A brilliant, highly accessible account of the history of the POWs in Southeast Asia. The text is very readable and concisely written. The photographs alone speak volumes and the maps provide a nice illustrative point of reference.

Before you read any other POW-related book, take the time to read "Honor Bound" cover to cover. Not only will you feel you are getting to know these men - heroes all - personally, you will gain a brutally clear perception of the conditions these men were forced to endure and the way they managed to maintain their honor and dignity in the face of such terrible adversity. The human element is very strong.

This is not, mind you, a book for the weak-stomached. The book is unflinching in its cataloging of the various tortures the POWs underwent, the often rancid food they were forced to subsist on, and the day to day challenges their captors and the climate inflicted upon them.

Surprisingly, however, while the reader is horrified, he or she will leave the book strangely uplifted. It reaffirms one's faith in the human spirit and humanity in general.

After reading many individual POW memoirs and similar material, it was immediately evident to me that Honor Bound is the premier and defining work on American POW's in Vietnam. For its sheer scope and immensity, this is the best reference material ever composed on this subject.

Beginning with history of French occupation in Vietnam and the follow on role of United States involvement, an intimate portrayal is drawn of every aspect of captivity faced by U.S. personnel. In minute detail, Northern and Southern Vietnamese POW camps are put under the microscope revealing the harrowing physical and psychological experiences that affected U.S. servicemen in appalling conditions which equated to a daily battle for survival. Also examined is the known information on captivity in Laos which continues to be controversial even today due to the unknown fates of many Americans still missing in that country.

Complimenting the brilliant narrative which leaves nothing to the imagination, Honor Bound contains dozens of excellent photographs, prison maps, generous footnotes, and several appendixes containing Vietnam war data and prisoner information. This book is a lasting tribute to patriots, heroes, and even legends who gave and maintained their very best in continual times of the absolute worst. I highly recommend Honor Bound to everyone interested in accounts of POW captivity. A superb, powerful, and very satisfying reading experience.

Thank you to Stuart Rochester and Frederick Kiley, for an unbelievable account of the POW's that served in Viet Nam. This is not an easy book to read, but it is a page-turner. As an American, I am overwhelmed by the sacrafice extended for the freedom I enjoy. My praise for the written words and for the service to our country so clearly evident in this riveting book. G.K. Smith Cape Cod USA

I started listening to the audio tape some time ago in the car, and was initially somewhat ambivalent about the program. However, within fifteen minutes, I was thoroughly engaged, and fifteen minutes after that, wiping held-back tears from the corners of my eyes, wondering if "Nathaniel" (as in Hale) would be a good name for my future son.

Our forefathers, with courage and genius, created the most immitated society the world has ever known. How proud and fortunate this audio book makes one feel. I'm committed to listening to it with my teenage nieces and nephews on a "captive" drive sometime. It'll be a great topic for discussion.

This book was a gift from my uncle, and one that I was thrilled to receive. I have a passion for learning about the Founders and the War that defined the way we live today. The author brings out the best quotes, poems, and letters from the most influential men in American history. Their level of devotion is unparalleled throughout the world. I find it most admirable that these men relied on God for their wisdom and through prayer and faith they pledged their "sacred honor" to the cause. I am only a high school student, but I understand that these values apply to everyone in every class. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for God or guidance.

Our form of government has been the most lasting, widespread innovation in modern history. As wonderful as that is, in many ways it is even more wonderful to return to the frame of mind and the values that engendered this invention.

Although (as Bill Bennett rightly points out) our founding Fathers (and Mothers) often fell far short of their own ideals and were profoundly skeptical about the potential of people to do the right thing, they also aspired to a kind of virtue on Earth that combined true nobility of spirit and deed with good relations towards others.

Bennett has put these ideals into the following categories: patriotism and courage; love and courtship; civility and friendship; education of the head and heart; industry and frugality; justice; and piety. You can dip your inquisitive toe into any of these, whenever you want. .... I suggest that in addition to buying a copy for yourself, that you plan to give this book as a gift to your children and grandchildren as they reach the age when they will begin to make important moral choices for themselves. .... In most cases, I felt like the material here was stating timeless principles that do apply today ....

Bennett does a nice job as editor in explaining the context of each passage. His love of these people, these ideals, and these words is obvious. It will move you. And hopefully inspire you to follow the good advice in those words.

Nicely done, Bill Bennett! This is a good use of history . . . to help us learn not to repeat the mistakes of the past needlessly.

