This excellent review of our relationship with Israel explains a great deal about how and why we find ourselves the enemy of so many people in the Middle East. Our unqualified backing of Israel has led to disaster.
Sadly, support for Israel is seen by many Jews as a litmus test for a person's views on Jews - and is the reason why so many Jews who oppose Israel's policies have been called "self-hating" Jews. There is little doubt that the organizations that Israel has set up to influence American policy has fostered this idea. All too many American Jews have bought into this propaganda.
The other reviewers have told you what this book is about so I won't repeat what they have said.
What fascinates me is that you cannot find this book - copies of it are more rare that first editions of "Light In August". Why is that? Why hasn't this book been read, reviewed and studied as should be? Written by one of the few heroes of the Vietnam era who were part of the State Dept, this book has been "suppressed" in the way that almost all books or writers who question our policy toward Israel have been. How can that happen, and why has it happened?

Defines the truth about our relationship with Israel. A whole nation on America's welfare rolls. It is very obvious, that American Middle East policy is formulated and directed from Tel Aviv, where a ruthless ruler, wanted by the World Court for crimes against humanity, is challenged by a Nobel Peace Prize winner. You would never know that by reading the daily distortions, served by the American media. Magnificent book, equalled only by Liberty, ...

"The Passionate Attachment" is an in depth study of the relationship between the United States and Israel. The title is derived from George Washington's warning against "Passionate attachments" with foreign nations. Such attachments result in:

"Sympathy for the favorite nation, facilitating the illusion of an imaginary common interest in cases where no real common interest exists...It leads also to concession to the favorite nation of privileges denied to others, which is apt...to injure the nation making the concessions...by exciting jealousy, ill will, and disposition to retaliate in the parties from whom equal privileges are withheld...It gives to...citizens (who devote themselves to the favorite nation) facility...to tamper with domestic factions, to practice the arts of seduction, to mislead public opinion, to influence or awe the public councils."

The authors then proceed to explain how the relationship between the United States and Israel violates Washington's warning and proves all his predictions of the consequences of a "Passionate attachment."

The first section of the book covers the history of the relationship from the foundation of Israel in 1947 to the date of writing in 1992. The Balls explain how the inordinate influence of Israel began when a politically weak Harry S Truman capitulated to Israeli pressures to ensure Jewish support in the crucial 1948 election.

The only President who seems to have earned the respect of the authors is Dwight D. Eisenhower who, unlike Truman, owed no political debt to Jewish voters and who was sufficiently rich in political capital to permit an adherence to a principled policy.

Beginning with the Kennedy administration, the Balls indicate that American administrations have repeatedly sacrificed American interests on the altar of Israeli demands. Among the low points of the relationship was the 1967 attack by Israeli forces on the USS Liberty, a U. S. Navy intelligence ship whose existence threatened Israeli plans to occupy the Golan Heights before international pressure could force a cease-fire. Rather than responding to this attack on the U.S. Navy as it would if directed from any other quarter, the Johnson administration wrote it off as a case of mistaken identity. In subsequent administrations the retreat from principle has continued.

The authors illustrate how, as the relationship developed, supporters of Israel were able to create the illusion that Israel served as a valuable American asset the Cold War struggle against Soviet expansionism. The authors explain how the Coalition which won the Gulf War proved that Israel's days as a strategic American asset, if they ever existed, were over.

Much attention is devoted to the relationship between Israel and its Arab neighbors. It is refreshing to read an analysis of the recent history of the Middle East which is not filtered through Israeli apologists. The authors explain the background of developments in Israel and the Arab portions of Palestine. The Israeli policy of national expansion of military conquest, the expulsion of Arabs from conquered land and the colonization of those who have remained under the Israeli yoke are explained in detail. Acts of Israeli terrorism against Arabs are given due attention, despite the record of Israeli denials which are routinely accepted in American circles.

An eye-opening chapter is devoted to the strong influence of Jewish pressure on American politics and how it is reflected in American foreign policy toward Israel and the Arabs.

Particularly timely chapters are the ones on the neglected American-Arab relations and "Terror and Reprisal" against America and Israel. The moral and financial costs of the Passionate attachment are followed by recommendations directed to both the United States and Israel on ways to advance the interests of each in the Middle East.

This book is both edifying and shocking. It is edifying in that it presents a different views of the state of America's role in Middle eastern affairs that that to which we are normally exposed. This book is shocking in that it shows millions of Americans and several administrations as subordinating American interests to those of Israeli in the determination of American policy. This book is a worthwhile read for anyone interested in the truth about American Middle Eastern policy.

If you already know the baisics of jugling (3 ball cascade and reverse cascade/2 in one hand, ect.), but would like to learn more, this book is perfect for you. It may not be the best book from which to learn the baisic three ball cascade, but it contains clear and detailed instructions for many of the essential three ball patterns. This book is an incredible resource for even an experienced juggler. A must have.

