I went after a copy of Julius Lester's "Revolutionary Notes" after having come across his "Revolutionary Mandates", which are a poetic list of anecdotes that are simple yet profound. When I later misplaced my copy of Revolutionary Mandates I and II, Brother Lester actually MAILED me a copy of all three pieces (Revolutionary Mandates 1, 2, 3) after I surfed around and found his e-mail address inquiring about where I could find another copy.

Revolutionary Notes is a collection of nearly 50 of Lester's essays published from late 1967 to early 1969 in mostly underground periodicals (The Movement, The Guardian, etc.). The essays are commentaries on various significant events during that time period, with a focus on what it means to be a "Revolutionary", what the Revolution is, the responsibilities of those on the Revolutionary Path, and most importantly, what should be considered in achieving the realization of "The New Man" and the New Society (the central aim of revolutionary struggle). The final essay in Revolutionary Notes, titled "Self-Criticism" was more or less Lester's announcement of his decision to discontinue his weekly column in The Guardian, wrapped in an explanation of his intentions in writing the column, his perception of the revolutionary struggle at the time, and his feelings on his need to shift gears in order to best assume his role in the struggle as the 1960's--and the peak of the "Movement"--neared a close.

I recommend the book to those seeking a variety of sensible perspectives on 1960's sociopolitical issues such as the Vietnam War, the Black Power Movement, Black Panther Party, SNCC, Civil Rights Movement, student movement, black leadership and social change/revolutionary struggle in general. I didn't necessarily agree with ALL of Lester's points, yet I found them to be thoughtful, interesting and many of them fresh. From what I can tell, Julius Lester is one of those overlooked voices in the Movement, but whose contribution is worthy of acclaim.

This novel covers the campaign in Gaul. It is mainly written from the point of view of a new recruit. The historicl and social aspects of the time are nicely captured, despite some stylistic problems. I liked the book and still read it from time to time. The follow up novel "The bloodied Toga" is unfortunately unawailable.

Seretse Khwama was the first president of Botswana but he was more than that. He was a chief who gave up his chieftanship to marry the woman he loved, he was a moralist who suffered through exile by England to uphold his principles and he was a pragmatist who lead his country through independance even with apartheid countries all around him.

Seretse was more than an amazing leader, he was an amazing person and this book is his story. It teaches you not only about Seretse but about Botswana as well.

i thought this story was an absolutely good book. the announcer was very tough on the people who came to the park and chose a name from the box of people who lived in the town. I had no idea in the beginning [... what was going to happen].

Bryce-Echenique's semi-autobiograhy is a wonderful reminisence of growing up in the wealthy suburbs of Lima, Peru, during the 50s and 60s. The book reminded me of my childhood in San Isidro and Miraflores. He writes very personally and vividly, painting all the cultural blessings and curses of Peruvian high society with impressionistic softness, but , at the same time, a sharp-edged line. To fully enjoy the book one should read it in Spanish -- as much of the impact of the book comes from its informal and evocative use of local colloquialisms.

Perhaps History nowadays insists so much in reproducing the economical aspects of past societies that it becomes sometimes rather an abstract overview of life, as if everything depended on the play of the impersonal forces of supply and demand. In this case, the author provides us with a refreshing approach to a somewhat not enough studied phenomenon, that of violence, leading us to abandon the idyllic idea that 'any past time was better'. With this well documented book he reconstructs some of the least attractive aspects of our ancestors' life, i.e., those related to violence of common life. His goal is to asses the nature and extent of violence in early modern times in Western Europe (basically, England, France, Germany, Italy, the Low Countries, Scandinavia and Spain), to examine its causes and to weigh the reason for its generally decreasing incidence until the 20th century. The period covered (1500 to 1800) has been chosen because of two reasons: 1) to identify slow, but real evolution in the violence of Europeans, individually and collectively, over three centuries; and, 2) 'more important, however, our period encompasses an era of extraordinary changes in Western Europe. Social and economic historians have now come to understand that many of these changes had profound impacts on violent behavior and state responses to it, which we will gauge in this book '. I have rated this book four starts. Considering its content, I think it should be five; considering its readability, three.