Cat Catledge is just beginning to come to terms with the murders of his wife and daughter when the phone rings. One word - "Daddy"- and then the phone is hung up. That phone call leads Cat and the readers on a journey through Colombia as Cat tries to find and rescue his daughter, Jinx.

Drug trafficers have fallen out of favor as the villians of choice in thriller fiction. This book, written in 1988, was written at the height of their popularity and is still a darn good read. Cat is a good hero - a rich computer printer inventor who has plenty of vulnerabilities (first and foremost his family). Woods provides an great group of friends to fill the gaps for Cat. I particularly liked Bluey, the renegade Australian pilot.

Since Jinx was kidnapped by pirates off the Colombian coast, much of the book takes place in that country. Woods does a nice job of telling the reader about the various cities without falling into the traveloge trap.

And, yes, the pages turn easily. A fun read for all (except, maybe, the fathers of beautiful eighteen year old daughters).

This book was my first Stuart Woods novel that I've read and I wasn't disappointed. The action starts off quickly and keeps you turning pages well into the night. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the crookedness of South America, the drug trade, action, and mystery. Definitely a quick read.

Stuart Woods really did a great job with this book. Cat Catledge is the main character, and at times the only character. Woods had to do some very hard work with creating the Catledge character because there just weren't that many characters to work with. After reading the whole novel, I felt like I had known Cat forever. The story starts out very good and plenty of action occurs within the first 50 pages (which is always very important). The story continued to be excellent and had many interesting different twists throughout the story! I would definitely recommend this book and plenty of other Woods novels!!

Stuart Little is a mouse that is about 2 inches tall. Stuart is part of the family of the Fredrick.C.Littles. He has a friendly but shy manner. He's very smart for a mouse but his size gives him trouble sometimes. His life is an adventure when he sets out on the age of seven,he trys to find his dearest friend,Margalo, a friendly little bird who stayed with the Littles in their Boston Fern.

Stuart Little is an interesting book. I enjoyed reading it beacause it was funny and it had interesting vocabulary. There were some sad parts in the book. This Book got me absorbed into it.

I would recommend this book for children of the ages of 8 to 12. If you like fantasy stories then you would love this book. If you are a person who likes certain kinds of fantasy books then you should probably enjoy Stuart Little because you may get absorbed into the book. Also if you like fantasy books that have animals in it that talk and you like the Author E.B.White then you'll like this book.

All three books are pretty good. Charlottes web is the best with a cute little pig named wilbur longing for a friend. Stuart little is also a good book. You get to see the world through the eyes of a mouse. The third book-Trumpet of the swan-is only ok!

The best part of this book was when the sail boat race took place. I liked that part because the policeman fell in the water. Also, I liked being able to see the world through a mouse's eyes. Margalo is a great character in the book because she is smart and she helped Stuart. I am looking forward to reading another book by E.B. White, such as Charlotte's Web and the Trumpet of the Swan.

In the library, I did a side-by-side comparison of this book (Chapman: Dictionary of American Slang, 3rd ed., 1995) with: (a) Spears, Richard: NTC's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions, 3rd ed., 2000 and (b) Green, Jonathon: Cassell Dictionary of Slang, 1998. The advantages of this dictionary over the other two are: (1) some words and phrases are in this book but not the other two (e.g., "love bug," "love me, love my dog"); (2) it gives specific quotations and sources (e.g., "Had Feldstein deliberately low-balled the original numbers? - Newsweek"); (3) it indicates what sort of people originated or might use the word/phrase (e.g. "lot louse... [used in the] circus"); and (4) thorough cross-references are integrated into the body of the dictionary (e.g., "love, see CALF LOVE, FOR THE LOVE OF PETE, PUPPY LOVE"). It has 617 pages and claims to have 19,000 entries, which is between the other two books. On the other hand, the Cassell Dictionary contains a large percentage of the entries in this book as well as many more entries, and it's the oldest of the three dictionaries. Still, if you had to buy only one of the three, this is probably the one to get.

This dictionary is an absolute must-have for every writer, fiction or nonfiction. We haven't found a better slang dictionary yet. It has virtually all the slang words in there, words that you just won't find anywhere else. One of the very nice and helpful features is that it tells you in what year the word was used first and susequently, and in which publication (book or newspaper, etc.), and how the meaning changed over the course of the decades. The dictionary also has sentence examples on how the word was used, e.g. in which context, so you know exactly when and how to use it in your applications. It's just very interesting to find out the original meaning and usage of certain slang words and to enrich your own vocabulary. We highly recommend it!

If you're into words, slang, and idioms like I am, then you probably already own a reference book like this and realize that you need at least 2-3 similar books to find the real nuances of meaning that you want.

