This book will help you decide where to (and not to) stay when you go on trips. The stories were well told, and enjoyable.

It's been well established that when word slips out a hotel or restaurant is haunted, patronage rises. There might be a few people who are skittish about encountering a ghost, but the folks on the lookout for one far outnumber them. HAUNTED HOTELS should assist these people in this eclectic goal.

Travel writer Robin Mead has compiled a list of over 80 known haunted hotels, motels, inns, and bed & breakfasts for a North American companion to his previous book, WEEKEND HAUNTS, which focuses on Britain. Each listing describes the facility and its amenities, local attractions, and price range, then briefly elaborates on its haunting and pertinent history.

Surprisingly, the relatively youthful state of California has the most entries. It hosts some of the better-known haunted hotels, which include the Hotel del Coronado, QUEEN MARY, and Hotel Roosevelt, but more intriguing are the ones that are less familiar. The Bullock Hotel in Deadwood, South Dakota, for instance, was covered in a segment for UNSOLVED MYSTERIES several years ago, but rarely comes to mind as quickly as the aforementioned.

During severe winter storms, former employee Boots Berry can still be heard tap dancing on the third floor of the Green Mountain Inn in Stowe, Vermont, even though he died almost 100 years ago. Arthemise Bouligny, one of the original owners of the Dufour-Baldwin House in New Orleans, has been seen there repeatedly on a balcony since her death in 1911. Captain Swayze, a local militia man, resents Americans after his death during the War of 1812 and tosses objects around whenever anyone who enters the Old Angel Inn in Niagra-on-the-Lake, Ontario, wearing any symbols identifying them as U.S. citizens.

A couple of qualified hotels in the San Francisco Bay Area were missed in this compilation, but, in order for Mead to be that comprehensive, research would be a constant process that prevents the book from ever being released. At the end of the volume, he supplies a short list of 22 more haunted North American lodgings he knew of but was unable to personally visit. In his introduction, he also states that he deliberately withheld some known haunts because their managements asked for exclusion.

Reading what life is like in these places when the folks there aren't dealing with ghostly phenomena gives the reader a better sense of place. Anyone with an interest in ghost folklore should enjoy this book regardless of whether or not a trip is being planned. Contact info is provided for those who would like to visit; however, this guide was first released in 1995 so some of it may be outdated.

Whether you're looking for help to plan a supernatural vacation or just want ghost folklore, HAUNTED HOTELS can be fun on both counts. This reviewer will haunt the Internet until a copy of WEEKEND HAUNTS becomes available.

I have been a dental hygienist now for two years, and was still a little thrown back when patients hit me with questions that I just wasn't postive I knew the answer to. Ones such as: "Why does dental treatment cost so much?" or "Are you any good?" And the toughest question of all to answer, "Do you treat patients with AIDS?" These rough questions often left me fumbling to come up with a well thought out, yet correct answer. That was until I read Robin Wright's book. This book helped me to be more comfortable answering the not so easy questions that come up when I am conversing with patients, and even helped me to communicate better with the office staff as well. Because I am able to answer these questions more effectively due to this book, it has helped me to develop a better rapport with my patients, and has built up their trust in me as a dental health care provider. Reading this book has taught me to really become a better listener in general, and to understand my patients questions and concerns. Until I read this book, I never really knew how rewarding being a dental health care provider could be, because I was always nervous about saying the "right" thing. Now I am more confident in myself, and in turn I feel that my patients are more confident in me as well.

Ever had a patient spring one of those really complicated questions at you--usually in a voice loud enough so that the entire waiting room can hear? Something like, "I see you all wear gloves now. Is one of you SICK? " This book not only helps you respond to many of the most frequently asked and toughest questions, but helps give you confidence in responding to your patients, whatever the question.

This books tells the story of Richard Wright's life. It is easy enough to read so that you get all the facts, but it is also really exciting so that the reader won't want to put it down. I would recommend this book to anyone studying African American history because Richard Wright overcame his sad beginning and the adversity of prejudice to become a great writer. The author tells it like it is but with heart. There are also plenty of interesting pictures in the book.

