EDWARD G. LONGACRE IN HIS "THE CALVALRY AT GETTYSBURG" PRAISED JAMES HARRISON WILSON, AS A "...DYNAMIC NEW CALVALRY LEADER... ." LONGACRE TOOK WILSON AND BREATHED LIFE INTO THE LESSER KNOWN BUT BRILLANT UNION HORSEMAN, WHO GAVE CONFEDERATE NATHAN BEDFORD FORREST HIS ONLY 'LICKIN' IN THE CIVIL WAR. AFTER A SHAKY LEARNING EXPERIENCE AS DIVISION COMMANDER IN THE WILDERNESS CAMPAIGN IN 1864, WILSON CHARGED HIS WESTERN CALVALRY CORPS CONTINUALLY AFTER JOHN BELL HOOD'S BELEAGURED ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE UNTIL IT BECAME LITTLE MORE THEN A SHADOW OF ITS FORMER STRENGTH. NEVERTHELESS, LONGACRE DELIVERED HIS PROMISE OF A BALANCED BIOGRAPHY IN HIS BOOK GRANT'S CALVALRYMAN: THE LIFE AND WARS OF GENERAL JAMES H. WILSON. WILSON WAS BORN IN 1837 AND GRADUATED SIXTH IN HIS CLASS AT WEST POINT JUST IN TIME FOR THE START OF THE WAR BETWEEN THE STATES. LONGACRE MOVED THROUGH THIS PERIOD OF MATURATION AND QUICKLY PLUNGED INTO HIS CIVIL WAR YEARS. THE GENERAL'S ACHIEVEMENTS AS WELL AS HIS EGOTISTICAL AND AMBITIOUS PERSONALITY ARE MINGLED IN AN INFORMATIVE TALE. WILSON WAS SO BOLD OR WAS IT ARROGANCE THAT ALLOWED HIM TO CRITICIZE THE GREAT U. S. GRANT, ONCE HIS IDOL. ALL OF WILSON'S MILITARY AND CIVIL LIFE IS PRESENTED FROM THE CIVIL WAR THROUGH THE SPANISH AMERICAN WAR. WILSON WAS ALSO INVOLVED IN THE INTERNATIONAL EVENT CALLED THE BOXER REBELLION IN CHINA, WHILE AT THE AGE OF EIGHTY, HE PUSHED FOR COMMAND OF AMERICAN TROOPS IN WORLD WAR I. SCORES OF BOOKS HAVE BEEN WRITTEN ABOUT FLAMBOYANT CALVALRY LEADERS LIKE CUSTER, STUART, AND SHERIDAN, WHO POSSESS A MOSIAC OF ABILITIES AND SHORTFALLS. BUT WILSON ACHIEVED MILITARY SUCCESS IN BOTH THE 19TH AND 20TH CENTURY FAR SURPASSING ANY OTHER FORMER CIVIL WAR CALVALRY LEADER. MR LONGACRE HAS GIVEN THE GENERAL HIS JUST DUE.

This is the funniest western I've ever read! My favorite along with Lonesome Dove. I love his country sayings. I laughed out loud and was sorry that the book ended. Didn't know this book existed until I stumbled onto it in a library. A Lewis book is like a John Wayne movie, based on history, spurred with suspense and spiced with humor. The perfect formula for any book. I'd love to have the Lomax set! Why are they out of print???

but, I believe that anyone interested in numeric codes in the Bible can not pass up the books written by Del Washburn. "The Original Code in the Bible" and "Theomatics II" clearly explain the subject of Theomatics to the reader. "The Original Codes in the Bible" is a great place to start. It is a much easier read than "Theomatics II" which is equally good, but longer and more technical. Theomatics is 100x (or more) provable than the more popular "Bible Code" which in fact has been debunked in many peoples' minds.

Del Washburn has been researching in Theomatics since the 70's and the body of evidence in support of the Theomatic code is astounding. I can only wonder why this so obvious phenomanon has not received more attention... then again, isn't that how God always works?

If you want more understanding as you read the Bible, read this book. This book proves that God is the Master Mathematician and we're not. Actually, I'm not any good at math at all, but I understand the basic concept Harrison is writing about. As a matter of fact, its easy to do this stuff yourself. For example: In Chapter 8 I read that "153" is Jesus' celestial number, so I found out on my own that the word "lamb(s)" is in the Old Testament 153 times (Jesus is the "Lamb" of God that takes the sin away from the world)! Also, regarding the 144,000 Jews that will be saved after the rapture, I counted Jerusalem in the New Testament and its in there 144 times! I love this book! Go for it - you can find your own pieces of the "God" puzzle as I have. God is letting us in on so many things. Don't miss out!

