In a word, WOW! Having read Mr. Blackwood's first book, The End of Enemies, my expectations for The Wall of Night were high--I was not disappointed. Before finishing the prologue it was clear TWoN would require full concentration to follow the rich plotting. If that sounds like work, it's not ... the characters, pace, etc., automatically engage the reader's full-attention-mode. If you're looking for a fast-paced, addictive (as in very hard to put down) story, here is one available at a bargain price. The only downside is that book number three is not yet available.

Blackwood's first book "The End Of Enemies" was an outstanding
book. His second book is another fine book. In this book our agent Briggs Tanner is once again the hero.Twelve years earlier Tanner had been sent into China to help Heneral Soong defect to
the west.The escape was broken up by the secret Chinese police
the Guoanbu.Tanner barely escaped with his life. Now Soong wants to defect again.It is up to Tanner to go back in after him.During
his rescue journey the world is perched on the brink of a major war.Tanner is forced to pull off a daring rescue under trying conditions.The ending of the book is also very good. Read this new book and discover an outstanding author. You will be pleased.

Grant Blackwood's new book is a sizzling blend of mystery, suspense and political intrigue.
For me a good book needs three criteria:
One - is it a page turner...it was. I couldn't wait to see what was happening in D.C., Russia and China.
Two - am I sad it's ended....I was.
Three - can I jump right into a new book or not...NOT. I am still in China with Briggs Tanner.
If you LIKED "End of Enemies", you'll LOVE "Wall of Night".

As much as I enjoyed THE STAR KING, I could not imagine enjoying a sequel any more but I must say that I did! THE STAR PRINCE is every bit as wonderful as THE STAR KING was!

This is the story of Ian Hamilton, Rom's stepson. Rom has thrown Ian a curve when he named him as his successor to the throne. There are those Vash individuals who feel an Earth dweller would not make a good successor. Ian has been given a secret mission to check out the Frontier but not only does his ship keep getting sabotaged but his pilots keeping drinking themselves to death.

Tee'ah Dar, Rom's niece, has been a good Vash all of her life but all she wants to do is fly. When her parents tell her they have made arrangements for her marriage, she runs away. She runs into Ian at Donavan's Blunder when Dar guards confiscate her stolen star cruiser and leave her stranded. Ian has never met her so he doesn't know who she is. When he finds out she's a pilot he hires her right away. This is only the beginning.

Hang on to your hats for a wild ride through space. This is a one sitting read. I know I stayed up far to late in the night reading just one more chapter to this incredible book. I know I, for one, will be avidly awaiting to see what Susan Grant will come up with next.

Ian Hamilton's upbringing had not prepared him to become the crown prince of the galaxy. His life took that strange turn after his mother married Rom B'kah, and his new stepfather became the Vash Nadah king. Rom unexpectedly named his stepson as his heir, although Ian has no Vash Nadah blood in him. The Vash Nadah nobility were predictably scandalized. Rom immediately puts Ian to work trying to find the source of discontent on the outer edges of the galaxy, an area that includes Earth and its restless inhabitants, many of whom aren't particularly enthusiastic about being part of any galactic federation. Ian's job isn't easy and gets harder when his pilot drinks himself to death on an out-of-the-way planet.

Tee'ah Dar is a high-ranking member of the Vash Nadah nobility, destined to marry well and settle into the constricted life dictated for women under its constraining social customs. She wants to be a pilot and see the galaxy, instead, so she "borrows" a star ship and runs away. When she finds herself stranded on an out-of-the-way world, her only hope for escape is to sign on to pilot a ship stranded when its pilot dies unexpectedly.

Ian and Tee'ah strike sparks off each other immediately. Tee suspects who Ian is, and his association with the world she's fleeing concerns her. Ian worries that his new pilot appears to have a drinking problem, which is the last thing he needs. Neither of them needs a romantic entanglement that can't go anywhere, but the more they learn about each other, the deeper their feelings for each other become.

The Star Prince is a wonderful futuristic romance with a well-paced plot, warm, engaging characters, and a number of nice little touches that make the futuristic background feel complete and credible. Throwaway details such as the rainbow-colored bubble-bots performing in a street-show evoke an exotic feel without being intrusive.

The characters are sympathetic and engaging. Ian, in particular, is a terrific hero, a man who is challenged to fill a position he never anticipated. He brings all his considerable intelligence, charisma, diplomacy, and daring to a role complicated by political entanglements, conflicting loyalties, language difficulties and family problems. You can't help but root for Ian and Tee to find a way through the seemingly impossible complications to find a happy ending. The resolution is both unexpected and very satisfying.

