I recently learned that I got a 5 on the AP Exam and I have no doubt that part of the reason for this is that I used this book to study. With that being said, the book does have its problems. The information in the book is exhaustive in detail and attempts to teach the reader everything there is to know about European History; a noble attempt, but wholely unecessary! "Big Purple", as my friends and I referred to the book, is excellent when combined with a shorter, more concise review book (I split my study time between it and "Cracking the AP Euro Exam") but is far too dense to stand on its own...it'll drive you nuts if you try to prepare studying from it alone!

For AP European History exam preparation, I used three review books: ARCO, PRINCETON and REA. Each of these
books had something unique that made studying productive...and definetely got me higher than a three (I don't know for sure, I
just got back from the test an hour ago). I'll give you the basic information about each one:

ARCO-this book has a short historical review, but the writing style and page format are IDEAL FOR HIGHLIGHTING and
putting in sidenotes. The tests were relatively easy and the "how to take the test" parts are worthless, But this book is
PERFECT FOR GETTING THE BIG PICTURE. The practice essay questions at the end of each chapter had an enormous
impact on my success, but lacked explanations and sample essays; what I did was write the essays and then I had my teacher
look at them.

PRINCETON-this review book has a COMPREHENSIVE SECTION ON HOW TO TAKE THE TEST. The historical
review is more INTRICATE than the ARCO book, but sentences are wordy and is NOT IDEAL FOR HIGHLIGHTING OR
NOTE TAKING. The tests were harder than in the ARCO, and contained detailed explanations. The book helps put together
the pieces of the puzzle, but not as well as ARCO. In addition, a helpful index appears in the back of the book.

REA-This book goes into WAY TOO MUCH DETAIL. I would highly recommend it to those students with die hard teachers
though. For the regular joe, THIS BOOK CONTAINS SIX PRACTICE TESTS. Some questions will make you scared, but
for the most part, the questions are general and straightfoward, just like the real test. The essay questions are great too; sample
essays appear with the answer keys after each test.

I recommend the ARCO book in order to get the BIG PICTURE.
I recommend the PRINCETON book for it's HOW TO SECTION and SEMI-DETAILED HISTORICAL REVIEW.
I recommend the REA book for it's TESTS.

Other than that, its your choice.

Oh yeah, if anyone tells you that the test is hard, tell them that they didn't work hard enough. As long as you put the time and
effort in, you don't screw around in class, and you realize that YOUR GRADE IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY, you'll do fine. I
had a lazy teacher, but I managed to pull it off. ;-)

Well, my first look at this book brought on a wave of overwhelming feelings (It's nearly 600 pages). But don't be alarmed. I was an A (94-96%) student in AP Euro, and I can recall facts generally within a time FRAME pretty well. I've already taken the exam, and I can guaruntee you this: There are about 8-10 questions from this book ACTUALLY ON the AP Exam. This book COMPLETELY BEATS the Princeton review, if that's what you're thinking of using. Most of my friends found that the Princeton book actually had time periods MISSING. Use this as your primary study source (or your only study source) and study AT LEAST 2 weeks prior to the exam, and you're set. I haven't gotten my results back yet, but I'm almost certain of a 4, with most probably a 5. Good luck to all that take it, and bring some Gatorade and PowerBars, that 15 minute break is crucial!

I was inspired by the compilation of bird dog stories found within this book. If you enjoy the excitement, fear, despair, and elation associated with the training, ownership and running of all breeds of bird dogs, you will enjoy this book. The authors help you relive the moments you have endured with your own dogs in addition to helping you imagine the hunts you have yet to experience. This is a definite must read for bird dog enthusiasts.

I borrowed this book from a friend and had a tough time putting it down. Great stories from writers who truly love their dogs. A few of the essays are sad, but all of them allow us to share a part of a fellow dog lovers life with his best friend. Definitely a must read.

Sweetwater and Gunslinger are the cllsigns of the crew of an F-14 fighter which was, when this book came out, the US Navy's top interceptor. While two-man aircews should be enough to generate the structure around which can be built a great aviation novel (like "Flight of the Intruder"), it's wasted here as we watch the two engage in the sort of antics popularized in Top Gun while the top brass watches powerless, and aged admirals watch wishing they could be young nuggets again. Much of the novel is episodic, and not written very well, following the boys as their aircraft carrier charts the expected hostile waters, but we never feel as is we are actually there. The airplanes aren't fully realized, nor are the struggles of becoming a proficient aviator made out well enough to describe the charachters and why their superiors tolerate them. Ditch this book for anything else by Coonts.

Althoug I enjoyed this book it was more of a collection of short stories with a connecting theme than a real novel. The main charachter "Sweetwater" is not featured quite as much as the title suggests and many of the other charachters are not described enough to give you a clear picture of them. I laughed at several spots an d at the end wasnt too dissapointed.....