Wow. I am at a loss for words. Never in my life have tears fallen freely from my eyes as I finished a book.

These characters come to life in the readers imagination, and it is hard to believe that such powerful writing is possible from the human mind. This novel is harrowing to read, and while you hope for things to get better for the people inside these pages, it is simply not to be. Completely devoid of cliches, there is not one phony moment in the entire read. The movie really did an admirable job of recreating the story, yet it is when Selby gets into the characters heads that we experience emotions that no movie can really create. It is disturbing and heartbreaking to travel down the dark path of addiction with Sara, Marion, Tyrone and Harry. One can only assume that Selby had some kind of personal experience with addiction, as the writing seems to come from a place of deep understanding and empathy. I have no idea what to read now, as I can't imagine I will ever read anything again in my life that pulls me in so far emotionally. I will absolutely never forget this book, and as someone who also has been through the hell of addiction, I can honestly say that this book pulls no punches, and truly manages to avoid glamorizing drug addiction, while avoiding pedantic or trite exploration of the subject. There is nothing preachy about the book - just brutal brutal honesty and complete tragedy. I cared about these people, and wanted so badly for them to find a way out of their pain. It will be a while before I recover from this one.

Let me say this up front - Requiem is very, very dark - the setting, the characters, and the message of the book are pretty bleak and hopeless. So why should you read it? First, the characters - Selby has drawn each of the four participants in this race to hell with stunning precision - after reading the book (and seeing the largely faithful movie) you feel as if you honestly know these people. Second, the terrifyingly accurate portrait of the downward spiral of addiction. Each of these characters reacts differently to his/her being hooked, but, with the exception of Sara, the brutal truth finally becomes too evident to ignore, at least until the next "little taste". The isolation of the addict is brilliantly rendered as Sara declines to go out, Tyrone gladly says goodbye to his "fine fox", and Harry and Marion lose the intensity of their love for each other to their more urgent love of heroin. Finally, it is Selby's gifts as a storyteller that provide the main reason for this book's classic status - I have read "stream of consciousness" before, but never have I been so riveted by it. The final 50 pages or so just go by in a horrible blur. Don't expect a light at the end of the tunnel - Selby doesn't celebrate dreamers, he condemns them for obscuring their view of what is with delusions of what could be. Powerful stuff.

I,... was immediately gripped with a desire to read this book after seeing Darren Aronofsky's film. I remember reading a review of the movie calling it the "Feelbad" experience of the year, well this book is a "FeelWorse". This is definitely one of the most powerful works of fiction I've ever read -it left me far more shell-shocked than the movie and even depressed for some time afterwards.
What struck me most of all was the light/darkness aspect of the storyline which pretty much mirrors the experience of using drugs or other stimulants. The first part of the book is generally upbeat with only some hints as to what beckons for our protagonists in the future. Indeed there are many moments of humour and Selby seems to promise some hope and happiness for Harry, Marion, Tyrone and Sarah which is partly why what eventually ensues is so utterly gut-wrenching. I was also struck by the religious overtones to this story, there are a couple of verses from scripture at the start of the book which I read and re-read trying to extract the real meaning, but I think now think are quite straightforward. The message seems to be that simple faith in God is a surer compass than any attempt by human beings to create Heaven on Earth or in Harry's case the quest for a pound of pure. I kept thinking over and over again of the commandment 'Thou shalt not have False Gods before me' while reading this book, is Heroin not unlike the Golden Calf from the Old Testament? With all it's allure and false promises it seems to be just as appealing to mankind and equally as destructive.
I found myself on the point of tears on many occasions during the final odyssey into hell but was particularly moved by the passage where Marion prostitutes herself in return for drug-money. Arnold her shrink, is concerned by the tracks on her arms and scarcely wants to believe the reality of her condition.
She responds to his protests in a way that chills the blood, "Because it makes me feel whole...satisfied.".
This is all the more disturbing because she has already been presented as such an intelligent self-confident young woman who lacks for nothing. You realise that she has crossed that magic boundary into the world of self-delusion.
There is no brighter tomorrow for these characters, just the constant spiral towards destruction. This book will drive an icicle into your spine - I definitely recommend it.