This volume presents 16 gatefold illustrations of as many outstanding buildings by architect Frank Ll. Wright, along with photos and brief appreciations. The gatefolds are Wright's own presentation drawings. You can almost see the individual bits of texture in the colored drawing leads. These pastel colored drawings have some beauty in themselves--Wright was a man of many talents--and are valuable to show what the architect found the centers of interest in each project.

The layout of the portfolio is ingenious: bound loose-leaf and prefaced by a page of appreciation, the gatefolds on medium stock will lay flat to the right for examination, or can be wholly removed. The reverse side of each contains another page of discussion, a small plan by William Storrer, and colored photos of interior as well as exterior views. I suppose one could cut off and frame the long drawings. All the text can be read without opening the gatefolds. Text and headings are set in a most attractive, 1930-ish Wrightian typeface ("Eaglefeather," I believe). This is not an essential study of Wright, but for the price it is impossible to go wrong with this quick overview of his most spectacular works.

This incredible fold-out book (called a gatefold) presents 16 of Frank Lloyd Wright's designs. Each structure is rendered (the original drawing)in a sepia tone that pulls out to a 2.5 foot gatefold.

On the other side of this gatefold are full-color photos of the structure, as well as a floor plan. The accompanying text describes how the commission was obtained, the construction, etc.

The book includes some of Wright's most famous residences, religious buildings, and public structures.

While not a complete overview of Wright's work, I gave it 5 stars because of the uniqueness of its presentation. I was just fascinated by the book's design-- it is beautiful, elegant, and informative.

