Wars and Peace is the work of a Vietnam Veteran, Rory Quirk, whose father, James served in WWII and later Korea, as a behind-the-scenes major player. For a seemingly humble, low-keyed guy, James is an eloquent writer as is his wife, Elizabeth; although we see far too little of her work, since it was apparently difficult for James to hang onto her letters as he traveled the front with the likes of Generals Bradley, Paton and Ridgeway. James' letters offer never before published insights into these leaders with some comical anecdotes about Paton that suggest we heard more of Quirk than Paton in earlier press releases, in stark, often amusing, contrast to post-Quirk Paton statements. The Korean letters, researched painstakingly by the younger Quirk, reveal frightening historic events that need to be responded to by those who might still know the truth. Matthew Ridgeway, about whom I read nothing in my history books, is depicted as an incredible leader and strategist deserving of great recognition and adulation. On the other hand, General MacArthur; about whom we spent so much time; comes off as an egotistical, narcissistic insubordinate. Go figure. It would have been good to hear and know more of Elizabeth Quirk, whose letters on VE day and the first birthday of their son, Rory, portray an intense love and loneliness that suggests that perhaps this is all we need to know. This is Elizabeth. Quirk brings us through the third family war with the devastating effect his service in Vietnam had on his father, the loyal patriot. Contrasted are his views of this war then and now, through his memories of 3 former college classmates who died young for something we either don't understand, or worse, for nothing at all. Quirk's father wrote his letters almost 60 years ago and they are remarkable if one thinks of his writing them late at night after, harrowing experiences. We are fortunate to read them unedited. It is uncanny to detect the similarity of style if not language, between father and son who have not exchanged a word in over 30 years. Quirk connects these human stories with flawless historical research, offering a context to the events depicted in the letters. I still don't know how I missed this when it came out. I hope it will be out in paper soon and in print large enough for seniors. It should be on tape for the visually impaired who may well hear this as their last human connection to their past. And if they haven't yet, and I believe I would have seen it, The New York Times must review this important work. This would be great book club material for serious readers interested in the human impact of war beyond the obvious.

This is a family memoir, in the form of parents' letters and a son's narrative, gracefully written by three individuals who lives were touched by World War II, Korea, and Vietnam: a father, who served with Bradley, Patton, and Ridgeway; a loving and supportive wife who served on the homefront; and a son who served as a U.S. Army Ranger in Vietnam. It's a fine memoir of an American family's courage and sense of duty during this American century.

A great inspirational book for young and older families. After all is said and done, whether success is achieved through financial rewards or attainment of immense power, the most cherished parts of our life are, and should be, our loved ones.

The TWO GARDENERS in question are Katherine White of New Yorker fame and Elizabeth Lawrence who wrote a garden column for years for the Charlotte Observer in North Carolina. White's columns on gardening written for the New Yorker magazine were compiled by her husband E. B. White (CHARLOTTE'S WEB, STUART LITTLE) and published after her death in 1977 in the book entitled ONWARD AND UPWARD IN THE GARDEN. Lawrence wrote a number of books, including THROUGH THE GARDEN GATE and THE LITTLE BULBS. Her book THE MARKET BULLETINS was completed by the New Jersey gardener Alan Lacy. The market bulletins were wonderful publications farm women in the South used to communicate information about seeds, plants, animals, receipts (what they called recipes), and other items they for sale or being sought. Elizabeth shared a good deal of information about the market bulletins which were not published north of Virginia with Katherine whose one interests lay with garden catalogues when their friendship began.

Lawrence and White corresponded for several decades. The two women discussed their gardens, their columns, their books, and their lives. In the early part of their correspondence, they often wrote each other by return mail. Toward the end of Katherine's life, the letters were few and far between as illness began to affect her movement and ability to see. In spite of their suffering, they continued to observe the world around them and relay how things were going in the garden-the latest blooms, the ravenous mice, the unexpected cold snap, the new greenhouse. Their words remind me of the hope and comfort women have long experienced when a letter from a loved one arrives. As my 87-year old aunt with whom I still correspond says, it doesn't matter what you write, the smallest thing matters.

The editor of this collection of letters Emily Wilson, quotes a librarian who remarked after having read the letters Elizabeth and Katherine wrote to each other, "I got a feeling of moral interdependence on a creative level. Somehow I had viewed the creativity of successful people as a strong force that perhaps needed channeling but not encouragement. Now, on this new-to-me-plane, I see again that no man is an island."

