The Secrets of Inchon is a remarkable war story complete with suspense, hair-raising escapes, death, education about the Korean culture and some romance mixed in. Navy Lieutenant Eugene Clark tells the story very capably.

Combat is treated as a necessary evil and he is not afraid to say he was scared during his many incursions into hostile territory. The Korean people working with him are patriotic and hard working. They understand the chances they are taking, but know that their entire country is in the balance as they assist the Americans in their preparations for the imminent Inchon landing.

I echo the editorial review that lamented the absence of maps. While I am not a big fan of map reading during most books, the number of islands and their proximity are key elements of the story and the book suffers from the lack of a single usable map.

The most striking feature of this story is the fact that Lieutenant Clark locked it away in a safe deposit box and never revealed its existence. In other words, it wasn't written for self-aggrandizement or enrichment, but out of a desire to tell the story.

I recommend this book to fans of military history and espionage.

This is a gripping adventure story. Lieutenant Clark was the man responsible for checking, updating, and correcting information on tidal channels, mudflats, seawalls, beaches, and defenses during the two weeks prior to the Inchon landings of Sept. 15, 1950. He landed, with two key Korean aides, on the island of Yonghung-do - just 12 miles from the city of Inchon. His team took the isle, organized its 1,000 inhabitants, and maintained control of his looking post during the last days before the invasion which broke the back of the North Korean supply line. From the base camp Clark conducted repeated clandestine probes of enemy defenses (frequently dressed only in mud!). There is enough action and exploits here to satisfy any reader! Paradoxically, this book's biggest problem is not Lieutenant Clark's fascinating narrative. It is the inadequate way this book was put together. Most bothersome are the curiously inadequate maps! It only has two: one of the entire Korean peninsula, and another of the islands and channels around Inchon. The first is unnecessary; the second is simply infuriating. Of the many islands shown on the second map, only four are identified by name. This is unconscionable since careful reading of the text allowed me to identify several others: Sin-Do, Sinbul-Do, Chongna-Do, Yui-Do, and Sammok-Do. (I carefully penned the names of each of these onto map next to each island for my own future reference!). I was also forced to create my own detail maps of the islands of Palmi-Do (the lighthouse island), and of Yonghung-Do (the base island) from Lieutenant Clark's narrative! The book features eight pages of glossy photos in the center (15 photos) only some of which bear directly on Clark's narrative itself - too bad the money used on these was not spent on adequate maps! (An index would have been very appreciated, too.) Despite all these annoying flaws, I would still buy this book - simply to read Clark's captivating and extremely well written story. Those who have slogged around in small boats, contending with tides, sandbars, mudflats, shell banks, shifting channels, and so on will especially relate to the challenges facing those Koreans who lived in these waters and who assisted the American 'spy!' Those who have served in the U.S. military (both naval and ground) will appreciate the knowledge and capabilities of this man, who seems a prototype for Navy Seals or for Green Berets of later generations. Sadly, many who could learn from this man will never read a book like this, thinking he lived "too long ago" for anyone now to learn from. Not so! "The Secrets of Inchon" is worth every moment spent reading it!

This is a great story. Most of it takes place in the few weeks preceding the U.N. landing of troops at Inchon in September, 1950, only a few months after the Korean war started. The author, Gene Clark, was supposed to send as much information as possible to Tokyo prior to the landing date. Fortunately, he was highly aware of many aspects of such operations from his previous service in the American invasion of Okinawa in 1945. In 1948, he served as an interpreter at Japanese war crimes trials on Guam, and his account of his weeks in Korea is filled with information about how well ideas were translated from one language into another. A short paragraph in which he quotes himself is capable of showing how quickly his mind operates on many levels in the midst of complex situations, thusly:

"Can't we get some clothes for these men, Kim? And get that doctor to take care of those splinters right away," I directed. Min's back and arms were a bloody mess. We couldn't afford to have this man hospitalized. (p. 150).

