports(pages 215 to 217)is just one aspect that I found most enlightning.

I would make this book required reading for anyone engaged in the study/practice of international negotiations.

Charles Enderlin (a French journalist in Jerusalem) has done a great service not only to Israelis and Palestinians but also to American observers of the conflict. With his inside access to the negotiators, Enderlin gives the reader a vast amount of primary material.

What were the two sides discussing? How did the negotiations work? Why did the summit at Camp David fail? Did either side really want peace? Enderlin has his answers, but he also gives the reader the opportunity to make his/her own judgments.

As Beilin, Sher, Ben-Ami, Ross, and others publish accounts as participants in the process, it is very helpful to have Enderlin's book as a resource. For anyone interested in understanding the failed attempt to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Enderlin's book will be essential reading.

What memories this book brought back.

As a soon-to-retire worker, born to a single shot 16 guage, thousands of hours of bird hunting and responsibility to my children pretty well met (for now), I've turned my attention to what I want to do with the rest of my life. Mr. Fergus reminded me of what I had left. It's time to return.

What a true delight it was to read his prose. I could hear the beating of wings. I could smell the dew. I could feel that wonderful tiredness in my legs. I could see the lab run hard for the corn field.

Absolutely, it's time to return. And this book brought it all back.

I was thoroughly engrossed in this short, but surprisingly full book. As a first-year bird-hunter reading this during the height of grouse season, I felt as though this book was probing my mind and transcribing my own thoughts onto the pages. The text was wonderfully thought out and the ideals espoused are those that true hunters wish all others believed as well. Caring and knowledgeable of both people and birds with due attention paid to our interaction with nature, this book taught me much about why my first few outings were not only successful (despite the lack of birds brought home), but worth repeating. I suggest this read to beginning and experienced hunters alike. Now, all I need is a bird dog. I found Fergus's description of the human/canine bond compelling.

Having read everything ever written on Lawrence, and even written a book myself, I can unconditionally state that this is the best book in the field. I unconditionally reccomend it to all readers, whether neophytes wanting to learn about the "myth behind the man," or seasonsed Lawrence experts. Although each essay shines in its own way, Stang's stands out as a major new contribution to Lawrence scholarship.

Having read everything ever written on Lawrence, and even written a book on him myself, I can state without qualification that this book contains the best work ever produced on Lawrence "of Arabia." I reccomend it both to the first-time reader wanting to go beyond the Lawrence of legend, and to the long-time academic devotee of the military and intellectual career of this icon of the 20th century. Although each essay is excellent in its own way, Stang's stands out as a pillar of Lawrence scholarship.

For those interested in researching the military aspect of the Arab-Israeli conflict, finding information about the militaries of the Arab nations is very difficult. What little that is published is either published in the Arabic language or is so highly suspect (propaganda) that it is of negligible factual value. That's one of the factors that makes Charles Stafrace's book "Arab Air Forces" so uniquely valuable. It is not only written in the English language, but Mr. Stafrace has kept his political viewpoint to a minimum making it tremendously easier to read than comparable resources in Arabic or translated from Arabic.

The book itself is grouped to give short concise histories of the air arms of various Arab nations as well as speculative numbers and types of aircraft used during Arab Air Forces' histories. The book was published in 1994 so don't expect information any more current than 1994 (However, this does include Desert Storm). I emphasize that the histories are short (typically four to six pages for most Arab air forces and less for smaller air arms) so don't expect very many details. What information is available appears to be mired in fact rather than guesswork. Mr. Stafrace hasn't referenced or footnoted his work in any way whatsoever. There is no bibliography either. I would assume his information comes from public media sources although there's no way to be sure short of contacting Mr. Stafrace.

I imagine that the reference would be of most use to plastic kit modelers although I found it tremendously useful as someone who studies the Arab-Israeli conflict. I personally bought the text as a reference before painting some models of Arab aircraft. In that respect, this book has been very useful.

Histories and details of the following Arab Air Forces are included: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen (Current nation comprised of both South and North Yemen), Yemen Arab Republic (North Yemen), and Peoples Democratic Republic of Yemen (South Yemen).

Perhaps the book's most attractive selling point are the numerous color and photo plates as well as the generous number of black and white photos interspersed throughout the text. Photos of Arab aircraft that aren't from a gun reticule are hard to come by and Mr. Stafrace has provided plenty of quality photographs in his book.

My biggest criticism of the book comes from the passages in which Mr. Stafrace has injected his political opinion. It is clear that he is, at the very least, moderately pro-Arab in his political thought. The chapter detailing the Egyptian Air Force shows a clear bias against the Israelis. The chapter about the Iraqis also shows a bias against the Iranians. I recommend consulting other books for better information about aerial combat between the Egyptians and Israelis or between the Iranians and the Iraqis.

I highly recommend "Arab Air Forces" for those who desire to learn more about the Arab air forces.

Review by: Maximillian Ben Hanan

This book tells a spellbinding tale of the Jewish community in the late 1800's and early 1900's. The sheer tapestry of the tale is bound to exhilerate old and young, and bring us back to the days of old.

This book is beautifully written and is an insightful look at modern-day life for Christians in Israel/Palestine. They are the minority in this tiny nation, so disturbed by militants over the years.

This book came out without fanfare and without attention by most media at a critical time in history. The Arab Middle East were being blamed for the 9/11 terrorist attacks and painted as extremist Muslims. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict was reaching its greatest intensity since 1948.
For those with a provincial media-driven view of Arab Palestine this will be an eye-opener. For those with a Western Christian perspective of the Holy Land as a touristic site in Israel this tome is a must read to remind them of their forgotten fellow Christians in the original land of Christ.
Although I have an issue with the author's attempt to stand the Palestinian Christians' values apart from the values of Palestinian Muslims, this is a superb narration of the past and present Israeli-Palestinian problem with the palpable humanity of its Christian population as its protagonist.
Its forthright honesty and non-propagandist perspective can be the only reason it did not reach in these times the aclaim it deserves.

If you believe that Israel is justified in its treatment of Palestinians, whether for reasons of security, entitlement or revenge, or if you believe that all Palestinians are culpable, this will be a difficult book. While the fear and anger behind the Israeli' reaction is understandable, neither they nor we can disregard the needs of the Palestinians or our obligation toward all humans.

Sennott will not allow you to dismiss the Palestinians. Their story cannot be overlooked, nor their treatment continue without loss of our own humanity. Sennott makes clear that the villains of this story are not the people, Jew or Palestinian, whether Christian or Muslim, but those seeking to maintain or gain power; those who have forgotten their religious heritage and merely co-opt that heritage for political purposes. He questions the message and motives of the religious leaders whose livelihood is provided by governments or political organizations. He notes the disconnection between indigenous Christians and their denominations.

The parallels between events and motivations today and those faced by Jesus 2000 years will frighten and alarm while providing insight into both the Middle East and our own lives.

You may question his journalistic impartiality. But, he is at least as critical of the Palestinian Authority as the Israeli government. His thesis is that the faiths so deeply invested in this troubled area, particularly Christianity with its tradition of non-violence and forgiveness as prerequisite to healing, are essential to the resolution of an otherwise insurmountable conflict.

You will be moved by this story. You must read it. You will also find in its message, whether Sennott intended it or not, disturbing questions about our culpability in the escalating violence and hatred. [e.g., Our government advised Israel to quickly quash the non-violent demonstrations initiated in the Christian Palestinian community because of the power of such movements; and the monetary support given by U.S. fundamentalist Christian groups to Zionist groups believing that provocation of violence would bring on the second coming of Christ.]

Read this book.