Trivial bone-picking: the author states the commanding general of the 1st Infantry Division was the only general officer killed in the Viet Nam war. However I recall the great sense of loss everyone in the Cav felt when General Casey, CG, 1st Cavalry Division(AM), was killed when his UH-1 went down. But on the whole the book rings true.

Like most historical events and first person accounts of that history, there is more than one perspective that must be considered. Mr. Tripp's book although excellent and compelling, gives the reader 'his' experience. Sometimes this effort comes at the expense of objectivity. So, in reading this book be aware of other realities that share his Vietnam world.

I was with the 9th Infantry Division approximately the same time. In fact, I know many of the same places Mr. Tripp refers to in his book. Who knows, maybe he and I shared C-rations at some point. I also know that Mr. Tripp's description of the 9th Division and the Division Snipers in particular, although written from his perspective and with literary license, and meant to be compelling, is also unfair and plays into the hands of those who called us 'baby killers' and 'killing machines'.

We were young men, 18 years old and in combat for the first time. For most of us, it was not about proving one's self, or fighting the internal war with families and other bagage. It was about getting through the day without getting killed. Mr. Tripp has provided us with some gutsy descriptions of that emotion, I only wish it was not at the expense of other GI's who shared the same battleground, we were not all automatons nor were we without our own feelings of guilt, regardless of origin.

I can't make any claims to the validity or non-validity of the book's subject matter, but I found the whole book engrossing from beginning to end. The man's private motivations and trials may not belong to everyone, but I think they are deep and true enough so that anyone can understand them. They are mixed in with commentary about the war from the author's viewpoint then as a young man and at the time of writing, and is also filled with the nerve wracking, often spooky action of that period in that place, which creates its own atmosphere along the lines of Dispatches by Herr. This book is not to be missed.

Miami-based Alexandra Rafferty's been on the run for eighteen years because she killed the neighbor boy who raped her and her father helped cover up the crime. These horrific events when she was eleven have overshadowed her entire childhood.

A police crime scene photographer, she's kept the world at bay with karate, "the art of deflecting human touch," but feelings can't stay submerged forever. Her marriage to a thuggish ex- jock is dying and her father's Alzheimer's is dragging her down. Everything blows up when her husband, a Brinks truck driver and true crime buff, plans a heist.

Readers will be intrigued to see the sparkling town in "The Truman Show"--Seaside, Florida--play a major role in the novel, but Hall's attempt at an Elmore Leonard or Carl Hiassen mix of crime and comedy doesn't always work. Still, Body Language is a well-written thriller, and Alexandra and her father make a surprisingly appealing pair. ...

When it comes to character, plot, setting, relationships and pacing there are few living novelists who deliver the complete package the way James W. Hall does. The good news for his devoted fans as well as new readers is that Body Language just might be the best book he's written. The main character, Alexandra Rafferty, is a smart, obsessed and rather lonely woman who is haunted by events from her past as well as a series of crimes that seem to be related to her current life. She's a wonderful character in the center of a plot that's arguably the author's most gripping and certainly his most mysterious. Hall is constantly compared to his Florida brethren: Elmore Leonard and Carl Hiassen and Laurence Shames, who are all talented, but none approach his depth, beautiful language or emotional intensity. Body Language is a novel that reminds you that some of the very best contemporary writing and storytelling is being commited in the name of crime.

James W. Hall just keeps getting better and better. He has such a talent for imparting wit and sensativity to his characters and settings and Body Language is no exception. I live in the NW Florida Panhandle and he paints such a vivid picture with his words that I think I got sunburned sitting on the couch reading it. I could taste the food at Bud and Allie's and feel sand between my toes walking down the idealic streets of SeaSide to the Gulf. From the first page to the last I never wanted to put it down and it left me "champing at the bit" for more. I hope he's busy on his next book, because I'm ready and waiting. He remains one of my very favorite authors and this is a good example as to why.

My dad had it on his desk so I saw it and read cause
I like angels. At first I didnt get it but then I
did. It was like reading a story from the bible and
the angels win

Donna

I'm not one to read battle stories,but as I continued to read past this battle, I saw its purpose become crystal clear as the story developed. I loved how the relationship between Nathan and Samantha unfolded, while the specifics from the beginning battle clarified the momentum as it began building into the climax of the novel. I felt literally glued to this book! I also looked forward to reading when I had complete peace and quiet in order to savor the unfolding of the various charater's views about life. It caused me to reflect on how my life situations arise and how always there is a very good purpose to our lives in this particular dimension.