That's from a page in the middle of the book, where the 15 pictures are located. Back in 1950, Gene Clark was not transmitting pictures in his reports to Tokyo. His radio communications were quite limited, and a lot of the spying took place after dark. Even the picture of his ten men on the island about eleven miles from Inchon, showing Clark with his shoulder holster and Youn standing "with the pistol in his belt," doesn't use the nicknames which were constantly used in the story "in case they were captured by the Communists." (p. 18). Clark had a knack for picking names for his top buddies that could be confused for major Asian figures: Yong Chi Ho and Kim Nam Sun. My confusion about which Kim was part of this story was greatest on page 129, after a digression about "a certain doom for more than a hundred of the innocent peaceful inhabitants of Taemuui-do, sacrificed on the blood-drenched altar of Communism to the ambitions of the traitorous and false Korean prophet, Kim Il Sung, the Soviets' puppet president of North Korea," as related to Clark by Kim after his interrogation of the mother of Political Officer Yeh of the North Korean People's Republic. Yeh had been assigned to impose order and collect rice for the Red High Command on an island a mere five miles from where Clark was able to observe things like, "Down the beach, a sampan was shuttling back and forth between beach and junk, landing the people from Taemuui-do." (p. 128). Yeh's father had been a close friend of Kim Il Sung and had been captured and later executed by the South Korean counterintelligence organization for which Kim Nam Sung had previously worked, "But Syngman Rhee had fired him for failing to predict the North Korean invasion." (p. 24). The attempt to capture Yeh to extract whatever information he might have about Red High Command intentions on the defense of Inchon is barely plausible, but it was an exciting episode.

General of the Army Douglas MacArthur is mentioned a number of times in this book. There is no index, so this will not be an easy source to use for those who are looking for details about how well General MacArthur did in 1950, but a picture of how pleased he was, sitting on the bridge of the USS Mount McKinley on September 15, and walking ashore on September 17, are great evidence of this operation's success. The Epilogue, written by another after this manuscript was revealed by Clark's surviving family members in 2000, gives Clark the credit for flashing "earthshaking news to headquarters in Tokyo" (p. 324) from islands in the mouth of the Yalu River at the end of October, 1950. A million Chinese troops, with human wave tactics that are easy to imagine, after the number of casualties that begin to mount up in the actions reported in this book, changed the situation enough to confine the UN army mainly to South Korea. In noting the medals won by Gene Clark, the Navy Cross which he received for an action behind enemy lines in early 1951, escorting Brigadier General Crawford Sams, a doctor, to determine if Chinese troops were dying of bubonic plague, which might have required "the daunting task of vaccinating their entire army against the plague," (p. 325) seems most modern.

I bought this book because of the other review. It made me think this would be a book like Dictionary of the American West
by Winfred Blevins, which is a rich and wonderful short-course on Western history and spirit. It isn't. Western Lore and Language will answer some basic questions about western words and sometimes gives you pictures of the critters and plants it defines. It's hard cover and laid out with words on one side and definitions on the other--it's kind of attractive. But you can do better, and for much less.

What is a fish-burner since it has nothing to do with fish?

This book is perfect for writers who want a to reveal the old west as accurately as possible including anachronistic terminology that help set the scene. Among the authors of Western Fiction, based in truth, are Zane Gray, Larry McMurtry, and Louis L'Amour. Their books are popular because they are realistic and do not throw in a modern term that would destroy the time setting.

Time travel novels for the SF/F genre, historical romance, history, mystery, and discovery writers benefit from this great dictionary as well.

Today a zephyr is most commonly thought of as a gentle breeze, but in the 1860's the Washoe zephyr was a strong west wind blowing through the Truckee River Valley during the Spring and the Fall. Not only is the time frame provided, but also the specific location. Washoe was an Indian tribe that inhabited the area that has now become known as Reno, Nevada.. The famous Comstock Lode at nearby Virginia City during the 1850's created many terms that are now obsolete. The Washoe canary was the nickname for a burro.