The Star Prince has found a place on my "keeper" shelf.

Princess Tee'ah Dar was sick of enduring life in isolation as Vash Nadah tradition demanded. In a desperate bid for freedom, Tee'ah stole a starspeeder to begin a new life doing what she loved most, flying!

Ian Hamilton, an Earth dweller who was the heir to the Trade Federation and crown prince of the Vash empire, was deep undercover. He posed as Ian Stone, a trader of black market items. He was determined to bring the human people of Earth, the Vash people of Sienna, and all the people in the Federation together in peace! However, freak accidents and bad luck kept getting in the way. When his pilot died, Ian's crew was stranded on an awful world called Donavan's Blunder. Ian's critical mission would have failed right there, had a spunky pilot, Tee, not happened to appear. But neither Ian nor Tee told the other who they really were.

King Romlijhian, Tee's uncle, sent Gann Truelénne after the runaway princess. To do so, Gann had to hire Lara Ros, a master tracker. Gann and Lara clashed instantly, but are forced to work together if they were to succeed.

The galaxy would never be the same again!

In a word, "W-O-W!" And throw in a few "WOO-HOO's!" Why? Because Susan Grant has created an amazing universe with some very interesting characters to turn it upside-down! The story was well written and very believable. I could not help but cheer Tee's bravery. When the name "Susan Grant" is on the cover, readers best hold onto their seats because it's going to be one heck of a ride!

Though synonomous with the victory of Zama, there is a wealth of information about Scipio Africanus, military, political and social, that has been tragically lost among the annals of history. Better than any other book of which I am aware, Hart's title does a great service in bringing much of this information back into the limelight in a manner that was easily readable and enjoyable, a clear cut and direct approach to an immense topic. Saying that book opened up my eyes to the exploits of one of history's greatest captains would be an understatement, as in fact it thrust my attention upon what is certainly antiquity's and possibly history's finest captain. Scipio's military campaign in Spain, an endeavor clearly captured in this book and described in detail, may be the greatest forgotten campaign in history. Displaying a strategic and tactical sense that seems unrivalled until the days of Napoleon, Scipio won victories with a decisiveness under overwhelming odds and the oppression of a jealous senate that set him high above the military mastery levels of Caesar without a doubt and probably even Hannibal and Alexander as well. However, it is these lesser captains that have been immortalized in history and Scipio that has been forgotten, and Hart's discussion of this reality is one of the most spectacular portions of the book. That chapter alone would be well worth your purchase of this fine selection. The claim of this book holding relevance for even modern military students is also highly justified, as the intellectual ability of Scipio on both a military and, often more importantly, diplomatic level, serves as an example for all future leaders of men. Without a shred of doubt, I would highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in history, military, government or humanities in general, as the relevance of it cannot be understated, as it unfortunately has been for so many centuries.

Hart's book makes a strong case for the consideration of Scipio Africanus Major as one of the truly great military commanders of history. I have spent a great deal of time reading ancient and military history and have always been annoyed at the lack of information about this historical figure. Plutarch, argueably the greatest biographer ever, when writing his 'Lives' (a comparison of noble greeks and romans) intentionally omitted a description of Scipio and his greek counterpart Epaminondas because he felt they were the supreme examples of their respective societies. When I was fortunate enough to find this title on Amazon, I bought it no questions asked. This book would be a bargain at twice the price. Hart does an excellent job of presenting Scipio's military career and specific engagements in detailed and entertaining fashion. The material will appeal to both the beginning and hardcore military history buff alike. His descriptions of specific tactics as well as examples of Scipio's personal integrity are thoroughlly entertaining. Machiavelli in his classic 'The Prince' described how Scipio attempted to emulate and imitate Cyrus ("the great" - ancient Persian commander). I believe, that Hart has made the case to consider Scipio as greater than not only Napoleon, but Cyrus, Alexander or Ceasar.

