I am not a sportsman; I do not ride, hunt, fish, or shoot. However, I loved this book because the stories are universal; they illustrate life and human nature. I laughed and learned at the same time. Everyone will like this book, even if you do not engage in any of the sporting activities around which the stories take place. I also like the fact that you can start reading at any point in the book--you do not have to read the entire book in sequence, although you will want to read it again and again.

WHEN I WAS IN JR. HIGH SCHOOL IN HOUSTON IN 1964, THIS WAS THE FIRST NOVEL I EVER READ. IT LAUNCHED ME ON A LIFETIME OF READING AND A LOVE OF HISTORY. IT'S TREATMENT OF THE "HERO" ALLOWS ALL OF US TO RELATE TO HIM. HE IS JUST A PLAIN YOUNG MAN WITH AVERAGE ABILITIES, AND HAS AVERAGE SUCESS IN THE COCKPIT, OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT HE STAYS ALIVE.

THE BOOK TRACES THE EXPLOITS OF CHARLES SELDEN FROM THE TRENCHES THROUGH FLIGHT TRAINING, THE LAFFAYETTE ESCADRILLE, AND INTO THE U.S. ARMY FLYING CORPS WHERE HE IS SHOT DOWN AND CAPTURED. THE BOOK CLOSES WITH HIS ESCAPE AND RETURN.

THE REGULAR MEN AND WOMEN AND THE HEROS OF HISTORY ARE VIVIDLY PORTRAYED TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU SEEM TO KNOW THEM ALL AND MAKE FRIENDS WITH CHARLES SELDEN. IT'S 1999 NOW AND I HAVE ONLY AVERAGE MEMORY, BUT I'VE NEVER FORGOTTEN THIS SPECIAL BOOK EVEN THOUGH I'VE NOT READ IT SINCE 1964. IT'S THAT GOOD.

For anyone interested in the air war of WWI, I have to recommend "Falcons of France." A wonderful read from the first page on. All the drama of friends, combat, capture and escape are in it. And when your done with "Falcons of France," you must read "Fighting the Flying Circus" by Eddie Rickenbacker. The two books parallel each other until the mid point and then go off in two directions. I got a better understanding of "Fighting the Flying Circus" after reading "Falcons of France." I highly recomend "Falcons of France."

Falcons of France is a novel of flying, World War I, growing up, and the moralities of the time. Written by two American veterans of the Escadrille Layfayette (who later wrote Mutiny On The Bounty), both the action of battle and the routine of the aerodrome are immediately believable. I first read Falcons of France as a teenager, barely younger than the novels characters. Having reread it numerous times over the years since, the saga still facinates, still captivates, and still ends sooner than I would wish. Reading this novel is the closest any of us will ever come to being a young World War I fighter pilot struggling to stay alive in the skies over France.

This book is, at heart, a book about the art exhibition at the Jewish Museum in New York. Don't expect a book full of pictures, as the majority of this book is descriptive text. The art isn't nearly as shocking as one might expect- and perhaps that is the point.

The main body of the book covers a general examination of Jewish art and specifically attitudes towards art and the holocaust. The works themselves are not described in as much detail as I would have liked. It referes not just to the art of the holocaust but more general controversial works, and I feel at times the exhibition itself is neglected.

This is probably worth buying as a companion to the exhibition- it is certainly not a substitute for seeing the exhibition itself.

The book is well presented and clear, and is suitable from anyone aged about thirteen upward. One artworks does feature partial nudity, however, so more sensative readers should be warned.