Camisa is a beautiful word, a great name for a heroine. However, it is a Spanish based word used in 1830 to describe a loose blousy shirt or chemise.

What is a hydrophobia skunk? The psychological etymology would be a skunk has an abnormal fear of water. In the Southwest of 1910 it was the term that was used to describe a skunk whose bite caused madness; rabies were common to many pests and rodents in the region.

The water dog is not canine. It is the Western name for any variety of salamander that was most commonly used as fish bait for Bass. The time frame was about 1850.

A fish-burner (also spelled fish burner) is an Alaskan term for a sled dog, especially one that is used in competitive sled rides. A hayburner, on the other hand, is a jocular term for a horse.

The design of the book places the words in a left column, the meaning are in the right. It has sufficient white space to make it easy to match the word with the meaning. Photographs are connected to the some of words for descriptive purposes. One of the most effective aspect of the book is to provide dates, areas, language base (e.g., Spanish, Alaskan, Latin, Chinook, etc.), and some history for each word.

Anyone interested in the old west will find the book fascinating; writers will find a wonderful tool that help create the stories of the American West.

Without a doubt this is a 5 star delight.

Done in great National Geo style, with stunning photos, this is a great "pocket" guide to the Lewis and Clark Trail. However, with it's lack of maps, it needs to be used in concert with larger, more detailed guides, such as "Along the Trail with Lewis and Clark" by Barbara Fifer, et al. If you are among the many contemplating hitting the Trail, this book will come in handy.

Few people living today know that President Thomas Jefferson launched two expeditions into the Louisiana territory purchased in 1803; Lewis and Clark to the north, Freeman and Custis to the south. Lewis and Clark have been covered thoroughly, even triumphally, because they completed their task. Freeman and Curtis have been ignored because they were intercepted by Spanish soldiers after exploring hundreds of miles of the Red River. Historian Dan Flores, drawing on both American and Spanish sources, performs a real service by describing this southern expedition and placing it within the context of its time (1806). Flores reminds us that the Spanish tried to stop Lewis and Clark too, but missed them. He shows us that the scheming General Wilkinson wanted the Freeman and Custis expedition to provoke a war with Spain, and nearly succeeded. Flores provides an introduction before the expedition's own account, and an epilogue after. His annotation of the expedition's documents is exceptionally thorough and often fascinating. The book includes numerous black and white illustrations and reproductions of several old maps. A modern map of the area would have been helpful. This book is one of an excellent series published by the University of Oklahoma Press.

This is a book the legal profession never expected to be published. A fully documented book that shows how the legal profession can initiate, advance, perpetrate and defend its corruption. A book that exposes professional and judicial process corruption patterns into which even the US Supreme Court fits. A book that shows why the legal profession cannot regulate itself into a good reputation -- because it is not accountable to the public.

This book is a quick way for the editor's of Writer's Digest to make money. The information provided is about selling not writing and it repeats itself over and over again. It's a compilation of writer's explaining how to sell in various articles that Writer's Digest has published over the years. All of the information is uninspiring and very redundant. It has a very pretty cover though.

Writers Digest is the place to go if you are a writer- and this book is the book to read if you want to make a living as a writer. Great tips and information. Buy this book today! ...

Do you want to freelance? I mean, really freelance? And be the master of your own literary destiny? Then buy this book!

Writer's Digest produces fine books for the writing professional but the one that really lays the foundation for the starting freelancer is this tome. The book is really a collection of articles written by professional writers in a veriety of genres. Each article is loaded with tips, tricks, and helpful, timely information that every beginning freelancer needs to know. From how to get published, to the basics of running your own freelance business, this book covers it all. (Did I mention that it covers it all! )

In a word - BUY IT!

