This book was first published in 1984 and is still one of the better researched books covering the fighting around Cassino in Italy in 1944. In over 587 pages the author covers nearly ever facet of the fighting both from the Allied side and the Axis. From the soldier in the ruined villages and trenches to the Top Brass wondering what to do next. This is a well researched and well presented account and the story moves along with numerous maps and B&W photos to assist the reader. This is as good an account you will get covering this battle.

The author places John Piper and his work into the historical continuum of stained glass so that we appreciate the great contribution he has made in design, creative advance and the fearless use of modern materials. She does not assume technical knowledge on the reader's part and so gives clear descriptions of processes and materials. The net outcome of the book is to give Piper the recognition he deserves not only as a stained-glass artist but also as one of the leading - if comparatively under-rated - English artists of the 20th century. The book is profusely illustrated in colour the only let-down being the quality of some of the photographs, too many are either not sharp or over-exposed. Thus a rating of 7.

Valor and Lace, edited by Mauriel Phillips Joslyn, is an anthology of eleven short histories of women that lived during the War Between the States and contributed to the side of the South during that conflict. Each of the anthologies is readable and most are well researched. As with any book containing material from several authors, there are some chapters that are better researched and written than others. However, in general the book is concise and presents various aspects of the Southern woman's life during the War. The title and subtitle (The Roles of Confederate Women 1861-1865) are somewhat misleading. The book does not present a comprehensive history of women in general during the war but rather presents the reader with eleven specific cases of extraordinary women who felt the need to commit themselves to the cause for which they believed, be it the Southern cause for independence or the moral cause to care for the wounded, regardless of their political affiliation. While it would be erroneous for the reader to assume this is a true picture of every Southern woman, it is an appropriate portrayal of certain aspects of life both at home and on or near the battlefield and the role that some women played during the Civil War. This reveiwer recommends the book to any student of the War as well as to those readers interested in the social roles of women during that period of American history.

Set in upstate New York in colonial times, Cooper here tells the story of the stolid colonial scout Hawkeye, nee Natty Bumppo (don't ask), who, with his two Indian companions Chingachgook (the Big Snake) and his son Uncas (apparently newly come to manhood), stumble on a party of British soldiers conducting two fair maidens to their father, the commander of British Fort William Henry during the French and Indian War. Under the watchful eyes of the young British officer who has the girls in his charge and led by a Huron scout, Magua, the party appears, to the indomitable Hawkeye, to be at greater risk than they realize as they trek through the wilderness toward the safety of the girls' father's garrison. And, indeed, Hawkeye's judgement is soon proved right as the scout Magua treacherously betrays the hapless girls in repayment, it seems, for a stint of corporal punishment inflicted on him previously by their absent parent. Since the Hurons, Magua's native tribe, are culturally akin to the Iroquois who are the herditary enemies of the Algonquin Delawares, from whom Chingachgook and his son hail and among whom Hawkeye has made his home and friendships, a natural antagonism has arisen almost at once between Hawkeye's party and the Huron and this proves salutary, when danger finally strikes. The tale quickly becomes a matter of flight and pursuit through thickly overgrown primeval forests, over rough mountains and across broad open lakes as the beleagured travelers first elude and then flee the dreaded Iroquois (allies of the French) who have joined the renegade Huron in an effort to seize the two girls. After a brief respite within the safety of William Henry however, the tables are once again turned as Magua's perfidy puts the girls once more at risk. And now the story shifts to a manic pursuit of the fleeing Magua who means to carry off his human prey in order to finally have his revenge on the girls' father, on the British and on the Europeans, generally, whose presence in his native country he blames (not altogether unjustifiably) for his myriad travails. Written in the fine tradition of the 19th century romance (which, of course, is what this book is), Cooper picked up where Sir Walter Scott (the venerable founder of this novelistic tradition) left off, creating a rich historical tale of adventure, nobility and marvelously sketched characters set against a brilliantly detailed natural landscape. If his characters are less keenly drawn than Scott's they are no less memorable for, in the quiet nobility of the scout Hawkeye lies the strong, silent hero of the wilderness which has become the archetypical protagonist in our own American westerns. And the Indians, Chingachgook and Uncas, are the very prototypes of the noble savage, so much used and over-used today. This is a tale of action first and foremost without much plot but so well told that you barely notice, as our heroes flee and pursue their enemies in turn until the very quickness of the prose seems to mirror and embody the speed of the action. Nor is this book only to be read for its rapid-fire rendition of flight and pursuit, for it touches the reader on another level as well, as the bold young Uncas moves out ahead of his comrades to place himself at risk for the others and the woman he loves. Although we never see Uncas at anything but a distance and never get to know the man he is supposed to be, he is yet a symbol of that people of whom he is the last chiefly descendant, the Delaware Mohicans. Nobly born into the finest of Mohican bloodlines, Uncas faces his final trial with heroic energy and resolve in order to defeat the nefarious and twisted Magua. Yet this struggle is also the final footnote in the story of a people, marking the closing chapter for all those Indians who, with the Mohicans, have seen, in Cooper's own words, the morning of their nation and the inevitable nightfall which must follow. -- Stuart W. Mirsky (mirsky@ix.netcom.com

