Finally, an unbiased look at the Trial of the Century. The authors managed to keep from using the race card, innuendos, and Hollywood hype to tell just the facts. This book gives the reader a honest look into that fateful night.

The first book to read on display technology for people in AV industry. Technically in-depth & informative yet comprehensive for new comers or sales persons.

An intriguing interlude in the Overland Campaign of 1864 between the battles of Spotsylvania Courthouse and Cold Harbor, Gordon Rhea continues his impressive study of this period with "To the North Anna River". Manuever, as opposed to carnage, dominate this work and shows Rhea's continued evolvement as a writer as well as an historian.

We start where "The Battles for Spotsylvania Courthouse" left off with both armies entrenched before the Mule Shoe at Spotsylvania. Rhea discusses the thinking of both Generals Lee and Grant as each labors to decide what to do next. Another unsuccessful attack at the salient is orchestrated by Grant before he makes the first move by deciding to disengage and manuever Lee out of his trenches. He advances Winfield Hancock to the southeast with the idea of using him as bait to get Lee to follow. This strategy works as Lee starts his army southward toward the North Anna river. Troop movements and lost opportunities dominate this portion of the book as Grant and Lee engage on the next portion of the campaign. Cavalry battles also are covered at this point as Union General Philip Sheridan drives the Federal cavalry on a threatening movement towards the Confederate capital at Richmond. Rhea then discusses how this movement, although somewhat successful, ultimately hurt the Union cause.

Lee then wins the race to the North Anna by taking advantage of Grant's lack of intelligence that Sheridan's cavalry would have provided. He (Lee) then entrenches south of the river as he waits to see what Grant will do. The battles at Henagan's Redoubt and Jericho Mills (both Union victories in the maneuver to the North Anna) set the stage for the highlight of the book which is the defensive posture that Lee now incorporates. Rhea shows how Confederate chief field engineer Martin Smith "proposes an ingenious solution" that results in the famous inverted "V" entrenchment below the river. This fortification has the added advantage of splitting Grant's army below the river and (if Grant attacks) would give Lee a stunning victory. Grant initiates offensive probes and becomes increasingly concerned that his troops are trapped. The little known battle at Ox Ford on the North Anna is the final proof that he needs. Lee meanwhile becomes ill and fails to delegate to his subordinates his instinctive thought to attack and the opportunity is lost. Rhea ties all this together with some of his best writing to date: "Lee had slept little in the twenty harrowing days since Grant had crossed the Rapidan. He often worked after midnight and was generally awake by 3:00 A.M. Dysentery was endemic in the Army of Norhtern Virginia, and Lee had contracted the illness by the time he had reached the North Anna. Normally even-tempered and robust, he was now irritable and rode in a carriage. On the afternoon of May 24 Lee was seized with violent intestinal distress and his aide pronounced him 'quite unwell'. The Confederate commander lay confined to his tent, 'prostrated by his sickness' with a single thought dominating his mind 'We must strike a blow'. But the Army of Northern Virginia could not strike a blow. It required a firm hand to coordinate so complex an undertaking. In better times, when Jackson and Longstreet commanded the wings of the Confederate army, Lee had liberally delegated responsibility. But Jackson was dead and Longstreet disabled and Lee lacked confidence in their successors." Grant then realizes the danger of his position and extricates his forces to the Northern side of the river. His decision to maneuver again "by the left flank" to the southeast closes out the text portion of the book.