"Kid" Carson lived the sport of boxing. He takes the aspiring student further in this book than most "how to" manuals. Besides talking basic boxing skills and training, he talks about dealing with managers, promoters, the press, and other elements that a promising young fighter would do well to read. The honest straightforward presentation and the liberal doses of black and white photographs make for a great boxing handbook.

Taylor's work is a must for anyone interested in the woodcut print, and especially the work of J.J. Lankes. His biographical sketch of Lankes' life is complete without ponderous detail. The critical summary of his work is also fascinating. But it is the work of Lankes himself, spread liberally throughout the book that gave this reader the greatest delight. I only wish Taylor had included more examples of Lankes' woodcuts! The book itself is a fine example of quality bookmaking. The binding, cover, type face, printing and overall size add to the value.

It is difficult for me not to be gung-ho when it comes to Ancient Rome and when a new book is published concerning one of my favorite subjects - the Roman military - my mouth starts to water. However about fifty pages into "Caesar's Legion" my mouth began to dry up.

Mr. Dando-Collins has spent thirty years researching Rome's legions and this book is primarily focused on Caesar's favorite, the 10th. One can't imagine how difficult such an undertaking must be. While ancient sources abound regarding the leading personalities of the day trying to divine the day-to-day activities of a particular military unit must have proven about as tedious as winter encampment for the legionnaires themselves. The author explains some of his research, combing through enlistment & re-enlistment records and such but a lot of guesswork was necessary in order to put a little flesh on all the dusty old bones and this guesswork is glaringly apparent.

The pages abound with phrases like, "Caesar probably behaved..." or "Probably said..." and the "Legion was probably..." at such and such a place at such and such a time. I found all the supposition very distracting.

Histories of the men serving in the legion, their personal stories, are completely absent out of necessity of course because we just don't know anything abut them except in broad general terms, what they ate, how far they marched and what battles they were in, "probably."

Instead of giving us an alleged historical account the author would have better served the reader with a work of "historical fiction"- an approach that would provide a little entertainment value. After all it is not as though the current work is going to be used as source material by any historians in any significant way.

A far better read that covers the same ground with the exception of the 10th's activities after Caesar's assination, is the recent biography, "Caesar" by Christian Meier.

"Caesar's Legion" is partly a unit history of the famous 10th Legion, and partly the story of Rome's military adventures from the Gallic Wars through the fall of Masada. The book seems to be very carefully researched and it is certainly well written--Dando-Collins is fascinated by his subject, and his enthusiasm shows.

The Tenth Legion was, for most of its history, an elite and honored unit. Like America's 82d and 101st airborne divisions, the Tenth enjoyed a world-wide reputation for skill in battle. Dando-Collins explains how the Tenth earned its stripes, from recruitment and training to victory as the legion that usually occupied the position of honor on Caesar's right flank. As he does so, he tells the story of the centurions and other soldiers in the legion--how they were recruited, how long their terms of enlistment could be expected to last, when they would be promoted (if they lived) and how they could expect to spend their retirement.

Dando-Collins also points out some things that are probably old hat to students of Roman military history, but are very interesting to someone who is new to the subject. He explains, for example, that Roman javelins were designed so that they would bend upon striking an enemy shield (or an enemy), thus preventing the weapon from being re-used against the attacking legion. He also describes the remarkable training, discipline and mobility of a legion--on campaign, a unit like the Tenth might disassemble its fortified camp, march a great distance, assemble another camp to precise military specifications, and then repeat the process day after day until the enemy was run to ground.

In battle, a Roman legion would fight in a tight, disciplined infantry formation and engage enemy units first with javelins, then with Spanish swords in what must have resembled a rugby scrum from hell. A well-trained legion like the Tenth won far more often than it lost--the Romans understood that a soldier should sweat in peace so that he didn't have to bleed in war.

The story of the Tenth is told in the context of the times. Dando-Collins follows the Legion as it helps Caesar pacify Gaul, crosses the Rubicon and fights a civil war, endures the assassinations of Pompey and Caesar, casts its lot with Antony at Actium, and finally captures the Zealot fortress at Masada. The Romans, it seems, were very skilled and very ruthless, and the Tenth Legion (for better or worse) represented the pinnacle of their military art.