Burnham is a "given" among amateur astronomers. Until quite recently there was no work other than this that contained so much useful information in one place. It's also much more than just a reference. Despite his twenty years at Lowell Observatory, Burnham seems to have remained an "amateur" in the highest sense. His love of the night sky is plainly communicated not only in his entertaining digressions into myth and poetry but also by the obvious effort he put in before the days of PC's and word processors. I began by using these books to get information on objects I already had in mind, but very quickly, the inconspicuous and the usually overlooked began to take on a "real identity" when Burnham spoke about them. The sky became immeasurably richer. Burnham died destitute in 1993. I'm in his debt. He's that wise and experienced friend standing at my side sharing what he knows.

Being an amateur astronomer I bought this and the other two volumes recently and I have found it indispensible. Im writing this review keeping solely the tyro's in mind, since one knowledgeable in astronomy would have already had this book. If you are getting interested in astronomy, this is the book to buy - it will surely deepen your interest. Get the book and take a journey through the starts that Burnham offers you in the first few pages.

There are plenty of astronomy books for amatuers with fantastic photos. And sometimes it can be intimidating to know what to buy. Burnham's book is worth every penny (and it doesnt cost much either). It does not contain colorful photos (though contains plenty of b&w photos taken from Lowell/Palomar and other observatories). All 88 constellations are dealt with in detail. First a list of double stars are given in each constellation followed by details of each bright star (including spectrum analysis for some). The book is set in "type-writer" font, so it gives a special feeling of reading some research paper.

A unique feature of this book, which is probably not found in any other astronomy book I have come sofar, is that, it also contains a perspective of a given constellation or star by several different cultures. Most astronomy books stop with Greek and Roman myths - giving a feeling that no other culture was knowledgeable in astronomy. Coming from Indian background, I found it very intriguing that Burnham mentions several stories and myths from Indian folklore (including those that I heard from my granny!). For eg, Varahamihira (c 100 AD?) in his "Brihat Samhita" compares Ursa Major (aka called "Seven Sages") to string of pearls. I was surprised to see Burnham mention this.

One other way I use the book is to first locate some star in the telescope (by lazily moving it around), notice the color, constellation and other characteristics, then look into the book about the details and compare with what you saw. Thats a fun way of learning.

Though more experienced astronomers would observe that some Burnham's values are of older epoch, this should not really bother a beginner. Burnham has certainly packed a wealth of information into three volumes. Again this is a book that will accompany for life on observing the wonders that are up above the sky.

Robert Burnham's classic work could rightfully be called the Bible of American amateur astronomers (in Europe, the Webb Society handbooks probably earn that title). Volume 1 begins with an overview of various aspects of observational astronomy, focusing on the various cataloging and classification systems used to describe stars, nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies. The remainder of the three volumes consist of chapters for each constellation. Each chapter begins with a table that give a rundown of all objects of interest in that constellation. What follows are detailed descriptions of all notable objects in the constellation. Burnham did not confine himself to scientific facts - religion, archaeology, literature, and art all find their way into the text. Time has had a toll on the accuracy of the scientific facts that Burnham gives - many distances are wrong, and the discussions of some objects, particulaly remote or highly energetic ones, are seriously outdated. Still, these three books form the backbone of my astronomy library, and have grown battered with heavy use. They make for fascinating reading both beside the telescope and in the living room.

A very interesting exposition of some of the main branches and ideas of mathematics. This is a book for beginners and experts, students and professors. The authors exposes number theory, algebra, geometry, topology and calculus. (For the last topic I recomend the great book of Courant and Fritz, Introduction to Calculus and Analysis.) The mathematical concepts are introduced and motivated by real problems, it seems to me very applied and connected to physics. I have been learning much things with this book. It is very interesting and I recomend for all people that want to read about mathematics.

I read this book while in high school, before enrolling in college. I was captured by the beauty of the subject. Every concept seemed alive: a triumph of imagination, intuition and intelligence. I chose Physics and Mathematics thanks to this book. Without exaggeration, this book had a big influence in my life. Still today it has no equals, and is an enjoyable yet challenging reading for any reader armed with a good hig-school-level math knowledge, and some curiosity.

