Rarely do I gush about an author of so-called "genre" fiction... since I never read it. But I love Lauren Bacall and watched the movie "The Big Sleep" and thought the dialogue was great so I grabbed a Chandler book to check out his stuff. I was blown away by his evocative descriptions of people and places. Never have I had that feeling of "being there" like when I read Chandler. And since I always feel like I was born in the wrong time, I'm so happy that I found someone who can take me back just by his lush descriptions.

Reading Chandler is a joy and a treat. The clever dialouge, snappy comebacks, the slang, all the dead bodies. I'm in agreement with the other reviews that said "Red Wind" is the best story in this book, but all four stories are superior works of fiction. God bless this author!

Some of the stories are better than others. I liked the last one of the four, "Red Wind" the best. Chandler wrote amazingly vivid descriptions of people's minute physical actions, their appearances, and physical surroundings. He painted visually georgeous portraits of crooks, lowlifes, and detectives. His plots were complex, too. The Lady in the Lake is also a beautiful book. Very high body count in his books and vivid corpses, too. It's no wonder he's still popular. Certainly no movie could do his work justice.

Perfect starting point for those wanting to find out who the hell this Chandler guy was. Way ahead of his time, and over the head of the "cat detective" set, these stories a pure gold. The John Dalmas character is essentially a raw Philip Marlowe, but the knight errant is still there, in an unrefined form. Bay City Blues, Mandarin's Jade, The Lady in the Lake...stories and attitudes that Tarrantino can only dream of ripping off. Read it now before La-La Land turns it into the next Demi Moore vehicle

I read this book about two years ago while sailing in and around Vancouver Island. The book made me forget that I was on such an adventure. "Standing In", the first of three novellas contained within, absorbed me and effected me so deeply that I can remember the exact feelings I felt at the various places on the boat. Buy the book for that story alone. Amazing. The others are good too, but do not compare with the first.

This is a spectacular book. The opening novella is the weakest of the bunch, but is more than made up for by the other two. "Paradise," the second, is a perfectly told slice of mounting tension that lies somewhere between Robert Stone and Alex Garlard (closer to the former). Caputo nails the dialect and sense of place, amazingly so (having visited that part of the world, I'm particularly impressed). The final novella is a masterpiece, one of the best things written about the war in Vietnam, a dark vision that reads like a rollercoaster ride.

Caputo does not hesitate to write from anyone's point of view, or about any place, and his is a fullness of vision that seems in very short order in today's literary scene. These stories call upon an intimite knowledge of the kinds of human frailty and types of strength and ways we endure, and Caputo's portrayal of human beings pinned between the choices that harvest life or invite death will haunt even the most jaded reader. "In the Forest of the Laughing Elephant," especially, brings to mind both APOCALYPSE NOW and THE THINGS THEY CARRIED without seeming derivative of either of them, and can stand alongside any work about the madness of war, not just Vietnam. This is a book to read and be affected by--a reminder of why we ever decided to read in the first place.

As with most experimental fiction some of the stories really blew me away while others did absolutely nothing for me. But in this case the good outweighed the bad - and even the bad were at least original. I especially enjoyed the stories by Barth, Disch, Ionesco and Landolfi.

Over the years, I have used Stevick's book as a reader in several fiction classes I have taught, and it is simply the best, most clearly organized and well thought-out anthology of experimental fiction available. I would love to see it expanded and updated, but even as is, it is thought-provoking and generates wonderful class discussions about the possibilities writers have for deviating from the Aristotelean template. Bravo!

This volume is bursting at the seams with Chandler's writings and it is an astonishing value even at the retail price. It even comes wrapped in plastic!!! Alas I do have one complaint, you can buy Double Indemnity on it's own in a seperate volume that is very much in print. The editors at LOA must be aware of this. If so, they must also be aware that "The Blue Dahlia" is no longer in print and has not been since 1976. Wouldn't it have made more since to eliminate "Double Indemnity" since it is readily available in another volume and replace it with "Blue Dahlia"? Couldn't an argument be made that in addition to it's scarcity "The Blue Dahlia" is also a better representation of Chandler's screenwriting talent because it his only produced solo effort and the fact that it garnered him an Oscar nomination?

