Great book! If you're a big fan of The Wild Wild West as I am, You'll love this book.

"Inside the Wild Wild West" is simply a marvellous book. I have ordered it in September 1999, and keep reading extracts from time to time. It is so easy to pick up the best articles or find the ones you would like to read again. Everything is indexed, classified & presented in a beautiful manner, with previously unpublished photographs from Richard's private collection. Cangey has a talent for writing, he's passionate, and each word is very adequately chosen. It is almost as if we can re-live the action now (the show dates back from the 1960's). I would highly recommend this book; it is a bible for all the Wild Wild West fans. It is a privilege to be able to live the experience through the eyes of one of the most talented stuntmen. Cangey is a very busy man, but he is spending a lot of time replying to fan mail, questions, gives more details about the stories, which I find quite remarkable from him. I am forever grateful to him for communicating his thoughts on the Wild Wild West through his book, but also for the time he devotes caring about the fans. It is a masterpiece from a genuinely kind & dedicated individual."

Any book is worth the price if I pick it up and never want to put it down. Such was the case with Richard Cangey's "Inside the Wild Wild West", a subjective behind-the-scenes look on one of the most offbeat yet fun-to-watch series of the 1960's. As a fan, it's a must-read, a thorough and honest account of Cangey's career from boxer to bumps-and-bruises man on this classic series. Cangey treats the writing as a labor of love, there is a sense of fun and admiration in the company of people he kept, from stuntmen to the series's stars, Ross Martin and the action god himself, Robert Conrad whom Cangey had the privilege of working closely with for nearly ten years. Clearly, this is a book that gives every fan a look into the people who put the show together but it is also a careful look into what it takes to keep such a vigorous show going. As a fan, I must say Cangey and his fellow stunt performers were the unsung heroes of WWW, the series simply couldn't be what it was without them and Cangey clearly makes note of that. The book is also indepth at giving a close look at the complex man that is Robert Conrad, a honest and appealling look at this diehard performer with whom competition was practically a religious experience. I urge any fan of WWW to purchase this book, for the insights, the humor, the appeal of the comraderie that made this show work, the overall story behind the story of this not-quite western that continues to entertain so well after more than thirty years. Good job, Cang.

If you enjoy WWII aircraft, and appreciate the breath taking detail and accuracy of Rikyu Watanabe illustrations, you must have this book. I found my copy 3 years ago at OshKosh, and have been offered (...)for it - no way was I parting with it. It is, without question, the finest piece of reference / art work on these 12 aircraft I have ever seen. Vet, IFR Priv. pilot, R/C aircraft modeler.

I'm a WWII airplanes enthsiast, and this book has filled all my expectations. The text, the scaled drawings, the fold-out panels, everithing is exceptional in this complete guide of WWII airplanes. The drawings of this book are incredibly detailed, and if you're meticulous, you'll never find a book like this. My grandfather was a WWII pilot and became nostalgic when he saw the plane he had flown.

In my opinion, the most beautiful book of WWII aircraft which has ever been published.

I have flown the F4U-5NL Bu.No. 124511 found in the picture on page 253 with Ens. Cawley's name on the side. He was one of our squadron mates in VC-4, NAS Atlantic City in the early 'fifties.

Brings back many fond memories. Highly recommended to all aviators and aviation enthusiasts.

J.D. Williams Lcdr. USNR (Ret)

June 6, 1944. Many books have appeared about this famous date in history. However, none quite like this one. It details the town of Bedford Virginia and the lose of 22 of its young men in Normandy. No other town in America gave as much as Bedford.

The book starts in pre-war Bedford and follows the yong men from training through battle to coming home. Sadly, most never saw Bedford again. The research that went into the battle chapters is impressive. It is some of the best battle writing I have read.

Having grown up in a town like Bedford, I could understand the small town feeling the boys grew up in. I highly recommend this book. You will not soon forget it.

June 6, 1944 has been written about extensively by American authors almost from the moment it happened. The invasion to free western Europe has filled perhaps more pages than any other event in history. Beyond books, D-Day has been the subject of more movies than one can count. Among the most famous films about D-Day was The Longest Day and a generation later Saving Private Ryan. What else can be said about the invasion of Europe?

Somehow, the story of the young men from Beford, Virginia has been overlooked. When you read the book you'll ask the same question I did....Why didn't Stephen Spielberg make his movie about WWII using this story instead of the fictional story of Private Ryan. When you read the Bedford Boys by Alex Kershaw you'll ask the same question.