Rhea then ends the book with an excellent Epilogue section in which he discusses the heretofore unknown battle at Wilson's Wharf on the James River showing for the first time the fighting tenacity of the Federal's black troops and also whereby he draws conclusions that differ somewhat with the contemporary standard: "Historians have considered Lee's inability to attack on the afternoon of May 24 a lost opportunity of major proportions. In retrospect, it is doubtful that even a healthy Lee could have dealt a decisive blow. He would most certainly have wrecked much of Hancock's corps, but he would have lacked the strength and time to exploit the localized victory. Nightfall would likely have prevented him from crossing the North Anna. Grant could take severe casualties in stride. Terrible subtractions in the Wilderness and at Spotsylvania Court House did not deter him, nor did severe losses at Cold Harbor in the coming weeks. It is difficult to imagine Hancock's defeat inducing him to abandon his campaign. Sickness doubtless cost Lee a superb opportunity to damage an isolated portion of Grant's army at the North Anna River, but the lost opportunity should not be exaggerated. Judging from Grant's reaction to earlier and later setbacks, he likely would have treated defeat at the North Anna as a tactical reverse and gone on with his campaign."

Judiciously written and masterfully researched (Rhea discloses in the Introduction that little of any substance has been written on this period due to the confusing state of exisiting material), Gordon Rhea has created (in my opinion) another masterpiece, further fortifying his standing as one of the outstanding contemporary Civil War historians. I give this book a very high recommendation.

Gordon Rhea continues his study of Ulysses S. Grant's grinding Overland Campaign against Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. The third volume continues where his the first two volumes left off. Like the first two books, the tone is lively and interesting. Rhea does an excellent job conveying the thought process and difficulties involved in the major decisions made by both Lee and Grant. Rhea makes clear the reasons Lee was losing faith in Hill and Ewell. He continues an excellent analysis of the fractured Union command structure from the first two volumes expanding on the rift between Meade and Grant and the lack of talent among the corps commanders.

Rhea poignantly portrayed the misery and destruction in the Wilderness and at the Mule Shoe in his first two books. Those types of scenes are not in this work, but he successfully portrays the every day life of the common soldier on both sides. One such example is his vivid description of how fast the Confederate cavalry disintegrated after the disasterous battle at Yellow Tavern.

For the individual interested learning about the Civil War and the men of the conflict, this book is a necessary bridge between Spotsylvania Court House and Cold Harbor. This period is marked more by confusion and maneuver than bloody fighting. This work is a pause from the effusive bloodshed of the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, and Cold Harbor where the reader can learn more about how Lee and Grant thought and how they adapted to the most competent foe either general faced in his career. We can only hope Mr. Rhea continues his study beyond Cold Harbor into the trenches of Petersburg.

Gordon C. Rhea's account of the Civil War in Northern Virginia covering the period after the Wilderness Battle through the fighting south of the North Anna River in late May 1864 is well written. During this period, Lee and Grant took measure of each other. Grant had only experienced Confederate generals in the West and probably had limited respect for Lee's generalship. The general officers of the Army of the Potomac, having fought Lee since June 1862, had few reservations regarding Lee's ability prompting Grant to remark to his staff on May 6 to "Think what we are going to do ourselves, instead of what Lee is going to do." Lee lacked direct experience with Grant but there is no indication that he questioned Grant's ability. Lee's problem was he didn't know how Grant thinks, reacts, etc. In many respects this book is an account of how Grant and Lee got to know each others abilities.

Chapter II details Sheridan' raid threatening Richmond . Grant and Sheridan took great pleasure in the defeat of J.E.B. Stuart. Sheridan had defeated his cavalry and killed Stuart. However, the Confederate Cavalry Sheridan defeated in May 1864 was not the same splendid cavalry that J.E.B. Stuart had led on his June 12-15, 1862 ride around McClellan.. By May 1864 Stuart's mounts were tired, worn out and hungry with no replacements. His cavalrymen were also tired, hungry and replacements were at best limited. Perhaps stung by Lincoln's remark "Who ever saw a dead cavalryman?" Sheridan seems to have had a personal vendetta against Stuart. As Rhea notes serious criticism can be leveled against Sheridan's campaign as it deprived Grant of badly needed scouting thus "severely handicapped Grant in his battles against Lee." Grant should have learned this lesson in the Wilderness when critical union cavalry scouting was also absent.