Bottom line: LOA has redeemed itself for it's blatant lies on the Dust Jacket of "Stories and Early Novels" (see my review "Incomplete and Misleading")By the way, no one has ever explained why they neglected to include Chandler's last complete Marlowe story, "The Pencil".
I will be writing other reviews of Chandler collections undwe the clever title of "The Simple Art of Editing" and let me assure you that they do not hold up as well as this LOA masterpiece.

Contained in this volume are the last four (of seven) Marlowe novels, the Double Indemnity script co-written with Billy Wilder (including lines that were cut), his famous essay on "The Simple Art of Murder", one on "Writers in Hollywood", another titled "Twelve Notes on the Mystery Story", and finally "Notes (very brief, please) on English and American Style". Couple these with thoroughly entertaining and sometimes revealing letters to friends and fans, and you can't miss.

In one of these letters he even discusses fellow hardboiled writer Ross Macdonald's (here called John, as he hadn't changed his name yet) The Moving Target, which cribbed some ideas from The Big Sleep and Dashiell Hammett's The Thin Man.

The novels themselves? Classic Chandler - enough said. If you'd like to know why you should expect the best in hardboiled detective fiction, well, read 'em all, or at least one. (If you're planning on that course of action, try the first in the series, The Big Sleep, included in a similar volume called Stories and Early Novels: Pulp Stories/The Big Sleep/Farewell, My Lovely/The High Window.)

Bottom line, this is required reading for anyone who won't read just anything but at the same time doesn't limit themself to Anna Karenina.

Insightful, witty and using wonderfully inventive stream-of-consciousness language, Philip Seplow's "Overgrown" acquaints his readers with his world of music, heros, sports figures, and what it was like to grow up Jewish during the 60s and 70s. His tales are sprinkled with familar people and the reader is invited along for the ride. Sometimes it's funny, sometimes sad, but Seplow's esprit keeps them all light. My personal favorite is The Recruitment, but they're all worth a good read.

This book is an incredible romp through imagination and fantasy in the vein of short stories written by Heinlein, King and Bradbury-with some amazing twists. One minute your reading a nice tale, that lulls you into it's plot, and then with a turn of a phrase or a word, the story angulates-marvelous. I have not had a pleasent reading experience like this in a long time. Stories like Overgrown are subtle reminders of our own well intentioned, but often not, well thought out plans, whereas Razabellah and the Frog is a Tour de Farce on a old favorite.

Reading Philip Seplow's Overgrown is like holding up a mirror to the last half of the 20th Century. Some parts of the mirror are dusty and others are a bit distorted but readers will be totally engaged by the reflection of social culture presented by Mr. Seplow. The stories include vivid language which bring to life each subject. Name-dropping of rock icons like Jerry Garcia and Paul Simon as well as politicians like Dan Quayle and talk shows hosts such as David Letterman involve the reader in this incisive portrait of contemporary culture. Gentle lessons are learned in each tale and this witty short story collection is a must read for all, especially for those born after 1950!

Written in 1943, Hitti's work stands out as scholarship from the days when one could write History about the Arab world. This does not mean that I don't appreciate current analysis; I probably wouldn't be reading books about the Islamic world if not for current history - or perhaps I wouldn't be avoiding them, who knows? But what you will find in Hitti's work is the story of the Arabs as written by someone who's historical axe to grind is apparently no greater than impressing the reader that this is really neat stuff.

To be a bit less facetious, Hitti does have a point to make. He was an Arab Christian moved at a young age by the Arab anti-Ottoman movements of his youth. Probably for this reason (it says so in the introduction) he simply skips the Ottoman period altogether, picking up in the twentieth century after a four century gap. He has the right to pick his subject of course, but I would have liked to read about those years. But in what he does relate, the reader easily grasps the excitement he feels for the history of this subject. Unlike present-day texts, there is no feeling of defensiveness. Hitti is no apologist for anything. He tells the bad along with the good in a lively manner, obviously skipping a lot in a short book, but presenting the history of his subject as he apparently thinks is best. Hitti, I think, understood what many have forgotten - that one needs not love or hate what happened in the past to find that it all still makes fascinating history. In that context, The Arabs: A Short History is probably one of the best starting points for a novice reader in this field.

At just over two hundred pages, this book is the place to start learning Arabic history. Although it is certainly not the most detailed or precise account, its brevity ensures that a novice will not be overwhelmed with strange names and minute details of unfamiliar events.