Set in upstate New York in colonial times, Cooper here tells the tale of the stolid colonial scout Hawkeye, nee Natty Bumppo (don't ask), who, with his two Indian companions Chingachgook (the Big Snake) and his son Uncas (apparently newly come to manhood), stumble on a party of British soldiers conducting two fair maidens to their father, the commander of British Fort William Henry during the French and Indian War. Under the watchful eyes of the young British officer who has the girls in his charge and led by a Huron scout, Magua, the party appears, to the indomitable Hawkeye, to be at greater risk than they realize as they trek through the wilderness toward the safety of the girls' father's garrison. And, indeed, Hawkeye's judgement is soon proved right as the scout Magua treacherously betrays the hapless girls in repayment, it seems, for a stint of corporal punishment inflicted on him previously by their absent parent. Since the Hurons, Magua's native tribe, are culturally akin to the Iroquois who are the herditary enemies of the Algonquin Delawares, from whom Chingachgook and his son hail and among whom Hawkeye has made his home and friendships, a natural antagonism arises almost at once between Hawkeye's party and the Huron and this proves salutary, when danger finally strikes. The tale quickly becomes a matter of flight and pursuit through thickly overgrown primeval forests, over rough mountains and across broad open lakes as the beleagured travelers first elude and then flee the dreaded Iroquois (allies of the French) who have joined the renegade Huron in an effort to seize the two girls. After a brief respite within the safety of William Henry however, the tables are once again turned as Magua's perfidy puts the girls once more at risk. And now the story shifts to a manic pursuit of the fleeing Magua who means to carry off his human prey in order to finally have his revenge on the girls' father, on the British and on the Europeans, generally, whose presence in his native country he blames (not altogether unjustifiably) for his myriad travails. Written in the fine tradition of the 19th century romance (which, of course, is what this book is), Cooper picked up where Sir Walter Scott (the venerable founder of this novelistic tradition) left off, creating a rich historical tale of adventure, nobility and marvelously sketched characters set against a brilliantly detailed natural landscape. If his characters are less keenly drawn than Scott's they are no less memorable for, in the quiet nobility of the scout Hawkeye lies the strong, silent hero of the wilderness which has become the archetypical protagonist in our own American westerns. And the Indians, Chingachgook and Uncas, are the very prototypes of the noble savage, so much used, and over-used, today. This is a tale of action first and foremost without much plot but so well told that you barely notice, as our heroes flee and pursue their enemies in turn -- until the very quickness of the prose seems to mirror and embody the speed of the action. Nor is this book only to be read for its rapid-fire rendition of flight and pursuit, for it touches the reader on another level as well, as the bold young Uncas moves out ahead of his comrades to place himself at risk for the others and the woman he loves. Although we never see Uncas at anything but a distance and never get to know the man he is supposed to be, he is yet a symbol of that people of whom he is the last chiefly descendant, the Delaware Mohicans. Nobly born into the finest of Mohican bloodlines, Uncas faces his final trial with heroic energy and resolve in order to defeat the nefarious and twisted Magua. Yet this struggle is also the final footnote in the story of a people, marking the closing chapter for all those Indians who, with the Mohicans, have, in Cooper's own words, seen the morning of their nation and the inevitable nightfall which must follow. If you give this book a chance and bear with some of the heavy nineteenth century prose, it will prove out in the end. An exciting and worthwhile read.

