I am a patient of Dr. Gersh and am one of the case studies presented in the book. It is now five years + since diagnosis. My prognosis gave a 10% five year survival rate. I believe my result was helped by the doctor and his methods!

while at times a bit overwrought, this is a superbly written novel that climaxes nicely. the characters are well developed and you find yourself caring for their outcomes. while I guessed the ending early on, I often thought I had guessed wrongly and only in the end did I find that I had guessed correctly.

a good read, although sometimes it takes awhile to get to the dialogue.

Everyone in the county seemed to like Clare and Elijah Waddell, or at least treat them politely; but when the interracial couple's infant is buried in the all-white Victory Baptist Church cemetery, seemingly good people react out of hate. In the story that follows, David L. Robbins weaves an intricate tale of intrigue that I found so difficult to put down that I read all 300+ pages in two sittings. Robbins manages to paint such a descriptive picture of the town and it's people that the reader feels like a part of the story; yet the story moves quickly and every word holds the reader's attention.

This is the first book I have read by Robbins but it will certainly not be the last!

When you start this book, you know it is going to be well written, but you sure don't know how it is going to turn out. Robbins mixes race - a mixed race couple - with crime, a sympathetic lawyer, forensic science, a troubled priest and small town politics - sexual and other. It is more than a "legal thriller;" it's the story of people caught in their peculiar enviornment in a time of crisis and how they react. I really enjoyed the book, and there's an interesting legal twist at the end. Read it.

I'm a World War 11 buff, an avid reader of both fiction and non fiction about "The Good War."

I don't give five star ratings in this genre easily. They're almost always saved for James Jones, author of "From Here to Eternity," "The Thin Red Line" and "Whistle."

But Mr. Robbins' "The End of War" is a remarkable novel. It's not literary, it's just a helluva good story, very well told. It moves at a lightning pace. It beautifully intertwines history with the stories of three very different people, an American war photographer, a Russian soldier, and a teenage girl trapped in Berlin.

For historical perspective, Mr. Robbins uses the perspectives of Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin to chronicle the rush to Berlin during the last five months of the war.

These World Leader chapters are informative and entertaining. But they serve to provide only a framework for the personal sagas of the photographer, the Russian and the girl.

Surprisingly, perhaps - because Mr. Robbins is an American and a scholar of history - the two stories that pack an unforgettable punch are of Ilya, the battered soldier and Lottie, the helpless German girl.

Particularly, the latter. The terror and hopelessness depicted in the Berlin narrative is some of the best writing of war ever penned. And the ending is perfect. That's all I can say - Absolutely and Artistically Perfect.

I hope Hollywood discovers this book. It's a classic mini-series waiting to happen.

Mr. Robbins has once again written a great novel that while fictional is built around a core of History. I commented on historical fiction and its thresholds for accuracy when I posted my thoughts on his book, "War Of The Rats", so I will not repeat it all here. As I have read a number of books on each of, "The Big Three", I know this book portrays the primary historical characters with absolute dead on accuracy. The Author knows the type of cigarettes Stalin dismantled to smoke in his Dunhill Pipe, and even more noteworthy he knows the nickname that Churchill's Family had given to the pocket watch he carried. The latter detail I have only come across when reading Sir Martin Gilbert's Official Biography Of Sir Winston Spencer Churchill.

The, "Big Three", and Mr. Truman have to appear in any book about the closing events of World War II, however what I very much enjoyed were the people that did not replace the familiar leaders as much as they at times reflected their ideas in well conceived ways. The people, through whom we experience the final stages of World War II, range from a photographer for Life magazine who understands the importance of Berlin better than both General Eisenhower and a terminally ill Roosevelt. The President who's arrogance prevented him from including Truman, when he was as ill as he was, thus leaving Truman with virtually no knowledge handed down, or experience to equip him to deal with Stalin.

A Russian Soldier who leads us from Stalingrad to Berlin. He has been stripped of rank and is serving in a penal company, however he embodies the perfect infantryman that Stalin would have made divisions of had he the chance. When this same soldier reaches Berlin his Humanity is regained like his rank has risen, and were Stalin to know he would remove him from the living with the infamous checkmark.

A young German Woman, a classical musician enjoys the privileges her talents secure for her, and that keep some distance between her and the reality of Berlin. As the War comes to a close her world deteriorates until she is forced to live with her Mother, a woman who takes the most dangerous risk for reasons that are hers, and is rewarded with her Daughter's condemnation. Her cello ensures her a better albeit temporary security. For when Berlin falls she is there to be victimized at will. She fights to reconcile the opportunities her position presents for her, and the obligations she feels toward her Mother, as well as what the Nazis' have ingrained in her versus the reality of their crimes.

This is the second work by a very talented writer who to date has brought stories involving the Second World War. It will be interesting to see whether he continues with this genre, or directs a deftly held pen toward other events in History.

Reading time very well spent, recommended without condition.

Robbins has taken the story of the closing days of WWII in Europe, which is fascinating on its own, and fleshed it out with characters caught up in the struggle so that we see and feel the personal costs of being on the wrong side of history. He takes us inside the minds of Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill as they cold-bloodedly make political decisions about the fate of Berlin and Europe, then shows how those decisions play out in ordinary peoples' lives. An American photographer is caught up with US troops hoping not to be last ones killed but charging for Berlin; two Russian soldiers, also hoping to survive, are part of the last great offensive of the European war. The battle scenes are vivid and dramatic, harking back to Robbins earlier book, War of the Rats. Finally, we see the impact of the three leaders' decisions on a young German woman who litterally faces her own personal Gotterdammerung, the end of her world, in the form of Allied bombs, Russian artillery, die-hard Nazis and the approach of the Russian Army with the associated stories of rape and mayhem. A great story of people caught in a dying city, well told.