Hitti's Short History will be quite useful to social studies teachers who want to give their students short articles on Arabic history to read. Each chapter in this book is short enough to serve that purpose. There are also eight nice maps that will help students of all levels develop a better understanding of how Islam changed the world.

Philip K. Hitti, of Lebanese Christian descent, the father of modern Near Eastern studies in the United States originally published this book in 1943 as a service to U.S. government personel and others whose interest was becoming focused on the Middle East.

He portrays a people who had a very rich civilization, whose rulers were studying ancient Greek philosophy at the same time Charlemagne and his advisors in Europe were tyring to learn to write their names. The Arabs rescued the artistic and philosophical treasures of Ancient Greece and ancient Persia and developed standards in Medicine, biology, philosophy, architecture, agriculture that were unprecedented in their day. These achievements Hitti says spread into Europe through Spain and Sicily and were the major factor in sparking the European rennaisance. I particularly enjoyed his description of Abassid Baghdad at its heighth. Consider his description of the daily schedule of the "man of learning" or the institution of the "ghilman" the "beardless young boys" who .....well I won't get into that.

He describes the conditions of non-slave non-Moslems as equal though varying depending on the degree of liberalism of the reigning Caliph. At times Jews and Christians had to wear special clothing and fix devils to the fronts of their houses and could not testify against Moslems in court. But more than a few of them rose to high positions in government, in scholarship, in bootlegging. The Jewish community in Baghdad was very active and large and its chief Rabbi was treated with veneration.

What caused this relatively glorious civilization to die? The mongol hordes, unequal distribution of wealth, emergence of new competitors, epidemics, ethnic strife, rulers spending more time amassing personal wealth and fornicating with slaves than attending to pubilic affairs and finally the conquest of much of it by Ottoman Turkey.

Hitti a few times shows a slight chauvanism. I was dissapointed in his lack of treatment of one of the crucial problems in the Arab world, the sectarian feuds within Islam, particularly Sunni-Shia. If I'm not mistaken Shiism was born out of life of the Caliph Ali and his son Hussein. Hitti says absolutely nothing about this when talking about these two men. He only says that Ali, who ruled from 656 to 661, was very popular but was murdered and that his son Hussein was called "the great divorcer" as a result of his having ruined one hundred marriages by his omniverous fornicating which was his prefered activity in life and he had no interest in the caliphate so he ceded it Muawiyah in return for the payment of a lifetime subisidy.

At the end of the book Hitti writes that the Arab people "have thus taken their place among the forward-marching democratic nations of the world and promise to make further contributions to the progress of mankind." It's hard to pin down when exactly that was written but that's obviously a bit too optimistic a statement in todays terms with most of the Arab world dominated by Western backed corrupt and brutal oligarchies. But perhaps its best to keep in mind Hitti's last sentence of the book:"The achievement of the past is the promise of the present for the future."

"Nothing made it my business except curiosity. But strictly speaking, I hadn't had any business in a month."(21) For Phillip Marlowe, the irresistibly aloof private detective who stars in Chandler's impressive detective novel, Farewell, My Lovely, crime is not something he seems able or willing to avoid. Hitting the streets of Los Angeles in the midst of the American gambling craze of the 1930's, Marlowe finds himself an inextricable player in a search for knowledge of past and present crimes and criminals.
Though he appears, on the surface, to be little more than a nosy, bumbling "private dick," his successful unraveling of a closely interwoven crowd of crooks proves, as one suspect cop observes, that Marlowe "played...smart....You must got something we wasn't told about." (228) Keeping his cards in his hand for most of the noel, Chandler shows that both he and Marlowe are "smart," leading the reader on a circuitous trail that shakes out only in the novel's final pages.
The story begins with a happenstance encounter between Marlowe and an ex-con called "Moose" Malloy. Marlowe cannot resist pursuing the suspicious-looking hulk of a man and soon finds himself both running after and from a variety of shady characters. In the course of his private investigations, Marlowe survives several near brushes with death, getting "sapped" by thugs near the novel's start, pumped full of opium in a suspicious hospital-like place, and stealthily boarding a closely guarded gambling boat to confront an infamous mobster in the middle of the night. In the end, Marlowe succeeds at untangling the web of murders and crimes that keep him running throughout the novel, but not before giving the reader the run-around as well. Chandler's smart, articulate prose lends itself well to the captivating story and intriguing characters that combine to make this a must-read for fans of detective fiction.