The country of Iran has experienced great turmoil and change during the 20th century, from de-throning its monarch in the beginning of the century to installing an Ayatollah as the Supreme Leader in the latter part of the century. They have also had the benefit of having a new kind of 20th century wealth: oil money. Iran has experienced much change during the past one hundred years, along with the counterparts in the Middle East who have experienced great wealth through oil and also great internal turmoil within their political systems as they attempted to consolidate their rule after centuries of Ottoman domination. It is this political turmoil and the outgrowth of it which is explored in this book. Wright sets out to explain how Iran has transformed from a country on its way to modernization under the Shah to a country who was derailed through an Islamic revolution, and is now having to coalesce the two disparate notions of governance into a single political system. It is also the objective of the book to explain how the people of Iran have addressed the new Islamic Revolution, whether the strict societal regulations are accepted by a country who has experienced modernity and political empowerment under the previous ruler, the Shah.
Religion has always been a huge factor in the region, causing many wars, and even more domestic conflict over the interpretation of religion and how it should be incorporated into everyday life and public life as well. As the only Shi'ite country in the region, Iran has long been set apart from its neighbors, both religiously and geographically, in addition to the different factions within the country who have sought to establish rule over the country as a whole. However, there was always the challenge of how to incorporate the teachings of Islam and the Koran into a workable political agenda wich would be able to govern a country and bring about an Islamic republic, wherein Islam and government would be able to co-exist and the people of Iran would be happy in a country ruled by the tenets of Islam. This is the puzzle confronted by Wright in her book as she explores the impact of the Islamic Revolution upon Iran and the phenomena of the revolution itself, a mixture of the socialist ideas from Russia and the egalitarian ideas from France and the rest of the democratized world. The notion of democracy and an Islamic government have never been able to peacefully co-exist before, and, through an account of everyday life in Iran told through the eyes of the people who live it as well as an account of the political turmoil experienced on an almost daily basis, Wright examines the success of the Islamic republic.
The evidence explored by Wright is gathered from first-hand experiences she has had with the people who have shaped both the Islamic revolution as well as the dissident groups within the revolution who have called for a more democratic approach to government and for an end to the repressive social regulations imposed by the Ayatollah and his government, and she examines this evidence as it relates to the areas of women's rights, politics, pop culture, and protest. During the time of the Shah, Iran was swiftly undergoing to trend towards modernization, crystallized in the White Revolution during the 1960's. The people had tasted democracy and liberation, and were excited by it. Westernized culture had begun to sweep Iran, from its literature, to its entertainment, to its economy, and it was against this cultural invasion that the Ayatollah Khomeini began agitating for a return to Islamic culture, government, and societal practices.
Despite the modern influences and somewhat Westernized thinking, Khomeini, a former exile, was able to overthrow the government of the Shah in 1978, and embark upon his mission of returning Iran to an Islamic state safeguarded against the evils of the West, especially America. Khomeini, however, did not change two of the things which the Shah had instituted or begun: women's rights and voting rights. The society had reached a point where these rights were seen as essential and would not be surrendered to the State. Although women had the right to attain education and other basic rights, their rights were greatly curtailed as a result of the Islamic revolution. They were required to wear the chadors, head coverings which conceal everything but eyes, nose, and mouth, and they are not allowed to mix with males in everyday interaction. However, women have made great strides in Iranian society. They are able to participate in government, hold office, and hold many other powerful positions within the society. There has also been reformations in the legal arena which have granted women more rights within society, especially with regards to marriage and divorce, giving women equality with men, although they still have very different roles within society. This focus on the greater rights of women is no more greatly exemplified than in the area of birth control, with the State providing the means for women, and even men now, to curtail the number of children they have in an effort to help address the swift population growth.
Another area which has been heavily influenced through the revolution has been in Iran's political arena. With the coming of the Ayatollah Khomeini, the government assumed an entirely different focus: that of conforming society to the tenets of Islam. Throughout the next two decades, the Islamic government perpetrated many instances of censorship and virtual extinguishment of any idea contrary to the ideals set forth in the Koran. They restricted the influx of Western culture, and quelled any dissident groups within the country who dared challenge their authority. Wright gives numerous accounts in her book of people who were targeted by the regime for their political views. Even today, there is great unrest due to the conflict between the conservatives in Iran and the more progressive sections of society who believe in freedom of thought and expression.
A final instantiation of the Islamic revolution is explored by Wright through her account of the relation between pop culture and protest in the Iranian republic. Wright interviews many of Iran's great minds and gives an account of the censorship they have experienced all in the name of protecting the sanctity of the Islamic tradition. The greatest divides in the country can be seen with the incursion of pop culture, mostly from America. The conservatives in the regime attempt to entirely prevent the flow of Western music, film, and literature so that society will not be tempted to emulate the "excesses of evil" which is embodied in most of Western culture. However, the democratizing forces within the country, especially the youth, view Western ideas and culture as a way in which to progress and defeat the suppression of the totalitarian government. There has been constant and bloody conflict between these diametrically opposed forces, and, lately, with the unrest in Iran due to high unemployment, huge population growth, as well as the influence of forward thinkers and their greater freedom to express themselves, the forces of modernization are slowly winning the day, defeating the notion that democracy and an Islamic government can ever peacefully co-exist.
Wright's book is an extremely impressive account of the conflict in Iran due to differing ideas on how society should look and act. She presents highly personal accounts of the struggle shared by many individuals within Iran in the attempt to make their government realize that they cannot restrict the free-flow of ideas and the social practices which follow from those ideas. She also gives a convincing account of the political struggles which have brought Iran to the point which it is at today: whether to completely separate religion from the state policies, or whether there is room for both. Wright's account is very prescient today due to its historical focus on the conflict between Islam and democracy, as well as its warnings of the consequences of trying to control the thoughts and actions of an entire society. Although Wright does sometimes stray into excessive description when giving accounts of incidents or phenomena within the country, her book is very important for understanding the cultural foundations present in Iran which have given it is distinct and volatile nature even today. Indeed, the book should serve as a reminder that culture and all its outworkings is the most powerful catalyst for change within a political system.

Wright's book is valuable for its first hand reporting of the current situation in Iran, both politically and culturally, as the country struggles to overcome the setbacks of the revolution. Iran seems to figure very little in the conciousness of the average American. But as Wright makes clear, America still holds both fascination and revulsion to the average Iranian. Wright's interviews with numerous Iranians and her extensive travels around the country provide a vivid narrative that will surprise the average reader. Overall, a very good read that provides lots of insight into where Iran is and where it might be headed.

