The Otto Manuscript, containing a number of paintings of the soldiers of Napoleon's Grande Armee in the year of Friedland, was apparently painted from life by an amateur with an eye for detail. As a primary source, it is invaluable for its evidence of the actual appearance of the French army at the height of its greatness under Napoleon, and during a period when uniform regulations were altering the basic appearance of the soldier. This volume presents, for the first time, color reproductions of all of the plates, at a useful size, with commentary by the author. The reproduction is of excellent quality, and places this book on the "must have" list for anyone interested in Napoleonic uniforms.

The commentary is perhaps less consistently helpful. The author is apparently an amateur scholar and unfamiliar with the conventions of referencing sources. He also does not have a very good eye for detail, as in several places he makes observations concerning the paintings that are belied by a careful examination of the illustration. His views on the fading/discolouration of watercolor pigments do not reflect much familiarity with the chemistry and behaviour of those pigments, and so the comments regarding each figure must be treated cautiously. On the other hand, his introduction provides an excellent exposition of the history of the document and a cogent analysis of its reliability.

Despite these minor failings, Mr. Dempsey is to be commended for bringing these paintings to publication in a work of such a high standard.

Guy Dempsey is one of the best uniformologists that is active today, and this assembly of the eyewitness drawings of Napoleon's Grande Armee in Hamburg in 1807 is superb. The prints are a valuable primary source, but they are brought to life by the author's authoritative narrative, which gives this little gem of a book double the value. Considerable expert research went into this book, and it is one of the best sources for what the Grande Armee looked like on campaign. The originals of the Otto Manuscript, from which these prints are taken, are in the Anne Brown Military Collection at Brown University, the unrivalled source for much archival material for the Napoleonic period in the United States. Mr. Dempsey has done us all a great service by reproducing these prints and by his careful, methodical research and narrative. This book is a must for the serious student of the period.

Little needs to be said. If this book were only a reproduction of these illustrations, it would be a bargain, but Dempsey's commentary provides a great deal of insight placing the illustrations in context and identifying anomolies and commonalities.

NMR spectroscopy is a powerful tool for chemists interested in structure, dynamics and function of molecular systems. The success of this technique has lead to a proliferation of experiments yielding a wealth of data about chemical structure ranging from small molecules to not-so-small proteins and beyond. The authors have compiled a core of NMR experiments that will serve a student new to the field or an old-hand who has forgotten the phase-cycle of a particular pulse sequence. The book is sectioned into 14 chapters with the 1st two being introductory ( What is a NMR spectrometer and why is it sitting away from everything else? or If I have radiation dampening do I need to get a mop?). The next 10 chapters take the reader from routine spectroscopy experiments to a variety of 1- and 2- dimensional liquid NMR experiments with and without magnetic field gradients. The last two chapters introduce the reader to some basic 3-dimensional liquid sequences and solids NMR spectroscopy. These two subjects could have been extended but I imagine we will see that in the next volume, 150 to 300 NMR experiments. There are 160 (according to my count) different experiments and measurements discussed and each is organized to familarize the experimenter with the purpose of the experiment, the procedure to perform it, and some expected results for the experiment. The authors have wisely included a readers observation area for each section. This allows the utility of the book to grow as the reader gains experience with each NMR method. This book should be in any NMR laboratory and would be an added help to any course using NMR spectroscopy. I know any undergraduate organic chemistry course should get an attendance boost from experiment 8.15 where the students would determine the alcohol content in polish vodka. (As a student I would have suggested a more hands on approach.) The final upshot is this is an great compendium and should be a staple in any NMR laboratory period.

100 and more basic NMR experiments is an essential book for anyone working in an NMR lab, who occasionally has to do more than a repetitive basic 1D protocol. Braun et. al. cover everything from a brief introduction to a spectrometer, to calibrations and standard tests, right through homo and heteronuclear 1,2, and 3 dimentional nmr.

Each experiment is set out with a schematic of the pulse program, phase cycling,and processing parameters, as well as literature citations and practical examples. It is particularily useful for users of Bruker spectrometers, as a lot of the nomenclature is identical to those of the Bruker instruments.

People who have never done a heteronuclear 2D experiment could get an acceptable spectrum with very little other lterature.

An excellent review of Bismarck's life. It does tend to glorify him though, for balance I suggest Crankshaw's Bismarck.

Alan Palmer has written a very readable biography of Otto von Bismarck. He starts with Bismarck's family history and his parents. He covers Bismarck's early life, education, personal life and religious beliefs. Palmer also includes quotes from Bismarck and parts of his letters to show his thoughts. Palmers wrote this book to study how Bismarck's labyrinthine mind worked, and this book succeeds nicely and clearly.

This book works both on a scholarly level by describing and explaining Bismarck's politics and diplomacy, and on a layman's level by showing Bismarck's relations with his friends and family. Palmer alternates the high points and low points in Bismarck's political career, like the Schleswig Holstein crisis, the Luxemburg situation and the Drei Kaiser Bund with details of Bismarck's health. Palmer displays Bismarck's plans, both those that work and those that didn't in both politics and diplomacy.

