My mother first read this book as a late teenager, and fell in love with it--the characters, the history, the writing style, etc. She named me after Katherine, and presented the book to me when I was thirteen--I have since read it five times. The novel transports you back to the late fourteenth century, into a time immediately before the chronicling of history really began. It brings clarity to a fuzzy image of the period. Not only is this book the least painful way to learn about this era, it also brings it alive with a vividness not often seen. This time period, so often snubbed by historians as just another unimportant century in the Middle Ages, has its share of important characters and events: Geoffrey Chaucer, the Peasant's Revolt, the Black Prince, etc. Seton does well in portraying a time colored by intrigue and revolutionary change. It paints a portrait of England directly before its transition into a world power. All told as a subtext of a great Romance and historical drama. A wonderful portal to another time.

I first read this book as a teenager, it changed my life! I'm now 40 and I must have re-read it at least a dozen times. Anya Seton transported me back to the fourteenth century and I live and breath those characters each time I re-read it. I have looked up all the places on the map, visited Old Bolingbroke, Kettlethorpe and Lincoln Cathedral. The Cathedral bookshop publishes an interesting booklet about Katherine and Joan's tomb. The book has inspired me to study medieval history at university, read about medieval mysticism and The Great Pestilence and study the lives of the mighty Plantagenets. One can learn so much from this book, matching the facts to the necessary fiction and the truly great thing about it is that it compels the reader to want to find out more and more about this fascinating period in English history. Oh how I wish the Savoy was still standing! English history lovers will also enjoy the excellent Green Darkness (tudor)and Devil Water (Stuart).

I enjoyed GREEN DARKNESS so much I decided to make my next read Anya Seton's KATHERINE. It has now become my FAVORITE READ OF ALL TIME. It is a love story of epic proportions unlike anything I've ever read or experienced. This is truly a real-life fairytale.

As historically detailed as GREEN DARKNESS, I was amazed to find I loved this book even better. Set in the mid 14th C. Katherine de Roet is a convent-raised young woman who, with her sister, comes under the care of Queen Philippa (wife of Edward III), and despite being without dowry marries the rather difficult Sir Hugh Swynford. Eventually she becomes the mistress of Philippa and Edward III's son John of Gaunt, and after bearing him four children, becoming his wife. The children's births are eventually legitimized and John and Katherine eventually are the forebears of both the Tudor and Stuart dynasties.

But this story is of the relationship between Katherine and John and the many twists and turns it takes before these lovers can be together. When Katherine turns 15 the Queen summons her from the convent to Windsor and she soon gathers much attention for her beauty. When Sir Hugh Swynford attempts to ravish her, the King's third son, John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster comes to her rescue. Hugh gets out of the situation by saying he wishes to marry the fair young maiden. Sir Hugh is a rather disagreeable and homely man, but it is seen as a step up for young Katherine, without dowry, to marry him. She does but very reluctantly. Meanwhile she is befriended by the Duke's wife, Blanche, and returns her friendship for which young Katherine is eventually richly rewarded.

Katherine and Hugh go to live at his mismanaged estate, Kettlethorpe, near Lincoln which is not too far from the Duke and Duchess of Lancaster's favorite home of Bolingbroke Castle. Katherine is not exactly happy but accepts her life. But when she befriends Blanche again and then sits with her as she lays dying from the black death, her whole life changes.

To give more details than this is to rob the first-time reader of the discoveries they will read. It is a story to particularly savor as when the Duke tells Katherine "She is my heart's blood. My life. I want nothing but her." Talk about a Cinderella story! Those better versed in English history of the mid to late 14th C than I am will realize just what is happening in some of the dramatic historical scenes than I did.

But even after Katherine and the Duke are finally together, all does not go well. Seton details the history of this time beautifully and, sometimes, painfully.

Seton includes quotes from Chaucer (who was married to Katherine's sister Philippa). It is also surmised Chaucer may have had Katherine in mind for some of his passages, particularly in "Troilus and Criseyde."

This book made slow reading for me as every few pages I was either picking up a historical reference to read more or searching on the internet. I do have to warn readers though, keep the hankies handy. I could have used an entire box and even woke my husband up with my sobbing. Most of these tears were tears of joy though.