I received the book as a gift, and just left it there for nearly a year, I didn't want to unwrap it. Well, last week I did, I got curious. The cover is mystic. Black and white, I wondered why the author or publisher chose this platform for angels. Now I think I know why. I am not a writer, but, the colors are neutral.

Sometimes I feel like Nathan, not a split personality or anything, just always wondering why things fall like they do, and when it's time for me to come up to bat, for some reason I do it. The neutral stuff, what seems to get past us, because it has no color, what we don't believe is, or could be real. I said I am not a writer.

When we wonder so much where we came from, and how we got here, and why things are so mixed up, ARCANGEL (or Archangel, I believe) is so right on time. In awe, absolutely. We are blessed. I haven't cried in a long time; my father brought us up that men suck it up. The story is moving. Man! I read all these reviews, and some really get it, but it's unspeakable. This is a man, with morals that are unheard of today. Thank God for the author, he's puttin it down. And, I mean it.

My Dad and I don't ever see eye to eye, I don't have a real review, but, you brought us closer together with this stuff, and I know it is fiction, but I got the feeling that something great was behind the story, and that's what I see. Thanks again.

Peace,
Matt

Now I know why Flannery O'Connor so admired West. His prose is crystal clear, his craft virtuoso. His characters, however ugly, are utterly compelling and tragic. There was simply no stopping them. They would hang on to their delusions even if it destroys them. And then there are the people with no hope whatsoever, existing just for surface pleasure and materialism. Tod, the 'artist', tries to help these people, and nearly goes mad with frustration. West's compassion for these people (cloaked by his biting sarcasm and wit) makes this book a great work of art. It, like O'Connor's "Wise Blood," are among the masterpieces of American fiction. Read it and be ennobled.

In this wonderfully crafted mini-novel, Nathanael West captures the cultural essence of boomtown Los Angeles during its tumultuous adolescence. The dark, coarse, seamy side of the "California dream" is vividly portrayed here. The plot is not really the point in this period piece; the truth is in the characters and their always unfortunate interactions. For those who seek to understand the social history of southern California, this novel might be more useful than a half-dozen academic treatises.

I am so glad this book has been published with a pretty cover. That old black and white one was so creepy I'm sure a lot of people passed it by owing to the judge-a-book-by-its-cover syndrone. "The Day of the Locust" is the best reflection of LA noir that I have read. It is just wonderful and the characters are pretty tragic. When we had the riots and I saw the city burning I could not help but think of this book and its haunting prophecy. If you're hemming and hawing about what to read on your summer vacation snap this one up right away, but don't expect sunshine and roses. Well, actually there is sunshine seeing as how it's in Los Angeles. I'm sorry N. West had to die so soon. He was a #$%^ good writer.

For a different type of Civil War story I recommend "Rebel" by Bernard Cornwell. "Rebel" is the story of a lackluster seminary college student from Boston, MA finding his true calling in life as a soldier. Part of a four book series set, "Rebel" is book one of the Nathaniel Starbuck Chronicles. The story is set in ante-bellum Virginia right before the Civil War is in full swing.

The hero Nate Starbuck is a northerner who decides to fight for the Confederacy. His reasons are not specifically stated but we can infer that he is rejecting his family's way of life and rebelling against both his nation and his repressive father. Starbuck decides to join his friend's father's legion as a second lieutenant. Prior to the war, Starbuck has shown little aptitude for any other trade and he hopes that soldiering is his true calling. The battle of Manassas (or the first battle of Bull Run) is Starbuck's proving ground where he shows his budding talent.

Very much like Cornwell's Sharpe series, Starbuck is a little too good to be real and that's what makes "Rebel" so fun to read. Interestingly enough Cornwell gives lots background about Starbuck, more than he has shared about Sharpe in any of his Sharpe stories. I think it is unusual that Cornwell's hero Starbuck selected the South to pledge his allegiance, he is after all a northerner born and bred. Perhaps It is Cornwell's way of illustrating how far Starbuck is rejecting his old way of life.

