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Stopping Baby's Colic: The New Program Designed to Relieve Most Infants' Persistent Crying in 3-7 Days
Ted; Freed, Mori Ayllon Manufacturer: 1989 Perigee Trade Paperback. Like New. Remainder mark. Parenting ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback ASIN: B000LEJZB0 |
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Waffen SS Soldier: 1940-1945
Bruce Quarrie Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items:
ASIN: 185532931X Release Date: 1999-05-01 |
Book Description
Probably the most highly motivated and ruthless combatant to take the field in World War 2, the Waffen-SS soldier was the cutting edge of Germany's military might. Aggressive in attack, dogged in defence, his units generally suffered higher casualties than the regular army formations. The apple of the Führer's eye, he was the first to receive the best available equipment and was expected to produce results to match. From the green fields of France to the freezing steppes of Russia and finally to the shattered streets of Berlin this title details the development of the weapons, equipment and tactics of one of history's most formidable soldiers.Customer Reviews:
Load of Rubbish.......2004-07-01
A decent book with one huge flaw........2004-01-18
As with all Osprey titles this book is not meant to be anything more than a general overview and a jumping off point for greater research. On that basis I recommend it.
However, there is one part of the book that I must criticize. On page 24 there is a reference to St. Ignatius Loyola and the Jesuits. The author posits that Himmler took his organizational model from the Jesuits and that Hitler often referred to him as "my Ignatius Loyola".
Of course none of these remarks are place in any kind of context and the reader is left with the impression that Hitler, Himmler and the SS were buddy-buddy with the Jesuits.
That the editors allowed this to go to print I find appalling and insulting. The Waffen SS had about as much in common with the Jesuits as they did with the Salvation Army.
It is a well known F-A-C-T that both Hitler and Himmler especially hated both Christianity and the Catholic Church. Nazi ideology, especially as practiced by the Waffen SS, was daimetrically opposed to everything the Jesuits stood for and for the author to leave his reader with any other impression is a gross error and monumental misrepresentation.
This flaw almost makes the book not worth buying.
Not for the serious student..........2000-12-01
Excellent photographic historical book........2000-05-04
Re-print with new cover.......1999-07-29
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Soldiers of destruction: The SS Death's Head Division, 1933-1945
Charles W Sydnor Manufacturer: Guild Pub ProductGroup: Book Binding: Unknown Binding Similar Items:
ASIN: B0007BYZB2 |
Customer Reviews:
Not Bad........2006-12-13
Getting at the truth of the Totenkpfdivision actions.......2004-03-18
Dr. Syndor begins his story with a discussion of the development of the Totenkpfdivision as an outgrowth from the SS Totenkopfverbande (Deaths Head Division) and the concentration camp guard system. Central to this development was Theodor Eicke, who put his aggressive, fanatical NSADP stamp on the system. He organized the concentration camp guard system and from that the initial Totenkopfdivision, making this Waffen SS unit one with a particularly rabid Nazi makeup, at least at its inception. By bringing the formation of the Totenkopfdivision into focus provides important perspective for Syndor and the reader to assess the actions of the division in its military exploits, including charges of brutality. Simply put, are actions seemingly askew from other battle units, such as murder of POWs, ultimately unexpected given the personalities and ideological "training" of the division? Syndor does not use this analysis to excuse the actions but rather to provide clarity for greater understanding in a historical context.
The passages dealing with combat of the Totenkopfdivision (most of which occurred against the Soviets) are fascinating and highly enlightening. Syndor has does a great job brining to life these years of the division and balancing the highly effective and laudable (from a military perspective) battle actions of the Totenkpdivision with the criminal activities that followed the division. The reader can easily separate these issues and then place the latter in context given the introductory material. This is in fact what Syndor attempts to do (quite effectively I believe) in the last section of the book, entitled: Ideology, Personality, Criminality.
In the end this is a wonderful book, both from a mere historical and a reading enjoyment standpoint. Syndor conveys a clear history of a single element of the Waffen SS that is both significant and fair. Highly recommended reading - five stars!
