This book is a wonderful excursion into the sometimes wacky history of New York City! I lived here all my life and their were many things I did not know about which I learned while reading this fantastic book. It's a roller coaster ride of the most unususl, yet true stories that must be told! It.s a great book for anyone, but if you live in NY, You NEED this book...

I've been reading Frank Borzellieri's work for several years and his writing is outstanding. His other book "The Unspoken Truth" was a political treatise. I'm so happy he wrote a quasi-history book like this. The stories in "It Happened in New York" are fascinating. The Blackout of 1977 was chilling and frightening. The Cardiff Giant Hoax was humorous. Willie Sutton robbing a bank; Niagara Falls drying up. Fantastic! Plus, I never knew that there were witch trials in New York. I thought they were all in Salem, MA. This book is terrificly entertaining and at the same time informative. These events are treasures, as is this book. Great job again, Frank!

For those of you looking for a good story, you won't find it here. You will find MANY stories. All of them very good. For lovers of history this is a must book. It is very factual and unlike most factual books, it is enjoyable reading also. Ms. Capo has a way of telling history and making it fun. And it told me many things that happened in history that I didn't know about. Where can you go wrong? This is a keeper book for anyone who enjoys reading. And for anyone who enjoys history. This is not a book you will want to trade in at a used book store. This is one you will want to keep on your bookshelf forever. Do yourself a favor and go out and buy it today. I did.

HABRIA MUCHAS FORMAS DE DESCRIBIR LA HISTORIA, MAS TAL VEZ SERIA SUFICIENTE DESCRIBIRLA COMO LA HISTORIA DEL SER HUMANO QUE POSEE CALIDAD Y BRILLANTEZ. VALORES QUE EN ESTE SIGLO SON OLVIDADOS POR LOS INSUFRIBLES VALORES MATERIALES.

DE LECTURA FLUIDA, SIN GRANDES PRETENSIONES ESTRUCTURALES MAS CON UNA SENSIBILIDAD DIGNA DE SER VIVIDA, ESTE ES UN LIBRO QUE NOS RECUERDA QUE EL SER HUMANO, ADEMAS Y ENTRE OTRAS COSAS NUNCA DEBERA OLVIDAR SU PROPIA CONDICION HUMANA. ES A FIN DE CUENTA LA LITERATURA QUE NOS NUTRE HORA TRAS HORA. Y ESTA ES A FIN DE CUENTAS LA CULTURA QUE NOS PERMITE CRECER.

LO RECOMIENDO SIN NINGUNA EXCEPCION.

Es una historia real. Es increible como su hijo mayor saco su familia adelante y como su padre no le importaba su familia dedicado al alcohol. Fue muy duro en que los ninos se acostaran sin comer cuando su padre se bebia el dinero, y como la gente era tan ignorante para todo. Aveces leia y me daba coraje. Queria meterme en ese libro y caerle a patadas al padre y toda esa gente ignorantes. Hoy termine de leer mi libro y quisiera leer la continuacion. Es un libro maravilloso y triste. Quisiera saber cuando van hacer el proximo libro en Espanol. Estoy impaciente por leerlo.

La forma en que McCourt nos relata lo que fue su infancia en un país como Irlanda, nos hace pensar lo que pueden estar pasando muchos niños en el mundo. Por eso, al leerlo tenemos que sensibilizarnos y llorar por todos ellos que están pasando por lo mismo. Una novela cruda,triste y hasta alegre; pero 100% real

In this wonderfully rich autobiography of a second-generation Italian-American boy growing up, I laughed out loud as Frank relates the humiliating experience of being "beaten up" by, of all things, a girl....even while wearing his beloved aviator cap. This episode was told with such reality; I felt I was there and I rooted for him. Alas, he was KO'd by Mary. All of the endearing adventures he encounters are laced with wit and humor. He doesn't pull any punches (no pun intended) when he talks about the oddities and eccentricities of his beloved family. He waxes eloquently about them, even nasty Uncle Frank, the godfather to our author, and his comic aunt who brings laughter to the dinner table with her "machine" to produce the melodic sounds of flatulence. As an Italian-American, I could relate to so many of the funny and, sometime, poignant vignette's Frank describes. A must read and so dearly enjoyed, it will be done in one or two sittings. You will not be able to put it down until Frank closes with his views on the "afterlife".