An excellent resource for all jugglers. When I got this book I had already been juggling for several years and was working on seven balls, and still use it as a valued resourse. Gillson highlights cleary 88 excellent patterns, from the most common to some very rare and innovative. Beyond the Cascade is a wonderful way to increase your 3 ball repertoire quickly, and also a way to gain some great ideas for numbers work. I have also carried many of the tricks and patterns over to rings and clubs. This book is a valuable resource to jugglers of all levels.

So you've learned to juggle 3 balls. You're probably doing what's called a "cascade," with the balls forming a figure eight pattern. Now you figure you want to do more, so plan to move on to four. Wait!! There are literally hundreds (probably thousands, depending on how fine a distinction you want to make) of three ball tricks, most more interesting and challenging than the basic 4 ball patterns. From basics like under the leg, behind the back, the shower, and clawing, to exotic and beautiful patterns like Mill's Mess and Burke's Barrage, this will give you a clear explanation of 88 of them.

The Club of Queer Trades - Not quite like the Father Brown mystery stories but very close. GKC traces the adventures of a club comprised of men and women who invented their own trade. You usually don't understand the trade until the end of the story, and the book never disappoints.

The Man Who Was Thursday - This is probably the most famous of all Chesterton books. The book describes the attempts of a Scotland yard detective to infiltrate a secret anarchist society. The garden party conversations between anarchists are laugh out loud funny. I'm still fascinated by the ending, mainly because I don't understand it.

The Ball and Cross - Chesterton's hilarious story of how an adamant Catholic duels to the death with an ardent atheist is a worthy read. Chesterton systematically critiques popular delusions of educated thinking as the book unfolds. The atheist and the Catholic grow closer together through their duel, and realize that they understand each other better than the other characters understand either of them. Chesterton's wit is second to none and if you liked Pilgrim's Regress by C.S. Lewis, you will love this book.

I've loaned two of these books to friends, and both of them were immediate fans. If you find this collection interesting, try the Napoleon of Notting Hill also by GKC.

The Club of Queer Trades is by far the funniest story I have ever read! I assure you that it will keep you rolling on the floor from the beginning to the end of the story.

G. K. Chesterton was probably the greatest optimist who ever lived. He BELIEVED where most of us give up and become despondent. The three stories in this volume take place in a strange twilight world in which the author, as he says in THURSDAY, makes you want to see the lamppost by the light of the tree rather than vice versa. This, by the way, is his most profound and eccentric book.

In THE MAN WHO WAS THURSDAY, we see an incredible global conspiracy dissipate like swamp gas. (As Calvin Coolidge once said, nine out of ten of the troubles one sees down the road swerve off and disappear before they get to you.) THE BALL AND THE CROSS is about two heretics who appear to fight each other to the bitter end, until they find a worse enemy. And THE CLUB OF QUEER TRADES is a delightful entertainment made up of wonderful shaggy dog stories, much like THE PARADOXES OF MR POND.

If life hasn't been going your way, curl up with this volume -- and you WILL feel better.

Arguable New England's finest all-around athlete, Harry Agganis' life represents the ultimate greek tragedy. Blessed with unprecedented athletic talent, Agganis was struck down in the prime of his life. He love of sports was equalled only by his love of family. Nick Tsiotos and Andy Dabilis capture the true essence of Agganis. This is must read for all sports fans.

A great look at the life of an exceptional young man who's legacy should be passed on.

Having watched the movie "Hoosiers" a number of times, I was quite pleasantly surprised by this powerful account of the real-to-life coach of the Milan Indians. . .The movie certainly missed the point of what actually happened to the young man who crafted one of basketball's most memorable legends. . .

From the joy of the victory with Milan to the pain of losing his only son to drugs, the Marvin Wood story is a touching account of an educator who knew who to inspire. . .

If you like basketball and you have ever rooted for the underdog you will love this book. . .

I read this book just for the curiosity on the two sons by adoption of George W. Ball. Lt. John C. Ball was my Officer in charge when I was in the Army at Kagnew Station in Eritrea (Ethiopia then) in 1964. I remember John C. Ball as not like the typical officers in the army.

This is a wonderful book by one of the finest American citizens of the 20th Century. From his work in analyzing the effectiveness of bombing campaigns in World War II, through his observations on Stevenson, Kennedy, Johnson, Humphrey, Carter (all of which he knew and served), as well as the opposition (especially Nixon), Ball's observations are essential to anyone who seeks to understand America and the world at mid and late 20th century. Especially telling is his principled opposition to the Vietnam War, and his story - unlike that of McNamara - shines with integrity. He opposed the war, but felt it important to remain in Johnson's cabinet as a lone voice of reason until he could absolutely no longer do so. Would all our leaders be as skilled and principled - and as wonderful writers -as George Ball. This is a wonderful, important and underrated book.

