For a British soldier, (Lieutenant) under the services of the Nizam of Hyderabad in the 19th century India, turned writer Philip Meadows Taylor certainly proves his prowess as a writer through this book 'Congessions of a Thug', no wonder the book turned out to be a 'best seller' in 19th century England.

The main character AMEER ALI comes to life at the outset and the story of this 'Thugee' unravels before the reader without much interruption from the author. The story is about plotting,murder and mayhem excuted with precison, conviction, with ease and without remorse for that is the way of the 'Thugee'. Though Ameer Ali and his merry men were social parasites and the very embodiment of evil, Taylor quite successfully managed to bring out the many facets of the man and his men as an impartial observer and master story teller. Lastly, the historical nature of the book can not be overlooked considering the fact that similar group of bandits (called Dacoits) still exists in certain parts of India, Chambal Valley comes to mind.

A fascinating book indeed and worth reading.

This book is a must read for political science, foreign relations, military, and communications professionals and students. It provides a framework for discussion on topics of communications technology, international relations and military-media relations as they have evolved in the post-WWII era. While this description seems to cast a wide net for readers, the book does indeed deliver. While admittedly critical of the news media, the author suceeds in providing a realistic context to promote discussion on how international relations are affected by new communications technologies and the global media network.
Divided into four chapters with well-defined sub-heads, the author begins by briefly discussing the evolution of communications technologies and their impacts in the present day "information age." In his introduction, the author offers his own analysis of Alvin Tofler's Third Wave theory and its present and future impact, as well as an analysis of modern communications and how they constitute a "fourth dimension" of international relations.
Chapter one (International communications and international politics since 1945) examines the new political orders existing in the aftermath of World War II. Included are discussions about the rival Superpowers' use of new information technologies during the Cold War, as well as the political ramifications of an ever-expanding global communications network - to include the emergence of CNN as a powerful factor in international politics.
Chapter two (Brushfires and firefighters: international affairs and the news media) examines the effects of the news media on foreign policy, diplomacy and culture. The effects of television on all of the above are major themes throughout with an in-depth discussion of the effects of electronic news gathering (ENG) and continued discussion of the "CNN effect."
Chapter three (Illusions of reality: the media and the reporting of warfare) focuses on debunking some of the current myths regarding media-military relations as well as analyzing coverage throughout history, but most notably from Vietnam and the 1991 Gulf War. The author draws a further distinction between media reporting of "our wars" and "other people's wars" before concluding the discussion.
Chapter four (Mind games: information warfare and psychological operations) is an extensive discussion of the leveraging of third wave technologies in order to gain advantage on the 21st century battlefield. The author provides analyses of psychological (PSYOP) and propaganda operations, and how they have been used to success since the 1950s to the present. Included is an in-depth look at the stunning success of PSYOP operations in the 1991 Gulf War.
Relatively short (202p.) and well-documented, this book is one of the best discussion-starters available for students of communications, the media, and its effects on global diplomacy and military affairs.

How could this book be anything less than great, it has the greatest subject matter, STEVEN SPIELBERG!

Of the modern commentaries of the New Testament, this may be one of the most easy to grasp. The writing style is friendly, and it doesn't bog the reader down scholarly analysis of every other word. As is the case with many Bible commentaries, I wish the typeface were a bit larger.

If you are a Bible Study teacher and would like one reference book on the NT, Raymond E. Brown's may be the most scholarly, but Barton's book is more friendly and, ultimately, more useful from the standpoint of your students.

Very useful tool to aid in your Bible studies. If you have trouble understanding what a particular verse means, or what it means in your life today, this is a good book to have. I looked at a few other books like this, but like the layout, and price of this one best.

"Munitions of the Mind" is a broad survey of propaganda and its use through history. Perhaps the one book of its kind, "Munitions of the Mind" takes the reader from early Western civilization to the Gulf War, briefly describing how propaganda was used to promote military and political goals of empires, democracies, and ideologies across the eons.

The book is an excellent basic resource for those seeking to understand how propaganda has been used through history. Clearly and insightfully written, it forces the reader to think about how emerging media may be used by entities to promote their goals.

The book contains some minor irritations, such as its references to Margaret Mead's somewhat controversial "Coming of Age in Samoa," and a section on the Cold War that appeared (to this reader) to place both sides on equal moral footing. This reviewer also hungered for more details on peacetime propaganda, more pre-20th century examples, and the an explanation about how modern marketing techniques affected propaganda. The non-Western world is virtually ignored. Visuals would have also helped the reader understand how graphics are used in conveying ideas without words. However, these are small problems in a work of such amazing scope and interest.