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From the Shadows: The Ultimate Insider's Story of Five Presidents and How They Won the Cold War

Average customer rating:

Engages the eyes and mind
View from the inside
Intense Reading - great enjoyment
Informative but dry
A rare look inside, if a bit buttoned-down

From the Shadows: The Ultimate Insider's Story of Five Presidents and How They Won the Cold War
Robert M. Gates
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0684810816

Amazon.com

Gates, director of the Central Intelligence Agency from 1991 to 1993, began in an entry level position and rose to the top. His insider's account of the Cold War, CIA operations and the unraveling of the Soviet Union is sprinkled with revelations including the fact that 1983 was the most dangerous year in U.S.-U.S.S.R. relations and that both the CIA and KGB sponsored countless "black operations" designed to embarrass and discredit the other side. Gates also reveals that he secretly met with KGB foreign operations chief Vladimir Kryuchkov on two separate occasions and how the CIA often acted in contempt of Congress. While none of this may come as a huge surprise, it never fails to shock when it's laid out in black and white by someone who was on the inside.

Customer Reviews:

Engages the eyes and mind.......2006-11-17

Rarely do you run across a historical book that is so chocked full of names, dates and acronyms that engages your mind as you push to reader faster. Gates delivers great insight wrapped in words that are illustrative of the push and pull of power players - within and between government bodies - domestic and global. If you are curious about the claims of one party or the other concerning the end of the Cold War, then this book will prove to be enlightening. All contributed to the demise, but perhaps none more than the Soviets themselves. Great read. Engaging. Insightful. Illuminating. Perhaps now more than ever before this a read that helps look at the challenges we, as a global community, face today. Buy it. Read it. Gain perspective.

View from the inside.......2006-10-01

The CIA is probably the one institution that the US President controls the most; or so this book argues. Robert M. Gates spent over two decades working at the CIA, and is one of the few career officials who came in near the bottom and rose all the way to the top. This book is his memoir, and recollection of how the CIA served 5 consecutive presidents in the Cold War. Starting with Richard Nixon, and ending with the first George Bush, Gates shows how each president used, and sometimes abused, the CIA to further their policies with regard to the USSR and communist parties around the world.

The major points one gets from this book are as follows. First, Carter was no wimp with regard to the USSR. Second, the most dangerous years of the Cold War did not end with Vietnam; they included some years in the 1980's. Third, the CIA consistently disregards the laws of the US. Fourth, the CIA often gets suckered into doing thing at the whim of the president that it later regrets. Last, the first George Bush was probably one of the best diplomats the US has seen in recent times. Over all, this was a very good book and I am glad I read it.

Intense Reading - great enjoyment.......2002-09-18

Excellent account of what really goes on from the inside of the govt. They say that truth is better than fiction. This is true in a big way in this book. You will recall many of the events in not too distant history. They come alive in this book and history makes more sense. Intense reading - be sure to underline the names to keep track of the huge cast of characters. A big Aggie thumb's up for this one!

Informative but dry.......2002-07-23

Gates had access to some of the most fascinating characters in the history of the Cold War. His observations are incisive and revealing about many of these personalities; however, his book often reads like one might imagine a CIA memo reads, rather dry. The book provides feedback on several important historical instances but it does not go into much depth on any. I do not recommend it as a book used to learn the history of that era. Instead I would read it to gain a further understanding of what went on behind the scenes.
In general, I find Gates to be an interesting character himself. He has some hilarious anecdotes about life in the CIA. Such as when he is walking up the steps of Air Force One and turns to flip off several of the top officials (I think it was) in Romania after they botch his passport. In addition to a often dry sense of humor he also seems to have a great deal of character and integrity.

A rare look inside, if a bit buttoned-down.......2002-02-28

Mr Gates' background in writing intelligence analysis is very apparent in his book, which covers the role of intelligence on policy and the figures that carried out the policy, from President Nixon to Bush Sr. Stylistically, ideas are introduced, expanded upon, and brought back together in sum and reflection in efficient essay form, yet in, one senses, what epitomizes intelligence directorate reporting at Langley. As such the recounting can be understandably dry (albeit with ready humor), but these ARE renderings of historical events; when I was patient, I found that his clarity and humility make the work readable and insightful. The DC cocktail crowd no doubt received ample fuel from Mr Gates' (decidedly fair) renderings of George Schultz and William Casey, both of whom Mr Gates spent much time with during the Reagan years. Other character sketches elucidate and emphasize Mr Gates' opinions about other high-ranking individuals in the various administrations, but his everyman-ish voice is an able mediator among the personalities.