A fine study of an elite formation.......2004-02-04
Academically honest insight in to the Totenkopf and Eicke.......2001-06-05
Syndor captures the facts regarding the effect that Theodor Eicke had on creating the division from his hand picked staffs in the concentration system. Thus creating a combat division led and manned by individuals already hardened to cruelty to the "enemy behind the wire". Syndor presents a detailed account of Eicke's rise through the concentration camp system, his immense political connections, the origins of the Totenkopf division under Eicke's guidance.
The author is clearly impressed by the combat performance of the Waffen SS and the Totenkopf division in particular; however, he presents facts and adequate footnotes for anyone to investigate. The truth speaks for itself, the Waffen SS, with the esprit of the troops and the political indoctrination, were elite combat units. They fought at times to the last man and withstood hardships and casualty rates beyond what most other troops would endure. They also committed acts that carried the political will of the Fuhrer and the Reichsfuhrer SS to the occupied territories and the front.
This is NOT an apologist's book about the Waffen SS, nor does it state that every SS trooper was a criminal. The truth, as usual, is somewhere in between. It does paint the SS and the Waffen SS as the criminal organizations that they were. It also details the combat performance of this elite combat unit. The last half of the book is sketchier on details of the Totenkopf's combat records, but this was due to the loss of many of those detailed records to the war waged upon Germany.
This is an excellent book, my only criticism is that it does not have enough photo's and statistics (specifically, after action reports).
A Disturbing Portrait.......2001-02-26
In addition to the other strengths of this work let me point out two that I have not seen mentioned in any of the other reviews:
First the author provides very interesting information on the comings and goings of SSTK officers and men between the division and other SS authorities, especially the concentration/extermination camps. From the SS ideological perspective both organizations, the Waffen SS at the front and the camp guards were performing the same function, fighting the same merciless enemy. It is interesting that the SS stressed from the very beginning of the war that "guard duty in the camps was no less soldierly or important than service in the front lines. The SS Totenkopf units guarding and running the camps were depicted as heroic detachments filled with exemplary SS men performing an invaluable service by protecting Germany from the internal enemies" behind the wire (see footnote p 324). For the SS the fanatical enemy faced in Russia which supposedly hoped to destroy Germany was the same as the helpless inmates being driven to the gas chambers of Auschwitz, killing either in as great of numbers as possible guaranteed not only Nazi victory, but the physical survival of the German race in its death struggle with the "Jewish-Bolsheviks". As an explanation for the unexplainable this attitude along with the terrible experiences of the SSTK on the Eastern Front does much to answer the question as to how such slaughter of innocent civilians was possible. Today such simplistic thinking seems ludicrous, but we should not underestimate the effect of racist or other type of exclusionist ideology on young minds that are indoctrinated over a period of years from figures in authority (not to mention specially-selected fanatics) that they trust. An indication of the power of their persuasion is the fact that in May 1940 only four men in the entire division had not publicly renounced Christianity (see footnote p 85).
The second point, which comes out in the book was the wastefulness of such units as SSTK for the German war effort. The author mentions repeated complaints of German Army commanders as to the high battle casualty rates among the SSTK, rates due in many cases to incompetent officers. Also due to the stringent selection process that Eicke maintained men who could have served as officers or NCOs in other formations, served as privates in the SSTK. This was a trait common to all the Waffen SS formations, the Army's Grossdeutschland Division and all the Luftwaffe ground formations. Germany, facing so many enemies, could simply not afford wasteful misuse of men or material. It would have been far better to have utilized such men in the regular Army formations insuring that they received the proper replacements, qualified leaders and equipment rather than concentrating these scare resources in a handful of elite formations to the disadvantage of the army in general. In the case of the SS and Luftwaffe this wasteful policy was clearly due to internal Nazi political considerations. Of course such elite units provide interesting history. . . Compare this to the Soviet practice of combat units earning a "Guards" designation for success in combat.
All in all this is a very worthwhile book for those interested in World War II or Holocaust history in general and those interested in the history of the SS in particular.