This book definitely qualifies to be one of them. The definitions are thoughtful and precise, and there are significantly fewer 'disappointments' (at lousy or omitted definitions/terms) than with other books of it's kind.

Anne Stuart is the Queen of creating those dark complex alpha/gamma rogue males that are far from pure. They are sin, sex, dark and dangerous and there is just no one that does it better. Moonrise is her best, with To Love a Dark Lord and Nightfall running a closesecond . And Ritual Sins ranks right up there. I resisted this book, even knowing that I ADORE everything she writes. Something about the cult angle and him being the leader sort of turned me off, but since it was Stuart and, naturally, could not resist and boy and I glad I gave in.

It one of those itchy, dark tales she weaves like a spell, paint a very very bad boy you are unable resist, might even hate, and cannot stop falling for despite all his dirty secrets. Luke Bardell, conman, charlatan, runs a new age commune called the Foundation of Being, supposedly bilking their clients out of millions and millions of dollars. Rachael Connery's mother was just one of this victims. She willed her fortune to Luke's desert commune and then suddenly died mysteriously. Rachael is there to prove Luke murdered her for the vast fortune and to reclaim the inheritance that should have been hers. Luke knows why she came, what she wants, but that does not seem to stop him nor does it stop her from being drawn into his sinister web.

This is fiction writing at it best, and long may Stuart reign!!

Stella Connery, being of sound mind, knew what she was doing when she learned that she was dying from cancer. She changed her will, disinheriting her twenty-nine year old daughter Rachel and leaving her millions of dollars to the Foundation of Being in New Mexico. When her mother finally died and the will was read, Rachel sued, but lost because one cannot take to court a religion especially since the benefactor was mentally sound.

The Foundation's founder, con artist Luke Bardell sees the angry, frustrated and emotionally distraught Rachel as his next manipulative challenge, planning to melt and conquer her heart and soul like a Svengali. He invites her to spend some time at the Foundation. Rachel accepts because she plans to obliterate the Foundation and destroy its founder. When an immovable force meets an irresistible object and love enters the equation , bodies and souls are changed forever. However, will the relationship between Luke and Rachel metamorphoses into a lasting love or an eternal hate?

RITUAL SINS is an exciting, extremely well written relationship drama. As usually found in an Anne Stuart novel, the lead characters are not lovable, (in fact almost detestable) though very interesting, and the support cast adds much to the story line. This novel is an excellent look at the darker side of human emotions that turns Ms. Stuart's characters into some of the more realistic protagonists in fiction today. Though not for readers who enjoy escapist, up beat romances, it would be a sin for those who enjoy a realistic, very dark relationship drama, not to read RITUAL SINS.

Harriet Klausner

This was my first Anne Stuart book. I was riveted as I read the darkest romance novel I have EVER read. It was fantastic reading! Stuart is such a unusual romance writer. She invents a hero like I have never read - not even close to the other heroes I have read in romance novels.

Ritual Sins' hero, Luke, is a real bad boy. He is a con artist - truly! You don't know how bad Luke is for the majority of the book. He is an extremely dominant and alpha male. Luke is the leader of a cult. Visions of Jim Jones swirl in your head. He is so charismatic that you don't know if you will be able to trust him - if ever. He has easily taken in his followers and all of them love him dearly.

Rachael is a heroine who is hard to like. Her character could have been a little kinder for my tastes. But - if a real, live woman was in Rachael's shoes - I don't think she would have been kind or tolerant of Luke either. Her estranged mother has just died and left over twelve million dollars, Rachael's inheritance, to Luke's organization (cult), The Foundation of Being. Rachael is enraged and suspects foul play. Her mother has never been kind to her or given her love. Much of the plot revolves around Rachael's empty life, her cold treatment of the world, and the results of having a mother that really cared little for you. Rachael doesn't like to be touched, hates men, and is frigid. There are reasons in her background for her inhibitions. Without giving the plot away, I can safely say, she is a wreck of a person.

Luke, on the other hand, truly seems to know a lot about living a quality life. He can see most of Rachael's weaknesses within minutes of meeting her. He has her pegged right and it scares her badly. Rachael considers Luke to be a master manipulator - which he really is. It is such a dire threat for him to so easily determine her most secret hurts, defensive mechanisms, and huge vulnerability.

Rachael and Luke first encounter each other when Rachael arrives at The Foundation of Being to investigate her mother's death. She has told the group that she may be interested in joining them. But many of them, especially Luke, know her real reason for her visit. He realizes that she wants to expose him and would love to see him dead. We all wonder who Luke really is. Once again, it would give too much away if I enlarged on this mysterious trail we, as readers, follow searching for the truth versus the scam. However, I can safely say that it is a deep and fascinating search.