The retelling of some events where Mr Gates plays up his role or access get a bit tedious; for example, when he and Larry Eagleburger hit the European circuit to sell arms reductions (somewhat to the effect of "we went to London, then Rome, then Bonn, then Amsterdam")-likewise, when Mr Gates would accompany other advisers and President Bush to Kennebunkport, and almost any private meetings Mr Gates would have with President Bush.

Mr Gates' own conservative bent comes through in several places, but most succinctly in his concluding remarks about the Soviet Union's demise. Here Mr Gates writes of a Soviet role in terrorist activity, yet a US role in aiding freedom fighters, which only extends a pervasive double standard in US government foreign policy. Of course Mr Gates' worked on a day-to-day basis to limit the Soviets' opportunities, and of course US hegemony is all the greater for it, but zeal can sometimes be confused for rationale: certainly the US has carried out its own "terrorist" activities, many through the CIA itself, and recent uncoverings of Kissinger's strong hand in Latin America are evidence of more glib and (many believe) illegal workings by the US executive branch.

Mr Gates has personally intrigued me since I read an article on him around the time of his confirmation as DCI in 1991. The article told of his early job as a bus driver, teaching Russian phrases to community riders, and his reference to many of the Easterners among the DC establishment ranks as "guys with last names as first names." Such an endearing portrait of himself is difficult to find in his narrative and made me a bit disappointed he didn't talk more about graduate school and Russian studies years, especially as the Sovietology schools were evolving in the 1960s, yet such topics would admittedly digress from the book's theme.

Book Description

Bhaal is dead!

But his disciples want to bring him back. The blood of the god of murder runs through his children, and bad blood attracts bad people.

Shadow thieves, vampires, ninjas, and rockworms run rampant on the Sword Coast in the action-packed novelization of the Baldur's Gate II computer game from BioWare and Interplay.

Customer Reviews:

"Based on the best-selling computer game from Interplay" .......2007-05-09

It's a good thing this warning was placed on the FRONT COVER of the book, lest one gets the impression that the book should include everything found within Baldur's Gate, which by the way has to be one of the BEST computer RPG games of all time (along with Planescape: Torment)!
The book is set on the Sword Coast where it deals with the ongoing adventures of the main character, Abdel, and his efforts to break free from being a pawn in other's schemes. His quest takes him and his companions from Baldur's Gate to Athkatla in Amn, on to the Underdark and the land of Tethyr.
The book starts off incredibly well, immediately catching the reader's interest and attention. The plot as a whole is excellent! The book is so incredibly well written and presented that the reader feels that they have been transported to another plane of existence and are actually present among the characters, seeing what they see, feeling what they feel, sensing what they sense.
Philip Athans has done a FANTASTIC job of acquiring and presenting, efficiently and successfully, essential knowledge relevant to Faerun, including customs, religion and the history of the peoples of Toril. His solid grasp of factual detail makes him capable of providing the necessary background needed to carry out the difficult task of writing Forgotten Realms novels, which is something often missing from the work of many Fantasy authors. Consequently, from the moment you pick up the book you have trouble putting it down and if that is not a clear sign of a fantastic writer/author, I don't know what is!
The description of battle at the hideout in Amn, on page 23, was breathtaking: "The lesser vampire twisted the crossbow back into the soldier's throat. The steel tip punctured skin, and the soldier jerked, releasing the catch and sending the bolt slicing through his own throat with nearly enough force to behead him. The man coughed once, and the thrall opened his mouth straining for the taller man's neck. The soldier's eyes rolled toward the thrall in abject horror, then blinked when a spray of blood covered his face. Bodhi's servant was feeding, and she let him."
Moreover, similarly to Steven Pressfield's extraordinary best-selling novel Gates of Fire (1998), Philip Athans too provides detailed, realistic and mature descriptions of torture: e.g. on page 5 "... Booter pulled the poker out of the hot coals and dragged it across Abdel's chest. He screamed, smelling his own skin and hair burning and feeling every popping blister and seared inch of flesh in a pain that was almost a living thing on its own," while on page 9 "Abdel roared in rage, frustration, and bloodlust, but not in pain, even when Booter latched onto the second fingernail with his needle-nosed pliers. `This will hurt too,' the self-styled dungeon master murmured, then pulled hard, tearing the fingernail up and off in one swift, cruel motion."
On pages 105 and 117 respectively, the author provides two more exceptional descriptions that help teleport the reader to Faerun, beside Abdel and his companions: "His toes caught the half-ogre's damaged knee, and he dug them into the gaping wound," and "Abdel dragged the blade of his broadsword across the rockworm's eyes and was happy to see them burst open and pour out a dark gray, watery putrescence."
In addition, Abdel's psyche is very well portrayed throughout the book: "Do it. It's as good a day to die as any." (Page 159)
As for the graphic descriptions on pages 190-191 and 195-196, they are simply AMAZING!
Furthermore, Philip Athans has done a FANTASTIC job of catering to adults. Subtle, and not so subtle, this is exactly what many of us fans who are now in our 30's would like to see more of; something a bit more spicy than the usual (we're not ten anymore). Bodhi felt something she hadn't felt in a long time, since before she entered her state of undeath. The feeling made her smile," (Page 23) and "She did not think she'd be able to stand." (Page 64)
Orcs, Minotaurs, Elves, Drow, Dragons, Rocksnakes, Carrion Crawlers, and factions like the Shadow Thieves and the Harpers (Jaheira) have been presented very well.
The story, the dialogues, and the small details are all wonderful and create a strong sense of mystery and anticipation.
Romance, intrigue, betrayal, and swordfights are all about.
Looking forward to reading the sequel, Baldur's Gate II, Throne of Bhaal.