Chandler is the greatest writer of detective fiction and a great author period. To ignore these books is to ignore much of what is great about American literature.

Earlier anthologies of Raymond Chandler's works mostly center upon what have come to be known as his 'big four' or earliest novels -- The Big Sleep, Farewell My Lovely, The High Window, The Lady In The Lake -- or upon his later, and admittedly (with the possible exception of The Little Sister) 'inferior' works. Chandler's earlier short stories ( many of which he "cannibalized," to use his word, for the material in his subsequent novels) are normally treated as a separate genre altogether.

This particular collection, rightly, combines Chandler's first three novels with the best of his earlier short stories, recognizing the thematic unity in those works. (Good as it is, "The Lady In The Lake" demands to be treated separately from Chandler's earlier efforts.)

Chances are, if you're reading this, you've read most, if not all, of Chandler's Phillip Marlowe novels. You may as well have read many, if not all, of the short stories presented here. But have you read these novels, and these short stories, TOGETHER in this context? Likely not. But you deserve to.

In the short stories, for example, there are protagonists named John Evans, Ted Carmody and Tony Resick (the last two of which, interestingly, inhabit locations which were most likely Los Angeles' Hotel Mayfair, with which Chandler had more than a nodding familiarity). And when, in Chandler's writings, did they meld themselves into what would be his penultimate creation, Phillip Marlowe?

And at which point did Chandler begin to write, as fellow writer Ross McDonald termed it, "like a slumming angel . . ."? The answers to both questions may well lie here, in this collection.

Pick up this collection! Read it! Discover the material anew!

THE LADY IN THE LAKE is one of Raymond Chandler's weaker Philip Marlowe novels, if not the weakest. (I say "weakest" as opposed to "worst," because, to paraphrase the cliche, reading Chandler is a bit like sex: Even when it's bad, it's still pretty good.) But that's just it. It's not that this is a bad read by any stretch - it's head and shoulders above the best mysteries taking up space on the bestseller lists, and most of the mysteries ever published. But, because this is Chandler, it's held to a higher standard than disposable airline reads, and by that yardstick, it falls short.

The story of this (the first Marlowe novel written after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor), like all in the series, starts simply enough: Our Hero is hired by a wealthy businessman to find his missing wife. And like all Marlowe stories, the case soon becomes much more complicated, leading Marlowe on a trail of twists and turns through some of the darkest shadows of his world until, at last, all is revealed.

It is a fun trail to follow for the reader, if not always for Marlowe. Still, it doesn't match the intense intricacy of FAREWELL, MY LOVELY nor the lurid seductiveness of THE BIG SLEEP - both among the classics of 20th century literature. It even misses the layering of THE HIGH WINDOW, leaving a fun read without as much depth. Worse, the twists, while they might surprise or confuse readers fed on the whodunit simplicity of Agatha Christie, are, for devoted Chandlerites, more obvious. I guessed the titular lady's secret soon after she was found in the lake, and it was not too difficult to tie in several - although, I admit, not all - later twists.

Still, Chandler is Chandler. His dry, intoxicating prose is here, as is his mastery of characterization. The most vivid supporting characters here are not Degarmo, the brutal cop heavy, nor Mr. Kingsley, the wealthy perfume baron, both of whom would fit into almost any Chandler novel. Rather, the scene-stealers are Bill Chess, the roughneck widower, and Sheriff Jim Patton, the law in a place that rarely needs him. These two are far removed from the Los Angeles back alleys, grimy motel rooms, rundown slums and mansions with plenty of closet space for skeletons that are Chandler's milieu, yet they become as real as old friends.

Ultimately, writing a review of a Chandler novel is almost a waste of time. His devoted fans - among whose numbers I readily count myself - will want to own this no matter how many stars I give it; and those who prefer locked room whodunits with quirky old lady detectives aren't even reading this. Still, to those interested in finding out why Chandler has engrossed readers for decades, don't start here. I'd recommend THE BIG SLEEP and FAREWELL, MY LOVELY as introductions, and THE LADY IN THE LAKE as a palate-cleanser once you're hooked.

This well written novel is a true axample of Raymond Chandler's abilities. It is a suspensful book with a great deal of mystery, it keeps you on your toes and on the edge of your seat. This book stays with the classic tough guy image found so often in Film Noire stories. "If I have to get tough with you, fellow, you'll know it." Lieutenant Degarmo to Detective Marlowe chapter 4, page 30, from The Lady in the Lake. I recomend this novel and give it four stars.