And I have to add a "shame on you" to the eejit who gave this book only two stars and said it reads "much like any other "romance" novel put out by the thousands on a daily basis," which not only is a disservice to this book but to the historical romances as a whole which, it is obvious this person has very little experience with. First of all this is a romantic historical and does not fit the definitiion of a romance novel at all. Secondly, to say romance novels are "put out by thousands on a daily basis" is not only inaccurate but ignorant. This book has both huge differences and many similarities to romances, but isn't a romance novel by any stretch of the imagination. That said, readers who enjoy their books both historically accurate and very romantic are sure to enjoy this beautiful story.

The silly label next to John D'Agata's name on the cover is dead wrong. There's not a lick of "essay" in here!

But you'll be relieved to read in his biography that this extremely young author was trained as a poet at the Iowa Writers Workshop, because no average writer of "creative nonfiction" could manage what D'Agata does with subjects that range from a story about the brightest light in the world to a sperm bank (where he apparently worked as a donor) to a luscious history of how lists of the wonders of the world are made. His appetite for "stuff" seems unquenchable, and his love of language is obvious.

Really this is a 250 page book of poetry. Read it and you'll change your mind about that old fart genre called the essay. Read it aloud and you'll set the next few days of your life to music!

Hands down one of the most electrifying reading experiences of my reading life! It looks daunting at first, with all those big gaps in the prose, and maybe boring too, with all the footnotes, but what "saves" the book is the fact that the stories D'Agata is telling are funny and smart. They're also very sad sometimes too. One night in bed I started reading a whole one of these out loud to my husband, a man whose usual idea of literature is the Sunday Times Magazine (if that), and he started hollering at the ceiling in laughter! Then the next thing you know he's dead silent listening to me read through the tragic life story of that miserably lonely artist named Henry Darger. The prose in this book makes turns as fast as life itself, and that's what's exciting about it. The reading is difficult, and the style it's written in is a challenge, definitely. But I think that's the point. I think this writer is trying to find ways of exloring the world through stories (and through styles) that are somehow similar to how we experience life normally. So this isn't an easy, breezey, Oprah Book Club kind of read like most traditional narrative books. It's going to ask you to work hard, but then it's going to pay you off. Big time!

(By the way, my husband has now taken the book away from me and is hording it. I think he's hiding it in the bathroom.)

Truly this is one of the best debuts in Creative Nonfiction's recent past. Clearly it is one of the most exciting and meaningful from the last decade's memoir-enhanced Nonfiction craze.

The book is wily, weird, well researched and highly--hugely--intelligent. The "forms" employed in HALLS OF FAME, while unlike anything we've seen in the genre to date, are profound. They make sense. Get to know the man who calls himself the President of the Flat Earth Society and you'll realize why D'Agata chose to write the essay almost entirely in footnotes. Read through a few of the short peices in the title essay, "Hall of Fame," and you'll understand completely why D'Agata needed to write about these pathetic little museums in one-sentence paragraphs and line breaks.

To dismiss this book because of its complexity would be a great blunder indeed, but that doesn't seem to be a problem here, considering its reviews so far. What amazes me and gives me hope is the fact that so odd a book is touching so many people. Maybe American literature isn't dead after all. Good for us.

On the recommendation of a friend, and upon finding a set of all 7 books in this series on special, I bought them. I'm glad I did - I don't think I could have coped if I had had to wait, after finishing the first book, to buy the next. This is an exceptional series, written in an elegantly simple and direct style, which covers a range of issues and emotions well beyond anything I had the opportunity to read when I was in the age group the books are (ostensibly) designed for. I write this review as I approach the closing chapters of Book 7 and, speaking as a professional person who normally doesn't think much of most fiction writing, I have found the series to be intelligent, absolutely gripping, and truly moving. If you can't see how, read, then re-read, the passage when Lee takes Ellie to the Wirrawee cemetery. I am now trying to find a set in hardcover, to put away for my children not yet born.

I have no idea how John Marsden writes such awesome books. One day in my school libray, I picked up the third book in the series. I flew through it. So, then I read all the books up untill the last three, because the last three weren't in that libray. So I bought the last three from amazon.co.uk. These books are amazing. The books in the series are:(1) Tommorrow, When The War Began (2) The Dead of The Night (3) A Killing Frost (4) Darkness, Be My Friend (5) Burning For Revenge (6) The Night Is For Hunting (7) The Other Side Of Dawn. IF YOU STILL NOT SURE IF YOU SHOULD BUY THE BOOK OR NOT, SMACK YOURSELF AND BUY IT. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED. THESE BOOKS ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will be honest. I didn't want to read this series. A lot of people I know had read the books as they came out, and raved about them, but I thought at the time that I didn't want to read another war series...which is all that i thought they were.