PS One should seriously start thinking about turning Baldur's Gate into a movie...

How Appalling!.......2007-05-06

I have been overheard saying that Judith Kranz is the worst writer I have ever read. Her crown is now taken! Phillip Athans is so bad that he makes tears run down my face, thinking of the novel that this could have been and isn't. Imoen a lesbian! Oh, give me a break and go into dentistry, Athans.

Awesome Book.......2007-01-15

Going to read this book right now. If you read the first one there will be no dought in your mind to buy this book because it sort of ruins the first book if you don't buy this one. Trust me.

Worst Book Ever!!!!, Philip Athans-Worst Writer Ever!!!!!!!.......2006-05-03

I read the whole book in Barnes and Nobles, because i had a bad feeling about what this book would be. And let me tell you, I'm glad I didn't buy it. Philip Athens is by far the worst author ever. He must not have played the games at all. The games Baldurs Gate and Baldurs Gate 2 are the best games I have ever played in my life. So I think, as long as the author follows the main storyline of the 2nd game and picks a character that will suffice for the storyline then he really shouldnt have too much of a hard time for writing the story. But the impossible happens. hmm.....where should i start. Usually in a game like this the main character would be best suited as the good guy. But in this case the main character is a piece of trash. Abdel Adrian is his name and he is the Stupid, impulsive brute that doesnt think before doing anything that we have all come to hate. 1st thing that doesnt make sense is that he loves Jahierra, one of the main npcs in the games, yet he sleeps with a vampire, yes a vampire just because she is good looking and she seduces him; are you kidding me??? He is a son of the god of murder, theres no way a vampire can do anything to him. Overall his morality is very low for the title that he gets called in the book, "Hero" which he is called all the time. If he is worthy of the title "Hero" then what will they call Drizzt Do' Urden of the forgotten realms. Philip Athans also did a good job destroying the other great NPCs that we all liked in the games. Minsc for example has red hair, is analytical, cant do anything without asking boo if he should do it, and the biggest of all doenst fight. Instead of aiding the main character like in the game, he works as a waiter in the copper coronet. Are you kidding me??? Minsc in the games is the fearless, crazy, justified barbarian that we have all come love. Then there's other characters that were cool in the game that got destroyed. Solaufein is evil in the book which makes no sense, he was cool in the games and was kinda like Drizzt. You'll laugh at this one too; The author made Imoen a lesbian with a drow in the underdark. I believe Phaerre is here name. (There's a bathtub scene with those 2 which doesnt make any sense) For those that dont know, Imoen is the Main characters half sister. That never even got close to occuring in the game. Then comes the fighting scenes. Oh god were they bad. I'm saying that because I read RA Salvatore's Drizzt Do'Urden books and those books are very good at describing the fighting scenes, it's like your actually there when your reading it. This book doesnt even make any sense with the fighting scenes, this is the type of book where you can clearly tell that the author is rooting for the main character in the fighting scenes because there is no challenge present when he fights against anyone, except maybe Irenicus. Overall I would give this book a negative -10. I know thats an abyssmal rating but i cant believe this book. Philip Athans, you destroyed a book that could have been an overall decent book if you just followed the storyline of the game. What a pity......