The Last Great Revolution by Robin Wright is a must read for anyone interested or curious about the "aftermath" of the Iranian revolution.

For those who have not been back to Iran since the revolution, or for those who would like to understand a culture so complex and rich, this book documents the social climate of the past twenty years in Iran.

I could not put the book down. Living in the states for most of my life, yet visting Iran every so often: as I turned each page, I felt like it was another day I was living in Iran. By reading this, I heard the traffic, I felt the heat through my chador, and I also saw the struggles the Iranians go through daily.

In addition to stating the drawbacks to the Islamic revolution, more importantly, Wright establishes an intriguing twist to the stereotypical image of Iran. She does so by praising the "births" of the many sub-movements, ie. Iranian cinema, education, women's rights. Although, Iran has a long way to go in many aspects, it was encouraging to read about the numerous accomplishments Iranians have made by transforming the theocratic restrictions into positive change.

I would doubtlessly recommend Ivanhoe to read. History may be often dull but Sir Walter Scott makes history extremely exciting by romanticizing his novel. It directly deals with hatred between the Normans and the Saxons, the discrimination of the Jews, chivalry, and politics--but it is a unforgettable tale of heroism, honor, and love. I felt that the characters were so fascinating and fun to read about. I was enjoying and cheering on the good characters like Ivanhoe, King Richard, and Robin Hood to beat the hated and evil villains. I liked the idea of love added in the story, like how Rowena and Rebecca were both in love with Ivanhoe. I even felt a little sorry for Brian de Bois-Guilbert who would do anything for Rebecca's love but is constantly rejected. I thought how it was appealing how the author questions Ivanhoe and Rebecca's feelings for each other. Suspenseful and action sequences also added entertainment to the story. This book may be a little too detailed for some readers, but I didn't mind. I felt that the details were brilliantly used to decorate the story in an outstanding fashion. The old English wording made me feel like I was actually in the medieval England. I have to admit that it took a great deal of persistence for me to finish this book and it was a challenge for me to read. However, I found Ivanhoe to be a wonderful pleasure. It is no wonder that Ivanhoe is such a well-loved tale!

I enjoyed this adventure yarn on many levels.

I was glad to learn about the Knights of Templer and that they were crusaders. I always wondered how Sam Spade in the Maltese Falcon knew that and it is because of this classic.

I was surprised that it talked so much about Robin of Lockesley. The story of Ivanhoe seemed to be the same only told by Ivanhoe's friends and not Robin's.

I thought that the DeBracyn and the Knight of Templer Brian de Bois Guilbert were pretty evil guys which made the story interesting. They were weasels when they had their backs to the wall but did preform with honor when required like when Richard gets DeBracy.

I guess I did not understand the prejudice of the time because they treated the Jews like dirt and they were so sterotypical. I really thought that the Jewish girl Rebecca was going to end up with Ivanhoe instead of that Saxon Lady Roweana. I guess you have to appreciate the times that they lived in.

It was a different look the Richard/Prince John history.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but this book, by Sir Walter Scott, was the progenitor of what was to become a venerable tradition in English letters (and in other European literatures as well): the historical romance. There have been many after IVANHOE, and frequently with a finer eye to the period in which the tale is set (for IVANHOE contains quite a number of anachronisms -- even Scott acknowledged it), but few have done it quite as well as Scott. He uses an archaic English to give voice to his characters, but one which is readily absorbed because of the speed & quality of the tale. So, though these people certainly wouldn't really have spoken as he has them speaking, they yet sound as though they should have. Peopled by many 'stock' characters and situations, this tale was fresh in its time & still reads well today -- a testament to Scott's skills as a teller of tales and a sketcher of marvelously wrought characters. In this tale of the 'disinherited knight' returning home to find the world he left turned upside down, young Ivanhoe, after a stint with King Richard in the Holy Land, must fight the enemies of his king and kinsmen anew. Yet the hero is oddly sidelined for much of the tale as events swirl around him and the brilliantly evoked villain, Sir Brian de Bois Gilbert, in the pay of Prince John, struggles to win treasure and the beautiful Rebeccah, who yet has eyes only for Ivanhoe, a knight she can never hope to win herself. There's lots of action and coincidences galore here and Robin Hood makes more than a cameo appearance, as does the noble Richard. In sum, this one's great fun, a great tale, and the progenitor of a whole genre. All those which came after owe their form to it. Worth the price and the read.