Since this is a romance novel, it is also safe to say that Luke and Rachael develop a relationship against all odds. Luke makes Rachael aware from the very beginning that he wants her sexually. His speech, when with Rachael, is crude much of the time. The sensual scenes don't occur until the middle of the book but they are definitely spicy. They rate a solid 4.0 out of 5.0 (see More About Me for my rating guidelines). Stuart writes a very sexy hero who throws out sexual innuendoes right and left at Rachael.

For the first half of this book, I was very cautious, and wondered if I would truly enjoy the book. It is just SO different. When I read a new author, the first book is such a test. I can be almost tense wondering if they are going to disappoint me. This author clearly passed the new author test with flying colors. Even with the dark nature of the book, I will keep it to read again.

This is an excellent book. Stuart is masterful with such a forbidden subject. Since reading Ritual Sins, I have read five other Stuart books. Some have been good - some have been fair - but this one remains my favorite Stuart book to date. I highly recommend it.

It is indeed a strange book. A young lieutenant is sent to a remote post in the Tartar frontier. At first, he hates it and wants to leave at any cost. Then he succumbs to the place's secret: some sort of masochism that acts like a drug, distorting the lieutenant's sense of time and consuming his life. Thirty years painfully fly, and then something happens. Theme and style are oddly alike in this book: you read and read and nothing happens, and yet it's fascinating. Slow as the book is, you breeze through it. In a stupor, you reach a beautiful ending, of which I am not going to tell you.

This is a book about how absurd existence is and how men are deemed to deal with the fissure they find between life and its meaning. The question of whether this meaning must come from within man himself or from an event which is external to him lies beneath the whole novel.

Sharing this sense of absurdity with Kafka and Camus, Buzatti creates an atmosphere within which not only the main character gets trapped, but also the reader. They both expect something that never actually occurs, and the tension this anticipation generates page after page makes the novel a compelling read.

The story of Giovanni Drogo, a simple man who attempts to make of his destiny something grand without really doing anything but live and wait and let go, is one of the most fascinating and moving stories in the 20th century literature.

This book provides an excellent insight into an essence of human nature, "Hope". The slow yet gripping course of events reminds the reader of the steady and unforgiving passage of time while hoping for something to happen. We all live in fort Bastiani and through Lieutenant Drogo, Buzzati reminds us of how we let ourselves be driven through life passively either by lack of initiative or by fear to confront occurrences which might upset an already monotonous existence. Yet at the end, we all realize that there is always a last battle to be fought and won gloriously.

Stu Mittleman has accomplished what seem to be several ridiculous feats. How could a man possibly run 1,000 miles in 12 days? How could a man run 100 miles per day for nearly 6 days? How could he do all of this and have a smile on his face, and minimal fatigue afterwards?

Slow Burn is revolutionary! Never would a runner imagine all of the little things that go into it. Mittleman teaches us how to visualize, how to use proper technique, how to breathe properly while running, how to alleviate the stress on the body, which foods we should be consuming, and much more.

This book is excellent, and anyone who needs to improve their physical fitness and well-being should set aside a day or two to absorb the information within. It's an excellent read.

This book was simply amazing! Stu Mittleman covers in detail all of the areas that allowed him to run over 1,000 miles in 11 days. He covers your mindset/philosophy (if you are in a marathon you are not running 26 miles you are running 1 miles 26 times). He covers training and shows you how to slow down so you burn fat, not sugar, as well as proper heart rate zones etc and lastly he covers food. He'll teach you how to eat so that you put your body into a constant fat burning mode not sugar burning. His suggestions will help you to eliminate the ups and downs throughout your day and make it so you will feel high energy all day without getting tired! This really opened my eyes and Stu knows exactly what he is talking about because he walks his talk and has done so for over 15 years. This is a must read for anyone even remotely interested in health and/or fitness!

Anyone concerned with health and vitality will find SLOW BURN an incredible "how to" book. With Stu's direction I have changed both my training and diet with phenomenal results. This book should be manditory reading in our over-weight society.

This is one of the best books that I have ever read. The whole trilogy is a great story that is really hard to keep your mind off of. The characters and the plot is well thought out and the essence of the battles and good vs evil is almost overbearing at times. Lawhead has great description, and describes each scene well. If you like a book that will stretch your imagination with celtic culture and mythology this is a great series to read!