Embarrassing.......2004-05-21

The game i considered a trivial masterpiece. However, i later picked up this novel just to use as bathroom reading, it seemed short enough.

The author sure left a lot of stuff out of the game, which would have probably made it a better book too. The romance with Abdel and Jaheira was still really lame (but atleast it didnt make me laugh like Baldur's gate one did though,) and Imoen, seems more like a plot herself then an actual character. If you want to read some good fantasy/adventure, try novels by RA Salvatore or Cunningham. For a truly submersive BGII experience, play the game and dont read the book, it gives FR a bad name.

Peril's Gate (Wars of Light and Shadow, Book 6)

Average customer rating:

Gone on too long
Truely Superb
A wonderful sequel
More Of The Same, Just more Ponderous and Convoluted
Deep and wonderful!

Peril's Gate (Wars of Light and Shadow, Book 6)
Janny Wurts
Manufacturer: Eos
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Curse of the Mistwraith (Wars of Light and Shadow)
Ships of Merior (Wars of Light & Shadow, Vol. 1)

ASIN: 0061054674
Release Date: 2002-12-31

Book Description

On the world of Athera, the fate of all realms hangs on the resolution of the brutal conflict born of prince against prince. Branded a minion of evil -- escaping the death sentence imposed by his half-brother Lysaer and his Alliance of Light -- Arithon, Master of Shadow, now faces the last choice remaining to him in the merciless winter wilds: to cast his lot with a renegade enchanter whom Arithon dares not trust ... or die by the swords of fanatical enemies.

Customer Reviews:

Gone on too long.......2005-08-17

Unfortunately, as with many of my favorite authors, it appears that Janny Wurts has fallen prey to the lure and curse of an extended series. The series that was well-written and interesting has become boring and grueling to get through. I really enjoyed the writing and premise in the first few books, but as it gets longer and longer what was once fresh has become worn and overdone. Our hero has everything brutally ripped from him in every book, yet goes on and makes a miraculous escape each time - over and over and over. And how many Koriani plots have to fail before they just give up??? This particular book suffered from a severe overdose of description as we hear multiple times about the beauty of Ath's creation in excruciating detail, blah blah blah. I don't disagree with the philosophy, the problem is the repitition. Although I've read Traitor's Knot, I still hope that the NEXT book will mercifully kill the series before it has lost all redeeming qualities.

I would love to go to the store and pick up a single-volume fantasy novel. Book series seem not to know when to stop anymore.

Truely Superb.......2005-07-15

I thoroughly enjoyed this book in the series ... well drawn characters, good plot, a complete world.

The best thing is the story told. The outcome is never predictable and the solutions drawn for a given situations truely brilliant. The characters come alive during the telling, to such an extent that you could believe they are alive, not figments of a persons imagination. There are many separate story lines told, but each is compelling. Janny manages to tie them together completely and never contradicts herself despite the complexity. A simple story in a complex, living world.

I truely anticipate the next and last book in this arc of the Wars of Light and Shadow. I will be sorry to see it end.

A wonderful sequel.......2005-07-12

Peril's Gate continues Janny Wurts' tradition of realistic characters and engaging plotlines. Major events happen in this volume of the Wars of Light and Shadow series, and the series' momentum builds. To fully appreciate the book, one should start the series from its first volume, Curse of the Mistwraith.

More Of The Same, Just more Ponderous and Convoluted.......2004-10-18

If you're reading this you have made it through book five and, like myself, are here hoping to read that this is a great book with some resolution- and some hope!

