I knew nothing about Mary Bunyan before I read Wendy Lawton's inspiring book, The Tinker's Daughter. Of course I knew of John Bunyan and Pilgrim's Progress, and I knew it had been written in prison, but that's where my knowledge ended.

As writers we are told to make the reader hear, see, smell, and touch what's in the story, and Wendy has done just that. She has brought history to life with all the senses and the reader is the beneficiary. I've never really thought about what it must be like to be sight impaired, but Wendy painted such an excellent picture of Mary, who was born blind, that I felt as if I had at one time been blind so I knew exactly what Mary was feeling. How powerful.

Wendy has a delightful way of telling a story bursting with characters and color. In this book she made me understand the myriad of emotions felt, not just by Mary, but by her siblings, father, step mother, and her new gypsy friends.

Mary's struggle to feel like she can do all things herself and not depend on anyone else is one that I have struggled with. If the truth be told, I still struggle with it. I learned much from Mary Bunyan, and was just as thrilled with her acceptance of the Lord as if she was someone dear to me here in 2002.

I read The Tinker's Daughter because Wendy is my friend. I came away from this book a better person and a fan as well as a friend. This is a must read for children and a double must read for adults.

I'm not sure why we've stopped caring about history, but as evidenced in recent polls, it is clear that many of us are unfamiliar with the people and events that shaped our nation and the world.

Along comes Wendy Lawton with books like "The Tinker's Daughter" in her "Daughters of Faith Series." I'm excited about this series and about this book. Most people have probably heard of John Bunyan, author of "Pilgrim's Progress," but how many people know that he had a blind daughter named Mary who brought food to him daily while he was imprisoned in England for "unlawful preaching" during the 17th century? I certainly didn't.

As with the other books in this series, Lawton brings history to life in "The Tinker's Daughter" and she gives us a glimpse into what life would have been like in the Bunyan household as John is persecuted for his faith. From struggling to put food on the table, to Mary's struggle to place her faith in Christ, Lawton gives us rich details about John's life through the eyes of his beloved daughter Mary.

Pick this book up for the child(ren) in your life. My copy is going to my niece.

In "The Tinker's Daughter," Wendy Lawton does an excellent job of capturing both the experiences and feelings a visually impaired person faces. Her descriptions look at life from a blind girl's point of view and instead of focusing only on the cliche auditory signals most people think of for a blind person, she focuses on Mary's identification of her world by smell as well, even the disgusting smells! Even more so,she nails the two major emotions a visually impaired person struggles with: fear and determination to overcome. She shows the pitfalls of the fierce independence many physically challenged people cling to, yet balances it with the necessity, that it isn't always a bad thing. Mary's ultimate solution is found in the source all of us need to depend on - Jesus Christ. All of these profound thoughts are tucked neatly into a sweet story about the daughter of the historical religious giant, John Bunyon. This book is powerful writing!

...or maybe a bit of both. This is a simply fabulous book that talks about John Peabody Harrington's noble fight to record the dying languages of the dying Southwest Indian cultures -- and his utter lack of understanding when it comes to the needs of humans, particularly his wife. It's got love, sex, drama, linguistics -- what more can you ask for in a book? I've read it over and over, yet I will read it again, I'm sure.

I picked up this book not really knowing what it was about, but as soon as I began reading, I was hooked. This true story was written when the author was in her 70s. She depicts the life of a student of anthropolgy early in the 20th century, and the indiginous people on the west coast whose history she and her famous husband were trying to preserve. More fascinating, however, is the love story which creeps into the narrative almost without the reader realizing it. It is an intimate story of two people who, according to the culture at the time, should never have been together, but who found a simple and profound joy in being together. The author's strength of character shines through this book.

I was married to Carobeths grandson. I disagree with the other 2 reviews. Carobeth was a proud, highly intelligent woman who's special ability to learn language was just what Harrington was looking for. He set her up to record the languages and moved on to the next village. The two of them compiled the only known documentation of many California Indian languages and mythology. True, he was obsessed, but aren't all researchers?

