I am sorry that the money was spent to give this book to me as a gift. It is not well researched and not well written. If you have bought everything that Abbey wrote, read it all, bought everything else, read them all, gone back and read at least Desert Solitare and Down the River again, then have to be able to say "I've read everything by and about Abbey"; well then you might, but only might, consider this book. Even then try to borrow it. In fact, I'll send you mine if I haven't tossed it. I have been an Abbey fan for years, not always agreeing but always admiring the point of view. This book was truely not worth my time, I am somewhat amazed that three other people thought it was. Oh well, just as you can say this about me I'll say it about them, there's no accounting for taste.

What a wonderful book! Reading it was like sitting with the author and talking about Ed Abbey over a couple of beers. Bishop's style is so smooth and relaxing. He could give a lesson to all current biographers: we don't need to know everytime the subject had tea with someone or tied his tie over the course of 800 pages! It was just the right mix of disscussion of his life and his books. The last chapter, "Farewell..." was very moving. Edward Abbey was a man I would have loved to have known personally because he was so interesting and caustic, and especially because I don't always agree with him, which makes an interesting mix. I have read 2 novels and 1 book of essays of Abbey's and look forward to reading everything else he has written. A real nice job by the author.

James P. Bishop, Jr. has created a vivid and real picture of a great man who was as human as the rest of us. I most enjoyed how Abbey's contrariness has been captured. After reading this book, not only do I feel I've come to know of Abbey in some small way, it has given me a greater appreciation for the American Southwest and the need to speak out against government intervention. Written with frank truth and compassion ... a rare combination.

This is an odd story about a girl who is fascinated by trolls. She finds that her mother has had an experience with outsmarting a troll, and eventually the girl must also outsmart a troll she encounters while walking through the dark woods. James Marshall, the illustrator, is the author & illustrator of the beloved "George and Martha" books - I suppose the author of this book, Edward Marshall, is his brother(?). This book is easy for children to read on their own.

I believe that Edward Marshall was a pen name that James Marshall used for many of his early books. I don't know why, or why he dropped it later on.

This funny story should definitely be returned to print. It's a bit wordier than some of Marshall's later books, and it doesn't have any sequels, but it is charming, amusing, and memorable. It's also a good early-reader that features a quick-thinking little-girl heroine. A great book for all kids, and especially for girls.

This book is a wonderful children's book that should be part of everyone's collection. The protagonist- Elsie Fay Johnson, outwits a rather lumbering and not too intelligent troll.

This book does a fine job of introducing popular audiences to the long-neglected and much maligned Army of the James. Like most of the Civil War works of Edward Longacre, it is fairly well written, entertaining at times, and heavily focused on prominent personalities (as opposed to the common soldier). Throughout most of the book, readers are treated to a fascinating running narrative on the life of Benjamin Butler, the controversial political general who was the guiding spirit of the Army of the James for much of its existence. Indeed, there is almost as much attention devoted to Butler and his political ambitions as to the tens of thousands of soldiers who fought with the Army of the James.

Overall, this book does a fine job of exploring the origins of the Army of the James, following its often discouraging path through the bold campaign leading up to the battle of Drewry's Bluff, the establishment of a foothold on Bermuda Hundred, and the long seige of Richmond and Petersburg that followed. In this respect, a number of battles and skirmishes that have usually been passed over by other historians are given much-deserved attention. Throughout, the author admirably maintains his sole focus on the Army of the James, even after it was largely absorbed into Grant's forces after mid-June 1864. He also follows the fortunes of those units that were on detached service, such as Kautz's cavalry division and two divisions of the X Corps that were sent to capture Fort Fisher in early 1865.

Longacre devotes a modest amount of attention to the somewhat unique make up of this army. It always had a strong component of African-American soldiers in its ranks, and also is notable for being led by a majority of civilian volunteer officers. This led to tensions and dissentions at the highest levels, particularly with career officers like William "Baldy" Smith vying for leadership.

Missing from the book are the finely detailed accounts of the battles fought by the Army of the James. At most, Longacre provides the reader with an overview of these battles, tracing the movement of divisions and brigades, but only providing quick summaries of combat and casualties. In this author's opinion, the book suffers at many points from a lack of decent maps to better illustrate unit movements and battles. Those seeking a more detailed understanding of battles will have to turn elsewhere. For example, Robertson's excellent study of Drewry's Bluff titled BACKDOOR TO RICHMOND.

While it is true that the Army of the James was created in the Spring of 1864, this reader would have appreciated more information about the experiences of the various units and generals that joined the Army of the James prior to this year.

In the end, the reader may have mixed feelings about Longacre's sympathetic treatment of Butler. History has not been kind to this personality, and maybe for good reason. There is little doubt, however, that one will come to better appreciate the vital contributions and many sacrifices offered by the men who served in the Army of the James in the last year and a half of the Civil War.