All I can say is get this book. Take time to read this book. You will not be disapointed.

First there was "The Stainless Steel Rat", our introduction to Slippery Jim DiGriz, aka the Stainless Steel Rat, a high-tech, futuristic conman and thief, who is caught after a long and successful career by the galactic special corps, and recruited to join them because it takes a thief to catch a thief. Then followed four more books in chronological order, "The Stainless Steel Rat's Revenge", "The Stainless Steel Rat Saves The World", "The Stainless Steel Rat Wants You", and "The Stainless Steel Rat For President". Then, apparently growing bored with the direction his stories were taking, Harrison retreated to the beginning and wrote the prequel, "A Stainless Steel Rat Is Born". This book is the sequel to that one, and is in turn followed by "The Stainless Steel Rat Sings The Blues".

There are dangers to writing prequels that were unplanned at the time the original story was written; this book mostly avoids them. It is necessary to make it plausible that the character/s have had these experiences prior to the later stories, and that their characters have developed from these experiences into the character/s they are at the beginning of the original. It is easy to see how the Jim DiGriz from this book became the Jim DiGriz at the beginning of the original. It is also necessary, and much more difficult, to make a story that is interesting, but yet have it remain plausible that the events in it are not referred back to in the chronologically later, but earlier written, stories. Surprisingly, that too is managed well in this book.

What that leaves us with is a book which succeeds well at what it sets out to do: to be a fun romp, action-packed, plot-driven, not to be taken any more seriously than it takes itself, which is not very, but enjoyable brain-candy. The dialogue is a bit stilted, the characters are somewhat two-dimensional, the "philosophy" propounded by the members of the alien culture is downright silly, and Harrison never lets a little thing like consistent characterization get in the way of keeping the plot lively; DiGriz is supposed to be brilliant, but he makes enough stupid mistakes to keep himself in one exciting crisis after another. This isn't anything like great art, but it IS fun, and sometimes that's all you want. For those times, this is a perfectly enjoyable light read.

When I first starting reading Harry Harrison, I thought that he was an average writer. Later, however, I realized that he is far from average,. His earlier Stainless Steel Rat were not as good, but I think he was just getting used to the Slippery Jim diGriz character. "Stailess Steel Rat Gets Drafted" was not his best but definetly one of them.I would tell anyone to read this, in a second. Thanks for taking the time to read this review.

This is the book that got me started on the whole Rat series. This book is great! It is exciting, and humorous. I recomend it to everyone.

If you have never read Harrison, this is a great place to start. An entertaining read and fine introduction to the humor, wit, and insight of one of our most engaging authors. You'll hear Harrison's voice for weeks after finishing this book. And you'll want to read more.

This is an incredible book that drove me into a writing career. Jim Harrison has the rare ability to write about people, not heroes or monsters. You leave this book feeling the story may be exaggerated, but that these people were real. Stumbling upon this book in high school opened my eyes to the joys of character-driven stories. It's a bad road trip, but one you'll be glad you took.

James Siegel has created a novel with shock value as its vantage point -- and I mean that in a good way. This fast-paced, engrossing and gripping thriller will have you turning the pages onto the late hours of the night.

Charles Schine lives quite an ordinary, if perfunctory, life. However, things haven't been going so well as of late. His white-collar position as creative director at an advertising agency never fails to stress him out, his daughter's childhood illness has him in a state of turmoil, and his marriage has fizzled out. But in a twist of fate he meets a beautiful stranger on a late morning train ride to Manhattan. Little had he known that meeting said woman would change the course of his life in ways he'd never envisaged...

There are some rather gruesome scenes in this novel. At first I thought some of the scenes were an attempt to shock the reader, but as the story progressed I realized that those scenes were essential, for they emphasize the ongoing terror the protagonist encounters throughout the novel. The narrative is excellent and the characterization is precise. I take one point off because the dialogue is resonant to that of a suspenseful film at times. Sometimes I got the impression that Mr. Siegel leaned the novel toward notable film script material. Other than that, Derailed is one of the most entertaining and gripping thrillers I've read in quite a while. Highly recommended...