Set in upstate New York in colonial times, Cooper here tells the story of the stolid colonial scout Hawkeye, nee Natty Bumppo (don't ask), who, with his two Indian companions Chingachgook (the Big Snake) and his son Uncas (apparently newly come to manhood), stumble on a party of British soldiers conducting two fair maidens to their father, the commander of British Fort William Henry during the French and Indian War. Under the watchful eyes of the young British officer who has the girls in his charge and led by a Huron scout, Magua, the party appears, to the indomitable Hawkeye, to be at greater risk than they realize as they trek through the wilderness toward the safety of the girls' father's garrison. And, indeed, Hawkeye's judgement is soon proved right as the scout Magua treacherously betrays the hapless girls in repayment, it seems, for a stint of corporal punishment inflicted on him previously by their absent parent. Since the Hurons, Magua's native tribe, are culturally akin to the Iroquois who are the herditary enemies of the Algonquin Delawares, from whom Chingachgook and his son hail and among whom Hawkeye has made his home and friendships, a natural antagonism has arisen almost at once between Hawkeye's party and the Huron and this proves salutary, when danger finally strikes. The tale quickly becomes a matter of flight and pursuit through thickly overgrown primeval forests, over rough mountains and across broad open lakes as the beleagured travelers first elude and then flee the dreaded Iroquois (allies of the French) who have joined the renegade Huron in an effort to seize the two girls. After a brief respite within the safety of William Henry however, the tables are once again turned as Magua's perfidy puts the girls once more at risk. And now the story shifts to a manic pursuit of the fleeing Magua who means to carry off his human prey in order to finally have his revenge on the girls' father, on the British and on the Europeans, generally, whose presence in his native country he blames (not altogether unjustifiably) for his myriad travails. Written in the fine tradition of the 19th century romance (which, of course, is what this book is), Cooper picked up where Sir Walter Scott (the venerable founder of this particular novelistic tradition) left off, creating a rich historical tale of adventure, nobility and marvelously sketched characters set against a brilliantly detailed natural landscape. If his characters are less keenly drawn than Scott's they are no less memorable for, in the quiet nobility of the scout Hawkeye lies the strong, silent hero of the wilderness which was to become the archetypical protagonist of the American western. And the Indians, Chingachgook and Uncas, are the very prototypes of the noble savage, so much used and over-used today. This is a tale of action first and foremost without much plot but so well told that you barely notice, as our heroes flee and pursue their enemies in turn until the very quickness of the prose seems to mirror and embody the speed of the action. Nor is this book only to be read for its rapid-fire rendition of flight and pursuit, for it touches the reader on another level as well, as the bold young Uncas moves out ahead of his comrades to place himself at risk for the others and the woman he loves. Although we never see Uncas at anything but a distance and never get to know the man he is supposed to be, he is yet a symbol of that people of whom he is the last chiefly descendant, the Delaware Mohicans. Nobly born into the finest of Mohican bloodlines, Uncas faces his final trial with heroic energy and resolve in order to defeat the nefarious and twisted Magua. Yet this struggle is also the final footnote in the story of a people, marking the closing chapter for all those Indians who, with the Mohicans, have seen, in Cooper's words, the morning of their nation and the inevitable nightfall which must follow. The book is a bit short on characterization and plotting and the prose is heavy for modern tastes, but the action is richly visualized in the flow of the narrative and the images are compelling. In the end, despite its flaws, this book of Cooper's is, in fact, the classic we have been told it is. -- S. W. Mirsky

This book was chosen by my book discussion group this month simply because of the title. "It's June," we figured, "so why not read Three Junes?"

The book starts off well enough. The reader is introduced to Paul McLeod and his family in the first of three sections, almost novellas. Paul is on vacation to help him recover from grief over the death of his wife Maureen. The reader is told about their life together and their three sons, Fenno and twins Dennis and David, in a series of flashbacks. It's a simple domestic portrait and fairly well written.

