Brilliant book..buy it immediately

This book is loaded with mesmerizing photographs, including many spectacular full-page and page-and-a-half photos that make me feel like I'm in full gear, right at the photographer's elbow. Includes both well known sites as well as reefs rarely seen by humans. As a diver, this is the book I dig out to dream with.

This book really opened my eyes to the book of Revelations and its meanings in a very analytical, and spiritual way. It does not just present one view of the events but explores all the interpretations that have been given to allow you to come to your own conclusions about the end days. It gives you guidance and keeps to its principles about the true meaning of Revelations. Wonderful tool for youth groups!

Most books and reports on Civil War events come from white writers and voice white viewpoints. This one speaks with a black voice, as George E. Stephens wrote as correspondent for the (New York) "Weekly Anglo-African," from the events of John Brown's rebellion (Nov. 1859) through September, 1864. Along the way he shifted from member of the press to acting patriot-soldier, recruiting and then enlisting in the Massachusetts 54th, that leader among black regiments depicted in the movie "Glory." Donald Yacovone provides not only notes for the letters but also information on Stephens' family background. After the 54th disbanded Yacovone follows Stephens' ongoing struggles to educate freed slaves in Virginia; the story of many black patriots' efforts to move their people upward by finally granting them some education is not widely told or appreciated. These chapters fill a need today. So the life taken as a whole is both glorious and tragic: it's distressing to follow Stephens' hopes, from fresh optimism through disillusionment to despair, time and time again from the events of Fort Wagner to the last anguished efforts of his life. At its end he had to sue the government he'd served all his life to obtain the commission denied to him because of his race (though illegally), and provide for his wife with a higher pension. He never lived to receive it, dying in 1888 before the promotion came through. In this Stephens is typical of black men of his time, and it's deeply saddening.This is not a happy, but it is a useful, book, and a corrective for many cheap heroics about how well we treated our black veterans. We need to ponder its message today.

Richard Marin has captured, in a most compelling fashion, extraordinary images of strange relics from this incredible war. I was lucky enough to get a copy of the first edition of this book and it was sold out before I could buy others as gifts.

As a photography book, it is great! Most images are infrared and render these abandoned instruments of war an other-worldly quality. The book also includes portraits of various people who fought in the war and who describe what happened at the various areas photographed. Each image is superb! As a history book, it is great! Each section of the book presents a short narrative about the geographical area photographed, why it was important to the various armed forces' strategy during the war, what ultimately happened in the area, and includes beautiful maps showing the reader exactly where the images were taken.

But, forget the photography and the history, and the book remains an unbelievable accomplishment!!! Mr. Marin takes us to the other side of the world -- to places we have never been, and probably will never be. It is staggering to consider what Mr. Marin must have gone through to locate these sites, photograph them, find people who fought there, interview these people, and to tell a story about each.

For those of us too young to have participated in the war, it provides us with a concrete visual record of the real relics from the war. Because of Mr. Marin's incredible photography, these still images have more impact that any hollywood reenactment of action and blood and guts. The instruments of war photographed here remain blemishes on the earth to this day! It is staggering. For people who participated in the war, I am sure this book has even greater impact.

Buy this book -- and then buy another copy and spread the word!

This collection of eyewitness accounts of the years between 1939 and 1945 manages to personalize the years between 1939 and 1945 war as no history book could. Using experiences of people from all walks of life (most of whom were teenagers or in their twenties during the war), the author has managed to skillfully craft a very readable and poignant collection. Recurring themes of courage, resilience, love and family carry the reader through the war from start to finish.

Compact and complete, this book is easy to navigate, has virtually every fact you may ever need, and is easy to store rather than the traditional bulky volumes. The price, size and quality is A-1 !

If you've ever thought history was even slightly boring, try thinking of the myriad alternative human universes that could have been born -- indeed, that had to be avoided -- along the way to where we are. If the Armada had not been defeated ... if Lee had won the civil war ... the possibilites are endless, and if you don't experience little shudders of horror or nostalgic loss when listening to this collection, you haven't been listening hard enough.

This is a review by Warriapendi book Club in Mundaring Shire, Western Australia.

Alice's story is in transcript style which does not give the full picture of her life but if it had been written differently it may have lost the feel of her personality and it did feel genuine. This book brought home to us the the really dreadful things that happened to Aboriginal people right up to the mid nineteen seventies. Two of our members can remember their local Churches placing children from missions with them for Christmas lunch each year which must have made the children feel very awkward. Queen Elizabeth was given a copy of this book during her recent visit to Busselton, we hope she has time to read it.

Henry Steel Olcott was an incongruent, eccentric character who on careful analysis was one of the most able and radical free thinkers that the USA produced, responsible for uplifting the cultures of Sri Lanka and India under the yoke of British imperialism. This book tells his story.

American books speaking of Buddhism start with Vietnam, the Beat Generation, Hippies and Ajhan Chah as a brief history of the religion in the USA. Actually, this history should be extended all the way back to the 1860s and specifically to Olcott, one of the first converts to Buddhism. The 1880s were very significant.

He established the Theosphical society with Helena Blavatsky and moved from Spiritualism to Egyptian religions before settling on a lifelong affair with Oriental religions after a vision he had.

Having moved to India, he established and bolstered movements battling against missionaries, swamping the native cultures and generated an anti missionary toolbox based on their own methods. These succeeded. He also established strings of Buddhist schools on the Island and empowered Hinduism and native Indian religions including Islam through his Theosophical journals which actually turned a profit. He also attempted to unify the Buddhist world by harbouring links with Japan. What is surprising is that so much of what he put his efforts into bore fruit.

This book exposes this little known American hero (to some)and the creolised religious response he initiated. The book is highly critical and well researched.

At a time when the USA is exporting Christian Evangelism, Olcott was the exception who exported something else and influenced the European Theosophical movement and seekers in ancient systems of knowledge.

An invaluable and rare reference of a little known indomitable figure.