The title tells you what Liddell Hart thinks of him: in his estimation, Publius Cornelius Scipio was the greatest general of all time. At first blush this may seem a pet theory: Scipio's name is unfamiliar to most all except classics scholars and opera buffs. But in a detailed, illuminating account of Scipio's career, Liddell Hart prosecutes his theory with vigor. As he explains, "greatness" is not properly measured in terms of body count or territorial gain; to find a "great captain" one first looks for someone who knows precisely what needs to be done in order to achieve a strategic objective, and finds the tactical means to do this. Scipio's trumphs in New Carthage (Spain) and later his annihilation of Hannibal's army at Zama and later exploits in Asia are proof of this ability. Above this, a great general must have a sense of proportion, of measuring the success of a particular strategy in terms of its long-term impact. In this respect, he argues, Scipio wins out over Napoleon, because he never went to excess in the pursuit of his military goals. He was never greedy, bloodthirsty or unrealistic: witness his refusal to pursue endless and futile conquests in Asia, or the relatively generous terms that he offered Carthage in the Punic Wars. Liddell Hart's concept of "greatness by restraint" also reveals his own perspective on military affairs: writing as he did in the 1920s, he was very subtly expressing his profound disgust with many of the WW1 leaders. Tis book can thus be read on two levels: Liddell Hart's derision of Cato (the genocidal Roman senator who, following Scipio's retirement, eventually persuaded Rome to raze Carthage to the ground) can be interpreted as a latter day commentary on the politicians who deluded themselves that Versaille had won them an everlasting peace.

The Dark Tower series is amazing. There is no better way to put it. King uses colorful descriptions to hold the reader captivated as he does in all his books. This wonderful combination of fantasy, science fiction, and modern times creates an ongoing story that the reader will never be able to put down. In short, I Love this series, and it will stand as my all time favorite. Although it would be difficult to choose, I would pick "Wizard and Glass," as the best book so far. Roland's love story is the main reason I felt obliged to read the entire series a second time. I wait in anticipation of the fifth book.

Nothing King has written is more gripping than Roland's quest for the Dark Tower. Each time I read these books, now including Wizard and Glass,I am more and more drawn in. Most exciting among the things I liked is the way time is no longer constant in the world, and is actually unravelling it. I LOVE that. It is Roland's sole purpose to right the world and restore the Tower. Will he reach the Tower? Even King himself is unsure. The books are filled with wery interesting references to our world, and obscure "otherworlds". Also expect to find cool concepts of physics, great action scenes, and a few things that will make you sit there and wonder: Now why in the hell did he(King) do that!? The whole series is wery different from King's writing norm, but they are still wery classic King. It is also exciting to understand that he believes the Dark Tower world spawned his other books, that the Dark Tower was there first. That's my own interpretation of the afterword in Wizard and Glass, I may be wrong. Read these books, and they will take you away. Sounds cheesy, but that's the facts , jack! These books are absolutely GREAT!!

I'd give this series 10 stars if I could. The Dark Tower story line is incredibly complex. The characters, Roland, Eddie, Jake, etc. are so complex and brilliantly described that they feel like people you know. Stephen King is the ultimate master at creating and molding characters. The Dark Tower books change the way that I look at the universe. The Dark Tower and what it holds is incredibly complex and simple at the same time. Life. Imagine this, that we took a trip out into space, passing the planets of our solar system and eventually emerging out of the Milky way. eventually we come to a boundary where our universe ends. We break throught this boundary and realize that our universe is nothing but an atom in a single blade of grass, which belongs to another universe entirely. And when things start going wrong, it is simply because the blade of grass is drying up.

This explains what the universe is like in "The Dark Tower." Read these books. You will be amazed.

"Go then, There are other worlds than these."

Tryin' to Sleep in The Bed You Made by Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant a Review by Eshaunda Howard

Gayle Saunders and Patricia Reid were total opposites who chose each other as best friends when they were children. Through the years they were raised together, as close as sisters. Gayle, the beauty, pampered by her working-class parents, believes a man will make her world complete. Pat, the brainy one, is the hand-me-down child whose mystery parentage haunts her. She's determined to finally make a home for herself, in the executive suite at the top of her career. And then there is Marcus Carter, linked to both women from the moment a childhood tragedy takes the life of his older brother that bonds them in secrecy.

In all honesty, I feel that this book has had a good impact on me. In a way it has given me advice on how to handle the realities of life. I could see parts of myself in Pat, because I am like her in many ways a hand-me-down child, the result of losing one parent and the other not giving a damn what happens to me, being raised by my Aunt out of obligation first, and love second. Unlike Gayle's family where I guess you can say that they love her a little too much, to the point where they shelter her from the realities of the world which causes her to go throughout most of her life half blind and letting other people do the thinking for her.