In todays geo-political climate , its hard to get balanced views on an issue that has touched us all deeply in the past year . Passions run high and impassioned and reactionary responses from many quarters make the subject matter difficult to dissect , let alone understand and digest .

While written in the 80's and covering mainly events occuring from the birth of Islam to the 80's , I think the book is still very much applicable in the present day context . It will shed light on why we are seeing a virtual groundswell of antagonism toward the West and all things Western from our Middle east bretheren . Additional chapters on recent events were also helpful in updating the information up to present day .

You never get the feeling that the author has taken sides but this in no way translates into an academic lack of passion she feels for her subject . The book basically approaches the subject matter from the standpoint of trying to understand the roots of this groundswell but leaves the reader with ample room to formulate their own conclusions .

For the armchair political scientist interested in current affairs .

Middle Eastern terrorism almost became white noise after hostage taking, embassy bombings, hijackings, and other violent acts lost their novelty. That changed, of course, when the volume was cranked way up on September 11, 2001.

There were those who anticipated the crescendo long before it sounded. Los Angeles Times correspondent Robin Wright covered the Iranian revolution, the attack on the Marine barracks in Beirut, and other regional violence and issues in the Eighties. She eloquently documented these events and their larger meaning in her seminal work, Sacred Rage: The Wrath of Militant Islam, in 1985. Yet in attention span-challenged United States--even among those who read Sacred Rage--the spectacular attacks 16 years later still seemed to come as a complete shock.

Many books on Islamism were updated after September 11. The revised editions often consisted of rehashed material with new introductions and a few topical chapters tacked onto the end.

This is not the case with the trade paperback version of Sacred Rage. In fact, a very good book has achieved near greatness. Author Robin Wright's groundbreaking exploration of the rise and spread of Islamic fundamentalism does more than give tremendous context to what happened years later in Washington and New York. In a sense, the diverse material now coalesces as Wright explores the recent trend towards democracy among the same militants whose terror she covered in the Eighties. The recent edition even offers plausible solutions to conflicts between the West and the Middle East; glimmers of hope even manage to appear now and again, which should be counterintuitive.

The new chapters that involve Osama bin Laden and his view of the future are striking and fit in naturally with the other material. Wright contrasts al-Qaeda's reactionary attempts to turn the clock back to 700 with the yearning among many Iranians and Lebanese for true democracy. This different world view is, to a large degree, the product of the repression of the Shia. This suffering helped give birth to the rage and wrath Wright chronicles, and in an ironic twist the author seems to think these Muslims might be the ones to embrace a democratic and pluralistic Middle East.

There are a few problems with the new version. Wright defines the terms "fundamentalism" and "Islamist" differently from some other authors. She uses the former in an almost negative sense, and the latter favorably. Of greater concern, Wright doesn't adequately explain why an Islamist Lebanon would be so radically different from the Sudan or Saudi Arabia. Also, her comparisons between America's Religious Right and Islamic fundamentalists are way over the top in 2003.

These are only minor gripes, though. Sacred Rage is more relevant today than it was when first published. Also, Wright has softened her near-apologies for the more extreme behavior she documented. This version sheds light on the struggle between those Muslims who want both democracy and Islam, and those who only want theocracy. That struggle inevitably involves the United States and the West. Sacred Rage suggests the West's interaction with the Muslim world can be constructive. This is preferable to the suggestion of an inevitable clash of civilizations. That gloom and doom scenario usually is offered by those whose knowledge of the region pales in comparison with others who always heard the background noise of potential violence and reported it years before the first plane slammed into the World Trade Center.

At first glance, I figured that this would be just some anti-Islamic ranting by some silly Western infidel. (What would you expect with such a title and cover photo?) Frankly, I was surprised and impressed with what I read.