The second section, the longest and the best part of the book, is about Fenno, who has moved from the family's Scotland home to New York City. Fenno is gay and the section mostly deals with that aspect of his life. Fenno is taking care of his neighbor, Mal, who is dying of AIDS. I pleased at how well this part of the book is written. The last part of this section about Mal's death, is especially good.

And then the bottom falls out. If the book had ended after Mal's death, Three Junes could be considered almost a great book. Instead, Ms. Glass writes about Fern, who was a minor and not likeable character in the first section. It's ten years after the first section. Fern and Fenno are staying at a friend's house, unaware of their connection through Paul, who is now deceased. The quality of the writing takes a nosedive here. Ms. Glass also reintroduces Fenno's brother, Dennis, who is totally unrecognizable. In fact, I first thought that Dennis in part 3 was a different character than Dennis in part 2 until he is specifically referred to Fenno's brother. Ms. Glass gives the reader all this detail about people that we don't even care about. I kept waiting for the parts about Fenno, who I really liked.

It seems that Three Junes really has two endings, the end of the second section and the end of the third. The reader would be much more satisfied if he or she just stops reading after the second section.

Whenever I read a book, I ask myself if this is a book that I would read again. I would read the second section of Three Junes again, but not the rest.

The first section of this book, "Collies," is superb. It depicts Paul McCleod dealing with the death of his longtime wife, Maureen, their relationship on a Scottish breeding farm and Paul and Maureen's three sons--Fenno, and twins Dennis and David. If the quality of that writing had continued, "Three Junes," would have been a great book. Sadly, this is not the case. The middle section, "Upright," dealing with eldest son, Fenno McCleod is too long, and ultimately uninteresting. The last section, "Boys," is better, but unsatisfying because the middle section has failed to fulfill the promise of the first.

Julia Glass shows great promise as a writer. Hopefully, she will continue to improve her craft and offer us more selections in the future.

This book isn't my standard cup of tea, but the reviews were so universally good, I decided to give it a try. It was wonderfully well worth the time. This is not a book you can idly pick up and scan for a while, then return to it as time allows. It is a well-told family story with personal intrigues and family secrets, none of which are so outlandish that we don't have a few of them littering our own closets. Because she needs for us to know the Scottish McLeod family well in order to propel the story along, Julia Glass takes a lot of time and pages to get us acquainted. For the reader who requires action to move a story along, this is a bit of a test, because it is the unfolding of the characters themselves that moves the story along, beautifully, heartbreakingly. It is easy to become impatient with Fenno, our main character and mini-hero, because he seems so paralyzed by his life, but read on and you will come to appreciate the many fine qualities of his character and those of his well-meaning family. I felt very satisfied upon finishing this - and ready for a trip to Greece (subplot)!

Blessed Goddess, I HOPE this was a terribly skewed book! It presents a fascinating but ultimately nauseating portrait of Alex Sanders (founder of the Alexandrian tradition of Wicca) as an egotistical, hateful, perverted individual. I found this in a second-hand shop, and horrified, read it cover-to-cover. Contains black & white photos of historical interest to modern Witches, and features naked Pagans dancing 'round a bonfire on the BACK of the dust jacket! Amazing that this book (full of photos of naked Witches) got published in 1969! Salacious, bizarre, and not-at-all flattering to Alex Sanders...I wonder if he sued after publication?

This Book is a cornerstone of Wiccan Literature. It is easy to read in biography form and explains a number of complex phenomena that were then taking place within wicca during the early generation of this past century. As it tells the story of his life, the book explores intricate balances of life and death, good and evil and of course the tender standing of wicca to the only just repealed laws forbidding the public practice of any sort of witch craft. It includes fascinating accounts of coven meetings and eary structure, sets the standard for known practise and is a must-read, along with Gerald Gardener's "Witchcraft Today". The emergance of hereditary witchcraft into mainstream society was institutionalised by the leadership of these men and their contribution of not only the newly unvieled shadows of craft, but also mystic lore of past ages and knowledge of ancient secrets and grimoires all has come to form what we recognise today as modern wicca. The only thing I felt the book lacked were color photos and maps, which are always of great value and interest.

