The book The Clock by James Lincoln Collier was an excellent book, although there were some not so great parts with good detail. There was a lot of talking and traveling about the late 1800s to the early 1900s that became boring and uninteresting, however Mr. Collier still did a good job with the details. The book took place in Connecticut on a farm. The main character is a girl who is forced to work in the mill because her father buys a lot of junk that puts her family in debt. Her brother is already working in the wood shop and her friend Rob is working in the mill. The mill headmaster is believed to be stealing wool and harassing the men and women working there. The ending will really surprise you if like historical fiction. The girl's friend, Robert, dies while deicing the water wheel, and the girl gets in a lot of trouble because no one is listening to her and her father wants her to stay in the mill.

the book was great even the end

This book was hard to put down. It is a must-read for anyone with a serious interest in literature. Amy Collier has a compelling way with words, and I look forward to more books from her in the future.

A thrilling adventure! More thrilling even than all her other books combined!

I recently stumbled across The Sleep of Stone in my local library and thought it looked interesting. My read of it turned out to be a predictable, but pleasant experience.

It is a very short novel about the origens of a local legend. The shortness makes it an enjoyable quick read and the legend, although influenced by various fairy tales, is fresh and captivating. The story is presented in a simple storytelling frame structure. An old man encounters a young couple in a local romantic grotto and ends up telling them the sadly romantic legend associated with it of a young couple from years before and of the creature whose consuming love of the young man tried to destroy them. It is a story sweetly told, but with a close eye to the deep emotions of the characters.

I found the actual tale of the Sleep of Stone to be the best part of the book. The frame story was cute, but it was distracting. It actually took me a few tries in starting the book because I couldn't get past that part. While the end part is good, the beginning part (which sets up the real story) is not very captivating.

The real strength of the book was the way as a reader I was able to empathize with the characters' emotions. The young love of the couple was evident, but most vivid were the feelings of the creature that tried to destroy that love. The creature's obsessive love of the young man completely consumed her. This burning desire pushes her to trick, murder, and unleash utter chaos at the young couple's wedding. The passion is so real, it is disturbing.

The book follows a typical plotline for a fairytale type story, but it still is a touching and enjoyable read. Pick it up for a short cozy evening and have fun.

The Sleep of Stone is marvelous. It's a simple story, but told with stunning beauty and depth. The atmosphere is dreamy and slightly surrealistic. This wonderful little treasure can be read on so many different levels-- The Sleep of Stone just goes to show that fantasy doesn't have to be of epic proportions to be excellent. This slim little volume touched me more than six or seven hundred pages of complex plots and myriad characters could have.

You have to read this book it was the best book ever to be written and one you simply just can't pass up. I rated it a ten only because there were no higher choices!!! There is just not enough words in the english dictionary to describe how wonderful a book this really was!!!

Great book by the Collier Brother's. Nuff said

The Winter Hero was narrated by Justin Conkey, a 13 year old boy who wants to be a hero. His father was killed in the Revolutionary War, and his sister's husband was a Revolutionary War hero. This story takes place after the Revolutionary War in 1787. Farmers were angry about the taxes the Boston government made them pay, so they started a war against the government. This war was called the Shays' Rebellion. Justin wants to fight in the war, but will he become a hero?

This book was very inspirational to me because a boy my age wanted to fight in a man's war.Most kids his age in the United States today don't have as many rasponsibilities as Justin did then. I admire this character. The story was like a history lasson because I already knew about the Revolutionary War, but I didn't know about Shays' Rebellion. I strongly recommend The Winter Hero to people who like action, suspense, and history.

"This book is a wonderful, educational book that I never set down. It is full of action and thrilling excitment! I truely enjoyed it!"

This fabulous book is about a kitchen slave named Carrie, who worked in Sam Fraunce's Tavern for as long as she can remember. After Carrie gets kidnapped and almost sold off to the West Indies, she realizes that she doesn't even know her own last name, or who her true family was.When Carrie's long time friend Dan Arabus comes to town, they talk about how Dan has alomost $300 in "notes" because Dan's father Jack Arabus fought in the Revolutionary War. So basically a "note" is an I OWE YOU from the Government.Jack Arabus died fighting in the Revolution so Dan got all of his fathers notes.
After talking to Dan, Carrie decides that she really has got to find out who she is, and if she is a slave or not.Once I finished reading this beutiful Historical Fiction Novel I then realized the hardships of slavery. I would recommend this book to all ages and bothe males, and females because this book was easy to understand, yet it was somewhat hard to read with the old 1800's accents and dialects of the Northern Colonies. Also elders would would probably remeber a little about slavery because this went on until the 1950's, ofcourse it was not as bad as it was in the 1800's but still slavery was indeed around then, so they could have a great time reading this book about how slavery was in the 1800's compared to the 1950's. I had to rate this book a four and one half stars because it was just a mystery until the very end and this just made me want to read it more and more so I could find out who carrie was and if she was a slave or not. Now you know how good of a book this was, and you should read it, and trust me, you will be more than happy that you read this amazing part of American History.