This is an in-depth, well-written history of the inception and battles of Julius Caesar's famous 10th Legion (and others). Filled with a wealth of background information, it's readily accessible to even those that have no previous familiarity with Roman history. The author has sifted through the various works of classical historians and gives the most credible version of events where their accounts differ, but, in fairness, typically includes the contrary versions as well so the reader can make their own decisions.

I purchased this book as a source for wargaming information, and it's invaluable in that regard. That so many facts and details are known about these ancient events is often astounding. If you own THE GREAT BATTLES OF CAESAR (computer wargame), this book is a must-read. Unless you plan to read all the writings of Caesar, Tacitus, Plutarch, Seutonius, etc, etc., for yourself, then buy this book. I can't recommend it enough.

The Bruderhof, literally: "place of brothers", was formed under the charismatic leadership of Eberhard Arnold as an experimental Christian community at the time of the Weimar Republic. The intent of the experiment was to demonstrate that the Sermon on the Mount can be normative for all aspects of individual and communal life. It continues to this day.

The Bruderhof have existed for seventy years. In that short span they have migrated across three continents; suffered the vicissitudes of the Nazi's, xenophobia of their host countries, exile in the Paraguayan jungle; and have attempted to maintain a clarity of vision throughout. The group has been wracked by internal power struggles, as well as schisms with the other like-minded organizations. There has been tragic human fallout from these episodes.

Rubin extrapolates from this history, using as his primary sources the testimonies of those who were expelled from, or who left the community during its most tumultuous times, in order to present a psycho-socio portrait of the Bruderhof. It's a compelling picture.

Rubin makes serious charges against the Bruderhof: The Bruderhof are a closed, authoritarian group who are enthralled by a cult of personality. The Bruderhof are relentless in their persecution of those who dissent from their vision. The Bruderhof are hypocritical. The Bruderhof are abusive. The Bruderhof are sexually repressed, and thus warp their children. The Bruderhof are intolerant of modern psychology, and prefer exorcism to therapy. Rubin provides historical evidence for each of these charges.

Rubin suggests that the Bruderhof are liable for "Anfechtung" (feelings of sinful alienation from God) amongst its members. Rubin suggests that the very structure of the group: (sharing goods in common, constant introspection regarding one's relationship with God under the supervision of a "shepherd", along with a severe rigidity concerning human sexuality) is at the heart of a condition, the "Bruderhof Syndrome", which is marked by severe alienation, depression, and loss of self esteem.

But he does not adequately support this conclusion. First, the book is limited by its choice of historical context. Few of the examples presented have occurred since the late '70's. Rubin further undercuts his argument from history by admitting that the group has evolved away from pietism and toward an ecumenical approach to social activism. By Rubin's own admission, the Bruderhof today are not the same introversionist sect which provide the context of his study. Its fair to suggest that many of the factors contributing to the "Bruderhof Syndrome" may have been mitigated.

Second, he does not provide analysis of the incidence and type of neurosis in the Bruderhof. His brief chapter on the other Anabaptist groups contain more of this sort of information as regards the Hutterites, the Mennonites, and the Amish, then the book as a whole does when addressing the Bruderhof.

In fairness, the Bruderhof did not cooperate with Rubin in his study, unlike the studies regarding other high-context Anabaptist groups, which enjoyed the cooperation of their subjects. But then why raise the flag of pathological depression and anxiety concerning the Bruderhof if one is unable to adequately assess the issue?

The Bruderhof refusal to accommodate Rubin's research efforts is unfortunate. However the Bruderhof are forced by circumstance to maintain a relationship with the surrounding communities. They are in constant interaction with secondary schools, police, medical personnel, and community government. It would seem that if there were anything currently suspect about the Bruderhof; for example, if the emotional and physical abuse suffered by Bruderhof children at the time of the "Great Crisis" were continuing, then someone, somewhere, should have noticed.