This collection is badly designed, with the indexes in the middle of the book, and no Table of Contents. The choices of poems are quite random, leaving out the most important poetry one would want to turn to. The print is ugly and the paper cheap. I was quite disappointed and misled by the cover picture. [...]

A poetry book for any and all poetry lovers. These are the poems you'll find in commercials and other common literature--a good source to have for academic papers or just for fun. Most are very readable.

As a geology major with a focus on the Pacific Northwest, I couldn't help but come in contact with Thomas Condon in many of the books I was reading for courses. I then decided to learn more about him by reading his biography. I have to say I was stunned to learn the details of his life before he began missionary work! Who knew?! Still, this book does a decent job of documenting the highs and lows of Condon's life as it related to his work as an educator. I was, however, a bit disappointed with its lack of coverage regarding his involvement with women's suffrage - maybe, contrary to public belief, this wasn't one of his major focuses? Overall, it was an enjoyable (if sometimes patchy) read.

I must confess a slight bias - we all know Thomas Condon as one of our foremost geologists. I, however, was lucky enough to know him as my great grandfather. Well, not know him - he died well before I was born - but I knew of him. Intimately. And now the common reader has the same opportunity! On the whole the book captures my great grandfather perfectly - but there are a few omissions. If the anecdotes my parents' entertained their eleven children with are true, Thomas Condon spent more time with women than involved in women's suffrage; more time in prison than involved in prison reform. But, bygones - on the whole, a job very well done and I recommend this book heartily for those interested in the pacific northwest, geology, reform, and/or irish americans.

This book's history is all too well known. It indeed was the inspiration for D.W. Griffith's "Birth of a Nation." Griffith's film was a masterpiece of cinematic brilliance, and at the same time, a disgusting excuse for the most virulent kind of racism. The latter can be said of Dixon's book. But the book does not have Griffith's artistic merits.

This book should be read as an historical artifact, to give the reader a sense how powerful people in the South thought when they turned Reconstruction on its ear. There were many things wrong with how the South was treated after the war (more so due to Lincoln's assassination). Its attempt to bring some sense of dignity and equality to the ex-slaves was not wrong. With the advent of Jim Crow laws, the South proved beyond a doubt that slavery played a major role in the Civil War, despite what some apologists of today say.

I think it is especially sad when I read reviews that equate this book with history. It is not history, it is not fact. It is an example of the type of thinking that went on when the South decided that once again African Americans were not to be considered equal. Separate But Equal always was a lie. And so is so much of what Dixon espoused in this book.

Thomas Dixon, Jr.'s "The Clansman" is best known as the prime source for D. W. Griffith's "Birth of a Nation." A bestseller in its own right, "The Clansman" presents a vision of a South overrun with lascivious black men out to rape white women unless the KKK can intercede. As a novel it is maudlin, melodramatic, and unconvincing; as a history textbook, it is damnable.

Some reviewers for the hardcover edition of this book would have you believe that, because Woodrow Wilson approved of both Dixon's novel and Griffith's film, his affirmation validates Dixon's depiction of the poor maligned white man and his sexually threatened wife and daughter. Hardly the case--in spite of history textbooks' portrayal of Wilson, he was himself a virulent racist, outmatched only, perhaps, by his wife. As James W. Loewen indicates in his review of history textbooks, "Lies My Teacher Told Me," the "filmmaker David W. Griffith quoted Wilson's two-volume history of the United States, now notorious for its racist view of Reconstruction, in his infamous masterpiece 'The Clansman' [later retitled Birth of a Nation], a paean to the Ku Klux Klan for its role in putting down 'black-dominated' Republican state governments during Reconstruction" (18). Loewen notes later that "Wilson was not only antiblack; he was also far and away our most nativist president, repeatedly questioning the loyalty of those he called 'hyphenated Americans.' 'Any man who carries a hyphen about with him,' said Wilson, 'carries a dagger that he is ready to plunge into the vitals of this Republic whenever he gets ready' " (19).