The tone seemed very inviting to me, and probably to all others interested. Page by page, Robin puts forth great detail with seemingly no pressure to please any point of view.

However, she did maybe commit an overkill on the "fundamentalist extremist militant fanatic" vocabulary. But still, her tone forces the reader to accept the terms literally, and not with the hate-filled spirit as seen in other publications.

I recommend those interested in the topic to check this one out.

God bless, and strive for peace and justice.

Another Frank Lloyd Wright book to ad to my collection, got it real cheap to. Out of print, but there are tons of other ones in print.

Set in upstate New York in colonial times, Cooper here tells the story of the stolid colonial scout Hawkeye, nee Natty Bumppo (don't ask), who, with his two Indian companions Chingachgook (the Big Snake) and his son Uncas (apparently newly come to manhood), stumble on a party of British soldiers conducting two fair maidens to their father, the commander of British Fort William Henry during the French and Indian War. Under the watchful eyes of the young British officer who has the girls in his charge and led by a Huron scout, Magua, the party appears, to the indomitable Hawkeye, to be at greater risk than they realize as they trek through the wilderness toward the safety of the girls' father's garrison. And, indeed, Hawkeye's judgement is soon proved right as the scout Magua treacherously betrays the hapless girls in repayment, it seems, for a stint of corporal punishment inflicted on him previously by their absent parent. Since the Hurons, Magua's native tribe, are culturally akin to the Iroquois who are the herditary enemies of the Algonquin Delawares, from whom Chingachgook and his son hail and among whom Hawkeye has made his home and friendships, a natural antagonism has arisen almost at once between Hawkeye's party and the Huron and this proves salutary, when danger finally strikes. The tale quickly becomes a matter of flight and pursuit through thickly overgrown primeval forests, over rough mountains and across broad open lakes as the beleagured travelers first elude and then flee the dreaded Iroquois (allies of the French) who have joined the renegade Huron in an effort to seize the two girls. After a brief respite within the safety of William Henry however, the tables are once again turned as Magua's perfidy puts the girls once more at risk. And now the story shifts to a manic pursuit of the fleeing Magua who means to carry off his human prey in order to finally have his revenge on the girls' father, on the British and on the Europeans, generally, whose presence in his native country he blames (not altogether unjustifiably) for his myriad travails. Written in the fine tradition of the 19th century romance (which, of course, is what this book is), Cooper picked up where Sir Walter Scott (the venerable founder of this particular novelistic tradition) left off, creating a rich historical tale of adventure, nobility and marvelously sketched characters set against a brilliantly detailed natural landscape. If his characters are less keenly drawn than Scott's they are no less memorable for, in the quiet nobility of the scout Hawkeye lies the strong, silent hero of the wilderness which was to become the archetypical protagonist of the American western. And the Indians, Chingachgook and Uncas, are the very prototypes of the noble savage, so much used and over-used today. This is a tale of action first and foremost without much plot but so well told that you barely notice, as our heroes flee and pursue their enemies in turn until the very quickness of the prose seems to mirror and embody the speed of the action. Nor is this book only to be read for its rapid-fire rendition of flight and pursuit, for it touches the reader on another level as well, as the bold young Uncas moves out ahead of his comrades to place himself at risk for the others and the woman he loves. Although we never see Uncas at anything but a distance and never get to know the man he is supposed to be, he is yet a symbol of that people of whom he is the last chiefly descendant, the Delaware Mohicans. Nobly born into the finest of Mohican bloodlines, Uncas faces his final trial with heroic energy and resolve in order to defeat the nefarious and twisted Magua. Yet this struggle is also the final footnote in the story of a people, marking the closing chapter for all those Indians who, with the Mohicans, have seen, in Cooper's words, the morning of their nation and the inevitable nightfall which must follow. The book is a bit short on characterization and plotting and the prose is heavy for modern tastes, but the action is richly visualized in the flow of the narrative and the images are compelling. In the end, despite its flaws, this book of Cooper's is, in fact, the classic we have been told it is. -- S. W. Mirsky