The major battles/engagements from Spotsylvania Court House to the North Anna River are narrated. However, this book is primarily a discussion of commands with emphasis on Grant and his subordinates. Failure to react to promising situations are documented for both Lee and Grant with both failing to capitalize on significant opportunities. Referring to Lee the author noted that "His performance was a masterpiece of defensive fighting . ."; however Rhea notes several cases where Lee missed a significant opportunity and/or incorrectly judged Grants intended course of action.

The author notes an interesting situation regarding the frequent remoteness of Grant and his commanders from the field commanders at critical times. Referring to Lee's army moving down Telegraph Road virtually unmolested the author wrote regarding Grant and Meade "After nightfall they made no attempt to coordinate the movements of their corps and seemed content to leave decisions in the hands of local commanders. The union army floundered like a force without a head for several critical hours."

Finally, Rhea stated that this campaign suggests the two generals had "suprisingly similar military temperaments. Both were aggressive and willing to try unorthodox maneuvers." In essence both generals came out about equal. Grant's great strength laid in his firm support of the strategy to destroy Lee's army which was Lincoln's strategy. While Lee's true strength was his ability to turn unfavorable situations to his advantage.

It's a big book but it can be bigger. Some sections are too small, like cels and others. It is still very good guide and full of high quality pictures. Introduction is great! If you are a Simpsons collector then you have to own this.

What a great book! Robert used pictures and prose to capture the spirit of Simpson collecting. Although I have a lot of the items he featured in his book, the ones I don't have I want even more! It is worth a slow and careful read, over and over again.

If there is anything that has been released about "The Simpsons" it is safe to say it can be found here. Getz takes an in-depth look at merchandise from the earliest days of the show to the more recent items. Particularly useful are his sections on "The Simpsons" comic books and trading cards. However, other areas are not neglected. If you have always wanted to see "Simpsons" items from around the world then here is your opportunity. This is a much needed book well worth its price.

Very interesting elementary book. A little bit too simple for indepth school report requirements but overall well writen. Easily understood and great illustrations. Better then the average Nature Company books on other subjects.

An imformative children's book with the basic history of Ancient Rome. Filled with colorful and hisorically correct pictures. A perfect book for the future historians.

Robert Skimin's novel on the incredible life of Ulysses S. Grant is a fascinating read. Mr. Skimin has faithfully told Ulys's story from his early days at the hallowed grounds of West Point; his activities in the Mexican War; his struggles in pre-Civil War America; and his triumphs during that most turbulent time in our history. Grant in Skimin's eyes is neither smart or dumb...he is an everyman, trying to do what he feels is the right course he should follow. Skimin aptly illustrates Grant's struggle with the bottle...a lifelong battle that Ulysses sometimes won and sometimes lost. Many of us who have awoke with the effects of a night of drinking still fresh in our body, can appreciate Mr. Skimin's accurate description of the torment Grant went through. The major asset of the book deals with General Grant's long-standing friendship and partnership with John Rawlins....He describes their relationship in a very familial way...as that of two "brothers", who have found each other in Galena, Illinois just before the war, and who shared the highs and the lows of four years of brutal war that they shared together. Ulysses is a very interesting fictional account of this great man, U.S. Grant... For those of you who enjoy great historical fiction, you can not go wrong with Mr.Skimin's work....One can only hope for a companion novel on the life of W.T. Sherman!