Palmer concludes his book by shrewdly observing that Bismarck's " mastery of detail and skill at seizing and making opportunities enabled him, within nine years, to create a greater Prussia and call it Germany. Thereafter, his ability to maintain an intricate system of alliances and alignments imposed the balanced peace which the classical diplomats had sought in vain. Within Germany Bismarck failed in one important respect: he never attempted to build up a secure form of government in the Reich".

Palmer has included several maps, a collection of photographs, and an excellent

This is one of the more thorough examinations of the life of one of World War II Germany's most colourful characters. Otto Skorzeny is practically unknown outside the realm of Military History, and has never really been bought to the public eye. Though this book was written in the 1950's, before some of Skorzeny's prolific post-war activities, Foley manages to conduct one of the most thorough and justified examinations to date of Skorzeny. he gets inside the subject's head, consulting him, his colleagues and his enemies, giving a well researched and detailed account of Skorzeny's early career and famous exploits. A certain degree of bias must be accepted, due to Skorzeny's influence in writing the book, but it is still a classic. A must for anyone interested in the subject of WWII commando operations, and the one which all other authors on Skorzeny quote.

This book by Charles Foley ranks with Into Thin Air as one of the greatest non fictional adventure stories of all time. Foley does an excellent job of conveying, in detail, the unbelievable military tenure of Otto Skorzeny (the commander of Germany's special operations group during WWII). Whether it is rescuing Mussolini from a garrison stronghold on a mountain peak, infiltrating US forces, blowing up critical bridges, or kidnapping the traitorous Admiral Horthy from a Hungarian castle, the reader is right along side Skorzeny on his incredible nerve shattering missions. The book also, at times, is extremely humorous. For example, the meeting of Skorzeny with Hitler for the first time or the hair brained schemes of Himmler, concocted to try and save the Reich, left me laughing out loud. Skorzeny's trial at Nuremberg is another fascinating tale. Both British and American officers were prepared to (and did) defend him against numerous charges. I could not put this book down and read until the early morning. Absolutely fantastic!

"Der Fuhrer" was a regiment in the "Das Reich" Waffen SS division. It was created in 1938, and fought with distinction until 1945. This book is a series of 4 sections, each written by the regiment's commander in the corresponding period, with a preface by Hausser. It is a translation of the 2nd edition of an old book (Hausser passed away in 1972) that was originally in German. Most discussion of tactical situations is at the regimental level, with virtually no discussion of anything above division level, and only moderate coverage of the actions of individual soldiers. Within this genre, it is a fairly good book.

The authors have broken out of the usual post-war memoire habit of sucking up to the western allies, while denouncing the Soviet Union in a play on Cold War sympathies. They denounce a war crime commited by the Dutch, of all people, and acknowledge battles in which the Soviets behaved themselves properly. Of course, there is also the usual denunciation of the shabby treatment that the West German government gave them after the war. However, the book does not get bogged down in whining with self pity.

In the middle of the book, there is a section of black and white photographs, one of which contains an interesting variant on the Hanomag armored personel carrier.

This book provides a detailed recollection of the Der Fuhrer Regiment's actions during and after the war from several of the units senior officers. There is a good mix of small unit and individual battle stories in addition to descriptions of the units that fought with and alongside the DF regiment. There is a detailed description of the events at Tulle and Oradour which (compellingly) disputes much of what is most often printed in other sources. Having spent many years in various US Special Forces units I also greatly appreciated the no-nonsense approach the authors took in writing this book, and highly recommend it to both historians and casual readers.

A bit of philosophy that occasionally reached beyond me, but an engaging read on the meaning of being human.

The book Integral Humanism can be considered as one of the most important books of the twentieth century. It is Maritains masterwork on social philosophy. It was first published in Spain as a result of six lectures on the university of Santander in 1934. The whole idea of the book, is that the crisis of the Modern times is a problem of the question of what humanism is? He shows that the great problems of communism and liberalism is that it is based on an antropocentric humanism. Against this form of humanism Maritain defends a theocentric humanism, which gives meaning and value to the human person. His idea of the human person has been known as Personalism. The person is more important than the totality of society. As an individual he belongs to society and therefore he has to obey the laws etc. But as a person, society must be serving his neccessary rights to live a full human life, which also means for men to find his supernatural destiny. Only a society which has a notion of a common good can provide meaning for the human life. The society is organic, build up of lower relative autonomous groups. This idea is consistent with the earlier encyclical views of a Pope like Leo XIII and the ideas or roman catholicism on social issues. Maritain has been praised for the book, but also been criticized because of his lack of insight on economic issues. Altought he rejects marxism, he also has an anti-capitalist attitude.

Maritain can be considered as one of the most influential roman catholic philosophers of the twentieth century and I think this work has still a lot of value for the problems of our time.

Cornelis van Putten

Kleppner is the one name I think when I'm in a doubt regarding any stage of the advertising procedure. The book is not extremely intensive, but explains in a precise way each stage. It might be too USA oriented, but works fine for international students. Surely a must in every student's library.