In Jean Craighead George's new picture book, Nutik the wolf pup and Amaroq the Inupiat Eskimo boy, two characters recently added to the world of picture books, find more adventures on the tundra of Alaska's North Slope. Nutik and Amaroq's story began in JULIE'S WOLF PACK, the third novel in Ms. George's young adult series that follows JULIE and the 1973 Newbery Medal-winning classic JULIE OF THE WOLVES. Last year the first picture book specifically about Amaroq (Julie's little brother, who is named after the heroic wolf who saved Julie's life when she was lost on the tundra) and Nutik (the mischievous pup who is the grandson of Amaroq the wolf) came out, entitled NUTIK, THE WOLF PUP. Its story concerned Amaroq's caring for the pup when he was sick, Amaroq's sadness when he is told that Nutik must go back to his wild kind, and his joy when Nutik returns to the boy. I was not so fond of the story; I was not very happy with the illustrations or the overall content of the story--it lacked the beauty and excitement of the Julie novels. But, like the ice and cold of Arctic winter turning to the brilliance of summer, NUTIK AND AMAROQ PLAY BALL is a welcome relief. In it, the two friends enjoy playing football, when their favorite toy mysteriously disappears. Together, Nutik and Amaroq wander off onto the tundra to search for it. Amaroq, like his big sister did in JULIE OF THE WOLVES, learns to listen carefully to Nutik's behavior for clues to the whereabouts of the football. He listens also to the birds and all the creatures of the tundra when he and Nutik become lost, and eventually, by playing careful attention to each other and to their natural surroundings, they find their way home. I enjoyed this story more than NUTIK, THE WOLF PUP for several reasons. I thought the illustrations by Ted Rand were much improved, more interesting and eye-catching--just lovely. Also the tale was simpler and has a good lesson that is often found in Ms. George's other books about the importance of nature and the value of our cooperation with it. Children should be able to understand and enjoy this book better. It rights the terrible fictional wrongs about wolves that can be found in LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD, etc., and can teach young readers about how every living thing should be treated with respect and love. Each one of Jean Craighead George's eighty+ novels teach these valuable lessons. Some recent books of hers include HOW TO TALK TO YOUR DOG, the teachings of which can be traced back to the communication of wolves that is discussed in the Julie books; new editions of the popular MY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN TRILOGY; ARCTIC SON, about her grandson who lives in the Arctic; the ECOLOGICAL MYSTERIES series--and many, many more. Great books with great lessons; NUTIK AND AMAROQ PLAY BALL is evidence of these.

Amoraq, the little Eskimo boy and his best friend, Nutik, the wolf pup are outside for a day of play. They decide to look for their lost football and wander out onto the tundra, farther and farther away from their village. With Nutik's keen sense of smell, they find their football and play the morning away. But as morning turns to afternoon, Amoraq becomes afraid that they are lost. He can't see his village, or smell its smells. It is then he remembers what his namesake, the great wolfpack leader, taught his sister, Julie, many years ago...look to nature for help..... Jean Craighead George has written a delightful and engaging sequel to Nutik, The Wolf Pup. Her great love and respect for nature really shines through in this picture book and her gentle text is beautifully depicted in Ted Rand's magical and evocative artwork. Together, they transport readers to the top of the world, Alaska, and invite young imaginations to soar. Perfect for youngsters 4-8, Nutik & Amoraq Play Ball is the second book in this wonderful series for younger readers, written with great insight, wisdom and humor.

This book is not about pigs and horses and sheep on a farm. This book is not about pigs who take control over other animals. This book is not about animals revolting against Mr. Jones the farmer. This is a book about the Russian Revolution, and each of the characters in Animal Farm plays a role as someone else who really lived.

Old Major - Karl Marx. Invented communism, inspired revolution. Snowball the pig - Leon Trotsky. Wanted good for all the people, supported communism. Napoleon the pig - Joseph Stalin. Greedy for power. Squealer the pig - Propaganda. Boxer the horse - Oblivious, hard working, supporter. Moses the raven - Religion. Mr. Jones - Czar Nicholas II. (run out of his country after the people and Karl Marx revolted due to his poor leadership). Dogs - KGB Secret Police. The Sheep - Followers. Benjamin the donkey - Skeptical Russians.