Bedford, Virginia is a small blue ridge mountain town of 3000. Before WWII jobs were scarce. Most of the men of the town joined the national guard unit to augment their meager incomes. Most earned a dollar a day for the days they trained. When the war started their unit became part of the 116th Infantry, one of the most battered units in Europe. On D-Day twenty-one of Bedford's sons would die on the beaches of Normandy. No other town of any size would suffer such a devastating loss. Twenty-one sons, brothers, fathers, boyfriends all lost; lost as completely as anyone can be lost....erased with the sweep of an hour hand. It boggles the mind even today nearly 60 years later.

Alex Kershaw does a wonderful job of bringing these young men to life. These young soldiers aren't just characters on the stage of history. As you learn about them, wome in more detail than the others, they become real people. The book follows them from prewar Bedford, through training, and on the a blood stained beach in France. The book is brutal. The book is poetic. You won't soon forget it.

The Bedford Boys is well researched. While Kershaw's coverage of the landings is strong on details it is never the less accurate. He uses the narratives of the few survivors to great effect.

If your a student of history you'll most assuredly want to read this book. It is a landmark story.

Reading about the soldiers from Bedford, Virginia preparing to hit the beaches on June 6, 1944 I found myself sharing their anxiety. They were in the first wave to hit Omaha Beach as part of the allied invasion. They were cannon fodder. That Author Alex Kershaw makes is so empaethic of thse men is a tribute to his skillful story telling.
Kershaw masterfully introduces the men of this small US town in the waning days of the great Depression. We then follow them as the United States enters the war and they being serious training, first in the states then for over a year in England.
By the time of D-Day, readers will be quite familiar with many of the soldiers and share their quite understandable fear. The results are predictable, with a disproportionate number from Bedford slaughtered during the invasion, many before reaching the beach.
Kershaw wisely does not spare us the gruesome details. The real story of war is as much as in the horrific death and injuries as in the battle tactics and formations.
The heartache really sets in as Kershaw returns to Bedford to recount the reactions of the families back home. There is no way to overstate the impact of war on the victim's families. "Beford Boys" shares he heart breaks of he Americans back home.
Many Americans, such as myself, have had strong misgivings about US military actions in our lifetime, but there is no such ambiguity about the efforts to liberate Europe from the Nazis. "The Bedford Boys" is the latest in a long line of excellent accounts of that war. It is rife with bravery, terror, personal tragedy and all that makes war humankind's worst creation.
This book is a must for students of D-Day, World War II, war, U.S. History and that strange and wonderful animal, the human being.

Alex Haley & Dave Stevens' QUEEN is a rare gem---the story of an american family that touches many lives. Queen is the main focus of the book but her story spans past & future generations from Ireland to America. Some of the characters are tragic but all have hope for a better tomorrow. The heartbreak of Easter's love for her "master", Queen being taught to read by her grandpa and the Haley family's quest to get a better education for their youngest son are just some of the heartbreaking stories in this novel. I enjoyed the book very much and I now hope to finally read ROOTS.

Alex Hailey is one of the greatest writers known to man. He truely displayed his writing ability in his book Queen. By reading Roots, I was able to follow along as if I was there. The book was truely heartfelt and encourages me to read all the rest of his books.

I absolutely loved this book and have read it many times. It starts with Ireland and goes through the slavery struggle and family life inbetween. The characters are amazing portrayed and presented. Not only does it inspire thought emotion and passion, it makes you wish you could express life so creatively on paper. BRAVO Mr. Haley! I can't wait to read Roots!

Alex Martelli reveals his teaching experience and deep knowledge of Python with this highly readable, information rich book.

Compared to other python books, it has more thorough coverage, more instructive examples, and is the most up-to-date.

While intended as a desktop reference, the book is highly instructive and can be read straight-through. Each section contains both reference material and text packed with core concepts, examples, rules-of-thumb, and practical advice.

Rather than duplicate existing documentation, the author has been highly selective and guides you to the most important parts of CPython, Jython, and third-party extensions. Without this book, expert assistance would be needed to effectively select the best python toolsets.

For people with older Python books, this one will best bring you up to speed with Python 2.2 and beyond. It offers the clearest treatment of new-style classes, generators, the email module, unittests, doctests and XML tools.

This is the best technical book I've ever seen. Beautifully presented and organized by a clear thinker, it has absolutely no filler. Martelli avoids the annoying witticisms and lame analogies which plague many computer books. Practically every topic of interest is covered, elegantly and concisely: this book teaches more in 10 pages than most books do in 50. Martelli nearly always provides additional references for more detail. This book is for those who either know Python already or are experienced programmers. I was able to learn the core language, advanced topics, and many libraries from this book. I should also mention that the Python is more enjoyable to use and more productive than any language I've ever used. The Python Cookbook, co-edited by Martelli, is also very good.