Kleppner's Advertising Procedur

This journal is lightweight and has both slim-ruled lined pages for writing and blank pages for drawing and doodling. Jotto's little characters wave and smile from the top margins of every page. The slightly goofy appearance of the little book helps to keep things light and fun, especially when journals can take themselves SO seriously with the advent of tomes in the making for every occasion, be it travel, gardening, being a woman, dreaming, loving cats, riding a harley? One caveat to this journal is its flimsiness compared to hardbound journals. The little stamp decal on the cover flaked off during its rigourous stay in my purse. Still, it can easily be glued back on. Also, pressing down the pages to write on them exposes the back spine, which is bound with a hardy vinyl-leathery material, but could lead to page loss if not carefully kept. This didn't keep me from buying another one to start once my current journal runs out. The Mr. Lunch Journal just has the lovliest weight in the hand and fits so easily into any bag.

The Mr. Lunch Highly Professional Address Book would make a wonderful gift for a child learning to write letters or anybody who likes offbeat, silly drawings. J. Otto Siebold's wonderful, lovable illustrations of Mr. Lunch and friends are on every page of the book and it even comes with a sheet of stickers. If you buy this address book, it'll make you smile every time you use it.

Otto Lehrack has edited a vast compilation of recollections of the front line grunts who fought the war up close and personal. The good, bad and grotesque are equally represented. Unlike the REMFs who conducted the war from air conditioned offices in the rear or in Washington, Lehrack talks with the foot soldiers who suffered, lost their buddies and were forever changed by their experiences. Perhaps most prominent is the unique sense of brotherhood embodied by these story tellers. Driven together by the senselessness of the Vietnam conflict they come together out of need for one another.

This book hits home because of the clear message it sends; the troops didn't always know what they were fighting for but it was clear that they had to support one another if they were going to get home. As Capt John Ripley, winner of the Navy Cross in 1972 on his second tour puts it, "The worst that can be said about a Marine is that he wasn't around when we needed him, that we couldn't count on im. That was absolutely unthinkable to him." The Marines who recount their tale in this book provide a clear understanding of what it was like to spend thirteen months in-country with the enemy trying to kill you each and every day.

Perhaps if Americans at home understood what was going on sooner this war might have had a different outcome. By the end of No Shining Armor, the reader will certainly have a new respect for the tremendous sacrifices made by those who chose to honor their country by serving in Vietnam.

These are the words and reflections of Marines from one unit which saw a lot of combat action west and north of DaNang. The author has done a wonderful job of interviewing a good cross-section of officers and enlisted men and organizing their stories chronologically from 1966 to 1970. The pride of the Marines and these mostly young soldiers is evident even 30 years after the war. This is the "grunts" story told in their own words with humor, pride, and passion. J.Kratz, US Army, Vietnam '66-67, '70-71.

Everyone, regardless of whether they were "for" or "against" the Vietnam War should READ THIS BOOK! It gives an unflinching, brutal and grim portrayal of ground combat by the men (specifically U.S. Marines) who know it best because they were there, they experienced it, and they lived to tell others about it. It shows what heroism and duty to country really are and it shows by the examples of these men. I've read many, many books, both fiction and non-fiction on the war, and none come close to giving the sense of how it really was for these men in ground combat in Vietnam.

Many veterans are still paying the price in physical, psychological and/or emotional terms for doing their duty as American citizens. And most non-participants will never realize the sacrifices these citizens/soldiers made. Personally I have no knowledge myself since I was only 17 when the war ended in 1975, however, I am still un-nerved by the treatment these men received by fellow-countrymen then, and to some extent now (even though it is now "OK" to be a Vietnam veteran).

Read this book and see how it truly was for these brave men in their own words (and for those of all the other services involved, as well). Whether you thought this war was good or bad, right or wrong, moral or immoral...READ THIS BOOK and see how it truly was for the soldiers fighting on the ground.

This book, like all of the picture readers in this series, is good for teaching nouns.

The story deals with a pet cat who tries to rid himself of a pet dog by running in circles, thereby making the dog too dizzy to find his way back home. However, his scheme boomerangs so the dog helps the cat return home.

This series of books has very simple story lines, with pictures for some of the words. Otto has engaged my 3 year old son... this is his favorite book right now. I am thrilled because he is doing beginning reading. The head of children's books at a large bookstore recommended it to me. I was a little skeptical because the pictures are pretty simple. She did, however, know what she was talking about. It's a good book and a good series.

Julie

This story is about Otto the Cat and the day a new puppy comes to live at HIS house. The first two-page spread is typical of the whole book: a full-page picture on the right shows Otto being driven to the pet store; the left-hand page inserts pictures for many of the simple [nouns] being used, and reads -- "Otto is a [cat]. He lives in a [house]. MY [house], says Otto. He has a [bed]. MY [bed], says Otto."

The story shows Otto wanting the puppy to stay away from his things but eventually growing to like him. The story is 11 pages of a few lines each, and is followed by four pages of flash cards (six on each page) which are mainly nouns contained in the story, with a picture on one side and the word opposite.

Our toddler loves the feeling of participating in the reading, enjoys the funny story, and likes to point at or say the flash words. This is fun reading prep material that your preschooler might enjoy too!

Others in the series are Silly Willy, Don't Wake the Baby and In a Dark, Dark House.