This book is great for all readers and is a great biography that puts you in the mind of a writer. You will feel like you are actually there witnissing these masterfull events.

This book chronicles "Abscam" and its repercussions. Abscam was a FBI sting operation in which Abdul, a fictitious, wealthy Arab sheik sought to achieve several things: asylum in the U.S., investment opportunities in the U.S. and help in getting his own money out of his own country.

FBI agents posing as associates of Abdul approached politicians for "help" in achieving Abdul's goals. What follows is a tale of deceit, corruption and lies as politicians responded positively to Abdul's offers of big money. The FBI's sting operation brought out many crooks and resulted in bribery and conspiracy charges. However, Abscam also raised many questions as to the FBI's entrapment tactics, even resulting in one conviction being overturned.

While shocking and disturbing, the story is nevertheless at times amusing. The end result is a comprehensive review of one of the biggest scandal's in U.S. history.

This book keeps you guessing all the way through. You never know whats going to happen next, but you always want to know. The characters are dynamic, and the New Mexico backdrop beautifully vivid. This is a book to enjoy over and over again!

J's sister is seduced by Susannah's brother; 16 years later J has opportunity to seduce Susannah who is still an innocent; I really enjoy this book; Susannah is a very sympathetic character; tears and cheers while reading this book.

This book is the amazing story/history of the LRDG, a WWII special forces unit that would probe the desert waste lands to conduct reconnaissance, pathfinding missions, mapping and survey ops as well as limited direct action missions, against Italian targets of opportunity. The unit also ferried the SAS into operations. This book is fabulously written and structured makes the read quite fast and easy. This story covers the LRDG birth in the desert as long-range patrol unit to the LRDG. It covers the personalities, evolution of the unit; operations, equipment and an inside look at many of the tactics and procedures employed at that time for mobility operations. Excellent book if you would like to see the roots of modern special operations. Well worth the read.

I just got this book in the mail two days ago. I have already finished. It has to be one of the greatest stories that I have read about Sting. It's short and sweet, if you want to learn more about the wrestler this is the book.

Richard Thornton's book is an important study for understanding the diplomatic machinations of the Cold War era in general and the Reagan-Thatcher partnership within it in particular. Hitherto, the British-Argentine conflict has been treated either as a sideshow in the history of international relations or as a symbolic reassertion of British power in what seemed to be its imperial sunset. Thornton's approach is entirely new and original, setting the conflict sqaurely where it belongs in the chronology of Cold War history. With substantial support the author argues that the conflict was a sting designed to divest Argentina of its military government and nuclear weapons program (a little-known fact, the details of which are only recently being elaborating) while strenghthening America's strategic relationship with Thatcher's Britain. Thornton gives great care to relate the nature of the divisions existing within the various (American, British, Argentine) leaderships and how they influenced the outcome of the war. Particularly relevant to Cold War students is his treatment of the machinations behind Thatcher's ability to make a necessary war and Reagan's ability to support her. Thornton exposes the attempts of Alexander Haig and the "wet" foreign ministers Lord Carrington and Francis Pym to sideline the military solution, secure Thatcher's political defeat, and implement a renewed detente relationship with the Soviet Union. The Reagan-Thatcher defeat of the detente cabal is of crucial importance to understanding the origins of the war and the place of its outcome in Reagan's strategy of renewed containment. Barring a few factual errors of the minor sort, Thornton's analysis is a true example of what American scholarship of the Cold War should be. It is a proud refutation of the left-wing view that international relations are simplistic or irrelevant and that the broad social trend is what should concern historians most.

This book is GREAT!!!

It shows how three National Governments define their foreign policies working from/amongst/within their internal disputes. The 3 nations involved are Argentina, Great Britain and the United States. The issue at stake is the Argentine claim, and 2nd April 1982 take-over, of the Malvinas (for Great Britain: Falkland) Islands. I guess it could be just anything else...

So it goes:
1) In the US: Haig vs Weinberger
2) In the UK: Nott vs Thatcher
3) In Argentina: Galtieri vs Viola

The books even reveals how Argentina lost the islands because of the steps taken by General Viola (de facto president ousted by General Galtieri) to make sure that the take-over was anticipated, which in turn gave the UK the time-window they needed (badly) to perform the re-taking.

This is a fascinating work of detailed scholarship. Thornton has put together a compelling retelling of the War, and by giving us hitherto undisclosed details as to the political infighting within Argentina, the United Kingdom and the United States he has managed to give meaning to so many unanswered questions which other writers simply dismiss as being 'illogical' or 'unexplicable' behaviour. Piecing together a wide web of inter-related intrigue, Thornton has put the entire conflict into a whole new light. Highly recommended.

Derek Robinson is a specialist in the ensemble-cast-fighter-squadron-every-one-dies-by-the-end novel. The basic plot of this genre can be summed up very simply: During a lull in the fighting, we are introduced to the individual members of a fighter squadron, with all of their quirks, conflict, and so on. A big push begins, the fighting becomes intense, and many of these characters die. Replacements come, we get to know them, and some of them die as well. One character always goes insane. At least one character falls in love (this character usually dies). At least one character survives, becoming stronger, but more cynical. The book generally ends at the height of the battle.