Grant was a gentle character with self doubts that led to alcholism. Rawlins, friend from home town, becomes staff chief and insists bottle be banished. Grant blossoms inspite of his character flaws many past failures and becomes tremendous leader. Grant is an inspiration to all of us who battle the demons of self destructive behavior binding oneself with our unsolveable failures. Grant's virtues emerge in the crucible of war displaying that he is not an incompetent failure: an embarassment to family, friends, and Army reputation. Rawlings is the conscience for Grant, fanatically believing in Grant's greatness if alcohol and dishonest hanger-ons can be avoided. When Rawlings dies Grant is alone and betrayed by those in his circle. Sherman also give Grant blunt truth and stays away from the Washington political cess pool. Grant's love for wife Julia is rendered tenderly and gently. Grant dies having left her with his finished journal Mark Twain promises will earn enough to provide a life time income. Son Fred was involved in shameful, shocking and disgusting hazing of black cadets at West Point. Blame has never really been properly adjudged on Fred Grant for this terrible deed. The role Samuel Clemons plays in Grant's life is very important; writing as Mark Twain, he publishes and inspires Grant's autobiography and helps assure Julia be provided for, allowing Grant, dieing of throat and mouth cancer, to conquer the pain of his final days by finishing the final pages of his manuscript. I say that Grant died victorious, enduring terrible agony, discomfort and pain, to finish what he always wanted to do; prove himself and take care of his family.

Study the Overland/Petersburg campaign and you'll note that Lee whipped Grant three times (the Wilderness, Cold Harbor, and various assaults on Petersburg), fought him to a bloody draw once (Spotsylvania), and only lost when the Army of Northern Virginia was crumbling from starvation and attrition. Stuck in an impossible situation, Lee forced Grant to take nearly a year longer than he had planned to take Richmond, despite Grant having all the advantages (better supplies, far more men, not having Richmond to defend, etc.). I doubt Grant would have done as well in such a position.

Grant was by no means an incompetant general, but his main attribute was tenacity; he won through stubborness more times than anything else. He nearly let the garrison of Ft. Donaldson get away (and would have if anyone had listened to Forrest), he came within a hair's breadth of losing his entire army at Shiloh, he was frustrated time and again at Vicksburg by an inferior general, his plan to defeat Bragg at Chattanooga was convoluted and shouldn't have worked, and Lee out-generaled him on multiple occasions. What made Grant superior to any other Union general (save perhaps Thomas) was his refusal to give up. Grant understood the advantages he worked with and knew how to use them to win. Put him on equal footing with Lee and the story may well have been different.

The oft-repeated view, especially from Confederate defenders, is that Grant won though he was a drunken butcher indifferent to high casualties whose triumph was inevitable because of superior manpower and supplies. John Frederick Charles Fuller, the British Major General, and along with Liddel Hart one of the top military strategists of the 20th century, provides overwhelming evidence to lay this view to rest. Grant practiced maneuver warfare when he could, and his Vicksburg campaign (not just a siege, rather a series of five battles), along with Jackson's valley campaign, are the two greatest campaigns of the war. In his final Overland campaign, Grant could not maneuver much because Lincoln required that he keep substantial forces between Lee's army and Washington. By a thorough analysis of Grant's and Lee's battles throughout the war, Fuller makes the case that Grant was among the best generals ever, and greater than Lee, who was also great but had his limitations (after Order 191 was lost and recovered by McClellan's troops before Antietam, Lee would only issue oral orders, and his subordinates were often confused by them; Grant was known for crystal clear written orders, following the example of Zachary Taylor under whom Grant (and Lee) had served in the Mexican War). Rating Grant so highly will of course be heresy for neo-Confederates, but there is no question Grant has received unfair treatment even among historians. Another Fuller book, "The Generalship of Ulysses S. Grant" adds more details to the defense of the claim that Grant was an excellent general. In assessing the relative greatness of Grant and Lee, one should keep in mind their age difference and the difference in upward mobility on the two sides during the war. Lee was 14 years older than Grant, Lee was already a Colonel when the war started and still serving on active duty, whereas Grant had left the army as a captain after the Mexican War. At the start of the war, Winfield Scott, who had served in the War of 1812 and masterminded in the Mexican War the amazing defeat of a country of 20 million people with 12,000 invading troops, was the greatest soldier on either side. However he was old and so fat he could no longer ride a horse; his campaigning days were over. After Scott, Lee was the best soldier on either side at the start of the war--and Lee was offered command of the Union army but turned it down. However Grant rose through the ranks because he learned quickly from his mistakes at Belmont, Forts Henry and Donelson, Shiloh, and Holly Springs. By the end of the war Fuller's analysis shows Grant was clearly the superior general, and not just because he had superior numbers. Even the oft-cited mistake at Cold Harbor, according to Fuller, is exagerrated. Fuller summarizes the overall casualy numbers during the war: the ratio of killed and wounded to total forces engaged for Grant was 10%; for the whole Federal army it was 11%; for the whole Confederate army it was 12%; and for Lee, it was 16%. One must be fair to Lee and not lose sight of the fact that he was an exemplary, even a saintly individual who must always be acknowledged as among the great American generals. But the simplistic, grossly unfair judgment of Ulysses S. Grant is revealed here as a sham which must stop. Under the razor-sharp and penetrating analysis of Fuller, one of the greatest military historians of all time, the conventional, common opinion of Grant is shown to be balderdash. Ulysses S. Grant was one of the greatest generals the U.S. has ever produced. Though written many years ago, Fuller's book is still relevant to this ongoing national discussion, and is a must read for anyone who wants to compare Union and Confederate generalship. Regarding Grant's drinking, Fuller doesn't discuss this, but this too is greatly exaggerated. He was indeed a binge drinker. When I asked the renowned Civil War historian Ed Bearss about this, he said Grant got drunk about four to six times during the war, always when he was away from his wife (she was with or lived near him during some campaigns and he was always lonely without her). Moreover, in the Civil War one could usually tell when battle was near, and there was usually inactivity during the winter months. The circumstances are not comparable to a modern general's always being on call in the nuclear age. Grant's occasional binge drinking never once affected his generalship, in public functions he usually would not drink at all, being a semi-recovered alcoholic except for the occasional binge. The stereotype is that Grant was constantly drunk during the war. This too is an unfair assessment not based on historical fact. Read this book and will see just how wrong the stereotype of Grant's generalship is, and how good a general he was.