Set in upstate New York in colonial times, Cooper here tells the story of the stolid colonial scout Hawkeye, nee Natty Bumppo (don't ask), who, with his two Indian companions Chingachgook (the Big Snake) and his son Uncas (apparently newly come to manhood), stumble on a party of British soldiers conducting two fair maidens to their father, the commander of British Fort William Henry during the French and Indian War. Under the watchful eyes of the young British officer who has the girls in his charge and led by a Huron scout, Magua, the party appears, to the indomitable Hawkeye, to be at greater risk than they realize as they trek through the wilderness toward the safety of the girls' father's garrison. And, indeed, Hawkeye's judgement is soon proved right as the scout Magua treacherously betrays the hapless girls in repayment, it seems, for a stint of corporal punishment inflicted on him previously by their absent parent. Since the Hurons, Magua's native tribe, are culturally akin to the Iroquois who are the herditary enemies of the Algonquin Delawares, from whom Chingachgook and his son hail and among whom Hawkeye has made his home and friendships, a natural antagonism has arisen almost at once between Hawkeye's party and the Huron and this proves salutary, when danger finally strikes. The tale quickly becomes a matter of flight and pursuit through thickly overgrown primeval forests, over rough mountains and across broad open lakes as the beleagured travelers first elude and then flee the dreaded Iroquois (allies of the French) who have joined the renegade Huron in an effort to seize the two girls. After a brief respite within the safety of William Henry however, the tables are once again turned as Magua's perfidy puts the girls once more at risk. And now the story shifts to a manic pursuit of the fleeing Magua who means to carry off his human prey in order to finally have his revenge on the girls' father, on the British and on the Europeans, generally, whose presence in his native country he blames (not altogether unjustifiably) for his myriad travails. Written in the fine tradition of the 19th century romance (which, of course, is what this book is), Cooper picked up where Sir Walter Scott (the venerable founder of this novelistic tradition) left off, creating a rich historical tale of adventure, nobility and marvelously sketched characters set against a brilliantly detailed natural landscape. If his characters are less keenly drawn than Scott's they are no less memorable for, in the quiet nobility of the scout Hawkeye lies the strong, silent hero of the wilderness which has become the archetypical protagonist in our own American westerns. And the Indians, Chingachgook and Uncas, are the very prototypes of the noble savage, so much used and over-used today. This is a tale of action first and foremost without much plot but so well told that you barely notice, as our heroes flee and pursue their enemies in turn until the very quickness of the prose seems to mirror and embody the speed of the action. Nor is this book only to be read for its rapid-fire rendition of flight and pursuit, for it touches the reader on another level as well, as the bold young Uncas moves out ahead of his comrades to place himself at risk for the others and the woman he loves. Although we never see Uncas at anything but a distance and never get to know the man he is supposed to be, he is yet a symbol of that people of whom he is the last chiefly descendant, the Delaware Mohicans. Nobly born into the finest of Mohican bloodlines, Uncas faces his final trial with heroic energy and resolve in order to defeat the nefarious and twisted Magua. Yet this struggle is also the final footnote in the story of a people, marking the closing chapter for all those Indians who, with the Mohicans, have seen, in Cooper's own words, the morning of their nation and the inevitable nightfall which must follow. -- Stuart W. Mirsky (mirsky@ix.netcom.com