Seldom do I read a trilogy I truly enjoy where I don't want to start the third book. The beginning of the third book leads to the end of the trilogy and this isn't the "Never Ending Story". Llew, the misplaced warrior, grows to meet his destiny. One wonders if the land will die before he finds it. Plenty of loose ends to entice you to read the third of the series, but you would want to anyway. Mythical, mystical and heroic, this is well worth the read.

In this second book of the "Song of Albion" series, Lawhead fleshes out his landscape and characters, yes, and even the villians. For some reason, he switches narrators and unnecessarily forces the reader to make a mental jump, but once that jump is made, the story breezes along.

Tegid, the bard, and Llew, the reluctant king, set about carving a new life for themselves while Meldron, the usurper, thinks they're dead. They have time to rebuild and form a company of sorts, but when Meldron catches on to their survival, we know the showdown will eventually come--and to mostly satisfactory results.

Lawhead fills his story with rich details and memorable scenes, but, as in the first book, he makes some apparent blunders. Though I was intrigued by the re-appearance of Nettles from the first book, his character never played a true role in the events of the story. Lawhead seemed to set him up for significance, then let me down. This type of thing happens occasionally in Lawhead's writing, whether due to poor plotting or forgetfulness, I do not know.

Overall, though, I have to give this book a glowing recommendation. Once finished and set aside, I couldn't get it out of my mind. The scenes were still there, the characters still breathing, the questions still rumbling through my thoughts. Maybe, in this fictitous world come to life, like the real world we inhabit, people and events don't always react or go as planned. Maybe, there are bigger purposes, as of yet unknown to this reader. Maybe, I don't care...I just want to believe the Otherworld is out there, and the Song of Albion is being sung, bringing life to all who hear it.

This is my first historical for the year 2000. And I loved this book! Nicholas, the jester has to be one of the most charming heros in romance. This is the first time I've read a story with the court jester being the star of the book. What an unique story. Hidden agendas, a hidden chalice, several entertaining characters along with the romance make this book so much fun to read. And Anne Stuart always makes me glad I picked up one of her books. Enjoy this book, it's a winner!

King Henry sends his court jester, Nicholas to the home of Hugh, the Earl of Fordham. Nicholas is to be a wedding present for the earl, and his bride, Isabeau. At the same time, Julianna, Isabeau's widowed daughter, is summoned to the home also. Nicholas and Julianna share a litter on their ride to the earl's home. We, as readers, get to eavesdrop on their wickedly funny conversation. And of course, we share in their romance, as well.

Nicholas has a hidden agenda. At King Henry's behest, he's to find the chalice of Saint Hugelina, the Dragon, and bring it to him. Julianna, and others, stand in his way. Julianna, has suffered a miserable marriage and wishes to join a convent. She has no wish to join with a "fool", a court jester. Nicholas, however, has different ideas. How Nicholas brings his two goals together, is what makes this book so very good.

This story is peopled with many interesting supporting characters. Hugh and Isabeau provide an unusual secondary romance. There's a priest who is truly evil, and a Brother Abbot who has his own agenda. Gilbert, a fosterling of Hugh's has a sweet face and a "killer" disposition. All, and others, play major rolls in the finding of the chalice, and in Julianna's and Nicholas' romance.

This is not a "dark" romance. There is humor, sly and clever innuendoes, Nicholas' rhymes, bawdy songs. If you're like me, you'll find yourself laughing out loud. And yet none of the humor hurts the romance, at all. The sensuality is sweet, but also erotic. And, Nicholas and Julianna felt very "real" to me. I read, and enjoyed this book in one sitting; and, I will read it again soon. This was a "keeper" for me!

This has definitely got to be one of my favorites by Anne Stuart. It was a funny, heart warming and yet heart wrenching romantic adventure. I loved it!! It is about a young widow named Julianna, who, after her cold husband of ten years passes away, is sent to stay with her mother whom she has not seen since her marriage. She was sent away when she was 11 to marry the older man and since then has not been able to completely forgive her mother. Well, now her mother (also a widow) is to be remarried and the King has sent Nicholas, a jester, as a temporary wedding gift. However, Nicholas is REALLY sent to steal a precious chalice from Julianna's step father-to-be and has no idea what he is about to get himself into. The characters in this book are rich and full of life. I absolutely adored Julianna and Nicholas. Even at his worse, Nicholas was a splendid character. Full of adventure and fun and romance, I highly recommend this book. After having read several of Anne Stuart's books, I believe this one comes very, very close to being her best yet. So, anyone with a liking for romances with a twist and charming characters should definitely pick this book up!! It is one you are not likely to forget for quite some time.