I have to disagree totally with the previous reviewer. While the relative merits of both generals have been argued since the conclusion of the war and will be into the future, the interesting point about this book is that General Fuller began with the assumption that Grant was the butcher of legend who bludgeoned with numbers and that Lee was the battlefield genius. His studies lead him to conclude otherwise (in an intersting appendix he shows that througout their respective careers, Lee lost a higher proportion of his men than Grant).

The main point Fuller makes is that Grant was the first general to understand the totality of warfare in the modern age, including the role of political expectations. He also was a superior strategist and campaigner to Lee, although Lee was probably the better battlefield tactitian. Lee had the advantage in the Overland campaign of fighting on the defensive, and Grant was aware of the approaching elections and the need to produce a result, rather than the traditional Army of the Potomac stalemate, or worse. He additionally had responsibilities for overseeing the Western and Valley battlefronts.

The main point to remember when considering the careers of the two men is that, if my memory is correct, of the three armies that surrendered during the War, Grant received two of them.

Ulysses S. Grant was a complex, fascinating personality who led a dramatic, multi-faceted rollercoaster of a life. Why hasn't anyone been able to write a decent novel about the guy? "Ulysses" accomplishes a near-impossible feat: It succeeds in making Grant look dull. His life is presented as a series of brief, disconnected, uninvolving scenes, the personalities are as flat as my computer monitor, and Skimin's idea of plot and character development is to get Grant drunk on every other page, even at moments when not even his hostile biographers accuse him of getting plastered. Poor Ulys deserves better. Calling all talented dramatists--here is your next project!

When I first bought this book, I thought I was taking a chance. But from page one, Robert Skimin takes you on a wonderous journey of one of the most interesting men in US History. It starts out with a few stories from U.S. Grant's early childhood and moves to his years at Westpoint, to the Mexican War, to his life during peacetime. Obviously the main part of the book is dedicated to the Civil War, but that is to be expected. Skimin takes you to Fort Henry, Donelson, Shiloh, Vicksburg, and the Wilderness Campaign. You have Lee surrendering to Grant and the Grant's life after the Civil War, including his scandal-torn presidency. Skimin keeps the book interesting as you follow the life of Ulysses S. Grant. This book is a must read if the Civil War or this point of history is even of slight interest.