From the first page to the last, The Lady In The Lake is a masterwork of American literature. Some may think that's impossible, seeing as how it'a a *gasp* detective novel! Well, I'm here to tell you otherwise. Like another great that transcended the genre, Dashiell Hammett, Chandler hooks the reader with stunning dialogue, amazing plot twists, and unforgettable characters. The book is clever and works on many levels; as a mystery and also as a complexity of many symbolisms.

Anyone who hasn't read this book, for the love of Steve, don't read the reviews on the next page! Another reviewer gave away the ending. It's been mentioned by someone else already, but just to be on the safe side, I'm mentioning it again. I know that it would've tempted me to drown them in Raymond Chandler's lake if I'd read that person's review before buying the book.

I recommend this book highly, not just as a detective novel, but as an example of the possibilities which the English language holds.

Indeed a book worth reading. Neil and Brenda's love affair is a clear example of materialism in love affairs. They also show a great amount of common sense as developed by Roth, which is very representative of his own life. Although brief, the characters are well developed, their attitudes are representative of the temporal setting (around the 60's), which sets the mood effectively.

At first, we thought that the story was a bit slow, but near the end, the finale is magnificently narrated, showing the characters more humane than in any other part of the novel. We would recommend this story because you might feel connected to any of the main characters. Finally, don't forget to take a look at the title's symbolism; this can be a key factor in determining the true meaning of the novel (Tahiti-Gaugin-The Patimikin's fridge filled with exotic fruit-Christopher Columbus?-New World?-Neil's New World?).

Philip Roth is a great writer. Yeah, we've all heard this at one point or another (at least those of you taking and wasting time to read a review of one of his books). This was Mr. Roth's first published work, a short novel and five short stories that forced us to realize this man had arrived violently on the scene as a powerful literary force. Let's talk about the stories in this collection:

"Goodbye, Columbus" is, honestly, without the standard hyperbole so many people slab into reviews such as this, one of the best novels I have ever read. It was written by a twenty-five year old man who was only going to get better (as his work from the mid-1980s to the present firmly establishes) yet here we have the wisdom of our great American gods. It is a beautiful story, funny and painful and filled with truths anyone in those recent post-college, still-not-finding-one's self perspective could learn and grow from. I love this story, and it is filled with agonizing self-analytical material that shows who it is we are dealing with, the intellect and the passion, the savagry and the wit. There are not too many single stories of American authors I could recommend more highly than this book, in particular the five page sequence from which this story gets its title. It is haunting and true, one of the rare glories of English in narrative form. If for nothing else, get this book to read this lovely novella. It is, profoundly, a masterpiece (not a term I use lightly either, being the bitter cynic I am--check out other reviews I've written--I can get rather mean)>

Among the other stories, the most celebrated is "Conversion of the Jews", and for good reason. This is another gorgeously written tale about self-discovery and the agony of those questions all beginning with 'Why?' Here is a story questioning faith, questioning the idea of God or a higher power that has been transformed into such a makeshift mythology by all the varying faiths, why bother, it asks, what is the point and is it real and who are we and why are we here and why why why why why? This is a great story.

Sadly, this collection is begun with the two tales I have so widely praised. The remaining stories are good--very good, in fact, but following up "Goodbye, Columbus" and "Conversion of the Jews", something is lost as they are unable (quite understandably--what 25 year old author is going to maintain such sustained greatness? It took Roth 27 years to return to this passion in "The Counterlife", and then he expanded from there, getting better and better progressively, and never looking back)to keep up the fascination. Now this is not to say there is anything wrong with these other stories. Had they been all there was in this collection I would have looked back with nodding approval and said, "Hey, this guy is going somewhere." But they are not the first two stories and are almost awkwardly placed as an aftermath of a developing great author. Get this book urgently, and read them all. Just don't allow yourself to be soured by the slightly lesser material following the first two masterworks.

