This book holds within its pages all the ecstasy of the human condition as well as its depths of despair. The sum total of the English language is captured and brought to the light of examination. We see ourselves, we see others, we see all of humanity in black and white. Compelling, captivating and best of all not one single spelling mistake. A must read for generations.

This has been my trusted dictionary since 1979, when all high school freshmen were required to own it. It's a great achievement in American lexicography, providing a generous, comperehensive, and suprisingly durable listing of current American language. The familiarly readable clear type and single alphabetical listing that includes biographical, geographical, proper name, and abbreviation entries accompanies a sober and solidly thorough listing of virtually every word you would want to know in American English. It includes newer contributions from science, technology, slang, and does a brilliant job in giving exciting, yet accurate entymologies and definitions with all their shades of meaning. I have been a liftime reader and when I took the GRE's I scored above the 99th percentile in the verbal section: I attribute much of my success in verbal skills to this well-made, wonderful hardcover dictionary.

This is a brand new, year 2000 library volume that would be a treat to any Winchester collector. The 208 page book contains more than 800 very large, full color, sharp photos of the rare and one-of-a-kind Winchester advertising items, hardly ever seen. Topics range from rare calendars, posters, banners, signs, case inserts, window displays, counter signs, booklets and various paper items, counter pads, The Winchester Junior Rifle Corps, Winchester Store Era, Cartridge Boards, Medals, Magazine Ads, and more. There is a nice introduction to the collectible and sufficient text for many of the items pictured. Many of the products can't be found in any other book. A really beautiful book that collectors will treasure.

David Webster was a Harvard-educated literature major who served as a paratrooper with the 101st Airborne throughout World War II. This memoir of his experiences during the war was published posthumously, and clearly was not intended by the author to be published in this form. Not that the book is without merit - far from it. Webster was obviously a very talented writer and he does an excellent job of sharing his impressions and experiences. His account of D-Day, the fighting in Holland and the final advance into Germany are all interesting and insightful. The problem is that the manuscript is incomplete. While the primary stories are here, all the connecting bits are missing. For example, the chronicle of the action in Holland ends when Webster is wounded and evacuated. The narrative resumes when he rejoins his company in France, after their remarkable stand at Bastogne. However, there is no real effort to explain what happened in his absence, and principal characters from earlier in the narrative have disappeared without explanation and new ones appear without introduction. No doubt these rough spots would have been smoothed over if the author had been available to edit the manuscript. Nevertheless, the stories that are here are remarkably well told and offer a unique perspective on the war. Webster was adamant about remaining a lowly private throughout the war, and as an intellectual among the lowliest soldiers, he had a unique viewpoint on army life. Stephen Ambrose incorporates significant portions of Webster's manuscript into "Band of Brothers", and reading the two books together fills in many of the gaps in Webster's narrative.

Those of you who have read Stephen Ambrose's book, Band of Brothers, will remember David Kenyon Webster as a passionate and articulate member of Easy Company, the unit also featured in HBO's "Band of Brothers" miniseries. Webster wrote Parachute Infantry shortly after the end of World War II; it languished during the post-war years, when memoirs of regular soldiers were of little interest to publishers.

After Webster's untimely death in 1961 at the age of 39, his widow continued to believe in the manuscript and approached publishers without success. After the late Stephen Ambrose came upon the manuscript while researching Band of Brothers, he recommended it to Louisiana State University Press. Parachute Infantry: An American Paratrooper's Memoir of D-Day and the Fall of the Third Reich, with an introduction by Stephen E. Ambrose, was published by LSU Press in 1994, just in time for the 50th anniversary of D-Day. The book received excellent reviews.

Last year, Webster's widow, the long-time champion of Parachute Infantry, approached Dell Publishing, a division of Random House. Dell was a likely choice: it had published a mass market paperback of Webster's shark book, Myth and Maneater: The Story of the Shark, when the movie "Jaws" was released. She felt that Parachute Infantry could find a wider audience now, given the interest in HBO's "Band of Brothers." Dell was interested, and went back to the original manuscript to produce a revised and expanded edition of the book.

In October 2002, this new edition of Parachute Infantry was published. It features over 100 pages of previously unpublished material, including 20 letters home, and restores some of the grittier language and actual names that were used in Webster's original manuscript.

If you want to know more about the men of Easy Company, as seen through the eyes of one young private, read this book. Webster takes you through training at Toccoa, through jumps on D-Day and in Operation Market Garden in Holland, and to the last days of the war in Germany. It is an excellent companion piece to Band of Brothers (the book or DVD/video), and a powerful, unforgettable book on its own.