Nevertheless, I found the novel very entertaining and recommend it to readers who look for high adventure and exciting stories. It is hard to find fault with any novel by Bernard Cornwell. He is an excellent story-teller and he can write. I would recommend "Rebel" to readers who enjoy wars/battles and don't mind a few facts getting lost along the way.

Most people will associate Bernard Cornwell's writings with the adventures of Richard Shape, both in Spain/France and more recently in India. Rebel is set at the start of the American Civil War, yet has many of the themes of the Sharpe books, the soldiers life, incompetent officers, sergeants to be won over, a love interest and the occasional internal dialogue reflecting the thoughts of the main figures. Cornwell brings his vast literary talents and depicts a Virginia of 1861 that is on the verge of a destructive and bloody war. His writing is what you would expect of an author who fine-tuned his military fiction over a whole series of musket and shell novels.

Nathaniel Starbuck is the son of a northern abolitionist preacher. Hailing from Boston he finds himself caught up in the turmoil of a Richmond - capital of the Confederacy - which seems intent on war. Saved from tar and feather at the hands of a war hungry mob by his friends father - the rich and egotistical Washington Faulconer - Starbuck enlists in the Faulconer Legion and marches off to war against his home - the North.

This is a good book and I enjoyed it a great deal. However, where I think Cornwell excels are in his descriptions of battle scenes. Unlike Sharpe who is usually thrown into battle within the first pages, Starbuck does not experience battle until the end of the novel. This is not to the detriment of the book, but it is worth bearing in mind if you are expecting a total replica of Richard Sharpe.

The battle in question is First Manassas or Bull Run in the North (the confederates usually named battle sites after the nearest inhabitation, whereas the Federals usually used the nearest geographical landmark). Cornwell writes with skill and enthusiasm of the battle, which reflects his obvious extensive research of the subject matter, for example, his depiction of the vulgar Confederate Colonel 'Shanks' Evans is wonderfully graphic and historically correct. Often the events can seem confusing to read, not because of Cornwell's writing but rather because First Manassas was confusing! So be prepared to be propelled right into the heart of the battle, the musket smoke, the crash of the shell, the whine of the shot and the gasps of the dying.

Bernard Cornwell has written four 'Starbuck' novels and it is reported that the question he dislikes the most is when will number five come along. There is no doubt that Sharpe is both his first love and indeed proves to be more lucrative but Starbuck is equally well written, good to read and hopefully deserving of further adventures.

Nate Starbuck is a traditional hero in the mold of Derfel Cadarn and Richard Sharpe! Bernard Cornwell has created a character unique from his other characters, but still struggling to be the best soldier he can be. The story of Nate Starbuck is an odyssey of a man being cast out from his life, and finding in himself a new life. Nate is a failure in everything he does, and the Civil War gives him the opportunity to become a soldier. This is a great book, and I can't wait to read the others in the series. Here is another hero I can care about!

The Blithedale Romance is a somewhat dark, depressing tale of idealism gone awry and of friendship and love torn asunder by private ambitions. The romance of these pages is not what many modern readers may expect to find here; there is no penultimate consummation of love among these characters, nor is there much happiness indeed to be discerned from the complexity of their relations one with another. Much has been made of Hawthorne's own temporary residence at the utopian-minded Brook Farm a decade previous to the publication of this work; it is true that some of the experiences derive from his own memories, but Hawthorne went to great pains to make clear that this is a romance first and foremost and bears no direct relation to the experiences of his own life. Those who would read this novel in an attempt to get at Hawthorne's true feelings about the utopian socialism he flirted with and watched from afar during his pivotal creative years may well miss out on the thought-provoking treatment of such wonderfully literary, fascinating characters as Hollingsworth the idealistic philanthropist, Zenobia the modern feminist reformer with a fatal flaw inimical to her self-realization, and the sweet and frail Priscilla.

The first-person narrator of this story is Miles Coverdale, a man difficult to come to terms with. He joins with the pioneers behind the utopian farming community of Blithedale and truly takes heart in the possibility of this new kind of communitarian life offering mankind a chance to live lives of purpose and fulfillment, yet at times he steps outside of events and seems to view the whole experience as a study in human character and a learning experience to which his heart-strings are only loosely bound. The drama that unfolds is told in his perspective only, and one can never know how much he failed to discern or the degree to which his own conjectures are correct. His eventual castigation of Hollingsworth cannot be doubted, however. This rather unfeeling man joins the community on the hidden pretext of acquiring the means for fulfilling his overriding utopian dream of creating an edifice for the reformation of criminals. This dream takes over his life, Coverdale observes, and his once-noble philanthropic passion morphs him into an overzealous, unfeeling man who brings ruin upon those who were once his friends. It is really Zenobia, though, upon which the novel feeds. She is a fascinating woman of means who makes the Blithedale dream a reality, a bold reformer seeking a new equality for women in the world who ultimately, at Hawthorne's bidding, suffers the ignominious fate of the fragile spirit she seemed to have overcome.