This book covers Grant's life from when he was young all the way though to his death. The book showed us what a complex and interesting person Grant was. I truly enjoyed reading this book and found it very hard to put down. The book draws you into Grant's life and lets you experience his life's triumphs and tribulations. Anybody who likes good historical fiction will enjoy this book. My brother also read this book and really enjoyed it.

The fourth book of the Mission Gamma series is, in my opinion, the weakest book of the series, and I was left feeling unsatisfied at the end. I also must warn people that this review does contain significant spoilers of the book itself.

The book continues from the previous books int her series, with the Defiant finally beginning to head home in this novel, yet even on their way home they are still passing through uncharted space.

There was also a rather large technical error at the beginning. The author claims that the Defiant and the probes it launched had charted over 1200 cubic light years of space. That figure is ridiculous, no ship the size of the Defiant could possible chart that much space in only 3 months. Even Voyager, which was faster than the Defiant, could only make 438 light years per year.

But to other things. The book launches into the Defiant picking up a strange signal in the Gamma Quadrant, a signal that the ship's commander, Elias Vaughn, has seen before, and he orders the ship to investigate the signal and also hides this form the rest of the crew.

Meanwhile in the Alpha Quadrant, we see two seperate story lines evolve, one centred on Joseph Sisko on Earth, and the other centred on the crew on Deep Space Nine. The first AQ (Alpha Quadrant) storyline shows Joseph Sisko settled into some sort of depression over the loss of both Ben and Jake, and the efforts of his daughter Judith to get him back into action. This plot line is fairly simple, yet the resolution involves an old series favourite, Miles O'Brien, and I found it to be the most enjoyable of the book.

The second AQ plot line is on DS9, and deals with the aftermath of the assassination of Shakaar and the hunt for the killer. At this stage, Colonel Kira leaves the station on a Federation starship following what they think is a cloaked vessel heading for Trill, which creates a third AQ storyline with Kira away from the station.

The Defiant storline in the Gamma Quadrant continues and shows the crew discovering the wreckages of both a Jem'Hadar and a Borg-assimilated ship crashed on a planet. The assimilated ship holds a link to Vaughn's past, which is interesting, and is later explained when Vaughn has a 'tell-all' session with Ezri Dax, revealing his full background and the devestating decision he made regarding Prynn's mother. While Vaughn's story is interesting, it is very simple and straightforward, and in some parts is very weak, although I did find the story of Prynn's namesake to be very touching. Personally, I was expecting something exciting, interesting and a downright throrough explanation of his past. Instead, we got a chapter with a very fast paced story showing the important points of Vaughn's life with regards to Prynn and Ruriko, which was disappointing.

The Defiant plotline quickly continues, and we see an incredible seen where a Borg drone attempts to assimilate a Founder. I found this scene both incredible and bizarre, even more so as it served no real purpose to the development of the story. In the end, Vaughn is forced to make a devestating decision all over again, totally destroying any development in the relationship between himself and Prynn.

The AQ plotlines continue, and the crew on DS9 make a startling discovery about an old enemy from TNG, the parasites from 'Conspiracy', which are in some way related to the Trill species. They also learn that the parasites have taken control over someone on the starship Kira is travelling on, leaving Kira to eventually save the day. Relating the 'Conspiracy' parasites to the Trill was a very nice twist indeed, probably th best in the book, a real credit to the writer(s).

The book finishes with the Defiat nearing the wormhole, Kira heading back to DS9, and Joseph Sisko heading to Bajor to be with Kasidy.

Several plotlines/characters developments didn't reach any meaningful conclusion, they were:

-The Andorian problems involving Shar, a big part of the 1st two novels, were forgetten about.