This is a reprint of the correspondence of one of the Great Families of Cherokee History. The members of this family were the movers and shapers of a nation. They became victims in a little talked about civil war with in the nation. This civil conflict with in the people is important because it suggests a sell out and cover up by John Ross. I enjoy studying this era of history and this book gives a feel for the people involved like no other.

One member of the family who survived was Stand Watie. He later served in the Confederate States of America's Army as a Brigadier General. This book will be of interest to students of both civil wars.

Edward James' The Franks is a succinct record of the evolution of the Franks from one of numerous nomadic barbarians, trough the stages of federated allied barbarian tribe and successor kingdom to the Roman Empire, and ultimately to becoming the core of the country of France. For somebody who knows little about the Dark Ages, this book will be a revelation; if you know just the basics of Western Civiliation, this book will certainly fascinate and educate. James not only narrates what happens, but he includes numerous first hand accounts from such luminaries as St. Gregory, Bishop of Tours. Linguistic, religious, and cultural topics are examined in addition to straight history. James's focus is primarily on the Merovingian period, although he examines the Carolingian perios as well. This is not merely a detailed account of who killed who and what happened next; it is a survey of the 5th-9th century Franskish dominions/dependencies and rulers, which ranged from Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Germany, Central Europe and (of course) France. If you had only a few hours to learn a few hundred years of history, then you could do far worse than read this book

The author is faced with the difficult task of showing that T.E. Lawrence embellished his own deeds without taking away from what he did accomplish. While the myths about the man are interesting (the classic Lawrence of Arabia movie) the real story is far more interesting. A great book.

Ruth Dudley Edwards does an effective job of presenting the character of James Connolly, hero of the 1916 Easter Rising, in all his contradictions--socialist and nationalist, intellectual and day laborer, practical labor leader and socialist theoretician. She does a particularly good job of 1) selecting from Connolly's writings to show how he resolved, at least to his own satisfaction, the contradictions between socialism and nationalism, and 2) how the frustrations of his life as a radical newspaperman and labor organizer eventually led him to an alliance with romantic fatalist Pearse and the rest of the doomed nationalists of the Rising. The book is very short, and well worth the effort.

It helped me with my project and gave a lot of good facts. I learned soo much.It was a book that kept my attention. Rylee

This is a very good introduction to the most famous French baroque composers: Lully, Charpentier, Lalande, Couperin and Rameau. The book gives an account of each of the composers' lives, lists all their works and comments on their style and major achievements. It is easy to read and one quickly gets a basic overview. However, if you are interested in a deeper exploration of the composers' opus, you may find yourself wanting more details. In that case you may want to read "Marc-Antoine Charpentier" by Catherine Cessac for more information on Charpentier or "Jean Baptiste de Lully and his Tragedies Lyriques" by Joyce Newman. Both books are very informative and detailed.

A Breath Away From Sleep caught my attention at the beginning and held it to the end, a feat which every author can't do. I enjoyed learning about Paris' past, and the cool and confident way in which she handled Tyree's advances was vastly entertaining. I was shocked when Tyree's mother entered the story, and couldn't wait to see why she was acting a fool. Ebony was another good character, but I was disappointed that Paris had to disappear from the story so that we could learn about Ebony. That took away from an otherwise excellent book.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed A Breath Away From Sleep a great deal. This author has a bright future ahead of him, and I look forward to future works.

A Breath Away From Sleep by Edward Nubian James is an intriguing and interesting story that delves deeply into the emotions of the characters. Paris Hightower is a beautiful and determined 22 year old college student. And because of her beauty, she was the woman men wanted and women hated. But we all know that beauty is only skin deep, and inside Paris is emotionally scarred and still bitter from her painful childhood. Growing up she was overweight, lonely and often the brunt of taunts and cruel jokes.

When Tyree Dickerson meets Paris, he sees a confident, beautiful woman, and has no idea of the insecurities that she holds inside. The two of them enjoy spending time together and are starting to get to know each other. But when Tyree's mother steps in, long buried Hightower family secrets start to surface that will threaten lives and possibly ruin Paris and Tyree's relationship.

While this was a very interesting read, the story had one major shortfall which disrupted the flow of the book. As the story develops, Paris' character virtually disappears leaving the reader to wonder where she has gone. Overall, I feel that Mr. James tells a good story and I look forward to more of his work.

Reviewed by Simone A. Hawks
The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

I found this book to be a very interesting and fast read.The chemistry between Paris and Tyree made the pages turn very quickly. Paris and her brother had been through quite a bit not having their mother around but the influence of the grandmother was right on target. I would have liked a little bit more background on the relationship between Tyree and his lunatic mother but I'm hoping that that's maybe another book.

Reviewed by: R.Evon