As the editor of TWO GARDENERS/KATHARINE S. WHITE AND ELIZABETH LAWRENCE, I welcome hearing from readers. I am now writing the biography of Elizabeth Lawrence and would benefit from hearing others' understanding of her, both in these letters and in her books. Emily Herring Wilson

Delightful! The correspondence of 19 years between White and Lawrence is insightful, informative and elegant! Their letterse (far more elegant than e-mail) give us glimpses into life in the 60's and 70's and beyond. This book, which is expertly edited by Emily Herring Wilson has inspired a perennial garden at our Wisconsin home and a renewed interest in the writings of E.B. White, not to mention the writings of Katharine White and Elizabeth Lawrence. These two career women and ladie were supportive and encouraging of one another for 19 years!

Elizabeth Daniels Squire's new Peaches Dann mystery, Where There's a Will, has everything: the beauty and danger of a high mountain setting in western North Carolina; a hazardous trans-Atlantic voyage on the fictional British luxury liner, the Ocean Queen; and a motley cast of newly made multimillionaires, one of whom may be out to murder the others. To this mixture is added a baffling plot with more twists and turns than a DNA helix. The result is an exciting adventure in mystery reading, especially the climactic scene in which Peaches, at the risk of her own life, solves the murder of handsome, charming Wingate Scott. When you start reading Where There's a Will, be prepared to read it straight through to the end, because you won't be able to put it down.

If you haven't met Peaches Dann, an amateur detective with a memory problem, you are in for a real treat. I would, of course, suggest that you pick up the first books in this series as well. When an reclusive multi-millionaire dies and leaves his fortune to various members of the family to the tune of fifteen million each. Deaths begin to occur even though it seems each member of the family is satisfied with the portion received. A friend of Peaches asks for her help in uncovering the killer. The family must make a joint trip to England to satisfy the terms of the will. When Peaches' friend is almost killed, Peaches flies to England to come back with them on the ship. This is no "Love Boat" cruise. Attempted poisonings, near misses on pushing members of the party overboard and a most humiliating, but hilarious, attempt on Peaches' life add to the non-stop excitement and fun of "Where There's a Will." This is a must-read for all cozy fans.

Suffering from a terrible memory, Peaches Dan takes lessons to learn a few tricks that will help her survive in the everyday world. She writes a book, How To Survive Without A Memory, to help others with similar afflictions recall critical things. Surprisingly, Peaches also solves murder mysteries by using her tricks to help her recall the clues.

Marietta, a high school friend, asks Peaches to investigate the death of her brother Winston, who allegedly jumped off a cliff. Marietta insists her sibling would never venture near an overhang because he deeply feared heights. Money could be a motive as Winston and his relatives recently came into a $15 million inheritance each. On a trip to England, someone tries to kill Marietta, who immediately persuades Peaches to join her. On the luxurious return trip by sea, several other murder attempts occur, including one on the sleuth. Peaches knows she must identify the culprit rather quickly before someone else dies at the hands of the unknown assailant.

Elizabeth Daniels Squire has created a near perfect sleuth in Peaches. The middle aged person with a faulty memory refuses to allow her ailment to stop her activities. WHERE THERE'S A WILL is a who-done-it loaded with misdirection cleverly executed by the author. Anyone who reads this novel will search for the previous five books in this humorous series with a deep message.

Harriet Klausner

I've read a number of tracking books and this one is the best. Easy to follow. Sensible. Lots on gait patterns and scats. James tells you what he knows and is careful not to pretend to know more than he does.

This book has so much information about tracking that it will take a while to digest it all. The gait descriptions are thoroughly explained. Finer points of tracking and how to see tracks are well-defined. Explanations are written clearly and amply illustrated to make learning easier. This guide shows you how to identify not only the tracks, but the patterns and other signs left behind by animals. I have an extensive collection of books on tracking and I rate this one among the top three.

A very much needed book. Finally updates "Whitewater/ Quietwater" with much better information and maps. Written extremely well with lots of interesting tidbits of river info. This book has become the one must have book for paddling in Northern Wisconsin. Mike's Paddling Illinois is due momentarily.

I checked this book out from our local library in Green Bay and have subsequently asked for it for my birthday. This is a wonderful compilation of information, maps and helpful hints on a wide variety of northern Wisconsin rivers.

Having just bought a canoe last year, my wife and I have poured over these pages looking for new possible places to explore in this wonderful state of ours. A trip that we've taken the past few years is noted in incredible detail in this book. It includes notes on remote islands which we camp on to which rapids are worthy of portaging around. (We're amatuers!).

The author has done a wonderful job appealing to both rookies and more advanced paddlers by not taking anything for granted and explaining each bend and turn in superb detail. He also provides fascinating information on the history of the rivers and flowages he comments on.