THE SEVEN COMMANDMENTS
A large part of this analogy of the Russian Revolution is the hypocrisy involved. Napoleon and the pigs set rules, only to break and change them as they pleased. Seven Commandments were written to be followed as laws and rules to all the animals.
1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.
2. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend.
3. No animal shall wear clothes.
4. No animal shall sleep in a bed.
5. No animal shall drink alcohol.
6. No animal shall kill another animal.
7. All animals are equal.
But by the end of the story the commandments are altered by the pigs. The law stating that whatever goes on two legs is an enemy is changed to the sheep's chanting of "Four legs good, two legs better!" after contact and trade with humans is made. After the pigs begin to sleep in the old house of Mr. Jones the farmer, the fourth commandment is changed to: No animal shall sleep in a bed WITH SHEETS. The law: "No animal shall drink alcohol" is changed to "No animal shall drink alcohol TO EXCESS." After Napoleon brutally kills many of the animals for disobedience and treachery, (even though they were killed for crimes they never committed), the law was changed to: No animal shall kill another animal WITHOUT CAUSE. At the end of the story, all seven commandments are erased, and replaced with a single commandment: ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS.

George Orwell's Animal Farm is a superb animation of the Russian Revolutioon. The book is amusing and interesting; it includes a comic element as it synonymously demonstrates the evolution from the proletariat revolution to a totalitarian government led by the swine of the society. Orwell successfully simplified the not-so-simple theory of class stratification and Karl Marx's proposed solution of communism. Orwell's method of conveyance is incredibly inventive. He uses satire in the form of a fairy tale to share his indignation for ideological doctrines that would, if allowed, lead to the eventual destruction of a society. Each character in the story is representative of someone who was involved in the Russian Revolution. Old Major is Marx, and inspires the proletariat revolution by motivating the over-worked animals and educating them on the ways of the human beings, who represent the bourgeoisie. Orwell's creativity convinces the reader that the animals on the farm are intellectual beings, revolting against the tyranny of the humans. Animal Farm offers itself as an example of a responsible criticism of Marxism. The story gives us a peek at the Utopian vision, and then offers a long look at what results from using a Marxist approach at achieving it. I strongly reccomend this book, as it is entertaining and educational. Orwell succeeded in creating a fairy tale that evokes both sadness and laughter, while causing us to feel sympathy and even empathy for the working class animals. The book escapes complexity, but its message does not.

Animal Farm is much, much more than a story about animals. These animals are used to portray Russian history. Seems weird doesn't it? But it makes sense! Everything in this book mirrors Russian history and the characters were created after Russian historical figures. It starts out with a pig named Old Major (who stands for Karl Marx) who sees visions of a wonderful revolution where animals will share everything and the world will be beautiful without any humans, especially Mr. Jones their master. Mr. Jones stands for Czar Nicholas II. They revolt from him and set up their own commandments, the Seven Commandments which includes things like "no animals shall wear clothings", "no animals shall sleep in a bed", "no animals shall consume alchohol", and "all animals are equal". The pigs, who are known as the smartest animals which is an actual fact, take over control of the farm. Napoleon stands for Stalin who wants a strong central government and wants to teach the young only while Snowball stands for Lenin who wants a democracy and to educate all of the people. The animals on the farm other than the pigs stand for common people. Boxer the horse stands for the physically strong people that aren't very smart. Benjamin the mule (Boxer's best friend) stands for the smart people who know what's going on, but are too stubborn to admit there is a problem. Clover stands for someone who's motherly and cares about every one else. The dogs stand for military people. The chickens stand for the smart, but weak people. The cats stand for the lazy people who don't want to do any work, but want to have rewards. Moses the Raven stands for religion with his talk of where animals go when they die (Sugar Candy Mountain). The sheep stand for the brainwashed people who can't think for themselves. Everything in this book happens for a reason. It's a weird story about how communism will never work because pigs will always be greedy pigs.

It's a really great story about talking animals, but it's an even better story when you take it apart and analyze and think to yourself, "but what if so and so got with so and so.... could they have stopped this from happening?" The ending of this book is a really freaky ending... Always remember "Two legs baaaaad, four legs better!"

As a teacher, I was very disappointed that a noted author would have such poor writing skills. There are so many sentence fragments in this story, I lost count. I do not know how many times I have to tell students to not start sentences with the word "and". This story has sentences that start with the word "and", and sentences that are just prepositional phrases. It is hard to teach students to write, when authors write poorly.

I am a fan of Jean Fritz, but I was disappointed with this book. It portrays Mrs. Washington in a very bad light, selfish, and greedy. While this may be true, I don't feel it is appropriate for this age level. Children this age should be taught to respect adults. If what Jean Fritz wrote about Mrs. Washington is true then I don't mind my children learning about it...when they are a bit older. Although this book was a disappointment, I do recommend other Fritz books such as George Wahington's Breakfast, and Shh! We're writing the Constitution.

I really appreciated this book. It shows that we are all human and even George Washington had a clingy dependent mother. Whatever flaws he had in his own personality and flaws in his relations, he still found himself being able to cope and acheive. That's a great message to send to readers. It also highlights the dependency women had on men. George Washington's mother was not able to support herself and believed she could not cope.