I have a autographed copy of this book and it's one of my most treasured books. It is a wonderful follow up to "God is My Co-Pilot". I have read it at least 10 times in the year that I have had it. It is a very compelling book... I just don't know how to desribe it. Every library that I know of has it, as well as God is My Co-Pilot. It's really not all that hard to find. If you are even the slightest remoteness interested in what it was like in China between 1942 and 1945 this is a exellent book. I don't know how to put it into words... I just love his books. I'm sorry to say that I've never been able to read any of the others (Flying Tiger: Chennault of China, Boring a Hole through the Sky, God is Still My Co-Pilot, just to name a few). He's now over 90 I know that he flew a F-15 Eagle at age 89. Your really not supposed to.. but somehow he convinced them he could. Most everyone I've told says that there must be another seat for the navigator that somebody else went sat in. But, I garrenty you that there is only ONE seat in a F-15 Eagle. In short he is a incredible man, and has a incredible life. And I quote:

"Claire Lee Chennault was a indivialist, and some of that indiviualty must have rubbed off on me because I to have been a indiviaulast.. a mavrick general, in my carrer. But first I had to meet him, and that took some doing. I had to lie cheat and surely steal. There is a saying "never steal anything small" well what I stole was a B-17E FLying Fortress. Right or wrong, under the surrcumstances I did it. It is a long story and I have to Start at the beginning."

This book is the Generals best by far because it chronicles pretty much everything about the man himself. His story is proof of what happens if you persist. If you want to get the whole snapshot of my hero, Gen Bob Scott- then this is the book you need to read!! Trust me.

Robert Lee Scott is one of the heros of our century who faded from our collective memory long ago. His 1943 best-seller, God is my Co-pilot, made him famous during WWII, and The Day I Owned the Sky brings the reader up-to-date (Well, up to 1988, anyway) on the further adventures of this magnificent Flying Tiger. This book will take the reader from his humble beginnings in Georgia, to his wartime exploits, and into his fun-filled retirement. If you love books like Yeager and Press On! you'll love this one, too!

Barbara writes with such wonderful description, you can hear, feel, smell, taste and touch everything in this book, especially that dress!

I couldn't put it down - great adventure, great fun for a long weekend. Loved the messages - just what we need.

An inspired story, unpredictable, with bizarre and fantastical elements commonplace, and with both human and animal characters that we care about, told with humor and wisdom.
I really wanted to turn the page to find out what happens and in the process the underlying message of respect for nature is made very clear. It is the human characters that learn in this story. Bruno, a bear, seems to know all about love.

An animal's worldview intrigues you in this fable/fantasy. This well-written, thoughtful book invites you to join a human's quest for the city in the sky.

Universal themes abound and surprising elements hold your interest. Every "baby boomer" can relate to the characters in this book and the choices made along life's journey.

A quick read--an escape vehicle for your vacation or a steady read--easily savored and pondered, The City in the Sky appeals to everyone.

Crimson Skies is a game world created by Microsoft and Fasa, where it's an alternate 1937 and the United States has broken up into several independant nations. The rail lines and freeways have all been destroyed, so travel and trade is now only possible by air. This lead to the rise of airborne pirate gangs and the hijacking of cargo zeppelins. The North American nations responded by forming their own national air militas or contracting private companies to keep their cargo, and themselves, safe. It makes you wonder just how things would be like if history was just a little different.

This is a collection of three novellas, two of which were originally published on the official Crimson Skies website. Done in the style of the old pulps, each story follows one of the main Crimson Skies characters as they fly, flight, and con their way to save the day, or line their pockets their pockets in the process. Highly recommended.

A collection of three novellas, two originally published on the Crimson Skies website, one previously unpublished. All are highly entertaining.

The Phantom Prototype pits international detective Paladin Blake against a mysterious conspiracy with a dire plot for mass destruction, to further a sinister political goal! Written pre-9/11, a simple delivery job turns into a desperate fight to prevent a devastating aerial strike on an innocent city. The Phantom Prototype was written by SF author Eric Nylund, who wrote last year's HALO novel, and gives us a portrait of Blake as hardboiled dick in a noir situation. Blake comes off a bit shinier than most hardboiled detective stories, mostly because he's too busy saving his can to misbehave.