This is an amazing report of an American soldier held captive by the Japaese in the Phippines and the island of Japan itself for three and one-half years after his capture in World War II.
How he could remember the details of brutal beatings, starvation and resulting illnesses is almost beyond belief. His experiences with fellow prisoners runs the gamut from the highest heroism to utter selfishness. Every day he looked forward to freedom, only to be repeatedly disappointed until that memorable day when he met the invading U.S. forces and he knew that he was free ,atlast! The dscription of his home coming is heart wrenching as it was for all of us on our return. This book's contents are enough to make almost anyone swear to never buy another Japanese produced article.

met h

This account is the best I've read of many books on the POWs of the Japanese. It puts the reader in the gruesome reality of the Bataan Death March and all that followed in Camp O'Donnell and the hellships. The lesson learned is one of survival through almost unsurmountable horrors. Anyone who reads this account will have nothing to complain about. Judy Garofano (garofano@mail.idt.net), Queens, NY

The author, Manny Lawton, was among the small percentage of survivors of the Bataan Death March. He tells the story not just of the last days before the Japanese takeover of Corregidor and of the walk itself, but also of the years of tribulations that the remaining survivors somehow endured. The book is an outstanding account of the little-known story about what took place subsequent the Death March, and is a tribute to the human spirit.

For those wishing to study military history, either seriously or for their own benefit this is a great work to start with. A chronological by subject discussion and listing of the principle texts of military history in the english language. While this could use an update to cover more recent history, you will find nothing better or more recent available to you. This book is not only informative, but readable as well. It is also great for those with some knowledge of military history who wish to branch out into other areas of the field.

This book is a must for all libraries, a comprehensive record of everything John Huston directed, wrote and thought about cinema. Indespensible for all Huston fans.

This was the first book that I had seen for Avian Medicine that was in color! That was what initially attracted me to this book. I also like the many tables that are spread throughout the book that organize diseases, drugs, etc... I also think that the book is pretty complete in the information that it covers. The only problem I see with the book is that it seems a bit 'regional' as far as the information about specific birds. I had hoped that sort of information would be more diverse instead of just a few species. Other than that I thought it was very good and a nice reference manual to have in your avian medicine library.

I have been a rehabilitator of raptors for 13 years, Avian Medicine is absolutely the best one single source of information I have ever seen. This book covers almost anything a rehabilitator would need to know for the birds in their care. The color photographs give great examples of almost any avian ailment you will encounter. Many times rehabilitators will have a bird with a problem that is not something you see every day. Avian Medicine by Jaimie Samour makes it much easier to identify specific ailments. This book also covers drug dosages, blood chemistry, commonly used drugs and everything else from incubation techniques to imping feathers. This is a must have for veternarians that are not avian specilists and avian specilists alike. My vet once told me that birds are an elective in vet school and she learned all she knows because of her personal interest in raptors. Without her personal interest she would not have acquired the basic skills to care for these magnificent birds. Avian Medicine will definitely be an asset to her and anyone else with a passion for birds and their well being. I will recommend this book to all of my rehabilitator friends across the country and plan to buy another copy for my vet as a Thank You for the volunteer service she has provided to the thousands of raptors that have come in to our facility.

Eileen Wicker Executive Director Raptor Rehabilitation of KY, Inc. Louisville, KY (502) 491-1939 raptors@aye.net

I know of two people that have already bought this book from you in the last two days, just on my recommendations. Sigrid Noll Ueblacker, Bird of Prey Foundation, Colorado and Christine Macck Alaska Raptor Rehab. If I am awarded the $50. certificate I will use it towards 2 more copies of the same book for both of my vets.

When the sleeper wakes is a fairly good book, but not something I would choose to read again. The book doesn't exactly give either a realistic or creative idea for the future, when 'The Sleeper' ends up in 2010. There are barely any things that change in those two hundred years, which is an odd concept to handle. How they refer to people is the same as in the beginning of the story when he's in the 1800's.