This is not a novel that will immediately enthrall you in its clutches. The first half of the novel is sometimes rather slow going, but I would urge you not to cast this book aside carelessly. The final chapters sparkle with drama and human passion, and you find yourself suddenly immersed in this strange community of tragic friends-turned-foes. You care deeply what happens to such once-noble spirits, and while you may not find joy in the tragic conclusion of the ill-fated social experiment of Blithedale, you will certainly find your soul stirred by the tragedy of unfolding events.

vintage is always a pleasure, presuming of course that we're talking about the real thing. there's a regal pace about hawthorne's prose that is undeniably hawthorne and no one else. there's that rigid, regimental quality uniquely hawthornian, a sense of iron discipline, utterly lacking in modern american prose. if vintage is what you seek, check out the blithedale romance: it'll set you straight.

This is not only a book with which any Hawthorne fan should be familiar, it is a necessity to anyone who is studying the Romantic Tradition. This text is an elegant commentary on the ideals that the Romantics held dear, such as the authenticity of a life close to the earth, the superiority of existence outside of common society rather than within it, and our innate ability, with enough well-directed effort, to transcend our own humanity. Like a breath of fresh air after Wordsworth, Thoreau, Keats, and both Shelleys, Hawthorne's cynicism and pessimism on these topics shine clearly through this work. Though admittedly he has failed in his announced effort to make the text cheerful and lighthearted, this is not such a complete failure as one may initially suppose, when this novel is contrasted with his others. Much of the humor that is in the book is centered around the narrator, Coverdale, whose nature forces him to fit in with his surroundings in a way which is a bit askew, precipitating enjoyable scenes which the reader can appreciate, if he or she has refrained from judging this main character. The treasure in this book, however, is not mainly in its humor, but rather (for me at least - each person presumably takes from it something different) in the elegance with which so many universal truths are exposed (often only partially, so that the reader can feel a sense of triumph when they wholly uncover them) to our conscious awareness. As you have no doubt already surmised, I highly recommend this novel.

I came across this book during my investigation into the medical uses of hydrogen peroxide. Altman presents a number of valid and useful facts regarding this astonishingly valuable (to medicine), yet cheaply produced substance.

However, as another reviewer (amazon3131) pointed out, there are a number of problems with this book. I won't duplicate what that reader said. Instead, let me point out a few more problems, out of many that could be cited.

On page 21, Altman writes, "The depletion of the ozone layer by the use of chloroflorocarbons (CFCs)--released into the atmosphere by refrigerators, air conditioners, and aerosol containers--has become a grave concern to scientists and physicians the world over. The dangerous ultraviolet light that would ordinarily be blocked by the ozone layer has been linked to a wide variety of human health problems, including skin cancer and immunosuppression. Ultraviolet radiation has also been a factor in poor growth of certain species of grains. After many years of study and much procrastination by industry and government, efforts are finally being made to phase out CFCs completely within the next few decades."

The main problem with the previous statement is that it is a political statement, not a scientific statement. In fact, ultraviolet light has been shown scientifically to be excellent for boosting immune systems, rather than immunosuppression. Dr. William Campbell Douglass's book, _Into The Light_, documents the overwhelming evidence about how powerful the application of ultraviolet light is directly to small samples of human blood, which is then re-injected back into the body. The list of diseases that have been successfully treated by UV light is even longer than that of hydrogen peroxide. Dr. Douglass is also an advocate of hydrogen peroxide therapy and advocates combining those therapies as "photox" therapy. Yet, Altman is conspicuously silent about this exciting treatment, and his blanket indictment of UV is therefore suspect.