I learned a very important lesson from her life: not to shelter my children from the painful realities of the world whether it is encouragingly good or terribly harsh. Gayle's situation has taught me that it is better to explain everything to my children in the best possible way that I can, letting them know first hand what is going on. To give them the chance to learn and think for themselves, without them having to depend on me solely to do their thinking for them.

The novel Tryin' to Sleep in the Bed You Made is a very realistic tale of two girls that are bonded by their differences, growing up together brings them closer than any best friends can get. Yet, their different goals set them apart as they learn to deal with the realities of life. But, what both girls go out in search of leads them right back to each other. This novel deals with some of the harsh realities that life throws our way. Reading this novel is like seeing parts of my life being lived through Patricia Reid and Gayle Sunders being able to become a part of their lives, being able to live and learn from their mistakes is what I believe is to be one of the great things about this book. Any person who reads this book will benefit from it unquestionably. .

Tryin' to Sleep in The Bed You Made by Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant a Review by Eshaunda Howard

Gayle Saunders and Patricia Reid were total opposites who chose each other as best friends when they were children. Through the years they were raised together, as close as sisters. Gayle, the beauty, pampered by her working-class parents, believes a man will make her world complete. Pat, the brainy one, is the hand-me-down child whose mystery parentage haunts her. She's determined to finally make a home for herself, in the executive suite at the top of her career. And then there is Marcus Carter, linked to both women from the moment a childhood tragedy takes the life of his older brother that bonds them in secrecy. In all honesty, I feel that this book has had a good impact on me. In a way it has given me advice on how to handle the realities of life. I could see parts of myself in Pat, because I am like her in many ways a hand-me-down child, the result of losing one parent and the other not giving a damn what happens to me, being raised by my Aunt out of obligation first, and love second. Unlike Gayle's family where I guess you can say that they love her a little too much, to the point where they shelter her from the realities of the world which causes her to go throughout most of her life half blind and letting other people do the thinking for her. I learned a very important lesson from her life: not to shelter my children from the painful realities of the world whether it is encouragingly good or terribly harsh. Gayle's situation has taught me that it is better to explain everything to my children in the best possible way that I can, letting them know first hand what is going on. To give them the chance to learn and think for themselves, without them having to depend on me solely to do their thinking for them. The novel Tryin' to Sleep in the Bed You Made is a very realistic tale of two girls that are bonded by their differences, growing up together brings them closer than any best friends can get. Yet, their different goals set them apart as they learn to deal with the realities of life. But, what both girls go out in search of leads them right back to each other. This novel deals with some of the harsh realities that life throws our way. Reading this novel is like seeing parts of my life being lived through Patricia Reid and Gayle Sunders being able to become a part of their lives, being able to live and learn from their mistakes is what I believe is to be one of the great things about this book. Any person who reads this book will benefit from it unquestionably.

I finished reading this book yesterday, and I'm still in awe! DeBerry and Grant did a superb job of telling a beautiful story of frienship, betrayal, love, forgiveness, and letting go of the pain of the past. I wonder how the authors went about writing the book together, because it reads as though it was written by one person. One person with a profound voice, and a way with words that had me laughing out loud at some points, pissed off at some points, and crying like a baby at other points. And the way they wrote that Ramsey character! I fell in love with him right along with Gayle in the scene where she lost her virginity to him! And I was ready to take him back for Gayle in that scene in the cemetary! I think I identify more with Gayle than with any of the other characters in the book, but I loved them all!

This was definitely one of the best books I've read this summer, and I would even read it again. And I don't usually read books more than once, no matter how much I like them! I would also love to see this book made into a movie. For some reason, I see Vanessa L. Williams as the perfect Gayle. But enough of my raving about the book. If you haven't read it, you should! Believe me, you'll be glad you did!

Beagle's dreamy prose would be reason enough to read this fantastic fantasy novel, but the interesting plot, memorable characters, and subtle underlying plot about the need for truth and justice in the world is one that every reader will take with them to the end of thier lives. The major characters (the beautiful unicorn who becomes Amalthea, failed magician Shmendrick, and jaded scullery maid Molly Grue) are all very real, relatable characters, and not the ones you'd find in a typical fantasy. Lir is likable and realistic as the "Hero", minor characters such as the cat and the spider are lovable, and even the villains (the people of Hagsgate, Haggard, and Mommy Fortuna) are not typical villains. Beagle makes his novel so memorable, perhaps because instead of relating to the perfect heroine, the reader relates more to Molly Grue, or Shmendrick, or even Haggard. The Bull and the Unicorn are symbols - it is the human characters of this book that make it what it is. The ending of this novel is perfect - it left me in tears, and I couldn't decide if I was happy or sad. I could rant and rave about the splendor and beauty of this novel forever, but it wouldn't make any difference. Peter S. Beagle's novel "The Last Unicorn" is perhaps the best book ever written, certainly the best fantasy novel, and I give it the highest reccomendation I can possibly give. Get it now!