-The relationship between Quark and Ro was barely mentioned.

-Commander Mathias, station counselor, was nowhere to be seen. A shame really, I liked her character, and there was also supposed to be some mystery surrounding the Bajoran ancestral roots of her husband.

-The issues between Nog and Taran'tar didn't really come to a conclusion.

-Vedek Yevir was virtually non-existent during the plot, which was unfortunate considering the large part he'd played in the last book.

Overall, I found the book had been written in a very simple manner with very quick plot developments and resolutions, some of which seemed totally irrelevant to the story. This resulted in a very short book with large print, and the more I read it the more I got the impression that the whole thing had been a rush job. The book seemed closer to one of those 'junior' Star Trek books than anything else.

The Mission Gamma opening book, 'Twilight', was much slower and far more detailed, and yet the final book in the series is a rush job with very simple, very basic plot twists. All the work done by the previous books to mend the relationship between Vaughn and Tenmei is undone, and at the end the reader is left unsatisfied. I believe the authors may have been trying to set the scene for the next two books, but setting the scene for the next book at the expense of finishing the last book is not only bad writing, it also dishonours the rest of the series.

I was also interested to note that there was no 'about the author' section at the end of the book. Virtually every Star Trek book I have read contains one of these sections, and I enjoy getting some insight into the author and his/her interests and background. This is simply more evidence to a rush job.

If you've followed the Mission Gamma series so far, you may as well buy this book. If you're just a casual fan, forget about it, as this book just isn't worth reading.

Finished Lesser Evil this weekend. Good book with a killer ending. I noticed that each book in the Gamma series ended with a cliffhanger, and they escalated each time. This is, of course, the moment we've all been waiting for a year now, ever since Avatar. I think Vaughn was the best that I've seen him in this book, and I like how the events of Twilight played into this book so well. I am still wondering what exactly went down with Vaughn and Captain Harrimann, but that is another story. I wish the book had been longer, and that we could have seen more emotional build-up with the Gamma storyline, but it was nice to finally get some resolution on the Vaughn/Prynn storyline. And it is incredibly cool that Marco has been serializing these books. From a reader's point of view, it makes me feel much closer to the story and the characters. I am anxiously awaiting Rising Son and Unity. I get the sense in this book that big things are all about to come to a head. In my mind, the DS9 relaunch is the best series of Trek books ever. Go buy them!

Star Trek- Deep Space Nine: Misssion Gamma-Lesser Evil written by Robert Simpson is the fourth in a series of four books of Mission Gamma.

This series started out with "Twilight, then This Gray Spirit and Cathedral" all richly written with a very descriptive narrative. Now, comes the fourth in this series and it does tie-up some of the loose ends found in the first three books. But, this volume also sets up the continuation of the series relaunch by incorporating items that need to be resolved in the future.

I found this to be very clever from the author's point of view too guarentee the continuation of the series. As you know from reading the earlier volumes in the Mission Gamma Series that there are two distinct plots within this series. One on Deep Space Nine and the other on the Starship Defiant. Colonel Kira Nerys in this book is in a dangerous chase into the heart of the Federation as she is in hot pursuit of a killer. The second plot revolves around Commander Elias Vaughn and the Defiant crew as they make it back through the wormhole to Deep Space Nine and makes a startling discovery. Vaughn's discovery shakes him to the core, as the truth is unvailed as to what was behind his tragic mission in the Gamma Quadrant. Now, you have Nerys and Vaughn both searching indepentantly for the truth.

This book has some really good set-up to continue the series and good action-adventure. The set-up of the characters was excellent in these first three books and it carried through to this volume making for some very interesting reading.

There is doubt cast on the final outcome of the Gamma Quadrant mission by Vaughn and Nerys' seeks to avenge a crime that has some very far-reaching implications... what is the secret that could divid the Alpha Quadrant?