Another of Wells' dark futuristic visions, this novel is about a man who falls into a deep sleep in the Victorian age and wakes up early in the 22nd century. Wells predicts much of the technology that would be invented in the 20th century. This story is not just a fascinating read but a poignant social commentary.

H.G. Wells is perhaps one of the greatest modern writers, and his stunning book "When The Sleeper Wakes" is the embodiment of his incredible prohpetic writing. This is an essential book, if for no other reason than it's frighteningly close-to-home predictions of the future. The story follows a modern day Rumplestiltskin, named Graham, after he sleeps a couple of centuries and wakes up to find himself owner of over half of the earth. The story itself is well-crafted, as Wells demonstrates a strong command of the English language. But this book is not merely a "good read". The most amazing aspect is that H.G. Wells predicted the widespread use of airtravel over a hundred years ago, along with mega-corporations that dominate a single industry, and roadside billboard advertisements. These are just a few of the remarkable, and accurate, predictions H.G. Wells made. It's hard to believe this book was written in the 1890's. The story is engaging as well, even if your not concerned with the social and political warnings of this tale. Only a few of the characters are extensively, namely Ostrog and Graham. But since it's a short story, this doesn't detract from the overall plot. The setting and tone of the story are the most important elements, and these are expertly developed. There is little wrong with this book. It's a little on the short side, but it still makes for an excellent choice.

The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells is a classic science fiction/fantasy novel. It is based in England around the late 1800's and also thousands of years into the future. It is an epic tale of a journey through time. Every one of the Time Traveler's friends and colleagues doubted him. They didn't believe that he had gone into the future. But he did. He visited a gentle breed called the Eloi. They were all alike. They dressed the same, walked the same, looked the same, and even reacted to life's conflicts in the same way. These identical "people" served him gratefully, giving him all the fruit he could ever want. He tried to learn the Eloi language, but their short attention spans caused him to not learn very much. The Time Traveler began to dream as to why this race of people was so alike. He couldn't figure it out. He decided that he had found himself in a utopian society, where neither reason nor strength was needed. He didn't find the real reason out, until he had discovered his time machine to be missing. Night fell and all he could do was search. When he found it he also discovered a horrifying secret about the reason as to why the Eloi were so perfect. It was a terrible secret, one that you will only know if you read this book. Believe me, it's quite a twist. All in all, I would have to recommend this book to anyone. It has elements of every genre in it: horror, science fiction, fantasy, drama, and comedy. It is just a really well rounded book that all can enjoy.

OK, we've all seen at least one of the movie versions of H.G. Well's The Time Machine, but none of them truly compare with the oringinal Sci-Fi classic. The book tells the story of the Time Traveler's journey nearly a million years into the future and the very unexpected and disturbing society he finds there. The Time Traveler formulates various theories based on what he observes of the society, which each, in turn, prove to be oh, so wrong! [Warning: mild spoiler] In the end, his realization of the future is especially terrifying considering it is the result of our current social structure (or H.G. Well's, anyway).

I especially recommend this book for those of us with short attention spans - it's only 140 pages (and that's the large print version). But don't get the wrong idea, this book still has more depth and creativity than most 500 page books i've read and is a great read, even compared with today's science fiction standards.

This book has to be considered a classic considering it spawned a whole genre of time traveling books, movies, and tv shows whcih imitated it. Get a hold of a copy and read it today!

Leave it to H.G. Wells to come up with a book on time traveling into the future and leaving us, the readers, totally captivated. What a visionary. The movie, which I have seen many times, did a great job of keeping to the original storyline. If you have not seen it, please do so. Amazing film.

What I love about the book is how much further Wells went with the story. Towards the end of the book, our weary time traveller proceeds further into the future to actually witness our earth and sun dying. The barren lands growing cold. Life at its final stages. How utterly eerie yet thrilling all at the same time. Wells describes the sequences so vividly. Who would not do the same if a time machine was made available to them?