Python in a Nutshell, by Alex Martelli, 2003 O'Reilly, 636 pages.

Perhaps the best book about Python ever written, this book is the perfect capstone to anyone's library of Pythonic books, and also the perfect introduction to Python for anyone well versed in other programming languages. For newbies to programming, this would still be a good second book after a good introductory book on Python, such as Learning Python by Mark Lutz.

Written by my favorite author and Pythonista, Alex Martelli, this book manages to fill three roles in extremely pleasing fashion. First and foremost to me, it is a great read, straight through. Mr. Martelli's prose is always sparkling and always keeps the reader interested. No matter how many Python books you have read, you will learn some nuances from this book, and it is about the best review of the whole Pythonic subject matter that I can imagine. While there is absolutely no fluff whatsoever in these 636 pages, it still makes for rather easy reading because the explanations are so clearly thought out and explored as to lead one gently to understanding, without in any way being verbose. It is obvious that Alex Martelli took his time and put in sufficient thought, effort, and intellectual elbow-grease to make this work a classic for all time.

Secondly, this book is the ultimate Pythonic reference book, the best fit to this role I have yet seen. You will keep this book in the most cherished spot on your book shelf, or else right at your side on your computer desk, because you can almost instantly find any topic on which you need to brush up, in the midst of a programminng project.

Third, Python in a Nutshell is the most up-to-date book on Python (as of April 2003) and includes the best and most complete expositions yet on the new features introduced in Python 2.2 and 2.3. These topics are not only covered in depth, they are integrated into the text in their proper positions and relationships to the language as a whole. They are explained better here than I have seen anywhere else, so much so as to make them not only understandable to me (a duffer), but indeed so that they appear seamlessly Pythonic, as if they had been a part of the language since version 1.0. Topics explored in depth include new style classes, static methods, class methods, nested scopes, iterators, generators, and new style division. List comprehensions are made not only comprehesible but indeed intuitive.

The book is surprisingly complete. It covers the core language as well as the most popular libraries and extension modules. It is difficult to choose any one portion of the book to highlight for extra praise, as all topics are treated so well. It is a complete book, the new definitive book about Python.

Everything about this book speaks of quality. In addition to the top notch writing and editing, O'Reilly really did the right thing and published this book printed on the highest quality paper, paper so thin that the 636 pages are encompassed in a book much thinner than one would expect for such a size, but strong enough to resist wear and tear. The text is most pleasing to the eye. Holding the book, and turning its pages, gives one a feeling of satisfaction.

Any job worth doing is worth doing well. Alex Martelli and O'Reilly have done justice to a topic dear to our hearts, the Python programming language. Perhaps, in years to come, the passing time may make this book be no longer the most up-to-date reference on the newest features added to Python. But time can not erase the quality craftsmanship and the shear joy of reading such a well thought out masterpiece of Pythonic literature.

Ron Stephens

Sir, Your accounting of the abilities of our teams brought back so many memories. The price we had to pay is still so unknown to so many. I carry the memory of my friend and teammate Sgt.A.Garcia with me every day. I am proud that I had the honor to serve under you and with men like him. For those who fought for it freedom has a taste the protected will never know.
Doc Parrish 3rd. Force Recon 1969-1970

I believe this is a very balanced work, and sets forth a compelling remembrance of the good and great men who served under unspeakable conditions, and gained little by it for themselves but silent honor.

I bought and read this book, after returning from the funeral of my friend's father, Lt. Col. Buck Coffman, this past weekend (1 Sept., '01). Col. Coffman was a fascinating, remarkable man who served his nation well. Sometimes, perhaps, better than it's people deserved. I knew him apart from his role as warrior (though ALWAYS a Marine), and he set a standard to aspire to, as a man and as Man. He was loved truly by his family and friends.

At his memorial service, I had the privelege of meeting the author, Col. Lee, as well as Maj. Norton, Col. Morris, Gen. Gray and several of the other courageous men who served with them in the Marines; men written of in this book. Each and every one of them impressed me with their intelligence, decency and honor, and for the love they so obviously share for one another.

I am now starting on Doc Norton's Force Recon Diaries. I am very grateful to the men who write these books. We should always remember that giants DO walk the earth. I'm honored to have spent a time, even but a moment, in the shadow of one.

It seems that all of these Force Recon books are concerned with the war after 1969, during the downsizing of Americas involvement. dont they realize that the worst of the war was prior to that ,in 67-68. Also, i dont care for the way col. Lee is critical of the unit prior to his arrival. This very company was the first into the DMZ in 1967, it patrolled Con Thien in the bad days and patrolled the Khe Sanh area with 4 man teams. the company had a Medal of Honor winner and a number of Navy Crosses prior to his arrival. Regardless it is still an excellent book and the views above are mine alone.