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Kings Nicknames
Stephen Shannon Manufacturer: Shannon Books ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback ASIN: 1903172209 |
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Princess Baby
Karen Katz Manufacturer: Schwartz & Wade ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover ASIN: 0375841199 Release Date: 2008-01-08 |
Book Description
Poor baby, no one calls her by her real name! “I am not a buttercup, or a giggly goose. I am not a cupcake. Please don’t call me Little Lamb, and never ever Gum Drop,” she insists. With a curtsy and a twirl, again and again our protagonist makes it abundantly clear who she is. She wears a shiny crown, a fancy dress, sparkly shoes, a velvet cape, and glittery jewels.
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Uber den Beinamen "der Grosse": Reflexionen uber historische Grosse (Geisteswissenschaften, Vortrage / Rheinisch-Westfalische Akademie der Wissenschaften)
Theodor Schieder Manufacturer: Westdeutscher Verlag ProductGroup: Book Binding: Unknown Binding ASIN: 3531072714 |
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A Photographic Guide to the Birds of India: And the Indian Subcontinent, Including Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives (Princeton Field Guides)
Bikram Grewal , and Bill Harvey Manufacturer: Princeton University Press ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items:
ASIN: 069111496X |
Book Description
This is the most comprehensive photographic guide to the birds of India and the Indian subcontinent. Never before have so many of the region's species been illustrated in one book.
The brilliant photographs--most of which appear here for the first time--have been carefully selected to show not only the most common Passerine and non-Passerine species, but also more elusive species and distinctive subspecies. An up-to-date distribution map and a unique code indicating frequency and global status are provided for each of the 668 species covered. The concise text provides vital information on habitats, habits, and voice to ensure accurate identification.
Designed for easy use, the book places photos and maps in close proximity to provide an at-a-glance overview for each species. Birds are indexed by both their common and scientific names.
This is an essential volume for all birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts as well as for anyone traveling to India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Pakistan, Bangladesh, or Bhutan.
Bikram Grewal has written more than twenty books on India, including three guides to its birds. He is a biodiversity expert for the Indian government. Bill Harvey is a lifelong birdwatcher who has lived throughout the Indian subcontinent. He published the first authoritative checklist on the birds of Bangladesh as well as numerous articles and is a cofounder of the Northern Indian Bird Network. Otto Pfister is a wildlife photographer whose work has appeared in numerous publications. He has also published several illustrated articles on birds.
Customer Reviews:
Birds of India.......2007-03-20
Avoid.......2003-07-26
"A" for effort, "B plus" for results.......2003-04-21
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A Photographic Guide to Birds of India and Nepal: Also Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
Bikram Grewal Manufacturer: Ralph Curtis Publishing ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback ASIN: 0883590344 |
Customer Reviews:
A Photgraphic Misguide........2000-12-09
Some of the "features" of this book, mentioned at the back, are ironies in themselves. The first one reads : "Distinctive thumbnail colour tabs outlining each family group to enable quick identification" The tabs in question are little coloured squares at the top left and top right of each alternating left and right pages respectively indicating the family of the birds on that particular page, the key to which is located on page 7.The so called quick identifiacation of a bird family is the last thing on a birdwatcher's mind. Perchance the refernce is to the birds themselves, then , well it will be a insult of the readers's intellect if I say that a commonly accepted vernacular name of a species renders any such tabs meaningless. Anyway, the process of identifying a family with the help of these tabs is anything but quick.
The second one says : "Compact, easy-to-use format; the ideal pocket-size travelling companion". Oh yes, this book is compact alright. And it fits into the pocket very easily. The photographs are small to begin with and in some cases, legs of birds are neatly cut off(Peregrine Falcon, pg 44; Great Horned Owl, pg 77).The distribution maps are even smaller and vague to the extreme. A cheap Agatha Christie is a better travelling companion than this.