From a graceful waltz to an exotic tango, it can all be found in "Let it be a Dance." Frank's magical way with words delivers you to the very streets of his childhood, returns you to the uncertainties of adolescence, young love, adventure, and the marvels of fullfillment with career and family. His wit and honesty allows the reader to accompany him on his many heart felt adventures. I found myself gallantly reflecting and returning to times past, in my own life, and recognizing the splender of those times.
He travels a warm and uplifting journey through life's myriad of disappointsments, confussion, and exhilarating adventures, and invites us to come along. I couldn't put this page turner down. It was a gently reminder of all the warm and truely wonderful things life has offered all of us and how truely grateful I am to have had the opportunities to travel my own journey. If I am given a choice to sit it out or dance, I'll dance.

"Let It Be a Dance" is an extraordinary little book that has universal appeal. It transcends age, culture, and education and goes straight to the heart! At first blush this is an honest and touching autobiography of one man's life journey. The stories feel warm, ordinary, and hauntingly familiar. Calabria's descriptions are simple yet exquisitely vibrant. He speaks in pictures that enable the reader to literally envision his memories as if watching an old time movie. He paints an image of the neighborhood where he grew up that is so vivid you can almost see the houses, hear the music and smell the aromas of an Italian family meal.

It is a pleasure to read this story. Calibria is able to draw out your emotions as if he were playing a musical instrument. His wit is quick, unexpected, and hilarious. In an instant his stories can move you to unexpected tears or crack you up with laughter. This is a book that is likely to have a profound impact on it's reader but at the very least, everyone will enjoy the read and wish that Frank Calabria was their grandfather.

The magic of "Let It be a Dance" is that the author has managed to make the insignificant significant. He reflects on his life experiences with such deep respect that the ordinary becomes profound. Awesome stuff! His lesson is simple yet possibly life-altering. Learn to treasure both the sweet and the bitter sights, sounds and hidden memories of your life. Calabria is a master teacher; his lesson is there for the taking.

This is the best book I have read about what the average young man entering the war in the air force experienced in WWII. It takes you from college years to combat to missions and being shot down, then a prisoner of war for almost two years. You experience the real feel of the effect the loss of comrades had on these young men taken from homes, and colleges etc. to fight in a war. They had no fighters to protect them as they went over German targets in occupied and German countries. Day by day they saw more and more fellow airmen go down in flames. It is real and gripping to read and the emotions you experience stay with you long after the last page is turned. What heros they were.
Many details, many photos, a book we all need to read.

Many books have been written on the air war in the ETO but none have captured the detail of the early raids of the 8th Air Force as does Frank Murphy's book, "Luck of the Draw". The early portion describes his younger years up until joining the USAAC. His descriptive powers and keen observations of events and missions leading to his final one on the Munster raid, have a clarity and insight on what it was like in those early days of combat, without the benefit of fighter escort. His time in Stalag Luft III is graphically recalled with an almost detached view of what was going on around him as he and his comrades struggled to survive. His observations and detailing of events for one so young, is truly remarkable. To be able to relive them in his writings marks this as one of the finest historical accounts of WW II combat from a man who saw it all. He was fortunate enough to be blessed with the ability to write it for the benefit of those who have followed WW II air combat history. If this book is kept along side the "Munster Raid" by Ian Hawkins, you don't need to have any other books to cover what it was like in the horror that was the air war in its early days over Europe. The sacrfices of those "teenagers" who made up the majority of the aircrews and those in their early twenties, makes one realize why they are looked upon as a remarkable generation.