Oh, the heavy price of a dalliance. A single misstep. After experiencing DERAILED, I'll wager the temptation cannot be nearly attractive enough to stray from the straight and narrow. For me, it certainly isn't. The cost is simply too high. If you don't believe me, read this book.

Charles Schine's life isn't going too well. After 12 years on a prime advertising account, he's yanked off and given a schlock assignment, a real slap in the face --- and that's just at work. At home, he lives with the strain of his daughter's diabetes and keeping her alive, wondering how many more days she will be with them. Her illness makes her cranky and irritable, leaving him with bittersweet memories of his little girl back when she was a normal child.

To top it off, his wife doesn't turn him on anymore. They go through the motions of everyday life without a shred of joy. The outlook seems bleak. So when Charles meets Lucinda --- sexy, shapely Lucinda with legs up to there --- he dreams of escape into Lucinda's beautiful arms and not-unsubstantial charms. All of a sudden, he feels very lucky. It looks like life has seen fit to give him another turn at happiness.

As you read along, lulled into Charles's sense of blissful contentment, a nagging doubt grows all the while that it can't last. Let me tell you now, it doesn't. Things turn ugly --- utterly and extraordinarily ugly. Close on the heels of the new lovers' frenzied trysts come scenes so gruesome they slap you back to reality and beyond --- into the depths of what I imagine as Hell --- with seemingly no way out. Charles is catapulted from the height of heady infatuation into a dire situation, then into a desperate situation, then farther into a totally hopeless situation.

He experiences some small victories and hopeful recoveries, but the hole he's dug for himself threatens to bury him alive with every turn of the page. Every scheme he cooks up to free himself just digs him in deeper. To be fair, Charles is an advertising executive, not a world-wise street thug. While we may imagine the streets of New York as tough and dangerous for the unsuspecting, we probably don't imagine them this dangerous. Faced with an unthinkable solution, we wonder just how far we would go to save ourselves. The author presents one man's answer. How can Charles ever get himself out? Just watch him.

DERAILED is a book that scares, angers, repulses and leaves you hoping for a happy ending. Don't get me wrong; it's not all unpleasantness. It's a page-turner if ever there was one. Sometimes I wanted to leave the room and the book with it, but the mystery always drew me back. While I can't picture myself falling into such circumstances, the plot as it unfolds could really happen. It is an entirely plausible story --- and that's what really frightened me.

--- Reviewed by Kate Ayers

If there were a measurement for the addictive character of a book ' that subtle quality that hooks the reader early and makes the book virtually impossible to put down ' 'Derailed' would be the Gold Medallist. First time author James Siegel tells the story of Charles Schine, a New York advertising executive who, meeting a beautiful female executive while commuting on the Long Island Railroad, soon finds his typically mundane life spiraling ever more deeply out of control. Siegel's prose is fast, tight, and riveting, with just enough non-linearity to keep the reader on the edge. Yet despite the leanness, characters and settings are fully developed and wholly credible. Think of Tom Wolfe's 'Bonfire of the Vanities' on pure adrenalin, written with the economy of words and razor wit of a master advertising creative director (which Siegel is). Reviews have paralleled 'Derailed' with Hitchcock ' a valid comparison in the unexpected twists. But much of the allure is in the pure believability of the plot - the realization of how fragile the boundary between 'boring but comfortable' and sheer, unmitigated terror is. Bottom line: if you are only going to read one thriller this year, make it 'Derailed'. Just make sure you don't have any plans for the next several hours when you start.

The crime scenerios are very creative in this book. Character development is sacrificed somewhat by the breivity of the story. It is a very quick read and is pretty action packed and humourous. Enjoy!