If you start to read "What is Mathematics?" in order to find a direct answer to the title's issue, forget it! I would like to adapt a piece of "My Brain is Open", by Bruce Schechter, in the following way: "Asking a mathematician to explain exactly what is mathematics is a little like asking a poet what a poem is, or a musician what jazz is. Asked this last question, Louis Armstrong replied, `Man, if you gotta ask, you'll never know.'" On the other hand, if you start to read just to go deeper and deeper in the beautiful, and sometimes magic, structure of Math than I say: Go ahead! Because this book is a perennial source of pleasure. Of course it demands a lot of work to solve some of its problems (at least for me!), but as Courant says, you cannot learn music only by listening! I have reproduced almost all the calculations of this book and I know that it demands a lot of effort, but it is one of the few books I know where each small piece of calculation has its own reward! This book is my definition of perfect guide to Math style! Try it!

Anne Bronte, the most underappreciated of the Bronte sisters, is a brilliantly talented author and storyteller. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is a masterpiece of romance, suspense and simply a darned good read! Helen Huntingdon and Gilbert Markham are multi-dimensional characters. Bronte descriptions of the setting are moving as well. I can't say enough about this book, yet mere words don't do it justice. If you loved Jane Eyre (which I did), than the Tenant will be a novel you hold in high esteem. Read it, and then read it again. Enjoy!!

'Sick of mankind and its disgusting ways' Anne Bronte once scribbled on the back of her prayer book. Her evident harsh view of life, coupled with her moral strength as a woman, are beautifully interwoven to produce this novel; her masterpiece. Although never enjoying the popularity and success of 'Jane Eyre' and 'Wuthering Heights' - her sisters' books - 'Wildfell Hall' is quite fit to join any bookshelf of classic English literature. The themes include utter despair and the tragic consequences of a young woman's naivety; Helen felt that, although she could see Arthur's faults, she would be able to somehow change him once they were married. In reality, her marital experience was a disaster.

Anne Bronte creates a world in which the drunken, immoral behaviour of men becomes the norm and this may have been startling to contemporary readers - perhaps a reason for the book's panning at the critics. The narrative is built up delicately; first Gilbert; and then the racier, more gripping diary of Helen as she guides us through her married life; before returning again to Gilbert, whose tale by this time has become far more exciting as we know of Helen's past. Helen's realisation of the awful truth and her desperate attempts to escape her husband, are forever imprinted in the mind of the reader as passages of perfect prose.

One of the earliest feminist novels, the underrated Anne Bronte writes in this a classic, and - defying the views of her early (male) critics - a claim to the position of one of England's finest ever female writers.

I read "The Tenant Of Wildfell Hall" by Anne Bronte for my review of personal reading in English last year and I thought it was really gripping. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it.

It tells the story of a young woman's struggle for independence, against law and a society which defined a married woman as her husband's property. The novel, which uses extracts from her diary and narration from her neighbour, is very interesting and quite realistic.

It seems to me that the most interesting thing about the novel, is the build up of tension Bronte uses to sustain the reader's attention. It is stimulating and creates a little excitement in the book.

Helen Graham moves into Wildfell Hall with her son. She is a single mother and earns her living as a painter. Her neighbour, Gilbert Markham, takes a sudden interest in her and wants to find out everything about her. Although she is quite content being friends with him, she wants nothing more. As soon as he becomes too personal, she reminds him that friendship is the principal of their relationship. As they spend more time together, though, she learns to trust him and reveals the truth about her past. She is living at Wildfell Hall under a false surname, hiding from her husband who is an adulterer. The only other person who knows of this is her landlord, who Gilbert learns late in the novel, is in fact, her brother.

One thing which I found gripping about this story, was the build up of tension Bronte used. She took her time, revealing one thing, building up the tension again, then revealing another. She continued to do this throughout the story, and this is what kept me interested. It is a story, in which two people who love one another, are prevented from being together by society and their own natural reticence. We know romance often has this, but Bronte creates a strong desire in the reader for them to be together. She puts real obstacles in the way of their love for each other, such as the fact that Helen is already married and has a child to her husband. This therefore, causes the reader to understand the story more.