Ken Wright

Luck of the Draw is the best personal account of the strategic air war over Europe that I have ever read...and I have read a lot of them. It is much better than Ambrose's Wild Blue and it is a shame that Wild Blue get's all of the attention. In addition to the usual personal account, Mr. Murphy provides a lot of very interesting technical information unique in books of this type; such as layout of the box formations, records on the fate of the Bombers and crews, descriptions of German attack strategies. Highly recommended

I thought I knew the Monterey region fairly well until I was given this book as a present! It is packed with great "bites" of information: natural history, human history, and how to get to all the beaches and parks. The writing is easy to understand, friendly in a way, and even fun. The maps are very helpful, and the book even has resource sections with phone numbers, website urls, and directions. AND, the photographs are stunning. A great gift for visitors, home libraries, or the glove compartment of your car.

I received this book as a gift and was immediately taken by the depth and breadth of this book. If you are traveling from Ano Nuevo to Monterey get this book! The author and photograper bring this spectacular shoreline alive with great descriptive copy and super photos(you've got to see page 136). Hidden beaches and other great spots that I would never have known existed. Great information about how to get there, what to do and how it got there. Get the family together, pack a lunch and bring this book. Guaranteed great day!

I have lived in Santa Cruz County for 15 years and thought I knew the Monterey Bay coastal zone very well--that is, until I read Jerry Emory's Monterey Bay Shoreline Guide. This Guide is the best--it covers both familiar territory and less well-known aspects of the Monterey Bay and its coastal towns. I've found myself consulting it whenever I make any kind of shoreline jaunt, from discovering where one can walk one's dog on a beach in Carmel to locating the best on-shore whalewatching sites. The photos are beautiful as well as informative. The organization of the book, which includes sidebar articles on specific topics, lends itself to easy access for both the casual and serious reader.

A racy,raunchy but immensely readable autobiography of Frank Harris.Harris is a consummate story-teller & raconteur with a vivid style.An energetic and accomplished dilletante he recounts his childhood in stuffy Victorian England groping underneath a skirt at the first available opportunity ("her bottom was like a warm marble"!) to his trip across the pond to America ,where he worked as a cowboy,clerk and lawyer among other things.He had an amazing memory and acquired a lot of erudition,seemingly effortlessly.Anecdotes of Ruskin,Randolph Churchill,Rodin among a score of others are sprinkled liberally .His refreshing honesty,contempt for humbug & hypocrisy along with boundless energy and optimism makes this a great read.It makes for a leisurely read and is best savored during the hot, long summer after dinner___ over a cigar!

I really don't know how many of My Life and Loves volumes have been sold worldwide but it seems to me that most of my friends in different countries all found this book in their dads library and usually well hidden behind other books.....

The five volume book of almost 1000 pages is a faboulous look into 19th century world and a compendium of famous and not so famous people of the era ,,,

Not only does the author deal with socio-economic and religious thoughts and beliefs of the time but he takes the dryness out of historial perspective by peppering the book with numerous erotic escapades of the tenderest nature ....

If all history books were as good as this one I would have certainly gotten a PHd in History .....

This book is a MUST HAVE for your erotic library ... AND it's one of the few classic erotics that will NEVER go out of print!

Frank Harris' tale begins with his humble origins and voyage to America culminating in financial reward and subsequent return to England. His bravado and financial capability open Harris to a world of erotic pleasure, voyage, gourmandise and to a number of encounters with interesting people of his era. Frank Harris stood by his friend Oscar Wilde until the latters' demise. Faithful both financially and compassionately, Harris is a hands down man of the world and lover of humanity. I read this book thirty years ago to much pubescent excitation and reread it a while back as a father of four and earnest husband. The effect was the same; interesting lives make for interesting people and VICE versa.

