The book is based on interviews with as many of the key players in the liberation of Paris as possible, including the German commander of the city. The facts are laid out clearly, and the differing points of view are based on the actual opinions of the people involved, unlike some histories which seem to attempt telepathy.

The only (minor) problem I had with this book was a lack of footnotes, although there is a good bibliography some explanation in the text of where some of their information comes from. I could have used a bit more support for some of it, but on the whole I was pleased with and enjoyed the book.

As a former infantry/paratroop officer myself I can relate very directly to his experiences - though thankfully I was spared the horrors of the Vietnam conflict that Larry Gwin had to endure.

I hope that he chooses to write more.

This book was an excellent read for magic-lovers like myself, and had most of the elements that make a good Dragonlance book, like a good plot, a love interest, and and a well-developed, main character. If you like magic/Dragonlance/a good read, get this book. It may not be one of the VERY BEST DL books I've read, but it's still well worth the time, especially if you're a DL fan.

In fact, my only problem with this book was one aspect of the ending (if you haven't read the book, you may want to look away now...); Guerrand's sister is not addressed in the ending... She was perhaps my favorite character(i think it was because she seemed like such a helpless caged bird that tried so hard, and i'm really taken in for those "romantic"-type characters) in the book, and everything wraps up nicely except her... what happens to her? Why didn't she find out where Guerrand lived and ran away from home to Palanthas? Why didn't she just run away to begin with?? I know that the second book continues the story, so I'm hoping for the best....

For the storyline, I found it pretty interesting. There are several plot twists, which reveal what actually happened in the previous chapters. The author, Mary Kirchoff, describes objects in the story very well, which makes the readers imagine the world better. The characters' feelings are all very different, not just one or two similar characters.

Overall, I thought this was a very well-written book for starting Dragonlance readers and the experienced one.

The author's presentation of the concepts is illustrated with numerous examples and exercises to allow the reader to quickly absorb the ideas. My advice to my partners: know this book inside out. My request of my opponents: pay no attention!

Those interested in a somewhat different valuation style should look into losing trick count originally popularized in Britain which has been around for some time.

There are some stories that work on many levels; this is one of them. Just the idea is great: a murder mystery set in a futuristic theme park. Add to this that many people come to the park to physically role play an intense adventure, and you've got tons of elements to deal with--making for a rich story environment.

Add once more to this: a wide variety of detailed characters, including social outcasts, an intelligent thief, a slick security officer, and some "doing it for the dollars" adventure designers and you've got a tale that is simply incredible.

I heartily recommend this book and it's sequels (particularly The California Voodoo Game) to any reader--regardless of what genre they enjoy. I just wish that Niven and Barnes would write another...

The setting is Dream Park, a futuristic fantasy theme park full of holographic attractions and the latest in VR technology. A team of players enters the South Seas Treasure Game, one of the Park's frequent live-action high-endurance fantasy role-playing spectaculars, facing off against the diabolical designs of Gamemaster Richard Lopez. All's fun and games until a Park security guard is murdered, a valuable research property stolen, and all evidence points to someone inside the game. Security chief Alex Griffin goes undercover into the game to unmask the culprit. Unfortunately for him, Lopez believes in fair play, and if the Griffin wants to stay in the game long enough to catch the criminal he'll have to overcome the same obstacles as the rest of the team.

Dream Park is in and of itself a fantastic setting, with enough combination of whimsy and high-tech that I wished I could go (and I'm probably not the only one.) What makes the plot work so well is the combination of the mystery-thriller element with the high fantasy adventure of the Game. The players in this game are just as serious about winning as Griffin is about solving his case- there are no prizes at stake, no salaries paid, it's a matter of them doing their best. Their dedication is actually quite touching, and the descriptions of the adventure are so vivid that they're impossible to separate from the "reality" of the Park. It's not a fearful "has technology gone too far" attitude that prevails here (unlike the similar film WESTWORLD), but an appreciation of fantasy and imagination. It helps that the game's plot is in itself intriguing and original, centering around the magic of the Melanesian "cargo cults", and the recovery of a powerful WWII artifact at stake. There are monsters, zombies, and even a riddle contest with a Melanesian god. There's a lot to digest, but it all moves at a brisk and absorbing pace.