This book is shallow with dialogue that is predictable and not well thought out. I bought this book near all the best sellers thinking, hmm, this looks interesting. The summary looked promising. What a disappointment. I kept throwing the book across the room due to frustration and disgust. I think all the people who wrote that this was an excellent book were PAID! I could not finish it! Do not waste your money.....

unfortunatley I feel the author's obvious weight prejudice ruins the book. The killer was overweight, and Ellen is overweight, therefore is unattractive in Virgils eyes. Too bad, it ruined the book for me. If you want the same flavor without the prejudice, try reading "This Body" by Laurel Dodd.

David Robbins, You did a very good job of making one believe that there is a reason for everything! The lives of Virgil, Ellen and Beatrice was uneventful in itself, but showing how 2 different worlds can make you realize what you thought you had, never was! I really enjoyed how he incorporated a bit of history (the angels) into the characters and I found myself looking forward to figuring out who the next one will be! Great job Mr. Robbins and I'm looking forward to reading more of his writings.

Blade and the rest of the Freedom Force blast their way through 2 seperate stories in this double header of carnage and grisley fun. In the 1st story Blade and friends travel into the San Diego "Dead Zone" a ground zero bomb crater from the 3rd world war. As the story progresses sadistic carnage and sly wittisims accompany a easily read storyline. Not overly complex but fun none the less. In the second story a madman is set out to destroy the alaskan pipeline and, you guessed it, Blade is there to stop him. Snowmobiles, Automatic weapons and the spilt contents of human dominate this slaughter on ice. Another murderous rampage a la Blade. All and all this double dose of death is a good deal and a fun read. All the Chaos, Mutants and bullet wounds you can fill up on in a sitting.

'Victory goes not to the side with the biggest guns, but to the side with the best shots...'

Staged against the backdrop of the shattered city of Stalingrad, War of the Rats is both a cold-sweat thriller and a heart-rending glimpse at one of the pivotal battles of the second world war. The real events on which the book is based have be alternately dramatised since; in the Jude Law film, Enemy at the Gates. This novel however is far more engaging, chock full of nail-biting cat and mouse encounters as the two patriotic snipers duel to the death.

Like good Clancy or Crichton, Robbins' novel cleverly balances historical and technical fact with dramatic fiction, thrusting the reader into the thick of the action. Its not all gunplay however, and perhaps the real strength of this book is the chilling human realism given to the quieter moments...one can't help but feel a shudder of grief at the thought of the main, and supporting characters surviving day by day amidts the horror of war.

Despite that last comment, this isn't really a 'war is hell' novel, and there's nothing preachy thrown in to upset the pace. What you do get is gritty, often brutal action and believable empathetic characters. I'd highly recommend this to any WW2 buff, but equally to anyone after a cracking good thriller.

Set in the hell of the Battle of Stalingrad, Mr. Robbins give us a novel that poignantly explores what it means to preserve one's humanity in a bitter struggle for survival. Not a simple "war story" or a Tom Clancy-like obsession with the technical details of warfare--although plenty abound in this book--"The War of the Rats" vividly confronts us with real people caught up in a desparate effort to cling to life and love. Robbins brings us an intimate portrait of the human condition set against the broader canvas of the devastation of war at its most brutal . His characters are real; the narrative is gripping; and the satisfaction one feels on reading the book is immense. Robbins brings home, through the device of a sniper duel between the master snipers of the Red Army and the SS, what Stalingrad meant to those who fought the battles and bled and died in the greatest single confrontation of World War II. Despite whatever minor technical flaws one may find in the novel, Robbins is a master of his craft. His achievement will be come a classic of the genre alongside "The Red Badge of Courage" and "All Quiet on the Western Front."

If you like wartime novels this is a book for you. You will want read it straight through, but you won't want it to end. This is as close to being in the hell that was Stalingrad as you can get without having been there yourself. You will feel that you are crawling through the demolished buildings, keeping your head down to avoid the instant, unseen death that snipers deliver. Indeed, this book is about the ultimate sniper duel. The top snipers from Germany and Russia are sent to kill one another - if Stalingrad doesn't kill them both first. Here you will see both points of view, you will experience the desperation of trying to survive the winter and the war, and you will know what it is like to be a sniper. The stalking, the waiting, the shot, and then you move - before you become another sniper's victim. The book is based on real-life events and extensive research. Details are presented in such a way as to not interfere with the well-developed characters and story line. The entire Stalingrad expereince is present, including the way many of the fighters simply vanished into the fighting or the Russian winter.

This book is very focused on purchasing rather than the traditional view of supply chain that incorporates all materials, production and delivery related business processes. Given that narrow focus, it handles the purchasing subject reasonably well, but from a high level. It is a good book for executives without appreciation for the key drivers from across the organization of total life cycle costs. Includes many case studies relating purchasing cost savings based on cross organizational cooperation and viewpoint. If you want a book about 'Supply Chain', pass on this one.

As the title clearly states, this is an "executive guide" to SCM. The authors give a good, broad coverage of the major issues. Like most AMACOM books this is an easy read, but gives one plenty to think about, particularly those new to the subject. The emphasis is on how one could use SCM concepts and chapters end with a short "implementation guide." The coverage is broad and comprehensive enough to give the reader all the topics needed for further detailed investigation. The tables, figures and diagrams are good and useful. For my liking a few case studies/practical examples would help; and some treatment of information technology would have been useful. If you're not an expert already and want to get most all the basics in one place, this book will do it for you.