This is an excellent well-written series and is highly recommended. The next books in this series are; "Rising Son and Unity" both written by S.D. Perry and the "Lives of Dax" written by various author's is coming out in Mass Paperback in January of 2003.

The next books to arrive at my door are the Star Trek "The Brave and the Bold" series of two books. Looks like I'll be reading TREK for awhile... See you around the galaxy... warp-on... engage.

I totally agree with the reviewer who says that Kidnapped has become his/her favorite book of all time and that (s)he still re-reads it several times a year. Not that I re-read it, but I agree when (s)he says that (s)he envies anyone who is about to read 'Kidnapped' for the first time. I am about the same age, and I well remember my first reading - how I smiled when Uncle Ebeneezer served his gruel (porridge) - how I held my breath when David nearly stepped into space on the broken stairs - how I cringed with the injustice of Ebeneezer tried to cheat David out of his inheritance by selling him into slavery in the American colonies.

Stevenson's 'Treasure Island' is reckoned to be his best book but, for sheer descriptive weight, superb characterization and sharp, sharp dialog, 'Kidnapped' is the one for me. In brief, 16-year-old orphan, David Balfour visits his uncle in order to claim the inheritance, left by his father. The uncle, having failed to kill him, arranges for David to be kidnapped by a ship of thugs and villains and taken to the Carolinas to be sold into slavery. While navigating the Scottish coast, the ship collides with another boat and the crew capture the lone survivor, a swashbuckling Highlander called Alan Breck Stewart. David and Alan become friends and escape their captors. On land again, Stewart is accused of murdering a rival clan member and he and David must now cross the Scottish mountains to reach safe haven and for David to reclaim his inheritance.

The descriptions of the Scottish countryside are truly marvelous and the sense of pace and adventure keeps the reader hooked right to the end. I notice that one reviewer likened this section to 'a tiresome episode of The Odd Couple'. Perhaps it's worth bearing in mind that The Odd Couple was written a few years AFTER Kidnapped ! (In any case, I doubt that a written version of the television series would stir anyone's emotions like Kidnapped can). To most readers the historic aspects, along with the fact that the couple are being hunted by British redcoats is enough to maintain interest, suspense and pace.

Read and enjoy !

Let me tell you now that 'Kidnapped' is my personal favourite, and I've already read it four times! You'll never get a moment to pause to take a yawn. R.L. Stevenson with his superb writing capabilities writes of a young man named David Balfour. When his father dies, he is told to go to his uncle's house. After several failed attempts to kill David the wicked uncle sells him off to a skipper of a ship. In the course of his stay on the ship David meets the Jacobite, Alan. I can't describe the novel in words you gotta read it to know what you are really in for! This is the greatest adventure novel I've ever read. If you have read Stevenson's 'Treasure Island' then you won't be disappionted with this one.

I was surprised to see some reviewers didn't like this wonderful book. If you have trouble with the Scottish accent, read it out loud, use your imagination, and if you still can't figure it out, skip a bit. (Do you insist on understanding every single word spoken in a movie?)

This is the story of a young man overcoming adversity to gain maturity and his birthright. It moves right along, in Stevenson's beautiful prose. Read, for example, this sentence from Chapter 12: "In those days, so close on the back of the great rebellion, it was needful a man should know what he was doing when he went upon the heather." Read it out loud; it rolls along, carrying the reader back to Scotland, even a reader like me, who doesn't know all that much about Scottish history. Kidnapped is by no means inferior, and in many ways superior to the more famous Treasure Island.

Only two points I would like to bring up: I bought the Penguin Popular Classics issue, and have sort of mixed feelings. Maybe some day I'll get the version illustrated by Wyeth. I'm not sure whether this book needs illustrations, though. Stevenson's vivid writing is full of pictures.

In Chapter 4, David makes a point of saying that he found a book given by his father to his uncle on Ebenezer's fifth birthday. So? Is this supposed to show how much Ebenezer aged due to his wickedness? If anybody could explain this to me, please do.