On the flip side of the law, The Manchurian Gambit draws international pirate Genghis Khan into a web of intrigue as he tries to get free of his money troubles. Along the way, he rescues fair maidens and heads off on a quest that might free the Chinese people from a foreign aggressor-all for a buck, of course. I'd never hear of Michael B. Lee before this story, but he turns in a good story about a bad man.

Somewhere in the middle of the law, Bayou Blues is a story of Nathan Zachary and his efforts to make a buck off a town under a Louisiana despot's thumb, and maybe do a good deed. This is the original story, by Crimson Skies guru Eric Trautmann. It rocks along at a goodly pace, and comes off a lot like the good stuff in The Maltese Falcon. I never liked Nathan Zachary in any of the earlier Crimson Skies fiction, or the original computer game, but here Nathan is more a Han Solo rogue than the smarmy egotist he comes off as in other stories.

One of the things I like about all of these stories is that the heroes mostly fight and think their way through their problems, with bruises and cracked heads. Most adventure stories have the heroes more or less skate through (more in movies than books, I guess) with not much danger. The Crimson Skies stories come off more like Die Hard, with the heroes getting slammed around a bit. That gives them a bit more grit than a lot of stories.

The authors do an excellent job of showing how the Allies were able to use their material superiority to best advantage and defeat the Luftwaffe. Counterintuitively, the main advantage gained by the strategic bombing program was the defeat of the Luftwaffe. It was only when the bombers started hitting important targets in Germany accompanied by escort fighters that the German fighters had to fight at unequal terms.

Great description of how the air war was won.

If one wishes to learn about the contributions of the US ArmyAir Forces in Europe during World War II, the literature is repletewith books and articles about strategic precision daylight bombing. However, in To Command the Sky, the authors have broken from the strategic bombing mold to inform us of how air superiority was achieved, and how important that victory was to allow the Allied forces to not only carry out their strategic bombing mission, but also to prepare the battlefield for D-Day. Indeed, without air superiority over the landing areas, the D-Day invasion of the continent would have certainly been more costly, if not impossible to achieve. This excellent book recounts how the Luftwaffe was defeated through a combination of strategic bombing and, more importantly, attrition of the Luftwaffe planes and pilots. Although the book begins with a brief history of military aviation and doctrine, the highlight for this reviewer was the chapter dedicated to training, especially since the authors look at both the American and German programs. Flaws in the German training programs directly contributed to their aerial defeat in 1942 - 1944. Due to the prohibition to maintain a German air force by the Treaty of Versailles after WW I, the Luftwaffe started training its pilots in Russia and Italy during the 1920s and 1930s. By the time Hitler announced to the world the existence of the Luftwaffe in 1935, he had established a formidable force. For myriad reasons though, problems consistently nagged the Luftwaffe and ultimately led to its defeat. These included a lack of training planes, a lack of qualified instructor pilots, little instrument flying time, and shortages of aviation fuel. The authors develop these shortfalls throughout the book and keep coming back to the conclusion that inadequate training was a major factor in the Luftwaffe's demise. Two other aspects of the battle for air superiority that the authors examine are the realizations that fighter escort would be needed to defend the bombers on their strategic strikes, and attrition warfare would be needed to defeat the Luftwaffe. Despite the fact losses from attrition warfare were high, the Allied commanders were willing to accept them knowing that replacement aircraft and qualified pilots were readily available. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading To Command the Sky as I felt it gave a truly balanced account of how fighters and bombers were both needed to achieve air superiority and bring about the defeat of the Luftwaffe. Lastly, the authors' insight into some of the key commanders (Eaker, Doolittle, Spaatz, Arnold) thinking was especially enlightening and appreciated. It put the struggles they faced in commanding such a large force in perspective, especially with regard to the D-Day timeline under which they operated. I believe To Command the Sky is a must read for anyone wishing to study the air campaign against Germany during World War II.

"No Sky" not only manages to show how the universe was created by the greatest passion of God, but by the end of this book, your child is the center of that universe, and never was anyone loved more. The best creation story I've ever read. Read it to your child using your child's name in place of the generic "child," as I saw Walter Wangerin do in the telling of this story on a videotape (he told this story in response to some children taunting his daughter). Then read the story and insert your own name instead of the child's. This is an incredibly powerful book. You may find yourself in tears.