Legacy of Steel is by far one of the best books ever written for the Dragonlance Saga. Mary Herbert has taken a minor charcacter, Sara Dunstan and turned her into one of the most compelling and interesting charcacters ever to grace the pages of the dragonlance world. We see a relationship of trust, care, and understanding between a dragon and a human which has never before been discribed. Herbert balances the story with the action and intrigue immaculately. You really can feel the emotion of all the characters and the bond between Sara and Cobalt. My only complaint, the book was too short. I wanted more. I only hope Herbert writes more Dragonlance novels, especially involving Sara and Cobalt.

I really love when an author can make a story like this out of a seemingly small placed character. Mary Herbert did a fantastic job on Legacy of Steel. I have read quite a few DL novels and this one is right at the top, almost as good as MW and TH. This book may not be a must read, but it is one that you should take the time to read, trust me you'll enjoy it. All the characters are great, even the love to be hated un-honorable Knights of Takhisis. There is also a good deal of suspense in this book, it's well paced, and the fighting scenes are excellent (including plenty of dragons). If you are a major DL fan and you haven't read this book yet then get it right now, and if you just read Dragonlance time to time then you should get this one over all the others (save for the mainstream MW and TH books of course).

What a wonderful Book. I recieved it, and read it cover to cover all in the same day! I don't usually do that, but what a damn good book.

This story is centered around Sara Dunstan, whom is still grieving over her adopted son Steel Brightblade three years after the summer of chaos. In the begining, she is living as a exile from the Knights of Tahkisis, and is pretty miserable. Then she starts having some dreams that call to her for help. Eventually, she sets out to find the source of the dreams and comes upon a wounded and riderless blue dragon whom she nurses back to health.

Thats all I'm telling you about this book. But It was page turning. I just added Mary H Herbert, to the list amazing Dragonlance storytellers, right under Richard A Knaack, whom we all know is the best. I Cannot wait to learn more about the "Leigon Of Steel" which is founded in the end of this work!

By Huma's Shield, this was a Fantastic Book!

I am an ex-submariner in the U.S Navy with eight strategic deterrent submarine patrols in the North Atlantic and I can only imagine the absolute courage and patriotism shown by the men described in this book! Captain Werner describes what is truly a life of adventure bordering on madness as he and his crew dodge British and US aircraft and destroyers in the most dramatic cat and mouse game of all time.

The book follows Werner's career as a U-Boat officer that starts at the beginning of WWII. He talks about the initial glory and successes of the German U-Boat campaign against the British and he follows the war as the tide changes against Germany. Werner describes reports of boat after boat being sunk and most of his fellow commanders being killed at sea and he shares his thoughts as he continues to bring his boat to sea in spite of almost a guarantee of being killed.

I can't recommend this book strongly enough. It is the BEST submarine saga that I have read to date and it is also a tribute to men who have gone to sea in defense of their country.

This is the very best book I have read actually describing the conditions inside a German u-boat during World War II Atlantic Ocean war patrols. It is well written with both action and information in mind. The action standpoint is superb and makes the reader wonder how Capt Werner and his crew ever survived the punishment they took in their little fragile "egg" as aircraft and ships constantly dropped bombs and depth charges on them. From the information standpoint, Werner gives us a very comprehensive and interesting description of what it is like inside the early u-boats. It is hard to imagine how the crew lived like they did in their constantly rocking boat: without bathing for months, eating moldy food, suffering from constant humidity, freezing or roasting as the season might be (no airconditioning or heaters), and not having proper sanitary conditions (using a bucket in rough seas, etc.) Very good detail on u-boat life both aboard ship and in port. From another information standpoint, Werner gives us a good description of what average Germans were thinking as the war progressed, what sort of damage ordinary citizens were taking as the war proceeded in depth over Germany both from the heavy air bombardment plus the advancement of Allied armies from the south, east, and north. Werner is also a "ladies man" so we do hear a lot about the girlfriends in every port, so to speak, plus German submariners' night life in different occupied locations. (They seemed to like France a lot.) It is good that Werner provides you this gamut of information: living inside the boat, dealing with the difficult navy bureaucracy, joys of in-port liberty, his nice but unfortunte family, the Nazi party bother, and so on since it furnishes the reader with a rounded out picture of life during these unusual times. Werner is lucky to have come back alive, and we are fortunate he wrote this book. His family and many of his friends were not so fortunate as the reader will see.