Further, there is a substantial portion of the scientific and medical community which disagree with the assertion that CFCs are harmful, despite what Altman claims. As Ben Lieberman of the CATO Institute wrote in his article, "Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Costs Heat Up" there is evidence that CFCs are not, in fact, destroying the ozone layer, and scientists who previously advocated that theory are now backing off it. He writes, "But now a growing number of scientists are saying that the severity and imminence of the environmental threat has been overstated. The extent of ozone depletion and its predicted impacts are considerably less than once thought. Even those scientists responsible for sounding the alarm have backed away from a number of their more apocalyptic claims. Most notably, on February 3, 1992, NASA called an 'emergency' press conference to announce that severe ozone depletion over the Arctic and much of North America was imminent. The announcement received extensive television coverage and made the front page of many newspapers. However, a few months later, NASA quietly admitted that their prediction was wrong, but the little-noticed retraction was too little, too late to undo the effect on the (anti-CFC) law."

This sequence of events came a full three years BEFORE Altman's book was published in 1995.

Altman also uses poor documentation techniques to back some of his conclusions. For instance, on page 15, he cites a New York Times Magazine article as his source for showing that "a recent German study evaluating the side effects of over five million medically administered ozone treatments found that the adverse side effects was only 0.000005 per application. This figure is far lower than in any other type of medical therapy." Chances are good that the information is correct. The problem with this form of documentation is that it doesn't demonstrate any actual research by the author of the original source material. Presumably (we hope), the author of the article he cites, Natalie Angier, did her homework and actually found that information herself from the German study in question. It's disappointing that Altman didn't double-check that research himself, especially since he bragged on page 3 that he had visited with numerous experts in Europe, Russia, Cuba and the United States. Clearly, he had plenty of opportunity to double-check this reference. So why didn't he? There are a lot more references like this that are equally questionable.

These kinds of sloppy scholarship lead to greater skepticism of what should be an exciting and hope-filled topic.

When I studied genetics in college, the professor walked into class at the end of the semester, and announced that he was going to lecture on the last chapter after all.

"I was going to skip this chapter," he said, "but the way in which it was written was SO irritating to me, that I decided to cover it anyway."

I feel a little like that at the moment.

This book covers an interesting and important area of alternative medical therapy. There's a lot of good in this area, and there's much less potential for harm than in many such areas.

But there's also some very bad science. For example -- and I choose this one because you can look it up in the sample pages -- the author wants to you believe that there is proportionally three times as much Oxygen in dirt than in the air.

The author further claims that approximately two-thirds of your body is Oxygen. (In fact, there are more than twice as many Hydrogen atoms in your body than Oxygen -- I did mention that I'm a biologist, didn't I?)

And did you know that all cancer cells are anaerobic? (NOBODY can make human cells of any kind live or grow without oxygen -- not even Nobel prize winners from the 1960s.)

And so on, throughout much of the book.

But that doesn't mean that every recommendation is wrong -- there are a few things that I wouldn't touch if you paid me, but there are others that are helpful and more that are at least harmless -- but the theoretical basis is really quite inaccurate.

So if you will promise not to believe the theoretical underpinnings, then you might get some useful information out of this book. In short, you should use your common sense with this book -- just like you would for anything else related to your health.

P.S. Ozone, by the way, is NOT "energized oxygen"; it's three Oxygen molecules unstably and briefly linked together (O3 for short). Your cells CAN NOT use O3 for metabolic purposes. You MUST have O2 (normal oxygen gas) for that purpose.

But don't worry: O3 readily degrades into normal/useful O2, plus a single Oxygen free radical (but not usually enough of it to do you any real harm before it reacts with something else into a stable state).

Major oxygen therapies are referenced in this easy-to-read text.
The author covers major applications across a wide area of disease processes. There are some interesting applications
for heart defects with infectious endocarditis, AIDS and the
arthritic diseases. Heart baths in ozonated cardio-solutions
utilizing a heart-lung machine showed a reduction in death rate
complications according to the author's citations.
The use of autohomologous immunotherapy is described for
cancer treatments. Injections into the rectal tip provide
a direct mechanism for introducing ozone into the bloodstream
with positive results cited by Dr.Donsbach. An antioxidant
protocol is provided so that beta carotene, vitamins B,C and E
can be introduced utilizing organic foods. A raw food diet
is described from writings of the late Ms Wigmore DD, ND.
Her protocol is a radical departure from the standard junk-food
diet containing processed foods, sugar, gluten and animal
products/ bi-products. The Wigmore protocol is designed to
complement other medicinal protocols to accelerate the healing
process. Intestinal cleansing protocols are referenced to
discharge toxic matter and mucoid from the colon and small
intestine in order to promote natural healing. Some practitioners
favor combining this protocol with enzyme therapies aimed at
optimizing food digestion.A very positive experience is described
for gastroenteritis . It utilizes rectal insufflation to
introduce oxygen and ozone into the body with a cited cure rate
of 95% for children having had ozone therapy. The benefits
for hepatitis were more significant in hepatitis A patients;
whereas, the experience with hepatitis B remissions was more
problematic. The work is a good supplement to conventional
and alternative medicinal therapies. It may help where other
protocols have failed or require significant supplementation
in order to be effective maximally.