Set in upstate New York in colonial times, Cooper here tells the tale of the stolid colonial scout Hawkeye, nee Natty Bumppo (don't ask), who, with his two Indian companions Chingachgook (the Big Snake) and his son Uncas (apparently newly come to manhood), stumble on a party of British soldiers conducting two fair maidens to their father, the commander of British Fort William Henry during the French and Indian War. Under the watchful eyes of the young British officer who has the girls in his charge and led by a Huron scout, Magua, the party appears, to the indomitable Hawkeye, to be at greater risk than they realize as they trek through the wilderness toward the safety of the girls' father's garrison. And, indeed, Hawkeye's judgement is soon proved right as the scout Magua treacherously betrays the hapless girls in repayment, it seems, for a stint of corporal punishment inflicted on him previously by their absent parent. Since the Hurons, Magua's native tribe, are culturally akin to the Iroquois who are the herditary enemies of the Algonquin Delawares, from whom Chingachgook and his son hail and among whom Hawkeye has made his home and friendships, a natural antagonism arises almost at once between Hawkeye's party and the Huron and this proves salutary, when danger finally strikes. The tale quickly becomes a matter of flight and pursuit through thickly overgrown primeval forests, over rough mountains and across broad open lakes as the beleagured travelers first elude and then flee the dreaded Iroquois (allies of the French) who have joined the renegade Huron in an effort to seize the two girls. After a brief respite within the safety of William Henry however, the tables are once again turned as Magua's perfidy puts the girls once more at risk. And now the story shifts to a manic pursuit of the fleeing Magua who means to carry off his human prey in order to finally have his revenge on the girls' father, on the British and on the Europeans, generally, whose presence in his native country he blames (not altogether unjustifiably) for his myriad travails. Written in the fine tradition of the 19th century romance (which, of course, is what this book is), Cooper picked up where Sir Walter Scott (the venerable founder of this novelistic tradition) left off, creating a rich historical tale of adventure, nobility and marvelously sketched characters set against a brilliantly detailed natural landscape. If his characters are less keenly drawn than Scott's they are no less memorable for, in the quiet nobility of the scout Hawkeye lies the strong, silent hero of the wilderness which has become the archetypical protagonist in our own American westerns. And the Indians, Chingachgook and Uncas, are the very prototypes of the noble savage, so much used, and over-used, today. This is a tale of action first and foremost without much plot but so well told that you barely notice, as our heroes flee and pursue their enemies in turn -- until the very quickness of the prose seems to mirror and embody the speed of the action. Nor is this book only to be read for its rapid-fire rendition of flight and pursuit, for it touches the reader on another level as well, as the bold young Uncas moves out ahead of his comrades to place himself at risk for the others and the woman he loves. Although we never see Uncas at anything but a distance and never get to know the man he is supposed to be, he is yet a symbol of that people of whom he is the last chiefly descendant, the Delaware Mohicans. Nobly born into the finest of Mohican bloodlines, Uncas faces his final trial with heroic energy and resolve in order to defeat the nefarious and twisted Magua. Yet this struggle is also the final footnote in the story of a people, marking the closing chapter for all those Indians who, with the Mohicans, have, in Cooper's own words, seen the morning of their nation and the inevitable nightfall which must follow. If you give this book a chance and bear with some of the heavy nineteenth century prose, it will prove out in the end. An exciting and worthwhile read.

In light of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, this book provides a context in which to understand the current state of affiars. It chronicles the Kohmeini decade in Iran, 1979-1989 and describes how complex the politics of the region can be. The quagmire sometimes causes the U.S. and other nations to allign with questionable parties simply because options are limited. This book describes how some of those linkages come about.

I have to disagree with the reader from London. While this book does not go into nearly enough depth about the darker side of the Iranian revolution, it's hardly an apologia. I read it more as a primer, the first draft on a remarkably important event that is still being understood 20 years later. Consult Ms. Wright's other book, "The Last Great Revolution" as a followup.

In this book, author Robin Wright covers the history of Iran from the 1979 Revolution, to Ayatollah Khomeini's death in 1989. Covering in-depth the happenings inside Iran, she covers many of the different factions within in Iran, as they jostled for power and frequently clashed. She breaks this decade down into four phases: 1979-82, the period of survival; 1983-late 1986, the period of expansion; late 1986-mid 1988, the period of retreat; and mid-1988 on, when Iran came to terms with its rivals.

This book was written in 1989, which means that the author did not have too much time in which to put the Iranian Revolution into its proper historical setting. However, that said, the author does give a wonderful understanding, at times showing the similarities between the terrors of Iran's Revolution and those of the French and Russian Revolutions.

It did not appear to me that the author was trying to present the revolution in an overtly positive light, though the terrors were not covered in any great depth. Instead, this book read like any good history of the French or Russian Revolutions, and is an excellent chronicle. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand what happened in Iran during this fascinating decade.