Reading World War II epics is a hobby of mine, and I can easily say that Iron Coffins is my all-time favorite book. I first read it in 1984 and couldn't put it down. I have read it about 15 times, and each time, it never ceases to captivate me at how Werner survived time and time again while the majority of his comrades met their fate at the bottom of the Atlantic. It is as if it was his destiny to preserve in writing this critical campaign of World War II. It tells you in vivid detail, the other side of the story-all Nazis were Germans, but not all Germans were Nazis. They had men, just like us, who would rather be somewhere else than in the heat of combat, wondering when they were going to get theirs. The vivid descriptions, going from Years of Glory to Disaster and Defeat made me feel like I was right there next to Werner, riding out the brutal storms in the North Atlantic, the ceaseless depth chargings, gasping for air, limping back into port, mauled and beaten, yet still alive. They went to war for their country. Nearly all of them perished. Now, read this tragic true story of one of the few U-boat commanders who lived to tell the tale. The Iron Coffin would not claim Herbert Werner's life. His book preserves the saga of Germany's undersea struggle. A masterpiece!

I used to suffer from only slight but chronic insomnia, and when I got up in the mornings, I used to feel like I had been run over by a truck. I bought this book thinking that I've got nothing to lose except a few dollars. Yet after only a few days of following the expert advice contained in this book, my sleep improved "drastically", and I was finally able to function normally again during the day.

This book has all the information you need in order to develop a healthy sleep pattern that will inevitably improve the quality of your life if not save it. If you depend on sleeping pills or tranquilizers to sleep, this book will show you how to get off them and to stay off them for good.

Finally, I would recommend this book not only for the desperate insomniacs out there, but for EVERYONE, since it contains lots of useful and expert information that we ALL can use from time to time.

No kidding. I was resistant at first to start the book, I thought that by exploring my sleep I'd make the problem worse. Believe me, the exact opposite is true. "Knowledge is power" has never held so much truth. It took almost no time to feel a definite change in my sleep patterns. I started falling asleep in less than 20 minutes every night. If I woke up during the night I was able to get back to sleep almost instantly. By limiting my time in bed I was able to retrain my brain to think of a bed as a place to sleep again. At first I only got four hours of sleep a night, but now I'm up to as much as six and a half and I'm only into the second week of the program. Please do youself a favor, if you have insomnia, there is no need to suffer any longer. BUY THIS BOOK at any price, peace of mind can be yours again.

I was down to 0ne hour per night and felt like I was going crazy with lack of sleep. This book gave me a peace of mind and helped me to understand what the cause was and that it was in my own ability to cure myself. I now get 7-8 hours a night. It changed almost instantly. Get this book. It will change your sleep for the better.

I don't understand why this book hasn't seen a printing press in 16 yrs! This book elaborates on the entire Dune universe. All the planets, customs, people, etc.! While Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson say that this book isn't official Dune canon...who cares? It was written with the full knowledge and permission of Frank Herbert himself. And the first installment of the prequel by Messrs. Herbert and Anderson leave much to be desired (creatively, technically, and detail-wise). Any and every Dune fan needs this book. Berkeley/Penguin/Putnam/etc. can't you see the demand for this book. You are guaranteed a hit if you reprint this title.

I read this book back in 1986 and I do agree that a reprint is needed. It allowed a more indepth look at the Dune universe of Frank Herbert. It would be a shame if this book was allowed to crumble to dust, when many fans would like to put it on their shelves. Startrek, Starwars and some other popular series have millions of copies of their own encyclopedias. It's time to bring back the one encyclopedia we want to see again.