The Last Unicorn is one of most astounding books I have ever read. Not only because of the story, which is a fairytale in every sense of the word, but also because of Beagle's flawless writing, which weaves a spell of words and images that I find myself willingly ensnared in every time I open its pages. I find myself lingering over each sentence, each word, and I am astounded by the care with which he tells this tale.

Once upon a time, there was a unicorn. A beautiful unicorn... who was all alone. She sets out on a journey to seek others of her kind and is joined on her travels by a bumbling magician and an old spinster, neither of who are what they first appear to be. Encountering magical monsters, outlaws and suspicious townspeople, the three travelers find themselves at the gate of a forbidding castle wherein lives a cruel king and a gentle prince. It is in the walls of this castle that the truth lies. But can they accept what the truth will bring?

Beagle tells an amazing tale, of love and loss, of heartache and hope. Each of the characters in his work has such life and depth, and I see myself in each and every one of them. From an inept magician who desperately seeks to be more than what he is to the outlaws who cry out with loss of that which they have never known, there is so much life in these few short pages that I find myself reading and rereading each page, afraid lest I miss something. When Schmendrick cries, "I'll make you into a bad poet with dreams!" I want to laugh, but at the same time I want to cry with pity, with unexplainable sorrow for something I can't quite understand and am not sure I want to.

The Last Unicorn is about more than just a quest for unicorns. It is also a story about the things that we love and what we will do - or not do - for that love. It is about what really defines a hero, and what constitutes a happy ending. But most of all, it is about magic. Joy. Sadness. Beauty. It is about all the things we are and all the things we long to be. It is a breathtakingly beautiful story by a wonderful writer, and I recommend it as one of the best books I have ever read.

I have read this book a numerous amount of times and I still learn something new every time. It starts out making you think that it's generally about a unicorn who cannot find others like herself in the world. A butterfly comes by and tells her that a creature called the Red Bull has driven all the unicorns into the sea for his owner, King Haggard. This unicorn was the last. So the unicorn sets out on a journey that would forever change her life. Along the way, she meets a want-to-be wizard, but he is only a kindly skinny magician. And a woman named Molly Grue. When finally they reach King Haggard's castle, the Red Bull senses the unicorn's presence. The only way the unicorn can escape and save her people is by turning into something else. So her magician turns her into a human. They get into King Haggard's castle and stay there for a while. And as the unicorn becomes more human, she forgets that she was once a unicorn and she forgets her mission and why she actually came to King Haggard's castle. And through everything, the unicorn learns to love, cry, and even regret. And as her last few touching words, she says, "I am the only unicorn that regrets. I regret. And I thank you for that, too." It's a must read for any emotional lover of fantasy. Or even anyone who isn't. You'll love it. It's an amazing look at the human world of emotions through the eyes of a creature who has just began to feel them.

The Count of Mote Cristo is a really exciting and fabulous story; I really enjoyed the book while reading it. The main character Edmond Dantes is about 21 years old, and for him, life is just full of success. He is a successful merchant and is about to be promoted to captain of a ship. At the same time, he is also about to marry a beautiful young girl whom he has loved for a very long time. But amidst all of these happy things, misfortune strikes, and Edomnd Dantes finds himself to be a prisoner in the Chateau D'If for life. He is a prisoner because he is betrayed by his so-called "friends" and rumored to be a servant of Napoleon Bonaparte. However, something miraculously happens, so read it to find out.

Although this novel is usually thought of as a story of revenge, it has an even deeper meaning than that. This story not only warns people who betray others, but it also promotes love, friendship, and most of all hope. When the Count of Monte Cristo comes back and seeks revenge, he also meets some friends on the way that move his heart. Some of his friends become poor and have a sad life because of his imprisonment long ago, but they still hope that he will return and they wait for him day by day. The count rewards them in a secret way, and shows how important it is to have hope in one's life even when there looks like no hope. So when you read this book, keep in mind that there is more to it than just vengeance.