"Parachute Infantry", by David Kenyon Webster, sub-titled: "An American Paratrooper's Memoir of D-Day And The Fall Of The Third Reich", Louisiana State University Press, Baton rouge, 1994.

This book was published some fifty years after the events described and some 30 years after the death of the author (1961). However, the personal memories are excellent as is the writing. The book deals with the author's personal experiences in the European Theater of Operations and it seems that he did not record the time in hospital after he was wounded. Webster's leg wound made him miss the Battle of the Bulge, so he simply alludes to that struggle when he returns to his outfit towards the end of the war. He does deal with parachuting into Normandy on D-Day and, at the end of the war, chasing the remains of the German Army into the mountains.

I think that you could almost sense that the Author was recording the more "exciting" days and planning to fill in the more mundane details, such as his weeks in hospital, when he later had time. One thing that did come through, loud and clear, was the enlisted man's disdain for the officer corps in the EOT. Webster's record of occupation duty, directly after the cessation of hostilities, is entertaining. I can just picture him, getting ready for his daily swim in the lake, and wondering where he should "dine" that night. Enjoyable book!

This book felt like a Univ. text and outlines the scope of archaeological studies at Copan. Such a small book falls short of providing the interesting details we Mayanofiles crave. The cover photo in grey was poorly chosen when so many facinating and dramatic choices were available. After an introduction several review papers are presented and the most interesting for me were the C4 and C3 data extracted from human and other animal bone demonstrating among other things that the Copan people (and their dogs) ate mostly corn and maybe very little else. The second interesting review dealt with the rate of hydration (v. slow water up-take) in obscidian (volcanic glass) fragments scattered throughout numerous digs. This relatively new rate technique can help date a site as obscidian glass is found at almost all habitations in all time levels. This glass made the cutting tools of the people. The technique seems to be quite good with little varience and is backed by the older C14 method. I read this book cover to cover and my interest drifted occasionally.

Copan is one of the great cities of the ancient Maya world, now in Honduras, and its spectacular 3D sculpture and colorful architecture is easily visited. The authors here focus on what is not so easily seen, the former growth and life of the metropolis and its mountain valley. Their Penn State project has been investigating the outlying community and households in a series of suburban and rural studies summarized here. These supplement, extend, and counter-check the Harvard-linked studies of the other half, the central "downtown" core with its famous statues and buildings (like the perfectly preserved "Rosalilla" temple) (go to books by Newsome or Fash for what you will not see here).

This is an intriguing, if somewhat technical, book. It is a very nice summary of the workings of the Copan city-state. It reports on the material underpinnings of ancient Maya society and the "dirt archaeology" side of what is usually on view as the elite and fantastical Maya. It is for people seriously interested in the ancient Maya and not just the flashy and bloodthirsty kings. And also for those seeking studies of civilizations/cities or a Case Study for students of course. The text is clearly and directly written, especially if you are already familiar with American archæological terminology. You will find here almost nothing of the spectacular finds, and no color images, but a good selection of maps and charts in black and white.

To mention only a few points, instead of the expected chronology based on the reigns of kings and changes in pottery, the authors present a chapter on Freter's controversial obsidian hydration dating method (depth of water adsorption since the last chipping of volcanic glass tools correlates with time). This analysis is the prime support for their surprising and fascinating contention that common people continued in residence around Copan long after the king and then the nobility had faded away. The unexplored implication, if this scenario is true, is that Maya kings were unecessary to Maya farmers (versus what the rulers say in their art) and therefore parasitic exploiters. The authors' skillfully and comprehensively developed conclusion is for the collapse of Copan from a system of overpopulation and internal loss of royal legitimacy, a significant change from Webster's former promulgation of military answers. The authors make a strong argument for their particular point of view, while drawing on the results of all studies of Copan.

Webster and Nelson have written a pioneering study of Soviet military uniforms and headgear used between 1918-1945. This profusely illustrated tome is the first of its kind for collectors and military historians alike: Large, full-color photos nicely illustrate the tremendous variety of both field and dress styles worn by the officers and enlisted of the Army, Air Force, NKVD, Militia, and Navy (to name a few). Included are beautiful sections on 1920's-era pieces and seperate sections on headgear (especially visor caps). I heartily recommend this tome, but have a few minor reservations: The book is arranged chronologically, which proves to be awkward when attempting to research the uniforms of a particular branch en toto; furthermore, there is no index, which leaves the reader "thumbing" through the text when attempting to find a particular style or item. Lastly, steel helmets (including buyonovkas) are treated only lightly (receiving but a few pages at best), while field gear and accoutrements are left virtually untouched. However, these detractions should not take away from the overall value of this reference. The definitive work on the subject, however, remains to be written. Webster and Nelson's book ought to be complimented with Shalito's Red Army Uniforms of WWII, Khvostov's The Russian Civil War (1): The Red Army (Osprey Series), Goodman's book Lenin's Legacy, and Clawson's recent definitive study, Russian Helmets (2002).