I think this book was great .The author did a wonderful job of adding history to his story. my favorite character was carrie because she was brave and snecky. she was so cool.

James, and Christopher Collier describe this period in history perfectly. This is not like other boring books that the last twenty-three pages of the book you finally start to get into it. This book captures you from the first sentence and doesn't let you go tell the last word. Then you still want to know what happens to her. Although this book is historical-fiction. Alot of it is true.

If your looking for a great book that is going to teach you a leason as you read it than this is the book for you. The book tells a story of a family who is treated like trash because of their economical problems. If you decide to read this book than you will find how one of the children in this family has had enough of being treated like trash. And how his efforts to bring his family out of the gutters pitifully fails.

This book is very nice. You can certainly learn something from this book. James Lincoln Collier did write this book neatly. I would recommand this book to anyone who like lifestories especially about a childs life story.

Without using unappropiate language, this book [was really bad].... Like what I read, this book was not packed with action. I do not recommend this book to the people out there who want nonstop blood and conflict after conflict. I would recommend this book to those people who always want happy endings. Really, to me this book was really boring. I had to read this for school, and the title looked good, and when I read the back, it sounded good. Well, shows that the saying, don't judge a book by it's cover got me this time. The vocab of this book is kind of weird. You would have to be at least a teen to read this. Other than that, don't even try.

Without using inappropriate language, this book [was not good]. Like what I read, this book was not packed with action. I do not recommend this book to the people out there who want nonstop blood and conflict after conflict. I would recommend this book to those people who always want happy endings. Really, to me this book was really boring. I had to read this for school, and the title looked good, and when I read the back, it sounded good. Well, shows that the saying, don't judge a book by it's cover got me this time. The vocab of this book is kind of weird. You would have to be at least a teen to read this. Other than that, don't even try.

The Bloody County is a magnificent book. Sometimes it gets boring by telling to much informantion at one time, but then becomes good by picking up the story really quick.The story is based on a young boy named Ben Buck and his family that move from Connecticut to a placed called the Wyoming River Valley. The government one day comes and tell them that they have to move because another family rightfully owns this land, but the family won't leave. The next week Indians that work for the government come and scalp Ben's mother and his sister's husband. This scares the whole family and they split up. This book has its ups and downs but in the end comes out to be a pretty good book. The best part of the book is when the river floods, pulling a family and their canoe into the raging stream and then the Buck family saves them. I recommend this book to a person this book to a person that likes to read about early settlement in the U.S.

This is my favorite among the Collier brothers' books. This has been a successful book for me to hand to many (usually boys) reluctant readers. Young readers can relate to Tim Meeker's conscience telling him to do "what's right" and his desire to be like his big brother Sam. Conflict over the Revolutionary War(which is just beginning at the start of the book) brings emotional confrontations to the Meeker household. Most readers can sympathize with Tim as he watches his family torn apart by the question of loyalty to the King or to the colonists. Tim just wants to be loyal to his family, and he wishes Sam would too. This novel is an easy read and is an enthralling read with its taps into the violence of this war. Readers are so involved by the end of the novel that they want to pick up another of the Collier brothers' historical fiction. And as the authors say, if they said there was two-feet of snow in January of 1778, then it really happened. This is realistic historical fiction throughout. One of the authors does the research & the other does the creative writing to complete this package. This is a great literary addition to any history class. If you like this one, I suggest also reading Bloody Country & The Winter Hero, both by the same authors.

My Brother Sam is dead by James and Christopher Collier, is an exciting thriller that will have you anxious to read more. The setting starts in the small town of Redding Ridge, Connecticut, in the early 1800's where the bloody battles of the Revolutionary War don't come. The main characters are Sam and Tim Meeker and their parents. Sam is a young man that has brown hair and brown eyes, and Tim is a teenager that has blond hair and blue eyes. Also their parents own a tavern.
Tim Meeker is caught in the middle of the Revolutionary War. Tim's brother, Sam, is fighting the British for the Rebels and Tim's dad is a Tory (loyalist), but still against war. Tim doesn't know which side to be on. Tim has to make an important decision that could change his life forever. The reader will enjoy this book because of its suspense, excitement, and adventure. To find out what happens read My Brother Sam is Dead.