This book is very pleasant and I finished it in a couple of sittings. It will definitely put you on the edge of your chair and you will hardly be able to put the book down. This book is for all kinds of people, but it is especially for people that think life is hopeless, because as this book will point out, nothing in life is ever hopeless.

This is and will probably continue to be my favorite boook of all time. It has got everything you could possibly want in a book. It's got betrayal, love, imprisonment, vengance, action, drama, and comedy. But you can read the synopsis for yourself.

More important than the plot of the story is that the reader will learn to love Edmond Dantes, the main character. They will admire his strength, his wits, his arrogance, and the way he learnes from his mistakes.

The reader will also learn to completely hate Danglars, Villefort, and Fernand. Every single horrible thing that happens to them, the reader will truly believe is justly deserved, even when Edmond believes it's too much.

The writing is also wonderful. The reader will practically be transported to France as they read this novel. The word choice is so magnificent and the sentences flow so well that the reader will feel every emotion that the characters do, and will probably even taste the sweet Parisian air in their mouths.

I first read the Signet Classic abridged version, and I thought this novel was great, but then I picked up the unabridged Modern Library version and enjoyed it even more. This book will change your life and I would highly suggest that everyone in the world read this book. Move over Shakespeare because you have just been dethrowned.

I must admit, I first picked up The Count of Monte Cristo about ten years ago because I liked the cover art (a different edition than this one). Within five minutes of reading it, I was hooked. The next 1,000 pages simply flew by and I literally could not put the book down. For someone who's never read it before, it's an enthralling tale of treachery, despair, hope, and ultimately a quest for vengeance. After finishing "The Count", I immediately sought out every book by Dumas I could get my hands on (The Three Musketeers, Ten Years After, and The Man in the Iron Mask). They were all exceptional reads, but none of them matched the brilliance of "The Count ."

Any reader who enjoys tales of adventure and has a taste for historical novels will love this book. I thought the recent movie version was excellent too, but I highly recommend reading the book first.

Grant's memoirs are a must-read for any serious student of the Civil War. While praise is heaped upon Confederate generals such as Lee and Jackson, Grant's legacy has always been a little more uncertain. His reputation has been associated with allegations of drunkenness, and with an apparent unflinching ability to send men to their slaughter which this book helps to dispel.

Lincoln loved Grant, as he was the first Union commander who seemed willing to fight it out with Lee's army, and who enjoyed any consistent success. When one considers Grant's predecessors at the helm of the Union army, one can understand Lincoln's enthusiasm. You had McClellan, who never read an exaggerated report of the enemy size he didn't believe; "Fighting Joe Hooker", flanked and embarrassed at Chancellorsville; Burnside, who foolishly sent wave after wave of Union soldiers across the Rappahanock to attack an impregnable stone wall at Fredericksburg; and Pope, who was soundly beaten at Manassas. Meanwhile, Grant caught Abe's attention with his successful siege of Vicksburg in the summer of 1863, as Meade was beating Lee at Gettysburg.

Reading Grant's Memoirs is a fascinating experience, as the war, at least that part of it involving Grant, comes to life in the hands of a thoughtful commentator. Grant was obviously there, and he shares informative communications with his inferior officers (such as Sherman) and with the President. Grant sent many men to their doom to be sure, (the Wilderness campaign comes to mind as being especially bloody and ineffective), but overall you get the sense that Grant was respected by his men, who were happy to be marching forward and not backwards after a battle. He restored a sense of pride and accomplishment that was sorely lacking in the Union rank and file. He gave cogent reasons in his memoirs for the actions undertaken, sometimes admitting mistakes in humble fashion, and sometimes explaining why a siege would accomplish the same overall goal without unnecessary bloodshed.

My only regret is that Grant didn't live long enough to write a companion memoir about his presidency, which was clearly outside the scope of this book. Readers who have gotten this far in the Amazon review process are no doubt aware that a broke Grant, stricken with painful throat cancer, wrote out his Memoirs of the Civil War right up until the end of his life to provide financially for his family, finishing the book days before he died. We should all be grateful that he was able to preserve these pages for prosperity, they are truly a model of military memoirs that I consider an extremely rewarding reading experience. When one considers the circumstances in which Grant composed this work, the end result is nothing short of miraculous.