Very well photographed and detailed. With very few published books on the subject of Red Army uniforms this is the best! A very good collection of Soviet uniforms in 'color' If you're into WWII Red Army uniforms or are a Red Army reenactor or collector (You need this book!!!!)

Webster's book is a good review of the Collapse theories forwarded to explain the demise of the Classic Maya. While Webster covers all of the relevant arguments in the literature, this book does not cover much new ground. Further, his discussion of the Copan data ignores the possibility of a complete Maya depopulation of Copan at the end of the Classic Period suggested by non-Maya Early Postclassic structures reported from the site center.

Mr. Webster does not make it easy for those who want to read about flying saucers sweeping down and doing/undoing the Maya. His tale is a little bit more down to earth as he undertakes to make sure that the reader understands first a few parameters on how cultures grow and meet their demise. Eventually when you read the sections that actually try to explain how the Maya fell, you sort of guess stuff before he tells you. Probably this comes from a Socratic style of teaching from Professor Webster. It also does not help that he can be tongue in cheek sometimes, and deliberately challenging when he confess that he cannot read Mayan glyphs. Is he serious? After a while this has a salutatory effect: the reader realizes that there is no magical mystery to the Maya: they were just like any other civilization, just a little bit odd. They were humans first and that explains very well why they became great and why they also harbored the seeds of their decline. The only mystery here is the mystery of human genius that made this people build such exquisite ensembles as Tikal, or the author's favorite Copan. Definitely a clear book on what are the current thoughts on Maya history based on recent archaeology, a non sentimental look on the Maya, and the best exposition so far to demonstrate that the Maya demise was not as sudden as people would like to think. Also a very salutary reminder that today natives are the descendents of these fabled rulers and that if they stopped building pyramids it was not because they became stupid and degenerated. The truth might be that they just saw the light and kicked the ruling class out when they realized that they had become a burden they could not afford anymore. Clearly, in spite of serious political and ecological problems, the Maya that "greeted" Cortez were the heirs of the ancient Maya.

Webster's book is extremely well written and should appeal to the general reader regardless of their knowledge of Mesoamerican cultures. As opposed to limiting himelf to Late Classic, he relates this to Mayan Civilization at the conquest, what is meant by the collapse of the Mayan "Civilization" and its relations to other ancient civilizations (although I think he missed the analog to the post-fall city-states of Italy and the possible implications). His evidence is excellent and his agruments eloquent. Readers looking for simple answers are warned - you will not find one answer. On the other hand, for those who want a well-thought out argument by a researcher steeped in the Mayan culture, this is your book.

If there is an interest in all manner of Winchester products, "Standard Catalog of Winchester" is an okay black and white price catalog of all sorts of items sold under the Winchester name. Even if you are not a Winchester collector, the contents are interesting to thumb through.

The firearms section is approximately 120 pages, which are virtually the same Winchester pages that appear in other Krause Publications such as "The Standard Catalog of Firearms" and "Fladerman's...", only expanded though the use of larger versions of the same pictures and illustrations. I only mention this duplication of content because, if you already have any of these other Krause publications, this book does not offer expanded or new information relating to firearms.

An excelent book for any Winchester fan! I found stuff I had no idea Winchester had manufactured. Highly Recomended.

This brand new, year 2000, 752 page softbound reference work contains everything you'll need and want to know about Winchester products. There are more than 90 very arge, sharp, full color photos and more than 2,500 great black and white photos. 2,500 major products are included and current values for more than 10,000 items. This is more than a picture-price guide. It's loaded with useful information for the Winchester enthusiast. Topics range from Winchester History, Firearms, Engraving, Cartridge Boxes, Shotshells to Reloading Tools and Supplies, Junior Rifle Corps, Pocket Knives, Fishing Equipment, Sports Items, Farm and Garden Tools, Axes, Carpentry Tools, Mechanic Tools, Kitchen and Household Appliances, Padlocks, Flashlights, and more and more. Wow !! There are even sections on Calendars, Posters, and Advertising and Trench Art. A Winchester enthusiast's dream come true. Items are easily located. I don't know what else could have been included in this book. Get it and enjoy, enjoy . . .