I suppose we are given hope since Elaira finally gets her feet out of the pity pot and seeks help through Ath's adepts at Whitehaven hostel and Damien has stopped sulking underground but, otherwise, this novel is so bogged down with overly slick description and Arithon's pathos that I found myself constantly having to read a paragraph over and over and over in order to grasp the action(s) of the characters.

At page 251, having just read Earl Jieret's suicidal resolve to die with his king... I quit. I have had five books of misery, reading of slaughtered clansmen and mad-dog townspeople and headhunters. And here, in this novel, we have whole clans, a mountain trapper, and generally, most people who come into contact with Arithon, Master Of Shadow, being brutally killed, while the members of the fellowship are in a frenzy to save the planet from a variety of monstrous demonic spirits from other worlds!

Lastly, Janny Wurts continues to rely heavily on Dakar for comic relief. Poor Dakar never loses his weight, nor his burlesque crudity. For Ath's sake, the poor man should have lost a little weight and gained some dignity by now!

The best thing that could happen is if both princes blew each other off the planet. I know I know. Without Arathon, the planet will self-destruct and so on. Well, since the clans are almost wiped out, I say good riddance to those towns people! Enough already! I am now going to go read something that, compared to this novel, will be inspiring; like the history of the Great War, or World War Two...

Deep and wonderful!.......2004-10-07

I love this series. It works on so many layers and is so complex. If you look away one second, then you're going to have to reread it because you've probably missed something.
If you've followed this series from the first book, then you're hooked like I am. The characters are individual and convincing, the trials they go through original, and the plot very sticky -- everything has the markings of a thought-out story that is very carefully and thoroughly developed.

Average customer rating:

Not quite better than nothing, but pretty pictures
Very unprofessional
You've got to be kidding
The best guide that I've ever used.
Awsome

Baldur's Gate II : Shadows of Amn
Jim Mazurek
Manufacturer: Versus Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Icewind Dale Official Strategies & Secrets

ASIN: 0970347316

Book Description

Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn, sequel to the phenomenal MILLION SELLER title Baldur's Gate, is one of the most eagerly awaited RPG titles for PC this year! The Versus Books guide will be a must-have for gamers who hope to navigate their way successfully through this awesome sure-fire hit! The Versus Books guide will provide gamers with extensively detailed, color maps to explore such areas as the Abyss and the Sahuagin City. The guide allows gamers to choose their own Adventure-style navigation while revealing hidden pathways and treasure locations. Every gameplay secret is revealed without disclosing the thrilling plot!

Customer Reviews:

Not quite better than nothing, but pretty pictures.......2005-03-02

Not very helpful in actually getting you through the game, since there are numerous errors and quite obvious typos (one that is repeated several times refers you to "page ????" - think they rushed into production and didn't quite finish editing). On the other hand, the full color illustrations are nice and there are a number of detailed maps, which unfortunately are not keyed to the numbered events in the text. The item list in the back is nice to have but also incomplete and with some errors.
Since you're probably going to have to buy it used at this point and pay way more than the original price (I did, anyway), think about whether you want this just for the not-totally-complete maps and item lists. The text is juvenile and the plot line is incomplete, so don't buy it for that. There are wonderfully detailed guides free for the downloading available on line, so if you wants hints and walkthroughs, get one of them, not this.

Very unprofessional.......2005-01-09

Versus books made some of the best strategy guides I've seen. They were colorful, helpful, and concise. However, this pile of schlock is inexcusable. I payed $17, and it felt like I was reading one of my 8 year old brother's book reports (typos included). TONS of rancid information, lack of adequate coverage, and misprints. Save your money and find an online walkthrough.

Verdict: Far from a "perfect guide".

You've got to be kidding.......2004-10-05

Ok, so I made sure I read all the reviews first to get a general idea if it was worth the hefty price. Based on what I read I decided to get it. What a mistake. Sure, the book looks outstanding, plenty of full color and detailed maps, great character, NPC, monster spell and equipment lists... I just found it to be really lacking in information. There was so much left out about areas that I came across on my own and would have loved to know more about. While I didn't expect a step-by-step walkthrough, I did expect the covered areas to be a little more informative. I also didn't like the way it was written, "Duh!", "If you're playing a multiplayer game (like we TOLD you to do)...", "...you have to admit that she's pretty darn hot, eh?". There were times I felt like they were speaking to a moron and I didn't appreciate that at all. Well, I bought it and I'm stuck with it, for now, but I can safely say I wouldn't purchase another guide from Versus again, unless their writing staff grows up.