I have never been much of a Civil War fan, but after reading "The Killer Angels" by Shaara, a historical fiction about Gettysburg, I was interested in following up with some non-fiction about the most important event in US History. This book kept me turning the pages from end to end. Despite its bulk (some 618 pages) I simply couldn't put the book down, as Grant's matter-of-fact description of the events that surrounded him was completely engrossing.

Grant was not an extraordinary man or brilliant tactician, his soldiers did not have the same obsession with him that the South held for Lee, he simply saw the war for what it was, a campaign against a rebellion. He looked at the entire war in its entirety, from battlefront to battlefront, and he repeatedly used that to his advantage. Many times he makes reference to deploying troops to no clear end other than to occupy an enemies flank, this often as a junior with no authority over the battle as a whole. Grant was a man of action, who realized he had to take a step in order to walk a mile. He took the battle to the enemy, divised clear and necessary steps which were needed to win the war as a whole. He was a general who did not just see the war as independent sets of battles, but saw those battles as a means to ending the Civil War.

One of my favorite parts of the text was watching the scope of Grant's vision widen. Starting with his actions in the Mexican American War his vision is very limited: he sees only the immediate battle, and his descriptions focus on minutiae reflecting his low rank. His vision escalates with his rank, until the end of the book, with the surrender of Lee, he sees and describes the entire army, and battles that would have once taken chapters to described are now dismissed in single sentences.

My one disappointment with the book was that it ended with the surrender of Lee at Appomatox. I would have liked to learn more about his actions after the war, and especially learned more about his presidency. I wish that there were similar autobiographies by other presidents, and certainly feel that this one elevated my expectations of all other autobiographies!

Favote Excerpts:

"It is men who wait to be selected, and not those who seek, from whom we may always expect the most efficient service." - Grant (page 368)

"All he wanted or had ever wanted was some one who would take the responsibility and act, and call on him for all the assistance needed, pledging himself to use all the power of the government in rendering such assistance." - Grant on Lincoln (page 370)

"Wars product many stories of fiction, some of which are told until they are believed to be true." - Grant (page 577)

"To maintain peace in the future it is necessary to be prepared for war." - Grant (page 614)

"The war begot a spirit of independence and enterprise. The feeling now is, that a youth must cut loose from his old surroundings to enable him to get up in the world." - Grant (page 616)

That U.S. Grant is telling one of history's great tragic and glorious stories as the key actor would make this book a fine piece in its own right. He has a gift for story telling that renders his Personal Memoirs compelling and engrossing. One of the best books I have read. It is remarkable from several levels. First, it is undeniably great history. The story of our Civil War is moving enough to leave a tremendous impression upon the reader in Grant's hands. Second, this book is a great study in management. Grant succeeded where scores failed at similar command levels throughout the Civil War. He did due to his: knowledge and focus on his mission; his ability to conceive plans that served his mission; his ability to have alternatives that stayed the course; his ability to learn from mistakes and experience; his calm in the face of stress and chaos; his decisiveness and his willingness to take reasonable risks.

This book surprised me by being an excellent management study. The lessons which are easy to take away from the book are aplicable to anyone who is faced with mission definition and achievement. It should be must reading in MBA programs.

Grant's lack of ego is surprising when compared to other Civil War figures and high achievers who have reflected on their lives and actions. By not only focusing on things that went right for Grant, the book has a tremendous credibility borne of real life trial and error, frustration, lessons learned and later employed.

A great book.

De Tocqueville was simply of one of the great social scientists writing about America and Democracy. From reading the book I deduced that De Tocqueville was a social scientist before Marx! He compares European culture and government with the fledgling culture and democracy he observes in America. He is very much impressed with what he sees taking place in America in the 1830's and hopes it will spread to Europe. He at first believed that America's prosperity was simply due to geography and their distance from powerful neighbors, he abandons this idea after his visit to America. He comes to realize that the West is not being peopled "by new European immigrants to America, but by Americans who he believes have no adversity to taking risks". De Tocqueville comes to see that Americans are the most broadly educated and politically advanced people in the world and one of the reasons for the success of our form of government. He also foretells America's industrial preeminence and strength through the unfettered spread of ideas and human industry.

De Tocqueville also saw the insidious damage that the institution of slavery was causing the country and predicted some 30 years before the Civil War that slavery would probable cause the states to fragment from the union. He also the emergence of stronger states rights over the power of the federal government. He held fast to his belief that the greatest danger to democracy was the trend toward the concentration of power by the federal government. He predicted wrongly that the union would probably break up into 2 or 3 countries because of regional interests and differences. This idea is the only one about America that he gets wrong. Despite some of his misgivings, De Tocqueville, saw that democracy is an "inescapable development" of the modern world. The arguments in the "Federalist Papers" were greater than most people realized. He saw a social revolution coming that continues throughout the world today.