This book is so rare to find. I got my hands on a copy a while ago and have been reading it over and over. It is extremely data rich and gets your juices flowing. A true Dune fan will appreciate the depth and painstaking qualities this book has to offer. I suggest it to anybody, even at the price it sells for at e-bay. It gives information ranging from the Assassins Handbook to the Butlerian Jihad and even about the little things like Fremen attire. The book goes even as far as to have two almost complete detailed views on The Fremen Arabic and the Imperial Galach, two splendid languages in the Dune universe. I wish it were more available.
Now everybody should understand that it isn't Canon per cé. You might think it is or you might not. The prequels though don't line themselves up with the Dune Encyclopedia though.

Much has been written about the Wehrmacht, discussing strategies, campaigns, results and commanders; less has been written about the common German soldier in W.W.II. In this
extraordinary book, Gottlob H. Bidermann narrates his experience in the 132 Infantry Division on
the Eastern Front from June 1941 to May 1945 followed by surrender and internment in Russia
until the summer of 1948. He was commissioned and received officer training in 1943 but
continued to be assigned to the 132 Infantry Division. Bidermann's memoirs were written for and
distributed to the survivors of his regiment and division, and originally were not for general
audiences. Derek S. Zumbro, a US Naval officer and friend of the Bidermann family, was given a
copy of his memoir in 1985 by Bidermann which Zumbro translated; the memoirs were published
as the book IN DEADLY COMBAT.

The text is basically an accurate chronology of the events Bidermann personally experienced on
the Eastern Front. Daily death, suffering and destruction was encountered and the author states
"We tended our wounded, buried our dead and moved forward to the next encounter, knowing
that eventually, we would meet the end of our journey". He later notes "Most of us owed our
lives to the skill and self-sacrifice of other in our company, many of whom were no longer with
us."

It is interesting to read the author's personal reactions to brutal combat. He relates how his
training and discipline gave him life saving split second reactions when face to face with the
enemy. While generally not critical of German combat general officers, many of whom he
admired, like the common soldier in all armies he "called it like was". For example, commenting
on one general "And the highest commander, to whom credit for the catastrophe should be
awarded, was not present to witness what his decisions had wrought. As always, the soldiers in
the field bore the brunt of these mistakes and paid with their lives." In another case he wrote
"When captured" General Shoerner "was wearing a traditional Bavarian alpine costume, for
which he had exchanged his uniform and golden party badge. Only weeks earlier he had subjected
untold numbers of soldiers to summary execution for similar displays of cowardice."

Equally interesting is his attitude serving on the Eastern Front, as his division went from a
conquering army in 1941 to the desperate fight for survival in the Courland pocket. Bidermann
writes "....those who continued to cling to the belief in a "final Victory", now realized the
hopelessness of our situation. That said the will to resist the Soviets, the fighting spirit within the
ranks of the Courland fighters, remained unbroken" resulting in the fact "....the troops in
Courland were .... the only combat units in the German army that were never defeated in open
battle." The author makes the interesting statement "We saw the true sense of our operations in
Courland as having one clearly defined objective: the defense of European culture..." then he
laments that the West ignored what he termed "the tragedy unfolding in eastern and central
Europe. Communism descended on an entire culture...."

The text is dictated by the framework of the German army in which Bidermann fought, by the
nature of the Reich and largely by a set of cultural and intellectual conventions in the army which
differed widely from those of the British and Americans. These factors contributed a cohesiveness
that allowed Germany to maintain front-line effectiveness when units like the 132 Infantry
Division fought the enemy for 3 1/2 years, almost without relief. Amazingly, Bidermann relates
that within the framework of the army there were no plans, policies or training for retreat and a
strategic withdrawal which could have reduced losses and preserved unit strength. When orders
were received to surrender on May 8, 1945 the author writes "The philosophy of fighting to death
had become so ingrained within us during the past years that to surrender, as we were now being
ordered to do, was inconceivable." Although they knew that the Russians liquidated thousands of
Polish officers in Poland and expected possibly the same fate, the culture and strict discipline of
the army did not allow for disobeying orders; Bidermann's division surrendered as ordered.