The Bruderhof ask young adults to leave the community for at least a year, in order that they may ascertain for themselves whether they wish to remain with the community. Apparently close to 20% of these choose to continue with their lives on the outside. Surely some of them could have been available for Rubin's research. Yet in spite of what seem to be relatively rich sources of information, there is remarkably little in the book that speaks to contemporary events or cases.

Can Rubin make the case that the contemporary Bruderhof threaten the mental or emotional health of the Bruderhof child? Can he demonstrate that the Bruderhof today are any more of a threat to the unbalanced than, say, your local, neighborhood, Evangelical Church? Where are the interviews with secondary school teachers who teach the Bruderhof adolescents; or with therapists who deal with Bruderhof patients? Where are the interviews with the young adults who are on leave from their community?

The Bruderhof offer a socio-economic example of Christian Communism that is unique in the United States. They have maintained this paradigm for close to four generations. The Bruderhof are in a position to offer profound contributions to the fields of anthropology, sociology, and psychology. Hence, the Bruderhof are to be faulted for not allowing research in their midst. They need to rethink their relationship with scholarship.

An assessment of the Bruderhof, as they exist today, still needs to be written. An assessment of those emotional pathologies with which the Bruderhof contend still needs to occur. Rubin's history of the Bruderhof is informative. But it is presented as if it were a diagnosis of mental health issues as they exist within the contemporary Bruderhof. It is in this sense that the book is misleading.

"Other Side of Joy" is a history of grievances; an exposition of the tragic and unintended consequences of a unique experiment, rather then a study of religious melancholy per se. If the reader is expecting case studies, methods of diagnosis, treatments within the community, utilization of resources outside the community and so forth, then look elsewhere. It is the controversies swirling around the Bruderhof that are addressed, with vehemence, in this book.

This is a carefully crafted and impressive overview of the Bruderhof communities, a movement deeply enmeshed in what the author describes as "'The Purgatorial Complex ,' which involves a capacity for ceaseless self-examination and self-torment." In the process, Professor Rubin has managed to include a great deal of information about the Bruderhof in a manner both scholarly and accessible to the general reader. The early chapters describe the historical background of the Bruderhof and its charismatic founder, Eberhard Arnold. The description of the 1960s power takeover by the founder's son Heini will become, in my opinion, the definitive analysis of this haunted man. On page 106 begins a discussion of the repression of sexuality within the Bruderhof. The author pulls no punches, but just lays out the straight facts regarding the past treatment children and adults by the leadership. The author includes strong quotes from many ex-Bruderhof sources, such as ex-leader Roger Allain, two of the founder's granddaughters as well as many others. As someone already familiar with these stories, reading these testimonies within a new context allowed me to experience them afresh as terrible abuses inflicted on both young and old by religious zealots eager to prove themselves faithful to their beloved word leader. The author also managed to digest many of the tragic stories of the members and children kicked out of the Bruderhof, both during the Sixties putsch and later. Many of the observations he derives hold true for other similar high- demand religious groups and/or cults. One page 125 he begins the exposition of the main thesis, how religious melancholy manifests within the Bruderhof. He includes a description of the so-called 'exorcism' of Miriam Way, which the Bruderhof in its own published revisionist version of these years referred to as "the watershed event." Indeed it was a watershed event, and created an avalanche that buried six of the nine Bruderhof communities and threw 600 people into misery and poverty. Those of us with Bruderhof connections owe Professor Rubin a deep debt of gratitude for the unstinting efforts he made to steer his book into publication past all obstacles. It certainly was not an easy birth, and for any reader of this review who requires further information I would point them to the website of the Peregrine Foundation, and especially Prof. Rubin's own essay, "Contested Narratives." Truth may travel slow, but when it arrives, it rings with an easily recognized authenticity that puts the hollow lie to shame.

Though I have not read the book, only excerpts, I would recommend it to others. Having had Dr. Rubin as a professor and gone to high school with some Bruderhof members, I am curious to see what the book holds. Dr. Rubin's wealth of knowledge and what appears to be fascinating lifestyles of the Bruderhof people compel me to recommend this book, even though I have yet to read it.