This novel is one of the best I have read. Alex Haley and Stevens express a kind of compassion from a grandmother/mother that no one could do better. It's a very emotional book, and touches everyone that has ever experienced a good book. Once you start it, you can't put it down!

Reading this book is like cozying up with a warm blanket. The authors provide so much detail that you feel like YOUR grandmother is sitting in front of you, recounting the tales. The book spans the decades, from the early 1900s to the late 1970s and throws in a bit of history/current events to place the family's hostory in context. Great book!

This book made you feel apart of it. I loved it! I loved the history, the story, the emotions and how it wove a story of a loving family working their way through life. This is a must read.

It's shocking to discover how much of real American history gets glossed over in schools. What's the point of teaching history at all if it's edited? At that point it might as well be folk tales, interesting stories lacking any real facts. Alexs Pate's version of the events surrounding the slave ship La Amistad are easy to follow thanks to his simple, direct writing style and unique ability to describe much in a few words. While a "fictionalized" account of true events, the story is nonetheless riveting and heartwrenching, astounding and sickening to behold. I am saddened and even a little angry I have so little knowledge of how the vast majority of Africans found their way to America and the truth of how my ancestors may have considered and treated them. The author does a fine job of remaining mostly neutral on the topic himself, letting the story unfold and almost tell itself. While some Africans had it a little better than others, during pre-Civil War days and even in some cases still today, no black man was ever truly free. Amistad is a brilliant book about suffering and the strength it may bring, about how hope may prevail under the direst of circumstances, about how mistakes can save lives and doing "the right thing" might end them. A quick, powerful read anyone of any color or belief may enjoy. An excellent book for anyone readying to delve into the truth of the past instead of blandly accepting some outdated school textbook of it. Masterpiece.

This was a great book. i had to read it for a book report. To tell you the truth I hate reading. This is the first time I read the whole book for a book report, it had me hooked. Now I get to see the movie. But, I understood the wording in the book, and It's just a good book the read. And I recommend it for all age groups.

There is not even close to enough words to discibe this novel by Alexs Pate which is based on the motion picture. The movie I thought was great. Take my word for it the book "Amistad", brings you into even more detail than the movie. I have read a lot of books, but this book really grabbed me into really feeling like I was there. It is a sensational and emotional book that will touch your heart and show you exactly what slavery was really like. How humans went through with this unhuman way to treat people. Filled with action and emotion this is one book that has it all.

Alex Rodrieguez takes readers on a grand slam through his life and his struggle to the top. He gives children the tools to keep striving for their goals telling them how important education is in their lives. The illustrations and color photographs went hand in hand with the story and although the layout is a bit abstract, I felt the book came together in one great package. I am a librarian at an elementary school in Oregon and bought the book for the ever growing fan club of Alex Rodriguez, however my family thoroughly enjoyed it too! I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading sports biographies or those who like to read about those famous people who make a difference in the world of education.

Children are constantly searching for role models in the public spotlight. Alex Rodriguez's book introduces them to an outstanding human being who has experienced many of the obstacles in life that young children face today. Alex shares his memories of his past and the events that shaped his youth. Children will identify with his struggles and the concerns that he faced in his own childhood. Wonderful pictures fill the book and are sure to delight any fans of Alex. Most importantly the book carries the message to children that they CAN succeed with hard work, no matter what hurdles life throws at you!

This book really affects kids in a positive way. It informs the reader "It's nice to be important, but it's important to be nice!" This having been said ever so elegantly by A-Rod himself.

Alex and his team did a great job of affluently connecting the pictures with his stories in such a way that it is one you won't want to put down until finished.

Alex is a great role model, and his book is an excellent reflection of him. His positive outlook shines throughout his book, which in turn inspires the reader, the kids.

This book is so cool. Kinda nasty when Kazan kills a whole bunch of people but besides that it was cool. Fawna can make water from her hands...i wish i could do that...

Really, really, good. One of the best stories I have read, better then every movie i've seen, every book I've read. You'll love how questions develop in your head like "if kazan is 8, and that happened 10 years ago, what the?", you'll love it even more when your questions get answered. Buy this series now, who cares about the price, this series is priceless.

Kazan is a truly beautiful manga. The art in this is some I've never seen, and I'm an avid manga reader. The plot and character devolpment are extreamly good. My friend bought this and me and my other bestfriend all fell in love with the series. It's something different the majority mangas (the shading is very dark is some places). The story is so good, and there isn't enough things I could say about it. I promise you, you'll like this manga if you take the time to read it! It leaves you asking questiongs specially as the story moves along and gets into the later volumes. I hope you really do enjoy "Kazan".