A very interesting book by M. Owen Lee. Gives a good background on how Wagner developed the Ring. Interesting details of Wagner's life, his life style during this difficult life time, how the Ring evolved and became the superb masterpiece of Wagner's new style of Opera. The ring is difficult to understand however Mr. Lee gives a good explanation of the ring, which makes it much more enjoyable.

I've heard comments about Lee--praise for his academic expertise and resentment for his referring to Wagner as "that terrible man" in another book. So I picked this up while watching the 2001 Seattle "Ring."

I don't consider myself a "Ring" expert by any stretch of the imagination. I consider myself a Wagnerian, find Wagner's music emotionally evocative, mentally stimulating, etc. I don't consider Wagner a "terrible man," however, nor do I consider him a superman, despite his musical talent, even genius. Sorry, but he, like all of us, was all-too human.

There are some points of the book that I appreciate. It is, as Lee points out, Wagner's musical talent that needs to be acknowledged. It is that, more than anything else, text or characters, for example, that stimulates me in "The Ring" or any other of Herr Wagner's operas.

And the summaries of each opera were helpful before I saw each one. I've seen tapes of them all before, but one can forget the stories, and a review like those Lee provided before each commentary was helpful.

Then there are the major leitmotifs of the opera, to which Lee frequently refers. But, unless you are very good at "hearing" the music you are reading, you may want to have a keyboard by you, or something by which you can listen to those themes. That will help you understand the operas and the concept of leitmotifs better.

However, one must keep in perspective what was going on in Germanic Europe in the Wagner era. Jung, Freud, Mesmer, and other gurus and similar fantasy builders were part of what was happening there. In fact, I see that as similar to some of the Eastern gurus who got footholds in the West during the 1960s. I fear that Lee doesn't keep that in perspective enough. He rambles on interminably on the "depth" of the "myths," ala Jung. And with that psychobabble I beg to differ. Myths are first and foremost stories. And stories are told to make a point. Lee refers at times to the Brothers Grimm with whom most of us are familiar. However, he refers to their stories as if there is almost an inherent message to be understood by the children hearing them. But any story is open to interpretation. Perhaps the stories most diversely interpreted are what is known as "scripture." Gerry Falwell and I interpret those documents very differently. So are ANY stories interpreted, including, if not especially, the Ring. Lee was so mesmerized by the "depth" of the "myth" that I think he may have left out other influences on Wagner. For instance, I believe Wagner had some commercial drive. I say that not in a critical sense, it's just reality. There was, for instance, appropriate to the time, a desire among German nationalists for a "national opera." Indeed, it may be from this book that I learned that fact. The Ring fulfilled that to a degree, though its sources are more Nordic and Icelandic than German. The times made the story more appropriate--saleable--than it may have been in another era. Wagner's genius at synthesis, taking bits and pieces from many sources and putting them into a plausible series of stories supported by superior--and evocative--musical background made it particularly "commercial."

As to the "mythic" structure of the Ring, I suspect that this was a result of Herr Wagner's rather extensive ego--bigger than reality--coupled with the dramatic effect of such myth. Guys going to work at the university or the factory and coming home to their wives and kids don't have quite the effect that greedy dwarves, ignorant and amorous giants, gods and their incestuous offspring have. The Grimms and Aesop also knew that well.

For those Wagnerian die-hards, no, I'm NOT criticizing Wagner for that. I just returned from a fabulous production of the Ring, to reinforce my video and audio recordings of the art, and the books and other media I have that examine it. I just fear that Lee--and some other authors--make Wagner more of a legend than he perhaps intended. (Note that I give the book 3 stars, not fewer!)

Overall, it's not a bad book, but, if you're familiar with the Ring, and don't get into popular psychological rap, I would recommend other books, including Ernest Newman's "The Wagner Operas" and others whom Lee uses as resources. And I'm reading another Lee book which I prefer. I think that'll get more stars.

A must-read for Wagner lovers, and those who want yet another
book on "The Ring" cycle. It is brief yet insightful. Enjoy!