His best book of this type was "Piece of Cake," (set during the first twelve months of World War Two, and culminating in the Battle of Britain), which had wonderful character development and great action sequences. "War Story," which involves some of the same characters as "Hornet's Sting," was also very good. Well, the action sequences of "Hornet's Sting" are terrific, but I found the character development weak this time. It feels as though Robinson is simply rehashing the old formula, and that formula appears to be going stale.

Robinson's historical research is quite good, although it always irks me that he insists on calling the squadron "Hornet Squadron." The British were never much given to painting their aircraft in the First World War, and they certainly never gave their squadrons colorful names. Numbers tended to suffice.

Other than that, it's a quick and very entertaining read. But for my money, I would stick with "Piece of Cake" and "War Story." The material is simply fresher, and better.

Hornet's Sting, Derek Robinson's second novel in his trilogy on the Royal Flying Corps in the First World War, covers the fictional "Hornet Squadron" in the period January-November 1917. This was a very rough period in the war for the British, encompassing the costly battles around Arras and Passchendaele. In Hornet's Sting, the squadron is still commanded by Major Hugh Cleve-Cutler, who took over Hornet Squadron in the previous War Story. Cutler continues his role with considerable aplomb, at one point quipping, "I wish I'd never taken this bloody silly job. The war's all right, but the people are impossible." The squadron is initially equipped with the Sopwith Pup fighters, but gradually converts to the controversial Bristol Fighter, or "Bif." Hornet's Sting is easily as good as the final volume in the trilogy, Goshawk Squadron, and it is also one of Robinson's finest efforts to date. Indeed, Hornet's Sting is one fine war novel.

The first third of the volume focuses heavily on two new members of the squadron, two Russian lieutenants sent to Hornet Squadron to learn combat tactics on the Western Front. Initially, the two officers are barely qualified to fly and the squadron spends considerable effort nurse-maiding these two. Indeed, the British chain of command orders Major Cutler to "help" the senior Russian to become an "ace," an achievement of which he is clearly incapable. Robinson's insertion of these Russian characters is actually quite interesting in depicting the changes brought on inter-Allied relations by the Russian Revolution. Eventually, in a complete reversal, Cutler is ordered to stop protecting the Russians in combat and let nature and von Richtofen) takes its course.

Throughout his novels, Robinson displays a real gift for character development that is lacking in so many other books. The readers may not like all the characters - indeed there is always at least one malignant personality in evidence - but Robinson will make even his best characters as true-to-life as possible. The squadron adjutant (Captain Brazier) and squadron clerk (Sergeant Lacey) are still in place from the previous novel, and while they are certainly not likeable, they do enliven Hornet's Sting with their unique viewpoints. At one point, Brazier fondly recalls, "I suppressed a riot once [in India]. At the market place in Peshawar. And a very splendid suppression it was." On the other hand, Sergeant Lacey, who spends all his effort avoiding combat and enriching himself with petty thievery, is fully involved in the "case of the missing jam" - noting that, "the army can afford to lose millions of men, year after year. But not a few cases of strawberry jam. Jam matters." Lieutenant Paxton also returns from War Story - although he is much matured - and Robinson introduces the seemingly immortal Captain Stanley Woolley, who figures so prominently in Goshawk Squadron.

The middle third of the novel focuses heavily on the combat debut of the Bristol fighter. This aircraft, initially designed as a bomber or reconnaissance aircraft then turned into a fighter, was presented by the British High Command as giving the RFC a technological edge over their German opponents. Hornet Squadron is presented with six of the new fighters and trains intensively on them for several weeks. Unfortunately, the first combat action for the Bristol fighter was a disaster, with five of six shot down or crashed (Robinson based this on an actual incident). The affect of this disaster on the squadron is appalling and several of the "old hands" begin to deteriorate mentally when they realize how heavily the odds are stacked against them. Eventually, the "Bif" turned out to be a pretty good fighter, but the initial tactical doctrine was faulty - which shows how poor tactics can devalue a weapon system. Robinson makes his best points here about aviation doctrine in the First World War in this middle section of the book, particularly about the frightful wastefulness of the "deep offensive patrols" that squandered the lives of partly trained pilots. Robinson presents an RFC Commander - Trenchard - who prefers quantity (meaning many partly-trained pilots) over quality (taking the time to train them fully, but meaning fewer squadrons).