Turns out I was wrong.

I got a copy of Tomorrow When the War Began in a pile of second hand books from my Aunt. It was the summer holidays and I thought I might as well read it. I'm 18, by the way, studying at University, and I had previously read some of John Marsden's books and found them to be absolutely amazing. From the moment I picked up Tomorrow When The War Began, I was hooked.

John Marsden is without a doubt one the best author that I have come across. His portayal of Ellie and the rest of the gang, with their faults, their emotions...everything about them, is so amazingly real.

Tomorrow is in no way just another war book, as I previously thought. If you are over the age of 15, I would recommend it, especially for those up to the age of about 25...but even beyond that. After reading Tomorrow, I proceeded to buy the rest of the set, one by one, every day for a week. I was even getting so desperate to know what was going to happen next that I was buying and starting them in my lunch breaks at work. I have since basically forced one of my good friends, who also wasn't really into the idea of reading them, into starting, and she actually put down Lord of the Rings to finish the Tomorrow Series instead. My mum also read them all in the space of a week.

Being Australian (I live not far from the bush in an area where places like Hell actually exist), Tomorrow is a book I can relate to very much. Anyone who doesn't read the series, and has the chance to, is really missing out on something great.

Oh and for the people who wanted the names of the rest of the books:

Tomorrow When The War Began
The Dead of the Night
Darkness, Be My Friend
The Third Day, the Frost
Burning for Revenge
The Night Is For Hunting
The Other Side of Dawn

C.S. Lewis has said that he found it painful to write this book since it required him to spend days on end thinking upside-down. But it is lucky for us that he did, since the result is a book that both delights and enlightens.

THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS documents the correspondence between Screwtape, a senior devil, and his nephew Wormwood, a novice tempter. Wormwood's mission is to win a soul for the underworld, and Screwtape offers him the accumulated iwdom of Hell on how to accomplish it. The result is a well-laid out map to the pitfalls to which we humans are all-too prey. Lewis' had great insight into human weakness, especially the uncanny way ou pride pops into almost every thought we might have. He is also alert to the ways our unquestioned assumtions can lead us astray. As Socrates said, the first step towards wisdom is to "know thyself" - and the tempters in this book do all they can to prevent that from happening.

Lewis, of course, is a Christian, but THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS are useful to any person who is seriously engaged on the spiritual quest. I read this book about once a year, and am always chagrined to find that Screwtape is still one step ahead of me! (And he is unfailingly eloquent to boot.)

This volume includes "Screwtape proposes a toast" which employs the same technique to discuss modern education. I find this a weaker part of the volume. It seems Lewis could have done more with the concept, but his arguments about the failings of modern education are much sharper in his book, THE ABOLITION OF MAN.

Still, this is an invaluable volume. It is the book that I most often give away to people - it is laugh-out-loud funny, and sadly all-too true.

Screwtape, a mid-level bureaucrat in Hell, is coaching his nephew, Wormwood--a recent graduate from the Tempters College fresh on his first job as the tempter to a youngish English man who still lives with his mother, but begins dating a young woman must as World War II breaks out. The first letter begins with Screwtape chiding Wormwood for allowing his "patient" to become a Christian.

Lewis was given a fair amount of criticism when these letters first were published in the "Guardian" in the 1940's. Most of this criticism was from somewhat dense people who didn't realize Lewis was joking. They actually thought Lewis was trying to get people over to the Devil's side. Lewis' intent was just the opposite.

I enjoyed the book, but found it somewhat scary. I am also a government bureaucrat and some of Screwtape's verbiage is very familiar to me!

The best insight I gleaned from the book was one passage where Wormwood is complaining his "patient" is not committing any large, grandiose sins. Screwtape advises his nephew that it doesn't really matter how bad the sin is, only that it is a sin. It helps Screwtape and his fellow minions if their "patients" don't realize the "gentle path, soft underfoot" on which they are traveling is really going downhill.

Makes you think.