De Tocqueville realizes at the very beginning of the "industrial revolution" how industry, centralization and democracy strengthened each other and moved forward together. I am convinced that De Tocqueville is still the preeminent observer of America but is also the father of social science. As a retired Army officer and political philosopher, I found this book to be a must read for anyone interested in American history, political philosophy or the social sciences.

Toquevilles' Democracy in America, written over a century and a half ago, is almost as relevant today as when it first appeared in print. Outside of the Federalist Papers, no book is as essential to a American student of political philosophy as this. This book is neither a manifesto of the right or left - both sides can draw powerful arguments (and lessons) from this work. Paramount to the book are the conflicts between equality and liberty, which today remains the core difference between the major political parties. Toqueville also predicted the rise of America and Russia, as well as the growth of the central government - a hundred years before it became reality. His praise of the American system of decentralized, voluntary associations is also dead on. A wonderful book.

This book has an abundance of profound observations of both praise and constructive criticism of the American political system, delivered in a richly eloquent and distinctly objective manner by a young Nineteenth Century French aristocrat/lawyer with a very impressive grasp of enduring political reality. The heart of Tocqueville's message is twofold: (1) his praise of Americans' voluntary associations as prime examples of what results from individuals pursuing enlightened self-interest, and (2) his warning that American democracy has the potential to devolve into pervasive majoritarian tyranny by an all-powerful central government covering the surface of society with a network of small complicated rules and treating citizens like children or timid and industrious animals, in perpetuity. In other words, he accurately predicted the out-of-control bureaucracy and rule by opinion poll which is now inflicting its hypnotic popular tyranny upon us. END

I just finished "The End of Enemies," and I can't remember the last time I've enoyed a book as much. Right from the prologue, I couldn't put it down.

This is Grant Blackwood's first published work, and I would rank it with any of Clancy's or Cussler's. Like these authors, Grant Blackwood has the ability to weave complicated military and intelligence detail into the story in such a way that it can be enjoyed by civilians and appreciated by military people. He also possesses an understanding of geo-political undercurrents that further enriches the story. The action is fast-paced, the characters are unforgettable (even the ones you'd like to forget) and the ending is a stunner.

This is a well-researched, well-written, fun read. I can't wait for Briggs Tanner's next adventure!

As I said in my review of Blackwood's second book (Wall of Night, which I read first), I generally don't go for suspense-thrillers, but neither The End of Enemies nor The Wall of Night are ordinary suspense-thrillers. My husband, who does read a lot of these kinds of books, agrees wholeheartedly.

If I had a spot on bookshelf devoted solely to "books I couldn't put down", both these books would be the first ones there!

Chapter one of The End of Enemies starts out with Blackwood's hero, Briggs Tanner, vacationing in Japan where he witnesses a murder. Once involved in finding out the who/what/why of the crime, Tanner finds himself neck deep in a deftly woven plot that takes him to Alaska, to a mysterious island in the Pacific, and finally to war-torn Beirut.

One thing that I especially liked was that the action and adventure wasn't gratuitous -- everything in the story belonged there, instead of being "planted" simply to add thrills. Every piece -- from characters to sub-plots - fit into the larger whole. I really like that in books, and too often find it lacking.

The verdict on The End of Enemies? 10 stars if I could! Great action and intrigue, fun and compelling characters, and a plot that pushes you ahead to the final page and a great finish.

Mr. Cussler's cover quote says it all: The End of Enemies is pure fun, pure adventure!

I picked up this book Friday evening and couldn't put it down all weekend. In fact, that's my only complaint: I lost some sleep because I couldn't tear myself away from it.

Suspense, action, intrigue, espionage, globe-trotting adventure, and great characters--including the main guy, Briggs Tanner, who's a real hero's hero--The End of Enemies has got it all. Heck, it's even got a fair amount of mystery for those of you who like your mysteries with a dose of adventure.

If you like Cussler, Clancy, Wilbur Smith, Frederick Forsyth, Robert Ludlum, and all the other biggies, The End of Enemies is right up your alley. i highly recommend it. And the ending... Well, let's just say I don't think I took a full breath until the very last page!

Only one question: When's Blackwood's next novel? I can't wait!