On top of it all, though, what makes this book so much fun is its characters. Niven and Barnes have filled the story with people who are real, vibrant, sympathetic, complicated, and compelling. There's veteran gaming couple Ollie Norliss and Gwen Ryder, the diminuitive, quirky but tough and lovable Mary Martha Corbett (Mary-Em for short, pardon the pun), bewildered novice Tony McWhirter, "game groupie" Janet who appears in the game as a maiden in distress, dedicated second-stringer Holly Frost, and the near-obsessed team leader Chester Henderson. And that's just skimming the surface- almost every character is fascinating.

Is it a perfect book? I suppose not, but it's practically perfect for what it is. It's a sophisticated page turner, and Niven and Barnes could teach Crichton or Clancy a thing or two.

Seeing how I LOVE RPGs and role playing a character, feeling as you are another person, in another world, I always thought 'Man, it would be so cool if you could do it in real life.' I think it's obvious why I loved this book!

In 'Dream Park', Dream Park is a theme park...but not your ordinary theme park. Sporting technology we can only dream of, such as holograms, Dream Park revolves around it's main attraction: the Games. Players represent a character, may it be a Thief, a Warrior, a Magic User- and use real or holographic weapons against hologram monsters and living dead, mixed with actors such as the female sacrifice and the guide. However, 'It's all fun and games until...' a Dream Park employee is murdered, and all clues point to a game member. 'Griffin', head of Dream Park security must enter the game and try to figure out whodunnit while trying to not get beheaded by zombies, birds, and other Game creatures. I HIGHLY reccomend this book to anyone who has played RPGs or likes role-playing, but I think others would like it as well. This book kept me guessing to the end as far as the mystery went, and the characters were fun, enjoyable, realistic, and sometimes not-so-nice. (Draeger, anyone?)

I was concerned that the introduction of the book began by discussing the recent EP-3E incident near Hainan, PR China, fearing the book was a cheap attempt at capitalizing on recent events. I am glad to say that I thought wrong.

The book is an incredible compendium of incidents between U.S. reconaissance aircraft and Soviet fighters. Every incident is described and analyzed in exacting detail. Even the EP-3E-focused introduction is intensely researched and well thought out. I was impressed that Tart and Keefe were able to acquire internal Soviet documents detailing the incidents and the U.S. reaction, which provides fascinating and fresh viewpoints from which to view these provocative moments of the Cold War.

As mentioned, the introduction focuses almost exclusively on the April 2001 collision involving a U.S. Navy EP-3E ARIES II ELINT aircraft and a Chinese J-8II fighter. The first half of the book details most every hostile incident between U.S. recce crews and Soviet 'defenders,' a history of U.S. aerial SIGINT and COMINT since WWII, and a history of the USAF Security Service, which was responsible for much of the airborne electronic intelligence gathering along the Soviet border regions. The second half of the book details the shootdown of an USAF C-130A on 2 September, 1958 over Soviet Armenia, and its repercussions. The wayward C-130, tail number 60528, lost with all 17 aboard, became a symbol of the risky aerial ELINT game played in the 1950s and 1960s along the Soviet border regions.

Though not as friendly to the causal reader as "Blind Man's Bluff," to which it has been likened, "The Price of Vigilance" is a fascinating look at a shadowy and deadly aspect of the Cold War that is a must-read for anyone interested in the Cold War, the history of surveillance, or someone looking for a real life spy thriller.

This book should be read by every American so that they will know that while they were sleeping young airmen were keeping vigilance over them 24 hours a day seven days a week 365 days a year. It was a dangerous business by some extremely bright and creative young men, often times too bright and creative for the military service. But they did an outstanding job and helped win the Cold War.