I'm not usually a fan of "books on tape" but this is a case where inspired reading (more of a one-man performance) brings out nuances which don't come across on paper. Screwtape was the first C.S. Lewis book I read as an adult (after reading the Narnia books nearly 10 times apiece as a child). Though I'm not a Christian, I found a lot of inspiration in Screwtape. Lewis is so good at capturing the little games we all play and the avoidance techniques we all use. He writes so well about the redemption of souls, and the meaning of our spiritual side. I remember finding some of the wit in the book a little obvious. Not so with Cleese's reading! He has never done anything better. His comedic talents bring out the humor of the book, including some lines which weren't funny on paper. But his performance ranges far beyond the merely funny: the menace with which he says "I could show you a pretty cageful down here . . ." or the quiet hypnotic way he reads Lewis's lines about the road to Hell being "soft underfoot, . . . without milestones, without signposts" -- these things send a chill down the spine. My only regret about these tapes is that four of the Letters are not included. But the remaining letters are read in full with no abridgement. I literally wore out my first copy of these tapes and have ordered a 2nd set.

John Howard Griffin's Black Like Me, contrasts the lives of Blacks and Whites in the 1950's. I was mesmerized by the hateful encounters that the Black people went through just because of their skin color. I was also amazed about how my ancestors, the white man, never gave the Black people one iota of respect.
Another angle of the story showed how far a journalist of the fifties would go for a story. Through the book, I saw Griffin go against all morals of his time for a story. I saw him become an outcast of his society. On top of that he put his life on the line, with the skin change and the crazy white men, for a story. This seemed to me to be a dumb mistake that eventually cost him his life.
I enjoyed the book and will read it again. I think this book could give you a different perspective on a lot of issues not only of Griffin's time, but on ours as well.

This gripping book helps whites to experience life from the other side of the racial divide. In 1959, author John Howard Griffin (1920-80) used special medication to darken his skin, and then traveled the Deep South as a black man in the latter days of legal segregation. The "Negro" Griffin encountered separate facilities, hate-filled stares, assumptions that he was over-sexed, and job options limited to menial labor. He found conditions slightly better in big cities like New Orleans and Atlanta, but never free of rudeness or indignities. Griffin also met a small number of whites that apologized for racism. When Griffin switched his skin color back to white, blacks became surly, and whites became friendly. Unfortunately, Griffin never ventured outside the Deep South, depriving us of a chance to compare racism between regions. In this sense, his stirring book is too short.

BLACK LIKE ME angered white southerners when published in 1960. Griffin (who'd once recovered from blindness) received anonymous death threats, and soon developed health problems associated with his special medication. Too bad we cannot step into each other's race the way Griffin did - it might make for a better society.

There are only a few books that have really given me a deeper understanding into the issues of the world around us. This book is one of them. John Howard Griffin penetrates into a world that seems almost beyond belief and yet is undeniably and startlingly real. Realizations await on every page to show that the generally sheltered cultural perspective of the typical white (like myself) could not conceive the situation which confronted blacks in the south every day just a very few years ago -- as experienced by a white man who changed his skin color and dealt with the consequences. The book is made even better by a series of stories about his experiences after returning to the world of caucausions and going on the lecture circuit about the plight of blacks in the south. He demonstrates the rationalization and close mindedness that characterizes even those who consider themselves "good people". This book would probably be too much to accept if not for the authors remarkably unassuming and explanatory style. Rarely has such a sore subject been confronted so directly and yet so plainly. Highly recommended. I keep having to buy new copies because people will read a few pages and want a copy.

I was expecting a recipe book full of the best recipes for both baking and cooking. What I got was a book full of great baking, but extremely simple, cooking recipes. The Best Recipe is innovative in that it explains why the authors choose to use particular cooking methods. As a beginner, I learned quite a bit from these explanations. While The Best Recipe does do a fabulous job of teaching you how to cook various types of dinners, the recipes left me wanting in flavor. Almost every recipe looks like this: ", salt and pepper". Here is their prime rib recipe: "1 3-rib standing rib roast, salt and ground pepper". I hope I didn't breach any copyright laws there. Seriously, almost all of the cooking recipes look like this. Granted, some have a "master" recipe of salt & pepper, and include "variations" that have actual ingredients in them, but this was less common. I really don't understand how everyone can give The Best Recipe 5 stars. I suppose everyone else is using the book for baking, for which it does excel - their coconut chocolate chip recipe was indeed the best. I was quite disappointed with buying a "best recipe" book full of salt & pepper recipes. The Best Recipe should be renamed "Modern Cooking Explained", or some other educationally-focused title.

