These letters are a rare glimpse into a soldier's thoughts during WWII. Pieces of history, many forgotten are brought to light. Experience a pass to Paris, how wonderful after months living in the field in the cold and mud. A simple watch was one of the few items this man requested from home. That his letters, often written from the battle field were delivered home and responses returned is a wonder of army mail service. The photos of home and family and notes from the author, the letter writer's brother enrich the book and add perspective. Highly valuable as a teaching tool for students. The book is short and hard to put down until you've gone cover to cover.

This work was first published in 1975 and one can justly wonder if it is at all possible to write a biography about someone so young. Nureyev was at that time only 37 years of age and at the absolute peak of his career. Yet, John Percival has written an interesting account of Nureyev's early years. There are also numerous testimonies from a lot of prominent ballet personalities, amongst them Sir Frederic Ashton, Dame Ninette de Valois, Maurice Bejart and others. Arranged in chronological order, there is a complete list of all his roles from 1955 to 1975. Also, an appendix of Nureyev's productions from 1962 onwards. Highly readable and absolutely devoid of all scandals.

I found this book interesting. One thing that most people don't know about the Irish Potato Famine is just how much the British Government is to blame for all those deaths. Any food that an Irish person had in their possession was seized and then shipped to England and other countries. This is the dirty little secret of the British Government.

Connie Baxter Marlow has put together a tribute to Mount Katahdin and Baxter State Park. The people of Maine have a right to be proud of their mountain. This is not a trail guide to the mountain but rather a presentation of its flora and fauna. The photography is very good. However, the text tends to the mystical. This is not a total surprise. Mountains like Katahdin that stand by themselves tend to be regarded differently from those that are found in mountainous regions. For example, Mt. Shasta which looms over Northern California, just as Katahdin looms over the center of Maine, is the subject of legends about lost civilizations. However, this book is worthwhile for its photographs.

Having spent time right around the corner from the West Barnstable, Massachusetts cemetery where Percival is buried and also being familiar with the USS Constitution Museum and the ship itself, I wanted to know more. This book's narrative does provide details about Percival's life and the U.S. Navy that he served in, but they seem a bit thin.

It seems that existing documentary evidence of Percival is sparse, or at least this book leads me to believe that. Percival's 1844-1846 circumnavigation of the world in the Constitution gets the longest chapter, and is only 35 pages long. Little context is given to this voyage, surely the most remarkable phase of Percival's career. According to Ellis, Percival commanded five ships (with gun ratings, which Ellis provides only infrequently): Dolphin, 12, Porpoise, 12, Erie?, Cyane, 18, and Constitution, 44.

At times this feels like nothing but the documented facts of Percival's life strung together as a report, with a focus on quelling any "controversy". West Barnstable resident Ellis certainly did a great deal of serious research, but I was hoping for something more than just a book length vindication of the charges of dishonesty David H. Long makes in his Percival biography (the only other full length treatment of the subject).