Alex Saunders was a fascinating man whose story, as told in this book, is one I have heard from a number of sources, so if it is not true, it is still the one he wished others to believe. Some of what was written in the Johns book was later confirmed in the books by the Farrars who were, as I understand it, students of his at one time. I often wonder at the disillusion which caused Alex to stop being the priest he was. Whatever he is viewed, as personally having been at the time the book was written and in his life before priesthood, he was a knowledgable "light in the darkness" in the times when the Craft was just beginning to be important again. This book is about those times. It does not comment or criticise his life. It is, rather, a reporter's view of it. For one in today's world to speak ill of the facts in this book simply serves as one's judgement of his personal life, not his life as a priest which, fortunately, June Johns has not seen fit to do. The purity of her approach sheds light on the times in which the events took place. Such judgement is based on life today, not life as it was in ancient times or even as it was in Alex's time. Although I did not know Alex personally I knew people who did and who respected him, as he was one of a very few who were the fathers and mothers of the Craft as it grew in modern times. Johns has done a good job of research and the stories of things that happened to Alex are remeniscent of things which happened to many people working in the Craft during those years. How those things came to pass and how he handled them may be quite different, but this is meant to be one man's story and I wish they had printed another several thousand copies, for I would have had every student I have ever had read it as backgroud for the old histories. Wherever he is today, I wish Alex the best as, I am sure did June Johns. The magical and Craft stories in this book are beautifully detailed and the problems which assailed every one of us in the time of Alex's priesthood and our learning of the difference between magic and the religion of the Craft are precious to us all. I am writing to locate another copy since mine disappeared years ago. If one reads this with an open mind to a culture fast disappearing beneath the glamour of today's self-initiated and racy cultural Wicca, they will find a man who truly tried to preserve what he had learned and follow the law to pass it on to others. DEA Boreadean Order of Druid and Feryllt

Big, fat, slow volumes--very costly. Scholars would prefer CD-ROMs. Thanks for listening.

"The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant" is a project begun in 1962 for the purpose of publishing all the known letters written by Ulysses S. Grant. Volume one was published in 1967 and there are now twenty-four volumes in the series. People who follow Grant's career are aware of the inestimable value of this project. The Papers contain all known correspondence written by Grant and letters received by him. The editing of the series is unparalleled and the volumes represent primary source material at its apex.

Those who believe Grant was a "drunkard" or a "butcher" should read his own words, which show Grant's humor, pathos and unique personality. Masterfully edited by John Y. Simon, these volumes are a "must have" for anyone with an interest in U.S. Grant as a general, a politician and as a man

I've read 100+ Civil War related histories, biographies, soldier accounts and such over the last four years - this is the absolute worst. An understanding of something as complex as the Petersburg aspect of the Overland Campaign demands coherent text and readable maps. This offering by Horn offers neither. One of the few instances where I learned nothing from my efforts.

The loss in April 1865 of the railroad center at Petersburg, just south of Richmond, sealed the doom of the Confederacy. The campaign for Petersburg was a long siege operation of grueling trench warfare marked by bloody battles, incompetence, political maneuvering and cowardice. It was the type of campaign that both Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant had originally wanted to avoid. The Petersburg Campaign: June 1864 - April 1865 is a dramatic narrative supplemented by special charts covering strengths and losses for both sides. Confederate desertion rates, and statistics for other sieges of the Civil War. Sidebars discuss styles of command, the famous Crater explosion, the role of snipers and sharpshooters, and the campaign's no-quarter encounters between Souther whites and Union men of color. The Petersburg Campaign is a significant and welcome contribution to the growing body of Civil War literature and will prove much appreciated by students and historians of the great American conflict that threatened to divide and destroy the nation.

This book has some good pointers and provides good strategies for giving your opponents the biggest rhetorical butt-kicking of their life, but their methodology is far too rigid. "Be gracious to your opponent" they say and "Make concessions." I have always been a fan of agressive arguing and find the arguing style the professors who wrote this book to be a little too passive. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy using this book for class. It may have proposed an largely ineffective way to write persuasive essays, but it was at least very informative about what it had to say. Most of the essays they include as examples of argument stlyes are very well written. While I reccommend this book for your writing classes, I must warn you not to take the text of this book as rigid dogma meant to define how all papers should be written. Go with what your gut feeling tells you, and you will shine.