The best guide that I've ever used........2004-08-03

The guide for Baldur's Gate I by Brady Games was abysmal. It's far better to go online for information BG:I than buy the guide.

However, the Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn Guide by Versus is absolutely brilliant. It gives you all the secrets, tells you exactly where everything is, exactly what needs to be done to get what, how much XP you get from each quest, etc. It's nigh on perfect.

I have never seen another guide as good as this one. Perhaps it has some errors in it as other reviewers say, but what guide doesn't? I certainly have no complaints.

I want a guide to give me detailed maps, detailed explanations of side quests,and detailed information on what items and XP you get from each monster, quest, etc. In short, I want it to explain everything there is to know about the game, except perhaps for strategies on defeating enemies - those are nice once in a while, but I tend to have my own style of gameplay anyways. This guide did all that. It gives all the vital information for this game - INCLUDING cheat information in case you are so inclined.

This guide is nigh on perfect. I just wish that more guides were like it.

Awsome.......2004-07-08

This guide contains everything you need to beat the game. Definatly a good buy.

Average customer rating:

A Great Fantasy -- The Shadow Gate by Margaret Ball
This is my favorite Margaret Ball book

The Shadow Gate
Margaret Ball
Manufacturer: Baen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0671720325

Customer Reviews:

A Great Fantasy -- The Shadow Gate by Margaret Ball.......2004-04-20

I found this book under "Books for Chicks". But it is a great story which just happens to have women as the key characters. Men, you will enjoy it also, it is a good fantasy story. If you enjoy Andre Norton or Jody Lynn Nye you will enjoy Margaret Ball's "The Shadow Gate".

This is my favorite Margaret Ball book.......1998-06-10

I've read all of Margaret Ball's books that I've been able to get my hands on (well, all her fantasy novels, anyway ... but I may start reading her romances because I've become such a fan). I love the blend of history and fantasy that is present in Ball's books, and the answer to the mystery of what happened to the missing elven queen had me guessing right up until the end!

Our Nig; or, Sketches from the Life of a Free Black, In A Two-Story White House, North. Showing That Slavery's Shadows Fall Even There

Average customer rating:

Slave of Northern Abolitionist but free
buy it with the Foreman & Pitts introduction
The North Wasn't Much Better

Our Nig; or, Sketches from the Life of a Free Black, In A Two-Story White House, North. Showing That Slavery's Shadows Fall Even There
Harriet E. Wilson , and Jr. Henry Louis Gates
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0394715586
Release Date: 1983-04-12

Book Description

The 1859 novel tracing the life of a mulatto foundling abused by a white family in 19th century New England.

Customer Reviews:

Slave of Northern Abolitionist but free.......2007-05-07

This book was written by a woman who was supposed to be a free Black woman. In fact she was treated worse than a slave, a Black wage slave. She was oppressed by a family of singers who were supposed to be among the top cultural representatives of Northern Abolitionism. Yet, she was treated like a slave. Succeeding generations of whites studying the book denied her and her class the ability to write such a book: they claimed the book had to have been written by a white person. The same folks fled from the realities that are described here and claimed this was pure and simple fiction.

Millions of Black women who have slaved in white kitchens and cleaning white homes during and since slavery have a spokesperson in Harriet E. Wilson. This book helps us understand not just to pity them, but to understanding their ability to fight back with their minds.

buy it with the Foreman & Pitts introduction.......2005-05-08

Though I currently have the 1983 edition with the introduction by Henry Louis Gates, Jr (whose name is in the introduction for almost every important Af-Am text in circulation, it seems), I plan on getting this latest edition.

Until recently, biographical details on Wilson were limited. Indeed, they seemed to trail off soon after the publication of her book (a death certificate for her son six months after its printing has suggested to some that her call for support went unheard). This introduciton offers new and happier information, showing that Wilson lived a long life--in part as a successful lecturer on the Spiritualist circuit.

In any edition this is a great book. Really, "great" isn't superlative enough to cover how important and interesting it is. But if you're going to buy it, get this edition.