This abridged version of Maimonedes thoughts covers about one quarter of the complete book with the same title. The selection by Guttmann concentrates on Maimonedes' attempt to bring rational Aristotelian philosophy in accord with classical Jewish literature. Thus, allegorical reading of the anthropomorphic features of the biblical God is urged for a better understanding of the hidden meaning and to bring it in conformity with reason. Other main aspects covered deal with Prophecy, Providence and the way to a godly life. It is the latter which struck me as most interesting because the dedication of every moment of one's life to God (except when engaged in mundane duties which ought to be kept to a minimum) is precisely what one finds in the Bhagavad Gita except that the name of the Deity is Krishna rather than Yahweh. Apart from the name there is absolutely no other difference. If we are serious in believing that there is only one God in control of the universe this should not be disturbing because all nations are entitled to use their name for the Deity which encompasses all. Yet Maimonedes insists that only through contemplation of the Jewish law can perfection be achieved and one finds some rather derogatory remarks about those who think otherwise. Although Maimonedes emphasizes that the way to God is through humility, tolerance of the views of others will not be found. Furthermore, while intellect and reason are extolled Maimonedes has no difficulty accepting oral traditions of biblical stories, especially in regard to Abraham, Jacob and Moses, which have not only no corrollary in the Pentateuch but are at times at variance with it. Thus, the imaginative faculty and the rational faculty, as Maimonedes called them, and which distinguish the human being from animals, did not seem to find complete harmony in his view of the world and may leave some of us still perplexed.
The introductions to the book by Frank and by Guttmann are very helpful in setting Maimonedes' work in its appropriate context. For the student of comparative religion this is a useful introduction to medieval Jewish philosophy as it originated in a Muslim milieu and which is still held in high esteem by some modern theologians.

Rambam knocks me over. This is an amazing work. This is one of the most important books in any language. This translation by Pines is excellent, clear, simple, unobtrusive, and has just the right small amount of clarifying notes.

The Guide clearly should be studied with others. I would like to discuss each chapter with other people as we read (and maybe re-read) them. My email address is my firstnamelastname at yahoo dot com.

This is volume one of a two volume set, so be sure to get both volumes. Volume one contains two interpretive essays, one by Leo Strauss and one by the translator, the former alone making this translation worthy of purchase, according to the Times Literary Supplement. Maimonides' work itself is an intentionally tangled web of reason, not to be undertaken by the casual reader; such a reader will leave disappointed with its obscure style. Maimonides assumes a great deal of Scriptural knowledge and a familiarity with the most important commentators of his time. Nevertheless, for those willing to put in the effort both in learning the fundamentals of religion and in exploring an almost endless maze of logic, Maimonides will provide a sumptuary feast and sketch the outlines of his view of philosophy and faith.

After reading Anne Frank the Last Seven Months, I relized how difficult it was for the jews and for any person during this time. I like this book a lot and I recommond reading it if possible. This book makes you feel like you new exactly how that person was feeling. It put you inside the stories the people told. It was a sad story to read because of all the people that died of other peoples differences. That the samething happen to every person that was a 'jew" that the story didn't change. People were hiding out of years before they were sent off to a death camp. They lived in fear of the next day hoping that the Green Police weren't find them. Once they were found they didn't know if they would live to see there family again. The Nazis killed so many people and so many people got disease and got sick. Everyday more love ones were dying and if you were lucky you could be with them as they die as for some was sent to different death camps, you had no idea if you wife, husband, son, daughter, or best friend since were in third grade had died.

This is one of the best books I have ever read. A must read for all ages. These ladies are some of the most courageous people in the world. They perserved knowing that their demise could be any day. But living was too important to them so they dug deep within themselves to keep their spirit alive and they succeeded. Hooray for them!!! Miep Gies is also a very courageous person. She is right up there with these ladies. "Anne Frank Remembered" by Miep Gies and Alison Leslie Gold is also a wonderful book. If you are looking for excellent reading and a time frame for the life of Anne Frank, then by all means read this book. I don't know if I could handle the pressures that these ladies went through to live, and I hope that I never have to endure their suffering, but if I do, I will take these 7 women with me and draw on their strengths and spirit to keep me alive.

I read Anne Frank's diary again during my first trip to Amsterdam recently to prepare myself to a visit to the Secret Annex. But the book (and the corny Hollywood adaptation) left me wondering what happened to her after the diary. This book about her last seven months at the concentration camps gives a clear picture of what Anne's life was like through the accounts of the women who encountered her there. I could not put this book down and would sleep at 4 in the morning, read it in bed, in the bathroom, in the car, sometimes it would leave me crying. I am not Jewish and I am only in my 30s but this book touched me a lot (just like Schindler's List) and left me wanting to know more.