Normally I am not a fan of sci-fi. Most of the sci-fi I have read takes itself wayyy too seriously and requires readers to be absolutely fascinated with technology, technology, technology. For those of us, however, who are more interested in people, personalities and motivations, and who appreciate a snappy, clever writing style, The Stainless Steel Rat makes a surprisingly good read. The main character, Slippery Jim DiGriz, is one of those "likeable bandit"-type characters whom you want to root for even though they are technically breaking the law. I am thinking of, for example, Butch Cassidy (played on screen by Paul Newman in 1972), "The Grey Fox" (played by Richard Farnsworth around 1982), and the George Clooney character in the 1998 movie "Out of Sight." These characters, like Slippery Jim, are daring, sassy and iconoclastic in their lawbreaking careers, and all of them revel in a justifiably high opinion of their own professional competence at what they do. Yet they also have a lot of warmth and personal charm and happen to place a high value on human life. They are thieves, not murderers. I really like that. What makes the Stainless Steel rat book particularly entertaining, for me, is Harrison's witty, lively writing style (although he does have a habit of misusing commas--this is why I give the book 4 stars instead of 5), and most of all, the philosophical questions that are (inadvertantly?) posed now and then by the story. For example: Jim changes his identity several times by altering his physical appearance and making up a new bogus personality and personal history to go along with it. Yet his inner self remains the same at all times, which we (the readers) know because he shares his true inner thoughts with us. (As a narrator, Jim is 100% reliable--he levels with us always, even when he is lying to others.) So his identity-changes beg the question--what makes up a person's "true" identity, anyway? If we are not our names, jobs, values, personalities, and personal histories, then what makes us "ourselves"? It is fascinating to me that he maintains such a clear sense, for himself, of who he really is underneath all the changes. In short: I love The Stainless Steel Rat for its innovative main character, its psychological insight, its lively writing, and the intellectual substance I find in the story--even though it is sci-fi, which I don't usually like.

Rather like the old 'Batman' television series, veteran sci-fi writer Harrison's 'Stainless Steel Rat' books work as both entertaining pulpy adventure stories, and tongue-in-cheek parodies of themselves. Featuring a hero who is more resourceful than McGuyver, the books spanned the 60's and 70's before being revived quite recently with 'The Stainless Steel Rat goes to Hell'. 'For President' and 'Saves the World' were the high spots - the series eventually met with dimishing returns, and started to repeat itself. The original 'Stainless Steel Rat' was a short story - after repeating it in mildly-edited form as a 'prologue', the book follows our hero (James Bolivar DiGriz, aka Slippery Jim, aka the Stainless Steel Rat) through a short adventure through space in pursuit of a stolen battleship. With the first part of the book given over to an introduction of the main character, it seems more rushed than the later books (many of which are, annoyingly, out-of-print). It's less obviously comedic, too, and the vision of the future is sketched with enough vagueness that it hasn't dated too badly, either.

The amount of time and work Kinney put into this is amazing, and deeply appreciated by the fans of Thurber. The most insightful portions of the book seem to be the letters Kinney so carefully excerpted, particularly the ones Thurber addressed to his daughter Rosemary. Kinney successfully links the letters' content to particular Thurber cartoons or essays. The titles are whimsical, too, befitting the subject: "Those Clocks of Columbus", "Those Violets in the Snow", phrases culled from some of Thurber's essays. My only complaint is the lack of critical commentary on Thurber's writing; Kinney sometimes has a sentence here or there from some distinguished writer/critic, but I'd like to see an appendix with a variety of takes on the Thurberian canon. And...Kinney seems just a wee bit reverent about Thurber, a little more so than I like in a biography. I'm also crazy about "Jamie", but I expect a little less awe from a scholar. However, I'm nitpicking. I've enjoyed the book so much that I always take it with me and read it on my way to Columbus, Ohio, when I attend the literary picnics at Thurber House. (Before you think I drive like Thurber, let me assure you my husband drives--and we live 50 miles away, so I have an hour to read.) Rereading portions of the biography always makes a festive time even better.

Mr Kinney has given the world (and us fellow "Thurberphiles") a much needed comprehensive critical biography of America's premire 20th century humorist, author, and artist--James Grover Thurber. Mr Kinney's work is well researched and represents over 30 years of painstaking effort, culminating in a plethora of priceless insights and background details concerning this great American author and artist. As an avid (but amateur) Thurber historian and fan, I found the book to fill a much needed space on the shelf of American literary history. Mr Kinney traces Thurber's life, through his early years in Columbus, OH, and later, New York and abroad. He provides historical insight into the early "JT" years at the NEW YORKER staff, and supports his writing with many primary source interviews, papers, photos, letters, etc... While I would have preferred to have seen the use of footnotes and better documentation of sources, the book is still impressive all the same (i.e., he quotes letters and documents but fails to indicate which library/university/private collection, etc., they come from). This book is a "must" for all literary historians and Thurber fans as it provides the best to-date historic timeline and detailed explanation of Thurber, the man: his loves, hates, successes, and failures. To be honest, there are several places where the sheer volume of details and correspondance could overwhelm the novice (despite the book's smooth readability, you will not finish its 1,105 pages over a weekend!). But Mr Kinney should also be praised for his habit of providing a brief outline of each Thurber piece discussed. This serves to assist those readers who may not be throughly familiar with Mr Thurber's works. In addition, his Biographical Update at the end, is an excellent vehicle for tying up the historical and biographical "loose ends" with a "where are they now?" approach. Despite the impressive research however, I did find two very minor inaccuracies: the first one on page 291, where Mr Kinney (referring to Thurber's "Remembrances of Things Past") describes Thurber getting French chickens drunk on bread soaked with "bad wine". In actuality, "Calvados" is not wine, but a brandy made from fermented apples, particular to the Normandy province of France. Also, on page 900, Mr Kinney infers that there was only one Thurber cartoon that depicted a man at a typewriter. This statement is confusing since I've found four Thurber drawings that depict men at typewriters, in addition to the one he is talking about (captioned: "He's giving Dorothy Thompson a piece of his mind"). Despite these minor flaws, Mr Kinney's book is most welcome and should serve for many years as a "one-stop" springboard for others interested in delving into James Thurber's life and influence on American culture. Bravo!