If you are a newbie,......their are other alternatives that will get your feet wet, but if you are a practicing Flash developer and have a firm understanding of ActionScript...this book will inspire you to build real dynamic Flash apps. It touches on Flash Javascript methods, Flash and textfiles and goes into server side middleware solutions like, CGI,Perl and PHP. It also introduces you to database integration. This book gives you real world solutions, which maybe a bit elementary, but overall it lays the foundation for you. I found this book to be inspiring and to be the book which pushed me to learn CGI,PERL,PHP and MySQL. If your looking to build real dynamic/interactive Flash applications or websites this is the book.

I am a graphic/web designer by design. Programming of any type is a struggle for me. Just as I started getting Flash 4 ActionScripting down pat they went and changed the syntax on me. Ive been through the whole collection of "Friends Of Ed" books yet none have been as clear and easy to understand as Dynamic Content Studio. This book covers all the important topics in a way that makes it easy for the logically challenged, such as myself, to understand. The examples are, for the most part, simple but offer a lot in the way of showing you what can be done and how to do it.

I have been using ASP to create dynamic Flash content for about a year now, and have struggled the whole way. This book makes everything a little clearer and offers you logical solutions for common procedures to help streamline your code, making life a little easier.

Great book, I highly recommend it!

An excellent book! Well worth the investment! It transitions well from more basic concepts to more complex topics -- With lots of substance for people at all levels of experience. Even those with more expertise can learn a thing or two from the different conceptual approaches presented. The book is not just about "here's how to do the same old boring X, Y & Z, just in the updated version of Flash", it also says "here's some different ways of thinking about solutions that takes greater advantage of new features of Flash". I also really enjoyed the mini math and geometry lessons... it's good to know that years of high school algebra and geometry could be put to some use!

The interface design chapters were particularly outstanding; judging by how awful so many Flash sites are at integrating interactivity, PLEASE!! I BEG YOU!!! everybody read the chapters on designing interfaces! They are a "must read" for anyone who wants to improve their site's interactivity.

The game design chapters are also incredibly helpful as well, and I think are some of the first useful explanations of game design I've ever seen for Flash. Even if you're not designing games in Flash, using a familiar game like Asteroids as a vehicle for explaining some pretty clever design elements works very well. Not to mention, it's very cool to be able to make your own video games! Flash isn't just for dull corporate websites anymore!

I'll be incorporating the lessons learned from those chapters into all the stuff I do... even though I only get to do very boring stuff for a corporate site. And if I use what this book teaches, maybe someday I can get hired to make games and do cool interfaces!!! :)

I work best with hardback dictionaries at my work location. The cover finally fell off the old dictionary. I saw this one and it was cheep and available. I paid for it while the wrapper was still on.

Well I may have made a mistake. First this one has no index tabs. I looked up some well-used words such as "kine" and got just two word definition cow and cattle. The previous dictionary "Webster's II New revised University Dictionary", described even the word history and covered the changes in history. I show that the word came from Middle English as "ku". And that it persisted until the 17th century. This word is used in an Ayn Rand book and would not make sense if you only had the "New World College Dictionary" I also looked up acetylene and found a fair definition but it had room for the formula and did not display it.

The definitions are squeezed out to make room for pictures. On the next page is a portrait of Martin Luther King. There are all kinds of pretty pictures of people. If you are interested in people and not spelling or anything in-depth, then this dictionary for you

In the mean time I will suffer with this until I have time to find a real dictionary. However it may do for you.

Practical info:

Nearly 7,500 entries for today's world.

4 color world atlas and numerous tables and charts.

Thousands of Geographical and Biographical Entries.

Helpful notes, examples and Synonyms.

Includes unique Americanisms.

This Webster's Fourth Edition-2001, has 1716 (two column) pages; an index; a highlighted synonym box under certain words; and no wasted space along the vertical margins. The dictionary is so easy on the eyes to read, that I eagerly anticipate having to look up a word. The grayscale synonym text-boxes are printed (not more than), one to a column, which is just enough to give your eyes a reference-anchor as you scan. Their 50th anniversary revision (and most other dictionaries), are shrink-wrapped; so you won't know how reader-friendly this book is unless someone tells you. And go ahead and use yellow highlighter to mark every single word you look up. I give you permission. Chances are, you'll be looking up the same word again in the future.
... Kirk Perry 2002

There are lots of dictionaries available, and many of them call themselves "Webster's" -- it a generic name. But Webster's New World stands out from the rest. It's very much up to date and also very user friendly; you won't have to keep looking up definitions of definitions. Furthermore, it's authoritive. This is the dictionary chosen by many prestigious media organizations -- including the Associated Press, the Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times -- as their authority of choice. So if you want to get an up to date, easy to use dictionary that's widely-recognized as authoritive, look for the name Webster's New World.