The North Wasn't Much Better.......2000-09-15

The female child of a white female outcast and a black freeman, the author gives a detailed account of what it was like being raised by a white family in the pre-Civil War North of the United States (a household where she was abandoned by her mother at 3). This biography gives a general idea of what a Negro's life in the North was like -- and it was not much different from that life of a slave in the South. The mistress of the house was brutal beyond measure, but many of the other family members were reasonably kind (though not kind of enough to put a stop to the abuse), and it makes one shudder to think of what could have happened in a family who had nothing but Negro-haters in it. Still, she recounts how she got a small measure of schooling, and how she eventually became a Christian (something which the lady of the house -- a Christian herself -- opposed) and her eventual marriage. An upsetting story, it is nevertheless of much more value than "Uncle Tom's Cabin" as it was told from the point of view of the victim and not a sympathetic white.

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The Gates of the Shadow
Richard Vidaurri
Manufacturer: BookSurge Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

War | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1419648586

Book Description

The Gates of the Shadow is a chillingly honest, frightening and sometimes humorous novel about young Richard Murphy and his nearly two years on the battlefield. It is 1972 when Murphy tells his story from the orthopedic ward of an Army hospital. Shifting between narrative and letters exchanged with his love, Theresa, Murphy's perspectives on America's longest war are uncommonly incisive and unexpected. The reader is immediately pulled into the seventeen year old Murphy's stateside training; training that he will soon discover is wholly inadequate for the realities of Vietnam. When he is sent to Chu Lai, on the South China Sea, to serve with the Americal Division he begins to realize how ill-prepared he is for battle. As the months wear on, through combat, boredom, terror and unexpected death, Murphy, now a tank gunner, learns the rules of war. Along the way he encounters a fascinating cast of characters. There is Henry Mata, a young Private who is occasionally promoted to Sergeant and is on his fifth tour in Vietnam, Jose Rojas, the memorable tank commander, and Tommy, only twelve years old and already battle-savvy. But Murphy also undergoes a subtle awakening. He gradually becomes enamored with Vietnam and the war that goes with it and this leads him to make the fateful decision to stay on. Not at all the typical war story. Richard Vidaurri served with the Americal Division in Vietnam from 1970 to 1972. He lives and writes in Los Angeles.

Baldurs Gate II Shadows Of Amn Game manual

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Baldurs Gate II Shadows Of Amn Game manual

ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Ring-bound
Similar Items:

Baldur's Gate 2: Ultimate Collection (Shadows of Amn and Throne of Bhaal)
Baldur's Gate II : Shadows of Amn
Versus Books Official Baldurs Gate II: Throne of Bhaal Perfect Guide
Baldur's Gate : Tales of the Sword Coast Official Strategies & Secrets (Strategies and Secrets)
Baldur's Gate Official Strategy Guide (Bradygames Strategy Guides)

ASIN: B000ALKZ3G

Product Description

Game manual Baldurs Gate II Shadows Of Amn

Shadows Beyond the Gate (Summerhill Secrets #10)

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A Wonderful Story

Shadows Beyond the Gate (Summerhill Secrets #10)
Beverly Lewis
Manufacturer: Bethany House Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Twins | Issues | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Hide Behind the Moon (Summerhill Secrets #8)
Windows on the Hill (Summerhill Secrets #9)
Echoes in the Wind (Summerhill Secrets #7)
House of Secrets (Summerhill Secrets #6)
A Cry in the Dark (Summerhill Secrets #5)

ASIN: 155661876X
Release Date: 2000-04-01

Book Description

When the wounds from an old tragedy reopen, Merry Hanson must cope once more with a great loss that still hasn't healed. Will she be able to put the past behind her and celebrate the present? Ages 11-14. Summerhill Secrets book 10.

Customer Reviews:

A Wonderful Story.......2000-03-25

I love this series and have been waiting for the newest addition for some time. The characters are well-developed; I know them like my best friends. Merry and her mother are both forced to confront their feelings about Faithie, Merry's twin who died when they were seven, and begin to heal together. Merry also must figure out how she feels about Jon and Levi. I would definitely reccomend this book.

In the Shadow of Death: Living Outside the Gates of Nauthausen

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In the Shadow of Death: Living Outside the Gates of Nauthausen
Gordon J. Horwitz
Manufacturer: Free Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Austria | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

Human Rights | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 002915040X

Books:

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