I've been buying cookbooks for decades. I'll buy cookbooks for just one recipe I'm dying to learn. The funny thing is, I'm really not that good of a cook, but I love working in the kitchen.

This cookbook just blows me away. Just like the Cooks International PBS television series, it explains the why of cooking. Lasagne without ricotta? Beef marinade without acid? How could that be? The explanations are there, and they make total sense.

I sit in my bedroom reading this book at night. I read about the things I already know how to make, looking for the subtle ideas to make them perfect. It's really not a cookbook even though it's got hundreds of recipes. It's more a book about cooking, and it's got me more inspired than all of the scores of books I've bought before.

I'll give these guys the best compliment I can think of: I wish I had written it.

... but in the case, this is one of the rare books that has truly earned this moniker.

The editors of cook's illustrated have tested and retested recipes and cooking techniques for many of your favourite recipes. They have distilled the results of these experiments into a series of easy to follow, sure fire recipes that rarely fail to delight. Even if you using a different cookbook, the description of the techniques (what worked versus what failed) will help you modify your recipe for even greater success. The descriptions of the testing process and the science behind the results are fascinating reading that will make you a better cook. If you have ever wondered if there is any truth behind some of those "kitchen secrets" that people swear make a difference, then this book is for you.

The book covers all types of food preparation (soup, salads, vegetables but not vegetarian, pasta, meats), grilling, baking (pizza, breads, cakes) and desserts. It is also liberally sprinkled with the results of taste testings and equipment reviews which I have found to be pretty accurate.

Like many people, I usually only try 2 or 3 recipes out of the cookbooks that I buy. I have tried 2-3 recipes out of each of the twenty chapters in this book. This is a "must have" cookbook.

A real-life account of two young smart entrepreneurs with sterling educational credentials (MBAs from the Wharton School of Business) who start a business in an industry that they know nothing about. It's a tale told with insight, pace, and self-deprecating humor that will teach you a lot of lessons about being a small-business entrepreneur. After an era in which everybody focused on VC-funded companies seeking to dominate multi-billion dollar markets, it's refreshing to read a story that reminds you about the boostrap process of the great majority of American businesses. As a former small-business founder myself, many of their lessons and observations hit home with me, and I think this book represents a great education in the perils and pitfalls of taking a business idea from concept to fruition. Whether you are considering starting a business yourself or just enjoy reading a well-written story that will make you laugh, I'd rate The Mousedriver Chronicles as a must-read!

I saw "The MouseDriver Chronicles" in several bookstores, and passed because it sounded like it would be yet another story of dot-com failure. But finally I decided it looked like a "fun read" and bought it, and I'm glad I did.

I'm adding "The MouseDriver Chronicles" as my number-two title (after "Dot.Bomb," by by J. David Kuo) on my "must read" book list for entrepreneurs.

"Dot.Bomb" was more fun to read, in part because it was about a dot-com company that crashed and burned, and it's always more fun to write about failure than success.

Though "The MouseDriver Chronicles" isn't quite as fun to read, it is more useful for potential entrepreneurs. The book recounts many logistical and planning issues, in an exceptionally well-written style, using straighforward language and sharing more details (business and personal) than I'd expected (though the details seem to fade in the later chapters, presumably to protect the trade secrets of the continuing company).

Most important, "The MouseDriver Chronicles" is not about a crash-and-burn dot-com failure.

It's about a modestly successful startup whose mission was to build a product and sell it at a profit, a concept that seemed almost obscene when Lusk and Harrison launched their business in mid-1999. In January 2002, that concept (build a product and sell it at a profit) sounds much better, making the book more timely. Even if there are fewer entrepreneurs this year, they all should profit from reading "The MouseDriver Chronicles."

The authors especially deserve credit for admitting how "ignorant" they were (in many respects) when they received their MBA degrees from Wharton, even after earlier careers working for consulting firms. They frankly disclose some embarassing experiences, which should profit wise readers who may experience fewer mistakes as a result.

My main gripe with the book is that it ends before the end. I expected the final chapter to recount the company's failure, or its sale to a larger company, or some other "exit strategy" that would provide "closure" for the book.