The third goes : "Authoritative text describing key identification features". This "authoratative text", dear reader, is a detailed description of plumage followed by habitat, some general characters and call. The first part(plumage description)takes up 85 % of the text and so there remains little space for the rest of the things. Compare this with the precise notes of "A Book Of Indian Birds"(Salim Ali) or the to-the-point, brief but short accompanies of "A Pictorial Guide to the Birds of the Indian Subcontinent"(Salim Ali. S. Dillon Ripley).
And now the main problem of photographs. They are, as I said earlier, small. And they depict only the male of the species : no winter and summer plumages in water birds, no phases in raptors, no immatures, no females. Just one plain colour photograph of each species(Totalling 252, as the only sincere "feature" says). Each species is accompanied by a detailed description of plumage(Refer to Feature 3). This itself shows the author's lack of trust on the credibility of the photographs to act as useful guides. The reader may argue that a single photograph is space saving; but I assure that any birdwatcher will prefer a 30x30 1 ton book on the field provided that it is competent rather than this pretty guide which is, like all pretty things, worthless.
Most of the phototgraphs are tolerable to a little extent, but some really blow you off. Try, for example, to make out birds from their shadows : Chestnut Bittern(p 22), Kalij Pheasant(p 49), Red Junglefowl(p 50), Tailor Bird(p 117), Lesser Whitethroat(p118). Or, if you prefer grass and other foliage, you can try your hand at Honey Buzzard(p 36), Grey Partridge(p 47), Jungle Bush Quail(p 48), Bengal Florican(p 56), Common Fantail Snipe(p 63), Sylark(p 92), Black Bulbul(p 108). Many smaller birds are shown in nests and I will and I will name them as "breeding unidentifyables" : Common Wood Shrike(p 104), Common Iora(p 105), Goldfronted Leafbird(p 106), YellowEyed Babbler(p 109), Quaker Babbler(p 112), Streaked Fantail Warbler(p 116), Ashy Wren Warbler(p 117), Tickell's Flowerpecker(p 129). Two are evn shown being held in hand: Paddyfield Warbler(p 118), Goldfinch(p 137).
That is the problem : birds, photographed in their natural surroundings will certainly present all these problems, whereas in illusrtations, it is in the artist's hand to depict a bird as he wants. All the photgraphs are excellent in themselves; but in the context of a field guide, they are wasted. The choice of birds also beats logic. The book contains 252 species which rae obviously meant to be common. But the Pelicans(p 15), Swamp Partridge(p 48), Blacknecked Crane(p 52), Siberian Crane(p 58), Slaty-headed Parakeet(p 74), the Nightjars(p 79), Blur-bearded BeeEate(p 84), Red-billed Chough(p 102), White throated Laughing Thrush(p 111), Streaked River Chat(p 123), Cinnamon Tree Sparrow(p 132), Allied Grosbeak(p 137), the Buntings(p 139) are all relatively uncommon and restricted. Some birds which are more common and which, I feel, should have been included are : Intermediate Egret, Black Eagle, Pale Harrier, Common Bustard-Quail, Satyr Tragopan, Demoiselle Crane, Houbara, Indian Plaintive Cuckoo, Common Indian Nightjar, Palm Swift, Heartspotted Woodpecker, Indian Cliff Swallow, Swallow(atleast one of them), Red headed Bunting, Black headed Bunting. Obviously, the availibility of photographs ruled the list of birds. It is surprising, because logic says that the photgraphs of commoner birds should be more available then rare ones.
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A Photographic Guide to Birds of Sri Lanka
Gehan De Silva Wijeyeratne , Deepal Warakagoda , and T. S. U. De Zylva Manufacturer: Ralph Curtis Publishing ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback ASIN: 1859745113 |
Customer Reviews:
A handy and affordable guide to the birds of Sri Lanka .......2006-11-15
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Birds of Nepal: Field ecology, natural history, and conservation : with reference to those of India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka : photographic field guide
Tej Kumar Shrestha Manufacturer: Bimala Shrestha ProductGroup: Book Binding: Unknown Binding ASIN: B0006FEIUC |
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Photographic Guide to Birds of Sri Lanka
Gehen De Silva Manufacturer: NEW HOLLAND PUBLISHE ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover ASIN: B000K2TJFK |
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