Overall, I must say this is a must for serious (and not-so-serious) paddlers. A great gift. (Hint, hint mom! )

In the fifties, when I was growing up in North Carolina, Miss Lawrence was known in garden circles all over the state as she had been an active gardener and writer for a number of years. I am pleased to see "A Southern Garden" which she wrote in 1942 back in print. RE-reading her words is like listening to an old friend.

She lived and gardened first in Raleigh, then in Charlotte (both Zone 8). The winters in Zone 7 were a bit colder, but many of the plants she recommended for Zone 8, survived in Zone 7 where my family lived and gardened. Given global warming, I think much of Zone 7, which extends right up the East Coast--almost to New England (?)--is now verging on becoming Zone 8 -- at least the part that lies east of the "fall line" on the coastal plain.

I have lived in Arlington, Virginia for a number of years, and have seen a decided shift in the climate in my area. Crepe Myrtles that used to live no futher north than Fredericksburg and die back to the ground in Arlington don't. And Catbirds, a real southerner are nesting in my yard. Both of these are Zone 8 transplants.

Even though I am technicaly in the lower edge of Zone 7, I can grow almost anything Miss Lawrence discusses in her book "A Southern Garden" in my garden. My house is on the "fall line" however, and just west of me the winters are a tad too cold for some things. But if you live in Zone 7, and like a plant try it. If it lives great, if not you've gained some wonderful experience.

Most importantly, pay attention to Miss Lawrence when she describes the 'old timey gardens' -- some say there is nothing new under the sun, and though that might not be entirely correct, many of the old plant forms she discusses are still extant.

This book is a window into the way our Grandmother's gardened. Miss Lawrence describes in her own wonderful and modest style where she purchased plants and how plants she admired performed either in her garden or in the garden's of her friend's. Her descriptions are informative and often humorous. Anyone serious about gardening in the South should own this book as a reference guide. Even a non-gardener would enjoy this lovely book.

This superb book explains how well-to-do New Yorkers were reluctant to move into apartment buildings, and how that resistance was overcome through clever design and marketing tactics. Cromley begins by discussing early Parisian apartment buildings and the earliest tenements in New York City. These two historic strands came together in the 1870s, when apartment buildings for the affluent, known as 'French flats,' appeared as a new building type for New York. Cromley highlights the social history of the era - what life was really like for the people (especially the women) who lived there, as distinct from their counterparts in single-family houses. Among the still-extant classic buildings discussed are the Dakota (1884), the Osborne (1885), and the Ansonia (1902). In all, the book covers the mid-1800s to 1911; there is nothing here about the 1920s building boom following WWI. The book is generously illustrated with about 30 floor plans and about 50 engravings.

This book traces american indian relations in the United States beginning around 1930 and ending in the 1990's. Just as the relations are complex, so to is the character Aurelia, a Lakota. She has had to deal with many harsh experiences growing up on the reservation, but throughout her life she continues to return to traditional thinking and stories. The book moves along slowly, it is not a page-turner, but one has the feeling that the progression of the story is like the movement of the river, the Mni Sosa, strong and continuous and always there. The book is humorous, Native Americans are great storytellers, but mostly I would say it is sad and angry. The American Indian has not been treated fairly by the United States Government, and Cook-Lynn captures the Indians feelings of helplessness and frustration throughout, yet never to the point where you grow tired and think that Indians are whining. You read of the forced relocation, the unfair loss of Indian lands, the rise of A.I.M., the loss of their sacred Black Hills, and the constant poverty and prejudice that continues to this day. However, as sad and frustrating and angry as this book is you are aware of the American Indians ability to adapt and keep their sense of humor, even when faced with adversity. By the end of Aurelia you know that if the Native Amerians can continue to keep their stories and traditions they will rise and become strong. There are some beautiful, thought provoking passages here; some you will remember forever. I highly recommend this book to all who care about allowing the American Indian to preserve their culture, in their own way, without the help of well-meaning, new-age white people. I believe Cook-Lynn is as strong a voice as Vine Deloria, Jr. I thank her for writing this book.

This books are wonderful. They make learning history fun and cool. It combines jokes, historical facts and funny information in a great easy-to-read package. My 4th grader loves the whole series. Both reluctant readers and history lovers will enjoy the breezy way history is told in these books. Ideal for 3rd-5th graders and even middle school students. Great as gifts or for a classroom. Too bad all history books aren't this fun!

This is a great book for the novice botanist. As a person who just recently started trying to identify wildflowers in the Monterey area, I found this book a great guide. I already have a couple of other books, including the ones from the Audubon Society and from the California Native Plant Society, but this one is so simple and covers most of the flowers you commonly see. It's easy to flip through, the pictures are clear and in color, and it certainly doesn't overwhelm you with technical jargon. I was only sorry it doesn't include some of the smaller/tinier flowers I see around. Maybe in the next edition. A great gift!