Instead, the book's chronology ends in early 2001, but the company continues even today. Ending the book a year before it reached bookstores (in January 2002) seemed quite unfair (but that is the reality of the book-publishing industry).

Fortunately, the MouseDriver.com web site contains an archive of the author's "Insider" newsletter updates, so I could read "the rest of the story" (which is still unfolding, since the company is still plodding along).

When I first saw this book, my heart did not exactly skip a beat. Another book about (and worse, BY!) 2 American entrepreneurs selling computer mice? Haven't publishers had enough of all these human interest business stories that all share the same beginnings and endings?

I decided to give the book a go anyway since it was a gift from a friend. Surprisingly, I was unable to put it down. Even though I am an Asian doing my MBA in Europe, I believe the experiences of the authors hold true for all aspiring entrepreneurs.

And what experiences! I won't give the story away (go to mousedriver.com and look at their Insider newsletter for a summary of some of their tales),but DO consider this book to get an idea of what it means to passionately believe in a product, get that product to the market -- and how to deal with all the obstacles in the way while preserving your sanity and bank balances.

If, like me, you have thoughts about being an entrepreneur but are not sure of what to start being passionate about, read this book and "Just Drive It" ! The marketing slogan for the MouseDriver (that's what these guys are trying to sell, a mouse that is shaped like a golf club) is certainly effective shorthand for all those who have always THOUGHT about being their own boss but have have not dared to fall out of their 8 to 8 routines (Worry about the landing later:-)

MouseDriver Chronicles is a true, compelling story that deserves a wider audience. I now understand why my friend (who gave me the book) actually went on to help publish it. Happy AND educational endings, anyone?

First off- the book itself is just beautiful; an amazingly well designed book. It's just HUGE, and every page is a treasure; lovely to look at. My big problem was the cost- I wouldn't mind so much if all (or even SOME..) of the proceeds went to charity. Do the Beatles (and the inexplicable Yoko) not have enough money?

That said, I enjoyed the book a lot. The book is laid out in a way that makes you feel that you're sitting around a table with The Fab Four, just shooting the breeze. Their stories are fascinating, especially the way their memories don't...quite....gel. John, unfortunately, comes off as something of an egomaniac, and a rather pompous one at that. It seems that everything of any worth (in his opinion) was his idea. I'm still a fan of his music, I'm just a little less a fan of the man.

My only real beef with the book is the lack of a narrative voice- The Beatles mention John's car accident, Mary Quant, etc., but there is no narrator to let the unenlightened in on what happened, who that person was, etc. Otherwise, Beatles fans will spend many a happy hour reading this book.

So very many books were written about the Beatles, and so many TV documentries were made about them. Anthology is definitely the best one yet, and I don't think there will ever be another book as complete and sincere as it. For the first time the Beatles tell their own story (yes, even John - material from old intreviews with him are beautifuly collected and edited into the book), along with some help from George Martin, Derek Taylor and Neil Aspinall and some old quotes from Brian Epstein, Mel Evans, Pete Best and others, and that makes Anthology a truly unique experience. The story is told from such a personal viewpoint that you will feel like you're part of the band. George, Ringo, Paul and John will become your closest friends for the period of reading the book.

Anthology covers every (well, probably almost every) aspect of the Beatles' life and musical career. It starts as four seperate stories as every band member describes his childhood, then melds into the story of the band. All the interviews from the wonderful Anthology TV series are in the book, but so are many more. There are far more details - especially about the music itself, which was neglected in the series. While in the series some albums were hardly mentioned, in the book the Beatles refer to almost every song, telling a thing or two about its background. Also, more touchy subjects which were avoided in the series appear here - such as, the (phony) death of Paul McCartney, the (real) death of Stuart Sutcliffe, the unfortunate Hell's Angels incident and the terrible case of Charles Manson and his connection to the White Album. The photographs and documents shown in the book are facsinating as well.

And no, it's NOT too long. The only problem with the book is its weight, which makes it quite uncomfortable to read. Anthology is a superb book, which reminded me why I used to love the Beatles so much and got me to hear all their albums again - twice.