This was the book that first taught me to appreciate Wagner's Ring cycle. Before reading this book, I had tried to watch the Met telecasts and listen to the music, but I confess that I actually found Wagner boring. Then, one year, my father gave me this small book as a Christmas present.

Since then, I have read and re-read the book, and listened to the operas over and over again. I have seriously considered becoming a collector of Ring recordings; I own the Bohm version recorded at Bayreuth, the Solti version and the Karajan version. I have gone from being indifferent to Wagner to being a Wagnerolater, and Father Lee's book is what set this off.

The book may not be of as much use to someone who is already well versed in Wagner scholarship, however it is an excellent introduction to the Ring cycle. It exposed me for the first time to the depths of Ring interpretation. It also ably explained Wagner's musical techniques and his historical context in ways that the layperson can easily understand. For understanding the various leitmotifs in the index, some musical training is helpful, but having a recording of the Ring by your side should help to make up for any deficiencies in this department.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in getting to know Wagner, and interested in understanding how he can weave such a spell over his audiences. This book opened my own eyes; it can do the same for you.

I liked this book. But as the other guys have said, it's good to read the Hardcover book by James Christensen first. (Alot of the references are better if you follow our advice.) This is the only book I've read by Tanith Lee, But I know I got another book by her for Christmas Called "Wolf Tower" but I know that one of her books called "Vivia" seems a bit questionable. I've never read it, so it's not like I know, but I 've heard it has crucifictions and vampires and stuff...I don't think that stuff is right or good, so I find it a little strange that she could write such a wonderful cute book like this, then write trash like that.Actually, I did read an excerpt from it, so I kind of can have an opinion. Comon, Tanith, I love this book, and If you always wrote like this, I would have to put you near the top of my favorite authors. I love Hope in this book. She's a great young girl heroine, the kind of heroine that young girls need to read about more often. And Apollo turns out really nice and a great person too. So keep your standards high, everyone, and we can work together, to make great literature for the new generations. (...) ;-)I love ya, Tanith, you're a great writer.

This book was interesting and the idea was good but there was something missing, I just don't know what. Hope Glover was the typical orphan who had incredibly kind parents but is left as a servant in a nasty house hold. Apollo was mean to Hope but he is not mean at heart he was just raised to be that way. His father has drummed into his head that he will be " an important man." and that he is to keep his head up and his chest out. But from the parts of the story that are told from his point of view you see that he doesn't kwant to end up like that. I especially liked the end but I will not give anything away about that. The story begins with Hope living her usual life, when a young woman and her husband come to visit the Rivers. The young woman is Cassandra Aisling who has been on the Basset and was carried to the lands of legend years ago.( Make sure you read the original voyage of the Basset book by James c. christen first.) cassandra sees that hope will travel on the Basset soon aswell and indeed she is right. Hope gets carried away by a magic carpet/kites and takes Apollo with her without knowing it. After that both children see things that Hope had always dreamed of and that Apollo had never dared to, because of his father's instructions. I suggest you read tis bok if you are looking for something light to read if you are like me but fotr people who are not like me yo can decide whether to read it or not on your own.

Based on the adventures of "Voyage of the Basset" by James C. Christensen, "Islands in the Sky" by Tanith Lee is the first book in this children's fantasy series created by Mr. Christensen. Other notable fantasy writers have also collaborated, including Terri Windling and Ellen Steiber (#2: "The Raven Queen"), Sherwood Smith (#3: "Journey to Otherwhere"), Will Shetterly (#4: "Thor's Hammer"), and Mary Frances Zambreno (#5: "Fire Bird"). All of these books are worth reading if you enjoy children's fantasy fiction.

In "Islands of the Sky", 10-year-old orphaned Hope Glover has grown up a scullery maid in 19th century London, until she's magically taken away by a kite caught in a tree. Unknowingly, her master's spoiled son, Apollo Rivers, also tags along. Hope soon enters the world of the Basset, a flying ship occupied by dwarves and gremlins, and befriends the kind first mate, Sebastian, as well was an inept genie she finds in the sea. In this magical world full of mythical Greek creatures, she aides in the war against the cruel centaurs who intend to enslave all the wingless horses, animals the centaurs believe are far inferior to them since they only have one quality while the centaurs have two (being part human and horse). And while Hope assists Pegasus and his fellow winged and wingless horses, Apollo soon falls to the side of the enemies and is consequently imprisoned by Klatter in Centaur City.