The final third of the book focuses on the Third Battle of Ypres and the relentless pressure placed on the squadron to support the ground troops. Both Paxton and a newcomer, the despised Mackenzie, figure prominently in this final act. Paxton crashes behind enemy lines and has considerable adventures. Mackenzie, a photogenic but bullying egomaniac, is seized upon by two American filmmakers as an excellent vehicle for presenting the glorious side of the war to the American public. Once again, Cutler is ordered to assist in the "manufacture of an ace" for public relations purposes. This final third of the volume starts to bog down a bit in subplots that have little to do with the squadron, and one senses Robinson running out of steam just as the Battle of Passchendaele is winding down. My only criticisms - and they are minor ones - are that Robinson sometimes gets carried away with minor subplots that go nowhere and that his female characters are universally annoying and detract from the characters to which they attach themselves. Indeed, Robinson always presents his female characters as overly sexually compliant (which is certainly an aviator stereotype of women) and emotionally troublesome. In Cleve-Cutler's case, his liaison with a one-legged aristocratic whore is so absurd that Robinson only compounds it by introducing a ménage a trois with an AWOL lieutenant (it's hard to believe that a straight-laced officer like Cutler would knowingly put up with an officer deserter for one second). Please, Derek Robinson, stick to aviation that you do so well and leave romance novels to other folks. Despite these distractions, Hornet's Sting is a first class war novel.

I bought this after devouring Goshawk Squadron, A Piece of Cake & A Good Clean Fight. I was not disappointed and found myself hungering for more.

For any reader that desires a more realistic look at the air war of WW1 without being depressed into near suicide with the sheer futility of the actions of the whole scene, this is the book to read.

I would suggest reading Goshawk Squadron first, if only for the additional backgound. Having said that im quite confident that I would not have enjoyed this wonderful piece of work any less had this been the first of Derek Robinson's books that I picked up...

Wonderfull cd....sting can get long winded at times but some of his insights are very enlightening.....haven't found all the tarot cards yet..if anyone has a how to guide please email me! thanks

All This Time is Sting's first foray into the world of multimedia, and is a visually stunning and interesting insight into Sting's life, music and interests. Please note that All This Time has been designed specifically to work under the Windows '95 operating system so bear this in mind before purchasing. Windows '95 allows you to 'plug and play' so there are no complicated software loading procedures to follow.

All This Time is set in an eerie landscape of forbidding looking buildings near a bleak (north east?) windswept coast. There are two CDRom's - an 'east' disc and a 'west' disc - with each disc allowing you to explore different parts of the landscape. Also scattered throughout this ethereal world are ten tarot cards which you can collect on your travels, and which allow you to enter a secret room in which a surprise awaits.

The buildings contain a variety of rooms and hot objects that hold secrets and trigger various events, including a theatre where Sting talks about his acting roles and you where you can see a variety of his film and audio clips. In the pub, Sting talks about the people who have influenced him and his music, whilst in the background a television shows video clips. In the cathedral he describes his spiritual beliefs and demonstrates his yoga, whilst in the library we are introduced to the many books that have played a role in shaping his life, work and music. Other treats include Sting taking you on a guided tour of Newcastle which includes footage from the Buddle Arts Centre concert in 1991, and of Sting and band (with Kenny Kirkland) playing live in Sting's Lake House studio.

Sting also describes the circumstances that prompted him to write several songs, including All This Time, St Agnes and the Burning Train and Fragile. These insights, along with descriptions of how his songs develop and change are particularly fascinating. For example, his explanation of how Fortress Around Your Heart was written provides an intriguing insight into the mind of a great songwriter. There are several new versions of well loved songs on All This Time, including Sting and Dominic Miller playing Fragile and When We Dance, an acoustic version of Message In A Bottle, and a preview of I Was Brought To My Senses from Mercury Falling. Additionally, Sting's work with Amnesty International and the Rainforest Foundation is spotlighted.

All This Time is truly interactive, rewarding your inquisitiveness and persistence. The visuals look stunning, the music is great, and the intimate nature of Sting's narration is appealing. Altogether we spent about 8 or 9 hours exploring the disc before collecting all the tarot cards and (we think!) seeing most of the material on the disc. However, the disc is something that we would go back to again and again. The film and audio clips were interesting - we had never seen Sting's 'Three Steps To Heaven' performance from 'Radio On', and the courtroom scene from 'Quadrophenia' still raises a laugh.

A final word of warning for Police fans - Andy and Stewart are not mentioned (not even in the pub) so don't buy this disc expecting Sting to reminisce about this period of his life. However, if you have a computer with Windows '95, are a fan of Sting's solo career, and want to see lots of new material and interviews, this release is a must. Lets hope that a 'North' and 'South' disc follow at some point!

I have a copy of this book in my hands. If you read the preface, you will know that the author is a woman. Furthermore, the Library of Congress catalog record for this book indicates that she was born in 1964. I doubt she was designing Schwinn bicycles at the age of one or two. And I feel pretty safe in saying that she probably wasn't the Vice President of the company at that age either.

This is a great book for collectors and enthusiasts of Sting-Ray bicycles. Great photos and histories.

an amazing book about the best bike ever made. The author is very intelligent and has an excellent grasp of her subject. The only real bummer is the design. Perhaps the publisher could have had a best-seller if they had spent a nickel on the design. Otherwise a very resourseful and brilliant work.

a truly amazing overview of the best bicycle ever made. My only regret is the publisher's lack of design skills. The content is so amazing, yet the layout is a shame. Intelligent writer who really knows her stuff.