The Beatles story is an incredibly fascinating one. In so many ways their history is not merely of a musical group, even a great one. The Beatles transcended mere music. From 1962-1970, the entire period of their recording career, the Beatles recorded hundreds ofbrilliant songs, groundbreaking albums and lived enough advenutre to fill a lifetime. When this book was published, the three surviving Beatles had lived more than twice as many years since the breakup as the entire time the group was together. It is really remarkable to read (or see in the video) McCartney, Starr and Harrison talking about the Beatle's times from the perspective of late middle age. The story itself will be familiar to any Beatle's fan. The early days in Britain, the crazy days of Beatle mania, the acid drenched mid-sixties when the times began to influence the Beatle's sound and the Beatle's music so headily influenced the times. The flirtation with Indian religion, the death of Brian Epstein, Yoko Ono, the slowly growing rigt and finally the acrimonious breakup. All in an incredible 8 years. What makes this book unique, even from earlier books that quote the Beatles is the perspective of time which has clearly mellowed the three surviviors. Lennon's quote's are necessarily taken from before his death in 1980 and it is interesting to see how his failure to reach middle age lends a different perspective to his memories of the Beatles, in his case memories less than fifteen years old. How fascinating to hear Paul and George discussing the making of "Let it Be" where the bitterness was clear. Paul essentially apologizes and it is nice to know he and George settled their differences before Harrison's death late last year. Not only do I recommend this book, it cannot be missed by anyone interested in the Beatle's history in their own words. No other auto-biography will be as comprehensive for one reason. It will require much of the book to focus on pre and post Beatles years. As I stated, the Beatles recording career lasted 8 years. Today a top band would record at most three albums in that time. Don't miss the book or the video collection

I am a retired Army Guard and Reserve officer of twenty eight years. I was first introduced to the book, "Once An Eagle" while I was going through OCS and college. I was amazed at the detail of thoughts of the young Sam Damon and how much they paralleled my own thoughts. I could really identify with him. I tried throughout my military and civilian careers to model myself after the leadership examples of Sam Damon. I looked for and became very aware of the Massengale officers. Once you are aware of that type of "problem" you can combat it. Later I re-read the book when I was a company commander. Boy had Sam become smarter. It really helped my at that stage of my career.

This past weekend I saw a huge write-up in the Minneapolis Star and was suprised that the book had that big of a following. I am re-reading the book again, for the third time, and I find my self re-identifying with the characters. I recommend this book for all young NCOs and young officers to help them formulate a mentoring guide book, like a set of rules to work towards, that they can use in the daily experiences that will make up their careers. If you use the book to help focus your committment to leadership, you will have a great experience, a great career, and a love of adventure.

Although it's difficult to add much of anything original to the voluminous reviews which testify to the greatness of this novel, I feel compelled to add my thoughts as well.

Though I have never served in the military (I grew up surrounded by military personnel and spent a lot of my early years on and around Andrews Air Force Base, however), I can see why so many military folks treasure this book. Still, I do not believe that a military background is in any way essential to an appreciation of this work. It is simply a great novel which happens to focus on the lives of men in the military.

I first read Once An Eagle in the '70s and have re-read it two or three times since then, and it is probably my all-time favorite novel. We get an imperfect hero for the ages in Sam Damon, battle scenes of unforgettable impact from two world wars, a trip through six decades of American history and a fascinating morality tale all rolled into one wonderful read. Supporting characters, as well as Damon's primary antagonist throughout his career, Courtney Massengale, are richly drawn and equally memorable; I have always been particularly struck by Gen. George Caldwell, Damon's father-in-law, and have long assumed that he is a fictional representation of one of the 20th Century's greatest soldier-statesmen, General George Catlett Marshall.

A truly great book in every respect and one I would recommend to anyone, regardless of age, gender or professional background. An American novel for the ages.

"Once an Eagle," by Anton Myrer, is a huge book: the main text is 1291 pages long in the paperback edition. The book tells the story of Sam Damon, a Nebraska man who enlists in the Army and gradually rises up the ranks; his career spans a great portion of the 20th century. His story is intertwined with that of his rival, fellow soldier Courtney Massengale. The men are polar opposites: Damon is a down-to-earth guy who genuinely cares about his soldiers, whereas Massengale is a cold, ruthless puppetmaster with grand dreams of power and conquest.

Myrer brilliantly focuses his vast story on these two archetypal characters. In the end he creates a sweeping tapestry into which he weaves many relevant issues: leadership, love, marriage, racism, courage, politics, etc. He offers an intriguing look at such things as the role of military wives, officer-enlisted relations, the relationship between the military and civilian political authorities, etc.