What a wonderful book! In addition to being a terrifically exciting story, Jackson, the author, vividly creates a sense of time and place. One is transported to America at the turn of the century - a period of transition and change in which Frank Grigware, the protagonist, is innocently and irreparably caught. This book succeeds on every level. Outstanding!

I picked this book up on a whim and once started I couldn't put it down. It is a great true story of the real old west. Young men seeking adventure, train robbers, unjust imprisonmemnt, daring escapes and more. You should really give this one a try!

In 1906, the twenty year old Frank Grigware announced to his family that he was going to see the world. They had been living in eastern Washington for years, and he wanted to see more of the West than Spokane. His mother understood completely; it is not an uncommon occurrence for a young man to want to roam before settling down to respectable ways. He hooked up with his best friend Frank Golden, and they figured they would do some prospecting in northern Idaho. A tough life loomed, but Grigware had no idea that he would as a result be accused and convicted of a crime he did not commit, incarcerated in the toughest prison in existence, escape from the prison, and remain on the lam from his country for the rest of his life. The astonishing story of Grigware's life is told in _Leavenworth Train: A Fugitive's Search for Justice in the Vanishing West_ (Carroll & Graf) by Joe Jackson, who shows that Grigware was guilty of nothing but naïveté when he associated with train robbers. He was, however, found as guilty as the rest of them, and a quick decision gave all the defendants life imprisonment, at Leavenworth, the first US federal penitentiary.

It was only six months into his sentence that Grigware, who the prisoners could tell was not really one of them, was let in on an escape by four other prisoners. Using the classic ploy of threatening with guns skillfully crafted of wood from one of the shops and blackened with shoe polish, they hijacked a train that regularly supplied the prison. Grigware was the only one not captured quickly, and for the next 24 years was one of America's most wanted men. The trail was long cold, even after President Woodrow Wilson commuted the sentence of the other robbers because the evidence in the case was so lacking. The FBI refused to back down, and it spied on members of Grigware's family, which was sadly fractured by his escape. Grigware in sorrow knew he could communicate with none of them, but set up a respectable life in Canada, becoming a Canadian citizen and a well-liked member of the community of Jasper, Alberta. He was not found until 1934, and what happened afterwards is of great charm. There was a groundswell of Canadian public opinion against any sort of extradition; even the game warden circulated a petition. The mild Grigware had made many friends, and he was the sort of reliable citizen Canadians wanted. Grigware's wife (who had not known of his past), when the press reported her simple statement, "Nothing will ever break up our home," made up the minds of any Canadians that had doubts on the issue. It became an international incident, and a clash of redemptive versus retributive justice.

Grigware was reunited with his family, which had long thought him dead; the meeting with his aging mother could not have been sweeter. But he could not return with her to the US, nor return for her funeral. President Roosevelt waived extradition, but no pardon was ever issued, so if he ever came back to the US, he could land right in Leavenworth again. That result would seem preposterous as the decades went by, but in 1957, J. Edgar Hoover was still sending out directives that insisted that agents monitor Grigware's relatives in case he were to show up. Every FBI memo issued about him screamed that HE WOULD KILL OR BE KILLED RATHER THAN BE RECAPTURED, a rumor that had arisen in 1911 and which still headlined Hoover's directives about Grigware, who was then seventy-one years old. This exciting and frustrating story, crammed with period detail, reminds us that courts are not always right and that as much justice as was available in this case came from the hearts of ordinary women and men.

The many new singing english translations are exceptional, A great addition to the Christmas repetoire.

I often play for multi-ethnic groups,this book enables me to taylor- make each performance. It contains music not only from almost every European country, but some unusual gems from South America, China, the Philippines and Japan.

The Christmas and Holiday songs in this book include those that we would all like to play but that most of us are unable to. This "fake" book provides a system whereby ordinary people who love this music but who have not had the musical training that they might wish they had, can play them too. The sound of these arrangements is unusually lush and authentic for arrangements of this kind. The book also contains pieces less commonly included in popular books of this kind, such as the hauntingly beautful Huron Carol, well known to Canadians such as myself but possibly less well known in other countries. Even if this were the only piece in this book, it would be well worth purchasing. In fact it contains a large selection of holiday songs.