"Islands in the Sky" is a wonderful story. Older Tanith Lee fans will love it, as will young fantasy/adventure readers. Recommended for children age 9 - 12, but suitable for adults as well.

The Earth And The Sky by Debbie Lee Wesselmann is a collection of short stories which has an overall theme. Not all short story collections have a theme that ties stories together, so I found it interesting that The Earth And The Sky does. This overall theme is that even though our cultures may be different, as human beings we all have the same wants, needs and desires etc., so perhaps we are not as different as we thought we are. This theme does not apply to every story in the collection, since not all of the stories take place in other countries and/or with people of other cultures, there are a couple of stories that take place in America with Americans as the main focus, but I found the theme did apply to many of the stories.
Some stories were written in first person, while others were written in third person. The third person narratives kept us close to their protagonists, but I felt even closer to the first person protagonists. I was more so able to crack in to the thoughts of the first person narrators and really understand what they were feeling than I was able to with the protagonists who were told about in third person.
Wesselmann definitely seems familiar with the other countries she writes about (it says in the about the author section at the end of the book that she has traveled the world many times, which came as no surprise to me after reading the book), and her descriptions of other cultures/countries are easy to visualize and seem believable. She especially likes to compare how different Americans are from other cultures. Many of her stories include American characters in a foreign place or vice versa. And in a couple of stories we see the Americanization of people from other cultures. If I hadn't read the about the author section at the end of the book, I still would have guessed the author was American, although there are some stories that do not feature Americans at all, which if I had read those stories on their own and not as part of this collection (for ex. "Rosa's Vision" which takes place in Chile), I might have thought the author was from that country and cultural background, instead of being American.

The 15 short stories in this superb collection represent a wide variety of characters and cultures. While the stories take place in mainly rather exotic locations--Taipai, France, Italy, the Grand Cayman, Chili, Montreal, and Japan, the themes are universal and face humans across the globe.

One of the main themes threaded through the collection is loss--the characters struggle with loss of culture, loss of independence, loss of the self, loss of a parent or a child, and the loss of love. Some of the characters experience loss while driven by acculturation, duty and family loyalty

My favourite stories--in order--are: "Ingrid, Face Down," "Core Puncher," and "Snow Angels." And it was not an easy feat--either making the selection or putting them in order. These three stories are unforgettable.

"Ingrid, Face Down" is the story of a schoolteacher who finds herself taking a long weekend getaway alone--and not with her boyfriend--as originally planned. The author creates a languid pace with language as the teacher, Ingrid, gathers the courage to try scuba-diving. Ingrid physically explores the silent beauty of the ocean while simultaneously analyzing her inner, emotional life and the inevitable shortcomings of her romantic relationship with her duty-driven boyfriend.

"Core Puncher" is the story of a grieving parent who spends her holidays chasing tornados in Oklahoma. Family and friends simply don't understand the drive--or the need--Lillian has to face death and then record the event. Lillian meets a fellow traveller on the road, and they share a moment of recognition.

"Snow Angels" takes place in France and concerns a quartet of young students--Kate (the narrator), Matthew, Aaron, and Dave who meet and befriend a fellow American, Daria. Daria finds herself abandoned in a strange country, and she quickly joins the group. However, Daria's presence upsets the existing dynamic, and both Matthew and Dave find her rather annoying. Kate's relationship with Aaron is also spoiled by Daria's presence, but some serious lessons await them all when they leave for a skiing holiday in the Pyrenees.

For many years, I've found that reading short stories is a tried and true method for discovering new authors. Some authors I have discovered through reading short stories ... To this list, I shall now add Debbie Lee Wesselman. As a reader, I am in awe of a talent that can create a perfect, unforgettable tale within the structure and confines of the short story format ...