The book is full of memorable characters, vivid scenes, and powerful dialogue. Myrer has a real skill at descriptive writing. Ultimately, this is a novel of ideas which never loses touch of the humanity (or inhumanity) of its characters. I especially liked the fact that Myrer creates compelling female, as well as male, characters.

It's really like an epic TV mini-series in book form. Recommended as companion texts: "A Narrative of a Revolutionary Soldier," by Joseph Plumb Martin, "Bridges at Toko-Ri," by James Michener, and "Starship Troopers," by Robert Heinlein. All are excellent books in particular for military leaders, or for anyone with an interest in the military.

Lord of the Rings reads like one very long book that the reader finds themselves unable to put down. It goes without saying that you must read "The Fellowship of the Ring" and "The Two Towers" before you read this one. This, the third segment, is the climax to what the other two stories built up. This was astonishingly real for a book about wizards, hobbits and elves and I loved it. It is the only book that I have ever found myself crying when it was over. It was a sad sort of ending, (I won't spoil it), but it wasn't because of that. These vivid characters whom I had come to know and love for the months that it took me to go through "The Hobbit" and the other Lord of the Rings books were abandoning me. They would go on with their lives and have glorious new adventures of which I could not be a part of...I miss Sam most of all. The afterward of this book is a gem as well, since you can learn to read and write in Elvish and in runes, and find out histories and afterwards behind the epic. This is a must read for anybody. You are missing out if you do not read this. (And I might add that if you haven't, you are among a shrinking number of people, since the series continues only to grow in popularity.)

Having read all the Lord of the Rings series, we have now come to the end of the road where the destinies of our lead characters are revealed.

The battle of Gondor is vividly narrated & you feel the fear, pain & sadness of each character. Likewise, you witness Frodo & Sam's difficulties & sacrifices away from the battle field but fighting their greatest battle inside the tower where the evil Sauron resides.

All stories come to an end & it is expected to be of a happy ending. However, successful as they may be in their quest, the story does not end there. Instead, their lives has just begun for a new age.

I am certain, after having read this book, you cannot stop thinking what would happen next to Frodo Baggins while the rest of the hobbits are happily residing in the Shire. All I can do is wish him the best on his next journey.

The Return of the King, by J.R.R Tolkien, is a wonderfully written book concluding the three part trilogy of The Lord of the Rings. This book takes place in the world of Middle Earth, during the Third Age (there are 4 Ages in this book). The book starts out with Gandalf and Pippin riding towards Gondor and Minas Tirith. When they arrive, they find that the Grand Steward, Denthor, morning the death of Boromir, his oldest son, and trying to figure out what to do about the impending attack from Mordor. Meanwhile, Frodo has been captured and Sam goes into the land of Mordor to save him. After the rescue, they run into Gollum, and he tells them he will help them to the Crack of Doom and destroying the Rings. They begin the journey, but soon they realize that Frodo is getting weaker because the Ring is getting stronger. At the same time, in the land of Rohan, the Riders of Rohan are mustering to help Gondor in the desperate struggle. Along with them is Merry, who helps them. In the land of Rohan, Aragon is now revealed to be the heir of a great power. He goes into the land of the dead, (No, NOT MORDOR!) There, he gathers an army of dead, now, he is revealed to be the King of Gondor! Back in Gondor, all the forces are colliding, the forces of Mordor, led by the King of the Ringwraiths (Given power by Sauron, the lord of Mordor and the true owner of the Ring), the Riders of Rohan, led by Theoden King, the Men of Gondor, led by Gandalf, and the army of the Dead, led by Aragon. Who will prevail? Back in Mordor, Sam, Frodo, and Gollum are making progress towards the Crack. Will they make it in time and save the day? The writing style of Tolkien is WONDERFUL. Many fantasy novels are based on this trilogy, as is The Chronicles of Narnia. " There were long hairy breeches of some unclean beast-fell, and a tunic of dirty leather. He drew them on. Over the tunic went a coat of stout ring-mail, short for a full-sized orc, too long for Frodo and heavy. About it he clasped a belt, at which there hung a short sheath holding a broad-bladed stabbing sword." This book is AMAZING!!! The trilogy is well written, and I was brought into this trilogy, that I thought that I was actually IN Middle Earth!!!!! If I could give a higher rating of this book, I would give it 2 thumbs up and 100 stars!!!!!