This was my first bite into the words of Harrison, and I quickly bought three more of his afterwards. Wolf is not so much about Harrison's hero searching for the beast, but of him searching to find himself in the reality he has thrown himself into over the years. Drying himself off of bourbon and physical and mental loves over the years, while reminiscing over his well travelled youth. With humor and words that are true to the way we speak and think. Sometimes he'll ramble in newfound dreams while walking alone through the woods, where it's hard to follow, but its interesting to see inside his mind during these times. We truly follow his train of thought, which is important in understanding and relating to the man. Harrison's world lives in all of us...

Under The Volcano in the deep and dark Michigan woods...Great writing from a great, underappreciated writer. Harrison knows how to hunt with the best of the hairy chesters, but he also knows how to cook. He knows how to tell the plain truth and wax rhapsodic about the stalking the lonesome.

This book may be hard to appreciate at first, but I've lost count of the number of times I have read it. It is a powerful book, and the quality of the fictional dream-- my primary measure of excellence in literature-- is bewitching, and, in my estimation, difficult to surpass. F*#k, my best advice is to order it immediately. It is my sincere belief that there is at least a 95% probability that you will agree with me after reading it. Like the crass commercial says: "JUST DO IT!"

Focusing primarily on the intricacies of political history with occasional forays into the realm of socioeconomics, this book is notably dry. Because it covers several centuries in one not especially long volume, it doesn't seem to have been possible for the authors to describe any one topic in enough detail to really draw the reader in. The emphasis is almost completely on small details of elections and campaigns. The history of women and minorities is slotted in here and there, though this reader found it interesting that the authors feel the need to make a statement about the immorality of slavery while not feeling obliged to comment on the forcible taking of land from Native Americans. I would have liked to have seen a chapter on the natural environments and topography of the state so as to understand the ecosystems in which people have lived, but ecological history doesn't seem to have been an interest of the authors'. Overall, this is useful as an introductory volume but is really not what I'd call exciting or engaging. Perhaps the book's greatest fault is its dearth of useful maps. There's no good relief map and the maps overall are scanty and simplistic.

Spohie a thirteen-year-old girl goes on a sailing trip all summer. Her adoption-mother is worried sick about her while she is gone. She goes with her two adoptive cousins and her three adoptive uncles. They are sailing from America to Ireland to get to her grandpa Bompie's house. They make it to Bompie's house and Bompie tells them his stories from when he was a child.

On a scale from 1-10 I would give this book a 7 because it is about her life. It is a very good book. It has good details and strong words. This book has intresting characters and good settings that a lot of books don't have. I would recommend this book for kids the ages 8-12 years of age.

A welcome new history of the first state to be established west of the Appalachians, it is written in an engaging style. Each period of Kentucky's history is throughly covered. The index allows for a quick search of key events and persons. The book is very comprehensive overall. While the authors provide a "history from the bottom up" approach in that they look beyond just the "famous men" of the Commonwealth, other minorities are missing. My only criticism would be that the authors should have explored the impact of hispanic immigration into the state in the chapter covering the 1990's (this is a relatively recent phenomenon), as well as the incipient gay rights movement represented by the Fairness Alliance in Louisville. These are a part of social history that needed to be explored. Well, hopefully in the next edition of the book. Since this volume appeared, both of these subjects have received extensive coverage in the press. History is being made by both groups in the Blue Grass state as we go into 2000 and beyond, history for the next edition of "A New History of Kentucky"