The title of the book, "The Earth and the Sky: Stories" reminds me of either the Orient or Native American folklore. Reading several of her stories I learned much about the Chinese culture, specifically within the setting of Taipei as in "Dance of a Falling Comet". She writes with crystal clear precision, capturing details of feeling and thought using a unique pallette of different colors. This story even had a sequel which completed the ideas and themes started by the other. The first story is set in Italy, where an American family rents a villa. The family includes two young daughters, Hannah and Jenny. There is a young lady who manages the villa and a wonderful horse named, Nocciola who becomes the hero in this very pleasant story. "Stone Daughter" takes place in Japan. An American woman returns to Japan, which is the ancestral home of her husband. He is the oldest son who must assume responsibilites for running the family pottery business. This intercultural marriage is filled with interesting insights and behaviors expected of the Japanese. Another story is set in the Grand Cayman Islands where snorkeling reveals the risks associated with viewing the wonders beneath the ocean ... The story which is set in Toulouse, France develops some unexpected twists and turns with a very surprise ending ... "Life as a Dragon" reveals a lot about cleverness and using one's intuiton with honor. "Down Under the Lake" is a story about a pre-teen girl whose parents are divorced who goes out boating with her older brother and the serious temptation which she survives. "Core Puncher" is a story about Lillian who chases tornadoes for excitement - she chases them from Oklahoma to Texas trying to capture them on film and video. There is a hidden reason behind her need to challenge nature ... This one brought occasional tears to my eyes as I learned more about Lillian and her life. All of the stories are marvelous, with vivid descriptions of people, places, and events that reveal feelings and values from different perspectives. Not all the stories end the way the reader expects ... The scintillating events about which the author writes, reveal the great depth and understanding she posseses. Sometimes there are competing emotions or values which must be resolved. She capures complex emotions that occur within specific social and cultural contexts. These stories are like delicately chiseled sculptures ... each is unique and must be looked at from different angles to be fully appreciated. It is highly recommended. Erika B.

This is perhaps the worst piece of politically-correct, falsely historical literature the CanLit factories have ever produced. The narrator of the novel implies that the entire book is just her trying to make the past all goody-goody so she can live a happy care-free life, and as a result the book reads like a 14yr-old gossiping about the Backstreet Boys. If you want to read good Chinese literature, read something else, Six Records Of A Floating Life or something. If you want to read a bland, tasteless, stereotypical novel with flat, uninteresting, stupid and weak characters, read Disappearing Moon Cafe. A book that is not Chinese-Canadian literature so much as it is an example as to just how easily books that play to the racial stereotype can find a publisher. I am from a Chinese family that's been in Vancouver for over a hundred years, and the "Chinese-Canadian" experience detailed in this book bears no relations whatsoever to actuality. The only redeeming quality of this novel, for me, is that there's a chapter set in a building my family used to own. For immortalizing this brick forever in the great genre of poor literature, I commend Sky Lee. This book is the foul stench upon which Chinese literature floats, and should not have any more time wasted on it.

Though I wouldn't call Disappearing Moon Cafe the BEST book ever, I would hardly go as far as to call it the worst. Comparing it to works such as Six Records of a Floating Life is, furthermore, problematic; the distinctions between Chinese literature and Chinese-Canadian literature are far too vast to place in the same category.
I would recommend this book to anyone, though it is definitely a very slanted view of the Chinese-Canadian experience. It does draw out certain important points, however: the divisions between the Chinese immigrant and other races, the effects of the Chinese Exclusion Act, the role of identity, and both family and interracial relationships. It is DEFINITELY a very intriguing read.

As a student of the first Chinese Canadian history course offered in any Canadian university (University of Alberta), I found Sky Lee's Disappearing Moon Cafe one of the most profound and intellectually stimulating novels I have come across in my life. Though a background in the history of Chinese Canadians is by no means a pre-requisite to this novel, I believe Lee has thoroughly researched the social and political climate of the Chinese in Canada during the time in which her novel is set. Indeed, Lee's ability to integrate factual history with fiction in her narrative is quite remarkable. That she utilizes the theorized union between the Chinese and Aboriginal peoples to both begin and complete her narrative speaks to her creativity and willigness to move beyond simple facts.

I would recommend this novel to any individual seeking to extend their understanding of the Chinese Canadian experience and especially to those local born Chinese who, like myself, are searching for a cultural identity that combines both our cultural roots in Canada and in China. This novel is poignant, reflective and completely deserving of our attention.