For you first time readers, enjoy. It is a terrific ride.

This story has a lot of twists and turns in it. The main character is Detective Freddie Troy. He starts out with a piece of a body and puts together an rather intricate plot involving the Allied High Command, Russian Spies, Nazi scientists and OSS types.

There are a number of interesting people along the way. Tosca who works for a lot of different people and always seems to have the next clue. Diana Brack, a mysterious woman involved in the caper more than it seems. Jimmy the OSS killer type or so we think. Onions, who is Troy's boss, and a rather cryptic sort.

Troy spends most of the book falling in and out of bed with different ladies, stumbling about in the dark of 1944 London and getting the living snot beat out of him by different folks.

But the novel works of fails on the mounting bits of evidence and much of it shows up just at the right time. An adequate first outing.

This first book in the Troy series left me rather torn. On the one hand, it's a gripping page-turned stuffed with great characters and atmosphere, all set in London just prior to D-Day. On the other hand, the plot relies on so many coincidences and contrivances that one's suspension of disbelief is sorely tested. Like the Berlin detective Bernie Gunther in Phillip Kerr's excellent WWII trilogy (collected as Berlin Noir), Lawton's D.S. Troy is a wonderful character. Born in England to upper class Russian Jewish parents, he doesn't believe in Queen and country, but pursues a broader notion of justice. As a young Scotland Yard whiz-kid, he tries to unravel a series of murders and disappearances tied somehow to former German scientists and the American military.

The downside is-and I give nothing away by saying this-that too many central figures in the story are connected to Troy's personal life. One victim lives above his closest police friend, another is known to his uncle (who just happens to be a scientist working in military research), another central player is known to him from childhood, and another important character has a past history with Troy as well. Not to mention the climax, in which Troy's well connected brother plays a key role. It gets to be rather a lot to ignore, and the worst part is, there isn't really a need for all those connections to be there!

Fortunately, Lawton provides ample detail and atmosphere to keep everything enjoyable. His portrait of the tough conditions in wartime London, and the privileged place of the American military there is striking. Food rationing, bombing raids, dense fog, rubble-strewn streets, tough East End children, it's all highly evocative. Similarly, he provides a picture of England's simmering domestic political situation that will come as a surprise to many American readers. Every character springs to life under Lawton's pen, from Troy's keen subordinate, to his canny superior, to a hooker with a heart of gold, and bluff American officers. My own favorite is the cross-cursing Polish forensics expert.

Coincidences aside, the book is exceedingly well-written, and it's shame Lawton isn't better known in the US. A second Troy book, Old Flames, is set in 1956, a the third, A Little White Death, in 1963-neither of these had yet been published in US.

Since previous reviewers have accurately pin-pointed the shortcomings of the rather contrived plot, let me just add a couple of things in the book's favour.

John Lawton has done his homework in describing life in London during and immediately after World War II. The picture he paints is almost photographic in its accuracy. If Norman Rockwell had been a British author, instead of an American painter, I think this is how he might have written.

With a strong lead character in Detective Sergeant Troy, and some real gems amongst the supporting cast of pro-Communist Russian immigrants, upper class Britons and working class Londoners, carried along by a strong story line, I couldn't ask for much more.

I read the book without knowing that John Lawton was a documentary film maker, but it doesn't surprise me. The book is highly visual and I imagine would make an incredible film

This is the third book in John Lawton's series and you should read it ONLY after "Black Out" and "Old Flames". First of all, it deals a lot with the events and characters of the those novels, and second...it is not as intriguing as those two books. I liked it, but that's because I am fond of the characters, especially Troy himself. Starting the book, I expected to find a web of intrigue, but the events mentioned on the back cover happened only after several hundred pages! Until then we had Troy's reflections on life, death, etc. What we have here is a good, clever novel about the 60's, just don't expect it to be a thriller it isn't.