Following in the tepid footsteps of Rebel is Cornwell's equally disappointing second tale of Nate Starbuck-a young Northerner who fights in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. Starbuck is a very weak hero for Cornwell to hitch his Civil War series wagon to, and it's hard to care very much about his adventures. As in the previous book, comes across as more of a reflexively rebellious teenager than a heroic man of action. While it would have been interesting to see Starbuck really struggle with himself about the morality of his actions in joining the rebellion, the bulk of such internal conflicts are actually left to his best friend, Adam, who is a Southerner born and bred, and bullied by his father into uniform.

In this installment, Nate is drummed out of the "Faulconer Legion" by its commander, the vain, inept, and rich Gen. Faulconer, who hates him. This leads him to a Richmond prison cell, accused of being a Northern spy, all of which gets him enmeshed in the spycraft between the states. This rather conveniently dovetails with the activities of Adam Faulconer and Nate's own straight-laced brother. The spy material is rather interesting, with the appearance of real-life Alan Pinkerton as Union spymaster. The South's attempt to deceive the North as to its true manpower is particularly fascinating, and is portrayed by Cornwell as an element in their avoiding early defeat, along with Gen. McClelland's timidity.

While these semi-historical asides and speculations are interesting, the best part of the book is the walk-on cameo by a French Army observer Patrick Lésawn. Yes, he is the son of rifleman Richard Sharpe (hero of Cornwell's infinitely better Napoleonic series), and a vastly more compelling character than Starbuck. Indeed, one wishes Cornwell had decided to show the Civil War from within his eyes instead! Over the course of the book Starbuck displays a moral cowardice that makes him more and more unlikable, especially his pathetic treatment of his brother, when his brother reaches out to him. I'll continue the series in blind devotion to Cornwell, but these first two in the series are pretty weak.

'Copperhead' is the second in the 'Starbuck Chronicles' and it provides the reader with all we have to come to expect from author Bernard Cornwell. If you know Cornwell's writing, this novel will not disappoint, similarly if you have never heard of the name, I would encourage you make his acquaintance.

During the Civil War a Copperhead was generally held to be a Northerner who sympathised with the Southern cause. Within the pages of this book, although he is the son of a Boston abolitionist minister, Nathaniel Starbuck fights for the South. If you know your Civil War history - and that is no way a requirement for this novel - the action depicted within the pages of 'Copperhead' takes us from Ball's Bluff near Leesburg in Virginia to Gaines Mill close to Richmond. However, the main part of the novel takes Starbuck away from the battlefield and into the arena of espionage and deceit. The book also gives us an insight into the insecurities of the Northern generals, in particular McClellan and his 'spymaster' Allan Pinkerton.

There is no doubt that in Nate Starbuck, Cornwell attempts to create the heroics of Richard Sharpe (for those who don't know, Cornwell has written a whole clutch of novels about English rifleman Richard Sharpe who served both in India and the Napoleonic Wars). To some extend he has succeeded in this, although at times 'Copperhead' lacks the pace of some of the Sharpe novels. Nevertheless, I enjoyed 'Copperhead', it is in the main well written and informative and is without a doubt an entertaining read.

As a point of interest, although I'd recommend the reader to work his/her way through the series in order, it is not vital that you do this as each novel is self-contained.

As this book opens Starbuck is in trouble. He has just beem drummed out of the regiment on(false) charges of incompitance. So he travles to Richmond seeking help and too make matters worse he is frammed.