Larry Tart and Robert Keefe were two of the men involved in this business. They know the inside scoop and the behind the scenes stuff like no one else but those who did the work.

This book will undoubtedly surprise those who were not aware of these covert activities during the Cold War. Planes were shot down, men died, and some were never accounted for. Now at least the world will know their story and hopefully offer up a silent "Thank you" to these "Silent Warriors."

The authors also in their informative way present the technology and terminology in a clear and comprehensible manner. When one reads this book they can readily understand the need for intelligence surveillance flights. I heartily recommend reading "The Price of Vigilance."

Theresa Petrochilos Durkin

The author, Mara Leveritt, takes the reader from the time the two boys are killed, through the complete story of what Ives goes through to try to find out the truth (and she still hasn't found the truth about what happened that night). First, we encounter the unbelievable and outrageous behavior and incompetence of the Arkansas State coroner, Famy Malek, who is protected countless times by top state officials despite absolutely false determinations he makes. Malek rules the boys deaths suicides from drug intoxication, and it takes the Ives family a long time to prove this false due to lack of cooperation from Arkansas officials. Only this is just the beginning of the obstructions of justice the

Ives face.

Then we see that, at least in part, practically the entire state of Arkansas's legal and law enforcement agencies are rampant with corruption, to the point that felons hold high-level positions in government and law enforcement. Clearly these state officials will go to any length to prevent the truth of the boys's deaths from being revealed. A very prominent figure in this aspect of the story is Dan Harmon, a county prosecuting attorney. Harmon brutally beats people up, incl. his wives and ex-wives, and even steals confiscated drugs, and yet is held completely unaccountable for his actions and is returned to office again and again. Harmon is eventually and surprisingly convicted of certain offenses, but any crimes related to events around the time of the boys's deaths are deliberately ignored. Oddly enough, though not at all surprising once you read the unbelievable things revealed over and over in this book, Harmon is initially depicted as an ally of Linda Ives!

Of course the biggest, most outrageous part of this story is the cover-up of large-scale drug smuggling done through the Mena Airport, incl. the Barry Seal story, which is never dealt with by Arkansas officials. The details of this horror story are so phenomenal that you have to wonder how the people involved in these crimes can take part in such corruption and hypocrisy, and do their misdeeds with such impunity!

If you want the complete story, this is undoubtedly the book to read. If you don't have time to read this very well-written, 300+ page book, see "The Clinton Chronicles" and the more accurate (according to the participants) "Obstruction of Justice" videos.

Hopefully, someday these guilty persons will be held accountable for putting a family, a state and country through such a horrible tragedy.

It is time the American people opened their eyes to what is really going on in our country and to stand up against these powerful machines.

Mara did a great deal of research and documented all of her information and wrote a book about what an ordinary family has had to endure for 12 years and no one will listen to them and bring these people that committed and covered up such a cruel deed to justice. The Ives deserve an answer and if anyone knows anything about this event, they should try to put this nightmare to rest.

History comes to vivid life as we hear of the years between World War II and the creation of an independent state - Israel. We are reminded that this area was sacred to both sides, and we hear Ben Gurion and Golda Meir as well as Arab chiefs and soldiers who felt just as passionately that their cause was just.

Theodore Bikel, probably best remembered for his long running role as Tevya in "Fiddler On The Roof" offers an incomparable reading. Vienna born Bikel was 13-years-old when his family moved to Palestine. An inquisitive and intelligent young man he was to master Hebrew, Yiddish, German, and English.

Early on he joined the Habimah Theatre, and later was a co-founder of the Israeli Chamber Theatre. He became interested in folk music and the guitar at approximately the same time that he studied at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

All of this study and work was prelude to a multi faceted career - as musician, actor, and author. His awards are many, including an Emmy.

Bikel's reading of "O Jerusalem!" merits another statue on his mantel.

- Gail Cooke