My favorite Roth book. There's a yearning here in a young man who loves a girl he really has nothing in common with. Roth captures the summer romance of youth. During the day, hanging out at her parents house and eating their food without feeling they have to pay for anything. And at night, he steals into her bed, sneaking into movies that are half over. It has a real fifties-early sixties feel, and I highly recommended the film (When I first saw it as a teenager it stunned me because I never saw a romance in films that didn;t work out because of differences--I mean it's Hollywood right, doesn;t everything end happily and people see the error of their ways through love. Well no.) I think the book is an excellent way for anyone to remember their own summer loves. It's plaintive, irritating, and awkward feel--really, the way I recall those moments too. Being in love but trying to find yourself as life comes between you and your youth. I re-read this book every year, and my only complaint is the male character isn't fleshed out enough, but then I think that is the way of being young and self-conscious, the adult world shifts by you, you feel detached and an observor. But passion is passion and it's there. And rueful but appreciated memories.

This is the first comprehensive book on Mao to be published after Dr. Li’s account. Short incorporates some of Li’s recollection into the character analysis of Mao in sort of a Freudian sex paradigm. Short seems to have been able to get a lot of access for his research without having to compromise too much in what he published: (the ever frustrating rub of studying China – you need access to uncover the truth, but if you print too much of the truth, Chinese authorities cut off your access) Perhaps this is the reason this book is far more detailed in the pre-1949 Mao than the Mao we love to hate after the civil war, and Short just paintbrushes over the cultural revolution. Overall, the book is well detailed and objective.

However, Short does seem to take some of his sources too seriously and there are some obvious references to some seriously hot air from more than one Chinese official’s tall tale. My favorite was the following “One of Zhou Enlai’s military analysts was convinced that the US Commander, General Douglas MacArthur, would make his move at Inchon, on the narrow waist of Korea, just south of the 38th parallel, the nominal dividing line between North and South. When Mao looked at the map, the young analyst convinced him too” (427) Right! I believe that like I believe that stockbroker who calls and said that he became bearish on the Nasdaq in the first quarter of 2000.

In a time where famous authors like Doris Goodwin and Steven Ambrose are being caught in scandals of plagiarism, the poor job that Short does in citing his work is a major problem with this book. The entire book includes no usable reference system to cite the sources. Not only is this true for parts of the text that he obviously depends on an outside source of some kind, but even block quotes. The book has a few end notes that only have a small quote from the text to connect it with rather than a number. This could be a publisher’s error rather than Short’s, but it is frustrating none the less.

Two brand new biographies of Mao Zedong came out this year at the same time. One is by the very famous historian of China, Johnathan Spence and the other, this one, by Philip Short. Though I had heard of Spence and not of Short, I picked this one up because Spence's book was over 25$ and only about 100 pages, Shorts book is 600 pages of biography and another 100 pages of notes, pictures, cast of characters, and index. For the money, I figured this book was a better buy!

The book was excellent. The real strenght of this book was the great use of primary sources and the great job the author did on Mao's early life and the history of China from the fall of the Qing Dynasty to the founding of the People's Republic in 1949.

The only faults I had with the book were the post-1949 years with the exception of the chapters on the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. The author just did not do as good a job of the post-1949 Mao and China. However, the pre-1949 stuff was great.

The book was well written and easy to read despite the size of the book. I enjoyed reading the book and learned a lot and felt it was time well spent. HOwever, again I enjoyed the first 400 pages much more than the last 200 pages.

The author is fair showing both Mao's brilliance and ruthlessness. Having recently read A Great Wall: Six Presidents and China which looked at China from Nixon to the Present, and this book I feel am I pretty up to date on recent scholarship.

If you like Chinese history and have the time, this book is very good.

I have always been put off by Chinses history and never found it appealing in comparison with other history. But this book is a good introduction to Chinese history from 1920 to 1976, and subsequent thereto. I thought the early parts kind of a chore to read, but was very glad I kept on and the coverage for the years since 1945 was infomative and full of interest. The author spends no time considering views of Mao from outside China (except from Russia), and such I thought would have been of interest. For instance, the people who are considered so carefully in Barbara Tuchman's Stilwell and the American Experience in China (read by me with considerable appreciation in September of 1972) figure not at all in this account. What a blessing Mao's death was for China: as great as Stalin's was for Russia and maybe as great as Hitler's was for the world. The book lacks footnotes, tho there are source notes for the pages. I was dismayed to see no bibliography: I presume the author figured one could deduce such from the source notes, but I sure would have liked to see a bibliography. There are two maps, but neither shows the town where Mao was born. I think maps in a book should show every city or town mentioned in the book, if possible. But these are minor complaints and I recommend the book to those who want to read a well-written and carefully researched life of a major figure of the 20th century.