Throughout the text, references to events at home are noted such as "....our relatives lived in a
daily terror of the bombs...." and "The attempted assassination revealed that the war was lost.
Hitler was nothing more that a dictator in brown." Then finally, "In general, news of the death of
Hitler was received by the troops with indifference; however, it must also be said that some
breathed a sigh of relief."

The Epilogue describes of the brutal life in the Soviet prisoner of war camps. The text states "In
the twentieth century prisoners were often afforded little or no protection in any form and
remained free game for the victors. One could beat them, work them to death, shoot them or
simply let them starve." Bidermann observed all of this in Soviet prisoner of war camps. It should
be noted that the same philosophy was followed in Japanese prisoner of war camps. In contrast,
the author states "In the United States prisoners had confinement vastly different from our ordeal
in the gulags. They were well-fed and in the best of health...."

While the writer did not report witnessing atrocities, neither does he ignore their existence. This
work is refreshing as it narrates the hard, brutal life of a front-line an infantryman in combat with
none of the usual apologies of "we were just following orders." often found in other memoirs.
This is a "must read" for those interested in W.W.II history.

In Deadly Combat is the "Must" read of World War 2. The memoirs of 3 1/2 years of combat on the eastern front, followed by over 1,000 days as a Soviet POW can not be described in any other words except by a man that survived the ordeal. Bidermann's account not only details the destruction and misery brought by the "Gods of War," but offers a very intriguing insight on how he both excelled as a soldier, and leader of men....And, his memoirs offers insight about survival.

The most fascinating aspect about Bidermann's memoirs is "what went through his mind" during a terrible & horrific experience.

After my readings of the US combat veteran in WW2, the Korean War, and Vietnam; the perils of 3 1/2 years of continous combat seem momentus compared to the shorter combat tours. Of course, any combat tour must be incredibly sickening, but the realization soldiers of the Red Army and German Army lasted so long boggles the mind.

Finally, Bidermann depicts 3 1/2 years of combat on the Eastern Front in a concise, entertaining and easily read book. His work both as a soldier and author is INCREDIBLE!

Firstly, before launching yourself into this excellent book please take the time to read the introduction by Dennis Showalter as it will help explain the style of writing to be found in this book. The book was originally written for the survivors of Bidermann's regiment and division, not for the general public. Bearing this in mind you will have a better understanding and feeling for the author's account of his experience of fighting on the Eastern Front during WW2. At times you might find the narrative old fashioned and even cliched but this is definitely not the case, it has to be taken in context of when and why this book was first written.

This is a great story, on par if not better than Guy Sajer's 'Forgotten Soldier'. This is a combination of a combat history of the 132nd Infantry Division and the author's role and experiences in the fighting on the Eastern Front. The author, Gottlob Herbert Bidermann, won two Iron Crosses, the Crimea Shield, the Close Combat Badge, the German Cross in Gold, the Gold Wound Badge (wounded five times), the Honour Roll Clasp and the Tank Destruction Badge. What is remarkable is that the author survived five years of combat on the Russian Front fighting in Crimea, Leningrad and later in the Courland Pocket. I found his stories about his early years fighting with an anti-tank section using the Pak 37 "doorknocker" very interesting, I had always believed these weapons to be next to useless on the Russian Front however I was surprised.

You can trace the change in the author from a novice who still cared about human beings, even his enemy to one whom has been brutalised by warfare to a point past indifference to death and destruction. I have taken the liberty to include below a short section of the text from the first chapter to give you an idea of the author's style of writing:

"The NCO was grasping one of the wheels of the Maxim carriage, his sightless eyes peering forward at the ammunition belt where it fed into the chamber of the weapon. Another held his rifle clenched in cold fists, his head resting against the ground as if asleep, the olive-colored helmet secured tightly under his chin.

Hartmann slipped past me and slowly approached two other figures lying closely together, side by side. One of the figures had draped an arm across the other in a last embrace, as if attempting to comfort a dying comrade. As Hartmann neared, a cloud of flies rose in protest, breaking the deadly silence and I moved forward to join him in surveying the ghastly scene.