If you read "The Clansman," read it because it was a bestseller, was recommended by an American President, and spawned a movie which at the time was a landmark in cinematic technical achievement--facts which should shock you. It may be racist tripe, but its historical significance remains relevant--as does the continued dangerous potential for people to buy into versions of reality that bear little congruence with truth. If we've learned anything over the past few years, just because a President of the United States says something doesn't make it true, nor does it excuse you from the need to think critically for yourself.

I do not agree with Mr. Dixons glorification of Lincoln, thus I found the first several sections of the book difficult to stomach. However, once the book reached the Reconstruction of South I gave it my undivided attention. You'll find no P.C. revisionism here. Mr. Dixons novel reads more like fact than fiction, yet no one these days has the courage to tell the truth for fear of being called a racist. President Woodrow Wilson said of the book (and the film "Birth of a Nation") that it was "All Too True" and he should know as he lived in the South during Reconstruction. As an A.P. History teacher I only wish I could get away with having my students read this book.

This book is organized into chapter section each focusing on a step in the process of becoming a homeschooler, and then succeeding at it. The book begins with several sections devoted to justification and support of homeschooling using Catholic tradition and biblical interpretation as well as a section written by a priest advocating such a system. This is followed by sections on the process of setting up a homeschool including the examination of curriculum, the organization of space, managing the household while teaching, and maintaining discipline. There is also a helpful section on incorporating the sacraments and practices related to the liturgical calendar in the lesson plans and another on socialization.

Also contained are sections regarding the legalities of homeschooling, how to repsond to authorities, use of technology in homeschooling, homeschooling in the highschool years, and the future of homeschooling both in terms of the future for an individual who is homeschooled and for the practice itself.

It is true that in this book Dr. Clark is a stong supporter of homeschooling and combined with her socially conservative postions can be intimidating. The book will probably not change the minds of those who are catagorically opposed to homeschooling, but may give those who are "on the fence," if you will, a push in this direction, and will definately provide encouragement to those who currently teach at home. It is also true that Dr. Clark does not make secret the fact that she is the director of Seton Home Study, but she offers room for those who design their own curriculum or use another. In the book, Dr. Clark gives credit where credit is due for the establishment of this school.

For a begining homeschooler this book offers much in the way of process and tips but is best read as each chapter is needed as it can be itimidating to read in order.

It almost seems like people are making personal attacks on Dr. Clark, as opposed to reviewing her book. I've read most of the books out there, and I like to think that we're all on the same team, helping families educate their children. Maybe we all have a different approach, or philosophy, but that's why it's good to have varied sources.

And as to having Matatics co-author a chapter of the book? He is Catholic, and I've heard his tapes, and he does know his stuff when it comes to Scripture. I must admit though, I didn't like that chapter very much.

This is the book that singlehandedly convinced my wife and myself to seriously consider homeschooling our children. I was, as some of my friends can attest, very suspicious of the idea of homeschooling, and frankly, had seen some abuses take place. I am still critical of some of the methods and rationales of some homeschoolers -- but they probably have the same view of myself and my methods!

However, this book changed my mind. Dr. Clark describes in painstaking detail using the Scriptures, the teachings of the Church, and examples from history the benefits and justifications for the homeschooling of children. Each chapter set out, in detail, a separate theme discussing various aspects of homeschooling. Included were chapters dealing with difficult issues, such as the role of the father in homeschooling, homeschooling in a single parent household, dealing with children with special needs, legal aspects to homeschooling, etc.

It also demonstrated an openness by Catholic homeschoolers for the rights of Protestant homeschoolers. Unfortunately, in my experience, the same openness has not been demonstrated flowing back the other way.

If the book has a flaw at all, it is that it is a bit dated. The section on computers could stand a major update, and legal issues change so frequently that, while the general legal information is quite valuable, anything specific needs to be updated as well.

It is my hope that the author and publisher strongly consider a revised edition.