Sam Meeker is off to fight in the Revolutionary War on the American's side. His family are Tories and they live in Redding Ridge. His father is outraged by Sam's decision, but cannot stop him. This leaves his younger brother, Tim, and his mother ad father to work in the tavern and tend to the crops. Life is not easy with the war going on, but is manageable. Sam pays visits to Redding often.
British and American troops march into Redding frequently. This does not interfere with the Meeker family. Until, one night Sam was paying a visit to his family. He saw that the cows were being stolen, so he went outside to stop them. The men captured Sam...Find out what happens when you read "My Brother Sam is Dead." If you like historical fiction this is the book for you!

Ambrose has spent so much of his career tied up in the history of Eisenhower that it really colors his other work. The post-WWII autobiographies really did paper over the deep divisions between the Americans and Britsh on fighting style. The Brits favored concentrated, methodical attack while the Yanks wanted speed, exploitation and movement. Fifty years later this tension is still evident and comes through in Ambrose's writing. The fact that he does not include the Brits in this tale is no problem, keeping focus just upon that action at Omaha keeps the book tight. However, the little snipes at the British do tend to stand out and detract from the book.

Overall, I thought he did well to illuminate how American training and decentralization of command did much to win the day at Omaha (that and air power which kept enemy reinforcements and even top Nazi generals away from the battlefield).

The book's title is not misleading. Despite what some others say, D-Day, along with Stalingrad and the Battle of Britian, were probably THE key engagements in the European Theater. So Ambrose's book title, while still a bit hyperbolitic, is pretty accurate.

Stephen E. Ambrose has done extensive research, including many hundreds of interviews with D Day veterans; American, Canadian, British and German. This exciting narrative makes extensive use of these oral histories. This book comprehensively covers both the planning and execution of the enormous effort to establish a beach head and begin the invasion to end the war in Europe.

The planning took two years. Everything had to be considered such as the tides, where German defenses were located, where there could be some element of surprise, how to train allied troops for every possible contingency, how to unload heavy equipment, how to provide artillary, air and naval coverage of the landing etc. It was a huge undertaking and a firm date could not be established until weather conditions were certain. Thus, June 5th 1944 was postponed to June 6th due to poor weather. Further postponements would have led to a much longer postponement until favorable tide conditions once again prevailed. The coordination involved was mindboggling but, it was carried out.

The invasion was preceded by the landing of airborne troops by both parachute and glider. The invasion took place on five beaches in Normandy. Three were Brtish and Canadian landing sites and two (Utah Beach and Omaha Beach) were American sites. The most intense fighting was at Omaha Beach which was guarded by cliffs from which the Germans could fire down. Indeed, for a couple of hours it appeared that the landing might be a failure. However, although most D Day goals were not reached as to troop placements, the most important task of establishing beach heads was accomplished.

I notice that some earlier reviewers take exception with Ambrose for stating that German troops were inferior. He did not say that!! What Ambrose says is that the Germans had too much land to defend so they were spread too thin. Additionally, Ambrose points out that many of the troops were Polish and French conscripts who did not really want to be fighting; not Germans. Since they were spread out so thin, it was necessary to rely on many German troops who were either very young or quite old. Also, not knowing where the landing would take place, many German troops were defending Calais or even the coastal areas of Belgium and much further north into Norway. So, Ambrose does say the German troops defending Normandy were not of the same quality of the Allied troops but for the reason just set forth, not because they were inferior. German troops were further hampered by the fact that Hitler insisted on the minutest control of events and he was sleeping until noon on the day of the invasion. Panzer divisions could not be properly deployed because only Hitler, not the field marshalls, had the authority to deploy them. Therefore, with all of these factors considered, the Allied effort was indeed the superior one.

This is a fascinating history and it gives a great appreciation of the painstaking planning, coordination and execution of this important and highly intense event. I highly recommend it.

This is a gripping account of the D-Day landings from the first glider drop of the British Airborne Division at 0016 hours to the sad reflections of Eisenhower standing on Omaha Beach twenty years later. Ambrose strikes a fine balance between technical information and the personal recollections of the ordinary soldiers who came through the ordeal. For this reason, the book is very readable despite its length. The description of the Omaha Beach landings creates a real impact. Like many others, I'm sure, I was inspired to read this book after seeing Saving Private Ryan but if anything this creates an even more vivid image than the film. Of the many anecdotes, perhaps the most memorable describes a momentary ceasefire during the battle for a coastal village while an old woman wandered down the street quite oblivious to the chaos around her. No sooner had she departed than the violence erupted again. Astonishing.