This is my favorite book in the serise. We are introduced to several new chacters
1. Gordon Swinyard(he grows on you)
2. Patrick Le'sawn(Richard Sharp's son)

I really enjoyed this book, you can always trust Cornwell to give you a good battle and to question your outlook on life as you are reading his books.

Dashing, one-dimensional, yet able to survive war AND a dysfunctional family, Starbuck guides us through the civil war. The action is gripping, fast and frequent (okay, even well written at times); however, it isn't enough to offset wooden characters and dialogue. The history and facts seem accurate and real; but the story is mind-candy. One is reminded of a TV-movie like "War and Remembrance" in which the character's superficial romances and personal tragedies serve as a rest stop between "Important Events." I nominate Chuck Norris for the TV-movie version of this book and series. A "4" for historical accuracy and above average action.

I continue to read and enjoy Cornwell's Civil War series. I do however, have problems with these books in two areas: 1) the same themes recur to the point of monotony; and 2) Cornwell is not all that competent historically.

With respect to the latter, he makes several errors in _Battle Flag_. These seem not so much due to ignorance, carelessness, or convenience, as to a desire by Cornwell to re-characterize history to fit his own prejudices.

For example, he attributes to Jackson an active role in troop management during the battles at Cedar Mountain and Second Manassas. The truth is quite the opposite; Jackson remained largely passive during both of those battles. That was one of his few notable weak points during the entire campaign.

Cornwell's treatment here is odd, in that he supposedly based the historical portions of this novel largely on John Hennessy's fine history, _Return to Bull Run_, which details Jackson's passivity during those battles at some length, calling his performance "mediocre".

If a bit of gratuitous generosity on Jackson's behalf can be excused, the unnecessary swipe Cornwell takes at Longstreet in the Historical Notes section is not so easily forgiven. Cornwell makes the statement that "Lee's victory might have been more complete had Longstreet attacked [sooner]." Hennessy explicitly expresses the opposite opinion: Longstreet and Lee independently choose the exact same moment for the attack, and it was at that precise moment when the Union forces were at their most vulnerable.

Cornwell is, in essence, another Jackson/Lee groupie who thinks all faults belong to Longstreet -- and he's willing to re-write history in order to advance his prejuduces. Stuff like that is fine for arguing about over beers, but it's dishonest.

Corwell's books are fun to read though.

"I think I died and went to hell. Maybe that's it Colonel. Maybe none of this is real. We're all in hell"

I cannot rate this book without talking about the brilliance of the whole series. Cornwell takes you from your reading room, and teleports you back to a simpler time. And you find out that it's not so simple. Set against the backdrop of the Eastern Theatre in the American Civil War, he portrays the massive carnage and greatest bravery in minute detail. You actually hear the cannons, and smell the rotting flesh of the wounded. Yet, the main plot does not take place amongst the gunfire outside. But, rather, within. It is a story of a soul, and his struggle with God, man, who he is, and what he stands for. Amidst the shouting, crying, blasting, and dieing...is a poor heart, searching for peace. I found Cornwell's protrayal of Nate Starbuck to be no less than perfect. I found myself rooting, questioning, hoping, and praying for this fictional character. For, I saw myself in Nate. The same questions, fears, and desires. When done, I walked away from this story with a different outlook on life, liberty, and what's truly important. As will you.

DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, READ THIS BOOK! Dont get me wrong, but The Scarlet Letter is one of the most boring books out there. Even if it is assigned for a reading in class, dont bother. Your analysis will inevitably be incorrect. I dont care how bright you are.

okay. if you've read The House of Seven Gables, you probably already know how metaphor-happy Hawthorne can be. If not, get ready for page after page of in-depth metaphors. In other words, you get to read 3 consecutive pages about rosebushes, material, colors, etc. If you enjoy description (and there is a heck of a lot of it) by all means, buy this book. If you're like me, and get annoyed with over-analyzation, one-dimensional characters, and obvious plot endings, despite the themes of sin, blackmail, supernatural,etc, you should understand why this book was banned.

Yes, I suppose if you are into WCW "wrasslin" and collecting unemployment this book would not be your best bet. But, for those of us that have jobs and attention spans it is a wonderful novel about the "effects of sin". Something most of the other reviewers only see on Jerry Springer. So do not listen to these reviewers who tell you to "drop the class" if you are forced to read it...look where dropping classes got them. Yes, I WOULD like that super sized.