Moving silently among the carnage, Hartmann suddenly turned and slipped past me without speaking, heading in the direction from which we had come. Carefully avoiding the eyes of the dead, I quickly followed him.

In this abode of death, only the trees, still and quiet, appeared to be survivors and witnesses to the struggle that had occurred, hidden within this wooded glade".

I found this book to be a very fascinating account of the fighting conducted on the Eastern Front from the perspective of a young German soldier. It offers some very interesting insights into combat and its affect on men who in the end just tried to survive against immense odds. There is a number of absorbing black and white photographs supplied from private sources that give the book a human touch. The only real problem that readers may find with this book is the lack of maps detailing the movements and combats of the 132nd Infantry Division. Overall this is the sort of book that should be in the library of every serious reader or student of the war on the Russian Front during World War Two.

After reading Herbert Schildt's "C the complete reference", I am convinced that he is a succinct writer, who teach programming in a shrewd way. Schildt is adept at organizing complicated materials in a concise structure and at home concealing some disturbing technical details from his readers. The manner helps beginners grasp the main idea and swiftly put the knowledge into practice. But, on the other hand, advanced programmers will consider his book oversimplified. This book, "Java2 a beginner's guide", inherits both the merit and deficiency his teaching style provides.

As far as I am concerned, Module1 through Module8 teach both the basic programming concepts and the OOP well, especially for those who come from structure programming background. And Module9, the Exception Handling, clearly introduces this Java subsystem as well. Still, those drills and exercises do help reinforce what has been acquired. Nevertheless, Modules for using I/O, Multithreaded Programming, and Applets are disappointing and need more supplementary contents.

Overall, it is a good starting line for Java programming.

I'm a networking guy by trade, and have never been very adept at programming, and I've never had any luck with teaching myself any sort of language from a "21 days" book. I'm taking a required course for my degree - "Intro to Programming with Java" and was still having difficulties in figuring out exactly WHY I was typing certain lines. Most books I've read just say "Let's jump right in!" (My college textbook actually says this...) Wait! Let's NOT!

Java 2: A Beginner's Guide is very aptly named. Having NO previous experience to draw from, this book does a very good job of explaining things is a very orderly fashion, with plently of examples and even projects to work through. Although I've only completed the first 200 pages, I can honestly say that it's "clicked" for the first time. The going is slow; I would recommend typing each example and think about what the code is actually doing, but I know that my retention rate will be very high. This book makes learning to program enjoyable, and that's quite an achievement coming from me - I greatly dislike writing code. I would whole-heartedly recommend this to anyone looking at code for the first time, as it will certainly make my classroom assignments and labs a breeze.

The only drawback to this writing is that I am a third into the book, and I don't appear to have covered a huge amount of material. There's good reason for this, however. The "Complete Guides" to Java are 1200 pages, and are quite hefty tomes. Since this book is branded as a reference for the beginner, I can't really mark it down for that reason. This book does represent a great way to get started on learning the Java language.

Jayson Tobias
CCNP CCDP MCSE

In my opinion, this book will surely help the absolute beginners to jump into Java right away! I am still reading(and working with) this book. Schildt introduces the concepts in a clear and lucid way which is typical of his style. Each Module begins with specific goals and concludes with your "Mastery Check". The concepts are introduced with example programs(You do not have to key in the programs; just download from the Web!) highlighting the important points to focus. As you read "one Minute Drill" recapitulates the material which youhave just read. Difference between Java and C/C++ has been mentioned as required. Schildt answers your "most likely" question in the "Ask the Expert" section. Another point worthnoting is this book has been carefully designed so that each Module depends on the earlier Module, i. e. this book has to be read front-to-back. Major drawback is amount of test problems :(. I wish more test problems to be included in the "Mastery Check" section(probably in the next edition?).

Over all, I strongly recommend this book(with 5 stars) for beginner to obtain a solid grasp of fundamentals of Java. This book is, of course, not intended to be complete to address the broader audience which includes experienced Java programmers.

Thank you Schildt! Great work!!